M.L. Swift, Writer

First and foremost, check out Alex J. Cavanaugh’s cover for his new book—the reveal is today and it’s the talk of the blog world:

Very cool, and I’m glad to see it get the push that it deserves and proud to join in.

Second, did you check out Wednesday’s fantastic launch of the Progressive Book Club? I was thrilled by the diversity of the posts. In the beginning, I worried that it would be one cookie-cutter review after another and feared being dubbed a K-Mart version of Goodreads.

That certainly was not the case.

And truth be told, I hoped there would be conflicting opinions. Those who signed up to read the book and post about it did not disappoint in the least.

So I want to give another chance to spotlight them and offer the opportunity to read their submissions for the month. Humorous, serious, opinionated, creative…I could go on all day, but here is the short-and-sweet:

• A Thought Grows: Julie says, “What engages me most about Ms. Lamott’s writing is her gifted skill at writing as though she is having a conversation with the reader without ever becoming sloppy with her word choice or construction.” Great summation of Ms. Lamott’s writing style (or “Annie,” as member, Joseph Jerome, likes to call her). Like comfortable slippers.

• Pennies in the Jetstream: Lexie calls it, “A book to further consciousness,” and she hit the nail on the head. This wasn’t designed to be a book on the technical aspects of writing, but more food for thought to feed the writer’s soul. Lexie received that gift from the book and conveyed it perfectly.

• Magicellus: Joe’s “Smoking the Broccoli” article was a HOOT! He also wrote a marvelous submission last month, “Roasted Bird,” (the poor fella had his dates corn-fused; we have to take care of our elderly), and the two combined will have you laughing and rolling in your desk chairs. Heck…either one of them is bust-a-gut-worthy. You’ve got to get over to this guy’s place and enjoy his viewpoints.

• Eureka Wrote: “Lyre, Lyre, Home on Fire” was Erica’s imaginative contribution to the group. Amazing! Both her article, and the bird she wrote about, the lyre bird. This bird is the Rich Little of the avian kingdom, which Erica related to the “paying attention” advice from Anne’s book. It was an ingenious metaphor. Go read her article and see that video.

• Sydney Aaliyah: Sydney gave ten excellent points that she took away from the book, and how she is applying them not only to her writing, but to her life. She says on the chapter about characters: “My favorite part of the book. I love the purposeful task of creating a good character.”

• Angler’s Rest: Julie, all the way from the good ol’ UK , honed in on the importance of using index cards, relating her experience in using them and writing about them. She posts at several websites around the internet. Be sure to give her doorbell a buzz.

• Wagging Tales: I’m absolutely thrilled with Charmaine’s honesty and bravery to step out on a limb with an opposing opinion and say that “for [her], it read less to-do and more depressing memoir….” You must go over to read the rest of that sentence, because it’s a priceless quote that is pure Charmaine. I loved it. And I also love dogs. And Charmaine. But not “in love.” Wink.

• Tara Tyler Talks: Tara flawlessly bullet-pointed eight ideas that stuck with her—complete with page number references—exclaiming that she had to “stop several times to go to [her] WIP and apply it!” Now…if that’s not an influential book, then I don’t know what is.

• Tyrean’s Writing Spot: Tyrean was first introduced to this book by her Professor in college and loved the first chapters on writing, even to the point of having a one-inch frame on her desk as a reminder. She said that she now looks out the window and is reminded of the same idea—but it’s too big.

• The Ninja Librarian: “Sit down on your backside and write.” Rebecca’s number one take from the book. She further says that Anne’s process is not hers, so it’s not something she can copy, but she will make you think until you figure out exactly what your process is.And last…

• Melissa Maygrove: Melissa is a pure doll. I want to place her atop a pedestal as a superb example of honoring commitments. She signed up for the discussion, thinking she’d receive the library copy in plenty of time. When that didn’t happen, she looked on Amazon, but it was a little pricey for an e-book, above her cut-off mark, so she passed on the purchase. But she wrote about it. Not only was that honorable, but it also a prime instance of what we as writers have to do; the decisions we have to make with our time and money. I admire her ethics. And the library book finally came in that day. Go figure. She’s reading it, though!

I appreciate all the time and effort everybody took for this discussion, and the wonderful posts that came out of it. They did a fantastic job and deserve a round of followers. I mean, applause. But I really mean followers.

If you participated this month and want to continue, take no further action. If you need to pass, leave a comment and I’ll remove your link…and remember, you can rejoin at any time.

Sign-ups for next month’s book, Save the Cat! are now open. For more information on the Progressive Book Club and how it works, click HERE. To join, simply press the link below:

 

And if you have any suggestions for books, be sure to leave a comment to that effect. We’ll be reading The End of Your Life Book Club after Save the Cat! It’s sure to be a nice memoir breather. Hope to see you there.

Peace,

 ML Swift