Monday, September 30, 2013

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge



Holy reading, Batman!



Rory Gilmore from "The Gilmore Girls" was seen reading over 335 books over the course of the filming of the show. Can you believe it? It's a pretty diverse list, from BAMBI to CLOCKWORK ORANGE to OTHELLO.

You can take the Rory Gilmore Challenge and see how many of the 339 you've read.

I've read: 114


Monday, September 23, 2013

NaNoWriMo pre-challenge!

NaNoWriMo pre-challenge!

You have roughly 1month, 1 week and 4 days to finish up your novel or memoir or short stories this month so you are ready to get writing for NaNo.
And you have roughly 1 month, 1 week and 4 days to decide what you want to write for NaNo and get a draft or outline written.
I need to finish writing and editing my WWI Historical Romance and possibly get ahead on the new book I have a fourth of the way written.  Then on the last week of October I hope to wrote out a rough draft for the thriller in my head.
I've written three 55, 000 word stories thanks to NaNo. Last year I didn't have time to write like a crazy beheaded chicken. The year before that I decided to try an outline. It was harder for this pantser but I did it. This year I have a new book in my head and I'm not sure if I'll have an outline this time or not.


What are your goals for the rest of the year? 
Are you particiapating in NaNoWriMo this year?
What are your writing?

Banned Book Challenge



I'm always surprised at the books that have been challenged or banned over the years. Then again, I'm NOT surprised at some of the others. No one has to tell me not to read certain because they're naughty or racist or full of evil. I choose for myself. I also choose not to read certain genres or book because of content. I'm not a prude or an introvert. I read 100 books a year. I just choose to read ones that don't get me down or fill my head will scenes I wouldn't want to see on TV or at the movies. Why would I want to read them?

But! I will  protect my children while they are young and innocent. For that reason, there are books that are not in my home and will not be in my home. Even if it's an English assignment. Does this mean I ban books in my home. You betcha. This doesn't mean I'm keeping my children in a bubble or I'm limiting them for when they go out in the real world. This means I am protecting them, and as their parent that is my right. I can control what comes in and out of my home.

I will not go to the local library and ask them to ban books. I have let them know they may want to read certain young adult books and see if that is the right shelf for them or if they should have an adult label.

My oldest daughter was not a reader until the Twilight series came along (you know what I just realized?? Twilight is not on the challenged or banned list!). My daughter devoured those books in a week. I read the books before she did and we talked about certain scenes in the books. Like it's not okay for a boy to hang out in your room. "Duh, Mom. We already have that rule."

Reading challenged/banned books is not the answer either. No one should feel pressure to read books they don't like. You don't like the idea of reading about witchcraft? It's okay if you don't want to read Harry Potter. You don't want to read about gay dads? Fine! Don't read Daddy's Roommate. Are you an animal lover? You may not want to read Of Mice and Men.

Read what makes you happy. I realized I really enjoy reading young adult books because there is usually some semblance of happiness. But I'm still picky which books I read from that genre.

Guess which book is the most banned books in America right now? Harry Potter.


I talked about some of the challenged/banned titles with my teens and tweens. Here's some of our discussion:

"Harry Potter is on the banned list."
"Why would they ban Harry Potter?"
"I think some people saw the word "witchcraft" and thought it was about real witches and cults."
"That's stupid!"
"Tom Sawyer has been banned, too."
"What? Why?"
"From what I understand, people were offended by the way blacks were portrayed in the book."
"But that's part of our history."
"I know. Here's another one: Daddy's Roommate."
"I'd never read that."
"Me either. But some people don't want you to even have a choice."
"Well, that's stupid."


Here is a list of challenged books in 2012 and the reasons why:

2012

Out of 464 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom
 
  1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey.
    Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group
  2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.
    Reasons: Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
  3. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher.
    Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group
  4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James.
    Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
  5. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.
    Reasons: Homosexuality, unsuited for age group
  6. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.
    Reasons: Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
  7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green.
    Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
  8. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
    Reasons: Unsuited for age group, violence
  9. The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
    Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
  10. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
    Reasons: Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence


How many banned/challenged books have you read? Here are two challenges:

100 Most Frequently Challenged Books from 1990-1999  
(I only got 22)

100 Most Frequently Challenged Books from 2000-2009
(I only got 21)

Is NaNoWriMo right-o for you?

It's all downhill from here. That time of year that brings dread and butterflies all at once. The season many, many writers anticipate every year.We are sliding right into NaNoWriMo time. 
How many of you have experienced National Novel Writing Month in November? Some of you have finished and "won" and some of come close but are still winners in getting words on paper.
I tried NaNo. It's crazy and fun. I, myself, have finished four stories, thanks to NaNo. I've worked and typed and penned and eked out 55,000 every time. NaNo is a great motivator to writing a new story, it's the editing that drags on me.
But November is soooo hard! November is soooo busy! November is full of family activities, Thanksgiving vacation and planning Christmas. My family wants me to be with them during this month.

This summer I heard about Camp NaNoWriMo, a summer camp for NaNo-ers. When you sign up your get cabin mates who encourage you along and fireside talks to get your backside into gear. So I signed up and guess what I learned? July is busier than November! I only got 13,000 words written. July is summer vaca, so everybody is home. And bored. At least in November the kids are in school for most of the month and its easier to find free writing time.

I need to insert here that I made a personal writing rule for myself. This rule makes for a happy home: I'm off the computer while the family is home. See how this rule conflicts with summer vacation?
And I'm not going to lie--NaNo is hard. I don't write on Sundays and many times Saturdays are spent with family, then Thanksgiving break comes along and any other holidays and wham-o! There really are not thirty days to write. It's more like twenty. Which equals *counts on fingers**gives up* a lot of words a day.

NaNo may not seem right for everyone. There are many who write slower than others. And you have to totally turn off and ignore your inner critic. But I believe it's worth a shot. Even if you don't make 50,000, you have started a new story, which is always good. And who knows what that will end up? Could be your next published work.

Positives:
Focused writing
Complete a novel in thirty days
New, fresh ideas will surface
Can be done if you are a pantser or outliner

Negatives:
Stress
Hard to find time to sit and write
Finishing on time 
Harder to do if you are an outliner
 
 
Have you participated in NaNoWriMo? What did you think? How did you do?
When do you think is a good month to do NaNo? February? September?


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Writers on Wednesday ~ Rebecca H. Jamison

Welcome Rebecca!



Thanks so much for interviewing me!

1. Give us your elevator pitch for EMMA

 Publisher's Weekly calls Emma: A Latter-day Tale "a funny, well-paced Mormon-themed take on Austen's often retold classic." Emma is a life coach with a knack for match-making. She meets a lonely nanny and decides she wants to help her out. But the more Emma tries to help, the worse things get. Through the course of the book Emma has to face her own perfectionism and realize that she needs a coach more than anyone else. She also learns that the best match she can make is the one she makes for herself.

2. What’s your favorite snack?

I like Nature Valley oats and chocolate granola bars. They're chocolate, but they're healthy. I also like chocolate Cheerios and mint chocolate Luna bars.

3. What is your most memorable high school experience?

During my senior year, I went to Russia and the Ukraine with some students from my government class. It was 1988, right before the fall of the Soviet Union. I'd never traveled outside North America before, and it gave me such a different perspective. I saw how peace-loving the Russian people were, compared to the way they're portrayed in movies. Similarly, the Russian teens I met felt sorry for me because I lived in such a violent place. (They'd also gotten the wrong idea from Hollywood.)

4. Is there one book or author who changed your life/viewpoint/writing?

I was very blessed to study creative writing at Brigham Young University, so the authors who made the most of a difference in my writing were also my teachers--Leslie Norris and Doug Thayer. They're both excellent writers who use vivid, honest descriptions and dialogue that speaks from the page. What they did most for me, though, was to encourage me to write and share my writing.

5. What was the first book that turned you into a reader?


My mom read me all the Little House on the Prairie books when I was in first grade. I fell asleep every night imagining that my bed was a covered wagon.

6. Are you a night owl or early bird?

I'm a night owl, but I'm learning to be an early bird. I get so much more done when I wake up early to write.

7. What is your favorite meal?

Pizza. I have two sons on a gluten-free diet, so anything with bread in it is bound to please me.

8. What do you never leave home without?


I'm a minimalist. I figure 90% of the time I'll be better off without lugging a bunch of stuff everywhere. But I do like to have my watch, keys, wallet, sunglasses, Burt's Bees tinted lip balm, and Almay mascara.

9. What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring writers?

Read a lot of good books in the genre you're writing.

10. What are you goals for 2013?


I'm kind of like Emma in my book. I make too many goals. This year I started out with a big, long list of goals. Then a series of unfortunate events threw me off balance. I ended up with these:
Help my oldest son get his license and his Eagle scout award.
Help my next son get his Eagle project going.
Read books about organizing and saving money.
Study the topics from BYU Women's Conference and Education Week (since I couldn't go to either one this year.)
Do cardio intervals three days a week and strength training two days a week.
Get a physical.
Write every weekday.
Read bedtime stories to my younger kids.
Go on a date with my husband every week.

THANKS, Rebecca!


Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Writers on Wednesdays ~ THE EXPERIMENT blog tour



Welcome Cindy, Sherry and Jeffrey!


-->
Please introduce yourselves:

Cindy C Bennett: I’m a YA author of several full length novels and some short stories as well. I live in Utah, where I’ve lived my whole life and which I love. I have 6 kids (2 of them are daughters-in-law) and 3 dogs, which is a lot for someone who isn’t a dog person. I really love writing, and when I’m not writing I like to hang with the fam, ride the Harley, or train my dragon. (Wait, scratch that, I don’t have a dragon . . . yet.)

Jeffery Moore: I write stories that are more speculative fiction, having a heavy slant of low fantasy combined with science fiction. Born in Germany, from Ohio, and live in Massachusetts—yup, I’m an Army brat. I have a passion for writing that borders obsession. If I didn’t have such a great job, I’d probably try writing for a living.
My weekends are consumed with family, food, and relaxing (except for the yard work and gardening).

Sherry Gammon: I’m a YA writer itching to try my hand at Chick Lit! I have three full novels, one short story, and two others completed and being edited. I live in New York, though I have lived in Michigan, California, Utah, and Pennsylvania. Not an army brat, just a gypsy!  I have six kids, two son-in-laws and a daughter-in-law, along with 3.75 awesome grandchildren. I love writing and find it a great way express inner feelings.


How did you come up with the idea to do a book together?

CCB: Jeff came up with the idea originally and pitched it to the others of us in our critique group. Sherry and I said yes, but a fourth member didn’t feel she had the time to give to it, so bowed out.

JM: Thanks Cindy, but during the inception is where we really came together and put together a back story, giving a premise to our heroes’ adventure. I consider the idea of the entire story a team effort.

Do you have different writing strengths from each other? What are they? 

CCB: Definitely. I’d say Jeff’s strength is in scenery and getting the technical details right, and Sherry’s is definitely in humor.

JM: Yeah, I’m terrible with humor. It’s really Sherry that gave my character that trait. I’ll add that Cindy has a knack for building tension and getting the timing right when it comes to that first kiss. Generally, guys just go in for the kill, but Sherry and Cindy know how to let it simmer before writing the boiling.

Did you sit down and write together? Did you write separately?

CCB: Since we all live in different states that would have been difficult.

JM: We wrote separately, each taking turns with a given character.

How long did this book take from conception to launch?

CCB: I hate to admit that because of me it took much longer than it should have. I had surgery and months passed while they waited for me to write my chapter to continue the story.

JM: I don’t remember exactly the time. I think each of us had parallel projects also. I would say from start to finish about 7 months.

SG: I struggled with my last chapter, unsure of where we needed to take it. Eventually, Jeff and Cindy gave me some ideas and we finally got it done!

What was the biggest frustration?

CCB: I’ll bet for Jeff and Sherry it was waiting for me! Or for Jeff it was one of the multiple times Sherry or I took the story in a direction away from the outline and Jeff would have to rewrite it.

JM: Not so much the extra work involved as the story evolved, that’s normal. For me, getting the chapters to flow together that was a big challenge.
SG: Writing spec. fiction which is completely out of my realm. I didn’t understand why if we were writing low fantasy fiction we couldn’t just create fun animals and plants and I had to be reeled!

When did each of you work on the manuscript?

CCB: Because of the way we wrote it, one chapter at a time from each author’s character’s POV, we just wrote when our turn came. For me, I almost always write in the middle of the night.

Do you listen to music while you write?

CCB: Rarely. I usually have the TV on.

JM: I do better in silence with no distractions.

SG: Silence and no distractions also.

Do you snack while you write?

CCB: I should say no, but the real answer is yes. And usually something junky, like candy or chips.

JM: Writing tends to keep my mind off food.

SG Chocolate and Diet Pepsi!

What advice would you give a new writer?

CCB: Read a lot, write all the time, and learn the mechanics of writing (spelling, grammar, punctuation, character development, plot development, etc.) but not to the point that you lose your unique voice.

JM: Don’t write in a vacuum—find a group, you’d be surprised how many groups there are locally and virtually.

SG: Ditto on what everyone else said. Getting a critique group is vital!

What are your goals for 2013?

CCB: I have several WIPS right now, so I want to finish those so I can work on the sequel to Immortal Mine. I’d also like to learn some magical secret to marketing so I won’t have to spend so much time on it. Any hints?

JM: I’m about a third of the way through my next work so I figure I’ll be completely done by Thanksgiving. I’ve still got two books I wrote that I haven’t published so I’d like to get them off my plate.
SG: I finished the third book to my trilogy and am working on the edits. I also have a short story coming out that is part of a Christmas anthology. Cindy and I are writing a step-by-step guide for self-published authors we hope to have finished soon too. It will be a comprehensive guide that will focus on everything from covers to formatting to marketing, and much more. It will be laid out so everyone from the computer-challenged, to the expert can gain useful, comprehensive knowledge needed for indie publishing.





The Experiment, a new novel from the imaginations of Cindy C Bennett, Sherry Gammon, and Jeffery Moore!

Time is running out for the Collaborative's oppressive rule of the remote world Senca One. The government attempts to suppress the escalating riots, even while seeking to further their experiments. When their parents are taken, triplets Juliet, Cilla, and Emiah Tripp set out to locate them, and soon discover they are at the center of a hunt to capture them.

Evading the Collaborative across Senca One’s harsh terrain, they’re confronted with the trials of survival. They also discover something that changes the very core of their reality: they’re morphs. Struggling to adapt to the strange new ability, they question what they really are . . . and why. Are the rumors of experiments done on children true? Did their scientist parents have anything to do with it?

Their quest brings them to the capitol city of Brighton, which is on the verge of revolt. While searching for information about their parents, the Tripps align themselves with the very people fueling the rebellion. They unwittingly spark the revolution they want no part of and discover something more dangerous than they suspected.

Read an excerpt here.

Read More on The Experiment Blog or on The Experiment Facebook Page

Available Now at These Retailers:
Amazon Barnes & Noble Smashwords CreateSpace Kobo

About the Authors


Jeffery Moore
Moore was born in Germany. As a military brat, much of his childhood was spent abroad, growing up in Germany on military installations. He subsequently enlisted in the military and served for ten years as an army pilot. While in the military, he lived in Italy and South Korea and deployed to many European countries. He has traveled to Australia, Japan, Singapore and most European countries. His experiences and contact with many different cultures helps form some of the elements in his stories. He currently works for a global IT company and lives in Massachusetts.


Find more about Jeffery and his work at www.jefferyemoore.com


Sherry Gammon
Unlovable was Gammon's debut novel and quickly rose to many top seller lists on Amazon. She is pleased to announce that Unlovable is currently being made into a movie. She has added two more novels to her body of work. Not so Easy, book one of the Souls in Peril series, is the poignant story of Max Sanchez who is on a journey to help the struggling JD Miller survive high school, and Pete & Tink, a fun, light-hearted novella of a manga-loving geek and a five-and-a-half inch fairy. Gammon and her husband, along with their children and a couple of crazy dogs, call Upstate New York home. It is where she spends her nights writing instead of sleeping.


Find more about Sherry and her work at www.wordpaintingsunlimited.com


Cindy C Bennett
Bennett is the YA author of several books, including Geek GirlRapunzel Untangled, Enchanted Fairytales, and Heart on a Chain. She lives in Utah and has six kids (two of which are daughters in-law). She loves gooey cookies, dark chocolate, and cheese popcorn. She hates housework and cooking, and has no plans to become a domestic goddess. She occasionally co-hosts a geek podcast with her son, called Geek Revolution Radio. Her favorite pastime is riding her Harley.


Find more about Cindy and her work at www.cindycbennett.com


Visit the other blogs on the tour by clicking here.

SKY JUMPERS by Peggy Eddleman Review and GIVEAWAY! US only

What happens when you can't do the one thing that matters most? Twelve-year-old Hope Toriella lives in White Rock, a town of inventors struggling to recover from the green bombs of World War III. But Hope is terrible at inventing and would much rather sneak off to cliff dive into the Bomb's Breath—the deadly band of compressed air that covers the crater left by the bombs—than fail at yet another invention. 
When bandits discover that White Rock has priceless antibiotics, they invade. With a two-day deadline to finish making this year's batch and no ingredients to make more, the town is left to choose whether to hand over the medicine and die from the disease that's run rampant since the bombs, or die fighting the bandits now. Help lies in a neighboring town, but the bandits count everyone fourteen and older each hour. 
Hope and her friends—Aaron and Brock—might be the only ones who can escape to make the dangerous trek through the Bomb's Breath and over the snow-covered mountain. Inventing won't help her make it through alive, but with Aaron and Brock's help, the daring and recklessness that usually gets her into trouble might just save them all.
Want to win a copy of SKY JUMPERS? Scroll allll the way down and find out what you can do to enter! (US ONLY)

Hardcover, 288 pages
Expected publication: September 24th 2013 by Random House Children's Books

First line:
" You would think I'd never jumped off a cliff before, based on how long I stood there."

Good pacing, interesting characters and loads of adventure will keep any reader engrossed in SKY JUMPERS. Hope lives in a town of were inventions are not only a talent that most everyone possess but making inventions is also a life-saving product. 
After WWIII and the "green bombs" have destroyed the world, the people in White Rock feel safe under a deadly cloud named Bomb's Breath. Anyone who breathes in the noxious fumes will die. But Hope and her friends have found they can jump through the cloud, and while holding their breath, float through to the mountain side.
But as with any secure feeling, the peace is soon disrupted when bandits come to town. It's up to Hope and her friends to save the day by going over the treacherous mountains and bringing back White Rock's garrison. 
I really liked Hope and her hero's journey, both literal and figurative. Hope doesn't fit in with her town because she is not an inventor. And yet, she has other strengths that will help her in her journey. And that's the truth with all of us isn't? We all have unique strengths. Our weaknesses can become strengths as well.
Peggy does a great job with word building, characterization, pacing and dialogue. This is a book I'd recommend to middle grade readers and up. It would make a great read aloud book for families as well. 

Peggy did an interview on my blog here if you want to hop over there and read all about her and her favorite snack.

Rating: PG
V: Bandits, a couple of people get shot
L: No
S: No

Liked:
The cover
Hope
Her friends
The Bomb's Breath
Hope's journey

Disliked:
Trilogy (though I would definitely read the rest of the series!)


Thanks netgalley!

5 STARS








Peggy Eddleman is the author of the middle grade post-apocalyptic adventure SKY JUMPERS, to be published by Random House in Fall 2013. She lives at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains with her three hilarious and fun kids (two sons and a daughter), and her incredibly supportive husband. Besides writing, Peggy enjoys playing laser tag with her family, doing cartwheels in long hallways, trying new restaurants, and occasionally painting murals on walls.




You still with me? Leave me a comment on your favorite middle grade book OR go to goodreads and add SKY JUMPERS to your list OR give a big shout out to Peggy! (You can do all three but I'm only giving one entry per person).  
I'll draw a winner using random.com and post on the 18th.

Here is the schedule of the blog tour:

 Sky Jumpers – Blog Tour

September 11th: Taffy’s Candy
September 12th: Smack Dab in the Middle
September 13th: Once Upon a Story
September 14th: Inky Elbows
September 15th: Society of Young Inklings
September 16th: Me, My Shelf & I
September 17th: Kayla’s Reads and Reviews
September 18th: The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
September 19th: Kid Lit Frenzy
September 19th: Word Spelunking
September 21st: The Mod Podge Bookshelf
September 22nd: The Write Soil
September 23rd: The Hiding Spot
September 23rd: Literary Rambles
September 23rd: Nerdy Book Club
September 24th: OneFourKidLit

Monday, September 9, 2013

Critque of my first page from IT'S NOT ME

Angela Eschler is funny and cute and smart. She's also an editor. You can visit her blog here. She has a team of great editors if you need there services. 
Julie Bellon did a First Page on Friday and I sent her my first page. Then I made sure to armor up because critiques sometimes hurt BUT they are always educational and worthwhile. Angela edited my page twice. You can go here and read the comments.

Here is the final product of said edit (let me know what you think too!):

-->
I hide the scissors and the red shoebox on the top shelf in my closet. The obituaries can wait. I glance out my dirty bedroom window and wonder at the promises the sky hold for me today. If my days were normal, I might hang out at the pool, pretending not to watch the lifeguards or sit under the shade of trees and daydream. I might also gossip with friends late into the night about everything and nothing. But I left normal behind ages ago--in quiet cemeteries.
A girl not remembering the deaths of so many friends puts me on red alert to too many people who want too many answers. By the end of the year, I’ll prove my memories don’t hold the key to so many deaths. If my memories were opened, we might find a serial killer. And it’s not me.
My hair is a ratty mess. I flip my head over and force my tangled mane into a ponytail. I peek in the mirror. It’ll work. Easy. That’s how I roll.
The t-shirt I wore to bed reeks like last night’s Chinese takeout. Not how I roll.
No reason to get too excited about high school, but at least I can smell decent. I’ve resigned myself to the shadows of corners and back rows. I don’t need attention, nor do I want it. I’m a ghost, just like my dead friends.
A black piece of fabric peeks out from beneath my pillow. It’s my favorite-vintage AC/DC-and I pull it close and pretend it smells like Aiden, the last boy I crushed on. I haven’t lost memories of him. Probably because he isn’t dead.
I trade the shirt with another, cleaner one off the floor and shake it out for good measure. A worn-out and yellowed clipping flutters across the floor. I pick it up and study it. John Birch’s trench coat is thrown over my older sister and me. He’s trying to shield us from the snooping cameras. The caption reads “Lost Memories or Fake Amnesia?”
I tuck the old news story into the red shoebox, too.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Writers on Wednesday ~ Megan Whalen Turner interview!

Welcome Megan today! I want to be her when my author shelf grows up. If you haven't read her THIEF series, now is a good time.

 Now for Megan's interview:

What was the first book that turned you into a reader?

Probably it was the Narnia books by CS Lewis.  I remember foisting them on my third grade teacher and I knew I'd read them many times over by then.


What's your favorite snack?


Er?  How could I pick just one?  Hmmmm, probably Vinegar Potato Chips, although I am sure I should say something healthy like "Carrots!  I love carrots!"


What is your most memorable high school experience?


Passing notes to a friend between classes.  We wrote whole epistolary novels together on pieces of paper torn from our notebooks.

What do you never leave home without?

I can leave anything at home. My keys, my wallet, my cell phone.  I have not ever actually left my head behind, but only because it is securely attached to the rest of me.

Do you have any pets?

No, though I occasionally borrow them from friends.  For several years my neighbor's cat felt it owned my house, too. I used to come home and find it asleep in the sun in my study.

Do have a favorite getaway?

The library.

What was the first book that turned you into a reader?

Wait, wait, I answered that one already!

What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring writers?

Watch out for self-indulgence.  It is the bane of writers.  It tells you it's okay to quit for the day when you could keep on writing.  It tells you that it's okay to skimp on the plotting or the characterization in order to get to the "good parts."

What are your goals for 2013?


My goal is to write more quickly.

cheers,
Megan

Monday, September 2, 2013

A few of my favorite things... A Tale of Two Cities

I so enjoyed looking up JANE EYRE covers that I decided to look up A TALE OF TWO CITIES too. Another one of my favorite books.

I have to confess: I have not reread this book. And yet, the writing had a profound effect on me. The way Charles Dickens wrote was so descriptive and visual, I could "see" the scenery and characters with a vivid reading eye.

 His writing might not be published now, though. It's long and flowing and long. And amazing writing.

What have you read from Charles Dickens? What did you think of his writing?

Writer Website in A Weekend

Writer Website in A Weekend
Website