Facebook Shmacebook

I am rapidly becoming disenchanted with Facebook.

Don't get me wrong, it has it's uses and for some people its a very nice tool.  For me, it's going the way of MySpace.  Outlived its usefulness, the honeymoon is over.  I originally joined FaceBook to network.  Authors need to network.  I started out with two friends I made at a booksigning.  Then people started finding me.  That was gratifying for a while, interesting even.  I've reconnected with some people that mean a lot to me and people that I hardly remember (not referring to the St. John's crowd, I remember ALL of you!). 

Last week on the news I saw a story about a woman who was hacked on FaceBook.  Someone with an ax to grind that she barely knew.  That was a little unnerving.  I've also read stories about identity theft, and we've all adjusted our privacy preferences repeatedly to keep up with FaceBook's updates to address these concerns (although there still appear to be doors, as evidenced by the beauty queen in the news story).  Then over the weekend, I noticed ads popping up everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  A friend recommended a friend, so being the friendly person I am, I checked out the mutual friend I'd lost contact with and looked at pictures of their kids.  Underneath those pictures of their angelic kids was an ad to jump to a pornography site.  There's something elementally wrong with that ad placement.  Then I return to my home page and an ad pops up that you have to struggle to close, and then your wall is shifted down to accommodate more advertising.  Now I'm thinking the meager benefits are far outweighed by the nuisance and the risk.  Yes, I'm thinking that my FaceBook page has run its course.

As for the friends I've reconnected with, well it is like a high school reunion (and in some cases it IS a high school reunion).  It's nice to catch up with these people again, but those folks I have a relationship with I can talk to on the telephone or email (or those that want to stay connected can email me or phone me).  In a world that is rapidly changing to be less social through these faux social networking - let's face it, social networking means live interface, not words on a computer screen typed in the solitude of a dark room - I'm opting for real networking.  Maybe I'm losing an audience by giving up on FaceBook, but in the long run, if I'm not part of the solution, I'm part of the problem.  And the problem for me is that people shouldn't lock themselves inside their houses 24/7 (or even attached to their iPhone 24/7).  They should be interacting with other live bodies that they can see and touch and converse with using real words and not acronyms.

Phew!  There.  I'm off my soapbox for the day, but yes, I am counting down to an end to my Facebook page.

My apologies

Busy season at the day job is rearing its head once again, so for those of you kind enough to read my ramblings, I apologize for being infrequent.  I will try to post as time permits, but I may be somewhat scarce until November . . .

Until then -

Sidetracked

You know those days when EVERYTHING goes wrong?  I've had a couple of weeks of those and when that happens, it's very easy to lose focus on one's writing.  Between One Young Son going back to school, DH getting sick and ridiculous problems at work (don't even get me started!), my attention is distracted all kinds of ways.

And yet . . . I'm trying to get through the end of the current work in process (Legend People).  The problem is with my lack of direction, I've been second guessing where I want to take the story (don't worry, I'm back on track now) and without a contract in hand, it's easy to let it slide a bit.  I've continued to put chapters down, but they're sloppy.  This is where the old adage, "writing is re-writing" really kicks in.  On the one hand, I've got the chapter down.  One the other hand, there's too much missing, which will require sharper attention when said attention is available to spare.  Fortunately for me, I have a good friend who has been wonderful in pointing out my lack of detail (which is extremely important, particularly for this story).  A common trap for authors is assuming the reader can see what's inside our heads.  HAH!  Like asking your husband to read you mind.  Dangerous territory ladies!

Which brings me to the topic of beta readers.  These are the people you trust to look at your writing (Beta because YOU are the Alpha reader) to offer you the perspective you're missing.  A good beta reader is invaluable.  Often, I use my critique groups as my beta readers, but when I'm struggling, like I am right now, my beta reader is actually a step before my critique groups because they can catch the stupid stuff (which doesn't mean I don't still miss some things) before I send it to my critique groups, and let me tell you, my critique partners are TOUGH (this is a good thing).

On the topic of free association (yes, I did tell you my focus isn't very sharp these days), critique groups, while helpful, should not rewrite your stories.  They have invaluable input into your writing, which should be embraced, but at the end of the day, you need to remember who is writing this story.  The suggestions they offer should be considered just that - suggestions.  Again, I have an excellent group of very tough critters.  They catch my "brain cramp" mistakes, they correct my errors.  They point out character flaws and they check my consistency.  They don't try to rewrite my story and sometimes I have the luxury of dismissing comments that they may have forgotten details for.  At the end of the day, the story belongs to me, the author, and I will succeed and fail on my own.  But don't underestimate the value of the comments you receive from your critters.

And now, before I wander off in some other random direction, I will conclude my ramblings of the day.

Anon.

The end of an era.

Have any of you see those commercials with "Mayhem," the guy selling insurance? I LOVE those commercials! And in line with that, I find myself "emotionally compromised" this week. As a result, I'm limiting my post (yes, I know I'm overdue this week).  I'll come up with some bright and witty and relevant over the weekend.  In the meantime, I'm going to recycle one of my favorite Mayor Daley moments.

For those of you that aren't familiar with Chicago, and I don't actually live in the city - so I can appreciate the Mayor from a distance - Mayor Daley has been in control of the city for more than 20 years - 6 terms.  You would be hard pressed to find a politician more passionate about his job.  Some call him a political machine, almost like a gangster, but the man loves the city and whatever his motives, he only wants what's best for his home town.  He isn't looking for personal gain, he isn't running for president.  He loves his job.  He has had some very colorful quotes - he speaks his mind - and now that he's announced his retirement, I'm including one of my favorites below.  Enjoy!




Best Of Mayor Richard M. Daley