18 Comments
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Carlotta Dale's avatar

And ... Sleeping Beauty, too!

That cartoon had a BIG impact on me.

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M.E. Proctor's avatar

Right, riiiighttt????

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Carlotta Dale's avatar

Absolutely. The art direction was beautiful.

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Rebecca Rhoads's avatar

Cool interview! You are one fascinating woman!!

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M.E. Proctor's avatar

Ahahah! If you only knew, lol.

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Mr. Troy Ford's avatar

The puppet theater is super eerie! This self-AMA is a great idea, maybe I'll have to borrow it. ;) I too was RIVETED by Maleficent in all her guises (including as Angelina Jolie) - I have a tattoo inspired by her.

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M.E. Proctor's avatar

Thanks for reading, Troy. Q&As can get a bit boring... I won't do one again for a while, lol.

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Jim Cummings's avatar

Excellent, Martine. Lot's of little nuggets of wisdom here.

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M.E. Proctor's avatar

I feel a little guilty... I've been traveling and had little time for a regular post. Thanks for commenting, Jim.

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Douglas Lumsden's avatar

That was fun! I love seeing the different approaches writers take towards getting work out to readers.

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M.E. Proctor's avatar

Thanks for helping me get my newsletter ou! I'm traveling and finding quiet time to write has been difficult... your Q&A helped me meet my deadline!

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Douglas Lumsden's avatar

Always happy to help.

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Richard Donnelly's avatar

Martine I wonder if you're like me. I can write if there's an ask. Substack is an ask. An ask is a mag editor who is accepting submissions, or any venue I have a reasonable shot. Without an ask I have a hard time. For instance, I coughed up a novel thinking I had a reasonable shot at an agent. Now that I realize I don't, I'm having a terrible time starting a second.

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M.E. Proctor's avatar

I tend to give myself too many deadlines: a post, an article, a story... to the point that I get frantic trying to meet them. When I'm in a book, I don't need the kick in the butt, I'm impatient to get back to it (I'm an obsessive time) and I resent the deadlines, even the self-imposed ones, that keep me away from it. Right now, I've cleared my slate and I can get back to the novella, I'm eager to dive back in. I let it sit aside for too long because of too many commitments.

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Richard Donnelly's avatar

Would you write it with no chance of publishing? Also I was being a little dramatic. I'm actually a happy warrior, but maybe I'm conceited or something. I'm motivated by attention.

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M.E. Proctor's avatar

Writing without being published only goes so far for me... "so far" being a dozen years or so. It's because nothing was biting in the books that I let loose in short fiction - tired of the dead pool, (eventually the books got picked up) My husband is different. He's a brilliant writer who writes for himself. He doesn't give a shit about being published. I'm not that Zen.

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Jim J Wilsky's avatar

Enjoyed the Q&A Martine. Great job. - Jim

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M.E. Proctor's avatar

Thanks, Jim!

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