I Quit

I quit painting watercolours.

I haven't painted in years. Pre-computer instead of twittering I used to relax by throwing paint at paper and convincing myself that my ducks looked like ducks and not runny egg yolk and the brown patch was a mountain and not that I'd tipped over the paintpot. Throwing paint at paper is so relaxing but (unless I'm having fun with the kids) I don't bother because I'm artistically challenged and it's messy. I'm the one who has to clean up now.

I quit playing the guitar.

Because I'm tone deaf and really couldn't play anything more challenging than 'Mull of Kintyre' and I played that really, really slowly. In fact, in an alternate universe another version of me is still giving that first performance. I did however think I looked cool with a guitar strapped to my back.

I'll never quit singing.

Even though, as already stated, I'm tone deaf. If my wonky notes are bothering you, leave the room. Or maybe the area because I am loud. For a quiet girl I can bellow.

And now, I've quit Skull Salad Reviews.

I don't enjoy writing reviews. I suck at writing them and I'd stress for days about what to put in them--I'm not a natural reviewer. I signed up to the site because I like getting reviews (good or bad) and it was my karmic way of giving back to the small press. Only I didn't feel I was giving back. I only mentioned the stories I liked and didn't mention those I didn't when a true reviewer will balance a review with both, and those are the reviewers we trust. Those are the reviewers we want and need. So I quit. And now I can devour my to read pile without having a panic attack about what to say about this story or that. I can simply come here and say, 'Wow, I just read this incredible story and you should read it because I know awesome when I see it.' And I do give back, I beta read friends books, I donate to magazines, I buy small press books, and I read small press stories and will continue to do so, so let me end with...

I read these two stories today and they're awesome...

Running Empty in a Land of Decay by Damien Walters Grintalis
Liminal by E. Catherine Tobler

I want. I want. I want

So there's somewhere that I would absolutely kill to submit to and I'm not going to say where because that would tempt the fairies and all that. All I will say is I need a project about 40,000 words long. It can be less words, but I'd prefer 40,000. I am in total awe of this market. Total. Awe. Anyhow, I'd not bothered to check their submission guidelines until yesterday (why, I've no idea) and then when I did I began bemoaning, I have to sub something there. I have to. I have to. Of course, I had nothing. Nothing at all. Well not until my mind started wandering and then I couldn't sleep last night and kept Walter up rambling ideas to him.

It's very bizarre and it makes me happy. Sometimes you have to embrace the weird. Guess I'm going to have to keep this insane daily word count up after I've finished the first draft of my NaNoWriMo book. Guess I shan't sleep until the end of January.

Today's word count: 2400 + 341 (other projects)
Total word count: 44,001 + 5104 (other projects)

Plus, check out my review of Interzone #230 over at Skull Salad. My review skills suck so bad, I felt compelled to suck a lollypop while writing the review.