The Writing Community

Warning - I'm not witty at the best of times but this post rates 98% on the sappy factor.

This post isn't particularly about writing per se, but I wanted to write a post that talked about the online writing community in general.

I haven't been blogging for very long, it's really only been a couple of months since I started this blog and I still haven't told any of my friends or family about it yet. Mostly when I start a new blog, I tell people I know about it and get everyone to follow me, but my writing.... at the moment it's something I don't feel ready to share just yet. It's like it's my "dirty little secret" - just kidding ... but not really. One day I'll definitely tell them my blog exists, but it's almost like I need to prove to myself that I can really make a go at being a writer first.

There are very few people who I have told that I'm writing, and even fewer know about the plot of my WIP. A couple of people who have known me for a long time laughed when I told them I was writing a book.  I'd never really talked about my desire to write to them in the past, and because I'm not one of those authors who has been walking around with a notepad and pen since I was old enough to stand up, people didn't believe me when I said I wanted to be a writer. I have to say, it was quite disheartening to see people who know me so well laugh at the prospect of me working on a novel. It got to the point where I was embarrassed to tell people that I wanted to spend the next year focusing on my writing because I didn't want them to think I was a hopeless dreamer.

It is true that any desire I had to write had been kept under wraps most of my life. I didn't talk about it much, any writing that I did was channeled into other mediums like blogs, magazine articles, reviews, newspaper articles, school essays and the occasional short story here and there... I always loved writing, particularly creative writing, I just didn't figure there was any point in pursuing it because, quite frankly, I thought I was rubbish. I channeled all my energy into performance - singing, dance and drama - until I decided I was rubbish at them as well!

It wasn't until I was stuck in a horrible, dead end job which was going no where that I decided I really wanted a job that would let me write. I remember a conversation to my mother where I literally just whined about how all I wanted to do was write. My mum then mentioned something about me writing a novel. I'd never even considered the possibility of writing a book. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it sooner because writing a novel would really be a combination of everything I love. I really try and make a conscious effort to focus on the things that make me happy in life, by doing what I love to do. This mentality gave me the final push to just go ahead and give it a try. While I have lived with this mentality for quite some time, I recently saw this video, which is quite inspiring, which might better help explain my 'seize the day' and 'do what you love' frame of mind.

Anyway, the whole point of this post was to talk about the writing community. When I started this blog I had no readers (I still don't think I have any regular readers, but it's nice to know my blog gets viewed by eyes other than my own from time to time)! After I started this blog I discovered a whole new part of cyberspace within the 'online writing community'. While I started reading a lot of other blogs written both by individuals and groups, one of my favourite places to check into regularly quickly became YA Highway. Aside from the great posts that are put up every few days, I love their weekly blog hop. Being able to discover new blogs and writers, and seeing everyone's answers to the weekly questions is my favourite part of the week. It is when the more personalized answers come out that the writing community has really given me 'warm fuzzies'. The questions that talk about aspects of our book or our future plans has always really surprised me. I certainly wasn't expecting the writing community to be so incredibly, unquestioningly supportive and lovely. It's really blown me away, and the comments I get on this blog really make me smile.

I'm kind of a 'blog noob' and can't always figure out how to follow people... in fact I've only just figured out how to schedule posts and imbed YouTube videos (oh the shame), but I'm working on figuring it out (I get the ones that say 'google connect' but after that I'm stumped... help?!) because all the other writers blogs I've been reading on here have really impressed me and I've learned so much from this community.

**update - I've FINALLY figured out how to put the 'followers' section in there. I always wondered why it was never showing up.... and here I was thinking I was tech savvy!**

So I just wanted to write a quick (well I intended it to be quick but it's actually rather long) post about how thankful I am to the writing community for being your amazing selves, for the lovely post comments (I will never, ever stop loving the awesome blog post comments) and for being all around awesome. The support I receive from others in the writing community really encourages me to be proud about my writing, to not want to keep it a secret, and encourages me to keep going. It fuels my love and passion for the written word and it inspires me to reach higher than I ever thought possible. I'm excited about talking more to all the amazing writers on here, learning from them and supporting them in their own endeavors.

RTW: Best Book of August...

Wednesday already? Holy moly, the weeks are flying by! So for those who don't know, Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's question...

Best book in August?

I can't believe it's nearing the end of August. Time is really flying! Feels like just yesterday I was writing about the best book of July!

This questions was a no brainer for me. While I've read a couple of interesting books this month, the one that has really captured me is Hourglass by Myra McEntire. 

I'd heard a few good things about this book in the past and when I came across it while looking for some new books for my kindle, I thought I might as well give it a try. I couldn't put it down. In fact, I got grumpy when I reached my subway stop on the way to work and had to stop reading! 

I found the book to be well written, captivating and it wasn't infuriating as some novels are with their love stories and ways of presenting the conflict. You are given enough information to be satisfied while still wanting more yet you're not left totally in the dark feeling frustrated by the whole situation.

Here's the plot

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

There's a nice mix of romance, suspense, intrigue, drama, heartbreak, comedy and each chapter leaves you wanting more. It's obviously not a completely novel idea but the way it's presented is very original. I also love the fact it's set in Tennessee... I haven't read many books set there! It's cool. There are some time travel/ability style elements in it and sometimes I find hard to fully grasp the concept of time travel and how everything fits on the time and space continuum but it was really well done. Well written and captivating.

Now I'm on to the next book in the series and it's just as addictive. In fact I've started road reading again (three points if you know the book I got that term from!). When you live in NYC road reading is really not a smart idea. sigh.....

RTW: My Love List

Another week, another Road Trip Wednesday! I love Wednesdays for this reason! It's a weekly blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's post is inspired by Stephanie Perkins' post about a novel's "Love List".

What is your novel's Love List?

The love list is such a great idea. Mine is still very short, I've only been working on this current novel a couple of weeks, so I'm still just learning about my world, and learning about my characters. Regardless, there are a few things I love, or love to hate within my novel and these have made up my list

Silver-blue hair
Long eyelashes
Moss Covered Rocks
The waterfall
Flax bushes
Community love
Hidden house
Learning a new language
Empathy
The colour green
Sterile labratory
Good eyesight!
Boy with a big heart
The strong extended family
The power of love
The friendship that extends to all ages

RTW: Let's talk sports...

Gotta love Road Trip Wednesday! It's a weekly blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's post...

In honor of the end of the Olympics, share your favorite sports book

I'm kind of a fail New Zealander. We're a sports mad country. We're all about our rugby, and we follow the cricket and netball, we're pretty good at the old sailing and scored the America's Cup more than once.... we're brought up in the outdoors, we participate in the Saturday morning sports and we're encouraged to "Take a kid to Footy" during the winter. It was the 'cool thing to do'.

Now I do enjoy watching a bit of sports here and there. I got right on into the Olympics. The Opening Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony - just wow. Blew my mind. The gymnastics too, I love watching the gymnastics. Unfortunately that was about it. Mainly because I don't have a TV and also because America plays everything on a 5 hour tape delay, and they only show events that America is competing in. I really wanted to root for New Zealand you see...

Anyway, back to the question at hand... as I was saying, I'm not big on sports, and so when I read I typically don't read sporting related books. I read one once when I was 12. It was for school. It was a New Zealand book called Alex, about a teenage swimmer trying to get to the Olympics (fitting really). It was a good book from memory, but that's the only book that sticks out specifically about sports. But it's not a favourite book for me and I can't actually remember what happens in it...

SO I'm going to have to get a little creative here.....

I pick two. The first is Harry Potter. Now I can almost see you're face twisting and your mind whirring, saying 'that's not about sports.' Well think a little harder. Of course there is the Voldemort hunting and Horcrux hunting sport in the Deathly Hallows book.... then of course there's Quidditch! Now that's a pretty exciting sport! Flying around on broomsticks, trying to get the quaffle through the hoop with one particular team member desperately searching for a flying tiny golden ball. Doesn't get much better than that!

The second is The Hunger Games. It's a sport, right? For the people in the Capitol at least. Teenagers running around trying to kill the other opponents. Well okay, it's a pretty shocking sport, but it's a book about some form of sport, or game, nonetheless.

I'm really sorry, blog hoppers! That's the best I can do! I shall plan to redeem myself next week and in the meantime, if you have any recommendations of sports books that are simply great, do tell! It's obviously an area I'm lacking in!

RTW: The best book of July

Road Trip Wednesday is a blog hop hosted by YA Highway!

This week's question...

What was the best book you read in July?

This is a really tricky one because I've been reading some truly incredible books lately of all different styles and genres. 

I think I'm going to have to choose Veronica Roth's Divergent.

 

I hadn't heard of this book until I stumbled upon it on Amazon, but it's a YA dystopian style novel (right up my alley). It's set in futuristic Chicago and followed 16 year old Beatrice, or Tris as she becomes known, as she chooses her place in society. Her world has been divided into four factions based on human virtues.

Abnegation is for the selfless; the people who do not concern themselves with their own wellbeing but will always put everyone else first. Dauntless is for the brave, those who strive to conquer their fears and are not afraid to take risks. Erudite is for the intelligent, if Hermione Granger lived in this world, I’m sure this is where she’d belong – “books and cleverness” as she’d say – those who value education and learning will be found in Erudite (pretty sure I'd be Erudite). Amity is for the peaceful; those who seek calm and tranquility. Amity is where you’ll find people who will go above and beyond to keep the peace. Candor is for the honest – You will not find a candor that can lie; they are consistently truthful and will always speak their mind.

Each year, the teenagers who have recently turned sixteen will undergo their tests to determine which faction they are most likely to fit into, then, at the choosing ceremony, they will make their choice. Some will abandon their families and choose another faction, while others are destined to remain in the faction they have always known. Tris’ decision puts in motion a sequence of events that will have you on the edge of your seat. The highly competitive initiation into her chosen faction, a potential romance with a mysterious boy, a growing conflict within her seemingly perfect society and a secret which if revealed could mean death pushes the story forward making it a true dystopian page turner.

The reason I chose this book as the best I've read in July is because I spent an entire weekend reading book one and two of the series. I barely emerged, all I did was read. I literally turned into a hermit. Then, when I was done, I recommended it to my friends, I talked to my FH (future husband) about it - in fact I wouldn't shut up about it. I wanted to be inside this world, to know Tris, to meet Four, to experience what they're experiencing.

If a book does that to you, firstly - kudos to the author, they've written a very compelling book; and secondly - you know it has resonated with you more than any of the other books you've read lately simply because you didn't bother to talk about the others.

Therefore, Divergent was the best book I read in July. It's also right up there alongside the best books I've read this year, and that's saying something!

What's the best book you've read this July?