Comments on: Welcome Guest Blogger– Elisabeth Naughton!

By: Connie Dingeman

Connie Dingeman — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:14:41 +0000

Hey Elizabeth,
Not sure how I got here but felt like after getting this far that I had to enter a comment! LOL. I loved reading your “blog”. I must declare this is my first. I guess you can say I’m a “virgin blogger”. I know this is probably a daily routine for you. However, I continued to be amazed by your talent!! You really “know it all”. In a good way of course.

By: Anya Bast

Anya Bast — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:49:16 +0000

Great post, Elizabeth!

This business is not a sure thing for anyone. If a writer starts to feel comfortable enough in this business to act the know-it-know…. Heh. They better watch out.

By: Marissa Scott

Marissa Scott — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:59:45 +0000

What! :-O I don’t know everything? EEK. Snort… ROFL. Seriously, those kinds of people (and I know a few) annoy me to all get out. They may know what works for them but that doesn’t necessarily work for me.

Thanks so much, again, Elisabeth for guest blogging.

By: Elisabeth Naughton

Elisabeth Naughton — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:53:00 +0000

Hi Cynthia. It’s been fun being here today. Thanks again for having me.

Cluelessness loves company. Glad I’m not alone.

By: Elisabeth Naughton

Elisabeth Naughton — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:49:51 +0000

Estella, unfortunately, that’s what happens. I’m not active on those loops I mentioned either - not after the know-it-alls overtook them. It’s sad too, because there were some really great people there.

And I agree, a writer never stops learning.

By: Elisabeth Naughton

Elisabeth Naughton — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:48:31 +0000

ROFL, Alice. The cat is out of the bag. Thanks for stopping by, dear friend.

You’re right. The internet know-it-alls are silenced by the off button. Not so in real life. Last week I got stuck in the McDonalds playland at a table next to a woman who spent a half an hour telling me about her gifted children and her middle school son who has a 140+ IQ. Then she went on and on about her 6 yr old who is the “dumb” one in the family and how he’s ONLY reading chapter books in Kindergarten. I about word vomited all over the table, but somehow I restrained myself. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an “off” button for this woman, and I suffered. Actually, now that I think about it, I’ll take an internet know-it-all over that any day.

By: Alice Sharpe

Alice Sharpe — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:46:46 +0000

Okay, I should qualify my silly comment on clueless because in rereading this, I am aghast. I mean, I have cornered people and talked about stuff without knowing I was boring the socks off of them until later. So, waving hand, guilty here. Rewrite!

It’s the expert advice givers I meant, the people who force their opinions on others, who dominate a conversation and a situation without respect for other people. A little humility goes a long way, witness Nora Roberts as you pointed out.

By: Cynthia Eden

Cynthia Eden — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:50:51 +0000

Hi, Elisabeth! Great post. And I KNOW that I’m generally a pretty clueless gal. There is so much that I need/want to learn about this industry.

By: Estella

Estella — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:38:35 +0000

I am not a writer, but I belong to a few loops and have heard word spewing.
I do not belong to those loops now.
No matter how long a writer has been writing, I think, there is always something new to learn.

By: Alice Sharpe

Alice Sharpe — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:45:37 +0000

Hey, Eli, great subject for a blog.

I am so pleased you referred to me as a “dear friend.” Makes me smile ear to ear. Unless you were talking about someone else in which case, uh, oops. Although it did sound like me what with the worrying about everything!

Who in the world likes a know-it-all? They are insufferable! And it always amazes me how clueless they are. They corner us at parties and talk about their book ideas or gardens or children (groan) and we shuffle our feet and look everywhere but in their eyes and still they prattle on and on. The good thing about Internet know-it-all’s is the off button on the computer.

Because, like you said, no one knows everything and most the time, I’m not sure anyone knows anything. I get rude comments from family members about how I flip flop. It seems I can often see both sides of most issues. I used to decry my lack of focus and then I decided that what it really means is that I can understand different POVs and that’s a handy thing to be able to do when your passion is writing fiction. Right? (I am practicing for Christmas when the subject of dune buggies on the beach comes up. Con. I think. Maybe pro. No, con.)

I loved Mean girls, too. Tina Fey is a jewel.