Best book in April....

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goes to: Welding Technology Fundementals
(I would have given them bonus points if they changed it to Funde'metals', ha ha.) <--please excuse me, it's finals week.

Anywho, this may seem like an off the wall selection, but not as off as you might think.

Ever heard the expression, write what you know? I have about a million times. What happens though if you have the perfect solution to your plot problem but it means 'Mike' who used to work at a desk job, actually has to work in a motocycle shop for everything to work out? Give up? NEVER! Your solution is to buy a textbook.

Text books can come in every variety but there's one thing that makes them different than any random information you could dig up on mororcyle shops on the internet:
It's guarenteed to be correct. That, my friends is worth the expense.

I'm the first to complain about a teacher who insists on the newest version because on page 88 they changed "a" to "the." It's a pain for poor college students like me, but it means great news for writers like you. It floods the book markets with college textbooks just a year or so old and sells them cheap. (We're talking 20 bucks a pop or less on some) Most of the time they just change a couple pictures or a phrase here or there. 99% of the time the information is the same.*

*this is a completely made up statistic. Made up, but with strong personal opinoin backing it from a college student in the know.

So, what do you think? Ready to invest in some textbooks? If you are there's of course amazon.com. There's also half.com and a sleu of others with a simple google search.

Con Fessing

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I'll keep this simple. I am fessing to a love of a show about cons, convicts that it.
No, I am not in love with someone in jail.
I am in love with two characters though who happen to be convicts in a show.
Prison Break.

Quick Summary:
One guy who has a sketchy past gets set up and convicted of a murder he didn't commit. He has this brother who plots out their escape, tattoos it on his body and then pulls off the biggest jail escape of all fictional time. Through the next part in the television series the brothers are on the run and go through extreme obstacles in their search for the truth, justice, and a normal life.
I am in no way influencing you to take the law into your own hands or do any crime at all.
I am inflewancing (or trying rather) to take another look at your characters.

Here's what I've learned from the show:

• Keep true to what your characters would and wouldn't do.
• Completely flesh out your character's family background. This will tell you the lengths they'll go to help not only family, but also their friends.
• Keep them working. Do not give the characters or yourself the easy way out.
• Make it original. 
• Throw in realistic curve balls.
• Don't forget the love. 
• Get them in some trouble. 
• Don't make them perfect.
• Have your characters make mistakes. 
• Make them real. 

I can't stress that last one enough. Bring a picture of them to your mind. Pause for ten minutes and consider what they'd do in every hard decision you've had to make. Don't make them paper. Make them alive until they jump off the page. I know, easier said than done. It's great to say those things and most of you already know them. I'm holding by the old saying "what practice can't make perfect, experience can."

You can see the series online at Netflix.com or Hulu.com  Also, you get to see Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller (among others). Not a bad thing in my book. Seriously, look at those eyes. If this isn't character inspiration I don't know what is.

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Shh!

I tend to keep my writing habit quiet for two reasons:

1. People's first question is: Write anything I know?

They just assume it's published. A lot of people have no idea how complicated it is to get published. It's not easy. Then again, I'm preaching to the choir if you're reading this.

2. I have a strange enough "main" career that's complicated enough to explain without having to add in the whole writing thing. 

I have one year left until I'm an official high school agriculture teacher. That takes some explaining like...why yes, I am a girl....I'll teach shop, welding, mechanics, horticulture, floral design, animal science, business, and who know's what else....that's right, high school kids....(and my favorite) no, I'm not crazy.

I've got a feeling that until my book hits shelves I won't tell the everyday person. My family knows, my closest friends know, and well everyone else....they can wait. (Except for you, you're special.)

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I'm actually considering just getting a new wardrobe...what do you all think? It might work?

Have a great weekend!

BLOCK PARTY: Building a Book

Stacy Henrie is a writer of inspirational historical romance novels. When she's not writing or blogging (go here) she's reading, interior decorating, digital scrapbooking, seeing new places, watching movies/TV with her hubby, joking around with her boys, or cuddling with her daughter.-Bethany

My husband and I have dreamt of finishing our basement since we moved into our house more than six years ago. This month we’ve finally taken the steps to make that dream a reality. Getting an up close look at my first real construction project, I’ve been inspired by how many parallels there are between building and writing. Here are just a few:

A Plan – The first day my DH and some of his buddies started on the basement, I was surprised to discover there wasn’t much visual evidence they’d done anything. Instead of throwing things up haphazardly, they had taken the time to plot out how things would look and what order to do them. Even though I’m a pantser, not a plotter, when it comes to outlining, I still need some sort of idea or plan before I start a book – even if it’s only the beginning and end, or a character, or a series of scenes.

Time – Like finishing a basement, writing a book takes time, a lot of time. And that amount varies from person to person. For me right now, I’m learning to be okay with the slow but steady progress I’m making. Writing a book, or building a basement, also requires sacrifice of time. If we want the end result, we must be willing to let a few other things go.

Friends – We would not have accomplished what we have so far on our basement without the help of friends, and gratefully, friends who are experts in things like construction and electricity and sheet rock. When I first started writing, I was sort of a writing hermit. It took some time, but I eventually realized I need the help of friends – friends who can see things I can’t in my own work or who are more knowledgeable about certain subjects or who can relate to the good and the bad of building a book.

Rules and Guidelines – There are some rules and guidelines we have to stick to in our basement project to save ourselves headache later, like compensating for heating ducts and pipes. There are a million rules out there about writing, but I’ve learned which basic ones I need to follow. I also try to pay attention to the guidelines in the genre I’m writing or the agents I’m submitting to. That way I save myself some headache later on.

Perspective – I think one of the biggest hurdles to writing is not comparing our work or efforts or journey to somebody else’s. Too often we’re comparing our framed-only, concrete floor basement with somebody else’s finished, painted, carpeted and nicely decorated basement. Too often I forget that they were once where I am now – the rough draft – and that my work can and will shine one day too.

The End Goal – This is probably the greatest take away from this project. Through all the time and effort and sacrifice, I try to keep in mind the end result – our new, finished space. When discouragement sets in with my writing, I try to remember why I started this project in the first place – my dream of being published and sharing my stories/my voice with others. It’s a dream that can become a reality. 

-Stacy

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?

Titles Reign here....as do Block Parties

Hey all! So titles, they will drive you crazy, drive you wild, make your hair fall out, and give you the urge to slit throats. <---just me?

*cough*

How embarrassing. *blushing like a firetruck*

Titles are super-substantially-importantifical (yes, I did just make up that word, it's 1 am. Give me a break) because they are the first thing the reader is exposed to, aside from the cover in some cases, of a book. A book called, "Dusk" is most likely going to be different than something called, "Willy and the Witch's Brew." It gives a general idea of your story.

How to come up with a title: No Clue
This is what I do: _________<---big period of time where I wait for it to "come to me"

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What I suggest: Find titles that you like and try to figure out why. Symbolism? Simplicity? Superficiality? (just kinda kidding on that last one. I really just wanted 3 "S" words...like I said, it's late.) Then, mess around with some words, think about what you want the reader to get make a big mess of what your brain is thinking on a whiteboard, chalkboard, wall, or other shiny surface, like a mirror. Play scrabble (but with words) just have fun. You'll be suprised what comes out...like Girl of Words, Boys of Betrayal or even Children of Reptiles. (At least one of those is a future book of mine. Guess which in the comments)

Part 2 of this post is a super awesome and amazing event the Ink Slingers are hosting all week long next week. It's going to be totally fun and really awesome. What is it?

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We're inviting all of our friends and that means you! YES YOU! Bring your friends, your family, your fellow writers! It's fun for all! 

The best part is we've lined up some fantastical guest bloggers. Check some them out!

SUNDAY: My guest is Lisa (aka The Blonde Blogette) - http://the-blonde-blogette.blogspot.com/. She's a pop-culture/reality TV kinda guru. ~B. Robison

MONDAY: My guest is YA writer Ghenet, of www.GhenetWrites.blogspot.com. Her blog is a must-read for me, and I'm so glad she'll be regaling us with her insights about time management in writing. As someone who continued to write during a period where she was working full-time, planning her wedding AND receiving an MFA, she's an inspiration to us all! ~Emery

TUESDAY: Surprise guest blogger!

WEDNESDAY: My guest is YA and MG writer Holly of www.hollyschindler.blogspot.com. In addition to being the author of the fantastic books A Blue So Dark andPlaying Hurt Holly was the first author whose blog tour Ella and I participated in. Her insights about using blogs to promote newly published books were a real eye opener for me. ~Aaron

THURSDAY: Surprise guest blogger!

FRIDAY: Surprise guest blogger!

So, what about it? Are you going to be at the cyber world's largest BLOCK PARTY!? 

My Confession

1. I could not think of a better title for this post than the one above...sad, I know.

2. Today, I found a little green man on my car in the parking lot. (He is plastic.) I think St. Patrick's Day is coming early this year.

3. I went to an awesome hockey game and now am dying to add something hockey related to some book I eventually write.

4. I really want to be on spring break right now so I don't have to worry about homework or class. Thank heavens it starts at 11a.m. today!!!

5. I have a reoccuring thing in a couple of my dreams. That thing may or...may not be a carrot vending machine.

That is all. What confessions do you need to voice? Let me know in the comments!

To See is to Know

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Ever heard a future parent say that until they see their baby, they won't know a name? Or even that the baby will name itself, based on it's reaction to names said? That is basically how I name a character.

I'm a pantser, first and foremost (pantser = no/little planning for novel other than possibly knowing the end and a few tidbits ), so it may come as no surprise that I don't really create a character, except for the main ones. They just float in and out of the story, sometimes with more importance than other times (that's what editing is for right?) Sometimes, I won't know they're there until they start talking...and then the details come....and then their name. Other times, I start writing and fill in the details right before they jump in. (which is what happens below) (Keep in mind, that, like most things I do, this is a mental process that I don't write down and plan...normally)

Example: Let's say I'm writing something about a girl, named Lisa, who is skipping class...For all I know at this point, Lisa could continue walking down this sidewalk for the rest of her life, but something tells me she's going to run into someone who isn't in school either. As soon as the idea hits me to add another character, I start imagining it.

This is what I know, just from seeing him in my head:

• It's a boy, though not one Lisa knows well or by name
• He's a dweeb
• Slighly annoying--makes me think he's younger than her
• Brown hair that hasn't been combed
• He has glasses that are too big for his face
• Mismatched clothes, they're worn, as if they've come from a lower end thrift shop
• He's bored and curious as to why "Perfect Patty" has skipped. 

Here are the names that immediately come to mind, just from thinking about who I think he is:

1. Tom
2. Andrew
3. Matt
4. Harold

Two stick out the most for me (Which for you? or are you seeing another name?) Tom and Harold. He seems like an young kid under the influence of older people...like he lives with his grandparents or his parents are older.  I don't confirm a name in my mind until I actually start writing him.


"Hey!" 
Something flopped from the bushes not ten feet before Linda and landed on the sidewalk, blocking her path like an animated trash bag. It took a few minutes for her to see there was a head attached to the bag along with arms and legs. It waddled like a duck coming closer until she could see it wasn't a bag at all, but a boy in an oversized black jacket, floppy baseball hat, and shoes at least three sizes too big.
"Uh." She looked down at the mess and figured he was about ten. "Excuse me." She tried to edge past the blob of clothing.
"I said, 'hey.'" The boy complained in a whining tone, pushing the thick glasses up his nose, which like the rest of his attire were way too big. "I'm Harold."

Not my best, but you get my point...at least, I hope you do.
I can't name a character until they come alive on the page. Until they have an actual voice or flow about them, I find that I keep renaming them every ten seconds. Every image of a character conjures a name or two that seem to just "fit" the character. Of course, if I want to surprise the reader, I may pick a name like Harold, and turn him into the school jock, just because that seems less predictable.

So, what about you? Are you feeling a different name for this new character? How do you name your characters? Let me know in the comments!

Fictional Females

I love my female characters to stand out and surprise the reader. I also want them to be challenged to do something that may not follow their traditional gender role. I require my girls to be fearless and confront danger head on. (None of this damsel business). I don't want my readers to see my female characters and say, "Ugh, she's pathetic." (I'm talking to you Bella Swan and Sleeping Beauty. Seriously? The first time you see a spinning wheel you reach out to it...duh.)

Here's what I look for in a Fictional Female:

-Fearless (or if they have fear, they work through it)
-Don't let others fight for them (Take on their own battles, though in their own way)
-Challenge themselves to something better (They're not satisfied with being mediocre, *cough* Bella Swan *cough*)
-Don't let the boys have all the fun while they drink tea in the parlor (Self explained)
-Never use gender as an excuse (I can't! I'm a girl!!! <--Characters you're warned. I will kill you and it will be excruciating)
-DON'T WHINE. (this is pretty much any character for me, unless I mean for them to be annoying)

And the most important:

Have faith in themselves.

Eventually the young adults reading my books are going to have to go out on their own in the world. For some it won't be so bad (Harry practically ran from the Dursley's) but for others leaving home is not going to be easy. Home is comfortable and safe, and you don't have to worry about making really stupid mistakes.The world is freaking scary. I like to see my characters take the jump and not look at where they're landing, only have the faith that they will land on their feet. It goes back to the saying, "If they can do it, why not us?" Thank you J.K. Rowling for that brilliance.

Chloe Moretz: Rumored by imbd.com to play Katniss

.

Take Katniss from The Hunger Games.

- volunteers in her sister's place.
- fights her own fight, she doesn't even make really good alliances.
- risks her life to hunt food for her family.
- tries to save Peeta, even though he won't let her.
- takes on the role of mother when her own is out of it.

I know what you're saying...she was soooo stupid about Peeta though. Why did she have to be so dumb? He loved her.

Easy. Look at her stats. Female characters who are this self reliant (and awesome) usually have a common flaw: they won't let a guy close. They are often scared that by depending upon a guy, they will turn into those fainting Disney princesses (I love Disney, don't get me wrong, but sleeping while the prince comes to kiss me sounds a bit...pitiful.). This also adds tension to the story...will she fall? Won't she fall?

This means your guy characters have to be hunters (not literally). They almost have to be those guys you see in romantic comedies shaking the girl and screaming, "My God, when will you understand I love you and I'm not going anywhere?"

Basically, my fictional females must rock the world of my readers by being awesome and working through their flaws. What makes your fictional females awesome? 

Sidenote: You're right if you were wondering if I choose that pic of Chloe just because she was with Rupert Grint.

It has been 31 days since my last confession.....

and I have the following to confess:

1. If you are a writer and want a quiet place full of books and empty of people to work go to a University library the first two weeks of a new semester. DEAD. AS. A. DEADPERSON. (I should know, this is my place of work)  promise they'll let you in free of charge and won't care at all if you stay there for hours or ask them endless questions. (There are only so many hours you can sit in one spot and watch nothing happen.)

2. If you are a gardener, then you will appreciate my laugh when my professor said the following while we, his students, were elbow deep in azaleas, "If you end up with a rash the next couple days, don't worry, it's the azaleas." (No worries, apparently azaleas don't think I'm at all that dangerous and therefore not worthy of rashness...ha, catch that play on words?)

3. Wednesday night I spent three hours re-reading....and laughing.....at my mauscript. Here are some of the things past me wrote: (I blame the writing challenge of 20,000words in two weeks)

      "Lies are like balloons, when they pop, they scare the hell out of you."

      "Lying to Ester(grandmother-type) was like eating a lollypop off the sidewalk, you just felt bad after doing it."

4. I discovered four songs, YEAH 4!, I can't believe it either, that fit one of my main characters to perfection. I usually have a terrible time finding a song that works perfectly and I found FOUR! I'm ecstatic. These totally get me in the writing zone. Click on them to hear them for yourself. Any guesses on what I'm writing?

    Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson

    Never Again by Kelly Clarkson

    Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars

    Haunted by Taylor Swift 

Not me btw, Source

5.  I started my welding class (I have yet to set fire to my person:) and had a major book epiphany just as the professor was trying to talk to us about a certain kind of welding. Not really funny huh? Well, imagine your face when you get a brilliant book idea.....right. Now, make that face in front of several people and your academic advisor/professor. Yes, welcome to my life. Above is a pic of welding, not me, notice lack of unruly tresses. Go here next week for a post when I compare writing to welding....sure to be fun :) and fiery.

Get in the ZONE!!! Auto-Zone!

If you have no idea what that title means then check out the quick commercial below. Sadly, it isn't one of those that says the tagline with a lot of feeling, but it also goes along with what I've got to say so check it out anyway...okay? Okay. (<--see I totally took in your opinion there)

Remember that nice guy tuning up his car? Well writing for me is a lot like that. Before I can start writing something new I have to get back into the world. I can do that by tuning/adjusting what I did yesterday, aka add some more oil, tighten a random bolt with a ratchet, or act like turning a piece of plastic with a wrench is actually doing anything at all to ready my car...I mean...WiP. *cough* (The funny thing is once you have a little mechanical experience (a college class in my case) mechanic and car commercials become a lot more fun.)

Back to topic. To get in the zone I need to remember where I was and my purpose. Once I'm there I'm usually good to go and if not, I've always got the back up plan of pixie popcorn and some diet beverages. Here's a good piece of advice I've found really helps: whatever gets you in the zone make it as easy and fast as possible. Make it something you can do every day. The more you do it, the easier it will be and the faster you can get into the zone (AUTOZONE!!!!) AUTOmatically and get writing.

I challenge you bloggers to get in the zone 

(Sorry, I couldn't resist) 

this weekend and get some stuff written. Let us know how you get in the zone in the comments!

Productivity or BUST!

Productivity is at it's max for me whenever I am most busy. It used to be that I was best at 2 am but most days I'm just too tired for that anymore and my brain is fried from classes and work. So.....

Exibit A:
One week before fall finals....alone in the dorm with super awesome sidekick roomie. It's about 10 in the evening after a full day of classes and work. 
Bethany: I'm just sooooo tired of this crap. It's all crap. Who needs it?
Sidekick: No one. How was work?
Bethany: Uuuuuuuggggggghuh. (<--that was a really bad groan of exhaustion that I was too exhausted to utter)
Sidekick: What happened?
Bethany: There were people...everywhere....they all wanted things.....sooooo many things.
Sidekick: It is a university library and it is nearly finals week.
Bethany: I just want to stop. I want all of it to just stop. Why can't I just write. That's all I want, to write. (in a sad pathetic moan) I juuuuustt wannnnnna write!
Sidekick: It sucks.
Bethany: Why does it have to be so hard?
Sidekick: It's life?

As you can see, finals or near finals week would obviously be a bad time to try to write even more than I normally do. Could I have done it earlier? YES. Did I? Noooooo. Why? I don't know. I write pretty much all the time, but for some reason a huge surge hits me right when I'm supposed to be doing a project or during finals week.....you get the idea.

I guess you could say I strive when I'm challenged within an inch of sanity...note to self discover the units of sanity before you fall off that cliff.

I hope everyone has a good day! And happy writing when you're busy and when you're bored to tears. :)

Goals for the New Year:

I must preface this with the statement that I am noctoriously BAD at keeping New Year's Resolutions. However, I think this is partially because I made a goal of what I knew I should want, rather than what actually meant something to me. This time last year I made a commitment to read the entire Narnia series by C.S. Lewis under my firm belief that you can't criticize until you've read the ENTIRE thing. Not that I was citicizing it, but everyone talks about Narnia, except for me and I felt out of the loop. So, I bought myself the HUGE master collection this summer and got to work. I finished just a few days before Christmas. My thoughts on it later. Why am I telling you this? Because it was the changing moment in what I thought a resolution should be. It's about what I've wanted to do with my life and haven't yet, not about what other people would do with my life if I was an automatronic (is that a real word?) robot that could be programed to do their will. After all this is my life and I choose how I want to live it.

Now, without further adou and blubbering, my goals for the new year:
Writing/Reading Goals:
1. Finish and begin submitting my WIP that was supposed to be finished by Jan. 1....whoops.
2. Create a list of agents (numbering at least 20) that I would like to represent my book and add to that list as each reection comes my way.
3. Begin and finish writing another book, but not in the same series as the WIP.
4. Begin book 2 of the WIP and begin making a more detailed plan of book 3. (I'm thinking of you whiteboards....you should be afraid, very afraid.)
5. Read. I'm not putting a number to this because I don't have an idea of how I can do. I know I can read at least fifty. I've read 8 in the past week and a half and read 0 the week and a half before that. My schedule's too nutsy to figure out how many I can read that would actually be a challenge. Commiting to read is more of a think about it more than I am now kinda thing.
6. Make more of a commitment to my blog. I've fallen WAY off the wagon, so far that the wagon train left me ten miles west of St. Louis and are already near Oregan. This is partially because of laptop issues, but also due to bad time management.
7. Read a book that I am not interested in. i.e. like Narnia. I didn't have much use for reading it and didn't care that much, but I gained way, WAY more than I thought was possible. So, I'm doing it again.

Family/Friends/Life Goals:
1. Call my family more often. I've seriously lagged in this dept. and there aren't really any excuses other than my life isn't that interesting. The thing is....while my life isn't, that doesn't mean that someone else's life hasn't changed for some reason and I should, as a person with feelings, care when my family members of friends have something new even though the phone works both ways.
2. Keep my desk clean so that I can actually use it. I think that says it all.
3. Get a chair cushion for my terrible desk chair in the hope that I will use it more often.
4. Do at least two things that I've wanted to do in my college town or near abouts.
5. Work really hard in my classes. I'm a good student by habit, but I can be a great student by trying. (<-- made that up by myself, aren't you proud?)

Well, that's my list. I challenge you to read, write, and make your own goals for the new year. Happy New Year!

Comfort LIFE

I have comfort books for different aspects of my life. What I'm feeling changes what kind of book related comfort I want. Here's a better idea of what I mean:

Bad day at school: Give me any book with adventure and excitement. I need to escape LIFE therefore, give me another's life that is both more complicated and more exciting than my own. Before I know it I'm swimming oceans (ha, I wish), climbing mountains (yeah, right), fighting bad guys (do professors count?), freeing the prince (yeah...haven't even found him yet), and all sorts of other things that really can take my mind out of what I'm doing. As long as it's a book and it's not anything close to my life, I'm good to go.

Doubting my career choice: This doesn't really happen that often, but when it does I need research. No escape is satisfactory to me. Give me journal articles, real life stories (that pertain to my career), or anything with a statistic showing that not only are employers looking for people with my future degree, they are also paying well for someone with my degree AND I have options with my degree in the chance that there isn't a job open. I need reassurance here and only facts can give that to me.

Doubting my writing ability: Give me J.K. Rowling and her land of awesomeness. You'd think by being surrounded my so much awesome this would lower my self-confidence but funny enough, it doesn't. It reminds me of this quote that Harry said in Order of the Pheonix: (I might be a little incorrect in the wording because I'm doing this from memory and don't have my OOTP with me, but here's the jist)

"Every great witch or wizard (or author in this case) started out just where we are now. 

If they can do it why not us (me)."

This quote will kind of hover over me while I read any of her books. It gives me the va-va-voom to get up and start writing/editing/whatever again. In the end the only thing stopping me from what I want is me and my own doubts. In the end. Doubts are not worth the time or energy that they consume. Everyone has a starting point and eventually I will get to where I want to go. This is what calms and comforts me the most. 

So, now that you know what makes me take a chill pill, what books give you that needed calm down factor? I'd love any references you can give me in the comments :) Have a great weekend!

The Best Advice Ever!

The best advice I've ever recieved is from an unknown author. I don't remember the exact quotation but it went something like this:

"Know when to end"

I like it.
It's simple.
It's straight forward.
It's all a writer needs to know.

No, I'm not joking.

Think about it. We all, I'm sure, have read books that seem to drone on. Is the end of this chapter ever going to happen? Heck, is the end of this BOOK ever going to happen?
Here's the thing. There may have been other reasons for why we asked ourselves those questions when we read those books, but really, it all comes down to one thing. The author didn't know when to end...
...with discription
...with gore
...with the book
...with the series
...with a character (kill him already!)
The list could go one forever. The thing is, as writers we're are creating our own world and sometimes we get lost in it. We see all the details sometimes and get lost in them when we should be thinking about the "real" story. The real story isn't in the flower you just wrote four paragraphs of description on (most likely) it's with your characters and the plot.

Sometimes I can be a little long-winded, you're shocked I can tell. Every time I consider adding just a bit more, know when to end comes to mind. Do I really need that? Is it going to add to the story? Can they get the idea without it? It reminds me that sometimes less is more, regardless of what my word count and the rest of the world says. In the end, it's a story and it ends where it ends. Figuring that part out can be a bit of a challenge, but we're writers right? No one said it would be easy.

So do you know when to end? and somewhat more importantly....who went to see Harry Potter 7 Part 1 last night?!

Read Robin

Up, Up. Get up! I yelled at myself. I stood, swaying until I could regain my balance. I must have hit my head harder than a thought. My brains felt like they were pounding a rebellion out against my skull. I planted my feet and reached out a hand to the rusty fence that surrounded the graveyard, trapping me within it's bounds. On an ordinary day, I would have jumped it without thinking, but Isaac's face stood out to me in the night's darkness, even now, I couldn't leave him. Not again. As if I summoned him, the Fader appeared.

Sauntering down the church's back steps, his now white orbs searched through the graves and the trees trying to find me. His body was harder to define in the moonlight, for it showed all what he truly was, a shadow. A Fader was something from my childhood, a story everyone in my village is told about, but no one has ever seen one. That, of course, I remind myself was before Isaac was taken. Even then, only I saw the Fader for what he was, just as I see him now.

Faders were shadows sent in the night, absorbing the human form before they took you. To where, no one knew. I didn't even know and I had been tracking them for the past seven years. Hopelessly hoping that somehow Isaac had made it, or maybe because I might be able give someone the gift he gave me.

"Come and get me," I yelled, surprising myself in the process. "No one abuses my friend's skin without hearing from me."

"Who says I've even taken it?" The chuckled carried over the tombs, haunting the night. "Who says I am not whom I say? Who else could know you as I do McKenna...Cricket?"

Cricket. How could he know? No way, I told myself. There is no reason for a Fader, a virtual mirror of life, know anything other than taking the skins of those he encountered, and yet...


"Come out Cricket." He called to me. "Maybe we can give us another chance."

My feet abandon good sense as they walk out towards the shadow with white orbs in the place of eyes. The shadow that used to be Isaac, my Isaac.


That's all for me. I hope you all have a great weekend!! Don't forget to add to the story in the comments. Let's see how far we can get it!

Passing

Hello, today I was supposed to write about the book I read in September and while I did read several books, I'm going to pass on posing them today.

Why?

I'm trying to write 30,000+ words in 7 days.

Ha, ha, yeah. I'll explain more next week hopefully :)

Have a great weekend!

Confessions of an Agriculture Lover

So, I haven't talked about agriculture a lot recently, so I thought I'd have some fun and do it today. After all, this week is confessions week on the INK SLINGER'S blog and my confessions are MANY when it comes to ag stuff so here it goes:

1. I refer to myself as an aggie. Aggie is defined as a person who is in fact obsessed or other wise filled with an nearly unreasonable passion for activities that involve agriculture.
2. I'm currently taking two soil classes. Yes, dirt...as in misplaced soil. (Don't get any aggie started on the difference between dirt and soil. Trust me, loosing battle) The confessional part of that is that I really love it. I mean come on, it's dirt (or soil rather) simple right? No, not at all and that is what holds me spellbound, fascinated. How often do we not even consider how awesome the stuff beneath our feet is? Oh, sorry, there I go again. What can I say? Oh, right...see number 1.
3. I instantly give a novel bonus points if it mentions something to do with agriculture. i.e. Beautiful Creatures mentions Future Farmers of America. HUGE points there, HUGE. 
4.  I would much rather get my hands dirty doing something with agriculture than get a manicure. Bring on the greenhouses, horse stalls, and tractors!
5. I feel claustrophobic when I can't see green living things. Like aliens you ask??? NO, as in grass, and flowers, and trees, and *sigh* fields of land. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing about the city. I'm even living in a city right now, sort of, it small but it counts in my book. My soul just needs the country, it's where I was born and where I always want to be. 

So, now you know some more about me. How about you? Have any aggie tenancies? I'd love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments.

Quirky Writer Quirks

MUSIC
I know there is an ongoing debate on playing music while writing and not playing music while writing.
I admit, I'm a playa. ha ha
Not that quirky I'll admit, but I don't really have much to go on. I write a lot, where ever and whenever I can. The thing is I have to be in the right mood and generally I am, but music makes me get there a whole lot faster. The key to my whole music is an almost must is that it must be the right music and I'm rather finicky about it. There's no way I can listen to I'm walkin' on Sunshine while writing a battle. NO. WAY. IN. HECK. But, I can definitely get my mojo going with this:

So yeah, I listen to music while I write, but I also can only listen to a certain kind of music. Sometimes it's very obscure and I'm not sure why a certain song works and another doesn't. I just know that it does work which really is all I care about in the end. It's all about writing for me.

SSR: August Book I Read

My goal this year was to read the Chronicles of Narnia by Christmas. As you might be able to tell, I'm off to a bit of a slow start. I did however, make a start I guess that means something. I read the first book in this wonderful series by C.S. Lewis just a few weeks ago and was floored by two things: creativity and imagery.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew

Summary: Digory and his friend Polly travel to the Wood between Worlds via Digory's half-crazy, magician man, uncle's yellow and green rings and end up in a world quite unlike the one they come from, called Charn. While there, Digory, as most young boys and girls would do, lets curiosity get to him. He frees the last ruler of Charn, Jadis, an evil queen. An insane adventure begins as the two children try to get rid of the queen and end up finding Aslan, a talking lion and creator of all things in Narnia but not all is well because the two children are not alone, the evil queen has come with them to the new land and threatens all the good things that Aslan has created.

After learning that Digory has brought Jadis to Narnia, Aslan sends him on a mission to get a magical apple. He uses the apple to grow a tree that will act as a shield of protection from Jadis for all the other peoples of Narnia. After seeing all that Aslan can do, Digory begs him to do something to save his mother, who is sick with an illness. From this new tree, Aslan gives Digory an apple so that he may go back home and give it to his mother. This apple is a special thing and it is hardly finished after curing Digory's mother, it grows into a beautiful tree and well, the rest is up to you to read.

Review:

I found this book charming and as I mentioned before, it was wonderfully filled with imagery and creativity. It left me wondering what would happen and at the same time revealed several worlds so completely it was like the book was really a movie playing itself out in my mind. Truly magnificent! Here's a quote from the book so you can begin to understand the richness of this text if you haven't read it.

"Things always work out according to their nature. She has won her heart's desire; she has unwearying strength and endless days like a goddess. But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and she already begins to know it. All get what they want; they do not always like it." -Aslan after Jadis has stolen an apple and eaten it for herself.

Recommendation:

There really isn't anyone I wouldn't recommend this book to. It can be a bit long winded for some really young children, but students in third grade and beyond could easily comprehend it. Beyond the imagery and creativeness, this book is frocked with morals from issues with stealing from others, to understanding how one person's actions can change the course of many other people's history. Truly a must read that I will definitely be reading again.