7.10.2013

What's Up Wednesday (6) / RSW (5)


What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, so we can check in with each other. To join, just check out Jaime Morrow or Erin Funk's blogs for the link widget and sign up!


WHAT I'M READING


I read How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, which was a short but powerful read. I picked it up thanks to a recommendation from April Tucholke, and I don't regret listening to her. It's a great book for voice. The story is told almost conversationally and casually, but somehow it manages to still be beautiful, vivid, and raw. Definitely something to check out if you're into something that falls into a weird between space of coming-of-age, contemporary, and war-survival story or if you'd like to study a well-done voice-driven story.

I'm currently reading THE DREAM THIEVES (Book 2 of The Raven Cycle) by Maggie Stiefvater. Amazing I-owe-her-a-slice-of-my-soul-or-something Mindee Arnett and a generous blogger who went to BEA made it possible for me to get my hands on an ARC of this gorgeous, fantastic book. I've barely started, but man, have I missed the Raven Boys and Blue! The writing is superb. I'm savoring each word.


WHAT I'M WRITING




Honestly, I didn't really write this week. Things got away from me! :( In my defense, I was finishing Siege & Storm and squeeing over the Darkling & Sturmhond with some of my RSW ladies about it, and I finished yet another book. And, uh, I mentioned I have THE DREAM THIEVES now, right?

The bright side is that I think I figured out a plot point or two for both "Luck" and another WIP. Looks like my shower daydream sessions are working again!

Goal: Same as last week - finish the backstory story.


WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

Designed by Steph Baxter / Source: Steph Baxter

All of you! The What's Up Wednesday posts, the #ReadySetWrite twitter sessions, the general writing tweets have been so inspiring and motivating. It's nice to know everyone has moments of doubt and it's so fun to cheer each other on. Hugs and cookies for everyone!


WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO

I feel like this is always the longest section for me. Some exciting things happened after the Fourth of July.

1. I got a new phone! Technically, it's the phone my mom ended up not using - as is my phone case. But that's cool because we bought the phone case in Berlin last year. It is adorable. (You should know that I love bears and took a few years of German in school.)
By PYLONES / Source: Coolinarium

2. If my sister is to be believed, I became a unicorn this weekend. Which is to say, I went to get my hair re-dyed and trimmed. Since it's summer and Comic-Con is coming up, I went for something bolder than usual. Translated that means, my hair is now 3-ish colors: my natural black with red color treatment, violet/violet-red, and bright red/pink at the ends. Apparently, I'm pretty dazzling in the sunlight.

Alz says I look like I dipped my head in red. The Sister says I'm a colorful unicorn.


3. Yesterday, Loki maybe most likely killed a bird. -_- He is a mighty hunter.

1. Dead bird  2. Suspect  3. "I was just playing!"


Poor avian victim.  / Source: the Sister


The face of a killer?  / Source: the Sister



Q4U: What's up with you?

17 comments:

Tonja Drecker said...

Love your hair! That alone is inspiring :) Getting plot points worked out is just as important as that word count (if not even more) so congrats to that!

Alison Miller said...

There is no shame in reading over writing! And sounds like your subconscious needed some time to work out kinks, so that's definitely something.

Also, I LOVE the hair! And can I tell you how JEALOUS I am that you are reading DREAM THIEVES. I can't wait for September. I miss Gansey!

Colin Smith said...

It's amazing how much the right voice can make a difference to a story. Amazing, and scary, because voice is so hard to define. You can't teach it--you just know when it works and when it doesn't. The best we can do is read books with great voices and become better attuned to voice in our own writing. All the best with your writing this week, Krispy! :)

Unknown said...

I really liked How I Live Now, I'm glad you liked it too. And, yeah, super cute hair :)

Lola Sharp said...

I JUST finished (re)reading (for a second time) HOW I LIVE NOW. How odd that we both read it this week and we never even mentioned that in all our emails back and forth. Great minds...and all that. :) When they were working on the house repairs to our gutters on Saturday, I decided to reorganized some of my (MANY) bookshelves. And I stumbled upon HILN. I read it a few years ago when it first came out and really liked it.
I actually loved it even more this second read.

(Last night I started reading MG, at your suggestion. And only a couple chapters in a know all the MANY reasons you suggested it to me. More than just the time flipping, I see. :)

LOVE YOUR HAIR!!!!!!!!! (and who doesn't want to be called a colorful unicorn??? that is like the best compliment EVER. <3 )
AND I AM SO JELLY-JELLO that you're going to Comic-Con!!!! I expect a big long email detailing every minute of your experience, including and especially any sordid deets! ;) And lots of photos here on your blog.

I didn't get any writing or revising done last week either. Yesterday was the first day I opened a word doc in a week.

THIS WE WE SHALL PWN THE WORD COUNT.

Katy Upperman said...

I love your hair so much! If I wasn't such an old lady, I'd totally splash some cool colors into my hair -- so fun!

I can't wait to hear what you think of DREAM THIEVES. I hope-hope-hope it's as fantastic as THE RAVEN BOYS but, as is often the case with follow-ups/series, I'm a little apprehensive about how it'll compare.

Oh, Loki... That last picture (killer?!) is the BEST. :-)

amy said...

Love your hair! Sometimes you just have to read! Love that phone case. I wish I took German in college but I took Arabic instead. Your dog looks so proud in that last picture. Ha! Have a great weekend!

Miss Cole said...

Your hair looks fantastic!

When you've got a bunch of good books to read, not writing is not only acceptable, it is to be expected ;)

Unknown said...

Holy cow I love your hair! If I end up in a job where bright colors are appropriate/allowed, I plan to do mine a dark pink. Very jealous. :) Also jealous of The Dream Thieves. I mean, seriously? Good luck with your writing goals this week. Hope it goes better for you!

KM Nalle said...

Your hair is so pretty! And um, I'm very jealous that you are reading about my Raven Boys. Very. Jealous.

Your last picture of Loki cracked me up.

Anonymous said...

Reading is just as important as writing, and that's fantastic that you got a chance to read this week! I wish I had. :( And THE DREAM THIEVES? Gah...I could try to pretend that I'm not super jealous...nope. I'm definitely jealous.

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, HOW I LIVE NOW is one of my all-time favorites for voice. I <3 that book!

LOVE YOUR HAIR! Awesome color.

Good luck working on your backstory this week!

Jaime Morrow said...

That hair colour (colours :D) is totally awesome! And it'll be so much fun for Comic Con.

I'm so envious that you get to read THE DREAM THIEVES. I hope it's every bit as good as the first one. I fully expect it will be because Maggie Stiefvater is just amazing. :)

Julie Dao said...

Your hair is so cute!! It's like pretty cotton candy :D I am so freaking jealous that you have THE DREAM THIEVES. I bet it's awesome and will give you more than enough inspiration to get writing!

Natasha Hanova said...

Great hair and handsome dog! Good to hear you figured out plot points on your story. That's progress!

Kristy Shen said...

I'll definitely have to check out those books you mentioned.

My TBR pile is so big now I've no idea how I'm going to have time to read everything...too bad I can't train my brain to use one eye for reading and the other for writing.

Lydia Kang said...

So very jealous of your hair color. Terrible jealous, I tell you.