Tomorrow’s Guest Blogger
I hope you drop by tomorrow to read about Ginger Simpson’s writing life. Well-published in romance and historical romance, Ginger is now set on conquering the YA genre. Here’s the trailer for Shortcomings, scheduled for release in 2011 from Muse It Up Publishing.
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)
I’m thinking seriously about signing up for NaNoWriMo for the first time. Last year I was invited to help the local library’s chapter hand out awards and offer words of encouragement. I was so impressed with the number of people who participated and completed their 50,000 words, especially the middle school and high school students, that I want to be a part of that team and get to know them better.
Have you ever done NaNoWriMo? If so, did you accomplish your goals? Do you think it’s worth the effort?
What I’m Reading
I just finished Lisa Brackman’s Rock, Paper, Tiger, an excellent novel about a young woman who was injured while serving in Iraq. Now she’s living in China, suffering physically and emotionally from her experiences, while her marriage crumbles. Her friends and her fears are responsible for pulling her into a dangerous real-life game played partially online. The novel is sometimes harsh and gritty, but always poignant. The writing is top-notch. Although I’m not usually a fan of present-tense novels, Lisa did an awesome job of moving between the present and the past by alternating present and past tense.
Next up are two novels I’ve agreed to review here on my blog. I’ll keep them a secret for now. Reviews coming soon.
Feeling the Urge to Redecorate My Office
The wall colors in this room are bland, a kind of creamy non-color. The furniture is practical and brown. The lamp shades are white. The carpet is light brown. The room is so BLAH! I could fall asleep from boredom here.
Who has a great writing space or office? What color are your walls and carpet or tile? What colors would energize and excite you when you sit down to write?
I signed up for NaNo! You should do it.
And my office has white walls and grey carpet. I’m probably not the best source for designing and decorating tips,
Hey, Patricia,
I love it when you come to visit me and leave a comment! I have entertained the idea of the Nanoing, but I think I would probably not get anything else done, and am not driven to do anything so drastic as sit and write for hours each day. It is tempting, though. My office/workroom contains a sewing machine, a tevee, and a lot of other stuff and is a lovely creamy yellow with lots of light from a window facing the west, which means I have warm sunshine coming in through the blinds. I spend a lot of time in here each day. Love, Ruby
I did NaNoWriMo twice. It was good for me to prove to myself that I could write that many words. I wouldn’t do it again unless I had a pretty strong outline. And I don’t normally outline, so I’m not sure how that would work!
hi Patricia – I did Nano last year. I did finish and it is good to know that if the need is there I can churn out 50 thou in a month but worth it – no. The fifty thou I did were on my second mystery and I really had to go in and fix a tonne. It made me kind of crazy anyhow – I’m a seat of my pantser and so I already just go crazy trying to follow my protagonist and assorted others around trying to figure out what they are up to. I think I liked the forced discipline and it got me going but no – I wouldn’t do it again. Of course, I did a marathon nine years ago and I wouldn’t do that again either. there ya have it.
As to my writing room – my colours were flower pot orange and a really really warm yellow. I love it but that has become our foreign student’s room and now the walls are a greyish green which is quite soothing. I do have very bright curtains and I can see out on to the haphazard garden and chicken run which is fun.
Jan Morrison
Patricia – Thanks for the trailer! I give you a lot of credit for considering Nanowrite. I don’t plan to, because I’m knee-deep in my WIP, and not sure that I could get it done in a month. But I truly wish you well.
For your office?? Well, I am always energized and focused by sea-greens and blues. I know, counterintuitive, but there it is…
If I had a couch in my office, I’d probably use it to take naps.
But I love the description of your office, Karen. Sounds like a wonderful place to work.
Never did Nanowrite. Don’t want to. I don’t like putting that kind of pressure on myself. And I’m not a procrastinator, so don’t really think I need it.
My office is a combination studio and writing space. It has deep blue on one wall, and a lighter blue on the other wall. The third wall is a mirrored closet, and the fourth wall is a picture window looking out over a small park behind our home. There is a couch under the window, which is where I write, using my laptop. PHotos that inspire me are on the walls. I’d investigate what inspires you, Patricia, and choose the colors and decorations accordingly. Have fun!
Karen
Let’s see if I can make that link live:
The Writing Bug
I haven’t done NaNoWriMo because I’m always in the middle of writing something when November rolls around! It sounds like fun, though.
Maybe Chinese red for your office? Supposed to be good for creativity. Or is that blue?
A late-breaking giveaway! Over at The Writing Bug, Kerrie Flanagan is giving away three ARCs she picked up at BEA. You can enter the drawing today and tomorrow, so check it out at: http://tinyurl.com/29gcz3l
Everyone I knew was NaNoing last year, and after sitting on the fence for a week, I jumped in. At first unofficially, then officially.
Never finished in November, but I did finish what I started in November in December.
Go for it.