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Posts tagged ‘Reading’

Apr 15

Reading and Remembering – Mid April 2025

I haven’t set foot in a Spanish language class since 1995. And yet, when I read Julia Alvarez’s book The Cemetery of Untold Stories, the language came back to me in a rush. My tongue sticks when I try and speak new Spanish sentences out among the public, but repeating what I read? No problem. My brain shifts to some long-forgotten gear and I know (mostly) what is being written.

Hola! Like an old friend, my language skill greets me. Yes, I remember that word. And the next. And the next. Until I read one that is new.

Cuentame.

Tell me a story.

The word is melodious to me. I repeat it over and over in the weeks after I read the book. I confess, I had never read much by Latinx American writers. Not because I wasn’t interested, but only because I hadn’t made my way to them. This year I made a commitment to read more, but with my eye sight not how it used to be, large print books are my new favority thing. The local library has a limited, but decent asortment. No more headaches for me.

Sometimes I wish I had kept up my Spanish. I have two cousins that are far more fluent than me. A distant cousin who is half Mexican and fluent. Maybe at one time, I was okay. Now, I’m picking at words and grateful for Google translate. Lord help me if I ever get lost in a Spanish language country.

Still, I delight in the memories when I read Ms. Alvarez’s work. My Puerto Rican Spanish teacher from high school would be proud. I still remember basic sentences and words. I just had to wake them up from their slumber.

Es verdad?

Yes, it is the truth. At least the truth as I know it. There has been no trauma to my mind. No wounds. No damage. I just have long forgotten neuropathways that haven’t been fired in a while.

There is beauty in English too. My job has a lot of medical jargon in each report. I find myself enjoying learning words like dehisced, sequela, and neurostimulation.

Always useful for a science fiction writer.

The power of reading and words always amazes me. I’ve never been to the Dominican Republic, but now I feel like I’ve seen a piece of it. Somehow, this book reminded me of a time long ago when I knew foreign words as easily as my own language. There’s a joy in that. A delight that caught me off guard. That is the power of reading and books, of learning about different things.

The experience cannot be replaced.

Apr 6

March 2025 Recap – Writing, Day Job, and Publishing

Ya know you blink and time just floats right by. I can’t believe it is April already!

So, let’s catch up.

In the beginning of March, I finished the first draft of my novel. It clocked in at only 30K words, but that is the longest writing piece I have written in decades. I’m proud of myself for finishing this draft, even if it took longer than I would have liked. Right now, my novel has a beginning, middle, and ending. I have words on the page to work with and now is just a question of how much more do I want to add. Certainly there are sections that need revision, but I’m not sure it will (or should) be a standard length of modern novel. AKA 80,000 -100,000 words.

I’ve been reminded recently that shorter novels are coming back, so I’m going to aim for 60,000 words and if it needs more, I’ll add. If not, then maybe my novel will end up being a novella instead.

Also, around the beginning of March, I was informed by my company that I will have to return to the office a few days a week. It’s not as bad as others, who have to come back five days a week, but the commute is tough some days. One day, it took me two hours to get home. That’s nearly double how long it usually takes. It was good to see everyone face to face again. I’ve done hybrid schedules before, so I can do it again. I just wish my commute was a little quicker.

While I give my novel some space, I have been working on a new short story. I also have two other stories to revise. I plan to work on those and then take up the novel again. My 2025 plan is still in effect. I want a submittable version of my novel by July 1, 2025.

Reading has also taken a hit. I’m far behind where I should be, but in fairness, writing trumps reading in my world. When I’m writing a lot, I end up reading less. I have a huge TBR pile (like any good writer), but I find myself not having the time like I used to. Between work, writing, YouTube channel, and getting out in the world to spend time with friends and family, reading has been down on the priorities list. But summer is coming and perhaps I need to pick up some of those short novels I was talking about earlier.

Finally, I have been thinking a lot about how to handle my writing in the current cultural landscape. Earlier this year, some big companies rolled back their DEI initiatives. Amazon was one of them. I have several short stories up for sale on Amazon, and I don’t plan on taking them down. However, I don’t want to discourage those who want to pull money away from a big monopoly.

Amazon, along with Target, Walmart (and others) are huge billion dollar companies. I’ve never been a fan of Walmart (I haven’t been inside one in years.) and I’ve pulled back on shopping at Target (mostly to be better at spending my dollars). But as an author, I understand how hard it is to divest from Amazon. Often small presses, indie authors, and authors with smaller followings, are not available at the local bookstores. I’ve always tried to buy from the marketplace sellers when I buy books, but I don’t think I can fully stop. So, I’m leaving my stories up for sale.

But I’m also planning on offering an alternative. I’ve started up my Substack and sometime this month, I’ll set up a paid tier where folks can have access to all my short stories (and hopefully other content like novel excerpts, cover art, etc. in the future) without using Amazon. I think this is a good alternative to Amazon, but I do want to eventually put my work on other platforms (like Kobo, Nook, etc.). That takes time, and since my Substack is already set up, that what I’m working on first.

That’s the update. I have a lot to keep me busy. Hope everyone is having a good spring. Everyone stay safe out there!

Jan 1

Goals for 2016

Goal Pic

 

I started and stopped this post a couple of times. I tried to think of something clever and different to challenge myself this year. But the truth is that there is only one simple goal I have for 2016.

Write More.

I had four goals for 2015:
1) Complete 2 pieces a month
2) Write one long piece
3) One Year One Hundred Rejection Challenge
4) Design an E-book (cover and text)

Those first 2 I failed. I didn’t write nearly as much as I wanted too. The first half of the year I was working on my degree. Then I took a break. Then I worked on the longer story. I did complete a few stories, but no where near the 24. And my longer story? Still unfinished. I found myself running out of interest in the plot and not sure what comes next.

I don’t outline my stories, but I’m not a shoot in the dark writer either. I have a vague sense of where the story is going. But with this novella… I just lost the thread. As I’ve said before – It’s been a long time since I wrote a long story (say over 10k). Over ten years…maybe I am out of practice. Not writing, but trusting the process. Trusting myself as a storyteller.

Currently, I have 3 unfinished short stories, 1 unfinished novella, and 1 beginning of what I think is a novel. Lots of stuff started, not much done.

So my BIG goal for 2016 is very simple. Finish everything I start. I hope to have @500k in new words this year. (Yep, that’s right.)

Other goals:
1) Read at least 5 translated books. My reading habits need to expand, so reading outside of the native English speakers is good.
2) Read 50 books this year.
3) Go to 2 conferences this year. Either literary or something else. I want to keep learning.
4) Devote one day a week to the business of publishing.

I know I need to work on balance. I think devoting one day a week to working on my business (and you’d better believe it’s a business) will help keep me writing and submitting. Won’t be perfect. I may need to change and adapt as the months go on, but I adjusting to this new life out of school. Time to try new methods and fine what works best for me.

I’ve read a few blogs in the past few weeks with the same sentiments. It seems like a lot of writers are looking to write more and get back to their craft. I’m with them. I never want to lose sight of my devotion to storytelling. That needs to come first.

Here’s to 2016! And to all my fellow writers – I hope your year finds you working on your best work yet.

Oh, and about 2015 goal #4… Here’s a sneak peek:

Shhh... secret pic here...

Shhh… secret pic here…

But we’ll talk about that later…

Dec 21

All the Books I Have Read in 2015

Some of the books I read this year.

Some of the books I read this year.



All the books I have read in 2015 (in no particular order):

Get In Trouble – Kelly Link
The Historian – Elizabeth Kostova
Life After Life – Kate Atkinson
Well of Ascension – Brandon Sanderson
Hero of Ages – Brandon Sanderson
Alloy of Law – Brandon Sanderson
Shadow of Self – Brandon Sanderson
Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman
The Shining Girls – Lauren Buekes
Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
One Hundred Thousand Kingdoms – N K Jemison
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town – Cory Doctorow
Quatrain – Sharon Shinn
The Corrections – Jonathan Franzen
Millionare Women Next Door – Thomas J. Stanley
Career of Evil – Robert Galbraith
The Heart Goes Last – Margaret Atwood
Dear Robot Anthology – ed. Kelly Ann Jacobson

Dec 18

Mid-December 2015 Update — The Challenge is Almost Done!

Well, my modem decided that this was the week to act up. After a long conversation with Verizon, I have a new modem and hopefully no more internet problems.

The year is winding down and I think this will be it for rejections. I have a lot of thoughts about this year that I will save for another post closer to the end of the month. But for now I will say that this challenge was one of the best I ever took on. Even though I got no where near 100 rejections, I pushed myself, submitted, and got work done. There were some other goals I had for this year that I also want to talk about, but again, later.

Here are the numbers so far (and these probably won’t change):
Submissions: 5
Acceptances: 1
Rejections: 36

As I move into 2016, I will continue to submit, but I don’t think I will keep recording my rejections. (Although when I hit 100, I will definitely note it.) While it is good to keep track and have work out in the world for publication, my production goals are way down. I need to find balance between submitting and writing. Do I take a month off and work on my longer works and let the stories pile up? Or do I spend more time submitting what I have and take longer to finish my new work? I know there is a happy medium and I have to find it. I’m thinking I just have to devote one day (maybe Sunday) as “business of writing day” and the other 6 days are “writing” days.

Then there are blog posts and keeping up with all the industry news. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I love to retweet interesting essays.

Yes, I that is work.

And yes, I love it.

But still, sometimes I feel like I read more about writing, than actually write. And while I do think it is important to keep up with literary news, I also got to get my word count.

Balance.

That’s going to be a big goal in 2016. When I was at JHU, I was totally concentrated on one thing – finishing the class. Now there is no finish line. There is just the end of the story and on to the next. It’s wonderful and daunting at the same time.

Wonderful because I love stories and can’t wait to see what my brain wants to explore.

Daunting because it is never ending. Just when I think I won’t have another idea, I get three more…

LOL. Writer problems.

I’m on vacation until January 4th (Yay!), so over the next week or so, I’ll be posting my final thoughts on this challenge, my reading list for the year (and reading goals for 2016), goals for 2016, and any other new stuff I think about. Until then…

Happy Holidays!

And if you’re not religious –

Enjoy your time off and Happy Reading & Writing!

Oct 25

Thoughts on Reading

I know I’m preaching to the choir here…

We all know the importance, the joy, and benefits of reading. But still there are people who don’t do it. I remember learning (from some source I can’t recall) that most people only read one book a year. My aunt, who is a professor, says that her students don’t read. Not the news, not books, not even magazines.

I guess I am lucky I come from a family of readers. I remember my mom having a tower of books next to her and my father’s bed. My dad was a comic book lover and still has a bunch of Conan comics somewhere in their house. Also, for years my parents were faithful subscribers to the Washington Post. Even now, they will still buy a Sunday paper and read on a lazy afternoon.

My grandmother was also a professor (psychology) and a big reader. After her death, my mother and I combed through her bookshelves taking many of the books she collected over the years. There wasn’t any pattern to her collection, only things she had bought because she liked them. My mom told me my grandmother had a knack for leaving her paperbacks at the bus station after she had read them. She wanted to give books away to anyone who would want them.

During that clean out, I was to lucky recipient of a fabulous gift. My grandmother had gotten Gwendolyn Brooks to sign her chapbook.

My mom: “You should have it.”
Me: “Really?”
My mom: “Yes. You’re the writer. I think it is best that you take it.”

The rest of the family agreed and now it is one of my favorite literature pieces. One day I will have to properly frame it.

Brooks Pic

So you see how weird it is to me that there are some who don’t read.

But I think there is hope. The emergence of cheap (or even free) e-books is a blessing. I don’t buy what those reports say about e-book sales slowing. There are a lot of writers who are putting out books with no ISBN numbers and they don’t get counted. Plus, what about people like me who frequent used bookstores? I don’t buy a lot of new books, preferring instead to read a lot of older books that I missed. I read maybe 5-6 new books a year out of the twenty or so that I read. So far I’ve only read 2 (in the middle of my 3rd right now.)

Plus, I live in a good area for reading. There are lots of indie and chain bookstores, a large literate public who celebrate books, and demand from that community. I’m sure there are other places that aren’t as nice (but they can be).

So cheap books and a good environment do go a long way towards getting more people to read. Sure there are some who will never do it. For them music or movies are what get them excited. I’ve known a few people who see all the indie movies and don’t understand why more people don’t watch those instead of the latest superhero flick. Or that friend who detests the radio and listens to obscure bands with gusto.

But those who are like me, someone who likes movies, TV, and music, but connects best with books, reading will always be important. The stories connects over the decades and the story you love may be a story your kids love too. My aunt (in her sixties) and I love Sanderson and were gushing over Shadow of Self yesterday. These connections are so precious.

I wish more people understood that about reading. It’s not a chore, or punishment to read. Not all books are boring or long winded. Maybe you’ll never love the classics, but hey that latest mystery has got your name all over it.

Here’s my reading pile. I can’t wait to dive in.

Atwood & Galbraith

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