One of the most consistently funny blogs I've come across: http://jensenauthenticity.blogspot.com/
If I ever need a pick-me-up, I check here first.
Happy writing!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Blogging Elsewhere
This week I am blogging at asscheekangels.blogspot.com. It is a group of ladies I met after the RITA's at RWA 2010. They are wonderful, and I am so excited to be part of the blog rotation.
Despite the name (you had to be there), the blog is about writers and their careers from inspiration to publication.
Happy Writing!
Despite the name (you had to be there), the blog is about writers and their careers from inspiration to publication.
Happy Writing!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Not Going to Let it Get Me Down
I am soooo close to finishing my short, and although there will be a few holes to patch and some characterization to perfect, I still like the story and can relate to the characters. I am now sitting at around 12,000 words, and I'm at the stage that I can feel the ending, so all I want to do is write until the characters get their HEA.
My motivator? The DAY JOB. The harder it gets, the more I need to write. Writing is like the one thing I have complete control over, and I love to put on my headphones, crank the IPOD, and let my fingers fly over the keyboard (easier said than done). But, at the end of every day, I get so excited to sit down at my computer and push a little further. So, what motivates you the most to get BICHOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard)?
Oh, and on the 27th, I will be blogging at www.asscheekangels.com. It is a wonderful group of ladies that I cracked up with after the RITA's at RWA. Many different geographic locations, age ranges, and writing stages were represented. Jennifer Jakes was one of the Golden Heart Nominees. Anyway, one of the hiiiilarious stories led to the name of the blog. I have had something brewing in my head for awhile, and whew! I need the brain space, so check it out later this week.
Happy writing!
My motivator? The DAY JOB. The harder it gets, the more I need to write. Writing is like the one thing I have complete control over, and I love to put on my headphones, crank the IPOD, and let my fingers fly over the keyboard (easier said than done). But, at the end of every day, I get so excited to sit down at my computer and push a little further. So, what motivates you the most to get BICHOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard)?
Oh, and on the 27th, I will be blogging at www.asscheekangels.com. It is a wonderful group of ladies that I cracked up with after the RITA's at RWA. Many different geographic locations, age ranges, and writing stages were represented. Jennifer Jakes was one of the Golden Heart Nominees. Anyway, one of the hiiiilarious stories led to the name of the blog. I have had something brewing in my head for awhile, and whew! I need the brain space, so check it out later this week.
Happy writing!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Grammar Police
In my day job, I'm a middle school English teacher. I was looking for jokes to help teach grammar in an interesting way. I can't use this in my classroom, but thought I'd share a laugh. I'm serious about my grammar, but not quite ready for the police force.
Apparently, it's the wide screen version.
Apparently, it's the wide screen version.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Mulling Things Over
I have mentioned before that I am a recent breast cancer survivor, as in, I finished chemo in April and radiation in July. And to be perfectly honest, I am still processing what happened. That sounds so together and spoken like a true counselor, but in reality, it's my easy way of saying, "Don't want to ride that crazy train again!" But often, just when I get back into my life groove, something sparks a reminder, and I have to figure out how it all fits together.
My very dear, darling, baby sister struggled through much of this year with me, and as soon as she saw the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure fundraiser was beginning, she pushed me to start a team. Two weeks later, I did. It took me that long to get through the anxiety about having to talk about my situation in order to raise money for the worthy cause. What? Kind of pretentious, huh? Maybe at face value, but I am a muller (I need to mull things over), and believe it or not, if I'm going to be noticed, I want it to be for the right reasons. Any attention makes me nervous. It's not that I don't like it. I just get anxious.
Now I'm excited and I've sent out e-mails to bring my participation to people's attention, so they can donate if they would like. Oh, by the by, if you would like to donate to my team "I Pink, Therefore I Am," please go to http://www.komenlexington.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home. I would appreciate your generosity.
Yet it's not all positive, at least to me. Often people say things in a very, very uplifting and positive way, and they definitely mean everything from the heart. What I'm trying to say before I get to my point is that the blame is all mine in how I take it in.
One of the kindest people I have ever met was trying to explain that she was glad I was *here.* In order to get to that, she explained that she'd lost her sister-in-law a few years ago. I take that very seriously. I expressed my very real sympathy, and tried to gracefully excuse myself. But she went on to say she was okay with her sister-in-law's passing because, in her mind, what they learned from that saved my life. She is right. They learn from every failure as well as each success, but my heart broke. My own mother-in-law died from breast cancer, and that loss was devastating. I don't want to piggyback on that misery. I can't celebrate that.
Of course, I was gracious and smiled. That was the right thing to do, and I'm all about doing the right thing, and I know she only meant well.
To end positively, I have also been told, at another time, that I'm a walking miracle. At first, I cringed. I'm just me, and the reason I'm still walking is because of my doctors and God (thus the miracle, Sherry, duh). So I mulled this over and realized, it's not all about me. If someone wants to call me a walking miracle whether I had anything to do with it or not, then there it is--I'm a walking miracle. Thank you, Good Lord above!
This blog is obviously very personal, and has been mulling around in my brain for a couple weeks (yep, that's me). The point is, in time, I will know how to talk about breast cancer. I am now coming out of my keep-it-in phase, and I can ease up on letting my heart hear others' words in it's own twisted way. Life is too important to be wasting much time mulling, so cue end of blog. :0)
My very dear, darling, baby sister struggled through much of this year with me, and as soon as she saw the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure fundraiser was beginning, she pushed me to start a team. Two weeks later, I did. It took me that long to get through the anxiety about having to talk about my situation in order to raise money for the worthy cause. What? Kind of pretentious, huh? Maybe at face value, but I am a muller (I need to mull things over), and believe it or not, if I'm going to be noticed, I want it to be for the right reasons. Any attention makes me nervous. It's not that I don't like it. I just get anxious.
Now I'm excited and I've sent out e-mails to bring my participation to people's attention, so they can donate if they would like. Oh, by the by, if you would like to donate to my team "I Pink, Therefore I Am," please go to http://www.komenlexington.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home. I would appreciate your generosity.
Yet it's not all positive, at least to me. Often people say things in a very, very uplifting and positive way, and they definitely mean everything from the heart. What I'm trying to say before I get to my point is that the blame is all mine in how I take it in.
One of the kindest people I have ever met was trying to explain that she was glad I was *here.* In order to get to that, she explained that she'd lost her sister-in-law a few years ago. I take that very seriously. I expressed my very real sympathy, and tried to gracefully excuse myself. But she went on to say she was okay with her sister-in-law's passing because, in her mind, what they learned from that saved my life. She is right. They learn from every failure as well as each success, but my heart broke. My own mother-in-law died from breast cancer, and that loss was devastating. I don't want to piggyback on that misery. I can't celebrate that.
Of course, I was gracious and smiled. That was the right thing to do, and I'm all about doing the right thing, and I know she only meant well.
To end positively, I have also been told, at another time, that I'm a walking miracle. At first, I cringed. I'm just me, and the reason I'm still walking is because of my doctors and God (thus the miracle, Sherry, duh). So I mulled this over and realized, it's not all about me. If someone wants to call me a walking miracle whether I had anything to do with it or not, then there it is--I'm a walking miracle. Thank you, Good Lord above!
This blog is obviously very personal, and has been mulling around in my brain for a couple weeks (yep, that's me). The point is, in time, I will know how to talk about breast cancer. I am now coming out of my keep-it-in phase, and I can ease up on letting my heart hear others' words in it's own twisted way. Life is too important to be wasting much time mulling, so cue end of blog. :0)
Monday, September 6, 2010
Bad Writer; Good Writer
How bad do you beat yourself up if you don't meet your deadlines?
I didn't meet my deadline, but I did make progress. My story went from floundering to flying along and, given another week or two, it will be ready to submit. What was it that got me BICHOK (Butt in chair, Hands on keyboard)? Twitter! No, really, I'm not joking.
I was taking a "break" from writing when I came across a tweet that praised a writer's website called www.750words.com. Nothing special, but when you set up an account, it keeps stats for you and encourages you to write 750 words each day (you can easily write more, if you want, then cut and paste into a word document). It's very much like NaNoWriMo, but a daily goal, rather than a monthly goal. Plus, it's small enough that you can easily meet your goal within an hour if you really work at it. It keeps track of your overall time, your words per minute, your breaks, even some categories that show what you focus on most. To make it even more useful as a writing tool, it shows the words you repeat often.
Is it the end-all, be-all for writers? No, it's probably not even something that I'll use every day, but it does add an element of fun.
All this brings me back to deadlines. Although I didn't meet my goal, I feel better about my progress and, yes, I have a new deadline (probably a little more realistic this time). If I write 1000 words a day for the next ten days, I'll finish my short. Wish me luck!
Happy writing.
I didn't meet my deadline, but I did make progress. My story went from floundering to flying along and, given another week or two, it will be ready to submit. What was it that got me BICHOK (Butt in chair, Hands on keyboard)? Twitter! No, really, I'm not joking.
I was taking a "break" from writing when I came across a tweet that praised a writer's website called www.750words.com. Nothing special, but when you set up an account, it keeps stats for you and encourages you to write 750 words each day (you can easily write more, if you want, then cut and paste into a word document). It's very much like NaNoWriMo, but a daily goal, rather than a monthly goal. Plus, it's small enough that you can easily meet your goal within an hour if you really work at it. It keeps track of your overall time, your words per minute, your breaks, even some categories that show what you focus on most. To make it even more useful as a writing tool, it shows the words you repeat often.
Is it the end-all, be-all for writers? No, it's probably not even something that I'll use every day, but it does add an element of fun.
All this brings me back to deadlines. Although I didn't meet my goal, I feel better about my progress and, yes, I have a new deadline (probably a little more realistic this time). If I write 1000 words a day for the next ten days, I'll finish my short. Wish me luck!
Happy writing.
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