Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Taking it easy.

So I think we've covered here before that I'm kind of an obsessive writer.  When I'm writing, I'm completely (okay, pretty much) incommunicado from my friends and family, and I normally knock out a first draft in about a month before I crawl back out, cringing from all of that natural light from the sun.

I'm trying something different right now.  I am casually writing a book.  Normally I shadow box, stretch and pump myself up for a knock down, drag out sort of experience but I'm going to see how this goes.  I think I look silly shadow boxing anyway.

What I'm working on is actually a sequel to one of my other books and I'm really only writing it because I woke up the other day with basically the whole plot in my mind, and that's not really something I can ignore, is it?  So I'm writing.  I haven't had to alert everyone that I'm writing a book with everything that means (read: don't call, don't visit.  I'll call you when I'm done) I'm just... writing it.  If I finish it soon, cool.  If I don't, that's fine too because I'm only writing it for me.  Which is actually what I do with all of my other books too, now that I think about it.

I'm also working on revisions to HOOD from NaNoWriMo, so this whole casual thing is breaking that up nicely. 

Hey!  If I can finish the casual book, write a new story this summer and then another for NaNo, I'll hit my three book goal for 2012!  Of course I'll be starting grad school in the fall and that might slow me down, but still!  I'll be close!

So, what are you working on?

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Stolen Meme

Okay, so I wasn't tagged with this but I read it over at the amazing, super fantastic Jennifer Pickrell's blog and wanted to do it.  I mean, I like vacations and quotes, so why not?

1. What is your dream vacation?
Paris!  I swear I'm going to Paris someday and I might not come back.  I'm obsessed with that place.  Not even kidding, I had a dream about going there last night.  I would just eat and read and then eat and read some more.

2. Are you spontaneous or do you like to plan ahead?
Since I'm a perfectly crazy mix of my parents, I do both.  I budget months ahead and make lists like my dad.  But I also will make a snap decision to do something crazy, which is more like my mom.  Let's just say this, if I were buying a car, I would research forever and then not talk about it for a while.  A month later, out of nowhere, I'll wake up and decide I'm buying a car and go do it without a second thought.

3. Tell us one thing you want to do but don’t dare to do.
Skydive.  I think there's something to jumping out of a perfectly good plane and free-falling.  But I don't see myself ever following through with it.

4. What’s your biggest phobia?
Snakes.  I can't even see them on TV without hiding my face.  A while ago I saw one while walking out to my car for work in the morning and completely froze, teeth clenched together and everything... then I ran like hell to my car and thought about calling the cops because that's how my brain works when I see a snake.

5. If you were stranded on a desert island – what 3 things would you want with you (not including laptop, or family).
A cell phone, a GSP and a boat.  I'd have to get the hell out of there.  I'm not outdoorsy in the least.

6. Name three blessings in your life.
My family, my cats (I know, but seriously, they're amazing and always pumped to see me) and creativity.  Whether it's my creativity to write books, or other people's to write and create the things that entertain me, I would be lost without them.

7. What was your nickname in High School?
In school and in the last ten years since, people just tend to call me B.  I blame laziness, but I'm okay with it.  My family calls me Bran though.

8. If you could meet the President of the United States, what would you say to him?
Without getting too political, I think I would just tell him that I understand that he's doing the best he can and that I never thought he would be able to fix or change everything right out of the gate.

9. If you could be any literary character for a day, who would you be?
Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy.  Her life was hard but she's such a badass.  Plus... Dimitri.

10. What is your favorite quote?
Oh, there are so many, but I think of this one by Howard Thurman whenever I question if I'm doing the right things with my life.  "Don't ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."  Also, from one of my heroes, Kelly Cutrone, "Be smart.  Be brave.  Tell the truth and don't take any shit."

What about everyone else?  Any dream vacations?  Favorite quotes?

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Funny story...

So remember how I was here in January and was all, "Look at me! Getting back on track! Onward and upward!"?  Uh huh, well life happened and so I haven't actually gotten "back on track" with the blog yet, and it's been more about putting one foot in front of the other than onward and upward so far.

So I'm not going to say anything like that at all, you guys.  I'll just say that life has been cra-zay and in order to get everything done that I need to do and write, blogging has fallen off a little.  I'm still writing and working on books, that's a constant at Casa de Brandy but man, the beginning of 2012 has been an ass kicker.

I've reached that luscious, amazing time called spring break in this semester that I'm positive wants to kill me, and so here is an update:

I'm working on MISFITS revisions... the final revisions before I start sending it out to agents!  I'm actually pretty excited about getting the process started, although I guess I always am until the first rejection roles in and then I'm all, "Why do I do this to myself?  I'm such a masochist!" But it's cool.

I feel more prepared with this book than I did with my last.  It feels like a more complete story and I'm really proud of it.  I hope agents like it, but regardless, I'm happy that I wrote it. 

I think what I've realized more than anything else this year so far is that I would write for free forever if I have to.  I'm happy with sending my friends and betas versions of my books and talking to them about it.  And really, that's probably a good head space to be in at the query stage, right?

So remind me that I said that in a month or so. 

Brandy