Road Trip Wednesday #101: Your #1 Reason for Writing

Wow, this is kind of a big question. I don't know if I'll be able to answer it in the fifteen minutes I have available to write this blog entry. All the same, I'll give it a whirl.

I suspect my reason isn't so different from anyone else's. This is the way my mind works. It spins stories up until the moment I fall asleep at night. As I go through my day, little things jump out at me and scream, "Me! Use me in your story! I could be good!" When I talk with people I wonder about their histories and what pivotal moments might have brought them to their current point. Sometimes I devise histories for them. When I was a kid, if I wasn't writing plays or directing my friends in elaborate games of make-believe, then I wasn't happy. I gobble up stories in the form of books, dances, music, and art and my brain churns them into each other and spits them out into something new. Much of the time I don't even realize I'm doing it, until a morsel of an idea emerges and we're off to the races again.

The truth is: I'm full to bursting with stories and if I don't get some of them out, then I start to go crazy.

And crazy me isn't a pretty thing.

Road Trip Wednesday #84: The Roof Is On Fire!

Sounds like the intro to a song, no?

The roof is on fire!

Grab your things.

The roof is on fire!

Grow some wings.

I'd have to grow wings, cause I live on the third floor and there isn't a fire escape. Wings would be helpful. Ahem. I didn't get much sleep last night, in case you were wondering.

This Week's Topic:

The house is on fire and you've only got time to grab five things. What are they?

1. I would grab my hubby. Obviously.

2. My computer with all my stories and picture files.

3. The massive scrapbook I made of my first trip to Europe. The trip was special, because it was the first one hubby and I took together, as well as my first time traveling out of North America. I spent about a year putting the scrapbook together. It is epic. It's actually two scrapbooks, because I ran out of room in the first one. Both are full to the point of bursting. If you're a good friend, you'll probably be forced to look through it while I provide commentary. SCRAPBOOK! (Hmmmm... I seem to have turned into Spongebob SquarePants. I might regret this entry later.)

4. My purse. Yes, practical answer. It's got my credit cards, passport, phone, etc. All the stuff that would be helpful if my house (or apartment) burned down.

5. I have a few first editions and signed copies of books sprinkled around the house (apartment). Perhaps my most prized being a signed omnibus edition of Hitchhiker's Guide the Galaxy. Yes, I am that cool. It's difficult to imagine leaving that behind to burn. Also, I have a stuffed bear named Teddy who has been with me since I was a baby. Maybe, since I'm carrying my hubby, he can carry Teddy for me.

Yes, I cheated and snuck a sixth thing in. My house (apartment) is burning down! This is hard enough! Probably not the best time to make a big stink about it. You might hurt my feelings. :)

Road Trip Wednesday #78: Who Should Narrate the Audio Book?

This Week's Topic:

If you got to choose a celebrity narrator for the audio book of your WIP or your favorite novel, who would it be and why?

Confession:

I have a thing for gravelly male voices. Listening to Tim Curry read Lemony Snicket? Pure awesome. (It doesn't help that I totally have a thing for Tim Curry. I feel his voice should be on every audio book. Even the nonEnglish ones.)

However, if anyone were to read my current WIP, I'd want that person to be Tom Waits. 1. Because he has one of the most awesome voices ever. 2. Because he could make even my shoddiest prose sound absolutely brilliant. Love that man.

(Yes, my current novel is written from the perspective of a teenage girl. I suspect Tom Waits will have no problem with this.)

Reader's log:

36. When the Stars Go Blue - Caridad Ferrer

37. Witch Child - Celia Rees

38. Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Roadtrip Wednesday #69: Imagine that...

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival" where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This week's topic is: Invent your own mythological creature!

Let's see...

They live in libraries and wear clothing made out of the pages of books no one checks out.

They have ears like a kitten's that can hear sounds from all the way over in the Children's Section, warning them to hide deep in Reference.

They grow extremely tall and thin, but when they get spotted by a patron, they sink down into a shapeless blob and secrete scented mucus that tricks the patron into thinking that the creatures are merely napping homeless people.

They don't talk, but do occasionally make shushing noises.

They salt the library steps in the snowy seasons and spit on cars that stay in the drop-off spots too long.

Most libraries only have one, though large, downtown locations might have two.

The creatures appear when a library is born and die when it is closed.

If you've ever walked into a library and found the exact right book sitting in front of you at the exact right time, that was the creatures' doing. Don't worry about thanking them. They're only doing their job.

Librarians know about them, but they won't tell.

I call them: Bibliosaurs

Roadtrip Wednesday #65: Groundhog Day

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival" where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing or reading related question and answer it on our blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic. Check it out here: YA Highway

This Week's Topic

In the movie Groundhog Day Bill Murray has to relive the same day over and over. What books would you pick to read over and over for the rest of your life?

I haven't seen the movie in a looooong time, but I remember liking it. Weird kid that I was, I laughed quite a bit at the scenes where Bill Murray keeps killing himself and waking up the next morning.

The idea of reading only a small collection of books for the rest of my life is a little terrifying. Even answering this challenge is scary, because I have a completely illogical fear that someone will hold me to my answers. Ahhhhhh!!!!

Here they are, in no particular order:

Book One:

The Martian Chronicles

I love all of Bradbury's work, so choosing just one is difficult. He's one of the writers who made me want to write with his endless imagination, and love of nostalgia, horror, impossible things, beautiful worlds, and people who veer from despicable to intensely hopeful. Why Martian Chronicles? Because, as a portrait of a slowly changing world, it's endlessly readable. Also, it's one of the first books that got me into science fiction.

Book Two:

Jane Eyre

I love this book. I read it for the first time as a young KidSarah and found Jane instantly relatable. I still hold that she's one of the best written heroines of all time. Charlotte Bronte's writing is lush and beautiful without seeming overly cluttered. She's a master of description and tone. Plus, secrets, mysteries and moral quandaries! Dark, gothic English mansions! Dangerous, sexy Rochester!

Book Three:

The Prophet

If you're wondering why I would choose this book, read the following quotes:

"You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.

Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But, let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let winds of the heavens dance between you."

"Life is indeed darkness save where there is urge,

And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,

And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,

And all work is empty save when there is love."

"You can muffle the drum, and you can loosen the strings of the lyre, but who shall command the skylark not to sing?"

Book Four:

The Creative Habit

Sure, Twyla Tharp is a choreographer, but this book is essential reading for any artist. Absolutely brilliant and will revolutionize the way that you work. Tharp is an extremely intelligent woman and her body of work speaks for itself. It's also comprehensive enough that you can read it over and over again, getting something new every time.

Book Five:

The 101 Dalmatians

Back before Disney turned it into a franchise, there was this beautiful little book. This is my comfort novel. I'm not always obsessed with books about animals, but this one is so honest, gentle and loving. The dogs' adventures take on a whole new meaning in the hands of Dodie Smith. Most people look at me like I'm crazy if I tell them that I love this book. Trust me. Read it. It's a wonderful thing.

Okay, I'm getting tired. But, I can't give up! Here's the rest of my list:

6. Lord of the Rings Trilogy - There's so much in there. How can you not? The most epic of all epic fantasies, yet it takes time to sit with each of its characters and infuse them with personalities. So creative! So influential. One of the most hopeful books ever.

7. Never Let Me Go - For pure beauty of prose.

8. The Bible - Whether or not you choose to subscribe to the message within, you can't argue with the fact that this is one of the most influential books ever. Plus, lots of stories!

9. The Beekeeper's Apprentice and accompanying series - Gotta squeeze some mystery in there, and these are my favorites of all time. Even more than the original Sherlock stories? Tricky to say, but they sure are enjoyable reads. Plus, they span a wide range of countries, environments and topics. I love the strong, female main character.

10. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - My favorite of Mark Twain's book. Funny, smart, strange, interesting, and sad. Love it.

11. Chronicles of Narnia - Despite the movies trying to mess with my affection for these books, I'll still include them. Eventually the memory of the films will retreat, but I'll still have Lewis's creative and refreshing stories. I can't tell you how many times as a kid I wished Aslan would invite me to Narnia!

12. The Brothers Karamazov - Because it has everything a good book could ever imagine having.

This list could be extremely different if you asked me on a different day. If you made it through all of that, congrats!

Currently Listening:

Pack Up - Eliza Doolittle