The Betty BlogsOkay, Betties. It’s past midnight and I just realized I didn’t blog and now I’ve got nothing for you. Except the song that my kids now love more than ANYTHING ELSE EVER. I had to play it for them three times in a row this morning while waiting for the bus. Enjoy!
No, that’s not sexual. And please don’t make it sexual. Have pity on me, Betties. I’m making sausage.
For those of you unfamiliar with the sausage-as-product conceit, it’s basically this: no one wants to see the inner workings of any industry. No one wants to know how the “sausage” of any particular business gets made, because it’s either disgusting, disheartening, or depressing. In extreme cases, all three. I think with publishing, it’s mostly just disheartening.
But since it’s the major thing on my mind at the moment, I’ll share. Continue reading »
Okay, I’m cheating. This isn’t so much a blog post as it is an announcement, but I’m hip-deep in revisions, and a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Besides, aren’t you guys terribly anxious to discover who won the $40 gift certificate to JoAnn’s from CJ Barry, and the signed ARC of Maybe This Time from Jenny?
Oh, sure you are. Click to find out. 
Continue reading »
Those of you who have taken my class know that I recommend movies, books and TV when you’re trying to work out a problem in the book. Taking my own advice, I’ve spent much of the last few days watching romance movies – gotta work out that romance story in the book, which took some hits from my own romantic upheavals over the last few years while trying to write it – and it’s been an incredible help. The creative well is filling, ideas are popping, and I’m just waiting for it to all settle so I can figure out how to work it into the book.
Some of the fabulous movies I’ve enjoyed over the last few days are:
I have more on the docket, but I’m wondering what your favorite romance movies are? Chances are, if it’s good, I’ve got it, but on the off-chance that I might have missed something great, what do you guys suggest? What are the top vote getters on your romance movie list? Bonus points for comedy – I’m trying to keep the light, fun tone as well – but any solid romance will do. What do you have for me, Betties?
Oh, Betties. One of the best parts of the writing gig is that sometimes, it’s your job to watch movies. I know, I know, but it’s true. I’ve got another final revision to do on ALNM, and it requires getting the romance right, and my headspace needs to be all about the romance. So for the past few days, I’ve been watching romantic comedies while things percolate. You wouldn’t believe how much it helps. Anyway, yesterday, I watched the fabulous Music and Lyrics, and as a result have been having this song going through my head ever since:
If that doesn’t make your Monday, I got nothing. Well, obviously, I have nothing, that’s why I’m giving you Hugh Grant in a Wham! parody. But still. Happy Monday, Betties!
For all the writer Betties… registration for the fall session of the Storywonk classes closes on September 4th, so if you wanted a spot, move fast! Discovery is almost full, but there are still some slots open in Revision. Thanks!
288: Your Mission
Thanks to all the Betties who came to my rescue and suggested truly fabulous websites to visit to amuse me. I highly recommend to anyone having a bad day that they visit this thread and check out all the wonderful sites. Very cheering! Thanks! – L
287: The Shift
DivaBetty:
You know, an ordered system will progress toward chaos. So a shitty system, by definition, should disintegrate naturally to incandescent goodness.
Georgie Porgie/Bodacious Betty:
There is something very freeing about acceptance, about looking at the world as clearly as we can and knowing that there are many things we can’t control, and situations that won’t go our way. But being okay with that anyway. Continue reading »
On yesterday’s post, Toni (Southern Fried Betty) wrote this:
The word I use instead of Magic or Muse is Faith. As a verb. I faith it. If I sit down and do the work, if I keep opening myself up, my magic or muse will show up, too. I cannot let worries–marketing, other people’s opinions, distractions, life, crises, self-doubt, tell me that it’s gone. I may not be able to see it, but like oxygen, it’s there. It’s up to me to breathe. To faith.
I love this concept, and it’s so relevant to me right now in a million ways. Not just in my writing, but in everything that’s happened in my life in the last 14 months. Hell, it started before that. The extreme amount of faith my life has required in this most recent phase has been staggering. And God, some days, I’m just staggered by it. Continue reading »
Something strange happened yesterday. At first I thought it was fleeting, but now I’m in my second day, and it’s still here.
My confidence. She is back.
A consequence of being Towered, when your entire life as you built it crumbles around you, is that you lose your security in your own judgment, your abilities, talents, sometimes even your intelligence. You become not humble – humble’s good – but meek, frightened to make any decision, fretting over every possible horrible outcome of anything you do or say. Well, I do, anyway. I’ve combatted this to the best of my abilities, because fretting does no one any good, but underneath every choice, every statement, every step, there has been a whisper of, “Are you sure?” and my answer, usually, was, “No, but I’ve got to do something, so here goes.” Of all the things which suffered because of this drought of confidence, the worst was my writing.
Oy, the writing. Continue reading »
Fake Aunt Jenny took us all out to dinner to celebrate the first day of school. I let Light have Mountain Dew, and an ice cream sundae. On the way home, this is what happened:
“You know, I’m actually taller than most of the boys in my grade. I’m actually taller than some of the boys in the fifth grade, and they’re all older than me, because they’re in the fifth grade and I’m young for the fourth grade because I’m only eight. Why am I so much younger than everyone else?”
“Well, because your birthday–”
“Oh! There’s a little girl there at the ice cream stand. I think she goes to my school. My sneakers are really pretty. I can’t have sugar anymore. I feel like I want to puke. Yep, she definitely goes to my school.”
“She looks a little young to–”
“Don’t drive so fast. Okay, now you’re going too slow. I’m totally going to puke. Anyway, do you know how many molecules of water there are on the planet?”
“I haven’t the slightest–”
“I’d bet like a million. Maybe even more. Don’t give me any sugar this week. I don’t want cookies in my lunch box for two weeks. Seriously, I’m going to puke. I think Sweetness is sleeping. I can’t tell. Is she sleeping?”
“I can’t look. I’m driving. If I look, we’ll die a fiery–”
“Oooh, those are pretty clouds. They look like the clouds in Alaska. We were in Alaska for three weeks, and Michigan for one week. Grandma bought me a dress. Actually, she bought me two dresses. And these sneakers. I like these sneakers.”
And so on. And so on. And so on. Fifteen minutes driving home, the kid never took a breath. She was en fuego.
First day of school weather check: Kids are excited, I need an Advil.
Yeah, that’s about right.
