GUTGAA- Meet & Greet! Hello!

I'm participating in the GUTGAA Blogfest!  How fun!

I'm going to answer Deana's questions but first I'll tell you a little about myself:

Hi There!

I'm a 26 year old mother of two living in southern Minnesota.  Reading and writing have always been a major part of my life.  When I was a child, reading was a way to adventure and escape without leaving the safety of my bedroom.  I remember devouring everything I could get my hands on- reading all day.  I think The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney was the first book that I finished in one day.  As I got older, writing came easily and English was by far and away my favorite subject in grade school.  I write because that's who I am.  I don't know how to be or do anything else.  It is my release and brings clarity of emotion to my emotion-driven life.  I feel everything and writing gives me away to express all that energy so that it doesn't just sit inside me, laying stagnant and unused.

-Where do you write?

I usually sit at my desk and type away on my desktop.  But, I do also carry a notebook and will write wherever, whenever inspiration strikes.

-Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places and the The Notebooks of Leonardo Davinci as well as a large window that allows the sun to warm my skin.

-Favorite time to write?

Anytime, really.  But, I seem to write the best late at night when I'm slightly fatigued.

-Drink of choice while writing?

Tea.  Warm, fragrant tea.  Cold water...  Occasionally a glass of wine, but that's only if I am feeling particularly vulnerable in what I'm writing.  (Liquid courage anyone?)

-When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?

It really depends.  Sometimes the silence is what I need to sort through all of my thoughts but, then music can really help you capture an emotion and keep your train of thought from wandering too far away from your original idea.  I do now that I absolutely cannot have the noise from the TV or a movie when I write.

-What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?

The 2 stories I'm working on currently originated from discussing life with other people.  Most of my inspiration comes from life in general- whether it be my own or the life of others.  Everyone has a story, it's completely fascinating to me.  I will hear about how something happened to "so and so's brother's cousin" and then imagine everything that lead up to that moment and who could have been involved and the outcome.  My mind is always going a million miles a minute.

-What's your most valuable writing tip?

Write as much as possible.  I have to remind myself that sometimes it's not quality, it's quantity.   Yes, you want everything you work on to be brilliant- but you have to not be afraid to write crap.  If you don't get into the habit of writing as often as you can, life can be overtaken by other things and you suddenly discover that writing has taken the back burner.

On The Road- Jack Kerouac

I'm reading this right now:

And, let me tell you-- it's been PHENOMENAL thus far!  I've never read anything written like this.  I was nervous at first-- afraid that it would be slightly off putting to read something in such a format.  There was nothing to be nervous about, let me tell you!  It's like your best friend is sitting across from you; him with a whiskey on the rocks and you with a dry red slowly sipping as he recalls his journey.

It's personal.

I love when you can hear the author's voice when you read.

I hear you Jack Kerouac!  I hear you when you write, 

"... because the only people that interest me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing.. but burn, burn, burn like roman candles across the night."

And then I read this and I felt it in my bones:

"I like too many things and get all confused and hung-up running from one falling star to another till I drop. This is the night, what it does to you. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion." 

 I thank my lucky stars that I'm able to continually have amazing books at my finger tips.  To attempt to think about a life in which I was unable to read all of these amazing words is incomprehensible.  Luck... it's a funny thing, isn't it?

---

What are YOU reading right now?

Does it speak to you?

Does it make your mind wander?

Tug at you?

YAY for THG on DVD!

So, I'm excited to say that today The Hunger Games is released on DVD!

I may be a 26 year old mother of two-- but that does not mean I will ever grow out of my love of YA literature... Movies are just another great way to enjoy a favorite story!

So, in honor of one of my favorite books-  let's all drink Woodchuck Cider and watch The Hunger Games tonight!  Accept for those of you who the books and films are actually geared towards... because you are too young.  Apple juice only for you!

Source: i.qkme.me via Kim and Rae on Pinterest

Writer's Block-- What a BIT--

Wow.

I really wanted to say the b-word.  Placing it in the title just didn't feel appropriate though..  So I'll just say it now because if I don't say it, I'll be thinking it the entire time--- I just need to get it out of my system--

Writer's Block is a total bitch.

I know, feminists shouldn't use that word.  But, get over it.  I used it.  I'm already over it.  And, damn!  That felt GOOD.  

I cannot freaking write!  My mind is all like "$%*&(*$^#T!!!!!!!!!!" when I sit in front of a computer screen and no words end up on the page.  Usually by that time I will then attempt to scribble in my illegible scrawl in my notebook- where the fuck is my notebook anyway?  Have yet to find it-- or my purse.  It has to be in my purse.  

source

I'm trying to find the source of my writer's block... lack of sleep?  I do have a newborn.  Lack of creativity?  possibly.. but, I have a lot of ideas actually-- just none are materializing.  I'm having a problem actually executing these ideas.

It must be guilt!

I can only write when the children are asleep.  But, that is also the only time I can clean or unpack.  Even sitting here, while Eva is napping (she is NOT napping by the way, I can hear her banging around in her bedroom, but I'm choosing to ignore it for sanity's sake) and, Abram is asleep across my chest-- I feel GUILTY.  I should put the baby down (even though after 5 minutes he'll be awake-- he likes being held by his mother) and do some damn housework.

But, I want to write dammit.  I need that release, the satisfaction that you feel when you crank out a couple hundred words or pages. 

I've been fantasizing about total silence, a blank word document and a gallon jug of wine... I think I need a drunken session to jump start the honesty.  But, I need to be realistic.  And, that is not realistic unfortunately. 

I did write a few pages last Sunday (last Sunday ALREADY?!  Wow... that is forever ago) about a lady who had nothing to write about.  Ha.  I know.  Pathetic.

But, then I was reminded by Bukowski that:

"Writing about a writer's block is better than not writing at all."

And I've started a generic essay about Facebook.  I edited a few short-stories.  That is it.

source

WRITER FRIENDS-- help me!  I can't wait until Christmas to write!

Ruining Ruined- A Poem

I found a poem that I wrote... I am not a poet so I wasn't sure what to do with it.. I decided to share it with you folks.  Feel free to tell me that it's shit... I'm okay with that!  My poetry tends to be shit.  I'm much better at telling a story as opposed to painting an emotion with words.  I leave the poetry writing to my friend Sarah.

Ruining Ruined

I was trying to write you something

and then my cell phone rang

ruining the entire story.

It was like the time my mother showed up at the pool,

yanking me out of the water by my hair.  We were

playing Marco Polo and I was “it.” 

She ruined the entire game.

After that no one wanted to play with me. 

Which at 10 years old,

had ruined my entire life.

Kind of like that time my friend Jenny

slept with my college boyfriend,

and did it again with another boyfriend.

That ruined our entire friendship.

It’s pretty easy to rip things apart,

to shred them down into a million little pieces,

ruining the entire picture. 

Especially when you don’t pay attention to the details. 

Or forget to read the directions

Like the time I didn’t follow the recipe and

I ruined your birthday cake. 

But you ate it anyway and ended up sick,

screaming at the toilet all night.

That ruined your entire birthday.

Like the people at the rally we drove by,

the one under the bridge, near the post office,

holding up signs saying Obama is the anti-Christ,

and that paying taxes has ruined their entire lives.

---

Maybe I should have read it aloud to you guys like I did with 'Cantaloupe Boobs'-- dang.  Next time, possibly...