Resolutions: 2018 into 2019

So, I have this little cheat system.  I make, like, a ton of New Years' resolutions.  Like, a lot.  The reason?  The odds of me completing at least one or two of them are better that way.  There are some obvious cons to this, of course.  I mean, for example, for 2018 I made fifteen resolutions... wrote them down and everything.  How many did I complete?  Four and a half.  Just four and a half out of fifteen.  And I'll be honest, I might be stretching a one and a half of these to make me feel better.  But, you know what?  I like my system.  So, here are the resolutions for 2018 that I completed, followed by my writerly type resolutions for 2019.

Start Writer's/Reader's Blog: If you're reading this, well... you have your proof.

Finish Flame Rough Draft:  Flame is the sequel to my first complete, as of yet unpublished, novel.  My goal was to at least finish the rough draft to the first of its two sequels.  Well, done.  As of NaNoWriMo 2018, Flame's first draft is done.  Now, only to edit.

The other two completed goals were not writing or reading related, so I'll leave them off.  But, yeah.  Writing-wise, this is what I completed this year.  Doesn't look like much, compared to what I had set out for myself this year.  But... I did a couple of extra writing things this year--like writing a complete novella.  And while I didn't make any reading goals for 2018, I am very pleased with what I accomplished there this year.  I'll be doing my "Books Read in 2018" soon.  I actually super excited for it!  Now, to make a clear statement of what I want to accomplish, writer/reader-wise, in 2019.

Edit Ash and Get it Out to Agent(s): I was going to start on this this month, but due to several circumstances, I'm a little burnt out.  So, I'll give it a go starting in Mid-January, I believe. 

Edit Flame: This should be self-explanatory, given that it's the sequel to Ash, shouldn't it be?

Begin Ember: The third novel in this trilogy.  It might not be until November, but I'm coming for it.

Write Next Novella in Series: I like what I wrote for my novella this year, and I want to continue it.  So, here you go.

Find Publisher for Novella: Again, self-explanatory

Read at Least Two More Books This Year than Last: I won't reveal any numbers yet, as I want to save the number books I read this year for my "Books Read" post.  But I want to add at least two to that number.

Read at Least One "Classic" Novel: I read a couple last year--again, more info to follow.  So, I'd like to read at least one this year, just to say that I've lived up to the degree I earned.

Finished One Old WIP: This relates more to my "just for me" stuff... but yeah.  I need to do it.

Start Writer/Reader Podcast: This was on the to-do list for 2018 but didn't happen.  So, I'm gonna redouble my efforts at it this year.

And I do believe that's it.  It's quite a list.  Again, realistically, I probably won't get them all done.  But then... who knows?  Maybe I will.  I'll never know unless I try.  What is everyone else's New Year's Resolution(s)?  I'd love to hear them! 

Books I Read in 2017

Okay, so this is like an attempt at something I'll be doing near the end of this month/beginning of next month for 2018.  I had originally lost this list of books I had read last year, but I found it.  Also, sorry for not posting in so long... NaNoWriMo ate me... but I won!  Another 50,000 words in the books! 

But, more on this post.  What I'm going to do is this:  I'm going to list the titles and authors of the books I read last year (2017).  Then, I'm going to answer questions about them, look for similarities... whatever comes to mind.  Without further ado, let's get started.

Books Read in 2017

Cinder by Marissa Meyer                                         Bobby Singer's Guide to Hunting by David Reed

Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King       After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn

Dark Tower: The Drawing of Three by Stephen King    Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer                                Cress by Marissa Meyer

Fairest by Marissa Meyer                                Winter by Marissa Meyer

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer                 Prince Lestat and the Lost Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice

Darth Vader Volume I by Keiron Gillen       Darth Vader Volume II by Keiron Gillen and Jason Aaron

Darkwing Duck: Orange is the New Purple by Aaron Sparrow  

Darkwing Duck: Volume II by Aaron Sparrow      The Lost Hero by Rick Riodan

Son of Neptune by Rick Riodan                             Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Mark of Athena by Rick Riodan                            House of Hades by Rick Riodan

Blood of Olympus by Rick Riodan            Five Nights at Freddy's: The Silver Eyes by Scott Cawthon

Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts            Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts

Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts

Total Books Read: 27

Favorite Book(s)?  I read a lot of great ones last year.  I loved the graphic novels (Vader and Darkwing).  But if I had to point to a singular book (excluding series), I loved After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn.

Least Favorite Book(s)?  Um, the Five Night's at Freddy's book.  Yeah, that one, probably followed by The Drawing of Three.

Favorite Series? Definitely the Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Fairest, Winter, and Stars Above)  

Least Favorite Series? The Circle series (Morrigan's Cross, Dance of the Gods, and Valley of Silence).  It wasn't bad... but when compared against others on this list... yeah.  Sorry.

Any reoccurring themes in choice of reading? You know, I thought I was going heavy on the series reading this year... but almost everything I read last year either was a series, or has a sequel. Also, featured a lot of myths/folklore type of things.  The Lunar Chronicles is a sci-fi retelling of fairytales (Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White), the Heroes of Olympus Series (The Lost Hero, Son of Neptune, Mark of Athena, House of Hades, and Blood of Olympus) mixes Greek and Roman myths, and Uprooted is based on Polish fairytales.  Discord's Apple also draws on Greek as well as a few other myths.  So there's that.  

Any of them have sequels you want to root out for next year/future? This is a bit funny for me to answer, given that it's almost at the end of 2018.  But, there is one on here that has a sequel I want to find and read, and that's After the Golden Age.  I think it's called Dreams of the Golden Age.  This is a superhero fiction, by the way, and I love it alone for that.  Not enough of it out in the world, if you ask me.

Any authors new to you this year that you want to seek out more of? Well, Meyer was new to me, and I'll talk more about her on my 2018 roundup.  And Novik has another of her myth themed books out called Spinning Silver I'd like to give a try.

Pleasantly surprised by any of them? Probably Bobby Singer's Guide, Fevre Dream, and Uprooted fit this best. A book based on a TV show is very, very hit or miss, and this one felt like they got Bobby Singer's character dead on.  Fevre Dream was a vampire novel set in the days of (and on) steamboats... I loved it.  And I just didn't know anything at all about Novik or Uprooted when I bought it, but I got really into it by the time it was finished.  

Any books left on your TBR (To Be Read) list that you're excited to get to next year? Again, I'm getting to this late, so this question is really here more as a place holder.

So, that's it for me.  What did you think of my list?  Got questions about one that sounds interesting?  And what would you like to see me do on this blog in the new year?  Leave me suggestions!  Thanks!  Covers for favorites and least favorites are below!

Favorite Book: 

Least Favorite Book: 

Favorite Series: 

 Least Favorite Series:

 

   

NaNoWriMo: How to Decide What to Write

So, I've been a little thought-consumed lately with NaNoWriMo.  It kind of brought me to a standstill on some of my other writing projects.  It's like... Like I'm on a roller-coaster that I've been anticipating for forever.  But, just before we can descend the first hill, it freezes.  It promises to start soon enough, but what to do before then? 

The fact of the matter is that I, personally, know what I'm writing for NaNoWriMo 2018.  I'm a lucky duck as in that I have the second half of a novel to finish.  But not everyone else has that.  And not everyone wants to work on what they worked on the year before.  So, what to do?  Well, I have a few suggestions.

First, I would take a good, long look at the type of books you've been reading as of late.  It's not a foolproof plan, but sometimes it helps.  Are you reading a lot of Fantasy books?  High Fantasy or Contemporary?  Or Urban?  Really dig deep into your subconscious and ask yourself what you feel like reading about that hasn't been written yet.  Then, just maybe, you'll find what you need to write.

And if that's not working for you, there's always digging through your trunk stories/notebooks.  Maybe there's an idea from years ago that you put away, but now might be ready to come back to.  Take the time to read through what you wrote a long time ago and see if it sparks you.

Also consider doing a non-traditional NaNoWriMo.  That is, maybe you want to write a collection of short stories or some fanfiction.  There's no real hard and fast rules on this for NaNoWriMo.  In fact, I did fanfiction back in 2010, and that was the first year I hit 50,000.  Whatever it takes to get the juices flowing.  Writing is writing, and while you might not be able to sell most fanfiction, you at least might have had the opportunity to work out some ideas that could lend themselves to a future, original work.

My last suggestion is a fun one.  I've done this one twice now.  Arrange a prompt swap with some friends.  The first time I did this, myself and two of my friends each wrote up a prompt.  It gave a basic summary of an idea, suggested some characters, as well as one or two funny scenes we wouldn't mind seeing.  Everything past the summary idea was considered only a suggestion.  Then, we dropped our names in a hat and swapped.  I still have the story in my trunk from that year, and it's on my agenda to attempt again in the future.  The second time, there was only two of us, so we just wrote prompts and swapped.  That one became the second and third NaNoWriMo's I've ever won.  The novel I'm finishing this year is also that one's sequel.

So, in the end, grab a writing buddy, prep like crazy, and get to writing.  NaNoWriMo's only about a week away!  (A week!!)  

Book Haul!!

So, once again, I'm a little late.  I'm gonna move these postings to Friday, due to some scheduling conflicts... and yes, I know that means I'm still late, but I've been busy.  Now I have a sinus infection.  Yay... But, for today, we have some fun stuff.  Book haul!!  I recently did an order of 8 books (for under $30) from Thriftbooks.  Dude... this place is awesome.  Books ranging from new to used--acceptable, and a lot of them priced under $4.00.  Now, one book pictured here actually came from Amazon.com.  But, still, I urge you to give Thriftbooks a look.  I'm not sponsored or anything, I just love it.  In fact, in only two orders, I've earned enough points for a free book.  It's great.  Now, on to the haul!

This is the one I got off of Amazon, and I've actually already read it.  I'll save reviews for my end of the year post I have planned.  This one is the new book by Anne Rice, released at the beginning of this month, from her New Tales of the Vampires.  Written all in Lestat's point of view, this is actually more of a novella in length.  I got it as a very belated Mother's Day gift (it was pre-ordered for me on Mother's Day).

This first of the eight books I got from Thriftbooks, and a classic.  Also, it's my current read (about halfway done as I'm typing this).  I wanted to read this one, kind of as a return to my Goth roots.  I actually tried to read this one in high school and failed miserably at doing so.  But I'm loving it so far.  Very apropos for Halloween, yes?

Continuing a theme... this is the Dracula story as told solely from Mina Murray/Harker's POV.  I actually heard of this book a few years ago on Goodreads in a giveaway that I didn't win... but it stuck with  me as interesting, so I bought it. 

I have the shakiest hands... But this is The Kiss of Deception.  I was drawn to this book because of a single detail that many of the Booktubers I watch kept mentioning... See this is a story of a Princess about to enter into an arranged marriage... until she runs from it. Now, the Prince she was going to marry and an assassin sent to kill her are both after her.  The catch?  In the Prince and Assassin's POVs... you don't know which is which.  Mind blown.

So, honestly, the whole reason I decided to try the first book in this series... I got a Whimsify book box for myself back several months ago and got a soap (Silver) based on this series.  Apparently, the magic users are divided into two kingdoms, Reds and Silvers... So, why not?

Dude, do I love Sherlock Holmes.  Like, really.  I do.  I've read A Study in Scarlet and The Hound of the Baskervilles.  I've also read several of the short stories.  So, when I heard there was a trilogy that follows the descendants of John Watson and Sherlock Holmes as they solve mysteries while attending boarding school... count me in.

I, uh, forgot to take a picture of this one, so this is a Google-found image.  But I've been hearing a lot about this author--who has a ton, a TON of books.  I decided to do some research as to which one I should try, and this one appealed to me.  We shall see, yes?

Some years ago, I read a book called Practical Demonkeeping by Moore, and though I was probably younger than I needed to be to read that book, I still enjoyed it.  Fast-foward to near the beginning of this year, where I found his book The Serpent of Venice which combines The Merchant of Venice with some Poe, and the copy I found was signed!  I couldn't resist.  Then I find out that it's actually a sequel... to this novel, Fool.  So, yeah... now I can read these.

So, I've read a ton of Jim Butcher's stuff recently.  Well, I've not read nearly enough of the popular Dresden Files series (only the first two, which I did love) of his, but I did just finish his Codex Alera series (and loved it).  So, when I found out that he had a new series getting started that was Steampunk inspired?  Count.  Me.  In.

And that's my book haul.  Hopefully, I'll get to do another one after Christmas, winkwink, hopeful.  So what about all of you?  Bought any good books recently?  Let me know!  See you next... Friday, I guess.  Bye!

Prepping for NaNoWriMo

A day late.  My apologies.  I had a teensy stomach bug.  But, I'm better, and I'm back.  Now, to refresh, National Novel Writing Month AKA NaNoWriMo is from November 1st to November 30th.  You write 50,000 words in 30 days, with no worries about editing.  Just get words on the page.  You write a novel.  In a month.  Or, at least, the bare bones of a novel.  And, as it should come as no surprise, there's fair amount of prep needed for this.  Everyone's prep is going to be a touch different, depending on your personal project, but here are a few of my prepping tips that might help you along.

It's Never Too Early

It's true.  While the rule--and we're all on the honor system here--for NaNoWriMo is 50k in 30 days, there is NO rule on when prepping can begin.  Heck, if I wanted, I could begin prepping for NaNoWriMo 2019 in December 2018.  So look at your calendar.  When is a good prep time for you?  For me, it's October.  But that might be different for you.

Read

This should come as no surprise to anyone who seriously wants to be a writer.  A writer is a reader.  But, specifically in this case, I mean, if you are writing a sequel or continuing from where you left off.  Part of your prep should be to re-read what you've got.  Reacquaint yourself with your old ideas and marry them to your new ones.  In my case, I'm writing the second half of my 2017 novel.  So, I will be reading what I wrote last year (God help me).  If you're staring fresh, then perhaps schedule in the time to read a novel, novella, or two in the same ballpark as your novel to get you in the right headspace.

Outline

There's a whole badge for people who don't do this.  They're called "pantsers."  I'm am a planner.  In fact, the only time I've come close to pants-ing it at NaNo is when I had reviewed the last events of my 2016 novel in my head so many times I had it memorized.  Otherwise, I outline.  Now, outlining works differently for everyone.  Some like charts.  Some like vague notes complied together.  Me?  I use Microsoft OneNote and just type, separating everything out by chapters.  Then, I type out what happens in each chapter as if I'm rushing through explaining it in a conversation, adding in specific details only when I really want to include them and am afraid I'll forget them by the time I get to writing the actual chapter.  This really helps me create a cohesive narrative, and it makes me a little less crazy.

Grab a Calendar

There are people out there that make calendars specifically for NaNoWriMo.  On each day, they include what word count you should be at.  To reach 50k by Nov. 30th, you roughly have to write 1667 words a day. Now, last year, I used the Reverse Nano method.  Click the link for a full explanation, but the gist is you start big, and end with only 1 word required to reach 50k on Day 30.  And, guys, it worked wonders for me.  So, I made myself a calendar that reflected this.  Now, I used GIMP (which is freeware Photoshop) to make mine all pretty, but you could add it into your phone, on a paper calendar, a planner, whatever works for you.

Make a Playlist

I don't know about the rest of you, but I CANNOT write without music blocking out the rest of the world and helping to immerse me in the one I've created.  And the wrong song can pull me completely out of that.  So, before NaNoWriMo, making a playlist of songs that fit the story you're trying to tell can help.  Plus, you won't be spending a bunch of wasted energy skipping songs on day 1.

Honestly, I could probably go on for days about prepping tips, but I'll stop here.  These are easily my top 5.  So, what are your tips for prepping for NaNo?  Feel free to share them, and I'll see you next Thursday!

Disney Book Tag

I had so much fun doing that last book tag, I thought I'd do another.  I promise, I'll go back to doing a variety of different posts soon.  But why stop when you're having fun?  So, this one runs about the same as the last one.  Only, it's little more about book characters, and it is Disney themed.  Let's get started

Little Mermaid: Name a Character out of their element in their story. 

For this one, I had to go with the titular character from Marissa Meyer's book Cinder, Linh Cinder.  This is kind of funny to be my choice for this one, given the next tag but... The Lunar Chronicles as the series is collectively called is a set of retellings of several fairy tales with a sci-fi/fantasy twist.  Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White make up the quartet.  And while all the title characters could be listed as being out of their element--except maybe Winter--I chose Cinder because I feel like she's got the most set upon her shoulders.  I'll avoid spoilers, but I think you'd agree on this one.  Not only that, she's also had no training for what's expected of her... she just kind of has to rely on instinct, friendship, and her own morals.

Cinderella: Character that goes through major transformation.

For this one, I had to choose the werewolf named Kitty from Carrie Vaughn's best selling Kitty Norville series.  For two reasons.  One, she's a werewolf so she literally goes through a major transformation into her wolf form several times during the series.  Two, because her character arc is amazing.  As I'm writing this, I'm due to read like book eleven of fourteen in this series, and I've gotta tell you, Book 11 Kitty is way, way different than Book 1 Kitty.  She starts out in an abusive relationship with her pack members, most of them, and while she definitely has the seeds of sassy, no nonsense in her in this one, it isn't fully realized until a couple of books later.  But you watch them grow steadily and believably.  This series is crazy fun and funny.

Snow White: Book with an eclectic cast of characters. 

Had to go with this one.  This remains my favorite book by Koontz.  It's great.  It's thrilling.  It's scary, at times.  It's oddly funny.  And, nowhere in the blurb does it mention killer clowns.  I'm not joking.  And I don't mean on a supernatural level.  I mean a real, murderous family of circus clowns that have a rivalry with a family of acrobats.  I'm so incredibly not joking.  Is that eclectic or what?

Sleeping Beauty: Book that put me asleep.

I did this one to myself.  Also, as a rule, I'm excluding any books "assigned" to me in school.  That being said, this past June I chose to read this--not this edition--because the movie staring Emma Thomson is one of my favorite films--because of her and Alan Rickman, I won't lie.  I had previously read Pride and Prejudice so I should have known... but I swear, this was worse.  Some of these words were not meant to be every single word form they could be... I forced myself through the end of this one, and I would gladly have napped through it if I could have.

Lion King: Character that went through a traumatic experience in childhood.

I read a lot of books with traumatic events happening to the characters when they were younger.  I decided to go with a new favorite here and chose Feyre from Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses.  Again, I'm trying to avoid spoilers, but because of something she sees and experiences the consequences of as a child, it basically shapes her whole being as a young woman.  It's not the most traumatic thing for a character that I've read, but still.... this counts.

Beauty and the Beast.  A "beast" of a book.

I've read a lot of books that could be considered "beasts" AKA big books.  But I chose to go with one I enjoyed.  Fun fact, I actually read through the entire first POV of this book and then DNF-ed this thing for like a year (DNF=did not finish).  But, it stayed with me enough that I went back to it, and I'm so glad I did.  In case you don't know, this is the telling of the myth of King Arthur as told through the POVs of three significant females--his mother, his sister, and his wife.

Aladdin: Character who gets their wish granted.

I had to go with Tavi from this series by Jim Butcher.  Especially at the end of the first book.  He wants one thing, and while having to go through a crap-ton of crap, is actually granted his wish at the end.  Guys, I recommend this series, btw.  Just finished it, and it was totally worth it.

 Mulan: Character who pretends to be something or someone they're not.

Had to go with this one.  Snape.  Okay?  Snape.

Toy Story: Book of characters you want to see come to life.

Can I say all the books I've read?  Wait, well... not Twilight or Hunger Games.  Most the books I've read.

And finally Disney's Descendants:  Favorite villain.

I'm cheating like a mf-er here.  Honestly, it was between Darth Vader here, Negaduck from the Darkwing comics, or the Joker.  Vader beat them out because there's comics written specifically for him (beating out Negsy), and as much as I love Mistah J... Vader would obliterate him.  Also, the cover here is for a series I want to read but haven't read.  I want to.  I read the series written between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.  Loved, loved, loved it.

And that's it for the Disney tag.  I found this tag originally done by Jessethereader some time ago.  Have no idea if he made if up or not, but that's where I got it.  I'd love to see others do this.  Leave a link if you have.  Until then, see you next Thursday... beginning of Nano Prep Season!! 

Finally Fall Book Tag

Okay, haha, I know that it must look really bad that I wrote a post about my novel and novella getting rejected and then ghosted for a week.  I promise, it had nothing to do with that.  In truth, I went out that Thursday with my friends for some much needed girl time.  And then I just ended up not having time to do a make-up post, due to some writing commitments.  That being said, I'm back this week, and I'm trying out something I've been dying to do.  See, I follow a few booktubers on YouTube (those are people that devote their entire channel to reviewing and talking about books) that do these things sometimes called Book Tags.  I think it comes from the whole hashtag thing, the name.  Anyhow, they have a book tag that comes with usually about five or more questions or criteria to answer, and they answer them.  Simple as that.  The one I'm doing tonight is from one of my favorite booktubers (or, at least, she is where I first saw this one), PeruseProject.  It's called Finally Fall.  And now, without further ado, here we go.

1. In fall, the air is crisp and clear.  Name a book with a vivid setting.

 For this one, I had to go with The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  I remember hearing about the vivid atmosphere before I read this book, and I was not disappointed.  This book is about two magicians fated to fight one another with the stage of the fight being a mysterious, wondrous circus that just appears in the night.  I'm telling you, when you read this book, you can feel the circus.  You can smell and taste the food.  You can imagine milling about the crowd, visiting tent after tent.  It's truly beautiful.

2. Also in the Fall, nature is beautiful.  But it's also because it is dying.  Name a book that deals with a heavy topic.

For this one, I had to go with Sold by Patricia McCormick.  I read a lot of books that contain a lot of scenes that deal with heavy things... but this is the only book that that was its whole subject.  This deals with girls sold into sex slavery in India.  It's powerful and scary, and it's been years since I've read this one, but it sticks with you. 

3. Fall is also time for Back to School.  Name a Non-Fiction book that taught you something.

I don't read a lot of non-fiction.  It's nothing personal, as there are several very real subjects that I'm interested in, but it doesn't always hold me through a whole book.  And I've read a lot of non-fiction things for school, but I chose to go with one I chose to read just for the sake of reading.  I am a huge Michael Jackson fan, and when I heard that the body guards who had guarded him in his last days were writing I book, I had to read it.  You could argue the validity of this one, of course, but I still feel like I learned a lot about a man who was treated as a god by some, a devil by others, but was really just a human being.

4. Days are getting colder in the Fall.  A good way to keep warm is to cuddle up with friends and family around a roaring fire.  Name a fictional family you would want to spend time with.

This one was hard for me.  After all, I read a lot of books that feature familial connections that I love.  If this was a television tag, I would totally know the answer without a doubt.  But, in the end, I think I would have to go with...

The Weasleys in the Harry Potter series.  I almost put another couple on here but then thought better of it, due to a possible spoiler.  Same for yet another family that I've grown to love (only this year, actually).  So I had to go with a family that was tried and true.

5. Fall is a perfect time to also share stories around a fire.  Name a book where someone is telling a story.

This one might be a stretch, but I think it counts.  I read The Dracula Dossier by James Reese by pure happenstance--caught my eye at the library.  And I loved it.  I couldn't put it down.  It reads as if Reese had won at auction a dossier full of notes and such by Bram Stoker--author of Dracula--that details the events that led up to him writing the novel.  Namely one event--the hunt for famed serial killer Jack the Ripper.  It's written as an academic piece, complete with explanatory footnotes and everything.  But where one might fear that that would make it read a bit... clunky, it doesn't.  In fact, it kind of adds to the excitement.  I really feel like more people should know about this novel.


6. Nights in the Fall are also getting darker.  Name a dark book.

This one was a no-brainer for me.  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn might possibly be the darkest book I've ever read.  And I loved every damn minute of it.  It tells the story of a man whose wife goes missing, and it isn't too long before evidence starts piling up that makes him look like a suspect.  Then, midway through the telling, the twist.  And, oh boy, is it one hell of a twist.

7. Days are getting colder.  Share a heartwarming book that could warm up someone's cold heart on a rainy day.

This one was hard too.  I don't read a whole lot of heartwarming stuff.  But then, I remembered this gem of a series by Patricia C. Wrede.  The Enchanted Forest Chronicles tells the story of a princess who doesn't want to do the frilly princess-y stuff her parents want her to do, so she sets off into the Enchanted Forest.  To get herself kidnapped by a dragon.  Deliberately.  It's hilarious.  And it's just such a fun read.

8. Fall returns every year.  Name an old favorite to return to.

We all saw this one coming, right?  This one is my favorite in the series, for reasons I won't state for fear of spoilers.  But this one.  I will always re-read this one.

9. And, finally, Fall is perfect for cozy reading nights.  Share a favorite reading accessory.

This last one is kind of a dud when it comes to me.  I read mostly at work, so basically, my only requirement for reading is the book.  But, if given the time, I do like to curl up with pillows and a blanket.




And that's all for the Finally Fall book tag.  So, let me all know what you think about this.  Also, what would your answers be to these questions?  This was fun.  I'll see you all next Thursday!

 








 

Dealing with Rejection

No, I didn't suddenly turn this into a dating blog.  Actually, seeing as I've been with the same guy since I was seventeen, this wouldn't be that great of a dating blog.  I'm talking about literary rejection.  I've had a, um, rough week.  Nothing life-threatening.  Just one of those blue weeks where everything seems to pile up.  Among other things, I faced not one, but two literary rejections.  My novella and novel were both passed on--very nicely, though.  And, although you're told as an aspiring writer that this stuff happens, it still stings.  So what's an author to do?  Honestly, to get out of the rejection dejection I recommend looking to three different sources: honesty, inspiration, and hope.

The first one, honesty, is the hardest.  Also, before I go into this, I mean real honesty.  Don't despair and tell yourself that your work is crap after only one rejection.  Hell, don't even do it for ten.  As long as it is your dream to work as an author, then you keep pushing on.  But, face some realities.  First, it might take a while.  Second, maybe your work needs some touching up.  Thirdly, did you aim for the right audience?  Let me explain a bit here.  My novel, Ash, was rejected by an open door submission.  Yes, again, it stings, but... they had had it since December.  That's about nine months, give or take a day.  If you have any kind of realist in you--and, whether you write for fantasy or not, you should have a little--you are still going to be thinking about the novel you submitted.  In my case, I thought of two things nearly constantly.  One, scenes where I could spruce up dialogue or description despite my edits.  Two, the audience my book was intended for.  I sent it to a sub that was asking for Sci-Fi/Fantasy adult novels.  And, the more I thought about it, the more I read in the age group, the more I realized... My book is Young Adult.  I didn't set out to write it that way.  It's just how it happened.  I missed the mark on that one.  But you know what?  This gave me a clarity on what to do next.  Honesty helps in all aspects of life.

Next was inspiration.  I looked to authors who were either super freakin' famous, meant something to me, or both.  Let me tell you something right now... every author has been rejected at least once.  Every.  Author.  In fact, in my research for this post to gain exact numbers, I was floored to learn that The Diary of Anne Frank was rejected a whoopin' fifteen times!  Now, that doesn't really make my list of favorites, I just found it fascinating.  This was a firsthand account of what it was like to be Jewish in the world of Hitler's Germany... and fifteen publishers said, "No, thanks."  And that's nothing to the authors I intentionally searched for.  JK Rowling--of superstar Harry Potter fame--was rejected twelve times for Philosopher's Stone.  Now, she rides the line between billionaire and not, depending on her charitable givings.  Madeline L'Engle, who wrote the wonderful A Wrinkle in Time, a book I've always loved, was rejected twenty-six times.  And finally, Stephen King--Emperor of Horror--was rejected THIRTY times for his debut novel, Carrie.  Thirty times.  Now me, personally, I see this, and I think one thing: I can still do this.

Lastly, hope.  We're digging in the bottom of Pandora's Box here.  But I have hope, and you should too.  I mean, did you read that all caps up there?  Thirty times.  I'm not even asking to be that famous.  I just want a career.  And because of my honesty, I have a direct course of action: re-read, spruce, find agent.  I have hope because I'm willing to put in the work.  It is work, too; don't be mistaken.  So, I'll end this blog here, because I do have work to do.  Have hope.  Keep pushing.  Dreams are worth fighting for, and I don't intend to stop.

See you all next Thursday!

Seven Books that I Have Loved (or that Has Influenced Me)

So, a while back on Facebook, I was tagged in a challenge to post a cover of a book that I either loved or that influenced me in some way for seven days in a row--with no explanation.  Then I thought, "I'm long winded.  Let me explain."  Also, I kind of forgot to finish the seven days.  So, here I am now, posting those same covers, but now with explanations.  I hope everyone enjoys.

1. Goosebumps: Monster Blood

I like creepy things.  Not necessarily outright scary things, but I definitely love things that give most people the creeps.  This was the start of that--at least, as far as I can remember.  Also, this was the first chapter book I ever read that was offhandedly suggested to me by a stranger (a librarian).  I didn't have to read it for school and my mom didn't suggest it.  Someone who didn't know me at all pointed me in this direction.  This led to me reading every single Goosebumps book I could get a hold of--including one that gave me a paranoia about making sure fires are completely out.  I remember not being able to put this down as it wound down to its conclusion.  This was the first book that excited me.  For that, it's very important.


2. Wishbone Classics: The Odyssey

This one seems a little silly.  First, allow me to explain to people who only ever saw these books in stores but never picked one up: this wasn't exactly like the popular PBS show.  Wishbone didn't play the lead role in this book.  No, this was just a... child-safe version of Homer's The Odyssey with small cartoons of Wishbone (the dog pictured, in case you don't know) making quips about what was happening on the page.  So, this was the very first time I ever read The Odyssey, which is the tale of Odysseus trying to get home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.  I love Greek Mythology, and thanks to starting here, I have read the Odyssey--in more grown up versions--several times over the years... I'm probably gonna say that I read it once a year for at least five to seven years in a row.  This dog is what started my love of Greek myths.


3. Silver Moon, Bloody Bullets: An Anthology of Werewolf Tails

Okay, so I'm a little biased  here, but the answer to why I chose this book is simple.  This anthology--published by PillHillPress and sadly no longer in print--contained the first short story I ever published.  It was a piece called "The In Crowd."  I remember thinking, as I emailed it in to the submissions call, that there was no way anyone would want to read the piece of crap I had just written.  (Sounds like I was down on my writing, right?  Nope.  It just has a lot of action in it, and I always doubt my ability to convincingly write action sequences.)  Much to my joy and surprise, it was accepted.  Also, if you've made it this far in reading this post, I'm thinking about podficcing an original piece of mine and posting here as one of my regularly scheduled posts.  Let me know what you think about that, dear reader.


4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I really struggled with this one.  Because I love this whole damn series.  I do.  I mean, yeah, there's a few that I haven't read in a little while... but honestly, I was torn between this one and The Half-Blood Prince.  I adored both of those.  And HBP was probably my overall favorite in the series (and I know, everyone else is either Order of the Phoenix or Prisoner of Azkaban).  But I had to go with this one because... it had all the answers.  Everything I had pondered and theorized about (two of which I was 100% right about, btw) was wrapped up in here.  Also, I had much more emotion during this.  Not only because it was the end of an era, but also because it's just really sad what happens in that last 100 or so pages.  Ah... I love it.


5. Queen of the Damned

I read The Vampire Chronicles largely out of order.  And, honestly, I can't remember how far along I was before I picked up and read this, the third one in the series.  I know I wasn't far.  I had just seen the (God-awful) movie (and loved it at the time).  I loved the soundtrack from the film (which still holds up).  So, naturally, I decided to read the book.  This book... was so good I can't even watch the film (which gets just about everything wrong).  To this day, whenever someone asks me about The Vampire Chronicles, I make it a point to mention how this one is a favorite.  My favorite character in the entire series is--most obviously--Lestat.  However, the story of the creation of the vampires was so compelling that Lestat's parts during this telling (it's told in multiple points of view) were aggravating.  For the first--and only--time in the Chronicles, I didn't get two pieces of crap what Lestat had to say.  I wanted the story of the Queen and the red-haired witches who could commune with the dead.  Still my favorite today, but in case anyone wanted to know, the first book in the New Chronicles of the Vampire series in which Rice continues her Chronicles mirrors this one in its writing style in all the best ways.



6. Sherlock Holmes

Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat.  I grew up watching a lot of different versions of Sherlock because my mom was a huge mystery buff.  When it was time to read a short story or two in school, I was no stranger to the detective that lived at 221B Baker Street.  I've read a ton of short stories--my favorite being "The Adventure of the Speckled Band."  I've read the story where Sherlock "dies."  I've read the one where he comes back.  But, out of the five (it is five, right... *quickly Googles*) no, sorry, four... Well, this makes me feel better.  Out of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, I've read two.  A Study in Scarlet (the first) and Hound of the Baskervilles (the most popular).  I liked Study better, honestly.  Sherlock isn't in Hound a whole lot--at least, not through Watson's point of view.  I fully intend to acquire and read the other two novels.  But this has greatly influenced me... I love characters of Sherlock's type, and although I don't overly claim "mystery" as a favorite genre... I do like to read one occasionally.



7. Batman: No Man's Land

*laughs loudly*  I know, you must think I'm nuts.  I've included literary classics on this list--as well as new literary favorites.  I've listed childhood favorites because of their influence on me as a person.  So what the hell is this book doing here?  Firstly, I'm a die-hard Batman fan.  Like, no joke.  Moreso, I'm a die-hard Joker fan.  This is the novelization of the game-changing graphic novel series of the same name.  And, honestly, back when I read it, it was probably the best book I had read that year.  Well written with a crazy compelling story.  That story, btw, is that Gotham City has been hit with a ginormous earthquake, reducing most of it to rubble.  Arkham Asylum has been cracked open, and chaos reigns as crooks and crazies run the streets.  People are advised to evacuate because, instead of sending help to the city, the government blows the bridges to the island-bound city and declares it a No Man's Land.  There's so many story lines here, but they all blend perfectly.  And the ending... oh, that ending.  If you've read the comics, then you know what I'm talking about, even without this novel.  But when I think of great Batman novels... this one is tops.



So, that's it.  Seven books that I either loved or that influenced me.  What books do you love?  Let me know.  As always, see you next Thursday!

Organizing a Writing Calendar

This is still not the original blog I wanted to do tonight.  I haven't gone through my massive pile of books yet, as life has gotten in the way time-wise.  (I covered that in my last post, did I not?)  As such, tonight, we'll just have a quickie post, as this writer has actually got to get some writing done.  Tonight, I'm going to talk to you about something that has always been immensely helpful to me, in any form its taken over the years--a writing calendar.

Birthday gift made of awesomeness

My calendars take either one of two forms: a Word chart or my "everything" notebook as pictured above.  And, honestly, there's very little difference between the two, save for one being typed and the other being handwritten.  Well... there's a touch more of a difference.  First, though, let me cover what a writing calendar even is.  Simply put, it's my list of writing projects coupled with dates they need to be completed by.  It doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but, guys, you have no idea how much it helps.  It makes something that can be fairly abstract become very concrete, which also serves the purpose of making it feel more attainable. 

There's no hard and fast rule about how to set one up either.  Whatever works for you.  When I do one on Word--which is usually a collection more of short story deadlines than a collection of all my writing projects--I usually include the publisher's name, a little section describing the publisher's requirements, a box that I mark whether I actually submitted anything or not, the date it's due, and what it pays.  And it's made just using the table function standard on any Word doc.  My written one is just a touch different.

Please excuse my handwriting

My written one much more on a list format.  Also, it's more under my control, rather than some publisher's.  On it, I simply take into account all the things I want to accomplish within a certain period of time--like, say, quarterly for the year.  Then, using what I know about when each finished product is due, I organize it all into dates I want things done.  Some things on this list will be items that have no set due date, which is where this version of the writing calendar is more controllable.  I, as of now, have... 3 projects, I believe, with solid dates on them.  However, I have 3 more that I want to work on at least starting before the end of the year.  Now, I have to gather all my data--the solid dates, what each individual project will require of me, real-life obligations--and use it to form my calendar.  While it's as simple as that, it is also quite frustrating, at least for me.  Yes, it gives me more control, but I am a notorious procrastinator.  I am more than aware that these are dates I've given me, and not given to me by someone else.  So, on this list, it's easier for me to be like, "Ehh... we'll scootch this on down later in the month..."  That's something to watch for, as it is something that I have to be aware of.

And that's it for tonight.  Short, sweet, to the point.  I recommend a calendar--which can also include steps in your process, like "have outline done by 15th" or something like that.  It really helps keep you on track and getting stuff done.  Got any other suggestions?  I'd love to hear them.  Until then, see you next Thursday!

Writing: The Game of Hurry Up and Wait

Originally, I had a different subject in mind for tonight's blog post.  However, I realized that that one would be better suited to next week's topic, given that I have to do a little digging through some books for it (literally).  So, look out for the discussion on a massive book haul I received next Thursday.  As for tonight's post, I'd thought I'd cover something that I sometimes have had to put some really great thought into: what do I do when I've got works submitted but haven't  heard back yet?

Now, don't mistake me here.  I don't mean the situation where I submitted a short story like three years ago to a publisher who promised like a three month response rate and still haven't heard back.  No, what I mean is, what to do in a situation where you know you'll have a long wait.  In my case, I currently have a novel, novella, and a short story out in the void.  Now, the short story is a situation where I'm waiting a little longer than expected, but it has been semi-regularly updated with proper explanations so that's fine.  But novels and novellas?  Whew.  Those waits are the worst.  Shortest response I think I've ever heard suggested on a novel is six months... while novellas are around the same, sometimes a tad shorter.  Just depends on the publisher's general workload.  So, your baby (babies) are out in the world, and you're waiting on either some really great or really disappointing news.  What do you do in the meantime? 

The answer is quite simple.  You write.  "But," you might say, "what if I am just too anxious over waiting on this news?  What if my next planned project was the sequel to said novel or novella?"  Well, then to you I say, "Still write."  Now life can get in the way of your passion and dream of writing, especially if you are working a regular 9 to 5 and generally have a family.  But that doesn't mean that you're done.  Writing is never done.  Never.  I'm sure you've all heard the advice, "Write everyday.   Get something on that page."  And that's great advice that doesn't change no matter what's going on... but I would amend it.  I would said, "Write everyday IF YOU CAN." 

I don't mean "if the muse allows."  No.  The muse is too mercurial for you to make a living that way.  I mean if life allows.  I have only stopped at my computer this week like three times for something writing related because my oldest--as I mentioned here in my last post--just started school.  It took some adjusting.  So, in that regard, one of the things you can do while you wait to hear back on your babies--and take the time to remind your loved ones what your face looks like--is just to prioritize.  Make a list.  Write down everything writing related you need to accomplish--and, like I do to make sure I properly drive myself insane, write down life-wise stuff too.  It's important to gather and know your thoughts before putting those words down, I think.  Lists make my brain focus on not only tasks at hand, but those in the very near future. 

Actual picture of one of my muses.  I swear, I'm not the cause for this reaction (this time).

You could also take this time to work on some old trunk stories to sell.  (Trunk stories are stories that are so old and outdated that you've packed them away for later, if that wasn't clear.)  I have two (possibly three) stories that I want to take out and polish in order to sell them to someone else.  So, those suckers are on my to-do list.  Getting started in writing is just as much about quantity sometimes as it is quality.  But one should never be sacrificed for the other.  Really.  I mean this.  Don't sacrifice quality.  Ever.

I am also writing on a for-fun project that is due to be finished by... sometime in October, I believe.  It's not gonna get me paid, but it will help me focus on areas of my writing that could use some improvement.  Also, some ideas from this project might get reborn in the future into something I could sell.  I have no plans as such now, but who knows?  It's happened to me before. 

Reading is also important.  Reading is as important to writing as actually writing words is, in my opinion.  If you don't read, then you tend to forgot how to use the words.  Using the words is important.  It's literally all that writing is.  So catch up on a novel or two while you wait. 

Picture of the last book I finished.  Dude, I so recommend this book series.

There's also this great free thing in November called NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month.  I can't talk about this thing enough.  50,000 words in 30 days.  It is the best kind of rat race, and the community found on the site is truly great.  I haven't had any luck with online NaNo groups outside of their site, but seriously, check out the forums.  Everyone's stressed, writing, and freaking out.  Together.  Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  The rule is--which, no one is gonna like come and knee-cap you if you break this (we're all on the honor system)--you don't start writing those 50,000 words until 12:01am of November 1st.  Last day to reach 50,000 and have it count is November 30th 11:59pm.  When it is a tad closer to time, I'll share my personal stories on here for the years that I won so that maybe it'll help someone out there feel the same wonderful sense of accomplishment that I have.   But, my point now is that prepping for NaNo is something that can start right now while you wait.

I also won (hit 50k) in 2014 and 2016 but can't find the banners.

Perhaps this is another rambling blog, but my overall point is this:  if you aren't writing, you should be.  You should be busy.  I find that the busier I am, the more I write.  It's insane, but true.  Don't just idly sit and wait for that rejection (or acceptance).  Don't put all your eggs in that basket.  Write.  Stay busy and the wait will be easier for you.  Start that damn sequel too.  Even if you get rejected by one publisher, doesn't mean that you'll get rejected by all.  You might get a million "no's", but it only takes one "yes."  That's all I've got to say on the subject.  I'm off to do some writing while I wait.  See you all next Thursday!