Monday, December 30, 2019
It is Monday and Yet
Friday, December 27, 2019
Things at RWA
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, December 23, 2019
My Generally Non-Spoilery Star Wars Thoughts
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, December 16, 2019
In Pursuit of a Photo
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, December 09, 2019
You Don't Know What's on That Phone
Thursday, December 05, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, December 02, 2019
"Dear Jack, Dear Louise" at Arena Stage
Friday, November 29, 2019
Three Things to be Thankful For
Monday, November 25, 2019
A Slightly Different Version of Looking for the Helpers
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, November 18, 2019
Again With This
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, November 11, 2019
"Newsies" at Arena Stage
Thursday, November 07, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, November 04, 2019
November
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Seven Things Twice - A NaNoWrimo Season Approacheth Guide
Seven reasons NaNoWrimo is great fun!
1. Lots of writers writing all across the world. If you are a person who works better with groups or with the social pressure of knowing other people are out there writing, NaNo provides that.
2. 50000 words is a lot of words. Depending on your genre, it may not be a whole book. It may be half a book or a third of a book. But it's 50000 more words than you started the month with.
3. There are charts! Do you love charts and graphs of progress? NaNo has these. It recalculates based on your progress.
4. There are write ins and parties and other gatherings of writers. If you've never done a write in before, I suggest trying one. Often, once you've dragged your butt to the coffee shop or library or wherever, I feel motivated to have words written before I leave. If it doesn't work, now you know more about your process.
5. There are sprints! There's a sprinting tool on the website, and also sprints running on Twitter throughout the month.
6. You are encouraged to write without editing. This means you can do silly things like bracket things you already know you're going to delete later, but still count them towards your total.
7. NaNo attracts writers throughout the spectrum. There are folks who literally decided yesterday they were going to do this, all the way up to published writers. Remember the bright eyed enthusiasm you had when you first thought, "I'm going to write a book!" NaNo can help you get back in touch with that.
Seven reasons NaNoWrimo may not be for you:
1. It's a really fast pace. It is not everyone's ideal pace. I will tell you, I almost always have one day where I get nothing done, and a few where I don't hit the target. But aiming for that goal is helpful. I once tried doubling the pace, and the book I wrote was a mess, and not in a good way. If you've never tried this pace, I recommend giving it a shot.
2. If you are used to editing as you go, it may be really hard for you to not edit. Again, I recommend trying. But there is also a thing called NaNo rebelling, and you can do whatever makes the most sense for your process. Be open to not editing. But if it's holding you back, then be a rebel. They still let you come to the write ins.
3. November may be a crap month for you work wise, home wise, family wise. NaNo also runs a Camp NaNo in April and July if those are better for you. I do November even though it's a short month and there's a holiday stuck in the middle. I usually find I do almost nothing writing wise in December, but Januaryish when things start to get back to normal, having a story ready for my fresh eyes is good. Also, if you get say 25000 words in the first half, then that's still progress.
4. You're a pantser who digs yourself into big plot holes. I'm a pantser and I do often find I run out of plot in week two. And the pressure of NaNo makes me invent something new to get me out of the hole and keep going. But, you may be a writer who writes yourself into a hole and needs a week of TV to get yourself back out. And then the pressure of the ticking clock may not be useful to you. I've been told plotters don't have this problem. Is this true plotters?
5. You became a writer so you didn't have to talk to people. And I keep talking about meetups and write ins and talking to strangers on the internet. If all these extra people sound like too much, you can avoid them, I promise. I like people. But you can do NaNo and tell no one. You can do NaNo, sign up and never go to a thing, never check the Twitter. It's up to you.
6. You are a real writer who does not need a stated event to write books. Cool! Good for you. I also like writing books in months other than November. But – and I use this example a lot, runners can run on their own and they can enter marathons. Both are valid ways to be runners. You can still be a writer if you never NaNo. You can also be a writer who NaNos.
7. You hate arbitrary numbers. Look, I don't know why they picked 50000 words either. But make your own goal. Or write 50000 knowing you will need more or less to do it.
Monday, October 28, 2019
A Suggested Playlist of Sorts
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
"Let's Go Steal a Podcast"
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Books and Theater: The Right to Be Forgotten
Monday, October 21, 2019
"The Right to Be Forgotten" at Arena Stage
Friday, October 18, 2019
Book and Theater: Footloose
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Release Day for the Do It Again Anthology
Monday, October 14, 2019
"Footloose" at the Kennedy Center
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, October 07, 2019
Books - a Third Quarter Round Up
Thursday, October 03, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, September 30, 2019
Local Book Groups
Friday, September 27, 2019
Cover Reveal Link
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Books and Theater: Jitney
Monday, September 23, 2019
"Jitney" at Arena Stage
But at its heart it is about forgiveness. Can you forgive yourself for your failures? Can you forgive others for not conducting themselves they way you would have? For not taking advantage of opportunities you yourself wished you'd had? And what do you do when the ways the city around you claims its improving mean it wants to tear down your place of business. At one point one character says essentially, I have changed but you keep thinking of me like I was.
The cast is stellar. The set was amazing. And while there is still only one woman character in this one, the treatment of her by both the play and the characters was much improved compared to "Two Trains Running".
I realize I've made this play sound tough. It is. But there are moments of laughter. You get to know these characters so well that as the one keeps saying he doesn't butt into anyone's business, you laugh because we all know that person. One actor also cried on stage and I had already been feeling it, but those tears sent me over the edge. It was an excellent production that after it's DC run, will be moving to several other cities.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Three Intersting Things
Monday, September 16, 2019
Four Weddings and a Funeral Wrap Up
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Monday, September 09, 2019
In Which I Handsold a Book to a Stranger
Thursday, September 05, 2019
Three Interesting Things
Tuesday, September 03, 2019
National Book Fest
Thursday, August 29, 2019
7 Things About Aloha to You
Monday, August 26, 2019
Ripped Bodice Bingo - 2019
Someone Wears a Costume - Polaris Rising by Jesse Mihalik, Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
Friday, August 23, 2019
Book News: Aloha to You
Aloha to You -
Seth is an aspiring journalist stuck in a day job he hates. When he interviews a DC-based lei maker he finds himself drawn to Adriana's non-traditional approach to following her dreams. But will his doubts about her approach ultimately be their undoing?
Adriana's already learned the dangers of living a life partially on line. She has set up boundaries and routines to keep herself safe. But it turns out routine can get a little, well, routine. Will Seth be the perfect addition to her life, or further proof that trusting others always ends in tears?
Some people have to find their dreams, Some people make them.
Out 8/29/19. Available for preorder at various etailers
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KJ1DR7
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/4XZnd6