Monday, April 30, 2007
The Summit
This is what I'm doing today and tomorrow. Yep, hobnobbing with August Busch today, Robert Rubin and Ben Bernanke tomorrow...but right now I'm at my desk on a brief lunch break after volunteering as lunch support for the 2000 guests. Whew.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Pacing
You'll note that I've slowed down the writing pace considerably the past few days. I'm not giving up my goals, but I am taking a little bit of the pressure off myself--at least until this grad school term is over in 2 weeks. We have SO much going on right now, in all aspects of Life, that I was freaking myself out entirely. And when I started beating myself up on IM about not making my 10,000 words this month goal, a good friend pointed out that this book is not supposed to be about pressure, but about fun. So I lightened up a little for now. Still writing every day, just not pushing as hard. The overall goal is still to finish this draft by Surrey, and I still believe that will happen.
Back to the craziness...
Back to the craziness...
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Princessing
Child has decided that each day this week she is going to attend preschool dressed up as a different Disney princess. Actually it started Sunday--she went to the store as Sleeping Beauty, complete with crown and bracelets. Yesterday was Cinderella (blue, of course).
Today she came out of her room in a yellow spaghetti-strap summer dress. In Montana. In April. For those who don't live in the North, that means it could be 60 degrees, or it could snow at any moment. ("But Mommy, I'm Belle! I have to Only Wear Yellow! See?" {shows me her Belle underwear, with Belle indeed only wearing yellow...a yellow off the shoulder evening gown and long gloves. Hmmm. It could be worse.})
We compromised. She wore a yellow short-sleeve shirt under the dress, and navy blue tights that she claims are invisible anyway, because--look--if she bends her knee you can see the skin through them, so no one can tell she's wearing tights. I love rationalization, don't you?
But she did get to wear the gloves.
I can't wait to see what we've got on tap for tomorrow...
Today she came out of her room in a yellow spaghetti-strap summer dress. In Montana. In April. For those who don't live in the North, that means it could be 60 degrees, or it could snow at any moment. ("But Mommy, I'm Belle! I have to Only Wear Yellow! See?" {shows me her Belle underwear, with Belle indeed only wearing yellow...a yellow off the shoulder evening gown and long gloves. Hmmm. It could be worse.})
We compromised. She wore a yellow short-sleeve shirt under the dress, and navy blue tights that she claims are invisible anyway, because--look--if she bends her knee you can see the skin through them, so no one can tell she's wearing tights. I love rationalization, don't you?
But she did get to wear the gloves.
I can't wait to see what we've got on tap for tomorrow...
Monday, April 23, 2007
Yuck
And a step back...
I had to cut out the whole bit of stuff I wrote on Friday--900 words. It was just awful, draggy, and horribly boring. I saved it in a file called "yuck.doc" in case I should ever want any of it...but I doubt it.
{sigh}
I had to cut out the whole bit of stuff I wrote on Friday--900 words. It was just awful, draggy, and horribly boring. I saved it in a file called "yuck.doc" in case I should ever want any of it...but I doubt it.
{sigh}
Friday, April 20, 2007
Keywords I hadn't thought of
Keywords people have used to land on this site recently:
--homemade tinkerbell cake
Sorry, my friend, you're not going to find that here. I buy from a bakery, all the way.
--getting to know you email
Yeah, that one traveled all over the place, didn't it?
--susan adrian, wi
Is there one in Wisconsin? I'll have to go check that myself.
--writer's tale
Yes, baby! Name recognition!
--booty blogspot
Or not.
--bunk saggy springs
??
--and one of my regulars: intercultural communication crash movie characters
Yes, I help other students with my informative {cough} comments. Who knew?
Note the little "25%" in the progress bar over there to the right. I'm just saying.
--homemade tinkerbell cake
Sorry, my friend, you're not going to find that here. I buy from a bakery, all the way.
--getting to know you email
Yeah, that one traveled all over the place, didn't it?
--susan adrian, wi
Is there one in Wisconsin? I'll have to go check that myself.
--writer's tale
Yes, baby! Name recognition!
--booty blogspot
Or not.
--bunk saggy springs
??
--and one of my regulars: intercultural communication crash movie characters
Yes, I help other students with my informative {cough} comments. Who knew?
Note the little "25%" in the progress bar over there to the right. I'm just saying.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The end of TASTE
Approximate conversation in my household last night:
I'd finally gotten everything done, put Child to bed, and had been able to collapse on the sofa and dive into TASTE for about half an hour. Hubby had been at a work thing. Key rattles in the door.
Him: "Hi, honey, I'm home!" (Not actually. Something more along the lines of "Hey.")
Me, nose firmly in book: "Mmm. Mmm-hmm. Oh, hey."
Him: {conversation about function}
Me: "Wha?" {dragging eyes up from page for half-second} "That sounds fun."
He wanders around for a while. Him: "Where's the mail?"
Me: {pause, pause, pause, turn page} "Table."
About 5 minutes later. He trips over one of the many obstacles Child has kindly left out, and I have not picked up. Him: "What IS all this?"
Me: {waving a dismissive hand, still not looking up} "Toys."
He stares at me for a couple of minutes. Him: "What are you, a voracious reader?"
Me: {reverently, pinching the rest of the text with my thumb and finger} "Twenty pages left."
He sighs, looks at me again, then sighs again. Him: "I think I'm going to take a bath."
Me: "Yay! I mean...okay."
And...I finished. Yay.
I'd finally gotten everything done, put Child to bed, and had been able to collapse on the sofa and dive into TASTE for about half an hour. Hubby had been at a work thing. Key rattles in the door.
Him: "Hi, honey, I'm home!" (Not actually. Something more along the lines of "Hey.")
Me, nose firmly in book: "Mmm. Mmm-hmm. Oh, hey."
Him: {conversation about function}
Me: "Wha?" {dragging eyes up from page for half-second} "That sounds fun."
He wanders around for a while. Him: "Where's the mail?"
Me: {pause, pause, pause, turn page} "Table."
About 5 minutes later. He trips over one of the many obstacles Child has kindly left out, and I have not picked up. Him: "What IS all this?"
Me: {waving a dismissive hand, still not looking up} "Toys."
He stares at me for a couple of minutes. Him: "What are you, a voracious reader?"
Me: {reverently, pinching the rest of the text with my thumb and finger} "Twenty pages left."
He sighs, looks at me again, then sighs again. Him: "I think I'm going to take a bath."
Me: "Yay! I mean...okay."
And...I finished. Yay.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Accomplishments
In the past few days I/we (hubby) have accomplished:
- Finished the final version of my thesis proposal (okay, I'm going to do one more spit/polish in the morning), including a lovely annotated bibliography with 27 articles
- Got up over 15,000 words on Jenna, with a goal toward 20,000 at the end of April
- Paid our taxes (whew)
- Bought new kitchen and bathroom sinks
- Bought and delivered $200 worth of snacks for our "snack week" of preschool
- Restrained myself from auditioning for a play, even though I wanted to, because it totally would mess with our schedule
- Booked a mini-getaway for hubby and I to Seattle in May to see a Padres/Mariners game
- Booked our vacation to Winnipeg in June for a certain person's wedding {g}
- Booked two overnight trips to Missoula in May, on different weekends, to see (a) a ballet performance and (b) the Lipizzaner stallions (can you see now why being in a play in May is not a reasonable thing?)
- Helped Child make and "bind" her own alphabet book
- Attended our semi-annual parent/teacher conference
- Managed to go shopping and buy new clothes for Child AND me (yay)
Friday, April 13, 2007
Feeling Green
I've been reading a book by a wonderful writer. The pace is excellent, drawing me through each chapter delicately but persistently, never letting go. The characters are deep, rounded, and passionate, as vivid as my husband sitting next to me. I can see each of them and understand them, without being able to predict what they'll do next. The word choice is clear but original, with metaphors that make me alternately nod my head with the perfection of the image and laugh along with the narrator. It's fabulous.
And it's given me a horrible case of Writer's Envy.
You know the saying about imitation? I think envy is really the sincerest form of flattery--if you can call something you never admit to sincere.
Because you don't want to admit to it, even to yourself, do you? You know, as a writer, that comparison is the quickest blood-sucker of confidence. Once you start envying, the shine comes off your own work and your own ideas. You start the whirlpool thought process: I can never write like that. Why even bother? I should just hang it up now, start a fan club, and be done with the whole farce. Down and down, around and around, until every word of your own writing sounds like crap and you're sucked down to the bottom, wallowing in self-pity and envy.
So you have to not do that--but I think every writer does, unless they have an ego the size of Alaska. Even the ones you idealize, and the ones I idealize, have felt just exactly that way when reading someone else's work. It's really that way with every endeavor. When I was dancing I used to feel the same kind of envious awe watching a great pirouette, or grand jete. So instead of avoiding it altogether you have to be able to recognize the whirlpool for what it is and drag yourself out in time, or get your friends to throw you a lifeline.
Me, I emailed the writer directly, told her I was going to fly down and kick her ass myself if she ever told me again that she was "lucky" to be published, because she was just That Good. And then I whined a little. But I don't recommend that in most cases. {s}
I do recommend that the next time you find yourself in the throes of Writer's Envy you read, and contemplate, her response to my whiny email: "That's bullshit. About you not being able to write like whatever. You'll write like you, which is great. So there."
So there.
And of course, the writer is Vicki Pettersson. And the book is TASTE OF NIGHT.
Who are the authors who make you feel green?
And it's given me a horrible case of Writer's Envy.
You know the saying about imitation? I think envy is really the sincerest form of flattery--if you can call something you never admit to sincere.
Because you don't want to admit to it, even to yourself, do you? You know, as a writer, that comparison is the quickest blood-sucker of confidence. Once you start envying, the shine comes off your own work and your own ideas. You start the whirlpool thought process: I can never write like that. Why even bother? I should just hang it up now, start a fan club, and be done with the whole farce. Down and down, around and around, until every word of your own writing sounds like crap and you're sucked down to the bottom, wallowing in self-pity and envy.
So you have to not do that--but I think every writer does, unless they have an ego the size of Alaska. Even the ones you idealize, and the ones I idealize, have felt just exactly that way when reading someone else's work. It's really that way with every endeavor. When I was dancing I used to feel the same kind of envious awe watching a great pirouette, or grand jete. So instead of avoiding it altogether you have to be able to recognize the whirlpool for what it is and drag yourself out in time, or get your friends to throw you a lifeline.
Me, I emailed the writer directly, told her I was going to fly down and kick her ass myself if she ever told me again that she was "lucky" to be published, because she was just That Good. And then I whined a little. But I don't recommend that in most cases. {s}
I do recommend that the next time you find yourself in the throes of Writer's Envy you read, and contemplate, her response to my whiny email: "That's bullshit. About you not being able to write like whatever. You'll write like you, which is great. So there."
So there.
And of course, the writer is Vicki Pettersson. And the book is TASTE OF NIGHT.
Who are the authors who make you feel green?
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Kurt Vonnegut
A day of silence, today, for Kurt Vonnegut's passing. He was one of the great ones who inspired me to write--and he was a fabulous, crotchety, funny old guy besides.
Rest in peace, Kurt. Or better, for you, go have fun now, and keep 'em lively up there.
Rest in peace, Kurt. Or better, for you, go have fun now, and keep 'em lively up there.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Progress and flying monkeys
Hmmm. Almost a week since I last posted here...sorry about that.
On the other hand, it does seem to be a pattern that I don't post much when the writing's going well, and it still is. So maybe I'm not sorry.
My goal is still to get 10,000 words a month on Jenna until it's done, and I'm doing that. I'll be at 15,000 by the end of this week, and keep on going. I've been having all sorts of convolutions with how I think the plot should go, my mind twisting this way and that way and back, but I think I have a handle on it now--I can actually see in a vague way all the way up to the climax. Have no idea what will happen with the climax, but I don't want to yet!
I'm also realizing that this is a "thin" first draft, and I'll have to go back and plump it up the second time around. I'm just so eager to find out what happens, I'm whipping through with very little description/development/worldbuilding. But I know enough to realize those things will need to be added, so I've just been making notes to myself in my writing journal and moving on. Momentum, ya know. I wonder how long this draft will actually turn out to be--likely shorter than 70,000! I may have to adjust my scale on the side as I go...(doesn't that seem like cheating?)
Oh, and since I'm not sharing text yet, I'll share another picture. Wanna see what the villains in Jenna look like?
[photo removed because of all the weird searches I get for this picture from Mattel...]
Okay, not really. They're worse than that. Gave you a shiver, though, didn't I?
On the other hand, it does seem to be a pattern that I don't post much when the writing's going well, and it still is. So maybe I'm not sorry.
My goal is still to get 10,000 words a month on Jenna until it's done, and I'm doing that. I'll be at 15,000 by the end of this week, and keep on going. I've been having all sorts of convolutions with how I think the plot should go, my mind twisting this way and that way and back, but I think I have a handle on it now--I can actually see in a vague way all the way up to the climax. Have no idea what will happen with the climax, but I don't want to yet!
I'm also realizing that this is a "thin" first draft, and I'll have to go back and plump it up the second time around. I'm just so eager to find out what happens, I'm whipping through with very little description/development/worldbuilding. But I know enough to realize those things will need to be added, so I've just been making notes to myself in my writing journal and moving on. Momentum, ya know. I wonder how long this draft will actually turn out to be--likely shorter than 70,000! I may have to adjust my scale on the side as I go...(doesn't that seem like cheating?)
Oh, and since I'm not sharing text yet, I'll share another picture. Wanna see what the villains in Jenna look like?
[photo removed because of all the weird searches I get for this picture from Mattel...]
Okay, not really. They're worse than that. Gave you a shiver, though, didn't I?
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Getting to Know You...
Which I'm supposed to email, but I'm going to do it as a meme instead. Though if anyone really wades all the way through my answers, I will be shocked. {g}
Welcome to the 2007 version of getting to know your friends. What you
Are supposed to do is copy (not forward) this entire email and paste
it onto a new email that you'll send. Change all the answers so they
apply to you, and then send this to a whole bunch of people including
the person who sent it to you. Put your name in the subject line. The
theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your
friends, if you did not know them already.
1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:03 am
2. Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds!
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Music and Lyrics
4. What is your favorite TV show? The Good Night Show on PBS Sprout
(well, it's the only one I watch regularly)
5. What did you have for breakfast? Shared cereal with Child
6. What is your middle name? Adrian (Ha!)
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Mexican
8. What food do you dislike? Green peppers
9. Your favorite chip? Salt & Vinegar, totally
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Um. I listen to Pandora
Radio and Yahoo Radio. Maybe 8 1/2 Souvenirs.
11. What kind of car do you drive? Honda CRV
12. Favorite Sandwich? BLT
13. What characteristics do you despise? Meanness
14. What are your favorite clothes? My hot pink cardigan and jeans
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation? Tahiti
16. What color are your eyes? Green. Okay, hazel
17. Favorite brand of clothing? Brand?
18. Where would you want to retire? Pacific Northwest, maybe. Or Hawaii.
19. Favorite time of day? Evening
20. Where were you born? Long Beach, CA
21. What is your favorite sport to watch? Baseball
22. Who do you think will not send this back? I have no idea!
23. Person you expect to send it back first? We'll see, won't we?
24. Pepsi or Coke? Don't drink soda
25. Cats or Dogs? Neither!
26. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night owl.
27. Pedicure or manicure? Neither. My nails are never done, either set.
28. Do you prefer funny or mushy cards? Funny
29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone?
Nah, I brag enough already.
30. What did you want to be when you were little? A dancer
31. What do you have in your trunk right now? Trunk? Who the F has a
trunk?
32. What is your best childhood memory? Christmas mornings
33. What are all the different jobs you have had in your life? Geez,
how much time do you have? General categories: salesperson, pet
caretaker, cold caller, bookstore clerk, bookstore manager,
copyeditor, production editor, web manager, editor. Okay, I skipped
some.
34. What is your favorite Holiday? Christmas
35. What is your favorite dessert? Orange cake. No, chocolate. No,
ice cream. No, orange cake.
36. Favorite Get away? San Diego
37. Ever been to Africa ? No
38. Glasses or Contacts? Glasses now (it's too dry here for contacts)
39. Ever been toilet papering? Yes
40. Been in a car accident? Yes
41. Favorite day of the week? Sunday
42. Favorite restaurant? On the Queen Mary (yeah, I don't get to go
there a lot)
43. Favorite flower? Poppies
44. Favorite movies? 40s movies, esp. romantic comedy
45. Favorite Past time? Writing! Playing with Child. Reading.
46. Favorite ice cream? Pralines & Cream from Baskin Robbins
47. Favorite fast food restaurant? Don't eat fast food at all
49. From whom did you get your last email? Kreekie
50. Sandals or tennis shoes? Sandals
51. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
I wouldn't. (I know, I sound like a prig, but I AM when it comes to
money!)
52. If the speed limit is 60 what is the fastest you will drive? 80
53. What is your bedtime? 11 or so
54. Whose response to this are you most curious about? Everyone....
55. Last person you went to dinner with? My hubby
56. What are you listening to right now? "Let's Do It" by Ella Fitzgerald
57. What is your favorite color? Forest green
58. How many tattoos do you have? None
59. How many people are you sending this Email to? I'm blogging it, baby!
60. What time did you finish this email? 8:39 am
Welcome to the 2007 version of getting to know your friends. What you
Are supposed to do is copy (not forward) this entire email and paste
it onto a new email that you'll send. Change all the answers so they
apply to you, and then send this to a whole bunch of people including
the person who sent it to you. Put your name in the subject line. The
theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your
friends, if you did not know them already.
1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:03 am
2. Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds!
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Music and Lyrics
4. What is your favorite TV show? The Good Night Show on PBS Sprout
(well, it's the only one I watch regularly)
5. What did you have for breakfast? Shared cereal with Child
6. What is your middle name? Adrian (Ha!)
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Mexican
8. What food do you dislike? Green peppers
9. Your favorite chip? Salt & Vinegar, totally
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Um. I listen to Pandora
Radio and Yahoo Radio. Maybe 8 1/2 Souvenirs.
11. What kind of car do you drive? Honda CRV
12. Favorite Sandwich? BLT
13. What characteristics do you despise? Meanness
14. What are your favorite clothes? My hot pink cardigan and jeans
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation? Tahiti
16. What color are your eyes? Green. Okay, hazel
17. Favorite brand of clothing? Brand?
18. Where would you want to retire? Pacific Northwest, maybe. Or Hawaii.
19. Favorite time of day? Evening
20. Where were you born? Long Beach, CA
21. What is your favorite sport to watch? Baseball
22. Who do you think will not send this back? I have no idea!
23. Person you expect to send it back first? We'll see, won't we?
24. Pepsi or Coke? Don't drink soda
25. Cats or Dogs? Neither!
26. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night owl.
27. Pedicure or manicure? Neither. My nails are never done, either set.
28. Do you prefer funny or mushy cards? Funny
29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone?
Nah, I brag enough already.
30. What did you want to be when you were little? A dancer
31. What do you have in your trunk right now? Trunk? Who the F has a
trunk?
32. What is your best childhood memory? Christmas mornings
33. What are all the different jobs you have had in your life? Geez,
how much time do you have? General categories: salesperson, pet
caretaker, cold caller, bookstore clerk, bookstore manager,
copyeditor, production editor, web manager, editor. Okay, I skipped
some.
34. What is your favorite Holiday? Christmas
35. What is your favorite dessert? Orange cake. No, chocolate. No,
ice cream. No, orange cake.
36. Favorite Get away? San Diego
37. Ever been to Africa ? No
38. Glasses or Contacts? Glasses now (it's too dry here for contacts)
39. Ever been toilet papering? Yes
40. Been in a car accident? Yes
41. Favorite day of the week? Sunday
42. Favorite restaurant? On the Queen Mary (yeah, I don't get to go
there a lot)
43. Favorite flower? Poppies
44. Favorite movies? 40s movies, esp. romantic comedy
45. Favorite Past time? Writing! Playing with Child. Reading.
46. Favorite ice cream? Pralines & Cream from Baskin Robbins
47. Favorite fast food restaurant? Don't eat fast food at all
49. From whom did you get your last email? Kreekie
50. Sandals or tennis shoes? Sandals
51. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
I wouldn't. (I know, I sound like a prig, but I AM when it comes to
money!)
52. If the speed limit is 60 what is the fastest you will drive? 80
53. What is your bedtime? 11 or so
54. Whose response to this are you most curious about? Everyone....
55. Last person you went to dinner with? My hubby
56. What are you listening to right now? "Let's Do It" by Ella Fitzgerald
57. What is your favorite color? Forest green
58. How many tattoos do you have? None
59. How many people are you sending this Email to? I'm blogging it, baby!
60. What time did you finish this email? 8:39 am
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Word Choice
Transcript of actual conversation with Child last night. Remember that Child just turned 5 years old.
Child: "Look, Mommy, did you see that? I'm shaking my booty!"
Me: {boggling}
Child: {giggles} "Did you see? I'm shaking my booty, my booty! Do you know what a booty is?"
Me: {faintly} "Yes..."
Child: "Isn't that funny?"
Me, trying to think faster than the molasses pace I'm managing so far: "You know, 'booty' isn't really a nice word."
Child: "Like butt?"
Me, who has fought several battles over 'butt': "Exactly. It's not a word we should use outside the house. What's the word we should use for that with other people?"
Child: {giggles again} "Bottom!"
Me: "Right, good."
Child: "Booty, butt, bottom. Booty, butt, bottom. You know, they all sound the same! Booty! Butt! Bottom!"
At this point I bent over to pick something up off the floor.
Child: "Mommy, now YOU are shaking your booty!"
Me, giving up....
Child: "Look, Mommy, did you see that? I'm shaking my booty!"
Me: {boggling}
Child: {giggles} "Did you see? I'm shaking my booty, my booty! Do you know what a booty is?"
Me: {faintly} "Yes..."
Child: "Isn't that funny?"
Me, trying to think faster than the molasses pace I'm managing so far: "You know, 'booty' isn't really a nice word."
Child: "Like butt?"
Me, who has fought several battles over 'butt': "Exactly. It's not a word we should use outside the house. What's the word we should use for that with other people?"
Child: {giggles again} "Bottom!"
Me: "Right, good."
Child: "Booty, butt, bottom. Booty, butt, bottom. You know, they all sound the same! Booty! Butt! Bottom!"
At this point I bent over to pick something up off the floor.
Child: "Mommy, now YOU are shaking your booty!"
Me, giving up....
Monday, April 02, 2007
In which I am surrounded by famous people
Wow, very cool news is all around me:
--Vicki Pettersson's second book, The Taste of Night, popped onto the shelves at the end of last week. I haven't talked about it yet because I still haven't gotten my grubby hands on a copy (grrrr), but soon, my friends, soon. It promises to be truly kick-ass.
--Another forum friend, Jo Bourne, had her book accepted by Berkley a while back...and it's already on Amazon! I can't wait to read this one either.
Add these to the friends I saw performing in our Symphony this weekend, and the friends who are playing guitar and singing at our local coffeehouse on Friday, and I am overwhelmed by all the talent surrounding me.
I'd better get myself in gear too, eh? :)
--Vicki Pettersson's second book, The Taste of Night, popped onto the shelves at the end of last week. I haven't talked about it yet because I still haven't gotten my grubby hands on a copy (grrrr), but soon, my friends, soon. It promises to be truly kick-ass.
--Another forum friend, Jo Bourne, had her book accepted by Berkley a while back...and it's already on Amazon! I can't wait to read this one either.
Add these to the friends I saw performing in our Symphony this weekend, and the friends who are playing guitar and singing at our local coffeehouse on Friday, and I am overwhelmed by all the talent surrounding me.
I'd better get myself in gear too, eh? :)
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Jenna
I'm still moving along. Got my poem done, my presentation done. I'm snail-like in my progress on my grad projects, but at least the snail does get there eventually. Crossed 9500 words on Jenna today, so I'll get 10,000 by end of March to meet my goal. Yay.
You know what's funny? It took me the better part of 4 months for me to get 9500 words on Book 2, which is roughly where I stopped. It took me 39 days with Jenna. A better pace by far. {g}
My new working title is "The Weirdest Thing about Jenna", though I'm sure that will change.
And though nobody did ask, I'm going to post a picture of what Jenna looks like, since she's taken over my head. She's just about 3 years older than this picture, but it's a pretty good likeness for a stock photo. {g}
You know what's funny? It took me the better part of 4 months for me to get 9500 words on Book 2, which is roughly where I stopped. It took me 39 days with Jenna. A better pace by far. {g}
My new working title is "The Weirdest Thing about Jenna", though I'm sure that will change.
And though nobody did ask, I'm going to post a picture of what Jenna looks like, since she's taken over my head. She's just about 3 years older than this picture, but it's a pretty good likeness for a stock photo. {g}
Monday, March 26, 2007
Miscellania
It's 45 degrees outside right now, but it's HOT in my office. I have both windows open and a fan blowing about a foot from me. I do wish when it's warm outside they'd turn the frigging boiler heat off. {roast}
In good news:
1. I had an excellent weekend. We went on a shopping trip to Bozeman on Saturday, and came back with piles o' clothes (I'm sporting a very cute shirt right now, polka-dotted and springy), new pillows, and a fish tank for Child. We'll pick up the fish this week, yay.
2. It was 70 degrees in Bozeman on Saturday, and the aforementioned 45 here today. It is sunny and balmy, and the bulbs are coming up and the trees budding. We don't usually have spring in March here, but it's nice.
3. I managed a bit more on JENNA today. Should be able to accomplish the 10,000 by end of March with no problems--5 days and 1130 words remaining. I also wrote a good draft of the poem I have to produce for an April 1st deadline (a local artist/writer collaboration project) on Friday. Finally.
4. I got my haircut on Thursday, into a layered bob kind of like the avatar look. It makes me feel all different and ready for warmer weather. Bonus: when my hair is that short, it bounces up and gets curly. I always forget this when it's long. {g}
5. Hubby and I squeezed in watching THE PRESTIGE and HOLIDAY over the past few days, and I loved them both. THE PRESTIGE is very reminiscent of THE ILLUSIONIST, and yet just different enough. Both totally fooled me, though. Why can I never see the twists? I told my husband that I'm the perfect movie/magic/hypnotism subject. I always see what they want me to see. {sigh}
Things I'm not thrilled with:
1. Term is over in a month, and I've left my grad school projects to the end. I started last week (again, finally) but it's taking longer than I'd hoped. I'm going to be putting in some major hours these next couple of weeks. Yuck.
2. I have to read a chapter on "Contesting the Objectivist Paradigm" and present it in class on Wednesday. Bleagh. Can you tell I'm more into writing than grad school this term?
3. I am extremely sleepy.
On balance, the positives far outweigh the negatives. I just have to kick myself in the butt to do the grad school stuff. Of course it's hard to kick oneself in the butt when one is extremely sleepy, but will try.......
In good news:
1. I had an excellent weekend. We went on a shopping trip to Bozeman on Saturday, and came back with piles o' clothes (I'm sporting a very cute shirt right now, polka-dotted and springy), new pillows, and a fish tank for Child. We'll pick up the fish this week, yay.
2. It was 70 degrees in Bozeman on Saturday, and the aforementioned 45 here today. It is sunny and balmy, and the bulbs are coming up and the trees budding. We don't usually have spring in March here, but it's nice.
3. I managed a bit more on JENNA today. Should be able to accomplish the 10,000 by end of March with no problems--5 days and 1130 words remaining. I also wrote a good draft of the poem I have to produce for an April 1st deadline (a local artist/writer collaboration project) on Friday. Finally.
4. I got my haircut on Thursday, into a layered bob kind of like the avatar look. It makes me feel all different and ready for warmer weather. Bonus: when my hair is that short, it bounces up and gets curly. I always forget this when it's long. {g}
5. Hubby and I squeezed in watching THE PRESTIGE and HOLIDAY over the past few days, and I loved them both. THE PRESTIGE is very reminiscent of THE ILLUSIONIST, and yet just different enough. Both totally fooled me, though. Why can I never see the twists? I told my husband that I'm the perfect movie/magic/hypnotism subject. I always see what they want me to see. {sigh}
Things I'm not thrilled with:
1. Term is over in a month, and I've left my grad school projects to the end. I started last week (again, finally) but it's taking longer than I'd hoped. I'm going to be putting in some major hours these next couple of weeks. Yuck.
2. I have to read a chapter on "Contesting the Objectivist Paradigm" and present it in class on Wednesday. Bleagh. Can you tell I'm more into writing than grad school this term?
3. I am extremely sleepy.
On balance, the positives far outweigh the negatives. I just have to kick myself in the butt to do the grad school stuff. Of course it's hard to kick oneself in the butt when one is extremely sleepy, but will try.......
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The Writing Journal
Confession: This is Vicki's method. After she told me to try it four or five times, I finally did. And it works so well, I'm going to pass it on to you. Try it. Don't make me tell you five times. {g}
After I decided to put TMT under the bed, I had no idea what I wanted to do next. I wanted to try something I was enthusiastic about, something that included all the elements I love. But you've all heard this before. The part I haven't talked about is the Writing Journal.
Yeah, revolutionary, right? A journal. Like no writer has ever tried a journal before...that's what I thought. But then Vic explained that she wasn't just writing her daily life experiences. It's more than that--it's a way of freeing yourself to talk about the character, to get into the character, without worrying about the precious words.
So here's what you do. When you sit down to write, open a journal file. Do a paragraph or so about how you feel, what's going on around you, life. Then just start to type about your character. What is she doing right now? What situation is she stuck in? How is she feeling? Put in any authorial notes you want. Write what you changed last time, thoughts you had about the world/setting, ideas you're thinking about. Jot down those niggly ideas or questions you have. Do you need to expand that scene with Joe? Does this part feel flat? What could happen to make it more interesting? Suggest something off the top of your head, then explain to yourself why that won't work, or is cliche. Suggest something else. Think with your fingers. Then...go write the scene you're thinking about.
This works SO well for me. It allows me to brainstorm and avoid wrong turns before I take them. It allows me to get into the character, to think about all the intertwined threads of what's going on with her so I don't lose track of any. It allows me to work things out without worrying about which words to use.
I also insert pictures all over my writing journal. This is what I think Jenna looks like. This is what I'm imagining Joe looks like. Here are pictures of the setting...and then I can go back to those at any time.
I did this every day for a week or two before I started actual writing on JENNA, but by then I was so itching to start the writing I was ready to go. And I'd already thought of and rejected several possible plot options, in favor of more interesting ones. Now I don't do it every single day, but I do several times a week, and any time I feel stuck on where's the best place to go next. It's a fabulous--and simple--tool.
Ready to try it yet? If you're stuck at all, or you're just ready for a new idea, try it out.
Oh, and did I make anyone curious as to what Jenna looks like? {g}
After I decided to put TMT under the bed, I had no idea what I wanted to do next. I wanted to try something I was enthusiastic about, something that included all the elements I love. But you've all heard this before. The part I haven't talked about is the Writing Journal.
Yeah, revolutionary, right? A journal. Like no writer has ever tried a journal before...that's what I thought. But then Vic explained that she wasn't just writing her daily life experiences. It's more than that--it's a way of freeing yourself to talk about the character, to get into the character, without worrying about the precious words.
So here's what you do. When you sit down to write, open a journal file. Do a paragraph or so about how you feel, what's going on around you, life. Then just start to type about your character. What is she doing right now? What situation is she stuck in? How is she feeling? Put in any authorial notes you want. Write what you changed last time, thoughts you had about the world/setting, ideas you're thinking about. Jot down those niggly ideas or questions you have. Do you need to expand that scene with Joe? Does this part feel flat? What could happen to make it more interesting? Suggest something off the top of your head, then explain to yourself why that won't work, or is cliche. Suggest something else. Think with your fingers. Then...go write the scene you're thinking about.
This works SO well for me. It allows me to brainstorm and avoid wrong turns before I take them. It allows me to get into the character, to think about all the intertwined threads of what's going on with her so I don't lose track of any. It allows me to work things out without worrying about which words to use.
I also insert pictures all over my writing journal. This is what I think Jenna looks like. This is what I'm imagining Joe looks like. Here are pictures of the setting...and then I can go back to those at any time.
I did this every day for a week or two before I started actual writing on JENNA, but by then I was so itching to start the writing I was ready to go. And I'd already thought of and rejected several possible plot options, in favor of more interesting ones. Now I don't do it every single day, but I do several times a week, and any time I feel stuck on where's the best place to go next. It's a fabulous--and simple--tool.
Ready to try it yet? If you're stuck at all, or you're just ready for a new idea, try it out.
Oh, and did I make anyone curious as to what Jenna looks like? {g}
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
The Life
Still here, just hiding. Livin' life, which is rocking pretty hard right now, so I'm trying to enjoy every minute.
Yesterday Child and I had an unexpected day off together, since her school decided to go ahead with their planned Ski Day. Um...it's been 60-65 degrees for 3 weeks, with no storms. Anything left on the slopes will be pure ice. And I'm not sending a preschooler to ski on ice, sorry.
So I was Super Mommy, and invited her best friend over for a playdate in the afternoon instead. Man, it is so cool to watch your kid be that happy. The two of them were giggling like fiends for 3 hours straight, playing dress up and 'chicken pox' (?), and playdoh meal-making and Angelina Ballerina and I don't even know what all. I was also selfishly hoping that I'd have time to write while they were playing, but I only managed 100 words in between being Miss Lily and Mom and the sister who did not have chicken pox. And that's okay--I have enough sense to know that word count and even writing are not always the most important things. {s}
However, I'm back to it today (trying to resist the Spider Solitaire urge, but that's another story), and will get up over 8000 at least.
Oh, and I found a wonderful, perfect post on "How to Write the Book of Your Voice" by Julie Leto. YES yes yes. Writers, go read it. This is the realization I've been coming to these past few weeks. (Thanks for the link, Diana)
Yesterday Child and I had an unexpected day off together, since her school decided to go ahead with their planned Ski Day. Um...it's been 60-65 degrees for 3 weeks, with no storms. Anything left on the slopes will be pure ice. And I'm not sending a preschooler to ski on ice, sorry.
So I was Super Mommy, and invited her best friend over for a playdate in the afternoon instead. Man, it is so cool to watch your kid be that happy. The two of them were giggling like fiends for 3 hours straight, playing dress up and 'chicken pox' (?), and playdoh meal-making and Angelina Ballerina and I don't even know what all. I was also selfishly hoping that I'd have time to write while they were playing, but I only managed 100 words in between being Miss Lily and Mom and the sister who did not have chicken pox. And that's okay--I have enough sense to know that word count and even writing are not always the most important things. {s}
However, I'm back to it today (trying to resist the Spider Solitaire urge, but that's another story), and will get up over 8000 at least.
Oh, and I found a wonderful, perfect post on "How to Write the Book of Your Voice" by Julie Leto. YES yes yes. Writers, go read it. This is the realization I've been coming to these past few weeks. (Thanks for the link, Diana)
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Why, you ask?
You know why I haven't been blogging so much lately? Because I've been writing. Jamming on writing, and having a ball. Watch that bar over on the side go up, every day. My goal is 10,000 words by the end of March...but that may be conservative; I've written about 4000 good words since Thursday, which is super kick-ass for me. If I get 10,000 words by next week I won't complain, and I'll just keep going.
Yeah, baby.
Oh, and I also haven't been blogging because I have a blecky cold. My head feels roughly like a Mylar balloon at the moment, and that's without medication. Which may account for the euphoria. Hmmm.
Yeah, baby.
Oh, and I also haven't been blogging because I have a blecky cold. My head feels roughly like a Mylar balloon at the moment, and that's without medication. Which may account for the euphoria. Hmmm.
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