I've been sort of offline (mostly lurking) this week, trying to be good and get some words down. I got a little bit done, but not nearly enough. Next week, I will be unplugging completely, so I won't be posting or commenting or reading. {:-( Except for the First Page Blogfest next Friday. There's still time to sign up and join in the fun. My 4,107th version of my opening will be up. Okay, so maybe there aren't that many versions, but I really have lost count of how many times I've rewritten it.
Now for the good stuff. :D
1. Sarah at Falen Formulates Fiction is having a writing contest to celebrate reaching 100 followers and she's giving away a ton of cool stuff! HURRY! This one ends today! (March 26th)
2. Karen at Novels During Naptime is having a fun Spring giveaway to celebrate reaching 101 Followers. She's giving away some very cute office supplies! I don't know about you, but I LOVE office supplies. Ends April 17th. Be sure to let her know I sent you. :)
3. Jennifer at Unedited is giving away THREE $10 gift cards for Amazon to celebrate her birthday and reaching 300 followers. Ends March 29th.
4. Frankie Diane at Frankie Writes is having a contest to celebrate reaching 400 followers and she's giving away personalized, signed copy of The Body Finder plus other fabulous goodies! Be sure to let her know I sent you. Ends March 30th.
5. Several of the contests I blogged about last week are still going, so be sure to check those out if you haven't yet.
UPDATE:
6. Fun giveaway by Summer at And This Time, Concentrate... to celebrate completing her novel. Ends March 31st.
That's it. Have a great week, everyone! See you all next Friday! :)
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Dude, Your Baby is UG-LY!
Originally posted November 12, 2009.
Okay, so no one would ever really say that. Would they?
This post isn’t really about babies. Not the real kind, anyway. On Tuesday, I expressed my love for critiques. But where there is the receiving of critiques, there must also be the giving, right?
Don’t get me wrong. I love giving a critique almost as much as I love getting one. Critiquing the writing of others is awesome for recognizing things you do wrong in your own writing, because a lot of us make the same mistakes. It also helps us look at our own work with a more critical eye. BUT… when it comes to hitting the send button on the email, I always think, “Oh no. What if this makes her hate me?” Especially if it’s a particularly thorough critique, where there’s lots of red on the screen. It kind of feels like I’m sending them an email saying:
“Dude, your baby is UG-LY! But here’s how I (self-proclaimed baby beauty expert) think you can make her prettier.”
How do you feel about critiquing others’ work? Do you worry they’ll take offense? Or do you just figure one good shredding deserves another, and they should just suck it up?
-----------------
And don't forget about Beta Club today. :)
Okay, so no one would ever really say that. Would they?
This post isn’t really about babies. Not the real kind, anyway. On Tuesday, I expressed my love for critiques. But where there is the receiving of critiques, there must also be the giving, right?
Don’t get me wrong. I love giving a critique almost as much as I love getting one. Critiquing the writing of others is awesome for recognizing things you do wrong in your own writing, because a lot of us make the same mistakes. It also helps us look at our own work with a more critical eye. BUT… when it comes to hitting the send button on the email, I always think, “Oh no. What if this makes her hate me?” Especially if it’s a particularly thorough critique, where there’s lots of red on the screen. It kind of feels like I’m sending them an email saying:
“Dude, your baby is UG-LY! But here’s how I (self-proclaimed baby beauty expert) think you can make her prettier.”
How do you feel about critiquing others’ work? Do you worry they’ll take offense? Or do you just figure one good shredding deserves another, and they should just suck it up?
-----------------
And don't forget about Beta Club today. :)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
They Lurk in the Shadows
Originally posted November 17, 2009.
I seriously don't know where she comes up with this stuff.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Critiques Are Like Crack
Originally posted November 9, 2009.
I hope that title doesn't offend anyone. :) Everybody cool? Moving on.
I'm totally addicted to critiques. I love getting feedback on my writing. All feedback. Good, bad, ugly, whatever. Sure, sometimes, critiques make me feel like crap, but they're so awesome for showing me all the areas in which I'm sucking*. Then my mind starts churning, and I get all excited, because I know I'm becoming a better writer as a result. And therein lies** the high. ;) Just say no to crack, kids. That stuff is bad news. But critiques? They're all good.
So, what about you? How do you feel about critiques? Love? Hate? A little of both?
*This post reminded me of this commercial. It's definitely sucking. I love it! :) Critiques kind of feel like this, right?
**Does anyone know if that sentence is grammatically correct? (Ignore the conjunction starting the sentence. I did that on purpose.) MS Word is telling me it should be lays. The whole lay/lie business can be very confusing, but that sounds totally wrong to me (which could be because it's kind of cliche phrasing), and it just makes me think of potato chips.
I hope that title doesn't offend anyone. :) Everybody cool? Moving on.
I'm totally addicted to critiques. I love getting feedback on my writing. All feedback. Good, bad, ugly, whatever. Sure, sometimes, critiques make me feel like crap, but they're so awesome for showing me all the areas in which I'm sucking*. Then my mind starts churning, and I get all excited, because I know I'm becoming a better writer as a result. And therein lies** the high. ;) Just say no to crack, kids. That stuff is bad news. But critiques? They're all good.
So, what about you? How do you feel about critiques? Love? Hate? A little of both?
*This post reminded me of this commercial. It's definitely sucking. I love it! :) Critiques kind of feel like this, right?
**Does anyone know if that sentence is grammatically correct? (Ignore the conjunction starting the sentence. I did that on purpose.) MS Word is telling me it should be lays. The whole lay/lie business can be very confusing, but that sounds totally wrong to me (which could be because it's kind of cliche phrasing), and it just makes me think of potato chips.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Motivational Monday—Sort Of
This is a repost from July 31, 2009.
Warm Fuzzy Preserves - Anybody Know Where I Can Buy Some?
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to store some confidence and good feelings for all the crappy days? When you're feeling down, just pop open a jar of warm fuzzy preserves and you're good to go? It's amazing how fleeting those feelings can be.
Several rejections on my query [July 2009], combined with a whole slew of other things that have been weighing down on me lately, got me thinking about how quickly we can lose the confidence that’s so necessary in this business. It amazes me how one day I can read something I’ve written and think it’s total crap but go back to it a week later and think it’s brilliant. And, of course, that works in the reverse as well, probably more frequently. Unfortunately.
It’s difficult to maintain confidence in your own work, especially with the abundance of exceptional work already out there. I often find myself comparing my work to others', even though there should be no comparison. Other than the technical aspect, my writing should be my own and whatever so-n-so does over there, should have no bearing on whether my work is good enough. Yet, even knowing that, I tend to hold myself to unreasonable standards, which only contribute to those am I good enough feelings.
Negativity is effortless for me. I wish I could be the kind of person that always looks on the bright side of things. I try, I really do, but some days, the dark, self-destructive thoughts just overpower everything else. Fortunately, I’m blessed to have a loving and supportive family and an undeniable faith in something greater than myself that give me a safe place to fall when I’m feeling the worst. And being able to express myself creatively has provided me with an outlet for those dark thoughts that would otherwise stay locked inside.
Whether it’s through drawing, painting, or writing, the act of creating something has a way of pulling me out of those dark places. Maybe it’s the pride of knowing I made something beautiful, in my mind at least. Maybe it’s that little feeling of power that I’m capable of creation. Whatever it is, creativity is my most effective tool for bringing me back to reality, even if it means I’m totally immersed in some imaginary world.
And of course, I couldn’t do it without all the amazing friends I’ve made through blogging. You guys are all so supportive and totally awesome!
So, do you ever have those days where you feel like nothing you do will ever be good enough? And what do you do to combat it? Is losing yourself in your work enough or do you find you have to step away and come back when you feel like you can have a more objective perspective?
Warm Fuzzy Preserves - Anybody Know Where I Can Buy Some?
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to store some confidence and good feelings for all the crappy days? When you're feeling down, just pop open a jar of warm fuzzy preserves and you're good to go? It's amazing how fleeting those feelings can be.
Several rejections on my query [July 2009], combined with a whole slew of other things that have been weighing down on me lately, got me thinking about how quickly we can lose the confidence that’s so necessary in this business. It amazes me how one day I can read something I’ve written and think it’s total crap but go back to it a week later and think it’s brilliant. And, of course, that works in the reverse as well, probably more frequently. Unfortunately.
It’s difficult to maintain confidence in your own work, especially with the abundance of exceptional work already out there. I often find myself comparing my work to others', even though there should be no comparison. Other than the technical aspect, my writing should be my own and whatever so-n-so does over there, should have no bearing on whether my work is good enough. Yet, even knowing that, I tend to hold myself to unreasonable standards, which only contribute to those am I good enough feelings.
Negativity is effortless for me. I wish I could be the kind of person that always looks on the bright side of things. I try, I really do, but some days, the dark, self-destructive thoughts just overpower everything else. Fortunately, I’m blessed to have a loving and supportive family and an undeniable faith in something greater than myself that give me a safe place to fall when I’m feeling the worst. And being able to express myself creatively has provided me with an outlet for those dark thoughts that would otherwise stay locked inside.
Whether it’s through drawing, painting, or writing, the act of creating something has a way of pulling me out of those dark places. Maybe it’s the pride of knowing I made something beautiful, in my mind at least. Maybe it’s that little feeling of power that I’m capable of creation. Whatever it is, creativity is my most effective tool for bringing me back to reality, even if it means I’m totally immersed in some imaginary world.
And of course, I couldn’t do it without all the amazing friends I’ve made through blogging. You guys are all so supportive and totally awesome!
So, do you ever have those days where you feel like nothing you do will ever be good enough? And what do you do to combat it? Is losing yourself in your work enough or do you find you have to step away and come back when you feel like you can have a more objective perspective?
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