Compete much?

I just saw that Business Insider listed 'poets, lyricists and creative writers' as the second most competitive job in the country.

Go us!

Agents are listed at number ten.

The thing I find so amazing is that even though it is competitive, whether we're selling to agents, publishers, or readers, we are still friends.  The writing community as a whole is supportive, friendly and always willing to offer advice. So even if we do have a competitive job, we also have the best co-workers.

GoodReads Update

For those of you who commented on my private shelf at GoodReads question here, I have an answer. I read the manual and finally sent an email asking.  The nice lady who responded said that no, at this point there is no way to make a bookshelf private, but that they are aware that people want them and that it may be coming in the future.

So, there we have it.

I was pleased that they are considering it (provided that it is true and they weren't just being polite). Maybe, if people are interested in private shelves, we should all just email them and express our desires. Maybe that will help us get the future here sooner. Or not. Whatever.

More linkage

Hey everyone, hope your weeks are starting out well.  I have a few links for you.  They were so great I couldn't wait anymore to share them.

First, here is Shannon Messenger talking about feeling like a fraud as a writer. This is a great post if you're feeling down because it will perk you right back up.

Sara Walker has a post on acknowledgments and dedication pages, the how, the why, the what. 

This one was a fun post about the favorite writing tools of 20 famous actors. 

Then there are two from Joanna Bourne.  Here is a post on why the first scene should be a ghost. Here is a great post detailing what to do when you finish your MS.

I'm going to buckle down and try to get some massive revisions done this week, not to mention a synopsis. Eeep.  What are you working on this week?

Giving or taking?

I was looking at some things on the Internet over the  weekend and I found this.  It's a picture of a wedding cake that was based on the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  Apparently the marriage couple both worked as elementary teachers and they thought this was a great theme for their wedding. 

My first thought was: What were they thinking??????

To base your wedding, your marriage, around a story about a dependent user and an enabler just seems crazy.  I know a lot of people think this book is sweet and teaches people to be generous.  Um, no.  It's a scary look into twisted unhealthy relationships.  I know everyone brings their own experiences into the books they read but I'm baffled how people think this is a good book, how they even read it to their children! I know I'm not the only one who thinks this way since I read the reviews on Goodreads.

I believe this is supposed to be a portrayal of a mother (or parent) child relationship.  I know that being a parent often feels like you have to give all of yourself to your children. And a parent should sacrifice for their children. But...maybe I'm just selfish here but really, isn't part of being a parent teaching your child how to do for themselves? At least, shouldn't it be? 

Really what I want to know is, why? Do you like the book and why or why not?  What do you see in it? I'd like to know. I want to see more than what I see, I'd like to hope that the world isn't so scary that people see this as normal. 

Privacy

I participated in a very small conversations about authors' privacy.  Someone was concerned about how much biographical information there was about authors now.  In all honesty she was appalled at what she could find out about the authors, just on their back cover flaps or what was read after an audiobook.  

My comment was that many of the younger writers grew up in a world with email, MySpace, Facebook, and other such social media.  They're used to putting everything out there to share with their friends.  I think that writers of that generation are going to feel a lot more comfortable with detailed bios than those who grew up without such social media. 

What do you think?  Do you find that bios have more information than you're comfortable sharing about yourself?  Or do you think it's a great way to connect to readers? 

Get Healthy blog hop

 

When I was 20 I developed a form of arthritis called Ankylosin Spondelitus.  I have a fairly mild case of it. In fact, technically it’s undiagnosed because it hasn’t scarred my bones enough to show up on an x-ray.  But we know what it is because of the type of pain I have and the family history.  I have two brothers diagnosed with the same thing.  Watching them I can see how easy I have it and I’m grateful for that.   

But that doesn’t mean I don’t hurt.  

I have good years and bad years, good days and bad days.  Regular exercise is an important part of treating this disease.  I need to keep the weight off (something I struggle with) because extra pounds put extra stress and pressure on my joints.  Also, I need to keep limber.  The more I move the better my joints are. 

But.   

How do you do that on the days when it hurts so much you don’t want to get out of bed.  How do you keep up the exercise, or the writing for that matter, when you can’t bend, or sit, or walk? 

I've had to learn to listen to my body, and I've had to learn to say it's okay.  It’s okay not to exercise on those days, and I shouldn’t feel guilty about it. And I also shouldn’t compare myself to others who have no limitations and can work out for hours daily. It's so easy to see what others do and think I should be able to do that. But if I try to do what they do, if I overdo it, I end up hurting worse for longer so all exercise needs to be in proportion to what my body is capable of.   

At the same time, the days I’m feeling good I can’t allow myself to slack off.  There might not be another good day for awhile so I have to take advantage of it.  It’s hard to make exercising a priority on those days, because I also have to fit in all the cleaning and errands that I’ve put off during bad days.  But if I don’t take care of my body I’ll end up having more bad days. 

It’s a vicious cycle and, like much of life, you have to find the balance.  And you have to listen to your body. Some days I can do a brisk walk on the treadmill for an hour.  But If all I can manage is a hobble for fifteen minutes I still try to do it.  Then I celebrate it.  It’s better than doing nothing.  And it will help, every little bit helps.

I've had to learn to accept my limitations and what I can do. And I'm trying to learn to do it without feeling like a wimp.  For those of you who are struggling to start an exercise program, or who have limitations as to what you can do, don't give up.  The little things do count! Just keep at it and do your best.

Take care of your body because you don’t get another one.