Why did we not hear this information before now???

Years of improv experience at the RenFaire in period dialect? She was kind of a ringer. She went into full rant mode and blew her challenger off the stage.

Emmet also won the peg-leg race. We've still got his prize crutch.

And on a more serious note...I'd like some hivemind etiquette advice.

As a not-yet-published writer, I find myself subject to lots of advice, wanted and unwanted, from people of varying levels of expertise. The one that always sets my teeth on edge is when people suggest I self-publish, because to me the implication is that I must not be good enough to be a REAL author, or I would've sold by now, so I might as well just give up and pay someone to print my book. And while I know there are a handful of cases of people who self-published and went on to mainstream success, they're rarer than rare, and in all cases I know of involved someone who was able to put a lot more time and energy into shilling their book than I have, what with the full-time job and the family.

But I think self-publication is a mistake 99.9% of the time for someone with my goal--to become a writer successful enough to quit my day job. And I need a polite way to say that. Particularly when the person suggesting it is self-published himself.

You don't have to say anything, Susan. Just say, "Thanks for the advice, I'll think about that." You don't have to tell them WHAT you think about it. Eevryone likes to give writers advice, and a lot of the time it is totally useless.

Yarrrr. DJ, me land-ship is pleased to know she'll be gettin' a sister in the far port of Dallas. However, I be sad to report that the picture of which ye speak was lost to the depths when mine trusty RAZR died an ignoble death.

You don't have to say anything, Susan. Just say, "Thanks for the advice, I'll think about that." You don't have to tell them WHAT you think about it.

This is true for any kind of advice! A handy thing to remember.

Thanks, Robin. Since this is part of a discussion on a writer's loop, I might make it something like, "Thanks for the advice. For now I'm going to stick with the plan I described in my previous post (i.e. switching genres and focusing on "hooky" ideas), especially because my agent agrees that it's a good plan and likes my new WIP. But who knows what the future will bring, and I'm doing my best not to burn any potential bridges."

Aaaaaad Owen got kicked out of preschool today. *sigh* They can't cope with his "issues" and handed me a special education resource pamphlet.

At least we start speech therapy this afternoon but right now I'm in tears.

Fuckfuckfuck.

{{{Cashmere}}}

Ugh. Parenting is hard. But you're a good person and a smart person and you love your son. You will handle this.

Parenting is hard. But you're a good person and a smart person and you love your son. You will handle this.

Exactly!