Alisa M. Libby's Blog, page 3

book therapy

Stuck? Uninspired? Read the best books. Repeat as needed.

My current reading list (though I always change my mind on what to read next):

Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand (Just finished this. Not YA but so wonderful. I'm sure I didn't understand it all…but such lovely writing, I couldn't put it down)

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Matched by Ally Conde

Waking the Moon by Elizabeth Hand

Mechanique by Genevieve Valentine

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I read for entertainment, but also to learn about writing and to be inspired. I really don't know what happens next in my book…I'm hoping that reading everything I can get my hands on will help generate some ideas. If you know of any books of the "girl gets an opportunity to go away on an adventure" persuasion, let me know. Boarding school books? Haunted castles? These are the adventures I want to read about. And anything else that you thought was wonderful.

Sherlock and the power of revision

We are obsessed with the BBC series Sherlock. Absolutely devoted, rivaling our love for Downton Abbey. So we have Season One on DVD and we watch all of the extras and commentary, you know, like dorks do. (Don't get me started on Deadwood, a whole other obsession).

Anyhow, the other night we noticed "A Study in Pink: The Pilot" on the DVD. A Study in Pink is the first episode of the series, but this was the pilot episode – a one hour show they produced, shared with BBC, and were told that yes, this is great. But it was so good that they wanted three 90 minute movies, as opposed to more episodes of a one hour show. They couldn't just add another 30 minutes to what they had, that wouldn't work. So they had to dismantle the whole thing and rethink it.

So they revisited A Study in Pink, revisited the script, the plot, the subplots. That is evident from watching the pilot. They rethought where specific scenes should take place, which shots should be used, how the dialogue would be delivered. Even the scenery is altered (221B Baker Street gets some fantastic new wallpaper). In some scenes, the pilot is very much like the first episode. But in other cases it's much different, and the longer version is far superior. Not only did they get much better cameras for the 90 minute version, they had that luxury of revisiting and reworking the entire script.

This was a good lesson for me, courtesy of the genius minds who recreated Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century. Revision may be a lot of work – a lot of reworking what you already thought you had done. But it's not a drag, it's not a pain. It's a second chance to make something terrific into something brilliant.

so, what am i doing about it?

After confessing my recent sins (specifically Avoidance and Procrastination) I've been making efforts to combat these pitfalls. My accomplishments thus far:

* I've been steadily working my way through the pile of books I've amassed. Some of them have been useful and I took notes. Others I perused but decided not to spend much time with them. It feels good to see that pile shrink, it was starting to bug me.

* I've been writing relatively steadily all week. Just come home and write a scene before dinner. That's all. Just one scene. You can do it. And when you're done, yes, you can watch Angel on Netflix.

My future challenge: I already know there are things I want to change and develop in what I've already written, but I don't think now is the time to backtrack. Now might be the time to forge ahead. Take note of all my future changes and keep moving into the book. I'm sure that more changes and ideas will be added to that list as I continue, anyhow. And I don't want to get stuck in that loop of constantly nitpicking Part One and ignoring the fact that I have no Part Two or Three. I might take a break to read a novel (I have a hard time writing a novel and reading one at the same time – especially if it's YA) and brainstorm ideas for Part Two. But limit the time spend brainstorming and make sure to get back to work before long – I know a good Avoidance strategy when I hear it!

seven deadly writing sins

I was thinking about the self-created issues that get in the way of writing. I don't mean life issues or even a day job that take me away from my book, but stuff I make up in my head that gets in the way. Here are a few:

* Procrastination/Distraction (aka, Netflix)

* Impatience (leads to inefficient use of time and general crazy head)

* Boredom (you're bored with your book? well fix it. you're boring yourself.)

* Ignoring the blessings of the muse (yes there is a lot of work to do and it looks ugly right now, but there might be some very lovely things about this book if you would just sit down and WRITE IT already.)

* Envy (yes, I know, it's in the Big Seven but I think it belongs here, too. We do harm to ourselves as writers when we compare our in-progress work to the finished, polished, published works of other writers. It's not fair to us or our works in progress.)

* Avoidance (Just sit down, just sit down in the chair and write. Just do it. Pretty please. No–no more internet research! No more note-taking or outlining! No!)

* Giving up

They are all thematically linked, of course. I was thinking of procrastination lately (most likely while procrastinating). I came across a meditation CD that would supposedly cure a person of this sin. But it begs the question – how would I not procrastinate from actually listening to the CD? It's a conundrum.

I think I've been suffering most keenly from…wait, from ALL OF THESE. SIMULTANEOUSLY. The one that I realized recently was Avoidance, which is vaguely different from Procrastination. For me, Procrastination is "okay, time to write. Oh, but I'm hungry, why don't I have a snack first. And while I have my snack, I'll watch Angel on Netflix. And when I'm done with that, I'll get another snack and browse Netflix for random movies."

While procrastination is obviously bad, avoidance can be just as insidious – though it is dressed up in the best intentions. For example, I have a strong urge to scour library shelves and online catalogs in search for books to read to "research" my book. This results in a stockpile of books that I intended to read for research – which I have yet to do. I haven't had time, I'm too busy trolling the internet for other books I must read! If I were actually reading these books, that would be called research, fair enough. But the endless searching is Avoidance – maybe even Resistance to sitting down and getting any work done? It creates real problems – it takes time away from writing, it adds these to-read books to my already-overwhelming to do list, AND – most dangerous of all – I'm convincing myself that I CAN'T write this book right now. Apparently I just don't have the correct words or information or something or other in me, and I need to spend time SEARCHING for it before I start writing. I could search forever. I could find the most perfect research books. But even if I were to read these illuminating volumes, that still leaves the writing of my book. Which I have been avoiding.

So what am I going to do about this? I'll report my plan of attack in my next post.

back to work

Meet Percival, another piece by Odilon Redon. I think Percival searched for the holy grail. I meant to visit him again but it's been a busy (and chilly) week with no time for a trek back to the MFA.

I am back at work but still reading and researching and letting ideas germinate. Thinking a lot about how best to balance work and writing and life in general. If anyone has any thoughts on this, please let me know. I need to keep the writing going even during a normal work week.

choose optimism

I've been here, writing. For the most part. There were some holidays scattered in there, and snacks, and frittering away time on Netflix. But I have done a bit of writing. One week in I hit a wall: "I hate this book, it's no good, I don't want to write it any more." I could feel myself giving up, and it wasn't just a sad feeling, it was scary. Will I give up on every book? Will I never finish another novel?

So I took a little break. Did the aforementioned snacking and reading and whatnot. Then I went back to it and yes, it has some problems, some still unanswered questions. But it isn't all bad, I don't think. Not all of it. There's something here I can work with.

I could continue down the path of "Writing is hard! This is stupid! It's not good enough I hate it I quit!" That path is wide open and all too easy to take (along with drowning in Netflix and ice cream and my own misery). But perhaps for now I will choose optimism. You can choose these things, you know. The book is far from perfect, far from done. Far from even figured out yet. I really don't know what it will be. But I'm ready to stick around for a while and find out.

In other news, I visited the MFA yesterday. I'm now a huge fan of Odilon Redon and Randolphe Bresdin – very beautiful black and white fantastical etchings, a few of Redon's are dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe (that's the sound of worlds colliding). Above is The Reader, Redon's portrait of his teacher, Bresdin. So peaceful, so thoughtful…It's a relatively small exhibit of their work (along with a million other things that I loved there which I will talk more of later) but it's only there for a few more days so if you are in the neighborhood I highly recommend it.

happy unicorn holiday to you

Wishing you a magical holiday, regardless of what or how you celebrate. If you are invited to a yule ball at a school for witchcraft and wizardry, please be sure to invite me along. Or if you spend time with ladies dancing on tip-toe like wind-up dolls, that's good, too. Speaking of magic, thank you to my fellow writer friend Anne Handley-Fierce for sharing this amazing Christmas card. Here's hoping I get my unicorn this year. Also, here is the GSLIS Holiday eCard for your enjoyment – our love letter to independent bookstores: http://gslis.simmons.edu/holiday11/.

graphic novels – from the experts!

Courtesy of this month's issue of the GSLIS InfoLink newsletter, I have some fantastic graphic novel reader's advisory for you from GSLIS Faculty member Linda Braun and GSLIS CE Instructor Robin Brenner (who has an awesome blog for all of your graphic novel needs:  http://noflyingnotights.com/). For more book picks and to read the entire issue, click here: http://gslis.simmons.edu/infolink/.

Linda Braun's Graphic Novel Picks

Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw

A fast-moving graphic novel for adults that tells the story of a dysfunctional family who comes together so the parents can let their adult children know they are getting divorced.

The Cartoon Guide to Statistics by Larry Gonick

If math is not your thing, then a graphic novel about statistics might do the trick. The images and text together explain the basics, along with some advanced principles.

Fables Vol. 1 Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

The first volume in a classic series in which fairy-tale characters reside in Fabletown, where they live out their lives in ways unexpected, from the likes of Snow White, Prince Charming, and Rose Red.

The Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan

In this series, a group of teenagers discover that their parents really are as evil as they think. That's because their parents are supervillains. What can the teens do but run away from the evil and take matters into their own hands?

Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way

My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way wrote the comics that make up this first volume. The story follows a group of super-powered young people who are making their way from adolescence to adulthood and trying to figure out how to deal with family relationships, lies, and super powers at the same time. Trauma, tragedy, and humor ensue.

Robin Brenner's Graphic Novel Picks

Two Generals by Scott Chantler

Based on his grandfather's journals, this story of two young Canadians joining up at the start of World War II is charming, heartbreaking, and beautifully told. The book is designed to resemble the journals it draws from, and Chantler's work here is a master class in the importance of using color judiciously and effectively.

Around the World by Matt Phelan

Phelan is known for his fine line work and expressive characters, and this latest work is a lovely look at three trips around the world, each taken for various reasons. But the curiosity to see what's beyond the next horizon ties them all together.

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton

This hilarious collection of Kate Beaton's comic strips, from her website of the same name, is everything I want from one of her strips: intelligent, clever, irreverent, and giving spot-on observations about the ridiculousness of history. Her sense of timing and expression are what make her work so funny — check out her take on Nancy Drew covers for some of my recent favorites.

20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa

Urasawa is one of the top manga creators working today. For folks new to manga, his work is also visually accessible. This series is not yet finished here in the US, but it's well worth waiting for the last five volumes. It follows childhood dreams twisted into adult nightmares. A rag-tag team opposes a labyrinthine government conspiracy in a plot straight out of the best sci-fi thrillers. With Urasawa's handling, the story is kept on an effective human scale, zeroing in on friendship, loyalty, determination, and a strong sense of justice, the key elements to any epic storyline.

Hexed by Michael Nelson and Emma Rios

I was as big a Buffy fan as the next girl of my generation, and I know many of us still search for a similar, kick-butt, no-nonsense heroine. Our reluctant heroine, the slim young woman Lucifer, is just my kind of character: smart, snide, and a survivor. Trapped by horrific circumstances, she nonetheless perseveres, clinging to the slim hope of coming out on top eventually. The art is gorgeous, and despite what the cover may imply there is zero cheesecake: Lucifer is a great heroine and does not sex it up for the reader's entertainment.

in which i pretend to be a very fancy writer

Last night I went to a book launch party for Sabina Murray's novel Tales of the New World. I got to talk to all manner of writers – journalists, non-fiction writers, novelists, and even some sort of famous writerly people. I met Jennifer Haigh, author of The Condition and Mrs. Kimble and a whole bunch of other books I would like to read. You would think meeting such a successful author would be intimidating, but when she described her writing style as slow but diligent, I felt comforted. She writes slowly, too! Then it must be okay. As if all of this writing talk wasn't enough, I also got to pet a very beautiful golden laborador, who also attended the reading. Sigh.

Tonight, I have a date with some kale, and mushrooms, and red peppers. I am terrifically excited.

the universe is telling you…nothing. get back to work.

This is how it happens: this is the moment where I become disillusioned and cranky and worried and doubtful, and I break up with a book. Or, if not a complete break up, something even more insidious: I take a break from it. "I think I'll put this project aside for a while and work on something else." But that hasn't worked for me! Why should I think it will work, now?

I have a big revision ahead of me, is the thing. Staring me in my scared little face. I don't really know what I can salvage from this draft, and I feel so thwarted; it feels so much like starting over. And then there are those other ideas, just waiting for some attention…perhaps I should attend to them?

But I can't. I won't. I made a commitment to focus on one project. Now is not the time for weakness or doubt or a wandering creative eye. Am I a woman or am I a mouse?