Can't say 'Wednesday' without thinking of either Wednesday Addams or Odin All Father, but that's my own damn fault.
WHAT I'M READING
At BEA this year I was lucky enough to get a shed load of books. and ARCs. One of which is AFTERWORLDS by Scott Westerfeld. I loved the Uglies series and I adored the LEVIATHAN trilogy (especially since I read it on audiobook with Alan Cumming doing the narration. It was STELLAR.) AFTERWORLDS is a mammoth book at 600+ pages and that makes sense because it's really two interconnected books at once. It's the story of Darcy Patel, a teenaged writer who manages to write an awesome book, get repped AND a publishing deal for serious kish kash. It's ALSO the story of Lizzy and Yama, the two protags from Darcy's book. So you're reading about Darcy's publishing life (hard not to be jealous and fascinated at the inner workings) and about the life of her 'creations'. Very Meta. And unputdownable.
WHAT I'M WRITING
I'm writing an MG Fantasy or Magic Realism - the jury on classification is still out. There's magic. There's Jersey Shore. Enough said, I think. I am trying to faithfully stick to tackling the problems I'm having with the MS (a first draft) but I'm at that wrestling stage of the crafting where you go in and fight the words (and the words fight back) until you're too tired and the coffee's gone. Then you get up the next day and do it again.
WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW
Nature. It's corny I know, but being out in the world is a balm, especially around where I lie where the green stuff is everywhere and the sounds you hear at night are cricket and owl noises. and during the day, wild rabbits hop past the window. Even the rustle of wind in trees seems to be noise to smile at. I'm also watching a lot of Studo Ghibli movies with my kids and reading MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO to my eldest.
WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
I've been a work from home mom for five years now and this fall I'll be the same. The difference is that my littlest is going to kindergarten and I'll have more time for myself. When I say myself I actually mean my APW (actual paying work) self and my writing self. I'm taking on one (possibly two) APW projects that are bigger, and more challenging that anything I've done in a long time. I hope I don't wipe out. But we'll see!
Please take the time to visit these guys who are also sharing WUW details today on, Oh, is it Wednesday all ready?
Link to your WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY post:
| 1. | Erin Funk | 6. | Emma Adams | 11. | Colin D Smith | 16. | Rachael | |
| 2. | Miss Cole | 7. | Melanie Crouse | 12. | Valerie Cole | 17. | Kitty Murry | |
| 3. | Leslie Ann | 8. | Alex Villasante | 13. | Kaitlin Bartlett | 18. | Melanie Stanford | |
| 4. | Jessie Humphries | 9. | Majanka Verstraete | 14. | Steph Scott | 19. | Ania Pendancer | |
| 5. | Sarah Kettles | 10. | Jess Gofton | 15. | Tonja Drecker |
Nature is an inspiration every single day. Wrestling words is a non-ending battle. Luckily, there's coffee ;) Good luck this week!
ReplyDeleteHow did people even *write* before coffee? Or was it up to the fermented beverages to keep writers/storytellers going? Was Beowulf only possible because of mead? The world will never know. Good luck to you this week, too!
DeleteI thought UGLIES started well but went downhill after. LEVIATHAN was awesome. So I'm tempted to read AFTERWORLDS, but cautiously tempted. I have plenty of other books on my TBR, so I have time to decide. :)
ReplyDeleteAll the best with your writing and APW projects this week, Alex!
Thanks, Colin. Good luck to you too. I'm in the middle of AFTERWORLDS so the jury is still out. But it's a brave book. Different and challenging. Like watching an acrobat walking a tightrope. Could end in tears, but it's mesmerizing watching him try to pull it off.
DeleteNature is very inspiring. Sometimes it's lovely to just stand still and admire it all :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
It's so true. Nature is inspiring and comforting and sometimes dangerous. All the feelings writers need - can be inspired by being in nature!
DeleteI didn't realize that Alan Cumming narrated the LEVIATHAN audio books. That almost makes me wish I had those instead of the paperbacks! Haven't read them yet, but I've been meaning too for ages. As for being inspired by nature, the same goes for me. It always finds a way to creep into my manuscripts and I love that. Good luck wrestling with that MG WIP!
ReplyDeleteErin, I think part of the reason I loved that trilogy so much was BECAUSE of Alan Cumming. I mean, he doesn't just narrate. He embodies the characters. He does all the accents beautifully. It brings the story to life without getting in the way. Brilliant. Highly recommend it. Thanks for the well wishes. Any wrestling tips? :)
DeleteI love Scott Westerfield!
ReplyDeleteme too! I got to meet him when he signed AFTERWORLDS for me at BEA. Totally fan-girl'd.
DeleteHey, good luck with your middle-grade project. I'm still not sure what to think about 'magic realism', especially when I heard the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels described like that, when they're nothing like the artsy literary stuff I think of when I hear the term. Actually, reading over the wiki article for Magical Realism, I think my stumbling block is that the weird stuff going on in Scott Pilgrim isn't that magical in the traditional sense. Video-game-realism perhaps? ;)
ReplyDeleteHey thanks, and thanks for stopping by. So funny that you mention Scott Pilgrim because I *just* started reading volume 1. I think you are right. It's not traditional magical realism in the grand literary tradition, but it is the 'normal world' injected with magical elements that - to those people in the world - are part of their every day lives. I like the Video Game Realism tag though. Let's write one of those!
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