what’s up wednesday

25 Mar

What’s Up Wednesday

WUW7 Time for a What’s Up Wednesday post (my favorite blogging check-in post). If you haven’t seen this before, it was started by Jaime Morrowand Erin Funk and is a great blog hop for connecting with other writers and regularly checking in on your progress. Edit: Sadly, I’ve just discovered this is the last one. Goodbye, sweet blog hop! Thanks Jaime and Erin for all your hard work keeping this together as long you did!

WHAT I’M READING

I just finished the fifteenth and final Morganvile Vampires book. Fifteen is a lot of books, and I know I’ve said it a million times, but I just hate when books are over. I’ve read around 10 of the short stories for the series since it was over, mostly as a way to avoid letting go.

I also recently read Frostfire and Across the Universe and Shifting Shadows, the Mercy Thompson short stories, and now I’m poking through a bunch of books again until one grabs me. I might end up rereading something, since that’s what I do when I’m like this.

WHAT I’M WRITING (+ WRITING GOAL)

Still writing my girl pop band versus zombies series, and wishing I’d titled the series already. I got stuck for a little while this week and plotted out five short stories for the series, which was ridiculously fun. This series. *shakes head* I just love it.

Goal: finish this draft this week?

WHAT WORKS FOR ME

Sprints. I set a timer for how long I write, how long I break, how long I break… it gets repetitive and annoying when the timer beeps, but it works.
Also, turning off the internet.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

I recently did an interview on Sarah Dalton’s blog, as part of the blog hop for the YA Spring Fling giveaway I’m part of. The giveaway has over 70 authors (and over 100 ebooks) up for grabs. All you have do is peek through the list and fill out a survey saying what books you’d like. No signing up for anything except the giveaway necessary.

I went to the Tucson Festival of Books last weekend! Saw a lot of authors on panels and generally wore my body out, but filled up my brain. Lots of great motivation. I love going to panels. I saw… Gail Carriger, Sam Sykes, Scott Lynch, Jonathan Maberry, Deborah Harkness, Elizabeth Bear… and others, but I’m blanking right now. It was a good time. Hurray for book festivals!

Since I finished reading the Morganville Vampires, I went ahead and watched the Geek & Sundry series, all six episodes. Anyone else read the books or seen the show?

04 Mar

What’s Up Wednesday

PLANEBORDER2 I’m up and at What’s Up Wednesday again, this great little blog hop started by Jaime and Erin where we writerly types tell you what we’re up to.

WHAT I’M READING

This week I read Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge and Fall of Night by Rachel Caine, the 14th Morganville Vampires book. I just started Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs this morning, a book of Mercy Thompson short stories.

Last week I mentioned that I’m having a hard time getting into books, and this week it was weirdly hard again, but maybe a little easier? I picked up several books before settling into each one, and then had to really push myself to get going. It’s like my brain doesn’t want to slip into these other worlds. Cut it out, brain, because this is no fun.

I did enjoy the books I read, though, so yay. There’s only one more Morganville Vampires book and that really bums me out. I hate finishing a series.

WHAT I’M WRITING (+ WRITING GOAL)

I’m still plugging away on on my Girl Band vs Zombies series. I had a break through on the current book this week when I realized that I was trying to keep from having one of my characters do some evil things, and it was messing everything up and keeping me stuck. Now that I’ve let them have their way and be evil, things are clicking into place. Hurrah!

I don’t have a specific goal this week, just, more. More! As is often the case with me, now that I’ve gotten this book mostly straightened out, I want to write the next one. Gotta finish this one first!

WHAT WORKS FOR ME

Turning off the internet on my computer and listening to music on the tablet. I’ve been listening to the Chicago soundtrack a lot, some punk mix cds from 15 years ago, and Imagine Dragons new album.

Also, plotting in more and more detail. I keep finding annoying plotting notes like “And then they figure this thing out and expose these secrets” without any notes on how that is accomplished. Unhelpful, past me. Unhelpful.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

It’s new comic book day and I am just so excited that Rat Queens and Saga are out today that it’s hard to think about anything else. Ahhh! If you haven’t checked those comics out, the first trade paperbacks are ten bucks–or can be found in most decent library systems. I highly recommend their awesomeness!

Otherwise… it’s been a week of reading, writing, or doing writing research. I wrote a blog post about researching different ways to kill zombies. Writer research is always strange, isn’t it?

25 Feb

What’s Up Wednesday

Robot It’s been a while since I’ve done a What’s Up Wednesday, but I miss it. Plus, Mr McKay started doing it today, so it’s on my brain. If you haven’t seen this before, it was started by Jaime Morrowand Erin Funk and is a great blog hop for connecting with other writers, and checking in on your progress.

WHAT I’M READING

I recently started, and disliked, a whole run of books. It happens. It might have something to do with going through a bunch of books I LOVED first (THESE BROKEN STARS OMG I LOVE YOU). A few days ago I remembered that I usually break out of this with a non-fiction book, so I read (and loved) THE ART OF ASKING by Amanda Palmer… but now I’m back to opening and closing a bunch of things. I’d like to break out of this funk asap, please.

WHAT I’M WRITING (+ WRITING GOAL)

I’m working on my All Girl Pop Band vs Zombies series. I made a really fun pinterest board for it. I’m trying to draft the first five books in a row, but I’ve given myself permission to switch projects at number four if I need to switch things up. I’m hoping to have 20k more drafted before next Wednesday.

WHAT WORKS FOR ME

I’d like to say that I get up, feel great, and work early in the morning! Yeah! But lately what’s been working for me is working at night. I read back through old scenes that I love, blare Ida Maria spotify radio, and type type type. It’s been feeling like my fingers are moving like slugs lately, but when I check (feeling like I wrote 300 words) it turns out I’ve written 1,500. It’s just been difficult.

Last night it got much easier after remembering that the character I was writing was a rambler. I love her rambling ways. 🙂

WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Wednesday is also comic book day, so Spider-Gwen is new! Yeah!

I also blog over at The Midnight Society on Wednesdays, where we blog about all things macabre with a focus on YA horror. I’ve started doing a series on all things Frankenstein, which is a ton of fun. Frankenstein’s monster has always been my favorite classic horror.

I feel a little boring. Mostly, I’m thinking about writing. Finding interesting new ways to kill zombies takes a LOT more thought than you might think. When it’s right, though, it’s hilarious. So, worth it. 🙂

26 Mar

What’s Up Wednesday #3

It’s time for another What’s Up Wednesday post, where I tell you about what’s up with me. This blog hop is a great opportunity for a check in with myself…

WHAT I’M READING I finished Thorns by Kate Avery Ellison and Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. I’m just getting back into Allegiant. I’m 60% in. I had started reading this when it first came out, but then wasn’t getting into it, and people on the internet were all upset, and I didn’t really want to know anymore. I hate endings.

Which reminds me, I also read Locke & Key, Vol. 6: Alpha & Omega, the end of Locke & Key. *heart breaks* What a perfect series. This is my favorite comic, and you should read it! Dark fantasy, completely interesting mythology. I love dark family stories. And the ending… is good. *happy sigh*

WHAT I’M WRITING Stuff. 😉 I can start talking about this next week, I think. I’m in manic drafting mode, and feel uncomfortable breaking to write this post.
WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW I have a pinterest board and playlist for my work in progress. Most of the songs are stolen from my bird playlist (yes, I have a bird playlist. I also have a hands playlist, elephants, stars… I’m a weird lady, okay?) including “Little Bird” by Annie Lennox, “The Bird Song” from Florence + the Machine, Blackbird from The Beatles, “Little Bird” from Imogen Heap, and Death Cab’s “Talking Bird.”
WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO There are other things? On Friday I’m going to Emerald City Comicon! I’m excited about it! When I remember it’s happening.

19 Mar

What’s Up Wednesday

Isn’t this robot with the umbrella adorable? Anyhow, it’s time for another What’s Up Wednesday post, where I tell you about what’s up with me. This blog hop is a great opportunity for a check in with myself…

WHAT I’M READING I did a lot more reading the past week, which has been great. I finally finished WHAT KILLS ME by Wynne Channing, which was a great fast paced YA vampire story full of blood and, well, vampires. It’s even a free ebook, so I suggest checking it out. I also read FROST by Kate Avery Ellison and am now reading it’s sequel, THORNS. Oh! And I read through The Cabin in the Woods: The Visual Companion, which was actually really great. I love reading about the story making process.
WHAT I’M WRITING I’m plotting one project I’m not talking too much about right now, revising parts of WHERE DRAGONS GO TO DIE, and spending the rest of my time finishing up work on STARING CONTESTS, a Lacuna Valley short story that takes place during the beginning of Liberty Bound.
WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW I’m a pretty big believer that you have to keep yourself fueled. That you need to keep shoveling things into your brain if you want stuff to keep pouring out. That said, I’m just running on my own brain these days. It takes a lot of effort to make myself take breaks, and when I do, I’d rather be writing.
WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO I was part of a Pinterest Party on Monday, which was a lot of fun, and this is the launch week for The Midnight Society! In fact, my first post is up there today, and I quote Joss Whedon (are you shocked?). Other than that? Having lots of horrifying nightmares. I watched the first couple of episodes of Battlestar Galactica with the husband this week. I haven’t watched BSG since my first watch through, and have wanted to do a rewatch. I really love the show and how incredibly dark and messed up it is, but at the same time, I always felt like I wanted it to go a touch further into everything it went into. I’m wondering if I’ll feel the same way the second time through. I’ve noticed I feel differently about most stories if I wait a few years.