Writer's Blog

...Because there clearly aren't enough in the world, I started another blog for writers. It's cleverly named "Open Vein Writer's Blog". At this time, I post 3 days a week: Tips of the Week on Monday; Spotlight on YOU! on Wednesday (Clickity for more info); "Must Reads" and book reviews, etc on Fridays. Open Vein Writer's Group on MySpace, too, although at this time, I'm only posting Spotlights there.

Other things going on: Not Much. Summer vacation with no school for kids is killer on the writing schedule. Hard to concentrate when every so often someone comes screeching through the house, whistles (which REALLY annoys me), demands food, wants to know what we're doing in the next 20 seconds...I love my kids, I don't love summer vacation.

What I should be doing, instead of playing on the internet....













What I'd rather be doing.




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It's July and I'm wondering where the first half of the year went. If anyone knows, please clue me in! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

What I'm doing in addition to summer vacation with my kids and writing:


Open A Vein Writer's Blog

Open Vein Writers' Group on MySpace

Am waiting to hear back from the editor who judged the Manic Reader's Contest. She requested a partial and full syn, and I sent that off several weeks ago. Yes, I'm very comfortable sitting on pins and needles, but I'm not antsy. Really---it's too soon to be antsy, these things take time. In the meanwhile, I'm going to polish up the entire manuscript and start on a sequel-ish type novel to this one---Maybe "follow up" would be a better descriptor, as I'm taking a very secondary character from the 1st and giving her her own story. The "her" happens to be the sister of the hero in the first.

Happy July! Enjoy it while it lasts, soon it will be August! Then, gack, God help us, Holiday Time again, and gee, won't that be fun? I'm certain it's only a matter of time before the stores put out their Halloween wares.

Monday

So, it's summer vacation---the boys are out of school. We accompanied Mr. Laura to Arizona last week, where Mr. Laura attended training for his job. We have rellies there, and this was the first time the boys got to meet their extended cousins. Lessee... Mr. Laura's mother and Cousin C in AZ's father were first cousins as MIL's father and Cousin C's grandmother were brother and sister. This makes Mr. L and Cousin C first cousins, once removed. Beyond that, I'm muchly confuzzled and am happy to say "Cousins. We're all cousins." Like me, Cousin C has 3 of a kind, but of the opposite leaning.

That was "vacation" for my boys. Today, we're hip deep in What Mom Planned For Summer Vacation.

1. Summer Home School Assignments
2. Chores (daily, weekly rotating, weekly non-rotating)
3. Reading

Yeah, I'm popular. The other thing we're working on this summer is Not Annoying Mommy. Yep. Mom's not so much into the squabbling/arguing/fighting/sniping at each other carp the boys like to engage in. Yeah, I know, I have 2 sisters of my own and it's endemic and often unavoidable, but like the schools, I've adopted a Zero Tolerance Policy. They get one "Knock it off" or "That's Enough!" and then it's straight to their rooms. Yeah. Mom's getting grumpier with every passing year.

Writing.

Wazzat?

Happy summer to all!

Mood

Yep. Mood. Not like "moody teenager" or "PMS moody", but the mood in the WIP. I sometimes use visual cues like the picture above to help set the mood when I'm not seeing the setting very clearly. It helps to know where my characters live, what they see on a daily basis. Most of the time, I can see the setting clearly. But there are times when I need a specific location or something to jog the old imagination.

So, what sort of mood does this picture evoke for you? I find it peaceful, reassuring. Comforting. I can picture an after church picnic happening here, a young couple sneaking off into the woods for a walk and a quick kiss or five. A sudden rainstorm would send people either to their cars or the church for shelter except for the older couple who, laughing, swing each other around and dance to music only they can hear. I can see an old man, white-haired, bent, moving with the aid of a cane slowly across the grass as he looks for a place to be alone. Away from the mourners still at his beloved wife's gravesite...

So many mood possibilities from one li'l picture.

Happy Writing!

Summer Classes...

...I recently received a funny email about "Summer Classes For Women..." and decided that there was clearly a need for "Summer Classes for Men." So, I wrote one up and here it is.


Spring Classes for Men at the Local Community College

How to Purchase Feminine Products for Your Wife, Girlfriend, Female Significant Other
A One Day training course, 9 am-5 pm, Saturday. Bring a lunch. Class will consist of training films, discussion, role playing and finally, a field trip to demonstrate mastery of the curriculum. 1 credit.



Sink Rinsing
This four week class meets T/Th. Sink rinsing basics will be covered, including How to recognize that the sink needs rinsed; How to recognize and utilize the sprayer without flooding the surrounding counter tops; Ajax and it’s many uses; Support group available. 2 credits


Recognizing Common Household Cleaning Tools
This two month class meets 3 days a week, M/W/F. This class must be taken in conjunction with the weekly lab (Use of Common Household Cleaning Tools, lab is 1 credit.) Men will be familiarized with common household cleaning tools such as sponges, vacuum cleaners (and their attachments) and various cleaning products (ie toilet bowl cleaner, Windex...etc). Lab will teach practical application. 3 credits.


What to Do When the Phone Rings
This 1 day course meets 9 am- 5pm, Saturday. Bring a lunch. Men will learn to recognize the various ring tones of phones of all types and will learn how to not give into the urge to yell, “Honey, the phone’s ringing!”. Films, discussion, telephone courtesy, roll-playing and practice (at the home of Professor Isla Teachyousomething, where Prof. Teachyousomething’s aide will place phone calls to the various and assorted telephones so the men can practice answering.) 2 credits.

How to Put the Toilet Seat Down and Replace an Empty Roll of Toilet Paper
Round table discussion, meets weekly to cover such basics as “What is a toilet seat and how is it lowered?”; “How to recognize an empty toilet paper roll.”; “Over or under? Debates over the proper direction for the ‘hanging toilet paper chad.’” ½ credit per week round table discussion attended.


Surviving Dance Recitals, Piano Recitals, Band Performances, High School Football Games, Open House...
Support group for men who find themselves at dance recitals, etcetera, on a regular basis. Meets every Wednesday, 7 pm, unless the moderator has to attend a dance recital, piano recital...

Buying a Birthday/Anniversary/Just Because Card and the Art of Purchasing Flowers
This two month course meets 3 times a week, M-W-F, with the final Friday class being an outing to demonstrate mastery of the concepts taught. Bring your PDA’s, Blackberries, or whatever you use to schedule your work calendar. The different occasions that merit cards will be discussed, as will the art of purchasing flowers with applications of “Getting out of the Dog House” and “Just Because I Love You, Honey.” 3 credits


How to Respond to Such Questions as “Do these pants make my butt look fat?”
This 3 month class meets twice a week, M-W. Concepts addressed include how to recognize a question there’s no right answer for, the art of the manly grunt, how to recognize when you’ve given an incorrect answer and the steps you must take in order to extricate yourself from the dog house. The final will be a practical application wherein men will be required to demonstrate their mastery of course content. 3 credits.

Don't delay, sign your man up today!

Saturday Morning Musings...

...from a not so awake zombie.

That would be me. Nobody could accuse me of being a morning glory.



So, here are my wild and whacky Saturday morning musings. Pardon the jumble. I haven't replaced my blood with caffiend yet.

1. Okay, I've been watching the Jon and Kate Media Train Wreck now for a few weeks and I know I should just look away. I don't really watch the show on TLC, I mean, I didn't want to be around for potty training my OWN kids, why would I want to watch some other kids being potty trained? On TV? Isn't that rather...personal? It's embarrassing enough with the 'rents whip out the old photo album chockful of every mortifying childhood event gleefully preserved for posterity, can you imagine having moving pictures of you sitting on the training toity to do your business, followed by your mother with a camera taking a picture of what you left behind? How gross is that? Ew. Sorry, Kate, that doesn't qualify for "creating memories" for your children. It's just nasty. With, as Mr. Laura would say, with a capital "K."

2. Turf builder weed and feed for your lawn stinks. Yes, stinks. Hard to describe the odor, but it's kinda... I dunno, stinky. You may assume from this that Mr. Laura just weed/feeded the yard.

3. The prospect of cleaning out and organizing the cupboards in my laundry room, astonishingly enough, does not fill me with anticipatory joy.

4. My writing buddies in the Bat Cave at eharlquin think I'm the Cleaning Queen. In fact, so much so, that for a good 4/5 years now, my name "Laura" has been turned into a verb in the Cave. When those crazy bats claim they're "lauraing their cave," they mean they're cleaning their homes. Bwahahahahahaha. I think it's hysterical to have my name turned into a verb and given a definition.

5. Mr. Laura and our middle son are Morning People. Now, I can't claim any responsibility for Mr. Laura's distressing Morning People tendencies, but I'm horrified I gave birth to a Morning People. He's cute, he's witty, he's all boy, but he's a Morning People. Disturbing. GGG.

6. Kids eventually do grow out of being finicky eaters.

7. Tiled floors are cold. This is only a good thing in the heat of summer. Just sayin' is all.

Alrighty then, that's about all my braincell can handle at the moment. Happy Saturday to everyone! Enjoy the last days of May, June starts MONDAY. Shocking, huh?

Pix From My World...

The first beautiful rose blossoming on this rose bush. The VERY first flower. Gorgeous.