I just found this last night. It amuses me to some degree. Interestingly enough, I do not feel this way at all about my own work. Ever. I’m not sure if that stems from experience, ego, or a combination thereof. I realize many people struggle through the process, but I think reaching out to other writers and authors is one of your best forms of support. Don’t be afraid to speak up.
I’d love to say I’m up early and writing. The truth is, I was woken from a migraine by the smell of brewing coffee. At 12:30 a.m. Strictly speaking, the smell of coffee is really pleasant to me. I breathe deeply, it evokes memories, but when I’m sick, there is a very long list of smells that bother me. Coffee is sometimes one of them.
Apparently it wasn’t just bothering me, because fuzzy people came to alert me to the fact that something was going on in the kitchen that should not have been happening. They’re trying to curry favor with me because I’ve had to yell at their antics over the past two days. Is it wrong not to want something belonging to your Grandmother NOT to be eaten by an animal clearly lacking common sense? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
I’m burned out. I’ve come down with something, and I just plain don’t feel right. The thought of doing a read-through or an edit right now has about as much appeal to me as maggots. Yes, that’s how bad I feel.
If I logged in to my frequent flyer miles right now, I’d find that I have enough miles acquired over the past 14 years to get me the hell out of here for a good three months. That’s as long as you can be away on certain visas. If I didn’t have responsibilities, my ass would be packed in a few hours and off I’d be. I’m that worn out, I need a break.
Where would I go? I have some ideas, but the truth is, there aren’t a lot of people that would appreciate me showing up at the last minute. Therein lies the problem.
Alas, I shall take the next 2-3 days and “vacation inside my head”. Next weekend is kind of a big deal for me, but I’m already upset, so I’m downplaying it quite a bit. One person’s milestone is another person’s way of harming that person and turning something happy into something negative. I don’t need that.
All I can do in this very moment is thank my friends for being so incredibly kind, caring, loving, and supportive. One friend in particular basically yelled at me this past week, telling me to get over myself, and it really is helping me learn things about myself, so thank you my dear. What you said holds water, and I appreciate it. It’s nice to know someone has my back, as opposed to standing behind me with a knife, poised to strike at a moment’s notice. In life, it’s absolutely crucial to know who the right friends are. I am blessed.
Enjoy your weekend everyone. Take stock of your blessings and realize how lucky you are.
copyright © 2014 by Lisa Marino & Blackbird Serenity LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
“Breathe in the life that surrounds you. Let it fill your soul with light and hope.” – Carol Schelling
I just heard this song for the first time Wednesday night. It’s absolutely beautiful.
“We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us.” -Virginia Satir
I feel good. I have completed editing over 94,000 words in less than three weeks, way ahead of schedule. I was invited to submit a proposal on an “invitation only” job and got it in a matter of an hour or so. It’s a read-through with notes, it won’t take me very long. I just have to stifle my urge to edit it. I refuse to do something I’m not being paid or asked to do in the job description. If you’re asking for a read-through, you’ll get it, but I won’t kill myself to give you more than what you’ve asked for. That’s only fair.
It’s also one of the reasons I keep my best work to myself until it is submitted for publication. I don’t need 100 opinions or thoughts, I know myself and I know what works. It’s not ego, it’s skill and experience. Not everything I write is for every single person on the planet, nor does it need to be. Know thy audience, but please yourself as the first person reading it.
Many writers deal with an “inner critic”. Basically, mine knows when I’m writing “filler”. In turn, I have no problem deleting it. It could be pages of crap, but I encourage you, as a writer, to know when it’s crap and remove it. It helps to avoid the “This is being cut.” remarks from an editor in the future. Know yourself, know when you’re putting your absolute best work forward, and know when to step back from it for a little while. Return with fresh eyes and a clear mind. If you agonize, it will always show in your work. If you were pushing yourself to meet a deadline, it will show and any reader with a lick of sense will pick up on it immediately.
Not that long ago I read a book from an author I read consistently. From beginning to end, the book felt forced, it felt repetitive, it felt unimaginative and about as unique as a paper bag, and getting to the end was like pulling teeth with your bare hands. The book went straight to #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers List. I wish you could have seen my face when I saw it. The book lacked quality, substance, a real plot, and damn near bored me to tears. It was the same old shit, in a different fucking book. It was, in all honesty, not that much different from a different series that the author writes, only the names and characters are slightly different. At the core of both, is the author’s pain, and she pours that pain into both of her lead characters. I respect her right for creative control and creative license, but that book made me lose a ton of respect for her as a person. When you’ve read all of a person’s work for closing in on 12 years, it is perfectly okay to be disappointed by even just one highly touted novel in a series, or in the series itself. I will pretty much NEVER publicly disrespect another female author, because I know how hard we work (Yes, male authors work hard too, but I lack the necessary equipment guys.), and I’m a girl’s girl to the core. For an author that once inspired me, I felt like she’d let her readers down. I read the reviews and while it remains at about a 4 star rating on many web-sites, pretty much every review was filled with anger, disappointment, and disgust. People were offended that they’d wasted $15-$30 on crap, depending on where and how they had purchased it and in which format, and that’s putting many reviews mildly.
Half-assing it shows. Maybe not to a new reader, but for people who have been with you from the very beginning, they will remember. They will determine whether or not the next book sells, and exactly how well it does. So, lesson to be learned? Don’t cheat your readers, but most importantly, don’t cheat yourself.
copyright © 2014 by Lisa Marino & Blackbird Serenity LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
“When your Mommy is a writer, sometimes it is necessary to take a little nap on her laptop and remind her that cuteness should never be ignored.”
Introducing my little opal eyed baby to the world. I was writing, closed my laptop for a few minutes, and came back to this little minx. It was too cute not to capture. I am positive she is one of the happiest kittens on the planet. 🙂
copyright © 2014 by Lisa Marino & Blackbird Serenity LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This song is playing on a loop inside my head, as some songs are wont to do.
I am coming up on the end of my most recent editing job, and I’m really pleased with myself. Pleased because I’ve worked my ass off and I know I am providing the client with solid material, solid notes, and that she will have a lot to work with moving forward because I have provided her with additional knowledge to incorporate into her work. There’s nothing wrong with being proud of your gifts, or feeling blessed for having them.
I am working hard to line up additional clients, and will re-focus my attention on my own work during the Samhain break. Yes, I take off for Halloween and the two days thereafter. It helps ground me. Don’t judge. 😛
It will be a little odd returning to my own written world, but I love getting lost there, and it’s familiar. That which lives in your mind is sometimes more “home” to you than any other place in the world. Being able to fully immerse oneself in their own creativity is a powerful gift. I often say “I can only write facts.”, but I have proven myself wrong for years now and it gives me cause to smile and celebrate. I’ve allowed my writing to grow and take on a new direction, thus empowering myself to achieve something that might not have been possible a few short years ago. “Write what you know.” is some of the best advice I’ve ever been given (Thank you Mom.), and it still holds true all these years later.
Since starting this platform, I have been infinitely happier and more at home in my own skin, and as a writer. It’s nice to attract positive people to me. It’s healthier, calmer, freeing. I thank each and every one of you for being a part of that and for accepting me.
Now, tell me what you’re all reading. Are you deep into your own work or are you reading something specific book wise? I am currently reading Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs (I’ve read all of the books in the Temperance Brennan series and according to my bookshelves, I own most of them too. I’m missing a box with some of them though, which is making me OCD to find them.) and The Book Of Life by Deborah Harkness.
Before truly deciding to write, I fully intended to become an NYPD detective. I grew up around police officers and it felt extremely natural to me. I studied forensics and my knowledge on the subject is scary, even for me. Perhaps that is why I love Kathy’s books so much and look forward to them each year. She’s one of the best.
I was introduced to Deborah Harkness via my Aunt. She sent me the first two All Souls Triology books, A Discovery Of Witches and Shadow Of Night. It took me a little while to read them both because they weren’t originally books I’d planned to read, but it turns out they’re worth it. I’m not that far into the new book, but so far, so good. I have a few other books lined up to read after that, and will probably receive a new box chock full of books from my Aunt soon, which means there will be other books that I will talk about.
So again, what are you reading right now? Let me know in the comments section. 🙂
copyright © 2014 by Lisa Marino & Blackbird Serenity LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Written by LISA MARINO-Molchanova 