Green Room- Week 2 - Weekend Edition

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I just finished The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, who is, in case you missed it - JK Rowling.

The whole of 'Merica recently went through a reread of the Harry Potter series, and after seeing some comments slamming Rowling, I thought "I should check out her other stuff". So I read The Casual Vacancy" and then this book.

I'm not sure if I would have thought about it without seeing some of the comments, but it seemed like Rowling heard people complaining about the lack of sex in the Harry Potter books (you know, the children's series) and decided to put it all in her next book. ;)

I liked it, but it didn't grab me the way the Potter books did, I'll confess though, I fell right into The Cuckoo's Calling and stayed there. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a detective story, but I really ended up enjoying it, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Which brings me around to what I was thinking about a little bit ago - what do you think people expect of your writing? Have you ever gone out of your way to "show them" something that they assumed you "couldn't do"? Is there something you assumed that you couldn't do, and as the years went on, you realized that you could?

And of course - what are YOU reading this weekend?

(I know you are reading the entries, as they come in, for Week 2: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/718214.html - and writing your own - but what else??)

Comments

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I'm currently reading a book for my book club, "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making."

Also: FIRST!

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

Is it any good? I just googled it and it sounds interesting.

Also yay for first! XD

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

Second? ;)

I'm reading Stormdancer because my wife kept nagging me to read it. It's a lot to take in but it is a good book so far.

Hey, "Stuck" Idolers! I had an epiphany!

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

For those Idolers who are struggling with an idea for their piece, I wanted to pass along the following: I came up with an alternative interpretation for the prompt that might be useful to you. I am willingly passing the idea along, because I will be writing about an actual "missing stair"... and thus, I myself will not be basing my piece on the phrase I thought of... and I do want to help my fellow Idolers.

The phrase I came up with is "Walking On Air."

Best of luck to all of you.

Re: Hey, "Stuck" Idolers! I had an epiphany!

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I already have an idea for mine, but I like the idea of this. :)

[gratefuladdict.livejournal.com]

Happy weekend!!

In my earlier seasons, I definitely developed a reputation for killing off characters or finding some other way to punch the reader in the gut right at the end. People commented with surprise whenever I did write a happy ending. Not sure if this is because I didn't execute it well, or if I had pigeonholed myself as a brutally sad writer. Maybe a little bit of both?

I also tend toward the surreal or extreme drama in my fiction. I find it harder to write about the everyday and ordinary, since it's tough to make it feel both natural and interesting. My hat is off to those who can!

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid of doing exactly this to myself -- though I tend to write a bit more of the everyday and ordinary, too. At least, in terms of what the "drama" is (typically relationship-related drama).

That's probably why I am attempting to stretch myself a bit, this go around. Do genres I don't normally do, play with characters I don't usually play with, do a little more nonfiction. Play with voice, play with structure, try to be as concise as possible...

Of course, there are many other things I want to do in the context of Idol, but we'll see how that goes. :)

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

Rea-ding?

What is this -- rea-ding? ;)

I am currently writing a chapter that has been giving me mental trouble for a while. I am also rummaging through apartments/houses for rent and found this house that seems too good to be true for a price I might actually somehow be able to afford. (Oh, the life of a soon-to-be single mother with barely enough income to scrape by...)

Aside from that -- in terms of writing, I thought I couldn't do funny/witty pieces. As it turns out, this is not exactly true, because Idol always seems to be a fan of my lighter stuff. :) Of course, this week I couldn't manage anything like that, but, well...

That nonfiction piece was building up for a while, I think.

[shay-writes.livejournal.com]

I wondered if her adult books were good. I might have to give it a whirl. I've been reading the Harry Potter series to Nate.

I finished the Wool trilogy before Idol started. I enjoyed it!

Currently I'm reading "If We Shadows" by D. E. Atwood, "Divergent" and a manuscript editing book. I keep switching back and forth. Oh and "Twisted" from the Pretty Little Liars series. (don't judge me)

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed The Cuckoo's Calling. I like the characters, and there are a few passages in which the wording is really nice.

This weekend, I am reading a friend's manuscript.

As far as what people expect from me, I have no idea. Things I thought were beyond me? Well, until Exhibit A, I'd say fiction. And more recently I'd say creepy fiction. At this point, I acknowledge I've made progress in those areas (If I didn't acknowledge this, PTW has threatened bodily harm). I doubt my ability to finish writing a novel. I've gotten pretty good at starting them, :) but finishing is another thing entirely.

[porn-this-way.livejournal.com]

*amused* Ah, she learns :P

[sweeny-todd.livejournal.com]

I don't know what people expect from me.

I know I keep on expecting comedic fiction and not getting it :-/

I had a fabulous idea for a story, but the prompt this week didn't match it, so I have written it down until I can shoehorn it into something.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I think my reputation is for lighthearted and usually amusing pieces. Which isn't to say that I can't or don't write the occasional thoughtful (http://roina-arwen.livejournal.com/1296424.html) or sad entry, but mostly I tend to keep it on the up-side.

I've gone to a few darker places here and there, and even done poetry once in a while, but mostly I think people expect to be amused when they read my stuff, which is fine, because I'm pretty good at writing in that style. But every now and then, I try to switch it up. We'll see what this week's prompt brings!

[monkeysugarmama.livejournal.com]

I think it's a breath of fresh air, Ro, especially on weeks when everyone writes something dark, dark, dark!

[ewok-626.livejournal.com]

OMG HAI!!!

*sets out a platter of snacks and a pitcher of margaritas* That's what you expect from me, right?!

I'm going to read a pattern. I'm going to hook this weekend (crochet), and I'm going to make a "drop in the pond" blanket. Not sure what 3 colors I want to use yet, though...

I might also read some entries. It's really hard for me to read entries during the week (due to work, commute, and school), so I have to start early.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

What's a "drop in the pond" blanket? It sounds like there should definitely be some blue involved. :)

*nabs some snacks*

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I loved The Casual Vacancy; I saw it as a good commentary on small towns and the times. I was a small-town news reporter for many years in different towns, and her descriptions and archetypes translate well to small towns in the U.S. too.

I'm still trying to figure out what I can and can't write. I should be further along after 30 years of writing and a career in words, but I'm not.

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

The Casual Vacancy definitely felt like a small town and the politics/people those towns almost always have.

I didn't like it as much as Harry Potter, mostly because I really felt like she didn't like most of her characters when she was writing, and I'm in the end a character-driven reader who has to enjoy at least a few people to get a lot out of the book.

[lrig-rorrim.livejournal.com]

"what do you think people expect of your writing?"

Hrm... I dunno. Weird fiction, I suppose?

"Is there something you assumed that you couldn't do, and as the years went on, you realized that you could? "

Whenever I notice an "I can't do that..." lurking in my brain with regards to writing, I try to pummel it into submission by writing it anyway. I did that last year with generalized "non-fiction" when I caught myself saying "I can't do that...". It turns out that I don't particularly like doing that, but yeah, I can manage.

"And of course - what are YOU reading this weekend?"

Rupetta by N.A. Sulway (I'm realllllly loving this so far), Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer, Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin, and about a zillion short stories in various magazines I'm trying to catch up on.

[anyonesghost.livejournal.com]

My expectations of you are "high."

[porn-this-way.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, the "writing expectations" beast rears its ugly beasty head. *gets out the bear spray*

This one's a real two-pronged spork. Personally, I don't think I can write stuff that doesn't at least have some lulz component. It's not that I'm not capable on a technical level - I have to write serious toned stuff for work all the time - but the only way I can do it is to sterilize my writing. Make it dull, dry, emotionless, and nothing that anyone would want to read. It's a switch that's either on or off, ya know? I'm either writing as me or writing as a robot. So, around here, I go the non-robotic route, because android writing is boring to read and produce and being goofy is just what comes naturally to me. I've definitely crossed a few personal "Oh damn, I didn't know I could write that" barriers in LJI (fiction and personal posts for example), but even *then*, I was cracking jokes left, right, and center. It's just in my blood and an automatic reaction to...well...everything. I filter every aspect of life through the screwball funhouse lens, whether I try to or not (which can be a double edged sword in its own right, but that's an entirely separate tangent). The only exception is if I'm emotionally devastated or enraged to the point of incoherence, but that definitely wouldn't make for a good post. Besides, incoherent emo LJ entries are *so* 2005.

Other people's expectations - yeah, that can get to me a wee bit! There's been times when I was concerned about trying a quasi-serious post because I was worried I'd alienate people who came to my journal expecting straight up lulz. No fun if you think you're getting Mad Magazine, you open it up, and it's some Oprah bullshit instead, ya know?

(Edited a bit for clarity, now that I'm at a real computer instead of my phone.)

[mari4212.livejournal.com]

I've seen you serious a few times, and it's always been a major deal because it really isn't your normal approach. Normally you're like Terry Pratchett: even when it's serious it's delivered inside the joke.

Hearing you go serious is like hearing myself swear. The end of the world is normally next in line.

[kandigurl.livejournal.com]

I'm reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King, so far it's really good, but I'm a sucker for time travel. :)

[tjoel2]

Loved that book, but then again I'm a huge King fan. Was a bit disappointed in the very end....

[tjoel2]

I really didn't like The Cuckoo's Calling. It was entirely too verbose for me. I have The Casual Vacancy, but haven't started it yet because I was so disappointed in the other one.

I tend to write mainly for myself. And as far as my personal goals, I have written a number of different genres and really enjoyed them all.

[flipflop-diva.livejournal.com]

If we're talking fanfic (since that's what I write the most), then angst, angst and angst with a little helping of angst. Even when I try to write fluff, it somehow turns out angsty.

And actually, judging from my entry last week, apparently my non-fiction writing likes to go in that direction, too.

I do not know what that says about me.

For reading, I am currently on page 65 of Divergent, where I have been for three weeks. Not because I don't like it (I actually really do so far), but the internet is just so full of distractions, I forget that I should sometimes step back and maybe pick up a book. Oops.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Distractions like Green Rooms and reading Idol entries, no doubt!

[tatdatcm.livejournal.com]

I might be the only person on the planet who never got into the Harry Potter series. I don't admit that often. I watched the movies with my kids but the books just never grabbed a hold of me.

Right now I'm reading romances that I've downloaded to my phone. The latest are by Liliana Hart and Kate Perry. They are my crack - or bon bons - I can't stop. I also have reached p. 93 of Dance With Dragons after getting it in November. It hasn't really gripped me and sucked me in like the other four books did. I also have three books from The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon that I have slated to read "when I get to them".

I'm contemplating making cookies today which is odd only for the fact that I hate making cookies and never do.

[rattsu.livejournal.com]

Nope, I am not a Potter fan either. There are more of us out there than you'd think ;)

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

i think my flist expects me to write about boys in love, and my writing group for whatever reason seems to expect a lot of porn. i don't think i've ever submitted anything particularly porny, so i don't know where they got that from.

the only person i write to prove something to is myself. i did nanowrimo the first year because it sounded fun, and i did it the second year and every year since to prove to myself that the first one wasn't a fluke. nobody reads my nanonovels, so it's not like i'm trying to make a point to someone else.

stuff that i assume i can't do - plays, introspective non-fiction, poetry - i generally don't do, partly because i don't really want to. i want to play to the strengths i know i have. altho i used to not think i could finish a novel-length story, and i've done that, so who knows, maybe i could write decent non-fiction.

reading-wise, i'm in the middle of people of the book, by geraldine brooks, but i don't think i'm going to get to it this weekend. i've got a bunch of comics to read, too. a pile.

[ohelectricshock.livejournal.com]

I'm reading Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay. It feels a bit more juvenile than his other fantasy novels but man, I just love that man. The Fionavar Tapestry changed my life, basically.

[witchwife.livejournal.com]

I've always been curious about him! Would you recommend starting with The Fionavar Tapestry?

[bleodswean.livejournal.com]

Reading "The Master & Margarita"!

And yeah, I def have a preferred "style" and a subject matter which has come to be recognizable and expected. I'm good with it, though. Of course, it's always fun and challenging to find a flexibility that will surprise.

[witchwife.livejournal.com]

Curious what the style & subject matter are! Though maybe it's something you plan on revealing throughout the competition?

[p-m-cryan.livejournal.com]

I'm going to gracefully sidestep this "having expectations of what I write" query, since I am an essayist and not a novelist or poet.

And funny you should ask what I'm reading this weekend, since that actually comprises part of what I'm working on for my entry.

[witchwife.livejournal.com]

Hm. Well what are your favourite topics to essay on?

[az-starshine.livejournal.com]

Bookwise? "Bad Monkey" by Carl Hiaasen, who I love.

And of course, entries this week. :)

[binaryorchid.livejournal.com]

Apart from the entries, as you say, I am reading Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour bookstore by Robin Sloan. Only discovered it a few weeks ago. A webdesigner and a bookstore are key components of a book that looks promising ;).

[shay-writes.livejournal.com]

I loved that book. :) I read it last year.

[anyonesghost.livejournal.com]

I'm stolidly pushing through Dune. Because it's been 20 years, and moods are a thing for cattle and loveplay.

I'm not sure what folks expect of my writing at this point. I mean, I went through Exhibit B rather intentionally doing something a little different every single time. ;-) If what folks expect of me is "the unexpected", though, I can live with that.

[witchwife.livejournal.com]

What do I think people expect of my writing? Good question - I've never really thought about it! I had a professor who once described my writing as a bit surreal and dreamlike. I'm not sure if that still holds up though.

A friend recently described my art as "pretty, surreal and creepy" but I think my writing is a bit more lighthearted and casual than this.

Definitely gives me something to think about!

As for what I'm reading this weekend.. wine labels. And a book on wine. (Work related - though maybe also recreational. We'll see..! haha)

[anyonesghost.livejournal.com]

Now you have my attention. ;-) Any particular wine labels? Certain region, style, grape, blend?