Camp NaNoWriMo, Laundry, Popsicles, & Gourmet Olives or A royal cat and his merry band of cherubs.

Does anyone else feel like there's a lot of pressure associated with blogging? Sometimes I'll really be in the mood to blog, but won't because I feel like I have nothing valuable to say. So today, I'm here to officially say, THAT IS SILLY. And also, this is going to be a really long blog. Well at least it is right now--in my head.

First order of business: Camp NaNoWriMo or WTF is wrong with me?
So I found out about Camp NaNoWriMo all of ten hours before it started. Now I don't go all out and prepare things before I sit down to write, but I do like to mull things over for a few weeks before I dedicate my time to something. Or at least I think I do, I dunno I'm rediscovering my "process" everyday, so nothing is set in stone over at Camp Murphy. Anyway, going into NaNo I had two solid premises that I had already been taking long walks on the beach with for a while. But, I decided, NAY I SHALL START FROM SCRATCH. Mainly because I didn't want to rush either concepts I had been working with.

So like twenty minutes before I'm about to leave for work the day before NaNo, I say, HUSBAND, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS IDEA.
Husband says, I WANT TO READ THAT BOOK.
Note: Husband is kind and encouraging and cuddly and fluffy, but husband is never too gaga over anything I write. It's just not his style. So this was encouraging, and I knew that at the very least I might not bore myself. (Plus this is the only thing I've ever written that husband has asked to read as I write. Happy-making indeed.)

Husband proceeds to text and email me about said premise all day. So with no plot, and only a premise in my backpocket, I decided to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Again. Which actually, isn't so bad, but currently I'm transitioning between jobs  and am working both jobs. So, timing = bad. Julie = bananas.

ONWARD.

It takes me a good 30 pages to decide how I feel about a manuscript, anyone else with me? So thirty pages in and I'm all voice, and no plot. But then last week it (the plot) came, in the night of course. And I wrote 10k in like a 30 hour window of time. I'm not one for trying it out the latest writing techniques/trends and I don't favorite ALL the writing advice in the world on Twitter, but when I read this 10k in one day article that's been circulating the web, I had to give it a go. I didn't technically do 10k in one day, but I upped my productivity by a bunch. A good day for me is 4k. I doubled it on that first day easily. Not only did I up my word count, but it was also some of my most polished and well thought out first draft material in...well...ever. The author who sent the internet into a frenzy with her 10k writing days is Rachel Aaron and you can read all about it on her blog. It's simple in theory, but not anything I ever took the time to do on my own. Not until the internet told me so. So as of yesterday, day 9 of NaNo, I am at 30k. And I am mighty happy.

Second order of business: I never learned how to be an adult or FEED ME COTTON CANDY.

You will gain nothing as a human being from reading this half of my post.

I was doing laundry today. ::gasp:: And I started to think about how I have no idea how the hell to do laundry. I sort of just dump everything in one load except reds because I've seen like 90 rom coms where the girl turns the guys whites pink.

I'm sure there was a time when my mom said, JULIE LET ME TEACH YOU HOW TO DO LAUNDRY. But teenage chubby girl Julie was too busy obsessing over the latest auditions at her high school or community theatre and day dreaming about all the roles she wanted so desperately to play. Unfortunately though, my wide birthing hips always had me cast as THE MOTHER... or Mrs. Beaver in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It could also be said that my Ally Sheedy from the Breakfast Club wardrobe didn't help much. Anyway. So I never really paid attention to how to do laundry and I think everything I learned about doing laundry came from watching Tide commercials. Also, grocery shopping. I can go grocery shopping and spend $45 on popsicles and gourmet olives, and think, I'M SET FOR TWO WEEKS. So what about you guys? Do any of you have memories of learning how to do laundry... or learning to be an adult? Or am I just a giant six year old?

Also I never posted about TLA, but it was great and I picked up more books than I could carry. Really, I did. And I got to see the lovely Siobhan Vivian!

If you're still trying to figure out the purpose of that cat picture... me too.

The List: a must-read for the writing reader. + Giveaway!!!

I was lucky enough to pick up The List by Siobhan Vivian at ALA Midwinter. Not only that, but, I was able to meet Siobhan! And she was such a gem. 

The List takes on beauty. Beauty in all shapes and forms. How we perceive beauty. How we measure beauty. How we internalize our feelings about our own beauty.
Okay, so the premise. Every year, there is a List. On this List are eight names. Two girls from each grade. The ugliest and the prettiest. The List takes the reader through a week in the shoes of these eight girls. 

 These girls, y'all. I felt for these girls. This is the type of book that makes you feel naked. It slips through your pores and lives inside of you for days after turning that last page. Each character was an authentic individual. No stereotypical ugly/pretty girls. (Sell me on your characters and you've got me by the heart.) And the ending you guys, left me with chills. I won't give away any more about the ending, except for that this ending is my favorite type of ending and Siobhan delivers it with finesse. So that is why, as a reader, you need to read The List.

Now, I'm going to break it down for my writer friends. There are some writers whose voice I could recognize anywhere. It's not a bad thing. It's why they have such loyal fans. But, in The List Siobhan takes on the identity of eight completely different characters living extreme versions of the same week. When I opened The List I read the title page, with the authors name, and then, you guys, Siobhan disappeared and in her place I found eight beautifully tragic high school girls who I connected with on largely significant levels. And here's the moral you guys. This is what I learned: Some of the most gifted writers know how to take a step back and allow their characters to speak for them. 

So, if you're a reader, I hope you read The List and let it take you through a week in the shoes of these eight girls. And if you're a writer, I hope you do that too. But take some damn notes, y'all. Because, Siobhan is on fire! (And her other books are pretty great aswell!!!)

Since I loved The List so much, I pre-ordered not just one-- but two copies! One for me! Duh! And one for you! Well, for one of you. 

To enter to win all you have to do is leave a comment, telling me about a book (not a how-to book) that taught you about writing or (if you don't write) one of your recent favorites! And please, please leave a way for me to contact you! Twitter or email! This contest is limited to the Continental US only, sorry! And you don't need to follow my blog, but I would truly appreciate it! And I would doubly appreciate it if you followed me on Twitter (@andimjulie)! Retweet this giveaway for an extra entry!!! I'll be using www.random.org to pick the winner! Contest open until March 30th! That's like two-ish weeks! And who knows? Maybe I'll give away some random ARC's too!

The List comes out April 1, 2012. Pick up a copy or twelve!

 Thanks y'all! Happy reading! And may the odds be ever in your favor.