Everyone Knows Best

I had a very reassuring experience last night. Bill Willingham posted about a new novel he's released on Amazon, so obviously I giddily clicked the link and bought it. It's part one of three, to I've even got more to look forward to. I tend to have bad luck as far as falling for the work of authors who aren't quick about producing work (that's not a critique, but the pain is real on my end), so I really appreciate the few that I follow who are really active. Mr. Willingham is one of those, even though he's "retired".

Anyway, I got on a tangent there. It happens. After buying the ebook, I went to the author page to see if there was a way to get updates when new things are put online so I can snatch up the next two as soon as possible, and in the process I happened to see a review for Fables.

I love Fables. They're perfect for what they are. They're fun and I very often find them clever without being pretentious about it. But this guy's review didn't seem to think so. He gave a bunch of the sort advice you see all the time in writing groups. He clearly hadn't read much. He spelled the name of one of the characters he was critiquing wrong. I'm not too uppity about people adhering to more rules than they need to be understood in comment sections, but if you're giving writing advice, it seems worth the effort.

It was wonderful though, because it was a reminder that nothing gets out there and doesn't get that kind of treatment. I knew that before, obviously, but I think I needed to be reminded again. I haven't written anything much in a long while now, not even blog posts (as you can see). I know all those literary "rules", but I don't need to care about them, and clearly a lot of other people don't either. Your story can still make sense. It can still be engaging if you want to use those dreaded passive voices here and there. Most of my favorite authors don't appear to get hung up on those things, and I love them for it.

Imagine this rando reviewer having to read Pygmy. (It has 3 stars on Amazon, and I wonder if Chuck Palahniuk gives a shit.)

I know I'm rambling, but it's making me feel optimistic to do a little of that here.

I did also have someone send me a random message asking if there was any more of the last story I had worked on. That doesn't hurt. I go back and forth on how much I care if anyone else ever reads or likes anything I produce, but it'd definitely a nice feeling when they do. It's motivating. Maybe I need to pay more attention to what else motivates me, and be a little more proactive on that front.

Or maybe a year from now I'll be writing a similar post here. :P

Don't be shitty

I would assume that experience with a job would lead to sympathy for someone else doing that work.  I’ve delivered pizzas through crazy weather or just unexpected rushes, so I understand if my delivery doesn’t show up in 30 minutes or less.  I tip better.  I don’t throw a tantrum if a cash register isn’t cooperating or if the person working it is having trouble figuring things out.  I’ve been on the other side of the counter, so I get it.  And I know how thankful I was when I would have an understanding customer if I made a mistake.

I constantly see people treating service workers like shit, but I guess I had it in my head that most of the jerks hadn’t ever been in those shoes.  I figured they weren’t understanding because they didn’t really understand.  And sure, some people are just entitled assholes; the kind of people who lose their shit if they have to change lanes to pass you on the highway (another rant).

Then I joined a writers group online and applied those same crazy assumptions…

I haven't been posting prompts or links, I know.

I have been very caught up in a new project working on an actual novel series.  I don't know that it will go anywhere, but it is something I will be proud to have completed regardless of that.

I don't know how active I will or won't be here, but the weekly prompts are certainly on hold for me. :)

February 9th Prompts

One prompt submission this week for the moment. Here it is:


A soldier dies in the middle of writing a letter home. It is finished and sent by the person who killed him/her/it.

Hey, you.

When I log in, stats pop up and I see that more people are reading this than just the few who have had me shove links in their faces.  This has me really, really curious.

So if you found me on your own somehow, please stop and say hi by leaving me a comment.  I'd love to know who's reading!

Yo yo yo

PSA:  I have added a "Prompts" page to my sidebar to start keeping all the linkage in one place, that way it isn't buried in my own posts all the time.

Better late than never; my genie prompt

Here it is.  Nearly a full two weeks late.