My Favorite Grrrls In the Literary World

Just want to take a minute to give props to two of my favorite authors.

I don't usually go all fan-girl over, well, anyone, but I kind of do for Jen Lancaster.  Even though our styles are completely opposite - I can't rock LaCoste shirts and I don't think she's into leather and spiked heels, when I picked up Bitter Is The New Black, I was hooked.  I could relate to what her and husband went through went the dot com bubble burst, albeit on a much smaller scale.  I may not have physically stood in the unemployment line clutching my Prada bag, but I filed online with my tub full of Pradas upstairs in my closet.  I laugh out loud every five minutes while reading her work.  The grace (and satire) with which she handled everything that happened to her gives me hope and inspiration.  If I'm feeling depressed or throwing myself a pity party because I've destroyed my credit and can't afford to live on my own right now, I pick up one of her books and my mood lightens, instantly.  Her writing also gives me hope and a reminder that if I'm unhappy, I am the only one who can turn things around for myself.  [Getting the actual fire to do it lit under my ass is a whole different beast.]  
You can check her out on Facebook here.
You can also find her on Twitter here.
Ok, maybe I fan-girl over more people than I care to admit, because I have a deep affinity for Erica Jong.  When I picked up Fear of Flying roughly 30 years after it was published, the iconic book that turned 40 in 2013, I was blown away and immediately devoured everything she has written.  She has the ability to write so frankly about sex and relationships and not make them seem dirty or taboo.  She's got the guts and gusto to write what she feels, and damn is this woman educated.  I would love to pick her brain, but I wouldn't even know where to start.  I can relate in some way, shape, or form, to every one of her books, particularly Any Woman's Blues.  [It's intense.  I highly recommend everyone read it.] 
You can check her out on Facebook here.
You can also find her on Twitter here.

Goals for My Writing

Now that I've decided to take this writing thing seriously, I've become very excited about it.  I find myself constantly thinking about what I want to write about, sorting and sifting thoughts in my brain and writing down thoughts, sentences, or even just a word I think might be of significance at some point.  My Nook, a pen and a small notepad are always within reach.
I've always been a constant reader, now my passion for reading is in overdrive and I'm scrambling for books to keep up with it.  I just downloaded Write Good or Die by Scott Nicholson and can't stop reading it.  It's a collection of advice by various writers that has already given me good ideas and confirmed pointers I already know.  I've also started exploring the word of literary magazines, an untapped resource I knew about but didn't realize could provide me with tips, advice and reading material all at once.  A few that jumped out at me are Every Writer's Resource.com, Tin House, Surreal Grotesque Magazine, and The Write Room.  Now I just wish I had an iPad to carry with me so I can read some of the amazing short stories and poetry published on these sites when I have down time.

As far as the goals I'm setting for myself,

• Write everyday, no matter how bad it turns out, no matter how little I get accomplished.  Just get words onto paper.  Or my computer screen.
• Continue to devour every book I get my hands on.
• Accept the fact that I am not Erica Jong.  Or Henry Miller.  Or Anais Nin.  Or Stephen King.  
• Work on finding my own voice, my own style, and figuring out what excites me so much that I want to write about it and share it with the world.

That pregnancy dream I had is really coming into focus for me now.     

Gimme Some Sugar, Baby, Part I

Currently reading.  My favorite essay so far is called "Sex With A Stranger," written by Susan Cheever.

"If you are looking for love, sexual intimacy can be a shortcut.  It is among the fastest ways to get to know another person.  During sex, we literally and figuratively expose ourselves.  We show physical parts that are usually kept covered; we display our private likes and dislikes.  In its moments of unconscious response to physical pleasure, the body reveals a great deal of information:  a need to dominate, a difficulty following suggestions, an inability to express desires.  If we have trouble letting go or if we are painfully uncomfortable with how we look, it often shows up in the two-person drama of the sex act."


This little essay has inspired me to write about my experiences with one night stands.  Stay tuned.