I get that it is a good idea to have kids read books they would otherwise not have read. I get that the classics are important to a well-rounded, quality education, even accounting for the narrow and kyriarchal way “classic” is defined. But man, can you turn off a kid from reading an author when they are set loose with an obscure text and no guide to at least rise to the level of appreciation. That is exactly how I came to loathe Melville. But I have been redeemed! Continue reading
Author: CJ René
Author Comes Up For Air From Law School To Say Hello
Well, shit.
I had such plans for the month of January, and here we are in February and, let’s just say, I was moderately distracted by starting my last semester of law school. (The light at the end of the tunnel is the blinding, searing sun known as “The Bar”, but shhhh, let’s ignore that for now.)
The last semester of law school is one of checking things off and completing obligations and a general sort of sloughing off of responsibilities. For instance, I am almost done with my journal duties (cross your fingers for me that the author currently editing her article is making minor, stylistic changes only that will be easy for me to implement). I am in classes that I enjoy, which makes the reading so much easier, especially my Law & Lit class where I get to read fiction for law school (double win!). My time belongs more and more to me as the weeks go by.
But for January these final tasks and obligations have been sucking up all of my time that isn’t spent eating or sleeping. So… the blogging and Tweeting has been less than I would like (apologies). It was going to be great. I had great plans for reviews of Billy Budd and Beloved. I wanted to discuss editing and such, since that is what I need to do on by book.
All of this time suckage has functioned to keep me from working on the book. Also, that part of my brain that is somewhat terrified of editing it is totally colluding with law school, because it thinks it is going to destroy it once I really get started. I feel a little like a person that has never held a baby being handed one for the first time and the running mental commentary is OMG I’M GOING TO DROP IT! WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA, GIVING THIS TO ME! So, I’ve been working on that mental block (tips from my readers on how you’ve handled this issue are always appreciated; drop them in the comments).
But there are things I can do starting now. My passion planner arrived, so I’m going to use this to organize myself. I am going to attempt not hitting snooze and giving myself back that hour of writing everyday before school. And I’m going to accept that this editing process is going to be slow. Slower probably than I would like. And if I don’t make my goal to get a draft to my beta readers before I dive into studying for finals and The Bar, then that is just going to be what happens.
I am bad at being balanced with my time, but I am working at it. Okay, February, let’s get started.
The Writing and the Process: A Review of 2K to 10K
While I was on break, I wanted to spend some of the time that I got back reading a book about writing. I had seen a review of 2K to 10K (probably on Twitter, but honestly, if I haven’t made a note about it somewhere, I cannot be held accountable for remembering. #lawschoolbrain). I thought maybe I should dive into a style or craft book, but I really wanted to get the draft of my book done before the break was over (I did it!), and everything seemed to be moving much slower than I needed it to in order to get it done while also actually participating in the holidays. Even with just one tweak from the book (which I won’t spoil, since it is not mine to spoil), I doubled to triple my per hour word count and was able write even when I wasn’t really feeling it. Not feeling it is sort of death for me, because I have so much to do that excuses are easily found. But before I ramble into some other blog topic about that, join me for a brief argument about why you might want to pick up this book. Continue reading
10 Ways This Year Rocked
As I said on Twitter, it’s apparently the list blog post time of year, so here is my contribution. I’ve been wanting to do an end of year post anyway, so let’s kill two birds with one stone. No, wait. I kind of hate that saying. What’s better? Let’s mash these foods together? No. Let’s match this outfit. Yeah, I don’t have anything better, but if you do, pop it in the comments! Onto the actual blog post! Full of excitement!
Revisiting Surveillance & Torture: Orwell’s 1984
Long time, no post. I have a two word reason: law school. It’s not over, but it’s slowed enough for me to get back on the blogging horse. And how else does do that but with a discussion of the Surveillance & Torture State that certainly doesn’t look a thing like the government of your own country. </sarcasm> Alright, dear readers, let’s watch the watchers.
Content warning of mentions torture (without detail) and body image issues.
Continue reading
Fight Back: A Review of The Unit
I apparently am having a reader craving for something specific, and I’ll keep devouring books until I satisfy it. Maybe – hopefully – it’s in the book I’m writing. Even if that is true, I hope to find it in other people’s works so my reviews here can be more than: it’s just missing some thing, let me tell you what it is. But alas, today is not that day, and The Unit is not that book. Let’s talk about why sticking it to the childless just didn’t really work its magic on me. {Beware the spoilers below.} Continue reading
Reviewing October, Planning November
Ah, October. The weather in DC has finally decided that maybe it is Fall? Maybe. It is considering skipping directly to Winter, just to keep us on our toes and/or to finally do that Game of Thrones cosplay its been thinking about for 4 seasons (ha! get it?!).
October has been a mash of things for me, writerly-wise. I had a short story published over at Crooked/Shift. I finally figured out how to get some good writing in on the regular and ended up with over 12,000 words in my book this month (for reference I was struggling to get maybe 2,000 written in a month – pat on the freakin’ back for that one). Continue reading
Halloween Stories
As per the announcement I made, my story, “An Ineffective Devil,” was released on Friday over at Crooked/Shift, just in time for Halloween! I am getting around to reading the other stories now, but probably mine is the best. I will stand by that evidence-less assertion until I’ve read the rest of them.
So if you want some Halloween horror or some quirky stories involving the supernatural or paranormal, get over and download. And if you got some change in your pocket and enjoyed what you read, maybe make a wee donation to the publishers.
Happy Halloween, everyone! Drop a comment for how you are celebrating this year. I am trying to get my act together so I can hit up the Drag Queen Race.
The Element of Surprise
Stories need to earn their surprises. There is very little I find more frustrating than a story that throws you a (usually concluding) plot point or major piece of information that comes right out of left field. Left field is bad, folks. But in thinking about the difference between something coming out of left field and a solid surprise, I’m at pains to say exactly what it is. So, I figured, I might as well blog about it and see if someone smarter at this stuff than I am wants to chime in. Follow me through the element of surprise!
Writing Trauma
Content warning for this post: sexual violence (I discuss writing about it but do not describe any incident)
I dove into writing a section of my book last week involving sexual violence. It is a subject central to the world in which this story takes place and central to the story itself. And good chuck, I was in a bad mood this week. It took me a few days of blaming this month’s mix of PMS hormones before I realized that, no, this mood is not that one. This mood, this irritability, is the story giving me an emotional hangover, working itself out, demanding attention and retreating from it. This mood is the undercurrent of rage and helplessness and empathy that always attaches to me when I am met with these stories, real or fictionalized. It just so happens that this week in Evidence class is also the section on the rules of evidence in sexual assault cases. Rape shield laws, their exceptions, and the policies underlying both. All while holding this character’s hand through her story. WHAM! Right in the feels. What do I do about this? Continue reading
CJ René 