Wednesday, September 18, 2013

What's Up Wednesday 9/18/13

 
“What’s Up Wednesday” is a weekly blog hop by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. From Jaime: It’s similar in some respects to the Currently… post, but it’s been whittled down to only four headings to make it quicker and more manageable on a weekly basis. Be sure to visit Jaime's blog to add your post to the link list!


What I'm Reading
I've moved on to a fun contemporary romance Trouble in High Heels by Christina Dodd.  I was looking for something light and not very complicated as I'm in the middle of doing a Critique of my writing group.  So far Dodd hasn't disappointed.  While it's not turning out to be my favorite of her work, I'm still enjoying it.

Next on my list is Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. It was highly recommended to me by a friend, so I'm looking forward to reading it.

With the kids we've been listening to the Welcome to Night Vale pod cast. (I know it's not reading, but audiobooks/podcast are just as valued to me.)  The show is well done, and my kids love it.  Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but we enjoy the strange and absurd in our house. It's a little like NPR meets the Twilight Zone.



 What I'm Writing

Blogging:  Google+ now lets you embed post and I'm going to fiddle with this a bit with my blog. I'm not sure how it will work, so we'll see.

Novel: I've started back in my nightly write-ins with a friend.  Having a detailed outline for the chapter I'm working on has helped keep my word count up. I've always worked with an outline, but it's be fairly general...just plot points.  I've started to detail each chapter before I sit down to start writing, and it seems to be helping. 

Every morning I sit down and story board my chapters.  Than at night I work off that.  I have had to change some things, because as I write something new comes up or a scene runs long, but I'm flexible.  Just moving forward has me thrilled.
 
What Else I've Been Up To

Not a whole lot else has been going on.  Between keeping thing sane at my business, raising kids and writing...I've not done much else this week.  October is just around the corner and than we're into the holidays.

I did have this talk with my daughter:

(see embedded posts from G+)

What Inspires Me Right Now

I've read a lot of articles recently about human space flight to Mars.  The thought really has my creative processes spinning.

Even with a BioChem background I've never had the urge to write Science Fiction, but the recent news stories about Mars One, the one way trip to establish a Mars colony, has me rethinking that.

 

As the Guardian points out, though, the first few permanent Mars colonists will face more than just a freezing, dust-ridden environment. They're also likely to careen over the edge of psychological instability as everyone back home watches.  -Shaunacy Ferro

 Wow.  So now as I'm finishing up Lotus Petals, I'm struck with a load of ideas involving a pioneering crew establishing a colony on an inhospitable planet. There is so much human drama and psychology that a writer can tap into.  Maybe...  Maybe I'm ready to try my hand at a space story.  
 
So that's what's been up with me this week.  How has your week been?

 
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6 comments:

  1. prerna pickettSeptember 18, 2013 at 12:23 PM

    i love contemporary romance and am always on the look out for a recommendation, so thanks for that! I did some cheerleading in high school but never competitively, and it is dangerous, they attempts some crazy stunts. Hope you have a great week, writing and otherwise!

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    1. UnknownSeptember 18, 2013 at 12:41 PM

      I don't think Cheerleading can be great. I've let her do some camps over the summer, but my girl has no fear and the thought of the stunts they do in those competitions scare me.

      If she wants to cheer for her high school I'm cool with that, but for now I'm steering her clear of it.

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  2. JossSeptember 18, 2013 at 2:43 PM

    I never did Cheerleading but I did majorettes which was fairly popular here in the UK when I was younger. That's dance while twirling battens and I absolutely loved it. Although a lot of bruises when I was learning and a few smacks to the head when I messed up a catch lol. They hurt a lot but not serious damage. Unless that explains how ditzy I can be and forgetful, oh now there's a thought lol.

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    1. UnknownSeptember 18, 2013 at 3:41 PM

      My mom was a majorette and my dad was in the drum line. (seems like a bad romcom...)

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  3. Miss ColeSeptember 18, 2013 at 2:57 PM

    My friends and I keep talking about what life would be like on Mars... and it always descends into discussions on how long it would be before everyone went insane ^^;

    I've heard loads about Night Vale. One day I'll have to listen to it.

    Have a great week!

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  4. Colin SmithSeptember 19, 2013 at 6:33 PM

    Keeping things sane with your business, your kids, and your writing sounds like plenty to be getting on with, Gina! :)

    The trick with the pioneering space colony is it's really just a locked-room drama, regardless of which planet it's on. You'd need to come up with a unique hook to catch people's attention and make it different. But it would certainly be interesting to write. :)

    Have a great week!

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