Sunday, December 11, 2011
Holiday Break!
Hi, everyone! I'm going to take a blogging break for the rest of the month and (hopefully) get some serious writing done! I hope everyone has a beautiful end to 2011, and I'll see you next year! :) Happy Holidays!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Random Thoughts: Online Shopping and Weekend Fun
1. Yay for online shopping! That’s making my Christmas shopping this year so much easier. I get to avoid the perpetually crowded mall!
2. I love watching Sunday morning talk shows about politics. I always come away from them feeling smarter.
3. I’ve started frequenting the adult fiction & literature section of the bookstore and library, instead of the YA section. My new protagonist is older, and I want to read more books about characters my age—that’s what I’m leaning toward now, in any case. If anyone has a recommendation, I’d love that!
4. Stina Lindenblatt has been doing a wonderful blog series about what to give writers for Christmas (CLICK HERE to visit her blog). Considering I never have any idea what to ask for, I’m loving her recommendations!
5. It’s going to be a weekend of writing and hot chocolate and yummy Italian food for me! I’m so excited. :)
Happy Friday, everyone! Anyone have any fun weekend plans?
2. I love watching Sunday morning talk shows about politics. I always come away from them feeling smarter.
3. I’ve started frequenting the adult fiction & literature section of the bookstore and library, instead of the YA section. My new protagonist is older, and I want to read more books about characters my age—that’s what I’m leaning toward now, in any case. If anyone has a recommendation, I’d love that!
4. Stina Lindenblatt has been doing a wonderful blog series about what to give writers for Christmas (CLICK HERE to visit her blog). Considering I never have any idea what to ask for, I’m loving her recommendations!
5. It’s going to be a weekend of writing and hot chocolate and yummy Italian food for me! I’m so excited. :)
Happy Friday, everyone! Anyone have any fun weekend plans?
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Educating Myself (or, Why I Need to Learn British Slang)
My new WiP requires me to research poetry, art, and London, among other things. I’m reading books about the Romantic Revolution, asking my London friends for British slang, and trying my best to understand poetry (never that much of a strong suit for me). The pre-writing process was so much longer this time, as I tried to absorb as much as I could about these subjects before I started writing.
It’s a lot of work. But what made me so excited about this idea was actually the fact that it would force me to research all of the topics that have fascinated me for so long. My protagonist is educated in areas that I only have a passing knowledge of, and in order to write from her POV, I have to become at least proficient in these subjects. And so I’m growing as a person as I write. And I have a whole lot of random things to contribute at cocktail parties now, so there’s that.
I’ve never had to do much research for a book before, either creating a new world or writing about a contemporary one that was close to my own. But I may start doing research projects for my books from now on, because this is so much fun.
What about you? Have you ever had to research for a book? Got any British slang to share?
It’s a lot of work. But what made me so excited about this idea was actually the fact that it would force me to research all of the topics that have fascinated me for so long. My protagonist is educated in areas that I only have a passing knowledge of, and in order to write from her POV, I have to become at least proficient in these subjects. And so I’m growing as a person as I write. And I have a whole lot of random things to contribute at cocktail parties now, so there’s that.
I’ve never had to do much research for a book before, either creating a new world or writing about a contemporary one that was close to my own. But I may start doing research projects for my books from now on, because this is so much fun.
What about you? Have you ever had to research for a book? Got any British slang to share?
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
I'm Not Here!
Just a quick note that I'm over at Alexa's amazing blog, Not Enough Bookshelves, talking about why Sean and Puck from The Scorpio Races are my fave couple of the year! CLICK HERE to swoon over Sean Kendrick with me. :)
Monday, December 5, 2011
Decorating the Tree and Rachael Yamagata
Things that make me happy, even on a Monday:
1. Writing things down on my to-do list that I’ve already done, and then crossing them off. Makes me smile every time.
2. Decorating the Christmas tree. I do this with my parents every year, and even though our tree this year leans slightly forward, I find it endearing. Also, the smell of the tree just makes the holiday season for me.
3. Starbucks holiday mugs. Especially when they’re filled with Peppermint Mocha Lattes. :)
4. Cold fronts! It’s actually fifty degrees outside again, instead of being the seventies like it was earlier this week. Yay for real sweater weather!
5. Rachael Yamagata. I went to her concert this weekend, and she has the most amazing voice. Also, “Worn Me Down” was pretty much my anthem in college (even though the lyrics have no application on my own life, thank goodness).
Happy Monday, everyone! Anything making you happy this week?
1. Writing things down on my to-do list that I’ve already done, and then crossing them off. Makes me smile every time.
2. Decorating the Christmas tree. I do this with my parents every year, and even though our tree this year leans slightly forward, I find it endearing. Also, the smell of the tree just makes the holiday season for me.
3. Starbucks holiday mugs. Especially when they’re filled with Peppermint Mocha Lattes. :)
4. Cold fronts! It’s actually fifty degrees outside again, instead of being the seventies like it was earlier this week. Yay for real sweater weather!
5. Rachael Yamagata. I went to her concert this weekend, and she has the most amazing voice. Also, “Worn Me Down” was pretty much my anthem in college (even though the lyrics have no application on my own life, thank goodness).
Happy Monday, everyone! Anything making you happy this week?
Friday, December 2, 2011
Random Thoughts: Christmas Music and Chai Lattes
1. It’s finally, officially Christmas season! One of the radio stations in town is playing only Christmas music, and my car rides are thus exponentially more fun.
2. I’ve developed a new method to ensure I reach my word count goals: I’ll go the coffee shop in the evenings, keep my laptop unplugged, and write until I run out of battery. Since I usually listen to music as I write, this means I write for about four hours straight. And since I’m not much of an evening writer, this is nothing short of a miracle.
3. For at least an hour of that four hours, though, I’m people-watching. I love my little hipster coffeehouse!
4. Chai lattes are my new favorite drink. They’re like pumpkin bread in a cup, only better.
5. I’ve become enmeshed in the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty. How have I not read these books before? They follow Jessica from high school to the real world after college, and that is the perfect age range for me. Plus, Marcus Flutie? SWOON.
Happy Friday, everyone! Anyone have any fun weekend plans?
2. I’ve developed a new method to ensure I reach my word count goals: I’ll go the coffee shop in the evenings, keep my laptop unplugged, and write until I run out of battery. Since I usually listen to music as I write, this means I write for about four hours straight. And since I’m not much of an evening writer, this is nothing short of a miracle.
3. For at least an hour of that four hours, though, I’m people-watching. I love my little hipster coffeehouse!
4. Chai lattes are my new favorite drink. They’re like pumpkin bread in a cup, only better.
5. I’ve become enmeshed in the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty. How have I not read these books before? They follow Jessica from high school to the real world after college, and that is the perfect age range for me. Plus, Marcus Flutie? SWOON.
Happy Friday, everyone! Anyone have any fun weekend plans?
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