Thursday, February 17, 2011

Grow up, will you?

I say this a lot, and maybe one of these days it will stick: I want to blog more regularly. I’m not going to go into how I [once upon a time] set a schedule for blogging, hoping that would keep me on track, or how I even put, “New post every Monday!” in my header- I’m blogging now, and that’s what is important. So, I open up a new document* on my computer, and sit here, mouth gaping open like a large-mouth bass** wondering what on earth I’m going to write about. I could talk about critique partners, or editing, or review something, or brag, or post pictures relating to my manuscript, but I’ve done all of that, or read it somewhere recently. I have decided that every topic has been covered in the blogging world, and that I’m not contributing anything meaningful. So, I’m quitting! This is the official last post of YDE. It’s been an amazing experience, and I thank you all for coming along on this journey with me. Cheers!


*I almost wrote “new Word document” instead of new document. I think it’s fascinating how technology has weaseled itself into our vocabulary. What do you say if you’re going to go look something up on the internet? You say that you’re going to go Google it. Do you actually use Google? Meh. Sometimes. I use Bing, DogPile, Ask, but the point is that “Word document” as in Microsoft Word, (I’ve had my MacBook since 2009, and wrote on a Mac for over a year before that- I haven’t actually USED MicrosoftWord in years) and Google are our defaults. We are a strange people, and I like it!

**Will someone tell me where the fish/fishing reference came from? Because I have NO IDEA.















KIDDING! So anyway, I was sitting around, wondering what to talk about, and twirled my braided pigtail around my finger. Yes, I said pigtail. There were two of them. I think they’re rather cute, still. Yes, I know I’m not five, but that is PRECISELY my point. When I was... Okay, I never stopped putting my hair in pigtails... When I was younger, I  braided my hair a lot. It’s something that’s stuck with me. I write YA fiction, and I’m turning 19 this year, but I’ve kept a taste for tie-dye, and pigtails* but I like to think that I’ve matured in some ways, and that those likes from my childhood aren’t childish, but rather just personal. That’s how I believe writing matures with age. One might gain a new skill set, or a better eye for sentence structure, but your character, your personality, will stay with you. (Okay, I would HOPE that your personality would stay with you.) Sure, tastes change, you might wonder what on EARTH you were thinking when you used that much eye liner, or tried to achieve the perfect feathered flip, but something that is special to you, or important to you will stay around. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some Hey Arnold! to watch, while I enjoy my Ring Pop, pet my Furbie and listen to the Backstreet Boys. Later!

*Yes, I realize that I sound like a complete hippie- vegetarian, feminist, barefoot, tie-dye and pigtail wearer, recycler, mac user... Dude- I’m TOTALLY A HIPPIE!

6 comments:

  1. Hmmm...you had me scared for about ten seconds there...I was like "awwww...no....NO!!" ;D

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  2. I'm your age, and I still braid my hair a lot. In fact, there are times when I get my mum to braid it for me, because no one french braids like she does.

    And I'm really not trying to be mean, but being a mac-user is the antithesis of being a hippie; 1) You're buying into the corporate machine, and 2) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/7330986/Apple-admits-using-child-labour.html

    I'm saying this as someone who really does like your blog, not as some kind of personal attack.

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  3. Oh, don't worry- no attack implied. I hadn't heard the slave labor thing... that's horrible! But in terms of earth-friendly, Apple seems to dominate the market. PCs (even stereotypically) seem to be older, clunkier, etc. But then again, I'm extremely biased. :)

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  4. You got me! You had me scared and shocked! I've always fallen for it, haven't I ? : )

    Hey Arnold? Backstreet Boys? Count me in! (And I'm wearing pigtails today, too. : ) ) I love that we can love what we love. I think a sign of real maturity is being secure in liking what some would call immature. I'll bring the Dream Street and the American Girl magazines. : )

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  5. Pigtails are cool, even if you're not 5! Sure, they may be cuter and more common on lil' five-year-olds, but they're still fun to wear, especially while eating some cereal with sugar as the first ingredient (aka Crunch Berries/Cinnamon Toast Crunch/NOT RAISIN BRAN) and watching cartoons! :D

    This is a cool blog--can't wait to come back!

    ~Eve S. D'ropper, of http://wordsfromthehallway.blogspot.com

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