Wife Swap & Writers

There's a show called "Wife Swap" on ABC. They take two wives from different kinds of lives and make the change places for two weeks. First week they have to live by the orginal family's rules, second week the family has to live by their's. Free thinkers to devote religious types, uptight type A personalities who rule with an iron fist to wild hippy types. Most are shocked by the way the others live their lives and think their own way is better. They cause trouble, protest and in some instances throw up their hands and walk out. One had a vegan go live with a country type family who just went out and hunted their own food. When the Vegan stand in wife said, "Sorry, we don't have any meat for tonight." The husband picked up his gun and went out and shot them some dinner.

You can see all types on this show except writers.

I doubt they can ever put a writer on a show like this because writers observe life and love to experience new point of views. You never know when you can use that in a book! Put a writer on a farm? Koool, we could learn about planting and cows. Put a writer in the home of a hard core, animal rights activist? Yes, lets see what thats all about. Would there be any place a writer wouldn't want to go for two weeks?

As a writer, what kind of lifestyle would you like to try? Where wouldn't you want to go?

Pig Fly in NJ-Mr. Corzine, Can you hear us now?

Friday over 700 people gathered at the State House in Trenton to protest the governor's 800% toll hike. They released hundreds of pig baloons to prove a point to a Governor who is just not listening to New Jersey.
He spoke at schools around the state and was met with loud catcalls, Boo's and Oinks. And still he wasn't listening.
The flying pigs were something the Govenor brought on himself by making the statement, "Pigs will fly over the state house before there's a realistic level of new taxes or spending cuts that can fix this mess." He also denied hearing any oposition from the residents he will be extorting money from. Exactly what does "Booooo" mean, anyway?
My own husband travels over two hours on these toll roads everday. I hear Corzine saying the state had debt to pay but does he realize the people who have to travel the farthest to get to good paying jobs aren't the richest people in the state? That these people work hard for their money and some are going paycheck to paycheck just to get by? So Mr. Corzine, where are these hard working New Jersey residents going to get the money to pay your toll increase? Do we need to get a second job? Start working nights? Are you trying to increase the mass exodus that NJ has been experiencing over the last few years?
Well, the pigs have flown. Govenor Corzine, can you hear us now?

Favorite Quotes

"Anyone who thinks Sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."

I don't know who said that, but it inspires.

I found it on my daughter's away message. It made me hope I taught her to dance in the rain. (I know we've howled at the moon a few times!)

Redline and Deadlines did quotes in their Thursday Thirteen yesterday. They were all book/reading quotes and they were great too.

So, what's your favorite quote?

The Amazing Mark Terry

The past few days Mark Terry has been giving Freelancing lessons on his blog. Jump on over and check it out. I think the man's a genius.

I'll be facing unemployment in a few months so I'm trying to come up with a stategy to stay out of the 9 to 5 world. I want to go to work in my PJ's, sip a decent cup of coffee while pounding the keyboard and staying home with the puppies to play the let dog in, let dog out, let dog in game all day long. Ahhh, heaven!

Since I don't have a bevy of agents and editors knocking my door down with six figure deals I have to come up with something else.

So, let me know how you stay away from that 9 to 5 world and stop over and see what Mark's been blogging about. Its like information heaven!

THE DREADED REWRITE...

First draft finished and (if I have to say so myself) I'm pretty pleased with it. Some parts tugged at my heart, other's scared me to death. AAAhhhhh, feels like a winner.
However, I've been here before. Finish off a novel. Hundreds of pages of writing that felt sooooo good when I sped through the first time, now I reread it and wonder--what the heck was I thinking?
All chapters aren't that bad, some are coming across damn good. (okay, just my humble opinion) Other's need work. Lots of work!
The rewrite and polishing are even harder then writing the story the first time. Right now I'm ready to move on to my next story-which I kinda started when I was about 100 pages into this one, sometimes things just jump into your head, I can't help it-but if this one is ever going to move from shelf to agent the dreaded rewrite has to be done. I just don't feel like it. I want to move ahead into the next story which is currently mapping itself out in my brain. And then there's the many solitare games that keep me sidetracked. (see photo)
Question: How do you keep up the motivation to get from first draft to finished product?

Critiques-Not always your Friend, Not always an Enemy

Art is subjective. Always remember that. No matter what form your art takes there is always a critic out there waiting to voice an opinion. The scary part is, not all critics should be critiquing.
I once sat in a group and where no one could get past one writer's use of the word "fuck". I sat there thinking the problem wasn't with the writer, but since I was new I kept my mouth shut. However, my mind was churning. I kept thinking, "These people are too closed minded to critique anything not written on two (or was it three?) stone tablets and brought down from a mountain. Who can discuss "fuck" for an hour?" Eventually, my thoughts turned to, "Here's an hour of my life I'll never get back. " and I couldn't wait to leave. I never went back to that group, but often thought of the woman who dared to let her character use that awful word. If she stayed in that group was she ultimately beaten down? I guess I worry about her from time to time and feel guilty I didn't speak up. I'm sure she could have used just one positive word among the anti-fuck peeps.
I think writing is one of those strange art forms where we seek out the critics. Hold our art up to the masses and say; RIP ME APART! (Painter's don't ask our opinion-they are simply expressing themselves.) But no, we writers just bare our souls and beg to be torn asunder.
RIP ME APART we say.
I think that's what we should be saying...but only to the right people. Critique groups should be tried on like new shoes. Maybe walk a while in them, see how they stretch out and then either keep them under your pillow or toss them out.
A good critique group will give you the good with the bad. Lift you up, sing your strengths while advising you about the weaknesses in your work.
A critique is only an opinion. Take it in, consider it for a bit, maybe try it on to see how it fits and then make up your own mind. (an open mind)
A wise woman once told me; Put your ego in the backseat.
I think this is especially good advice for a writer. No matter what the fuck they say.
:)

Are you PC???

I was wandering around over at Redlines and Deadlines: http://redlinesanddeadlines.blogspot.com/ and found a great post about what is and isn't PC when writing fiction. This is something I agnonize over many times when I'm trying to give a "feel" for a specific type of character. Does my description make sense? Did I give my reader a good picture of of the character? Did I offend anyone?
I have a character. I've actually made this guy from a blend of two people I've worked with. One was a very tall, intellegent man (a chef) with a great sense of humor (always playing practical jokes) who happened to be black. The other was an obnoxious slob who I could not stand and he happened to be white. So, for the story I needed a chef but the character was a sleeze...I blended the practical joker with the slob. So, now...tell me how to be PC and give a good description of this man???