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
Three words, you guys: THE DREAM THIEVES. Oh man. So, I'm not sure if I've talked about my favorite book that I read last year, but it was THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater. Following at a close second was THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater. As you might be able to tell, I have a thing for Maggie's books. I've never read something and been so overwhelmed with how pretty the sentences and paragraphs are but these books do it to me every time. I actually took a picture of one paragraph and saved it in my phone as "What Character Descriptions Should Be Like!" Maggie just has a way with words and THE DREAM THIEVES, which is the follow-up to THE RAVEN BOYS is everything I hoped it would be. I'm a little bit obessesed. Just in case you couldn't tell.
Read them!
What I'm Writing
I'm still working my way through edits, trying to strengthen it wherever I can. I love this book so much, but honestly, I'm not sure I planned for anyone else to read it when I wrote it. I just wanted to write something different from what I normally do. I grinned and giggled a lot while drafting it and it's probably the most fun I've had writing a book. Which says something because there is probably nothing else in the world I love doing more than writing the first draft of a new book. I need to get it done though because The New Idea was ok'd and I'm ready to roll with it for NaNoWriMo!
What Else I've Been Up To
I probably picked the wrong season to do this, but I've been dragging myself back to the gym these days. Maybe it's because all I want to do is eat and bake and bake and eat, and if I don't go to the gym I wont be able to fit through the front door, but it's happening. I'm not one of those people who loves the way I feel after the gym (normally just tired) or feel a runner's high (I'm convinced it's a myth made up by personal trainers) but the big 2-9 is coming up, so that's motivation enough.
What Inspires Me Right Now
I think writing is what's really inspiring me right now. As I've mentioned here, I'm working a lot and last week I didn't have a chance to write or edit at all until the weekend. When I was finally able to sit down and put words together, it was almost like I exhaled. It just feels right, which sounds cheesy but it's true. Hell, I'll take my Writer's High over a Runner's High any day. ;)
What's up with your Wednesday?
Showing posts with label memes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memes. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday Meme
I stole this from the awesome, amazing, astounding and any other glowing word starting with "a" Jennifer Pickrell
A is for age: 27. But I'm not talking about it right now.
B is for breakfast today: This is going to make me sound nuts, but I'm a night owl and I sleep late, so I don't eat breakfast food that much. So mainly, I eat chicken nuggets for breakfast. I know...
C is for currently craving: I constantly crave, and fight off the craving, for Taco Bell. Also chocolate. And hummus. *shakes fist at healthy eating*
D is for dinner tonight: Sesame Chicken in the crockpot.
E is for favorite type of exercise: Zumba or really, really tough circuit training. My motto is: If you don't feel like you might be sick, you're not working hard enough.
F is for an irrational fear: Snakes and failure, although both seem perfectly rational to me.
G is for gross food: Peppers. I hate the taste and smell of them. And I have the superhuman ability to taste even the smallest amount in any food.
H is for hometown: Seaford, Delaware. It's ghetto but it was home for twenty years.
I is for something important: Books. And my family! Duh, family.
J is for current favorite jam: This isn't my style at all, but I am SO into Taylor Swift's song "Eyes Open" right now.
K is for kids: Someday.
L is for current location: Living room.
M is for the most recent way you spent money: Frozen yogurt!
N is for something you need: To relax.
O is for occupation: Mainly, I'm a student but I freelance to make extra cash.
P is for pet peeve: God, I have so many. Slow drivers, small-minded people, people who don't shut cupboard doors, anything that's crooked... seriously, I could go on but I'm working on being positive these days.
Q is for a quote: "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." -Howard Thurman
R is for random fact about you: I have the same middle name as my mom and my grandmothers on each of my parent's sides.
S is for favorite healthy snack: I'm really into plums, although the season is over. You should have seen my face in the grocery store staring at the empty plum section. So I'm moving on to red pears. And Power Crunch bars! So good.
T is for favorite treat: When I'm not eating healthy? Late Night Snack, which is Ben & Jerry's flavor for Jimmy Fallon. It's vanilla ice cream, salty caramel and chocolate covered potato chip clusters. Sounds nuts, but it's amazing. What I'm eating healthy? Frozen yogurt.
U is for something that makes you unique: I don't have wisdom teeth or roots for them. Yaaay evolution!
V is for favorite vegetable: Onions! I can't eat them raw, but I could cook them and eat a whole bowl of onions. That sounds gross now that I've typed it out, but YUM.
W is for today’s workout: I worked out my patience on the phone with my school all day. Tomorrow will be circuit training though!
X is for X-rays you’ve had: I think just my teeth.
Y is for yesterday’s highlight: I took the most ridiculous nap yesterday. Slept like the dead.
Z is for your time zone: Eastern
Okay, that's it. Feel free to steal this and pass it on. Or just read it and tell me how weird I am. I can take it.
Brandy
A is for age: 27. But I'm not talking about it right now.
B is for breakfast today: This is going to make me sound nuts, but I'm a night owl and I sleep late, so I don't eat breakfast food that much. So mainly, I eat chicken nuggets for breakfast. I know...
C is for currently craving: I constantly crave, and fight off the craving, for Taco Bell. Also chocolate. And hummus. *shakes fist at healthy eating*
D is for dinner tonight: Sesame Chicken in the crockpot.
E is for favorite type of exercise: Zumba or really, really tough circuit training. My motto is: If you don't feel like you might be sick, you're not working hard enough.
F is for an irrational fear: Snakes and failure, although both seem perfectly rational to me.
G is for gross food: Peppers. I hate the taste and smell of them. And I have the superhuman ability to taste even the smallest amount in any food.
H is for hometown: Seaford, Delaware. It's ghetto but it was home for twenty years.
I is for something important: Books. And my family! Duh, family.
J is for current favorite jam: This isn't my style at all, but I am SO into Taylor Swift's song "Eyes Open" right now.
K is for kids: Someday.
L is for current location: Living room.
M is for the most recent way you spent money: Frozen yogurt!
N is for something you need: To relax.
O is for occupation: Mainly, I'm a student but I freelance to make extra cash.
P is for pet peeve: God, I have so many. Slow drivers, small-minded people, people who don't shut cupboard doors, anything that's crooked... seriously, I could go on but I'm working on being positive these days.
Q is for a quote: "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." -Howard Thurman
R is for random fact about you: I have the same middle name as my mom and my grandmothers on each of my parent's sides.
S is for favorite healthy snack: I'm really into plums, although the season is over. You should have seen my face in the grocery store staring at the empty plum section. So I'm moving on to red pears. And Power Crunch bars! So good.
T is for favorite treat: When I'm not eating healthy? Late Night Snack, which is Ben & Jerry's flavor for Jimmy Fallon. It's vanilla ice cream, salty caramel and chocolate covered potato chip clusters. Sounds nuts, but it's amazing. What I'm eating healthy? Frozen yogurt.
U is for something that makes you unique: I don't have wisdom teeth or roots for them. Yaaay evolution!
V is for favorite vegetable: Onions! I can't eat them raw, but I could cook them and eat a whole bowl of onions. That sounds gross now that I've typed it out, but YUM.
W is for today’s workout: I worked out my patience on the phone with my school all day. Tomorrow will be circuit training though!
X is for X-rays you’ve had: I think just my teeth.
Y is for yesterday’s highlight: I took the most ridiculous nap yesterday. Slept like the dead.
Z is for your time zone: Eastern
Okay, that's it. Feel free to steal this and pass it on. Or just read it and tell me how weird I am. I can take it.
Brandy
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?
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?
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday Writing Meme
Which words do you use too much in your writing? "Just" haunts me. I probably use "anyway" waaay too much. And in the latest WIP I'm revising, I wrote the word "alien" like it was my job.
Which words do you consider overused in stuff you read? I've noticed a lot of "startled" lately. Characters startling all over the place.
What’s your favourite piece of writing by you? I can't really choose. I love all of them differently.
What blog post do you wish you’d written? Oh, I don't know. I'm sadly not up-to-date on popular blogs.
Regrets, do you have a few? Is there anything you wish you hadn’t written? I wish I hadn't taken so much time off from writing a few years ago.
How has your writing made a difference? For my life, writing kind of keeps me sane. My head starts to get very jumbled when I don't write. I don't sleep well and am just in general not fun to be around. Although, I've been told I'm not fun to be around when I'm really into a WIP either, so who knows...
Name three favourite words Any curse word, asshat and fantastic.
…And three words you’re not so keen on I'm not really sure. I'm not big on all of the startling, that's for sure.
Do you have a writing mentor, role model or inspiration? Everyone who writes is an inspiration to me. I like knowing everyone's stories and processes.
What’s your writing ambition?
Which words do you consider overused in stuff you read? I've noticed a lot of "startled" lately. Characters startling all over the place.
What’s your favourite piece of writing by you? I can't really choose. I love all of them differently.
What blog post do you wish you’d written? Oh, I don't know. I'm sadly not up-to-date on popular blogs.
Regrets, do you have a few? Is there anything you wish you hadn’t written? I wish I hadn't taken so much time off from writing a few years ago.
How has your writing made a difference? For my life, writing kind of keeps me sane. My head starts to get very jumbled when I don't write. I don't sleep well and am just in general not fun to be around. Although, I've been told I'm not fun to be around when I'm really into a WIP either, so who knows...
Name three favourite words Any curse word, asshat and fantastic.
…And three words you’re not so keen on I'm not really sure. I'm not big on all of the startling, that's for sure.
Do you have a writing mentor, role model or inspiration? Everyone who writes is an inspiration to me. I like knowing everyone's stories and processes.
What’s your writing ambition?
Just to make people not want to put my book down, to meet readers and write books until I run out of ideas.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday Writing Meme
Hey everybody! I hope you had a good weekend. Last week was The Week of Crazy and between emergency vet visits, school and life, I'm happy it's Monday. I know. I'm surprised too. Anyway, here is the Monday Meme! It's about books this week because I thought maybe I was hitting the writing memes a little too hard and wanted a break. As always, no rules. Let me know if you use it so I can check it out. ;)
1) What book character would you say is the closest to yourself? Ugh, you guys. You've got to be sick of me talking about the Vampire Academy but Rose Hathaway is so much like me that when I told my mom about her, she went, "Oh, so she's a hot head like you, huh?" So yeah...
2) Who is your favorite protagonist of all time? Probably Stephanie Plum. She just bobbles and stumbles through life but with an fantastic sense of humor, which makes her awesome. She's followed VERY closely by Izzy Spellman.
3) Who is your favorite secondary or minor character? Ron Weasley. Best BFF ever.
4) Who is the most annoying character in any book you've ever read? Ah, dangerous questions. Hmmm... okay, so I'm not wimping out, I just can't think of one.
5) Who is the best villain or love-to-hate character? I love so many villains! Snape comes to mind but he wasn't really a villain. I really loved the Volturi in the Twilight series.
6) Who is your favorite romantic couple? Rose and Dimitri in the Vampire Academy series. Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Northman. Oh and Anna and St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss.
7) What is the most unbelievable romantic couple? I hate picking on books, so I won't. I'll just say that I've recently read a book that I didn't buy the couple. I felt like I was being TOLD to believe they loved each other instead of actually seeing it in the writing.
8) Which character would you love to see in another book, and what book is it? Any of the shadow hunters from the Mortal Instruments books fighting with the Guardians in the Vampire Academy books. Major ass-kickage.
9) What is your favorite ensemble cast of characters? Every single character in the Stephanie Plum series. From Morelli to Lula, I love them all. I think this is a huge part of why the series is so successful.
10) What ending do you wish had turned out better for a character, and how would you re-write it? I'll just say that I was Team Gale in the Hunger Games, so you know...
11) If you were casting your favorite characters in a movie (whether it's been made or not), who would play them? Oh jeez. Here's my thought on this. I find that if I can't easily picture an actor as one of my characters OR any other character, than they are a really good. Or I hope that's true because I haven't seen one actor that I thought looked just like any of my characters. This isn't to say that if I CAN picture someone that the character's bad though. I pictured Alex Pettyfer as Jace through the whole Mortal Instruments series and that character rules.
Okay, so that's it. Remember to let me know if you use the meme!
Brandy
1) What book character would you say is the closest to yourself? Ugh, you guys. You've got to be sick of me talking about the Vampire Academy but Rose Hathaway is so much like me that when I told my mom about her, she went, "Oh, so she's a hot head like you, huh?" So yeah...
2) Who is your favorite protagonist of all time? Probably Stephanie Plum. She just bobbles and stumbles through life but with an fantastic sense of humor, which makes her awesome. She's followed VERY closely by Izzy Spellman.
3) Who is your favorite secondary or minor character? Ron Weasley. Best BFF ever.
4) Who is the most annoying character in any book you've ever read? Ah, dangerous questions. Hmmm... okay, so I'm not wimping out, I just can't think of one.
5) Who is the best villain or love-to-hate character? I love so many villains! Snape comes to mind but he wasn't really a villain. I really loved the Volturi in the Twilight series.
6) Who is your favorite romantic couple? Rose and Dimitri in the Vampire Academy series. Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Northman. Oh and Anna and St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss.
7) What is the most unbelievable romantic couple? I hate picking on books, so I won't. I'll just say that I've recently read a book that I didn't buy the couple. I felt like I was being TOLD to believe they loved each other instead of actually seeing it in the writing.
8) Which character would you love to see in another book, and what book is it? Any of the shadow hunters from the Mortal Instruments books fighting with the Guardians in the Vampire Academy books. Major ass-kickage.
9) What is your favorite ensemble cast of characters? Every single character in the Stephanie Plum series. From Morelli to Lula, I love them all. I think this is a huge part of why the series is so successful.
10) What ending do you wish had turned out better for a character, and how would you re-write it? I'll just say that I was Team Gale in the Hunger Games, so you know...
11) If you were casting your favorite characters in a movie (whether it's been made or not), who would play them? Oh jeez. Here's my thought on this. I find that if I can't easily picture an actor as one of my characters OR any other character, than they are a really good. Or I hope that's true because I haven't seen one actor that I thought looked just like any of my characters. This isn't to say that if I CAN picture someone that the character's bad though. I pictured Alex Pettyfer as Jace through the whole Mortal Instruments series and that character rules.
Okay, so that's it. Remember to let me know if you use the meme!
Brandy
Monday, October 3, 2011
Monday Writing Meme
Hey everybody! I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was spent with words, so obviously it was fantastic. I swear, what drives me to work so hard throughout the week is to simply make time to read or write. And I'm totally fine with that.
Anyway, here are some random questions for the Monday Meme. You know the rules: there are none. Just let me know if you post it so I canstalk you check it out.
1. When did you decide to take a real swing at writing? Or have you yet? I have. I remember writing my first book, finishing it and being all, "Well, no one's allowed to read that mess!" But then I wrote my second book and thought I should let someone read it. The safest person was my best friend and she demanded to read more and I thought maybe I was on to something. I've been dedicated to writing ever since.
2. Who is your writing role model? Any one who writes everyday while living and working like a "normal" person is my hero. It's so hard and so admirable. Also, J.K. Rowling. She wrote these little books that I'm sure you've never heard of and I remember reading the first chapter and hoping someday I could take someone to another world like she took me.
3. If you've been published, what is your favorite part of your job? If not, what do you look forward to? Not published YET. :) I would love, love, love to sit and talk to people about books, mine or others. Since I write mostly YA, the idea of sitting down with teens who love reading makes my heart grow like the Grinch's. Also, just holding my own book would blow my mind.
5. What inspires you? I love finding out how people deal with weird things. I'm a people watcher and, even when I was little, I would watch people and wonder what their lives were like. Then I would think that maybe they looked normal but really they were a secret superhero or a government agent and wondered how they dealt with that. This explains all of my books so far.
6. What traits shows up in all of your characters, if any? Hmm, they all have secrets and I put them in odd situations. And most of the guys are tall. That's a personal preference from the writer. ;)
7. Biggest pet peeve in books? Probably cliffhangers that don't answer the questions that are posed in the beginning of that book. Some loose ends are fine but... we'll just say that there have been times I've read the first book, didn't have any answers and refused to finish the series because of it.
8. Have you ever based a character on a real person? Not totally. I take little traits from people I know and use them sometimes. The mom is KILLER CUPCAKES reminds me a lot of my mom. All of my guy friends had a crush on my mom and she thought that was awesome. ha!
9. Do you tell people that you're writing a book? Sometimes. I still feel a little silly telling some people what my books are about or that they are YA. I hate that, "Oh, so you're writing another Twilight?" question because A) I wish, and B) People that ask those questions are helplessly ignorant.
10. Pantser or Plotter? And why? Pantser and mainly because writing an outline makes me feel itchy and committed, and I hate that feeling.
Anyway, here are some random questions for the Monday Meme. You know the rules: there are none. Just let me know if you post it so I can
1. When did you decide to take a real swing at writing? Or have you yet? I have. I remember writing my first book, finishing it and being all, "Well, no one's allowed to read that mess!" But then I wrote my second book and thought I should let someone read it. The safest person was my best friend and she demanded to read more and I thought maybe I was on to something. I've been dedicated to writing ever since.
2. Who is your writing role model? Any one who writes everyday while living and working like a "normal" person is my hero. It's so hard and so admirable. Also, J.K. Rowling. She wrote these little books that I'm sure you've never heard of and I remember reading the first chapter and hoping someday I could take someone to another world like she took me.
3. If you've been published, what is your favorite part of your job? If not, what do you look forward to? Not published YET. :) I would love, love, love to sit and talk to people about books, mine or others. Since I write mostly YA, the idea of sitting down with teens who love reading makes my heart grow like the Grinch's. Also, just holding my own book would blow my mind.
5. What inspires you? I love finding out how people deal with weird things. I'm a people watcher and, even when I was little, I would watch people and wonder what their lives were like. Then I would think that maybe they looked normal but really they were a secret superhero or a government agent and wondered how they dealt with that. This explains all of my books so far.
6. What traits shows up in all of your characters, if any? Hmm, they all have secrets and I put them in odd situations. And most of the guys are tall. That's a personal preference from the writer. ;)
7. Biggest pet peeve in books? Probably cliffhangers that don't answer the questions that are posed in the beginning of that book. Some loose ends are fine but... we'll just say that there have been times I've read the first book, didn't have any answers and refused to finish the series because of it.
8. Have you ever based a character on a real person? Not totally. I take little traits from people I know and use them sometimes. The mom is KILLER CUPCAKES reminds me a lot of my mom. All of my guy friends had a crush on my mom and she thought that was awesome. ha!
9. Do you tell people that you're writing a book? Sometimes. I still feel a little silly telling some people what my books are about or that they are YA. I hate that, "Oh, so you're writing another Twilight?" question because A) I wish, and B) People that ask those questions are helplessly ignorant.
10. Pantser or Plotter? And why? Pantser and mainly because writing an outline makes me feel itchy and committed, and I hate that feeling.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Monday Writing Meme
Just like last week, a writing meme! I swear I won't only have memes on the blog from now on, it just ended up that way this week. Pinky swear.
You know the rules: there are none. If you end up doing the meme, let me know. If not, just comment and say hi, okay? Because I'm fragile like that.
1. List one of your writing goals for the upcoming month and how likely you are to accomplish it.
Well, I have two goals for the next month. The first is to FINALLY, FINALLY finish revising MISFITS. I would also, in a really happy world, like to finish my first draft on The New Project. MISFITS will happen, for sure. I'm not sure about TNP. It's taking a while to form in my head, so it may end up being my NaNoWriMo project. Not sure yet.
2. What genre or subject would you like to write about that you aren't currently?
I don't know. I'd love to write something like The Mortal Instruments series by Cassie Clare but I don't know if I can put myself through that. If I still hung posters, Cassie Clare's pic would SO be up there. Also, a book like Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. She is insanely amazing.
3. What is your writing lifestyle, habits? How do you manage the interruptions with your writing? How do you stay positive? Believe in your writing success?
a) Writing lifestyle - I'd like to say that I'm really structured and sit down from 9-5, or whatever, to write but I don't. If I wanted to work from 9-5, I'd go get a real job instead of trying to write books. I do, however, like to give myself wordcount goals, so I try to write 2k words a day. On Wednesdays, I like to double the word count, a day I've dubbed Double Up Wednesday.
The only real habit I have is that I make notes after writing for the day, so I know what my thought process was when I start the next day. It keeps me on track.
b) Interruptions - I mostly glare at people. Is that wrong?
c) How do I stay positive - Oh boy. I don't know about this one. I think I go back and forth between thinking my stories rule to thinking I suck at life. One day I'm all, "Working on my future best seller right now!" and the next I'm all, "I should just go and get a factory job and never write another word!" So I really don't know. I have people who tell me I don't suck. That helps.
d) Believe in my writing success - I've gotten good feedback, even with rejections and that helps. It lets me know that I'm close but still need to work harder. So I keep working.
4. Are you a pantser or plotter? - Pantser. I love the idea of planning while it also gives me hives. I feel that if I plan out the whole book, I won't feel like writing it anymore. I also worry that I'll plan myself into a box. In general, I know who my characters are when I start and within the first few chapters I have a basic idea of what's going to happen and that's all. This is the problem I'm having with The New Project right now. I have NO IDEA what's going to happen and don't want to write more until I do. *shakes fist at ceiling*
5. Who are two of your favorite current authors and why? - Oh my. This is a ridiculous questions to ask me! Or for me to ask myself! Okay, okay, OKAY!
I'm going to go with Richelle Mead first because of my obsession with The Vampire Academy. Also because she is so ballsy, and let me be honest, the person who created Dimitri Belikov deserves a poster on my wall.
Second, I'll go with Stephanie Perkins because she is just GOOD. I read Anna and the French Kiss in one day, put it down, sent texts to all of my friends telling them to read it, and then picked it up and read it again. So cute. I just gave it to a friend as a birthday present, actually.
6. How does your family feel about your writing? - My mom is my biggest fan. She's Person Who Tells Me I Don't Suck #1. My sister thinks it's cool but is still silently waiting for me to grow up. My niece hopes I'll make tons of money so I can buy her a new wardrobe and softball gear. My dad's side of the family doesn't really know that I write that much.... I kind of never told them. Don't worry! I'll send them a book when I get published! *crosses fingers*
Okay, that's it! Happy Monday!
Brandy
Monday, September 12, 2011
Monday Writing Meme
Because I like answering questions about writing, I found this while googling random things and decided I want to try and do something like this every Monday. The only rule for this is simple, if you want to do it, DO IT! You don't even have to do it on a Monday. We are REBELS, people. REBELS. If you don't want to do it, read mine and laugh at me or comment. Either way!
What’s your favorite genre of writing? Hmm, contemporary or fantasy-ish YA. I think I'm still figuring out where I'll land on this. Maybe I won't land at all.
How often do you get writer’s block? Not very often. If I get writer's block, mostly I'll just trudge thru it, or take a serious look at where I'm at and what I'm doing in a WIP. I take writer's block as a sign more than a problem.
How do you fix it? Like I said above, writing thru it. Also, reading more and going to the movies. Anything that gets the creative juices flowing. I've also been known to put on some headphones and stare at the ceiling for a while.
Do you type or write by hand? Mostly typing. If there is a scene I want to flesh out more before getting serious about it, I'll write it out. Writing by hand is also another thing I do if I feel stuck. I feel less committed when I'm only writing by hand.
Do you save everything you write? Yes. I have SO MANY first few chapters of books I've never finished saved. Even when I'm revising, I save the scenes I cut out. My excuse is that someday, people may want to see them. Hoarder-ish? Yes. Presumptuous? Totally. I do it anyway.
Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it? Oh, yeah. This is why I save everything! If you look at my projects bar on the side, INHERENTLY DANGEROUS is the first book I ever wrote, except it takes place ten years after the first book happened. The first book sucked but I will finish ID. New spins on old ideas are the best.
Do you have a constructive critic? I do and she's awesome.
Did you ever write a novel? More than a couple.
What genre would you love to write but haven’t? I've never finished a non-YA book. I'd love to do that.
What’s one genre you have never written, and probably never will? Horror/thriller. I'm a total wuss with that stuff.
How many writing projects are you working on right now? Three. But I'm focusing mainly on two.
Do you write for a living? Do you want to? I don't but it would be the best thing ever.
Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper? Magazine, no. Newspaper, yes. I would jump at the chance to write for a magazine though.
Have you ever won an award for your writing? Nope, just a contest.
Do you ever write based on your dreams? No, but I wouldn't rule it out. My dreams are nuts.
Do you favor happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers? Oh lord, I could write a whole post on this one. I like endings with closure. It doesn't have to be happy, although I like them the most. I just want the questions that are posed in that book answered. Even if it's a cliff-hanger, I think a good author can wrap up their story and still leave something to look forward to in the next book.
If you do end up doing this meme, let me know in the comments so I can check it out. Or just leave me a few thoughts in general. :)
Brandy
What’s your favorite genre of writing? Hmm, contemporary or fantasy-ish YA. I think I'm still figuring out where I'll land on this. Maybe I won't land at all.
How often do you get writer’s block? Not very often. If I get writer's block, mostly I'll just trudge thru it, or take a serious look at where I'm at and what I'm doing in a WIP. I take writer's block as a sign more than a problem.
How do you fix it? Like I said above, writing thru it. Also, reading more and going to the movies. Anything that gets the creative juices flowing. I've also been known to put on some headphones and stare at the ceiling for a while.
Do you type or write by hand? Mostly typing. If there is a scene I want to flesh out more before getting serious about it, I'll write it out. Writing by hand is also another thing I do if I feel stuck. I feel less committed when I'm only writing by hand.
Do you save everything you write? Yes. I have SO MANY first few chapters of books I've never finished saved. Even when I'm revising, I save the scenes I cut out. My excuse is that someday, people may want to see them. Hoarder-ish? Yes. Presumptuous? Totally. I do it anyway.
Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it? Oh, yeah. This is why I save everything! If you look at my projects bar on the side, INHERENTLY DANGEROUS is the first book I ever wrote, except it takes place ten years after the first book happened. The first book sucked but I will finish ID. New spins on old ideas are the best.
Do you have a constructive critic? I do and she's awesome.
Did you ever write a novel? More than a couple.
What genre would you love to write but haven’t? I've never finished a non-YA book. I'd love to do that.
What’s one genre you have never written, and probably never will? Horror/thriller. I'm a total wuss with that stuff.
How many writing projects are you working on right now? Three. But I'm focusing mainly on two.
Do you write for a living? Do you want to? I don't but it would be the best thing ever.
Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper? Magazine, no. Newspaper, yes. I would jump at the chance to write for a magazine though.
Have you ever won an award for your writing? Nope, just a contest.
Do you ever write based on your dreams? No, but I wouldn't rule it out. My dreams are nuts.
Do you favor happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers? Oh lord, I could write a whole post on this one. I like endings with closure. It doesn't have to be happy, although I like them the most. I just want the questions that are posed in that book answered. Even if it's a cliff-hanger, I think a good author can wrap up their story and still leave something to look forward to in the next book.
If you do end up doing this meme, let me know in the comments so I can check it out. Or just leave me a few thoughts in general. :)
Brandy
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