There aren’t many books that I gush about anymore. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve read so many by this point in my life that it takes a special one to stick out, or if it’s because when I recommend one to people, I want them to take it seriously. Whatever the reason, I’d like to take a moment to gush about The Martian by Andy Weir.
Okay, I’ll try not to gush too much. I know what happens when people do that: Expectations go up, up, up, and inevitably those expectations aren’t met. So, I’ll keep my recommendation short and sweet:
Read it! It’s awesome.
Fine, fine. I’ll gush a little more. But only a little, I promise.
I first heard about The Martian last fall when I went to a writing conference run by publishing guru, Chuck Sambuchino. During the session that revolved around writing great first pages, he mentioned this book. I can’t remember exactly what Sambuchino said, but it went something like this: “If you want to read a flawless first page and a near flawless book, then read The Martian.”
So, of course, I did. And, of course, I loved it! I’m not even a huge sci-fi fan and I couldn’t put it down.
Since then, I’ve recommended The Martian to all of my friends, and they’ve agreed it’s addicting. Just this morning, my mom text me and told me she finished it (she started it two days ago), and then proceeded to gush about it as well.
…I won’t go into any specific details as to why The Martian is so great (I despise spoilers), but let’s just say it’s been about six months since I finished it and I’m still not over it!
Talk about an epic book hangover! Thanks a lot, Andy Weir. 😉
Okay, okay, I’ll stop now. Just go read The Martian! And definitely read it before the movie adaptation gets released in November. As amazing (and accurate) as the trailer looks below, we book nerds know the movie is rarely better than the book. So read it before you head to the theater!
To read more about The Martian, click here!
Photo credits:
In a way, The Maze Runner reminds me of 
So what are you waiting for? Run out and read The Maze Runner before the movie hits theaters on September 19th!
Hmmm, I’m trying to think of interesting things to tell you about that happened this week, but to be honest, it was rather uneventful. I basically worked, ate, and slept. And wrote a lot…Yeah, riveting, I know.
Dun, dun, dunnnnn 😉
As overwhelming as it’s been, it’s also been a lot of fun. Like, A LOT of fun. I just love writing suspense and drama and action and…Ahhh!
This second isn’t so much funny as it is great advice about writing suspense. I chose it because it’s exactly what I’ve been attempting to do these past couple of months while working on the first half of my book.
How was your week? Hopefully more thrilling than mine. On the bright side, I am going over to a friend’s house tonight to finally watch 
One of the most important things in my life is my family. If anything happened to them…well, I’m not sure what I’d do. It’s one of those fears that haunts me on a daily basis, just as I’m sure it haunts many of you. To think of having everything you cherish taken away in the blink of an eye…
*shudder*
But, don’t worry. This story isn’t only about making you cry and sob and go through an entire box of tissues. It celebrates life and love, and offers hope when there is no hope to be found.
As hard as this story is to read, it’s worth it. For me, it made me consider what I’d do if this type of tragedy ever struck in my life. Would I give up? Or would I fight for life? To be honest, I’m still not sure. Like Mia, it’s a choice I can’t make until it I had to.
So, last week, I happened to stumble upon the best and eeriest version of “Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty. It was re-recorded by the talented 
To be honest, I’ve always considered “Once Upon a Dream” silly and cheesy. Hello, it was recorded for a 1959 Disney cartoon. (Don’t get me wrong, I love Disney cartoons, and Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorites). But this updated version is just…creepy. And sad. But, that’s probably because when I listen to it, I’m thinking about my characters. This song seems to taunt them and mock their crazy, messed up lives. And I love it! I find so much inspiration in that mockery…Weird, I know. Maybe even a little mean. But sometimes I need that kind of cruel inspiration. It makes my conflicts and emotions feel truer when I go to translate them to paper.
So here you go! Here is the new (and improved) version of Sleeping Beauty’s “Once Upon a Dream”:
That about sums things up 😉
Plus, the 
I’m definitely on a record-setting pace. And if I keep it up, I just might meet the original deadline I set for myself back in January (complete one manuscript by early spring). Of course, keeping up this pace might be on the crazy/unlikely side. First, because, hello, writing 3,000-5,000 words/day is exhausting/emotionally draining/isolating. Second, because starting next week, my life will get busier. The workload at my job will increase significantly, and my sister is due to have a baby at any minute (eeks!). Throw in regular chores, a few birthday parties, and possibly the second round of the 
In honor of my extreme focus this week, and the fact that I’ve been “talking” more to my characters lately than real people (ahem…yeah), here are a few funnies for your Friday pleasure. Enjoy!
Okay, “real people” out there. Talk to me (um, please? haha!). How was your week? Did you #WriterUp and get some work done? Are you going to be a hermit like me this weekend and write, write, write? Well, I might take a small break to go to the movies to see 
So I kept my mouth shut, my head down, and my writing dreams hidden. For. Years! Even after I landed a job as a copywriter at a Denver ad agency, I didn’t tell people about my creative aspirations.
Rather than feeling pleased about this, I felt weird, like an impostor. Mr. “Hey” didn’t know I wasn’t qualified to claim such a lofty ambition. He didn’t know I lacked an English degree. He didn’t know I had zero writing experience. He didn’t even know the only reason I’d been offered a writing gig at our company was because my resume included a summer internship at a prestigious advertising firm (and that internship had been in the account management department).
I spun back around. “My story is about…” and I gave him the one line synopsis.
Yeah…
(Two words to describe that 45-minute call: Heart. Attack.).
During each of these petrifying conversations, I always did my best to play it cool and act like I belonged; like I totally deserved to be on the phone with these hotshots and I wasn’t at all scared to be speaking with them. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t silence my closet writer shame. I had to tell each of these men the truth, just like I did with Mr. “Hey”. After every pitch I gave, I always tacked on this quiet disclaimer: “Just so you know, I don’t have an English degree or anything like that.” Or, in other words, “I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m not technically qualified to be talking to you.”
Alas, in the end, my optioned manuscript never went anywhere. It’s how the business cookie crumbles. Some projects fly, many flounder. However, I don’t regret a second of my roller coaster journey. Not. At. All! How could I? Not only did I receive valuable industry experience and in-depth feedback from multiple professionals in L.A. and New York (including extensive critiques from an agent at 
So go! Shout out and tell the whole wide world you’re a writer and you’re proud of it. You may as well. You never know who’ll be listening. I surely didn’t when I walked into work that November morning.
Hope everyone had a great week! Any fun plans for the weekend? Mine is packed, unfortunately, so I’m probably not going to get as much writing done as I’d planned. Oh well, oh well. My goal next week is to cut out a lot of distractions and bear down on my NaNo manuscript. It isn’t going to write itself!
Oh, and, er, I like Katy Perry, too…
On Sunday night, I watched the 
Okay, let’s move away from the negative and look at these positive facts:
Then I saw their movie version and was like, “Ohhh. Got it!”, followed by, “Ohhh, I like it!” Sometimes, you just need to “see” a plot unfold, or “watch” a character develop, or “hear” a story told. And thanks to movie magic, those things can happen and book epiphanies can take place. Stories that didn’t translate so well on paper can be appreciated on screen (same story, different format).
Okay, go for it: tell me what you think. Are you pro-adaptations? Or do you think it’s a crime against nature when Hollywood gets their hands on your favorite book?
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