kimlajevardi

December has rolled around and it’s time for another posting of Insecure Writer’s Support Group. It’s a time to release fear, anxiety, tears, nervousness and a general sense of WTF.

Our illustrious co-hosts this month are: Sandra Hoover, Mark Koopmans, Doreen McGettigan, Megan Morgan, and Melodie Campbell!

Now on to my own fear this month: impatience. My current WIP is coming along well for a second draft. But the truth is that my expectations are from the final draft of my first book. Some days I’m having to talk myself off the ledge because of my impatience. I keep reminding myself that I felt this way during different stages of my first project, but that doesn’t always work.

What do you do when you just want to pitch it all and crawl under your blankie?

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Time for the news. A freaky clown, a lesson on giving the bird and franken worms. What more could you ask for in a week?

Interesting problem. This is a creepy way to pass the time, but if he’s delayed…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/clown-sightings-waukesha-wisconsin_5655cd58e4b072e9d1c14b17?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%2BNews&section=weird-news

Funny. Teaching–maybe. Comment about living life on display–probably.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gorilla-teaches-girl-how-to-flip-the-bird_56582916e4b072e9d1c1e39e?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%2BNews&section=weird-news

In science news, cool franken-worms. It’s past Halloween, but I know at least one horror writer that could use this as fodder for something.

http://www.livescience.com/52905-franken-flatworms-grow-heads-brains-of-other-species.html

That’ll do it for another week. See you in seven.

Happy Thanksgiving! Almost. I’m excited for tomorrow and rested from my week off. How about the rest of you? I hope wherever you are or whatever you have planned for tomorrow that it is filled with family, friends, food and fun.

Time for some happy news. 🙂

This first story will probably get me in hot water with some people, but I don’t care. The conversation needs to be broader. Very few things are black or white. These teens are evidence of that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/syrian-refugees-help-homeless_5655d697e4b079b28189d002?utm_hp_ref=good-news&ir=Good%2BNews&section=good-news

I love this! If I ever inherit a fur, this is where it’s going.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cuddle-coats_56536424e4b0879a5b0be30d?utm_hp_ref=good-news

And in science, amazing images that show what an incredible world we live in. No wonder we study. Oh, and the robotic bees showed up again to haunt me. 🙂

http://www.livescience.com/50717-amazing-images.html

That’ll do it for Thanksgiving Eve. Have a wonderful day tomorrow whether you celebrate the holiday or not. I’ll see you in seven.

Hello Friends! Doesn’t that sound nice? I have a friend that greets everyone this way, and I must admit it that it puts a smile on my face when she says it. I hope the word is treating you well in whatever corner of the world you call home. It’s chilly here, but the cold weather has so far spared the weekends. That, I must admit, is quite nice. I won’t bore you with my blathering on about weather. Geez, right? It’s time for the news.

This first story shows a distinct lack of understanding about the difference between culture and commerce. Serious facepalm.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/taiwan-villa-turned-into-mcdonalds_564cb6dde4b00b7997f883c3?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%2BNews&section=weird-news

Counting out miles when planning a race seems like an important first step. But… running more is good for you.  I guess a t-shirt makes it all better. Grin.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Bangkok-s-botched-half-marathon-offers-T-shirt-6637567.php

Cool use of a kind of creepy technology.

http://www.livescience.com/52822-robot-bees-with-laser-eyes.html

That’ll do it for yet another Wednesday. Goodnight, friends. See you in seven.

Yet another week has come and gone. Am I the only one who thinks this year is going even faster than normal? I feel like I blinked and summer disappeared. Now, it’s almost Thanksgiving. Food is coming, but that’s little consolation as I get older and older by the second.

Depressing start, huh? Well, how about I throw in some giant rats? Will they change the mood?

Um, this is the only time I find myself cheering for an animal extinction. Those were huge rats.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/giant-rat-fossils_563e1b01e4b0411d307142f2?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%2BNews&section=weird-news

Me please. I want to see.

https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews/posts/10153199593652217

Not a “Goldilocks” planet, but exceptionally important nonetheless.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-think-they-just-found-the-most-important-planet-outside-our-solar-system/ar-CCfZga?li=AAa0dzB&ocid=HPCDHP

That’ll do it for yet another week. Oh geez! Is that a gray hair? Ugh… It’s the rats. That’s it – the rats caused them.

Welcome back for yet another month of anxiety and insecurity. Doesn’t sound welcoming to you? Just wait. Along with the insecurities we have fantastical tales, coffee and chocolate. Better?

Our awesome co-hosts today are Stephen Tremp, Karen Walker, Denise Covey, and Tyrean Martinson!

My nervousness this month centers around revisions. My current WIP grew major legs at the end of my first draft, ballooning into potentially two additional books beyond my original plan. That alone is groan inducing, but recently my revisions have shifted again.

Ahh…

The voice of the main character is more YA than adult. Wow! Big shift. I love YA fantasy, but I never thought… I didn’t realize that’s what I was writing until now.  Revisions are grand, aren’t they?

What is the biggest shift you’ve uncovered during your revision process?

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Time for the predictable, non-shifting news. Why the laughter? Okay, okay–perhaps everything in the world is unpredictable. Whatever. Just enjoy this first snippet.

Why? Just why?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-underwear_56391c49e4b0411d306e9b79?utm_hp_ref=weird-news

And in the duh move of the week:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/omaha-woman-bitten-tiger-after-breaking-zoo-cops-n455526

This science news is so exciting. So many possibilities.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/23/tech/innovation/tomorrow-transformed-graphene-battery/index.html

That’ll do it for a very tired me tonight. I hope to see you in seven.

Hi all! Time for another weekly news break. I’ve found a few tasty nuggets for you to gnaw on. Sit back, click along and enjoy. This should be just enough to satisfy your craving for the next seven days.

Can you say whoops? Do you think they still have their jobs?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/janitors-throw-out-champagne-art_562e4c66e4b0ec0a3895171d?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%2BNews&section=weird-news

Some people will do anything for their fifteen minutes, won’t they? Wow!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/vengful-diver-removes-fake-skeletons-from-colorado-river_562eb080e4b00aa54a4aef86?utm_hp_ref=weird-news

In science news, a great new idea to tackle cancer. But, um… herpes? Can you imagine explaining to people that your doctor gave you herpes to cure your cancer? It’s the wild, wild west in the field of medical advancements, isn’t it? So many possibilities if you can see around proverbial corners.

http://www.popsci.com/fda-approves-first-drug-that-treats-cancer-with-an-engineered-virus

That’s a wrap. Just enough to whet your appetite for more. Same time, same place next week? Until then, cheers. 🙂

Welcome back Wednesday! It’s a wet hump day. We’re currently swimming through an all-day rain that is ushering out unseasonably warm weather and bringing in the first peeks of winter. Snow is dusting our mountains, but it is staying well away from the lower elevations. As it should be so far. To go with the wet and slippery, some news.

First up,  really? Leaving your name and phone number behind when stealing sounds dumb to me, but who am I? Apparently it’s only stupid if you get caught. Wait… 😉

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/david-ziskowski-megan-ohara-guestbook-robbery_5626a19ce4b02f6a900e5378?utm_hp_ref=weird-news

Fascinating! This will be the first of two science posts this week because science is just too cool to pass up sometimes. Enjoy!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/balloons-burst-slo-mo-video_56265293e4b08589ef48f0b1?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%2BNews&section=weird-news

Here’s a second dose of science for you. Dinosaurs breaking the sound barrier. How can anyone not dig science?

http://www.livescience.com/52538-supersonic-sauropods.html

That’ll do it for me and my goulashes. Have a great rest of your week. and I’ll see you in seven.

Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike…what day is it? IT’S WEDNESDAY! You thought I was going to say something else, didn’t you? Nah, not me.

I’m back. I’ve been scouring the virtual news buffet, and I have a trio of stories to satisfy your craving. Step on up and dig in.

If a bear wanders into your high school, do you get a bear day? It’s like a snow day, but instead of avoiding cold white powder, you’re avoiding getting eaten.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Bear-wanders-into-Montana-high-school-6570654.php

Take that burglar. Women can knock you out with modern combat or medieval skills. Don’t mess with us!

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Woman-stops-intruder-with-medieval-combat-skills-6563597.php

On the science front, a winning photo of pollen on a bee’s eye. Stunning and simultaneously important.

http://www.livescience.com/52478-small-world-photo-contest-2015.html

That’ll do it for another week. What do you say we do it again next week? 😉

Time for another posting of IWSG. Insecure? Anxious? Nursing that tenth cup of coffee, or…? Come join us. We are your tribe.

Content in your own skin? Go away! Well… maybe you can join too, but you have to bring the coffee. It’s only fair.

Either way, click on the link above and take a virtual field trip to the land of anxiety. It’s a colorful place, filled with hundreds of anxiety-riddled blogs.

Now on to my insecurity. It centers around the balancing of two projects at the same time. I’m currently revising my second book, and I’m really at the beginning of that process. All the while, I’m continuing to refine and submit my first book. On top of that, I’ve just agreed to work with an editor on the first one because I received a lot of interest and a couple of contest nods for it, but I haven’t been able to parlay that into a contract. So… I broke down and contacted a local editor, and now I’m looking at balancing both projects simultaneously this winter.

Does anyone have nails I can chew down? Mine are practically gone.

My question is: how many projects do you work on at once?

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Time for the news. Don’t check your calendars–it’s not the wrong day. Well, maybe it is a teeny bit early. I have conferences the next two nights, so I’m posting this before my brain turns to mush.

You’re welcome.

This first story. *Giggle* Just read it. I’m being very naughty tonight, but I could just totally picture this. Dumb and pot equals a bed of Doritos. Too funny.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/man-police-too-high-doritos_5613ddf7e4b0baa355ad489f?utm_hp_ref=weird-news

Next up: lunch. Crickets are actually tasty. I ate them at a science conference once. Stir fry bugs and veggies. Yum!

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/UConn-serving-up-crickets-at-food-truck-6549649.php

Science is up to bat now. Good news for a very devastated area, but bad news for people. The effects of people are worse on wildlife that a nuclear meltdown. Geez.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/chernobyl-wildlife-thriving-decades-after-nuclear-accident-151006.htm

That’ll do it for this Tuesday, um… Wednesday. See you next week.

Hello all! It’s time once again for me to rattle on about stuff.  But I don’t wanna. I’m in a mood tonight and talking is the last thing I want to do or you want to hear from a poorly behaved child wrapped up in an adult’s body. So… music and art. Much better than whine with an h. Enjoy.

Rhianna. This. Just this.

https://youtu.be/cBsDAbkbsHY

I love street art.

http://www.streetartutopia.com/?p=2014

And in science news, poop. As I said, I’m a poorly behaved child in an adult’s body. Besides, there are actual pictures of astronaut diapers. Aren’t you the slightest bit curious? (I grinned even while typing this. 😉 )

http://www.popsci.com/brief-history-pooping-in-space

Well, I feel a little better. Time to wrap up the evening and start fresh tomorrow. See you in seven.