Friday Funny and a Return to Crazy Writer Status

Happy Friday, everyone! Wait, it is Friday, right? Hold on…

Okay, I double checked. It is. Phew!

Well, besides being totally out of whack since the long Labor Day Weekend, my week went well. It started off on a high note with a trip to Aspen for the JAS music festival, and it has ended on a high note with a revival of my manuscript. It appears I’ve finally broken free of the swarm of butterflies that have been distracting me since round one of the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge.

Woot-woot!

I can always tell when I’m back on a roll when I turn into a “crazy writer”. Basically, I get irritated, impatient, and grumpy. All I want to do is write. Write, write, write! I don’t want to exercise, or do chores, or eat food, or watch TV, or hang out with friends…In a nutshell, if it doesn’t revolve around my story, I just don’t want to deal with it.

Yeah, I’m total a wackadoodle when my creative engine starts running at full steam…But don’t worry, I don’t ever succumb to complete hermit-ville. I do my best to find a balance between reality and la-la land. Try 😉

I know part of my “crazy” resurgence comes from the knowledge that my schedule for September is going to be–overall–calm. There are no imminent threats of butterfly swarms on the horizon. Which means I’ll be able to put all of my focus into my book. Which means I’ve got no excuses not to get a lot of work done. Which means I should probably stop rambling here and get to writing, huh?

So, in honor of my return to “crazy writer” status, here is today’s Friday Funny. Enjoy!

How was your week? Anyone else thrown off after the long Labor Day Weekend? How about your manuscript? Is it on track? Or are you still being swarmed by the evil butterflies?

Jen’s Weekly Roundup

In case you missed my posts from earlier this week, here you go!

Music Monday – Somethin’ Bad – Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert

Book of the Month – The Maze Runner – James Dashner

How to Intensify Conflict & Deepen Characters—The Wound

Photo Credits: 

http://www.reactiongifs.com/crazy/

http://www.teen.com/2013/12/11/celebrities/emma-stone-wingwoman-funny-gifs/

http://www.teen.com/2014/08/12/random-stuff/skinny-girl-problems/attachment/gossip-girl-blair-stop-talking/

http://www.yourtango.com/2014207592/tv-love-23-things-make-no-sense-pretty-little-liars-episodes-season-4-finale

Friday Funny with Butterflies and a Weekend Getaway

Hear ye, hear ye! It’s…Friday!

Well, I hate to say this, but the evil butterflies are back. I’ve been swarmed!

Ahhhhhh!

Blast those distracting, Look at me! Look at me! butterflies! I can’t get away from them. No matter how determined I start each day, and no matter how firmly I tell myself, “You will work on your manuscript now–you will!”, I lose my focus immediately and turn to something else that’s not my book. And when I do manage to sit down and write, my brain refuses to cooperate. It says, “Oh, look! This sentence stinks. Let’s fix it for two hours.”

On a positive note, I did squeak out one full chapter. It’s not great, and it needs a lot of editing, but it’s something. And something is better than nothing, right?…Right? Well, I’m hoping by this weekend I’ll get my booty whipped into shape and–

No, wait. I forgot. It’s Labor Day Weekend, and I’m going out of town.

GAH!

Fine, fine. I’ll admit, I’m more excited than frustrated about this upcoming weekend with all of its distractions. I’ve been looking forward to it for months. My mom, sister, and I are driving up to “a little place called Assspen“.

We’re leaving on Sunday to go watch Carrie Underwood perform at the JAS Aspen Snowmass Experience. It should be blast, especially since I get to spend quality time with my mom and sister. With life being as crazy as it is, and my sister having three little boys (all under the age of 4), the three of us rarely get to hang out together. I can’t wait to just relax and enjoy a day in the mountains with them.

And who knows? Maybe this small excursion is just what the creative doctor ordered? Maybe I’ll get back to town on Monday refreshed and ready to roll my sleeves up and get to work?

Yeah? Hopefully?

Okay, I have to. I won’t have a choice. I need to pull it together already!

With that said, it’s time for me to stop blabbing and get to writing! So, here you go. In honor of my butterfly-filled writing week, I present to you today’s Friday Funny. Enjoy!

How about you? How’s your writing coming along? Have any fun plans for the weekend?

Jen’s Weekly Roundup

In case you missed my posts from earlier this week, here you go!

Music Monday – Human – Christina Perri

Confession: I Fear Sharing My Stories

Avoid These 25 Newbie Writer Mistakes

Photo credits:

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1734

http://www.theamas.com/2013/06/10-reasons-why-katy-perry-makes-katy-cats-feel-like-a-firework/

http://wifflegif.com/gifs/263167-dumb-and-dumber-lloyd-christmas-gif

http://howdyyal.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/soap-operas-arent-this-melodramatic-vivian-divine-is-dead-by-lauren-sabel/

http://wifflegif.com/gifs/330249-pull-yourself-together-the-incredibles-gif

Friday Funny and the Return of the Evil Butterflies

Help! Help! They’ve come back. The butterflies. The horrible, pesky, distracting butterflies!

Man, oh man! Ever since the second round of the NYC Midnight Short Story Challenge, I haven’t been able to get my act together. Between a busy work schedule, being sick, and lots of family obligations/events, I haven’t been able to sit down and focus on my manuscript. And when I finally do sit down and get to work, I feel like the Tinman from the Wizard of Oz. Rusty and stiff and, generally, out of whack.

Of course, I know the solution to my problem. It’s the same simple solution I came up with a couple of months ago when the “butterflies” first swarmed me: I need to, “Suck It Up and Writer Up!” Stomp down and crush those unnecessary distractions. Focus all of my time and energy on my manuscript and get it done! Don’t let anything hold me back. Fight for it. Charge full steam ahead!

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to put my battle plan into action until next week. This weekend is packed with lots of Easter celebrations, and my nephew’s 2nd birthday party (I’ve been assigned to make Minion cupcakes for it…Yeah, those will be interesting). *sighhh*

Anyways, here is this week’s Friday Funny. I need to remember this as I finish writing the rest of my first draft. I need to remember, especially during these “ugh” moments, that my manuscript doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be written!

So, how about you guys? How was your week? Are the butterflies swarming you, too? Or have you squashed those suckers and been productive?

Jen’s Weekly Roundup

Music Monday – Long Shot

Vote For A Dedicated Teacher – AKA My Sister

How to Write the First Draft of a Novel

Friday Funny and–Oh Look! A Butterfly

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a great week. Mine was…distracted. Very distracted. You know, “Oh, look! A butterfly!” distracted.

Seriously, anything and everything snagged my attention and took it away from an important task I was working on (job, manuscript, blog, reading, etc.). It got to the point I literally had to turn off my internet just to get stuff done.

Thankfully, the past two days have been less foggy and more focused. I’m hoping to carry that focus into the weekend and get a solid chunk of my manuscript written. I’m starting to feel a little panicked about it. In January, I’d made a goal to have a solid rough draft written by the spring. Well, spring is just weeks away and I’ve hardly made a dent…eeks! Yeah, it’s definitely time to pull it together and work! And I’m gonna start this weekend. I’ve got nothing planned–at all–so I’m off for a long visit in Hermitville!

Today’s funny is dedicated to one of the things (silly, stupid, seriously? things) that distracted me this week. On Monday, I posted a humorous e-card on Twitter. It ended up getting 52 retweets and 43 favorites…No, that didn’t shut down Twitter like Ellen’s famous Oscar selfie, but for me it’s A LOT! Enough, at least, to take up most of my night responding to messages from people about it. Doh! Yeah, like I said, silly, stupid, and seriously? But, I guess it is pretty funny.

So, here you go. Hope it makes you chuckle too.

How was your week? Were you distracted like me? Or were you able to focus? What are your plans for the week–wait, no. Don’t tell me. As much as I wanna know, I can’t handle your “butterfly” responses. I must focus! How about you wait until Monday to tell me what you did this weekend? Yeah? Deal? Great! 😉

Jen’s Weekly Roundup 

Book Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Seven Questions Writers Should Ask Before Publishing