Field Trip Friday: Welcome to 2010!

As the newest non-teen member, I'm excited to announce that I'm starting a regular Field Trip Friday feature here at YA Highway! I'll be rounding up important, helpful, funny or otherwise entertaining links from the writing world.

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The holidays have made news slow this week, but here's your round up for the end of 2009:

Author Natalie Whipple points out that unless your blurbs come from  JK Rowling or Stephenie Meyer, the average reader won't pay attention to them. Her suggestion? Celebrity blurbs, ninja style. Check out her post Blurbs: Go Big or Go Home.

The Godfathersmothers of YA: 

Stephenie Meyer, Ally Condie and Aprilynne Pike

Speaking of SMeyers, did you know there's a Mormon Mafia controlling publishing? You didn't?! Where have you been?!? Contest ends today, but get over to Editorial Anonymous to see the entries in their Publishing Myths contest.

Rachelle Gardner assures us all that everyone gets rejected. Really. Everyone. Still feeling discouraged? Start learning:

• Pimp My Novel has a guest post with suggestions for the best books about writing.
  

• Janet Reid gives us the Fifteen Things You Need to Know B'twixt "The End" and "Send." 
  

• Or you can use this handy guild to "Ten Words You Need To Stop Misspelling."

File under "Important Lessons For Authors: Don't Be A D-Bag":

• When you were a kid, and someone picked on you, did you ever threaten to sic your dad on them? How did that work out for you? Guess what-- it doesn't work when you're a grown up, either. When Authors Attack at the Guardian
  

• Via The Intern, the NYT reveals what books are most commonly stolen-- and that no matter what you might think, you are not entitled to steal copies of your own books. 

File under "Reverting To My Childhood":
The Baby Sitters Club is BACK!

Finally, it's not only the end of aught nine, it's the end of a decade (which, incidentally, I still think should have been called "the naughties"). As a relative newbie to the publishing biz, I didn't feel qualified to write a round up of the most important stories of the year, much less the past ten years, but here are a few for you:

• John Green, author of Looking For Alaska and Paper Towns, joins some friends to put the year's "best" news stories to song.
  

• At the NYT: Picturing the Past 10 Years.

And since it's New Years, everyone is working on their resolutions and reflecting on the year. From our friends from around the interwebz...

• Grab your sequins, cuz Kristin's 2010 will be this awesome.
• Kristin Jr. tells 2010 to bring it on.
  
• Resolutions, schmesolutions. I'm doing 101 in 1001.
• Michelle reminds us to keep it positive-- FML is no way to live.
• Kirsten goes all out with goals for 2010 AND 2020.
• Kody had "a BIG year for a girl with a boring life."
• Emilia shared the miracle that 2009 was for her.
• Kaitlin has 2010 goals. LOL! (bwa ha ha ha.)
  
• Amna has the best resolution of all.

Link us to your resolutions and reflections, or post them in our comments!