Musings of a Chocoholic Romance Author

I Know Why!

2012-01-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's well-known that Sherry (and sometimes Valerie) like to twit me about WHY? But WHY? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?

As discussed yesterday, Valerie insisted there MUST be a plot to drive the story, so it seems oddly and ironically fitting that I was in the car this morning, on my way home from dropping Kiddos #3 and #1 off for school...listening to Toby Keith as I sat in the long line of cars inching through the 3-way stop intersection when the brainstorm hit.

Clipart from clipartheaven.com

The ideas are marinating even as we speak, which is good, and I'm excited to get to the writing today.

And of course, I had to IM Sherry as soon as I got home, to share the news. She's already in a state of disbelief that I'm going back to do some layering before the rough draft is fully completed (she wickedly accused me of mocking her - as if I would do something like that) and her response to my joyful "I know Why!" was:

Image

Stop it. It's early and my heart is delicate.

Sherry Jones

Then she provided me a list of MORE Why's to consider. Because she can't help herself. Gotta love her determination to drag me into thinking on a more conscious level about plotting, rather than the unconscious level I tend to prefer.

Why?

It's the most important question you can ask about what happens in your WIP. If you know why, you're well on your way.

However...I am hereby cancelling all "Why" pop quizzes. I do know why...I just don't always have it defined enough to articulate it to someone. That's the great thing about writing...no one can tell in the final product just how it got written. :D By the time I'm finished, all the why's have been addressed.

&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&

A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is - full of surprises.

Isaac Bashevis Singer

I Blame Valerie Parv

2012-01-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, as I've said many times, I write by the seat of my pants. Make an outline? Are you kidding? Why would I do that? White board jokes abound, my plotter friends (Sherry Jones) throw dry erase markers at me. These planner types are very fond of questions like "Why?" and "What about the plot?"

So, what about the plot?

Until yesterday, I was happily tooling along, writing on the WIP, overjoyed that that words were flowing. It's all awesome, getting the story down, in the first, very rough draft, and just having a heck of a good time getting to know my characters, playing with scenes - in short, having a blast playing in my own little world, ecstatic to be there.

Now then, I'd sent Valerie Parv an IM that said, "This is the Writing Police."

Her response? "You have no jurisdiction here."

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Apparently, she believes that we're on two different continents, in two different hemispheres means I have no jurisdiction to hassle her a bit. I disagreed, and we wound up talking about my WIP. (Sometimes we talk about Valerie's WIP, but yesterday, it was mine in the hotseat.)

She liked the title, liked what I told her, then she dropped the W bomb.

"Why?"

Uhhhh....

Shrugging Emoticon

"What why?" (Me, disingenuously.)

Valerie: "You have to have a plot."

Head Scratching Emoticon

Valerie: "It drives the story forward."

Well, yeah, it does. I KNOW that, but Valerie, you're asking such HARD questions. I don't analyze, I don't ask questions (in the first draft round of writing)...I just take dictation from the Muse. Valerie made a fairly rude suggestion about what I should tell the Muse about the way she does things.

Shocked Emoticon

But, and I'm REALLY loathe to admit this (and many will snicker - Sherry Jones, Valerie Parv, possibly Angie and Grace...and likely an entire cave of bats, and they know who they are, just as well as I do)...The wheels started turning as I considered just what I could do with the elements I already had down, and it had it's own soundtrack by The Cars. *You Might Think* is a fun song to have playing on an endless soundloop in your noggin while you go through your morning ablutions. *Nodding. And rather appropriate that I have The Cars serenading me while contemplating Plot...because both cars and plot DRIVE something/someone somewhere. Yeah, I just made an analogy. I'm shocked and dismayed that I did, especially since it's so...PLOTTERISH.

And because I'm so busy answering questions, I"ll pose one and provide the answer..."What does this mean for the WIP?"

Why, I'm glad you asked! This means that I will go back to the beginning (I'm almost through chapter 6, but it's in a good spot to just abandon it and pick up later), and start layering in all these crazy, plotterish notions that have been occurring since OMG, The Sun's Not Even Up Yet O'Clock this morning. Let the fun begin! It's all creative, it's all writing...Creatively writing = Happy Laura.

And it's all Valerie Parv's fault.

@&@&@&@&@&@&@&@&@&@&@&@

When we read, we stat at the beginning and continue until we reach the end. When we write, we start in the middle and fight our way out.

Vickie Karp

Ode to My Sourdough English Muffin

2012-01-23T08:07:00.000-08:00

Ah, I love your toasty, buttery taste upon my tongue

Sweet with apricot preserves

Craggy nooks to capture melted butter

What could be better?

With a side of scrambled eggs and a lashing of bacon

A complete breakfast you make to fill my belly

The aroma of burning bread crumbs in the toaster wafts throughout the house

Who wouldn't want this for breakfast?

*****

Roses are red,

Violets are blue

I'm hungry for sourdough English Muffins

What about you?

*****

There once was a sour muffin

Of English extraction, that's somethin'

In the toaster it goes

It's tasty, goodness knows

This yummy sourdough muffin

*&^*&^*&^*&^

Yes, I can be bribed to not attempt to write an ode, or any other form of poetry for that matter, again. Will entertain all bribes and give them all due consideration.

Apparently, I'm hungry, and specifically I'm hungry for a sourdough English muffin with scrambled eggs. The bacon was a teaser, as it's in the freezer and I'm too lazy to thaw it and sizzle it.

Since today is so random, I'll leave you with a few thoughts.

This woman is crazy. Go read her blog: The Bloggess. I'm particularly fond of the posts where she mentions her husband, Victor. I almost feel sorry for Victor, but can't quite make it genuine, because I'm assuming he knew she was hysterically insane before he married her and still married her anyway.

What a difference new windshield wipers make. Who knew that windshield wipers weren't supposed to leave funny water lines? *Shrugging.*

Jo-Ann's Fabric Store and Michaels are evil, evil places. They lure you in with coupons and sales, then hold you hostage once you're inside. I always make it a point to text BFF Sherry when I go, so if she doesn't hear from me on IM by the end of the day, she knows where to send the extraction team.

Phil Collins. We got a greatest hits CD last night, while waiting for Mister's new laptop to be ready at Best Buy. It is my intention that while doing the drudgework around here later this morning, to put Mr. Collins on loud and help him sing...and cause the dogs to have spasms. Because it's all entertaining. Su-su-sudio.

Someone turned the cold on today, and I object. I didn't move to freakin' So Cal to be flippin' COLD. So get with the program, weather, and shape up. As it is, I'm going to have to go upstairs and find sox for the icicles attached to the bottoms of my legs. Thanks a bunch. I hate climbing stairs.

Bats.

Oreo Cookie milkshakes.

Decongestant.

Nerf gun wars.

Tommy and Dickie Smothers.

*&^*&^*&^*&^

One final thing before I leave you to enjoy the random happinesses you can find in this Monday-Monday...

Happy Chinese New Year!

Bits and Fluff

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Bits and Fluff...because this entry is going to be just whatever erupts from my brain.

First thing is that I've accidentally stumbled upon a (mostly) homemade chicken noodle soup that my entire family will eat. It's easy and can feed as few as it needs to, or as many as it needs to, and it's yummylicious. And I thought I'd share it. As is, it will serve 6 generous bowlfuls for, well, yanno, 6.

3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 cans chicken broth

8 cups water

1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion

3 stalks chopped celery

4 envelopes Lipton Noodle Soup (dry, we call it "Tiny Noodle Soup" and a generic is just fine)

Mixed veggies (any frozen veggies will work)

chopped carrots

Throw everything but the dry Lipton soup mix into a dutch oven type pot, and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat...letting it simmer until the veggies are tender (both the fresh and the frozen)...Add the Lipton soup and return to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve. No, the chicken seasoning flavor won't overwhelm you.

Other bits and fluff...I'm addicted to HGTV...I like a variety of the shows, but lately I've found myself frustrated with the hopeful home buyers who can't understand that they aren't, no matter what, going to find EXACTLY what they're looking for. Just saying, 'k? And another hint: if you don't like the color on the walls, you can always paint over it. Oh, and those who buy a fixer upper, then are upset when the unexpected/unbudgeted for expenses arise? HELLO? FIXER UPPER. Seriously folks. If you don't have some surprise(s) arise, you didn't look hard enough and you aren't doing it right.

If there is one kid in the neighborhood a stray, collarless dog is going to glom onto, it's going to be MY kid, and it's going to be a nice, clearly a family friendly dog, and you're going to feel guilty for calling animal control to come get the dog. And you may wind up calling the pound the next day to see if you can find out anything about the dog (like, did the dog have a microchip so it could be reunited with its family?)...We'll see if I call to find out about the dog today.

The day you have The Headache From Heckadoodle, that's knocked you off your feet all day, the kid you have to sit upon to get his homework done will have homework from just about every single class.

Also, your dog will curl up on the couch with you and nap with you until the phone rings.

Onion rings.

I like the Velveeta Cheesy Skillets commercials. "Liquid gold." CLICK HERE TO SEE ONE.

I love Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I'd vote for them if they ran for President/Vice President.

Picked up a book by a new author the other day, mainly because the title caught my eye and I liked the back cover blurb. So far, I'm enjoying it - First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones. I imagine I'll enjoy it all the way through, and will watch for her second novel's release.

And last, but not least, a rhyme that I can't get out of my head: Mares eat oats and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy...a kid'll eat ivy, too, how about you?

@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.

~Francis Bacon~

Writing, Writing and More Writing

2012-01-17T09:08:00.003-08:00

Today, I'm going to talk about writing. Yes, I'm sure that's a big surprise. Maybe I should've titled today's post as "What I Like About Writing" or "Why I Like to Write," because that's what I'm going to focus on, for the most part. Hope this doesn't read like a "My Summer Vacation" essay.

But before I get started, I must go train some laundry...*Cues elevator music...*

Alrighty then. One load in the dryer, one load in the washer. Ah, the glamorous life of a writer. I will indulge in more glamour later this morning, when I dust, mop and vacuum. Perhaps if I put on my tiara and my pink feather boa...

But I digress.

Why I like to write...That's easy. The first reason is because it's the only way to make the voices in my head shut up. No, not voices telling me to walk naked down the middle of my street or something equally foolish. Not voices inciting me to mayhem. Nope, these would be the voices of the characters who've taken up permanent residence in my skull, and who keep telling me their stories, insisting I write them down.

Writing, for me, is an escape. I'm in charge of the world I'm creating, I'm in charge of how people react to certain stimuli, I'm in charge of shaping characters into people I'd really like to meet in real life, I'm in charge of ensuring there's a happy ending for all involved. In short, I'm in charge and in control of that which I'm not in charge of, nor in control of, in Real Life.

Sometimes, what's in my head, clamoring to spill onto...er...the computer...is better than what's on television. If there's nothing to watch, I can entertain myself.

I get to play with words. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Words are the writer's colors with which they paint a picture. The subtle nuance of a particular word choice can make a sentence scream with vivacity or yawn with boredom...can convey sweet emotion, or not so sweet emotion...It's all up to me to paint with words the scene/picture I want the reader to see. If that isn't heady, I don't know what is. It can be a joyful experience, as well as frustrating, funny, heartbreaking, irritating, and breathtaking, too.

I get to play on the internet and look up fun stuff and call it "research." Remember when that used to be a hassle? Now I get to do it not because I HAVE to, but because I WANT to - makes all the difference in the world.

The power of the written word can inspire, uplift, bring joy, cause laughter or tears, evoke melancholy or wicked joy. It can persuade, argue, present, confirm, disprove, rebut, incite, teach, inform, charm, disarm, annoy or titillate. Awesome is the power of the written word. Awesome is the power of a good story that captures readers in its spell.

Awesome.

It's why I write.

Why do YOU write?

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say.

~Sharon O'Brien~

I Have A Dream

2012-01-16T12:54:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a Dream...A dream that one day, his four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Would that I'd see his dream come true in my lifetime, but sadly, I'm not sure I will.

I have dreams also, no, not like my husband's dream of last night where he and I got into an argument over a new appliance for the house - a BBQ/fridge affair. I really must watch what he's eating before he goes to bed, because, from his description of it, that was one weeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrddddd dream. Rather, my dreams are on a grander scale, like MLK's (not that I would ever think to compare myself to him, of course)...

I dream about my children being able to take a deep breath of fresh air when they're adults because we've been environmentally responsible.

I dream about my children being able to live in a country where the separation of church and state is respected and practiced; where some zealot's notion of morality isn't enforced upon us all; that there is true tolerance for ALL religions in this country; the color of our skin, our genders, our sexual preferences, our religious practices are all accepted equally and without judgement or persecution or legislated to oblivion; and in a country that is politically and economically stable.

I dream about my children living in a world that is, well, I'll be frank here. I greatly admire Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future - where humans not only have learned to get along well together, but have learned to get along well with off-worlders. So, I dream of my children living in a Star Trek universe. Yes, yes, I do. Therefore, I dream about my children living in a world there is respect for fellow man, regardless of geographical boundaries, nationalities, religions, skin color, or language.

I dream about my children living in a world where they have the opportunities to achieve their own dreams and goals and are able to live their lives as they themselves envision, not as envisioned by others.

I dream about my children living in a world where hope abounds.

I dream about my children living in a world where they can LIVE - freely and securely.

*&%*&%*&%*&%*

Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.

A riot is the language of the unheard.

*&%*&%*&%*&%*

Twit

2012-01-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, Twit.

Ter.

Twit-ter.

Twitter.

I finally took a closer look at it and have, I think, started to figure it out. You can follow me at @laurahamby1, if you're so inclined.

Large Goal is to write something everyday, on the WIP, not Twitter...And here's a picture of my writing company.

Don't know how I'd write without The Girls (AKA 'Knuckleheads.') At the moment, Storm (the tan dog in the foreground) is to my left, and is a wonderful arm rest for my left arm. We're all nice and toasty warm and The Girls are napping...

I'm resisting the siren call to nap, too. Darned dogs!

I need to finish combining the chapters I've already written, then get to the actual writing. That's today's goal - the Daily Goal.

A writer's mind seems to be situated partly in the solar plexus and partly in the head. ~Ethel Wilson~

A good style should show no signs of effort. What is written should seem a happy accident. ~W. Somerset Maugham, Summing Up, 1938~

Soap Box

2012-01-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

As it says in my header, sometimes, I offer my opinion here, and it's not noted for being humble. Now, before I climb up on my soapbox, a disclaimer: This is my opinion. It is only mine. I'm not telling anyone how to think, rather I encourage everyone to think for themselves. This isn't an invitation to start an argument, however, an adult exchange of ideas and thoughts is most welcome.

I believe that as American citizens of the United States, we have the right to practice our choice of religion freely, without fear of persecution or suppression. I believe we also have the right to not practice any sort of religion if that's what we so choose. I also believe that we don't have the right to enforce our right to practice/not practice our religion on other people - one of the founding principals of this nation was the freedom OF religion, not the freedom FROM religion. That said, the Founding Fathers did not specify any sort of national religion, nor did they make it obligatory for the President of the United States to be a Christian. Church and State were separated on purpose, and honestly, I'd prefer to keep it that way.

I believe that whatever your personal feelings are about homosexuality, the basic fact remains that while things like sexual orientation do play a part in defining who we are as individuals, it doesn't change the fact that we are ALL human, ALL people worthy of respect and equality. PERIOD. You don't have to approve of someone's lifestyle - it is not for us to judge others...it's just a matter of treating others the way you'd like to be treated. It's common human decency. Sadly, intolerance and hatred are also part of the human condition, and it often appears that those things are extended far more often than respect, kindness, decency and ability to treat everyone with dignity. Which leads me into...

I believe if, as a global community, we'd stop focusing on how our various religions make us different and somehow "better than you," and focus on what our religions give us in common (for example, the Golden Rule), we'd sure be better off - everywhere.

And finally, the last vent from the soapbox...

To the Republican Party: You can't cry and moan about how government intrudes too much into our lives via social programs and subsidies, making (perfectly reasonable) rules to ensure we can all take a deep breath of clean air, protecting the environment by legislating things like where we can drill for oil, etc...then turn around and try to legislate morality by passing laws making it harder for women to have abortions, get birth control pills (there are PLENTY of GOOD, VALID, medical reasons for women to use birth control, beyond the obvious). The hypocrisy...It burns. I don't want the government to tell me what I can and cannot do with, to, and for my body. PERIOD. It's MINE. Get your noses out of my uterus and go do what you were elected to do. Governing my reproductive choices is not why the people of your states elected you. I should hope that the citizens of each and every one of these 50 United States don't give a good BLEEP damn about what decisions I make for not just my uterus, but my entire body. But thank you very kindly for your creepy interest in my personal reproductive choices.

Okay, just one more little thing...a suggestion to all the politicians. Remember that little document written back in the 1770's? It's called The Declaration of Independence...Go back and read this part:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government..."

***Tucks Soapbox Away and Moves On...***

Now that we've traded the holiday season for the political/election season, I'd just like it known that I'd much rather listen to endless Christmas carols than listen to the schmoozing, stumping, finger-pointing, blame-placing, smug, self-righteous, negative political rhetoric that's going to kick up into high gear from now through the elections in November. I think I'll just retreat into my writing den, with a good supply of chocolate, hunker down and sing Jingle Bells at the top of my lungs until it's all over.

JINGLE BELLS

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Already the 3rd Day of the New Year...And What Do I Have to Show For It?

2012-01-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

...I have updated my webbie, posted a new free short story to read there...I scrubbed the top of my stove in an effort to remove burnt on holiday food (SOS pads to the rescue!)...I've tried on the new clothes I received and washed them...I still have much to do, but it's a good start...Oh! And I'm about halfway through writing the (first draft) first chapter of a novel that will be the 2nd in a series of 3...the 1st of which I sent out in November...Still waiting to hear on that submission, but I think the longer it takes the better off I am...

Read a review for what looks to be a very intriguing anthology called *New York Diaries: 1609-2009.* I am POSITIVE I need this book. This, of course, led me to look up This Day in History, and here are a few examples of what I found that happened January 3rd in years past. Pay attention, there will be a quiz later.

1777: The Battle of Princeton, during the American Revolution, in which the British leave New Jersey to General Washington and concentrate their efforts elsewhere.

1521: Martin Luther excommunicated, in which Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther from the Catholic Church. He was the "catalyst for Protestantism" and his words set off reformers across Europe.

1961: The US severs diplomatic ties with Cuba, which will shortly lead to the Bay of Pigs, which then leads to very chilly relations between the US and Cuba throughout the Cold War.

1924: King Tut's sarcophagus is uncovered...which eventually led to THIS. He's rather funky.

1987: Aretha Franklin is inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. Talk about getting some R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

1861: Delaware rejects secession from the United States. While technically a slave state, the institution wasn't widespread and there were few slaves in the state.

Now then. Wasn't that interesting? And you can find more about This Day in History at the historychannel.com.

Now...For that quiz...You ready?

Who was holding the pyramids as Steve Martin danced around in the link up in the 1924 comment?

For extra credit: What show was he on and name the character.

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New Year, New Possibilities...

2012-01-02T12:18:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the New Year, I posted a new short story called New Beginnings on my website. Here's a teaser, followed by a link to my Free Reads page.

~~**********~~

Krista Loomis took a deep, steadying breath and walked resolutely into the bar. Simply known as The Bar, it was “the” place to be New Year’s Eve. And as her plans had gone awry, leaving her unsettled, upset and more than a wee bit furious, she’d decided that a tremendous amount of liquor and great deal of noise was just what she needed to get her through the raw emotions finding her soon-to-be husband in bed, boinking her former best friend.

Phillip and Alisha deserved one another.

And Krista deserved several stiff drinks and perhaps some hot, sweaty dancing with a stranger.

~~**********~~

Go HERE to go directly to my Free Reads page to find out how this story ends. While you're there, check out the holiday stories for Thanksgiving and Christmas, because next month, the Thanksgiving story will be removed to make room for February's Valentine's Day free read short story and in March, the Christmas story will be gone, too.

Click HERE to go to the main page of my website to see the new writing quotes. Now...if I could just figure out where I went before to edit that crazy sidebar, I'd be a very happy girl. I'm delighted with the new template I picked while I was updating the Free Reads page - very elegant and quietly romantic, IMO - would love to hear yours about my website's new look.

~~**********~~

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

May your 2012 be filled with JOY!

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.

~Benjamin Franklin~

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

~Edith Lovejoy Pierce~

~~**********~~

ONE LAST THING...

My Pikachu, in desperate need of a trip to the Doggie Beauty Salon, co-opting the fleecy blanket I got for Christmas, made by my bestie, Sherry. Chu apparently didn't get the memo that NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED ON THIS BLANKET! LOL.

~~**********~~

Looking Forward to 2012

2011-12-27T10:03:00.002-08:00

Who's ready for 2012?

...

Me neither! But it's coming whether we're ready for it or not, and it'll be here this weekend! Boggles the ol' braincell. With a whole new year of promise open like a blank slate looming just days ahead, I've been thinking about what it is I want from 2012. The answer is below.

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.

Marianne Williamson

***Lettherebejoy.Lettherebejoy.Lettherebejoy.Lettherebejoy.Lettherebejoy.Lettherebejoy.***

May your 2012 be filled with JOY, peace, happiness, health, stability, love, faith, laughter, living, music, dance, promise and knowledge. Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas and Peaceful Holidays

2011-12-24T14:44:00.000-08:00

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

~Burton Hillis~

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Christmas Tree, USA

2011-12-22T19:58:00.002-08:00

Welcome to the Coleman home. This was the first Victorian built in Christmas Tree, and for a short time, was also the largest house in town. Hiram and Anne Coleman raised a large family here, and the home has always been owned by a Coleman, handed down through the generations. During the Christmas season, you're liable to find the Colemans caroling at the hospital, the old folks home and to anyone who will turn on their porch light and open the front door to them.

The Colemans are very civic-minded people. The careers favored through the years are medicine, the law and teaching. Every now and again, a Coleman will run for office - the School Board, for example, and the current mayor of Christmas Tree is Cecelia Coleman Winters, following in both her father's and grandfather's footprints - much to the delight of her father. There's an enterprising crop of Colemans coming of age - Cole Winters, son of the mayor, who has his eye on the State Senate; Daphne Coleman who will become the first neurosurgeon in the family; Cassidy Coleman who is >< to becoming a full fledged FBI agent; and Harris Coleman, set to become the youngest principal ever at Christmas Tree High.

If you're in the neighborhood, Candy Cane Road, to be exact, stop on by for some holiday cheer. And don't forget to bring your singing voice, because there will definitely be Christmas carols along with the hot chocolate and Christmas cookies.

Christmas Tree, USA

2011-12-13T08:57:00.004-08:00

Ah, the Lewis family. John and Mary Grace Lewis started their married life in this house, it having been built by Mary Grace's father, the Reverend Thomas Jefferson Keller, as a wedding gift when the couple married in 1889. This scene is very reminiscent of their view during their first Christmas together. John's grandfather, George, had brought his family to Christmas Tree, USA back in the 1850's, and they were one of the very first families to settle there. The Kellers came not long afterwards and various family members had danced around each other for a couple generations, with nothing coming of the passing fancies until John and Mary Grace clapped eyes on each other in the one room school house when they were both seven and were inseparable from then on. Mary Grace Keller Lewis knew her mind and she often spoke what was on it, regardless of the consequences. She was both loved and feared for that very reason, but a finer seamstress, cook, wife, mother and friend you couldn't find. When she died during the flu epidemic in 1917, at the tender age of 46, John was never the same again. And when he got word in early 1918 that his youngest son had been killed in Europe, at the even more tender age of 21, it nearly killed him. His surviving children - 2 sons and a daughter - buoyed him, with daughter Gracie devoting most of her adult life to caring for him, until he finally gave into the sorrow, and quietly passed in his sleep at the age of 66. Gracie married Andrew Winters the year after his death, which surprised and astounded the entire town, as at the age of 39, she was considered a spinster. A widower, Andrew was raising a son and daughter, and the year following their marriage, Gracie gave birth to her only biological child, Peter. The current mayor of Christmas Tree, USA, is Gracie's daughter-in-law. She and Peter married in 1963 and added three children to existing brood of Gracie's grandchildren, bringing the grand total up to 11. Peter and Cecelia now live in this house that had been built for his grandparents.

Christmas Tree, USA

2011-12-05T07:03:00.001-08:00

On this fine wintery night, Chad and Melissa Taylor share dinner with their 2 young children, Mindy and Mark. The house was built around the turn of the 20th century, after the original Taylor home, built by Chad's several times great-grandfather at the founding of the town. This cozy cottage is the first home you'll see if you drive over to what the citizens of Christmas Tree humorously call the Taylor Compound. Several homes are nestled back in the trees. A close family, the Taylors are down to just two branches now, down from seven.

You'll find kids playing in the trees, snow forts built and defended, entire snowfamilies line the fences. The coffee is always hot, and there's always a cookie to be found, along with good company, good cheer and many hugs freely given.

Christmas Tree, USA

2011-12-02T09:00:00.001-08:00

Christmas Tree, USA

Many years have passed since this picture, and in place of the old-time car and the horse-drawn sleigh, you're more liable to see SUV's, hybrids, Smart cars, Mini Coopers, kids on scooters and skateboards...Unless you see the matriarch of the Taylor family, Eleanor Pearl Houseman Taylor out and about, still running herself around town in the black Model T she and her husband, Walter Taylor, purchased shortly after their marriage in 1931. Be sure to keep out a sharp eye for her, because her sight isn't what it used to be and she's always been rather fond of driving down the exact middle of the street. At 98 years old, Mrs. Taylor is only a couple months younger than the oldest Christmas Tree, USA citizen. That honor belongs to Arthur Keller. Mr. Keller, more popularly known as 'Cap,' thanks to the rank he held in the United States Army during the Second World War, can always be found walking the sidewalks after the first snow, wearing nothing more than a light pullover cardigan over well-pressed slacks. "Bastogne," he says when chided about needing to bundle up against the cold, "Now that was cold. Don't figure I've been that cold since." But he'll let you buy him a cup of coffee at the diner on the corner of Evergreen Avenue and Holly Berry Way now and again, and thank you earnestly for your kindness to an old man.

In a long-standing town tradition, Cap Keller and Mrs. Taylor are given the honor of lighting the Christmas tree in the town square. Yes, Christmas Tree, USA still has a town square, and it's a source of pride for all its citizens. The Christmas Tree Lighting happens the first Saturday in December and is a big festival event with hot chocolate booths, fudge and candy carts, a craft fair and a large bonfire for everyone to gather around. After the tree is light, Christmas carols are sung, and indeed, sung as folks trudge back to their cars and homes.

Music to accompany today's post, brought to you by Mr. Frank Sinatra: I'll Be Home For Christmas, Jingle Bells, White Christmas, The Christmas Song, and O Little Town of Bethlehem.

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At Christmas, all roads lead home.

~Marjorie Holmes~

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Old-Fashioned Christmas

2011-12-01T07:55:00.001-08:00

This is my favoritest (yes, that's a word - because I said so, that's why) evah Christmas Carol, and I'm suspecting that Josh Groban is one of my favoritest covers of it. Check it out HERE. It's terrific background music for today's post. Here are some more musical choices, Christmas, of course: O Come All Ye Faithful. What Child is This? Little Drummer Boy. Ave Maria. I'll Be Home for Christmas. White Christmas.

I found some old-fashioned images, looking for some inspiration for this post, and found these. Got me to thinking about creating a Christmas town, what it would be called, who would live there, what sorts of things would they do...So, I thought it would be fun from now until Christmas, to play with this make-believe town, add to it, tell stories about the occupants...Here goes.

Welcome to the town of Christmas Tree, USA, population 16,396. I haven't decided which state it's in, but I'm thinkin' it's probably somewhere in New England. Winter arrives almost on schedule after Thanksgiving, covering the town with a light layer of snow by the end of the first week of December. The citizens of Christmas Tree always have a White Christmas. Founded in the early 19th Century, descendants of the original founding families still live there: the Taylor family, the Lewis Family, the Coleman Family, the Butler Family, and the Keller Family...Of course, there are many other families, not just these five. The main street of town is Evergreen Avenue, with other major streets being Holly Berry Way, Candy Cane Road, and North Star Blvd. The mayor is Cecelia Coleman Winters, a woman many think resemble Mrs. Claus, but it would be a mistake to believe Mrs. Winters is a typical little old lady grandma type. Oh, yes, she's a force to be reckoned with. And speaking of forces, Police Chief Joe Keller runs a tight police department - you couldn't live in a safer, nicer town. Just ask the Butler boys what happened when Chief Keller busted them painting graffiti on the brick walls at the park!

That's it for today...Join me tomorrow to find out more about Christmas Tree, USA...We'll be visiting this lovely town until Christmas.

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Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

~Norman Vincent Peale~

Chocolate (And Peppermint Bark Fudge)

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, holiday happiness can include - and rightfully so - chocolate. I feel this is self-explanatory. So much can be done with chocolate, and one of my favorite things to do with chocolate is make peppermint bark fudge for Christmas. I'm fairly certain I've shared this recipe before, but here we go again, any way. Sorry, no pictures of this wondrous Christmas treat that is on my kids' Must Have Christmas Treats List.

What you'll need: 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk, 1 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips, 2 12 oz bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 5-8 peppermint candy canes, red food coloring (or green, I personally like the red because it's bright and cheerful - but the food coloring is OPTIONAL), 2 9x13 cake pans (can be foil, or you can use a foil Santa face shape - or any other holiday shape of foil pans you can find), non-stick cooking spray, vanilla and a teaspoon measuring spoon

Why do you need 2 pans? Because, this makes 2 batches, so you'll have 1 for yourself and 1 to give away or use at a party or keep for yourself.

Okay...Unwrap 5 candy canes (the big ones, not the cute baby ones), put them in a Ziploc bag, seal it without extra air...place candy cane bag between 2 kitchen towels and use a wooden spoon to beat on them until they are in small candy cane pieces. You don't need to pulverize them. Put the remaining candy canes (unwrapped) in another Ziploc and beat on them, too. Set aside to sprinkle on top of the fudge.

Next step: you're going to make 1 batch of semi-sweet chocolate fudge: over medium to medium-high heat, stir 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips together (stirring fairly constantly), until the chips are melted and the consistency is smooth. Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla, then pour into 1 of the pre-non-stick cooking spray sprayed pan. Refrigerate and repeat. Once both batches of chocolate fudge are set, it's time to make the white fudge layer.

1 can of sweetened condensed milk, the bag of white chips, and the bag of 5 crushed candy canes...Stir the chips together with the sweetened condensed milk on medium heat (or lower, depending on your patience level - the white chocolate can burn)...When the chips start melting, add the crushed candy canes. Continue to stir until the chips are totally melted and the consistency of the fudge is smooth (with candy cane lumps). You can add the food coloring at this point, then pour half of the white peppermint fudge over 1 of the chocolate fudges, then the other half over the other. Top with the other bag of crushed candy canes and refrigerate until firm.

The Peppermint Bark Fudge freezes well, so you can make it in advance.

Cheerfulness

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

On my continuing quest to bring Holiday Happiness into my everyday life...today's goal is Cheerfulness. Easier said than done when one gets up at 0'Dark:30 and tend to stay up because one is a night owl. It's been said that if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy, and boy howdy, is that ever true. So...Cheerfulness.

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What do I have to be cheerful about? Well, off the top of my head - I'm alive, I have awesome kids, I have a fantastic spouse, I have terrific friends, I have a roof over my head, food to eat and clothes to wear.

The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness.

Michel de Montaigne

Joy!

2011-11-28T06:34:00.000-08:00

Holiday happiness - letting it leak over into LIFE itself. Today's goal: Finding Joy! in my life.

Joy! You can jump with joy, you can sing with joy, you can spread joy, you can share joy, you can be a joy to others, you can dance with joy, you can speak with joy, you can enjoy, you can do things joyfully.

Take a moment in the middle of your busy day and find 2 or 3 or 5 or 10 things that bring joy to you. The joys in my life are: Family, Friends, Writing, A fluffy white cloud in the middle of the bright blue sky that reflects the sunlight, Memories, A full moon, The look of utter devotion on my dog's face, and Hugging my kids. Once you start, it's hard to stop. I could go on and on. :)

One joy scatters a hundred griefs.

Chinese proverb

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.
Buddha

Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.
Joseph Campbell

To find joy in another's joy
that is the secret of happiness.

George Bernanos

Joy is the feeling of grinning on the inside.

Dr. Melba Colgrove

Joy is very infectious; therefore, be always full of joy.

Mother Teresa

Last, but not to the least...You can't help but find Joy! when you listen/sing along/dance to Three Dog Night and Joy to the World.

Gone to the Dogs

2011-11-27T20:17:00.001-08:00

This Knucklehead (^) is Pikachu. She's lovin' goin' buh-bye car for Thanksgiving.

This Knucklehead (^) is Jazzy, my mother's dog. She's under her electric blanket. Yes, you read that right. Electric blanket. For the dog.

This Knucklehead (^) is Storm. She belongs to my brother-in-law, and they live with us. She's trying to make us feel guilty about something...or convince us that dogs DO belong at the kitchen table in a chair.

This Knucklehead (^) belongs to my Aunt. Her name is Misdemeanor, or "Meanor" for short.

I don't have a picture of MIL's dog on this computer, but she's a Knucklehead too - one named Callie.

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"Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamppost what it feels about dogs."
- John Osborne

"My little dog---a heartbeat at my feet."
- Edith Wharton

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Stuff and Such and Such and Stuff

2011-11-25T15:51:00.001-08:00

There! Officially decorated for Christmas. Did anyone brave the Black Friday crowds? Mom and I hit JC Penney for the door buster prices, but we most certainly did not go there at 4 in the blessed a.m. Oh, heck no. We got there around 11 in the morning, and found TERRIFIC deals. We are so excited with our purchases and Dad and Mr. Laura should be GREATLY impressed with how much money we saved them by shopping this sale. *Nods sagely.*

Working on writing a short Christmas story for the free reads page on my website. Right now, there's a new Thanksgiving story up, and I'll leave that up through the end of December: http://www.freewebs.com/laurahamby/index.htm (click on the free reads age). Hope to have a Christmas shortie up by the end of next week.

Would like to see my yahoo group (http://www.freewebs.com/laurahamby/index.htm) become more active. Writers are welcome to join and network, run contests. It is WRITING/READING related. If you join and spam the group with dating service sites, you will be removed. If you use bad language, you will be removed. If you post anything that is non-writing/reading related, you will be removed. Hate to be hard-nosed about that, but The Rules is the rules, and it IS *my* group, so I gets to make Da Rules. Since I've mentioned what you can't do, I'll now mention what you CAN do: Post links to your blog, webbie; run contests (which you are completely in charge of running and making sure the prizes are awarded in a timely manner); post links to purchase your books (but not to the point that it becomes spam-like - you may post links to purchase your books once a week); post book reviews (however, no spoilers and all reviews must be positive - you can say you didn't like a book, but you must say it nicely); offer writing tips or ask for writing tips; post excerpts of your novels (PG-13 rating). Mostly, I just want it to be a fun place to gather and chat and remind ourselves that while writing is a solitary business, we don't hafta be hermits.

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.

Ernest Hemingway

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T11:57:00.001-08:00

T ~ is for the Time we get to spend with our families on this Thanksgiving holiday
H ~ is for the Hands we reach out with to gather in our loved ones
A ~ is for the Awesome food that gets passed around the table, hand-to-hand
N ~ is for the Noise of happy voices
K ~ is for the Kaleidoscope of colors & textures of all the food making the table bow
under its weight
S ~ is for the Sharing of ourselves with others
G ~ is for the Giggles of the children reacquainting themselves with cousins
I ~ is for the Invocation of prayer as we give thanks for the food and family togetherness
V ~ is for the Very good time had by all
I ~ is for the Indigestion too much turkey and the trimmings cause
N ~ is for the Not-Wanna-Go-Homes travelers suffer from after the holiday
G ~ is for the Good memories celebrating the holidays with family creates

Inspiration

2011-11-20T17:57:00.001-08:00

...It comes from a turn of a phrase, an element from a favorite TV show, a scent, a memory, a song, pictures...It's all around us, all we need to do is pay attention and tune into it. Artists use many mediums - paints, oils, canvas, pencil, paper; words, phrases, paragraphs; a camera - the possibilities are limitless. Since I craft with words, I use my medium - words, phrases, paragraphs (etc) to convey a picture the reader can envision in their mind. Translating the pictures below into words would be fun, and yes, I'll admit, I'm feeling a little niggle of inspiration. Who wouldn't, looking at these pictures?

IMAGES

At the moment, the rhythm of the rain pounding on the patio cover fires my imagination. The rain is pouring - relentlessly and ceaselessly - giving a beat to each breath we take, move we make, steps that take us around the house on our tasks - grateful to be inside where we're dry and warm. I love this sound, love watching the rain and smelling the rain.

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We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

~Aristotle~

Do or do not. There is no try.

~Yoda~

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It's Friday!

2011-11-18T07:11:00.001-08:00

Been perusing the headlines, finding most all of them depressing. Sex abuse scandals, politicians misbehaving, disappearing babies...Decided enough was enough. I've had enough of all the above, heard more than I've ever wanted to about the Kardashians, Demi and Ashton...my remaining half a brain cell is in full out rebellion. To counter all this craptastic news, I offer the following pictoral commentary.

TGIF!

Writing Prompts

2011-11-17T10:12:00.001-08:00

Kinda feeling in between right now, what with having sent off a manuscript...Have something like 3 WIPS started, mostly started as something to do when working on the now-subbed ms became overwhelming, but I think at least 2 of them have some merit, would be worth focusing upon after the ol' braincell settles on which one. Plus, life in the Laura Household is in a bit of an uproar at the moment, so as soon as Life stops interferring with my writing, I can't wait to dive into one of those WIPS.

In the meantime, I've always enjoyed coming up with writing prompts, so I'll give it a whirl today and maybe shake something loose - for you, for me - doesn't matter - I'm just along for awesome snackage. ;)

Writing Prompts

Pair your best childhood friend with your most recent ex, and see what happens in a fictional setting.

Humankind has colonized the Moon...

Sleeping Beauty, only SHE's a HE.

Shipwrecked...Who? Where? Why? How long? What happens?

Work the following into a short story: A dolphin, an oceanographer, a meteorite and another main character of your choice.

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It is not a bad idea to get in the habit of writing down one's thoughts. It saves one having to bother anyone else with them.
~Isabel Colegate~

Stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. But not necessarily in that order.
~Robert Silverberg~

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Ta-DA!

2011-11-14T21:25:00.001-08:00

The manuscript is done, polished and submitted! Now begins the fun of the wait. I'm oddly calm and relaxed about this. Thinking good, positive thoughts and looking at the few WIPS I've started to decide which one I'm going to focus upon.

You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.
Mark Twain

Banging Drums for Friends

2011-11-14T06:51:00.001-08:00

If you haven't read Nell Dixon, why not? She's got a terrific voice and tells the most awesome stories. Check out this review for her latest novel, Renovation, Renovation, Renovation, then click the buy button here to get your very own copy.

BUY ME!

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Check out the super-talented Meg Allison HERE.

Check out the awesome Kate Rothwell HERE.

BUY ME!

Why Write?

2011-11-12T17:26:00.001-08:00

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The story is not in the plot but in the telling.

Ursula K. LeGuin

We read five words on the first page of a really good novel and we begin to forget that we are reading printed words on a page; we begin to see images.
John Gardner

Stories are living and dynamic. Stories exist to be exchanged. They are the currency of Human Growth.
Jean Houston

I want story, wit, music, wryness, color, and a sense of reality in what I read, and I try to get it in what I write.
John D. MacDonald

If you wait for inspiration, you're not a writer, but a waiter.
Anonymous

Veteran's Day, 11-11-11

2011-11-11T18:17:00.001-08:00

Thank you for your service.

Why?

2011-11-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

When asked by toddlers and critique partners, it can be a challenging, sometimes annoying, question.

WHY?

For the toddler, the answer is very easy: "Because." Often, that can be expanded: "Because if we don't eat all our dinner, we can't have ice cream later." Because if we don't pick up the toys, Daddy will step on them, and they will break." Cause...Effect.

It works that way with writing, too. It's easy to get into the writing of the story, tripping along our merry little way, and forgetting that as the author of the story, we have many details and visions in our heads that the reader is, obviously, not privy to.

WHY?

My crit partner, AKA "Sherry MeaniePants," is fond of the "Why?" question. "I see you have X happening, and it's a good event, but WHY?" or "H reacted this way to Z stimulus, but WHY?" or "Why did Secondary Character do W? Why?"

My stock answer is, "Because." (Bet you didn't see that one coming!)...And after I go back and read the section that started the spat of Why? questions, I can expand. "Because, her parents X,Y, Z'd, and this is her way of dealing with it, and it looks like I'd better make that clear in writing, because, yanno, that whole thing about readers not being able to read my mind."

I spent yesterday reading some e-books I bought online. Two I really enjoyed (other than some language in the first one I read that I didn't like, because I find nothing erotic about the slang words involved for describing various body parts, I enjoyed the story, and skipped over the objectionable words)...the third one, well, the premise was interesting, it did get my attention with the back cover blurb, but the actual story? I dunno. A couple of times, after I "turned" the page, I had to go back to see if I'd somehow jumped 3-5 pages ahead. It left me asking WHY? (Which Sherry MeaniePants found hysterically funny---I think she's STILL laughing at me, the beeyotch. ;) )

But the thing is...I'd really rather be pestered with loads of WHY's? as I'm writing the story. This is something that is within MY ability to fix before I send the story off. Why (hehe) give the editor an opportunity to reject a manuscript riddled with holes, unresolved issues and confusing transitions?"

WHY?

It's also a good tool to use in the transitions at the end of chapters or in the transitions between scenes within the chapters. After all, you want the story to flow nicely, rather than leap about and wear out the reader or leave them wondering just what they missed.

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All Write With Coffee: Writing Transitions and Tie-backs: Part III (And Part I and Part II)

Go With the Flow: Write With Transition Words and Phrases

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To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it's about, but the inner music the words make. ~Truman Capote, McCall's, November 1967

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Halloween

2011-10-31T08:26:00.002-07:00

What began as a festival to mark the end of harvesting season and the beginning of winter - the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when the Celts believed the spirits of the dead returned, Halloween has, since the 1950's been a kid's holiday. The spread of Christianity saw Pope Boniface IV attempt in the 800's to replace Samhain celebrations with All Saints' Day, observed on November 1st. Later, All Souls' Day followed, to honor all the dead. In medieval times All Saints' Day was known as All-hallowmas, with the night before the feast called All Hallow's Even - Hallow E'en.

You can learn more about Halloween HERE.

Take a Halloween quiz.

Listen to Halloween music HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Graphics16.com | Halloween | Forward this Picture

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

10 Observations

2011-10-27T10:12:00.003-07:00

1. Caramel flavored mini rice cakes are nummylicious and addicting.

2. Never look at a sunbeam streaming in through a window. You'll see an invasion force of pre-dustbunnies.

3. The look of clutter in your house can be deceiving. While it may look bad, it's an optical illusion - it's WORSE than it appears, and you won't know this until you start clearing it.

4. Small dogs will think they are a large and large dogs will think they are small enough to be lap dogs.

5. Your elderly dishwasher will start misbehaving at the most economically inconvenient time of year - around the holidays.

6. The power surge mother of all hot flashes will hit only when it's inappropriate/inconvenient for you to shuck your excess clothing.

7. The only time the phone will ring all day long is during the last 5 minutes of a new NCIS episode.

8. No matter how hard you try, if you've had a long and difficult week, you will fall asleep 15 minutes into the new Blue Bloods episode. (Which is why, and this applies to #7, too, DVR was invented.)

9. There is, apparently, a difference between car batteries made for cars that reside in the north and for cars that reside in the south. Has to do with how cold it gets during the winter. Learn something new everyday.

10. No matter how diligently you train your laundry, it still will never learn how to do itself.

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Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Pablo Picasso

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Pablo Picasso

I give thanks everyday that I've been able to take my craziness and make it work for me.

Fritz Scholder

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The Internet is a Wunnerful Thing

2011-10-26T13:13:00.002-07:00

I was just perusing the Internet, looking for some inspiration for this blog post and found (again) a site called Daily Writing Tips. Holy. E. Cow. All sorts of terrific information. I scrolled through the offerings and stopped on this one: 100 Beautiful and Ugly Words.

Words are to a writer what paints are to an artist - Our colorful medium - the way we add color, lighting, depth, emotion, shading or shadowing. On top of that, they're really fun to play with.

So, in keeping with the word theme I have going, I also checked out these pages on the site Daily Writing Tips. Much fun to read and informative.

The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should Know

Latin Words and Expressions

12 Greek Words You Should Know

10 Words That Don't Mean What You Think They Do

And the Grand Finale of Links, this link will take you to a page with all manner of article links to Misused Words.

word/wərd/

Noun:

A single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence and typically shown...

Verb:

Choose and use particular words in order to say or write (something).

Exclamation:

Used to express agreement: "“That Jay is one dangerous character.” “Word.”".

Synonyms:

noun. speech - vocable - promise

verb. phrase - formulate - couch - verbalize

More info »Wikipedia - Dictionary.com - Answers.com - Merriam-Webster

Redecorating

2011-10-21T19:14:00.001-07:00

Must be the redecorating time of year. Gave the blog here a face lift, and today, I spent several hours updating my website, from the template to adding sidebars - added those last night, then spent 2 hours this morning looking for where to go modify them. Shoulda checked the "help" section much sooner than I did. Added a couple of new pictures, too. And I posted a brand new Thanksgiving set short story. All in all, I think the redecorating bug has been satisfied.

I SAID, THE REDECORATING BUG HAS BEEN SATISFIED.

Pardon my shout. The Redecorating Bug just suggested maybe I should paint the master bedroom en suite bathroom. The RB already insisted we needed to replace the nasty blinds in the family room with sheers.

If you need a quick read, head on over to my WEBSITE, and sign the new guestbook while you're there - if you have a mind to do so.

Writing Conventions...

2011-10-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

...Sadly, not the kind where you go to a hotel, wear nifty name tags, go to workshops, perhaps a book sale...No, I'm going to talk about the more mundane writing conventions---the mechanics of writing.

Okay, if you're an aspiring writer, you have what you think is a terrific idea for a novel, and believe me, I honestly think you DO have a great idea for a novel---you're ready to go. Right? Or maybe, Write? What should you do before you actually get started writing?

I recommend formatting your word document so that the first line of each new paragraph automatically indents itself five spaces. Will save you time, effort and won't intrude on your thought process when you're on a roll to pause, count to 5 as you hit the space bar, every time you start a new paragraph. If you don't know how to do this, click on "FORMAT" up in the toolbar of your word program, when you have a page open. Go to "PARAGRAPH" and find "SPECIAL" or whatever your option is for setting it up. Click "first line," then in the next box, click the arrow until you see the number 5. Save. You're set. While you're formatting, also set your line spacing to double spaced. It's easier on your eyes, honestly. Use Times New Roman, 12 point for the font, and you're set.

Ready and Set, now GO!

Conventions to Observe While Writing...

Dialogue needs to be enclosed with quotation marks and punctuated properly, as well as tagged so we know who is speaking. I have some opinions on tagging that I'm going to share with you, too, after a few examples of dialogue.

The punctuation ALWAYS goes inside the quotation mark, at the end of the sentence, no matter what the punctuation mark is:

"Look! It's a fuzzy green and purple polka dotted alien from outer space!"

"Have you seen the fuzzy green and purple polka dotted alien from outer space?"

"The fuzzy green and purple polka dotted alien is in a meeting with the President."

If you are going to tag (attribute a speaker) AFTER the dialogue, then the sentence, unless it's an interjection (!) or question (?) ALWAYS ends with a comma (,):

"The fuzzy green and purple polka dotted alien and the President will be giving a press conference today at 1 pm, Eastern Standard Time," the newscaster announced.

Each time the speaker changes, you start a new paragraph:

"Look! It's a fuzzy green and purple polka dotted alien from outer space!" the woman shouted.
"Cool beans. I didn't hear that we were going to be hosting a movie set here in Podunk," a man answered.
"I don't think this is a movie, Fred. Can't you feel the heat from the UFO? Maybe someone should call the mayor and have him come out to officially greet the, uh, aliens," the woman said.

If you tag the dialogue before, rather than after as in the examples above, then you use a comma after the tag, before the dialogue:

Fred spoke fast into his cell phone, "Mr. Mayor! Come quick! We're being invaded by fuzzy green and purple polka dotted aliens from outer space!"

Now, a word about tags...

Put the thesaurus away. It's not necessary to find ten different ways to not use "said." When all is (ha ha) said and done, "said" is the least obtrusive speech tag. It does the job if all you want to convey is who spoke. HOWEVER, that (ha ha again) said, tags don't have to JUST convey who spoke. Tags can show emotions or actions that draw a bigger word picture for the reader. Show what the characters are doing as they speak. How they are feeling. SHOW, not TELL. If you're relying on adverbs (ends in -ly, in most cases), then you are very likely telling the reader, rather than showing the reader. (She said softly. He replied quickly. She asked quickly.) Show vs. Tell is for another blog post entirely, but is worth mentioning here, with a little example to illustrate how to tag dialogue with actions and emotions.

In the examples above, the woman shouted; the man answered and the woman said. It does the job, but it's rather boring. Notice the punctuation following the dialogue, and the capitalization. Let's mix it up a bit:

"Look! It's a fuzzy green and purple polka dotted alien from outer space!" The woman pressed one hand to her chest, over her pounding heart. She pointed with her free hand, and her entire arm shook with her fear.
"Cool beans, Sally. I didn't hear that we were going to be hosting a movie set here in Podunk." He lowered the newspaper he read, to peer over it. His glasses perched on the end of his nose, and he looked mildly curious, but he wasn't as alarmed as his wife.
"I don't think this is a movie, Fred. Can't you feel the heat from the UFO? Maybe someone should call the mayor and have him come out to officially greet the, uh, aliens." Sally thought about fainting, but if she didn't keep the video camera rolling, Fred wouldn't do it, and she'd have nothing to post on You Tube. Just wait until the girls in her Garden Club got sight of this. They would never believe her if she simply told them. Nope. Evidence always helped.
Fred realized an alien invasion was happening right in his very own backyard when an enormous shadow fell across his newspaper. He fumbled with his cell phone as he dialed the mayor's office. Without waiting to identify who he spoke to, Fred shouted, "Mr. Mayor! Come quick! We're being invaded by fuzzy green and purple polka dotted aliens from outer space!"

One final thing about dialogue and then I'll shut up:

Obviously, you can interrupt a character's speech with a tag, then pick up the dialogue again. Here are some examples.

"Look!" The woman pressed one hand to her chest, over her pounding heart. She pointed with her free hand, and her entire arm shook with her fear. "It's a fuzzy green and purple polka dotted alien from outer space!"
"Cool beans, Sally," her husband said. "I didn't hear that we were going to be hosting a movie set here in Podunk." He lowered the newspaper her read, to peer over it. His glasses perched on the end of his nose, and he looked mildly curious, but he wasn't alarmed as his wife.
Sally thought about fainting. "I don't think this is a movie, Fred." She couldn't do that, however---someone needed to keep the video camera rolling. "Can't you feel the heat from the UFO? Maybe someone should call the mayor and have him come out to officially greet the, uh, aliens."

Just a word of caution with dialogue interruptus...Limit how often you interrupt the dialogue of one character. You'll disrupt the flow and may wind up making the actual speaking part too hard to follow. You don't want the dialogue (action) to get lost in your pretty prose, now, do you?

Links to Click for More on Dialogue

Punctuating Dialogue

Using Dialogue Effectively

Punctuating Dialogue - How to Punctuate Correctly

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Only self-educated is educated. Others are merely taught. ~Erno Paasilinna

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Accentuate the Positive

2011-10-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Acc-cent-tuate the Positive

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium's
Liable to walk upon the scene

“I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we ‘accentuate the positive.’ I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good….Look for the sunlight through the clouds.”

~Gordon B. Hinckley~

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.
~Zig Ziglar~

I've always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.

~James A. Baldwin~

There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.

~Robert Collier~

In these days, in the chaos created by the economy, politics, rising gas and food prices, it's easy to dwell on the negative. Whining and complaining does go a long way to making one feel better, but once it's out of your system, time to move on. Right? So I thought I'd create something positive for me to come back to, to take a look at, to remind me to Acc-cent-tuate the Positive, E-lim-in-ate the Negative...Latch on to the Affirmative, and to not mess with Mr. In-Between.

And hoping it works with the Revision I-Donwannas that I'm suffering, too. ;)

Second Chances, By Meg Allison

2011-10-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I had the fun privilege of creating a series with Meg Allison and Sherry Jones. All the books we wrote were intertwined, BUT, also stand alone.

Second Chances
‭©‬2011‭ ‬Meg Allison

A Blue Plate Special‭ – ‬Pops‭’ ‬Girls novel

(Originally published as:‭ ‬Learning to Live‭; ‬story has been edited and revised.‭)

Cost:‭ ‬$1.99‭ ‬USD

Katie Marie Morrison hides behind a‭ ‬flirtatious mask as she serves burgers and peach cobbler at Pops‭' ‬Dinner.‭ ‬Her bright smile and sarcastic wit hides the devastating knowledge she was just a one-night-stand for the one man she ever loved.‭

‬Jeff McAlester,‭ ‬her only lover,‭ ‬returns home for good.‭ ‬But timing is everything and it's Katie who's now ready to leave.‭ ‬Despite their rekindled love,‭ ‬she doesn't want to stay.‭ ‬Can Jeff,‭ ‬the man with bluer-than-blue eyes and highly-charged kisses,‭ ‬help Katie learn to live a little‭ ‬...‭ ‬the old fashioned way with a white picket fence and Happily Ever After‭?

PURCHASE LINKS

Kindle
NOOK‭
Smashwords‭

CHAPTER ONE

The high-pitched trill of the alarm clock jerked Katie Morrison from her dream.‭ ‬Such a good dream,‭ ‬too,‭ ‬with a leading man that gave handsome a whole new definition.‭

Eyes squeezed shut,‭ ‬she could still see his dark hair and sparkling blue eyes.‭ ‬She fancied she could even remember the deep,‭ ‬sexy voice that would melt butter at twenty paces.‭

If only such a man were real.‭ ‬But even if he did exist,‭ ‬he wouldn’t be in Glen Meadow‭ … ‬and he wouldn’t give Katie a second glance.‭ ‬Been there,‭ ‬done that,‭ ‬had the‭ ‬Old Maids‭ ‬Don’t Do It tee-shirt as proof,‭ ‬thanks to a friend’s gag gift on her thirtieth birthday.‭ ‬Little did they know how close it was to the truth.

With a groan,‭ ‬Katie pulled the pillow over her head to drown out the bell as it wound down.‭ ‬Just one more minute and he would have kissed her—a searing curl-your-toes kind of kiss.‭ ‬But it never got to that point before the alarm went off.

No matter how hard she tried to go back to sleep,‭ ‬the dream wouldn’t return.‭ ‬It never did.‭ ‬With a sigh,‭ ‬she tossed the pillow on the floor and swung her legs out from beneath the covers.

About Meg

I’m a wife,‭ ‬mom to five amazing kids,‭ ‬and a hopeful romantic.‭ ‬Life is never exciting as my stories,‭ ‬but I like it that way.
A former reporter for a large daily newspaper,‭ ‬I find writing fiction helps me maintain a somewhat healthy level of sanity‭ … ‬except when there’s a deadline.

Visit Meg Online

Also check out these titles by Meg Allison, while you're at it.

Dream Walk

Romancing Jenny

Creative Writing...Or Writing Creatively

2011-10-05T20:21:00.001-07:00

The definition of creative writing is writing that expresses ideas and thoughts in an imaginative way. The writer gets to gets to express feelings and emotions instead of just presenting the facts.

Defining Creative Writing

Creative Writing can be defined as,

“A form of writing that expresses writer’s feelings, emotions, experiences, ideas, or thoughts obtained at a conscious or subconscious level. It is more driven by the writer’s need to “express”, and is generally articulated in the most unique, inventive, and poetic way”.

“Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature”.

Imagination, as defined by Merriam-Webster Online:

a : creative abilityb : ability to confront and deal with a problem :resourcefulness imagination and get us out of here>c : the thinking or active mind : interest <stories that fired the imagination>

a : a creation of the mind; especially : an idealized or poetic creationb : fanciful or empty assumption

See imagination defined for English-language learners »

See imagination defined for kids »

What a wonderful thing, imagination. Without it, there'd be no wheel. Man wouldn't have gotten curious about what was on the other side of the mountain or what mysteries could be found on the other side the really big, deep puddle. Imagination took us off our planet to explore the moon, and keeps us exploring space. Goes hand-in-hand with a healthy dose of curiosity.

Imagination is what prompts us writers to write. Curiosity often fuels our need to finish the story. Curiosity to see how it will all turn out (even if you're a plotter, and most especially if you write by the seat of your pants...), coupled with the imagination that envisioned the story to begin with? Powerful. Compelling. CREATIVE WRITING.

I've learned over the years that the more I write, the more I evolve. My writing voice is unique to me, as yours is to you, as Nora Roberts' is to her, as Stephen King's is to him. I've discovered the greatest harm I can do to myself as a writer is to compare myself to BNA's and my writing friends, because when all is said and done, we are all unique in our gift of storytelling because our imaginations are all unique to us.

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The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict and conflict.
~James Frey

The story is not in the plot but in the telling.
~Ursula K. LeGuin

A story isn't about a moment in time, a story is about the moment in time.
~W. D. Wetherell

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What's the Story?

2011-09-29T19:38:00.002-07:00

Image credit: HERE.

What a picture. The remains of a home with a lush, verdant background, a light sky. Who lived here? How long ago? What's the story in this picture?

Little Mary Sunshine Monday

2011-09-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

It's cloudy, cool...Rainy Days and Mondays does come to mind. Plus, that whole Monday thing, the craptastic reputation it's earned...I thought I'd take a closer look at Monday, and find a bit of positive about it.

Monday
The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon monandaeg, "the moon's day". This second day was sacred to the goddess of the moon.
French: lundi; Italian: lunedi. Spanish: lunes. [from Luna, "Moon"]
German: Montag; Dutch: maandag. [both: 'moon-day']
(SOURCE)

Monday, the second day of the week, is that it's also referred to as "Blue Monday." The name is thought to have started because the first day of the work week used to be set aside for doing the laundry. Bluing was used to keep white clothes from becoming dingy and gray. From that product, wash day became known as "Blue Monday." The term "Blue Monday" still exists, even though it's not necessarily laundry day. However, it's meaning is different. It now refers to the day when employees have to return to work after a weekend break.

Several holidays always fall on a Monday. Some of these include Labor Day, Memorial Day, President's Day, Columbus Day and Veteran's Day.
(SOURCE)

Monday song: Rainy Days and Mondays (Carpenters), Monday Monday (Mamas and Papas), Manic Monday (Bangles).

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A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright, quoted in Reader's Digest, June 1995

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. ~Author Unknown

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~Winston Churchill

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same. ~Francesca Reigler

It isn't our position but our disposition which makes us happy. ~Author Unknown

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Random thoughts...an attempt to bring cheer to Monday, to dispel the gloom...

While it seems like there's always more Mondays than any other day of the week, the truth is, there's only 52. 53 depending upon what day of the week the year starts on and leap years.

Monday has something in common with Moon Pies, both being named after the moon.

It comes early in the week.

Monday Monday bo Bunday Banana fanna fo Funday Me My Moe Monday...Monday.

The Monday Blahs are a good excuse to eat chocolate. Chocolate makes people happy, AND it's a veggie, because it comes from the cocoa bean, and everyone with a brain knows that beans are veggies.

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Creativity and Inspiration

2011-09-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

Found this lovely picture at Public Domain Pictures...

Went looking for something inspirational to share, something to get the ol' wheels a'turning, spark a bit of creativity. The newest thing I've started writing (Sherry's Fault), insists it's set in NYC. Nifty. I've been there exactly ONCE, so this picture caught my eye, seeing as it's of the East River. My first thought upon seeing this picture was, "Look how those lights along the pier look like martini glasses." Incorrigible. Sunset, the last bit of light turning the sky white as the darker blue of night begins to take over provides a brighter contrast to the buildings in silhoutte. Lights reflect in the buildings, and one has to wonder...just what is going on in all those buildings where the lights are on? What are people doing? So g'wan with ya, pick a speck of ight in one of those towering buildings, and let your imagination loose. There's a story in there somewhere. Too much going on in this deceptively placid picture...

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A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something. ~Frank Capra

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it. ~Dee Hock
Creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside your own experience.
~Masaru Ibuka

Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous. ~Bill Moyers

Imagination is the highest kite one can fly. ~Lauren Bacall

Do or do not. There is no try. ~Yoda

Talk Like a Pirate...The Power of Words

2011-09-19T08:28:00.002-07:00

Arrrr, it be talk like a pirate day, and did I remember to talk like a pirate at my young 'uns afore I took them to school? Of course not. Arrrrr, I be a terrible pirate.

O'course, there are several lines from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies I love..."Clearly, you've never been to Singapore..."; "King."; "I'm disinclined to acquiece to your request...Means 'no.'"

Memorable lines stick your memory, keep the interest of the viewer (or reader, as the case may be). Words, what a great invention! Able to convey emotion, impart information, paint a verbal or written picture. They have the power to encourage or destroy. They come in many flavors, including sarcastic, sincere, heartfelt, mean, inspiring, entertaining.

All you need to do is arrange them to convey the meaning you intend. That's the fun part. Like playing with building blocks when you add, subract, move them around.

Words.

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Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart. ~William Shakespeare

Words without thoughts never to heaven go. ~William Shakespeare

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. ~C. S. Lewis

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Bits and Pieces of a Week...

2011-09-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

Well then.

What a week.

I'm not entirely sure where it went, all I know it's just about over.

So...what have I managed to accomplish this week?

I am still relatively sane. (This observation being subjective and subject to change without notice, but mostly, I'd say while my overall sanity did take a few dings, it's mostly intact. BONUS!

I finished the short Christmas story I wrote to give to family members for Christmas. As I did this last year, I don't think it'll be a surprise I did it again this year. In deference to the sensibilities of some of those receiving it, I didn't use any bad words, only had a character curse once, and there's ZERO heat. In the Bat Cave, we call Christmas "Cavemas" or "Cavemoose," so I referred to it to one dear friend as my "Shorn Cavemoose Story." Of course, we're having a writing race right now, and that's what I worked on for the race (not really a race to see who's winning, but a race to just get us all moving on our WIPS and giving us a place to be accountable---and to brag about how many words we wrote--LOL.)...and knowing this friend, Angie, as I do, I knew one of the first questions or comments to my "I finished it" post would be, "And why is it not in my inbox?"/"Is it in my inbox yet?"... She had just a wee problem with it, claimed I'd advertised it falsely, that there was neither a cave nor a moose in the story. I laughed until I had tears rolling down my face.

Now, I just need to finish the revisions of one WIP, and, thanks to Sherry, I have another idea bubbling. I formatted the document, wrote the first line, and saved it all under the name, "Sherry's Fault."

Mostly, we're dealing with school being back in session and trying to get back into the groove. I figure it's been 2 weeks, and with winterball just starting up, we need to work a bit harder at staying in the groove. In other words....BACK TO WORK! :D

Lastly, I'm going to leave you with a link to Valerie Parv's blog. Love, love, love Valerie and feel blessed to count her among my closest friends. Her advice is always spot-on. CHECK IT OUT.

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Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head. ~ From the movie Finding Forrester

In Loving Memory...

2011-09-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They're our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight.
Jeb Bartlet (Martin Sheen) on West Wing, aired shortly after 9/11

SEPTEMBER 11 MUSIC VIDEO

WHEN THE WORLD STOPPED TURNING...9/11 TRIBUTE

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN 9/11 WTC TRIBUTE

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER

September 11, 2001...September 11, 2011...Ten Years Later

2011-09-09T09:22:00.001-07:00

Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)

I Believe - A 9-11 Tribute (You WILL need a tissue for this)

Shock.

Disbelief.

Fear.

Anger.

Uncertainty.

Repeat.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I lived in a rural Northern Nevada town, I had 3 children 6 years old and younger. My baby was literally still a baby, having just barely turned 1 that summer. It was just after 7 in the morning, and we were up, getting the oldest fed so I could take him to school. The boys had the Cartoon Network on, I was making breakfast.

In other words, it was a typical morning for us.

Chaotic, loud, happy.

Then the phone rang. It was my husband. He works for Uncle Sam. We aren't a military family, but we are a gov't worker family. He asked if the television was on. I laughed. "Of course it's on. We're watching something stupid on the Cartoon Network."

He suggested I turn on the news.

And I did.

The South Tower was smoking, and the amateur video someone had shot of the airliner going into the side of the tower was being replayed. We knew nothing, didn't know what the hell was happening, just that we were being attacked.

It's really damned hard to drive when you can't see through the tears. I can't imagine I was the only numb, frightened, horrified parent dropping a kid off at school that morning. I made the loop to the school and got home as fast as I could. Saw that my younger sons were fed and occupied elsewhere, and back to the television I went.

I saw more replays. I watched the Towers fall.

Again, numb. Horrified. Shocked.

My husband called to say that as the highest ranking manager at the office that morning (and he was nowhere near the top of that ladder), he'd had the responsibility of locking down the facility. He came home by noon.

At around ten in the morning, my sister, Lisa, called. I think by then, the Pentagon was burning and I couldn't honestly tell if you if the plane had gone down in Pennsylvania yet or not. Lisa was in tears and demanded I tell her that my husband hadn't been on one of those planes.

You see, my husband had just returned from a month-long detail, working in Washington D.C. I'd gone out to spend a week with him, just before school started for our oldest son, there at the end of August. He came home on September 8th. He didn't fly out of any of the airports the hijackers did, but he came home on an American Airlines flight. That was too close for comfort for me. While my heart was breaking and I was grieving for the victims and their families, the notion he could've still been in D.C., could've (but not at all likely) been on one of those planes turned my knees to rubber.

I kept the news on, of course. Doesn't matter the channel. Like every other American with a TV set and good reception, I watched the horror unfold, replay, be analyzed all day long. At one point, I remember being in the little hallway off my kitchen, on my way to the laundry room. Life had to go on, I had little boys, I had laundry to do. I heard the replay of one of the planes crashing into one of the Towers. I leaned against the wall, eyes closed, shaking and sobbing as quietly as I could so as not to alarm my 3 year old and 1 year old, as I mourned for all the innocents who lost their lives. For the families who lost loved ones, for the husbands and wives so brutally widowed, the children monstrously orphaned, for parents who heartbreakingly lost children. The hurt overwhelmed, took up residence in my heart, in my soul.

Life had to go on for us as more perished, the Towers fell, all incoming flights into the US were diverted and all in-country flights were grounded. The president was in the air somewhere on Air Force One, the vice-president and others were relocated to safer places. I had young children to take care of, a household to keep moving along...it's so hard to be normal when the world has gone insane and is standing on its ear.

After my husband came home and we'd fetched our oldest from school, I went to the grocery store. Along with half the population of the town in which we lived. We had no idea, still, what the hell was going on, just that we were under attack by, at that time, unknown forces. Who knew what resources would become scarce? Best to stock up for the unknown---and boy, was that unknown terrifying! We talked with our families, our friends. Learned from a neighbor that there would be a candlelight prayer service at church that night. I went while my husband stayed home with the boys. I cried through that. The thing that replayed over and over in my head was that my husband could've been there. Now, of course, no, he wouldn't have been on one of those flights, they originated at other airports, not the one he flew out of to come home, and he wouldn't have been at the Pentagon, either--no logic or reason for my thoughts, but who was having logical, reasonable thoughts that day, anyway? There was no rational explanation for my fixation, it simply was. And ached for the victims who'd lost their lives, and for their loved ones left behind who would have to deal with their absence.

The following year, my husband got a job, same outfit, in D.C. We arrived on September 11, 2002. We took up residence in Maryland. We visited the Smithsonian museums, where we, along with many others, walked silently through the little room in the American History Museum, looking at the artifacts from 9-11. Twisted bits of steel that had been part of what held the Towers up. Battered FDNY helmts, coats. Pictures. Audio recordings, videos. We stared at the flag found at the Pentagon. I don't remember which entrance it was on, I wanna say the Mall side, but I'm not sure. The first time we flew home to Nevada for a visit with the family, my heart pounded the entire way. I was scared spitless. Flying cross country like that scared me every time we did so.

In 2007, we visited New York City. Like all tourists, we went to Liberty Island. The ferries we took to Liberty Island, then Ellis Island, then back to Manhattan all had plaques thanking the ferry line and the boat by name, for their service that horrible day in 2001, when they'd ferried people out of New York City. The skyline was empty, the Twin Towers such an obvious absence. And when we finished our tour, we walked through Battery Park, saw a twisted piece of art that a plaque posted near it, along with an eternal flame, said it was what was left of the art that had sat between the Towers. We walked up to Ground Zero. Looked through the chain link fence at the gaping footprints of the Towers. Read the timeline posted above the fences. Yes, we took pictures. How could we not go pay homage when we were there? How could we not feel like we stood on hallowed ground? How could anyone?

A couple years after 9-11, I asked my Grandma if Pearl Harbor had been as frightening for her generation as 9-11. She said, "Every bit as much." She was a very young child during the World War I years, she grew up in the prosperous '20's, she was married during the Great Depression, had my mother shortly after the US entered WWII, had my aunt during those first years of the Baby Boom that followed the end of the war. Her youngest brother served in Korea. She became a grandmother for the first time during the Vietnam Era and for the last time during the Reagan years. She saw man go to the moon. She remembered the day Kennedy was assassinated. I hope to God that I won't be asked by a future grandchild if "Event B" was as scary to me as 9-11 had been.

We have been watching the numerous shows on television about 9-11, the memorial to be unveiled, the events of the day...And it is interesting to watch my boys and how they react. They don't remember living in a pre-9-11 world. I mourn that loss of innocence for them, but by the same token, while they find it horrifying, it's not the same for them as it is for me. They know that terrorists flew airplanes into the Twin Towers, into the Pentagon, and that one plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania...but it doesn't hurt them the way it does for those of us who remember the day as it unfolded. It's a burden they don't need---it's bad enough they've had to grow up in this insane post-9-11 world.

It is my fervent hope, wish, dream and prayer for not just the United States, but for the entire world, that we may somehow find peace in my lifetime. I'm not holding my breath, as we humans seem to be more inclined to focus on our differences, rather than those things that make us the same.

9-11 Tribute -- Amazing Grace

I would like to end this introspective with one last thing...To all our servicemen and women who answered the call in the days and years after 9-11...THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. Only God Himself knows the true depth and scope of what you've done and because of ya'll, we can all be proud to be Americans. Bil P, and all serving and retired military: This is for you - God Bless the USA.

The Craziness of Querying

2011-09-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

It's not an editor's job to be fair to writers. It's an editor's job to make money for his publisher by acquiring and packaging books people want to read. Writing professionally is not a contest or a competition or a sweepstakes; it's a business, and you're on the selling end in a buyer's market. Expect editors to treat you not like a beloved student, but like a salesman who's interrupting them -- you'd better have a product that'll make the interruption worthwhile, and the manners to convince them to look at it.

BETTER HAVE A PRODUCT THAT'LL MAKE THE INTERRUPTION WORTHWHILE...

What better reason could an aspiring writer taking the plunge to put his or her work out there, with the intent of publication, want as motivation to present his or her work in the best light possible?

I can tell you from my own days as an editor for my epublisher that the quickest way to lose my attention involved grammatical errors, spelling errors, implausible plots, clearly not having read our publishing guidelines...If you're going to take that step to send your work, asking for consideration for publication, WHY wouldn't you send your best work? It's not easy getting the attention of an editor so why not make the most of your query?

1. Make sure your manuscript is clean---no grammatical errors, typos--in short, proofread!

2. In addition to doing a run through the manuscript to address plot, continuity, flow, characterization issues, make certain you don't revise your voice right out of your work.

3. Follow the submission guidelines set forth by the publisher you're querying. Having been on the other side of that desk as an editor, I can assure you, the guidelines aren't mere suggestions, they weren't put together because someone like the combination of the words.

For more advice on querying, please check out these links:

How to Deal With Contradictory Query Advice

How to Write a Query

See Heather Write: Query Advice...

Think about it from the point of view of the editor. He's not a teacher, showing you the best way to do something. He's not a bureaucrat, mindlessly following rules. He's a merchant trying to put together the best product he can for his customers. His major concern is pleasing his readers, so they will continue to pay for it. He's looking at what you offer him to see whether it's something he wants to offer his customers.

Therefore, he looks at each submission as if he were a customer -- that is, as if he were a reader looking for entertainment. He picks up the story, starts reading -- and if at any time he finds himself thinking, "This is boring; I don't want to read any more," then he puts the story down and rejects it and goes on to the next. Because if it bores him, he can assume it will bore his readers.

Yep, I'm getting to that Query Stage with one of my manuscripts. It's been so long, I thought a refresher course for myself was in order, and why not pass along what I learn?

Characters are People, Too...

2011-09-02T07:11:00.001-07:00

**Note...The old blogger interface wouldn't publish my post, so I went to the "new blogger interface" and, you will see, it messed up the formatting at a certain point. Sorry about that, I'll try to get back to fix it, hopefully I'll be able to do so.**

Yesterday morning, I sat here, staring at the posting page for my blog, trying to think of something to write about. Obviously, as nothing was posted, I drew a blank.I wanted to write about something related to the craft, and while the body and spirit were willing, the brain refused to cooperate. There's a definite lack of motivation affecting my life today, as the most ambitious thing I've done all day is mop the kitchen floor and move a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, and start a new load. It's the first week of school and my body is rebelling the necessity to be up and somewhat functional at 6 in the morning so I can get the boys up and somewhat functional and out the door.

One of my favorite things to do, while I'm looking for motivation, is read the news...Actual news, editorials, etc, and while at one site, I found a clip from the show Designing Women that really resonated with me. Yes, it has to do with politics, and I couldn't tell you what year this episode aired, but it's timeless. View it HERE http://front.moveon.org/pop-quiz-which-designing-woman-stole-the-words-right-out-of-our-mouths/">HERE>. I always loved this show, loved the intelligent, witty, talented characters and the women who portrayed these characters. My kids wanted to know what I was watching when I applauded (yes, I really did) at the end, in response to the ending comments that included, "...I pray...that people with power will get good sense and that people with good sense will get power..."

As I said, I liked all the characters in this show, including the secondaries who walked on a few times a season...All so well written, well portrayed, well rounded...in short, just very believable, likable, easy to identify with, women I'd like to have as friends. I've probably blogged about characters/characterization before---it's a subject near and dear because I'm a character-driven writer. Yes, I think that characters are more important to the plot, because without the right characters to people the story, the plot fizzles. I enjoy telling the story through the characters, rather than through the use of plot devices (although, those do come in handy and are useful).

Recently, a friend asked on one of the writing threads I frequent, for tips on writing deep POV. I suggested, "Write it like it's happening to you." That's what I do with my stories...I can be in each character's head, because they're in mine, and I think that makes them more believable, rounded, fully fleshed characters. I want to create living, breathing PEOPLE, and as we are all different and unique in our own rights, so should the characters...people...we create be.

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What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers. ~Logan Pearsall Smith, "All Trivia," Afterthoughts, 1931

The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium. ~Norbert Platt

Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say. ~Sharon O'Brien

Easy reading is damn hard writing. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Observations...

2011-08-30T10:15:00.002-07:00

...It's terrific Carrie Fisher lost 50 pounds, but I want to know why she's botoxed or plastic surgeried her face to the point she can barely move her mouth to talk.

The Kim Cattrall I Can't Believe It's Not Butter commercial annoys me. "We like." "Oui." Um, no. We don't like. By "we," I really mean "me."

I've been pondering for a long time now WHY the Kardashians are famous. Now the "news" is making a big deal out of whichever one got married recently had been married before and that it's news to her new husband. Who. The. Hayle. CARES? And why am I commenting on it? ARG.

Okay...I'm sorry. Michele Bachmann? You aren't nearly as funny as you think you are. WHY would you jest about the earthquake and Hurricane Irene as being God sending a wake up call to the politicians in Washington DC? Not funny in my book. This muddying the separation of church and state line trend alarms me. Religion is fine. In our homes, in our churchs, but not in our government. I certainly don't vote for my representatives so they can turn around and use their office as a stage for their revival efforts.

Chocolate banana smoothies are nummylicious.

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, greenbeans... they're calling me. Guess what's for dinner? Guess who has to go to the store to pick up a big chub of ground beef, some taters, some gravy mix and greenbeans?

Started writing a Christmas short story. Have started my Christmas crafts for presents, too. Fun, fun, fun.

Neighbor who moved gave us their trampoline. Boys love it, and the Coolest Backyard in the Neighborhood got even cooler. It's a kid magnet. Now that the kids are in school, I'm tempted, once it's not so darned hot outside, to go jump on it myself.

Something is beeping intermittenly. Must track it down. BEEP BEEP BEEP like every few minutes. Maybe it's my new cell phone begging to be plugged in. I have no idea. Very strange. Not like a smoke detector spazzing because the battery's dying. Whatever, it's reminded me I need to plug in my cell phone to charge it. Now if I can just hold onto that thought until I finish and post this blog...

Tuesday is early dismissal day for my elementary and middle school sons. Every Tuesday, with few exceptions. JOY. I don't love Tuesdays.

The palm trees along the fenceline are beautiful when the wind ruffles the fronds. Great view from here on the sofa.

Dust. It's everywhere. Dust is not my friend. I spend too much of my time chasing the dust, so it doesn't colonize and create dust bunny communities.

Two knuckleheaded dogs live here with me, and when I get up off the couch, they go curl up in the warm spot I left...then look at me sooooo reproachfully when I come back to reclaim my spot. Good thing these knuckleheads are cute or they'd be outta here. Seat thieves, they stink, shed, and one gets car sick, which is soooo fun, because both think they need to go buh bye car when I take the boys to school in the morning. Knuckle. Headed. Dogs. Oh, and they think when we get home, that they should get good girl treats for having helped me take the boys to school. Mebbe not so knuckleheaded, as I do give them the treats. LOL. Naw. They're knuckleheads.

I have a cinnamon swirl cake to bake. I got a couple cake mixes to just have on hand for those occasions I need something handy to make in a hurry. However, the cake is calling my name, and I might give in to the siren call of the cake mix.

I think maybe this afternoon we'll go do some school supply shopping. Fun stuff like graph paper for geometry and algebra. Glue sticks.

Such is the minutae in my life today. Ah, the romance of being a writer of romance...Where's my tiara? My boa? Oh, and don't forget the bon bons. I must have bon bons.

* * * * * * * * * *

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ~Pablo Picasso

Imperfection is not our personal problem, it is a natural part of existing. ~Tara Brach

Waning Summer Days and Writing Ops

2011-08-23T09:51:00.003-07:00

The countdown for the First Day of School has started. Okay, I'm the one counting, not the boys, since they aren't nearly as excited about school starting as I am. Next Monday is the day, and we have new shoes, new clothes and soon...new backpacks.

Backpacks.

Overpriced, soon to be destroyed, overpriced...Sigh. No lockers at either the middle school or the high school, so if they need their textbooks for class, #1 and #2 Sons must haul them around. This is sooooo good for their backs, too.

But I digress. With the advent of school, I get a portion of my day back, a portion that I can write without having to deal with squabbles, boredom, the endless parade of kids...It's great, but it's hard on the writing. So is Life, which, regretably, has been rearing it's ugly head around here lately.

As Life has been intervening, I've struggled with the will to write, it's hard to write when you're getting punched in the head, so I thought I'd pop over to my Squidoo lens, The Mechanics of Writing, to see what popped there for me. Something to get writing back into my consciousness, a warning, if you will, to the Muse that her mini-vacation is fast coming to an end. I have all sorts of reasons now for getting the manuscript polished and out the door, and get the 2 follow up novels to it done and ready for submission, too. My interest caught on the part about what I've learned about writing along the way. So, here it is, c/p'd, with some fresh observations tacked on at the end.

What I've Learned Along the Way

1. Be teachable. There's no one magical "Right Way" to do everything, and who knows? You may find a tip or bit of advice that proves to be more valuable than you ever suspected.

2. Emotion, emotion, emotion. Learned this from Valerie Parv (http://www.valerieparv.com/) herself. When you think you've added enough emotion, ADD MORE.

3. If you can't handle your critique partner's less-than-gushing comments about your manuscript, then you're not ready to submit it to an editor. I'd rather hear from my CP that my ms is crudtastic, honestly, than to have an editor say it.

4. If more than one CP or an editor mentions something they perceive as a problem in your writing, then you likely have a problem you need to address. This also goes back to tip #1--- be teachable.

5. It's not necessary to become an ethusiastic adherent to every new (or not so new) "how to write" process that's out there. I remember when I first heard about the Snowflake method. I checked it out and decided it had merit, but wouldn't work for me.

6. It's okay if the first draft is dreadful. Really. That's why it's often called the "rough draft."

7. The best way to write is the way that works for you. Just because others use note cards or white boards doesn't necessarily mean you have to use them, too.

8. Editors really do notice if you don't follow house guidelines when you submit. I know this because I was an editor for an e-publisher for several years. You really are sabatoging yourself by not following house submission guidelines. Why? Because it tells the editor you know nothing about their house or that you simply don't care and that you don't have a professional attitude towards this. Take the time and make the effort to tailor your submission to the house guidelines.

9. Rejection isn't necessarily a bad thing. Especially if you've received a rejection letter in which the editor has taken the time to tell you what he/she sees wrong with your writing. Turn rejection into a positive thing by viewing it as a learning opportunity.

10. Have fun while you write. It's important that you, as the author, connect with your characters and story---it will shine through in your writing.

11. Plot Happens. (Allison Brennan)

12. If the Muse is unwilling, open the WIP anyways, read what you've written, revise some, write another paragraph...even if it's just a little bit. Do it every day, keep that Muse on notice that she's not to take a powder to the Bahamas without you. ;)

13. Believe in yourself. If you're serious about publication, then don't treat your writing like a "fun little hobby."

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If the doctor told me I had six minutes to live, I'd type a little faster. ~Isaac Asimov

The faster I write the better my output. If I'm going slow, I'm in trouble. It means I'm pushing the words instead of being pulled by them. ~Raymond Chandler

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Making Yourself Accountable

2011-08-14T10:47:00.003-07:00

In the solitary pursuit that is writing, unless you have a contract, how do you make yourself accountable to your writing, if your ultimate goal is publication? For some, this isn't an issue, but for others, it can be.

It's hard to place value on something as ephemeral as writing. You get no immediate reward from it, other than its intrinsic value to you, the writer. The accomplishment of writing is euphoric, addicting, but when the dishes sit in the sink and the floor could use a good scrubbing, how do you justify taking the time to write without the accompanying guilt?

First of all, your writing has value if you decide it does. The hard part is not allowing others to talk you out of deeming your writing as something that has value. If it means something to you, then it'll mean something to family and friends, especially if you don't allow them to categorize it as your "fun little hobby." Treat your writing with the respect it deserves and others will follow suit.

Accountability to your writing will also add value to it. If your family and friends see you taking it seriously, that makes it bit more important than a "fun little hobby." But when there are those pesky house chores to deal with, kids, husband, pets, full or part-time jobs to contend with, the writing often takes a backseat. The kids are only kids for a short time, true. But that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy them AND your writing. They won't suffer if you write for an hour or two a day, whatever your schedule allows. In fact, I think it gives them the opportunity to see that you are *more* than Mom or Dad, and that's very important.

Have a writing buddy or a critique partner---someone you with whom get along well, someone who's writing you enjoy (because that makes it way easier to reciprocate if you're not dreading have to read through their erotic m/m romances when your speed is a more conservative sweet m/f romance, for example). Set up guidelines and a schedule and away you go.

How do you set guidelines? Well, first, you need to set a goal. Set the high goal (how many words or chapter you'd like to write, in a perfect world), then set a medium goal--a goal you can live with and would be perfectly happy to achieve, then a low goal--the absolute minimum you want to achieve and still would consider yourself as making progress. Your aim, of course, is to reach that high goal. Some weeks that will happen. Other weeks, everyone came down with the "coughing, aching, stuffy-head, fever, boy I sure could use some sleep" bug and you're purty darned lucky you got to your minimum goal. No, I don't think this is a built-in "permission to fail/not strive for the top"...I see this as a positive ladder, a way to gauge what you think you can do versus what you actually CAN do, and gives you a way to adjust your goals accordingly, so they'll be realistic goals. That's another key towards being accountable---setting a realistic goal.

From the goals to the guidelines you set with your writing partner---Are you going to pick a day each week that you email Proof of Writing, as my friend/accountability partner call it? Once every two weeks? Once a month? Yahoo email, I know, has a calendar that you can set to send reminders, and you can export that reminder to someone else via email. Are you sending work to be critiqued, simply read, or just for an acknowledgement that it arrived?

Lastly, what you need from your accountability partner is a positive, upbeat, encouraging, can-do attitude. She's there to cheer you on, tell you to stop being so hard on yourself because you always come up 500 words short of your ultimate goal. Maybe you should adjust that goal, because you're hitting X consistently. Seems to be perfect for you, and the WIP is progressing nicely."

Would you like that in a nutshell?

Nutshell Version of Today's Blog Post

1. Value your writing, and others will follow suit.

2. Be accountable to your writing: It adds another level of value to it.

3. Find a writing buddy to help keep you accountable.

4. Set a series of goals from the lowest you'd like to accomplish in any given time period, to a mid-range goal, to the ultimate goal.

5. Set guidelines for the accountability partnership.

6. Get to writing!

^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^

“When you use words, you're able to keep your mind alive. Writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence.” ~Gao Xingjian

“Writing a novel is like making love, but it's also like having a tooth pulled. Pleasure and pain. Sometimes it's like making love while having a tooth pulled.” ~Dean Koontz

“I am not bound to win
but I am bound to be true;
I am not bound to succeed
but am bound to live up
to what light I have."
~Abraham Lincoln

Summer Vacation and Other Fun Stuff

2011-08-10T19:42:00.003-07:00

Yes, we have reached Summer Vacation Saturation Point. By "we" I mean ME. There comes a time when the petty bickering, the noise that seems to accompany boys everywhere they go (and the dirt and stink too), the enforced togetherness (as I'm currently a SAHM) wears thin and BINGO, without warning, I'm ready for everyone to go back to school Right Now, Thank You Very Much.

#1 Son's ROTC is going to have a fundraiser at a sub shop tomorrow evening, and Mr. Laura, BIL (Mr. Laura's brother who now lives with us) and the boys planned a fishing trip that had to be postponed one evening. I shot the flyer to Mr. to print, and he said "That's a great idea. We'll get subs, and go to the park to fish. You can sit on a bench and enjoy the outdoors." I countered, "Or, I could stay home and admire my silence." He then told me (via email) that I was in danger of becoming a hermit. Threatened to start calling me "Hermit the Mommie."

I replied that all I wanted was to be alone.

He suggested I walk the dog (why would I do that in the middle of the hot day?) or take a trip, or go to the spa (and while I think the spa would be fun)...I responded, "If I do those things, I STILL won't be alone. There are PEOPLE out there."

He reiterated his stance that I was in danger of becoming a hermit.

Not so, says I. In order to be a hermit, you must be ALONE. I am NOT alone. Ever.

He countered with the definition of hermit:

Webster's II New Riverside University Dictionary(1984)

"hermit 1. One who has withdrawn from society and lives a solitary
existence: RECLUSE. 2. A spiced cookie with molasses, raisins, and
nuts."

I countered with a definition of solitary:

sol·i·tar·y (sl-tr)
adj.
1. Existing, living, or going without others; alone: a solitary traveler. See Synonyms at alone.
2. Happening, done, or made alone: a solitary evening; solitary pursuits such as reading and sewing.
3. Remote from civilization; secluded: a solitary retreat.
4. Having no companions

He had no response to that. My bestie, Sherry attempted to incite a trip to Texas: "Come to meeeeeeeeeeee...visit meeeeeeeeeeeeeee." Which is totally tempting. I'd LOVE to go back to Texas and visit Sherry. We had such a great time when I went last year, we'd like to make it a yearly event, taking turns being the traveler. What's more fun than giddy text messages along the lines of, Me: "Guess where I am? You'll NEVER guess." Her: "Where?" Me: "The airport, getting ready to get on an airplane." Her: "Whyfore you gonna do that?" Me: "Because it seemed like a good idea at the time." Her: "Where you going?" Me: "Texas." Her: "What a coincidence, *I* live in Texas." Me: "You do? No way! Who knew? What are the odds?"

Pardon the digression. Yes, that is a conversation that really took place via text messages. Good times. It's great to be a middle aged woman who can still find her inner teenager...

So, back to the alone issue...It's a necessary thing, I've discovered, for many writers. We thrive on solitude and space, the luxury of being alone with our own thoughts, making the stories in our heads come alive on...er...the computer. Like a battery that needs recharged, solitude and quiet are what recharges me. Mr. Laura doesn't seem to understand this. When I say, "I want to be alone," he hears, "I want to be alone without the children" and/or "I need to get out of the house." Two entirely different things, and he immediately suggests I "get out and do something." Hey, if I wanted to "get out and do something," I would. With this last conversation, I had to stipulate, "I want to be alone IN the house." I also told him I'm not hiding from society, how can I when society follows me to the bathroom (the dogs, sometimes I open the door and there's a kid standing there, too), to the grocery store, on other errands---everywhere I go, there are people: Society.

Now...if I could just figure out if he thinks I'm a spiced cookie or just plain nuts. I suspect the latter.

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“Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.” ~Jessamyn West

"Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer's head is mobbed with characters, images and language, making the creative process something like eavesdropping at a party for which you've had the fun of drawing up the guest list. Loneliness usually doesn't set in until the work is finished, and all the partygoers and their imagined universe have disappeared." ~Hilma Wolitzer

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Let's Do the Time Warp Again

2011-08-08T09:37:00.002-07:00

We recently switched cable providers, from typical cable to DirecTV. More for less money. Win-win, right? So, we get a variety of musical channels, and I've been living in a 1980's time warp.

It's either very scary or very impressive, but I can still sing along with most of the songs. Those I can't sing along with, I at least recognize. I can't remember where I left my cell phone (which is how it ended up getting washed because I left it in the pocket of my capris), but by golly, George, I can certainly remember the lyrics to obscure songs from the 1980's. Very comforting to know that when my ability to remember recent events is totally gone, I'll at least be happy, singing Karma Chameleon with Boy George, I won't stop believing with Journey, and I could probably be counted on to attend a White Wedding with Billy Idol. I'll be set. All I'll need is for my children and grandchildren to visit me every Sunday afternoon, bringing dutiful offerings of chocolate and other wondrous treats to gnosh as they gently walk me around the grounds of the home in which I'll be residing and tell me lies about how good I look and regale me with stories of the past week of their lives. They'll tell me they have go, and my mind will immediately run the lyrics of Styx's Don't Let It End as I beg them to stay just five more minutes. Finally, I'll wave buh bye, while Another One Bites the Dust---brain cell that is. After I've Granny-waved them away, a nurse will take me back to my room, where Fleetwood Mac and I won't stop believing that they'll come back to visit me soon.

Gee.

I can hardly wait.

2011-08-06T14:19:00.002-07:00

Okay, I'm to that fun stage of the manuscript--revisions, which I love to do--it gives me the opportunity to fine tune the story, add this, that and the other thing to punch up emotions, conflicts, etc, and I always find it interesting how much more I can find to say about the characters/story line on revision rounds.

Years ago, when I was e-pubbed, we wrote our own backcover copy, based on a 100 word model put out there by an author I whose name isn't coming readily to mind (because it's been so long), and the link for it is on the dead computer. So I went searching the Internet to find more tips on writing, essentially, backcover copy. Why? Because, it's a very effective way of summarizing the story and can be incorporated into the synopsis. It should be punchy, eye-catching and exciting, which probably could go without saying. After all, the purpose of the backcover blurb is to entice the reader to put the book in the cart and take it to the checkout stand, right?

The model my publisher had us use involved a 100 word blurb. When you have only 100 words, it's important and necessary to make them all count. Amazing how many weak verbs, unnecessary adjectives and sentence construction variations can creep in to weaken our work. As with the manuscript itself, you want to rely on active sentence construction, vivid verbs and strong words that convey mood, setting, emotion, characterization. It can be frustrating, especially the first (several hundred)
attempt(s), but don't let the frustration win.

Found some links to share on the writing of the backcover blurb.

Writing an Effective Book Summary

Writing a Short Book Blurb

How to Write a Blurb

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Writing is physical work. It's sweaty work. You just can't will yourself to become a good writer. You really have to work at it. ~Will Haygood

The secret of becoming a writer is to write, write and keep on writing. ~Ken MacLeod

There's no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California who couldn't write. ~Terry Pratchett

Writing energy is like anything else. The more you put in, the more you get out.~ Richard Reeves

Life From a Laptop

2011-08-02T09:59:00.004-07:00

The PC died last Friday, after several long months on life support. A few words were said over the deceased computer (not suitable for publication, because my mother might read my blog and while she's always maintained she can't hear, speak or read "those words," I suspect she really can and just doesn't want any of us to know she can.) It's also not nice to swear at the deceased, even if it "only" a computer. I wasn't ready for it to be all the way dead. I wanted it to limp along a while longer. Alas, 'twas not to be and here we are...blogging for the first time ever, on a laptop.

I decided the laptop needed a name, and I think I've settled on "Gloria." Funny story about that. My Dad has a great friend who, when I was little, called me "Gloria." I think he was a bit hard of hearing, and when his wife told him, "Her name is Laura, not Gloria" he looked astonished. See, I kinda liked it and answered to it, never correcting him. Sooo...yes, I have a laptop named Gloria. (And yes, I do remember the song called "Gloria," sung by Laura Brannigan in the 1980's.)

So much to accomplish. MeaniePants Sherry has emailed me comments about the manuscript, and I should be working on that, rather than playing here on my blog. Also on today's agenda, getting the boys working on merit badge stuff, finishing cleaning the BBQ, so we can wheel it up the street for tonight's block party, encouraging some kid to mow, another to clean their bathroom...So much to do, one little ol' me.

One final thought...Being an adult is highly overrated. Therefore, I'm thinking of retiring from adulthood, and going back to being a kid. And why not? I didn't have to pay the bills, do the grocery shopping, cook, schlepp kids around...

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Bang Your Head

2011-07-28T19:33:00.002-07:00

I haven't written a synopsis in years. I can't remember the last time I did, or for which story. I found the words to write the story in the first place, what's making it so hard to find the words for the synopsis?

I want the synopsis to sound like me, reflect my voice. My Muse is screaming at me, "You already WROTE that story! Why are we writing it again?" She's verra persnickety, she is. Maybe if I closed my eyes and simply WROTE the synopsis?

The hook is just as important in a synopsis as it is in the story itself. Got over that hump, thanks to some help from my friend, Grace. Now it's a question of finessing the rest. Okay, can't do that if it won't come out of my brain!

So, I've taken the appropriate steps. I've re-read the manuscript (multiple times, LOL)...I've set out chocolate, eaten chocolate, thought about eating chocolate and baked chocolate brownie chip cookies (and eaten some of those, too). I've stared at the document, played on You Tube (it's so awesome to find your favorite artists performing their music live, but I digress...)...I've played on Facebook, checked my email, cleaned out 4 or 5 toy bins in the boys' room (moving kids in together is soooooo fun...). I've watched TV, surfed the internet (or in this case, the hindernet)...Chatted with friends, read blogs, commented on friends' status updates...In short, I've done everything I can think of...so now, back to staring at the synopsis. And perhaps threatening to ground the Muse if she doesn't stop pouting about writing one and get with the program. Yes, sirree, Missy Muse, I WILL pull this blog over.

????????????????????????????????????????

There is no way of writing well and also of writing easily. ~ANTHONY TROLLOPE, Barchester Towers

And I Needed to Know This, Because...?

2011-07-27T09:52:00.002-07:00

How long nookie with Hugh Hefner lasts. A big resounding THANK YOU to the cupcake who left him at he altar. Thanks ever so.

Jesse James and Kat Von D have called off their engagement. Why is this jerk still in the news?

Aren't headlines wonderful things? Oh, the trivia you can learn! You don't even have to read the whole article. Nope. Lessee...what else have I learned?

Apparently, Gene Simmons has proposed to Shannon Tweed. We don't know what her answer is, because it's the cliffhanger for their reality show this season. Tune in next season to find out, I guess. Or just watch the headlines. Who knows?

Celebrities guys are sick of hearing about: Kim Kardashian (STILL haven't figured out why we must keep up with them, but then again, I honestly don't devote that much brain power to this conundrum), Justin Bieber (no, I don't suffer from Bieber Fever, thank God), Charlie Sheen (never thought he was *WINNING!*---mostly thought he needed to be committed), Lady Gaga, Sarah Palin, President Obama. The list is fascinating. Dunno why it's fascinating, it just is...quite a diverse group of folks many are sick of hearing about.

We won't get into what I've learned about politics and the lovely crisis this nation faces because Congress won't cooperate, play well together...COMPROMISE for the benefit of the American people. No, best if I don't get started on how disappointed and disgusted I am with the current Congress. *Stuffs fists in mouth so I don't say any more out loud, and yes, you should be verra impressed with my ability to type with my elbows. Hehe.

Other news...We got stop signs in front our house. We have a corner lot and our street gets a lot of traffic as a minor artery through our neighborhood. One day a few months ago, some a*****e almost flipped his mid-life crisis into our front yard as he took the corner on two wheels, scaring the hell (yes HELL, along with the a*****e word, too) outta all the kids playing out there (my own, the neighbor's across the street, and from down the street, and the kids from around the corner...yet get the drift), also causing me to run outside to find out What The Hell, as well as the neighbor across the street...So a guy who lives on the next corner up, brought a petition for us to sign, and the 2 neighbors across the street who would be most impacted, I guess, by our proximity to the corner, to sign. I signed, no question. The guy across the street (our kids play together, really nice people) signed. The other people? Wouldn't sign until the rest of us did, and I'm guessing, given the stop signs now being up, that they signed. They have no kids, we never see them. Anyway, with any luck, this will slow the maniacs down. Boys reported yesterday that several people rolled right through the stop signs (brand new, so not unexpected), and that the people in one vehicle that did stop applauded the signs. Gotta love it. We thanked the guys putting them up yesterday, as we drove away to the pool.

Now, after a brief outing late this morning, we'll be back and I'll be trying to decide what I need to do: work on my synopsis (thanks Grace, for coming up with a lead in!) or clean out my crafting cupboards and continue getting ready for this weekend's garage sale...Eeny meany miney moe...

So...

There's the minutia that comprises my life at the moment. So exciting, huh? It's not all bon bons, feather boas and tiaras after all. Bummer, that.

Hello? Is This Thing On?

2011-07-25T18:31:00.003-07:00

First of all, I'd like to say to Congress: DO YOUR DAMNED JOBS! Quit the partisan bickering and do what's best for those you represent, not what's best for YOUR vision of whatever mandate you (mistakenly) think you have.

I blame the following on Aida. I GOTTA BE ME, by Sammy Davis, Jr. This is one of my all time favorite songs. The lyrics are spectacular.

Whether I'm right or whether I'm wrong
Whether I find a place in this world or never belong
I gotta be me, I've gotta be me
What else can I be but what I am

I want to live, not merely survive
And I won't give up this dream
Of life that keeps me alive
I gotta be me, I gotta be me
The dream that I see makes me what I am

That far-away prize, a world of success
Is waiting for me if I heed the call
I won't settle down, won't settle for less
As long as there's a chance that I can have it all

I'll go it alone, that's how it must be
I can't be right for somebody else
If I'm not right for me
I gotta be free, I've gotta be free
Daring to try, to do it or die
I've gotta be me

I'll go it alone, that's how it must be
I can't be right for somebody else
If I'm not right for me
I gotta be free, I just gotta be free
Daring to try, to do it or die
I gotta be me

I gotta be me. Warts 'n' all. Not so much interested these days in hiding my warts as I did when I was younger---I've grown into those warts, grown into my skin, and I'm purty happy to be me these days. I hope it is so with ya'll.

Quirks make us real, and as a segue into writing, they also make the characters I write about real. Nobody is perfect (except for Mary Poppins, and she's practically perfect in every way.)

I love to read quirky heroes and heroines, and I love to write them. At the moment, the current manuscript I'm working on, the heroine's quirk is she loves the Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson). Why is that quirky? Because, by looking at her, you'd never in a million years think that would be her musical taste.

So, who are your favorite quirky heroines?

Revisions

2011-07-23T09:53:00.003-07:00

I am in the Revisions Stage! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

That means that MeaniePants Sherry (and MeaniePants Angie) have the manuscript and they're doing what they do best. Bleeding on it with a red pen. Okay, with red font. MeaniePants Sherry is going through and bleeding "Why?" all over it. That's really mean, because gee, why would she think *I* know why? LOL. Of course I *know* why...but I know why from a more, I dunno, ephemeral place...I know why because I do, I know what the goals, motivations and conflicts are not because I wrote them down somewhere specifically, but because it's innate. Hard to put into so many words---"The heroine does X because of A. And she does Y because of B, but what she REALLY desires most in life is C"---but necessary to do at this stage, so that I can be sure it's reflected accurately in the book. Confused yet? I am. Sorta. Kinda. Okay, not really.

Onwards...

I haven't written a synopsis in YEARS. Back when I was first published with my e-publisher, after the first couple novels, she didn't want a synopsis. She said, "Laura, just send me the story." Was a great time saver, but alas, those days are gone. I IM'd my friend Valerie Parv and wibbled. She said: "Quick system - put down This story is about.....(heroine & job) who wants...(her goal) because...(motive) BUT, (Hero and his role) gets in her way because he wants (his goal) and (conflict). Then dress it up with some fancy details."

Hey! It works! Well, it would've worked better if...

1. The TV wasn't blaring so loud the entire neighborhood could hear it through closed windows with a jet doing low fly-by's overhead. (Kinda makes it hard to concentrate when the TV is screaming.)

2. I wasn't tired.

3. The kids would've left me alone for more than 30 seconds at a whack. Not that I don't love my kids. I do. But when they talk, they deserve my whole attention, and in order to give them that, I have to come out of The Zone. Sometimes I'm able to totally deZonify, other times, I'm not. Depends on how deeply I'm into The Zone. Since I couldn't totally Zonify last night due to all the circumstances, it was too easy to pop out and get distracted.

Am looking forward to having a few hours this evening to go into The Zone, so I can wrap up the synopsis, work on the query, then wait for MeaniePants Sherry to finish whying all over my ms.

Now...Why I need a MeaniePants...(And why it's Sherry.)

Why it's Sherry: Because. That's all you need to know. She has a shrewd eye, she's awesome to brainstorm with and she's able to spot things that I don't see because I'm too close to the work. Yanno? It all makes sense to me, because it's in MY head, and I get to talk to the characters any time I want, but it MUST be clear to the readers who, obviously, aren't in my head or privy to the discussions I have with my characters, yanno? Continuity issues. Boy, that's one of my biggest pet peeves. Continuity issues. I don't like 'em, can't stand 'em, they irritate the heckadoodle out of me. It's laziness, IMHO, pure laziness on the part of the author who can't keep things straight. For that reason, yes, I do write things like hair and eye color down...Things I'll NEED to refer to because my memory is about this long: -. The more eyes looking for potential continuity flubs, the better.

Why I need a MeaniePants: Because I do. Some writers need crit partners, others don't. I write organically, meaning, I don't plot a darned thing other than making a character list so I can keep everything/everyone straight, but that's the extent of that. I can bounce ideas off her and she'll ask just the right question or give just the right encouragement to keep me going. Her latest mantra is, "Just get the bones written down. We'll worry about the rest in revisions." Now we're in revisions, and her mantra is "Why?" So. If you don't have a MeaniePants Sherry, getcha one. But not MY MeaniePants Sherry, you'll need to find your own.

One final word on revisions: Check out this post by another one of my friends, Theresa Stevens---Ask An Editor: Theresa Stevens on Ten Steps to a Clean Submission and check out Theresa's Editorrent blog, which should be over there----> somewhere, in my blog roll. If not, just google Editorrent.

More links for tips about revising:

Authorness: Revising Your Novel in Seven (Rambling) Steps

Meg Chittenden: Joy of Revision-Checkpoints for Revising Your Novel

Revising and Aditing Your Novel (One of my Squidoo Lenses)

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Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. ~Scott Adams

Writing is 1 percent inspiration, and 99 percent elimination. ~Louise Brooks

We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. ~Ernest Hemingway

Don't fear making a mistake; fear failing to learn and move forward. ~Philip Humbert

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Creative Writing

2011-07-15T10:31:00.006-07:00

So my mother has a lovely friend who asks her when I have something new coming out. Well, the answer is, I have something I'm in the revision stages---it's with the MeaniePants Twins (Sherry and Angie), and they're wielding their Big Fat Red Pens on the poor manuscript. LOL. Looking forward to their comments, because these ladies are ALWAYS spot on with their comments and observations. After the revision round and a read-through to make sure I didn't make any stupid spelling errors, it's going to be submitted. Of course, I have to find a publisher who will actually publish it, but I'm hopeful and I realize I probably have a few knocks to take, but I'm on the Publication Path. :)

In the meantime, there's no law saying I can't exercise my creative writing muscle here on my blog occasionally, and it occurs I haven't done a writing prompt for a couple of weeks at least, so...here goes. Today's writing prompt is DREAMS. Take any situation you'd like and write it as if it was a dream you've had. *Gulp.* I only picked this because lately, I've been dreaming a lot, and having some really bizarre ones. Regrettably, dreams are ephemeral and fleeting, I'm going to make this up as I go along.

So, Kay, this one's for you.

Dreaming

She tossed and turned, unaware that her dream-time chasing cats destroyed the bed, pulling sheets off the corners and untucking the top sheet. One pillow hit the floor as Kayla fell deeper into the dream.

With nowhere to run or hide, all she could do was brazen out the situation. Kayla had to face the Big Ugly whether she wanted to or not. Her heart pounded, her breath caught in shallow hitches in her throat. The ringing in her ears was only rivaled by the sound of her blood whooshing through her head. It was now or never. Fight or die. Do or die. Stand tall or die.

Man, too much dying in those options. How bad could the Big Ugly be? Kayla struggled against her captors. Two enforcer types, one on each side of her, dragging her forward, despite the futile resistance she offered.

"Knock it off, lady," one of the enforcers growled. "We don't wanna hurt you."

Kayla mumbled something unintelligible and she managed to free one hand. She promptly knocked over her plastic water glass that sat on her bedside table, and the noise it caused in reality translated into her dream.

BANG!

"Who's making all that noise?" someone demanded, somewhat irritated, but, oh my, what a marvelous voice. Deep, melodious, rich. "Did you get Kayla? Is she here?"

"Got her, Boss," the enforcer who still held onto her said. The other one had dissipated into the mist when she'd flung her arm, like he'd never existed in the first place.

"Bring her all the way inside."

Kayla twisted and shouted, resisting as best she could, but the dream enforcer was stronger than she was. In the distance, she heard a cat meowing at her, and in the dream, her chest felt heavy with dread as she was pulled forward inch, by painful inch. The cat sat on Kayla's chest, staring at her through those yellow-brown eyes that reflected the light from the bedside table. The cat lifted a paw and swatted Kayla's chin.

"Come now, Spoofy," the man in the shadows chided, "there's no need for violence. Come on in, Kayla. We have a surprise for you."

As if on cue, a spotlight switched on, illuminating a large table. On that large table, the biggest apple pie Kayla had ever seen, with the crumb top filled with the yummy goodness of brown sugar and oats, all toasty.

She salivated. Her stomach growled. Fists clenched around invisible forks. Spoofy the enforcer let her go as musical laughter, which sounded suspiciously like George Takei's laughter, filled the room.

"Eat your fill. I made it just for you."

Kayla dove into the pie like she would a swimming pool.

The dream faded with the dawn. Kayla rolled onto her side and opened one eye. Kitty stared back at her, perplexed and annoyed as only a cat can manage. "Mrrrreow," the cat growl-purred.

"Oh, Kitty. How come you always spill the water at night? Silly kitty."

*End*

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I think the first duty of all art, including fiction of any kind, is to entertain. That is to say, to hold interest. No matter how worthy the message of something, if it's dull, you're just not communicating. ~Poul Anderson

The virtue of books is to be readable. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die. ~Isaac Asimov

The End!

2011-07-14T10:52:00.002-07:00

Done!

Finished!

The first draft.

But it's done! After restarting the final chapter 4 different times, I finally got it right. The determination to sit here until it was finished set in. My kids return home from summer camp on Saturday. Time was running short. We're also still cleaning their rooms and that needs to be finished, and we're gearing up for a garage sale, too. Plus, I bribed myself with brownies. Chocolate brownies, a great motivator.

"Self, if you finish this chapter, you may bake brownies."

Lo and behold, it worked. Shocking.

It's now in Sherry MeaniePants' inbox, and Angie MeaniePants' inbox, too. Oh, yeah, and Mom's too, but she, as anyone who's read my blog recently knows, "Just wants to read it."

I already have another project in mind, born from my rant about a certain movie the other day. I thought to myself, "Gee, how would YOU have written that?" So, I started putting together a character list last night, and will work on that later this afternoon, after I've done a few chores, now that the other one is done. Still contemplating on the historical, if I'm going to try to fix it, or just let it fade from my consciousness. I hate to give it up, but... but... but...So many pros and cons there.

Moving right along...We went up to the summer camp where our boys are late yesterday afternoon. It was parents' night. For our #3 (in birth order) Son, it's his first year at camp, all by himself, except that his brothers are there. He didn't appear to be suffering any major homesickness. No clingy kid, no tearful begging to go home with us, in fact, if when he was busy doing other stuff, Mom and Dad became invisible. He hasn't changed clothes since he left home. He sleeps in his scout uniform, which must be a good time saver in the morning, seeing as he's not a morning person. I did make him fetch his washcloth for a face scrubbing. His question? "Do I have to wash my WHOLE face?"

#2 Son has been changing his socks and shirts every day. His face was dusty, and when I suggested he wash it, he told me he'd washed his face once already this week. He's continually helping #3 find the orange wristbands all campers must wear, that always falls off #3's arm. #2 found a broken one, and is carrying it around in his pocket for the day #3 loses his armband for good. #2 let me hug him before we left---he's Mr. No Hugs Allowed, always been that way.

#1 Son showed me his elbows. "Look, Mom, dirty elbows!" A broad, happy grin accompanied the elbow show and tell. He's also been changing his socks and shirts every day. All is well. He has a tent to himself (they're 2 people tents on a wooden platform, with old timey springy bed frames and plastic covered camping mattresses. Could be worse.

All is well, and it was awesome seeing them obviously thriving there at camp, and so obviously not missing Mom and Dad. We said our goodbyes, hugged each kid, then stood there for a moment watching them go back to their activities. I'm positive not a single one watched us walk away. And that's great! They're having fun, they're doing well, they're building memories. That's what it's all about.

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Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing. It’s the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting. As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors. ~Rhys Alexander

Write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I'm not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter. ~Neil Gaiman

Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Throwing the Movie Against the Wall

2011-07-13T09:31:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was an awesome day filled with meeting a friend for breakfast, followed by wandering around a store until the movie started. We went to see 2 movies---Larry Crowne and Bridesmaids.

Now, there's not much Tom Hanks can do wrong. In fact, I can't think of a single thing. We really enjoyed Larry Crowne. In addition to Mr. Hanks, there was Julia Roberts. Win-win. Nothing funnier than Cedric the Entertainer as the neighbor who has a perpetual garage sale going on in his front yard. What I liked most about this movie is that it didn't pretend to be anything other than what it was---perky, feel-good, good character development (who didn't love George Takei as the economics professor who takes away cell phones when students use them in class? And think he was funny when he really wasn't, but the class obediently laughed with him when he chided them?)---I thought it was a pretty good look at life in today's world of economic tough times, foreclosures, being downsized out of a job, but rather than dwell on all the boo-hoo, woe is me moments, this movie depicted a man doing something positive about the situation he's found himself in and refusing to feel sorry for himself.

So, on to Bridesmaids. All I can say about this movie was I'm kinda ticked I had to sit through approximately 1.5 hours of headbanging, throw the book against the wall movie for a payoff that made me want to scream at the screen, "Why couldn't the first 1.5 hours of the movie be like those last 30 minutes?" I nearly walked out during the food poisoning scene. SERIOUSLY? What is funny about people barfing and experiencing explosive gastric distress from the other end? The bride, trying to get across the street to another restroom, as the one in the bridal shop was filled with barfing/sh*tting women, had her gastric distress moment in an expensive wedding gown in the middle of the street. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET? How the hell is that comedy? Maybe I'm a prude or don't have as good a sense of humor as I think I do, but "potty humor" does nothing for me. NOTHING. Yes, this movie was supposed to be a comedy of errors with the maid of honor as Our Heroine, a woman who's lost her business due to the economy, is involved with a man who at best and worst is nothing more than a self-absorbed f*ck buddy, roommates with a pair of moronic Brits (wishing for a brick wall to bang my head against during the scenes with those 2)---in other words, her life sucks. What does she do about it?

Whine.

Complain.

Moan.

Did I feel sorry for her? Not once it became clear (very quickly) that she wasn't willing to do anything to help herself or learn from her mistakes (the fact it appeared she continued to see her f*ck buddy despite the horrible way he made her feel and all evidence pointing to the fact he wouldn't EVER change is case in point). A decent guy came into her life (he was THE highlight of the movie, him and his lovely Scottish accent and my friend Dee and I were SOOOO happy whenever he was on screen, because then at least, we could just listen to him speak. Yeah, I'm that easy sometimes.)

There was nothing heroic about her. I didn't care about her suffering because that's all she did. Suffer. Much of it she brought on herself (refer to the comments about her f*ck buddy), flying coach when the rest of the group was flying first class (too proud to let the Poisonous Bitch pay for a first class ticket for her---we'll get to the Poisonous Bitch in a minute---this whole airplane scene was too contrived, too trite to work. Our Heroine chose to be a martyr here and the only reason and purpose of this seemed to be so that her discomfort of flying could be exploited by the Poisonous Bitch who gave her a couple of RX pills to "relax her." Okay. She doesn't like the PB, but takes RX pills from her? SERIOUSLY? Doesn't trust the PB, doesn't like her, and takes the RX pills from her? REALLY? Too Stupid To Live, much? Then, upon the advice of the PB, whom she doesn't like or trust, downs a glass of scotch on TOP of the RX pills? TSTL for sure and for certain. We were then subjected to a gratuitous scene of mayhem that results in the women being put off the plane in Wyoming (far from their Las Vegas destination) and riding a bus back to Chicago. WHY? What was the point? To allow the PB to drive another wedge between the BFF's, the bride and and the maid of honor? They didn't have to get on an airplane to do that. The only other thing this scene did was introduce a man who turned out to be an air marshal, and he appeared in the extra scenes during the credits with one of the bridesmaids, clearly that bridesmaid's love interest. And that brings me to another observation---WHY that pair for the extra scenes during the credits? EEEEEWWWW. Was disgusted. Would've rather seen Our Heroine and Her Hero (the Scotsman)---they clearly were headed into a good relationship at the end of the movie, why not capitalize on that and give the audience teasers about how that would unfold? Opportunity lost.

Okay, the Poisonous Bitch. Her role as the PB was clearly defined from the outset. You could almost see the the words "Poisonous Bitch" tattooed on her forehead. We get a few a glimpses into her life to that explained why she acted the way she did---her stepchildren hate her, her husband is largely absent, she has, boo hoo hoo, no girlfriends. And no wonder. Who'd want to be friends with someone you have to pat down for that dagger she's waiting to thrust into your back? She does get redeemed at the end, but clearly, the only purpose for her being in the movie was as the foil, the Reason For All This Trouble To Happen (because nothing but sh*t happens to our poor, long suffering Heroine.)...

There were some quirky characters that were either too over the top or under exposed. Our Heroine's mother had a quirky quirk that got nothing more than lip service---she went to AA meetings, and she wasn't an alcoholic. Why would she do that? Soooo much more could've been done with that. The bridesmaid played by Melissa McCarthy (Sookie, Gilmore Girls)---really showed off her acting chops, but I was really surprised she turned out to like men, rather than women. She came off strong, obnoxious and was the instrument employed to finally shake Our Heroine out of her pity party, so it seems her strong-armed personality was for that reason only. Again, contrived, even though the actor/actress (whichever term you prefer, political correctness is going to kill us all one day)---did as good a job with the character as she could, given the parameters this character had to fill.

Yeah, this movie pushed some buttons. If it had been a book I was reading, it would've hit the wall long about the food poisoning scene. I wouldn't have gotten to the end, which was the most decent part of the movie, which does no service to that best part of that movie.

Same goes with writing books. It doesn't matter if your ending is the ultimate if the rest of the book sucks.

So, while this movie won't go down as my favorite movie, is not in any danger of jumping into the cart at the store and coming home with me when it becomes available on DVD, it did serve a really good reminder for me, and that is to be absolutely positive that every scene has a deeper purpose---that it's not shallow, contrived or gratuitous or the disgusting masquerading as humor(yeah, that food poisoning scene really bothered me). Remember that humor is subjective. Don't forget the character development---the characters must have a clearly defined and developed reason for acting they way they do and they can't remain stagnant/TSTL/wallow or they become a source of frustration and a reason to put the book down---MOTIVATION!. I still have no idea why Our Heroine was so hell bent on feeling sorry for herself and not doing anything about it, other than she needed to be a miserable person for the rest of the story to work, in which case, should lead one to wonder, how well can the rest of the story work when the heroine doesn't work?

Now, my friend Dee has a friend who liked Bridesmaids, and I'm very much aware that many, many people did and will. I'm not usually so critical about the movies I see---before this one started, I told Dee that I'm pretty easy to please unless there were obvious reasons for me not to like it---clearly, this movie gave me many reasons to not like it. I really wanted to like it, I really did. But no, I'm not delighted I spent $$ on it (even matinee prices are absurd), but since I reaffirmed many things I need to keep in mind as I head into the revision round on my current WIP, I'm not going to begrudge the money. Certainly not the time spent. I've NEVER spent a day at the movies like I did yesterday, and it was just terrific to get out of the house with a friend, unencumbered by children and spouse. A much needed day of refreshment.

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A good novel tells us the truth about its hero, but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author. ~G. K. Chesterton

I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose. ~Stephen King

Characterization is an accident that flows out of action and dialogue. ~Jack Woodford

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That's Okay, I Just Wanna Read It

2011-07-06T10:04:00.004-07:00

Hope all the Americans had a great 4th of July this past 3 day weekend, filled with fun, BBQ and fireworks. We sure did, along with a good dose of quality time with our extended families. Just, huh, when you go to play miniature golf? You might not wanna do it during the hottest part of the day.

I have notes in my caveman computer (notebook) to transcribe to the WIP. I think chapter 17 is just about done, but for the transcription.

So, I told my mother that I email my WIP to myself and to Sherry (and Angie). Her first comment? "I wanna read it, too." Me: "It's not finished yet." Mom: "That's okay. I just wanna read it." Me: "It's the first draft. It has that first draft suckiness going on." Mom: "That's okay. I just wanna read it." Me: "Mom, there are continuity issues, because I write by the seat of my pants, not by outline." Mom: "That's okay. I just wanna read it." Me: "But, it's not done yet. Sherry had to stop reading because I wasn't writing it fast enough to suit her. She wants to know how the intrigue plays out and is solved." Mom; "That's okay. I just wanna read it." Me: "I don't even think I ended what I sent on a full chapter, so it ends, mid chapter at this point." Mom: "That's okay. I just wanna read it."

Noticing a trend there?

Gotta love Mom. She's the only woman on the planet predisposed to love everything you do. (Grandma's are like that, too, if you're lucky enough to still have your Grandmas.)

So, the real trick will be to take the rough, first draft---which oddly, at this moment, seems to be one of my prettier first drafts, all things considered, and turn it into something I honestly feel is worth my mother's (and an editor's) time to read. But right now, it's just FUN to get the bones of the story down. Fun with a capital FUN and I can't wait to get back to it. Hopefully, this evening, after a day filled with kids, activities and picking up one dog from the Doggie Beauty Salon (because her hair is too long---HAIR, not fur, she's a Shih Tzu, and it's just waaaaaaay too hot to deal with all that hair)...and the grocery store (maybe, we'll see)...and the laundry...and some housework...AND, AND, AND. Those 'ands' just don't ever end.

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The virtue of books is to be readable. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I want story, wit, music, wryness, color, and a sense of reality in what I read, and I try to get it in what I write. ~John D. MacDonald

Write what you want to read. The person you know best in this world is you. Listen to yourself. If you are excited by what you are writing, you have a much better chance of putting that excitement over to a reader. ~Robin McKinley

Tell the readers a story! Because without a story, you are merely using words to prove you can string them together in logical sentences. ~Anne McCaffrey

It is a cardinal sin to bore the reader. ~Larry Niven

Many modern novels have a beginning, a muddle and an end. ~Philip Larkin

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What the WIP looks like now.

What it will look like when I'm finished.

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Art and Real Life

2011-06-28T09:47:00.004-07:00

Art imitates real life. Or maybe, real life imitates art. Sometimes, you just have to wonder. I'd sooooo like real life to imitate art because I want a magic wand, a la Harry Potter, so I can wave it around my house, shouting (with tremendous glee), "SCOURGIFY!"

I find myself intrigued by the trailers I've seen on TV for the new Tom Hanks movie, Larry Crowne. I'm thinkin' I need to go see it---because it is, after all, Tom Hanks. Can't think of a single movie I've seen him in that I didn't like. As I said, this one intrigues. And intrigue is a very good motivator for writers, isn't it? You never know just what will spark an idea.

Anything can be new and fresh---it's all in the execution. Not to mention the fact that we're all individual, unique people with our own perspectives.

So, what tired old ideas floating around out there do you find intriguing enough to breathe new life into, and polish up? One of my faves is the premise for *While You Were Sleeping*---one of my all time favorite movies. How could that be freshened and polished? That is today's writing prompt challenge. Hehe. And when I get a few minutes to rub together, I'll work on it myself.

Thinking Out Loud

2011-06-23T15:30:00.009-07:00

It is better to write a bad first draft than to write no first draft at all. ~Will Shetterly

We've all heard it said "You can't fix a blank page." It seems almost like one of those things that isn't necessary to say out loud, yanno---because, 'DUH!' What can I say? In order to finish, we must first begin. And we can't finish if we're tied up in knots that what we're writing is bad. Get the idea down, then worry about refining it when you're done. Try not to let worry and doubt stifle creativity. Yeah, easier said than done. But what do you have to lose by trying versus what you stand to lose by NOT trying?

By writing much, one learns to write well. ~Robert Southey

A variation on "practice makes perfect." Self-explanatory. I've noticed a BIG difference in what I've written recently compared to stuff I wrote years ago. You just can't help but get better as you continue writing, and by being open to learning as you go. This is something I find myself returning to often---by being teachable, willing to learn, I can only become a better writer.

You never learn how to write a novel. You just learn how to write the novel that you're writing. ~Gene Wolfe

Every novel is different, for sure and for certain. Some just roll right out of the fingertips, others require blood, sweat and tears. Doesn't mean one is more worthwhile than the other. Doesn't mean you should abandon a difficult WIP---you just need to keep in mind it's like a child---no two are the same temperamentally or personality wise and shouldn't be treated like they are.

And because I'm a fan of learning, here are a few links to go along with my interpretations of the above quotes.

Writing the First Draft ~ Netplaces: With tips on 7 issues a writer might face in regards to writing the first draft.

Creative Writing for Dummies: No, I'm not calling anyone a dummy. I thought this was a pretty good bullet point list for getting started.

Valerie Parv's Muse Obedience School: What can I say? Valerie is a very dear, personal friend, and she speaks gold. On top of that, she writes gold, too.

Ten Reasons You Should Use Writing Prompts ~ Deanna Mascle: One of the reasons? "Practice makes perfect." 'Nuff said.

On "How to Write"---so many choices. You can google "How to write a romance novel" to "How to write science fiction"---you'll get all sorts of sources. These links for for the general "How to write a novel."

How to Write (and Finish) A Novel: A list of about 5 items for writing in general.

How to Write a Novel ~ Simon Haynes: More detailed than the first link with suggestions on characters, plotting, research.

Learn the Elements of a Novel: A site that lists building blocks and links.

Writing Prompts...Handy Links

2011-06-21T10:01:00.002-07:00

I did some research online and found several sites with writing prompts to collect here.

Charlotte Dillon's Writing Prompts: Loads of writing prompts to choose from. And at the bottom of the page, an invitation to join her writing prompt email group, and a link to do so.

: Creative Writing Prompts from CreativeJuices.com Several prompts, organized into categories. You'll need to wade through the adds, but many of these prompts look interesting enough to make that worth your time.

Write Any Genre: Prompts for romance, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, historical, and fairy tales etc.

Creative Writing Solutions: Story starters, prompts for character development, setting, point of view, and plot development.

It's All About Writing, Nicole Humphrey Cook: Sentences to get you started. The author recommends we keep in mind the who, what, where, and how.

Laura's Writing Prompts

I love coming up with writing prompts. Today, I'm going to give "Who, Where and When" Prompts that you can add the "What, Where, and How" aspects, and tighten up the "Who, Where and When" parts, too. Have fun. Make it as short or as long as you want. The list will go Who; Where; When

A couple >< to divorce; The court house; 30 minutes before their appt. with the judge

High school teacher/Cop; Parking Lot at the football field; Evening time, just before the homecoming game.

Psychic/Psychologist;Career Day Fair; Just after lunch

Veterinarian/Jockey; Horse farm; day before a big race, morning

Professional Party Planner/Profession Party Attendee; Party at a posh hotel; Night, almost midnight.

If you have suggestions for "Who, Where, When" Prompts, add them in the comments.

Happy Writing.

!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict and conflict. ~James Frey

The story is not in the plot but in the telling. ~Ursula K. LeGuin

If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing. ~Kingsley Amis

In good writing, words become one with things. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Busy Days and Yes, Some of That Not So Humble Opinion

2011-06-20T15:28:00.006-07:00

The busyness of summer hasn't stopped yet. Nope. We've managed to get busier, not just because of the activities we have our kids in---baseball for the middle son, and scouts for all three, but we seem to go after busyness with a club to find MORE to add to our plates. The pace of this summer vacation from school can't be accused of being laconic. Oh no. There's nothing slow about this crazy pace we've set for ourselves. In fact, I'm pretty certain we're breaking all the speeding laws of the land. I feel like we're going 75 in a school zone.

However, maybe, we'll get to pause and take a deep breath here in a few weeks.

Maybe.

I won't hold my breath, because I don't think blue is a becoming shade for skin.

So today's busyness involves scouts. Namely, sitting on top of a kid to get a merit badge workbook done in time to go to a special class this evening. This is a Big, Major Merit Badge, and an Eagle required badge. Citizenship in the Nation. I think it's awesome. The kid? Well. It IS summer time. And it's nice out. And he could be outside playing with his friends. Instead, he's cooped up in the house, working his fingers to the bone to Git 'er Done.

One of the tasks he must complete is to choose a significant speech. Several suggestions were given, the final being "Any inaugural speech given by a US President." I found President John F. Kennedy's famous "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country" inaugural speech and printed it out for him. Now, this is pretty deep stuff, if you ask me, so I read the speech so I could better help him discuss the importance of the speech at the time and what it means now, should he ask for my help. And in reading it, I was struck by many things that President Kennedy said that DO still apply today. Honestly, this speech could've been given yesterday, rather than 50 years ago, and it would still be relevant. Whatever your political leanings are, this speech speaks to us all, and in many places, for us all. And not just to Americans, but citizens of the entire world.

And yes, I felt moved to comment upon it, to pull the parts of the speech out that spoke to me, and to share them. Why? Couldn't tell you. Why does the moon control the tides? Why does the sun rise in the east and set in the west? Why must we keep up with the Kardashians and why must we know how Bristol Palin---how to phrase this delicately?---"gave it up?" And if anyone could explain the attraction of Justin Bieber to me, I'll work on an explanation as to why I felt compelled to share my not-so-humble opinion with ya'll today.

"The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life..." In reference to how our America is different than the America of our Founding Fathers.

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and success of liberty." I think these past ten years of this new century demonstrate this phrase so well that it's almost superfluous for me to even comment on it. Our service men and women and their families have paid the price, borne the burden, and met the hardship---all for our strongly held ideology of liberty. Have you thanked a veteran or active duty soldier lately? THANK YOU! It's not enough, but it's the best I have and it comes from the heart.

"Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction." Can't we ALL just give peace a chance? Yeah. Let's hold hands and sing protest songs. Let's have warm fuzzy, idealistic moments. Why is hatred so ingrained in the various populations around that world that we all forget we have the greatest thing in common? We're all HUMAN and we're all here together. Despite regional, religious and political differences, we all bleed red.

"So let us begin anew---remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate."

"Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us." Gee, I think this applies to our own dual party political system here in the good ol' US of A. Why can't we work from what we have in COMMON, rather than what we have in difference? (Yeah, I'll just go back to my hippie perch and croon some more songs. Too bad I don't play the guitar.)

"Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah--to 'undo the heavy burdens...and to let the oppressed go free.'"

"In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe." Doesn't that just chill you to the marrow that we've been involved in some sort of conflict/war every generation since our founding? It does me.

"Now the trumpet summons us again---not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are---but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, 'rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation'---a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself." Oh, there we go again, with what we have in common.

"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of use would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it---and the glow from that fire can truly light the world." We all have our own challenges to face in each generation, and it is up to us to face our challenges without shirking them, just as those who've gone before us faced theirs. We can be an example to the generations that come after us---are we being the best example we can be? Are we "that fire [that] can truly light the world" or are we a less than stellar example? Only time will tell and yes, our generation will be judged through the eyes of history.

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you---ask what you can do for your country." A call to community service---if we don't speak out, if we don't do our part to make things better, do we have the right to protest?

"My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Again. We're all in this big boat called "Planet Earth" together. It is up to us to make the world a better, safer place. Regrettably, I don't see it becoming safer in my lifetime, or any immediate generation, because we are still hung up on geography and the deities to whom we pray/feel we must somehow appease, and how that makes us different.

All About Dad

2011-06-19T09:08:00.005-07:00

I know I'm not the only daughter on the planet who thinks she has the BEST Dad. I'm not qualified to comment on ya'll's Dads, just my own. And it's true. He's the Best Dad in the universe.

Why?

He tolerated years of being greeted upon his return home after a long day at work not with hugs, but with daughters who would attach themselves to his legs, sitting on his feet, forcing him to drag them around.

He made Barbie furniture for us. Beds, as I recall.

He spray painted the taillights of my purple pedal car bright turquoise.

He introduced us to music such as Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash; A Boy Named Sue, also Mr. Cash; White Sports Coat by Marty Robbins; and The Streak by Ray Stevens. He told me once that he listened to BOTH kinds of music when he was a teenager---Country AND Western.

When he was teaching me how to drive, and I closed my eyes the first time I met cross traffic---on a curve no less, he only commented very mildly, "Don't do that."

He gives awesome hugs.

He tells terrible jokes. Yeah, okay, he also has an equal number of good ones.

He has this awesome grin. I call it his "sh*t-eatin' grin"---it's totally naughty little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar...AND, my oldest son seems to inherited this EXACT smile. The kid flashes it at me, and all I can think is how much he looks like his Grandpa, and that just squeezes my heart. In fact, I see a lot of my Dad in his first grandson.

I couldn't begin to guesstimate the number of carnivals he took us to or how many roller coaster rides he went on with us. One trip to Marriots Great America in So Cal, he and I went on a brand new roller coaster called "The Tidal Wave." I really wanted to ride it. I'm not sure he really wanted to go on it, but I was young enough there was no way I was going to be allowed to ride it on my own. (As I recall, Mom was kinda green at the notion of riding it.) I still love roller coasters to this day. My husband doesn't like 'em, so I'm the parent who'll ride the coasters and go on the nifty shake you up, down, sideways, spin you around and around rides with any kid who wants to try the ride.

He's traveled to visit us (a 9 hourish drive) just to watch a grandson play baseball. (A couple of times.)

When we were little, part of the tucking ritual involved him holding us in his arms and flinging us up, down and sideways before he'd drop us onto our mattresses. *Grinning*. That was just awesome. And he was willing to "Do it again, Daddy!"

Date Nights with Dad. Just Dad and one daughter. Mostly I remember going out for pizza.

Baskin Robbin's. You know you live in a small town when the most exciting thing to happen is a Baskin Robbin's 31 Flavors opens...and Dad takes the family out for ice cream. I think BR still makes those silly clown cones.

Evening drives, mostly when we were younger, that ended up at Dairy Queen.

He's got a big heart---big enough for 3 daughters, 3 sons-in-law, 7 grandchildren (5 grandsons/2 granddaughters), and, most importantly, MOM. And he taught us to have big hearts, too.

Quite simply...he's Daddy.

My favorite image of my Dad...
Master of the BBQ.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADDY.
I love you lots and lots.

What Have I Done?

2011-06-17T10:35:00.002-07:00

Tweet tweet.

That's what I've done. I don't know if I'll keep up, or how I'll keep up, but there are links over there-----> so you can follow me or you can tweet my blog posts.

I'll leave you with one final thought for the day...

Kids, Dogs and Secondary Characters, Oh My!

2011-06-16T09:56:00.005-07:00

These are the dogs who live at my house. Pikachu is the Shih Tzu posing real purty like on the piano bench. She'd hopped up there and when I pointed the camera at her, she posed. Yeah. We take a lot of pictures of her. We can't help it, she's too damned cute. Her favorite place is between my feet as I write. Nice way to keep the tootsies warm in the winter.

Storm is my brother-in-law's dog. She's a whippet/Australian cattle dog mix. I'm convinced she's part kangaroo---she bounds up and down the fenceline in the backyard--great leaps. Storm doesn't like loud voices, so she'll hide if I'm howling at the kids, and she doesn't like it when her Daddy snaps his laundry. She hauls a** as far from him as she can, usually winding up wedged under the piano bench, looking spooked and in need of reassurance. She also thinks she's a lap dog, as you can see from the picture. That's one of my kids providing the lap. The chair is a favorite of both dogs, in fact, Pikachu's in it right now. All by herself. Storm loves to put her front paws on my shoulders and "hug" me. She's a giant sweetheart.

These dogs get along like siblings. They taunt. They tease. They're jealous. They fight, but never rough, just more like wrestling, and I often wind up shooing them out of the study because their wrestling makes them continually batter into me. They think the shooing is a game too. Dumb dogs. Both of 'em. Knotheads. Both also are BIG fans of going Buh Bye Car. During the school year, they'd "help" me take the boys to school, then demand treats when they get home for their invaluable help. And there's nothing funnier in the world than Storm sniffing at Chu after Chu's had a bath. The look on Storm's face is puzzled bewilderment---"Where'd your funk go?" Both dogs love to curl up on the sofa with the boys or anyone who's there. Sweet, unconditional love.

Now, I am not a dog person. I like these dogs---a lot, actually---but that doesn't mean I'm going to like your dog, my sisters' dogs, my mother's dog or the neighbor's dog. Odds are, I'm not going to.

But I like these dogs.

A lot.

I may have said that.

What do dogs have to do with writing? Probably not a darned thing. But I'm pretty sure that both will someday wind up in something I write. Names changed, of course, to protect the innocent. Which kinda brings me around in a rather rough segue into writing...Secondary Characters.

I love them. I usually have one that pops off the page and tries to steal the show. Dunno why. They may be imaginary, but boy, are they real to me. Imagination is probably the key here---I tend to let mine run wild. Best way to write by the seat of your pants, IMHO. Don't know that I'd get the same result if I actually *gack* plotted and planned. I do know where I'm going, most of the time, with a story, but I do so love the scenic byways my characters take me on. Yes. I'm a character driven writer. Not all writers are, and that's okay. We all write the way that works for us, and yanno, that's exactly the RIGHT way to write--the way that works for you.

Even for pantsers like me, it's important to know, at the very least, your main characters. Who they are, where they came from, what they do, their family life (family members often become secondary characters), who their friends are, hopes, dreams, conflicts, motivations...It doesn't have to be formal, but I do like, for consistency's sake to know things like eye and hair color, height, age, general physical description at a minimum. Sometimes I even know that sort of thing about my secondaries (especially if they're family members of the Hero or Heroine), but mostly, my secondaries walk on stage and I have to come up with something on the spot.

Now, I like memorable secondaries. Who knows if one might not wind up being the Hero or Heroine in a future novel? But you don't want them to overshadow the current Hero or Heroine. If the secondary character is going to have a bit of a bigger part in the story than just your general "scenery holder" minor character, I think it's okay to infuse some personality into them, necessary even. For example: The current Heroine and Secondary I have going are complete opposites. My Heroine is reserved, a bit haughty, somewhat unapproachable. The Secondary is her exec admin assistant---open, unreserved, unabashed and unapologetic for being true to herself. They have a---schtick, if you will--a routine, a way of dealing together that works for them very well. They won't quite be true friends because of their positions, but this Secondary is likely the closest thing Heroine has to a girlfriend at the moment. The focus of the novel is on the developing relationship between the Hero and Heroine. Yes, Secondary does help that along, but she needs to help it along from the sidelines, without taking over. No scenery chewing allowed from the secondaries.

So, in a Reader's Digest Condensed Version, here are my tips for writing secondary characters...

1. Make sure they're essential to the progression of the story. Do they have a real place and purpose? Are they fulfilling a need? Will they show up more than once in the story? How do they play off the Hero or Heroine, making them better, hinting as to the H/h's personal character and revealing what sort of people they (the H/h)are? We're known by the company we keep, and this applies to those we surround our main characters with, too. Often, our friends and associates help define who we are and it's no different for imaginary people. :)

2. If the secondary character is more part of the scenery, then they're a minor character. A name isn't really necessary---they can be identified by function---Delivery Boy. Server (waiter/waitress). Elevator operator. Taxi cab driver.

3. Keep the secondary in their place, in the background where they belong. Think of the secondaries as bridemaids or groomsmen and the Heroine as the Bride and the Hero as the Groom. You don't upstage the wedding couple. The bridesmaids and groomsmen are there to enhance the entire wedding experience (the story, the plot), can absolutely be important to the wedding couple and the plot and the overall story (and if they aren't, why are they being included in the story?), but don't let them steal the scene---No Scenery Chewing Allowed (unless, of course, it serves a purpose to propel the story/plot forward, and isn't gratuitous.)

For more information about writing secondary characters, check out the links below.

Title Magic: Animals as Secondary Characters

Making Characters Lovable

The Importance of Secondary Characters

Characterizing Secondary and Minor Characters

Incorporating a Subplot and Secondary Characters

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does. ~William Faulkner

Characterization is an accident that flows out of action and dialogue. ~Jack Woodford

Characters take on life sometimes by luck, but I suspect it is when you can write more entirely out of yourself, inside the skin, heart, mind, and soul of a person who is not yourself, that a character becomes in his own right another human being on the page. ~Eudora Welty

I never started from ideas but always from character. ~Ivan Turgenev

Writing fiction is a solitary occupation but not really a lonely one. The writer's head is mobbed with characters, images and language. ~Hilma Wolitzer

Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head and as you get older, you become more skillful casting them. ~Gore Vidal

A Day Late...

2011-06-15T12:32:00.002-07:00

...and a braincell short.

Summertime with the kids around all the time makes me one busy Momma. And the fun isn't going to stop any time soon. So busy, not enough time in the day to get it all done, and finally, summer seems to have arrived.

Currently, the boys are being tortured with going through all their clothes, toys, books and miscellaneous junk. Told them if they do that, we'll have a garage sale, and they can split the profit. Naturally, they can't do it on their own---so it'll take us a while, since I can't/won't/don't have the attention span to deal with it for more than about 1.5-2 hours.

Writing is still happening. Shockingly and amazingly enough. One WIP, the historical, is on the back burner percolating. Has issues I need to work on. The other WIP, a contemporary, seems to be what has the majority of the Muse's attention. And I must say, my Muse has writer's ADHD. However, it's the writing that I love, so I'm happy something is moving along, even if I have to take breaks in between to deal with laundry, cleaning, providing taxi service...It's great. Exhilarating when it all comes together.

Other musings...I have Nora Roberts' The Search but I haven't read it yet. I don't like reading new books when I'm in the middle of writing, so I'm re-reading some of the In Death books. I'm saving the new book to savor later. :D

Well then. I hear a tremendous silence emanating from the laundry room. The machines have stopped. More laundry training must happen. Kids need to be urged on to their next task of the day, and there's some writing that needs to go on before I go tackle the Big Ugly, also known as "The Linen Closet."

For now, I"ll leave you with a few quotes about writing and a suggestion for a writing prompt.

Writing Prompt Suggestion: Look through your WIP for a scene that has Talking Heads (dialogue, no description, narrative, etc) or a scene that's only narrative (think "INFO DUMP") and revise. For a Talking Heads scene, think about what your main POV character is thinking, feeling, what of the physical senses you can bring into the scene, how can you make the scene do double or triple duty by incorporating conflict, revealing some motivation, addressing your goals---how can you use this scene to move the story along? For your Info Dump scene---what is really necessary for the reader to know? Can any of it be turned into action---either dialogue or the characters getting active? How can you improve it to move the story along?

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. ~ Scott Adams

We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. ~Ernest Hemingway

You sit down and you do it, and you do it, and you do it, until you have learned to do it. ~Ursula K. LeGuin

The only way to learn to write is to write. ~Peggy Teeters

Everything that doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. And later on you can use it in some story. ~Tapani Bagge

Pearls of Wisdom

2011-06-10T10:56:00.002-07:00

Some thoughts worth keeping in mind as we write...

~Add more emotion. When you think you've added enough, add more. ~Valerie Parv

~Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader. Not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon. E.L. Doctorow

~Imagination is more important than knowledge. ~Albert Einstein

~If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you. ~Natalie Goldberg

~It's hard for me to believe that people who read very little - or not at all in some cases - should presume to write and expect people to like what they have written. Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time - or the tools - to write. Simple as that. ~Stephen King

~Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'. Otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. ~C. S. Lewis

~Resist the temptation to try to use dazzling style to conceal weakness of substance. ~Stanley Schmidt

~There are no rules in writing. There are useful principles. Throw them away when they're not useful. But always know what you're throwing away. ~Will Shetterly

~Stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. But not necessarily in that order. ~Robert Silverberg

~Be teachable and willing to learn, so that you grow as a writer. ~Me

Writing During Summer Vacation

Kids home and underfoot? Here are a few ideas for finding some time to write---for all working mothers---the stay at home type and the type who go to an office...

1. Earphones for your music. Drown 'em out.

2. Ear plugs, if you can't write with music playing.

3. Send 'em outside. The outside was invented so children could be sent there to get them out from underfoot. If there's "nobody to play with" or "nothing to do outside" or "it's too hot"---suggest that there are bathrooms to be cleaned inside. You'll see the backs of your children as they depart rapidly. Oh, and popsicles or ice cream sandwiches take care of the "it's too hot" issue, as does a ping pong table in the garage.

4. Stay up later or get up earlier to find some time to write.

5. Take the kids to the pool, and take your laptop or a notebook and pen so you can write as they swim.

6. Send 'em to the movies (if they're old enough to be there on their own).

7. Schedule writing time and make a deal with the family---"If you'll let me write from 8-10 am every morning, we'll ___."

8. Send them to summer camp.

9. Teach them a new hobby and set them up out in the garage or the backyard or wherever.

10. Have them walk the dogs.

Promo Tuesday!

2011-06-07T12:58:00.005-07:00

Every now and again, I get a kick out of doing some free promoting for my friends. It's a great pleasure and an honor to suggest the following authors for your summer reading.

The first goal of writing is to have one's words read successfully.
~Robert Brault

StC: Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey ...and for a sample chapter, click HERE.

Brief Encounters by Nell Dixon, Phillipa Ashley and Elizabeth Hanbury

Dangerous to Know by Nell Dixon

Making Waves by Nell Dixon

Death Rides a Pale Harley by Donica Covey

Morgan Creek by Jinger Jackson

Nothing better than losing yourself in a wonderful romance novel, unless you lose yourself in a wonderful romance novel with some chocolate and maybe a strawberry margarita or some other frozen tropical "adult" concoction...while basking in the sun on a white sand beach somewhere...while cabana boys (men) gently fan you with large palm leaves, refill your drink, fetch chocolate...Ahhhhhh...This is the life.

When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. ~Samuel Lover

All the words I use in my stories can be found in the dictionary - it's just a matter of arranging them into the right sentences. ~Somerset Maugham

We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to. ~Somerset Maugham

Thursday...Things I Love, In No Particular Order and Writing Tips

2011-06-02T15:55:00.005-07:00

...Dreyer's Smoothies. Bought a couple just to try. Sippin' "Sunrise Blend" right now and it's nummytastic. Mmmmm...

...Scrabble...

...Intelligent discussion about current events...

...NCIS...

...Re-reading books by my favorite authors...

...My kids and husband...

...Open-minded people...

...Men with deep voices...

...Pedicures and polish colors that say "PPP~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!!" to my age...

...Baseball...

...Writing...

...Reading...

...Reading while taking a bubble bath...

...Bats...

...My dog, Pikachu...

...My cat, although her love is whimsical...

...Falling asleep with the TV on...

...A clean house (but I detest cleaning it)...

...Star Trek, in all its incarnations...

...Chick flicks...

...Strawberry Margaritas...

...Burying my toes in the sand...

...The scent of rain...

...Chocolate...

...My friends...

...The scent of orange blossoms...

...Lake houses...

...My grandparents (whom I miss every day)...

...My parents...

...Christmas...

...Shoes...

...Music...

...Mountains...

...Traveling...

...Golden yellow paint on the wall...

...Houseplants...

...Strawberries...

...Scented candles...

...Watching rain storms, but not being out in it...

...Babies...

...The sound of happy kid laughter...

...Science fiction/fantasy books and movies...

...History...

...Back rubs...

...Making people smile and/or laugh...

...Being a good friend...

...Being a woman, most days ;) ...

...Sunshine...

...The notion that we aren't alone in the universe...

...The circularity of life...

...The blueness of the sky...

...Being an American...

...Having friends all around the world---Australia, Sweden, England, Canada...

And...last, but not least...

...Flowers...

So what does this have to do with writing and writing tips? From that list, and it's not at all an exhaustive list, you have a glimpse about me, what I treasure and value. Yes, I could add more---perhaps make a list of things I don't like, although a little of that could be extrapolated from my "Love's List"...My likes and dislikes may not be unique to me in that I realize I'm not the only person on the planet who loves chocolate, but you could probably draw some conclusions about me based on that list. These, in addition to my life experiences, make me Laura. These are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, however. We all are 3-dimensional---living, breathing, thinking, loving, laughing, crying, etc...And because of that, we are interesting, worth getting to know. As a writer, I want my characters to be as alive and vibrant as I am, as my friends and family are so that my readers will want to get to know the character and continue reading my novel.

Without further ado, here are some links for you to peruse on the topic of character development.

Character Development Tips for Fiction

Tips for Naming Fictional
Characters

Character Creation: page of many links on several topics under the creating characters umbrella.

Inspiration

2011-05-31T15:41:00.003-07:00

...comes from many sources. One of my favorite inspirations is songs. Sometimes it's the lyrics alone. Could be the melody or the singer(s) or simply the mood of the piece, too. Recently my Muse Bait has been The Highwaymen---Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristopherson. Namely the song entitled 'Highwayman.' Struck my fancy. I love the progression of the Highwayman through the verses---his many incarnations, how the spirit survives the death of the incarnation...It's cool. And yeah, who wouldn't love listening to these men sing? I mean, you have to admire anyone who's voice comes from their toes, like Waylon Jennings' and Johnny Cash's. And in the midst of searching YouTube for more Highwaymen songs, it occurred to me. The heroine in the new WIP the Muse gifted me with this past weekend...how droll and unexpected would it be for her to like the Highwaymen's music? The notion still tickles me. Can't wait to incorporate that bit of silliness. :D

Now that I've digressed a wee bit...Inspiration...someone said you can't wait for it to hit on its own, you have to go after it with a club. So true. That's why I often turn to music for inspiration---either as a laxative for Museal Constipation or just to spark an idea to start writing. People watching works, too. Closing the ol' eyeballs and letting the mind wander works, too. Another favorite of mine is asking myself "What If" situational questions. "What if the bridesmaid never becomes the bride," for example. Taking a simple, every day occurrence and setting it on its ear is fun, too. Writing prompts are good ones, too. You never know what will come from one.

Speaking of writing prompts...What song(s) have inspired you? What have you seen people do that's caught your fancy and blossomed into an idea? Where has your mind taken you? What every day occurrence can you take and set on it's ear? My answers are below, in order of the questions asked.

1. Song: The Long Goodbye...It's been tickling my brain cell for years. One of these days, I'm going to put it on repeat and listen to it until whatever it's evoking within me comes out.

2. People Watching: People shopping at a home improvement store, in my case, Lowes.

3. Mind Wandering: Saturday last, the Muse gifted me with a heroine, hero and a situation and a very good view of the entire story. Now I just hafta figure out how to get it out of the brain and onto paper (or in this case, into the computer!).

4. Everyday Occurrence On Its Ear: People going about their daily business, piling into elevators to be whisked up to whatever floor they work upon, but when the elevator doors open, they don't wind up where they think they will...Hmmm...

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If you wait for inspiration to write; you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter. – Dan Poynter

Ever tried and failed? No matter. Try again and fail better. – Samuel Beckett

Best advice on writing I’ve ever received. Finish. – Peter Mayle

Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. - E.L. Doctorow

He is able who thinks he is able. - Buddha

You must want to enough. Enough to take all the rejections, enough to pay the price of disappointment and discouragement while you are learning. Like any other artist you must learn your craft—then you can add all the genius you like. - Phyllis A. Whitney