begin...begin again: good stuff

I came across some really good stuff this week so I thought I would share it with you, with writers who feel stuck, victims of nefarious schemes, and human beings with broken hearts...among others.

Harking back to one of my favorite Stephen King quotes...

...it was done to me today. I was writing about unbearable losses for my WIP when I read a piece that swept me away by the force of HER writing, a mother who lost her newborn child at three days of age during surgery to correct what I presume to have been a congenital heart problem. Please take a moment to read it here . Go ahead, just click here and it will come right up, really good writing about an unspeakable tragedy.

Will somebody please hand me a broom? I have some sweeping to do.

Then there was this empowering little piece from someone you might believe to be clueless about women-of-a-certain-age:

Andy Rooney

"As I grow in age, I value women who are over forty most of all.

...way over forty!

Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over forty will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, “What are you thinking?” She doesn’t care what you think.

If a woman over forty doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it’s usually something more interesting. A woman over forty knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of forty give a hoot what you might think about her or what she’s doing.

Women over forty are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated.

A woman over forty has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn’t trust the guy with other women. Women over forty couldn’t care less if you’re attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won’t betray her.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over forty. They always know.

A woman over forty looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over forty is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one! You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over forty for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of forty-plus, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some twenty-two-year-old waitress. Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free,” here’s an update for you. Now 80 percent of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig, just to get a little sausage."

Thank you, Andy Rooney.

And finally there was this piece from Janet Reid, known to anyone who has ever sought representation by an literary agent as The Query Shark.

Once and for all, she settles the quandary we all face: Should you have an editor review your manuscript before you query an agent about it? She rants about it here along with some basic business advice in case anyone else gets scammed.

So, for this week, Stephen King is proven to be right once again, The Query Shark lives up to her reputation, and dear old Andy Rooney comes through sweet and funny, as usual.

What did you come across this week that caught your attention? That broke your heart? That you needed to hear?

If you're tired of the cold and snow, remember this: