Tag Archives: art

Fall is for Writers, Not for L.A.

Posted in Illustration, On Writing by

rain-girl-sketch-illustration-blogIt was raining in Los Angeles for half a second. I’m ready to bake pies and warm my cockles by the ovenside. The crock pot is cold and lonely.

This is my first week off from my book. I wrote it in a whirlwind, NaNoWriMo style, in exactly one month. This was in July, after I left my job (which, by the way, was more invigorating than frightening…but also kind of frightening). Then I spent another couple of months editing, and enjoyed three immobilizing days of a final marathon read. I find that step, reading the manuscript from start to finish as fast as I can, particularly helpful for wheedling out repetitive words, finding inconsistencies and plot holes, and taking a sweeping look at character development. It doesn’t allow you to forget what’s already been read.

Now it’s November 1. First day of actual NaNoWriMo and I feel like I’ve come out of the wrong chute, even though I’m obviously relieved to see the first draft long finished and so ready to leave the revised version in the hands of beta readers. But, temporarily bereft of a major, moving creative project, I’m trying to avoid the deadlights of limbo. Nothing really replaces the feeling of having your own book to work on every day.

I told myself I’m allowed a break after three months of frenzied writing and editing; one day into relaxation, I can already feel myself floundering and sinking into that weird postpartum that always arrives during beta reads and, particularly, querying.

I have plenty to do, though, so I’m going to try filling in the gaps with serious business–not the least of which is embarking upon freelancing (for real). I let myself put it aside because how often do you get a chance to work on your own project day and night? But it’s probably time to be an adult again.

~S.Z.

September Blogathon Challenge Accepted

Posted in Life by

september-blogathon-inconsistent-blogger-illustration

I’m participating in a blogging challenge with some of my fellow Book Rioters this month! The idea began with Sarah S. Davis of Broke By Books, and the point is to challenge ourselves to be consistent bloggers by holding each other accountable to our individual goals.

My goal is to post original content at least once a week, whether vlog, art, or your standard talky blog entry. I’ll also be reposting some of my Book Riot posts, but those won’t count towards my goal–that’s just extra.

And if you’re looking for more bookish blogs to follow, check out these Rioters who are on the struggle with me this month: