TGIF

Sometimes, no matter how much I love to write, I make up excuses to postpone it. Especially when it comes to my novel. I have this idea stuck in the back of my head, that I will ruin the images in my head by putting them into words on paper. This is something that I'm slowly learning to ignore, and have more and more courage to write every day. 

And today Amazon shipped me two more reasons to postpone the writing just a little bit more.

But this time I want to postpone, because I want to be better, not because I'm afraid. 

Can't wait to read these! :)

From thoughts into words

It's a long, rocky road to get a story finished on paper. For me, at least. Here's how the process goes for me:

1. A rough idea comes to mind

2. Figuring out if the idea's any good --> developing it further

3. Storylines, twists, etc.

4. Naming all the characters

5. Characters relationships and backgrounds

6. Random scenes go through my mind like movies

7. Writing some scenes, in no particular order

I'm bad at taking notes. Basically, all of the above is in my head in the end, and when the mental exhaustion is getting too overwhelming, it's time to start the actual writing process. By the way, I'm using the term "mental exhaustion" very loosely. I find all of this too much fun to think of it as something exhausting. Sometimes it does get to me, though. I get very attached to the story and the characters, and when things don't go as I want, it can be frustrating. Even though it's a world and people I've created, what happens to them is sometimes out of my hands. 

I'm sure other writers have their own ways to transfer thoughts into short stories and novels, but this is mine. I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts :) The nerdy side of me is dying for some new information!

lovelovelove,

iira

Liebster Award

I got a Liebster Award from Anna! Thank you so much :) 

You can access Anna's blog HERE. Note: it's in Finnish :)

Liebster Award Rules:

1. Thank the person who gave it to you.

2. Answer the 11 questions presented to you.

3. Come up with 11 questions of your own.

4. Give the award to 11 blogs with fewer than 200 readers.

Anna and I both share a passion for literature, and as you can see, it is a theme for this post! 

ANNA'S QUESTIONS:

1. Have you ever ruined a book for yourself by reading a too revealing or otherwise bad back cover text?

- I'm always trying not to let a cover fool me, but yes, especially when I was younger, I wouldn't read a book that didn't seem appealing on the cover. I don't remember any bad back cover texts/descriptions, though. 

2. Has a book character ever inspired you in some way, helped you, or made you see something differently in your own life?

- I think it happens with every book I read. Not with every character, but there's always at least one, who makes me feel differently about something. Maybe the most recent character would be Skeeter, from Kathryn Stockett's The Help. Skeeter is a writer and her passion for writing is what got to me, as well as her will to get justice. 

3. Have you ever seen a TV-show, a movie or an animation, that's better than the original book it's based on?

- OK, don't judge me, but I think Gossip Girl is like that. I saw the show first and after that started reading the books. Turned out, I was not a fan of the books, not one bit. I have many sides. And one of them is being a little vain at times and watching Gossip Girl :)

4. What do you think of those pale bloodsucker vampires, the creatures so consumed by literature and popular culture?

- So I've read all the Twilight -books and seen the movies, I've watched some Vampire Diaries and even watched True Blood before it got beyond weird. But still, I'm not a big fan of the whole vampire concept. Probably because they're everywhere. Such mass production, and it's not appealing to me. But then again, what do you think of this: "Try to write something you have never seen before -even if it is about vampires - make it really unexpected." I'm so bummed I don't remember where I read that and by whom it was said, but it's so true!! 

5. Is there a particular moment in your past that marks the moment you got hooked to reading for the rest of your life?

- I don't remember... I've just always enjoyed reading. I learned to read before I went to school, and ever since I've inhaled every book laid before me. 

6. How much do you think about the role of the translator when reading translative literature?

- I haven't really acquainted myself with that.. But whenever I still read books in Finnish, which is rarely, I do think of the translator, and in my mind I am translating everything to English. Funny how the mind works :)

7. Do you have any rituals with your reading? A particular spot or the same snacks every time?

- Usually I do get some candy if I'm planning on spending a lot of time reading :P My usual spot would be the bed. I don't usually sit and read, I find it uncomfortable and un-natural. And I don't get people who can read at the beach! I've tried so many times, but I just can't do it! Everything's distracting me; the sun, the people, the noise, the water... 

8. What genre do you prefer or will anything do?

- I enjoy YA books but also books for a little older people.. that sounded weird. I love fantasy, but not sci-fi that much. I also enjoy reading horror (Stephen King) at times, because I'm fascinated by how the author creates a terrifying atmosphere. I'm always on the lookout for strategies. Detective books are good, too. I've never really been a fan of autobiographies. Fiction is my thing when it comes to reading and writing. 

9. Who is your favorite fantasy character?

- Harry Potter. This is such a cliche, I know, but Harry Potter was my childhood. He is the ultimate fantasy character. 

10. Roughly, how much time do you spend reading each week? Is it too much / too little / perfect amount?

- Wayyyy too little time :( Recently I haven't had that much time to read, but I do read every single day. Whether just a few pages of a whole chapter, I read. I guess, right now, I probably spend about 2-3 hours a week reading, and I want to spend that amount every day.. 

11. Name a book that has really surprised you. Something that you thought was pure garbage but turned out to be amazing, or the other way around.

- Well, I got really excited about The Mortal Instruments -series, and started reading City of Bones. Blah. Seriously, I don't get what the fuss is about. 

MY QUESTIONS:

1. What is the one book you can read over and over again without getting bored?

2. What was the first book you ever read?

3. Why do you think it's so hard to make movies as good as the books they're based on?

4. Do you think it's a good or a bad thing, how electronic book readers are slowly taking over and the art of the written word is getting lost? Why? Do you own an e-book?

5. Do you ever read ahead when you start a new book? As in reading the last sentence etc.?

6. If Stephen King and Nicholas Sparks joined their forces in writing, what do you think would happen?

7. Do you enjoy reading magazines? What kinds?

8. Is there a form of literature that you just cannot stand?

9. Do you buy books, or just borrow them from a friend, or just go to a library?

10. What do you appreciate in a  good book?

11. What is your favorite word? Why?

I would like to present this award and everything that comes with it, to Elamilia. Her blog can be found here: http://mystateofmindsallpurple.blogspot.fi/

My social circles aren't big enough to give 11 awards. But you all deserve it :)

Write Great Fiction

A couple of days ago I allowed myself a little treat. I ordered books on Amazon. Yeah.. Books do it for me ;) 

As someone who wants to be a serious writer one day, the books I ordered are important and I've heard a great deal of positive things about them. 

It'll take at least a month for me to get my hands on these babies, but I'm so excited to have some summer reading to do! :) The Write Great Fiction -series has other books, too, and they are: Dialogue, Revision and Self-editing (I SO NEED THIS!!) and Description & Setting. I'm going to wait to get the first two I ordered, and then see how I feel about them. But right now I think I will just order the rest of the series as well. 

The past few days I've kept a little break from working on my novel. I'm basically done with the plot and all that, and feel ready to write, and I have started writing. But with these books, I feel like I could be better (and I haven't even read them, yet!). I'd rather take things slow and get a better result than hurry and be sloppy. 

Have a nice week! :)

-iira

P.S. I have three days off! Stoked!

The World is my Playground

I've been so blessed to have seen the world from a very early age. My parents took me with them on their travels, and when I was fifteen, I traveled by myself for the first time. If I would have to name two absolute passions of mine, they would be traveling and writing. I have babbled on about writing already, so now I want to share some thoughts about traveling. 

Norway 2012

Countries and the number of times I've visited them:

Sweden (1)

Norway (1)

Russia (3)

Estonia (10)

Latvia (1)

Lithuania (1)

Germany (2 + a few layovers)

Canary Islands (a few layovers)

Denmark (a few layovers)

France (1)

England (3)

Ireland (1)

Holland (1 + a few layovers)

Greece (3)

Turkey (3)

Cyprus (1)

Egypt (1)

The Gambia (1)

USA (6)

Traveling widens your horizon in the way you can't even imagine until you experience it. It gives you confidence and independence, not to mention incredible experiences.

Amsterdam, 2011.

NYC, 2011.

I'm not wealthy. Sometimes I really have to stretch the penny to make ends meet. I live in a small studio apartment and drive a 1988 Nissan. I don't have a state of the art TV or fancy, expensive clothes. I'd rather spend my money on flight fares. When there's a will, there's a way. It's all about prioritizing :)

Mount Rainier, St. Helens and Mount Adams. Landing to Portland, OR, 2012.

The downside is, that once you start, you won't get enough. 

I spent three months in Portland, Oregon last fall, and after coming back it's been awful at times. I miss it so much, and can't wait to go back. It's not easy to travel regularly. Too bad money doesn't grow on trees (or, well, it's paper, so technically it does). 

Portland, 2012.

My favorite places in the world? Airports. 

Have a happy weekend :)

-iira

Glipho

Ok, let's take a moment to talk about an awesome website, that's become very important to me in a very short period of time. I am sorry, Blogger, but I'm kinda cheating on you... with Glipho. 

For those of you, who don't know, Glipho, "the social publishing engine", is a blogging website that makes blogging very simple, and helps you reach more readers. Here's what they say:

Thanks to the internet, everyone has the potential to be a writer publishing their thoughts. Glipho pushes that potential even further.

We are a publishing engine where the content is ranked and highlighted by our users. Come and read what you care about, from other writers just like yourself. Choose the topics and writers that appeal to you and then follow them.

We want to be the network where you publish your words and express your views. The place which helps you take advantage of all the other networks to create better content, and where you can reach and interact with an even bigger audience.

Glipho’s concept is really easy, sign up and start writing straight away. Import your old content so it can be read for the first time again. Discover and be discovered by other users and the best thing of all, interact. Interact with the content, with your readers, with other writers, on Glipho, on Twitter …. everywhere.

Pretty great, huh? :) 

I got a comment from the Glipho team on Instagram, asking me to join, after promoting this blog. I checked out the site, liked and joined. Glipho really makes things easy; with a few clicks I could import my blog texts from Blogger to Glipho, and it's what I still keep doing. And in Glipho you don't have to worry about what theme to choose for your page. There's only one. It's what I love about Glipho; it's just about the writing. No distractions. And let me tell you, it's a lot easier to gain followers than on Blogger. A freaking bestselling author is following ME on Glipho! How cool is that?! 

Now, this isn't me badmouthing Blogger. I'm still here, aren't I? Blogger is where I started in the first place, and that alone gives it sentimental value. For now, I am writing on Blogger and importing my writing to Glipho. In the future, it's very possible that I will switch completely to Glipho, especially if things won't pick up here. 

You can check out my Glipho -profile at

http://glipho.com/iira-maria

Hope you like it :)

-i

here comes the sun

We don't have leaves on the trees, but other than that, spring is here! About time!! Today was the first warm warm day, and for us, it means the temp was around 68°F in the sun. And I was working, of course! But I will have the next two days off, and I'm hoping to have a little me-time. I noticed I've been feeling a little down lately, due to stress and some uncleared business, but I know that when I just get to reset, I'll be fine :)

My plans for tomorrow and Wednesday include cleaning, writing, reading, cooking, redecorating my apartment a little for the summer, maybe drawing if I find my pencils, and watching a couple of movies. Oh, and doing a ton of laundry. Doesn't really sound like relaxing, right? Well, it can be. Basically, anything but going to work can be relaxing ;) I'm actually really looking forward to getting started! What's gone into me? I used to loath the idea of cleaning on my day off, but now I can't wait. I must be turning into my mother..

Well, I've had a long day, and it's almost time to turn in. But first I want to share a photo with you, that I took today on my way home from work.

The day light increases every day and this is how our 11pm looks like now :) I can't wait to have those 19 hours of daylight again. Summer is such a short season in Finland, and even though I'm aching to move away from here, I always picture myself coming back for the summers. They're pure magic.

Take care :)

-i