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  1. Veronica Mars Kickstarter! And news!

    March 13, 2013 by Kiersi

    I have a great post coming for you tomorrow on first pages and first paragraphs–but I decided to push that back a day and instead deliver a couple VERY IMPORTANT announcements.

    News item #1: Rob Thomas is making a Veronica Mars movie! If you haven’t heard of Veronica Mars, here is a post about why it’s amazing, and why Veronica remains my favorite teenage heroine in book, movie, or TV history.

    Of course, because the push for a movie/new TV series starring our favorite snarky blonde was purely from rabid fans (like myself), Rob had the great idea to fund production of the movie via crowdfunder giant, Kickstarter. (more…)

    Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

  2. Vacation Fix, and The Night Circus

    February 28, 2013 by Kiersi

    I found this hilarious Pulp Magazine Cover Generator via children’s author Nathan Bransford. And I think “She wrote until HER FINGERS FELL OFF” is very relevant to today’s post.

    The blog has been radio silent because I went on vacation. As in, I peeled myself away from the computer, left the manuscript print-out I’ve been slaving over lying prone on the ottoman with slightly curling corners, and got the hell out of Dodge.

    It was a while ago when my Significant Other said, “Whoa, Kiersi, you need to take a day off.”

    And I was all, “Sure, I’ll take tomorrow off.” And then it would sort of half-happen. There were deadlines to meet, manuscripts to revise, new ideas and concepts to lay out in Scrivener. Too many things to do to take a day off. (more…)

    Category: Book Reviews, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | 19 Comments

  3. The Ceiling of Imagination

    February 8, 2013 by Kiersi

    I love writing books
    Where the imaginative ceiling is
    impossibly high;

    I want to jump
    arms in the air
    make up the wildest things
    and never once touch that ceiling.

    I want to create worlds
    where anything can happen;
    any creature can exist;
    any magic can be real;

    A world where there are no limits.

    I want to make my reader
    believe anything
    and everything
    is real.



    In case you haven’t stopped by lately, there are dozens more Typewriter Stories up–including one of my favorites, The Search for the Sun. Writer and blogger Lauren Spieller actually liked her custom-made story so much, she framed it and took this photo for us!

    Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | 10 Comments

  4. The Zero Draft

    February 5, 2013 by Kiersi

    I really owe credit to my partner-in-brainstorming Eddy over at Eddy Writes (an awesome blog, if you haven’t already been) for the term zero draft. He coined it after I refused to show him my first run-through of my NaNoWriMo novel, Gryphon.

    I refused because I wanted to take some time away from the novel and perform a revision before sending it to anyone. Why? A NaNoWriMo novel, by its very definition, is written over the course of a single month–and most of that time, you’re encouraged “not to look back”: just keep writing. Don’t stop. Don’t turn around and re-read and fix and obsess. Just keep writing.

    For me, this bizarre pace results in a draft that is both fluid and cohesive, but also a total freaking wreck. Like, I would not even show this thing to a third grader, not to mention a critique partner that I actually respect. I refuse to even really call it a draft. Or even a manuscript.

    Thus: zero draft. Not quite version 1, not quite out of beta; completed, but still in the incubation stage. (more…)

    Category: How-to, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 13 Comments

  5. A Pep Talk

    January 28, 2013 by Kiersi

    Sometimes it’s hard just to get up in the morning. Other times, springing out of bed before the alarm even goes off is about as natural as breathing.

    I know I need a pep talk from time to time. A spoonful of encouragement just to sweeten up a little-too-spicy reality. A few words to keep my goals at the forefront, and my doubts back in the laundry room.

    So I have a couple items for you to consider, ever-doubter. First is this remarkable little “pep talk” from some adorable shorty calling himself Kid President.


    But while you’re riding that high, it’s important to remember one thing:

    It’s all about creating. It’s about doing what you love. That takes me to my next point.

    Eddy Rivas wrote an amazing post today called, “Why You Should Quit Trying To Make It.” It’s about remembering why you’re here: because you love what you do. And if your only pursuit in doing it is to “make it,” you’ll probably be disappointed.

    So, remember Kid President’s advice. Make stuff. Love it. Enjoy it. Encourage yourself and others.

    These crazy little journeys we all take–go on them with glitz and glamour. And don’t worry about where you’ll end up.

    Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 10 Comments

  6. Support Typewriter Stories!

    January 10, 2013 by Kiersi

    Image by R Walker

    As it turns out, sending lots of mail requires lots of postage. And did you know that postage costs money? Me neither. Helloooo. I mowed through an entire booklet of forever stamps in two weeks.

    Holy cow. That’s like, twenty stories in two weeks. Rock! (Haven’t heard of the Typewriter Stories yet? Read them here!)

    But in order to keep up this totally H-core creation of tiny, funny stories, I need some help. Why? Because holy cow postage is expensive in large quantities. I mean, at 41 cents a pop, it doesn’t seem like much–but add it up over a couple dozen letters and it balloons like my thighs over the holidays.

    So, I am asking you, my wonderful people and readers and receivers of typewriter stories: Can you help me?

    I’ve determined a couple ways this can be done. First, and easiest, is just to donate using PayPal. Even a single dollar will buy me two-and-a-half stamps. Awesome, right? Cheap? Of course. Here’s the button:

    Whoa, so easy it just blows your mind, right?

    Optionally, you could buy me some stamps! Now, I’m reluctant to just put my address up on the internet (understandably, I think) so I’ll be getting a P.O. Box that can receive stuff in a week or two.

    In the meantime, here is a link to the list of forever stamps on USPS’s website. Just email my Typewriter Stories mailbox at request.a.story(at)gmail.com if you’re interested in contributing some stamps and I’ll be happy to give you the address.

    Thanks in advance, you loverly people!

    Category: Uncategorized | Tags: | 2 Comments

  7. Vision Quest 2012: My Protectors

    December 6, 2012 by Kiersi

    On Tuesday, I managed to get my butt in the driver’s seat around 10 a.m. (only an hour after expected departure–that’s a pretty good record for me) and did the 11-hour drive down to Bodega in one fell swoop.

    It rained–the entire drive. The great and the terrible thing about inclement weather on a long trip is that it requires constant attention and alertness. No way to fall asleep, but no way to relax, either. And I have to admit that Stephenie Meyer’s The Host is not nearly as bad as I’d been expecting. The premise is brilliant and very creative, even if it feels like a bit of an Animorphs rip-off. The romance scenes are over-the-top and gag-worthy, not unlike Meyer’s past projects, but the rest of it is rather… well-written? Does that sound crazy? It does. But I think it’s true. Except for the part where this book is 600 pages long and really doesn’t need to be. For all the things right in The Host, including a protagonist who is fascinating and lovable and utterly strange (with an equally strange and yet totally delightful backstory), this book moves at an agonizingly slow pace. Meyer has gone right on past “reasonable amounts of detail” into “who the hell cares” territory and it is almost physically painful. (more…)

    Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 6 Comments

  8. Vision Quest 2012: The Mission

    December 3, 2012 by Kiersi

    Three-way goat fight!

    I leave first thing in the morning tomorrow for my friend’s ranch in northern California. As seen above, there are goats, which I will be herding and milking in exchange for my room and board. I’ll be living in a grounded boat on the property with no internet connection and very little phone service, if any.

    The perfect place to write. (more…)

    Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

  9. 3 Habits of a Healthy Writer

    November 16, 2012 by Kiersi

    You’ve probably had this experience: just sort of, waking up, after eight or nine hours pounding away at a manuscript revision, only to realize you haven’t eaten–or even gotten dressed–since you got out of bed. Working as a serious writer often requires a flexible schedule, a.k.a. the magical ability to function normally on a Peter-Jackson-movie amount of sleep. Pair that with the very action of writing (spending a lot of time in your house, usually alone, hunched over a desk or a countertop or a dining room table for hours at a go) and the result is:

    A) Oh, hell, I can’t turn left anymore

    B) Why do my knees–AAGH–hurt all the time?

    C) Hey. Hey cat. Heyyyy kitty. Come here. Yeah. Yeah? Oooh, yeah, you are so cute. So cute. (fast forward an hour) Aww kitty. Now you’re on my lap covering my keyboard and you are too adorable to move.

    …

    …

    So a few months ago, I realized I needed to change my lifestyle a little or I would slowly, steadily, go totally crazy. Here are three of my discoveries. (more…)

    Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | 14 Comments

  10. The Fine Art of Doing Your Freakin’ Nails

    October 6, 2012 by Kiersi

    Yo, guys. I did not meet my deadline yesterday for the latest revision of Devil’s Fire. So, to cheer myself up–and because I desperately needed a break from editing today–I started a blog to host all my nail art designs.

    Check it out at nailpleasure.wordpress.com.

    Category: Uncategorized | Tags: | 2 Comments

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