It's Time For a Break...

Okay, it's officially time for a break. I've fought it for a while. But I'm now at the point of inevitablility.

Today I am 12 weeks pregnant. YAY! And I'll admit the pregnancy and recent events have been quite the distraction. There are also a couple of concerns which place me in the high risk category. Namely a blood disorder I have called factor V Leiden which causes me to be prone to clotting. Which wouldn't be such an issue if I weren't allergic to aspirin which is the easiest and most common solution for the problem during pregnancy. So my focus just hasn't been on writing.

With work and family and the baby on the way there's just been so little time to spend on writing or even writing activities. So I finally decided I need to just give myself permission to take an extended break.

I'll still be around, lurking to see what everyone is up to. And it's definately a temporary thing. It's just a long temporary thing. Lord knows the characters in my head will not permit me to live in peace for long. LOL!

Smooches and happy writing to all of my blog buddies!
April

It's Christmas Time!!!

This is my favorite time of the year. I start getting Christmas tunes in my head in July or August. So when it actually comes around, I'm super duper happy about it.

To dispell the gloom this weekend, hubby and I put up the tree and it really did brighten the day. Now we just need to decorate it. LOL! And decorate everything else. I think we'll finish it off this weekend. I've been a little under the weather, so we just couldn't get it finished yet.

I tried to convince hubby we need to do something like the guy in the video below. And while he's all about working out the technical aspects, I think he's afraid of the prospect of climbing up on our roof (it's steep). So I told him we'd skip it and just do what we usually do. Of course that whole proposition could have back fired on me because he could have been all for it, then where would I be? Probably on You Tube like this guy. LOL!



What about you? Planning any "show" staging for the holidays?

April

What I'm Thankful For...

I'm thankful for my family and all of the friends and loved ones I have or have had in my life. I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with them. I'm thankful for those special people who enter my life and leave me a different, maybe better person.

One of those people is a friend of my husband. And yesterday he lost his battle with lung cancer. It was a relatively short battle, his having been diagnosed just this past spring with stage IV cancer. Short did not mean painless. Through treatments which nearly cut his life even shorter, he persevered and continued to pray for healing and have faith that all would happen as was meant to be.

In June we even celebrated a short remission. However, it was discovered the remission was to be short lived. News that he would be undergoing a procedure spread recently and we all began the prayers for another miracle. However, it simply was not meant to be.

Chris' life itself was a miracle. A talented musician, he's been touching lives for a very long time and when he was diagnosed with lung cancer, he made it his mission to make clubs smoke free.

You see Chris had not been a smoker for MANY years. However, as a musician, he had no choice but to be in smokey places. Thanks to him and his tenacity, we now have an organization for a smoke free SC. And he's raised awareness among local people who thought being under 40 and a non-smoker meant there was no reason to get screened for lung cancer.

So on this day of family and thankfullness, I celebrate the life of Chris Conner and the many ways he touched those around him. And I pray his son who is much too young to understand what is going on will know what an amazing person his father was and will be able to celebrate the legacy he left.

I also pray you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and you were able to cherish the time spent with family and friends for the gift that it is...

Love,
April

Does Anyone Smell Turkey?

Well, I know I've been a bad Blogger AGAIN! I am dreadfully sorry for that. My reasons for being such a terrible blogger will hopefully be better explained soon.

In the meantime, Thursday is Thanksgiving for those of us in the U.S. And this will be the first year hubby and I host Thanksgiving dinner at our house. We'll be hosting both of our families and possibly my sister's MIL. So there will be 11 or 12 of us (including a precocious 8 year-old)

My mother, lovely and wonderful person that she is, is bringing the turkey. I think it's because she's scared I can't cook one, but she says it's because she wants to help. She is the helper sort, so who knows... I still think I scare her. LOL! And my MIL is bringing dressing and pumpkin pies...

So that leaves sides (which run the gamut in our family) It seems no one likes the same thing and so there's always a bevy of sides. Mashed potatoes, corn, mac and cheese (for the nephew) and then the traditional biscuits and cranberry sauce. Then, half the family likes pumpkin pie, the other half coconut cake... So baking will need to be done...

And usually there's a fruit tray for appetizers... We're going to be up to our ears in food!

So here's my question. Really two... First, what is your BEST tip for hosting Thanksgiving (large quantities of alcohol excluded) and can you think of anything I've forgotten?

April
(who will try not to have a coronary this week. LOL!)

The Life & Times...

A good friend of mine got married this weekend. It was a lovely ceremony and a very enjoyable and yummy reception. I ate too much... what's new. But I had a good time and that's what matters. Ok, THE COUPLE had a good time and THAT'S what matters...

My darling hubby couldn't attend with me, but it's inevitable at a wedding you're going to start thinking about your own nuptuals, right? Or am I the only sap? Standing there in my bridesmaids dress watching them commit to loving and supporting each other for the rest of their lives I thought back two and a half years ago to when the hubster and I did the same.

We'd dated for over 11 years. I thought we were as close as we could be without living together. But I was wrong. Each year has brough hubby and I closer and the last two are no exception. We've faced our fair share of trials and tribulations, but we've faced them together and I'm thankful to have him here with me.

We found each other so early in life (I was 16 and he was 17), I think we were both fairly skeptical as to whether it was real or puppy love. We often joke that if there is a such thing as past lives, we must have been searching for each other for a long time in the last and that's why we found each other so early this time.

Whatever it was, it was a Blessing. I guess the Lord knew we'd need each other early on and so He provided. And whew, am I thankful.

So I wish Bethany and Steve the same joy and love hubby and I share and I pray they have a long and happy marriage!

Am I the only sap, say I'm not... please!!!!

April

Visit Me

Visit me over at Word Flirts where my characters are costing me sleep!

April

Get Me A Straight Jacket Please...

Things have been nuts! I know, I know... I've been saying that for a while now. But they just seem to stay nuts!

Last week, my best friend gave birth to a precious little baby boy. He's soooooooo sweet. On top of that we've been going to pre-wedding events for a friend who's getting married on Nov 3rd and another friend who got married yesterday.

I'm hoping after the 3rd things will slow down. Hahahahaha yeah right.

The wedding this past weekend was in the mountains, so hubby and I took off Friday and went up early to have a mini-vacation. It was great! We relaxed, did a little shopping, ate some GREAT food that is NOT on the list of approved foods I'm supposed to be eating from :o), and had an overall great time.

The wedding was outdoors at dusk and it was beautiful! It looked like a setting out of Southern Living with grapevine balls strung from ribbons in the trees and everything lit up with candles and little white lights. It was a little bit chilly, but I'd prefer that over hot and humid anytime!

What have you been up to recently?

April

And here she is....

April Andretti...
That's me and my over-sized bottom in a racing suit. I wore shorts because I knew it would be warm... but Whew is it warm in that suit. And the helmets are really heavy. When I put it on I thought my neck might collapse. It made turning my head feel funny though...

After every other driver, this guy checked out the cars. He checked the engine and tires. It was funny because he rolled the cars and the guys buckling people in through the windows would stumble to go along. In the background you can see a leader car and a rookie like me. Actually, my darling hubby who is reading over my shoulder told me that IS me. LOL! So there I am whipping around the track!

I thought at first this was me crossing the finish line. But if you look closely, the little flag guy has a rolled up green flag that he's waving like a nut. He's telling me to catch up to my lead car. But I felt I was going fast enough ;o)

And this is me pulling in to the pit, thanking God I made it without wrecking and praying I don't run over the poor little guy waving me in because the breaks don't really seem to stop on a dime... LOL!

Most of the pics my hubby took were of my car going around the track. But if you've seen one, you've kind of seen them all, you know? Our video camera gave out right after I got buckled in, so he switched to pics. I'm trying to figure out how to get the video off our camcorder so you guys can see them shove my big head through the window. LOL!

Happy Racing!
April (Andretti)

Just Call Me April Andretti...

Racing was FABULOUS! It was the biggest fright and exhilaration all wrapped into one.

We had to leave home around 8AM and my "driving experience" started at 11AM. When we got there it was neat because we drove through the tunnel out onto the asphalt in the center of the track. It's quite an overwhelming place!

First we watched a short video, then they broke us into groups and sent us out with instructors. My group toured the track first. I got to sit shot-gun in the van and they take us out and drove us around stopping where they need to point out certain things. Which can be disturbing when you're in a loaded van on a track tilted to 24%.

They have markers for your driving line painted on the track. If you stay between them you get the most bang for the buck. Then they have cones for where you take your foot off the gas going into a turn and for where you speed back up. After pointing everything out they take the van around the track at about 85mph. Which may not have been so scary if my instructor hadn't been talking over his shoulder to everyone and turning around looking back.

Then we went for in car instruction. This is where they tell you everything to do if something goes wrong. There's a million and one releases, a fire extinguisher pointed at you, and a low oil pressure gage I'm sad to say I never even looked at during my drive.

From then on it's waiting for your turn. I was almost at the end of the list which permitted my nerves to settle a little. Well, until they called my name at least. Then they suited me up with a helmet (they put you in a driving suit first thing) and a neck brace... The ones they came out with after Dale Earnhardt's accident.

We didn't practice getting in to the car. No doors, you know. So I'm standing there fearing my big fat butt won't fit through the window, despite all assurances that it will. Surprise surprise, it wasn't my butt that got stuck, it was my head. With the neck brace on you can't turn your head to the side and I needed to. They just pushed on it and popped me in.

After scooting all the way back in the seat I look up to discover this window is nothing like the one on my car. It's plexi-glass so it's sort of warpy and it was dirty. Meanwhile I'm being strapped in with 5 seat belts, a steering wheel is being put on and my pulse has increased from it's usual 75 bpm to around 250. That's what it felt like at least.

Terrified my sweaty palms would cause the wheel to slip, I convulsively wiped them on my jump suit jerking them back to the 10 and 4 position on the wheel (easier for turning) and watch for my signal. There was no one else in the car, but an instructor drove a car in front of me. I was supposed to follow at a 3-5 car distance, but he really wanted to go really fast so that was hard.

After a little trouble with 4th gear, I set out around the track. The drive was over before I knew it. I took one turn a little faster than I meant to, and I kept getting the flag to get closer to my instructor, but I was plenty happy with my top speed of 124. It's not the 140 another student did, but he'd done it before.

When I got out I was shaking. A lot. And there was this mix of excitement and appreciation that it was over.

They have a camera in the car that records you. We gave in and ordered the dvd... It should be interesting. I think I swore twice... When I couldn't get it into 4th and when I took that turn to fast. But there shouldn't be any sound.

There ARE pictures and I promise to post some as soon as my hubby gives them to me. I knew I should have taken MY camera ;o)

Hubby turned down my offer to drive home... Which meant I got a nap.

It was the experience of a life time. I'm not sure if I'll ever do it again. One minute I think, "oh yeah..." Then the next I think, "Mmmm, maybe not." LOL!

I will say if you ever get the chance, take it!

April

Look Another Post

I'm setting a new record... Two posts in ONE week!!!! Look at me go! Check out my post at Word Flirts :o)

April

Rad Racer, Here I Come....

Things around here have been nuts. I turned 30 this past weekend. For my birthday, my darling husband got me a Richard Petty Driving Experience.

For those unfamiliar, the experience means I go to a race track, probably Lowe's Motor Speedway because it's close, and take a class on how to drive the cars and safety instructions. Then I'm unleashed for 8 timed laps driving a race car around the track. The student with the best time wins! My family even gets to go and watch... To my mother's relief. She's not as happy as me about this gift. :o)

I had joked some time ago that I would be REALLY GOOD at this. And hubby thought it was time I made good on that boast. And to be honest, I'm REALLY excited! This definately ranks in the top 3 best B-day presents ever.

How about you? What's your most favorite present ever?

April

So Refreshing....

This labor day has been quite refreshing for me. After weeks of not getting to even crack open my wip, I not only opened it and renewed my relationship with its characters, I even added 5500 words! YAY!

It feels wonderful to get somewhere. Anywhere. And I'm sure my poor characters feel the same.

Who knows what the next week will hold. I have a ton scheduled, so I may not get much more added. But at least I have it percolating in the old noggin'.

How about you? How's your writing going?

April

It Has Started...

I'm not the tomboy I used to be. And even then, I played most neighborhood sports in my plastic high heels. But the one thing I have yet managed to release from my childhood is college football.

I live south of the good ole M-D line and here, college football rules the fall. And this weekend marks the beginning of the fanatical season.

We used to have season tickets. Back when the football season actually felt like football weather because we had to take sweaters to games. But anymore it's sweltering. Which made letting our season tickets go not so bad. My dear hubby gets press passes and watches the game from the sidelines... A little too close to the action for my blood. And he's willing to give up those passes a couple of games each season so I can go and we can sit together.

But there's more to games here than three and a half hours of watching guys butt heads. College football is a culture. The week before a game, people with RVs more expensive than our house begin arriving at specially designated parking areas. They set up their 56 inch satellite TVs which show pregame shows from the side of the RV while crowds of tailgaters gather near and their TEC Bar-B-Ques in preparation for gameday.

If a game begins at 7PM, tailgating will start as early as 9 or 10AM. But the average fan starts just after noon. Yes, that's almost 7 hours before the game even starts. And we're talking HUGE spreads. You'd think people were storing up food for a famine.

Not to mention the cost of tailgating spots. Some parking spaces sell for as much as $20,000 a season. And then there are condos and special tailgating units selling anywhere from $250,000-$500,000. You at least get ownership of the units, but that's still pretty expensive for a couple of hours enjoyment each weekend. But hey, who am I to complain about the way other people spend their money?

This all occurred to me because during the pregame radio show this past weekend a lady called in to the show. She'd recently moved here from California and she was complaining. She said that when August rolled around everyone here acted as though nothing else existed other than college football. The hosts played with her for a bit, but it made me realize it isn't like this everywhere else.

College football does rule here. Team spirit is a very lively thing. But it's more than that. It's a cultural event, a social gathering. Our first two seasons with season tickets we sat next to the same couples every game. You eventually come to know the people you sit or park next to. You come to know their families, and before long, you're connecting all of the people you both know and you realize this really isn't that big of a place after all. And for a couple of hours, everyone comes together to cheer on their team.

The energy that camaraderie generates is unequalled anywhere else I've been. And so each year I look forward to the count down to gameday and I enjoy the electricity which enters the air as it comes near. It also helps that I spend the Saturday's my hubby is away watching the game muted on TV and writing.

How about where you live? Does college football rule? NFL? NHL? NBA? college basketball? Anything?

April

Song of the Times...

I'm taking this idea from Emma. It's ok though. She gave permission so I'm not stealing!

Here are the rules:

1. Go to this link at Pop Culture Madness (scroll down - see the list of years on the left? And make sure you scroll down to the actual years, not just the decades, it’s kind of far down on the left.)

2. Pick the year you turned 18

3. Pick five songs from that year

4. Wax nostalgic about each song and why it’s special

5. Pass it on

Cotten Eye Joe - Rednex
What can I say about this song? I live in the south, and even here it was annoying. It sounded like a hoe down mixed with techno or something. Where did you come from, where did you go? Where did you come from Cotton Eye Joe... I never really got the point of this song. I guess that's not very poetic, huh?

We've Got It Goin' On - Backstreet Boys
I rode the NKOTB train, so by the time the Backstreet Boys came around I was disenchanted with boy bands. But I do remember sitting on my hubby's (at that time my boyfriend) couch watching MTV and making fun of their video... You know, back when MTV had music videos on... Novel idea, I know.

I Could Fall In Love - Selena
My darling hubby and I had been dating about a year at the time this song came out. And of course, what starry eyed adolescent in the throes of puppy love could resist it? Not I. But at least we turned out to be the real thing! I also remember this song playing at our prom. Not because it was a sweet ballad but because my best friend who went with one of my hubby's friends was being dragged all around the dance floor as he did a warped version of a Tango. It was definitely a memorable moment!

This Is How We Do It - Montell Jordan
Was there ever a pep rally where this song didn't play? Not the year I turned 18. This high energy sugar pop song would pulsate through our gym several times each month in hopes of jazzing up our school spirit. I'm not really convinced it ever worked... But I got out of class to go sit in the gym and watch people do weird stuff, so I never complained!

One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
I will admit something terrible. I thought this song was Corny and overly sentimental when it first came out. I'm not sure if it was the song so much as the artists singing it though. But then, in June my dad had a massive heart attack and spent 3 months in ICU with us thinking he wasn't going to make it and this song touched an entirely different cord with me. Thankfully, he recovered enough to spend another 2 1/2 years with us. But this song hasn't ever been so Corny since.

Now you do it and let me know when you do so I can read yours!

April

PS Thanks, Emma! That was a fun trip down memory lane!

Join me...

Over at Word Flirts!

April

What Did He Say?

Ok, I've been bad blogger lately. I know! I'm hoping to make the rounds this weekend because I have a LOT to catch up on.

We've been busy... Doing what you ask? Lots. Including watching tv, though not TOO much ;o). But while watching the tv, hubby and I picked up on a commercial for a new tv show coming to CBS this fall.

It's about a Cuban family who are apparently really wealthy. Other than that, I don't know what it's about. Because every time it comes on, I get distracted by one little word... The last name of the FAMILY the show is centered around. It's spelled Duque. And pronounced "Do-kay". And if you grew up in the early 80's the word bears and VERY close resemblance to a word for "poop".

Every time the guy says, "The Duque family..." Hubby and I of the five year-old mindset, break into laughter. And they say it over and over.

So I have to wonder is the usage of that word just such a bygone that it didn't occur to them? Is someone playing a terrible joke on the producers? Is my mind just so lost right now that I'm drawing lines of association where there is none?

Have you seen the previews? If not, visit here to see one. What do you think?

Special side note: I DO realize this is a real name. Please do not be offended by my post. There are also people with the name Butt... I have a good friend with it. And she laughs about it too. It's really the overly dramatic nature of the previews combined with the name :o)

April

A Change of View

So I was having trouble with a scene the other night. It just wouldn't come. I even sat and stared at the computer screen, but nope. It wouldn't happen. Then a voice from some talk some time in the past came to me...

If it's not working try changing the POV.

So I did and guess what... It worked! I was shocked. I had originally been writing the scene from the hero's POV. Mainly because I felt like I had spent long enough in the heroine's. But really the scene is more complex and emotional for the heroine.

I realized in hindsight that the reason I kept getting stymied is I wanted to write something about her thoughts. But I kept having to stop of course. Obviously I was more connected to her than him in the scene and I guess that means the reader should be too.

What about you? Have you ever been stuck in a scene and switched the POV and it take off for you?

April

PS I'm now more than 30% through... Finally this sucker is moving some!

Lost Letters...

First it was "E", now it's "N" and "S" is soon to follow... Slowly but surely all of the letters are disappearing from my keyboard. There are all of the usual suspects... Buckley could be sneaking into the living room and licking them off of the keyboard (he licks everything else, why not?) of course that would require him to open the laptop, which is probably too difficult a task without opposable thumbs.

It could be the little elf un-helpers who come in while I'm asleep and put tons of grammatical errors in my wip (I know they exist, that's the only explanation for why my story would read, "He kissed her perched lips..." Perched on what? Her face?).

Or it could be the effects of the sugar sprinkles I dropped on the keyboard last Christmas. They put the "A" key out of commission for a day or two, so you never know... That was interesting trip to the computer repairman!

Oh the woes of a writer with disappearing key labels... If anyone sees them about somewhere, maybe struggling to escape the overly packed bag of a mischievous little elf, please let me know... They're missed and I'm willing to go to great lengths to bring them home!

April
Yes, that's correct, I write fiction. I know it's hard to tell, so I thought I should clarify.

Join Me...

And Wentworth Miller over at Word Flirts!

April

What do you get...

When you take a normal, hometown boy and send him through intensive police training, followed by extensive Special Ops training and then toss him into the midst of the 80's drug scene of Miami followed quickly by eight years in the jungles of Thailand? One hell of a DEA agent!

Our speaker this past weekend was terrific. We all promised to share as little of the details as possible so he isn't brought before a committee. So here's Ten things I learned:

1. No boat, sorry Sarah. But he said when he was assigned to Miami, it was actually very Miami Vice like. Large expensive boats, designer clothes and lots of drugs and money.

2. His biggest irritation with media representation is procedure issues. He said most everything you see or read has tons of procedural no-no's which may have occurred 10-20 years ago but would NOT occur now-a-days.

3. It was very easy to tell that he loved the thrill of the job. This is a man who lives for life on the edge. He'd talk about things he'd done, situations he'd been in which were to say the least unbelievable and then, as we're all gasping in horror, he'd say, "It was GREAT!"

4. He said what he didn't like most of the time was bureaucracy.

5. I didn't get the chance to ask him what goes through his mind right before he busts in to a room, but I get the impression that, "Let's Rock and Roll!" Wouldn't be too far off. I thought it'd be, "Oh s*%&" But after hearing him talk, there was apparently only one "Oh S#$%" moment and he didn't think that until AFTER he was already in deep doo.

6. Another interesting thing we learned. Scarface... not so off the mark. That was sort of scary.

7. He says the biggest problem for DEA agents is that they deal with a lot of drugs and a LOT of money and they see the lifestyle that money brings, day in and day out. They even pretend to be living it then go home to their modest little house. But often, the lure of the money is too much and they become corrupt.

8. Thailand I can't talk about much... because I don't think I'm supposed to. And you don't know how difficult that is for me, because it's the most exciting stuff! Maybe I'll put it in a book, slap the word "fiction" on there and no one will know any better :o)

9. He's not single. He got divorced in the middle of his Thailand assignment and eventually had to have his family flown home on an emergency flight when a general didn't take too kindly to the way he was wiping out his heroine business. But after leaving that assignment (no, he didn't chicken out or give it up, he was sent home because people wanted him dead in a bad way)he eventually made it back here after assignments elsewhere in the US and retired to PI work. He met his current wife at a local gym and they began dating... All together, his life seems to have taken a decidedly calmer turn.

10. I thought that while there were alpha men out there, they weren't as "alpha" as what I'd read. I was wrong.

Debby who arranged this speaker (she found him while researching a book) calls him Batman. To his face. He just smiles. Definately Batman.

April

Visit Me

And the new look at Word Flirts!

April

How Did That Happen?

Okay, so I've blogged until I'm blue in the face about not getting to write. But I did some writing tonight and decided to update my word count. It was at 16,250. When I went to calculate my count as of tonight it was 22,500. And I thought, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? I guess little by little I added 6,250 words. Which makes me a VERY happy girl. So now I'm off to celebrate by going to sleep!

Keep the questions for the DEA Agent coming! I'm going to sound like the smartest attendee or like a stalker, I'm not sure which! :o)

April

It's ALMOST the weekend!!

Work has been CRAZY BUSY! So writing has been crazy low. Now it's almost the weekend and hubby is dragging me out of town for baseball. One day I'll have a free weekend to write.

Not next weekend though. Next weekend is my RWA chapter meeting and we're having a DEA agent speak. He's actually killed people. And he's rather nonchalant about it. Apparently taking out an entire building full of drug manufacturers in the jungles of Asia is everyday business. I can't wait to hear the stories he has to tell, but I'm having a hard time putting together a list of questions...

So I thought I would seek your help. If you could ask a DEA agent anything, what would you ask?

April

Check me out

I'm over at Word Flirts today trying to keep my mind off the fact that I'm not in Dallas!

April

Getting to Work...

It's been a long week and now the weekend is ending! Where does the time go? That's what I want to know!

This weekend, hubby smoked ribs (yum!) and we spent Sat doing things that needed to be done. I ran errands with a friend while hubby mowed the grass. Quite the job considering the grass in our backyard had gotten above knee height in places. I've been begging him to do it. I try, but then I have asthma attacks and he gets mad at me for doing it. No winning I tell ya.

Now I'm bunkering down and hoping to get some more writing done. How about you? What did you do this weekend? Any writing?

April

Check out...

My family's Fourth of July fun at Word Flirts!

April

Happy Weekend

I don't know about you, but I am GLAD it is the weekend finally. Work kept me swamped this past week.

I did some character work in the way of free-writing autobios on my characters. It was a first for me. Writing as though I am the character and this is my story. But it definately gave me insight into who they are and where they come from and what battles they're up against.

Now I'm hoping to get a couple of pages written on the story. That's pretty wishful thinking right now. But we'll see how far I get.

How's your weekend going?

April

update: I've gotten a ton done on my wip this weekend! I'm at 20,750 words, with another 10,000 or so that need to be revised. Woo Hoo!

And...

I'm back. Seriously. That break did me a world of good! And to top it off, I spent today at my local chapter's meeting getting revved up and ready to write thanks to Leanne Banks. If you ever have a chance to hear her speak, I recommend going!

I'm getting ready to delve into my wip. Hopefully I'll get a full hour of writing in tonight. I think that's what my goal is going to be for now. An hour without internet... oh the horrors... but an hour none the less.

Then I get to have a cup of ice cream! Yeah, the real stuff. I have to have a cup of milk with it to help offset the sugar. But the milk in it helps too.

I was very skeptical about this whole insulin resistance diet thing. But in the week I've been on it I lost 2 lbs. Which is good since I thought I'd gained 5. I've had cheese burgers and slim jims, all sorts of stuff and I have to eat every 3-4 hours. How could I possibly loose weight? But I did. Hopefully that will continue!

Since I skipped the hero post at Word Flirts, here's some eye candy for everyone:


How are you doing?

April (who is happy to be writing again!)

Yes, I AM Still here

Well, actually today I am over at Word Flirts, so visit me there. I promise I'll be back HERE soon!!!

April

It's HOT!

And I'm not talking about what I'm writing. I'm talking about the weather!

This time of year, I begin to hear an often muttered phrase around town... "It's not the heat, it's the humidity..." Sure it is. With a high today of 98 and a heat index of up to 103, I would say it's both.

When I was in college it was fun to watch all of the students who were transfers from cooler climates. You could pick them out from four blocks away because they looked like they were melting to the pavement.

Our doggie, Buckley, and I have been hiking each afternoon. We started over a month ago. He because he has anxiety with storms and it's a great way to use up his excess energy, me because I HAVE to loose weight. So we began hiking 45-60 minutes a day in a local state forest. It's beautiful and when the temps were in the 70's and 80's it was terrific.

For the past week though, we've only gotten to hike once. Most days we had brief afternoon storms. Enough of a storm to make going hiking on red dirt a bad idea, not enough to help our drought. Yesterday it was clear, so we dashed for the park. And it killed us both. Nearly.

Buckley is always full of energy. When we walk, he darts from place to place checking everything in the forest out. And if I walk ahead of him, he zooms past me. By the end of our walk, he was lagging behind me and when we stopped for water, he looked at me as if to say, "Do we HAVE to keep going?" We did. But it was a shorter walk at only about 30 minutes. And it was a WALK. No jogging or speed walking.

So today even though it isn't storming, we decided to take it easy and stick to the cool air of the house. Maybe I'll convince Buckley to get on the treadmill with me. Although he seems skeptic.

That's me, what's it like in your neck of the woods?

April

PS I did not put Buckley in clothing. Believe it or not, that was dh's doing. It's a jersey for our local university. It lasted a full ten minutes before Buckley showed his unhappiness and it came off:o)

Check out...

My post at Word Flirts where I'm discussing "name" issues :o)

April

The Habitat...

While I have what many might consider to be an overactive imagination, I have found when writing that it helps me to have pictures. And I don't just mean pictures of heroes ;o) But pictures of where they live and the cars they drive.

I'll probably never get so detailed as to really need the pictures, but they help me just the same. And I wanted to share with you all some sources for these items if you haven't discovered them for yourself yet.

Realtor.com will allow you to search the MLS of any area in the US and they are actually affiliated with the National Association of Realtors and the MLS services, so it's a complete listing. As far as I know. What's great about it is, as opposed to many websites for individual realtors, you don't have to enter any private info to search the database and look at info on a property. Then you can save the pics and info to a file on your hard drive and you have a REAL house in a real area and you know the price range and all! Note: the MLS changes when a home goes under contract or sells, so be sure to save the info. If you bookmark it, it may not be there when you go back to it.

For cars, one of the simple pleasures I derive out of research is building cars. Not physically, but virtually. Go to any major manufacturer and they have an area on their website where you can look at specs for a car model, pics, and even build your own custom car. And they'll even tell you the price. No point in settling your struggling-to-make-a-living heroine or hero with an $80,000 Audi.

The truth is that I just enjoy building it. Until this year, I would go and build a Ford GT each time just for the fun of it. I love this car. Sadly, they aren't building them right now. :o( Not that they built that many when they were building them. At a starting price of $150,000, only a little over 4000 were produced in the two year production run which began in 2004. Of course the first one went for over $500,000 and they routinely sold for over $300,000 despite the $150,000 base price. With a V8 and top speeds of 200+, the car was highly prized.

I saw one a few weeks ago, to my immense surprise. We were driving around downtown and hubby said, "Look, a GT!" He knows about my obsession with them.

I was shocked. We don't live in big-city-USA and so I never expected to see one. It looked a lot like the picture below.


I know it seems silly to obsess over a car. Especially one I couldn't ever own, or wouldn't know what to do with if I did own. But I still love the thing.

Not sure when this post turned into a diatribe about GTs... What was I blogging about?

Oh yeah, resources... While you can't build GTs online, you can build tons of other cars, and save the pics to your hard drive. If you find you need the info.

Really, it helps me make sure I don't give a character a Honda in one scene and a Pathfinder in the next...

What about you? Do you look up housing or cars for your characters?

April

Getting My Mind Back...

Things have been NUTS lately. Between work and personal things, my brain has been beyond scrambled. I don't know if I'm coming, going, or gone already.

Where used to I could multi-task five things at once, I'm down to handling only two. Possibly as little as one at once. That's not a stellar performance for a woman, you know.

But I think I'm getting my mind back. Sort of. I at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think. It could be a neon sign advertising ice cold margaritas, but my mind sees it as a reassurance either way.

Business has been... well, busy. And then early in May I was diagnosed with a... disorder? It's not a disease, it's called a type of "syndrome". Gee, all those words make me sound contagious. It's nothing like that and it's certainly not fatal. Although I won't go into all of the details here, it's something I was apparently born with, just never diagnosed and I promise not to get on my soap box about that. But thanks to my wonderful CURRENT doctor, I now know what's going on. Problem is it means I have to go on meds. For now at least. And they aren't doing much for the "lost mind" problem. But in the end, we're hopeful they will bring about wonderful things, so it's worth the temporary issues.

What I'm getting at... Yes, I do have a point, I promise... Is that the reason I haven't been around as much lately is because outside stuff has been keeping me away. And while that outside stuff isn't over yet, I am still around and I'm doing well--despite the lost mind issue--and I promise I'm popping in every once in a while, even if I don't have time to leave comments.

I'm also writing still. YAY! And one day, maybe even this year I will have my poor cp's ms back to her. Cole is such a sweetie to not bop me in the head for not getting it wrapped up sooner. My wip is doing well, I'm revising what I've written because thanks to Julie's post at Word Flirts, I realized EXACTLY what was bothering me about it. Thanks, Julie!

So that's me, what's up with you?

April

PS the picture is from a trip hubby and I took to Gatlinburg, TN recently. It was taken at Clingman's dome, the highest point in TN and in it you can see Mtn peaks 70 miles away!

I'm Dishing...

Out some rather delicious Nachos at Word Flirts, so visit me there!

Finding Time...

Well, much like everyone else, things have been nuts for me lately. Business got busy, life got busy, hubby and I are celebrating our two year anniversary and of course, my writing suffers.

I'm at 18,250 words on my wip. Which isn't bad. But it isn't great either for as long as I've been working on it. But something really funny happened last night. Hubby used to groan when I would skip watching tv with him to go write. But last night as we sat eating dinner on the second anniversary of our wedding, he asked, "So where are you at with the book?"

I replied, "I'm at 18,000 words."

He rolled his eyes, "I mean where as in what part of the story."

"Oh, they're on the date from hell."

His forehead wrinkled with confusion. "That's where you were over a week ago when I asked."

I sipped on my margarita before replying. "I know. I asked you how I can totally ruin the date and you said you'd get back to me, but you didn't, so I'm still there." Okay, that wasn't totally truthful. I did ask, he did say that, but I have worked on it since then. I just haven't made it through the scene. I have thankfully gotten them to quit acting like they're in heat. Well, sort of. But hubby didn't need to know that.

He of course rolled his eyes again. Men are so predictable sometimes. "Well, why didn't you ask again?"

"You were busy... And so was I. Can we go to Barnes and Noble after dinner?" I have a triple track mind and we're going away for the weekend, so it wasn't a real anniversary celebration.

He grunted. His usual reply to going to Barnes and Noble.

"Thanks!"

"Why don't you work on writing when we get home, so you can finish that book and buy it at Barnes and Noble?"

"Oh, I'd never do that. Do you know what sort of mark up they have? I could get my own book much cheaper."

Exasperated over my attempt at humor, he replied, "Not if you don't finish it."

He had me there. So here I am tonight typing away and working on finishing my wip. I doubt hubby would be taking such an interest in my finishing the story if he hadn't helped with the plotting. But whatever gets me excused from the couch is fine by me!

How about you? Anyone ever get exasperated with how much time you spend writing?

April

I Got Tagged...

Several fellow bloggers tagged me recently, so here it is:

8 Random Things About Me:

1. After several miscarriages between having my sister and me, I was considered the "miracle" baby. I'm now considered simply stubborn.

2. I'm married to my high school sweetheart, but we hated each other's guts when we were 11. Isn't puppy love grand?

3. I'm distantly related to: Marla Maples, June Carter Cash, and Ronald Regan. But not so distant that it's in the "we're-all-related-someway" way.

4. I have a bad habit of breaking into random song when I "think" I'm alone. Wouldn't be a problem if I was really alone each time.

5. I get hiccups. But they're not over and over. It's just one really loud, really painful hiccup. Poor hubby thinks I'm costing him his hearing. I think it has more to do with the rock and roll.

6. I did TERRIBLE on my SAT's. As in: I couldn't get into the university I attended according to their current requirements... Which aren't all THAT stringent. But I've tested with an IQ of 147.

7. I have a hard time with these things because each time I think about writing something about myself I think... That's terribly self-centered. Then I realize that's the point. But I still feel weird.

8. My mom is my biggest hero.

In case I tag you, here are the rules:
1) Each player starts with 8 random facts or habits about themselves.
2) People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their 8 things with a copy of these rules.
3) At the end of your blog you need to choose 8 people to get tagged and list their names.
4) Don't forget to leave them a note saying they've been tagged.

Ok, I don't think I know anyone who hasn't been tagged. If you read this and you haven't been, consider yourself now tagged! If you want :o)

April

Help me...

with some problem characters over at Word Flirts!

April

Show and Tell...

We all remember show and tell at school right? You'd take some object from home, or maybe a picture to school and then you'd show it to the class and then you'd tell them about it and why it was special enough to you to be brought to school.

I remember taking my "Little Pillow" once. It's this pillow measuring maybe 11X11 made out of the silky blue fabric of my mother's maternity night gown, with practically no stuffing in it. So it's sort of a pillow/blanket/cloth scrap. I enjoyed a very friendly kindergarten class and we were all pretty close.

The day I took it to school I had my mother place it in a sealed plastic jumbo bag before placing it safely into my backpack. Then I guarded it all day until it was time to take out show and tell. Even then, I kept it in the bag until the very last moment. Relunctantly, I withdrew it from the bag. When I held it up, a look of fascination came across the faces of most of my classmates... Some were nose pickers and couldn't get fascinated with anything further than three inches from their face.

I shook a little. It's difficult to expose a weakness for an object to other people. But I held the pillow close and rubbed it between my fingers as I explained to the class what it was and how I had come about getting it.

Later on during the day when I was at the building block station a little boy got irritated with me because I wouldn't hang my backpack on the rack and he felt it was in his way. Boys. He was one of the nose pickers. When he went to reach for it, a friend of mine pushed him. An inevitable argument broke out with my friend yelling at him that I had something special in there.

I read the recent article in the RWR about showing, not telling. And for some odd reason it brought this memory to mind. After thinking about it for a while, I realize the words I said about the pillow that day were pretty remote. It's fabric and my mom sewed it for me. What kid doesn't have something their mom made for them?

But the reason my friend reacted so strongly was because she had SEEN what the object was to me. My inability to let it go for fear it would disappear (obviously there were other issues at play which wouldn't come to light until much later), the way I had subconsciously used it for comfort when I started my showing and telling. All of these non-verbal cues told my classmates a lot more than what I said. Maybe that's why booger boy made the mistake he made. He hadn't been paying attention to anything other than what I said well and the obvious.

In my writing I find I often do a LOT of telling in the first draft. It's just faster. I can say. "She was nervous." in 3 words. But showing can sometimes take a bit more thought and writing. So this go round my word goal is shorter than my ultimate goal so I have plenty of room to erase all of those 3 word telling sentences.

Oh yeah... Booger boy got sent to the corner for touching something that wasn't his. And thankfully my friend didn't get in trouble. I still have "Little Pillow" actually, it's "Little Pillow II". The first one got ragged from my rubbing it and sleeping with it. The second one had been made at the same time but had too much stuffing for my small hands. So my mom just took stuffing out of it. But it's tucked in a drawer where it's safe and sound. My hubby thinks it's an abomination. But he's too sweet to suggest I get rid of it.

What about you? Any trouble showing or telling? Or have you found a way it relates to everyday life?

April

Let's Talk About....

The beast with two backs?

Whatever happened to the use of the good old word... Sex? And how in the world did "the beast with two backs" become a euphemism for sex? Can anyone explain that one?

I've seen a lot of creative words for sex and for different body parts. At times they've been so ridiculous they're hilarious. I won't use any examples out of books because this isn't about knocking anyone's writing. It's a simple discussion of a simple matter.

I needed to find a saying earlier. A cliche if you will. Because... well, we've discussed my cliche issues in prior posts. And I couldn't think of the word ciche so I googled euphemism. I know, cliche is much simpler, but sometimes my brain doesn't work that way. What I found were several websites with euphemisms for sex. And I thought... I write about that, let's see what they have.

I found the typical stuff we've all heard countless times. "Doing it" "Bumping uglies" which still confuses me. Guys use this phrase, but heaven help someone if they something disparaging about said guy's "little guy".

But then I found phrases I had never heard of. Some I couldn't even figure out. If I had heard them in conversation I would have no clue the person was referring to sex. Phrases like, "Waxing the giraffe" I get it, but I wouldn't have without thought. And "The beast with two backs" I have no clue. Maybe I'm naive, but it completely escapes me.

Then there was "Coitus" which I see where it relates, but it sounds more like an STD than something pleasurable. Maybe in a historical? Though I can't say I've seen it.

Here's the website where I found these little gems so you know I didn't make them up. I'm creative, but no that creative!

I also found this funny story about a guy who couldn't apparently say the word sex to his wife. I'm sure it's fiction, but funny none the less.

What's the funniest euphemism for sex you've ever heard?

April

PS I'm sure this post should garner some interesting google search returns! :o)

It's

Hunk O'Hero day over at Word Flirts. Join me there!

April

Working for the weekend...

or not. So it's Sunday, well Monday morning now I guess. And I have only now gotten any work done on my wip. But I got 2000 words done tonight, so I guess I won't complain too much.

We got a new bed on Friday. It's a king size where our old bed was a queen and to be frank, while it's beautiful, it's also hilarious. Our bedroom was not made for a king size bed, that much I'm fairly sure of. But it fits. Just. And while our new mattress is very comfortable, it's a little more than hip high off the ground. We even ordered the low profile box springs so it wouldn't be so high, but when they got it set up I just burst out laughing. Maybe I'll loose weight faster since I have to literally 'climb' into bed now.

I'll try to post a picture this week. I would tonight, but it seems the batteries in the camera are dead and the little fairies who steal away with the matches to my socks when I'm not looking have also gotten into the AA batteries. Bad fairies.

But I had a good weekend even without the writing. Friday night we went to see a good friend of ours play (music) and Saturday I spent time with my friend who is pregnant. It's the first time she's felt like actually doing anything, so we goofed off. Then I spent time with my sweet brother-in-law and his girlfriend, whom I love to death, while we hid out from the violent storms which swept through town.

What was your weekend like?

April

Come Visit Me

at Word Flirts where we're discussing creative flow.

April

Husbandly Advice...

I hope you all had a delightful weekend.

Saturday I helped out my friend and then shared a nice evening with the hubby. Sunday proved quiet too. Until dinner that is.

Hubby and I had a casual dinner and I was thinking of my hero's motivations for going along with the scheme that is going to bring he and the heroine together. So I decided to do something I haven't ever done before... Ask my hubby what he thought. My hero is an athlete and I wanted his opinion on if it made sense from a man's sporting stand point.

He listened-actually first he got a glazed look in his eyes, but then I assured him it was a quick question and then he listened-and asked questions and we ended up discussing the whole plot despite my assurances otherwise.

THEN, he dropped the bomb. He said he thought my hero's motivation to get involved wasn't very strong or realistic. I of course got defensive. I said it's romantic FICTION, it doesn't have to be perfectly realistic! Then, he did something I will admit still has my head spinning. He said, "What about this instead..." And he proceeded to not completely rip my plot to shreds, but to twist it into a similar, but altered story.

I sat there, asking questions, wishing his words would sound like dribble, refusing to admit that my HUSBAND had just come up with a stronger plot than me. Then, I finally gave in and smiled.

Presuming the worst of me, he said, "Let me guess... You think I'm an idiot and you're going to do it your way. That's fine. You asked, I shared that's all I can do."

So I called him a Turkey and said, very begrudgingly, "actually, I really like it."

He then of course demanded 50% of the profit if I sell it. I reminded him we're married and what's mine is his and his mine.

I have no idea how that happened. But I'll tell you what. I'm really impressed.

Who would have guessed?

I would say he even surprised himself, but he's too busy thinking he's "da bomb" so it would be a lie.

Either way, he didn't act like he was going to collapse due to boredom from listening to me talk about my story and he actually took the time to hear what I said and do something way beyond my expectations.

Of course, the last thing he said was, "This doesn't mean you're going to tell me EVERY idea you get does it?"

Men.

So I'm wondering... Was this an aberration or do other hubbies help out on the writing front?

April

PS Thanks to my hubby's insight, I erased 1200 words, but added another 3500 or so. Now I'm at 5750! Woo Hoo!!

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

That's how I feel about the past two days. They've been full of people who seem to know just enough about a subject that they don't know how much they don't know. Does that sentence make sense to anyone but me?

At least it's Friday! Tomorrow I am helping my best friend who is now in her second trimester clean out the room that will be the nursery. She's had a really rough time starting a week after she found out she's pregnant up till now. She hasn't kept anything down and has actually lost seven pounds, but the second drug the doctor tried seems to be working and she's had two days of normal food. Woo Hoo! Hopefully she'll get a little of her energy back now that she's getting some actual nutrition. Since this is the first weekend in three months she's felt half decent we figured we should grab the opportunity.

Other than that, it should be quiet and I should get to do some reading, critiquing, and writing! WOO HOO! I've added another thousand words to my wip. Which makes me terribly pleased. It's moving at a snail's pace, but it's moving.

What are your plans for the weekend?

April

Join Me...

Over at Word Flirts where I'm discussing the hero for my newest WIP!

April

I'm Writing I Promise...

Well, it happened just as I knew it would. My cp cracked the whip and got me writing again! Thanks, Cole!

Since she got home from her vacation, I was able to procrastinate another day or two, but by the third she had my number and was laying down the law.

Cole: What are you doing today?

Me: Oh, I'm extraordinarily busy.

Cole: With what?

Me: Oh, I have work... and then I've been SO tired so I need to go to bed early and... well, just all sorts of stuff. (Obviously I'm not very good at fudging)

Cole: Wow, that sounds really busy (she's not that gret at fudging either)

Me: Oh, it is! (Yeah, I'm not quick on the uptake either)

Cole: Just a quick question. Have you thought maybe, just maybe you're... procrastinating?

Me: What!?! No way! I'm just SO busy. Really! But I'm not procrastinating. I've been "thinking" about the story and working on "plot problems."

Cole: Why don't we discuss them and maybe that will help.

Me: *grumble grumble grumle* Sure, that would be great!

And then something great happened. I realized... *gasp* I HAD been procrastinating. I know, who would have thought that? But more importantly I figured out WHY I had been doing it. There *gasp again* really was a plot problem which was holding me back and being the wonderful cp she is, Cole helped me to straighten out my issues. Well, not MY issues... That's a job no sane person would take on, but she helped me steer my way through my plot issues and I'm back on track! Woo Hoo!!!

Now I'm going to go reward myself by critiquing the next chapter she sent me.

So has your cp ever had to get your butt in gear?

April

Minding Your P's & Q's

Thought I would share a wonderful online course my RWA chapter is putting on in April.

Lowcountry RWA presents their April Online Course:

April 2007 — Minding Your P’s & Q’s. Writing Queries and Pitches
Presented by: Robin Matheson
Dates: April 5-26
Deadline: April 1

Course description: Build pitches and query letters from the ground up!
Discover the 4 components that keep you focused on the big picture and save you time when it comes to writing a pitch or query letter. Learn the 4 pre-writing exercises to presenting characters; the 3 pre-writing exercises to synthesizing your plot; and the 3 story issues that will help you identify the unique features of your story. Review a fail-proof method for creating pitches that sell. Finally master the “ABC Formula” that allows you to compose any business letter in 3 easy steps. Honest! This is an intense workshop composed of a series of lectures and hands on exercises. “In class” critiques of the exercises will be made available by the instructor. In addition to the course material, students will also have an opportunity to receive a critique of either a pitch or a query letter.

Instructor bio: Robin Matheson’s debut release became a 2005 EPPIE Award Finalist. She since sold five more books. Robin holds a B.A.H. in Civilization and English from McMaster University and a Master of Education from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She’s taught Marketing, Business Writing, and English as a Second Language at college, overseas and, more recently, online courses on writing. One of Robin’s greatest passions is traveling. In addition to their home base, she and her family have also lived in South East Asia and South Africa.

For more information or to sign up, visit LRWA online at www.lowcountryrwa.com.

Help me!

Check me out over at Word Flirts where I am begging for your advice!

April

It's Been Forever...

Well, it has been forever since I posted. Except for my brief PSA at Word Flirts. You know what they say... When the cp is away, the writer will play. Well, I haven't been playing per se... But I haven't been writing either. And now Nicole is back and I have to get on the ball!

In my defense things were nuts while she was gone. Really! But one really great thing did happen, Nicole and family made a pit stop on their trip and we got to go to dinner together. We had a terrific time and it was really wonderful to finally see in person, the person who has helped bring my writing further than I could have imagined. Plus she has the sweetest most adorable family around! :-)

So now I need to get back at it. I'm working on shifting over some of the online class duties I do for my chapter. That will be a BIG load off. And I'm so thankful for the volunteers we have to help! This month is a transition month, so I've had a bit more to do there. But hopefully once our new volunteer has everything figured out, I will have a bit more time to write.

I did come up with a name for my heroine. I know that seems trivial, but I wasn't happy with it and her name just struck me one night. So see, I have been THINKING about writing :-D.

How about you? How much writing have you gotten done?

April

Check Me Out...

Over at Word Flirts for a very important message.

April

Spreading the love

at Word Flirts today!

April

Can I Get A Cliche Please?

I have a cliche problem. And maybe this isn't the first time I've written about it. I'm too lazy to check the archives. But if it's not, then that tells you just how serious the problem is.

You hear it over and over again. Don't write cliches. But you know sometimes you need a metaphor. People say cliches. So if you have realistic characters, they're going to speak like real people. So I've always been told to change the cliche, make it that character's own.

The problem is... you have to know a blooming cliche before you can change it or alter it or make it your own. And I DO NOT have a good grasp of cliches. Really. The funny thing is that I already make up my own cliches, I just don't know it. And if I say them fast enough, most people don't know it either. Well, a few minutes later, I can tell they're computing what I said because they get this funny confused look on their face.

Worse yet is that I can rationalize why my versions are perfectly reasonable cliches regardless of if they are "correct".

Once while a friend of my hubby's was trapped in my car on a trip, I told him that he "shouldn't put all his apples in one basket." After about ten minutes he said, "Uh... It's not apples." He couldn't think of what it is because... well I have that effect on people too. But I promptly started arguing that you wouldn't want to loose all your apples because then where would you be? Appleless. And he agreed and said he supposed you could say that about anything... Even carburetors. I thought that was taking it a bit far. I mean at least I stayed within the food category (the right word is a food isn't it?) but I didn't push it because I had him seeing my way. And you never argue with someone who agrees with you. Even if they're being ridiculous.

I have gotten way off course. My point is that you can't very well change a cliche you don't know in the first place! And that's a problem for me. When my hubby is around I ask him if something is a cliche. Most times he says, "Only in your world, sweetie." And I get that he means I'm not saying it the "popular" way. But for all of my "creative" cliches, I can't purposefully be creative with one. I mean it's not that I try to make them up. They just come up wrong in my head.

So I'm having problems with knowing the "popular" version of cliches and then making up a new "creative" version. Argh. Am I the only one with this problem?????

Oh yeah, and the friend who feels his carburetors are so important... When hubby and I got married, we had a videographer and our guests left us personal messages. After rambling on a bit about some imaginary Dick who threw an imaginary Jane into an imaginary pool(we have creative friends), he looked into the camera and said, "And it's ok to put all of your carburetors into this basket. You've got a good, strong basket there and you won't have to worry about them in there!"

And to this day my hubby wonders what in the world it is about carburetors that makes me cry.

April

All Talk...

I went to my local RWA chapter meeting this past Saturday. Sophia Nash was our speaker. And she was terrific. I learned quite a bit and it has really spurred me to work on my new story.

One word of advice Sophia shared with us was a recommendation she received from... I believe Jayne Krentz. She said when pacing is really slow, try writing the story as a screen play first. So there's just dialogue and a tiny bit of stage direction. Then go back and revise in the other stuff. But be careful not to add too much. It will keep the story moving at a faster pace.

I decided to try an altered version of this. I didn't write only dialogue, but I really tried to minimize the extra stuff and I found that I was pickier about the filler I used. While the setting was neat in my head, the reader could care less about how dark wood stain is when my heroine is asking the hero to take off his pants. Really.

Don't get me wrong, there are stories in which rich detail and setting are invaluable. But I don't think that's the case with where I am here and I have a tendancy to get really bogged down in all of these little details that I think give the story wealth, but when I get bogged down so does the story. So I decided to keep using this new approach and see how it works for me.

What about you? Ever get bogged down in the details?

April

PS The picture is just because I'm always looking for inspiration when I'm starting something new. Ok, I'm just always looking for inspiration :-) Enjoy and have a good weekend!

Visit Me

Over at Word Flirts today where we're discussing the pros and cons of putting aside a wip.

I'm So Excited...

I am finally back in the swing of things with my writing and it feels great. I've been doing a little preliminary work on my website and stuff, so some changes should be coming soon.

Thanks to Cole's encouragement I signed on to commit to writing a minimum of 100 words per day. That way, on days where I have plenty of time and creative energy I can write more, but on days where I don't, writing that 100 words will at least keep me in the story.

It's also time for our new classes at LRWA. February has 2 terrific courses. Here's the details:

February 2007 — Happy Hookers: Engaging the Reader from Start to Finish
Presented by: Terry Spear
Deadline: February 1

Course description:
Slow starts and sleepy endings to scenes and chapters can ruin a manuscript’s chance of being published. Conversely, solid hooks can make the sale - as workshop instructor Terry Spear demonstrates, with six publishers currently hooked for six manuscripts. Setting such practical matters aside, what author wouldn’t be thrilled to hear someone say, “I couldn’t put the book down”? Strong hooks are a vital ingredient in strong writing. In this online class, which features lectures, discussion, practical exercises, and handouts, she’ll teach students how to captivate readers with great openings, scene hooks, chapter cliff hangers, and intriguing back cover blurbs. Participants will master the hook in all its environments, from the query letter through the novel.

AND

February 2007 — Plotting Strategy – Put your Characters in the Driver’s Seat
Presented by: Sharon Mignerey
Deadline: February 1

Course description:
This is a 4 week workshop with 2 classes per week.
Characters, not plot, drive a story forward. If you’ve ever received a rejection to the effect of “this story seems contrived” or “your characters don’t seem real” you may have events rather than character motivation propelling your plot forward. This workshop includes the following modules, each with exercises designed to practice the skills and facilitate sharing among the participants.


If either peak your interest, you can check them out at LRWA's website.

edited to add: Well, looks like my OCD kicked in and I went ahead and started to work on the blog changes. It's a WIP and so is the new website. You can check it out here. Let me know what you think!

April

Getting Something Done?

Well, I've actually gotten some writing done. It's nice to FINALLY update my work ticker for Killer Design with an additional 2,750 words! And it's even better that I'm finally writing again.

I followed Emma's advice and I refused to allow myself to do any of the things I usually do to avoid doing what I should be doing. And I'm writing and it feels spectacular. One more scene and I'll be able to send my lovely cp a chapter. That's if she can still remember what happened preceeding this chapter. :-)

In the meantime, hubby and I ran away this weekend. We went to a local coastal town and just played. No agenda, no one else to worry about. Just us and whatever we felt like doing when we felt like doing it. It's been forever since we've been on a trip like that. And we decided we needed to do it more. But I'm feeling refreshed, rejuvinated, and ready to write!

How's your writing energy?

April

My Brain Is Functioning...

And I remembered my day to post at Word Flirts. So join me there today!

April

Where Was I?

Since it's been THREE WEEKS since I have written anything in my wip, I've been trying to get back into the story. It hasn't been smooth going.

Sure, I've worked out some plot issues in my head thanks to some light bulb moments, but I'm just having trouble getting into that groove. You know, the one where you're on a roll and you don't realize an hour has gone by. That one.

I guess I'm having trouble remembering the mood I was in, if that makes any sense at all. I wish I had made notes about where I was headed before my screen went out. That's what I usually do when I know I won't be writing for a bit. I write a brief outline of what's next and when I come back it's all ready. Argh.

How's your writing going? And tricks for getting back into the groove? Have I asked that question before? Probably.

April

Back Ordered...

We made our way home from bowling this weekend. It was a great trip, made even better by a big win! After getting home, we crashed as a result of the time change and 11 hour drive. I'm not sure I'm really back to normal... although normal is all together relative, right?

As New Year's day wore on, I grew more and more eager for today. The day I was supposed to get my handy dandy laptop back so I could WRITE. It's killing me really it is. Then at 2:00 today, as I'm thinking about calling hubby and telling him I'll drop by his office and pick it up because I can't wait till 7PM to have it, he calls me. And tells me he has bad news. My first thought of course is that something happened to the hard drive and all is lost. No, he says, "The part is on back order. He's not sure when it'll be in." And I say, "Noooooo!!!!" Even though this isn't as bad as my first thoughts. It still crushed me.

So here I am sitting at my desk at work blogging when I should be handling all of the work that piled up while I was gone. Pooo...

In the mean time, Jenna Petersen is giving her course: The Great Agent Search for our online courses this month. The class starts on the 4th and there's still time to sign up if anyone is interested. Just go to Lowcountry RWA's Online Courses.

How about you all? Starting the New Year off with a bang and lots of writing?

*Edited to add: Late this evening, the computer guy received my part and now I have a working computer again! WOO HOO!!!!!!!
April