"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." ~E.L. Doctorow

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Response





So long story short, after reading everyone's comments from yesterday I found that the general consensus is that in the end Readers read and writers write. But those of us that are a little of both are screwed. :)

Personally I think it is all about focus. Movies are great because they are done and over in two hours (more or less) and you feel satisfied (hopefully) in the end, ready to move on. Reading books take a bit more of a commitment - depending on how life goes for you, you can usually get one done at least within a week or less and again - satisfied.





When you're writing however - the commitment is a whole lot greater. It can take months or years to finish writing a novel and that doesn't even get into the editing process. (Querying and everything else I will get into on a later date) The lack of instant gratification that we are all used to in this golden age of technology is just not there. I know I've blogged about instant gratification before but I really think that this is a very important thing for us writers. And we don't get it very often.





I actually ended up having a conversation with my husband last night about the lack of progress in my writing and how sad it makes me. And God bless him he really tries to understand but doesn't fully get it.

In all honesty I don't really have anything to equate it too for him. Nothing that will really show him what it feels like. It is my dream to get a book published and yet I feel like I'm falling further and further behind on accomplishing that goal. I need to push myself ad whole lot harder and strengthen my resolve to stay focused. If I don't drift off to watch tv or scan the internet then the progress will hopefully prompt some of the enthusiasm that I've been missing so desperately.

Comments



So long story short, after reading everyone's comments from yesterday I found that the general consensus is that in the end Readers read and writers write. But those of us that are a little of both are screwed. :)

Personally I think it is all about focus. Movies are great because they are done and over in two hours (more or less) and you feel satisfied (hopefully) in the end, ready to move on. Reading books take a bit more of a commitment - depending on how life goes for you, you can usually get one done at least within a week or less and again - satisfied.



When you're writing however - the commitment is a whole lot greater. It can take months or years to finish writing a novel and that doesn't even get into the editing process. (Querying and everything else I will get into on a later date) The lack of instant gratification that we are all used to in this golden age of technology is just not there. I know I've blogged about instant gratification before but I really think that this is a very important thing for us writers. And we don't get it very often.



I actually ended up having a conversation with my husband last night about the lack of progress in my writing and how sad it makes me. And God bless him he really tries to understand but doesn't fully get it.

In all honesty I don't really have anything to equate it too for him. Nothing that will really show him what it feels like. It is my dream to get a book published and yet I feel like I'm falling further and further behind on accomplishing that goal. I need to push myself ad whole lot harder and strengthen my resolve to stay focused. If I don't drift off to watch tv or scan the internet then the progress will hopefully prompt some of the enthusiasm that I've been missing so desperately.

Monday, June 27, 2011

The Choice


Like many of you, carving out some time for myself during my manic week is a pretty difficult thing...okay to be truthful its damn near impossible - especially as of late. And on the rare occasion that I do snag some of that precious spare time, its a staggering effort to choose what to do with my time.



  • Do I go out with the friends I haven't seen in forever?

  • Do I go out with the hubby to watch a movie that I've been dying to see?

  • Do I go out to dinner?

  • Do I stay in and Read?

  • Do I stay in and Write?

  • If write, what story should I choose?

It's extremely aggrivating - so much so that I get to the point where I can't settle on one thing and end up not doing anything fruitful!! Aggrivation city, people. Aggrivation city. So my question for you fine peeps is...DOES THIS HAPPEN TO YOU???!


And if so how do you deal?



Friday, June 24, 2011

Girl Pride


So those who know me, know that I'm all about a girl having pride in herself at any stage of life, and so I thought today would be a good GIRL PRIDE day.

Today, I give you this inspiration which comes from my daughter. Hearing her sing it at the top of her lungs up in her bedroom makes me smile everytime. Personally, I think it is the best message we can give to our little girls.

You should never - EVER - give anyone the power to make you feel bad about yourself. You are EXACTLY how you should be, and that will always be FABULOUS!

So this one is dedicated you are you girls out there. Sing it with me!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Reviews



So I was thinking about this yesterday and thought I would put it out there for opinions. When it comes to movies, I really don't put any stock into a critic's review. I go to a movie purely for the fascination factor - if it looks intriguing then I'll go to see it. The critics' opinions be damned.


I just find that they don't have a clue what they are talking about when it comes to the tastes of the general public.


That being said, I find the complete opposite is true when I'm talking about books. Well maybe not the complete opposite. Let me explain.


I still can't really stand the "professionals" that critic books either. The ones paid by the industry because ...well ...they are being paid. It just feels like they are backing the ones that come with the biggest paychecks.


However, if I have two books that I really want to get but can only pick one, I'll check out the jacket cover, maybe the first page or two, and then see if there are any good reviews about it on Goodreads. You see the reviews on Goodreads, I will pay attention to because they are written by normal, everyday, rabid readers. The people who read for enjoyment, not just to seem like they are intellectual elite.


Do you know what I mean?


So what do you guys think? Do you pay attention to what the critics are saying? or do you prefer to go with your gut on books?


And for the Inspiration For Your Day: Ke$ha's Blow - Purely for the randomness of the video... :D



Friday, June 17, 2011

Inspiration for your day



I haven't heard this song in a while and thought I would post it as a tribute to all my friends that entered the armed forces after school. They make me so proud every day.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

What If...



I figured I would play the "What if..." game today. What if you could choose any one author (living or dead) to work with on a project, who would it be?

Honestly, I'm not sure I have an answer to this myself. There are too many authors I would love to pen something with that I can't really pick one. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? J.K. Rowling? Dan Brown maybe? hmmm....

What about you? Do you have an authorial hero you'd give anything to work with?

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

How Awesome is this?!


I've been looking for something uplifting to post on the ole' blog today and my bestie sent me this link. It's got to be the coolest thing I've seen in a very long while and I wanted to share.

So backstory: USA Today wrote an article deeming Grand Rapids a "Dying City" and in an effort to prove them wrong, the awesome people who live there put together this video that not only shows off how beautiful their fair city is but also breaks the world record for most people involved with Lipsyncing a song. It was also shot in one continuous shot - no editing - which given the fact that it is close to 10 minutes long, running thru the majority of the city streets while filming and has more than 5000 people involved is pretty damn impressive.

Hope you guys enjoy it. :)

Monday, June 6, 2011

Inspiration for your day


I'm sure I posted this one before, but today just felt like it should be a "Jump Rope" day. :)

Friday, June 3, 2011

Inspiration for Your Day


Here's something to put a little smile on your faces on this fine Friday afternoon. :) Hope you all have a great weekend!


Yael naim_new soul by djohar_75