It's 2012!!

Sadly, this is my first post of 2012!

ACK!

It's shameful, but I'm already over it.

I have missed blogging! I have missed bloggers. I have missed writers!! But I have not missed writing because I've been writing my butt off! That is the upside of my lack of blogging.

I had been nursing my wip for way. too. long. It was going nowhere fast. I was totally pantsing it. But something clicked a few weeks ago. I gave into a feeling I was having about this wip and it opened the floodgates. The writing was coming easy and it felt so good!! (Don't we LOVE that!)

Then one day I was overcome with an intense urge to plot it out. So I did...on about 20 envelopes. An envelope a chapter. I literally grabbed them off my desk and scribbled them out before the feeling passed. It has changed things for me. Having this—albeit crude—outline has made everyday writing a no brainer.

Here is the key.....

    I know what is supposed to happen.

Seems obvious doesn't it?? But I realize for a long time I didn't know! It was all feelings and theories. But it was not a plot. I pray that the next book I write will not require the marinating time that this one did. Please tell me that it gets easier. That ideas come quicker, that concepts come together faster!! Anyone???

I need a few of these...

I love crafty people. Once in a blue moon I can be crafty. It's more a lack of motivation than desire or inspiration. Many projects are on my "some day" list. I stumbled across this Etsy shop today and fell in love. I'm sharing the love with you!

Barn Owl Primitives

LOVE THIS!!!!!

Sometimes you have to Steal!

That was a hook of a title...no? Sorry, I didn't mean it. I should have put borrow. But that didn't have the same zest at 7:00 AM on a Tuesday morning where it's already 83*.

Speaking of the heat, it's HOT. Like, hope my AC does freeze up hot!

Summer does not equal creative process for me. At. All. I have to literally suck the words from my over-processed brain. It's tough. Very tough. Anyone else have this problem? It may be the heat. It may be the kids. It may be the desire to do other things...go to the pool, vacation, nothing.

Anyway, two of my favorite bloggers recently had excellent post that inspired me. I thought they might inspire you too. Hence the stealing/not stealing. I'm actually referring you. You should get to know these gals if you haven't already, because they are the shiz!! (Sorry, too much iCarly as of late.)

Heidi Willis of Some Mad Hope did a great post on Motivation. Loved it. There is no story without motivation, and she gives you some things to think about. (We're talking your characters motivation here...not your own!!) Plus, she is currently getting her MFA, so she might sorta know what she is talking about!!! ;) I love reading her posts every time!


Natasha Hanova of Writes By Moonlight has a post on being stuck. I can relate to this and she has an excellent set of questions to ask yourself about your "stuck scene" that I love. Sometimes you just need a little something to get the wheels turning again. Check her blog out, she always has good stuff. Oh, and I've read her writing so I KNOW she knows her stuff!! :)

I've mentioned this blog before, but it deserves another mention. Stephanie Morrill's blog Go Teen Writers. Don't be discouraged by the name adults, there is some seriously  awesome content on this blog. And Stephanie will welcome you even if you are 45. She is just like that. I love what she is doing for young writers though. Giving them a place to share and learn. She holds contests that encourage their creativity and sharing and I think that is so awesome. If I would have had access to Stephanie fifteen year ago it would have been a game changer! She has done a whole series on writing a novel and it is great. Locate the info by the tabs at the top of her blog. Good stuff peeps. Oh, and check out Stephanie's awesome series here. I've read it and LOVED it.

Sometimes you just need something to light the fire...I know you can find something with these ladies!!

Happy Tuesday!

Dreaming Big

There is something magical about hearing that another writer has been signed or gotten an agent excited! I feel it in my gut. It's similar to that feeling you feel when your going down a roller coaster. A little light headedness. A little drop. Even though it's not YOU, you're hearing about. (damn) It's someone...and that means what?

It's possible. It can happen, and it can happen to you.

I love hearing these stories, because more than likely...that person really deserves it. No one else knows how hard writing is than another writer. It's not for the faint of heart. It's hard, grueling, cry inducing work. (Okay, for me it is anyway!) After I hear these stories I imagine my own. I can't help it—you know you do it too!! You have too. The only way to keep going is to maintain the dream.

So here we go. Close your eyes. Dream it. Share it with me. These dreams will motivate us all!

Love and Movies

I love, love. I love it in books, I love it in real life, I love my job because of it. Shooting weddings and families makes me happy.

When I read a book, I must have it in some way. I can't easily do a pure mystery or thriller. I can, and I have, but I'm not naturally drawn to it. Therefore, I don't write without it. I don't know if I could. Sometimes I consider trying to write (just as an excercize for myself)a purely horror short story or something. Just to test myself and strengthen my skills. I do that with my photography sometimes. I shoot something in a completely new way just to see if I can, and then to see if it helps me in my "normal" work. It usually does.

Does anyone ever try this? Write something that feels foreign to you? Obviously we were forced to do that in school...but that was a LONG time ago. I remember times in school when I would hear the assignment and groan only to find that I was actually pretty good at whatever was assigned.

That's my tip this week (hmmmm, I don't usually give tips) I'm going to write a couple of pages of something completely out of my comfort zone. It will have to be thriller or mystery. I encourage you to do the same. Let me know how it goes for you!! I'd even love for you to post and link it.

Also...has anyone seen the movie Midnight in Paris? If you are a writer, you will get a kick out of it. I wouldn't call myself a Woody Allen fan, but I adored this movie. Check it out!

I love *Books*

My reading obsession is sort of a problem. Just ask my dear husband...he could probably go on and on about this subject.

Actually no, he doesn't EVER go on and on...that is not his style. (This is whee we differ...greatly!) He would admit it's a problem though.

It seems appropriate to me to share my reading obsession here on my writing blog, because I'm going to guess anyone who cares to read it probably has a pretty decent reading obsession of their own. Yes?

So, I'm going to start by pointing out a few of my favorite YA books I've read the past couple of years.


The Luxe Series by Anna Godberson

First- I love anything remotely historical, so all I had to do was take one look at these and it was a done deal. I loved these books and loved the characters. Now. I had a slight issue with the way this series ended. I don't know if it's how I would have chosen it to end, but I have to admit that it was probably the right way to end. Make sense? Her new book Bright YOung Things is out now and I will be getting it soon!

Gemma Doyle Series by Libba Bray



I loved these. LOVED. Again, set in a historical setting but mixed with a fantasy world that becomes so real that I could probably draw a picture of it. In fact, just now I went to her site to get a link and she had a map of the school this is set in and it nearly matched what I saw in my head EXACTLY. To me that is real talent. She effortlessly makes everything so easy to see.

This was written in 1st Person/Present tense which I think would be soooo incredibly hard to stick with and to be honest it doesn't always work for me...but it totally works for these books. I was completely drawn in.

The Skylar Holt Series by Stephanie Morrill








I loved these books! Stephanie creates modern high school life perfectly and pulls a christian theme in without being unrealistic or goody goody. She doesn't leave out the ugliness of teen life or have her characters avoid it. Being a teen and a christian is hard and she deal with this so well. Skylar is a real girl, with real emotions and the secondary characters are wonderful, I loved and hated them at the same time. :) (Well, to be fair some of them I loved all the way through!!) I would be comfortable giving this to anyone I know between the ages of 14 and...well 100!

Her writing style feels effortless and it was fun to read because we live in the same town...which also happens to be the setting for this novel. :) Really enjoyed this. Oh, and Stephanie is a wonderful person and has a great blog for young writers HERE.


The House of Night Series by PC and Kristen Cast


On a completely different note...The House of Night.

Now. (pause for dramatic effect)

I'm kind of over the whole "I'm a teen, I discovered a secret power and am shipped away to a secret high school with other people who are weird like me and I then save the world."

That being said, this is the first one of "those" I read so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt. Oh, and I enjoy it so there!

(If you're writing one of "those" books...please ignore me. I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about. AND, i'll probably still like your book. I just read too many of this theme in a short time period and had to take a break!)

Ok, on to these books.

I love that it's a mother/daughter team. I'm a sucker for a love triangle, and this is a love octagon or something. I mean, this girl is in a pickle when it comes to boys. (We've all had this problem right?;)) I love the world they have created, this books feels dark and the characters are yummy! I actually have the 2 last books to read still and need to get to them soon!

Many more that I could add...but my laundry pile is putting off toxic fumes so I must wrap it up! Any YA favorites????

I love *Blogs*

This blog in particular. Well, Hello There Lover. I can't recall when I stumbled across it, a few months back maybe. But, it is so wonderful! Basically it's a single woman who is writing to her future husband, who she is already madly in love with. She is funny, and witty, and so romantic. I love everything about it. I want to write a story about this...it's just so perfect.

Who knows, maybe she's really a 70 year old widow...or a 45 year old married woman with 3 kids. Doesn't matter, I love it!

Plus there are lots of fun old photos like the one below! check it out!!