I Don't Want Water!" Sarah Cries, Her Face Buried Against My Chest. I Can't See What's Going On In The Rest Of The Lobby Beacuse Sarah's Hair Is Flying Up In My Face, Blocking My View. I Want Justice!" She Wails. Well, We'll Get You Some Of That Too." Magda Has Appeared From Out Of Nowhere. "maybe There's Some In The Freezer.

-Meg Cabot

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I Don't Want Water!"

Meg Cabot

Topic

Block

Hair

Views

More From Meg Cabot

Screenwriting Is A Much More Collaborative Effort. When You Write A Novel, It's Just You, With Input From Your Editor.

Writing

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I Really Wanted To Be Veterinarian, But I Got A 410 On My Math Sats.

Math

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Sat

Looks Fade,' Mom Would Go On. 'but Intelligence Lasts Forever.

Mom

Forever

Looks

I Like 'em Big. And Stupid. Don't Tell My Husband.

Husband

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And You Can't Have Two Stars In One Relationship. Somebody Has To Be Willing To Be The Wagon...at Lease Some Of The Time

Stars

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In High School, I Was Very Active In Extracurricular Activities Such As Art, Theatre, And Choir. I Also Wrote For The School Newspaper, But Not Regularly, Because I Never Liked Writing Non-fiction Very Much.

Art

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I Don't Think He Could Ever Be A Serial Killer. He's Way Too Shy. That Ted Bundy Guy, He Was Pretty Outgoing , From What I Heard. -jess About Doug P. 107

Thinking

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Ted Bundy

We Kissed All The Way Through The Fireworks Display. We Didn’t Even Notice That There Was A Fireworks Display… …i Guess Because We’d Been Making Fireworks Of Our Own.

Way

Fireworks

Display

Chaz Looks Me Dead In The Eye And Says, 'why Yes, Lizzie. I’m Manically Depressed Because The Girl I’ve Finally Realized I’ve Always Been In Love With, And Who I Was Beginning To Think Just Might Love Me Back, Turned Around And Got Herself Engaged To My Best Friend, Who, Frankly, Doesn’t Deserve Her. Does That Answer Your Question?

Girl

Eye

Thinking

The First Thing We Did Was Change All The Clocks So That Her Siblings Thought It Was Bedtime, Then Put Them To Bed Ignoring Their Plaintive Protests That They Were Not Tired. They Wept Themselves To Sleep Soon Enough.

Sibling

Tired

Sleep

All I Did Was Die,' I Said. 'and Then, When Presented With An Opportunity Not To Be Dead Any More, I Took It. Anyone Else Would Have Done The Same Thing.

Opportunity

Done

Said

Mr. Greer Timed All Our Speeches With An Oven Timer. Things Were Nothing At Tribeca Alternative, Considered One Of Manhattan's Finest Prep Schools, If Not High Tech.

School

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Manhattan

Did You See Him? I Know The Photo Was Grainy, But He Looks Like One Of Those Death Metal Goth Heads, Or Whatever They’re Called. All Dressed In Black With Long Hair I Took Umbrage At My Mother Describing My Boyfriend This Way. John Was The Lord Of The Underworld. How Else Was He Supposed To Dress?

Mother

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I Needed Another Soda. I’d Only Had Six Since Breakfast.

Breakfast

Soda

Six

I Wish I Had Taken Spanish Instead Of French In High School. I Could Eavesdrop On A Lot More Conversations On The Subway If I Knew Spanish.

Taken

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Wish

I Think You Get So Wrapped Up In The Book You're Currently Writing, It's Hard To Think About Anything Else. But I Know As Soon As I'm Done With This Book, I'll Move On To Something Else.

Moving

Book

Writing

I Wonder What It's Like To Live In Tinaville. I Get The Feeling It's Very Shiny There.

Feelings

Wonder

Sometimes What You Want Is Right In Front Of You. All You Have To Do Is Open Your Eyes And See It.

Eye

Want

Sometimes

It’s Seemed More Like A Punishment Than A Reward Most Days…” He Said, His Tone One Of Bitter Resignation. Then His Gaze Lifted To Meet Mine, And His Voice Changed. “…at Least Until I Found You.

Punishment

Voice

Found You

Needless To Say, The Fact That He Actually Spoke To Me At All Practically Caused Me To Pass Out. And Then The Fact That He Was Actually Saying Something That Sounded Like It Might Be A Prelude To Asking Me Out - Well, I Nearly Threw Up. I Mean It. I Felt Really Sick, But In A Good Way.

Mean

Sick

Asking

It Was Only When They'd Rounded The Corner Toward The Penguin That We Finally Sat Up, Laughing Semi-hysterically. "oh My God, Did You See Her Face?" Becca Asked Between Guffaws. "'there's Something In My Hair!'" "that Was Fantastic, Crazytop," Jason Said, Wiping Tears Of Laughter From His Eyes. "best Master Plan Yet.

Laughter

Eye

Hair

I Really Liked Drama And Being In Plays, So When I Was Playing A Character Onstage And I Could Act Like Somebody Else, Then I Wasn't Scared Or Nervous, But I Didn't Like Meeting New People When I Had To Be Myself. That Was Scary.

Drama

Character

Play

I Was In Love With Scott Bennett. That I Had Been In Love With Him My Whole Life, Practically.

Whole Life

Been In Love

Whole

To Achieve Self Actualization, Do Good Things For Other People That You Would Want To Be Done Onto Yourself

Inspirational

Life

Self

I Was The Kind Of Kid Who Couldn't Really Stop Making Up Stories During Class. I Didn't Do Very Well Academically Because I Was Always Drawing These Little Doodles In The Margins Of My Notebooks And I Wasn't Bringing Home The Best Grades.

Notebook

Home

Kids

This Is Exactly Why Patrick And I Chose Not To Have Children." He Muttered. "so We Would Never Have To Have Conversations Like This. Andy Yet...here I Am?""if You Could Answer The Question," I Said As Politely As I Could, "that Would Be Great. I Really Don't Want To Have A Freaky Demon Baby, And I Can't Imagine John Wants One, Either

Baby

Children

Here I Am

But It’s There. Just Because I Haven’t Told Anyone Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t There, All The Time, Lurking In The Back Of My Mind, Like One Those Nsync Songs You Can’t Get Out Of Your Head.

Song

Mean

Nsync

Someday You're Really Going To Have To Describe To Me In More Detail What Life Is Like On The Planet You Live On. Because It Sounds Really Great, And I'd Like To Visit There One Day.

Life Is Like

One Day

Sound

But I Don't Care What Megan Fox Or Jessica Biel Say: There Are Definite Advantages To Being The Hottest Girl On The Planet. Number One Was That I Got Paid For It. A Lot.

Girl

Numbers

Care

He Is The Dark Prince. The All-powerful One. The Leader Of The Creatures Of The Night." Then Meena Said, "i'm Confused Then. I Thought The Prince Of Darkness Was The Devil." [......] "wait," Meena Said, Blinking. " Are You Saying....." "yes," Alaric Said. "that Is Exactly What I'm Saying." Jon Looked Blank. "i Don't Understand. Is He The Devil Or Not?" "lucien Antonescu," Alaric Said. "is A Vampire. Not Just Any Vampire, But The Ruler Of All Vampires.

Powerful

Confused

Dark

Yeah,” Nicole Said, Her Straw Noisily Hitting The Bottom Of Her Gut Buster. “well, I Would Have Appreciated It If You Guys Had Wrecked A Little Less Stuff. Because My House Smelled Like Smoke For Months. And Construction On The Tarantinos’ New Garage Starts At Eight On The Dot Every Morning, And It’s Still Going On, And You Know How I Get If I Don’t Have My Full Ten Hours Of Beauty Sleep.” “so That’s What Happened To Your Face,” Cody Said. “i Was Wondering.

Morning

Sleep

Eight

For Each Book, I Do End Up Making A Kind Of Playlist To Fit The Characters.

Book

Character

Kind

Look, I Know What You're Thinking. You're Thinking I Said No Because The Whole Thing Would Just Be Too Dirty Dancing , Right? Summer Fling At The Resort, Only With The Roles Reversed: You Know, The Poor Working Girl And The Rich Doctor's Son, Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner, Blah Blah Blah. That Kind Of Thing.

Summer

Girl

Baby

„everyone Wants To Believe That There’s Something Else – Something Great – Waiting For Them On The Other Side. Paradise. Valhalla. Heaven. Their Next – Hopefully Less Horrible – Life.

Believe

Waiting

Heaven

I Swear, Sometimes I Am Convinced My Life Is Just A Series Of Sketches For America's Funniest Home Videos, Minus All That Pants-dropping Business. Except My Life Really Isn't All That Funny If You Think About It.

Home

Thinking

America

If Kisses Were What You Were Looking For, Little Fool, Why Didn't You Come To Me? Quoted By Susannah Simon

Kissing

Littles

Fool

No Offense, But If You Want To Be With My Niece, You Should Think About Getting A Haircut. My Mother Is Very Conservative.” “no Offense Taken,” John Said Mildly.

Mother

Niece

Taken

Have You Tried This Shrimp? It's Freaking Amazing. Would You Get Away From Me? I Hate You. You're So Moody. Just Because I Kidnapped You And Tried To Force You To Be My Girlfriend. I Thought You Would Be Over That By Now.

Girlfriend

Hate

Would Be

I Usually Know Almost Exactly How I Feel. The Problem Is, I Just Can't Tell Anyone.

Problem

Feels

Knows

Back In Middle School, Catherine And I Had Gone Through This Stage Where All We Would Read Were Fantasy Books. We'd Consume Them Like M&m's, By The Fistful, J.r.r. Tolkien And Terry Brooks And Susan Cooper And Lloyd Alexander. Susan Boone Looked, To Me, Like The Queen Of The Elves (there's Almost Always An Elf Queen In Fantasy Books). I Mean, She Was Shorter Than Me And Had On A Strange Lineny Outfit In Pale Blues And Greens.

Queens

Book

School

There’s No Accountability Anymore, Pierce, No One Holds Anyone Accountable For What They Do. It’s Always Someone Else’s Fault. Usually People Just Blame The Victim.

People

Accountability

Faults

They Just Kept Grinning At Me From Over The Stupid Sign, Dopey Because He's Too Dumb To Know Any Better, Doc Because – Well, I Guess Because He Might Have Been Glad To See Me. Doc's Weird That Way. Sleepy, The Oldest, Just Stood There, Looking … Well, Sleepy.

Stupid

Dumb

Might

They've Arrested Sebastian! For M-murder! You've G-got To Stop Them! He D-didn't Do It! He Can't Have Done It! He Doesn't Believe In Murder! He's A V-vegetarian!

Believe

Done

Vegetarian

I Can't Kill Someone!" "you Hit Your Brother In The Head With A Fire Extinguisher." "but That Was Family! And I Didn't Kill Him.

Brother

Fire

I Can

> Cracking: No Need To Yell. > Ftlouie: I’m Not Yelling!!! > Cracking: You’re Using Excessive Amounts Of Punctuation, And On-line, That’s Like Yelling.

Yelling

Needs

Lines

I Love The Princess Diaries Series! Do You?

Princess

Diaries

Princess Diaries

It Wasn't Until Hope Fluttered Over And Landed At Alex's Feet, Peering Questioningly Up At Him, That He Finally Tore His Hands Away From His Eyes.oh, My God, He Said, Sounding Disgusted. Why Is There A Bird Looking At Me?that's Miss Oliviera's Bird, Henry Volunteered Cheerfully. The Captain Gave It To Her As A Present.kayla Punched Me In The Arm. John's Got His Captain's License? She Whispered. You Are So Lucky. Frank Says He Just Loads Cargo.i Glanced At Frank. I Wondered If Kayla Would Like Him As Much If She Knew The Cargo He Loaded Was Human Souls.

Eye

Feet

Hands

We Need To Talk.” “i’m Just – Look,” I Said, As He Took A Step Toward Me. “i’m Just Going To Give Cee Cee A Call And Maybe We’ll Go To The Beach Or Something, Because I Really … I Just Need A Day Off.”another Step Toward Me. Now He Was Right In Front Of Me. “especially,” I Said Significantly, Looking Up At Him, “from Talking. That’s What I Especially Need A Day Off From. Talking.” “fine,” He Said. He Reached Up And Cupped My Face In Both His Hands. “we Don’t Have To Talk.”and That’s When He Kissed Me. On The Lips.

Beach

Hands

Talking

Even Though I Loved To Write, I Never Liked English Lit. Class Very Much. I Think It Ruins Books When You Dissect Them Too Much. I Liked My Art Classes Best.

Art

Book

Writing

I Can't Even Tell You How Good It Felt To See Him. It Felt Even Better When He Reached Through The Metal Grate, Wrapped His Fingers Around The Front Of My Shirt, Dragged Me Forward, And Kissed Me Through The Bars. "sorry" He Said-only Not Looking To Sorry, If You Know What I Mean.

Sorry

Mean

Bars

Write The Kind Of Story You Would Like To Read. People Will Give You All Sorts Of Advice About Writing, But If You Are Not Writing Something You Like, No One Else Will Like It Either.

Kids

Writing

Giving

So Go Ahead And Make Your Way Back From The Edge Of Yesterday No One Knows What Can't Be Known 'cause When You Start You're All Alone But Take Enough Steps Take Enough Steps Take Enough Steps And Someday Someday You'll Be Home ---heather Wells, Untitled

Home

Yesterday

Heathers

That's Enough Of That," Jesse Said. Next Thing I Knew, He'd Scooped Me Up. Only Instead Of Carrying Me To My Bed And Setting Me Down On It All Romantically, You Know, Like Guys Do To Girls In The Movies, He Just Dumped Me Onto It, So I Bounced Around And Would Have Fallen Off If I Hadn't Grabbed The Edge Of The Mattress. "thanks," I Said, Not Quite Able To Keep All Of The Sarcasm Out Of My Voice.

Girl

Sarcasm

Voice

Hasn’t Anyone Ever Told You,” Jesse Asked, In A Semi-amused Voice, “ That A Gentleman Never Lays A Hand On A Lady?” Which I Thought Was Kind Of Funny, Considering Where Jesse Had Had His Hand The Last Time I’d Seen Him. But I Thought It Better To Let That Slide.

Hands

Voice

Gentleman

When I Was A Kid, I Had A Couple Of Really Good Friends, Like Some Really Good Best Friends, But I Was Really Shy Other Than That.

Couple

Kids

Good Friend

My Favorite Book Of All Time Is Cold Comfort Farm, By Stella Gibbons.

Book

Agriculture

Comfort

I Just Got A Fortune Cookie That Says "turn Off Your Computer And Read A Book" Which Is Odd Because I'm Writing A Book...on My Computer!

Book

Writing

Fortune Cookie

A Wrinkle In Time Is One Of My Favorite Books Of All Time. I've Read It So Often, I Know It By Heart. Meg Murry Was My Hero Growing Up. I Wanted Glasses And Braces And My Parents To Stick Me In An Attic Bedroom. And I So Wanted To Save Charles Wallace From It.

Growing Up

Book

Hero

But As You Age, You Lose Other, Even More Important Things, Like Friends-hopefully Only Bad Friends, Who Maybe Weren't As Good For You As You Once Thought. With Luck, You'll Be Able To Hang On To Your True Friends, The Ones Who Were Always There For You....even When You Thought They Weren't. Because Friends Like That Are More Precious Then All The Tiaras In The World

True Friend

Bad Friend

Luck

Someone, I Was Beginning To Suspect, Had A Bit Of A Gangster Complex. It Wasn't Really Very Hard To Figure Out Who. I Mean, I Was Guessing It Wasn't Christopher's Aunt Jackie.

Mean

Aunt

Guessing

Jesse, Who Had Not Stirred The Whole Time From The Spot He'd Been Standing, Confident I Could Handle Cheryl Myself, Was Grinning. "it's Every Girl's Dream To Guy To Go To Prom With The Guy She Loves?" He Echoed, Not Just One, But Both Inky Black Eyebrows Raised. "don't Start With Me," I Said. I Tried To Hide My Suddenly Flaming Cheeks By Scraping Away What Was Left Of The Cannolis, And Replacing Them With The Contents Of An Upended Bag Of Chocolate Chip Cookies. "i Have Things To Do.

Girl

Dream

Eyebrows

See? Anger Can Be Healthy. When The Time Comes–and It Will Come–remember That. And What I Said. Embrace Your Powers–love Yourself The Way Nature Made You, And You Will Prevail. Always.

Love Yourself

Healthy

Way

Inside The Envelope With The Letter Was A Little Princess Leia Action Figure Usb Flash Drive. For Me To Store My Novel On, Since He Was Right - I Never Back Up My Computer's Hard Drive. The Sight Of It - It's Princess Leia In Her Hoth Outfit, My Favorite Of Her Costumes (how Had He Remembered?) Brought Tears To My Eyes.

Princess

Eye

Sight

Unrequited Love Is All Right In Books And Things, But In Real Life, It Completely Sucks

Real

Book

Unrequited Love

But He's Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places. Like Fancy Under Catalogs At Least He Knows Enough Not To Date While He's Campaigning

Looking For Love

Fancy

Enough

I've Never Even Been To Long Island

Islands

Long

Long Island

Why Can't You Just Get Married In Las Vegas Like Normal Americans?

Vegas

Las Vegas

Normal

But Once I'd Come Up With It, I Realized It Really Was The Perfect Plan. Instead Of Waiting For Maria To Come To Me, I Was Simply Going To Go To Her And, Well... Send Her Back To Where She Came. Or Reduce Her To A Mound Of Quivering Gelatinous Goo. Whichever Came First.

Perfect

Waiting

Firsts

That Hurt Querida, That Really Hurt

Hurt

Oh My God. I Thought I Was Going To Have An Aneurysm Right There In Line. Your Hair Smells Really Good? Your Hair Smells Really Good? Who Did He Think He Was? James Bond? You Don't Tell Someone Their Hair Smells Good. Not In A Mall.

Thinking

Hair

Smell

You;re Colling Me, So I Fugure You Must Not Hate Me Anymore. Does This Mean You Wanna Go Out? Ii'm Free Tonight. I Mean , I Have Plans, But I Can Break Them. For You. Brandon, You Kidnapped Me. And Then You Made The Only Person I'll Ever Love In My Life Hate Me. I Completely Despise You. So..., I Take That As A No, You Do Not Want To Go Out With Me Tonight.

Hate

Mean

Doe

My Mother's Psychologist Says I Have An Overactive Anger Switch, But People Just Keep Pissing Me Off.

Mother

Anger

People

Life's Not Easy For Unicorns, You Know. We're A Dying Breed.

Dying

Unicorn

Easy

One Of The Biggest Motivations For Me With Writing My Books Is To Offer Girls Some Escapism, Especially Girls Who Really Need It, Like I Did.

Girl

Motivation

Book

I Realized Michael Was Right. I Mean, I Am Always Writing In This Journal. And I Do Compose A Lot Of Poetry, And Write A Lot Of Notes And Emails And Stuff. I Mean, I Feel Like I Am Always Writing. I Do It So Much, I Never Even Thought About It As A Talent. It's Just Something I Do All The Time, Like Breathing.

Writing

Mean

Breathing

Save Your Rejections So That Later When You Are Famous You Can Show Them To People And Laugh.

Funny

Motivation

Sea

She Hadn't Slain The Dragon. Not At All. She Hoped No One Ever Would.

Dragons

But If That Was Really True, Why In The Name Of All That Is Holy Would Anyone Have Ever Liked Nikki In The First Place? I Was Becoming More And More Convinced She Was A Cross Between Heidi Montag And Hitler.

Names

Firsts

Becoming

It Was Also, However, A Favorite Place For Novices To Stand And Wait For Innocent Students To Slip Up By Talking Too Loudly Between Classes. No Novice Has Ever Been Created That Could Keep Gina Quiet, However.

Talking

Class

Waiting

Lana Looked At Me Like I’d Just Said I’d Never Watched Bring It On, Or Something.

Said

But. . . You Said We Were Going To Play Parcheezi. . .

Play

Said

And Standing Before Me A Bloodied Bottle Of Absolut In Her Hand, Is Mrs. Allington, Her Pink Jogging Suit Drenched, Her Chest Heaving, Her Eyes Filled With Contempt As She Stared Down At Rachel's Prone Body. Mrs. Allington Shakes Her Head. "i'm A Size Twelve," She Says.

Eye

Hands

Twelve

My Shoulders Sagged. Really, Is It Too Much To Ask That I Be Able To Come Home From A Long Day Of Work And Relax? Oh, No. I Have To Come Home And Read A Bunch Of Letters Written To The Love Of My Life By His Fiancée, Who, If I Am Correct, Had Him Killed A Hundred And Fifty Years Ago. Then, As If That Is Not Bad Enough, He Wants Me To Explain The Vietnam War.

War

Home

Years

Usually Writer's Block Arises When Something Is Wrong Internally With The Story.

Block

Stories

Arise

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself.

Safety

Wrecks

Due Date

Someone Hot Is Sometimes Can't Be The Person They Appear To Be- Except For Their Hotness... That Cannot Be Denied.

Hot

Sometimes

Persons

I Don't Give Books As Gifts. Books Are Extremely Personal, And I Would Hate To Give Someone A Book That They Don't Like Or Want, Because It Would Break My Heart If They Didn't Read It.

Hate

Book

Heart

You'll Blow Up A Helicopter, But You Won't Go Out With Me? What Is Wrong With You?

Relationship

Blow

Helicopters

If All People Became Ghosts My Social Life Would Be So Over" - Suze Simon In The Mediator

People

Would Be

Ghost

Lana Says J.p. Makes Matt Damon From The Bourne Movies Look Like Oliver From Hannah Montana

Looks

Montana

Damon

But I Let It Slide, Because, Hello, Hot Guy.

Guy

Slides

Hot

Anybody Can Be A Princess. All You Have Todo Is Have The Right Parents. It's No Harder Than Being Born Paris Hilton, For God's Sake. At Least You Remember To Put On Underwear In The Morning, I'm Assuming

Morning

Princess

Paris

The Peace Sign Is With Two Fingers Not One.

Two

Fingers

Peace Sign

It Was Considerably Larger Than A Knife Hilt.

Knives

When He Smiled, Something Strange Happened To My Insides. It Was Like They Turned To Liquid.

Liquid

Strange

Happened

Sleepy Pulled The Car To A Stop In Front Of This Paved Entranceway, Which Was Flanked On Either Side By These Enormous Palm Trees, Kind Of Like The Polynesian Resort At Disney World. In Fact, The Whole Place Had Kind Of A Disney Feel To It. You Know, Really Big, And Kind Of Modern And Fake.

Car

Fake

Tree

It's What's Known As An Origin Myth. What Happened To Me? That's No Myth.

Myth

Happened

Known

The The Tabloids Are Always Going To Be A War For Popularity In The Celeb World.

War

World

Tabloids

My Family, Theyre Story Tellers. My Mom Is Irish, And My Dad Is Italian. In My Family, We Werent Allowed To Watch Tv While We Ate - We Had To Sit Around The Table And Tell Stories About Our Day.

Mom

Dad

Italian

It Is A Documented Fact. I Read It In People Magazine.

People

Magazines

Facts

I Realized That Life Is So Short: Why Waste One Minute Of It Worrying What Other People Think Or Say About You, Or What Score You Got On Some Test? Why Not Believe What You Want To Believe, And Do What You Love?

Believe

Thinking

Worry

Jesse, This Is Craig. Craig, Jesse. You Two Should Get Along. Jesse's Dead, Too.

Two

Should

Suze Simon

No Matter How Nice The Company One Might Be With, However, It Is Never Pleasant To Have A Rifle Pointed At One's Back.

Nice

Rifles

Meg

When I Did See The Story Of Persephone, I Was Really Drawn To It. Persephone, The Goddess Of Spring, Was Kept From Olympus By Her Mother, Demeter, Because Demeter Was Very Worried That The Gods Of Olympus Would Do Something Terrible To Her.

Mother

Spring

Olympus

One Of The Biggest Mistakes Girls Can Make Concerning Their Romantic Life Is Sitting Around Waiting For Their Prince To Find Them, Rather Than Getting Out There And Finding Him Themselves.

Girl

Mistake

Waiting

I Felt As If The Milky Way, Hovering Above Our Heads Like A Celestial Pitcher, Had Suddenly Overturned, Pouring Suns And Planets Down My Throat. Stars Seemed To Be Shooting Out Of My Finger And Toes, The Ends Of My Hair.

Stars

Hair

Pouring

So Take My Advice: Whatever You Do? Don’t Blink

Advice

Blink

The Brave May Not Live Forever, But The Cautious Do Not Live At All.

Stay Strong

Courage

Business

I Loved You Way Before You Ever Had A Chance To Put A Spell On Me. I Loved You At 'i've Never Been To Long Island,'" Zach Said. I Couldn't Keep A Big Goofy Grin From My Face. I Loved You At 'i Like Seals,'" I Admitted. He Grinned Back.

Islands

Long

Way

It’s So Much Easier To Walk Away Than It Is To Have To Explain To Someone That You Never Want To See Them Again.

Want

Easier

Walks

But Then I Remembered Something Grandmere Had Once Assured Me Of: No One Has Ever Died Of Embarrassment-never, Not Once In The Whole History Of Time.

Embarrassment

Remembered

Whole

If The Guy Likes/loves You, He Won't Care If You Are A Good Kisser Or Not. He Should Like You For What You Are - Not How You Kiss.

Love You

Kissing

Guy

You Know In Sixth Grade, When They Made All Of Us Girls Go Into This Other Room And Watch A Video About Getting Our Periods And Stuff? I Bet While We Were Gone, The Boys Were Watching A Video About How To Look At Each Other In That Infuriating Way.

Girl

Boys

Watches

Smiles Like That Should Be Against The Law. Considering What They Do To A Girl.

Girl

Law

Should

But Really, The Term “forgive And Forget” Doesn’t Make Sense To Me. Forgiving Does Allow Us To Stop Dwelling On An Issue, Which Isn’t Always Healthy. But If We Forget, We Don’t Learn From Our Mistakes. And That Can Be Deadly.

Mistake

Dwelling

Issues

Bite Me, Harry Potter.

Potters

Bite Me

Bites

We Can All Agree That First Loves Can Be A Scary Thing, And That Growing Up Is Hard To Do.

Growing Up

First Love

Scary

I’ve Never Enjoyed Myself More Than I Have The Past Forty-eight Hours, During Which I’ve Been Trapped In A Car With One Of The Worst Drivers I’ve Ever Seen, Run Up The Spanish Steps And Then Down Again So I Could Be On Time To Wait In Line To Perjuer Myself At The American Consulate. And I’d Like To Continue Doing Those Sorts Of Thing With You On A Regular Basis For The Foreseeable Future.

Running

Past

Eight

You Know. Life's Short. If You Don't Try New Things, You'll Never Know What You're Best At. And You Can Only Make Time For New Things By Quitting The Things You Know Don't Work For You.

Trying

Quitting

Making Time

I've Only Been Gone A Week," I Reminded Him. Well, A Week's A Long Time. It's Seven Days. Which Is One Hundred And Sixty-eight Hours. Which Is Ten Thousand, Eighty Minutes. Which Is Six Hundred Thousand, For Hundred Seconds.

Eight

Long

Gone

Of Course. I Was On The Run From Evil Spirits That Wanted To Kill Me And Now, According To The Local Paper, The Law. Yet Richard Smith, Cemetery Sexton And Death Deity Scholar, Had A Book For Me To Read In All My Copious Spare Time.

Running

Book

Law

Home. Wow. I’m Already Calling It Home. Well, Isn’t That What Any Place Is? Any Place That You Share With Someone You Love, I Mean?

Home

Mean

Calling

Aaron, In Order To Die You Have To Live A Little First.

Order

Littles

Firsts

Oh My God, She Said Are You Going To Be Reasonable About This?

Said

Reasonable

Maybe Nobody Has A Right To Tell Anybody To Shut Up. Maybe This Is How Wars Get Started, Because Someone Tells Someone Else To Shut Up, And Then No One Will Apologize.

War

Apologizing

Shut Up

You Just Said You Were Sorry." ... "i Was Only Apologizing," He Said Stiffly, "for Startling You. The Applause Was To Compliment You On The Improvement In Your Life-saving Techniques Since The Last Time You-

Sorry

Compliments You

Lasts

Susannah." My Dance Partner's Breath Was Soft Against My Cheek. "susannah...." Yeah. In My Dreams. In Real Life, The Voice Calling My Name Wasn't A Bit Masculine. That's Because It Belonged To A Twelve-year-old Boy.

Dream

Real

Boys

Sometimes I Just Want To Write A Really Intense Love Scene. But I Can't Do That In My Books For Teens, Or Parents Will Complain - Believe Me, I've Tried.

Believe

Book

Writing

Pretty Isn't The Only Thing That Matters - Being Smart And Kind Matters More, Of Course - But All Daughters Should Hear From Their Moms That They Look Pretty Once In A While.

Mom

Daughter

Mother

You Want A Happy Romantic Relationship? Don’t Ruin It By Getting Married.

Want

Ruins

Married

Honey, Some Boys Stopped By To See You. They Had Wood.

Boys

Honey

Woods

It's Truly Weird How Everyone Just Thinks They Can Bring Me Diet Coke And Everything Will Be Okay. Especially Since It's Pretty Much True.-lizzie Nichols

Thinking

Coke

Okay

There Are Nice, Funny, Totally Good-looking Guys Out There. You Just Have To Know Where To Look…and Apparently, Where Not To Look.

Nice

Guy

Looks

It’s One Thing To Protect Yourself,” Dad Yelled At Me During Our Very Next Lunch. “that I Get. Have I Ever Told You Not To Defend Yourself? No. But Did You Have To Permanently Maim Him? I Spent All That Money On That On That Fancy School For Girls-not To Mention All That Money For The Shrinks-and What Did That Get Me?” I Shrugged. “a Seven-figure Civil Suit?

Girl

Dad

School

Though I Imagine In Your Case, Trying Not To Fall Just Made You Fall Harder.

Fall

Trying

Imagine

I Love Jezebel.com For The Latest On Fashion, Style, And Celebrity Gossip. I Also Love Gawker.com For New York Celebrity Sightings, And Galleycat.com And Trashionista.com For Book News.

Fashion

New York

Book

You Can't Be Friends With Someone Who's In Love With You If You Don't Love That Person Back The Same Way.

Love You

Way

Persons

Strong Female Characters - Even If They Don't Necessarily Make The Same Decisions That We Might - Make Such Great Narrative Material, Especially When There's An Equally Strong Male Character In The Mix.

Strong

Character

Decision

In Order For People To Be Happy, Sometimes They Have To Take Risks. It's True These Risks Can Put Them In Danger Of Being Hurt.

Happiness

Hurt

Order

Growing Up, I Mostly Read Comic Books And Sci-fi. Then I Discovered The Book 'jane Eyre' By Jane Austen. It Introduced Me To The World Of Romance, Which I Have Since Never Left. Also, The World Of The First-person Narrative.

Growing Up

Book

Romance

But I Intend To Enjoy The Weeks I Have Left With You To The Fullest. Because I Know From My Study Of The Philosophy Of Time, Whatever Is Going To Happen In The Future Is Already Unavoidable.

Philosophy

Study

Week

There Is A Difference Between Listening And Hearing, Just As There Is A Difference Between Seeing And Knowing.

Differences

Knowing

Listening

And I Like A Good Horror Story As Much As The Next Person So Long As They Kill Off Some Men Too And Not Just Girls. But The Voices Joan Heard Were Real. There’s Clear And Substantiated Proof They Were Real. She Won Battles That Would Otherwise Have Been Lost Because Of What Those Voices Told Her In Advance Of Them Allowing The French Generals To Strategize In Ways Completely Different Than They Did Before Joan Came Along. People’s Lives Were Saved Because Of What Those Voices Told Her.

Girl

Real

Men

Always Be True To Your Friends, Just As You Are To Yourself.

Being True

Hope Springs Eternal, Even In The Heart Of A Fat Girl.

Girl

Spring

Heart

Life Isn't A Romance Novel. The Truth Is, The Reason Romance Novels Sell So Well ---- The Reason Why Everyone Loves Them ---- Is Because No One's Life Is Actually Like That. Everyone Wants Their Life To Be Like That.

Romance

Want

Reason Why

Jake Leaned On The Horn, Swearing Loudly. Gina Covered Her Eyes. Doc Flung His Arms Around Me, Burying His Face In My Lap, And Dopey, To My Great Surprise, Began To Scream Like A Girl, Very Close To My Ear.

And I'm Sure Than In Poland, Or Somewhere, It Is Considered Cool To Drive A Porsche And Wear Necklaces And Black Silk, But At Least Back In Brooklyn If You Did Those Things You Were Either A Drug Dealer Or From New Jersey.

Drug

Black

Brooklyn

I Think We Make Our Own Luck. Our Parents Give Us Life, But What We Do With That Life Is Our Own Responsibility.

Responsibility

Thinking

Giving

He'd Know That I Think That . . . Well, That Bending An Enemy's Will Through Military Force Is The Absolute Last Way A Nation Ought To Go About Solving Their Problems.

Military

Thinking

Enemy

I've Come To The Conclusion That, Aside From Nazis, The Taliban, And Possibly The Honey Badger, There Is No One On The Planet More Merciless Than A Teenage Girl Once She's Decided She Dislikes You.

Girl

Teenage

Honey

I Was An Unhappy Child, And That Puts Me Off Having A Child Of My Own.

Children

Unhappy

My Own

What's A Mediator You Ask? Oh, A Person Who Acts As A Liason Between The Living And The Dead. Hey, Wait A Minute...what're You Doing With That Strait Jacket?-suze Simon's Imagination

Imagination

Waiting

Hey

I Looked Where He Was Tapping. "local Girl Missing, Feared Dead" Beneath It Was A Photo Or Me-my Most Recent School Photo. "oh No." My Heart Filling With Dread, I Took The Paper From Mr. Smith's Hands. "couldn't They Have Found A Better Picture?

Girl

Heart

School

It's Kind Of Depressing, If You Think About It. I Mean, Me Being So Young, And Yet So Cynical And Suspicious.

Depressing

Mean

Thinking

High School Sucks. People Who Say Those Were The Best Years Of Your Life - Those People Are Liars... Who Wants The Best Years Of Their Life To Be In *high School*? High School Is Something *everybody* Should Be Ready To Lose.

Liars

School

Best Years Of Your Life

Summer Is My Favorite Time To Read Mysteries.

Summer

Mystery

My Favorite

Why Should Women Have To Fit Into Child Sizes In Order To Be Considered Desirable? That Is Both Sick And Depressing.

Depressing

Children

Order

I Didn’t Know What I Was Supposed To Say About That, So I Just Said, "wow

Wow

Said

Knows

It's Only In Fairy Tales That Princesses Can Afford To Wait For The Handsome Prince To Save Them. In Real Life, They Have To Bust Out Of Their Own Coffins And Do The Saving Themselves.

Real

Princess

Waiting

If You Have To Say “no Offense” To Someone, You Have Already Offended Them.

Offense

Ifs

Offended

Anything Can Happen In The Blink Of An Eye. Anything At All. One. Two. Three. Blink.

Eye

Two

Three

You And Me?” I Let Out A Stunned Bark Of Laughter. “there Is No You And Me.” “that’s What You Think,” Chaz Says, Tugging On His Coat. “and I’ll Be Damned If I’m Going To Wait Around Until You Figure Out That Isn’t True.” “fine,” I Say “i’m Not Asking You To, Am I?” “no.” Chaz Is Smiling… But Not Like He’s Happy. “but You Would If You Had The Slightest Idea What Was Good For You.” And With That, He Yanks Open The Door And Storms Through It, Slamming It Closed Behind Him With Enough Force To Cause The Windowpanes To Rattle. And Then He’s Gone.

Laughter

Thinking

Doors

Because My Heat Was Too Full Of Appreciation For What My Friends-- My Real Friends-- Had Done For Me.

Appreciation

Real

Done

I Stare At Her, As Dumbstruck As If She'd Just Admitted She's A Scientologist With An Invitation To Join Tom And Katie On The Spaceship When It Shows Up.

Spaceships

Staring

Shows

My Original Inspiration Was My Mom: A Few Years After The Death Of My Dad, She Started Dating One My Teachers!

Mom

Teacher

Dad

Loud Ringing Noises, I've Discovered, Upset Mr.peepers.

Upset

Noise

Loud

She'd Realize Steve Was Her Soul Mate And That She Would Never Love Anyone As Much As She Loved Him.

Soul

Soul Mate

Realizing

Whoa. If High School Was Suppose To Be The Best Years Of My Life - At Least So Far - I Was Truly Destined To Have A Sucky Adulthood.

School

Years

Best Year

Escape From The Realm Of The Dead Is Impossible. She's Not Dead. Not This Time.

Impossible

Realms

I Don't Do Alcohol. Or Other People's Boyfriends. And Don't You Forget It.

People

Alcohol

Forget

Suze, Your Whole Life," My Dad Went On, Not Without Sympathy, "you've Always Made The Right Decisions. Not Necessarily The Easiest Ones. The Right Ones. Don't Mess That Up Now, When You're Facing What's Probably The Most Important Decision You'll Ever Have To Make.

Dad

Decision

Important

This Was Something You Had To Work Through On You Own," Jason Said. "besides, I Knew You'd Do The Right Thing." "oh, Right," I Said. I Wanted To Throw Something At Him. I Really Did. "and If I Hadn't?" Now Jason Brandished Something He'd Been Holding Behind His Back. It Was A Golf Club. "i Figured Big Bertha Here Would Drive Them Away," He Said.

Golf

Clubs

Jason

I Was Too Lazy To Start A Whole New Story, So I Just Stuck A Princess Into The Story I Was Working On... And The Princess Diaries Was Born!

Princess

Lazy

Diaries

Do Not Chase Boys. Chasing Boys Is Bad. Chasing Boys Can Lead To Horrible Things Like Mansions Going Up Into Flames, Hand Amputations, And Blindness. So Have Some Self Respect And Don't Let Things Get Too Far Before The Wedding Day.

Boys

Self

Flames

Mia, I'm Not Sorry. And I'll Wait. Love, Michael.

Sorry

Waiting

Mia

I Thought You'd Like It," He Said, Seeming Hurt. "you Look Very Pretty.

Hurt

Looks

Said

If You Really Love Someone, Even If You Can't See Where You'll Be Or What You'll Be Doing Twenty Years From Now, You'd Still Want That Person To Be There.

Years

Twenties

Want

Who-who Are You?" Seth Asked, Hesitantly."wh-what Do You Want?" How Else Was Was I Supposed To Reply? The Words Were Out Of My Mouth Before I Could Stop Them.i Mean, I'd Only Seen The Movie Like Seventeen Times. "i'm Luke Skywalker," I Said. "i'm Here To Rescue You.

Mean

Want

Mouths

I'll Put A Bullet Through My Own Brain. Let Alone Wait For Stark To Do It. Your Sister Will Drive Me To It, Howard. No Offense.

Waiting

Brain

Bullets

Courage Is Not The Absence Of Fear But Rather The Judgement That Something Is More Important Than Fear; The Brave May Not Live Forever But The Cautious Do Not Live At All.

Brave

Forever

Judgement

Every Seven Miles, In America, There Is At Least One Mcdonald's. Not A Hospital, Mind You, Or A Police Station, But A Mcdonald's, Every Seven Miles. I Mean, That's Sort Of Scary, If You Think About It.

Mean

Thinking

Mcdonalds

I Look Around For A Conveniently Loaded Pistol.sadly, There Doesn't Seem To Be One Available, So I Have No Choice But To Answer The Question. - Queen Of Babble Gets Hitched

Queens

Choices

Looks

I Like To Think Of My Books And The Movies Of My Books Living In Two Separate Universes. Each Is Very Nice, But Only One Is Correct - The Book. But That Doesn't Mean You Can't Enjoy The Other Versions, And I Always Do.

Nice

Book

Mean

And That Whole Do-able/undo-able Thing? Yeah. Need I Point Out That Neither Ruth Nor I Have Ever "done" Anybody In Our Lives?

Needs

Done

Ruth

Emerson:bite Me Whitne:you Wish

Wish

Bite Me

Bites

Do People In The Twenty-first Century Still Dance?" My Heart Beat Thundered In My Ears, Far Louder Than The Slow Music. "um," I Said, Barely Able To Swallow, My Throat Had Gone So Dry. "sometimes." "how About Now?" He Asked. And Then His Strong Arms Were Encircling My Waist, His Breath Soft Against My Cheek As He Gently Whispered My Name: "susannah. Susannah...

Strong

Heart

Names

Hey," Dopey Said When I Was Finished Reading. "how Come They Never Mentioned Me? I'm The One Who Found The Skeleton." "oh, Yeah," Sleepy Said In Disgust. "your Role Was Really Crucial. After All, If It Wasn't For You, The Guy's Skull Might Still Have Been Intact.

Reading

Skeletons

Skulls

In High School, I Wanted To Be An Actress. Until I Got To College And Took Some Creative Writing Courses. Then I Decided I Wanted To Become A Novelist.

Writing

School

College

He Let His Mouth Linger On Mine, Neither Possessively Nor Sweetly... Like His Mouth Just Belonged There On Mine. And He Was Right. It Did. It Always Had.

Mouths

Abandon

Mines

I Thought About Telling Him The Truth: 'oh, Nothing. Just Having My Soul Exorcised So I Can Roam Around Purgatory, Looking For The Ghost Of The Dead Cowboy Who Used To Live In My Bedroom.

Cowboy

Soul

Ghost

Kill Her For Me," She Said In That Whiny Little-girl Voice. Diego Took A Step Toward Me, Wearing An Expression That Told Me He Was Only Too Happy To Oblige His Lady Love. "oh, What?" I Said. I Wasn't Even Scared. I Didn't Care Anymore. The Numbness In My Heart Had Pretty Much Taken Over My Whole Body. "you Always Do What She Tells You? You Know, We Have A Word For That Now. It's Called Being Whipped.

Girl

Taken

Heart

[...] Even In The Cruelest Human Being There Can Exist A Flower Of Good. Maybe Just The Tiniest Blossom, In Need Of Water And Sunlight, But A Flower Just The Same.

Flower

Water

Needs

This Is How Many People Become Artists, Musicians, Writers, Computer Programmers, Record-holding Athletes, Scientists... By Spending Time Alone Practicing What They Love.

Athlete

Artist

People

Okay, Yeah, He Staggered Back And Fell Into The Condiments. Big Deal. There Wasn't Any Blood. I Didn't Even Get Him In The Face. He Saw My Fist Coming, And At The Last Minute He Ducked, So Instead Of Punching Him In The Nose, Like I Intended, I Ended Up Punching Him In The Neck. I Highly Doubt It Even Left A Bruise.

Blood

Doubt

Bruises

Writing Is A Workout, Just Like Going For A Run!

Running

Workout

Writing

I Snatched The Paper Away From Dopey. "hey," He Yelled. "i Was Reading That!" "let Somebody Who Can Pronounce All The Big Words Have A Try," I Said.

Reading

Trying

Hey

One Of The Many Advantages Of Having A Boyfriend Who Is Half French Is That His Culinary Repertoire Extends Beyond Mac And Cheese. Plus, There’s The Kissing.

Kissing

Half

Cheese

I Didn't Even Think About Suggesting He Take The Boots Off. There'd Probably Be A Apocalypse Or Something.

Thinking

Boots

Apocalypse

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

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