Nue

Yesterday I mentioned trying a neat little restaurant called Nue. Before taking my sister to the airport we spent the morning in Seattle and wanted to get some lunch. I wanted to take her somewhere memorable, something new, something she hadn't tried before. On my search in yelp I stumbled upon the gem with 4.5 star rating. Whoa. Must be good from all of the photos and wonderful comments! And it certainly was.

Nue has this really cool around the world eclectic vibe with an open kitchen and communal style tables. Inspired by food all around the world, the wonderful concoctions coming from the kitchen was not to be missed. The experience was even more grand with the personable personalities of the owners who made us feel comfortable and made sure we were taken care of.

Here's a glimpse of the menu:

To drink, I got a McNguyen, which is a Vietnamese coffee cocktail, something I thought was pretty creative and tasted amazing.

The first dish we tried was the Trinidad Goat Curry. It was seriously the most delicious thing I ever put into my mouth. The balance of the curry, and texture of the cornbread was perfect and a must try.

Israeli Sabich was the next little gem we tried. I'd never had a seared eggplant before. Add that on a pita bread, and this is something I could see myself eating for lunch everyday, if only I worked/lived close to Nue.

I had the balut all to myself. Duck eggs is something I grew up with, a dish my mother always made me. I'm lacking major skills in replicating my mother's dishes, so this was really great to have as it reminded me of my mom and my roots.

The Golden Crispy Noodles were definitely spicier than I expected them to be, but I really like the kick to it and the neat texture. This was a fun one to eat. It was kind of like having a firecracker of flavors in your mouth.

As always, I like to end sweet. The liquid nitrogen ice cream was the best way to end it. If you haven't had it before, it's very creamy without the added cream! Topped with corn and a dusting of herbs, it was more than just an ordinary scoop of the ice cream. Try it, and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Nue is certainly a place that I would revisit. I left there with a happy belly, and a desire to travel to taste all of the world's wonders.

Active 4th Weekend

I'll remember this year's July 4th as the active weekend. My glutes, calves, and arms are still slightly sore, but it was so worth it having my sister visiting. She loves doing active stuff and working out, whereas I'm more relaxed, preferring long walks to intense cardio. Since Seattle is abundant in outdoor activities, Michael and I planned a weekend that would suit her interests.

Friday morning we went to Alki Beach to soak in the sun, then headed to Lake Union after lunch to go kayaking.

It was such a beautiful blue day and very warm. When we returned, Michael and I made dinner for my sister before taking her to the golf course to watch the sunset.

Saturday we did about an 8 mile hike before heading over to Michael's parents for a BBQ. With plenty of food, wine, and conversation, it was a good night.

Sunday I made breakfast before we headed into Seattle and got lunch at Nue, a new restaurant that I'll be blogging about soon.

Then it was off to the airport to say our goodbye's. What a quick weekend it was!

How did you spend your 4th? Comment below!

IWSG: When you lose your identity.

Someone close to me is going through a very difficult time. She's going through a hard point in her life where she now questions her identity. When one great part of you is taken away and you have but a few scraps of yourself left, how do you step back and rebuild your life?

I'm being vague, I know, but I just wanted to pose the question of identity. How do you identify yourself? Or even the characters you write about? Is it by heritage? Your past history? Your likes, and dislikes? Is it simply by how one looks? Or one's intellect? Or the sum of it all? Comment below.

This was a post for IWSG, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh to 'To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!'

Thanks also goes to his co-hosts this month:
Charity Bradford, S.A. Larsen, AJ, Tamara Narayan, Allison Gammons, and Tanya Miranda!

Best night at Hommage

I've mentioned Hommage many times on my blog such as here, here, and here! Rightly so, since it is my favorite restaurant! So I couldn't help but post again about this amazing place, especially because I got to meet the chef, Nico Borzee, and I totally had a fan girl moment!

We went this past Saturday with Michael's parents as a special occasion, and I have to say out of the times we've gone, that night was perhaps the best. The fact that this place can still surprise me speaks volumes.

With the sun shining, a table with the view of the canal, and excellent wine, it made for a good atmosphere. To start we had the carrots, salad, and a buckwheat crepe. Check out the edible art!

The cool concept with the carrots was that the chef wanted to invoke the sense of new carrots sprouting from the ground like spring, so the dish was warm and cool and the texture felt like the best 'dirt' I'd ever eaten.

 

 The salad was a farm fresh salad with lemon spray and walnut sauce. Yum

The crepe was excellent with the egg yolk and ham. Good balance of savory with nice textures.

For our main dinner we decided do the two specials of the night. A red snapper and pork cut. For all these dishes there were way better names than what I'm coming up with, but you get the idea.

The fish was my favorite part. I love snapper and it was made perfectly, cooked over a piece of wood from a wine barrel with an orange glaze. So succulent and moist, it was delightful.

Equally good and Michael's favorite was the pork served right out of the pot! Savory without being oily or salty with a carmelized sauce, it was definitely a hit.

For dessert we had some chocolate, but the way it was delivered was cool, sweet, with a touch of salt that balanced it out. One of the best desserts I've had.

If you're ever in Seattle, this is my top recommendation. Consistently exceptional, it will certainly surprise you.

WWPR - M4 Read Through (Week 1), My Revision Process and Tips

After completing Draft One of M2 about three weeks ago, I was so fatigued. Mentally, I felt like I couldn't even write another page if I wanted to. Originally I thought I would send draft one as is to a CP after a read through so that she could just tell me everything that was wrong with it. But I realized just how lazy that was and if someone was going to read my story, I'd at least put my best foot forward.

So I took a mental break for two weeks (though at the time, I thought of giving myself a month to make sure I had some distance), but in the two weeks I binge read everything I could. And I found that the more you read and fill up your head, the more your own story recedes in the back of your mind, when you read for full on pleasure (and reviewing).

So after those two weeks of reading I came up with a timeline for the next month of revising for draft two:

Week 1: In-depth read through of manuscript from beginning to end.
Week 2: Revise beginning, based on notes.
Week 3: Revise middle, based on notes
Week 4: Revise ending, based on notes.
Week 5: Send to CP's and begin drafting query and synopsis.
***After receiving notes from CP's, do a third revision and send to betas. Revise query and synopsis accordingly.

At the end of week four, the revised draft, we'll call it 'M4v2,' will probably still contain sentence level issues (line-edits), but I hope by the end of it, the story will be nailed down and developed. If not, then CP's will be of much help!

My 'Read Through' Process:

I do exactly that. Read through the entire first draft. From the moment I typed 'The End,' I didn't allow myself to go back and make any changes, or even look at it.

So first and foremost. Print the damn thing.

Do not load on your kindle or read from the screen. Get back to the paper and pen and correct using the old school tools so you can make notes on the margins, add stuff between the lines, correct grammar, and note big picture stuff in your notebook. Printing it also gives you a visual of what you have accomplished.

As you go through it, organize your thoughts by highlighting and tabbing important details. I give myself a week just to read through because as you go, you are analyzing and thinking about how these words on the page stack up to what you want the story to accomplish. That's a lot of stuff to fill your head space so do it in a place you can concentrate. For me that was my home office in absolute silence. To assist you in your revision plan, take a look at mine in the next section.

My Read Through Tips for Revision:

Create a game plan. List what you are looking for. For me, it was three levels of stuff I was looking for: Big picture (the picture frame also known as the plot line), the structure (the subjects), and the details (the colors). To understand the three levels to look for, I correlate it by looking at a picture:

• When you see a picture you, immediately see the picture frame, what's holding the picture together. That's your plot line, it needs to hold up otherwise the whole thing will fall apart. When analyzing books for review, I noticed that if the plot line is out of whack, and doesn't make sense, or isn't believable, then nothing else would. The frame or plotline is the skeleton that holds up the story.
• The next thing you look at are the subjects or objects of a painting. These are your characters, the settings, themes, mood, tone, etc.
• Then the thing that really makes the picture pop are the colors, or details. In writing, that's the writing style and prose.

Here's my own example:

When going through revisions you want to work from the outside in. Get the frame, then the subjects, and then the little details. So after my read through, my priority was the big picture and structure. The details will be an ongoing process throughout the whole revision/rewrite process.

Now that you have the game plan, implement it during your read through, marking and labeling it up, as you go. When you finish you will get a glimpse of the whole picture with notes to assist you during your round of revision.

For that I tabbed different threads by color, and major to-do's with post-its (big picture stuff). For structural stuff I used highlighters, color coding character descriptions, settings, important quotes, and significant details. Everything else I marked up in red pen (quick changes right in the page) or blue pen (questions for myself to think about for the next draft).

Below are some examples from my own manuscript. Remember that everyone's process is different. I find that I learn a lot about my own process when I read about other people's. So this is me just sharing ideas, too, and I'd love to hear yours in the comment box below!

Here's an example of when I use stickies: when things need to be moved or things that weren't fleshed out enough that I need to address in the next draft.

As you can see I highlight using a color code system and edit right on the page with notes and additional passages.

 

All the while, I tab my threads throughout using a color code system. By the end this is what I got. Just visually, I like how it's sprinkled through out and not concentrated in any one color or any one area (beginning, middle, or end). It's spread throughout which is a good balance.

 

Now I'll quickly skim through what I've done and build a to-do list along with my notes directly on the pages. This will act as my guide for the next round.

 



What I learned from my 'Read Through':

The way I've written M4, while also keeping myself accountable through my blog, has made a vast difference in the quality of my first draft. I always dub my first draft the 'vomit' draft, because it turns out so messy, so unclear, that I nix about 80% of it and keep 20%. By the time I hit the final draft. I have about 5% of my actual first draft still in there. This time, because I had a clear outline and I knew what the story was about and I knew my characters, I was more prepared to write, and therefore this first draft is by far my strongest first draft.

Of course I wasn't always so sure. The beginning actually needs a lot of work because I still hadn't figured out the kinks or knew the character's backstory's in detail, but as the story became clearer the more I wrote, so did the writing. Remember my dreaded middle I talked about in this post and this post? It actually turned out to be the best part of my story and doesn't need as much work as the beginning or ending. Who would have thought?

Another thing I learned was to shut off the negativity in my head. You know, that critical voice that always complains and says 'This sucks!' or 'Really, you think you can be a writer?' I kind of gave it the finger because I saw how much I've improved these past two years where I've dedicated myself to novel writing.

Now, the best part of the read-through? Connecting your 'themes.' Sometimes you sit down with a theme in mind, and sometimes you don't. But in the read through you see your themes fully realized. Their like hidden gems as you read, full of delight and just makes the story come together. It's like the subconscious knows how to weave it in and you just have to find it to see it. I didn't have a theme in mind, so when I saw it naturally through the pages, it kind of made my day.

Hopefully by looking into my process it gives you ideas into your own! Share your tips below in the comment box!

Happy writing/revising! Until next week for another WWPR (Weekly Writing Progress Report)!

Dinosaurs and Rosé

This past Saturday Michael and I went to the Cinerama to see 'Jurassic World.' Though not very believable with mostly one-liners as opposed to dialogue, it was still very funny and entertaining. And of course, those shoes. Ha!

What I really like about the Cinerama in Seattle is all the local concessions. Food from local businesses! Score! Michael and I always do half chocolate and half butter popcorn. Not the healthiest, but man, so good! And with a cup of coffee, it was such a great way to spend the afternoon.

Afterwards we went to our favorite wine bar, Bottlehouse. Any time there, is always a good time. It's so great seeing the attentive staff who are all so knowledgeable. We ended up making a day out of it, sitting in the sun, eating charcuterie boards, drinking a whole bottle of Bandol rosé, and demolishing dessert.

I like the fact that Michael and I can talk for hours about anything: the end of the world, dreams, hopes, the future. Really, anything.

It's times like these where I count my blessings. Life isn't perfect and it's always difficult living away from my family, but I know I am fortunate than most. Sometimes it's hard to remember that when you're going through the motions of life, lost in your own routine, but the moments of pause and reflection should not be ignored. And I guess this post is just a reminder of that.

Book Review: Tangled Webs by Lee Bross

I rated it 3 out of 5 stars.

Overview: London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.

But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

Review: Big thanks to Disney Book group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Tangled Webs is out today! Happy release day Bross!

This book had my interest at 'London,' from the blurb. I love this time period and historical YA novels. However, the historical element was lost on me. As a setting, it didn't really contribute to the story. Yeah, their were mentions of society and fashion, but what really makes a good historical fiction for me, is taking historical context and weaving it into the story. Unfortunately this book did neither.

All in all, it is well-written. The protagonist is someone you'd root for because she's caring, yet daring, and you get to know her past so that you understand why she's the way she is. The aspect of the double life was also interesting, but throughout the book I wanted a little bit more. I feel like the story line was like coasting. Kind of slow and the big moments not very realized to the reader because it took so long to get there.

Also, don't hold out for the romance, because it's instalove and not very grounded, and I didn't really care for the love interest that much. All in all, I had hoped that this was my kind of book from the blurb, but I think the blurb really set up some disappointment for me.