It's time for a Love Day, because Monday needs a little brightening. Especially today--I can't even see the mountains outside, it's so cloudy/foggy/rainy. *peers at mountains*
Today I love:
FALL. Pumpkin-scented candles and salted caramel mochas, sweaters I'd forgotten I owned and everything orange and yellow. Halloween parties crammed with ghosts and vampires and witches.
BOOKS. Specifically, both books I'm reading right now: SUPERNATURALLY by Kiersten White and THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson. Supernaturally is light and fun and escapist, and I love Evie. GoF&T is amazing in its worldbuilding. Once I started the sample on my Kindle I did NOT want to stop. In fact, it's calling to me right now...
FRENCH COMEDIES. Hubby and I have this thing for watching French screwball/romantic comedies every once in a while, and I really enjoy them. They don't do the same plot twists/character developments as American romcoms do, and I love that unexpectedness. I Do is a particularly good one we saw yesterday.
BRITISH DRAMAS. Downton Abbey. Sherlock. Luther. Oh, BBC, I adore you. But PLEASE COME OUT WITH NEW MATERIAL FASTER. Oh my god, the second season of Luther nearly killed me...it was *almost* too dark. So close to that line. But in the end I want more.
HAPPY SAUCE. I hope to finish revisions today or tomorrow and get it out to one more beta reader for a fresh post-revision opinion. Then...the synopsis. Dum dum dum. But I still love this book.
What do you love today?
Monday, October 24, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Mascots
Each book I write is a very different experience--which makes sense, as they're all unique and lovely speshial snowflakes. *pets manuscripts*
No, seriously.
They each have their overlying themes, their "moods," their music, their various levels of beating the heck out of me--*glares at last book*--and their own mascots.
Mascots are for me to look at as I write, then later as I submit and bite my nails. When I'm first-draft writing I look at them often (or touch them, if appropriate). In the later, more difficult stages they remind me of that first-draft time when I was happiest with the book.
Much, much later, as I move on to yet another book and the old mascots sit on the shelf like abandoned toys, they remind me of what I've accomplished. But it's interesting to see how they change, and what they say about me at the time, and the books they represent.
Book 1: The Murderess's Tale
Didn't have one. I was flailing around, didn't know what the heck I was doing. It wasn't ready for a mascot. Anyone want a first novel YA historical based in 1387 England? *crickets*
Book 2: The Weirdest Thing about Jenna
It had flying monkeys. Hence, this lovely:
It's eyes actually lit up, once upon a time! It's also holding in its lap the mascot for a not-long-for-this-world manuscript, Book 3: Ghost Girl. (I had that title before the published book! I swear!)
Book 4: Salvaged
Did not ever have a mascot either. *shifty eyes* I think there is a reason for this.
Which leads us to:
Book 5: Happy Sauce (not its real name)
This lovely, which I am currently doing edits for, has TWO mascots because one could not contain its fabulous juju.
Mascot #1 is a monster that Child designed and sewed for me. She named it Annabelle.
She is a little creepy, I admit. But heck, the book's a little creepy too. In a GOOD WAY.
Mascot #2 I bought for myself. I saw it at the gem and mineral show, and when I lifted it, it made me happy. It is so smooth and slick, and just the right weight. It is also gorgeous, from all angles, with greens and whites and pinks that shift. It looks like clouds trapped in stone.
I use this one like a worry ball--when I'm pondering plot twists or what to leave in/take out, I roll it in my hands and it HELPS.
I can't be the only one who does this sort of thing, am I? Do you have mascots for your books?
No, seriously.
They each have their overlying themes, their "moods," their music, their various levels of beating the heck out of me--*glares at last book*--and their own mascots.
Mascots are for me to look at as I write, then later as I submit and bite my nails. When I'm first-draft writing I look at them often (or touch them, if appropriate). In the later, more difficult stages they remind me of that first-draft time when I was happiest with the book.
Much, much later, as I move on to yet another book and the old mascots sit on the shelf like abandoned toys, they remind me of what I've accomplished. But it's interesting to see how they change, and what they say about me at the time, and the books they represent.
Book 1: The Murderess's Tale
Didn't have one. I was flailing around, didn't know what the heck I was doing. It wasn't ready for a mascot. Anyone want a first novel YA historical based in 1387 England? *crickets*
Book 2: The Weirdest Thing about Jenna
It had flying monkeys. Hence, this lovely:
Book 4: Salvaged
Did not ever have a mascot either. *shifty eyes* I think there is a reason for this.
Which leads us to:
Book 5: Happy Sauce (not its real name)
This lovely, which I am currently doing edits for, has TWO mascots because one could not contain its fabulous juju.
Mascot #1 is a monster that Child designed and sewed for me. She named it Annabelle.
Mascot #2 I bought for myself. I saw it at the gem and mineral show, and when I lifted it, it made me happy. It is so smooth and slick, and just the right weight. It is also gorgeous, from all angles, with greens and whites and pinks that shift. It looks like clouds trapped in stone.
I use this one like a worry ball--when I'm pondering plot twists or what to leave in/take out, I roll it in my hands and it HELPS.
I can't be the only one who does this sort of thing, am I? Do you have mascots for your books?
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Unexpected
Happy Monday, y'all.
Good news today: I'm in the middle of the 4th round of revisions on Happy Sauce, and I still love this book with an unholy passion.
Bad news: ...Yeah, I don't really have any bad news.
Child is back safely from her 3-day school campout (they always make me so nervous)--and even though they got rained out at the end, she had a good time. I have new, sexy ankle boots. I have coffee and chocolate. The sun is out, after a week of rain.
All in all, pretty fabulous.
Also, I wanted to tell you guys about this amazing show husband and I saw last week. It was an acrobatics performance, kind of like Cirque de Soleil except based in the old west. It's called Boomtown.
http://www.birdhousefactoryshow.com/BoomTown/index.htm
There were lots of flips and amazing balancing feats:
I actually gasped more than once. But my favorite part--the part that made my husband and I both laugh so very hard it HURT--was when they brought an audience member up on stage to interact with the clown, and he totally flubbed it. More than once, in a hilarious way. It really made the evening.
So there are two morals, one for writing and one not.
One: Go see BOOMTOWN if you get the chance.
Two: Embrace your mistakes. Embrace the unexpected. Sometimes what you think is a disaster--just when you're panicking that you've totally messed things up--it turns out to be the best thing you could've done. It twists into the highlight of the show, or the book.
Good news today: I'm in the middle of the 4th round of revisions on Happy Sauce, and I still love this book with an unholy passion.
Bad news: ...Yeah, I don't really have any bad news.
Child is back safely from her 3-day school campout (they always make me so nervous)--and even though they got rained out at the end, she had a good time. I have new, sexy ankle boots. I have coffee and chocolate. The sun is out, after a week of rain.
All in all, pretty fabulous.
Also, I wanted to tell you guys about this amazing show husband and I saw last week. It was an acrobatics performance, kind of like Cirque de Soleil except based in the old west. It's called Boomtown.
http://www.birdhousefactoryshow.com/BoomTown/index.htm
There were lots of flips and amazing balancing feats:
I actually gasped more than once. But my favorite part--the part that made my husband and I both laugh so very hard it HURT--was when they brought an audience member up on stage to interact with the clown, and he totally flubbed it. More than once, in a hilarious way. It really made the evening.
So there are two morals, one for writing and one not.
One: Go see BOOMTOWN if you get the chance.
Two: Embrace your mistakes. Embrace the unexpected. Sometimes what you think is a disaster--just when you're panicking that you've totally messed things up--it turns out to be the best thing you could've done. It twists into the highlight of the show, or the book.