Before I get into the main post, I wanted to ask that you please check out The Ancient. I was fooling around this last weekend, and found that you can almost read my whole story in the preview. And as a writer, I have that deep-seated desire to be read. Even if you don’t pick up a copy, I’d like to see if you can guess where I went with it. The research behind this one was pretty fun. I’d never read the original Aladdin story before this project.
Okay, onto the post!
I’ve been tagged by a few people to tell you things about me. First, Sarah Brentyn shared humorous motherly confessions, and passed on the torch. Then Mia Hayson chose me and others as tributes. Thank you, Sarah and Mia! 🙂
The problem is… I can’t think of anything to tell you. There were the seven facts I thought up for Sarah before. Add to that my truths and lies I did for my blog tour. And then there was a Facebook thing Melissa Maygrove tagged me in…
In the meantime, I’ve got Mary Lambert’s Secrets playing through my head.
I’m stealing my Facebook thing to count as 7 of my potentially 12 things to tell you, because I know some of you aren’t on Facebook.
Seven Writerly Things!
1. I frequently mumble the name “Derek” aloud without following up with the rest of the sentence.
2. Most of the time, I drive with the radio off so that I can think about my writing.
3. I carry a Bluetooth keyboard in my purse that pairs with my phone so I can write wherever I am.
4. I can’t write coherent, complete scenes by hand. Every time I try, all that winds up on paper is fragments.
5. Despite #4, I hoard paper notebooks and pens.
6. I used to think I could never write a story outside of the universe I created.
7. I fear that if my books were ever converted to live-action film, the representation of my elementals would be cheesy.
And the five other things? I suppose I’ll tell you about my parental side.
1. I tell my daughter she is beautiful every day. I’ve seen commercials about how what we say to our children shapes their self-image as they grow older. I’ve also seen that in action and felt it myself. I know a lovely woman who struggles because her mother always put her down for not being more girly. Then I had a time in High School where my glasses and braces didn’t exactly make me feel attractive. I was getting ready for a dance, and put on makeup and curled my hair for the first time. I said, “Wow, I look pretty,” and then got talked to about being vain.
I don’t want my daughter to ever wonder if she’s pretty. And I never want to shoot her down for feeling pretty.
2. I was once accused of liking my phone more than children. But the truth is that I have boundaries. Kids don’t get to play with my computer or my phone. Pretty much everything else is free reign, assuming it doesn’t have the potential to lethally harm someone. But in the instant when I told a child no, they could not touch my phone, the child’s mother smirked at me and made her accusation.
Let it be noted: I like you just fine, but don’t touch my phone.
3. …
I can’t actually think of anything that might be considered outside of the norm. We’re doting parents that buy our children a lot of things they probably don’t need, feed them food they probably shouldn’t eat, let them stay up too late, and think they are the most adorable kiddos on the block (but that’s because it’s true). Despite this, my daughter knows not to leave the table without finishing her dinner, even if the other kids are running around wildly. She’s polite, well-mannered, and creative. My son (18 mos old) is a high-pitched, screaming, Babyzilla.
Everything seems normal to me.
I will never be a Mommy blogger.
Oh, and I’ve got a short little interview over at M. Pax’s blog. Go check it out!
If you want to be tagged, considered yourself tagged! Sarah, sorry I couldn’t think of 3 more facts. >_< Have you checked out The Ancient and read what's available in the preview? What do you think so far?
You sound like a writer.
And good for you for encouraging your daughter. I did the same with mine and they all seem to be doing well in adulthood and giving their daughters that same encouragement.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
A Faraway View
Sounds like I’ve implemented a good practice. 🙂
I leave the radio off too so I can write in my head while I drive. I don’t think it’s as bad as being on the phone, but I do catch myself driving on autopilot sometimes when I’m thinking about the novel. 🙁
Hehe, whoops!
It’s great you give your kiddo what she needs – and it’s not the phone. 🙂 Why do people think expensive electronics with data in it should be toys for kids? Tablets, yes. Phones, no. I saw the cutest little tot drooling all over the smartphone her mom gave her to pacify her.
Yeah, we had a tablet my daughter could play with when she was younger. It got gooberfied. 🙂
And even though it probably isn’t good for the screens, I love watching the videos of cats attacking the fish on tablets!
Encouragement to the kids is so important. We find something unique to tell them every day.
And I drive with loud music while thinking of writerly things. It really helps, especially the action scenes.
That’s a good approach. It makes the parents think and the kids feel special. I’m going to have to practice that!
Okay, Loni, you hooked me. I just downloaded the e-book. I enjoyed reading your “things about me.” Now you’ll have to excuse me while I go finish “Smokeless Flame.” 🙂
Awww, thank you, Lori! I appreciate that, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story (and stories).
It’s sad what some parents say to their kids. They don’t realize they are shaping an individual. Your daughter is a lucky girl.
Awww, thanks, Alex. 🙂
I drive with the radio off most times, too. It’s amazing what ideas can come up while driving or a passenger in a car.
True dat!
I can’t write by hand, either. I used to draft longhand but I have trouble reading my own handwriting! 😛
That happens to me too! I take notes for work and go, “huh?” afterwards.
You sound like an amazing mother—I love that you tell your daughter she’s beautiful every day. Such an important message to instill in the little girls of this world, especially when society/media tries to tell them differently with images of skinny girls with fake boobs. Sorry, I’ll get off my soapbox now…
Aww, thank you! And from reading your blog, I know you’re an amazing parent too. 🙂
Someone say ‘tag’? I’d loved to be tagged, what’s the deal? 12 things about me? Don’t know if I can do twelve, but I’m willing to give it a shot.
And that piece about your daughter reminds me of a time when ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ came on the TV. My daughter (who was six at the time, a couple of years back) paused to listen to the chorus. Just when I thought she was going to ask what they meant, she came out with “but I already know I’m beautiful” and sauntered off.
That’s great with your daughter! 🙂
The tagging is a set of 7 from Mia and a set of 5 from Sarah. And yep, things about you!
I have no kids (that I know about) but I think you’re doing a great job. Encouragement, love and boundaries… those all sound like vital essentials for kickass human beings.
Also: it’s funny you say you have to turn your radio off to “write” in the car. I’m the exact opposite. I have to have it on because I think well to music (depending on the station, of course.) That’s so funny we’re opposite in that fact 🙂
I love all the things you shared about yourself. You sound like a very good mommy. I create on the computer, totally. Otherwise I doodle. I love notebooks. And pens. And pencils.
yes! def encourage her…and isn’t it horrible how we’re told to be confident and then when we are we’re dubbed snooty? I’ve had people tell me I’m vain too…drives me nuts. And I’m the same, I can only write in depth on the computer yet I have hundreds of notebooks!
Kids go so many changes and what they see as ugly phases, that reassuring them they are beautiful inside and out, is good. While my parents did complement us when we looked good, they tended to focus on the insides being ‘attractive’ rather than focusing on the outside.
I hate haveing to come up with facts about myself, lol! I always think about good ones after the fact, lol!
Sia McKye Over Coffee
I sometimes think about writing while driving, but I don’t know if I could get any good writing-thought done without the radio on. Weird. O_o And I’m no parent, but that smirking mom was way out of line. Having things that are yours alone doesn’t mean you love your kids any less. -_-
And I do think it’s awesome that you tell your daughter she’s beautiful every day. Ever since I first read about it, I see how society tries to enforce such a narrow standard of beauty, and it’s kind of horrifying. Gah.
Thanks for sharing some of yourself with us. We have a ton in common! I tell my kids how great they are everyday, yet I let them fail. I never bail them out. They should feel secure and confident enough to help themselves (with maybe a helping hand here and there) out of a jam.
I keep a notebook for every story idea I have. So yeah, I have stacks of notebooks that will probably never see the light of day.
Had to laugh at your note about not being able to write a scene long hand. Same issue here. What a mess it turns out to be.
I love music so much that I can’t drive in silence, but I can see where being in a car is the perfect time for thinking about a story.
I love that you tell your daughter she’s beautiful every day. That’s awesome! <3
“I like you just fine, but don’t touch my phone.” You said it, sister! 🙂 Why shouldn’t we have boundaries? It’s interesting how expectations of parenting have changed so much over time. I think helping build a child’s self-esteem is the most important thing (which you are doing so well!) and not whether they get to play around with the latest gadget.
A very cool list of facts Loni. I sometimes drive with the radio for heavy thinking too because there are only so many distractions the brain can handle.
I’ve thought about using my keyboard with my phone. It is a tempting idea. I could get a lot more done during empty spaces of the day. I loved reading this post about your writing and parenting.