Ink Anticipation [12] - June 2013

This old feature has a new use! Ink Anticipation is now for sharing what books I am looking forward to that will be released during the following month. Clicking on a book cover will either take you to the book's Goodreads page or to my review. Don't forget to share your most anticipated releases in the comments!

June 4th

June 8th

June 11th

 

June 18th

June 25th

 

June 27th

2013 Goodreads Rundown [March - April]

A new year, a new and improved update post! To be honest, not much has changed for these posts except the name, but if you aren't familiar with my Goodreads Reading Challenge updates, this is where I give more detailed stats on what I've read so far this year.
 
My goal number this year is 90. I read over 100 last year with a goal of only 75 so I figured I would increase it a bit this go-round. I'm moving right along and am farther than I thought I would be at this point. (This was supposed to post earlier, but my month got away from me.)

Reading the stats: In my #/# calculations, the first # pertains only to the current months; the second # is the total thus far for the year.

Main Breakdown 
Books read to date: 47

Books read in March: 11

Books read in April: 13

Average books read per month:12/11.75

Books reviewed: 9/15
 
Type Breakdown
YA books: 20/41

Non-YA books: 4/6

Print books: 7/16

Audiobooks:17/31

 Genre Breakdown
Paranormal: 7/18

Contemporary: 6/7

Fantasy: 0/1

Science Fiction: 5/10

High Concept: 0/0
Historical: 1/3
Dystopian/Apocalyptic: 0/2
Mystery/Thriller: 1/1
Classic: 4/5
Reference/Craft: 0/0

 Title and Review Breakdown
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Fang by James Patterson

 Angel by James Patterson

Emma by Jane Austen

That Summer by Sarah Dessen

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (WQ Review)

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Cut by Patricia McCormick (WQ Review)

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Nevermore by James Patterson

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (WQ Review)

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (WQ Review)

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa (WQ Review)

Reunion by Meg Cabot

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (WQ Review)

The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher (WQ Review)

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (WQ Review)

How are you doing on your reading challenge?

Link a post or review if you wish! ^_^

Write Stuff [26] - Trashed

Write Stuff  is based on the Wannabe Writers meme hosted by Sarah at Confessions of the Un-Published. This meme is what prompted me to start Writer Quirk, so I am thankful to Sarah for creating it.

I use this meme to talk about the ups and downs of writing, what I'm working on, and, in November, to chronicle my NaNoWriMo journey.


I did something a couple days ago that I have never done. I warned in my last Write Stuff post that the beginning of my novel was subject to change, and it did. I was reading over the 19 new pages I had written for my revision, all of them at the beginning. There were some good bits, but in those 19 pages, the story wasn't really moving. There was some back story, some moments between characters to show relationships, a bit of a glimpse at the magic in the world I was building.

But it wasn't working. The place where everything really starts is when my main character arrives at her latest boarding school. All the back story and her relationships with her family and the people she knows before arriving at this school are important, but they aren't exactly the focus of what she has to do. My character is struggling with how to be at this school, and for the first time, not get expelled on purpose. She has to be good, or what she wants she will never get. That is her motivation and her challenge. She is used to being the brat and making trouble, but now she can't. That is where the story really is.

So I cut those 19 pages. Moved every word of my revision to the trash. I was expecting to feel some dread that now I had to start over (again!), but it was such a weight off. I think I have known for a long time where my story should start, but I was afraid to get rid of all those words that felt important, even if they weren't as necessary as I thought. Now I have 5 pages done, and in my opinion, they are better. Not perfect, of course, but the story definitely feels like it is happening instead of coming up soon.

If you want, compare my old beginning with my new one. The old one had some info and some insight about my character, and this one does as well, just in a different way. This new opening also puts us right at the beginning of my character's journey instead of acting as a prelude to the action.

Have you had to delete a bunch of your novel?

How did you feel and do you think it helped? 

Let me know in the comments! ^_^

Spring Blog Carnival: Ticket Booth Giveaway WINNERS!

I hope you all had tons of fun at the Spring Blog Carnival! I'm sorry it took me so long to get the winners posted, but thanks to Random.org, they have been chosen!

The winner of Giveaway #1 (US) will receive a hardback copy of Heist Society by Ally Carter, a Lunar Chronicles bookmark, a Team Cinder button, a signed The Madman's Daughter bookmark, and a signed The Archived bookmark.

And the Giveaway #1 winner is:

KATRINA MARIE!

The winner of Giveaway #2 (INTL) will get his or her choice of YA book from The Book Depository.
 
And the Giveaway #2 winner is:

BRANDY GRAVES!

A huge thank you to everyone who hosted and participated in the Spring Blog Carnival! I hope you had fun and congratulations to the winners!

*CLOSED* Spring Blog Carnival: Ticket Booth

Welcome one and all to the Spring Blog Carnival! Here at Writer Quirk I am hosting the TICKET BOOTH. Why did I choose the ticket booth? Because it is where all the fun begins. You can't ride those crazy rides without tickets!

Since ticket booths are where you start your fun at a carnival, I've decided that the prizes for this booth are BOOKS where the fun begins, also known as the first books in a series.

So what can you win here at the Ticket Booth?

Giveaway #1 (US ONLY)
A hardback copy of Heist Society by Ally Carter, a Lunar Chronicles bookmark, a Team Cinder button, a signed The Madman's Daughter bookmark, and a signed The Archived bookmark.

Giveaway #2 (INTERNATIONAL)
Your choice of YA book from The Book Depository (the book must be YA, the first book in a series, and $11 or under). Below are some examples (you don't have to pick just from these, but whatever you choose needs to match the requirements above):

 

Before you enter:
~ Please review my Giveaway Rules.
~ The carnival runs from May 6th to May 12th.
~ Please note that Giveaway #1 is US ONLY and Giveaway #2 is INTERNATIONAL so long as The Book Depository ships to your country.

How to enter:
~ Leave a comment on this post with your answer to the challenge question.
~ You must include which giveaway (#1 US / #2 INTL) you are entering (you may enter both if you qualify for both).
~ If you are entering Giveaway #2, you must leave the title and author of the book you would like from The Book Depository.
~ You must include an email address so that I may contact you if you win.
~ Failure to follow these instructions may result in disqualification.

And now for the challenge question:
 

If you had the opportunity to give up all of your carnival tickets to meet one author,

who would he/she be?

Don't forget to visit all the other amazing booths! You can find the full list here.

Good luck and enjoy the carnival!

Reading Challenges Update [April 2013]

Hey quirks! I've decided to split up my reading updates due to how many challenges I am participating in this year. In 2012, I was only keeping up with my Goodreads Reading Challenge and I liked how I did that one and all the stats I kept up with, but I'm going to call them something different. The new title for those updates will be "2013 Goodreads Rundown" and they will appear bimonthly.

This series of posts I'm calling Reading Challenges Update is for all the other challenges I am trying to complete. These updates will be less detailed as far as stats go because I will just be listing the individual challenges and which books fit under them that I read during the previous month.

*Completed*

April: 7 --- Total: 25/24

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (Unearthly #2)
Nevermore by James Patterson (Maximum Ride #8)
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #2)
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden #2)
Reunion by Meg Cabot (The Mediator #3)
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #2)
 City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #3)


*Completed*

April: 8 --- Total: 31/25+

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (Unearthly #2)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Nevermore by James Patterson (Maximum Ride #8)
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #2)

 City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #3)

*Completed*

April: 1 --- Total: 5

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

April: 1 --- Total: 4/12

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott [Keyword: Little]

April: 5 --- Total: 21/36

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (Unearthly #2)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #2)

Reunion by Meg Cabot (The Mediator #3)
 The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

April: 1 --- Total: 4/12

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #2) [Creature: Demon]