writing, reading, art, and randomness
work
bike rides
work
walks
work
reading
work
revising
work
work
work
sleep
Meanwhile, here’s something the cat drew during a meeting::
-me♥w
So my fortune cookie this weekend said:
Do not strive for happiness, create happiness.
Which I thought didn’t quite make sense, but maybe kinda did…? Also, I paraphrase (but I’m pretty sure that’s word for word) bc the fortune unfortunatley (snicker) fell prey to the jowls of my washing machine.
Kari was genius enough to come up with this idea of weekly writing goals where you comment on her blog what your goal is and then you try to hit it by the end of the day on Wednesday.
So, I didn’t meet my goal last week. BUT I GOT CLOSE!!
And even though I’ve already dropped off the face of the earth to work on these revisions, this new challenge made me kick up the pace. I really think I can finish this round of revisions by the end of June. (Which was my goal in the first place, but I didn’t really think I could hit it!) Yay!
My story is getting better, I can feel it. STILL NEEDS A LOT OF STINKING WORK, but I have a little more faith in it.
And I have this new story buzzing about my brain that I’m really really really excited for.
Sometimes my dream of being a published author seems so attainable–I read these books that get movie deals and notoriety and think I can soooo do that.
But then I get my critiques back on some pages I thought were really good and I see all these holes!! Why have I not figured this out yet????!!??i
Funny. Funny. Kinda messed up, but okay, funny. Funny. Hmmmm. I hope this ends funny. I’m confused and unconvinced. Sad. Wait, maybe it will end funny and happy. NO. sad. sad. hmmm.
So if you liked the movie, uh, well, that’s cool. My kissyface and I were both bummed out by it WHICH IS NOT THE POINT OF REDBOXING A COMEDY!
Lastly, I’m reading some books this weekend and hopefully a couple will be review-worthy. So watch out!
Sorry guys, late post. I feel like yuck so I am at home trying to sleep as much as I can while my body fights it off.
That being said, I would like to share a foundational truth about myself:
Since the amazing and wonderful Mary Kole told me not to ever do snarky reviews, I will refrain from divulging the name of the book that has triggered this little rant of mine.
However, I will say that as a writer, I’m always saddened when someone can create a thrilling plot that keeps you glued because YOU CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS only to KILL them off one by one without MERCY or LOVE or at least a realistic REACTION out of the character(s) that stay alive.
I will admit that the story had some romantic elements, namely that character A loves character B but is torn because of character C and is despised by, but wants to change that about character D. Great stuff–except that the circumstances keeping them apart didn’t feel convincing. I kept thinking, “Just say this…” or “But what about this?? That could solve everything!!” But the characters didn’t even give logical reasons for dismissing obvious solutions.
I get waaaayyyyyy too into the books I read.
So am I alone in the world here? What about you? Do you enjoy being mislead in a book as long as the story is enthralling? Seriously. Maybe I’m just tooooo sensitive. Let me know your thoughts.
P.S. I will say, that every time a character breaks my heart, I learn NOT to do what they do, so I can’t say this book was a complete waste. Also, every time an author disappoints/saddens/misses an opportunity for whatever, I try to learn from it as well.
Thanks for listening 
Hope you had a good weekend.
Peace♥
I just finished reading HUNGER GAMES. Great book. Not sure if I’ll review it or not, because it’s been reviewed a lot.
Anyways, I really enjoyed the story, but I don’t know if I could ever write a story like that and enjoy the process. I don’t even know if I would have read the story without all the high recommendations. I’m glad I did, though.
In my last post, wonderful writer Melissa came up with an idea for a book 
about an ice cream diet.
Why not?
This made me remember all the stories and ideas that I would dream up in random places (The shower, anyone from my last post????) and I would say to myself, “That book needs to be written. Just not by me.”
Like the one about the kid who is pretty sure his bologna sandwiches give him super powers.
Or the anthropomorphic cats that travel through space and time to save the universe, forced to rely on what they think is a vastly inferior human girl for her opposable thumbs.
Or the young married couple that moves into their new home only to discover that it hides a portal to another realm that may separate them for eternity. *cue dramatic music*
Or the young girl who must choose between the boy she loves (who must fight the urge to kill her) and the other boy she loves (whenever boy number one is absent). Oh, and both love interests have paranormal ablilities…
Just kidding on that last one…
Anyways, stories whisper and bubble and crowd their way into my head all the time. Sometimes I write them down, sometimes I don’t. I read an interview with some author (gosh, I really don’t remember which one–sorry!!) where she said that she waits to see if an idea keeps coming back to her, that’s when she knows it’s worth her time.
It wouldn’t be fair for me to write a story I wasn’t passionate about, even if I thought the premise was wonderful. I guess that’s like the agents who have to pass on great stories because they know the author deserves someone who would be more on fire about it.
So I’m curious if you have any funny or just plain great stories that you think need to be told, just maybe not by you…at least for now. ???
Like the one about the boy who runs away from home with his dog and meets this traveling gypsy circus group and…
Or the monkeys that must destroy the evil space bananas before…
Or the duck-billed platypus that wishes his nose wasn’t so big and moves to 
LA for cosmetic surgery, only to discover the true meaning of loving yourself…
lol
You get the picture. 
Peace ♥
So I pretty much forgot that I had an anniversary this weekend. I mean I remembered, but only after I planned out all the hours I wanted to spend working on my revisions.
Needless to say, I did not get as much done as I wanted to.
That made me think of how to be a writer you need to be really strict and organized with yourself if you want to get anything done. BUT most writers are naturally a little more, um, unscheduled.
We can be chaotic if we let ourselves. I mean we hear voices in our heads (of our characters, of course) and we write on napkins in the middle of restaurants so we don’t lose amazing ideas. I love being spontaneous, but I will never achieve the level of writing and revision I want if I let my whims rule my schedule.
I am one of those people that hates wearing a watch—it feels so restricting. I don’t want to think about time. However, I went out and bought a stopwatch to help me stay on track. Have I used it? Heck no, but the idea…
Anyways, I don’t know if you have one of these, but I ran my excuses through my very scientific BS-OMeter at home, and this was what I found:
I need to revise another 20 pages, but I’ll be able to concentrate better if I go eat Chipotle first.
Okay, this is kinda bullcrap because I eat Chipotle like three times a day, so I never really neeeed it, but it is important to be fed and well rested before trying to hone your brain on your story. So why am I always up till 2am working on it???
.
I’ll be able to write better if I just clean the house first.
Total BS. First of all, I am a horrible cleaner, and cleaning my house would take me all day because I get sidetracked too much. That’s what amazing husbands are for (shhhh). Also, once I get into my story, I’m in the zone, I don’t really see or hear the room around me. The important thing is to get your butt in that chair and get into that zone.
.
I can juggle family time and writing time AT ONCE. Go ahead, sweetie-face, pop in that movie. I’ll just sit on the couch, watch the movie, and somehow still type coherently.
ding ding ding. Absolute BS. You will not be able to concentrate. I tried this weekend and I started typing what the characters in the movie were saying, or I’d completely space out, and then the movie would play this really dramatic music and I’d be like, “Wha’d I miss? Wha’d I miss????” booo.
.
Anyways, feel free to share your excuses that keep you from writing. Along with ways you combat them.
My best advice is just to sit there and type. It’s getting into that chair that’s hard for me.
Peace♥
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