All Weekend Q&A!

Time for my one regular feature! The Q&A! Ask any question you'd like in comments, and I will answer you. Yes, you may ask more than one. Yes, it doesn't have to be about publishing. Yes, I will give you my best answer.

Since it's Friday, I'll leave this open all weekend!

The Ideas I Love

I have several ideas I've been keeping to myself for years. Why? The sad and simple truth is that I didn't think anyone would want to read about those ideas. They aren't hugely sweeping, hooky ideas. They might not be books that find big markets. They are contemporary. And, yes, I ignored them in favor of ideas that I thought the market might be more...friendly to.

But I'm to the point where these ideas are all I want to write, no matter what may or may not come of them. They've been waiting around so long that it's like they are refusing to let me have any more ideas until I write them. 

So I am. And I'm loving it. 

Sometimes I get insecure about the "merit" of what I'm writing, or the "marketability" or "hook" or whatever. I start to fear that I might never sell these stories I hold so dear. But then I remember, that feeling? Yeah, it pretty much never goes away. I've felt this before—I'll feel it again. It's part of the deal when you write, and you get through it and create the stories you love.

...

I can't even think of a title for this post. That pretty much says everything about where I am with blogging lately. It's not that I hate it. Or that I'm afraid of what people will say. I just...I'm not even sure. Maybe I just don't feel the need to say things when others say it so much better. Perhaps I'm not interested in sharing my life and seeking attention like I used to. I really have no clue.

But I don't think in blog posts anymore. There was a time when I would be experiencing my life and stop to think, "Hey, this would be a good post. I could frame it like this and be oh so clever." That very rarely happens now.

I'm not even sure what I'm saying, or why I'm saying it. But as someone who used to post seven days a week, I guess I feel like I should have some kind of explanation for barely posting once a week. At least an explanation that isn't "Honestly, I'm kind of tired of hearing myself talk."

More than ever, I prefer to listen. There's so much to be gained by hearing other people. Really hearing them. I've spent so much time trying to scream my name into the void. I think I wanted people to know I was here and important and special, but now I don't. Not because I see myself as worthless, but more because I actually like myself finally and don't feel the need to convince others of my worth. But I like making other people feel important. I like listening to their stories and trying to understand. I like helping others realize how amazing they are.

That all sounds self-righteous, doesn't it? Eh. Oh well.

The thing is, I'm pretty happy with my life. Not that it's perfect, but I've made a concerted effort to let go of the stuff I can't control. I've tried to embrace the idea that things don't have to go my way for life to be good. I've stopped thinking about myself so much.

It's such a counterintuitive practice, this thinking about others first. It's so easy online to think about yourself and compare and wish you had more or were someone else or whatever. But if you think only about your own happiness, you somehow always stay miserable. When I stop worrying about myself and think about others, I end up having my needs met in the process of caring for others.

Sometimes I wonder if I've outgrown my blog. I feel like I spent much of my 20s doing things for ME, and blogs are so great for talking about yourself. I think that's why I started one in the first place. So I never know what to post on here anymore. I don't feel the need for attention like I used to. I don't sit around all day hoping for comments and hits like I used to. I've changed so much that I hardly recognize the girl who wrote my earlier posts.

I'm not really sure what I'm getting at here. Maybe I just needed to say to myself that I'm different. I've changed. And that's okay. Maybe this is my way of letting go of the guilt I harbor when I don't blog, as if people expect me to when they probably don't.

*shrugs* I'm gonna make lunch and watch Kdramas. Hope you are all having a lovely day.

My UK Cover! + Transparent ARC Winner #2!

Hey look! It's my UK cover! I linked to this late on Saturday of last week, so I figure a lot of people missed it. So I wanted to show it off today.

I love that I get to see two very different visual interpretations of my novel, and as you can see the UK edition highlights more of the fun, comic book aspect of TRANSPARENT. In a lot of ways, this cover is so representative of what you'll find inside the book. Thank you, Hot Key Books, for giving me such a fun cover!

Also, I've been told there will be embossing. Fiona's outline will be embossed over the clothing, so that she'll look like an invisible figure popping out from the cover. Awesome, right? I'm very exciting about this and can't wait to see it in person.

***

And now I must announce the winner of my 2nd giveaway! This person will receive a signed ARC, a blueberry Pop Tart charm, and some bookmarks. And maybe some funny glasses if I can find some before I send the package. So, without further ado, the winner is:

Lynn Kysh!

Congrats! Please contact me at natalie (at) nataliewhipple (dot) com so that we can work out details.

And this isn't the last giveaway, I promise! I still have three more ARCs to pass out online, and a couple reserved for conference giveaways. Keep your eyes out for those!

Transparent Giveaway #2!

It's January! That means I need to let go of another pretty TRANSPARENT ARC. Do you want it? We'll make this simple this month—tell me who your favorite comic book hero/heroine is in comments, and you'll be entered to win!

I've always had a soft spot for Wolverine. Regeneration is awesome in general, but add in claws and a brooding attitude and you've won me over hands down.

I'll draw a winner on January 11th. So get entering!