Megan

Jan 16

I’m nearing the end of my first draft, and it’s everything I can do to just keep pushing through. I want to go back and read it. I want to start editing. I want to fix the plot holes I know are there. I want to make it polished and shiny and perfect. But I know I can’t do these things yet. I know I need to finish before anything else.

A change in perspective

My philosophy on this matter has changed dramatically in the past year. I used to think there was no point continuing on if you knew things needed to be fixed. But then I would get so caught up fixing that I never quite reached the end. I need to show myself that I can complete a first draft first and foremost. Once I know how it is supposed to end (I do have an idea, but everything plays out differently when you put it down on paper), I will know how to go back and spruce it up.

I’m right around 60,000 words right now. Not bad considering I started this one November 1. Ideally my WIP will come in around 90k. But I’m not stressing out. I know there are scenes I need to elaborate on, characters that need to be expanded upon. These things will give me some extra words. So instead of worrying about reaching my word count goal, I’m just worrying about getting to the end, about creating a story with the three essential parts: beginning, middle, and end.

How do you write your first drafts? Do you edit as you go? Do you try to write more words than you need or do you prefer to add instead of subtract in the editing process?

Jan 14

Feed, by M.T. Anderson

Rating: 4 out of 5

Feed provides a haunting glimpse into what the future holds. Set in an America of the future, where citizens have feeds implanted into their brains and the planet is on the brink of collapse, the book follows the story of Titus, a rebellious teen who, through the course of the book, learns that actions have consequences, and even the simplest moment can change everything.

I struggled with this book when I first picked it up. In many ways, Feed reminds me of Catcher in the Rye (not my favorite book). This, coupled with the language Anderson has created, full of rich slang and an authentic voice, took some getting used to. But once I had gotten past the second chapter, I became immersed in the story.

The similarities to our own society were disturbing. The feed has been implanted directly into the brains of the majority of the population. The feed can be used to message a friend or watch a t.v. show or a movie. When you enter a store, ads flash through the feed. The feed even follows individual trends and maps out consumer identities, all to offer customized ads. Does any of this sound familiar?

Today you may find yourself at the dinner table, sending text messages or checking your email, watching YouTube clips on an iPhone or iPad, or sharing everything about your life through Facebook. In Feed, no specialized hand-held device is needed. The only way you can tell someone is using the feed is by their dazed, distracted look. And it’s completely normal. Gone are the days when these activities would be seen as rude. Gone is the sanctity of technology free dinners. And the scary thing is, I can see the Feed being invented in my lifetime.

I don’t usually read books like this, but I’m happy I gave Feed a chance. Not only was Anderson’s creation of voice outstanding and authentic, but his world building was honest and his message was clear. If you want a haunting read or a book that raises questions about the direction our society is heading, this just might be the book for you.

Jan 12

What makes an ideal writing space? I’ve been thinking about this for a while because, until this weekend, I have been without one.

This weekend, I finally got to create my own writing space. No more sharing a desk with the boyfriend. No more being forced to write on the sofa, or the other sofa, or in bed. Finally, after almost a year, I got my own desk (or second desk since the one we were sharing is technically my desk).

What makes the perfect writing space?

Everyone is different. This is a very personal thing. Some people write best in crowded coffee shops late at night. Others find inspiration while listening to music or starting at 5 in the morning or staring at a television. For me, I work best when I’m in a familiar, distraction free place.

But I also need a space that inspires me.

What’s in my new writer’s space?

A desk that is just the right size – I needed enough room for my computer and a notebook. If it’s too big, I’ll just cover it with distractions. Too small, and I will feel cramped and uncomfortable
A drawer – a drawer is key. I need to be able to stash stuff away. Out of sight = Out of mind
Writing books – Last year I found these amazing bookends. They’ve been hidden away in my bookshelf, but now they are out on display, cradling my writing books. Seeing my writing books while I write helps inspire me
Natural light – I need natural light or I feel like I need to go elsewhere to find it
A comfortable chair – I’m still looking for the perfect chair, but for now, a chair from the dining room table will just have to do.
I’m also thinking about a bulletin board for posting ideas, but this might become too distracting.

Other than that, I’m pretty easy going in regards to what I need. Because when it really comes down to it, all you really need is an idea, a little bit of skill, tons of patience and persistence, and something to write the story on, whether its pen and paper, a typewriter, or a computer.

What goes into your writing space? Do you have certain things you need? Do you enjoy a stark space or do you prefer a busier one? Or are you one of those lucky people that can write anywhere?

My perfect writing space

Jan 07

Rumors (Luxe, Book 2), by Anna Godbersen

Rating: 4 out of 5

Rumors is the second book in the Luxe series. Rumors, set in the second half of 1899, continues the story of society girls Elizabeth Holland, Diana Holland, Penelope Hayes, and the maid turned society woman, Lina (Carolina) Broud.

Last week I looked at the first book in the series, The Luxe, and decided I had to find out what happened next, the sign of a successful series. And I was not let down. In fact, I enjoyed the second book more the first.

When you are engrossed in a series, you already care about the characters. If you didn’t care about them, you wouldn’t have continued reading the series. My need to know what happened and Godbersen’s ability to deliver kept me engaged from beginning to end.

What I really liked about this book, especially in comparison to The Luxe, was that, whereas The Luxe was a bit predictable, Rumors kept me guessing. Although I did spend most of the book in a state of anxiety, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I like a book that surprises me, and Rumors delivered surprise after surprise.

Although I enjoyed Rumors more than The Luxe, Rumors did have some of the same downfalls from the first book – Penelope’s character did not grow. I grew bored with her antics and would have liked to have seem some growth. Instead, she was static. Henry grew a little bit, but he also seemed mildly static to me.

All in all, I found this to be an enjoyable read and, based off of the first two books, I recommend this series.

Jan 03

Meeting a daily word count was easy during NaNoWriMo, or easier. Now that November is long gone, I’ll be the first to admit that my daily word counts are suffering.

Why is it easier to meet daily word counts during NaNoWriMo?

NaNo is only a month long. It’s easy to put your personal life aside for one month. Plus, there’s a score of other people also sacrificing their lives for the common goal of 1,667 words a day. But for me, the progress bar was what really helped. I didn’t want to miss a day and risk falling below the ‘where you should be’ line. And so I stayed up an extra hour, or spent my lunch hour writing, or skipped the gym here and there. And then November ended, and so did many of my sacrifices.

How to keep that momentum going?

Recently, I learned about an online program called 750words.com. What’s great about 750words.com is that, like NaNo, it tracks your daily word counts. Unlike NaNo, the daily goal is more realistic for every day writers – only 750 words. Additionally, you write directly into the program and the program tracks not only your word counts, but how quickly you reach your word count, the tone of your writing, common topics, commonly used words, etc. Not only are the stats fun, but knowing that I’m being timed keeps me from wandering to other websites or just plain wandering.

In keeping with the recent trends in mobile gaming, you can also earn badges for things like reaching your word count several days in a row or reaching your word counts in a timely fashion. Plus, there is a community surrounding the site, so you can follow other writers, like you would with NaNo. And every month offers members the chance to participate in a monthly challenge where you are challenged to reach your word goal every day of the month. Winners are added to the Wall of Amazingness whereas losers find themselves on the Wall of Shame and remain there until successfully winning a month challenge.

The one negative is that you have to write on the site. Whereas with NaNo you just entered in your new word count for the day, 750words determines your word count and typing speed based off of how much you write into the text box that is provided when you login for the day. You can always just copy and paste the text into your own word processor, or use the sites text exporter, but if you have a hard time focusing in an unfamiliar environment, this could pose a problem.

The site also archives your writing. While I have no problem with this and actually like the idea of having a backup sitting in cyberspace, I know this could makes some writers uncomfortable.

If you are looking for a way to get your writing momentum back, though, why not give 750words a try? The worst you’ll get out of it is an additional 750 words. The best you’ll get is a new time management/motivation tool. If you give it a try, or if you are already using 750words, what do you think of it as a writing tool?

Dec 31

The Luxe, by Anna Godbersen

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Luxe is the first book in a young adult historical fiction bordering on historical romance series. Set in 1899 New York, The Luxe delves into the lives of the New York socialites at the turn of the century. The Luxe begins with a funeral and then takes you further back in time to the events leading up to the death by following the story of four females whose lives are intertwined through a complex series of love triangles: Elizabeth Holland, the well-mannered socialite from an old-money family; Elizabeth’s wild and unconventional little sister, Diana; Penelope Hayes, a new-money socialite eager to pave her way in society and not used to hearing no; and Lina Broud, the once childhood friend and now lady’s maid to Elizabeth.

I thought this book was well done. The descriptions were rich and I felt like I was living in 1899 New York. Godbersen not only revealed the daily life of the upper class, but also gave the reader insight into the less glamorous lower class.

Where the book was lacking was in the development of the supporting characters. I thought that Elizabeth and her sister grew throughout the books along with one of the male love interests, Henry Schoonmaker. Lina and Penelope, however, did not seem to have much dimension. There were attempts at giving Lina dimension, but for me, it fell a bit short. And Penelope had little to no dimension at all. She was a spoiled girl and lacked anything that would cause a reader to sympathize with her.

In addition, I thought some of the foreshadowing was a bit too obvious. I like to be surprised, and while I was surprised in how the ending came about, I was not very surprised by the ending.

What I really liked about the book was that this was an appropriate young adult version of a historical romance novel. While there were suggestions of sexual activity, it was not overtly descriptive. If you read my review of Kristin Cashore’s Fire, you will recall that I think sex in ya books can be tricky. I thought that Godbersen handled this topic with grace that was especially appropriate to the time period in which she was writing.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the way Godbersen began her chapters. Each chapter began with either a newspaper excerpt, letter between the characters, or an excerpt from a manner’s book from the time period, and each excerpt foreshadowed the events of the upcoming chapter.

I highly recommend this book, not just to lovers of history, but to anyone looking for a good love story to get wrapped up in. And perhaps the greatest thing about this book: you won’t have to wait for the sequel, Rumors, to come out, because it and two other books in the series, Envy and Splendor are also already out.

Dec 29

The New Year is rapidly approaching and, while I’m not usually one to make New Year’s Resolutions, I decided, why not make some writing resolutions this year.

I don’t consider finishing my book to be a proper resolution. This is something I work on all the time. In my mind, resolutions should be about trying something new. So this year, I am resolving to start entering writing contests.

Why writing contests?

I’ve resisted writing contests for a while. I thought they would distract me from my book. But then I got a new writing exercise book from my writing buddy, The Daily Writer: 366 Meditations to Cultivate a Productive and Meaningful Writing Life, by Fred White. The book has one exercise for every day of the year. Being the go-getter that I am, I thought I’d get a head start and check out the exercise for Jan. 1. And I found myself stumped.

The exercise asked me to write an allegory. I’ve never taken a creative writing class so I’ve never really had the opportunity to sit down and write an allegory. And I was a bit shocked to find that I had no clue where to start.

But what about the Writing Contests?

In thinking about how to complete this exercise, I realized that I was being forced to stretch my imagination, to look at stories in a way I don’t normally look at them. I may subconsciously think of things as being allegories, but thinking something is an allegory and trying to write your own allegory are two very different things. In thinking about this exercise, I also started thinking about my WIP in a different way. Instead of stifling my creative energy, the exercise was expanding it.

Writing contests are similar to this exercise. They give you parameters (even if it’s just a word count) and they give you a deadline. Both of these are good skills for someone looking to turn writing into something other than a hobby. And, if writing contests are anything like this exercise, they will help my creativity soar. Another good thing for a writer.

In addition to helping to foster new skills, writing contests also lead to exposure. I may not win any contests, but I will be getting my name out there and meeting others who are entering the same contests, or at least meeting their writing if they win. And if I do win a contest, all the better.

Back to my resolution

I don’t want to overwhelm myself. After all, I work a full-time job and am trying to finish my WIP. But I also don’t want to let myself off too easily. So this year I’m going to enter 3 writing contests. Why 3? Well, 4 seemed like too many and 2 seemed like too little, so 3 it is.

Now I just need to figure out which contests to enter. Maybe I’ll start with this Highlights Fiction Contest that I learned about over at MiG Writers…

What do you think about writing contests? Have you ever entered one? Have you ever won?

Dec 23

With the holidays rapidly approaching (or having already passed depending on your religious affiliations), I’ve heard a lot of talk lately about eReaders. Mostly, the talk has revolved around people wanting to know which one is the best.

Like with a computer or a car or a mattress, I don’t think there is one BEST e-reader. It all comes down to what you hope to gain from your e-reader.

As you may have picked up, I love my Kindle. I got it last year for Christmas and I have not once regretted asking for it. I also have some experience with the iPad. As you prepare your holiday wish lists, I thought, why not provide my opinion on these two devices as well as some feedback I’ve picked up regarding the Nook.

The Kindle

Again, I love my Kindle. To understand my love for it, though, you need to understand why I wanted it.

I don’t want to have to take lots of books with me on travel, or lug a heavy book on my commute to work. The Kindle lets me store tons of books, meaning I only have to carry the relatively light-weight kindle. I save on space and I save my shoulder.
My bookshelf is out of space. I tried to solve this problem by making myself go to the library. But let’s be honest. Sometimes I just don’t want to wait the 6+months it can take for a new release to become available. When I see that I’m #200+ on the wait list, I usually decide not to wait. The Kindle allows me to give into my impatience without overloading my already loaded bookshelf
Sometimes you find yourself in a position where you are not happy with your book choice, be it over your lunch break, during your commute, or when you are away on vacation. Because I can store all of my books on the Kindle and I can buy new ones in seconds, this is no longer a problem.
I don’t like reading on a computer screen. The technology the Kindle uses really does feel to my eyes like I’m reading paper.

The Kindle has answered all of the things on my list. I see the Kindle as a true e-reader. It doesn’t have tons of frills, but then again, neither does a newly purchased book from the bookstore. If you are looking for a solution to any of the problems I mentioned above, then this is the e-reader for you.

The iPad

When I think of the iPad, I do not think eReader. However, if you talk to my stepfather, he will try to convince you that reading books is one of the main selling points of the iPad. What do I think about the iPad as an eReader:

The back light gives me a headache if I read too long.
The back light also encourages skimming. Because it doesn’t feel like paper, I find myself reading how I would read a computer screen. I skip over sections and skim a LOT.
The screen gets gucked up. Because you touch the screen, it becomes littered with fingermarks. I want a nice clean screen to read from.

And what do I think of the iPad as a whole:

As an alternate laptop, the iPad is great. It is lightweight and small and can do more or less everything a laptop can do, unless you are looking for gaming capabilities (and by this I mean the old school massive games like World of Warcraft or the Sims) or have a fascination with Flash heavy websites
The internet is a lot better than the Kindle’s internet capabilities
If you get a portable keyboard, typing on the iPad is a cinch

To sum it up, if you are looking for an eReader, I say go for the Kindle. If you are looking for an alternate option for a portable computer, the iPad just might be your best friend. Of course, there are tons of other options out there, but I don’t feel qualified to comment on them.

What do you think of other eReaders you’ve checked out? Are you asking Santa for an eReader this year?

Dec 17

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, by James Patterson, tells the story of a group of genetically altered kids on a mission to save the world. This concept probably sounds similar to things you’ve read before.

But what makes this book (and the series) different is that Max and her ‘family’s’ DNA was spliced with bird DNA, giving them bird bones, a fast metabolism, and wings. In addition, extra ‘talents’ show up every so often, just to keep things interesting and add a bit of aid to the Bird Kids when things get tough.

I’m not going to lie. It took me a while to get into this book. I started reading it about this time last year but kept putting it down. Once I got past the first couple of chapters, I found myself wanting to know what was going on behind the scenes, how the mystery would play out. And I wasn’t all-together disappointed.

Where I was disappointed was in the main character, Max. She seemed to fit too neatly into the hardcore heroine mold that, in my opinion anyway, has been a bit overdone. Whereas Katniss in The Hunger Games managed to merge her hard edge with a realistic vulnerability, Max’s vulnerabilities felt a bit forced; she lacked the honesty found in some of the more memorable characters I’ve encountered in my reading life.

Another problem I had with the book was that sometimes the action became a bit confusing and, at times, forced. I don’t want to go into specifics and give away important scenes, but, like with Max’s character, the writing was not as honest as I would have liked.

All that being said, I read the second and third books in the series and, while I did not find that my general issues with the writing and character development improved with the series, I still found the books to be an entertaining read. If you are in need of airplane or beach reading, give this book (and the series) a try. If you want to recapture the feeling you got reading The Hunger Games, you may want to try something else.

Dec 12

Ok, I know. Weird topic for a writing blog. What does a Rumba have to do with anything? Wait for it though, it’s coming.

House cleaning is a time suck, especially vacuuming (loud groan at the thought). Now, I could just skip it altogether, but I live with a cat who likes to scatter litter from here to the North Pole. And he’s long-haired. And I’m long-haired. And I write from home. I think you’re getting the idea. Ignoring housework isn’t really an option.

So in comes the Rumba. As I type this blog post, the Rumba is in the living room doing my housework for me so I can write this blog post for you. Later when I head to the gym, the Rumba will go to town on the bedroom/office, meaning I can justify my gym time. If the place magically gets clean while I’m working out, it’s not like I sacrificed writing time. I actually saved writing time.

Now if they would come out with a pick my clothes up and put them in the laundry hamper/dresser drawers robot I’d be all set.

How do you make time for writing? Are there things you skimp on to give yourself some extra time?

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Page 11

Just keep writing

A change in perspective

Book Review Friday: Feed

Creating a Writer’s Space

What makes the perfect writing space?

Book Review Friday: Rumors

750words.com – Helping you meet your daily writing goals

Why is it easier to meet daily word counts during NaNoWriMo?

How to keep that momentum going?

Book Review Friday: The Luxe

Resolutions and Writing Competitions

Why writing contests?

But what about the Writing Contests?

Back to my resolution

Choosing an eReader

The Kindle

The iPad

Book Review Friday – Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Writers and the Rumba