July 16, 2013

Beta Reading and a Challenge

I have two friends that are writing novels.  They're both pretty good as far as I'm concerned.  I've had a little time off and on over the past.. year? or so to help them out and beta read for them, which has been a lot of fun for me.  Hopefully it's been helpful for them.  They write different types of things, but one thing most fiction seems to encompass in some form or another is love/sex.  This can be a hard thing to write about, even if you don't think anyone else will read it.  If you're trying to get published, I imagine the pressure is.. more.

So I'm talking to one of these friends tonight about this topic; writing something that makes you uncomfortable.  She mentioned how the word "folds" in relation to.. relations, made her squeamish.  "Please don't make me use the word "folds" in that manner."  I decided to do it for her.

"he folds down the sheets, inviting her to join him"

"he folds his arms around her waist, snuggling her closer"

"she folds his money into her wallet, a job well done"

She felt dirty.  I felt as though my job was accomplished.  Perhaps I should become a snippet author.  Is there a market for that?

July 08, 2013

What is this nonsense?

I think pregnancy might have screwed up my body.  DS says it screwed up my brain, which is also a valid theory.

Lately I've been feeling chilly in my house, and my a/c is only set at 74 during the day.  Maybe this is what you consider chilly for a/c, I don't know, but I am on record saying I can't handle temperatures over 75.  So you can see why I would be surprised by this chilliness.

After a lifetime of experience, I just assume it's better not to go outside if it's in the upper 80's or anything above, so I haven't had a lot of time to have this theory challenged lately.  The last few days it's been in the 90's with heat indexes near 100.  On Saturday, DS and I took the boys on a walk to the Farmer's Market in the morning.  We needed the vegetables and they needed out of the house.  I was pretty sure that was going to be my only chance to get out due to the heat.

I survived.  I even thought it wasn't that bad.  Later that day DS got antsy, so he headed outside to attack some english ivy with a hatchet.  I don't know why, but I decided to go help.  I worked hard in super hot weather and didn't even feel faint.  The next day, I went outside and thought it was lovely weather for laying in the sun.  I mean, what is even wrong with me?

Today it was cooler, and I thought it was almost chilly outside.

I just don't even know who I am anymore.  I turned the a/c up to 76 and I'm still sitting here with a blanket.