Archive for the 'SARK-ism' Category

December 2, 2009 | Reading is FUNdamental,Road Trip Wednesday,SARK-ism,The 4-1-1 on Me,Writer Moment

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival”, where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it in on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

You’re more than welcome to participate! Just answer the question on your own blog, and leave a link to it in their comments.

Topic #9

Who’s your literary crush?

My literary crush is SARK.

It’s an acronym which stands for Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy. I. LOVE. THIS. WOMAN. She’s all about self-help/self-empowerment, but not in the typical way. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her several times, as well attending her very fun workshops, and I always come away feeling uplifted. I think it’s her energy. Or maybe it’s the fact that she conducts her book signings and workshops in purple lounging pajamas. Whenever she releases a new book, she does a book signing here at the local indie store, Changing Hands. Her books are amazingly color-full (it’s SARK’s way of spelling it) and interactive, filled with quotes and references to other great resources. They’re picture books for adults. LOL. Truly. Text written in different color ink, pictures, doodling in the margins…it’s fantabulous. I think it’s so cool that she’s able to have her books published like that. Makes me wonder about her editing process.

But that’s not all.

Not only does she write, but she’s got amazing stuff and workshops. Nearly all of her books take up space on my bookshelf and I have her words of wisdom plastered in my office and room. The Micro Movement Wheel she talks about in “Make Your Creative Dreams Real” helps me write my books. But I refer to them as Writing Movements.

I’ve flagged several pages in her “Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper” book because they could be utilized in a writing program. I wish the Writer’s Manifesto at the front of this book was a poster.

Seriously, how can you not want to pick up a book titled “Wild, Succulent Woman”

“Eat Mangoes Naked”

“The Bodacious Book of Succulence”

“Living Juicy”

or “Inspiration Sandwich?”

What other self help book do you know of that has sections where you can draw and write? None, I tell you.

I want a Magic Cottage like hers.

For some reason, not everyone likes her. For reals. I find that really hard to believe, but there it is. If you’re one of those people, what the hell is wrong with you? Is she not clinical enough for you? Is she not boring enough for you? Is she not serious enough for you? Who said self-help has to be all those things? Um, not SARK. That’s for sure.

SARK, if you’re reading this, as long as you continue to write your amazing books, I will continue to read them. Also, you really need to make that Writer’s Manifesto into a poster. I wasn’t kidding about that.

Favorite Quote:

“I am enough, I have enough, I do enough.”

Technorati Tags: Road Trip Wednesday, YA Highway, SARK, Changing Hands, Make Your Creative Dreams Real, Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper, Wild, Succulent Woman, Eat Mangoes Naked, The Bodacious Book of Succulence, Living Juicy

May 19, 2009 | A Royale Pain,Book One,Book Stuff,Revision Heaven,SARK-ism,The 4-1-1 on Me,Writing Movements

The revisions for Book One are being written in sections, because I’m basically trying to fill in the blanks. I’ll need to find a place for them later, of course, but I think I should work in sections more often. Particularly when I’m not feeling very creative and think that I have to write in order.

Writing Movements #1 and its creative spurt of nearly 20 pages was a section I refer to as “The Offer.” Yesterday, I got 9 handwritten pages of “The Psych Eval.”

Not bad. Not bad at all.

“When I feel successful, I will use it as memory for times that I don’t.” – SARK’s Writer’s Solution Sheet

May 14, 2009 | Book One,Book Stuff,Book Two,Draven Atreides,Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant Series,Life in General,Revision Heaven,SARK-ism,The 4-1-1 on Me,Writing Movements

The Writing on the Wall blog has a segment called Monday Mania. You can send in the first page of your book or your query letter and have it critiqued every Monday. Earlier this week, I sent in a more current version of my query letter for Book One. Overall, the criticism was favorable, but one of the comments made me take a step back. Because LK, my beta reader, had asked the same question:

What makes Draven special?

She’s been recruited by the FBI as an informant, and she doesn’t have any special FBI agent-type skills, so really what’s so special about her?

During lunch, LK and I had a little brainstorming session and we talked about the book some more. I thought I was done with Book One, but it’s apparent that I’m not. Needless to say, when I got home, I was eager to get started on the stuff we had talked about.

A few false starts and several balled up pieces of paper later, my thoughts finally started coming together. I was up til midnight, but I produced nearly 20 new handwritten pages and have the sore fingers to prove it.

As of right now, revisions for Book Two have been put on hold until I revise–again–Book One.

I like it when writing movements flow like that.

“When you write something valuable will occur” – SARK

Technorati Tags: Writing on the Wall, Monday Mania