Friday Blog Roundup

Happy Friday the 13th. Hope you are all safe and sound. No worries here, although Dante tripped on the stairs this morning and spilled his cheerios. I also had the sudden realization that my heroine in my MIP slept with the hero on Friday the 13th and I didn't exploit that to its fullest. Hmmmm. I wrote the scene a few weeks ago without thinking about dates, but, truly, how did I miss that? My heroine thinks she has a deadly, hard-to-remove love curse. I'm pretty sure this means it's back to the drawing board.

Anyway . . .

I'm doing a blog round up today because I've read some great posts over the last few days and I liked to share them with you, just in case you missed them.

First up the glittery hooha. I read Jenny Crusie's blog today and found myself laughing hysterically over the glittery hooha and the fact that her character, Char, has one. I have a very good friend named Char and she recently died her hair auburn (she seems to have to do everything I do). You'll have to read Jenny's blog to fully understand. Check it out-- and don't forget to peruse the comments.

Not as hysterically funny, but it made me smile, is the post by Eloisa James on lying at Squawk Radio. My parents called me the grand exaggerator and as a child I was in endless trouble for exaggerating, bending the truth, omitting the whole truth and storytelling. I think, perhaps, the truth is more flexible for those of us who are natural born storytellers. We just can't help it, right? I'm preparing for what that mean in terms of my son because he shows early signs of having the "gift."

Speaking of storytellers, I enjoyed Tess Gerritsen's blog on whether storytellers are born or made. She writes --

Every so often, I encounter an aspiring writer who just doesn’t have that storytelling knack. Their manuscripts are boring, and it’s hard to make them understand exactly what’s wrong with their stories, other than to say “it’s not interesting.” Or “it’s not dramatic enough.” Often they’ll counter with “well, it isn’t meant to be commercial! It’s meant to be literary.” Okay, then. But even literary isn’t supposed to be boring.

What I’ve found is that many of these boring aspiring novelists turn out not to be readers. Yep, you heard me. They want to be novelists but they don’t read novels. They think they can tell stories, but how would they know if they have no one to compare themselves to? I run into a lot of these people at my booksignings. They come up to me and want advice about where to send their manuscripts, and how to get published. When I ask them which authors they like to read, I’ll get back a puzzled look. Read? Why, they don’t have time to read! They’re too busy!

So is their dream of being a novelist hopeless? Should they just give up? Are they doomed to forever be boring storytellers?

I don’t know. What I do know is that they have a lifetime of catching up to do. They need to read.

Okay, how in the heck can someone who doesn't read--a lot--seriously think they are going to be published writers? That cracks me up.

Speaking of cracking me up, I love this meme I lifted from Barbara Samuel who lifted it from Joshilyn Jackson. You google your name with the word needs and scan the results. Here's what I got when I googled "Alyson needs" --

Alyson needs to drop the sister act

Alyson needs to be left alone and people should just let her do her job in peace

Alyson Needs A Vacation.

Alyson needs a good team around her.

Alyson needs to determine who is getting this and who is not.

Alyson needs a gimmick weapon, some kinda funky weapon she always uses to kill people with.

Alyson needs to put the book down for five minutes and update.

Alyson needs a little extra help.

Alyson needs kind guidance and support.

Alyson needs to go to bed because its almost 7 am.

Alyson needs to go back to doing drama.

Alyson needs to watch more TV, particularly on Wed. nights at 9PM.

Alyson needs bigger tits for me to lust after her.

Alyson needs to get on with it.

Alyson needs to write a book.

I swear I didn't make any of them up. Fun stuff, huh?

Have you checked out romance novel tv yet? I love it! I've watched all the videos, I think. I especially enjoyed the interviews with Nora and J.R. Ward. Very interesting. Nora's advice for new writers is to stop making excuses, write what you like to read and write every day. I love that -- I love hearing it from her. And I'm proud to say I'm almost there. I occasionally have days I can't write and I have to give myself a break because I have a toddler, and sometimes stuff happens that I can't control, but I'm getting there, closer and closer every day.

My parents are pulling into the drive now. My sister is having a baby-- today! She lives two doors down and I babysit her son who is seven months older than my son. My parents live ninety miles away so they actually got on the road immediately, which is pretty good for them (they like to piddle). Gotta go!

Yikes. I just realized that she's having her baby on Friday the 13th. I have total mommy brain today. Keep your fingers crossed.

Cheers and happy writing,

Alyson