SAMS : Something About Me (and my hometown) Saturday

Thanks to everyone that left thought provoking, harsh, and honest comments this week. You helped me (and others) a tremendous amount! To those shy, busy, or non-commenty types, I say thanks to you too. It's with your support that we continue to build a network of like-minded writer folk. We are romance, YA, fantasy, SciFi, kidlit, adult, poety, gosh, so many different genres. The categories overlap, too! We may not have the same goals. We are certainly not on the same route. But we are neighbors in an online community. Its your hands that have been pitching in and helping everyone that's willing to be helped.
(SAMS Q&A below, if you'd rather skip this next...blurb of insanity)
I cannot believe what this blog has come to mean for me in the last month and a half. It's slightly disturbing that you like me, well, so says my family. Have you thought seriously about why you started your blog? I hadn't really until today. I know that I had time on my hands. I know that I had a need to improve my writing skills, a dire need. I know that I enjoy reading and sharing my opinion on writer's works that are helping to pave the way for me. I know these things, but are they reasons to start a blog? Sure, but they are not the reason.

I started a blog because I imagined one person giving me advice one day. Video game style, I would improve my skill level by one point. Then a few days later, two people give their two cents. My skill level goes up. I had no reason to imagine that within a few weeks thirty people would be filling my head with ideas and possibilities and reasons...to keep on blogging. When I told Heather that I was an artist the other day, she said I am, "...chock full of talents." And I, never gracious when it comes to compliments, it's a major flaw, said this, "Yes, but incomplete ones." A few lame statements by me later, she said, "I think that everyone starts stuff without finishing until they find their true passion." (I hope she doesn't mind my sharing that) I am not about to tell you that blogging is my passion. Sorry, if that's what you thought. My passion, I believe, is trying different things and roping others into trying them with me. And viola! 82 followers. I am a talented Trial and Errorist and I actually feel happy about it! Thanks guys for keeping this outspoken, melodramatic Leo on a leash, but letting me out to feed and explore. Two months from now, who knows where I'll be, but right here, right now...it's SAMS. Heather, naturally has the first question...oh, and it's about talents!

SAMS
Heather asked (in reference to Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore):

*SPOILER ALERT for both books!*

1. What would your Grace be, if you had one (a reflection of who you are)

Hmm, even though I love this question, I just don't know. Okay, I think I'd have the ability to suppress or heighten someone's senses and emotions, but in keeping with reflecting me, I'd have little control over my own.

2. What would you want you Grace to be, if you could pick one (a reflection of who you want to become, I think.)

I would love Katsa's Grace, the innate ability to survive. How amazing would that be? I honestly think some people have that. I would hate Po's Grace and I'd be afraid to have Leck's. I also think being able to change the physical qualities of objects, both living and inanimate would be cool. On a whim, change a weeping willow to a sorrow-filled blue. You could be such a poet. But, imagine what it would look like when you involuntarily used your Grace or you cannot control it. A sick person becomes an unfortunate shade of green, causing them to get sick and your reaction to the vomit changes its color, causing the vomiter to spew even more profusely. Or a ridiculed regent's rotund face reddens beyond what you can handle, brightening and lightening the shade of garnet to match your tickled state, the court goes wild. Wow. What Grace would you choose?

Anita asked:

Say you have an agent ask to represent you...you resist screaming "YES!" for a few minutes and look at a few of the agent's blog posts. On one of his posts, he mentions a blog friend of yours...he says the blog friend is an idiot because she complained about not getting any kind of query response from the agent. Would you still want to be represented by the agent? If so, how do you justify your actions to yourself?

Wow. I'd have to say yes, I would accept. I think agent bashing is dumb. No, I think agent bashing is beyond idiotic. I don't see any of my friends doing that anyway. If it were to happen, I'd have no qualms about signing, if that agent were right for me, which is really the one and only parameter, yes? Chances are, I will never have the same agent as a close friend anyway. Just doesn't happen. Make sense? Some may argue that the agent shouldn't have responded on his blog, but it's his blog and truthfully, some writers need to here that spiel from agents, just as a refreshing reminder.

Those were all the SAMS questions from the week, don't forget, if you ever think of a brilliant (like Heather's), smart (Like Anita's), or plain quirky (Like Kelly's Beatles question from last week) question anytime during the week, just add a SAMS Question headline to the bottom of your comment followed by the question. Since I had only two and a half questions, I've decided to bore you with facts about the town in which I live. Each Saturday lacking SAMS questions, I'll provide the need-to-know info.

And please, answer these same questions in the comments below, I'd love to hear all about you.

Ludington, Michigan population: 8,324 or less

Nearest IKEA: Detroit 3:04

Chicago-Bolingbrook 4:21

Chicago-Schaumburg 4:30
Nearest airport worth anything to me: Grand Rapids 2 hrs

Travel time to by car (I'd say to add two hours to Google's numbers):

Toronto 7 hrs

Minneapolis 10 hrs (although there is a ferry (Shhh, don't tell other Ludvillains that I told you about this one, it's the rival of our home-port hero, picure below.) that crosses Lake Mich that could cut that by 2 hrs.)

Washington DC 11 hrs

New York City 13 hrs

Boston 15 hrs

Miami 24 hrs

Los Angeles 35 hrs

Vancouver 39 hrs

According to the Official Michigan State Travel Guide, we have the number one lighthouse to visit in the state. Apparently, we also have the state's number one State Park, which also has one of the other top lighthouses to visit. Here's a photo of our beloved carferry, the SS Badger. (The photo links are to our local celebrity photographers, father and son team, Todd and Brad Reed. They are quite extraordinary people, even beyond their remarkable photos.)

Also, ss you can see by these graphs, we get a lots of snow and little sunshine.

Hm...I have to think. What's left for next Tuesday?