5 Ways to Read More

Image Source

It's hard to find time to read when there's so much just so much going on, but here's a few things that I've been doing to read more.

1. Carrying a book around. I never know when some free time will pop up, and I forgot to bring my beloved Kobo out with me last Saturday. I ended up having to spend 20mins in completely boredom waiting for the bus to arrive, 20mins that I could have spent reading. 
2. Use reading as a reward. I sometimes use reading as a way to reward myself for reaching a goal, maybe getting one reading done for school or getting a paragraph finished on an essay. 
3. Read during breaks. When I'm waiting for my food to heat up, when I'm waiting for class to start, between study sessions, I pull out my Kobo and read. 
4. Set up certain times to read everyday. I read when I wake up, and just before I go to sleep. It's amazing how much I can get through. 
5. Prioritise reading. Instead of watching that show I'm not really into but will probably watch because it's on TV, I pick up a book and read it. Instead of playing with my phone, I read a book. 

My TBR is growing larger and faster by the day, and even as the speedy reader I am, I have no idea how I'm going to be able to get through it all.

How do you find time to read?

NaNoWriMo: 5 Reasons Why

It's October, and NaNo (prep) season is upon us again!

I've attempted every NaNo and Camp NaNo since November 2013. I haven't won every time, but I've always loved it!

1. The NaNo community. I think what hooked me in and keeps me coming back, despite NaNo being during final exams for me, is the wonderful and supportive community. I met a few writing buddies last NaNo, and I'm still in touch with them!
2.  The foundational first draft. It's always a struggle to start a new project, and even more of a struggle to get through it. NaNo really helps you speed through that first draft so you'll have something to revise and perfect later on.
3. The pretty graphs. They're motivating. Really. I love updating my word count and seeing it all mapped out, I love seeing my average words a day go up, and my words left go down. 
4. The sponsor discounts and offers. I bought Scrivener with a NaNo discount, and it would worth every penny! 
5. It's a lot of fun!

Are you going to do NaNoWriMo this year?

From Paper to E-Ink: One Month Later

One month ago, I gave in and went over to the dark side. I bought myself a Kobo Touch e-reader. AN extremely cute white one with a silver back.

Right now, the contents of it look something like this:

• 14 Novels (Purchased)
• 2 Novellas (Free)
• 2 Writing-related books (Purchased)
• A bunch of library books (Borrowed)

I never expected to love my Kobo as much as I do, which is a lot. I've had to make myself leave it at home when I go to classes so I don't spend the entire day reading.

That isn't to say that I've given up on physical books-- I've read 4 of them in the last month. But that's probably nothing compared to the 13 books (or 42 hours according the the reading stats) that I've read on my Kobo!

I was a little nervous about buying an e-reader because for a student like me, I couldn't really afford to spend so much money on something I might not even end up using, but I can now say that I don't regret the purchase a single bit!

Pros:

• Very portable and pocketable-- I'm able to read on the go whenever I have a little bit of time, and I won't have to worry about pages/covers getting bent in my bag. Also, convenient for reading while traveling, especially when you're a fast reader like me.
• Books by indie authors far more accessible-- I hate reading on my laptop/phone screen, and buying a paperback by an indie author wasn't always possible for me.
• Occasional lower price makes me more willing to try out titles I wouldn't have bought otherwise.
• Can borrow e-books from library, and no late return fees!  

Cons: 

• No pretty book to display on my shelves.
• Pretty book covers slightly less pretty in black and white.
• Have to charge the e-reader (what if the power runs out at a cliffhanger?!)
• It's not necessarily cheaper for some of the titles I want to read-- sometimes the ebook will cost around the same or more than a paperback. 

 So,  while I can say that I won't be making the move to 100% e-reading, a good chunk of my reading will probably be done on my Kobo, especially as I can borrow e-books from my library!

Do you prefer reading physical books, or on an e-reader?

Posting WIPs Online: Why, and Why Not

Image Source

Fictionpress, Wattpad, AO3, Fanfiction.net, Livejournal, the list of sites where you can post your writing goes on and on. Most of us love the instant gratification of getting (positive) feedback on your work.

There's fanworks, and then there's original works, but for the purposes of this post, I'll be talking about posting original works online.

Here's the best case scenario:

You end up making friends with fellow writers and your readers, improve your writing through the feedback others give you, develop a thick skin early, and perhaps even have a strong fanbase by the time you publish your next project.

It's good incentive, but whether or not that actually happens dangles on one thing: getting noticed.

I'm not saying that getting noticed depends 100% on luck, because it doesn't, but especially for those transitioning over from a ficdom, it might be a little harder.

The worst case scenario?

You post your work online and then... nothing. No comments, and not even a single like. There were a couple of views, but no one seemed to take the note you left at the end seriously. Y'know, the one where you told readers to feel free to leave comments and feedback. You wonder why no one is responding to your writing, and come to the conclusion that your writing must suck, and subsequently give up on it. 

That would be a real shame because the thing is, your writing might not suck.

Maybe your opening sucked, so no one read on, but that doesn't meant that your entire story sucked. With fanworks, readers are already invested in the characters and relationships. Readers go into your original story not really invested in anything. It's your job to give them something to read on for, and maybe your writing isn't quite at that point yet and it'd be a real shame if that crushing disappointment and insecurity might stop you from pushing on.

There's things that you can do to try get your story out there, but luck is undeniably a factor. With so many free stories floating around online, what are the chances that yours will be seen, and seen by someone who loves it so much that they share it with their friends who do the same. On top of hard work and time, it takes no small amount of luck to get noticed.

I think that if you know that you've got a thick skin, and write for yourself, then by all means post your work online. But if you know that you're the sort of person that might lose confidence in yourself if you get no responses, then consider waiting until it's done and dusted!

Do you publish your WIPs online as you write?

Books are Expensive, Don't Pretend They're Not

Image Source

This is a post that has near 3,500 notes, I've seen on my dash a few times, and rubbed me the wrong way every single time. I do not condone piracy of ebooks, but I find this post to be condescending and guilt-tripping. 

"Books are, in fact, the most cost effective form of entertainment we have today."

No, not really. 

Here's the thing: "we" can't all afford to drop $100+ on things like concerts "without a thought," and some of us don't even have the money to spend on concerts and broadway shows.  

And even if we did, concerts and broadway shows are those things we go to once a year as a treat. Not things we can breeze through during any day of our choosing. 

Books are expensive.

A typical YA book takes me anywhere from 2-4 hours to read, which means that I can read more than one in a day. My reading habits on very on and off, but I've read 9 books this month. Let's say that I bought them in paperback for $15 each. That's $135. Times that by 12 for the early cost? $1620.

With $1620 I could:

• Go to at least 13 concerts 
• See 162 movies in standard 2D
• Buy a cup of coffee from Starbucks every morning before class

Yeah, I know. That's terrible math and estimate, and I don't even drink coffee or go to Starbucks anymore. But the point stands, people who enjoy reading will be reading a lot more than they go to concerts. 

I remember all to well the days I was in high school. I didn't work much, and made about $30 a week. In bookstores here, a paperback would cost anything from $20 to $28 (I buy paperbacks off Book Depository now, so it's much cheaper). I didn't get allowance from my parents, and neither did they buy me things I didn't "need." I could make enough to buy a book maybe once a month, but there are people, especially young people out there who have no room in their budget for books. 

Now luckily, there's a local library about 15mins walk away from my house and I could request books from other libraries in the city if they didn't have the books I was after. While not everyone has access to a library and not every library the books that a person wants, they are a wonderful alternative for those who can't afford to buy their own books. Why doesn't the post say "buy or borrow your books"?

You know what, I'm not saying that people should be excused for pirating books. I'm saying that instead of coming from a place of privilege and attacking people (especially young teens) for not buying their books, understand that people come from different backgrounds and discourage book piracy by promoting libraries, recommending free stories online, promoting sales and giveaways. 

Instead of saying "you're a terrible person if you don't buy your books," say "book piracy hurts the authors you love and heres why. These are some alternatives that don't." 

Bookish Wrap-up #1

I've Been Reading...

• The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin (Adult Historical Romance)

I've been reading a lot of Jeannie Lin lately-- I mean, I got to get my dose of Historical China fiction from somewhere right? While the Dragon and the Pearl wasn't my favourite of her books, it wasn't a bad book either. I wasn't able to connect with either main character, and found the ending a little rushed. 3 out of 5. 

• Alanna: The First Adventure & In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce (YA Fantasy)

These were both rereads for me. Tamora Pierce was one of my favourite authors as a kid, and I regularly get the urge to reread her books. I know that if I try to assign a rating to these books, it'll be through rose-tinted glasses so I shall refrain from doing so. Know that I will probably never get tired of rereading them though!

• Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani (YA Fantasy)

Without a doubt one of the best stories I've read all year. It was short (at about 150 physical pages, I believe), but fast paced and exciting. I loved all the characters, I loved Hitomi, I was intrigued by Val, and I wanted to see more of everyone else. The book was a little slow to get started, and I only wish that it had been longer! I wrote a longer review which can be found on Goodreads.

• The Bone Knife (Novella) by by Intisar Khanani (YA Fantasy)

Only 35 pages according to Goodreads, but every word really did count. I loved how Rae, the protagonist was a disabled girl, and how there were hints of how she was treated in society because of it. The magic system was extremely interesting, and the faerie wasn't a cardboard cutout. I wish there had been a bit more worldbuilding as hints given about the world beyond Rae's home made me want to know more, but I can't really fault the lack of it as the story was so short. 4.5 out of 5.

• Midnight Thief & The Poison Dance (Novella) by Livia Blackburne (YA Fantasy)

Midnight Thief was a solid read that I enjoyed. The worldbuilding was sparse, but I liked what I saw. The Demon Riders were interesting, and I loved James' personality! I found it hard to relate emotionally to either Kyra or Tristam and sometimes, I felt like what was happening around them was more interesting than what they were doing, especially with Tristam. 3.5 out of 5.

I expected to like Poison Dance more than I did, after all it was about James, the character I found most interesting in Midnight Thief. Unfortunately, it fell emotionally flat for me, and again, I wasn't able to relate to any character or even feel anything for them. 3 out of 5. 

I Want to Read...

• Thorn by Intisar Khanani

I have a feeling that Intisar Khanani going to become one of my favourite authors, after reading Sunbolt and The Bone Knife. I loved both so much that I'm going to read Thorn (a retelling of the Goose Girl fairytale) as soon as I can purchase as a copy for my Kobo!

• Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

This has been sitting on my Kobo for far too long. I remember a lot of hype over this book, so hopefully I can get to it this week and see what it's all about!

• Air Awakens by Elise Kova

I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but look at it. Wow. I've read good reviews and the synopsis looks intriguing, so I'm super excited to start reading!

---

What have you been reading lately?

Social Media: Why You Should Respond

Image Source

I've been around social media for a long time, and first started getting into online communities and talking to people online around 2009-- first it was through fandom/ficdom, but now it's mainly through a shared love of writing.

Something I've noticed is that while everyone wants comments and responses to things they write and say, but once they have them, some people don't respond.

I remember an incident where a fanfic writer threatened to friend lock their fics because they weren't getting many comments. I looked at a few of their fics and they never replied to the comments they did receive. The general consensus in my circle was that instead of stopping silent readers from accessing their fics, they should encourage others to comment by replying to comments. They thought that the fanfic writer came across as entitled for demanding comments, and rude for not replying to the ones they had. Obviously not a good impression.

This got me thinking. You choose to put someone online. Other people choose to leave you a (nice) response. Now...

Do you have to reply to every single comment or reply you get?

While no one has to do anything, replying or giving some sort of acknowledgement that you've seen them is a great idea, especially if you want to build connections, and encourage people to continue interacting with your content.

Replying thoughtfully will leave a good impression, and encourage that person to interact with you again, and perhaps even encourage a newcomer to interact with you. No one wants to feel ignored, or like they wasted their time trying to be friendly or start a conversation.

For example, let's say Mary tweets about a cake she baked. Cindy replies to the cake, saying that it looks delicious and asking what flavour it is. Mary never replies, but carries on tweeting about other things. Mary and Cindy are mutuals, and found each other by a NaNo forum thread where people swapped Twitter usernames.

A few things might happen, especially if this isn't the first time this has happened:

1. Cindy feels like Mary is ignoring her, and unfollows
2. Cindy feels like Mary is ignoring her, and stops replying/mutes Mary because she feels like there's no point
3. Bob sees the Tweet, opens it, sees Cindy's unanswered tweet, and thinks "why bother tweeting this person if they don't reply." 

None of those are very desirable results. Sure, there will be people who don't care if you don't respond to them, but there will be people who do. 

Whether it's a tweet, Tumblr ask, or blog comment, I always try my best to respond in some way, even if I'm just faving that tweet or replying with a quick "Thank you for commenting!"

How do you respond (or not respond) to comments or replies?

Poem Without A Title by Li Shangyin

無 題 李商隱

Poem Without A Title by Li Shangyin

相見時難別亦難，東風無力百花殘。 

It is difficult for us to meet and hard to part,

The east wind is too weak to revive flowers dead.

春蠶到死絲方盡，臘炬成灰淚始幹。 

The silkworm till its death spins from love-sick heart;

The candle only when burned has no tears to shed.

曉鏡但愁雲鬢改，夜吟應覺月光寒。 

At dawn she'd be afraid to see mirrored hair gray;

At night she would feel cold while I croon by moonlight.

蓬萊此去無多路，青鳥殷勤為探看。

To the three fairy hills it is not a long way,

Would the blue-bird oft fly to see her on their height? 

(Tr. X.Y. Z.) 

Super excited to share one of my favourite poems with everyone! Chinese poems are a constant source of inspiration to me in my writing, so maybe they'll inspire someone else too.

Some quick context notes:

• It's difficult for a pair of lovers to meet and even more difficult for them to part-- this is compared to the way how flowers must wither in the last days of spring in the eastern wind. 
• The word for 'silk' （丝）sounds like the word for 'to think of' (思).
• The 'fairy hills' mentioned are Penglai, a mythical mountain on the sea where immortals (仙）are. The line is saying that while the location of author's lover is within sight, his lover is out of grasp. 
• The blue-bird is the messenger Queen Mother of the West. The author wishes that there was a messenger like the blue-bird who could visit his lover and take messages. 

I love the way that so much meaning, emotion and nuance can be conveyed in so few words-- less is truly more with these poems. 

Sources: 

300 Tang Poems: A New Translation (唐詩三百首新譯). Edited by Xu Yuan-zhong, Loh Bei-yei, and Wu Juntao. 

Websites (Chinese): 1, 2

Outlining with Excel

Outline for the first arc of my current WIP

Until quite recently, I'd considered myself a loud and proud pantser. I had tried outlining in detail once before, it killed my muse, and I declared that I'd never do it again.

Then I started getting writer's block more often than not, and would stare at the page and not know what comes next.

I mixed and matched outlining methods and ways to structure story to find the one that suited me that best.

Right now, I've come up with the spreadsheet method that's shown on the right, but I promise it isn't as terrifying as it looks. This is by no means the best or only way to outline, but it's my way.

Quick things to note:

• I sort of use the three arc structure.
• I use the scene/sequel structure (if you don't know what that is, click here and here).
• My current manuscript is told from a singular first person POV (I'll suggest alternatives for people working with dual/multiple POV further down) 
• I'll be using Pride and Prejudice examples taken from K.M. Weiland's Structuring Your Novel to illustrate everything as I learnt a lot from it. 
• Row = Horizontal, Column = Vertical

This post is a little long, so I'll put it underneath a cut.

Hello Writerly World!

Photo Source

I haven't been published, I don't have an agent-- hell, I don't even have a completed manuscript. But what I do have is lots of determination to finish a manuscript (or ten) and get myself published.

Okay, that was kinda cheesy. I'm terrible at introductions, but let's try again anyway.

Hi, I'm Darcy and I'm an university student who writes YA fantasy fiction when I should be studying. I've been writing on and off for years, but it's only in the last year or so that I've gotten serious about wanting to be published and really starting to hone my writing skills and reading a lot of writing advice. I've come a long way from the 13 year old kid who thought a vampire prince romance she wrote with her friends was the Best Thing Ever, but I've still got a lot to learn.

The point is, I don't really have many writerly qualifications that qualify me to sit here and give you advice on how you should write. So, this blog will not be a how-to-write-blog.

This will be a how-I-write blog.

I'll be sharing tips and tricks that I've learnt, things that inspire me, and writing related thoughts every Monday and Thursday (NZST). Expect to see posts about the way I outline my novels, to reviews, to things in Chinese history that pique my interest.

At the end of the day, no matter how many times I complain on Twitter about it, I love writing. I may not love every single word I commit to paper (or word document), but I love learning and improving.

So hopefully, this blog will help someone who loves to write as much as me!