Thursday, November 6, 2008

Facebook Etiquette

So, am I allowed to friend an ex-boyfriend on Facebook and be all "What the heck?"

Hee! I love facebook.

Don't worry, I haven't been sitting around for the past twenty years pining over this boy. I was pretty much past that within a month of our breakup. Anyone who knew me in high school knows I didn't waste much time pining about the ones who got away when there were always the ones to still get on the horizon.

It was just a weird relationship. I'm curious about it, in a "I'd forgotten pretty much about it until I saw he was on facebook" kind of way. He was far more popular than I was in the lovely stratified social world of high school...the first person I dated where random girls would come up to me in the hallway or cafeteria and threaten me.

Didn't you just love high school, I ask sarcastically?

Anyway, he was really nice to me, right up to the day he broke up with me.

It was pretty confusing, but as I said, I got over it. But I've always felt like there was a story there that I missed. I feel like I was very much a bit character in a larger story that I didn't get to read.

Maybe I'll write my own story about it. I'm sure it'd be far more interesting than the reality. Maybe he could have been visited by a future version of himself telling him he needed to break up with me so that I could go on and meet TK and have twin boys who one day would save the universe. Or maybe he was some kind of Jekyll/Hyde monster, and the evil half took over. Or maybe he just really liked the girl he broke up with me for. Hmm, that sounds the most reasonable but least intersting. I think I'll go with the "the universe fated me to end up with TK version". Yo, thanks, universe! You got that one right!

Any budding YA authors have an alternate explanation they'd like to write? I think this is far more fun and less stalker-y than finding him in Facebook and demanding an explanation nearly 20 years later.

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You're all awesome. You're all so sweet! Comment burnout hadn't occurred to me. I could see I still had as many readers as normal, but instead of 10% leaving comments, only like 2% were leaving comments. I was feeling a little low. I promise to be a little less needy from now on ;)

But we can all come together to discuss hotties, right?

I have to do a follow up post about that one. I have more opinions about all your comments. I'll probably write it tomorrow, so it's your last chance to leave your vote for your celebrity crush.

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Current NaNo Word Count: 10,830.

Current NaNo attitude: Much improved! I went to a write-in last night. I was in a bad place, struggling for every word of my novel, really hitting a brick wall. The change of venue was just what I needed, though. We spent too much time talking when we first got there, though it was good to get to know everyone and I certainly wasn't complaining as I was in a spot where it was NOT fun to be writing.

Then we got to work. I put a 500 word challenge out there (race to 500 words), and got trounced. Not surprising as I was still very much TRAPPED in my novel. Who said "No plot, no problem"? Because no plot....PROBLEM!

Did a 20 minute sprint, and I churned out a little over 500 words. Most of it random description that will probably be cut in the first edit I hate to say. Writing just to be writing, hoping that something would shake loose. And you know what? It did. It was amazing. The next part of my novel opened right up.

Some people had to leave, but the three of us left did another 20 minute sprint. And I hit nearly 750 words. That's almost 40 words a minute. I didn't even know I was capable of typing that fast.

It was amazing. There was a different energy about writing with a group, and it was just what I needed. This morning a huge plot point finally coalesced for me. I'm back on track, idea-wise. Which probably means I should stop blogging and start writing. Though the Backyardigans my kids are watching is almost over so I guess I'll be playing, which'll be fun, too.

Oh, and I crossed the 10k mark. 1/5 of the way to the goal of 50k words, though I'm starting to notice that once again, just like last year, my novel is going to be more like 75k words. No way will I get 75k words done this month. Ah well, still aiming for 50k this month, and the other 25k will be a problem for December.

Still nervous about the upcoming time constraints, but once again enjoying the challenge!

10 comments:

LauraC said...

Facebook is insane to me. By insane, I mean completely irrational. People who were never really my friends in high school request to be my friend. I was valedictorian and class president so it seems that everyone remembers me from high school and I only remember wanting to get far far away from the idiocy.

Two ex-boyfriends have wanted to be "friends." I just say yes to everyone!

(it was really nice to hear the guy who broke my heart is single!!! look at me and my career and my hubby and my kiddos and my effin treehouse in my suburban backyard!!! IN YOUR FACE SUCKA)

Anonymous said...

The contract is out on anyone foolish enough to break up with you. Obviously, he was sorely lacking in good taste and totally unworthy.

This opinion is expressly without bias and with complete impartiality.

As the pizza box says "you tried the rest, now have the best!" Why settle for a prince? Long Live The King!

Way to go on breaking 10K!

Nancy said...

LOL I think I mentioned that in my post about myfacespacebook. heh I also think that I decided against friending my ex...

And I totally agree with Laura - all these people I wasn't friends with are trying to "friend" me. Of course, I'm like - "sure!" but still...it's very strange.

What A Card said...

I highly, highly doubt any of my ex-boyfriends would attempt to friend me on facebook. I've never been a particularly friendly or overly nice person. Or more precisely, I've never been one to hold back my opinion, and many of my ex-boyfriends were on the receiving end of my very bad and very vocal opinions of them.

And Momma (jongirl), don't worry, I never had any expectations that he was a prince. He was the kind of guy who for $2 and a dare would eat a cracker everyone at a lunch table had spit on. Once again proving I never really understood the workings of high school popularity.

Nancy, I can't stop laughing about NoBlo. You know it's all I'll be thinking about at pickup. I'll be all "so Nancy, what are you and your husband doing this weekend? Oh, I forgot, you're busy with NoBlo."

Nancy said...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Oh man. Those other mommies are *so* going to not want to be anywhere near us *sigh*

...I guess that goes along with the mommy dating post though ;)

Anonymous said...

Well I have 2 exes on FB and it for one, it was a little weird. We play Scramble (when I'm not playing your mother LOL). And Jeff too - but he doesn't count :)

The whole "we weren't friends in HS but we're FB friends now" bit completely weirds me out. But whatever. The only person I said no to was my mother. Seriously.

Melodie said...

I don't do MySpace or Facebook. People put some weird shit on those things, so I've decided to abstain.

Melodie said...

I've left you a little goodie over on my blog. Go check it out.

Ronnica said...

I've gotten behind on my bloginess (story of my life since early October...oh well, I don't mind it if others don't mind the sporatic nature of my commenting), but I wanted to stop by and see how your NaNo was going. I'm glad to see that it's going well!

Oh, and you can totally friend an ex, I did. Two of them. I haven't really said anything to either of them (they probably both think I'm crazy, anyway, don't need to give them ammo), but maybe I'll throw out a "happy birthday" when their birthdays roll around.

Anonymous said...

I love this topic. My friend M and I are total stalkers--we've looked up all sorts of personal info on our ex's. Just a curiousity thing, I suppose. But fun anyway. I like thinking "Hey, I've done much better since dating YOU". And it's interesting to see how their life has turned out. My hubby just had his 20 yr reunion and he was a hottie in HS, so I was really nervous. But 20 years have passed by and everyone was "normal."
I totally agree w/ someone's comment on "you weren't friends w/ me in HS, why choose now?"