The Ultimate Book Tag

Hi everyone! I watch YouTube a lot and sometimes the people I watch do tags where there's a set of questions that everyone answers while they film their video. One of my more favorite YouTubers put up a book tag for Riverdale and I thought of doing something similar for the blog. In stumbling around Google, I found the Ultimate Book Tag by ChapterChicks that I thought would be fun to do. So, we'll get started. If you decide to do the tag, please leave me a comment with a link to your blog as I'd love to see your answers. 

The Ultimate Book Tag

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?: I used to all the time but it's less now. I'm not sure if my body just got used to me reading in the car thanks to being on my phone all the time or what. 

2. Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?: For me, it's a tie between Stephen King and John Irving. Stephen King has a style that sucks you into a book, no matter if it's a horror story or something else, and just holds you in until you can't read anymore or the book is over. John Irving has the older storyteller vibe from ages ago that makes you just want to sit down and listen to everything he has to say. A Prayer for Owen Meany is an excellent example of this and you should go read it if you haven't already.

3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give 3 points to defend your answer.: ...well, fine. It is going to be Harry Potter.

1. It is not in first person and, while Harry is the focus, you get more of a view of what the other characters are doing. In Twilight Saga, it is all Bella all the time and there are points where you just have to reach in and strangle her for all she's doing. 

2. I like magic and magical schools.

3. I have never cried like I have cried over the death of characters like that series. I'm not just talking Dumbledore and Snape, but a lot of other characters. I call book 7 the book of death considering the death count there.

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is it in (besides books…)?: No, but I have a big messenger bag. The book in there right now is The Fire Pit by Chris Ould. Other than that, I have my wallet, my phone, and usually my iPad or Kindle to read other things on if I want to.

5. Do you smell your books?: ...People don't smell their books? How weird.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?: It depends on the book. I like it when books have maps, which I'm not sure counts or not with the illustrations.

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing? (Ex. I read Twilight before I read HP and thought the writing was amazing but read HP and now think Twilight is a little bit of a joke.): My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. There was just so much with that book that was so wrong. The parents not seeing reason, the ending that came out of nowhere, and... it is the first book that I cannot even with. Now, I have a rule that there are great authors out there that have that one or two books where they're just wrong. It was a great idea but it just falls flat, so I have to try at least two books by the same author before I put them on my never read again list. I tried Nineteen Minutes and... yeah, no. Her writing is nice but the quality of plot was just wrong. So, she's not my cup of tea, which is sad, but that's where I am at the moment.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!: Mom likes to tell the story where I had to have Three Little Pigs read to me or I would throw fits and not go to sleep. That's about it.

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?: Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey.

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?: Three way tie between complete version of Chronicles of Narnia, complete version of Lord of the Rings, and the Mists of Avalon. 

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?: I do, with both questions, and, hopefully, it'll be this year that I am finally an author. 

12. When did you get into reading?: My family likes to joke that I was born reading, so it's been from a very early age. I did not teach myself how to read, but my mom did, and she loves reading. So she passed it onto me. 

13. What is your favorite classic book?: Hmm... this is a tough question. I have way too many classic books that I like. If you were to tie me to a chair with a gun to my head and I could only pick one, it would have to be Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. It introduced me to the idea that not all heroes are good with the antihero. Until I read that book, I thought that all protagonists were straight and narrow good guys. The idea of the antihero blew my brain and I've been loving the idea ever since. 

14. In school was your best subject Language Arts/English?: It was one of my bests. I also was amazing in math and science but got my BA in English Literature. Now I see plot holes everywhere. 

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated…what would you do?: Say thank you and go to Half Price Books to turn it in to get another book.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?: In the idea of a magic school type place, I would say the Harper Hall trilogy by Anne McCaffrey is a good place to start. I'm not sure for Hunger Games.

17. What is a bad habit you always do in writing?: I am horrible at describing places. It's called white box syndrome and I'm working on it.

18. What is your favorite word?: Coccyx. I have yet to use it while writing. 

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?: I'm me and awesome, so it doesn't matter? 

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?: Both, but fairies are more powerful.

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?: Both but angels are more powerful due to that backing from God thing. 

22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?: Both but werewolves are more powerful because they're in the living world. Spirits have to cross over and can only do so with the aid of someone who has spirit magic, related to them, or both. 

23. Zombies or Vampires?: What kind of zombies are we talking about here? If we're talking the Max Brooks kind, then zombies. If we're talking about Anne Rice vampires (or my own), then vampires. This is too broad of a question. 

24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?: Forbidden love! Love triangles just make me work out how they would be a threesome or more because why not. Honestly. There's not enough time in the world to limit love to just one person. 

25. AND FINALLY: Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?: Action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in. I used to be the person who loved to read full on romance but my tastes have changed. 

So, that's that! I hoped you liked reading my answers and I tag anyone who wants to join in on the fun. You can either link me to your own post or answer in the comments. Until next time, happy reading! 

March Goals!

Spring is nearly here! I can't believe I'm saying that, considering I am very much a grump when it comes to too much sunshine. I blame my eyes, because when it gets to be too sunny, everything is just white. It's a white landscape of whiteness because my eyes can't really filter. So, yeah, that's kind of fun but I think there was just a bit too much snow too fast this year. I love, for this week, that we're in the middle 50s because that makes life a lot better. Instead of my winter coat, I get to wear my short in-between seasons coat. Happy.

Anyways, you didn't come here to listen to me fangirl about the weather. Let's get into the goals for March!

March Goals

• Research and start writing query letters for Mystery of the Dark
• Work on writing Sleight of Hand
• Finish that outline for Sleight of Hand before we get to the parts that are marked "Placeholder"
• Work on Flash of Fang's outline to make sure it fits with Mystery of the Dark and Sleight of Hand
• Work on Song of Siren's outline to make sure it fits with the other three books in the series
• Continue editing Power - this is a bit of a blast from the past. I was thinking I wanted another editing project and this story popped into my mind. It was my first NaNoWriMo win and... isn't that bad of a story? Honestly? It's just got major plot holes and grammar problems. 
• Read (placeholder) for book group - we haven't decided what we're reading yet. I'll update when we do. 
• Read The Fire Pit
• Finish reading Magic's Price

So, yeah, that's pretty much it. Lots of working on plot with some writing and editing thrown in for good measure. I've got three books for March because The Fire Pit just came out. It's the third book in the series and I have a desperate need to figure out what happens next. The idea of book group is really helping to make me read more, which is nice, and I'm reading things that I either wouldn't have read before or was just putting off. All good things.

Well, what are your goals for March? Feel free to leave them below or hit me up on Twitter at CrescentLizzy. Until next time, happy writing. 

February in Review: Wow, That Went Better

I feel like I blinked and February is over. That's what happens when it's the shortest month of the year and I feel like I've done a lot. I also got sick, which was so freaking annoying, but it gave me a very good excuse to watch the Olympics. Also, people crabbing that the USA didn't win enough can go away. We got the gold in women's hockey after 20 years of losing to Canada. We got gold in men's curling for the first time ever. So what we didn't do that great in other categories? Part of that, like figure skating, is the fact that we need to up our program. Also, it would be great if the guys didn't fall so much but apparently I'm in the minority on that. Oh well.

Right, February review. Let's get back on track. Mystery of the Dark re-edits are done and it is out to readers! Readers who, at the moment, are enjoying it and put the idea in my head that Mark might be better as gay. To be honest, I've entertained that idea far too much in my head and it would be so easy to change Celestrina to Celestrino. That might be happening, which is great, and yeah. Book 1 is done until I get my reader's feedback so it's been put away.

Now, book 2 - Sleight of Hand - is still a bit clunky. I've got where I want to start, but the outline is still unfinished. I decided to start writing and see where I go with it. I know what I want to focus on, but this is the hart part of taking it out of my brain and putting it on paper. I need someone to get on the idea where you can just plug your brain in and it just spews out everything into a word document. That would make my life a whole lot easier.

Also, books! I finished World War Z which had a lot more realism than I expected it to. I expected it to be more zombie focus and less human focus, probably due to the movie, and it was the opposite. It was an excellent book and I have way too many parts highlighted but it was a ton better than the movie. I wish, instead of the movie, that we could have a TV series focused on the different parts of the book. Tell it in flashbacks or something, but yeah, it needed a better adaptation than it got. I also read, in a day, Dragonsinger because it's been a while since I read it. I can't remember where I left off in the Dragonriders of Pern series, but I'll probably figure it out soon enough. I do remember enough of the series so I won't be lost, so that's good too.

How did your February go? Feel free to leave it in the comments or hit me up on Twitter at CrescentLizzy. Until next time, happy writing!

Coming Out of the Blanket Fort

One of the hardest things that I've found is being a writer and being sick at the same time. There is so much that I have to do but I can't do it. I have to sit there and be sick in my sickness and let it all go. Just let things drop and try to get better. It is stressful because all I can think about, while not napping, is what isn't getting done. The blog posts aren't getting done and my gratitude week self imploded. The editing isn't getting done. No writing is getting done. It's hell because I want to do things. I really do. I want to write the blog posts. I want to get things done. I just couldn't last week because that's how sick I was. It sucked. It really really sucked. There's no other way to put it, honestly.

So, here I am, on Tuesday, a week later, and I'm starting to feel normal again. I'm starting to pick things up again, like this blog, and get things done. I've got a to-do list, I'm feeling better, but there's also this question at the back of my head. I'm wondering how last week and feeling right now would have gone if I had pushed myself to get things done. If I had pushed myself to finish gratitude week or get the editing done, how good would it be? I wouldn't be able to give my all to my projects and that idea terrifies me a bit more than just not doing anything at all. It terrifies me not to give my all to my craft and put every bit of me into my writing or editing. Or even blogging. If I'm not giving 100%, what am I giving? How good will it be? How much will I have to go back and redo things because I pushed myself?

Underneath all of those questions is one more - how would I be feeling right now if I did that? Not mentally with my work but physically. I have a pretty nasty virus going on - I went into a clinic on Thursday and got a faint positive for strep but the culture came back negative - and I had no energy. I was sleeping and watching the Olympics with a little bit of playing World of Warcraft. There were times when even that was too much. So, in pushing myself, I don't think I would be feeling better now. I don't think I would be up and able to get my work done or even take care of the house as it is. Now, sure, I'm still not 100% physically but I am feeling that way mentally. I'm still losing my voice and coughing and all that fun stuff but at least I'm clear headed enough to work. At least I am ready to get things done.

And that, truth be told, is the best part about coming out the other side when feeling sick. To give yourself the time off in order to come back better. I know a lot of people can't do that because of the ways that sick days and PTO is set up in the United States but it would be nice if it was. It would be nice if we could get sick and take all the time we needed to get better. It would be nice to go to see your doctor, without the fear of it bankrupting you in case it turned out to be worse than a cold or strep, and getting your medicine without wondering if you would be able to eat. I think, along with a lot of other reforms, we need to start striving towards that. Let's make ourselves better first and then get back to work, with a clear mind and, hopefully, some clear sinuses.

See you all next week and, until then, happy writing.

Monday and Tuesday Gratitude

Two for the price of one here because, like with all good intentions, I seem to off the road as soon as I got on it. I am fighting off the start of a cold or the flu or something but yeah, I am sick. It's not fun. However, we've got a plot twist coming up.

I am grateful for the fact that I can be sick and there are no big world ending things that'll happen to my life for being sick. A lot of people, like retail workers, cannot say the same thing and they usually have to go in sick. So do a lot of other people. The US is crap when it comes to PTO - paid time off - and it is hit and miss at every company you work at. Nobody should have to worry about money coming in or bills being paid when they're sick. They should be worried about getting well and making sure their family stays well when they're sick. This goes for any sort of illness - chronic, acute (colds and flu fall here), mental - it shouldn't matter how you're sick, just that you can get the time off and get yourself well.

So, yes, today, I am grateful that I could call yesterday a sick day and today too. Probably tomorrow as well but we'll see. Maybe, someday, we'll get to the point where everyone can relax and focus on getting better than on the fact that they need to work to survive.

Until tomorrow everyone.

A Welcome to Gratitude Week

Hello! If you didn't know, this week contains Valentine's Day. In celebration of that, I am doing a gratitude week where, instead of complaining or explaining about something, I am instead going to be grateful. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it spur of the moment when I think of something and have it go up or if Monday's Gratitude will appear on Tuesday and it'll be staggered so we'll see. I thought it would be interesting to show a different kind of love rather than the traditional type of love that we see around this time of year.

Please feel free to join either in the comments or with me on twitter. You can always find me @CrescentLizzy and I'd love to see you join in.

The Woes of Outlining

An alternative title for this post was "Ranting About How Outlining Sucks" which might have been catcher. However, I am having issues with outlining and just butt in the chair in general. The re-edits for the first chunk of Mystery of the Dark book 1 is done, so why not outline book 2? And, you know, write it so you can be editing it while trying to push book 1 towards publishing? It all seems like a good plan on paper but, in practice? I am having so many issues here. Let's go through my top three with the problem and the solution.

Problem: The butt-in-chair isn't happenning - it's just not. I can think of everything else that needs to get done - like my laundry yesterday and the fact that I should go shovel Cookie's area outside (she's a short dog) and the dishes and and and.. you get the idea. It's not that they're things that need to get done right this second, save for maybe Cookie's area as it's just going to get colder in a few hours, but there's no reason why I cannot just sit in the chair and try to outline. And yet, I can still feel like I'm wanting to get up and go do something - anything - other than try to figure out where this book is supposed to go.
Solution: Write down the most exciting parts and then go do a house chore that needs to be done. In doing so, you might find the dot that connects the exciting parts together.

Problem: The butt is in the chair but there's other stuff to be done online - this is harder. This is a lot harder and I'm actually doing one of the butt is in the chair but yet I'm still procrastinating right this second by writing this blog post. So, thank you for being my procrastination. Or there's all those plan with me videos I could be watching or I could catch up with Lucifer or some other TV show I've got a back log on the DVR with.
Solution: Get an extension to Chrome or whatever web browser you are using and use it. Make sure all the sites you would go to procrastinate and your email is included in them. Do not put in Google because you might need to search for something. Hide your cell phone / put it in to airline mode so you don't use it as a go-around to get to a site. Then, set a timer or get an extension with a timer so you're dedicating a block of time to do what needs to be done.

Problem: I have no clue what the hell I'm doing and why am I a writer in the first place?! This is all going wrong.
Solution: Deep calming breaths, maybe some yoga, and either tea or coffee. More deep calming breaths. It'll pass. It'll pass and you'll go right back to being the kick ass writer you know that you are.

These are my top three. I have a lot more, but those are a lot more my own issues and related to the book itself. For those related to the book, the solution is all the same for me. Grab a notebook or a yellow pad of paper - I've been using a yellow pad a lot and love it more than a notebook - and start writing down what you need to figure out. For me, it was making sure that everything connected back to the first book and what I needed to get done plot wise in the series. It also helped to figure out my antagonists for each book and how to loop in the eventually insane end to the series. I hope that my top three problem / solution helped you and if you have any tips or would like some help with your own problem, leave a comment below or hit me up on twitter at @CrescentLizzy. Until next time, take care and kick some writing butt.