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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

What's Up Wednesday #3


What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up. It is run by Jamie Morrow and Erin Funk. Jamie has a link at the bottom of her post with everyone who's joining in each week. 



What I’m Reading:

I'm currently reading Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Book 3 of 4. I’m really enjoying this series. I knew I would, I just waited a long time to start. I love all the characters. Especially the supporting characters. I find the world incredibly interesting and appropriately frustrating. I read the first two very quickly but have been taking my time with this one. I especially love that, thanks to the movie, I now picture Macon as Jeremy Irons and hear his voice in my mind. Oh, that man’s voice…

Also, I love that this book was co-authored. I’ve written plenty of research papers with a partner and it was always hell. Only with a few of them were we able to come close to sounding like one author. It’s hard! But these two do it so well. Granted, I haven’t read any of their other work, so I wouldn’t know if their individual author voices came through at any point. But, if I didn’t know before that it was co-authored, I would have been shocked.

I also recently read Blood Red Road by Moira Young. LOVED IT! I can’t wait to finish the books I’m on so I can read the second book in this series. It was a little hard at first to figure out how to read it because there are no quotation marks with the dialogue. It all just reads together, as if the MC, Saba, is telling the story directly. Unsettling at first, but I ended up liking it.

It’s funny, with the combination of the southern accents written into the Beautiful Creatures series and the Dust Lands series, my internal voice has developed a much stronger southern drawl than normal.

What I’m Writing:

My Ready, Set, Write goal for week 1:  

Write every day. 

No word count goals. Just write something, anything every day.

I plan on working on my novel every day. But, if I’m unable to do that, I’ll write something else. Write a blog post. Write in a journal. Work on world building and write that in a notebook. Just something.

I know that’s a really simple goal, and general good practice for a writer. But it hasn’t been my practice so far, despite telling myself over and over it would be. So, hopefully with more accountability, I’ll come closer.

But, realistically, there’s a good chance this goal won’t happen. And if so, I’m not going to beat myself up about it. As is normally my reaction to not meeting goals. I’m going to try to accept it as part of my process and something I have to practice and fail at in order to get better. As long as I write more days than I don’t, I will be happy. Eventually I’ll get to writing every day and then I can move up from there.

But I have to start somewhere, right?

What Inspires Me:

You. All you other bloggers out there. Everyone who writes and puts that writing up to be seen and read and felt by other people. Strangers.

You. All you who have joined Ready, Set, Write because you want to not only write, but you want to be part of something. Part of a group of people with similar goals but depths of differences and uniqueness. A group full of people who want to improve their writing, but won’t settle for just that. Who want to also help others do the same. People who want to connect and build friendships over huge distances. Who want to share encouragement and experiences and hardships and triumphs.

You 5 women who put this together. Who joined together to create a group which has a scope small enough feel attainable, but big enough to be meaningful. Even doing things unknown and maybe a little scary (I’m lookin’ at you, Erin, and joining Twitter; though I am sure there are other aspects of this that have felt scary and new to each of you). You who recognized the need we writers have to come together and support each other, and made a platform to meet that need.

All for the love of words.

I think that’s beautiful and inspiring. 

And I can’t wait to continue to be inspired by every one of you participating.

What Else I’m Up To:

Well, I’m trying to pull myself out of the funk I’m currently in. I did a load of laundry yesterday, so that’s good. I have a few things I HAVE to do today, so I’m hoping that will get me off my butt.

Next week, my sister and I are going to a private island in South Carolina with my best friend and her extended family. I went with her 8 years ago after I graduated high school and I am so excited to go back. I am much closer to more members of her family now than I was then, so that will be good. Monday is my birthday and we’ll spend a good portion of the day travelling. Then Tuesday is Sister’s birthday. And then Thursday is my niece’s first birthday. (We refer to Best Friend’s family as ours; so her sister’s baby is turning one). Lots of birthdays, all celebrated at the beach!

I can’t wait to relax on the beach and read and soak up some sun. And lay tons of kisses on those babies.  I plan on bringing my laptop and still writing to keep up with my goals and get a little blogging in. But, if I’m having too much fun to open that laptop up, I am bringing a notebook, so I will still get some writing done no matter what. 


What are you up to this week?

Source for Beautiful Chaos
Source for Blood Red Road

19 comments:

  1. I think your writing goals are perfect. Absolutely perfect! I think it's great that you haven't limited the writing to just a particular story, but have opened it up to all kinds of writing. Great idea! I overshot on my goals for the weeks, so I went back and revised them a bit. I still think they're overly ambitious, but we'll see how it goes. I'm so happy you enjoyed BLOOD RED ROAD. It's one of my favourites. I loved the dialect it was written in. Loved! :)

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    1. Thank you! I am happy with my goals so far. And I am definitely leaving it open to more mediums than just my WIP. Like yesterday: I had some family stuff come up when I was planning on writing, and was a little perturbed at first. Then decided that with all the comments I wrote on Read, Set, Write posts, that could count for the day. Haha! It's a bit of a stretch, but I feel okay about it.

      Oh goodness, Blood Red Road. So good. I can't wait to read the next one. I had thought I would read it after Beautiful Chaos, before I started the Beautiful Redemption, BUT upon finishing Chaos, which has the biggest cliff hanger I've probably ever read, there was just no way it could happen. But it is definitely next on the list and I can't wait.

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  2. I love the commitment to just write. That's a really good habit to get into as a writer, and this goal-setting is a great way to work towards that. I've always told myself I need to do this, but I've never established that routine. Thanks for the inspiration!

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    1. No problem! I know it will take me some time to get into the write-every-day habit, but I know it will be so good for me when I do. We can do it!!! You know, someday. I'm all about not putting too much pressure on oneself with goals because of how crushing and debilitating feelings of failure can be. Hence, the someday. I'm working on it, but I'm okay with not being 100% at it yet. :)

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  3. ...Can I come?

    Writing every day is such a great habit to have. Even if it doesn't contribute to a project, just getting something out feels so good. Enjoy!

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    1. I wish you could! I love that so many writers do get togethers with other writers. I would absolutely love to do that someday. It would probably be a while for me, but I can see it happening. If I ever organized one though, it would probably be at my parent's cabin in the mountains of Idaho, 30 minutes from Yellowstone National Park. THAT is a good place for inspiration. :) So, while, I assume, you can't come to the beach with me, I will be posting pictures next week, so maybe it'll feel like you're there?

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  5. So your WHAT INSPIRES ME section brought tears to my eyes. That was so MOVING and inspiring and I am just so thrilled that you are going to be a part of Ready. Set. WRITE!

    And have a wonderful time on your vacation! I can't wait for beach days where I can just kick back and read!

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    1. Wow, thank you. I got pretty teary while I writing that part and figuring out how to put what I felt into words. So, I'm glad to hear it had a similar effect on someone! And thanks for saying you're thrilled to have me along on Ready. Set. WRITE!, that means a lot to me. :)

      Oh beach days. I'm figuring out what books I'll be bringing now and it's so exciting! Most of the books I have on my TBR shelf are hardcover, which I don't want to travel with. But I'm looking on Amazon to see what good paperbacks I can get in time. Paper Towns by John Green is only $6.35 today, so I am for sure getting that one. Seriously, reading on the beach is one of my very favorite things to do. I'm so excited!

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  6. I lived on the coast in SC for 10 years and I miss it still. Good thing you've got your southern accent at the ready. You'll need it! :0) Can I just say, your blog is so freakin cute! I love it. So much personality!

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  7. I love your inspiration section. Those are all the things that inspire me, all of the time. Just perfect.

    I'm so jealous of your getaway! Sun and sea and especially pudgy baby kisses...so cute :)

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  8. The beach sounds amazing! Have fun in South Carolina. Good luck with your writing goals!

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  9. I'm so glad you enjoyed BLOOD RED ROAD. I think Saba's voice just might be one of the strongest I've encountered in YA.

    Your goal for Ready. Set. WRITE! is awesome! Disciplining yourself to write something--anything--everyday is a great way to make progress without the dark cloud of official word counts hanging over your head. To be honest, I'm new to setting goals for writing. Last year at this time, I was plugging away at the first manuscript I ever finished, and my only goal was to write as much as I could. And if you need to miss a few days, that's fine too. Even good, actually, because it's easy to get obsessive about writing.

    I laughed so hard at your comment about me & Twitter! I'm such a tech chicken! I've only tweeted once so far, but at least I took the plunge finally. Thanks so much for your kind words about the Ready. Set. WRITE! hosts. We're all so excited to have an awesome turn out for this summer!

    Have fun on the island! That sounds like so much fun! :)

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    1. Glad you saw that comment about you and Twitter! :) I am a tech chicken too. I had my twitter account for at least two weeks before I tweeted anything. And it was something like 6 weeks before I gave out my account to anyone. It took some getting used to, but I am enjoying it so far.

      Wow, I never would have guessed last summer you were working on your first manuscript. You seem much more seasoned at it than I would guess is possible for just over a year. That gives me hope. :) I often feel very behind since my writing desire just showed up within this last year. So many authors talk about how they've been writing since the womb, and that is just not what happened with me. So, it's always nice to see others who took a little longer to get that fire lit. :)

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  10. Writing every day is such a good goal! It was so hard to train myself to do, since I was so used to not writing for weeks at a time when I was in college, but now that I'm so used to writing at least something every day I feel totally out of it when I don't.

    Good luck and happy early birthday! :)

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  11. I love the look of your blog! I agree, Jeremy Irons has a great voice. I haven't read the books yet, but I did see the movie. I have no doubt when I finally read them, I'll hear Jeremy's voice in my head, too.

    Good luck on your goal to write everyday this week. Every little bit counts.

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  12. Loving your blog layout! It's so bold and fun. =D I really need to read this Caster series. I'm always curious by a YA book when it becomes a film. I don't know why I'm just like 'ooo I wonder what the book was like if people were interested to make a film'.

    Good luck with Ready. Set. Write!

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  13. I'm glad you got a load of laundry done :) For me, it's the most tedious chore! I keep hearing about Beautiful Chaos; thank you for the recommendation. Have a great time in South Carolina - sounds dreamy!

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  14. Your goal is so good. I almost went that route, but I'm trying to give myself a break while also setting a goal and sticking to it. Good luck with your writing this summer!

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