Book of the Month: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard!

For the month of June I was a good little reader, because not only did I finally manage to read one book, I ended up reading three! And these books are part of the fabulous PRETTY LITTLE LIARS series by Sara Shepard! Today, for those of you who haven't read the series, I'll just review the first one, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. Here's the summery from Goodreads:

Three years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since. Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief. Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known. Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world. When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in. Are they being betrayed by some one in their circle? Worse yet: Is Alison back? A strong launch for a suspenseful series.

Sounds awesome, no? The first thing you should know about this series is to not let the Barbie-like cover fool you. It may look like a harmless MG novel on the outside, but on the inside...it's YA all the way, baby! This book is amazing, it's dark, suspenseful, creepy and full of secrets and lies and twists and turns that'll leave you guessing all the way to the very end!

I also love how the book is told from four POVs! I can hardly handle writing from one, let alone four! But Sara's got it in the bag! I also love how she "goes there" throughout the story, exploring tough subjects such as a student-teacher romance, an eating disorder, infidelity, and figuring out your true sexuality.

Sara explores these subjects with honesty and really makes you experience the feelings that accompany these subjects as if your the one experiencing them, while all the while mixing in a creepy murder mystery, a relentless stalker and of course swoon-worthy boys and kissing!

I devoured this book in just three days and quickly began eating up the rest! In fact, I'm ready to start reading book four! So, take it from me: don't judge a book by it's cover, you might just be surprised at (and love!) what lies between its pages!

Now, go forth my friends and READ THIS BOOK! You won't be sorry! :)

~Ella

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

During the month of May I had the huge pleasure of reading an amazing Middle Grade called A Tale Dark and Grimm by the clever and talented Adam Gidwitz. I don't read a lot of MG, but I'm so glad I decided to read this one! Here's the summary from Adam's website:

Reader, beware.

Warlocks with dark spells, hunters with deadly aim, and bakers with ovens retro-fitted for baking children lurk within these pages.

But if you dare,

Follow Hansel and Gretel as they walk out of their own story and into the wilds—where magic, terror, and a little bit of humor shine like white pebbles lighting the way.

Come on in. It may be frightening, and it’s certainly bloody, but, unlike those other fairy tales you know, this one is true.

Once upon a time, you see, fairy tales were awesome.

I loved this book. From the first page I was hooked, laughing, gasping, and crinkling my nose in disgust. This book has it all! My favorite parts were when the author himself would cut in during the story to offer his own bits of humorous wisdom or advice. This book would be great to read aloud at bedtime or in the classroom and I think it would delight both kids and adults alike! I'm 22 and in college and I loved it! What's awesome about this book is that Adam takes familiar (and not so familiar) fairytales and turns them upside down to create a story full of action, adventure, sibling loyalty, a little romance, a little blood, and finding a place to belong in the world. I highly recommend this book! :)

~Ella

Tuesday Confesses

1. I'm in love with a book...a MG called A Tale So Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz! Check it out! You won't be disappointed!

2. Come join me for JuNoWriMo, where you choose your own writing goals (word count goals, revision goals, etc.) for the month of June, starting tomorrow!

3. My new favorite show on T.V. is Mercy, it's addicting! Check it out on Netflix!

4. I think I've finally discovered a method that will help me make first drafting fun and structured at the same time: The Outline-Pantser Hybrid Method!

5. I'm in awe of Nova Ren Suma (author of Imaginary Girls) and her amazing path to publication! Check out her bio and the links within it to learn more about her inspiring journey!

~Ella

Me+Time Management=FAIL!

I have 3 words for you: Me+time management=Big. Fat. FAIL!

Take my blog posts, for example: My post day for this blog is every Tuesday. Do I ever post on time?

Rarely.

Like this afternoon, I knew I had to do a post today and I almost took advantage of the fact that it was still early in the day and wrote my post so that I would get it done on time, but did that end up happening? Obviously not, because, like what usually happens, is I think about completing the task for a second, but then immediately after that I get sidetracked by something else, like blog surfing, lol.

So, since I get easily sidetracked and distracted, things that I know I should be doing get put on the back burner for things that I would rather be doing. It's a vicious cycle and affects every aspect of my life, like exercising, homework, and, of course, writing.

I know writing should be categorized in the Things I'd Rather Be Doing category, but for months now its felt like such a chore, an obligation, and I hate that. Lately, I've been trying to make it more of a priority by starting word wars, making schedules and even forcing myself to get out of the house and go to my favorite coffee shop to write, but even that was difficult.

So I think, where writing is concerned, I can't make it a priority until I learn to love it again, or else every time I make time to write and manage my time correctly, it'll still feel like pulling teeth and that's the last thing I want to have happen. As for figuring out how to manage my time for everything else...wish me luck! :P

How about you? Are you good at time management and balancing writing with life's other demands? Any tips? Lemme know in the comments!

~Ella

Cover Love!

There are sooo many amazing book covers to choose from these days, and as hard as it is to decide on a favorite, here are my top 6 (in no particular order):

Clearly, these lucky authors have struck gold and won the cover lottery! I can only hope that the cover for my future published book will be half as amazing as these ones! What are some of your fav book covers? :)

~Ella

Making My Hopes and Dreams My Characters' Realities

I think I write myself into my work by making my hopes and dreams into my characters' realities. For example, there are many things I wish I was and had, such as:

1. I want to be skinny
2. I want to have my first kiss
3, Go on my first date
4. Be athletic
5. Be musical
6. Live in a farmhouse
7. Have awesome paranormal abilities :)

So when I'm trying to come up with a new story idea or plot or character, I just choose from my long list of of hopes and dreams and wants and add one or many to my story and then go from there, because if I'm writing about something that I long for personally, then I'm much more willing to keep writing (and living vicariously through my work)! :)

~Ella

Tuesday Randomly Confesses

Here are my confessions for the month of April (in no particular order):

1. Watching the movie Enchanted makes me believe in fairytales and true love again :)

2. I'm actually really excited about the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday! I've never watched one live on T.V. before!

3. Last night, at exactly 1 A.M., I finished watching the complete series of Veronica Mars and I couldn't be more sad that it's over. :( Kieth and Veronica Mars had the best father-daughter relationship I've ever seen and I will miss the show terribly. It's so wrong that it had to end after only 3 seasons! Veronica Mars FOREVER!

4. I'm seriously considering trying to write something in a teenage boy's POV...wish me luck!

~Ella

Tuesday Hates Writing About...

For the most part, I love everything about writing, but there are some things I despise writing about, like:

1. Settings: This one is so hard, I never know where my stories are going to take place, so I just avoid mentioning a specific setting until after the rough draft is finished.

2. Opposite sex MCs: I have a love-hate relationship with this one, because I love the idea of writing a story from a male point of view, since my MCs are almost always female and it'd be fun to switch things up and try something new, but I'm always so afraid of making my male MC sound "girlish". Lately though, I've been wrestling with this one since I've stumbled across some new books (THROUGH TO YOU by Emily Hainsworth and TEMPEST by Julie Cross) where the author is female and their MC is male and the stories and male MCs sound fascinating, and it sounds like the authors had a lot of fun writing from the male POV, so I'm reconsidering giving it a shot! :) *quakes with nervousness*

3. Sex scenes: I have no problem reading them, but writing them...no thank you. I don't know the first thing about writing scenes like this, and I'd be afraid of it coming off as unrealistic, plus, I have way too much fun writing about first kisses, anyway. 'Cause really, is there anything better then a perfect (or not so perfect) first kiss? :)

4. Writing a story from multiple POVs: I have the same feeling about this one that I do about writing opposite sex MCs. I love the idea of it, but when it comes to the execution... :P There are some authors however who do this very well, like Jackson Pearce (As You Wish, Sisters Red), who seems to be able to eff0rtlessly switch from one character's head to the next without breaking a sweat, it's amazing and I want to be (and write like) her when I grow up! I'd be willing to give this one a shot too though, so we'll see! :)

So, what things do you hate to write? Do you have any tips for getting over the above writing hates? Let me know in the comments!

~Ella

How Non-Writers React

This week we're talking about how non-writers react to our "hobby" of writing. I love talking about writing with with both writers and non-writers alike... It just depends where the talking takes place. If it's online, then I can talk till the cows come home, but if it's in real life, I freeze up and get super shy. I'm not sure why this is, I think it's because I feel more secure talking about it online because I don't have to talk to people face-to-face. If I'm sitting across from the person, I feel vulnerable, scared of being judged, afraid that the person'll laugh in my face if I say too much. As for how they react, both online and real life non-writers have been very supportive of my writing for the most part and are always interested in learning about what I'm writing about, whether I'm seeking publication and wanting to read some of my stuff. I love the attention, even though I may be a little shocked and embarrassed that they even want to listen to what I have to say on the topic of writing. There was one time, when I was writing at a local coffee shop, that I got to talking with another customer when she helped me carry my drink to my table. She saw me hunched over my writing notebook, scribbling away, and started asking me the usual questions that non-writers ask writers, "Ohhh, what are you writing?" and then, as she was leaving, she stopped by my table and asked me to write my name down on one of her business cards so that she could look for my name if I ever got published and read my book. :) I was flattered, to say the least, and hastily scribbled down my name on the business card. That was a very significant moment for me in my writing career because it showed me that even though we barely knew each other, this women was willing and open enough to believe in me and my writing. And that means more to me then I can say. :) ~Ella

Lair, Liar, Pants on Fire!

In March, while on vacation in Mexico for two weeks, I had the absolute pleasure of reading The Liar Society by the famous sister witing duo, Lisa and Laura Roecker! Here's the product description from Amazon:

Since when do the dead send emails?

Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu

From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu

Subject: (no subject)

Kate,

I'm here... sort of.

Find Cameron. He knows.

I shouldn't be writing.

Don't tell. They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder...

Sounds juicy, no? :) I've been reading Lisa and Laura's blog for a little over two years now, and their posts always make my day, so when their book finally came into the world, I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed! I love a good mystery and Kate's story kept me eagerly turning the pages. The grief and confusion she feels over Grace's death is so raw and real and something I could totally relate to, how everyone tells you to move on with your life and to let that person go, but you just can't seem to find the strength to.

I found it interesting how Kate totally reinvented herself after Grace's death, complete with a fab. set of pearls and pink hair! Kate and her story actually reminded me a lot of another teen detective, Veronica Mars. Both Kate and Veronica are spunky, outspoken and willing to fight for what they believe in and are always on the lookout for justice and the truth, no matter what the cost. But they also have a vulnerable side to them as well and I love when they let their guard down and reveal their true emotions.

And no YA would be complete without a lovable sidekick and a totally hot guy! Seth, Kate's lovesick next door neighbor, is a total brain, loyal, and always willing to help Kate out when she's in a jam. Plus, he loves to snack :P I <3 dorky/lovable sidekicks! But let's not forget Liam *swoon*! He's all mystery and definitely a boy with some secrets, but, try as she might, Kate just can't seem to stay away from him. He may be tall, dark and handsome, but he's also kind, funny, and not afraid to get in harm's way to protect Kate. But also, he's just hot! :)

So, if you like a mystery full of twists and turns that'll leave guessing till the very end, unexpected surprises, hot guys and sassy heroines (with rockin' pink hair) then The Liar Society is the book the book for you!

~Ella

THE PARTY CONTINUES: A Story to Tell

Hey all! Hope you're having a wonderful day in sunny where-ever-ville. 

Part of a great Block Party is spreading the news about wonderfully awesome things and we have a great one for you! Tahereh Mafi is a 23-year-old author represented by Jodi Reamer of Writer's House. Her debut novel, SHATTER ME, is set to release November 15th of this year! We have the great pleasure of sharing a post she published on her blog (go here!) just a few days ago. 

READ ON! READ ON!

so this is a story.

it's a story about all the things you've ever wanted and all the things you didn't know you even had it in you to want and you sit there. you watch the windows and you wait for the mail and you jump up, alert, ready for even the smallest bit of news, something to change, something different coming your way, something to tell you your time has come. maybe now maybe in just a moment maybe even tomorrow.

you wait for it.

you open the doors and look outside and walk up and down the driveway. you check your watch and peek into the neighbor's yard and wonder why they never open their blinds anymore. you sit on the sidewalk. you smile at the strangers who stroll past, leashes laced into fingers clenched, concentrated on keeping the dogs at bay. don't step out of line, little quadruped. don't bark too loudly and don't jump too high and make sure, they tell you, they say make sure you sign on the dotted line and don't forget to file your taxes on time. wear your shiniest shoes just to stand in lines and fidget just enough, smile just a little, nod at nothing in particular and shove your hands in your pockets and pretend you're unable to make eye contact with anything but that spot, that little mark on the wall 50 feet from where you're standing. pretend you're just a number.

tap your left foot. shift your weight. tug at your collar and bite your bottom lip and take a deep breath. look around a little. check your wrist for the time you've lost and beg a stranger for a cigarette.

flip the channels on your television and watch the colors flicker and fade. pay your bills and play with the kids, touch the aging walls, run your hands through your hair and ignore whatever it is in your throat that you just can't seem to swallow. close the windows in your home and open the windows on your desk, forget all about outer space and lose yourself in cyberspace and click away the moments, the conversations you're not interested in having.

open that word document and stare at it.

wait for the moment. stare at the cursor blinking back at you and study it, try to ignore the bleats of your heart as you check your phone for no missed calls, no new messages, no news worth staining your screen. try to stop your fingers from running a marathon down your thigh.

tell the moment to jump off a cliff.

stack the dishes in the sink and shove the papers off your desk and cut the cord on your internet connection. lose the pleats in your pants. pick up your fingers and put them to work. catch the clock on the wall and put it in your pocket. chain it to your wrist. don't let it go.

don't wait for someone else's moment. write the book ripping a hole in your chest and seize the hours slipping through your fingers because it's now, the moment is now, it's right now it's always been right in front of you.

don't apologize for having a story to tell.

apologize for not telling it.

<3

Thanks Tahereh for letting us post it! Go here to visit her in her own domain. (You won't regret it!)

So, what did you think? Inspired? Fired up? 

What story do you have to tell? And better yet, are you telling it?

It Has Been One Month Since My Last Confession...

1. Lately, I've become addicted to eating fruit. Seriously, I've been eating 1-3 pieces of fruit everyday, usually apples or oranges. Weird, I know, but so good!

2. I <3 Rolling in the Deep by Adele! And what's most shocking to me besides her killer voice...she's only 23!

3. I can't wait to see Red Riding Hood and Beastly! 2011 seems to be the year for retold fairytales! :)

4. Lately, whenever I run across a blog saying that someone has snagged a book deal or it's the day of their book release, I get a little teary-eyed. Why? I'm not sure, I think, even though it's something I want just as bad as any other writer working toward publication and I may feel a pang of jealousy, it also feels great to see that if they can do it, I can too. It feels amazing to know that this dream, however elusive it may seem at times, really is possible if you have passion and you work hard enough. And, most importantly, when you refuse to give up!

And, on that note, I want to give a HUGE congrats to Lisa and Laura Roecker, whose debut novel The Liar Society releases TODAY! YAY! I'm so happy for you both, girls, you deserve it! Now, go out and get yourself a copy! :)

~Ella

Name Sleuth

I don't really have a system when it comes to choosing the the perfect name for each of the characters in my stories. The name I spend the most time deciding upon is my main character's name. Since I'm going to be spending a lot of time with them I really want to love their name and not despise it whenever it comes up, or else I might start hating the character all together. For other characters I pretty much just pick whatever name I can think of really, I'm not very picky when it comes to them, plus I know I can change names later on in future drafts if I want to.

For me, finding the perfect names for my characters is one of my favorite parts of the writing process (and a also a great way to procrastinate, lol)! Two of the websites I like to use when I'm on the hunt for the perfect name are Baby Names and Nymbler. They're simple and easy to use and have a ton of great name suggestions along with name meanings and other interesting information!

Some of my favorite character names from books are names that reveal a lot about the character themselves. Some great examples of this are: Scarlett and Rosie March from Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, Ethan Wate from Beautiful Creatures by Kamie Garcia and Margaret Stohl, and, of course, all the character names from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling! All of her character names are as unique and awesome as the characters behind them (I'm looking at you, Dumbledor, aka bumblebee! :))

Happy name hunting!
~Ella

My Top 5 Favorite Leading Ladies!

1. Veronica Mars from Veronica Mars

Let me count the ways I love this girl! First off, she's a detective, she's witty, she kicks butt and takes names, has a really close relationship with her Dad and always manages to snag the really hot guys! What I really like about her though is that underneath that tough girl exterior, she really cares about her family and friends and I love when she let's her guard down and is vulnerable.

2. Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls


I love Rory because her and I are a lot alike: we're both painfully shy around the opposite sex, we dress comfortable and modest, we have close relationships with our friends and family, we both want to be writers (!) and we would rather sit in our room and read then attend a raging party! See, soul mates? :P I love Rory because she's real, she experiences real teenage problems and is someone who I really admire, plus, I really want to live in Stars Hollow! (And marry Luke Danes, heehee!)

3. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series

I love Hermione, because, like Rory, she's my soul mate! She's super smart, loves to read, is fiercely loyal to her friends and, hello, she's a witch and goes to Hogwarts, what's better then that?! Plus, I love the fact that she's can be strong and tough, but also heartbreakingly vulnerable (especially when it comes to Ron, *swoon*!)

4. Stacey Brown from the Blue is for Nightmares series by Laurie Faria Stolarz

OMG, I love this girl! Stacy rules because she's a witch (do you see a pattern forming here? :)), lives in an awesome boarding school, has a hilarious group of best friends and spends her time trying to save one best friend from falling into the hands of a psycho stalker, while trying to hide her feelings for her BFF's boyfriend...Stacey's awesome because, again, she's real, she's not glamours with model-like looks, she gets zits, has bad hair days, is sometimes late to class, has fights with her friends, experiences the ups and downs of romance, I just love her! And I could read this series again and again!

5. Violet Ambrose from The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting

Violet is awesome, plus I feel a little sorry for her since she has the ability to find the bodies of people that have been murdered...Not only that, but Violet is daring and brave and not afraid to search for the truth, no matter what it takes! She also has a really close relationship with her parents and extended family, which I love, she has an awesome group of friends and a raging crush on her BFF, Jay! This girl has it all...Kind of. Plus, Kimberly is a total sweetheart! :)

Now that you know some of my faves, it's your turn: who's your favorite leading lady and why?

~Ella

Will Self-Destruct in 3...2...1...!

I wasn't sure at first what my answer to this week's topic on self-destructive writing habits was going to be because I share a lot of the same habits as my fellow Ink Slingers, but I didn't want to repeat them here for fear of losing your interest in reading my post, so instead I've come up with a few other bad habits I know I have.

I am prone to boredom

You've heard this one from me before, several times as a matter of fact, but it's true: I have a horrible, horrible habit of starting a story and falling in love with it for a few days or weeks and then, slowly but surly, a Shiny New Idea will slither its way into my brain and I start to doubt the story I'm currently working on and decide instead to pursue that "better" idea until...you guessed it, that idea gets old as well and so I go in search of a new, "better" one and the ugly cycle repeats itself again and again! As a result, I'd say I have hundreds of unfinished stories hidden away inside various notebooks and computers from over the years, all left undone, my enthusiasm for each fizzling out. Shame on me, I know. :(

I lack confidence in my ability

This bad habit is also a biggie because it has stopped me (and is still stopping me) from pursuing certain story ideas because I think they're too much to take on, such as I don't know enough about my subject matter to continue, so I might as well move on to something I know I can tackle or I love an idea and it sounds fabulous in my head, but when I put pen to paper to try and write it down, the right words won't come to help me say what I'm trying say and my attempt at getting what I see in my head to transfer itself onto the page is total and utter poo and I give up.

So, as you can see, I have quite the dilemma, but unlike my fellow critique group members, I have no good solutions for how to dash these bad habits, so if you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments! I could use all the help I can get! :)

~Ella

Must Love Dogs!

So, without a doubt, I would have to say that the best book I read in January would have to be A Dog Named Slugger by Leigh Brill. Here's the product description from Amazon.com:

The true life story of a dog who changed everything for one woman. For the first time in my life, I didn't need to pretend, I didn't need to be tough: I only needed to be honest. "I have cerebral palsy. I walk funny and my balance is bad. I fall a lot. My hands shake, too. That means I'm not so good at carrying things. And if I drop stuff, sometimes it's hard to just bend down and get it." I waited anxiously for the interviewer's response. She smiled. "It sounds like a service dog could be great for you." So began Leigh Brill's journey toward independence and confidence, all thanks to a trained companion dog named Slugger. The struggling college student and the Labrador with a "a coat like sunshine" and a tail that never stopped wagging became an instant team. Together, they transformed a challenge into a triumph. Together, they inspired and educated everyone they met. Now, Leigh honors her friend with the story of their life, together.

Amazing, right? Not only did the product description and the picture of the adorable lab gracing the front cover compel me to pick up this book, but as soon as I started reading I knew I had found something special. Because it was with this this book, with it's author and it's four-legged sidekick that I felt an instant connection.

Why? Well, not a lot of people online know this about me but I too have Cerebral Palsy and a service dog. So, as you can imagine, I felt an instant kinship with Leigh and Slugger as soon as I began reading their story that only intensified the more I read. Almost from page 1 I started to cry and have cried multiple times during the reading of this book (which, I'll admit, I haven't actually finished reading yet, only because I have a feeling that I'm going to be crying buckets by the end, so I'm avoiding it for as long as possible). Leigh talks of her C.P. and the daily struggles she faces with such honesty and humor that I instantly felt more understood and less alone then I have before, because as much as my friends and family know of my own daily struggles with C.P., it takes a person like Leigh to fully understand what I go through on a daily basis. As Leigh says, "C.P. sucks". :)

But, as much as C.P. sucks, I know that it has been a blessing in disguise for both Leigh and myself in the form of a furry best friend. One of the other reasons why I connected so deeply with Leigh and her story was because of her unwavering bond with her service dog, Slugger. I know exactly what it feels like to love a dog as much as Leigh loves hers, because when I was a freshman in high school I received my first service dog, Ingram. We were together for 9 years and in that time I've never realized until later how deeply I could love and be loved in return. Like Slugger did for Leigh, Ingram was there for me unconditionally, even when I was mad at him or going through the ups and downs of my teenage years and didn't want to talk to anyone, he was there, steadfast and true.

Now, years later, I have a new service dog, Ginger, who, like Ingram, is never afraid to give love, even to those who seem undeserving, and for that, I am grateful. And I'm also immensely grateful to Leigh for having the courage to share her and Slugger's story with the world. For it's stories like yours Leigh that make me hopeful for the future, that make me feel confident that I will not let my condition get the best of me, that I am deserving of love (from both humans and animals) and that I can do anything if I set my mind to it, C.P. be damned! And to that I say, to both you and Slugger...thank you, so much.

~Ella

A Mish Mash of Confessions

1. Strawberry flavored Halls cough drops are da bomb!

2. I've written barely anything story wise in like 2 months or more-that's going to change, soon.

3. I'm near the end of reading an amazing book that caused me to cry after only the first couple pages...and it's not YA! More on this later. :)

4. Mytomatoes.com is my savior: it's a website where you can set a clock for 25 minutes and do whatever you need to during that time and when the timer goes off you get a 5 minute (or more) break. This tool has helped me get a lot of school done lately. It's great to use if you want to stay focused, which I've really not wanted to do lately due to an illness that I've had since last week that's kicking my butt. But with the help of Tomatoes, I set the clock and force myself to do school for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break to chill out and scour through my blog feed to see what everyone else is up to and then get back to work once the 5 minutes is up. It's shocking how much I can get done after a few 25 minute work sessions!

5. I <3>Veronica Mars. Gets better and better with every episode! :)

Gettin' in the Zone

For me, getting in the "zone" when I'm writing has been difficult (especially lately) but on a good day, when I've got some free time on my hands (HA! Free time? What's that? :P) and I feel the urge to put pen to page, I like to get out of the house and whole up in a coffee shop for a few hours and write, a steamer and muffin in hand, along with my writing tools and then, I'm off. That's how I prepare to get into the zone. It usually takes me a little while to block out the sounds of the coffee shop around me, but once I do...watch out.

I can tell I'm in the zone when my drink and snack have gone untouched for more then 5 minutes, when the minutes turn into hours and I don't even bat an eye, when my brain is moving faster then my pen, trying to bombard me with a bunch of ideas at once and my pen can barely keep up, when my hand is stained with ink, when I'm lost so deeply within the story that it feels like my characters and I are the only ones in existence. And the telltale sign that I'm definitely in the zone? When, by the end of my writing session, my hands are cramped and achy and it feels like I'm emerging from a fog, a glorious, crazy, imagination-induced fog, full of images, words, and dreams for of the future, my future, my book's future and that's when I know: I wouldn't trade that zone, that total creative high, for anything in the world.

~Ella

Pushing Through the Pain

So this week's topic talks about when we're most productive in regards to our writing and I have to say...I'm not sure anymore. In the past, I've been a total night owl and (if I'm on a roll) and can write-or stay awake daydreaming-until the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately, that's changed drastically. I still stay awake pretty much all night (I'm a total insomniac) but I don't write much at night like I used to. I don't know what it is. Now, when night falls, I look forward to reading, listening to my Kindle, watching Veronica Mars (Best. Show. EVER!) on Netflix, or god forbid, actually sleeping. But writing? I always have the best intentions when I sit down at the computer at night. I say things like "after I write 200 words, then I can watch V.M., I mean it this time!" Ha! Guess which option usually wins?

I don't know if my lack of writing is because I'm exhausted from being a college student, pining away for an office (or even a bedroom for that matter) of my very own, unable to focus due to noise/no noise/homework, boredom, lack energy, motivation, or all of the above. Who knows, but I know that I can't keep using all those things as an excuse anymore. If I want out of this writing dry spell, I have to force myself out of it, not keep sitting around wishing. wondering when it will go away and tricking myself into thinking that if I wait just a few more days and give myself just a little bit more of a break that the dry spell will pass.

Writing for me is kind of like exercises at the moment. I haven't exercised regularly in a long time, and now that I have been for the last few weeks, it's starting to get a little more bearable every time I do it. Sure, when I first start to do the exercises, the last thing I want to do is keep going, all I want to do is quit, but then when I push through the pain and the urge to quit, things get a little easier and by the time I'm finished I'm exhausted and sweaty and in desperate need of a shower, but I feel better. I feel better for having pushed myself and working hard and not giving up (for long anyway, lol) when things got tough and that's when I know in the long run that it will all be worth it, all the agony I'm going through now, the burning lungs, straining muscles and sweaty brow, will all be worth it in the end when I get on the scale and see I've lost weight.

The same goes for writing. I may not want to do it when I first start out and try to come up with excuses for why I should quit and do something else more fun, but then when I get into it and get into a groove, it gets a little easier and before I know it I have a page under my belt and I'm feeling great and that's when I know: in the end it'll all be worth it, all the agony, the dry spells, the writer's block, the doubt, when I have a finished first draft in my hands.

Sorry for the rant, I just had to get this all of my chest, but I guess to answer the question when am I most productive the answer is simple: when I push through the pain and refuse to give up. I think that'll be my writing mantra this year: push through the pain and never give up. Well, I'm not making any promises, but I will promise to try my damnedest to make this happen.

~Ella

January Reading List

So, as you've probably noticed, I haven't been posting a Best Book of (Insert current month here) post for a few months now. This is because I've been reading, here and there. but I haven't finished reading anything for a long time and, unfortunately, that was also the case for December. BUT! Never fear! I just went to Borders Books and Music over the weekend and picked up four new books to sink my teeth into! My goal for this month is to finish reading at least one of them so that I finally have a proper Best Book of... post to write for the month of January! Now, without further ado, meet my shiny new additions to my already overflowing bookshelf:A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Gorgeous covers, no? :) I've started reading Mockingbirds and Fallen and really like them so far! Plus, I've seen all of these books mentioned in the blogosphere, so really, how could I not read them?! :)

Hoping for a much more detailed Best of... post this month,

~Ella