A Moveable Feast

Just finished A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. When I started that book I figured it would help me with being away from writing while on vacation, figured getting inside Hemingway's head would help me to relate my feelings about writing to his experiences. I thought I'd be fascinated by his lifestyle and the people he met while in Paris. And I was. But mostly, I thrived hearing about his writing habits, both while writing and in daily living, and by the end of the book my thoughts on being a writer in general changed.

While Hemingway was great and very introspective, at least he seems to be in A Moveable Feast, I realized I admired his discipline as a writer, but I don't want to be like him. I love young adult fiction most. A few weeks ago when I had lunch with a friend she asked if I considered myself a YA writer and I had to think about it, not knowing if I liked and appreciated the label. Well, of course I don't want to be boxed in to any one category, but after several trips to the library and book stores where I stood in awe and marvel at the children's classics and new releases lined on the shelves, that is where I see myself. And this is what keeps me working.

At some point I wish to record all of the books I'm reading and have read into Goodreads. For now, a new book shall be added to my reading list.

beaches

Visiting the beach is so nice. I'm back from a week on Anna Maria Island, which sounds so glamorous, but it was just the beaching I needed. I caught up on a ton of reading and started a new book that is actually out-of-genre--the first I've read in what feels like a long while. The Teahouse Fire, by Ellis Avery, is one I heard a KQED podcast reading of (by Avery) and picked up for the trip. It's perfect for transporting you to 19th century Japan, inspired by Avery's five years of weekly tea ceremony study in New York and five weeks of daily tea study in Kyoto.

After spending time on Anna Maria, I think I might just have to step up the beach scenes in my novel. It already has a bit of beach in it, but it happens to be around a lake. I may make it an oceanfront beach instead--there's nothing the ocean waves can't do for the soul. And now I'm refreshed, ready to start back on novel revisions for the WISCON workshop.

Here's a drawing on did my first day on the island:

While underwater collecting

Whew. Applications for Clarion SF and Clarion West have been submitted. After a ton of work, I keep all toes and fingers crossed. Next up is entering next quarter's Writers of the Future contest and applying for the Odyssey workshop. And then, the first few chapters of the novel go in for review at WISCON.

So, now it's back to novel writing, which I love. I picked up a few more children's books from the library. Some I have never read like Eoin Colfer's "Artemis Fowl." Others are old favorites like C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe." What better way to move from writing short stories back to young adult fantasy? I'm also rereading Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

And doing lots of drawing. Here's the latest (that may or may not be me):