DragonCon was so fun, and it was awesome to watch TribeOne performing. A good group of my friends from college came out to see him too and seemed really into it. Unfortunately, the event was at the one hotel that wasn't connected to the others and it was raining a bit that night, so the crowd wasn't as huge as we had hoped. But there's always next time, and there's a big show coming up next month (at one of my favorite venues- The Drunken Unicorn- how hilarious is that name?) that should be totally awesome.
I love every performance, not just because I get to watch someone I care about do what he loves (that's a big part), but because I also get to use the experience in my Power Trio story. I'm constantly editing the music-related scenes and I've started noticing the quirky aspects of his shows that meant nothing to me a few years ago. What about you? Any aspects of your life serving "double-duty"? Do you cram writing time in at any random moment? Do you get inspired while grocery shopping?
On an unrelated note, after almost two years of updating the website for the cat shelter that I volunteer at, I've decided to step down from that role. It was a tough decision that I know was right. I spend all day at work sitting in front of a computer, only to come home at night and spend hours updating our 500 cats' bios and photos. And after all that was done, I had nothing left in me to sit down in front of the computer and work on my story. I loved the experience, getting to know all of our cats, but I am really excited to let it go and pass the torch along to another "crazy cat lady." And I hope it means that I'll have more time for the blog and more time for my writing. Life is all about setting priorities. I have a hard time letting things go, and I'm know I'm not going to be able to look at the site, because I'll want to change every little mistake I see. But I'm ready to take those hours and wrap up Power Trio!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Adventures in Beta Reading
Sorry for the radio silence, but things have been hectic. I just hopped on for half a second to share the exciting news- I sent my first chapter to a beta reader! She's a friend who is a journalist turned stay-at-home mom. Now the downside- she really liked it and only had a few minor changes. But that's not unexpected, considering I've spent the last two months working on the chapter (due to my getting hung up on minor things instead of looking at the bigger picture). And now I'm scared to send her the second chapter, because it's nowhere near as good! *insert Cathy-style ARGH here* Does it ever get easier to put yourself out there?
On a related note, my super talented boyfriend has been invited to perform at DragonCon this year. He'll be doing nerdcore hip-hop at the Kingdom of Loathing event (KoL is an online game that I've been playing since 2005! I get to meet the game's creators!!). For those of you not in the Atlanta area, DragonCon is our big sci-fi convention- a long weekend of autographs, comic books, video games, and general nerdiness. This is the first year I've gone as a participant, but I've been a few times to people watch before. I'm excited (not just to watch him perform) but also because there's a YA panel on Sunday morning that Beth Revis is part of. And about a billion other interesting things.
All this lead to a realization. Watching TribeOne (my boyfriend's "rapper name") get prepped and ready over the last few weeks, I've discovered a new respect for him. I've always been the shy one, and I've admired his ability to get up in front of a crowd. But now that I've writing something and gone through the nerves and the anxiety that come with sharing my writing, even with close friends, I can see how difficult it can be to put not just your physical self out there, but your thoughts and words as well... man. I have oodles of respect for him and for every other artist out there who takes a risk and shares something with the rest of us. Which of course applies to all of you out their in cyberland- thank you for sharing with me- via your blogs and your books. Looking forward to reading more from all of us!
On a related note, my super talented boyfriend has been invited to perform at DragonCon this year. He'll be doing nerdcore hip-hop at the Kingdom of Loathing event (KoL is an online game that I've been playing since 2005! I get to meet the game's creators!!). For those of you not in the Atlanta area, DragonCon is our big sci-fi convention- a long weekend of autographs, comic books, video games, and general nerdiness. This is the first year I've gone as a participant, but I've been a few times to people watch before. I'm excited (not just to watch him perform) but also because there's a YA panel on Sunday morning that Beth Revis is part of. And about a billion other interesting things.
All this lead to a realization. Watching TribeOne (my boyfriend's "rapper name") get prepped and ready over the last few weeks, I've discovered a new respect for him. I've always been the shy one, and I've admired his ability to get up in front of a crowd. But now that I've writing something and gone through the nerves and the anxiety that come with sharing my writing, even with close friends, I can see how difficult it can be to put not just your physical self out there, but your thoughts and words as well... man. I have oodles of respect for him and for every other artist out there who takes a risk and shares something with the rest of us. Which of course applies to all of you out their in cyberland- thank you for sharing with me- via your blogs and your books. Looking forward to reading more from all of us!
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