Introvert Powers…Activate!

 

When someone texts me to get together, my first inclination is to say “no”. My second inclination, which is nicer, says “no” and then gives an excuse.

 

 

Here’s the thing: I often wind up saying “yes”.

My mind is screaming “NOOOO!” so I overcompensate, texting loudly (yes, you can do that), something like “That would be great!” or “Sounds fun!”

At that point, my poor brain is crying and shouting like a two-year-old having a temper tantrum: “No! No! NO! I said ‘no’ and you’re NOT LISTENING TO MEEE!”

Why do I agree to go?

Being an extreme introvert, I have to do this occasionally. I have to ignore the whimpering and wailing if I ever want to leave the house again.

Other times, though, I should really listen to myself. It’s the nice thing to do. Also, there are days I’m just not up for a night out and my brain seems to know this. It gloats “I told you so!” at the party as I hide in the bathroom with a bottle of wine.

When do I listen and when do I ignore? I haven’t figured that part out yet.

Have you?

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.

 

Are you an introvert? Do you battle with yourself about accepting invitations? Do you ever agree to do something or go somewhere you don’t want to? How does that work out? 

My Twitter Poll and Pinstagram

 

I sort of mocked the new poll feature on Twitter. And by “sort of”, I mean I did. It was rude.

After a few silly polls, I realized this thing wasn’t going away and thought, “Hey! I can ask people stuff on here!”

So I posed a serious question to my Tweeps…

For writers, which is the better social media: Pinterest or Instagram?

I know. Mind-blowing.

But I really wanted to know this. Most of you are aware that I’m not interested in spending more time on social media. If I decide to get a new account, I need it to be beneficial.

I’m not sure how many writers actually saw the question, which was only up for 24 hours, but I did get an answer. And here it is:

Wait. WHAT? Are you serious? A tie? A 50/50 split? Stupid poll. I was right. I don’t trust this thing. It’s evil.

And I am back where I started. So now I’m using my blog as a poll. A better poll. I will get answers. I will know who voted. I will receive explanations as to why people voted the way they did. Right? Of course right. Thanks, gentle readers.

 

Really, if you think about it, blogs are just big polls.
(Related ‘Thought Bubble’)

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.

Whether or not you saw this or voted, what are your thoughts? As a writer, which social media platform is most beneficial? And if I get a tie, I’m going to send you low-fat, sugar-free cupcakes until you vote. Oh, yes, they do exist. Don’t make me send fat-free…

Ooh! Also, I’ll give a gold star ⭐ to the first person to give the correct number of times the word “poll” (or “polls”) was used in this one poor post.

ETA: You know, the answer could be 11, 12, 13…less or more. Because I didn’t specify if you were to count the words in the title, photos, or tags. So… “YOU get a star! YOU get a star! YOU get a star! Everybody gets a star!”

Be Free… Write

 

You can’t write. The words are gone. Your muse is AWOL.

 

 

I posted about struggling to find the words for a special occasion but this is an ordinary day. In the wicked world of a writer. The weather shifts and… A sudden freeze. Or a prolonged drought. These things can go either way.

However you got here, you’re here.

You’re about to crawl into the corner and cry or have a panic attack. (Again, these things can go either way.)

We all know enough to get up, stretch, breathe, move… But when we sit down again, we must write.

Something silly.

Like haiku.* It’s a fun break. Also, I really think the counting of syllables helps me. Kind of like rubbing a worry stone.

I can’t write a word
Am I sad or pissed? Don’t know!
I’ll write a haiku

Or whatever. You get the idea.

Six words stories are fun, too:

Aliens dissect humans. Discover no heart.

Dieting = refusing pizza, eating chocolate cake

I can’t write a bloody word!

I’m stuck. In the muck. Oh…

But free-writing is the absolute best. You can free-write your way out of just about anything. Like a literary MacGyver. Be Free… Write.

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.

Free-writing is a powerful force. No thinking, no stopping, no correcting, just writing. May the Force be with you.

Have you ever tried haiku? Six word stories? Free-writing? What works to get you unstuck? Who caught that “Six words stories are fun, too” was 6 words? Smarty pants. 

* No haikus were hurt in the writing of this post. Also, I don’t find haiku humorous (in general) and I’m not downplaying the beauty of a well-written haiku or the poets who write them.

Great Book for Writers…NaNo or Not

 

I’ve never written a book review on here before.

 

 

And I’m not going to.

I will say that this book is made of awesome.

I’m late to the party. I should have posted about No Plot? No Problem! in October before all you nutty NaNos took on the completely insane challenge of finishing a book in thirty days.

But I’m here now. Because I am having a problem. A writing problem. (I’ll post more about that later.)

So I was searching my bookshelves for some inspiration when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a marvelous book sat unread for two years! And in November, to boot. Before I write another word, let me say I have never participated in NaNoWriMo. And. Yet.

This is a stupendously marvelous writing book. Yup. It’s all that and a bag of chips.

Oh, no! Not (another) book about writing.

Well, technically, it is. Sort of. But not really. In other words, it’s not a “this is how you are supposed to write” book. It’s a cheerleader (with more clothes). A guide. A tiny, written friend with advice and support. Also, just enough writing tips and anecdotes for me to call it a writing book but not enough to drive you crazy or contradict all the other books you’ve read about how to write. It even offers to take your “Inner Editor” so you can write a shitty first draft that would “absolutely horrify it”.

The entire first part of the book contains tidbits of remarkable wisdom like “don’t write within view of a bed”, sections like “Eating Your Way to 50,000 Words” & “The Happy Side Effects of Limited Planning” (which appeals to me very much), along with tips like how to host a writing day:

Ask all attendees to turn off the ringers on their cell phones, and set a timer so everyone knows exactly when each session ends and the glorious break time begins. Should anyone continue to type after the alarm marking the end of the session sounds, chop off their fingers. Don’t be afraid to be a tyrant. (53)

And the excellent “law of exuberant imperfection”:

The first law of exuberant imperfection is essentially this: The quickest, easiest way to produce something beautiful and lasting is to risk making something horribly crappy. 

the older we get, the more scared we are to try new things. . . . what do we do when we have free time? The tried-and-true activities we’ve already perfected. Like talking on the phone. Or walking up and down stairs. Or getting drunk. . . . Exuberant imperfection allows you to circumvent those limiting feelings entirely. (32-33)

And this charming truth:

The universe loves novelists. During the novel-prep and book-writing period, you’ll watch, delighted, as the cosmos parts to reveal a rich vein of pilferable, copyright-free material explicitly for your noveling use. A couple will sit down next to you on the bus and proceed to have an argument. . . (72)

Right? Oh, man, I love when that happens. *sigh*

The second part is dedicated specifically to NaNo participants—broken down by weeks. Very helpful if you’re into that sort of thing. And more power to you. (Really. Love and respect to my fellow writers during this hectic Novembery time.)

Reading through this again made me realize two things. Three, actually. 1. Chris is funny. He is. 2. I’m not trying to crank out 50,000 words in a month and this book is still wonderful. 3. My husband has always supported my writing.

 

How cool is this?

 

You can get a copy here, if you so desire. But it’s different from mine because I have an old copy, as you can see from the inscription here, and Chris has made all sorts of shiny, new words for you.

Blogiversaries, Blog Birthdays, & Post Parties

 

Apparently, I’m supposed to celebrate my blog. Throw a party or something. All the cool kids are doing it.

 

 

“I’ve been blogging for a year!” *party*

“I’ve just hit my 200^th post!” *party*

Of course, this means I should know how many posts I’ve published and exactly how long I’ve been blogging.

Which I don’t.

I can sneak a quick peek over there –> where a convenient list of months and years is shouting at me from my sidebar.

~~~

It’s been a year. Actually, a bit over.

My blogiversary has come and gone. I’m not sure what was required of me, anyway. There are different types of virtual celebrations: leave-a-links, quiet acknowledgments, give-aways, favorite posts…

I didn’t forget, I just didn’t think about it. But everyone celebrates their blog in some way. I’m the odd duck out, I guess. (Do not correct my mixed metaphor—not right now. I’m fragile.)

I don’t understand. Why do people give their blogs birthday and round-numbered posts parties?

Seriously, I see this all the time. On blogs I follow and love. From bloggers I follow and love. I’m hoping those bloggers can chime in and help me understand this confuddling concept.

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.

Do you throw parties for your blog? Have you ever celebrated an anniversary or specific number of posts? Are you acknowledging that you’ve kept up with your writing or appreciating your readers or…?

 

Monochromatic Memories

 

I love black and white photos.

Whenever I found a picture I liked, I’d immediately change it to black and white. Sometimes I’d switch to sepia. They’re gorgeous and kind of artsy.

Lately, though, I’ve been looking at life (and photos) in a new way.

Last week I wrote about hiding by being covered up, but is removing something a way of hiding, too? Is getting rid of colors just the flip side of covering them?

I still love sepia and black and white but I’m going to give myself a moment to appreciate what the colors have to say before I make the decision whether or not to strip them away.

Now that my children are older, I flip through albums filled with colorless photos of newborns. They’re beautiful but I want to see my babies as they really were—spit up, cradle cap, rosy cheeks…everything.

I found this picture from last autumn. My husband snapped it as I was about to pull wisps of wind-blown hair out of my face. Upon closer examination, I thought it looked cool. So I turned it black and white. Taking away my skin tone and purple streak. Taking away my true colors.

 

My Sunday thoughts in 200 words or less.

Which image do you like better–the black and white or the color? Which photos do you generally prefer? I still love the B&W and sepia filters. There’s something about them. But I’m being more careful about keeping color in my life and in my photos.