The Non-Blog Meme Tag

Guess what, Party people...

I've been tagged.

Ick. Don't like tags. Don't like tags. Don't like tags.

But, if I get tagged, I usually do them. And you know how longwinded I tend to be.

I was tagged by Rosemarie, Ms. Miscellaneous Matters herself. This tag confused me a bit for a moment, but I think I understand what is required of me...

The Rules:

1. After your intro, copy/paste this line and the rules below it: The originator wants to see how far it goes so please keep his link intact: http://rileycentral.net/

2. Encourage people to post with the incentive of a link by including those who have passed it along here:(Your link here and so on . . .)

3. Visit at least 3 on the list that’ve written and passed this meme. Leave them a comment..

Damien at Riley Central says, "Today I hereby unblog my mind with this post. One reason MANY of us writers get writer’s block is because we don’t nurture the things that give us joy. We spend too much time on the computer trying to write when we haven’t done anything worthy of writing about! To illustrate what makes me tick, and what gives me pure joy I am choosing 3 things I enjoy more than blogging and writing about them! Pick three things that enrapture, consume, fascinate, or otherwise enliven you more than blogging. Then write a few lines about each to explainwhat the nonblog activity does for you, why and how."

Well, now... I really like to blog, but there are a few things that I enjoy more than blogging:

1.Writing- Now, ya'll know I like to write A LOT. A whole lot. I am a member of the world's best Inspirational Journal Writing group. I am also currently taking writing classes. I have completed the first draft of my manuscript back in March, the infamous Sweet Heat, and I have several short stories/novellas (Leaving Jersey, Fancy That, My Special Auntie, Daddy Matters, etc.) at various stages in the works...

I think my teacher has an issha with me... She looks at me with hooded eyes and pursed lips when I turn in one story, and she expects continuation on another. She wants me to concentrate on ONE piece, and make it the best it can be. I like to jump around a lot from story to story.

Teacher: "What about Leaving Jersey, LadyLee? I miss Danielle! I worry about her, and what happens to her!"
LadyLee: "Uh, I ain't feeling that right now. I want to work on my Fancy That story."
Teacher: hand to chest followed by... **silence**

She's gonna jump up and punch me in the face one day.

I had the NERVE to turn in the revised first chapter of my beloved 1000 page, 273,000 word Sweet Heat.

Teacher: "It's chick-lit, it's romance, LadyLee!!"
LadyLee: **LadyLee grins hard like Celie**
Teacher: "Place Leaving Jersey on the front end of this Sweet Heat chapter. That would be interesting!"
LadyLee: ** LadyLee's Celie grin melts into a Gas face**

Yeah, she's gonna pick up something and knock me upside my head someday...

I think she has a point though. I accept that she knows better than me, because Lord knows, I have learned A LOT from her. I'm just an impatient broad. If I hit a tough spot in a story, I will set it aside and let it marinate for a minute, and work on something else, until I am ready to come back to it. Don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but it seems to be my funky way of doing things... Hmm.

Let's just say... the Oldgirl likes to write! Perhaps a bit too much...

I have my first all day workshop coming up in a couple of weeks, so I am nervous, but at the same time happy about that. I am beginning to see a little improvement, and I am doing better at seeing and fixing problems in my writing.

And that's a good thang!!

2. Reading - I love to read... I try to read a good 40-50 books a year. Haven't read as much as I should this year, because I have waaaaay too many other activities going on. It looks like I'll probably read 30 books this year. Two of my favorites have been Khalid Hosseni's A Thousand Splendid Suns and Martha Southgate's Third Girl from the Left. Hopefully I will come across more that'll knock my socks off like those two did.

It is difficult for me to read books these days because I start looking at the style of the writing. I may find something that will help me with my own writing, stuff like that. So I tend to get bogged down and read slow... That keeps me from reading like I want to read.

My writing teacher stresses that our writing class is a "hard fiction" class... (**Ms. C looks and squints at directly at LadyLee when she says that**). I am suppose to read "hard fiction" and leave my usual fare alone. So she knows I like black writers, and wants me to read some Toni Morrison. I looked at her, **crickets** all up in my eyes. Toni is a bit too hard for me, and I ain't ashamed to admit that. But I read one of her books last year (because Tayari suggested it, and ya'll know I do whatsoever the Queen says), and it was, um, interesting, but required toooo much concentration to read. I read for ENTERTAINMENT, ya'll...

But maybe I will try to read a little more "hard fiction"....

3. Music - I love music. Good music. I am slightly narrowed-minded when it comes to the music I like... I like a LOT of Old School music. I outright REFUSE to listen to today's urban radio, and can't tell you a current popular song or catchy lyric to save my life.

No, I favor old school music. I can usually remember the state of my life at the time each song was popular, so I must say my love for old school is more from a nostalgic perspective. I also create a music list according to what I am writing at the time, something that relates to the mood of the story. My stories usually have a character that loves certain songs or music in general.

And ya'll know that I am always quick to break out with some Mixtapes. LOL!! Really though.



Alrighty then... that's that... I have completed my tag!! Hooooraaaay!!!

And who shalt I taggeth?

I tag the apples of my eye- my three wonderful, fabulous, successful, smart, intriguing, wry, lovely, incredible Blog Sistas:

My #1 Whoadie, The LBeezy.
Super-duper shoe queen blogger and wine mistress Serenity23.
That unbeweavable Chick on the wheels of steel, THE DJ DIVA.

Ya'll broads go head on and get that done, ya heard me???