Random facts. AAAAAAAAAAND GO:
~I'll be twenty-five in January and have mixed feelings about it.
~I rescue cats/kittens when I need to. Last year I had 4 litters in my house throughout the year. As well as feeding and watering strays where I can.
~I pray for roadkill as I drive.
~I Love tattoos and piercings. love em.
~Monkey's are NOT cute. They are creepy, evil, devious little hooligans. I don't like them.
~Other dislikes that creep me the eff out: scorpions(most arthropods actually), ventriloquist dummies, toe-socks, and the screw holes in the back of the steering wheel.
~I mentally punch people in the back of the head on a daily basis. It's a great stress reliever.
~I love the rain, thunderstorms, and lightening.
~I didn't carry a purse until about four years ago. Now only carry one so that I can have a book with me wherever I go.
~I love Toulouse-Latrec
~I have been: a manager at both Sonic and Arby's, was a licensed tattoo artist and piercer until 2005(I let my license expire when I changed states), housekeeper for a hotel(gross!), hostess, hardware-store clerk, jewelry-maker's apprentice, and now receptionist(/writer).
~I aced creative writing in high school and college but SUCKED at grammar. (still kinda suck at it) English is a stupidly-complicated-for-no-reason language.
~I love snail mail.
~I drive an old lady car and love it in all its crotchety, comfy, glory.
~I hate talking on the phone. And voicemails.
Would love to hear some random facts about you guys, or answer any questions. Whatever makes you squirrely.
So, with all the revisions I have done on my novel(I think I counted 5 as of now. Before and after others inputs.) I'm in that limbo world of taking it to critique group or just starting to query. Maybe all new writers do this, I don't know. And the experienced advice I get whenever I ask a writer friend is "take it to critique first."
So part of me is going: "They, who know better than you do, said to take it. So just stop your bitchin' and do it."
Another part of me, the part that is too embarrassed to read aloud and is SURE all the elder(experienced, ehem) writers that make up my critique group will view me and my YA as a joke. Not serious. Not publishable. And a waste of time and space. **None of them have EVER treated me as such or been anything but helpful but this is just that voice's commentary.**
And then there is a third voice(I mentioned a while ago that I'm a freak with 5,000,000 voices) that tells me, after all those revisions and all those eyes, SURELY it's ready after a year and a half-ish to get going with the query already. This dude's impatient for an answer. Whether it's a pass or fail, this voice just wants to know the validity of the novel out in the world.
But -- knowing that the experienced writers are right, and that I should take it in a read it -- I still cannot wrap my mind around how long it will take to read only 5 pages, double spaced, one night a week, to get through 60,000 word novel. I guess I'm just waiting on someone to tell me I don't need to. Will that happen? Doubt it. Is it MAJORLY important? Of course. *SIGH*
Don't forget about my contest going on RIGHT NOW! The post is HERE. Make with the funny in that posts comments and spread the word.
THIS looks like a great contest to get in on too. With all these free book contests NO ONE has any excuse not to be reading!
Today my goal is to check my email less, check FB less, get distracted less, and edit more. Editing...ugh...the gnat in my icecream...
Happy Monday!
I turned twenty-five last month and I still have mixed feelings about it. I don't know yet if they're leaning more toward the positive or negative.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so happy to hear that you rescue cats! Also, I feel the same way about roadkill. There seems to be so much of it where I live, and it makes me cry.
I am in the camp that is not a fan of critique groups. If it works for someone else, that's absolutely fantastic. However, I just don't believe that every successful writer joined one. I think beta readers can be just as good if not better, because the interaction is more personal. Reading aloud makes it feel like high school, and throws me off because most books aren't read aloud in the first place. They're read in silence, with the reader inhabiting the world you've created as though it was written just for them. Others will disagree, but that's just the way I see things.
Kelly, you made my heart stop. You don't think critique groups are the be all, end all to published or not? That's usually all I hear and its like people tell me I'll never make it without using mine.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear I'm not the only one on the fence about 25 and about animals. My husbands so sweet about the dead critters. He learned early to distract me while we drive together so I don't get all down. He usually points at something out the window so i wont see.
I am also an animal enthusiast who has taken in strays, both human and animal, throughout the years. So yay us!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. I love getting snail mail too, and I abhor talking on the phone. So not my gig. Send me an email or a text, but don't call me.
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, editing is the best part! Uh...good luck?
Yeah the phone is not for me. I'm with Elana. And uhhhh monkeys are awesome.
ReplyDeleteI work in a help desk. I answer phones all day ... so, I own a cell phone, but don't call me or I'll lose it - on purpose.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely suggest going with a crit group. And you don't have to join one made up of older more experienced writers, just get to know other bloggers until you find some you are comfortable with asking!
Samantha, Yeay us! Life lovers. whoo!
ReplyDeleteElana, I would rather have texts and what not any day rather than the phone. Maybe cause we love words? Editing is 10x harder to me than 1st drafts! But most people either love it or hate it. Not really an in the middle crowd
Candy, you're one of them aren't you? only a monkey would be that crafty...
Matthew, amen to that!
Maybe it's just the group I'm with now isn't right? Is it supposed to be fun or so terrifying you cant breath? no ones told me.
...much in common, other than your age,(25, your still a pup!)
ReplyDeleteI despise talking on the phone. My daughter has now claimed 4 cats, all currently lounging here in my office. And yes, I favor critique groups over any writing course on the market. It's a more personal experience, and with far less skimmed from your wallet.
Fun post, C.E:)
I had trouble with 27 for some reason. I cried for two weeks. Such an odd number to not be okay with. We won't talk about how old I am in December.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sweet that you rescue cats/kittens! I do as well. I used to have a feral colony that I was trapping, fixing, feeding and releasing. I kept the kittens, though, long enough to tame them down and find them good homes.
I'm afraid of the dark. I sleep with the light on in the kitchen.
I suffer from horrible insomnia and have my whole life.
My worst fear is vomiting.
I get out of bed in the morning for coffee. I end my day with peppermint tea. Those are two of my great loves.
This was fun - thanks for sharing! I sidebarred your contest. I can't believe I forgot to do that and I apologize profusely!!
I ADORE cats. I haven't rescued them but that's because I am allergic. My baby (my cat) needs to be bathed once a week so I don't die. And I have to walk her every day, pet her constantly and clean her litter every 22 hours (and yes, she keeps track and gets very pissed when I don`t keep up). I have sspoiled my cat rotten. I love her.
ReplyDeleteI sort of rambled but I guess thats a random fact about me too.
I have horrible insomnia like jennie and it is physically impossible for me to sleep more than 5 hours in a 24hr period. Like if I do I get sick. If I`m already sick, this, of course, is irrelevant.
I have eight UNIQUE voices in my head (this is beside the many versions of me). They belong to my characters and while they chatter about their lives and argue constantly they also, to my dismay, try to take over my life. Quite frequently.
I mentally run over, hit, and stab people in my head all the time. It`makes me happy and really does relieve my stress. So I get that!
I love your list :) New follower, by the way.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I know that I'm still tired when I misread part of your post as saying that monkeys are delicious.
Elliot, your daughter is wise and kind and I like her already!
ReplyDeleteJennie, I'm sorry but I had to laugh about 27. I mean, I know I'm going to freak out about my age sooner or later. But 27 is so random lol I used to trap, fix, and release in the colony I used to feed in my back yard too! Oh I miss them every day. My husband refused to let me pack up all 11 and bring them to our new house =/ Sucks about the sleeping thing too. Tried anything for it? Thanks So much for the sidebar luv!!
Melissa, o.m.g. I love that, how you pamper your kitty. That's so cute. My best friends cat refused to drink tap water, and I thought that was pampered but...lol. Glad to know someone else has all these voices.
Brad, Welcome!! and Thank you. Monkey are most definitely NOT delicious....*shudder* gross..
What a great post- I don't know how I missed it the day you wrote it.
ReplyDeleteI love your facts about yourself! So, I am not in a critique or writing group. The only writing group is made up of old people...don't think they'd really relate to what I write.
I do have one critique partner and he's awesome. I think having a couple critique partners and some beta readers is just as good, maybe better, than a whole group. Especially if that group is not your genre.
If you need a fresh pair of eyes, I'd be happy to trade!