Well, here we are again, BlogPeople. Clean slate, new year, fresh start and all that. I’ve already read so many posts about Writing Goals for the year and pushing yourself further and doing more while doing less while standing on your head and don’t forget to feed the fish!

Every year, we use this fresh, blemish free calendar to symbolically start over. Refresh. Reboot. And while I recognize the impact and significance of such, that process has to actually work for you, otherwise it’s just a waste of time. I mean, let’s face it folks– I’m addicted to planning.

Oh, I have plans and goals. Long term and short term. I have writing schedules and big dreams and lists of things I should be thinking about doing during any particular free moment of the day. I am so good at planning that I don’t have any time to EXECUTE SAID PLAN.

Yeah……..about those plans? You’ve got to actually work at them, in order for them to be meaningful, otherwise it’s like being unemployed and planning on being a millionaire. Doesn’t work.

Back when I was a workerbee for an audio visual company, we would watch these Stanford Business training videos called The Search for Life After Planning– how to move yourself from having goals to celebrating achievements. These involve setting goals and implementing strategies to make them happen- say what you’re going to do and then what steps you’re going to take to do accomplish them.

While I’ve done that in the past and it has been an underwhelming experience, I still believe in Life After Planning. What do you do after you write down this list of things you want to do? For me, it’s more about what I’m not going to do.

I can justify anything. I can make an excuse out of nothing. I can plan all day to come home and write for two hours and then get home and find an arbitrary reason not to write. This year, I’m combatting that with talking about things I’m not going to do. For example:

Dieting.

I’m not doing it. On purpose. I’m sure all your friends and family have already joined the gym and started their celery and lettuce cleanses, but I’m not doing it. I’ll be miserable, lose 12lbs, get bored and be eating crap again by January 19th. I feel immense relief with this Anti Resolution, actually.

Internet dating.

It’s my goal to never register another online dating profile. I’ve been doing the same thing since my mid-20′s and it hasn’t worked. Am I insane, yet? Time to stop beating my head against this brick wall and do something different.

 Waiting. Or it’s other form, procrastinating.

It’ll never be the right time or place, I’ll never have enough money, I’ll never have someone ‘perfect’ to do [insert task, trip, or fun thing here]. I have to stop waiting for the right time and just do it– this includes my goals for writing as well. I’ve talked myself into set times that I can write and a set way that I can write and if those conditions aren’t met… well. I JUST CAN’T WRITE! No. Not doing it anymore. My television has been off more than it has been on this year.

So far. On day 2. HEY!

Talking about things I am going to do

This is what I mean by life after planning– I’m not going to list out my goals like I usually do. I’m not going to set a number goal for writing this year, either (for the first time in probably 3 years!). I did set a reading goal but that’s okay. A reading goal is not a giant obstacle in my plans to be a great writer.

I’m not going to say what I am going to. What I am going to do, is DO what I am going to do, and then talk about what I DID. I want to celebrate accomplishments and achievements. There’s nothing to be applauded for (me) making a plan. I can plan with the best of them. What I’m not a pro at is getting out there and setting said goals in motion.

This is the year of Shut Up and Write. I’ve even set my hashtag for my accomplishment posts. #SAW2012 is me talking about things I did, not talking about things I’m planning to do.

Live in fear of failure.

I’d have to say the biggest issue I deal with is the idea that I suck. I mean really suck as a writer and I’ll never write a novel that will never be published. Or that I’ll write something that no one but my friends will read and then three years later I will pick it up and realize how awful I really am no one said anything, they just let me think I was a great writer and embarass myself.

My issues run deep, ya’ll. It’s just fear. Blinding, crippling, paralyzing fear. No big whoop. O_o. Right? This year, I’m not going to be afraid of failing. I’m not going to be afraid that I’m a terrible writer (because I know that I am not), and that I will embarrass myself and my family. If I suck, I will suck with great wind.

The only goal I DO have is to read a lot and write a lot. Those are general enough that I think I can achieve them.

Here’s to it. The Year of the Anti Resolution and enjoying Life After Planning. What might be your Anti Resolutions? What are things you’re not going to do?

Instead I will yammer about writing and reading. How’s that?

Last week during my luxurious Thanksgiving break, I read three books, which put me a couple of books ahead in the Goodreads Challenge I set for myself. I’m hoping I’ll finish the year over goal, which would be great. I read two books by Hillary Jordan- When She Woke and Mudbound. Both were excellent. I don’t remember the third book… must not have been remarkable. ;)

I am still plugging away on my gift for the Story Exchange. I am on idea #4 now. I mean, at least the ideas keep coming? I’m hoping I have something I can write to the end. Or if it does, that another idea comes to me because… errr. Yeah. It’s due soon!

I think that’s about it from this front. The year is winding down and I’m already thinking about what goals I want to achieve next year.

How about you? Is 2012 knocking on your door already?

I did a lot of flying and a lot of waiting in hotel rooms, so I got some reading done, so much that I am two books ahead of my GoodReads goal for 2011! Woot! I only have 10 more books to read to hit my goal of 50 books read this year. Amazingly awesome. Quite proud of that, even though it makes me sound like the most boring person on the planet.

Oh, well.

I won’t have any issues finding books to read… I’ve ordered a crapton over the last week, all to do with the WIP I thought I was writing for NaNoWriMo. Crazy thing? I don’t want to write that story anymore. Bleh. I wish I had an idea I cared about that would stick.

Anywhoozle. This coming weekend I am going to be out of town so hopefully I will find something to write about this week.

It’s no secret that I’m a Gadget Geek. I own two Smartphones, a laptop, a DVR, and an eReader.  Rather than look at shoes and skirts and jewelry and makeup, I’m interested in the next big thing coming down the Tech Pipeline.

This week, social media has been all-twitter (pun intended) with the release of the Kindle Fire. I ignored the announcement at first because I went with a Nook Color instead of a Kindle for specific reasons. I’ve recently heard rumors that Barnes & Noble may have a Nook Color 2 in the works and now my interest is piqued!

Note:  I’m a Geek, not a Nerd. :)  I’m not well versed on highly technical terminology and requirements.  Ice Cream Sandwich is a yummy after dinner treat to me, not a software term. I look at eReaders and gadgets and try to imagine everything I might want to do with the product. There are hundreds of technical blogs and TechNerds battling over those details out there. This blog is purely regarding my interest in tablets and eReaders.

When I was searching for a device, I needed to answer a few questions:

1) How much am I willing to pay for it?

2) What, exactly, am I planning to do with it?

3) Do I need it? And if not, what additions or options might sway me to purchase it?

Eenie Meenie Miney…Nook

In the world of electronic devices, there are many choices. There’s the iPad or iPad2, a versatile device with many apps available in the Apple store. I didn’t choose an iPad mostly because of cost. I don’t need it bad enough to pay more than $199 for it. It would be nice to have, but I’m not going to spend that kind of money. Then there are the non Apple tablets that are less eReader and more mobile PC – the Blackberry Playbook, the HP Touchpad and so on.

I have a laptop and an iPhone that are almost always on me, so the need for another gadget to do what two smart phones and a laptop will do was low. I have read entire books on my iPhone (yes, I really have), watched entire movies and so on, so what I wanted was something with a larger screen and the ability to take my book library anywhere I want, read whatever and wherever I want, and if there are added bonuses for the same price point, those are gravy on the potatoes. Or frosting on the cake, depending on if you’re a savory or sweets lover. ;-)

I ended up going with the Nook Color mostly because a friend had one and LOVED it, and it wasn’t like the Kindle, which everyone and their grandmother and my 7 yr old nephew had. I’m not exactly a trailblazer but I am hardly one to go get whatever everyone else is buying. The Nook also satisfied my deal breakers:

1) Ability to borrow books from the library, which was only recently remedied with Kindle. Not that I use this feature, but I don’t like being told no!

2) Ability to add my own non DRM material in any format I wish, including books I might buy from online bookstores. I prefer .epub and if you don’t know what the big deal is with .epub, here’s a thread to shed some light on the discussion. I’m not a published author, but I convert my stories to .epub and add them to my device so I can read them like a reader might read them.

Image courtesty CNet.com

Since the launch of the Kindle Fire, I have been taking note. I’ll say that I disagree that it is an iPad Killer, but it could compete strongly with non Apple tablets. A huge concern to me is an Amazon controlled App Store.  Not my cuppa, but the Fire is inexpensive enough to not make that a huge deal. If you don’t care about that, it’s a contender.

New and Improved?

One of the bigger reasons I’m considering the Fire is because of the Nook Color 2 rumors. I bought my Nook Color just after Christmas last year so it isn’t even a year old. It has served me very well and I really like it, so if B&N is going to update it to compete with the Fire, I’m paying attention. I’ve read a few articles comparing the current Nook Color to the Kindle Fire and noting what features would be important to me for B&N to update. Attached is a chart from CNet.com, comparing the two devices.

What matters most to me is storage and format. Others might want actual tablet functionality like the ability to watch movies, use social media and even (GASP) do some work. I see that the Fire and the Nook both come with 8g of storage space—however the Nook Color has a micro SD card slot, which expands storage greatly. The Fire combats this with access to the Amazon Cloud, but if I understand this correctly, you can only access the cloud if you are connected to a computer or a wireless connection. I’m sure I’ll be corrected if I am wrong, but that makes the Fire more like a large, shiny, slick iPod Touch: awesome access to apps and features so long as you’re tied to a wireless network. Need to use something like GPS or an app that works best via a 3G connection and you’re stuck. I note, the deal is the same with the Nook, but with expanded memory, anything I might have needed to grab from the Amazon cloud (save Amazon books) I will have already loaded and saved to my Nook.

Conclusion

In the aforementioned CNet comparison, the differences between the Nook Color and the Kindle Fire aren’t enough to make me run out and buy one right now. However, suffice it to say that I’m going to be watching the evolution of the Nook Color and determining if I will be updating my current device. Book format still sticks in my craw, though. I have a number of books and documents that I’ve converted to ePub. I’m not likely to convert them all to .mobi just to have a device that plays videos and uses apps.  I’m just hoping that B&N will step up to the plate and deliver a device that competes and brings the same functionalities to its already stellar tablet.

Discuss: If you use an eReader, what are your must haves and deal breakers? Are you planning to purchase a Kindle Fire or other model, staying with your current eReader, or sticking with paper books? 

This week’s prompt is more of a list. Actually, it is exactly a list, a reading list of books from several categories:

Competitive- My WIP’s closest competition

Informative- Research books and those that match my WIP in subject but not exactly genre

Contemporary- This list will likely flux the most. It is basically what sits at the top of my TBR Pile- new and exciting books in my genre that I can’t wait to read.

The Classics – Self explanatory. I find I’ve read more of these than I thought I had. I picked a few I’d like to read but I’m sure this list will change as well.

I’ve attached my list here:  Reading list DIYMFA

I’m having a rough day today and tomorrow is likely to be more of the same, but I feel very… encouraged and emboldened by this post from Jessica Corra today. I just started following her (I stalk your blogroll and twitter links people… you should just know that… ). I like everything she has to say but today, especially her words today are speaking to me. Read the entire post but this part? This part right here? YES.

You only have one life. Don’t flinch from it. Don’t be afraid to live the life you want – need – can have. It’s not easy – nothing worthwhile is. The fight to get there will make the arrival that much more meaningful.  

Just do. It you fuck it up, do it over.  Turn your life upside down. On purpose. I can’t even begin to pontificate on what that means to me or what I am going to do with it, but it definitely hit me where I’m living right now.

Don’t flinch. Just do it.

I have been a bit absent this week. Mostly because I didn’t have much to say and I’m not one to post just for posting’s sake. And, as Sierra Godfrey mentioned in a great post this week, readers don’t really care what your excuses are for not blogging; nor do they care for silly filler posts. I happen to completely agree, so I don’t do them.

It has been a busy month for me though. Over at the Fan Fiction archive, we have been running a month long challenge. Writers sign up for a specific day and on that day, they post a completed story of 1,000 words or more. Once it is posted, it’s my job as Challenge Master (I just made that name up for myself) to publicize the author and their story all day. Everyday. On top of also running a fansite for a music group, my life outside of writing/ reading is pretty active.

And then there’s that. I’ve not done a whole lot of writing, lately. I wrote two stories for the aforementioned challenge. Both got pretty small reactions, but that they got comments at all is great, I suppose. A friend and I were discussing this phenomenon a few weeks ago, where when I posted stories in the past, I got lots of comments and lately I get very few. I started to worry that I lost my touch, my mojo, my writing fu. We discovered, though, that readers seem to like the chase. They like waiting for an update and slowly allowing themselves to identifywith the characters. When I write a story, however, I finish it and then I post it, in case I want to change/clarify something later. I can’t go back and change something I have already posted. And then I dump it on the archive and people read it all in one sitting, in one fell swoop and don’t feel as close to the characters as they would if I had spaced it out.

What it all comes down to is that I am impatient. I want people to read it all right now. I’m not much of a tease. Working on it, though!

I posted a short piece for the Story Fix Peer Review Page and then sent my friends and followers over there to harass and/or comment on the post. It turned out pretty well and I feel like I got some good advice from the writing community. And a few “wow”s, which… I’m not going to lie, felt really great. REALLY great. The piece wasn’t torn apart and I feel like it was a good representation of my writing.

I have been doing a lot of reading. I’m doing the GoodReads Reading Challenge. I committed to reading 50 books this year. I’m at 30 and I am 2 books behind. I’m really tempted to pick some short novellas and finish them to boost my count, but I feel like that would be cheating, so I am doing my best to stay on top of my TBR pile. My hiatus from the written word hurt me a bit but I am rapid and voracious reader. I was five books behind!  In the last month I have read: 

Snowy Night Seduction- Very short. A little bit of paranormal, which I don’t really mind as long as it’s not vampires. I just can’t deal with vampires. And a hot sex scene as well.  2 of 5 stars*

Silver Sparrow- I finished this at the end of July, actually. Was so good, especially part two. I was sad to see it end– didn’t want to say goodbye to Dana and Chaurisse and their secret family.  I wish we got to see more of them. Can’t wait for the next book from Tayari Jones. 4 of 5 stars

The Lies that Bind- Oh my. SUCH a good book. A quick read, great love scenes, lots of action, a true page turner and has what I love love LOVE. A nice twist at the end. Didn’t see it coming. Can’t wait for DL Sparks next book– I’ve pre-ordered it! 4 of 5 stars

The Sugar Queen- Another Sarah Addison Allen book. I just love reading her in between my gripping, heart breaking dramas. Such a nice break with a great story and a little bit of magic. This one was sweet- pat, but sweet.  Pun intended. 3 of 5 stars

What Looks like Crazy on an Ordinary Day- I had never heard of Pearl Cleage before I started reading Tayari Jones. Ms Cleage is one of her favorite authors, so I figured I’d take a look. I’m just getting started on her collection and this was the first. It was not what I expected it to be- a love story between an ex con and a woman who is HIV positive. I really enjoyed the story and the writing. The epilogue was not my cup of tea– it could have been a few more chapters of story, in my opinion. I guess I am just greedy, but don’t sweep over things in your epilogue that only tie your story up in a big red bow.  Just my personal opinion. I think I am reading “I Wish I Had a Red Dress” or “Seen It All..” next.  Not Sure. 4 of 5 stars

The Accident: A Novel - This was one of the best books I have read in a long, long time. I love a story that has twists and turns and multiple stories that all tie in together. This book does that really well, with so many levels of story and story lines you didn’t even think were connected, end up swirling around one another. I’ve already purchased other books Linwood Barclay has written. Can’t wait to dig into them. 4 of 5 stars

The End of Everything: A Novel - This was… interesting. I almost gave up on it, actually. I just couldn’t get into it. Then I hopped onto Goodreads and read some reviews. My left eyebrow went up at hints of what happens later in the story, so I kept reading. Glad I did, but… I hate when I read a book and I still have questions that are not answered. There is so much inference as to what happened. I don’t have a clear understanding of everything because she never really said, ‘this is what happened’. I feel like I read it in a fog. I had a hard time with her writing style as well, but that was just a personal thing. It was hard to muddle through until the story got good. Not one I’ll read over and over, likely. 3 of 5 stars

*A note on my star rating. I rarely, if ever give 5 stars. I have to pretty much fall onto the ground, weeping and wailing and gnashing my teeth because the book is over. 4 stars is a really, really good book for me. 5 stars is perfection. I have given very few 5 star ratings. 

As for writing… I have a story idea. It is fan fiction. It could possibly be written during NaNoWriMo. Not sure, though. It is a psychological thriller. I have some research and story planning to do but I don’t want to talk about it much or I’ll talk myself out of writing it. I haven’t written anything at all on the book I am supposed to be writing. I think about it now and then but I don’t really have a complete story arc and I am not motivated to work on it. It’s going nowhere pretty rapidly. I can’t seem to get a grasp on writing original fiction. I just don’t care about the characters like I care about my fanfic characters and I haven’t found a way to remedy that.

I am off for a day of reading and planning a series of blog posts for next week. Have a wonderful day!

Just finished:

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones - incredibly compelling read. The first part sets the scene… part two sort of blew the top off of my head.  I just kept turning pages to find out what else was going to happen, while biting my nails and trying not to blink. Fantastic book, my fave from Ms. Jones, though I did really enjoy The Untelling.

 Recently started:

Snowy Night Seduction  by Arianna Hart- Just started this one, lightly paranormal. I’m starting to be able to stand a bit of the genre but I’ll never be a twilight/fairy prince/zombie apocalypse reader.

Married 2 Struggle  by Varrsity  -Suggested to me by a twitter follower. I’ve read the first few pages and I’m captivated. Can’t wait to dig in!

Up Next:

The Lies That Bind  by D.L. Sparks- For some reason when I discover an author, I am compelled to read everything they’ve written. I follow Ms. Sparks on twitter and pre-ordered her next book, but how can I read that one when I haven’t read this one?!

I’ve recently added a ton of Pearl Cleage to my list… I have two eBooks from her that I’ll start soon. Looking forward to it.

I’m supposed to be reading one “writing craft” book a month. Meh. They just don’t really tell me anything. I do have the Write Great Fiction Series that I haven’t finished, so I can leaf through that, I guess. I just don’t really get much from reading books. I get far more from blogs and from practice.

Those are my Friday Reads! What’re yours?

Hope everyone plans to have a fantastic weekend!

Our meeting started with a 5 minute grammar lesson by English teacher Mary Grace Schaap on Passive Voice and when to use it. The lesson was really instrumental, because I can count on two hands how many times I’ve read advice to avoid it. However, Ms Schaap showed us how using Passive Voice adds a little style and mystery to your writing, no matter the genre. Most often, it is used when you want to hide certain details.

Verbs can either be active or passive. In active voice, the verb is said to do or be. It is direct. In passive voice, the object is acted upon. The effect is wordy and the sentence lacks spice but is most useful when the attention belongs on the person or thing being acted upon, and not the action itself or when the do-er is unimportant. In fact, the do-er can in many cases be left off of the end of the sentence, especially if you’re suing a  ’by’ as in the policy was approved by the committee. It’s just superfluous words. 

Crime novels and journalists use Passive Voice:

The missing child was found a mile from her home

The jewels were stolen in broad daylight

Mistakes were made

Genres like poetry use Passive Voice beautifully:

Soothed by the Sea

Rocked by waves

The key, said Ms Schaap, is to know WHY you’re using Passive Voice. Recognize the effect or style that you want to put into your piece and you’ll stand up to any proofreader or editor’s criticism. Great lesson, and she used sentence diagrams, which I used to LOVE in English classes. I was the nerd grinning in the fifth row. :)

After our 5 Minute Grammar primer, the President of the Club introduced Bernice McFadden. Ms. McFadden began her talk by taking us through the journey of her career. As a child, she was a voracious reader, digesting mostly picture books until she found some Harold Robbins and Jackie Collins novels that weren’t meant for such young eyes. It reminded me of when I was about 12 and found my mother’s stash of VC Andrews. I was forbidden to read them, but over the course of the summer, read the entire Flowers in The Attic series and have never been the same. After writing a pretty graphic story (of which she had no idea what she’d really written, since she’d just lifted sentences and phrases from the books she read), thus began her journey as a writer. 

She’d always written short stories, but after years of trying to get them published, decided to focus on one story and try to expand it into a novel. Sugar stood out and after ten years of writing, 4 drafts, 70-some rejections, Bernice found an agent and weeks later was the proud owner of a three book deal. An inspirational story if I ever heard one.

One of the things I really grabbed onto was that early on, she realized there weren’t a lot of writers that were published that looked like her– and frankly me. Even today, when I look through announcements of what’s being published and and marketed, I don’t see a lot of African American authors. Bernice said she picked up a copy of The Color Purple, and not only did it inspire her but gave her hope that she could also be a published black author. After Terry McMillan opened the door for black authors, it became even easier for writers of color to find a spotlight.

A few things I picked up during her time on stage:

Always ask yourself “What are you willing to risk?” Don’t skirt issues in your writing. Put them out there, dont cheat your reader out of an experience. Be upfront with your subject matter.

Not all writers write everyday. I can’t tell you what an audible sigh of relief I breathed when I heard this. I hear so much(and feel so ashamed by the fact that I don’t) that “real writers” write everyday, even when it’s hard. Quite actually, I hear from a lot of “real” writers– you and me, published and unpublished– that they don’t, actually. Like Bernice, I find it to be a creative process, a mood that isn’t ever present. And when I don’t feel like it, it’s obvious. When she does write, she can go weeks writing for ten or so hours a day, until she has purged her mind of the story… a process that I engage in as well. It reminds me of the binge and purge… except I think the writing version is much healthier. I took it to heart when she said to not shame yourself if  that’s not something that works for you.

Finally, a member asked what she knew now that she didn’t know then, or what she would do now that she didn’t do then. Her answer?

YOU will be your biggest, most number one fan. PROMOTE yourself. Save some of your advance (no matter how paltry the sum) and put it aside for a marketing budget and market yourself to bloggers and book readers, twitter, facebook, TV shows, what have you. Publishers will promise X,Y and Z… but may only do X. You may have to complete Y and Z on your own- be prepared, be willing to do that for yourself.

I sincerely enjoyed seeing Bernice McFadden today. I’m always encouraged and inspired by people who are really doing it. It helps me to keep dreaming that I might someday be one of those people really doing it, too.

Thank you for sharing your story, Ms McFadden.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my second book by Sarah Addison Allen and I really enjoyed it. I’m a reader of pretty heavy material, so every once in awhile, I like to clear my palate with some lighter fare and Ms Allen always delivers a fun, indulgent read laced with sweetness and a little bit of magic.

Willa Jackson, Colin and Paxton Osgood, and Sebastian Rogers all went to high school together and all but Paxton (who never left) returned years later, completely changed people. The story centers around a Gala, a formal party to celebrate the re-opening of the Blue Ridge Madam, led by Paxton and the Women’s Society. Just as the Madam is about to open,a skeleton is found, tying Willa, Colin and Paxton together via their ancestors and a well kept secret.

The Peach Keeper is more than a story about a magical man who smelled of peaches and once held an entire town under his spell, and who suddenly and mysteriously disappeared… and then reappeared as a skeleton just as Walls of Water’s premiere luxury hotel was to reopen. It is a story of regrets, of self reinvention, of resistance to change and letting go of fears, and most of all of being true to oneself.

There was a lot less magic in this book than in The Girl Who Chased the Moon– I really expected more and perhaps the story could have benefited from it, but I also felt the story was full– each character had a purpose for being in the book and each character lived up to his or her potential. I especially enjoyed the scandal between Tucker, Agatha (Paxton and Colin Osgood’s grandmother), and Georgie (Willa Jackson’s grandmother. I wanted there to be a bit more detail about covering up the secret and what it had taken to keep it quiet.

And I’ll say this, because romances in books, by definition are unrealistic, but the romantic connections, to me, seem to be a stretch. Too pat and perfect and… unrealistic. I guess I am hard to please, and these relationships needed to form in order to push the story along. I was happy to see some old friendships rekindle, and some begin for the first time. I’m still sort of appalled that people still live in the town where they went to high school.

I gave this book 4 of 5 stars, purely because I enjoyed it so much!

View all my reviews