On My Own…Again

February 1st, 2010

I love being a writer. Well, let me amend that. I love most parts about being a writer. I don’t love the rejections (and make no mistake, even published authors get them), I don’t love the glacial pace at which the sale/publication process works, and I especially don’t love the business aspects of the job–the contract negotiations, the ‘branding’ considerations, and the promotional stuff (well, okay, I might like that part better if I had more TIME!).

I do love the creativity of the job and the flexibility it gives me. I also freelance edit, and I can drop my editing or writing at any time if one of my kids wants to talk, or if I have to take somebody to the doctor. And I love that I can make myself a cup of my fave coffee anytime. And that I can work in my sweat pants. And that I don’t have to make tons of small talk or deal with office politics (both of which I had to do regularly when I worked as an in-house editor at a large publishing company–I wasn’t very good at either).

Which isn’t to say I don’t occasionally miss having co-workers around. When you’re feeling blue, the isolation only deepens the shade. And when you’ve just started a new project and have no idea if you’re on the right track (that’s, um, me right now), it can be a real drag only having yourself to answer to. Sure, I have an agent–an agent who used to be an editor, no less, and is supremely qualified to give me insightful feedback. But unfortunately, she currently has three other projects of mine in various stages sitting on her desk–or rather, in her computer’s hard drive–and I can’t, in all good conscience, saddle her with another one. I also belong to a great writer’s group, but one of our members just had a baby, another’s taking a break from writing, and the third is killing herself writing a couple of books I just happen to be freelance editing for her publisher. (Sorry about those crazy deadlines, M!)

So for now, I’m on my own…again. Definitely both a blessing and a curse. What think you, peeps?

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

DIY = DIWhy?

January 25th, 2010

Yeah, so you know how on all those HGTV shows, the designers are always showing people how to make their own easy and cheap artwork? And you know how I mentioned at the end of last week’s blog post that I was looking to redecorate my house cheaply and chicly? Upon returning home from my December vacay, it struck me that my living room walls were altogether too white and bare. Writers, you know how you feel after reading a manuscript after being away from it–suddenly all the problem areas come clear? That’s how I felt. Art, I realized! I needed art! The catch: as a freelance editor and YA writer, I couldn’t afford any, unless a publishing miracle in the HP/Twilight vein suddenly occured…

It didn’t (though I may have some sale news for you soon–stay tuned!). So, yeah. I attempted to make my own artwork. This, despite the fact that my brief elementary art career was a joke. I still remember a teacher asking us to draw snowflakes. Mine were asterisk-type jobs when everyone else had graduated (unbeknownst to moi) to fancy freehand Spirograph-like thingies. Oh, the shame! Apparently, my creative gift with words did not automatically translate to visual art…

So it was no surprise that this weekend’s first attempts at DIY art-making were epic fails, as my teens would (and did) say. About halfway through the weekend, I realized I needed to, well, cheat. Instead of painting a picture from scratch, why not make use of stampers and such? So it was off to my local art supply store where I picked up a couple of stampers with elegant but modern home dec type patterns. (Would have liked to buy some of those great new wall sticker things, but they were all a tad *too* modern for the space…) I rushed home to paint over a couple of the canvases and stamp away. Instant gorgeousness! It was then I was inspired to cut some gorgeous flowers off of a roll of wrapping paper I’d bought at holiday time. They had a hand-painted look, and when I glued them onto a repainted canvas, the result was stunning!

Okay, so the reviews are mixed on one original canvas I left hanging. It’s basically a red-painted canvas with some black magic marker scribbling on it. I was inspired by a picture of a painting I saw in Vogue. (Why is it that when something’s in Vogue, it looks great, but when it’s on your wall, people just shake their heads and say, “Why?”)

But I like it. And hey, that’s what art’s all about, right? At least, that’s gonna be my line until that publishing miracle comes through…

Bookmark and Share

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

The Great Yoga Pants Debate

January 18th, 2010

Lots to think about this day of my first blog post: Haiti (please go to your fave charity’s website and give online if you haven’t already); medal winners (ALA and Golden Globe, though, as an author, I have to say I’m thinking more about the ALA winners–congrats, all!); and my work (employment-wise, 2010’s started off with a bang). I recently landed an assignment writing an essay on True Blood for an upcoming anthology (nothing like watching TV all day for work!) and a nice steady editing gig with a new book packager (insanely excited about the first two series I’m working on). Plus, I have a few manuscripts with my agent that I’m hoping will see some action soon.

But what I seem to be thinking about the most these days (to my everlasting shame) is yoga pants. More specifically, I’m wondering, a la Sarah Jessica Parker, if, as the mother of two teenagers, I should still be wearing yoga pants–when I’m not doing yoga, that is.

Not because I’m overweight or out of shape. Au contraire, after a year of intense physiotherapy post cartilage replacement surgery on my knee, I have no butt, and some extremely well defined (but not too bulky) quads and calves. And I weigh exactly the same as I did in high school: 110 pounds, soaking wet.

But something’s changed recently. I find myself not wanting to wear pants that show every curve. Stupid? I really don’t know. I’m aware the line between what older and younger people wear is far blurrier these days than it was when I was a kid. And loads of 40 and 50-somethings wear YPs regularly when they’re out and about. I saw the movie Did You Hear About the Morgans over the holidays (yeah, I know, but I was with my daughter, and between us, we’d seen everything else), and spent the whole hour and a half marvelling at (none other than) SJP’s butt. The movie was practically an ode to it.

Part of it may be that I hate thongs–which you pretty much have to wear with yoga pants to avoid embarrassing panty lines. I mean, wearing a thong sort of negates the whole comfort thing, right? The reason I started wearing yoga pants regularly in the first place is because I work at home all day and want to stay comfortable–but not have to change clothes every time I step out the door (to run to the post office, drug store, etc.). Maybe as I get older, I’m just a little less willing to do all that’s expected of me (and I could be talking about more than yoga pants now…)

The alternatives aren’t pretty. Sweat pants are even more inappropriate for women of a certain age, aren’t they? Plus, they make you look blobby, even if you’re not. And the ’semi-fitted’ options at the discount stores are awful, IMHO.

What’s a 40-something to do? Please help me find a solution so I can finally stop obsessing and moving on to something that’s probably a little more deserving of 24-hour contemplation–like, say, how I can renovate my home on the cheap. But that’s a whole ‘nother blog post…

Bookmark and Share

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »