Critique Partners, Stats and Other Ramblings

This is the summer of industriousness. I'm polishing up the first book in my Dystopia series, working, going to school to get my teaching degree, and trying out a critique partner. I really didn't think I'd like the latter, but the experience so far has proven to be quite useful and interesting. I've already made some changes to my manuscript for the better and got to read an interesting novel in the process. I've never really enjoyed someone else's unfinished work before now. My partner is very good at characterization, which is an area that I believe I could be stronger, so trading work back and forth has been insightful.

Good characterization, I believe, has a lot to do with emotions and depth and details, which as I've said before I'm not good at. I much prefer to focus on plot. A good novel is well-balanced between all the elements--characterization, plot, setting, themes, etc.--with maybe one aspect building up more than the others. Hopefully, one day I'll just write a character and get it right the first time, but I'm pretty sure this is an area I'll struggle with forever. Don't leave me, CP! I'll need you in the decades to come :)

Alright, stats time. I like this part. It lets me bitch about things that have absolutely nothing to do with writing, or marketing, or anything, really.

Current book: Straight-up Star Wars fan fiction (not a book, I know, but it's the closest thing to words on a page that I'm going to get right now)

*Side note: finished the Prequel Dune trilogy and I think I might like them better than the actual first book, Dune. Weird.

Current TV show: .......I don't know. It's like a barren wasteland out there right now. I'm recording The Messengers on DVR, but I'm not really into it. Those guys are the worst angels I've ever seen. They're constantly screwing up and making deals with the Devil. On one hand, I love Vera. On the other, I hate JD Pardo's facial hair.

Oh! Stitchers, ABC Family's new show. Thought I would hate it, but turns out I don't. Comes on after PLL. Guess I do have a show.

Current mood: productive and hungry

Now, I'm off to go find a Game of Thrones blog where I can bitch with everyone else about that crappy, crappy season finale. All the awesome directions I thought the story was going in are now dead in the water. As dead as Jon Snow. What the hell? Theon sucks, Sansa is useless, and Ser Davos is about as sharp as a spoon. Also, I could have died happy without ever seeing the Dothraki again.

Side note: I continue to love Jaime, and Cersei has redeemed herself in my eyes. Who else could make that naked walk of shame with their head held high, getting pelted with poo? No one. That's who. I'm also strangely not-hating Ramsey Bolton. He's as sadistic as Joffrey but way smarter. He spanked Stannis' ass in that battle. Didn't flay him alive as I was hoping for, but I'll take what I can get.

Go Brienne! Go Oathkeeper! Go Winter! See you next year!