What's Up Wednesday: A Cry For Help

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk for like-minded writers to meet and encourage one another. Everything you ever wanted to know about it (now, with 50 percent more!) is right here.

What I’m Reading: I know I said Code Name Verity was next, but shhhh. I was in the mood for something spooky and picked up Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea instead. That was a brilliant choice on my part.

I wouldn’t say the book is scary, but maybe perfectly creepy. There’s this overall sense of something being not quite right that starts on page one and ends when the story does. The prose is beautiful, and the setting takes on a life of its own. I’d say I kept turning pages to find out what the hell is going on (and, yeah, the curiosity about the strange occurrences and uncertainty over River’s motives did grab my attention), but really I kept reading because the voice and mood were so well done. Of course, now I’m dying to tear into the second book, Between the Spark and the Burn, which doesn’t release until April 14, 2014.

What I’m Writing: So as I wait for my current WIP to be critiqued and in between edits, I’m starting a new project. I had planned to give myself a break, let myself relax with plenty of books and bad TV, but for some reason I have this itch to start a new book right away.

There’s a catch. I’m toying with a few different ideas and am seriously lost on which to pursue. Anyone else have that problem? (What I really mean by that is: Anyone know how to stop this indecisiveness? It’s bad for the skin.) Part of the issue is that I haven’t thought long enough about any of these ideas to really feel a tug in one direction. (No, not that One Direction, which I learned about through The Tumblr when I was like, “Why is everyone posting pictures of that little blond boy in braces?”)

So right now I’m having a major brainstorming party. Me, the computer, and my imagination. Which is really me, the computer, and a blank screen and/or newly refreshed Pinterest homepage. Oh look, chewy gingerbread cookies with a caramel center that I will never make!

What’s Inspiring Me: I want to say I’m inspired by the on-the-ball people who have already sent out their Christmas cards. I really want to. But I’m not. I’m just jealous. You all must have your gifts wrapped and tree decorated and twinkly lights on a timer so your home is inviting and magical the minute you get home.

I’ve thought about doing all that. I really did. And then I saw something shiny on Pinterest.*

What Else I’ve Been Up To: In an unforeseen plot twist, I have becomes strangely addicted to Reign. (Queen Mary of Scotland, the CW—you get the idea.) It’s not surprising that I like a CW show because they’re the network equivalent of Doritos, and we all know those are made with crack or something to keep you coming back even when you know you get a stomach ache the next day and no one likes Doritos breath.

No, the shocking part is that I still look forward to the show every week despite the fact that it drives me nuts—for many reasons including but not limited to:

• Mary, as the queen of Scotland, is Scottish. She doesn’t have a Scottish accent. But wait! She was raised in France, you say. Yes, but that doesn’t explain her English accent. As in, the accent of the people who want her dead and sent her into hiding.
• The show takes place in France, where Mary is hiding out in the palace of her future husband, Prince Francis. Yet only one character speaks in a French accent. What accent do they have instead? You guessed it: English.
• I’m all for pretty costumes, but as this is a period drama I’d love for the women to wear, you know, at least semi-accurate dresses. On the other hand, Reign is a pretty great place for teen girls to get prom dress ideas. Favorite of all favorites: When Mary mentioned her corset was making it hard to breathe, and she WASN’T EVEN WEARING A CORSET! I wanted to yell, YOU ARE WEARING A WIDE BELT AROUND YOUR HIPS!

And yet despite those and other issues, I am glued to this show. Which makes me wonder about those CW execs. Is there magic involved? Brainwashing? Do I care as long as they keep making these shows?

What have you been up to?

* I should mention that if you sent me a Christmas card I most definitely appreciate it. Even if I am mildly jealous and mostly in awe of you.