Random Stuff

I went to the concert in the park with Donna on Saturday night. Josh Gracin and Darryl Whorley played for the "Tribute to Our Troops"-themed Pony Express Days final event for Eagle Mountain. Now, on the way to the park I was listening to Matchbox Twenty. I admit I took advantage of no kids in the car and was blasting it....loudly. The only reason I mention this is a.) I want to see a Matchbox Twenty concert and b.) I am a new fan of Josh Gracin.

In other news, there were a surprising number of strange people who went to this concert. I was rather inspired. I had an epiphany in the middle of one of the songs and had to dig my pen and 3x5 cards out of my purse to write it down. Unexpected, but I'll take it.

And lastly, I really really really miss my husband! I've been here in Utah for 2 1/2 weeks and it's time for me to go home. Thank you to my family and Donna's family for putting me and my kiddos up all this time! Thank you to my writing group for hanging with me while I've been here; Donna, DJ, Debbie, Linda and Kirk, you all are the best!

Mazerophobia

I spent all day Wednesday reading, quite literally, from waking until I finished the book I had started. What, you may ask, caught and held my interest so fully? I got my hands on an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) of The Maze Runner, by James Dashner. If you want to know how I obtained an ARC, and how you might be able to get one (or NOT), come back Thursday to read Donna's post.

Anyway, The Maze Runner...

Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or a fear of mazes (this is not an actual named phobia yet... any suggestions?) should read this book with caution. They may have an increased risk for excitability while reading.

This book moves. Not in a physical, levitation kind of way, but the story, action and mystery propel the reader forward, urging one to keep reading. In a market of formula books with cookie cutter plots, The Maze Runner breaks the mold and offers something surprisingly new. It's a fast-paced book that makes you think, keeps you guessing, and leaves you wanting more. While my descriptions might seem cliche, this book is anything but.

I enjoyed the book immensely. From the unusual setting, to the unraveling puzzles, I was captivated. James Dashner has created something different, and different is good.

I have two suggestions. 1: buy The Maze Runner on October 6; 2. Make sure to clear your schedule because you won't be able to put it down.

Outstanding

Outstanding.

Reading Rainbow

So a strange thing happened to me about 2 years ago. It was a cold and stormy night and I had just returned from a writer's conference...okay so it was really a sunny afternoon, but still...I picked up a book to read while I decompressed from the workshops and discussions. And suddenly I discovered that I had become a very picky reader. I started to notice things like adverb usage, dialogue tag lines and awkward descriptions.
Recently on a long flight from NY to SLC, I sat next to Aprilynne Pike, NY Times bestselling author of WINGS and she informed me that my reading dilemma is perfectly normal and that once she was published her enjoyment of reading for the pure pleasure of a good story has returned. I am so excited for that to happen for me. Just one more fantastic result of someday being published.
Its kind of like watching rainbows, when your little its a wonder and then you take physics and it becomes a display of fractured light, and then it changes again when you see the rainbow break on a stormy day and it becomes a miracle again. I am hoping my reading rainbow will return to being a wonder.

Research, Research, Research

Don’t you hate it when you do light research for your epic novel and then read another novel and find out that your first research wasn’t quit complete?

I read a few articles on Wikipedia on my topic (too secret to divulge here) and thought I understood the issues enough to create a fantasy world. I’ve spent months on world building and creating this amazing society on just a few facts. Oh how foolish and naïve am I?

I’ve been reading a historical fiction on my undisclosed topic and realized that I totally misunderstood who the players really were. I always thought there were two races, but no, there are actually three. Which throws all my genius off. All of my cool hooks no longer work. Some of the characters will have to change races, which will ruin everything.

I could go ahead and write my story with only the two races, since it is a fantasy and no one would really know. However, I know! I know that I am now a farce and a sham.

The good thing is that now some of the weaker points of the story now have a focus. Some of the things I was trying to accomplish just didn’t work before and now they do. Now I have my strong antagonist. Now I have my divided house. I just have to go back and figure out what race some of my characters are. It takes away some of the fun “aha!” moments, but it makes for a more solid, and less contrived, story.

I guess that may be why I’ve suffered with such bad writers block—I didn’t understand the whole realm of my story. I’ve decided that I need to do more research before I start writing full force. I've got to see if there is more to the story that I haven't unearthed yet.

So my lesson for Wednesday is this: When creating a world, do your research thoroughly. Don’t just rely on an article or two. Dive deep and you’ll be amazed at what you find. All that research may never end up on in print, but the layers and depth will be apparent.

Writing Conferences and Making Time For Writing

It's a nice idea to write a book, but the time it takes makes it a huge commitment. Carving out that time is a big deal to me. It means sacrificing time that could otherwise be spent with  my family. For example, in the process of writing this post I've: Put Grace down for a nap, broken up two fights, put Josh in a time out, cleaned up a mess in my mom's kitchen and told the kids to quiet down at least a dozen times. I should probably be out there with my kids instead of in here blogging. 

Which brings me to my next point. Prioritizing. I like writing, but it's probably not the most important thing I will ever do with myself. My family sits in first place on that list, which means that there are times when I want to write, but I have to do family stuff instead. (That might be where a lot of my angst comes from). I'm not good at using my time wisely, but with each writing conference I attend, I learn little tricks and gain inspiration from cool people who are making it happen.

For example, at CONduit Graham told me a handy little trick he has with 3x5 cards that he uses for outlining that I am fully going to use.

Bottom line, I write when I can and sometimes when I shouldn't.

What about you guys? What works and doesn't work? How do you prioritize?

S.T.

Why Blog?

Since the beginning of time, human kind has found ways and devices to express the one thing that separates us from lower animal life: communication. Society has moved beyond cave drawings and smoke signals, but apparently telephone, email and text messaging were not sufficient for the unique intellect to adequately express oneself. In other words, why blog? Because we’re just that cool.

All the popular kids are doing it. Everyone from famous authors (shout out to James Dashner and Dan Wells), to stay at home moms are becoming involved in mankind through the blogging sensation. And reading these blogs give us a voyeuristic pleasure, like peeking into a diary, or overhearing a phone call. Not that I entertain any thoughts of voyeurism (laughing a bit uncomfortably, ha ha). Yeah, anyway, moving on…

John Donne once wrote that, “No man is an island.” In today’s world, however, one could say that no man is an unread blog. So if you wonder for whom my blog tolls; it tolls for thee.

The Vermillion Voyeur, errr, Vixen a.k.a Debbie Hibbert