Green Room - Week 15 - Day 3

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Hello (and yes, welcome to the *real* Hump Day, Charlie.*g*)

Happy Birthday to Idol alumni nonabloch and, well anyone who's birthday it might be although no one has told/reminded me!! Like sushimustwrite!!

***

Anyone else watch the first two episodes of the new season (new network) of Scrubs?

***

How are you today?

***

I was going to do this yesterday but since I have a couple minutes before running to the bus I'm going to quote something alycewilson said in the run off thread. There weren't any replies to it, so it may have gone unnoticed. But since I was going to say something like it anyway, I figured maybe it was good to hear it from "one of your own" instead of the guy behind the curtain: (the discussion was about eliminations and how much harder they get every week)

"I think one of the things that makes it harder every week is when you see how far some of these writers have come. I've been very impressed at some of the improvements. Hopefully, the contestants see that, as well."

Do *you* see it? Have you seen improvement in your own work? How about in someone else's?

Comments

[quoting-mungo.livejournal.com]

Improvement is good. I've seen a good bit of development in a lot of people.

I've also noticed my own things have varied from week to week, so even with overall improvement a given week's entry doesn't have to be better than a previous one.

EDIT: Oooh! TEH FIRST!


-Alexandra

[johnmill79.livejournal.com]

Aw darn, missed it by that much! lol Congrats.

[oberonia.livejournal.com]

I never really see the improvement in my own writing, but yes, I definitely see it in others. (Of course, I'm always hardest on myself.)

The smaller the group, the more folks pay attention to what they're putting in their entries.

I'm sure there's some Quantum Physics graph about it somewhere....inverse proportionate ratio and all that lol.


I don't know what I'm talking about yet this morning *drinks coffee*

[quoting-mungo.livejournal.com]

...I've been writing too much gay smut lately.
I read that as "inverse prostate ratio".


-Alexandra

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

Morning all. Still sick here. Managed to get my entry in though. Got a snow day from work here today, more like a sleet, slippery and freezing rain day though. It's like a free sick day for the ailing.

When I see improvements in someone's writing, because I try to read every entry every week, I usually tell the person in comments. I think it is important to point out strengths and improvements.

[ewok-626.livejournal.com]

*sends up peppermint tea, some homemade chicken noodle soup, a handful of good movies, and a blanket warmed in the dryer*

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Good morning. We are in the middle of a big ice and snow storm here. No work. That's a good thing because I needed one more day to kick the flu to the curb. So I'll be around to chat today. Yesterday I could hardly keep my head up let alone be on the computer much. I did get my entry up which was a great thing! And yes, I've seen some improvement in people's writing, and some I've seen less so. I guess it's a week to week thing. See ya in a bit!

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

Sad news this morning about the passing of an LJ friend.

Wishing I had a snow day so I could stay home too, but instead I'm going to drag myself to the shower now. If I can get out from under this cat.

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

Definitely sad news. take care of yourself. Is the cat trying to tell you something?

[deza.livejournal.com]

Good morning. Getting the kids ready for school, which is rather like trying to get wet washcloths to walk in a parade.

Apparently the e key on my laptop is still dying. I've yet to type an e this morning that didn't need correction.

I haven't seen any improvement in my writing (yep, same inane drivel as always), but some of the others have just blown me away. :)


ETA: Oops, had to fix another e.

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

The washcloth comparison was good. My wife, from across the room, started laughing when she caught a glimpse of my screen and happened to see that.

[superhappytime.livejournal.com]

I was going to watch Scrubs, but then I remembered I don't have 2 X chromosomes.

[agirlnamedluna.livejournal.com]

Are you absolutely positively sure of that?

[agirlnamedluna.livejournal.com]

I've seen some improvement in my own writing ... mostly when I read old Season 3 entries and compare them to some right now. But, I think it's mainly because I use spellcheck now ;)

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I thought it was because you stopped writing in "damn foreigner" language!!!*G*

[libra-dragon.livejournal.com]

Morning

I dvr'ed them as them watched them before calling it a night.

I feel like my writing goes up and down. I am not sure if there is any overall improvement.

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

Mine seems to go up and down too. I can't tell if others improve or not, with English as a second language, it is harder, and I can't seem to keep track of everyone LOL!

[jfargo.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I joined LJIdol this year was to improve my writing, stretch my brain a little bit. I think I've done that, and I've been pretty happy with the results.

As for how I am today? Got a case of the "don't wannas," but that's nothing new. I'm taking a Winter session class and while the first day was a easy little reading assignment, the second day we're expected to learn the Linguist's Phonetic Alphabet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet). In a day.

To look on the bright side, at least it's interesting!

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

It's the same reason I love LJ Idol. A chance to improve my writing skills, and a prompt every week. What could be better?

[worldofcharlie.livejournal.com]

*HUMP DAY HUMP DAY HUMP DAY HUMP DAY*

well um..*coughs*..Gary mentioned it..*snorts*

Took bloody forever for it to finally come...

[deza.livejournal.com]

Five more months and I get to honor hump day properly again.

[peta-andersen.livejournal.com]

That's a great quote (sorry I've been so absent; I'm only just getting back to using a computer), and very true. I know a lot of the people I started reading have blossomed.

With regard to my own work - a couple of things I wrote for idol have been accepted for publication, one online, one in print. I credit that to idol pushing me to work on short fiction, something I've never really done before.

Finally, good luck to the last 75! (Is that right? I've done a lot of reading catch-up this past day or two). More good entries, please!

[deza.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!

[nycki96.livejournal.com]

Nope, don't watch "Scrubs."

I haven't been keeping up with LD-Idol as much as I had liked to, so I can't comment on improvement, but I enjoyreading everyone's entries.

speaking of which, I have decided to play the home game, so here is my entry for this week.



(http://nycki96.livejournal.com/39130.html)

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

Entry? link missing?

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think it has improved.

I joined idol and have come back to it for much the same reasons as you joined.

Sorry so long

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

Morning all.

Meh. Still sick here too, but I am fighting back with a grapefruit and some green tea. It is absolutely pouring rain here today (sorry to my friends further North and West who are getting ice/snow from the same system).

My Blues is out of town for a week. My contractor begins working on the "little things" with the house today, and I have to get to work trying to catch up on things I have let slide for the last few weeks (like paying bills).

As for improved writing: many of the contestants who have unfortunately already left the competition were greatly improved. I have a feeling we would have seen even more had there been time to watch them grow. Over the last three seasons, I know my own work has changed a lot. For that I blame the influences of my fellow writers in the game who have taught me a great deal. If you don't know who you are, I would be happy to name names at a later time.

I think one of the most difficult parts can be the balance between consistency and novelty. There is the temptation (and the muttered complaints about) one-trick-ponies -- always approaching a topic from the same perspective. It would be really easy to stay in my own comfort zone and write about my depression/bipolar disorder/altered reality states. It is far more difficult for me to dredge up the old memories that I thought were lost to me forever after my illness.

I am **impressed** when I see other writers doing the same thing. Someone asked me a question yesterday about why I plan to do something later in the competition. My answer was simply, "Because I know how hard it is [for me to do it]."

Re: Sorry so long

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

Hope you feel better soon. Sending germ free hugs. Grapefruit and green tea are good ideas.

Baxaphobia and I had coffee and coffee cake. It came from a box and we are still so sick that it was a challenge to make even though it came with directions. I was too weak to pull open the plastic packaging. lol. Pathetic!

I think other writers can help to push us to do better. I sometimes think that without competition, encouragement, coaching, feedback, or some plain hippie kicking in my backside that I allow myself to become lazy as a writer. I don't feel the need to try hard, to mold the words into a sculpture of sorts. If allowed to become lazy I just vommit onto the page and call it good. I have gotten through life like that and done okay so when allowed to be lazy, I apparently will be. Flawed like everyone else.

[skimmed-miilk.livejournal.com]

I don't know about improvement in content or quality, but I have seen an improvement in my ability to bring an entry together faster, without over-analysing it like I did at the beginning. Not entirely sure if that's all positive... But I'd really like to apply that skill to this damn essay I'm struggling with right now!

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

me too, i use to cut half my entry out over-thinking it, i have gotten better about that.

[nonabloch.livejournal.com]

Whoa. I got mentioned in the Green Room post. I feel special. But not short bus special. :)

[firesign10.livejournal.com]

LOL!!

Happy Birthday!

[chazari.livejournal.com]

I very much watched Scrubs and cried through most of the second episode. So good...Zach Braff needs to shave.

[firesign10.livejournal.com]

No, I *whispers* don't watch Scrubs.

We're in that freezy-rainy-icy muck, so no school today and my husband is working from home. Side benefit - I got to sleep in! (after getting up at 6 to confirm the school thing)

I think my writing is stronger - at the very least, having a prompt and a deadline is exercising that muscle in my brain. Every week I work on not over-thinking and staying true to the voice/idea in my head - I have moments of "will this fly in Idol?" and I push them away. For instance, I debated briefly about submitting a poem for last week's entry, but that is just how it came out to me and so that's what I went with. Happily, enough of y'all thought it was good enough as well. So I try to hear clearly and then express it as truly as I can, and trust to the rest.

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the sleep in. I got up at my usual five thirty and stayed up. I threw the sheets in the wash and they should be nearly dry now. I'll remake the bed and nap later.

I like to see poetry in idol. Probably because poetry is my favorite. It's how I started writing.

[sydb42.livejournal.com]

I'm really dragging this morning. Still, we managed to get our older daughter off to the school bus this morning (instead of having to drive her to school). I made her lunch (first time in a while for that to happen)...and then we all forgot it, so she went to school and her lunch got to sleep in. Whoops. At least she has money on her account at school to buy lunch.

Took Jason to work and now I'm contemplating a nap here at 9:40am. I doubt the 3 year old would let me sleep though. I also have a ton of stuff I need to do, plus I'm trying to actually read entries *early* in the week so I'm more likely to have time to write the occasional comment.

[shadowwolf13]

Improvement is very good. I think I've had some though it could simply be my wishful dreams. ;) I've seen improvement in some, though I've also seen a couple who started out strong and seem to have slumped.

I'm trying to stave off getting sick so I'm taking in Vit C and lots of liquids (mostly peppermint chai) and getting lost of rest in my comfy desk chair. Plus me not moving around the apartment means Nox Puppy stays in one place since she's supposed to be resting from a knee reinjury.

I have noticed that my criteria for getting a vote out of me is getting tougher each week though.

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

I hope you and the puppy both recover well and speedily.

I would also say that I vote for fewer and fewer entries as time goes by and competition gets stiffer.

[kittenboo.livejournal.com]

i'm still sick. trying to think up an entry idea, and reading the other entries, there are some really strong entries out already, it is going to be a tough week deciding who to vote for!

it is icy and rainy here, and my feet are cold. not that any of you can do anything about that.

[boxsofrain.livejournal.com]

Stay warm!

I agree, the entries every week are getting better and better!

[boxsofrain.livejournal.com]

Good morning!!

Yes I think a lot of contestants have gotten better. I think this competition has helped me a lot also. The first few weeks of this, a few fellow idolers critiqued my writing. They gave me a lot of pointers, and I think it has helped me a lot.

That said, if anyone wants to critique me or have me critique them, feel free. :)

[jenandbronze.livejournal.com]

I will keep you in mind for the critique offer.

[alison-sky.livejournal.com]

*pokes head in*

Hi. I'm still alive :)

I'm drowning in doing another play, work, being sick and trying to get the energy and time to edit the novel.

I don't watch Scrubs... sorry... but I do love the new show on TNT, Leverage. If you haven't been watching it, you need to. [/shameless promotion]

[beeker121.livejournal.com]

Leverage is awesome. Well worth everyone's time. [/seconding shameless promotion]

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I don't know as I've seen any real improvement in my own work, but there has definitely been some in others!

I don't watch "Scrubs", sorry. I *do* watch "Grey's Anatomy" and "House" and "Private Practice", so I'm not without my hospital shows!

I'm mentally contemplating my entry, but haven't yet put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to actually write it out as yet. :)

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

What is private practice and what network? I watch very little TV and hadn't heard of this one. I love house but have not been a faithful watcher for a while.