BBC Post: Writing & Building Content

When I was a few years into college, I remember feeling so apathetic and frustrated with my major (early childhood education). I was at my wits end with what to do about it. I wasn’t even interested in working as a teacher when I graduated any longer, but I considered trudging through it anyway. Then my mom suggested I major in English because of my insatiable reading habit. I agreed on the sole basis of the reading factor. Little did I consider the amount of writing that would be involved!

Being a book blogger is sort of like being an English major in the sense that I blog primarily because I love to read, not because I love to write (I won’t say I hate to write but it’s definitely not one of my favorite things to do). I feel like I am much more apt to do the reading than I am to do the writing but, as we all know, writing is an integral part of blogging. One way I get past the boorish aspect is by watching TV when I blog. This probably isn’t conducive to having a thoughtful, well read post, but I can’t help myself. I also tend to employ some of the applicable pointers that I learned in college. For instance, I (almost) always try to start my reviews in a way that will draw people in as opposed to just starting with plot description. I admit, sometimes I am lazy or too uninspired and I don’t follow this rule, but it served me extremely well in college so I tend to use it whenever I can.

One thing I did NOT do in college that I do pretty frequently now is I usually start my reviews from the end and work my way up. This is the case for books I am really inspired about or that left a big impression on me. I always want to start off with dissecting my feelings and putting them out there but it doesn’t serve the reader if you don’t do a plot description first. This is important for those readers who have yet to read the book and are unfamiliar with it.

Speaking of plot, I never want to give too much away! I remember reading someone’s blog a few months ago and there was a review for an ARC I had recently received. Now, bear in mind that I usually skim reviews of books I haven’t (and want to) read because I don’t want to be surprised. But, as I was skimming the beginning of this review, it jumped out at me—one of the main characters died. I was really upset about it and it kind of ruined the book for me—I still have yet to pick up the book because I already know what is going to happen. Therefore, I make it a point to not include spoilers when at all possible. If I feel forced to include a spoiler, I try to mark it extremely well so a reader can’t accidently come upon it.

So there you go—some of the process for me when it comes to blogging. I am looking forward to reading the posts of fellow Armchair BEAers to see what you all came up with!

BEA Wishlist

So I can’t be at BEA today, which means I won’t be getting any of the new books there, but I suppose I can still lust over them, right?  I admit, I have spent some time drooling over the BEA site and cursing myself for not being there.  These are the books that caught my eye the most.

Charlotte Sophia: Myth, Madness and the Moor

By Tina Andrews

Charlotte Sophia was queen of England, wife of “mad” King George III, Queen Victoria ‘s grandmother, and in love with Johann Christian Bach. But neither her king, her country, nor her lover knew she was black.

The Cusp of Dreams

Diana E Sheets

The dark saga of our time: salesmen and women desperate to close deals in order to pay their rent. To survive they will do almost anything. For these men and women there is no reprieve.

Jasmine

Albertine Dolores Beacham

Jasmine, a rebellious seventeen-year-old, is in love with Kirk Lanera. When she becomes involved with him and his friends, who pull pranks and cause trouble, she is disowned by her parents and forced to leave her house. With Kirk, Jasmine leaves her family and travels to New Orleans , where Kirk’s longstanding sexual advances become more persistent and culminate when he rapes Jasmine. When she refuses to have sex with him again, he abandons her, leaving her to roam the streets on her own.

Tamara’s Child

BK Mayo

Nominated for 2010 IPPY Award

The emotional journey of a pregnant teenager who finds herself in a bizarre and deadly battle over the custody of her child. A captivating, thought-provoking, and socially relevant read.

The Afflicted Girls: A Novel of Salem

Suzy Witten

Something terrible happened in Salem Village in 1692 . . . but it isn’t what you think!

This debut historical novel offers a startling new theory of the Salem witch-hunt certain to put this 300-year-old unsettled mystery to rest. Centering her story on Salem Village and its inhabitants, exploring their dark household corners as if she is solving a crime, author-researcher Suzy Witten adeptly details how the disintegration occurred while spinning familiar facts in new directions, with the mysterious “afflictions” finally explained.

WINNER 2010 IPPY SILVER MEDAL for Historical/Military Fiction

A Walt Disney Studios Fellowship Finalist

The Battle for New Orleans : The Casino Wars

Jimmie Martinez

New Orleans has a reputation as a city of loose morals, strip joints, and partying. But it lacks a large, Las Vegas-style casino. Things are about to change when the citizens decide to legalize a land-based casino.

What new BEA books are you lusting for?