Celebrate the little things (and the big things)

I think it's important to remember to celebrate things. A lot of people get so wrapped up in achieving things that it's hard to take a moment to enjoy the things that you've already achieved.

Not me. I freaking love celebrating stuff. Whether it's my birthday, my half-birthday, the fact that it's Friday, our anniversary (which it is today - happy 5 years, honey!), or just a particularly good hair day, I like to take the time to appreciate it. And eat dessert :)

So I think you should apply this theory to your writing. Yes, obviously celebrate selling your book to an editor or making the New York Times bestseller's list, but you don't need to wait for those monumental milestones to congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Some days, that's finishing a book. Some days, it's just getting 5 minutes worth of writing time that didn't suck. Some days it's thinking up a brilliant title for the next book that you haven't even plotted out yet. Some days it might be just thinking up a particularly witty tweet - or having a NY Times bestselling author tweet you back.

Writing can be solitary and it can be lonely and it can be HARD. So if you aren't finding the joy in just sitting down to write (which, some days you won't), then find the joy in anything at all. And celebrate it.

You're worth it! Because, gosh darn it, you're a writer. And the world needs more of those (and fewer reality TV show stars!) So that alone is worth celebrating (unless you are a reality TV star, in which case celebrate your 15 minutes of fame).

So go have a cookie on me! You deserve it!

Evil Rises

It's time, beloved minions.

It's time, once again, for evil to rise.

In case you missed it, one of our own was knocked down by the Universe recently: Julie Butcher's husband had a little accident with a chainsaw. He's okay but he's already had multiple surgeries, he has a long recovery period ahead of him, and this costs money. A lot of it.

So we're going to help them out.

There's a full summary page on our site here that you can check out. I was going to list some of the "perks" for campaign contributors but...you know...you can just head over and see for yourself. They are too awesome for words. Get out your pocketbook or, better yet, rob a bank, because you WANT what's being offered.

Writers? We've got you covered.

Readers? Yeah you too.

When the Universe kicks one of our own, we kick back.

Hard.

April 1 is known as April Fool's Day, but this is no joke. I repeat: THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS IS AN ACTUAL THING. THE PERKS ARE NOT JOKES. April 1 is also the ELEW's anniversary, so in lieu of an anniversary post this year, we're doing this fundraiser.

So go forth. Be bad guys. Do evil. For Julie.

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Initial Evil Thanks must be given to the following people:

• Leigh Evans and Kerry Schafer, for their hardcore tree shaking and sending so many perks our way.
• Jim Butcher, Lilith Saintcrow, and Danielle Kendall, for jumping on board the very instant we started tossing ideas around.
• Dina James, because none of this would happen--I would never DREAM of running a fundraiser--without my partner in eviltry.

Everyone who shared and blogged and advertised this to get perks donated, everyone who donated, thank you. A lot was put together in just a few days.

I know I broke my Firefly theme. Shut up.

Now we have a month to raise at least $5000.

Let's get to work.

Feeling Too Evil to Blog

Happy Anniversary, Evil League of Evil Writers!

I'd love to join the celebration whole-heartedly, but I'm sick and going through a bunch of madness right now. So, instead of getting all woe-is-me, I'm going to share some evil from another source. My friend Greg Crafts is a playwright and actor and all sorts of entertainment awesome out in LA. This is from his first musical, Super Sidekick. I was lucky enough to read a draft of this in its early stages. It's a ton of fun, and if you ever get the chance to pop by Theatre Unleashed in Los Angeles for this show or any other, make sure you tell him I said "Hi!"

For now... I give you Slurm's Soliloquy ;-)