Musings of a Hopeful Author

I know I'm supposed to be writing (and I am!), but I wanted to give a quick update on my attempt to read FIFTY books this year.  As of right now, I have completed 47 books!  I am 13 books ahead of schedule and well on my way to not only meet my goal but beat it! That said, I do feel that I need to make a few stipulations.  First, 3 of those 47 were books on tape.  Unacceptable?  That's debatable, but I am going to try and read an extra three past 50 to make up for the difference so that I will have a clear conscience when it comes time to see the ultimate total.  Second, not all of these books have been classics or books that are known to improve your mind.  In fact, quite a lot of them are beach reads at the best of times, but I don't care!  I loved reading them!  I have found a new author that I really enjoy, and so I will continue to read (and reread) her books forever.  What is the purpose of being able to read if you can't rea...

In an attempt to be slightly more productive than I have in recent days/weeks/months, I have setup a type of incentive structure to help me keep my eye on the prize.  I am supposed to write at least one new chapter every week or two and send it to my friend Melanie.  She's been my main go to for feedback on my stuff in recent years, and has kindly agreed to help keep me honest in this effort.  She has a series of repercussions lined up for me in the event I get distracted and wander off the writing path again.  But more importantly (at least hopefully), is the fact that I have a deadline to shoot for and someone other than myself waiting for it.  I don't know if it's the trait of an only child or if it's based on personality or if it's just way more common than I realize, but I am loathe to do most things simply because they benefit me (sad I know).  However, if someone else is depending on me, I step up without question.  This was true regarding readi...

I think I must enjoy making my self-assigned tasks as hard as possible.  Writing, for instance, is not the easiest of things to do, at least not well.  Why then do I decide to set nearly all of my stories in other time periods?  Sometimes I feel as if I hardly know anything about the time I am living in, but even that amount of knowledge is considerably more that the times in which I set my stories.  Completely ridiculous.  Not only that, but I tend to also like to set the stories in other locations, not just outside of my hometown, but in places I have never visited.  So, a time period I am unfamiliar with in a place I have never seen.  Nothing to to that... right?  Then tying in plots, characters, etc. is just a lot of work. Granted, I enjoy learning the answers to the questions that arise through the research that becomes necessary, but it can be a bit hard.  I think it might be easier if I still had access to online journals, etc. li...

So, apparently the story has to take place in the location reference, the story can't simply mention the location at some point in the story... I found that out Sunday morning, so a new story was written Sunday afternoon and ultimately submitted.  I guess I should read the instructions ahead of time in future competitions, but where's the fun in that?! If you're interested in reading the ill-fated short story that I initially wrote, but couldn't submit, please refer to the short story section of this blog and look at "In the Glare of the Hotel Roxy." If you read it and have any feedback, please comment on this post.

So, in view of my lack of progress on the writing front, I have decided to try my hand at another writing contest.  It's a "flash fiction" challenge that gives you 2 days to write a story in 1,000 words based off of the prompts they've assigned.  My first assignment is: Genre: Suspense Location: A Dark Alley Object: Chocolate Milk I don't know about you, but that's a rather odd assortment.  And as was the case with the previous contest, I am not much of a fan of the assigned genre.  Needless to say, that makes the whole thing a but more challenging.  Add to that you have to build a chocolate milk laden suspense story in 1,000 words, and you have quite the test. So far so good in that I at least have an idea for a story.  I had three right off the bat, in fact.  Two of them were about men going into the alley.  One man went because he heard someone screaming in fear and he wanted to help them.  The other man went because he was running...

There are no words to describe my absolute lack of progress these last few months.  I have done NO writing of any consequence.  It's depressing and a bit embarrassing.  I thought I had more followthrough than what I have been displaying thus far with my writing.  I have started dozens of stories, with varying degrees of plot complexity, but have only finished one book length story in what is ... wow... a decade of writing off and on in my spare time. I know it is no consolation, but I am on track, and even a little ahead of schedule, to meet my reading goal for the year.  I've read 31 books as of today out of the 50 I set as a goal.  I am beginning to see that I need to set hard deadlines for myself with regards to writing rather than the fluid "write when you are in the mood" style I have been adhering to up to now.  I am going to have to do some research to see what is a reasonable daily/weekly/monthly goal.  If I am going to formalize this wh...

Okay, so maybe I was a bit too enthusiastic in my last post, but do not think that I am not still writing, albeit slower than intended.  I blame work and vacation!  Work has been a little more all intensive in the last few weeks than it usually is, so that has taken considerably more time than anticipated.  Fortunately, my job is generally pretty good about its work life balance, this just happens to be one of those times when it tends more towards work than life. No excuses though!  I have dropped the proverbial ball, and owe myself several written pages.  Fortunately, I have thought through some of the sticking points I had with some parts of the story, so at least that is progress, right?  I am deciding to believe it is. Though it's a small thing to anyone who might read a book, naming the characters is something that can be difficult.  The names have got to have the right balance for the story that is going to be told about the characters they ...

Yes, that's right!  I've actually started making progress on my angel story!  How much progress you say?  Well, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.  Let's just be glad there are words on the page in actual chapter form rather than outline form. So what happens so far in the story?  Well, you get a glimpse into the history of a few of the characters.  It's sort of an important chapter in that it sets the stage for everything to come in the story.      Apart from meeting some of the characters, you also get a small glimpse into the world in which the characters live.  Their way of life, their homes, their relationships, and what drives them, even if they don't fully realize it themselves.  That's the intent at least. Do you think you'll be able to get all of those things from a scene that takes place around a school yard in a small town? I hope that you will feel at least some of that if I ever get far enough with the bo...

So, I know it's been a while since I last posted, and I have nothing but excuses for why it's been so long.  I can make a nice list citing things like family visiting from out of town, my dog getting sick, deadlines at work, etc., but in the end I just didn't know what to write about for a while there.  I mean, I could have said something , right?  Well, here's that something! I have been making progress with my angel story, though obviously not as much as I would have liked at this point (but can you ever really make enough progress??  unless you can declare that you are FINISHED, I think the answer is no).  Some of the finer points of the overall story and the pacing, etc. are still being worked out in my mind and on paper, but I came up with what I think is a pretty awesome twist for the story.  I will not go into details, because I want to see if you will be as surprised as I hope you will be while also still feeling like you should have/could have se...

After last week's rather knee-jerk reaction to the news that I would not be advancing to the next round, I had some time to get over the disappointment...  And got feedback from the judge of my section about what I did well and what I could improve on.  I am happy to report that overall, the judge enjoyed the story and thought I did a good job painting a creepy and mysterious backdrop (for those of you that don't know, I wrote about a boy and his family walking home from the New Year's Eve Fireworks in the town square.  On their walk home, they pass by the burned out ruins of an old prison, and stop to recount its history and ultimate destruction by fire...).  I also got bonus points for my use of mixing dream with reality while having "the ghost" just use phrases the boy's father had used in describing the fire at the prison earlier in the evening.  Add to that some rather unexpected twists and turns, and the judge was a fan of the overall story.  So ...

Aw man!  After weeks of trying to reign in my hopes and aspirations for this short story contest, I finally get the results, and realize I was wise to reign in my hopes and aspirations.  I didn't make it into the Top 5 for my heat.  How disappointing!  Though not completely unexpected, if I have to be honest.  For one thing, I've written a grand total of 3 short stories in my adult life.  Each one was better than the previous one, but there's definitely some room for improvement if I am only at number 3 on the list of completed/attempted.  All three have been driven by my trying to enter some type of competition.  I obviously need to "train in the off season" to make sure I make the roster in the future, otherwise I might need to give up my dreams of the Major Leagues.  Another reason why I wasn't overly surprised with the result is the fact that I couldn't have been assigned a harder topic for me to have to write about.  I don't do scar...

So, it is March 17 (better known as St. Patrick's Day to most), and it is snowing in Virginia. It has been snowing throughout the night, so there are now inches of snow upon the ground. Words cannot describe my lack of enthusiasm as I look out of the window at what one could only describe as a "Winter Wonderland," and yet, I am over it. I am over the snow. I always wanted to have more of it as a child growing up in Georgia, but now I feel that I am all caught up on those past wishes. It has snowed enough. Let's move on to Spring and flowers (even though that brings pollen and allergies), I believe it's time to transition. That said, snow does provide the perfect opportunity to sit inside and think,read, and write. I have been doing a little of the first, a lot of the second, and not quite enough of the third. I've definitely learned some things through this latest read of mine. There was quite a hullabaloo regarding the fall of certain angels....

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt My rating: 4 of 5 stars I won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. I enjoyed this book and its different take on a historical romance. For one thing, the couple is already married. Granted, their marriage is not a traditional one and leaves a great deal to be desired, but it is a marriage in name if nothing else. For another thing, it was interesting to see how the relationship between Megs and Godric developed considering the fact that Megs had a very specific agenda she was trying to achieve while Godric had a rather unusual pastime he wanted to keep to himself. There were even moments in the book where I couldn't help thinking I was getting a glimpse of what the caped crusader would look like in this time period, well minus the gadgets and with a change of clothes. Add to that intrigue, drama, and countless dark passageways, not to mention some rather steamy encounters, and you have an entertaining tale before you. I would recommend this...

I realize that I have been posting a lot of book reviews in recent days, and not so many personal posts. I will try to even out the balance between the two in the coming days and months. However, I wanted to go ahead and give you a head's up that I am going to try and write a review for every one of the 50 books I have set for myself to read this year. Or, in the event that I seriously hate the book, I will just give it a low rating rather than blasting it for its less that awe-inspiring nature. In addition to my reading goals, I am also trying to gear up for more writing this year, believe it or not. I am currently working on a piece of fan fiction for the Mary Russell novels. The piece I am working on should pick up right after The Pirate King .  I've done an initial draft, but after some peer reviews, I've decided to take another pass at it and see if I can't make it a bit better. Apart from the fan fiction, I am trying to set the ball in motion fo...

The Marquess of Cake by Heather Hiestand My rating: 4 of 5 stars I thought this was a really neat take on the whole historical romance genre. I've read countless books about star-crossed lovers, forbidden love, unlikely matches, etc. between members of the aristocracy and whoever else might strike your fancy, but this is the first time I've read one centered around food. And cake no less! I liked that the cake theme was a strong element throughout the book, and wasn't just introduced to us and dropped. I also enjoyed the characters, seeing their ties to each other (and of course to the cakes!), and the various difficulties they encountered. I also enjoyed the casual hat tip to some modern day diseases, though prevalent throughout history, that were not always known to exist. Well done on that, too! Overall, a very enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend to anyone out there with a sweet tooth or who enjoys a good romance. View all my reviews

A January Bride by Deborah Raney My rating: 3 of 5 stars Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked that it was relatively light, even though there were some definite issues the main characters were dealing with internally. I liked the cast of characters that took part on the story, and I liked the setting. The only thing I didn't really love about it is more preference than anything else. It's nothing against the writing or the story, but I would have preferred only getting the POV of one of the main characters rather than switching between them. I think it would have made the story more exciting and surprising. I won't go into a whole lot of detail here, since I don't want to spoil anything, but I think only seeing things from one character's POV or the other could have opened a lot more options about where the story could have gone and how the romance could have developed. Like I said at the outset, however, I enjoyed it and the only thing I could really ...

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale My rating: 3 of 5 stars Having seen the movie Austenland, I jumped at the chance of reading its sequel. I enjoyed this book even though it was a very different story from the original. This one was fraught with mystery, and not just about who will end up with who in the overall romance that we can't help but expect from anything with "Austen" in the title, or the by line for that matter. I enjoyed stepping back in time, so to speak, with the various characters and watching the various relationships and interactions unfold. I thought Ms. Hale did a great job of drawing you, the reader, into the story as it progressed through the drama and mystery surrounding midnight in Austenland. I also enjoyed the fact that the main character, though maybe not so normal in her personal accomplishments, was very normal and very human in her personal life, ultimately driving her to the escape that was Austenland. I liked, too, that you were...

Prince of Ravenscar by Catherine Coulter My rating: 3 of 5 stars I liked this book. It had characters that were unique and likable or unlikable, as the case maybe, and the story was engaging. One of the things that I liked and disliked was the way the author went from one point of view to another within the same conversation. I liked being able to see how multiple people felt about the topic, but it also lost some of the mystery regarding the overall flow of the story. You knew how everyone felt nearly all the time. I thought the plot was solid, but not all that complex. There was one curve I didn't see coming, but it seemed like it was more of a distraction than anything else. Entertaining, but not essential. I would recommend this book to others as a light read. View all my reviews

So, I apparently owe quite a few posts since I did not write as much or often as I had intended after my last post...  Sorry about that. What have I been doing in the time sense that last post?  Well, I've been trying to read... 50 books is seeming like a larger and larger number to have to reach, even if I am "staying on track" with my reading goal.  Yes, that's a direct quote from the book tracker I'm using.  It says that for about a heartbeat before it tells me that I am behind yet again.  C'est la vie. Apart from reading, I have also been writing.  Big surprise there since this is a blog about my attempts to become a writer one day, and yet I have posted more about the books I have been reading than anything else.  Well, don't say goodbye to those lovely book reviews, but say hello to a post about a short story competition that I just entered.  It's not the first contest I've entered, but it's the first one I've ente...

The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand My rating: 4 of 5 stars It was an entertaining read. I especially enjoyed her interaction with her family back home. You could tell that they had very unique personalities and see how they contributed to her view of the world. While the whole story was engaging and entertaining, I would have to say that the epilogue was my favorite part. So, make sure to read it if you want to enjoy the story that much more. View all my reviews Anyone else craving cholocate (or chocolat) after that book? Lord. I feel like I never really appreciated it before now!

Hello again! I apologize for lack of posts for the last few months. Things got away from me a bit. So, in order to make amends, I am going to do a surge of posting in the next few days! So that will probably be like maybe 3 posts within a few days! That's a personal record! So, let's get the ball rolling with today's post. Updates on my 2013 reading challenge. I had set the goal of 40 books for 2013, and I managed to read 48! You can see some of my reviews in previous posts. And while I enjoyed most, if not all of those books, I only wrote reviews for a few of them. I know it's a bit ironic that I feel rather anxious about offering my opinions about the works of others when I want nothing more than the opinions of my friends and peers regarding my own efforts. Maybe it's because I do care about those opinions, I feel like I have to give a really solid review of my own when writing one, and sometimes I just don't have the words. Yes, that is anothe...