ROFL

Okay, truthfully I've never used that acronym but it totally fits my thoughts today!

Last night was critique group night. That coveted night of all nights, I smile a lot on critique group nights! And last night we were dying! There was so much more than smiling going on! 

Keli over at Keli Wright's Open-Faced Sandwich wrote about it and it got me thinking about how good it is to laugh! 

I haven't done a lot of reading at critique group lately because I'm working on a rough draft of a new book. But for some reason everyone had been kinda dead on the writing front. (It happens!) 

Well, I was not going to let my coveted evening run short! So, I pulled out a couple pages that at least resembled the intended storyline. I apologized, emailed, apologized again, and then read. 

After the first couple mistakes, we giggled, but as we went on some of the mistakes were so ill placed or took on such a different context than they were intended to be, that we were full out belly laughing in the back of the yogurt shop we were meeting in. It was amazing!

I think part of my willingness to laugh had to do with the fact that it was such a raw story. When you've worked tirelessly for months pouring your heart and soul into a story, it's painful even to show it to a close friend. Much less send it out to be critiqued and torn apart! (Even if they are still close friends :) ) But at this stage we simply laughed. 

We knew there would be changes, we knew the story would change, maybe even dramatically, so for now, we let it clean through our perfectionist souls and we simply relaxed and enjoyed the beginnings of writing that so many stories take! 

In fact I woke up today feeling better than I have in ages! I'm not saying I'll make a regular habit of this but it was sure a great night!

The Feeling of Getting it Right

Aaahhh, Joy.

Words come together like a giant puzzle, and when the last piece fits, it's joy. 

One word. Joy. 

Never mind that we'll usually try and see if the puzzle can be improved by adding another piece or two to the final project.

 Sometimes we think another 200 pieces is all it needs and then it will be perfect :)

 but, eventually we scrape off all the excess and see our words for what they are. 

Then a scene becomes happy and complete.

Yup, I get a little giddy at that point. Then I re-read and smile... a lot! 

Only then am I allowed to sweat and worry about whether everyone else will agree, but for the moment... joy!

If only :) meant, "Gosh, I'm happy today!"

I'm feeling happy today :) and wishing emoticons had an appropriate place in literature. 

I'm not the least :-} when I say I think they're a fabulous way to express emotion!

Instead of saying

 "Joy radiated from her face as she flung her body at him. Six months was way to long." 

Just tell us her thoughts about missing him and plug in a giant smilie! :D 

Then "He held her around the waist twirling them both as other airport travelers scattered. She squealed squeezing him tighter till she landed and stood giggling and swatting at him for his reckless behavior, but he refused to let go."

Do we really need all that, I ask you? It's so much tighter to tell that he twirled her she squealed at him and then show off a nice little :P Then you know exactly how she's feeling! Am I right?

Yes I think I'm ready to bring about this new age and technique in literature. The time has come. 

You might be feeling :-| or :-O but no worries ;) 

Dont be X( or :s There will still be a place for everyone! So no :'( among writers. Write on and we'll see who wins >:) 

If you'd like to join me, here's a link with an immense list of emoticons for your future writing purposes in this brave, new world we can create together!

:^o

Am I a little late for April Fool's?

Hello My Insecure Buddies!

OK I had no idea that this even existed! I'm new to writing and have just started learning about this great and marvelous and terrifying process. I'm a little afraid to get into all my insecurities because that just opens a major can of worms... but whatever I'll try to keep it small for now.

I love writing, and I love my writing friends. Today I want to talk about how terrifying it is to read my writing in front of my lovely sweet and kind friends. 

.

.

.

Well, that's it really.

It's freaking terrifying to open myself up like that. I've only done it a couple of times and my heart falls down in my chest and I notice every minuscule mistake. I usually stop and offer some form of apology when they are noticed. Then I crawl in to a hole hoping nobody laughs or that somebody will. Please, please, please, let there be something positive that can be said about this strange in process piece of literature that I've just laid out before you. 

Aah, that actually is quite nice to say out loud. Much easier than reading my most recent piece of first draft fiction. I've been told we all feel that way but when somebody turns to you and says it looks like it's your turn. Forcing myself to swallow and say "Sure!" Is about the hardest thing I've ever done!

But we do, and we survive, and I've not known anyone to die during this rare form of self inflicted torture. And what do we get of this situation? better. We get better. At reading, at writing, at listening. Submitting to the open minds of our friends who've been there and want nothing more than to help you is one of the best things we can do for those gravel rough pieces of crumbling fiction, that want nothing more than to be cleaned up and discovered. 

I think we can help them with that. 

Going Healthy! Outside-out!

I've been loving writing! I write all day and I walk away saying, 

"Wow! I did something amazing today!" 

However, it only happens a couple times a week. 

See, when I step away from the computer it's usually onto a pair of soggy pants left in my room by my son, and around the corner lies half the contents of my daughters bedroom, and my dinner dishes are mingling in the kitchen, with the forgotten breakfast and lunch leftovers. Oops! 

Anyhow I've been thinking it's time to turn things inside out and make a plan to get it all done! Everyone I know has a plan, my books even need a plan, if I ever intend to get to the end. 

So, why not me.

Then my friend started posting about a Summer Ready Health Challenge. 

Not weight loss, just health. It even had a spiritual component.

 I loved the idea of getting ready for summer inside and out! 

I was totally in! And it started today. 

Whew! It's been a little crazy trying to remember how to be healthy!

On top of the body and spirit portion of the challenge, I've added mind. I've given myself a personal challenge of daily writing to go along with the rest of it!  Not all day daily writing but some, even if it's just a little. I'm so looking forward to the next 8 weeks! I'm planning to come out of this with some new healthy habits for my body and mind!

Really it's not such an inside out approach, but I'm taking what I've already got out there and I'm gonna use it if I have to turn myself inside-out, or right side-in, or "outside-out" as my little guy would say :) 

As a writer, how do you turn yourself inside out?

 You write! You write so many words they are spilling out your fingers, and over the bound edges of your books! Then you gather a few up, and keep writing till they're exactly where they're supposed to be! 

I'm super excited! 

Here's to summer of outside-out books and lives!