Book Review: A Writer’s Bucket List by Dana Sitar

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Please click the graphic to the left to visit the Goodreads page for A Writer’s Bucket List.

What I liked about this book: Pretty much everything.

This is a really easy, quick read (especially if you’re evidently an . . . abnormally fast reader? *had no idea until a couple years ago*).

And there is a lot of good advice. What I was most surprised by, though, was how many things on the bucket list I’d already completed.

Especially how many I’d already completed before I turned 20, lol.

What I found this book to be: A refreshing, inspiring list of things to revitalize your creativity.

If you’re curious about which items I haven’t completed, here’s the numbers (but you’ll have to read the book to find out what it is ):

#7

#11, #15

#22, #26

#29 – I ALMOST did something like this. Ask me about my feelings on cosmetics if you want to know more. Or keep an eye out for my blog post on Feb 21st.

#30, #33, #34, #35, #38

#40 – this one is imminent, though. It will probably happen in the next week or so.

#42, #43

#46 – hopefully imminent as well! See this post for more info.

#51, #53, #54, #55, #56

#57 – refer to #46

#59

#61, #62, #63

#64 – This one is in progress!

#65, #69

#70, #77, #78, #79

#81, #82, #83

#84 – also in progress

#86, #88

#91

#93 – I’ll be honest, this one is never going to happen. Unless we get up-rooted for some reason.

#95, #96, #99

This is a total of 43 items that I haven’t done on the Bucket List.

That means I’ve already completed FIFTY-SIX items. I . . . am in awe.

But seriously, everyone needs to read this book. Especially if you’re a creative person.

 

Bucket List Challenge Blog Hop – Working Through My List

This blog hop is brought to you by Dana Sitar, celebrating the release of her book A Writer’s Bucket List: 99 things to do for inspiration, education, and experience before your writing hits the bucket.

Please click the image to the left to view the other bloggers participating in this hop (from February 5th – 12th, 2013).

Also, Dana will be hosting the FIRST #DIYwriteCHAT on Twitter tonight, February 5th, at 7 pm PT/10 pm ET (or, 9 pm, for my fellow Central Time peeps). For more info, please check out her blog post on it.

My Bucket List

Ah, bucket lists . . .

I would say that, until the past few years, bucket lists have normally been paired with inevitable death. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve had my fair share of close encounters with death (probably more than most 27-year-olds), but more and more lately I’ve started to equate bucket lists with life.

Because life isn’t worth living unless you’re doing something with it.

So, highlighting two of my bucket list items that I really want to complete in 2013:

1. Have some fiction (preferably a novel) published before I’m 30.

Considering I will turn 28 in a few months, I need to get the ball rolling on this one, especially since I would prefer to go the traditional publishing route. This is in progress – my fantasy novel Catalyst (written for NaNoWriMo 2012) is a finalist for the 2013 NaNo Virtuosos Contest with Curiosity Quills Press. YOU can help me mark this off my bucket list and win a publishing deal *winkwink* by going and voting for my story. (Please only vote once. If you find the voting page confusing, please check out this blog post of mine with illustrated instructions.)

If I don’t win NaNo Virtuosos, my next plan of action is to keep editing & revising Catalyst and pitch it to at least one agent at the OWFI Conference in May, and to start querying/submitting to agents and other publishing houses (I mean, TOR takes unsolicited manuscripts . . . and if a fantasy writer can get in with TOR, that’s a pretty sweet deal. But I also really like the idea of working with a small press, like Curiosity Quills.)

2. Get a tattoo.

I . . . have been fascinated with tattoos for as far back as I can remember. I was about 13/14 when I realized I definitely wanted at least one tattoo in my lifetime.

From when I was 15 until I was 19, my family had some huge struggles, especially with some health situations. As a result, when I reached ‘adulthood’ (you know, the really mature age-range of 18-19-20, I felt I was a living conundrum. I knew who I was as a person, but I had no idea what I wanted out of life. I also had a glimmer of an idea of a tattoo I wanted based on some of the things I experienced during that time, but that idea is still evolving and growing.

Sadly, a lot of those above mentioned situations are still ongoing with my family. I won’t lie – the last year and a half have been really tough. Unfortunately, I don’t think any of those situations have become easier to bear, we’ve just become more accustomed to bearing them.

This past summer, I realized what I wanted my first tattoo to be.

You see, the one thing I am certain of is that I would have broken under all the stress a long time ago if it wasn’t for my faith in God, and my confidence in His faithfulness, no matter what the circumstances appear to be.

But I tend to try carrying burdens never meant to be mine, and I literally carry stress and anxiety in my neck and shoulders (you do not want to hear what I’m my massage therapist is going to be saying about the knots soon).

So, I need a reminder that I am not responsible to bear every burden – and the ones I am to bear are fully within my capability.

Some time this year, most likely in the summer, I want to get this scripture (Matthew 11:29b-30) tattooed across my shoulders:

. . . and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

That way, hopefully, every time I reach back to rub the knots out of my shoulders, I remember to evaluate which knots should even be there in the first place.

If you’d like to read more about my goals & aspirations for 2013, please check out this post.

What’s coming up in February!

First off, if you haven’t voted for my novel, Catalyst, in the 2013 NaNo Virtuosos contest, go do it! For more info, please visit this post.

Secondly, there’s a few things that I’m doing this next month, and I want you to know about them just in case you want to do them too!

Yes, that sentence was rambly. I’ve just gone through 3 drafts in less than 90 days (yay NaNo Virtuosos). So, give my poor brain a little lee-way, please .

The Agenda:

1. The Worldbuilding Blogfest - Jan 28 – Feb 1, 2013 (hosted by Sharon Bayliss)

Worldbuilding. It’s all about creating fantasy/dystopian/alternate history worlds that are developed and believable. It’s critical in sci-fi and fantasy but important in ALL works of fiction. Every character lives in a setting or “world” and it needs to be fleshed out in the novel, whether it’s a fantasy world like Middle Earth or present-day New York City.
For science fiction, fantasy, and dystopian writers, worldbuilding cannot be ignored. But worldbuilding is for my friends writing in the real world too. 
So, here is the challenge. Do you really understand your novel’s “world”? Do you know the geography, cultures, religions, history?
In this blogfest you’ll be challenged to flesh out all the pieces of your make-believe or 100% real setting in the Worldbuilding Blogfest.
(From Sharon’s blog)

2. The Bucket List Challenge Blog Hop – February 4-12, 2013 (hosted by Dana Sitar)

I’m running The Bucket List Challenge Blog Hop to celebrate the launch of my first ebook, A Writer’s Bucket List: 99 things to do for inspiration, education, and experience before your writing kicks the bucket. For this hop, we’ll encourage readers to tackle their bucket lists head on in 2013. Join me to give your readers a nudge down the path toward their dreams, help me promote my new book, and get some exposure for your blog while you do it!
(Dana’s description)

3. The Beauty of a Woman Blogfest II – February 22, 2013 (hosted by August McLaughlin)

A rundown of the fest:
What: A blog-fest designed to celebrate beauty, however you define it.
Who: YOU! The fest is open to females and males of all ages.
When: Friday, February 22nd
Why: To have fun, be inspired and entertained, inspire or entertain others, gain exposure and blog readers and, potentially, win a Kindle Fire or equivalent Amazon gift card. (All participants and commenters will be entered into the prize drawing. The more blogs you visit, the greater your chances become.)
(From August’s Blog)

Doesn’t that all look like fun? Which ones have caught your eye?

Saturday Sundries – “Welcome to the Shit Show” Book Review

A while back (ie: October) Dana gave me a copy of her book, Welcome to the Shit Show, because she was giving away books to people who interacted on her blog (I didn’t even know it at the time I commented, but I never turn down free books!).  I can’t say this is a book I would have normally bought for myself, partly because I don’t really read memoir unless it’s been rec’d to me by a LOT of people, and partially because of content.

In terms of writing style and technique, I found Welcome to the Shit Show very easy to read.  I wasn’t stumbling over sentences, and everything flowed from one story to the next so seamlessly.  If more memoirs were written like this, I would definitely read more of them.

Content-wise . . . Dana has lived a lifestyle that I have never had a desire to live.  Partly, she states that the story is in chaos, not in order.  I agree.  If everything is going fine and dandy, no one wants to read that story.  Her solution was to create chaos herself.  Due to family situations, health problems, etc, I will never have the desire to create chaos.  I treasure the few moments of peace I can find.  Even though Dana and her family are at odds at times, I wish my family had the closeness that they do.

There are sexual situations, drug use, and liberal alcohol use in this story.  The series title of “This Artists’ Life” really explains it all – this is the story of an artist embracing the life of the ‘artist’ as the secular world sees it.  I was raised very conservative Christian, though my decision to continue in that way of life was fully my own when I understood what my choices were (and believe me, I went through a time of doubt – I will at some point go into that in one of my devotionals).

The only person I’ve ever kissed or slept with is my husband.  I don’t have any desire for that to ever change.  Yes, I’ve tasted alcohol, but I have no desire to ever be drunk.  The thought of using something to zone out and separate myself from my problems has been very tempting at times, but I have my own reasons for choosing not to do those things.

So that said, based on the content, this is not a book I would have picked up on my own.  I do want to read the sequel that’s coming out, The Hart Compound, because it sounds like it’s going to be a very interesting read (comedians are running a mayoral campaign – who DOESN’T want to read that?).  I gave Welcome to the Shit Show two stars (“It was ok”) on Goodreads, because three stars was “I liked it”, and I can’t honestly say that liked most of the book.  It was not a problem with it being poorly written, it’s just my own personal preference.

But, I do have a quote from it that I absolutely love:

As for the Shit Show, we’ll get by.  We’ll live through the chaos and love the beauty.  Nothing can keep the Writer from chasing a story, the Painter from capturing a scene, the Musician from baring his soul.  Nothing in the Shit Show is painful enough to blind us from all the beauty we can create.

A Friendly Reminder . . .

Morning, everyone!  I fully intended to have an actual “Thursday Tales” post for you today, but life happened instead (I also spent 3 hours gardening at my parent’s yesterday, and now have a lovely sunburn on my shoulders to show for it).

So, instead I’m just going to remind you of the two giveaways I have going right now:

First is Dana Sitar’s book “Welcome to the Shit Show” (memoir).  The giveaway is here, and you can read more about the book here.

Next is Jessica Therrien’s debut book “Oppression” (YA).  The giveaway is here (scroll down past the “Welcome to the Shit Show” giveaway), and info about the book is here.

My March #WriteMotivation goals and February wrap-up will go up on Monday .

Saturday Sundries – Interview with Dana Sitar

Hi everyone, happy Saturday!

Today, we have Dana Sitar with us.  I met her through the WordPress.com forums probably about a year ago.  Her first book came out a short while back, and the second one will be coming out soon.  This post is going along with her blog tour.

So, let’s get on with this interview!