I can’t think of a post title

4:35 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Opening lines

I'm conducting an informal survey of sorts. What kind of "book openings" do you like best? I would be EXTREMELY grateful if you guys could take the time to weigh in on this.

Do you prefer books that start out with:

1.) A line of dialog.

2.) Some kind of "introspective thought." (Example: Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. –Anna Karenina)

3.) Straightforward description and action. (Example: Robert Langdon awoke slowly. A telephone was ringing in the darkness – a tinny, unfamiliar ring. He fumbled for the bedside lamp and turned it on. – The Da Vinci Code.)

4.) Description WITHOUT action, and without any character introduction. I know this is kind of similar to 3, but I'm thinking of something more along the lines of this example. (A soft fall rain slips down through the trees and the smell of ocean is so strong that it can almost be licked off the air. – The Perfect Storm.)

5.) A character speaking directly to the reader in second person. (Example: So I'll tell you. I'll tell you because confession is supposed to be good for the soul, and when choosing between the tonics available – from religion to Tony Robbins to the friendly late-night chemist – this unburdening seems to present the least risk. – The Last Goodbye.)

6.) Something strange, but intriguing, where you're forced to continue reading past the first sentence or you'll have NO idea what's going on. (It was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen. –1984)

Here's what got me thinking about this: I recently read an article that said most readers prefer "dialog openings" and I'm wondering if that's true. I'm highly interested in your opinions! Also, feel free to expand on this and tell me WHY you like certain book openings better than others. I'm seriously so curious about this.

Thanks!

–Johanna

12:02 AM - 8 Comments - 13 Kudos - Add Comment

I won’t do this again

If you don't live in Memphis, or if you don't follow college basketball, then this is going to be the least interesting thing I've ever posted. Still, I couldn't resist.

Right now, the great state of Tennessee is in a frenzy over the huge, huge NCAA basketball showdown happening here this weekend.

It's hard to put into words how big this game is. Basically, no. 1 ranked Memphis is going up against no. 2 ranked Tennessee. Factor in that these two teams are bitter rivals, and that Memphis is trying to complete an undefeated season and Tennessee has a chance to ruin that, and you begin to understand the magnitude of this game.

The stakes, and the emotions, are extremely high. And I'm so ready for this game to happen I can't stand it! You see, Memphis if far and away my favorite team. I have loved Memphis basketball since I was a kid. My second favorite team? Tennessee's opponent. Whatever team, whatever day. I don't care. If they're playing Tennessee, they're my new favorite team and I pull for them to win. (And right about now all the UT fans are unfriending me. Don't go, guys! It's nothing personal!)

Anyway, I apologize for indulging my NCAA basketball obsession (although I'm not alone -- the whole city is pretty much crazy about Memphis Tigers basketball). But here's a great article from Sports Illustrated's website about this weekend's game. Enjoy!

Is Tennessee-Memphis the biggest game of the regular season? -- Richard Schulz, Elon, N.C.

Yes, and it's not even close. This season has been kind of a downer when it comes to heavyweight battles between elite teams. The most highly anticipated non-conference showdown until Saturday's Tennessee-Memphis showdown has probably been Memphis-Georgetown, and after a tight first half, that one wasn't all that close. Nor have the most hyped in-league rivalry games been that great. The first North Carolina-Duke game was marred by the absence of Ty Lawson, and while Kansas-Texas was a fun game, it was the only scheduled meeting between the two Big 12 powerhouses all season.

As for No. 1 Memphis and No. 2 Tennessee, they're so far and away the best teams in their respective conferences that their league games have been lacking in the drama department (aside from the near-throwdown between UAB students and Memphis players on Saturday, which is the kind of drama we don't want).

Thank God for Vols-Tigers, which features a host of dynamite storylines: No. 1 vs. No. 2; two hard-driving coaches with big personalities (John Calipari and Bruce Pearl) who don't much like each other; two fan bases in close proximity that like each other even less; and two fun-to-watch teams that have plenty of contrasts and similarities.

How are Memphis and Tennessee similar? Both like to play fast, harassing defense and hope that their depth and conditioning will eventually wear you down. You might recall the last time Pearl's Vols met a team that ran Dribble-Drive Motion was the first round of last year's NCAA tournament, when Tennessee won a hugely entertaining game over Long Beach State, 121-86. (However, you might also recall that Memphis plays much better defense than LBSU.)

How are Memphis and Tennessee different? Well, Memphis has more punch down low, even though Joey Dorsey hasn't been Joey Dorsey of late. And Tennessee has more deadly shooting threats from the outside now that Chris Lofton is back to being Chris Lofton. For me, the big variable (as with any team that faces Memphis) is what kind of defense Pearl chooses to put out there. Pearl has never been a proponent of zone, but zones (and hybrids) are clearly the most effective ways to defend DDM.

I'm going to go with a lukewarm endorsement of Memphis to defend a hair better than the Vols and win on its home court, even though I think Tennessee will end up being more battle-tested for March. What the 'Bag knows for certain is that we've spent far more time in the state of Tennessee this season than in any of our 12 years covering college basketball. We've eaten great barbecue in Memphis (Corky's) and Knoxville (Chandler's Deli), and we've had a blast writing stories on Pearl and on Calipari's offense.

In other words, these are basketball times to remember in the Volunteer State --and not just because of the Volunteers.

1:33 PM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Random thoughts/update

4:07 PM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

The countdown is ON!

So I turn 30 this year.

Okay, okay I'll come clean: I turn 30 this month. I was totally going to be all sly and vague about it – you know, let people think my birthday was coming up in November or something. But nope, it's in February. The 27^th to be exact. So I have about three more weeks until I am officially old.

I realize I'm being super dramatic about this. I'm probably even being kind of annoying. Like last month a friend of mine really irritated me when he droned on and on about what a pain it was to get older.

"Turning 23 sucks," he said. With a straight face. "I'm almost in my…" dramatic pause "mid-twenties!"

I rolled my eyes. Then, for added effect, I threw a straw wrapper at him. I mean, really, who complains about turning 23? Turning 30, that's understandable. Even 25. But 23? (And, as a side note, I'm a little freaked out that I have a friend who is 23. I'm too old to have a friend who's so young, right?)

I have no idea what to expect from this birthday. Part of me thinks I'm going to feel pretty different, but in some ways I bet I'll feel the same.

I was talking to my friend Laura the other day, when I asked her what it felt like to be 30. Laura's birthday was a couple of months ago, so I figured she'd had time to adjust.

"Do you feel like you're 30?" I asked.

She sighed. "Johanna, I feel like I'm 40."

Which wasn't too encouraging.

My friend Brandon turned 31 two days ago, and he's been kind of distraught over it. According to Brandon, 31 is absolutely horrible.

"I feel ten years older than I did last week," he said. "At least when you're 30 you don't feel too ancient, because you used to be 29. But 31 is like a bad joke. Now I'm actually moving into my 30's, which is so much worse. It's like it's finally dawned on me that, as bad as 30 was, I don't even get to stay that age. I'm going to have to be 34 soon, and then 38 and then…oh, God."

I'm glad he stopped there.

I've been trying to console myself with the fact that I've accomplished a lot more than I ever thought I would by 30.

Although, in some areas, I'm kind of lagging behind. I'm not married. I don't own a house. I don't have children. 

But I've traveled and I've written books and I'm generally pretty happy with the way my life has turned out.

Also, if this helps, I think I'm a very young 30. I mean, I'm not too wrinkly yet. Plus, I'm pretty immature for my age. (Just last month my friends and I actually prank called someone and pretended to be Simon Cowell. But that's another story for another blog post.)

For now, I'm off to pick up a copy of Lisa Jewell's Thirtynothing. I've never read that book, but I've always wanted to. I just love the title.

But before I go – any suggestions of what I should do for my birthday?

2:39 PM - 8 Comments - 11 Kudos - Add Comment

I have zero self control

I should not be allowed to shop for office supplies. Ever. In fact, they shouldn't even let me in the store. I always go in with the best intentions – I'm only going to walk out with a few pens or a package of printer ink – and I leave with $80 worth of stuff I'll never use.

I think I'm just addicted to organization. Er, I'm addicted to the idea of organization. I'm actually the most disorganized person you'll ever meet. But office supply stores – with all their filing folders and notebooks and dayplanners – make me feel like I'm going to be able to get this scatterbrained thing under control.

I never do.

In fact, shopping for organizational tools actually makes me less organized, because then I just wind up with a big junky pile of notepads and desk organizers and wall calendars. It really is a sickness. It's like the time I bought a $200 pair of tennis shoes – because how could I become a marathon runner unless I had the proper shoes? Or the time I grabbed a hardcover guidebook on glacier tours – for that big Alaskan holiday I was hoping to take. Or the expensive "Italian for Beginners" computer program I picked up last fall, when I was on a quest to learn another language.

Yeah, somebody stop me.

I often get addicted to the idea of something. There are so many things that I love in theory. Like when I see people playing racquetball on TV, I think, Man, that looks like fun. And it's great exercise to boot! I should reserve a racquetball court tomorrow at ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />6 a.m. so I can get energized by this vigorous workout first thing in the morning! Then I can shower and change and be at Starbucks by 8 a.m. with my laptop. It'll be the most productive day ever!

Of course, I never do it. I never do most of the stuff I plan on doing. I guess if I had to make a resolution for 2008, it would be to translate more of my ideas into actions. I feel like I'm in my own head a lot of the time, and I don't particularly like that. I need to make big, decisive choices. I need more action, less daydreaming.

And now, one final word about office supplies:

Before I actually got serious about publishing, I used to constantly toy with the idea of completing a book. Every couple of months I'd get on a big "I'm going to finally write my novel!" kick. And the first thing I'd do is hit up Office Max to stock up on supplies.

Don't ask me why. I mean, if there's one thing I've learned it's that you don't need anything fancy to write a book. You just need discipline, really. But back in the day I was convinced I'd never finish a book unless I had the proper supplies. So I'd stock up on piles of notebooks, special pens, highlighters, filing folders, index cards, etc. etc. I don't write longhand. And I never planned to start. So why I thought I needed dozens of notebooks (and I had to have a brand new notebook for each new book idea) is beyond me. I guess I thought I'd carry them around with me and jot down ideas and passages that I would later type up. Somehow that never happened. I just filled the notebooks with bad poetry and history notes and stuff instead.

Anyway, I thought I'd kicked the addiction, but it came crashing back down on me tonight. I stopped at Office Max to pick up a few index cards and I noticed they have this enormous section of spiral notebooks. These things were so awesome and artsy! I grabbed about five of them, plus a couple of packages of pens and some index cards, and some fancy filing folders. I was just about to head over the register when I noticed the price tag on the notebooks: $9.99 a piece. That seemed a little steep. So I bought nothing.

Okay, I'm lying. I actually got a corkboard and a bunch of different-colored index cards. I decided to storyboard the plot of my next book the way directors storyboard movies. I was going to write down all the big "scenes" on index cards and then tack them up on the corkboard. That way I'd be able to see if one storyline was getting too much attention, or if one character wasn't in the book enough. I actually spent about 4 hours tonight working on it. It seemed like time well spent, until I spilled my cappuccino on half the cards, rendering them unreadable. And if that wasn't bad enough, I later realized I could have probably written half a chapter in the amount of time it took to make my weirdo outline.

See, organization never gets me anywhere.

11:12 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Hi, I’m 8

2:48 PM - 11 Comments - 15 Kudos - Add Comment

I’m only joking...unless you’re into it.

4:53 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

What I like about you

10:05 PM - 1 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Justin Bartha, you rock my world

11:17 PM - 9 Comments - 16 Kudos - Add Comment