The pursuits of happiness

I know it’s the middle of November and not only did I miss out on NaNoWriMo, but I’ve had a hard time focusing on anything in the writing realm. I’m trying to bust out of that funk with my blogging and then slowly moving back into my novel. Thus, the current goal is to just write. Something. Everyday. Whether it be journaling, longer emails, blogs, exercises, or novel revisions, something will be done everyday.

I have been reading. I’m racing to finish New Moon before the movie comes out on the 20th. I’m not enjoying the second book as much as the first one, but it’s still entertaining and I do plan to finish the series. In addition to my other books in progress listed on the right, I also picked up Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow. I’ve been trying to keep up with the Las Vegas Weekly because its fairly liberal compared to the local community newspaper and it reports on not just the most popular stories but the more obscure ones as well. And the writing is great - witty, sarcastic, honest and thorough. So, E.L. Doctorow, an award winning novelist, spoke at the Clark County library last Sunday and though I didn’t make it to the lecture, I loved what the LVW wrote about him and thought I would check out his work. Ragtime seemed unique and it won an amazing award (award here). I’m not big on mainstream fiction, but this piece borders on historical fiction with a bit of fantasy thrown in. Doctorow’s imagery is beautiful…and sometimes painfully frank. Every once in a while it’s nice to branch out into the literary world.

I’ve also been doing some major soul searching. In particular, I’ve been looking into what I’d like to do with my life career-wise. Now, I’m not one to base my worth or define myself by what society terms a “career”…BUT, I would like a steady paycheck and my writing isn’t bringing in any sound income. Honestly, I don’t want my writing to be about *income* per se. I mean, I wouldn’t mind if writing made me vast amounts of money, but I would be just as pleased if it only brought in a few dollars. The writing makes ME happy and that’s what’s most important. Work wise there are a ton of other things that I’d like to learn/do before I move on from this life. The key here is learn. I love school. And I’ve been to many, just to see what I like and what I can gain from the experience. I’m thinking its time to go back..for good. I have my degree in history and I’d like to get my Masters in history as well. And who knows, maybe even my Doctorate. I thrive on research and I don’t think I’d be a horrible teacher either. It would also help me greatly with my writing. Especially since I have thousands of ideas for historical romances. And how horrible would it be to have to study abroad for a few weeks? As for what I’d like to study specifically, definitely European history. My undergraduate degree was in a concentration in Medieval studies, but I’m ready for something different. I’m really interested in British history during the Regency period. All of that era fascinates me and I’d love to become an expert on such a rich and complex time in our history. Fall registration at UNLV is already closed, but I’m gearing up for next fall if everything goes as planned. I’d need letters of recommendation (it’s so nice to have a former instructor as an ex :-P), writing samples, statement of intent, and an application and fee. Luckily, no GRE is needed for a Masters. It will take some work, but I’m excited about getting back into improving my mind.

Next on the list, improving the body.

an evening with suzanne enoch and teresa medeiros

Yestereve, I had the pleasure of listening to two remarkable and amazingly down to earth writers share some advice and insight about the maddening world of authorship. The small, intimate event took place at the Clark County Library…a rather huge place closer to the East side of Vegas, an area I rarely venture out to. Just so you all know, locals hardly ever cross the Strip…except when you have out of town guests. Suzanne and Teresa have written loads of books, including historical, contemporary, paranormal and one western thrown in. I’d actually never read anything by either of them until fellow writer and blogger, Shae, invited me to the event a few weeks prior. I immediately picked up Suzanne Enoch’s After the Kiss and took it on vacation with me. So far it’s great. It’s a historical done in the Regency period and very well written; tons of detail and fun dialogue. I’m almost finished with it as we speak. I wanted to get Teresa Medeiros' most current novel, Some Like It Wicked, but it wasn’t coming out until July 29, so I just waited to purchase it at the event. I can’t wait to get started on that one, too.

These ladies were extremely polite and funny to boot. They began with their reasons for becoming writers and staying writers, then progressed into chit chat about their traveling adventures, most notably their time in Las Vegas. The floor was then opened for questions from the fans. They were gracious enough to answer everything we could think of, from their research and writing habits, to the specifics of certain books. It was an interesting, informational and enjoyable night. We were all invited to chat one on one with each author and get our books signed. I’m proud to say my books are now signed and that much more special!

It gives me support in my own writing to hear these women talk openly about their writing experiences, especially when they jokingly offered their rough drafts for perusal to make us feel better about ours. That makes me feel good. It gives me hope, that even seasoned writers rough drafts are, as Nora Roberts so eloquently put it, basically vomit on paper. I want to thank Suzanne Enoch and Theresa Medeiros for sharing their time with us and Clark County Library for putting them on their schedule.

And a special thanks to Shae for the invite!

grand total: 50653

Quote of the Day: Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space. ~Orson Scott Card