Category Archives: Motivation

C’est La Vie

Motivation

Happy Bastille Day, everyone!

I spent the morning trying to figure out how to make this blog post relevant to June 14th, but I could not come up with anything decent regarding the rise of the bourgeoisie or cake. (Anything decent about cake.) I went through a few popular French phrases: Ou est mon chat? and Lassiez les bon temps rouler! and Ceci n’est pas un pipe, but none of those really spoke to me. And I only have about fifteen minutes to write this blog post, because the Fairy Goddaughters spent the night (the internet is down at their mom’s house) and I had to make sure they ate, and I had to tell them some more stories about my recent trip to Vermont and give them a few things to do around the house today because I have to get read for working a none-hour shift at the bookstore today.

Notice how nothing in there included writing? That’s right. I’m having an abundance of Life right now. So C’est la Vie seemed perfect.

The intarwebs were abuzz last week over this Independent article on bestselling novelist Steph Swainston, and her announcement that she was getting out of her publishing contracts and going back to being a Chemistry teacher: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/steph-swainston-i-need-to-return-to-reality-2309804.html

What the conversation turned into was publishing’s demands on authors today and whether or not they are realistic. What I focused on in the article was the very last sentence: “Besides, I’ve never said I won’t write again, just that if I do write another book, I’ll do it on my terms.”

I’ve always said that any writer who ever tells you that they’re thinking about giving up writing is not really a writer at all. For most of us, writing is just something we are, like diabetes, or the color of our eyes. Those of us who belong to this club (I hesitate to call us Real Writers, but that is how I think of it) have never thought of giving up writing, because it would be like giving up our left leg. It’s just inconceivable.

The tough thing for people in this club is the insanity that sets in when Life Happens. Because Life Happens: there’s a birth or a wedding or an illness or a new job or an accident or a windfall or a Royal Proclamation or something that commandeers all your time and seems Vastly More Important to Your Survival than writing a story about a street sweeper in a city of monsters (that I’ve been trying to write for a month).

Life Happens, and we must deal with it. The Show Must Go On. But if writing doesn’t happen in the there somewhere, seeping through the cracks, then we go a little insane.

Lately, I have been going a little insane.

For me, writing is therapy. When I create, my brain defrags itself, and the result is like waking up after a good night’s sleep. All that emotion–good and bad–channels into my work, and everything that’s been overflowing settles back down to below critical levels. I need to write. I have to write. I am a writer.

A couple of months ago, I got a day job as a bookseller. It keeps me socially active, and it lets me go to the dentist. I need it to survive. But I haven’t written a lick of fiction in a very long time. And I’m going a little insane.

I promised the Fairy GodBoyfriend that I would write six words today. Six whole words, and that I would post about it on my blog. I told him I would, no matter what happens. Even if it’s for only five minutes, I will be writing today.

As for the rest of the world…well, let them eat cake.

Exercise and Writing–Yea, Write! . . . I Mean Right!

mermaids, Motivation, ,

How many of you find yourself working on that scene—you know the one where your characters are finally getting into the juice of the story, working on that love scene you just can’t walk away from until it’s finished and bam, another day has gone by while you promised yourself you’d start exercising again?
Okay, maybe it’s just me. Lately I’ve been so focused on my writing/editing/researching and yes, checking out blogs/websites/Tweeting—all in the name of my writing career. In the meantime, I’ve managed to find my clothes a bit snug and soda cans piling up in my trash can.
My favorite words lately—‘Just a few more sentences. Let me finish this scene.’
By the time I’m done I don’t have the energy to work out or it’s time to fix dinner, or some other excuse. That was me, a year ago. I was spending time applying to jobs on-line along with my hubby who’d been laid off (I was the stay at home Mom for many years), working on my novels and trying to keep up with my teenagers schedules. One was in college locally and the other active with theater and art. Where was I supposed to find time to exercise, finish a novel and do everything else? My idea of exercise was walking up and down 3 flights of stairs to do laundry and then I was winded—no, I was out of shape!
It took me getting into my favorite Renaissance dress (or barely) to realize something had to give. I had gained a size in my upper body, my clasps barely fit around my bodice and though the dress hid a multitude of sins elsewhere, I realized my jeans weren’t fitting as well and I had those wonderful muffin tops hanging over my stretch Lee’s.
I evaluated what I’d been doing. We started buying sodas, something I rarely kept in the house, when my hubby was home. My routine had changed drastically now my hubby was home and I busied myself with my books to stay with him and look for employment. Just a few things were making my life different. I didn’t feel like exercising—I hate to when someone is home, I prefer alone time for that.
So now hubby is working again, even though the kids are home for the summer, I’ve gotten back into power walking in the morning and playing Kinect on the Xbox in the afternoon when I begin to get sluggish. Yes, it breaks up my writing but it also keeps me alert and wakes me up. As far as eating/drinking—I’ve gone back to flavored waters, juices and one cup of coffee in the morning and air popped popcorn or fruits and veggies when I’ve got the munchies.
Is it working? Let’s say, I’m maintaining a ten pound range—not going under but not going over either. Any suggestions?
How do you find time to stay fit and write, live, etc?

Shut Up and Listen

Dana Rodgers, mermaids, Motivation

I’ve been out of touch recently, lavishing in the brief respite from the buzzing schedule of my normal life. My family and I have seen a few sights, visited with grandparents, attended a reunion and just relaxed. I’ve enjoyed basking in the sun by the pool with a favorite book (that I’m reading for fun, not research), the air permeated by the familiar scent of sunscreen while my kids swim with their friends. I’ve enjoyed taking my girls to the mall where we can walk and talk, have lunch and window shop. And of course lots of giggling over boys—I do live with two teenage girls after all. For me, a family vacation allows time to unwind and reconnect with each other without the day-to-day distractions of home life.

During the school year I’m all about schedules. Who has to be where? Soccer, field hockey, volleyball, basketball, track, chorus, cello, friends, doctor’s appointments, dental appointments, sleepovers, and then some…Whew, it makes me tired just writing it. 🙂 We all have these scheduling drains on our lives and we all know how hard it is to find time to write, but have you ever considered the story inspiration that surrounds you everyday while you’re going about your normal routine?

It might be the next table’s conversation while you’re at lunch or someone standing in line with you at your local coffee shop, a teacher or coach at your child’s school or the receptionist at your pediatrician’s office. You know how it happens, you’re standing there minding your own business, and suddenly, someone does or says something outrageous or hilarious or poignant and the next thing you know, a story or character idea flashes in your head. You stand there thinking, I so need to put that in a book. It’s an A-ha moment in which your universe suddenly makes sense, at least the one you have built in your story.

Earlier this month we attended my husband’s 25-year high school reunion and I have to say inspiration abounded. Fortunately, most of the attendees had moved on from being the ‘nerd’ or the ‘cheerleader’ to just being people with jobs and lives with bigger things to worry about than who’s going out with whom and what kind of car they drive. But how could I not zero in on the stereotypical ‘obnoxious jock’ that spent his high school years making everyone else’s life miserable. The poor man is 43 and spent his evening reminiscing over his “glory days” of giving wedgies in the locker room and proving that he continues to be a foul mouthed jerk by screaming, “Nipples” when the photographer was taking a group picture.

Another comical inspiration occurred recently while on a family trip. We stopped at a small roadside diner for lunch and I thought I was going to spew soda through my nose when the lady taking orders turned around and in the worst southern accent you can imagine and shouted across the entire restaurant, “Chicken up! Pluck ‘em and fry ‘em!” I mean honestly, who does that? Well apparently, she does.

So whether it comes in the form of a news article, television, movie or a person on the street little tidbits sneak in and make you think, Wow, what a great idea for a book, or a scene, or a character, or dialog… and the next thing you know your story takes off.  Now that I have told you my secrets for story inspiration it’s time for you to check in and share, where do you find your inspiration?

 

What Is It Worth To You?

mermaids, Motivation, , , ,

Being at the RWA national conference must have triggered some deep-level thought processes I was unaware of.

What do you want? What are you prepared to do?

Here’s the story – I was a member of NYSC for several years.  I loved that gym and all it had to offer.  I’d  joined with a friend who later discovered that she would get a cheaper membership with her school district’s corporate membership, and she loved getting that bargain.  I tried every trick in the book but I couldn’t match her. She worked closer to home. I didn’t. She made more money. I certainly didn’t! Even with a husband who’d been tossed out of work, there was no mercy. Pay the price, or take a hike.

But, because her school district had negotiated a corporate membership, she had advantages I didn’t. And I was supposed to be happy. I wasn’t. I kept thinking about leaving, but couldn’t find a gym that would make me happier and I didn’t want to leave her behind.

Finally, when family finances forces her to reconsider the cost she was paying even then, we both moved to a gym that was closer to home and a lot cheaper to join. And it wasn’t the same. At all.

Being part of a gym that didn’t offer the machines I worked best on, had locker rooms on the first floor, didn’t have towel service, didn’t have a pool, or the showers I loved, or the soaps I enjoyed, or a sauna — those were losses I had to live with. I thought I could probably be happy. I was keeping a friend happy and saving money.  I should be happy. Right?

Wrong.  As time went on, I didn’t use the machines that were available. I was intimidated by the few aerobics classes that were offered. There were two classes I liked and no machines. Finally, in a Zumba class of all things (and I don’t really like Zumba), I stepped on my own foot and fell, and cracked my wrist.

I had to re-evaluate. Was saving money and keeping a friendship worth cracking a wrist?

And, after visiting my old gym this morning, I began to think – taking the easy way out on a gym membership, favoring the cheaper, closer gym that offers fewer classes and services is like taking the easy way out on writing. My former gym offers a new membership, just for teachers, and at a reduced rate (my former director fought for this with me and all the other teachers in mind).  It will cost $5 more a month and be a longer drive.  It will also give me back a facility I loved and benefits I’ve missed.

Yes, I will be re-joining the original gym.  And, in thinking this over, I come back to a central question: what is it worth to you?  What is writing worth to you, and what are you giving up to pursue this? When you are tempted to throw in the towel because of too many rejections, too many nay-sayers, too many days without making a word count or a meaningful connection to your work, what do you say?

Are you willing to pay the price?

 

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, Motivation, , , , , ,

July 4th is my favorite holiday. I could watch fireworks on a nightly basis. Perhaps my love of glitter and sparkles has something to do with it.

Happy July 4th!

Plus, the Fourth of July is fun. There is no present-buying-stress like Christmas. Sure, you may get some picnic or barbecue food together, but that doesn’t seem to be as stressful as a huge Thanksgiving dinner.

Instead, July 4th is easy. It’s summer, the weather is (hopefully) beautiful and you can just relax and celebrate with friends and family. Again, hopefully with fireworks.

But the real reason why this is my favorite holiday is the meaning. Let’s take a moment to remember the significance of this day; what it represents and why we celebrate it. The Fourth of July is about freedom.

I’ve been thinking about my love for this relaxing holiday and how it makes me feel. Interesting that that same easiness and carefree feeling used to be applied to my writing. Before I learned about publishing contracts, query letters, protecting your rights and pitching to agents, writing was fun, relaxing and, in a way, celebratory.

I’ve just finished my first RWA Nationals in New York City. I definitely left the conference feeling inspired, rejuvenated and ready to write. But my goal for this coming year is now to remember that I write because I love it. While I understand the importance of these things, writing isn’t just about agents, editors, contracts, websites, twitter feeds and meetings.

For me, I need to return to the real meaning of writing. My freedom to create, inspire and have fun.

So, let me wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July and a Happy Year of Writing!

The End

mermaids, Motivation

So I watched season premiere of True Blood the other night. Tradition holds that I enjoy an adult beverage or two while I’m watching my favorite vampire/warewolf/fairy/telepath/God-I-Love-Lafayette TV show. That first beer went quick (it was a hell of a week), so I hit pause to make a quick kitchen run. That’s when I saw the show was already half over.

“No!” I squealed. (Yes, I really did squeal, this is not a proud moment for me.)

Waiting a week for the next episode would be bad enough, but I’ll be twiddling my thumbs for two weeks because as you read this I’m on vacation. And while my parents have lots of fun stuff at their house, HBO is not one of them. I’d like to say that’s the only reason for my outburst, but the truth is that any time I’m sucked into another character’s world I hate having to step out of it.

You know the feeling. You’re speeding through a book and then – wham! – you realize your on the last chapter. How in the world did that happen? Come on, I can’t be the only one who experiences that.

Unfortunately, I’m the same way when it’s my own characters.

Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone but I’ve been staring at the last chapter of A Dry Creek Bed (the sequel to Up a Dry Creek) for a week and a half. I know what needs to happen. I know exactly what to write. I just can’t seem to do it because that means I have to say goodbye to my hero and heroine who I’ve come to love. They’re funny and sexy and passionate. The mystery is about to get wrapped up with a final twist that (hopefully) will leave readers with their jaws on the ground. My villain is dead and as warped as she was I miss her already. So of course, I can’t get moving on that final chapter. If I’m missing the crazy sauce of my villain, think of how bad the mourning will be when I say goodbye to my hero and heroine.

This is the real reason why I wanted to make Up a Dry Creek the first in a series of four, because I have a hard time letting go of the characters I love. Turning it into a series means I get to revisit them in each novel. Of course, eventually I’ll complete the Dry Creek Series. That is a day I’m not looking forward to, but to paraphrase Miss Scarlet – I’ll think about that tomorrow.

For Those Going to Nationals . . .

mermaids, Motivation,

If you’ve seen this already, I hope you enjoy it again.

To all my writing sisters out there going to RWA Nationals—

• Be careful on your trip.

• Stay safe

• Have fun

• Learn lots

• Meet new friends (finally meet face to face with those you’ve only talked to via on-line loops, chats, etc.)

• Be inspired

• Be amazed

• Be safe (again)

• Be supportive

• Be loving

• Be kind to others

• Don’t sweat the small stuff

• Don’t forget 7 pairs of clean panties (read about forgetting underwear on trip—not good unless you are used to going without)

• Don’t walk out of the ladies room with t.p. stuck to the bottom of your shoe (or your dress caught in your pantyhose)

• When squeezing lemon into your water, cup both hands around your lemon wedge to keep the juice/ seeds from flying in a potential agent/editor’s eyes. (I saw it in a social film once—don’t ask.)

• Remember to warm the cognac in your hand—should be served at room temperature in a snifter . . . oh, wait a minute, those are notes from my recent research—never mind. (Use the information only if needed.)

• If hot, male romance cover model comes up to you and asks if you are his next cover partner . . . say “Heck yes!” and you need lots of practice with him before the photo shoot (just make sure hubby is not around—best if you are single)

• Be Safe (can’t say it enough)

• If asked how you come up with sex scenes for your novels just smile and give them a look of pure, thought-provoking enjoyment. (They’ll get the picture. No words needed.)

• Remember—before you can take over the world, you must first be able to make a really flaky pie crust. (A guy in my senior high school class wrote that in my yearbook. I didn’t understand at first—I thought he was crazy—but it makes sense. If you can make a really flaky pie crust, you probably can take over the world. Whoever came up with the phrase ‘simple as pie’ was an idiot!) Doesn’t have much to do with conference or writing but…thought I would share.

• Oh and finally . . . stay safe.

Hugs!

Loni Lynne

No Room for Doubt

Dana Rodgers, mermaids, Motivation, Writing,

Do you ever spend hours, days, weeks pouring your heart and soul into your writing only to go back, read it and think, “Oh my God, what was I thinking? This is crap. I have no talent. No one will ever want to read this.”

Well, guess what? You’re not the only one!

I love to write. I love the creative process and making the story come alive on the page. For me it is not just the destination (the finished story), but also the journey getting there (developing characters, and hammering all of those twists and turns into place). But I often find, especially during my editing process that doubt creeps in. I start wondering what the heck I’m doing. Wondering why I ever thought that I could write a book.

Recently, while going through one of these moments, a friend introduced me to a new type of encouragement in the form of John Steinbeck.

John Steinbeck? Maybe, the Pulitzer Prize winning The Grapes of Wrath will ring a bell… or Of Mice and Men or East of Eden or The Winter of Our Discontent or Cannery Row…

John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1962, and even he harbored doubts concerning his ability to effectively bring the written word to the page. While working on The Grapes of Wrath, he composed letters and wrote in a journal. Some of this material was later published in Working Days: The Journals of the Grapes of Wrath 1938-1941. Throughout this journal John Steinbeck writes about his struggles, worries and self-doubt.

The following are a few quotes from Working Days: The Journals of the Grapes of Wrath 1938-1941:

June 14, 1938–“Yesterday was a bust. I could have forced the work out but I’d lost the flow of the book and it would have been a weak spot.”

June 18, 1938–“If only I could do this book properly it would be one of the really fine books and a truly American book. But I am assailed with my own ignorance and inability.”

August 1, 1938–“I didn’t work then [July 25] or all week. …Hope to lose some of the frantic quality in my mind now. It’s just like slipping behind at Stanford. Panic sets in. Can’t organize. … I’m jumpy. …Don’t know who will publish my book. Don’t know at all. No reason to let it slide though. Must keep at it. … Wish I could control the jumping jitters though.”

August 30, 1938–“I’m having a hell of a time concentrating with so many things going on. … I hope this book is some good, but I have less and less hope for it.”

September 26,1938–“This book has become a misery to me because of my inadequacy.”

So the next time you doubt yourself, remember, there are other incredibly accomplished authors out there who have also acknowledged uncertainty when it comes to submitting their work. When you start to question yourself just remember:

1. Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Your voice is your own and it is unique. Why do we have so many different types of writers? So many different genres? Because there are so many different types of readers!

2. In the words of Nora Roberts, “Write the damn book!” Forget about everything else and just get your ideas down on the page because you can’t edit what doesn’t exist. You can always cast off what doesn’t work later.

3. Trust you instincts. Everyone worries about breaking the rules. Ignore the rules because they are intimidating, and that can lead to insecurity. Instead focus on telling a great story. Once the story is on the page you can obsess over comma usage and dangling participles.

4. Make time for yourself. I know it sounds difficult, and it is, because life gets in the way, but consistently setting time aside for yourself and scheduling around that time will help you to put words on the page.

5. You are not alone. Believe in yourself. Everyone has experienced moments of self-doubt or insecurity, even someone as accomplished as John Steinbeck. If he can do it, so can you… So keep writing!

 

 

Why Can’t Weeds Be Flowers?

Kimberly MacCarron, Motivation, , , ,

 

Looking at life through the eyes of a child, I’ve learned to see the possibility and joy in the small, everyday things.  To search for the magic.  To believe in the magic.  It’s only as we grow older that innocent wonder abandons us.  Or do we abandon the wonder?

I remember my daughter running to me on stubby little legs with a fistful of dandelions.   Her wide smile split her face and pride glimmered in her eyes when she handed me those beautiful flowers.  To me, they were weeds.  To her, a glorious find.   Since I didn’t have the heart to tell her that she’d just handed me a bunch of weeds, I thanked her and put them in a bud vase on the kitchen counter.

But something strange happened.  Every time I washed my dishes or felt the urge to gripe about cleaning the counters, those weeds stopped me cold.  Stored forever in my mind will be my daughter’s smile.  Granted, they weren’t long-stemmed red roses, but they were picked with love and devotion, and that simple act and those simple weeds taught me much about life.

When I told my son years later that dandelions and buttercups and milkweed are just weeds, he looked confused.  He asked my, “Why?” I’m sure I could have googled a bunch of scientific reasoning to back up my words, but, in the end, I ended up disagreeing with my own words. 

I think it’s an important lesson for readers and writers.  We’re meant to turn something average into something extraordinary.  Straw into gold.  Coal into diamonds.  A grain of sand into a pearl.  It’s part of the mystery of life and love and wonder. 

Turning something average into something extraordinary makes me think of my friend Erica O’Rourke’s debut novel Torn, out this month with Kensington.  In it, Mo—quiet, ordinary, unmagical Mo—will have to enter a world of raw magic to avenge her best friend’s murder and to save the world.  Not bad for an ordinary high school girl.  Oh, but the story.  The characters!  I can’t say enough great things about this new young adult book, which won RWA’s Golden Heart in 2010. 

So, what books or movies have captivated you and made you appreciate the average or sometimes overlooked?  Forrest Gump definitely springs to mind.  You can’t get much more average than Forrest…Forrest Gump. 

If you can’t think of a movie or book that takes the average and makes it extraordinary, what about the small, overlooked things that bring a smile to your day?  Like my flowers.  My dandelions.  Because one woman’s weed is another woman’s flower.  I learned that much, at least.  Another thing I learned while researching flowers and weeds is that it truly all depends on WHERE it’s located.  Dandelions on the side of the road are beautiful.  Dandelions in a perfectly manicured front lawn?  Not so much. 

The moral of Kim’s rambling blog today? Plant your ideas—whether they’re found in books or a worldview—in the right places so that others can fully appreciate them!

BFF = Brave Fiction Fan

Kerri Carpenter, mermaids, Motivation,

Think it’s hard being a writer? Try being the best friend of a writer! My BFF, Danielle, reads everything I write before anyone else. She is joining the Waterworld Mermaids today to give us her side of the story.

Brief History: D and I have known each other since we were five years old, but we’ve been BFFs for the last 16 years. I live in Arlington, VA, while D is up in Pittsburgh. We have many differences, but we do share the same sensibilities regarding tanning (always wear SPF), Nora Roberts (we heart her), Pittsburgh sports teams (they’re awesome) and the movie Newsies (yay!).

Warning: D and I have a tendency to be silly and go off topic. Enjoy!

Kerri: Do you know we’ve been BFFs for 16 years?
BFF: OMG, we are that old already? Those years have been filled with some crazy times, haven’t they?
Kerri: IKR! When did you start reading romance novels?
BFF: I think it all began when you MADE me read a Nora Roberts trilogy. I think it was the “Born In” trilogy. And if I remember correctly, I had to read it so I would be educated when reading what you would write someday. You are bossy like that.
Kerri: By “bossy” do you mean “talented”?
BFF: Ummm. Sure.
Kerri: What are you reading right now?
BFF: Well, I am reading two books right now and one of them is the final book of the Nora Roberts wedding series, Happily Ever After.
Kerri: Ah Nora!
BFF: I have to admit I did not want to start it as I did not want the story to end. She has a way of having you fall in love with her characters.
Kerri: She’s the best!
BFF: Kinda like someone else I know.
Kerri: Who?
BFF: You know I love your characters but you are not published… YET!
Kerri: What is your favorite thing I ever wrote?
BFF: Ohhh, I love that short story about the girl sitting on the dock with her legs outstretched…what’s the title?
Kerri: I hate that story!
BFF: Shhhhh! I also loved your story set at Christmas and the ideas for your Halloween Story. Now that I think about it, you’ve written a whole lot, haven’t you. And I LOVE everything you have written about Steelers Nation! Black and Gold represent.
Kerri: Go Steelers!
BFF: IKR!
Kerri: We better have football season this year!
BFF: Heinz Field is prepared.
Kerri: How do you stay objective when I ask you to edit my writing?
BFF: It is hard sometimes, but usually I just let myself get into whatever I’m reading. It’s your writing and has your voice, which makes it easy to read. Commenting is comfortable, just like chatting on the phone. Plus, I know you love when I ask you for more details and you won’t get mad at me if I give you advice. Or so I think.
Kerri: You are a fan of “details” in books. [Kerri is rolling her eyes.]
BFF: You have so many great details to share. I can only imagine what it takes to put a whole story together from start to finish. I am here to remind you to describe the weather or the feeling someone has at a certain moment because I want to know as a reader. But readers can be greedy and sometimes books leave us wanting more.
Kerri: How do you feel when I get rejected?
BFF: Like I want to kick the $*!@ out of the person who rejected you!!!
Kerri: Right!
BFF: But really I just want be there to tell you to keep going, take their advice and run with it. I know it is hard to be rejected but don’t let anyone stop you from your dreams. If that one person does not like your book – their loss.
Kerri: When I am rejected or having a bad writing day, I like to send “I suck” to you embedded in song lyrics, a poem or in all caps. Which do you prefer?
BFF: I love the songs! But I HATE when you say you suck. Ooooo it makes me soooo mad. You do not suck! [Kerri imagines D is now rolling her eyes.]
Kerri: Te-he. Do you think I should use a pseudonym when I get published?
BFF: No way, you have an awesome name.
Kerri: Thanks, boo. What do you think I should wear to my first book signing?
BFF: Something with glitter, of course.
Kerri: That’s a given. How do you feel when I base a character, situation or trait on you?
BFF: I think it can be fun. I assume you take some liberties on the details but it can be interesting to see how someone sees you from the outside. I also love the situations because I think back to those times, even if they are tough times to relive. It has to be harder for you to relive tough times though.
Kerri: It has its moments of suck-a-tude.
BFF: Oooo good word!
Kerri: Thanks – I just made that up! What advice do you have for other BFFs of writers?
BFF: I would say, hang on for the ride. It can be a truly fun, and at times, scary rollercoaster. I think anyone who has a friend, family, or loved one in the arts knows that there are high highs and low lows and it is our job and responsibility to be there through it all. And it can be a lot of fun living vicariously through our friends.
Kerri: Okay, time for our final question. What do you want to do when I finally get published?
BFF: Remember when I always said I wanted to be your maid when you were rich and famous? Ha-ha, memories. When you get published I think we should go to the beach or some fun trip. You and I have had some great adventures and who knows it may inspire your next best seller.
Kerri: I think we should go to Kennywood! [Amusement Park in Pittsburgh]
BFF: Fright Nights at Kennywood!
Kerri: Weeeeee! Thank you for joining us today, Danielle.
BFF: WOW! Now I am famous!