Actually, I probably won't be that silent, but it was a good title so I'm leaving it.
Hey there world! Oh, you all look so lovely. I missed your faces. I've been so busy lately, I haven't had a chance to talk to you at all. What have I been up to? I'll tell you.
- Buying a house. Yes. You heard me correctly. Our offer has been accepted on an adorable little home just a few minutes from where we live now. This is the main reason why you won't see much of me here for the next couple months. I have to pack up our place, clean it, clean the new house, and move our stuff into it, and then unpack it. This process makes me want to curl up in a ball and weep uncontrollably. You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I love moving to a new place, but I hate the actual process of moving. So. Much. Work. And we've been here for almost 5 years, so we have a lot of...stuff, everywhere. My family has already been warned that a mighty purging will be taking place alongside the packing. I am not moving things simply because it's in my home. (If you do happen to see me here, it will be to rant and rage about how much packing sucks. Prepare yourselves.) We should be in our new place by Christmas (or New Year's if we're slow), so that's our present to our family. Merry Christmas, you get a house! Not a bad deal.
- Writing. Secret Story is really becoming a unique experience. Usually when I write I have specific scenes floating around, and definitely an ending in mind that I work around and build towards. When I started Secret Story, it was VERY different from what it is now. And it's evolving even as I write it. I can already tell the beginning is going to need some rewrites to make what I'm working on now make sense. Also, I don't really have a plan for this story anymore. It's just kind of coming out as I write, which is both exciting and extremely terrifying. I don't have an ending! I don't know what happens next! Each time I sit down, my characters pull something that completely takes me by surprise. I'm almost to 25k, with the girls currently in possession of the first 12k. So far they like it, which is good because it's very dark and different from what I've written in the past. I'm excited to send them more - when they're ready, of course!
- Reading. The library book madness continues. Honestly, I will finish the stack on my bookshelf, take them back, pull out a book I bought months ago to finally read it, and I get a call that at least 3 new books are on waiting for me. Gah! Once upon a time this wouldn't be such a problem, I could read those in a week and move on, but I've been reading things slower lately so I'm making less progress in the TBR pile. And silly as it may be, those books sitting there stress me out. I can't read my own books when I have library books in my possession. I know. I'm a nerd.
- Random family stuff. Dude has started occupational therapy for his sensory issues. Getting him to eat is a constant battle and now we're finally able to get him some help. Cross your fingers for us, because this is a big deal. Babies are popping up all over - with my newest niece being born last night, and I've been going through my own kids old clothing and toys and such to send to the appropriate people for their new babies. Sharing is caring you know. And we've been getting ready for the holidays and Diva's birthday next week, so all the crazy stressful things going on have a festive feel to them as well.
Like I said, it's been busy around here. So, for the time being I'm putting anything and everything I can on the backburner so I don't completely lose my mind during this move. Hopefully around February my new house will be mostly unpacked and in decent order and I can come talk to you all again. Wish me luck in the meantime - I'm going to need it!
Do any of you have major things going on right now? And just because I'm curious, who's braving the madness and going shopping next Friday?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Time Management
To say I'm terribly at managing my time responsibly is a terrible understatement. Really. It's ridiculous. Especially because my priorities might be a tad skewed. For example, in order of what I'm finding most important right now:
- I have spent most of this week reading almost non-stop. A bunch of books I had on hold at the library suddenly came in all together so I went from having one library book to six. All with waiting lists, which adds to the pressure of reading them fairly quickly so the next person can get it. I've finished three books so far this week and returned them, only to get a call from the library this morning, letting me know three more books are now waiting for me to pick up. I just can't catch up. *sigh*
- When I'm not reading, I'm trying to write. I'm working on a completely new and secret idea that is really, really exciting me. It's almost overwhelming how badly I want to sit and write until the whole story is out. But my lovely children love to "help" me write, so I try to write when they are both elsewhere. (naps, school) It's making progress slow, but I'm loving the potential of what I have so far.
- My house is insanely messy. Last week, my whole family got sick. Thankfully not all at the same time, although there was a little overlap here and there. But one right after another we got sick and the entire week was spent either taking care of someone or being sick myself. Not a lot of time left for cleaning. And now with the avalanche of library books and distracting secret story, I'm really not making much headway. Bless my patient husband for not completely losing it everytime he walks in the door to find the house looking exactly the same as it did when he left.
Those are the main things on my plate. Add in silly things like eating, exercise, or showering, and my day is pretty much gone. Sadly, I end up spening an entire day concentrating on just one thing, rather than appropriately spreading it out through the day so a little bit of everything gets done each day. I honestly don't know how full-time authors do it. They all say you sacrifice something so writing is a priority, but still. Huge respect for those busy, busy people.
If only I could stick to one of the millions of different schedules I've made for myself, then maybe things wouldn't feel quite so overwhelming. I just keep telling myself I'll figure it out eventually.
Right? *hopeful face*
RIGHT? *looks at you desperately*
How about you, lovely readers? Ever feel like there's just too much to do in a day? What distracts you, and how do you still manage to get things done anyway?
- I have spent most of this week reading almost non-stop. A bunch of books I had on hold at the library suddenly came in all together so I went from having one library book to six. All with waiting lists, which adds to the pressure of reading them fairly quickly so the next person can get it. I've finished three books so far this week and returned them, only to get a call from the library this morning, letting me know three more books are now waiting for me to pick up. I just can't catch up. *sigh*
- When I'm not reading, I'm trying to write. I'm working on a completely new and secret idea that is really, really exciting me. It's almost overwhelming how badly I want to sit and write until the whole story is out. But my lovely children love to "help" me write, so I try to write when they are both elsewhere. (naps, school) It's making progress slow, but I'm loving the potential of what I have so far.
- My house is insanely messy. Last week, my whole family got sick. Thankfully not all at the same time, although there was a little overlap here and there. But one right after another we got sick and the entire week was spent either taking care of someone or being sick myself. Not a lot of time left for cleaning. And now with the avalanche of library books and distracting secret story, I'm really not making much headway. Bless my patient husband for not completely losing it everytime he walks in the door to find the house looking exactly the same as it did when he left.
Those are the main things on my plate. Add in silly things like eating, exercise, or showering, and my day is pretty much gone. Sadly, I end up spening an entire day concentrating on just one thing, rather than appropriately spreading it out through the day so a little bit of everything gets done each day. I honestly don't know how full-time authors do it. They all say you sacrifice something so writing is a priority, but still. Huge respect for those busy, busy people.
If only I could stick to one of the millions of different schedules I've made for myself, then maybe things wouldn't feel quite so overwhelming. I just keep telling myself I'll figure it out eventually.
Right? *hopeful face*
RIGHT? *looks at you desperately*
How about you, lovely readers? Ever feel like there's just too much to do in a day? What distracts you, and how do you still manage to get things done anyway?
Saturday, October 15, 2011
A Note of Positivity
Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you're enjoying your fall season so far. I have been. (Except this week. I was sick with a head cold and then a stomach flu. Blah.)
Today, I'm going to do something a little different. It's going to be a list. When I was a sophomore in high school, I had math with my friend Aubrey Anne. We both hated math and were easily distracted and somehow we started writing up a list of things to be happy about. Several of our friends contributed to it here and there, but the majority of it was written by us. Before she transferred schools, we were up to 1,000. (You read that right.) As high school became harder to handle, I would add to that list, trying to cheer myself up, and eventually my own personal list was around 1600-1700. I still have it - it's in a binder in my storage tub full of high school stuff. Anyway, Aubrey and I were chatting on Twitter the other day and she felt like blogging, but couldn't think of anything positive to blog about. So I mentioned starting a mini list of Things to be Happy About. She loved the idea, and asked me to contribute. I've been wanting something fun and positive to blog about as well, so I agreed. Now, once a week you'll get a list of 10 things that make me happy, and I'll link to Aubrey's blog so you can see her list as well. Some things may be personal to us, some may be things that make you happy as well. But the point is that in a world full of tragedies, hatred, and plain old awful negativity, once a week this will be a place to find something happy. And don't worry, I'll still talk about the writing I'm up to in between my lists. So here we go.
1. The holiday season. Doesn't matter the holiday; if it has a season, I love it. Halloween and fall leaves, Thanksgiving and pies, Christmas and twinkling lights - I love it all. There's such an ambiance about it all that I find comforting and fun.
2. Stephen's Mint Truffle Hot Chocolate. I love hot chocolate in general, but this is my favorite at home kind. It's so, so yummy and as the weather gets colder, I'll end up having at least one cup a day. It's my version of coffee.
3. Rainy afternoons. I don't actually like being out in the rain, but I love rain. I open my windows and fill my house with the sound of it falling and the fresh crispness it gives the air. I find it inspiring, and I always end up pulling out a notebook or my laptop and just writing for an hour or two.
4. Snuggling with my kids. This doesn't happen often, since they aren't really cuddly by nature. They prefer to be up and around, checking things out and playing. They've been this way since they were babies. But when they are really sleepy or sick they like to be cuddled, with blankets and stuffed animals and everything. Sometimes it lasts ten minutes, sometimes it lasts an hour, but I take it when I can get it because it's pretty rare.
5. Pictures of at-home libraries. Little book noooks, huge rooms with vaulted ceilings, built in shelving or ornate bookcases - I love them all. It's like you get a taste for someone's personality in that one snapshot, just by seeing how they like their books arranged, their reading atmosphere, etc. One day, I will have a photo of my own to share.
6. Twitter. Oh yeah. I'm in love with it. I'm still kind of a lurker on there, but I'm trying to reach out more. But I love seeing the friendships and jokes between authors I love, seeing articles that spark conversations from people all over the place, and the comfort offered by complete strangers when someone is going through a hard time. It really is a community, and unlike other social networks I've used in the past, I actually feel connected to this one. It's lovely.
7. Pillows. Sparky and I both love our pillows - we have several that make a pillow mountain on our bed. (That is, when I actually end up making it properly.) However, Sparky leaves for work a little over an hour before I wake up with the kids for school, and in that hour, I steal his pillows too until I'm in a lovely, soft, squishy cave of pillows. It's my favorite part of the morning.
8. Cake. Or, more specifically, cake from a local grocery store about a block from my house. Their bakery in general is fantastic, but their cakes are simply heavenly. Light but moist cake, just the right amount of yummy frosting, and fresh fruit in the fruit filling. So, so good. And they make these little teeny cakes for like, $6, that I'll get every now and again just for fun. So, so cute.
9. Those rare times when my entire house is actually clean. It doesn't happen a lot, because I have two small children and I tend to attack rooms individually rather than the house as a whole. But sometimes I get into a cleaning frenzy and for a couple of days my house is really, very clean. It's just so pretty. And there's no guilt there when I spend an afternoon writing or reading, because there's no cleaning to be done. Always a plus. :)
10. Good hair days. It sounds slightly shallow, but honestly, sometimes it's the one thing that keeps a good day from being a bad day.
Well, there's my list for this week. Click here to see Aubrey's list. And feel free to share your own list in the comments! We could all use a reminder of things to be happy about, right?
Today, I'm going to do something a little different. It's going to be a list. When I was a sophomore in high school, I had math with my friend Aubrey Anne. We both hated math and were easily distracted and somehow we started writing up a list of things to be happy about. Several of our friends contributed to it here and there, but the majority of it was written by us. Before she transferred schools, we were up to 1,000. (You read that right.) As high school became harder to handle, I would add to that list, trying to cheer myself up, and eventually my own personal list was around 1600-1700. I still have it - it's in a binder in my storage tub full of high school stuff. Anyway, Aubrey and I were chatting on Twitter the other day and she felt like blogging, but couldn't think of anything positive to blog about. So I mentioned starting a mini list of Things to be Happy About. She loved the idea, and asked me to contribute. I've been wanting something fun and positive to blog about as well, so I agreed. Now, once a week you'll get a list of 10 things that make me happy, and I'll link to Aubrey's blog so you can see her list as well. Some things may be personal to us, some may be things that make you happy as well. But the point is that in a world full of tragedies, hatred, and plain old awful negativity, once a week this will be a place to find something happy. And don't worry, I'll still talk about the writing I'm up to in between my lists. So here we go.
1. The holiday season. Doesn't matter the holiday; if it has a season, I love it. Halloween and fall leaves, Thanksgiving and pies, Christmas and twinkling lights - I love it all. There's such an ambiance about it all that I find comforting and fun.
2. Stephen's Mint Truffle Hot Chocolate. I love hot chocolate in general, but this is my favorite at home kind. It's so, so yummy and as the weather gets colder, I'll end up having at least one cup a day. It's my version of coffee.
3. Rainy afternoons. I don't actually like being out in the rain, but I love rain. I open my windows and fill my house with the sound of it falling and the fresh crispness it gives the air. I find it inspiring, and I always end up pulling out a notebook or my laptop and just writing for an hour or two.
4. Snuggling with my kids. This doesn't happen often, since they aren't really cuddly by nature. They prefer to be up and around, checking things out and playing. They've been this way since they were babies. But when they are really sleepy or sick they like to be cuddled, with blankets and stuffed animals and everything. Sometimes it lasts ten minutes, sometimes it lasts an hour, but I take it when I can get it because it's pretty rare.
5. Pictures of at-home libraries. Little book noooks, huge rooms with vaulted ceilings, built in shelving or ornate bookcases - I love them all. It's like you get a taste for someone's personality in that one snapshot, just by seeing how they like their books arranged, their reading atmosphere, etc. One day, I will have a photo of my own to share.
6. Twitter. Oh yeah. I'm in love with it. I'm still kind of a lurker on there, but I'm trying to reach out more. But I love seeing the friendships and jokes between authors I love, seeing articles that spark conversations from people all over the place, and the comfort offered by complete strangers when someone is going through a hard time. It really is a community, and unlike other social networks I've used in the past, I actually feel connected to this one. It's lovely.
7. Pillows. Sparky and I both love our pillows - we have several that make a pillow mountain on our bed. (That is, when I actually end up making it properly.) However, Sparky leaves for work a little over an hour before I wake up with the kids for school, and in that hour, I steal his pillows too until I'm in a lovely, soft, squishy cave of pillows. It's my favorite part of the morning.
8. Cake. Or, more specifically, cake from a local grocery store about a block from my house. Their bakery in general is fantastic, but their cakes are simply heavenly. Light but moist cake, just the right amount of yummy frosting, and fresh fruit in the fruit filling. So, so good. And they make these little teeny cakes for like, $6, that I'll get every now and again just for fun. So, so cute.
9. Those rare times when my entire house is actually clean. It doesn't happen a lot, because I have two small children and I tend to attack rooms individually rather than the house as a whole. But sometimes I get into a cleaning frenzy and for a couple of days my house is really, very clean. It's just so pretty. And there's no guilt there when I spend an afternoon writing or reading, because there's no cleaning to be done. Always a plus. :)
10. Good hair days. It sounds slightly shallow, but honestly, sometimes it's the one thing that keeps a good day from being a bad day.
Well, there's my list for this week. Click here to see Aubrey's list. And feel free to share your own list in the comments! We could all use a reminder of things to be happy about, right?
Friday, September 30, 2011
Banned Books Week
I had originally planned to write this on Monday, but since I'm a procrastinator, it's being written today - Friday. I know. Good job, Jenn. But the point is that I'm writing it, and that's what's important, yes? Yes. So, let's get to the good stuff.
This week is/was Banned Books Week. A week where we as readers challenge those who seek to "protect" us by reading the books they seek to ban. There are so many out there, and they are really such good books. I haven't read all of them, though I definitely respect anyone who has, but I've read some and I must say, a lot of these books are excellent. I won't talk about all of the ones I've read, but if you don't mind, I'm going to touch on a few.
Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson - This book was challenged this year in Missouri for being "soft-pornography" and "glorifying drinking, cursing, and premarital sex". Now, when I read this, my first thought is to get angry. It's about a 15 year old girl who is raped at a party and feels like she can't tell anyone. But as I think about it, I just feel sad for these poor people who failed to see the beautiful story of a girl who faced something horrific, her struggles in dealing with her pain, and eventually overcoming and facing her attacker to save her friend. It's beautifully written as she tries to communicate with her parents, her friends, even to herself about what happened, and what to do next. It's sharp and honest and even a little funny as she observes the people around her. You go on this journey with her, and it's an incredible read.
The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins - These books were challenged in New Hampshire by a parent that said it gave her 11 year old child nightmares and would make other children numb to violence. I can see where she's coming from, since other adults have shared this fear. However, there are two points to this problem. They are intense books. Age and maturity of the reader should definitely be considered - but by the parent of the child/teen reading it. Not someone else. (I have no problem with parents controlling what their own child reads, but I get annoyed when they try to control what other kids read.) As for making kids numb to violence, that's kind of the point the books are trying to make. We live in a world filled with war, video games and movies of war, and while it's horrific and tragic, there is already an aura of glory around it. Could her world be possible someday when teens already think nothing of a bloody game or movie? It's an exquistely written series that - for me - raised a lot of thought provoking questions. I wish these books were required reading in high schools, because there is SO MUCH there to discuss. Maybe someday.
The Twilight series - Stephenie Meyer - These books were banned from primary and some junior high schools for being too racy and going against religious beliefs. They were taken out of school libraries and kids were even banned from bringing their own copies of the books to school. This seems silly to me, since there is a fair amount of kissing and sexual tension but no sex, except after a marriage has taken place. And even then, there is nothing explicit. These books, to me, are simply fun reading. They don't have a moral agenda or anything like that, they are just enjoyable books to read. It's a good story. I am a Twilight fan, and I'm not ashamed of it. These books were my "gateway drug" to the incredible world of YA fiction. I had been extremely narrow minded in my reading choices, but after multiple people told me I would love them, I gave in. And they were right. I LOVE them. And by realizing how I might have missed out by being stubborn, I now put no restrictions on what I read, leading me to some INCREDIBLE books by AMAZING authors. These books put me on a path that led to my discovery of wanting to write YA fiction myself. So, needless to say I have a soft spot for these particular books. ;)
The Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling - When these books started becoming very popular, there were several school across the country that wanted them banned for promoting witchcraft and other satanic overtones. These parents obviously never read the books. While there is witchcraft (they are all wizards and witches, so that's obvious) the overall arc of the books doesn't really focus on that. And there are no satanic overtones. They are about intense friendship and loyalty to those you love, choosing right over wrong no matter what the circumstances even when it's not the easiest choice. Good overcoming evil. Fighting to make the world a better place, even when you feel like you can't possibly to do much to help. And love. First loves. The love of friendship. And the binding love of family. These books led to a huge boom in the amount of kids and teens who never read much to wanting to read more. They found there were books out there that peaked their interest, spoke to them, made them excited to find even more books that fired up their imaginations in a similar way. We should be GRATEFUL for these books, and the generation it inspired to READ AGAIN.
There are so many more that I could go on and on about, but I won't. This post is very long as it is. But I hope that as this week comes to a close, you go out and look at the lists of books that have been challenged or banned and challenge those people right back by reading it anyway. You never know what you could be missing out on. :)
Until next time, happy reading and writing everyone!
This week is/was Banned Books Week. A week where we as readers challenge those who seek to "protect" us by reading the books they seek to ban. There are so many out there, and they are really such good books. I haven't read all of them, though I definitely respect anyone who has, but I've read some and I must say, a lot of these books are excellent. I won't talk about all of the ones I've read, but if you don't mind, I'm going to touch on a few.
Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson - This book was challenged this year in Missouri for being "soft-pornography" and "glorifying drinking, cursing, and premarital sex". Now, when I read this, my first thought is to get angry. It's about a 15 year old girl who is raped at a party and feels like she can't tell anyone. But as I think about it, I just feel sad for these poor people who failed to see the beautiful story of a girl who faced something horrific, her struggles in dealing with her pain, and eventually overcoming and facing her attacker to save her friend. It's beautifully written as she tries to communicate with her parents, her friends, even to herself about what happened, and what to do next. It's sharp and honest and even a little funny as she observes the people around her. You go on this journey with her, and it's an incredible read.
The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins - These books were challenged in New Hampshire by a parent that said it gave her 11 year old child nightmares and would make other children numb to violence. I can see where she's coming from, since other adults have shared this fear. However, there are two points to this problem. They are intense books. Age and maturity of the reader should definitely be considered - but by the parent of the child/teen reading it. Not someone else. (I have no problem with parents controlling what their own child reads, but I get annoyed when they try to control what other kids read.) As for making kids numb to violence, that's kind of the point the books are trying to make. We live in a world filled with war, video games and movies of war, and while it's horrific and tragic, there is already an aura of glory around it. Could her world be possible someday when teens already think nothing of a bloody game or movie? It's an exquistely written series that - for me - raised a lot of thought provoking questions. I wish these books were required reading in high schools, because there is SO MUCH there to discuss. Maybe someday.
The Twilight series - Stephenie Meyer - These books were banned from primary and some junior high schools for being too racy and going against religious beliefs. They were taken out of school libraries and kids were even banned from bringing their own copies of the books to school. This seems silly to me, since there is a fair amount of kissing and sexual tension but no sex, except after a marriage has taken place. And even then, there is nothing explicit. These books, to me, are simply fun reading. They don't have a moral agenda or anything like that, they are just enjoyable books to read. It's a good story. I am a Twilight fan, and I'm not ashamed of it. These books were my "gateway drug" to the incredible world of YA fiction. I had been extremely narrow minded in my reading choices, but after multiple people told me I would love them, I gave in. And they were right. I LOVE them. And by realizing how I might have missed out by being stubborn, I now put no restrictions on what I read, leading me to some INCREDIBLE books by AMAZING authors. These books put me on a path that led to my discovery of wanting to write YA fiction myself. So, needless to say I have a soft spot for these particular books. ;)
The Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling - When these books started becoming very popular, there were several school across the country that wanted them banned for promoting witchcraft and other satanic overtones. These parents obviously never read the books. While there is witchcraft (they are all wizards and witches, so that's obvious) the overall arc of the books doesn't really focus on that. And there are no satanic overtones. They are about intense friendship and loyalty to those you love, choosing right over wrong no matter what the circumstances even when it's not the easiest choice. Good overcoming evil. Fighting to make the world a better place, even when you feel like you can't possibly to do much to help. And love. First loves. The love of friendship. And the binding love of family. These books led to a huge boom in the amount of kids and teens who never read much to wanting to read more. They found there were books out there that peaked their interest, spoke to them, made them excited to find even more books that fired up their imaginations in a similar way. We should be GRATEFUL for these books, and the generation it inspired to READ AGAIN.
There are so many more that I could go on and on about, but I won't. This post is very long as it is. But I hope that as this week comes to a close, you go out and look at the lists of books that have been challenged or banned and challenge those people right back by reading it anyway. You never know what you could be missing out on. :)
Until next time, happy reading and writing everyone!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Goodbye Summer
Good morning everyone! Are we all having a wonderful week so far? Eh, mine's ok. We're still adjusting to having Dude in school and I'm figuring out how to best use those hours to my advantage. He's in school all day - which we are all loving. He absolutely adores going to school and the routine has made him a much happier boy. Diva is loving having the house and toys to herself without any fights or sneaking or protecting what she's playing with, so she's been quite pleasant lately. And me, well, let's just say that after a month and a half of my kids being sick of each other and fighting constantly, I'm VERY happy that they are happy. Plus, with Diva's naptime, I pretty much get 2-4 hours to myself 5 days a week. It's delicious.
So, while we've been adjusting, I've been thinking about my writing. And I'll be honest guys, I'm a little burned out. I pushed really hard to get Bound in Ink finished by the end of the summer - and finishing it early fried my brain a tad. After having my freakout/panic attack, I was able to simmer down a bit and lose myself in books. And it's been fabulous. I've discovered the heartbreaking amazingness that is Sarah Dessen - I'm now in the process of working my way through her books at my library. And I'm catching up on the books I've purchased over the last 6 months that I haven't had a chance to read yet. And on a particularly lazy day last week, I watched Anne of Green Gables, remembering how much I loved it and deciding to read the books, since I've never read them before. It's been incredibly refreshing, letting myself soak in the incredible writing of others to help get my own creative juices flowing a bit.
Which has led me to the decision I made last night. I'm taking a break from Bound in Ink. I think I've gotten way too obsessed with it to the point that the story isn't fun - it's stressful. I need to write something fun again and then come back to Bound in Ink with fresh eyes and motivation. Because if I'm not having fun and enjoying the story, it will show in my writing, and I don't want that. So, I've had a shiny and intriguing new idea floating around in my head the last week, and I think I'm going to toy around with it for a while, see where it takes me. Already I can feel the stress leaking away and the excitement coming back. And it will be an excellent distraction for me and give my poor wonderful friends a break from my impatience as they read Bound in Ink. ;) Those poor girls, I don't think we realized what a pain I would end up being.
As well as reading and writing something new, I promised Sparky now that Dude is in school and I have more kid-free time, I would work on sprucing up our place. Right now we live in a cute townhouse and since I've always convinced myself it was temporary, it is in quite sad shape. I won't lie - I will use pretty much any excuse to get out of housework. But he wants me to try and do better, since it looks like we'll be here a while longer. So he made me a deal. One new book for each room I get back under control. (Basically, it's my major spring cleaning at the beginning of fall. I'm such a procrastinator.) Since I'm never one to turn down new books, and I promised I wouldn't buy new ones until I read all the unread ones in my possession, this is a good deal. 
Well, that's what's up with me now that summer is drawing to a close. School, cleaning, reading, and writing. How about you guys? Anyone going back to school? Working on a new project? And is any0ne besides me suddenly really excited for all the holidays now that it's pretty much September? (I'm already looking at Christmas gifts and watching Halloween movies. Yeah, I know.)
Monday, August 15, 2011
August Short Story
Yep, it's that time again and I have a new short story up on Once Upon a Distraction! I got the idea while I was driving home from my mom's house in Idaho. We had already discussed the theme for the month being music, and this song came on and the story just jumped into my head. I made my poor kids listen to it with me about 5 times while I got the basics solidified in my head and then when I got home I hopped on the computer and punched it out with the song on repeat.
(I love when inspiration like that happens.)
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And please feel free to leave comments here or on OUAD. As I mentioned in my previous post, I LOVE to know what people think. ;)
(I love when inspiration like that happens.)
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And please feel free to leave comments here or on OUAD. As I mentioned in my previous post, I LOVE to know what people think. ;)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
My Non-Discovery Discovery
Yep, you read that right. This week I made a non-discovery discovery. Because it was something I already knew about myself. However, I was unaware of how much this was a part of my personality.
I am not a patient person.
And I'm obessive.
And a *bit* paranoid.
Yeah. All of these things I already knew. But, over the last couple weeks I have realized that they are more dominant qualities than I knew. When I sent Bound in Ink to Aubrey and Andrea a couple weeks ago when I finished it, I was insanely excited. I had finished! It was ready for someone other than me to read it! This was a big deal!
And then time passed. Aubrey is working full time and taking care of 3 small boys. She's a very busy girl. Andrea was on a family vacation in the woods and then returned to find her work was in utter chaos without her. (She's pretty important to the flow and sanity at her work.) So they haven't really had a chance to read it. I understand this. I don't even resent this. They are busy ladies with many things on their plates. However, this does not stop me from having to remind myself on almost an hourly basis to not text them and ask how far along they are in the MS, even though I know they haven't read anything since the last time I asked them. That would be stalkerish and creepy and obsessive. And I am not stalkerish or creepy or obsessive. Of course not.
So, this last week at the weekly family dinner with Sparky's family, I mentioned to one of my SIL's that I had finished my MS. She was super excited for me and asked if she could read it. I said sure, since she's a big reader, and the more constructive criticism, the better. Enter my other two SIL's who also said they would love to read it. I'm thrilled that they want to read it! They seemed genuinely excited and enthusiastic about it. Warm fuzzies filled my heart and that night I send to them.
It has now been 5 days (I know, I can see your eyes rolling at me already) and I haven't heard a word from anyone. Now, a rational and patient person would understand that it takes TIME to read a book that's just over 58k words. Especially when TRIPS and KIDS and JOBS are involved. But I am obviously not a rational or patient person. This is where my thoughts have been for the last 2 days.
"They hate it. It's awful and stupid but they all like me enough that they can't tell me that so they are avoiding me and saying nothing."
"It's boring. No one has been able to get very far into it because it wasn't intersesting enough and so they can't tell me what they think about something they don't even want to read anymore."
*starts obessessing about MS and storyline* "It's cliche. I'm completely unorginal and I have no idea why I thought this was a good story."
*starts zoning out and visualizing future conversations of sadness and failure with said family and friends* "I am so embarrassed! I was proud and excited to share and now they all look at me with pity in their eyes because I'm too blind to see that I have no talent for this! My dream is dead!! I'm a complete hack!!!"
*sits on the couch, eats cookies, and whines on Twitter*
Yeah....pretty pathetic isn't it? I recieved some sweet comments on twitter telling me to hang in there, and Andrea talked me down after I text bombed her hysterically about all my insecurties, which helped me calm down a bit after my 2 days of freaking out. But it gave me a very sad and slightly worrisome picture of the future.
I am so screwed when I end up sending anything in to agents/publishers. To the people in my life, I apologize in advance, because judging from this experience, it's going to be ugly.
Has anyone else suffered from this crisis of self-confidence? Was it bad or do I just have a flair for the dramatic? How did you pull yourself out of the obsession hole and focus on something else?
I am not a patient person.
And I'm obessive.
And a *bit* paranoid.
Yeah. All of these things I already knew. But, over the last couple weeks I have realized that they are more dominant qualities than I knew. When I sent Bound in Ink to Aubrey and Andrea a couple weeks ago when I finished it, I was insanely excited. I had finished! It was ready for someone other than me to read it! This was a big deal!
And then time passed. Aubrey is working full time and taking care of 3 small boys. She's a very busy girl. Andrea was on a family vacation in the woods and then returned to find her work was in utter chaos without her. (She's pretty important to the flow and sanity at her work.) So they haven't really had a chance to read it. I understand this. I don't even resent this. They are busy ladies with many things on their plates. However, this does not stop me from having to remind myself on almost an hourly basis to not text them and ask how far along they are in the MS, even though I know they haven't read anything since the last time I asked them. That would be stalkerish and creepy and obsessive. And I am not stalkerish or creepy or obsessive. Of course not.
So, this last week at the weekly family dinner with Sparky's family, I mentioned to one of my SIL's that I had finished my MS. She was super excited for me and asked if she could read it. I said sure, since she's a big reader, and the more constructive criticism, the better. Enter my other two SIL's who also said they would love to read it. I'm thrilled that they want to read it! They seemed genuinely excited and enthusiastic about it. Warm fuzzies filled my heart and that night I send to them.
It has now been 5 days (I know, I can see your eyes rolling at me already) and I haven't heard a word from anyone. Now, a rational and patient person would understand that it takes TIME to read a book that's just over 58k words. Especially when TRIPS and KIDS and JOBS are involved. But I am obviously not a rational or patient person. This is where my thoughts have been for the last 2 days.
"They hate it. It's awful and stupid but they all like me enough that they can't tell me that so they are avoiding me and saying nothing."
"It's boring. No one has been able to get very far into it because it wasn't intersesting enough and so they can't tell me what they think about something they don't even want to read anymore."
*starts obessessing about MS and storyline* "It's cliche. I'm completely unorginal and I have no idea why I thought this was a good story."
*starts zoning out and visualizing future conversations of sadness and failure with said family and friends* "I am so embarrassed! I was proud and excited to share and now they all look at me with pity in their eyes because I'm too blind to see that I have no talent for this! My dream is dead!! I'm a complete hack!!!"
*sits on the couch, eats cookies, and whines on Twitter*
Yeah....pretty pathetic isn't it? I recieved some sweet comments on twitter telling me to hang in there, and Andrea talked me down after I text bombed her hysterically about all my insecurties, which helped me calm down a bit after my 2 days of freaking out. But it gave me a very sad and slightly worrisome picture of the future.
I am so screwed when I end up sending anything in to agents/publishers. To the people in my life, I apologize in advance, because judging from this experience, it's going to be ugly.
Has anyone else suffered from this crisis of self-confidence? Was it bad or do I just have a flair for the dramatic? How did you pull yourself out of the obsession hole and focus on something else?
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