I Love Reading My Work Out Loud

Sigh, story of my writing life.

Yesterday, I was reading the last two sections of my novel draft The Harvest out loud to my husband, since he never has time to read my drafts.  I love reading to him because he gives me really great advice and encouragement, and I get to listen to the rhythm of my work, even though it is fiction.  Rhythm and flow are key. 

We were in the car on my way to work, and the funny thing was that as I read the draft my daughter who is 2 kept asking, “Mommy, what ya doing?  Mommy, what are you doing?”  It was so adorable, and I kept telling her, “Mommy is reading her novel to Daddy,” and that response had a lovely tone to it.  Some day, I hope to read to her, too.  My son, who is 7, of course, loves to give me feedback, and is particularly fond of all the expletives from Strike (which my son is absolutely forbidden from repeating; we’ll see).  However, despite these opportunities to read out loud and get feedback from a captive audience, the quest for the ideal reader continues.

I actually have stopped looking and have told the universe to Fuck Off because I have been so desperate trying to find that special someone to read my work and give it a critical eye.  But that lingering desire is still here.  Nevertheless, I still keep writing every day, and giving my work the same compassionate, yet useful, eye I would to a fellow writer, and will do so for any writer I connect with. 

Enough literary angst. 

Today, I am bringing a gem of a writer, my friend and soon to be editor of my longer prose Eric Allen Yankee. He is going to teach my creative writing students a step-by-step process of how to publish digital works on Amazon.  I also asked him to talk about how he prepares to perform, which he does beautifully.  I am planning on Facebook Living that session, and linking it here.  Here is the previous talk he did where he addressed the pros and cons of digital versus print publications and threw down some rad ass poems:  https://www.facebook.com/eric.yankee.90/videos/10213283231220953/. 

Well, that is all I have because it is 2:30a.m.  (I have to write in the wee hours, when my kids are sleeping or produce in the car, when they are strapped into their seats.).  The novel is calling me because I have to devise a new challenge/test that Ashley and her team of girls need to beat. 

Here is to looking for readers in the wrong places and telling the universe to Fuck Off, when you can’t find them.  #Resist