Should We All Have a Label?

I was thinking of writing. Which is good, considering I haven't had time to think of much of anything except table numbers and food orders and extra dressing....(crazy dreams every time I start a job)

I digress. I thought about how snotty I am when it comes to reading and if I would want my readers to feel the same. You see, I love James Patterson's crime novels. I noticed his recent release is co-written. I wrinkled my nose. I read one of his other books co-written with someone completely different. I will say it wasn't bad, but it wasn't a single voice and I noticed it. Neither one a bad voice. Each one enjoyable. But to me a little discerning. Kind of like I was cheating on my author with another one right in front of him. *gasp!*

Then he went and wrote different genres. I judged without even reading these books. I came to a realization that I was not behaving as a writer should. I should applaud his ability to move within the writing world and come out shining every time. I should be relieved that it's okay to have several different kinds of books going on at once. I should rip off the label of "Alex Cross" (his fabulous main character in the crime novels that are still my faves)and move along forward...with the author. Not against him.

Yeah, these realizations sometimes suck.

I also realized that I possibly have ADD that has never been diagnosed. Which is what led me to thinking about the whole label issue in our society. If I do have ADD...do I really need to know? At this point in my life, what would it do for me? Slow me down? Oh crap, that would triple my problems. So, then I started thinking about writing again....

Yeah, I'm ADD.

How To Choose a Book

Before I begin.....21 followers?!?!! WOW, I never thought I'd see the day I got to double digits, let alone 21 :) Thanks to my new...supporters. I like that better than followers. :) And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.......

I had a very informative conversation with my two girls last night about checking out library books. I thought I would find out exactly how they decide what library books to choose. I was quite surprised by what I heard.

Princess Rhiannon opens a book to a random page and reads five paragraphs. If they are good and make her want to know more about the story, she checks it out. I thought this was funny, after all, she is nine years old and I really thought she read the back of the book to figure out if she would like it or not. Nope-she reads the back after she's done with the book. She says she reads the author information on the flap of the book about halfway through. I asked her if it was important to her to find out about the author. She said, "Well, not at first. But if I find that I'm really liking the book, then I go to read about the author. But, sometimes, it's just dumb stuff, like married with pets or kids. I like the ones that are funny." Hmmm I thought about my blog and the About Me section-while a lot of bloggers have very clever adaptations of their life-mine is simply married with kids. LOL I will have to take the Princess's advice and make it more...funny. :)

Princess Kayla opens a book and uses the five finger rule. If there are five words she can't read-the book is too hard and she puts it back. If there are NO words she can't read, it's too easy and she puts it back. As she explained, "Two or three or four big words are good for me to learn. But too many makes me mad." Okay-I can understand that. Princess Kayla is six and while she's learning to read like crazy-there are still some words that she can't 'sound out' and recognize.

I thought it was very interesting to hear these opinions. I have never checked out a book that way. I had a friend that read the last page. I never wanted to spoil the ending, so I was a simple 'read the back of the book' kinda gal. Then, I became devoted to certain authors and would pick up a book simply by their name being on the spine. It's amazing how different we are as readers and writers, isn't it? I love it...the more the merrier in any way!!

What about you? How do you choose your books? Do you think if Princess Rhiannon read five paragraphs in a random spot she would want your book?

MAKE IT STICK

Good mornin' USA :)

Ahhh, when I was young and limber, I took a gymnastics class and I performed really well. One thing I remember the most about tumbling is that you have to MAKE IT STICK. Your routine is important, the jumps, flips, splits, stretches...but even more important is that you have to STICK IT at the end. You MUST make that final leap, stay on your feet and throw your hands in the air with victory. You are judged by how well you make it stick.

I have made it a point to READ again. This is difficult with a royal court and a Jester that hates reading. I have read plenty of children's books out loud, and even a couple of MG's to myself. Research, ya know? But the books that I like, full of suspense, murder, mystery, crime, forensics, conspiracies, I don't get to read as often as I'd like.

Now, I recently finished a book that held my attention all the way through. It wasn't "unputdownable" as some would say, but it was well written and a good story. But, when I got to the end, I was terribly let down. There were a few subplot ideas that weren't wrapped up. I even had to go back and read a few chapters over again to make sure I didn't miss it. So, would I recommend this book to my friends? Probably not. (You notice I'm not asking my followers to run out and read it)

I probably don't have a lot of professional advice to offer on this, as I haven't completed my novel, YET. However, I do know that I am constantly making notes to remember to "wrap up" certain parts of my novel. I even found a character that I introduced in chapter one and then never spoke of him again!! I had to either delete him, or bring him into the story more. I noticed a conflict or two (minor ones) hadn't been resolved. Time to resolve it, or delete it. Is it really necessary to understand the plot? If so-tie it up, make it stick. If not, DELETE.

Is there anything you do when you are at the end of your novel to tie it up? Any foolproof plan on how to Make It Stick??