Category Archives: Sarah Stories

Robinson Ramblings, Sarah Stories, Sarah's Thoughts

When You’re Trying To Be Productive But You Have Cats

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Cat Life Meets Author Life

Me at desk trying to write.
 
Whirring noise irritating me. “Shoot, I need to refill the dog fountain before it starts whistling and screeching.”
 
Gets up from desk. Walks toward kitchen.
 
Sees cat with tampons in her mouth.
 
Chases cat down and removes said tampon. Minimal scratches, yet maximum cursing occur.
 
Investigates where tampon came from, because I taped the damn box up yesterday to avoid this exact situation from repeating.
 
Can’t find source of cat chewed tampons. Box is still taped. There’s a mystery source of tampons in my house somewhere.
 
Frustrated. Now needs more coffee. Makes coffee.
 
Walks around house in circles sipping coffee wondering why I got up in the first place and what I’m forgetting.
 
Washes a dish. Wipes the counter. Gives evil eye to cat. Still can’t remember what I was supposed to do.
 
20 min laters, goes to sit back at desk and write because #2booksin2months yall. #thestruggleisreal
 
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHHHH.
 
“Oh, shit, I had to refill the dog water fountain.”
 
Gets up and goes to dog water fountain and FINDS A DAMN TAMPON IN IT and now I’m chasing the cat again and the fountain is still screeching and I’m seconds away from switching from coffee to wine.
 
On a separate note, cat for sale.
As in, I’ll pay you to take her.
 
😒
#authorlife #amwriting #amtryingtowrite #RobinsonRamblings

 

[This post was originally published on Sarah’s Facebook profile here. Please follow her there (or on her page) for the most up to date information. For book information, please subscribe to her newsletter here.]

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Robinson Ramblings, Sarah Stories, Sarah's Thoughts

People Are More Important.

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Trigger Warnings: Yay or Nay?

When you choose to be a public figure of any kind, including being an author, you’re choosing to bare a greater responsibility than most. With the privilege, power, and luxuries afforded to you in your position, there’s also an expectation that you’ll use those for the benefit of your followers or readers, or at the very least, not to the readers detriment.
 
This attitude of “I’ll write what I’ll write, no warning, readers be damned” has always shocked me. Write whatever you want–there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what journals are for, or letters, or private blogs, or whatever you’d like to write to help you purge those stories from your soul.
 
Publishing, however, is an entirely different matter and not as cut and dry. Publishing is not a right. It’s not without its rules, as most retailer’s terms and conditions will attest to. And there’s a reason for that.
 
Your words matter. They affect people. Positive, and negatively. God forbid our words hurt a reader irreparably…would it have been worth it? Or would you wish you’d taken the time to put in a small sentence in your blurb giving those struggling a heads up? Would the potential minuscule spoiler for the masses be worth that one person’s life? To me, the choice seems clear, and yes, I feel that strongly about it.
 
While you can never write to please everyone, there is a basic level of respect and care for your readership that should be bare minimum. Write anything you want, however you want, and go ahead and publish it, if that’s what you want. But keep in mind that by publishing a book, you do have a responsibility to properly identify its content. Television shows, video games, news articles, allergies on foods, and the list can go on and on and on for other medias and fields that already do this, so why should books be exempt? It’s not a perfect system, and people will still fall through the cracks, but that doesn’t mean we don’t try.
 
It doesn’t have to be blatant, or spoil the story–it could just be vague enough to give a nod to those who struggle with triggering topics to make them do further research into exactly how triggering it may be. There are so many different ways to do this based on the author’s preference, like a small sentence disclaimer, a more specific blurb, a properly categorized genre, etc. This doesn’t harm the story, or censor the author, and so there’s no reason not to do it.
 
That may not be the popular opinion on social media today, but it’s certainly my belief.
 
Writing is important. Publishing is important.
People are more important.
 
EDITED TO ADD: This is not targeted at a specific book or author. I genuinely believe this applies to all books with relative content.

[This post was originally published on Sarah’s Facebook profile here. Please follow her there (or on her page) for the most up to date information. For book information, please subscribe to her newsletter here.]

Image Credit: http://soshable.com/its-the-people-behind-the-numbers-on-social-media-that-matter-most/people-matter-in-social-media-4/

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Robinson Ramblings, Sarah Stories, Sarah's Thoughts, Social Media

Entering The World of Snapchat

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I’M ON SNAPCHAT NOW!!!

This is very serious, you guys. I’m officially on a new social media platform, and I’m going to be honest… I’m obsessed. Snapchat is so fun–24 hours of pictures before * poof * gone!

Yes, it’s true–my dogs, cats, and other parasitic pets are the stars of my Snapchat stories, but don’t you worry, I also post TONS of selfies. Just what you wanted…I know! There’s some book news on there too, when it comes up, but mostly it’s just me living my life with tons of funny filters 🙂

Also, did you know the filters work on dogs and cats?!?!?! This is very important to know. I will be using this OFTEN.

Come follow me at @booksbysarahrob! 

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[This post was originally published on Sarah’s Facebook profile here. Please follow her there (or on her page) for the most up to date information. For book information, please subscribe to her newsletter here.]

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Robinson Ramblings, Sarah Stories, Sarah's Thoughts, Sarahs Favorites, Writers Tip

Writer’s Tip: Set Easy, Random Goals in Vibrant Colors

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For all the writer’s out there:

Set little, random word count goals for yourself with little treats and rewards along the way. I learned this trick from Rachel Hollis’ Snapchat, and it makes me so productive! I love it, and get in so many more words every day because of it! 😀

Also, I got this notebook at Staples or Office Depot, who knows, and it’s the brand Poppin (no, not a paid endorsement). I also have their pens, paperclips, and other random office supplies from them and I love it. Why? Vibrant colors! I need it for my creativity, and it works wonders.

So, go out to your local office supplies store and buy a notebook that speaks to you and makes you feel excited–be vain about it! Then come home and write all the damn words.

EDIT (9/1/16): I still do this today and it’s helped me write 3 books in the last 5 months! I’m unbelievably more productive, and loving it! 

[This post was originally published on Sarah’s Facebook profile here. Please follow her there (or on her page) for the most up to date information. For book information, please subscribe to her newsletter here.]

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Robinson Ramblings, Sarah Stories, Sarah's Thoughts

When Your Dog Causes Full Scale Building Lockdown at Petsmart

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Apparently, the weekend has started early since I’ve already flashed someone my entire chest. At the vet. In the middle of Petsmart. Which lead to a full scale building lockdown.

I’ll explain.

I had to take Larry, my dog, to get his anal glands expressed this morning (as I have to do every week due to his constantly infected bumhole, which is both a physical thing and a metaphor for his personality). Larry gets so nervous when we go to the vet that he bounces straight up and down a foot in the air the entire time.

Have you ever met a Jack Russell Terrier? That’s all they do.
Bounce, bounce, bounce.

So as I’m talking to the vet at the front desk, Larry bounces up again and grabs the edge of my coat. Yanks it. I shoo him away. Stop being an asshole, Larry. He does it again. This time ripping the sleeve of my coat. Now I’m irritated and pull my hands out of his reach. Doctor laughs and says, oh that silly dog. I try to laugh, but I’m a bit mad at my ripped coat now.

Larry’s still bouncing. Up, down, up, down. Now he can’t yank on my coat sleeve anymore, so this time on his next bounce up, he bites the hem of the front of my shirt and brings it straight down to the ground with him.

In case you didn’t know, I’m a bit well endowed up top. If you yank down my shirt, those suckers come flying out of my top like they just escaped from Alcatraz. Suddenly the cold air is on my nips and the doctor is no longer laughing. I’m no longer laughing. I’m pretty sure I’ve died. Everything goes slow motion as I look down at my bouncing ta-tas outside my shirt, and Larry’s asshole face smiling up at me from the ground.

In my haste to cover myself, I drop the leash. I’ve got more important things to hold at the moment. But as I’m re-imprisoning the escaped convicts into my shirt, Larry seizes the opportunity to bolt for the door.

Now, here’s a fun fact.

Did you know when there is a loose pet in Petsmart, the store goes on lockdown? The front doors slam shut. A red light and siren go off. The PA system repeats “Loose Pet” until the alert is called off. Every single person in the store looks at you and knows you’ve done this.

So, Larry is recaptured.
The alarm is called off.
My dignity is gone.
His anal glands were expressed.
And I cried in the car.

#RobinsonRamblings for the win!
PS: It’s okay to laugh. I’m laughing. Now.

[This post was originally published on Sarah’s Facebook page here. Follow her there for more up to date info!]

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