When I sat down to write Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, I wanted to "take back" the "great personality" label. While on the surface it's a compliment, it has gotten a reputation of being code for a girl who is "fat and ugly," because if the first thing you mention about someone is how great their personality is, they can't possibly be beautiful (so NOT true!). I want people (young girls especially) to be proud to have a great personality! There are so many times when we don't feel enough: pretty enough, smart enough, thin enough, etc. But you ARE enough.
So This is Teen, Girl's Life, and I declared today Great Personality Day! We went to Twitter to talk about having a great personality, and I even asked some of my author friends to lend a hand. The response was INCREDIBLE! I got a little teary (okay, I sobbed) by how much awesome there was out there for girls with great personalities. Below is a sample of some of the great tweets from the day. This girl who has been labeled as having a great personality is so honored to be in such GREAT company!
Words of wisdoms from fabulous author friends:
"A #GreatPersonality can come right over here and sit down next to me, any time." - Terra Elan McVoy
"I don't need heels. My #GreatPersonality elevates me perfectly well." - Marie Rutkoski
"Having a great personality means never EVER apologizing for being the incredible person you truly are." - Jen Calonita
"Having a #GreatPersonality means never pretending to be something you’re not. Cthulhu has a #GreatPersonality." - Michael Northrop
"It's harder to maintain a #GreatPersonality than a 6 pack. That's my excuse." - John Corey Whaley
"Good looks sometimes get you in the door, but a #GreatPersonality means you're always welcome to stay!" - Melissa Walker
"#GreatPersonality tip: Always have chocolate in the house, in case a friend in need stops by." - Aimee Friedman
"A #GreatPersonality can talk about more than one thing. And, is often also a really good listener." - Terra Elan McVoy
"If I had a color for every guy who says he cares more about a #GreatPersonality than anything, I would have a rainbow." - Lindsey Leavitt
"A #GreatPersonality = how discretely you tell your friend if there's lettuce in her teeth or toilet paper stuck to her shoe." - Adele Griffin
"A #GreatPersonality doesn't require creams or tucks to maintain a beautifully long shelf life. My grandma was proof of that!" - Lindsey Leavitt
"A #GreatPersonality = being fun, interesting, and authentic." - Marissa Meyer
"Having a #GreatPersonality means being who you are no matter what others say. Work it. Own it. Let your freak flag flap in the breeze." - Susane Colasanti
"A #GreatPersonality will never develop spontaneous cellulite." - Ally Carter
"With #GreatPersonality comes great responsibility." - Stephanie Perkins
"A #GreatPersonality is on hand with chocolate, wine, hugs, a shoulder, and/or cheesy movies. They always know which one(s) you need." - Victoria Schwab
"A #GreatPersonality is both more important and more affordable than a Keratin treatment or gel nails." - Tonya Hurley
"A #GreatPersonality only gets better with age." - Abby McDonald
"A trademark of a #GreatPersonality is to not engage The Crazy. Or to be The Crazy." - Myra McEntire
"A #GreatPersonality does not require expensive eye cream." - Jennifer Jabaley
"A #GreatPersonality is why a boy wants to stay on the phone with you alllllllllll night long." - Siobhan Vivian
"You know you've got a #GreatPersonality when you go under-appreciated in high school." - Jackson Pearce
"A #GreatPersonality does not get frizzy.... EVER." - Lynn Weingarten
"Let your #GreatPersonality shine! The world is often a dark place and needs the light of great people!" - Lisa Schroeder
"Have the courage to be yourself. No one else will ever be able to pull it off. You are extraordinary." - Andrea Cremer
"Some are born with #GreatPersonality, some achieve #GreatPersonality, and some have #GreatPersonality thrust upon them in @ElizEulberg's novel" - Alexander London
I was so excited to have some of my favorite people/authors participate and then they turned it on me. Was TOTALLY feeling the love - right back at all of you!
"Having a #GreatPersonality means writing an amazing book & promoting it in a positive way. @ElizEulberg has a #GreatPersonality." - Michael Northrop
"Having a #GreatPersonality gets you lots of hugs and high fives. Especially from @ElizEulberg" - John Corey Whaley
"Reason #234 to have a #GreatPersonality is you get to know people like @ElizEulberg who wrote REVENGE OF THE GIRL WITH THE GREAT PERSONALITY." - Alexander London
"You know who doesn't have a #GreatPersonality? Babycakes:http://bit.ly/YKFqDA You know who DOES have a #GreatPersonality? @ElizEulberg." - Michelle Hodkin
My fab publisher, Scholastic, put together Great Personality tips from famous literary characters:
Anne Shirley: Stand up for yourself. Especially if someone calls you Carrots or misspells your name.
Mary Poppins: There's no such thing as a bag that's too big.
Lizzie Bennet: Say no sometimes. Especially to a man who has behaved particularly priggishly.
Lizzie Bennet, #2: Always admit it when you're wrong. First impressions AREN'T everything.
Hermoine Granger: You're always right. Don't let your friends forget it!
Hermoine Granger, #2: You can be smart AND pack a punch. It's cool, don't worry.
Hermoine Granger, #3: Punctuality is next to godliness. And yes, you CAN be in two places at once.
Mia Thermopolis: Always give yourself enough time to get dressed. It's harder than you think.
I had to include one from Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality's Lexi: Don't settle. In live, in love, or for a silly crown when you're worth so much more.
Author Michael Northrop also got into the spirit and tweeted: "Luna Lovegood's #GreatPersonality tip: Reassure friends they're "just as sane" as you are. #evenwhenthatisnotveryreassuring"
Great Personality tips from Girls' Life:
Strike up a convo with a quiet classmate
Promise 30 mins of QT to your little sis. You remember how to play Barbies, right?
Slip a sweet note into your bestie’s locker
Call your grandparents just to say hi
Bring two treats to lunch—one for you, and one for your crush
Sign up for club at school that gives back to your community
Sign up for your school’s talent show with your BFFs. Don’t be afraid to show off your silly side
Pick up your sick friend’s missed schoolwork and drop it off with thermos of her fave soup
Try on every lipgloss at the makeup counter until you find one that makes you feel amazing
From Twitter friends:
"Charisma, attitude, call it what you want; #GreatPersonality it's the best weapon to face everything. Be proud and happy to have it." - Daniela Bermudez
"Great minds may think alike, but girls with a #GreatPersonality think for themselves." - Mary H.
"Being a girl w/ a #GreatPersonality is embracing who you are, quirks and all. It's what makes you awesome" - Caitie F
"A #GreatPersonality can make a 'normal' or 'ordinary' person really beautiful." - Kat Werner
"A #GreatPersonality means you are true to yourself without bringing others down." - M. Reynolds
"Not letting the behavior and opinions of others determine your self worth." - Suzanne Sullivan
"Don't try to be anyone but yourself but DO try to be the best YOU! You're one of a kind. Embrace it. Own it. " - Tonya Kuper
Of course, I had to get a few thoughts in as well!
Having a #GreatPersonality doesn't require expensive beauty products or trendy clothes, it's all about being your awesome self.
Beauty fades, trends change, but #GreatPersonality lives forever.
Having a #GreatPersonality is way better than being boring.
If someone tells you that you have a #GreatPersonality that means you're funny, clever, and amazing. Who WOULDN'T want that?
Tip for having a #GreatPersonality: Be true to yourself. You are awesome just the way you are.
Thank you so all who participated, especially my GREAT author friends. What a GREAT day!
XOXO, Elizabeth