A Series of Unfortunate Events

So, you may have noticed my horribly conspicuous absence the last long while. I've said several times that my life is crazy. Well, I should explain some of that craziness.

My mother has vasculitis, a terminal illness, and I have to take care of her most all of the time right now. I am job-hunting in the extreme, as my family needs more money to not lose our house, I have farm chores to keep up, I've been sick myself, my aunt moved in and brought with her a hurricane of chaos, and my dad takes out all of his stress on me. Don't even get me started on my romantic life.

Suffice it to say, I haven't had time to do anything towards writing or working on a blog. I hate that my life turned crazy right when I was planning on keeping up a blog, finishing my novels, and making my dreams come true. I suppose I'll consider this a postponement of my dreams, but I will definitely pursue them whenever I have a spare moment of time.

Thanks so much for reading my blog. I promise to get back on here whenever I get a moment of time to talk about life, writing, and what happens when the two collide. Talk to you later, have a great day, and happy writing!

Best Friend's Boyfriend

Okay. So last post I announced I was still alive (YAY!), but very sick. I'm glad to be able to tell you that I am getting better, finally, and that life has been semi-calm for the last few days. I'm very excited about this fact, as my life has been more crazy in the last month and a half than it had been in over a year before that. Love triangles, depression, loss of some close friends, stressful family issues, sickness, etc.

But I felt bad the entire time. I knew that Kathy S had an issue, one that I dearly wished to address. I'm so sorry I haven't done so before now. Just so you know, Kathy, I was in a very similar situation once. My best friend and I had a crush on the same boy in high school. He decided to date her, and seduce me. He would hold her in his arms and stare at me for hours. He even asked me what I would do if he kissed me. I told him the truth: I'd run crying to my best friend, explaining what happened.

He was pissed over that, and didn't try anything then. But it was a bad situation. It resolved itself, eventually, with a very bad scene in the end. Fortunately, I walked away relatively unscathed, though I had to get a new best friend, love interest, and school. Oh, well. It worked out for the best.

So, Kathy, I do understand a lot of what you're going through. It's very difficult to do, but starting over with new (preferably more loyal) friends is usually better for you in the long run.

Here's a video for you to enjoy. I dedicated it to my best friend's boyfriend all those years ago already, but you can dedicate it to your own villain-of-choice. ;)

I hope you enjoyed that! Have a great day everyone, and I promise to get back on here and discuss writing soon.

Return from the Dead

I'm not dead, everyone. Just really, really sick. Let me tell you, this year's flu stinks. I feel disgustingly ill.

Anyway, I know I've been gone since August. And I know I was supposed to help poor Kathy S. With her horrible friends issue. In case you haven't dealt with that yet, my advice to you, Kathy S, is to find new friends. Ones that will believe you when you say a guy hit on you. No matter who the guy is. I'm sure your friends (if they're real friends) will come around eventually (if they haven't already), but in the meantime, I'd look for some more loyal friends.

I can't stay on long. I feel too ill to chat much. Just wanted to tell everyone I'm still alive.

Have a nice day! And happy writing!

Yikes! August is Over...

I can't believe August is ending today. Where did the time go?

So, what is everyone else up to? I've cried on your shoulders (a lot) lately, now it's your turn. What projects are you working on? What writing problems have you run into? And, if you're not a writer, what's life doing to you right now? 

My personal life has been difficult lately. I'd love to hear about your problems, it'll make my problems sound less difficult.

Anyway, sorry I haven't been around much this month. Writing has been taking a backseat to my personal life. I'm always apologizing for that, but I wanted to get on here and tell you I'M NOT DEAD, I swear. Just hibernating, or licking my wounds, if you like.

Thanks so much for all those who take the time to read this, and holler at me with any news you may have on YOUR problems, I'd love to do an article with some ideas on how to fix 'em.

Writing quote of the day:

"Most things good for writing are bad for life. “May your life be not very good material” is a blessing I offer students." —Lorrie Moore

Have a great day and happy writing!

Out of Balance -- Life and Writing

My life tends to be either very calm and boring, or very exciting and chaotic. Rarely do I make it to a nice, even middle.

When is it, do you think, that I do the most writing? Of course, it's when life is calm and boring. Whenever life gets chaotic, I don't have the time or health to write. Am I alone in that horrible trait: allowing your writing to fall to the wayside?

I believe that the truly successful writers are those who don't allow their writing to ever fall by the wayside. If only I could be one of them. Somehow, I have to find a way to make do with what I was given. This time, I'm determined to finish this book and get it published. But...my writing WILL fall away into unimportance when life gets hectic again.

I'd like to take this time to thank all those who took the time to encourage me to continue writing (I still shudder when I think of that Twilight/Harry Potter crossover fan-fiction) and to tell you I have gotten some writing done. Just not as much as I would wish. But progress is progress, right?

However, I have another plea. Am I the only one who finds the act of writing easy, but the work of writing hard? Once I sit down and write, the words flow like magic. It's the sitting down and writing that I have such trouble with. Sometimes, I am not mentally able to handle the work of it. Other times, I'm not physically able to sit in the chair for long hours. More often than not, I'm distracted by other problems. Does anyone know of a way to get work done every day, no matter what? To force myself to work?

My life is out of balance. Whenever my writing is doing well, my life sucks. Whenever my life is doing well, my writing sucks. Is there ever a way to make the see-saw level out?

Thanks for listening, and for any advice you may care to offer. Here's our beautiful writing quote of the day:

"Capture your reader, let him not depart, from dull beginnings that refuse to start." -- Horace

Happy writing!

Past Due

So, as many of you know, I had a tentative writing goal of finishing my first draft by July 31.

I did not succeed.

My next goal is for September 15, 2011. At that time, I desperately want that first draft complete. While it is true I have a third goal, a goal that absolutely MUST be met, set for December 31 of this year, it would be nice if I could make it by September 15.

Only problem? That's a little more than a month away and I am not even half-way through the first draft. I know I can do it, if I set my mind to it, but it won't be easy. Because of that fear of failure and the difficulty I am facing, I have a request of all of you who are kind enough to be reading this.

Can you give me your support?

I need you to needle me a bit, push me to get this work done. Even now, the current chapter I'm working on (oh, the depressing facts; it's Chapter 4) lies open on my computer. I just haven't written anything in it today. Or yesterday. Or the day before that. If I have any hope of meeting my next deadline, I'm going to need all the help I can get.

 

Writing quote of the day:

"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." William James

Happy writing all and thanks for all your help!

Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Fire! (Blog on Fire Award)

I have wonderful news! The beautiful, talented, and wonderfully kind artist's charm awarded me with the Blog on Fire award shortly before my recent short sabbatical from blogging. Thank you so much, Anna! I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to say anything, but life has been seriously crazy.

Plus, I went to the library. In fact, you'll find that many of my unscheduled sabbaticals from blogging stem from having visited the library. I truly love books that much.

Anyway, I have seven things about me to tell you again:

1.) I hate the smell and taste of alcohol. Even though I'm old enough to drink, legally, I haven't found many drinks that I like. Plenty I can tolerate, but none that I may enjoy.

2.) I love to sing and dance and act.

3.) I have a quite beautiful and powerful singing voice. Unfortunately, it fails me quite often on stage or in public. I have issues with being on stage as myself.

4.) I have acted parts in 2 plays, both musicals, and done spectacularly. My stage fright vanishes when I pretend to be a different person on stage.

5.) I dance okay. Not good or well, but okay. At least, my dancing isn't an embarrassment.

6.) I am allergic to the smell of cigarettes. They make my childhood asthma act up, and I feel as though I can't breathe whenever I'm around the smoke.

7.) I am a MAJOR procrastinator. I can procrastinate with the best of 'em, let me tell you.

And, as for the 5 people I'm passing it on to:

1.) Alice at Alice's Bucket List

2.) J. M. Dow at Obscurity and Competence

3.) Hazel at Pablo's Angel

4.) Stephanie at To Write a Better Story

5.) 3red at Everyday Adventures

Now, time for our writing quote:

"And all writing is creating or spinning dreams for other people so they won't have to bother doing it themselves." Beth Henley

 

Have a great day, and happy writing! Tune in next time for more of an update on my writing life.