Don't be an Individual

Just in case you've been living under a rock for the past week, it is my duty to inform you that the Third Writers Platform Building Campaign is now live and that yours truly has joined in. (Because yours truly doesn't have nearly enough commitments going on.) I've placed my name in a Fantasy group and in an Adult Fiction group, possibly because I hate myself. The other night I spent hours going through all of the Fantasy signups, checking out blogs, following, commenting. (By the way, is anyone else having trouble with the follower widgets not showing up when you go to someone's blog? I had to refresh many of them up to 10 times for it to display. It's a bit frustrating.) I've yet to get through the Adult groups, but I will!

 I have to admit that I'm disappointed that it isn't a crusade anymore. Crusade is a much more interesting and evocative word than campaign. But then again, I suppose it can't be a crusade. It saddens me, but the final one already happened.

Great movie? Or greatest movie?

To go along with the idea of networking, I'd like to host some guest posts and/or interviews of other Fantasy bloggers here during the challenge. So if you'd like to either submit yourself to questioning (without the small room and bright light, I promise) or just write about a preferably fantasy related topic of your choice, please comment below and let me know how to contact you.

I find it's amazing how many awesome blogs were out there that I'd never seen before. I'm very excited to get to know more people. There are several new followers here. (Hi!) And so it seems like a good idea to do a sort of "getting to know you" post for the campaign trail. I'll almost certainly regret this later on.

Who am I?

There are two sorts of people in the world. Those who, when they hear the words "who am I", immediately think "24601" and those who don't. I am part of the former, happy category. (Or maybe it's just me. Who knows.)

Holy crap, I need one of these.

Let's Get Personal

I like to say that I am, first and foremost, a wife and mother. Nothing will ever come before those two things. My wonderful husband and my four crazy, rambunctious, beautiful children are and always will be the most important things in my life. And this leads me to some stuff I don't normally like to talk about, but it's a huge part of who I am.

You see, I didn't have a very happy parental situation when I was a child. I suffered through two divorces before my biological father abandoned me and my mother's third husband took up the slack by adopting me. Apart from making me somewhat messed up, these experiences make me a strong proponent of a stable home environment for children NO MATTER WHAT. Divorce is wrong. It is evil. It tears the hearts of children into little pieces and much of the time it's for no greater reason than a parent's so-called happiness.

I'm not saying that if you've been through a divorce that it's your fault or that you are evil. Far from it. My mother divorced twice and it wasn't her fault. Her first husband was abusive of her and of my brother and myself. Her second husband was dangerously unstable. Fortunately for her, the third time was the charm. But for me it was too late my then. I was, and still am, irrevocably damaged. So I guess what I am saying is that  you'd better have a damn good reason for putting your kids through divorce. Something greater than your personal happiness.

You've Been Warned

That's an understatement.

I am a firm believer in and seeker for Truth. I suppose I believe that truth is the most important thing in the world. Because of this I tend to be very passionate about and strong in my opinions on various subjects. If the subject is something I care about I usually put a lot of thought and research and careful discussion with my husband into it. So when I come to a conclusion about something, when I believe in something, I suppose I can come across as something of an argumentative know-it-all. I'm not one of those people who thinks that everything is relative and everyone is entitled to their own opinions about everything. I mean, you're perfectly free to state your opinions. And I'm perfectly free to disagree with them strongly.


And, alas, I do tend to disagree with a lot of things that other people say. It's something that I observe more and more as I travel around the blogosphere. I don't think like most people. I can't be sure if it's just me, or if there is a subset of people out there who do think like me but are much more quiet about it. (If you're out there, don't be shy!) Some might call my thinking old-fashioned. After all, I like the fantasy genre because, to paraphrase Tolkien in his essay On Fairy Stories, I prefer horses to cars, castles to apartment complexes, bows and arrows to guns, Elves to environmentalists, Kings to presidents, and priests to "spiritual people". I also prefer beauty to starkness, verisimilitude to "realism", the transcendent to the mundane, hope to despair. And I am an enthusiastic supporter of creative and financial freedom for writers rather than the shackles that publishers try to weigh us down with.


I try not to be argumentative or too negative, but I am always compelled to be fully honest in my thinking. I've gotten through life by just keeping my mouth shut when I didn't have anything nice to say, but it works differently around the blogosphere. All I've got here are my words. But in keep with all this, I welcome, even encourage, intelligent and respectful discussion and debate on any subject. I tend to be sarcastic, though my sarcasm often tends toward the self-depreciating. It is never (intentionally) aimed at others.

Don't be an Individual

I have found in recent years that I'm an individual and I'm not entirely sure that I'm happy about it. Being an individual often seems to me like such a lonely position. I find myself sometimes longing for the sense of community that characterized the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. I guess that's part of why I'm here in the blogosphere. To meet people and make friends and become part of a community. I'm hoping the campaign will help with that.


Now, if I haven't scared you away by now, here's a hilarious video from which I stole the title of this post:

The Week of Getting Nothing Done

Sometimes that's just how it is. Especially when you're a full time mom. I've been desperately trying to write some meaningful, content-rich posts this week and it's totally not happening. I did put some more time into research for worldbuiding (a never ending, but fun, task) the other day. But other than that, I've accomplished nothing literary this week. But I'm not going to let myself get too discouraged. Tomorrow is another day!

L.G. Smith of Bards and Prophets tagged me for this blog meme where you answer a few questions about yourself:

Do you think you're hot?

I have aspirations of being hot. I want to burn up the writing world with the brilliance of my storytelling. Only time will tell.


When was the last time you ate chicken?

Last night. I had a grilled chicken sandwich from Burger King.


What were you thinking while doing this?

When is my mother going to get here to watch the kids so I can take Corwin to the doctor. (EDIT: Because I'm finishing this after the appointment. He's improving, but still fighting the RSV.)


What song/songs have you listened to recently?

Yesterday my daughter and I were listening to Rubber Soul (The Beatles album) in the car and singing along together. My favorite song from Rubber Soul:



Do you have any nicknames? What are they?

Not anymore, unless you count "mom" and "mommy", which are, by the way, some of my favorite names. I'm not the type of person you give a nickname to. And my husband knows if he tries any cutesy terms of endearment with me there will be swift and bloody disciplinary action. 

 Tag 5 Blogger friends.

Oh man. This meme has been going around for a while. Let me see if I can find some who haven't done it...

Alexia Chamberlyn ~ She picked my entry to win the St. Patrick's Day Blogfest back in March so you know she has good taste. ;)

Murees Dupé ~ I love her blog because it's so red, my favorite color.

Claudie A. ~ A fantasy AND sci fi writer! And she's proud of it. :)

Sarah Allen ~ A fellow Sarah. We've got to stick together, cause, you know, there are so few of us.

Tracy ~ She asks some really interesting but really tough questions in her "Would You Rather" posts.

Ok, if any of you have already done it, just ignore this. If you haven't, then PLEASE TELL ME WHEN YOU LAST ATE CHICKEN. It's very important to me.

You Learn Something New Everyday

So, as you see above, I took my infant son to the doctor to check on his RSV. He was making some rather horrible noises as he breathes and crying a lot. Now, this is my fourth kid so I know a thing or two. But it just goes to show that no matter how much experience you have you still don't know everything. There's always more to learn. Today I learned that babies can't breathe through their mouths. They just don't know how and it doesn't come naturally to them. So when a baby is having trouble breathing because of congestion or whatever, they'll cry. Because when they cry then can breathe through their mouths and thus get more air. So his crying isn't something I need to worry about too much, it's helping him. *sigh of relief*

And of course, the same holds true for writers. We beginning writers working on our first books know that we still have a lot to learn. Most writers, even if they've written many books, even if they've published many books, know that there's always something new to discover. Especially because, just as our medical knowledge is always improving and developing, the world of publishing is always changing and the desires of the reading public are always shifting. I've seen and heard about some writers out there who become set in their ways. They think they know how it works because they've been doing it for a while and they close their eyes and ears to all the new things going on around them. They don't want to learn anymore.

As a mom, it's important for the sake of my children that I'm always willing to learn and adapt. Each child is different and has different needs. So too each book is different and has different needs. Today I'm reminded to make sure to always keep an open mind about writing and publishing. Always be willing to learn more. Always be willing to adapt.

That's my thought for the day.

I Am a Mom

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was very sure she never, ever wanted to be a mother. She was the oldest of five children and everyday she watched her mother devote her life to her and her siblings. She saw her mother frazzled and stressed and overwhelmed. She saw her always overworked and under-appreciated. Always busy and rushing. "That's not for me," she thought. "I want to be free." 

Then one day, after she had left her mother's house, the girl found herself with a child of her own. "This is the end of my life," she thought. "Now I'll spend the rest of my days burdened and fettered like my mother." But nothing was as she expected. Because her daughter's hair was like the light of the sun and her eyes were like the blue of the sky and her smile was like a fresh wind and her laugh was like the song of the world.

Luthien Tinuviel

And suddenly the girl could no longer imagine a world without her daughter. Years passed and there were other children. A boy was born and then another girl in quick succession. And life was not very easy.

Maedhros James and Fiona Rose

And though she loved her three children more than she could say she knew she didn't want another. "This is it," thought the girl. "No more, or I will be spent." Time passed and the girl learned that soon she would have another child. The months before the fourth child came were dark months. The girl felt sure she would not survive this time, that finally her self would be drowned out by the necessities of motherhood. But the child came anyway and he was as perfect as an untouched field of snow, as sweet as a spring rain, as beautiful as a summer sunrise.

Corwin Benedict

  She found that the depths of love she had thought tapped out were, in fact, deeper than the widest ocean. And then she realized that her love for her children could never be used up for it was continually renewed by her children themselves. For though she did not feel that she deserved it, they loved her wholly and unconditionally and forever.

It was only then that she came to appreciate the gifts her own mother had given her. And she knew as she watched her own mother share her love with her grandchildren, that though motherhood is difficult and wearying it is also its own reward which never ceases to give back.

My mother and father with their grandchildren. (The one on the left is my nephew.)

Happy Mother's Day!