The Heinlein Experiment

Have you guys seen Heinlein's Rules?

Robert A. Heinlein had these five simple rules for making it as a writer, originally appearing in his essay "On the Writing of Speculative Fiction", but some people believe they're as true now, and for any genre, as they were then for speculative fiction:

1. You must write.
2. You must finish what you write.
3. You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
4. You must put the work on the market.
5. You must keep the work on the market until it is sold.

Robert J. Sawyer has a great blog post that goes into a bit more depth on these classic rules. Rule number 3 is sometimes maligned, but he interpets it as "No tweaking" not "No polishing".

I've mentioned before that I'm doing Write 1, Sub 1, and in a way that's forcing me to follow Heinlein's rules whether I agree with them or not.  I have a story to write every week and I have to sub a story every week, so... I guess I'm doing things Heinlein's way. And as long as I'm doing that anyway, I guess I might as well follow these rules purposefully and see what happens. That means over the course of this year, I'll write over 50 stories (4 down so far) and submit at least as many times.  I'm curious to see where I end up in 2011 - publication credits or no, that's a lot of writing practice!

What do you think of Heinlein's rules?

Book Rec: Full Dark, No Stars

First of all, I love the title of Stephen King's latest, and that's the primary reason I picked it up.  The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is one of my favorite novels ever, but I'm not usually a big horror reader. Okay, I admit Apt Pupil seemed like a pretty good story, but I put that one down once I caught a hint of tortured cats. There are some things I just can't handle in my horror.

But I saw the title, Full Dark, No Stars, and I saw the gorgeous-disturbing-stark cover, and fine. I'll give it a shot. After all,  there's no denying King is one hell of a storyteller.

Full Dark, No Stars contains four long stories. In "1922", there's a man who kills his wife, convincing his young son to help with the murder and disposal of her body, only to find themselves "hainted". That story was disturbing, but effective. Even though the protag in 1922 is unsympathetic, it's still heartbreaking to see the damage unfold around him.

"Big Driver" was a hard story for me to read, about a woman who is brutally raped and left for dead - and then seeks revenge on her own. Brilliant characterization and pacing. The only fault I found was a few instances of word choice that pulled me out of the story thinking, "Okay, definitely a man writing from a woman's perspective." But even though I looked up numerous times during this story to ask MJ why I was reading about people being hurt - like the news isn't depressing enough - I thought this was a fantastic story. My favorite of the four.

"Fair Extension", the third and shortest story in the book, didn't work all that well for me. It's about a man who makes a deal with the devil, saving his own life - and allowing him to watch his best friend suffer instead.  I had a hard time accepting the characterization in this one - the guy who seems like a sort-of OK type at the beginning gets far too much enjoyment out of the unrelenting misery of others.

On the other hand, "A Good Marriage" was very, very good indeed, even if the marriage itself wasn't. What would you do if one day you discovered your spouse of twenty-odd years was, in fact, a notorious serial killer? That's the question Darcy faces... along with the serious face of her husband, promising he'll never, ever do it again. Really.

The stories are interconnected in that they explore the darkest side of human nature - the "stranger within us all", and I think perhaps that's part of why "Big Driver" and "A Good Marriage" resonated most with me - the two protags in those stories were the most sympathetic and relatable to me. I could put myself in their shoes, making their same choices.

Recommend for the horror fan, but also for the writing student - I think it's interesting to see how Stephen King does what he does, what makes him so effective as a writer even when he's breaking the rules - whether horror is your bag or not.

Where Are The Geeks?

I am drawn to stories about geeks. I love geeks in movies. My excitement over Fanboys was serious (Star Wars? Kristen Bell? OMG, it was like I'd ordered up a movie just to suit me and someone made it) and I was pretty psyched for Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (which should have been titled Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Giant Letdown, just because Michael Cera's character, despite being a geek, was a misogynist prick. That ain't redeemable). The best ever example of geeks, for me, was the fantastic television show Freaks and Geeks, which I can't recommend highly enough, and actually need to go watch again right now having thought of it.

But I especially love geeks in fiction. Or want to, anyway. I rarely find books about geeks - especially girl geeks - that read true to life.  Far more often, it seems that the writer tells us a character is a geek, makes him or her strong at academics, and maybe puts them in ill-fitting clothes and ugly shoes. Aaand that's it.

Nuh-uh.

Now this is where I have to make a confession. I am a pretty big geek. Over the years, I've learned to pass for normal. I married another geek who passes for normal, and in fact, I was so deep in hiding that, while MJ loves my dork side, he didn't even know I read comic books until we were married.  But I read every Star Wars novel published up until 2003, I have a rock collection, and I went to Geek U. (seriously, you would not believe the things I saw at my college) where I minored in Physics and crushed on a boy who wore a periodic table of the elements t-shirt.

I like to think that I know a little something about the subject, and these are the defining characteristics of how I'd classify a true geek:

• Obsessive interest in one subject or more. Probably a subject most other people are not interested in, but regardless of whether it's generally considered interesting or not, their level of knowledge is Not Normal. 
• Some degree of dissatisfaction with the world as it is - and a response of seeking out some type of escapism.
• Disregard of some social norm. Yeah, you've got the serious geeks who wear their homemade chain mail to class (I went to school with multiple people who did this) and who can't make eye contact, and then you have the cool geeks who are just slightly quirky. But you're not a geek unless you sometimes slip up and talk too much about something you find interesting, only to realize you are being stared at blankly because no on else cares about the physics of A Wrinkle In Time, or linger over geeky t-shirts you know you shouldn't wear in public, or something. Something that says This Girl Over Here? Not Quite Normal.

For the record, it's not like MJ and I have matching Unobtanium t-shirts or anything.

Also, I'm beginning to realize I may have overthought this. Sorry, but that's sort of what I do. And I want to know, why the absence of the geek? Are they too hard for the average reader to relate to? Because I think, while not everyone will bounce up and down with excitement when someone makes  a math joke or a Star Trek reference, we can all relate to feeling a bit socially awkward or out of place in this world.

...can't we?

Anyone have any book recs to prove me wrong in my analysis of a lack of geekery in modern fiction?

Just A Little Bit Of Crazy For 2011

I'm just doing two challenges this year, in keeping with my resolution to simplify (I still hate you, Thoreau, even if I sometimes take your advice).


The writing challenge: Write 1, Sub 1. For short fiction writers, this is such a fun idea.  You write a short story and submit a short story to a journal or 'zine every week (or every month, if you go for the lite version).

Why yes, it is a little nuts. But so far, I've written two stories and sent out half-a-dozen, and I'm excited to see what the rest of the year brings - it's cool to think that at the end of '11, I'll have over 50 new stories written and 50 (let's just say it) rejections or acceptances.

It's not too late to join up - I'd love to know if anyone else is doing W1S1!

The reading challenge: 2011 Debut Authors.  As much as I love to read, this challenge is special in particular. I love the idea of supporting debut authors - and discovering new authors that I'll continue to read. 

And, in other news, I'm going to run another marathon this year. To help counterbalance all that time I spend sitting at my computer, banging at the keys, creating stories and eating M&Ms.

What crazy (awesome) things are y'all up to in 2011?

Book Rec: The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

MJ gave me a Kindle for Christmas, something he's already claiming was a mistake, since all I want to do is read (and play the free word games I downloaded - don't tell him that though).

I finished The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell last night (releasing March 7, 2011). It has a beautiful cover, but the story is beautiful too. 

The summer of 1889 is the one between childhood and womanhood for Amelia van den Broek-and thankfully, she's not spending it at home in rural Maine. She's been sent to Baltimore to stay with her stylish cousin, Zora, who will show her all the pleasures of city life and help her find a suitable man to marry.

Archery in the park, dazzling balls and hints of forbidden romance-Victorian Baltimore is more exciting than Amelia imagined. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset-visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. Newly dubbed "Maine's Own Mystic", Amelia is suddenly quite in demand.

However, her attraction to Nathaniel, an artist who is decidedly outside of Zora's circle, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own- still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him. And while she has no trouble seeing the futures of others, she cannot predict whether Nathaniel will remain in hers.

When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia's world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she's not the seer of dark portents, but the cause. (http://www.saundramitchell.com/books.html)

What's funny is that I actually wasn't sure about The Vespertine when I first picked it up. I loved the first sentence:

I woke in Oak Haven, utterly ruined.

Wow. There's a promie there that makes me want to read on. But what follows are some fevered, discombobulating paragraphs. The narrator, Amelia, is pretty much nuts and locked away in a bedroom, and while her madness comes through clearly, for me it wasn't the most engaging beginning.

But I read on, and once Lizzie, her sister-in-law, enters the picture to let Amelia loose, I was hooked. Sweet, spirited and wise, Lizzie is a well-developed secondary character, even though she's only in a few chapers. I enjoyed Saunders' skillful characterization and dialogue, and found myself caring for the fate of not just Amelia and Nathaniel, but for Zora and her friends and cousins. 

Most of the story is set in 19th century Baltimore, and I thought it felt well-researched and evocative; it was interesting to see through Amelia's eyes.

But. The real test of how much I liked this book? It could be considered in many ways a paranormal romance, complete with intense-love-at-first-sight, which usually has the combined effect of making me complain about reinforcing ridiculous teenage expectations of romance and toss books aside. But I didn't do that this time, because I was reading it on a Kindle and it might break. No, seriously, I didn't do it this time because it just worked for me.  It felt right for the story, that sheltered Amelia falls head-over-heels for the inappropriate "Fourteenth" (Nathaniel, an artist), especially since her paranormal powers begin to waken after they meet...

And, no matter how lovesick they are, Amelia and Zora have a strong friendship (cemented with clever and enjoyable dialogue), which is something I really love seeing in YA. Or anywhere. The friendships of women are just as important as our loves.

Definitely, I recommend The Vespertine if you like YA historical or YA paranormal romance; as if you couldn't tell I was recommending this one to read in 2011. Loved it!

It was a pretty OK year, 2010

But I hope 2011 is even better. :)

I read 106 books. I'll spare you the list, but you can see it on my Reads page. Not nearly enough of those were read in the tub, and too many were read in airports waiting for business trips, but hey.

One of those - Alexandra Bullen's Wish - was even read on my new Christmas kindle. :)

I've been thinking about what books I remember best, that I read earlier this year.

• Best romance: It's hard to pick one, but I will. Emily Horner's A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend. Emily Horner's debut novel covers heavy topics like bullying, homosexuality, death and grief, but without pulling any punches she manages to weave in some real humor and a beautiful story of friendship and romance. 
• Runner up:  Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols. This is one of the first books I read this year and not only do I remember it well, but I'm dying to re-read it. Snarky, strong MC, hot bad-boy cop love interest, handcuffs. It's everything I need in a romance.
• Best fairy tale: Nancy Werlin's Impossible. Beautifully written take-off on the song Scarborough Fair in a contemporary setting, with a strong MC, involved parents (such a rarity to see in YA!) and a compelling love story. It really stood out as unique this year.
• Best male love interest: Jace in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. I love these books, but I'll probably re-read just for Jace. How does Cassandra Clare make someone on the written page so HOT?
• Best female love interest: John Green's Looking For Alaska. John Green writes bigger-than-life, funny, awesome, deeply troubled female love interests, and I adore him for it.
• Best humor: Debut novelist Chelsea M. Campbell in The Rise of Renegade X. I often sit next to my husband on the couch and laugh out loud in a distracting, sometimes alarming, fashion while I'm reading, but this book was the most distracting, alarming thing all year. I even sent Chelsea Campbell a fan-girl email, that's how much I loved it (and she was nice enough to send me an email back, which I thought was pretty awesome).
• Most disturbing: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. OMG. This story - of a girl kidnapped and held by a pedophile for years - was the most heartbreaking, emotionally devastating novel I've read. But Elizabeth Scott finds a believable way to end it, while tragically, on a note of hope and courage.
• Most thought-provoking: I'm going to go with Suzzane Collins' Mockingjay,. This is the book that launched a hundred discussions, about everything from how Collins portrayed war to whether Mockingjay's conclusion was really satisfying - from philosophy to craft.

I read a lot of awesome books in 2010, these were just especially memorable. Also, I have to give a nod to my favorite cookbooks of the year, Artisinal Bread In Five Minutes A Day and Glorious One Pot Meals, for helping me stay fed while I read obssesively.  Fresh-baked bread and easy, nommy food.

And in terms of my books ever seeing print themselves - well.  I finished the rough draft of The Goddess of Vengeance Wore Pink Galoshes and started work on revisions. I learned to think of revisions in a whole new way - as an important part of the creative process instead of just being clean-up. I took a fantastic writing class, sponsored by the National Endowment For the Arts. I sent out 20 submissions for short stories and poetry to lit journals (no love yet).

In some ways, I feel like I didn't make any forward progress this year. No agent. No new publication credits. I don't even have anything done that I'm ready to query yet, although I hope to be there soon.

But I learned a lot. And I read a lot. I think I'm growing as a writer every day, and I'm excited about the craft. So maybe that's enough forward motion for me, for this year.

We'll see what 2011 holds.

The Puppy I Didn't Plan On

The other night I dreamed that someone gave me a puppy.

Now, I would love to have a puppy. If MJ gave me a puppy, I would love him forever and ever (I know he thinks he is entitled to Forever and Ever anyway, but all I promised in our wedding vows was Til Death Do We Part. Forever and Ever is the kind of crazy romantic love that leads to, like, Wuthering Heights and YA paranormals).

But in my dream, I was a little distressed. You see, I've been volunteering for pet rescues for years. I am a firm believer that Adoption Should Be Your First Option.

And I grew up with big dogs - labs, golden retrievers, huskies, rottweilers.  I like to have 90 lbs of dog on my side if a passing burgular decides he wants my TV, soda maker and seal-shaped lamp (I have a sense of style like no other). I like to have 90 lbs of dog climbing onto my lap when I'm trying to watch Bridezillas on the couch and disrupting my breathing with a big blocky head on my chest.  I like big dogs.

But while I had been dreaming of an older, less "adoptable", big dog from a rescue - the wiggling puppy in my arms was a pet-store small dog. Not what I'd expected at all! And in my dream, I debated giving him back for a dog who needed me.

I couldn't, though. Because that puppy was looking at me with big sad brown eyes like he did need me. Needed a home. And damn it he was my puppy.

I have the same thing lately with a story. I had a plan for December and January:

1. Revise THE GODDESS OF VENGEANCE WORE PINK GALOSHES.
2. Rough draft what is now imaginatively titled YA MYSTERY1.

Then, as I was painting my office, I had an idea for a short story. YA post-apocalyptic. Feminism and zombies. A teenage girl caught between two guys - who are willing to fight for her, but never ask her what she wants.

Quick and simple. After I finished (and washed the paint out of my hair) I sat down to write. I knew it would be a longer short story for me, probably around 5k. But I knew I could bang it out in a day or two.

Folks,  we're now around 15k. Things keep happening. Characters keep popping up.

"Oh, hai, I'm the brother, I'm going to do something interesting now!"

"I'm the dad. Did you seriously think you were going to write about the patriarchy without the patriarch getting a say?"

"I'm the random zombie who is supposed to stay off-screen, your MC's unspoken fear. But yeah. I want to eat her brains. So I'm in it to win it, beotch."

*Bangs head into keyboard*

This is not the story I wanted, not when I wanted it. But like the puppy in my dream, it's here, and I just can't give up on it.

So if I'm not around  much, it's because I'm experimenting with vegan gluten-free cookie baking (food allergies are a PITA), entertaining a motley collection of relatives, and writing my little heart out as fast as I can so I can get back to my plan!

Get some action in 2011

How'd your 2010 resolutions go?

Yeah. Well, it's almost 2011. 2010 resolutions are gone. So yesterday.

In fact, resolutions themselves are just so 2010.

Now, the cool kids are all about action.

Check out my guest post about making it happen in 2011 on Life in the Pitts.

Be Jolly, By Golly - Come be jolly with me!

I'm posting for the Be Jolly By Golly blogfest a bit early; tomorrow is going to be a bit crazy and I have another special post in the evening, too.  I can't wait for the virtual holiday party, anyway!

So come on in... it's our first year having Christmas in our own house (with both sides of the family visiting, which sounds like the start of a joke... "What happens when two atheists, two evangelicals, a tarot-card reading spiritualist and whatever my sister-in-law is get togther to celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus?" We have our first big tree:

You probably can't see, but there is a lot of pink and orange in that tree. Thank you also, Baby Jesus, that my husband is color blind.

Here's our side board in the dining room with sparkling icicles and little purple-and-bronze Christmas trees:

Yeah, photography is not my day job. Also, I am pretty sure the Grinch snuck into my house and stole my camera just to up my Christmas Stress, so I took those with my iPhone.

Would you like some hot chocolate? It's my favorite drink during winter. This is my favorite recipe to use:

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons HERSHEY'S unsweetened Cocoa
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

As the milk heats, combine dry ingredients. Add hot milk to the cocoa and sugar, then add a splash of vanilla. And some marshmallows. Maybe whipped cream. And sprinkles or chocolate shavings. Maybe a little chocolate syrup.

You know. However overboard you want to go. 'Tis the season, after all.

It's almost impossible to pick a favorite Christmas cookie, so I'm just going to go with the beloved and Most Traditional - the Spritz Christmas Tree. My grandmother made them, my mother made them, and now I don my little retro apron and make them. But not yet this year. I borrowed this image from IPB living:

Best eaten while hot and soft off the cookie sheet, in my opinion. Go ahead.

You need a cookie press for this one, of course, but the recipe itself is pretty simple:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• a few drops of green food coloring to desired color

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then add vanilla and eggs and mix well. Add flour slowly until well mixed. Then add food coloring to get the desired Christmas-y green. Refrigerate at least two hours and then fill cookie press.  After pressing out the Christmas Trees, decorate with sprinkles and colored sugar (my favorite part when I was seven and still now that I'm twenty-seven). Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Archeology of Awkward, Part Two

OMG, I was into my old journals this weekend looking for an excerpt from a letter to use in a story. I'm still searching for the excerpt.  But I've found lots of other comedic gold.  Dialogue has always been my favorite part of writing, and I faithfully recorded dialogue in my journal whenever I found it sufficiently entertaining. There's a YA novel in the making, right here...

Ex-boyfriend to me: "You're not a drama queen. Drama queens take small things  and turn them into huge things. You just... create huge things."
*
Me: "I've never been attracted to a guy who wasn't a shithead."
Nora (one of my best friends, on right in photo)): "Well, what guy isn't?"
*
Zach (Nora's boyfriend) has been attempting his usual mix of psychoanalysis and romantic fixing. You've got to give it to the boy, he's brave. He wanted to know why I'm not dating Jordan. He went through the list of positives, and then demanded, "Give me one reason why not?"

"Because!" I said. "That's not how you decide to love someone. I can't see any reason not to date you, so what the hell..."

"Oh, and what do you base your decisions off?" Zach asked. "Physical chemistry? Pheremones?"

I explained that, as great as Jordan is, I just don't feel it. I like MJ, but that's because of who he is, not because I have a position to fill. Since Zach just kept pushing, eventually I admitted, "I like the drama."

"You enjoy the whole process," Zach said. "You know what you should do? You should exclusively date guys with girlfriends. In fact, you could do even better - you should exclusively date guys with BOYFRIENDS."
*
But, what's a blog post without photos? And on the subject of awkwardness...

 I'll just let you leave that up to your imagination.

The Biggest Query Mistakes

J.M. Tohline has a fantastic blog post up about the biggest mistakes writers make in queries. He asked, fifty agents answered.

It's definitely worth checking out if you're querying (or will be). Some of it is common sense, some of it specific to different agents, and it's all worth reading, just to be sure. We spend so long on the damn novels themselves, might as well take the time to write a perfect query since that novel only gets one shot in the front of any given agent!

Here's a teaser borrowed from J.M's post:
As for further thoughts on vagueness, Michelle Wolfson had this to say: I think the biggest mistake people make is not telling me what their book is about. They give an overview of the book in flowery writing that really doesn't say much, or they talk about the genre or the main characters etc., but they never tell me what the book is actually about and there's no way for me to judge whether or not I'm going to be interested in the story. Tell me who the main character is, what conflict s/he faces and what's at stake. You'd be surprised how many people don't do this.

Now, go read the whole thing!

Hope you guys are having an awesome weekend!

What's in a literary education?

I saw this on Quinn's blog and thought it would make a fun blog post:

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.

Instructions:

• Copy this list.
• Bold those books you’ve read in their entirety. 
• Italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish or read only an excerpt.

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

Harry Potter series – JK Rowling

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
The King James Bible I've certainly read all the interesting parts - but there are geneaology bits in there that just are no fun for anyone.

Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte I actually just started this one!

Nineteen Eighty Four (1984) – George Orwell

His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman

Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
Little Women – Louisa M Alcott

Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

Complete Works of Shakespeare Dude, ALL of them? Not yet. I've read all the romantic comedies, Romeo and Juliet, and a Midsummer Night's Dream. Maybe someday...

Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk

Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger 

Middlemarch – George Eliot

Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis

Emma - Jane Austen
Persuasion – Jane Austen

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis

The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini I just bought this book at the thrift store last week, am looking forward to reading it soon...

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres

Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne

Animal Farm – George Orwell

The DaVinci Code – Dan Brown

One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery

Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

Lord of the Flies – William Golding

Atonement – Ian McEwan

Life of Pi – Yann Martel

Dune – Frank Herbert

Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons

Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez I have this one out from the library right now.

Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

The Secret History – Donna Tartt

The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

On The Road – Jack Kerouac

Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding

Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

Moby Dick – Herman Melville
Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

Dracula – Bram Stoker
The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson

Ulysses – James Joyce

The Inferno – Dante

Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

Germinal – Emile Zola

Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

Possession – AS Byatt

Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

The Color Purple – Alice Walker

The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White

The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton

Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery

The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

Watership Down – Richard Adams

A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

Hamlet – William Shakespeare

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

So, I've read more than a few of those. More than six, anyway. The list seems a bit random to me, though.  Some classics, some contemporary, a disproportionate amount of Shakespeare, lots of Austen, a little chick lit, one or two novels that I think are, in fact, really bad, and some wonderful children's books.  There are also quite a few books I'd still like to read!

How many of the books on the BBC list have you read? And what books do you think should be on there?  I'm going to update later with part two - my top 100 books - and I'd love to know what you think everyone should read. Feel free to do the same if you'd like. I think it's interesting to see what we all think the most (important? interesting? relevant?) something books are we think everyone should try. :)

Grinchly Musings

I am such a grinch, y'all.

I saw It's A Wonderful Life this past weekend and I thought it was lame. No matter how many times I'm told it's the quintessential American Christmas story, I just want to grab George Bailey and tell him, "Stop being a martyr! Sell the Building & Loan and fix your life!"  As a result, it's painful for me to watch 90 minutes worth of him being miserable... especially since the tension he experiences, since it doesn't seem necessary, doesn't feel relevant to me.

Apparently, I'm one of a tiny percentage of people who feel that way, since everyone loves Jimmy Stewart. I guess I'm a Christmas Fail. :p But, I thought it was interesting to think about why the movie didn't work for me. As I'm hip-deep right now in revisions on The Goddess of Vengeance Wore Pink Galoshes, I'm trying up the tension in a lot of scenes . But  I want it to feel natural and evolved, not forced on a character in order to create the story I have to tell.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go tell some kids there is no Santa Claus.

Are there any uber-hyped books or movies - new or classics - that just don't work for you? Why, if I may ask?

The Archeology of Awkward, Part One

I recently dug up my old blog that I had in college.  And it just the gold mine I thought it would be - angsty poetry, awkward photos, and a bubbly take on underage drinking, over-scheduling and varsity sports. Basically, me now, only with spikes and Smirnoff Ice and never-ending boy drama.

I thought it might be a fun thing to recycle some of these old posts... like this one with an untitled poem:


Despite the things you say
your eyes always give you away
when I catch you watching me
and your gaze pulls away
sweeping across the room--
sweeping me with you.

So go ahead and say one more time
that you'd never want to be my boy
and push me away when I put my arms
around you and say that I missed you
and when I rest my chin on your shoulder
and when I put my hand on your cheek.

You can say everything you want to say
and you can try and stop me when I touch you
Try to save your precious masculine dignity
I know my affection is blatantly obvious
but yours is too, knowing where to look
which is why I always stare back.

I think I wrote that one for Unrequited Love That Made Me Act All Emo For A Season, but I might have written it for MJ in the tumultuous early days of our, erm, "courtship". And look how it turned out! Why so angsty, Young Me?  Stop worrying... you could put that time to better use in revisions!

The Hating Game by Talli Roland - Release Today (Updated)

Help Talli Roland's debut novel THE HATING GAME hit the Kindle bestseller list at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk by spreading the word today. Even a few sales in a short period of time on Amazon helps push the book up the rankings, making it more visible to other readers.

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/hX2ieD

No Kindle? Download a free app at Amazon for Mac, iPhone, PC, Android and more.

Coming soon in paperback.  Keep up with the latest at www.talliroland.com.

About THE HATING GAME:

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £2000,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end? 


I'm working on a review for this book that I should have posted later today or tomorrow, but in the meantime... go check out Talli's book!  

Anyone can read the release for Kindle by downloading the appropriate app for your phone or computer... so I want to give one of my readers a chance to read it on me. Just leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address. For another entry, post this on Twitter or your blog. 

I'll be back tonight at 9pm to pick a winner and hop on Amazon to send the winner THE HATING GAME as an elecronic gift! (Isn't this a much better use of the interwebs than Farmville?)
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Update! Thanks to the random number generator (normally played by Randomizer, but today by my husband MJ) we have a winner for a free copy of The Hating Game (if you didn't already buy it!). Shelley!
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Update #2: Shelley already has her copy! Let me try again... Old Kitty?

Ugh to NYC in January...

...because I hate the cold.

But yay for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Winter 2010 conference!

R.L. Stine is giving the keynote address, which makes me happy... I loved me some Goosebumps books as a kid. I haven't been to a conference before, so while I'm excited by some of the great classes (and agents!) there, I don't know much about what it will be like. Besides cold, of course. Brr.

Is anyone else going? And does anyone want to split a hotel room if so? The Hyatt where the conference is being held is $219 a night, and that's just a bit out of this aspiring writer's budget. If I don't find a roomie, I'll be staying with the family in the Jersey suburbs.

Jersey, guys. Is anyone out there?

:)

And does anyone have any thoughts or insights on the conference experience?

My Muse Rides Along In the Backseat

MJ and I had a fantastic long weekend visiting family and friends. I think I ate my year's quota of pie and cheescake, and probably fulfilled the year's quota for talking politics too (something I will spare you all from on this blog ;)).

But an unexpectedly wonderful part? All the day dreaming on the nine-hour drive back home. I spent most of the trip letting MJ drive, with my feet up on the dash, listening to the radio and thinking about Stories I Would Like To Tell.  I think the next book is going to be a YA mystery novel. Concept, plot and characters all came to me during that painfully long car ride. Hey, I'll take some stiff muscles for a new storyline.

Here's my tentative hook:


Dia and Sam are best friends who share their secrets and support each other unquestioningly – but when Sam attempts suicide, Dia sets out to unravel the secrets her friend hasn’t told before Sam can try again.

More to come. :) I'm very excited and working on an in-depth outline and character sketches now, though I also have lots of work to do on The Goddess of Vengeance so that I can finish up revisions and start querying!

Now, I just wish I had a title...

Where do you guys get your best inspiration?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. readers (and happy Thursday to everyone else!).

 

(This super image from comicvine.com)

What are you thankful for this year? I'm thankful for:

• Our warm and happy home
• Family & friends
• The chance to know and love my adopted kitty, Buffy, and our two foster cats Buster and Bonzai from the SPCA - even though now that Buffy has died and Buster & Bonzai have moved onto their forever home, I miss them so much!
• Ready access to books through libraries, book stores and the interwebs - so many people live in countries with strict control overs what they can and can't read. Reading Lolita In Tehran has really made me think about how lucky and blessed we are!

I hope you all have a fantastic holiday full of joy, family and appreciation! :)

I Learned To Love My Body When I Gained Twenty Pounds

When I was an incredibly obnoxious and slender twenty-year-old, I remember discussing weight with a friend of mine. We were both diving on the swim team then, which meant that we spent two hours each schoolday practicing our dives - which were videotaped - and then watching playback on the pool-side monitor of our dives (Read: of a side view of ourselves in our swim suits). For two hours a day. Imagine how much that leads to obsessing about your figure... especially when the lighter you are, the easier it is to whip your body around into various crazy positions and aerial cartwheels before smacking into the water.

Anyway, we were talking pounds in the locker room as we dressed after practice. I was 5 foot 7 and 122 lbs at the time; I said, "Man, I can't imagine weighing 140 lbs. I don't know what I'd do. I'd probably have to kill myself!"

Yes, I was a likable young thing. Yes, I want to go back and punch myself in the face, too.

Here's the funny thing. Now that I've gained twenty pounds (without a single suicidal thought) I can look back and see how perfect the body was that I hated then. But my motivation is low to lose those twenty pounds again, since I feel this is also a healthy weight - and since I've realized something odd.

When I was that skinny twenty-year-old, I thought:

• I look pretty good, so close to perfect, I should stop being lazy and eating junk on occasion and just lose five or ten pounds...
• My tummy is nice except for this little bump of fat I can't rid of.
• My thighs are just too thick.

You know what I think twenty pounds (and, erm, a few years) later?

• I look pretty good, so close to perfect, I should stop being lazy and eating junk on occasion and just lose five or ten pounds...
• My tummy is nice except for this little bump of fat I can't rid of.
• My thighs are just too thick.

Hmm. The same things that bothered me then, when I looked damn good, bother me now? Like I can't just glance into a full length mirror and see myself non-critically? If that was how I thought back then, then I probably look great now too and just don't see myself.

It's too bad that I couldn't appreciate the body I had when I was younger. But I can appreciate the one I have now.

I know this is not a writing related post, but I think and write a lot about finding the unique beauty in ourselves, and I wanted to share my thoughts.  It's hard to be a woman in this world, where we are constantly bombarded with images of airbrushed perfection that we are going to fall short of - but we can learn to be kind to ourselves anyway. And hopefully, we can even forgive ourselves for saying positively ludicrous things in locker rooms in our foolish youth! :)

In Which I Give Away Free Stuff

It's giveaway time!

My first giveaway is this fantastic perfect-for-the-writer's-office art print, Unblocked from Citrus Tree:

Doesn't that just inspire you to sit down and write yourself?  And the winner is:

LYNDSEY of Dangerous With a Pen!

My second giveaway was a $10 gift certificate for Amazon for learning a little more about the fantastic Tamara Hart Heiner and her new novel, Perilous.

And my winner thanks to Random.org is... Rachelle!

Thanks to all who entered!