What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme run by Erin L Funk and Jaime Morrow and is a great way for readers and writers to catch up!
What I'm reading
This week, I've been working through my TBR list as a way to relax post-editing! I read The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which is a zombie book unlike any I've read before! I also read Hex Hall, a book I've been meaning to read for ages, and I loved it. It's hilarious and witty and fun, and I've picked up the second book in the trilogy already!
What I'm writing
Firstly, after finishing editing Beneath the Waves, I sent the draft to CP's/betas! As I also decided my MG fantasy was going to be my NaNo project, I was left at a bit of a loose end. There was no point in starting a new project, with a week before NaNo and an Epic Email of Doom on the horizon at some point in the future, but I had to be writing SOMETHING...and my one attempt to start a short story tanked. I have no idea what my problem is with short stories, but I just...can't do them. Every idea I think of demands to be part of a novel, possibly because it's so rare for me to think of a decent story idea that I don't want to let it go that easily!
So instead, I picked an idea from my 'Future Project Ideas' list (this is a godsend when I'm having one of my panicky moments that I've run out of ideas!) and decided to see what I could do with it. The result? An outline for a new YA urban fantasy trilogy! It's VERY rough, and full of gaping holes (planning is the worst part of the process for me because I'm an obsessive outliner BUT I know it can kill an idea faster than you can blink...), but it's something I can go back to later. Unfortunately, I still haven't had an idea that's gripped me as hard as Darkworld did, but every book is different, and I have to really love a story to get to this stage with it - so there's something there!
What else I've been up to
Watching anime, editing for clients, and freaking out
What inspires me right now
LOLcats. In all seriousness, sometimes I need a laugh. It's very lonely up here in Writerville, and I have a LOT of different projects giving me different levels of stress/insecurity. So sometimes, just a picture of a LOLcat can make a difference to this overly-sensitive soul.
But nice reviews always make my day. :)
I heard great things about Hex Hall ... it's on my TBR pile for a long time, maybe I should move it up.
ReplyDeleteLOl that cat pic is so cute!
I've wanted to read it for ages, too - the whole trilogy is great! :)
DeleteI've got a list of things to work on if I run out of ideas, too! I can't wait for NaNo, I just want to start writing it now!
ReplyDeleteIt's such a good thing to have! Me too :)
DeleteI keep seeing The Forest of Hands and Teeth and wondering what it's about...now I know! I've been looking for a good zombie or horror novel, so I'll probably ppick it up next time I'm at a library. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I totally understand about short stories...mine always either die in the middle for want to plot, or they get too long and turn into novellas or novels (like my current WIP).
Same! I've only ever finished a handful of short stories, or they've turned into novels!
DeleteShort stories are so difficult bc you have to be so succinct. Weirdly enough, I used to write them all the time, but now I can't anymore lol. Good luck with NaNo!
ReplyDeleteYeah - I rarely manage to think of an idea that works! Thank you :)
DeleteHaving a list of ideas in your pocket is great, isn't it? I'm glad you found something you are excited about. That's half the battle right there. Well, that and writing the book.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love your kitty pic. They are much needed sometimes. And funnily enough, they always help. :)
Yep - I find the hardest part is thinking of a good idea! Yep, they do help! :)
DeleteI loved Hex Hall. It's one of my favorites. I have a notebook full of ideas. It's full of newspaper clippings and pictures that gave me some kind of inspiration. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it, too! :) I always have a notebook or two to gather my ideas - sometimes I think of an idea for a new book just by skimming through!
DeleteI can't do short stories either. They always end up feeling incomplete because I want them to be a novel. :) Good luck with your next project! I know what you mean about having to really love it. Writing is hard sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI love LOLcats, too. They're the best. Even if I don't find it funny, just the picture of the cat brings a smile to my face.
Also, good luck with the blog tour!
Same! Writing really is tricky sometimes, but it's always worth it.Thank you!
DeleteI LOVED THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and devoured that trilogy. Also, Carrie Ryan's brother is a good friend of mine so of course I was going to read that series and I loved it! And I read HEX HALL too which I also enjoyed. Haven't read the follow-ups - maybe one day. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with NaNo! I'll be cheering you on!
Wow, that's awesome! :) Thank you!
DeleteI remember picking up HEX HALL off my sister's floor, opening it, and getting so hooked that I just stood there in the middle of her room and read it for a while. Really fun. Best wished for your NaNo! And lol...LOLcats...
ReplyDeleteIt is that addictive, and so much fun! Thank you :)
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