Makin' Friends

[bloodyrosemccoy]

I've made a new friend.

This weekend our family hosted the sort-of-monthly block get-together, and had quite a turnout. Inluded on the guest list was the family from a little ways down the street, which includes a three-and-a-half-year-old girl with a love of purple and a burning (freezing?) aspiration to be Elsa from Frozen.* And Mini-Elsa decided that I was going to be her friend.

So I spent most of the party hanging out with a tiny girl in a sun hat, bonding over having a little brother (as I am a grownup, she is still trying to wrap her head around the idea that I could have a little brother in the same way she does), wishing we could stay up later, the best color for making necklaces (purple), and of course the discovery that we have similar tastes in books such as Little Red Riding Hood and Fancy Nancy.** Then we blew bubbles for her little brother to chase. It was possibly the most fun I've ever had at one of these block parties, largely because it got me out of the endless Moebius strip of small talk I always have to make with friendly neighbors.***

When I wasn't being dragged around by Mini-Elsa, I got to chat with her mother, who is pretty cool. She's about my age, and instead of repeating the endless litany of "I got a job at the planetarium. Still trying to sell my book NO I AM NOT GOING TO SELF-PUBLISH" I got to talk her about books Mini-Elsa might like (stint as a librarian finally pays off!) and, of course, THE FAAAAAAIRIES. She got pretty excited about that one. I think there's going to be a fairy party in about a month.

It's always a surprise to be reminded that I can be good with kids. Heartening for the upcoming job, but it still catches me off-guard sometimes.


*She didn't want to wear her sun hat. "Elsa wears her sun hat in the summer," her mother pointed out.

**I'm not kidding; I LOVE Fancy Nancy. She is allowed to be girly and bedazzly as well as smart and curious and knowledgeable. She reminds me a lot of of my sister at that age.

***The next person who suggests that I self-publish The Book I'm Trying To Sell gets barbecue turkey meatballs poured down their pants.

Comments

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm not going to suggest any such thing. I will suggest, however, that you take a look at this site, because Data Is Good: http://authorearnings.com/the-tenured-vs-debut-author-report/

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Well, there's more to my wish to got the traditional route than the money (reach, quality control, help with advertising, my own hubris, etc.), but money is definitely a factor. So thanks for the link!

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

Having Been There and Done That, I do understand where you're coming from. But the industry is in such flux these days, it never hurts to have as much information as possible to help make decisions.

[redbird]

That sounds most excellent.

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

I suspect that the reason you are Good With Kids is that you treat them like people with interesting things to say, albeit small and sometimes loud people, and are willing to share interesting thoughts and facts in return.There are a lot of grownups who seem to forget that children are also people with interests and theories and opinions to share.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

I hope that's it! A lot of the older neighbors at the party didn't even extend that sort of courtesy to me, which is frustrating, dangit.

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

On reflection, I suspect that too many people forget that other people are people too. That's a depressing thought. Sorry. However, the fact that you are not that kind of person helps to undepress me!

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

The next person who suggests that I self-publish The Book I'm Trying To Sell gets barbecue turkey meatballs poured down their pants.

God, I am with you there. Half of what drove me to frustration with the whole submission process was my inability to discuss it without getting jumped on by well-meaning ~self-publish everything forever~ people with stars in their eyes.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Argh, yes. I know they mean well, but it's so ANNOYING to get it time and time again.