Writing

Bogged Down [and a summer break]

May 24, 2016 by Abbigail Kriebs 3 Comments

I get bogged down by the everyday.

I’m sure you do, too.

I get so focused on doing that I forget to look up and refocus on the goal from time to time.

I’m an INTJ, a high-achiever, the type that never wants to stop for fear they won’t get started again. I like routine, I like deadlines, I like checklists.

Ok, I probably love all of those things.

Needless to say, breaks are hard for me.

It’s hard to admit that something might not be working, that I might not be able to do it all. But it is time.

Scott and I are moving this weekend to a short-term apartment while we wait for our house to be built. We won’t be too far from our future home, and I’ve decided to take a break from the self-imposed blogging deadlines and let us enjoy the summer and the building process rather than drive myself crazy trying to do it all and enjoy it all.

This comes at the perfect time, really. We are wrapping up the final few episodes of Chasing Creative’s Season 1 this week (new episodes will debut through the end of July!) in time for my move and Ashley to take some time before her new baby arrives. We promised ourselves that we wouldn’t allow the podcast to make us crazy – and we’re proud of ourselves for ending the season on a high note before it does.

So no blogging (or minimal blogging – I might hop in once a month), no podcasting… it’s going to feel strange. I will have June Dairy Month to contend with, but then it’s summer and I don’t have a lot on the calendar.

I’m looking forward to a couple of months off, a handful of weeks to catch my breath.

I’ve promised myself that in the absence of blogging, I will make progress on the novel. It’ll be the only thing I’ll need to attend to for a couple of months, so it really should get a fair amount of attention.

And I hope to spend a lot of time outside, going for long hikes and checking in on our house. I want to take pictures like I haven’t done this spring. I want to get out and live so I have something to write about when I come back inside.

What are your summer plans?

P.S. I’m sure I’ll be on Instagram most every day, sharing house pictures and life. Let’s catch up over there?

An Interview with Katarina Bivald, Author of “The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend”

January 26, 2016 by Abbigail Kriebs Leave a Comment

Back in November, I got the chance to read an advance copy of Katarina Bivald’s The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. I described it as the perfect book to read when the snow falls, curled up in a chair with a steaming mug of something delicious. Well, the snow is falling now, and the book is out on shelves for all to read. If you are a book-lover who is craving a feel-good, predictable love story to get you through a little missing sunshine, this is it.

I also got the change to send a few questions to Katarina about writing the book, and what she’s reading lately.

What was your inspiration for The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend Can you remember a single moment when you said “I am going to write THIS book”?

No, but I can remember the moment when I said to myself: I am going to write a book. That, for me, was the important turning point. I had been writing all my life, but not very focused; starting ideas and then abandoning them and starting over again with a new one. So I said to myself: write any book you like, just pick an idea randomly, it doesn’t have to be good, it will probably never get published, but finish something.

The only thing I knew when I started was that, since I wrote mainly as practice, I would write the kind of book I myself love to read. And I love books about small American towns, quirky characters, unexpected friendships, love – and books, of course.

Q: The story is somewhat predictable, from the very beginning. Of course we know Sara will stay and that she and Tom will fall in love. But we want to see it happen! (the mark of a great book, by the way) Did you know what the ending would be when you started writing?

The original idea, the one that I chose randomly, was to write the (rather predictable and worn out) book about a person who marries for a green card, but with a collective angle: having a town propose to a woman. And I knew absolutely, without even having to think about it, that mine would be a happy ending.

Q: Which character did you have the most fun creating?

Caroline, I think, because she came as the most surprise to me. Or Andy, because, well, he’s Andy. The character who’s creation affected me most deeply is Amy, because she died. (Abbigail’s note: not a spoiler: you find out rather soon.)

Q: What is on your “to be read” pile right now?

I don’t have a “to be read” pile as much as an apartment overflowing with books I haven’t read yet. They are in every room and every corner and on every table and flat surface and sometimes even on a bookshelf. I try not to read because I have to – I believe that there should be no “should” when reading – but I have to admit all those unread stories are starting to weigh on me. Perhaps I’ll have to lock myself up in the apartment for a few months and finish them all.

You can read my full review of book here.

Sourcebooks, Katarina’s publisher, is hosting a contest called “Readers, Recommend Your Bookstore.” The contest allows you to nominate your favorite independent bookstore to possibly win $3,000, and it runs through February 19th. You can go nominate your favorite indie bookstore here. Do!

Do you have a favorite book that’s about books? Share it in the comments below – I’d love to read it!

Story in Review: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

April 7, 2015 by Abbigail Kriebs 8 Comments

Drop whatever you are doing and go read this book right now.

I’m actually serious, unless you are driving, in which case you should stop reading this right now, come to a complete stop at your local bookstore, and then purchase and read this book.

I’ve heard this book tossed around in creative circles I cannot count how many times, kind of like The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. And it is definitely worth a read. I might have built it up to be the end-all, cure-all to any and every writing problem that I have, which it is not, but the book definitely made me think about plot and structure and characters in a different light. Not to mention that Anne Lamott can somehow wrap spirituality, politics, and writing advice into the same eloquent sentence and leave you laughing at the end. She is a masterful writer.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is subtitled “Some Instructions on Writing and Life.” And it is. It’s a short primer on how to make a good story out of a story worth telling. At the same time, it teaches writers to live lives worth writing about, and to use their writing for the benefit of those around them – that’s where writing’s purpose really shines for Lamott. I have to agree.

There are several passages where Lamott reminds us why we aspire to write in the first place: a love of books.

Favorite Quotes:

“One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you the excuse to do things, to go places and explore.” – p. xii

“Because for some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you.” – p. 15

“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts.” – p. 25

“One line of dialogue that rings true reveals character in a way that pages of description can’t.” – p. 47

“We all know we’re going to die; what’s important is the kind of men and women we are in the face of this.” – p. 51

“There must be movement.” – p. 59

“…that is the nature of most good writing: that you find out things as you go along.” – p. 71

“Writing is about learning to pay attention and to communicate what is going on.” – p. 97

“Write toward vulnerability.” – p. 226

“Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They depend and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul.” – p. 237

Should you read it? If you love the written word, yes.

Have you read Bird by Bird before? If so, what did you think? Are there any other books on writing you would suggest I tackle?