writer at play
Posted in personal on Dec 31st, 2009
I don’t have impressive statistics to pull out for my end-of-year wrap-up, but as Jennifer Blanchard puts it, I am OK with where I ended up.
I read 63 books (64, if I manage to finish Unseen Academicals today), including some doorstoppers like David Copperfield and A Suitable Boy.
I wrestled with revisions of SoR several [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 27th, 2009
This post was supposed to go up Christmas Eve, but I spent close to an hour struggling with a slow Internet connection and gave up after getting two pictures uploaded.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!
***
Our December, in pictures:
Glittery Stars
Science Experiments With Snow
Handprint Wreath
Decorating Cookies
Decorating the Tree
Merry Christmas!
Posted in season of rains, writing process on Dec 20th, 2009
One of my main goals for the current revision of SoR is to give my protagonist, Jhayni, more agency. In previous versions, bad things just happened to her. She tumbled willy-nilly from bad to worse. Her reactions were instinctive, not volitional. This time around, I want Jhayni to dig her heels in and make choices [...]
Posted in inspiration, personal on Dec 19th, 2009
Earlier this week, David and I went out for a date, our first in at least two years (I think the last time we went out was when we left the kids–only had the older two at the time–with their Grampa and went to see the first Transformers in the theater). We had a friend [...]
Posted in creativity, kids at play on Dec 14th, 2009
It occurs to me that my last post may have come across as crotchety and Scrooge-like. Don’t get me wrong: Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love this time of year. I just came out of a fun but social weekend and my Inner Introvert is gibbering in one corner of my head.
So, I [...]
Posted in personal on Dec 14th, 2009
This year I’m finding out just how tricky it is to keep things in perspective at Christmas time. It’s awfully tempting to go all out on the preparations, the gifts and cards and trees and crafts and books. So much so that by the time Christmas Day actually dawns, we might be all exhausted, cranky [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 13th, 2009
I binged on fantasy all November long. I flew through two YA fantasies–Avielle of Rhia by Dia Calhoun and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George.
Avielle (of Rhia, of course!) is the despised younger daughter of the royal family. She closely resembles her Dredonian great-grandmother, reviled for the magic she used to [...]
Posted in linktopia on Dec 6th, 2009
Paperback Writer has ideas for Christmas gifts for the writers on your list–and the readers as well. The folks at DGLM have links to more book lists.
Looking for some new additions to your stack of Christmas read-alouds? Check out this roundup of the best Christmas picture books of the year. The Crafty Crow shares more [...]
Posted in season of rains, writing process on Dec 5th, 2009
What are you doing, Mommy?
Writing my book.
What chapter are you on?
Mm, eight, I think.
*reading over my shoulder* Something brushed against…. a house!
No, not a house.
*rustles paper* What’s this?
It’s a map of my city. PLEASE don’t lose it.
What’s this? And that? And, oh, this says “shops!”
It’s a road called King’s Way. PLEASE be careful.
What’s your books [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 4th, 2009
I’m happy to be back revising SoR. Revising, I think, is often where the real work of writing novels is. This is the point where I have to put my thinking cap on, where I have to confront plot issues and grapple with characters. I can’t blow off story problems with a note to come [...]