1. Finished reading The Evolution of Mara Dyer this week, the sequel to the Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and all I have to say is Noah is my favorite, like ever. SAWOON. And I can't believe I have to wait until October for the third book!
2. My birthday was Monday and I had a great time with my family. I ate delicious food and relaxed and read a great book.
3. Both my boys are now riding their bikes without training wheels and this was a huge accomplishment! We've been riding bikes pretty much all of this week. It's been a blast.
4 I'm so close to being done with a round of edits. Woohoo! Sometimes it's hard to find the motivation, especially when I have a crazy hectic Mom day, but when I do get the time, it's so nice. Refreshing, actually.
5. In two weeks and one day I will be pitching to a real life agent. I can't believe it. As part of my birthday present, I went to the mall and got myself a nice outfit for the occasion. I've read that agents prefer you dress professionally for pitch sessions, so I made sure to pick something that was both professional and casual at the same time. But no matter what I wear, I'll still be a nervous wreck.
This weekend is supposed to be awesome. Enjoy the sunshine!
Friday, April 26, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Birthdays and Life
It's my birthday today! Woohoo! It also happens to be Earth Day, so go recycle something, turn the lights off when you leave a room, and don't forget to power off at the end of the day.
As I get older the importance my birthday seems to lessen. It used to be this whole ordeal with balloons, birthday cake, parties, PRESENTS. Now it's about relaxing and eating yummy food. My gift to myself today was NOT running. I decided it was okay to take the day off and wedge out. But even with less spectacular birthday fun, you'd think I'd at least get the day off from cleaning. But no. I can't live in a messy home, and I feel like a clean house is owed to me on my birthday. So, I'm scrubbing stuff later and did the dishes earlier. My husband and I did celebrate this weekend with a fancy meal and some mall time, but that's about it. The thing I really wanted was to be able to just read a good book. Which I am. Have you found that as you get older your birthday is no longer a whole hoopla? I'm okay with it. As a mom as long as my kids are safe, healthy, and happy, that's the best birthday present I could ask for. (Although my husband did get me a Kindle Fire, so there's that.)
As I get older the importance my birthday seems to lessen. It used to be this whole ordeal with balloons, birthday cake, parties, PRESENTS. Now it's about relaxing and eating yummy food. My gift to myself today was NOT running. I decided it was okay to take the day off and wedge out. But even with less spectacular birthday fun, you'd think I'd at least get the day off from cleaning. But no. I can't live in a messy home, and I feel like a clean house is owed to me on my birthday. So, I'm scrubbing stuff later and did the dishes earlier. My husband and I did celebrate this weekend with a fancy meal and some mall time, but that's about it. The thing I really wanted was to be able to just read a good book. Which I am. Have you found that as you get older your birthday is no longer a whole hoopla? I'm okay with it. As a mom as long as my kids are safe, healthy, and happy, that's the best birthday present I could ask for. (Although my husband did get me a Kindle Fire, so there's that.)
Friday, April 19, 2013
Five for Friday
1. I read The Sky is Everywhere this week and loved it. Truly a beautiful book that delves into the trauma of loss and moving on. One of the plot points was sort of wth?!? But I think it was done well and worked with the story. And the writing, you guys, let's just say i will never be able to string together that many words from the English language with such elegance and care.
2. Writing wise I had some personal highs and lows. It seems when I'm in my lows all I want to do is wrap myself up in a blanket and read someone else's words. Which worked out, as you can tell from #1.
3. My Baby turned 1 this week! I'm emotional because she's my youngest and my last baby and it's kind of a milestone. I'm pretty sure I'll be a big old cry baby with all her milestones. My mother-in-law cried when her youngest was potty trained. I'm not sure if I'd go that far, but still, sads.
4. I've had the sniffles all week. Thankfully it's not full blown cold, but still plenty irritating. I've been going the natural route and taking my zinc, having some hot water with natural honey and a drop of lemon Essential Oil. It's worked so far.
5. To everyone taking part in the A-Z challenge- I applaud you. No way could I come up with enough posts to keep you all entertained. Keep it up, you guys are doing great!
Happy Weekend!
2. Writing wise I had some personal highs and lows. It seems when I'm in my lows all I want to do is wrap myself up in a blanket and read someone else's words. Which worked out, as you can tell from #1.
3. My Baby turned 1 this week! I'm emotional because she's my youngest and my last baby and it's kind of a milestone. I'm pretty sure I'll be a big old cry baby with all her milestones. My mother-in-law cried when her youngest was potty trained. I'm not sure if I'd go that far, but still, sads.
4. I've had the sniffles all week. Thankfully it's not full blown cold, but still plenty irritating. I've been going the natural route and taking my zinc, having some hot water with natural honey and a drop of lemon Essential Oil. It's worked so far.
5. To everyone taking part in the A-Z challenge- I applaud you. No way could I come up with enough posts to keep you all entertained. Keep it up, you guys are doing great!
Happy Weekend!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Mythology and Legends
I love folklore. I love reading about the various myths and legends from around the world. I'm not sure when this obsession started, maybe after I watched the movie Legend with Tom Cruise and those awesome unicorns and goblins, or perhaps it was after David Bowie made his debut as the Goblin King in Labyrinth. Whatever it was that sparked my interest, all I know is I still love reading about those things. I love watching movies based on those things. There are so many amazing stories to choose from. There are the Selkies, mermaids, the Seelie and Unseelie courts, Leprechauns, Unicorns, Dragons, the Four Guardians in Buddhism, the lord Vishnu from Hinduism, The Grimm fairy tales, stories by Hans Christian Andersen. The list could go on and on.
Some of my favorite books weave those stories into life. Juliet Marillier is one of my favorite authors and her Sevenwaters Trilogy focuses on the story of the six swans. Tithe by Holly Black is another favorite, a darker version of the fairy world with twists, blood, and Kelpies. I'm always on the look out for a new story based on these magical tales. I'm also inspired by them. There are so many endless opportunities to create brand new worlds based on the endless stories from all four corners of the Earth. What about you guys, what are some of your favorite myths and legends?
Some of my favorite books weave those stories into life. Juliet Marillier is one of my favorite authors and her Sevenwaters Trilogy focuses on the story of the six swans. Tithe by Holly Black is another favorite, a darker version of the fairy world with twists, blood, and Kelpies. I'm always on the look out for a new story based on these magical tales. I'm also inspired by them. There are so many endless opportunities to create brand new worlds based on the endless stories from all four corners of the Earth. What about you guys, what are some of your favorite myths and legends?
Friday, April 12, 2013
Five for Friday
1. The weather has been wonderful for most of the week. I got some yard work done and played outside with the kids. I love this time of year. Fall and Spring are definitely my favorite seasons. Oh, and I got to go on a couple of solo bike rides; when I need to decompress my husband tells me to go on one to get it all out, weather permitting, of course.
2. I had family in town over the weekend and am sort of in recovery mode, which is why I haven't been around this week. And I'm in the thick of revisions, so there's that.
3. I finished the Clockwork Princess this week, the last in The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I really enjoyed the ending and was glad some of the questions I had were answered. And I totally saw one of the plot points coming! I told my sister my predictions and she didn't think it was going to go down like that, but alas, I was correct. Now I will bask in all the 'I told you so'. Kidding. Sort of.
4. As I read TCP and started Something Strange and Deadly, I was struck by how much research goes into writing a steampunk series. You guys, I am way too lazy to ever even attempt writing in that genre. I'm fascinated by various time periods, but I feel like you need to completely immerse yourself into the one you're writing about in order get it right, and it seems SO time consuming. I admire any of you who are working on anything involving another historical time period.
5. I am stupidly excited about getting some yard work done this weekend. I really want to get things in tip top shape, especially because this will be the first year I'm going to try and keep a garden! Wish me luck.
Have a great weekend! I hope it feels like April and not January where you are.
2. I had family in town over the weekend and am sort of in recovery mode, which is why I haven't been around this week. And I'm in the thick of revisions, so there's that.
3. I finished the Clockwork Princess this week, the last in The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I really enjoyed the ending and was glad some of the questions I had were answered. And I totally saw one of the plot points coming! I told my sister my predictions and she didn't think it was going to go down like that, but alas, I was correct. Now I will bask in all the 'I told you so'. Kidding. Sort of.
4. As I read TCP and started Something Strange and Deadly, I was struck by how much research goes into writing a steampunk series. You guys, I am way too lazy to ever even attempt writing in that genre. I'm fascinated by various time periods, but I feel like you need to completely immerse yourself into the one you're writing about in order get it right, and it seems SO time consuming. I admire any of you who are working on anything involving another historical time period.
5. I am stupidly excited about getting some yard work done this weekend. I really want to get things in tip top shape, especially because this will be the first year I'm going to try and keep a garden! Wish me luck.
Have a great weekend! I hope it feels like April and not January where you are.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Conferences
I mentioned before that I'll be attending my first writing conference in May, the LDStorymakers conference. I'm a little nervous. Especially because I also signed up to pitch to an agent. Eep! Cue nervous nail biting and embarrassing armpit sweating. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do while at the conference. They are offering a bunch of free workshops and I'm not sure which ones to attend. I would love to know what your experiences were at your first conference. And if you will also be there in May, please let me know. I'm scared I'm going to end up being the weirdo in the corner holding my notepad against my chest with wide eyes while I watch everyone else mingle and have fun. I'm attending the Saturday workshops, so if you'll be there, let's meet up. Please. And also, any suggestions on pitching to an agent are much appreciated. Not sure how all that works, I've got the gist of it, but more tips are welcome.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Trends
I've heard that contemporary is hot right now. By A LOT of authors and agents. And that's great. I love contemporary novels, Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors and the reason I started reading contemporary in the first place. But for those of us struggling to find agents and a niche, should we focus away from projects that maybe aren't getting a whole lot of attention right now to jump on the contemporary bandwagon?
The answer is yes and no. Here's why: Yes if your ultimate goal is to be published, even if it's a book that maybe you didn't love as much as your paranormal/dystopian/horror- your end goal is publication. Yes if you have a great contemporary idea that won't stop screaming to be written and you know that it just might be the one to land you that agent.
No if you don't feel passionate about said project, if you can't stop thinking about that book you wrote and love that is in a genre that is said to be overdone. No if you don't believe that it'll get you anything but more frustration.
Writing for trends won't land you that agent or get you that book deal. It might just end up breaking your heart. Yes, you get your heart broken over any project you absolutely love and doesn't get you anywhere, but at least you can be proud of your work and know you tried. If you write something just for the sake of getting the agent/deal, how proud will you be if that book still isn't the one?
This is tough because I'm querying a project with paranormal elements that isn't getting a whole lot attention from agents. I've been told by other agents through contests that my query is strong, so I know that's not it. I've tweaked my first few pages to make sure they're the strongest they can be, but still not a whole lot of bites. But that's okay. I love my story and I believe in it. I'm not giving up on it yet, and I know I have an uphill battle ahead of me, but I'm proud of what I've written. I'm proud I wrote something I care about, that I'm passionate about instead of tossing it away for the latest trend. What about you guys? What projects are you working on?
The answer is yes and no. Here's why: Yes if your ultimate goal is to be published, even if it's a book that maybe you didn't love as much as your paranormal/dystopian/horror- your end goal is publication. Yes if you have a great contemporary idea that won't stop screaming to be written and you know that it just might be the one to land you that agent.
No if you don't feel passionate about said project, if you can't stop thinking about that book you wrote and love that is in a genre that is said to be overdone. No if you don't believe that it'll get you anything but more frustration.
Writing for trends won't land you that agent or get you that book deal. It might just end up breaking your heart. Yes, you get your heart broken over any project you absolutely love and doesn't get you anywhere, but at least you can be proud of your work and know you tried. If you write something just for the sake of getting the agent/deal, how proud will you be if that book still isn't the one?
This is tough because I'm querying a project with paranormal elements that isn't getting a whole lot attention from agents. I've been told by other agents through contests that my query is strong, so I know that's not it. I've tweaked my first few pages to make sure they're the strongest they can be, but still not a whole lot of bites. But that's okay. I love my story and I believe in it. I'm not giving up on it yet, and I know I have an uphill battle ahead of me, but I'm proud of what I've written. I'm proud I wrote something I care about, that I'm passionate about instead of tossing it away for the latest trend. What about you guys? What projects are you working on?
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