Jamie Patterson's Blog, page 30
July 21, 2011
The Great Lip Balm Project
If we're going to trace the no shopping for a year (NSFY) project back to its roots it all began with lip balm over a year ago. At one point every drawer I opened, every bag I opened, every cabinet, had lip balm spilling out. So about 16 months ago I said no more buying new tubes until I have finished everything I own. I had to buy one tube in Denver this spring because I forgot to pack one but other than this, I've been true to the no buying lip balm policy. I'm down to eight tubes (below!). To be fair, the tubes on either end, Maui Mike's and Tesco Lipbalm are empty but there's just enough left to dig out with a fingernail. Haven't been able to find the Tesco Lipbalm for some reason so I'm hanging on to what I have for as long as I can!
At this rate I should be down to just one tube in another year. Seriously, who knew that it would take so long to go through a repertoire of lib balm?
At this rate I should be down to just one tube in another year. Seriously, who knew that it would take so long to go through a repertoire of lib balm?
She Runs!
Hooray! The streak is broken. I laced up the shoes that have not been worn since the Honolulu Marathon in December, brushed some beach sand off the bottom, and hit the lake this morning.
It was brutal.
I thought my legs would fall off.
I couldn't breathe.
I stopped twice for water from the city water pumps that taste like iron but sure tasted delicious today.
Three miles down.
It was brutal.
I thought my legs would fall off.
I couldn't breathe.
I stopped twice for water from the city water pumps that taste like iron but sure tasted delicious today.
Three miles down.
July 20, 2011
He Lives!
My dad is doing much better, back to work and thinking he might drive again soon. It's been about a month since the freight train incident. Photographic evidence of his wellbeing below. It's from a distance but you get the idea: hat, beard, no glasses. Still braces on the front teeth but eating is easier. He's still swearing to never ride a bike again, but we'll see...
Lake Harriet
Caught this shot of Lake Harriet at dusk on my way home the other day. Not a bad place to call home!
Reading is Harder Than Writing
Or, I should say, having people read what you wrote is harder than writing what you wrote. By far. Today someone I respect very much who finished Lost Edens last night asked, "did you have an editor or what?"
Eeek. Wasn't sure where he was going with the question. I had two editors, an executive editor for the project, a proofreader, and a total of about 20 early readers who gave feedback. A question like "did you have an editor or what?" could be either recognition of the polish or recognition of the mistakes (I sent 10 more adjustments to be made before the final, final draft goes to print on Friday).
I sheepishly responded and he said "yeah, I could tell. It was clean. Really clean."
Whew!
Then I pointed out I missed a lay versus lie that will be changed before the final and he, in turn, sheepishly responded, "yeah. I did see that one."
A writer's work is never done. And an editor's work is endless.
Quick shout-out to one of the first readers of the earliest drafts of Lost Edens, who also happens to be a fantastic editor and friend: Sue Greenberg. If you need a rewrite gal, she's your gal!
Eeek. Wasn't sure where he was going with the question. I had two editors, an executive editor for the project, a proofreader, and a total of about 20 early readers who gave feedback. A question like "did you have an editor or what?" could be either recognition of the polish or recognition of the mistakes (I sent 10 more adjustments to be made before the final, final draft goes to print on Friday).
I sheepishly responded and he said "yeah, I could tell. It was clean. Really clean."
Whew!
Then I pointed out I missed a lay versus lie that will be changed before the final and he, in turn, sheepishly responded, "yeah. I did see that one."
A writer's work is never done. And an editor's work is endless.
Quick shout-out to one of the first readers of the earliest drafts of Lost Edens, who also happens to be a fantastic editor and friend: Sue Greenberg. If you need a rewrite gal, she's your gal!
Writing is Like Running a Marathon
Okay, so this isn't a new idea. A lot of writers are runners, too, and I always thought the whole endurance thing was the connection. After all, it's taken over five years to write and publish Lost Edens (drop in the bucket compared to some).
What I think it is, though, is a very quiet competitive nature. After months of training (or writing) you finally get to the race (or publication), get through the miles, come to finish line, and think I could have done better.
So you get your running shoes on again, or pull out the pen and paper again, and start all over. So maybe it isn't that writing is like running a marathon as much as it is that being a writer takes the same mindset as a runner. Or that the motivation to either write a book or run a marathon might come from the same place?
What I think it is, though, is a very quiet competitive nature. After months of training (or writing) you finally get to the race (or publication), get through the miles, come to finish line, and think I could have done better.
So you get your running shoes on again, or pull out the pen and paper again, and start all over. So maybe it isn't that writing is like running a marathon as much as it is that being a writer takes the same mindset as a runner. Or that the motivation to either write a book or run a marathon might come from the same place?
July 19, 2011
Oy. Body Washes Galore.
So I don't know if I mentioned that I was extending NSFY to products like body wash and lotion because, apparently, I was hording these things. I had no idea. My spa lady was skeptical when I said I thought I had enough to last me a year so I came home and pulled out just the body washes. Picture below. I definitely think that I'll be able to go a year with this supply. Maybe even more? Really not looking forward to the cherry blossom phase. Or the Limon phase.
I think if I give myself a year to simplify that maybe by June 20 I'll have one car, one bike, one bottle of lotion, one bottle of body wash, one bottle of perfume....and a lot more of the important things...like jewelry.
I think if I give myself a year to simplify that maybe by June 20 I'll have one car, one bike, one bottle of lotion, one bottle of body wash, one bottle of perfume....and a lot more of the important things...like jewelry.
How Many Books do you Expect to Sell?
I got this question at the party on Sunday and I sure didn't have a good answer. I read somewhere that the average first book sells 75 copies. That seems ridiculously low but I like that it manages expectations pretty well. Right now I'm aiming for 75. I would like to at least be average.
The first print, though, will be for just 1,000. I say just, and right now I can't imagine who, or where, these 1,000 readers are!
The book doesn't release until August 23 so I'll have to wait a little longer to find out. For now, I have deleted chapters on amazon: http://lostedens.com/buy.php so I can get an idea of if there are any trends. So far, I've sold one of those. (Guess who bought it? That's right. Me.)
So how many books do I expect to sell? My hope is more than 75 but it could be a long road ahead!
The first print, though, will be for just 1,000. I say just, and right now I can't imagine who, or where, these 1,000 readers are!
The book doesn't release until August 23 so I'll have to wait a little longer to find out. For now, I have deleted chapters on amazon: http://lostedens.com/buy.php so I can get an idea of if there are any trends. So far, I've sold one of those. (Guess who bought it? That's right. Me.)
So how many books do I expect to sell? My hope is more than 75 but it could be a long road ahead!
Home
One kind of subtle part of Lost Edens is that it handily explains how I ended up in Minneapolis. It's taken awhile for me to feel at home here as an adult and it really wasn't until my sister moved here a few months ago that it felt really comfortable and the urge to leave was minimized a bit.
I started my morning talking to a friend who goes back and forth from L.A. to South Dakota. He was saying he was ready to just be in one place. But what place? L.A. is too superficial, South Dakota too quiet. For now, they balance each other.
Just talked to my brother James, who is living in Tokyo. I posted a video of our niece (below) for him to see and he immediately replied that he needs to get home soon (it's been almost a year). Come February he'll have new orders and a new home, but who knows where that will be.
How do you pick home? In my brother's case, the Navy picks it. But what about for the rest of us? Or is it really something you even get to pick?
I started my morning talking to a friend who goes back and forth from L.A. to South Dakota. He was saying he was ready to just be in one place. But what place? L.A. is too superficial, South Dakota too quiet. For now, they balance each other.
Just talked to my brother James, who is living in Tokyo. I posted a video of our niece (below) for him to see and he immediately replied that he needs to get home soon (it's been almost a year). Come February he'll have new orders and a new home, but who knows where that will be.
How do you pick home? In my brother's case, the Navy picks it. But what about for the rest of us? Or is it really something you even get to pick?
Happy Birthday James!
Sorry it's sideways! But you sure get a good idea of what Siena is like now. (Huge!)
