What Makes You Put a Book Down?

Recently, I bought a book that I was extremely excited about. I'd see pictures of it at various book events, posters, read interviews with the author, and got all twitchy waiting to lay my paws on it and have a good read.

It's now several months later, and I'm less than halfway through.

It seems that every time I try to read this book before bed my eyes close and I fall asleep before I can get past a page or two. Other books have beeen known to keep me up for all hours, so.... what the heck, book?? Why are you making this so difficult?!

When do you finally decide to throw in the towel on a book you're just not that into?

What finally puts you over the edge? What moves the book from bedside table only to be covered in cobwebs, forgotten in a corner?

For me, the usual culprits are these:

1) Unbelievable dialogue. And I don't mean in the sense of "Whoa! That dialogue is so amazing, it's UNBELIEVABLE!" Rather, dialogue that is just so silly or unreal that it takes me out of the story and makes me cock an eyebrow.

2) Characters repeatedly doing something stupid. No, you idiot! You can't save the world if you keep wandering off by yourself, losing the Sword of Awesomeness, and putting yourself foot-first into traps a cub scout could spot. Also, the female lead likes you. Pull your head out of your ass, already!

3) The writer loves the sound of their own keyboard. Every clickity clack is PURE POETRY and absolutely cannot be cut from the manuscript. Descriptions are long, usually unnecessar, and always snooze-inducing.

However, this book had none of these usual suspects :(. I'm just (and I hate to say it) ... bored.

What do you do when this happens to you?

Do you give the author the benefit of the doubt, or do you pitch it in the Good Will pile at page 10?

Agent Query Contest!!

Hi, All,

Sorry I've been a little on the spotty side with my blogging lately :). I've had a lot of home improvement projects in "real life" (pffffft) that have been taking my time away from my favorite place: The Internet.

However, today I logged on to querytracker.net and saw This Little Gem. There is a contest running with agent Kathleen Ortiz, where everyone, that's right everyone who enters will receive feedback on their submission.

This is an excellent opportunity, so be brave and go enter! :) Go, go, go!

What are you waiting for? I'm going, too!

Good luck everyone, and happy querying!

______________
Update: Apparently the contest filled up after 2 mins :(. Popular, no? I didn't make it unfortunately. I'll keep my eyes peeled for other opportunities, and let you guys know! :D

Living a Satisfying Life

When is it enough?

Your achievements?

Your goals?

Your possessions?

Your pay raise?

When have you achieved enough to lean back and say "I'm in a good place"? When can you really feel satisfied with what your life is like?

I've been asking myself these questions lately, and have realized a few things:


1) I'm incredibly hard on myself

2) I'm not sure who I'm trying to impress

3) I have enough money

4) I have too much house and could probably downgrade

5) Even though I'm not a published author yet, my life is still complete :)

6) Everything else from now on is just for fun

7) I'm free to enjoy the journey and take as long as I want!


What does it take for you to be satisfied with where you currently are? Are you having fun on your current journey? If not, why not? Why are you doing what you're doing? Who are you trying to impress, if you're not doing it for yourself :)?

What do you guys think?

Have you ever thought about this, and realized you're fine right where you are, and the rest is just for fun?

Link Roundup a go go!

I was browing my favorite blogs today, and found this amazing link roundup from everyone's favorite Editor, Moonrat!

I read and was totally entertained, especially by the list of Top 10 Most Harful Books To New Writers: check it out!

What about you guys? :D Are there any books that you feel didn't help you when you began writing?

Tell the Truth Tuesday!

Here are my sad-but-true truths this week ;):

1) I started wearing flip flops to work. It's against the company dress code, but I don't really interact with a lot of people on a given day so I decided to see if I could get away with it. So far, no one has noticed. I feel like a rebel. I assume that one day my "flippity floppity" noises on the way to my aisle will give me away.

2) Sometimes I seriously consider raising chickens in my backyard. I would give them names like Baron Von Cluckenstein and eat lots of awesome, fresh eggs. So far the thought of constructing my own chicken house and cleaning chicken poo has stopped me. I already have a litterbox to scoop, after all.

3) I used a torch to burn the weeds in the cracks of my patio. Because weeding is just too hard. Also? Fire = pretty!

I probably couldn't do this any more if I had chickens back there...

4) My pens, pencils, and silverware all have to be parrel to one another and facing away from me. I frequently reach across the table to straighten my husband's fork if it's too askew. Does this make me crazy?

5) I've been falling asleep reading books on my iphone and then waking up spooning my iphone under my covers. Enough said.

What about you, my lovely blog friends? :D What are your truths this week?

Big Picture Week: Chip Away at It!

Something I've come to realize that I'd like to share with you guys is that if you do just a tiny bit each day... it really, really adds up :). Rocket science, I know, but seriously--how often do we think about that?

More often than not, I'll beat myself up over not having done as much as I thought I should have. Oh no! I only wrote 500 words and I wanted to write 1000. Oh no! I only wrote 1000 words and I wanted to write 2000.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

The truth is, if I write 250 words a day, but I do it consistently, I'll get a lot further than guilting myself out and avoiding writing altogether, for fear of meeting our old friend Failure.

If I write more, then yay! :) If not, then at least I chipped away at it.

How do you guys set about reaching your goals? Are you a quick writer, or do you chip away?

Big Picture: Eyes on YOU!

Today I want to mention something that I've had to learn the hard way, in honor of Big Picture Week:

Keep your eyes on your own damn paper.

What I mean by this, is don't be tempted to look to the right or the left, comparing yourself to what someone else is doing.

During your journey as a writer, you will meet the following people:

• The person who can write 80,000 words in 3 weeks
• The person who only has a first, second, and third draft
• The person who found an agent in the check out line
• The person who found an editor through their church
• The person who works 40 hours a week, writes 12 hours a day, babysits orphans, makes gourmet 5-course meals for their five kids and spouse, and still manages to look fabulous. Oh, and blog ;).

Tell you what--you CANNOT compare your journey to the journeys of others.

Why not, you ask? Let me put it to you this way.

Are you the same as anyone else you know?

Have you lived the same life?

Dreamed exactly the same dreams?

Worked the same jobs?

Loved the same people?

Written the same words?

Your life is completely different than anyone else's on earth :). And that's exciting! You don't have to be anyone else, compare yourself to anyone else, or worry about anyone else's successes. Your dreams and goals are your own.

So, keep your eyes on your own paper, take your own journey, no matter how short or how long, and enjoy the heck out of it while you're at it. You'll be glad you did ;).

What do you guys think?

Have there been times when you've compared yourselves to others?