I'm wicked bad at this updating thing.

OK, well. First things first. NaNoWriMo is an absolute fail this year. I'm 20,000 words behind and I doubt I'll catch up. I'll keep plugging at it, but I doubt I'll make 50K. It kinda hurts my heart a little, but I've been sitting on this project for so long, I feel like it needs a nice refresh/rehash before I work on it extensively. Maybe this failed NaNo will give it a breath of fresh air and I'll keep working on it past November and get at least SOMETHING done.

My intentions were good.
Set myself up at the library, no internet, no cat, no distractions but...

20,000 words behind as of today.

Next, I'm going to reach my book goal of 50 books read this year. (Technically, it's more like 45, because some I could just not finish, and a couple books counted as one because they came bound in an anthology.) It's a great feeling knowing that I've always had something to dive into. I'd prefer to be able to write anywhere rather than resort to reading, but it's a different kind of escape. If I'm writing, I'm god to that world, and I need to be as focused as possible. If I'm reading, it's a bit different. I can dive in and out and not be responsible for the story. Not feel like the characters and their world is depending on me to give them life. MY BRAIN IS WEIRD, OK.

I've got this shelf, right? And on this shelf, I put tangible copies of books I am greatly inspired by, and will NEVER give away.  There is space on this shelf for other books I read that I adore, and it is a place of great honor. (I'm going to need a second and potentially third one.) Occupying this shelf, are a couple books I read this year that I never will/am not ready to give away, and will always recommend.I'm only going to cover what I read this year, the rest are kinda just there.

Protected by Saushkin. And yes, that's his sword. 

That I borrow for belly dancing.

If you don't want to read this babble, here's a link to my reading challenge.

First, The Rogues of the Republic. Patrick Weekes' trilogy came to a close this year, the second book released late last year, and the last book being released on 10/27 this year. Yes, I finished them both in less than two days after their respective releases. It's a wonderful story, it's beautiful, and I adore it. The covers are gradients of purple, red, and green, and they're a joy to look at. If you like Firefly or Farscape, but would prefer more of a magical/fantastical Dragonage-y twist to those worlds, this series is for you.

Second, City of Stairs, book one of the The Divine Cities, by Robert Jackson Bennett. City of Blades comes out in January, and I've preordered it for my shelf of fame as well as my kindle. Reading it made me think of a fantasy Russia crime drama. It was a bit slow at first, but truly a wonderful read once I got into the world and the characters. I want a Sigurd for my birthday, and eagerly anticipate the second book.

Third, I've got The Plucker by Brom. This is one of his better stories, and the creepy artistic take on childhood toys was an absolute joy. I considered giving it to a gorelesque performer friend of mine for her birthday, but I was reluctant to part with it. I purchased The Devil's Rose, also by Brom, to read soon as well. Again, I don't read him for his writing, more for the partnering of the writing and his illustrations.

I randomly picked up a YA fantasy book from the library called "Vessel" thinking it would help to inspire my NaNo project set in a desert. And it did, a little, but it moreso had me captivated with a wonderful female lead who struggles with a higher purpose, and her own life. She treks across the world so save other Vessels, rejected by their gods for an unknown reason, and therefore cast out by their families. It's a great stand alone story that has a satisfying end, with potential for continuation, though at this point it seems unlikely, and it's definitely worth reading.

That's it for what I read this year on my shelf, unless you count Killing Pretty, but obviously anything Kadrey does is immediately up there. Here on out are the highlights of this year in reading.

While I don't own the entire Clockwork Dagger Duology in tangible copies, I did buy both main story ebooks, as well as the short estories in the same 'verse, because they're a great steampunky chicky universe that differs from my usual taste, but was executed so well I couldn't NOT read it all, and eventually support Beth Cato for her work. Harper Voyager granted me both an ARC and an eARC for all books in this series.

I also don't own the entire Oracle Prophecies series; I got the first book at a thrift store and continued with the series after I finished it in about half a day. And while it wasn't the best series I've read, it kept my attention, and I plan on buying and gifting it to my younger cousin who's on her way to bookwormhood. :D

I read the first three books of The Falling Kingdoms, and while enjoyable, it felt like "Let's write a Game of Thrones for 14 year old girls!" Which isn't a bad thing. I read all of the released books and plan to finish the series, its just not my usual cup of tea, Definitely worth checking out if you're into that kind of thing.

I also read The Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch, and while the projected seven books intended for the series seems a bit much, as the second book was a little drawn out and slow in comparison to the first, the third was very flashback heavy and seemed to be an obligatory Sabetha involvement story, I'm interested to see where things go. I've got this series on my radar.

I also read the Lunar Chronicles, mostly because supposedly there's movie rights and production plans being thrown about. I'm not a OMG YA FICTION YAY person, because again, very teenage drama/romance driven, but it was an interesting twist on old fairy tales reworked into a sci-fi setting. I'm waiting for my library to have Winter available to finish out the series I have no interest in reading Fairest. I liked the series, but no enough to care about the Lunar Queen's backstory.

I also got access to the Electric Empire series through Harper Voyager; Diabolical Miss Hyde and Devious Dr. Jekyll. Both interesting Victorian era steampunk crime dramas with a touch of classic literature references thrown in. While the language is a little elevated at times, it's still a decent read. My mother is even interested in reading it, since I bought her tangible copies for her birthday.

I powered through Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire hating Jorg with every page. But I continued because I got the sense that you're supposed to hate the son of a bitch. It didn't garner any sympathy or respect, and the ending twist felt rather forced and out of left field, but if you're into antiheroes, butchery, and medieval fantasy with a secret, then sure, look into it.

I found Book Outlet, and my god. I've stockpiled enough books to keep  busy for literally years.

This isn't even all of them. Just the ones I got "for my birthday."

But I found this series, called Ilario, that I really, really wanted to like. It's about an actual hermaphrodite and how their existence is a threat to the royal court, so their parents are trying to have them murdered. All Ilario wants to do is paint and keep breathing. #lifegoals, right? I had hoped for more gender fuckery and exploration than oh, yeah, Ilario's both. Meh. The writing is kind of boring, and incredibly drawn out. I don't reallycare about any of the characters or what happens to them, but I'm about halfway through the second book, and since there were only two parts I figured I might as well finish it. I've had no qualms about putting it on hold for NaNo, so that really says all I need to about whether or not I particularly enjoyed it.

Probably won't update until next year, lots of reading to do, and writing that I SHOULD be doing. This was a long one. I'm sorry.

TL:DR I read books. Some were good. Others were meh. I've got more. NaNo's probably a wash this year.

CARRY ON.

- RaRa out.

Not sure this is what they meant by employee empowerment...

Now, I doubt anyone except my boss reads this, but just in case...

My boss at my day job has been my best friend since we were eight. She's been my bestie for literally 2/3 of my lifespan and to this day, (fck if I know why,) puts up with and helps me fight through all my sht. She's like a sister I actually like, and I don't know what I'd do without her behind me. I now I work for her. Fck me, right? (Kidding. It's actually great. Even though she pelts me with stale bagels if I don't refill the dairy dispenser.)

We're this tight. And just as Irish, kehd.

I'm obviously Renner, Shan.

Coke and XBox.
Or... Tacos and Steam.

Anyway, during downtime between crazed coffee craving hordes, I mentioned to her how much I've been reading; about 2-3 books a week. And she asked me, "Why don't you like, write? Three books a week?" While I quickly rebuffed that question with the inevitability of any effort to do so literally killing me, girl made a valid point.

I've been seriously neglecting my writing for far too long. Things in my life have been turbulent, but it's coming around to a sense of reluctant acceptance and apathetic balance. And that's where I need to be to write. I know, I know, the best material and inspiration comes from times of emotional vulnerability, but I think it becomes too personal when I write in that frame of mind. I find it works better for me, and my imaginary friends, if I revisit those feelings for inspiration, rather than immediately refine them into literary babbling.

I want to go on the Martha's Vineyard writer's retreat next year. It's a week on the Vineyard, where I've never been, (I'm a bad Masshole!) with room, board, and a week of workshops and seminars and an option to have a manuscript read and reviewed by published authors. While I probably won't know who any of them are, and more than probably won't have read anything they've written, it certainly wouldn't hurt to get a professional and established eye to look over my garbage.

Nothing more inspiring than wood sculptures of sea murder!
I'm Rhody at heart. And we know all about this sht.

Until then, I need like a day or two off, (see that, boss?! LOL No, J/K, I need money.) to just apply ass to chair and get sht done. I've coached a Facebook friend on his writing and find that I should take my own damn advice. I told him that all first drafts are shit, and the best thing you can do is lay out the staging for the figurative mansion. And each rework of that draft staging is adding more wings, more secret passages, sprucing the garden, bathing and feeding the servants properly... wait, you mean rich people don't have indentured servants anymore? ... Oh.

I figure I'd oblige the internet by using a meme to illustrate a common comment;

(Translation; Original Poster is a fag.)

I think I'm going to finish reading what I just started today, the series I have the first book of, then read something I bought with intent to inspire further work on my NaNoWriMo project, and get to it. So... two weeks?

Reading, will read, inspiration.

         <--- Wicked stoked for this one.               

- RaRa out.

I realized something today.

See, I have this problem. I own a Kindle. And it's pretty well stocked. I often pick up a book or two off my wishlist when they're on sale just because. (Buying from Amazon is a problem in and of itself, to be addressed another time.) But I feel as though I can't be a proper hipster book nerd if I can't show off the cool/new/edgy/relevant title I'm reading. How will people -know- I'm progressive and intelligent and cultured if they can't SEE that I'm reading IQ84? How will people -know- that I'm better at books than they are if they can't SEE that I'm reading (and lugging around) a beaten up gargantuan copy of Atlas Shrugged or a Dostoevsky whatever? 

Depending on what exactly is popular, or becoming a movie, 

that might actually be a good thing.

I feel like while a Kindle or other e-reader is beyond convenient, environmentally conscious, and an inevitable evolution of the book industry, it's not the same as holding a book in your hand. It's not the same conversation starter as seeing the cover of what someone's reading and thinking "Wow, I loved/am curious about/am reading/like the look of that book. I should chat them up!" While my Kindle cover is quite pretty, it doesn't show off what I'm reading. And I think that's part of the point. That's part of the socialization of book nerds. Usually being awkward agoraphobes that escape into make believe worlds because our lives are crap and everyone in them is a drooling moron, our opportunity for interaction with our fellow book nerds, intellectuals, progressives, adventurers, is limited by its very essence.

Here's the point. When I read a book now, I usually try to get it on my Kindle, and a tangible copy. I'll always have it on my phone, I'll have it on my Kindle in case I don't have a light source, and I'll have a paper copy when Skynet happens.

And it will. 
I want to have plenty to read while waiting for whatever actor currently playing John Connor saves us. 

I almost want to go out to the most public places I can think of and just sit there proudly displaying my tangible book, almost as if it's like glorious peacock feathers inviting conversation. Not like anyone would care. Because I read whatever the shit I want, not necessarily popular best sellers or relevant collegiate literature. I like dudes and chicks with swords and clockwork goggles and fancy hats. And heroes(ines) with snarky attitudes you're not sure you'd trust with people you love. And post apocalyptic wastelands where shit gets fcking real. And magicians back from Hell hanging out in LA. But no one will know unless I can show off my cover!

... But then I'd -really- be a hipster literary asshole instead of just masquerading as one.

Hey, ebook companies. Invent a protective cover that displays the book jacket of whatever book file we're reading. Preferably in full color. And not stupid expensive. I'd Kickstart the fck out of it.

All $3 of it (after bills, food, and rent.)

#bookwormproblems

(Currently reading.)

-RaRa out. (ALSO OMG FALLOUT 4 IS SET IN BOSTON @_@;)

Fan fiction. Or, the crap of the literary world.

Attention grabbed? Good!

Now, let's get something straight, here. I don't -hate- fan fiction. I think it's a great way to practice writing as most of the work is already done for you, and when it's done well, it's fascinating to see established characters you love through someone else's eyes. What Ifs are great when something didn't end the way you wanted to. Not like the original writers owe people anything... That's a whole other blog post. Just because you are a fan of something, it does not entitle you to direct how the original artist progresses and ends something THEY created.

But apparently, if people complain enough, they cave and placate the entitled idiot masses. 

Artists do not owe anyone shit. Write your fan fics and convince yourself it's real.

But with fan fiction, you've got established characters with traits, mannerisms, and goals, you've already got the details and mechanics of their world, and you've got reference material that is fairly recognizable.That doesn't mean your badly written slash porn is any good, however. My problem with fan fics being regarded as the next great source of literature is simple. None of it is original thought, and your OC's getting injected into established story lines and copyrighted intellectual property isn't original, and most of it is horribly written Mary Sue/homoerotic fantasy smut. So no, Tumblr is not a source for your next great read or worthy of being published if the author changes some names around.

Not kidding. This bitch has made billions and set feminism back thirty years with this garbage. 

I'm not entirely without sin. I have a subfolder where I have all of my fan fiction. Because, as I said, it's good practice, and all writing, however bad, or unoriginal, or ridiculous, helps the crafting of your individual voice and skill. I take lots of inspiration from video games, books, film, for traits or characteristics I want to mold into my own imaginary friends. For example, I've been a fan of the Thief video game series since I painstakingly helped my older cousins play through the first game on his (circa 1995) amazing PC. I have a little fan fic with Garret and a few OC's in a kind of competitive protege type of thing with another thief who took over ransacking The City after Deadly Shadows when Garrett relives his recruitment into the Keepers when another young kid tries to pick him. It helps me write from the view of a person with traits I can't really relate to on my own, since I'm not a selfish, materialistic, self serving antagonistic creep. One of my main projects right now started as Sandman Slim fan fics set between Kill the Dead and Aloha From Hell. He started as a "Hey, I'm the only thing you've met that is close to your level, and if you're not gonna bang Candy, I will" type of character. He was someone who Stark could relate to, but also be kind of at odds with  simultaneously. He was meant as the equal but opposite of Slim, and the only one who even stood a chance at beating him. He completely evolved past that, and he has his own three book story arc with a few nods to the original inspiration peppered in.

I guess my main point here, is that I've spent literally three years now trying to build a world, mythos, and everything else for another project that had sparked in high school, got it's first couple of pages my senior year of college, and has been outlined and researched on and off ever since. Being literally god to a whole new world is exhausting. I'm afraid of contradictions, little things that don't make sense or fit in, minute details, anything of even the most insignificant trifle I could miss that That Guy will bring up at my Q&A to make me feel like an asshole.

"Um, Ms. Woods, *snort, wipe nose* on page 147 of book one your main character, who I love and cosplay as and masturbate to says, and I quote, *holds up beaten, stained, signed first edition hard cover copy* 'I wouldn't patron his establishment if he had the last jar of peanut butter in the galaxy,' but in book 3 on page 381 her traveling partner, while allergic to peanuts, as previously established, convinces the stubborn stalwart heroine into going INTO said establishment for peanut butter?"

And probably make me want to beat the shit out of him in the parking lot afterward.

So props to the magic man in the sky who created existence as we know it in seven days, and piss off to the lazy unoriginal fanboys and girls that work solely off of other people's creations.

I wish.

TL;DR

It's not easy to literally play god to an entire imaginary universe. And I quietly resent people who take the easy way out.

- RaRa out.

Is this regularly enough?

For someone who's trying to get in a real habit of writing regularly, even if it's just a blog, I'm not doing the best of jobs. I'm awful and I know it. Anyway, since last post, I've read four books? Yeah.

So, first up! The Prophecy Con, by Patrick Weekes. 10/10

If Firefly was a book series, with magic, and elves and dragons and more WTF-ery, it'd be Rogues of the Republic. You've got a cast of characters as diverse and crazy as a sack of alley cats. Such a mix of personalities and motivations inclined for hilarity, drama, and non stop action that I can't imagine anything to make it better. You've got Loch and Kail, two ex-militaries with lots of sass and plenty of skill to back it up. Loch's arguably the brains of the operation, though is very much capable of being her own brawn. Kail is pretty much around to look good, make jokes about people's mothers, and pick locks/fights. And I adore nearly everything about him as a character. You've got a priestess with a talking war hammer, a ludicrously agile and strong monk with a vow of non violence, a unicorn with a creepy preference and persistence for virgins, an alchemist archer, a wizard that flunked out of school, and a lawman, all involved in trying to prevent a war they accidentally set the match for. By stealing a book of elf porn poems. While they all seem to find almost bull crap means of getting out of things, it all seems a bit too coincidental and Loch's apparently Wolverine, but hey. It works for the world and the characters. They're all each other's own personal deus ex, and while that sounds like a cop out, Weekes manages to keep enough suspense, intrigue, and questions regarding their survival and success that you forgive it. It's a brilliant series. Read it. I'll buy it for you. It's glorious in every way, and you won't be disappointed.

Or Kail will. 

(Not pictured. That's Mr. T. Probably someone Kail wishes he could be.)

BTW; (Killing Pretty, Sandman Slim #7, has already been preordered, in both hardcover, and eBook. Now I'm just waiting on my ARC.... /fingers crossed!)

Next... Being THAT guy, I read books when I hear there's a movie coming out. And I decided to read Seventh Son, a collection of books 1 and 2 of The Last Apprentice series. 5/10

I did a Goodreads review and I don't feel like elaborating or copy pasting. So flesfjskafj. There. TL;DR, mildly sexist, very juvenile while trying to sound hardcore, I doubt the movie will be anything like the packaged books. Well, actually, that's pretty much my entire review. LOL.

It was alright, I guess. Kept me busy for four days.

I just finished reading The Clockwork Dagger, 7/10, by Beth Cato, (received as a RC from Harper Voyager) and I adore the main heroine, but the rest of the book is kinda... mediocre. Light, easy reading, also steampunky with a touch of magic and war, so if you're into that sort of thing, with a touch of seemingly forced romance angles, then go for it. The character twists were great, though, and I'm currently reading the sequel, The Clockwork Crown (Obtained as a digital ARC from Harper Voyager.) I know, the legalities annoy me, too.

Characters are less bad ass than they appear. But still pretty neat.

As for my writing, I haven't really done anything since NaNoWriMo. I've had a couple of whacked dream ideas, and I wish I remembered more details of them, because they could totally make interesting books. I need that Japanese dream machine. I just hope that they wash it, and clear the memory banks, before I give it a go. I don't even want to think of what middle-aged Japanese men dream about. I've studied their culture and language for almost ten years, I don't need any more trauma. @_@;

- RaRa out.

Yay, 2015. Let's get this rolling.

ALRIGHT WELL.

So, I bet the one person that reads this blog aside from me will want an official update on NaNoWriMo2014. Well, I did it. My official total was 50,235 words.

Sort of.

The story I attempted was only moderately planned out ahead of time, and was written strictly chronologically, in an allotted two hours per night, from 11 pm to approximately 2:30 am. As most ideas tend to do, it flourished, changed, and warped as I went, and I had a serious main character crisis. So I decided to make this story a duology, in that it will be the same plot, from two different perspectives, in two separate books. Similarly, I've decided to crisscross timelines with my other main series and it's planned spin off, as some events happen simultaneously and are as relevant as any other plot points. Confused? Yeah, imagine having 15+ separate, defined personalities inside your head at all times that occasionally break through into real life.

But anyway. The main body of the NaNo story (the chronological, planned, and slightly polished final word count,) was approximately 18,000 words. BUT, here's where the "winner!" part comes in. I learned, from other WriMos, that at the end, when it comes to tally the counts, they add in random but related non sequential scenes, outlines, and bits of dialogue or character bios. So, technically, it's kind of cheating. BUT. It's all directly involved with the main story, so I'll consider my first attempt at NaNoWriMo a success. A cheap, cheating success, BUT DAMMIT I WANTED A DISCOUNT ON SCRIVENER.

The struggle is real.

I love this project. It's two female main characters. One, a gender fuck/fluid but biologically assigned female, the other, a strong, independent and resourceful yet definitely feminine biological and identifying female. It's a challenge for me to not write a male main character, as society has conditioned even me to lean toward masculine protagonists and more defined male characters as selling points or engaging story driving characters. And dammit, that needs to change. I think writing one strictly female, more passive character, and one who is more androgynous simultaneously in the same arc will help me figure out what works and what doesn't, because dammit, it's hard to write from a perspective with which you don't necessarily easily identify. BUT. Women are people too, and I want to join the authors that are trying to facilitate the expansion of valid, interesting, marketable characters.

Kameron Hurley pretty much nails it. Also, her book is totes on my TBR list. ... Which is a million books long. Dammit. I should work on that...

BTW. READING THIS:

YOU SHOULD TOO.
Or Kail won't bring your mother out for a nice dinner the next time he booty calls her.

Review to come. :3

- RaRa out.

Krampus: The Yule Lord

Harper Voyager sent me another goodie bag. I really dig this advance reader gig, when they send me good stuff, of course. I forgot to diagram the goodie package before this one, but that's for another entry.

Krampus: The Yule Lord, by Brom, click for review.

Antero, the Christmas alien.

Gideon, by Alex Gordon, available on 1/6/15.

An awesome over sized and soon to be modded t-shirt with an astro-sloth.

And treats. Which I actually put in shoes outside for Krampus, because I'm not super keen on THAT much mint. Also I don't want my ass beaten bloody by a tall, skinny, horned god.

That's it for now (this year, I guess.) I'm going to boot up some video games and take my mind off of reading for a while.

- RaRa out.