What's Up Wednesday :: Juniper Blue Edition
WHAT I'M READING
Just wrapped up the RUBY RED Reread and started SAPPHIRE BLUE. Uhhh, I love that book so much. I'm reading Gayle Forman's I WAS HERE and next up is Nick Hornby's FUNNY GIRL, both of which are overdue at the library so were bumped up in priority on the TBR list. Birdy and I finally finished our SORCERER'S STONE read-aloud and last night started CHAMBER OF SECRETS. Hopefully this one doesn't take us a year and a half.
WHAT I'M WRITING
I'm plugging away at the first draft of IF YOU WERE HERE and am really happy with the progress. This has been a lot of fun to write - it's more serious than the last novel I worked on, and it has a very significant musical element. So significant, in fact, that I wrote lyrics to a song and my husband started writing the music for it. He put a band together and they're going to record it for me. Here's a preview:
It's pretty awesome.
My writing goal for the week is to get to 25k on IF YOU WERE HERE - which had been my final Writer Recharge goal. I fell short and hope to get caught up. So just under 9k to get there.
WHAT ELSE IS NEW
We had our annual Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration on Sunday. This year our theme was a Sneetches Frankfurter Party. Birdy made the cupcakes and both kids decorated them and Toad made Sylvester McMonkey McBean's McMacaroni-n-Cheese.
Winter dumped on us yet again - snow and slippery roads and bitter-cold wind chills. I'm tired of it. So I had to switch out my What's Up Wednesday image with something less frosty.
WHAT WORKS FOR ME
I love being able to collaborate with my husband. He's an engineer and runs a local public power company, and he's also very creative - he's a musician and an artist. Because he has his own creative pursuits, he understands what I need as a writer - time and space and encouragement. We brainstorm together. He's given me suggestions when I'm stuck (or not stuck) like, "Hey, I think a tornado should come through and wipe out the entire campground!" which led to a pivotal moment in CLOUD 9. He helped me figure out an important 8-track analogy for BEAUTIFUL BIRD.
He listens to me and tosses ideas around and plays devil's advocate. He mocks me ("Is there a boy?") and tells me he's proud of me and gives me the time I need to finish a project. He writes music for my novels and loosely inspired by them ("Waiting for the Gun" and "Skeleton Keys") and is the most inspiring person in my life.
But he's never read anything I've written, not even my Master's thesis, and that's okay. That works for me - for now, anyway. I know that we're getting close to the day when I'll feel that something I've written is good enough to show him. Because I want it to be as close to perfect as possible, thanks to his inspiration and support and love.
Hope you're all having a good week! xoxo
Having someone write a song for your book sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteHope your weather improves soon!
My husband and me often brainstorm together, and it's amazing...but having a whole song recorded is another step of awesome! Good luck getting caught up with your writing goal. It's wonderful when progress is going well.
ReplyDeleteYour husband sounds wonderful. Mine has been so helpful in brainstorming the main ideas for the story I just finished drafting. I'm even going to let him read it (yikes! a first!) to check for accuracy of some things he knows much more about than I do. So cool when our partners in crime are supportive of what we're working toward. :-) Oh, and I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of I WAS HERE. Have an awesome week, Sara!
ReplyDeleteLove the title of IF YOU WERE HERE I'd so pick up that! :) Love how supportive and awesome your husband is. and so cute that you guys celebrated Seuss birthday! Have a wonderful week, Sara!
ReplyDeleteMe and my hubs have a similar arrangement. He is great at getting plots unstuck, but he hasn't ever read anything I've written. I am fine with that... LOL.
ReplyDeleteThat is absolutely wonderful that your husband is so encouraging and creative himself. Listening to the song right now and it's fantastic! My husband is a pretty good sounding board, but he hasn't read anything I've written either. For some reason, that kind of terrifies the heck out of me. 0.o I LOVE that you guys did a Dr. Seuss birthday celebration. It looks so fun! Good luck with your writing goals this week, Sara! Ping me if/when you're writing and want an accounta-buddy!
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend never reads any of my books before they're published, but he totally gets the insanity of the writing life! Best of luck with your goal this week! :)
ReplyDeleteThat song is lovely! I think it's so cool you guys are collaborating like that and you're making something that was once fiction reality. My husband also helps me brainstorm things and helps me when I've written myself into a corner. He reads everything I write, though I don't take his opinion too seriously because most of his love for my writing is pride that I can write such a long book. :)
ReplyDeleteAr, the song link wouldn't work for me. :( I'm sure it's great though, and it's awesome that you're collaborating on music and writing. I used music a lot in one of my MS's and had to write a song, although I never did put it to music.
ReplyDeleteMy hubs brainstorms with me sometimes too and he read a very early draft of my first manuscript (poor guy). I haven't made him read anything since though. ;)
Your husband sounds amazing and the song is beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great week and that the weather clears up soon - I'm ready for the cold/snow to go away, too!
Having a soundtrack to your book (equals) The Coolest Thing in the World! Love the track.
ReplyDeleteI also love how you guys bounce ideas off each other. Boy Chris and I do that too and I find it immensely helpful. He has a form of dyslexia, so instead of him reading my stuff, I read it to him aloud before bed. And if he stays awake, I know it's halfway decent. (Though he fell asleep during Harry Potter and Hunger Games...so maybe not the best litmus test) ;)
Love that you celebrate Dr. Seuss B-Day! The Sneetch Cupcackes are fantastic.
Hope you have a wonderful week!
OMG he writes music for your books?! *swooooon* I'm excited for your new story! Congrats on the awesome word count.
ReplyDeleteOMG he writes music for your books?! *swooooon* I'm excited for your new story! Congrats on the awesome word count.
ReplyDeleteSomeone who is willing to write music for my books is the sort of love I aspire to, tbh. That's so awesome that your husband did that! And your reasons for not letting him read anything is the exact reason my parents have yet to read anything I've written, even though they keep asking. I keep telling them they'll get to read it someday :)
ReplyDeleteYour Dr. Seuss celebration looks like it was so much fun.
Good luck hitting your writing goal this week!