Wednesday, December 4, 2013

What's Up Wednesday and IWSG!

Its time for What's Up Wednesday!

What I'm Reading  The last month was so busy that I didn't read nearly as much as usual. I finally read Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave though!  It took me about a quarter of the book to get to the place where it was hard to put down but I enjoyed it once the back story was in place and the events started moving forward.  I'm currently reading The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black and I'm still reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.  I sat it down during NaNo and I'm ready to dive in and finish it.

What I'm Writing  I'm still drafting my NaNo book.  I'm trying to time the events in my story to coincide with those in the original fairytale in a way that keeps my main characters in the foreground.  I think its working but it takes a lot of thought to get it right.

What Inspires Me Right Now  I had a wonderful visit with my Mom a few weeks ago and our long chats over coffee are still inspiring me.  Talking in person is the best!  

What Else I've Been Up To  Pinterest hijacked my life.  I saw a pin where someone took an old end table and turned it into a lego table.  It looked perfect, not to big, but enough room for some serious building.  I decided that my son needed one for his birthday and I found a battered, yet solid wood, end table that even had lots of built in storage space.  The only problem is that since I homeschool I have my children with me all the time.  When am I suppose to hide for a secret project?  Yup. After bedtime I can be found out in the garage, clinging to the one patch of light, sanding up a storm. I was sanding by hand but a friend lent me an electric sander.  I'm so excited! 

I can't wait to see what everyone else has been up to this week!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

I completely forgot that it was IWSG time until I saw a fellow blogger's post!  This month my insecurities have mainly been about feeling inadequate and unoriginal.  I'd like to be that writer that readers go to when they want something unique, something full of emotion and unforeseeable twists, yet still lyrical and atmospheric.  Knowing what type of writer I want to be and becoming that writer are two very different things. Until I get where I want to be the only thing I can do it to keep writing and learning but sometimes it would be nice to know if I'm going in the right direction, if my work even has the potential to turn into what I want it to be.

20 comments:

  1. Glad to hear you had such a great visit with your mum ^_^ Sounds lovely. And I am impressed you can pull off any kind of secret project! Way to go you :D I'm sure your little one will love it!

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  2. How wonderful that you were so inspired by your visits with your mom. Hard to imagine better inspiration than that. And it definitely sounds like you're on the right track with your writing - all we can do is keep trying and learning.

    So nice to meet you through the IWSG!

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    1. Its nice to meet you too! Thank you for stopping by.

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  3. Your line "Knowing what type of writer I want to be and becoming that writer are two very different things." is so true. I think a lot of writers suffer from a condition known as good taste. You know great writing when you see it, that's why you love stories enough to want to write them. Figuring out how to actually make your own words great though, that's hard. It takes a lot of practice, but you'll get there eventually. Just don't dispare. Having good taste isn't a bad thing, because it means when your writing finally clicks you'll know it.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your insight. Good taste can be frustrating but you are very right.

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  4. The only way to find out if you can is to keep doing! Congratulations again on NaNo, i hope that WIP shapes up for you as you wish very soon.

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    1. Thanks! I hope it turns out the way I have it in my head :)

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  5. Just act crazy as can be, pretend to be a cat, then you can be original with ease lol might end up in a rubber room though.

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    1. Lol. A rubber room doesn't sound that bad... It would probably be nice and quite, unlike my crazy busy household :)

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  6. Your insecurity is interesting. It could be hard to be original and creative when you don't feel it. But, your right. All you can do is keep writing and keep learning.

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    1. Yeah, I'm hoping if I keep going I will write the way I want to. I feel original until I see all the amazingly original books out there then I wonder how anything I do can every compare. I guess the trick is in not comparing...

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  7. Fixing up a table is the kind of thing my grandpap would've done for me and my brother. There are still a lot of little tables and woodwork around my grandmother's house that he fixed up all nice.

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    1. That's really neat! He sounds like he was an awesome grandpa.

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  8. The lego table sounds really cool. You'll have to share photos when it's done. And what a great mom!! That's going to be such an awesome gift. :)

    I love that your chats with your mom over coffee are still inspiring you. It makes me wish I lived closer to my mom! There's nothing like chatting in person. :)

    Have a great week, Sarah!

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    1. I'm pretty excited about it and will try to remember to share photos :)

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  9. I LOVE the Lego table idea!! And how fun that you're keeping it a surprise. Pinterest is dangerous though. I accumulate half-finished projects like most people acquire extra socks.

    Also, I love what you wrote in the Insecure Writer's Support Group Section. Though I have to say, knowing what kind of writer you want to be is the first step in getting there. (If writing were a 12 step program, it would be the step where you admit you have a writing problem.) *grin* And I have no doubt that you will get there.

    Hope you have a wonderful week!

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  10. Wow, I cannot wait to see your finished project. Please do post pictures! Pinterest is definitely a time-suck and there are so many cool looking projects. I have yet to try one though, which is probably a good thing. I'd probably never resurface!

    Glad you liked The 5th Wave! I remember enjoying that one a lot, and yay for Coldest Girl in Coldtown. I think that's my favorite Holly Black book so far! Good luck with sanding! ;)

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  11. I'm late getting here, I know! Still cruising for IWSG posts...
    May I add, as a person who's never been here or read your blog, that you confess your fear of being unoriginal in the same post that you mention creating a lego table? Those don't just cancel each other out. The creativity wins. Make use of your creativity in your writing and you can do no wrong!
    David

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