While I Wait for my Hand to Heal

When I was sixteen, I broke my wrist washing a window.  It’s a stupid story, and it spawned a whole string of embarrassing comments scrawled across my cast.  It was not the first time I’d broken a bone, and not the last, but definitely the worst.  That’s probably why no one in my family batted an eye the other day when I sprained my hand yanking the car door closed.  (Yep, that's what happened.  And yeah, it's embarrassing.)  I can barely type now, so I’m going to make this week’s post short and sweet.  Here’s a few things I’ve been filling my time with while I wait for my hand to heal.

1. Query Shark
If you don’t know who Janet Reid is, and you’re not familiar with her blog, Query Shark, get acquainted.  Her posts are insightful, and usually pretty funny.  The latest is a parody of everything a query should not be, and it is better than funny.  It’s hilarious.  You can find it here.  I hope it gives you a laugh, because it totally made my day.

2. Behind the Name

I’ve had names on my mind this week, too.  I’m about half way through a story and I’m still trying to decide what to call a few of the characters.  Sometimes I can get all the way to the end before I figure it out.  All the while, I surf the web, specifically this site learning about the etymology of first and last names.  It’s a great resource if you want to search by first letter, country of origin, meaning, popularity, etc.  (If you’re looking for last names, click here.)

3. Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
I’m also gearing up for a writer’s conferences I’m dying to go to.  Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers is hosting a conference in September, with a novel-length contest that is still open for entries.  Whether you want to check out a few workshops or you’re looking for a pitch session with an agent, (and you are in the Denver area,) I think it'll be worth attending.  If you're not in the area, spend a few minutes Googling writing workshops in your neck of the woods.  You might be surprised how many workshops, groups and conferences you're missing out on.

My hand’s killing me so that’s all I’ve got today.  I'll try to leave you with something inspirational.  I hope you enjoy this short video of an artist in the process of creation.  I know it's hard sometimes to see writing as beautiful when you're in the middle of it, but I don't think it's any different than other forms of art.  It's not always about the finished product.  Sometimes the beauty is in the brushstrokes...or keystrokes, for us.

(Video was removed; please follow this link instead.)

Have a great week!