If You Like Twilight…

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Have you seen the AMAZING chart the Lawrence Public Library made, recommending titles similar to The Hunger Games? I printed a few copies out and put them on our YA display at my library, and they were taken within minutes. It was amazing. So for the past week, I’ve been printing more out, as well as making my own for my library. I have four in the works, but here’s the first…

(As a note, the Bella/Buffy part isn’t quite accurate. There’s romance in the Buffy books, and hardcore ladies in the Bella books. I just wanted to have fun with titles.)

You can download the PDF here: IfYouLikeTwilightFinal2

Please feel free to use it as you’d like. I’m happy for it to be passed around.

Thanks to the Lawrence Public Library for making the original one. You guys are fantastic.

Writing for the Fun of it

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Yesterday I wrote 3,000 words that I’ll probably never use.

And it was So. Much. Fun.

I think because I knew i’d never use them, it was easy to get my words out, easy to form a quick short story that entertained me. That just allowed me to write what I wanted without the pressure of it becoming something BIGGER, something BETTER. I didn’t have to worry about a character arc, or development. I didn’t have to worry about pacing or authentic dialogue, or anything, really. I just wrote. And, sure, 90% of it is probably terrible (I don’t know, I haven’t looked back), but it doesn’t matter. Because it was fun to write.

I think, every now and then, you just have to do that. Write what you want without a deadline, without the pressure of making it awesome. I love writing, I really do, but every now and then I need to move away from writing My Books to just scribbling. Because scribbling is fun, and brings a whole new world of creativity into my life.

Because, really, when else would I write a mummy love story?*

*I did not, in fact, write a mummy love story.**

**Although, let’s be honest…a mummy love story would be hilarious.***

***Come to think of it, we have zombie love stories…why NOT a mummy love story? Are we against mummies or something****

****SOMEONE WRITE A MUMMY LOVE STORY. EQUALITY TO ALL PARANORMAL CREATURES.

Funk

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I’ve been in a writing funk. A real writing funk. I want to write, I want to with every ounce of my being, but every time I sit in front of my laptop, I freeze. My mind wanders, but not in the good, creative way. More so in the “so, you forgot to do this…” way. And that’s just annoying.

So I’ve been in a funk.

But then last week I got to see my friend Jenny, who’s an amazing writer (you should probably go buy her book right now), and inspirational person. She told me about some of her negative moments in writing, and how she pushed through them. And it reminded me of a quote Harlan Coben once wrote –

“Only bad writers think they’re good.”

So back to Jenny, I told her about some of my issues with my writing and she told me how sometimes telling a different story helps. Maybe my characters are right, but the story is wrong.

And you know what? She was absolutely right.

So two days ago I sat down in front of my laptop and for the first time I didn’t freeze. I didn’t choke or cry or slam my laptop shut. (Let’s be honest, I’ll never slam my laptop shut. Why would I want to hurt it?) Instead of dreading writing a scene, I kind of thought of something fun my characters might want to do. And I wrote that scene. I don’t know if I’ll end up using it in the end, but I’m so glad I wrote it, because it let me explore them some more, get to know them a little better. Let them have fun and, in the process, let me have fun. And it was so nice, stretching my fingers like that.

So, I think I’m back. I’m pushing back my negativity and worries and moving forward because it’s all I can do. And we’ll see what happens.

(Incidentally, this goes nicely with WFMAD’s Day 1 prompt.)

I’m Back!

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Oh, hi guys. I took a quick break from blogging, but i’m back now. And better than ever!

Or something like that.

For a bit now, S and I have been house hunting. We love our apartment, but it’s getting expensive and we’d really like a little home of our own. Where I can paint the walls. And have 7,000 bookshelves (with moveable ladder, a la Beauty and the Beast). (Clearly I have priorities.) Last weekend we actually went out looking at houses with a realtor instead of simply perusing Trulia. It was weird, to say the least.

Perhaps it’s my background in literature, but I love to compare situations, make analogies as I go along. So as we went from house to house, I kind of realized what a literary agent must feel like.

Think about it.

Hundreds of people send agents their queries, small snippets of their greatest works, just as our realtor sent us tons of houses with small descriptions. We only chose the ones we really liked to go forward with, to ask to view. Of those, some we were really excited about and wanted more. Others, we rejected right away, annoyed with being tempted with promises that weren’t quite true. Eventually we came to one we just knew was perfect. We loved it, couldn’t get enough. Went back to it, just to be excited again. And now we’re going to make an offer.

And wait for the reaction.

And wait.

And wait.

Going through the query process was hard. Rejections are hard. But I never really thought of what it must be for agents. They get so many queries a day just to be tempted by a few. And then maybe one every now and then catches their eye enough to make them fall in love. It’s a lot of hope and let down for them, too.

Which, really, makes me so much more thankful for my agent. For picking me out of the possibilities. For liking me enough to visit again, and finally make an offer. And then wait to see if I’d say yes. And wait and wait and wait.

But things happen for a reason, I like to think. So of course I said yes. And I hope the seller will say yes to us, too.

Wow

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I’m completely overwhelmed by the responses I’ve received for my previous post. Whether its was a comment, an email, a text, or a Facebook message, just know that I seriously appreciate everything you guys have said. I didn’t post it because I wanted sympathy or anything, I just wanted to discuss a situation that not many people talk about. And, interestingly enough, the most common response I received was how the writer experienced a similar situation. How they were scared, too. How they’re okay now.

The thing is, I don’t think we should be quiet about something like this. I don’t think masses and lumps and Freds should be whispered about. Sure some people are private and what to keep private matters as such, but I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want to tell people that you’re not alone. That of the responses I received, 80% of the people either went through the same situation, or knew someone who has. Seriously.

We shouldn’t be scared to speak.

So, just know, I’m here. If you want to talk, or want to confide. If you want to share your story, your experience. It’s okay. Because the more we talk about it, perhaps the less scary it is.