Mottos

My motto right now: One Step Closer; Just A Bit More Work

My thesis was accepted by my committee: yay! With revisions. But they're not too bad or too extensive, so I can do it. (just a bit more work) I also need to conceive and prepare a 40-minute powerpoint presentation for my defense, which is officially April 21st. (work) Along with that I have roughly one more month of school, in which to do a presentation and 2 final projects (almost there...just a bit more work)

And I'm working on a different Super Secret Project for writing, which I'm bouncy excited about. I can't wait to get to the page whenever I can to pwn this. (say the motto with me!)

I apologize if there are those of you I've been neglecting. As you see, my plate is a bit full...but it's all good. (And I still love you!) Someday, all this will be done and I won't know what to do with myself.

Or I'll be on to the next thing, more likely.

(one step closer; just a bit more work)

Yay

So...I don't want to jinx this streak, but the past couple of days have been pretty ~*sparkly*~.

No huge news, but lots of little encouraging signs from the Universe that I'm on the right path...that things just might work out in the end if I put everything I've got into it.

You KNOW I'll do that! I don't know how to do anything else, really.

So onward. Next step forward on all fronts. Thank you, Universe and others (you know who you are), for the encouragement. I needed it right then. :)

Hope you get ~*sparkly*~ encouragement today too!

Props for Writers

Hello! Official excuse for not updating: I've been sitting in a corner thinking Deep Thoughts.*

*This is not true. I've been alternately detoxing from thesis push and catching up on everything, including getting back to writing. Yay!

To ease my way back into the blog thing, I created a meme for writers, to encourage each other. I don't tag people, but if you're so inclined, please copy and post for yourself! I'd love to see your names!

Props for Writers

It's all about sharing the love for fellow wordsmiths. Let's face it, this is not the easiest business to be in, and we can all use each other's support. I tried not to repeat names, since there are so many to give props to, but feel free to repeat if you wish, and list unpubbed authors too!

1. Name 3 "classic" (however you choose to define that term) authors you love to read.

William Shakespeare
Jane Austen
Douglas Adams

2. Name 3 current authors you love to read.

Courtney Summers
Libba Bray
Maggie Stiefvater

3. Name 3 authors you admire for their skill.

Vicki Pettersson
Melissa Marr
Bill Cameron

4. Name 3 authors you admire for their persistence in this crazy, potentially soul-sucking gig.

Joanne Levy
Emily Hainsworth
Linda Grimes

5. Name 3 authors who deserve props for their support of other writers.

Diana Gabaldon
Joanna Bourne
Linda Gerber

6. Name 3 people who really "get" your work--whose love of your stuff carries you through.

Janet Reid
Linda Grimes
Kris Reekie

7. And for a switch, name the 3 things you love most about writing.

The escape
The satisfaction of having written
That transcendent moment when it all clicks in

And you?

The Writer's Temperament

When people refer to the "writer's temperament", it's not usually such a good thing. Moody, they mean. Over-sensitive. Neurotic. Volatile.

Even, sometimes, crazy.

Look at how writers are portrayed in movies! I give you:

Stranger than Fiction (neurotic, crazy, alcoholic, chain-smoker)



Sideways (depressed, neurotic, self-destructive, alcoholic)






And, of course, The Shining.

I think you get the point.

Yet almost none of the authors I know fit this profile. We manage to hold down real jobs, not kill people, not self-destruct on a regular basis...we even look normal (mostly).

However, I do find that most of the writers I know--at least the ones I hang out with on a regular basis--have two basic traits in common, both stemming from the same source: our imaginations.

1. Worry
We do tend to worry a lot. We spin around and around in our heads the worst possible thing that might happen--our agent HATES our latest book, clearly, and that's why she hasn't responded in 24 hours...not that she hasn't even opened the email yet. Our family member's trip could end in disaster: we can picture getting the call, how we would react, probe how we would feel, a little, before we shove that thought away. See, it's our job to make the worst possible thing happen to our protagonists, then get into their heads and figure out how they'd take it. So it's natural for us to carry that over a little. What if there was a writer out there writing our lives? What finger-from-God would point down on us right NOW?

Okay, so maybe that makes us a tiny bit neurotic. Sometimes. But it's balanced with:

2. Gratitude

By this I mean gratitude for the present, for our current state of not-the-worst-possible-thing. If I can always imagine the worst, I can also always be glad it hasn't happened. This is how I can be driving into work this morning in heavy snow, fifteen minutes late because the extended care teacher for Child's school didn't show, and just be happy. Happy I didn't get into a horrific accident on the way, or have a seizure, or get attacked by anger-creatures or vampires or get sucked into an alternate world. Happy that my kid is well and at school, even if she left her snow boots locked in the other classroom. It could have been worse. If I was one of my characters, it absolutely would be worse, just to make things interesting.

Oh yeah, that last little bit might just be telling about the temperament of many of us writers too. We love to give our characters grief. Call it a little masochism streak, maybe. But in with the worry and the gratitude (and the generosity, which comes from empathy, I think), it all balances out. Not to crazed psycho self-absorbed people, but to us, hiding among you. Slightly crazed-with-worry, but ever hopeful. Seeing the world as it is alongside the world as it could be.

Writers.

Yay!

Those on Twitter and Facebook already saw my glee explosion yesterday, but for here:

I turned in my thesis yesterday!! WooHOO!

I'll still have to revise it based on committee comments, and I'll have to defend it. But the bulk of it is done. It just struck me a couple minutes ago that I don't have to open and pound on it more today. I still have homework, and work work. But no THESIS!

Little taste of freedom, I welcome you.

Food Friday!

So as I'm finishing up the Dreaded Thesis, obviously I've been eating and thinking about food a lot.

0_0

What? It's true. Stress, sitting at desk all day, the nefarious influence of my fellow tweeters, all = food.

Hence, I declare: Food Friday!

Share a recipe you love (or a food, if you're a non-chef like some of my favorite people) in the comments. We all win!

Mine is one of my favorite quick recipes: Asian Grilled Chicken. I made it last night, and as always, everyone loves it. Here's the official recipe:

http://www.foodfit.com/recipes/recipe.asp?rid=1287

I adapt it by just plopping the chicken breasts IN the sauce for however long I have--even 15 minutes seems to work fine. Then I broil them, one rack down from the usual broil setting so they don't burn, for about 10-12 minutes each side depending on thickness. They get nice and brown/crunchy on the outside, but moist on the inside...

Last night I served it with fresh sliced pear and a steamed veggie mix of edamame, mushrooms, and green beans, but it's good with just rice too.

Now it's your turn!! Talk about FOOD!!

Fun and learning on twitter: #queryfail

Hi all!

Yes, STILL head down on thesis. Nearly there. I *hope* to send the draft to my committee a week from tomorrow.

But I get to buy my cap and gown today! Squeee!

Anyway, the point of this post is to let all you querying writers know about #queryfail day on Twitter: TODAY. Right Now.

A bunch of editors and agents (so far Colleen Lindsay, Jeremiah Tolbert, Mari Adkins, Lauren MacLeod, Greg Daniel, Angela James...and more to come) have decided to post brief examples of queries that worked and didn't work, all day long, under the twitter feed #queryfail. For those uninitiated in twitter, go here to follow!

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23queryfail

It looks to be useful info on what not to do, particularly.

And another

And for the second birthday of the week...MINE!

Thank you so much to all you internet peeps who already wished me a Happy Birthday on Facebook, Twitter, and email. I love you guys.

I think I'll go put on my tiara and eat some chocolate, just because I can!

Images

For some reason I'm thinking in images today, not words. I borrowed these images from Flickr's "explore" feature, here:

http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/

All images link to the photographer's pages.

I love these, and they express my mood. What images are in your head today?

I'm reading...

I just started LAMENT by Maggie Stiefvater. I only had time to read a couple pages last night, and then for half of lunch today before I had to run off and do errands.

Damn you, Maggie. Now I want to spend the afternoon reading your book instead of working on work and thesis.* ARGH.



*Because so far, it's really really good. Tempting good. Maybe I could just read for a little while? Please?

Birthday Thoughts

When they handed my newborn daughter to me, I was probably the least experienced mom in the whole hospital.

I was the youngest in my family. I had no related kids nearby to pseudo-parent. There were no little kids in our neighborhood, really. My one foray into babysitting--in college--resulted in 3 hours of tears, screams, and hurled toys, and me bolting for the door the minute the parents arrived home. No, thanks. I wasn't even sure I wanted kids--I was awkward around them, I didn't know how to hold them, I had no idea how to change a diaper. I was hopeless.

But there she was. In my arms, tiny, beautiful, heartbreakingly fragile. And my responsibility.

I was pretty sure the hospital people would figure out the horrible truth that I'd never be able to swing it, that I'd completely mess up this perfect little person if they let me take her home. I was half-expecting a conference with the nurses and doctors: "We're sorry. We'll have to take her back and give her to a real Mom."

But they didn't (thank God), and that was 7 years ago today. And you know what? We've kind of figured it out. Hell yeah, I've made mistakes, lost my temper when I shouldn't have, made poor choices about clothes or leniency or what to buy. But she's still there, my big girl. And she's a sweet, smart, funny, good kid, who I love to be around.

Happy Birthday, little one who is not-so-little anymore. I love you more than I thought possible to love anyone. I'm so grateful to have you in my life.

Take the buttons AWAY.

Last night I got to see Coraline in 3D. I'm one of those few who hadn't read the book (yet), but I was completely entranced by the story.

And creeped out of my wits.

The buttons. Oh, dear God, the buttons.


I now just might suffer from koumpounophobia:

Neil Gaiman on koumpounophobia

Twitter

Still here...you know, still doing my Thesis Thang. Once February is over the load should lighten a little. I *think*.

Anyway, I know I've mentioned Twitter a few times, but have never linked my address. It's the only place I really still hang out when I'm swamped, because it takes such little time to update!

If you're a fellow writer interested in joining the dark side following me, I'm there at @susan_adrian.

Back to work!

Show Time

Still head-down. I pop up occasionally to breathe, blog, and tweet. :)

And this month, to go to shows.

In the past 3 weeks alone, we've been to live performances of:

• The Pajama Game (50s-style musical: think Doris Day)
• Annie
• New Shanghai Circus (Chinese Acrobats: AMAZING)
  
• To Kill a Mockingbird (last night)

There are at least 2 more this month. Craziness! To Kill a Mockingbird was very good--but it did make us need to rent the movie. Sorry to anyone else, but Gregory Peck OWNS that role!

Happy Tiara Day!

A bunch of us on Twitter are wearing our tiaras. Are you?

Winner!

The winner of a copy of CRACKED UP TO BE is...

Carolyn!!

Congrats, Carolyn! Please send me an email at susan dot adrian @ yahoo.com with your mailing address!

Also, this is your official notice: tomorrow is TIARA DAY. If you want to play, slap a tiara on your avatar (or take a pic of yourself with one!) and wear it on your avatar all day. Girls AND boys invited. It's fun to be royal for a day. :)

Your turn

Y'all know I don't have a lot of "free" time right now. With thesis writing and classes etc., I shouldn't even be taking time to read for fun--but when I do it's excruciatingly slow, dribbled in little 20-minute increments whenever I can steal time. It can take me a month to get through a book, even when I really love it.

Which is why you know it MEANS something when I tell you that I devoured Courtney Summer's CRACKED UP TO BE in 24 hours, start to finish.

Wow.

Parker Fadley, the main character, is compelling and real and true. Even when it was uncomfortable, disturbing, I felt like I was right there in Parker's head for the whole bumpy ride. The plot is well done, the writing is fabulously spare--just enough.

READ THIS BOOK.

In fact, I believe in this book and Courtney so much, I'm gonna help you out. Last December I did an interview with Courtney and a contest, where she gave away a copy of CUTB. This time I'm going to spring for it.

If you don't yet have a copy of CUTB, post a comment below sharing a painful high school experience of your own, and you'll be entered to win a brand-new copy, shipped to you from Amazon! This contest will be open for 48 hours, until 10 AM MST on Thursday February 5th.

Edited to add: I'm not doing a value judgment on your posts or anything--it'll be a random draw. The sharing is just for fun, and to get you in that highschool frame of mind. :)

Ready? GO!

My 3 Life Lessons

I've slowly come to the realization that there are 3 major lessons I keep re-learning, over and over and over. Each time they dawn on me as Truth, as Revelation, even though I'm well aware I've learned them before. It's just so easy to forget. If I believed in reincarnation or karma, I'd say these are the lessons I'm working on in this life.

So I'm going to put them in writing this time, hoping that will help me keep them in mind. Y'all feel free to remind me, too.

1. Give without expectation. If you give love freely, or do things for others freely, without expecting anything in return (this is the hard part for me), the love will come back to you. People will choose to do things for you. CHOOSE, instead of being expected to, which is different and vastly better.



2. Do the work first, and inspiration will follow. This is really just a different version of butt-in-chair, but it is SO easy to get frustrated when writing or life isn't going the way you want it to, and want to give up because it isn't coming. I realized this one again yesterday when (whew) I had a big plot revelation for SSP...after banging my head against a wall for 11,000 words. Yes, I start with ideas, but the story doesn't coalesce until I put the hard work in. Often I struggle to scrape the words together for my daily goal, only to find that at the end of the session words come, I get into the flow, and I go over my word count. You have to go through the hard part.



3. Things happen for a reason. I know. This is an old saw, and can seem pretty flat when the world is falling apart around you. But it's true.

Example: I had some pretty miserable school experiences. I mean bad. At one point in 5th grade there was an "I hate Susan club", and many of my classmates were members. Yeah. Because I went through all that a little part of my psyche is still there, still dealing with social struggles and rejection.

Unforeseen Result: Now I write YA. I couldn't, if I hadn't suffered then. I understand what that place is like.

Example: Both my husband and I were laid off within 3 months of each other. We had a 6-month-old child, we had no income besides Social Security, and the economy was tight in our industries, so we had trouble finding jobs (sound familiar?).

Unforeseen Result: Instead of having our child in daycare, I was able to stay home with her for a year. Then I got a really good job in Montana, in a small town, and my husband stayed home with her for another year, until she was ready to start at a fabulous preschool that she loves. My mom moved here a year later (from somewhere else), and now Child is able to have a close relationship with her grandparents that she would not have otherwise had. It worked out in a way I never would have guessed 6 years ago.

I am NOT saying change is easy, or work is easy, or giving of yourself is easy. None of it is. It's freaking hard, and that's why I keep forgetting these lessons. (over and over and...) But I welcome the moments when I realize them again, and feel that surge of YES.

Yeah. It really is almost always like this.

Whew! January has so far been a leetle crazy. I'm just breezing by here today to say:

1) I'm alive! You've probably figured that out already.
2) I'm busy! (ditto) Trying to work (big time for us), write thesis, start crazy heavy-load classes, keep writing, attend all these board meetings for Child's school and create marketing materials I promised...you know. My Life.
3) I am SO so so so so happy about President Obama (squee) and his inauguration yesterday. Yes, I cried.
4) Hi! Just because I'm slammed doesn't mean I want to lose touch. Comment, if you will, and say hi and what YOU have been up to!!

Survey! Please!

FINALLY I have my survey ready for my thesis research. Please, if you're an author--no matter what level--go and answer the questions for me. It won't take long, I swear!

Thank you!!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=aKiQQ2gam6kAeSOypOK8lg_3d_3d