...and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm in that post-read mental hangover where thoughts and feelings on the book are jumbled and fighting for attention.
I liked some things.
Other things bothered me.
I suspect I know how this one's going to fall out, though: I'm ready to start a new book tonight.
Do you take time after finishing a book to think it over? Or do you generally begin another right away? Or do you usually have several going at once?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Finished reading a book...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Blog Chain: Challenge & Reward
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of being a writer? What is your greatest reward from writing?
The most challenging aspect for me is that I don't draw all my satisfaction from the writing itself. In other words, I need validation from others to achieve my writing career goals.
My ultimate goal is to write fiction full-time. To do that, I need readers who will pay for my work. To get those readers, I need (I believe) a publisher whose backing will lend credence to my books. To get such a publisher, I need to seduce an editor (with prose, of course). To make today's editor fall in love, I need to write a book that is at once intriguing in concept, marketable to a target audience, and solid in execution.
So far, most rewarding has been achieving that concept, marketability, and execution to increasingly
higher degrees. I've learned a lot and continue to learn every day -- sometimes just things I'd have picked up long ago if I'd studied creative writing or literature in school. I suppose my writing rewards will change; I imagine that seeing your book on the shelf, hearing from an enthusiastic reader, and getting a steady royalty checks and contracts are very rewarding. So I'm excited to see what's in store.
Be sure to read previous-link Cole's post, then next-link Kate's tomorrow.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Restaurant Week, or How to Get Gout in 3 Days or Less!
San Antonio is having its Restaurant Week (or Culinaria, 'cause, you know...that's how we roll here).
Dave and I decided to take advantage of it to check out some restaurants new to us. We dug into our travel savings since we can't travel right now, and treated these outings as destinations. We started with dinner at Biga on the Banks, then proceeded to lunch at Restaurant Insignia, dinner at Las Canarias, and dinner at Bistro Vatel.
Monday through Wednesday.
Here's some of what I ate during those three days:
- chilled avocado soup w/ shrimp + pico de gallo
- crab cake w/ ancho chile sauce, chayote squash, green jasmine rice
- chocolate torte
- sweet corn and shrimp bisque
- smoked trout flatbreads
- chicken club w/ salad
- chocolate/nutella torte
- plantain wonton bite
- warm spinach salad w/ brie + strawberries
- Berkshire pork loin w/ braised pork belly on roasted onion velouté
- sticky toffee pudding w/ banana ice cream + cherries
- smoked salmon roulade
- veal scallopini w/ red wine mushroom sauce
- crème brûl--
"Bring me a bucket."
"But, madame . . . your crème brûlée?"
"Bucket! BUCKET!!!"
We had reservations for Thursday and tonight, too, but we canceled them. Butter overload. Dinner last night was lettuce and watermelon. And our bodies rejoiced. *YAY*
We did have a few favorites to share...
Appetizer: mini mussels in spicy red sauce, Bistro Vatel (we'll be back for more of those)
Main: crab cake w/ ancho chile sauce, Biga on the Banks
(close second: Dave had a roasted pork here -- would've been my favorite if I'd ordered it)
Dessert: toffee pudding w/ banana ice cream, Las Canarias
(close second: Dave's avocado mousse at Biga)
Wine: Stoneleigh Marlborough Pinot Noir (New Zealand), Las Canarias
(close seconds: the pairings at Biga, though mine were all whites and I prefer reds)
Design: Biga on the Banks
Music: Las Canarias
Have a great weekend all! (Don't eat too richly!)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
More Virtual Travels (and Trail Running)
This just became my new desktop, to be drooled on daily...
You can have it, too (higher res available): image source
Virtual Travel: Crossing Seasons
Sometimes, when I'm not traveling but feeling restless, I image-Google destinations.
When the heat index creeps over 100F, I plan my virtual travels for a cooler season.
A few places I visited this week...
Do you virtual-travel across seasons/climates? What are your favorite destinations?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Champing at the Bit
Not till September! Ack.
*pants*
I've been stretching my owie-foot like a good girl, and cycling to work twice a week, and getting back to morning yoga.
But I'm champing at the bit to run. I've filled the void by reading running articles and listening to running podcasts and drooling over photos of beautiful running trails and trying to forget National Trail Running Day and signing up for San Antonio's Rock'n'Roll Half and setting up my Garmin.
I'm looking forward to testing it out and posting results here.
Like really looking forward to it.
What are you guys looking forward to?
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Using: Michael Hauge's 6-Stage Plot Structure
Hey, so, I'm busy -- right now -- writing a synopsis of an exciting BRIAR-BOUND revision.
But I still have a little somethin' for ya.
The three-act plot structure hasn't been new since, I don't...Aristotle? Sophocles? But this article breaks it down into six distinct stages, explaining the purpose and features of each using examples from popular movies.
I've found the article helpful in making sure the plot points of my story are well placed to give it a structure that appeals to readers, especially those in western cultures, where the three-act structure is mighty.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Success: Chile-Chocolate-Cherry Bread
To make it, use my banana bread recipe, substituting roasted, skinned, and finely chopped chiles for the bananas. Leave out the vanilla. Replace the pecans with 3/4 cup each of dried tart cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
You'll get anything from a mild warmth to an obvious heat, depending on how many of the chiles you leave unseeded.
Amazing with a glass of ice-cold milk!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
It's Back: JetBlue's All You Can Jet Pass
And now you have two choices: $699 for travel anytime, or $499 for travel Sunday - Thursday. [Update: I just read that the $699 pass is sold out.]
More information on the AYCJ passes.
JetBlue's interactive system map.
I'd love to take advantage of this, but now that Dave produces the national tours for fall, it's pretty much the worst timing ever for a flight pass. I bet there's another big downtime for airlines from Jan 7 - Feb 6; maybe they'll do another pass then.
But you may be able to use it. Will you? If you could, where would you go?
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Share Your Favorites: Fitness / Wellness Podcasts
So mine are:
Two Gomers Run a Half-Marathon, which evolved into...
Two Gomers Run a Marathon
Running with the Pack
I enjoyed listening to the 'casts of Andrew Skurka's Great Western Loop. They're no longer available via iTunes, but Backpacking Light hosts them.
Most of what I listen to in this vein are running 'casts. I don't listen to them while I run; I just like to hear other people's experiences as they work toward personal goals. I'd like to find a podcast with a focus on whole wellness without any twinkle-ding-song spirituality.
What are your favorites? Don't listen to podcasts? How about fitness/wellness blogs, vlogs, or sites?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Had a Vision of Barnes & Noble, Circa 2020
Okay, maybe less a threshold and more a gangplank with the Captain's hook prodding our backsides to jump.
The news that Barnes & Noble may be up for sale surprised me. I don't know why the chain made the announcement, it may be more complicated than sales troubles. But it jarred me: B&N seemed the healthiest big book chain in the U.S. Sure, Borders is struggling, that's old news. And the B.Dalton I worked in during college? Probably a Jamba Juice now. But B&N? The one that got Starbuck's?
I guess the news was playing around in my head, building sand castles and such, because last night I pictured a B&N with a very different look.
Oh, don't worry, the Starbuck's was still there; having six-dollar, 800-calorie coffee shakes available is the best way to keep us browsing. (Works on me.)
No, the biggest difference was that the shelves held one 3-chapter sample of each book available. Customers could also view these samples on one of several computers (or their chosen wireless ereader, of course). When ready to purchase, the customer would order and pay for their book via cashier or the sample-viewing computer. They'd be directed to a bank of Espresso-style book-printing machines. There, their book would be printed on the machine most appropriate for their chosen book, determined by book dimensions, paper type, binding style, and ink color.
Pros, as I see them:
- You could still browse and sample paper books.
- Sample books might still have alluring cover art.
- You might have a wider selection, including previously out-of-print titles.
- You could still leave the store with a paper book if that's what you want.
- If you want to read the whole book, the author gets paid.
- No more book returns to publishers (good for authors, publishers, and trees).
- Ridiculous coffee drinks still available.
Cons:
- You couldn't read an entire book while lounging in an armchair.
- Book dimensions would be standardized for the in-store printers.
- Printed books might not have alluring cover art.
- No more hardcovers (especially bad for picture books).
- Printing machines must be maintained and stocked with paper, glue, and ink.
- Color books would be more expensive.
- No more bargain books.
Publishers spend a lot of money on printing, storing, and shipping books -- much of it wasted because so many books are later returned and pulped. The scenario above would offer a browsing experience similar to what we have now, with the resource and cost savings of print on demand.
Would you shop this bookstore?
Monday, August 16, 2010
Own the Cheese
Apollo: So what are you in for this time?
Starbuck: Striking a superior asshole.
Apollo: You been waiting all day to say that?
Starbuck: Most of the afternoon, yeah.
I loved that, and here's why: if the writers had let it go after Starbuck's first line, I'd have groaned. Hardy-har. Starbuck would've been just a cocky jerk with nothing better to do in the lockup than throw blame at someone else.
Instead, I laughed for real, happy not only that Starbuck got called out on her lame joke, but that the writers called themselves out. In doing so, they turned a line that could have been a brick into an exchange that showed some history between the characters and gave Starbuck a likeability that will conflict well with any dumb moves her character will probably make in the future.
In short, the writers owned the cheese in the line, and made it do double -- even triple -- duty for them.
Can you think of a situation where a writer's moves impressed you? How did they do it?
Friday, August 13, 2010
Recipe Testing: Hatch Chiles
Our local (Texas) awesome grocery, Central Market, has different food events every year, most based around seasonal produce.
Starting August 18, it's Hatch Chile time!
Central Market puts out an annual Hatch Cookbook, and they're having a contest for new recipes. My plan is to get some chiles this next week, roast 'em, and try 'em in a couple of desserts.
I'll let you know next Friday how it went!
Do you have any food shenanigans planned for the weekend?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
All-Inclusives: Your Take?
An AI vacation would be a big change; we usually make all of our own arrangements, unless we're traveling with folks who know the area better.
But because of that, an AI might be pretty relaxing, if we find the right destination. Nothing to think about. No surprise fees. Dave's family had a good experience when he was younger, with an AI at Disney World, so we're intrigued (not by Disney, though).
Have you ever done a (non-cruise) all-inclusive?
- What did you think?
- What did you like about it?
- What would you do differently next time?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Biking: Not Running
When I stopped at a light yesterday and could feel my heart jumping like a jackrabbit, I knew I was doing new work: more upper thigh and glute, less calf. And I can really feel how limiting a bike is for your arms. It was like being on the cardiologist's treadmill again, when he made me hold on to the bar with one hand -- both might as well have been cuffed.
Plus, I have a mountain bike. It's geared really well for uphills, not so much for level surfaces and downhills. I find myself using mostly the top four gears (of 21).
But it's all good. By the end of my commute, the heart rate was normal. No soreness today. Next bike commute: tomorrow.
How about you? Ever switched sports and felt a big difference in your fitness? Did you adjust well?
Monday, August 9, 2010
So, I forgot to blog about writing today...
Well, revising. But good, right?
Hope you all had a productive day, too.
Till tomorrow...
Friday, August 6, 2010
Cereal for Dinner
Lately, Dave's been busybusybusy, and I'm too lazy to cook, so the cereal's made a comeback. The trick now is that most cereals taste too sweet -- even my old mainstay, raisin bran. So I'm trying some new flavors...
Kashi GoLean Crunch: too sweet.
Special K: too fragile. Basically just Rice Crispies in flake form. Good with strawberries.
Total: good, plain flavor. Slightly more hearty than Special K. Good with bananas.
May switch back to my other old mainstay, GrapeNuts. Very hearty. A little goes a long way.
Or may mix my own muesli from the bulk bins. Less processed. Bound to have good fiber content.
Anybody else a cereal fan? What kinds do you like?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
If you want to make the Universe laugh...
Today I was going to tell you guys all kinds of things.
Like how the Rock'n'Roll Half-Marathon has a spiffy new course.
And how Runner's World had an August-issue article + training plan to prepare for a sub-2-hour half-marathon.
And how I just preordered one of these.
And how all those things fit together in My Plans.
But there's something I have to attend to first. A couple weeks before the Chupacabra trail run, the sole of my foot began to ache, right in front of the heel. There was no visible swelling, just a feeling like my foot was bruised. I'd needed new shoes for a while, so I got them. They helped, but the ache was still there, mostly first thing in the morning or if I wore sandals all day. I suspected plantar fasciitis.
I ran the trail run, did well, and felt no pain. But I made myself take 10 days off running afterward to rest my foot. I rolled cold beer bottles under the foot (which I recommend, by the way, even if you aren't in pain - amazing!). Then, Tuesday, I did an easy-peasy 2-miler to get back into things. My foot was all, "Heyyyy, what's going on?" as soon as I put my running shoes on, but I ignored it and ran.
Then, in the September RW, I read an article about an Olympic hopeful who ignored her plantar fasciitis and ended up having to take off a year from running.
A YEAR?!
Okay, granted, I'm not training that hard, but it brought me up short. It also brought back memories of all the times I've ignored instinct and body clues, and done something reckless, only to look back and wonder how I could be such a nitwit.
So. How to not be a nitwit? For now, I think I'll hold off running this month. It won't be hard -- it's roughly a bajillion degrees here right now. I'll continue the cold-beer-bottle therapy, and try some foot exercises and stretches. I'll still stand at work, and walk every day, but no running during August.
Come September?
(Lean in close, so the Universe can't hear...)
I still want to run the RnRSA Half, and do it sub-2, and use my sweet, girly little Garmin to get there. To follow RW's sub-2 plan, I'll need to start September 6. If my foot feels good by then... I'm going for it.
Do you hear giggling?
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
JACK BLANK Contest
How much do you know about debut author Matt Myklusch?
Well, get to know him quick, 'cause his awesome middle grade fantasy JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION is officially out today!
Here: I'll help. You can find Matt at Twitter, Facebook, Simon & Schuster, GoodReads, JackBlank.com, and today at Shaun Hutchinson's blog.
Wow, that's a lot of Matt. Did you learn anything? Prove it:
The first person to answer all the questions below correctly, based on information at the above sites, wins a copy of JACK BLANK!
Here we go...
1. The same actor has played two of Matt's favorite fictional heroes. Name the actor.
2. Is Matt more likely to order espresso or Earl Grey?
3. According to GoodReads, how many pages make up JACK BLANK?
4. What is the full name of the orphanage where Jack lives when JACK BLANK begins?
5. How does Matt describe his life in eight words?
6. Who would Matt choose in a fight between Chuck Norris and Betty White?
7. True or False: Matt and his wife have a sweet baby girl.
8. What Tony-winning stage actor reads the audiobook of JACK BLANK?
9. Name at least 3 characters in JACK BLANK besides Jack.
10. How many books does Matt plan for the JACK BLANK series?
Answer in the comments. Happy hunting!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Blog Chain: What's New?
This round's question comes from Cole, who asks:
Are you querying? Gearing up to go on submission? Writing? Revising? I'd love to hear what's new with you. And if you'd like to share a snippit of your WIP, even better!
What's new with me is revision on BRIAR-BOUND. Not long ago, I got editorial feedback on the story. Among the notes to consider:
- not enough time to breathe between discoveries
- too much action is in the back-story
- the starting world of the characters could be more developed
- story may be too complicated for middle grade readers
The person who (generously!) made time to reread and give notes would like to see me simplify the story and suggested the book could be cleaved into two books, with more development of the world and the stakes in each.
So...what's old is new again! I love revision because it's a mystery. Feedback notes are the clues: some will be important, won't won't matter in the end, but all should be heeded. Right now, I've split my book scenes to form two books. I'm working to ensure that each will be a complete story in its own right, and filling in scene gaps that pop up.
Then I'll synopsize the whole shamoozle to see if it still feels like my story. :)
Because everything's in a swirl--in my brain and on paper--it's tough to find a bloggable excerpt. Cole has a good one, though, so make sure you read her answer from yesterday. Then drop in on Kate tomorrow to find out what's new for her these days.
What's new for you (writing- or otherwise)?
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