Where in the World Wednesday

It's time for another installment of my writing meme: "Where in the World Wednesday"! Show us where your character is right now in your story, either from a broad view like France or a narrow view like the library on First Street. Wherever they are, blog a picture of the location - but don't feel the need to explain or even tell us where it is if you don't want to! The mystery is part of the fun. ;)

Today's location comes once more from Project P, and my MCs are currently here:

I bet there are some of you who recognize this location! (I just hope it has a bridge somewhere... :\)

So where in the world is your character this Wednesday? Blog a pic and comment below with the link!

Teaser Tuesday: Etiquette & Espionage

It is time for Teaser Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, where you open your current read to a random page and share two teaser sentences.

This week's read is an ARC I just received and will be starting today! I've been waiting for it to arrive for over a month, and dying to read it all year. It's "Book the First" in Gail Carriger's new YA Alternate Historical Paranormal Steampunk series, Finishing School. Here's the teaser:

Dimity looked at her, still recovering. "Really, Sophronia, it makes me most uncomfortable how you manage to sort everything out every time I faint."

I can't wait to get started! So what are you reading this week?

Why Do I Love YA?

So why do I love YA? Well, it's all a matter of Less and More:

• Less: language, sex, description, "intellectual" writing, boring topics and characters and boredom in general.
• More: adventure, fun sexual tension (without the need for actual sex), fun in general, interesting characters and worlds, generally lighter topics (what I read, anyway), and let's not forget the awesome authors I love to follow online and meet in person. :)

And that's just a few reasons off the top of my head! For me, YA is less junk and more entertainment. What's not to love?

So what do you love about YA?

This post is an entry for Beth Revis' Library of YA contest, which you can find on her blog via the graphic below. Check it out:

Waiting on Wednesday: The Art of Wishing

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: The Art of Wishing

Author: Lindsay Ribar

Release Date: March 21, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.

Margo McKenna has a plan of attack for everything, from landing the lead in her high school musical to dealing with her increasingly absent parents. But when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the opportunity to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Especially since Oliver--not blue-skinned, not bottle-dwelling, but a genie nonetheless--can see more than what she's willing to show him. With one peek into her mind, he can see the wishes that even Margo herself doesn't know she wants.

But Oliver comes with more than just mind-reading abilities, a flair for magic, and the prettiest eyes Margo's ever seen. Someone from his past is hunting him--someone bent on killing him, along with all the other genies in the world, for the sake of honor. And as Margo soon discovers, it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: This sounds like a light and fun read, which is something I'm always scrounging to find in our current time of paranormal angst addiction. And who wouldn't like a book about a hot guy who grants a girl wishes? ;)

So what's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Currently...Curious

Between yet more health problems, Nano ML responsibilities, and life in general, I've been totally swamped. But I finally give you another entry for my "Currently..." segment, in which I let you know what I'm currently up to on a number of highly important topics.

I AM CURRENTLY...

READING:

Novels: In the middle of The Curiosities: A Collection of Stories, which I've been looking forward to for a while. I usually don't like short story collections (at all, really), but I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one, and it really hasn't disappointed.
Manga: Have 5 volumes of Bakuman saved up (had to wait forever for Volume 12 from the library), and now I'm enjoying reading through them all at once. Each volume takes three to four times longer to read than regular manga, so they are always a treat. And they are such an inspiration for my writing resolve.

WATCHING:

TV: I was in need of a new old 1/2 hour comedy favorite, so of course I turned to The Addams Family. For drama, I finally, finally got my hands on Downton Abbey Season 2. As promised, it's even better than Season 1.
Movies: Watched Breakfast at Tiffany's again. I thought I remembered a bittersweet ending (i.e. she didn't end up with the guy), but she did so I was happily surprised. Only cried during the Cat alley scene, though.

Worth Mentioning: The Neighbors is my favorite new show this season! If you haven't seen it, DO - it's the funniest thing I've come across in a long time. I already plan to buy the DVD the day it's released.

WRITING:

Project P: Haven't made much progress until this week - just passed 7k for this month's Nano. I reached a point in my outline where I had nothing planned, so of course I threw them into a horribly dire situation I had absolutely no idea was going to happen until they got there. Always such fun. :) Yesterday had to re-do my timetable for the fourth time though, which took over 40 minutes of crazy math, but it was worth it. As long as it's now correct...I hope...
Project NB: I printed out what I have so far (39 pages) and re-read it. While a complete mess, the important bits are really good and I'd really love to finish it someday. It's literary fiction (with a supernatural-esque element), which is totally not what I normally write but I love it to bits.

NANOWRIMO:

Almost halfway through Nanowrimo 2012. Two of the three October programs went really well (one was a huge success, actually, to my surprise), and now I'm just trying to keep up with my duties. Luckily I've gained a helper this year (Shari is the bee's knees, guys, the bee's knees), so things haven't been as crazy as they could have been (considering I've been sick for most of my own November programs).

As for making 50k by December, I've given up all hope of winning. My record shall stand at 6 consecutive wins.

That's it for me. What are you "currently" up to?

Sherman Alexie’s Top 10 Writing Advice

Another awesome and unique list of advice from an award-winning author. This one comes from Writer's Digest, and the original article can be found here.

#4 was the big one for me. While I don't necessarily agree with it, I still found that it relieved some pressure. :)

National Book Award winner Sherman Alexie’s birthday is Sunday, and his new title Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories was released this week. To celebrate the short-story writer (War Dances), poet (The Business of Fancydancing) and novelist (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian), here’s some advice Alexie shared with in the magazine.

The Top 10 Pieces of Writing Advice I’ve Been Given (Or That I’ll Pretend Were Given to Me)
by Sherman Alexie

[10] Don’t Google search yourself.

[9] When you’ve finished Google searching yourself, don’t do it again.

[8] Every word on your blog is a word not in your book.

[7] Don’t have any writing ceremonies. They’re just a way to stop you from writing.

[6] Turn your readings into events. Perform and write with equal passion.

[5] Read 1,000 pages for every one you try to write.

[4] In fiction, research is overrated. But that means readers will write you correcting all of your minor biographical, geographical and historical errors. If you like, make those corrections in the paperback, but don’t sweat it too much.

[3] Don’t lose the sense of awe you feel whenever you meet one of your favorite writers. However, don’t confuse any writer’s talent with his or her worth as a human being. Those two qualities are not necessarily related.

[2] Subscribe to as many literary journals as you can afford.

[1] When you read a piece of writing that you admire, send a note of thanks to the author. Be effusive with your praise. Writing is a lonely business. Do your best to make it a little less lonely.

Where in the World Wednesday

I have decided to start a new writer's meme (or whatever these things are called): "Where in the World Wednesday"! Show us where your character is right now in your story, either from a broad view like France or a narrow view like the library on First Street. Wherever they are, blog a picture of the location - but don't feel the need to explain or even tell us where it is if you don't want to! The mystery is part of the fun. ;)

Today's location is from Project P, and my MC is currently here:

Okay, I'll give you a hint: she's in Manhattan.

So where in the world is your character this Wednesday? Blog a pic and comment below with the link!