This hat's seems glued to my head

Trying to get rid of my soccer hat is becoming harder than I thought. I know I wrote about taking it off a while a go (it's been so long ago that I can't find the post), but it's not leaving without a fight and tonight we had a royal battle.

I'm tired. In fact, I'm exhausted. As I write this, my eyes are drooping and I grow weary. I'm tired of politics in sports, work, and basically life, but mostly sports. I just want a clean house, someone to decide what they want for dinner, and a day to write without having to think about anything else. Maybe a good night's sleep would be good as well.

That's not too much to ask – right?

What's something simple that you want?

Second Guesses

For me, right now, the hardest part of being a writer is trusting myself.

It's hard not to second guess my decisions on how I'm writing my story. I often wonder if I've got enough tension, do my characters motivations ring true, is my pacing fast enough. Do I have the right POV. This has been my biggest worry lately. I have been having a hard time deciding what is the best way to tell my story. It's been about a month of going back and forth, but I think I've finally decided and now I just have to quite second guessing and go with it.

What about you - is there anything you've been second guessing lately.

Information overload

I used to be a health magazine junkie. Every week I'd go to the grocery store and buy a Shape, or a Fitness or a Women's Health, the latter being my favorite. I 'd devour the exercises, try the receipes, and read all the tips.

Then it got to be overwhelming. Every article seemed to have a different opinion on what was the best way to get toned triceps or a flat stomach. Should you only do cardio or add in strength, and how much lifting should you do? These food fight cancer, but they might cause heart problems. Don't eat this if your diabetic but it will help your kidneys. Finally I had to stop buying them and just work out and eat the way that worked best for me.

I've been reading a lot lately about how you have to read craft books if you want to learn to write properly, and while I agree that's good and super duper important. I think you can also get bogged down in all the advice, steps to follow, and ways to write your book. Eventually you just need to figure out what works best for you.

What do you think? How much information is too much and do you think you'll ever reach that point?

Cheerleaders

Last week during my hectic schedule, I had my last indoor soccer game of the season. At 6:15pm, I got a phone call from our goalie. She was sick, which made me sick, because that meant I'd have to go in net.

I was extremely nervous, way more nervous than usual. I let one bad goal in and I felt my spirits deflate, but after a couple of good saves, I could hear my team mates cheering me on, so I tried harder. But even with all the cheering we lost 4-1, but after a few pats on my back, I got over it.

Thess past two weeks I've watched over ten games of basketball and I've nearly lost my voice with all my cheering, but if the players are anything like me, hearing encouragement helps.

I think we all need this with our writing. A few cheerleaders calling our name, patting us on the back, and telling us we can do it. These can come in all forms, family, husbands, wives, friends, and blogging buddies, who can't literally pat you on the back, but can lift you with their words of encouragement.

I would like to thank all those who have cheered me on. I truly appreciate the lift I get when I receive an email full of cheer. And win or lose - those words will help me get over anything.

Responding

My apologizes for not responding to those who commented on Friday. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read what I write and say something about it. I try to email people back responses but I ran out of time.

My weekend was crazy. Five basketball games in two days. One bronze medal. One gold.

It was a proud mommy moment.

Since I got nothing done on the weekend, and I have twelve boys coming to my house on Monday and then two more basketball tournaments this weekend, I'm going to unplug this week.

For your enjoyment and you've probably already seen it, but I thought it was a great motivational speech.

Click here for video

I hope I don't miss anything exciting. Hope you all have a productive week.

We're not so different

I was reading an interview with Games of Thrones author George RR. Martin and he said some things that made me think that we're not so different from published authors.

Question: What took you so long to write this book?

I've been doing a ton of rewriting, trying to get it where I wanted it to be. Some of these chapters I've rewritten more times than I can count before I'm satisfied with them.

Question: How do you feel Dragons (his newest book) will compare to his others?

Sometiems I think, "This is terrific, I did really well," and sometiems I look at what I've written and think, "That's garbage, I don't have any talent at all." Ultimately it's up to the fans and critics and reviewers - your own judgment is always suspect.

I've never read these books, but it did make me feel better to know that even best selling authors get the same feelings I do.

Have a great weekend.

Note: I didn't type in his whole answer to the questions. To see the whole interview it's in Entertainment Weekly.

I'm sure your Query is already Awesome

And because I'm so sure, you won't need to go to Jenn Johansson's blog to get a query critique. Even though she's been dubbed the queen of queries, I'm positive you don't need her help.

And because I'm so sure, you shouldn't check out writeoncon.com, because you don't need eight fabulous agents to tell you that your query is already awesome.

But I do.

On another note:

Calling all authors who write MG or tween – I need some advice

What do you think about writing in first person present for these categories?

Do you feel witty today - well do ya?

I left off the punk, because well that would be rude.

In this blogging, twittering, facebooking world, I feel like there is a lot of pressure to be witty. We need to come up with posts that entertain, comments that make people laugh, or status that have people ROTFLing.

Lots of times I'll read someone's blog and then I'll click on post a comment only to come up blank. This little box stares at me, begging to be filled and I can't think of one entertaining thing to write. Or if I do, someone else has already said it, so invariably I either don't write anything or I put great post.

I tried twitter for about a month and frankly felt so out of my element I stopped. For me twitter and facebook status scream - be funny or no one will care what you wrote.

How about you. Do you feel the pressure to be witty? Or am I the only one?

Please don't let me be the only one.

More metaphors

A few weeks ago I posted some metaphors and similes that teenage kids used in their high school essays.

Here are a few more:

John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck
that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

Have a great weekend.

Trying something new

On Monday I read Tracy's post about how much she loved writing in first person and it's like something clicked.

I think it was this (sorry I'm stealing):

"Third person is like watching a movie and knowing what's going to happen to your beloved characters before they do. First person is like being the character in the movie and having no idea what's about to hit you."

I've always been a third person kind of writer. Even when I wrote stories as a teenager I never even thought of writing in 1st person, but today I tried.

I took the first scene in my book (you know the one that I think kind of sucks) and I switched it over to first person and I kind of liked it.

I remember reading about a writer who finished his book and then decided to change it to first person (I think it was John Irving). At the time I thought that was crazy. Now I'm not so sure. I'm not saying I'm going to switch my whole book, but I'm going to experiment and really isn't that what a writer is suppose to do.

What about you? Have you ever changed your mind about POV and switched after you were done?