Monday, September 18, 2006
  Comments fixed, computer dependency, and critique groups
Ah, illiteration!

Anyway, I figured out what was going on with the comments. Commentary should now come through! Hooray! I thought you all had decided I was really boring. Or just so brilliant there was nothing to add... (yeah, right.)

Don't ask me how the moderate comments option got turned on, since I have always had open comments, and don't remember changing it. One of those mysterious "the computer did it" situations. (At least no one ended up dead, and no inheritance is missing!)

Computers have definately replaced husbands in the can't live with em, can't live without them category. (Though my hubby contends that chocolate replaced husbands long ago...)

Either way, I demonstrated to myself my total dependence on the keyboard last night at a meeting for a local writer's group I was checking out. I didn't have a pencil or pen on me, not even in the bottom of my purse. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry...

Tonight I'm checking out a science fiction writers critique group. I'd love to sit face to face with writers and share comments. And it'd be a great way to make some new friends with common interests.

I've always thought writer's groups are a mixed bag. After all, the notion that you would write a novel by committee seems a bit odd (and obviously that's not what writers groups are supposed to do, but so often the critiques seem to boil down to not much more than "rewrite this in my style, or with my plot ideas.) Even more than that, often the writers involved in critique groups are not very far along in their writing careers; it's sort of like the blind leading the deaf, and if no one in the group has any publishing success, you may be getting not very useful commentary.

Of course, you may be getting incredible commentary. It's just a bit hard to judge. Feedback is, obviously, extremely valuable and necessary. Most of all, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to make friends who have shared interests.
 
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Progressive Muslim, feminist, mom, writer, mystic, lover of the universe and Doug Schmidt, cellist, theologian and imam.


What I'm reading now



Cane River
An interesting exploration of the gradual whiting of a family through slavery to modern days.

To see an archive of all the books I've read (well the ones I've read and review since I started the blog) with comments, please click here

Causes Worth Supporting

This is just a short list -- a few of my favorites.

English Language Islamic Fiction. We need more of it. Lots more.
Pay a Teacher's Salary in Afghanistan. The Hunger site actually has a lot of worthwhile programs. You can find them all here .
Muslims for Progressive Values. My organization. We can always use donations, of time or money!
Human Rights Campaign for the glbt community
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
The ACLU I'm a card carrying member. Hope you'll become one too.
MoveOn.org. The organization that has done the most, as far as I can tell, to pull the countries progressive side together.
Network of Spiritual Progressives. Working to reclaim religion and morality for the religious left.

Blogs Worth Reading

Wanda Campbell also known as Nochipa A very gifted poet and a gentle, compassionate soul. Nochipa and I are on the same page on sooooo many things
Writeous Sister Aminah Hernandez, she's got some excellent latino pieces and always has good writing info on her blog.
Sister Scorpion aka Leila Montour - Leila is a fount of energy, quirky humor, and bad attitude. She's also a talented poet.
Muhajabah Very interesting commentary here. I don't always agree with her, but her pieces are always thought-provoking.
Georgie Dowdell Georgie is a great writer and a good friend.
Louise Marley Another great writer. I think Louise is one of the best sf writers exploring faith themes.
Ink in My Coffee Devon Ellington (who has numerous aliases) who is also the editor of Circadian Poems. A truly inspiring woman with a seemingly endless supply of energy.
Ethnically Incorrect With a name like that, isn't a given I'm going to enjoy this writer?
Freedom from the Mundane Colin Galbraith, another excellent writer, from Scotland.
The Scruffy Dog Review This is a new e-zine with an ecclectic mix of fiction, poetry, and non-fic, some really enjoyable pieces here.
Ramblings of a Suburban Soccer Mom Lara, another gentle soul, very thoughtful.
Circadian Poems A journal of poetry, new stuff up all the time.
Ye Olde Inkwell Michelle writes romance and is one of my writing buddies.
Muhammad Michael Knight The original punk Muslim writer. Like him or love him, Mike is always coming up with the unexpected.

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