If You Love A Girl Who Writes…

•May 6, 2013 • 1 Comment

How To Love A Girl Who Writes

A friend and fellow writer posted this for me to read today. She said it made her tear up, but she might just be tired. I said it made me tear up too, but I also might be tired. I don’t think so, though. I think it’s just the truth.

It’s worth a read, both for writers (female ones, I suppose, although I imagine much of it describes male writers as well) and their partners. I sent it to mine, and he concurred with basically all of it.

“She will not always tell you how she feels out loud.

And even if she does, trust to the fact that she’s rolled it around in her brain (and possibly her journal) for quite some time before she comes out with it. Her words are her tools, her armor. She’s best with them when she can shift and spin them on the page. In her throat, sometimes they get caught and fall out all at once—or worse—slide back down and vanish until they flow through her fingers into her next story.”

If I could make people understand one thing about me, it might be what that quote above outlines.

Posted in Big Ideas, Things to Ponder
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My Stargate Typewriter

•April 30, 2013 • 2 Comments

I got a lovely new machine today, an  Olympia SG-1 (now you know why I’m calling it my Stargate typewriter!) It’s a real beast:

Olympia SG-1, 1959

Olympia SG-1, 1959

These were premier typewriters back in the day, and the woman who sold it to me said she brought it over from England decades ago and it’s been sitting at the bottom of a trunk, unused. Other than some cosmetic flaws, it’s in excellent condition, doesn’t even need oiling.

When I saw the pictures in the ad, I thought it was a steely blue colour and fell in love with it, but it’s actually a gunmetal grey, so I may consider refinishing it to something more interesting. You know, with all that free time I have. *eyeroll* Still, I like it quite a lot, especially given the fact that it’s in usable condition. It’ll make a nice addition to my collection!

I’m just putting this out to the universe now: for my next one, I’d really love to find a Royal portable, something bright and awesome. Do you hear that, typewriter Fates? A red one would be fantastic.

Olympia SG-1 logo closeup

Logo close-up. She’s a pretty one.

Posted in Beyond Writing, Things That Are Awesome, Writin' It Old-School
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Happy Birthday, Blog!

•April 17, 2013 • 5 Comments

It was one year ago today that I started this blog. I’ve connected with lots of great people who have offered sage advice – thank you! – and have found an outlet for all the writing-related miscellany teeming in my head.

I’ve had visitors from 35 different countries. Wow!

Some strange search terms have brought people my way. Few have to do with writing though – most refer to either my tattoo or my typewriters. A few of my favourites:

  • Nicole Bross – guys? it’s nicolebross.com. Who keeps searching this over and over?
  • make sure your worst enemy is not living between your own two ears – Sage advice…
  • do not give up tattoo – close, I suppose.
  • actors who played werewolves – Michael J. Fox? I’ve never discussed this before.
  • can i call myself award winning – Now that you’ve reached this blog, yes you can!
  • bathroom mirror pictures facebook – OMG I hate it when people do this. Why why why?
  • you are not ordinary for me – Thanks, love. You’re a peach.
  • you rise and shine and i’ll – Yes that was the complete search term. I don’t even know.
  • longest thing ever written – Not this blog, that’s for sure.
  • introduction to my mind – Pie’s always a good start with me.
  • been procrastinating for days now, it’s not even funny anymore. – TELL ME ABOUT IT.
  • it feels like my mind is unraveling – TELL ME ABOUT IT.

Anyway, happy anniversary to me. When I look back at where I was a year ago, I can’t believe how much I’ve accomplished. I hope the next year brings much more of the same.

Posted in Beyond Writing, Things That Are Awesome
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Do You Ever Really Stop Rewriting?

•April 16, 2013 • 1 Comment

I was just minding my own business, looking for some new books to read online (Amazon recommended this one for me and I think in this case it’s very smart) when out of the blue I thought up a way to rewrite my query letter. I’ve sent out around 15 and gotten no bites so far, so I’m actually glad this occurred to me because I think it’s way more interesting.

But then it got me thinking, do you ever reach a point where you’re just done? Like 100%, time-to-file-this-bitch done? I work as a freelance journalist part-time, and I never agonize and rethink my articles the way I have been for this book and this letter. I write them, proofread once and then submit them. With fiction there’s always just one more little thing, and then a few days later, a what-if-I moment comes to mind and I’m back to fiddling with things. It’s never anything major like changing a character’s gender or switching from paranormal to a Western-inspired historical cozy mystery (well once it was, but I thought hard about it for quite some time before I actually made the change and it wasn’t quite as crazy as either of those examples) but these little lightbulbs keep going off in my head. Recently I made two characters related when they hadn’t been previously. Sometimes it’s something as trivial as a single word.

And speaking of rewriting, I’m already almost at my Camp NaNo goal of 20,000 words for the month, and we’re only at the halfway point. It was shockingly easy to achieve, and now I’m feeling like I should have set my goal higher, maybe 30,000. BUT close to everything I’ve written during this time is going to need a massive overhaul in the next draft. What I’ve got now is the roughest framework, a dirty rented scaffolding shoved up against a building that’s about to undergo massive renovations.

Wait, that metaphor isn’t quite right, is it. The book should be the building, so I’m the dirty rented scaffolding? Or maybe my laptop is? Yeah I think it’s the laptop. I’m the bricklayer who spends more time wolf-whistling at all the ladies with the nice getaway sticks than working.

It’s too late to for this shit, I should be in bed.

Posted in Just Keep Writing, My Failings As A Proper Novelist, Things That Make You Weep For Your Sanity
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Recipe for Success

•April 13, 2013 • 1 Comment

Today I woke up early and sat around and daydreamed then went for a hot stone massage then got day drunk and now I’m getting ready to write.

What could possibly be bad about this plan?

She says as she rums spell check for the third time.

Posted in My Failings As A Proper Novelist, Things That Are Awesome
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