Your PAST is not your future.
Your PRESENT is your future.
And your present is the one thing you have a CHOICE in.
–Eve Messenger
books
A brief word about writing success, featuring Eve 1 and Eve 2
EVE #1: How are you ever going to publish novels if you keep spending too much time online?
EVE #2: But going online is fun! I’m learning about all kinds of books I’d like to read, and I love talking with other book lovers and writers.
EVE #1: Seriously, though, as soon as you progress to a point where you might actually complete a really good novel–as in ready to send out to agents–you get distracted and start spending more time online. What’s up with that?
EVE #2: Yeah, what IS up with that? I think I may have a fear of success.
EVE #1: Fear of succe–what even is that? . . . Okay, here. . . Susanne Babbel, Ph.D., M.F.T., could you please tell us what you wrote on Psychology Today about fear of success?
Susan Babbel, Ph.D., M.F.T.: “People who have experienced trauma may associate the excitement of success with the same physiological reactions as trauma. They avoid subjecting themselves to excitement-inducing circumstances, which causes them to be almost phobic about success.”
EVE #2: Whoah, that’s deep. Is anyone else finding it difficult to ignore that “Babbel” is a hilarious surname for someone who probably engages in a lot of talk therapy?
EVE #1: Focus, Eve. You’ve been through trauma. It’s something to keep in mind. You don’t want it to hold you back from your dreams.
EVE #2: Alright, I will definitely keep it in mind. Now. . . I have an admission to make.
EVE #1: Uh-oh.
EVE#2: I think today might have been first.
EVE #1: A first? So you made good headway on the novel?
EVE #2: A little. But, nope, this is about headway I made on someone else’s novel. . .
EVE #1: So you’re reading other books? That’s great. They say reading lots of novels makes you a better—
EVE #2: Better writer, blah-blah. Listen. . . today I may have made my first book purchase based purely on the gorgeousness of the author.
EVE #1: You bought a book because the guy in the picture was cute?
EVE#2: Sort of, well. . . definitely. He had great hair and looked really clean. He was wearing a sexy winter coat, and his face had this perfect expression between serious and smiling. And he was on the chubby side —you know how I love those teddy bear guys.
EVE #1: Care to tell us who it was?
EVE #2: No way!
EVE #1: So you bought this guy’s book? You just went and bought it based purely on his looks?
EVE #2: Well, I read the excerpt first.
EVE #1: And you’re probably HOPING his writing is as “cute” as his looks.
EVE #2: I cannot disagree with that statement.
–Eve Messenger
An Update on My Latest Reads. . .
You know those times when you read a book and you’re upset because it’s not very good but maybe not quite terrible enough to stop reading and you think, “Life is short. I really wish I’d read one of those hundred other promising books on my TBR”? Well, I’m happy to report that NONE of the books I’ve read recently has made me feel that way–thanks to A) all the great books being published and B) excellent recommendations from fellow book lovers.
Recently Read
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
What everyone says is true. Throne of Glass is a great read, and Sarah J. Maas is a brilliant fantasy writer. Calaena the assassin is unforgettable. World-building, yes. Intriguing history and ancestral secrets, yes. I’m especially enamored with the character, Princess Nehemiah of Ellwye, and her friendship with Calaena. (Want to know how to pronounce ‘Ellwye?’ So did I. Note: there’s a pronunciation guide at the back of the book, but I didn’t know about until someone told me after I returned the library book. *sigh*)
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
As much as I adore young adult fiction, sometimes a non-YA book comes along with a concept too intriguing to ignore. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, for example–I mean, a story set in an old bookstore with a mysterious owner, Mr. Penumbra, watching over ancient texts? Yes! The protagonist is an affable, loyal guy. The story is pleasant and smart, especially with its eye-opening insights into the brain trust that is Google. Worth reading for the unforgettable scene inside a vast, high-tech subterranean vault of lost historical items called “Con-U.”
Melanie Noell Bernard’s YA dystopian work-in-progress
I won’t reveal much about Melanie’s story because she’s still working on it, but this talented lady is going to be published someday—just watch.
The Diviners by Libba Bray
Thank you to Carolyn @ A Hundred Thousand Stories for recommending The Diviners. Entertaining, scary, and very well-written, the rich 1920s setting took this paranormal YA to a whole other level. Memphis and Theta were, by far, my favorite characters—I hope they have bigger roles in the second book, The Lair of Dreams, which I definitely plan to read. I’m a bit whiny about super long books, so of course I wondered why The Diviners had to be 578 pages long, but the good news is the story never dragged.
Currently reading
Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
Magonia has been on my TBR a while, but Beth @ Betwixt These Pages encouraged me to read it sooner rather than later. As I move into the last 2/3 of the book and mind-blowing plot twists are revealed, I totally get why. Kudos to writer Maria Dahvana Headley for her Wild Imagination–yes, those words are capitalized because, well, you have to read the book to find out. I’ll just say that the beginning does not prepare you for what comes.
–Eve Messenger
The Random Tag
Thank you to Lila @ The Bookkeeper’s Secrets for tagging me with The Random Tag and thus giving me an excuse to reveal more random facts about myself. 🙂 If you’re looking for great recommendations on books AND music, please check out Lila’s blog.
1.What is your favorite food?
Indian! Serve up the palak paneer, please. 🙂 Oh, and Korean barbecue–I can’t choose. I love all the Korean side dishes.
2.What are you having for dinner tonight?
My husband is a great cook (thank goodness, or we’d starve), and he made pulled pork.
3.Who was the last person you emailed? 
Kristy Acevedo.
4.What sports do you do?
I’m a huge fan of women’s volleyball.
5.Do you have any pet hates?
When people make other people feel small.
6.Do you play any instruments?
I love playing music!! Piano, guitar, and djembe, in that order. And I love singing harmony.
I NOW TAG . . .
Why Do People Always Think I’m a Store Employee? and the Dragon’s Loyalty Blog Award
Emma @ Book Crunch was so nice to nominate me for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award (thanks for all the great YA book recommendations, Emma!), so I will do my best to come up with seven facts about myself.
First, the Rules. . .
Display the award on your blog.
Announce your win with a post.
Link the blogger who awarded you.
Present 6 deserving blogs with the award.
Link your awardees in the post and let them know of their being awarded.
Write seven interesting things about you.
Seven Facts About Me
- More times than I can count, when I’m out shopping in department stores, strangers approach me for assistance because they think I’m a store employee.
- Singing and dancing to impromptu made-up songs with my children is one of my favorite things in life.
- I’ve always secretly wanted to be a radio DJ. Last year I got to fulfill this wish with a guest-DJ stint on a major Los Angeles radio station.
- Unless I really respect the person in charge, I’m a bit of a rebel against authority.
- I’m definitely an introvert, but if you met me you’d probably think I was an extrovert, albeit an occasionally awkward one.
- This probably comes as no surprise, but reading, writing, and blogging about YA novels brings me immense joy.
- I am beyond excited to feature on my blog in February interviews with authors of (what I consider to be) the five must-read YA debut novels of 2016.
The six deserving blogs I’d now like to nominate for a Dragon’s Loyalty Blog Award are. . .hmmm, wait… it’s too hard to limit the list to six because I adore all seven of these fun, smart, loyal bloggers so much!
Beth @ betwixt-these-pages
Millie @ millieschmidt
Hannah @ hsduerloo and questtype
Joan @ fiddlerblue
Stefanie @ yourdaughtersbookshelf
Kelly Miles @ authorkellymiles
Jon Stephens @ Start Your Fiction
— Eve Messenger
“Dear Editing. . .” An open letter to the friend I’d like to make. #amwriting #amediting
This year I made two New Year’s resolutions:
#1 – Stop asking “why.”
#2 – Learn to love editing. Here’s what I had to say about that in a guest post for Melanie Noelle Bernard’s blog. . .
How to Tell if You’re a Book Junkie #amreading
Directions: Mark an ‘x’ for each statement that applies to you.
[ ] 1. In lines or at doctor’s offices, when everyone else around me is tapping out messages on their cell phones, my face is buried in a book.
[ ] 2. If a novel I’m reading has a plot twist I wholeheartedly disagree with, I will complain, out loud, to my book.
[ ] 3. When I discover a new book I’d like to read, the first thing I do is to list it as “want to read” on Goodreads. Then I blog about it. 🙂
[ ] 4. If I reach for a book, my household pets jump onto my favorite reading chair.
[ ] 5. My favorite historical figure is Booker T. Washington.
[ ] 6. When I meet new people, the first question I ask is, “What kinds of books do you like to read?”
[ ] 7. The only thing better than buying new books is when someone reads—and likes—a book I’ve recommended to them.
[ ] 8. The phrase “’book’ an appointment” confuses me.
[ ] 9. If I see someone mistreating a book, I will shield it with my body.
[ ] 10. I read posts entitled “How to Tell if You’re a Book Junkie.”
If you marked ONE OR MORE of the above boxes, you are a bookie junkie and are hereby awarded this badge. Wear it with pride. 🙂
Happy reading!
–Eve Messenger
Poll: Why Some Books Take Forever to Read #amreading
graphic: Kerry Ciccaglione-clipartbest.com
In the golden age of Goodreads, it’s a joy and a badge of honor to be able to list the dozens of books we’ve read and, of course, fangirl over them with fellow book junkies. 😀 We LOVE reading novels! However, sometimes a book feels like it takes forever to read. Why? It might happen with short books or long ones, with books we enjoy and (more often) with books we don’t. When it seems to take an eternity to get through a book, what is the #1 reason?
Juggling Multiple Writing Projects #amwriting
As long as we work toward FINISHING a specific writing project by sticking to daily or weekly writing goals, it’s perfectly acceptable to occasionally divert our attentions to write on other projects that excite us.
What I Learned as a Writer in 2015 #writerslife #amwriting
In pursuing my ambition to publish great YA novels, here are some things I learned over the past year:
- Beyond the thrill of being able to express my passion for writing and books, there are great benefits to blogging, the best of which is getting to know creative, supportive fellow writers and book lovers, many of whom I now consider friends. I see you, Tracy L. Jackson, Beth @ betwixt-these-pages, Kelly Deeny, Elena Johansen, FamilyRules, Wallace Cass, Annika Perry, Pat Sherard, The Glitter Afficianado, Stephanie @ Eclectic Scribblings, Melanie Noell Bernard, Nate Philbrick, Sabrina Marsi Books, Jennifer F. Santucci, Mackenzie Bates, Stephanie @ yourdaughtersbookshelf, Karen @ MyTrain of Thoughts, Amanda d Bat, Carolyn @ A Hundred Thousand Stories, Erica @ Books the Thing, the bookwormgirls123.
- I am better at editing a first draft on the computer than on a hard copy, even though a lot of advice-givers recommend against it.
- A style sheet is helpful, especially for tracking important plot dates.
- Literary agents are regular folks and book lovers just like us.
- To write first drafts without censoring myself.
- To create headers for each scene in Word so I can easily find them later using the navigation screen.
- To keep a “book blurb” Word file for when I feel especially excited about my novel and get ideas on how to pitch it in future query letters.
- Short stories are not my preferred medium; what I truly love is writing novels (and I’m sort of learning it’s okay to be better at some things than others.)
- Flash fiction is fun…and challenging.
- Collecting images for novel inspiration boards on Pinterest is a blast and really does stimulate ideas.
- It’s still great to be able to hold a book in my hands, but reading novels on electronic devices won’t kill me.
- I want to get more into #bookstagram and #booklr.
- Saving the previous draft of a story before making editing changes avoids a lot of lost good writing.
- All writers, even the most successful ones, find writing novels to be really hard work.
- When I stay away from my novel for too long, I forget I’m actually good at writing it.
- Even when I’m afraid to work on my novel, I do have the discipline and faith to always return to it.
- Daily writing goals and rewards make me a much more productive writer.
- My writing really does improve with practice.
- Beta critiquing other people’s novels makes me a better writer.
- Google Docs is a really handy tool that allows me to work on manuscripts on my phone, home computer, out-of-town relatives’ computers, and hotel lobby computers. . . but I still always keep multiple back-up copies of my work.
- A change purse is a great place to keep a flash drive.
- I really am dedicated to publishing YA novels and maybe, just maybe, I am worthy of success.
Eve Messenger 