Best of PBW 2013

At the end of every year I sift through the archives to see how things went, what I accomplished and where I might improve things with PBW and my writing life. I think it helps me to reflect, plus it gives me something interesting to post on the last day of the year.

My theme for 2013 was a mystery, and pretty much remained that all year. While I did have some interesting revelations, tried some new things and reached a lovely career landmark, I also wrestled with a bunch of disappointments and challenges behind the scenes. I always tried to reach for the roses this past year, I think, even when I knew all I'd probably get was a handful of thorns.

The summer seemed particularly tough, as it rained almost every day for three months. While I love the rain I could have done without the accompanying lightning, which cut my available computer time in half. I think that was the worst the year threw at me, and for helping me through it I have to thank my friends and regular visitors here. You all kept me working on many days when I really didn't feel like getting out of bed at all. I'm hoping that 2014 delivers fairer skies for all of us.

On the plus side, I began publishing a new series in a new genre with a new publisher; the first novel was released in a new-to-me format. All of that was very exciting and inspiring, as I love to take new roads on the journey. I am exceedingly grateful to everyone who was involved in helping me launch Disenchanted & Co. -- it really was a dream come true for me.

Here's a look back at what I think were the best posts of 2013:

January: Title Logic, Writerisms, Journaling Small

February: Just So We're Clear, Booksigning No-Nos, Ten Author Collaborations We'd Like to See

March: Ten Things I'd Like to Write Before I Kick the Bucket, The Never Read Library, Lost and Found

April: The Hours, Be Happy We Work at Home, 750 Words

May: Another First, Inconveniences, Because Sometimes You Need a Prompt

June: Secret Rooms, Story Improvement, When I Can't Write

July: If Ideas Were Alligators, Ten Things Writers Say (and What They Really Mean), Golden

August: Aftermath, Recycling Books in 1892, SPAMmed Again

September: Building with Books, His Lordship Ten, Recycle X 5: Bookmark Keeper

October: Laws of Physics? Need Not Apply, Way of the Spinyback, Raised by a Barn

November: Trust Issues, Push, To Drawer or Not to Drawer

December: Sword of Unimaginable Annoyance, Gift No-Nos, BNE1

Welcome 2014. May you be as lucky for us as we all hope.

New Writing Year Ten

Ten Things for Writers to Do for the New Year

Get to know your characters better by creating a character palette or making up some character trading cards.

Try a new/free online writing service like Hiveword (see my write-up on it here.)

For your next book writing project make up a novel notebook.

Outline your next novel.

Take the paranormal romance novelist's test.

Buff and polish up your queries (and learn what you shouldn't be sending out.)

Create a submissions log book and hunt for some new markets (for a nice variety I recommend the excellent and regularly updated listings over at Ralan.com.) Before you jump on any sub op, however, be sure to read the fine print.

Reinvent something that bugs you (like I did with the BookLoop.)

Unclutter or make some changes to your writing space.

Be valiant.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

2013 Critter Pics

I had a post scheduled for today that was good but rather depressing, and as I was reviewing it just now I thought it might be good to simply delete it and post something better. Only I didn't have anything else prepared except a compilation of some of my animal pics that I was going to post as a year-end thing on the photoblog. Does that work for you? If so, here are

Ten Critters I Photographed This Past Year

BNE1

We made a trip into the city yesterday to have some fun and spend a few gift cards. I think I did very well at B&N with mine:



We also stopped by the big art supply store for my kid, where I spotted some really nice mixed media sketchbooks, and picked up this one for me:



Later my guy and I went out for coffee and talked a bit about next year. I'm at another of those crossroads in my career where I can go a number of different ways; he's decided not to retire for a few more years. Like most folks we're willing to work hard and get through whatever challenges come our way, but it seems like more and more pile on us every year. Needless to say it wasn't a very uplifting discussion, and when we got home I decided to break in the new sketchbook with some doodles and a licenseplate-style letter poem I'd had floating in my head for a week. Here's the poem:

Y
RU
SAD
WHEN
YOU
BE
U

I started with that, drawing the letters on little floating computer keys, and then doodled around them:



I also wrote UCANBNE1 several times on the page. It's something I distilled from the poem while doodling out from the keys I'd sketched. I created it as my license plate definition of a writer; when you write you can be anyone. But it's more than that, I think, and I'm going to find out exactly what that is next year.

Here's the entire doodle:



So who are you going to be in 2014? Let us know in comments.

Under the Tree

I hope all of you out there are enjoying the holidays. I must have been on Santa's nice list this year, judging by the lovely bunch of books I found Christmas morning:



My daughter gave me The Gorgeous Nothings, a photographic collection of the actual poems and poem fragments Emily Dickinson wrote on scraps of paper and the backs of envelopes; my Library Thing secret Santa sent me Out of Africa by Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Dr. Maya Angelou and Anguished English, Richard Lederer's hilarious look at how much abuse the language has taken over time; and my friend Jill gifted me The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, J.K. Rowling's not-so-secret adult mystery pseudonym. I also received a gift card for Barnes & Noble from my kid so I can do a little book shopping of my own.

I enjoy when people give me books as gifts. Of course it's the thought that really counts, but their choices are always interesting to me, too. I probably would not have picked out any of these books for myself except maybe the Dickinson collection and the Angelou, which is a welcome addition because my old reading copy of Bird is starting to fall apart.

Did Santa leave any books under your tree? Let us know in comments.

Wishing You

Off to Make Merry

I'm taking the day off to bake cookies and keep our cat from knocking over the Christmas tree (even at seventeen years old he loves to climb it.) Of course after watching this video from Big Cat Rescue I don't think I'll ever again complain about Jeri's holiday mischief:

Down to the Wire Ten

Ten Things to Help with Last-Minute Gifting

I think the best gift for the person who has everything is a charitable donation in their name. To personalize it fit the charity to one of their passions or struggles, such as the Humane Society for an animal lover, a literacy program for a dedicated reader, or the American Cancer Society for someone who has battled the disease.

A blank book, pretty pen and a printed list of writing prompts can encourage your recipient to do some journaling.

Keeping an extra/generic gift on hand can be helpful, especially when that unexpected guest shows up with a gift for you. My favorite emergency gift is home-baked cookies in a pretty holiday tin; if I don't need to use it we just eat the gift.

My favorite feel-better gift for someone coping with a cold during the holidays is a basket or gift bag filled with a pretty mug, envelopes of instant soup or hot chocolate, a pair of funny fuzzy socks and a stack of paperbacks, a movie or a music CD.

A bowl or basket of fresh fruit is a lovely gift during the holidays, and if you make it yourself you can customize it to your recipient's tastes. Add some whole walnuts, pecans or almonds and some fresh evergreen twigs to give it a festive look.

An electronic bookstore gift card can be ordered and delivered right up to the very last minute; so can gift e-books. Tip: Find out what brand of e-reader your recipient uses before you buy; someone who owns a Nook will likely want an e-gift card from B&N.com; a Kindle owner will prefer Amazon.com, etc.

To give 12 months of reading, take a blank subscription card from your favorite magazine and slip it into a holiday card; ask your recipient to fill in the delivery details and then mail it in with your check pay for a year's subscription.

Another great (and easy to make) last-minute gift is to print out your favorite photo of your recipient (or someone they love) and place it in a pretty frame.

My top three suggestions for last-minute gifts for a child are an age-appropriate funny book; a new, soft-furred teddy bear or a small gingerbread house kit.

If you can't afford a gift, offer your services instead. You can clean house or mow the lawn for an elderly person, babysit for busy parents, be a beta reader for a writer pal, take your friend's pup to the dog park, etc. For a really good friend, make up a stack of 12 coupons redeemable for various services over the next year.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

Dear Santa

After I sent that letter to you last year I thought it might be a good idea to write again. After all, the world did not end, writers kept writing, readers kept reading, and the planet trundles on. I do have a few more requests to make on behalf of others, but since you're the go-to guy for that kind of thing I'm sure you won't mind another round. So:

Would you please erase the word selfie from the English language? We now loathe it more than head desk, nuff said and even YOLO, if that's possible.

As I'm sure you're aware, stress is at an all-time high. Please help folks around the globe copy with it in peaceful and productive ways. Some solid, dependable employment that pays more than starvation wages for anyone looking for work would be much appreciated wherever you can make that happen.

Librarians could use a little love this year, and a lot more funding in order to keep their jobs and their doors open. Please divert some hearts and minds toward whatever they can do to support their local public libraries. Also, if you have an extra really cool gift in the sleigh, please leave it at the British Library for the unbelievably wonderful gift they just gave all of us over on Flickr Commons.

And finally, the Affordable Care Act. Yes, I know it's on a lot of a wish lists this year. I don't want to get into the politics of the thing; I just worry that it's going to end up hurting more citizens than it helps. If you might use some of your special mojo to fix it? Or if nothing else, if you could simply do something about that web site . . .

Love,
PBW

The Carrot Thief

Warning, very adorable. Also has background music, for those of you at work:

Flocons et carottes (Snowflakes and Carrots) (2010) from Samantha Leriche-Gionet on Vimeo.

How British Are You?

Yes, there is an online test that will determine exactly how British you are. And yes, it's very silly. But if I have to post one more holiday-themed piece I think my head will explode.

Here, I'll post my ridiculous but oddly apt results first:



Must tell the cousins across the pond that they've been a bad influence on me. So how UK did you rate? Let us know in comments.

(Test link nicked from Gerard over at The Presurfer)

Elsewhere with Three Gifts

Today I'm over visiting at That's What I'm Talking About blog for their Mistletoe Madness event, at which you can read Three Gifts, my free, never-before-published Disenchanted & Co. short story. I'm also giving away this lovely scarlet and gold handmade quilted tote packed with goodies, including signed print ARCs of Disenchanted & Co. and The Clockwork Wolf, so stop in if you get a chance and enter to win the lot.

New Cover Art

This is for the German edition of Frostfire; Kyndred #3, which will be released next fall. I've been delighted with every book they've done for me -- their artwork tends to be phenomenal -- but I think this is one of the best covers I've ever had, period.

Online Shopping Ten

Ten Things About Shopping for Gifts Online

Check out Etsy.com for the best handmade gifts by independent artists; here's a gal who will make a necklace for you out of old typewriter keys.

Juniper Moon Farm has a section of free knitting patterns here; one of these paired with some pretty wool would make a neat gift for your favorite knitting junkie. The official website of Red Heart yarn also has a ton of free knitting and crochet patterns.

A subscription to Knockout Novel is a great and very useful gift for the writer on your list as it gives them Hiveword plus James Scott Bell as a virtual writing coach; see my write-up on the service here. ($49.00)

Levenger is offering 25% off your purchases through December 25th, and while they're not cheap you can usually find some decent bargains in their outlet section.

Giving to those less fortunate can be a wonderful gift for anyone. This year we're donating our annual holiday charitable gift to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States and its territories.

Aside from being one of the loveliest little museums in America, the Morakami Museum and Japanese Gardens has a very cool museum shop which you can browse online here (and check out their page of gifts under $20.00 for some neat ideas.)

When I need a gift for someone especially quirky I generally find something different over at the Neato Shop (using my link also helps support Gerard over at The Presurfer, too, as he's an affiliate.)

B&N.com has some great deals on Nook Book Bundles; my favorite to give is Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series for $10.99

Free movies: Target is offering ten downloads for free with the creation of a free account at their Target Ticket digital entertainment site.

One of my favorite online shops is Writer's Bloc; they have amazing Clairefontaine note pads and books, Platinum pens and all sorts of neat writer junk. Check out their sale section for very good bargains.

Comments Catchup Day

Weather permitting, see you in comments.

Book Gifts

One of my favorite gifts to give to a friend during the holidays is a bag of new books. I'll make the bag and hand-pick the reads, which are usually a combination of old favorites and recent discoveries, based on what I know of my friend's reading preferences (and this is one of the reasons why I'm so nosy about what everyone is reading.)

Besides snooping through their shelves or TBR pile at home I think the trick to putting together a neat gift bag of books for someone is to consider their personality and really think about their current mood or life situation. Romances are great for a romantic pal, but if at the moment she's going through a divorce you might want to reconsider and give her some humor or light non-fiction. Someone wrestling with depression probably shouldn't read Innocence by Dean Koontz, but A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson might help them see things from a different perspective.

People are most often hesitant to buy books for avid readers, but they're my favorite recipients because they always talk about the books they want as well as the books they've already read. They're also generally more willing than most to try out the first book in a series, and as I'm a series lover I have a long list of favorites in several genres. I also have a few friends of the intellectual/literati persuasion, and while they can be tough to choose for I like the challenge. I often opt for well-written nonfiction or poetry, but I also like to give those that have a working sense of humor some really silly humor books. The smarter they are, the more they probably need a few laughs.

Also, when giving books you love to someone you care about you may accidentally gift them something they've already read. If this happens they may not even mention it, but if they do ask them to pass along the book to one of their friends.

If you're still not sure, here are some of my favorite recs for the book lovers on your holiday gift list:

Anyone in a reading slump will probably enjoy Souless by Gail Carriger, The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu, The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark, Black Ice by Anne Stuart, or All Seeing Eye or Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman.

The thoughtful and philisophical will find much to ponder in At Home by Bill Bryson, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (illustrated by Susan Jeffers), Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart, How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by The Oatmeal, or The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Romantics will warm up to Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, The Arrangement by Mary Balogh, A Piece of Heaven by Barbara Samuel, Kill and Tell by Linda Howard or This is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland.

Your writer pal will likely appreciate The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell, The Writer's Lab by Sexton Burke, any blank journal by Chronicle Books, A Writer's Book of Days by Judy Reeves or The Pocket Scavenger by Keri Smith.

What books are you giving out as gifts this holiday season? Let us know in comments.

Design Starts Here

It's tough to describe what writing is like from the author's perspective, especially how the creative part feels while it's happening. This interesting little video will give you some idea (and contains background music, for those of you at work):

Design Starts Here from Echoic : Music and Sound Design on Vimeo.

Elsewhere Celebrating Victorian-Style

Today I'm over visiting at The Good, The Bad and The Unread blog to talk about how many of our modern Christmas traditions got their start during the Victorian era. Stop in if you get a chance and enter to win this handmade quilted and beaded Victorian tote filled with goodies, including signed print ARCs of Disenchanted & Co. and The Clockwork Wolf.