On Bacon:
Okay, so Quinn thought he'd be reeeaaal clever and ask: "If some virus or something caused all the pigs in the world to die--meaning, no more bacon--what would you do?"
I'm not even sure I can answer this question. I mean, seriously. How about: medicate myself with another salted cured meat. Would that work?
Probably not. #savethepigs!
Katie Ganshert asked: "When did your love affair with bacon first begin? Was it love at first sight? More of a falling in love as you get to know each other better type of thing? Have you ever gone through rough patches?"
I've loved bacon for as long as I can remember. Totally love at first sight. And doesn't every relationship have it's rough spots? Yes. Bacon and I...we're sort of evolving into new areas right now. You know, maple sugar, chocolate. The possibilities really are endless.
And dude! I just got this book from my editor. My life is now complete.
On Quitting:
Carolina Valdez Miller asked: "Have you quit? I mean, have you ever just said, "I can't do this anymore," and stopped writing? At least for a while?"
Oh, I've definitely said, "I can't do this anymore," and it was said in extreme frustration. But did I quit? No. I might take a break and watch my favorite movies (Two Weeks Notice and Pirates of the Caribbean) or make too much food or curl up with my Pillow Pet. But I haven't actually quit writing.
Kathryn Packer Roberts asked: "Do you have a book(s) that you absolutely loved and had to shelve to move on to the one you are publishing? How did that feel and why did you end up coming to that decision? Do you think you will ever go back to that/those books?"
1. Yes, I queried another novel before POSSESSION. Yes, I loved it. Yes, I thought it was good. I was wrong.
2. Shelving that book felt like ripping out my heart, sticking it in the microwave, and watching it explode. I had to shelve it because deep, deep down inside the tiny part of myself that knows things knew it wasn't "the one." And I'd queried every agent on the planet and they all said no. That convinced me, too.
3. No, I don't think I'll go back to that book. I like the characters and the concept, and I might rewrite it from blank pages using their names and the overall idea, but that's it. In the far distant future. It's not a project that's even on the stove right now.
What about you? Have you ever quit? Are you contemplating throwing in the towel? Why? And most important: What would you do if pigs landed on the extinction list? (Perish the thought.)
Dddduuuudddeeeeee you already know the answer to this! Everyday (right now) feels like a struggle with one bad thing happening after another...
ReplyDeleteOn a good notes, if the pigs were about to go extinct, I would whip out my time machine and REWIND so you can gather as many as possible for yourself. Yes, I love you so much, I would give you all the pigs in the whole wide world :)
Jews wouldn't miss bacon so much. Luckily I'm not kosher.
ReplyDeleteI've wondered how many novels I should write, how many years I should say I'm a writer, yet not be published before I should give up. But then I remind myself I'm only as good as my next word, sentence, and so on. I'm bound to improve. Maybe.
Your post title made me laugh out loud :)
ReplyDeleteI've backed off from pushing myself to the next step and taken breaks when life gets too crazy - but I've always enjoyed writing so I can't imagine quitting :)
Sure, I've thought about pursuing a different career (quitting, lol). This is a hilarious post! If pigs die out, maybe you'll take up eating squirrel? *grin*
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine every quitting. Yes I get frustrated and take breaks, watch movies, get some Starbucks, you get the idea.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the pigs go, that would be a sad, sad day at my house...my son loves bacon!
Haha! Love that you answered my question.
ReplyDeleteSince pigs aren't yet extinct though and you don't have to switch to a different salted, cured meat, I have another question for you ... have you ever had samgyeopsal? I don't know if you have many Korean restaurants where you are. Samgyeopsal is pretty much like thick bacon that you fry at your table. It's seriously like the main thing that people eat here if they go out. The only thing is, Koreans don't let it get crispy, so you gotta fight them off so your pieces actually survive to make it to gorgeous crispiness. I recommend you try it. Thick bacon and it's an entire meal -- well, you also get sidedishes and rice and some kind of stew.
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ReplyDeleteYes, I am shelving my first novel and hoping to rewrite part of it after I have completed some others first. I don't want to give up on it, though.
ReplyDeleteI love bacon, too, but I rarely order it in restaurants because so few people cook it right. I want it so crisp that it can snap. I hate any trace of fat on it. Burn it, baby!
Oh.My.Gosh you scared me. I thought this was going to be an extremely morbid post because the title scared me.
ReplyDeleteThank Goodness I saw I love bacon and #savethepigs as I was scanning so I looked past my initial reaction and read.
#SAVETHEPIGS!
I love the book your editor sent. How super fun!!!
LOVE your explanation on what it feels like to shelve a novel. I recentlly did that and it just stung. I loved it, loved the characters, but I knew it wasn't THE ONE. It's like a bad break-up...in a couple years we can maybe be friends again, but for now the MS has to stay hidden in a word document.
ReplyDeleteIf all the pigs died I'm sure there could be bacon made out of other types of meat and then seasoned or chemically engineered to TASTE like real bacon. I.E. Turkey Bacon.
I think I need a pillow pet.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm way too stubborn to shelve a novel, I'll just keep re-writing it until I go mad.
I saw something on Food Network that there's a restaurant serving deep-fried bacon. =o)
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, Elana. Pork products are here to stay, and if something did happen to the pigs, mankind would find a substitute.
I've contemplated quitting so many times it's like an old refrain in my writing-life song. Now when thoughts of quitting bubble up, I just smile wistfully and forge ahead. After all the rejection and the criticism and the writer's block and the squirms and the re-writes, edits, papercuts, hard drive crashes, deadlines... who wouldn't at least think about chucking this crazy endeavor for something saner - like bomb disposal? ;o)
What's a pillow pet?
ReplyDeleteAnd you know my trials and tribulations with writing well enough. Up and down, all around. Well, like you, I won't quit, I'll morph.
1. I've loved every one of your books and there isn't one that didn't think was good enough to be published...just sayin' :D
ReplyDelete2. Turkey bacon isn't all that bad...you know, should pigs all up and die...of course, I think turkey bacon is flavored with actual bacon so there may be a problem there :D
3. I thought I was reopening a shelved project...but in the process of rewrites, it's pretty much a new book with same characters and general idea - and I'm loving it all over again :) Now we'll just have to see if anyone else does LOL
I actually really like turkey bacon. I have a Pavlovian-response to the smell of turkey bacon and instant hazelnut lattes, because that was what I ate for breakfast every day one summer during college, when I worked at the library...
ReplyDeletePigs extinct? There are too many men...oh,wait, you're not talking that kind of pig. Just kidding, just kidding! I love men! And as long as my brain can produce new wrinkles, I'll never give up.
ReplyDeleteI love bacon too, but it has to be cooked just right. Sometimes it's a bit too undercooked for me and other times it is overcooked. I feel like the only person who can cook it the way I like it is my mom. As for writing and quitting--yes, I think about quitting all the time. I feel like I keep writing and writing, but I never get any better, even though I read up on techniques, etc. I'm feeling right now that I just don't have the natural talent or that natural voice and never will. But, I enjoy the process of telling a story and creating so I keep on doing it. I just shelved the story I've been working on for 2 years (which is SO discouraging in itself) and now I'm trying to do character profiles and a rough outline on my next idea. We'll see how it goes!
ReplyDeleteGood Lord! You have to work on naming these posts or you're going to give me a coronary! I was packing up my gear to head into the good old family survival shelter, when thankfully I read the post and discovered there would in fact be more bacon. No pigs=apocalypse in my book, and I was prepared to not surface for the next 50 years. And yes, you can infer that I have my own underground hog farm ...
ReplyDeleteChocolat on bacon, seriously? I'll have to think about that.
ReplyDeleteAnd shelving books and moving on? Yes, it really does feel like I've put my heart in the microwave and it's about to explode. Good analogy. I love your blog.
While I don't share a love of bacon (vegetarian for 4 years, now moved up to chicken and turkey only). However, I did shelf my first manuscript (which I did as a series of 2 books so technically my first 2 manuscripts). Did it hurt? A little, but I was working on two other projects when I made the decision, so I didn't have time to think about it. I think that's important, while querying work on something else. The rejection hurts less when there is another project to be excited about.
ReplyDeleteYou know, turkey bacon tastes almost as good. I think you'd make it in a pigless world.
ReplyDeleteI love how you described shelving a book. While disgusting, that analogy is spot-on.
Funny timing for this post... last night, when serving a lovely vegan soup to my friend, I said, "You know I love eating a mostly vegan diet (for the health reasons not the philosophical ones), but this soup would be so much better with a giant ham hock in it." :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I've considered not marketing and seeking publication at times, but never considered not writing anymore.
You had me worried there. I thought we'd have to switch to imitation bacon. And that stuff is just nasty.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you've never quit. But also equally inspiring that you've faced that frustration of thinking you should and gotten through it. ;)
I don't think I've every wanted to quit, take extended breaks, yes, but not quit.
ReplyDeleteIf pigs died that would be awful, they are the magically animal, don't you know.
I don't really think about quitting. I love to write and right now it's just a hobby. Do I want to be published? Sure, who doesn't? Will I be frustrated until I am? No. There's no point. You know, that all might change one day but I hope it doesn't. Writing calms me and I need calming quite often :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the bacon. Check this out.
http://www.voodoodoughnut.com/menu.php
Look at the Bacon Maple Bar. I've heard it's so good!
I took a few month break from writing when I was planning my wedding this year. But it was just a temporary break and I don't see myself taking another extended break anytime soon. I've never seriously thought about quitting and hope I never do!
ReplyDeleteLOL, I just got that book for my husband for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI've never felt like I needed to quit, but I do need breaks sometimes. But I need breaks from my day job, too. It's the same thing. Sometimes we just get a little burned out and need to recharge our batteries.
Hope you have a relaxing holiday!
Will you maybe revisit that first MS someday?
ReplyDeleteHope you're having a fun winter break!
Um. How did you know! I bought this for you for Christmas. http://bit.ly/e2DFyh
ReplyDeleteMama loves bacon! I guess I'd have to switch to turkey bacon, although I think we all know the grease/crispy factor just isn't there.
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't quit writing, but I've had some low lows.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
There's been tons of times I've wondered what the heck I'm doing when it comes to my writing. Fortunately I have a lot of writer friends who talk me off the ledge. I'm starting to feel more confident . . . at least until I start querying again in the New Year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your answer to my questions. I am at the same point you were, shelving my cherished book and starting a new one. That was a difficult decision and one I had to think a lot about. Even though I had a lot of people say they loved the book/idea, I just felt like I was patching something broken every time I did revisions. Now that the decision is made and I have a super great idea for my next book I am actually excited about it. A fresh start. It feels great. This time I can use everything I've learned right at the start and not patch it up later. Can't wait to see where this idea takes me.
ReplyDeleteOh, my! A world without bacon really would be sad. As for the quitting part, yes. I took over 6 months off before I re-wrote this MS. I nearly gave up then, but fortunately there are a few who believed in me even when I didn't. I hope this time's the charm. If not, I'll face that heartache and start over. Just like you! :-)
ReplyDeleteI would not be a happy camper if pigs went extinct. They are too tasty. Save the pigs!
ReplyDeleteAs for quitting, I did actually. I quit for many years but a swift kick to the head brought me back to what I love to do.
I've thought about quitting. Sometimes still do. I think it but I don't know that I'll ever do it.
ReplyDeleteAs for the pigs, I'll just ditto what you said: Perish the thought!
I refuse to acknowledge that a world without bacon could ever exist! I mean, it makes EVERYTHING better!
ReplyDeleteSTS = Save the Swine! Omg, totally perish the thought. I don't think I could completely do without pork, bacon especially. If you ever get the chance you should go to this restaurant (I've never been) www.boccalone.com.
ReplyDeleteI've quit writing a book because I just couldn't connect to the characters any more at that point. I may go back some time but for now, no. :)
If you love bacon, never move to England. Ever. They have THE WORST bacon in the world here, all fatty and thick and limp and greasy. Just... yuck.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I had a genius and inspiring comment all ready to go and then I saw Talli's comment on the bacon in the UK sucking and I'm just floored. So much for my dream of moving to London! :)
ReplyDeleteI do think about quitting about every day. Why? Because I'm not sure I'm good enough, it's extra work, and I already have a career I'm good at with a lot less "no." But I do like writing so for now, I'm hanging in there.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm always wondering what the heck I'm doing and if anything will ever pan out, but I don't let it get me down (at least, I try not to). :)
ReplyDeleteI was trying to answer your second question about pigs by thinking of a suitable replacement for bacon and...I can't. I just...there IS no suitable replacement!
I haven't quit because I've barely started! Although working on the sequel to my book makes me wonder if I can even do it again.
ReplyDeleteNo pigs? Veggie bacon.
hi miss elana! mostly people that know me could know i dont never quit! not ever! i could get feeling down some times but i get back up and go. i could for sure get down if pigs got extincted.id be-achin for bacon! ha ha. yikes! no bacon? no pork chops? no pigs head soup and more worse no pig snout snacks? ack! for sure youd need to do a save the pigs campain. save those little oinkers! :)
ReplyDelete...hugs from lenny
I would be very sad if all the pigs died. I loves me some pulled pork.
ReplyDeleteAs for the quitting, yes, I quit all the time, but then I start up again. I'm not sure what's up with that. I'm either determined or pathetic. I'm not sure which.
I don't think I've ever gotten to the point of saying "That's it, I'm done writing!" ...but then again, the only time I've heard people say that is when they're going through edits or trying to meet deadlines and feeling all that pressure. I've yet to reach that stage, so I really can't say anything, except that this is all I've ever wanted to do, and I can't imagine giving it up for something else.
ReplyDeleteAs for all the pigs dying... well I REALLY can't comprehend that one. It's too, too terrible...
How you described your shelved novel is exactly how I feel about my first-ever-queried-manuscript. I might do a major rewrite in the distant future, with the same characters but much stronger plot, but I'm so not writing it anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful holiday with lots of bacon! :D
"save the pigs" Isn't that kind of ironic? Save the pigs so we can kill and eat them!
ReplyDelete*sigh*
ReplyDeleteI think about quitting.
I'm not quite on the bacon bandwagon you are . . . BUT I love ham. So I'd still freak if pigs became extinct.
For the past 2 weeks I have struggled with quitting… it took some deep soul searching to move past my depression/ self-doubt that my writing has invoked in me.
ReplyDeleteThe main reason I couldn’t give up, was the characters in my head. They saw their untimely death, and wouldn’t let me end them in that manner. Their story must be completed, even if it doesn’t meet a high standard of writing.
At least the story will be told, and they can rest-in-peace, maybe then I can move on.
I couldn’t imagine a world without pigs, and I hope I never have to.
I've never quit writing, per se, but I have stopped writing. I had about a year and a half where I wrote hardly anything. My ideas weren't flowing at all, so it wasn't that I quit, it was that I just couldn't write. I tried to write, and nothing happened. No stories, no good characters, nothing. It was terrible. I think after experiencing that, I don't think I could ever quit on purpose.
ReplyDeleteI love bacon... let's not even think of a world without pigs and bacon... O.o
I've never quit but I have had long periods of unproductivity. I am a writer so I can't forever quit what I am. Just isn't possible. And pigs won't ever become extinct so there's no need to worry. :)
ReplyDeleteElana, your next book can be about a dystopic society that has no PIGS! But one girl has the power to sense them. One teenage girl has THE SNOUT! She smells crispy bacon anytime a pig is near. But she must fight the pig lovers who are hiding them. It's the BATTLE FOR BACON!
ReplyDeleteYes. I've quit, but never forever. And I guess I'd miss bacon! :-)
ReplyDeleteIf all the bacon were gone along with all the turkeys I guess I would have no choice to make Tofu Bacon.
ReplyDeletehttp://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/1131/tofu-bacon.html
Yes, I love bacon too much to quit.
Have I ever quit? No. But I have taken long breaks from submitting anything, which is kind of similar. I definitely go through periods of living with the "crazies."
ReplyDeleteAnd if all the pigs died, I would go to a lab where they keep pig cells for research and experimentation and I'd take those cells and I'd clone a bunch of pigs. Obviously. There cannot be a world where bacon doesn't exist.
Howdy, I’m Jhon. I’m a designer living in California, MD. I am a fan of technology, web development, and football. I’m also interested in swimming and dogs. Blogging Kaise Kare| Earn money online.
ReplyDelete