Read this entry from Wil Wheaton. The guy is a good writer, fun to read, and excellent at painting a detailed and loving portrait of every day life. This particular essay is one written about a beloved family member, their cat, who had to be put to sleep this week. Instead of focusing on the sadness, Wil talks about how the cat, Felix, came into their lives. It's a lovely piece.
Plus, I love the line about the likelihood of them ever getting a car in their garage. Sounds like my house. We've owned a townhome and two houses. Never once has a car been in any of those garages. Yes, it's sick, I know.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Oh, I don't know...
Last night, after coming out of kickboxing class, I was struck by all these wonderful ideas to blog about. I even wrote them down on an old bill that had been abandoned in the car. Did I bring the bill with me so I'd have it with me when I sat down to write? Um, no. Do I remember what I wrote down on the bill? Eh. Kinda.
One of them was about how, in some ways, school politics never end. Remember in school when you had to pick a lab partner or you had to wait for a team to pick you (seriously, that's a great way to build self-esteem)? You never wanted to get stuck with the sucky lab partner (whether that was the geeky one or the one who wouldn't do any work probably depended on your social status), and you never, never for the love of God wanted to be the last one picked for a team. You know, the one that automatically got assigned to whichever team was unlucky enough to have last pick? Ugh.
That still goes on, even among adults. We just hide it better. You know the person you do not want to get stuck working with on a project. Come on, admit it. S/he is too loud, annoying or maybe s/he is a total glory hound. You'll do all the work and s/he will get all the credit. So, you do everything you can to avoid getting this project, including privately pleading to your manager and/or faking sick that day (which is a virtual guarantee that you will be stuck with him/her cause nobody else wants to work with him/her either.)
We also still encounter feeling of being picked or not picked. People going to lunch without you, or not saving you a seat at a meeting. *shudder* As grown ups, people, I think, are a little kinder, but these subtle forms of social ostracization are still going on. It's less about how you look and dress, and more about how you act and treat others. Which, to some extent, is fair. If you're a jerk or lazy, you're going to get left out. Unless you're funny. Or you bring in free food. Then, all is forgiven...usually. It's just interesting that everyone pretends adults don't do this.
What made me think of this is, actually, kickboxing. Every week, we pair up to practice our drills with a set of punching pads. A lot of the time, we have an uneven number. This makes me tense. I know a lot of the people in the class, and everyone is very nice, so why when it's an odd number, do I automatically feel certain that I'm the odd one out? Usually, it's because most people come to class with a friend, so they have a partner already. What's interesting to me is I find myself reverting to old behaviors that I thought were long dead. I don't seek out a partner. Most of the time, I hurry and wrap my hands (we wear protective hand wraps for punching) and choose a set of punching pads, so someone has to come to me. It's sort of a passive agressive method for getting a partner. I don't have to choose, and I don't have to ask. In general, I think I tend to be more that type of person anyway, observing the situation, taking in what's going on around me, instead of making any active decision.
But sheesh. It isn't that big of a deal. Whoever ends up without a partner is paired with the instructor, which actually is a better deal for your money. One on one training for the price of a group class. But still, it feels weird. Like it matters somehow.
Does anybody else still find the high school experience still lingers about occasionally?
One of them was about how, in some ways, school politics never end. Remember in school when you had to pick a lab partner or you had to wait for a team to pick you (seriously, that's a great way to build self-esteem)? You never wanted to get stuck with the sucky lab partner (whether that was the geeky one or the one who wouldn't do any work probably depended on your social status), and you never, never for the love of God wanted to be the last one picked for a team. You know, the one that automatically got assigned to whichever team was unlucky enough to have last pick? Ugh.
That still goes on, even among adults. We just hide it better. You know the person you do not want to get stuck working with on a project. Come on, admit it. S/he is too loud, annoying or maybe s/he is a total glory hound. You'll do all the work and s/he will get all the credit. So, you do everything you can to avoid getting this project, including privately pleading to your manager and/or faking sick that day (which is a virtual guarantee that you will be stuck with him/her cause nobody else wants to work with him/her either.)
We also still encounter feeling of being picked or not picked. People going to lunch without you, or not saving you a seat at a meeting. *shudder* As grown ups, people, I think, are a little kinder, but these subtle forms of social ostracization are still going on. It's less about how you look and dress, and more about how you act and treat others. Which, to some extent, is fair. If you're a jerk or lazy, you're going to get left out. Unless you're funny. Or you bring in free food. Then, all is forgiven...usually. It's just interesting that everyone pretends adults don't do this.
What made me think of this is, actually, kickboxing. Every week, we pair up to practice our drills with a set of punching pads. A lot of the time, we have an uneven number. This makes me tense. I know a lot of the people in the class, and everyone is very nice, so why when it's an odd number, do I automatically feel certain that I'm the odd one out? Usually, it's because most people come to class with a friend, so they have a partner already. What's interesting to me is I find myself reverting to old behaviors that I thought were long dead. I don't seek out a partner. Most of the time, I hurry and wrap my hands (we wear protective hand wraps for punching) and choose a set of punching pads, so someone has to come to me. It's sort of a passive agressive method for getting a partner. I don't have to choose, and I don't have to ask. In general, I think I tend to be more that type of person anyway, observing the situation, taking in what's going on around me, instead of making any active decision.
But sheesh. It isn't that big of a deal. Whoever ends up without a partner is paired with the instructor, which actually is a better deal for your money. One on one training for the price of a group class. But still, it feels weird. Like it matters somehow.
Does anybody else still find the high school experience still lingers about occasionally?
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Stephen King's Speech
I don't know how many of you heard/read Stephen King's acceptance speech a couple of years ago when he won the National Book Award (NBA). Stephen King is kind of a scary guy. I think it would frighten me to live inside his head. But he's an amazing writer and an undeniable success, even if you don't care for his particular brand of story telling. His book, On Writing, has been a huge help to me, and I encourage all writers to read it, even if you don't like his books. (By the way, Stephen King wrote Shawshank Redemption and The Body, the story on which Stand by Me was based, both excellent stories that I loved and had very little to do with classic horror. Impressive, because it means he can make you think and scare the beeswax out of you.)
Anyway, a fellow author on a loop I belong to sent out the link to his NBA speech. It's a great speech. But more importantly, I've never read a better description of what it feels like to be a writer, just starting out. The doubts, the fears, the frustrations...and the difference just one person can make in the life or death of the dream. And this is from Stephen King, someone who's sold countless books and countless copies of those books.
So, read this because you're a writer or because you know a writer (I know you know at least one). It's one of the most inspiring things I've ever read.
Anyway, a fellow author on a loop I belong to sent out the link to his NBA speech. It's a great speech. But more importantly, I've never read a better description of what it feels like to be a writer, just starting out. The doubts, the fears, the frustrations...and the difference just one person can make in the life or death of the dream. And this is from Stephen King, someone who's sold countless books and countless copies of those books.
So, read this because you're a writer or because you know a writer (I know you know at least one). It's one of the most inspiring things I've ever read.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Blogger *mumble, mumble, swear, swear*
All right, we'll try this again. I apologize for my Good Friday post appearing three times. I've tried to go back and remove the two extras, but Blogger freezes every time. So, I'm going to have to leave it be for now.
A couple interesting things that I found today:
-The first books that I ever remember reading and really getting into were the Little House books. They're apparently going to be showing a few episodes of a new Little House on the Prairie show on ABC. If I can figure out when it's going to be on, I might check it out. I loved the original, but I'd be interested to see how they redo it. The original version was a bit Hollywood, I think, with a "lesson" in every episode for young viewers. However, now that I'm older, I find myself intrigued by the very notion of heading out into the middle of nowhere with small children and trying to survive. They've done a couple of really good reality shows on PBS about this. Frontier House is one of them, I can't remember the other. Meg Cabot also has a few things to say about this new show. I do think she's right. The new Pa's a little too good looking for my comfort! Course, maybe Michael Landon was too, I just was too young to notice such a thing. -
-Also, this about new dark chocolate M&Ms. I'm okay with movie tie-ins with products, fine and dandy, and I'm more than fine with more dark chocolate products--love it. But I think that Mars may have missed something in its understanding of the Force. Um, the dark side is not yummy and delicious. It's kind of evil. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to the dark side and all that. So what does that say about me, the consumer who prefers the dark chocolate M&Ms to the obviously non-evil milk chocolate version? I hate to overthink it, but I also hate it when marketing people don't think enough. Obviously, you're trying to entice Star Wars fans to buy M&Ms, otherwise why put Star Wars all over the wrapper? But if you know your obssessed-fan target demographic, you know that people aren't going to be too keen on being classified as choosing the dark side. You know what I'm saying? Just a thought, Mars Marketing People.
Concession Stand Teen: "Yes, Ma'am. What kind of M&M's would you like?"
Me: "Hmm. How about the ones that destroyed a Republic, slaughtered thousands of innocent (albeit fictional) people, endorsed human superiority over aliens, and brought about the downfall of the father of one of our culture's most famous heroes...with peanuts, if you've got them."
Um, yeah.
In other news, Stacy G. has given her stamp of approval to the synopsis! Yea!!! Beck also volunteered to read it for me, so we'll see what her take is as well. I hope to have this thing sent off to RuneStone shortly.
A couple interesting things that I found today:
-The first books that I ever remember reading and really getting into were the Little House books. They're apparently going to be showing a few episodes of a new Little House on the Prairie show on ABC. If I can figure out when it's going to be on, I might check it out. I loved the original, but I'd be interested to see how they redo it. The original version was a bit Hollywood, I think, with a "lesson" in every episode for young viewers. However, now that I'm older, I find myself intrigued by the very notion of heading out into the middle of nowhere with small children and trying to survive. They've done a couple of really good reality shows on PBS about this. Frontier House is one of them, I can't remember the other. Meg Cabot also has a few things to say about this new show. I do think she's right. The new Pa's a little too good looking for my comfort! Course, maybe Michael Landon was too, I just was too young to notice such a thing. -
-Also, this about new dark chocolate M&Ms. I'm okay with movie tie-ins with products, fine and dandy, and I'm more than fine with more dark chocolate products--love it. But I think that Mars may have missed something in its understanding of the Force. Um, the dark side is not yummy and delicious. It's kind of evil. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to the dark side and all that. So what does that say about me, the consumer who prefers the dark chocolate M&Ms to the obviously non-evil milk chocolate version? I hate to overthink it, but I also hate it when marketing people don't think enough. Obviously, you're trying to entice Star Wars fans to buy M&Ms, otherwise why put Star Wars all over the wrapper? But if you know your obssessed-fan target demographic, you know that people aren't going to be too keen on being classified as choosing the dark side. You know what I'm saying? Just a thought, Mars Marketing People.
Concession Stand Teen: "Yes, Ma'am. What kind of M&M's would you like?"
Me: "Hmm. How about the ones that destroyed a Republic, slaughtered thousands of innocent (albeit fictional) people, endorsed human superiority over aliens, and brought about the downfall of the father of one of our culture's most famous heroes...with peanuts, if you've got them."
Um, yeah.
In other news, Stacy G. has given her stamp of approval to the synopsis! Yea!!! Beck also volunteered to read it for me, so we'll see what her take is as well. I hope to have this thing sent off to RuneStone shortly.
Blogger is making me crazy!!!!
This is the fifth time I've tried to post. I keep getting an internal server error. Arrrrgggh.
So, let's try this again and see if it works...
So, let's try this again and see if it works...
Monday, March 28, 2005
Good Friday and other religious stuff...
All right, this is a little belated, but I wanted to talk about Good Friday. Most people know what it is. In the Christian tradition, this is the day in the church year that we remember Christ's suffering and death on the cross. It's a dark day, and...oddly enough, it's my favorite.
Maybe favorite isn't the right word. It is the one religious day/holiday that affects me the most. We make a huge deal of Christmas and Easter, which are both big, important days, but without Good Friday, neither of them have much meaning. That always strikes me as something important. Without the worst day, the good days have less meaning. This is, I think, is true in real life and in stories. Sometimes, when you love a character, it's hard to make them suffer, but you know, that the experience can't be as real unless there's pain. I always think of the Matrix movie when I think of this. One of the agents tells Morpheus that they tried creating an artificial state of perfect happiness for the humans. But people kept waking up. So, maybe there is a point to the bad days too, I don't know. Not that we would ever wish bad days upon ourselves or anyone else for the sake of creating meaning.
To me, this is also the day that has made it that much easier for me to relate to Jesus, the person. In the Garden of Gethsemene (spelling?), he asked God to get him out of it, if possible, but if not, he would accept that fate as well. That's a person, a real person, facing pretty awful times ahead. This is not someone who goes blithely and cheerfully into death as one might expect. This is someone who knows what it means and doesn't want it, yet accepts it as something that must be done.
Same thing when he's been crucified and thinks that God has abandoned him. Yeah, I probably would too, in that situation.
To me, Good Friday is the day that reminds me of why I believe what I believe. It brings meaning to everything else in the church year. It gives more depth to my understanding of his death. Because this is not someone who shrugged and said, yeah, okay, I'll do this because I know I'll live again in three days. This is someone who thought about all that he would lose by doing this, the ultimate leap of faith, and did it anyway. How many of us could be that brave? Not me, I don't think, even on my good days.
***This message brought to you by a PK (pastor's kid), who has thought probably way too much about this kind of thing--I mean, who else has favorite religious holidays?!?***
Maybe favorite isn't the right word. It is the one religious day/holiday that affects me the most. We make a huge deal of Christmas and Easter, which are both big, important days, but without Good Friday, neither of them have much meaning. That always strikes me as something important. Without the worst day, the good days have less meaning. This is, I think, is true in real life and in stories. Sometimes, when you love a character, it's hard to make them suffer, but you know, that the experience can't be as real unless there's pain. I always think of the Matrix movie when I think of this. One of the agents tells Morpheus that they tried creating an artificial state of perfect happiness for the humans. But people kept waking up. So, maybe there is a point to the bad days too, I don't know. Not that we would ever wish bad days upon ourselves or anyone else for the sake of creating meaning.
To me, this is also the day that has made it that much easier for me to relate to Jesus, the person. In the Garden of Gethsemene (spelling?), he asked God to get him out of it, if possible, but if not, he would accept that fate as well. That's a person, a real person, facing pretty awful times ahead. This is not someone who goes blithely and cheerfully into death as one might expect. This is someone who knows what it means and doesn't want it, yet accepts it as something that must be done.
Same thing when he's been crucified and thinks that God has abandoned him. Yeah, I probably would too, in that situation.
To me, Good Friday is the day that reminds me of why I believe what I believe. It brings meaning to everything else in the church year. It gives more depth to my understanding of his death. Because this is not someone who shrugged and said, yeah, okay, I'll do this because I know I'll live again in three days. This is someone who thought about all that he would lose by doing this, the ultimate leap of faith, and did it anyway. How many of us could be that brave? Not me, I don't think, even on my good days.
***This message brought to you by a PK (pastor's kid), who has thought probably way too much about this kind of thing--I mean, who else has favorite religious holidays?!?***
Thursday, March 24, 2005
A few more fun things...
Any one of these I could probably spend an entire entry on, but I'm running short on days and by next week, this will all be old news! : )
-Bugs! I saw the first flying bug this morning on my way to work. That means this horrible, cold weather is going to end soon, right? RIGHT?
-Check out this fun article about the fate of a character on LOST. It doesn't really contain spoilers as much as speculation, but what I find funny is that they include odds. Hmm, I wonder if Vegas is taking bets...
And finally, this is so cool! They've announced my visit to campus on the Valpo English Department website. I'm so excited!!! It's on the lower right hand side of the screen...The guy in the picture is Tim O'Brien. You know the one whose book I wrote a paper on in college!?!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and Happy Easter!
-Bugs! I saw the first flying bug this morning on my way to work. That means this horrible, cold weather is going to end soon, right? RIGHT?
-Check out this fun article about the fate of a character on LOST. It doesn't really contain spoilers as much as speculation, but what I find funny is that they include odds. Hmm, I wonder if Vegas is taking bets...
And finally, this is so cool! They've announced my visit to campus on the Valpo English Department website. I'm so excited!!! It's on the lower right hand side of the screen...The guy in the picture is Tim O'Brien. You know the one whose book I wrote a paper on in college!?!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and Happy Easter!
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Yea!
Saw the rough draft of the brochure for the Annual Writers' Institute at University of Wisconsin-Madison. I love this conference and always learn so much while I'm there! Plus, this time, I get to speak on a panel. I'm so excited and nervous. I can't wait! As soon as the brochure is online, I'll link to it, so you guys can check it out. Stacy G. helped me write my bio statement : )
College fun...
Suzanne McMinn's blog entry ("they keep finding me") today made me think of some of the crazy/stupid things I did in college. By comparison, mine seem rather tame. And don't worry, college friends of mine, I won't mention names...I'll protect the guilty. : ) Mom, Dad, stop reading now *grin*
-I stayed out all night for the first time as a freshman with a boy who was only considering Valpo as a school, a prospective student. We spent the entire time talking at some little diner place near campus. He decided to enroll : )
-Once put off a sociology paper that we were supposed to be working on all semester until the night before it was due. Got it done, and got a B, if I remember correctly.
-Left the country (went to Canada) once for a fraternity formal.
-Got drunk for the first time as a junior (yes, I was a goody two-shoes and slow to rebel) and used the men's bathroom in the fraternity house. No doors on the stalls so my then-boyfriend-now-husband had to stand guard. I accidentally knocked the toilet paper into the toilet (before I went to the bathroom, thank goodness) and when I told my boyfriend/husband, he thought I said I fell into the toilet. So THAT rumor circulated for awhile. What's worse was, in my drunken state, I was worried that the someone would try to flush with the roll of toilet paper in there. So I pulled it out. Yes, I reached my hand into the nasty, nasty frat boy toilet and pulled out the roll by the very tiny edge that remained above water.
-I showered once in that fraternity house. Don't remember why or when. But I vividly remember the mold *shudder*
Wow. Those are pretty lame. I was SUCH a goody two shoes. Most of my other crazy/stupid things involve other people's crazy/stupid actions that I got pulled into vicariously. For example, watching a friend empty a stomach's worth of vodka into a bush outside our dorm (the bush later died, but that could be a coincidence), assuring a friend that I would remember that she'd put her shoes behind the couch for safe keeping, and...oh, wait.
Now, I remember some more stuff. Valpo had/has a really old-fashioned policy about visitation by the opposite sex. Boys weren't allowed to be on the floor before ten a.m. or after midnight on weekdays and before ten a.m. (is that right?) and after two a.m. on weekends. Our senior year, a few of us plotted together and got rooms at the end of the hall near the fire doors so we could *ahem* extend visitation hours to whatever we saw fit. This is back in the day when poor college students didn't have cell phones. So, it was a complex system of the boy calling before he left and the girl keeping an eye out the window, without looking obvious about it, for his car/motorcycle, and then slipping down to the fire door to open it to let him in. All while avoiding R.A. rounds. Hee. Good times : )
What else am I forgetting, you guys? Post a comment. Just keep in mind, my dad occasionally checks this blog, so be circumspect : )
-I stayed out all night for the first time as a freshman with a boy who was only considering Valpo as a school, a prospective student. We spent the entire time talking at some little diner place near campus. He decided to enroll : )
-Once put off a sociology paper that we were supposed to be working on all semester until the night before it was due. Got it done, and got a B, if I remember correctly.
-Left the country (went to Canada) once for a fraternity formal.
-Got drunk for the first time as a junior (yes, I was a goody two-shoes and slow to rebel) and used the men's bathroom in the fraternity house. No doors on the stalls so my then-boyfriend-now-husband had to stand guard. I accidentally knocked the toilet paper into the toilet (before I went to the bathroom, thank goodness) and when I told my boyfriend/husband, he thought I said I fell into the toilet. So THAT rumor circulated for awhile. What's worse was, in my drunken state, I was worried that the someone would try to flush with the roll of toilet paper in there. So I pulled it out. Yes, I reached my hand into the nasty, nasty frat boy toilet and pulled out the roll by the very tiny edge that remained above water.
-I showered once in that fraternity house. Don't remember why or when. But I vividly remember the mold *shudder*
Wow. Those are pretty lame. I was SUCH a goody two shoes. Most of my other crazy/stupid things involve other people's crazy/stupid actions that I got pulled into vicariously. For example, watching a friend empty a stomach's worth of vodka into a bush outside our dorm (the bush later died, but that could be a coincidence), assuring a friend that I would remember that she'd put her shoes behind the couch for safe keeping, and...oh, wait.
Now, I remember some more stuff. Valpo had/has a really old-fashioned policy about visitation by the opposite sex. Boys weren't allowed to be on the floor before ten a.m. or after midnight on weekdays and before ten a.m. (is that right?) and after two a.m. on weekends. Our senior year, a few of us plotted together and got rooms at the end of the hall near the fire doors so we could *ahem* extend visitation hours to whatever we saw fit. This is back in the day when poor college students didn't have cell phones. So, it was a complex system of the boy calling before he left and the girl keeping an eye out the window, without looking obvious about it, for his car/motorcycle, and then slipping down to the fire door to open it to let him in. All while avoiding R.A. rounds. Hee. Good times : )
What else am I forgetting, you guys? Post a comment. Just keep in mind, my dad occasionally checks this blog, so be circumspect : )
***For Women Only***
Grossest thing ever. Pine-scented sanitary waste bags with giant pink roses on them. This is apparently a new development at work. It makes all the stalls smell like giant kitty litter boxes. Sorry, I know it's disgusting, but I just had to share.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
More fun reading...
Once again, I seem to be short on fascinating things to say (ha!) so instead I'll direct you to other people who have fascinating things to say.
Read Meg Cabot's review/recap of Spring Break Shark Attack, which aired on Sunday on CBS. I have to admit, I was kind of intrigued by the splashy (pun intended) promos. And because I thought, it can't possibly be this campy. New levels of campy were reached and not in the cool Buffy the Vampire Slayer sort of campy way. Seriously, I spent about five minutes watching the middle of this movie (as I tried to find the start of Cold Case, which due to basketball, was all messed up). You know it's bad when, less than thirty seconds in, you're rooting for someone, anyone to get swallowed up in a swell of bloody, shark-infested water. I couldn't believe that CBS had anything to do with this movie. It was like the soft porn version of that really bad movie of a few years ago with the sharks and the research lab...remember that one? I think Samuel L. Jackson might have been in it. At least until he got eaten. Not that I'm saying CBS is always the center of all that is good and wonderful about television. But this is way more FOX or WB than CBS.
Also, check out Suzanne McMinn's entry (Countdown to Cole) about doing research via cold calls and the interesting facts she learned about B and B's. I always think it's fascinating to get a "behind-the-scenes" look at what other authors do to create strong stories. And she's right. I HATE cold-calling for research answers. Most people are nice enough, once you explain that you're not actually going to do anything nefarious with the information. I had a very interesting conversation with an extremely understanding pharmacist earlier this year about whether you could drug someone without their knowledge by grinding up a particular pill and mixing in ice cream. Not to mention security measures and record-keeping processes that might or might not be in place at an independent pharmacy (versus Target, Osco, etc.) Oh, yeah, that's normal. : )
Read Meg Cabot's review/recap of Spring Break Shark Attack, which aired on Sunday on CBS. I have to admit, I was kind of intrigued by the splashy (pun intended) promos. And because I thought, it can't possibly be this campy. New levels of campy were reached and not in the cool Buffy the Vampire Slayer sort of campy way. Seriously, I spent about five minutes watching the middle of this movie (as I tried to find the start of Cold Case, which due to basketball, was all messed up). You know it's bad when, less than thirty seconds in, you're rooting for someone, anyone to get swallowed up in a swell of bloody, shark-infested water. I couldn't believe that CBS had anything to do with this movie. It was like the soft porn version of that really bad movie of a few years ago with the sharks and the research lab...remember that one? I think Samuel L. Jackson might have been in it. At least until he got eaten. Not that I'm saying CBS is always the center of all that is good and wonderful about television. But this is way more FOX or WB than CBS.
Also, check out Suzanne McMinn's entry (Countdown to Cole) about doing research via cold calls and the interesting facts she learned about B and B's. I always think it's fascinating to get a "behind-the-scenes" look at what other authors do to create strong stories. And she's right. I HATE cold-calling for research answers. Most people are nice enough, once you explain that you're not actually going to do anything nefarious with the information. I had a very interesting conversation with an extremely understanding pharmacist earlier this year about whether you could drug someone without their knowledge by grinding up a particular pill and mixing in ice cream. Not to mention security measures and record-keeping processes that might or might not be in place at an independent pharmacy (versus Target, Osco, etc.) Oh, yeah, that's normal. : )
Monday, March 21, 2005
More movie stuff...
It's a Monday, and my brain is tired. So, here is an interesting article on the new Star Wars movie due out in a couple of months. I can't wait : ) The best part is that George Lucas indicates that we will see Luke and Leia as babies in the film. If you know me at all, you know that has been one of my big questions...pretty much since the new films started. So, I'm excited about seeing how that plays out.
Also, this is something kind of fun. I found a book in Target last week on one of my book buying binges. Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye. I would describe it as a paranormal cozy or maybe a paranormal chicklit mystery (could I possibly tack on one more genre?) I picked it up because the psychic element of paranormal has always interested me, and I considered it field research. A new twist to the Rennie Harlow series would land it smack in the middle of paranormal...in a way.
To my surprise, I really, really enjoyed the Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye. Most books with psychics in them are so heavy and kind of depressing. I liked this book, not only because of the humor in it, but also because the author gave me a clear idea of what it would actually be like to have the gift. And not to be always tortured by it and resisting it, which is how most fictional psychics are depicted. Of course, the fact that Ms. Laurie is a psychic herself helps add the verisimilitude that really draws you in. Now, that's what you call a platform! : )
Another strange random fact...right now, I'm re-reading Grimm's Fairy Tales. Geez. Were these always intended for children? Lots of punishments that involve being stuffed in a barrel studded with nails and dragged behind horses. I kid you not. But the most beautiful one always triumphs, though she may be shallow and need a lesson about treating people kindly. The cruel always get their due, in one way or another. It's kind of fun to see such extremes in story telling. If you've never read them, it's worth it. If you haven't read them since you were little, it's definitely worth a second look.
Also, this is something kind of fun. I found a book in Target last week on one of my book buying binges. Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye. I would describe it as a paranormal cozy or maybe a paranormal chicklit mystery (could I possibly tack on one more genre?) I picked it up because the psychic element of paranormal has always interested me, and I considered it field research. A new twist to the Rennie Harlow series would land it smack in the middle of paranormal...in a way.
To my surprise, I really, really enjoyed the Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye. Most books with psychics in them are so heavy and kind of depressing. I liked this book, not only because of the humor in it, but also because the author gave me a clear idea of what it would actually be like to have the gift. And not to be always tortured by it and resisting it, which is how most fictional psychics are depicted. Of course, the fact that Ms. Laurie is a psychic herself helps add the verisimilitude that really draws you in. Now, that's what you call a platform! : )
Another strange random fact...right now, I'm re-reading Grimm's Fairy Tales. Geez. Were these always intended for children? Lots of punishments that involve being stuffed in a barrel studded with nails and dragged behind horses. I kid you not. But the most beautiful one always triumphs, though she may be shallow and need a lesson about treating people kindly. The cruel always get their due, in one way or another. It's kind of fun to see such extremes in story telling. If you've never read them, it's worth it. If you haven't read them since you were little, it's definitely worth a second look.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Rough Blurb for Zara Book II--The Order of the True
Okay, here it is...Remember, this is all subject to change and this is just a rough draft of a blurb. Nothing at all final. Oh yeah, and the title changed again. The Order of the True is the title I actually gave to the very first draft of this book.
BLURB:
When Caelan disappears on a mission to investigate a Humanist group, Zara sets out to find him. With no support from Asha or any of the others, Zara is on her own, except for the aid of one recently freed drone, Ehren. As Zara searches for Caelan, she finds herself making life or death choices, where the power is in her hands. One council member wants to use Zara’s abilities against the others, in exchange for Caelan’s life. But there is more to the Observer struggle on Earth than meets the eye, and Zara will have to choose between her Observer and human heritage, with ringing implications for thousands of innocent lives.
Her fight to save Caelan from bigoted humans, power-hungry Observers and desperate drones teaches Zara that while some leaders are born, others must be made…
BLURB:
When Caelan disappears on a mission to investigate a Humanist group, Zara sets out to find him. With no support from Asha or any of the others, Zara is on her own, except for the aid of one recently freed drone, Ehren. As Zara searches for Caelan, she finds herself making life or death choices, where the power is in her hands. One council member wants to use Zara’s abilities against the others, in exchange for Caelan’s life. But there is more to the Observer struggle on Earth than meets the eye, and Zara will have to choose between her Observer and human heritage, with ringing implications for thousands of innocent lives.
Her fight to save Caelan from bigoted humans, power-hungry Observers and desperate drones teaches Zara that while some leaders are born, others must be made…
I did it! Now, I'm nervous...
I turned my synopsis for book II over to Stacy G, who graciously agreed to read it even though it's totally going to spoil the ending for the book. Or maybe not. I haven't quite decided yet on one major key factor. But the bones of the story are there and that's what synopsis is for. To tell you what happens to who, where and when without a whole lot more detail than that. There might also be some why in there too.
If any of my other first readers (Beck, Deb, Ed, Julie), wonderful people that you are, want to read the synopsis, just let me know. The only reason I didn't offer it up is that, again, it will spoil the reading of the actual book. 14 single spaced pages and you'll know the whole story that'll take nearly 300 pages to tell. And, surprise, surprise, I'll be asking you to read the 300 pager as well. I feel bad even asking anyone to read the synopsis because of that--I hate knowing the end of a book before I read it--but I'm desperate to make sure that it makes sense before sending it off. I'm grateful to Stacy G. for agreeing, and I know she will, as usual, do a fabulous job of helping me find all the things that need to be fixed to make it a better story.
Which brings me to my point -- it's downright terrifying to write a second book in a series. I had no freaking idea. I thought, what fun! I love these characters and I could have such a good time with trying new things...But nooooo! It's not like that at all. Suddenly there are expectations. Not just about the quality of the writing, which I get, but what should happen in the story and what shouldn't. With a second book in a series, there's something to compare it against...the first one! And you have good reviews that say stuff like, "If Klemstein can continue in this manner, it should be a fun series." Aaaaaackk!!! Do you know what kind of pressure resides in that statement?!?
Thing is, when I wrote the first book, I set out just to entertain myself. In the first draft I knew someone was trying to kill Zara. I had no idea why. Not the foggiest reason. In fact, in the first draft, Zara would ask Caelan and he'd refuse to tell her. Zara and I were both frustrated because neither of us knew.
With the second book, it's like I know too much. At this point, I know more about the Observers and their purpose here than Zara does. So, first, it's hard not to let that knowledge come through when she's not supposed to know it yet, and second, it's hard to decide how much should be revealed and when.
I like the second book. At least, the synopsis for it. The book in my head, the book it will become. It's got a lot more action in it, I think, and it really moves people along the paths they've already chosen, in one way or another. I feel for Zara in her struggles. Actions have consequences would probably be theme for this book. And just the same, lack of action has its own consequence. It's also been fun planting all the seeds of what could be for book three. I've got several ideas already in mind : )
We're also introducing one new character, Ehren, who will be with us into the third book, at least. Ehren plays an important role in this story because I think that who we are, as individuals, can be greatly influenced by what others think of us. If someone expects us to behave badly, it's very easy to slip into that behavior. The converse (is this a real word or just a shoe brand?) can be true as well. Ehren's opinion of Zara, or lack there of, is a factor in her behavior and, I think, her peace of mind.
The one bummer to book two is less Caelan. But it was unfortunately necessary in this book, in order for the journey to continue. By the end of the first book, Zara has reached a plateau in her search for herself. She can pretty much handle whatever comes at her as long as he's by her side. In that sense, she's come to rely on him, perhaps even more than she relies on herself. So, what do we have to do? Shake things up a little.
I'm going to post another entry with the rough blurb for Book II. Remember, all of this can change at any time. Stacy G. I'm sure will have good changes to suggest and, of course, the publisher, if they decide to accept the book, will have their say as well. Not to mention all the first readers! : )
Have a good weekend!
If any of my other first readers (Beck, Deb, Ed, Julie), wonderful people that you are, want to read the synopsis, just let me know. The only reason I didn't offer it up is that, again, it will spoil the reading of the actual book. 14 single spaced pages and you'll know the whole story that'll take nearly 300 pages to tell. And, surprise, surprise, I'll be asking you to read the 300 pager as well. I feel bad even asking anyone to read the synopsis because of that--I hate knowing the end of a book before I read it--but I'm desperate to make sure that it makes sense before sending it off. I'm grateful to Stacy G. for agreeing, and I know she will, as usual, do a fabulous job of helping me find all the things that need to be fixed to make it a better story.
Which brings me to my point -- it's downright terrifying to write a second book in a series. I had no freaking idea. I thought, what fun! I love these characters and I could have such a good time with trying new things...But nooooo! It's not like that at all. Suddenly there are expectations. Not just about the quality of the writing, which I get, but what should happen in the story and what shouldn't. With a second book in a series, there's something to compare it against...the first one! And you have good reviews that say stuff like, "If Klemstein can continue in this manner, it should be a fun series." Aaaaaackk!!! Do you know what kind of pressure resides in that statement?!?
Thing is, when I wrote the first book, I set out just to entertain myself. In the first draft I knew someone was trying to kill Zara. I had no idea why. Not the foggiest reason. In fact, in the first draft, Zara would ask Caelan and he'd refuse to tell her. Zara and I were both frustrated because neither of us knew.
With the second book, it's like I know too much. At this point, I know more about the Observers and their purpose here than Zara does. So, first, it's hard not to let that knowledge come through when she's not supposed to know it yet, and second, it's hard to decide how much should be revealed and when.
I like the second book. At least, the synopsis for it. The book in my head, the book it will become. It's got a lot more action in it, I think, and it really moves people along the paths they've already chosen, in one way or another. I feel for Zara in her struggles. Actions have consequences would probably be theme for this book. And just the same, lack of action has its own consequence. It's also been fun planting all the seeds of what could be for book three. I've got several ideas already in mind : )
We're also introducing one new character, Ehren, who will be with us into the third book, at least. Ehren plays an important role in this story because I think that who we are, as individuals, can be greatly influenced by what others think of us. If someone expects us to behave badly, it's very easy to slip into that behavior. The converse (is this a real word or just a shoe brand?) can be true as well. Ehren's opinion of Zara, or lack there of, is a factor in her behavior and, I think, her peace of mind.
The one bummer to book two is less Caelan. But it was unfortunately necessary in this book, in order for the journey to continue. By the end of the first book, Zara has reached a plateau in her search for herself. She can pretty much handle whatever comes at her as long as he's by her side. In that sense, she's come to rely on him, perhaps even more than she relies on herself. So, what do we have to do? Shake things up a little.
I'm going to post another entry with the rough blurb for Book II. Remember, all of this can change at any time. Stacy G. I'm sure will have good changes to suggest and, of course, the publisher, if they decide to accept the book, will have their say as well. Not to mention all the first readers! : )
Have a good weekend!
Thursday, March 17, 2005
HELP--I need a Texas question answered for book research!!!
Anybody from Texas reading this? Aunt Lynne?
I need to know if an old structure, say a school, built in the last century or so would have either a storm cellar or a bomb shelter. I don't think houses in Texas usually have basements (I'm guessing schools don't either), so I'm wondering if whatever prevents basements from being built would also prevent a storm cellar or bomb shelter from being built.
In short, I need an underground structure in Texas and I'm wondering if it's even possible. Can someone help please?!? : ) You can post a comment here or email me at stacey@staceyklemstein.com
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I need to know if an old structure, say a school, built in the last century or so would have either a storm cellar or a bomb shelter. I don't think houses in Texas usually have basements (I'm guessing schools don't either), so I'm wondering if whatever prevents basements from being built would also prevent a storm cellar or bomb shelter from being built.
In short, I need an underground structure in Texas and I'm wondering if it's even possible. Can someone help please?!? : ) You can post a comment here or email me at stacey@staceyklemstein.com
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
A good review from SciFi Romance Online!!!
When I found SFR Online that was when I first realized I wasn't alone in wanting to blend sci-fi and romance. I sent my book to them for review, and I loved what they said. Except the last line made me nervous, you know the "if" part. : )
Here's a link....
Here's a link....
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
"Grow" this...
I've been working on a project for my day job now that consistently uses the word "grow" in a manner that makes me want to scream. So, in the spirit of small irritants being exaggerrated and spread round to irritate a much larger audience, I thought I'd share....
Grow. It implies a natural process. You grow crops. Your children grow up. Grow weary or you grow old.
You do not "grow" your business. There is nothing natural about business growth. It is planned, strategized, manipulated and pulled into existence. If left alone with no effort from you, your business would not develop on its own. A weed grows.
You can't "grow" your savings. I wish it were that easy. A little sunlight, some water and weeks later, you have a fully mature account. It doesn't work that way.
I've saved the worst for last. You can't "grow" your nest egg. I mean, seriously. Eggs do not grow. I realize that it's a metaphor for savings, but still. Eggs do not grow, they hatch. The very idea of nest egg is a definable amount put aside for the future. In the sense of savings, maybe you can add to your nest egg. But it does not grow!
Oddly enough, I have no problem with a slight reversal of these sentences. It doesn't bother me to say, "My business is growing." Or, "My nest egg is growing."
But I just HATE it when people talk about growing something that is not alive! Life must exist for growth, right?!? Plus, I think in most of these cases we're talking about an action that requires work, not a natural process by any means. Now, I'll grant you, growing crops takes work too. But it is work to enhance an already existing natural process. My savings account will not grow, nor is it designed to grow, unless I actively put effort into making it that way.
Build is fine. You build your business. You build your savings. Hell, I'll even go for building a nest egg, which is completely wrong. But not grow!!!! Please, I beg of you.
Another one that I frequently hear around here -- marry. I'm okay with it like this, "The 2005 model is a marriage of style and convenience." But not like this..."Marry up style and convenience in the new 2005 model."
Marry up? Like nouns are suddenly 18th century social climbers? Style's mother always told her to marry up so that's why she picked Convenience, also known as Lord Wentworth!?!
Oh and don't even get me started on...
-laddering up
-templatizing
-granular
-vetting
-gut check
-and many others that I can't recall off the top of my head...
Anybody else out there hear corporate jargon that drives them CRAZY?
Grow. It implies a natural process. You grow crops. Your children grow up. Grow weary or you grow old.
You do not "grow" your business. There is nothing natural about business growth. It is planned, strategized, manipulated and pulled into existence. If left alone with no effort from you, your business would not develop on its own. A weed grows.
You can't "grow" your savings. I wish it were that easy. A little sunlight, some water and weeks later, you have a fully mature account. It doesn't work that way.
I've saved the worst for last. You can't "grow" your nest egg. I mean, seriously. Eggs do not grow. I realize that it's a metaphor for savings, but still. Eggs do not grow, they hatch. The very idea of nest egg is a definable amount put aside for the future. In the sense of savings, maybe you can add to your nest egg. But it does not grow!
Oddly enough, I have no problem with a slight reversal of these sentences. It doesn't bother me to say, "My business is growing." Or, "My nest egg is growing."
But I just HATE it when people talk about growing something that is not alive! Life must exist for growth, right?!? Plus, I think in most of these cases we're talking about an action that requires work, not a natural process by any means. Now, I'll grant you, growing crops takes work too. But it is work to enhance an already existing natural process. My savings account will not grow, nor is it designed to grow, unless I actively put effort into making it that way.
Build is fine. You build your business. You build your savings. Hell, I'll even go for building a nest egg, which is completely wrong. But not grow!!!! Please, I beg of you.
Another one that I frequently hear around here -- marry. I'm okay with it like this, "The 2005 model is a marriage of style and convenience." But not like this..."Marry up style and convenience in the new 2005 model."
Marry up? Like nouns are suddenly 18th century social climbers? Style's mother always told her to marry up so that's why she picked Convenience, also known as Lord Wentworth!?!
Oh and don't even get me started on...
-laddering up
-templatizing
-granular
-vetting
-gut check
-and many others that I can't recall off the top of my head...
Anybody else out there hear corporate jargon that drives them CRAZY?
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
New lows...
In the last day, I have:
-purchased new socks so I didn't have to wash the ones I already own for work the next day.
-read the last few pages of an intriguing but possibly depressing novel while standing in the store to see if it ended okay. It didn't. I didn't buy it.
-ran bathwater but forgot to close the drain so all my glorious hot water slipped away and I was left to bathe in about two inches of lukewarm water.
-discovered the my palm pilot had somehow dumped everything I'd ever written or recorded in it. So I got frustrated and bought a cheap paper calendar to replace it. I'm so much better with pen and paper than something with such a little tiny screen and buttons that can so easily be pushed while it's floating around my ginormous carry-all bag.
-had to take ibuprofen just to be able to sit up straight because of back pain...I'm not even 30 yet !
This last one reminds me of one my earlier lows...an all-time stupid moment. I was preparing to fly back home after a business trip to either Texas, Georgia or New Orleans, I can't remember which, when I started making conversation with a couple of women who were sitting there, waiting for the same flight. I don't know how the conversation turned to this, but I somehow got on the topic of how my ears don't really pop like they're supposed to on the plane and it's really painful for me normally and even worse when I have a cold. At that moment, I was developing a cold and bemoaning the fact that I didn't have any decogestant. One of the nice women opened her purse and offered me pills, Sudafed. Okay, I'm not completely stupid. I checked the label on the packaging, I think, but it didn't say Sudafed. She caught me looking and said, "Oh, it's the generic."
So, here I am with these unidentified red pills and this nice woman who's given them to me. Do I hand them back and say no thanks, I don't take strange pills from people I don't know and risk insulting her? Oh, no, can't have that.
I took the pills. I took unidentified pills from a stranger I met in an airport. Jeez Louise, I shouldn't be allowed to cross the street by myself any more. Now, I'll grant you, this was before 9-11, so things weren't quite like they are now in terms of being suspicious of your fellow travelers. But still!!!! How dumb was I? And how lucky that the nice woman who gave them to me was actually just nice and not a psychopath?
So, kiddies, learn this lesson. Never take unidentified pills from a stranger in an airport. Always make them show you the label first *grin*
This concludes our "wow, I can't believe someone is dumb enough to do that" portion of our daily broadcast. : )
-purchased new socks so I didn't have to wash the ones I already own for work the next day.
-read the last few pages of an intriguing but possibly depressing novel while standing in the store to see if it ended okay. It didn't. I didn't buy it.
-ran bathwater but forgot to close the drain so all my glorious hot water slipped away and I was left to bathe in about two inches of lukewarm water.
-discovered the my palm pilot had somehow dumped everything I'd ever written or recorded in it. So I got frustrated and bought a cheap paper calendar to replace it. I'm so much better with pen and paper than something with such a little tiny screen and buttons that can so easily be pushed while it's floating around my ginormous carry-all bag.
-had to take ibuprofen just to be able to sit up straight because of back pain...I'm not even 30 yet !
This last one reminds me of one my earlier lows...an all-time stupid moment. I was preparing to fly back home after a business trip to either Texas, Georgia or New Orleans, I can't remember which, when I started making conversation with a couple of women who were sitting there, waiting for the same flight. I don't know how the conversation turned to this, but I somehow got on the topic of how my ears don't really pop like they're supposed to on the plane and it's really painful for me normally and even worse when I have a cold. At that moment, I was developing a cold and bemoaning the fact that I didn't have any decogestant. One of the nice women opened her purse and offered me pills, Sudafed. Okay, I'm not completely stupid. I checked the label on the packaging, I think, but it didn't say Sudafed. She caught me looking and said, "Oh, it's the generic."
So, here I am with these unidentified red pills and this nice woman who's given them to me. Do I hand them back and say no thanks, I don't take strange pills from people I don't know and risk insulting her? Oh, no, can't have that.
I took the pills. I took unidentified pills from a stranger I met in an airport. Jeez Louise, I shouldn't be allowed to cross the street by myself any more. Now, I'll grant you, this was before 9-11, so things weren't quite like they are now in terms of being suspicious of your fellow travelers. But still!!!! How dumb was I? And how lucky that the nice woman who gave them to me was actually just nice and not a psychopath?
So, kiddies, learn this lesson. Never take unidentified pills from a stranger in an airport. Always make them show you the label first *grin*
This concludes our "wow, I can't believe someone is dumb enough to do that" portion of our daily broadcast. : )
Friday, March 11, 2005
Cue the Hallelujah Chorus, please!
It's finished! It's rough around the edges, but the "put your butt in the chair and get it done" version is done! All twelve beautiful pages of it : )
I just wrote a long blog about how good it felt to get this done. Of course, I hit a key of some kind and erased it. Oh, well.
I swore to myself when I began this process that I would never again leave a story with holes in it, like I did this one. It was too hard to get back into it. But here's the thing: I think the distance helped me see problems that I might not have seen as quickly otherwise. Yes, the gaps were troublesome, but not because they were gaps but because they were indicators, I believe, that I didn't know enough about the story to fill them in. Instead of forcing a solution in there when I didn't have any perspective about what worked in the story and what didn't, I left it alone for a time. For awhile there, I thought that was a mistake because I just kept finding more and more gaps that I didn't know how to fill. I thought my distance from the story had caused me to lose touch with it. But I think what I discovered is that I didn't really even know the story well enough to lose touch with it. If that makes sense?!?
Anyway, now I have to go through and put in the little bits here and there that are missing. The pieces that will help it flow better. Then it needs to be cleaned up, put in proper format. And then, of course, polishing the prose. Want to make it so interesting that people are eager to see how everything plays out on the page...the real page!
Whew. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. Though, I know that feeling is only temporary. After all, the book hasn't been accepted yet! : )
Have a good weekend, everybody!
I just wrote a long blog about how good it felt to get this done. Of course, I hit a key of some kind and erased it. Oh, well.
I swore to myself when I began this process that I would never again leave a story with holes in it, like I did this one. It was too hard to get back into it. But here's the thing: I think the distance helped me see problems that I might not have seen as quickly otherwise. Yes, the gaps were troublesome, but not because they were gaps but because they were indicators, I believe, that I didn't know enough about the story to fill them in. Instead of forcing a solution in there when I didn't have any perspective about what worked in the story and what didn't, I left it alone for a time. For awhile there, I thought that was a mistake because I just kept finding more and more gaps that I didn't know how to fill. I thought my distance from the story had caused me to lose touch with it. But I think what I discovered is that I didn't really even know the story well enough to lose touch with it. If that makes sense?!?
Anyway, now I have to go through and put in the little bits here and there that are missing. The pieces that will help it flow better. Then it needs to be cleaned up, put in proper format. And then, of course, polishing the prose. Want to make it so interesting that people are eager to see how everything plays out on the page...the real page!
Whew. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. Though, I know that feeling is only temporary. After all, the book hasn't been accepted yet! : )
Have a good weekend, everybody!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Almost forgot...Wil Wheaton on CSI and Star Wars on the OC
Don't forget to watch CSI tonight at 8:00 p.m. Central time. One of my very favorite actors, Wil Wheaton, has a guest spot on my very favorite crime show. : ) You know Wil from Stand by Me (he played Gordie) and Star Trek: The Next Generation. I will go on the record as saying I loved Wesley Crusher because having a young character on that show was the only way I could ever imagine myself to be on the Starship Enterprise NCC1701-D.
And as you may remember, I mentioned the Star Wars trailer is going to run during an episode of The O.C. I had the week wrong. It's this week!!!! So, make sure you check it out. : )
And as you may remember, I mentioned the Star Wars trailer is going to run during an episode of The O.C. I had the week wrong. It's this week!!!! So, make sure you check it out. : )
Ode on Writing a Synopsis
It's just a little summary
An exercise in tedium
I try and try for fast results
But all I get is medium.
Thank you. Thank you very much. This is why Stacy G. is the poet and not me. : ) And yes, this is ten minutes more I could have spent writing the actual synopsis. But this seemed like more fun.
An exercise in tedium
I try and try for fast results
But all I get is medium.
Thank you. Thank you very much. This is why Stacy G. is the poet and not me. : ) And yes, this is ten minutes more I could have spent writing the actual synopsis. But this seemed like more fun.
We haven't had one of these in awhile...
Random thoughts that have floated through my brain in the last week or so:
-Huh. My oatmeal is imported?
-Neutrogena tastes better than my normal face soap.
-Shouldn't vigorously brush teeth while naked in front of mirror--leaves disturbing image in the mind.
-Upon hearing the Ben Folds Five song, "Brick" on my ipod, I say, "Good song" and turn up the volume. Then I have to wonder, am I essentially complimenting myself on this since I'm the one who actually bought it and loaded it on my ipod instead relying on the random choice of some DJ somewhere? It does seem rather self-congratulatory when you think of it this way.
-Wonder what ever happened to:
Leslie Adams, my high school church youth group leader in Decatur?
Jackie Reynolds, one of my few good friends from high school in Mt. Zion?
Kristin Sommer, my "best" friend from 4th grade to 8th grade in Hillsboro?
Do they ever wonder what ever happened to me?
-Huh. My oatmeal is imported?
-Neutrogena tastes better than my normal face soap.
-Shouldn't vigorously brush teeth while naked in front of mirror--leaves disturbing image in the mind.
-Upon hearing the Ben Folds Five song, "Brick" on my ipod, I say, "Good song" and turn up the volume. Then I have to wonder, am I essentially complimenting myself on this since I'm the one who actually bought it and loaded it on my ipod instead relying on the random choice of some DJ somewhere? It does seem rather self-congratulatory when you think of it this way.
-Wonder what ever happened to:
Leslie Adams, my high school church youth group leader in Decatur?
Jackie Reynolds, one of my few good friends from high school in Mt. Zion?
Kristin Sommer, my "best" friend from 4th grade to 8th grade in Hillsboro?
Do they ever wonder what ever happened to me?
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Still chipping away at it...
All right, I'm nearly there with the synopsis (7 pages in, heading speedily toward the climax). I'd probably be even farther along if I could convince myself to work on it at home. But I don't want to write it on my laptop as I'm kind of treating that as my "place" for new work at the moment and I don't want to write it on my desk top because...are you ready? this is so lame...the chair is so freaking uncomfortable at that desk. Yes, I know I could fix that. I probably will. But in the meantime, I thought I'd distract you from the lack of content in my blog by giving you a link to this book, which I stumbled upon and now desperately want to read. I think Jude Devereaux wrote once that readers are only ever interested in the clothing and the bathroom in historical romance novels. I guess this would be part of that fascination. I mean, bras, in their current incarnation, are a relatively new torture device. I'd be interested to see what other instruments of cruelty women have stuffed themselves into to meet the demands of fashion and looking sexy.
But I can't quite convince myself that I need such a book so badly for research when I don't write historical novels. At least not at the moment. : )
Here's another odd one that I found a few months back. It's reportedly the book used most often on all the CSI shows when they have forensic questions. But again, probably something I don't need. Plus, $200!!!! For ONE book. I don't think so.
But I can't quite convince myself that I need such a book so badly for research when I don't write historical novels. At least not at the moment. : )
Here's another odd one that I found a few months back. It's reportedly the book used most often on all the CSI shows when they have forensic questions. But again, probably something I don't need. Plus, $200!!!! For ONE book. I don't think so.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Monday, March 07, 2005
I got it!!!
Thanks to divine intervention (thank you, God), a massive headache and a dose of Alka Seltzer Cold Plus, I've got a really, really rough draft of my synopsis for Zara II. But it's complete! One that actually makes sense, I hope, from beginning to end. Of course, it's written out long hand in some fairly scrawly handwriting that I hope I will be able to read now that I'm off the high of ASCP, but we'll see.
I had a great time talking with The Schaumburg Scribes on Saturday morning/afternoon. It really reinforced my feeling that teaching/talking about writing is an important part of all this to me. I enjoy it. I really love passing along information that I've learned the hard way so other people don't have to make the same mistakes. I like feeling like maybe I made a difference in someone else's writing journey as so many others have done for me. I'd like to be able to teach at some of the community colleges around here, but I'm not sure if they'd be open to someone without a master's degree. But we'll see.
Anyway, back to the story of divine intervention. I went home after my session in Schaumburg and curled up on the sofa to watch all the television I'd Tivo'd last week. No, I didn't make it until Sunday, but I did get past Friday night, so that was good : ) At the end of all that television watching, I ended up with a huge headache, far more likely related to the changing temperature and my temperamental sinuses than anything else. I took some Alka Seltzer Plus Cold and promptly went spacey, as that's what that medicine tends to do to me.
I laid down for a nap, thinking, as I always do right before sleep, about the manuscript issues that still need to be solved for Zara II. As I drifted in and out of sleep, little bits of things would come to me, some of them jumbled up in very nonsensical dream context and others making perfect sense. My nap, during which I didn't really sleep the entire time, lasted about two hours.
At some point, I realized that somehow all the plot knots had become unsnarled. Everything *gasp* made sense. It all matched up.
Honestly, I find that if you can achieve that state between awakeness and sleep, some really creative stuff can happen in there. That's where I can the "pharmacists know all our dirty secrets" for the first Rennie book. I think it just opens your mind up to hearing things that you normally miss in your frenzy to find the answers. I find the Divine in that sort of thing, especially when I've been feeling desperate, as I have been over the last weeks, and this is an answer to an unspoken prayer. So, thank you, God!
Anyway, the synopsis is done, rough, but done! Hallelujah! I've got to type it out and fill in a couple of the rough spots. But the major plot and subplot work...at least to me. The real test will come when I call upon my hardworking first readers : )
I had a great time talking with The Schaumburg Scribes on Saturday morning/afternoon. It really reinforced my feeling that teaching/talking about writing is an important part of all this to me. I enjoy it. I really love passing along information that I've learned the hard way so other people don't have to make the same mistakes. I like feeling like maybe I made a difference in someone else's writing journey as so many others have done for me. I'd like to be able to teach at some of the community colleges around here, but I'm not sure if they'd be open to someone without a master's degree. But we'll see.
Anyway, back to the story of divine intervention. I went home after my session in Schaumburg and curled up on the sofa to watch all the television I'd Tivo'd last week. No, I didn't make it until Sunday, but I did get past Friday night, so that was good : ) At the end of all that television watching, I ended up with a huge headache, far more likely related to the changing temperature and my temperamental sinuses than anything else. I took some Alka Seltzer Plus Cold and promptly went spacey, as that's what that medicine tends to do to me.
I laid down for a nap, thinking, as I always do right before sleep, about the manuscript issues that still need to be solved for Zara II. As I drifted in and out of sleep, little bits of things would come to me, some of them jumbled up in very nonsensical dream context and others making perfect sense. My nap, during which I didn't really sleep the entire time, lasted about two hours.
At some point, I realized that somehow all the plot knots had become unsnarled. Everything *gasp* made sense. It all matched up.
Honestly, I find that if you can achieve that state between awakeness and sleep, some really creative stuff can happen in there. That's where I can the "pharmacists know all our dirty secrets" for the first Rennie book. I think it just opens your mind up to hearing things that you normally miss in your frenzy to find the answers. I find the Divine in that sort of thing, especially when I've been feeling desperate, as I have been over the last weeks, and this is an answer to an unspoken prayer. So, thank you, God!
Anyway, the synopsis is done, rough, but done! Hallelujah! I've got to type it out and fill in a couple of the rough spots. But the major plot and subplot work...at least to me. The real test will come when I call upon my hardworking first readers : )
Friday, March 04, 2005
Final summary for No Television week...
Stats for this week:
-2 and 1/2 books read. I'm still in the middle of The Rule of Four, which I'm enjoying, but it's not one you can hurry through. You have to pay attention to all the names and history stuff floating aroud.
-3 hours of television. An hour of the Academy Awards on Sunday, an hour of Lost and an hour of The Apprentice (my husband's doing as The O.C. was a repeat last night)
-More writing work done than would have been done otherwise, but nothing qualitative like a page count or anything. I think some of that's because it's taking me some time to get used to having my evenings free (duh, like they couldn't have been all along) and because most of my new writing is done in the mornings. But I have, as I said, been getting more of the "behind the scenes" type stuff done.
Now, I'm sure you've realized, as I have, that the week of no television isn't technically over until Sunday. But I have the feeling my will power will fade over the weekend. Particularly tonight with Battlestar Galactica and SG-1 on. But I'm going to try to hold out until Sunday. I do need a day to catch up on the shows that have been Tivo'd, like Alias, Joan of Arcadia, Battlestar Galactica, SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis.
But the key for me is eliminating that mindless, slack-jawed watching that pretty much dominated every second I was home. Watching a rerun of Friends that I've seen like eight times or the television version of a movie that I own on DVD, just to have the television on as company or background noise. I do actually feel better, more alert, more rested. Mainly because I'm going to bed earlier instead of trying to watch yet another rerun of Seinfield at 11:00. I don't even really like Seinfield! Not to mention my very bad habit of leaving the television on until I fall asleep and then waking up around 2:00 a.m. to fumble in the dark for the remote to turn it off. Yes, I know...baaaaad!
So, all right. I'm going to make it to Sunday. Then I'll catch up on my favorites, after putting in a bunch of time on my writing stuff, before starting another low-television week. I can't really call it no television as I know I'll be watching Lost and The O.C., if they're not repeats. Speaking of which...repeats in March?!? Are they already trying to gear up for May sweeps? That's a lot time coming...
Have a great weekend everybody!
Thursday, March 03, 2005
See Battlestar Galactica Episode online
One more thing...most of you know that I've been raving over the new Battlestar Galactica on Sci-Fi channel. I've just visited their website and found that you can watch the first episode online, commercial-free. Now, I don't know anything like how long it takes to download and whether it will do that weird jerky, pause for downloading and then play a few seconds, thing, but it's such a good show and definitely worth checking out. So, if you don't have Sci-Fi Channel but you're curious about the show, as well you should be because it's so good, here is the link:
Click on the red banner once it takes you to the Battlestar Galactica page.
Click on the red banner once it takes you to the Battlestar Galactica page.
Rewriting advertisements
There's an ad on the radio for the McDonald's filet o' fish sandwich with a little sing song/rap thing going on in it. It's one of their targeted ads so it talks about Chicago. Every time I hear the commercial guy singing/rapping, I want to rewrite the lyrics. Here's how it really is:
I can see my breath
can't feel my toes
winter in Chicago
that's the way it goes
Here's the way I redo it in my head every time I hear it:
I can see my breath
can't feel my toes
winter in Chicago
it really blows.
See, my version has a nice double entendre. We could be talking about the wind, which would be appropriate as we are known as the Windy City and anyone who has ever worked downtown in winter knows how cutting that wind off the lake can be. Or we could be offering an opinion of winter in Chicago. It sucks. Cause it does.
Every notice how people use the words "suck" and "blow" as synonyms (keep your mind out of the gutter!). I mean, like this: "That totally sucks that you got fired, man." "Yeah, it really blows."
"Cool" and "hot" seem to have this same phenomena occuring around them as well, especially lately, thanks to "hot" being the favorite adjective of one hotel heiress. I refuse to mention her name here. There should be at least one place on the web that is a refuge for all those who burned out, don't care now and/or never did.
I can see my breath
can't feel my toes
winter in Chicago
that's the way it goes
Here's the way I redo it in my head every time I hear it:
I can see my breath
can't feel my toes
winter in Chicago
it really blows.
See, my version has a nice double entendre. We could be talking about the wind, which would be appropriate as we are known as the Windy City and anyone who has ever worked downtown in winter knows how cutting that wind off the lake can be. Or we could be offering an opinion of winter in Chicago. It sucks. Cause it does.
Every notice how people use the words "suck" and "blow" as synonyms (keep your mind out of the gutter!). I mean, like this: "That totally sucks that you got fired, man." "Yeah, it really blows."
"Cool" and "hot" seem to have this same phenomena occuring around them as well, especially lately, thanks to "hot" being the favorite adjective of one hotel heiress. I refuse to mention her name here. There should be at least one place on the web that is a refuge for all those who burned out, don't care now and/or never did.
Yesterday, by the numbers:
1 Bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios
2 pages of writing
45 minute commute
6 1/2 hours of work
40 minute drive to Bloomingdale
6 inches (!) of my hair now on the floor of Use Your Head Salon
20 push ups, 60 crunches and 4 different kinds of kicks in kickboxing (front, round, crescent and hook--actually we did a very cool combination with a crescent kick into a spinning hook kick, love those spinning ones, feels very Alias-like)
45 minute drive back home
1 stop at Target
$70 spent in about fifteen minutes when I only went in for 1 thing
1 hour of television, Lost, which, coincidentally enough, was all about numbers : )
2 pages of writing
45 minute commute
6 1/2 hours of work
40 minute drive to Bloomingdale
6 inches (!) of my hair now on the floor of Use Your Head Salon
20 push ups, 60 crunches and 4 different kinds of kicks in kickboxing (front, round, crescent and hook--actually we did a very cool combination with a crescent kick into a spinning hook kick, love those spinning ones, feels very Alias-like)
45 minute drive back home
1 stop at Target
$70 spent in about fifteen minutes when I only went in for 1 thing
1 hour of television, Lost, which, coincidentally enough, was all about numbers : )
Test...
This is just a test entry to make sure that I didn't, even after Ed's multiple explanations, mess up the blog connection to the new server...
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
A dumb question for other writers...
How far should a new paragraph be indented? I usually hit tab once so it goes to whatever the first tab preset is for Word or Works. I think it's like a half inch in from the margin. But is there a standard in the industry? I'm not phrasing the question well, but I hope it's clear what I'm asking. I'm just curious...
Woohoo, hair cut time!!!
I finally remembered and/or got around to making an appointment for a hair cut. It's been exactly one year and a month since my last one. When my hair was short, I used to get a hair cut every six weeks or so. Right now, when I leave it down, which is pretty rare, my hair hangs more than halfway down my back.
I'm excited. I love getting my hair cut. I always leave feeling much lighter than when I walked in. Some of that's the pound and a half of hair that they cut off, but some of it's just plain mental. If you feel like you look better, you feel better.
Plus, there's something so relaxing about turning yourself over to someone else's ministrations. Someone else washing your hair always feels so much better than washing it yourself. The hot water, the lying back and relaxing in a chair, the sweet smell of the shampoo, the scalp massage...yes, scalp is an ugly word, in my mind, but I swear it should be treated as one of those spots Monica referred to in that episode of Friends ("7, 7, 7!")
Overall, a very sensuous experience. As in, an experience that appeals to the senses. The word sensuous does not always imply something to do with sex, though that's the meaning people usually associate with it. There are lots of sensuous experiences that don't have anything to do with sex! But then again, sex is a pretty sensuous (appealing to the senses) experience so I guess I understand why that is. *grin*
I'm excited. I love getting my hair cut. I always leave feeling much lighter than when I walked in. Some of that's the pound and a half of hair that they cut off, but some of it's just plain mental. If you feel like you look better, you feel better.
Plus, there's something so relaxing about turning yourself over to someone else's ministrations. Someone else washing your hair always feels so much better than washing it yourself. The hot water, the lying back and relaxing in a chair, the sweet smell of the shampoo, the scalp massage...yes, scalp is an ugly word, in my mind, but I swear it should be treated as one of those spots Monica referred to in that episode of Friends ("7, 7, 7!")
Overall, a very sensuous experience. As in, an experience that appeals to the senses. The word sensuous does not always imply something to do with sex, though that's the meaning people usually associate with it. There are lots of sensuous experiences that don't have anything to do with sex! But then again, sex is a pretty sensuous (appealing to the senses) experience so I guess I understand why that is. *grin*
Day Three of No Television Week...
I meant to update yesterday with news of my progress but the dogs needed to go to the vet for their re-check. Which means I had to drive home from work at the height of rush hour (1 hour and 15 minutes), then to the vet (45 minutes), and finally home again (45 minutes again). Good grief, I spent most of my day in the car yesterday.
Anyway, the no television week has been...interesting. Monday was the most difficult. I was tired and didn't realize how much I counted on coming home and vegging in front of the television for a few hours to recover. But I read instead. Finished another book. That's one thing about this no television week, it could get pretty expensive pretty quickly if I keep reading a book a night. Of course, I'm supposed to be writing at night or at least working something related to writing. That was my whole plan. Get more done with less television. But, unfortunately, I seem to be fried beyond the capacity for thought by the time I get home. However, my creativity seems to be rising as strange little ideas, could-be stories, keep popping into my head. Which is great, I'm writing them down. But I'd like to direct some of that energy toward finishing the ones that are still outstanding (as in not finished, not "of spectactular quality" though one hopes they would be that as well *grin*).
Tonight, though, as part of couple-dom, I'll be watching Lost. Ah, the sacrifices I make...just kidding. Though, I am really excited about it, probably more so than I would normally be.
Oooh, before I forget, during The O.C. tomorrow, they'll be running the trailer for the new Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Sith. I've already seen one trailer online. In fact a friend and I watched three or four times, just trying to see everything. It looks cool. This is the movie I've been waiting for. It was interesting to see all the background stuff on Anakin, but his downfall is really what I want to see -- sounds terrible, doesn't it? But this movie has the possibility of answering all my questions, like, how does Darth Vader know he has a son but not a daughter if they're twins (and, therefore, presumably born at the same time)? Did Obi Wan choose to live Tatooine (spelling?) specifically to watch over Luke? If so, why didn't he seek out Luke when Luke was old enough? Or why not raise Luke himself instead of turning him over to the ill-fated Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru? And how does Padme die? Obviously, she must because Leia says in ROTJ that she's dead. "She died when I was very young." Or something like that. How does Leia have any memories of her mother, as she claims she does in ROTJ, if Vader wasn't even aware of her existence? Hmmm. Many, many ways these can be answered.
Speaking of Star Wars, a funny moment happened yesterday. A friend has recently introduced the first movie (the original) to her son at his request. She only saw the movie once in the theater when it originally came out in the 70's, which just blows my mind that you can only see this movie ONCE. But she found she enjoyed more this time and her son liked it as well. So, because I'm all about spreading the love of sci-fi and Star Wars in particular, I wrote up a list of all the other movies in the series with a line or two about what happens in each so she'll know what order they go in (this is very confusing to most people). I was very careful not to give away the major surprise from Empire Strikes Back. But then, when trying to explain who Padme was and her significance, I blew it. I named the children she will have. Which, in turn, spoils the surprise of the third movie -- the question of who Obi Wan was referring to when he said "there is another."
At least, I think it was Obi Wan.
Anyway, then it turned out she already knew the big secret of Empire Strikes Back (who doesn't...but just in case there is someone who doesn't know, I'm trying to be crafty here) so now she knows everything. But the funniest part is the email I got from her yesterday after she read what I'd sent her yesterday...Don't read this if you don't want to know the second biggest surprise in this series of movies...
"What have I missed all this years? Luke and Leia are related!?"
Then when I called to apologize, she further elaborated saying something to the effect of, "I always thought they kind of had a thing going there."
At which point, I'm forced to tell her that she's not alone. There are a whole bunch of us who shudder every time Luke tells her that she is his sister in ROTJ, as we remember that kiss in Empire Strikes Back.
Anyway, the no television week has been...interesting. Monday was the most difficult. I was tired and didn't realize how much I counted on coming home and vegging in front of the television for a few hours to recover. But I read instead. Finished another book. That's one thing about this no television week, it could get pretty expensive pretty quickly if I keep reading a book a night. Of course, I'm supposed to be writing at night or at least working something related to writing. That was my whole plan. Get more done with less television. But, unfortunately, I seem to be fried beyond the capacity for thought by the time I get home. However, my creativity seems to be rising as strange little ideas, could-be stories, keep popping into my head. Which is great, I'm writing them down. But I'd like to direct some of that energy toward finishing the ones that are still outstanding (as in not finished, not "of spectactular quality" though one hopes they would be that as well *grin*).
Tonight, though, as part of couple-dom, I'll be watching Lost. Ah, the sacrifices I make...just kidding. Though, I am really excited about it, probably more so than I would normally be.
Oooh, before I forget, during The O.C. tomorrow, they'll be running the trailer for the new Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Sith. I've already seen one trailer online. In fact a friend and I watched three or four times, just trying to see everything. It looks cool. This is the movie I've been waiting for. It was interesting to see all the background stuff on Anakin, but his downfall is really what I want to see -- sounds terrible, doesn't it? But this movie has the possibility of answering all my questions, like, how does Darth Vader know he has a son but not a daughter if they're twins (and, therefore, presumably born at the same time)? Did Obi Wan choose to live Tatooine (spelling?) specifically to watch over Luke? If so, why didn't he seek out Luke when Luke was old enough? Or why not raise Luke himself instead of turning him over to the ill-fated Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru? And how does Padme die? Obviously, she must because Leia says in ROTJ that she's dead. "She died when I was very young." Or something like that. How does Leia have any memories of her mother, as she claims she does in ROTJ, if Vader wasn't even aware of her existence? Hmmm. Many, many ways these can be answered.
Speaking of Star Wars, a funny moment happened yesterday. A friend has recently introduced the first movie (the original) to her son at his request. She only saw the movie once in the theater when it originally came out in the 70's, which just blows my mind that you can only see this movie ONCE. But she found she enjoyed more this time and her son liked it as well. So, because I'm all about spreading the love of sci-fi and Star Wars in particular, I wrote up a list of all the other movies in the series with a line or two about what happens in each so she'll know what order they go in (this is very confusing to most people). I was very careful not to give away the major surprise from Empire Strikes Back. But then, when trying to explain who Padme was and her significance, I blew it. I named the children she will have. Which, in turn, spoils the surprise of the third movie -- the question of who Obi Wan was referring to when he said "there is another."
At least, I think it was Obi Wan.
Anyway, then it turned out she already knew the big secret of Empire Strikes Back (who doesn't...but just in case there is someone who doesn't know, I'm trying to be crafty here) so now she knows everything. But the funniest part is the email I got from her yesterday after she read what I'd sent her yesterday...Don't read this if you don't want to know the second biggest surprise in this series of movies...
"What have I missed all this years? Luke and Leia are related!?"
Then when I called to apologize, she further elaborated saying something to the effect of, "I always thought they kind of had a thing going there."
At which point, I'm forced to tell her that she's not alone. There are a whole bunch of us who shudder every time Luke tells her that she is his sister in ROTJ, as we remember that kiss in Empire Strikes Back.
Web stuff...
This is just a quick test to see if the new settings work. Also, there may be a day or two in the near future where my blog and/or website may be down. A new server is being installed...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
