I was away and am posting late and my awesome blog chain buddies said I can even skip this round, but if it’s any round I HAVE to do it’s this one. For this chain, Michelle H. says:
Be positive! Name some of the positive aspects of your writing — be it a compliment from a mentor, friend or crit partner to anything special you learned concerning your writing skills.
I have been in a funk for a while and taking stock of what I DO have in my life is the best treatment. I still love to write, still get excited at the prospect of a new story, still love the way new words feel in my head and on my lips, but it’s different than before publication. I never write just to write anymore. Everything I write is a potential novel or a means to get me there. And that’s OK. It doesn’t mean I like writing any less, just a fact of how things are. Some things, however, like bookstores don’t always hold the magic they once did. I can still walk into one and pop a squat, pull my son onto my lap and stay there for an hour or more just reading the oodles of books he wants. I love watching his face light up at the story, love that he can’t get enough stories, love watching what his almost 4 year old self gravitates to and how the possibility of me buying him a new book totally makes his day. In fact, if it wasn’t for him, I’d have forgotten that I once loved bookstores too. Before each trip to one consisted of me roaming the stacks trying to determine if the store carries INCONVENIENT. Before the answer to that could leave me happy happy or completely crestfallen.
So, you see, why I needed to do this chain. Here are the positives in my writing life.
1. Old friends: The first novel-writing class I took was at Mediabistro. I never published that novel (that was also started as my MA thesis) but I met one of my really close friends there. She is one of my crit partners now and my books are what they are in large part to her. But she is more than that. She gets me and our similarities calm my head when I think I’m a total basketcase. She tells me I’m not because she thinks the same way. Maybe we’re both basketcases. 🙂
2. Older friends: Last weekend, my husband, son and I went to visit one of my oldest friends, his wife, and their 11 month old baby. D and I have known each other since we were 8 (when I first wrote a diary entry about how cute he looked when he did long division–a page he ripped into tiny pieces) and have been friends since we were 13. I invited him to my Bat-Mitzvah and our friendship was cemented. He and his wife have been so amazing and supportive in this writing journey. They’ve scoured stores in their area, talked to store managers about me signing books at the stores, ordered books so stores would have copies, and have been my special DC area cheer section. There’s something to be said about a friendship that’s lasted almost 22 years, and I’m lucky to have him and his family.
3. New friends: When I found out INC was going to be published, I joined The Tenners. And through them I met Shaun. He became my other crit partner and a fantastic friend. It was one of those things where we just completely clicked. We e-mail almost daily and Skype when we can. And it’s been forever for that but today we’re Skyping and I’ve been looking forward to it all day. I can write e-mails the size of a novella where I whine and vent and complain and he totally understands where I’m coming from. And this keeps me from going crazy and centers me in this unpredictable field.
4. Readers: Hooray for Books in Alexandria, VA, agreed to do INC for their teen book club, and they were phenomenal. A small group showed up for the discussion but those who did truly enjoyed the book and were able to relate to it and were touched by the characters. It is amazing to have a supportive group like that and for stores to give me a chance, to be willing to read this book and stock it. It means so much.
5. My writing skills: I feel I’m continuously learning what I can do and accomplish. I set one set of goals in my head and where I think a story may take me and it goes somewhere else. I’m proud of myself for going beyond in revisions, for plugging away even when it’s daunting. For not doing something half-way when that’s what’s easier, when that’s “good enough”. I don’t want to be “good enough.” I want to be everything I can.
As I said, I’m last on this chain and am not sure who went before me as I’m out of order. Everyone’s entries are uplifting so go back to Michelle’s and read all if you haven’t.
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