1.31.16 - Sunday Smatterings
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Another Sunday is upon us -- and can you believe it, tomorrow ushers in February? This month has flown by. I get lost in words sometimes and I look up to see a portion of life has passed with nothing to show but oodles of story. It's rather surreal, time. One wonders just how fragile and flexible it truly is. We let a groundhog dictate the weather, maybe we need a time squirrel who can run backward and give us another 15 minutes a day. That would add up, don't you think? (And yes, all this is a giant metaphor for OMG DEADLINE and bonus distraction, I have SQUIRRELS in my attic. Who can blame them, really. It's nice and warm up there.) And speaking of small beasts, don't forget to say bunny rabbits first thing in the morning -- brings you good luck all month!
And with that thought, here's what happened around the Internets this week:
A beautiful read that might explain my earlier thoughts: Stealing Time. Don't wait, people. Just don't wait. Follow your dreams now.
My Broncos are going to the Super Bowl! Such a nail-biter of a game, and I'm so glad they beat Tom Brady. Just sayin'.
On the 30th anniversary of the day we lost the Challenger Seven, the Smithsonian had this remembrance. I was on my very first visit back to Colorado after we'd moved to D.C., and my father and I were sitting in the parking lot outside my junior high listening to it on the radio. I remember looking at him in horror, asking, "What does that mean? Did it blow up?" and the sadness etched on his face when he nodded. We hugged an extra long time before I went into school.
Writers, some solid advice here, including: "...treat the readers you have like they are the most special people on earth." And other solid advice. Truly, without your readers, the ones you already have, you won't have a career. Honor them, and they will honor you.
More for writers: looking for ways to develop a scene? Or maybe an outline? This article is for you. When I'm on deadline, a part of my brain is already disengaged and thinking about the next book, and I am going to try outlining it. Why not, right?
Book lovers: here are 99 ways you can spread word about the book you love. You may not think one person's actions make a difference. But remember your chaos theory: one ripple in the ocean can be felt a world away. If you care about books, show your love! You have no idea how much we authors appreciate it when you do—when people can more easily discover our books, it makes all the difference.
"Women & Booze: Is Everything We Know About Alcoholism Wrong?" This was fascinating. I didn't know AA was originally for men only.
CBS has ordered a Nancy Drew pilot that features the super sleuth...as a 30-something NYPD cop. Um, what? (Hat tip to Laura Benedict)
"The Deep Space of Digital Reading." This is why we shouldn’t worry about leaving print behind. Do we have what Nicholas Carr calls "the shallows", our brains flitting from piece to piece, book to book, article to article, never fully delving and focusing and comprehending what we're consuming? Perhaps. But I like this historical context, how reading has changed from verbal to silent, and our consumption changes along with it. Cool read.
And closer to home:
As I'm on deadline, I've been thinking a lot about the writing process and this thing I do every day. Here's a little inspiration for the frustrated creative: Endurance separates the published novel from the book in a drawer.
We premiered a new segment on The Wine Vixen: a culinary travelogue! Each month, Amy and I will bring you a new restaurant we loved, either here in Nashville or found on our travels. First up: one of the best restaurant meals we had in 2015 right here in Music City.
And on Two Tales Press, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, we debuted a new low price for MAD LOVE, our collection of... unconventional love stories, now available for $0.99.
That's it from me! The February newsletter is coming out this week, chock-full of goodies and a pretty awesome slow cooker recipe. If you haven't signed up, click here!
Xoxo,
J.T.
