What have I been doing since I have not been blogging about writing?

Writing papers until 3 a.m., doing more Algebra than one person should ever have to do in their entire lifetime, and staying up way to late until every night of the week doing homework. In other words, I'm in college.

It has been months since I blogged but I have been a bit busy. So what inspired me to blog? Julie and Julia. Every single time I watch this movie I get in a blogging and cooking mood. Haven't tried to do both at the same time but I really don't want to drop the laptop in a pot of vodka sauce.

My brain is a muddled mess and I have tons of homework waiting on me, so until next time...

Would Jane Austen be intimidated by today's technology?

That's what I wondered when I sat down at the computer after putting my son to bed.

When Jane wrote her wonderful novels she didn't have Word or Works on a lightening fast computer. Heck, she didn't even have a typewriter. She had the good ol' pen and paper. Would she be afraid(although it's hard to think of Jane being afraid of anything) to use it and still stick to what she knew?

I did a personal experiment a few months ago when I was in a stage of "All Austen, all the time" where I wrote only by longhand(aka using pen and paper). I thought I'd see what it would be like to write as Jane did. To my amazement I was less intimidated by a blank piece of paper than I was by the blinking cursor on the computer screen. It was easier to write my novel using a pen and paper, although not faster, than using the computer. Granted, it is a little embarrassing and time consuming to count each word to see if I've made my word count goal but it seems to flow better when I don't use the computer. There wasn't the mocking of the blinking cursor and the blank page staring me in the face waiting for words to be added to it. Although, maybe a blank piece of paper could be hard to face too.

I can't say I'll stop using the computer(obviously) but when I'm stuck I need to just pull out the pen and paper and write until my fingers fall off, especially since writing at all has been a challenge for me lately, on the computer or otherwise.

Blogging about blogging or lack there of...

My fiance created a new blog for me. That makes three blogs. Initially, my first thought was "oh, how sweet", my second thought was "why? I already have two that I don't use?" That posed a good question of why don't I blog more often? I think part of the reason I don't blog more than I do is 1)I go blank of what to blog about and 2)I don't want all of the interest knowing all of my business. I know a lot of people blog about what's going on in their lives, sometime down to every detail, and I just can't do it. I like to keep some things private. Writing book reviews and my adventures(or should I say frustrations) of being an aspiring author(who isn't writing) is fun and I want to get back into it but what would I need a third blog for?

Option 1) posting short stories. Bad idea. Anyone reading the blog can copy my idea and get published from it. That's in Aspiring Author 101, don't post your stories onto a public forum or site.

Option 2)I could start a blog about my son and family but that delves a little bit too far into the private catagory so that's a no.

Option 3)A movie review blog. A bit too similar to my book review blog but maybe sometime down the road.

Those are just a few options I'm considering. We'll see what I come up with.

Liz

My best friend...

Naturally, when you think of someone as your best friend they are the person you tell all of your secrets to and confess all of your fears and dreams for the future. They are also someone you laugh with and tell your dumbest jokes to without fear of looking like a complete weirdo(and even if you are they still love you and might even laugh at the bad joke)And when you're having a bad day you immediately call them because you know they are the only person in the world that can make you feel better. I am very lucky because I am in love with my best friend.

It's taken me nearly 11 years to get my head out of my ass to realize he's The One for me. There was always a romanticised version of "the one" in my head. He really does exist. He is not a fantasy. He's flesh and bone. His name is Eric. He is all of the things I've ever wanted. Maybe even things I wanted in someone but didn't know I wanted. He's funny and weird(in the good way). He's charming and hopelessly romantic. He encourages my writing but also tells me not to push myself too hard. He watches any Jane Austen movie with me and doesn't complain when I drag him to antique stores. He even laughs when I get excited about "a really old book". This wonderful guy has always been my friend and I did consider him a really good friend and best friend, someone I could tell anything to, but now I really, truly understand what the words "best friend" mean. It's more than just laughing and joking around with someone(although we do that a lot). Eric is the person I tell everything to. And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. I do it without fear of looking stupid or thinking I'm wrong because he loves me for me and unconditionally. He makes me feel wonderful and beautiful when I'm dressed up or even in a fleece pullover, no make up and my hair up in a knotted mess. He makes me feel unashamed and sexy when we make love. The passion we share for each other, in and out of the bedroom, is like nothing I've ever felt before. Yes, that was a little personal but why hold it back? I learned that from him, too. It's amazing the things you learn from someone in 11 years. I've also learned to embrace my "dark side" and let go of the angel I'm always trying to be. He's the person I can be "bad" with. I don't think he knows how much I love that. Now he does. And if he did know, he's relieved that I'm finally admitting it. ;-) I can be the real me around him without fear of being condemned for being weird or not the norm. For this and many other reasons I love him with all of my heart and soul.

I'm so grateful, thankful and blessed that I am able to call my lover my best friend but that is exactly what he is to me. And he always will be. He's my other half. The other piece of me. Without him I am not complete. He's my friend, lover, and future husband.

It's May...

...and I haven't been blogging at all. Obviously. Eric's blog inspired me to post today. I tend to be a copy cat because he blogs and then I realize I haven't blogged in a while so I end up blogging, too. Thank you, honey!

So what's been going on with me? Working, studying, and spending time with my son have been occupying my time. I took the THEA test this morning so that I can go back to school. We'll find out how I did in two weeks. I either did really well or really poorly. I'm hoping its the first one. What's the scariest thing is that I'm surprisingly calm about the fact that I took a major test today. It's not the "I don't care" calm. It's more of the "at peace with it" calm. Being calm is much better than freaking out, don't you think?

Things have been pretty lonely since I let(or more accurately pushed) Eric to leave. Stupid woman! I almost immediately saw the error of my ways and we are happily back together, even if we are 800 miles away from each other. All I have to say is thank God for texts messages. There's no other man that I want to be with and spend the rest of my life with. People say that all the time but I really cannot picture being with anyone else. He's the one I will be growing old with. (I know he's smiling his face off 1)because he loves when I say stuff like this and 2)I'm publically posting it. He's also thinking "about time"). I really came thisclose to letting a good thing slip away. All I have to say is I'm so grateful that he loves me enough to put up with my shit. There's no way to sugar-coat it because that's exactly what he did. If all things work in our favor he and the kids will be moved back down here soon and we'll be a big, happy family. And for all of those wondering what that means, it means rings are exchanged and my name is changed. I can't wait for that day!

How's my writing going you ask? HA! That is a funny question. Did you expect for me to say I've been writing all day like a mad woman? I wish that would've been my answer. It sounds much better than I'm not making time for it. I'm still determined to get published and there is still half the year left so there's still time to submit, at the very least, some short stories and novellas. I can do it. And I know Eric will offer help if I need "inspiration". He's been more inspiring than he realizes.

Anyway, I'm off to get some things done around here that I've been neglecting and then it's Mommy and Nathan Time. YAY!

Happy Reading!
Liz

March is starting off on the "write" foot....

and I am so happy about it.

I know it's been almost a month since my last post and I would like to say thatIi've been too busy writing to post but that wasn't the case until today.

I spent most of my day in Barnes and Noble(one of my favorite places in the whole world) and I handwrote 8 pages of a non-fiction story rotating around the heroes of Jane Austen's writings. I'm the last one to have ever thought I would write a non-fiction novel, or even attempt it, but I did and am. I'm surprised that my hand hasn't fallen off yet and there's even more proof of that because I'm typing this blog after writing all day.

Since I've reviewed almost twenty books I'm learning that writing a non-fiction novel about fiction characters is like writing a review. I'm telling people about the book and giving my two cents about it and the characters. That sounded like I was tooting my own horn but I wasn't trying to. I found writing really easy today. Almost effortless. That hasn't happened in a long time. I think the reason it felt that way was because I was interesting in what I was writing about(who isn't interesting in Mr. Darcy and all the other Austen heroes) and I knew what I was talking about. I did realize that I'm a bit rusty since the only book I've read is Pride and Prejudice but since I own all of her novels that problem can easily be solved. I could make snarky, snide comments and be funny and witty and it made things so much easier and made it fun to write.

In the times where I've written with a witty voice it's always gone by pretty quickly and before I knew it I had written 3,000 words or more so I can't help but ask why I don't do it more often. I just the answer is that I haven't found a balance yet. I want to be witty and humerous and smarmy and snarky, I just haven't figured out how to do that in every plot I've plotted, especially the historical ones. I quit writing on a story because it gets hard and I get stuck and I end up stiffling my inner witty voice that is crying out for attention that I'm not giving her. So I'm going to give it to her and see what happens.

I've been asking myself the question, "Why non-fiction?" all day? The reason... I saw at least 3 different stories about Mr. Darcy today while roaming B&N and I know there are countless others so I wondered, "Why do we love Mr. Darcy so much?" and the idea was born and eight pages later I had the answer, or at least part of it. I'm proud of what I wrote today, it's not total rubbish so I think I'll keep going...

Bad Christian...

Lent is tomorrow and I forgot. Not that I forgot, technically I didn't even know when it was this year. I totally skipped it last year and I vowed to do better this year. So what am I going to give up for 40 days as a sacrifice? I could give up chocolate but I don't really eat that much. Soda? I don't drink enough. The whole point is to give up something that is an "idol" and that would really miss during those 40 days without it but you give it up because of Jesus's enormous sacrifice for us.

So I started thinking, "what do I do entirely too much that "runs" me?" I made a list. First on the list? Facebook. Sad, isn't it? It is. Harvesting, growing my town, playing mindjolt pool and checking out what my friends are up to a hundred times a day has gotten a little too important. So for the 40 days of Lent no Facebook. I can do it. The temptation will be hard to fight but I can do it. Maybe since I'm not checking Facebook numerous times throughout the day I'll actually get some writing done. What a concept!

Hopefully, I'm not shooting myself in the foot by adding one more thing to my plate.

Another week of no writing...

...or blogging about not writing. Didn't I say I was going blog even if I didn't write? Apparently, that did not happen.

Things have been crazy considering I'm still job hunting and trying to readjust to living with my parents, with my sweetheart in tow. Two grown adults living with one of those grown adult's parents. Yay.

Without making excuses, because they just sound bad in my ears. I haven't been putting writing high on the priority list. That needs to change. At the very least I need to blog more, to be consistent. Today is all about being consistent thanks to starting my morning with some good ol' Joyce Meyer. (www.joycemeyer.org)

I've noticed that the only thing I'm consistent about is being inconsistent. Not a good thing. So, I'm looking at pictures of Pemberley(for you non Pride and Prejudice people, Pemberley is Mr. Darcy's breathtaking home) and other Jane Austen things to get my motivated and inspired. How is that I'm not able to be consistent in my writing and urges to write when I have more technology than Jane Austen did, or heck, more than Stephen King did when he started writing. He wrote Carrie on a typewriter(clickity-clack)while balancing it on his lap. Who the heck am I to complain that I don't have quiet? Isn't that why God invented headphones? Let's say I didn't even have a laptop to work from. What happened to good old fashioned paper? Yeah, I know I shouldn't waste paper but it's not like I'm going to write a single word on each piece and call it done. I've actually been toying with the idea of writing more from long hand and then transfering it to the laptop. That blinking cursor can be rather intimidating when it wants to be.

So? What am I going to do? For starters, I'm not going to be hard on myself. Yes, I need to be consistent but I'm not going to beat myself up for not writing 10 pages a day. I know I'm not at that place yet but if the muse fairies decided to help me out with that I would not complain. Some authors talk about their muse. Mine, just for fun, are the three fairies from Sleeping Beauty. Why? Because I change my mind so often on what I want to work on. Seem fitting.

Okay, so after this extremely long blog post, which I think is so long to make up for the fact I haven't blogged in a week, I am going to get back to work. My outline is next to me and I have my headphones firmly placed on my head with Michael Buble crooning in my ears so I have not excuse not to write so here I go...

Days 4-10

Day 4-Moving

Day 5-Moving

Day 6-Moving

Day 7-Unpacking and lugging boxes down to basement

Day 8-More unpacking and more lugging

Day 9-Even more unpacking and even more lugging

Day 10-Still unpacking. Am I done yet?

Can you tell what I've been doing the past week? To make matters worse, we aren't done just yet. Eric and I are driving, yes driving, to Texas on Saturday so I'm having to pack for that trip, too. Let's just hope that weather permits and "the boat"(aka his car)are able to make the trip.

Day 3

Today was a bust for the most part. It's 8pm and I just started seriously editing chapter 2. I was having a serious A.D.D. day. I couldn't stay focused to save my life. Can't even focus long enough to write more than a few sentences of this blog so what does that tell you?

Maybe tomorrow will be more promising.

Day 2(or 340 days to go)

Yesterday ended so well! I was very pleased with my chapter and even went on to work chapter two. I got great encouragement from my critique partner, Emily, so I feel like I'm the best writer out there, even if that is far from the truth.

Update as of 7:30pm: I didn't get chapter 2 completely edited but I did a couple of pages in between packing(we're moving in a little more than a week)and laundry and trashing old clothes and junk. I'm still feeling good about the story and really want to know what happens(even though I already know).

Day 1 Continued...

Well, I finished editing chapter one so that's something. Yay me!

This morning was a rough considering I was distracted by everything, whether it be the wrong music on my MP3 or watching Mr. Darcy for inspiration. FYI, never try to watch a movie, even if you've seen it fifteen times, to get you inspired to write while you're trying to write.

The afternoon was better since I was actually able to have a readable chapter under my belt.

Day 1

Good morning! That sounded very chipper, didn't it?

This way be kind of silly but I was agonizing over when exactly my year of the good, the bad and the ugly should start. Should I just use the rest of this year and say 340 days to go or start at the good ol' 365? Will those twenty-five extra days really be missed?

Okay, so hear goes:

Day 1: No writing yet. But it's still early and I'm still in my pajamas.

Movies and how they inspire you...

Here I am watching Julie and Julia and wondering what to do with my own blog. I have one, obviously, but what am I doing with it? So far, I've only posted about random things about myself but nothing really substantial. Not saying my life isn't important but I feel like my blog needs a purpose. So what's the purpose going to be you ask? To write about the good, bad and the ugly about being an aspiring writer. There are 341 days left in the year and I intend on blogging every day(or close to it) even if I don't write on my novel. Basically, write about not writing. Ha! But hopefully, I'll be writing about how much I'm writing and how marvelously my manuscript is coming along.

Cross your fingers, toes and eyeballs, I obviously can't or I wouldn't be able to type.

New year, new look, and Jane Austen...

Happy 2010! To start off the new year I decided to change the look of my much neglected blog. Poor blog. Maybe this year I'll give it a bit more attention.



While looking for writing inspiration, I stumbled across a few Jane Austen related websites. http://www.janeausten.org/ and http//www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk/ Both showed pictures of writing desks and tables that she used to pen her masterpieces, would she want them called masterpieces, and I got teary-eyed. I'm not much of the mushy type but seeing, even in a photograph, where a young woman, like myself, wrote such great stories was inspiring. She wrote, and became published, in a time when it's wasn't popular for women to be authors. So that made me wonder "what's keeping me from doing it in a time where it is acceptable?" My answer? Nothing. The reason for not being published yet? My own laziness. I'm not going to say that my new year's resolution is to take getting published seriously because I always fail miserably at actually achieving my resolutions, so I wont make it a resolution, I'll just make it a promise to myself. Sounds a little less intimidating that way.

Wish me luck!