Writer's Kiss of Death

Always keep reading. It's a stalwart mantra, one that's been drummed into me - and rightly so - by published writers, colleagues, agents, and editors on multiple platforms in the last four years. You'd think this would be a no brainer for the woman who, as a girl, would walk home from grade school nose deep in a book. And who, present day, has been known to snatch a paragraph or two at a red light. Yes, I pay attention to red lights. Occasionally, I even wave at them as I go by...

Books. They do a body good.

I was the kid who read by flashlight long after my parent's patience had ended and Light's Out! echoed down the short hallway from their bedroom to mine. In the fifth grade, I stacked The Outsiders upright behind my textbook to read during Mrs. Luxembourg's class. Oy, what a harridan. In the eighth grade, I hid the burgeoning covers of my old skool romance novels face down on my stack of books to, unsuccessfully as it turned out, avoid getting mocked for my reading material. If I start reading a book at 9 o'clock with the avowed intention to ONLY read for an hour, I know I'm deluding myself, right up to the 2 AM mark when I turn the last page. I will fight sleep, snap at loved ones, ignore my cats when wrapped up in a good book. I always have something on me to read, usually more than one item too, and to leave my house sans a book or magazine is equivalent to going out without my girdle - if I was a 1950s housewife.

Here is my shameful confession: I haven't read a book since April. Hello, my name is Kiersten, I am a bookaholic who has not read a book in three months.

Oh. The horror.

Reading is essential. Yes, all right, it's fundamental too. Yeesh. But for a writer, not reading is the kiss of death. Reading enriches writing; by experiencing the excellent - and occasionally seriously crappy - writing that is out there right now, particularly in romantic fiction (the excellent part, not the crappy) (tho I guess that's there too), one hones and shapes one's craft. I whole-heartily subscribe to this philosophy.

And yet. See above.

The Leaning Tower of TBR

I read a review today on Heroes and Heartbreakers for Loretta Chase's upcoming new release Scandal Wears Satin and realized to my chagrin that despite my mad worship of her writing and books, I have yet to read Silk Is For Seduction, her first novel in this series. It teeters on the top of my leaning tower of TBR along with Carie Lofty's Flawless, Zoe Archer's Devil's Kiss and Roxanne St. Claire's debut contemporary Barefoot in the Sand. I salivate for these books. Not to mention that an unbroken binding is like the wag of an accusing finger from the publishing world. What is my dang problem?

Well, there's the fact that I'm gutting the center of the WIP and restructuring the arcs all of which must be done by RWA Nationals. As you can see by the ticking countdown clock to the right, that outstanding event is coming lickety split, hence my impending aneurysm. And then there's the Internet, specifically social media. I'm never not hooked up to something, even if it's only the caffeine-fueled IV in the crook of my arm that goes by the name of Twitter. Sleep. Sleep comes into play from time to time. I gots skillz, baby. Mad skillz. But even I need to sleep or so I'm told. I should just have my sleep removed and be done with it, but then my Id might manifest in the form of a green oversized demon who could then kill and destroy everything in its path, except - no, wait - dammit, Whedon already beat me to that. Of course, there's Lost Girl and my recapping duties therein, but really, when I think about it, it actually helps infuse what sleep I get with lovely, wolf shifter related dreams....what?! Finally, there's guilt. Oy, da guilt. Every time I plan to read a new book, I think of all the things I should be doing instead, like, say, one and two and three above.

What really sux is that I am deeply missing out. Missing out on excellent stories and storytelling. Missing out on juicy word choice and complex characters. Missing out on honing my craft by examining the paths of those who go before.

Is there something you like to do, something you not only enjoy but is also essential to your work in one way or another, that you're not doing? How do you deal? Leave a comment. Win a book. It's that easy.

Standard disclaimer applies. They make me say that. Images courtesy of Google Images.

Social Media Links and Tips

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of converting my organically grown know how of social media into a workshop and delivering it to my local RWA chapter, the New Jersey Romance Writer's of America. No one threw tomatoes or called me a fraud, so result!

I promised to provide them the links I showcased during the presentation. But should they alone have all the fun and brain-aneurysm inducing infodump?

Perish the thought.

Below are listed a few places to find some of the tips and information from publishing professionals that helped guide me to be the social media goddess of all I survey that I am today. OK, so maybe just a demigod. All right, fine, compared with these people, I'm barely a sidekick, but even the sidekick gets a showcase episode once and a while.

A broad tip of the fashionable hat to author Caridad Pineiro for leading me to some of these links in the first place. She absolutely has her own chair in the social media pantheon.

Links to Social Media Tips for Writers

Tweeting 101:A Cheat Sheet

Tumblr Tips for Writers

How to Develop a Routine to Manage Social Media

Pinterest: 13 Things Writers Should Know by Rachelle Gardner, agent

The Ultimate List of Pinterest Tips

  

Ten Things I Wish Authors Knew About Twitter by Angela James, Carina Press Executive Editor

Who to Follow?

Here are several places to find the handles of publishing peeps who you may wish to follow on Twitter grouped by categories.

Bookstores: 

http://wefollow.com/twitter/bookstore 

Literary Agents:

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/best-literary-agents-on-twitter_b17189

Digital Publishing List:

http://futurebook.net/content/digital-publishing-twitter-list

 

Libraries:  http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/best-library-people-on-twitter_b11945

http://lindybrown.com/blog/2009/01/libraries-on-twitter-updated-list/

Twitter Book Trade Directory

http://www.highspotinc.com/blog/2008/12/a-directory-of-book-trade-people-on-twitter/

Good Twitter Hashtags to Follow

#amwriting

#amediting

#editreport

#askagent

#pubwrite

#womeninpublishing

Feel free to add your own social media suggestions and recommendations in the comments below.

 

I Mean, the Earth Moved and Everything

Tuesday afternoon, from one end of the East Coast to the other, the earth made its displeasure known. This was my first earthquake - a 5.9 with its epicenter in Washington D.C. making it the most activity that area has known all summer.

At the time, I was at my desk at the day job, diligently surfing the Internet working on an editing job. My screen, my desk, my pictures, basically everything started shaking, putting my world slightly off tilt. All right, all right, more off tilt than usual.

Naturally, I remained calm and composed. Ahem. Actually, I thought I was having vertigo. When I realized it was an earthquake (the shaking floor was a big clue) I kinda enjoyed it. There may have even been a "wheeeeee!!!" (as opposed to a wee).

The quake didn't last long. Or too long, depending on where you were at the moment, I suppose. Honestly, I was more worried when the elevator in Flatiron Building bounced up and down at the 18th floor during RWA Nationals. Big honking drop trumps mildly shaking floor any day.

Because my office is nothing if not responsive to the needs of its employees, we evacuated the building - after the earthquake was over. Yes, there was a concern over aftershocks, but really. Great Adventure gives me more of an aftershock than the actual earthquake and that's without even getting on a ride. Though we definitely had it better than our sister company (as usual) where the leadership apparently went "there was an earthquake? Too much to do, go back to work". One would think the lessons of 9/11 would provide us a better sense of the dangers we face today, or at least inspire a smarter response. But the cocoon remains well padded; I grabbed my mobile, not the Emergency Kit.

Those on the west coast pshawed over the somewhat giddy reaction the east coast had to the earthquake - once we were sure nothing had blown up. For my part, I was pleased to evacuate into such divine weather, the literal calm before the storm as we wait for Hurricane Irene to whack us upside the head on Sunday. I sat on the back gate of my CR-V and guffawed my way through the earthquake tweets. They ran the gauntlet from the "phew we're safe" variety to "the Force is strong in that one" ilk. Below is sample of some that amused me enough to retweet.

The first is by far the best one. It's already gone viral from Twitter to the world. Click on the link. You won't regret it. Assume crash positions. Looks like we're in for a bumpy ride.

@adamjclarkson images of earthquake devastation in Washington, DC bit.ly/rauALk 

@jeffheimbuch MSNBC says the Washington monument is leaning to left. Fox news says its to the right

@86adamlevine Ok. Even GOD is pissed off at Washington now. 

@karianneholt I am going to be SO PISSED if the Mayans were right. 

@pattonoswalt Not to panic anyone in NYC, but a screaming John Cusack just drove by in a limo that was missing a door 

@jasonpinter: As though the publishing industry needed an excuse to drink more. #earthquake 

@kierstenkrum @ least I left the bldg 1st. RT @vickydreiling: Checking Twitter during earthquake? So glad yr priorities are in order - snort 

@71angelajames Me: earthquake was abt 90 miles south of DC & was felt from Canada to SC. Walmart cashier: they must have felt it in DC then? Me: speechless 

@kierstenkrum yup and twitter of course. where would be w/out it? RT @SmartBitches: Stay off the phones y'all. Text instead. 

@kierstenkrum uh you may wanna wait... #earthquake RT @WeronikaJanczuk: CRAZY busy. Movin' back to NYC Sat. morning 

@LAGilman: I don't know, I've read the OT it might qualify RT @Personanondata #Earthquake. Authorities confirm it's not 'terrorist related' 

@amypierpont "Security guards in lobby reading 'in case of emergency' handbook. #ifeelsafenow" 

@kierstenkrum the Force is strong in DC - though not so much in Congress #earthquake 

@katespencer  Right now Ryan Gosling is holding scared New Yorkers and whispering soothing words in their ears. #GosQuake 

@kierstenkrum I'll see your "pffftt 5.9" and raise you a "pshaw hurricane"@Zoe_Archer 

@Lord_Voldemort7 An Earthquake just hit part of the US and Hurricane Irene is still a threat. I will direct you to Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 1... 

@nuttyxander Tweetdeck should really have a "WOAH, SHIT JUST GOT REAL" alarm when tweets suddenly speed up in a certain location. 

@LaurieBLondon 5.9 earthquake hit VA and spread north. Californians are going "what? 5.9? you big babies." #earthquake

The Merry Month of May

I love May. Despite being a summer baby, May is my absolute favorite month of the year. The never-ending rains of April abate – and they felt particularly endless this year – and the flowers and trees rejoice. May reminds me why I love New Jersey, why it’s called the Garden State, and why I am so glad to be back in suburbia. The beginning of the month brought with it came a particularly strident time at The Day Job, which has fortunately tapered off just as the thermostat remembers how to reach 70.

The merry month of May typically starts off with bells. The May Day bells of Oxford University, Oxford England, that is. In Oxford, May is sung in by the choir and boy choristers of Magdalen College from the top of Magdalen Tower.

Too right.

The year I was a student there, I got to experience this May Day tradition first hand. Friends of mine studying in southern England had come up to Oxford for the weekend.We splurged on a cab to take us in around 4 AM to be as close as we could get to the base of Magdalen Tower by 6 AM


The streets teemed with people making their way down to Tower Bridge. Many were students in formal wear ending their the all night parties with the May Day music. After the Magdalen College choir sang and the bells rang, some of these same students would strip to the skin and jump off the bridge into the River Cherwell.

Ah. Tradition.

But first the music.

It was cool, it was crowded, and it was a glorious morning. As I remember, we were early enough to make it down to the edge of Tower Bridge, well positioned to hear the choirs.

I’d heard crowds go silent before, but I’d never heard an entire city go quiet up to that day. As the choir sang the Hymnus Eucharisticus followed quickly by “Sumer Is Icumen In” in Middle English, the music rang through the hushed streets and the sun broke out over the gleaming city spires.

Download this mp3 from Beemp3.com

Then the drunken co-eds jumped off the bridge naked, shouting inaudibly – probably also in Middle English.

The absolute best part was when, crammed shoulder to shoulder in the crowd, my tiny, conservative Haitian housemate was goosed by one of the soaking wet, naked men on his way back up the bridge to reclaim his clothes.

(These day, Oxford has closed the Tower Bridge on May Day morning to prevent jumpers as the River Cherwell is only about 2 feet deep below the bridge. Buzz killers.)

After the choir sang, the bells rang out and the city danced. Literally. Morris dancers stepped lively in groups throughout the city. Restaurants featured special May Day breakfasts for weary revelers with deep pockets. We poor students instead traipsed over to our beloved George & Davies ice-cream shop for free hot chocolate and what I still say was the only decent bagel in all of Britain. I don’t know why an ice-cream shop sold bagels; I was merely grateful. They also had homemade Bailey’s ice cream. A whole lotta yum.

Hands down one of my all time best memories of that life-altering year in that amazing city. Ever since, I cue up the YouTube videos of Oxford on May Day to ring in spring the proper way. Look here's one now!

This year, however, May also began with a bang. An artillery bang, among other ordinances as the Special Forces soldiers stormed through Osama bin Laden’s stronghold, killing the man who masterminded the greatest terrorist attack ever perpetrated against the United States. The word of his death exploded across the zeitgeist late Sunday night; my Twitter feed nearly burned up as real-time posts came fast and furious. I could barely reply or post myself before another 20 to 30 new tweets and retweets and news briefs and rumors replenished the feed. 

I can’t answer for anyone else but I’m mighty glad that man is dead, and have no need or inclination to apologize for it. Not everyone feels that way; many believe that rejoicing in another person's death is wrong no matter what that person has done or to whom he/she may have done it.

Everyone has to decided for themselves how best to respond to bin Laden’s death. Having seen the devastation wrought upon my city, upon the Towers where I had taken my first steps as a professional, having held my mother through violent panic attacks due to the carnage she witnessed firsthand as a Red Cross responder, having lost family friends on Flight 93, I only have this one thing to say:

Boo.Yah.

May your month be as merry as the day is long and filled with more bells than bangs. Leave a comment and tell me what excellent plans you have for this lovely spring. I’ll choose a winner to partake of The Mighty Basket of Win and hopefully add some more brightness to your May.