Right now I feel like my life isn’t quite big enough to fit everything I’m working on. Aside from my day-job and life maintenance, I’m drafting one project, gearing up to revise another, sewing costumes for a LARP, learning to knit, getting back into fiddling, and reading a bunch of really wonderful books. But it’s a good feeling! Sometimes I think we need to push more into our lives, to stretch ourselves. It seems especially fitting given it’s spring, and things are bursting out and growing and flowering all around.

Around the corners of all that I’ve stored up a bunch of nifty stuff to share:

I love these beautiful long-exposure photos by Aloyse Blair and Janelle Pietrzak. The ghostly effect is amazing. I particularly love the last one, with the trail of golden light…

Another set of gorgeous images, this time straight from nature: Sea Stars! I had no idea they came in such an array of colors!

Do you know a girl in grades 5-8 (US) who is interested in science? Let her know about NASA’s new mentoring program! Applications will be accepted online starting in May.

And now I’m off to read more of Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity (which is another thing that is stretching my brain, with its literary awesomeness).

Anyone else trying new things this spring?

I saw crocuses this weekend! There’s one patch in a neighboring city that always blooms weeks ahead of anything else. I suppose it’s because they’re right up against the side of a building that must have some sort of powerful heating system in the basement right underneath, but I prefer to imagine that it’s the location of a secret portal to some faery land of eternal spring…

Aside from watching for signs of spring, I’ve mostly been working away at my new writing project. But I have a few recommendations to share, so here you go!

Sharing

I’m visiting the fine folks of the Intergalactic Academy today, to share my love of one of my favorite books from my youth: Earthseed, by Pamela Sargent. Stop by and comment for a chance to win one of THREE copies of the newly reissued edition from Tor!

Reading

One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is to spend a long, cozy morning in my sunny, purple library, reading a good book. This weekend that book was Renegade Magic, by Stephanie Burgis. I really enjoyed the first book, Kat, Incorrigible, but I loved this second book even more. It’s got the same humor and charm, the same lovely Regency England historical details, and the same spunky heroine. But this was the book that made me fall in love with the characters, especially Kat’s family, who each stand out with such wonderful strengths and flaws. From a writing craft perspective, I also thought this was one of the best sequels I’ve read– giving just enough backstory to remind me of what I needed to know, and so smoothly I didn’t even notice. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a fun, magical story with real heart. Renegade Magic won’t be out until April, but you can pre-order it now! Or find a copy of the first book, Kat, Incorrigible!

Watching

Based on all the media feedback, I had very low expectations for the John Carter movie. But I really, truly enjoyed it! Seriously, I think it’s one of the best genre action films I’ve seen lately. The images of Mars, the cities, the costumes, the sun gliders and other weird and cool devices! So much lovely eye-candy! And it actually had a quite decent and engaging plot, with an emotional heart. There’s a bit I particularly loved interspersing John in battle with images of a tragic experience from his own past. Plus, the heroine is handy with a sword and a scientist! Yes, she also wears skimpy outfits, but so does pretty much everyone– male and female and alien. So if you like action adventure movies, do check this one out!

Learning

I’ve been plundering the archives of author Janice Hardy’s excellent blog on writing craft, and made particular note of this post on character choice. One of my own weaknesses as a writer is that I can let my plots begin to drive the story, when really it should be character motivations. So I loved this reminder that when something happens, it’s helpful to think of what choice the protag needed to make to get there.

Did any of you guys see John Carter? And if so, did you enjoy it?

Saturday was a turning point day in the new project. It was the first time I came to the end of my writing session and didn’t want to stop. As I mentioned previously, I struggle a lot with beginnings. I tell myself, just get that first 10K written and things will feel better. I even resort to bribing myself with chai and pretty butterfly stickers. And like magic, when I hit 10K this weekend things did feel better.

(I’m going to note mostly for my own future reference that this time around was particularly hard because I was bouncing between two different beginnings for two different stories, and fighting with both of them.)

I know there will be plenty of other days when the writing is more work than joy, but right now I am so very glad to be in one of the joyful spots!

Since most of my brain is currently occupied by my new project and characters, I offer you a miscellany of nifty stuff I’ve accumulated over the last few weeks.

First, this eerie and primal performance by Eivør, a Faroese musician. According to the link, the title of the piece is “Trøllabundin,” which my mind keeps reading as “Trolls, Abundant.”

If you can’t see the video because you’re reading this somewhere else, here’s a direct link.

Second, the many delights of My Modern Metropolis, a site that calls itself a place “where art enthusiasts and trendspotters connect over creative ideas.”

I make no claims to being a trendspotter, but I am enthusiastic about art, and I’ve already bookmarked over a dozen posts on this blog. One of my recent favorites is this one, featuring the pen and ink art of Taiwan-based artist Rola Chang. I especially love the very last one. Her expression! What is she thinking?

And lastly, for those of you who have been enjoying the delights of Downton Abbey, here is a wonderful Downton Abbey Reading List my fellow Betsy-Tacy fan Constance put up on her blog Staircase Wit.

Does anyone know what Trøllabundin actually means?

I was chatting with some friends about reading, right around the new year when resolutions were in the air. “Read more” or “Read X books” seem to be goals for a bunch of folks, and it reminded me of the Dark Times.

As in, the years when I was not a Reader.

I started off as a Reader. My wonderful mom read me Tolkien on cross-country car trips, I got piles of wonderful books as gifts from relatives, and I visited the library constantly. My parents were extremely generous in letting me buy books too, and willingly carted me around to numerous used book stores in search of that one Sheri S. Tepper book I just couldn’t find anywhere else (Jinian Footseer! Has anyone else read those? Gosh I loved them…)

Then I went to college. And it was a wonderful place where I met some life-long friends and got to delve deep into all sorts of fascinating things like Topology and Chaucer and Arctic Studies. So I was reading, yes, but not nearly as much fiction, and not nearly as much for fun. And somewhere along the way I kind of forgot how to be a Reader. So once I was done with college and grad school, and off puttering around at my shiny new job, I didn’t really get back in the habit right away.

I still read, but probably only about ten books a year. And I know that sounds like a lot to some people, but it was a fraction of what I used to read. And worse, I wasn’t really excited by what I was reading.

Like I said, they were Dark Times.

It took a deliberate effort to remind myself how I used to read: voraciously, joyfully, widely, and deeply. And even more effort to take steps to change my reading habits and break out of the slump.

So, for anyone who wants to read more, and to enjoy reading more, here are ten things I did, that you can do:

1) Surround yourself with books. Literally. Keep books beside the bed. Take books in the car, in your purse or backback, on vacations. Keep a book on the coffee table so you can read during commercials while watching television. You’re not going to read if you don’t have books around you!

Here’s some of the books I’ve currently got surrounding me:

That’s a mix of books received as gifts, books purchased, library books and used books!

2) Take advantage of libraries. Get a library card at the most convenient library to you. I pay a yearly fee for a membership at the library in the town where I work my day-job, because I can walk over there at lunchtime to browse, and because that library has an excellent online interface (unlike my small, free, local library). Take out lots of books. Take out more than you think you can read. The point is to give yourself options! When you hear about a book that sounds interesting, request it (I have the library system website bookmarked so I can do this with just a few clicks). And with interlibrary loan, most every book I look for is available. Many libraries also now offer eBooks and online downloads of audiobooks!

3) Visit your local Bookstore. Not all bookstores are created equal, but if you’re lucky enough to live near a bookstore run by folks who really LOVE books, take advantage of it! Look for shelf talkers and “Staff Picks” notices. Ask the staff for suggestions. Check to see if there are frequent buyer programs. But please remember it’s not a library. If you want read the whole book, buy it!

4)Buy used books. I usually stick to buying used books by authors who are dead, because I want the money I actually spend on books to support the authors I love so that they can keep writing. But there’s also something magical about puttering around the cavernous halls crammed full of books. You never know when you’ll discover some hidden treasure! And if you are ever in Connecticut, do try to visit my favorite used book store. It’s amazing!

5) Ask friends what they’ve read and loved. One of the most challenging things for me in re-kindling my love of reading was finding good books I actually enjoyed reading. And asking for suggestions from friends has been, by far, my most reliable way of finding new books to read. Of course it works best if you have friends with similar tastes in reading!

6) Check out book blogs. As above, the goal here is to find out about great books. If you don’t have family or friends to make recommendations, try to find other folks who do. There are tons of wonderful, passionate readers online talking about books of all genres. For example, here’s a Sampler Set of kidlit-related blogs. Or you could try poking around the Book Blogger Directory or Kirkus’s Book Blogger Network.

7) Check out Awards and Lists. Again, this can be a great way to find new books. If you like a certain genre, go check out the awards and notable books lists for that genre. For Young Adult books there’s the ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults list and Printz awards. Kirkus, Amazon, and Publisher’s Weekly all feature “Best of…” lists every year, in a variety of genres.

8. Try Shelfari/Goodreads/LibraryThing. Me, I use Goodreads. It can be a scary place for an author (I try my best to avoid actually looking at my own books) but for a reader, these online social reading sites can be a wonderful place to find new books and new reader friends. There are also discussion groups devoted to specific genres and authors, book giveaways, and more. I have to admit that the neurotic, achievement-oriented part of me also really likes being able to track how many books I’ve read each year!

9) Listen to Audiobooks. I always try to have one audiobook in my car, and one on my iPod, to listen to while driving, walking the dog, cooking, folding laundry, etc. It’s got to be the right sort of book — the kind you can enjoy even if it’s only ten minutes at a time. But it’s a great way to fit reading into a busy schedule! And if it’s a really good book, you might find you get a lot more chores done, heh.

10) Don’t be afraid to stop if you don’t like something. The fastest way for me to get into a reading slump is to get stuck on a book I’m just not enjoying. Because if I start to dread picking it up, I read less, and then I don’t move on to other books I might actually enjoy. Sometimes even a good book just isn’t the RIGHT book at a particular time. You can always come back to it later!

So there you go! Ten Steps to Reading More (And Hopefully Enjoying it!)

What about you guys? How do you stay out of reading slumps and keep yourself excited about reading?

Right now I’m at the beginning of a new project. I’m very excited. But it’s hard.

Every time I start writing something new, it feels like the most impossible thing in the world. No matter how much I love the idea or the characters. No matter how detailed my outline or how perfect a soundtrack I’ve put together.

Because as much as I know about the characters, they don’t come alive until I start writing them. And even then, it’s a long, slow struggle to unearth them from all the possibilities and wrong-turns. It’s like they’re at the far side of a huge, shadowy room, and I’m trying to get closer, to see them clearly, but the floor of the room is covered in molasses (or caltrops, on the bad days).

I know it’s worth it. But I forget, sometimes, how hard it is. So I’m writing this down, now, so that next time I’m at the beginning, I can look back and remember I’ve made it across that room before.

Anyone else out there struggling with a new beginning? I raise my teacup to you!

Since I’m at the beginning of something, I’ve been accumulating nifty tidbits in the course of research. Here’s a few:

Oscar Niemeyer. I found him while reading about Brazil. I kept seeing these amazing images of buildings (exteriors and interiors) with this wonderful futuristic aesthetic. Like this:

And this:

And eventually I realized they were all designed by the same guy. Who happens to have had a pretty impressive life.

He’s 104 years old and still working.

I hope I am still writing, if I make it to 104!

Real-life Chimera

This is from an episode called of one of my favorite podcasts, RadioLab. The full program (titled “(So-Called) Life”) is here. The whole thing is worth listening to, but the part that kind of blew my mind starts around 7 minutes into the program, with a story about a woman named Karen, reported by Soren Wheeler. I’m not going to tell you exactly what it’s about because it’s more interesting to hear the slow reveal.

The Bioengineer Song

In the same podcast, there’s a bit near the end about students at MIT engineering the normally stinky E. coli bacteria used in their lab to smell like wintergreen. The potential of science is awesome (in both the “magnificent” and “terrifying” senses of the word).

Here’s a link to an article about the story (though the podcast has more details). The part I wanted to point you to (especially if you are a fan of weird, subversive music akin to what you hear on Dr Demento) is the song they created for the piece. If you scroll down on the left sidebar you can play “We are Bioengineers” yourself!

Lots of other folks have been commenting thoughtfully and eloquently on the relationship between writers and readers (specifically readers who post reviews or reactions to books online). Here’s author (and reviewer) Phoebe North, and here’s author Veronica Roth, for a start.

I’m only going to say three things:

1: I truly appreciate that there are readers out there who love books so much they invest time and energy (and $$) into buying them, reviewing them, and creating entire communities to discuss them.

2: I know not every reader is going to love (or even like) my books. That’s fine. There are plenty of books I don’t enjoy! As much as I might put my heart into my stories, I recognize that they take on another life after they go off into the world. They aren’t entirely mine anymore. I have to let them go, and accept that readers will have their own relationships with them. I hope that no reader will ever feel like they are not allowed to have feelings and opinions about a book I’ve written.

3: That said, I don’t seek out reviews of my own books. I don’t find either positive or negative reviews help me in the long run (nor should they, as they weren’t written for me). I do read the professional reviews that my editor sends me. Sometimes I stumble on reviews in blogs I read anyway (which is always a little terrifying!) or bloggers tell me about them because I offered them a copy for review in the first place (in which case I am glad to know because I want to be able to thank them for their time, whether or not the review was positive). I try not to respond in public, whether it’s good or bad, because these blogs and communities are reader spaces. I want readers to be free to discuss books, without feeling like the author is looking over their shoulders.

Now go check out the Cybils finalists to see that kind of awesomeness that comes out of the generous online community of book-lovers!

PSA #1 – 3

Guys, there are SO MANY cool books coming out this month! I think the book fairy knows my birthday is in January. Or I have much better karma than I thought.

Anyways! Out now (and on my list to snap up as soon as I can) are two middle grade books I have been eager to read for months now:

Winterling by Sarah Prineas: I want to read this one because I loved the voice and fun (and the many descriptions of DELICIOUS BISCUITS) in Sarah’s Magic Thief series, and because this new book sounds like just the sort of book I would have adored as a kid.

The Cabinet of Earths by Anne Nesbet: A girl having adventures in the magical underworld of Paris? Sign me up! (Special Notice to my buddy Ryxander: the main character’s name is Maya, so a certain person in your family might be especially interested in this one!)

And then coming on January 24th (a particularly excellent date for other reasons of personal significance that I will not belabor except to note the Birthday Reference above) is the first book in my good friend & critique partner Megan Crewe‘s new trilogy: The Way We Fall! Somehow this managed to be one book of Megan’s I did not actually read as a draft, so I am really looking forward to it! I loved Megan’s first book, the compelling, beautifully written and emotionally nuanced Give Up the Ghost, but especially as a fan of slow-building disaster movies, I am really excited for a book about a deadly virus and a quarantined island community.

Megan is giving away five signed copies on her blog, as part of a contest to promote her shivery-cool book trailer:

Go here if you want to enter (I’m even virtuously avoiding entering myself, so your chances are higher!)

PSA #4

Trader Joe’s Jalepeno Cilantro Hummus is SO GOOD. I like regular hummus well enough, but this stuff is dangerously delicious. It is a bit hot, and I suppose if you are one of those unfortunates for whom cilantro tastes like dirt you might want to avoid it, but otherwise, do try it!

PSA #5

Thomas More was an English lawyer and author of Utopia, who was the friend and adviser of King Henry VIII until he was executed in 1535 after refusing to accept Henry as the supreme head of the Church of England.

And although he was recognized as a Saint by the Catholic Church, he did not in fact miraculously write the recent NYT Bestseller, Care of the Soul.

That was Thomas Moore, a modern-day psychotherapist.

Not that anyone around here made that mistake lately. Ahem.

PSA #6

Dukka and Dukkha are also two very different things. For example, you probably don’t want a recipe for flatbread with dukkha.

Flatbread with Dukka, on the other hand, sounds delicious!

I hope the new year is bringing you all more Dukka than Dukkha!

I keep a list of bookmarked websites and videos for times when I’m feeling woeful and sad and need to remember that the world is a place of hope and beauty and love as well as all the bad things. Stuff like Red Pandas playing in the Snow and The World is Just Awesome.

I just added a new bookmark to that list: The Nicest Place on the Internet, a loop of videos of all sorts of people hugging “you” (ie the camera, some more successfully than others!). I love the expressions of the people in the videos, everything from big, sappy grins to bemused shy smiles. And the simple, resonant I Have Never Loved Someone by My Brightest Diamond playing in the background is the perfect accompaniment.

And if the breeze won’t blow your way, I will be the sun

And if the sun won’t shine your way, I will be the rain

And if the rain won’t wash away all your aches and pains

I will find some other way to tell you you’re okay

If YOU need cheering up, check it out!

And also in the vein of being kind to yourself, here’s a list of 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself.

I should clarify that I’m not feeling woeful and sad right now — but it’s always good to have happy bookmarks on hand! I’m actually in quite jaunty and hopeful spirits. I spent the long weekend doing all sorts of fun and restorative things: reading Brother Cadfael mysteries, brainstorming my new writing project, baking pumpkin bread, hiking in snowy pine woods, giving the house a thorough dusting and vacuuming (okay, that wasn’t particularly “fun” but it did make me feel virtuous!), and watching people much braver than I jump in ice-cold water to raise money for the environment (Note: I live in Maine. The water was really cold!)

See?

(Photo taken by my friend Maureen, shamelessly filched from Facebook!)

One of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite books (Betsy in Spite of Herself by Maud Hart Lovelace) is when Betsy and her friend Tib stay up all night on New Year’s Eve (to ring in 1908) making resolutions to be different. Betsy wants to become Dramatic and Mysterious, and thus compounds a list of things such as “Start signing your name Betsye” and “Don’t laugh so much” and “Use only Jockey Club perfume… be lavish with it.”

As Betsy (Betsye!) says:

“Jockey Club is perfect!” Betsy doused her flannel night gown rapturously. “And Tib, I’ve read that women of the kind I’m going to be always match their eyes in clothes and jewels. So I’m going to start wearing green.”

“Your eyes are hazel,” Tib objected. “And blue is your best color, Betsy. Always has been.”

“Blue!” scoffed Betsy. “It’s namby pamby. And there’s lots of green in my eyes. Green for jealousy,” she cried in a thrilling voice, resuming her stroll around the room.

“Whom are you jealous of?”

“Oh, nobody! I just like the sound of it.”

Hee! It’s a wonderfully funny and sweet and painful book — because I think many of us have felt that same desperate yearning to change ourselves. I won’t give away the ending to those who haven’t read it, but (as you might expect) Betsy’s plans to be Dramatic and Mysterious don’t quite work out as she plans. I love it! Especially because once-upon-a-time I made similar resolutions, trying to change essential things about myself.

[I may even have gone through a phase myself-- long ago-- during which I signed my name Diva. To be Dramatic and Mysterious.]

That said, I have high hopes for 2012! And new things I want to push myself to try. Here are my goals:

• Write a brand new book. Do my best to make it better than anything else I’ve already written.


• If I sell my new YA romantic fantasy by spring, then go on a vacation to London and the Cotswolds in the fall.


• Get together with friends to play music, céilidh-style, at least once.


• Try at least five new soup/stew/curry or salad recipes. (I have no problem finding motivation to try new pastry recipes!)


• Invite at least two people over to dinner whom we’ve never had over before.


• Listen to an audio book or podcast on meditation.


• Bike to work at least 10 times. (I only live 5 miles from my day job! It’s shameful that I never once biked to work this year!)


• When reading, make a point to flag the passages and lines I love most, to try to analyze just why I love them, and what I can learn from them. (I have a brand new pack of Post-Its ready and waiting!)

Do you make goals or resolutions? And do you keep them?

This is my dog Charlie:

From Charlie

I think he’s pretty adorable. Seriously, there is nothing– NOTHING– like being met by a wriggling, tail-wagging dog when you come home.

Anyway… Charlie is a huge part of my life. A hairy, slobbery, loving, occasionally disgusting but always loving part of my world. And he wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for animal shelters and people who support them. The shelter he was first taken to, when he was picked up as a stray, was a kill-shelter. He might have died were it not for the donations and volunteer work that support no-kill shelters and programs.

That’s why I’m so excited that the fabulous Christine Johnson, author of Claire de Lune and Nocturne is currently spearheading a fantastic auction to raise money for the Humane Society of Indianapolis. Check out the details HERE!

A host of signed young adult and middle grade novels (including a signed copy of my newest middle grade book, Circus Galacticus) are available! And even better, according to Christine’s post: “Carrie Ryan and Diana Peterfreund will both match the aggregate of the high bids with up to $1,000 each, to be donated to their own local animal shelters. [Christine herself] will be donating volunteer hours at the Humane Society of Indianapolis – 4 hours for every $100 raised by the auctions, up to $1,000.”

So please, consider bidding on the auctions! Spread the word! And if you’ve got a pet, give them some extra scritches (or other species-appropriate affection).

Thank you!