Some Monday musical inspiration

I'm lucky enough to get a program called Guitar Center Sessions on my TV programming--basically, it's an hour-long show featuring a band or artist. They play, and talk about their beginnings, what inspires them, etc. I love this show. For some odd reason, it sparks my creativity as a writer.

 Does music inspire you too? Any favorites?

 Here's OneRepublic being awesome:


 

For #indieThursday, check out these great independent bookstores

I love a good independent bookstore. But in the part of the country where I live, they're a little far away. If you're like me, maybe you're making summer travel plans right now. And what better time to discover a new independent bookstore right?

Last holiday season, I sent Linc around the States to check out all these great bookstores; I've listed them below for #indieThursday (it's a Twitter thing, in case you're not familiar).

So I hope you'll join me and check out these bookstores for a summer visit. Or go to Indiebound for an independent bookseller at your summer vacation destination. Many of these stores have events...

Hooray For Books in Alexandria, VA

Seattle Mystery Bookshop in Seattle, WA

Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA

Tattered Cover in Denver, CO

Murder by the Book in Houston, TX

Lemuria Books in Jackson, MS

Park Street Books in Medfield, MA

Most of them stock signed books, and will ship them to you.

What's the worst writing rule/advice out there?

A few weeks ago, I did an author visit at a local school. It was loads of fun, we made a ruckus, and at the end of my presentation, I answered questions. This class had a ton of them.

There was, of course, the usual stuff about writing. And I was reluctant to give a lot of advice--aside from the 'don't give up' speech. Because I've been given such a ton of bad advice. Writing 'rules' someone came up with (sometimes a famous author, but more often not), rules I followed but that ultimately cramped my style.

Like that you shouldn't write in first person. And that you shouldn't address the reader (I do all those things).

Or that you should write every day. Tom Angleberger (he writes middle-grade, in case you're unfamiliar) wrote an awesome post about that rule today, and I couldn't agree more. Some days, you're better off thinking about your story before writing. Fold some laundry. Take a walk.

How about you, fellow writer friends? What writing rule do you like to break? Any bad advice you wish you hadn't taken?

Have you ever read a book in one sitting?

Confession time: if a book gets too much buzz, I probably won't read it. The more it shows up on 'best of (fill in the year)' lists, the smaller the odds that the book will make my TBR pile. I guess it's my rebellious side talking. Once a book--or anything really--starts to feel like a bandwagon is waiting for me to get on, I'm out. Bandwagons are crowded, and someone always ends up elbowing you in the ribs.

But.

There was such a book last year: Wonder, a middle-grade that was on everyone's list. If it buzzed any more, it would've been a swarm of bees :-) So I avoided it...

But then two different librarians recommended it to me with such heartfelt excitement, I couldn't not read it. Because those librarians know their business, we all know this. So I picked up Wonder, and started reading it. And I finished it in one sitting.

I don't remember the last time I did that... And it wasn't like it was the perfect book--there were things I liked and didn't like, which is pretty normal--but it had me hooked. I felt a little like I was a kid again, reading the latest book waaaay past my bedtime.

Do you ever read books in one sitting? Have you ever? What was the book?