Crybabyitis

I watch Survivor. I don't love it, but I have to say that I love Boston Rob. The other week he came down with the flu and passed out. Later he said to the camera that he had a touch of the flu and a bit of crybabyitis.

I think I had a bit of that this weekend. I wallowed in my self-pity and cried, "Wo is me" to anyone who would listen, which really wasn't anyone. Now that I've had a few days to pull myself out of a rut, things look better. How did I do this you may ask? I went for walks.

As a teenager that's all I ever did when things were bugging me. So I went for a walk on Sunday, Monday and today. After some sunshine and fresh air, I feel much better.

Has anything really changed. No, but now I realize that's okay.

On a funnier note we asked our children if they wanted to either go on vacation for spring break, or build a bathroom in the basement. My daughter in her true wisdom says, "Bathrooms last forever, but vacations last, for like, what, ten days."

So what would you do bathroom or vacation? And if you choose vacation and lived in north west US or Canada, where would you go?

Dark clouds

Feeling a little dejected at the moment, so I'm going to take a break from my regular Monday post until I can get my head out of the dark clouds that seems to be circling. Hopefully the warm weather on Tuesday will lift my spirits.

Sorry to be such a downer.

Eyes

Over the past few years I've been very susceptible to eye infections. My eye lids get droppy, bad stuff builds up in the corners, and I have to go without make up. It's very scary. Not the infection, but how I look without eye liner. I've been to see a few specialists, but nothing major is wrong so that's good.

On Tuesday I had my eyes dilated. I'd like to think that I was cute and looked like this.

But I looked more like this, a little freaky.

My eyes were super sensitive, all writing was blurry, and I had to wear sunglasses afterward for about three hours. So I wore my sunglasses as I shopped in Costco and had my sister with me to read the labels since I couldn't tell if the capris I was looking at were a large or a medium.

Why did I tell you this? For no particular reason except now you got to know me just a little bit more and to maybe give you a chuckle as you picture me walking around Costco with sunglasses like some kind of diva.

Saying your Open and how it relates to contests

When I play soccer, I'm always reluctant to yell out that I'm open because then the other team comes and guards you. It's much better if your teammates look up and see that your open and pass you the ball without having to say anything.

It's the same thing with contests. Most contests require you to advertise, but this is like saying to your competition, come and take away my chance to score. Frankly I'd rather that no one else knew about the contest, because then I'd have a better chance to win. I know you've all thought the same thing.

Anyway there is an awesome contest going on with tons of books, signed and not, plus a forty page critique by a living and breathing agent. How awesome is that, see why I didn't want to tell you.

Go to Elana's blog for the books and Suzette and Bethany's blog for books and critique.

Please note: For those who are new to the blog, my above comments were completely sarcastic, or were they?

A personal response

Lately instead of writing and editing my own words, I've been helpin my 14 year old son write and edit his. His English homework load has been crazy and I've noticed an interesting trend. Every assignment comes with the question, how can you relate to this story. The teacher wants the students to compare the story to what is happening in their own live regardless of whether it's a short story about a boy who is killed because he's in a gang or a comic about a fifteen year old boy who doesn't understand his parents. They are talking a lot about identity right now and have been watching My So Called Life, which for a boy is pure torture. Even though the themes relate to his life, he doesn't want to say in an essay that he's felt alone or has been bullied or hates his parents, which he doesn't. Sometimes he finds himself making stuff up because he doesn't want the teacher to know personal stuff about him.

I've been pretty closed off most of my life. I only share personal stories with those who are nearest and deariest to me. I find it a little intrusive for a teacher to expect their students to have to share things about their lives that are maybe personal.

I know as writers we need to expose the emotions of our characters and sometimes I struggle with that because I close mine off a lot. Maybe these exercises would be good for me to do.

How about you do you think teachers should be asking for personal stories from their students and how they can relate to bullying, gangs and identity? And do you have an hard time expressing the emotions of your characters or am I the only one.

Being in the Game

It's been a hard year for my soccer team. Out of sixteen games we've won 2, tied one and lost the rest. In the beginning it was hard, and not just because we were losing, but because we weren't even in the game. Sometimes we wouldn't even muster a shot on net. To say it was discouraging would be an understatement. The second half of the season got better. We kept the goals against down, and even though we didn't score most games, we gave some teams a good scare. Now that we're almost done (1 game to go), as a team we've decided that's all we really want – is to be in the game.

I know agents are busy, probably more than busy, extremely busy (sorry for my use of an adverb). I know that receiving a polite form rejection is the best they can do and all we should expect, but knowing and wanting are two different things.

To be honest with, and you may not believe me, but I don't mind the rejections. I know not every agent is going to love what I wrote, although I often dream that they do. What I find I crave is more. I want to know why they decided to pass. Was the story not interesting enough? Were the characters not vivid? Was the writing bad?

To reiterate, I know agents can't respond to queries personally, but I just want to know if I'm even close. Did they hesitate to send that rejection. Did they think twice? Like my soccer team, I want to know if I'm I even in the game.

Writing is...

Writing is what happens in between cooking, cleaning, getting kids to school, work, exercise, grocery shopping etc.

Writing can be hard. When it's hard, it's the worst thing ever.

Writing can be easy. When it easy, it's the best thing ever.

Writing takes time, lots of it.

Writing needs life long dedication.

Writing is at it's best when someone loves what you wrote.

Writing is hoping not to see anymore red marks.

Writing means potentially losing your hair, having bags under your eyes and gaining ten pounds.

Writing takes believing. Believing you will reach your potential, you will get better, that someone out there will like what you wrote.

Writing is wishin' and hopin' and prayin'.

Writing needs Patience.

Feel free to add your own.