Friday, December 16, 2011

Friday Five

1. Any of you watching "Once Upon a Time?" What do you think so far?
I actually really like it. BUT. After this last episode, I have to admit, I'm beginning to feel like I need SOMETHING good to happen soon or else... well, I don't know. I just need to feel like there is some sort of hope. Because right now? Not so much. What do you think Rumpelstiltskin is up to?

2. That got me thinking about writing... how much can you put your characters through before it's too much? How long can you keep a reader interested without offering hope? Just a thought.

3. I want to get my six-year-old some books for Christmas. Any suggestions of good chapter books that would interest him? Nothing too mature obviously, but not a picture book either. He's in this in between stage, so that I'm not quite sure what to get for him.

4. I'm in a strange place with my writing right now. I have a couple different ideas that I've started and then haven't been able to decide if I should continue with them or not. I really need to finish something again. It's been too long (almost a year) since I wrote an entire book from scratch. Edited, revised, started, plotted, sure. But start to finish complete a new book? Nope. Granted, I had a baby this year, and I have been busy working on books for my agent. But still, I feel this strange sense of dissatisfaction with myself right now that I know stems from not creating anything new for a while. Hopefully I can get down to it soon.

5. Thank you all for your very kind comments on my last post. I guess I'll just keep on keeping on.

Happy Friday--and Merry Christmas next week! For the next two weeks, I'm going to be posting some of my older (but [in my opinion] still great) posts. I'll be back with new posts in the New Year. (Unless inspiration strikes before then, of course.) Hope you all have a great finish to 2011!

9 comments:

Carolyn V said...

I haven't watched it, but it was a topic of conversation last week with some of my friends. I have to catch up with that show.

Have a Merry Christmas Sara!

Nicole Zoltack said...

My hubby and I watch and like Once Upon a Time. I almost think it might be too soon to want something good to happen. We're only 7 episodes in (I think). And Rumpelstilskin has me scratching my head!

Emily said...

My 7-year-old LOVES Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I kind of hate it--potty humor--but every time I say "you need to read for 20 minutes" he says "Yayyy!!" for real. And before it was like pulling teeth. He read an entire book in 2 days, and he hates reading. It has cartoons mixed in with the chapters so it's not completely a chapter-book with no pictures (which is what Isaac really hates).

ali cross said...

Hi Sara! I'm sorry I've been MIA. I hope you're doing okay? Keep on keepin' on is right! You can do this!

And I have been watching ONCE UPON A TIME. I really like it too. Not sure I know which episode you'e talking about, plus I haven't watched the last one yet.

Unknown said...

My kids read WALLY MCDOOGLE by Bill Myers for years. They are good childhood memories for them.

Melody said...

Ah, I love your Friday Fives! Let's see...Boxcar Children, Magic Tree House series' for your son, perhaps?

I'm in the same place you are with your writing. It's been over a year since I've started something and felt that rush of creativity. (NaNo just doesn't cut it.) I'm trying to start something now, but it's a lot harder to get 'in the groove' than I anticipated.

Bethany Hudson said...

Not to sound totally old-fashioned, but I LOVED the E.B. White books when I was that age (Charlotte's Web, Stewart Little, etc.) I considered them the first "real" books I'd ever read (at age 5), and was so proud even though it took me forever!

And as to #5, I think we all go through stages like this. Remember to be kind to yourself. You just had a baby! You ran a marathon! Some writers out there are spitting out a ton of novel right now, but not all of them have done what you have. Remember that there's more to life than churning out a book a year. Harper Lee wrote only one, but it was superb. I know it's probably annoying to hear, but just...enjoy the process. And enjoy your beautiful life. Stages.

Jessica Silva said...

1) EEP! I'm so wickedly behind :(
2) oh, these are awesome questions. I think it depends. if your MC thinks there's hope (or someone in close proximity to the MC), then it doesn't matter if it looks like a really grim situation to readers. on the flip side, if there's always hope, then I don't know if the stakes remain believable, you know?
3) ...I'm not the person to ask :(
4) hmm, maybe starting a sort of on-the-side new project would be cool? something that's sitting there, not a priority or anything?
5) <3

Aubrey said...

Love the show but I agree. I don' t think for me it's so much that I need hope, it's that I need some answers. It's getting a bit TOO Lost-y, where there's more questions than answers.