Anna Staniszewski » Random Fun

Friday Fun

annastan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:50:34 +0000

It’s been a busy week, and I feel woefully behind on so many things. My Google Reader, for example, has over 200 unread items on it. I’m hoping to catch up on my blog reading over the weekend. And maybe I’ll even get some writing done. So since I don’t have anything terribly insightful to say today, I thought I’d share a hilarious picture that my husband saw on jimmyr.com:

Have a great weekend!

Search Terms as Writing Prompts

annastan — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:13:11 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I’m a little obsessive when it comes to looking at the stats for my website. Google Analytics and I are very good friends. I’m especially fascinated by the search terms people use to find my website. Most of them are writing-related, some sound like students looking for help with assignments, and some make me stop and think.

I thought I’d share some of the more interesting search terms from the past few months. I love imagining what was going on with people when they typed theirs into Google. I feel like each one has a story behind it.

-don’t talk about distraction to me

-feeling stuck in a city novel

-giving myself some break

-how to revise when you are sad

-she enjoys your writing

-tragedy is when i have a hangnail

Couldn’t each of these be a prompt for a writing exercise? What interesting search terms have you come across recently?

Making Art Look Easy

annastan — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:11:08 +0000

Over the weekend, I went to see Cirque du Soleil’s Ovo in Boston. It was a fantastic show filled with dazzling acrobatics, gorgeous costumes, and great music. There was also a simple love story that resulted in some hilarious scenes. Everyone in the audience had a great time, and the performers seemed to be having fun too.

But considering they do two shows a day for months and months, I wonder how much fun the performers still have. Either way, they have to make it look fun and effortless because that’s their job. I suppose that’s true of pretty much all creative endeavors. You may spend years perfecting your craft and be exhausted half the time you’re doing it, but to your audience it needs to look effortless and enjoyable.

I wanted to include the Ovo trailer to give you a taste of how awesome the show is, but it won’t let me embed it, so head over here if you have a minute and check it out. Enjoy!

Puppy Pics and Writing Links

annastan — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:59:10 +0000

Thanks to everyone who commented on Wednesday’s post. It was great to hear your advice and encouragement, and to know that I’m not all alone in the muck! A couple of you said a change of scenery might help me get unstuck. Well what do you know? The husband and I are actually heading to NYC this weekend. A couple days of seeing friends and wandering around the steamy city should get the creative juices going again.

The only bad thing about going away is leaving our new pup behind. Even though she’ll be in good hands, I’m afraid she’ll be a little miffed at us when we get back. You want to see more pictures of her? Well, if you insist. Here she is in her favorite cool-down spot (it was 90 degrees out yesterday):

Doesn’t she look like she’s standing up? Of course, then I had to get in her face with the camera again. Here’s a beauty shot for you:

Okay, I have to go pack but I’ll leave you with some writing links you might find helpful.

-Two great posts on showing vs. telling, one from author Janice Hardy and the other from agent Mary Kole

-The wise Gail Carson Levine talks about making characters distinct

-Show Some Character gives us 5 more ways to make characters sympathetic

-And finally, if you’re itching for more writing links, check out Adventures in Children’s Publishing’s latest roundup

Have a great weekend!

My Muse Has Arrived

annastan — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:46:22 +0000

Recently, I mentioned that my husband and I were thinking of getting a dog, a “furry muse” if you will. We knew we wanted to adopt an adult dog since puppies are so much work (plus grown-up dogs have a harder time finding homes). Well we found “the one” not too long ago and she’s finally here! Her name is Emma and she’s a five-year-old labrador retriever mix. Everyone, meet Emma:

We just got her on Saturday so things have been a little dog-centric around here. But besides being a lot of fun, she’s the perfect writer’s companion; she loves to nap near you and come over every once in a while for a pat. I have a feeling dog companions are going to pop up in my stories even more frequently now. Want to see more pictures? Okay.

Here’s Emma wondering why on earth I’m crouched on the floor, sticking a camera in her face.

And here I am reading her mind. Predictably, her thoughts were: “Squirrel. Food. Walk. Existence. Food.” (She can get somewhat existential in between bites of kibble.) Okay, that’s it for now. I’ll try to restrain myself from posting endless pictures of her. I don’t know if having her around will increase my writing productivity, but she’s certainly making things more exciting.

Happy Monday!

Furry Muses and Some Writing Links

annastan — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:22:20 +0000

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have heard me mention that my husband and I are looking to adopt a dog. Yes, it will be fun to have a furry friend to play catch with, but I’m also looking forward to having a writing mascot/muse. Several of my friends have told me how comforting it is to have their dogs napping nearby as they write (and one even offered to record her dog snoring so I could have it on in the background). Stay tuned for dog updates. And fear not, it will look nothing like this:

Do you have a furry muse in your life?

And finally, for your perusing pleasure, here are some links you might enjoy:

-The brilliant Donald Maass discusses invisible tension on Writer Unboxed

-Amitha Knight guest posts on how to write a hospital scene on the Guide to Literary Agents Blog

-Beth Revis examines setting in dystopian novels on the League of Extraordinary Writers

-Jeanne Ruesch continues her finding your voice series on the Happy Endings Blog

-And Janice Hardy has another great post on plot, namely how characters can drive the plot forward

Have a great weekend!

What Makes a Book Event Successful?

annastan — Fri, 21 May 2010 13:29:07 +0000

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting R.L. LaFevers and hearing her speak about her books. For those of you who don’t know, Robin is the author of the Theodosia Throckmorton series and the Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist series, both of which are filled with fantasy and adventure. She is also a fellow Inkie and agency-mate, so I was thrilled to be able to meet her in person.

Often at a book signing, the author might do a short reading, but Robin went in a different direction. She did a slide show of things that inspired her books (primarily Egyptian mythology). She also showed pictures of herself as a child, growing up with seven brothers in a household brimming with pets (including two bear cubs!!).

The audience was full of enthusiastic kids who were fully engaged in the slide show and Robin’s talk. They also asked great questions and were excited to hear about the upcoming books in both series. You could tell Robin has done lots of these types of events; she was calm and collected and a total pro.

After I left, I started thinking about the different types of book signings, readings, and other events I’ve attended. There are so many ways to approach them and I was wondering what makes them work. Asking questions and engaging with the audience always helps, as do pictures (especially of animals), but what else might make a book event memorable?

So I’m curious to hear about your experiences. What have been the most fun/interesting book events you’ve attended? Why were they so memorable? Are there things you think it’s best to avoid?

And since we’re talking about cute animal pictures, here’s one of a baby hippo that my husband sent me this morning:

Farewell Old Friends

annastan — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:30:22 +0000

I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m a bit of book hoarder. For the most part this affliction hasn’t stopped me from leading a normal life, but the other day I came home with a book a friend had given me and I realized I had absolutely nowhere to put it. My bookshelves were already about to burst, and there was a stack of books on top of one of them that was ready to topple. So, in a fit of what I can only assume was rabid spring cleaning, I went through all my books and took out ones to give away.

I almost never get rid of books, even ones that I’m 99% sure I’ll never read. It’s because I’m afraid that one day I’ll change my mind and want to read (or reread) the book and it won’t be there. But this time I was tough on myself. Any book I hadn’t read in the past ten years and/or didn’t see myself reading in the next ten years was weeded. So here it is, the stack:

Sixteen books total. That includes a few academic-type books, several adult novels, and one lone YA. Of course, even after getting rid of these, my bookshelves are still at maximum capacity. But I think this is a step in the right direction. Maybe book hoarding isn’t something I just have to live with. Maybe I can take control of my hoarding tendencies and, every once in a looong while, give a few books away.

Staying Motivated and Cake!

annastan — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:09:49 +0000

As I might have mentioned once or twice (or a hundred times) I’ve been in the midst of revisions recently. Overall, it’s been going well, but there have been moments when I’ve started to feel a little burnt out. I’ve stepped away from the WIP as needed to give myself some time to regroup, but I’m also eager to keep pushing on to the finish line.

I realized that besides forcing myself to sit at the computer, I don’t have any real techniques for staying motivated during revisions. That’s why I’m turning to you, dear readers, for tips. What keeps you motivated? How do you get yourself to work on your writing, even when you’re not in the mood?

In other news, to celebrate my site hitting 100 followers recently, my friend Sarah baked me a cake!

It was a chocolate mayonnaise cake (I know!) with layers of amazing peanut butter frosting and covered with a layer of chocolate ganache. Delicious! Swing by Sarah’s blog for the recipe or to see more pictures. Incidentally, Sarah also made my gorgeous wedding cake a couple years back. Isn’t it great to have enthusiastic, culinarily-inclined friends?

Anna Staniszewski » Random Fun

Friday Fun

Search Terms as Writing Prompts

Making Art Look Easy

More Puppy Pics and Writing Links

Puppy Pics and Writing Links

My Muse Has Arrived

Furry Muses and Some Writing Links

What Makes a Book Event Successful?

Farewell Old Friends

Staying Motivated and Cake!