writebrained's Xanga

An Important Message!

Wed, 27 May 2009 14:53:42 GMT

This is not a joke.

After today, I am no longer blogging. Ever. Again.

On this page, anyway.

Yes -- after 2 years of threatening, I am kissing Xanga goodbye. This is a sad day, actually -- because I have been dating Xanga for about 5 years now. We were at the point where we needed to break up, though. At least -- that's what all my friends were telling me.

You can find me here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There are lot of cool features at the new place -- I think you'll like them (like easy sharing of posts with friends, and easy commenting).

If you forget the new blog URL in the future, just remember: you can always find me at www.bjhamrick.com.

Can't wait to meet up at the new place. Drop by and let me know what you think!

**HUGE thanks to my friend, Debbie, who totally made the new template. She rocks!**

Lately...

Mon, 18 May 2009 17:56:33 GMT

Family has been running me ragged. First of all, there are these 2 ladies:

Happy mother's day, mom. From your 2 favorites.

Except your son...also known as my brother, who just taught me how to play Guitar Hero (yes, I know I'm slow) after he broke his leg in 2 places. I don't have a photo of his jobless self at the moment, but I do have a picture of his leg:

(If you have Sympathy $$ for him, feel free to send the card to me. I'll take care of it.) These people brought me up well:

Then there is this crazy side of the fam:

Congrats to my sis, who is (if the picture doesn't clue you in) "preggo"
And congrats to my bro, who just graduated from high school and will no doubt do huge things.

Today's Question: What's up with you and your family?

Well... Hello.

Fri, 15 May 2009 18:33:41 GMT

This week my new friend Erynn Mangum asked if I would do an interview on her blog. What? Like 9 questions where I get to talk about nothing but myself? Of course I said yes.

Dear M.O.M.

Mon, 11 May 2009 08:28:06 GMT

Photo: August, 2007

Column: May, 2006 (The same month I met my husband)

Dear M.O.M. (Mother Of Mine),

You always dreamed about the day I'd prance down the aisle in a big white fluffy dress, keeping time with the organ music. When I reached the end of the aisle I'd pause to make the biggest commitment of my life, and you'd stand there watching with tears of joy in your eyes.

Today, your dream came true. Only you weren't there. If you had been, you would have been ashamed to see me wearing a white cotton t-shirt and keeping time to the Hanes song, "You Can't Over-LoveYour Underwear". That's right -- I was walking down the aisle. The Wal-Mart aisle.

And I was making the second biggest commitment of my life: choosing a Mother's Day card.

Now this may seem like a simple task to you. What you don't understand is that I have what doctors call "Greeting Card A.D.D." It's life-threatening. If I spend too much time on the Greeting Card aisle, I gradually go insane and start knocking shelves onto innocent bystanders. You know the type of bystanders I'm talking about. The ones who cry when they read Hallmark cards.

I cry when I read Hallmark cards, too. But that's only because I can't seem to find the right one for you. I can't figure out whether I want the card to be funny, or nice, or downright sappy. So I bounce from one card to another. Don't they make a mixture of all three moods? Perhaps my problem isn't Greeting Card A.D.D. after all -- perhaps it's Multiple Card Disorder. Yes, that must be it.

So I hope you don't mind the fact that you won't be getting a Mother's Day card this year. It's not that I didn't try. It's just that the nice man in the little blue Wal-Mart vest escorted me back down the aisle. And right out the front door. And asked me never to come back.

I guess your dream of watching me walk down the aisle won't come true any time soon -- even the Wal-Mart aisle. In the meantime, Happy Mother's Day, Mother Of Mine. I love you.

A Wasted Life

Fri, 08 May 2009 09:00:00 GMT

I reached a milestone last week. I finally finished my B.A. degree. All (1) of you who’ve followed my column over the past three years (I know you’re out there, Mom. Mom…?) can now breathe a sigh of relief.

You no longer have to hear me whine about grades. Midterms. Finals. And the irreversible gain of the Freshman 15. (I put on 15 pounds every time I changed majors. Not good when you’ve majored in everything from premed to watercolor painting.)

In the end I settled on a major in Talking. The school guidance counselor was intent on the idea. (I have no idea why.) He was even tricky about it. He told me I would graduate with a broad education in the field of “communications”.

Which as you can imagine sells really well. Especially during a recession.

I’m grateful to have the support of my family and friends during this economically and emotionally depressed time for me. They ask caring questions like:

• When are you going to get a real job?
• What time does the Young and the Restless come on? (We know you must
have the T.V. Guide memorized by now.)
• Have you ever thought of going back to school?

They have a point. I could go back to school. But there’s a huge part of me that wants to believe the last four years were not a waste.

So I practice. I figure if someone’s going to hire me, it will be because I am proficient in my field.

I talk when my husband’s home. I talk when he’s at work. I talk to the mailman. I talk to the mailbox.

Yesterday, however, I made the mistake of talking to Aunt Agatha. Things were going well until she interrupted me with a life-shattering question:

“Do you EVER shut up?”

All of the sudden I realized: Who was I kidding? Who would ever pay me to talk? Who would ever pay me to do anything? The last four years were a complete waste.

Depressed and alone, I wandered into the grocery store. For once, I didn’t feel like talking. Apparently the store manager did.

“Are you OK, ma’am?” He asked. “You look like you need a listening ear.”

He began to ask questions and I began to talk. Tears rolled down my face as I told him about my wasted life. My wasted money. My dog named Pip.

The more I talked, the more distressed he looked. His eyes bugged. Little beads of sweat popped out of his forehead.

”Ma’am,” he finally said, “I’m really sorry, but I just can’t listen anymore. If I give you $5, will you shut up?”

Aha, I thought. I might just make money from this education after all.

By Darkness Hid: Author Jill Williams

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:53:00 GMT

I Met Jill Williamson in 2007, at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. I immediately clicked with her because she LOVES teens and LOVES writing for teens.

Imagine my excitement when I learned last week that Jill's first novel, By Darkness Hid, was just released. It sounds awesome. Here's what Jill has to say about it:

Q: Tell us about why you love writing for teens.

There is something wonderful about being young and experiencing life for the first time. Plus teens are the best to write for. They are fast and loyal readers. When they find characters they love, they really get into it. Finding great books was so magical for me when I was young (It still is!), so I just want to entertain teens and get them excited about my stories.

Q: When did you first start this writing journey?

Back in 2004 I started to write articles for magazines. I wanted to be a speaker at teen events, so I focused on periodicals for teens. Then the new Harry Potter book came out, and a new barrage of debates within the church community flared up as to whether or not the books were evil. The debate inspired me to write my own teen novel that all Christians would love. Yes, I was a bit naive. But that’s how I got started. I’ve since learned that no author can make every reader happy.

Q: What kind of response have you had from teens about your new novel?

They love it! The cover is really beautiful. I get a lot of comments from teens about that. Kirk DouPonce designed it. I think that a book cover is really important to teens when they consider reading a book, so I’m thankful Kirk is an amazing artist.

I’ve also sent a lot of teens to my Web site to read the first chapter and they get hooked. I tried to tell a story that would grip readers like the best movie. So there is a lot of tension and conflict in my story that keeps the readers turning the pages. Here are some comments I’ve heard back from teen readers who’ve read some, or all, of my book:

“By Darkness Hid had me arguing with my mom as I wanted to stay up all night to read it. Now anytime I think about knights, Jill’s book comes to mind. I enjoyed reading it so much, and I cannot wait to read the next one!” —Keegan, age 13

“Now I have to read the rest. This chapter was so good.” —Rachel, age 14

“By Darkness Hid is not fine—it’s great! I loved it. And not once did it bore me. It’s full of adventure and romance, with unique characters you sympathize for. It makes you wish you could go back in time and live through a culture full of danger and mysteries. I just wanted to keep reading more and more.” —Cosette, age 17

“I got By Darkness Hid finally delivered yesterday. I'm on chapter four now. Would be farther but I had a birthday dinner for a friend to go to last night.” —Chris, age 19

“No! That can’t be it! You’d better make a sequel. I was so into it. I loved it all! I didn’t think you could just end it right there. Please write more! This was a great read.” —Querida, age 16

Q: If you could sum it up in one sentence, what do you hope teens will take away from the novel?

That there is only one God and he has a unique purpose for every life.

Q: Do you base your characters' personalities on real-life people?

Occasionally. I didn’t do that at all in this book, probably because it’s a medieval story rather than a contemporary one. Plus that can get a little dangerous. It can also be fun. But a writer walks a fine line when they use people they know as models for their characters. Because ultimately, the character is unique. It would be safe to base characters off of historical figures, though. You couldn’t get into too much trouble that way.

Q: Where can we find your website for teens who like to write?

www.teenageauthor.com

And the companion blog is here: www.thepurplepen.wordpress.com

Q: Where can we learn more about your book?

There is tons of information about my book on my Web site: www.jillwilliamson.com. There is a book trailer, some free downloads, a sample chapter, and a fun interactive map of Er’Rets where you can learn more about my fantasy world and the characters who live there. I’m also running a monthly contest for anyone who wants to help me spread the word about By Darkness Hid.

Finding Middle C

Mon, 04 May 2009 17:50:39 GMT

This is the first year I've taken teaching music seriously.

Wait a second -- that sounded bad.

What I'm trying to say is, this is the first year I've treated teaching music like a business rather than just a ministry. With a grand total of 9 students, I knew there was no way around it: I had to make every last one of them miserable.

What better way than to hold a recital?

And so it happened, on a quiet night last week, that a group of students ages 5 to 45 took the nursing home by storm.

And they rocked that place to the ground.

The old folks loved it. I loved it. The students loved it. (So much for making them miserable.)

Only one of my students got stage fright. The sweet little guy walked up to me before he played and whispered, "But how will I know where Middle C is?"

You couldn't blame him. It was overwhelming. There were 50 faces staring at him expectantly. Suddenly, something that once felt so familiar was now completely lost.

When I thought about the situation later, I realized I am that little guy. I am overwhelmed. I am confused.

I've been asking God about something for a while, and He hasn't answered yet. And it hurts. It hurts enough that I feel lost. And confused.

Dear God, I prayed earlier today, I can't find Middle C.

I don't know you. But I do know we all have times when we can't find Middle C. When everything familiar feels upside down and dizzying.

I thank God for my husband, who holds me when I can't find my way. I thank God for Jesus, who holds me even when I push Him away. And I thank God for you...

Because together, we will find Middle C.

It's right there. If we will only ask Him.

Gettin' A New Sister

Fri, 01 May 2009 16:13:04 GMT

No, I'm not replacing the old one.

And no, my mom is not preggo.

My bro is marrying this sweet girl.

Congrats, Guys! We love you!

Erynn Mangum: The Interview

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:17:21 GMT

This week I sat down with Erynn Mangum, author of three books (and one more on the way!). Erynn is only 24 – you know, one of those people who have accomplished so much it makes you sick. Oh, and she’s fun. But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself:

BJ Hamrick: You’ve published three books since 2007. Which one was your favorite to write? (We know. This is like asking you to pick a favorite child. You can do it… we won’t tell.)

Erynn Mangum: Actually, that’s an easy question. My favorite is the 2nd book. I didn’t have to worry about introducing the characters, I got to just write the story.

BJH: Which character do you relate to most, and why?

EM: Probably Lauren [in the Maya Davis series]. It’s told through her perspective and a lot of me slipped in there as I was writing it. She’s got my awful caffeine addiction, love of movies and sweets. But she’s waaaay more direct and outspoken. I guess those are qualities I wish I had.

BJH: What sparked the idea for your new Maya Davis series?

EM: Well, like Miss Match, it was a combination of what was going on around me and Jane Austen. Maya is a barista at a local coffeehouse who lives with Jen, who has been her best friend since junior year in college. Maya’s got a weird situation though, when Jen starts unknowingly dating Maya’s high school sweetheart (who she thought she was going to marry). The idea for the plot sparked when I was reading Jane Austen (classic writer! If you need plot ideas, read her books) and I’d always wanted to write about a barista. So I stalked a friend of mine who worked at the Borders cafe.

BJH: Do you have any advice for teen writers?

EM: Keep writing! Read everything you can get your hands on - including books that teach you how to write. Go to writer’s conferences. Email your favorite authors and ask questions. Most of all, don’t ever give up! If you’ve got the talent and the desire to write, I believe God’s given you that for a reason.

BJH: What was your most embarrassing teenage moment? (Would you ever put it in a book?)

EM: What WASN’T my most embarrassing teen moment? I led a very awkward childhood. I was always too tall for my age and lacked any talent in sports or anything that required rhythm. It didn’t help that I was a drama queen as well. I might write about it…maybe.

BJH: What are your hobbies?

EM: Well, writing. I love hanging out with my husband, playing with our six-month old husky, watching movies, experimenting in the kitchen, and meeting new people. My family is awesome - they are my closest friends, so I love seeing them. And eventually, Jon and I would like to travel more. But it’s fun dreaming of traveling!

BJH: Where can readers find out more about your books?

EM: My website is www.erynnmangum.com. You can find out everything on there about them! Come by and send me an email!

BJH: When can we expect your next book to become available?

EM: Cool Beans is releasing April 2010. I’m so excited!

****

B.J. Hamrick is taking her reader's (yes -- because she have only has one) advice and writing about someone other than herself this week. Enjoy the brief sabbatical. She'll be back soon. If you miss her too much you can reach her over e-mail. Unless she's taking a break from herself.

Singleness Again

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:02:38 GMT

So while we're on the subject of being single, check out my friend Annie's recent series on singleness.

Sorry. It's my journalism training at work... we need more than one source for this story.