This post goes out to my two bootleg "Work-for-free" editors... Ol' mean ass Cynthia and Sunshine...
And to the rest of my manuscript critiquers... Cowgirl Cre, Meek-Meek, Tisha, Cotena, Gigi, Melissa, Darth Sista T, The Good Sister, Regina... and I can't forget my only male critiquer... the Infamous Hen-Dog...
About 2.5 weeks ago, something scary happened....
Ol' mean Ass Cynthia walked up on me while I was in my cubicle doing some paperwork...
She scared the hell out of me. She's real quiet-like... She doesn't walk, but she glides. You know, like in those Spike Lee movies. I turned around and she was giving me the evil eye...
"Ladylee, where are my chapters?" she asked.
I trembled under her terrifying stare. "Uh, you know how it is, Ol Mean Ass Cynthia. I haven't been working on anything. I just moved and I'm trying to get situated. You know how it is... I'm sorry..."
"You're right... you sure are sorry." Ol' mean ass Cynthia glided away back to her cubicle....
Dang... Didn't care for her verbal chin check, but I decided to try and get in gear... Ol' Mean Ass Cynthia sure is mean. Sunshine was a little whiny, too...
I was getting evil looks from all of my critiquers... Even a couple of drive-by emails from a few folks...
I figured I best get back on my writing schedule, since the peasants are begging for more! (LOL)
Well, I finished Chapter 20 back in September... Everyone seem to like it...
When I FINALLY purchased my new home, I went out and bought a laptop computer...Oh my, oh my, oh my... It's amazing how much I can get done now!!!
Chapters 21-23 were completed within the last 2 weeks...
All total... approximately 24, 000 words... I am a bit long winded, you see...
I asked author Cydney Rax for a little advice about my long windedness (the total for chapters 1-23 is approximately 110,000 words and I'm maybe 2/3 to 3/4 of the way finished). She thought that this may be two books instead of one...
Oh my! The horror... I must edit, edit, edit. (Thanks Cydney for the advice!)
Anyway, there are usually some blowout discussions after each chapter is released...
Everyone seem pretty happy with the chapters overall. I got a hand clap from The Good Sister, a co-supervisor. Even my supervisor, Darth Sista T, said that she could tell that my writing had improved tremendously...
Kill the compliments, Darth Sista T... show me, Ladylee, how you feel about my writing... Give me a couple of days off. Give me a cash award. Better yet, sign me up for a 6 month Hawaiian sabbatical so I can have time to write...
Yeah, Darth Sista, it took you long enough to read it... I had to hit you with the Color Purple Celie "two-finger point" a couple of times.
But I had to go off on some of my critiquers yesterday...
Always whining and complaining about something...
"You Bougi, bougi broads!"
Back in chapter 14, my character Ms. Vaughn wanted another character, Samuel to stay for the night... There was a line... something to the affect of "Please, Samuel, please stay-"
My critiquers got a little pissed about that one...
"I've never begged a man to stay!" my critiquers whined...
"I have," I confessed.
They suck their teeth...
I shake my head. "You bougi ass broads need to stop lying!"
Another scenario...
"I've never put on a man's shirt when he wasn't around and enjoyed the smell of his scent or cologne on his shirt," my critiquers whine...
"I have,"I confessed.
They look at me like I'm half crazy.
I laugh aloud. "You bougi bougi broads need to stop lying!!"
Finally, the scenario that made me almost pass out...
"Ladylee, we've never gotten caught up in the moment and forgot the condom..."
"I HAVE!" I yelled.
A couple of them had that look of guilt on their faces, yet they still tried to play it off...
I jumped to my feet and hit them with the two-finger crooked Celie point...
"Ya'll some bougi bougi broads!!!!!!!"
You sisters, my beloved critiquers... you amaze me... You have your Ph.D.'s and your Masters degrees... You all are such wonderful scientists... So knowledgable in what you do...
But ya'll need to stop lying!!!! You KNOW you use to do some of the stuff I write about (and probably still do it). Take it back to when you were in college... You know, like I know, that we use to get over into some craziness concerning our men... Mess we wouldn't do now that we are older and wiser. (I bet some of ya'll are undercover, though...)
We asked the Infamous Hen-Dog, my only male reader, if a woman has ever begged him to stay...
"Of course," he said with a shrug.... So funny... all of these bougi broads got a major attitude!!
Cotena, my favorite Atlanta traffic engineer, was the only one who admitted to relating to what's going on... She told me to tell you all... and I quote... "tell them hoes to stop frontin'!! "
Get your noses out the air! If it were raining outside, all of ya'll would drown!!!
But, hey, I ain't mad at you... Perpertrate if you must...
I've got nothing but love for ya'll... Nothin' but love...
Really, though....
Thanks for your critiques... And chapter 24 will be to you, hot off the printers, in two weeks...
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*fists raised* BOOO to the bougi bougi!!!!
ReplyDeleteI ain't never asked a man to stay...but I sure as hell got caught up in some moment(s)
Can't wait to read the final copy LOL
I enjoyed that! You're not alone my dear, Lady Lee...I've done all three before too! Two in one night,actually!
ReplyDeleteYeah, we've all done our dirt in the past, but your characters are not college kids...there were also other extinuating circumstances that would have warranted AT LEAST A DISCUSSION about condom usage--that's all I'm saying. But all that aside, you did your thing with those last few chapters.
ReplyDelete@DJ DIVA...
ReplyDeleteYeah DJ... that's all I'm trying to say... Everybody been caught up in some moments...
I can hear you now, DJ...
DJ Diva's man: "I'm leaving!!!"
DJ Diva: "Get the heck on... and don't trip over that crate of records on your way out!!!"
HA!!! LOL!!!
@Blessed One...
Yeah, that must be the problem... Ya'll are some good girls, and you don't tell!!!
Yeah, that's it...
@Chubby Chocolate...
Dang CC, two in one night? Dang, girl! At least you admit it...
You, my dear, are not BOUGI!!
@Punkin, i.e., that vampire Ol' mean Ass Cynthia...
Yeah, you bougi broad, I get your point... That's why it's called fiction... And there you were the other day screaming, "Ladylee, but I KNOW Samuel..." No you don't, girl...Um... dude is a figment of my imagination...
And sorry girl... folks our age still get caught up a bunch of crap... how else am I suppose to keep the story moving along?...
Or is my writing getting that good?
Since you are my primary editor, I will write down what your suggestions are(as usual) and implement a few changes. As you know, I usually tidy up problems in the next one or two chapters, since you are ALWAYS right!! LMAO!
Primary editor. I take offense to that. I thought I was the primary editor, or at least, primary co-editor. Where is the love?
ReplyDeleteI don't think those scenarios are bougi. Those are just things I don't do or like blessed one said, don't tell. I told you unless the shirt came out of the drawer folded, I don't want it. Beg a man to stay...I don't think so because he is not going to want to leave in the first place LOL
Therefore my sister, I am not BOUGI!!!
"And drop that latest version of the "Best of Mary" too Nucca!!"
ReplyDeleteSorry...but u were so on point LOL
@sunshine...
ReplyDelete'scuse me co-primary editor. Whatever you want to call yourself... you are still bootleg and work-for-free...
And you are still bougi... you were one of the main people frowning up, which makes you the head mistress of the bougi crew!!!
Especially after you made the statement "I don't think so because he is not going to want to leave in the first place"
Yep.. Sunshine... the BOUGI QUEEN!
@bohemvibe...
I totally agree with you...I was on a schedule this summer-only an hour a day- and I got a lot done when I was consistent... I may start that back up after the holidays..
@DJ DIVA...
hey girl, you commenting on the wrong post! LOL! But you got that right, and the "Best of Mary" better be a 2 or 3 CD package...
Yo bohemvibe & djdiva... I could have sworn I saw some extra comments by ya'll a few minutes ago (11/22/05 around 10 pm)...blogger lost your latest 2 comments... (they vanished into thin air...imagine that). I didn't get a chance to respond... but here ya go (if I can remember what you said:)
ReplyDelete@Bohemvibe... an hour a day of writing seems so damn small, but even over a full week, sure does add up, don't it...
@DJ Diva... you're so busy makin' them clap to this, that the needle flew off the record and you started leaving comments at the wrong post, hunh ma??? LoL :)
Hi
ReplyDeleteI am not going to comment your story 'cause I havent read it. I was looking for a definition of word - bougi. This site was one of a few google hits, but was the one where I can aks questions. So I am asking - please define "bougi" for me. Does it even mean something? I am a European guy not very familiar with 'new' words. I looked through all my dictionaries and it didn't work out. Take care guys.