Guest Post: The quest for the crochet zombie

It's been a while, but today is a day for a guest post! Woo!

So Thea Gregory, one of my lovely Twitter peeps, is currently doing a blog tour for her Zombie Bedtime Stories. I've only had the opportunity to read the first installment, Locked In, but it was definitely a treat. Envision your standard zombie apocalypse . . . but written from the POV of a victim. Yeah. That's right. Our main character becomes a zombie. It's fabulous. Go check it out. Now.

Anyway, being that Thea and I bond about crocheting all the time, today she is going to regal you all with her adventures in crocheting a zombie. Enjoy!

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When I was 9 years old, I started making teddy bears. Pictured is the only remaining relic (that I know of) from that time. As you can see, I had a very weak grasp of proper stitching and pattern-making, but a strong appreciation for the macabre. Perhaps Bear simply came before his time. 

During Bear’s almost 20 year stay in a basement, I received a book for my birthday, Creepy Crochet by Christen Haden. It contained all kinds of marvelous wonders, like how to make your own crochet Trojans, zombies, vampires, robots, and even Chuthlu. I was fascinated, and my quest to create a crochet zombie began.

I hit one immediate snag—I didn’t know any of the stitches! As the granny square queen, I can basically make a giant square blanket. While this is amazing, useful and a great way to spend the winter months, it doesn’t help me create my zombie empire, or re-enact the Zombie Bedtime Stories with little dolls. Because, who wouldn’t want to act out zombie fiction with crochet dolls?

So, my old friend Google and I teamed up for yet another adventure. I made many attempts to start at the logical source—the head. What’s a zombie without a brain? I tried, again and again, but eventually I was sent back to the drawing board. So, I started with an arm, a project that was a bit less ambitious. At first, I thought it would just be a finger hat, and posed accordingly.

But, miraculously, the arm came together properly. Afterwards, I fashioned another arm, in green. I made the arms different colors, because he’s my crochet zombie, thus he needs to be special.

Emboldened by the success at creating two almost symmetrical arms (zombies don’t need symmetry, they need brains) I decided to return to making a head. Despite forgetting to count my stitches, I pressed on, eventually coming to a roughly spherical shape.

But, disaster struck.

My arm had cramped up, and I could no longer continue. Not wanting accept defeat, or to deprive Bear of his new little brother, I cobbled the old, discarded attempts into a mouth and hair. Then, I added buttons for eyes, and stitched on his little arms. I used a sharpie to give his eyes the proper bloodshot effect. No cutesy giggly eyes for my zombie.  Bear would be jealous, after all.

Thus, I created a crochet zombie. Not in the fashion that the book recommended, but he’s made of crochet, cute, and obviously a zombie. For the moment, that’s good enough for me!

The quest for the perfect crochet zombie shall continue! 

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THEA GREGORY
Thea writes zombie stories and science fiction. She was raised in rural Quebec, where her imagination was often her only friend, and this upbringing also engendered a fanatical love of reading and books.You can stalk her at her blog, Thea's Writing Asylum, or on Twitter as @TheaIsis.

Guest Post: What's in a critique partner?

Haha, so you don't know this about me, but I live super close to Yellowstone National Park. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed when I went on a day trip last Thursday because I was spamming you all with river otters, grizzly bears, and Old Faithful.

Well, then I found out on pretty short notice that I'm going back for a week. Yay! I also sent out this desperate plea for guest bloggers. Amazingly, someone answered. Yay again! So we're gonna start this week out with a guest post and then I'll follow it up with some posts I scheduled in advance. Unfortunately I'm going to be on an internet down low, so don't look out for too much activity on my part.

I'll see you guys next week though, when I may or may not be throwing pictures of wildlife and thermal hotspot goodness at you. Until then, enjoy Brenna's hot guest post on critique partners.

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Hello again, people of Sarah’s blog. I hope you don’t mind me barging in again. Especially because I’m going to be talking about Sarah today. (Don’t worry, she totally read this before posting, so it’s nothing bad.)

Actually, we’re talking about critique partners. I know Sarah has dabbled a little about this post about editing and this post about talking to other writers. But I’m here to talk a little bit about what specifically Sarah does for me that no one else can. So, á la Sarah, five things I love and adore about her.

1. Trust: She is interested in the same genres as me (primarily YA sci-fi and fantasy, with a few contemporaries thrown in there for good measure). So when we talk about books, we talk about what we liked and didn’t like. I appreciate her opinions on my reading material because I trust her judgment. When she says something about my story, I listen and don’t automatically dismiss it. (Not that I ever do that with anyone else… *coughcough*)


2. An Opinion: Just because we’re similar in those ways doesn’t mean we don’t have different opinions. She’s not into pithy romance like I am. I don’t share her obsession for The Lord of the Rings. We like and notice different things in stories as well, which makes us fantastic critique partners. We push each other to do better in our different ways. She has a better usable vocabulary than I do. We plot differently, and look at things differently. She gives me a varied opinion that I don’t have myself.


3. Needed Competition: Yeah, we compete. Kind of. Sarah, as you well know, is in editing land with a finished manuscript. I’m currently reading it. Knowing that makes me want to finish my own draft sooner to catch up to her. Maybe she doesn’t know that we’re in a race, but we totally are. It’s the who-can-get-what-done-first race--or at least in my mind. She’s won the first round by finishing her manuscript, but there are many more to come. Having her in the lead pushes me to go farther. Having me closing the distance between us is (maybe subconsciously) giving her a kick in the butt to stay ahead of me.


4. A Spaghetti Wall: You know that saying, throw something at a wall and see what sticks? That’s her (no actual objects are thrown--usually--though I do admit slamming her with a wallet once in college). When I’m having problems and come up with a possible solution (I’m world building right now, and coming up with character back-stories; i.e.--I’m in hell) I call her immediately and give her my idea. She tells me if it’s good or not. She'll rework it or offer suggestions to make it better. She indulges me when I’m calling everyday about some new plot point.


5. A Rock: Not a rock like something to beat me with, although I’m sure sometimes she considers it. A rock like, “She’s my rock.” She’s my support. She’s there when I need her to be and can never be replaced. I get excited when she likes an idea of mine. I feel proud when she says I’ve done good (like when I started drafting again). She’s there to be a champion when I need one, a drill sergeant when I need a kick in the butt, and an ear when I need to talk. She’s what I need her to be when I need her to be it, and I couldn’t do this without her.

So, those are my reasons for loving my critique partner. They are more important than you’d think. They don’t just read your manuscript, edit, and go. They’re in it for the long haul, the ups and the downs, and Sarah has always been there for me. I return the favor by trying to be there for her. We both want the other to succeed, and believe that we can.

Today, for me, if you have a critique partner, or even just a friend who does these kinds of things for you, do something for them. Give them a hug or a phone call. Take them to lunch. I don’t care how big or small it is, just say thank you (hey Sarah: thank you).

So what are your CPs like? What’s the best thing they’ve done for you? Let me know in the comments!

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BRENNA BRAATEN

Brenna has been a story maker-upper since she was very little and a writer since she was twelve. She is currently the city reporter for the Cody Enterprise in Cody, WY and trying to break into the publishing industry. You can stalk her at her blog, Brenna's Bookish Blog, or on Twitter as @brennabraaten.

Guest Post: Science vs English!

Hey everyone, once again, I'm still chilling out in Portland. It's pretty sweet. But you'll get to see my shining face again on Wednesday! Woo! Anyway, here's Squidink's final guest blogger, Kirstin from SqueezeBoxPharm!

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I think one of the biggest problems behind the divide between "science people" and "english people" is that each side has put together preconceived notions of what it means to be the other.

To an English Person, someone in the sciences is only doing it because it pays well - because no one in their right mind could possibly find anything meaningful in a field that prides itself on utter objectivity.

To a Science Person, english majors are those people that couldn't cut it with the hard stuff and who spend all of their days sipping tea and reading frivolous novels.

I'm exaggerating to make a point, here.

I consider myself to fall in the middle of both of these categories. I'm a third year pharmacy school student (which has more science than I believed existed), but in the time I'm not cramming for exams, I live and breath literature and music. My fellow students are not like this. There has been hissing and shying away when I heave my copy of Heart of Darkness onto the desk for some quick perusing between lectures.

I know full well the hours of work that go into writing even a small analytical paper. I know the insanity that is trying to read an article on literary theory. I know the painstaking effort and shattering self-doubt that goes into writing anything fiction, the hours of revision and the conviction that the sentence you've just put down is the worst thing in the history of the universe. (Sarah, it's not. I promise.)

But I also know the beauty in a well-designed experiment. I know the purity that flows from a perfect equation, from the solidity of knowing that this is the answer. I know the uplifting feeling that comes from using knowledge to correct an error and help a patient.

My point is that English and Science people need to get over themselves and embrace the other side. We science people have a lot to offer! I'm proud of the fact that I can give my writing friends accurate medical information to make a gory scene just that much more creepy. And that I can evaluate the severity of an infection to help make things as realistic as possible.

I gain a lot from said writing friends as well--they're more than willing to tear apart something I've written when a science person would declare it perfect because they don't see the issues in tone. Or pacing. Or adverbs. This tearing apart, this destruction of what needs to be taken out, would not happen if these friends had not studied the technique to do this very thing. And I would be much worse off for it.

There is soul in Science. There is precision in English. We can get along!

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KIRSTIN KOODA
Kirstin is a third year pharmacy student wanting to specialize in infectious disease, specifically lab and clinical research in tuberculosis. She also enjoys writing, fine accordion music, and the occasional forays into cooking and knitting. You can stalk her online at her blog, SqueezeBoxPharm, or on Twitter as @kjkpharm.

Guest Post: The Law of Attraction

Yep, I'm still in Portland. But do not fret, for Squidink has another awesome guest blogger to keep you entertained and slake your thirst. Here's Kate, the Queen of Creativity!

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In case you're from another planet or just don't know anything about the Law of Attraction, let me give you the basics. At its core it means "like attracts like" or "I attract to myself whatever I give my focus, attention, or energy to whether I want it or not." For example, if you think positive thoughts about a goal and work towards it with those thoughts, you will foster a positive outcome. You can go back through your life and actually see how this has played out. Whatever you do focus on you get more of.

Now, you may be wondering what does the Law of Attraction has to do with writing. Like a lot of people, I read writing blogs. Some focus on technique, others on the publishing journey, and some are by published authors I admire. All these blogs have a common denominator and is that they all talk about the fact that writing is hard.

While some people manage it gracefully, others are big whiners and go on and on about how labor intensive writing is or how they've been screwed over by the publishing industry. I like to think of writers as a creative, imaginative group of people, but these posts kind of make writers look like a depressed lot! I swear, in one week I must have read about writing being so hard a dozen times.

But enough is enough. I, like so many others, expect to be encouraged by writing blogs and the gloom and doom shouldn't be all that's on everyone's mind. This is where the Law of Attraction comes into play.

I think its time that writers started using the Law of Attraction to their advantage. It's easy. Just stop saying "writing is hard," so much. Now, I am not saying writing isn't hard. I just think that people need to stop focusing on that.

Try thinking about how wonderful writing is. Let's start blogging about how we wrote the most beautiful sentence last night. Or say, "Oh, I finished my book and it was so rewarding. I am going to miss those characters, they really made me smile." By being positive about our writing, we'll attract more positive experiences with our writing.

So let's make our posts more positive--there is enough negativity out there without creating more. I challenge all the writing bloggers out there to put a positive spin on your posts!

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KATE ROBERTSON

Kate believes that everyone is creative and uses the power of intention as she explores her own creativity through writing, multi-media art journaling, spinning, and weaving. You can stalk her online at her mixed media blog, The Queen of Creativity, or at her Ning network, The Queen of Creativity Castle.

Guest Post: Location, location, location!

As you guys may recall, I'm in Portland right now on a noble apartment-hunting quest. However, I am kind! I did not leave you wandering the desert searching for a drink of water! Let's welcome Squidink's first guest blogger, Brenna from Writing and Reading!

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Hello Blogites,

I’m going to talk to y’all about place today. Not as in setting, but as in where you write. It’s more important than you would think, especially when it comes to productivity.

I’m writing to you from a coffee shop. Yes, that’s right. I’m all stereotypically writerly like that. But I don’t write in a coffee shop just so people will see me being all authorly; I do it because it’s the best way for me to get things done. Doesn’t mean that’s the same for you, however.

It all comes down to distractions, and what you’re distracted by. See, I’m distracted by the familiar. If I try to write at home, I’ll be wandering into the kitchen, turning on the TV, finding laundry that needs to be put away, or all sorts of other things that would take me away from the task at hand: ie, writing.

When I’m at a coffee shop, however, I only really have what I take with me. I can’t pick up my sketchpad and be distracted unless I bring it with me. There isn’t a TV in my coffee shop, and I have coffee, which can keep me motivated. Sure every so often I can get distracted by eavesdropping on others, but that only fuels my understanding and ideas for dialog.

This may be completely opposite for you. Sarah, while able to write anywhere, is most productive at home where everything is familiar and thus not distracting. That’s okay. I had a friend during last NaNoWriMo who made herself a little writing nest at her desk where she had everything she could possibly need within an arm’s reach. That worked for her, but it would be hard on me.

No matter where you are, you need to make sure you’re in an environment where you can get the most out of your writing. We’ve all been there: when you’re so distracted that you can’t fully get into the zone, so everything turns out crappy and disjointed. That’s no fun, but it does happen, and your environment influences that.

It all boils down to distractions. Which ones tempt you the most? Where do you do the bulk of your writing? Can you write anywhere or do you have someplace special? Let me know!

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BRENNA BRAATEN
Brenna has been a story maker-upper since she was very little and a writer since she was twelve. She is currently the city reporter for the Cody Enterprise in Cody, WY and trying to break into the publishing industry. You can stalk her at her blog, I Write and Read, or on Twitter as @brennabraaten.