Today kinda sucked and tomorrow will be worse

[cornerofmadness]

Mostly work related traumas that I don't want to get into but I can say this, I hate making mistakes at work and I made a boner of one today. Last semester I set up a visit from Ohio University's doctoral program for my students. Then promptly forgot about it. They didn't remind me either other than yesterday (when no one was at work) to say see you tomorrow. PANIC. Luckily OU is just an hour away and I DID get in contact with him and reschedule but I felt like a complete and utter ass.

I'm also busy feeling like the worst writer ever looking at these edits. I mean I literally don't even understand some of them (but since he's already made the changes I'm just nodding my head and smiling, fine fine). BUT I will say I feel old or out of touch or SOMETHING. Everything I learned about what to do in fiction writing is now out of favor. Blinks. It's like seriously everything I learned is no longer done (even though I see it in books all the damn time). It's frustrating. Editing is just plain frustrating.

My cold/sinus infection/plague from hell seems to be gone just in time for my sugar to go out of control making the diabetic neuropathy in my foot very painful. Whee.

On the plus side, my roses are opening up and are just beautiful.

Hmm Bob Casale passed on today. Starting to feel old as the bands of my youth start dropping off.

Declutter day 208 item tossed -Monet umbrella why kept-Well loved and used why tossed -No longer opens. Brought it in from the car months ago, maybe a year. Now in the trash.

Comments

[bay115.livejournal.com]

Do you use some kind of calendar online (for instance, google), either in the computer at work or your personal one? That might help.

I'm not feeling great with my writing either lately (and total agreement over editing being painful). We all can be our worse critics, so hopefully you'll feel slightly more confident in your writing soon. *hugs*

[sholio]

I don't know how much credence I'd put in one editor's line edits as far as being "how writing is done these days", because sometimes it just comes down to the editor's personal preference, or even a slavish adherence to the rules of proper grammar (such as "every sentence must have a subject and a verb") without allowing any room for personal style. I tend to litter my writing with em-dashes and colons, and some editors object to it while others don't. I had the first-round editor at DSP take out every single colon once, on the theory that a colon was never grammatically correct, and I just went along with it because it wasn't the hill I planned to die on (heh, I tend to try to hold back my "whiny author" hole card in case there's an edit I really won't compromise on) but that's the only time I've had that happen. I have managed to tone down some of my writing tics, such as comma abuse, because of getting repeatedly dinged on it -- and DSP's editors ARE quite thoroughly with the grammar edits! -- but I've also had edits suggested that were either flat-out wrong or represented a misreading of the text, so that's something to be alert for too!

[0-mother-0.livejournal.com]

sorry everything went kind of poopy :(

{{{hugs}}}

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Yeah, your calendar needs to alert you better. Or something.

Since the last editor didn't ding you on the same things, I'm sure it's just this one's style. >.<;

Yay for the cold getting better, boo for your diabetes flare up.

Yay for roses. Definite yay for roses.

[elasg.livejournal.com]

My boss calls mine my 'electronic brain'. I've used a PDA or other kind of calendar on my phone since forever, because without it I would forget EVERYTHING. Google works great on multiple platforms and is nice because if you update it on one device, that update goes onto all of them.

Writing? *sigh* You're still doing better than I have. Good luck.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I ususally use an electric brain or at least the old fashioned calendar. It's like The Silence, the moment I looked away from the email I forgot.

Thanks same to you

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yeah well i didn't even remember to write this IN the calendar.

that too but with that one publishing houses rules on writing ...they run counter to what I was taught.

diabetes sucks

roses are so beautiful

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I was actually thinking more on one publishing house that won't allow any euphemisms. You can't say 'the nurse' the doctor the detective etc etc. And I'm like that's weird.

but yeah this is the most thorough and a bit crazy editor I've had with DSP. He wants NO ing words. Most of it, like you, isn't something I'm going to get into a snit about but when I see a publisher wide ban on things I was taught to do I have to wonder

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I do. It didn't. Of course in this case I didn't even do that but I DID for the blog tour and still wasn't help.

yeah me too. Problem is colliding deadlines AND the fact that DSP give very little turn around time. I know they've a schedule to keep but on the other hand most of us have day jobs

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

Bob Casale passed on a bit prematurely, but yeah, too many high-school favorites are looking old and jowly these days. And fat (looking at you, James Spader).

What is it your editor is hammering on so hard? Is it any one thing, or is he just generally rewriting everything he saw? If he's hitting on something specific, it might be worth passing it on to my local group. We're a good mix of ages, but several of us are 40+ and might need advance warning if we're sounding fuddy-duddy. We always share any edits we receive for just that reason.

Is the blood sugar connected to the sinus infection? I've noticed that other problems (like allergies) disappear while I have a cold and then reappear a few days after the cold goes away. I've always wondered why I have those few good days right after feeling so lousy for a week.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

And Val Kilmer.... you are so right

well Less than Three publishing (one of the places I'm thinking of with this). allows really no euphemisms (unless it needs to be kept secret). So you can't say the nurse went for bandages. You need to use a name. Apparently that's becoming passe. (I think it leads to endless repetition of names).

This guy doesn't like ing verbs. John sat down, toeing off his shoes. Nope, not gonna fly.

And there are other things. John's eyes widened has to be John widened his eyes.

Actually in this case no.(But it can do that yes). I've been running over 300 since the week before Christmas. Reasons unknown

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Oops. That's not a good thing.

Yeah, I don't agree with the -ing.

It does. Here's hoping I continue with Mom's genetics, and don't develop diabetes.

Roses really are. I hope I get a good crop this year. Wish I could share some with you, because some of mine are very pretty.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

That editor sounds a bit crazy.

Yeah for roses!

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

Val Kilmer, ergh. I can't believe he let himself become such a blimp. He's an actor--you'd think he'd be too vain to let his looks slide.

I've run into the "independent body parts" quibble before. Editors are death on roaming hands and wandering eyes these days. The "ing" implies simultaneous actions, so the hard-ass view is that John can't simultaneously sit down and toe off his shoes--and if you were in my group, Eagle-Eye Jean would have caught that and razzed you about it before it ever reached the editor. I don't agree with the euphemisms ban at all. You're right, it does lead to endless repetition of names, and I don't know why it's such an issue.

So your body doesn't become unnaturally healthy after it's been sick? Maybe mine expects to be punished or something for getting ill, so it tries to be extra good afterward.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Yeah I had similar uncharitable thoughts about Val.

Apparently that's a big deal. I'm SO used to doing it, I'm finding it hard to stop the independent body part thing. Frankly I CAN sit and toe off my shoes at the same damn time. That at least is a simple thing to change.

I don't either but seriously it was in the publisher's submission guidelines where I sent my project fierce story. I'm like I'm right at the deadline YOU remove them if you say yes. I don't agree with it at all.

My body does it's own thing with no rhyme or reason

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

not at all.

Yeah I don't agree either but at least it's an easy enough fix.

good luck with that, seriously.

Mine are always rather poor

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Apparently it's the newest trends. It's not as bad as it could be I guess. I haven't looked at it all. I'm scare.


big yay. Love roses

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Because I remember we're not supposed to use contractions unless absolutely necessary. *sigh*

Thanks. So far, so good. I have the good teeth, but the lousy eyesight, and the sensitivity to medications. Wish I had Dad's eyesight, really; he just needed OTC readers, even toward the very end.

My tea rose is beautiful. And the pale yellow rose. Two of the others I planted aren't doing quite so well, but hanging in there.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

guess that's changed.

well that's good

mine are neglected nad it'll be another year of neglect for them

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Wait, no, I meant to type 'conjunctions', not 'contractions'.

Mmm.

Mine are mostly neglected, but they've got decent soil.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's changed too


i don't have that either. i have clay. Clay is not a rose's favorite

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Has it?

We had a clay yard in Cynthiana, and Mom's rose was huge and happy.

My yard has soil on the top, but after the first four or five inches, there's clay.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

apparently

well maybe they do like it. they don't like whatever it is going on in mine

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I've heard that roses don't like clay, but they've always done okay in the clay-y yards I've had.

Now, that climbing rose in FL did tolerably well in sand, but you probably remember I'd feed it manure twice a year.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Yes I do remember that. Mine probably just need more care but with arms being so messed up gardening has become difficult

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

You need a dog like Rogue, she'd help dig. :D She likes gardening. She even pulls weeds.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Iktomi did that for me when I had him

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

all right, so you need a helpful pet.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

there you go