A few days off

We're heading to New Zealand for a few days, and I've just been informed that internet access is unlikely. Just as I'm finally ruling the roost in 'true's quiz as well! Sigh. There's always something between me and success.

See you next week.

Priorities

You decide: your kid or your beer?

Check this out.

Why critique?

Writing stats for the past fortnight
New words: 0
Editing The Woman in the Wall: 0
Re-editing Maureen: 0
New novel research: 0
Critiquing: 170,000

Clever readers will notice that over the last fortnight I haven't written a word. I've devoted my writing time to critiquing. Why do that, when I could be massaging my magnum opus to splendid completion? (Robin, don't overthink that remark...)

I've got heaps of answers to that question, all personal, all right for me. Your answers may be different. If you critique at all. So my first question to you is, do you critique others' work? If not, why not - and if so, what do you get out of it?

1. Procrastination. (Yup.)

2. Helping others. (Seriously. I was a good little Brownie.)

3. Earning critiques back. (You knew there had to be some self-interest in there.)

4. Comparing my writing to others. (Not in a competitive way, but it's interesting to see other unpublished works - in the raw, before agents/editors refine them (or not, as the case may be) for print.)

5. The pleasure of getting to read something different from what I would usually read. (That sentence sounds ungrammatical. Fix it if you can.)

6. Learning from others. (When I look closely at others' work I see errors or naughty writing habits I don't always see when I read 'normally', and I can bear these in mind when I'm reading/writing my own work (cut out those adverbs!))

Not enough huggles

Soccer boy told me this morning that the reason he is getting angry so much is because nobody gives him huggles any more, they only hug Princess. So we agreed that whenever he thinks he is getting angry, he should call me and I will administer a hug and we will see if that helps cut down on the rages.

Man, he gets angry at some seriously inconvenient moments.

I'm a pathetic poster this week, I know; just a bit busy in yanno, that real life stuff.

I am so vile

I can't believe I'm posting this.

2,157,120How Many Germs Live On Your Keyboard?

Apparently that's the equivalent of four hundred and sixty something toilet seats. Thankfully for all who know me I'm an obsessive handwasher. Looks like I need to be.

*dashes to computer store for keyboard cleaning products*

Now I need to know how many toilet seats your keyboards are harbouring!

Slice of life

If you would like to read Robin's story, scroll down a bit, and it's waiting for you.

Meanwhile up in the eucalypt... Not much writing going on, but heaps of critiquing. Three people sent me stuff on the same day, two of which were full novels! Now I love you all, but...hey, I love you all, and I'll do it! Then, once you've all drained me dry, sorry, once I've finished, I'm going to revisit the Woman in the Wall and do a bit of a rewrite. Then, I think I'll send the story out to a mag somewhere (brilliant suggestions for mags gladly accepted). Once she's on her merry way, I'll revisit again and see if I have actually written part, or even an elaborate synopsis for most, of a novel. I'm still having ideas surrounding the characters (that idea salmon has quite taken to it), which is a good sign, so I'm wondering if the process has kicked off more than a short story.

I smell of wet dog, because we bathed Polly today. Not a favourite activity for anybody. However, before that we made her a little obstacle course and had her bounding over jumps and going through tunnels, and she loved it! The treats at the end helped. Soccer Boy loved it more. Those are the moments of dog-owning that he likes.

Soccer Boy scored a brilliant goal this morning. His team of little mates are kicking the pants off all opposition. We had our narrowest match today - six nil. Last time was thirteen nil. The word 'misgraded' echoes around the oval.

Princess has a birthday party this afternoon so all is right with her world.

Author's week with RTB!

Check out http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifChris Eldin's blog for author's week, starting now! Some awesome writers, some great competitions and some unbelievable prizes! * ** ***

* there is talk of a camel
** Ok, so Josephine Damien may have started that one
*** Some of us may have joined in...