Writerly Ways

[cornerofmadness]

Long time no Writerly Ways. Between vacations, research and working on lectures, I just ran out of time to do these. I’m back (at least sporadically if nothing else).

The topic this week is professional jealousy. How do you handle it? If someone tells me they have none, then they are a better person than I. I know it’s not a particular healthy or productive emotion but I find nothing healthy or productive in pretending I don’t fall victim to it from time to time.

I’m not really jealous of people who are at least turning out a good product. Oh sure, I wish I were them but I’m not really jealous. I guess I save that up for when I see utter crap hitting the bestseller’s list and all the very good authors that I personally know can’t even get a break. Jealousy and anger mix equally on these occasions. I bet you can guess the example before I even type it.

Did you guess Twilight and Fifty Shades of Gray? You know me well and how ironic is it that one is crappy AU fanfic of the other? Twilight with its badly written abusive relationships is bad enough but to see 50 Shades make it huge is frankly, down right painful. It wasn’t good fanfiction. It’s a very BAD and unrealistic look at the BSDM life style and yet this is the erotica that has made it big. My library even has it. The same library that said it couldn’t stock my stuff because of the subject matter (I didn’t ask. I’m friends with the librarians and they were being honest in case I would ask). Yes, I’m jealous and angry and disappointed that a piece of crap gets embraced, makes millions. I’m even as disappointed as the outraged twi-hards were when Stephanie Meyers chose not to sue (wonders how much of a case she’d have on altered fanfic) but rather lauded 50 Shades. (though it was funny watching the twilight fans on my list lose their minds over this, and yes, I know that makes me petty).

So what do I do with this jealousy (other than whine on my blog?) I try to make it work for me. I try to channel it into finishing more, submitting more, editing more because there are only two ways to go, let this disappoint me into giving up or firing me up to do them one better. I know the path I want to take. So, what do you guys think?

As for me, I did finish Camp Nano.

Okay I cheated a bit by putting in before I was quite done but I DID finish. (I had to since I knew I’d have no internet in the UK). I am thrilled especially since I wasn’t going to do it in the first place. Thanks again to anat_astarte for giving me the title for it, Blood Red Roulette.

(by evil_little_dog



I haven’t edited much but again, brand new class to pull out of my ass (and I’m way behind), too many dumb fanfic projects (only one more to get done before big bang starts) and well vacation. I will get back on the ball. I promise. Thanks again to all of those who offered to read Kept Tears. I still might need to retitle that. I’m working on it. I promise. This one IS going to get published, dammit. I’ve had way too many new stories pop into my head (see jana_denardo for more info).

I have been writing a lot though. Really have.

Yearly word count – Since I’m already 20K over my yearly goal, I’ve upped that bad boy.

94809 / 125000 words. 76% done!

Kept tears – adding scenes, rewriting

Nine’s story – slowly working on it

Makai’s story – gah, for god’s sake I’ve been on chapter the last for months now

Lesbian fantasy – sadly stalled

As for everything else, I NEED to pick a non-erotica and start writing on it. Either Beneath the Torn Sky or Voluntary Nightmare or both. And edit, I must edit SO MUCH.