I spent about two weeks ago, cleaning out our house and freecycling everything that didn’t have a home or . . . → Read More: Overflowing Bookshelves]]> In honor of an earlier post, I thought I would share a little of my overwhelming need to have a full library installed in my home. (that would be like heaven on earth for our family – haha).

I spent about two weeks ago, cleaning out our house and freecycling everything that didn’t have a home or that we didn’t want to keep. The garage got emptied out, the basement is in the transition period and my living room and bedroom look SO much better.

The first thing I realized, was that we have FAR too many books in our house. The seven of us are all avid readers, and due to the ages of our five children, we have a wide variety of material. Until last week, there were FOUR bookshelves just in my living room along and the shelves were overflowing. I am happy to say that now there is only one, and while it is a bit more overflowing than I would like, it isn’t nearly as bad as it was.

The first day I started purging the books, I wound up freecycling four medium sized moving boxes full of adult books, and then two small and three medium size boxes of children’s and chapter books. With our youngest being 11, we are almost completely finished with picture books. I did keep one whole box for ourselves, because well – someday we will have grand kids right? haha

The second day, I wound up with 2 medium boxes full of young adult books that the kids had finished with, and another two medium boxes of adult books – mostly fiction, but some non-fiction.

By day 3, I realized that it wasn’t just that we had too many books in the house, we definitely had a problem, an addiction. I freecycled two of the bookshelves because there simply isn’t anywhere else to put them. We already have one in the garage (nothing on it), and three in the basement. Plus, each of the kids has their own bookshelf in their room as well as one in our hallway. My bedroom has two, but one holds books and one holds DVDs. Houston, we have a problem. I moved the one extra bookshelf down in the basement and will use it for my craft/scrapbooking books and magazines, but other than that, we have too many bookshelves, period. We have too many books, period.

At the end of day 3, I had accumulated 8 small boxes of books, mostly kids. A few of the boxes had a few adult and YA books in there for good measure of course. I actually kept track of the books for the first three days, because I was curious how many books we had that we didn’t want/need anymore.

Day 1, we got rid of 309 picture books, 83 chapter books and 211 adult books
Day 2, we got rid of 137 young adult books and 64 adult books.
Day 3, we got rid of 149 picture books, 21 young adult books and 24 adult books.

So just in 3 days, I was able to eliminate 998 books. That’s almost 1000 books! The rest of the week brought about four more medium size moving boxes full of books. I didn’t cram them in those boxes, I just tossed them, and I quit counting. I’m sure there were at least a couple of hundred more.

The sad part? There are STILL full bookshelves in every room of the house, with a few of them overflowing. I did however find several books I had wondered if I still had, a few I hadn’t read yet but really wanted to, and the kids found some cherished books they thought were long gone. The problem has been at least tamed somewhat, I finished two books in the last two weeks and added them both to freecycle boxes and will be doing that later this week (when I finish the third one I am reading right now.)

It feels good, but I sort-of, kind-of, maybe just a little, feel like a part of me is missing. All those books that we’ve held onto all these years, gone.
It’s okay, next year I’m sure our shelves will start to look like they did a couple of weeks ago.

So, are we the only ones that have a book addiction/problem? Or are there others out there hopelessly devoted to accumulating as many books as we can possibly house?

So here is my version of the writer’s meme. (oh and if you decide to do it, please leave me a comment . . . → Read More: Writer’s Meme]]> I haven’t done one of these in a long time, and I stumbled across this on another writer’s blog. I saved it for a day when inspiration wasn’t coming as easily – yes, that’s today.

So here is my version of the writer’s meme. (oh and if you decide to do it, please leave me a comment with a link so I can come visit yours, and if you’ve done it already and you know the link, leave that too. Would love to read your answers.)

What’s the last thing you wrote?
The last thing I wrote, other than a blog entry, was about 500 (take or give a few) words on a current WIP. Yesterday, while spending some time cleaning, I had an inspiration hit and my characters decided to try a new direction. It worked, and I’m on a roll at this point.

Was it any good?
I really think it is. I went back and re-read it again, and sometimes I surprise myself. I think this will be a perfect twist to the story.

What’s the first thing you ever wrote that you still have?
The first thing I wrote, that I still have would probably be my poems. I began writing them at age 6, but the oldest one I can find was when I was 10. I have letters and two essays I wrote in about 2nd or 3rd grade to and about, my mom – I guess those count. When I moved out, my mom got rid of everything in my room – toys, books, clothes, etc. I am so blessed that these were kept around in her desk and she didn’t find them until I was already a mom, and she knew I’d want them back. I also have an awesome portfolio from my 10th grade creative writing class filled with fiction, non-fiction and a few very, very short essays and poems. Very cool to have – its all bound in a folder and I love it.

Write poetry?
I used to, much more than I do now. When inspiration strikes, or I feel especially emotional, sometimes it helps – but more often than not, I turn to writing on my WIPs.

Angsty poetry?
That’s about all I wrote during my teenage years and I have it all. Sometimes it depresses me to go back and read it, sometimes it makes me laugh. I’m glad I have it and wrote it though.

Favorite genre of writing?
My favorite genre of writing is probably YA if I’m writing it. I also am getting into romance, but haven’t ventured too far into the “trashy” side – which are fun to read, so I figured they must be fun to write… right?
For reading purposes my genre’s are wide – I especially like mysteries, crime and general fiction.

Most fun character you ever wrote?
This probably has to be the antagonist in my current YA WIP. Bran Byrne, who is introduced a bit later than normal in the story. I just love him. He’s cute, sensitive and funny, however he has a little streak that is tested time and time again, causing him to get a little out of sorts from his ‘normal’ self. By nature, I am drawn to him because he is a make up of several people I know (both female and male) and he stole my heart from the moment I wrote him on the page. He’s lovable with plenty of endearing flaws.

Most annoying character you ever wrote?
Jacob Strong who winds up being the main male character in a WIP that is almost complete, has wound up being the most annoying. He has traits and personality issues, which make him annoying, but aside from that – he has changed my direction of the story so many times, I find him frustrating and annoying. Plus, he’s too whiny sometimes.

Best plot you’ve ever created?
I don’t even know if I can answer this. I guess it would be my current YA novel, about a girl who’s parents died and she is thrown into a whole new world, living with family she doesn’t know, in a country she hasn’t visited since she was about 5. Her life takes all kinds of twists and turns, and while it is the most original plot, it has been the easiest to write (and the most fun to research!)

Coolest plot twist you’ve ever created?
This is in a WIP I did for NaNo several years ago. It is complete but needs MAJOR editing. The reason it wound up being so cool, is that the book was completely normal woman’s fiction – couple seems happy, husband cheats on wife, wife finds out, they divorce, she moves away to a secluded condo by a lake and begins to restore her life. It was supposed to just be that – a story about overcoming a messy situation and learning to live about it. I wanted to bring a little religion into it, putting her into a small community church where she is welcomed with open arms. This is not where the plot went. As she was going to bed one night, she was closing the curtains and she sees an image down by the lake. I won’t go into more details, but she begins having visions, seeing apparitions, etc. I had to go back and change some stuff in the original plot to make it all work together, but I did not see that going anywhere. Once she took that new direction, the story just flowed – that was definitely cool!

How often do you get writer’s block?
I don’t believe in writer’s block per say. Yes, I know I write about it. Mostly, I see it as a lack of inspiration, writing yourself into a corner, or just a bad day. We all have them. I have them occasionally – once a month or so.

How do you fix it?
When I am having a difficult time, I either pop open a different WIP and either write or revise, go for a walk, take my laptop outside or to the coffee house for a change of scenery, or do a non-stop free write – which is when you just start writing, and write everything that pops into your mind, no matter what. Helps to clear your mind, and you can get the things that you are thinking about down on paper, so you can go back and work on the piece you were stuck on.

Write fan fiction?
Not really, no. I mean, I guess I have borrowed a plot idea from somewhere before, or a character here and there, but I never really fall in love with the story that way. I don’t write actual fan fiction, no.

Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
Yes. This seems to be where I am at right now. I have done a stint with mystery and crime, then I worked on general woman’s fiction and now I seem to just be caught up in teen drama (probably has nothing to do with the fact that I have 5 kids (11-16) haha. I am just getting interested in romance, but it hasn’t completely pulled me in just yet.

Do you type or write by hand?
I use my laptop(s) for all of my actual writing. Occasionally when inspiration strikes and I’m on the go, I am more apt to pull out my iPod now, rather than pen and paper. I do occasionally jot ideas down on index cards or in a mini-notebook I have with me. I rarely use these though.

Do you save everything you write?
Absolutely. There is no question. Every article, idea, essay, short story, poem, etc. I have since I was about 16.

Do you ever go back to an old idea long after you abandoned it?
I have before, resurrected a storyline, character or plot after they have been abandoned. I don’t do it very often, but I have borrowed dialogue from some abandoned projects and ideas.

What’s your favorite thing that you’ve written?
This is hard. I don’t know that I have a favorite. I love the non-fiction book I have written based on my adoption and search for my birth mother – Dancing with Fireflies. But I am not sure it is my favorite thing ever written. My favorite might be the one I referred to as the coolest plot twist. Or it could be, the one I am working now which takes my character to Ireland to live. I don’t know. I am more apt to love a certain chapter than a whole piece anyway.

What’s everyone else’s favorite thing that you’ve written?
I don’t show most of my work to anyone, unless I am revising and I am worried about a chapter or two flowing together or unless it is absolutely complete. I have a feeling that my current WIP will wind up being a favorite, since the couple of chapters I have passed around, have heard “I want to read more.” more times than not. Usually people’s favorite things are the short stories I wrote in college. I almost always hear “I want to read more about them”. I guess this is good, I am making my characters likable. Right?
I’ve tossed around the idea of taking a few of those short stories and telling the whole story.

What’s your favorite setting for your characters?
Seems to be nature. Lakeside, beach side, creek side, countryside, traveling to another country and visiting landmarks and seeing what nature has to offer. I don’t really know why. I have also noted a theme throughout every single fictional piece – small town. No idea why. I love writing local places into my novels as well.

What’s one genre you have never written, and probably never will?
I strongly believe in ‘Never Say Never’ however… Science Fiction and Fantasy are two genre’s I just don’t see myself delving into very far.

How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Just two fiction novels currently. But I have plenty of WIPs in reserve to finish or edit/revise. If you consider article writing a writing project (I do) then I have two that I devote some time to every week.

Do you want to write for a living?
Absolutely. In ways, I already am. I work at home and my main income is from article writing. I would really rather be devoting ALL time to novel writing, but that will come in time.

Have you ever written something for a magazine or newspaper?
Yes, several local small publications, news magazines and newspapers. I was asked by a national scrapbooking magazine to write a piece, and I turned it down about 5 years ago. I was in an unstable place and trust me, now I kick myself for it.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Well, sort of. I have worked for several websites, writing freelance articles. I have won several awards through those sites, based on my content.

Ever written something in script or play format?
I tried Script Frenzy. Wrote something that resembled a script, and realized that script writing is definitely not my thing. I will use the plot for a novel I write later.

What are your five favorite words?
obfuscate, serendipity, inevitable, Sesquipedalian, languor (I have dozens that come very close in competing with these, but these are definitely a few favorites)
I also have a fondness for fun to say location words: Mesopotamia, Guantanamo Bay, Bangladesh, Djibouti, you get the picture. (yes I know I am odd.)

What character that you’ve written most resembles yourself?
Emma Gallagher, who is a new friend of my female protagonist in my current YA WIP. She is probably most like me in her personality and mannerisms. We look nothing alike however. Another character, Claire Devlin from a completely different WIP for women, is by far the one that looks most like me but personality and mannerisms are different.

Where do you get ideas for your other characters?
Most of the time, they just develop over time in my mind. Sometimes I will hear someone say something funny/sarcastic/silly/sad/emotional/etc. and create a whole character based off the one comment and how they react to situations.

Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Not typically, but I have inserted a few storylines that were inspired by dreams.

Do you favor happy endings, sad endings, or cliff-hangers?
It depends on the novel. I have definitely written a few cliff hangers, hoping that the novel would be picked up as a series. However, I definitely tend to favor happy endings, or at least “lesson learned” / “life goes on” / “change is good”, type of endings. I don’t end in a sad ending ever. Save that for in between.

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Not at first, no. I am a bit of a perfectionist though, and when I see a spelling error, I cannot move forward until I fix it. This does save some time during revision though.

Does music help you write?
Always. I put together entire playlists for the WIP I am writing. I am also known to turn the music up so loud it is difficult to even think and write. I have written some amazing stuff that way. I only do that occasionally though.

Quote something you’ve written. The first thing to pop into your mind.
One of my favorite extremely short pieces I wrote completely on a whim, is here. I didn’t even use it in a story. I wrote it to get inside my characters head.

Please leave a link to your own. I am always interested in what others are doing.

If you’d like . . . → Read More: What Genre Do You Most Write?]]> I’ve had a lot of questions that I have been wondering lately, and have been posting them on twitter to get answers from as many writers as possible. Today I asked “What genre do you primarily write in?”. The answers were varied, some had more than one. Here is a compilation of the responses.

If you’d like to answer the question, follow me on twitter @simplywriting I’ll follow you back.

@lynfaw – The genres I write in: Christian non-fiction, devotional and unrelated scifi/fantasy.
@Anya_Potter – The genre I primarily write is fantasy romance. I have started expanding to sci-fi romance & supernatural romance.
@Zoe_E_W – Dark fantasy, but I also write sci-fi and horror.
@wickedmoxie – I usually write Paranormal, but I cross back and forth between adult and YA
@IrishWords – You know the answer to this one; I write mystery/crime/detective-ish stories.
@Falcons_Honour – Urban fantasy, LGBT fiction, non-sparkly vampires. Sometimes all three at once.
@MarianAllen – The genre I generally write in is fantasy. Some sf, mystery, romance, mainstream, whatever, but mostly fantasy.
@Merilynjune -Criticism & Fiction – can be mixed
@jjochwat – What genre do I primarily write in? It’s called “Incompetence.”
@Wiswell – I love writing Incompetence. Might be my genre of choice, too. A lot of great humor and honesty to it.
@geekomancer – Adventure
@lizzayn – I normally write horror but I’m trying to branch out to mystery/thrillers.
@David_Amodio – Satirical non-fiction =]
@Jennifer_MK – mostly literary fiction
@oldognewtrix – Police/detective/crime novels. Started a sci-fi post apocalyptic called “surviving armageddon” 1st two installments on OEN.
@Doublelattemama – I’m still figuring that out – can I say “to be determined?”
@blanghinrichs – Probably sci-fi, but I like writing in lots of genres.
@AVeryGoodYear Fantasy.

I will probably ask the question again in a couple of weeks just to see what others have to say. There was absolutely no reason for this, only that I was curious. Enjoy!

When I am writing, I feel that need fulfilled. It feels almost poetic… a justice to the words and thoughts I needed to get out.

Sometimes the writing is good, and . . . → Read More: The Only Thing I Hate About Writing…]]> Honestly I was born to write. When I’m not writing, I feel the constant need, the constant creative thoughts flowing through me. I feel compelled to write.

When I am writing, I feel that need fulfilled. It feels almost poetic… a justice to the words and thoughts I needed to get out.

Sometimes the writing is good, and flows freely. Sometimes the words are stilted and unsure, as if they don’t know which direction to take. But no matter what, when I am writing, I feel alive.

But there is one thing I really hate about writing. When I am writing, and feeling alive, I am also very receptive to my inner thoughts. And I feel the new worlds, the new plots, developing… even when I am deep in the middle of a totally non-connected plot.

It usually happens when I am already in the midst of a plot, and I have all these new ideas occur to me. These new plots, sub plots, characters and story ideas that just inundate my brain and make it impossible to focus on the plot I am working on.

During this time, I usually just take a break from writing and grab some index cards or post its and start frantically taking notes to get the thoughts and ideas out. Often once they are all down on paper, I can return to the project at hand and get back to work.

Sometimes though, I can’t get back to work because the new story idea is yelling at me to work on it. And no matter how much I write down, it isn’t enough for those little plot bunnies that want me to keep going.

When you are working on a deadline, this can certainly wreak havoc. So today I am lost in organizing the ideas for a whole new novel, that I will work on around Christmas. I wish it would release me. I need to get back to work on my NaNo Novel and quit dreaming up new ideas.

How are you guys doing on your word counts for your current WIP? How are your novels developing? Would love to hear about it!

I spent the entire day yesterday spreading out my notes and print outs, and creating post it’s to get that section more organized. I am eager to . . . → Read More: Plotting The Next Part of My Novel]]> I had to take a day off writing, so I am really not as far as I would like to be, but I am hoping all that will change today.

I spent the entire day yesterday spreading out my notes and print outs, and creating post it’s to get that section more organized. I am eager to get started and was relieved that my cat and dogs didn’t mess with my stuff on the table. Yay!

Want to see the mess I made?

Haha, and just think – when I’m ready to move onto the next section of the book, I have to do this all again.

I also think its funny that in the picture I managed to capture the Motrin bottle sitting in the middle of the table. And my always needed coffee cup.

How is your novel coming along?

The only reason that the other two aren’t laughing is because they are doing NaNoWriMo with me this year, so they know how awesome it is . . . → Read More: Writing Tool Kits]]> Three of my children and my husband are busy laughing at me, because I have assembled what I call my ‘Writer’s Tool Kit’. Well laugh all you want, but it helps.

The only reason that the other two aren’t laughing is because they are doing NaNoWriMo with me this year, so they know how awesome it is to have a way to carry everything with you. I’m glad I have my writing tool kit. And you certainly don’t have to participate in a specific writing program to have a writing tool kit on hand.

So, what is in my writing tool kit?

No, it isn’t stocked with protein rich snacks, and packets of coffee. It is a tote bag that holds my netbook, a notebook, several pens in various colors, the cords that go to my netbook and connect to my digital camera and video recorder (for my upcoming NaNo Pep Talks), a sample size bottle of awesome lotion for my hands (I use it when I’m done writing), my copy of No Plot, No Problem, and two other writing books, post-it notes, hard candy, pencils, fun erasers and index cards.

I have been carrying this thing around with me everywhere the past couple of days. It’s just nicer to have everything together in one place. I’m sure I will add to it as National Novel Writing Month progresses and as I find other things I might need when I do my writing, especially away from home. But then, maybe not. Simple is always better.

Do you have a writing kit? If so, what’s in it?