Taste of Kiwi

The campaign continues at:

Smexy Books.

I did an oops with the dates yesterday, and I’m guest blogging at Smexy Books today about Judging a Book by its Cover, and how I love my Ninja Turtle cover.

I’m doing a giveaway here, so do come along and say hello.

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My tour stops today at:

I Do Not Want To Wait, I Want The Book Now.

I’m blogging about Spin Off Characters and mention both Soldier of Fortune and the book where we first meet Louie, Summer in the City of Sails.

I Don’t Want To Wait, I Want The Book Now has already reviewed Soldier of Fortune. Here’s the link.

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The campaign continues today.

I’m guest blogging at Smexy Books today about Judging a Book by its Cover. I’m doing a giveaway here.

I’m doing a guest spot at Nine Naughty Novelists about First Impressions.

I’ve also added some new guest spots to my tour calendar, so do keep checking back to see the latest campaign news.

Note – today is a two-post day. Scroll down to see my second post.

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I’m blogging at My Foolish Wisdom today with Soldier of Fortune. I’m talking about Occupations in Romance, and I’m doing a giveaway. Here’s the link to My Foolish Wisdom.

Last week I watched a reality-type show on the Living Channel called Shopping is My Life. Each show features a shopping addict and two experts give them advice so they can get their habit under control. They mentioned some interesting statistics about shopping.

The average person used to purchase 19 items of clothing per year.
The average person now purchases 34 items of clothing per year.
The featured shopping addict purchased 400 plus items of clothing per year.

My sister really enjoys the Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic series and has suggested I read them. I haven’t seen the movie either. Maybe one day soon. It’s on my list, but from what I hear the heroine should probably submit themselves to the Shopping is My Life experts.

I’ve had a rough count, and I think I’ve purchased 15 items of clothing and footwear this year. It’s been a busy year shopping for me this year. Last year it would have been well under 10 items. I can’t imagine 400 items. That’s a lot of shopping!

How many items of clothing have you purchased this year? Have you read any of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series? Have you seen the movie? If so, what did you think?

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As a writer I’m always interested in craft books, and I’ve been meaning to pick up this particular one for a long time. The title—First Draft in 30 Days is a bit misleading because if you follow the methods prescribed you’ll end up with a very detailed outline rather than a first draft. Ms. Wiesner does state though that because you revise the outline so much before starting to write, the end result is more like a final draft, which will require only minor polishing before submission.

The first part of the book deals with preparation and the things the writer should do during thirty days. Days 1 – 6 are for the preliminary outline and include character, setting and plot sketches and a summary outline. Days 7 – 13 are for research. Days 14 – 15 are for story evolution, internal and external conflict etc. Days 16 – 24 are for a formatted outline where research, character and setting are incorporated into the outline. Days 25 – 28 are for evaluating the outline and days 29 – 30 are to revise the outline.

The book includes a series of worksheets for each day, which are helpful. They can be handwritten or done in a computer file.

The second part of the book shows how to incorporate the 30 day method when you have a completed manuscript or a partial one that is perhaps not working. There is also a section on setting goals for projects and book promotion.

One thing Ms. Wiesner stresses is the importance of brainstorming throughout the outlining process, which is something I agree with. She says constant brainstorming during your day means you’ll never sit down in front of a computer and wonder what to write.

I’ll admit that I’ve always been a determined pantser, but after reading Ms. Wiesner’s book I think I’ll try her outlining method. I’ve decided to plan a new story while I complete my current work-in-progress. I am a little worried about sticking to a rigid plan because I’ve always thought too much planning spoiled the story for me, so it will be interesting to see how I go during the next 30 days.

The methods outlined in this book will not work for all authors, but it is definitely worth reading.

First Draft in 30 Days by Karen S. Wiesner is available from Amazon.

Writers: Do you read craft books? Do you have any favorites that you reach for on a regular basis?

Readers: I’m always on the lookout for book recommendations, in particular young adult stories at the moment. What are you reading this week?

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