It’s Wednesday. That Means It’s Time For A Neurotic Post From Me! Whee!

by Leslie

Don’t get me wrong. It isn’t as if I’m only neurotic on Wednesdays. It just happens that this is usually the day on which the pressure from the crazy has become so great it explodes out of me like a volcano. A word volcano of hot, fiery run on sentences, sentence fragments and exclamation points. The focus of my neuroses is usually playgroup, and while we did have playgroup today and there was a point where I was the only one of five mothers not involved in a conversation and felt all left out and stuff, I cannot worry about that right now. I have bigger fish to fry.

Tomorrow I am slated to be the guest poster at my friend Karly’s blog Wiping Up Snot.

A normal individual wouldn’t even mention it to their readers until the post was up and even then, they’d be all nonchalant, like “Hey check me out.”

Not me.

People, I’m totally freaking out! I can’t possibly write about anything else until I’ve worked all this out.

A normal individual might also pull out one of those, hmmmm…what are those called? Rough drafts? You know, of something they’ve already started writing. But, no! Not me. Rough drafts, schmough drafts. I’m a write-by -the-seat-of-my-pants…um, writer. I know, you’re saying, “How can that be, Leslie? The things you write are so well-thought out and polished?”

Ah. Okay, okay. That was a good laugh, huh? Whew! That’s funny.

As you are likely aware, I write almost daily. If I posted it today, I wrote it today. If I posted it at 3:15 p.m., I had just finished it at 3:14 p.m. And yesterday at 3:15 p.m., if you asked me what I was going to write today, I’d be all, “Huh?” Because I’m very academic about all of it, really.

The idea of a draft sitting in a folder somewhere bothers me, anyway. When I have something to share, I do it right away. Some people call that impulsive. I call it enthusiastic. I’m also one of those people who will call you up to say, “Hey! Sharon! I just saved a bunch of money on car insurance!!!” Those commercials were made about people like me. It’s no coincidence that they’re only 30 seconds, if it went on for 45, you’d see that I’ve forgotten all about the insurance because, hey! The mail is here! There’s something for me!

So this guest posting thing. You may suggest that I ask Karly to simply do it later rather than sooner. Good advice. Thank you. However, I can assure you that I’d be going through this very same thing, just later. Again, the write-by-the-seat-of-my-pants thing. Even if I wrote something I perceived to be brilliant, I couldn’t wait to post it. It’d be up right now.

Now I am sitting here and I can’t think of what to write about. I want to do Karly proud. I want her readers to like me and I’m worried. I don’t think I’m a win-you-over-in-one-post kind of girl. It takes some time for me to grow on you. It is possible I could destroy that blog’s entire readership in one entry just by being me.

So, what should I write about? How long should it be? How long is too long and how short is too short and holy crap, I don’t even know what to write about to think that far ahead. Ugh! I just don’t know!

But, I do know this: you, the people who come here and read what I publish, you all inspire me. Sometimes reading through your comments is all I need to juice up to write a post and for that I am thankful because if I didn’t write stuff, I would have spontaneously combusted by now. Writing stuff feels good. And when writing stuff makes people write stuff back, that feels even better. And while I know I may never pen a novel or be a published author or earn money for what I write, even by doing simple data entry because my typing sucks (remember the great SOX debacle?), I do know that this interaction, this sharing of ideas is really what it’s all about. Even if those ideas are about poop.

Okay. I think the spewing is over. If you have any advice for the guest post, I’m all ears. Or eyes, since I’ll be reading them.

Posted in Mommy's Stuff |

Comments

11 Cool Kids Came To Play

SusieJ on August 22, 2007 4:10 pm
Now. I like how you think. And yes, the writing does feel good. But, it’s tough when you have to “preform” like you’re on the spot!
kerri on August 22, 2007 7:02 pm
What you wrote about writing is really nice. You are right, it should be about sharing ideas, and improving one’s mental health and if you’re good at it, all the better, and if you do get published, fabulous but in the grand scheme of things does it really matter? Talk about run on sentences, sorry. At work, I oversee the buying and selling of text and trade books among other things. I have to host book signings, and meet authors and junk and honestly I’d rather read your blog. It’s more relevant than most of what I read and it makes me laugh and think. You and Suz and a handful of other writers make me feel less crazy and remind me of what really counts. It’s good stuff. Thanks for putting it out there. Now I will reluctantly go read some more of this haughty novel I started while I wait for some good new posts. No pressure, but please hurry.
tiggerprr on August 22, 2007 8:47 pm
You wanna know what I think? (I’m going to tell you anyway, because that’s how I roll. hehe)

I thought that you should crosspost THIS post, as your guest post. Because it’s entertaining. It explains a bit about YOU, and how you usually do things, and will probably show Karly’s readers a little bit about why she chose you to guest blog. We all have those OMG I gotta write something (whether as a guest or on our own blogs) moments, and you talked about yours in a way that is relatable. Why not run with that?
Jen on August 22, 2007 9:06 pm
Oh, Leslie, I think you could win anyone with any kind of sense of humor over in one post. You grew on me INSTANTLY. So, do your normal thing and you’ll be great!
Toni on August 22, 2007 9:40 pm
To paraphrase Field of Dreams: If you write it, they will come. Let me re-type that with better emphasis. If YOU write it, they will come. Don’t worry ’bout it.
Daddy Forever on August 23, 2007 12:18 am
Well, the name of her blog is “Wiping Up Snot” right? How about your top 5 snot moments?
Karly on August 23, 2007 9:57 am
LMAO! I’m sorry to cause such stress. You should have just posted THIS for your guest post! And you can totally win my readers over with one post! And I promise you could not possibly kill my entire readership with just one post. If it was that easy to do, I would have done it by now for sure.
Karly on August 23, 2007 9:58 am
Er…that last bit made it sound like I just have SO MANY readers that I couldn’t get rid of them if I tried. Thats so now what I meant. You know what I meant.

Ok. Bye.
Laurie on August 23, 2007 11:13 pm
When I sometimes write three posts in one day, I consider saving one of them for another day when I can’t think of anything to post but I just can’t do it. If I think (write) it, I post it. I can’t help myself.
jenn in holland on August 26, 2007 2:26 am
hehe, You must be feeling dang proud of yourself now baby. That guest post you settled on over there was Hilarious! And the comments have got to validate your sense of self worth. Well done.

Now this piece, while hilarious, was also true.
I love your writing by the seat of your pants self Buck. All the more, every day.
akinvt on August 30, 2007 3:29 pm
I know that I’m late in the game on this one (I was on vacation last week and I am just always late) but you won me over with just one post.