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What's Up Wednesday

I have to confess that I didn't really set goals for this week. :( I have a friend's wedding coming up this Saturday and a week-long vacation to visit relatives after that, so I've been a bit preoccupied.

 However, I have been doing things! :)

 What I'm reading

 Needful Things by Stephen King. I just finished The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer and After the Snow by S.D. Crockett. They were both fantabulous and are now on my mental Favorites shelf. Needful Things is starting a bit slow, but I don't mind. Stephen King usually does that when he's writing about a small town. I personally thought the prologue was unnecessary, but I can see why he put it in there. So far, I'm enjoying the leisurely pace as I get introduced to the characters.

What I'm writing

 Speaking of prologues, I just re-wrote the prologue for The Book. My intent was to clarify some points of confusion that my critique partner had pointed out, and to make the conflict clearer and more immediate. I think it's a step in the right direction, but I know this part will probably go through another ten revisions anyway.

 I also plotted my first section of The Book as is and marked parts to change, cut, or keep. Then I plotted the re-writes I wanted to do for that section. Before, I was mostly editing for word count and sticking to the book I already had. Now that I have the word count down, I can afford to edit for, "how can I make this a better book plotwise?"

 What else I've been up to

 Like I mentioned, my friends' wedding is on Saturday. :) I've also been frantically watering my herb garden.

 I'm still going back and forth with my critique partner. I am also really looking forward to Operation Diversity, which will be a group blog by readers and writers about all kinds of diversity in MG, YA, and NA books.

 What inspires me right now

 Photography. I've rekindled my relationship with Pinterest. Right now, I'm looking at all sorts of pictures of flowers and herbs, as well as nighttime photography of moonlit landscapes. It's calming. Sometimes I want my inspiration to get me up and moving; other times I need something to calm down.

Comments

  1. Miss ColeThu Jul 25, 01:15:00 PM CDT

    Upping the stakes in a book is such a great way to get the plot moving. Good luck with the rest of the edit!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AlyssaThu Jul 25, 07:00:00 PM CDT

    Ooh, what do you have in your herb garden?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraSun Jul 28, 08:51:00 PM CDT

      Lots! Spicy globe basil, cinnamon basil, Cuban oregano, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, lemon thyme, English lavender, lavender, lemon balm, mint, and sage. :)

      Delete
  3. Alison MillerMon Jul 29, 06:24:00 AM CDT

    I need to read more Stephen King - I've read ON WRITING and that was beyond inspirational. And he talks about the books he's written in that craft book, so - yes - definitely need to read more SK!

    Also, I'm not a big picture taker, but I love going out with my husband and see what awesome pictures he can capture. Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LauraMon Jul 29, 08:56:00 PM CDT

      One of my favorite books of his is 'Misery.' Apart from being a smashing good thriller/horror novel, it's one of the best books about writing that I've ever read.

      Delete

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