A Little Too Into It

In the midst of attempting to reach 50,000 words on my current manuscript, I decided to fit one more book in this month (as my goal is to read at least four). Recently, I've been able to read a book in two nights. The better it is, the faster I get through it. But the book isn't what got me thinking about fantasy, it was a movie I watched today.

Ever since I was in high school, I've become aware of the way I view stories (whether written or on screen). Certain plots, characters, or worlds call to me and I find myself in a funk for days while I constantly think about it. Wish I had written it, or starred in the movie, or even had a chance at meeting one of the actors, or authors, or something. It's a weird feeling to be so attached to something and to know in a few days my life will resume and I will feel back to my old self.

So, to distract myself from my impending funk (saw a movie that really touched me today), I decided to finish reading the book I picked up yesterday (The Forest of Hands and Teeth). I'm not a zombie fan, but the book was amazing. If you like horror, love, struggle for life, and, of course, young adult then I recommend picking it up. It definitely helped me get over self-pity and I might even work on my own book tonight.

On a side note, I was speaking to a friend yesterday, explaining the publishing process (it's amazing how many people just think anyone can be published), I had to explain just how hard it is to make a living as a writer. And worse, how hard it can be to feel good about your writing when you're sending it out to agents and getting rejections. Hard doesn't even cover it, when you've spent a year or two working on something that no one finds publishable. But time and time again, I hear that persistence pays off. And I just wanted to leave you with that thought. Write for the love of writing. Write for the love of a story, for the love of creating stories and touching the lives of others.

What books or movies (or anything else) have you seen/heard/read that has stayed with you for days after? I'd love to know.

Picking up a Book

In conjunction with the end of Nathan Bransford's first sentence contest, I wanted to explore the idea a little further. Yes, sometimes the first paragraph will sell the book to a reader. Sometimes, it catches an agent's attention (and if the book follows through, perhaps you'll find yourself a client of theirs). But what I want to know is what makes you pick up a book (to buy or borrow from the library)?

The cover?  Hey, we all know "never judge a book by the cover" but if the cover is very interesting, do you at least pick it up?

The blurb?

The recommendations? Lots of books now have recommendations and quotes from other writer's on their cover. Does that make you more likely to consider buying the book?

The first paragraph?

The first page?

For me, it's a combination of them all. And sometimes, none of them. If it's an author I love, sometimes I will buy the book blindly, on faith that I will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed his or her previous books. I'm just curious what makes people choose books. Maybe it will give us insights into our own writing, or help us accept that some things are out of our control (like cover design or the blurb on the back).