Amy Spalding's Blog, page 16

Writing Groups That Don’t Suck!

If you missed it, I’ve already blogged about why people might want writing groups, and ways to know you might be in a bad writing group. The good news is… some writing groups aren’t The Worst!

(FYI the results are spotty if you Google Image Search “cool groups of writers”.)

But it’s true! Some writing groups are awesome. I myself am part of a great writing group that has made my writing life a lot better, and also there’s a lot of good food/ice cream.

FYI I don’t know why Josh’s head turned out...

Musical Theatre Monday – Evita

I was fifteen when I went with my dad to see Evita at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. I was pretty psyched because this was, despite my lifelong love of musicals, early in my true musical theatre geekdom, and so that meant at the time listening to a lot of Andrew Lloyd Webber collections.

So I knew the basics, and I knew–confusingly–that there was a person who sang on the cast recording who was named Mandy but who was not a woman. And that was about it. I already knew how to hardcore love a musi...

Friday Fuhhhntimes

20 Discontinued Foods We Sort of Miss (from LiveStrong, weirdly enough)
Best Pictures of Bears Killing Kids in the Bible (from BadAss Digest)
Hello, Lionel Richie Teapot (from Fancy)
Mr. Feeny v. Ms. Honey (from In Case of Actual Death)
An animated gif of a Corgi playing the piano (no explanation required)
Hold on to Your Lavalieres: There’s More Sweet Valley Confidential Coming Your Way (from The Dairi Burger)
Baby Boom – (from A Bright Wall in a Dark Room)

When Writing Groups Go Bad

Hey, it happens. IT HAPPENS, OK. You think you’re joining some ragtag band of jolly misfits and instead you wake up with night sweats and night tears. You have swollen glands and you’re all DO I HAVE A DISEASE but, no, you just….

WHAT?

You just joined a bad writing group.

Following up on my previous post, let me guide you gently through my thoughts of writing groups.

KINDS OF BAD WRITING GROUPS

1. NO ONE WRITES!

Hey, you’re having fun! You are partying it the eff up!

Hey, uh, partying’s great. But y...

Musical Theatre Monday! It’s a Thing.

Hey guys, in case you haven’t heard, I have a book coming out next year. (Technically, two, but I’m only dwelling on the first right now. OK? OK.) A big part of the book revolves around one of my favorite things… musical theatre! (I bet you thought I was going to say sea otters.)

I have loved musicals basically my entire life. Not when I was a baby, or at least not that I remember. Can babies love musical theatre? If they can I did. I grew up into the kind of kid who really wanted to be in mus...

Deep Thoughts

This is a real photo and quote. I am merely reposting it while I cry with laughter.

A Thoughtful Critique of the Desires of Writers and Their Habits in Forming Groups

My cool friend Kevin asked me to talk about writing groups, because I have a great one, and he’s heard about some crappy ones. Honestly, guys, I feel like there are A LOT of crappy ones.

First of all, today I will talk about WHY PEOPLE WANT WRITING GROUPS. This is a tale as old as time/song as old as rhyme kind of situation. I mean, why else did Plato throw all those crazy parties? So here are some reasons I think people might want to form writing groups!

1. ISOLATION & LONELINESS

Guys, the life...

Addictions

America's Next Top Model
Reese's Peanut Butter products
A song I made up about my dog called "Violet the Wonder Dog"
Diet Coke, duh
Life's Rich Pageant
Sally Hansen Salon Effects
Frontline
Twitter
Saying "NEVER FORGET" on Twitter
Banana Split-flavored DumDum Pops

I Might as Well Get This over With

I had no idea what to blog about this week. I asked around, and the one common answer that kept coming up again was something I maybe should have expected, but I didn't. But I feel like if I don't address it now, it will continue haunting me.

So here we go.

Look, I have a lot of celebrity crushes. Here are just SOME of the important ones:

FYI the other day, a good friend of mine said, hey, Amy, did you see Friends with Kids? (I had.) Because I feel like Adam Scott would be such a good boyfriend ...

Dear Ames: Top Ten Awkward Celebrity Encounters (5-1)

Continuing from yesterday's post, a topic suggested by the daring and soft-drink-loving Kevin:

Here we go, kids! Again, I will blind-item these, and, again, feel free to guess in comments though I will not confirm or deny.

5. After seeing DEVASTATINGLY HANDSOME BRITISH ACTOR at Ronna & Beverly, my friend Rochelle and I stood outside UCB figuring out where to eat dinner. BRITISH ACTOR (and his wife and manager) walked into La Poubelle, so we were all, let's not pretend we aren't going there...