Corinne Bowen

This is yet another reason why I love my neighborhood. How could I resist taking a picture of this lovely Hampden front yard? These are the kinds of scenes that spark my imagination for future characters and settings. I snapped this picture while walking to the post office last week. I’ve stayed true to my daily strolls and sun salutations and it makes a world of difference!

I’m back in Charm City, but I’ve been on the road for the past five days. First stop was dinner at Candle 79 with the CSL crew. Next stop was Jersey City for a weekend filled with friends and Indian food. Next month I’ll be part of an Indian wedding and to get us in the spirit of this joyous occasion, we watched Bride and Prejudice. Twice. You’ve probably already guessed that this is the Bollywood adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel. My dear Jersey City friend had these guys (below) on her shelf and they made me smile.

On Sunday, I headed to CSL headquarters in Woodstock, NY and I was back on the road by Tuesday night! I’m happy to be home and looking forward to a relaxing weekend of reading, writing, and seeing friends and family. I finished Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (AMAZING) and started Nicole Peeler’s novel, Tempest Rising. It’s a fun and adventerous read and I’m excited to dig in more this weekend, rather than reading a few pages a night. Speaking of which, it’s time to do a few more manuscript edits and jump in bed!

How cool is this kettle? I drink about ten cups of tea a day, so this is one of my most treasured Christmas gifts. The past couple days have constisted of reading, writing, editing, and researching literary agents. Since I’ve come down with the first cold I’ve had in years, all of these activities work well while tucked in bed or lounging on the couch.

I’m also thankful to finally have a bookshelf in our living room! We’re packing it with our favorite books and have been on somewhat of a book-buying spree. On Friday we visited Ukazoo Books and took advantage of their “Buy 3 Used Books, Get One Free!” I also picked up a new copy of Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker. Steve found a copy of Margaret Atwood’s book, Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing. This is yet another example of how well he knows me. Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale was a huge influence on my novel, so her writing advice is like a goldmine.

On Saturday, we stopped at Atomic Books, since I couldn’t go another day without Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, book 2 of The Hunger Games trilogy. I’ve learned a lot from Collins. Especially: Set the stakes HIGH. The stakes could not be higher for Katniss Everdeen and that’s why I can’t stop reading it. Plus, it seems like there’s no way out of her predicament, so I’m desperate to find out how she manages to survive her conundrum. I’m sure not everyone likes to read stories like this, but I can’t get enough. At least at the moment, if it’s not life or death, I probably won’t get through the book.

What are you reading?

Steve and I trekked through the snowy streets of Hampden on Saturday. It was quite the mini-adventure. Neighbors are much more friendly while shoveling the side walks. I loved knowing that everyone on the street was a local, although I felt bad for the shop owners who probably rely heavily on sales the weekend before Christmas.

We visited some lonely merchants to finish up our Christmas shopping, chowed down on veggie burgers at Common Ground, and made it to The Rotunda in time to catch a matinee! Avatar was amazing by the way and must be seen in theaters. I kind of want to go again…After a quick stop at Superfresh for more grub, we walked home and I took the picture above on the way.

Many hours was spent under the covers with my laptop. Editing, editing, and more editing. The comments from my beta readers keep coming in and they are so helpful! If you’re out there readers, THANK YOU. I know I’ve already told you a million times, but you rock.

I took a stab at a query letter for the first time too! It was fun to dip my toe in the water and take a stab at the synopsis. After working on it for a night, I saved it, closed it, and now I will let it rest.

On another note, I’m excited to start reading Hunger Games soon. I’ve heard amazing reviews and I want to find a series of books that I cannot put down. It’s been a while since I’ve found that magical connection. Last Christmas I discovered Charlaine Harris, will it be Suzanne Collins this year? I hope.

Happy Holidays!

Top: New writing nook! Last Friday, Steve and I went to the magical world of Ikea to purchase a new desk and lamp. Our official office space does not have a door and it was driving me bonkers. After a few weeks away from novel #1 (and starting novel #2!) I’ve returned to #1 to do a final round of revisions before writing the dreaded query letter. Exciting!

Middle Left: Discovering this tiny Buddha statue last week seemed to symbolize turning over a new leaf. I started taking a walk each day for about a half hour in a nearby park and it makes a world of difference to my mental health. Last week was filled with yoga, green juice, raw foods, walks, and cacao smoothies. I also cut out my beloved vegan cookies and cupcakes. I felt like a new person. This stuff really works. On Monday, I found Buddha nestled in the leaves. The next day, I returned with a pink flower and found that I wasn’t the only one bringing gifts to this guy. He’s pretty popular. The small act of visiting the miniature stone statue enriched my entire day. So many small beauties can enter your life when you take the time to let them in. Thanks, Buddha, I’ll be back Monday.

Middle Right: Hampden’s Christmas on 34th Street has returned and it should not be missed. Steve and I strolled down the street with cups of hot coffee one evening to feast our eyes on this kitchy wonder. Yet another event that makes Hampden charming and quirky. I feel very lucky to live here.

Bottom: The Pea. She had no problem with this. Adorable? I think so.

A week ago, I picked up the first complete printed copy of my manuscript at Kinkos. I stopped myself as soon as I started to feel silly for getting a thrill from the moment. Why shouldn’t I get a kick out of holding the first printed copy in my hands? It was one of those “I couldn’t stop smiling if I tried” moments.

This weekend, I treated myself to revising in bed with my secretary, Thomas. As you can see, Thomas had the weekend off and was enjoying it by sleeping in. I did not sleep very much, but I was excited to finish up the latest round of revisions. It was delightful to read the manuscript from start to finish and mark it up with pen and paper. There’s something about editing on paper that works much better for me. Plus no computer equals no email, twitter, or Facebook (although I did have my iPhone at my side at all times, let’s be reasonable).

My wise writer friends and beloved bloggers say time and time again, it’s a LONG process from idea to bookshelf and you don’t know if you’ll get there. EVER! Right now, my manuscript is about five years old (in people years). She’s going to her first day of school and it’s kind of scary and kind of exciting. Later, she’ll go to Middle School, the worst place ever created. I’m sure that I’ll cringe and want to go to the library to eat my lunch (I did that a lot) many times during this round of revisions. I would continue with this analogy, but you get the point. Maybe I’m being too hard on myself, maybe I’m not, but that’s another thing about creative writing, you lose perspective.

I went to my writer’s group last night and it was fantastic. Writer’s group is a great place to regain perspective. The comment that made me the happiest was that people wanted to read more! Phew. There were also questions and suggestions that will strengthen my book in the future. For now, I’m in a funny place. I’m using this time to take a break from my work-in-progress and think about other stories I might like to tell. I’m filling up new notebooks and talking nonstop with Steve about the next adventure we might take (he’s the other half of my brain).

Thank god for green juice (to make up for massive amounts of coffee), D3 (to combat a lack of sunshine), and yoga (circulation anyone?) or I may have turned into a vampire. Speaking of which, anyone going to New Moon? Yes, I did buy my tickets in advance. And no, I’m not ashamed.