Sunday Story - Deep Diving

My latest story has been in the hands of my crit partners. Way back in January, I thought this story was 20K and finished. I sent it to my crit partners, who came back with some interesting news. They thought this was two stories and I'd messed it up by making it one. They were right. So back to the drawing board for me.

I now have one part of the two stories complete. I muffed the ending a few weeks ago and went back to sort that out. Hopefully I've done a better job this time.

It's hard to tell how your own work is going. At times you love it, at times you loathe it. Sometimes you want to chuck it away. Sometimes you want the world to read it and love it like you do. It's a crazy process. So by the end, I have no idea how it is. I need my crit partners to let me know. If they don't, then I'd be lost. I'd be just writing for myself and letting no one see.

And I don't want them blowing smoke. I want brutal honesty. I want to know when something doesn't work. I want to know when something's not quite right. I want to know if my hero sounds like a wanker, or my heroine is a whiny bitch. I need to know if my ending sucks, if there's enough conflict, if my sex scene is pathetic. And it's awesome to know if they like something, laughed at something, or needed a fan.

Finding people who are honest, whose decisions you trust, who you know give sound advice, isn't easy. There are a lot of people who'll tell you how great you are, but never what's wrong. Others don't know what's wrong. Some don't 'get' your style. But never give up the search. They right crit partners are out there for you. Same as the right readers are out there too.

So, Deep Diving is closer to going somewhere. After my trusty crit partners give me their approval. Their opinion is worth it's weight in gold.

Phallic Friday - a milestone

Today marks my 250th post! I can't believe I've rabbited in that much. When I started blogging, I didn't even think I could do it. I thought I had nothing to say. I'm so slow at taking up technology/new things. I'm still struggling on Twitter and Facebook, but at least now I'm starting to enjoy Twitter. That's a start.

Now it appears the world has gone off blogging - just when I was getting the hang of it. But I like it. I like having to think of topics and formulate some thoughts. It's challenging but fun. And I even take photos on trips away, specifically to fill my Wednesday Wildlife posts.

Since we're talking about milestones, and it's Friday, I think I need to talk about sexual milestones. Losing your virginity is a sexual milestone. As is first kiss, and all those other firsts. But then the milestones stop. Once you've done something the first time, you don't think about it as an achievement again.

Should we celebrate sexual milestones? And if so, what other milestones are there?

I had a friend who had a "to do" list of the men she'd like to have sex with - nationality and occupation. You could celebrate significant numbers crossed off your list. If you have one, that is :)

If you're in a committed relationship, you celebrate number of years together, but maybe we need to tally and celebrate number of sex acts or something. It reminds me of the story someone told me about jelly beans. Before you get married, you fill a jar with jelly beans for each time you have sex. After marriage, you take one out each time you have sex. He reckoned you wouldn't empty the jar. You could turn that into a celebration, if you emptied the jar.

I'm kind of stuck for any other sexual milestones. And those I've come up with aren't really worthy of a celebration. Maybe that's why we don't have sexual milestones to celebrate!

Do you have sexual milestone celebration ideas?

Wildlife Wednesday - more emus

I wrote a post on Emus in October here, but we saw so many this past holiday, I thought I'd add them here. Plus, I find them so funny, especially when they run, that I had to share. And I have sitting emus - something I hadn't seen before.

So for your enjoyment - Emus...

Emu and chick at Mungo

Emu and both chicks, Mungo

 

Emu and chicks almost off the road - Ivanhoe to Wilcannia

3 emus crossing - and we're slowing, luckily because...

there were 3 more to cross!

This is the last one - we missed them, but I'm glad there weren't 3 more!

Emus standing

Emus sitting!

Sunday Story - holiday ramblings

No reading done lately and no writing either. I went travelling with Mr E again. I don't know why but somehow when we travel I find no time for words. It's not that we talk a lot. I think it's because we do lots of kilometres and I like to look and think.

My first lot of study was in environmental biology, so landforms, vegetation and fauna interest me. I love watching the changing scenery. And this trip, we went out to Western NSW which has had three good wet years in 2010, 2011 & 2012. This year it's back to the usual drought, but animals were prolific. I've never seen so many emus, and goats. Lots of roos, and falcons and crows. The last few times I've been out there has been really dry for a long time. So to see it with lots of vegetation, even if dry, was great. So, lots of looking and thinking and comparing.

Then I need lots of sleep. I have CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome), although luckily not as badly as it could be even if it frustrates the heck out of me. Driving is wearying for me - even the passenger seat driving I do! So to sleep for ten hours is necessary after the 500km drive. So my reading/writing time is chomped into.

But...if writing is to be a career, should I be able to write when travelling?  Or should travelling just be holidays - a time for recharging?

Our ultimate dream is to travel while I work. But I might need to rethink this since I can't seem to find time for work on the last two trips! Or maybe we need to drive less. Mr E loves to drive, so pulling him up is kind of difficult. I'd love to write while he drives but I'm a control freak and I get car sick. LOL. I am the worst passenger. I sometimes think Mr E would like to toss me out, especially when my brakes aren't working no matter how hard I slam the floor.

Oh, and I take photos. Hundreds of them. And with digital cameras I can shoot out the window as we fly by scenes. If they don't work, just delete.

Sometimes there's so much more to do than read and write! I can't believe I said that!