Mette Ivie Harrison's Blog, page 115

Memorial hike

We had planned for a few weeks to do a hike with picnic for the day. We tried earlier this year, and it was snowy and I was running a fever, and I felt a failure when I said it was time to head home about 1/3 of the way to the top. This time, I was determined to get to the top. It was my third attempt, second with all the kids. And once again, I worry that my goal reaching obsession might not have been the wisest choice.

I had run a 1/2 marathon in the morning, which went OK for the firs...

CONduit schedule

11a SAT - Writing for the YA Audience

12p SAT - What to Know About Writing Workshops

2p SAT SIGNING

4p SAT READING (1/2 hour) with Sandra Taylor

how to stay motivated in workouts

A friend who is trying to get in shape asked me recently how I motivated myself to get up every morning and work out. And why it is that I like competing in triathlon so much. I think a lot of people wonder this about me, and they think that they could never have the same motivation. But as always, I told my friend that I wasn't an athlete in high school and never thought of myself as someone who could become an athlete. I only started running about 7 years ago, and when I did, it was .1 ...

self-published prejudice

I have been dealing with the realization that I am prejudiced about people who are self-published. Not everyone. I will admit up front that occasionally, there is a self-published author who is absolutely smart about it and knows why a book should be self-published (if there is a niche market and the author knows how to reach said niche market). But this is not my usual experience.

I feel sometimes like self-published authors are also prejudiced against traditionally published authors, so t...

back and forth

So, the WIP (tentatively titled ASYLUM) is a back and forth story, that starts in the middle, and then alternates chapters back and forth in the past and the future, explaining in a way how the first chapter came about, and also filling in details that will make more sense as the future moves on. I've never used this particular form before. As a writer, I enjoy trying out new forms. I suppose it is a little like an artist trying out new media. Of course, you only do it when it fits the st...

Sirens

I found out today that my proposal for a panel FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS IN FANTASY has been accepted at Sirens this October 7-10. Here is the link if you are interested in going. The other panelists will be: Sherwood Smith, Holly Black, Janni Lee Simner, and Rachel Brown. I have never done a proposal before, though it didn't seem to be that difficult. I hope it turns out well. I've also never been to Sirens before, but have heard so many great things about it that I am planning to bring 14 w...

strengths and weaknesses

Sometimes it seems like there isn't really any difference between our strengths and our weaknesses, only different situations in which they are useful--or not.

At the recital this weekend, I got to play last. I'd rather play first, so I can get it over with and not feel so nervy through all the other numbers. I sat for the forty-five minutes of other pieces, pondering why it was that my piano teacher chose to put me last. I am not the best pianist in the group. There are two teen girls who...

parenting

So this year, we got our invitation to the awards night at the junior high and we went. It was a disaster. 14 got the one award that she found absolutely unimportant and trivial, almost a slap in the face. And then had to sit through an hour of people getting awards that she felt acutely pained about them getting, all the while clapping bravely for them, if not actually smiling and cheering. Her friends were there. I felt I couldn't let her just walk out.

And afterward, we spent a long ...

decisions, decisions

I have never thought of myself as someone who had a difficult time making decisions. Or as a procrastinator. (Except when pregnant. Then I change my mind every ten seconds.) I don't know if it's age or something else, but the last years or so I have noticed that I am having a difficult time deciding things. What races I want to do, setting schedules for promotional stuff, getting airline tickets, committing myself to almost anything is just not what I want to do. So instead I have been p...

critique terror

I tell people when I go to speak about how difficult it was for me to accept criticism in college. My first semester at grad school, I got all my papers back in those "8" tie envelopes, from 4 classes. The final papers were essentially, all that the grade was based on, as far as I could tell. Professors claimed to care if you attended class, but I'm not sure there was much of a benefit to it, except figuring out how to agree with the professor if you wanted. (Cynical of me, I know.) Anyw...