Annie Cardi's Blog, page 75

Stacks of Books and a Mug of Tea

This weekend, I was talking with some friends about how important it is to have a variety of mugs on hand. Some days you might want the small, diner-style mug; others require the big mug with the Christmas design. My philosophy: the more mug options, the better. I might have to add this Matilda mug to my collection:

Find your favorite Roald Dahl character on this collection from McLaggan Smith Mugs.

(via A Cup of Jo)

Friday Fifteen

Another Friday, another Friday Fifteen! Check out the latest in fifteen-word book reviews.

1. Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn

Memoir about family and homelessness in Massachusetts. Don’t remember many details, but the vibe sticks.

2. American Girls Cookbook: A Peek at Dining in the Past With Meals You Can Cook Today by American Girl Library, Jeanne Thieme

Never made anything, but loved reading the recipes and history. Might try Kirsten’s bread someday.

3. Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt

The cutest form of peer pressure.

4. The Incredible Clay Book by Sherri Haab and Laura Torres

I made so many clay peapods with this.

5. Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins

I don’t care if it’s not pushing boundaries; Billy Collins has some lovely poems.

Puppies and Books: the Perfect Pair

It’s almost the end of the summer. These puppies are doing all they can to get the last of their summer reading in.

Looks like this guy just read “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.”

(image: hipster puppies, via BuzzFeed)(H/T Catherine Donnellan)

Writing Through the Woods: Getting Around Writer’s Block

Margaret Atwood knows how to write. She’s tackled literary criticism, poetry, dystopian novels before they were trendy, and more. So of course I take note of her 10 rules for writing. One I like in particular:

“Don’t sit down in the middle of the woods. If you’re lost in the plot or blocked, retrace your steps to where you went wrong. Then take the other road. And/or change the person. Change the tense. Change the opening page.”

I had this problem a lot when starting on one of my current projects. I kept circling back and trying different things. For a while it felt like I was going in circles, but I eventually found my footing and have kept moving forward in the draft since.

Make sure to check out Atwood’s other tips. And for more on getting stuck in the writing process, Laurie Halse Anderson has a post up today about conquering various forms of writer’s block. That means no writing excuses over the weekend, guys!

Links Galore

A few more links for the afternoon:

TLT’s list of YA novels dealing with body image and obesity.
Do you or would you ? Love this “match the pen name to real name” quiz, too.
Speaking of pens, check out the history of the ballpoint pen.
Get ready for lots of “now a major motion picture” cover for quite a few novels this fall.

You Could Describe My Writing Style as Cat-like

Love Julie True Kingsley’s post about her writing process is like her battle against the corn meal moths. She describes her writing process as having a lot of intensity and fervor, but can be frenzied. She also looks at more meticulous and steady approaches, like how Jo Knowles described how her writing process is like running.

That, of course, got me thinking about my own writing style. I don’t think I’m as enthusiastic as Julie and I’m not as focused as Jo. Probably not surprisingly, I turned to adorable animal videos for my answer. Then it hit me.

I’m like Maru.

In particular, this video of Maru:

Maru circles the box. He’s uncertain about this box at first. Then Maru can’t get enough.

Like Maru, sometimes I need to circle an idea for a while. I don’t tend to talk about my works-in-progress a lot. Sometimes I get nervous about starting to write and actually sitting at the desk, and will avoid it. But once I’m there I love it. I end up wishing I could do it all day. I am totally Maru jumping into the box.

What’s your writing style like?

Also, if you haven’t seen any of Maru’s videos, check them out. Maru’s hilarious.

Love Those Love Lists: Road Trip Wednesday

I don’t tend to take part in a lot of weekly activities, but this week’s Road Trip Wednesday on YA Highway is too awesome to pass up.

Inspired by Stephanie Perkins’ post on Natalie Whipple’s blog, what is your novel’s “Love List”?

From Stephanie Perkin’s original post about Love Lists:

“Whenever I begin a new project, I also begin a list called “What I Love About This Story.” I start by writing down those first ideas that sparked the fires of my mind, and then I add more ideas to it as I discover them during my push through early drafts….I use this love-list as a touchstone to remind myself during the hard times why my story is worthwhile. It’s easy to forget the GOOD STUFF when I’m wading through the muck, and the end is still months away, and it feels pointless and hopeless to continue. This list becomes a crucial reminder: Yes! This is a story worth telling! If I saw this sitting on a shelf, I would want to read it!”

Such a great idea! What a great way to keep yourself going, and to have a point of reference for all the stuff in your story you’re working toward or focusing on. My current project’s love list so far:

haiku
humor
concerts
Judaism
pie
grocery carts
tradition and identity
Bat Mitzvah
poseurs

Make sure to check out the comments in YA Highway’s post, because people link to their own love lists. Share yours, too!

Find Your Passion

Kind of in love with artist Lisa Congdon’s work. Her series of quotes is fantastic, too. I especially like this one:

Good advice for pretty much anyone. Work like writing can be hard, especially when there’s a lot of rejection involved. Staying tremendously interested in stories can help you move forward through those hard times in your writing career.

It doesn’t look like this image is up on her Etsy site (yet?) but I’d love to have a print and hang it above my desk. Great writing inspiration!

(image: Julia Congdon)(via A Beautiful Mess)

Authors on Higher Education: What’s Worth It?

Wahoowa!

Apparently it’s “YA Authors Talk About Higher Education and How It Affects Your Finances” week. First up, John Green looks at whether college is worth it or not.

On the graduate degree side, Laurie Halse Anderson looks at the MFA and if that’s worth it.

As someone who attended both, I had a great academic experience, and I can certainly say that my career was furthered because of my education. But I’d also say that this isn’t the right path for everyone, or the only path available. College and grad school can be absurdly expensive and there are major problems in academia. Still, like John says, the opportunity to learn lots of things is awesome. It really comes down to who you are and what you want out of your education.

(image: Rex Hammock)

Links Galore

Lots of great links for today:

There’s something about island life.
I never read Lurlene McDaniel’s books, but I’m still loving the recaps over at Forever Young Adult.
When would your main character not act like him/herself?
Why your opening scene is like being on a blind date.
One Teen Story is ready to meet its readers!
Jo Knowles on why running is like writing.