Not-Good Friends (When It Comes to Writing)

         I have a writing friend, a founding member of the WWWP. I'll call her Lynnette (not her reall name) so the guilty can be protected.

         Lynnette shared a romance story that she's working on; reading it made me mad as a cat being given a bath. I guess she was taking Tammy's place. Tammy was MIA last night at our critique meeting, and she is the one who regularly pulls mind-blowing (or butt-blowing) things out of her sphincter. So perhaps I should give "Lynnette" some slack; maybe she was just channeling our missing member...

Okay, I lied. "Lynnette" doesn't deserve to be protected. If you see this woman,
bow down as you simultaneously hiss at her.

         Why was I spitting mad? One, I dislike romance stories, but I loved this one.

         Two, the voice (of a male narrator) was so vivid and dead-on, I was jealous. I kept trying to put a writing curse on her with my evil looks ("May your pencil run out of lead and all your pens leak out all their ink," and "May your cat Smeagol get 'cat-scratch fever' and tear up all your empty journals and copy paper.") as I read her story, but I'm sure it didn't work. Her story reminded me of why I love Stephen King's Delores Claiborne--the voice of the narrator is so chillingly clear, it's as if that character has come alive and is speaking to the reader.

         "Lynnette" said, (to make me even more furious) "I think this will be my last romance," and "I hate writing fiction." And why, I asked. If you get out of your box and find you have talent, why stop? Continue to write your 'tried and true" but also continue to take frequent steps out of your box.

         What is outside of your box that has resulted in some success? Share, and if you have time tomorrow, stop by The Muffin and leave a comment. I've got some recycling (for writing) tips...

         

Fifty Shades of Grey--Redux

     No, I have not read the best-selling book that includes in its title a number that is half a century, along with the color of my undyed roots natural hair. I only know what I've heard about it.

     I do know that it appeals more to women than men. How sad that men don't have the same literary "genius" that women are titallated by. But now, they do.



      If you'd like to read some excerpts of Fifty Sheds of Grey, go here.

       You won't regret it. It's sure to bring a smile to your lips and a chuckle to your tummy.



        

    

Lucky 2013

        I was reminded by a comment Linda O'Connell left on Val's blog that, as June Carter sang, "Time's a wastin'." (If I punctuated that incorrectly, I will have to rely on the "Grammar -itch" in my critique group to help me out and correct me.)

photo by Joo Joo
Linda O'Connell is known as one our local Chicken Soup for the Soul Queens.
Now, she's threatening to become a NYMB Queen, and has been steadily submitting to those collections.
She must be stopped at all costs!

        Linda smugly honestly informed Val that it was January 4 and she had already sent out 36 submissions in 2013. She then challenged Val to a duel. I am sure that sometime soon, blood was fall. Or spittle will spray. Or gray hair will be yanked out. Or maybe...feathers will fly.

          Since I am better at dividing than multiplying, I have this number sentence for you. 6 divided by 2 = 3.

          It's January 6 and I've already sent out 3 new submissions to the Not Your Mother's Book anthologies.

              How about you? What have you done as a writer since the new year began?