What’s Up Wednesday
Hello! I missed last week’s What’s Up Wednesday, so this is a quick update on my life courtesy of the WUW meme…
What I’m Reading
I’ve started WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy. After tackling A GAME OF THRONES and THE STAND, it seemed the logical choice when it comes to big books. It’s a very different style, so it’s taking a little time to get into it. But it’s not without interest. I’m sure I’ll have more to say the further I get into the story.
What I’m Writing
It’s A-to-Z Blogging Challenge month, so I’ve been spending the past few weeks finishing up my entries. I have written 26 100-word (exactly) flash fiction stories/vignettes/things that will post over the course of the month. The first went up yesterday, and the second will post just a few minutes after this article. Be sure to check them out!
What Inspires Me Right Now
The lovely comments on yesterday’s story. Thanks, everyone! Also, the weather’s supposed to be in the 70s and 80s (F) this week, which is a very welcome change to the frigid climate we’ve had recently.
What Else I’ve Been Up To
Nothing strange or startling. I’m expecting the last of Team Awesome’s comments on my novel this week, so I’m psyching myself up to get back into revisions. Hopefully this will be the last revision stage before querying…!
What have you been up to this week? If you want to join in the blog hop, visit Jaime Morrow or Erin Funk’s blog to see how to participate in What’s Up Wednesday.
Oh, wow! You sure have been busy with the flash fiction. Good for you! And good luck with your last revision round! Enjoy the warm weather!
Thanks, Alison! Some of these stories were a struggle to write, but they were all fun to do. It’s a great editing exercise, at least. 🙂
The beginning of War and Peace is hard to get into, but once you survive the first 100 pages or so, it’s mostly smooth sailing 🙂
Thank you for that encouragement, Jennifer. I think you might be right about that. 🙂
I commend you for taking on War and Peace. I struggle with a lot of the classics. I’m off to check out your A to Z post 🙂
Thanks, Stephanie! I hate that people use the classics as a test of intelligence or literacy. They were written at a time when literary expectations were different. It’s unfair to compare the rich variety of literature we’re used to with what was popular 100+ years ago. And it’s unfair to expect people in the 21st century to be able to switch easily to the language and mind-set of the 19th century. I’m sure Austen would struggle with some of the novels written today. And the slow start to WAR AND PEACE wouldn’t make it past most literary agents today. So I wouldn’t feel bad that the classics are often a struggle. I’m just intrigued to read the novel. 🙂
I have a copy of War and Peace, but I haven’t started it yet – I’m slightly intimidated by the length!
I really admire your commitment to the A-Z challenge! 🙂
I completely understand, Emma. It sat on my shelf for years for much the same reason. After reading a couple of big books this year, I’ve resolved to forgo setting myself a reading goal this year to accommodate taking the time to read some of these longer works. But it’s not for everyone, that’s for sure.
Thanks for your encouragement on the A-to-Z challenge. These stories were fun to write. 🙂
The first several chapters in WAR AND PEACE kind of baffled me because of the fifty million names of characters–primary as well as not-even-all-that-significant-to-the-story–half of whom seemed to be princesses or what have you. Thankfully, the cast of characters thins out a bit and he focuses more on just a relatively small handful. I’m close to 40% done and I find that it’s easy enough to plow through 5-10 chapters without it sucking up all my reading time. That said, of all the books I’m reading, it’s the easiest to set aside and not pick up lol.
I’m very impressed that you’re tackling A to Z again this year, especially to the extent that you are. I’m just trying (and sort of failing) to get back to blogging more than just these WUW posts. Have fun!
I have noticed the abundance of princesses (no, that wasn’t a sequel to John Green’s novel…) which is kind of odd. But I’m glad to hear I don’t need to be keeping notes on all the people. I’m starting to feel like we’re actually coming into something of a plot where I am in the story, and we seem to be focusing in on a smaller cast. Thanks for the heads-up! 🙂
Blogging once a week is more than many can do, which is why WUW is such a great meme. It gives you something to blog about at least once a week.
Maybe next year you’ll be inspired to try out A-to-Z…? 🙂
The weather was beautiful here yesterday, I was sat in my sister’s garden for an hour without even a cardigan on. It was lovely 🙂
The weather has certainly warmed up today. It’s expecting to dip back down into the 50s/60s (F) next week, but the trend is generally up. Before we know it, it’ll be summer, the temps will be in the mid-90s F, and we’ll all be wishing for snow… 😉
When I’m reading mostly YA, which is most of the time, I need a transition book to get back into the bricks. When I read Game of Thrones, I really struggled with the pacing. It’s been even longer since I read War and Peace, so I’d guess it’s that way, too. It is such a shift in style and momentum. Good luck!
This is why I don’t want the pressure of a book quota to reach this year. I normally set myself a mental goal of reading between 45-50 books a year (which given all else I have going on, is a pretty good goal). This year, I’ve thrown that out the window to give myself plenty of time to let these big books tell their stories at their own pace. Which can sometimes be glacial, especially if there’s lots of world building, or a large cast, or both (in the case of GoT)… 🙂
Yay for warm weather! We’ve been having days in the seventies too, and it is lovely. Nothing quite like sitting in the sun and reading a good book. I can just imagine you lugging WAR AND PEACE out to a lawn chair in the yard. 😉 Have a wonderful week, Colin!
lol! Actually, the edition of W&P I have is a 3-volume set that was my dad’s. I doubt he ever read it, and that’s not a slight on him. He wasn’t a voracious reader, but he enjoyed a good book, and always encouraged reading. (My brother bought him the audio book of the 6th Harry Potter novel to listen to while he was in hospital with the brain tumor that claimed him.) But I know he had a number of books on his shelves that were books one ought to read, though no doubt one never got around to reading them. Maybe he hoped one of us kids would pick them up and read them. Maybe subconsciously, that’s actually why I’m reading W&P… there’s a thought… 🙂
I never read War & Peace, but I’ve heard a lot about it. I hope you enjoy it. I’ll have to check out your A to Z posts. I’m doing that this year (for the first time) but not flash fiction, just posts about random writing/reading related things. I’m very bad at writing things in a short span of space, beside query letters, so flash fiction isn’t for me. But I love reading it and am fascinated by it.
Hopefully, flash fiction has made me a better editor of my work… I don’t know that’s true (I’m still pretty verbose!), but it’s good practice, at least. 🙂
I’ll have to check out your A-to-Z offerings.
Wow so many large books. I tend to intersperse mine with smaller books, which is probably why I’m only on the fourth Game of Thrones book even though I own the whole series.
Yay for nice weather! I’m extremely jealous. It’s been in the 40s and 50s the past couple of days and now they’re telling us we’re going to get over six inches of snow this weekend.
I’m collecting the GoT books as I go. Book 2 is on the shelf waiting for its turn… which won’t be at least until I’ve finished WAR AND PEACE. I’ll probably need to read a couple of shorter books before I dive into the next long one, just for a change of pace. But I’m determined to use this year to read these epics. 🙂
Snow? I’m so sorry for you, Rachael! 🙁 If I could, I’d bottle up some sunshine and send it to you. Have a great week, nevertheless!
Flash fiction sounds like a lot of fun. Today the temperature is in the 70s but there’s a chance of severe weather tonight. But wearing a short sleeve t-shirt is nice. Have a great weekend!
Flash fiction is a lot of fun–at least I think so. It makes you think carefully about word choice, and creating mood, and suggesting story within a very short space. If you thrive off of writing challenges, it’s the perfect vehicle to get the creative juices flowing. 🙂
T-shirts at last! Yay!! 🙂
War and Peace? Impressive! I’ve never read it but it’s always been there, at the back of my brain, goading me. My 14-yr-old started it this year as part of a book challenge at school. She didn’t make it very far! Good luck with the revisions! Have a great week, Colin.
It does sound impressive to say you’ve read WAR AND PEACE (or you’re reading it), but there must have been thousands who have read it… and what if it’s not that great? I refuse to be intimidated by its reputation! 😉
Thanks, Kitty–you have a great week, too! 🙂