Archive for September, 2009

September Book Review Blog Chain

This month I’m participating in the Absolute Write Book Review Blog Chain. We each pick a favorite book to review and share with the world. I’d like to introduce you to a particular favorite of mine – The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.

The novel follows literary detective Thursday Next as she investigates the kidnapping of fictional character, Jane Eyre, from her novel by Hades of Greek mythology. In the novel’s world, England is a police state, the Crimean War has lasted for more than a century, literary characters can escape from their novels, and the endings of books can be changed.

First off, Jane Eyre is a favorite novel of mine, so I loved going on an adventure through the novel and seeing what happens when the characters in the novel are “off page.” The book is full of clever plays on literary devices and English-major insider jokes. For instance, audiences at Shakespeare plays continually toss fruit at the stage to protest his authorship.

The world itself is so clever I’m jealous I didn’t come up with it. Thursday’s pet is a dodo, Pickwick, who has been brought back from extinction through cloning, but is stupid as ever. Time travel is possible, and werewolves exist. You’ll discover that there are infinite alternate endings to books!

I also highly recommend the sequel, Lost in a Good Book!

Crowded Rooms and Insecurities

Last night I attended my first writer’s Meetup in San Francisco, along with eight other writers. We met up at the Crossroads Café on for an hour of writing and another hour of  socializing. Everyone I met was very nice, but I was reminded once again of what an introvert I am. I really, really, really hate meeting strangers. When presented with a group of people I don’t know, I literally want to crawl out of my own skin to find the nearest exit. Oddly, most people I meet would never guess this about me. People who know me laugh when I tell them I am a shy person. That’s because I work hard at appearing confident, even when I feel like I’m wearing all my insecurities  in blazing red neon for the world to see.

I’m one of those people who constantly strategizes around my insecurities. I plan ahead so I know what to expect in most situations, and I am a creature of habit once I find my comfort level. Hence, writing at the same Starbucks for over a year. The truth is that being around people exhausts me, but you can only stand so much of your own company before you need to get out and meet some people. Living in a city where I know two people – both co-workers – means I have to push myself to get out there.

I’ve done it before. I used to be one of those people who never spoke in class, even when I knew the answers. When I started the grad program at CSU, Fullerton I made a deal with myself: in every class, I would speak at least once. With practice, it became easier. At the end of three years, I had accomplished a lot that I was proud of. I was President of Acacia (English grad club) my second year of the program and coordinated a graduate student conference. I started the Creative Writing Club and launched the inaugural issue of a literary journal. Of course, I didn’t do this alone. That’s the point. I made friends who helped me to accomplish all of these things.

In know from experience that having friends empowers you to do more, become more. So, here is my new mantra…. I will get out there, despite myself, to find a new adventure in an amazing city that is my new home.

Crowd Writing

I’m a soloist when it comes to writing. It’s not really a group activity for me. Even when it comes to writing copy for work, I need to go off on my own to let the ideas flow. However, I’m in a new city and I want to get out of my apartment and meet some people. What better place to start than meeting other writers?

So, I’ve joined a San Francisco Meetup.com Group called “Shut Up and Write!” A rotating group of hundreds of writers in the Bay Area get together at various cafes for marathon writing sessions. The groups are anywhere from six to twenty writers gathering with laptops and ipods. Every hour or couple of hours they take a short break to socialize, grab a coffee, and share their work. My first meeting is tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes.

August AW Blog Chain

(Note: It’s been several days since my last post. That is due to my move on Saturday from Orange County to San Francisco. I’m all settled in now so my posts are back on track!)

This month, I am participating in the August Blog Chain from the Absolute Write forums. Here is my question from Forbidden Snowflake:

I noticed you’ve got a Novel Soundtrack. How much has music influenced your writing? Do you first chose the songs and then write while listening to them? Or do you put the Soundtrack together later? Also, do you have different playlists for different moods? Does music ever bother you while writing?

Music is a huge influence on my mood while I’m writing and a must. I’d almost venture to say that it is difficult for me to write without music. I wouldn’t say that I necessarily listen to the words while I’m tapping away at the keyboard, but the cadence of the songs playing through my headphones definitely put me in a creative space.

The music I’m listening to tends to change over the course of the writing. For TOUCHED, I started out listening to a lot of Tyrone Wells. I discovered him on Pandora, then saw him in concert at the House of Blues back in January. His voice had a soothing, gorgeous quality that reminded me of my main character, Asher. Eventually, my soundtrack evolved to what you see on my blog. These are the songs I listened to the most, and I’m pleased that a lot of the lyrics actually fit my storyline. The arrangement of songs was definitely done after the story was complete.

The greatest invention I’ve discovered this year is the Genius feature in iTunes. You select a song in your library that fits the mood you’re in, hit the Genius button, and a playlist is created of similar songs from your library. The result is a fluid playlist that changes with my mood. If I’m writing an action scene, I click on a song by Nickelback or Red Hot Chili Peppers and end up with a list of fast-paced songs. If I’m writing a tender scene, I click on Tyrone Wells’s “Sea Breeze” and get a mellow mix of songs. No arranging necessary! I think this – along with the ability to google faces for my characters – is an incredible tool for writers.

Be sure to check out the next blog!

My question for Angyl78: You mention miracles in multiple posts on your blog. What constitutes a miracle to you, and do you plan to factor this into your writing?

The participating blogs in Absolute Write August 2009 Blog Chain are:

Claire Crossdale http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com
razibahmed http://www.blogging37.com/
aimeelaine http://www.aimeelaine.com/
bsolah http://benjaminsolah.com/blog
dnic http://four-lettered-words.blogspot.com/
JamieMT http://thevarietypages.blogspot.com
LiliCray http://mutteringsofascribe.blogspot.com
ealexis http://eviealextheobsessivewriter.blogspot.com/
errantruth http://www.sputnitsa.wordpress.com
Lady Cat http://randomwriterlythoughts.blogspot.com
Proach http://desinfocenter.blogspot.com/
Simran http://dark-horse-adaptations.blogspot.com
lostwanderer5 http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
Forbidden Snowflake http://www.alleslinks.com
coryleslie http://corrinejackson.wordpress.com/
Angyl78 http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/
Bookdragonette http://pannarrans.wordpress.com/
RavenCorinnCarluk http://ravencorinncarluk.blogspot.com