Jenn Musing

Flying Books!

2012-02-08T16:06:00.001-05:00

My dear blogging buddy Juju at Tales of Whimsy posted this poignant, beautiful video entitled The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Right now it's an interactive Ipad book and scheduled to be released as a hardcover later this year. That should be interesting. But back to the video: No wonder it's been nominated for a 2012 Academy Award for Animated Short Film! Do yourself a favor and check it out and let me know what you think of it. :)

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

News!

2012-02-03T09:56:00.004-05:00

First, I wanted to share an update on my writing. I've finished my manuscript and have it out to beta readers. This thing has taken me 3 1/2 years to write. Granted, I had lots of stops and starts, but I'm proud of it. And I've started my next writing project. Haven't figured out all the details yet, but I'm excited about the concept and to be writing again. :)

Secondly, baby #2 is on his/her way! We are very excited, though my son (20 months) is totally oblivious and will be in for a surprise come August. ;) I'm determined to get a lot of writing and alone time with my son before then.

That's about all the news in my neck of the woods. Anything going on in yours?

Let's Get Personal (Part II)

2012-02-01T07:51:00.009-05:00

In my previous post, I shared the obstacles my 20 month old son has endured in his little life. Now, I want to talk about how it has impacted me. If you have't read about the obstacles, you may want to do so first.

How it felt along the journey:
I think for a while, I felt lost. I felt like a failure, like maybe if I had done something different, something earlier, my son wouldn't have had so many struggles. Maybe he wouldn't have had so many physical delays if I had been more persistent with the pediatrician earlier. Or if I had given him more tummy time earlier on despite the cries.
Maybe he wouldn't have speech delays if we had him fitted for his hearing aid much sooner. The list went on.

These thoughts would often get compounded when I was with other moms whose kids were similar in age to my son and able to do things my son couldn't. In fact, a baby at church, just three weeks younger than my son, was walking before my son was even crawling. My nephew, four months younger than my son, was running and while my son was still crawling. A toddler just a month older than mine who is speaking in full sentences and singing entire songs. It was hard not to compare and to blame myself.

I also felt like I was fully responsible for him. Like I had to devote more attention to him. Do his PT exercises. And if I was writing, then I wasn't spending the time with him he needed. So, I shelved my writing for a long time. Once the doctor visits slowed I picked up my manuscript again, but it was a half-hearted thing. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my writing or with this blog so I found it easier to do little with both and hope something happens. Unfortunately, nothing happens with that mindset.

My faith experienced a lot of highs and lows. I never was mad at God for any of this happening to my son. But I really struggled with the comparison trap. I had to learn to stop comparing him to other babies and just love him for who he is. To just enjoy every milestone and stop worrying. And that took lots of prayer. Hubster and I prayed often for our son, for his development. And we would praise God when he took a step in the right direction. Lately, we've had a lot more praises then petitions. And all along, God has proven Himself faithful.

So, what's the point?
Good question. I've struggled with what to do with this blog. Should it be only about my writing? But I haven't been doing much of it. I definitely don't want it to be completely about personal stuff, but I really felt like I should share what's really going on in my life and in my heart. That's what makes me the person, the writer that I am.

I started blogging because I wanted to build community. I've met so many amazing blogging buddies and learned so much. But I believe that part of building a community is being honest and sharing each other's burdens. So here's mine. Feel free to lay yours on me. :)

Thanks for sharing in the journey with me.

Let's Get Personal...

2012-01-31T01:44:00.003-05:00

*Disclaimer: This post is long and filled with me sharing honest life struggles. Read at your own risk.*

I feel like I'm coming back. Coming back to my passion and gifting of writing. Coming back to being the mom, the wife, the person I need to be. I don't know exactly where I went, but I know it had a lot to do with my role as mommy and the journey we've been on. I feel compelled to share a journey I've been on with my son and hubster and God. I kept it from my blog because I felt it was too personal. But I really feel I need to share it. Share what we've been going through and why it's impacted my writing and my faith and who I am. And I hope that if there's anyone struggling with similar things with their kiddos, that they stumble across this post and find it helpful.

You see, my son (almost 20 months) has had a lot of obstacles in his short life. Obstacles that have been time consuming, worrisome, and yet have molded me into a stronger mom, stronger woman, stronger Christian, and hopefully, a stronger writer.

Obstacle One:
When my son was born, a standard hearing test revealed a hearing loss in one ear. We were told to bring him back in a month to see if perhaps it was temporary, just fluid in his ears, etc. It wasn't. Another referral to another doctor only confirmed he had a hearing loss. They couldn't do anything until they determined how severe the loss was. So we were referred to another specialist. More confirmation he had a hearing loss in one ear but no further indication of it's severity.

Finally they recommended a sedated hearing test (ABR). Before he was to be sedated (completely asleep) he needed a trip to the pediatrician two days before the sedation to clean his ears of wax and determine he was fit for sedation. We scheduled his sedated test, I took him to his pediatrician and we were told due to fluid in his ear we had to reschedule the test. A month later, we repeated the process. No fluid, all was a go for the sedation. But the morning of the sedation he had a cold and a fever and was therefore not able to be sedated. Another month later, the same exact thing-another cold.

After three times, we felt like maybe this wasn't meant to be. Back to the hearing specialist we went. They did the test again, said there was nothing they could do, we had to do the sedated hearing test to get more information.

Fourth time was the charm. He was an absolute champ with the IV, sedation, everything. And finally, we were given the news. He definitely had a hearing loss. And it was severe.

That basically meant for the first year of his life he wasn't hearing much in that ear. Luckily his other ear is working perfectly, but it was so frustrating to think he could have had a hearing aid so much sooner if we hadn't of had such a run-around with all these hearing tests, trips to audiologists and ENTs. It wasn't until he was 15 months that the hearing aid was fitted and in.

I wasn't upset when I found out he was hearing impaired. In fact, I don't even view him as such. He's my lil monkey, my joy, one of the best things in my very blessed life.

Watching his favorite cartoon (with the remote, what a guy!) with his hearing aid in.

Obstacle Two:

My son still isn't talking. He babbles but he doesn't say any words. This could be due to the hearing loss, as he didn't babble much until after the hearing aid was in. Or it could just be a normal speech delay amplified by the hearing loss. Either way we do speech therapy bi-monthly through our Early Intervention services. If your child or a child you knows has any kind of delay, call your state's Early Intervention services. It's a free evaluation, in which they can help you give your child the services they need (speech, physical or occupational therapy, etc). And you don't need a referral, so if you're concerned, just go.

Obstacle Three:

When my son was little he would cry when we put him on his tummy. Not just whine, but scream. He hated being on his stomach. He learned to roll from tummy to back quickly, but never rolled back to tummy. He learned to sit on his own rather quickly, by 4 months.

By 9 months, he still wasn't rolling over back to tummy, nor was he making any attempts to move out of his sitting position. His sit wasn't straight either, but like he was slightly hunched over as you can see in this photo. I had asked the pediatrician about his physical development and my concerns multiple times, but they continually told me babies develop at different rates and that he'd catch up. So at 9 months I put my foot down. Told the pediatrician something was wrong. Demanded they do something. And they referred him to physical therapy and Early Intervention services.

Both have been life-savers. Apparently, my son had a locked pelvis. That meant that since babies these days spend so much time on their backs and sitting up, his pelvis was locked in those two positions. His pelvis was probably already tight when he was born and worsened because he refused to be on his stomach. When we laid him on his stomach his cries weren't because he hated Tummy Time. It was because he was in pain.

The physical therapist (PT) told us if we hadn't come in before he was about a year, the locked pelvis could have become a permanent thing. He probably could have been in a wheelchair for life.

Weekly I took him in for physical therapy. Our amazing PT did exercises and stretches on him that did not make him happy (in fact, he screamed for the majority of his first month or two of therapy) but immediately we could see results. Instead of him always sitting in a curved posture, he could sit up straight.

Also, weekly, we went to the chiropractor, where she did manipulations on his back, hips, pelvis, and legs.

Within a month of PT and chiropractic care he was finally rolling over! And just before his first birthday, he was finally on the move! My boy was a crawler and life was good. :)

At this point we no longer needed chiropractic care, and went down to physical therapy every other week. It was such a relief to have less appointments, both emotionally and financially.

He became such an expert crawler he didn't want to walk. At 17 months he took his first tentative steps and I cried when both hubster and I witnessed it. But immediately he returned to crawling, not attempting to walk again until he was 18 1/2 months. Finally, at the beginning of his 19th month, he was walking exclusively!

Sometimes I get teary watching him walking around, a grin on his face as he discovers something new. He's come a long way and I am so proud of him.

Below is a clip of him, after he'd only been walking ONE week. I was so proud, but he was more impressed by the camera then strutting his stuff.

This concludes Part I of Let's Get Personal. In an effort to keep this post from being ridiculously long, please check out the next post, Let's Get Personal Part II.

Quote of the Month

2012-01-23T23:51:00.000-05:00

Wise words, Edwin Land!

Questions for Writers

2012-01-17T00:31:00.000-05:00

So in case you haven't noticed, I haven't been posting a lot lately. Rather than give you a list of excuses, I figured instead I'd give you a list of random writing related questions. I thought it'd be fun to get back into the blogging groove by having a conversation about writing. If you want to participate, reply to this post with your answers for each of the following questions. You can answer in one word or one paragraph, whatever strikes your fancy. And I included my own answers, just to get the convo started.

1) Do you write every day?
Sadly, nope. Sometimes I'll write for a few hours for a few days in a row, and then not touch my manuscript for weeks until another idea strikes. And the cycle continues, taking me on average two years to write and revise one story. I'm thinking maybe I should take a lesson from the king: Stephen King writes every day and he can knock out a novel in three months.

2) One space or two between each sentence?
Two. My world was recently rocked when I learned it's supposed to be one. Seriously? This is a habit that's gonna be hard to break.

3) Drink/foods of choice while writing?
If I'm at Starbucks, a salted caramel hot chocolate or java chip frappachino, depending on the weather. At home, raspberry iced tea--in a wine glass, so I feel all sophisticated.

4) What is your biggest source of procrastination?
Facebook. Oh, and the TV. And playing with my toddler. And... did I ever mention to you I put the "pro" in procrastinate? ;)

5) Any writing quirks/habits/routines?
Whenever I've had a writing block (when I haven't written in weeks) I go for a long walk around the neighborhood and just think about the story. I usually get a bunch of ideas and then come home and write and write and write.

All right, your turn! Can't wait to see your thoughts. :)

Crossed

2012-01-10T21:52:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I last reviewed a teen read. Sometime last year, and I don't just mean a few weeks ago when it was still 2011. Months ago. Maybe this is because I haven't read much worth reviewing, or because I've been reading a lot of other things that are not YA related. But I raved about Matched by Ally Condie so much, about how much I was looking forward to her next book, that I just had to review it now that I'd finally gotten my hands on it. So, without further ado, the first Teen Reads review of 2012....

Crossed

By Ally Condie

Genre: Science fiction, dystopia

My rating: 3 stars

Summary: "In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever."

Hmm. I debated between two and three stars to be honest. I was so enthralled by Matched (in fact, read my review of it here) that I had extremely high expectations of this book. And they fell short. Maybe I expected too much of it.

It's not that I didn't enjoy it. In fact, I couldn't put it down, I read it in two days. But the entire time I read it, I kept thinking "please let there be more, please let there be more." And there wasn't. Now, I realize this is the second book in a trilogy, so I'm guessing the "more" is in the third book. But come on, there should be plenty of good stuff in the second, right?

The things I liked:

Condie switched things up this time around--instead of everything being in Cassia's first person POV as in Matched, Crossed switches back and forth between Ky and Cassia's POV. Weird at first, but then I grew to like it, especially because the majority of the book they are experiencing their own adventures and if we only followed Cassia, wow would it be boring.
There is a secret about Xander that is partially revealed that kept me turning the pages, eager to learn if the secret is what I thought it was. And though hints were given verifying my idea, I'll have to read the third book to find out for sure. Way to keep me hooked until the third book, Condie!
It's not just the secret that makes me want to read the third book. It's the characters. Condie has successfully made me more connected to the characters than I already was and rooting for them. And there's character growth and development, which is awesome to see in a dystopian trilogy. I have to see how the characters continue to grow as they finish their journey! And I MUST know how it ends.

The things I didn't like:

Too much poetry! Now, I happen to like poetry. But jeez louise, enough is enough. Get to the story Condie!
The ending seemed really rushed after dragging us through the desert for half of the novel. I realize this is a trilogy, but are you seriously going to make me read through 367 pages and then leave me with that, Condie?
Now, I know I mentioned the cool factor of the POV switches between Cassia and Ky in the positives above. They were necessary to the story. HOWEVER, their voices were exactly the same. When I'm reading Ky's perspective, I wanna hear a guy's voice as he struggles to survive. Not a guy spouting poetical nonsense.
It dragged on. If Condie wanted us to feel like we were dying in the desert with the characters she was successful. There were a few beautifully written and suspenseful scenes, but they were few and far between.

Oh my goodness, I think I should stop. I didn't hate this book. I was just highly disappointed in it. But like I said, I will be reading the third book. I'll just make sure my hopes aren't too high this time.

Anyone else read it? Or have I scared you off from reading it? If I did, I apologize.

10 Fun Gifts for Readers/Writers

2011-12-05T10:18:00.008-05:00

In honor of the approaching holidays and frenzied shopping for loved ones and making your own Christmas wish list, I'm reposting this, along with a few more goodies I've discovered. Enjoy!

Need to get a random gift for a reader/writer in your life? Or something fun to buy yourself? Then this is the post for you...

First off, random fun stuff for readers:

1) New Book Smell aerosol.

Here's an actual quote from their website: "Now you can finally enjoy reading e-books without giving up the smell you love so much. With Smell of Books™ you can have the best of both worlds, the convenience of an e-book and the smell of your favorite paper book."

Seriously? So random. Check out the website for it here.

2) "Movies: Ruining the Book Since 1920" t-shirt.

Haha, so true. Check out their website here.

Only $10. :)

3) Peace, Love, Books handbag

Perfect for storing all those books we're going to get to and that other random stuff that always comes with us wherever we go. :)

Find one here.

and because you can never have too many handbags for all those books....

4) Banned Books Handbag

My hubby got this one for me. I love it. And I get so many comments and compliments on it. Proceeds from this bag support the American Library Association. Get your own bag here for only 12 dollars and support the ALA and your freedom to read. :)

5) Trivial Pursuit: Book Lovers Edition

I've never been the greatest at Trivial Pursuit, but maybe now I"ll have a better chance. Available at Amazon.

And now, random fun gifts for writers:

6) "Will Write for Chocolate" t-shirt

Based on the website willwriteforchocolate.com - a great website by the way! Debbie Ridpath Ohi (AKA InkyGirl) created the website and posts hilarious comics about writers.

Get your t-shirt here.

I'll do about anything for chocolate. In fact, I think I'll go get some now. BRB...

Ok, I'm back. Onto the next thing...

7) Chocolate Keyboard.

More chocolate? Yes please! Find out more about it here.

8) Write Now Wall clock

Simply because we all need a little reminder to stop procrastinating. ;) Only $15 and available here.

9) Next Novel Journal

The perfect little novel for brainstorming, plotting, etc.

Get yours here.

And finally....

10) "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel" t-shirt

Oooh, what a threat! What a great shirt!

Get yours here. Available in 5 color choices.

So, which of these gifts would you most like to receive?

Creativity is Bold: da Vinci Style

2011-12-04T20:18:00.003-05:00

Leonardo da Vinci had notebooks FILLED with doodles and sketches and theories. He also made several incredible paintings. Some of which he never finished. No one knows why, but I wonder if it's because he began to doubt the direction it was going. Or maybe he wanted to begin his next project.

Either of those theories seems encouraging to me. It makes him seem more human, and not like a creativity god. I mean, I seem to flit from one project idea to another. And I often doubt my projects and abandon them. Eventually I return to them, but sometimes weeks or months later.

When I think about my own creativity, I've realized I lack boldness. I let my doubts and fears and a ridiculous amount of time on social media sites, stop me from writing for days, weeks, or even months at a time. No wonder it's taken me three years to finish writing and revising my manuscript.

I wish I could be more like da Vinci. Bold. Inquisitive. Creative. Productive.

But I must admit, when those moments of creativity strikes, when the words just flow and flow, it's an incredible feeling. I wonder if da Vinci lost that incredible feeling because he experienced moments of creativity all the time.

What about you? Are you feeling bold? Creative?

Writing Quote of the Month

2011-12-01T08:23:00.001-05:00

"The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible."
~Vladimir Nabakov

Thankful!

2011-11-24T05:00:00.003-05:00

"O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness." - William Shakespeare

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I think because it gives us an opportunity to remember all the blessings in our life, all that we have to be thankful for. We live in a culture that tells us we need more all the time, so we're never really satisfied with all the things we do have. That's what I like about thanksgiving, a day to really remember all the good things in my life.

Happy thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Awesomeness

2011-11-23T16:05:00.005-05:00

Well, for my fellow Americans, tomorrow is THANKSGIVING! A day to remember all the blessings and things we're thankful for. And a day for doing what we're best at....eating. ;)

I'm in charge of bringing dessert for tomorrow's feast, and instead of doing traditional pumpkin pie, I wanted to try something new, but with the pumpkin theme. I found an awesome recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake! Right now, my pies are in the oven, and my house is being overtaken by the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin. Delish! Can't wait to try them tomorrow!

So, if you want to make your own, here's the recipe. This makes two 9-inch pies.

2 9 inch pie crusts. (I did traditional graham cracker crust, but the recipe says you could make gingersnap cookie crusts)
3 8 oz packages of cream cheese softened
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
1 16 oz can pumpkin puree
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and spices on medium speed until smooth.
Add pumpkin puree and eggs. Beat on low speed until smooth.
Pour into pie shells.
Bake until center is firm, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

That's it! Easy peasy! Top with whip cream and it's delish! Happy Thanksgiving all! :)

Revisioning

2011-11-16T09:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's the term we should be using. Every time we revise our stories, we're creating a new vision for it. Revisioning. Sounds so much better than editing and revising.

Because, to be honest, I'm tired of editing and revising. But my story has been through more revisionings than I can count. I've been working on this thing for four years now. But, with every revisioning it gets stronger. The pace gets tighter. The characters get deeper. The theme gets more embedded throughout.

I can't tell you the number of times I've said "just one more run-through of revisions and then it'll be done." I can't tell you the number of times I've said "I"ll be done by x month" and then 'x month' comes and goes and I'm still happily ~~revising~~ revisioning, but disappointed I've missed my deadline.

If you want tips on revising, click here. Tips on revisioning? Just have fun with it. Work on it frequently. And don't put deadlines on your creativity. :)

YA Books to Movies

2011-11-14T22:53:00.004-05:00

I'm taking a break from my revisions to share my excitement about YA books coming out as movies soon....

First of all, Hugo looks to be an awesome possum movie. I LOVED the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. And can't wait to see the movie. Check out the trailer:

And even more exciting in YA book to movie news....

The Hunger Games is coming! At first, when I heard they were making this awesome book into a movie I was skeptical. But this trailer has totally changed my mind. Check it out!

Anyone gonna watch either of these movies? Anyone else love the books as much as I did? Or going to read them before the movies come out? ;)

Writing Quote

2011-11-05T23:30:00.001-04:00

"Write only if you cannot live without writing. Write only what you alone can say."
-Elie Wiesel

Writing Quote of the Month

2011-10-14T15:20:00.000-04:00

"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go."
-E.L. Doctorow

Overcoming Idleness

2011-10-11T21:57:00.000-04:00

"When we use the word idle, we usually think of inactivity. We assume that an idle woman has lots of time on her hands. But “inactive” is not exactly what idleness means. The Greek word refers to someone or something that is not in good order. It means “careless” and “out of line.”
An idle woman is often busy. Perhaps even excessively busy…Women are idle when they have the wrong priorities. They are idle when they fail to stay at their post of duty, and busy themselves with other things instead. An idle woman’s life is undisciplined and out of order. She does not do what she ought to do." -Girls Gone Wise by Mary Kassian (page 78)

Hmm, how convicting. There's a lot of things I've been idle about, wasting my time with things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Areas I've been idle: Spending quality time with my son and hubster. Writing. Cleaning my house. Reading the Bible. Cooking.

To fight my recent idleness, I've created a list for each weekday. Each day of the week is a certain task for cleaning the house, a task for writing, etc. I won't go on Facebook or check out other blogs or watch TV or do any other lazy/procrastinating thing until after I've accomplished my goals and my priorities are met.

Sounds restrictive, but wow is there freedom in it! I tried out a new recipe for dinner last night that my hubster loved and is still raving about. I've done three loads of laundry, cleaned my closet and gave a bag of stuff to Goodwill, and tidied the kitchen. I wrote two new scenes of my book, revised a chapter, and critiqued three chapters for my CP. I spent extra time reading to my kiddo and going on a walk with him while the weather was GORGEOUS. And the hubster and I got to go on a date. :)

All because I've been spending less time on Facebook or surfing the net, and I don't watch my recorded TV shows anymore while the little one is napping but use that time for writing.

This overcoming idleness thing is awesome! Anyone else want to overcome idleness with me? :)

ROWnd 4!

2011-10-03T08:23:00.003-04:00

'Tis the final ROW80 of 2011! I'm so happy to have participated every single round, though I've been such a slacker about posting my check-ins. In fact, I don't really check-in (sorry fellow ROWers) but just know that I'm working on my story while taking care of other things going on in my life. Like numerous weekly appointments for my little man.

Anyway...

ROW80. I'm finishing up my manuscript which I hope to have completely done by Christmas! And I also want to begin a new writing project, so I've broken down these goals by month. Goals will be updated as the rownd progresses. Here goes:

October: Continue revising.

~~Continue getting feedback from my critique partners~~.
~~Revise at least 15 minutes every other day. Every day is ideal, but every other day is manageable.~~
~~Outline next writing project.~~

November: Continue revising manuscript and begin new writing project.

Enter NaNoWriMo. I have for the last four years and never finished, but I always write more than I would otherwise, knowing others are plugging away at their stories. I have a story idea that's been tugging at me for so long I can't wait to get it out on paper.
~~Continue revising based on feedback from my critique partners.~~ 15 minutes a day every other day.
Send to beta readers. Revise based on feedback.

December: Finish revising and ~~begin the querying process~~ begin sending to beta readers.

Get feedback on ~~query letter~~ manuscript from five or more people.
~~Begin querying. Scary, yet exciting!~~ Begin querying in January.
~~Finish~~ Continue revisions based on feedback of beta readers and critique partners.

Good luck to my fellow ROWers! Rock that writing boat!

2nd Campaign Challenge

2011-09-23T13:52:00.001-04:00

Yippeee, it's time for the second Campaign Challenge. The Challenge is:

Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should:

include the word "imago" in the title
include the following 4 random words: "miasma," "lacuna," "oscitate," "synchronicity,"

Check out the other entries here. I'm entry 70 among a sea of awesome entries. And without any further ado, here is my entry....

The Imagoes

Cordelia was drowning in a miasma. She struggled against the noxious air choking her, gripping deep into her lungs that ached for air. Just when she felt all was lost a swarm of butterflies arrived in a moment of perfect synchronicity. The fluttering insects swirled around her, creating a comforting lacuna. Cordelia breathed deeply, feeling the clean air oscitate through her parched lungs. The moment Cordelia had caught her breath and was enjoying the kaleidoscopic cocoon of butterflies surrounding her, they flitted off to their next destination. One butterfly lingered, its tiny beat of wings caressing her cheek before joining its swarm.

Cordelia awoke, gently rubbing the spot. The vividness of the dream struck her as odd, considering she'd never even seen a butterfly before.

Left Brain/ Write Brain

2011-09-16T16:00:00.002-04:00

This post was originally posted March 14, 2011,
but I totally feel it all over again and so am reposting it for those who missed it

I've been researching a lot about the brain and how it works and about creativity for the story I'm writing. Norman Doidge (author of The Brain that Changes Itself) says that the brain is "the only organ that can be sharpened when all others deteriorate with age." True dat Norman.

But what I've been pondering regarding the brain is the whole right brain/left brain thing. Right brain being responsible for creativity. Left brain for organization and processing. Because, right now I feel that my writing is unfortunately stalled in my left brain. My left hemisphere is telling me my story is stupid, to stop wasting my time, that it'll never get published.

This happens every time I write. I start each story with right brain brimming with ideas, my fingers flying over the keyboard, my heart feeling alive with the knowledge that I'm doing what I'm made to do. But then left hemisphere kicks in, crushing my creative flow. Muse is no where to be seen. And for weeks, sometimes even months I abandon my story until I can convince right hemisphere to keep going.

Left hemisphere is awesome for when the writing is down on paper and it's time to revise and edit. But not during the writing. Then it's more like the Sirens of Greek mythology, singing out lies that sound true and beautiful and drowning Muse and any creativity I may have.

Whether you are a writer or not, I'm sure you can relate to the concept.

What do you do when your left hemisphere is singing louder than your right?

First Campaign Challenge

2011-09-05T14:05:00.002-04:00

It's time for the first Writer's Platform Blog Campaign challenge! Wahoo!

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.
If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)

And so, without further ado, here is my entry, at 182 words.

The Light

The door swung open and Tess darted out the bathroom past the two giggling girls. Can’t be late, can’t be late, she chanted to herself. She had been late the first day of school and the teacherly look Mrs. Dallas had given her made her want to squeeze into the nearest locker and hide there forever. She glanced at the clock hanging in the hallway, clutching her color coded tabbed binder and her Calculus book tightly to her chest. If Mrs. Dallas closed that door, she was doomed.

Suddenly a dazzling light exploded silently before her, a brilliant white sheet that encircled her and just as quickly disappeared. It stung her eyes before thrusting her into darkness.

Tess' heart pounded and she struggled for comprehension. Her legs trembled with a tingling weakness and she feared they would collapse under her. White fuzzy dots swam before her. Adrenaline coursed painfully through her body.

Finally, like a camera lens struggling to focus, the images of the hallway slid clearly into view. But before Tess could even feel the relief of regaining her sight, down the hall the door swung shut.

Quote of the Month

2011-09-01T07:21:00.002-04:00

"Art disturbs the universe and artists dare to create.

Now, go forth laughing and disturb the universe."

-Laurie Halse Anderson

I'm a Campaigner!

2011-08-24T23:55:00.001-04:00

Are you a writer who wants to build your platform? Then head on over to Rachel Harrie's Third Writer's Platform-Building Campaign. As Rachel says: "Basically, the Campaign is a way to link those of us in the writing community together with the aim of helping to build our online platforms. The Campaigners are all bloggers in a similar position, who genuinely want to pay it forward, make connections and friends within the writing community, and help build each others' online platforms while at the same time building theirs."

Sounds awesome-possum to me! Will I see you there?

The Revising Journey

2011-08-21T21:14:00.001-04:00

I'm still in those revising stages. And I must admit, I used to hate revising. It used to be a necessary evil. But now, I'm enjoying the process. It's like my manuscript is a little piece of dirt in a shell and every time I cut and change entire scenes I'm adding a layer of polish and shine. And each revision is leading me closer and closer to that finished pearl. Yes, sometimes it's dull, but sometimes it's very exciting to see the story get molded into a better, shinier, more intriguing story.

I've learned a lot about the craft of storytelling through the revision process. I've got to raise the stakes, make the story more intriguing. Here's what I've learned:

Build up the conflict. There should be conflict in every chapter. It could be teeny tiny, like a moment of self doubt within the hero. Or ginormo, like when the hero finally confronts the villain. But there must be continual conflict to keep the story going. My rough draft only had a few conflicts. With the climax being the biggest one and boy was it lame. Up the stakes, Jenn! Up the stakes!
Build up the character. Who wants to read a story if they don't like a character? I've realized I didn't fully understand a character's motivation in my first draft. But by understanding where they're coming from and making that clear, wow does that change the story! And this part is hard, but I've had to build up my characters by not being so nice to them. I mean, I love these characters, I created them. But if nothing bad happens to them, they don't grow and change and it's rather boring. So I had to consider, what is my character's worst fear? And then BAM! I have to make it happen. Or at least the threat of it happen. Hard to do but so worth it for the story's sake. And the characters. ;)
Build up the pacing. And I do that through building up the conflict and building up the character and balancing that with describing everything. It's all about balance while moving forward. Hard to explain but super important if you want a compelling story. Which is what I'm trying to write.

Sometimes I feel like I'll be writing this story forever. That it'll be months before it's completely done. But I'm learning so much in the process and trying to soak in the journey as I go. My goal of being done with revisions by September doesn't seem likely, but I have no problem changing it. Because I'm working toward my final goal, which is a completed, compelling story.

So my measurable goal for the remainder of August? To revise at least 20 minutes a day. And to enjoy the revising journey. :)

A FREE Writer's Conference!?!

2011-08-16T06:00:00.004-04:00

Every wanted to go to a writer's conference, but getting away was hard? Or the conference was too far away? Or you were intimidated by attending?

Well fear no more, a FREE Writer's Conference is starting TODAY, right HERE ONLINE! That's right, you can attend a writer's conference in your pj's, while nibbling on your favorite snacks. WriteonCon is here!

This online, free (did I mention it was free?) conference is geared specifically for kidlit, middle grade and YA, but that doesn't mean adult writer's won't learn a thing too. Check out the full schedule to see what sessions you want to read, which live chats/vlogs/forums you want to learn from, etc. The conference starts today (August 16th) and ends on Thursday night (the 18th).

Will I see you there?

The Comparison Trap

2011-08-15T17:54:00.001-04:00

We all do it. We compare ourselves to others. We view something someone has or does as better than us. And we feel insecure. But then we compare ourselves to someone else. And we find we're better at something than them. And so we judge them and feel better about ourselves. We're continually trying to keep the scale of comparison balanced at the expense of others and ourselves. But the scale only keeps going back and forth.

Pride Insecurity

It's exhausting.

But this quote is a salve to my heart at times where I find myself comparing myself to someone:

"We will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original."
~Galatians 5:26 (The Message Bible)

So, I'm off to strive to do something more interesting with my life then compare myself to another writer, to another blogger, to another mother, or another woman or ... well, you get the idea. I'm not saying I'll succeed. But if I want to get out my paralyzing fear, I've gotta do something. I'm gonna try to escape the comparison trap. I know it'll take an entire lifetime to do so. But it will be worth the journey.

Anyone want to join me?

Look Ma, No Hands!

2011-08-05T20:38:00.000-04:00

And they say boys aren't good at multi-tasking. ;)

Words

2011-08-04T22:47:00.001-04:00

Anyone ever heard of wordle? It's a website where you can enter text (think WIP, blogs, etc) and it will form a word cloud with the words in your text, in which the more often you use the word, the bigger it is. Here's a wordle of this blog post. :)

So, I bring this up, because I think it's a fabulous writer's tool. Insert your WIP and prepare to be amazed. Especially if, after you make your wordle, you go under the setting for language and click on the very last option: show word counts. It'll tell you how many times you've used each word. For example, in my WIP:

I used the word "asked" 108 times.
And "like" 101 times. I hope that's a "like" as in a comparison, not like, you know, the valley-girl like.
And apparently I used the word "something" 54 times. Anyone know of something to replace the word something?

Ah, words. There's power in them. If they're not abused or over-used.

Quote of the Month

2011-08-01T10:19:00.003-04:00

"It is easy to be bold from a distance."

-Aesop

July in a Nutshell

2011-07-31T08:51:00.031-04:00

Writing Update:

So, the end of July is here. That was my goal to finish my story and revise it. And...

drum roll please....

Yay! I'm celebrating by having the hubster take us to Dairy Queen for Blizzards. Apparently there's a Triple Chocoholic Blizzard that I have to try. And if you know me, I can't pass up anything with chocolate. :)

My next goal is to let at least five people read it. That thought terrifies me. I'd rather do another run through, make sure the story is as flawless as possible before handing it over to a person whose opinion I greatly respect and admire. But then, I don't want to spend forever making a scene "perfect" and then find out several of my readers don't think the scene is necessary. Or something to that effect. Fellow writers, when do you let others read your work?

Personal update:

My Little Monkey is over a year now. Wow, how time flies! We got back from a family trip to the beach--here's a pic of him cruising along in the kiddie pool. :)

And of him playing in the sand and using his sunglasses as a shovel.

It was a relaxing family time, though babies don't last long at the beach--at least this one didn't. After half an hour, he was done. But, he loved sitting on the edge of the beach and laughing when the waves came up over his legs. It was such a blessing to be able to take a family vacation, where the hubster and I didn't have to worry about anything except taking care of our precious little son and relaxing. I highly recommend it. ;)

So, in a nutshell, July was a good month. Let's see what August has in store. :)

Writing Quote

2011-07-15T22:25:00.003-04:00

"The story is not in the plot but in the telling."

-Ursula K. LeGuin

Delirium

2011-07-08T17:09:00.000-04:00

Delirium

By Lauren Oliver

Genre: Science Fiction

My Rating: 4 stars

Summary taken from goodreads.com: Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

In case you were unaware: I adore YA dystopian science fiction novels. And though I was enthralled with this one, I was left feeling like this one lacked something. It seemed a little too predictable throughout. I thought Lena's character seemed a little too ordinary to me--maybe that's the point, but I like it when the main character is a little more bold, a little more...I dunno, just a little more...

But it was beautifully written and compelling. I read it in three days, and would have finished it sooner, but I have a toddler to chase after now which makes sitting down to read for longer than a page or two impossible. Unless he's asleep, and that's where I want to be too.

Anyway....Overall, I would recommend this book. I will definitely read the next book in the series, though I'm not counting down the days like I am with the sequel of Matched. (Crossed comes out November 1st!)

Row80, Round 3

2011-07-04T16:52:00.001-04:00

Happy Fourth of July my fellow Americans! What I love about Independence Day is it's a reminder of all the freedoms we have and take for granted, and a reminder of all those that have fought to defend America. God has surely blessed America indeed. :)

So, Round 3 of Round of Words in 80 Days is here. I completed my story in Round 2 and began revising. So in honor of Round 3 I have 3 goals:

1) Finish revising by the end of July.
2) Let at least five others read and critique my story.
3) Write 15 minutes a day in August.

Simple, right? We shall see. Good luck to my fellow ROW80ers. :)

Excuses and doubts...

2011-06-11T20:31:00.000-04:00

I have writer's block. Not from ideas for my story. Just a block getting to my story. I've been finding every excuse under the sun to not touch it. You know, the laundry needs to be done, I should spend more time with my son since he's growing up so fast (he just turned 1!), I have a towering pile of books to read first, and so on.

But honestly, I think the real block isn't so much the excuses I'm making. Fears and doubts are plaguing me, keeping the manuscript quarantined out of sight for over a month now. The "what I'm writing is stupid", "no one is going to like it", "so why bother wasting my time?", kind of fears and doubts. The fears and doubts that lead to more excuses....

But then, I read something that I think is totally awesome in a book called "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst. It's not a book about writing, but I found this quote applicable to the writing life/identity. It's inspired me to get that manuscript back out into the fresh air. I have no idea if it will touch you like it did me, but I think we all have our excuses and doubts that prevent us from becoming all that we can be. So, without any further ado, here is The Quote....

"We were made for more than the vicious cycles of excuses and guilt and doubt and more excuses. We can choose to stay on the path of hard work and perseverance. We can taste success. And we can experience victory as we claim our true identity."

Divergent

2011-05-20T13:18:00.000-04:00

Divergent

By Veronica Roth

Genre: Science Fiction

My rating: 5 Stars!

Summary taken from goodreads.com: "In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her."

Yes, I know, I haven't written a Teen Read review in a while. Why? I haven't read anything worth reviewing lately. Cue, Divergent.

Have I mentioned that I love dystopian novels? This one is definitely up there now as one of my favorites. I seriously couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I was enthralled. Riveted. And a little sad when the roller coaster of literary joy and adventure ended.

There was always something going on, some secret to be revealed. And though I predicted a few of the surprises, their revelation still left me breathless and eager for more.

Whenever I had to close this book, because, you know, I had to cook dinner, or go to sleep, or save the Lil Monkey from getting into something he shouldn't, my mind was still marinating on what was going on and I was making predictions about what would happen next.

In case you couldn't tell, I devoured this book. I loved the writing, the story, the characters. Tris is an incredibly powerful and human heroine. I like that she wasn't perfect. I like that she experienced sacrifice to demonstrate her bravery. I liked experiencing her growth. I liked her love interest and the the dynamic that built between them. Ok, ok, I liked it ALL!

And I love the fact that this will be a trilogy. Yay! More to come!

Upping the Stakes

2011-05-16T06:48:00.002-04:00

Suffering. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, seeing as how three family members live each day in pain and yet they are three of the strongest people I know. I’m beginning to see why God allows suffering to exist. Not that he wants it, but he allows it, simply for the fact that it will help mold the person into a stronger, more interesting person. If everything in life was hunky-dory it’d get pretty boring.

Same goes for stories. I’ve realized I long to protect my characters that I’ve lovingly created. But when I do that, the stories are boring. The characters are boring. There’s no real motivation for the characters to do anything.

So a few months ago I decided to do something drastic to my current work in progress. I sat down with two pieces of paper: one for each of my main characters. And I asked myself a question: what would be something I wouldn’t want to see happen to this character?

And I brainstormed. Before long, I had several ideas. But then, I decided to go a step further. My heart pounded as I really pondered, what would be the absolute worse thing for this character to have happen to them?

And immediately it came to mind. I didn’t want to do it to them. But I realized, to make the story real, to make it suspenseful, to make it interesting, to give the characters motivation, I had to do exactly that. I had to cause them suffering, if only for a chapter or two. I had to give them a real dilemma. I had to up the stakes.

I’m glad I did. They seem more like a real person as opposed to a character on a page. They have depth and soul. I like the story so much better.

So, how do you feel about the concept of upping the stakes?

Fibromyalgia Awareness

2011-05-13T14:47:00.000-04:00

Fibromyalgia. It’s a syndrome that not many people know about, but many suffer from. According to the National Fibromyalgia Association:

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.

So why post about it? Because it matters to me. Because I have two aunts who live with the chronic pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia. And they’re my heroes. Despite the pain and the limitations it has caused in their lives, their faith stays strong. They are an inspiration to me.

I’m just doing my little part to make this invisible syndrome visible. Love and prayers go out to my aunts and others who suffer from fibromyalgia.

May 12^th is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to post it on May 12^th due to blogger doing maintenance, but better late then never.

Quote of the Month

2011-05-01T00:48:00.002-04:00

-Josie Bissett: actress

A Manuscript's Journey: Part III

2011-04-29T00:44:00.000-04:00

Oh. My. Goodness.

I started working on my manuscript in September of 2009. Which may seem like a long time, but sometimes I went months without touching it. I finished my first draft in August of 2010.

Or so I thought. January of 2011 I started over. From scratch. I cried about it, but it was a necessary thing to do (according to agents' opinions and my husband as well.). My story needed to change from first person to third. My villain needed to be more villainous. I needed to up the stakes. A lot. And so that required a rewrite.

So, thanks to ROW80, I determined to have my rewrite done by May of 2011. Since I had already laid out a foundation (a weak one, but a foundation none-the-less) for the past year in a half I figured that was doable. There were days I wrote a lot. And there were (more often than not) days I didn't write at all.

BUT....

I'm happy to report I DID IT! I finished my first draft of the brand spanking new manuscript!

Whoo hoo!

Now, I'm off to relax for a few weeks before touching the manuscript again. Then it'll be revising time. But now--it's celebrating time!

And just for those who are curious, take a stroll through my writing journey so far in these three posts:

A Manuscript's Journey: Part I

A Manuscript's Journey: Part II

The King and I Face Revision

Goals

2011-04-04T08:17:00.004-04:00

Goals. What would we do without them? For those of you writers who don't know what ROW80 is, I urge you to check it out. It's all about setting your own manageable goals for your writing. But whether you're a writer or not, we all can set manageable goals and make the time to see them through, right? Right?

Well then, let's just get to my writing goals for this Round of Words in 80 Days, shall we?

Round Two Goals:

To finish the rough draft of my manuscript by the end of May. Yep, that's right. I have about 1/3 of my story to go, about 20,000-30,000 words. I figure if I stay with my usual average of about 500 words a day or more, I'll be done in May.
Actually check-in with my progress once in a while. During Round 1 I only checked in once. Oops. Hopefully you'll be hearing from me a little more often than that. :)
To begin revising. I plan on taking a few weeks break after finishing the rough draft. Celebrate accomplishments and give myself distance from the story before revising. But hopefully I can at least make a complete run-through, find out what needs to be changed, and (hopefully!) accomplish some revising before round's end.

Whether you're a writer or not, don't forget to set goals for yourself. As Joyce Meyer says, "It's better to have a big goal and reach half of it then to have no goal and reach all of it." What big goals have you set for yourself?

Quote of the Month

2011-04-01T12:37:00.002-04:00

It's better to have a big goal and reach half of it than to have no goal and reach all of it. ~Joyce Meyer

Clarity

2011-03-29T05:50:00.016-04:00

Clarity

By Kim Harrington

Genre: Paranormal Romance

My rating: 4 1/2 stars

Summary from Goodreads: "When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?

This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?"

I thought this was a very interesting read, though it reminded me of that TV show "Psych". Although Clarity's power is obviously real, unlike that guy in Psych. I must admit I don't believe in that psychic stuff but Harrington made an intriguing and believable set of characters. Anyway, I was definitely intrigued with the story and though I thought I knew exactly where the story was headed, I was thrown for a loop. Twice. Two loops. I like those kind of books that keep you on your toes.

I was a little disturbed by the ending, but this is obviously going to have a sequel, so I think the ending will make sense when put together with the next book. Which only makes me long for the next book even more.

A great read by a debut YA author.

Spring Cleaning-Kitchen

2011-03-25T15:59:00.002-04:00

So, if you saw yesterday's post you know I've used my writer's block to organize my kitchen. In fact, I was inspired by this totally awesome blog The Organization Junkie --please please check it out to get inspiration for your own spring cleaning tips and ideas.

I decided to tackle five projects in the kitchen. One is still ongoing (that good ol' pantry) but I figured I'd show you the results of my four other projects. Each took me no more than half an hour and I worked on one of these projects a day. And I am now a big fan of baskets thanks to the recommendation of the Organization Junkie herself! I bought several at The Dollar Tree for between a dollar and three dollars each. Totally worth it!

Project One: Under the Sink

Uh, yeah. Embarrassing. And yes, that is a paper towel roll unraveling throughout my mess of cleaning products. After tossing some stuff and consolidating others (for example, I had two half used bottles of bleach that became one) and adding some baskets to the mix, I had this:

Project Two: The Junk Drawer

I found coupons in here that expired in 2009. Which I guess reveals that I have never cleaned out this drawer, but continue adding to it. I tossed every piece of paper in here except for the notepad, found a basket for the chip clips and other supplies, and threw away the aluminum box that only had two inches of foil left in it. That left me with this:

Project Three: The Utensil Drawer

It was ridiculous trying to find anything in here, especially my measuring spoons. So I got rid of the things I never used or had unnecessary duplicates of (do I really need two potato mashers? I think not!) and donated them to a friend who just moved into a new apartment and is in desperate need of kitchen utensils. And of course, I had to use a basket for easy access to my measuring spoons. That made my drawer like this:

Project Four: Above the Microwave

Yes, hubster and I store all our daily medicines and vitamins atop the microwave. The cluttery look got to me, and I realized I could put the medicines in the cabinet by moving the middle shelf baking items to our pantry. To make sure we don't forget to take our medicines/vitamins I made sure they were still in sight--in a pill box organizer. Also, it was always a challenge locating the proper spice or seasoning among all my spices on the bottom shelf of my cabinet, so I bought a three-tier cabinet organizer from Amazon for $9. With the microwave cleaned off an engagement pic of the hubster and I now adorn the microwave, as opposed to medicine madness. Ta da!

* * * *

These projects were all inspired by:

ROW80

2011-03-24T17:42:00.000-04:00

A Round of Words in 80 Days. What a fabulous thing to be a part of. If you don't know what it is, check it out. If you're part of it, aren't you glad you participated?!

Round One is completed. Whew. That means we have a few days break before we make a new writing goal(s) to pursue for Round Two. So, now you want to know how I did during Round One, right?

Well, first of all, my goal was simply to finish the rough draft of my YA manuscript. Did I make it? Um...no. I took a week off to reorganize our kitchen since it was driving me crazy. Been spending a lot more time with my lil monkey who's been sick. Poor thing. (And those of you from ROW80, no that's not a pet. He's my 9 1/2 month old son. Who I think is way cooler than any pet.) I've been hanging out with friends more. Scheduling play dates for the monkey. And I've been reading a lot. Books for me and to monkey. Spending more time with the hubster. Oh, and I did write 2/3 of my manuscript.

So, I don't feel like I've wasted my time. I don't feel like a failure because I didn't make my goal. In fact, I'm realizing more and more just how blessed my life really is and enjoying every aspect of it as much as possible.

I already know my goals for Round Two. But I'll post those later. The point of this post is to simply to bask in accomplishments. Even if it wasn't all you had hoped to accomplish, celebrate the things you have accomplished and the blessings in your life. And if you're just learning about ROW80, join in for Round Two! I think you'll be glad you did!

When the Muse Strikes

2011-03-21T11:51:00.001-04:00

How often have we heard the phrase "when the muse strikes" or "when creativity strikes"? It sounds like a grand thing, ideas just start flowing and we tap into that inspiration and creativity.

Alas, I have the other kind of muse strike. One where she says "I'm refusing to come in to work today". I thought I treated her pretty well, but apparently not enough for her to want to keep working with me. So, I'll admit it...

I haven't been writing. I'm waiting for her to get out of her surly rebellion and inspire me. So I decided this morning to do a little bit of research on her. How do other writers and artists feel about her and the creative process? Basically I learned that artists categorize the muse in two ways:

1) The Muse Strikes and You Must Use That Inspiration Before You Lose it:

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. ~Michelangelo
But I can only write what the muse allows me to write. I cannot choose, I can only do what I am given.
~Ian Hamilton Finlay

This is what I want! Come back to me Muse!

2) The Muse is Lazy and You Must Put in the Effort to Get Him/Her Going:

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. ~Jack London
Where art thou, Muse, that thou forget'st so long
To speak of that which gives thee all thy might? ~William Shakespeare
Sometimes imagination pounces; mostly it sleeps soundly in the corner, purring. ~Terri Guillemets
There is a muse but he is not going to come fluttering into writing room and scatter creative fairy-dust all over your typewriter or computer station. He lives in the ground. He is a basement guy. You have to descend to his level, and once you get down there you have to furnish an apartment for him to live in. You have to do all the grunt labor, in other words, while the muse sits and smokes cigars and admires his bowling trophies and pretend to ignore you… He may not be much to look at that muse-guy, and he may not be much of a conversationalist (what I get out of mine is mostly surly grunts, unless he is on duty), but he’s got the inspiration. ~Stephen King
One reason I don't suffer Writer's Block is that I don't wait on the muse, I summon it at need.~Piers Anthony

Fine. I get it. I have to write even if she is on holiday. Maybe she'll get jealous of all the fun I'm having without her and join in the writing fun. Off I go to dust off the manuscript and write again.

How do you feel about the muse? What do you call him/her?

What helps you when your muse is being lazy?

Writing Quote (Japanese Style)

2011-03-16T18:21:00.002-04:00

In honor of the events occurring in Japan, a country I lived in for three wonderful years, I determined to find a Writing Quote of the Month by a Japanese author. Finally I found one. It's simple, but speaks volumes.

"I just determined to write the books I had to write."

-Kazuo Ishiguro

日本のために祈ること (Praying for Japan)

Matched

2011-03-08T12:10:00.003-05:00

Matched

By Ally Condie

Genre: Science fiction

My rating: 4.8 stars

Summary from goodreads.com: "Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow."

I thought this was a very fun and intriguing read. If you know me and have read my other reviews you know how much I adore dystopian novels and this is definitely one of them. I read this book in two days, despite doctors visits and errands and all that other life stuff that gets in the way of reading.

I was surprised to find the story focused so much on the love story rather than on their society, but I enjoyed reading the book. It reminded me very much of The Giver in that jobs and mates are chosen for them. But Matched differs in refreshing new ways, and I loved all the characters. I also loved the role Cassia's parents played in the story.

I honestly don't know what else to say about it except that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Matched and absolutely CANNOT wait until the next book comes out because Ally Condie leaves you desiring to know what happens next. I hate and love when authors do that.

P.S. When my hubby discovered what this book is about he declared the next book should be titled Mismatched. Just wanted to throw that out there.

P.P.S. Apparently book number 2 is titled Crossed and comes out this November. :)

Quote of the Month

2011-03-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Theodor Seuss Geisel!

Find a previous Dr. Seuss inspirational quote of the month here.

As a former teacher, Seuss' b-day was one of my favorite days. I loved planning lessons related to Dr. Seuss and reading his books. Now, as a stay-at-home mom My Lil Monkey and I will be reading lots of Dr. Seuss today. :)

Are you doing anything in honor of Seuss' birthday?

The Maze Runner

2011-03-01T06:09:00.001-05:00

The Maze Runner

By James Dashner

Genre: science fiction

My rating: 3 stars

Summary taken from back of the book: "When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.
   Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.
   Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.
   Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind."

I was sadly disappointed in this book. I ADORE dystopian novels and this is definitely one of them. Normally, in these type of novels dystopian societies come about because the leaders/creators of the society are trying to protect the people, just not in the best way possible. Not this one. This one is evil. And it's obvious from the get-go.

I was so eager to read this book because several people I knew raved about the suspense of this book. It took me two weeks to read this book, when I can normally read a YA book in a day or two. I personally found it lacked suspense because 1) Thomas always has this totally random thought and then in the next chapter or two he's figuring out why he had that random thought. Ridiculously overdone foreshadowing = no surprise = no suspense. And 2) I didn't really care about any of the characters. No investment in characters and whether they live or die or ever escape from the wicked experiment = no strong desire to keep those pages turning.

And if Dashner mentioned one more time how Thomas found it weird he could remember some things but not others I was going to stop reading altogether. We get it Dashner. He has some memory loss. All the boys do. Get on with the story.

There were some good things though. I did like the word choice and the description Dashner used. Normally I'm not much of a description type of gal--I tend to skip those paragraphs just of description. But Dashner interwove the description and plot beautifully. It was heartwarming to see the characters keep strong and keep resisting the wicked experiment they were undergoing though things seemed hopeless. I did find the connection that Thomas and Teresa shared very intriguing, though extremely unrealistic when revealed.

Review in a Nutshell: I'm glad I read the book, but I have no incentive whatsoever to read the next book in the series.

Proof My Son is a Genius Part II

2011-02-23T10:57:00.005-05:00

My 8 1/2 month old son's newest hobbies in descending order of genius:

1) pushing buttons on the remote and looking to the TV to see if it did anything
2) biting his toy panda to get it to play music
3) licking the carpet

In case you missed it, Proof My Son is a Genius part I. :)

Why Writers Should Write in Public

2011-02-16T19:40:00.000-05:00

Haha. I like to write at Starbucks because it means hubby is at home chasing the baby around instead of me. :) Except lately, I'm finding it harder and harder to find an outlet to plug in the laptop....

Do you like writing in public? Why?

Eight!

2011-02-09T07:31:00.083-05:00

My Lil Monkey just turned eight months old! To celebrate I give you eight pics of My Lil Monkey from the past month....

Stuffed animal butts!

Look! No hands! Just drool.

Are you kidding? You want me to play in this wet stuff?

Off to the park!

Peaches! And spoon! Yum!

Rubber ducky, you're the one.

Mom, I'll drool on the clean socks for you, ok?

And my absolute favorite photo from the month....

drum roll please.....

You're still here?! Thanks for sitting through all eight photos. :)

Warriors Don't Cry

2011-02-08T14:09:00.001-05:00

In case you didn't know/forgot, February is Black History Month.

This is a picture that represents a sad moment in American history. Whether you know the story behind it or not, I highly recommend that you read this week's Nonfiction Teen Reads Tuesday Book to learn the first hand account of what it was like for nine black students to integrate an all white school in the South in 1957.

Warriors Don't Cry

By Melba Patillo Beals

Genre: Non-fiction; Civil Rights Movement

My rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary: "The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education, brought the promise of integration to Little Rock, Arkansas, but it was hard-won for the nine black teenagers chosen to integrate Central High School in 1957. Melba Patillo Beals (one of the chosen nine) tells an incredible story of faith, family love, friendships, and strong personal commitment. Drawing from the diaries she kept, the author easily puts readers in her saddle oxfords as she struggles against those people in both the white and black communities who would have segregation continue. Her prose does not play on the sympathy of readers; it simply tells it like it happened. She shares the physical, mental, and emotional torture and abuse she suffered at the hands of teenagers and adults. She also shares the support, the encouragement, and the help she received from both whites and blacks."

I thought this book was absolutely incredible. I had heard the story about the Little Rock Nine, but didn't really know the whole story. If you did, you would know it was much more than just integrating an all white school in the south and the mob you see pictured above.

I loved how it was written from one of the nine students' perspectives. You really got to experience what the entire school year was like for them. Not only did they have to face that mob, but one of them had acid thrown in their eyes, another had soup poured on her head, plus other prejudices that the nine experienced daily. Melba tells the story not only from her recollections, but also includes journal entries she wrote during that historical year.

*This is a book I taught my 8th grade students. The students were appalled and enthralled by the story. They were assigned to read two chapters a week, but most read the entire book in about a week or two. We had incredible discussions and it was wonderful to see their eyes (and mine too!) opened to a world that has changed considerably.

One thing to be careful with kiddos reading it is there is an attempted rape scene in the book. And the author tells it like it was, so the "N" word is used numerous times. The book is intended for grade 7 and up, and fits into the 8th grade curriculum where I taught.

Quote of the Month

2011-02-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

~Lillian Dickson

Phineas Gage

2011-02-01T00:51:00.028-05:00

25 year old Phineas Gage worked for a railroad construction company. Unfortunately, one day he made a mistake that caused an explosion, sending a 3 foot long, 75 pound iron rod shooting through his head. It entered just under his left eye and exited out the middle of his head, landing 30 feet away.

You would think Phineas would be a goner. But you'd be wrong. The man sits up after the accident, talking about the explosion. He's unaware of his injuries. He chats with the doctor as if it was a normal day, nothing out of the ordinary.

You think this is a fictional tale? Nope. It's a true story and it happened in 1848. In addition to losing the sight in his left eye, his personality changed. Phineas became rude and easily angry. He became compulsive, giving up his job to race stagecoaches. He started having seizures. Doctors and scientists began studying the brain, trying to figure out why the rod going through the portion of the brain it did would change him so greatly. The field of neuroscience was born. Check out the pic of the handsome fellow holding that rod that changed his life forever.

Why do I bring this up? Because you can read all about Phineas and why he is considered "neuroscience's greatest patient" in this week's debut Non-Fiction Teen Read Tuesday Book Review. :) (Just as a head's up, for the month of February I will be reviewing Non-Fiction YA books on Teen Read Tuesdays.)

Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science

By John Fleischman

Genre: Non-fiction

My Rating: 5 stars

My review: This book is fascinating! Some of the pictures may be a little gruesome, but I found them rather interesting and helpful for understanding the accident and the brain. John Fleischman writes in an engaging way that begs you to keep reading and turning the pages. I found this to be a treasure trove of interesting information.

I was a middle school English teacher for 3 years. Mention non-fiction to students and most will groan. Enter this book. My final year of teaching I taught this book during our non-fiction unit.

The kiddos were fascinated! They loved it! They asked lots of thoughtful questions (and a few random ones too) about science, the brain, pain, medicine in the 1800s, etc. Some even did more research on the guy.

The only thing they didn't like was the fact that there's an entire chapter about neurons, cells, infection, etc that they found kind of boring, but applicable to what they were learning in their life science class. If you get bored, skip it. The fascination picks up after that chapter with how Gage was affected after the accident.

One, Two, Theme! update

2011-01-29T18:31:00.003-05:00

I feel compelled to inform you of where I'm at on my One, Two, Theme! reading challenge. First, I must tell you about the challenge. "The idea of the challenge is to read about specific topics that interest you, in various degrees of detail. For theme 1 you'll read one book, for theme 2 you'll read two books, for theme 3 you'll read three books and so on." Oh, and once you get to theme 2 and beyond, you have to read at least one fiction and one non-fiction book.

Originally I had planned to read more books on bees and genetics, and I also had a theme for psychology (see my old post with themes here). But I am rewriting my story and it needs more scientific research to make the story more realistic. Research about what, you may ask? The brain AKA, neuroscience. So, I have restructured my themes as you see here, and also crossed off and rated those books I've read. It's not too late to join in on the reading challenge fun!

Here's my themes:

1) bees
-~~Honeybee: Lessons From an Accidental Beekeeper~~ (NF) 4 stars! Fun AND informative.
2) genetics
-Genetics Demystified (NF)
-Champion Maker (F)
3) writing
-~~On Writing: A Memoir of Craft~~ (NF) 5 stars! Awesome writer's resource!!!
-~~Misery~~ (F) 4 stars. Super creepy!
-Zen and the Art of Writing (NF)
4) neuroscience (research for my current writing project)
-~~The Brain That Changes Itself~~ (NF) 4 1/2 stars. Amazing true stories and case studies!
-Left Brain/Right Brain (NF)
-Mind Wide Open (NF)
-Saturday (F)
4) cake decorating (my new, self-taught hobby)
-~~Hello Cupcake!~~ (NF) 5 stars! Awesome pics!
-~~What's New Cupcake?~~ (NF) 5 stars! More awesome pics!
~~-Wilton Cake Decorating Basics~~ (NF) 3 stars. Boring, yet informative tips.
-Cupcake Queen (F)

So, what do you want to learn more about? Willing to read a few books about it?

Book Blogger Hop!

2011-01-28T10:30:00.006-05:00

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and runs from Friday to Sunday.

The Hop is a fantastic way to get your blog noticed, and visit some other blogs that you didn't know about before. Head over and sign up and see what you can find!

Each week a different question will be added to the hop in order for conversations to occur, and for your followers to get to know you better.

This is my first time participating, I'm so so excited. So, let's get this party started...

"What book are you most looking forward to seeing published in 2011? Why are you anticipating that book?"

Hmm. Well, last year I would have said Across the Universe. Since I've already read it (check out my review of it here), I'm gonna have to go with what I'm looking forward to next: Divergent by debut YA author Veronica Roth. It comes out May 3rd. And since I ADORE dystopian science fiction, I totally can't wait!

Quote of the Month

2011-01-26T17:57:00.003-05:00

Check out my previous post to see why this quote is perfect for me right now. :)

(I'll give you a hint. It's my manuscript that's the caterpillar.)

The King and I Face Revision

2011-01-25T15:00:00.002-05:00

"I love this part of the process," Stephen King says about revision in his awesome book "On Writing. A Memoir of the Craft."

I don't. Or at least I didn't. I've written 5 drafts of my WIP. Drafts as in not just little changes here or there, but major chunks taken out, new chunks written in. Major rewrites. And then the endless editing....

"What I'm looking for is resonance," says the King. "Something that will linger for a little while in the Constant Reader's mind (and heart) after he or she has closed the book and put it up on the shelf."

Resonance, huh? When talking to my hubby about my WIP he didn't even remember a scene I thought was absolutely AMAZING. He didn't pick up on one of my themes I was SURE was embedded deeply within the story. Great. Just great. So much for resonance.

"As I rewrite I'm asking myself the Big Questions. The biggest: Is this story coherent? And if it is, what will turn coherence into song? What are the recurring elements? Do they entwine and make a theme? What's it all about Stevie, and what can I do to make those underlying concerns even clearer?"

Fine, Stevie. I get what you're saying. I want to cry, but I get it.

My story needs major surgery. Not just little pieces here and there changed. I pretty much need to start over. I need to switch from first person to third person POV. I need to add more character depth, more character motivation. I need my villain to play a much bigger part in the story. I need to (sob!) kill one of my characters.

I need to stop clinging to what the story is and embrace all that it can be.

Sure, there are pieces here and there from my manuscript I can use. But I'm in mourning. I thought I was done with this story. Ready for the querying process. I envisioned it as the next YA bestseller. Instead, it's just the foundation for something better. I'm excited about where the story is going. Sad I have to start over. Fearful it'll take me another year in a half and I'll still have something unpublishable to show for it.

But like the King says, I want resonance. And this is the only way it'll happen.

Creating Cupcakes vs. Characters

2011-01-20T11:50:00.002-05:00

Creating Cupcakes (from a box, not from scratch)	Creating Characters (from scratch, it doesn't come in a box)
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.	1) Put butt in chair, turn off all distractions.
2) Combine cake mix, oil, eggs and water. Mix together.	2) Combine character traits, goals, flaws and obstacles. Mix together.
3) Line muffin tins with cupcake liners— no more than 2/3 full.	3) Set character on course outlined—careful, they may come up with other plans.
4) Bake 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean.	4) Put characters through rising pressures, until they emerge a (hopefully) changed person.
5) When cooled, cover with frosting.	5) When completed, edit and revise.

Bon appetit!

Across the Universe

2011-01-18T06:20:00.027-05:00

Across the Universe

By Beth Revis

Genre: Science Fiction

My Rating: 4 stars

Summary taken from goodreads.com: Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

This book has received so much hype that I pre-ordered it. And it took me 3 days to read it. Not the "I couldn't put it down!" everyone else raved about.

The story's good, don't get me wrong. I'm definitely glad I read it. If you know me, you know I love dystopian science-fiction stuff. Which is totally what this is.

The reason it took me so long to read it was:

The story takes FOREVER to get started. Granted, the first chapter was intense. Then it seems like chapter after chapter we're getting to know Elder (who reminds me A LOT of Jonas from The Giver. ) The chapters alternate to let us know Amy's perspective. Oh yeah, she's frozen. What does she have to contribute to the story? Not much until she's unfrozen. Though it is interesting how Revis depicts awareness while being frozen for a couple hundred years.

Then, about 2/3 of the way through the story starts to pick up. So does the sex. Am I seriously so old-fashioned that I dislike sex in teen lit so much? Maybe. Do I want to read chapter after chapter of characters going at it? Definitely not. Though I understand how it contributed to this story, I still don't think it was necessary.

The reason it got 4 stars:

Finally, about 3/4 of the way into the story, it picks up. Now, I'm RIVETED. I want to know what the big secret to this space ship is. I'm waiting for that big reveal. I keep coming across more similarities in this book to The Giver and City of Ember. (They are awesome books, by the way!)

Then finally, the big reveal comes. And it's good! No wonder there were so many secrets kept! And then there's more reveal! And more reveal! And FINALLY, this is where I can't put the book down! No wonder people are calling this book awesome!

Catch your breath, the story's over. Ah, Amy, my heart breaks for you. And oh Elder, I totally admire what you do in the very end of the story. :)

I did like the character development of all the major characters and the love story that develops between Amy and Elder.

So, yeah, I'm glad I read it. And I will recommend it to others. I'm just sad it took me 2/3 of the way through the book to view it as the awesome book everyone else is raving about. I wish I had been hooked from page 1 and never let go.

But still--read it. You'll probably be hooked from page 1 and never let go, like the rest of the Across the Universe readers. ;)

Favorite quote:- “It is like a piece of my soul had been lost, empty, and it is now filled with the light of a million stars.”

Unearthly

2011-01-11T10:52:00.004-05:00

Unearthly

By Cynthia Hand

Genre: Paranormal romance

My rating: 5 stars!

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Wow. This story is DIVINE! (no pun intended!) I'm not a huge fan of paranormal but this one is different. It's as beautiful as the cover itself.

I loved the characters. Well, Clara is a little self-centered at times, but overall a very sweet and loving heroine. Both guys in the story are adorable, but I am definitely Team Tucker. I was enthralled by the plot. Every time I thought I knew where the story was headed Cynthia Hand took it in a different direction. I love that! I loved the writing style. It glided much more gracefully than Clara when she finally learns how to fly. And she flew pretty gracefully once she got the hang of it.

I did not want to put this down. And though I was a little disappointed by the ending, it's purpose is clear--read the next book. Which I surely will be doing!

Oh, and check out the book trailer!

In other Teen Reads News: Up next on the reading docket: Across the Universe. I've been dying to read it for a while now! But I may wait to start reading it just to savor Unearthly and all its glory for a little longer. (Again, no pun attended). Check back next Tuesday for Across the Universe's review. :)

The Healer's Apprentice

2011-01-07T17:26:00.002-05:00

The Healer's Apprentice

by Melanie Dickerson

Genre: Christian historical fiction

My rating: 5 stars!

Goodreads Summary: "Two Hearts. One Hope. Rose has been appointed as a healer's apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter's daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her---a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she's never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose's life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny."

This was a beautiful retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a few new twists and an interesting Christian flare. Beautiful. Stunning. I was so sure it was following the story of Sleeping Beauty and up would pop another subplot or a twist that kept me glued to the pages, determined to see what would happen next to Rose. Rose was a character that was easy to relate to, and Lord Hamlin a handsome, chivalrous gentleman. A true love story.

I loved the plot, the Christian ideals sprinkled throughout, the setting (Medieval Germany), the characters (so lovable! And the villains, so easy to despise!), the writing style (gorgeous!). Sigh. My heart is happy having read this. :)

Up next on my reading list is Unearthly, which I've been dying to read for a while, but I'm content to marinate in The Healer's Apprentice for a day or two before beginning another story. Check back for Unearthly's review on Teen Reads Tuesday!

A Character Never Reveals All Their Secrets

2011-01-05T08:26:00.003-05:00

Are there things you don't know about your characters? Or things you know about them but aren't working into your manuscript?

I've been working on a manuscript for over a year now. And I'll admit, I thought I knew a lot about my characters. I'd done those character questionnaires, had conversations with them in my head, watched them grow and develop and stumble and fall as I wrote. And they took me on a journey, revealing things about themselves as I wrote, things I never intended for them. But I decided to take my characters to the next level. Create a collage that represented them, since I (ahem) knew them so well. So I made a collage to represent them. And I realized I have a lot more to learn about my characters!

I dug out some magazines. (Sadly, all I had was parenting magazines, but apparently, that's all I needed!) I gathered some large index cards, some scissors and glue sticks. And after a few hours (mind you, I was interrupted by my lil monkey several times) I had a character collage for my major characters. Voila!

But here's the weird thing I discovered. As I was going through magazines I would see something that would strike my fancy. "Oh yeah, so and so would totally be into that!" and I'd start cutting and pasting. It wasn't in the story. Just something I realized is embedded in my character. Maybe some of those aspects I'll work into my story. Maybe, some of them I'll just keep between me and them. After all, I think it's impossible to include every aspect of who they are and their past and their deepest, darkest desires and fears. They might not even know it all themselves. And besides, I think they do like keeping some of those things to themselves.

So how do your characters reveal themselves to you? And are there things you know about them that aren't in your story?

Hollywood Nobody book review

2011-01-04T08:15:00.010-05:00

Hollywood Nobody

By Lisa Samson

Genre: Christian Fiction

My Rating: 4 1/2 stars!

Summary from Goodreads: "Scotty Dawn has all the freedom a fifteen-year-old girl could want. As she and her mom, Charley, travel to movie sets for Charley’s work, Scotty’s allowed to go anywhere and be anything. But there are costs to such a life. Scotty doesn’t know who she is, where she comes from, or who to trust. And who is the mysterious man they’ve been running from? Does he hold the clue to Charley’s big secret?

Scotty writes in her Hollywood Nobody blog, and the answers she finds are darker than she had expected. Will she discover who she can trust and finally make sense of her world?"

Scotty narrates this cute story brilliantly. Although she has a weird obsession with cheese, I found this story charming and cute. And there isn't an overtly Christian message in this story--Scotty is merely curious about a tent meeting she hears about and then attends. She looks for beauty and kindness in people, which is something I think all people strive for.

I found the writing style interesting. Part of the story is written in blog entries, some in journal entries (her journal's name is Elaine!) and the rest, normal narration. But something Samson did that I found very interesting from a writer's standpoint was she didn't use speech tags (he said, she said stuff), and yet it is was always clear who was talking. Way to go Samson! No wonder you won the Christy award for this fun book!

New Years Resolutions

2010-12-26T18:05:00.003-05:00

Ah, 2010 is flying by! I tend to make a bunch of resolutions and as I reflected on the craziness of this year (switching a teaching career for mommyhood being the biggest highlight/transition of 2010) I realized, alas, I didn't keep a single resolution for 2010. I tried. For some I did much better than others. For some, I failed miserably.

But this year....2011....I have high hopes for 2011! But, in hopes that maybe, just maybe, I can keep my 2011 Resolutions, I'll share them with the blogging world. You'll keep me on the straight and narrow, right Blog Buddies?

Then here goes:

work out at least 3x a week
read every day! (hence all the reading challenges I'm participating in)
watch no more than 2 hours of TV daily (no getting sucked into TV land!)
plan meals for entire week (instead of the frantic, "What should I do for dinner tonight?!" scramble)
comment more on other blogs
eat more fruits and veggies
read Bible every day
plan more social outings with friends
write/edit at least a chapter a week (much more realistic and measurable then my "write every day" goal for 2010!) ROW80 is a writing challenge that will hopefully keep me on track for meeting this goal.

What about you?

Please answer the poll on the top left and feel free to tell us your goals/resolutions for 2011.

Maybe we can all help keep each other accountable. :)

My Lil Elf

2010-12-20T20:43:00.002-05:00

My Little Elf and I wish you a blessed holiday season. :)

Merry Christmas!

Tis the Season to be Jolly

2010-12-20T20:25:00.002-05:00

Be Jolly by Golly!

Melissa and Jen are hosting this blogfest that I seriously just found out about. But lucky for me, I have pictures and recipes, so I'm totally in. Better late, then never, right?!? All you have to do for this blogfest is post some pics of your holiday decorations and your favorite holiday food and drink recipe.

Well, without further ado, here we go...

Frosty and Santa say hello.

The tree.

The reason for the season.

And now, bring on the recipes!

Peanut Butter Awesome (as my hubby calls it)

The ingredients:

The steps:

Melt chocolate in saucepan

Put a few Ritz Bits Peanut Butter Sandwich crackers in pot and cover with chocolate

Use a spoon or tongs to put the chocolate covered sandwich onto foil

Cover with holiday sprinkles and let cool

Repeat until you've made the desired amount--I usually make the entire box of peanut butter sandwiches

Voila!

Bon appetit!

And to drink...

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

2 cups cocoa powder

3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 candy canes crushed into fine powder with rolling pin

Mix together and store in an airtight container. Makes great gifts, or is enough to last you all winter! I use about 4 teaspoons in each mug with hot milk. You could always just put in some peppermint extract as you make each cup, but I prefer this way so that it's easy to make. Feel free to add a candy cane to your mug to garnish your finished product.

Yum!

(Not Just) Another Reading Challenge

2010-12-15T20:49:00.005-05:00

Yep. That's right. More reading challenges I'm participating in for 2011. I already know my New Years Resolution is to watch less TV and read more books. These challenges will (hopefully!) keep me on track.

Up first: Christian Fiction

This one is sponsored by The Book Junkie's Bookshelf and requires you to read 12 Christian books. I'm aiming for mostly YA Christian fiction. So, you're gonna be seeing some reviews of some Christian books in the Teen Reads Archive soon. :)

Up first on my Christian Fiction reading list is Christy, Red Velvet and Hollywood Nobody.

And My Next Challenge: YA Reading Challenge

This one's sponsored by Jamie Loves YA. You can choose which level you want to participate in:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

--The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.

--The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.

--The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels

I'm aiming for the Fun Size one. :) Don't have my list picked out for sure, but I know up first is Across the Universe. Can't wait to read it!

Oh and btw, I'm up to 50 followers! Yay! Thanks for following. :)

Writerly Words of Wisdom

2010-12-08T08:09:00.006-05:00

The following is advice I've collected from my favorite writing books just for you:

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan

Hooked by Les Edgerson

The Anatomy of Story by John Truby

On Writing by Stephen King

Why We Write:

"Good writing is about telling the truth. We are a species who needs and wants to understand who we are." Anne Lamott
"If God gives you something you can do, why in God's name, wouldn't you do it?" Stephen King
"Write what you like, then imbue it with life and make it unique by blending your own personal knowledge of life, friendship, relationships, sex, and work." Stephen King

Getting the Job Done:

"A radio talk show host asked me how I wrote. My reply--'One word at a time'--left him without a reply. I think he was trying to figure out if I was joking or not. I wasn't. In the end, it's always that simple." Stephen King
"All good writers write shitty first drafts. That is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts." Anne Lamott
"I believe the first draft of a book--even a long one--should take no more than three months, the length of a season." Stephen King
"Don't wait for the muse. He's a hardheaded guy who's not susceptible to a lot of creative fluttering...Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you're going to be every day from nine 'til noon or seven 'til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he'll start showing up, chomping his cigar and making his magic." Stephen King

Starting the Story:

"What most good hooks have in common is that they have strong inciting incidents that plunge the protagonist immediately into trouble. The trouble that will occupy the rest of the story. Too often we start with setting up the scene or explaining our protagonist's life while it is stable." Les Edgerton
"Just ask yourself 'What can I do to create a scene that will introduce my character's real problem?' Get that right and the rest of the story will follow." Les Edgerton

Character:

"Perfect characters means shallow and unreal and fatally uninteresting." Anne Lamott
"Don't pretend you know more about your characters than they do, because you don't. Stay open to them." Anne Lamott
"I put my characters in some sort of predicament and then watch them try to work themselves free. My job isn't to help them work their way free, or manipulate them to safety, but to watch what happens and write it down."
"I have never demanded of a set of characters that they do things my way. On the contrary, I want them to do things their way." Stephen King

Conflict/Opponents:

"To build conflict, simply put constant pressure on your characters." John Truby
"A true opponent not only wants to prevent the hero from achieving his desire, but is competing with the hero for the same thing...find the deepest level of conflict between them. That must be the conflict of your story." John Truby
"Your hero is only as good as the person he fights. Make sure your opponent is well developed and is right about some things. For them to truly be an opponent they have to attack your hero's weaknesses. And when your hero and his opponent battle they both need to be put to the ultimate test." John Truby

Details:

"Description creates the illusion of reality, inviting the reader to move in, unpack his bags and settle in for a spell." Rebecca McClanahan
"Similes and metaphors are a great language tool, because they explain the unknown in terms of the known. But they only work if they resonate in the heart of the writer." Anne Lamott
"If I tell you that Carrie White is a high school outcast with a bad complexion and a fashion-victim wardrobe, I think you can do the rest, can't you? I don't need to give you a pimple-by-pimple, skirt-by-skirt rundown. We all remember one or more high school losers after all; if I describe mine, it freezes out yours, and I lose a little bit of the bond of understanding I want to forge between us." Stephen King
"I think locale and texture are much more important to the reader's sense of actually being in the story than any physical description of the players." Stephen King

I could list so much more, but that's all for now. Maybe I'll do another list in a few months. Which of these writerly words of wisdom did you like the best? Or what's the best writing advice you've ever read?

Let's Talk Blog Design

2010-12-06T09:28:00.000-05:00

So yeah, I used to watch Extreme Home Makeover all the time. Haven't for a while until last night (a good episode by the way). While I was watching it, I decided to do An Extreme Blog Makeover, since honestly, my blog was beginning to cause eye strain. ;)

I wanted to keep the daisy theme, wanted to keep it blue but less bright. I know headers are a big deal to a lot of people, but I like mine to be simple. Just to compare, here was the before pic...

So, whatcha think? What advice do you have about blog design? What do you like about your blog or want to change about it?

So You Want to Write a Novel?

2010-12-01T18:20:00.004-05:00

Their voices are a little annoying, but I think they said it all. ;)

The Hating Game is here!

2010-12-01T08:48:00.000-05:00

It's here, it's here and I just downloaded the book! My blog buddy Talli Roland's book is out! While you're reading the details below from her web splash, I'll be curled up on the couch with a hot chocolate reading this book. Happy reading, and congrats to Talli!

* * * *

Help Talli Roland's debut novel THE HATING GAME hit the Kindle bestseller list at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk by spreading the word today. Even a few sales in a short period of time on Amazon helps push the book up the rankings, making it more visible to other readers.

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/hNBkJk

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/hX2ieD

No Kindle? Download a free app at Amazon for Mac, iPhone, PC, Android and more. Coming soon in paperback. Keep up with the latest athttp://www.talliroland.com/.

About THE HATING GAME:

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £200,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

Locked 7 Years in a Tower?

2010-11-30T00:45:00.002-05:00

Book of a Thousand Days

By Shannon Hale

Genre: fantasy

Rating: 4 stars

Plot Summary: "When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren’s refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment.

As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. But the arrival outside the tower of Saren’s two suitors—one welcome, and the other decidedly less so—brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows."

Plot summary taken from amazon.com

What would you do if you were locked in a tower for 7 years because of something the lady you served did? If you're Dashti, you journal. And sketch pictures of your dismal life in the tower and of your harrowing adventures after you escape from the tower. And you sing beautiful songs that bring healing to people.

This was a beautiful retelling of the Grimm's Fairy Tale Maid Maleen, set in medieval Mongolia. Although the story started out a little slow, it quickly gathers momentum and keeps on rolling.

The characters are (I think) what are so compelling that I kept turning the pages long into the night. Dashti is so strong, so brave, while Saren slips into depression and begins hallucinating due to their imprisonment. The suitors are also interesting characters. I longed for Dashti to find true happiness and wanted to to find out what is really causing Saren so much inner turmoil. I could't help but want the very best for both of them, though sometimes, I wanted to slap Saren for being such a weepy wimp.

My only main issue with the villain. I know this is a fantasy piece, but the climax with the villain made the story much more unrealistic. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll leave it at that.

Hale is an excellent writer. She uses beautiful imagery and interesting metaphors. Her description of rotting flesh in one scene made me wrinkle my nose in disgust. That, my blog friends, is the sign of a true writer. She creates a unique and magical land for the characters to roam and interweaves interesting religious culture.

Dashti's mama says "You have to know someone a thousand days before you can get a glimpse of their soul." I got to know Dashti's and Saren's in only two. :)

Giving Thanks!

2010-11-25T06:53:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving all! Don't forget to reflect on all the blessings in your life. :) We tend to focus on all the things we want, and forget all the awesome things we already have.

Reject a Hit

2010-11-24T14:38:00.001-05:00

Writer's Digest is doing a contest called Reject a Hit where you write a rejection letter for a best-selling book. I decided to take a stab at it, and wrote not one, not two, but three letters. Let me know which one you like the best!

Dear Ms. Meyer,

After careful review of your submitted manuscript TWILIGHT, I am sorry but we will have to decline. Although your story has compelling characters, it is severely lacking in plot. Bella and Edward have an unhealthy lustful relationship that we do not feel is appropriate for young readers. Perhaps you should market this as a romance novel for adults.

Best of luck in all your writing endeavors.

Little Brown Books for Young Readers

* * *

Dear Ms. Rowling,

After reviewing your manuscript for your series, we found your writing (as Ron would say), “bloody brilliant”. However, we find the series too dark for children. Death, death eaters, and dementors are too scary for children, as are giant snakes and spiders.

Best wishes.

Arthur A. Levine Books

* * *

The Rejection Letter

By Harper and Row

Dear Mr. Silverstein,

Once upon a time there was an author. Who wrote about a very selfish boy. And a stupid tree who gave the boy anything he wanted.

The book the author wrote had no redeeming qualities. No real message to be gleaned. No real plot.

And (for some ridiculous reason) the tree was happy.

Harry Potter Book Review

2010-11-23T11:05:00.001-05:00

Harry Potter series

By J.K. Rowling

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5 stars!

In honor of the movie coming out, I decided to reread the seventh book. In the past, I read each book as soon as it came out, devouring its contents to see what what would happen next. The book was completed in a few hours and I was hungry for more. This time, I decided to savor every word, image, simile and metaphor. To look at it from a writer's standpoint. It took me two weeks to read it this way. And I still am hungry for more.

Not story. But Rowling's writing talent. Her genius. Accio J.K. Rowling's talent!

The story has compelling characters that make you root for them. Characters so well constructed that you either hate them, can't decide if you love or hate him (think potions teacher), want to cry when they die (I won't spoil any secrets here!) and love them despite their flaws.

The story has plot. Lots of it. A page-turning plot. Each book there's more of it. More things you want to know about. Is so-and-so gonna fall in love with so-and-so yet? How is Harry gonna triumph over evil this time?!? It's amazing how everything ties together in the end. Little things you might not notice all have a reason and it all ties up neatly in the end.

And I totally just realized that the owl messaging system is within Rowling's name. Is that merely coincidence?

I realized I can go and on singing Rowling praises and marveling at the awesomeness of this series. But I doubt you wanna read it. So I shall continue with the one problem I have with this series...

That's the darkness. Each book gets more and more dark. More and more evil. More characters die in each book. Dementors and Death Eaters become more and more prevalent.Which, in a way, I guess makes sense, as that gives the book more conflict, gives our protagonist more opposition to battle, gets the readers more absorbed into the story. But I dunno if this is the best series for kiddos to read. What do you think? Is it too dark for kids? What age range would you recommend read this book?

One, Two, Theme!

2010-11-22T09:27:00.015-05:00

Another reading challenge for 2011 I'm taking part in! Yay! On the website where you can sign up it says "The idea of the challenge is to read about specific topics that interest you, in various degrees of detail. For theme 1 you'll read one book, for theme 2 you'll read two books, for theme 3 you'll read three books and so on." Oh, and once you get to theme 2 and beyond, you have to read at least one fiction and one non-fiction book. Sounds like fun to me! Must I wait until January to start?! ;)

Here's my planned themes:
1) psychology
-50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior(NF)
2) writing

-On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (NF)

-need suggestions for a good fictional book!

3) bees
-The Secret Life of Bees (F)
-Honeybee: Lessons From an Accidental Beekeeper (NF)
-World Without Bees (NF)
4) genetics
-Genetics Demystified (NF)
-Genome (NF)
-Double Helix (F)
-Champion Maker (F)
5) cake decorating (my new, self-taught hobby)
-Cake Decorating for Dummies (NF)
-Hello Cupcake! (NF)
-Cupcake Queen (F)
-Cake Pops (NF)
-Any other cake decorating/cupcake books you'd recommend?

Anyone know of a good fictional book about writing? Thanks!

2011 Debut Author Challenge

2010-11-21T22:08:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited! In a few months I will be participating in the Debut Author Challenge (DAC) hosted by Story Siren. That means I get the honor and privilege of reading 12 or more Middle Grade or YA books from authors whose first books are released in 2011. If you're interested, check out the details here. And if you want a website that gives you info about the awesome YA books coming out in 2011, check out The Elevensies.

Bring on the books! :0)

Writing Quote of the Month

2010-11-20T07:40:00.002-05:00

Ben Franklin says it well....

J.K. Rowling vs. Me

2010-11-19T07:04:00.004-05:00

So, in honor of the movie coming out TODAY, I've been rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I've been reading it focusing on her writing style. I mean, come on, she's a billionaire from all those best-selling, can't-put-this-down-until-I-know-how-it-ends books. She's gotta be doing something right.

And then that made me realize, maybe I'm doing some stuff wrong. Or just differently. Which isn't necessarily bad. Here's what I've realized so far from my rereading...

J.K. Rowling, Best-Selling Author vs. Me

	J.K. Rowling	Me
Intro	Kick butt awesome. And the last few books start with the antagonist so there's already conflict from the get-go.	Ok. Sure, I can hook people (so I've been told) but in my stories my antagonists aren't revealed until 2/3 of the way through....is that wrong?
Characters	Also awesome. I mean, there are characters you love, characters you hate, characters you wonder if you should love or hate. Even the Houses (Gryffindor, etc) have their own unique character!	I like my characters. But then, I would hope so, since I created them. I don't hate my antagonist. In fact, I kinda feel bad for him. Should I view him as completely evil though?
Vocabulary	Talk about awesome word choice. “The setting sun cast crimson pools...”, the scar “seared”, “pricked”, “throbbed,” etc. Wow, she's descriptive, but not over the top.	I use vocabulary. Sometimes a cool image here, a cool word there. But not continually like Ms. Rowling
Pacing	When something bad is going on, you know it. Words like “clinging,” “struggling”, “stumbling” abound, as do shorter sentences. When things are going well, there are longer sentences and "happier" words.	Hmm, I do the shorter sentences thing when events get a little more serious for suspense. Hopefully the vocabulary thing too. But nothing to Rowling's extent.
Plot	Oh. My. Goodness. I don't know what she does, but you just have to keep reading to see what will happen next. Will evil overcome good, or will good triumph again? Who won't Harry be able to save this time?	I know I have rising action and climax and even conflict so people should want to keep reading. Right?

Yeah, nothing like learning from the best. I'm off to finish reading before Hubster and I go see the movie. And to compare her writing even more with mine....we shall see if any of it translates into my future stories.

Happy Harry Potter Day!

Proof My Son is a Genius...

2010-11-18T14:18:00.004-05:00

Who Do You Write Like?

2010-11-17T10:22:00.001-05:00

Which famous author do you write like?

In my story, each chapter alternates between two characters' perspectives. One critique I got from a reader was that she got confused about who was narrating when. Which was a little devastating, because I worked hard to ensure they had different voices. But then I found the website I Write Like, which analyzes your writing and compares it to a famous author. According to I Write Like (to my relief!) the character voices are different. This is what I learned:

For my female character's voice

I write like
Chuck Palahniuk

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

For my male character's voice

I write like
Cory Doctorow

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

If the authors I write like are different than I must be doing something right! Hmm, interesting though, that my female character's voice is similar to the author of Fight Club. ;)

Even if you don't classify yourself as a writer, you can put in the text of an email you wrote or something of that nature and find out which famous author it sounds like.

So, once again, who do you write like?

Cupcake Photo Shoot

2010-11-15T18:15:00.003-05:00

A few posts ago I mentioned a cupcake craving. So, lucky for me, I had a cupcake while I was reading my Bible. But, before I devoured that yummy treat, I took a few photos, which I think turned out really nicely. Check them out!

A nice verse for cupcakes. :)

And last, but not least, my favorite pic from the photo shoot...

Bon appetit!

Manuscript's Journey Part II

2010-11-14T20:07:00.001-05:00

Did you miss A Manuscript's Journey Part I? Find it here!

So, the verdict is in. My story, The Kennedy Renaissance, was not requested for publication. But I did get an incredibly encouraging critique letter. She listed four issues she had with the story that she thinks I should work on. Otherwise, she said "I thought this was a cute story, a good idea, and written in a fun way. You have good metaphors... [that] makes your writing stand out in an original way. It's an easy read, it kept me interested and I enjoyed the experience while I read. I hope you will keep working on this story, as you have an original way of writing and a pleasing voice."

I'm so happy to know she liked it, though she thinks it needs work. My problem is I don't agree with the issues she sees with my story. So I don't know where to go from here. Maybe I'm clinging too hard to my ideas that'll never fly with a publishing company. Or maybe another publishing company will have totally different ideas and think my story is fine just the way it is. Dilemmas.

Either way, I'll give my story another run through, seriously reconsider the issues she found with the story, and continue the querying process. Let the fun continue!

And a chocolate fest begin. ;)

What I've Been Up To...

2010-11-11T11:29:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I know it's been a while since I really posted anything. So I'll tell you what I've been up...

Obsessing about cupcakes. Seriously. I've been looking at cupcake blogs and drooling over the delish pics they have posted and thinking "maybe I should make some cupcakes," but I haven't.
Checking email and Facebook. Repeatedly. Just in case there's a new email or an updated status. Don't want to miss out on anything, you know?
Chillin' with my fav boys. My hubster is as awesome as ever and my monkey has discovered it's fun to make little fish faces to feel his new teeth coming in. Ever so endearing. (Not the teething part though! That's another story.)
Writing. Now, as much as it saddened me to confess earlier, I'm not participating in NaNoWriMo this year. But, I did find something just perfect for what I'm working on. NaNoFiMo. (National Novel Finishing Month). Basically, I'm tackling a story I tucked away two years ago. I'd only written the first 1/3 and then gave up on it. I've been amazed by how much I've grown as a writer as I look at what I wrote just two years ago. So far, I've added 8,567 words, in addition to heavy editing/revising of the first third. But who's counting?
Watching TV. Yep, I'll admit it. I've been kinda lazy the last couple days...gotta catch up on all those TiVoed shows, ya know?
Cleaning my closet. Somehow, a mountain of clothes appeared. A rather big mountain. So, this equates to loads and loads of laundry, 'cuz who knows how long those clothes have been part of the mountain. And I've discovered clothes I don't even remember owning. So in a way, I kinda feel like I just won a whole new wardrobe. :)

So, what have you been up to?

Invention of Hugo Cabret

2010-11-09T08:10:00.001-05:00

Invention of Hugo Cabret

By Brian Selznick

Genre: Fiction and graphic novel

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Plot summary: (taken from back of the book) Hugo is a twelve year old orphan living in a train station in Paris, France. He has learned the trade of fixing clocks from his father, and his uncle. When his father dies in an accident, and his uncle mysteriously disappears, Hugo learns to fend for himself by fixing clocks, and stealing things he needs.

Before his father's death, his father was working on an automaton—a robot-like man that can write a message that has been stored inside. His father died making and protecting this automaton, and Hugo makes it his mission to finish the automaton, believing his father left a message for him inside.

On his journey, he steals parts from a toymaker, whom he has to repay with his services, fixing the man's toys. He learns a great deal from the toymaker, and the toymaker's daughter, and in the process, learns a secret that will change their lives forever.

Half of this story is told in words. The other half in beautiful, elaborate pictures. I was riveted from page one. I was intrigued both by the intricate, beautiful pictures, and the captivating story. I wanted to see (literally) what would happen next to Hugo, how things would turn out for the poor orphan boy with only a dream to live on. Although it seemed hard at first to connect to the character, within a few chapters I was deeply engaged and rooting for Hugo to reach for his dreams and finally succeed.

I also found it highly educational, as I learned a great deal about clock work, french cinema, and automatons.

This story does for me what Selznick set out to do—create a cinematic story. It opened my eyes to other ways of 'reading' and the realm of human imagination that is possible for any literary piece.
Highly, highly recommended. :)

My Lil Monkey

2010-11-03T15:10:00.000-04:00

My lil monkey had to live up to his nickname for Halloween. Check out his first major holiday...

And a totally random pic I adore...

Five!

2010-11-03T09:10:00.011-04:00

My little monkey is 5 months old today! Here's the latest pics of him. You can make your own photo collages courtesy of photovisi.

Disclaimer: He's not always dressed in blue and brown. ;)

I'll be posting his Halloween pics later today, so check back then. You'll get to see him live up to his nickname. :)

NaNoWriMo Begins!

2010-11-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Those of you participating in NaNoWriMo--What are your goals/plans to help you finish? And by the way, what are you doing reading this?!? Get writing! So far, 809,000 words have been written already! How many of those are yours?

Those of you (like me) not participating in NaNoWriMo--any plans/goals for the month? I plan to write at least 30 minutes a day in the month of November. And redecorate my living room. So, I'm off to write now. See ya!

Halloween!

2010-10-31T10:41:00.012-04:00

Halloween Haiku

Pumpkins and crisp leaves,

kids giggling in their costumes

Happy Halloween!

My Lil Monkey will live up to his name tonight for trick-or-treat. Pictures to come soon!

A Manuscript's Journey

2010-10-20T13:48:00.000-04:00

The intro to my manuscript--and my raspberry tea in my "Cool Writer" glass ;)

It was September 22nd, 2009 that I started writing my story "The Kennedy Renaissance". It was originally titled "My Creative Masterpiece" until I could come up with its current title. ;) There were days I would type like a mad woman, the ideas thankfully flowing. Then there were weeks or even months where I didn't touch the story.

I was teaching middle school English at the time and it was a rough school year for me. I was also pregnant, so I would come home from work tired, take a nap or just relax, pushing my story aside. But I wouldn't have traded that school year for everything--it made me a stronger person and inspired this story!

After my son was born in June, I knew I wouldn't be returning to teaching for a while, so I wanted to do more with my time than just be a stay-at-home mom. Plus, I think I was born to write. ;) So, it was back to the story.

In August, I wrote every single day. It was wonderful! I got so much of the story done. And I entered a writing contest...to submit the first three chapters of your manuscript. I liked the prize--all the entered entries would get a critique. How awesome is that! Then three winners would be chosen to submit a full manuscript for possible publication. I just entered for the critique, I honestly didn't think I would win. But I did!

So then I frantically began revising. All of September and half of October, that's what I was doing. Editing and revising. Ok, lots and lots of editing and revising! The story needed some major work before I could even dream of sending it to a publisher. Then I had lots of doubts. And fears. But the story has been completed! It's not perfect. I know it'll need to be edited again at some point. But I'm proud of it. And it's on it's way to the publisher. We shall see what happens.

It has definitely been a journey. Over a year of doubts, fears, writer's block, triumphs and successes. The story has gone in so many directions it's ridiculous. I can't even fathom how much time was spent on this story. But overall, it's been a wonderful journey! I wouldn't trade any moment, even those times of self-doubt, writer's block, and rewriting entire chapters. And I know the journey's not over! Thanks for joining me on the journey. :)

Harry Potter Returns!

2010-10-20T10:16:00.000-04:00

Anyone else excited about the next Harry Potter movie? It comes out in 20 days! If you want a little Harry Potter countdown for your website, find it here.

I'm debating if I should reread the book before it comes out. Maybe I shouldn't though, 'cuz then I'd just be disappointed. But I seriously forgot a lot of what happens in that book. So we shall see....

In case you haven't seen the trailer, or want to see it again, here it is!