My Writerly New Year's Resolutions

Here comes the time of year when I sit and think and think AND THINK about what I'd like to accomplish in the coming year--along with the rest of the world. This year, however, I choose to focus my goals clearly on writing instead of some weight loss goal or my third attempt at learning to swim before the end of the year. After a lot of time and consideration, my New Year's writer resolutions entail the following:

1. I want to publish five freelance jobs. I don't care if the jobs are local, online, or print. I just want publication and a little compensation wouldn't hurt. I'm starting with Cat Misener's guest post on freelance writing at http://inkyfreshpress.com. I hope to use her posts to find out how to achieve this goal.

2. I plan to edit my MS. I'm jump starting the editing process with The Forest for the Trees (Revised and Updated): An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner.

3. After I beta/edit that MS & put it aside, I plan to query a few agents. I turn to Twitter for this one. If I tweet my genre and beta reader or critique partner with the hashtag 'betamatch', I hope to match up with a beta reader and/or critique partner. Twitter also comes in handy when I submit to agents. It gives me information about when they are closed to queries, what they are looking for, where to find their guidelines, etc.

4. I plan to write another terrible first draft. I have several story ideas. I just need to pick one and nurture it.

5. I want to add 100 followers to this blog, for which I have no starting point whatsoever.

I welcome any suggestions on making one or all of these things happen. Better yet, what are your New Year's Resolutions? Are any of the writing related?

A review: Harvest by Tess Gerritsen

Harvest, a medical thriller by Tess Gerritsen, follows Dr. Abby DiMatteo. She is a two year intern on the brink of getting a coveted fellowship within the transplant team at Bayside Hospital. She dates the perfect man and is well on her way to making her professional dreams come true just as a decision regarding two heart transplant patients changes everything. She ends up fighting for her job, relationship and even her life.

Tess Gerritsen wrote Harvest in 1996 but I only became aware of the novel a few years ago when an English Composition instructor encouraged my class to read the novel to get an idea of how to achieve suspense in writing. I purchased the book but did not read it until now--several years later. She was right and I could have read this good book much sooner. The suspense was only one reason to read the book; I also enjoyed the journey the main character went on and her likeability.

The opening scene alone elicits vivid imagery that makes a person cringe. It doesn't take long after that to pull the reader in. Gerritsen hooks the reader into wondering where the story is going. While the novel obviously follows the harvesting of human organs, precisely how it plays out is unknown and the novel is written in such a way that the reader finds themselves compelled to read the novel to find out just how it plays out.

I was hooked after just a few pages. I had to know what happened to Abby and even so I never knew Abby's fate---not until the very end of the novel. The novel could have been a movie with the amount of twists and turns it took.

Gerritsen wrote Abby DiMatteo into some very difficult predicaments but the more fantastic the story became the more I rooted for her. The likeability of Abby also served to hook the reader. Before I knew it, I cared about what happened to Abby and I read until I found out. I wanted her vindicated.

The only things that the novel is up against are the time, it was written in 1996, and the medical lingo. Both of which Gerritsen handled very well. Brief references to VCRs and old televisions let the reader know the time wasn't present but insert Blue Ray player and flat screen and the novel could have taken place today. Nothing else gave the decade away or took away from the story. The story could have just as easily been printed today.

I thought the medical lingo would be off-putting but it wasn’t. I only have a teeny tiny understanding of medical lingo but I followed the story and the lingo didn't loose me. I only read two passages that were over my head. I read them for an understanding of the situation without going to get lengths to decipher the medical meaning but those passages still held my attention and didn't take away from the story.

The novel was very well written and the story was compelling. I only wanted to hear more of the little boy's story woven into Abby's. The novel opened with a little boy named Yakov. He had a compelling story of his own and at least twice during the novel as I read Abby's story I wondered what was going on with Yakov. I wanted a little bit of Abby's story then a little bit of Yakov's story all the way through the novel. It read more like Yakov, Abby, Abby, Abby, and then Yakov and repeat.

All in all, however, the book is a must read and it gets five out of five stars.

Happy Reading!

*twists faucet* Nothing. *taps faucet* Nothing. Between nanowrimo, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, my cup runneth over but my writing drips dry. I'm all tapped out. My creative juices are NOT flowing. And I know. I can't believe, I'm telling anyone else this either. *sits in the writer's naughty chair* To top that off, I have not read a book that I can brag about incessantly. Which isn't to say, I haven't read a book--just not one that I can brag about and urge you to spend money on. At least not with a clear conscience. Sooooo, the only thing I can do is tell you what will be in this space next Tuesday. I promise that a book review of either Harvest by Tess Gerritsen or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins will fill this space next Tuesday.

By the way, I welcome suggestions for getting out of a NON-writing funk? Not that this ever happens to you.

My Guest Post

Okay, I'm using this week's post to direct you to the guest post I wrote at www.aspiringwriterworld.blogspot.com.



Confession time---It was my first guest post so check it out. I hope you like it.

Nanowrimo: Nearing the End

Nanowrimo takes 30 days to complete. In the end, participants have written a first draft of their novel. Each participant writes 1667 words a day for a total of 50,000 words in a month. It requires a lot of time to complete as any Nanowrimo participant can attest. Participants sacrifice if success is attained. More than a few people can probably attest to just how much sacrifice.

I participated in Nanowrimo this year and I lost track of how many hours I put into Nanowrimo weeks ago. The one thing I didn’t loose track of, however, is what I’ve given up to be a participant. While Nanowrimo provided a much needed break from some things like the laundry and dishes (they were done, just not as often as normal), I gave up some things that I can’t wait to get back to.

I have given up countless hours of sleep, reading and free time. As Nanowrimo comes to an end, I look forward to sleeping again, reading a good book, and catching up on my weekly magazine subscription. The lack of sleep is catching up to me. My characters, plot and writing goal are in my every waking thought. When my mind can process something other “Family Times” (my WIP), I plan to use my free time to catch up on my back issues of US Weekly. I haven’t read my US Weekly subscription in a little over a month (Nano prep) and I need to read my weekly news, gossip and entertainment. At this point, I’ll accept just being able to read my Twitter feed. I don’t need to read the next great American novel--any reading will be fine.

So I ask you, what have you given up to complete Nanowrimo? And what can’t you wait to get back to?

Old Books: Love them, Leave them or Throw them away

In anticipation of the new books I’ll get for Christmas, I started thinking about the old ones I have. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t own a ton of bookshelves lined with books. For that matter, I don’t even own one bookshelf overflowing with books. But the small area I do have for books suffocated a while ago.

I need to get rid of them. I don’t recall what I've done with my books in the past. I know I have never thrown a book away and I rarely donate my books to the library. However, considering the books I’ve owned in the past and the books I currently possess, something is not adding up.

I did something with them. I probably left them in an old apartment or house in a prior move.

But for the first time, I need to get rid of some books and I am making the conscious decision to do so--and I have a blog. I’m considering hosting a giveaway on my blog for all of the books I need to clear out---and can bear to part with.

But first I ask you, what do you do with your books? Are they hoisted upon one or several bookshelves in your home like a red badge of honor? Do you use them as conversation pieces at dinner parties? Do you give them away to friends, acquaintances, or donate them to a library? Will some of them--a chosen few--be taken to the grave with you? Because of the impact they've had on your life.

Tell me, what do you do with your old books. But if you throw them away, don't tell me. In that case, I grant you full authority to lie to me.

Am I too old for Chick Lit??

I recently read a Chick Lit book, which shall remain nameless, and found it a little difficult to relate to. I must say that experience left me a little freaked out. Chick Lit is MY genre. I read it. I write it. I get this genre---or so I thought. I know what you’re thinking---It must be the writing. But no. The author aptly wrote the novel.

The author hit all of the points of a Chick Lit novel. A Chick Lit novel is typically written from the point of view of a twenty something to a very early thirty something woman. The main character was a 25 year old female. Chick Lit typically involves the search for the perfect man, a promotion or new job—all while either looking fabulous doing it or painstakingly tipping the scales (think Bridget Jones' Diary and Confessions of a Shopaholic). The main character in this novel wanted the promotion and while not specifically pursing a man wouldn’t turn down a good one; all while being very aware of her weight. The author met the criteria for the quintessential Chick Lit novel and wrote it well enough.

I just couldn’t connect with the desire for the promotion or a man. I pursued both at one point in my life but now I feel accomplished in both of those areas. At this point in my life, I could not help but think the main character does not have any children depending on her. Priorities tend to change after children. I kept thinking if your family is okay then you can rebuild. You’re okay. If the job did not pan out for the main character she could always find another one. She’s in her twenties. In my twenties I had a billion jobs. Well, I had a lot. I’m 32 now so I sneak in just under the wire of the typical age for the main character. However, with the gnawing feeling that the stakes just weren’t high enough I find myself asking “am I too old for Chick Lit”? And I need an answer before I give my husband my Christmas list—of books he would never otherwise get me on his own.

Not to mention, I entered a contest to re-name MY genre and was selected as a semi-finalist. *insert look of disbelief here* No really. I was. Here’s the link: http://aspiringwriterworld.blogspot.com/2010/11/we-have-our-semi-finalists.html. However, to become a finalist and win the critique, among other things, I have to write a paragraph explaining why my name best suits the genre. Yes, for the genre I’m not even sure I’m suited for. Umm.

So what do you think? Have you ever read/enjoyed Chick Lit? If so, did you outgrow it or are you 80 years old still reading it?

Off I go to think about whether I’m too old for Chick Lit and why my name should be chosen for its new moniker.