I’ve pasted it here for now :)

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Gender Stereotypes — Guest Post by Jess C Scott (26 Oct 2010)

BOOK SUMMARY: A 17-year-old intern must choose between trusting an irresistibly suave dance instructor — or her instincts. SINS07 is a series featuring lighthearted tales that explore each of the seven sins in order, beginning with lust.

My most recent publication is a YA novel titled, 1: The Intern, part of a SINS07 “seven deadly sins” series. While my first book also focused on the theme of lust/desire/sexuality (EyeLeash: A Blog Novel @ http://eyeleash.wordpress.com), 1: The Intern is more mainstream (the blog novel features blog posts and IM chats throughout).

There are certain elements, however, that feature throughout my writing projects. One is the concept of stereotypes — gender stereotypes, especially.

The girls/females/women in my books tend to not be afraid to think, and/or have an opinion (which does not necessarily mean they’re self-righteous bitches — thinking clearly has nothing to do with how malicious one is, as a person). The ladies I write about tend not to obsess about their weight and/or how skinny they are. They also have sex drives, and aren’t afraid of it (1: The Intern doesn’t contain anything explicit). Having “a man” in their life is not their one and only aim in life.

As for the boys/males/men, the guys I write about generally aren’t afraid to feel, and/or talk about or explore their feelings [which does not necessarily mean they’re gay -- knowing oneself includes being aware of both the masculine and feminine traits in oneself (as the eminent Swiss psychiatrist Carl G. Jung mentions, in his work)]. Stereotypically, “masculine” feelings would include aggression and sexual desire. If I were a guy, I would find life to be very dreary and tense, if I were to live life according to those limitations.

When I was a gawky eleven-year-old (on the brink of teenagedom), I used to bash males for a while. I was very aware of the “divide” between the sexes. Later on in life (maybe once I hit 17 — I’ll turn 24 in September), I started realizing that either gender bashing the other wasn’t really going to help anyone, essentially. This has begun to settle into (what I hope is) an inner wisdom, which allows me to express more generosity/kindness and acceptance towards others (unless they’re really mean-spirited-to-the-core sorts, devoid of any conscience).

One of the reasons I’ve always loved to write is the freedom it allows me — to discover new things, about myself, others, life, love, humanity, and everything/anything in between. Life is a journey toward inner wholeness, and something which I explore and record via the stories I share.

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Author Bio:

Jess identifies herself as an author/artist/non-conformist. Her literary work has appeared in a diverse range of publications, such as Word Riot, ITCH Magazine, and The Battered Suitcase. She is currently working on the SINS07 series, as well as an urban fantasy project featuring cyberpunk elves. Her novella, The Devilin Fey, hit #1 in Amazon’s “Hot New Releases in Bargain Books” in July 2010.

Website: www.jesscscott.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jesscscott
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jesscscott

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FURTHER READING:

* Writing that Appeals to Both Genders (Jess C Scott | 16 Nov 2011)

* Male Emotions in the Media (Jess’s guest post for Femmedia | March 2012)

Before starting work on those two novellas, I decided to re-do the outline for 2: The Heiress as well (there were several aspects that “just weren’t working out,” so I looked at it from a new perspective to “enliven” the plot somewhat).

I may outline the other Sins07 books and do them in random order (I MAY jump to #5, Greed, after Book02 is done!)…and while I would like to work faster, I know I’m not superhuman and have to prioritize which project(s) to see to first.

I’ll be tackling a couple of urban fantasy projects up to mid-2012 (I’d like to try and complete the cyberpunk Elven trilogy by then), after which I should have the time + opportunity to fully focus on the remaining books in this Sins07 series.

I enjoy doing things all the way (not halfway), so I *will* complete the Sins07 series [it may just take a little longer than I ideally envisioned ;)].

I also like to plan things out and have a clear/precise execution, because I feel more comfortable going the slower/steadier route as opposed to rushing to do/complete something faster (which might lead to a shoddier final product/result).

2: The Heiress is the fourth project on my “to-do list” — will do my best to get to it as soon as I am able to :)

The second deadly sin is “gluttony.” I initially thought of having a model as the protagonist. I considered having a male model as the protagonist too. Eating disorders came into the picture — but then I took a step back, and remembered the theme/concept I initially had in mind for this entire Sins07 “seven deadly sins” series.

"Gluttony" by Julie Morstad

–> Image from Julie Morstad / Tiny Showcase

Right from the start, I’d always wanted an element of fun and light-heartedness throughout the books (“light-hearted” in the “cheerfully optimistic and hopeful” sense — not in a completely carefree, frivolous sense). The whole aspect of eating disorders just wasn’t right, with regards to the concept/vision for the series. I watched almost all the episodes of What’s Eating You? on E! Online (I love that channel — that, and A&E). I know a few people in real life who have suffered or are currently suffering from some kind of eating disorder. There is nothing fun about eating disorders. Most of the time, it is something very miserable, demoralizing, and anxiety-inducing. While I can understand the inner turmoil and the seriousness of eating disorders, I just didn’t feel that it’d be a good fit for this YA series I am currently working on.

My “Plan B” (if I wasn’t going to cast a model as the protagonist) was to feature an “heiress” (which immediately brought to mind: Paris Hilton!). The character could still do some modeling on the side, but she would have more money, power, and control, than a super-thin model working for a modeling agency / in the fashion industry. It would also allow for more interesting possibilities and various plot twists, than if I’d gone the modeling/staying skinny/eating disorders route.

I have always believed in providing/creating the changes I would like to see in real life (instead of whining and griping about “things I don’t like”). The heiress can have friends who are models, or who suffer from quite-severe eating disorders (to up the book’s “relevance”)…but this would not be a “defining trait” of the protagonist herself. If it was (which would be the case, if she were a model who binged and purged on a consistent basis in order to “eat all she wanted” but “still remain thin”)…I would have to compromise a lot of the “fun” element in the plot.

One thing remains the same: the focus on wastage. I believe that is the sinful aspect of gluttony — the actual wastage of food and consumption of too much, when others are literally dying because they don’t have enough.

Part II: Gender Balance

I think the third book will feature a lead male protagonist. To even things out, maybe I’ll have 3 females and 3 males (from Book01 to Book06), and a girl and guy for Book07 (I’m very “diplomatic” that way). I think I was thinking of a bisexual best friend for the lead male in Book03 (Sloth) too — though the protagonist is likely to be more heterosexual than heteroflexible. But I thought it’d be more interesting if his best friend were bi/gay/sexually ambiguous.

It might go along these lines (with regards to the gender of the protagonists):

Book01 (Lust) — The Intern / Suzie Q (17, Female)
Book02 (Gluttony) — The Heiress / Female
Book03 (Sloth) — The Junkie / Male
Book04 (Envy) — Female
Book05 (Greed) — Male (something to do with banking/finance, presumably)
Book06 (Anger) — Male
Book07 (Pride) — Male & Female

Oct 2010: I’ll also be seeing to my next project, an urban fantasy featuring cyberpunk elves.

What I did have in mind was something lighthearted and humorous (without being devoid of substance — I always aim for some level of substance, according to my standards).

I deliberately chose not to glam up popularity, sex, and drugs [(like in Gossip Girl, etc, so if you enjoy those books, my books will probably not be your cup of tea (you're still always free to check out some excerpts!)].

The psychologist Abraham Maslow studied what he called exemplary people, such as Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt. I think I follow a slightly similar work ethic, with my writing material.

I like to create/write about protagonists who go through a journey, and come out better people — a journey where the character’s true worth isn’t based on superficial traits like one’s physical hotness/drool factor. What makes a real relationship an ultimate experience is the actual interactions between the two people that are supposed to be sharing a love. I don’t subscribe to the notion of “true love” being based on “how hot the person is” — because at the end of the day, there still will be a real, living person underneath the exterior. A beautiful soul and a beautiful body are not necessarily the same thing.

So, as I was saying…I believe there is a lot more to life than popularity, sex, and drugs. And while these elements are common in the subject matter of teen books/products (and aren’t completely left out in the SINS07 series — that would be a little bit unrealistic, especially since it *is* a “deadly sins” series), SINS07 will feature such elements in a fun (and purposeful) way.

I respect my readers that way.

There are a few phrases that appear throughout the book, in a language other than English. Here are a few excerpts.

1. Hueles rico / Spanish

Excerpt from Chapter 3:

“I speak a couple of languages,” I say, “like Spanish and Mandarin. I think Spanish is a real sexy language.”

“Hueles rico,” he says in fluent Spanish. He leans in. “You smell good,” he whispers.

I don’t know what to think. Is he flirting with me?

2. coureur de jupons (womanizer) / French

Excerpt from Chapter 6:

“Stefan,” she says to him in a sharp, “I-wish-you’d-stop-it” kind of tone as she steps towards him. Both are still hidden by the stage curtain. To the audience, that is. Then she fires off something to him in another language. It sounds French. She says something that sounds like “coureur de jupons,” and tugs on her skirt angrily when she says that.

3. non ije ppajyo borosso / Korean

“Hello.” This is the time Toshio chooses to appear. “How was the Six to Five party yesterday?”

The private party for Jo.Zee’s friend’s new clothing line.

“Okay,” Jo.Zee says to him. “How’s the Rainism dance going?”

“Bad. I trip at the non ije ppajyo borosso part.”

If I’m not wrong, that’s Korean for, “Now you’ve completely fallen in.”

I don’t hear much else because I’m more focused on mentally strangling the brainless, senseless, witless, clueless dude for interrupting a moment of opportunity. I look out to the sea for a while, enjoying the view, then continue to eavesdrop on their conversation.

# # # # #

P.S. Here is a small sample of phrases in various languages (that don’t appear in 1: The Intern, but are interesting nonetheless):

1. ba wo de ai qing huan gei wo / “Return the love that I gave to you”/ Mandarin (a really nice and famous song by Teresa Teng!)

2. Ouçam à vários, falem com poucos / “Listen to many, speak to a few” / Portuguese

3. aut viam inveniam aut faciam / “I will either find a way or make one” / Latin (beautiful language)

4. Mía glóssa then íne poté arketí / “One language is never enough” / Greek

5. maa gridhah kas-ya-swid-dha-nam / “Do not covet others’ wealth / ancient Sanskrit

6. Nôû töøng khuùc ruoät / “Blow my mind” and/or “extreme pleasure” / Vietnamese

7. Raucht Ihnen der Kopf / “Does your head spin?” / German

# # # # #

P.P.S. A smattering of Spanish and Mandarin appear in a couple of my other books (not in the SINS07 series). Wonder what languages I’ll feature next time!

1. SUZIE Q (Intern #1)

Yep, directly as a result of listening to “Suzy Q” on repeat — I like the song, I like the beat, I like the guitar licks. I just wanted the girl’s name to be musically/lyrically linked to a rock-n-roll song :) [it'll make more sense once you link the lyrics to the first page in the book].

2. CHESTER TAYLOR ADAMSKI (Intern #2)

Because I was playing around with his name being “Chester T., and his nickname being “Chas-ti-ty” (he’s referred to as “Chester” mostly, throughout the book), since the theme/concept of Book 1 in the SINS07 seven deadly sins series is “lust” after all.

I changed his name to Chester Evans (based on feedback that the last name “Adamski” was “too weird”), then I changed it back again. I thought it sounded more interesting / better suited the character (no offense to any “Chester Evanses” out there).

3. JO.ZEE (21 year old dance instructor/choreographer)

A.K.A. “Josh/Joshua Zee” — I thought adding the dot in the name was a contemporary touch, like Will.i.am and Linkin Park’s song, Figure.09. Probably subconsciously influenced by a dance student I knew, whose name incidentally, was Joshua. Damn, he was really hot.

4. FUNKY FUNKY (night club)

– Image from Atlanta Exchange.

A dance battle takes place at a club called Funky², in the book (the club is first mentioned in Chapter 2, when the interns are on their way to their hotel). There’s a real club in Seoul called Club Funky Funky (a small club which combines a live band with a DJ who plays anything from rock and funk to hip-hop).

5. TRESOR ACADEMY (Hairdressing Academy)

– Image from Toni & Guy HK.

Trésor means “treasure” in French (mentioned in the book too). This is really a fictitious version of the Toni & Guy Academy, which I practically visited on a monthly basis during my late teen years. They were/are really good.

6. ROXETH (Setting / City)

– Photo by MARKNKL.

Roxeth is actually a real place (in the UK / 5 seconds’ research on Google will tell you where exactly). I liked the sound of the name (something cool, and a little bit edgy). The cities in my writing projects tend to be generic/fictitious cities, instead of the actual names of the real places. I feel there’s more room for variation/reader interpretation, that way.

P.S. I grew up in Singapore (the picture above), so every urban city is always going to have an element of “familiarity” to me, heh.

7. LYSISTRATA MUSEUM (Site of Internship)

I had to always check the spelling of “Lysistrata” at first. It’s a play written by Aristophanes.

* Side Note: The whole idea of the museum internship was influenced by some blog posts I read by a museum intern.

“For dance enthusiasts everywhere, Rain, and Def Dance.”

In no particular order, here is a list of people/artistes who directly influenced and inspired some of the material in the first book of the SINS07 series, 1: The Intern (the dance portions/sequences, specifically!). The YouTube videos showcased are worth checking out not once, not twice, but multiple times.

I’ve included short excerpts from the book, when suitable.

1. MICHAEL JACKSON (R.I.P. King of Pop)

Everybody in hip hop/pop music right now has in one way or another, been influenced by Michael Jackson. This is just one of the most awesome-tastic videos of all time.

2. BI RAIN (Korean Pop Star)

Rainism was the first dance which I absolutely *had* to learn how to do (here is a YouTube link to my solo Rainism attempt). The start of the superliciously hot video features males pole dancing (Bi Rain’s, not mine!).

3. BEYONCE (one of the most talented + hardest working R&B professionals in the industry)

Excerpt from 1:The Intern, Chapter 4:

“You’re a Beyoncé fan?” Jo.Zee’s tall enough to be holding onto one of the handrails. “I saw Monika showing you that move with the hand.”
I feel like I need to lean my whole body against the pole. It might help me feel more steady on my feet.

“I like her songs,” I reply. I hope I looked all right when he was watching.

“She does all her choreography in heels, too.”

4. DEF DANCE (Korea)

Def Dance is the #1 dance school in Korea.

5. HIP HOP DANCE BATTLE (UK)

Chapter 14 in 1: The Intern features a hip hop dance battle.

6. BHANGRA EMPIRE / Bhangra is a folk dance from Northwest India (Punjab)

Excerpt from 1:The Intern, Chapter 2:

Four people are hanging around outside a music club called Funky² (so says the neon signboard). If I’m not wrong, the DJ booth is right at the entrance. I take a quick look…one of them is doing a vibrant mix of folk and hip hop type moves on the street!

7. SHAKIRA (Colombia)

Chapter 3 of the book is titled “Hips Don’t Lie” ;).

8. 2NE1 / Hip Hop Korean Girl Group (Korea)

Chapter 14 (the dance battle chapter) is titled “Fire.” Very catchy song, especially if you like electronica/dance music.

9. THE RUSSIAN TIGER (USA)

“Dancers aren’t born, they evolve.” — very inspiring videos + tutorials from this dude.

10. DAFT PUNK / Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (France)

* An insane video (by King Julian from France) to a song by the excellent French electronic music duo, Daft Punk (here is a YouTube link to my solo Daft Punk Body attempt).

Excerpt from 1:The Intern, Chapter 3:

I guess my random prancing about in the privacy of my own room has served me well. I’m gonna go on a mission to thank all the people who uploaded their videos onto YouTube. How else would I have learned what I already know?

11. SE7EN / Korean Pop Star

One of the best videos of guys dancing. Beautiful choreography (by 26 year-old choreographer, Shaun Evaristo).

One-line summary: A 17-year-old intern must choose between trusting an irresistibly suave dance instructor—or her instincts.

Summary: Suzie Quinn, smart kid and closet dance enthusiast, travels with a classmate to a world-class city for an internship program. She finds herself undeniably attracted to the suave hip-hop instructor, Jo.Zee, who recruits her into a dance fitness DVD he is producing. When Suzie sees (or thinks she sees) the real Jo.Zee, she has to decide if she will trust him…or her instincts.

Genre: Young Adult / Humor / Contemporary / 65,000 words.

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1: THE INTERN: First Chapter

“Hey—check out the first song on the list.”

I glance at the catalog Chester Taylor Adamski, my internship partner, is showing me. The page lists the radio channels provided by the airline. There’s the Top 40s channel, Adult Rock, Blues/Swing channel, and so on. The one he’s pointing at is Classic Rock, and “Suzy Q” is the first song.

“Your all-time favorite?” I wink.

“Right on,” Chester says with a mighty grin.

His chin rests on his hand that’s propped up on the armrest between our seats. A couple of fingerprint marks smear the lenses of his black, plastic-framed glasses. His dusty blond hair is neat as usual, and pretty much unstyled.

I smile. I’ve gone with “Suzie Q” after Chester introduced me to that rock song. It has more flavor than “Suzie Quinn” anyhow. Chester told me about the song when we were thirteen or fourteen. I was surprised he listened to hard rock. I thought he’d be more into something like classical music.

Once in a while, in moments like this, I almost think Chester might be the one.

But then I get real. Not Chester. He’s more like a brother to me.

“Oh, and take a look at this.” He points to a small image—a close-up shot of a woman’s mouth with bright red lips, with the caption: Devil or Angel.

“What’s that?” I enquire.

He speed-reads the rest of it, then turns the page.

“Nothing important?”

“Yep,” he concludes. “Just another bunch of silly people, brought to you by yet another brainless reality TV show.”

We both laugh. I’ve always had a love-hate kind of relationship with reality shows. There’s something addictive and entertaining about even the worst of them.

The kid behind starts kicking the back of my seat, adding more distress to the slight migraine and blocked ears I’m experiencing during my maiden flight.

“Are you excited about the internship?” Chester asks suddenly, rubbing his chin lightly. He does that sometimes, when he’s deep in thought.

“Are you?” I ask in turn.

“Sure, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” I lie. “It’s a privilege we made the cut for the Spring Break internship.” While the internship is the highlight of Nova Academy’s junior year, I was half-hoping I’d be thrown into an exotic location, like India or Japan. I’ve lived all my life in Essex, Vermont, a quiet and scenic region in the northeast.

“We’re Nova Academy’s finest.”

“Wear your t-shirts with pride,” I reply, imitating the shrill voice of our advisor, Mrs. De Sousa.

Chester’s wearing the shirt right now, and he points to it. The t-shirts have our school crest and school name emblazoned on the front.

“You are the crème de la crème, the best of the best!” Chester raises his chin up slightly, the exact way Mrs. De Sousa does when she’s drilling it into our heads that we’re from a super school.

I hate it when they say such things. I think it’s too elitist. But Nova Academy is one of the finest high schools in the country. It’s a school for gifted and talented students, and has spawned some prodigies and now famous people.

“I still remember Pixel Wallace.” Chester continues flipping through the pages of the catalog. “Accepted into Harvard at the age of fourteen.”

Stuff like that makes me wonder what I’m doing at Nova.

Pixel and I had some classes together. She was discussing “projective geometry” with the teacher, at the speed of a bullet, while the rest of us worked on some algebra. Math whizzes like Chester T. (a.k.a. “Chas-ti-ty”) understood “projective geometry,” but not me. I tested into Nova’s program because of my high score on Languages and Linguistics. It’s probably due to my interest in cultural studies.

“Did you get a chance to check out The Lysistrata online?”

“A little bit. It looks posh.” I am halfhearted about the fact that we won’t be getting paid as interns though, as with many other interns…

“It does look posh. It’s about the number one museum around!” Chester must have sensed my lack of enthusiasm. “Come on, I know you like history. It’s going to be fun.”

Suddenly, the seatbelt signals above start to flash. My ears hurt. The pilot’s voice comes on. There is some audio static before anyone can hear what he’s saying.

“Ladies…and gentlemen…”

But the static takes over again. I feel like lurching. My hands are freezing.

“You look stressed,” says Chester. He’s right about that.

“I’ve heard about horror stories, where passengers’ cups and saucers went flying,” I mutter to him.

“During turbulence?”

“Yeah.”

The plane jerks. A baby starts to cry somewhere. I stare out the window at the surrounding dusky, gray skies. We will be landing at night.

“Maybe it’s the wind,” Chester says flatly. He gazes out the small square box of a window. “Unless a bird got in the engine.”

I wish he had not said that. I stare at the motion sickness bag in front of me.

Then, Chester holds my hand. “It’ll be okay in a bit.”

My other hand clutches the edge of the seat. I think he notices.

“Think happy thoughts…” he says, taking a look out of the window too. He lets go of my hand to put his seatbelt on.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.

I’d like to rest my head against his shoulder, just to feel safe, but I don’t. I think it might give him the wrong idea. Everyone already thinks we’re a couple but we’re just good friends. Of course people will believe what they want to believe.

I recollect some fun incidents with Chester over the years. Way back in the fourth grade, he got me a lime green pencil box for my birthday, while I got him a giant chocolate bar (our birthdays are a few days apart). I remember being taller than him until around eighth grade when he suddenly shot up, and now he’s a lot taller than me. He’s also been working out these last couple of years, so his name has popped up in “girl talk.”

We’ve been on group dates but never just the two of us, so I don’t know why people think of us as an item. I never give that impression. Like I said: you can’t stop people from believing what they want to.

The plane shakes a little again and I am jolted out of my memories. As I try to think about more “happy thoughts,” I realize how much of a life I am lacking, and how much I am missing out on. Apart from maintaining good grades, reading lots, and going on the once-in-a-blue-moon “date,” what else have I actually been up to? Yes, I’ll be in the world-class city of Roxeth for a fortnight—and work starts on Monday, tomorrow, oh joy—but two weeks isn’t going to make a magical difference. Besides, cities are busy, crowded, and noisy. And I hear public transport in Roxeth is expensive, so I’ve brought extra money for that. If not, there’s always the good old plastic card (thanks, Dad).

I start to fantasize. Something straight out of a romantic novel or movie, with me in the starring role, of course. I dream of someone sweeping me off my feet, someone that would show me something “new,” something that I never knew existed…I will melt in his arms and he will show me what passionate love can be.

Ah…happy thoughts.

The plane lands smoothly. I didn’t know we had been so close to landing.

Chester hits his head when we stand up to get our bags from the overhead compartment. I laugh because he looks cute when he cringes.

It is nighttime now. Everyone’s standing up and getting ready to step out of the airplane. Everyone seems to be in a big rush.

I look outside, and see the bus waiting for us. It’ll take the passengers from the plane to the airport, which is a short distance away.

“Thank you for flying with us,” the poised stewardess at the exit says. Chester and I smile politely. We must look disheveled next to the cabin crew. I’m just about to point out Chester’s dark rings under his eyes to him, when I notice something else when we step out of the plane.

The temperature.

It is a little warm. The air isn’t frosty, and doesn’t bite at your fingertips.

It’s nice and humid.

1: The Intern (cover version #2 | Jess C Scott)

1: THE INTERN — Book#1, Seven Deadly Sins

* Book #1 (Lust) in Jess C Scott’s Sins07 “seven deadly sins” series—a teenage version of Dirty Dancing meets Punk’d.

SUMMARY: Suzie Quinn, smart kid and closet dance enthusiast, travels with a classmate to a world-class city for an internship program. She finds herself undeniably attracted to the suave hip-hop instructor, Jo.Zee, who recruits her into a dance fitness DVD he is producing. When Suzie sees (or thinks she sees) the real Jo.Zee, she has to decide if she will trust him…or her instincts.

ISBN: 145368493X

GENRE: Young Adult / Humor / Contemporary.

* SINS07 is a series featuring lighthearted tales that explore each of the seven deadly sins in order, beginning with lust.

EXCERPT: First Chapter

AUTHOR’S MAIN WEBSITE: www.jesscscott.com