Sunday, June 20, 2010

Show Some Blog Love - Results!!!

I promised I would be posting the results from last week's Show Some Blog Love post today, and (even though I spent the better part of the day trying to find an out of state doctor and then fill the stupid prescription that doctor prescribed me) HERE IT IS! By the skin of my teeth...unless you live on the West Coast...it's only 8pm there! :)

Okay...drumroll please!

First, here's who responded:
Diane (who by far had the most suggestions! Awesome Diane!) at Contentedly Neurotic

And now...drumroll please...here are the blogs you can't live without! Separated into helpful categories by yours truly :)


Helpful Blogs for Writers

Blogs by Writers Sharing their Journies

Spiritual Inspiration

How-To/Advice (Cooking, Photography, Etc.)

Helpful for Moms


PHEW! So, there they are. I hope that you find a new blog to love!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Sorry Gang

The "Show Some Blog Love" results post was supposed to be today. 

And then I woke up feeling like a big pile of...well, you can use your imagination. Could be too much sun. Could be not enough sleep. Could be a lot of things, but the outcome is still the same. Icky feeling! Definitely not in shape to be staring at a computer screen for more than five minutes.

I will post the results on Monday instead. I promise, there are some great blog suggestions in store for you! 

SO COME BACK ON MONDAY AND SEE ALL THE GREAT BLOGS FOR YOURSELF! 

I'm off to find some ginger ale. And a soft spot to lay down.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Thank You Kill Zone for Reading My Mind


I was going to write a post today about how my internal editor is KILLING ME. Every time I sit down to start writing, I try to refresh myself by reading what I'd written in my previous writing session. 

Then it starts.

Oh, that doesn't flow very well. Let's just fix that. Hmm, that doesn't really make sense right there, I'll just move it back a few pages. Oh, wait, where was I again? Oh, crap. I already said that a few sentences back, better cut that...

And on and on it goes, until I've wasted that very small chunk of time (when my kids are sleeping or not trying to kill each other) that I had planned to use writing.

Enter Kill Zone, where author Joe Moore has given us a post entitled "It's Perfect. Now Make It Perfecter." on the ill-effects of perfectionism. I mean, his post title alone sent me into full body convulsions. MUST FIX "PERFECTER". GAHHH!

Joe says, "First, you must convince yourself that NOTHING is perfect, especially when it comes to writing fiction. Now I’m not talking about spelling, punctuation, grammar and syntax. Those are the rules of writing just like the speed limit and stop lights are the rules of the road. But those rules have NOTHING to do with perfection, only correctness. Perfection is a mental concept. It can never be achieved. There will always be room for improvement.
Next, you must allow yourself to write less-than-perfect prose the first time with the understanding that it's more important to tell the story."

I should have this quote tattooed on my body somewhere, because it would be helpful to be reminded of this advice EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

What about you? Are you beaten down by your perfectionism?

Thanks, Joe. I needed this today :)


Monday, June 14, 2010

Love It/Hate It - Limited Release Florida Edition

So we made it to Florida after a 12 hour drive and minimal outbursts from the kids! Woo Hoo! It has been lovely so far. Here's a few things I'm loving at the moment:

Love It:
1. Sunshine and blue skies during the day, making the beach a heavenly place to be. Also, my boys look like Coppertone kids, and it's so stinking cute.
2. Rain showers in the afternoon making for delightful naptimes.
3. A pool mere steps from my parents' condo.
4. Family!!! (a.k.a. FREE BABYSITTING!!!) Also, I have the best.family.ever. and I love them to pieces.
5. Tomorrow I celebrate 8 years of marriage with my amazing husband and best friend. I love you babe!

Hate It:
1. Seaweed. Why is this stuff necessary again?
2. When those rain showers turn into thunderstorms...not so delightful.
3. My hair in Florida weather = frizzy all the time.
4. My own tan lines...grrr. However, better to have tan lines then no tan at all, am I right?

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far! Don't forget, there's still time to let me know what your favorite blog is! Tune in Friday to see the suggestions. You never know, you might find a new blog you can't live without! :)

*Photos courtesy of Google Images

Friday, June 11, 2010

Show Some Blog Love


Do you have a favorite blog? Or several favorites that you follow? Are they inspirational? Are they funny? Do they ask questions that get you thinking? Well here's your chance to tell everyone WHO YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT! (Okay, maybe that's a stretch - but who do you reallyreallyreally like to read?)

Next Friday, I will link to all of the blogs you mentioned, as well as to your own!

So show some blog love...and leave a comment with your favorite blog(s)!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

On Tooting Your Own Horn


In a recent post about how to use social media more effectively, blog friend Jody Hedlund said, "Cyberland is not the place to continuously brag about our awesome accomplishments and our five-star book reviews."

And I completely agree - as I often do - with Jody's assesment...

EXCEPT FOR TODAY!

No, no, dear readers. Today I'm bragging. Shameless, Blatant, Narcissistic BRAGGING.

Why? Why all this nonsense?

I'll tell you.

I got an HONORABLE MENTION in agent Rachelle Gardner's One Sentence Summary Contest. I almost peed a little when I saw it.

In all honesty, I'm incredibly grateful. I know it's not a HUGE deal (I mean, it's not like I actually WON the contest, my name wasn't even included next to my pitch) but it was good enough to be mentioned by Rachelle, and for me, little novice writer, that is BIG. 

It's big for me, because this writing game can be so nerve-wracking, overwhelming, and discouraging. This little blip, this flash of MY words on HER blog, was just the shot in the arm that I needed to get this book finished. Because maybe, JUST MAYBE, someone will actually want to read it...

Seriously, Rachelle, you've made this writer's YEAR. :)

What about you? Have you gotten a shot in the arm lately? Or could you use one?


Monday, June 7, 2010

This Mommy's Catching Some Rays


We're taking a little vacation to Florida a week from now, and this mommy needed to get some sun. BADLY.

I'm a native Floridian that has been transplanted to Georgia (which makes me sound like I don't have a husband and kids, but I DO!), so it is completely unacceptable to vacation down in my home state without the proper base tan. I do NOT want to look like a tourist (and yes, I can be incredibly vain at times).

Although, with the way this (horrific, catastrophic, idiotic) oil spill is shaping up, I may get brown just from taking a quick dip in the ocean. :(

So, I've been spending all of my free time with the kiddos soaking up some sunshine at our community pool, which has been GLORIOUS.

I'm a much happier person when the sun is out, are you?


Wednesday, June 2, 2010

RIP Hard Drive


My husband took my (sad little) broken laptop to the repair place to see how bad the damage was from its epic fall from the mantle of our fireplace.

Bad news is: my hard drive is a goner. Thank the Good Lord I had recently emailed my full manuscript to myself, because I still have that. However, all the notes, cuts, rough outlines, and character sketches that I had (idiotically) not backed up are gone :(

Good news is: I'll have a spankin' new hard drive, which means lots of free memory space!

Being without my laptop these last few weeks has felt like losing one of my limbs. I know there are diehard people out there who can write anywhere at anytime, but I am not one of them. I do NOT write well while I'm at home - thus the laptop.

There are two reasons for this: 1) My sons are crazy 2) My house is in constant need of attention because my sons are crazy. Having two (adorable, smart, energetic) boys means constant interruptions which, for this writer, means complete loss of concentration. I can usually only write (at least write WELL) when my kids are deep in sleep. And that's only if I lock myself in our office (or at my desk in my bedroom, which I think I need to MOVE because of its proximity to my BED). If I don't lock myself away in a room, then I will be too tempted to turn on the television or fold the ever haunting pile of laundry or clean something.

My places of choice to write are Barnes & Noble, where I can be surrounded by books (I find that very inspiring) or Starbucks, where I'm bombarded with the aroma of coffee (I find that very de-tiring...is that a word? I just made that up because it rhymed.) However, with no laptop I have been forced to write at home. Can't wait to edit THOSE chapters.

All that to say, I'm very excited to get my laptop back...I've missed her very much (Of course she's a SHE!).