What I'm Reading
I'm taking a Contemporary Novels class this semester, and we're in the middle of a book called THE CORRECTIONS by Jonathan Franzen. It's a bit of a monster, over 500 pages, but I like it so far! It's about a family with all sorts of problems and drama (the dad suffers from Parkinson's, the oldest adult son is depressed, the middle son just lost his teaching job), which is totally my thing!
If you ever glance at my GoodReads app on the right side of my blog, you'll see that I'm pretty much always reading (or attempting to read) four or five books at a time. Right now I'm working through Laurie Halse Anderson's THE IMPOSSIBLE KNIFE OF MEMORY (so good! Especially since I write a lot about military families), Lorrie Moore's short story collection SELF-HELP (lent to me by a friend and SO helpful with my own writing), and ANNA KARENINA (what else is new? I've grown emotionally attached to this book because I've been working through it for so long...I'll probably have a meltdown when I finish!).
What I'm Writing
SO. MANY. THINGS. My short story about a fifth grade girl who punches a kid at school who's bullying her younger brother is up for workshop this week in class. I wrote the first five pages of what I think willl become a longer story about a girl whose family (immediate and extended) all lives on the same eight acres of land, which causes drama, fighting, and a desire for the protagonist to escape. I'm not sure where the story will go, but I'm excited about this one! I also write a lot of shorter pieces for my travel writing class, most of which I'm hoping to work on today! Hopefully Writer Recharge will help me get some of these things done!
What Inspires Me Right Now
Honestly? Not much. I'm having to force myself to do most of my homework lately. I think I'm suffering delayed senioritis from Susquehanna because I never got it when I was there. I'm ready to become a selfish writer and only write stories that fit my thesis, only read the books/stories I want to, etc. Gotta make it through this semester first, though!
What Else is New?
I've suddenly become obsessed with puzzles. One of my friends had one halfway done in her apartment a few weeks ago, and the idea stuck in my head, so I went out and bought a beautiful Thomas Kinkade Beauty and the Beast one from Target. Finished it on Sunday!
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| the goal. |
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| Pretty daunting at first... |
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| DONE! |
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Your puzzle turned out so well! My girl and I have been doing puzzles lately too. Sort of fun to have something rather mindless to work on when you need a break from reading and writing. Speaking of writing, the projects you mentioned sound so intriguing, especially the one about the girl with the big family living in such a tight space. I hope you continue to be inspired by it! Also, I saw that you're reading GRACELING. Love!
ReplyDeleteEvery once in awhile I get this crazy urge to do a puzzle! Your pic is bringing out that urge again!
ReplyDeleteThis is the second mention of that Laurie Halse Anderson book. I definitely need to put it on my TBR.
You are one busy writer and reader!
ReplyDeleteWow, that puzzle was super daunting when it was in pieces. Congratulations on getting it done :D
I did a jigsaw puzzle of the cosmos (with at least one rocket) with my nursery campers last summer. The puzzle had a fair bit more pieces than I'd expect for a classroom with 3- and 4-year-olds. I actually got more into the puzzle than they did. It was a pity it was missing a few pieces. I'd love to get more adult puzzles with lots more pieces.
ReplyDelete"a longer story about a girl whose family (immediate and extended) all lives on the same eight acres of land." I think you could tighten this description a bit to read "a longer story about hell." Honestly, that scenario is like my worst nightmare (but sounds like it'd be a great story). :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're super busy. Good luck with your schoolwork and meeting your writing goals!
I LOVE puzzles! When I was a kid I used to do them all the time. There are a couple dozen of them stacked in the back of my coat closet, but I hardly ever pull them out anymore. I used to love doing puzzles while listening to audiobooks. Just thinking about it makes me feel all nostalgic. It's supposed to snow here this weekend. Maybe I'll have to pull a puzzle out of the closet and stay in where it's warm.
ReplyDeleteOh i haven't done a puzzle in ages. I use to love doing them. My second son loves puzzles. Love your story idea of a story about a girl and her family living on the same eight acres. It sounds really good. heaps of conflict.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week.
Wow, you sound so, so busy! So much writing and reading going on. That's awesome! :-) You're kind of making me want to bust out some puzzles. It's something I've done with my mom off and on, but it's been awhile since the last time I put one together. Fun!
ReplyDelete