The Writing Spectacle

Dun duh Dun Dun DONE!

2012-02-01T06:46:00.001-07:00

Last night after 80849 words, I finished Djinn 2. I still don't have a name for it, but the first draft is in the can. (And hopefully when I go back to edit, I won't want it in the trashcan.)

I said that I would finish it in January and indeed I did. I started this December 1st. I wrote the end of it January 31st. I guess that means it's time for a new goal, eh?

I want to have the edits finished on Djinnocide by February 29th. I also want to have the submission materials all rewritten by then because I'd really like to start querying in March. But I'm thinking that might be a little far-reaching, so if I don't hit the query waves until April, I'm okay with that. I'll just take it one day at a time.

And btw, the pic up there is a totally unretouched photo of the sunrise a few days ago. Neat, huh? It doesn't quite look real, does it?

How are your 2012 goals looking after the first month?

Picture Pause - Cuteness Overload

2012-01-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

Hey, Honey?


Yes, dear?

Could you buy some pickles while you're out. And ice cream. I need ice cream.

;o)

When Reading and Writing Collide

2012-01-29T06:51:00.001-07:00

I spent yesterday with my nose in a book. Two actually. Unfortunately, neither were mine. On the upside, one was Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch. (If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? It's gnarly.) And the other was Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman. Also quite gnarly. Two awesome books at a time? Heaven.

My own book? Well, it's sitting on the hard drive waiting for me to finish it - preferably before midnight Tuesday if I want to keep my promise that this sucker will be done in January. No excuses.

But it does bring up an interesting point. When your two loves are writing and reading, what happens when those loves collide? I know I should be writing. I knew when I got our of bed yesterday that I had four days to finish Djinn 2. But I also knew I wanted to read JB's book. So I told myself I'd read for an hour and then get to work. And I did read for an hour. After which I made myself step away from the ereader program for a quick trip to the postal place and the grocery store.

My big mistake after I got back was going to the couch. Evil wicked nasty couch. I thought I'd read a little of Gini's book and then go work. Flash forward several hours and I'm so deep in someone else's story, that even when I take a break, I can't envision going back to my own book.

:headdesk: I should've known better.

Well, today I'm going to do better. Even though I'm still not sure how to write the end, I will write it. I will stay away from the couch. I will not open the Kindle for PC. I will write until I can write no more, and only then will I allow myself the reward of reading.

I just wish I'd had this talk with myself yesterday morning. Feh.

What do you do to keep yourself on track with your writing when the books you love to read beckon?

She's Going to Hate Me For This

2012-01-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

I'm nearing the end of this WIP and I've been having trouble seeing the end. Sure, I'm a plansterer and I hardly ever have everything mapped out ahead of time. Still, I like at least knowing a little about how the book is going to end. With this WIP, I had no clue.

Until yesterday.

I was standing outside, thinking and smoking - trying to figure out where exactly I was going to go from here. To a certain extent, I painted myself into a corner. Which isn't necessarily bad, since it always gives me a chance to be creative with how I'm going to crawl out. However, this time the blinding flash of insight that came led to a path I did not want to follow.

Sure, the readers totally won't see it coming. It'll be awesome dipped in awesomeness covered in awesomesauce. And Jo's going to hate me for this. I will effectively be both saving her and screwing her over.

Sort of like with that climber a few years back who got trapped when a boulder rolled onto his arm. His choices were die or cut his arm off. He cut his arm off, but despite the fact that he lived, he can't be happy with the choice left to him. (And no, Jo the genie won't be losing any body parts. Since djinn are pretty much self-healing, she'd just grow it back anyway.)

Yesterday I didn't write the scene. Looking back at it now, yesterday was sort of like a moment of silence. (And a little bit hiding from what I have to do.) I'll get to the scene today. And deal with Jo afterwards.

Ever have a plot point come to you that's both wonderful and horrible? Ever worry whether your characters are going to hate you?

For the record, I know my characters aren't real people with real emotions. I just feel like I'm betraying Jo to save the story, and it's making me squirmy.

Wicked Awesome Author Wednesday

2012-01-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

In an effort to, once again, have a regular event on The Writing Spectacle, I've decided to make Wednesdays a day to celebrate a particular author I know, I love or both.

This week's WAA (Wicked Awesome Author) is my friend JB Lynn.

JB hit the ground running yesterday with the ebook release of Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman. (Paperback due out next month.) So, what better person to start off the WAAW with...

First off, I have to admit I haven't read her latest release yet. I bought the e-version for Kindle (I don't own a Kindle, but I have the nifty 'puter program Kindle for PC.) yesterday, and it's set to be my next read. I did read the first chapter - which she posted on Scribd - last week and then spent the days between then and now twisting in the wind to see what happens next. (I just have to finish what I'm reading right now first.)

From that preview and the snippets I've read - as well as knowing JB is an incredibly talented person - I know this book is going to rock. After all, it's got a gal - Maggie - who gets squeezed into the job of hitwoman by circumstance. It's got a less-than-shining knight in the form of a cop who helps her learn the ropes. And, of course, it's got a snarky talking lizard who's kid named him Godzilla, but he prefers the nickname God. Yeah, I'm so there.

Look for more about JB as she stops by here for a guest post sometime next week. Until then, get your questions ready for her and for petesakes, go get a copy of her book. It's only $3.99. And if you enjoy that, go back and pick up a copy of her first book - The First Victim (which I reviewed here). It's a great introduction to this Wicked Awesome Author.

Oh, and if you like fun and snarky tweets, go follow @NeuroticTweets - where JB posts thoughts from Maggie and God.

Now, enough gushing. Go buy her stuff and enjoy yourselves. It'll totally be worth it.

Writing The End - A Crass Analogy

2012-01-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

I spent some time this morning thinking of an analogy for writing the end of this damn book.

First I thought it might be like that super-annoying Barney ditty - The Song That Never Ends. Or maybe it's like the snake eating it's own tail... Nah, that's not it. This isn't circular. Which means it's also not like the Barney song - that's circular, too. Still, this is like the book that never ends.

Then I tried to relate it to climbing. I've read that sometimes when you're climbing, you think you've reached the top only to find you ended up on some kind of faux-summit and you still have some major climbing to do. It's kinda like that.

But really I came to the conclusion that it's more like totally unsatisfying sex.

You know, the kind where you're building toward a climax but never reach it. You thought you might be close once, but then it all fell apart and you missed it, but he's still up there grunting away... Nothing is quite getting you where you need to be, but something (or someone as the case may be) is getting in the way of reaching a really explosive climax.

Yeah, that's it exactly. Finishing this book reminds me of sex with this guy I knew about fifteen years ago. A really long time spent sweating and grunting, trying new things to get where you need to be and just when you think you've almost got the big payoff, you realize in the end, there really wasn't an end.

Crass analogy, I know, but it works. Sad, but true. Maybe he was trying too hard. Maybe I was. Unfortunately what it all boiled down to was a whole lot of work and nothing to show for it but a new appreciation for what gymnasts have to endure.

Lucky for me, I can still get to the climax of this book, and if I'm not satisfied, I can do the whole thing over again. One thing I know for sure is I can't be like that guy and leave my readers with an unsatisfying end to show for all their hard work. Because they sure as hell aren't willing to fake it just to save my feelings.

Okay, time to write this. If I'm lucky, I'll reach the real climax sometime today. And then all there is to write is the afterglow.

Picture Pause - Artsy Shots

2012-01-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

I keep talking about my photography, so I thought I'd share a few artsy shots I took yesterday.

All of these were taken within walking distance of my place. There were others, but I haven't had the time to play with the cropping, resizing and other adjustments.

Hope you enjoyed. Have a great Friday night and if I don't see you before Monday, have an awesome weekend. =o)

Randomosity - College Edition

2012-01-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

I looked at my To-Do list this morning and wondered what in the hell KiTam meant. Then I realized it was a note to remind me to call my daughter at 7am. (I didn't need to, btw. She was already on Facebook, so she's up to make her early Geology class.)

She totally didn't appreciate my geology puns first thing this morning. I mean, come on. Rock on! was funny.

When you talk to people at a college billing office, you need to realize they have no clue what it means to pay for college out of pocket. So when I called to bitch about the huge difference from one bill to the next - caused by taking an online course vs a go-to course - and she told me there really wasn't a difference, she didn't realize $600 was a big difference to me. (I made the kid drop the damn course and take something else... which is why she now has an 8am Geology class.)

I still can't wrap my brain around why an online course would be $600 more than a go-to course. I mean, there's no overhead. It ought to be cheaper, right?

I so totally want to take my daughter's classes this semester. Well, except for Econ. But I would rock Geology. I already took Public Speaking, so that would be a breeze. Business Computing? Fuggetabowit. Business Communications? Puleeze. Okay, so I wouldn't want Algebra either, but I'm seriously jealous of the rest.

Her RA (resident advisor) is a Monty Python fan. I want her for a friend. My own first RA was the one who introduced me to Monty Python back in 1988. I will forever love that woman. Chris Anderson? Wherever you are, you have my undying gratitude.

I went to Northern Michigan University. On the sunny shores of Lake Superior. Yes, it was cold. Yes, it was snowy. But I got used to it. Could I do it now? Oh hell no. I got used to it then, but that was 20 years ago.

Got anything random to add this morning?

Choices and Excuses

2012-01-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Daughter and I were having a discussion over Christmas break. It all pertained to her less-than-stellar showing for her first semester and my 'No Excuses' commitment for 2012. She asked me "When does something stop being a reason and start being an excuse?"

Basically, where do you draw the line?

Yesterday I took the Kid back to school. We left at 7am and I got home around 3pm. Three hours up, three hours back with lunch in between. (And some hefting of her things from the parking lot to her dorm room on the 7th floor - thank goodness for elevators.) As I've bitched about before, the whole trip wipes me out. I felt pretty good at 1pm, driving down the road listening to various better radio stations the city offers. By 2:30, I was feeling like dog doo. About ten minutes out of town, my leg started cramping. So yeah, once I got inside the house, I became one with the couch.

My back hurt. My legs hurt. Even my stomach hurt from being in one position for most of three hours. I didn't even eat dinner - I was so dragged out.

And as I lay there, watching whatever crap was on the toob*, I went back to that discussion with the kid. Cripped up on the couch? Is that a reason to not write or was that an excuse? Where was the line?

This morning the whole thing is still on my mind. Could I have written last night? Hell, I sat here for at least a half hour answering emails and checking blogs. And therein lies the answer to that particular instance. If I felt good enough to be at the computer doing other things, then I sure as hell felt good enough to sit here and write. Sure, it might not have been more than a few hundred words, but it would've been better than the zero I put on paper yesterday.

I think the line has to be evaluated on a case by case basis (which was basically the answer I gave Kidlet). The hard part is making yourself do the evaluation and then acting on the result you come up with. I knew last night that I could've been writing. I chose not to and I used my own body as an excuse instead of just saying 'It's been a long day and I choose not to write', I told myself 'I hurt, so I can't write today.'

Choosing not to write is one thing and it can be totally acceptable. Making up excuses is a whole nother thing and I'm not going to tolerate it. If I let myself get away with it today, it'll just lead to other excuses and other excuses, until I'm right back where I was when I started.

I never said this whole 'No Excuse' thing was going to be easy. It takes work not to tell myself I have reasons for my laziness instead of just accepting that I was being lazy. And now today? I have work to do. And I choose not to make excuses if that work doesn't get done.

*toob = my new word for the TV. Basically a smushing together of boob tube.

Photogenic Max

2012-01-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

Isn't he pretty? He knows it. Trust me.

Random This n That

2012-01-13T08:11:00.001-07:00

It's Friday the 13th. (Yes, I have a flair for stating the obvious.) I didn't even think about it until I ripped off yesterday's page on my daily Dilbert calendar. Derp. Oh well, this day isn't any less lucky than any other.

Anyone remember that song Mahna, Mahna from Sesame Street? Well, last night as I was writing, it showed up on my Bush radio station in Pandora. A band called Cake remade it. Sesame Street meets heavy alternative. Very warped.

Wednesday was the 18th anniversary of the car accident that pretty much changed my life. An instant of stupidity followed by months of therapy and a total transformation of the silly, ignorant, immature girl into someone who learned how with enough hard work a person can achieve any damn thing. No one should have to learn that lesson the hard way, but I'm glad I learned it. I can't imagine who I'd be if that accident had never happened. (Although, there's a pretty good chance I wouldn't be all scarred and gimpy.)

Oddly enough, it's also right around the time 8 years ago when I started what would become my first finished novel. What started out as simple The Comet, and morphed into something called Scaremongers, to finally end up as Spectacle. And later, when I realized no one got that title: Fear Itself. I still love that book and have great hopes it will someday be published. But yeah, it's gathering dust.

If y'all remember correctly, I finished December out at 47K words. This month's total so far? A piddly 8700. I really need to pick up the pace, but Daughter's still home and we've been dealing with college stuff. Expect better word counts after Monday when I take her back to CSU.

Skinny little teenage girls in bikinis who are looking for love keep trying to follow me on Twitter. I'm a little creeped out. Do I look like a pervy male? Do I come off as tilting toward that side of the street? Seriously. Ewewew.

I heard an owl this morning. My native American neighbor says that according to her people, an owl hooting outside your house is a bad omen. Since I hear them all the time, I'm not feeling the urge to run screaming into the night. Still, today is Friday the 13th. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Got anything random to add? Feel free to leave it in the comments.

And while I was looking for a video of the Mahna, Mahna song, I stumbled across this Muppet version of Bohemian Rhapsody... ROFLMAO!

*I took the above pic the other night. Creepy, huh? And the other image? Well, that was my lame-ass attempt at creating a cover for Spectacle. Don't judge me.

Picture Pause

2012-01-10T07:37:00.001-07:00

This morning I had a whole post set and deleted it. It was mostly kvetching (which, as I understand it, is the yiddish word that sort of combines whining and bitching). So, instead of subjecting you to me pissing and moaning, I'm going to give you a picture to look at. I hope you enjoy it.

That's a set of headphones someone threw up in the tree a few years back. (At least I think it's been a few years. That things been in the tree as long as I can remember, but we've only lived here three years.) It's held on through thunderstorms and wind shear and near-miss tornadoes. And it's still kept it's pretty blue color. Go headset!

The hole in the tree? Well, that's a starling nest. If they got wifi in there, the birds could use those and have a party.

Skill and Luck and Serendipity

2012-01-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I set out to take some art quality shots - sky through the trees, birds, interesting branch configurations, etc. I tried taking what I thought would turn out awesome. After about fifteen minutes, I had 33 pics on the camera.

I ended up with 7 that I can say I'm pretty proud of. There might be another three or four that could be good with some tweaking. In all honesty, none of them are stunners.

Part of this picture taking process is a learning curve. The more I take, the better I get - at least in theory. The better I get, the more pictures will be worth saving and the more that will be worth the extra effort of tweaking using some kind of software. (I'm learning there, too.)

Still, running around shooting random photos isn't going to get me anywhere. Sure, there's beauty all around us. Taking photos from my front yard helps me remember that. But the really great shots are a combination of skill and being in the right place at the right time. The squirrel I posted the other day ended up as good as it did because I held the camera still and adjusted the zoom and pointed it toward interesting subject matter. It ended up better than it should've because the silly beast picked the same instant I took the picture to stretch. And the shadow? Well, that was serendipity.

In a way, it's like writing. (You had to know I was going to tie this in somehow.) Success in writing is a combination of skill and luck and a little serendipity. The skill is totally within our control. Sometimes the luck is, too. After all, Thomas Jefferson was right when he said "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." If I bust my ass researching agents and send my queries out to only those who really are looking for what I want, and one of them chooses me... well, that's the kind of luck you make for yourself.

The serendipity is totally outside our sphere of influence. I could've nudged serendipity by walking farther afield and picking subjects that have a better chance of doing something interesting, but sometimes you get what you get and you're happy about it. Like this...

I had maybe ten seconds to line this shot up, but I didn't have anything to do with the jet flying over. And I sure as hell didn't envision that the branches would look like they were trying to reach for the plane - which is why I called it "Come Back". That pic is 25% skill and 75% out of my control.

I wandered kind of away from my point this morning. Maybe you got one anyway. I guess it all boils down to - control what you can by honing your skills, make luck where you can find it and the serendipity will take care of itself.

HoHoNoWriMo Final Update

2012-01-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Well, it took me 5 days longer than a month, but I did get those 50K words out. Here's how the whole thing broke down for me...

Week 1: 10930
Week 2: 9105
Week 3: 11660
Week 4: 8629
Week 5: 10726

Which put me at 51050 on January 5th. (That last week was longer than 7 days, but it works for me.)

During the month of December, I took 5 days off - which is why I ended 12/31/11 with 47440 words. Two of those days fell apart because I went to Ft. Collins to pick the kid up for break and I'm always toast the day after that. Two other off days were Christmas and Christmas Eve - because, hey, writers get holidays, too. The other day was just a burp. I don't remember why I took it, but I did. So there. =op

On average, I reached 1418 words per day. My biggest word count was 3483 on the 11th. My lowest count for a day where I actually wrote was 545 on the 2nd.

A couple things I discovered along the way:

1) Writing a sequel is equal parts easy-peasy and tearing my hair out. Sure, some of the words I wrote were already pre-formed by the book that went before. But in addition to having to hold the threads of this book, I had to remember the threads from the previous. (And all the character traits, btw. Like Basil is BLOND.)

2) I don't need someone else's preconceived month to set my ass down and write 50K, but it helps to have someone writing alongside. My sincerest thanks to my friend, JB, and her constant emails of encouragement and commiseration. I probably could've done this without her, but I wouldn't have liked it nearly as much as I did.

3) I really missed writing new words.

Now, even though I did what the organizers of NaNoWriMo consider a book worth of words, I still have about 20K left to write before I consider it a whole novel. I also have to work on editing the book that started it all - Djinnocide. This month will be a mishmash of writing and editing as I attempt to tear myself along the dotted line between creative genius and anal editor.

Any questions?

No Excuses

2012-01-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

:waves: Hi Everyone! I woke up this morning and noticed that I've neglected the blog again. No excuses - just dealing with non-tragic, but very distracting and brain-draining, life stuff.

Which reminds me. If you didn't catch the first episode of the new season of Biggest Loser on Tuesday, they are modeling this season on the idea of No Excuses. Seems pretty good to me. I mean, there are million excuses why we don't do the things we know we need to do, but very few actual reasons. And sometimes even with things that seem like reasons, we can usually find a way to still accomplish things if we think hard enough.

For instance, 'my computer died' might seem like a good reason not to write. But if you think about it, people were writing long before there were computers.

So, I'm going to try and not use excuses this year. If I don't write on a given day, I need to recognize that was a choice I made. It wasn't because I was too tired, or too stressed, or life stuff intervened. I didn't write because I chose not to not to write. Maybe I made the choice because I felt overwhelmed by some other aspect of my life, but it was still a choice. Perhaps I chose not to write because my hands hurt or I had a headache. But that's why they make Aspercreme and aspirin.

And I also need to realize that sometimes making the choice not to write is okay. As long as I don't make a habit of it. I chose not to write on New Year's Day because I felt like I'd earned a day off. It was a lovely day spent reading, btw, but the next day, I got back at it. (And then Tuesday struck and bits of hell broke loose. Now that day of not writing wasn't a choice, but shit happens.)

If I didn't lose weight this week (or in fact, gained a pound - I haven't checked), it wasn't because this life stuff had me stressed out. It was because I chose to stuff my face and not drag my lard butt off the couch for a few simple exercises. Hell, sometimes stress makes me lose weight and become a little frenetic with the house cleaning, so not losing weight this week is my own damn fault.

No excuses. And every time I think I've got a reason, rather than an excuse, I'm going to try and remember to pick that reason apart until I'm sure it's valid. No letting those excuses sneak up on me disguised as reasons. (Sneaky bastards.)

Anyone with me? Any urge to make 2012 the year of no excuses or am I the only nut in the trail mix today?

And in case I haven't said this in a while, thanks for following The Writing Spectacle. I really do appreciate your presence here and I hope to provide you with reasons to come back - not excuses to leave. ;o)

(On a completely unrelated note, doesn't the shadow in that picture up there look like a bear?)

Reading Year in Review

2012-01-03T05:02:00.002-07:00

Now that 2011 is officially over, I can look back on what I've read. Sure, my goal was to read 100 books this past year. I miss it by 10.

Out of the 90 for 2011, the genres broke down like this:

Urban Fantasy - 27
Paranormal Romance - 16
Dystopian/Speculative/Post Apocalyptic - 11
Romantic Suspense - 7
Fantasy - 7
Paranormal Suspense - 6
SF - 5
Mystery - 3
Historical Romance - 2
Literature - 2
Suspense - 2
Thriller - 1
Nonfiction - 1

I seem to remember wanting to read more literature and nonfiction when the year started, but I got busy. So many great books in other genres came out this past year, that I fell down on the last few categories. And of course, Urban Fantasy tops the list again because hey, I've been working on this UF manuscript for like ever and I need to see what the competition is up to. (At least that's what I tell myself.)

And the age ranges looked like this:

Adult - 74
YA - 14
MG - 3

Thirty of the books I read this year were by new-to-me authors.

June and July tied for the most books read in a month at 11 books each. October failed with only 3 books read - but hey, I wrote like a banshee that month. And my eyes were tired. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket.

And there she is - stats for 2011. Any questions? How do you think your reading went last year? Were you busy-busy without a lot of time to read? Or did you leave my numbers in the dust? And if you had to guess, what do you think your most read genre is?

2012 Half-Year Goals

2012-01-02T05:32:00.012-07:00

I don't do resolutions. In fact, I pretty much stopped with the whole goal-setting for the new year thing a few January 1sts ago. But, this morning I was inspired. (You know who you are.)

Anyway, following this inspiration, I figured I probably ought to write some of these 2012 goals down.

1) Finish Djinn 2
2) Polish Djinnocide
2a) Put together submission materials so I can...
2b) Send this sucker out
3) Edit at least one other forgotten book (you know - one I wrote but never edited like Nano or UEQ)
4) Edit Djinn 2 (just in case Djinnocide sells or something)
5) Read at least as many books this year as last year (the count was 90 in 2011 - more on that tomorrow)

Those five ought to keep me busy - the first four at least for the next six months. I have trouble thinking beyond that. (Thank goodness my husband doesn't or we'd be in debt up to our eyeballs with a savings balance of ZERO.) Of course, I have other things I need to do. Some of them will get done. Others will be forgotten and end up on this list another year. (Like my never-ending goal of losing weight.)

What are a few goals you have for 2012? Think you'll get them done, or will they end up on your list again next year?

2012 - Books Read

2012-01-01T06:17:00.008-07:00

Time for another beginning to a Books I've read this year post. If you haven't seen the others, it goes sorta like this: I leave the title with a link to where you can buy the book, the author's name, the date I finished the book and the genre. Pretty simple really. Oh, and they end up in reverse order - with the most recent read on top.

Last year, I read 90 books. If I can do the same this year, I'll be satisfied.

8. Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch (1/29/12) - Science Fiction
7. Confessions of a Slighty Neurotic Hitwoman by J.B. Lynn (1/29/12) - Romantic Suspense
6. Infernal Affairs by Jes Battis (1/25/12) - Urban Fantasy
5. Captains and the Kings by Taylor Caldwell (1/22/12) - Literature
4. Dies Irae by Christine Fonseca (1/20/12) - Paranormal Romance - Novella
3. First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher (1/9/12) - Epic Fantasy
2. Ghost Country by Patrick Lee (1/2/12) - Thriller
1. Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent (1/1/12) - Urban Fantasy

If you want to see what else I've read over the years, there are links in the sidebar.

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T00:01:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year!

May this coming year bring all you deserve and everything you hope for.

And may we all kick ass in 2012!

Cuz, like ya know, we rock and junk. ;o)

2011 - A Year in Meh

2011-12-31T03:20:00.000-07:00

Yeah. It's 3AM. I can't sleep. Seems like a perfect time to reflect on this past year...

But for me, 2011 was pretty much meh.

K.D. got accepted to college. That was exciting. But that was in late 2010. Everything we went through this year can be summed up like this: angst and prep and more angst and a great deal of shelling out large sums of money. Her going off to college was more barfy than Yippee! followed by 4 months of worrying.

I didn't really write anything new in 2011. Well, not for the first 11 months. Instead I worked on re-writing Djinnocide for the kajillionth time and when I wasn't busy doing that, I was trying to re-write a couple other ignored works. One suspense. One speculative.

This past December was spent hammering out an entirely new book. Well, sort of new. New words in a familiar world as I worked on the sequel to Djinnocide. Once again, I'm back with Jo and the gang trying to figure out why immortality just got so damn complicated. I mean, you'd think living forever with phenomenal power would be easy peasy. But between following the Rules and navigating the secrets, life is anything but simple.

I did do some querying. You can probably tell from the lack of new words and the focus on re-writes that once again, they didn't pan out.

I turned 41 in 2011. After the whoop-te-doo over 40, hitting the next year is anti-climactic. There won't be another big milestone for 9 more years. (Or 8.5 really.) I'm a little older. A little grayer. And there's a little more of me around to love.

2011 was the year of plodding along. Nothing really awesome happened. On the other hand, nothing really horrible happened either. We're all still alive and kicking. Any family members we had at the beginning of the year, we got to keep. (Cross your fingers until midnight that someone doesn't make a liar out of me.) Hubs, Daughter, the Cats and I are all well. I guess that's what important - even if it is a bit unexciting.

Soooo... How was your 2011? Anything to jump up and down about? Have a good news to share for the new year? Or was your 2011 meh, too?

And if 2011 brought you heartache or grief, I apologize from the deepest well of my heart. I'll keep a happy thought for you to have a better 2012.

Shutterbug

2011-12-29T08:02:00.001-07:00

As I said yesterday, I have this photography hobby. I don't much care what I'm taking pictures of. Anything that catches my eye, really.

When I was a kid with that first old 110 camera, I took pictures of clouds. I'd lay on the grass, snapping pictures upward of any cloud I thought was interesting. I still have some of those shots. They're pretty boring. (Clouds, btw, make poor subject matter unless you have something in the foreground.)

When the old 110 died, I went for years not taking pics of anything. Of course, I was also in college and didn't really have the time for hobbies. Looking through the old albums, I really wish I'd saved up enough money to buy a new camera. There are memories I wish I'd saved.

My next camera wasn't purchased until I was pregnant. It was a cheap-ass 25mm, but it worked for all the shots I wanted of my bundle of joy. (Okay, bundle of squalling, pooping, vomiting - most days.) I took tons of pics. K.D. laying in her bouncy chair. K.D. screaming. Plenty of shots of her sleeping. During those days, it wasn't so much about the art of a shot, but capturing memories. Her first steps. Her first birthday. Those important first holidays.

It was probably long about 2000 when I snagged a sweet job working as a web designer / trainer / consultant. Along with that came the need for a digital camera. Can't design a good company site without a few pics of the offices, the facilities and the employees. That damn HP cost me almost $500. And some of my best work came off that old thing. (Unfortunately, my best work is also low res and when I try to blow it up to frame, the quality blows. With that thing, it was either low res or be satisfied with like 10 pics before I had to download.)

I had that camera for a good long time. It went with me through Arches, Yellowstone and Dinosaur National Park. It catalogued the journey from Florida to Utah. It still works as far as I know. I just can't get the cable to plug into the port anymore so I can't download anything.

Enter HP #2. The little camera that could. I bought it and I hated it (but since I got it half-off on clearance, I couldn't return it.) It didn't have the little view window. Everything I took I had to look at on the little screen. Have you ever tried to take a pic using that damn screen when it's a bright, sunny day? Holy crap. Still, I got used to it and eventually took some killer shots. But it wasn't enough.

Last year, my darling husband got me a Nikon for my 40th b-day. He da man. The zoom alone on this thing is worth every penny. All those years I spent trying to get that critter way the hell over in those trees? Now I can get right up on the damn thing without having to worry about scaring the bugger away. Hell, I even used it to do my daughter's senior pictures. Pay a professional? Oh hell no. Not when I got this baby. Woohoo.

So now, it's a year and then some later. I have the camera. I've mostly learned how to use it. (Manual? We don't need no stinkin' manual.) Now I can finally go back to taking the artsy shots again. The clouds, if you will, but with the knowledge to make those shots turn out right. And with the present my husband gave me this x-mas of new memory chips, I can actually take more than 19 pics before I have to download. (You don't want to know the acrobatics we had to do when we went to Estes Park. All I can say is thank the gods for Daughter's laptop.)

Now, I can stand outside with the flock of robins who arrived yesterday and get stuff like this:

Someday I'd like to be good enough with this thing that people will actually pay me for my pics. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. Until then, though, this is a lovely way to take a break from writing.

And yeah, that first pic up there is me at the ripe old age of 14 when we spent a week in the Les Cheneaux Islands. The fish? Mostly my dad's handiwork, but my sister and I caught a couple.

Hobbies

2011-12-28T08:04:00.001-07:00

I've never really been what I would consider a hobbyist. Sure, when I was younger, I painted die-cast figures of D&D characters. (I still have a couple around here somewhere.) I also did the whole hook rug thing for a while and paint by numbers sets. Those were hobbies. I did them for a while because they were interesting, and once they weren't interesting anymore, I let them go.

I'd also consider my brief frenetic dance with genealogy this past spring as a hobby. I got all the way back to the 1500s and it only took me a month of constant digging. It was a wild ride, but it's pretty much done.

If you've been here a while, you probably already know about my crocheting. I attack that in fits and spurts. In the five or so years I've been at this, I've made 6 blankets, with the 7th about 80% done. It's not hard and the monotony of back and forth, back and forth suits me. (Umm, if you know anything about crocheting, I only know how to do single chain, so back and forth is about as exciting as it gets.)

I've also gotten more serious about my longtime love affair with photography. I got my first camera when I was like 12 and over the years I've taken some awesome shots with whatever device I had available. Last year, the Hubs got me an awesome Nikon for my birthday. This Christmas, he got me memory chips so I can take pics to my heart's content, as well as frames so I can showcase my work.

Those are my hobbies. The writing? Well, I've heard people compare writing to a hobby. Let me go on record as saying anything that takes this much time, effort, heart-wrenching and hair pulling without anything solid to show for it ain't no hobby. Cuz if it was a hobby, I'd stop.

Thinking about it now, that's probably why I've never follow through with my former art classes. If I'm going to do that, I'm going to do it all the way. Just like writing.

What about you? Do you have any hobbies you do now or that you did in the past? Do we have any hobbies in common?

And just in case you were wondering how the photography is going, here's an artsy shot I took a couple days ago and then tweaked with Microsoft Office Picture Manager...

I call it Teens in Winter. Something about using black and white in this case just turned me on.

The Day After

2011-12-26T07:29:00.001-07:00

No, not that horrific mini-series from the '80s. I still have nightmares about that.

Nope, I'm talking about the day after Christmas. Now that all the presents have been opened and the gifts have been enjoyed. Now that everything has been tried on and played with and set back under the tree so the living room doesn't look like a disaster area. Now that our stomachs are all reminding us that we ate waaaaay too much food yesterday. (I don't know about all y'all, but I'm waddling around the house this morning wondering if my pajama bottoms shrunk overnight.)

Today is kind of still a holiday around here. The Hubs has the day off because Christmas fell on Sunday. I'm glad he's home. He needs a day off to decompress. It's been a hellacious few weeks. And the kid's home, too, so we're one small happy family again.

Of course, it isn't really a day off for me. I took the whole weekend off already, putting me a nifty 7200 words behind my goal of 50K this month. That means I have to work today. In fact, according to my nifty spreadsheet, I have to put in 2500 words a day for the next 6 days. :shudder:

But enough about that. We had an awesome Christmas here at the Sanderson household. Every one of us enjoyed ourselves and time with each other. It was a quiet Christmas for the most part. Sure, I totally forgot my mother said the family was celebrating on Saturday this year and then she was spending the rest of the weekend at my sister's - which made for some worried phone calls to her home yesterday. And yeah, Max disappeared until late last night when he came running at me, meowing for all the world like I was the one who neglected him all day.

Still, it was a nice holiday. The ham was perfection - even if I accidentally turned off the oven and didn't notice for an hour. (Who knows, maybe that helped it be awesome.) Hubs got me a box of Godivas. The kid got me a knew set of knives. Even the cats got me something I really wanted.

Yeah, despite the little bobbles of the day, life is good.

How are you feeling on this day after? Did everything go smoothly for you this weekend or did you have bobbles of your own? Are bobbles part of what makes a holiday memorable?

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T07:21:00.001-07:00

Christmas 2012 at the Sandersons

From our house to yours - Wishes for all the happiest of holidays this year and many wonderful holidays to come.

(And in case you missed it, here's yesterday's poem: Twas the Morn Before Christmas.)

Twas the Morn Before Christmas

2011-12-24T08:24:00.002-07:00

Twas the morn before Christmas
by B.E. Sanderson

Twas the morn before Christmas, when all through the house
Everyone still lay sleeping. Yes, even the mouse.
The stocking are hung on the bookshelf, with care
In hopes that some presents will soon join them there.

Like I said, they are nestled all snug in their bed
While visions of new words dance in my head
Hubs lays in his blankets. The kid's in her room.
Kira sleeps on the luggage. Max waits in his tomb.

Up here at the keyboard, I make such a clatter
I'm shocked no one awakens to ask 'what's the matter?'
Away on my WIP, my fingers fly with a flash
I'm tearing through pages like a bookworm on hash.

Outside doesn't beckon--cuz of all that damn snow.
And well, the house is all cozy from the furnace below.
I'm writing and what to my wandering muse does appear?
A genie with memory loss and a dog with a beer.

Now I really am driven - writing's lively and quick
And I hope my self-doubt won't attack with a stick.
More rapid than gophers that old bitch undermines
She whistles and catcalls and bitches and whines

"You're stupid! You're lame! You're a pathetic sight!
You're boring! You're useless! And I hate what you write!"
"You should tear up those pages. Throw your keyboard away!
You should find a new job 'stead of typing all day!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly
My muse blows away and I just want to die.
So into the kitchen I limp with one shoe
To look for some candy and some alcohol, too.

And then in a twinkle I knew just what to say
"I'm not listenin' to you, witch, now just go away!"
Then I sucked in my stomach, turned my back on the treats
Waddled my butt to the chair, disregarded the sweets.

I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work
Left Selt Doubt in the dust, since she's only a jerk.
Laying my fingers on A, S and L, K
I began writing and plan to all day

There's a spring in my step, and my heart wants to whistle
Doubt's a thorn for my butt, and for my fingers a thistle.
So you'll hear me exclaim as I type til the night
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good WRITE.

---------
Okay, that isn't the best poem ever, but I had fun writing it this morning. I hope you all enjoyed it and that you manage to find some time to write over the holidays. And even if you don't, that's it fun and family keeping your fingers off the keys and not that little snit Self Doubt.

Merry Christmas and Happy Writing

Recipes for the Holidays

2011-12-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

You know, in case you don't already have enough goodies for this time of year...

By request from Janet, over at Janet's Journal:

Coconut Rum Cookies

(makes about 36 cookies)

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup unsweetened flake coconut

1/2 t rum extract

1 cup flour (sifted)

1 t baking powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg. Add coconut and rum extract. Mix well. In a separate bowl, soft together flour, and baking powder. Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture, stirring until well combined. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-14 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool briefly on baking sheets before removing to cool completely.

And because this one turned out so frickin' awesome again this year, I had to share it:

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

4 T butter

1 cup evaporated milk

1 ½ cups peanut butter

2 t vanilla

2 cups mini-marshmallows

Butter pan (8 x 10”, or larger depending on the thickness you want. 8 x 10” pans produce thick fudge.) In a medium saucepan, combine both sugars, evaporated milk and butter. To start, place pan on medium heat until butter is melted and all ingredients have combined. Turn heat up to medium-high until mixture is at a rolling boil. Boil for approximately 5 minutes, or until the mixture reaches soft ball stage (234 degrees F). Remove from heat and immediately stir in remaining ingredients. Stir quickly but thoroughly until all ingredients are combined (taking care not to slop hot sugar mixture over the sides of the pan). Once peanut butter and marshmallows are completely melted and combined with sugar mixture, pour into pre-buttered pan to cool.

And now, because someone out there apparently dreamed of a white Thursday before Christmas, I have to go back to shoveling. Blech.

Enjoy the treats, Everyone, and I hope you're all having an awesome holiday season.

Ho Ho Ho. And all that jazz.

Christmas Music

2011-12-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Over at Janet's Journal, Janet asked about favorite Christmas songs and reminded me of a couple I love that I hadn't heard in a while. Modern Christmas classics, if you will.

Like Last Christmas by Wham! and, of course, Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas.

Which led me to Google and looking for other modern Christmas songs I love...

OMG, how could I have forgotten I Believe in Santa Claus by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. I own that whole Once Upon a Christmas album.

While I'm listing holiday favorites, how could I not give a nod to Da Yoopers and their wonderful twisted 'Jingle Bells' - Rusty Chevrolet?

And since this isn't the only holiday going on this time of year, there's Adam Sandler's Original Hanukkah Song.

One last one just for the Daughter. I never heard this one before but it's called Peppermint Winter and it's by one of her favorite bands - Owl City.

I hope you enjoy these and have a great holiday - whichever one you celebrate. =o)

Picture Pause

2011-12-19T20:15:00.004-07:00

"I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a little squirrelly lately."

HoHoNoWriMo Update

2011-12-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by the word meter over there on the right, I'm moving along. I just thought I'd provide some data on the journey for this 18th day of HoHoNoWriMo.

Words written: 24461

Avg per day: 1359

Should be at: 30006

Difference: 5545

# of words needed per day to catch up and meet my goal of 50K in December: 2128

Right now, I'm creeping up on the end of chapter 8.

If you follow me on Twitter, then you'll already know that this morning I wrote myself into a fetid hot mess that I'm struggling to climb out of. It's pretty stinky here in chapter 8. Jo is up to her ass in alligators. Strange things are happening that even I wasn't expecting. And the people she depends on are either disappeared or losing their minds.

Neither of us knows who's behind all this crap. We have our suspicions, but all of the conjecture in this world is unconfirmed.

Like I said: Fetid Hot Mess.

Yes, folks, I've painted myself into a corner. And not just any corner - one filled with rancid garbage even the rats are afraid to nest in. Somebody needs to open a window because I either need a place to climb out or I just need a fresh breeze to survive the smell.

How are things in your world today?

Scattered

2011-12-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

The kid's home for semester break. I have a ton of baking to do. Christmas is :gasp: eight days away. I haven't started wrapping. I've only just finished shopping. (Well, present shopping - I still have to get most of the stuff for Christmas dinner.) I totally forgot about the blanket I was crocheting that I told myself I'd have in my sister's hands by her birthday - in October. My TBR pile has books in it from like February. I'm about 5K words behind on my novel - not counting today. The house is a mess. I don't even want to think about the leaves I never raked... OMG, I forgot to get my mother-in-law a gift and it's too late to ship anything to FL.

Arrgghh.

So, as you can see, I'm scattered. The holidays and end of the year totally snuck* up on me. I think it's because I was stalling on doing some things until after Daughter came home, and didn't consider how late in the month she'd actually be here. It threw off my whole schedule. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

What's got you scattered right now?

*the squiggly line is telling me 'snuck' isn't a word. Well, if that's not a word, what's the past tense of sneak? Sneaked?

On the Road

2011-12-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

I'm out and about today. Have an awesome Thursday and just so you don't feel totally ripped off for coming here, I'll leave Max to keep you company...

Enjoy the day!

The Fun of Making it Up As I Go Along

2011-12-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

When last I left my intrepid heroine, she was running on fumes as she edged her way into the storeroom to save the pirate, while trying not to get shot by said pirate along the way. And I dropped a bombshell (figuratively) I didn't see coming and wasn't quite prepared for. Of course, now that I dropped it, I'm a little unsure how to proceed, but that's half the fun of writing. (Or at least my style of writing - which is to say a bizarre mix of plotting, planning and pantsing.)

I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Do you plot or do you let your writing surprise you? Or does your writing surprise you even when you plot? Or if you'd rather, what's the most fun part of writing for you?

Crossroads

2011-12-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

I'm standing at a crossroads with my WIP. And frankly, I don't know which path to take. I guess it's better than standing at a deadend with nowhere to go. Or painting myself into a corner wondering how the hell I'm going to get my characters out of this fine mess.

Actually, I think I'd prefer to be painted into a corner. Some of my best ideas come from having nowhere else to go. Right now, I have too many places I could go with this thing and not one of them is jumping out at me as the best direction.

And off in the distance, I can see where I need to be. The Emerald City is waiting for me and I don't even have a damn field of poppies leading the way. Nope, I've got brambles thicker than Sleeping Beauty.

It's totally frustrating.

I know you'll all be itching to offer suggestions, but I'm just venting. Commiserate. Offer sympathy or hugs. Suggestions at this point will probably just stymie me even further.

Basically what I need to do is poo or get off the pot (as my father always said - in a much less PC way). Pick a frickin' direction and jump. If it's the wrong direction, I can always backtrack later.

And so, here goes nuthin'. Wish me luck.

Writing Toad

2011-12-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

Where did the week go? I can't believe it's already Friday. Hell, I can't believe it's already the 9th of December. I want my year back.

I know where part of this month went. I've been writing. New words, even. Since the start of HoHoNoWriMo, I've managed to get out 11547 words on Djinn II. I'm behind, but I'm making progress (even if the word meter doesn't always reflect it). In this bastardized NaNo, I'm running at an average of 1443 words per day. Which, while about 200 words short, is still an accomplishment. If I can keep this up, even if I don't hit 50K by 1/1/12, I'll still be a winner.

The rest of the month? Well, let's just say I've been a toad and leave it at that.

How are things going in your world?

Public Service Message

2011-12-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

I know the readers of my blog probably don't need to see a message like this - because you're all much smarter than the average bear - but for the sake of anyone who might be wandering by...

When it gets cold and there's water on the road in the form of snow or ice, chances are the roads are slippery. Please slow down and give yourself plenty of time to stop. I so don't want to watch you slide through an intersection in front of a school bus, killing yourself and injuring children.

Thank you.

(This message was prompted by the moron I just saw roar up to a stop sign, slam on her brakes and slide into the busy road I live on. She was just very lucky the road was empty at that particular moment, because this road is rarely bereft of cars at this time of day, and shortly after she left, a school bus went by.)

Writing When I Don't Wanna

2011-12-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

I so didn't want to write yesterday. It wasn't that I didn't like the story. I wasn't even against the work. It was just that I didn't want to sit here and bang on the keyboard.

But here I was chatting on FB with Daughter. (Which in retrospect makes not writing seem silly.)

I told her I should be writing. And she said 'Yes, you should." In that guilt-inducing tone all FB chat text can take. At that point, though, it was after 9 and I'd already checked in with my lack of progress in LoNoWriMo... Or HoHoNoWriMo*, as the Daughter called it. Still, if I want to be the PITA mom she knows I can be about her course work, then I really need to back that up with my own work.

Right?

So, I sat down and cranked out 545 words. Not a huge amount, but it was something. And you know what? I'm pretty proud of those words because if I hadn't let the kid guilt me, I would be 545 words short this morning.

Your turn... What gets you writing when you don't wanna write? Is guilt your motivator or do you have a better tool I could try?

*HoHoNoWriMo = HouseHold Novel Writing Month... plus it's kinda Christmassy. She such a smart kid. =o)

Starting

2011-12-01T09:03:00.002-07:00

Every journey begins with a single step. I don't recall who said that and I'm too lazy to go look it up. All I have to say to that person today is...

Well, duh.

Actually, every journey begins with the thought that you want to go somewhere, to take one step and then another and another. The thought forms and the willpower carries you through. I have the thought. I think I have the willpower. Taking that first tentative step? Well, now, that's what I'm faced with this morning. I even have the first couple sentences laying in my head, waiting to be birthed onto the page. Where I'll go after those steps is anyone's guess at this point.

Wish me luck.

(And if you missed last night's post about LoNoWriMo, click the link.)

LoNoWriMo

2011-11-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

Since I put that meter up over there on the right, I figured I'd probably better drop a note to tell you what the heck it means. That, my friends, is a meter to show my progress during this thing a friend and I are doing. What with all the things we each had going on in November, neither of us could do NaNo. So we decided to write 50K in December. And just now, I put a name to it...

LoNoWriMo

As in Local Novel Writing Month. She's over there on the other side of the country and I'm here in Colorado, so we're each doing it locally rather than nationally. Get it? :shrug: Cut me some slack. I'm tired and it's the best I could come up with.

Anyway, I've decided to start the sequel to Djinnocide - particularly since the beginning hit me in the forehead with a hammer last night as I was trying to fall asleep. So, here we go again, waltzing through the world of the modern day genie and her antics as she tries to save her brethren, fend off her former lover, keep her business afloat and save the day against some very bad dudes.

Wish us luck.

Using EditMinion to Your Advantage

2011-11-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

There's this wonderful tool someone blogged about last year (or was it early this year... time flies) called EditMinion (brought to you by the same people who came up with Write or Die! - Dr. Wicked). You paste your text into it, click the Edit button, and Voila! It tells you where your problems might be.

I say 'might be' because it's not perfect. One of the main problems I have with this thing is that it doesn't account for things like voice. Sure, it may be correct English to never end a sentence with a preposition, but "The former was a problem I didn’t know if I’d ever get over." and "The former was a problem over which I didn't know I'd ever get." aren't the same. Ack, if Jo actually talked like that, I'd shoot her myself.

Another thing poor EditMinion does is flag every single instance of any word anyone has ever used as a dialogue tag - with the exceptions of 'said' and 'asked'. That part is pretty funny when you're using a word like 'bubbled' to refer to something actually bubbling and not as a dialogue tag. (I've never actually used or seen anyone using 'bubbled' as a dialogue tag, so that one really made me laugh.)

The idea with EditMinion - and other tool you use to edit, including other actual humans - is that the things being pointed out should only be taken as suggestions. Of course, you still shouldn't dismiss them outright. Take each one and evaluate whether it flows with your story. If you can reword the flaw and make your story better, great. If not, toss it on the trash heap. (Although, if the idea came from a real human, you might want to thank them for their time first and treat their idea with more decorum than 'on a trash heap'.)

In the end, though, I think EditMinion is a wonderful tool. It catches all my stupid 'passive voice' sentences, it reminds me that I'm using too many adverbs (again), and it generally talks my text out of context so I can more easily see where I fugged up.

Have you ever used EditMinion? How'd it work out for you? Lemme tell ya, the first time I edited and see all the pretty colors pointing out flaws, it was daunting, but I stuck with it. And I'm glad I did.

The Home Stretch

2011-11-26T06:23:00.001-07:00

Well, it's almost here... The end of November. If you're doing NaNo, this particular time of year either has you dreading the next few days or relieved you can finally pry your butt out of that chair and take your clawed hands off the keyboard.

Or possibly you'll be dancing because you did it. You wrote a novel in November.

Perhaps you didn't finish. You put your head down and wrote as much as you could, but life got in the way. Celebrate anyway. Dude, you wrote stuff. Lots and lots of stuff.

I didn't NaNo this year. I was smack in the middle of my WIP when the month started (almost literally), and I couldn't take the time to work on something new and shiny. I'm in my own homestretch. I didn't think finishing this would take all of November, but it did. Now we're creeping up on 11/30 and I'm two chapters away from typing THE END on this rewrite.

Another writer and myself talked about doing a NaNo like thing in December. If I get this rewrite done, I could do another 50K next month. Lord knows, I did 50K in October. I'm almost up to 50K this month for Djinnocide. All of that shows I can do it again. But a part of me weeps when I think about spending another month typing furiously.

As long as I ignore that part, I should do fine.

So, if she's up to it, I'm up to it. And if she's not? Well, I still need to be up to it. Because that's what writers do. We write.

Anyway, good luck as you hit this homestretch. I'm standing online the sidelines, waving my pompoms and cheering like crazy as you approach the finish line. And I'm looking forward to a finish line of my own. We can do it!

Black Friday?

2011-11-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

Husband and I were talking yesterday, wondering when this whole Black Friday business started and why they feel the need to call it that.

Black Monday was a bad day. In 1987, the stock market crashed and traders were throwing themselves out windows.

Black Tuesday was a similar bad day. In 1929, the stock market crashed and threw the country into the Great Depression.

Black Wednesday is supposedly the biggest teen binge-drinking day of the year.

1929 wasn't a good year for days, and it had a Black Thursday, too. Of course, with this year's overflow of Black Friday sales onto the day before, they're starting to refer to Thanksgiving night as Black Thursday, too.

And you may not know it - unless you're down under - but there's a Black Saturday, too. So named because of raging brush fires in Victoria in 2009, it was the worst day for wildfires in the nation's history.

Black Sunday was a fictional bad day. Terrorists plot to blow up the stadium where the Super Bowl is being held.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that all the other 'Black Days' are black because something bad happened. How could a day of shopping, spending, getting bargains, and generally being good little capitalists be bad?

Okay, sure, some people get crazy and make the experience bad. It seems like every year fights break out and someone gets hurt. Last year some woman got trampled to death by the crowd trying to get into a Walmart for extra bargains. That, my friends, would make any day dark.

But really, unless you choose to make today a bad day, it really shouldn't be 'black' for you. I think we should call it something else entirely. My husband suggested 'Good Friday' but that's already been taken. So how about we call this 'Best Friday' because for bargain hunters like me, it would be the best day of the year. (You know, if I like didn't hate crowds and totally avoid shopping on days like today.)

What do you think we should rename this day to? Why do you think they call it 'Black'? (And no cheating by asking Google the origin of the name. I'm looking for creative thoughts here.)

Happy Turkey Day!

2011-11-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving may be a North American holiday, but there's no reason why those on other continents can't enjoy a feast and remember all the wonderful things going on in their lives. So to all of you, I say...

Happy Turkey Day!

And remember, today is the day for kicking back and eating until you're uncomfortable, so the below aren't really sins...

Enjoy!

Super Easy Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

I know all y'all are probably already done buying and baking for Thanksgiving, but I made a new recipe today I just had to share.

Super Easy Pumpkin Pie

1 can pumpkin (15oz)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14oz)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash ground cloves (to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1 9" unbaked pie crust
1 tub whipped cream

Preheat oven to 425F. Beat together pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, spices, and salt in mixing bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350F. Continue baking for approximately 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with whipped cream. Keep leftovers in the fridge.

I haven't cut into it yet, but the batter before I poured it into the shell was Awe Some. For me, I had more pumpkin mixture than would fit in a pre-made frozen regular shell, so I used the rest to whip together a quick pumpkin cheesecake, too. So maybe if you used a deep dish shell it would work out better. If you try it, let me know.

And have a wonderful holiday tomorrow, everyone. :HUGS:

Snippets of Wisdom From the Movies

2011-11-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

Thinking about something I was discussing with the daughter the other day got me to thinking about wisdom I've found from movie quotes. So, I thought I'd pass certain ones along today. In the comments, feel free to contribute any movie wisdom you use.

"Be nice until it's time to not be nice." - Roadhouse

"Never give up. Never surrender." - Galaxy Quest

"Never say die, but very frequently say 'Ouch'." - The Thief and the Cobbler

"An ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure." - Steel Magnolias

"Stupid is as stupid does." - Forrest Gump

"Have fun storming the castle." - The Princess Bride

"There is no try. There is only do or do not." - The Empire Strikes Back

"It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Lyric Tuesday on Thursday

2011-11-17T07:33:00.001-07:00

I know I haven't been keeping up with the Lyric Tuesdays and this is two days late, but I thought we could all use these words today.

Without further ado, I give you...

Keep Your Head Up
by Andy Grammer.

I've been waiting on the sunset
Bills on my mindset
I can get deny they're getting high
Higher than my income
My income's breadcrumbs
I've been trying to survive

The glow that the sun gives
Right around sunset
Helps me realize
This is just a journey
Drop your worries
You are gonna turn out fine
Oh, you'll turn out fine
Fine, oh, you'll turn out fine

But you gotta keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh
You gotta keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh

I know it's hard, know its hard,
To remember sometimes,
But you gotta keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh eh eh eh

I've got my hands in my pockets,
Kickin' these rocks
Its kinda hard to watch this life go by.
I'm buyin' in the skeptics,
Skeptics mess with, the confidence in my eyes

I'm seeing all the angles, starts to get tangled
I start to compromise
My life and the purpose
Is it all worth it,
Am I gonna turn out fine?
Oh, you'll turn out fine
Fine, oh, you'll turn out fine

But you gotta keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh
You gotta keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh

I know it's hard, know its hard,
To remember sometimes,
But you gotta keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh eh eh eh

Only rainbows after rain
The sun will always come again.
Its a circle, circling,
Around again, it comes around again
I said

Only rainbows after rain
The sun will always come again
Its a circle, circling,
Around again, it comes around,

But you gotta keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh
You gotta keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh

I know it's hard, know its hard
To remember sometimes,
But you gotta keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh

Keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh

Keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down, eh eh

Keep your head up, oh oh
And you can let your hair down

ETA: lyrics pulled from the YouTube video page I link to in the title - with a wee bit of proofreading by me

This Too Shall Pass

2011-11-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad little blogger this week. I did write two posts, but discarded them as too whiny and/or too ranty for public consumption. Suffice it to say, it's been a strange week or so here in Neverland.

My car had a coronary. Lucky for me, a fuel pump transplant was possible, and Callie is now back in working order.

My kid sprained her ankle. She'd just hung up the phone with me as she was walking back from class, and she tripped off the edge of the sidewalk. For a bit, we thought it might be broken, but thank goodness, it was just a sprain. Gimpy girl is on her feet, limping from class to class - perhaps a little bent, but unbowed.

Max got in another fight and once again managed to go all abscessy on me. Plus, according to the vet, he tore a muscle. So, he's in rehab.

Yesterday, I ate something that not only disagreed with me, it argued.

And then today I woke up with a massive sinus headache.

Still, I haven't had the worst time of it. A friend of mine's cat died. It might seem like a small thing in the scheme of the universe, but I know it hurt her. I can't imagine how much pain I would've felt if I'd reached into Max's box to find him more than injured. That kind of put it all in perspective. No matter how craptastic my life has been, all my loved ones are with me. We have a roof over our heads, we have food and warmth, we have a paycheck coming in, all our debts are paid and our bills are current. Life, as weird as it can be sometimes, ain't so bad here after all.

I just need to remember whenever a little shitstorm hovers over my head that this too shall pass.

Major's Voice is Inconsistent

2011-11-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

The above is written on a sticky note, sitting beside my right elbow as I type this post. It's a flaw I found in my WIP during the re-write of chapter 22. Chapter twenty-friggin-two, people. This book only has 31 chapters. I'm almost done for petesakes. And now this.

And the sticky note? It taunts me.

Sure, Major is not the MC. Thank goodness for small favors. But he's a major secondary character. He needs to be consistent. (Don't they all.)

I was complaining about this yesterday morning to my daughter via FB chat. I believe my exact words were 'I don wanna go back and fix all that'. Her first answer was 'then don't'. To which I replied, 'I gotta'. And she, being the lovely spawn of all things good within me, said something to the affect of 'then get to work', cracked a whip and told me she'd talk to me later.

Easier said than done. Going back to fix all the places where he has dialogue seems like a gigantic mound of steaming manure I have to shovel through. And before I can even do that, I have to figure out which Major is the right Major. Is he all deferential and proper, or is he a snarky bastard? Or does he only get deferential when his feelings are hurt, and otherwise he's cheeky? And there's another bit to consider that I can't talk about here because it would be a massive spoiler, but I have to take it into account when determining his voice.

:headdeskheaddeskheaddesk:

Anyone who thinks or says that writing is easy should be horse whipped - with a real horse.

On the upside, I discovered this inconsistency before I was finished enough to send this WIP out into the world. Now I just need to decide whether I'm going to stop everything to fix all that, or finish with these last few chapters before I set myself to shoveling.

I'm thinking forge ahead. That's my general rule when faced with something like this - make a note and forge onward.

Which is why that stupid sticky note is sitting next to my elbow...

Taunting me.

Anything taunting you these days, or is it smooth sailing where you are?

Bird Geek: Harpy Eagle

2011-11-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I'm a self-proclaimed bird geek. I feed the birds, watch the birds, and take pictures of them whenever I can. I also tend to stop during my channel surfing on any program that might be about birds. Last night on PBS, I saw a Nature program on the Harpy Eagle. OMG. They were magnificent.

First off, they're HUGE. To give you an idea, here's a picture I borrowed from the blog Bill of the Birds:

And that's not even a big one. The female on the show last night flew past a man and her wingspan had to be close to 7 feet. She blotted him out entirely. Wow.

Anyway, near the end of the show, there was this one shot of the immature male, where he looked directly at the camera, that will stay with me a while. Hauntingly beautiful. In fact, I think he needs a story of his own. I could totally imagine him shape-shifting into a man and sweeping some lucky gal off her feet. If I wrote paranormal romance, I would totally do that. Since I don't, feel free to snatch the idea and make it your own.

Inspiration comes in so many funny ways. Anything odd inspire you lately?

Just Get It On Paper

2011-11-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Surfing around the web recently, I've seen a lot of people talking about NaNo - lamenting their progress, discussing the merits of prologues, wondering how they should begin...

It's NaNo, folks. The idea here isn't to get 50K perfect words on the page. It's to write. Just write. Get those words on the paper and worry about them after.

Everything else... all that stuff I put up there in the first paragraph? It's just things we throw in the road ahead of ourselves. Stumbling blocks and distractions. Sound and fury signifying something or other.

Just get it on paper. That's all you need to do this month. Word after word after word. Sure, those words all have to work together to make some kind of sense. Otherwise, you could type 'I hate myself' 16668 times and be done with it. But those words do not need to be perfect.

If what's in your head is a prologue, write the damn thing. Next month, you can decide whether it's necessary or whether it can be absorbed into the other chapters.

Started in the wrong place? Take a friggin' machete and chop your way to the right path. You can work it out in December. (Or January, or February... whenever you're finished and ready to red-ink that puppy up.)

Seriously, folks, let it go. This is the perfect time to just write for the joy of putting words on paper. The headaches (or the joys) of editing will come at you in a few weeks. Now? Not so much.

And yeah, I know I'm not doing NaNo this year. But I know what it's like. And I'm telling you right now...

Just get it on paper and quit getting in your own way. When you hit 12/1 with 50+K added to your WIP, you'll thank yourself.

You can thank me later by sending chocolate. ;o)

What to Blog About

2011-11-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

What to post... what to post....

Well, if I didn't think it was proprietary, I'd post the email my daughter got from her business professor. It went out to the whole class, explaining to them certain key points of the English language they may not have been aware of. Like -its- is possessive and -it's- is a contraction. -Their- is possessive, and -there- shows place. Little stuff like that. Daughter forwarded it to me because she thought I'd get a kick out of it, and she was so right. We were both amazed that the prof even needed to send that to a group of college students.

I thought about writing a post lamenting the fact that no matter how many squares of toilet paper I scroll out from the roll, only the first square rips off easily. Seriously, what is with that? What can anyone do with one square of toilet paper? (All references to Elaine of Seinfeld and her 'spare a square' episode aside.)

I considered bitching about the time change, but I bitched about that in the Spring. Nothing's really changed since then.

I started to write a poem the other day about hope being like a teddy bear whose all worn with the stuffing falling out but one that we can't let go of. But my poetry days are behind me. Maybe I'll turn that thought into a blog post one of these days. Meanwhile, the idea is sitting on a sticky note stuck to the corner of my desk.

Of course, I could always gripe about my state of being carless. Poor Callie Cavalier had a coronary on Friday. Her fuel pump is shot and she needs a transplant. Unfortunately my mechanic was out of town and the dealer had to order up a donor heart. So, from Friday until tomorrow morning (I hope morning) I'm sans vehicle. You never know how much you need your car until it's gone. Today, I'll be walking to the bank, the post office and maybe the grocery store (unless I can hitch a ride or overcome my cheapness to have them delivery my groceries.)

On the bright side, the car died now and not in two weeks when I pick the kid up for Thanksgiving break. Having fuel pump problems on the freeway would suck.

I had a great idea for a short story the other night and totally forgot it by morning. Happy day for me, I just remembered the premise, so now I can go type it into my ideas file.

In other news, I made my goal of 4K words yesterday. I'm pretty tired today, but still pretty proud of myself, too. If I can keep this momentum, I'll have these last 11 chapters busted out in no time. =o)

How are things going in your life today? Got any news? Anything to crow about? Anything to bitch about? Have at it in the comments.

My Shelves

2011-11-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

The Paranormal Book Club is having a Facebook contest where you send in pictures of your bookshelves and win stuff. I'm not entering but it did give me an idea for this blog post...

My bookshelves are everywhere. I went around the house taking pics just now and ended up with ten pictures. And that's not even counting the two shelving units in the bedroom because Hubs is still sleeping*.

Too be fair, I do run an online used books store. I have over 2K books listed for sale right now through Amazon. (And before anyone gets their undies in a bunch, book sales feed my book buying habit. Without that money, I wouldn't be able to buy all the new books I buy.) The above picture shows books K-T. Yeah, my shelves are alphabetical by author's last initial, but not within the letter - so you might see King before Kellerman on that first shelving unit. I'm anal, but not that anal.

Pics of just my keepers would be five shelves - three out here and two in the bedroom.

Still, no matter if they're my forever books or just passing through on the way to someone else, they're mine and I love having them all around me. If I didn't think I'd break the spines, I'd pile them on the bed and roll around in them.

What about you? What do your shelves look like? Are they strictly for books or do you have other stuff jammed in there, too? (Pay no attention to my Prospector Pete Santa - he's not a Christmas decoration. He's too cute for just one season.)

* He's up, so here's a shot of one of my bedroom shelves...

Yep, it's jammed full. I love the fact that this house has tons of built-ins, but I really do need more shelves.

Confuzzled

2011-11-03T07:59:00.001-06:00

Twitter... What can I say to my fellow twitter users other than 'pay attention to what you're writing when creating hashtags'...

This morning I was reading along and saw boobeinglate as a hashtag.

To be perfectly honest, the first thing my whacked out brain did was transpose the i and the e, making it look like boobie nglate - whatever the hell that means.

Once I put the letters back in their correct order, I couldn't figure out why someone would say 'boob ein glate'. Is it German? Is it dirty? WTF? Toss that option.

Then I went to boobe in glate. Still a major WTF moment.

And then my brain finally put it together... Boo Being Late. This person was unhappy with her own lateness. (See the little lightbulb over my head? Pay no attention to the fact that it sputters. I'm having my own personal brown-out today.)

Sure Twitter makes the world smush everything together and not speak in full sentences, but let's all take a moment to make sure we're not creating more confusion... like the world needs that.

(btw, if you have Twitter and would like to follow me, the link is over there on the right. Or leave a comment with your Twitter ID and I'll follow you.)

Not Enough Coffee in the World Today

2011-11-02T05:14:00.000-06:00

Ever wake up in the middle of the night feeling like doodle and then just when you feel good enough to go back to bed, you realize you're wide awake. Yeah, that's my morning. I've been up for two hours now. Weeee.

Anyway, it's 5am. The neighbor kid is already out shoveling the driveway they never even use. I swear to god if he wakes my husband up, I'm going to flick him in the ears. And there isn't even enough snow yet to bother with. We're under a blizzard warning, sure, but it's not here yet. Go back to bed, son. Seriously.

Scraaaape. Tap. Scraaaape. Tap. I may kill him even if he doesn't wake the Hubs.

So yeah, blizzard warning. 4-8" of blowing white stuff. I can't wait until we can afford for Hubs to retire so we can get the hell out of this cold place. I don't mind a little snow. Really I don't. But after growing up in Michigan and going to college on the sunny shores of Lake Superior, I'm so over it. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I never had to leave the house, but I smoke and the landlady has forbidden it inside.

There's an upside there, but I'm in the middle of a vent - and there are no upsides.

And I can't do NaNo this year. I mean, I could, but I promised myself I was going to finish this rewrite before I started anything new. Since I'm only in the middle of chapter 18 out of 31 chapters, I can't write new words now. :pout: A friend and I are planning on doing NaNo next month, but it's just not the same.

I think I need another cup of coffee. Maybe another pot of coffee. Time will tell. Now, though, since I'm wide awake, I probably should get some writing done.

Got anything to vent about? Go for it. As long as you're not specifically nasty about me or any other human-type life forms, it's all good.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T07:42:00.001-06:00

This was the last time I carved pumpkins. Pretty lame, I know, but there he is.

Here's hoping your pumpkins all turned out awesome and that you have a wonderful holiday. Stay safe, my friends.

Oh, I almost forgot the spooky pic I took recently...

*and just so you know, after Halloween, I chopped him up, made puree and served him to the family in a cheesecake. Bwa haha.

Picture Pause - Catitude: Staying Warm

2011-10-30T10:21:00.000-06:00

Max: "The AC might be good for keeping you humans cool, but it's the perfect sunny spot to warm me up on a cold fall morning."

Kira: "Personally, I prefer Daddy's desk chair right after he's gotten out."

What Scares You?

2011-10-28T09:54:00.000-06:00

With Halloween fast approaching, I figured it would be a good day to talk about what scares us.

Personally, I'm totally freaked out by the thought of suffocation. I'm not claustrophobic. If I was, I'd never take a shower in that tiny bathroom I have. No, I'm talking about having something over my face for any length of time. When I'm in bed, the blankets can't come up any higher than my chin, or I hyperventilate.

I used to have an overwhelming moth phobia. Butterflies are fine. Moths? They're creepy and hairy and... :shudder: It took me years to get to the point where I didn't run screaming if one was in the same room. Now I'm proud to say, I can stay in the room long enough to smush their little heads. But I still don't want them touching me.

I have the same feeling about grasshoppers. Big eyed nasty critters. Thank goodness my husband is nice enough to put them outside for me.

But the worst fear I have - worse than anything I can think of - is being trapped inside myself.

Back in therapy, I was sitting at the lunch room table one afternoon when they rolled a woman up next to me. She was one of the bad head injury cases. She wasn't paralyzed or anything, she just didn't have control over her muscles anymore. So she just sat there in her wheelchair while someone spoon fed her. No biggie. Happens all the time in TBI therapy. Except she wasn't typical of someone who'd had their brain damaged enough to be in that position. Her eyes were still alive. When you looked in them, you could tell every bit of her intellect was still intact, - and she couldn't communicate any of it to anyone. The horror I saw in those eyes will haunt me 'til the day I die. It was like her eyes were screaming 'help me'.

:shudder: I saw her years later being wheeled through the mall. Her husband pushed her along like it was nothing while her children trailed alongside. And her eyes? The horror was gone, but so was the light.

That? Now that scares the hell out of me.

What scares you?

I Refuse

2011-10-27T05:39:00.013-06:00

Disapponted Bunny is disappointed

If you've been here a while, you might recall me talking about my accident. Those first days after I was back inside me head were spent pretty much whining and feeling sorry for myself. I spent more time thinking about how I couldn't do something than actually trying to do it. I was focused on the pain. Getting out of bed hurt. Being rolled down to therapy hurt. And therapy itself was agony (they don't refer to PT as pain & torture for nothin').

Funny thing. The more I thought about how much everything hurt, the more it hurt.

I don't know exactly what happened to snap me out of it. Maybe it was the nurse who told me to stop being such a baby. Maybe it was the skanky dude with the broken back who made fun of me in therapy. Maybe it was sitting in front of the mirror crying over how much I thought I lost. Whatever the cause, it was a major attitude adjustment for me.

I stopped whining about every little ache and pain. The pains were a part of my new reality and I had to get over them to move forward. Once I realized this, everything got easier. I started to progress at a rate that surprised my therapists. I made getting better my one job. Whining? Let someone else take that job - I was done with it.

Almost 18 years have passed. It was a lesson I thought I'd never forget, but on some level, I must've forgotten it. I exercise a little bit and the next day I'm little Pammy*, whining about every muscle twinge.

Me. I broke my frickin' thigh for petesakes and now achy muscles kick my ass? I don't think so.

It's been the same with work. It's been a long day and I'm just not up to writing? Whine. I had to relearn my multiplication tables at the age of 24. If I'd whined then like I whine now, I would still be wondering what 9 x 3 is.

So, I took myself in hand this past weekend. I made some conscious choices. Every day I will exercise, and on those days where I don't formally workout, I'm going to clean the hell out of something. (Sunday and Monday, I exercised. Yesterday and today, I rearranged my library. The shelves & books that were on the register wall are now on the non-register wall, and my daughter's desk is now underneath the window.) I refuse to bitch about the soreness.

I refuse.

After all the work I did today, I could've just let tonight's writing time slide. I have some really valid ~~reasons~~ excuses. I shoveled snow, I rearrange furniture, I didn't sleep good last night... blah blah blah. I did the dishes (I didn't want to do them either) and I wrote. It wasn't much. Considering I wasn't going to do any words, the 862 I did is a win.

Whining gets you nowhere. It never really makes you feel better. In fact, it can often make you feel worse. The only thing that makes you feel better is pushing forward.

No whining allowed. I refuse to do it. And if you catch me whining, feel free to pinch me - HARD.

What do you refuse to do?

*No offense to anyone named Pam. PAM in this case stands for Piss And Moan. When I'm pissing and moaning about something, I call myself Pammy.

NaNo No

2011-10-26T06:40:00.000-06:00

Where did Tuesday go? Oh yeah, I started rearranging the back room/library/Daughter's office yesterday. And of course, the carpet needed spot washing...

Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about this morning was a decision I made last night. Despite telling damn near everyone I was going to do NaNo this year, I'm not. I mean, I really want to. I had planned on using this year's NaNo to crank out that MG fantasy I've been thinking about.

But see, here's the thing. As much as I want to do NaNo, it's not going to really further my career goals this year. I need to keep my focus on trying to get this WIP ready for submission. And at 52K rewritten, it's not the best time in the world to shatter that focus and work on something else.

If, by some chance, I get this revision done early enough in November to actually make a dent in 50K by 12/1, I'll jump back in. Until that happens, I'll have to watch from the sidelines.

I'm a little bummed. I think this year's NaNo was going to be really fun. But we can't always chase the fun when there's work to be done. Ya know what I mean? And hey, Djinnocide is still fun. It's not new and shiny, but I still love it. I'll love it even more when it's polished and ready to send out into the world. (Even more if it gets me an agent and/or a contract.)

So, if you're doing NaNo for real this year, let me know. I'll live vicariously through you and be standing on the sidelines waving my pom poms for you. I wish you all the most success.

Picture Pause - Creepy Cross

2011-10-24T20:56:00.001-06:00

Between my new commitment to exercising (with its subsequent aches) and my mad typing lately, I'm too friggin' tired to post anything but a picture. I took this when I was out wandering the other day. I'd say it's perfect for the Monday before Halloween.

:cue creepy music:

Are ya skeerd? Are ya?

LOL, Happy pre-Halloween, Everyone. =o)

Acknowledging Accomplishments

2011-10-22T07:36:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, Jeffe Kennedy had an interesting post at her blog. And in it, she says something that's been knocking around in my head ever since. After talking about a conference for female scientists, she points out "Every single woman was attributing her success to chance."

You ever read one of those statements that just sits in your head swirling around not letting you go. Like something important is in those words - you just have to figure out what it is and it'll be a watershed moment.

So, I sat for probably a half hour, wording and re-wording a comment to that post. Trying to figure out exactly what it was I wanted to say that would contribute to the conversation in some meaningful way. If you went over and read the post, you'll notice I never did post a comment*. In the end, I had nothing.

Well, that's not exactly true. I had too much to say and not enough. On the one hand, certain aspects of our culture tell us we shouldn't brag. Pride is a sin, after all. (Not something I believe on any conscious level, but it's ingrained in my psyche just like everyone else's.) And women, in particular, are taught not to run around shouting about our achievements.

"That's a lovely dress." "Oh, this old thing? I just threw it on."

"This dinner tastes great." "Thanks, but I think I put too much salt in it."

"You've just discovered cold fusion, how does it feel?" "That? That was nothing. I just happened upon it by accident one afternoon when I was baking."

Bleh. What the hell is wrong with us?

Sure, bragging makes you come off as a bitch, but can't there be some happy middle ground between being a braggart and being satisfied with your accomplishments?

Have we sunk so far as a society that we can't just be happy for someone's accomplishments? Can we get past this? So when Derek Jeter hits another home run, he's just an awesome ball player and not a show off. (Not sure if anyone actually thinks this, but it's an example.) So when Bill Gates hits the Forbes list of richest people ever - again - we don't rush around saying how much we hate him. So when little Suzie nabs the Valedictorian spot, we don't claim her accomplishment makes the other children feel bad about themselves.

I don't know the answer. I know I'm as guilty as anyone of downplaying my accomplishments. I do the 'oh this old thing' when someone tells me I look nice. I also criticize my cooking every time my poor husband complements me on it.

And when I think about the twelve books I've written in the past 7 years, all I can focus on is the fact that none of them are published. In fact, even now, writing this, I want to forget the long hours I put in on every single one of those, tuck my tail between my legs and apologize for not 'making it'.

How much do you want to bet that when I finally do land an agent and get a contract, I'll be telling everyone how 'lucky' I was? Or how it was just chance?

I said it before and I'll say it again... Bleh. What the hell is wrong with us?

I say we throw off the shroud and at least acknowledge our accomplishments. For petesakes, we earned at least that much. It won't be easy - not by a long shot - but maybe if we start today, our daughters will be better able to hold their heads high and say to the world "I did this and I'm damn proud of it."

Your turn. Tell me about something you accomplished. No apologies allowed. No qualifiers. Just say it.

I'll start... I wrote twelve books in the last seven years.

What did you do?

*I commented this morning after I posted this.

Carrots? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Carrots

2011-10-21T07:24:00.000-06:00

Because we have the stick!

See it there, looking so friendly and innocuous? In this shot, it's camouflaging itself as a decorative piece, but don't let it fool you. It's a stick. A big one. And it's hard.

Perfect for poking a recalcitrant writer. Even better for whomping a slacking student.

It slices, it dices, it makes julienne fries... Not really. It just smushes everything into a pulp. I guess it would make great mashed potatoes, but ew.

Why do we mention the stick today? Well, because it has come to our attention that certain people out there in the world require a bit of motivation. And when it comes to motivation, you really only have two options - the carrot and the stick.

All I have around the house is a bag of old baby carrots. If that motivates you, go for it. They're in the wilter next to the onions and a half bag of salad. Barring anyone's penchant for rubbery tiny root vegetables as a positive reinforcement, we're opting for the stick today.

Get out there and work. Or the stick might be coming to visit you. Bwa haha

(Why yes, I was feeling a mite silly this morning. How'd you know?)

BTW, in case anyone wants to know, said stick was hand crafted from a tree in the yard of my childhood home. (I think it was an ash, but don't hold me to that.) My gargantuan brother wanted a walking stick, so he cut the tree down and made one. When he left home, I took possession of said stick and have carted it all over the damn country. It's my stick now. Beware the stick. It knows when you're not working and it's waiting to thump you.

Don't Be a Bonnie

2011-10-19T09:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know if any of y'all watch Biggest Loser, but I'd like to spend a moment today talking about a contestant who showed her true colors last night.

Bonnie is the oldest person on the ranch at this point. She's a grandma from, I think, Boston. Like all contestants, she's grossly overweight. Like a large number of the obese, her knees are fucked from carrying all that extra weight all those years. Unlike a lot of contestants, she uses this as an excuse for not exercising as hard as she could be.

And given the fact that my leg is often fucked, I can vouch for that fact that it's a good excuse - especially when they're doing exercises that work the legs.

Except last night her trainer - former tennis star Anna Kournikova - had the two remaining members of the blue team working out in the pool. A workout that pretty much cuts out the whole "I've got bad knees' reasoning.

You see, in the pool, the excuses float away (pardon the pun). She couldn't do a half-shit job and blame it on her knees. She had to work. And Anna pushed her harder because she knew the knee problems were no longer a factor.

Of course, that's when the claws came out. Suddenly, Anna was picking on her. Anna was playing favorites. It was all Anna's fault - and btw, Bonnie never liked Anna anyway, so there. It couldn't have been that Becky (the other Blue Team member) was getting more praise because she was busting her ass. Nope.

What really pissed me off is that Bonnie thought she deserved as much praise as Becky without bothering to put in as much effort*. And the scale last night proved who was doing the work. Bonnie lost 4 lbs. Becky lost 8.

Bonnie's answer? Well, of course, Becky can do it. She's 13 years younger. I'm guessing if someone asked Bonnie why Mike (the last blue team member to get voted off - who was only a year younger) lost so much weight every week when she didn't, she'd say it was because he was a man.

My point is, there's always some excuse we can throw out there for why we're not succeeding. Sometimes, it really is out of our hands. There's one gal on the black team who's doing this with a stress fracture, for instance. (Except she's still losing the weight and not bitching about how hard Bob pushes her.) Life comes and screws with our plans, and there ain't a damn thing we can do about it. We get sick, or our kids get sick. There are power outages and PTA meetings, computer crashes and financial difficulties. There's flood, famine and plague.

Most of the time, though, our excuses are exactly that - EXCUSES.

Don't be a Bonnie. Don't let anything stand in the way of succeeding at what you really want to do. Because if you let your excuses pile up, you'll never achieve your goals.

*Don't get me started on that one, or we'll be here all week.

New Pandora vs. iHeart: A Writer's Review

2011-10-19T05:36:00.001-06:00

I don't know what it is, but I've gotten to the point in my writing life where I need music in the background while I type. And none of my CDs seems to have just the right flavor - at least not all the way through. Enter Pandora. I found it and it was my salvation. Sure, sharing it with my daughter meant the free 40 hrs went by too fast some months (until I got the kid her own account). And yeah, the ads can be annoying - especially when they drag. Still, I loved Pandora.

And then the same day Facebook screwed me with its new format, Pandora did the same damn thing. All at once, I couldn't be on FB and Pandora at the same time. And Pandora's new look was weirding me out. Plus, for some stupid reason, Pandora kept tossing lame-ass songs into my mixes and those stupid bits of cacophony would throw me right the hell out of my groove.

Lucky me, I saw an ad for iHeart (or maybe it was a bit on CNBC about it). I rushed right over and gave it a whirl. I tried to love it. I made a station using the band Bush (the seed for my main Pandora station), flipped my headphones on, and started writing. Three songs in iHeart threw Creedance Clearwater Revival into the mix. On a Bush station. Talk about jarring. Anyway, I created a Foo Fighters station and all was well again.

The only problem now was that I couldn't add new seeds to my iHeart stations. Without new seeds, the station started throwing the same songs at me. Three times in a row, I started the station up to Everlong by The Foo Fighters. I love that song, but I don't want to hear it first off every friggin' time.

I also can't get a good '80s Dance Music station on the damn thing, so I was switching to Pandora every time I exercised. And iHeart's P!nk station blew chunks hard enough that I had to start a Sara Bareilles station just to work on UEQ (which is a book that needs Angry Girl Music in the background).

So, I went back to Pandora. Low and behold, in the time I was away, they fixed the whole 'not friendly to FB' thing. They also stopped throwing weird bands into my mixes. For the past couple days, they've played nothing but lovely lovely dark and twisty bands in my Bush mix (the songs Djinnocide craves).

I know iHeart is in its infancy. I tried to give them feedback so they could make their station more writer friendly, but the feedback area was too confusing. I may go back to them someday when they've made themselves more like Pandora - without the annoying ads (which also got fixed and don't drag so much). Plus, it never hurts to have a backup.

For now, though, I'm with Pandora. It does what I need it to do - which is play the music I need when I need it, with neither songs nor commercials that drag me out of my groove.

Do you use an online radio station of any kind? Have you tried these? What do you think?

Lyric Tuesday - These Words

2011-10-18T05:06:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about my work and what it means and whether I'm wasting my time. So for me, the song These Words by Natasha Bedingfield is especially poignant right now - I mean, if you pay less attention to the chorus and look at it from a novel writer point of view as opposed to a song writer.

(And for the record, the emphasis below is mine.)

These Words
Natasha Bedingfield

These words are my own
Threw some chords together
The combination D-E-F
It's who I am, it's what I do
And I was gonna lay it down for you
I try to focus my attention
But I feel so A-D-D
I need some help, some inspiration
(But it's not coming easily)
Whoah oh...

Trying to find the magic
Trying to write a classic
Don't you know, don't you know, don't you know?
Waste-bin full of paper
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

Read some byron, shelly and keats
Recited in over a Hip-Hop beat
I'm having trouble saying what I mean
With dead poets and drum machines
I know I had some studio time booked
But I couldn't find a killer hook
Now you're gonna raise the bar right up
Nothing I write is ever good enough

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you, I love you...

I'm getting off my stage
The curtains pull away
No hyperbole to hide behind
My naked soul exposes
Whoah.. oh.. oh.. oh.. whoah.. oh..

Trying to find the magic
Trying to write a classic
Waste-bin full of paper
Clever rhymes, see you later

These words are my own
From my heart flow
(Don't you know)
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
To better say
I love you I love you

These words are my own
From my heart flow
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you
There's no other way
(There's no better way)
To better say
I love you I love you

These words are my own
They're from my heart
I love you, I love you
That's all I got to say, can't think of a better way
And that's all I got to say
I love you, is that okay...

Excuses Excuses

2011-10-15T07:55:00.002-06:00

We all have excuses for why we don't get done those things that we're supposed to be doing. So, in honor of those little things that help us procrastinate, here are a few of today's excuses up front.

- I cut my right index finger yesterday and typing makes it hurt

- ~~Today is the Michigan vs Michigan State game! Go Blue!~~ (They lost.) =o(

- ~~I really need to take a shower.~~

- The cat needs her claws clipped.

- ~~I started Kristen Painter's Blood Rights last night and I really really want to know what happens.~~ (read three chapters)

- ~~I bought that stuff to make cake cookies over a week ago and I really should make those before my husband eats all the chocolate stars.~~

- ~~The blanket I'm making for my oldest sister isn't going to crochet itself.~~ (crocheted a few rows)

- During yesterday's procrastinatory cleaning, I missed dusting that thingy-bob under the mirror and all the geegaws on it.

Okay, now that those are out there for the world to see, I can move on and get some writing done. After all, I've only got two hours until FOOTBALL!

What excuses are keeping you from doing what you need to do today?

Updated @ 1:48pm - Still haven't written and still not feeling the urge to. Maybe tonight.

'Cuz That's How People Talk

2011-10-14T05:05:00.000-06:00

I once had a crit partner who would note every time I used the phrase "I could care less". It was a pet peeve of hers, because obviously you can care less than you already care. The correct phrase is "I couldn't care less". Problem with using the correct phrase every single time is not everyone speaks 100% correctly 100% of the time.

Personally, I've always said "I could care less'. For years I've been wrong. Now I could justify my incorrect phraseology. Sure, I already care little for whatever I'm talking about, but if it gets any more boring, I could, in fact, care less about the subject. But yeah, it's still wrong.

And you know what? I don't really care. I'm not writing my Masters Thesis for English. I'm writing fiction - about flawed people who don't have Masters degrees. Often they're lucky if they got an education at all (especially in the case of genies, some of whom were born before formal education, or in the case of a dystopian world where schooling may not be the most important thing to society any more.)

They're just people out there doing amazing things with the gifts they have. They use bad grammar and end sentences with prepositions. And they start sentences with conjunctions. They even sometimes use cliches - because :gasp: people out there in the world speak and think in cliches.

Your average dude - even the ones who end up doing amazing things - don't spend time worrying about whether their English is correct. They say folksy things sometimes and they don't worry too much about rewording a phrase because tons of other people use it.

And yet, writers get nailed for it every time. Funny.

Anyway, as a reader, I don't mind when people use incorrect grammar in dialogue - or when the POV is first person (which pretty much makes everything dialogue when you think about it - it's dialogue between the MC and other characters or between the MC and herself or between her and the readers.) In fact, I'd say I like it even better than a writer who strives to make everything so correct, they lose the integrity of their character.

So, I say, use whatever phrase feels right. And if it ends up getting someone's undies in a twist, so be it. 'Cuz that's how people talk. It ain't right, but it's more real.

(Disclaimer: If you're going to play with the rules of English, please for godsakes, know them first. Don't just slap the words down and when you get called on their wrongness, say "I meant to do that". It's disingenuous and it sucks.)

Picture Pause - Catitude

2011-10-13T07:44:00.000-06:00

Here's Max next to the hugest tumbleweed I've ever seen...

He couldn't care less. (And for the record, isn't he gorgeous?)

And Kira attacking a stringy-thing she loves...

She's large and in charge.

What's your catitude today? Do you care less or are you feisty?

Lyric Tuesday - The Lazy Song

2011-10-11T07:37:00.000-06:00

Something about The Lazy Song makes me want to get to work. Reverse psychology, maybe?

The Lazy Song
by Bruno Mars

Today I don't feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don't feel like picking up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything

I'm gonna kick my feet up
Then stare at the fan
Turn the TV on, throw my hand in my pants
Nobody's gonna tell me I can't

I'll be lounging on the couch,
Just chillin' in my snuggie
Click to MTV, so they can teach me how to dougie
'Cause in my castle I'm the freaking man
Oh, oh

Yes I said it
I said it
I said it 'cause I can

Today I don’t feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don’t feel like picking up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything
Nothing at all

Tomorrow I'll wake up, do some P90X
Meet a really nice girl, have some really nice sex
And she's gonna scream out: 'This is Great'
(Oh my god, this is great)
Yeah

I might mess around, get my college degree
I bet my old man will be so proud of me
But sorry pops, you'll just have to wait
Oh, oh

Yes I said it
I said it
I said it 'cause I can

Today I don’t feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don’t feel like picking up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything

No, I ain't gonna comb my hair
'Cause I ain't going anywhere
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, oh

I'll just strut in my birthday suit
And let everything hang loose
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-eah

Oh
Today I don’t feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don’t feel like picking up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything

Nothing at all
Nothing at all
Nothing at all

I Don Wanna

2011-10-10T07:19:00.002-06:00

Last week I may have mentioned* that chapter 18 of UEQ sucks. I tried working on it. Really I did. I sat down on Saturday morning with my printed chapters, my notebook and my trusty red pen... And the only thing I accomplished was realizing there's a whole lot more wrong than I originally thought. Looks like I'm going to have to re-tackle chapter 17, too.

But I don wanna.

I mean, great godfrey daniels, I thought I had it. I worked hard on it. And it still sucks - hard. So, I'm letting it simmer in the special part of my brain reserved for such things until I figure out how to de-lame the scene.

Meanwhile, I'm working on Djinnocide.

So much for my 3/3/1 schedule. And it was working so well for me. Oh well, time to improvise, adjust and adapt.

What's on your 'I don wanna' list this week? Scrubbing sinks? Yardwork? A sticky scene in an otherwise awesome story?

*If I didn't mention it here, I know I mentioned it on Facebook or maybe Twitter - if you're not following me on those, the linksy things are on the right somewhere.

Hippity Hoppity NaNo's on Its Way

2011-10-08T07:46:00.001-06:00

In a little over a few short weeks, November will be here with all its sparkly wonderfulness. The NaNo bunny will be leaving chocolate treats for all the good...

Wait.

Wrong holiday.

November is Thanksgiving month (find a good song about Thanksgiving being on its way and I'll gladly change the post title) November is also National Novel Writing Month - or as we all know it, NaNoWriMo. NaNo for short. It's the month where all good little writers get the accolades they're supposed to get, and the one where thousands of slightly deranged people sit down to write a novel in a month.

Or 50K into a novel, if you're like me.

Last year was the first year I officially signed up to play along, but I've been doing this to myself - by myself - since... well, I can't remember how long but it's been years. In fact, right now I'm rewriting last year's NaNo novel and also the NaNo novel from the year before (or was it the year before that - the writing blurs into one long skidmark sometimes).

This year, regardless of how my two re-writes are going, I hope to jump into November with a shiny new story in a genre I've never tried before - MG Fantasy. Yup. I've never written MG before and I've never written straight fantasy before. Should be an interesting exercise - like physical therapy. (There's a reason Physical Therapy - aka PT - is also referred to Pain & Torture, ya know.)

Which means, if I want to get most of these two stories done by 10/31, I need to get cracking.

What about you? Are you doing NaNo this year? Whatcha planning on writing?

Dear Future Self

2011-10-05T06:34:00.001-06:00

Dear Future Self,

Right now, I'm riding high. The words are coming together. The ideas are flying fast and furious. My CP loved the book I sent her and her ideas are really making this story a better, more marketable thing. At this moment, I'm feeling really good about being a writer.

So I just wanted to tell you up there in the future...

When you're reading yet another rejection notice...
When your hands ache so bad you want to quit...
When your heart breaks over a bad critique...
When you don't feel like you can write another word...
When you have to slog through yet another rewrite because something's not quite right...
When someone asks you yet again when your book will be published...
When you see the look of pity in someone's eyes after you say you don't even have an agent yet...
When you'd rather be doing anything than writing...

Remember this feeling. Remember the high that comes from writing good words and knowing that this is what you were meant to do. Remember the self-confidence you feel - like you could put the finishing touches on this baby and get five offers of representation.

This is why you do what you do. I don't know what it's like to get a chemical high (and hopefully neither do you), but I imagine this is what it feels like. Remember this.

And don't quit. Even if all you have at the moment is a memory of how awesome it feels to put words to paper, hang onto the memory and don't give up.

- Current Self

PS. If you talk to Past Self, tell her to buy stock in Aspercreme. Lord knows we've used enough of it over the years to be rich by the time you read this.

Lyric Tuesday

2011-10-04T07:23:00.000-06:00

For today's lyrics, I was going to post the words to one of the most misquoted songs ever: Manfred Mann's Earth Band's version of Blinded by the Light - but they're so weird I won't do that to your brains. (If you decide to do that to yourself, go here. And please remember - visit lyrics sites at your own risk. They're very cookie-full, and not in a good way.)

Speaking of weird lyrics, though, I have Sara Bareilles' Say You're Sorry stuck in my head this morning, and while the chorus is wonderful, the beginning words are just bizarre. I know it's supposed to mean something, but my brain's not making the connection. Still, I hope you enjoy the song...

Say You're Sorry
by Sara Bareilles

Circus of silence down at our feet
Paper cut tigers starting to bleed
Hang from your tightrope above the mess
Just say you're sorry, no more no less
Words you won't use, you don't feel them like I do
Show will be over soon

It's not the curtain closing causing us to call it a day
I want to walk away too
But I want you to say you are sorry
I'm not the one who went and made a mistake
I want to walk away too
But I want you to say you are sorry

I used to believe that the storybook's true
Now I don't need it, at least not with you
So if you see him, the man 'neath the mask
Tell him I'm leaving and not looking back
Words are no use, you don't need them like I do
Show will be over soon

It's not the curtain closing causing us to call it a day
I want to walk away too
But I want you to say you are sorry
I'm not the one who went and made a mistake
I want to walk away too
But I want you to say you're sorry

I want the one word that you refuse to say to me
You're so good at giving me responsibility
I wash my hands clean and let you watch me as I go
I'm sorry for you, just so you know

It's not the curtain closing causing us to call it a day
I want to walk away too
But I want you to say you are sorry
I'm not the one who went and made a mistake
I want to walk away too
But I want you to say you're sorry

Update

2011-10-03T05:47:00.000-06:00

As you know, last Sunday I posted that I wasn't going to post that much or visit blogs that much until I resolved a personal thing. Well, not visiting blogs or commenting on them is hard. Staying away from my own blog - not so much. But that's neither here nor there.

Without going into too much detail, the personal thing is mostly resolved. Unfortunately, the reason it's mostly resolved is that I stopped spending so much time reading blogs and commenting and facebooking and twittering... So, I'm here, but for now, going to stick to an abbreviated schedule. I'll blog and comment when I can, and just let myself not feel so guilty about not hitting every blog every day or posting to my own every day.

On the upside, last week I managed to type out over 16K words on the two WIPs I'm trying to rewrite. Sunday-Tuesday and this past Saturday I worked on Djinnocide to the tune of 11394 words. Wednesday through Friday I worked on UEQ and cranked out 4678 words. So life's good.

How are things in your life going lately?

Picture Pause - Morning Critters

2011-10-02T08:52:00.000-06:00

It's a lovely beginning of October in NE Colorado and the neighborhood critters were cooperating.

Downy Woodpecker

Young Squirrel (the animals really like this pole)

Ms. Eurasian Collared Dove

"Hey, Baby. Wanna come over to my nest and make me some eggs?"

(And yes, even I groaned at that last caption, but I had to do it.)

Doubting Yourself? Read This

2011-09-30T18:07:00.000-06:00

I mean it. Go read this and then come back and tell me you're still letting that bitch get to you. (Yeah, my self doubt is female. And she really is a bitch.)

Or better yet, read that up there and go kick her narrow ass. If you don't come back, I'll assume you're opening a whole case of bitch-slapping on that French chick.

Happy writing. =o)

(BTW, this link came to me through Elizabeth Craig via Twitter. If you're not following her tweets, you're really missing out on some awesomeness.)

Picture Pause

2011-09-28T11:18:00.000-06:00

Look into my eyes... You are getting very sleepy... You want to give me tuuuunaaa...

Lyric Tuesday

2011-09-27T06:43:00.000-06:00

Today's lyrics are brought to you by One Republic - a band I discovered from their seeing their video of All the Right Moves on VH1. (It's very steampunk-ish.) So, when I was waiting around for Daughter to get done with her ACT exam last year, I nabbed the CD at Walmart and drove around listening. I loved the CD all the way through, but this song immediately drew me in. (and yes, their incorrect use of 'hopelessly' bugged me for a while. I got over it. The song's worth letting it slide.)

Good Life

Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone

New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say

[Chorus]

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh

[Verse 2]

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Col-or-ado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me-e-e-e
What there is to complain about

[Bridge 1]

When you're happy like a fool
Let it take you over
When everything is out
You gotta take it in

[Chorus]

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
A good good life Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh

[Bridge 2]

Hopelessly
I feel like there might be something that I'll miss
Hopelessly
I feel like the window closes oh so quick
Hopelessly
I'm taking a mental picture of you now
'Cuz hopelessly
The hope is we have so much to feel good about

[Chorus]

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Col-or-ado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me-e-e-e
What there is to complain about

A Wee Break

2011-09-24T20:49:00.000-06:00

I'm currently experiencing some stuff that's preventing me from spending as much time on the computer, so what little time I do have is being devoted to writing and beta reading. I don't expect this to last too awfully long. It's just one of those unavoidable and thankfully occasional chunks life throws at you. Nothing to worry about - which is why I felt the need to write this, so none of you would worry if I wasn't posting or commenting on your blogs.

I'm not dead or dying or even sick. I'm not having relationship problems - Hubs and I are lovely. Everyone in the family is hunky dory. The Kid is doing well at school. And I didn't drop off the face of the earth. It's just a thing - one I'd rather not go into on the world wide web.

I'll still be reading and posting any comments that come through here. I may even comment here and there on your blogs - just not so much. I'll also be responding to email when I can. I might also be posting things that don't require too much thought - like pics, lyrics, etc. So I might be here, even though I'm not here. (If that makes any sense.)

Until I get back, talk amongst yourselves.

Peace out.

PS. Taking a wee break is harder than it looks...

A Little Mental Argument

2011-09-21T20:47:00.001-06:00

Ever have one of those mental arguments that you know you can't win - no matter which way you go - but you have them anyway? Well, here's a little taste of tonight's...

I should probably work tonight.

But you're in the middle of Hammered, and it's starting to get really good. Just a few more pages...

Too bad. I didn't work last night because you talked me into watching Biggest Loser and I was already tired from doing yard work.

Come on. Two days off in a row won't kill you.

It'll put me off my schedule.

Make a new schedule.

I can't. This one was working out really good for me. Plus, you know I already revised the schedule because of last night.

So revise it again. It's not like anyone's paying you. Besides, Storage Wars is on and you haven't seen this one.

Stop it. If I take tonight off for some lame ass reason, it'll make it that much easier to take tomorrow night off and do you know where that leads?

Rest? Relaxation? Fun?

No. It leads to several months of sitting on your ass, hating yourself for not accomplishing anything.

...

Got nothing to say to that, huh?

:smirk: Sure, I do. You're right. I give in.

That was too easy. What are you up to?

Nothing. Let's go work. But first... Let's write a fun little blogpost...

Lyric Tuesday

2011-09-20T21:39:00.000-06:00

Hello, Everyone! It's that time again - albeit a little late in the day. And here are this week's lyrics from an oldie and a goodie. It's definitely a song that'll light a fire under you when you need it. I know it's lit my fire more than once.

Enjoy!

Don't Rain on My Parade
from the Funny Girl soundtrack

Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter
Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter
Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade

Don't tell me not to fly, I simply got to
If someone takes a spill, it's me and not you
Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade

I'll march my band out, I'll beat my drum
And if I'm fanned out, your turn at bat, sir
At least I didn't fake it, hat, sir
I guess I didn't make it

But whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection
A freckle on the nose of life's complexion
The Cinderella or the shine apple of its eye
I gotta fly once, I gotta try once,
Only can die once, right, sir?
Ooh, life is juicy, juicy and you see,
I gotta have my bite, sir.

Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a "comer"
I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer
Don't bring around the cloud to rain on my parade,

I'm gonna live and live NOW!
Get what I want, I know how!
One roll for the whole shebang!
One throw that bell will go clang,
Eye on the target and wham,
One shot, one gun shot and bam!
Hey, Mr. Arnstein, here I am ...

I'll march my band out, I will beat my drum,
And if I'm fanned out, your turn at bat, sir,
At least I didn't fake it, hat, sir,
I guess I didn't make it

Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a "comer"
I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer
Nobody, no, nobody, is gonna rain on my parade!

Worst Movies Ever Blogfest

2011-09-19T07:47:00.000-06:00

Today I'm jumping on the bandwagon and doing a blogfest - because this one was just too good to pass up. The inestimable Alex J. Cavanaugh (why have I not been following this blog all along?) has come up with the idea to do a Worst Movies Ever Blogfest . Sounds like fun, don't it?

Of course, since I was stupid and not following Alex, I didn't hear about it there. I heard about it from blogpal and awesome suspense writer, Jennifer Hillier.

So here goes nothing...

10. Leaving Las Vegas - I wish Nicholas Cage's character had died way earlier and just gotten it over with. In fact, I would've cheered if Elizabeth Shue's character had held a pillow over his face. But no, it just got more and more depressing with every passing second. Sigh meaningfully one more time for me Nick and I'll kill you myself.

9. Pay It Forward - I started out really interested in this movie. I thought it was going to be a happy movie about people doing kind things for other people. And then they killed off the kid. Ruined the whole movie for me.

8. Old Yeller - nothing like scarring a child for life by making him fall in love with a big loveable dopey dog and then shooting it at the end.

7. Blacula - back when I was a kid and this came on the campy movie marathons around Halloween, I thought this was hilarious. Now? Not so much.

6. King Kong vs Godzilla - I'm a huge fan of the old Godzilla movies, but even I couldn't get past how bad this one was. Could they have made King Kong look any more hokey?

5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka is just creepy. Was it just me or did his protrayal have pedophile written all over it? :shudder:

4. Thir13en Ghosts - psycho uncle leaves his warped house to his nephew who just says 'hey, I need to get away from it all, so I'll move my whole family - including a nanny I can't afford, since I'm like broke and stuff - into this house built by an uncle I never liked'. And then gross stuff happens. (Although, I admit it's one of those movies that - like a horrible train wreck - I can't look away from.)

3. Night of the Living Dead - I know I'll take some heat for saying this, but this movie was so bad it went straight past 'so bad it's good' to 'so bad I want to poke my own eyes out rather than watch it again'. Seriously people, when you see a zombie shambling across the countryside toward you? Run. And if you're the last survivor facing down a squad of trigger happy humans bent on killing you because they think you're a zombie, TALK TO THEM. Don't just stand there and get gunned down. Sheesh. Talk about too stupid to live.

2. The Bride - Sting as Doctor Frankenstein? Really? Come on, people. He did an awesome job as Fayd in the original Dune, but he failed here. This movie was so bad even Sting's fame couldn't prop it up.

And tied for number one...

1. The Abyss and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - They both have the same problem, in my opinion. They started out great as a kind of action/adventure/suspense things. But aliens? Really? It was like the writers couldn't think of anything else to do, so they threw in aliens. Bleh.

Please remember, folks, that these are my opinions only. Don't hate me because I think these movies stink.

A Snag and a Gross Analogy

2011-09-18T06:29:00.001-06:00

Disgusted Kitty is Disgusted

So, I finally sat down to write yesterday... okay I was already sitting down watching football*, so let's just say I reached over to the table and picked up my writing materials... and for once the words just flowed. For about three paragraphs. And then I hit a snag.

A snag. From a book I had thought was finished. From a book I was certain just needed some minor tweaking and rearranging. Ya right.

I set the pile of stuff down again and mumbled to myself. At which point, the Hubs asked what I said because he thought I was talking to him. (It's okay, we do that to each other all the time.) I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was something along the lines of 'hit a snag that's okay fix it later'.

I meant it when I said it, but this morning it's still sitting over there all snaggy and gross, practically shouting how lame that particular passage is and shrieking 'how could you have tried to send this out on query?'

And now I'm avoiding it like a case of explosive diarrhea.

Unfortunately, we all know that the best way to feel better is to just let it happen, get it all out and things will start flowing normally again. (Ummm, yeah, that was kinda disgusting of me, but it works as an analogy, so just go with it.) Still, knowing this on a logical level and actually wanting to go through the pain and torture of dealing with it are two different things.

:headdesk:

And this scene - that I once thought was pretty good - it's the lamest interaction between MC and Protag that I've ever read, let alone ever written. (and I've written some pretty lame stuff in my early drafts - trust me)

So, once I hit the nicotine and the caffeine again, I'm going to slip on my headphones, crank up my Pandora and get this damn thing whipped into shape. Wish me luck.

*M go BLUE! And btw, thank you Miami!

Neglect and Productivity

2011-09-15T21:15:00.000-06:00

Okay, I've been neglecting Facebook and Twitter and the blogosphere. Sorry about that, but I've kinda been busy doing other things. Like writing again!

And y'all know that has to come first.

The schedule has been three days on one project, three days on the other and Fridays off. I did good this week, so tomorrow is my day off. (From writerly things. I still have life and housework and cats and errands...)

I hope you are all having a productive week and that your Friday is awesome.

And I'm out.

Lyric Tuesday

2011-09-13T07:08:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to make this a weekly feature - too bad I was out of town last Tuesday and forgot. Anyway, here's a song that's particularly poignant. When things are bothering me too much - like the neighbor's music, or the idiot drivers, or the moron at the grocery store who can't control her kids... I just try to remember their ability to bother me all hinges on my own mindset. Things can only bug you as long as you let them.

"Change Your Mind"
by Sister Hazel

Hey, Hey
Did you ever think
There might be another way
To just feel better,
Just feel better about today

Oh no-
If you never want to have
To turn and go away
You might feel better,
Might feel better if you stay

[Pre-chorus]
Yeah yeah
I bet you haven't heard
A word I've said
Yeah yeah
If you've had enough
Of all your tryin'
Just give up
The state of mind you're in:

[Chorus]
If you want to be somebody else,
If you're tired of fighting battles with yourself
If you want to be somebody else
Change your mind...

Hey hey-
Have you ever danced in the rain
Or thanked the sun
Just for shining- just for shining
Over the sea?
Oh no- take it all in
The world's a show
And yeah, you look much better,
Look much better when you glow

[Pre-chorus/chorus]

Hey hey-
what ya say
We both go and seize the day
'cause what's your hurry
what's your hurry anyway

[Pre-chorus/chorus]

That's How I Roll, Baby

2011-09-11T08:01:00.000-06:00

This weekend, Allison Brennan was at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Conference. And I missed it - again. One of these days, I'll see her give her ever-changing No Plotters Allowed speech - wherein she gives the very important message "There is no one right way to write, but there is a right way for you."

I'd even go one further - at least for my process - and add 'there's a right way for you and each of your books'. Because for me, every book's journey from start to finish is different. Hell, sometimes every draft takes a different journey because what worked for me on one draft doesn't necessarily work on the next.

Like Allison, I'm not a plotter. I've tried that and it sucks the voice right out of my work. I'm also not really a pantser, per se. Most of the time, I do know where I'm headed - even if the end destination can change. I call myself a plansterer. (i.e. plot a little, plan a little, pants a lot) It works for me.

Sometimes I wish it worked a little more uniformly, but hey, that's how I roll, baby. I'm all over the place - that is as much so as one who writes linearly can be. Linear is about the only rule I stick to. My brain doesn't work when the string is jumbled.

Anyway, like I was saying, my process is different for every book and sometimes for every draft. It's not necessarily the most efficient way to work, but it does work. Take the WIP Djinnocide. She's an ugly beast. She's also the product of my 2009 NaNo - I think... wait let me check... Yup. Started in September of '09, but didn't really get rolling until November.

Draft 1 - wrote straight through, no stopping.
Draft 2 - tweaked here and there
Draft 3 - tweaked here and there - began to hate it a little
Draft 4 - sent to CP and betas - they liked it a little, and I hated it more
Draft 5 - added words and tried a different tack - still hated it
Draft 6 - total rewrite, changing POV from third limited to 1st
Draft 7 - tiny tweaking until around chapter 4 and then started over
Draft 8 - Major tweaking and reader input
Draft 9 - Polishing
Draft 10 - Final Draft - totally polished - love it love it. Ready to query.

I finished the tenth draft a year ago. We won't go into how it fared during the query phase. Suffice it to say, if it had done well, I wouldn't still be kvetching about it.

So now, last night, I started the 11th draft - which would, in reality, be Do-Over #3. I found my groove, I think, with the way this draft wants to be approached. Too bad for me, the groove is hand-written in a notebook. I only got one page of printed manuscript rewritten yesterday. At this rate, it could be next year before I'm done. Ugh. Dirty bastard manuscript.

But if that what it takes to get this damn book done, I'll do it. 'Cuz that's how I roll, Baby. ;o)

Breaking Out the Resolve

2011-09-10T07:48:00.000-06:00

I've never been a champion housekeeper. At any given time, you'll find a layer of dust on damn near everything and clumps of kitty hair sprinkled across my almost-white carpet. (It'd be lighter if I cleaned more - trust me.) Still, I'm a lot better at this than I used to be.

Back when I lived in Michigan, it was so much worse (as evidenced by the above pic). Then, you'd find a pile of dishes in the sink, laundry - both clean and dirty - in mountains around the place, and clutter everywhere. Of course then I was a single mom working all day as an outside sales rep and at night as a computer consultant/web designer. During the times I wasn't working or momming, I didn't have the energy to clean. And on the weekends, the mounds of filth were just overwhelming.

You see, when you have such a big project, it's hard to know where to start and you get tired just thinking about all the tasks you have to do before you can call it done.

Or I do, anyway.

Which is why sitting here this morning with the full intent of tackling Djinnocide, I'm stalled. The manuscript is so damn messy that I don't know where to start. I know... Begin at the beginning and go all the way through to the end. But there are so many things from the middle that need to be addressed closer to the beginning. My CP is still sending me comments from the middle chapters that need to be weaved in earlier...

And I'm tired just thinking about it.

Yesterday I hand-washed the carpet here. I started out just doing a spot cleaning, but every spot I cleaned just made me realize how dirty the rest of the carpet was. Nothing like a spot of nearly white to show how gray the rest of it is. So, rather than go through the expense of renting a machine, I got out the Resolve and took on the living room. Two cans of Resolve and a boatload of sore muscles later, half the room looks almost presentable.

It's the same with this manuscript. Last year, I started out spot cleaning and ended up rewriting the whole damn thing. This year? I thought I had a relatively clean manuscript, but now every spot my CP points out makes me realize just how dingy this sucker is.

It can be beautiful. There is a wonderful clean book under all that mess. I just need to push up my sleeves, break out the Resolve, and start scrubbing. I need to not think about the spots in the hall, or the path of gray in the high traffic areas. I need to start at one corner and work my way across - hoping nobody tracks anything through the clean parts when I'm done.

And that no unsightly tufts of cat hair find their way into the story in the middle of the night.

Why, Eh?

2011-09-09T07:36:00.000-06:00

I don't write YA. I don't know why. I just can't seem to get my head into that mindset. Oh, I've tried. Originally, the MC in Blink was in her thirties - but no one seems to be buying adult dystopian right now. (Or if they are, I've totally missed the titles.) The best I could do was to drop her into her early twenties and claim that her futuristic society stunted her maturity. But she still came off as older instead of younger.

I think the reason is that I've forgotten most of my YA years. In part because of my accident - which blew out most of my childhood - and in part because I'm repressing those harsh times. I didn't have a happy run from 14-18 and if I have to forget something, I'd rather forget that. Also, I don't think I was the typical YA. I didn't think like a YA when I was a YA.

I tried borrowing from my teenage daughter. But that's a whole other bag of different. Like me, she's not typical. She was homeschooled through her YA years, which meant she didn't have much interaction with kids her own age. Instead, she was interacting with adults. She thought like an adult, talked like an adult and acted like an adult way before she could claim her voter registration card (which came in the mail last week).

Sure, I act like a kid a lot. I'm in my seventeenth childhood, after all. But that doesn't cut the mustard for writing YA either. I'm so out of touch with the teens, even when I'm acting like a kid, I'm not acting like them. And so, my attempts at YA fall flat. I can't get the voice.

Bleh.

I guess I'll just have to live with the fact that the genre of my heart is currently a YA fortress I don't have the keys for, and hope that someday adults will once again be open to the 'what ifs' of speculative fiction. Until then, I'll keep writing and trying to sell my urban fantasy or my suspense to people who appreciate it.

Or maybe I'll tackle that MG fantasy I've been playing with. If I can't go YA, maybe dropping down to a younger age - one more in keeping with my mental maturity some days - will be a good fit.

I know a lot of my followers and visitors write YA or MG. Why do you? Have you tried to write adult or are you strictly in the minds of the younger readers? If you don't write YA or MG, have you ever thought about it?

Unmotivated

2011-09-08T20:32:00.000-06:00

Okay, I do care. Let's just say I spent the day cleaning my daughter's bathroom and it sucked anything resembling motivation right the hell out of me.

And you pretty much know how unmotivated you are about working when you're cleaning. Or at least, that's how I know.

On the upside, I may be unmotivated, but I don't look like these people...

Could they possibly GET any unhappier?

How are you? Motivated? Unmotivated? Wishing you were as happy as those two up there?

(And for the record, I'm only unmotivated about social media today. I did get a thousand words typed. Now I must go watch the Packers beat the Saints.)

Randomosity - Labor Day Edition

2011-09-05T08:10:00.001-06:00

Happy Labor Day, Everyone. Go work. Or go don't work - however you want to celebrate.

My cat is suffering from a lack of litter. Yesterday I cleaned her box before I realized I didn't have enough litter to give her the proper thickness for her liking. Now it sounds like she's digging to China in there. It kinda reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine's in the public restroom and the gal in the next stall can't spare a square. Poor Kira would use the whole roll if she was human.

Last week I was in the Dollar General and they had the neatest pens by the cash register. They're breast cancer awareness pens - so they're like pink and junk. The clippy part says "Fight Like A Girl!" and every time you click the pen, the message in this little window changes. Right now, mine says "Fight with Love and Courage!" I bought a matching pen for a good friend of mine who's Mom is a breast cancer survivor. Now we're like pen sisters.

Ever since Twitter came out I've been fighting against joining because I know me and I get addicted to stuff like that. And then Roxanne St. Claire asked me to join a hashtag thingie over there. I almost didn't, but then I was all like "When a best selling author asks you to do something, you don't say 'sorry I can't' - you just do it." (Unless it's like immoral or criminal, then I wouldn't - but this was just Twitter.) So, of course, I joined and now I'm addicted.

I've been thinking about printing some of my photos and trying to sell them at the local craft fair. Or maybe I could use Etsy. Some of them are pretty good and I think people might like to hang them on their walls. Problem is, if I start devoting time to crafting photos into something saleable, it'll be another reason to neglect my writing. I don't need another reason. I have enough of those to fill the Titanic.

Today's philosophical message comes from Dilbert's boss who screams... "STOP MAKING MEDIOCRITY SOUND BAD!!"

What random things do you have to discuss today?

Whatcha doin' this weekend?

2011-09-04T06:57:00.000-06:00

It's awfully quiet around the interwebz. I mean, quieter than usual for a weekend. Must be that everyone's out enjoying the long weekend. Me? I'm still here. The long weekend is just another weekend with an extra day added on.

People keep asking me - whatcha doin' this weekend? Got anything special planned?

Uhh, no. The only thing out of the ordinary is that I have to gather up Daughter's winter stuff because I'm headed her way later this week and dropping it off on my way through. We're doing lunch - if there's time.

The rest of the weekend will be spent reading and watching TV. Oh and editing. Must edit. Didn't edit yesterday, but I seriously need to light a fire under my buns or I'll never feel like doing NaNo in a couple months. Must work. After all it's Labor Day Weekend.

Does anyone else think it's funny that we celebrate Labor by taking an extra day off and relaxing?

Oh, and since everyone has asked me... Whatcha doin' this weekend? Got anything special planned?

Oh, The Excitement

2011-09-01T07:55:00.000-06:00

My life is kinda boring. I mean, I live in a small town, I pretty much keep to myself, and the highlight of most days is a trip to the grocery store (a place I visit so frequently, it's like I'm Norm from Cheers). Excitement here takes the smallest shapes sometimes. I mean, seriously, I squee when someone gets pulled over for speeding - especially in front of my house. (Because, ya know, they drive too damn fast most days and some little kid is going to get killed. I've already buried three cats and three squirrels from this stretch of paved hell.)

So, anyway, here's the latest excitement from my bass-ackwards corner of the world...

Yesterday, I saved a lost kitten* from certain doom. I stepped outside for a smoke and this tiny black bundle was running along the gutter on the other side of the street. Some woman was kinda chasing it. It didn't belong to her, but she didn't want to see it get hit. Too bad for her, the kitten ran every time she got close. Being the cat whisperer, I stepped in. I caught it when it stopped to wade through a sizable puddle. You should've seen the spunky little bugger get his fur all up and hiss at me. I just talked to it and then snatched it by the scruff of its neck. Last seen, stuffed into a shoebox the other woman was holding. She'll take care of it - after all, she was the one who stopped to rescue it. I just assisted. (And yes, I would've kept him, but I can't have any more cats.)

Last week, there was a train accident. The morning passenger train out of Nebraska derailed just this side of the border. Nine people were injured - no fatalities. Considering what could've happened, I'm happy to know that last part.

The biggest news around here this time of year is which steer took the blue ribbon at the fair, whether it was the biggest money earner at the auction, and who'll be making burgers out of it come fall.

Is it any wonder I spend most of my time inside my head, making up exciting things for other people to experience?

Seriously, though, living out in the backside of BFE isn't all bad. Sure, it's boring, but it does give me a mostly distraction-free life. And after spending most of my life near one major city or another, it's nice to not have to worry about traffic, the murder rate, long lines... There are certainly worse places to live.

What about you? What excitement is going on where you live right now? Do you live for excitement or could you exist happily in Boredom, USA? And lastly - perhaps most importantly - do you think a writer has to live in the center of excitement to write about it, or can a gal fake her way through?

*the above pic is not the kitten I saved, but it looked exactly like that - just dirtier and hissing.

Lyric Tuesday

2011-08-30T21:12:00.000-06:00

Just because this song's been on my mind lately, here are the lyrics for Single by Natasha Bedingfield. I think every woman should listen to the words and pay heed - especially the young women among us who think they need a man to be a whole person. (It wasn't until I got over that thinking that I found the man who was right for me. One whole person meeting another whole person.)

Single

Ah yeah that's right
All you single people out there
This is for you

I'm not waitin' around for a man to save me
(Cos I'm happy where I am)
Don't depend on a guy to validate me
(No no)
I don't need to be anyone's baby
(Is that so hard to understand?)
No I don't need another half to make me whole

Make your move if you want doesn't mean I will or won't
I'm free to make my mind up you either got it or you don't

[Chorus:]
This is my current single status
My declaration of independence
There's no way I'm tradin' places
Right now a star's in the ascendant

I'm single
(Right now)
That's how I wanna be
I'm single
(Right now)
That's how I wanna be

Ah yeah Uh Huh that's right

Don't need to be on somebody's arm to look good
(I like who I am)
I'm not saying I don't wanna fall in love 'cos I would
I'm not gonna get hooked up just 'cos you say I should
(Can't romance on demand)
I'm gonna wait so I'm sorry if you misunderstood

[Chorus]

Everything in it's right time everything in it's right place
I know I'll settle down one day
But 'til then I like it this way it's my way
Eh I like it this way

Make your move if you want doesn't mean I will or won't
I'm free to make my mind up you either got it or you don't
'Til then I'm single

This is my current single status
My declaration of independence
There's no way I'm tradin' places
Right now a star's in the ascendant

Picture Pause w/ Attitude

2011-08-28T09:06:00.000-06:00

I shot this pic this morning. This is a Cooper's Hawk - w/ attitude.

"Are you talkin' to me? Are YOU talkin' to ME??"

Giving Up on Books

2011-08-27T16:33:00.000-06:00

Before any of you start encouraging me to hang in there, I'm talking about books I bought to read - not ones I'm writing. I just couldn't think of a better title for this post. If you came here thinking I was about to throw in the towel, I apologize.

Now if you've been here any length of time, you might know that I'm tight with the fundage. If not, let me explain something. I hate wasting money. I lurk around the sale bins at my grocery store. I become vulture-like at the local thrift stores. I even stalk the library's discard room for bargains.This makes it even harder for me to give up on a book I paid full price for.

Imagine if I paid full price for two out of three books in a trilogy. Oh the horror.

Okay, here's what happened. About a year ago, I bought a bunch of books at a 30% off sale. I just grabbed titles and threw them into my basket. If it looked interesting, it was in there. (Because, you know, the only thing I like better than saving money is spending it at a good sale.) When I got home, Darling Daughter pointed out that one of the books I bought was the third in a trilogy.

Not a problem, I thought. I'll just give it a whirl and see if I actually NEED to read the others to see what's going on. I got about halfway through the first chapter when I felt like I was lost. The writing seemed sound for a third book and I figured it wasn't the writing, it was me. So I bought the other two books, thinking I'd gobble those down and read the third. Get caught up, ya know.

I sat down today to read the first book in the series last week. I tried. The starting premise was awesome. The writing was pretty good. And then the author took the whole starting premise, threw it out the window and inserted another premise. Okay, I thought maybe the two premises would run side by side. Umm, if they do, I couldn't tell by chapter 8 when I flat gave up.

I guess it wasn't me needing to catch up by reading the other two books. This author's style really just kind of throws things out there and hope the reader catches it - preferably like a lightly tossed ball rather than a cannonball to the face.

It might be me. I can be kinda thick sometimes. On occasion, it takes me a bit to catch the drift of things. And then again, maybe it was the author.

Anyway, I hate to just give up. I tried. Really I did. Like I said, I got all the way to chapter 8 when I just couldn't take it anymore. The whole first 8 chapters were a hot mess I couldn't follow. This is, of course, entirely my opinion. Someone out there must be reading these books. Otherwise, there wouldn't be three. Right?

And this person isn't a three book wonder. They've written other books in other series. They've got a following. They're probably awesome and glittery with shining bank statements and a throbbing fan base. This series just didn't blow my skirt up.

I'm out like $20 - which sucks - but them's the breaks. At least I found one awesome author during that bargain sale last year - Nancy A. Collins and her totally incredible Right Hand Magic (Left Hand Magic due out later this year).

Unfortunately, I'm also left with another entire untried trilogy by a completely different person that I'm now afraid to start. Still, if I had it to do all over again, I'd throw books into my basket in wild abandon. After all, if you never try anything new, your brain stagnates. (I heard a news report about a study once that said something like that, so it's like scientific and junk.)

Ever spent a chunk of your book-buying budget only to hate the books you bought? How did that make you feel? Pull up a couch cushion and tell me all about it. (Just don't use any names or titles or describe the plot so everyone knows which books you're talking about anyway. That's just mean. And please note I didn't give names, titles or even gender. Don't ask. I'm not trying to hurt anyone here. I'm just trying to release some frustration without causing injury.)

Best Laid Plans

2011-08-25T06:50:00.000-06:00

Okay, so maybe I jumped the gun thinking now that Ki's off to school, I could have all this free time to write and clean and generally get stuff done.

Ya, right.

I'm still in the thick of things with the kid. (I know you're reading this. Don't apologize. It's my job as 'the mama'.) We've talked via phone or chat several times a day, burning through cell minutes like they were peanut M&Ms. I don't mind, really. I'd rather take a few hours of my life to make sure she's getting what she needs to succeed than not. (After all, that's why I went with homeschooling. Yep, I'm the mama.)

Anyway, I did manage to get pages back to my crit partner (yeah, we've gone past beta reading into critting) and look through the notes she sent me. BTW, I'm loving what's she's pointing out. This book will be so much better because of her.

I also managed to get some words re-typed into UEQ. So it's not all bad. It sure as hell better than I've done since June. So, I'm calling it a win. (Okay, maybe an honorable mention. LOL)

What thing hasn't turned out as well as you'd hoped, but that ought to be a win anyway?

And, btw, nothing's a fail if you keep trying. I may not be doing the schedule I posted earlier, but I'm not giving up. As I told my CP this morning - Never give up. Never surrender.*

*Shameless stolen from Galaxy Quest.

Call for Positive Thoughts

2011-08-23T20:02:00.005-06:00

Author Rob Thurman was in a car accident recently and is in critical condition. Send whatever thoughts, vibes and energy you can her way. If nothing else, go buy her books and show you care. (They're awesome and totally worth the money, even if you don't know her work enough to actually feel for her.)

If you're not familiar with Rob (short for Robyn), she writes urban fantasy. Currently, she has three different series working - 1) Cal Leandros, 2) Trickster, and 3) Chimera. Her second book in the Chimera series - Basilisk - just released. It sucks that during this time when she should be celebrating her sales and her career, she's clinging to life.

Hang in there, Rob. The world needs you.

8/25/11: Update - she's not doing any better, but if you want to do something, the post tells you what you can do to help.

8/26/11: Update - a slight improvement. Keep sending those positive thoughts. Rob has to pull through.

8/28/11 - Update - another small step forward. Rob's off the ventilator. Yay!

8/29/11 - Update - BIG step forward. Hooray!!

8/30/11 - Update - Rob is holding steady.

Getting Back to Work

2011-08-21T18:49:00.000-06:00

I promised myself that once I got the kid off to school, I'd get back to work. Umm, it didn't happen on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. (Other than sending notes on another writer's work, that is.) I'm not flagellating myself over the lapse yet. Instead I sat down this evening and worked up a general schedule for myself.

(Subject to change as needed, of course.)

Wake up - When Hubs leaves for work = online stuff (ie blogs, FB, Twitter, etc.)
Hubs Leaving - 10am = personal stuff (errands, phone calls, cleaning, etc.)
10 - Hubs home for lunch = rewriting UEQ
Lunch
Hubs back to work until 2pm = research, catch up, miscellaneous writerly stuff
2-4pm = TV time (Okay, who am I kidding? This is my Grey's Anatomy time.)
4-Hubs home = beta reading, critiquing for others
Hubs home - 7pm = dinner, relax time, dishes
7pm-9pm = editing on Djinnocide (depending on crit notes) or new words on another project

This will be solid, but fluid - like jello. If I need to slip something in somewhere, I've got time. Or if my personal junk takes less time, I can slide some more writing time in. The idea is to get at least two hours of writerly stuff in before lunch and another 2 hrs in before bed - with at least an hour to take care of my crit commitments - every day but Sunday. Then I've got Sunday to catch up or get ahead as needed. 4 hrs a day 6 days a week. Doable. Totally.

We'll see if my expectations meet with reality or if they collide in some writerly train wreck. Keep your fingers crossed.

She's Gone

2011-08-19T05:53:00.000-06:00

Well, I did it. I left my daughter at CSU yesterday.

What a day. We left here at 6:30am and I arrived back home at 7pm. Along the way, we dealt with long lines, full elevators, 7 flights of stairs and what I thought was too much stuff (until I saw how much her roommate brought). My brain was wrecked by the time I got home.

My body is wrecked this morning.

On the bright side, her room is really nice and the view is to die for (pics later). Her roommate seems like a good person and I met the girl's father - who seems stable - so that worry is lessened. Her mentor is really cool and they have a lot in common. The resident advisor for her floor reminds me of my first RA - which is a good thing. Chris (my RA) was awesome and is the person who introduced me to Monty Python.

When I left her at 4, we were in such a whirlwind, we barely had time to hug. She had a meeting to get to and I had to get the hell out of the city before rush hour drowned me. On the long drive home, I kept expecting to break down. I mean, I just dumped my baby in the middle of a sea of people. I deserted her. But I didn't feel anything except that a weight was off my shoulders.

I mean, it was a long road getting her to this point. And I've been angsting over this for months. I should feel some relief that this part of the trial is over, right? I'm allowed that.

Last night, as I was getting ready to dragged my wrecked butt to bed, I passed the stairwell down to my daughter's room. That did it. That little act of passing the stairs instead of stopping, switching on the light and calling down "Night, Ki!" Well, that undid me.

The relief is gone. And now I'm trying not to cry. My little girl isn't so little anymore. In fact, she isn't little at all. She's a grown woman, out in the world for the first time. She'll do fine, but I miss her. Who am I gonna dish the dirt with now? Who am I gonna look at something cute or funny or disturbed with now?

Who am I gonna call down the stairs to?

And if you're reading this, Ki? Unpack your dufflebag already (the blue one, not the white bag). I left something in there for you. Oh, and read your email - you have a mandatory get together at the COB.

See? I'm can't stop calling down the stairs - even when the stairs are 3 hrs away.

I'm a Mental Hummingbird

2011-08-17T07:14:00.000-06:00

I've got too much on my mind right now. My thoughts flit from one thing to another, never landing on one thing long enough to grasp it before buzzing off to something else. Yep, I'm a mental hummingbird.

So, that's why I didn't send that attachment - even though I said it was attached and you were looking for it.

It's also why...

...I said I'd read your chapters and then fell asleep before I could.

...I signed up for Twitter. (I feel like a twit right now, so it fits.) I mean, 140 characters is about all my brain can wrap itself around right now.

...I keep forgetting to clean the litterbox and my cat is threatening to shred me in my sleep.

...the other day, I walked out of the house with my shorts on backwards and didn't notice for several hours.

...I can't watch entire TV show without changing channels to see what else is on.

...I referred to my best friend by my daughter's name.

...I pulled a muscle in my back while clipping my toenails.

...my new favorite word is DERP.

How're things in your head lately?

Random Stuff

2011-08-14T08:47:00.000-06:00

First off, you have to see this video: 31 Jokes for NERDS! I don't whether to be proud or sad that I got most of them. Proud, I guess. After all, the geek shall inherit the earth. (It's true. Look at Bill Gates.)

And how strange is it that I want my daughter to find a guy like the guy in that video. (She'll kill me later for saying that.)

Speaking of the Daughter, she's an adult now. :cringe: Yeppers, my widdle Kady Kitten is a full grown woman with the power to vote and buy lottery tickets. (And that's about all she can do now that she couldn't do before.) Oh, and smoke. But she's totally disinterested in everything but the lottery tickets.

And Thursday she'll be off to college. Let's all wave a fond farewell to the girl as she marches off into independence. :waves:

But seriously, I will miss her. Thank goodness for technology. She'll only be three hours away anyway, but with FB chat, and cell phones and email and... well, you get the picture. Plus, if I break down and get a webcam, I won't even have to miss her sunny disposition.

Speaking of Thursday, my oldest nephew will be getting married. Congrats to him. He isn't reading this, but if he was... I hope your wedding is awesome and sorry I forgot to buy you anything until just now. Your present and card will be arriving late, but they will be there.

It's been an insane summer here at the Sanderson Ranch. (Okay, it's not a ranch for real, even if we live in a weird modified ranch style home attached to a former church. Don't ask.) But after Thursday, everything should settle back down. I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to concentrate on work again. I've got big plans... well, I've got plans to have big plans. I've got Djinnocide out to a reader who's making some awesome suggestions, another casual reader came back with some additional suggestions. With their help, and anyone else's who might be interested in reading an urban fantasy, I will publish this damn book - even if it kills me.

As a total bit of randomness... chipmunks in the wild really dig cheese danish and poppyseed muffins.

Here's proof -

Hope you're having a great weekend. What random stuff is on your mind?