The Search for Answers

Hey, guys! How was your weekend? Are you having fun with the second Campaign Challenge? Don't forget you still have until October 3rd to enter and October 14th to vote!

I figured since it's Monday and most of us are still trying to get around to all of the entries, I'd post something light today. You know how Google tries to guess what you're searching for, based on other people's searches? Well, I thought it would be fun to see the world's view on a few things this morning...

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There you have it, crazy weirdos! ;) What do Google searches have to do with the writing industry? Very little. This is only a small part of public perception, so don't worry. I still ♥ you.

So, what are some of your industry searches/results?

P.S. I don't have Web History enabled, so none of these searches are based on mine--just in case you're wondering. :)

P.P.S. The Blog Button/Sticker Giveaway ends September 30th, so the last day to enter is Friday. :) 

P.P.P.S. (Yeah, I can do that.) Thanks to Joylene, Peggy, and Tina for the awards! I really appreciate it. :)

[ If you're following me, and I'm not following you, please send me a link to your blog. Blogger seems to be acting up again. Thanks! ]

Imago of a Lost Love

SECOND CAMPAIGN CHALLENGE:
Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, whether flash fiction ( ✔), non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should:

• Include the word "imago" in the title ✔
• Include the following 4 random words: "miasma," "lacuna," "oscitate," and "synchronicity" ✔✔✔✔

• If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional and included in the word count), make reference to a mirror in your post. ✔

• For those who want an even greater challenge (optional), make your post 200 words EXACTLY! ✔

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ENTRY: 

The city wears a halo of miasma at night—a noxious fog, thick with bitterness and regret. It slips inside as we oscitate, unearthing memories that play out in our minds as inexorable, silent films while we sleep. We’re possessed by the past, and praying for nightmares.

This is the world he left me in. A world where I’m alone.

I stumble past the mirror we got for our fifth anniversary, and my reflection stares me down from a thousand, jagged angles. Thin lines of crimson slip through my fingers.

He was here this morning, and tonight he is gone. Forever. All that remains is the lacuna in my chest—a dull ache where my heart used to be, because he took it with him. 

He didn’t belong in a place like this. He was too noble, too brave. He fought for what he believed in, and I know, given the choice, he’d do it all over again. That was the kind of man he was.

The sky opens up as fresh tears burn my eyes, and the synchronicity is almost beautiful. How fitting that we should grieve together, a widow and her husband’s final battleground. I can’t take this.

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GLOSSARY:

imago— n
an idealized mental image of another person or the self

miasma— n
an influence or atmosphere that tends to deplete or corrupt

lacuna — n
a gap or missing part

oscitate— v
to gape; to yawn

synchronicity — n
an apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events that are causally unrelated

Definitions from Merriam Webster and Dictionary.com 

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There you have it! My second flash fiction, told in 1st/present. I know it was depressing, but I hope you liked it anyway. I can't wait to read the rest of yours!  ♥

Oh, and don't forget to vote, if you liked it! :) 
...If you didn't, well, don't forget to vote for an entry you did like. *grins*

[Update] Hah! Sorry to everyone who had to see a typo. I wrote this beast at 4:30 AM, and I'm lucky there weren't more! ;)

P.S. If you're following me, and I'm not following you, please send me a link to your blog. Blogger seems to be acting up again. Thanks! :)

Why Critiquing is Like Gaming

You guys have critique partners, right? If they're good (and brutally honest), it's likely you'll experience a wide range of emotions during the process. Maybe it'll be like this:

Why CRITIQUING is like GAMING

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You start off raring to go.
Infinite opportunity lies before you in the land of Agentopia, but you have to tame that beast of a manuscript to get there. With a little help from your closest ally (critique partner), you just might make it.

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You begin your journey overly confident.
As you wander in what you assume to be the right, general direction, your ally warns that your pacing might be off. You feel a little defensive about your strides, but adjust anyway.

You brought her along for a reason, after all.

Later, you start to veer off the beaten path, and she grabs you by the arm. Why? Because the way to Agentopia isn't through valleys or over grassy knolls. You have to stay on track, or you'll never get there.

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Time goes by without incident, and you start to relax. You take a deep breath, look up at the sky, and—

Fall into a plot hole.

It's a big setback, but after a few hours in the dark, you manage to claw your way back. Your ally offers you a hand up, shaking her head. "You weren't listening, were you?"

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You come to a fork in the road.

You start to head left, but your ally cuts you off. "Sorry, but I think you're headed in the wrong direction."

Wrong direction? You? But you've been planning this journey for months, maybe even years. Why did you trust her with that map, anyway? Grumbling, you head right against your better judgment, just to see how it turns out.

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Luckily for you, she was right.

You're almost to Agentopia, and you're getting pretty cagey. Maybe it's time to track that manuscript down, once and for all.

It'll be tamed, or you'll die trying.
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Using everything you learned along the way—more things than I could ever possibly list here—you find the manuscript and take on the fight of your life. It's long and grueling, but you know what? You emerge victorious.

The manuscript really was able to be tamed, after all.

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You thank your ally, take to the skies, and head straight for the gates of Agentopia.

Now to get past those gatekeepers...

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There you have it! A silly little post to start your week. I hope you're all well and making great progress on your stories. For the record, this wasn't a recount of my experiences with critique partners. *grins* I ♥ my critters to death, and they're some of the most awesome people I know. They've yet to deliver a blow I haven't recovered from. (And that's not a challenge, guys! *ducks*)

Have a great week! ♥

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Illustrative screenshots feature my Aion assassin. If you're going to geek out, you might as well do it right.

P.S. Rachel Bean tagged me, and I know you guys aren't ready to hear ten more facts about me yet, so I'm going to do something different. Ask anything you want in the comments, and I will answer as best I can.

P.P.S. It's not too late to enter the blog button/sticker giveaway. You have until the end of the month. Oh, and if none of this makes sense, it's because I wrote it at 3:25 AM. Mmm, idle musings of the sleepless mind. ;) Later

1 Tag, 2 Awards, & 100+ Followers!

First things first, the lovely and talented C. Lee McKenzie over at The Write Game tagged me in one of those getting-to-know-you things for the Writer's Platform Building Campaign.

Now, I know you're (*cough*) dying to learn *ten obscure facts about me, but wait—there's more! The oh-so-awesome Leah over at Leah Writes Pretty Fierce gave me two awards over the weekend!

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These awards also request that the recipient *list a certain number of things, so I'm going to combine them. :)

*Note: This may qualify as a sleep aid. 

1. I'm really a blonde. (Updated: Right)
2. I don't eat tomatoes. I eat tomato products, but no tomatoes in the raw, fleshy form.
3. I will break into song with or without any noticable triggers.
4. Last year, I got to sit above the chutes at a PBR (Professional Bull Riders) event, and it was awesome.
5. Sometimes I have to paint when I'm watching a nerve-wracking hockey game. (Right)
6. I buy adopt broken things. See this gnome? (Below) He was on the clearance shelf at Jo-Ann Fabrics, because he was missing an eye. Of course, I had to bring him home and make him an eye patch. I had to.
7. Butterflies freak me out.
8. I can play the trombone, and I can play fail at playing the shakuhachi.
9. I have had a corneal abrasion papercut on my EYE before! (Don't ever let people cram papers through your car window.)
10. I keep the Final Fantasy X: Victory Fanfare on my phone, ready to go at all times, just in case I do something victorious.

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Oh, wait. What's that I hear?

I just reached 100 Followers! Thank you so much, guys! I love and appreciate every single one of you. In light of this celebration, I'm going to do another blog button/sticker giveaway! ♥ (Below.)


Thanks again, and have a great week! ♥

P.S.

I pass my two awards on to:

• Melodie at Forever Rewrighting
• Lynn at Catch the Rush
• Kelley at Writtled

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Campaign Challenge

Guess what, guys? It’s time for the first Campaign Challenge!

RULES:

• Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.
  
  
• If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (These words are also included in the word count.)
  
  
• For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!

DISCLAIMER:

I’ve never written flash fiction before. I can’t even keep my Post-It notes under 200 words.

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Entry:

The door swung open, and the blonde whipped her head around, squinting toward the bar’s hazy entrance. 

She’d been perched on that stool for over an hour, swirling a swizzle stick through a diluted rum and coke. Her glossy curls were losing their hold, and the courage she’d painted on had smeared in a circle of mascara. There was no doubt about it—she’d been stood up. 

The bartender studied her as he wrenched a dishtowel inside another lowball glass, his lips twitching into a grin. It wouldn’t be long now.

She turned back to the bar with a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumping forward. That was his cue.

“You know he’s not coming, right?”

“What?” She jerked her chin back in alarm. “How do you know?”

His gaze softened. “They never do, sweetheart.”

“B-But it was a blind date. My friend arranged it.”

Yeah, a friend he now owed twenty bucks. He threw the dishtowel on the counter. “Look, you shouldn’t have to sit around here all night. My shift is over. Why don’t you let me buy you a coffee or something?”

She eyed him for a moment and smiled.  “...Okay.”

They left, and the door swung shut.

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Post-ramble:

Yes, that was exactly 200 words. *Dies* I saw the word “challenge,” and felt compelled like Strider! (Gena Showalter reference, anyone?) Not my best work, but it was quick and fun!

I hope you’re all having a great day! ♥

PS: 

Thank you to Kelley at Writtled for the Liebster last week! :) 

Rant Fire

Gather ‘round the fire, guys. Grab something to drink. I feel another rant coming on.

…Hey! Get back here!

Image by ilkerender

I had a different topic planned for today, but I want to touch on something I found a little discouraging this weekend. I read a guest post on an agent’s blog about hiring a freelance editor—I’m sure 87.3% of you know which post I'm referring to. Like normal, I perused the comment section and found most commenters were sharing their positive experiences. Awesome, right? I didn’t have anything to contribute, so I said:

“If I had the financial resources, I would definitely look into hiring an editor. Unfortunately, I can barely afford red pens——so, I guess it’s up to me. :D Have a great weekend, everyone!”

You guys know I’ve been out of work for a while, so hiring a freelance editor isn’t even remotely feasible for me. That’s fine. I accept it. (Don’t get me wrong. I would love to have that option. I’m sure these people are an invaluable resource, and they produce amazing results. I just can’t afford it right now.)

Anyway, I did my customary second swipe of the comments later and found a couple of disparaging remarks after mine. Now, mind you, I’m sure they weren’t intended to be offensive. Quite the opposite, in fact—I think they were meant to be helpful. (And, of course, to pedal their fine wares in the market, but that’s another story.)

They said things like:

“…Writers should never ever be their own editors.”


“’I can’t afford an editor’ should never be a phrase in a writer’s vocabulary.”

First, let me say, I love these people. I love all of you, regardless of how I might occasionally take offense to your words and let them result in a PMS-induced rant. I wish these editors no ill-will, and, if I ever become financially stable, I’d love to hire them. We’re all on the same team with the same dream, right?

That said, I label their comments presumptuous. Here’s why:

• I am not my own editor by choice. This is my reality, and I’m making the best of it. I realize that they mentioned things they've offered previous clients, like payment plans, but even those are beyond my reach for the time being. So, let’s not assume that phrase has no place in my vocabulary.
  
  
• It was said that publishing books without outside editing hurts us all. (You know, because it cements the world’s theory that self-pubs are inferior to traditional pubs.) Again, ouch. That hurts, and I don't even plan on self-pubbing.
  
  
• I have a fabulous critique partner. She dings me with line edits like you wouldn’t believe, and I adore her for that. By exchanging chapters with her, am I not consulting an "outsider" of greater skill?
  
  (Psst… I’m going to be looking for more critters soon. Just sayin’.)
  
  
• Guess what? I don't believe that those of you with no formal education in marketing must consult me, or anyone else in my industry, to be successful. If you want to go to the library, scour the internet, or take another writer’s advice on how to position your book, more power to ya! I'll give you my unyielding support.

That's why I can’t wrap my head around this editing thing.

It’s wonderful that these people can flaunt an advanced degree because they’ve dedicated their lives to such a wonderful profession, but I don’t see why I can’t try to live up to a shred of their standards without one. I’ve buckled down to learn things on my own. (For now.) Please, please don’t doom me to failure.

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Yes, I could’ve replied to these posts directly, but what good would that have done? These people were making points about their business, and I wasn't going to start an argument over it—especially in front of their prospective clients. I’m not upset with them. I’m just sitting here at 1:38 AM on Monday morning, staring at my manuscript, trying to keep the seeds of doubt they’ve planted from growing.

*Takes a deep breath*

Shout-out to the people whose comments inspired this post. Without you, I would’ve had to write a well thought out post today. ;) Seriously, if you're reading this, God bless and best of luck to you in your future endeavors. Actually, I extend that to everyone. Big ol’ lovefest at my blog today. Tell your friends. :P

Question time!

• Do you think it’s possible for an unpublished writer to be successful without an outside editor? (As in, landing an agent, selling their self-pubs, etc.)
  
  
• Have you ever used an outside editor, or do you intend to use one before you submit your next work?
  
  
• Should I do another blog button giveaway sometime? :)

 Have a great week, guys!

P.S. Sorry to unload on you. Writing everything out helped. Funny how that works...
P.P.S. …H-Have I ever mentioned that I ♥ editors?

Blog Buttons

Psst...

Just a quick 1:55 AM update: I finally found some time to make the "buttons" for the giveaway winners!

Congrats, ladies! Let me know if you'd like any changes. :) 

[Update] I'm sorry I haven't made commenting rounds in the past couple of days, guys. I've been really busy, but I'm trying to catch up now! ;) How has your week been? ♥