Jen's Blog
Crazy, Exciting Thing
By which I mean it is both crazily exciting and…kinda crazy.
What's this?
As you can see, I’m packing. I haven’t mentioned this really on the blog because I had this weird thing where I didn’t want to jinx it or talk something up and then it fall through. But it’s happening, and finalizing everything is the reason why I’ve been sort of scattered lately.
I am packing up my things, sending my furniture and (most of) my books home to Tennessee while a few boxes will be sent overseas because Victoria and I are going to live in England until the summer. My flight out of New York is February 1st. Then, I’ll be coming back over to the states for a bit before going back to England for school this fall.
O.O
What, what, what?
Yes, live in England. Victoria and I will be setting up shop in two furnished rooms in a lovely house located in a cute, little neighborhood on the outskirts of Liverpool. It seems like a fun, creative place to be, and very, very importantly, there’s WIFI included in our rent. Yay! Not to mention all the cafes right around the corner. While I’m there, I’m going to be doing some freelance work, a lot of writing and some traveling. And visiting universities to make my final decision on where I’d like to go this fall.
I am beyond excited.
Progress Report: January Week Three
Date: January 17, 2011
From: Jen
To: The interwebs
Subject: Progress on WIP!
Work completed:
I set my goal last week a little high at 14k of new words. I…didn’t hit it. 
I wrote a little over 9k which I’m happy with, but since my goal was 14k…Ah well. I tried. Things have been a tad hectic around here so I’m fairly happy with my progress.
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January: Week 2
9,179 / 14,000 Words (65%)
Work scheduled:
I’m going to set my goal at 10k this week which should actually finish up my draft! I may have to go over that a little, but we’ll see. If it DOES finish up my draft, there will be much rejoicing around here on the blog as this is the longest it’s taken me to write a draft, and I am so ready to hit The End on this one. I love the characters and the story, but it is Zombie Book, and it eats my brains.
The Internet is a Timesuck
It’s true.
Lately, I’ve had quite a bit to do. My to-do list is longer than ten of my arms. It’s just a teensy bit overwhelming. So, I think, “Well, I’ll just go online for a little bit first, and then I’ll do something. Maybe after I’ve read a couple blogs I’ll know what I should work on first. The internet is the solution to everything!”
Silly, silly me.
I actually have to post this drawing from Hyperbole and a Half because it just hits the mark all too well.
Somehow the internet sucks the hours out of the day, and even though it really only must have seriously only been like half an hour, somehow the clock says I’ve lost two hours to this internet beast.
This next paint drawing is mine…Isn’t it gorgeous?
Artist I am not. I think I’ll just stick to writing.
Anyway, I’ve been having this problem. Overwhelmed - distract myself with internet - lose even more time - get more overwhelmed - internet - lose time - get mad at myself for procrastinating so much. Rinse, repeat.
So, I did an exercise last night, for fun, to see how things would go, and while at first I thought it seemed a little over-the-top and OCD, I gave it a shot. Why not? I planned out my entire night using Google Calendar in 30 minute increments.
Example:
- 5:30pm to 6:00pm - Research for important novel scene
- 6:00pm to 6:30pm - First drafting
- 6:30pm to 7:00pm - Internet nonsense
- 7:00pm to 7:30pm - First drafting
- 7:30pm to 8:00pm - Research for university funding
- 8:00pm to 8:30pm - Dinner!
- 8:30pm to 9:00pm - Internet nonsense
Okay, so I think you get the point from that. Everything planned out. Every single 30 minute slot of my night accounted for. I even had a slot for this blog post! Maybe it sounds like I overdid it a little, and maybe I did, but I’ll tell you what, it worked. I did absolutely everything I scheduled in at the time I scheduled it. No procrastinating. No internet beast eating hours away. I think something that really helped is me putting time in there for the internet nonsense. I forced myself to focus on my other tasks and not check email or Facebook or any of the other million distractions the internet provides. I only got online during the time I specifically gave to internet surfing.
So…am I going to keep doing this? Honestly, probably not long-term. I think the lack of flexibility would eventually drive me insane. I don’t want every moment of every day planned out before me. If I randomly want to watch an episode of CASTLE, I want to randomly watch an episode of CASTLE, not have to pencil it in beforehand. I do think I will continue to do this just for writing time slots. I know some people schedule a time every day to write, and I have to imagine that kind of discipline helps with the productivity.
If there’s anything I’ve definitely learned from this little exercise, it’s this: Have something you need to get done? Turn off the internet.
Bookanistas: UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand
UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand (January 2011, HarperTeen)
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she’s part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn’t easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there’s another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara’s less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she’d have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
One of the best things you can say about a book is that you can’t stop reading it. This was the case with UNEARTHLY and me. I sat down, opened it up and planned to read a few pages or the first chapter at most. A little while later, I looked up and realized I’d read half the book. And I wasn’t ready to stop.
There were a lot of things to love about this novel. The voice is thoughtful yet snappy. The prose pulls in amazing details about the characters and the setting. I love how this took place in Wyoming as I haven’t read anything set in the state, and even though I’ve never been there, now I feel like I have. Some of my favorite scenes are when Clara, the main character, is exploring her new surroundings.
Which brings us to Clara, a strong, thoughtful, determined heroine I couldn’t help but root for. And she’s not without her faults, which makes her seem all the more human even though she isn’t. It pulled me in, seeing her struggle with who she is, her future, her choices.
Because at the heart, this story is about choices and consequences and free will. No matter what choices we make, will we still follow the same path? Is it a choice then and what if we make the wrong one? I really loved the way this novel explored that, and I have to say, I am really intrigued to read the follow-up to this because I know it’s going to delve even further into these questions judging by the nail-biting, page-turning ending.
More Bookanistas Posts This Week
The Nook, The Kindle and Other E-Inky Things
I’m such a luddite.
Well, not really. I love technology and social media and gadgets and fun things like carrying the internet around in my pocket.
Addiction
I was trying to make a heart hand there around my Blackberry…not sure I pulled it off. Anyway, the point is, I’m not resistant to technology. I love it. Except…when it comes to books. When it comes to books, I have been dragging my feet and pretty much grumbling about e-readers and e-books and the idea of it all. I adore the smell of books. I adore browsing bookstores. I adore collecting the pretty bound physical copies and stacking them in pretty rows on my shelves at home. I adore turning the page and hearing the whisper of the paper through the air.
Yay books
Thing is, I’ve traveled often lately and will be traveling more this year, and it’s becoming less and less viable for me to lug a bunch of heavy books around with me, especially when I know I could make it so much easier on myself.
Avalanche!
This week I read an e-arc from a publisher, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience. It’s not so bad reading on a screen. I’m sure it helped that I was totally engrossed in the book, but that’s just it. The screen did not hinder me in my reading experience. Besides, I’ve been doing it for years with my own work and friends’ work. And when I headed off to my morning commute, I found myself wishing I had an e-reader so I could take the e-arc with me to read on the subway.
So, I’ve been considering an e-reader. I stopped by Barnes & Noble after work yesterday and took a look at the Nook. It’s lightweight, thin and the ink is very easy to read. You can highlight blocks of text and bookmark pages. And the biggest draw, of course, is that I can have hundreds of books in that one small device…
I also took a look at the B&N store library for YA and MG, and I was surprised to find that most titles I’ve read in the past year were available in Nook format. So…what’s holding me back? I don’t know.
Then, there’s the Kindle. A very popular choice for e-readers. Everyone I talk to gushes about theirs, and I’ve taken a look at it as well. I have a few issues with Amazon though and am reluctant, even though their e-book library is by far the largest.
I’d actually love to hear people’s experiences with their e-readers. So, if anyone has one, what do you like or not like about it? Are you happy with it? Do you still read physical copies of books? Have you ever had some terrible technical failure and lost all the books you’ve bought? Anyone have the Sony e-reader? I don’t know much about that one. Please please, let me know your thoughts!
Progress Issues…
Right. So, remember yesterday how I said I was going to write 2k each day this week? Yeah…
That is 124 words in case the print’s a bit small. A whopping 124 words. You see how I updated my progress bar to include those 124 words as if that’s significant progress that must be relayed on my blog. Of course it made no dent in my percentage over there. That’s still at zero.
I’m not exactly sure what happened. Forward momentum, forward momentum, forward momentum, STOP. Those 124 words were actually from last night. Tonight, I have spent the evening huddled on my couch gobbling up an amazing read with the snow drifting down outside the windows. Drinking some hot chocolate. Ignoring the zombie book. (To be clear, my book is NOT about zombies. It just IS a zombie.) It’s been a very comfy, cozy, relaxing way to spend the night. Just not very productive.
I blame the snow.
Progress Report: January Week Two
Date: January 10, 2011
From: Jen
To: The interwebs
Subject: Progress on WIP!
Work completed:
Last week, I set my goal as 10k of new words by today. I also set a goal to visit one of the locations in my book. Well, I just want to copy and paste my progress bar here to show I SURPASSED MY GOAL! Wooo! I ended up hitting over 14k new words for the week. This means I get to watch Black Swan. When? I have no idea.
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January: Week 1
14,678 / 10,000 Words (100%)
However, I failed on my other goal. I didn’t visit that location. Whoops.
Work scheduled:
Alright, 10k worked out really well for me this past week, but I’m going to up my goal a little because I’m feeling really good about my momentum. I’m going to shoot for 2k words every day this week, giving me a grand total of 14k by Monday.
I also need to actually go visit that location this week.
Location Scouting Photos
Here are some of my location scouting photos from around New York City that I’ve been using while writing my current WIP. Thought it might be fun to share!
Outside of Magnolia Bakery
Inside Magnolia Bakery. Yuuuummm.
Pianos
Taxis
An Important Door
Brooklyn Bridge
New York City Skyline
The It’s-Eating-My-Brain Face
Today, I have written over 4k new words. I just took a food and internet break, and I am determined to write another 2k words before midnight because I am a crazy person but I am also on a roll and I feel the need to take advantage of said roll while the words are flowing so well. But it also means my brain is being eaten away. Chomped out, more like it. I don’t know what to blog about. Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of topic ideas, but I don’t have the brain capacity at the moment. Not for that and 2k more words tonight. So, here I am rambling about absolutely nothing. I’m not sure there’s been a point this entire paragraph. Just mostly nonsense about zombie books. And look. I am still typing about nothing at all. The words may be flowing, but that doesn’t mean they’re good words!
And to the point. Looks like it’s time for another random photo, but it’s Saturday night and no one reads blogs on the weekend, right? Anyway, this time I’m not even showing you something cool like my Wolverine figurine. Instead, I’m giving you my the-writing-is-eating-my-brain face.
I am alarmed and am using my defensive cheek puffing move.
Positivity
Back in May, I got to meet my awesome agent-mate, Shelli Johannes-Wells at BEA. And she gave me a gift that I’m sure she has no idea became as important to me as it has. It’s a bracelet with a little metal tag on it that says, “Positivity.”
I wear it every day. Staying positive is important in all aspects of life, but I’ve found I particularly struggle with it in my writing life. It’s hard not to get down, and there are so many ways that my hopeful enthusiastic passion for writing can transform me into a pessimistic angst bunny (thanks to V. for that term!). It happens. We invest so much time and energy and love into our work, and we do all we can, but ultimately there comes a point where it’s out of our hands. And when things don’t go smoothly, or when those times come where things go terribly, it’s easy to get down.
But you know what? Worrying and stressing and being negative? It doesn’t help. Not one bit. When I’m pessimistic, I have less energy, I can’t focus, my productivity drops, and I eat more junk food which in turn makes me feel kind of frumpy. (And since we’re being honest here, even though I haven’t been a teen for many years, when I’m stressed I STILL break out. Which I hate. So very much.) On the other hand, when I’m full of positivity, I have so much more energy, I get more done, I can laser-focus on my projects, and I’m just plain happier.
Does staying positive mean everything is going to go my way? Nope. Of course not. But it will help a lot more than being negative will. I have a better chance at things going well because I’m writing more and trying harder. My writing alone is probably stronger because of it. And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if I’m writing more and writing stronger then I have a much better chance at selling a book than if I’m frowning at my document and forcing out the words at a pace that would make James Joyce look like a speed-writer.
So, the bracelet Shelli gave me has become pretty important because every time I see it (which is several times a day), I’m reminded to “Stay Positive.” More and more, I’m finding I don’t need that reminder, but it’s nice to get that little kick when I’m not feeling great about a day of writing or my plot is making my head explode or I worry about upcoming submissions.
Plus, it makes me do things like this:
Positivity Bracelet. Promoting Cheesy Jen Grins Since May 2010.