Tag: Writing

Fifty/Fifty check in: week 8 and 9

I didn’t bother with last week’s Fifty/Fifty check in, since all I finished was Rita book #6. So again, I’m giving you a two for one.

Not movies, again–sadly. However, I really want to see The Artist and Kyra want to see The Secret World of Arrietty. The trick is making that happen. In the meantime, I’ve still manage to read and watch a few things.

Books

How to Be a Writer: Building Your Creative Skills Through Practice and Play by Barbara Baig

I “bought” a copy of this for my Kindle during a promotion last year. I say “bought” because I think it was actually free at the time or 99 cents. Either way, an excellent deal. Have you always wanted to write but don’t know where to start–as in, literally, no idea. This is the perfect book.

I really like the emphasis on deliberate practice and using writing to learn how to write. This isn’t a book where you learn point of view or fantasy world-building, but it will get you writing. Even though I’ve been writing for a while, I never refuse helpful hints and techniques. I really love the idea of the zero draft (will be using that a lot more as I go forward) along with some excellent tips for doing “required writing” (again, spot on).

In fact, even if you’re not a writer, but need to do some “required” type writing for work or school, I really recommend those chapters.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson

A very interesting and detailed look at Germany between the wars, in particular 1933 – 1934, although the author takes us through 1938 and a bit beyond. I always enjoy this in-depth, personal view of historical events. I spent a lot of time in the car (this was one of my audio-reads) marveling at the things I didn’t know about this time period. Well worth the listen!

Rita Book #6

Rita Book #7

And there was much rejoicing! I finished this one on Friday evening and put the final score in on Saturday morning. Done and ahead of the deadline.

Bonus

Not a movie, but I start in on the second season for Downton Abbey. I bought the DVD, not only so I could watch whenever I wanted to but for all the extras as well. This is my reward for making it through all the Rita reading.

That being said, during January and February this year I somehow managed to read 20 books! I think that should earn me a break for a few movies to round out my challenge.

In which I reach for humiliation

I’m over at The Long and the Short of It review site today, in the Young Adult/Middle Grade section as the guest blogger. My topic?

Forget the Stars, Reach for the Humiliation

Which would make an awesome title for a memoir. For now, it’s the title of a blog post. Click through to read if you’re so inclined.

Put it away (or how Angry Birds can help your writing)

So, I found this article via Wired the other day:

How Do We Identify Good Ideas?

And it has so many amazing things that apply to writing (and really, any creative endeavor) that I wanted to highlighted here (in case you missed it).

Here’s the gist:

A new study led by Simone Ritter of the Radboud University in the Netherlands sheds some light on this mystery. In the first experiment, 112 university students were given two minutes to come up with creative ideas that might alleviate a mundane problem: improving the experience of waiting in line at a cash register. The subjects were then divided into two groups: Half of them went straight to work, while the others were first instructed to perform an unrelated task for two minutes. (They played a silly little videogame.) The purpose of this delay was to give the unconscious a chance to percolate, to let that subterranean supercomputer invent new concepts for the supermarket queue.

The outcome? Those who’d been distracted were twice as good at picking out their truly innovative ideas.

The article also quotes Zadie Smith. And the quote is so full of all kinds of wonderful, I need to share it here as well:

When you finish your novel, if money is not a desperate priority, if you do not need to sell it at once or be published that very second — put it in a drawer. For as long as you can manage. A year or more is ideal — but even three months will do…. You need a certain head on your shoulders to edit a novel, and it’s not the head of a writer in the thick of it, nor the head of a professional editor who’s read it in twelve different versions.

This is my go-to writing advice. What do you do with a finished draft? Put it away. No, really. Do not look at it. Do not think about it. Mind you, hardly anyone ever follows this advice. In fact, it took me years to follow it myself. Now? It’s like my religion.

My drafting process goes a little something like this:

  • Workup/draft like crazy until I reach the end of the draft (this is important–get to the end)
  • Put it away for 4 – 6 weeks, at least
  • Do another draft.
  • Continue the process until it’s ready for someone else to read.

Sometimes I take something out too soon. How do I know this? Because it literally hurts my eyes and ears to read it. I loathe every. single. word. If I’m feeling the hate, I put it away until … well, I don’t feel the hate.

What to do in the meantime? Well, you could:

  • Write another novel (no, really, I’m serious about this)
  • Write a short story
  • Write an article for a trade magazine
  • Blog
  • Take a class in some form of writing you’ve never tried
  • Read

The list is endless. You don’t have to stop writing. The goal is to stop picking at your novel like it’s a scab on your knee.

YALSA 2012 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults: Get Your Geek On!

So excited to announce that The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading is a YALSA 2012 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults pick in the Get Your Geek On category!

In fact, I’m so excited, I keep checking the list–and then zooming past our listing. Then I’m all:

Oh, no! I just announced this to the world and look, we’re not there!

Then I check again. Yes, yes. We’re (still) there.

In the words of Darcy: I ❤ librarians.

We do. It’s true. Also true? There’s some good reading in those lists. Just from 2012, you can choose from:

  • Adventure Seekers
  • Forbidden Romance
  • Get Your Geek On
  • Sticks and Stones

But take a look at all the lists compiled through the years. If you’re doing the Fifty/Fifty challenge, you could build a major or a minor based on those categories.

So, what are you waiting for? Get reading!

Fifty/Fifty check in: week 3

Ah, week three and I’m well on my way in reading and writing (the watching, not so much this week). How can you tell I’m working on a new project? The posts on my blog go way down. It’s like I have only one writing mode, and right now, that mode is fiction.

But I’m committed to updating at least once a week and to the Fifty/Fifty challenge.

Books

Understanding Anemia by Ed Uthman

I should probably state for the record that I read this for writing research purposes only (although I have actually been anemic, but never mind that). See the part above where I’m working on a project. This ties into that.

But even if it didn’t? It’s a really interesting and well written book. You don’t need more than high school level biology to understand it. Even if you don’t remember your high school biology, the author has included handy appendices on cell biology, the metric system, and so on.

Plus, he’s pretty funny to boot. When was the last time you read a text book that proclaimed:

The spleen, however, is not amused.

This is just one of many examples. So, if you need to understand anemia, this is a great place to start.

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

May B. is a middle grade novel in verse about a girl trapped by herself in a tiny sod house during the winter. Kyra and I read this together, each of us taking turns reading a verse at a time.

We loved it. Of course, Kyra is already a fan of history and “old fashion girls” as she says. The writing is evocative and we could “see” the story play out before our eyes.

If you’re a fan of the Little House books (and old fashion girls in general), I highly recommend this one.

Rita Book #1

This is the main reason I didn’t watch a movie this week for the challenge (although I’m seriously thinking of changing that next week). I got my box of books for the Rita contest. I will pretty much be a reading fool for the next several weeks. And that’s all I can say about that.

Fifty/Fifty check in: week 2

A little late with the Fifty/Fifty check in this week, although I got my reading and watching done (and some writing, that’s why I’m late with the check in).

In books, I was all about self-help. In movie(s), it was all about the crying.

Books

The Productive Writer: Tips & Tools to Help You Write More, Stress Less & Create Success by Sage Cohen.

This book is pretty much what it says it is. Tips and tools for writing more and finding what you want to write as well. One huge plus is the author presents the material as options, not as “must do’s.” If you don’t know where to start in organizing your writing life, this would be a good first stop.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

It must be the New Year! We’re all about productivity and success. This was my audio book for the weekly commute and I also enjoyed. I’m all revved up now to tackle the world–or at least my little corner of it.

Movies

War Horse (film)

War Horse: A recent movie! In a theater! I know. And one that involves crying in public. Even better. Especially when it involves crying with one’s daughter in public.

Yeah, I took Kyra (and Andrew–I wasn’t too worried about him). Initially, I wasn’t sure this would be a good idea. Especially when Kyra sat through the Titanic preview (now in 3D!) with both hands clamped over her mouth.

Two and a half hours later, we emerged, tear-stained and emotionally drained. But it was worth it. She did like the movie; she loved Joey the horse (she’s a horse girl). Plus, both kids like history, so this spurred all sorts of conversations afterward. Kyra wants to learn more about World War I. (And how many nine-year-olds say that?)

Visually, the film is stunning (sometimes hard to watch, but stunning all the same). It’s been a while since I’ve sen a movie in a theater and I don’t regret choosing this one.

25 Days of Debs: day 25 Jenny Moss

It’s hard to believe this is the very last day of 25 Days of Debs. Where did November go? Our very last, but certainly not least, Deb is Jenny Moss, a former NASA engineer and author of three terrific books.

Jenny’s Firsts:

Anthology story: Evan and Penny

First line: 

“Didn’t you say this was your stop?” he asks me.

A really sweet story of “first like” and the perfect way to end The First Time anthology.

2009 Debut: Winnie’s War

Most recent: Taking Off

Wow! Even more cover love! This story centers around  Christa McAuliffe and the space shuttle Challenger accident.

Catch up with Jenny: visit her blog.

Remember, The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook.

25 Days of Debs: day 24 Teri Hall

It’s Thanksgiving here in the US and I’m thankful for many things. When it comes to writing and publishing, I’m unbelievably thankful for the 2009 Debs. This community of authors is so caring and helpful and awesome and I’m always a little astonished that I’m somehow included in this group. I can’t imagine navigating the world of publishing without them.

Today, on our second to last day of 25 Days of Debs we have Teri Hall, author of a very interesting YA dystopian novels.

Teri’s Firsts:

Anthology story: The Corridor

First line: 

Pho’s waiting in the corridor, just like he said he would be.

This story is set in the same world as Teri’s books The Line and Away. If you’re a fan, you’ll want to read this one for sure. If you haven’t read Teri’s books yet, I have the feeling you’ll want to after sampling the world of this story.

2009 Debut: The Line (debuted in 2010 ~ Teri is another Deb who had her release pushed into 2010)

Most recent: Away

Remember, The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook.

25 Days of Debs: day 23 Janet Gurtler

Hard to believe we’re nearly done with our 25 days of Debs! Day 23 features a really terrific story from Janet Gurtler, author of three terrific YA novels.

Janet’s Firsts:

Anthology story: Two of a Kind

First line: 

Fab glances down at the feet of the girl lying on top of him.

Okay. It’s not what you think. Then again, maybe it is. This story is a little bit edgy wrapped up in the sweetness of two young people finding each other.

2009 Debut: Waiting to Score (written as J. E. MacLeod)

Most recent: If I Tell

Catch up with Janet: visit her blog.

Remember, The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook.