Link-a-Licious

Here are some links, some writing related, some not:

• Last day! Check out these writing e-books that are on sale for drastically reduced prices.
• Like Francesca Lia Block? Check out this site.
• Need a laugh? Try this erotica. I haven't actually read it though, since it's released for Kindle & I have a Nook. If you're interested in reading & reviewing this book, let me know! I would love to host a review for it on this blog.
• Stop naming your kids after Internet phenomena! They will not appreciate it when they are older.

Do you have a link you have felt a burning need to share? Share it with me in the comments; I love comments.

Writing: What Have You Been Up to?

So... haven't been writing as much as I should. Now comes the time when I tell you, my invisible readers, what I am working on so that I feel more accountable with regards to getting my writing done. I will do this utilizing glittery letters, to make my blog post more interesting. And also because it's pretty.

What have I been writing?



(review posts for this blog, as well as a fitness blog I'm making weekly contributions to for at least the next few weeks)

 

Because I was a Classical Civilizations major eons ago, am currently pregnant, and want a classically inspired book to read to my baby.

What projects have you been/are you currently working on? Please let me know in the comments below!

"Being a writer is not about owning the right gadget or program. It’s about sitting down and doing the work. Just like the invention of the vacuum did not mean 20th century housewives no longer had to clean, the invention of the iPad does not mean 21st century writers no longer have to write."

This quote is from an Indie Jane blog post written by Nancy Kelley. The original blog post has to do with writerly gadgets, which I, personally, don't relate to much (mainly because I am too poor to buy all of the latest gadgets). Yet this quote jumped out at me.

Regardless of your budget, if you consider yourself a writer, you probably at least have access to a computer, a printer, and the internet. And all of these technological advances are a great help - as well as a great distraction.

Check out this blog, which also features this comic strip & which covers the similar tangent of procrastination. Procrastinating while pondering the evils of procrastination? How awesome is that?!

Well, maybe the printer's not a distraction, unless there's a copier/scanner attached...

Just remember, if you're doing this at work -- you do not look as adorable...

& it's not as though Internet & computer games are the only distraction, either...

• Most writers have either school or a job (and many have both),
• many writers have children to take care of & raise (a blessing, but undoubtedly time-consuming),
• and then there are the small necessary chores (cleaning the house, laundry, etc.);
• not to mention, who doesn't get sick once in a while?
  

I know that I, personally, need an adequate amount of sleep to function like a halfway decent human being.

& even then, to be honest, it's not very pretty

With a myriad of other things to do with one's free time, and all of the obstacles whittling away at this so-called "free time;" why write?

I mean, really, doesn't it often feel that writing is a waste of time? Who doesn't feel like their writing is complete shite as they are writing their first draft? (Leaving F. Scott Fitzgerald and his ego out of this conversation, thank you very much.) Who doesn't feel drained? Uncreative?

Although he does look lovely in drag...

I suppose part of it is that a writer gets depressed, does research into his or her favorite writers, and generally realizes that he or she is not alone - almost no one feels like they know what they're doing when they're writing. Yet they keep writing, and some people get rather good.

For some reason, writers feel compelled to continue practicing & refining their craft - despite occupations, children, and illness.

And all writers know that there is no better feeling in the world than having placed the last mark of punctuation on a first draft.

That's why I keep trying, anyway. Thoughts? Please share them in the comments below!

Way to Go, America

Have you ever seen the movie "Meet the Robinsons?" There's this scene where Michael Yagoobian is discussing his descent into becoming a very tall, very thin, very angry villain who will eventually befriend a bowler hat. He walks down the school hallways carrying a binder with a pretty pink pony, his eyes on the floor, and looking back on this time, comments: "They all hated me."

That's pretty much how I feel, because no one voted on my NaNo ideas. Except I don't even have a pretty pink pony binder, and so the depths of despair darkening my heart yawn ever wider in a chasm that might never close, you guys. This abyss might remain agape forever.

For. Ev. Er.

Nothing could better illustrate that my readers are American than this FAILURE TO VOTE.

What you fail to realize, gentle, non-voting readers, is that your decision to behave like an American has taken away my right to do so by being indecisive and letting other people make my decision for me. This is my roundabout way of saying that I decided which idea to write about for NaNoWriMo - option #3: the Jane Austen continuation in the form of a modern re-make. Partially because I think I might actually have the ability to write a great Jane Austen spin-off. Primarily because it gives me an excuse to read about Jane Austen and re-read her works. Be warned: much Austen-related drooling is likely to occur within the forthcoming blog posts.

And I was able to come to a decision this time, but don't expect this to occur too often, guys. I am, after all, very patriotic.

America!

P.S. The above is only meant to be read in a jovial, joking manner. Although I do think it's a good idea to vote for important things - I mean, how ELSE will we know which is better: Coke or Pepsi?

The Power of a Great Title

I was innocently perusing the aisles of Family Video with the fiance, when he noticed that Shaft in Africa is on sale: $2.95 for the movie by itself, or 2 for $4 if we found another movie that doesn't rent well from the 2 for $1 section. Because I was feeling indulgent, like Mildred Pierce, I decided to get my fiance what he wanted & hope that he wouldn't kill someone & blame it on me later.

Obviously, we HAD to look for another movie. I mean, why pay an extra 95 cents when you can pay an additional $2? That's right - we're saving the American economy, people.

As we continued searching, I came across this:

I showed it to the fiance, who was all: "We have to get that!" & since I agreed, we did.

Now, I haven't SEEN Stripped to Kill yet, but with a title like that, it's obviously pretty freakin' hilarious. & so it got me thinking about titles.

I literally bought this movie b/c the title promises so much enjoyment being added to my life. Unfortunately, I pretty much suck at titling my stories - I am way too unoriginal to come up with a gem such as Stripped to Kill. Often, however, unless an author has an arresting cover (which, let's face it, authors basically have no control over. & by basically, I mean definitely), the title of a work is one of the first things the public sees.

So if I have a crazy-fun romp of a tale wherein the protagonist caves in to any & all road rage before having her car taken away by parents who finally decided to parent & is then subjected to the whims of being chauffeured by someone with even worse road rage... but just title it ROAD RAGE... it probably won't reach the audience intended, or as vast an audience as it could receive.

Does anyone have any suggestions with regards to titling projects?

Maybe next time, I should write down adjectives describing my project on slips of paper and randomly draw a predetermined number from a hat, then smush them together into a title. Or insert the word "ninja" into all my titles, especially when there are no ninjas in the story at all. Yeah. I should probably totally do that.

A New Challenge

I began this blog because I decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month.

Now, a new challenge has presented itself: ScriptFrenzy. Writing a 100 page script in the month of April.

YOU should sign up, too. There are some helpful tips on the page, and we've got a week and a half for plotting purposes.

I, personally, have not written a play in a long time. I think it's going to be fun. Especially since I'm fond of dialogue.

If you're participating, let me know in the comments! Also, relate your username, so we can be ScriptFrenzy writing buddies.

Think you're funny?

Prove it.

There's a contest looking for funny plays.

If you know how to craft plot, write dialogue, and make people laugh, then you should submit a play to the contest. Deadline = April 1st.