Linkage

When I said I was going to post about Obama's visit today, I meant tomorrow. Wednesday. My brain is not there today.

In the meantime, go watch this. It is full of awesomeness, and is rather how I pictured writing to be too. Go. Laugh.

Heck,if you need diversion, watch all Jackson's vlogs. She always makes me laugh. And the other About Writing authors too...

To sum up: July 3rd

This was such an amazing holiday weekend--stuffed with memorable moments. I'm not sure that I'm recovered, really. For now, I will try to give you an impression of Thursday. Tomorrow, Obama's visit.

Thursday was July 3rd, the day that Butte celebrates Independence Day with our big town firework display over the "Big M". Butte is a firework-crazed town: nearly everybody shoots off their own display, big pro-size rockets exploding all over town, every night, for days on end. Usually on the 3rd my parents, hubby, Child and I head over to a friend's house. We feast, then about 10:30 we pull the lawn chairs out into the alley and watch the Big Show, just up the street. All the neighbor's fireworks stop when the Big Show starts--the whole town pauses during the Big Show--then start up again about 5 minutes after it's over.

This July 3rd our friends were out of town, so we had a feast at my parent's house instead, eyeing the thunderclouds the whole time. We're fairly new-ish here, so we didn't know what would happen if a full-fledged summer storm hit at the same time as the Big Show.

It did. They do it anyway.

We drove up to a hilltop park in the pouring rain, with lightning jagged all around us, and thunder rolling. We parked our two cars next to each other, and about 30 other cars, facing the Big M. The show was a bit late, but they did it, everybody rolling down their windows and oohing and aahing at both the fireworks and the competing (or complementing) show from Mother Nature.

Child was impressed for about 10 minutes and then fell asleep on my lap. She does every year.

Some things change, some stay the same. The trick is to love them all, right?

Quick update

We're all running around getting ready for Obama's visit (tomorrow!) and 4th activities. And I'm trying to get my writing in. Melody is going really well...

Later, gators! Have a wonderful 4th if I don't get another chance to post!

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends!

WOW.

News just broke--at least here--that Barack Obama is going to walk in our 4th of July parade.

Here. In Butte, Montana. In our parade.

In which I am going to be dressed in Huck Finn-ish clothes and riding on a truck.

Hmmmm. *wild emotion swings*

Whew

And yay, made my monthly goal on MELODY. Now I may eat cake.

Okay, a second piece of cake. Stolen from the kitchen. The end piece. :)

The winner!!

And the winner of a signed copy of My Lord and Spymaster, through the services of random.org, is...

Lori Benton!!

Congratulations, Lori! Send me an email at susan dot adrian@yahoo.com, and we'll get your copy to you!

Are you ready? Are you? Are you?

Drawing in 5 minutes.

RANDOM drawing, Beth and Stephanie. {cough}

Dates, argh.

As someone pointed out, my date for Monday is incorrect--Monday is actually June 30th. AND I've got an appointment Monday morning, so I wouldn't be able to draw for a while.

So, we'll push it back, but only a tiny bit. I'll do the draw at NOON Monday JUNE 30. See ya then!

Joanna Bourne: Interview! Contest!

Joanna Bourne writes excellent books. You don't have to take my word for it--check out just about any review of The Spymaster's Lady. And then read it yourself, if you haven't already. You'll thank me.

Jo's new book, My Lord and Spymaster, is officially coming out on Monday, though the sneaky booksellers have been filling the shelves with it early. To celebrate the fantabulous release, I roped Jo into an exclusive (somewhat wacky) interview, and we're giving away a Signed Copy! Check the end of this post for contest details. First, the interview:

Susan: Congratulations on the wonderful reception of The Spymaster's Lady, and the release of My Lord and Spymaster! I can't wait to get my hands on it.

JO: Thank you so much.

Susan: Now, the interrogation. Annique, the heroine of TSL, was a strong, crafty--but somewhat naïve--French spy. Tell us about Jess, the heroine of MLS.

JO: Jess is a slum-born Cockney. Guts, luck and brains got her out of the grim rookeries of London and a life of crime.

Now she's headed back to those mean streets. They're more dangerous than ever. She left unfinished business behind her, and dangerous enemies, and chunks of her soul.

Guess she still needs the guts, luck and brains.

If Annique is juggling the fate of nations, Jessamyn is fighting on a different, more intimate, scale. She has to save her father, and the man she's falling in love with. Maybe that soul, too.

Susan: The rumor is (and I am totally making this up) that you love to write about spies because you were, in fact, a spy. True/False? (or if you answer, will they send someone to wipe my computer after?)

JO: Oh, good heavens, no. You would have to see me. I'm this dumpy, little round woman with glasses.

I am perfectly willing to pretend to be a spy, though, if that lends authenticity to the series.

Jess is a master merchant. I'm not actually a merchant.
(Jo tries to assume the mien and demeanor of commercial genius.)

Susan: Over at the Compuserve Books & Writers Forum you're renowned--some might say worshipped--for your detailed posts about the craft and mechanics of writing, featuring Myrtle the Vampire. Any chance Myrtle could come out and play for a minute? (question for Myrtle: illustrate the difference between show and tell with an example)

JO: Worship like with incense and chanting, or worship as in turning me upside down like Ganesh?
Ah well.

TELL:

Myrtle pretended to be a spy, a sensual Mata Hari, a vamp, instead of a vampire.

She'd hope Bond would think she was interested in death rays, instead of corpuscles. Maybe he'd lock his secrets up safe and bare his neck.

Bad choice for him, if he did.

SHOW:

"Tell me about the MS-27." Myrtle unhooked the back of her dress and let it slither to the ground. Then she did some slithering herself, approaching. "You know you want to."

"I think not." Bond considered her cleavage. He was shaken, but not stirred. "Shall we discuss the weather instead? I'm British."

She licked his sternocleidomastoid. Yum. Yum. "Have you ever made love to a dead woman?"

"Not that I know of."

Susan: Perfect!! Seriously, thank you for the massive hours you must have spent over the years teaching and mentoring other writers. Who do you consider your mentors?

JO: Diana Gabaldon is endlessly helpful and supportive to everybody at Books and Writers. Darlene Marshall and Pam Patchet are beautiful comedic voices. I've learned a lot from them.

Susan: I know you've been at this crazy writing business for a while now. What has your journey to publication been like?

JO: When I was six, my mother took all five of us kids and drove through Mexico in an old woody-sided stationwagon. It had a bullet hole in the side (but that's another story), and was not entirely reliable in the radiator and oil pan departments. One time, we drove off and left my little sister behind at the border crossing. Once, we got stopped by what was either a zealous community watch organization or bandits, and I got amoebic dysentery.

Oh. Flat tires. Lots and lots of flat tires.

That's what my journey to publication has been like.

Susan: {recovering from belly-laugh} Hokay. Serious Face. Is your approach to the writing any different now that your books are on the shelves? How?

JO: The major difference is that now I have deadlines. That appalls me and fills me with dismay. I do not think deadlines make me write any faster. They just make me miserable.

I also have book reviews. The bad ones confound and devastate me. Or puzzle me. The good ones always feel like they must be about somebody else's book.

Susan: Any final bits of advice for aspiring writers?

JO: Write what you love. Love it so much you don't care whether you get published or not. Listen carefully to advice. Ignore most all of that advice.

-------------------
Ah, Jo, you rock. Thank you again.

The CONTEST: Add a comment to this post, including your name somewhere. You have until MONDAY JULY 1st! Monday morning whenever I get into work, I'll do a random drawing and select one winner. The winner will receive a Jo-signed copy of My Lord and Spymaster. Ready? GO!

Impending Contest Alert!

Guess what??

My esteemed friend and inestimable writer Joanna Bourne has a new book coming out--and to celebrate, tomorrow I'm going to post an interview with Jo and host a contest for a signed copy of her new book, My Lord and Spymaster.

Yay! Jo is an amazing person and one of my mentors. I am so happy to help get this book in more people's hands.

Viewer/Reader Satisfaction: The Story Arc

Last night I finally got to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

I. Loved. It. Several times during the movie I said "YES!" to myself (under my breath). I walked out grinning like an eedjut.

But being an aspiring storyteller myself, I couldn't let it go at just enjoying it. I had to analyze WHY. Why was the film so satisfying? I've been an Indiana Jones fan since the beginning (well, except for #2--but did anyone like #2? Really? The monkey brains and all?), but it wasn't that simple. This one had to be Really Good, to succeed. And it was. It left me with a feeling of completion, that satisfied sigh of closing the last book in a good series.

Why?

Because George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg know how to do a story arc.

(warning: SPOILERS)

If you look at the whole series (which I intend to, once this comes out on video), this fourth movie picks up themes and bits that were touched on throughout (friendship and betrayal, fathers and sons, the folly of greed, love) but it is most closely tied to the first one.

Most obviously there's the reappearance of Marian, Indy's love interest in #1. I hoped hoped hoped it was her when they mentioned a "Mary" in the beginning, and I was thrilled when it was. Indy's never had a connection with any other woman--on screen--like Marian (and he says so). Tie-in to problem set up in first movie, resolution. Bing! Viewer satisfaction.

There was the reappearance of the warehouse from the end of #1, and the tantalizing glimpse of the Ark (ha). There was the reference to Indy's famous not-swordfight ("don't bring a knife to a gunfight") and a parallel with the Russians seeking world domination here, through an artifact, just like the Nazis did in #1. The ending also mirrored the theme of that original movie: too much knowledge, the greed for knowledge, is a dangerous thing. In #1 Indy and Marion survived because they kept their eyes closed. Here the Russian woman was destroyed because she kept her eyes open. At one point she tried to shut them, but couldn't. Reference to first movie, resolution. Bing!

There was the tie up and passing on of the baton, from father to son. In #3 we saw Indy's relationship with his father, and here we see him relating to his son. There is a clear implication at the end that the story is not over, really, but will pass to the next generation (when Mutt almost tries on Indy's hat). Bing!

(Oh, and I love the reference with Mutt's name. Anyone else remember "Indiana was the dog"?

Okay, so I think you get the point that the Indy movie was satisfying. But how does this relate to your book, or series, as an author? How do you get readers to feel that same satisfaction?

• Play on their inside knowledge. Readers will feel knowledgeable, and special, when you throw in little references to things they've seen throughout your book or series. If it's a series, readers who haven't read the whole series may not get those references--but your devoted readers will. And will feel a kinship to the story and to you when they get them.
  
  
• The final chapter of a series, or even just a book, should tie in to the first chapter. Yes, your character's been through a heck of a lot, and hopefully they're not at all the same person. But for that emotional satisfaction there needs to be a tie-in, a resolution, to the first problem. That gives readers an "aha" moment, and a feeling that the story is complete.
  
  
• If you're doing a series, and you've covered a lot of themes, the primary theme resolution in the final book should be the same or similar theme as the first book. Emotional satisfaction.
  
  
• Bring up long-lost characters. Resolve long-forgotten threads. Show the reader that it was important to pay attention all the way through your book or series, and reward them for it. Use a detail you planted in Book 1 or the first chapter and never used.
  
  
• Watch the Indiana Jones series. And take notes.
  

Today's conversation

Angel on shoulder: Oh, goodie, it's almost lunchtime. You can crank out your wordcount on Melody.

Devil: The Lee Child book is in your backpack, right there, only a zipper away...

Angel: No, no. You must spend your hour on your own writing. Otherwise, how will it ever get done? Slacking does not a novel finish.

Devil: Just for a little while. You can read some while you eat.

Angel: You know it doesn't work that way. Crack that puppy and you're gone for the hour. Hmm, crack. Lee Child books are like crack. Resist!

Devil: C'mon, it's summer. Prop your feet up. Relax.

Angel (stern): You have not been making your wordcounts lately.

Devil (waggling a little pseudocopy of Lee Child over my head): You know you want this.

{sigh}

Winner to be determined momentarily...

And the winner was Angel--got my wordcount in. Though I also got 15 minutes at the end to read. :)

Twitter

I'm playing with Twitter.

Why?

(a) because I can
(b) because I'm supposed to be doing something else.

Of course.

Keywords

Okay, I have to do one of these, just because of the RANDOM searches people have been using to find my blog. These are actual phrases people used in google. I'm glad they came here (welcome!) but poor people, most of them were likely sadly disappointed.

belle underwear

what? How on earth does a "belle underwear" search land on my site?

george collen thomas the tank engine

Carlin. It's George Carlin. But cool that you're looking him up.

how the brain works while driving

Um. The same way it works when you're not?

pixie dust stencils

Well, that's cool. I'd like pixie dust stencils too. Sorry, I'm no help with that, though.

what does ribibe mean

I had to look back on this one--apparently this was one of my medieval words of the day. (Medieval Word of the Day: ribibe: An opprobrious or abusive term for an old woman.) Hey, now I'll get more hits for that.

last name Friday

Like Robinson Crusoe? Wait, that was "only name Friday", right?

model in bikini

Yeah, that one is totally my own fault for talking about America's Next Top Model AND bikinis. I deserve all the searches I get for that one.

Picture Tuesday!

Evidence that I wasn't lying about Spring. Oh wait, Summer! Well, it still looks like Spring around here--these are from our yard this weekend. (with the good camera! yay!)

I loved ya, George.

Because not only were you funny as hell, but you were willing to ALSO read stories for Thomas the Tank Engine. You rocked.

Now that's what I'm talkin' about. Much better.



After Child understood that I required a crown for this morning's "discussion", she crowned me and took my picture. Aaaahh.

A nomination! Gasp!

I was nominated for an award this morning.

It's not the first time--in fact, I think this is the third--but it's a shock every time. The emotion of it, the surprise, is a kick in the gut. There was a lot of screaming going on this morning.

That's right, folks: I was nominated for Worst Mother Ever.

I think the direct quote from the nomination was "You are the Worst Mother EVER! You never let me do ANYTHING!" After that it sort of drifted off into a howl, so I didn't get it all down.

She's six, not thirteen. {sigh}

Fortunately, twenty minutes later I was nominated for Best Mother Ever. Hey, you take what you can get.

Speaking of which, can I get a crown over here? A sparkly one with gems? Surely one of the nominations deserves a crown?

Randomness

I appear to be having one of those weeks when I can't post anything of substance. Snips of thought are all I have, so snips are what you get.

Snip: There was a moose in my mom's back yard yesterday. A MOOSE. Just a-sittin' on the lawn. The rangers had to come shoot it in the butt and haul it away. It was most amoosing. (sorry)

Snip: Child is getting a new tooth...behind the baby teeth, with the baby teeth still in place. They call 'em shark teeth, apparently. We went to the dentist today fully expecting that he was going to pull the two bottom front teeth, but were reprieved for a couple of months. Whew. However, we had x-rays done, and the size of her permanent teeth are astonishing. Dentist predicts either she will be much taller/bigger than we expect, or we will have friendly relations with the orthodontist.

Snip: My goal is to have 3000 words on Melody by the end of this week, 5000 by the end of this month. Finished draft by end-of-year. I can do that.

Snip: Finally, it's summer. 80 degrees. I have a tank top on. Yay.

Today I am...

writing MELODY. And it's already completely shifting, but that's okay.

And I went to look at a page of JENNA, and I totally got sucked in and read 40 pages like I didn't write them and didn't know what was going to happen, which was full of awesomeness.

And then I went to read GHOST GIRL to see if I could do that again, and I did.

So I guess that means I like my own writing, at least. Some days. Hee hee! I love this job.

Friday linkage!

Melody has a last name! Poor thing. It's Ziditor.

Our family name--Dad's name--is Ziditor. It's Romanian for maker, or creator, and that's what we are. It's just my bad luck that it also sounds awfully like "zit".

--Last night we saw a wonderful TV show. I know, it's like an oxymoron, but it really was. This American Life, a PBS radio show, is now in its second season on Showtime, and we've been watching them on demand. The one we saw last night was a study of 6 men named "John Smith" at different ages: 11 weeks, 8, 23, 36, 46, 70, and 87. Wow. It was beautifully done, a real glimpse of this weird Life thing. See it if you can. Link about the show here: http://www.sho.com/site/thisamericanlife/episodes.do

--Editorial Anonymous is guest-blogging today at Editorial Ass about Rosemary Well's The Bunny Planet, one of my favorite kid's books, and about what it's really like to be a kid. Hubby and I were just talking about how you forget, as a grown-up, how little control kids have. Great post.

--And finally, THIS was in my head when I woke up this morning--we just watched the 2006 revival of COMPANY on video, and of all the songs this one stuck. {shrug} Still there, too.

The winner is...

MM, aka The Author Known as Jenna Riley. :)

Congratulations, and thanks to everyone who entered!! I lurve my blog readers.

MM, email me at susan dot adrian @ yahoo.com, and we'll get critting.

In Montana news, it's NOT snowing this morning, just raining. We got a couple of inches yesterday. But we're predicted for 70 degrees and sunny this weekend, so I'm holding out for that...

500 posts! Day-am, I am a blabbermouth.

My first post on this blog was March 9, 2006. I was still banging away then on a certain medieval book, The Murderess's Tale. I'd never finished a book, much less queried one--my writing was for no one but me, and maybe my little group of compatriots.

Since then I've switched genres completely, finished THREE books, got myself a kick-ass agent, and made a bunch of truly kick-ass friends. And due to the wonders of the internets, it's all here. The ups, the downs, Life, and my own ideas about craft. (okay, I admit I need to label better. I'm working on it.) Five hundred frigging posts! I love that.

In a splash of good timing, I started writing Book 4--Melody--yesterday, and I'm thrilled about it. This weird job of mine is still so much fun that I can't imagine doing anything else.

Thank you, my new friends and old friends, for sharing this ride with me. I'd be nothing without you.

To thank you properly, I'm going to give away a critique of your first chapter, or first 5 pages. I can't promise niceness, but I can promise good line-edits, and a good eye. (I hope, since that's what they pay me for.) :)

If you're interested, leave a comment to this post! Winner will be selected by random draw and announced tomorrow!*

*assuming we get more than one entry. {g} Linda and Vic, don't enter. Your crits are already slotted. :)

Post #499

That Janet Reid is a clever, clever woman. And no, I'm not saying that just to suck up because I know she has a Google alert on her name.

Read here.

And I'm still not sure what I'm going to do for my 500th post yet. I guess you will have to check back tomorrow and be surprised...

Wahoo Woohoo Woot

And Vicki's book THE TOUCH OF TWILIGHT hit the NYT Bestseller list this week at #27!!

A big woo-hoo for my girl: Woo-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

In other news, my big rush-rush work project is done, so now I can catch up on everything I had to put off to get it done. And I've gotten GG back from 3 beta-readers, with good feedback. One more to go, and it's off to NY!

And...in 2 more posts I will hit my 500th post. I want to do something to celebrate, but am coming up with nothing original. Any good ideas? No more book mailings for a bit, and I don't have any more NYT-bestselling author interviews up my sleeve for the time being. Hmmmm. Think, think, think.

Spring

Inspired by Pam:


Our tulips finally opened! In June!


A flock of cedar waxwings comes through and rests in our yard this time every year--they're such pretty birds. I didn't have the good camera with me, so this is the closest I could get.

Join me on the rollercoaster

Random mood swings...

UP: We did it! We gave Obama the final boost, and he really got the nomination! Woot!

DOWN: It's. Freaking. Snowing.

UP: {looks at computer, at the news reports} Woot!

DOWN: {looks out window}

UP: In 5 more posts, I will be at 500 posts! I must celebrate.

DOWN: *work program flashing at me insistently*

UP: *Life Stuff*

DOWN: *Life Stuff*

I think I need some drugs. Or some more coffee. Or some other sort of mellowing agent...like...like...like the chocolate and peanut butter Ghirardelli bar I hid in my bag this morning! YES! {rummaging}

Recommendation!

One of my guidelines for this blog, discussed here, is not to post negative reviews. The flip side of that is that I do post, volubly, when I finish a book I love.

I LOVED A Field of Darkness, by Cornelia Read.

I'm a little too wiped by work and such to come up with a coherent summary of WHY I loved it, but I can say it was the plot--and the characters, and the voice, and the writing. And the suspense.

Go read it. You will enjoy it. :)

Melody!

We had a great weekend! Mostly sunny and fun, enjoying the outdoors. Everything is finally green and blooming, and it's glorious!

Currently I am buried under my pile of work. However, I did get to spend some time during lunch starting my writing journal for the next book, working title MELODY. Oh yeah, baby. I'm hopping with all the possibilities. This looks like a fun one.

And now I'll go take my Mary Sunshine self off back to work, before anyone is suffocated by my cheerfulness.

Wow

My baby's graduating from Kindergarten today. I am already verklempt.

That is all...cramming in as much work as possible before it's time to go!

The Victor (Victorious)

is....PIPER! Congrats, Piper! You win a signed copy of Touch of Twilight. Send me an e-mail at susan dot adrian@yahoo.com, and we'll get the prize to you, with the right message and everything.

And BONUS PRIZE: Vic was kind enough to send me a copy already, but in an effort to help those critical first-week sales I'm going to buy a copy from Amazon and send it to our bonus winner: NIGHT CRITTER! Night Critter, send me an email with your snail address.

(If either of you already have a copy, you can spread the love with this one.)

The rest of you no longer have any excuse. Buy Touch of Twilight today!

VICKI PETTERSSON: Interview! Contest!!!

And here it is!! An interview with author extraordinaire Vicki Pettersson about her new book The Touch of Twilight, the zodiac series, writing stuff, and other completely random and possibly freakish questions. CONTEST DETAILS AT THE END!

Vicki and I were born in the same year, and married in the same year (not to each other). We've been friends since we both were writing historicals, since she was a showgirl and I was...oh, I was still an editor. Right. Anyway, YEARS. She's one of my writing heroes. She knows what she wants to do, and she puts her head down and gets it done. You can see her passion and her hard work in every page.

And in spite of her currently scrabbling to finish Book 4, I pinned her down long enough to answer a few questions:

Susan: Joanna, your heroine, discovers in the first book (The Scent of Shadows) that she has superpowers, among other things. It's been rumored that these books are actually a confession of your own super abilities. Can you tell us one of your own uber-mortal talents?

VICKI: I have the ability to bruise myself in my sleep. No kidding. I'll wake up in the morning with bruises and have no idea how they got there. Of course, the first fight scene in SCENT came to me in a dream, so maybe that's where I test a scene's plausibility. (My poor husband. He'd probably prefer it if I wrote romance.)

Susan: In TOT, Jo burrows even deeper into the underworld of Las Vegas. What's your favorite new thing about that universe that you discovered while writing this book?

VICKI: Oh my. Tough question, because obviously I'm only writing about things that interest me as a writer and a reader. Without giving too much away, I suppose my favorite elements were discovering about new creatures, unfolding more of the history behind the Zodiac's matriarchal lineage, and sensing a possible subculture that none of the characters in the books seem willing to acknowledge. As Jo and I share a perverse curiosity that causes us to plunge headlong in directions others would rather us not (which I like to think of as an endearing trait), I got to indulge in all of these things.

Susan: Confession time. If you had to choose, would you rather have one night with Hunter or Ben? (I know which one I'd choose…)

VICKI: One night? Dude. There are seven days in the week. If pressed, I suppose I could divvy the days up evenly and take my day of rest on the Sabbath. How does that sound? (Slutty, I know. But I won't hold it against them if you won't. {Evil grin})

Susan: How does Vegas continue to influence the books?

VICKI: Vegas is as much a player in these books as any other major character, or so that's the goal. I want things to happen in this series that could only happen or evolve in this particular place, so I choose city settings that are unique to the environment, and that speak to me as a native. I'm always amazed at how place affects mood, and I'm sure to note my emotions when I travel. Vegas speaks to me of hope, so despite the noir tone of this series, I try to convey that as well.

Susan: Where do you get your ideas? Kidding. But about your writing process: how is it different now, with several published books under your belt, than when you started?

VICKI: I know that I can write. I know that I can finish. I know what works for me and why. (Or maybe I should say I know a lot of what doesn't work for me — that's sometimes more important.) I can tell when I'm heading off track before I get too far, and I have the tools to correct such missteps quickly and easily, so that I don't waste too much time detouring down rabbit holes. The different stages of creating a novel are now familiar to me, so even if I'm in an uncomfortable place in the text, I recognize that I've been there before, and move forward with the confidence that I'll get out of it again. But I'm still basically a plough horse about it (or maybe just a mule {G}). I just put words on the page one at a time and shove them around until the day's work is done.

Susan: We know the advice for writers in the midst of books: Read, write, don't stop. What's your advice for writers with a finished book, starting the query process or in the publishing waiting game?

VICKI: Why? Do you know someone in that position? {Innocent blink}

Actually my advice is to do the same thing that you do in all other areas of your life: build on it. Do what you've been doing all along - write. It's really the only thing you can control anyway, but fortunately it's also the most important thing. And while seeing your work on the shelves is definitely a Dream Come True, the writing is still the best part of the job. Enjoy it.

And now you KNOW you need to read TOUCH OF TWILIGHT, right? To enter to win a signed copy, just post in the comments to this post, and we'll do a random drawing. Contest ends at midnight MST. Good luck!!!

Reminder: contest/interview tomorrow

We're back home, and I'm wiped out...in a happy, busy-weekend way. Seattle was sunny and perfect.

Just wanted to post a quick reminder that I'll be posting an interview with Vicki Pettersson tomorrow, and doing a giveaway of...a signed copy of TOUCH OF TWILIGHT! Stop by in the morning for details and to enter.

And I did get Ghost Girl to my beta-readers on Thursday. Yay!

Heads up!

I'm jamming through the third draft lickety split--I'm already on Chapter 9. Beta-readers heads up.

I'm leaving with the fam tomorrow for a 4-day weekend in Seattle, but wanted to remind you that:

Vicki Pettersson's Touch of Twilight is being released on Tuesday, May 27th! To celebrate, I'm going to post an exclusive interview with Vicki. Yes, I asked the questions, so it's sure to be...um...interesting.

AND I'll be hosting a contest on Tuesday, to win a very special Touch-of-Twilight-related prize. Make sure you come back then!

GG 2nd draft: check!

Just finished the 2nd draft of Ghost Girl! Yay!

And....am flipping right back to the beginning to work on the 3rd draft. I honestly can't help myself. This is my favorite draft, where I get to just concentrate on the language. And I'm getting excited about this book in spite of myself.

Can I say that I still love the last 2 chapters?

{happy sigh}

More gin over here, please

There's a party going on right here...

in honor of Miss Snark. It's been a year since her blog shut down. I used to read her every day, to absorb some of her knowledge about writing and the writing world (including the mysteries of agents and editors). I'd be much MORE of a nitwit without her.

Thanks, Miss Snark. *clink*

That meme

Carol tagged me on Friday, and I'm finally getting around to it. Because that's how I am. As usual, I reserve the right to not completely follow the rules and not tag anyone else specifically. If you're one of the two people who hasn't done this meme yet, join in and let me know.


A Meme about Various Things

• What were you doing ten years ago?
  
  Um. You know, that's a really long time ago. Let's see, I had been married for 2 years, no Child yet. I was working at Academic Press in San Diego. I think I'd just started dabbling with my first book, then called TRUST.
  

• What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?
  
  
  • Fill out insurance form for next year.
  • Work on choosing websites to focus thesis on.
  • Do some planning for this weekend's trip to Seattle.
  • Review possible pictures for next year's calendar (work).
  • Edit at least one chapter of GG.
  
  

• What are some snacks you enjoy?
  
  I LOVE snacks. I'm one of those grazers. Chips & salsa, nuts, chocolate, limes or lemons with salt, popcorn.
  

• What would you do if you were a billionaire?
  
  Spend lots of money. Duh.

• What are three of your bad habits?
  
  
  • Eating too much salt (see above).
  • Not exercising at all.
  • Solitaire.
    
  
  
• What are five places where you have lived?
  
  
  • Penryn, California (teensy-tiny)
  • Long Beach, California
  • San Diego, California
  • Brighton, England
  • Butte, Montana
    
    
• What are five jobs you have had?
  
  
  • In-home pet caretaker
  • Retail goddess
  • Copyeditor
  • Desk Editor
  • Publications Editor (aka Goddess)
    
    
• What were the last five books you read?
  
  
  • A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read
  • One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
    
  • The Killing Floor by Lee Child
  • Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins
  • A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
    
    
• What are five web sites you visit daily (in no particular order)?
  
  
  • Google Reader
  • Pandora
  • Statcounter
  • Facebook
  • The Blueboard (Verla Kay)
    

Dialogue share...and a snip

Nathan Bransford, generous blogger and literary agent that he is, is doing another contest. This time he's tackling dialogue.

I was sooooo tempted to enter, just because I like to blather about dialogue, and I like to write it. Most times it comes easiest for me, and I have to fight against scenes coming out like scripts, all dialogue and nothing else. But I'm not entering, because I have a marvelous agent already.

Instead, I'm going to inflict one of my favorite GG dialogue-heavy scenes on you! It's a bit pared down to remove spoilers, but I like it. This little guy is just so real to me.

*************
From Ghost Girl, by Susan Adrian:

"You're not dead."

I jerked around. It was the old man, the winker, standing next to me. Too close. Long white hair straggled out from his navy blue "US Marines" cap, perched too high on his head. "Most these folk can't tell the difference. Me, I spot 'em easy." He tapped my shoulder, and nodded to himself. "Not dead."

"I guess not," I said back. His face was a perfect map of wrinkles. That map wasn't going anywhere I wanted to go.

"What you doing here then, missy? Spying?"

I couldn't help it; I laughed. "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm spying for the other side. All the live people are just dying to know what y'all are up to."

"Shouldn't mock. Could be." He stroked his white-whiskered chin, studying me. "Picking up secrets you oughtn't know."

The next person ordered and moved to the end of the counter. Almost my turn. The old man moved along with me. "What you here for?" he repeated.

"I'm looking for someone. My mom—she looks a lot like me."

The way his eyes traveled over my face, you'd think he was memorizing it.

"She's not dead either," I added. "Have you seen her? Her name's Molly. She'd be with another woman."

"Nooo," he said slowly, lifting his cap and scratching under it. "Ain't seen nobody looks like you. You're the only one I've seen that ain't dead, in a good fair time."

*******

How about you? Share a favorite dialogue bit here in comments, of your current book or one you're reading. Under 250 words, please!! Maybe sometime along here soon I'll look at a few and see what works. :)

News, and fun

WHAT a kick-ass fun weekend.

It was 80 or near-80 all weekend, so everyone in the whole state was in shorts, tank tops, and sandals, as far as I can tell. And we all were outside enjoying the sunshine. I swam! I went to the park with Child! I picnicked! I sat in a lawn chair and wrote! I mowed!

All good, my friends. All the trees and flowers in our yard are flipping out at going from snow to summer. It was weird to have summer weather when our tulips haven't even bloomed yet, but I'll take it.

And a new, fun development: on Friday at noon I took Child to the library to get her some chapter books--she JUST started reading them at school, and wanted to try the Magic Treehouse books. So we got the first one, a Junie B. Jones and a Nate the Great. I figured that would last a few weeks, as she tended to be a little slow working her way through them.

She finished the Magic Treehouse by 3 PM that same day.

Then she finished the Nate the Great Saturday morning, and Junie B. yesterday. It was SO cool--she was so excited about it, and proud of herself.

We went back to the library on Saturday and got 4 more books!

Edits are going really well on GG--I made some good plot changes, and am jamming along on the second draft. I might finish it this week. Then comes the fun third draft, where I really get to fine-tune the language. That's my favorite. Then: beta-readers! Woot!

Last bit of news: See the sidebar for a countdown to Vicki Pettersson's release date for her new book, Touch of Twilight. I'm going to team up with Vic for a promotion here on the blog, around release day. Watch this space!!

America's next top model in a bikini?

H'lo!

I've been here, just working at a trade show booth for the past couple of days, so no chance to blog. Fortunately lots of down time to edit GG, though...I got at least 5 chapters done. Woot! This is good, since today at lunch I desperately need to watch the finale of America's Next Top Model and find out WHO WON before someone tells me accidentally.

What?

Today I also want to point you over to a wonderful friend of mine, Linda Gerber, whose book DEATH BY BIKINI is released today. I can't wait to read it! I've known Linda forever from the Compuserve Books and Writer's Forum, and she is the real deal, so this one will be good. Go visit her blog today for fabulous fun and prizes!!

A Mother's Day Good/Bad

Good: It's Mother's Day, which just makes everybody think about and appreciate the mothers in their life even more. I love my Mom. I LOVE being a Mom.

More Good: We played this morning, which I don't ever have as much time to do as I want. We made orange rolls.

Bad: Child felt a little squicky.

Good: We went swimming, and had fun splashing in the pool.

Bad: Child felt more squicky. Still insisted she was okay, though.

Good: We went to see the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, a wonderful folk dancing/singing/music playing group we've seen before and love. My Mom came too, and we ran into one of Child's best friends, so they sat together and giggled.

Bad: Child not feeling better. I made her mac & cheese, but sadly it was rather a lost cause at that point, and stomach virus took over. Poor thing. We spent the evening in the bathroom, and then wrapped up in a big soft blanket sipping sparkling water, nibbling graham crackers, and watching a Barbie movie.

Good: She's been asleep for a couple hours now, next to our bed. I'm so hoping she sleeps through the night and feels better in the morning. I HATE seeing my baby sick. {sigh}

We shall see about school/work in the morning, though I'm doubting it...

Like there's no tomorrow

Last night was the first performance of Child's dance recital. Of course she was utterly cute and perfect (whether she did the steps or not), and when she's on stage I can't look at anyone else but her. She glows for me.

When she's not on stage...well.

I was a ballet dancer for 8 years. I was in a professional ballet company (even though I was a teenager). I also did tap, jazz, and modern. I am cursed for the rest of my life with the dancer's eye.

This means I see how it should be, each move: arms, hands, fingers, legs. Extension. Arch. I see whether a movement is on beat or off. Whether the group is together the way they should be. Whether everyone hits their jumps at the same time, who is weak at turning left, who can dance fine on their own but doesn't do well as part of a group. It's similar to when you learn to be a writer and you have trouble reading just for pleasure anymore--you see craft, or lack of craft, everywhere.

But I realized again last night, watching girls of all ages and all different skill levels on that stage, a vital truth. It is NOT, ever, the most important thing to be technically perfect. It wasn't the technically perfect girls my eye was drawn to, that I enjoyed watching.

It's the ones who put their hearts into every move.

They were confident, not hesitant. They didn't hold their bodies back for fear of making a mistake--or even if they did make a mistake. They owned the dance. They sold it. They smiled, not the fake grit-teeth smile plastered on, but the smile that says "This is ME dancing. I am enjoying the hell out of this."

Watching someone dance like that, I forget about all the technical stuff. I nod along, and wish I was up there too--because damn, it looks like fun.

That's the kind of writer you want to be too. Confident in your words, your characters, your images, your story. Not writing for other people--that's like the fakey-fake smile. Writing for your ownself, and enjoying the heck out of it. Dropping your whole heart into every line.

And you know what I was thinking last night, as I was clapping another girl who hit the last beat, arms spread wide, grinning like she would do it again, this minute?

Maybe that's one of the secrets to life, too.

The title for this year's show: "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow." Indeed.

Woot!

Woo-hoooooooooo! I just turned in my last paper. I am officially DONE with this semester.

Tids & Bits

I'm still on a high from our amazing getaway weekend. WOW. Highlights:

--As a surprise, hubby bumped us up to first class. Picture me at 33,000 feet lounging in a plush chair, my feet dangling above the floor, sipping a gin-and-tonic at 11 AM and completely engrossed in reading about Bones (Jeaniene Frost's yummy hero--and Vic, he is so mine.). Aaaaaaah. Also, the board room at the Seattle airport is a secret haven.

--A full 4-course Thai meal with hubby. I love me some Thom kai gai soup.

--Sipping my first-ever Cosmos (pink!) with hubby in a bar in downtown San Diego, rocking out to bouncy live jazz as people streamed by outside.

--Shoe-shopping. Chocolate shopping, at the Ghirardelli store.

--The concert we actually went for, KT Tunstall, was sooooo fun. I loved it. The front row seats we bought on E-bay Actually Worked!

Unfortunately we did have to get up at 4:15 AM Sunday to catch our plane, but it was worth it.

***********

I finished the aforementioned book, One Foot in the Grave, on the plane rides. Yowza. I recommend Chapter 31. {cough} Well-written, engrossing, and I adore the characters.

***********

I turned in my final project for the multimedia class-from-hell on Friday! Hurrah. Just have to write that ethics paper today...

***********

Edits on GG are going well again, because I gave in and started editing chronologically. Apparently I just am more comfortable that way.

***********

Child has a dress rehearsal this afternoon for her dance recital, with performances tomorrow night and Thursday night. Then in two weeks we have Kindergarten graduation!!!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

***********

Jo has posted some amazingly excellent writing advice, which is not unusual for her. Jo's advice is clear, well-illustrated, and SMART. Listen to her.

***********

That is all for now! I've got a paper to write and some trouble to stir up!

One more sharing Friday: snippet

Quite a sharing week. I've shared a good link, music, books, and a picture of me. It's Friday, and we're back to what I share best: words.

One more snippet of Ghost Girl to whet your appetites, before I go back to GG radio silence. (and I go back to finishing my final projects! Almost...done...) Today, meet Tony.

From Ghost Girl, by Susan Adrian:

*****
Tony walked in, and my stomach flipped. I took a shot of him before he saw me, his dark blonde hair sleek from the wind, sunglasses hiding his eyes. Coatless, T-shirt and jeans filled out just right, a parade of goosebumps down his arm. Yeah, I'd save that shot for later. Maybe blow it up.

He looked around the room, acknowledged us with a chin jerk, and strode over. He didn't sit, though, just took off his sunglasses and tapped them on the table. "Hey."

"Hey," we all said, almost in chorus. My heart was drumming its own rhythm, a fast salsa beat.

"What's up?" His eyes flicked to mine, and held. His bottom lip twitched. There was just the slightest hint of stubble there, on his chin. I'd missed that bit last night when I was fantasizing.

Waiting for you, I wanted to say. Instead I said, cool, "Just got here."

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" He scanned the room again. "Outside?"

I frowned, with a quick glance at Dana. God, he wasn't a smoker, was he? I didn't think he was. But what did I know? She made a shooing motion, and I realized I hadn't answered him. "Sure," I said, as nonchalantly as I could manage.

I followed him out, zipping my coat up as we hit the frosty air outside. He headed around the corner toward the dumpsters, then stopped. He didn't whip out any cigarettes, though. Whew. He just stood shifting his feet, looking at me, eye to eye. I waited. He waited. Somebody was going to have to say something eventually.

He twisted to look behind him, then again at me. "So I heard about this ghost thing with you." His eyebrows drew together. "You're the ghost girl, right?"

Crap. "That's why you want to talk to me?"

*****

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Thursday share: me

And we have a winner! Two winners, actually.

#1 winner: Julianne! You get first dibs on the books.
#2 winner: Carmella!

Please contact me at susan dot adrian @yahoo.com with your shipping address, and I'll pop these puppies in the mail.

CONGRATULATIONS! And thanks for sharing the book love yesterday. That was fabulous.

For today's share, I'm sharing a real! live! photo! of! me!

I know, you're thrilled to pieces. But this is rather a big deal, as I've never posted a picture of me in the 3 years of having this blog. Not only that, but it's me in my true form.

Bwa-ha-ha! Now isn't that scary?

What? No, I'm a witch, get it? A scary witch? It's scary because of the witch--

Oh, never mind.

Wednesday share: books!

Today I'm sharing the book love.

Yesterday was a dual release day for two of my favorite authors (and good people), Melissa Marr (Ink Exchange) and Jeaniene Frost (One Foot in the Grave). It's the second book for each of them, and I loved both the first books. Of course I ran off to the bookstore and snatched them both off the shelves. Yay!

To celebrate, I'm sharing two other books I enjoyed with YOU.

First up, R.A. Nelson's Breathe My Name.

From the Penguin site:

I need to see you.

Please come right away.

We have to finish.

Frances Robinson is in high school now. She lives a quiet, suburban life, far from her horrifying past. When she was a child, her birthmother smothered her three sisters. Through pure luck, Frances survived. Now her mother has just been released from prison . . . and she wants to see Frances.

A new boy at school called Nix charms Frances. Together, Nix and Frances embark on a clandestine journey to visit Frances’ mother: to confront the monster in its lair. This trip will help Frances at last find peace—or die trying. But no matter what, Frances will discover just what it means to finish.

-----

Here's what I said about it on the blog when I read it: I highly recommend it. The writing is tense and vivid, with a strong, unique voice. There were times I had to put it down because the subject matter was so difficult, but I always went back to it, and I'm glad I did.

This book really draws you into a unique world, and a strong character.

Next up:

Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips

How could you not love THAT cover?

From Publishers Weekly:

British blogger Phillips's delightful debut finds the Greek gods and goddesses living in a tumbledown house in modern-day London and facing a very serious problem: their powers are waning, and immortality does not seem guaranteed. In between looking for work and keeping house, the ancient family is still up to its oldest pursuit: crossing and double-crossing each other. Apollo, who has been cosmically bored for centuries, has been appearing as a television psychic in a bid for stardom. His aunt Aphrodite, a phone-sex worker, sabotages him by having her son Eros shoot him with an arrow of love, making him fall for a very ordinary mortal-a cleaning woman named Alice, who happens to be in love with Neil, another nice, retiring mortal. When Artemis-the goddess of the moon, chastity and the hunt, who has been working as a dog walker-hires Alice to tidy up, the household is set to combust, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Fanciful, humorous and charming, this satire is as sweet as nectar.

-----

This one was an impulse buy, because the premise made me laugh...and it lived up to the premise AND the cover. The writing reminded me of Douglas Adams, one of my favorite authors of all time. It was just pure fun.

So, would you like one of these bad boys?

To enter: Leave a comment to this post and share the book love. Tell me about a recent book you enjoyed that you'd recommend to others. Entries close at midnight MST tonight.

I'll do a random drawing tomorrow morning, and pick two winners. First chosen gets first pick. No international entries, please! (I can't afford the postage!)

Tuesday share: music

Today I'm going to share one of my favorite songs.

When I was in the early stages of writing JENNA, I was hunting around for some new music. A good friend ({cough} Kreek {cough}) recommended KT Tunstall, a Scottish singer/songwriter I'd never heard of. I LOVED her stuff, from the first song that first day.

KT's albums became my writing soundtrack. I listened to her every day I wrote JENNA. It became my pattern: open up a game of Spider Solitaire (what?), start playing KT's music, start writing. I think I was telling my subconscious it was time to get busy. When I listen to her music anywhere, now, I automatically start thinking of story ideas.

When JENNA was done I figured it was time for a new soundtrack, for the new book. But then KT came out with a new album...so it continued. I listened to a mix of all her stuff, still, for most of the time of writing GHOST GIRL.

And I'm thrilled to say that hubby and I are going to see KT perform live, this Saturday in San Diego. Front row!! Woohoo!!

Anyway, today I'm sharing a particularly important song for me. Astute listeners may guess, correctly, that I was indeed listening to this song when I was plotting GG...

http://www.last.fm/music/KT+Tunstall/_/Girl+and+the+Ghost

Monday share: another blog

Thanks for participating in Sharing Friday, everyone! That was fun. I think I might have to do it again sometime.

This week I'm going to have to skimp on the blogging, as I'm pushing hard on:

1. GG revisions
2. my multimedia final project
3. my ethics paper
4. work
   

Not necessarily in that order on any particular day. To keep things interesting, though, I'm going to share SOMEthing every day. Today I'm sharing my favorite blog post of the day, from my kick-ass superstar agent Janet, talking about an Idol panel at a conference:

I'm in Awe of You

I first connected with Janet at just such a panel--they're powerful. You can get real, honest feedback, right there. Whether it's something like that or sending out queries: Be brave. Trust in your writing and keep going no matter what. If you've got something good and you KEEP TRYING, it will happen eventually.

Sharing Friday!!

Today feels like a good day, and I'm in a sharing/reading mood. Let's share!

Guidelines:
1. Pull a short bit (less than 200 words) that you like from the chapter you're working on. If you're editing like me, stick a finger or a cursor randomly somewhere, and find something you like around there.
2. Post your bit here.
3. Comment on other people's bits, if you like. This is for fun, not critique, so please only positive things. (If you don't have anything nice to say...)

From Chapter 8 of Ghost Girl:
*****

It was cold outside, but I couldn't really feel it, not in my bones. It was like the memory of cold instead of the real thing. I let out a puff of breath, looking to left and right. There she was, huddling against a skinny tree at the edge of the parking lot. Just past her everything got foggy, like we were on the edge of a storm. Or that was how far this place had been imagined, and no farther.

I got to her as quick as I could, before she could disappear beyond that barrier, into the clouds.

"Hey. You okay?"

She twitched like a scared animal, big-eyed. She reminded me of Megan, actually. Not in looks—she had short, pixie-cut black hair—but in expression.

"Why am I here?" she asked, soft.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "Did you used to come to Starbucks a lot when you were alive?"

Her mouth opened and closed, exactly like a fish. "Alive?"

Crap. Oh, don't tell me she doesn't know she's dead. Don't tell me I have to tell her that.

No, you idiot, you just did.

*****

Join in!!

What I'm looking at

Janet Reid asked what you're lookin' at. Since writers also seem to have a fascination with each other's spaces, I thought I'd share a couple of pics today. First, the view out my itty-bitty office window (This building was built in 1896. I have a HUGE office, but apparently they did not believe 3rd-floor people should have big windows in 1896!):

Yes, that's fresh snow on the trees.

But this is what I really look at, all day and when I'm writing:

That's all Child's artwork and pictures of her. I ran out of room a while back, and have started to rotate...but I think I need a ladder so I can go higher too. Looking at this wall, at her artwork and drawings at different ages and "I love you Mommy" notes in WAY different levels of writing...this is what I write for. No, this is what I do everything for.

Toolbox: Chapter Chart

Still crunching around here. Two weeks left in the semester, so that means final projects are almost due (60% of my grade! Yikes!). Budget dealings. New projects, which always come in only when there are already piles. BUT I finally managed to finish my read-through of GG, and am at last on to my first major revision step: the Chapter Chart.



The Chapter Chart is my own version of Diana Peterfreund's Plot Board. I'm very visual AND analytical (after the fact), so I was drawn to her method immediately...I just didn't have that much room. So instead of a big board I use a tabloid sheet of paper, and instead of post-its I use a big pile o' highlighters. Other than that, it works pretty much the same.

My method:

1. AFTER the first draft is written, I do a read-through. Then I identify major plotlines/threads that I want to track, and assign each one a color. For instance, this book has 7 threads I want to look at (at least at this stage--I could get more into detail, but I think this will work for now). For GG, most of these threads are the relationship with a particular person (Mom, DR, Tony), but not all.

2. I divide my paper up into columns, one for each chapter, and label the columns "Ch 1" etc. This book, first draft, has 21 chapters.

3. In each column I write the basic action that happens in each scene. Under each scene description I mark the colors of the threads involved/progressed in that scene. For this book I also write how many pages each chapter was.

What does this do for me? It gives me a visual look, in one swoop, at how the threads are carried through the book. I can see easily if I dropped a relationship or thread for too long, or introduced something too late. It helps me organize all the threads in my head, and intertwine them better. It helps me judge the balance, the pacing, and where I just dropped the ball (cut!). Most important of all, it gives me, at the start of revisions, a good sense of the whole book and how it works together.

I write by the seat of my pants, with no idea where I'm going. But once I'm there, it's time for active craft to take over. :)

Icicles!

In case you thought I was kidding about the winter weather...

These are icicles outside my window. We are very very careful walking around these buildings right about now...

More meme

It's Meme Season, apparently. Or maybe I'm just feeling meme-y. I borrowed this one from Melissa Marr.

You're feeling: headachy, because I messed up my coffee schedule this morning

On your mind: Work work. I have to figure out my 2009 budget by tomorrow. Which is why I'm doing this instead.

On your desk: Piles of paper, aforementioned budget, big jug o' water, a Baked Apple Pie-scented candle, and my Ghost Girl mascot

Last meal: donuts (what? I bought 'em to thank my staff. So I got to have some too...)

You dread: being stuck in a small confined space

You crave: coffee

A smell that cheers you up: the smell of pavement after a good rain

A food that you despise: curry (bleah)

How long since you last shaved: this morning

Current state of your hair: messy. My hair looks just like my avatar's at the moment.

First stop in a bookstore: kid's books. Child and I always read together in bookstores.

Free afternoon activity choice: writing! Or reading...

Something that freaks you out : waiting endlessly

Something that makes you sigh: Child, and how short her childhood is

You have never: gone sky-diving

Would you: hmm...don't think so. Every once in a while I think so, then reality kicks in.

You never want to try: sushi (same as Melissa)

You want to but haven't: gone to Yellowstone Nat'l Park

Place you want to go for the first time: New York City

Place you want to go back to: Hawaii

Your favorite day of the week: Saturday

THE TASK:
Add a question in this sort of random way to the list here in the comments AND answer it and the rest on your blog.

Adventure! Danger! Snow.

The fun, adventurous part of living in Montana?

You'd think it would be some sort of outdoor sport, wouldn't you? Skiing, or mountain biking. Nope. It's the weather.

Last weekend, 70 degrees and balmy. This weekend, 7 inches of snow, record-low temperatures (7 degrees!), and ice. We're thrust back into ice-on-the-car, snow boots, and sliding around corners. I like snow and all, and it's very pretty out, in a Christmas card sort of way. But you know? I'm kinda ready for consistent Spring, and no more piles of white stuff.

This is just a warning to those of you who really want to tell me how beautiful it is in your part of the world right now, with all those flowers and blooming trees and grass. Yeah. Don't do that.

Now, I've been tagged by Heather. As with all tags, I reserve the right to change it completely. So here are the rules I'm following:

The rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.

The nearest book, I'm happy to say, is Lee Child's KILLING FLOOR. I just started it, but I'm in love with it so far. The voice is amazing.

Page 123, fifth sentence etc.:

It was clear Charlie didn't know anything. She thought her husband had been arrested because of some kind of mistake. Not because he was grabbed up in some kind of trouble which had just got two people murdered.

Whew, not a spoiler.

Now the rest of the rules were about tagging five other people, but I don't like to do that. So if you're reading this and you have a blog, consider yourself invited to play. If you want. :)

Yay

Ahhhh, I'm happy today.

For me, because it's the weekend, my class is over, and it's sunny outside (even though we have 2-8 inches of snow predicted this weekend...). I'm listening to good music and rocking out. We're going out to Mexican food tonight, and I am darn well having a margarita.

For my friend, because she took the second step towards publication today (the first step was finishing a good book!) and I am SO DARN PROUD OF HER. Linda, a bow to you.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Concerts as inspiration

This will be brief, as I've got a pile of work still to do and a meeting in an hour. I kept waiting for "time to blog" today, but it looks like a block of time just isn't gonna happen.

But I did want to mention that we saw a kick-ASS concert last night, Empire Brass. It's a quintet with 2 trumpets, a trombone, a french horn, and a tuba. Man, they were sooooo good, perfectly crisp and clear. They played everything from classical to Gershwin and Copland, and we all loved it.

We go to a lot of shows around here. We buy season tickets for most of the series, so that's 5 symphony performances, 4 or 5 community concert series shows, 3 or 4 theater series shows, the kid's theater, and sometimes community concerts, ballet performances, or shows in neighboring towns. It's especially cool now that Child is 6, and actually pays attention and enjoys going. (Aside: the only year we did NOT bring her to shows was when she was 3--she was too wiggly. Before that she slept, and since then she sits nicely. Of course she taps her feet, conducts, or plays violin on my arm sometimes, but that's all good.)

Anyway, my point is that I love going to concerts, but I only pay attention to the music ones about half the time. The other half I spend pondering my characters in my head, or daydreaming new plot twists. There's something about sitting still, letting music pour over me, that induces book-thoughts. I get some of my best ideas in concerts.

Actually there are 3 places I get my best ideas (outside of sitting at my desk and writing):

1. The shower
2. Movie theatres, sitting there waiting for the previews (I'm often early)
3. Concerts

Apparently I need to force myself to be still to have the opportunity to ramble-think. How about you? What are your best places for inspiration, other than your writing place?