Erica O'Rourke

Happy on a Monday

Much like the Boomtown Rats, I do not like Mondays. I like them better than Tuesdays, but that's not saying much.

BUT! There are are some things making me happy this Monday, and I thought I'd share them with you:

The Map of Ravka, from Leigh Bardugo's incredible upcoming release, Shadow & Bone. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this book, and loved every single word. It's breathtakingly beautiful, full of plot twistiness, and simultaneously very epic and also very personal. I can't wait for you all to read it so that we can gush and squee and discuss, because I have THOUGHTS. And THEORIES. And Leigh is remaining very tight-lipped.

My new computer. The old one was slow. And loud. And a PC. The new one is fast and quiet and a Macbook Air. I enjoy writing so much more when I type the words and they appear on the screen almost immediately.

Blair's February Wallpaper. I've been a longtime fan of WiseCraft, Blair Stocker's crafting blog, and Blair herself. She is funny and kind and thoughtful, and obviously quite talented. This year, she's posting monthly inspiration boards that you can download for personal use.I love February's because it's bright against the gray, but not conventionally Valentine-ish.

Awake premieres March 1st.

 

I've been talking about wanting to see this show since the fall, when I first saw this preview. I have THEORIES already (I'm a big one for theories, you might have noticed) but mostly I'm just thrilled about the combination of an incredible hook and Jason Issacs, who was wonderful in Case Histories and looks to be continuing the trend here. Now, if NBC would only bring back Community...

I was cleaning out my bag this weekend (because I haven't fully unpacked from New York. Don't judge me.) and realized I have something like a hundred dollars in Barnes and Noble giftcards. Which means I get to buy books! Many books! Guilt-free! I don't know when I will have time to read them (I am still reading my RITA books and judging contest entries) but the mere prospect of book-buying is enough to brighen my week. Recommendations below, please!

 

TANGLED: The Playlist

First things first: if you've ever wondered about my office, the lovely people from Readers' Entertainment invited me to be part of their "At The Desk" series, where you can get a peek at the place where the magic laundry happens, complete with my commentary and slightly snarky captions. A lot of spiders died to make that post happen, people. Don't let their sacrifice be in vain.

http://readersentertainment.com/2012/at-the-desk-with-erica-orourke/

(I'll post the pictures that didn't make the cut tomorrow, along with more snark and the story of the World's Finest Realtor.) And now, to the playlist!

I've said many times before that music is a huge part of my writing process. Every book has a soundtrack, every character has a theme song, and many scenes have a specific song that plays on constant repeat while I'm writing it and again when I revise it. Partly, that's just the way I roll. And partly it's the fact that when I was writing Torn, I had no real office. I wrote at the kitchen table or at a local coffee shop. Writing in the middle of chaos meant I needed a way to tune out everything except my story. Writing in short chunks of time meant I needed a way to slip into the world of my story as quickly as possible. Hence, a soundtrack.

Now that I have a room of my own-ish, music is no less necessary. I can't justify spending money on a daily jaunt to the coffeeshop, when I have an office, a perfectly good coffeemaker, and a spouse who will stop by Trader Joe's whenever I ask. Music, then, is a way to transition from my role as mom/wife/doer of chores/keeper of the calendar to Person Who Is Contractually Obligated To Produce A Coherent Manuscript.

Since Tangled is a sequel, there's a natural overlap with the artists and songs from Torn's playlist (found here).   And hearing them now, when I've been focused on Bound and future projects, is like listening to a mixtape from an old boyfriend. It brings me back to a very specific moment in time, and it makes me fall in love with the book all over again. I hope you will, too.

Click here to see the (partial) TANGLED playlist on iTunes.

32 Flavors, Ani DiFranco
Read My Mind, The Killers
Devils and Dust, Bruce Springsteen
Smile Like You Mean It, The Killers
Monoplain, Susan Enan
C'Mon C'Mon, The Von Bondies
Undeniable, Mat Kearney
End Love, OK GO
Look After You, The Fray
Us, Regina Spektor
9 Crimes, Damien Rice
Inaction, We Are Scientists
A Sorta Fairytale, Tori Amos
We Don't Eat, James Vincent McMorrow
Humpty Dumpty, Aimee Mann

 

 

Let's Talk About Snacks.

Being a Real Live Writer is a tricky business, and it's important to have a little something on hand to nibble now and again, to keep your strength up. Alas, my house is currently lacking in proper snack food. A dire situation, and one I feel compelled to remedy post-haste. The culprit is my inability to demonstrate any kind of restraint when presented with tasty snacky goodness. I buy treats, and they magically disappear within 36 hours. I would blame the baby, but she's not the one with Dorito dust staining her fingertips.

*excuses self to wash hands*

Writing friendly snacks are especially tricky. They need to be filling but not coma-inducing. No preparation necessary. Easy to eat one-handed. They need to not coat your fingers or keyboard with shmutz and be relatively drip-free. Tasty at room temperature. Crunchy, but not painfully so. Neither cloyingly sweet nor so salty your mouth feels like the Sahara. A bit indulgent, since you're working so hard, but not so rich that you feel guilty about it.

It's a lot of pressure for a single food item.

Happily, I've done the research for you, and found tasty things you can eat while writing/editing/working on the computer/watching YouTube. If I were to go out right now, here's what would make it into my cart (and likely be gone by 3pm tomorrow). What can I say? I'm a giver.

FIVE SNACKS FOR WORKING

1. Wasabi peas: You can get these anywhere, but I am not a fan of the ones in the cute metal can, as blindly reaching in will give you wicked cuts along your knuckles. Also, monitor your intake -- I often wake up the next morning unable to feel my lips, thanks to wasabi's numbing powers (see restraint, lack of, above). Crunchy, vaguely healthy due to the peas, spicy enough to keep you awake, and easy to eat one-handed.
2. Trader Joe's Soy and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips: Most chips need salsa or guacamole to make up for their blandness. Flavored chips don't need a dip, but they leave cheese dust on your fingers, which then smears all over the place. But these chips are delicious all on their own -- a little nutty-tasting, crisp and substantial, and not too salty. TJ's makes two other versions, spicy and veggie-flavored, but why mess with perfection?
3. Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds: Everyone says almonds are healthy, and it's easy to think that dipping them in dark chocolate only makes them healthier, what with the antioxidants and all. But eating an entire bag will make you sick (ask me how I know). Plus, your fingers will be covered in melted chocolate. These almonds, however, have a baked-on cocoa coating that gives you a nice hit of chocolate flavor without making a mess. You still shouldn't eat the entire jar, but you're less likely to slip into a diabetic coma if you do. If you are into the portion control thing, they also come in 100-calorie packs.
4. Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Wedges: Speaking of portion control, if you're going to go with unadulterated dark chocolate, as one sometimes must, these are perfect. 16 bite-sized wedges of 70% dark chocolate in an adorable tin. You can tuck them in your bag, if you're working outside the house. You can virtuously close the tin and pretend like you're not having any more. Once you've stopped pretending, you can use the tin as a travel jewelry case, or to hold small office supplies.
5. Trader Joe's Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies: Not too hard, not too sweet, not overpoweringly cinnamon-ish, and perfectly bite-sized. They are the Goldilocks of cookies, and I am not above justifying my purchase with "But they're shaped like letters! And I'm a writer! It was meant to be!"

So, what am I missing? What snacks do you require in order to Get Stuff Done?