Category: reasons I’m not writing

What I Read in April

April was a pretty good reading month for me. I read 13 books, for a total of 45 books. My goal is 100 books for the year, and I’m pretty sure I’ll hit that.

Walking to Listen

Walking to Listen, by Andrew Forsthoefel (Read to review.) Andrew set out to walk across America, wearing a sign that read “Walking to Listen.” He met many incredible people who helped him on his way. I love the idea of this, but I’d probably be too terrified to do it.

The yellow envelope

The Yellow Envelope, by Kim Dinan. (Read to review.) A memoir about a woman and her husband who sell everything and travel the world. Friends give them a yellow envelope filled with money, and the instructions to give it away. I love the message of this book, and it really made me want to travel.

H20, by Virginia Bergin. (For fun.) When rain—and other water—becomes deadly, survival takes more thought than I imagined. It’s more than no drinking water (unless it’s bottled). No shower. No walks in the rain. Definitely no fishing. Interesting premise with a MC that started off quite annoying (she’s a teenager who’s suddenly on her own in a whole new world). I enjoyed this.

The Storm, by Virginia Bergen. (For fun.) The follow-up to H2O, with the MC a whole lot more likeable.

all the forever things

All the Forever Things, by Jolene Perry. (Read to review.) A quirky girl who lives in a funeral home finds her life changed when her best friend starts dating a boy they both used to hate, and she must survive high school on her own. Loved this.

a twist in time

A Twist in Time, by Julie McElwain. (Read to review.) When an FBI agent finds herself in 1800s England, her survival skills are no match for the rules of the Ton. But she puts her investigative skills to work to solve the murder of a Lady whom no one seems to like.

beartown

Beartown, by Fredrik Backman. (Read to review.) A dying hockey town on the edge of resurrection when the junior boys team makes it to the semi-finals is ripped apart by the trauma of one girl, which sets the townspeople against each other. Fantastic book!

brew or die

Brew or Die, by Caroline Fardig. (Read to review.) Lighthearted story about Juliet, the coffee shop manager who sleuths on the side, as she investigates a murder and corporate wrongdoing, as her past comes back to haunt her. I really enjoy this series.

Lady Susan, by Jane Austen. (Classic.) Eh. I did not enjoy this book. Lady Susan was a horrible person.

Pandemic, by A.G. Riddle. (For fun.) Although a lot of the science and technical stuff was way over my head, I enjoyed this read. The end of the world as we know it…at the hands of a secret group of scientists with an agenda thousands of years in the making.

The Alchemist, by Paula Coelho. (Cultural book.) Both enjoyable and magical.

Lady in Waiting, by Jackie Kendall. (From the TBR pile.)

Dream Big, Think Small, by Jeff Manion. (Spiritual book.) Lots of food for thought here, about small, consistent steps that yield big results.

2 Books I Stopped Reading, 2 Books I Loved (Not a Review)

Life has been super busy for me lately, so I haven’t written a book review. I’ve been reading—some—just haven’t progressed to the review state of things.

I have actually stopped reading two books lately, which is hard for me. Normally, once I start reading, I’ll finish the book even if it’s just sort of “meh.” I finally broke that habit a couple of years ago.

The first book I stopped reading was The Idiot, by Elif Batuman. I didn’t stop reading this because the writing was horrible or anything like that. It’s set in 1995, when the internet was new, and that was kind of fun. But I could not feel a connection to the main character, and the whole disembodied and theoretical email relationship between the MC and her love interest just felt so awkward and forced that I couldn’t deal with it anymore. The Amazon page has a quote from GQ that this is “Easily the funniest book I’ve read this year,” and I…must not have gotten to the funny parts, despite having read about half the book. Or possibly I’m not smart enough to catch the humor?

The second book was The Dhow House by Jean MCNeil. I wanted to like this book. The writing was fantastic. But the MC was so…out-of-it that I couldn’t really care. The setting was fascinating, but so outside of my realm of experience that I couldn’t really picture it, and the MC’s family was so superficial that I had to put the book down. I read about a third of this before stopping.

I did stumble across two books in B & N on Sunday that caught my eye: H2O and The Storm, by Virginia Bergin. These are dystopian books about what happens when rain becomes almost-instantly fatal. In England, no less. The MC, Ruby, is a completely normal teenager whom I found slightly annoying in the first book, but still likeable, if superficial. She’s pretty young, I think. I enjoyed her much more in the second book, and would gladly read more of these books if they existed.

When Not Writing is the Answer

My goal for this month was to finish up the first draft of The Fall. The story is completely outlined–using my favorite, a phase outline–everything is fresh in my mind, I still like the story…but for the past few weeks, forcing myself to sit down and write has been kind of like pulling teeth.

Today, I figured out why: the story that’s outlined, that I’ve been writing, is no longer the story I want to tell.

Don’t get me wrong, I still want to tell this story. But the story is no longer about what I thought it was about. So, I have all these little glimpses and glimmers of the other story in my head, but I don’t have my trail mapped out. I’m close to finishing the current draft, but there’s really no point, since I no longer want to tell the story.

So, I’m going to stop writing this story. Give myself a break for the rest of the month to deal with the huge, looming reports due at work. Continue outlining the Witches rewrite, but stop all of my other writing efforts as I focus on the job and school for a couple of weeks.

And bump The Fall to a bit later on my list of writing projects.

If Not for You, by Debbie Macomber

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, and has written dozens of books in her career. She also loves to knit and help others, including her Knit 1, Bless 2 program. Debbie’s newest book is If Not for You, in the New Beginnings books, a series of stand-alone novels.

Beth Prudhomme loves her parents, but she’s had enough of her loving but domineering mother. So, Beth moves to Portland, near her Aunt Sunshine, a free-spirited artist. Beth gets the job she’s always dreamed of, as a high-school music teacher, and makes new friends, including Nichole and Rocco, who set up a blind date with Sam, a tattooed mechanic. Beth is reserved and proper, Sam is rough around the edges and unconventional: the opposite of everything Beth’s mother wants for her.

After their awkward blind date, Beth and Sam leave, thinking themselves unscathed, but Beth is in a bad wreck, which Sam witnesses. He stays to comfort her, and finds himself drawn to her hospital room…and to Beth herself. Their attraction surprises them both, and they have many obstacles to overcome. Sam has the secrets of his past, and Beth her tendency to take trying to help a little too far. And then there’s her mother…

I loved A Girl’s Guide to Moving On, a previous book in the New Beginnings series, and some of those characters show up here, which I’ve always loved. The characters in this book really make it so worth reading. Beth is fighting a lifetime of habit and trying to forge a life of her own when calamity strikes. The she must deal with an injury as well as her own faults. And Sam has spent so many years hurting that he can’t imagine not hurting. As the two of them grow—together but separately as well—the reader is privileged to watch their choices change them.

(Galley provided by Ballantine Books.)

Debbie-Holding-book-FINAL-approved-resized-199x300

Looking for Inspiration

Today, I’m looking for something to get me writing. Inspiration, motivation, some kind of cattle prod wired to my chair that zaps me if I get up…. You know, the usual.

I work best under pressure, or with “too much” to do. Something about knowing there are a ton of things that need to be done keeps me focused and allows me to get things accomplished. (A close friend once told me, “You get more done before 9 a.m. than most people do all day!” This is easier if your days routinely start at 3 a.m. I’m just saying…)

My new class—my first journalism class—starts tomorrow, and I’m moderately terrified (likely to upgrade to “completely”.). My job responsibilities changed last week, with the addition of an entire second location to do administrative tasks for. Then there’s the novel I’m writing, the one I’m actively revising, and the one I’m outlining. Not to mention the copywriting class I’m working my way through. And the book reviews that are due or past due. Blogging. I think you see my point.

While this would normally prove super-motivating and really keep me focused and on-task, sometimes, I have to fight a little bit harder to get inspired. (Hence this post instead of my first 500 words of fiction for the day.)

With that in mind, here are four things that might motivate you (and me) to write:

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing, by Leo Babauta

Inspiration

A Writer’s Inspirations, by Shea

10 Tricks For Getting Inspired to Write, by Jonathan Morrow

What I Read in February

My official goal is to read 100 books this year…but I’d like to read more like 125 or so. I read a lot last year, but I don’t want to get overly optimistic this year, what with grad school, work, training for three fall races…you know, LIFE.

In February, I read 10 books, 2 less than January, for a total of 22 for the year.

cover-pachinko

Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee. (Read to review.) I found this book engrossing and sad at the same time–such persecution the Koreans faced and Sunya’s life was full of sorrow–but well-worth the read.

duncan_portal-150-230-76-dpi

Portal of a Thousand Worlds, by Dave Duncan. (Read to review.) Asian cultures fascinate me–I’d love to visit–but sometimes the “rules” are so complex as to be mind-boggling. I loved the layers of this novel.

i-wanna-be-loved-by-you

I Wanna Be Loved by You, by Heather Hiestand. (Read to review.) I love reading anything set in the 20s, hence my interest in this book.

the-weight-of-him-by-ethel-rohan

The Weight of Him, by Ethel Rohan. (Read to review.) I also love Ireland and anything set there is guaranteed to catch my eye. This novel deals with…weighty…issues like suicide, depression, and eating disorders. It captures the struggles within a family, as well as a man’s struggle with his weight.

fatal-option

Fatal Option, by Chris Beakey. (Read to review). This is one of the few books I’ve ever read where all the characters are “bad guys” in some shape, form, or fashion. It’s about impossible choices—and their repercussions.

Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton. (Classical book of the month.) Surprisingly engrossing, and the ending was NOT what I expected.

Breath, Eyes, Memory, by Edwidge Danticat. (Different culture book of the month.) About a family of women from/in Haiti. Not a happy book, but a book about family relationships among women, and it will give you a glimpse into Haitian culture.

Amish White Christmas Pie, by Wanda E. Bruntstetter. (From the TBR pile.)

God’s Plan for When You Can’t Sleep, by Christina Vinson. (Spiritual book for the month.)

Paper and Fire, by Rachel Caine. (Just because.) I LOVE these books! Can’t wait for the third book to come out. Such a unique premise—where the Library in Alexandria still exists and controls the flow of information in the world, and the main character is from a family who trades in illegal books.

What I Read in January

January was a pretty good month for keeping up with my goals. Well…most of them, anyway. I did keep up with my writing and reading goals, so I’m calling it a win. I read 12 books for the month.

The Fifth Petal, by Brunonia Barry. (Read to review.) I liked this book a lot: elements of the supernatural, a mystery, and a town so vibrant that I want to visit.
A Mad Zombie Party, by Gena Showalter. (Read just because.) Loved this series. Loved these characters. Loved this book.
The Road to Enchantment, by Kaya McLaren. (Read to review.) The New Mexico landscape is as much of a character as the actual characters. Deals with difficult times in an almost-lyrical way. Well-worth reading.
Dawn Study, by Maria V. Snyder. (Read to review, and because I love this series.) Very sad to see this series end. The wold, characters, magic system…everything is fantastic! Highly recommended. (But please, start with the very first book, Poison Study.)
Firstlife, by Gena Showalter. (Read just because.) It occurs to me that I had a thing for Gena Showalter this month…Fair enough. Unique concept, compelling characters, and awesome worldbuilding. I want to be Gene Showalter when I grow up (as a writer)!
Ink and Bone, by Rachel Caine. (Read just because.) I’m a huge Rachel Caine fan, and when she did an event nearby, I was so there! This first book was so good I had to hide the second one from myself (or I’d never get anything else done)!
Unpunished, by Lisa Black. (Read to review.) Not a bad book, but I would have been better off reading the first novel in the series…first.
The Sky Between You and Me, by Catherine Alene. (Forthcoming review.) So…I didn’t realize this is written in a sort of free-form/free-verse, stream-of-consciousness style. At first, I was off-put by this, but then the story really drew me in, and I enjoyed it a lot.
The Edge, by Fleur Camacho. (Read just because.) This has been hanging out on my Kindle for a while. I liked the premise, but the delivery felt a little bit patchy and underdeveloped. Plus, the world is based on something that I have a fundamental problem with—which is my problem—but did give me some reservations about the story when I realized it.
Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad. (Classic book of the month.) Um…this pretty much made no impression on me.
Behold the Dreamers, by Imbolo Mbue. (My different-culture book for the month.) I’d heard some good things about this novel, and, for personal reasons, wanted to read it. I found it both inspiring and a bit sad, but very evocative. The dialect is so well-done and musical, that I could almost hear it! In my experience, it captures the Cameroonian mindset extremely well (Makes sense, since the author is from Limbe.).
Uninvited, by Lysa TerKeurst. (Spiritual book of the month.) Really fantastic book, about dealing with all sorts of rejection.

Local Writers’ Event and Reader’s Indecision

This week was fairly productive, considering it was the first week of grad school (Eep!). I did a tiny bit of writing—1,000 words or so—in The Fall, plus outlining 10 scenes in it as well. Having an outline made the writing flow pretty well. Something I know, yet I still started writing this story with no outline. Smart move, there.

I did a little outlining in the Witches revision, also. I’m sort of feeling my way with that, since I’ve revised the story several times, and this is more of a re-write than a revision, but I’m using the current draft as a guideline. We’ll see how that works out. My voice and style have changed significantly since I originally plotted the story.

Yesterday I attended a local authors’ event with a friend. It’s part of the library’s Year of the Book promotion. Each author had a table, and they each spoke for 10 minutes.

My friend and I went because we both love Rachel Caine’s work. (I’ve read The Morganville Vampires series, the Weather Warden series, the Outcast Season spin-offs, and her re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. I’ve been wanting to read her The Great Library series as well.)

Somehow, by sheer luck, we arrived about 15 minutes before Rachel’s talk, just in time to hear Sarah MacTavish. (I feel like I’ve heard of her, but can’t swear to it. I read SO MUCH that authors sometimes get a little bit mixed up in my mind sometimes.) I enjoyed her talk, and the short chat I had with her afterwards, and bought her book, Firebrand. Young adult fiction about the Civil War from an author who carries her supply of books in an R2D2 suitcase? I’m sold! I’m looking forward to the read, just as soon as I wrangle enough time from my schedule for it.

My purchases for the day:

books

It’s been quite a while since I purchased physical copies of fiction. The bottom two books I bought at the event, the top three at B & N beforehand. I was so excited when I got home, but I had serious reader’s indecision: What to read first?

Answer: Firstlife, by Gena Showalter, because I’m hoping to get approved to review the second book in the series, and because I’ve been interested in this one for a while. Isn’t the cover gorgeous?

Confession: I read the entire thing last night. Loved it! The concept is so unique, and the characters compelled me from the first page. You should definitely read this!

Things All Writers Understand

Just a few things from my Writing Pinterest board that all writers will understand. (I don’t own any of these images, but bless their creators, for totally understanding the struggle.)

block — At this point, it could be either one…

dory-writing — It’s sad how accurate this is <looks at list of 4 planned novels for this year, including the shiny new one that happened two weeks ago>.

first-draft — …one of which planned novels is the full re-write of the first thing I ever started writing…

inspiration — Motivation comes in many forms.

old — Actually, I’m too afraid to look at my VERY first draft.

plotting — If I only I could be the first one.

writer — Wait, I thought everyone hung upside down. You mean they don’t?

writing — I might resemble the last picture…

What I Read in December

I had a pretty busy reading month in December, with 14 total books read. (I think.)

Masques and Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs. This was on my TBR shelf for FAR too long, I’m ashamed to say. I’ve loved everything by Briggs that I’ve read.

pr-12-murky-pond-188x300