Ann Benjamin's Blog, page 261

Sunday Sentence.

Dimity had firm opinions on cucumber, which she felt was nothing more than slimy, embarrassingly shaped water and should never, under any circumstances, be presented at table.

Gail Carriger, Manners & Mutiny

I’m enjoying the final adventure in Ms. Carriger’s YA Finishing School series (full review after I finish – hopefully tonight) and while there are many quotable lines, this is my favorite so far.  As an author Ms. Carriger has such a wonderfully distinct writing style, I’m truly sad this series is coming to an end!

Never Going Back Again.

I did the thing today.

Although it’s been in the aether for awhile (and the letter has been drafted for over a week), today was the day I submitted my resignation letter to my current employer, with effect January 28, 2016.

As I drove into work this morning, I had a big smile on my face and even turned down the radio to simply sing aloud.

I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I’m excited for it.  I’ve had a few moments this week where I’ve wanted to open up one of my manuscripts and do something, but I know that’s not fair to myself (or my books).  If I’m going to do this author/freelance/stay at home wife/hiatus thing for real, I need to not be distracted by the 40,000 other things that are going in my life. I need to be in the right space to create, edit and write.  I’m not trying to excuse my other novels (as they did not have this luxury), I simply look forward to only concentrating on one or two projects and leaving a toxic environment far behind.

Funnily enough, I’m not scared or nervous (maybe those feelings will come as we get closer to January, or later in 2016 when I don’t have a solid paycheck), but optimistic.  No, I’ve not had a lot of book sales recently.  No,  I haven’t received a large number of positive reviews.  Yes, I still need to move cities, find a new home and all the other things that go with relocating before I can even get started with my projects.  However, I can already picture my first day in my new office, steaming cup of tea nearby, opening my files on my big desktop computer and getting straight to work.  No distractions.  No hazards.  Just me and my creativity.

A Gif on Writing

Found this one on Tumblr and it made me miss writing.  Fortunately, there’s a lot going on at the moment that I wouldn’t be doing much even if I was writing.  Looking forward to January 2016 and making the flowers grow again!

Top Ten Wishes I’d Ask the Book Genie to Grant Me!

Although I’m a few weeks late, here’s my Top 10.  The original for this fun topic can be found here (which was originally posted here).

An adaptation of any of Tamora Pierce’s novels to screen. (Did I mention that I get to help with casting?)
The ability to ‘pause’ time to read every night.  I don’t always get time and it’s probably what I would do with more hours in a week.  So many books, so little time!
Dinner and drinks with Gail Carriger.  I’d love to pitch my current YA steampunk book to her and just brainstorm ideas over champagne.
Some sort of Sims type game in all my favorite universes, where I can control all the characters.
More mainsteam fanfiction recognition (no, 50 Shades of Grey does NOT count!).  There are amazing authors out there who deserve some attention.
The ability to consult my characters in real life.
ALL the crossovers.  Multiple books where characters from different universes interact with each other (regardless of time period or world).
My old book club to be able to get together regularly (even though we now live on 3 separate continents).
An unlimited account on Amazon to download books with.  Without access to libraries and reading as fast as I do, this hobby adds up quickly!
Lucid dreams with all those Regency hunks I love so much.

What would you ask the Book Genie for?

 

Sunday Sentence.

Here’s a sigh to those who love me,

And a smile to those who hate:

And, whatever sky’s above me,

Here’s a heart for every fate.

~ Lord Byron, To Thomas Moore

On reading.

Too frequently, people feel the need to seek a takeaway or talk about a book as though the message is more important than the purpose of storytelling. But the purpose, as it was created so long ago, was for entertainment. It’s okay if the only thing you “get” from a book is an enjoyable time reading it.

Fun matters. We belittle it too much and we reach too hard for making something “mean” more than it needs to. Loosen up. Tell a kid to read that book because it’s fun, not because it’s going to change their life.

You never know if fun is the key to improving their life. Or yours.

from Wreck These Rules: “Laws” of Reading You Can Totally Break

Comparison is the thief of joy.

We compare ourselves, don’t we?  It’s a completely human trait.  And with social media being what it is these days, it’s nearly impossible not to know what your best friend, former co-worker, distant cousin, or boyfriend from second grade is doing with their life.  In the recent past, I feel more bombarded than ever by all the amazing things my friends, family members and acquaintances are doing.

It can be overwhelming.

For example, with my upcoming hiatus very heavy on my mind (I’ll be making it official by handing in my resignation in the near future), I still vacillate between ‘this is the best idea I’ve ever had’ to ‘what the actual hell are you doing with your life?’

Recent examples:

Friend gets huge promotion in television industry.  

My thoughts:  Why did we leave Los Angeles?  If we had stayed, would my career have the same trajectory?

Drafting my resignation letter.

My thoughts:  You’ve sold less books this year than ever.  Your current book isn’t moving.  How on earth do you think you can justify leaving a well paid job to pursue this hobby?

Friend gets awesome book agent.

My thoughts:  More of above.  Friend has book agent, traditionally published books and maintains full time job.  WHY ARE YOU LEAVING WORK?

People go on fantastic trips.

My thoughts: Even after visiting some incredible places in just this year alone, I know we could sneak at least two more visits into 2015.  Or, as Hubs likes to remind me, it sounds like I’m constantly saying ‘we never go anywhere.’

A person starts something up and in less than a week has tons of support.

My thoughts:  Why can’t I do the same thing?  Why aren’t my projects taking off in the same way?  I have tons of friends!  Oh yeah…it’s because I hate bothering people to push a product I assume they don’t want.  Furthermore, why can’t I achieve success without approaching every person I know?

Instagram is blowing up as a social media platform.

My thoughts:  Why didn’t I see this coming?  Have I lost my edge?  Is there still time to make the switch or am I just going to lose the audience I’ve worked so hard to obtain?

And so on and so forth.  My brain at night is a super fun place to hang out.

TL;DR Privileged person feels sad and probably just needs to get over herself.

30 Day Art Challenge, Day 30: Favorite Food

So, I kind of skipped a few days of the challenge and am ending on a fun note.  I love sushi and had to include this .gif!  Have a great week ahead.

 

Sunday Sentence(s).

Although I was a bit whelmed by the book, I did enjoy some of how B.A. Shapiro described the creative process in her book.

I’m relieved, proud, euphoric. I’m exhausted, headachy, and filled with an overwhelming sense of loss.

For a moment, my troubles vanish, and pure joy overpowers me. I created this. And this. And this. My babies standing proud, bursting with life and beauty, graduating into the world, their future unknown but full of promise.

B.A. Shapiro, The Art Forger

Both quotes, to me, have everything to do with not only finishing a major creative endeavor, but also putting that project out into the world.  As someone who is not planning on having children, to an extent, my books are part of me – an extension of myself that exists beyond my physical presence.

Book Review: The Art Forger

This book came up as a Kindle Deal recently ($1.99) and after reading the blurb, I thought ‘what the heck?’  It doesn’t fall into any of my research categories, but sometimes I just like to read a book.  For the most part, I liked the novel and would most likely recommend it to others.  Unfortunately, while reading, I found myself comparing it to Donna Tartt’s infinitely superior The Goldfinch.

Pros?  Interesting and creative story. Tons of well researched information about the art process, history and location.  A good grasp of taking a visual medium (art) into the written form (literature).  Some wonderful quotes about the creative process.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this novel had been optioned for film adaptation.

Cons?  Far too much detail.  Repetition of ideas.  A sense of ‘just get on with it’ already.  A protagonist who gets absolutely torched not once, but twice by the men in her life.  A underdeveloped and inaccessible main character with a storyline that was bumpy.  I found myself skimming major chunks of chapters to get to where the action was finally moving.

Yes, for $1.99.

Honestly, on a scale of 1-5, I would give the book a 3.

Have you read the book?  What are your thoughts?