Do you read Jay Lake’s blogs? Twitter? You know how he says ‘A reader reacts to BOOK TITLE (they liked/didn’t like it)’? Well, if you’ll forgive my being a total copycat:

A reader reacts to Shades of Green (He liked it).

Though, the reader’s pretty biased — he’s a friend of mine. Still, he liked it. He really liked it

I’m feeling intimidated by the novel I’m working on. It’s sad but true. The novel in question is currently titled ‘See The Sky Again’ and so far its got an interesting ‘life story’. I started writing it as a NaNo novel a couple years ago and then stopped because I realised it could be a really good novel if I gave it some more time to develop in my brain before writing it. So I stopped working on it, but not thinking about it. My subconcious has been chewing away on it ever since.

A few months ago I started working on it again, then I enrolled in a novel-writing class with Candas Jane Dorsey. The class, it turned out, include a lot of critiquing (both giving and recieving). I don’t usually show my work before I’ve got the entire first draft done. History has taught me that this is for the best, however, I mean, this was Candas Jane Dorsey. If I was going to get a critique from her on my work I was going to get it on the project I cared the most about. That was StSA.

I got fantastic feedback on the first two chapters which I then revised the crap out of, turned into one chapter and submitted for new feedback. The second round of feedback was even better than the first, so another revision ensued. Then another after I sent the first chapter to my regular critique group to make sure some parts I wasn’t sure about worked.

Here’s the problem. Chapter one of StSA is the best piece of fiction I’ve ever written. Ever. And now I’m intimidated by it. It feels like a betrayal almost to add on to it with a crappy first draft. I know I have to. I know that the first chapter is like version four and that the stuff I’m writing subsequent to it will eventually be polished and revised to be good. I know that the first draft of anything is shit and that I have to let it be so and just get it out. I know all these things, but I’m still paralyzed. Knowing things and knowing things are entirely different.

I’ve decided that enough is enough. I can’t be held hostage by this block anymore and I’m going to write. 1,000 words a day. The plan is threefold. First, I’ll use willpower. I know I have it, I just need to channel it into this and really stick to it. Secondly, Jo is making me a spiffy word count program with pretty graphs and stuff, that will help keep me motivated on the especially hard days. Thirdly I’ve discovered that I write better outside the house. Now that it’s warming up around here I’m going to be going to coffee every morning, taking a notebook and writing long hand while I’m there. The link between coffee and writing will be a good one, as will setting up a routine and getting out of the house.

Wish me luck. I may need it.

As Ms. Parrish is apt to do, every word feels intentionally and methodically chosen for its effect on the reader, be it emotional or visual.  And as Z’thandra goes about her daily routine and is spit on and wrongfully accused of different actions, we want her to be able to escape the madness surrounding her.  The ending of the story… The end is simply beautiful.

That is part of Kari Wolfe’s review of Shades of Green. She likes it, she really likes it Yay! You can read the whole review here if you’re so inclined. I got the google alert about her post while I was playing WoW. We were in the middle of the apothecary boss fight in SFK and was so distracted reading the review that I (being the healer of our group) accidentally let the DK’s ghoul die. (Sorry David). Still, yay!

Dear Facebook,

I’m sorry, but this just isn’t working out. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve been spending less and less time with you these days, and the fact is I think we need to break up. I’ve changed, you’ve changed…it’s just not the same.

I used to think it was loads of fun looking up all the people I went to school with, looking at all their pictures, their kids, their cats, and it’s true you helped me locate friends I thought I had forever lost touch with, but that’s not enough anymore. It’s not.

And then Scrabulous got taken away. I think maybe that was the beginning of the end right there. Zombies and vampires are awesome, but Scrabulous beat them all hands down.

My favorite thing to do was to look at all my “friends” (and I have to put that in quotes Facebook because you and I both know that there are friends, and then there are “friends”. C’mon, admit it) statuses and feel like I was kept up to date on what was going on in their lives. I felt a connection, however vague, it was there. You keep changing your appearance and layout so much I can’t do that, and I feel like I need to constantly decipher you.

Also, what’s with the mood swings? You seem to randomly decide what you’ll show me on my feed and what you won’t — no matter what settings I change or what I tell you to show or hide. I don’t get it, this game you’re playing, and I am not willing to be a part of it. If you want to play your little powergames, you can do it alone.

That’s right, Facebook, I’m going to set another page as my home page. I know, I know, but you had to have seen this coming, surely?

I’ll still come back once a day, Danica likes it when I play Pet Society with her, and I still sort of like the ‘Slots’ and ‘Pull Tabs’ apps, but that’s all. You are no longer going to be a place I spend much time, and I won’t try to count on you to keep up with my friend’s lives.

I have twitter now, my blog, and as always my faithful live journal. Plus, there’s email and *gasp* face-to-face meetings too. So I’m leaving you Facebook, I just need to make sure I tell all my friends there, so they’ll know where to find me.

I hope you find someone else, Facebook, and can be happy. I really do.

Best,

Rhonda

It is not safe to be a paperclip around my house. I bend them, twist them, chew on them…I’m not easy on paperclips.

It’s becoming a bit of a problem, actually. Not only because I am running out and thus, don’t always have them handy for times when I want to actually clip paper, but for a couple other reasons too.

Firstly, they get everywhere. They are in my pockets, on the table, on the counter, beside my computer, on the floor. You name it, there is likely a mangled paperclip there.

Forgetting them in my pockets when I do laundry? Yeah, not so good for the clothes.

Forgetting I have one in my mouth (like some people do toothpicks?) and kissing Jo? Yeah. Also not so good.

I need to go to paperclips anonymous or something.

I think I’ll start using binder clips like these instead.

Or I could use a stapleless stapler like I Jo has ( http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/8b70/ ). The binder clips seem like a better idea though, because I have a whack of them kicking around here already.

Sure, mine aren’t pretty colors like these ones (How cool are they, by the way?), they are just straight up black, but they’ll do the trick. When I say I have oodles of them, I am not kidding. Jo tells me I always guess very high, but I’d guess there are 150 of em at my sewing table, because I use them when I’m quilting.

That’s right, they are multi-purpose and they won’t poke my loved ones when I try to kiss them. I think this realisation will help me kick the paperclip habit for good, actually. After all, the binder clips helped me make this quilt for my bedroom.

(sorry about the horrible picture, if you turn your head at just the right angle it’s almost okay)

Paperclips can’t do that, can they?

One last picture for the quilters I know visit my blog from time to time (hi mom!):

(Click for a bigger picture. Really, I fail at quilt pictures, especially king-sized quilts LOL)

Paperclips? Your days are numbered!