Revision Cave

I'm crawling back into the revision cave again, so I'm going to be taking a break from blogging for the next two weeks. The good news is, I'm actually excited about these revisions and where they're going to take the story. Wish me luck!

How is your writing going? Anyone else in the revision cave with me?

Best Little Coffee House Ever

I've found my new favorite coffee house here in the city, Chinatown Coffee Company, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Just as I'm working to get back into the rhythm of writing this new WiP, I find a place that makes it to easy to sit and forget everything but my story for a few hours.

It's a cute little hipster place (don't know why I'm always drawn to hipster places, even though I'm so not a hipster) downtown, where they brew strong lattes and blast all kinds of music (hip-hop, alternative, indie--okay, all kinds of hipster music). And I love that the music's loud, and I love that the tables are just slightly too low for the chairs, and I love that it's always so crowded that I have to sit at the bar and get to eavesdrop on the baristas' conversations. I don't know--something about this place just works for me, and it's become so easy to meet my daily word count goals.

Plus, they put designs in my latte, like this one:

Do you have a perfect writing place?

Walking in the Snow and Coconut Dark Chocolate

Things that make me happy, even on a Monday:

1. Long walks in the snow. Okay, so maybe I'm not over winter just yet. I always do my best brainstorming on walks, and walking in the snow this weekend helped me do a lot of critical thinking for my WiP.

2. Dark chocolate with coconut. Definitely my new favorite snack. :)

3. Kindle on my iPhone. Reading books makes any subway ride SO much more entertaining.

4. Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. This was one of the books on my iPhone, and I couldn't get enough of it. A Marine comes back from war and reconnects with the girl from high school whose life he ruined.

5. Intense Super Bowls. What on earth happened last night? From the power outage to the 49ers almost comeback, that was such a crazy game!

Happy Monday, everyone! Anything making you happy this week?

Falling Back in Love (with my WiP)

So it snowed here last week. And, having spent the last two years in Texas, I was so excited to wake up to a soft blanket of white. But that excitement quickly turned to annoyance. Biting cold winds make walking anywhere an exercise in determination. Running on ice and slush is absolutely no fun (though I only twisted my ankle once, thankyouverymuch). Basically, I’m pretty ready for this whole winter thing to be over.

I’m feeling the same way about my current WiP. I wrote the beginning of it in a fever pitch, so passionate about the characters and the story and the setting. And now that I’m entering the middle, all that passion is fading. It’s becoming harder to meet my daily word count goals. My writing seems trite, my characters flat.

So I’ve started to make a list. I’m writing down all of the things that made me so excited to write this story in the first place. I had heard of Stephanie Perkins (author of Anna and the French Kiss and basically the coolest person ever) doing this, and I just had to steal the idea. I want to remember why I want to tell this story and how I want to feel about these characters.

It’s already working. I know now where I want the story to go, and I’m coming up with all new ideas about how to take it there. I’m finding that passion again.

Have you ever tried this? How are your WiPs coming?

Brunch and Silver Linings Playbook

Things that make me happy, even on a Monday:

1. Walking around DC. This city never fails to surprise me.

2. Brunch. Weekend brunch is quickly becoming an important and essential part of my life. There's something so wonderful about sitting in a cafe for hours with your best girl friends and planning the day ahead.

3. Lattes with beautiful designs. It makes breakfast that much more exciting.

4. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. London! Cute/ridiculous boy! Adventure! Of course I loved this book. :)

5. Silver Linings Playbook. Oh my goodness. All the hype is so well-deserved, I can't even tell you. A beautiful portrait of how messy and enchanting life can be.

Happy Monday, everyone! Anything making you happy this week?

Scandal and Just One Day

Since I missed this Monday's post (too much inauguration craziness going on in this city), I thought I would do a list of things that make me happy, even on a Wednesday. :)

1. Scandal. Is anyone else obsessed with this show? I've just caught up, and I can't get enough of it!

2. Just One Day by Gayle Forman. Oh, this book. I savored every bit of it, and I'm about to read it again. The writing style, the characters, the setting (Paris!)--everything draws you right in.

3. Landscape paintings. Okay, this one is pretty random, but I really love paintings of nature and natural phenomenon. I love how people used to come see these paintings because they couldn't afford to travel to see the real thing. Some of these landscapes were the movies of their time.

4. Speaking of, going to the movies makes me happy. I didn't see movies in the theater much at all this year, but recently, I've been going all the time. I love the thrill of being sucked into a different world with everyone else. Also, I love Milk Duds, which I have to get every time.

5. The National Museum of American History. I love that most museums are free here in DC, and this one holds a special place in my heart. I always discover something new and ridiculous when I go.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Anything making you happy this week?

Zero Dark Thirty (or, What Makes a Riveting Story)

I just saw Zero Dark Thirty. And the entire time, my eyes were glued to the screen (well, except when I knew there was an explosion coming and peeked through my fingers). There was so much action, so many twists and turns to the plot that even though I knew the conclusion, I couldn't help but feel the intensity.

I also loved Lincoln, but for very different reasons. I found Lincoln more character-driven, with more dialogue and psychological examination. You feel as if you get to know Abraham Lincoln and get an insight into the way his mind works, and it's so very riveting.

I want to write a book just as riveting. I used to write character-driven works, where the one main interesting thing about the story was the character. Usually, they were girls on the teetering edge of growing up, and the main conflict was the push and pull of that inner struggle. But lately, I've been writing stories with more plot twists and action. I still work hard to make my characters interesting and the main drivers of the plot, but there's more going on in these books besides an inner struggle. I'm trying to find that perfect balance that draws the reader in and won't let her go.

What kinds of books or movies do you like better: plot- or character-driven ones? What kind do you write?