tick-tock

I have worn out three keys on my keyboard: A, E & R.

The D, N, H, S & I keys are also showing signs of wear.

I think I will be done with this draft by Saturday morning.

Back to scribbling now… or, more accurately, back to pounding the crap out of my keyboard now. The story is a series of electrical impulses that erupt in my brain, crash through my arms and explode out my fingertips, bruising the keys.

Think high energy thought for me, please.

14 Replies to “tick-tock”

  1. You could do as they did in Mark Dunn’s Ella Minnow Pea and just do without those letters…..

    (OK, admittedly, they first lost “z” and “q”, so it wasn’t quite as difficult. But they soon found that communicating with a rapidly diminishing alphabet was challenging! The book follows the tale, and excises the letters one by one…)

  2. Luckily, my keyboard shows no signs of wear and tear right now. (Helps that it’s fairly new – got it for Christmas) Normally, though, the e, a, c, and h always seem to go out first. And the e usually sticks after a while, too. u.u On one draft of a short story, I had to backspace everytime I typed an e…since it would come out eeeeeeeee. ^_^;;

  3. My 10 month laptop’s keys are fine, but the “W” key broke off! I really need to get it fixed.

    Good luck on finishing your draft! 🙂

  4. speak

    i liked the book but does the girl have to be so bitchy she just cries and complains in the whole book without standing up to someone just because you were raped deosnt mean you cant stand up to people and most importantly the boy who did this

  5. Re: speak

    I haven’t read Speak in a year, so forgive me if I don’t go into great detail (I think we own it, but it’s in storage, so I can’t read it. :().

    First of all, even though I read it only a year ago, I’ve had a long history with Speak. My mom read it for her book club. I use to demand long synopsizes of the books she read after she read them. She didn’t let me read it for a while, as I was only about eight at the time and the subject material was too mature for me, but it was my favorite of the books she had told me about and was so happy to read it.

    And I love Speak. It’s so good. There’s this unique way it’s told, both cynical and easy to relate to, that I really, really love. I love how you told the story. I love all the quirky details you through in. I think you handled the subject extraordinarily well. I’m interested in writers who find a “new” way to tell their stories and from what I’ve read so far, you are brilliant at this.

    I’ve never been raped, but I feel no annoyance at Melinda for “crying and complaining” as you call it. When you’re raped, I think you are more afraid and cautious. And think of all that Melinda has going on. Her parents don’t understand what’s going on with her; her friends won’t speak to her. She’s scared. Really, really scared. In some ways, since she was so alone and isolated, her mind was all she had.

    Honestly, I have to ask: do you think you would have stood up for yourself if you were raped? If it felt like the entire world was against you and you were scared of it happening again? If you had this terrible experience that no one would listen to you, overwhelming you every day? Wouldn’t you feel weaker? Maybe some people who are raped get more cynical and vocal, but I would be so scared to confront the guy who had raped me. I would be terrified that it would happen again. and I would get quieter. Maybe some people get louder when stuff like that happens, but others get louder.

    There are different kinds of heroines. Not all of them can be these perfect, righteous people, who stand up for themselves without a thought. Honestly, I can’t relate with that kind of heroine; I think the best hero among us are those who have insecurities and fears, but overcome them, anyway. And I think Melinda is very admirable. I deeply admire people who are able to move on after something terrible.

    But more than anything else, this just befuddles me. I thought Melinda’s reaction to her rape was written so well, that I’m surprised anyone feels otherwise. It just…made perfect sense to me. Melinda got more insecure as a result of everything and she was so alone. And I think she IS incredibly brave.

    Also, I’m Melinda’s age (but a grade younger) and about the whole “complains in the whole book”: well, regardless of whether you’re raped or not, adolescence is just like that. There are so many times I feel angry, like nobody understands me. As my drama teacher told us today, “Everyone has their issues.” And we do. I honestly don’t think it’s wrong Melinda complained. I mean, I know what I’m going through is nowhere near as bad as what she’s going through, but it’s not like Melinda’s going about whining verbally. I try to remind myself that other people have it worse and honestly DON’T think I complain that much, but adolescence is a very lonely time. Then add in being raped…

    Anyway, that was just my two cents. *shrug* I honestly think it was written perfectly. And my mom, who is really great at getting into people’s psyches, agrees. 🙂

  6. Re: speak

    um yes i would stand up 4 myself
    please halseanderson begin to explain the excuse girls have 4 not standing up 4 themselves

  7. Re: speak

    I have to admit I was a little stunned by your post and I was very tired when I read it, so I needed some time before I replied. I apologize if this came across as disrespectful. That was not my intention.

    In the last decade, I have talked to and corresponded with thousands of rape survivors. I’m a survivor, too. There are many, many reasons a rape survivor might struggle to find the courage to speak up about her attack. Here are a few:

    Because some girls are afraid.

    Some girls don’t have anyone they can trust.

    Some girls are raped by their fathers or stepfathers or grandfathers or brothers or cousins or boyfriends or boyfriends of their mothers.

    Some girls are terrified that he’ll do it again. Or he’ll do it to her sister the next time. Or he’ll kill her.

    Some girls try to tell and get hit and are told to shut their mouths.

    Some girls are raped many times – starting when they are very young – and are told its all they’re good for.

    Some girls think it was their fault, even though its not.

    Some girls think there is something wrong or broken with them and they are ashamed to tell.

    Some girls know that people will judge them instead of helping them.

    Some girls find it easier to bury it than to have to deal with people who don’t understand how much this can hurt.

    You sound like a very strong person and I am impressed with that. I hope that you can call on the strength if anything really horrible ever happens to you. And if you can support a friend or a stranger who has been attacked, that will only add to your strength.

    I hope you will continue to try and understand people who are different than you. It doesn’t make them worse, or stupid, or weak. it just makes them different. When we seek to understand instead of judge, we all grow.

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