#ROW80 peeps, you are welcome to scroll down to Point #3.

 

WHAT’S UP WENZDAY POINT #1: A NOTE OF CLARIFICATION —

I have received some really interesting feedback on my bloggy-blog of late. And it really makes me cry.

 

The GOOD cry. The ones where there are grateful tears because people are just really fucking nice to me.

 

I feel validated as a blogger, but even more importantly, as a person with opinions and thoughts that matter. And okay, yes. I shouldn’t need to find validation in myself from others. But you know what? That’s horse patootie. OF COURSE we need validation from others. HELLO — that’s what living in a society is all about. Getting along nicely with each other.

 

It isn’t that I’m unhappy with who I am as a person. It isn’t that I doubt myself. It isn’t that I require approval (which is a complete fucking lie; I do actually require approval).

 

It’s that I’ve lost a lot of friends on my path to learning who I am, and this blog has been my social lifesaver. I’m not alone. I’m not sitting here angry about the state of society and wondering why nobody else thinks along the same lines I do. I’m not sad and depressed and feeling like a freaking alien. Well, okay. I still think I might possibly be an alien. But maybe not as much as I used to.

 

Bloggers I respect and admire have complimented my perspective, and requested my contributions. Writers I look up to have looked on my blog wistfully, wishing they weren’t locked into their professional niches, and told me straight up that they admire my honesty and wish they could cut loose the way I do. Kind-hearted, Christian, positive-seeking, self-help gurus have written that not only AREN’T they offended by my crass and naughty language — they actually enjoy it.

 

All this brings me to a point. A point where it’s time, again, to count my blessings and say to my readers, one and all, whomever you may be, and where ever you might reside across this vast planet, and whatever your personal plight is currently — THANK YOU.

 

This Andi-Roo is one happy little person. You did that.

 

WHAT’S UP WENZDAY POINT #2: MY HAPPINESS PROJECT—

This is the eleventh week of Andi-Roo’s Happiness Project, based on Gretchen Rubin’s blog.

 

Happiness Project Assignment #11: Just Show Up.

 

This advice could not have been more timely. Last week was all about joining a group, which I said I was going to add to my schedule. And I did!

 

But now is the hard part: Not making excuses to avoid leaving the house. I have really enjoyed being unemployed this year, not working outside the house, keeping to myself and hiding from all the things that piss me off about society. Truthfully, I have become quite the hermit.

 

“it’s so much easier to stay home

rather than to “show up,”

which means dealing with the logistics

of coordinating to meet another person

or showing up at a particular place.”

~Gretchen Rubin

 

Yeah, Gretchen. I totally hear you.

 

Sometimes, “showing up” is just simply TOO GODDAMN DIFFICULT.

 

Scheduling activities for myself is one thing. Getting dressed, grabbing the car keys, and driving away to a function — that’s entirely something separate. And something I’m not very good at.

 

“showing up is a crucial way

to keep in touch with other people,

to keep interests alive,

to have fun,

and to bring novelty and challenge

—so important for happiness—

into your life.”

~Gretchen Rubin

 

Nine times out of ten, I enjoy events once I’ve arrived. But arriving — that’s the issue where my antisocial tendencies are concerned.

 

“Showing up is important for building relationships,

studies show,

because familiarity breeds affection.”

~Gretchen Rubin

So now I’ve got all these lovely meetings, write-ins, groups, and get-togethers planned. Great. But JUST SHOW UP. That’s gonna be the real challenge. So I’m counting on you to keep me accountable. Here’s what I have scheduled for the first two weeks of November:

 

THU 11/01

— NaNoWriMo Kick-off Write-In

— Western Ohio Writers Association (WOWA) — monthly writing critique group

 

SAT 11/03

— NaNoWriMo Write-In

 

MON 11/05

— NaNoWriMo Write-In

 

TUE 11/06

— Scrapbooking get-together

 

THU 11/08

— NaNoWriMo Write-In

 

FRI 11/09

— WOWA Write-In

 

SAT 11/10

— Scrapbooking get-together

 

THU 11/15

— NaNoWriMo Write-In

 

“Also, ‘showing up’ exposes me

to new mental and physical environments.”

~Gretchen Rubin

I’m on this.

 

If you missed the first few weeks of my Happiness Project, or want to catch up on the Assignments so you can create your OWN Happiness Project, here are the links:

 

1. Personal Commandments

2. Personal Symbol

3. Have More Fun

4. Place of Refuge

5. Go outside 

6. Koan 

7. Theme Song 

8. THE HOW OF HAPPINESS 

9. List 

10. Group

 

WHAT’S UP WENZDAY POINT #3: MY WORK IN PROGRESS

NaNoWriMo is almost upon us — November 1 is right around the corner, my fellow writers!

 

I have been outlining like crazy in preparation of this annual event. My word count might not reflect it, because some of it is in notecards. Some of it is in a word doc “over there”. Some of it is in a writing program “over here”. Some of it is scribbled in the margins of two books I’m referencing for outline procedures. The work is there. It’s just not all in one spot.

 

I figure that’s what November 1 will be about — combining it all into one place and jumping in where I left off — the first two chapters which have been completely rewritten. Two sections and an entire character “deleted”. One section expanded. Actions sections projected. Plots reconfigured. I am so fucking on this.

WHAT’S UP WENZDAY POINT #4: BONUS MATERIAL

MOVIES:

We haven’t watched any movies this past week, but have been working our way through Season 3 of Glee, now that it’s available on Netflix.

 

Oops, that’s a lie. We did watch FINDING NEMO because Glee isn’t entirely appropriate for kids with all the sex talk. If you haven’t seen this Pixar film yet, DO IT NOW. Very fun! But I mean, really — when has Pixar ever let us down?

 

BOOKS:

• Bedside Table: NICEVILLE by Carsten Stroud.

 

Next up: Depends which one arrives at the library first —

 

Either THY NEIGHBOR by Norah Vincent, one of my very favorite authors, ever since I wrote to her about her breathtaking memoir VOLUNTARY MADNESS: MY YEAR LOST AND FOUND IN THE LOONY BIN — she emailed me a personal response which really choked me up and made me grateful for people like her who know what happens inside the mind of a depressive. Great writer, and an even greater human being.

 

Or GHOSTWRITTEN by David Mitchell, the same author of CLOUD ATLAS, which was recently released in theaters and looks to be a great film!

 

• 

  

  Living Room: SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury.

 

Next up: Richard Matheson, Philip K. Dick, or more Ray Bradbury. Not sure yet.

 

• Desk: PLOT & STRUCTURE: TECHNIQUES & EXERCISES FOR CRAFTING A PLOT THAT GRIPS READERS FROM START TO FINISH by James Scott Bell. This is part of the “Write Great Fiction” series.

 

Also, SAVE THE CAT: THE LAST BOOK ON SCREENWRITING YOU’LL EVER NEED by Blake Snyder. I’m not writing a script, but this book is an excellent guide for help in breaking down any large piece into Acts and Scenes and Turning Points and all that good stuff you need to know when putting together a novel.

 

Next up: Another in the “Write Great Fiction” series, CHARACTERS, EMOTION & VIEWPOINT: TECHNIQUES & EXERCISES FOR CRAFING DYNAMIC CHARACTERS AND EFFECTIVE VIEWPOINTS by Nancy Kress.

 

• 

  

  iPod (audio book): Sookie Stackhouse #12: DEADLOCKED by Charlaine Harris, read by Johanna Parker . I have not actually read a single one of these books — I’m such a fan of Ms. Parker than I have trusted her reading of each edition thus far. #13 will conclude the series, and I know I will miss listening to the story as much as I will miss the story itself.

 

(And yes, I know the show TRUE BLOOD is based on these books. I have watched the first couple seasons and am hooked, although for entirely different reasons as they aren’t really quite the same. We’re waiting for whichever seasons is due out next on Netflix.)

 

Next up: I had meant to start #4 in the astounding epic tale of the Inheritance cycle by Christopher Paolini, INHERITANCE: OR, THE VAULT OF SOULS, but forgot and started the Sookie novel instead. So, obviously this will stay on my “next up” list and hopefully next time I won’t forget!

 

• With Abbie: Just finished THE ANIMAL FAMILY by Randall Jarrell. While we did enjoy the story, we were both disappointed by the abrupt and lackluster ending, which just seemed to suddenly stop. Not sure what we expected, but as Abbie said, “Maybe the author just ran out of pages or something.” Indeed.

 

Next up: Back to C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. We’ve almost completed THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE and can’t wait to move on to the next one in this timeless fantasy series.

 

And that’s what’s up Wenzday.

Hope your Hump-Day is full of hump-ish good times.

I’d love to hear what’s up with YOUR Wenzday!

And please tell me how *YOUR* Happiness Project is coming along!

 

 

Comments

comments