Late night word count-upping session...

Forgive the ramblings and less than stellar grammar and punctuation. It was really late!
The late night musings of one who needs some words to meet her writing goals and beat everyone in her writing group for a daily total. Is that nice? No. Am I trying anyway? Oh yeah.
Some of my literary influences.
Not saying that I am under the influence-totally different thing-but I have had some clear influences on my life as a writer.
From the beginning.
I do remember Dick and Jane and Sally in first grade. They always had such great adventures and one day I would have a granddaughter who looked a lot like little Sally.
My next recollection of a book was, Gus, the Friendly Ghost. It was the tale of Gus, a ghost who just couldn’t be the scary entity he was destined to be because he got lonely when the family who worked for being a haunter went home for the winter. He befriends a rather hateful mouse whom he later has to put the word on after the mouse is nasty to the woman of the house. One of my favorite parts was the listing of cheese recipes Gus made for his friend. It sounded like the list Bubba used in the classic Forrest Gump movie. We still have this book and I spent many an hour reading it first to myself and then to my brother Bill and later to Rachel and Drew and Veronica. I think Rach must have it at her house now. I miss it.
Next came the Boxcar Children. Those poor lost children who finally found their grandfather and lived such cool adventures afterwards. My love of “great” mysteries began with poor little Benny and Violet.
And Heidi was such a good story too. I named my goats Heidi and Peter. And then my dad sold them…the bitterness remains.
Now we go into some prime reading when I really kicked off the voraciousness. Trixie Beldon and some twins whose names I have forgotten could be purchased at the rate of one a week at the Ben Franklin store on the Clinton Square. And the library had a whole shelf of my beloved George, Beth, and Nancy of the Nancy Drew series. And never let us not forget her friends the Hardy Boys.
Now we come to one of my favorite writers. Lois Duncan. She wrote such spooky teen books as “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Another, “Ransom” was about students who accidently kill their English teacher in a prank gone wrong. Duncan later went on to fame with the Hotel for Dogs series, but it was her early, “Down a Dark Hall” that made me hooked. Ghostly piano playing, still a favorite device. I enjoyed her books so much I wrote her a fan letter last year. And she responded.
At this point in my reading career (around fourth and fifth grades) I read everything I could get my hands on. My father used to tell me reading at the table would give me an ulcer. I found out later he might have exaggerated the consequences.
It was around this time I started my habit of just going down the stacks and randomly picking out books. I still do this; especially during the summers. I have gotten to read some unusual and great books I would not have if I hadn’t embraced this method of selection.
Mom joined the Harlequin Romance Book Club at some point and that’s where I got started on a lifetime of reading romance books. We used to race to see who could get to the books first with Mom picking out the titles she liked first. She also had some racier books which seem pretty tame now compared to those I see sold. But at the time they seemed much more educational than the regular Harlequins.
In high school I remember liking the Diary of Anne Frank which I now teach. I also liked the Shakespeare and have continued reading those plays at various times in my life. It is one thing that I miss from teaching high school. Shakespearian theatre begins a student’s freshman year in my schoo. However, I do cheat and put a little Shakespeare in my lessons.
I remember reading a fair amount of histories about British queens. I still like those stories today, even if the current Queen of England turned me down for a visit when I was in her country.
In Senior English I really only remember two novels that we read. The Great Gatsby that I liked mostly and Heart of Darkness that I did not. It was tragic, but the symbolism appealed to me.
The other book, Heart of Darkness, did not appeal to me. My teacher Mr. Webb said that maybe I didn’t have enough life experience to appreciate it and that I might when I got older. For some reason I ended up with the school’s copy and tried to read it later in life. I still didn’t like the book and told Mr. Webb so, when I returned the original copy many, many years later when I had the opportunity to do some observations at my old school.
One thing I picked up at the library during the summers was the bathroom readers’ series of books. Oh, the things I could learn. And I learned a lot about literature. I also learned that you really don’t have to read all of great literature for people to think you are well read. Get the bathroom readers, read the plot line synopsis, and memorize a couple of key lines. Easy-peasy!
From my children I learned about the joys of Bunnicula and Harold and my favorite Chester. I even loved the “kid’, Howie.
I also discovered Hank, the Cowdog. A true classic.
Then I get to some of the books that have influenced me as an adult. There have been some great literary works of note in here, but I am a little ashamed to say that Stephen King and Oprah both made a big difference in my life in the area.
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb, a former Oprah book, was really an eye opener and made me root for the main character. I also enjoyed his book about twins, This Much I Know is True. I think it even helped me a little with my own to come later.
But I am still angry with Oprah when it comes to how she treated the author of A Million Little Pieces. Watch the interview. SHE is the one who said it was all true. He just agreed. Heck, I would have agreed. He was on her show and she was Oprah! And she later proved how God like she thought she was when she brought down her wrath for the author daring….Daring to lie to the all powerful one that is Oprah. Get over yourself, woman.
I loved being scared by Stephen King when he went the true horror route and not SciFi. (Sorry geeks, just not my genre of choice.) Pet Semetary…which encouraged me to spell cemetery as cemet a ry (Only all together as one word. Dang auto correct) until auto correct forced me to learn the correct spelling, remains one of the scariest things I have ever read. Forget all of you zombie lovers now, King did it long and ago, and oh so much better. Scary zombie pets and kids…a dream…er…nightmare. And I loved Misery the book, not the movie. The book’s ending was so much better. But the Green Mile’s movie simply rocked.
From my grandson in the last few years I learned the joys of The Hungry Caterpillar, Smiley the Shark, and a reminder of one his sister’s favorites too, Goodnight Gorilla. There truly is nothing better in this world that a children’s book with beat up and worn covers with ragged pages. People often ask what I think will make their kids do better in school. Simple Answer-Start early. Reading books over and over is the one true thing that makes a child better in school. That, and saying nursery rhymes together.
I have owned more than one trashy novel featuring Fabio as a cowboy and a Viking and other characters too. I have read all of the biggies in Romance at some point in my life. Norah Roberts as Nora Roberts…no J.D. Robb for me. And I have even had Nora fall on my leg when she tripped on her dress on her way up to the podium to receive another RITA award at RWA’s National Convention. Yes, I tell everyone that story and no, none of her writing abilities magically wore off on my thigh. It has taken me sitting down and committing.
I also have a huge love affair that stops short of complete weirdo psycho fan-sometimes maybe just short (witness willingness to dress up as one of her characters and try to be in website pictures of her tours…and I am on there twice)is with author Janet Evanovich. I have loved and laughed gut-bustingly out loud at her stories. Granted some books were better than others, but the best ones absolutely rocked and made me rock with laughter.
Author Joan Hess came to me even before Janet Evanovich and her humorous stories of crazy small town life inspired me to try my own…which I never finished, but maybe I will come back to it someday.
And I have read the books of the women who have been helping me learn to become writers. C. J. Winters or Connie taught me that brevity and humor are important. Betty Winslow taught me even a person from Holden, MO can publish a book. Jim Butcher taught me the most in a lecture he did where I learned about Scene and Sequel and more of what it takes to be a real writer. His wife Shannon allowed me to be a reader of her books as she began the journey of writing and I have been able to see the progress as she has come along. My friend Cindy has shocked me just a little with the genre she has ended up being published in, but what skilled writing. I have rejoiced with Dyann Love Barr over her first publication and been in awe of the prolific Val who has fought her way to success in several genres. And other real writers have helped me so much along the way. Jan, Amy, Carla, Brenda, Alicia, and now I am getting to see a new writer, Denise Grover Swank, become a published writer on her terms. And I can’t wait to see what all of these people do next.
And I cannot end a piece on writing that has influenced me without mentioning my favorite book, Of Mice and Men. Others see it differently, but to me it is a perfect story of love and commitment between people during times that are hard. And that is the kind of love I strive to see in my own life…without the killing, obviously.
And I am done for today. I have reached my goal of being a Nanowrimo winner with words to spare and now I am going to go on and do whatever challenges being a writer brings me next.
And I get to wear the winner’s shirt.

The Final View and WINNING

I decided to wait until the end to show you the whole scarf collection. If you are behind I committed to wearing a different scarf each day in November to remind students to be writers. It was my own Nanoscarforama and was in conjunction with my attempt to be successful at the actual Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month). And I was SUCCESSFUL! I accomplished both of my goals! I actually wore each scarf and took a separate photo each day, but with the push on to write words for Nanowrimo, I focused on getting the 50,000 words and not on posting scarf photos.

And I have included a photo of me in my favorite scarf!

I hope all of you reach some of the goals that are important to you too!

A plan comes together!

I interrupt this parade of Nanowrimoscarforama to actually talk a little about my writing. I don't have long. I've got more writing to do.

First, I have been a little down because I have been either sick or exhausted from work and sometimes those were the same things and I have not been doing much writing. Each day I see my stats for Nanowrimo (November Challenge for Writing) get worse and worse. And last night I decided to fight back. Today I am going for 10,000 words. Or maybe 15,000 for the weekend depending on how things go.

And things are going well! I usually do some planning for a novel, but this time I decided to just embrace writing by the seat of my pants and go for it. And I have. Today I have gotten far enough along that my primary and secondary characters are developed. I know my basic plot and theme. And I know how I plan to get there for the most part. I also know some of that will change as the characters take me places I didn't intend to go. But I also know I will enjoy our trip together. And when it is over, I am pretty sure I will cry. I often cry for characters when finish a book whether I read it or write it.

My new book that I am working on is tentatively titled "Monsters Within".
I am asked if I write about real people. My answer is not. But I sometimes start with the experiences of real people and then I try to write about real emotions.

How I came up with the original premise about a girl who is recovering from a disfiguring accident is...A few weeks ago, I saw a former student who had some facial altering injuries in a vehicle accident some years ago. Others were injured and one passed away in the accident and I thought how emotionally burdensome it must be to mourn and heal emotionally and to have to heal physically too. How do you deal when you have such visible and ever present reminders of tragedy? And how do you deal with people who see a disability rather than the person who is you?

I also thought of other students who have had physical injuries or disorders that changed their bodies in noticeable ways and how hard that must be to cope with a peer group that focuses so much on people's bodies. It usually takes some age and life experience before people truly understand about inner beauty. And some people never do. My students who have experienced these changes always seem to have such an outward face of grace that I wonder how hard fought it has been to get there.

I also have had some experience with life-changing incidents myself and I remember mourning and still do somewhat the loss of some of the things I had been able to do before in my life. The things I do without are not as noticeable or as serious as some deal with. And of course I was and am overjoyed to have the abilities and life that I do, but there were days when it was not easy to feel that way.

So, I decided to write a book for people who have to take broken or non-working pieces of both their actual lives and sometimes their physical selves and continue on. My characters are fictional of course, but I hope their hearts and experiences ring true. If I can capture this, I can do what needs to be done to honor the people who experience loss and change. And I am writing this for the age group who need to hear about this the most. In my teaching I sometimes get to help others to better understanding and I am hoping to do this with this novel.

Now...to write it!

Happy Nanowrimo Everyone!

Another Week of Fabulousness!

Some crazy scarves here. The gray one photographed blurry no matter how I took it.

The Best One So FAR!

The Parade of Scarves Continues!

The Dance of theThirty Scarves

The mystery of what will appear on my neck besides wrinkles and bleed over double chins has been answered for the first five days of November.

It is FIVE days into Nanowrimo-National Novel Writing Month and I have been writing. But I need to write more to keep up. What I have been keeping up with is my quest to wear a different scarf every day of November to remind people to be writers.

Somehow I have always thought writers wear scarves...and I found this was true about a number of them when I went to some writing events.
So I have combined my apparent fascination for scarves-(I really only need to buy two to have thirty)-with my love of writing to have my own Nanoscarfapalooza event. Don't be afraid to join in!

November 1st kicked off with a stunning teal and gold brocade. November 2nd featured a watered silk green and rust. November 3rd was the most popular scarf of all. Numerous compliments on this one, including one from a student who hasn't spoken out loud more than twice all year. November 4 I was a little under the weather and went with the comfy cotton bright yellow and white. November 5 I got out one of my silk scarves Bob brought me back from Thailand.

Who knows what will be next?

I am famous! Sort of

A very prolific writer I know who has taught me a lot and been fun to be around posted an interview with me on her blog. And buy some of her many books, they are all great and she is really going places. Go check us out at www.claireashgrove.com

NOVEMBER 1st...It begins!

Nanowrimo is off to a good start.

I wore my first scarf of the month to support writers and writing. (Authors always used to have scarves on in their pictures, so I associate the two together.) I call my scarf wearing, Nanoscarfapalooza. Join in if you wish.

I read some of my Mirror Images book to my students. They seemed to like it.

After school we had eight students show up for our student Nanowrimo program to write.

I wrote 1,149 words on a new book I am working on.

And tomorrow there will be another scarf, another chance to inspire writers, and more writing for me.

Go Nano! Go Nano! It's your first day! It's your first day!

Yeah, sometimes I even appall myself.

Fall For ALL-A Nanowrimo and Creativity Event

DANG! We did not have enough people for this event so we had to cancel.

Questions for this event can be emailed to galicesonedwards@earthlink.net and jebrunner@yahoo.com

Nanowrimo writers and others!

Looking For a GREAT Writing & Creativity Experience?

Then join us for a fun and productive day at our

Fall for ALL
Writing and Creativity Event
on Saturday, November 5 in Holden, MO at the Holden Middle School, 301 Eagle Drive.

For the price of your drive and $10.00 for snacks, drinks, and a tasty catered lunch, you will get FREE writing workshops and FREE creativity activities from Presenters:
Budding YA author and Heartland RA & RWA member, G. Aliceson Edwards
Technical and Motivational Guru Julie Brunner

If you would rather just write in the company of other writers for the day or enhance your creative abilities and not write a novel, then that’s okay too. Do what works for YOU!



Tentative Schedule-November 5

9:45-10:00 Registration with coffee and snacks

10:00 - What is Nanowrimo?

10:15-10:30- Creativity introduction with an activity.

10:30-11:15 - Breakout session 1 - Pick either Basic Novel Writing Today or Creativity Activities for Fun .

11:15-12:00 Breakout session 2 - “Characterization, Conflicts, and Dialogue, Oh My!” or Using Tech Tools to Enhance Creativity

12:00 – 12:45 Luncheon and Sharing
"The Color Orchestra" sensory-stimulation activity.

12:45– 1:30 Breakout Session 3 – Let’s Get Serious and Write or 10 Faces of Innovation

1:30-2:30 Breakout Session 4 –Challenges, Write or Die, and other Weird Tools or Creative Problem Solving

2:30-3:00 Wrap-up, Optional participation in a time to share work

Remember-All activities are optional and you can participate in as many or none if you prefer. We can even offer you a quiet room to write and write some more!

Bring your own laptops or use our numerous computers.

Moment of Brillance!

I have missed my blog! But the start of school has been horrible for a number of reasons and the students were not any of those. But I am moving on to what I hope are better days ahead.

I haven't been writing and I know realize that although I am still very dedicated to teaching and to my students, I am a writer at heart. I grieve when I don't feel like I have time to do it.

I am doing some writing things. I am helping with my writing group's contest. I am planning a neat event for my students. Today, my husband and I are going to the Longview literature festival and I am wearing my writers' group's shirt that is new.

But no writing.

I have the latest O magazine-that I don't have time to read yet-and its title is "Find Your True Calling!" That title intrigued me because I feel at this point in my life I am ready for a new calling. Being a daughter and a sister and a wife and a mother and later a grandmother has been my true calling. And I am one of those people who has seen teaching as a true calling too. And the combination of those things in my life have brought me such true joy. But I think I have room for one more and am ready to go for it.

Writing. I have started on this journey. I have been learning and practicing tons of technique. I have always been a story teller and that "art" has also brought me much joy over the years. I love a good story deftly shared.

I finally "finished" my first complete novel this past summer. I still need to do some revisions, but I cried when the book was done because I did feel all of the emotions as if I had given birth. I didn't cry for actual births of my children, but I'm older now and my characters and their hard choices affected me.

I have been preparing for Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month-50,000 word challenge)www.nanowrimo.org My friend Julie and I are working on a cool event for it and I plan to hold some writing events for my students. I also plan to participate myself. I have been trying in recent weeks to come up with a cool project to write about this year. Because a book is so labor intensive, you not only need a good premise, but you need one that excites you and compels you and that you genuinely like. You gotta to want to read it before you ask someone else to do it.

AND I HAVE AN IDEA! And it is a good one! And it is a story that I want to read! And it is a story that gives me the opportunity to take one of the areas where I am happiest and use my knowledge to help others.

I can't wait!

9-11-2011 Those Still Standing

This post is about 9-11-2001 and my own experience as I faced a life-threatening illness.

Today we honor the many people who lost their lives ten years ago. The number was many and the effect of those losses live on for their families and friends and America as a whole. 9-11 was shock to our country, because it reminded everyone it only takes a minute or an hour or a day for lives to altered forever and your sense of security and well-being to taken away. This happened to our country on that day and it happened to me personally.

Today, I am not writing of the many people who lost their lives that day. I truly grieve this loss as do so many others. Today, I am writing of the survivors. I realize today is not a day about me. It is about the true fallen and the true survivors, but my experiences during that time mirror this time of tragedy.

On 9-11-2001 I wasn’t in New York or on one of the airplanes, or in the World Trade Center that day. And I do not claim to know the horrors experienced by those brave people who were sacrificed or even the suffering of their families and friends watching and listening as their loved ones died.

However, I am a survivor of 9-11-2001. I was personally betrayed, not by others who came at me from the outside, but by my own body which attacked me. My analogy would be that the life I had constructed came crashing down around me and I had to suffer the initial shock of realizing I had no control or security, then take what I could to rebuild my life. My life changed forever that day, I nearly died from the effects, and it took me years to recover from the initial contact with my life. 9-11-2001 was the last day I remember before I began my own fight from my life. The last thing I remember is a television shot of the first tower that was hit. The next thing I remember was November 26. I have often thought that even though I was conscious at times during these months, I was like the actual survivors and families-going forward in a daze. I imagine many of them don’t remember much from this time period either.

To summarize-I was at home when the first airplane hit the tower. That was unusual, since I should have been at school teaching my 8th grade Literature students. I had been sick for a couple of days with flu like symptoms. Later my family and friends would talk about some of our personal interactions and realize I had been behaving strangely for a few weeks. To this day medical officials cannot explain exactly what was wrong with me. “Non-specific encephlatic type disorder of an unknown source,” translates to “We don’t know what you had,” and further, “We don’t why you had it,” and finally to “We don’t know why you are alive today.”

But I am alive. And I have asked the questions. Why did this have to happen to me? What did I do wrong to deserve this? Will I ever get better? And in some my darker days as I realized how my life had changed forever, I even questioned if I wanted to be here.

And I think this is what many of people who survived the “real” 9-11 have questioned themselves. Why was the America the target? Why did they survive? How can they live with what has happened? Why did they survive when so many others did not? And on the days when the realities of being the ones to survive were overwhelming, I believe many of them may have questioned whether they wanted to survive.

Surviving is hard. It is better than not surviving. And for that reason I hope all of the survivors and families and friends who are still here have found the gratitude to appreciate what a wonder gift life is in general.

But again, surviving is hard. For myself, I had to physically recover and accept that I would never be where I was before. I had to learn to walk again and build my endurance and strengthen my memory and literally get to the point where I could make sense. During those months of illness my family had to watch as I became sicker to the point of almost dying and so altered that I was not myself. They were told on more than one instance to prepare for me to die and finally told that the “essence” or personality that was “me” was gone forever. Even now, I live with a body that sometimes betrays me with effects from my illness. I also live with the knowledge that my life span will most likely be shorter.

But I survived. And I have come back not to where I was before, but to a level that can be fulfilling. What a gift to me the last ten years have been! I can walk and I can teach and I can joke and I can love and be loved by my family and friends. I have enjoyed my years with my husband and my mother and my siblings and friends. I have seen my children become adults. I have experienced the joys of my grandchildren. My oldest grandchild was a baby when I was sick and my youngest not even born. These ten years have made it, so they KNOW me and I KNOW them. I have taught over 1000 students and helped them on their difficult journey through adolescence. And I have known joy.

America has survived too. It hasn’t been easy. There have been mistakes. There have been set-backs. There has been much pain. But there has been forward motion. There has been understanding. There has been joy.

Today, cry tears for all that we lost on 9-11-2011. Remember their sacrifices.

Remember those who survive.

Today is the day!

Good Morning Writing World!

A short post before I go off to slay some writing dragons...on this case a little girl and a momma bunny. (And for any censors I am only slaying things in a literary sense. No real humans or animals were harmed in this writing experience.)

I took some time these past two weeks to review in my head what I have already written and think about some holes I have in the novel concerning plot and character development. I also have been debating how to address the first chapter and make it match the mood of the novel as I needed to and how to SHOW more about the characters without giving too much back story at the beginning. Both are very important concepts to master.

And I have been inspired by my grandchildren's love of animals to add some and use this kind of love as a defining characteristic for someone.

Slowly, but surely I am figuring out how to get those layers in there.

I think I have figured out how to go forward, so today I write. And with the weeks I have had at work, I found it much easier to hypothetically plan characters' demises. And people wonder what motivates authors to find their ideas. :o(

May the mayhem begin!

Okay, I have to fold a load of towels first. Writers lead such glamorous lives.
But then definitely mayhem.

May you find the mayhem or peace you seek today!

Long time, no post! Bad writer!

Whoops! It's been awhile. But writing things have occurred in my absence.

First I emailed a copy of my book to an agent. She rejected it because my "execution did not live up to its premise." I think "promise" would have been a better word, but I agree, it ain't there yet. I am not disappointed and I appreciated the feedback greatly. Moving on to my next challenge.

Also, all three readers of the most recent version all dislike my first chapter. So this is my first challenge. And I think I have figured out what to do about it. Yeah!

And I have enjoyed some time with my grandkids and begun another year of my day job!

Working on organizing my writing group's contest too.

"Good days but busy days." is my current mantra.

A Book is Born!

I'll admit. I thought I had my YA Mirror Images written before. I found out when editing a large part of the ending was wrong, so there was about four chapters of writing instead of editing and simple revision.

But I was wrong about my novel being done. Today I finished it. And I know it was finished because I cried.

I didn't cry:
because I could now type "The End" if I wanted. I didn't-not cool.
Or because I would now get to leave my office for more than ten minutes at a time.
Or even because I can go work getting ready for school. (Summer ending and school starting is a separate tear session.)

I cried because I did it. I told the story my characters wanted to get out to the world.

Now, more editing and proofing and sharing with readers and editing some more before sending it out to agents. Hopefully that will result in more editing, but at least I know that the story is there.

And even though I was the one who wrote it, I am glad it got told. My characters deserved it!

Writing Craft-Practice makes Perfect

Here is a link recommended from one of my writing friends about another writers great advice.

Got all that? Read it and learn.

http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=5097

Cutlery Alert! Favorite Knife MIA

Keep your eyes open for the knife pictured in the Artist's Rendition! On or about July, "Mom's Knife" went missing. Residents of the home claim to no knowledge about its whereabouts and the cat hasn't coughed up anything useful recently either.

Other knives were found in the home at the time of investigation, but do not appear to be talking.

In fact, one knife was thought to be the knife in question, but turned out to be a shorter, not so sharp, cousin.

One knife was found in the toy box and was considered a possible lead, but is now believed to be an imposter planted by an unnamed short boy.

Please study these photos and help bring "Mom's Knife" home. She is just broken- hearted and pleads, "Be kind to my baby. He was always so good to me during the holidays and he seemed to take a shine to me every time I opened his drawer."

Suspicous Minds

I have been thinking about a conversation I recently had with my husband. He was getting ready to fry some bacon (He gave up on me cooking regularly long ago.) and I suggested he use the flat griddle rather than a skillet. See photo of griddle. The frying bacon just an added plus for entertainment.

He replied, "No I'm not confident in it."

And now I have been wondering why? It was probably because he hadn't used it much before. (He hadn't needed to cook much until he married me.)

Had the griddle let him down in the past? Was there some secret slight or disagreement I had not been privy too?

For now I am keeping my eyes open. I'll be ready when the griddle turns on me. Until then, BACON for all.

Creative Minds

Writing and editing get my creativity going and I find myself applying it everywhere. Food, for one place. I have made gazpacho, lemon chicken, zucchini and rice with almonds, and I even made brownies. Okay, the brownies were from a box, but it is more effort than usual. Enjoy my accompanying visuals.

CAUTION: Work area ahead!

I apologize for neglecting you dear blog, but the act of writing is filling my days and evenings and thoughts when I am not writing. Or maybe I am simply editing, but I find myself having to write to do that.

Today, I decided to quickly straighten up my office before starting a marathon session. I noticed some things. My office has much in it. Forget the grandchildren's numerous belongings. (Part office-part kid's stay over room.) Just for writing I now have two TALL bookshelves full of resources, a multi-tiered desk, a temporary card table, a rolling desk chair, a recliner (ankles tend to swell), a wonderful back massage thingy that fits on the recliner (seriously, get one), a small adjustable side table, printer, phone, desktop computer, the laptap I actually write on, a light weight laptop desk-because it gets hot on my legs, a cat who likes to sit on my toes, papers spread out everywhere, my I-Pod, a coaster for my required iced tea glass, and a large plastic hunting knife, and me.

Okay, forget the large plastic hunting knife. That is my grandson's. But I'll keep it in mind in case I want to add a knife fight. Good tool for choreographing.

Whew. It sure is a lot. I also have bunkbeds and a t.v., but who has time for that!

This is my world. And now I am going to do some writing to justify all of the things now taking up space in it!

Stuck on you!

Yuck!
I have been stuck. Not a case of writer's "block". It was more of a case of writer's "suck"!

I had a scene that was important, but no matter how many times I re-wrote it, (Seems like 50-more like 10), I just couldn't get the flow I wanted. Too much back story, not descriptive enough, dialogue in the wrong place, reader wouldn't care about it, cat was attacking my light up flash drive...you get the idea.

Finally, I just stopped and read a little from another author. Cleared my mind enough I could go through some things to do when you get stuck.

Suggestions-
1. Go to bathroom. There's too much crap floating around in your writing.
2. Drink alcohol. Enjoyable for some, but not helpful in the long run.
3. Move dialogue to the beginning.
4. Twitter or Facebook or Email or Singles Personal Ads. Just kidding about the last one, Honey.
5. Give alcohol another chance. Hiccup. Just kidding.
6. Start your scene over with action.
7. Look at some of those reference books you always buy, but don't read, for ideas.
8. Check Craig's list. You'll need a job lead, because you're never going to be a writer.
9. Eat a snack. Apparently I have been all over this idea, because my butt is now all over the recliner.
10. And what I finally did...a combination of some of the above.

I now have a plan based on how my sister used to clean her house. Since she lived alone and hated housework, she used to list all the household chores on little slips of paper. Then she would make a game of it and draw out chores to do. AND reward herself for jobs well done. (Really, I first thought it was kind of sad, but the idea has grown on me. I want to be rewarded for doing icky things.)

For my getting stuck moments, I am going to develop my own list of strategies to try. For my teacher friends, it will be my own Pyramid of Intervention. And I am going to be all about developing a Reward one too. Is Cancun too much for a chapter or two? Maybe I'll just start with a non-alcoholic umbrella topped fruity drinks.

Great day in MY writer land!

It is a great day in MY writer land. I attended the Springfield chapter's Romancing the Ozarks Conference and got a request for a FULL manuscript of YA suspense, Mirror Images, from a real live New York agent! This is BIG! It doesn't mean anything WILL happen, but it gives me a much better chance something MIGHT happen. The agent loved my storyline. Now, I have some work to do to make certain I live up to her belief in me. So, be prepared. I may be asking your help as readers.

ORA Con 2011 in Springfield

This is some great SWAG (Stuff We All Get) and some other things I purchased or won from the Romancing the Ozarks Conference or ORA Con 2011 attended in Springfield, MO on Saturday, July 23rd. The one-day conference was great. It focused on romance writing, but any fiction writer would have benefited. I traveled down with HeRA member Sherry S. It was lots of fun just talking together about writing and our families. And she knew how to get to Lambert's Home of the Throwed Rolls. That meal alone would have made the trip worthwhile, but add in that the speakers at the conference were great. Shannon Vannatter, Leigh Michaels, and my friends Shannon K. Butcher and Eliza Lloyd put on some entertaining and informative programs that were a big help to experienced and newbie writers. Editor Lia Brown and agent Louise Fury were helpful and approachable. It was a good conference for someone who has never been to one and a good conference for people who wanted to go to another great one!

And I got to see some of my other HeRA-ites that I haven't for awhile. Amanda and Janice!

Kudos to the Ozarks Romance Authors for a well organized event! I even got free stuff, won some great stuff in the raffle, and bought some great resources for myself.

Next year's conference is Saturday, June 23rd and will feature Agent Lucienne Diver and Author Rob Thurman. Go, it is worth your effort!

AND I GOT A REALLY PROMISING OPPORTUNITY FROM THE AGENT!

The Clarion Conference facilities and luncheon was great!

Good Writing Days

I am enjoying good writing days. I need to do some more actual writing, but with a vacation coming up I have been taking care of some business too. I do enjoy the revising process I have been working on.

Today I am reading a book by author Alicia Dean, Death Notice. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0059VTKHE I did a little reading for her on her manuscript and offered a couple of suggestions. She was so nice to include me in her acknowledgments and even incorporated a suggestion. Cool. (And I really am excited by this. I helped shape someone's book. STRESS-Just a VERY little shaping, but a little nonetheless.)

I know I will be included in some other acknowledgments later and I am excited by this too.

Today I am going to critique and I love the process. It is fun to see what other people are writing and I really do learn a lot about writing from their work. Sometimes it is something not to do or do differently or what they are doing correctly. And sometimes I learn what I am doing correctly. Or not correctly.

I have learned so much this summer about being a writer and made some great contacts. Each day I am more convinced I want to have a career in the writing world. And I am so awed in a good way and sometimes a little awestruck by all of the possibilities. And this is unfamiliar feeling for me. In my career as a teacher, you are a teacher...only a matter of what and where you teach. In the world of writing you can be a writer of fiction or nonfiction or be funny or serious or write books or articles or be an editor or an agent or...I am still learning the possibilities.

Now I am off to prepare my selection for critique review. It is a rainy,dreary day outside, but in my office I'm enjoying a little of my own personal writing sunshine.

Another Famous Author I Know/Stalked.

This is for Janet Evanovich, a smokin' author of the Stephanie Plum books-and others too. I have met Janet (and Alex) twice. Once when my friends and I went to Omaha to a book signing. We dressed up as the characters and waited in line for four hours, but it was worth it! Later I spoke with her again at RWA National Conference where she was the keynote speaker. This week Smokin' Seventeen comes out! I am excited to read more from my favorite characters! And I am think there is supposed to be some smokin' action with THREE men to choose from! Enjoy my pictures!

The Road Trip to Janet.

Here are all of the book characters from our book trip to Omaha. Mustang Sally a.k.a Carol the Chip Lady-Had a bad day and stole the Frito truck. Penny as the heroine Stephanie Plum. Linda as a youthful Grandma Mazur. Morgan as Joyce, the husband stealer. Janet had a special name for her. Started with a "B:! Robin as Vinnie's secretary Connie. That mustache is fake...she says.




From the Road Trip.

Incognito Writing

This is me writing on my back porch. I am rocking my nightgown, jacket, blanket, sunglasses and hat. Why such a strange combo? It was cold, kind of windy, and I have to sit in the shade with my sunglasses to be able to see the computer screen. Ah, the glamorous life!

EVEN More Famous Authors

Originally some HeRA-ites Shannon K. Butcher, Sherry Foley, and Liz Lafferty Other HeRA-ites Amy Knupp and Janette Kenney. And Cherry Adair

More Famous Authors I've met.

Leigh Greenwood (How many of you knew he was a man?-----Jennifer Crusie----- Jo Beverly----- Brenda Novak

Me and Famous People in the BIZ

Goldie's Fangirl Name Dropping Best Selling Authors-Eloisa James Linda Howard NORA Roberts-Who has touched my thigh! Agent Deidre Knight