Archive for the 'Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant Series' Category

March 16, 2011 | Dance Jam Productions,Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant Series

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival”, where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it in on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

You’re more than welcome to participate! Just answer the question on your own blog, and leave a link to it in their comments.

Topic #58:Who have you written into a book? Be honest.

My niece and my BF: The DA series. I created the series for my niece. She is Draven.

My BF during my senior year in high school: Dance Jam Productions. Click on the link to read The Story.

After I’m done with the series, I’m taking a step back from the YA genre to delve into the adult arena. With all the jobs I’ve had and the people I’ll meet as I open my nonprofit, I have a feeling I’ll be writing some of the outside world into my inner world. LOL

February 21, 2011 | DA Series: The Graphic Novel,Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant Series

I’ve decided to turn the DA series into a graphic novel and have just now started the process of trying to turn the first two stories into more of a script format. The guy that’s helping me, Bryan, is creating his own comic book right now, too Section 1138. I let him read Book One of the series, so he could give me his opinion on how I should start.

I had a meeting with him and his illustrator, Hana, this morning.

I can’t tell you how nice it is to actually be talking with other creative souls. I gave Hana a little background info about what I was trying to do and gave her the story to read. Based on what B and I were talking about, she doodled two character sketches right on the spot! It was very cool. It was nothing like what Draven looked like, of course, because she didn’t know, but she just drew what came to mind.

I keep thinking that there’s some correct form to use, like the “right way” to write a graphic novel, but there’s not. Bryan did give me some great pointers, but he basically just said to write the way it feels right to me. Which is kind of how I was writing the novels.

In preparation, I ordered a YA graphic novel by Richard Sala, CAT BURGLAR BLACK

I haven’t read it yet, but I plan to.

Bryan also gave me homework to do: Take the first 5 pages of these three comic books:

Brightest Day: Birds of Prey (Gail Simone and Ed Benes for DC Comics)

Astonishing X-Men: XenoGenesis (Warren Ellis and Kaare Andrews for Marvel Comics)

G.I. Joe #24 (Dixon Atkins for IDW Publishing)

and write a script. Eeep!

I think it’s just to see what I come up with. But I think it’s also to give me an idea of the set-up of a comic book (panels, speech bubbles, etc) as well as the illustrations (is it something I would like, etc.) So today, based on a comment Bryan made, I went to Borders and bought some manga books. Apparently, Draven and her crew, at times, speak too much like they’re adults, so I need to get into the mindset of teens. Hence the purchase of:

Ouran High School Host Club Books 1 and 2 by Bisco Hatori for Shojo Beat Manga

and

High School Debut Books 1 and 2 by Kazune Kawahara for Shojo Beat Manga

A girl hanging out in the book section there told me that the Host Club books are pretty funny. I’m not a fan of the illustrations, though. I want my novel to be in color and the illustrations to be drawn differently.

I’ve never read manga before. And I’ve never read comic books. The boxes looked too confusing. These manga books are going to be interesting because you open from the back, but still read from left to right like a book. That’s going to take some getting used to, to be sure.

But I want to do this right. And I’m looking to finally do something with this series. I feel like I’ve been talking about this series forever–since 2004, really–and it’s taken me a long time to figure out what I want to do.

I think a graphic novel is the best way to go.

I’m waiting for the Draven site to go live and when it does, I’ll be posting my process into the world of graphic novels on there. Until then, I’ll report here with posts under “DA Series: The Graphic Novel.”

And so the journey begins…

Technorati Tags: Richard Sala, CAT BURGLAR BLACK, Brightest Day: Birds of Prey, Gail Simone, Ed Benes, DC Comics, Astonishing X-Men: XenoGenesis, Warren Ellis, Kaare Andrews, Marvel Comics, G.I. Joe #24, Dixon Atkins, IDW Publishing, Ouran High School Host Club, Bisco Hatori, Shojo Beat Manga, High School Debut, Kazune Kawahara, Shojo Beat Manga

February 7, 2011 | Draven Atreides,Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant Series,Sunday Scribblings,The Fiction Project

I’m participating in the The Fiction Project. This project is sponsored by The Art House Co-op and is an opportunity to tell stories in a different way by fusing text and visual art. After traveling across the country, the Fiction Project will enter into the Brooklyn Art Library‘s narrative collection, archiving my story to share with the public. My chosen theme is “It Must Be”. In light of this project, I’m allowing Draven Atreides, the MC from my YA series, to take the lead each week via word prompts from Sunday Scribblings.

This week’s topic: story

Well, now. This one’s going to be easy. So, my name name is Draven Atreides, I’m 16-yrs-old. And I’m a spy. Yeah, okay, not really. I’m more of a snitch. I mean, I don’t travel to exotic places, I don’t handle or carry weapons (does a pen, a notebook and a digital camera count?), and I don’t work for a government agency. Well, one out of three isn’t bad. Let me explain.

You see, I was abandoned by my biological parents as a baby and I’ve spent all my life in the foster care system. At 16, I ended up with the Foster Couple From Hell. I discovered their dirty little secret–the bastards–so I ratted them out to the local authorities. Lucky me, when I decided to play tattletale, an agency with three letters had been investigating The FCFH for years. So, being the good citizen that I am, I decided to help them out. The agency with the three letters, that is. I cashed in my Get Out of Hell Free card. Three months later, I got a new name, a new life…and a paying gig in the Youth Informant Division. Of course, the real story are the assignments. I am not a genetically enhanced super-soldier or a government-trained agent. But you’re going down. I’m going to expose you for who and what you are—and you will never even see me coming.

Watch your back.

I’ve got my eye on you.

Technorati Tags: The Fiction Project, Brooklyn Art Library

January 19, 2011 | A Royale Pain,Book One,Draven Atreides,Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant Series,Road Trip Wednesday

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival”, where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it in on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

You’re more than welcome to participate! Just answer the question on your own blog, and leave a link to it in their comments.

Topic #54:Give a blurb for your favorite book or one of your own!?

Here’s the back-of-the-book blurb for Book 1 in the DA series: A Royale Pain

A day at the spa can be a “royale” pain.

Sixteen-year-old Draven Atreides has just started a new gig as an FBI informant. Her To Do list includes: adjust to new life, make new friends, and try not to tell said new friends about her secret job.

A French chemist is peddling his “specially formulated” products to high class spas and his latest target is celeb favorite, The Royale Treatment Day Spa. Unfortunately, his products cause some nasty side effects and the results are so not pretty. Just when Draven’s first assignment seems to be heading south, she receives unwanted assistance in the form of Rader Deschanel. What does he want with Draven? Will she be able to solve her first official case without blowing her cover?

I recently decided to turn this novel series into a comic book series and I’m not sure if comic books have blurbs. But this would’ve been the one to go on the back of the book.

Technorati Tags: YA Highway

January 12, 2011 | A Royale Pain,Book One,Draven Atreides,Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant Series,Road Trip Wednesday

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival”, where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it in on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

You’re more than welcome to participate! Just answer the question on your own blog, and leave a link to it in their comments.

Topic #53:What is your favorite line from your WIP (or from a book you read recently)?

I haven’t done this in such a long time it’s nice to get back in the game. I don’t have just one favorite line from my WIPs. I have several:

~ I’m meeting two undercover FBI agents in Central Park today.

~ Yes, it’s true. She doesn’t laugh, she giggles. If she were a doll, she’d be Tickle Me Elmo’s kid sister.

~ Their physical prettiness just kind of, you know, slaps you upside the head.

~ Out of the whole school, small as it is, he ends up with her? She’s an embarrassment to the female species.

~ Someone needs to slap this guy with a Stupidity Citation.

~ “My Mercury must be in retrograde this week to get a break like this.”

~ “If you say destiny, or even Fate, I’m so going to spew.”

~ O…kay. Who pissed in his Cheerios?

The list goes on and on. These lines come from Book One in the DA series. Draven has a great sense of humor, doesn’t she? You can also check out her inner thoughts in the Fiction Project posts below.

Technorati Tags: YA Highway