COMMENTS were not working for most of yesterday on my post, so while I sulked about my sudden unpopularity, you were all trying to give me some love! So, if you had something brilliant and fun to say or anything for that matter, make sure you give Thesaurus Thursday some love for me.
Now, onto FUTURE FRIDAY (que cue (wow, Jon, really?) Vtech robot voice)
The future is coming, whether we are prepared for it or not. Today, I am outlining the steps I need to take to get most out of my inevitable journey.
Now, onto FUTURE FRIDAY (
The future is coming, whether we are prepared for it or not. Today, I am outlining the steps I need to take to get most out of my inevitable journey.
Writing related steps:
1. Rewrite query for MYLAR, my picture book.
2. Take a chill pill and choose one, I repeat, ONE WIP to focus one.
3. Join a critique group. Even my little town of ten thousand has a writer's organization, I may be end up being the lone YA and PB writer there, but who knows what I'll gain.
4. Meditate twice a week before I attempt to work on the WIP. Or drink wine.
5. Whichever WIP I choose by the end of next week, must have a word count of 65 thou by April.
Life related steps:
1. Get a second job. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. (Of course serving and any food related jobs are out. Weak stomach.)
2. Spend more time with the nieces and nephews. (I am writing a MG series with my eldest niece. She's totally into it, but I am not allocating enough time to further the project.)
3. Create a weekly schedule. I have seen many bloggers post about their schedules and how they do it. I keep asking them and myself how this is possible. Next month, you'll be asking me how I do it.
4. Learn to type better. I am a chicken pecker of a writer and I believe it is slowing me down. I have started free lessons at sense-lang.org. Now, since I have little proper training regarding typing, this may not be the best place to learn. If you guys are willing, would you jet over there and spend three minutes testing it out and tell me if it's good? otherwise, I'll spend the twenty bucks for a typing program. (This is under life steps, because typing well will help me with more than just my writing.)
5. I will start to shave every-other-day. I have recently grown a beard worthy of No-Shave November, but alas it's not November, so inapprop.
(Btw, the enlarged, colored numbers are a hint at my current revision project. Okay, hint over, the picture book is titled, Roy G. Biv. Interested?)
So, I hope I haven't lost any fans yet. Keep in mind: everyone loves a yeti.
Guess what, I got my second (or third if you count Mariah reverse giving me the Silver Lining Award) award of the week. Kimberly Franklin had this to say about me,
"His comment the other day made me laugh. I mean really LAUGH. Very creative, Jon. Very creative!!!"
Thanks, Kim. I am glad you got a good laugh, that's the best reward.
I am not sure the rules of this one, so I am going to choose one recipient of the award.
This goes to my self proclaimed number one fan. She is my number one competition when it comes to getting in the first word on other people's blog, so naturally she is usually the first to comment on mine. She also has the funniest, quirkiest, and most honest things to say, which melts my heart every time. Who knew a few weeks ago that I would meet other bloggers that I now feel have been lifelong friends? It's uber cheesy, I know, but it's oh so true. This great new friend I find in Tina Laurel Lee.
Tina's blog, Watch Me Practice (because I get better when I practice) is simply set up, little detracts the eye, from her creative, pleasant posts. I love to head over there when I can't clear my head. Also, read this comment she left on my Silver Lining Award (which I received from Heather Kelly) acceptance speech post:
"I have to say that was well done. While reading this blog I was thinking, my gosh this guy deserves every word and upon finishing I think you have done your rewarder proud. you both make tears spring to my eyes. I love it. This is a beauty of a wtf? Wednesday. You have made a wonderful spot on the blogoshere."
So, Tina, here's your very own sprinkling of glitter. Use it well. Oh, there's something else for ya.
For those that are wondering, it's cabbage and, yes, Tina, Heather, and I are in a love triangle. No, we are not accepting members. I'm not square and I don't do dodecahedra.
I leave you with a final word - John Green on J.D. Salinger. :( and :)
Tina's blog, Watch Me Practice (because I get better when I practice) is simply set up, little detracts the eye, from her creative, pleasant posts. I love to head over there when I can't clear my head. Also, read this comment she left on my Silver Lining Award (which I received from Heather Kelly) acceptance speech post:
"I have to say that was well done. While reading this blog I was thinking, my gosh this guy deserves every word and upon finishing I think you have done your rewarder proud. you both make tears spring to my eyes. I love it. This is a beauty of a wtf? Wednesday. You have made a wonderful spot on the blogoshere."
So, Tina, here's your very own sprinkling of glitter. Use it well. Oh, there's something else for ya.
I leave you with a final word - John Green on J.D. Salinger. :( and :)
Ah, ha! I'm first!
ReplyDeleteI vote for the wine. And the more the better.
Congrats on your award, you deserve it. And, as soon as you figure it out, I want to know your writing schedule. It seems I really need one. : )
Have a Happy Friday!!!
You are sooo funny, I wonder how I didn't come to visit you more often. Well, that is changing now, know that you are more popular than evar, but please no more beard picture. At least not until November. Thank you. And yes, congratulations on your award.
ReplyDeleteToo late!
ReplyDeleteAnd there is no emoticon that captures how I feel about that.
But this post has been a whirlwind of emotions, as so many of yours are, the ups and the downs of it. Thank you so much for the award. The award is exciting, yes, but the words will be with me always. Thank you! Thank you!
And then the sparkles and the cabbage!!! I am a lover of such things. And you have more sparkle in your pinkie finger then Edward Cullen has on a sunny day. Thanks for spreading it all over the blogoshere. Love you and your beard pictures. Sorry to disagree with you, Ocean Girl, but I think he should take more of them!
Thank you! I will cherish it always!
"everyone loves a yeti"-haha love that! off to click on the video now :)
ReplyDeleteSO AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteTina is awesome, you are awesome, I love our triangle. I'm so happy that you passed on glitter to Tina--insidious! I couldn't agree more with all that you've said about her. A truly wonderful person. I also feel as though she is a lifelong friend. More glitter!
And, I'm voting for wine.
And--the key for me and schedules is to only add one new thing at a time. So many people overhaul their time completely, and end up failing. So, I just change one thing, and make it a habit, before I move on to the next.
I'll check out that typing thing. I'm pretty fast, if I do say so myself.
PS--I'm going to start a game of Where In the Blogosphere Is Jon?. WIBIJ. I haven't figured out the rules, yet, but there will be points involved--I'll have to think about it. Like tag or something. Any ideas, anyone?
I love it. I'll play. Let's get everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteJon-- I think that free typing thing should be fine--I don't see why it wouldn't be. I'm going to show it to my son, who always wants me to type his homework (I say, "no". I am such a mean mom).
ReplyDeleteOo,oo, can I play?
ReplyDeleteThat's what we need, you to win every round!
ReplyDeleteHow do you figure that'd happen? okay, let's give Heather a chance to work out the plan first. Ha.
ReplyDeleteOkay--so what I'm thinking of for the game of WIBIJ is that Jon will begin by posting in the morning, on his blog, the number of words that makes up the WIBIJ sentence of the day.
ReplyDeleteThen, Jon just goes around the blogosphere, spreading glitter, but, also hiding a word clue in his comments--maybe in a different color (does anyone know how to do that?) or all caps, or something. Like Easter eggs. Then, at the end of the day, everyone comes back to jon's place (here) and tries to unscramble the sentence.
And--if nobody finds all the words, Jon can give a hint in the comments, pointing people to the right blog. Am I Crazy? Or Crazy Awesome? (Really, I'm okay, if you guys answer, "no, Heather, you're really just crazy--this game sucks")
So--the person who unscrambles sentence correctly first wins. Althought if we wanted to complicate it with a huge points system, I'm on it.
Oh--and you are disqualified, if you don't comment on the blogs with the hidden words. Disqualified.
Jon--you game? (In hindsight, this requires quite a lot from Jon. Maybe we could tweak it.)
Who needs a second job when they have me in their back pocket, thinking of time wasters?
Ha! I have to yoga, but when I get back I'm thinking about this.
ReplyDeleteword verification is hodolay. To which I say: word. and sign off with...
Cabbage.
Um, guess I'm the FOB here, cuz I had no idea you had a picture book. That's awesome! Good luck with that, buddy.
ReplyDeleteFunny that you mentioned focusing on one WIP. I recently gutted my very barebones MS, and have bifurcated what I've written so far into two books. Which really sucked for a bit because I basically cut my word count in half. Ah well. Time to focus!
Grats on another award! You're becoming quite the lil' celeb here in the blogosphere, and it's easy to see why!
P.S. My word verification was "shifism"...
Holy sh*t. Brilliant. Yes. Doable? Sure. Am I scared? yes. This means you have to help me Heather...
ReplyDeleteSo is the game pronounce like cabbage? Haha, so had to get that in there for Tina.
Um...whoa. Okay, I think we should create a blog just for this. Hehe.
Keep thinking, Heather, it's almost perfect.
Sorry, B, I was commenting when you wrote in. I loved your whole comment. Shifism, totally great.
ReplyDeleteBtw, one of my concepts AKA the folder of one day books, is a story based on cryptograms and how this boy is obsessed with them.
Jon--there also has to be a time element--so that people can do blogs at their leisure. But, I think this might be a fun way to drive some people to different types of blogs. And, you might be right, this might need it's own blog.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Jon! I am certain you can do all this!
ReplyDeleteAnd hoorah on the award! They do make you feel all warm and fuzzy, no?
(and BTW thanks for visiting my blog!!!)
Excellent future stuff. And you know that now we're going to be able to hold you accountable, right? Right.
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
ReplyDelete*biting lip*
Aww! You're writing with your niece? I find that incredibly sweet.
ReplyDelete*going to check out the typing thing right now*
The typing thing is alright. I doesn't seem like it times your typing or gets too upset if you make mistakes in the lessons, like my Mavis Beacon did. If your just trying to learn finger positioning, though, it seems okay.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mariah. I am trying to learn proper positioning first, but I did notice that they will soon have a login, so you can keep track of your progress and what not. So far, my average WPM is at 41. Ha, I know how bad is that, but I never formally learned. I think I skipped that class a lot.
ReplyDeleteGuys - Thanks for all the comments, I'll give individual responses later tonight.
1. Love the colorful numbers and the Roy G. Biv title of the PB.
ReplyDelete2. Do find a critique group, even if people are in different genres, it will def. help. I'm the only Pber and poet in my group, but the suggestions/critiquing from the others is still awesome.
3. Do learn to type, your fingers will then fly like the wind and you can make even more witty comments on our blogs! My mom forced me to take typing in high school, and I'm so glad she did.
4. I have triangle envy! :)
Good luck with all those goals! :)
ReplyDeleteOk, so I've been following all your comments on other people's blogs--insightful, hilarious, and distinctly appealing. Thought it was time I got over here to follow your blog.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the award. Best of luck with all your goals, especially the typing one. That will make everything else much easier. Except maybe the second job. Like, say you become a nurse or UPS guy. Might not help you as much then.
Kelly- I have dancing envy.
ReplyDeleteBack from yoga and thinking about the game. I like the idea. Don't want it to fall too heavily on Jon. Maybe if the game is good enough we can steal Kelly's attention from Word Bubbles.
But really games are good and blogs are good and Jonathon is fun to follow around out here.
sounds like you got some serious goals!
ReplyDeleteHighly entertaining list. You crack me up!
ReplyDeleteI heart John Green. He's my YA writer crush. I'll admit it.
ReplyDeleteOh, totally mine too! if I get to meet him one day, I'll probably faint as I pee my pants.
ReplyDeleteDo you know that They Might Be Giants have a song Roy G. Biv? Didn't know what it meant until I heard the song last night. It is on there new Here Comes Science CD.
ReplyDeleteNot only are you sweet and brilliant, Tina, you're officially awesome.
ReplyDeleteRoy G. Biv is up for grabs to anyone that would like to read it.