Dumplin's and Dark Forests

Ho Ho Ho, reader and writer friends!  Hope this holiday season finds you surrounded by family and friends and, of course, a big pile of books!

What I've Been Reading:  The last two books I read were fantastic.  

DUMPLIN' by Julie Murphy was about a Dolly Parton fangirl trying to figure out what kind of person she wants to be.  I thought the character arc in this one was amazing.

And Dear Sweet Holly Black, every time I read one of your books I don't want to ever write anything ever again because it will never be as good as your words.  THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST left me with a book hangover.

What I've Been Writing:  Wait, I'm supposed to be writing???  I am currently suffering from idea paralysis.  I got 30 K into my Nano project before abandoning it.  It was eww.  I have had some wild dreams though, and in the wee hours of the night they seem like brilliant book ideas.  I will wake up in the morning with a text from myself with cryptic reminders such as "Donald duck, but in space and with lemongrass."  *scratches head*  Most of these gems are still in the brainstorming phase...

What Else Has Been Going On:  MANNY is still on submission, but it seems like publishing comes to a grinding halt for the holidays, so nothing new to report.

Hope that you have a Holly Jolly Holiday!

Nanowrimo: Middle Grade Style

Happy Fall Y'all from the Fountain City!

What I'm Reading:

I just finished a whole pile of middle grade books to get me in the mood to write my next MG adventure (see below).  AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS was a fun read.  It was a historical that still felt very relavent.

THE YEAR OF BILLY MILLER was recommended to me at a conference as an example of great MG voice, and it did not disappoint.  The voice and emotions portrayed by the kids in this book were brilliantly done.

What I'm Writing:  

IT'S NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH!  I love me some Nanowrimo.  In fact, I participated in Nano in 2013 kind of on a whim, and now I am almost a real writer with an agent and everything!  I love the spirit of Nano, and all the in-real-life events.  Our local library has write-ins every Monday night in November and I love hanging out with other writers!  This year, I am writing a middle grade geocaching adventure.  Here's my progress so far:

What Else is Going On:

Tonight kicks off our SCBWI conference weekend!  I can't wait to mingle with other authors, listen to some great sessions, and get some signed books!  Woo Hoo!  November is the best writing month EVER.

Gods and (MG) Godesses

Hello, my lovelies!  I promise, I wasn't just slacking off the last few weeks.  I have been uber-busy with Nano (see below)!

What I'm  Reading:  I finally finished AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman.

This was the first adult book I've read in a really long time, and boy were some parts adult.  Haha.  But it was a great read.  Awesome characters and mind boggling research.  I give it the Niki seal of approval.

What I'm Writing:  Editing up a storm over here, and I should have a polished MG Fantasy by the end of the week.  I had some major plot bunnies to fix, and I am really happy with the structure the story has now.  I'm going to let it rest while I draft my new shiny, and then send it off to CP's.

What Else is Going On:  On Saturday I am going to a SCBWI one day intensive on writing MG!  It will be taught by Candice Ransom, author of over 100 children's books.  I am REALLY looking forward to this day of talking about methods and plotting.  I'm reading FINDING DAYS BOTTOM right now, to familiarize myself with Ms. Ransom's work.

Conference and Computer

Technically, today is Tuesday, but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss another What's Up Wednesday!  WUW is a blog hop for writers created by Jaimi and Erin.  Visit this page for more information and to find out how you can play along!

What I'm Reading:  I just finished THE HATE LIST by Jennifer Brown, a YA author who I just met at SCBWI conference.  Jennifer taught several of the sessions and she was brilliant and practical.  It's also cool that she lives right by me.

What I'm Writing:  My YA HIST is going SLOW.  I keep telling myself it's because I know more now  but it might just be because I didn't sign up for Nano!   I decided I wanted my word count goal for this one to be closer to 70K, so I am giving myself to the end of December.  Right now I am at 20K, so I better pick up the pace!

What Works for Me:  I'll tell ya what works for me... MY NEW MACBOOK AIR!  It is a dream, people.  A beautiful, shiny, silver dream.  It's lightening on it's feet, and my fingers fly across the keys.  Compared to my old laptop... You have no idea.  One time it took me forty minutes just to open Scrivner on that beast.  So I am loving my new equipment.  What shall I name her?

What Else I've Been Up To:  As mentioned above, I got to go to SCBWI conference in Kansas.  It was so amazing and inspiring.  When I think back at going to conference last year, I can be really proud of all the writing progress I have made!  I felt like a real author this time around!

What's up with you?