Reading and Writing Wednesday: Some goals and ideas.

Ok, clearly I like when things that I like to do match with the days of the week….
My next brilliant idea is Reading and Writing Wednesday, where I talk about, what else?

Reading
and
Writing.

So, let’s start with READING!

I’d like to get all of my past reading journals scanned soon.
I really did read a lot last year, and I like doing the reading journal, but I’d really like if they were all scanned so I could look back through them and have a nice database of all the books I’ve read.

I WISH I could read more this year, but with going into my third and final year of school, I’m not sure it will be possible. I am sneaking in any chance I can though, including the most recent plane rides.

I was also home with all of my books and re-read a few before giving them away.
What have I been reading lately?

Why we broke up by Daniel Handler, illustrated by Maira Kalman is the book I will most likely finish today.
They are coming to bookshop Santa Cruz soon, so this will turn into an artist date!

On the plane ride back home I read Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. I got it at the free bookstore. This is a “I’d rather someone else just read it and tell me what it’s about” book, but still, I read it. It’s fun to live vicariously, since I would never steal my best friend’s fiancé. Or would I?

 

While home for the holidays I read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It was in my pile of books that I was giving away and I wanted to read it again.

On the plane ride back to the west coast I read the Westing game by Ellen Raskin. AMAZING! No wonder it won the Newbery!

 

That’s it for this week, since I owe the library 50 dollars!

WHAT!
50 dollars!

Yes, because I had 20 books out, because that’s how I roll, and they are 50 cents a day, so…
5 days.
50 dollars.
Not that the library doesn’t need my money…
But I need my money too.

So operation “Read what you have” is in full effect.
I did just bank some trade value at my local used bookstore, but I’m waiting to see which authors are going to be at the SCBWI Summer conference, and then I’m getting all their books.

So, we’re back to Operation: Read what you have.

I’m ok with that.

 Ok, WRITING!

Kind of exciting, I guess….
I am thinking about doing the 12 by 12 in 2012 challenge.
I’m not sure if I should commit, considering it’s about to get CRAZY with school.
But I really like the idea.

I am writing stories on storybird with a friend back home in Plattsburgh.
What’s storybird?
Click the link to find out how awesome it is!
Basically you search through artwork and then, using their very easy set up on the site, you can make stories to go along with the pictures. The stories flip through like real books, and they can become real if you’d like, with options for pdf files and even printing into real books.

I  volunteer to read stories for the site to make sure the content is ok, and this is the first time I’ve written a story.
Writing with someone is really fun.
This particular friend, who is almost half my age, is a really good writer, and I’m glad this is a way that we can connect from opposite coasts. I’ve had fun building on her ideas and seeing her take my ideas in a different direction.

Here’s a few screen shots of what I worked on today. All the pictures on the side are the images you can choose from when making the book:

 

Our story is about a hedgehog who goes on an adventure.
My collaborator came up with a great idea, and then asked me to “make it so the hedgehog gives the donut to the hippo.” There was some freedom in that, and I exercised it!

I’ll let you know when the story goes live!

I’m reading stories for my critique group, and figuring out a way to pay myself to write.

WHAT? you ask.
WHO HAS MONEY TO PAY THEMSELVES TO WRITE?

Calm down.
I will explain.

See, I socked away about 600 dollars for the SCBWI conference this summer, maybe a little bit more (we’ll see when a few bills roll in…)

Anyway, that 600 dollars is just sitting there.
So I figured, why not keep track of when I write and pay myself out of that money?

That way I’ll really “earn” admission to the conference from myself, and I’ll have some good writing.

My first goal is to take an inventory of all the stories I have and put them in a spreadsheet.
Then I’ll get to work.

Partially inspired by “Why we broke up” and mostly inspired by the need to write about it, I started a story concerning one of the hardest things that happened to me in 2011. I’m mostly over it, but writing about anything helps me, so I think this will too.

Plus, this is one story no one will believe.
Which, I think, will make it good.

A few good links I found this week on writing:

This one, from Mo Willems, about books.
My favorite part?
“So, suddenly, that book is not just a book; it’s our book. We’re the ones making it work. We’re the ones making it sing. Right there in our chairs as we gently flip the pages, we are, at our own pace, creating a living story just by reading.

And you don’t have to turn off a book during takeoff and landing.”

One about agents that is more business-y, but very good.
and the last one is not really about writing, but it’s about clearing books off your bookshelf.
Which ones to keep, which ones to donate or give away.
Everyone who writes needs this advice.
I’m sure of it.

Under the keep list is:
If you have children,  (keep) books for children. It’s easy for kids to work on their reading skills when they have many options for reading materials.

So you writers with children, you can breathe a sigh of relief. For writers without children, I give you full permission to keep all those children’s book, because your artistic side is that child, and it’s easy for you to work on your writing skills when you have many options for reading materials.

See how I twisted that?

Yup.

Hope everyone is reading and writing a lot and having a fun week!

KE