What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk that allows us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's going on in our crazy writer lives.
What I'm reading
Okay, so ... I gave into peer pressure (from non-writer friends) and read the Fifty Shades series. My friends thought I would need to know what they, and everyone else, are talking about when the movie comes out and so on. So I did. And it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Now, obviously the writing is ... not fantastic, but I actually found the characters kind of complex and interesting and while some of the scenes were cringe-worthy, I liked the questions it raised about relationships and what's "wrong" and what's not. One of my favorite actors, Charlie Hunnam, signed on to play Christian Grey in the movie and I figure that if he's in it, I'll watch it. I normally don't feel apologetic about anything I do but I went into reading these books almost in secret because of the hubub that surrounds them, but I enjoyed them. Now I'm going to read Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead (who I love!) and get back to my normal reading material.
What I'm Writing
Working on revisions and kicking around new ideas for my next book. As always, exciting and terrifying.
What Else I've Been Up To
Work, work and more work. Seriously, if I'm not writing and I'm working and if I'm not working, I'm writing. Which is better than not writing. Oh! I did get a new vacuum cleaner this week which is way more exciting to me than it should be. What can I say? My life is crazy.
What Inspires Me Right Now
The weather! I know I mentioned Fall in my last WUW, but man is it fantastic outside! It's nice to brainstorm with the windows open and pumpkin scented candles lit!
Showing posts with label crazy writers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crazy writers. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
What's Up Wednesday
What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk that allows us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's going on in our crazy writer lives.
What I'm reading
I've been so excited to answer this question because I've actually been reading! It struck me the other day that I hadn't read DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth yet and I figured it was time to remedy that. I think the reason I kept pushing it back is because I wasn't a huge fan of THE HUNGER GAMES series and the two had been compared SO MUCH. But I really, really like these books. I'm halfway through INSURGENT now and so far, so good.
What I'm Writing
My latest edits are done, so now I can move on to semi-major revisions on another WIP. I luuurve this book and it always makes me happy to go back and hang out with characters when I've been away for a while. Is that weird? Don't answer that.
What Else I've Been Up To
My sister and my niece were in town from Delaware this past weekend for a big softball tournament my niece was invited to play in. I've talked about her before on here, but she's going into her senior year of high school and she's just such a good kid. I don't know where that came from because both my sister and I were hellions, but she's great.
We also ate a lot because all of our will power combined totally disappears when we're together, so it's back to the gym for me tomorrow.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Everything! I think it's the fact that I can feel Fall coming and I want to create and knit and write and create all the time. Work gets in the way, but I'm happy my brain is working this way right now. Hopefully this will be my best fall yet!
So. What are YOU up to?
What I'm reading
I've been so excited to answer this question because I've actually been reading! It struck me the other day that I hadn't read DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth yet and I figured it was time to remedy that. I think the reason I kept pushing it back is because I wasn't a huge fan of THE HUNGER GAMES series and the two had been compared SO MUCH. But I really, really like these books. I'm halfway through INSURGENT now and so far, so good.
What I'm Writing
My latest edits are done, so now I can move on to semi-major revisions on another WIP. I luuurve this book and it always makes me happy to go back and hang out with characters when I've been away for a while. Is that weird? Don't answer that.
What Else I've Been Up To
My sister and my niece were in town from Delaware this past weekend for a big softball tournament my niece was invited to play in. I've talked about her before on here, but she's going into her senior year of high school and she's just such a good kid. I don't know where that came from because both my sister and I were hellions, but she's great.
We also ate a lot because all of our will power combined totally disappears when we're together, so it's back to the gym for me tomorrow.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Everything! I think it's the fact that I can feel Fall coming and I want to create and knit and write and create all the time. Work gets in the way, but I'm happy my brain is working this way right now. Hopefully this will be my best fall yet!
So. What are YOU up to?
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
What's Up Wednesday
What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk that allows us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's going on in our crazy writer lives.
What I'm reading
I think I'm at that point in my edits where I can't be bothered with someone else's story, because I've had no interest in reading books this past week, which is soooo not like me. Although, late last week I read Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy, which was a really cute book. I felt like I was left with some unanswered questions and the ending was wrapped up really quickly and I would have liked to dig into that more, but still, super cute. And it nails that whole boyfriends and friends that are boys dilemma that is so common with teen girls.
What I'm Writing
I'm dotting the I's and crossing the T's on my latest edits. A few minor, tiny changes and feedback from betas and I'm all set. Yikes.
What Else I've Been Up To
My ::cough:: 29th ::cough:: birthday is in 91 days. The reason I know this is because I put a countdown clock on my phone with those stressed out little emoticons around the number 29. Now, I'm sure most of you think this sounds like a crazy idea, but I have a plan! If I have to look at the days dwindling down to the big 2-9, then I am much more likely to get my lazy butt back to the gym. And so far it's worked. So working out again is what I've been up to. I'm also maybe, probably making myself crazy, but whatever.
Also, I've become obsessed with the show Twisted on ABCFamily and I've been catching up with that OnDemand. Ugh. So good.
What Inspires Me Right Now
See above, folks. I'm one of those Five-Year-Planners and a Do-This-This-and-This-Before-a-Certain-Age people and it's making me nuts. But right now, I'm inspired by trying to accomplish things that I've always wanted to do. Putting a time table on it isn't very smart, but it's something.
So. What are YOU up to?
What I'm reading
I think I'm at that point in my edits where I can't be bothered with someone else's story, because I've had no interest in reading books this past week, which is soooo not like me. Although, late last week I read Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy, which was a really cute book. I felt like I was left with some unanswered questions and the ending was wrapped up really quickly and I would have liked to dig into that more, but still, super cute. And it nails that whole boyfriends and friends that are boys dilemma that is so common with teen girls.
What I'm Writing
I'm dotting the I's and crossing the T's on my latest edits. A few minor, tiny changes and feedback from betas and I'm all set. Yikes.
What Else I've Been Up To
My ::cough:: 29th ::cough:: birthday is in 91 days. The reason I know this is because I put a countdown clock on my phone with those stressed out little emoticons around the number 29. Now, I'm sure most of you think this sounds like a crazy idea, but I have a plan! If I have to look at the days dwindling down to the big 2-9, then I am much more likely to get my lazy butt back to the gym. And so far it's worked. So working out again is what I've been up to. I'm also maybe, probably making myself crazy, but whatever.
Also, I've become obsessed with the show Twisted on ABCFamily and I've been catching up with that OnDemand. Ugh. So good.
What Inspires Me Right Now
See above, folks. I'm one of those Five-Year-Planners and a Do-This-This-and-This-Before-a-Certain-Age people and it's making me nuts. But right now, I'm inspired by trying to accomplish things that I've always wanted to do. Putting a time table on it isn't very smart, but it's something.
So. What are YOU up to?
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
What's Up Wednesday
What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk that allows us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up.
What I'm reading
You guys. I read SPEECHLESS by Hannah Harrington last week after seeing the cover while shopping in my favorite bookstore and I HAD to read it. I mean, look at it! I'm a cover junky anyway, but the crisp whiteness of the book and it's amazing textured pages had me at hello. Luckily, the book totally holds up to the cover. The story is about a girl whose gossip leads to someone almost being killed, so she takes a vow of silence to stop causing trouble and to think before she speaks (or writes on a white board, in her case.) This was just so, so good. Not only did the main character grow on me drastically from the first chapters but her personal growth is so natural and the friends she gains, who connect with her without actually "talking" to her are awesome. I thought it would be weird to have a book told by someone who didn't actually speak but it helped show her thought process even more and the white board was just cute. Ugh. Anyway, go read it, guys. Seriously.
What I'm Writing
E-D-I-T-S. 2013 is the year of editing all the things. But it's cool because seeing a book get better is awesome.
What Else I've Been Up To
I'm on this I-need-to-clean-out-my-closet kick this week and I'm hoping to tackle that tomorrow after I work on edits. I just have so. much. stuff. that I don't wear anymore. I moved to North Carolina with only a car full of belongings and now there's stuff everywhere. It's time to clean house. Or closet. Whatever, same thing.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Other writers. Whether it's reading fun publishing news from people on Twitter whose careers I've been able to follow from the beginning or talented beta readers. Maybe I'm being nerdy but there's kind of this feeling that writers are in this together and I'm inspired by all of them.
Also, I've had so many teenagers come in to where I work and they're holding books and reading while waiting for their parents and it takes everything in me not to hug them. So readers are inspiring me too.
So, what's up with you guys?
What I'm reading
You guys. I read SPEECHLESS by Hannah Harrington last week after seeing the cover while shopping in my favorite bookstore and I HAD to read it. I mean, look at it! I'm a cover junky anyway, but the crisp whiteness of the book and it's amazing textured pages had me at hello. Luckily, the book totally holds up to the cover. The story is about a girl whose gossip leads to someone almost being killed, so she takes a vow of silence to stop causing trouble and to think before she speaks (or writes on a white board, in her case.) This was just so, so good. Not only did the main character grow on me drastically from the first chapters but her personal growth is so natural and the friends she gains, who connect with her without actually "talking" to her are awesome. I thought it would be weird to have a book told by someone who didn't actually speak but it helped show her thought process even more and the white board was just cute. Ugh. Anyway, go read it, guys. Seriously.
What I'm Writing
E-D-I-T-S. 2013 is the year of editing all the things. But it's cool because seeing a book get better is awesome.
What Else I've Been Up To
I'm on this I-need-to-clean-out-my-closet kick this week and I'm hoping to tackle that tomorrow after I work on edits. I just have so. much. stuff. that I don't wear anymore. I moved to North Carolina with only a car full of belongings and now there's stuff everywhere. It's time to clean house. Or closet. Whatever, same thing.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Other writers. Whether it's reading fun publishing news from people on Twitter whose careers I've been able to follow from the beginning or talented beta readers. Maybe I'm being nerdy but there's kind of this feeling that writers are in this together and I'm inspired by all of them.
Also, I've had so many teenagers come in to where I work and they're holding books and reading while waiting for their parents and it takes everything in me not to hug them. So readers are inspiring me too.
So, what's up with you guys?
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
What's Up Wednesday
What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk that allows us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up.
It's also the best way for me to update what I've been doing because, you guys, my brain is a little broken between a very busy June and edits on MISFITS. I'm hoping July will be a nice relaxing month where I finish the edits and my agent still loves the book. *fingers crossed*
What I'm reading
Sadly, I haven't really had a chance to read in the last few weeks. Between edits and work and traveling to Delaware to visit family, (my new nephew is the cutest boy EVER, by the way) I just haven't had time. When this happens, I'll normally grab a book I've already read a few times and read my favorite scenes, just to have something to read before I fall asleep, but I haven't dug into anything new. I plan to change this very soon.
What I'm Writing
Still working on edits. This is going to be a theme for the rest of the year, just in case you were wondering. I have lots of things to dig through and I'm preeetttty excited about it.
What Else I've Been Up To
As I mentioned above, I went to Delaware to see my family this past week. I got to spend time with my sister, who just moved up into the Vice Principal position at her local elementary school. There is one of my WIPS that I really hope people get to read (okay, I'd like people to read all of them) because I not only named the school principal after my sister but the whole character is based off of her. I also got to watch my niece play softball and she's still not only a great kid but an awesome softball player. And then I saw my new nephew (via best friend, not my sister) and niece, who are so cute it hurts. It's funny that my best friend's kids call me Aunt Brandy but when my real niece was born, I was younger and didn't want to be called Aunt anything because it made me feel old. Go figure.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Music! I've always listened to music while brainstorming. It helps me set the mood for whatever scene is coming up. I can't listen to music while I'm writing though, because it distracts me. Recently, I've been trying to find songs that match up to the feeling I need for big scenes in my current edits, just to help with the punch of emotion I want to deliver. I don't know if it's helping, but I do know that if I hear a certain song on the radio, it makes me want to re-read whatever book I'd matched it up to.
Writing is weird.
It's also the best way for me to update what I've been doing because, you guys, my brain is a little broken between a very busy June and edits on MISFITS. I'm hoping July will be a nice relaxing month where I finish the edits and my agent still loves the book. *fingers crossed*
What I'm reading
Sadly, I haven't really had a chance to read in the last few weeks. Between edits and work and traveling to Delaware to visit family, (my new nephew is the cutest boy EVER, by the way) I just haven't had time. When this happens, I'll normally grab a book I've already read a few times and read my favorite scenes, just to have something to read before I fall asleep, but I haven't dug into anything new. I plan to change this very soon.
What I'm Writing
Still working on edits. This is going to be a theme for the rest of the year, just in case you were wondering. I have lots of things to dig through and I'm preeetttty excited about it.
What Else I've Been Up To
As I mentioned above, I went to Delaware to see my family this past week. I got to spend time with my sister, who just moved up into the Vice Principal position at her local elementary school. There is one of my WIPS that I really hope people get to read (okay, I'd like people to read all of them) because I not only named the school principal after my sister but the whole character is based off of her. I also got to watch my niece play softball and she's still not only a great kid but an awesome softball player. And then I saw my new nephew (via best friend, not my sister) and niece, who are so cute it hurts. It's funny that my best friend's kids call me Aunt Brandy but when my real niece was born, I was younger and didn't want to be called Aunt anything because it made me feel old. Go figure.
What Inspires Me Right Now
Music! I've always listened to music while brainstorming. It helps me set the mood for whatever scene is coming up. I can't listen to music while I'm writing though, because it distracts me. Recently, I've been trying to find songs that match up to the feeling I need for big scenes in my current edits, just to help with the punch of emotion I want to deliver. I don't know if it's helping, but I do know that if I hear a certain song on the radio, it makes me want to re-read whatever book I'd matched it up to.
Writing is weird.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Books, self-doubt and other things I'm dealing with this week.
I really wish I was the kind of writer who so fully believes in themselves that they hand over their books for people to read and say, "I wrote this, you'll love it." Instead, I fall into the category of writer who tells people I'll let them read it and then I put it off for as long as possible. And then when I do finally give in, I make sure I don't have to see them for a while, so I don't have be face-to-face with someone who may hate my book. It's an on-going joke with everyone I know that when my books are (fingers crossed!) published, I'll be hiding under my bed.
I mean, I love my books, and obviously I thought they were pretty okay enough to query agents and now I actually have one, but oddly, this has done nothing to squelch the self-doubt that I usually deal with. For instance, I've been reading through older WIPS because my agent wants to see them and multiple times this week, I've been positive that she'll read them and be all, "Now that I've thought about this, I've changed my mind."
I was smiling while reading an e-mail the other day and my mom saw me and asked why I looked like a crazy person smiling at my phone. My answer? My agent had just e-mailed me back, and obviously still wanted to work with me because of the e-mailing.
I'm not joking, guys. This is my life.
I'm not saying it hasn't been very life-affirming to have someone love my books as much as I do and to believe that I have enough talent to want to work with me long-term, but when does the self-doubt stop? Or does it? Are all writers just really fragile?
I bet it doesn't. I bet we are. Good grief.
So anyway, this is the glamorous life of someone who just signed with an amazing agent! Which, by the way, I'm still super, super excited about. Don't let all of the self-doubt whining fool you, I'm pumped. I'm just also nervous. Hopefully it's normal. If not, well... I don't know.
In other news, I'm reading REBOOT by Amy Tintera and GOOD LORD, is that book good. I'm hoping to finish it today because I have to work all weekend. It definitely gives me jealous I-wish-I'd-thought-of-that feelings, but it's so good that I'm not sure I could have done it better. It's a must-read, so go ahead and add it to your TBR pile!
Okay, that's it. Feel free to leave comments about your self-doubt to make me feel normal. Don't be shy!
I mean, I love my books, and obviously I thought they were pretty okay enough to query agents and now I actually have one, but oddly, this has done nothing to squelch the self-doubt that I usually deal with. For instance, I've been reading through older WIPS because my agent wants to see them and multiple times this week, I've been positive that she'll read them and be all, "Now that I've thought about this, I've changed my mind."
I was smiling while reading an e-mail the other day and my mom saw me and asked why I looked like a crazy person smiling at my phone. My answer? My agent had just e-mailed me back, and obviously still wanted to work with me because of the e-mailing.
I'm not joking, guys. This is my life.
I'm not saying it hasn't been very life-affirming to have someone love my books as much as I do and to believe that I have enough talent to want to work with me long-term, but when does the self-doubt stop? Or does it? Are all writers just really fragile?
I bet it doesn't. I bet we are. Good grief.
So anyway, this is the glamorous life of someone who just signed with an amazing agent! Which, by the way, I'm still super, super excited about. Don't let all of the self-doubt whining fool you, I'm pumped. I'm just also nervous. Hopefully it's normal. If not, well... I don't know.
In other news, I'm reading REBOOT by Amy Tintera and GOOD LORD, is that book good. I'm hoping to finish it today because I have to work all weekend. It definitely gives me jealous I-wish-I'd-thought-of-that feelings, but it's so good that I'm not sure I could have done it better. It's a must-read, so go ahead and add it to your TBR pile!
Okay, that's it. Feel free to leave comments about your self-doubt to make me feel normal. Don't be shy!
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