Why yes, that is a margarita in a travel coffee mug. I assure you that using a standard margarita glass is not a wise idea when trying to balance your drink on uneven ground while surrounded by three toddlers. Please also note the container of extra salt (on the theory that a coffee mug has a very small rim that may need replenishing), and the bowl of pasta salad (after all, drinking on an empty stomach would be irresponsible). They say that Sippys Cups Are Not For Chardonnay, and I agree, because I don't drink wine.
In short, happy Sunday to me! Four adults, three 2-year-olds (who all had nice long naps), an inflatable toddler pool and water table, yummy food, and sunny weather = awesome.
This also means that I did not plan anything clever for my blog today. So, I'll be taking suggestions. What do you want to read about? More genre ranting? Lessons I've learned about querying? Tips that helped me write when the going was tough? Balancing writing with an office job? Balancing writing with parenting a toddler? (I was laid off shortly after having my daughter, so I can't talk about balancing writing with an office job and a toddler. One or the other only.) Editing, since I may be one of the few authors who actually loves editing?
Tomorrow I'll say something more writerly. But today, I am doing research for a possible new "day job." Wish me luck!
Balancing writing with an office job! Assuming you don't consider blogs about the coffee machine "writing."
ReplyDeleteAll of the above! Sounds like some interesting topics! And good luck with the office job!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a relaxing weekend. I try to balance writing with an office job...but I work in tech support on a help desk so we have down days and up days. On the down days I can squeeze in a little writing. I also tend to write on a notepad when I'm bored to death, waiting for software to load!
ReplyDeleteHow about: how to not feel like utter catsick when you have to discipline your toddler, who is having a meltdown. And how do you do it? I just don't know the right answer. How do you keep your cool, since we all know you really should keep your cool? (keeping cool = not getting as upset as toddler) Current plan is to put toddler in timeout, for hitting--but what happens when toddler screams and kicks and thrashes when in timeout? How do you all discipline the hitting?
ReplyDeleteOooog, Sierra, that's a rough one. The Serious Girl is not a hitter, so I've been spared the worst of this kind of decision-making so far, but there have been times where I picked her up and walked with her in a tight bear hug because I didn't know how else to communicate both "you can't have what you want" and "I'm still here for you." She was not happy about it, but it seemed better than the other alternatives at the time...
ReplyDeleteCan your toddler have a dedicated punching bag (pillow) to help diffuse the anger and frustration? And hitting the pillow never means a timeout, whereas other hitting does? I think even hideous tantrum behavior must be ignored if (1) child is in timeout and (2) no one is getting hurt. Becuase lack of attention is partly the point of a timeout, right?
Good luck! This too, shall pass...
Ooooo, yeah can you chat about editing? I am editing my first book at the moment. I have had it professionally edited and I am working through the suggestions in the mark up. But I HATE it. I have no idea if I am changing things just to change them, or if I am making them better.
ReplyDeleteOh and querying. I'd love to hear your experience of that. Especially if you or anyone else out there knows anything about querying memoirs??? Are they queried like novels or like NF works? My current understanding is to query them like novels. But really I love your posts. You write it, I'll read it :)
Oh and toddler tantrums.... yeah I am still working my way through those! Time out in the crib is what we do. Difficult little people sometimes aren't they? We love em anyhow!
Sounds like a good weekend to me..
ReplyDeleteI fyou;re taking requests then anything on balancing writing and the rest of life would be great!
Margarita in a thermos -- what a splendid idea. And salt too. You do think of everything.
ReplyDeleteTabitha... YES! Memoirs are queried like novels. I have two friends writing memoirs who have confirmed this for me. This is because memoir is a narrative tale, even if it's nonfiction.
ReplyDeleteMore on querying and editing in future posts...
I'd like to hear more about editing as well. My dad wrote a book. It was his life's work, but he never finished the editing process before his sick destroyed him, so my brothers and I want to finish it for him. Any advice?
ReplyDelete(And - OMG! Monday was the best day of my extended weekend! I found the only print copy that I thought I lost in my last move! Turns out I put it in too safe a place. LOL. SO happy, cause the digital copy got fucked up from jumping to many levels in word when I copied off the outdated floppies before losing it for good. Fucking word. :) )
Whoa, your version of Word has not been good to you lately. SO glad you recovered a hard copy!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to take some time thinking about your question... I've never done a full edit of someone else's fiction, but maybe I can extrapolate some ideas from my legal editing and fiction crit groups...