Please note: My “Reading Reflections” are not reviews. They are simply my thoughts in response to certain passages.

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To whomever found my website by searching “i’m addicted to novels again” — congratulations! That makes me so happy.

(But ironically, today I am posting about non-fiction.)

BOSSYPANTS is really more of a collection of humorous personal essays than it is a true memoir. That said, it does cover Tina Fey’s life from childhood to present day, and it offers insight to her personal life as well as her career. I can’t say that every story was a hit, but I did laugh out loud on more than one occasion.

(Also, I found the background story on the Sarah Palin SNL skits to be particularly interesting. Now I kind of wish Seth Meyers would write a book too.)

This is what I tell young women who ask me for career advice. People are going to try to trick you. To make you feel that you are in competition with one another. “You’re up for a promotion. If they go with a woman, it’ll be between you and Barbara.” Don’t be fooled. You’re not in competition with other women. You’re in competition with everyone. (88)

Underneath Tina’s humor and humility is a noticeable streak of feminism. The normal, non-obnoxious kind. The kind that comes from loving women and believing they deserve equal opportunities. The kind I also subscribe to.

We women have a reputation for being catty, but honestly? In my life, most of my greatest champions have been female. My mother, my lifelong friends, one of my writing professors, certain coworkers, and now my writing group. From what I hear, this is not always the case for women, and that’s a shame. We shouldn’t just be not competing with one another; we should be building each other up, encouraging each other, offering support.

(Well, I suppose all of humanity should be doing that for one another, really. Feminism is in many ways a subset of humanitarianism.)

If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important Rule of Beauty. “Who cares?” (114)

This line — and her whole section on beauty, really — not only made me laugh, but also made me feel better about myself. She’s a smart, funny, successful, and beautiful woman, and she still struggles with all the same issues I do. If she can shrug it off, then maybe so can I.

“The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30.”

This is something Lorne has said often about Saturday Night Live, but I think it’s a great lesson about not being too precious about your writing. You have to try your hardest to be at the top of your game and improve every joke you can until the last possible second, and then you have to let it go. (123)

Note to self: success does not come from perfection.

You have to let people see what you wrote. It will never be perfect, but perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring… (123)

Second note to self: what she said.

One of the worst parts of all this was that I learned what it felt like to be a lightning rod. I got some hate mail, and there are definitely people who will dislike me for the rest of my life … On an intellectual level, this doesn’t bother me at all. On a human level, I would prefer to be liked. (234)

I think this relates to my previous post about watching what you say on the internet. Because while you do want to take care with your words, you don’t wan’t to be stifled by fear. Be smart, not silent. Otherwise you’ve lost without ever trying.

Do your thing and don’t care if they like it. (145)

Easier said than done, but for creatives, it’s good advice nonetheless.

I haven’t done one of these in a while, eh? Well, what better time to load you up with links than right before a long weekend. You’ll have lots of time to read, right? Right.

(Don’t worry, there’s actually only 3, and they’re all great.)

1. Nathan Bransford (formerly a literary agent, currently an author and internet expert) contradicts popular online wisdom by saying: YOU ARE NOT A BRAND.

… brand sorcery used to work in the TV era, but not anymore. The Internet doesn’t tolerate a false front. It loves loves loves nothing more than to expose the truth and stomp all over “brands,” as Tiger Woods and Anthony Weiner have discovered all too keenly.

The only, and I mean only way to approach a world of social media is with honesty, transparency, and authenticity. You can’t fake out the Internet for long.

2. Author Lynne Barrett tells you exactly what magazine editors want, and how you can become it. There’s no bit that’s particularly lovely or quote-able — the WHOLE thing is an invaluable rundown of the submissions process. Seriously, everything I learned in 2-3 years of trial and error, she condensed into 4 pages. Read it.

3. I don’t know much about Chuck Wendig, except that his list “25 Things You Should Know About Self-Publishing” is absolutely spot on. Also: brutally honest, and a tad vulgar, but in a funny way.

2. Not Better, Not Worse, Just Different
Publishing your own work is no magic bullet; it guarantees nothing and is not a “better” or “smarter” way to go than the more traditional route. It’s also not a worse path. Each path has its own thorns and rocks, just as each path offers its own staggering vistas and exhilarating hikes.

7. Your Book Is a Boat Which Must Ride Upon Sewage
Those ass-tastic self-published books are your competition. But they’re the competition of any author.

8. Pinocchio Wants To Be A Real Boy, Goddammit
Treat your book like a real book. [...] Make it look nice. Sound nice. Read nice. Force the book to command the credibility and respect that others of its ilk are lacking.

Enjoy the wisdom. Also: the long weekend. Anyone have fun plans?

“The wind makes the leaves go swishy swishy. I hear a kid shout, maybe in another yard behind the big hedge or else he’s invisible. God’s yellow face has a cloud on top. Colder suddenly. The world is always changing brightness and hotness and soundness, I never know how it’s going to be the next minute. The cloud looks kind of gray blue, I wonder has it got rain inside it.”

Inspired by Room, I’m over at We Heart YA today, talking about unusual points of view.

Random.org has decided that The Love Goddess’ Cooking School goes to… Joy! And Half a Life goes to… Juliann! Congratulations, ladies. I will contact you shortly for mailing addresses. Big thanks to everyone who participated.

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On Saturday Sarah, Stephanie, Joelle, and I attended a 7-author YA panel at Joseph-Beth. It was really cool to get to meet all these living, breathing, working authors and find out hey, they’re just regular people like you and me! I mean, we sort of knew that, right? But it’s still fun to get the in-person reminder. It was also a very diverse group, in terms of genre (not in germs of tenre, which is what I originally typed). Their books range from historical to paranormal romance to contemporary to murder mystery.

For quotes/thoughts/recaps, check out Sarah’s post “Fangirl.” She says pretty much everything I was thinking. The only thing I want to add is this hilarious remark from Saundra Mitchell:

If Romeo & Juliet were written about 30-year-olds, it would be pathetic. At 14, it’s beautiful and tragic.

From L to R: Joelle, Sarah, Stephanie, Saundra Mitchell, Julie Kagawa, Linda Gerber, Kristina McBride, Sara Bennett Wealer, Julia Karr, Kay Cassidy, and me.

Psst! Don’t forget to check out the July giveaway for your chance to win HALF A LIFE by Darin Strauss or THE LOVE GODDESS’ COOKING SCHOOL by Melissa Senate.

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I have just a few days left in July, and no idea whether or not I will finish my first draft. I think it’s still doable, but it’s turning out a bit differently than I expected. I’ll blog more about that next week.

In the meantime, please enjoy these writerly links. I sure did!

1. Brian Buckley’s sixteen simple rules for writers. Sadly, these are absolutely true. Wry and paradoxical, but true nonetheless.

2. Kate Hart provides a really nice visual breakdown of YA cover demographics. Conclusion: They are not all “dark.” In fact, they’re mostly white. And by white, she means ethnically.

3. In a lovely and unexpected analogy, Joelle compares writers to spiders.

The story when completed will snare a reader’s attention and wrap that person up in it until the story is done. The reader will then rest upon those delicately woven threads realizing that they have been caught up in the web that the author has created. Smiling and sated the reader will wait in delicious anticipation for the next story.

4. Last but not least, a LONG but inspiring keynote speech from bestselling romance writer Sherrilyn Kenyon about the hardships she faced and overcame. Makes my life seem like an afternoon stroll through a garden of roses.

In my darkest hour, my best friend who happened to be an editor for a magazine did the most incredible thing of all. She offered me work. “Now I know you haven’t written in awhile, but if you’re willing to do it…”

Oh my God, are you serious? I can get paid and not take off my clothes? I’m so there.

I hung up and went to the closet where my husband kept his old typewriter. Then I sat down on the floor — we had no furniture in our apartment at that time — and the moment my fingers touched those keys the most amazing thing happened. Every character. Every voice I’d silenced on that cold winter night when my brother had died, came back with a screaming clarity. I had no choice but to write.