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| Courtesy of Najwa Marafie |
Last week I decided we were going to take this week off from lessons because we needed the break. So glad I did because our computer hard drive crashed at the shop. Unfortunately for me, I had forgotten neglected to back up my back up's from Quickbooks onto a usb drive - since mid march. *facepalm* I fibbed and told my employees it was just a couple weeks worth of data because I didn't need want to hear a lecture from my techs. Fortunately for me, they reinstalled the old hard drive from when we had Windows XP which enabled me to get everything entered, up to date and backed up. Tomorrow the new hard drive arrives and I get the pleasure of installing everything and restoring quickbooks back to normal.
I also signed up for a critique class through Savvy Authors and learning how to critique as well as be on the receiving end of a critique. I have a tendency to be more of a teacher rather than a critter, so working on my critter skills. Speaking of being on the receiving end of a critique, the fine authors over on The Kill Zone, a group mystery and thriller author blog including James Scott Bell, Clare Langley, Michelle Gagnon, et al offered up their annual first page critique and I took the plunge. Here's mine. Educational experience to say the least.
Have been doing a bit of blog browsing and as always getting inspired by what I see:
Why do I write? - Patrick of The Artist's Road asks. Contemplating the reasons.
Have you been following K.M Weiland's Secret of Story Structure. She's just concluded the 11 part series and it well worth reading. She's very wise.
Meanwhile my 52 Books group has been introducing to me all kinds of books that need to be added here and here (read 3 so far) Starting to see a theme shaping up for 2013's challenge. And I've added another group of authors to my Author Blogging Reading Project - check out the weekly line up at Mullholland Books.
I'm also intrigued by the responses to Audrey Niffenegger's visual book The Night Bookmobile. It created a discussion within my book group about books that are so good they make you forget to put the groceries away. It was a serial graphic novel published in the London Guardian in 2008 and published in book form in 2010.
Anyway it prompted the thought:
There are so many books I haven't read yet and if I came across my own bookmobile full of the books I've read in a lifetime, what books would I have regretted not reading.
Time to start a bucket list.
So those are the things that have derailed my progress this week. How's your week been so far? Check in here and encourage your fellow rowers
Glad that the information wasn't lost forever! I think a critique class would be very cool!
ReplyDeleteOh there are so many books I want to read..my TBR list goes on forever and ever! lol Hopefully this summer I can take a good whack at it though that will probably just lead to me adding more, lol! Hope that everything goes well with the hard drive. Have a great week/weekend!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the next check-in. Nice button! I don't remember seeing them--I'll have to poke around a bit.
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan of Weiland's for some time now...I can't wait to read this series. I'll probably like to it in a post series!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear of your computer troubles. I had my own I-will-choke-someone-don't-make-me-do-it-honey incident this week. My son opted to begin a charter school mid-year - and I've been extremely happy with them overall. The classes are intense and challenging - and he's got to really hustle... his first five-page research paper - an honest to goodness economics class - and an elective geography class that is even challenging to me (and I ♥ maps too much to talk about...lol)
Anyhoo....it's an online login to each course. No prob, right? Except I watched my son log in two days in the last week - yet received an 'absent' notice. When I attempted to correct the problem - I met with 'Ms. Rude and Condescending' - and she eventually made introduction to the business end of Ms. Notariani. Phew... I rarely go all clipped and business-formal.
Ha! Hope your all straightened out!
I love to read and to write and I think any writer who doesn't is like a diver without breathing apparatus. IT makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteSo no, if derailed somewhat by anything, reading is a productive fork road. I read mosts all day on and off - fiction on the road or at m=night before bed, and non-fiction (mostly blogs etc) during the day. If I'm not reading I'm writing or occasionally watching movies/dramas. I love nurturing my imagination or feeding my brain. Physically I'm ridiculously idle, but mentally not so much :) Hope you strike up a balance next week. X
That's quite a week! Glad you were able to restore the hard drive info, but what a hassle!
ReplyDeleteA reading bucket list...Oh, you're putting such thoughts in my head!
I'm smiling to think of your lesson-free week.
ReplyDeleteAs livers of a lesson-free life, I know for certain that there was learning aplenty going on!
I love weeks filled with books and freedom....
Bon appetit!
Robin, the computer thing... ack, I will hold my tongue, since I can't even speak as a tech support person who almost never does backups.
ReplyDeleteBut the books--WOW! I don't blame you for being derailed. What an excellent list. Here's to oodles of inspiration!