Push Me, Please

I came across a blog post on YARN that got me thinking...who are the Jillian Michaels equivalents in my writing world?

My writing buddies. As I've edited and revised my WIP based off their feedback, I'm noticing: I'm growing as a writer. They don't just let me get away with pretty words on a page. They make a comment bubble and say, "Show me this, don't tell me." Which is the writing equivalent of "Down and give me 20!"

I balk. I sigh. I sometimes even roll my eyes. Then I get to work and tweak it. Hm, what do you know? It sounds better... They're the people who see my strengths and even use ALL CAPS to celebrate a great brain brilliance. But then they're right up on me telling me I can do better when I slack.

So, many thanks to the girls who push me...including Traci, April, Angelina, Jenny, Amanda, Sara, Amelia, Emily, Morgen...and so many others. My writing would not be what it is (and what it's stretching to be) without YOU!

Who are YOUR writing buddies? How have they helped you stretch?

#The Heat is On!

As I've contemplated what in the world to blog about this week, I've settled on a game I made up that's kind of like that "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game, but...not... :)

Instead, it's six degrees of...what I've been filling my time with lately, each having a different contextual theme of the blog post title. Confusing enough? (Maybe it's because this Vegas heat has already addled my brain...and it's not even the middle of May yet- YEESH!)

So...the heat is on...
1. I've been polishing my manuscript like crazy while also submitting to (and critiquing) at least eight other writers (two different writers' groups) to put it all through the refiner's fire, ready for some agents' eyes. Querying Goal: July 1.

2. I've got incredible YA books to read, all non-renewable from the library (because they're so in demand) and my butt is on fire to read them all before I get burned by the racked-up fines.

3. #Shadow and Bone by #Leigh Bardugo is one of those incredible books (which I've already finished, but Can't. Stop. Thinking. About.). It's about a sun-summoner whose powers are sought after by both dark and light to control The Fold--a dark, zombie-like wasteland that plagues an area of Ravka. Tsarpunk, I like to classify it.

4. Speaking of writing goal deadlines and library books due dates? That's not the ONLY time constraint I have...I only have SEVEN MORE DAYS until #Netflix removes #Avatar: The Last Airbender series! That leaves about 27 episodes to cheer Aang on so he can master all the elements in time to defeat the fire lord. My life is hard, but this is genuine family time happenin', so I can't skimp out. 

5. Speaking of Aang and learning water, earth and fire-bending, can I just say that Nickelodeon's Avatar is a show masterfully written? I yearn to create characters as complex, layered and perfectly flawed as those on that cartoon. I laugh out loud every episode and fall deeper in love with the show. My favorite character? #Zuko. (What can I say? I like the dark, broody...uh, lispy... types :).

6. The final step in my "#Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but not really" game is...#Jillian Michaels (huh?). Yeah. This woman has been kicking my trash. I've been doing her various cardio burn workouts on youtube 3-4 times a week for the past couple of months, and that woman is MERCILESS. It's a love-hate relationship, I tell ya. But my body is changing. So she knows what she's doing (thus, the love part of the relationship). Even though I kind of cuss a lot during the workouts (the hate part).

The End.

In case the title of this post didn't get the song in your head, here ya go. ;) Til next time!