Silken tagged me to do this horoscope blog and, as it looked like fun and I was tempted to try it out when I saw it at Mrs. Parker’s Blog a few days ago, I thought I’d give it a whirl.
The rules are simple. Below is a list of each of the twelve months. Copy paste your birth month into the beginning of the entry and then tell your readers which of the descriptions are accurate – the blogger can simply highlight the affirmative or give an overall explanation... as those of you who read me know that I’m long winded, you can guess which you’re in for here.
All About Me:
MARCH:
Attractive personality. – I hope so... I like it, but then I don’t often have many conflicts with myself... then again, if a friend described me as having an ‘attractive personality’ I would likely assume they were calling me ugly, so maybe I should say no to this one....
Sexy. – It depends on who you ask. Was I sexy after ten hours of labor? Was I sexy at three in the morning smelling of infant spit up? Was I sexy wearing very icky nursing pads? I think you’d have to have some weird fetish to answer yes to any of those... but there is probably someone out there with a weird fetish, so... I think everyone feels sexy at some time, but that’s a blanket kind of sidestepping answer... I would give a yes, but, hey, wouldn’t we all?
Affectionate. – Again, depends on who you ask... if you’re annoying me, not so much. With my kids, all the time. With my dog – she’s 70 pounds and thinks she’s a lap dog, so what does that tell ya? With my husband – see the annoying line.
Shy and reserved. – Yes and no.... ha, aren’t I an enigma? I hate public speaking, it’s on my list of things that I have to master when I’ve actually got a publishing deal – because I know I’ll need it but right now the writing’s far more pressing... I was painfully shy as a kid, somewhat outgrew it in teen years, and most people that know me would never guess shy... but I still clam up and get self conscious around large groups... even smaller groups if I don’t know everyone.
Secretive. – I can’t tell you.
Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic -Yes, yes, and yes. I don’t like being lied to and I have a problem lying... this is not some great moral attribute on my part, my mouth simply works faster than my brain. Seriously, I will say things that most normal people would keep to themselves, it just pops out of my mouth. I attribute this to a sieve problem... most people have a filter between their brain and their mouth, I have a sieve... usually I can keep the things that are going to be hurtful from getting past my teeth, but whatever I’m thinking is flashing across my face anyway. Generous, overly... I will hurt myself financially to help a friend or family member out and have, for most of my life. Sympathetic, see generous, what do you think?
Loves peace and serenity. – I do actually, and I cannot stand drama, but I tend to get more of that than peace and serenity.. I’ve wondered, too, what I’m doing to attract that, because I’d like to stop.
Sensitive to others. – Yes
Loves to serve others. – Yes, but this is kind of a self serving thing, too. I love to cook, more because I like to see people enjoying what I’ve made them than because I actually love the cooking process...
Easily angered. – Would you be surprised if I said Yes – Definitely Yes, I have a hot temper, but I’ve learned to control it a great deal with age... for instance, I haven’t winged a plate at anyone since I was a teenager.. I’m so not looking forward to my kids hitting their teens.
Trustworthy. – Yes
Appreciative and returns kindness. – I try to be but sometimes I’m not as good at sending out thank you’s and such as I should be... I do try to return kindnesses when I can, though.
Observant and assesses others. – Overly, I tend to get a snap impression of people I meet fairly quickly and I’m usually pretty accurate.
Revengeful. – YES – shocked, are you? I am actually, enough so that I’m glad I have too much of a faith in Karmic justice to actually act out on anyone... It takes me a great deal of time to get over slights and backstabbing and when I do forgive it’s more a case of letting it go for my own well being than it is a means to fix the relationship. I should probably add a disclaimer here: not the kind of revengeful that would hurt someone physically... for instance, when someone’s really done something rotten to me in life, if I were to write a character of them, the character wouldn’t get killed or anything, they’d just be overly jerky and might get an std or something.
Loves to dream and fantasize. – Yes – I call this living in my own head and when I turn it to creative pursuits it’s a great plus, but I have to be very conscious of this daydreamer aspect, because it can lead me to feel like I’m accomplishing something when I’m really just being lazy.
Loves traveling. – Nope. There are places I’d like to see, but overall I don’t like to travel
Loves attention. – Okay, is there someone who doesn’t like positive attention? Seriously
Hasty decisions in choosing partners. – Yes, but hasty isn’t always wrong, either.
Loves home decors. - Not so much... There are quirky things I like in my own house, but I’m not one of those people who reads home decorating magazines or anything.
Musically talented. – Not even a little bit!!! I love music, listen to it all the time, but I can’t play or sing a damn thing without causing myself and others great pain.
Loves special things. – No, I hate special things with a passion... what gives them a right to be so, so, special.... Seriously, what does this even mean? (Side note, they left ‘sarcastic’ off this list, but obviously the answer there would be ‘yes’)
Moody. – Yes.... I can be.
Okay guys, below you’ll find the list of the months below with all of the attributes. I’m not going to tag anyone, but I’d love to read yours if you do one, so drop me a link in the comments if you post.
JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.
FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.
MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.
APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.
MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.
JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.
JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.
AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.
SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.
OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.
NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.
DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Kick Off the New Year with the Book Club Blogs!!!
My friend, Shelly Bryant has graciously offered to host the next book club blog on her site. Some of you may have joined us for the book club discussion here on Patricia Wood’s Lottery in December. That was the kick off to, hopefully, starting up a regular book club on blogs around the internet. It’s open to anyone who likes to read and discuss literature with other readers and writers. You are more than welcome to jump into any discussion that interests you and host if you’d enjoy picking and discussing a book on your blog.
Shelly’s first post on the upcoming book club can be found here
She’s given four choices to her blog readers, and left the decision of what we will all be reading together up to a group consensus. The four choices are varied and look outstanding, so drop by her blog and put in your vote.
For those of you unfamiliar with Shelly’s discussions, I can say they are among the most intelligent and thought provoking literary discussions I have ever had the privilege to take part in, both online and in person. Shelly is a poet who is very well read and highly educated, and she teaches literature to third and fourth year university students in Singapore... as if all of that wasn’t enough, she’s also great fun and nice to boot.
I’ll be joining in and I hope to see all of you there!!!
Shelly’s first post on the upcoming book club can be found here
She’s given four choices to her blog readers, and left the decision of what we will all be reading together up to a group consensus. The four choices are varied and look outstanding, so drop by her blog and put in your vote.
For those of you unfamiliar with Shelly’s discussions, I can say they are among the most intelligent and thought provoking literary discussions I have ever had the privilege to take part in, both online and in person. Shelly is a poet who is very well read and highly educated, and she teaches literature to third and fourth year university students in Singapore... as if all of that wasn’t enough, she’s also great fun and nice to boot.
I’ll be joining in and I hope to see all of you there!!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
I've Been Awarded a Roar.... meow...
My favorite Resident Alien bestowed this award upon my blog... and I thank her wholeheartedly for the accolades. Now, as per the rules of being A Roar for Powerful Words recipient, I must publish three tips, for to be powerful and writerly, and pass the award on to five more bloggers of worthy esteem.
So, here goes:
Tip #1: Don’t take wooden nickels :
The lovely thing about writing circles, blogging buddies, critique groups, and books on the craft of writing is that you find new ways to look at and edit your writing... Wanting to evolve and grow, many of us have a keen ear for picking apart our own prose and others’... and this tip is not to say that you shouldn’t listen to critique, you absolutely should, especially when you’re getting identical crits from multiple sources...
As an author of your own creation, though, you have to know where to draw the line between others’ views and your own voice. For example, I did a lot of rewriting specifically with active voice in mind because I’d been around a lot of writers who touted this absolutely... It messed with my voice. Luckily I had only edited two chapters of my ms with these ideas in mind, but once I realized how far off it was, it took me weeks to bring it back to my own voice... honestly, some of those cuts and edits were necessary and I still am a back story writer who needs multiple weedings, but to the extreme that I had followed... well, all action and no prose is not good writing to me, it’s manic and it disrupts the flow of the language... I won’t read that type of book, so I certainly don’t want to write one.
Tip #2: Network, Baby :
For blogging in general, networking is a necessity. You develop a readership by reading and commenting thoughtfully on posts around the blog-o-sphere. For writing, though, I think we often think it’s more procrastination than helpful, but that is somewhat untrue... while you can get sucked into blogging and networking to the extent that it interrupts your writing time (yes, I’ve done this... my own fault, too) – ideally, if you use a little discipline, what networking with other writers offers you is invaluable.
Not only will you find more avenues for submission, critique groups, and a like minded set of people exchanging thoughts and ideas... but you will get your name out there in a way that you couldn’t sitting at your keyboard alone. Networking is good for the soul if nothing else. It lets you gain a bit of support from others who are where you’re at, or have been there... and those who have made it higher or are just coming up... community is always a good thing – no matter where you find it.
Tip #3: Write, dammit!
This is so basic and so overlooked. If you’re not writing, you’re not a writer. You can spend twelve hours a day critiquing others, discussion craft, and reading books on writing... you can be the most prolific agent and publisher watcher imaginable... you can have a handle on every book your list of most wanted agents has ever represented .... but if you haven’t put your ass in the seat and done the actual writing, none of that will make you a writer.
Do the writing. Do it first. I know, stories flesh themselves out in your head all the time. Even when you’re not physically writing, some part of you is working on it... I know that. I do that, too. So does every writer I know... Guess what? That’s not writing... it’s a perk of writing, but it’s not the actual work. Sit your ass in the chair and write. Do it every day. Do it first. Don’t walk away because nothing’s coming... write it out and edit it later... write it out and trash it later... but write. Yes, we all need the research and the research on publishing is more time consuming than most people think... the writing still has to be primary, or you’re only daydreaming with conviction.
Oy... five bloggers for to pass this on...
Okay, guys, some of you may have received this one already; in which case just take the kudos and don’t worry about posting... here are my picks...
Anita Daher I first met Anita on Myspace, and a nicer author you’ll never meet. She’s a Canadian author with multiple books out, and she’s always very generous with her time and insight, even to us unpublished newbies.
Angela She always has thought provoking posts and always responds to comments with the same amount of consideration with which she pens her entries... This particular blog is more about parenting a teen, but she has another all about life as a freelance writer... both are excellent.
Pinhole I can think of nothing else to say about Pinhole except that he is brilliant... and even more attractive, he doesn’t seem to know it. His blog is full of hand drawn illustrations, beautiful prose, and some of the best wit you’ll ever find. I highly recommend him whenever you’re in need of deep thoughts or a chuckle, you’ll find both.
Travis Erwin I can’t believe that Travis hasn’t already been nominated for this one, he’s brilliant and his voice is just the most fun ever. You’ll find the best turn of phrases and the most fantastic stories here. If you haven’t stopped, check him out.
The SUV Driving Bitch Your Mother Warned You About Suv Mama is a favorite stop of mine... she had a blog that I visited regularly and took down some time ago, but she’s back... and better than ever. The name says it all, so I’ll let you all check her out on your own.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Dear Mr. Anonymous
Dear Mr. Anonymous,
It has recently come to my attention that you have built an unmistakable presence in blogging and cyber communities. Of course, it must be said that your voracious wit and charm is not to be believed! Where once you contented yourself with poison pen letters and nervously scrawled notes to the principal while hiding in nearby lockers, now you’ve bloomed to the open stage of literary viewers both large and small.
In recent weeks I’ve seen your, oh so unique, comments on agent blogs and author’s sites... Oh, and how I applaud your forthright diatribes, smearing of the commenters and blog authors alike, knowing full well that signing your name as you have may lead to irreparable damage to your reputation. We all know that these criticisms are sincere and not inspired by some secret rejection or cynical alienation from the community to which you condemn... Of course not. And your prose are so very prolific... the deigning of all agent blog readers as grovelers, the verbal abuse of all (insert faith here), the carefully chosen cuss words for widows and orphans... and, let us not forget, your intellectually stimulating additions to all chat boards discussing Britney Spears and Paris Hilton... yes, yes, all you, my dear anonymous... we can tell that no one has taken your identity fraudulently, for your voice has about it the same characteristic intelligence in each of your signed entries....
I admire your zest for words and never was a writer so prolific. In political discussions, you are there! To skewer each side with illogical reasoning and never cower from the light of day; not you, brave anonymous... a hero among men... In professional arenas you wound with wit and occasional bloodthirsty threats... how invigorating. Though some believe your moniker to be the assumed name of a snot nosed band geek at home on Friday night... I know better. For you are the judgment to which we all should aspire and your carefully placed comments, so strategic in forcing actual participants to weed through your views before being allowed to continue the discussion... well, sheer genius as we all know and of course your opinion has far more weight in our meandering minds than those whose credentials claim expertise.
Wherever there is gratuitous profanity and skillfully wielded slander for no apparent reason, you’ll be there. And for that I salute you... I shall leave you to guess with which finger.
Sincerely,
Yor N. Ass
Well, can you tell I'm feeling a bit grinchy tonight? I've been annoyed a few too many times by anonymous posters at really fantastic discussions and decided to have some fun with it in writing... Consider this a sarcastic little gift from me. Feel free to copy any and all parts of this letter for your own blog, or in answer to anonymous trolls what annoy you... Merry Christmas!
It has recently come to my attention that you have built an unmistakable presence in blogging and cyber communities. Of course, it must be said that your voracious wit and charm is not to be believed! Where once you contented yourself with poison pen letters and nervously scrawled notes to the principal while hiding in nearby lockers, now you’ve bloomed to the open stage of literary viewers both large and small.
In recent weeks I’ve seen your, oh so unique, comments on agent blogs and author’s sites... Oh, and how I applaud your forthright diatribes, smearing of the commenters and blog authors alike, knowing full well that signing your name as you have may lead to irreparable damage to your reputation. We all know that these criticisms are sincere and not inspired by some secret rejection or cynical alienation from the community to which you condemn... Of course not. And your prose are so very prolific... the deigning of all agent blog readers as grovelers, the verbal abuse of all (insert faith here), the carefully chosen cuss words for widows and orphans... and, let us not forget, your intellectually stimulating additions to all chat boards discussing Britney Spears and Paris Hilton... yes, yes, all you, my dear anonymous... we can tell that no one has taken your identity fraudulently, for your voice has about it the same characteristic intelligence in each of your signed entries....
I admire your zest for words and never was a writer so prolific. In political discussions, you are there! To skewer each side with illogical reasoning and never cower from the light of day; not you, brave anonymous... a hero among men... In professional arenas you wound with wit and occasional bloodthirsty threats... how invigorating. Though some believe your moniker to be the assumed name of a snot nosed band geek at home on Friday night... I know better. For you are the judgment to which we all should aspire and your carefully placed comments, so strategic in forcing actual participants to weed through your views before being allowed to continue the discussion... well, sheer genius as we all know and of course your opinion has far more weight in our meandering minds than those whose credentials claim expertise.
Wherever there is gratuitous profanity and skillfully wielded slander for no apparent reason, you’ll be there. And for that I salute you... I shall leave you to guess with which finger.
Sincerely,
Yor N. Ass
Well, can you tell I'm feeling a bit grinchy tonight? I've been annoyed a few too many times by anonymous posters at really fantastic discussions and decided to have some fun with it in writing... Consider this a sarcastic little gift from me. Feel free to copy any and all parts of this letter for your own blog, or in answer to anonymous trolls what annoy you... Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Lottery - Last Discussion on the Book Club Blog
Today we are wrapping up the book club blog discussion on Lottery. If you missed the previous discussions, you can find the first one, discussing Lottery’s presentation of society’s view on mental and financial success, here, and the second one, on the presentation of love and loyalty, here. I want to thank Patricia Wood once more, for her wonderful participation in an excellent series of discussions... She took a lot of time out of her schedule and carefully answered readers’ questions while inputting her own thoughts on the themes and writing process.
I’d like to take the time now to close the discussion with a special emphasis on the writing process. I know some of the readers on this particular series are not writers by trade, though I hope they will find it interesting, none the less. I thought, for this particular blog, it would be a fitting way to close. If you scroll through my entries you’ll notice a vast majority of them have something to do with the writing process. We did, briefly touch on some of the writing devices used in this novel in the comments from the first post, Stephen Parrish so eloquently started us off by pointing out the brilliant way in which Patricia allowed the reader to hear exactly what Perry’s relatives were saying in front of him. This allowed the reader to know exactly what was going on while Perry, who could hear but not completely understand, remained unaware of their exact intentions.
The most prominent thing to me was the use of first person here. First person has been used before, of course, but it’s a difficult type of writing to master for a number of reasons. One key reason for the level of difficulty in writing first person being that the audience can only see things through the eyes of the main character, thereby limiting their own understanding of events. With a narrator like Perry, at the outside you would think this point of view would be a detriment, but Patricia skillfully makes it a poignant positive. As Stephen mentioned earlier, the ability to hear what people are saying around Perry without him really understanding is an amazing, yet realistic way to see the entire picture without detracting from Perry’s character. The fact that people will often speak openly around a person of Perry’s mental ability works as a plus here.
What I found most compelling was Patricia’s ability to maintain the character’s voice throughout. This has to be a far harder task than people automatically assume. Reading just a few blog posts or interviews by Patricia, one can see that her usual writing voice is far advanced in both language and flow, than that of her character’s. I wonder how many times during revisions she had to have picked through, thinking, ‘there’s no way Perry would say that...’ I also applaud her deference to the story because I think it’s a natural thing for most writers to want to impress with their poetic prose – Patricia let simplicity of language and power of story do the work... and I don’t think that’s any small task.
Here’s what I would love to discuss, and anyone who cares to participate can. (of course we’d all love to hear from Patricia on this as well) How do you make your choices during the writing process? Do you have the story in front of you and decide it works best in first or third person? Do you start writing and see where it goes? Are you a researcher? Do you have the idea and then spend a good amount of time researching before you put pen to paper? Do you outline first or do you write by the seat of your pants?
Okay, guys, I hope you’ll all take some time to enlighten us with your own process or tell us what literary devices in the novel really impressed you. This will be the last post on the book club blogs for Lottery, but I’ll be sure to post something soon to let you all know where and when the next book club blog will be... in other news, the holiday is sneaking right up on me, so I will try to make it over to everyone’s blog at least once, but likely won’t post until after Christmas... So Merry Christmas to everyone out there. May it be full of great food, good company, and lots of love.
I’d like to take the time now to close the discussion with a special emphasis on the writing process. I know some of the readers on this particular series are not writers by trade, though I hope they will find it interesting, none the less. I thought, for this particular blog, it would be a fitting way to close. If you scroll through my entries you’ll notice a vast majority of them have something to do with the writing process. We did, briefly touch on some of the writing devices used in this novel in the comments from the first post, Stephen Parrish so eloquently started us off by pointing out the brilliant way in which Patricia allowed the reader to hear exactly what Perry’s relatives were saying in front of him. This allowed the reader to know exactly what was going on while Perry, who could hear but not completely understand, remained unaware of their exact intentions.
The most prominent thing to me was the use of first person here. First person has been used before, of course, but it’s a difficult type of writing to master for a number of reasons. One key reason for the level of difficulty in writing first person being that the audience can only see things through the eyes of the main character, thereby limiting their own understanding of events. With a narrator like Perry, at the outside you would think this point of view would be a detriment, but Patricia skillfully makes it a poignant positive. As Stephen mentioned earlier, the ability to hear what people are saying around Perry without him really understanding is an amazing, yet realistic way to see the entire picture without detracting from Perry’s character. The fact that people will often speak openly around a person of Perry’s mental ability works as a plus here.
What I found most compelling was Patricia’s ability to maintain the character’s voice throughout. This has to be a far harder task than people automatically assume. Reading just a few blog posts or interviews by Patricia, one can see that her usual writing voice is far advanced in both language and flow, than that of her character’s. I wonder how many times during revisions she had to have picked through, thinking, ‘there’s no way Perry would say that...’ I also applaud her deference to the story because I think it’s a natural thing for most writers to want to impress with their poetic prose – Patricia let simplicity of language and power of story do the work... and I don’t think that’s any small task.
Here’s what I would love to discuss, and anyone who cares to participate can. (of course we’d all love to hear from Patricia on this as well) How do you make your choices during the writing process? Do you have the story in front of you and decide it works best in first or third person? Do you start writing and see where it goes? Are you a researcher? Do you have the idea and then spend a good amount of time researching before you put pen to paper? Do you outline first or do you write by the seat of your pants?
Okay, guys, I hope you’ll all take some time to enlighten us with your own process or tell us what literary devices in the novel really impressed you. This will be the last post on the book club blogs for Lottery, but I’ll be sure to post something soon to let you all know where and when the next book club blog will be... in other news, the holiday is sneaking right up on me, so I will try to make it over to everyone’s blog at least once, but likely won’t post until after Christmas... So Merry Christmas to everyone out there. May it be full of great food, good company, and lots of love.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Lottery - Second Discussion in our Book Club Blog
Over the last few days, we’ve been having a rousing discussion on the book, Lottery, concentrating especially on the themes of society’s views of monetary and mental success. Of course, like most book club blog discussions, the comments have taken different paths from the ones started in the blog post, but that’s just the way I like it – it’s been a joy to have so much participation and so many thoughts exchanged. It’s been especially fun to have Lottery author, Patricia Wood participating to both add her own insights into the story and its creation and to address questions and comments from her readers.
If you haven’t seen the original post yet, check the first link above to look around. I will repeat the same disclaimer here – this is a book discussion, which means there will be spoilers to the novel. If you haven’t read it yet, and reading the discussion might ruin your enjoyment of the novel, I really recommend picking up a copy – it is a great book and one you don’t want to miss.
Today I’d like to discuss the themes of love and loyalty and how they are addressed through the eyes of Perry Crandall. One of the aspects of the novel I so enjoyed was its treatment of these themes, and the way that Perry comes to ‘pick’ his family. What I mean to say here is, outside of his grandparents, Perry’s birth family does not have his best interest at heart. They have little to do with him at all throughout his life, unless it is to cheat him out of something. And, while Perry’s gullibility leads him to give these blood relations more than their due, the family he really cares for are the ones who are of his own choosing.
Keith is a great character because he is both flawed and noble. Perry picks Keith as his best friend, but really it is so much more than that. And perhaps this relationship has as much to do with Keith picking Perry. The thing I adore in their relationship is that Keith is so lost himself, so much of what he’s become, and let himself become, is lower than his potential. So we have this guy who drinks too much, swears too much, is a bit less than respectful about the female form, and has essentially given all of his dreams away because his heartache at losing his family and surviving the war makes him unwilling to try. Then you have Perry, whose mental ability is limited through no fault of his own and society is constantly telling him that he can’t - yet Perry does nothing but try. He tries his hardest no matter what job he’s working on and he takes pride in his accomplishment, but more than that, he takes pride in his contribution...
So these two characters, to me, balance each other out. Keith watches over and looks out for Perry in a way he wouldn’t even look out for himself, and Perry gives Keith a family; one he didn’t even know he still wanted...
Themes of family run heavy in this novel and I also love our small interactions with Gary’s family. They, too, become a family for Perry and, by extension Keith and Cherry.
Cherry is probably the character you’ve all been waiting for me to address because I think there are likely some differing views on Perry’s relationship with Cherry, before and after Keith’s passing... All I can do is offer my own sensibilities, though I’d love to hear everyone else’s too. I thought Perry’s crush on Cherry throughout made him a fuller and more concrete character. It was one more thing that smacked of reality and gave me something to both identify with and feel for him over. I loved Keith and Cherry together, I thought they brought something to each other that was sorely missing from each of their lives before... though, I have to admit, Cherry’s age and family situation made me wonder somewhat whether it was fair for Keith to get involved physically at that point in her life... I didn’t read it as Keith taking advantage or even thinking about taking advantage – I read his feelings as genuine. But my personal perception can’t help but come into play in a book that pulls me so far in, and at the point where they were obviously serious, my thoughts were that it was a bad idea. My thoughts were that when Cherry grew more mature and had some distance from her abusive father, and became more of her own person, she might realize that her love for Keith was more of that as a little girl looking for a protector, and not a true partner and equal... None of this discounts my love for the book. On the contrary, I think when you go that far into psychoanalyzing characters; the writing must have made them astoundingly real.
Cherry’s relationship with Perry after Keith’s passing. I have to say, it’s not the ending I would have chosen (mighty disclaimer – it’s the author’s right to choose, and I don’t like a lot of what real life dishes out, either... it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the novel, obviously), not because I wanted Perry to live a celibate alone life, but because Cherry so obviously settled for Perry because Keith was not there. I wanted Perry to have a wife that adored him, first and foremost, and I almost felt like they wound up together because of an odd turn of events rather than a true romantic connection. I was happy that Perry was happy and I was happy to see him involved with both Cherry and Keith’s baby. I adored seeing Perry get his puppy and be a father and businessman. But that is, of course, my own sensibility. Now I’d love to hear yours....
If you haven’t seen the original post yet, check the first link above to look around. I will repeat the same disclaimer here – this is a book discussion, which means there will be spoilers to the novel. If you haven’t read it yet, and reading the discussion might ruin your enjoyment of the novel, I really recommend picking up a copy – it is a great book and one you don’t want to miss.
Today I’d like to discuss the themes of love and loyalty and how they are addressed through the eyes of Perry Crandall. One of the aspects of the novel I so enjoyed was its treatment of these themes, and the way that Perry comes to ‘pick’ his family. What I mean to say here is, outside of his grandparents, Perry’s birth family does not have his best interest at heart. They have little to do with him at all throughout his life, unless it is to cheat him out of something. And, while Perry’s gullibility leads him to give these blood relations more than their due, the family he really cares for are the ones who are of his own choosing.
Keith is a great character because he is both flawed and noble. Perry picks Keith as his best friend, but really it is so much more than that. And perhaps this relationship has as much to do with Keith picking Perry. The thing I adore in their relationship is that Keith is so lost himself, so much of what he’s become, and let himself become, is lower than his potential. So we have this guy who drinks too much, swears too much, is a bit less than respectful about the female form, and has essentially given all of his dreams away because his heartache at losing his family and surviving the war makes him unwilling to try. Then you have Perry, whose mental ability is limited through no fault of his own and society is constantly telling him that he can’t - yet Perry does nothing but try. He tries his hardest no matter what job he’s working on and he takes pride in his accomplishment, but more than that, he takes pride in his contribution...
So these two characters, to me, balance each other out. Keith watches over and looks out for Perry in a way he wouldn’t even look out for himself, and Perry gives Keith a family; one he didn’t even know he still wanted...
Themes of family run heavy in this novel and I also love our small interactions with Gary’s family. They, too, become a family for Perry and, by extension Keith and Cherry.
Cherry is probably the character you’ve all been waiting for me to address because I think there are likely some differing views on Perry’s relationship with Cherry, before and after Keith’s passing... All I can do is offer my own sensibilities, though I’d love to hear everyone else’s too. I thought Perry’s crush on Cherry throughout made him a fuller and more concrete character. It was one more thing that smacked of reality and gave me something to both identify with and feel for him over. I loved Keith and Cherry together, I thought they brought something to each other that was sorely missing from each of their lives before... though, I have to admit, Cherry’s age and family situation made me wonder somewhat whether it was fair for Keith to get involved physically at that point in her life... I didn’t read it as Keith taking advantage or even thinking about taking advantage – I read his feelings as genuine. But my personal perception can’t help but come into play in a book that pulls me so far in, and at the point where they were obviously serious, my thoughts were that it was a bad idea. My thoughts were that when Cherry grew more mature and had some distance from her abusive father, and became more of her own person, she might realize that her love for Keith was more of that as a little girl looking for a protector, and not a true partner and equal... None of this discounts my love for the book. On the contrary, I think when you go that far into psychoanalyzing characters; the writing must have made them astoundingly real.
Cherry’s relationship with Perry after Keith’s passing. I have to say, it’s not the ending I would have chosen (mighty disclaimer – it’s the author’s right to choose, and I don’t like a lot of what real life dishes out, either... it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the novel, obviously), not because I wanted Perry to live a celibate alone life, but because Cherry so obviously settled for Perry because Keith was not there. I wanted Perry to have a wife that adored him, first and foremost, and I almost felt like they wound up together because of an odd turn of events rather than a true romantic connection. I was happy that Perry was happy and I was happy to see him involved with both Cherry and Keith’s baby. I adored seeing Perry get his puppy and be a father and businessman. But that is, of course, my own sensibility. Now I’d love to hear yours....
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Lottery - First Discussion in our Book Club Blog
Today, we kick off the first in our book club blogs on Lottery by Patricia Wood As this is a book discussion that, I hope, will delve intricately into the plot and themes, I want to warn you all ahead of time. If spoilers are the type of thing that will keep you from reading a book, please pick up a copy and read this one first, and then come back and visit if you like – this isn’t a book you want to miss and hearing what readers thought won’t replace the experience. If in depth discussion ahead of time doesn’t ruin the reading experience for you, grab your coffee and hang out a bit... oh, yeah, I think I’m serving cyber wine, cheese, and crackers... and away we go!!!
For me, narrowing down the discussion topic to one thing was harder than it looked back when I finished the book. The writing is simple and forthright, and deceptively full of insight. The first thing that I’d like to touch on is perception of success. I think the idea of both monetary success and mental acuity are both given poignant precedence through the eyes of Perry.
In Perry L. Crandall, we have a main character with an IQ of 76. This number has defined him for most of his life, both in his own thoughts and by the outside world. To Perry, that number is proof positive that his is not retarded. To his brother cousins, teachers growing up, and school mates it is an indication that Perry is not as smart as they are or not able to function in their world.
Perry and his Gram are simple people. It’s quite clear that they are not well off financially, but it’s just as clear that they are happy with what they have. There are a lot of characters to like in this book, and I do love Perry, but Gram is by far my favorite even though she dies early in the book, a death which is really the catalyst to Perry’s own independence, her presence is still felt throughout in Perry’s recollection and in his own mode of living his life. Through Gram we see a no nonsense voice that, for all of her gruff insight, is the marker by which Perry learns to distinguish moral character. Throughout his life, she’s built routines that are geared so that he will be able to function without her when she’s gone. She has also, we find, held a good deal of information to herself, such as the reason for their loss of Gramp’s business. I like to think she took these heartaches internally, so Perry wouldn’t be burdened with them. Still, she did not bury it like it didn’t happen; she helped Perry to make lists, so that he would be guarded in some way against the people who might take advantage:
“...There are people you listen to, and others you don’t. You have to be able to tell the difference.” Gram slaps the kitchen table hard with her hand and makes me jump.
“Like who?” I ask.
We make a list.”
We find a distinct difference between the way Perry is treated before his Lottery winnings and after. The possible exception to this being Keith and Cherry. Gary, his boss at Holsted’s, is distinguished early as a person of character and one Perry can trust (he made the list). But even Gary learns a bit more about Perry and starts to see him in a different way; as an asset to the business. However, in this case I view the change as more in line with Perry’s own growth as a person rather than society’s view of him once he has a fortune.
I love the way the time old moral lesson of worth being determined by more than your bank balance comes into play in this novel. We become familiar with relatives who would gladly take everything Perry has without a second thought.
The characters of John, David, their wives and Perry’s own mother, who he calls Louise, are a firm contrast to Perry’s moral fortitude. These characters have all of the financial trappings that society holds in esteem. They are professionals whose mental prowess far surpasses that of Perry, and they each hold these facts as evidence that they are superior to him... So superior, in fact, they do not even claim him as family unless they need to take something from him. While this is infuriating to the reader, it also serves to bolster our own sense of right and wrong.
Yes, these characters have the money and professional resume. Yet, they are constantly miserable, nasty creatures. And, we find as we examine their lives a little more intently, even with their vast earnings they are in debt. They look down on Perry, but Perry has a better life and it’s not because ‘ignorance is bliss’ it’s because Perry puts the priority on being a good friend and a good person and doing his best.
I’m going to turn the discussion over to you now. I’m not sure what the next theme will be that I cover, but there will be a second posting in the next few days, after the readers have had a chance to comment and move the discussion forward.
What did you think of the portrayal of these characters in deference to their perception of success? Who did you find the most fascinating? Who did you find the most despicable? What in this book resonated with your experiences in life?
For me, narrowing down the discussion topic to one thing was harder than it looked back when I finished the book. The writing is simple and forthright, and deceptively full of insight. The first thing that I’d like to touch on is perception of success. I think the idea of both monetary success and mental acuity are both given poignant precedence through the eyes of Perry.
In Perry L. Crandall, we have a main character with an IQ of 76. This number has defined him for most of his life, both in his own thoughts and by the outside world. To Perry, that number is proof positive that his is not retarded. To his brother cousins, teachers growing up, and school mates it is an indication that Perry is not as smart as they are or not able to function in their world.
Perry and his Gram are simple people. It’s quite clear that they are not well off financially, but it’s just as clear that they are happy with what they have. There are a lot of characters to like in this book, and I do love Perry, but Gram is by far my favorite even though she dies early in the book, a death which is really the catalyst to Perry’s own independence, her presence is still felt throughout in Perry’s recollection and in his own mode of living his life. Through Gram we see a no nonsense voice that, for all of her gruff insight, is the marker by which Perry learns to distinguish moral character. Throughout his life, she’s built routines that are geared so that he will be able to function without her when she’s gone. She has also, we find, held a good deal of information to herself, such as the reason for their loss of Gramp’s business. I like to think she took these heartaches internally, so Perry wouldn’t be burdened with them. Still, she did not bury it like it didn’t happen; she helped Perry to make lists, so that he would be guarded in some way against the people who might take advantage:
“...There are people you listen to, and others you don’t. You have to be able to tell the difference.” Gram slaps the kitchen table hard with her hand and makes me jump.
“Like who?” I ask.
We make a list.”
We find a distinct difference between the way Perry is treated before his Lottery winnings and after. The possible exception to this being Keith and Cherry. Gary, his boss at Holsted’s, is distinguished early as a person of character and one Perry can trust (he made the list). But even Gary learns a bit more about Perry and starts to see him in a different way; as an asset to the business. However, in this case I view the change as more in line with Perry’s own growth as a person rather than society’s view of him once he has a fortune.
I love the way the time old moral lesson of worth being determined by more than your bank balance comes into play in this novel. We become familiar with relatives who would gladly take everything Perry has without a second thought.
The characters of John, David, their wives and Perry’s own mother, who he calls Louise, are a firm contrast to Perry’s moral fortitude. These characters have all of the financial trappings that society holds in esteem. They are professionals whose mental prowess far surpasses that of Perry, and they each hold these facts as evidence that they are superior to him... So superior, in fact, they do not even claim him as family unless they need to take something from him. While this is infuriating to the reader, it also serves to bolster our own sense of right and wrong.
Yes, these characters have the money and professional resume. Yet, they are constantly miserable, nasty creatures. And, we find as we examine their lives a little more intently, even with their vast earnings they are in debt. They look down on Perry, but Perry has a better life and it’s not because ‘ignorance is bliss’ it’s because Perry puts the priority on being a good friend and a good person and doing his best.
I’m going to turn the discussion over to you now. I’m not sure what the next theme will be that I cover, but there will be a second posting in the next few days, after the readers have had a chance to comment and move the discussion forward.
What did you think of the portrayal of these characters in deference to their perception of success? Who did you find the most fascinating? Who did you find the most despicable? What in this book resonated with your experiences in life?
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
December Update - Writing Check In
Upcoming Events:
The book club blog on Patricia Wood's Lottery starts this Thursday, December 13th! Mark your calendars and I hope to see everyone there!
Technical Difficulties and other Forms of Cosmic Annoyance:
I seem to have some little gremlin wreaking havoc on my cyber progress... First, the linkage problem that was so clearly discussed in comments a month ago. I think I fixed that one, the lack of linkage in this post is due to the fact that I am typing this directly into the blogger field and I didn't write down all the pretty html addresses (I usually copy paste them into a blank word file before I start my posts).
Now there seems to be something wrong with my email address. It inadvertently fails to deliver miscellaneous email of its choice. People seem to be receiving my email okay, but on a number of occasions over the last few weeks, it's come to my attention that I haven't been receiving all of the email sent to me... Kind of a finger biting proposition, as I have some submissions out and my email address is on my contact info... likely the only response, too, as they were submissions made via email or online venues. The oldest in the batch has a ten week response time, which is up in the next week or so... urg... so I'll give that one til after New Year's and then become a pest :-)
Obviously I have to do something to correct that problem - I've been, ironically enough, in email correspondence with my carrier - I think that's the funniest thing ever; you fill out their form telling them you're having problems with your email address and they request said address to get back to you - love to know which problem solver thought of that one - likely one who enjoys long liquid lunches and trash can basketball from his cubicle. I'll be calling them via telephone sometime today or tomorrow - I'm trying to wait for a tad bit of calm before discussing it with some tech who really doesn't deserve my annoyance... besides, when you curse at them in a creative yet insulting fashion it doesn't tend to fix the problem.
The next step is setting up a new email address for submissions. I'm thinking either Yahoo or gmail, if anyone has a preference, let me know. That way, I won't spend weeks worrying about whether they responded and I never got it over the next batch of submissions.
Last, but not least, la, la, la... I opened up someone else's word file to do some beta reading for them and their settings were completely different than mine - which is fine, except whatever doohickey I hit while in their document saved their setting to my word program... meaning I have to go in and redo my settings because... WHINE... I don't like theirs... it's really a small thing, but I went to write a quick post and couldn't fix the document and just about snapped... mostly because I'm upset over the whole email thing... sniffle... okay, seriously, this one will probably take me twenty minutes to figure out and fix, I'm not that technologically daft it was just an added annoyance I didn't need today - so you all get to hear me vent... la, la, la, luck you!
On to my actual writing progress:
Those of you who follow these things will remember that in my November post I set a goal of four submissions. I failed utterly and miserably... I did I did... I would hang my head in shame, but it would just be four more submissions I'd be pulling hair out over, so, hey, you take the good with the bad... Actually, I did finish one short story that is ready for submission (I didn't send yet because I found out about the email thing... though, that's not an excuse really, as I just was ready to send this week and my month is up on the 15th)
I do have one essay that's half written.. it needs to be finished and the markets I've found so far want query with clips first... which I don't have, so either I keep looking for markets or hold off a while with this one.
Still, that's only one complete and one partially done, out of four slated submissions.... I officially suck. I'm not even giving you any excuses about Christmas coming or whatever other thing is going on, when I set a goal I have to meet it... I have to start looking at this like I did term papers; if you don't get it in on time you fail... then you wasted a hell of a lot of money to hang out with wanna be communists discussing the ramifications of cheese whiz and thinking you're so cool for checking out the gay bar... okay, not literally on all of that... though I'm really only lying about the cheese whiz.
The moment you've all been waiting for - WIP update
Okay, my goal was to completely finish the revisions on the first two chapters (the ones I was having such a hard time with) and to complete revisions on two further chapters... On this goal, I have actually surpassed my expectations. So much so that two weeks into my month's goals, I upped my revision final date to the end of January... The first two chapters are done. I like them - I think they're much better than they were and right this second they are the best I got - but I don't think that's a bad thing. I can't tell this close, but my feeling is that you can really feel the characters and that the action pulls you in... I'm not touching those chapters again, I'll wait until after my beta readers have read the full and I've taken some time away after revisions then I'll read the whole thing once more.
I also finished the final revisions (I say final, as if I won't tweak or completely change things if they don't read right after the whole process is done) anyway, I finished not two chapters, but five!!!! I can see the finish line and it has a big easy chair and a couple of foofy martini's...
So, yay me, I can say I surpassed the goal on the WIP which is the most important goal I had writing wise, though it doesn't give me a pass on the submission failure.
For January's Check In
I'm sticking with four submission and I'm not counting the one I have ready to go...
My out date for the revisions is the very end of January... I'm setting January 29th - my dad's birthday... it's right there anyway and I can't think of a better way to celebrate that anniversary.
In Other News
Thanks to much help at the Goblin's Crucible, otherwise known as JJdebenedictis' blog, I did finish my pitch this month. So, my query letter is ready to go, other than the first paragraph which will depend on which agents I'm submitting to - still far less to worry about with that letter than I usually do.
Hunted up another page of perspective agents, again with stars next to their names for further research... A funny thing, one agent who looked really promising, represented middle grade, yada yada... I went and found an interview in which he was asked the question, 'What do you absolutely not want to see in a submission?' The first thing he said was 'Fairies'...
Immediately I thought, 'well, yeah, but mine are different... if he only read...' and then I stopped myself... Why do we do that? I know you other writers out there have done it, too? He's not on my list, though I'm sure he's a very good agent... but why try to convince someone they're wrong in their taste? That's just a stupid waste of time... and so I closed that interview page, telling myself, 'drop it, Merry, he's just not that into you...'
Okie-dokie artichokie's... I'm behind on my odes, but permitting I get the word stuff fixed with relative ease, I should get one posted tomorrow... otherwise you guys will have to wait until after the Lottery discussion...
And now that you've read such a long and winding rant couched as a monthly check in - what's annoying you today? Bad news? Good news? Please join me in a cyber grumble... or cheer me up with your budding good fortune.
The book club blog on Patricia Wood's Lottery starts this Thursday, December 13th! Mark your calendars and I hope to see everyone there!
Technical Difficulties and other Forms of Cosmic Annoyance:
I seem to have some little gremlin wreaking havoc on my cyber progress... First, the linkage problem that was so clearly discussed in comments a month ago. I think I fixed that one, the lack of linkage in this post is due to the fact that I am typing this directly into the blogger field and I didn't write down all the pretty html addresses (I usually copy paste them into a blank word file before I start my posts).
Now there seems to be something wrong with my email address. It inadvertently fails to deliver miscellaneous email of its choice. People seem to be receiving my email okay, but on a number of occasions over the last few weeks, it's come to my attention that I haven't been receiving all of the email sent to me... Kind of a finger biting proposition, as I have some submissions out and my email address is on my contact info... likely the only response, too, as they were submissions made via email or online venues. The oldest in the batch has a ten week response time, which is up in the next week or so... urg... so I'll give that one til after New Year's and then become a pest :-)
Obviously I have to do something to correct that problem - I've been, ironically enough, in email correspondence with my carrier - I think that's the funniest thing ever; you fill out their form telling them you're having problems with your email address and they request said address to get back to you - love to know which problem solver thought of that one - likely one who enjoys long liquid lunches and trash can basketball from his cubicle. I'll be calling them via telephone sometime today or tomorrow - I'm trying to wait for a tad bit of calm before discussing it with some tech who really doesn't deserve my annoyance... besides, when you curse at them in a creative yet insulting fashion it doesn't tend to fix the problem.
The next step is setting up a new email address for submissions. I'm thinking either Yahoo or gmail, if anyone has a preference, let me know. That way, I won't spend weeks worrying about whether they responded and I never got it over the next batch of submissions.
Last, but not least, la, la, la... I opened up someone else's word file to do some beta reading for them and their settings were completely different than mine - which is fine, except whatever doohickey I hit while in their document saved their setting to my word program... meaning I have to go in and redo my settings because... WHINE... I don't like theirs... it's really a small thing, but I went to write a quick post and couldn't fix the document and just about snapped... mostly because I'm upset over the whole email thing... sniffle... okay, seriously, this one will probably take me twenty minutes to figure out and fix, I'm not that technologically daft it was just an added annoyance I didn't need today - so you all get to hear me vent... la, la, la, luck you!
On to my actual writing progress:
Those of you who follow these things will remember that in my November post I set a goal of four submissions. I failed utterly and miserably... I did I did... I would hang my head in shame, but it would just be four more submissions I'd be pulling hair out over, so, hey, you take the good with the bad... Actually, I did finish one short story that is ready for submission (I didn't send yet because I found out about the email thing... though, that's not an excuse really, as I just was ready to send this week and my month is up on the 15th)
I do have one essay that's half written.. it needs to be finished and the markets I've found so far want query with clips first... which I don't have, so either I keep looking for markets or hold off a while with this one.
Still, that's only one complete and one partially done, out of four slated submissions.... I officially suck. I'm not even giving you any excuses about Christmas coming or whatever other thing is going on, when I set a goal I have to meet it... I have to start looking at this like I did term papers; if you don't get it in on time you fail... then you wasted a hell of a lot of money to hang out with wanna be communists discussing the ramifications of cheese whiz and thinking you're so cool for checking out the gay bar... okay, not literally on all of that... though I'm really only lying about the cheese whiz.
The moment you've all been waiting for - WIP update
Okay, my goal was to completely finish the revisions on the first two chapters (the ones I was having such a hard time with) and to complete revisions on two further chapters... On this goal, I have actually surpassed my expectations. So much so that two weeks into my month's goals, I upped my revision final date to the end of January... The first two chapters are done. I like them - I think they're much better than they were and right this second they are the best I got - but I don't think that's a bad thing. I can't tell this close, but my feeling is that you can really feel the characters and that the action pulls you in... I'm not touching those chapters again, I'll wait until after my beta readers have read the full and I've taken some time away after revisions then I'll read the whole thing once more.
I also finished the final revisions (I say final, as if I won't tweak or completely change things if they don't read right after the whole process is done) anyway, I finished not two chapters, but five!!!! I can see the finish line and it has a big easy chair and a couple of foofy martini's...
So, yay me, I can say I surpassed the goal on the WIP which is the most important goal I had writing wise, though it doesn't give me a pass on the submission failure.
For January's Check In
I'm sticking with four submission and I'm not counting the one I have ready to go...
My out date for the revisions is the very end of January... I'm setting January 29th - my dad's birthday... it's right there anyway and I can't think of a better way to celebrate that anniversary.
In Other News
Thanks to much help at the Goblin's Crucible, otherwise known as JJdebenedictis' blog, I did finish my pitch this month. So, my query letter is ready to go, other than the first paragraph which will depend on which agents I'm submitting to - still far less to worry about with that letter than I usually do.
Hunted up another page of perspective agents, again with stars next to their names for further research... A funny thing, one agent who looked really promising, represented middle grade, yada yada... I went and found an interview in which he was asked the question, 'What do you absolutely not want to see in a submission?' The first thing he said was 'Fairies'...
Immediately I thought, 'well, yeah, but mine are different... if he only read...' and then I stopped myself... Why do we do that? I know you other writers out there have done it, too? He's not on my list, though I'm sure he's a very good agent... but why try to convince someone they're wrong in their taste? That's just a stupid waste of time... and so I closed that interview page, telling myself, 'drop it, Merry, he's just not that into you...'
Okie-dokie artichokie's... I'm behind on my odes, but permitting I get the word stuff fixed with relative ease, I should get one posted tomorrow... otherwise you guys will have to wait until after the Lottery discussion...
And now that you've read such a long and winding rant couched as a monthly check in - what's annoying you today? Bad news? Good news? Please join me in a cyber grumble... or cheer me up with your budding good fortune.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Challenge - Charity Begins At Home
My friend, Silken recently posted a challenge asking bloggers to think outside of their computer screens in order to spread the good cheer this season. Take a moment if you can and stop at her original post to see her take on spreading the benefits of her extra blogging dollars.
Her post asked us to go out into the world and use some of the profits we make from paid posting and blogging on a charity of our choice this Christmas season... As I said in her comments, I don’t currently earn any monetary value from blogging because I stopped doing paid postings when I switched to this blog. But I would be happy to support charities through the Christmas season... I went on to list the things I am giving this holiday... the same causes I contribute to every holiday... hmmm... maybe I can do a little better.
Unfortunately, I’m at a bit of a disadvantage, as the things I currently support are really about as much as I can comfortably afford.... so I started thinking about this dilemma, which brought me around to thoughts of charity in general.
The first phrase that popped into my mind was, ‘Charity begins at home’. Sometimes, especially around the holidays, we hear so much about what’s needed in the community that we forget to look at what’s needed right in our backyard. It doesn’t have to be a great need. It doesn’t even have to be a monetary need. From my experience, bank account balance has very little to do with a person’s fortune and some of the ones with the highest balance actually have the poorest lives.
That brought me around to the story of St. Nicholas. Some of you might not know this one, it’s very popular with us Catholics and I tell my children a rather watered down version of the story every year around the Feast of St. Nicholas, which just past yesterday, December 6th. You may know it as the day Catholic kids put their shoes out for St. Nick to fill with candy and small treats – yes, we did that, too.
But the story of St. Nicholas is a bit more extensive. He was born to a wealthy family of the time and raised with a very devout faith. His parents died when he was young, leaving Nicholas a vast fortune, but the man wanted only to devote his life to God. He followed his path to the priesthood and eventually, sainthood (long after his death, of course) But during his life, St. Nicholas saw no need to use the material treasures he had inherited on his own wants; he had all that he needed serving God and the Church. Instead, he gave his money to those in need throughout his life.
But St. Nicholas didn’t just open a coin purse and toss money to the poor in open daylight. He didn’t bestow these gifts as awards or with great fanfare. Instead, he saw a need in people around him, those he heard were having hard times, and those he happened upon and watched their struggle. Especially small children, St. Nicholas had a special place in his heart for the young and wanted nothing more than to aid them in their life and relationship with God. So he gave of his time and resources, but in secret. He never wanted to be thanked or even known for the generosity he bestowed on those around him because he wanted the recipients to give thanks to God. His good deeds were a prayer and he didn’t want thanks for that – he wanted instead to impact those around him with the knowledge that God will take care of all things, whether it’s through the hands of one of his servants or through divine intervention.
So, my extra something this month will be to play secret Santa for those around me, but never to let them know it was me. It may not be monetary help; it might just be a small thing, like brushing the snow off of their car or leaving some small thing to make them smile. Silken asked for everyone to have completed their extra charity by December 31st and to post what they’d done, without telling amounts or anything, but as a promotion to the charity of your choice. I’d love to see posts of that nature going up around the internet this December... I’d love to see posts of that nature going up the whole year round.
I’m not naming people to complete this challenge, though I’d love to hear if you did. And I don’t know if I’ll be posting an update on this one, myself, because I think it might be fun just to do some good things and keep them to myself... There was a Friends episode once where Joey and Phoebe argued over charity. Joey insisted that you couldn’t do anything good for someone else without receiving something in return... I tend to agree with him.
Good luck and happy gifting, whether it’s time, talent, prayer, or pocket change. Even a small thing can have a huge impact on someone’s day.
Her post asked us to go out into the world and use some of the profits we make from paid posting and blogging on a charity of our choice this Christmas season... As I said in her comments, I don’t currently earn any monetary value from blogging because I stopped doing paid postings when I switched to this blog. But I would be happy to support charities through the Christmas season... I went on to list the things I am giving this holiday... the same causes I contribute to every holiday... hmmm... maybe I can do a little better.
Unfortunately, I’m at a bit of a disadvantage, as the things I currently support are really about as much as I can comfortably afford.... so I started thinking about this dilemma, which brought me around to thoughts of charity in general.
The first phrase that popped into my mind was, ‘Charity begins at home’. Sometimes, especially around the holidays, we hear so much about what’s needed in the community that we forget to look at what’s needed right in our backyard. It doesn’t have to be a great need. It doesn’t even have to be a monetary need. From my experience, bank account balance has very little to do with a person’s fortune and some of the ones with the highest balance actually have the poorest lives.
That brought me around to the story of St. Nicholas. Some of you might not know this one, it’s very popular with us Catholics and I tell my children a rather watered down version of the story every year around the Feast of St. Nicholas, which just past yesterday, December 6th. You may know it as the day Catholic kids put their shoes out for St. Nick to fill with candy and small treats – yes, we did that, too.
But the story of St. Nicholas is a bit more extensive. He was born to a wealthy family of the time and raised with a very devout faith. His parents died when he was young, leaving Nicholas a vast fortune, but the man wanted only to devote his life to God. He followed his path to the priesthood and eventually, sainthood (long after his death, of course) But during his life, St. Nicholas saw no need to use the material treasures he had inherited on his own wants; he had all that he needed serving God and the Church. Instead, he gave his money to those in need throughout his life.
But St. Nicholas didn’t just open a coin purse and toss money to the poor in open daylight. He didn’t bestow these gifts as awards or with great fanfare. Instead, he saw a need in people around him, those he heard were having hard times, and those he happened upon and watched their struggle. Especially small children, St. Nicholas had a special place in his heart for the young and wanted nothing more than to aid them in their life and relationship with God. So he gave of his time and resources, but in secret. He never wanted to be thanked or even known for the generosity he bestowed on those around him because he wanted the recipients to give thanks to God. His good deeds were a prayer and he didn’t want thanks for that – he wanted instead to impact those around him with the knowledge that God will take care of all things, whether it’s through the hands of one of his servants or through divine intervention.
So, my extra something this month will be to play secret Santa for those around me, but never to let them know it was me. It may not be monetary help; it might just be a small thing, like brushing the snow off of their car or leaving some small thing to make them smile. Silken asked for everyone to have completed their extra charity by December 31st and to post what they’d done, without telling amounts or anything, but as a promotion to the charity of your choice. I’d love to see posts of that nature going up around the internet this December... I’d love to see posts of that nature going up the whole year round.
I’m not naming people to complete this challenge, though I’d love to hear if you did. And I don’t know if I’ll be posting an update on this one, myself, because I think it might be fun just to do some good things and keep them to myself... There was a Friends episode once where Joey and Phoebe argued over charity. Joey insisted that you couldn’t do anything good for someone else without receiving something in return... I tend to agree with him.
Good luck and happy gifting, whether it’s time, talent, prayer, or pocket change. Even a small thing can have a huge impact on someone’s day.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
I Have My Own Song!!! Woo Hoo!!!!
I have my own song, woo hoo!!!! Colleen Katana wrote the following song for me, to the tune of Hey, Mickey! Stop by her blog and give her kudos for a job well done – she’s also one of my winners, so she’ll be getting a song parody here some time in the near future as well...
But really, I just wanted to show off Colleen’s brilliant writing, ya know, not ego stroke for me, writing praise for her... okay, and a little ego stroke for me, I’m secretly waving pom poms while I sing this one too!
(Chorus)
Oh Merry, your blog's so fine, your blog's so fine, it blows my mind
Hey Merry (clap-clap clap-clap!)
Hey Merry (clap-clap clap-clap!)
Oh Merry, your blog's so fine, your blog's so fine, it blows my mind
Hey Merry (clap-clap clap-clap!)
Hey Merry (clap-clap clap-clap!)
(Verse 1)
Hey Merry—
You seem to write all night and that's a little long
Every time I check you've posted yet another song
Why can't I do that too, oh you put me to such shame, Merry!
Cause when you say you will, you always follow through
Your writing gives me chills, Merry, yes indeed it do
In comparison to you, my writing feels so lame, Merry!
(Refrain)
Oh Merry, Mom and More, I check your blog each day
Your writing grabs my eye and I can never click away
Oh Merry, stories of your life, your thoughts, your kids…
It's blogs like yours, Merry…
Oh what you write, Merry,
Write, Merry
Never disappoints, Merry!
(Verse 2)
Hey Merry—
Now when you take me to your world, I always seem to know
That every time you write you show a little more soul
Your query on BookEnds proves how well your words flow, Merry!
So c'mon and keep posting, anyway you can
Anything you want to write, I'll take it like a man
Just don't disappear and leave me all alone, Merry!
(Refrain)
Oh Merry, Mom and More, I check your blog each day
Your writing grabs my eye and I can never click away
Oh Merry, stories of your life, your thoughts, your kids…
It's blogs like yours, Merry…
Oh what you write, Merry,
Write, Merry
Never disappoints, Merry!
But really, I just wanted to show off Colleen’s brilliant writing, ya know, not ego stroke for me, writing praise for her... okay, and a little ego stroke for me, I’m secretly waving pom poms while I sing this one too!
(Chorus)
Oh Merry, your blog's so fine, your blog's so fine, it blows my mind
Hey Merry (clap-clap clap-clap!)
Hey Merry (clap-clap clap-clap!)
Oh Merry, your blog's so fine, your blog's so fine, it blows my mind
Hey Merry (clap-clap clap-clap!)
Hey Merry (clap-clap clap-clap!)
(Verse 1)
Hey Merry—
You seem to write all night and that's a little long
Every time I check you've posted yet another song
Why can't I do that too, oh you put me to such shame, Merry!
Cause when you say you will, you always follow through
Your writing gives me chills, Merry, yes indeed it do
In comparison to you, my writing feels so lame, Merry!
(Refrain)
Oh Merry, Mom and More, I check your blog each day
Your writing grabs my eye and I can never click away
Oh Merry, stories of your life, your thoughts, your kids…
It's blogs like yours, Merry…
Oh what you write, Merry,
Write, Merry
Never disappoints, Merry!
(Verse 2)
Hey Merry—
Now when you take me to your world, I always seem to know
That every time you write you show a little more soul
Your query on BookEnds proves how well your words flow, Merry!
So c'mon and keep posting, anyway you can
Anything you want to write, I'll take it like a man
Just don't disappear and leave me all alone, Merry!
(Refrain)
Oh Merry, Mom and More, I check your blog each day
Your writing grabs my eye and I can never click away
Oh Merry, stories of your life, your thoughts, your kids…
It's blogs like yours, Merry…
Oh what you write, Merry,
Write, Merry
Never disappoints, Merry!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
An Ode to Mary Witzl
Today’s ode is for Mary Witzl’s Resident Alien blog – the song I’m taking my parody from? American Pie - I doubt anyone reading this really needs me to link the audio... I do have to preface this, though, in attempting to keep with the rhythm and rhyme, some of the lyrics are slightly inaccurate... For example, I say that I found Mary’s blog in September... hey, it had a good beat and I could dance to it.... in actuality I found her blog months earlier than that, though I couldn’t tell you the exact date now.
Okay, on with the song – adopt your folksy best and sing along –
A fine, fine blog I know...
Found her in September
And I’ve been reading her all this while.
And if you give her just one glance
Then stay a while and just per chance
I tell you, Mary’s bound to make you smile.
Her home is happy, that I’ll give her
Though her parking can make me shiver
Beggers on her doorstep
New customs, she’s now adept.
It was too funny when she tried
Death metal concerts - her kids just sighed.
To me it was a point of pride
She didn’t run and hide.
She said bye bye to American pie
In a new place, at her own pace,
You don’t need to ask why.
Scotland is her home now where she’ll be, by and by
She just got sick of our burgers and fry.
Got sick of our burger and fry.
She’ll give you a needed shove
To help you earn a dream you love,
If you’ll only let her know...
If you’re a writer, take a stroll,
Mary’s support can sooth your soul
She’ll help you to unwind and take it slow...
Her husband’s case of pessimism
Makes her laugh and roll her eyes at him
With humor we could use,
To get us through life’s little dues.
Japan was lovely full of friends and luck
Scotland called and they packed the family up
In her place I’d say, ‘What the f—k’
She didn’t run ad hide...
She just kept saying
Bye bye to American pie
In a new place at her own pace
You don’t need to ask why
Scotland is her home now where she’ll be, by and by
She just got sick of our burgers and fry
Got sick of our burger and fry.....
I hope you all liked it - especially Mary. I picked the song especially because you mentioned in comments some time ago that you liked it - and it fit so well, being a natural born American who's spent most of your adult life abroad. For those of you who have never read Mary's blog, I highly recommend it!!! There's a little bit for everyone. If you've ever wondered what it's like to live in another country or a strange culture, if you like discussing writing, raising children, husbands, or any aspect of life, really, Mary's blog is full of wisdom and mirth... and so is the owner.
Okay, on with the song – adopt your folksy best and sing along –
An Ode to Mary Witzl
A fine, fine blog I know...
Found her in September
And I’ve been reading her all this while.
And if you give her just one glance
Then stay a while and just per chance
I tell you, Mary’s bound to make you smile.
Her home is happy, that I’ll give her
Though her parking can make me shiver
Beggers on her doorstep
New customs, she’s now adept.
It was too funny when she tried
Death metal concerts - her kids just sighed.
To me it was a point of pride
She didn’t run and hide.
She said bye bye to American pie
In a new place, at her own pace,
You don’t need to ask why.
Scotland is her home now where she’ll be, by and by
She just got sick of our burgers and fry.
Got sick of our burger and fry.
She’ll give you a needed shove
To help you earn a dream you love,
If you’ll only let her know...
If you’re a writer, take a stroll,
Mary’s support can sooth your soul
She’ll help you to unwind and take it slow...
Her husband’s case of pessimism
Makes her laugh and roll her eyes at him
With humor we could use,
To get us through life’s little dues.
Japan was lovely full of friends and luck
Scotland called and they packed the family up
In her place I’d say, ‘What the f—k’
She didn’t run ad hide...
She just kept saying
Bye bye to American pie
In a new place at her own pace
You don’t need to ask why
Scotland is her home now where she’ll be, by and by
She just got sick of our burgers and fry
Got sick of our burger and fry.....
I hope you all liked it - especially Mary. I picked the song especially because you mentioned in comments some time ago that you liked it - and it fit so well, being a natural born American who's spent most of your adult life abroad. For those of you who have never read Mary's blog, I highly recommend it!!! There's a little bit for everyone. If you've ever wondered what it's like to live in another country or a strange culture, if you like discussing writing, raising children, husbands, or any aspect of life, really, Mary's blog is full of wisdom and mirth... and so is the owner.
Monday, December 03, 2007
The Truth About Santa
I’m taking a little break from my Ode postings to have a little Christmas fun... for those of you having a good time with the song parodies, Mary’s will be up sometime tonight or tomorrow.
For today though, I’m in a Santa mood... we put up the outside lights over the weekend and I’m getting the front room and dining room carpets cleaned tomorrow so I can put up the tree this week... we’ve just started our Advent Calendar and the kids each made their Advent wreaths... I can finally turn on some Christmas music and actually enjoy it... whenever the stores or radio plays it prior to December it just cheeses me off!
Anyhoo......... somewhere in blogland, sorry I don’t remember now whose blog I was on – if you recognize it as yours just yell at me for the lack of linkage in the comments – they were discussing when they found out the truth about Santa... it got me to thinking because my daughter just figured it out this year... she has a friend a few years older than her who told her that Santa is mom and dad last year and she’s been doing some detective work since then about Santa, the tooth fairy, and the Easter Bunny, one of many reasons that I call my daughter ‘Ms. Marple’ .... to her credit, she took it all with a grain of salt and is playing along so her brothers don’t find out. She also knows not to mention it in school at all, in case there are some hold overs in the fourth grade that still get to believe in the magic of it all.
Truth be told, I don’t remember ever believing in Santa. That doesn’t mean I didn’t, only that by the time the secret was ruined I was far too young to still remember it as being a big deal. Then again, I was the youngest of three, with two very cynical and worldly brothers that were older than me. My first memory of the fat man was when I was three years old, going on four. I know this because it was the same year that I split my head open a few weeks before Christmas and some things you just remember... I remember going head first into the coffee table. I remember my mother freaking out and putting me up on the counter while she got ice and frantically called my father, as she was home along with three kids (ages 7, 5, and 3 at the time) and my dad had the only family car. I remember watching drops of blood drip past my eye, and not knowing enough to cry about it... I also remember looking down at my oldest brother, whose head was only a little taller than the kitchen sink. He looked up at me, matter of factly, and said, “Head wounds bleed profusely, you know. You could bleed to death.”
Seriously, that’s exactly what he said, the little jag off... he was always like that, though, the kid read science books for fun and he used his rocket scientist IQ to scare the bejeezus out of me... which worked, after he said that I started to cry... anyway, my dad’s friend came and took me and my mom to the hospital, I got stitches and a candy cane and I think I broke the poor nurse’s fingers because she told me to squeeze my hardest while they were giving me the stitches and she looked none to pleased by the time I left...
Anyhoo, in all the hubbub and excitement, we never made it to the mall to see Santa, and my mother was not happy about it. She kept telling my dad they had to go and he kept putting it off for a myriad of reasons (by the way, she got her own car as a Christmas gift that year and she never did thank me for the head wound)... by Christmas eve she was frantic about it and gave him quite an earful... My dad, in turn, called a guy he knew that was a cabbie and just asked the man to meet him at his office that he needed a favor. The cabbie flew right over, thinking my dad needed a ride or whatever, and my dad greeted him with a Santa suit. This poor guy had no idea what he was in for, but he went ahead and put the thing on and my dad brought him home.
The fat man came in the door with my dad with a present for each of us – mine was a cupie doll with a plastic swirl of hair and eyes that closed when you laid her on her back. And I will never forget this for as long as I live – ‘Santa’ sat each of us on his lap in turns, as he sat on my dad’s big old recliner. He asked us what we wanted and smelled like cigars. And under his breath he muttered, “Ho, ho, ho, I could be at the airport right now makin’ fifty bucks! Ho, ho, ho!”
I still think that was about the funniest Christmas Eve in the history of man. My parents weren’t normal, but God love ‘em, they did their best and they were a damn good time.
For today though, I’m in a Santa mood... we put up the outside lights over the weekend and I’m getting the front room and dining room carpets cleaned tomorrow so I can put up the tree this week... we’ve just started our Advent Calendar and the kids each made their Advent wreaths... I can finally turn on some Christmas music and actually enjoy it... whenever the stores or radio plays it prior to December it just cheeses me off!
Anyhoo......... somewhere in blogland, sorry I don’t remember now whose blog I was on – if you recognize it as yours just yell at me for the lack of linkage in the comments – they were discussing when they found out the truth about Santa... it got me to thinking because my daughter just figured it out this year... she has a friend a few years older than her who told her that Santa is mom and dad last year and she’s been doing some detective work since then about Santa, the tooth fairy, and the Easter Bunny, one of many reasons that I call my daughter ‘Ms. Marple’ .... to her credit, she took it all with a grain of salt and is playing along so her brothers don’t find out. She also knows not to mention it in school at all, in case there are some hold overs in the fourth grade that still get to believe in the magic of it all.
Truth be told, I don’t remember ever believing in Santa. That doesn’t mean I didn’t, only that by the time the secret was ruined I was far too young to still remember it as being a big deal. Then again, I was the youngest of three, with two very cynical and worldly brothers that were older than me. My first memory of the fat man was when I was three years old, going on four. I know this because it was the same year that I split my head open a few weeks before Christmas and some things you just remember... I remember going head first into the coffee table. I remember my mother freaking out and putting me up on the counter while she got ice and frantically called my father, as she was home along with three kids (ages 7, 5, and 3 at the time) and my dad had the only family car. I remember watching drops of blood drip past my eye, and not knowing enough to cry about it... I also remember looking down at my oldest brother, whose head was only a little taller than the kitchen sink. He looked up at me, matter of factly, and said, “Head wounds bleed profusely, you know. You could bleed to death.”
Seriously, that’s exactly what he said, the little jag off... he was always like that, though, the kid read science books for fun and he used his rocket scientist IQ to scare the bejeezus out of me... which worked, after he said that I started to cry... anyway, my dad’s friend came and took me and my mom to the hospital, I got stitches and a candy cane and I think I broke the poor nurse’s fingers because she told me to squeeze my hardest while they were giving me the stitches and she looked none to pleased by the time I left...
Anyhoo, in all the hubbub and excitement, we never made it to the mall to see Santa, and my mother was not happy about it. She kept telling my dad they had to go and he kept putting it off for a myriad of reasons (by the way, she got her own car as a Christmas gift that year and she never did thank me for the head wound)... by Christmas eve she was frantic about it and gave him quite an earful... My dad, in turn, called a guy he knew that was a cabbie and just asked the man to meet him at his office that he needed a favor. The cabbie flew right over, thinking my dad needed a ride or whatever, and my dad greeted him with a Santa suit. This poor guy had no idea what he was in for, but he went ahead and put the thing on and my dad brought him home.
The fat man came in the door with my dad with a present for each of us – mine was a cupie doll with a plastic swirl of hair and eyes that closed when you laid her on her back. And I will never forget this for as long as I live – ‘Santa’ sat each of us on his lap in turns, as he sat on my dad’s big old recliner. He asked us what we wanted and smelled like cigars. And under his breath he muttered, “Ho, ho, ho, I could be at the airport right now makin’ fifty bucks! Ho, ho, ho!”
I still think that was about the funniest Christmas Eve in the history of man. My parents weren’t normal, but God love ‘em, they did their best and they were a damn good time.
Friday, November 30, 2007
My Ode to Ello - another sing along
For Ello’s ode I chose a song parody of Friday, I’m in Love by The Cure... If you’re unfamiliar, or would just like to hear it again, you can find a you tube video Here
So let’s start our sing along and please make certain to add your own British accent:
Ello has a blog, it’s true
Where she talks of writing, too
A story or a book review
At Ello’s, it’s great stuff.
She will let you play a part
Story building it’s an art
With lovely quips, she’s such a tart
At Ello’s, it’s great stuff.
Can’t hardly wait
To read more thoughts her kids create
Of boogers that a driver ate...
She worked at the morgue in fact
Gross there had a sandwich – ack!
For her smell she got some flack
At Ello’s it’s great stuff.
Law school gave her quite a head
Copyrights and what they said
She gets the things we writers dread
At Ello’s, it’s great stuff.
Can’t hardly wait
To read more thoughts her kids create
Of boogers that a driver ate...
Well, that’s about it for our ode, but I hope you all enjoyed it! If you haven’t yet visited Ello’s blog, it’s fabulous!!! Great writing discussions and interactive story building, plus she’s just really cool and fun – and did I mention smart? Ello’s posts will make you think as much as they will make you laugh. Add her to your, ‘must read’ list – she’s on mine. Okay, Mary, you’re up next.... are ya nervous yet?
So let’s start our sing along and please make certain to add your own British accent:
Ode to Ello
Ello has a blog, it’s true
Where she talks of writing, too
A story or a book review
At Ello’s, it’s great stuff.
She will let you play a part
Story building it’s an art
With lovely quips, she’s such a tart
At Ello’s, it’s great stuff.
Can’t hardly wait
To read more thoughts her kids create
Of boogers that a driver ate...
She worked at the morgue in fact
Gross there had a sandwich – ack!
For her smell she got some flack
At Ello’s it’s great stuff.
Law school gave her quite a head
Copyrights and what they said
She gets the things we writers dread
At Ello’s, it’s great stuff.
Can’t hardly wait
To read more thoughts her kids create
Of boogers that a driver ate...
Well, that’s about it for our ode, but I hope you all enjoyed it! If you haven’t yet visited Ello’s blog, it’s fabulous!!! Great writing discussions and interactive story building, plus she’s just really cool and fun – and did I mention smart? Ello’s posts will make you think as much as they will make you laugh. Add her to your, ‘must read’ list – she’s on mine. Okay, Mary, you’re up next.... are ya nervous yet?
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
An Ode to Jersey Girl
In my last post, I took up a meme to bestow a gift upon the first five commenters – this one for Jersey Girl is an extra as she was the first person to comment but also the blogger I picked up the meme from... she did a fantastic job at her place with blog reviews and haikus (thank you so much, I loved the one you wrote for me!!!)
I said in that post that I would do an ode – but I changed it slightly, instead of a straight ode from my own little noggin, it will be a song parody ode... which is actually a little more difficult than it looks but a lot of fun. To change it up, just a little more, I was going to put the you tube video for the original song in the post, in case anyone didn’t know the melody, it’s way more fun when you can sing it the right way... but looking at Jersey Girl’s latest post on signs of the apocalypse, I decided not to use you tube here out of deference to her feelings and because I think the whole thing sucks – excuse the pun.
The song I’ve chosen for Jersey Girl is Hotel California by The Eagles. You can find it all over the internet if you can’t think of the words off hand, though I’m sure most of you are already humming it in your head at the mention of the title.
I left off the last two verses because, hey, it’s a long damn song... well, here goes...
On the Internet highway, it doesn’t seem fair
Those blogs without merit get read more than their share
But I found a great platform, a place for mommy hood’s plight
My kids are screaming and my Vodka’s gone
Her blog can fix me up right
Jersey Girl has her own way;
With a story to tell
There’s no need to be by yourself,
Driving your broke down mini-van from hell
Jersey Girl has a fable and fun games for to play
So if you’re looking for something more
See what she has to say...
Jersey has a story just right for ya
Ironflower’s Grace
Matches Lovebug’s pace
What can I say, Jersey Girl, but I adore ya
Never should you fear, not that way, oh dear....
Her mind is silly and twisted; she’s got a wit that won’t end
She’s got a lot of funny, funny tales, that buck the trends.
If you’re looking for blog posts you won’t forget
Soap Opera Sunday, it’s not over yet.
So I visit quite often
To have a good time.
Parenthood dilemmas mixed in adult humor without the whine
If you’ve got a nasty mom ruining your day
Kids got up in the middle of the night?
Stop and vent away...
Jersey has a story just right for ya
Ironflower’s Grace
Matches Lovebug’s pace
She’s dishin’ it up at her blog each day just for ya
There’s no need for lies, or bad alibis....
I hope you all enjoyed it, especially you, Jerseygirl. If you haven't stopped in there yet, it's a seriously great blog about motherhood but a heck of a lot more, too - if you like your reality with a dose of sarcasm and a side of sass, I can't think of a better blog to visit.
I said in that post that I would do an ode – but I changed it slightly, instead of a straight ode from my own little noggin, it will be a song parody ode... which is actually a little more difficult than it looks but a lot of fun. To change it up, just a little more, I was going to put the you tube video for the original song in the post, in case anyone didn’t know the melody, it’s way more fun when you can sing it the right way... but looking at Jersey Girl’s latest post on signs of the apocalypse, I decided not to use you tube here out of deference to her feelings and because I think the whole thing sucks – excuse the pun.
The song I’ve chosen for Jersey Girl is Hotel California by The Eagles. You can find it all over the internet if you can’t think of the words off hand, though I’m sure most of you are already humming it in your head at the mention of the title.
I left off the last two verses because, hey, it’s a long damn song... well, here goes...
An Ode to Jersey Girl
On the Internet highway, it doesn’t seem fair
Those blogs without merit get read more than their share
But I found a great platform, a place for mommy hood’s plight
My kids are screaming and my Vodka’s gone
Her blog can fix me up right
Jersey Girl has her own way;
With a story to tell
There’s no need to be by yourself,
Driving your broke down mini-van from hell
Jersey Girl has a fable and fun games for to play
So if you’re looking for something more
See what she has to say...
Jersey has a story just right for ya
Ironflower’s Grace
Matches Lovebug’s pace
What can I say, Jersey Girl, but I adore ya
Never should you fear, not that way, oh dear....
Her mind is silly and twisted; she’s got a wit that won’t end
She’s got a lot of funny, funny tales, that buck the trends.
If you’re looking for blog posts you won’t forget
Soap Opera Sunday, it’s not over yet.
So I visit quite often
To have a good time.
Parenthood dilemmas mixed in adult humor without the whine
If you’ve got a nasty mom ruining your day
Kids got up in the middle of the night?
Stop and vent away...
Jersey has a story just right for ya
Ironflower’s Grace
Matches Lovebug’s pace
She’s dishin’ it up at her blog each day just for ya
There’s no need for lies, or bad alibis....
I hope you all enjoyed it, especially you, Jerseygirl. If you haven't stopped in there yet, it's a seriously great blog about motherhood but a heck of a lot more, too - if you like your reality with a dose of sarcasm and a side of sass, I can't think of a better blog to visit.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Christmas Spirit in Bloggy Land
This meme comes to you from the inspired Christmas spirit of our own, Jersey Girl who got the idea from My Mommy’s Place, who in turn grabbed the idear from Mackey
The basic premise here is simple: The first five commenters on this blog are entitled to a present from yours truly. Jersey Girl has offered to post a blog review for me, and I think the bloggers who preceded her were contributing actual flesh and blood gifts for the first five people on their blog.
Okay, so what, pray tell, am I giving away? I’ve been back and forth over this, as I’m sure none of you want cast offs from my house (though I did just finish a good spring cleaning, and have a few boxes of junk to go), and I can’t really afford to go out and buy good gifts for five extra people aside from the ones on my already bursting Christmas list...
The first five commenters can have their choice of two gifts.
1) An ode to them or their blog, posted here and emailed to them directly to either post on their blog or save for posterity...
2) Ready to bake cookies in the mail... I’ll put together the dry mixture for my chocolate chip cookies, complete with directions for how to add the eggs, butter, etc and baking times... (They’re actually really good, I promise)... If you hate chocolate chips (perish the thought) I’ll substitute my Italian cookies, which are also killer but there’s shaping and dough play involved, which makes them more work for you...
Good luck and let the commenting begin... The rules are fairly simple, if you ‘win’ here, you should definitely pass it on in your own blog... Also, please pass on some link love, because it’s always fun to name where it came from and to introduce your blog followers to some of the blogs you frequent. If you don’t win here, feel free to take up the idea anyway. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, or even any money, but it’s a nice way to pass on a little bloggy good will... after all, we spend an awful lot of time with our favorite bloggers, why not include each other in our holiday merriment on a more concrete level.
The basic premise here is simple: The first five commenters on this blog are entitled to a present from yours truly. Jersey Girl has offered to post a blog review for me, and I think the bloggers who preceded her were contributing actual flesh and blood gifts for the first five people on their blog.
Okay, so what, pray tell, am I giving away? I’ve been back and forth over this, as I’m sure none of you want cast offs from my house (though I did just finish a good spring cleaning, and have a few boxes of junk to go), and I can’t really afford to go out and buy good gifts for five extra people aside from the ones on my already bursting Christmas list...
The first five commenters can have their choice of two gifts.
1) An ode to them or their blog, posted here and emailed to them directly to either post on their blog or save for posterity...
2) Ready to bake cookies in the mail... I’ll put together the dry mixture for my chocolate chip cookies, complete with directions for how to add the eggs, butter, etc and baking times... (They’re actually really good, I promise)... If you hate chocolate chips (perish the thought) I’ll substitute my Italian cookies, which are also killer but there’s shaping and dough play involved, which makes them more work for you...
Good luck and let the commenting begin... The rules are fairly simple, if you ‘win’ here, you should definitely pass it on in your own blog... Also, please pass on some link love, because it’s always fun to name where it came from and to introduce your blog followers to some of the blogs you frequent. If you don’t win here, feel free to take up the idea anyway. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, or even any money, but it’s a nice way to pass on a little bloggy good will... after all, we spend an awful lot of time with our favorite bloggers, why not include each other in our holiday merriment on a more concrete level.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
What I'm Thankful For................
When my daughter was seven she thought sledding down the stairs on her terrycloth robe would be fabulously entertaining. I caught her about halfway down, before anything more serious than rug burns materialized. Like every other parent in the history of man, I secretly wondered how my progeny could possess absolutely no common sense.
Since then, my children have attempted any number of death defying feats of stupidity and, on occasion, I still feel like asking them if they’ve lost their minds. However, I’m not so far away from my own romps with idiocy that I underestimate its draw.
When I was a wee little girl, Tom and Jerry was my favorite cartoon. In one episode, Jerry the mouse overflowed the kitchen sink and then made the water freeze by opening the freezer door. His skating rink was complete with a rotating jello mold that cast multi-colored spotlights on our fine protagonist’s silhouette.
Of course, my brothers and I weren’t that naïve. We knew the water wouldn’t really freeze. We used dish soap instead. Our mother was taking one of her famous, ‘I’m not really sleeping, I’m resting my eyes’ naps and we, being the industrious little geniuses we were, took full advantage of the twenty minutes without supervision. There was a half an inch of sudsy water covering kitchen, breakfast nook, and hallway floors and we were squelching the loudest of our gleeful yells while tossing each other around our make shift slip and slide abode. Then the phone rang.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you knew exactly what was going to happen before it did, but you were powerless to stop it? The world becomes all slow motion and adrenaline and there’s no where you can run. That’s what it felt like as we watched our mother, running into the kitchen to answer the phone, sailing past with one arm still outstretched for the receiver, the wide eyed look of confusion then fear for a fleeting second and then... bam! Into the open utility closet she flew.
Sitting here at my keyboard, I can still feel how slippery the floor was as we tried to scurry out of the room, knowing we had to go right past a very annoyed mother type person on the way out the door. Evil little miscreant that I am, I still find it pretty funny. I have a sneaking suspicion those were the types of events that caused my favorite cartoons to lose favor with parents... ones who don’t want to take medication in order to stay on an even keel.
No mothers were damaged in the composing of this; she’s actually a good enough sport to laugh when we retell the story. I started this piece intending to spruce it up and submit it for publication... but I changed my mind and posted it here. With all of the posts around the blogosphere about what we’re thankful for, I thought this would serve as my own mini-prayer... I’m thankful for daredevil children, who play together and are truly friends – I hope they keep that with them forever because your siblings are the only people in this world who will be with you for, God willing, all of your life and that you can always count on to be on your side – even when you’re wrong. I have a two brothers and that’s the way it is for us and should be for everyone. I’m thankful for them, my friends, and many other gifts in this life – I’m also thankful for so many cyber friends, who keep me motivated and make me think... I hope this story made you chuckle a bit, or at least made you thankful that your own kids aren’t as bad as I was ;-)
Happy Thanksgiving.
Book Review - The Daring Book for Girls
“For every girl with an Independent spirit and a nose for trouble, here is the no-boys-allowed guide to adventure.”
I can’t tell you what a pleasure it is to review The Daring Book For Girls . Almost as much fun as it’s been to peruse with my own daughter! She is ten and I handed it right off to her after quickly looking through it the day it came in the mail. Within an hour, she was standing beside my desk, hugging the book to her chest exclaiming, “This is the coolest book ever!!!” I kid you not, I couldn’t make this up... she and a friend down the block are using the book to make their own, Daring Girl Club. They’re thinking of inviting another girl who is a number of years younger, proclaiming that they, and the book, can teach her the ways of the world... okay, I chuckle slightly, but it’s still a nice thought that they want to include a younger girl.
They are especially psyched to check out the website as there are fancy dancy badges there, that they can earn by mastering some of the activities in the book.
Okay, so you, as the parent or older relative of a girl might want to know what’s so great about this book? Why should you buy them this book? What exactly does it teach them? Everything and so much more... It’s like an encyclopedia of your childhood. Look through it with your daughter or the younger girl in your life. It quite probably has every game you ever played with your girlfriends in childhood. It has the rules to sports, directions on crafts, and a good bit of history and necessary facts couched in a fun format – my daughter actually sat for quite a while looking through the chart on states (when they became a state, what the flower is, etc...)
More than the knowledge though, I found pages of games I’d played that I never would have thought to tell my daughter about – how fun to not only be reminded of my own childhood but to share it with the next generation. Plus, what I find a great perk to this book, it gives them formats on letter writing skills, advice on finances, and it’s very girl power oriented – when a book comes along that encourages girls to be both strong and, well, GIRLS, it’s a great thing. In the joking kind of way, the back cover admonishes to exclude boys – but the book actually gives them credence to be themselves and to enjoy each other. It strives to make girlfriends the best commodity, and to me, that’s far better than admonishing the perfect, and very expensive, outfit or best new gadget. This book revels in a girl’s imagination and spirit. If I had stars, I’d give it the highest amount.
But don’t just buy this for your daughter and be done with it. Sit down with her and page through it, use it as a tool to communicate your own past with her present... it’s a useful book for her alone, but what a gift if it can help you both relive memories and create new ones.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Writerly Reference for the Masses or Help a Writer Out!!!
First, A Little Inspiration
I thought I’d start this blog with a few references to some of the things that inspired me this week... the first I found at Jaye’s Blahg , sorry I didn’t leave a comment, Jaye... It was a little too compelling and thought provoking for words – but I checked your links multiple times... if anyone is looking for the most inspiring message about getting over life’s obstacles, go visit Jaye.
The next one I found at Angela’s Blog. It’s a prayer for mothers of teenagers, and it was both compelling and heartrending, so if you get a chance give it a visit.
Now a little Writerly Advice for the Masses
A blogger I met long ago at the now defunct blogging community I used to frequent is off to a fantastic start in her writing career. When I met Colleen Katana her voice drew me in immediately. Upon talking with her I found that she’d always wanted to write and had played around with stories but had never studied publishing or fiction writing... you would never know it to read her – her voice is that fresh and inviting naturally. A great example of this can be found in her piece, The Night I Flew.
Colleen has already completed her first book, a memoir, which is in the submission stages – Yay, You, Colleen!!! That’s a fantastic accomplishment! She contacted me because she’s looking to improve her craft and is interested in finding workshops or forums where she can get feedback and interact with other writers. So, I thought the best way to go about it was to put up a post asking all of the bloggers, who have been so great at helping me along and exchanging information, to help me out. First, I’d love it if you all would take a few minutes to stop over at Colleen’s and get to know her – it’s not much of a favor, as you’ll find her both witty and fun.
Next, I’d like to put together a little list of forums and areas where there are other writers exchanging ideas and techniques, information on publishing... and I’m sure you each have your own favorites, so if we can list them all in the comments this can become a great resource for all of us. Lastly, if anyone out there is part of an online critique group or writer’s circle and you think you have room for another, let us know.
My favorite writing communities so far have been Compuserve. My friend, Malcolm Campbell, recommended this one to me a while back and the writers there are both welcoming and knowledgeable. If you visit, you’ll notice the folders for forums on the left hand side of your screen. If you write children’s, there’s a folder marked YA and they also have a kidcrit group that’s fabulous, but you have to be a member to participate... If you’d like to participate with that group, post a message in YA for Marsha or Rose with the subject line ‘wave the magic wand’ to request access.
Another forum that people rave about is Absolute Write Water Cooler. I’ve stopped over there a number of times but haven’t really participated yet, so if someone else is more experienced there, feel free to give us some feedback. The nice thing with this community is that there are a lot of agents and publishers who frequent as well as accomplished authors.
One of the best references besides Writer’s Market, and a free one to boot, for researching prospective agents is Agent Query.
Okay guys, anything else you can add or help out with would be great. This should be good to get the ball rolling, but I’m hoping we can accumulate a lot of really great references for all of us...
As a side, I think the link thing is fixed, but Ello asked about my links a few days ago, so I’m not sure... If you have a problem getting to the sites I’ve linked, let me know and I’ll post their html address without the link. To make a link on these fields I’ve been leaving out the quotation marks before and after the address, I don’t know why it doesn’t work with them in, but that seems to be the problem.
For those of you who didn’t know, I’m hosting a book club blog on Patricia Wood’s Lottery. Please visit the post and see if you might like to participate. I’m really excited as Patricia’s offered to participate in the discussion and it’s really wonderful to have the author on hand to discuss a novel with...Hope to see you all there.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
November Writing - Progress Report
Back on October 15th I wrote a post detailing, or rather ranting about my stagnation as a writer. I vowed to set goals and make actual progress... Egads, I promised in print which makes it much harder to back down.
So I thought making it a monthly progress report, posted for all to see would keep me even more honest... and focused. You’ll see, in this months’ post, I fell short in a few areas but overall made some real progress. I’m hoping, keeping in mind I’ll owe you all another report in December, that I’ll hit every goal this time.
Okay, in the last post (or in the comments somewhere) I mentioned that I wanted to submit at least four times a month and work on my wip for a minimum of an hour a day.
I sent out three submission – so one shy, but more than I did last month and two of them took a good amount of time to write and edit, so I’m fairly proud of myself... still I’m hoping to improve.
I sent out one short story, one greeting card submission (though for three different cards), and one essay. I learned, by the way, that cover letters are far less nerve racking for me than queries... I’m not exactly sure why, but I was thrilled with how virtually painless it was.
My Novel – I did not get in as much work as I wanted to and I’m being a little hard on myself over it. Time wise, I did okay. I’d skip some days but then manage to eek in three or five hours on it later so I think I stuck pretty well to that hour a day mark, if I didn’t surpass it...
I got stuck on the first two chapters, I think I also posted about that somewhere, but the voice really threw me and it kind of stalled my progress for a bit there, even though I was putting in the time the work was not where I needed it to be... I did, however, flesh out some themes that I didn’t even know were there (God I love that about writing fiction).
What did I learn or devote time to this month that had to do with writing but not really with my listed goals?
First, I worked on my pitch at BookEnds. It wasn’t on my agenda because I’m not ready to query, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to have a great agent critique my pitch, so I wrote one especially for her post. (It’s due up in the next round of crits and I’m a little queasy about it).
Inspired by the agent posts about pitch, JJ Debenedictis hosted her own, called Goblin’s Crucible – which was invaluable... and took up the better part of my writing time for two days... Thank you for the very intricate critique, and thank you to Josephine Damian who also gave me some invaluable advice. If you read the comments there, you’ll see I revised my pitch an awful lot... another reason I’m nervous about Jessica at BookEnds critting the first one, the new one’s much better and I’m still not quite there.
I also took some time to research perspective agents – some allotted time, and some agents I stumbled upon here and there and then took the time to check out a little more thoroughly... my list is now two pages long and I’m noting the really interesting ones with little stars... so when I’m query ready I can look back at them first.... Researching agents for me also means tracking down some of their books in or around my genre and either, checking if they’re a style that’s comfortable or comparable (I say checking because you’d be surprised how often I have copies or have read them) – or putting them on my to read list for the next time I’m in a bookstore.
Okay, I’d like to thank all of the bloggers who took the time to check in with me, or caught me in comments and asked how the writing was going. Most especially Ello and Mary Witzl, because they checked in often and were a great reminder when I was goofing off in cyber space... Thanks for the extra support, I actually find it dead useful and would be more than happy to add anyone to my ‘are you writing?’ list if they’d like the kick in the pants.
My goals for next month:
I’m changing my novel goal. Making it a set amount of time is not working for me. I don’t feel like I’m making enough progress that way, so instead I’m making it an amount in chapters.... The first two chapters will be redone by the next check in... that’s actually a lot right there, but I’m going to add two chapters on top of those... I’m hoping to push it up past that, so I hope I’ll be able to give you all a glowing account of how I doubled my own goals.
My goal for submissions will stay at four. Hopefully I’ll make it this time.
For those of you who didn’t know, I’m hosting a book club blog on Patricia Wood’s Lottery. Please visit the post and see if you might like to participate. I’m really excited as Patricia’s offered to participate in the discussion and it’s really wonderful to have the author on hand to discuss a novel with...Hope to see you all there.
So I thought making it a monthly progress report, posted for all to see would keep me even more honest... and focused. You’ll see, in this months’ post, I fell short in a few areas but overall made some real progress. I’m hoping, keeping in mind I’ll owe you all another report in December, that I’ll hit every goal this time.
Okay, in the last post (or in the comments somewhere) I mentioned that I wanted to submit at least four times a month and work on my wip for a minimum of an hour a day.
I sent out three submission – so one shy, but more than I did last month and two of them took a good amount of time to write and edit, so I’m fairly proud of myself... still I’m hoping to improve.
I sent out one short story, one greeting card submission (though for three different cards), and one essay. I learned, by the way, that cover letters are far less nerve racking for me than queries... I’m not exactly sure why, but I was thrilled with how virtually painless it was.
My Novel – I did not get in as much work as I wanted to and I’m being a little hard on myself over it. Time wise, I did okay. I’d skip some days but then manage to eek in three or five hours on it later so I think I stuck pretty well to that hour a day mark, if I didn’t surpass it...
I got stuck on the first two chapters, I think I also posted about that somewhere, but the voice really threw me and it kind of stalled my progress for a bit there, even though I was putting in the time the work was not where I needed it to be... I did, however, flesh out some themes that I didn’t even know were there (God I love that about writing fiction).
What did I learn or devote time to this month that had to do with writing but not really with my listed goals?
First, I worked on my pitch at BookEnds. It wasn’t on my agenda because I’m not ready to query, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to have a great agent critique my pitch, so I wrote one especially for her post. (It’s due up in the next round of crits and I’m a little queasy about it).
Inspired by the agent posts about pitch, JJ Debenedictis hosted her own, called Goblin’s Crucible – which was invaluable... and took up the better part of my writing time for two days... Thank you for the very intricate critique, and thank you to Josephine Damian who also gave me some invaluable advice. If you read the comments there, you’ll see I revised my pitch an awful lot... another reason I’m nervous about Jessica at BookEnds critting the first one, the new one’s much better and I’m still not quite there.
I also took some time to research perspective agents – some allotted time, and some agents I stumbled upon here and there and then took the time to check out a little more thoroughly... my list is now two pages long and I’m noting the really interesting ones with little stars... so when I’m query ready I can look back at them first.... Researching agents for me also means tracking down some of their books in or around my genre and either, checking if they’re a style that’s comfortable or comparable (I say checking because you’d be surprised how often I have copies or have read them) – or putting them on my to read list for the next time I’m in a bookstore.
Okay, I’d like to thank all of the bloggers who took the time to check in with me, or caught me in comments and asked how the writing was going. Most especially Ello and Mary Witzl, because they checked in often and were a great reminder when I was goofing off in cyber space... Thanks for the extra support, I actually find it dead useful and would be more than happy to add anyone to my ‘are you writing?’ list if they’d like the kick in the pants.
My goals for next month:
I’m changing my novel goal. Making it a set amount of time is not working for me. I don’t feel like I’m making enough progress that way, so instead I’m making it an amount in chapters.... The first two chapters will be redone by the next check in... that’s actually a lot right there, but I’m going to add two chapters on top of those... I’m hoping to push it up past that, so I hope I’ll be able to give you all a glowing account of how I doubled my own goals.
My goal for submissions will stay at four. Hopefully I’ll make it this time.
For those of you who didn’t know, I’m hosting a book club blog on Patricia Wood’s Lottery. Please visit the post and see if you might like to participate. I’m really excited as Patricia’s offered to participate in the discussion and it’s really wonderful to have the author on hand to discuss a novel with...Hope to see you all there.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Book Club Blogs Return!!! - Lottery is on the table
I’m so excited about this one!!! First, I’m resurrecting the book club blogs (more on that later for those of you who don’t know about them), second I get to host a discussion about Lottery by Patricia Wood
I first heard of the book a few months ago at Anti-Wife’s Blog. After reading the wonderful review there, I jotted down the title and author and thought I would pick it up the next time I stopped at Barnes and Noble or ordered from Amazon... A few weeks later I ran across a review and interview of the author at Ello’s Random Acts of Unkindness Blog, which I enjoyed so much that I bumped the book up to a must have and ordered in the same week.
For those of you who don’t know, Patricia Wood is an author living in Hawaii who goes by the blog name, Orion. As soon as I finished reading Lottery, I sent off an email to ask her permission to use the book in a book club blog. Obviously, and graciously, she said yes. Ms. Wood also offered to participate in the discussion!!!!
Okay, I’m doing a little happy dance. I really loved this book. It’s the story of Perry L. Crandall whose IQ is 76 and he is not retarded, he is slow. Perry’s voice is so simple, and yet profound in ways that Perry doesn’t even realize. He’s lived his entire life with his grandparents until his Gramps dies, then it’s just Perry and Gram and they make a great team, until Gram’s death when Perry has to take care of himself – with the help of some wonderful friends. Perry has a job and a best friend, Keith, and a crush on Cherry who works at the Handy Mart. Lottery asks the question, ‘What would happen if someone like Perry won a large amount in the lottery?’ The immediate answer is, great for him! But soon you’ll realize that a large amount of money comes with great responsibility and a person like Perry needs to be careful of those trying to take advantage... Now what if the people he needs the most protection from are his own family?
The first discussion will get underway on Thursday, December 13th - this will give everyone time to purchase and read Lottery, while avoiding the Christmas rushing that comes the week or so before the 25th. You can follow the link in the first paragraph of this post to find the book at Amazon, or you can call your local Barnes and Noble or favorite bookstore and make sure it’s in stock...
The Book Club Blog discussions started at the blogging community I was a member of before opening this blog – the site is gone now, otherwise I would link all the wonderful discussions there. To make a long story short, book club blogs are about the same as real world book clubs, without the wine and cheese, or coffee and cheesecake... though you’re perfectly welcome to bring your wine and cheese to the keyboard and commence to cyber toasting.
I did host one Book Club discussion on this blog, back in May, but it didn’t really take off and no other blogger took up the next discussion. If you’d like to read the discussions on the Mists of Avalon you can find them here: The First Discussion, The Second Discussion, and The Final Discussion
I’d love to see a lot of participation on this one, especially as it’s such a good book. If you’re interested in hosting a book club blog, let me know – they’re a lot of fun and I’d love to participate in others around the blog-o-sphere.
Okay, I seem to have fixed the link problem - for some reason you don't need to include the "quotation marks" before or after the html address on this field. I'm assuming that removing them will also work in the comments section, but I'll try it out to make sure
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Spring Cleaning In November
Merry, Merry, quite contrary... you read that right, I’m spring cleaning – it seems to be a running theme of late – out with the old, in with the new... and I could probably quote a few more standard ditties to start off this post, but I’ll spare you guys the furious eye rolls ;-)
I always get a wild hair to clean the house very thoroughly right around Halloween or just after – I know this is a spring thing, and I do the whole, throw open the windows and clean up bit in the spring, but I don’t deep clean and organize then, the way most people talk about because, as anyone with children can tell you, spring is too damn busy! I don’t know why it’s done in the spring, except people feel all energetic from the glorious weather... but really, side affect of that season is the addition of baseball and softball to already full schedules, spring break which means homebound and really bouncy kids for extended periods of time, and, egads, have you ever tried to keep three kids inside the house cleaning on a bright and sunny day? We’re not living in the same generation I grew up in. I can’t send them out the door to play. I have to go with them, which means.... Spring Cleaning in November.
Okay, so now you get my reasoning... the other thing is that as the weather turns and the kids are at school all day, the mess drives me nuts... plus, of course, I like the house really clean and tidy before starting the whole decorating for Christmas thing because if you try cleaning as you’re decorating it becomes a big nightmare...
Point? Point? There was a point around her somewhere... oh, yeah, organization.... The thing with this is, I’m not a naturally organized person, I’m one of those people who have to work at it. I have to make lists or I will forget to do things – I used to have a really good memory but somehow having to schedule three other people seems to have lost me some iq points in there somewhere.
So, with this fervent cleaning revolution going on in my house, it’s dripped into my writing... I’m actually cleaning out all my computer files and purging the dead issues to a file disk... holy cow... there’s not a crowded area of little needed or known writing odds or ends cluttering up my desktop, hee, hee... My desk itself is, gads, clean!!! You heard that right, no coffee ring, no dust behind the monitor, no scattered notes and stray hair bands... okay, a few stray hair bands but they add to the ambiance.
I even put fresh flowers on the piano next to my desk... All reds and oranges and yellows and they make me think of crisp apples and pumpkin spice... or maybe that’s the potpourri... anyway, my spring cleaning is about to take over my blog as well.. I’ve just purged a bunch of links – not that they weren’t great bloggers that I loved to visit, but a lot of them were abandoned blogs or just bloggers I don’t really visit much anymore. No offense to anyone removed – I use it as a handy reference to hit the blogs I like without having to search for them, the pr for the blogger is a nice added bonus I’m happy to help with, but really it’s a selfish thing... on the other hand, you know the links on my blog are ones I really enjoy myself.
There were a number of blogs I couldn’t part with, even though I don’t visit them much anymore. I’m thinking of arranging them into fiction writing and freelance writing, because I have a number of freelancers that I loved visiting and got great information from while I was ghosting, but haven’t really stopped in to see in a while...
Sigh... Jersey girl over there I kept up because I love her blog, but I can’t visit it because every time I do it shuts down my darn windows... Jersey, if you’re reading, I miss you.
If you’ve made it this far you realize that I didn’t really have a point... just a steady ramble... but we’ll end with a point just for the hell of it – how do you organize your life and your writing? Do you need a clean environment or does the muse take over ever in a pig sty? Do you spring clean other than in the spring? (That last one’s just geared to make me feel like I’m not the only freak)
I always get a wild hair to clean the house very thoroughly right around Halloween or just after – I know this is a spring thing, and I do the whole, throw open the windows and clean up bit in the spring, but I don’t deep clean and organize then, the way most people talk about because, as anyone with children can tell you, spring is too damn busy! I don’t know why it’s done in the spring, except people feel all energetic from the glorious weather... but really, side affect of that season is the addition of baseball and softball to already full schedules, spring break which means homebound and really bouncy kids for extended periods of time, and, egads, have you ever tried to keep three kids inside the house cleaning on a bright and sunny day? We’re not living in the same generation I grew up in. I can’t send them out the door to play. I have to go with them, which means.... Spring Cleaning in November.
Okay, so now you get my reasoning... the other thing is that as the weather turns and the kids are at school all day, the mess drives me nuts... plus, of course, I like the house really clean and tidy before starting the whole decorating for Christmas thing because if you try cleaning as you’re decorating it becomes a big nightmare...
Point? Point? There was a point around her somewhere... oh, yeah, organization.... The thing with this is, I’m not a naturally organized person, I’m one of those people who have to work at it. I have to make lists or I will forget to do things – I used to have a really good memory but somehow having to schedule three other people seems to have lost me some iq points in there somewhere.
So, with this fervent cleaning revolution going on in my house, it’s dripped into my writing... I’m actually cleaning out all my computer files and purging the dead issues to a file disk... holy cow... there’s not a crowded area of little needed or known writing odds or ends cluttering up my desktop, hee, hee... My desk itself is, gads, clean!!! You heard that right, no coffee ring, no dust behind the monitor, no scattered notes and stray hair bands... okay, a few stray hair bands but they add to the ambiance.
I even put fresh flowers on the piano next to my desk... All reds and oranges and yellows and they make me think of crisp apples and pumpkin spice... or maybe that’s the potpourri... anyway, my spring cleaning is about to take over my blog as well.. I’ve just purged a bunch of links – not that they weren’t great bloggers that I loved to visit, but a lot of them were abandoned blogs or just bloggers I don’t really visit much anymore. No offense to anyone removed – I use it as a handy reference to hit the blogs I like without having to search for them, the pr for the blogger is a nice added bonus I’m happy to help with, but really it’s a selfish thing... on the other hand, you know the links on my blog are ones I really enjoy myself.
There were a number of blogs I couldn’t part with, even though I don’t visit them much anymore. I’m thinking of arranging them into fiction writing and freelance writing, because I have a number of freelancers that I loved visiting and got great information from while I was ghosting, but haven’t really stopped in to see in a while...
Sigh... Jersey girl over there I kept up because I love her blog, but I can’t visit it because every time I do it shuts down my darn windows... Jersey, if you’re reading, I miss you.
If you’ve made it this far you realize that I didn’t really have a point... just a steady ramble... but we’ll end with a point just for the hell of it – how do you organize your life and your writing? Do you need a clean environment or does the muse take over ever in a pig sty? Do you spring clean other than in the spring? (That last one’s just geared to make me feel like I’m not the only freak)
Friday, November 02, 2007
MYOB and other lessons from the playground
There are some things in becoming a parent that make you forget a few of the tried and true aspects of etiquette that you’re trying to teach your children... For instance, mind your own business. I must say that at least once a day. When my daughter whines about another student doing the same thing I just told her not to – “Mind your own business! So and so is not my problem and what he does has nothing to do with you – just worry about yourself and don’t tell me how every other kid can do this or that...”
Sure, they try this tactic because in their little minds letting you know that it’s acceptable for other kids will certainly make you realize the error of your ways... heh, heh... The thing is, teaching them to mind their own business is a way of teaching them to be responsible for themselves; teaching them to measure their own progress on the effort they put. I’ll go back to my daughter here – she’s very bright, but she has a lazy gene. She already knows that putting in minimal effort will garner a B, while not trying at all will get her a C. When the truth of the matter is she could easily have straight A’s if she put in a good effort a majority of the time. She thinks I’m unfair in pushing because so and so gets B’s and her mother says it’s a good grade...
Here’s where it gets tricky, when my second child gets B’s or even C’s I don’t give him a hard time, I’m proud of him... why? Because he tries, every time. He’s got his good subjects and subjects that he needs to work a little harder on, but he always gives one hundred percent effort, which is exactly what I’m aiming for... That’s what I try to explain to my daughter, “Don’t look at how well or not well anyone else is doing. You have to do your best all the time because it’s your best. What someone else is doing won’t change the fact that you either tried hard or didn’t.”
I’m going to get a little preachy on you, but only for a second. I tell my daughter that she should not be the least bit proud of being bright or creative – she didn’t earn those things, she was blessed with them. She can be proud when she gives one hundred percent and uses the gifts God gave her – anything less is like not saying thank you for the blessings she has... Look, I don’t expect this 100% of the time. She’s a kid, and I know she’ll have years ahead of flaking off rather than moving forward... at the same time, I want her to get the concept. I don’t want her to turn around in adulthood and spend all of her time wanting what the neighbor has, or jealous because so and so has it so easy. I don’t want her to fall back on excuses for why she hasn’t done her best.
So, with all of this, ‘mind your own business’ business turning through my thoughts lately – what lesson of etiquette did I forget in my parental zeal? Yesterday at the playground a group of children (3 or 4 year olds) were playing hopscotch, and one of the little boys had a sucker in his mouth while trying to hop on one foot. I, being super conscious of the kind of damage that can cause because I have small children, got very nervous as he tottered around nearly falling a number of times... If he had been a child I knew, I would have told him not to jump with the sucker (I’m obnoxious like that). Instead I asked the group of moms standing around who he belonged to? And when the mom responded I just said, “You might want to have him take out the sucker while he’s hopping”
Said mom got very indignant, informing me that she is not a negligent parent and huffing halfway across the parking lot with her friends.
I ignored the cardinal rule, “Mind your own business”... I ignored parenting’s biggest challenge, not correcting other children when their parents are right there – unless it’s a parent who doesn’t mind... But the thing is, I certainly wasn’t trying to hurt this mom’s feelings and I definitely didn’t think she was negligent – I just thought she was having a hard earned minute of adult conversation and wasn’t really paying attention, just for a second... and if it was my kid, I’d want someone to catch it, whether it was to tell me or to correct them.
I don’t feel the least bit bad for butting in – I’d rather that than if I stood there silent and the kid fell and choked or something equally horrible. But then, it’s another of those things with parenting, nothing is really black and white. Just like English, every rule has exceptions... that’s what a moral compass is for.
For those of you who stopped in for a writing discussion but stayed for my maternal mutterings, thanks for the ear. What do you think? How do you teach your kids the big lessons and how do you deal with the lessons that have exceptions, or do you just do your good deeds by stealth? And another thing, why are mothers so blasted touchy? It wasn’t just this one; you can’t make a comment or suggestion to some people without them taking it as parental judgment... another reason to mind your own business unless you’re asked...
Sure, they try this tactic because in their little minds letting you know that it’s acceptable for other kids will certainly make you realize the error of your ways... heh, heh... The thing is, teaching them to mind their own business is a way of teaching them to be responsible for themselves; teaching them to measure their own progress on the effort they put. I’ll go back to my daughter here – she’s very bright, but she has a lazy gene. She already knows that putting in minimal effort will garner a B, while not trying at all will get her a C. When the truth of the matter is she could easily have straight A’s if she put in a good effort a majority of the time. She thinks I’m unfair in pushing because so and so gets B’s and her mother says it’s a good grade...
Here’s where it gets tricky, when my second child gets B’s or even C’s I don’t give him a hard time, I’m proud of him... why? Because he tries, every time. He’s got his good subjects and subjects that he needs to work a little harder on, but he always gives one hundred percent effort, which is exactly what I’m aiming for... That’s what I try to explain to my daughter, “Don’t look at how well or not well anyone else is doing. You have to do your best all the time because it’s your best. What someone else is doing won’t change the fact that you either tried hard or didn’t.”
I’m going to get a little preachy on you, but only for a second. I tell my daughter that she should not be the least bit proud of being bright or creative – she didn’t earn those things, she was blessed with them. She can be proud when she gives one hundred percent and uses the gifts God gave her – anything less is like not saying thank you for the blessings she has... Look, I don’t expect this 100% of the time. She’s a kid, and I know she’ll have years ahead of flaking off rather than moving forward... at the same time, I want her to get the concept. I don’t want her to turn around in adulthood and spend all of her time wanting what the neighbor has, or jealous because so and so has it so easy. I don’t want her to fall back on excuses for why she hasn’t done her best.
So, with all of this, ‘mind your own business’ business turning through my thoughts lately – what lesson of etiquette did I forget in my parental zeal? Yesterday at the playground a group of children (3 or 4 year olds) were playing hopscotch, and one of the little boys had a sucker in his mouth while trying to hop on one foot. I, being super conscious of the kind of damage that can cause because I have small children, got very nervous as he tottered around nearly falling a number of times... If he had been a child I knew, I would have told him not to jump with the sucker (I’m obnoxious like that). Instead I asked the group of moms standing around who he belonged to? And when the mom responded I just said, “You might want to have him take out the sucker while he’s hopping”
Said mom got very indignant, informing me that she is not a negligent parent and huffing halfway across the parking lot with her friends.
I ignored the cardinal rule, “Mind your own business”... I ignored parenting’s biggest challenge, not correcting other children when their parents are right there – unless it’s a parent who doesn’t mind... But the thing is, I certainly wasn’t trying to hurt this mom’s feelings and I definitely didn’t think she was negligent – I just thought she was having a hard earned minute of adult conversation and wasn’t really paying attention, just for a second... and if it was my kid, I’d want someone to catch it, whether it was to tell me or to correct them.
I don’t feel the least bit bad for butting in – I’d rather that than if I stood there silent and the kid fell and choked or something equally horrible. But then, it’s another of those things with parenting, nothing is really black and white. Just like English, every rule has exceptions... that’s what a moral compass is for.
For those of you who stopped in for a writing discussion but stayed for my maternal mutterings, thanks for the ear. What do you think? How do you teach your kids the big lessons and how do you deal with the lessons that have exceptions, or do you just do your good deeds by stealth? And another thing, why are mothers so blasted touchy? It wasn’t just this one; you can’t make a comment or suggestion to some people without them taking it as parental judgment... another reason to mind your own business unless you’re asked...
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