Comments | sophierom: Happy ... What Year Is It Again?

sophierom

Happy ... What Year Is It Again?

Jan 03, 2009 07:15

How are you?

My first resolution of 2009 is to think about you before I think about me.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, ( navel gazing, which is an even more unpleasant but necessary activity after eating too much over the holidays. )

Comments 24

deeble January 3 2009, 18:58:57 UTC

Oh, also -- hilarity this way: www.much-ado.net/austenbook

Pride and Prejudice written as Facebook News Feeds, via Snarkypants. (I.e. "Lydia Bennet is going to Brighton with Colonel & Mrs. Forster!!!!1!")

sophierom January 3 2009, 18:59:53 UTC

I just saw that!!!! It's hilarious! I think the creator should be given an award. ;-D

vanityfair00 January 3 2009, 20:17:30 UTC

This is great! Almost as good as my choose your own adventure Austen book I got for Christmas.

vanityfair00 January 3 2009, 20:18:57 UTC

Wow! That's very brave. Good luck. I thought I would take all the extra time I have with my new job but the pressure of culture shock and studying the language so much of the time has totally killed my muse. :-(

sophierom January 4 2009, 01:23:47 UTC

Brave and stupid. :-D

I can't imagine how tired you must be at the end of your days! I haven't been able to keep up with your blog very much, but from what I've seen, you definitely seem to be taking advantage of all of your experiences! And your muse can't be dead if you're blogging regularly. Not that I don't love LJ, but have you thought of (or do you already) blog somewhere else? LJ doesn't seem to attract much traffic outside the LJ world (or so it seems to me, but I"m pretty clueless about most things). Your experiences and the good humor you have about them make for fun reading. Also, _vocalion_ pointed me, a few years ago, to the Erma Bombeck writing competition. Have you seen that? Here's the web site. http://www.wclibrary.info/erma/index.asp

Unfortunately, the competition isn't running until 2010.

Okay, enough rambling from me. Happy New Year! Have a safe trip back to Japan (if you're not already back).

_vocalion_ January 4 2009, 12:27:48 UTC

I'm elated (aren't you glad I used another adjective besides "glad"?) that you've resolved to spend more time thinking about me than thinking about yourself in 2009. While you're at it, why not dedicate your first book to me? Or at least a full paragraph on the Acknowledgments page. :-)

You'll never get anywhere drinking peppermint tea. Lay off the stuff. Switch to something high in caffeine and you'll be able to complete your plot outline in one night. Dialog flows if you nibble on white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Having trouble with character naming or creating that perfect first line? Try Trader Joe's macaroni and cheese. When the time comes, I'll tell you what to eat to help you write the perfect query letter.

Here's one thing you must remember: ignore all writing advice, even advice on ignoring writing advice. Just eat right and you'll succeed.

sophierom January 4 2009, 20:37:12 UTC

I think you're on to something here. Have you tried marketing this approach? I think Trader Joe's would definitely buy some advertising space! (But hey, do you think it's possible to substitute a green tea mochi for Mac&Cheese?)

Even if the TJ's food doesn't work, your great sense of humor is sure to do the trick!

Oh, and in response to a question you asked in a previous comment (at your page), I'm not sure about a trip west this summer. I hope so... but we'll have to see. Budget will now be tighter (not that my teaching salary is super, and it does last through August ... hmmm....)

In any case, hope to see you soon (or at least to correspond to each other from the same country?).

sophierom January 4 2009, 20:38:51 UTC

Urm, correspond with each other? Am I really considering writing???????? Sorry for the many other typos I'm sure I missed.

pasi January 4 2009, 12:43:35 UTC

Sounds like you're doing well with your vacation writing. Half an hour a day + caffeine during the school year?

I like your husband's enthusiasm. He seems like a nice guy.

sophierom January 4 2009, 20:39:22 UTC

Thanks, pasi! Half hour + caffeine during the school year is my current regimen. I'll have to keep it up (spring is always busier than fall for me, so we'll see how I do! ;-D)

My DH is a wonderful guy. I'm so lucky and happy.

Hope you're having a great New Year!

sigune January 4 2009, 18:22:24 UTC

I think taking time off is the only way to find out what you can do in any creative enterprise. There seem to be people who manage to juggle work and family and writing/art and fandom and goodness knows what else. Personally I have discovered the hard way that now that I have my first non-academic, non-research job, I have had to shed just about all my other activities. I do want to create a thing of fancy one day. I know it's not going to happen while I hold this job.

If it's possible for you to go for this, then by all means do. You won't forgive yourself if you don't :).

Happy New Year!

sophierom January 4 2009, 20:41:32 UTC

Hi there! Sorry I've been such a lousy LJ friend.

Do you at least like your job, even if it drains the muse? I hope so. (But it looks like you're still producing some beautiful art; sorry I haven't commented, but the Gawain Project art that you posted recently is quite lovely.)

Thanks for the encouragement, and happy New Year to you, too!