Closed for Continuing Cold

Phew. Sorry guys. I tried sooo hard to blog something today and put it off all day in the hopes that I would be energetic enough to put a post together. Instead, I am a hazy mess of Nyquil-hangover, cough drop wrappers, and crumpled up paper towels (because we are out of tissues and CVS is tooo faaar awaaaay....).

I am off to sleep away the misery.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Right now I want each and every one of my white blood cells to be my Valentine, so they can kick the butt of whatever has left me foggy, coughing, and sore-throat-ed.

This is my first Valentine's as a married lady, but thankfully our busy Tuesday schedules mean we'd already decided to celebrate tomorrow, giving me another day to look not quite so much like death warmed up.

In the meantime, thinking about happy days with my kiddo, and many more to come.

I hope you all have a very happy Valentine's Day with the ones you <3.

Photo by Trent Bailey.
This little caption is nowhere big enough to contain all the awesome things I have to say about him.
If you need a photographer, go hunt him down, please.

Writing Spaces: A Little Austen Love

Hi there, blog folk. I am feeling at about 60% percent today, after a fun and activity-filled weekend (I tried sushi for the first time! A gay bar no-pants party! Trip to Ikea!) seems to have left me fighting off a cold.

This is one of those colds that worms its way into your brain until you're left feeling fuzzy-headed with no memory of what you wanted to say, which is not the best thing for writing (all last night when I talked to my husband, I would be like "But didn't he go...to...the.......um......never...never mind...."). Also, apparently, writing blog posts...

Anywho, before I send the husband out to buy me a pharmacy, here is today's love-themed writing space: Jane Austen's delicate (and uncomfortable-looking) writing table.

I just hopped onto the Austen bandwagon a few weeks ago, when I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time (although I knew the story from watching Wishbone). It was a lot of fun although I did want to smack Mr. Darcy from time to time (also, Bingley can't make up his mind without his friend telling him? That's a dealbreaker, ladies).
 

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun." -Pride and Prejudice

Wrap Up: Ballet Shoes Edition

This is a picture of my foot.* I’m trying to relearn ballet after a 4-year hiatus, and so a lot of the time when I’m working at my standing desk, I’ll have my ballet slippers on and practice my turnout and balance. It's just another reason why I'm glad I write at home, alone, with no one to see me...

Aaaanyway, here are this week's posts:

Former wonderbar agent, now Jacob Wonderbar writer Nathan Bransford returned to blogging this week after a loooong hiatus. He had a couple great posts, including how to get back to writing after a looooong hiatus, a guest post by author Matthew Pearl on expanding the world of your story, and an interesting discussion on whether writers should review the work of other writers (this is something I've been thinking about, too. You can check out my thoughts in "On Reviews")

Author Elizabeth Fama talks about how the pressure for authors to use social media to reach out to their audience can make her feel like a "twitter hussy"

Agent Jenny Bent posted a back-and-forth she had with author Mike Wells about publishing taste vs reader taste and whether agents need to "fall in love" with a book to represent it

On YAHighway, the dreaded "Should I start over my WIP?" moment, and how it can be a good thing

Agent Rachelle Gardner discussed her role as a champion of worthwhile books--what that means and how it can be difficult. She also hosted a guest post by author Rosslyn Elliott on why your characters need flaws

BookEnds Lit Agency has updated their fabulous publishing dictionary with even more entries all writers should know

Agent Jessica at Dystel & Goderich talks cover design and shares some links to comparisons between UK and US covers

Over at YA Confidential, they're hosting an "Ask a Teen" forum, where you can leave a question for their teen bloggers about their reading tastes or habits. The teens will post their answers this Tuesday, so there's still some time to get your question in!

*No I am not balancing en pointe in my toe in slippers. That would be painful. This pose is staged, staaaaaged!!!!

Valentine's Gifts for Writers

I am a big fan of Valentine’s Day. Growing up, it was usually marked by my mom getting me something luridly pink and girly, like a full manicure set or a pink T-shirt studded with rhinestone hearts. I’m not a super girly person, but I always loved these little presents for their over-the-top-ness and wore my Pepto Bismo atrocities with pride.

With that in mind, and because several folks told me they liked my holiday gift guide, I’m back here with 15 Valentine’s Day presents for the writer in your life.

$40 from JezebelCharms on etsy

This lovely brass cuff depicts a page from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights,
along with a quote by Catherine Earnshaw:

"Whatever our souls are made of his and mine are the same."

$10.99 list price from Snuggie on Amazon

 Laugh if you will, I still say nothing says "I love you" better than a Snuggie.
This pink number, perfect for Valentine's Day, will keep your little writer toasty and warm.
I have two: one that I keep on my bed, for reading (the other I may be wearing as I type...)

$10 from AproposRoasters on etsy

 Mmmm tea...
There is nothing lovelier than curling up with a cup of warm tea and a good book.
These beautiful little packets come in a variety of flavors
(and check out their etsy store for coffee and hot cocoa selections)

$5.50 from crabappledesign on etsy

 Old library cards get transformed into chic Valentine's Day messages,
with plenty of room to leave a message of your own for your book-lover.

$12.95 from Enjou Chocolat

 Chocalate + books = best idea ever

$16 from Palimpsestect on etsy

 I thought these were great!

"Unblockers" featuring words from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Whenever you need a little bit of inspiration, toss these wooden blocks and see what comes up

$8 from Urban Outfitters

 When I was in elementary school I loved the "secret letters" we'd write using lemon juice or wax.
These have a 21st century improvement, with a hidden UV light to reveal its message
Give one to your Valentine, keep one for yourself, and pass along some secret love notes

$11 from paperpastries on etsy

 Pencils!
These were so pretty and simple, I just couldn't resist.
Old school but with a bright, graphic charm, why stick with boring yellow when you can have these?

$11.77 from BDWE on Alibris

 Of course, giving a book can be the ultimate romantic gesture
(don't believe me? check out this tumblr).

I'm partial to Pablo Neruda's poems of love, but with any book, I suggest going the vintage route.
Something so nice about holding a well-worn, much-loved book in your hands.

$240 from Anthropologie

 How lovely is this?
Sheets patterned with real love letters found in an antique store in Brooklyn.
Soft, pretty, and romantic

Free!

 Instead of buying something, consider writing letters to your Valentine

as part of the Month of Letters Project.
Calligrapher Margaret Shepherd is posting 14 calligraphy tutorials, leading up to Valentine's Day,
so pick up some new tricks and create something beautiful

$50 from JustaFewPrints

 I've posted this before but it's so great it bears repeating.
Love love love this print of books by Paul Octavious.
Perfect for libraries or offices.

Free from NPR

 Never has a Valentine so truly spoken to me...

NPR is offering a selection of radio-nerd Valentines on their website.
Just visit, download, and print to make all your public radio dreams come true!

$10 from Rifle Paper Co

 Of course, you can't beat a good ole fashioned card.
I'm partial to this design from Rifle Paper (check out their Anatomy of Love card, too)

$69 from Urban Outfitters

 Hello, lovely.
This bright red backpack from Herschel Supply Co. is perfect for hauling around favorite books and your trusty laptop, and the beautiful color makes it a charming and cheering Valentine's gift.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Writing Spaces: A Wrinkle in Time

First of all, whoops. Totally messed up on last week's YA blog roundup. Which was just silly of me because I wrote it, saved it, told myself I'd publish it later in the afternoon, and then promptly forgot. When I checked my blog this morning I was all "Heeey, where's my post?" and was ready to call the Central Blogger Offices and complain when I saw it sitting pretty in my Drafts folder. *headdesk*

Because I don't like posting anything late, I'll skip last week's round up and just move on. Forgive me, citizens of the Internet!!!

Anyway, I hope you all had a lovely weekend and didn't eat too many manly, fattening things yesterday (I know I can't say the same...PS anyone want leftover New York style cheesecake?).

A quick housekeeping note: I'm deep into Mal Peet's Life: An Exploded Diagram, but I'm worried I might not be able to get the whole 300-ish pages done by Thursday, so this week's Quick Review may get moved to next week (or maybe I'll put something else in its place..?).

In the meantime, the wonderful, fabulous A Wrinkle in Time is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month with a slew of fun events, including a 50 days, 50 Blogs blog tour (you can find more information on its Facebook page).

I can distinctly remember the first time I read A Wrinkle in Time, part of my 8th grade summer reading. I went out onto the front lawn and sat down on the grass with this beautiful book with this huge, powerful flying man-horse on the cover and...devoured it. It was so completely different from any "kids book" I'd read up to then--complex and challenging and just bizarre. When I finished it I said "I don't know if I understand anything that just happened, but that was cool."

Still is.

Here's a photo of the woman behind the tesseract, Madeline L'Engle. I'm not sure if this is her office or another part of her home, but she has what I see are the two best possessions writers can count: a great big bookshelf, and a comfy chair.

"You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. 

What you say is completely up to you."
-A Wrinkle in Time, 1962

Read, Watch, Listen: Where Ideas are Born

Right now I’m getting close to that gulf in between manuscripts: I’m just about done with edits on my most recent manuscript, and I’m getting close to thinking about my next one. It’s exciting, because I love starting new projects (the research! the outlining! bestill my book-nerd heart…), and at the same time a little terrifying.

Writers often say the number one question they get is “Where do you get your ideas?” (for me it’s “How do you not just watch TV all day?”), and right now my answer is “Yeah, where do I get my ideas?”

I was lucky on my latest manuscript. I can distinctly remember making dinner (I’m fairly certain it was brinner*), and this idea popped into my head.

“Wow, that’s cool,” I thought, but I put it aside because I’d already started researching what I thought would be my next book.

The next morning in my daily email to the then-fiance, I wrote out a faux-query for it and said something like “It’s fun, but I don’t think I’ll do anything with it.”

Then it got into my brain, and I started to imagine characters, scenarios, plot twists. And that was it, the idea had me.

But I realize that flash of inspiration doesn’t always happen so organically, and sometimes you have to go idea-hunting.

My best advice (or at least the advice I’m following…) is READ, WATCH, LISTEN.

This means READ great books, not so great books, books in the genre in which you write, books in completely different genres, bus ads, backs of cereal boxes, receipts, recipes. Surround yourself with words, build up stories in your brain. Ask yourself what if and what next.

WATCH movies, TV shows, plays, dance, your neighbors across the street, your local dog park. I’m a great believer in television, that good writing is good writing no matter what the medium. And even bad writing can be good to watch. Be an observer. Study faces and touches and how much can come from one subtle movement.

And LISTEN: to interviews, speeches, radio plays, conversations, music. There’s a different sort of intimacy when you’re hearing something pipe right into your eardrums, like you’re the only attendee at a private concert or you’re at the table with Terri Gross.** Close your eyes and live in your imagination.

Somewhere in that jumble of creativity, patterns will form, thoughts will jump out. You’ll hear or read or see something that will make you think of something else. You’ll be making brinner with your mind completely blank and then this fully-formed idea will just jump into your brain.

You can’t create in a vacuum, no one can. So when you find yourself starved for ideas, remember: READ, WATCH, LISTEN.

Where are some places you go to get your ideas?

*"I just don't see what's wrong with having a nice glass of wine with a pancake."

**whut whut NPR