Betsy Snow White Bibliophile

Category: Writer’s Journey

  • My Favorite Things – Holiday Books

    I have certain books that I read/ listen to on audiobook every year around the holidays. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas/ Yule without them.

    Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris – This book includes the famous Santaland Diaries and is a must read if you haven’t. I highly recommend getting the audiobook because David reads most of the stories himself and is joined by his sister Amy as well. Sure to make you laugh.71t0yJrW7UL

    Hogfather by Terry Pratchett – Pratchett’s wonderful tale about the discworld equivalent of Santa and what happens when someone puts out a hit on him. Death steps in and then it starts to get fun. Death’s granddaughter Susan proves herself to be a badass in her own right. Has a wonderful albeit cynical quote about the importance of belief.

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    The Life and Adventure of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum – The author of the Wizard of Oz penned this charming and strange origin story for Santa complete with woodland fairies. Baum tries to answer some of the important Santa questions. Good to read aloud with children.

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    The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore – The unusual town of Pine Cove is celebrating Christmas. An angel comes and grants them a Christmas “Miracle” that leads to a zombie uprising. Oops.

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    T’was the Night Before Christmas or A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore – A Christmas classic. I have had it memorized since I was little, and I love to read/ recite it every year. It is still fun to do. My favorite line is “The moon on the breast of the newfallen snow gave a lustre of midday to objects below.” I love good rhymes.

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    Do you have a favorite holiday book? Have you read any of these?

  • Written Word Wednesday: The Evening of Writing Uncontrollably

    Written Word Wednesday: The Evening of Writing Uncontrollably

    The Evening of Writing Uncontrolably was this past Saturday at the Wagnalls Memorial Library in Lithopolis, Ohio. My little sister, Traci,  came along to write with me, and we were joined by my friends Jill, Angie and Melissa. Traci and I got there and settled in a nice little nook in the fiction section between Janet Evanovich and Diana Gabaldon. Above us to the right was a bust of Shakespeare. It seemed like the perfect place to write. We settled in and got ourselves all spread out and happy.

    Jill came in a bit later, and was laughing because we had chosen the exact place she always uses when she goes to the library to write, which is often. I thought it must speak highly of the space. She went to get a snack and wander a bit, but eventually came back to settle in with us. Angie and Melissa came in after an hour or so, and joined us in our nook.

    I managed to write 2,866 words in the 5 hours we were there. That was with many drink, snack and bathroom breaks. And breaks to take photos in the beautiful library. We left at midnight, though we could have stayed until 2am. There is a strange naughty feeling being in a library after hours that I cannot explain though we all were feeling it. I felt like the night was successful, and fun, and I am so glad I went.

    I am probably (definitely) not going to win NaNoWriMo this year, but I have learned a lot about myself and my writing style. I am excited to try it again another time, maybe when I am not actively taking classes at the same time. I am glad that I tried though, and glad that I have worked on developing a short story into an actual novel, and one I will continue to work on. That makes the month a pretty big success to me.

     

  • WWW -Week 3 of NaNoWriMo, Writing for School and Blind Date with a Book Brunch

    This was another work heavy week for school, and I had to write quite a bit for various prompts, which means I wrote almost not at all for NaNoWriMo. This weekend is the Evening of Writing Uncontrollably at the Wagnalls Memorial Library in Lithopolis, Ohio. I am super excited about it and hope I can make up some loss of words that night writing with friends. I did write a story I am really proud of for school this week, so that feels good.

    This past Saturday the Columbus Ohio branch of Geek Girl Brunch had our Blind Date with a Book event. We wrap the book and describe it in three statements. Then we trade books. My description was: Female Protagonist, Practical Magic and Snacking in Closets. Any guesses on what the book is? I will reveal later this week. The book I chose was labeled: True Crime, Historical, Non-Fiction. It was The Devil in the White City, a book about the Chicago World’s Faire and H.H. Holmes. I am very excited to get into it soon.

  • Written Word Wednesday – NaNoWriMo, Falling Behind and Starting Again

    Written Word Wednesday – NaNoWriMo, Falling Behind and Starting Again

    Well…I have broken 10,000 words for NaNoWriMo and then I fell off from writing for a couple of days. There are a lot of reasons: helping my mother move, doing homework for my MFA program, and probably the biggest reason is that I think I want my book to go in a different direction, and it will change a lot. At first I was considering going back to rewrite, but instead I think I am going to push forward with the new idea knowing that the first days may no longer fit.I am taking two courses right now, one is Studying the Craft which focuses on reading books as a writer (probably using Fahrenheit 451 and The Giver which was a suggested pairing and one I really liked) and Story and Concept during which I will write a short story using techniques I will learn in the class. These classes are challenging, so I will not beat myself up if I cannot finish NaNoWriMo in order to apply myself fully to my classes.Priorities! I am still going to work on my novel but I am not going to be in a hurry to finish it just now.I began Starless Sea, and it is entrancing even just a few pages in. I hope I have time to sit and read it this week sometime. We shall see. I found out Erin Morgenstern will be coming for a book tour to a location about 3 hours away, and I am considering going. I get very starstruck, though, and I am afraid I might get weirdly emotional at her. It is a strange issue.

    Samhain helping me write.

  • Written Word Wednesday -NaNoWriMo Week 1

    I have lived through five full days of NaNoWriMo! Woo-hoo! 8,693 words written, absolutely no fits had, zero editing, and having a pretty great time. I have been encouraged by family, fellow writers and several text messages from my brother in law who is living vicariously through me. I have no idea if what I am writing will amount to an actual novel, but I am having fun doing it.

    In other writing news my pre-ordered copy of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern arrived in the mail yesterday. I have been looking forward to it all year. I love the Night Circus, and reread/ relisten to the audio book every couple of months. I haven’t started reading it yet, but maybe later tonight with luck. Or maybe after November is over.

    I hope November is treating you well.

  • Welcome November!

    Welcome November!

    Can you believe it is November already? I can’t.

    And it being November that means that on top of the writing I will be doing for school I am also attempting NaNoWriMo for the first time. I met my word goal for day 1, and it will be interesting to see how I am able to keep that up as I get into school etc. I have already signed up for a writing event on the 23rd at the Wagnalls Memorial Library. The theme is to write all night in your pajamas, and they will have speakers and snacks through the night. I am looking forward to it. How can you not be inspired by a building that looks like this?

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    I plan to update and share how my writing is going on Wednesdays for the month of November. Watch out for my Written Word Wednesday posts regarding that if you are interested.

     

  • End of 2019 Bucket List – More Items Checked

    End of 2019 Bucket List – More Items Checked

    • Wench photo with the Queen!
    • Get my major changed to creative Writing.
    • Attend both days the last weekend of Ohio Renaissance Festival

    Saturday of this weekend was rainy,  but we still went out for several hours. Sunday was absolutely amazing. I got photos with many of the Wenches in our local and we got this amazing photo with the queen. I love my wenches so much, and I am so proud of what we have built.

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    • Get autographs from Rasputina (Melora Creager)

    I was not able to get Rasputina’s autographs because we needed to get home so Seth could go to work today. However, I did get the autographs of the amazing opening act Charming Disaster as well as their new LP. If you have never heard them you should absolutely check them out. They are a new favorite.

     

    • Finish Blogtober strong (I get a book if I do)
    • Rennie outing to Book Loft?
    • Get Wench tattoo
    • Participate and succeed in NaNoWriMo (Are you participating? Link me BetsySnowWhite)
    • Do a writers night.
    • Photo with Krampus!
    • Wench invasion of the Krampus Walk
    • Photo with Santa and the Wenches
    • Wench invasion of Columbus and Cincinnati Zoo.
    • Wench invasion of Kentucky Dickens Festival
    • Set up Christmas trees
    • Christmas Party
    • Attend Roaring 20s New Year Party
  • Ready to Write

    Ready to Write

    I am working on getting myself geared up for NaNoWriMo and starting classes in my new major next week, so I have been looking on Pinterest for inspiration from other writers to get me geared up and ready to go. I have already read through the syllabi for my classes and feel like I picked up some really interesting advice from that.

    I am the kind of reader who once I have fallen in love with a book I will read that book again and again. In an announcement for my class English 510: Studying the Craft my instructor Amy Myer advised us:

    “Chances are, you’ve all heard that adage that a good writer is a good reader. True. But does that mean to be a good reader means to read all the classics? To read all the yearly award winners? To read book after book after book after book? 

    No. 

    To be a good reader is to read widely …within reason. But more importantly than that, it’s reading repeatedly those books that call to you. The ones that told you you want to be a writer. The ones that you read and sigh and say, “I hope I can write like this someday” or “I hope I can craft a story this thrilling someday.”

    She would go on to explain that the first time we read a book or story all we read is plot. On second and third readings we can find more and really examine the craft in the piece. For the class we need to choose two books one classic (30 years old or more) and one contemporary and she recommends choosing a book you have read before, as both books have to be read during the course. I have a couple of ideas on which books I may want to use; The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern for my contemporary and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath as my classic. These are subject to change, but were my initial thoughts.

    Are there books that you have read again and again? What are they and why do you love them? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo?

  • Rest of 2019 Bucket List – Updated With Pictures!!

    Rest of 2019 Bucket List – Updated With Pictures!!

    • Wench photo with the Queen!

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    • Get my major changed to creative Writing.

    Done!! I am beginning my classes on Monday!! I am so excited and feel so positive about this. I also designed and ordered myself some business cards with my website and social media info on them.

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    • Attend both days the last weekend of Ohio Renaissance Festival
    • Get autographs from Rasputina (Melora Creager)
    • Finish Blogtober strong (I get a book if I do)
    • Rennie outing to Book Loft?
    • Participate and succeed in NaNoWriMo (Are you participating? Link me BetsySnowWhite)
    • Photo with Krampus!
    • Photo with Santa and the Wenches
    • Wench invasion of Columbus and Cincinnati Zoo.
    • Wench invasion of Kentucky Dickens Festival
    • Set up Christmas trees
    • Christmas Party
    • Attend Roaring 20s New Year Party
  • David Sedaris and Accidental Synchronicity

    David Sedaris and Accidental Synchronicity

    This afternoon Seth and I headed downtown to the Palace Theatre for An Evening with David Sedaris.

    Last year around October we saw him for the first time, and got to meet him and have him autograph books for us. My friend from high school, Julie, works for the bookstore that always sponsors his appearances (The Book Loft. I am planning a whole post⁸ dedicated to that later.) She walked us up and introduced us a s friends of hers, and we chatted with David and he signed our two books as follows.

    This year we also saw Julie, and walked to say hello to David. We introduced ourselves and David said something to the extent of “Betsy , I remember Betsy. She was a nice girl but smelled a bit like a public toilet. You know bath and body works. And Seth.” And then he drew…a hand flipping the opener of the book off. I laughed and told him we had another book signed by him with a similar drawing and he said “oh, no!” I told him it was perfect and a bizarre coincidence.

    Walking away Seth and I mused that we must just look like we need to be flipped off. Lol.

    He was funny, poignant and generally wonderful to see a second time. I will certainly go again if I have the chance. If you have never read his work I reccomend starting with Holidays on Ice which combines his essays with fiction to make one quirky and wonderful holiday experience. It includes the famous, Santaland Diaries, which has been mafe into a play as well. If you can get his books on audio I also recommend it because he usually reads them and it is a joy to hear.

    Are you a David Sedaris fan?