Yay, it's Friday! I'm giving away an autographed book in exchange for your help. I'm talking to you. Yes, you.
I am arse-deep in revisions right now, and as I read through my editor's notes, I'm noticing a pattern in her margin-comments. See if you can spot it:
"How does Nikki feel about this?"
"What does Nikki feel at this point?"
"How does Nikki feel?"
"What are Nikki's feelings?"
And your final clue:
"Yeah, but how does she feel?"
Did you guess the theme?
I don't think my therapist has been doing his job, because each time I see one of these notes, I think, oh man. Talking about feelings again. I might as well be a girl.
Okay, I am a girl. But I've never been very good at expressing feelings.
Sure, I've had feelings. But when that happens, I usually take two aspirins and go to bed, trusting that by the morning, they will be gone.
So, here's where you come in. Please leave me a comment, and tell me how you feel about something. Anything. It can be an emotion:
ex: I felt angry
or it can be a physical reaction:
ex: The blood rushed to my cheeks.
I'll draw a name from the comments, and that person will win a signed copy of Kiersten White's PARANORMALCY.
On your mark... Get set... EMOTE!
I'm feeling a lot of pain right now, and the pain meds I've been given are making me feel nauseous and loopy.
ReplyDeleteOkay, those aren't true emotions, but you know me. I've never been good at that expressing stuff.
Valynne- That's perfect! I know right where those emotions will go... Chapter 17.
ReplyDeleteI feel excited and nervous. I'm excited because I get to help interview authors in the David Farland's Writer's Group's conference calls (starting this Sunday at 7pm Easter time, folks: David Farland will be speaking). I'm nervous because what if I sound stupid? What if I say something that offends one of the authors? My co-hort is interviewing Mr. Farland, but I'm up next month....
ReplyDeleteMy word verification describes the calls perfectly: Lerminar. Seminars where you learn. (No, not all seminars are like that. :))
Right now I am tired, physically and emotionally. It makes me frustrated.
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm such a downer right now! Hope it helps?
Robin- How exciting! I will use those emotions for the chapter where Nikki interviews authors, because every good book has such a chapter.
ReplyDeleteAubrey- You're not a downer! Those emotions are a way of life for Nikki.
Today, I am elated. It's a bright, clean slate and I feel bright and clean, too!
ReplyDelete(And I'm also giggly because of your funny posts!)
I've been lazy all week but today I'm experiencing a nervous energy that makes me want to get moving and accomplish something.
ReplyDeleteI don't need to win a copy of Paranormalcy - I have it - devoured it with gusto and loved it.
Oh--and I don't need to win, either. I already have an ARC of Paranormalcy. Great book.
ReplyDeleteL.T.- Giggly! perfect.
ReplyDeleteMary and Robin- How about if you win, you can pick another book from my pile of books?
I'm too tired to be angry. I could URL up and fall asleep right here on he bathroom floor. Sleep til June.
ReplyDeleteYou know how I feel. I'm pretty sure I vomit feelings all over you every time I see you. In case you're begging for more of that, I'm feeling like the victim of acupuncture gone very wrong, with each little needle poking painfully farther into my skull/eyeballs with each successive (or excessive, you pick)whine from my 3 year old.
ReplyDeleteAnywho... :)
I feel guilty because I'm a slacker/loser mother and didn't inform my children of an emergency room visit and now they're all pissed at me.
ReplyDeleteAlyosha- Excellent emoting. Perfect for the "drunk hangover" scene in the book.
ReplyDeleteHeather- your kids whine? I ordered the kind that never whine or cry. Maybe you should get a refund. Did you keep a receipt?
Weaving a Tale- Guilt! My favorite emotion of all. I hope the visit to the emergency room turned out okay.
I feel useless. Day job is slow, writer's block has a death grip on my brain, and while I could do something useful and clean my house, I would rather the damn thing just clean itself. Now there's a lesson in useful.
ReplyDelete(Leaving this comment under anonymous, but my name is Gina)
[Drooling] Yeah, that sounds good.... :) (Are you including BOB in that "pile?")
ReplyDeleteWord Verification has declared that your blog is "radedm." For "marvelous."
Gina- Ah, the writer's block brain death grip. Experts are still searching for a cure for that one.
ReplyDeleteRobin- or radedm could mean "containing high levels of radon". For which my blogs are notorious.
*dons gas mask*
:( :) ;) B-) :0 :P 8-) :* >:( :>
ReplyDeleteI just finished doing the laundry and cleaning the house, so I'm tired, but in a good way. In a "Yes! It's done. Now I can relax" kind of way.
ReplyDeleteToday, I feel hungry. The kind of can't-think-about-anything-else-I-want-a-cupcake-or-pizza-or-ANYTHING type of hungry. Thyroid's not working so well at the moment. I know hunger's not technically an emotion, so I'm going to go with irritable, because I defninitely need food if I'm going to be in a happy mood.
ReplyDeleteLily- Excellent idea. And it will help me cut down on word count.
ReplyDeleteGriffin- Great entry, although I am not familiar with that emotion, considering I haven't ever finished the laundry.
Kate- Hunger is totally a feeling, if not an emotion. I know that feeling of being obsessed with eating, and all you can think about is... um...
SQUIRRELS!
I feel bored. I've been sick since Wednesday, doing nothing more than sitting in my lazy boy day in and day out for two and a half days. TV is boring because I've been watching it too much. Saltines are losing their flavor because I've eaten nothing else for two and a half days. Reading doesn't hold any interest to me because I have a headache. I just want to do something other than sit, watch TV, look at my computer, or eat saltines.
ReplyDeleteEmotion is such a huge part of my own writing! I wish I could give you some piece of advice that sums up how I approach it, but I'm not really sure...it's just one of those things that comes naturally to me.
ReplyDeleteBut as for a feeling, I can give you that. I feel under pressure. I have to stand against waves of anxiety that come at me every day, forming an overall sense of doom and uncertainty. It's the threat of failure. It's like slowly sinking into quicksand, but you know if you just work hard enough you can climb back out...
I wish you the best of luck with your revisions :)
Brodi, I'm right there with you on the emotions! I don't consider myself an emotional person. My favorite mantra is SUCK IT UP!! I'm not big into touchy/feely stuff either, which is probably why I prefer Jason Bourne action flicks to chick flicks.
ReplyDeleteOh wait, I just found out that Matt Damon WILL NOT be returning for the 4th Jason Bourne movie. My stomach is twisted in knots and I'm trying to swallow around the giant lump in my throat. :(
I am feeling angry and frustrated and unappreciated. I spent all morning taking my kids to play with their cousins who live an hour away. They spent the time whining, throwing temper tantrums, crying, sulking, and running away. Yeah. Fun times.
ReplyDeleteWe're going on a big vacay in a couple of days so I'm feeling time-crunched. Er is that an emotion? How about anxiously excitedly stressed. Yup I'm gonna go with that.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note I think it's interesting when you take your work to your writing group for instance and everyone has their own ideas on your stuff. And then you get your editor and they have their own ideas although this time around you really dont have a choice not to fix it, because it seems like it's their way no matter what. Have fun Brodi!! :)
I'm feeling stressed and anxious! Studying for my comprehensive exam to finish grad school!
ReplyDeleteI feel happy that I've got a day off school, but jealous that the U gets the whole week off!
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I've been feeling run down trying to keep up with my two part-time jobs (that actually equal more than one full time job) and my nine month old. However, trying to keep up with him is a joy; he loves to explore and I am so proud watching him triumph at climbing up the coffee table or finding a bottle lid and making "music" with it on the coffee table. Hearing his little squeals of joy fill my heart with warmth, but my body is wearing out and my mind is pounding a steady rhythm for more sleep!
ReplyDeleteI hope that helps!
I feel elated that I can read your blog! I went a whole week without computer access and went into deep withdrawals.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the revisions and you're writing a prologue--what the what?
Jenni- um, I do not comprehend. That sounds like a day made of awesome.
ReplyDeleteRebecca- I envy your talent. Are you available for hire? Ha ha. No, seriously, can I hire you? Ha. No really.
Nicole- Matt Damon has that effect on a lot of people. When I'm writing my next emotional scene, I should say, "Nikki felt as though someone punched her in the stomach, just like that time her little brother stole her Matt Damon poster."
Jenilyn- Yeah, kids sort of have that emotion stuff down. Maybe I should watch my own kids. But that would mean spending time with them. And I really can't stand their whining.
Meg- School stress is the worst. Those are the times I have all those "whooops, I showed up late, and naked!!" dreams.
Lulabell- I told you you should've gone to the U. They get all the breaks.
Una- Wow. Excellent use of emotions. Are all architects this in touch with their feelings?
Eden- Yes, a prologue. It's about a girl who's lying in bed, dreaming. At the end of the book, we discover it was all a dream. don't tell anyone.
Right now I feel scared and apprehensive. I have to do something that is going to hurt. It needs to be done but it will be painful. It's causing me to not sleep, so I'm constantly tired AND because it's taking up most of my thoughts I find I can't remember words when I need them. I'm missing simple details or forgetting me things people are teling me. It's like I'm hearing everything through cotton, so I miss things.
ReplyDeleteI am seething, blood rushing to my cheeks and the bitter taste of a copper penny seeping into my mouth as I try to bite back my frustration.
ReplyDeleteJust kidding. I am just tired and disinterested in cleaning up my house. But the other seemed more dramatic and interesting. What can I say, we can't all be as funny as you.
Jill- What an excellent display of emotions, although it prompts me to ask, "What's wrong?! Are you okay??"
ReplyDeleteKeersten- On the contrary, you are very hilarious. I get that coppery penny taste in my mouth every time I try to clean the house too.
I am happy that I have two hours of work left!
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling the cold fingers of nervous anxiety tickling up my spine because I just revised a scene in which my MC confronts her worst fear.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I'm international, so I don't expect to be entered to win the ARC. Just wanted to stop by and say I'm revising for exactly the same thing: To amp up the emotion!
I feel... sorta depressed and hyper right now (If that makes sense). I just finished the The Lost Hero and it was seriously amazing. I NEED the next book! ...then I realized it comes out next year = (
ReplyDeleteCassie- that is a good feeling!
ReplyDeleteDailyschmidt- Good luck with your revisions! Let me know if you discover any helpful tips.
Addictedtolife- That's the worst thing about series books, isn't it? I hate waiting too!
I feel crazy excited with a splash of nervousness and annoyance. I am crazily excited because I am going to my cousin's wedding. I am slightly nervous because it is my first time to actually be in a wedding (I'll probably fall on my nose. Oh well...). And I am annoyed because, of course, this has to be the one time I have a sore throat (I hardly ever get sick. Again, oh well....) It's going to be great! :)
ReplyDeleteI am feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of my husband being out of town for a weekleaving me home with 5 kids age 8 and under.
ReplyDeleteKristin- I'm sure you'll do fine! How am I so sure? I don't know. But it sounds nice, doesn't it? To have a random person be sure about something?
ReplyDeleteMolly- Oh man. I feel for you. My stomach would explode at that scenario. (It's probably the only scenario where my stomach would really actually explode.)
Brodi - yes, architects are very touchy-feely...we are half artist you know...
ReplyDeleteMy stomach informed me I was hungry, since I felt it rumbling that empty growl. In response, I walked to the kitchen and now I feel confused: I've got an apple crumb muffin in one hand, a mug of hot tea in the other, and hot chocolate in the works. I think my feelings of hunger might turn to bitter feelings of nausea in the pit of my stomach.
ReplyDeleteI also feel happy anticipation: my husband has been on a fishing trip w/ his dad since Wednesday and comes home tomorrow. My nice, uneventful weekend will be interrupted by a man who smells like fish. I have a feeling I'll need stronger detergent...
I also feel like singing because that's what love and "absence making my heart grow fonder" does to me!
All of it's true!!! :)
Ashlie- Excellent information! Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDelete