Short Version: Karenina, Burning Man, Curiosities and Awesome CP's (Not necessarily in that order)
Long Version:
What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up. Should you wish to join, check out Jaime's or Erin's lovely blogs and sign up with the link widget at the bottom of the post.
WHAT I'M READING
I've had a fun week of reading. First off, I got to read a fantastic manuscript from one of my CP's. I devoured it in about two days. I am so lucky to have CP's that are excellent writers. It's a joy rather than a task.
I'm also still rereading Anna Karenina. I honestly forgot how good Tolstoy is at delving into the minds of his characters. What motivates them. How they perceive the human condition. There is a line about Levin's reaction to the materialism of St. Petersburg, and his unease that struck me.
"With what he had in his soul...He was afraid of sullying what his soul was brimful of"
"With what he had in his soul...He was afraid of sullying what his soul was brimful of"
WHAT I'M WRITING
I changed gears somewhat and decided to follow my inspiration and work a little bit on my new MS. (I know, I know...not on my To Do list) But I managed to write about 5K on the new MS because the characters are so much fun. I'm not really writing anything in chronological order which is going to come back to bite me later, but I get some sort of inspiration for a scene and have to write it down before I lose it to forgetfulness.
WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO
Besides kayaking my arms off and doing battle with my sinuses? I've been making a bunch of pieces for Burning Man this year. So my workshop is a flurry of feathers, wires, foam, LED lights and other nonsense. I love doing stuff like this. It's kind of a mania with me. I get working on wild costumes or other art projects and time disappears, I forget to eat, I sometimes require band aids, I get spray paint EVERYWHERE! But it is so much fun. And so very satisfying to create something with absolutely no boundaries. Besides of course having it ready to ship by August. Wish me luck on finding a box big enough. *grin* And if I can't be there in person this year, at least some of my artwork will. You'll be able to see my pieces on 6 separate stages this year. And I've been promised lots of pictures.
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Looking forward to seeing pics of Burning Man. Congrats on making progress with your writing, even if it was on the wrong project. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Natasha! The way I see it, progress is progress right? Even if it's the wrong book. :)
ReplyDeleteI love SNIs - they are so fun to start and work with and congrats on writing 5K on one! That's awesome!
ReplyDeleteI love my CPs too. They write some seriously stupendous stories!
Have a great week!
Thanks Alison! And yeah, I don't know where I would be without my awesome CP's. They keep me going and keep me laughing the whole time while I'm at it too. :)
ReplyDeleteAhhh, the lure, the sweet siren song of the SNI. We writers are such magpies. :)
ReplyDeleteI am very intrigued by what you are making for BM. I have seen some rad costumes over the years...LED lights must soar in sales every year before BM. I look forward to seeing pictures of what you've created.
Anna Karenina is one of my favorite books. I love Tolstoy. His characters are always so layered.
Have a lovely week,
Lola
Yes, we writers just love shiny new things don't we. *grin*
DeleteAnd I should have thought to buy stock in LED's before Burning Man, that is a brilliant idea!
And I think Tolstoy is pretty much the Godfather of layered characters. I'm curious what character you most assoicate with?
I don't write chronologically either. It's funny, it didn't really occur to me that I could actually write out of order until Veronica Roth mentioned that that's how she writes. I have a plan, and then I pick and choose what I'm going to write based on mood. And somehow it all gets written! It can be a pain for continuity and whatnot, but it's better than banging your head against a wall trying to move forward in a straight line. Sounds like you're making great progress on this new story. 5K is great!
ReplyDeleteYou're really making me want to read some Tolstoy, which I never thought I'd actually say. :P And you're making me want to do something artistic and/or crafty. Have fun at Burning Man!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who doesn't write chronologically. I thought I might just be a freak of nature. (not to say that I'm not)
DeleteBut if you're doing it too, it makes me feel sooo much better. :) But yeah, that whole continuity bit...so hating that right now with my last MS.
And if I go too long without making some god awful messy art project, I get twitchy and start making Halloween costumes....in July. Wait, did I just admit that Out Loud?!
Writing out-of-sequence is one of the ways I get around being "stuck." You know, you get to a point and you're not sure which direction you want to go, or precisely what happens next. But there's this really cool scene you're dying to write that happens much later in the story. Rather than sit and do nothing, I'll go ahead and work on the new scene. More often than not, the process of writing that scene inspires me to move on from the place I was stuck.
ReplyDeleteI want to read ANNA KARENINA, but first I have to overcome my hesitancy with reading books in translation. One of the reasons I read is to learn from the author's style, word choice, etc. When reading a translation, unless you know the original language, it's hard to know whether what you're reading is Tolstoy's style, or the translator's style. The problem is, I don't know Russian, and as much as I'd like to learn Russian, I don't have time! So I may have to bite the bullet and read it anyway. My writerly sensibilities will protest, though... :)
Yes, me too! Okay, I'm feeling much better about this whole writing out of order thing.
DeleteAnd I agree with you on translations. However, almost all of my favorite authors write in a language besides English, so if I wasn't willing to either A) learn 14 languages or B)Settle for a translation, I would have missed out on some of the best books out there. (In my humble opinion) I think it's important to choose a good translation. You can find reviews of translations written by reviewers who are bilingual and can comment on whether the original voice and style of the author is preserved better in one versus another. (Hooray once again for the internet!)
Good advice about translations, Kris. Duly noted. Thanks! :)
DeleteI write out of sequence all the time when I first start a new project. Once I'm a good 20k into it or more, I start to go in more of a chronilogical order. But even when I'm 50k in, if I'm stuck on the "next" scene but know what will happen three chapters later, I write the later.
ReplyDeleteOh and I LOVE that burning man photo you posted. I can't wait to see pictures of everything you're making.
It's funny, but here I was thinking I was all alone in this aspect and then I get a bunch of writers commenting that they write out of order too. Another reason I LOVE blog comments. I feel much less like a freak of nature now.
DeleteAnd thanks, I'll have to post a slideshow of all the wacky stuff I created. :)
oooh, PLEASE share pics of your work with us! I'd love to see it. I agree with the others-- there is no "right" order when you're getting words down. I jump in wherever I can at some points-- later I try to do edits from beginning to end... but that's mainly because I want to make sure things are getting introduced in the right sequence. :0) Happy writing week.
ReplyDeleteThanks! And I hope the pics come out, because I'll be sad if they don't.
DeleteAnd I agree, editing in order is fairly important. I need to go back through my entire MS to make sure I've got everything in order.
Hope you have a great week too!
There is no coincidence your Pirate name includes Siren of the Seychelles - you're a Siren for good reason and being lured to write your new WiP is evidence! Amazing job on 5k, Kris!!! But I'm still waiting to get my paws on Naked Boy. Don't think I've forgotten about him!
ReplyDeleteAnd your Burning Man projects - I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE PICTURES!!!!
I'm so sorry you've been battling a sinus infection, but I hope you're feeling better!!
I know, I know, my top writing goal for this week is to work on ISIS. Though I should write "work on Naked Boy" instead, because I'd probably be a lot more motivated that way and get a lot more done. :)
DeleteAnd yeah, I'm feeling tons better. I no longer resemble a bridge troll. Just my regular troll self.
I'm really curious about your Burning Man costume! I don't know much about it so I hope you recap everything when it happens!
ReplyDeleteHappy writing! It's always fun to start writing something new.
I've never read Anna Karenina. There are a bunch of classics I'd like to get to, so maybe I'll start soon.
I'm actually making a bunch of costumes and art projects for other people this year, but I hope to have some pictures to share.
ReplyDeleteHappy writing to you too! I can't believe you are finding time to write in the middle of a move. My brain would be in total chaos. :)
Your new site is so lovely!
ReplyDeleteAnd artsy stuff for Burning Man! I can't wait to see what you're creating. I swear, I didn't even know people did stuff like that. Please post something about it after. I'm all about the creative!
And good luck on your new WIP! It's exciting to get so involved that you just have to write. YAY!
I know it's not strictly sensible to write out of order, but sometimes it's just necessary, when that one scene won't stop bouncing around your head. So I fully support this :) I've never read Anna Karenina, and I didn't want the recent film version of it because I do eventually want to get around to it!
ReplyDeleteSo I can't wait to see this Burning Man art. Talk about cool! You're sharing photos, right? :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new MS - sometimes I think that switching gears can lead to very good things. :)
Oooh, loving the blog layout!
ReplyDeleteGo with the inspiration and see where it takes you. That's the most exciting way to write :D I wrote a whole novel out of order, but I kept a contents list so I could sort it all out later on.
Can't wait to see the pictures. I am very intrigued!
Thanks, I'm so glad you like it! And I totally agree, going where the inspiration takes you keeps writing fresh and fun, though eventually I will have to finish my edits. *grin*
DeleteThat's a great line from ANNA KARENINA. I've never read it and that reminds me how woefully behind I am on reading classics. I like to kick off the year with one, but that didn't happen this January. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you treated yourself to working on your new ms. I love to hear about people delving into new ideas and letting the story take hold. Good luck with your Burning Man projects (that sounds so fun and creative) and with your writing endeavors this week!
Thanks Erin! Good luck with your goals this week too!
DeleteAnd I know what you mean about the classics. I stepped away from them for a while, but recently just had a hankering to re-read some of my favorites. If books were snacks, YA would be popcorn (you can eat a whole bowl full in one sitting and thoroughly enjoy it). The classics are more like eating a pomegranate. Lots of layers that require a little more patience, but the insides are like little garnet jewels and so worth the effort. (Can you tell I need a snack?) *goes off to find munchies*