On Retellings

So here's the question of the day: What do you think about retellings?

For me, I like a retelling that stays true to the story. I don't mind a twist, I don't mind changes. I don't mind if certain characters are cut or if scenes or plot points from the original are missing. I don't mind if a classic becomes an epic fantasy story of if a fairy tale turns sci-fi. But I like my retellings to stick to what makes the original good. It's taken me some time to learn that staying too close to the original isn't a good thing to do, but I'm not a fan when retellings go completely another way until it's really not much of a retelling at all. But that's just my personal opinion.

Some of my favorite retellings

 

What are your thoughts? For example, what if the ending is completely different? What if one (or more) of the characters is changed in a fundamental way? I think it's safe to say that setting can be a total free-for-all, but again, maybe this is just my personal opinion and someone else might not like it if the setting is way out there from the original.

 

Shakespeare Retold: Much Ado About Nothing (part one)

I watched this recently. The end was different from the original but made total sense for this retelling.

What kinds of things stay the same and what changes in your favorite retellings? Is everything about the story safe for the author to change, or should some things automatically be included? I would love to hear your thoughts/opinions.

What's Up Wednesday: Disneyland

What I'm Reading
I'm reading North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I didn't get a lot of reading done this past week because I was on vacation so I've already been at this book for more than a week. Ah well.

What I'm Writing
Planning for NaNo but unsure whether I'll be ready in time.

What Works For Me
The first thing I do when I'm prepping a new WIP is start figuring out the characters. What they like/dislike, what they look like, their characteristics, what they're interested in, the MC's voice, and if it's an adult book like the one I'm writing next- their jobs. For me, characters always come first.

What Else I've Been Up To
DISNEYLAND! We left two Friday's ago and drove to Vegas first. Spent Saturday afternoon there, then drove on to our resort in Carlsbad, California on Sunday. We spent three long days at Disneyland last week but it was a lot of fun. My girls got to get done up at the Bippity Boppity Boutique, my son built his own light saber, we went on lots of rides, and met a lot of characters and got their autographs. We also did some shopping, swimming, and I got to spend an afternoon with my sister and her kids who live nearby. It was a great trip, but exhausting- especially with all the driving. I need a vacation after my vacation!

It was crazy trying to meet Anna and Elsa but worth it in the end. They were so good with my girls!

Family pic in front of Fantasyland. I got asked three times that day if I was dressed like Princess Jasmine. (The answer: no. It was a total fluke.)

We were with Tigger when Winnie the Pooh came up and grabbed my daughters hand. So cute.

On Radiator Springs Racers.

 

What's Up Wednesday: Halloween Decorations

What I'm Reading
I read Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee and I thought it was great- such an imaginative world and different than anything I'd read before. Then I read Strange and Ever After, the conclusion to Susan Dennards Something Strange and Deadly trilogy. It was good but I was super disappointed by the ending. Ergh.

What I'm Writing
Queries. That's about it. I've been doing a lot of brainstorming about the project I want to tackle for NaNoWriMo, but I'm nervous because I haven't figured out the HOW yet. Double ergh.

What Works For Me
Breaks. I try not to take too many, but it's nice to have a little break now and then. I'm glad I finished up my revisions in enough time to give me this little break before NaNo starts.

What Else I've Been Up To
We're going to Disneyland soon! Me and the hubs went on our honeymoon but we've never taken the kids so it should be lots of fun (and so so tiring). Any tips? It's been so long since we've been that I have no clue what's good to see/do/eat.
I've decorated the house for Halloween!

What have you been up to? Link up at Jaime or Erin's blogs.

What's Up Wednesday: There Is No Else

WHAT I'M READING
I read Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas and it was excellent. It did take me a bit to get into it, but most fantasy is like that for me. Once I did, I loved it! Can't wait to read the next one!
Last night I finished Isla and the Happily Ever After and I loooooved eeeeet. Stephanie Perkins writes such swoony romances and wonderful characters. However, I liked Anna and Lola better than Isla. I think I just connected more with Anna and Lola as characters. I never really got a clear sense of Isla. Maybe I was too distracted by all the hot kissing scenes!
WHAT I'M WRITING REVISING
I finished my revisions on Jar of Hearts yesterday! *dances* Now I'm going to let it sit awhile while I revamp my Eponine query, and then start planning for NaNoWriMo.
WHAT WORKS FOR ME
Schedules. I started writing "seriously" when my youngest was six months old and the best time was always during her early afternoon nap. I've kept that same time since then (5 years later), only straying from it on the weekends or when I've wanted to keep going at night. I'm a pretty scheduled person and this is my scheduled writing time and I'm keeping it because it WORKS.
WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
Else? Sometimes it feels like there is no "else" when I'm neck-deep in a WIP. But I did have some more family time with my sister and her baby and my parents, and me and the hubs snuck in a movie date.

What's up with you?

What's Up Wednesday: ERGH

What I'm Reading
I read Landline by Rainbow Rowell and I've got lots of thoughts about it. First, I'd read anything Rainbow Rowell writes. She does characters and dialogue SO WELL. However, and I hate to even say that word, but I felt like there really was no character arc for the MC whatsoever. It felt more like reading about a week in someone's life. Things happened, but nothing changed by the end. I just got to know a couple of characters really well, that's it. The ending was REALISTIC, but this is a novel I'm reading here and I expected some sort of real resolution and didn't feel like I got that. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say any more than that. Except, ergh.
Then I read Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison. I saw the movie awhile ago and always wanted to read the book. It was funny like I thought it would be but I felt like something was missing, probably because of the diary format. (Spoiler coming: For example, Robbie suddenly likes her in the end but we get no real reason why because he's barely there and they barely interact and he has maybe five lines of dialogue the entire book.) I did like it enough that I do want to read more of the books sometime.
What I'm Writing Revising
Still JAR OF HEARTS. It's going good. And that's all I've got to say about that.
What Works For Me
Music is huge for me. I know I talk about it all the time. Sometimes songs come up that remind me of my WIPs, but sometimes I hear a song that I want to write a book around. Like Jar of Hearts. I heard the song back when it was first performed on SYTYCD and loved it. Later, I thought it would make a great contemp YA book, but not one I could write. Then on one random listen of this song, I got an idea. I got a wonderful awful idea. (Bonus points if you know what that's from.) And last NaNo, I ran with it. It's YA magical realism instead of contemp and it's been wonderful and awful all rolled into one.

The song that inspired it all

What Else I've Been Up To
My sister has come for a visit from Ottawa which is awesome because she brought her 6 month old son whom I've never met before! It's been great to spend a little time with her and the baby and some other family members this week.
Also, I finished watching the last season of Being Erica. I'm a little sad to say goodbye to the show, but it wrapped up nicely and now I can go back to Doctor Who!

Fan made trailer of Being Erica season 4

What's Up Wednesday: The Tenth Doctor

What I'm Reading
I finished A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris which was really cute, although I liked My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century better. (They're companion novels, MSSSC came out first and takes place in the past while AToTC happens present time.) Then I read Sisters' Fate by Jessica Spotswood, the last of the Cahill Chronicles. The book was great. I liked how even though I could barely remember what happened in the first two, I jumped back into the series no problem. She wrapped it all up nicely and I wasn't disappointed. (Still liked the first one better, but that's just me.)

What I'm Writing Revising
Still working away at JAR OF HEARTS.

What Works For Me
I'm a very visual person, and I'm also rubbish at describing things. So when I'm trying to describe a character or setting, I like to look up pictures to help me out. On Monday, I got a little side-tracked doing exactly this thing. There's a lot of characters in JAR OF HEARTS and I've already "cast" the four main ones. But there are also four girls who are important to the story and very different from each other in both looks and characteristics. So I looked up actresses to "cast" these girls because I really wanted to SEE their physical differences before moving onto their character differences. It was surprisingly hard, but this is what I came up with... for now.

What Else I've Been Up To

Doctor Who! I watched the first season last year and thought it was just okay. I DID NOT get what all the hype was about. When I finally got around to starting season two, I was hooked almost instantly, and the seasons have just gotten better (so far). I've finished season four and right now I'm waiting (anxiously!) for the specials that happened between seasons 4 and 5 to come in from my library. I'm really going to miss the Tenth Doctor though. I almost don't want to start season five because there will be no more David Tennant. Boo.

What have you been up to?

What's Up Wednesday: SNOW!!!

What I'm Reading
I finished The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell. It was sooo good! The first chapter threw me off a little- it read a lot like an epilogue- but once I got past that, the story swept me up and took me away. Such a great surprise. Then one night I read Just One Night by Gayle Forman, a great little wrap-up to Just One Day and Just One Year. Now I'm reading A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris.

What I'm Writing Revising
Last week wasn't the best for revisions, but I'm back in the swing of things this week with JAR OF HEARTS. (Which is almost exactly what I said last week, but this time, I SWEAR, I'M REVISING.) I'm hoping to get my revisions done before November so that I can do NaNoWriMo again. Also, I have a bigger self-imposed deadline hanging over my head that I talked about here.

What Inspires Me Right Now
Well, I can tell you what DOESN'T inspire me. THIS:

Stupid Alberta Weather

 

What Else I've Been Up To
Trying to get back into the swing of things with school starting and all of the kids after school activities. I also spent three hours yesterday rearranging my kids closets thanks to the unexpected snowfall. That was not fun, and it cut into my revising time. NOT. COOL.

What have you been up to? And don't tell me you've been enjoying hot and sunny weather or I may just send you some evil vibes.

DEADLINE

School started this week and there's something about this that makes me verrrry nervous. I'm not talking about the fact that my ten-year-old is starting in a school grades 6-12 (although this freaks the crap out of me, not gonna lie). And it's not the fact that my youngest started kindergarten. What scares me is now I have a DEADLINE.

I've been lucky these past almost eleven years to be a stay-at-home mom to my four kids. But next year, when my youngest starts grade one and therefore is in school ALL DAY, it'll be just me. I'm not nervous to be alone (NO SIREE). It's the fact that since the kids are in school- I should get a job.

But I don't want I job! she wails. I want to write. This is what I want my job to be. But so far, that ain't happening. And I can't selfishly stay home when the kids are all in school at this point in my writing *career*. Which means... DEADLINE. I've got a year to make it further than I am now. Otherwise, job.

This is super scary because while I've progressed in this whole writing thing, I'm still at the same spot I was, oh, a couple of years ago or so. Querying, full requests, an R&R, then nothing. Querying book two, full requests, nothing. I've just started querying book three. This book could be the one. Or I could be in this exact same spot next year. Nothing.

In some ways- this is all up to me. My writing has gotten better. I'm going to keep at it- querying EPONINE, revising JAR OF HEARTS, and then writing the SNI I've had floating around in my brain for forever. I will be working at it, and working at it hard so that hopefully, I can move forward. But that's all I can do. After that, it's out of my hands. And I just may very well be in this same spot next year.

I want to write. It's my dream job. And I feel like time is running out. I know that isn't true- many people juggle writing/kids or writing/dayjob and even writing/kids/dayjob all at once. I'll do that if it comes to it. I'm not quitting writing just because I have to work in an office again. But I still have this deadline I can't escape. It hangs over my head making me all twitchy and nervous. It makes me anxious to get writing and make it happen and at the same time fearful that I'll blow it.

Deadline. It's scary and it's not even real- I've given it to myself. Hopefully I can turn that fear into motivation, into creating my best work possible. Hopefully I can look back at this in a year and laugh at myself for freaking out about it. Either way, I know this deadline will teach me something. Either way, I'm going to make this next year count.

What's Up Wednesday: Back to School

What I'm Reading
It's been a couple weeks since I did WUW but I actually haven't read that much. I finished City of Heavenly Fire- the last Mortal Instruments book by Cassandra Clare. I liked it, but it was too long. I found myself getting bored in the middle, but the end wrapped up the series nicely. After that, I read Teen Idol and then How To Be Popular, both by Meg Cabot, both books I bought from my library for a whole $0.25 each. They were really fun reads. I forgot how much I love her as an author. (PS, I thought Teen Idol was better.) Now I'm reading The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell.

What I'm Writing
The last week of summer vacation was really busy and I did no revising whatsoever. Now that the kids have started school though, I'm getting back into my normal routines. Yesterday I did querying research and today, it's back to JAR OF HEARTS.

What Inspires Me Right Now
So this is the same thing I did for the last WUW I participated in, but I love this song and I think it's especially relevant for querying writers. I'm about to step back into the trenches for the third time and I know rejections are on their way. What am I going to do about them? I'm just gonna shake shake shake shake shake, shake it off, shake it off. (PS, I found out late last night that I did not make it into Pitchwars. What am I doing today? THIS.)

What Else I've Been Up To
I participated in WriteOnCon, had one last beach day with the kids, did some back to school shopping, am making my way through the seasons of Doctor Who (I'm on 4), saw If I Stay (loved it) and When the Game Stands Tall (also good). The kids started school yesterday except the youngest who starts kindergarten tomorrow. I can't believe it- all four kids in school! That means my mornings will be JUST ME. O.O

What have you been up to?

Ready. Set. WRITE! Last week!

It's the last week of Ready. Set. WRITE! and I think I'm supposed to recap how I did on my goals for the summer.

Since I missed the first week, I never did make a big goal or goals for the summer. Mainly, I participated in RSW so I wouldn't get sucked into the laziness that is summer. So I think I did pretty good. I finished multiple revisions on EPONINE, not to mention writing the synopsis and revising the query. It's now on the WriteOnCon forums, and I'll be starting to query for real in September. I've also started revisions on JAR OF HEARTS. I'm nowhere near done- I have LOTS to do with this MS- but I've started and I know once I get back into a schedule come September, I'll be able to make better progress.

So that's it! I'm really glad I participated in RSW this year because if I hadn't, I don't know if EPONINE would have been query ready by now. So it was a great kick in the pants for me this summer.

How did you all do?

What's Up Wednesday: Shake It Off!

WHAT I'M READING
I read Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson. I thought this book was really great... once I got into it. But it took me like 150 pages to get into it. If I wasn't a patient reader, I probably would've given it up around page twenty. Now I'm reading the final Mortal Instruments book which is good so far but I'm wondering if it's also unnecessarily long. This is becoming one of my pet peeves. My reading time is precious people!

WHAT I'M WRITING REVISING
Working on JAR OF HEARTS. I have lots of revisions to make and I'm pretty unconfident (is that a word?) about the whole thing. Here's hoping I'm making it work, at least a little bit.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW
The new Taylor Swift song. Love it, love her.

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
I finally submitted to PitchWars and made my bio which you can find here. I also went and saw Expendables 3 with the hubs and friends. NOT my movie choice but it wasn't bad. Antonio Banderas totally made the movie for me. He was hilarious. Also, sharing time lesson, hair appointment (I love getting my hair done!), kids dentist appointments, and lots of Doctor Who watching.

PS: I won't be around for What's Up Wednesday next week because WRITEONCON!!!

Ready. Set. WRITE! (Week 11)

HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOALS
I didn't revise as much as I wanted to on JAR OF HEARTS, but I did do some, so there's that.

MY GOAL FOR THIS WEEK
Revise revise revise! A little bit each day is the goal.

A FAVORITE LINE FROM MY STORY
I wish I could tune the beats out, snuff out every heart so I can finally have peace.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK
Time. Always time. I need a time-turner. Or to be a vampire and then I wouldn't need sleep. Also and again, PitchWars. I've got my bio done and you can check it out here.

SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP
There's this certain character. And he's mysterious and quiet and looks something like this:

My PitchWars Bio

It's my first year participating in PitchWars and I'm super excited to...

Wait, what? I have to write a bio? And it has to be clever and make me sound awesome and all accomplished and stuff?

I never signed up for this!

 



No, okay. I can do this. So here's a little bit about me.

I started writing in grade two. Title of my first masterpiece: Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Bloody Mary.

Yeah, I don't know why I wrote that either, Simon

 

I didn't really take writing seriously until after I had four kids. Because, yanno, suddenly it seemed like the right time.

My kids, every time I sit down at the computer

 

I've been at this for five years. Sometimes it sucks.

 

Most of the time it's awesome.

 

I'm Canadian, eh!

 

I collect t-shirts. Like this one:

 

Even though I'm thirty-cough-cough, I still like boy bands. Don't judge me.

 

I sing loud and badly but play the piano better. I used to take dance (jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, swing) and I often dredge up old dance moves in my kitchen, bathroom, while driving, cleaning, ANYWHERE ANYTIME.

I think I look like this.

Or this.

Or this.

But I probably look more like this.

 

I don't like to be touched. So please don't hug me. Unless it's virtual. Those I can handle.

 

I'm a bit of a genre whore. I've written YA time-travel, YA magical realism, and Adult romance/retelling. My PitchWars manuscript is YA Urban Fantasy. It's a loose retelling of Eponine, the character from Les Miserables (in case you didn't know).

 

So there's a little bit about me. Now we're besties and you can pick me as your mentee- I'll do anything you say. Just, no hugging.

I mean pick me. PICK ME.

 



 

What's Up Wednesday: Ed and Richard

WHAT I'M READING
I finished How To Love by Katie Cotugno which I LOVED. And then last night I finished Ruin and Rising, the final book in the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. The book was good, the ending wrapped up nicely, but sadly I wasn't wowed. I think it's because both the Darkling and Nikolai- two of my fave characters and the most compelling characters in these books IMO- weren't as prominent in this book. That's probably what took the wow factor down for me. Up next, Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson.

WHAT I'M WRITING
I finally started revisions on JAR OF HEARTS. I'm adding a POV which is HARD for me because this is the first time I've ever done dual POV. It's SCAAAAARY. Anyway, I did a few chapters Monday but nothing on Tuesday since I went to the beach, so hopefully today will be more productive.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW
It always seems to be music for me. I bought Ed Sheeran's new CD and it is AWESOME. I LOVE most of the songs (like the rest), but here's just one for your listening pleasure:

Ed Sheeran: ONE

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
The hubs took three of the kids to Ninja Turtles on the weekend. I really didn't care to see it, so me and the oldest daughter went to Into the Storm, which I liked (and she LOVED). They made the movie almost like a documentary, which was interesting, and the effects were definitely tension-inducing, but I never really connected to the characters. Except Richard Armitage. Because he's Richard Armitage. ;)

Ready. Set. WRITE! (Week 10)

HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOAL
Um... crappy. Like, CRAPPY. I read one paragraph of my first chapter of JAR OF HEARTS and THAT'S IT. But I wasn't doing nothing all week, I swear. I wrote my synopsis for EPONINE and revised my first chapter and also spent TONS of time on the PitchWars mentor blogs and on their twitter feeds, trying to narrow down my picks.
MY GOAL FOR THIS WEEK
REVISE JAR OF HEARTS! (That's me, yelling at myself.)
A FAVORITE LINE FROM MY STORY
Here's EPONINE'S first line:
On my own, I bounce a ball of magic between my hands.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK
Aside from PitchWars, my husband took the week off from work which wasn't great for my productivity. He spent a lot of the time working on developing our basement and wanted my help so I spent some of my week getting covered in drywall dust. Good times.
SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP
I love how this WIP took me somewhere I hadn't gone before in my writing. I had to dig deeper and darker within myself and I love how it stretched me.

What's Up Wednesday: MUSICALS!

WHAT I'M READING
I read Alienated by Melissa Landers which I looooved. Then To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han which I also loved. The voice felt young to me, but that's not a complaint, merely an observation. I love reading all different types of characters. Then I DNF'd Otherbound by Corrine Duyvis which I feel really bad about but I just couldn't get into it. :(   Now I'm reading How To Love by Katie Cotugno which is totally un-put-down-able. In fact, I bet I'll be done sometime today.

WHAT I'M WRITING
Um, nothing. Yikes. Pitch Wars is sucking up my time!

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW
Musicals! I love musicals and last week I got to see two. First, Wicked in Calgary which was good although the story felt a little weak. Songs were great and Glinda was excellent! Then while I was in Cardston (Alberta) visiting my parents, I saw The Scarlet Pimpernel. The costumes, WOW, the costumes! And it was SO funny! You should have seen these dudes dress up all froufrou! My parents live in Cardston and every summer they have the best theatre. There's usually three or four different shows playing and I manage to get to one each year.

For Good from Wicked

 

Creation of Man from The Scarlet Pimpernel

(this is an older performance from somewhere else, but this song is hilarious)

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
Aside from all the musicals, I also took the kids to the pool a lot last week. On the weekend... GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Way better than I thought it would be. I mean, it's MARVEL, so I figured it would be good, but still, it blew my expectations out of the water! Definitely see this movie!

COVER REVEAL: IN THE REARVIEW by Maria Ann Green

I've been taking part in a lot of cover reveals lately because I just love them! I can imagine it's one of the most exciting times for an author when their cover comes out. So here's another one by someone who graciously let me into their FB querying group even though none of them knew who I was!

Title: In the Rearview

Author: Maria Ann Green

Genre: YA Contemporary

Release date: August 19th

 

When Meagan’s secret is found out, and she realizes there is no way to outrun her habit of cutting, she tries to work through it, and her depression, before she cuts too deep, making a mistake that can never be undone.

Meagan's problems aren't like every other adolescent's no matter how much she wishes they could be. Hers are worse. They've pulled her down into the depths of a depression that is anything but normal. She begins her pattern of self-harm as her depression threatens to drown her. She starts with one cut that leads to the next, and the next. After starting, it's apparent that there's no stopping, and Meagan spirals into a dark and cruel world she doesn't understand. Meagan cuts to feel better, but that comfort doesn't last long enough, and soon life is worse than it ever was before.

While learning to quit cutting Meagan faces life-altering obstacles and grows up in the process. IN THE REARVIEW is a story of pain, loss, confusion, and hope told through Meagan’s poems, journal entries, and a splash of narrative.

 

And with no further ado... here's the cover!!!

 

 

I think that perfectly captures the story, don't you?!

 

And now, a little bit about the author:

Maria Green currently lives in Minnesota, despite its bitter winters, with her husband. She graduated with a degree in Psychology and a minor in English. When she isn’t writing, Maria loves to read with a cup of strong coffee or a glass of sweet wine, craft, and spend time with her family. This is her first published novel. Website. Blog.                                           

Maria will be hosting a giveaway on August 15th, so make sure you check it out!



 

Ready. Set. WRITE! (Week 9)

HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOAL
My goal was to read and I did. I finished To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. Then I tried to read Otherbound by Corrine Duyvis. I really tried. For some reason, I just couldn't get into this book. The concept was unique and the writing good, but I never wanted to pick it up and when I did, even mid-chapter, I'd want to quit. So finally, I did. I feel bad for not finishing a book, but there's no point taking time on something I'm not feeling when there are soooo many books to read out there!

MY GOAL FOR THIS WEEK
Start revisions on JAR OF HEARTS. A little bit each day.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK
I was at my parents this past week so it's really difficult to get anything done- which is why I didn't set a writing/revising goal. It was much easier to get some reading done.

PS- this post is shorter due to my reading goal, and also the cover reveal I'm taking part in HERE.

Ready. Set. WRITE! (Week 8)

HOW I DID ON LAST WEEK'S GOAL
Great! My goal was to critique an MS, and I'll finish today!

MY GOAL FOR THIS WEEK
I'm going to my parents place with the kids this week so I'm keeping my goal light. READ. I want to finish To All The Boys I've Loved Before and then read Otherbound while I'm gone.

ONE PHRASE THAT SUMS UP WHAT I WROTE/REVISED CRITIQUED
Multiple POVs of awesome.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED THIS WEEK
I got two requests from the New Agent contest and I've spent the week stressing over them. I haven't been in the query trenches since last year so I've forgotten how mind-consuming it can be. Augh!

SOMETHING I LOVE ABOUT MY WIP
That it's out of my hands now. At least for a little while.

What's Up Wednesday: The Sam Smith Edition

What I'm Reading
I read We Were Liars by E. Lockhart which was really good. I loved the writing and the characters and I finished it in a day and a half. The only thing I didn't love were the fairy tales the MC kept "telling." Now I'm reading Hexed by Michelle Krys which is a fun witch book (I haven't read one of those in a long time).

What I'm Writing
Nothing this week. I'm critiquing a CPs manuscript and taking a break from my own stuff and trying to jump every time my email dings.

What Inspires Me Right Now
I've been listening to Sam Smith's CD on repeat. He's so awesome. There's a couple of songs which go great with my WIP. Here's a few lines from Not In That Way:

And I hate to say I love you
When it's so hard for me
And I hate to say I want you
When you make it so clear
You don't want me

I'd never ask you cause deep down
I'm certain I know what you'd say
You'd say I'm sorry believe me
I love you but not in that way

And from Like I Can:

 

Why are you looking down only one road
Mine is the heart, the soul for your soul
There may be lovers who hold out their hands but
He'll never love you like I can, can, can

We both have demons, that we can't stand
I love your demons, like devils can

 

What Else I've Been Up To

Not much this week. Finished watching season 3 of Being Erica and moved onto season 2 of Doctor Who. Went to lunch to celebrate getting a request from the New Agent contest. Got a 2nd request from the contest. Played Ticket to Ride and Mexican Train with the kids. Took the kids to Calaway Park which is an amusement park outside Calgary. They loved it of course, except we got caught in the rain for awhile and had to wait it out. They didn't love that so much!

What have you been up to?