…and we’ve come to the end of the challenge!!! One full month of blog posts, six days a week. (And if you’ve been paying attention, I’m still missing the post for ‘D’… ah well, one of these days I’ll finish it and it’ll show up in your RSS reader and you’ll be really confused.)

So what are we all doing to celebrate?

In the Arabic world, celebrations are loud, noisy, and joyful—and commonly full of women creating a particular sound called a zaghareet (also known as a ululation).

To create this noise, you start by saying “la la la”. (Try it!)

…good! And a little boring, right?.

So now, do the same thing, but make the sound a little bit higher pitched and a little bit louder, like you’re a kid trying to ignore her parents. I’ll wait. Promise!

…all right… better…

But now make it even louder, and as high pitched as possible, but cover your mouth first… you don’t want to spit on anyone!!!

…did you do it? And did you realize it sounded a little bit like Xena’s battle cry? The producers of the show took the zaghareet of celebration and used it for something completely different, but it’s basically the same sound.

If you’re still not sure what it’s supposed to sound like, here’s a quick little video of a dance class attempting it (they’ve almost got it! just a little higher pitched and they’ll have it!):

So, did you make it through the challenge? Or have anything else to celebrate?

Shock and surprise your friends and family, and join in women around the world in making this (unique and LOUD) sound of celebration!!!

Be honest… did you try it?

Writing isn’t a very good profession to get into if you’re looking for affirmation of any kind.

Honestly.

You can’t do this so that you’ll feel valued, or to get revenge on the people who told you that you’d never succeed, or to show up old bullies, or to get acceptance from your parents/teachers/friends, or to find fame and fortune.

But that’s okay.

Writers simply need to find value elsewhere.

• …in the creative comments of others.
• …in the appreciation of your critique partner(s), who values your writing enough to spend time on it and help you improve.
• …in the personal satisfaction gained from a job well done.

We might not get valued the way others do in their professions, but that’s not a bad thing! I think it forces us to seek outside the traditional indicators of ‘success’, and encourages us to place a higher value on the things that really matter in the long run:

• friendship/relationships
• personal growth
• self-esteem
• hard work & improved work ethic

Where do you find value in your writing life?  Do you want to feel valued by others, or are you learning to be content with knowing you’re doing your best?

Writing isn’t always fun. None of us will say that. But the difference between those who succeed and those who are left behind is that the people who succeed are the ones who never give up.

Whether it’s:

• physical injury
• mental illness
• family issues
• personal tragedy
• world events
• discouraging voices
• mountains of rejections

…the writers who make it through to become authors are the ones who don’t let these things slow them down.

But it’s not easy, and it’s never that simple. One thing that I think makes an enormous difference in whether someone gives up on their dream or not? Having a large support network.

Much like writing bloggers. Doing challenges. Commenting and encouraging each other, even through (especially through) the rough patches.

When was the last time you left an encouraging word for someone ?

You never know when they might need it most.

Do you have nightmares?

Ever tried to mine one for a story?

I have them nightly, and I often remember them for several hours after I wake up, though some stay with me for days (or months, or years).

The majority of my nightmares center around death or some kind of escape. It’s typical to have nightmares centered around my parrot—either him dying, or escaping, or getting lost, or some other horrible thing.

Last week, I had a nightmare that seemed inspired by the most recent Prince of Persia game (which I haven’t played since last year), but went even beyond that, and not in a good way.

The first half of the dream is lost, I don’t remember it… but at some point in the dream, I did something to help someone—opened a box or something—and accidently unleashed an enormous, fire-covered demon.

Yeah, I’m not kidding.

In my dream/nightmare, the demon’s voice rumbled, threatening me with death and eternal torture, and I ran through corridors and hallways covered in pillars trying to escape. I could feel him getting closer and closer, but I didn’t want to look behind me. 

At one point, I came to a covered balcony (with more pillars around), and looked down. Two stories (or more) down below was a pool with water lilies, and my dream-self had this logic: If I dive into the pool and drown myself, I’ll be able to escape the fire demon and I’ll be free! But I won’t be dead, because surely the people in the pool will see that I’ve drowned and they’ll be able to revive me in time.”

Yep, my dream self was about to commit suicide with the intention of being revived by strangers. And I dove into that pool, lay face down in the water, and… heard the terrifying voice of the fire demon:

“You’ll never escape that way. I know what you’re doing, and go ahead! I’ll torture you forever in HELL.”

Soooo… I got out of the pool, and the rest of the dream/nightmare did that flash-forward quickly thing, where everything changes so fast that it’s hard to remember what happened once you wake up. I remember running as fast as I could, wherever I could, all around the world to try to escape.

I’d stop in doorways to try and catch my breath, but just when I thought I’d have a moment of rest, the growling and thudding of the demon would be right behind, and I’d have to run again.

Somewhere amidst the running, I woke up.

I’ll be honest—I was surprised after waking up  that I didn’t actually die in the dream, as it’s not unusual for that to happen. But the visual imagery of this one was so powerful that it stuck with me a week later.

Now I’m wondering whether I can harness that sense of primal fear and terror that I had in the dream, and use it in a story.

Have you ever done this? What was your most recent, terrifying nightmare?

“A goal without a deadline is just a dream.” 

– Gail Vaz-Oxlade

I adore Gail Vaz-Oxlade… she’s full of fantastic financial advice, seems to have a big heart, and above all else, is extremely practical. Here in Canada, she’s something of a national celebrity due to her many books on finance and her two television shows based around helping people get control of their money and their lives (and often saving marriages in the process).

She knows the value of deadline-setting when it comes to the goal-making process.

It’s something I’m not very good at.

But when I heart that quotation on her latest series, I realized: If I don’t set a definite goal for what I want to accomplish both in the short and long term, I’m not really striving for anything. I’m just hoping that the universe will swirl around and make things happen eventually. (And I don’t know about you, but I’d like the universe to stay how it is, thank you very much.)

That’s just a dream, an abstract hope, not a concrete, working-toward-it reality.

If you haven’t yet set a concrete goal for your dream, why not? What’s holding you back?

Fear? An uncertainty of how to reach that goal? Laziness?

Without a deadline for that goal, how do you expect to get there?

I’d take Gail’s advice, if I were you! I’m taking it right now—I’m taking steps toward my goal that I’d been avoiding until I realized the truth in what she said. Plus, she’s a tough cookie. Don’t make her come after you!

This past Christmas, I received one of these –> 

I’d resisted reading digital books for a long, long time… I just couldn’t see myself giving up paper books in favor of digital copies. I love my books! I love seeing them and holding them and smelling them and organizing them, and…

…but then I realized that I wouldn’t have to give up paper books.

Rather, I could just read more books with an eReader. So many new and exciting options would open up! Small press publications! Journals! Free classics! E-Galleys! Library books that I don’t have to physically return (I’m notorious for racking up library fines)!!!

So now I’m actually collecting more books: Ones that I don’t know if I want to purchase but still really want to read (I <3 you NetGalley), or ones that I might not have otherwise picked up if it wasn’t free to download (Kobo.com has a great selection of free books!).

And honestly? I think my first-quarter purchases of physical books in 2011 still surpassed the previous few years.

It seems to me that medium isn’t as important as the message. It’s just a matter of preferred delivery—which for me, changes according to what I want to read.

How about you? Gone digital, or are you still holding out?

“If you love SF and fantasy, if reading it formed your teen years, if you do remember the magic you used to do, if you remember the absolute joy of first discovering those books, then read this.” —Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author of Assassin’s Apprentice

Among Others

by Jo Walton

Fantasy

Release Date: January 2011

If you’re a book lover, you want to read this book.

If you’re a reader of older fantasy & sci-fi, you definitely want to read this book.

If you’ve ever felt like you live life on the outside looking in because of your love for spec fiction, you need to read this book.

Here’s the synopsis from the book’s press release:

Startling, unusual, and yet irresistibly readable, Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and SF, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.

Raised by a half-mad mother who dabbled in magic, Morwenna Phelps found refuge in two worlds. As a child growing up in Wales, she played among the spirits who made their homes in industrial ruins. But her mind found freedom and promise in the science fiction novels that were her closest companions. Then her mother tried to bend the spirits to dark ends, and Mori was forced to confront her in a magical battle that left her crippled–and her twin sister dead.

Fleeing to her father whom she barely knew, Mori was sent to boarding school in England–a place all but devoid of true magic. There, outcast and alone, she tempted fate by doing magic herself, in an attempt to find a circle of like-minded friends. But her magic also drew the attention of her mother, bringing about a reckoning that could no longer be put off…

And my thoughts?

I started the book with a bit of hesitation, as I wasn’t sure what it would be like, but the endorsements on the cover from Robin Hobb and Patrick Rothfuss inspired confidence.

The story is unusual, at times startling, and yet absolutely irresistable—you’ll try to put the book down, only to be drawn back in again. The wonder and excitement that fills Morwenna as she discovers new authors and discusses them with her reading group is infectious, reminding you (the reader) of the moments when you read these authors for the first time.

The sense of ‘otherness’, the ‘outsider’ view that comes from being a voracious reader comes through loud and clear in the narrative, and for me, I found the actual plot of the story secondary to what was happening with Morwenna’s reading. Mind you, the plot itself is just as compelling, and it keeps the reader guessing—right up until the end—whether Morwenna is a little bit crazy, or if this ‘magic’ she speaks of as something true is a real thing.

I don’t know how she did it, but honestly, this book felt like a masterpiece—a love letter to speculative fiction, echoing sentiments that I’m sure we’ve all felt at one time or another.

Here’s one of my favorite quotations… maybe you can relate, just a tiny bit :

“What I mean is, when I look at other people, other girls in school, and see what they like and what they’re happy with and what they want, I don’t feel as if I’m part of their species. And sometimes—sometimes I don’t care. I care about so few people really. Sometimes it feels as if it’s only books that make life worth living, like on Halloween when I wanted to be alive because I hadn’t finished Babel 17. I’m sure that isn’t normal.” (p.119)

Honestly? Buy the hardcover. It’s worth it.

About the Author

Jo Walton won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer on publication of her debut novel The King’s Peace. Her novel Tooth and Claw won the World Fantasy Award, and Farthing is a finalist for the 2006 Nebula Award. In addition to writing SF and fantasy, she has also designed role-playing games and published poetry. Her song "The Lurkers Support Me In Email" has been quoted innumerable times in online discussions all over the world, frequently without attribution. A native of Wales, she lives in Montreal.

Today is the first day of the A-Z Challenge, which runs for the month of April. The challenge was started by Lee over at Tossing It Out, and apparently this is only the second year running the challenge… but you wouldn’t necessarily know it, because there are over 800 bloggers (last I checked) participating this year!

Yikes.

Now, I planned out about half the month’s posts (but of course haven’t had even half a second to write them yet) in hopes that I’ll actually make it through the challenge in one piece. One letter every day, excluding Sundays.

I had originally planned to post a book review for the AMAZING book ‘Among Others’ by Jo Walton, but I think I’ll have to save that for tomorrow and fudge it as ‘B’ for “book review”. Heh. How original.

As for today, ‘A’ is for “almost there”.

Here’s how many things are “almost there” for me, and yes, you’re allowed to leave now and come back tomorrow as this is a somewhat self-indulgent post that updates my life. And provides (not entirely) witty meta-commentary along the way. HAH.

Almost There:

• Teaching the English Comp class; just two more classes to go and it’s DONE (aside from marking their final papers).
• Setting up the critique group… I need to send my OWN info to the others and set up meeting #1.
• The WIP I’ve been planning to edit for the past 3 months… and will have the time for as soon as I’m finished teaching the Comp class.
• This session of dance classes; the recital is in just a few weeks and then the crazy multiple late-nights in a row will be DONE.
• The next session of dance classes is almost here… for which I need to choreograph 2 brand new pieces… OH, CRAP.
• Spring!!! It’s almost there… just a bit more snow to melt…
• My sanity… well, that’s more like ‘barely there’, but I’m hanging on.
• Time to do things like: Comment on your blogs (I miss you guys!), post on Librarything.com (I miss them, too), go outside, read…

And in the meantime, my cooking skills are “almost there” (I’ve just changed diets entirely, and I may add a writing-related post about this sometime… yes, that’s right, a food-related writing post… I’ll make it relevant, I swear), and my brother is going to England for a few months (*sad* …happy for him, but still *sad*) very soon, so he’s “almost there”.

No, I’m not whining (honest!) but it’s interesting how life sometimes brings a whole lot of “almost theres” at once. Like the universe can’t be bothered to spread things out a bit. Thanks a lot, UNIVERSE. Pffft.

But that also means there’s a lot to look forward to. I’ve had a great experience with teaching this semester, but it consumed my life a lot more than I’d expected it to. Along with teaching dance 3 additional nights a week, there wasn’t a whole lot of time to write… but in a few more weeks, that changes.

So, we’ll see what life throws at me next. At least there’s never a dull moment!

Anyone else have some “almosts” this Spring season?

What’s changing or about to change for you as the season flips over?

Today I have some questions for YOU:

• Are you currently in / have you ever been in a critique group?
• Was it online or face-to-face?
• What worked? What didn’t?

I ask because, well… I’m starting a very small local critique group, and I feel a bit like I’m jumping into the deep end before learning how to swim.

Why would I do this? The writing group here in town isn’t a ‘critique’ group per se, and the writing group in the next town is a social club rather than an actual writing group (says so on their Facebook, actually…).

It looked like a case of “if I don’t start this, no one will”. I don’t want to be in charge of something else (and hopefully once this gets going, I won’t be “in charge”, it’ll be a group effort), but I desperately need to progress with my edits and get feedback. I want to be querying in September, at the latest. I’ve put it off for far too long.

But since my only experience with critique groups has been online – and in those cases, as lovely as the people were, the actual ‘critiquing’ didn’t pan out on a regular basis – I’m looking for words of wisdom from people who’ve been a part of critique groups that have worked (or not)!

I’m armed with some general knowledge and a copy of The Writing and Critique Group Survival Guide… but what else should I know before this train starts moving?!