Tag: words

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author appreciation week, day 3

abby mumford

And so continues our week-long celebration of Author Appreciation Week. This initiative was sparked by 2010 debut author Heidi R. Kling (see here for more details). I decided to pick 5 favorite authors + 5 anticipated authors to show my appreciation for. I’ll post one from each group each day, Monday – Friday. My first post is here. My second post is here.

FAVORITE AUTHOR: Ann M. Martin and Francine Pascal. Okay, so I cheated and picked two authors. It’s my blog, you can’t stop me. And besides, it’s better to have too much love than not enough, right? Both of these authors are from days gone by, but I have to pay tribute to them because they got me reading above my age level. My sister J was reading their books and I wanted to be like her. But pretty soon, it was the stories that captured my attention and I began to read for my own enjoyment instead of just because I was emulating J.

The heroines of Martin’s Babysitter’s Club (BSC) series started out as caricatures, but evolved into characters I loved to spend time with. They were smart and savvy and sassy and silly and serious and honest and helpful and alliteration is hard. I may not be a published author (yet), but it was because of people like Martin that I first entertained the idea of  putting my own words on paper. You have to appreciate that type of inspiration.

Pascal’s perfect size six twin sisters Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield led more glamorous lives than those in the BSC — think Gossip Girl for the early 90’s. I think I stole these books right out of J’s room, but if she was reading it, that meant I had to be too. I had to know what it was like to be in high school, to be adored, to be in the middle of all kinds of drama. Those Wakefield twins really knew how to command attention and I happily gave them mine.

ANTICIPATED AUTHOR: Stephanie Perkins. I came across Stephanie’s blog and twitter courtesy of Kiersten White. (Side note: I am loving how accessible all of these upcoming authors are.) I put a lot of stock in recommendations, especially if they come from people who have similar tastes in writing and reading as me. But also, when someone (Stephanie) gets consistent praise from every person who talks about her? That’s when I take notice. That’s when I turned to her blog.

Said blog is charming and sweet with a touch of funny on the side. Her words appear effortless even when she’s writing about how much freaking research she had to do for her novel. An effortless post about an effort-full effort? I’d like to write me one of those. (I’d also like you to say that 10x fast.) Did I mention she posts pictures of cute boys? She does and I fully support this. If she’s putting up those kinds of photos in her blog, it leads me to believe that her novel is going to include some a very adorable boy as well. I am ready to swoon, Stephanie! Bring on your book. Oh wait, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS doesn’t release until December 2010. That is really really really far away. I don’ t know if I’ll be able to handle the anticipation.

Hold my hand?

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author appreciation week, day 2

abby mumford

And so continues our week-long celebration of Author Appreciation Week. This initiative was sparked by 2010 debut author Heidi R. Kling (see here for more details). I decided to pick 5 favorite authors + 5 anticipated authors to show my appreciation for. I’ll post one from each group each day, Monday – Friday. My first post is here.

FAVORITE AUTHOR: Suzanne Collins. She is the writer of at least ten books, of which I’ve read 8. My absolute favorite book of hers is THE HUNGER GAMES. I can barely explain my love for this book.  I’m not sure if it is because I read the book before the reviews or what. But I do know that I was blown away by the courage, resourcefulness and likability of Katniss Everdeen. I was charmed, encouraged and impressed by Peeta Mellark. And man oh man, I could not turn away from the plot. All I could do was keep turning the page.

It’s one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time. To be able to recreate the awe, suspense, shock, and relief I felt. But since I can’t have that original experience again, I’ve turned to examining each chapter, each sentence, and each word to see if I could emulate the techniques of this master. The way she builds worlds and creates characters and and paces the story lines and draws the audience in so close, you feel like you’re running right along side Katniss instead of just reading about it. It’s genius.

Collins is the type of author I strive to be.

ANTICIPATED AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken. This is another person I first  heard about via the Twitter webs. And then I found her blog in which each post is titled “The One with……”. How can you not immediately like someone who loves the TV show Friends? Alex’s book debut comes when she is in her early twenties, meaning she wrote this book when she was still a teenager. That fact lends itself to (a) a round of applause and (b) irresistibly because that means she is writing about characters that are her own age. She doesn’t need to research the culture shifts and technology to do’s because she’s living them. It’s no ordinary teenager who is articulate and diligent and motivated enough to write a publishable book. I’m betting her age has given her book a unique perspective and I am psyched(!) to read it.

I’ve also learned from both Twitter and her blog that she is in the publishing business. There’s always something fascinating to me about an “insider” becoming a novelist. I’m not sure why, because, actually it makes a ton of sense. I guess it’s because there are a lot of types of people needed to make a publishing house successful and sometimes that doesn’t involve a huge imagination. But if my sources are correct, her book BRIGHTLY WOVEN (which releases on March 23! next week!) will be full of fantastic characters and spectacular scenarios and drama and romance and will be simply delightful. I can’t wait.

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author appreciation week, day 1

abby mumford

And so begins our week-long celebration of Author Appreciation Week. This initiative was sparked by 2010 debut author Heidi R. Kling (see here for more details). I decided to pick 5 favorite authors + 5 anticipated authors to show my appreciation for. I’ll post one from each group each day, Monday – Friday. (whew, blogging 5 days a week. go writing go!)

And without further ado, FAVORITE AUTHOR: J.K. Rowling. I came across the Harry Potter series right before the fourth book came out. My younger sister E had all the books and I devoured them. Literally, I opened up my jaw and swallowed. (My mom is so proud.) The complexity of the characters. The continuity of the story lines. The intrigue of a whole new world. The books were about magic, but they themselves were their own brand of magic. The books sucked me into them and spit me out 480 page later. I wouldn’t even remember turning the pages that’s how absorbed I was. THAT’S the sign of a good book.

I also secretly loved that it was socially acceptable to admit that I, as an adult, read and enjoyed these books that were originally just for kids. It was an amazing thing Rowling did – getting kids, tweens, teen, adults, elderly and everyone in between to read. She was true to her characters even when they went through the angsty, annoying teen years. She packed plots with action and tender moments and funny mishaps and scary scenes. She invented an entirely new world and opened the door to everyone.

It’s been a pleasure walking into the world of Harry Potter. Thank you for the invitation. And thank you for making fantasty a reality.

Time to switch gears to ANTICIPATED AUTHOR: Kiersten White. I can’t remember if it was the egg (her blog) or the chicken (her Twitter) which I found first, but all I know is the humor of this woman is right up my alley. She is parts silly and parts serious, but all the time helpful. She blogs about her kids and writing tips and tricks and her path to publication and screenplays and wackiness and answers to the questions her readers ask and anything else that she fancies. Even when she’s sick, her lighthearted attitude is apparent and you just can’t help but adore her. You just want to scoop her up and put her in your pocket so she can dispense sarcastic comments on your own daily adventures. (And if her picture + caption are to be believed, this isn’t that far fetched of an idea.)

Kiersten White
*Not a life-size picture. But almost.

I’m excited for her first book Paranormalcy (which will be released in September 2010. Mark your calendars!) because I’m a sucker for humor. I know her story of Evie will make me giggle, chuckle, and full on laugh out loud. But also, seeing how she writes about her children and her husband, I know this book will have touching moments that I won’t even see coming. They’ll catch me off guard and make me softly say “Oh.” And THAT’S what I’m waiting for.

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beginnings, middles, endings (and more beginnings)

abby mumford

i was reading through some of my very first blog posts and MAN OH MAN is that embarrassing. for many reasons:

(1) i was 22, had just moved up to boston, and had no clue about life.

(2) or writing.

(3) or editing.

(4) or censorship.

(5) or revision.

it was difficult to read through the posts and not take a metaphorical red pen to them. (i don’t think my work IT department would like it very much if they saw my screen was covered in red pen). i was reading the posts with fresh eyes and the distance that 7 years can bring. i could see so many ways to improve upon each post. how to make it smoother. smarter. sillier. sassier. more sane. but at the same time, for the purpose of preservation, i’m not going to edit those posts because it shows the progression of me as a writer, as a new Bostonian, as a newly independent adult. (unless it’s to remove certain incriminating information. people actually read this blog now, whereas when i started it, i had a limited readership of 5. ok, so now i only have a readership of 6, but sometimes that 6th person is my mom. and there are some stories that need to be slanted so as not to cause her any grief or worry or shock or gray hair).

in terms of other beginnings, i have also gone back to the start of my manuscript. i have been able to take a literal red pen to the extraneous adjectives and redudant adverbs. i’ve combined sentences and removed whole paragraphs without breaking a sweat. (me, not sweating. that’s saying something!) i’ve fixed dialogue and clarified voices. i’ve hemmed and hawed. i’ve tightened action and expanded emotion. i’ve reved up the verb usage and quieted down the questions. in short, i’ve made it readable. and laughable. and relatable. and charming.  (i hope).

i hadn’t gone back to re-read the beginning of my work since i turned in my thesis in january 2008. i haven’t gone back because i have been researching and reading and learning and talking and dabbling and writing and deleting and procrastinating and writing and deleting and reading and scratching out and writing a little more. i’ve been focused on furthering the story and fleshing out the characters and finally reaching the end. i have done that. now it’s time to go back to the future. but yeah, since i’m lazy, i decided it was easier just to go back to the beginning of my novel. so that’s what i did/am doing.

you see though, i’m a slow learner. how am i supposed to write a novel in anything under than (an x amount of) years? how do i create that distance, that objectivity, that cold calculation that allows me to slice and dice my manuscript into tip top shape? what tricks do you have in your editorial bag of magic that you can share with me? how can i get from point A (blank word document) to point B (full, query ready manuscript) in a straight line? i’m getting dizzy from all the back and forth and up and down and left and right and crisscrossing (who makes you want to JUMP JUMP). and i could use your help.

or you could just tell me a joke. that’s always appreciated.

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finding the right [words]

abby mumford

“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” -@MargaretAtwood

this quote hits the nail on the head. wait, i’m not a handyman, that analogy’s not right.

this quote  is genius. wait, i’m not a member of mensa, how do i know what defines genius?

this quote rocks. wait, i’m completely tone deaf.

this quote is amazing. wait, i am no good at mazes and puzzles and suduku and logic.

this quote blows my mind.

SEE, this is why i often have a hard time getting myself to write. i am waiting for perfection to strike and that rarely if ever (ok, NEVER) happens with the first draft. i am waiting for perfection. that’s not normal. well, it might be normal for someone who isn’t published. and it might be considered normal for someone who is an amateur writer. and it’s definitely normal for someone who has some self-doubt swirling around in the head.

the act of waiting. is waiting even an action? it’s more like the opposite of action. and again, i am reminded of that scene in “the holiday” where kate winslet’s character realizes that she needs to be the leading lady of her own life. it seems i should follow her advice. it’s not proper to wait for anything and in fact, it’s something i despise doing. so why aren’t i getting down and dirty with words? why aren’t i down on the ground shoveling through missed metaphors and too long descriptions and poorly paced scenes? why aren’t i tumbling through paragraphs and sentences and phrases and fragments? it all sounds a lot more enticing than waiting.

the truth is, i have to write every day. and by “have to” i mean “should.” i should write every day to learn the cadences of words, the rhythm of storytelling, the rhyme of heartbreak, the sound of love, the pace of laughter. i’m not going to learn them by being afraid to write, by thinking it’s not good enough, by wondering who is reading. i am writing for me. to get better. to learn. to teach. to enjoy. to escape. to fail. to succeed.  the age old adage of “practice makes perfect” is true. i know it to be so from an athletic standpoint. and i’m learning it from a creative standpoint.

but for a small taste of something [i consider] extremely close to perfection, read this. this is the definition of an amazing writer because i have little in common with her (i didn’t go to an ivy league school, i wasn’t a lawyer, i’m not married, i don’t have kids), but her words drip with honesty and reality and humor and truths so raw, i have to check to make sure they’re still wearing clothes. in short,  i can relate to her. and her most recent post is one that i (hopefully) will have to deal with sooner rather than later. because in a life full of random, mismatched, silly stories, this is one story that i want to add to my collection. this is one story that i want to tell over and over until people can recite the story with me. and with the newfangled ways people have of meeting one another, it’s probably going to be a relatively crazy story and so i’d better get used to the idea of an untraditional beginning. (though i’d be perfectly happy to have a boring tale to tell).

NOTE TO SELF: see? this is what’s so cool. i started out with a quote about writing and ended up speaking/thinking/pondering about love. when i sit down to write, i never know what is going to happen. i need to embrace that. not be afraid. and just jump. and by jump, i mean sit down and tippity tap on the keyboard or swiggity swipe my pen across the sheet of paper. get ‘er done.