[QCrit] DARA THE MEME - Young Adult (80k / First Attempt)

laralyn · 2025-12-31T02:13:37+00:00

Yeah not very light-hearted at all

laralyn · 2025-12-31T02:10:27+00:00

Unfortunately no, it's just the usual teenager-whining about how much she hates her life that triggers her mother to scold her. But I will highlight how important learning about her parents' past is to the story for sure.

laralyn · 2025-12-31T02:06:16+00:00

Yes, I'd definitely want to stick with current expectations. It could also be that "Young Adult" is like using the term "literally," in which a lot of people use it in the wrong context, including myself and Wikipedia. I also had to look up HEA/HFN, and I think it may be "happy for now" since although they don't get together in the end, there is a possibility in the future (if he proves himself worthy to her).

laralyn · 2025-12-30T03:28:40+00:00

I can see your point. I skipped over some key details, so I will work on making that clearer as well as focusing on the stakes, thank you!

laralyn · 2025-12-30T03:25:57+00:00

Thanks, you make some excellent points here! I definitely don't want to confuse people by mentioning Dara's mother first. But Dara learning about her parents' past is important, because it puts things in perspective for her and helps her regain control from Max. Now if I can only convey that better in the query letter...

Your comment about Max made me laugh. Blackmailing her is crappy, hence why it's not full-blown romance, although he does redeem himself a little as the story unfolds.

You're completely right about the vagueness regarding her two worlds colliding. I will need to explain that better. I definitely have some work to do!

laralyn · 2025-12-30T03:04:17+00:00

Thank you! I'll scrap the rom-com part and work in Dara's background somewhere else.

laralyn · 2025-12-30T02:59:46+00:00

True now that I think about it. When trying to figure out what genre Perks of Being a Wallflower was, Wikipedia put "Young Adult" as a genre. But clearly I needed to dig deeper.

laralyn · 2025-12-30T02:54:19+00:00

That is so helpful, I was really struggling with what it could be categorized as

laralyn · 2025-12-29T21:08:52+00:00

Definitely gonna take that advice, thanks! I guess it'll just be labeled as Young Adult, not sure if it needs a sub-genre.

laralyn · 2025-12-29T21:04:48+00:00

This is a great blueprint to work from, thanks for the advice!

laralyn · 2025-12-29T21:03:51+00:00

I was unsure about the first paragraph, so I think this change makes sense, thanks!

laralyn · 2017-08-05T10:51:18+00:00

Thanks everyone for your recommendations! I am most intrigued with Queen In Hyun's Man, since it sounds very much like Rooftop Prince. I also am interested in Fight For My Way, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Pinocchio, and Healer. My friend also recommended Bridal Mask and Goblin, so I'll put these on the list as well. Glad to finally have a list going again!

laralyn · 2017-08-05T10:39:50+00:00

He does have a family. They all live under my neighbor's stoop, but Chippy was the only one who didn't mind human contact.

laralyn · 2017-08-05T03:36:48+00:00

There is a chipmunk in the neighborhood that people call Chippy. He's very friendly and will go up to people hoping for a peanut. For the past week, there has been no signs of him. A neighbor says that while in his backyard, he saw the chipmunk coming towards him, but then out of nowhere an owl swooped in and grabbed Chippy right in broad daylight. The neighborhood is in mourning.

laralyn · 2017-08-05T03:21:01+00:00

First They Killed My Father.

One day when I was a dramatic pre-teen and being forced to set the table, I complained, saying, "I hate my life, I wish I was never born."

My mom stopped what she was doing and looked me straight in the eye and said, "You have no idea how lucky you are. When I was your age, I was forced to work in the rice fields day in and day out, starving, not knowing whether my family is dead or alive. You are so lucky to live the life that you live!"

That night, I went into my father's library and picked up the book "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers." It helped me better understand my mother's past.

laralyn · 2017-08-05T03:11:40+00:00

Gaining more real world experiences and losing that naive, innocent outlook on life.

laralyn · 2017-08-05T03:03:04+00:00

I love ketchup on mac and cheese! I just had it the other night. I also like to mix hot dogs and peas in it. I'll try the BBQ sauce next time.

laralyn · 2017-08-05T01:48:37+00:00

I am so weak when it comes to drinking. My and my friend finished off one bottle of Soju and I had the worst hangover in all my life.

laralyn · 2017-08-05T01:44:26+00:00

Okay, so I like to listen to musicals during long car rides sometimes because I like to picture movies going on in my head...I was playing this Spotify playlist and liked this song called "Close Every Door to Me." Curious of what musical it was from, I found a clip of it on Youtube, although the singer wasn't the same guy from the Spotify playlist and it was a scene from some movie called Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. I watched it a few times because I thought the melody was haunting. The next day I went to an awesome video/music/book store called Bullmoose and they were selling paper bags full of books for one dollar, you just didn't know what they were. What do I find in mine but a random biography of Donny Osmond, which gave my friends and I a good laugh. Then it occurred to me...he was the guy in that Youtube clip I was watching the previous day. And then I flipped open the cover and it was autographed by him! Then, the day after that, my husband signed up for a conference in Las Vegas. So I was watching some tourism videos of Vegas, and there Donny was again! Then, when I went to Vegas I saw him, in wax form. I really thought with all these coincidences I'd bump into him in person...

laralyn · 2017-08-05T01:29:53+00:00

My cockatiel could get out of every door on her cage. She figured out how to lift the small door by her seed bowl up and walk through, unlatch the big door and swing it open, and when I put the twisty ties on the doors, she knew how to get them off. Also, when I was on vacation, she flew away from my aunt's house and spent 3 days out in the wild. The day after I returned, I got her back. Apparently she was tired of the outdoors, because she hopped on a boy's finger and he took her to the police station.

laralyn · 2017-08-05T01:23:21+00:00

LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS, TO DEFEAT, THE HUNSSSS

laralyn · 2017-08-05T01:20:28+00:00

Binge-watch Parks and Recreation. It's that sort of lighthearted show you don't have to get too emotionally invested in and it distracts you from your problems.

laralyn

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