Top 10 Lists

I’m in the full throes of NaNoWriMo this week. I meant to blog yesterday, but even waking up at 4:15 (thanks to Fall Back), it took me the whole morning before work to get in my 1649 words.

Excuse any typos. I’m going to try to re-read this to make sure I pluck them all out but it’s hard with this dang splint.

I’m feeling behind the eight-ball this week, which could be due to how crazy my day job felt last week. Or the fact that I feel like I’ll never finish editing Little Birdhouses. Plus I’ve been binge-watching Scandal, which isn’t good for me. But, damn, that show is so good. I mean who doesn’t love the chemistry between Olivia and the President? And that’s some good writing, although some of the shows have become more predictable to me lately. No spoilers please. I’m watching it on Netflix.

So today, I thought I’d list some goals so I don’t get sucked into Netflix-land. These are goals just for today:

Smile: Yep. I put this on mt goal list. Maybe I’m suffering from SAD, but my overbooked, overwhelming schedule is driving me nuts. I’m about ready to escape to anywhere but here (but preferably a place where there’s a beach and a cocktail in my hand). Smiling helps me feel better and it makes other people feel good too.
Edit Chapter Four of Little Birdhouses: I’m on the 4th revision now, and for some reason whenever my schedule fills up, I forget I ought to be revising this. I need to edit it and send it onto my readers.
Write 1650 words on The Cape: At least that’s what I think the story will be called. I shared the beginning of the story here last week. It’s taking off, and now I’m writing two novels at the same time. Tell me when I’ll fit all that in?
Run: It’s 3 mile Tuesday. I’ll try to get in 3 miles this AM or 30 minutes. Running makes me feel sane. Plus, I can listen to All The Light We Cannot See while I’m hitting the pavement, which is more productive than watching Scandal.
Clean Out My Desk: At work. I’m on an organizational kick, which only happens to me about once a year, so I need to take advantage of it while I can.
Write a newsletter: For PTA. Due this week.
Talk to a friend: Friends are so great to keep us motivated and grounded. Tonight is gymnastics/TKD night, which means I’ll be sitting on a bench for about four hours. I love the gym moms. It’s so nice to have friends who understand the craziness of gym life! I love all my friends. You guys rock!
Breath: I can’t do yoga with my broken hand, but I can practice my deep breathing when I’m overwhelmed.
Laugh: Laughter is the best antidote when I feel down. It feels us with endorphins. Sometimes laughing at the disaster of living makes you realize how small your problems are in the big scheme of things.
Have Fun: I started writing because I enjoyed it. Writing’s my dream job, and so it’s important to me that I still have fun when I do it. Creating worlds, characters, analogies is amazing and makes me in awe of what the human brain is capable of.

What are your goals today?

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I love to read. It’s one of my favorite past-times, so I thought it’d be fun to share my ten favorite books with you! Maybe it will help you find your next good read. Fiction and non-fiction are included.

1. I finished Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott this week. I’ve added it to my list of favorite books. I love Lamott’s take on how writers need to write, maybe for an audience of only two people, but they should write what they love and know. Her humor kept me reading, and I felt like I related to her on so many levels.

2. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – I find people either love or hate this coming-of-age novel about a boy named Theo Decker. Tartt evokes Dickens’ style in this epic novel as Theo struggles to find himself.

3. On Writing by Stephen King. Who wouldn’t want to read a book on writing by one of the most prolific writers of our time? King gives us insight on what writing has meant to him. He also gives tips to writers for writing, editing, and even publication. This was one of the most encouraging books I read when I finally decided writing was the life for me!

4. East of Eden by John Steinbeck: I read The Grapes of Wrath in high school and hated it. I’m glad I gave Steinbeck another chance. A unique take on the Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel stories that describes the intertwined destinies of two families. Well worth the read.

5. Middlemarch by George Eliot: Can you tell I’m a fan of Classics? I loved this book so much, I read all 900 pages within two weeks. Dorothea Brooks and Will Ladislaw are such well thought out characters. They face some of the same challenges to their love that people face today, making this a book that is still pertinent to our times. Beautifully written and the work of genius, for sure.

6. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner: This is actually on my to-read list again, because I haven’t read it since high school. Mr. Conway, my high school teacher, went through every detail of this book with me. The characters are so vivid, and I still remember the scene where Vardaman Bundren says, “My mother is a fish.” Quintessential Southern literature–all of Faulkner’s books should be included on this list.

7. Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut: Once again an author whose entire collection could be on this list, because I admire his writing so much. Vonnegut is a genius writer, and I love how he weaves his stories together. The story of Rabo Karabekian and his secret in the potato barn. This novel is a reflection of moralism in art, life, family and relationships.

8. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison: Keep your Bible handy for this one! The story of Milkman Dead, who spent his whole life trying to fly. A must-read.

9. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – Of course this had to make the list, because I’m a huge fan of Southern Fiction. Harper Lee’s book about childhood, race-relations in the South, and heroes. Scout has stuck with me my entire life! Such a wonderful book.

10. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Who doesn’t like magical realism? Yet another book my English teacher, Mr. Conway, introduced me to. This one and Love in the Time of Cholera might be tied in my book. Marquez is an incredibly talented writer and this is a must read!

Now that you know my favorites, what are yours?

This is the last day to enter to win a copy of The Devil Within on Goodreads:

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The Devil Within

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