What? A real post?

I feel like I should make amends for being so boring on here lately, especially now that the worst of my move is over, aside from needing to make a handful of return trips to the house to retrieve items that weren't high priority. Really, the only thing that's left that I absolutely could not do without is my CD collection, which I've put off packing up since most of my choice selections are on my iPod.

It's still hard to believe that we're here, and I even though I'm comfortable, I keep waiting for someone to knock on the door, confessing that it's all a joke and the bank changed their mind and they don't want to finance me anymore. I guess that's a habit with me, perpetually looking at the things I have, waiting for the other shoe to drop, utterly convinced that it could all be gone with a simple snap of the fingers. I think I learned early on that nothing is constant, and that's made me ever so vigilant, wanting to anticipate every possible crisis. I'm pretty sure that's been my problem with writing lately...I don't have a handle on all the twists and turns of the plot yet, and I'm having difficulty giving myself over to the narrative, and just letting it surprise me. But I did figure out one aspect of the story that's been giving me trouble...it just popped into my head totally randomly when I was driving to my bridesmaid dress fitting, and I was thrilled because it was like my brain's been working on it subconsciously this whole time, and finally had some new options to present. The wrestling part of the novel is slowly coming together, my big problem is going to be figuring out how to lead up to that, and working in bits of backstory without bogging down the movement.

What's this? Jenny's actually talking about writing fiction again? Yeah, it surprises me too, especially since I haven't had the time or inclination to do a lot of wrestling shows lately. For a while I as worried that my interest in the topic had dwindled to the point that I wouldn't be able to write about it anymore, but I think I care about it enough that I can spin a halfway decent yarn about it. I'm probably headed to the AWA Slam Ray Cortese memorial show this afternoon, and we'll see if watching that sparks some more inspiration. If not, I can always make my main character an aspiring mixed martial artist! :)

Questions meme!

One of my chronic problems here on old LJ is coming up with topics I think people will find interesting. I never know what y'all want to hear me spout off about, hence, I never tend to go into any particular subject with a whole lot of depth.

But the lovely Miss editrix26 was kind enough to help me with this problem by providing the following questions. Settle in while I discuss.

1. Wrestling is not something that typically attracts women. What's it like to be active in that subculture?

To be honest, I think my gender prevents me from being as active in the subculture as I'd like. Not because anyone has ever discouraged me from being involved, but because being around so many men (both the people who attend the shows as well as the performers) makes me hyper aware of being a woman. I know that this is something I'm not "supposed" to be into, since most of the girls on the scene are either a) girlfriends of fans who were dragged to the shows b) wives or girlfriends of the wrestlers who are their to provide moral support and assistance at the gimmick table c) girls who want to shack up with the wrestlers. There are a handful of girls who are actually there because they just like watching the stuff, but they are few and far between, and so, since I don't want to be lumped into one of the above-mentioned categories, and because I tend to hang back in group settings anyway, I remain very much on the fringes within this world. There are a few people I'm friendly with, and I enjoy talking to them, but otherwise it's just me with Mike keeping to ourselves, or me by myself when I go to shows put on by feds he's not a fan of.

2. How do you stave off discouragement as a writer?

I'm not sure if I do! That's actually more true of my fiction writing, because when I get discouraged with that stuff I just put it off and come up with excuses to not be working on it, but in terms of freelance work I think what keeps me from being discouraged is the fact that I have been published quite a bit. I haven't had huge success, but I've done enough to know that the assignments I have completed weren't a fluke, and so I know that if I just keep submitting pitches something will stick eventually.


3. You're a new homeowner; what part of this process surprised you the most?

Definitely the mortgage-securing process. I had been told early on that all my ducks were in a row, so I assumed I was all set, only to find out the day before our original closing date that there were more documents needed that were not anticipated which put us off schedule like three days. It got straightened out, and it wasn't a big deal, but it really bothered me to know that it's possible for the bottom to fall out on a real estate purchase that late in the game.

4. I know it's only been a short amount of time, but what is the biggest difference between living in the suburbs and the city?

Technically we're in Forest Park, which is still a suburb, but we're only a ten-fifteen minute walk from the blue line. With that in mind, the biggest difference is that I feel like the city is more accessible and at my fingertips....I could have driven to places at any time in the old house, but always felt a bit stifled because I knew if I was going to a bar or something I couldn't really drink because I'd need to be coherent enough to drive home. And the option to drive is still there, since Mike and I are sharing a car, but now I can hop on the train if I know I want to do some imbibing, and I think I'll be more likely to venture into the city because places where parking is a hassle are now more accessible.

5. What do you find challenging about keeping to a vegetarian diet?

Working in an office where everyone is a meat eater, and not wanting to disrupt things when we have large gatherings by requesting special food. This actually applies to family things as well...I just hate attracting curiosity in general, and don't like having to explain to people who can't comprehend a meatless lifestyle that it's possible to subsist on things other than salad. I also really crave meat when my monthly bleeding time arrives, and can not always maintain the willpower required to resist cheeseburgers.

That was fun! Now it's your turn!


1. Leave me a comment saying, "Prove that you're interested in me."
2. I respond by asking you five question. You will answer them, because you like talking about yourself.
3. You will update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.



If you don't hear from me immediately, I'm not ignoring you...I'm just away from the computer or trying to come up with really solid questions.