Writing with Style

Is the Internet Making You Lose Focus?

2012-01-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

While I'm working on the computer, I usually have about four Internet tabs open: my email, my blog, Facebook, and Pinterest. I'll flit back and forth between them during the day, and invariably a link on one will lead me in a completely different direction and distract me from what I need to be doing.

This is precisely why I do my writing on a laptop that has no Internet connection.

I sometimes wonder if the Internet hasn't made us into an impatient, distracted, and easily amused populace. It reminds me of the scene in Batman Forever (with Val Kilmer) where the Riddler (played by Jim Carrey) invents a machine that connects a person's brain waves to the television in an all-encompassing, zombie-like experience.

On the radio this morning, a deejay said he had a link to the Top Five Time Wasters on his website. He described each one and I thought, really? Have we come to this? A game where you try and get rid of all the green dots, or a website where you make paper animals and join a community to see what other people do with their paper animals? Yeah, that sounds like a huge time waster to me.

Don't get me wrong. I adore the Internet. I've been able to make connections I wouldn't have otherwise, can research to my heart's content, shop, pay my bills, and much more. But I wonder if we're taking it too far. We're so "plugged in" and there are so many different things we can do that our attention span may very well be diminishing by leaps and bounds. I speak from experience. There are times when I'm clicking on things and skimming the article or video or whatever, then a few seconds later, I'm clicking on something else. I've noticed that instead of taking the time to really read something, I'll skim through it to get the meat of it because there's so much more out there that I want to read. It's sad, really.

We may not all have this problem, but I realize that I'm not liking this shortened attention span of mine. It may be time to start limiting Internet usage for this gal and start regaining my mental focus.

What do you think? Do you feel yourself losing focus when on the Internet?

What Are You Reading? January Edition

2012-01-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Is no news good news? Then I suppose that's where I'm at right now - no news of significance to report, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

And apparently my wonderful streak of having nothing to say continues, so for today's post, I'm going with an easy one.

What are you reading right now?

I'm reading Tatiana de Rosnay's Sarah's Key. Oh wow. I read half of it in one sitting and am trying to slow down so I can savor it a bit more, but it's hard. When I start reading a good book, I don't want to do anything else. Last night I had to give myself a time limit so I could work on my novel. This book has also been made into a movie, so I'm excited to watch it when I'm finished reading.

And is it just me or do I write better when I'm reading good fiction? Hmm. That might be a good topic to delve into on a future post...

What are you reading right now?

Random Randomness

2012-01-19T10:12:00.001-07:00

My posts have been quite sporadic lately. I blame...uh...well, I don't really know what to blame it on other than I have become remarkably unfocused the past few months.

So what better way to regain (or lose?) focus than to regale you with more random thoughts.

Gosh. I am so profound lately...

1) As much as I wanted to like Daniel Craig's Cowboys and Aliens, I confess, I was not impressed. The pacing was off and some scenes needed to be cut altogether. Worse, my delectable Daniel (shhh, don't tell my husband I said that...) did not look like he was comfortable in the role. Give me Craig as Bond any day over Craig as Cowboy.

2) After having temperatures hovering in the 50s and 60s (one day we almost hit 70), this Nebraska winter has been mild, which displeases me. I need the snow and cold and gray skies during this time of year. I know, I go against prevailing conventional wisdom here, but I think I have the opposite of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) because I crave gray, cloudy skies and cold. I know I'm not alone in this because the mighty internet has given me reliable information (!) that there are others like me out there. Thankfully, we got snow the other morning (though it's supposed to be 50 on Sunday!).

3) Spotify. I am loving it. It's an online music program that allows you to create your own playlists from just about any music you can think of. I've got '80s and '90s and current stuff, Big Band playlists, Frank Sinatra, classical, and even the soundtrack to Downton Abbey - all free.

4) Pinterest - yes, I succumbed to this online "pinboard" where you can find goodies galore. There were a few days when I found a ton of stuff from my '80s childhood and took a walk down memory lane. Great fun. If you want to join and need an invite, let me know.

5) Girl talk with my daughter is just plain awesome. She is really loving middle school and of course, she's discovered boys. Now is the time for me to plant those seeds in her mind that say, "Only find a boy who respects you" and "Never succumb to a boy who says, 'if you don't do this, I won't like you anymore.' Instead, leave him in the dust." In this day of super sexualization, of media-drenched images of perfect bodies and perfect relationships, parents have a tough job. I pray the Lord will help my daughter and I keep this close relationship because tough years are ahead: teenage years.

6) Writing...writing...writing. I've been working on my edits and loving it. I'm also excited because my article will be out in America in WWII magazine next month. Hurrah!

And now, to round out this random post, a totally random photo of me as Olga, the Russian spy, sent to kill Inspector Clouseau, in our high school play production of The Pink Panther Strikes Again. Loook at those moves! Look at that perfect stance! Look at that trim figure! *sob* Oh, to be 18 again...

My Hat

2012-01-16T08:19:00.001-07:00

I've always loved hats. Not wearing them especially, but looking at them, absolutely.

Since I've started watching Downton Abbey, I've really come to love the Edwardian style and I've been fortunate to find some great modern-day clothes that reflect that style.

A few weekends ago, my daughter and I were shopping at JCPenney. We wandered over to the hat section for fun and I started trying on some hates. My daughter has a way of telling if something looks good on me or not, so I trust her judgement. When I put on a cloche-style hat, she gave me the thumbs up. So, after seeing that it was on sale, I bought it.

My hat

Wearing the hat out in public, however, is another thing altogether.

Not very long ago, women and men wore hats all the time. It was part of your outfit. Our society lost this particular style icon sometime during the cultural revolution of the '60s and 70's, but I am starting to see a slight resurgence (baseball caps don't count). Of course, I doubt we'll get back to those wonderful, flowery hats that used to be so popular during the Edwardian era.

But, I figure since I bought the hat, I might as well wear it. I'm not a brave person when it comes to wearing things that are out of the ordinary, but I am trying to correct that. So the other day, I wore the hat to work. I took it off as soon as I got there, but the point is, I wore it.

Yesterday, we needed to run to the mall again to get my daughter some jeans, and I put on my hat and wore it the entire time I was at the mall. *gasp* Yes, in public, walking around strangers!

I felt quite proud of myself, and now I'm thinking of getting more hats, though I don't know that I'm brave enough to wear this one...

Do you like to wear hats? Would you like to see a renewed popularity for wearing hats such as we had in the '40s and 50's?

The Joy of Books

2012-01-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

Doing the Work

2012-01-09T09:18:00.001-07:00

I'm in the midst of revising my last novel again. I knew something wasn't quite right with the story, but I couldn't put my finger on it. After a kind agent rejection, now I know. I need to work on my pacing.

This I can do.

But it's not easy.

When you have trouble with a particular aspect of the writing craft, you have two options: you can either throw up your hands and give up, or you can do the work.

And that's exactly what I'm doing.

What's your biggest challenge in writing? Characterization? Plot? Dialogue? How are you trying to overcome it?

I Thought of It First

2012-01-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

I have become a huge fan of the series, Downton Abbey. If you haven't heard of this British historical drama yet, where have you been? (Confession: I didn't jump on the bandwagon until about two weeks ago...). It's won several Emmy Awards and has been scheduled for a third season.

Set in England during the 1910s, it tells of a rich aristocratic family - Lord and Lady Grantham and their three daughters - and the lives of their servants. It has love, deception, drama, comedy, passion, war, politics, and scheming...it's simply brilliant.

But! I thought of the historical soap opera idea FIRST. Ok, I was only 12 or so at the time, but I did write to CBS and suggest they set a soap opera during the American Civil War. I thought it would be a huge hit. They politely wrote me back, thanked me for the idea, and I never heard from them again. Ha!

But I have the last laugh! Now, more than 20 years later, voila! Downton Abbey.

Admittedly, though, it's not an American show, but a British one. But really, the British simply do period dramas much better than we Americans. The writing is superb, the acting wonderfully well-done, and the costumes...oh my, the costumes! Absolutely gorgeous. I have a newfound affinity for this style.

The second season is set during World War I and is just starting here in America on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre.

Have you discovered Downton Abbey yet?

New Year's Surprise

2012-01-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

Since my hubby is out of town, it was just my daughter and I for New Year's Eve and we celebrated in style. Junk food, a few rounds of UNO, movies, and playing Littlest Pet Shop did the trick.

And around 2 a.m., I had the most delightful surprise. My cat, Slick, came into my bedroom with a present - a dead mouse. AAAAGHHH! While I am certainly glad he caught it, I didn't appreciate him playing with it in my room, so I had to take it away from him and throw it outside. But this means I have mice in my house and that displeases me intensely. As this is a rental house, however, I am going to have my landlady call the exterminator. Ha! I will let them figure out where the little buggers are getting in.

Happy New Year!

In the Flow

2011-12-27T10:24:00.001-07:00

I had the day off yesterday thanks to Christmas falling on the weekend, and I made the most of it. No, I didn't take a nap, though I was sorely tempted. No, I didn't exercise, although I really should have considering the amount of cookies I shoved down my throat over the weekend.

What I did do, however, was write.

Over the course of the afternoon and into the evening (with periodic breaks, some of them lasting an hour or more), I managed to write over 3,000 words. I even had an editor helping me out (see proof below), so I know they were good words. LOL

Kathryn wearing her editor's cap.

At one point in the evening, I was about ready to stop for the night since it was after 10 p.m. But something urged me on and I kept going. When I finally looked at the clock, 40 minutes had passed. I was in the flow. I love it when that happens!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Finding Your Process

2011-12-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

I ran across a blog post the other day that made me pause. This published writer has refined her process so that she normally writes 10,000 words a day. Yes, 10,000.

On my best day, I've never written that much. But I was intrigured by the concept, so I read how she did it. Here's her post.

Basically, she discovered that she needed three things to be able to go from writing 2,000 words a day to 10k. Here they are:

1) Knowledge: know what you're writing before you write it.
2) Time: track productivity and evaluate. Find the time that works best for you.
3) Enthusiasm: get excited about what you're writing

After I read it, I thought maybe I should give it a shot. After all, who doesn't want to write more, quality words? Her theory made sense to me. If you are excited about what you write, know what is going to come next (no staring at the blank page wondering) and have blocked out the time to do it, why wouldn't it work?

So this weekend, I blocked out some time, took a few notes on the next scene I was going to write, and got to work.

Here's what I discovered.

This may be a method that will work for you, and if it does, that is wonderful. Heck, I wish it worked for me. But it doesn't.

Why? Because I like the thrill of discovery while I'm writing. I don't like to block everything out that I write beforehand because it takes that discovery process away from me. I've had some of my best ideas while in the midst of writing that just pop up. They weren't planned. The writing process revealed them.

That probably means I will never get up to 10,000 words a day and that's just fine. I am in awe of those who can. But that is their process and it works for them.

My process is slower. This doesn't mean it is better. It is just the way I write.

Like our writing itself, the writing process is subjective and unique to each individual. Bottom line: we have to do what works for us.

I would have been this little girl!

What do you think? Would this author's process work for you? Give it a try! You never know!

Dreams Don't Work...

2011-12-19T10:19:00.002-07:00

I found this picture on Pinterest and I had to share.

Are you working for your dreams?

Weak vs. Strong Heroines

2011-12-14T09:15:00.001-07:00

I had an interesting discussion on Facebook the other day over a photo. Here it is:

So yes, this is a pro-Hermione photo. Now since I have not read Harry Potter and have not seen the movies, I'll have to trust that the caption on the photo is what happens in the book. Having watched the Twilight movies, I know this is what happens with Bella. I do not think that one movie is better than the other, and I'm not going to argue that point. They both have a place.

So. One heroine is strong - Hermione - and one is weak - Bella. They deal with the loss of their loves in different ways. One sinks into depression, one decides to keep going. Both are realistic. But some argue that Bella is dangerous because she teaches our girls that it's ok to retreat into yourself, and potentially harm yourself over a boy.

I'm not going to go into the myriad characteristics of each character. Instead, I want to ask this question:

Does this mean that we should never portray weak heroines?

That is the idea one person posited to me. In fact, they went so far as to say that weak heroines were the villains and do not belong in fiction at all.

I disagree. I see value in both heroines. Why? Because for one, we're not all like Hermione. We don't all have the inner strength to go out and get the bad guy. Two, Bella's character is a wonderful way to open a dialogue with your own daughters. I have had great discussions with my daughter over the Twilight movies. She sees Bella's choices and knows that they're the wrong ones. They have consequences. But she also realizes that it is just a story. (And yes, we could get into a deep discussion on how fictional character can influence us, but that is for another day).

The way I explained it was that we need both strong and weak heroines to see the complete picture. It's kind of like not knowing joy without first knowing sorrow. There are lessons to be learned from both.

So. What say you? Is it important to have both weak and strong female lead characters in our stories? I say yes. You?

Are You An Introvert?

2011-12-08T13:21:00.001-07:00

When I was in high school, I tended to be an introvert. Staying at home on a Friday night and working on my latest novel didn't bother me a bit.

That changed in college. I became quite the extrovert, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I met a lot of people, had some great experiences - I traveled to New Orleans with a group of people I didn't know and I also went to England on a literary tour - and soaked up life.

In the last few years, however, I have returned to my introverted self and at this point, I don't see myself changing. And you know what? That's ok.

As a writer, it's almost a given that you're going to be an introvert (though I know there are exceptions). I started thinking about this particular phenomena when I read this terrific blog post, 10 Myths About Introverts which then led me to this terrific site that's a home for introverts!

What are the traits of an introvert? According to Marti Laney, introverts have these characteristics:

Enjoy time alone
Consider only deep relationships as friends
Feel drained after outside activities, even if they were fun
Are good listeners
Appear calm and self-contained
Think then speak or act

Extroverts have these characteristics:

Like to be in the thick of things
Relish variety
Know lots of people, considers lots of people friends
Enjoy chit-chatting, even to strangers
Feel stoked after activity
Speak or act then think OR think while speaking

Based on these lists, I can definitely say I'm an introvert. The older I get, the more I loathe crowds. I can't stand to be in crowded malls, department stores, grocery stores, bars, or resteraunts. My instinct is to flee. Immediately. This is a switch from my college days when I adored being in the thick of things.

What's even more interesting to me is the science involved in studying introverts and extroverts. From Laney's book, The Introvert Advantage, blogger and writer Carl King says,

"A section of Laney’s book maps out the human brain and explains how neuro-transmitters follow different dominant paths in the nervous systems of Introverts and Extroverts. If the science behind the book is correct, it turns out that Introverts are people who are over-sensitive to Dopamine, so too much external stimulation overdoses and exhausts them. Conversely, Extroverts can’t get enough Dopamine, and they require Adrenaline for their brains to create it. Extroverts also have a shorter pathway and less blood-flow to the brain. The messages of an Extrovert’s nervous system mostly bypass the Broca’s area in the frontal lobe, which is where a large portion of contemplation takes place."

Now that's just plain fascinating.

At this time in my life, there's nothing I like more than to stay home, write, read, play games with my daughter, hang out with my husband, cuddle with my kitties, work on my art projects, and enjoy my home. That, to me, is bliss.

What about you? Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Remember Pearl Harbor - 70 Year Anniversary

2011-12-07T07:56:00.001-07:00

Today is the 70th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor - December 7, 1941. That act sent us to war and became a rallying cry for our soldiers and our nation - Remember Pearl Harbor!

People wore pins.

This battle cry was also used in posters.

Stickers were put on cars.

In fact, the country was determined never to forget the men who lost their lives that day as they fought the long, grueling war ahead.

Seventy years later, we still remember.

A Good Kind of Busy - And Some Good News!

2011-12-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

On Being Busy

My deepest apologies if I haven't been by your blog lately. I have said that a lot in the past few months, haven't I! But I am sorry. I tend to get caught up in the whirlwind of life a lot more these days and unfortunately, the blog is the thing that gets neglected.

I don't know if that will get any better in the coming month. I've got a house to decorate, cookies to bake, presents to wrap, and a cat to keep out of my Christmas tree. But I know we're all busy during December, so I can't really use that excuse. The excuse I will use, though, is my plethora of writing activities.

My freelance keeps me really hopping, so much so that I haven't had a chance to start on my next novel. This simply will not do, however, as being a novelist is my number one writing priority. So I've cut back a bit on the freelance and have finished doing all my research, plotting, and characterization for my novel. I am so excited by this next story and my characters...this anticipation is one of the best parts of writing!

The Good News

I am also thrilled to announce that I will have an article published in the magazine, America in WWII in their April edition, which should hit shelves sometime in February. This article is about the delightful Mary Lou! I am quite excited by this all, but I am even more excited to share Mary Lou's story. She is such an inspiration. I have kept in touch with her ever since the interview and am proud to call her a friend. And because I love this picture so much, I'm going to share it with you. This is Mary Lou when she lived in Washington D.C.

When she showed me this picture, I said, "You were gorgeous!" And she still is - inside and out!

Christmas Is Coming!

2011-11-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

As you can see by my new blog background, I'm quite excited for Christmas this year. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can officially start decorating, listening to Christmas music, and start anticipating my favorite holiday!

Our tree last year

Since we're in a new house this year, I am uber excited to decorate it. We have a cute little brick Cape Cod with a small yard. I plan to put up lights and decorations galore! I admit, I will miss my fireplace that we had in our apartment. Nowhere to hang our stockings! But I'll figure something out.

Of course, our kitty, Slick, will probably make things interesting, but hopefully he'll learn to leave everything alone - especially the tree!

I also can't wait to pick out some yummy Christmas cookie recipes and make up some cookie plates for our neighbors. We've never lived in a close-knit neighborhood before, so I'm quite excited to hand them out. My daughter and I are ready to get baking!

We're staying home this Christmas. Usually, we head to western Nebraska, but my daughter requested we stay put this year. I don't blame her. The holiday is such a whirlwind of travel, going to different places, hauling our luggage around, and being just plain exhausted by the end of the trip that once in awhile, it's ok to stay home. I will miss our traditional Christmas Eve at my grandmother's house and the other time spent with family, but we plan to have a nice, quiet Christmas.

Are you looking forward to Christmas this year?

Thanksgiving Update

2011-11-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful Thanksgiving I've had this year. Even though I don't get home very often, the time I do spend with my family is incredibly special.

Thursday, my daughter, my brother, and I headed to my mom's house for a wonderful feast. She fixed an amazing meal and we all had quite the food coma. A walk along the river and two games of Clue later, we declared the day to be a success.

Yesterday, I ended up in Denver with my grandmother and my father and his girlfriend. We went to a traditional Italian restaurant, Bella Bistro, then went to see The 1940s Radio Hour play at the Arvada Center in Arvada, Colorado. What a show! It was so neat to have my grandmother sitting beside me, too, since it's hard for her to travel. But she enjoyed it so much.

Tonight, we're making our family's homemade Italian salami. This is a recipe from my great-grandparents and every few years, we get together and make it. It takes quite the crew to grind all the meat and put it in casings, etc., so we're also fixing bagna cauda (pronounced "bunya cow-da") to feed everyone. This is a traditional Italian dish and comes from northern Italy near Turin where our family is from. It literally means "hot bath" and consists of butter, garlic, and anchovies heated up in a skillet. You then dip raw vegetables, bread, meat, and anything else your heart desires (though I wouldn't dip chocolate in it!). With this, you either love it or you hate it! But if you do go to northern Italy, you'll find this hot dip in many restaurants.

My Grandpa Shorty with his nephew, 1940s

I love being part of a family that still celebrates its ethnic heritage, and I hope this next generation can keep it going. It is truly something special.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:05:00.001-07:00

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

My New Buddy

2011-11-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog for awhile now, you'll know that I once had an incredible dog named Charlie Brown. I tragically lost him a few years ago and just thinking about him still brings tears to my eyes.

I am a Facebook fan of the HUA, Hearts United for Animals, a "national no-kill shelter, sanctuary, and animal welfare organization dedicated to the relief of suffering." They are located not far from me in eastern Nebraska. Today, they posted a picture of Banderas, a handsome black dog that instantly reminded me of my beloved Charlie Brown. Banderas needed a "buddy" - i.e., a financial supporter who could make monthly donations to take care of him until he is adopted into his forever home.

Well, it took me about two seconds to click on the link and become Banderas's buddy. If I could, I would bring him home, but our landlady has a firm policy: NO DOGS.

So I'll do my small part for Banderas, who has not had the happiest life. From his bio on the website:

This gorgeous, gigantic lug of fluff is the just about the sweetest thing in the world. Banderas was found abandoned on a farm, tied up with a heavy, rusted choke chain. When his rescuers got to him, the chain had become twisted and Banderas was slowly dying from strangulation. We can not fathom what agony he would have endured, what fear he was battling. Banderas is eternally grateful for the help given to him. He is a kind, gentle giant who asks for nothing. Well, OK, he's a bit of a sucker for belly rubs and does every now and then request some good scratching. We are more than happy to oblige. We think Banderas deserves a life time of them.

This tells me that Banderas is a fighter, just like my Charlie Brown was.

My Charlie Brown

This is for you, Charlie Brown! I will keep you forever in my heart.

Take a minute, if you're so inclined, to visit the HUA. They are a truly remarkable organization. They even do long-distance adoptions!

Character Collages

2011-11-21T10:52:00.002-07:00

I've recently been delving into the world of mixed media art. I've always loved to collage, so this is the perfect medium for me. I can combine lots of different objects to create a truly unique form of art.

A sample of a collage - I love this piece!

Over the weekend, I made a few items for pure enjoyment, but I also incorporated my next novel into my artistic endeavors by making character collages. This has been a fascinating way to get to know my characters.

What is a character collage? Simple. It's an art piece that represents, describes, or otherwise shows who and what your fictional character is all about.

For me, it's important to find a picture that most closely fits what my character looks like in my mind. Since my novels are set during the 1940s, browsing film stars from that era is a favorite way for me to find a look-alike for my characters. Once that is done, I print out a few photos, then start looking through magazines, newspapers, and using other materials to find things - whether they be objects, beliefs, sayings, etc. - that describe my character.

As I put together my collage, I discover lots of different aspects to my character I never knew before. These are often sparked by a picture or a phrase that jumps out at me as representative of my character.

I love the artistic challenge of putting together my collage, of creating my own vision of who my character is. It's also a great way for me to tap into a different type of creativity apart from my writing.

So yes. My writing office is now strewn with bits of paper, magazines, paint, stickers, assorted odds and ends, glue, beads, and just about anything else you can think of. My cat is having a field day.

But I'm enjoying it, and have now found a new tool to enhance my writing process.

This Says It All

2011-11-15T11:35:00.002-07:00

When I saw this picture, I immediately posted it on Facebook. Our new cat, Slick, who is the most ornery, curious, downright infuriating cat I've ever known, will be introduced to the wonder of Christmas trees in a few weeks. His obsession with anything that moves, anything that's shiny, and anything he can play with (are you sensing a pattern here?) is going to be put to the test when we get out the Christmas tree.

I have a feeling we are in for a major battle. And this is why:

Does he really look like he cares what his humans do in trying to keep him from mischief?

Nope.

Christmas is going to be interesting at our place this year...

Veterans Day 2011

2011-11-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of my husband, who served in the army during the first Gulf War in the early 1990s. As you can tell, he has quite the sense of humor - and still does.

Today is Veterans Day. It's a day to remember those who served, and to thank them for that service. So to my husband, "thank you" and to all the other veterans, past, present, and future, thank you for your service. You will never be forgotten!

What's Your Escape?

2011-11-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

Reality can be so inconvenient.

But let's face it. We all have to live in reality in order to, well, live. But there are plenty of times I want and need to mentally escape from reality for a few minutes or a few hours.

So what's my favorite way to escape?

I have a few:

Watch a classic movie from the 1940s or 1950s - State Fair and Laura are two of my favorites for leaving the modern world and all its problems behind.
Read a wonderful novel that completely sucks me into its world.
Listen to old-time radio shows. This is so much fun, and is often a lot better than anything on t.v.
Peruse through my magazine collection of the 1940s. There is nothing like immersing yourself in a different time period.

What about you? How do you escape from reality?

If You Have Your Health...

2011-11-07T12:52:00.002-07:00

The old adage is true: if you have your health, you have everything.

Yesterday I took a drink of soda and nearly choked on it for some unknown reason, leading to a full-blown coughing fit. I'm fine, but incongruously, my chest muscles started hurting and it made my normally bearable chronic tension-headache pain even worse.

Suffice to say, I was in a lot of pain yesterday afternoon and had to abandon working on my next novel. I took a nap instead.

My husband shook his head at me last night after I woke up and he said, "All it took was one thing to throw your day completely off."

Indeed.

And that's just plain frustrating. I try to eat right and my goal to exercise three times a week at Curves remains a solid, do-able one that I reach most of the time. So it's not like I'm sitting on my bum, eating junk food and doing nothing but being a slug. I am trying to get healthy. I've even started going to a massage therapist to see he if he can help with the tension headaches. As you know, I've been to an acupuncturist for my "female" problems and I can't even begin to tell you how many doctors I've been to over the last ten years.

Maybe I could train my cat to type for me when I have an "unwell" day...

But it all boils down to this: I'm not a healthy person. Hardly one day goes by that I feel good - whether it's a bad headache, a sick tummy, aching muscles, menstrual problems, fatigue, etc. My poor daughter doesn't understand and has asked me why I am always sick. It's hard to tell her why because even I don't know why.

Accepting that I am not a healthy person is hard. My husband said yesterday that I really was a "frail" person and I had to agree with him. I am frail physically in a lot of ways. It doesn't take much to make me feel miserable and detour me from my intended goals for the day, whether that means reading a book or doing housework or spending time with my daughter or whatever. It plain stinks.

However, despite having a fragile body, I like to think my mind isn't fragile. In fact, after what I've been through in my life, I'd say I'm a strong person, but only because God made me strong by putting me through situations where I needed Him and His strength.

I'm becoming more and more aware that each day is unique. Some days I may feel great while others I may feel lousy. The key is not to chastise myself for the days I feel awful. Again, it goes back to self-love. Why should I get angry at myself if my stomach starts to hurt? Or if my headache becomes so unbearable I need to take a pain pill and go to sleep? That only exacerbates it all.

Acceptance is a beautiful thing, but it is incredibly hard to achieve sometimes, especially when there are so many things I want to do.

As a writer, probably one of the best things I can do is write about my experiences. I firmly believe that writers were meant to share their words with the world and in so doing, help others. That being said, I hope you don't mind if some of my blog posts center on how I deal with living with chronic illness and pain. Because really, I am a writer, and unfortunately, chronic illness/pain is part of my life.

And that means the other adage is true, too: Live life one day at a time.

Blog Hopping

2011-11-02T11:43:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, we can get stagnant in our blog following. We read the same blogs and don't bother to venture into new territory. While we continue to support our loyal blog readers (and this is a good thing!), we aren't opening ourselves up to new perspectives, i.e. new blogs!

So! In the spirit of giving that November brings, share a blog or two or four that you really enjoy that we might not have heard of before, and we can all reap the rewards!

Here's a few of mine:

Non-Fiction Chronicles of a Fiction-Filled Life - Anna Scott Graham is a writing machine! She's always got a wonderful post on the writing process or life in general.

Grandma's Letters from Africa - Along with her husband, Linda went to Africa as a missionary several years ago and this blog documents her journey. It is so eye-opening to see how the western culture differs from the African culture.

The Artist's Road - Patrick gave up his position as a CEO of a non-profit company to dedicate his life to the creative process. He's now in an MFA program and has wonderful posts on creativity and writing.

Your turn!

Monday Musings

2011-10-31T08:20:00.001-06:00

Random thoughts for today...

1) I had to laugh when I checked out my Google stats today. The most popular searched words for this blog are "Bugs Bunny," which refers to this post.
The World Wide Web never ceases to amaze me...

2) We went bowling yesterday. I love to bowl. Hubby won a game and I won one. I'd say that satisfies both of our competitive spirits.

3) Tonight is undoubtedly the last true trick or treating Halloween for my daughter, who is now 11. I hope I don't cry. She is going as a Twilight vampire which, if you're going to be a vampire, a sparkly one is better than a bloody one, right?

4) I've decided to work on two books at once. We shall see how this progresses. The first is the next book in my trilogy. The other is one that needs to be reworked. I'm excited for both!

5) Autumn has embraced my city. The trees are so unbelievably gorgeous, it literally brings tears to my eyes. God's beauty is amazing.

What's your random thought for the day?

Following Your Passion

2011-10-26T11:46:00.001-06:00

So I have this friend. He's talented. Very talented. His ability to draw, to sketch, to paint, just blows me away.

Yet like most of us, he has a busy home life. Kids. Responsibilties. The day job.

But he's still pursuing his passion. To that end, he recently began a new blog focused not only on his art, but on the creative process itself.

If you get a chance, stop by RandyMadeIt. Check out his incredible pictures of Louis Armstrong that he painted on wood - yes, wood! Take a look at the sock monkey pictures on the Illustrations page. And read about this wonderfully creative, talented guy in one of the best "About Me" pages I've ever run across.

I always get a little giddy when I see fellow artists following their passions, and have to spread the word.

Are you following your passions?

Patience

2011-10-25T12:44:00.000-06:00

Querying agents is an exercise in patience.

That's where I'm at right now.

It's hard.

But to be published, it's something we have to endure.

Must. Think. Positive!

Take Care of You

2011-10-19T14:27:00.000-06:00

As artists, we have the ability to be incredibly self-critical. We insult ourselves ("You're a horrible writer!"), reprimend ourselves for not writing, and have a knack for feeling lower than dirt when we don't think we'll ever be published/get the plot right/find the right words.

Those are the bad days.

I've been experiencing those bad days lately, and last night, I finally realized something. If I were to say the things I've been thinking about myself to anyone else, it would be emotional abuse.

So why on earth am I doing it to myself?

It needs to stop.

Writer and creative coach Julia Cameron says, "When you feel yourself to be in critical condition, you must treat yourself as gently as you would a sick friend.”
Exactly.

If you're in a critical place, if the writing isn't flowing, if you can't get started on the next novel or can't for the life of you imagine how you'll finish your current work, then treat yourself gently. Don't criticize. Don't berate. Don't threaten. You wouldn't do that to a sick person, would you? No. So don't do it to yourself.

Be kind to you. Take care of you.

And most important, keep believing in you.

Death To the Pumpkin!

2011-10-17T08:08:00.000-06:00

I imagine this must be the squirrels' battle cry in my neighborhood: Death to the pumpkin!

I managed to salvage two pumpkins from our garden that hadn't been eaten by the squirrels and the rabbits. I proudly displayed them on my front step.

Then yesterday afternoon, I found this:

Poor little pumpkin! *sob*

I should have known something was up when I saw one of the squirrels get nose to nose - literally - with my cat through the front door window.

They're very brave little buggers, but if I wasn't worried about my cat running away, I might be tempted to open the door and let her loose on those bushy-tailed fiends...

Listless

2011-10-12T10:58:00.000-06:00

I'm in between projects right now. I just finished my fourth novel and now I'm trying to decide which novel to write next. A lot of that depends on the kind of response I receive to the fourth one.

So, I've had to develop some patience. But it hasn't been easy.

Because I can't focus on the next novel just yet, I feel listless. I've been reading - I just finished Daniel Silva's latest thriller, Portrait of a Spy - meandering around the house a lot, writing down notes and ideas, watching a lot of classic movies, spending time with my hubby and my daughter, and generally being a slug.

A week of this is fine. I'm going on two weeks, though, and I must say, I'm tired of it. I need a writing goal to work toward, to motivate me, and since I don't have it yet, it's affecting the rest of my life.

You see, to me, writing is life. That is who I am. Yes, I'm also a mother and a wife and a lot of other things. But writing is my essence. It drives me. If I'm not working on the next project, I'm not a very happy gal.

I'm trying to enjoy this time off. Really, I am. But enough is enough.

It's time to get to work! Only...which project? Ah. This is the question with no answer. So until I do have an answer, I must be patient.

Patience is a virtue.

I just wish it wasn't such a hard virtue to attain.

Contest Winner!

2011-10-12T07:26:00.000-06:00

I'm pleased to announce that Shirley Wells has won a free copy of Elisabeth Foley's The Ranch Next Door. Congratulations, Shirley!

Guest Post: Elisabeth Foley

2011-10-10T07:25:00.001-06:00

Today, I'm pleased to welcome fellow blogger and writer, Elisabeth Foley. She's just published her first book of short stories and they're all westerns. How cool is that? Even cooler? You have a chance to win a copy! Just leave a comment and we'll randomly draw a winner!

My favorite singing group, past or present, is the Sons of the Pioneers. One of the most famous Western singing groups of all time, they were pioneers in nature as well as name, with their unique harmony singing and an array of fine original songs by group members Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer. Nolan, who is best known as the composer of their biggest hits “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “Cool Water,” was an especially gifted and versatile songwriter—who never learned to read or write music, although he composed hundreds of songs in his lifetime. Many of these songs are considered lost, because some were never written down or recorded, and in addition Nolan lost a large amount of his work in a 1948 fire.

Early last year, I was reading a list of these lost songs. At some point they were registered for copyright, so only the titles remain—the music and lyrics were never found. One of these titles caught my eye in passing: “The Ranch Next Door.” I remember thinking that it sounded like a good title for a story.

And my incorrigible imagination started saying, “I wonder what it would be about…?”

For some reason that title stuck in my head. I couldn’t help thinking about it over the next few days, and mechanically started to put the story together in my mind. I envisioned two ranches side by side, but with something that separated them so effectively that their near neighbors might as well not have existed. A feud, of course! From there it was an easy step to the classic cattleman vs. sheep rancher conflict, and then to the romance that threatens to break the long silence.

In the end, I just gave in and wrote the story.

Having done so, I still needed to reassure myself about “borrowing” the title before pursuing publication. So I contacted archivist Elizabeth Drake McDonald, who has researched and collected all of Bob Nolan’s surviving music, and asked her if it was all right to use the song title. She shared my request with Nolan’s grandson, Calin Coburn, and they both encouraged me to go ahead with it.

That was back when I was still thinking along the lines of submitting my short stories to magazines. But I used to daydream sometimes about what it would be like to publish a collection of stories. I always pictured “The Ranch Next Door” as the title story of the collection, whether because I had written it first, or because the title had so captured my imagination, or maybe because the barbed-wire fence dividing the feuding families seemed the strongest metaphorical and visual image to emerge from the seven stories. And here I am, a year and a half after putting the first words of the story on paper, and that old daydream has actually come true!

If you’d like to read more about Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers, you can visit this website, which has a wealth of pictures, music, biographies and much more.

Thanks, Elisabeth! Visit her blog at The Second Sentence.

Suffering for Art

2011-10-07T09:08:00.001-06:00

There's the common understanding that artists suffer for their art. Usually, this means we suffer emotionally. Creative types are at a higher risk for depression and other mental disorders, including OCD. Some of the most famous creative artists throughout history suffered emotionally.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I was diagnosed with depression back in high school, and I've fought it on and off over the years. I've even blogged about it before. Yes, I'm on antidepressants. Yes, I tried going off of them. No, I couldn't do it and yes, I have accepted the fact that I will be on them probably the rest of my life.

But the suffering I'm talking about for today's post is the physical suffering. Granted, as I have been in deep depressions, I would rather take the physical suffering any day. But that doesn't mean it's not painful. Quite the opposite.

I worked on my novel all weekend. I rarely left the couch. I did get up and take periodic stretches and move around, but then I forced myself to get back to work. Unfortunately, I don't think I was sitting correctly, and as I normally use an ergonomic keyboard for my desktop computer, I knew that working that long on my laptop (which does not have an ergonomic keyboard) might cause some problems.

By Monday, this was confirmed. I have tension headaches that have their root in an old volleyball neck injury from high school. I've been to several chiropractors over the years, have tried several pain medications, and now, I just live with the fact that I have pain in my head almost every day. There comes a point when you get tired of going to the doctor all the time and just learn to deal. I'm at that point.

As Monday stretched into Tuesday and then Wednesday, the pain kept getting worse. I had no one to blame but myself. I, after all, was the one who had sat in that same position and worked my tail off. I had a finished novel, yes, but at what cost to my body?

Wednesday night the headache got so bad, I was in tears. My husband was on alert, knowing he might have to take me to the ER. Thankfully, two prescription pain pills took the edge off and knocked me out so I could get some sleep. But I was a zombie yesterday and had to miss work.

To tell you the truth, I'm a little angry with myself. I should have known better. I should have known that I needed to change my sitting position, done more stretching, done something to prevent it. While I was writing, I knew I might have to deal with a tension headache, but I thought the few stretching sessions I had was enough to keep it at bay.

Wrong.

It's Friday and I still am feeling this headache. Not good. I may have to visit the chiropractor (which means more money and time). I simply can't afford to lose days like this. It's not worth it, in time or in money. And why should I put myself through pain?

Thus, I'm pledging to myself that I will do better next time. Despite being within the throes of creativity, I have to take care that my body doesn't suffer for my art. In the end, it only hurts me as an artist. AND, I can actually prevent a lot of the physical pain whereas the emotional suffering is a slightly bigger beast to slay.

If you're like me and need a few lessons in good posture and ergonomics, here's some helpful links:

Writing Ergonomics: Top Tips

Staying Healthy on the Computer

Here's to staying healthy emotionally and physically!

At Last

2011-10-03T11:38:00.000-06:00

I often like to leave my weekends free to write. This may make me a fuddy duddy, but I've discovered that in this stage of my life, I'm a homebody. I don't want to go anywhere. And after my recent traveling experience, I'm quite content with that decision.

So this weekend, I had a goal in mind: to finish editing the novel. Sunday night at approximately 11:30 p.m., I met my goal.

The entire weekend, all I did was write and edit. Ok, I took a few breaks: watched a football game on Friday for a few hours and got groceries on Sunday. But really, that was it. Otherwise, my tush was planted on the couch, laptop in hand.

Of course, it wasn't without its ups and downs. On Saturday, I was in love with my story. On Sunday, I wanted to trash the whole thing. Now I'm feeling in-between about the whole thing.

But the novel, my fourth one, is done.

My body is feeling the effects today, though, and it only reminds me of the importance of exercise. I'm still going to Curves three times a week and that helps tremendously. In fact, I'm betting my body will thank me when I hit the gym today and work out the kinks from all that sitting.

The good news? The plot for the fifth novel is already spinning in my head.

How's your writing coming?

Happiness Is...

2011-09-30T09:09:00.000-06:00

A crisp fall day
Gorgeous autumn leaves
My husband's kiss
My daughter's beautiful smile
Pleasant dreams
Dark chocolate
My kitties' soft fur
Friday
Writing the perfect phrase

What's on your list today?

Don't Edit Out Your Voice

2011-09-28T08:48:00.000-06:00

I'm deep in the editing zone and lovin' it. Yes, I'm one of those crazy writers who would rather edit than write. Why? Because I get to play! I love coming up with new imagery, or using symbols in a particular passage, or adding just the right sentence that makes the whole scene work.

But I've also had to remind myself not to edit so much that I get rid of my unique voice. I blogged about this a few years ago and here's what I had to say:

You can over-analyze and try and spit-polish every.single.word until you edit the very life and breath right out of your story. Your voice fades into the background and your characters have been wrestled into doing what you think they need to do to make the story work instead of letting them decide their direction. But in the end, it doesn't work. At all.

Lesson learned. This time around, I'm not going to be so ruthless. I'm not going to edit my voice out of the story. I'm not going to agonize over every single word despite what some other writers might advise.

I tried it that way once, and in the end, I realized that my story wasn't mine anymore. I'd edited the heart out of it.

Solution? When the head (editor) gets too zealous, the heart must gently whisper in its ear. And the editor must listen and consider, then proceed to the best of its ability.

Only then will the true story be told.

Another lesson I've learned in this writing life: you have to constantly remind yourself of certain lessons learned in the past. Thank goodness for blog archives! ;-)

To Coin a New Phrase...

2011-09-26T07:56:00.000-06:00

After working on the synopsis and resisting the urge to throw my laptop across the room more than once, I have coined a new phrase that accurately describes this frustrating experience.

"Writing a synopsis is like trying to herd cats."

'Nuff said.

This Is Not Logical

2011-09-21T15:03:00.002-06:00

Since we don't have cable, we watch DVDs for entertainment. We're fortunate that our excellent library system has plenty of titles available.

We have a thing for '60s television shoes, apparently, as all three of us - me, hubby, and our 11-year-old daughter really enjoy Hogan's Heroes. And naturally, as I'm a World War II historian and novelist, that works nicely with my interests.

But how is it that now I like Star Trek? I did terrible in science classes at school, and I don't ever read science fiction. Ever. So why do I now look forward to relaxing in front of the t.v. to watch Spock say, "Fascinating" or see Captain Kirk seduce a green woman or hear Scotty's cool accent or watch Bones (aka Dr. McCoy) use his little analyzer thingamabob to see if the creature is a humanoid or not?

And it's not just me. My daughter loves it, too. We're currently in the second season. Of course, one of my favorite episodes of all time, "A Piece of the Action", set on a planet whose people live like the gangsters of the 1920s, is included in this set. Hilarious.

It's interesting to note that not all the episodes were written by the same person. This gives the series quite a range of diversity. Some episodes are downright funny ("The Trouble with Tribbles") while others are quite serious in nature ("Obsession.)

As a writer, I've also noticed how they continually raise the stakes. For the majority of the episodes, the problem keeps getting worse and worse, and no matter what they try, it doesn't work. That keeps you glued to the screen.

Unfortunately, this is also a flaw, as it feels like in the last five minutes, they come up with a rather convenient solution. I saw this most noticeably in the episode "The Deadly Years" where the crew is exposed to radiation sickness that rapidly ages them. With literally hours left to live, they figure out that the only reason one of the crew members was immune from the radiation was because he had an adrenaline reaction - i.e. he was scared at the time of infection. So they came up with some kind of antidote based on this theory. I really wanted to roll my eyes at that one.

Fortunately, the good usually outweighs the bad in this series, and I really enjoy the banter between Spock and McCoy, Scotty's affection for scotch (naturally), and Captain Kirk's dedication to duty. The characters are well-rounded and fun to watch as they react to different situations.

And ok, ok, I have to admit it - I also enjoy watching William Shatner's acting abilities. According to IMDB: "His clipped, dramatic narration, peppered with dramatic pauses, is often referred to as "Shatnerian."" Imagine, coming up with your own style of acting!

I don't think I'm anywhere close to being a Trekkie (I don't even know if that's spelled right!), but I admit it: I'm hooked.

And that's just not logical.

Digging Into Character

2011-09-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

I attended Robin Perini's Layering and Complexity workshop at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer's Conference last weekend. She gave lots of great advice about flaws, villains, characters, themes, subplots, and more.

Here's one of the exercises we had to do, and if you're feeling spry this Friday morning, you might want to try it, too. Choose the most powerful single event in your life and write it from your perspective (first-person). Then, choose a popular villain - I chose the Wicked Witch of the West - and write the same event from their point-of-view.

For fun, I'm going to share what I wrote. Keep in mind, this is unedited and raw.

My powerful event: giving birth to my daughter

The labor pains began early in the morning, intense and cramping. I realized the time I'd both dreaded and wanted was here now. In the delivery room, I drifted between delirious pain and increments of sleep. My husband held my hand, told me the pain would be over when the baby came. The mauve paint and pastoral picture on the opposite wall were not calming, but enemies. There was peace depicted, yet I didn't feel it, and it wasn't fair. I cycled through intense pain, then brief hiatuses, until finally, I pushed and she was born. A girl, the doctor announced. Thank the Lord for a girl, an ally in my testosterone-filled household. I didn't hold her, the cord wrapped around her neck. But the relief at having the pain gone overshadowed my fears of being a new parent, of caring for a new life when I felt ill-equipped. Yet when I held her, finally, the peace I had so craved earlier flooded through me and filled the lingering pockets of fear. I was now a mother and my life would never be the same.

Now, this is what I wrote from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West:

I hated this thing inside me and the unbearable pain it caused. I wanted to reach inside and rip it out, but I couldn't. So I conjured up spells to make the pain stop, but nothing worked. Finally, when the thing emerged, I felt such relief. But the moment it cried, my heart denied it. How dare it cry when I was the one who had undergone torment to bring it into this cruel world. Blackness flooded through every single pore, wiping out any small vestiges of light that might have survived my wickedness.

I have to admit, writing the villain's perspective was challenging, but it was also a lot of fun. Climbing into their skin, trying to figure out how they would view the same event that held so much meaning for me, made me stretch my writing muscle and think differently. I admit, I never thought of the Wicked Witch as being a mother, but doing this exercise offered some interesting possibilities on how she would react. I loved diving into her pscyhe, and I ultimately saw her selfishness and wickedness emerge.

This is a great tool for creating well-rounded characters and will add another layer of complexity to your story.

A Not-So-Fun Tradition

2011-09-14T09:16:00.001-06:00

I used to like to travel.

Did you notice I said "used to"?

Let me 'splain.

My trip out to Denver to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer's Conference was fine. No problems. In fact, on my flight, I had four search and rescue dogs (two golden retrievers and two black labs) en route to some part of the country to help out (I never did learn where they were going), and their presence seemed to relax everyone on the flight.

I made it to my hotel without incident. The conference was good. My room was fantastic. The food was superb.

And then I woke up on Sunday morning and thought I was going to die.

No! I thought. This cannot be happening again!

Dear readers, if you've been following my blog for awhile, you'll know that I was the victim of food poisoning when I was in London in October of 2008.

I think the same thing happened to me on Sunday, though not as bad as London, and I cannot be sure if it was food poisoning or a virus. Either way, I was sick, could not attend the last day of the conference, and had to wait until 9:30 p.m. to go home.

Yes, you read that right. My flight was at 9:30 p.m.

Originally, I had planned to spend the afternoon hanging out with my dad and his girlfriend, who came to Denver to spend time with me. Since I am originally from the western part of Nebraska, Denver is only a few hours from home. So I was looking forward to doing some shopping, visiting the Tattered Cover Bookstore in downtown Denver, and enjoying the sights.

But Sunday morning changed that.

I have to give kudos to the hotel. They treated me with the utmost kindness, sending up toast and tea (and not charging me for it) and making sure I was ok. By early afternoon, I was feeling somewhat better, and since I had to check out of the hotel, my dad picked me up and we spent the afternoon together. But I still didn't feel good.

I got to the airport around 7:30, figuring I would only have to kill a few hours before my flight at 9:30. But as soon as I got through security and made it to my gate, I saw that my flight had been delayed until 11:30 p.m.

My head throbbed, my stomach ached, and I had to sit in an uncomfortable airport seat for FOUR HOURS.

I just wanted to go home.

By the time the plane arrived and we boarded, I was never so relieved. (Though I admit the steward's message of, "Sorry we were late, but our plane was having mechanical trouble. But we fixed it and she's been flying fine ever since!" did NOT make me feel better...)

I arrived home at 2:30 a.m. on Monday. I clung to my husband when he picked me up, and when we got to our cozy Cape Cod house, I almost cried in relief. I spent most of Monday sleeping, and was still recuperating yesterday.

I've decided I'm done traveling for awhile. This getting-sick-at-the-end-of-vacation tradition is NOT a good one!

How to Give a Successful Agent Pitch in 20 Easy Steps

2011-09-10T14:27:00.000-06:00

You, too, can give a successful agent pitch by following these twenty easy steps!

1) Watch tension-filled U.S. Open tennis match between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

2) Eat two Dark Dove Chocolates.

3) Continue watching tension-filled tennis match, scream, "Yes!" when Federer makes a good shot, fall back on bed in jubilation, and almost choke on piece of Dove Dark Chocolate.

4) Realize death by chocolate is not as becoming as it sounds.

5) Floss teeth to make sure there is nothing to distract agent from billiance of your book.

6) Clutch your stomach when it starts rolling one hour before agent appointment.

7) Walk around hotel room "pitching" to thin air and realize you will never remember it all.

8) Decide to wing it.

9) Arrive ten minutes before appointment and wait with group of other agent-pitching writers.

10) Smell fear in air and determine to overcome by rocking back in chair and hoping it doesn't tip

11) Walk into room with agent, shake hand, introduce self

12) Realize with horror that agent is not asking any questions, but expects polished pitch

13) Mind goes blank

14) Frantically search for something to say, babble

15) Relieved when agent asks me a question

16) Spirits lift when agent is very interested in my writing-related freelance work

17) Forget about terrible novel pitch

18) Shocked when agent requests first two chapters of forgotten novel and wonders if it is out of pity

19) Stumble out of room, realize have done it

20) Buy diet Pepsi and pack of trail mix to celebrate

See? Easy!

Anticipation

2011-09-08T07:34:00.000-06:00

I've got Carly Simon's "Anticipation" song going through my head (and now you do, too!). Why? Because I have a pitch appointment with an agent at the writing conference this weekend. It will be my first ever, and I admit, I'm feeling a bit intimidated.

I've been AWOL from Blogland for awhile. I have a good excuse - promise. :-) I'm preparing for my conference, editing, trying to wrap up freelance projects before I leave tomorrow, and...being nervous. In fact, I've felt out of sorts for the past three days with too much going on in my brain.

I think I need to stop by Lucy's booth and pay five cents to get some pointers. Or a swift kick in the tush. She's good at that, too.

Did you know there is a ton of advice out there about how to pitch an agent? Of course, there is a ton of advice about everything nowadays with the mighty Internet. There's lots of do's and don'ts for the agent pitch, and weeding through it all and finding what is best for me has been the tough part.

But I've also realized something. This is one agent, one conference, one pitch. If it doesn't work out, all is not lost.

In the end, I figure I have to do three things: be professional, communicate to the agent how much I love my novel, and be myself.

Three, Glorious Days

2011-09-02T10:15:00.001-06:00

Here in the U.S., we're having a three-day weekend thanks to Labor Day on Monday.

That's three, glorious days of editing.

Oh, and shopping.

Because you can't go to a writing conference without a new outfit, right?

Have a terrific weekend!

How's the Writing Life?

2011-08-30T09:05:00.000-06:00

How's your writing going? I'm still editing - and enjoying it, though at times, I feel like this novel is sucking my soul out of me. I suppose that's good - right? That means I'm digging deep and not just skimming the surface of my emotions.

The edits are slow - but this is how I work. I refuse to speed up and therefore, have shoddy results.

How about you? Where are you at with your latest work? Are you going great guns, or is the pace slower than an afternoon sitting in a cubicle at work? ;-)

You're Not Alone

2011-08-26T15:32:00.002-06:00

My kitty, curled up with a stuffed animal

Sometimes, we need someone to understand us, to say, "Yeah, I get it," to reassure us, "No, you're not crazy" and to encourage us on this writing journey.

That's why I loved Sophy Burnham's For Writers Only.

It's a quick and wonderful read. In addition to her own thoughts, she includes quotes from well-known writers and even some artists on the creative life. And after the week I've had with my novel, I desperately needed some commiseration.

I found myself nodding along several times throughout the book and saying, She gets it.

One of my favorite sayings was included in the section on "Making Time." Sophy writes, "I have a lion inside me, and I have to feed it words every few days; when I don't, it begins to eat me instead."

How true!

But it is this story that really got me to thinking. Sophy says, "I fret with impatience. Hurrying. I punish myself for working so slowly, for not going faster, doing more."

See me nodding my head over here? This is me!!! But then Sophy relates the story of how Michelangelo spent eight months, along with his horse and two other men, building the road up to the marble quarry so that he could go there and cut out a marble slab to use for Pope Julian II's tomb.

Wow. Just...wow. That is dedication to the art right there. To think - I can simply turn on my computer and start typing away, or grab a piece of paper and a pen and start writing. I am truly blessed.

I picked up this book on a whim while I was at the library the other day, and I'm so glad I did. I just ordered it and it will now be a permanent part of my writing book collection. I highly recommended it!

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

2011-08-25T08:24:00.000-06:00

I got nothing.

I've started a blog post, then deleted it. Came up with another one, then deleted it. This has been the pattern all morning.

My brain is a fog.

I blame my novel edits.

Or the heat.

Take your pick.

This ever happen to you?

Productivity

2011-08-22T08:28:00.000-06:00

Isn't it nice when you can look back over the weekend and say, "Wow, I got a lot done."

And I did.

I tackled housecleaning, laundry, baking, and even yardwork in the last two days. We've had quite a few storms lately and they've left a nice mess of leaves and branches on our lawn and driveway. So I decided to get my exercise on Saturday by sweeping and picking them up. (And I used muscles I obviously haven't used for awhile if my aching body was any indication...).

I picked some more zucchini (why do zucchini plants expand so darn much???) and made another batch of zucchini bread. I also brought a ton of zucchini to work to share with everyone. Hubby and I have taken to walking around the neighborhood with a big basket of zucchini and tomatoes and cucumbers to share with the neighbors. We simply can't eat it all.

Writing? Why, yes. I was productive with that, too. Though I must say one thing: I am a slow editor. I love to edit, but that also means I really choose my words with care. Whether this is a good thing or bad, I'm not sure.

Now mind you, I'm not productive like this every weekend. It's been too hot to go outside and do any yardwork, but we got a break in the weather and it was actually decent outside. And baking? Pffft. I barely do any. Hubby usually takes care of the laundry, so I don't do that, either. (Yes, I am a very blessed gal!).

So I have to celebrate the one weekend out of the last, er...several, where I was actually productive on more than one front!

Pictures!

2011-08-16T09:32:00.000-06:00

Still deep in editing land, but thought I'd share a few photos with you of our short vacation (and some gratuitous cat photos!). We went to Worlds of Fun in Kansas City and had a blast! As a Snoopy collector, Planet Snoopy was the best possible place to be, especially the Snoopy Boutique, a store FILLED with Snoopy and Peanuts merchandise!

Enjoy!

Hubby and my daughter just before our first ride.

We won the tiger!

Me, hot and sweaty, but happy!

The Mamba roller coaster - hubby went on this. Daughter and I elected to keep our feet on the ground!

The Mecca for Snoopy lovers!

Oh my gosh...a whole store dedicated to Snoopy and the gang!

By this time, she was getting tired...

I could barely walk through here without snatching everything off the shelves!

Awww...

Love this dog!

We did not attempt this ride. We were all too chicken!

Cheesey tourist photo.

Look at the concentration!

Yet another ride we did not attempt...

Slick, the ever-growing kitten, loves to cuddle.

Exhibit B - loves to cuddle!

Ack! This may be going too far...

Brief Hiatus...

2011-08-09T10:09:00.001-06:00

Apologies to those whose blog I haven't stopped by lately.

I'm taking a brief blog hiatus to focus on editing my novel and working on my freelance projects. We're also taking a quick vacation this weekend before my daughter starts school next week.

So!

I shall return. :-)

Gettin' Ready!

2011-08-05T08:43:00.001-06:00

I'm excited.

Scratch that.

I'm ecstatic.

Yesterday I had the urge to start looking for a writers' conference to attend. While I would love to attend the big ones - the Backspace Conference and Writer's Digest Conference in New York City, I simply couldn't afford it. So I was looking for something closer to home.

Not only did I find the perfect conference nearby, but one of my dream agents will be there!

In September, I'm headed to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Colorado Gold Conference in Denver, Colorado. I originally was going to drive from eastern Nebraska to Denver, but after looking at airfare prices, I can fly for the same amount it would cost me to drive -- and get there in much less than half the time.

So the decision has been made.

I'm going.

This has given me the necessary push to finish editing the novel. Since I have approximately a month before the conference, that should be enough time to finish up the edits. I also need to perfect my "pitch" for the agent. I'm a little nervous about this, but am confident I will do my best.

This will be my first "big" writers' conference, and thus, a new experience all on its own. The workshops look fabulous and the keynote speaker is Bernard Cornwell, historical fiction writer extraordinaire!

If you've been to any big writers' conferences, do you have any helpful tips? If you haven't been to one, do you have a dream writers' conference you'd like to attend?

When The Dream Job Isn't Nearby

2011-08-03T08:59:00.000-06:00

I'm a World War II historian. Most of you know that. I have a master's degree in history that I'm currently not using in my day job. This makes paying the student loan rather painful.

My dream job, of course, would be working at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. In fact, I just checked their employment page today and saw this position:

SPECIAL PROJECTS HISTORIAN
Reporting to the Manager of Research Services, the position is responsible for collecting artifacts, archival materials, oral histories and conducting research on selected individuals or historic topics as requested by the Museum’s President, Board of Trustees or the Development Department. This position conducts research, interviews, collects materials and catalogs oral histories into the collection. Strong computer and technological skills (including editing, annotation and transcription) to assist in the digitization of the Museum’s oral history collection is required. This position also assists with Museum product development. Bachelor’s degree in history, museum science or related field. Minimum of two years experience in historical research — preferably within a museum environment.

I just want to sob when I read this. Why? Because I want this job.

But I can't move to New Orleans. Nor do I want to. I've visited New Orleans before and while I enjoyed visiting, I do not want to live there. Since I am a person that absolutely needs to be comfortable wherever I live, moving to the Big Easy is out of the question.

So that leaves me looking closer to home for an alternative to my dream job.

Of course, as a historical fiction writer, my dream job is to write my novels full-time. But as we all know, writing novels is not the easiest way to make a living. And with a family to support, making a living is quite important.

We do have a stellar historical society here in Nebraska, but since it is linked to the state, and thus the state budget (which, like other states, is not doing so hot), jobs are not easy to come by. In fact, once a person gets in to the society, they pretty much stay put. But our museum has a wonderful exhibit on World War II in Nebraska that I'd love to work with. Will I get the chance? We shall have to wait and see.

In the meantime, I'm learning the value of patience. I'm working on my novels, researching and writing history articles in my spare time, and trying to keep up with the professional world of history.

Is there a dream job you'd love to have but can't because of location or other responsibilities?

Mishmash

2011-08-01T09:25:00.001-06:00

My office

Even after a three day weekend, I am tired. Coherent thoughts aren't plentiful today, so you get a mishmash of half-coherent thoughts. Ha!

1) Friday morning, I woke up with an excruciating headache and stayed home from work. It decided to also give me a nauseous stomach. Joy! The kicker, though, was that I am out of vacation/sick leave and had to take the day unpaid.

2) I had to do something to take my mind off the ickies, so I started reading Thomas Childers' Soldier from the War Returning: The Greatest Generation's Troubled Homecoming from World War II. I finished it early the next morning. It's an incredible read. We often tend to think the Greatest Generation came home from war, went back to work, and had few, if any, problems readjusting to society. Not so. Not so at all. This book is incredibly eye-opening about their emotional (and sometimes physical) struggles to cope. It affected not only the veteran himself, but also his spouse, his children, his friends, and his family.

3) Playing Littlest Pet Shop with my daughter always brings about some zany situations. I am usually the character of Winston, the gray bulldog. He, of course, emulates Winston Churchill and lately has been having trouble with his ex-wife. She won't let him see the kids because his current wife is a Russian cat named Tatiana. Then there is Poky, the Porcupine, who creates havoc by driving his car at excessive speeds, and George the loveable (but dumb) guard dog who tries to keep Poky from causing too much trouble. Yeah, we have a lot of fun.

4) It's hot. I am so, so sick of the heat. I am ready for autumn. Now. Yesterday.

5) I am finally mailing out my sister-in-law's birthday card. Her birthday was in June. Yikes!

6) My daughter starts school in two weeks. Two weeks! How is that possible? How? I am not ready for her to be in middle school. Neither is she. If only to turn back time for a day and have her be a baby again...

7) I've learned the value of having pen and paper on my nightstand. I couldn't get to sleep Saturday night, my novel swirling around in my head. Several very important ideas popped into my brain and I grabbed pen and paper and wrote them down, in the dark. Thankfully, they were legible the next morning!

Digging in the (Blog) Archives

2011-07-27T08:12:00.002-06:00

Since I've been writing this blog for well over five years now, it has become a nice archive of my life, writing and otherwise. And sometimes, when I'm struggling with a particular writing problem, I look back at my archives and discover that I have struggled with it before.

Case in point...

I just finished reading Kate Furnivall's The Jewel of St. Petersburg. It takes place in pre-Revolutionary Russia and is a wonderful, passionate story of pianist Valentina Ivanova and her lover, Jens, and the political turmoil that sweeps them into history. Furnivall is one of my favorite authors because her writing is absolutely gorgeous, and as I read her books, I feel that writer's envy taking shape because, simply put, I want to write like that.

But this begs the question: am I supposed to write like that?

And, of course, when I happened to be digging into my blog archives, I came across this post, and my question was answered:

"I think this goes along the lines of, "To thine own self be true." I have tried writing sweeping, grand, lofty sentences, but they all fall flat. I am not that kind of writer. I have to stay true to my writing self. This does not mean that I can't explore and branch out of my comfort zone and try new things. But if I discover that those methods do not work, I should not force them upon myself simply because I "think" I need to write that way."

Apparently I am one of those people that needs to be constantly reminded of certain things, this being one of them:

To thine own self be true.

Garden Goodness

2011-07-25T08:02:00.001-06:00

When we moved to our house earlier this year, we were fortunate to become part of a close-knit neighborhood, and really fortunate that our next door neighbor wanted us to take charge of his garden. Since he is elderly and cannot put in the time and effort a garden requires, my husband was happy to take over.

Unfortunately, we've had to battle the critters. The squirrels and rabbits completely destroyed our sweet corn crop and our green beans. Hubby even tried a safe remedy to deter them - spinkling cayenne pepper around the plants. Didn't work. Next year we plan to install an electric fence or something similar to keep them out.

Fortunately, we've enjoyed a bumper crop of zucchini and tomatoes already. I created a yummy new dish with zucchini, chicken, and black beans that was quite good, and then on Saturday, my daughter and I made zucchini bread for the first time. I found a very healthy recipe with less sugar and whole wheat flower and it turned out wonderful!

We had two green peppers ready to pick and some yummy tomatoes, so I made my family's famous Italian salad: green peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers with oil and vinegar.

There is something incredibly satisfying about going to your own backyard and being able to use food that you've grown yourself. We are still waiting for our cucumbers, squash, cabbage, pumpkins, radishes, and carrots.

Now if I could just figure out how to grow chocolate...

I'm A Believer

2011-07-21T13:05:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, I decided to take drastic measures where my health was concerned. Female issues have troubled me for the past 11 years, and I was seriously considering a hysterectomy.

As a last resort, I started acupuncture. And it's working!

If you want quick results, this is not for you. I've had at least five or six sessions to finally get my cycles "back on track." But I've cut the dosage of one of my medication in half and will soon be off it completely, and this was all accomplished by NOT giving me more drugs to put into my body.

It's early days yet, but I'm hopeful.

In other news, my daughter is quite the writer. She has written over 53,000 words (yes, you read that right) on her novel. She is disciplined and tries to write every day, and I daresay that she's having the time of her life. She's not worried about writing for publishers or agents or critique partners - but just for herself and the story. We would do well to follow her example!

Summertime Blues

2011-07-19T07:32:00.000-06:00

It happens every year.

We get a monstrous heat wave that makes it incredibly hard to be outside. Right now, we're under an excessive heat warning and we have been for the past five days. The heat index can reach 115 degrees on these days. Add in eastern Nebraska's humidity and you have a recipe for disaster.

I don't enjoy the heat at all. I've blogged about this several times over the years, so this will come as no surprise to you. But what does bother me is how my mood shifts. I don't like to leave the house or office unless I absolutely must, and my night-time walks are suspended for the time being. Yesterday I felt just plain ol' depressed.

Hubby and I joke that we will not be able to find a place to retire because he likes heat and I like cold. He thrives in this type of heat while I shrink and retreat into my air-conditioned shell.

I keep thinking of those lovely, cool autumn days, where the leaves rustle under my feet and the breeze carries a hint of pumpkin pie and spice. Soon...

In the meantime, I've been editing. I reworked the beginning of my novel and I really, really like it. That's a good thing.

How's the weather where you are?

A Clean Desk...

2011-07-13T08:40:00.000-06:00

...is a sign that Melissa is ready to work!

I can only take clutter for so long. I can also only take loafing around for so long. Last night, I'd had enough of both (though to be fair, I have a good reason to loaf as my remaining ovary is giving me fits!) and I decided to sort, file, and clean.

A clean desk is also symbolic of how I've swept my mind clear of mental clutter surrounding the editing process. I feel ready to work now. It's only been two days, but I guess for me, that's long enough.

Can you work in constant clutter, or do you have a breaking point like me and need to de-clutter before a major project?

It Is Finished

2011-07-11T07:45:00.001-06:00

The novel, that is.

This is my fourth completed novel.

Over the weekend, I wrote nearly 7,500 words, most of them yesterday. It was the ideal time to do it since we had temperatures in the triple digits. Because my office is on the second floor and gets nice and hot, I worked on my bed with my two kitties at my feet. Perfection.

To celebrate (because these things must be celebrated!), my daughter and I went and got ice cream from that handy Dairy Queen down the block and watched a World War II movie, Since You Went Away.

Most people advocate waiting a week or more before diving into the edits. But since I already had this novel pretty much finished before and had to go in and rework a bunch of stuff, I feel like I should keep pushing forward. I'm one of those writers that needs to stay in touch with the work, otherwise it takes me a very long time to get back to it. And I don't want that!

The best part? I get to edit and revise to my heart's content.

I can't wait.

On the Verge

2011-07-07T13:37:00.001-06:00

There are times when I'm writing and I sink into this deep place where, if I push just a little harder, my creativity will explode onto the page, filling those ordinary words with something extraordinary.

I feel on the verge of something truly remarkable.

Yet those times are fleeting and few in between. But it makes me realize something rather powerful: I do have the capacity, intelligence, and yes, talent, to go deeper into the written word, to transcend the average and go above and beyond average. In other words, I am getting closer to reaching my potential.

This is an exhilarating feeling. It's an area of growth, a new level to climb and conquer, if I can only breach that wall. Sometimes I peek over the top and can see the lush fields on the other side full of brilliant prose. But more often than not, I've got my back against the heavy brick wall and no matter how much I push, it's not going to move.

I'd like to one day stand on this wall, victorious, as I let the power of my creativity breakthrough and flow nonstop into my writing. How to do that, though, is another matter.

I do believe I shall ask God to untie that mental knot of mine and unleash an eternal well-spring of creative goodness. But I also recognize that I must put the work and dedication into the writing, as well, to further develop the gifts God has given me.

How have you seen your writing grow?

What Are You Reading? Summer Edition

2011-07-05T10:17:00.000-06:00

I'm just plain worn out after my crazy 4th of July weekend. We went home to western Nebraska and it's a 5-6 hour drive. With all three kids along, we were pretty cramped, so it wasn't exactly a comfortable road trip.

But we had a fabulous time with family and friends (well, except for my daughter getting sick on Saturday!).

So I'm recuperating (though after eating a bunch of not-good-for-me fare, I'm off to exercise over my lunch hour!), and thought it would be the perfect time to ask all of you what you're reading.

My list:

The Jewel of St. Petersburg by Kate Furnivall, a historical novel set in the years right before the Russian Revolution.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson. Fascinating look at the American ambassador's experience in pre-war Germany.

Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo. This family is from Nebraska, and it's a wonderful read.

You?

Flyby Update

2011-06-29T09:10:00.001-06:00

My apologies if I haven't been by your blog lately. This week has been a bit of a whirlwind.

But it's a good whirlwind.

I can now say that my daughter and I are the reigning champions of horseshoes. We've defeated my stepsons in two games of horseshoes now. Will we be able to keep that crown? Guess we'll see...

It's been a lot of fun having the boys here. We sit around and talk, reminisce, play games, watch movies, and hang out. Last night they went to the batting cages with my brother and then we sat on the front step and watched my daughter catch fireflies. That, my friends, is the definition of summer!

I haven't done any writing on the novel since Sunday, but that's perfectly ok. Spending time with the kids is more important right now.

Posting will be sporadic for awhile since the 4th of July weekend is coming up, and it will be filled with lots and lots of family time, a wedding, softball games, fireworks, and, of course, food!

All Grown Up

2011-06-27T09:04:00.000-06:00

My two stepsons are home. One is 18, the other is 16. And they're both a lot taller than I remember.

Christmas, 2004

My oldest will be a senior in the fall. He has already received letters from colleges for both baseball and football. The 16-year-old will be a junior and starts in football and basketball. Gah! Where did the time go???

June, 2011 -
Please excuse my hubby's dirty shirt. He was working in the garage when I snapped this photo!

I went and bought groceries Saturday and boy, was my cart full. I don't even want to tell you how much I spent! But teenage boys eat a lot.

It's been lots of fun having them home. They'll be here through the 4th of July, so we're going to enjoy their time with us!

But I must say, I feel pretty short when I'm next to them! ;-)

Girls' Night Out

2011-06-24T12:12:00.000-06:00

My mama's in town, so she, my daughter, and I are having a girls' night out!

Plans includes:

Dinner
Lots of laughter
Sharing memories
And maybe some shopping!

What are your plans for Friday night?

When You're Stuck

2011-06-22T13:56:00.001-06:00

Writing has been like the proverbial pulling teeth metaphor lately. I sit at my desk and try to compose something brilliant, but alas, nothing but meaningless gibberish spews onto the page.

Last night, however, I decided to try something different. I'm not sure where I read this idea, but it suggested that if the writing isn't going well, doing some other creative task might just do the trick to get you "unstuck."

In essence, we need to fill the creative well.

So! I figured I would give it a try.

My daughter wanted to do an activity together last night and she chose drawing. We got our paper and pencils and How to Draw Scooby Doo book out and set to work on the kitchen table.

I drew a pretty darn good picture of Scooby Doo, if I do say so myself, and had great fun doing it. My daughter, who is a fabulous artist, drew a much more complicated picture of the sleuthing dog, and stroked my ego by telling me, "See, Mom? You CAN draw!"

When I went up to my office an hour or so later, I turned on the laptop, opened my Word doc., and started typing. It was slow going at first as I tried to feel my way back into the story. It took me a few hundred words to get going again, but then something "clicked" inside my brain...and I was off!

I wrote over 2,000 words last night and had to make myself stop so I could get to bed. I'd call that a successful writing session.

My advice? Next time you're stuck, do something else creative that doesn't involve writing. Draw a picture. Sew something. Paint. Scrapbook. Arrange a bouquet of wildflowers. You might be surprised at how well your writing takes off!

An Experiment

2011-06-20T13:55:00.000-06:00

I usually exercise after work, and although I don't enjoy it and sometimes dread it all day long, I've generally been successful in keeping a steady schedule.

This week, however, I am trying something different.

I'm exercising during my lunch hour.

Today was the first day to try out this new schedule, and I gotta say, I already love it. I eat lunch at work, head to Curves, get in my 30 minute work-out, head home to take a quick shower, then back to work, all in the space of my lunch hour.

Not only have I felt more awake this afternoon, but I also can head straight home from the office. No detouring to the gym and losing a precious hour of downtime, and no coming up with a million excuses not to go work out.

We'll see how the experiment goes in the coming weeks. But I think I've hit upon a winner.

Do you have a certain time of the day you prefer to exercise? And if you're not exercising, get up and move! Your body - and your writing - will thank you for it!

Slow Down

2011-06-16T11:35:00.000-06:00

There are times I feel my bones itching.

Itching to get the novel done.

Itching to send out the query letter.

Itching to get published.

Now.

Chocolate does not always assuage this itch, and I have to do something a little more drastic. Writing in my journal helps. So does praying.

I must constantly remind myself that slowing down and enjoying the process is worth it.

We live in an age where we want everything now. But that's not always a good thing. Doing something well often takes time. And we must allow ourselves the time we need to do the best job possible.

I want to write the best book I can - every time. Each story demands it. As the creator, it's my job to honor that demand.

So yes, I could submit to the culture of "now" and whip out my novel as fast as possible. I could cut corners and skimp on the message. I could choose the "good enough" word instead of the "best" word. I could throw together a hackneyed plot. I could skim the surface of my characters instead of digging deep into their psyche.

I could.

But I won't.

Will you?

Learn a lesson from Kathryn: slow down (and take lots of naps).

Lesson for today: it's ok to slow down. It's ok to write slow. It's ok to mull over those words and dream about that plot. It's ok if you're not published tomorrow or next week or even next year.

Don't fall for the culture of "now." Set your own pace...and enjoy the process.

Calories Don't Count Today...

2011-06-15T07:27:00.000-06:00

...because it's my birthday!

Strange, how birthdays are less and less fun the older you get. :-)

Plans include:

--lunch with my hubby and my daughter
--a visit to this museum to see a John Wayne exhibit (this weekend)
--cake!
--chocolate!
--a visit to Barnes & Noble
--and NO COUNTING CALORIES!!!

Randomness Part Deux

2011-06-13T10:18:00.001-06:00

Aren't you the lucky ones? More random thoughts coming your way...

1) Oh, if the weather could only stay in the high 70s, I'd be a happy gal. Saturday and Sunday saw temperatures hovering right around 79 or 80 degrees with a lovely cool breeze. I threw every window in the house open that I could (i.e. those that aren't painted shut).

2) Kung Fu Panda 2 is brilliant. The plot was quite well-done. Yes, I paid $25 for my daughter, her two friends, and I to be able to say that. And let's not get into how much I paid for snacks. What movie theaters charge for popcorn and soda is outrageous.

3) When you take a walk and actually look at the surrounding landscape, you can find some beautiful things. My daughter and I took a walk Friday evening and picked some gorgeous wildflowers in a variety of colors: bright yellow, pale blue, dark pink, and even creamy white. Amazing what you can find in your own backyard.

4) Walking continues to be my main form of exercise, and I thoroughly enjoy it. Unfortunately, messed up hormones continue to make it almost impossible to shed any weight. This displeases me.

5) I have largely ignored getting sucked into controversial topics in the online political realm and am a much happier person. I think some people just like conflict, and deliberately antagonize people to produce more conflict. Ridiculous.

6) The temperature at work is never, and I mean never, a happy medium. When it's hot out, it's hot inside. When it's cold out, it's cold inside. I thought we had figured this particular problem out a long time ago - when it's hot out, you run the air conditioner. When it's cold out, you run the heater. Simple logic? Apparently not.

7) Camouflage tuxedos? Oh yes. You heard right. And my lucky husband gets to wear one for a family wedding he's in over the 4th of July. Pictures? Oh yes, I will be snapping them left and right. Not only is it rare to get my husband in a tux, but rarer still is the opportunity to capture him in a camouflage tux. Bwhahahahaha!

8) During my walk the other day, I ran into a lady with a dog that looked exactly like my Charlie Brown. I had to talk to her. She told me what a smart dog he was, showed me all the tricks he knew, then went on her way. Not a minute later, I saw another woman with a dog that looked exactly like my Charlie. My daughter and I determined that this was Charlie's way of telling us "hello", and then I cried. Yes, I still miss that dog desperately.

9) I may have to relinquish my "official lasagna maker" title. Yesterday, hubby went to early church service, and I went to the late service. By the time I got home, he had made lasagna and it was good. I mean really good. This does not displease me. The more he cooks, the more I have time to write. Ha! (I will gladly do the dishes, though...).

10) Speaking of writing, I spent lots of time on the novel this weekend. Glorious. I'm approaching the climax of the novel and as such, taking my time to make sure I get the pacing right. It's hard and frustrating, but completely worth it.

11) I went to a garage sale and bought a picture for my living room that will match exactly. How much did I pay? $2. How much did the original owner pay? $140. The price was actually marked on the back. Bargain? I think so.

12) The new kitty, who is not so new by now, has a death wish. He attacks my cat whenever he gets the chance despite my cat's warning growls and hisses. They wrestle on the floor, chase each other up and down the stairs, and smack each other with their paws. Remarkably, the little guy, as I call him, does not stop. He keeps hounding her, to the point where he stalks her, then leaps on her back and they both tumble to the floor. My cat isn't hurting him...it's just a form of rough-housing, I guess. Will they eventually be best friends? I'm thinking no.

Here's the little guy, who is not so little anymore. He's just like a naughty toddler now.

Today, I Will...

2011-06-10T11:38:00.000-06:00

Today, I will...

Hug my daughter.
Kiss my husband.
Listen to a bird sing.
Write.
Savor a piece of dark chocolate.
Forgive.
Lose myself in a book.
Smile.
Smile some more.
Laugh at my kitties.
Tell my family I love them.
Take a walk.
Praise God.
Be thankful for my blessings.
Enjoy the fact that it's Friday.
Be happy.

What will you do today?

Will You Ever Retire?

2011-06-08T09:19:00.001-06:00

I just read an article about the famous mystery novelist, Lilian Jackson Braun, author of The Cat Who books, who recently passed away. She was 97 years old. She was still writing up until 2007 when she retired. That means she was still writing at the age of 93.

Think about that for a minute.

93 years old and still writing.

To me, this signifies that writing wasn't just a job for her - it was a way of life.

Writing is the same for me.

If I am blessed enough to live until I'm 93 and if my health allows it, I can pretty much guarantee I'll still be writing.

I don't plan on retiring from it. Why? Because if I retire from writing, I'll also be retiring from life. And who wants that?

Not me.

The Agony and Ecstasy of Writing

2011-06-06T08:10:00.000-06:00

When you're writing, do you ever get that feeling of pure joy deep in your gut? Like this is what you're supposed to be doing with your life? Like this activity completes you?

This weekend, I felt that joy, that ecstasy. It was glorious.

If you haven't felt that joy in awhile, it's time to find it again.

Time to hit refresh. Time to reevaluate. Time to rediscover.

You won't always feel it. That's as it should be. There are days when the writing is hard and you'd rather chuck your manuscript into the trash icon on your computer. Days you wander around the house trying to figure out why you chose this profession when you could have been just another office drone (as an office drone myself, I laugh at the irony).

That's part of the process. But if you didn't have those days, you wouldn't know what that joy was all about. You wouldn't appreciate it. You wouldn't keep writing until you found that joy, that ecstasy, again.

Sometimes, we don't know what light is until we see darkness. We don't appreciate sunshine until it rains day after day. We don't marvel at those beautiful writing days until we have the really, really bad writing days.

It's agony, and it's ecstasy.

It's hot and cold.

It's good and bad.

And we need it all.

*********************************

Today is the 67th Anniversary of D-Day. Please visit my World War II blog for a tribute to the individual men who made this day possible.

Back Home for Keeps

2011-06-02T10:14:00.000-06:00

My recent research has let me to study the ads of World War II. I know...geeky, right? But I love magazines from that era and have amassed quite a collection (one that keeps growing!).

One advertising campaign that I really enjoy is from Oneida and their Community Silverplate products. This campaign centered on "when the boys came home" from the war "for keeps" to the women they love. The art on these ads is just gorgeous

The copy is also rather breathtakingly romantic:

"Stop the clocks, blow the whistles, catch-your-throat, hold-your-heart--it's true, dear God, it's true, he's home for keeps. All your dreams spring alive, all your hopes wake anew, all the life for two you've ached for will be yours to have and to hold.

Now you can plan - take a holiday from heartache. There'll be crisp curtains to hang in the windows, a deep chair for him, a low chair for you. There'll be fine linen to lay on your table, the fragrance of flowers, the friendly gleam of sparkling silverware. Today war postpones your finding your favorite Community--patterns brides have ever loved, traditional craftsmanship they've honored. But when he's home for keeps, we'll have it for you. And trust tomorrow, the day will come!"

This advertising campaign was immensely successful. In fact, the company received tons of requests for the art alone. Soldiers who were tired of the classic pin-up girl posters wanted these pictures instead. Almost more than a million of these pictures were shipped to soldiers overseas and to men and women at home, too. They decorated college dorms and fox holes alike!

LIFE magazine even ran a story about the phenomenon in May of 1945 (which you can read by clicking here...how I LOVE the internet sometimes!!!).

But what is really interesting about these ads? There was no silverware to buy! It was all being used for the war. Oneida, like a lot of other companies, wanted to keep their name in the hearts and minds (and wallets) of the American populace and to remind them that they would resume making silverware when the boys came home.

I'd say they succeeded.

I'd also say that if I'd been alive during that time and saw these ads, I would have tacked them up to my walls, too!

Why (Certain) Stuff Is Good

2011-05-31T15:55:00.000-06:00

Ahh, the life of a historian.

An incredibly small sampling of my stuff.

When I was working on my thesis in graduate school, I visited the Fort Robinson museum to look at the files. The curator had already done an extensive amount of research, and basically, all I had to do was make copies of the documents I needed. I made lots and lots and lots of copies. If I saw something of interest, even if I didn't know if I'd actually use it, I certainly couldn't leave it behind.

As the curator said that day, "Historians like lots and lots of stuff. Whoever has the most stuff, wins."

Or has an office full to exploding with books and papers and file cabinets!

As a historian and writer, I get double the pleasure, double the paperwork. I've got books stacked away in nooks and corners because I just might need it someday. I have information scribbled on little scraps of paper. I gobble up websites and online archives like a starving man on Thanksgiving.

I like to have lots of stuff, I guess. But when you have all that stuff, there comes a time you have to dig through it and find the gold - i.e. the information you'll actually use.

I have a lot of projects going on right now, which makes me happy not only because I'm busy, but because I'm researching and accumulating a bunch of, well, stuff! Books, old magazine articles, newspaper articles, and online archives have been my best friends lately. And thank goodness for interlibrary loan! I'd be lost without it.

As writers, we have to do our research, some of us more than others. But as a historian and a writer of historical fiction, I have to do a lot of research. That's ok. I enjoy it, though sometimes I have to tear myself away from it just to write.

Are you like me? Do you like to get lots of stuff for your writing projects?

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T06:05:00.002-06:00

"I remember the young soldier well, he screamed, he was just out of control, and he screamed, and there was another soldier next to him who consoled him, and embraced him. That was a moving moment for me, to see that compassion in combat. And these are the things a person feels when he's in proximity to death-- his buddy, that next human being, that person in the foxhole is the most important person in your life. "

Howard Brodie sketched this picture in the midst of combat during World War II. He was a combat artist, trying to portray war as it really was - not the sanitized version, not the version Hollywood most often wanted you to see. He, and other combat artists, showed war in all its gruesome reality. We need to see the true face of war. It is not glamorous. It is a sacrifice of the body, mind, and soul.

Today, remember those who served and died for their country. Remember those we have lost.

Remember them. Always.

A Must Read

2011-05-26T14:05:00.000-06:00

Published novelist Barbara O'Neal has an amazing, inspiring, and incredibly thoughtful post over at Writer Unboxed. In it, she discusses what it's really like to be a professional author, bumps and all.

I am finding that the longer I'm in this writing gig, the more realistic I become as to just what this writing life entails. It's not a rosy picture in many ways. There's a lot of hard work involved, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of strength and courage needed to weather it all.

But there is a rosy side to it - we are writing.

And at the end of the day, that is enough.

Something A Little Different

2011-05-25T08:21:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I've struggled with my health for a number of years. I've documented it on this blog and have found some wonderful support from others. That support is one of the many reasons I love blogging!

A few months ago, I was scheduled to undergo surgery again to help with my "female" problems. It wasn't a hysterectomy, but rather a "temporary" fix to my massively messed up cycles. While sitting in the doctor's office and making all the appointments for the surgery, I kept thinking, "This doesn't feel right."

Not only did I not want to go under the knife again like I did a little over a year ago (I had a reaction to the anesthesia and felt like I couldn't breathe when I woke up), but I also didn't like the thought of a temporary fix.

So after praying about it and thinking long and hard, I made a decision to cancel the surgery and try something else.

That something else is acupuncture.

Now I'm a girl that doesn't particularly like needles, but with all my health problems over the years, I've gotten used to the pointy things. In fact, back in 2001, I went and visited an acupuncturist after I wasn't getting any results with traditional medicine. You know what? It worked. Why I haven't gone back since then is a mystery to me.

I've exhausted my medical options - short of surgery - for my health right now, and I'm giving this a fair shot. It worked last time, so I'm feeling positive that it will work this time, too.

I don't pretend to understand it, and I don't believe in the "yin and yang" stuff, but I do know that it has proven results. They even use acupuncture on animals. Whatever it does, it works.

Yesterday I had my first appointment. My doctor is also a medical doctor and an acupuncturist with more than 20 years experience, so I felt like I was in good hands. When he put the needles in, I barely felt it. The needles themselves are not hard like sewing needles or the needles used to draw blood. They're bendy and very light. He put them in my legs, my abdomen, on top of my head, and even on my ears. After 25 minutes of relaxing, they took them out and I went back to work.

They told me I might have a great night's sleep - or I might be restless. Thankfully, it was the first - I slept completely through the night, and I haven't done that in a long time.

I'll be going for treatment once a week for awhile, and I'm anxious to see what happens. I'll keep you updated.

Have you ever had acupuncture? Ever wanted to try it?

The Importance of Place

2011-05-23T08:27:00.000-06:00

I attended a free writer's workshop on Saturday as part of the Nebraska Book Festival. Timothy Schaffert, published novelist, native Nebraskan, and creative writing lecturer at UNL, led the workshop. He's also been picked as a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers and is a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice.

I've discovered that place plays quite an important role in my fiction, and I was eager to learn how to further develop its significance. Since all four of Schaffert's novels are set in Nebraska, he is the perfect guy to tell you how to make place matter.

Here are a few key insights from the workshop:

1) Make your place serve the story. You want setting details to help you not only see it, but see it through the eyes of your characters.

2) Your relationship with the reader is affected by how you represent place. Focus on the details the character would notice.

3) Be intensively selective. Eliminate facts that are known about a place and find facts that are useful.

4) It all comes down to character. How does the place shape the character?

And finally, a huge piece of advice that applies to just about everything we write, whether it's fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc.:

Don't take the reader out of the moment.

Embracing Your Inner Black Sheep

2011-05-20T06:17:00.001-06:00

I think I can safely say I am a black sheep.

I tend to make my own drum beat, so to speak, and have for as long as I can remember. When other kids in my high school were out drinking and partying, I was at home, writing. When other girls were decorating their rooms with posters of Def Leppard or Johnny Depp, my room was full of romantic Victorian paintings and lacy curtains. I eschewed sports in high school for the spring play. I was the only girl drummer in band (see? I really DID make my own drum beat...). My parents weren't the enemy, and I actually liked my two brothers. In fact, I loved hanging out with my family, and would even stay weekends at my grandma and grandpa's place just because I wanted to.

Trends? Never cared for 'em. Oh, there was that time I begged my mom for a pair of Pepe jeans (remember those?), but only wore them once or twice. I really didn't care about labels. Appearances didn't (and still don't) matter that much. Don't get me wrong - I take care of myself. But I don't have to wear designer clothes, take two hours to fix my hair and make-up, and freak out if I break a nail. It doesn't bother me a bit to go to work with *gasp* no make-up. There's absolutely nothing wrong with those who do these things. I'm just not one of them.

Being the black sheep, or what I like to call doing your own thing, has always been my modus operandi. Luckily, I found a man who operates the same way I do, and it looks like our daughter is following in our footsteps.

Another non-conformist! (my daughter)

My daughter doesn't watch cable t.v. (we don't even have it). She loves Hogan's Heroes and As Time Goes By (a British comedy starring Judi Dench). She still plays with her toys, reads constantly, draws, plays on her tire swing, and is incredibly witty. She could care less about being "popular", doesn't really know what the latest fad is, and is most comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt. She isn't in sports or any other extracurricular activities (except for her art lessons) outside of school. This is her choice, and I respect it. I've asked her if she wanted to do other activities and she has no desire to. She is just fine socially, has very close friends, and is a happy, healthy child. And to tell you the truth, I am ok with her choosing to spend her time in other ways. We're not running around every other night to some activity or other.

As a family, we spend a lot of time together as much as possible. We take occasional road trips, love to go to the library and the bookstore, ride our bikes together, take walks, or just hang out and watch a movie.

My husband and I are introverts. We are not into crowds and being involved in lots of extracurricular activities. We truly enjoy each other's company. We're not the type to entertain, and we don't have a wide circle of friends. We don't golf, we don't belong to any exclusive clubs, and we really enjoy hanging out at home. We have our small circle of friends and that's ok by us.

I don't think any of us - my daughter, my husband, or I - ever planned to intentionally be this way. I didn't wake up one morning and think, I'm going to be different than everybody else. Being a bit of a non-conformist is just the way I'm wired. Now this is not to say that I don't conform to certain things because I do.

What do I do instead of "following the crowd"?

I write. I take long walks. I watch old movies. I read history books. I play Littlest Pet Shop with my daughter. I go to antique stores. I visit the Veterans Memorial Garden here in town and cry. I wear comfy clothes and t-shirts. I put my hair in a ponytail and don't wear make-up all weekend. I listen to Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman and Glen Miller, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. I also listen to Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi (this began in junior high!). I collect vintage magazines. I don't drive a fancy car, nor do I want to. I don't live in a fancy house, just a cute little Cape Cod with plenty of squirrels, rabbits, and birds to keep me company. I like old things, and old people! I'm more comfortable talking to a gal like Mary Lou or my own grandmother, both in their 80s, than I do someone my own age.

I like to think that being a black sheep gives me my own unique view of the world, one that I strive to bring to my writing. I don't write blockbuster novels, and I don't ever really care if I end up on the New York Times bestseller list. I write the stories --I-- want to write and --I-- want to read. Otherwise, why spend my time writing at all?

In fact, I would say that my characters are usually black sheep, too. They, like me, have their own way of doing things, their own way of looking at the world, and it often gets them into trouble. But also like me, my characters aren't about to give up who they are just for the sake of conformity.

Let's face it. If we're the creative type, we all have a little bit of black sheep in us. We're all willing to do something different, something daring or new, something that goes against the grain. And thank goodness. The world would be a dull, empty place if we all thought the same, wrote the same, took the same pictures, painted the same pictures.

Are you embracing your inner black sheep? Are you truly being the person you want to be? Are you letting the true you shine through in your creative work, whether it be painting or photography or writing?

If not, it's time to let that black sheep out to play!

To thine own self be true. Let this be your modus operandi.

Dreaming of Vacation

2011-05-18T10:09:00.001-06:00

Winston Churchill's Home

It's been over two years since I last went on a "proper" vacation. I went to England by myself and had a fabulous time (except for that whole food poisoning thing...).

The England trip was the last time I was on a plane, and as summer starts creeping closer, I am getting the itch to travel again.

Only the money just isn't there. Big sigh...

There is a possibility of a trip to New Orleans to visit the National World War II Museum this winter with my two brothers and my dad, but that isn't for awhile, and isn't even confirmed yet.

So I've been daydreaming of where I might like to go. Some of my top picks include:

1) Northern Italy to visit my relatives
2) Germany
3) England (I could go here every year and be happy!)
4) Colonial Williamsburg
5) Washington, D.C.

If you could take a vacation right now, where would you go? And if you already have vacation plans, where are you headed?

Random Thoughts...

2011-05-16T09:40:00.004-06:00

1) Writing a novel is hard. If anyone says, "Oh, I think I'll write a novel someday" and they have never written anything before, please flick their ear. Hard.

2) I had to switch the air conditioner off and turn on the heater Friday. Crazy stupid Nebraska weather!

3) Mary Lou is a kick. She called me this weekend and told me she'd had a fire in her kitchen (a malfunctioning stove burner was the culprit). Since she also had to put out a fire her first night in wartime Washington D.C., I said, "Mary Lou, what is it with you and fires?" She laughed. I'm just glad she wasn't hurt. I wish I lived next door to her. I would hang out at her place all the time. Seriously.

4) Living a block from Dairy Queen is not a good idea. Enough said.

5) Vivid, weird, scary dreams left me in a terrible funk yesterday that I had a very hard time shaking. I dislike those types of dreams, and sadly, I have them all too often.

6) Foyle's War is one of the best series ever. It's set in England during WW2 and features a detective who solves crimes in the midst of war. The writing is absolutely brilliant and I want Michael Kitchen, who plays Detective Foyle, to be my next door neighbor, too.

7) My daughter has two weeks of elementary school left - in the fall, it's on to middle school. I am not ready.

8) My husband, the tough, manly Army veteran, went and got himself a kitty. He wanted one that would snuggle on his chest and cuddle. This just goes to show that he is all gooey on the inside. His new pet is an adorable gray fluffball who does, indeed, cuddle with him and lay on his chest. I have gone into several diabetic comas in the last few days after witnessing all this cuteness.

9) During Blogger's meltdown last week, lots of comments on my last post disappeared. This displeases me.

10) My friend asked me if I'd be interested in doing a fitness boot camp with her. I dislike pain, so I am thinking not. But then again, I'd like to be rid of my jelly belly...

11) Is it wrong that I don't care when my cat sleeps on my head?

12) The novel I abandoned prior to working on my current novel is calling my name again. I read through some of it last night and while it needs a huge plot overhaul (which I've already worked out), I can't wait to dive back into it. I'm thinking I may work on it when I'm done with the current WIP.

13) Weekends are too short.

14) Is it really already the middle of May? Honestly. Where has this year gone?

And finally:

15) Chocolate is still the best food on Earth.

"Will It Blend?"*

2011-05-11T12:43:00.003-06:00

I just finished writing an article on Mary Lou, an 86-year-old woman who worked in Washington D.C. during World War II. It was an incredible challenge since that type of writing is a bit foreign to me. I am much more comfortable with scholarly writing, copywriting (i.e. marketing), and fiction-writing.

For this article, I combined the interview I did with Mary Lou with other sources to create a well-rounded picture of Washington D.C. through her eyes. While there were some rough spots in the beginning, I read through other articles to get a feel for the writing style, especially articles from magazines I'm targeting. Eventually, it all came down to just writing that crappy first draft and then editing from there. Sound familiar?

Editing was where the real work came into play. And I have to say, I enjoyed every minute of it. I usually do. Editing, for me, is better than writing. The words are already down on the page and I at least have something to work with.

Why did I write an article on this gal? One, she's an amazing woman and her story deserves to be told. And two, I have a MA in history that I am not using. What better way to use it then to combine my love of writing with my love of history? Thus, I'm embarking on a new venture - writing articles specifically targeted to history magazines.

I've already created a list of article ideas and just the thought of researching them fills me with a giddiness I can't describe. Sure, there's going to be a lot of hard work involved, rejections from editors, and other pitfalls.

Well, I've already experienced all of that from my fiction writing.

This makes me think I've hit upon the perfect blend: history writing and fiction writing. Not only will working on both allow me to pursue both my passions, but it will also strengthen my writing muscles. I'll also add elements of fiction-writing to my nonfiction, and vice-versa.

Win-win! (Though not Charlie Sheen's kind of winning...haha).

What elements in your life do you blend?

*Bonus points if you recognize where this marketing slogan comes from...

Stay Alive

2011-05-09T09:13:00.000-06:00

I'm reading Dwight Swain's magnificent Techniques of the Selling Writer again. I've thumbed through it a few times and read a few chapters, but never really dug into the meat of it.

In his last chapter, entitled "Preparation, Planning, Production", he offers advice on how to stay productive throughout your writing career. One tip in particular really struck me:

Stay alive.

Swain writes, "Life is a writer's raw material. Successful writers immerse themselves in it. To that end, you read. You travel. You shop. You loaf on street corners. You go to ball games. You visit friends. You attend parties. You work in church or civic club or Boy Scout troop. In other words, you contact people. All kind of people, without regard to age or sex or social stratum; the wider the range, the better. No aspect of your work is more important."

I admit, I am a hermit. There are some weekends when I don't go anywhere and just stay home. I do this because I am gone every day for work, and I love being in my cute little house.

But doing this too often isn't good. There is simply too much life to experience. But I love how Swain defines "staying alive." You don't have to take a trip to Europe or to the East coast to live life. You can sit in the mall and people watch. You can take a walk in part of your neighborhood you've never been before. You can attend a local author's book reading. You can take an afternoon to drive down a country road you've never been on before. You can read a book that isn't in your comfort zone.

This is staying alive. This is absorbing the things that make the world go 'round. This is what we use as fodder for our writing.

While I stayed home for most of this last weekend (except for a quick trip to a local crafts store where I scored a ton of Snoopy stuff!), I still managed to "stay alive." I went for a walk. I took my daughter for an ice cream treat. I had a water fight with my daughter and my hubby. I sat in my backyard and listened to the birds. I read. I did a lot of writing. I peeked into a robin's nest and saw four perfect blue eggs.

All well and good and necessary. But I need to do more outside of my home. Next weekend, I am attending a writing workshop, and I'm looking forward to the conversation and fellowship with other writers. There's a great exhibit at a local museum I plan to attend in June. So I've got a few things lined up.

Again, it's about balance, the one thing we strive so hard to achieve in life. But in this case, this balance will also help me write better. Seeing the world, in all its different facets, even from our own backyard, is imperative to making sure we can connect with our readers. Our writing will be much richer when we actively "stay alive."

Today, I Want to Play Hooky...

2011-05-06T10:08:00.000-06:00

Verb

play hooky - play truant from work or school

Today, with the sun shining and the gorgeous warm temperatures, is a day to play hooky, take my laptop outside at my picnic table, and write.

Instead, I'm stuck inside at my desk at the day job.

Oh well. It's Friday. That is enough.

If you could play hooky today, what would you do?

How Bugs Bunny Can Make You A Better Writer (Yes, Really)

2011-05-04T11:08:00.001-06:00

Those were the days. Instead of sleeping in late on Saturday mornings as a child (that would come later...), I would get up early just to watch cartoons. I loved the Smurfs (though now I don't know why), Garfield and Friends, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and a host of others.

But my favorite had to be the Bugs Bunny & Looney Tunes cartoons.

I loved the banter between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. I loved the ridiculous Yosemite Sam riding on a dragon or a camel and trying to get that "varmint" Bugs Bunny. I loved Sylvester's incessant attempts to capture Tweety Bird, even though Tweety wouldn't be much of a meal. I loved the Tasmanian Devil and his drool problem, Elmer Fudd's constant attempts to hunt down Bugs, Porky Pig's charming stuttering, and Pepe le Pew's desperate quest to romance a very unwilling cat. And I especially loved Wile E. Coyote, "Super Genius", and his quest to finally, finally capture that darn Road Runner. Even more, I loved all his inventions. Nowadays, I ask myself, why didn't he just use all that money he spent on his inventions to buy himself a good meal?

But it wasn't about roasting up the Road Runner and eating him...not really. It was all about the chase.

The last few evenings, my hubby, daughter, and I have been watching the Bugs Bunny cartoons on DVD. I'm catching things that I never noticed before, and it makes me realize that the masterminds behind these cartoons created them for children and adults alike. Is this why they've stood the test of time and why they continue to be popular for generation after generation?

That's part of it. But I think the biggest appeal is the characters themselves. Each one is unique and has their own distinctive traits. Who doesn't think of Bugs Bunny without hearing his trademark, "What's up, doc?"? What about Tweety Bird's, "I taut I taw a Puddy Tat!", Sylvester's "Sufferin' succotash!", and Foghorn Leghorn's distinct Southern accent?

This, then, is what we must do with our own characters. We must make them distinct, and set apart from the crowd. They don't have to be as crazy as the Looney Tunes characters, but they must have something that makes them unique in their world. By crafting our characters in this way, they will have staying power. Look at the Looney Tunes. They have been part of our collective consciousness for years and years. The first one was in 1930! And with the exception of how they look, those characters haven't changed much (have you ever seen the early versions of Bugs Bunny? He wasn't as handsome as he is today!). Despite the new plots and technological advances in the cartoon-making world, they still maintain their defining characteristics.

In literature, the same holds true. Here are just a few examples: Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler; Sherlock Holmes; David Copperfield; James Bond; Mr. Darcy; and the list goes on and on. Current novels are also cultivating these same types of stand-out characters. I would be willing to bet money that Lisbeth Salander from the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series will be a character that will live for generations to come.

You now have an excuse to watch cartoons. It's called research.

You can thank me later. ;-)

My New Office

2011-05-02T11:34:00.003-06:00

Finally, I have a room to myself.

Well, sort of.

Half of the entire upstairs floor of our Cape Cod house is dedicated to my office and the other half is for my daughter and her toys. It's ok. I don't mind sharing. The room is big enough for both of us. She's writing a book right now and since she's using my laptop, we have to share that, too!

Without further ado, here are some pictures of my new office:

I purchased the flag from a World War II veteran. He served on a Navy destroyer in both the European and Pacific theaters.

Lovely, lovely books!

My 1940s Royal typewriter. And yes, it works!

My reading corner.

I had to add a Hogan's Heroes poster, of course! The map above the desk to the left is a replica of a battle map of Normandy before the D-Day invasion.

To say I love this place is an understatement. It's become my haven. I crank up my Benny Goodman or Artie Shaw and no longer have to worry about neighbors downstairs! If I need a break from writing, I snuggle up on my comfy chair and read for awhile. Since I'm surrounded by World War II posters and pictures, I'm constantly reminded of why it is that I write during this time period.

In short, my office inspires me. Isn't that the way it should be? :-)

Yes, I Watched It

2011-04-29T14:51:00.001-06:00

Although I didn't get up at 4 a.m. to watch the royal wedding live, I spent plenty of time looking at the pictures and watching the videos of it today.

So sue me.

Some people have claimed that the hype surrounding this marriage has gone over the top. It's been on a 24-hour news cycle since Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement, so I can understand people's reasoning. It has been a bit overkill, especially in light of all the tragedies going on in the world.

But you know what? We need a little happiness in this world, and a royal wedding between two people who obviously love each other is just the ticket.

I fell in love with England many, many years ago. I'm sure it was the result of reading several historical and Regency romances, and that love was only solidified when I visited the country once in May of 1995 and again in October of 2008. Simply put, I adore England and her people. I guess you could call me an Anglophile. If I could, I would live part of the year (the summer months) in England in a small village, maybe next to my friend Diane or maybe even my friend Shirley. I got to meet both when I was there in October, and as they are both writers, it was a wonderful time.

It's a country rich in heritage and tradition, and there's just something to be said for all the pomp and circumstance that a royal wedding brings. I loved the cheering crowds, the people lining the streets, the celebration. What fun.

I'm not going to apologize for watching it. Why should I? Sure, there are more important things going on in the world. I'm well aware of it. Horror and tragedies abound. But there is also a need for us to have hope for our future and hope for new beginnings.

I think Prince William and the new Duchess of Cambridge's marriage does just that. It was a much-needed celebration of a man and a woman in love committing their lives to each other in front of billions (can you imagine?) of people. And it also reaffirms, for me, the importance of marriage, that bond you make with another person to learn and share and grow with each other. The wedding message given to William and Kate on their day was an inspiration to listen to, and it helped me strengthen my own commitment to my husband.

While watching the two exchange their vows, I could see how perfectly matched they were - true equals. The respect and affection and love they have for each other is plainly evident. And I won't apologize for celebrating that, either. After all, love - true love - is one of the most beautiful things in this world. I refuse to bow to cynicism on that one.

So yes. It was more than just "two rich, privileged people" getting married. It was a celebration of hope, a celebration of marriage, and a celebration of life.

Long live true love!

When It Just Won't Work

2011-04-27T10:28:00.001-06:00

Ahhh. There's nothing like the joy of writing a perfect phrase, a meaty metaphor, or a sensational simile.

Heh.

I was able to jump right back into the novel last night and oh boy, did I ever have fun. In the midst of rewriting a particular scene, I came upon one of my favorite paragraphs. I desperately wanted to keep it. I loved how I'd crafted the metaphor, the imagery I used, and how it all fit together so perfectly with my characters' dialogue.

Problem?

It didn't fit with the new scene.

And as I twisted and turned the scene and tried to figure out a way for my rewrite to fit the paragraph instead of the other way around, I realized, with a sinking heart, that I couldn't do it that way. While this particular metaphor beautifully fit the previous scene, it just didn't work with the revised version.

This is what is meant by "kill your darlings." As writers, our "darlings" are our words, and sometimes, no matter how hard it is, they must go in order to benefit the story. It's difficult. Sometimes excruciating. But it must be done.

Of course, I'll keep this juicy metaphor tucked away in a file somewhere, or possibly try to use it later in the story. It's just too good to toss.

Have you ever tried to make a phrase, a paragraph, a snippet of dialogue, or some other element of your story that you love work even when you knew it wouldn't?

Spring, Wherefore Art Thou?

2011-04-26T07:53:00.000-06:00

I like rainy, cloudy days. For some reason, they make my creativity go into overdrive, and I have been known to plow through the writing on such days.

But this is getting ridiculous.

It's been spring for, oh, a month now, and in that time, we've had only a handful of nice days. For the past two weeks, it's been rainy and cloudy and cold. I've had to wear my winter coat a few days! That's just not right...

And you would think my writing would have gone into overdrive, but then I had to host Easter at my home and that entailed cleaning, cooking, and more cleaning. So! The writing hasn't been forthcoming in the last few days.

That will change now that the holiday is behind me (and it was lovely!) and the massive headache I endured yesterday is relatively gone.

Oddly enough, I wish the sun would shine.

I'm just glad the birds in our neighborhood haven't let the lack of sun keep them from singing their sweet songs. It's lovely to go outside and hear them chattering, and I'm betting the moist ground is making it quite easy to dig up worms.

With the exception of Easter Sunday, the sun hasn't shone much lately. In fact, I think this is the wettest spring we've had in quite some time.

Has spring shown up in your neck of the woods?

No More Waiting

2011-04-20T12:55:00.001-06:00

Go ahead. Ask me.

"Have you been writing?"

Here's my answer:

Yes.

I've been writing. Or perhaps more accurately, I've been revising and reworking and reenergizing.

Is reenergizing a word? It is today.

I've been using my new office and loving it, even though I sometimes have to kick my daughter off my laptop. She has caught the writing bug, too, and when I read her stuff, I am amazed. Simply amazed. She had a very hard time learning to read and now, she flies through books and pens incredible prose. I may have to buy her a laptop of her own now...

I've also been trying to keep myself motivated. There are days I fall into a depression because I'm not able to stay home part-time and write (and let's be honest - how many writers actually get to do that, even part-time? If you do, consider yourself very, very blessed!). Instead, I've got the day job to deal with and bills to pay. This is how it is, and fighting it and feeling sorry for myself doesn't get me anywhere. It just sucks the energy and joy right out of me.

Enough, I say! (And so says God, who thumped me over the head with this statement the other night when I was having a pity party).

In that spirit, I made myself a few posters yesterday to help me. Both are World War II posters that I altered slightly to suit my needs. They now hang in a prominent place in my office.

Here's what I'm learning: there's no time like the present to use my writing gift.

That sounds simple, right? Something we all should know?

But how many of us are waiting until the right time to write or paint or compose music? Is there a magical "perfect time" to start doing these things?

No, there's not. And I should know as I have been on the other side.

Once, long ago (around 11 years), when I was pregnant with my daughter and had two young stepsons to take care of, my husband and I decided I should quit my job, stay home with the kids, and await the birth of our child. I was ecstatic. Look at all the time I had to write! Perfect, lovely, long stretches of writing time!

And before you say, "But you had two kids and a baby to take care of!" let me be the first to tell you that the boys were in school full-time and my daughter was the most well-behaved baby ever. I had time. I squandered it.

Do you know, in the almost five years that I stayed home and didn't work full-time, I didn't finish a single novel? (Of course, for the last two years, I was in graduate school, so I'm letting myself off the hook on that point). Caveat: I did get two short stories published, so I wasn't quite the slug I am making myself out to be.

Do you know when I actually finished my first novel? When I got a full-time job.

Funny how life works.

Since I've been working full-time, I've completed three novels.

Lately, I've allowed myself to look over the fence again and see the lovely stretches of green grass, and I'm ignoring the fact that it isn't any greener than the grass I am already on.

I am going to stay on this side of the fence for now because this is where God put me. Who knows what tomorrow or next week or next year holds? Not me.

There is no perfect time.

Do it. Do what you love now. Squeeze it in where you can. Don't wait for that "magical moment" when conditions will be perfect. They will only be perfect in your daydreams. Reality is not so kind. Trust me.

No more waiting. Do what you love. Now.

Why I'm Glad I'm Not a Duchess

2011-04-18T12:31:00.001-06:00

I finally watched the movie, The Duchess starring Keira Knightley last night. Why it took me so long, I'm not sure, especially since I had the great good fortune to visit the Duke of Devonshire's estate, Chatsworth, in Derbyshire, England, in October of 2008.

The Duchess tells the story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and her tumultuous life. Wed at the age of 17 to the Duke, she was a young bride eager to find happiness in her marriage and sadly, never did. Not only did her best friend, Lady Elizabeth "Bess" Foster become her husband's mistress, but the three of them actually lived in the same house together until Geogiana's death. She looked for her own love and found it with Sir Charles Grey, future prime minister of England. She bore him an illegitimate daughter named Eliza, but sadly, had to give her to Grey's parents to raise since her husband threatened her with never again seeing her own children if she stayed with Grey.

How ironic, of course, that Georgiana had raised her husband's illegitimate daughter as her own from almost the moment they were married, yet her husband couldn't do the same.

She was a fashion icon, a social celebrity, and revered for her beauty and wit, yet hid a dark secret of alcohol and drug abuse. She died at the young age of 48. Before her death, she gave her blessing to Lady Foster and her husband that they might marry. Of course, they did.

The male-dominated society of 18th century England crushed Georgiana. Forced to give up love, her best friend, her daughter, and some might argue even her dignity (can you imagine living in the same house as your husband and his mistress for all to see?) she was caught in a world that showed no mercy for a woman. A woman had her place, and though not all marriages were as dismal as Georgiana's, she was not alone in her yearning to be more than a mere means to an end - i.e., the mother of the future heir to her husband's title.

I wept for Georgiana when she was forced to give up her daughter, wept for her when her husband so cruelly abused her, wept for her when she had to choose between her children and her love for Sir Charles Grey. And really, did she have a choice? As a mother who adored and deeply loved her children, she knew she could never abandon them. Not even for love.

Costumes worn by Keira Knightley in the movie, The Duchess

In the western world, we have come a long way from the world of Georgiana, and I thank God for it. Yet I believe if it hadn't been for the courage and spunk of these women, we might not be in the place of liberation and freedom we are today. Women were instrumental in the eighteenth-century revolutions of America and France, and I wonder if Georgiana wasn't silently rooting for those countries even as they spelled doom for England.

The entryway at Chatsworth

Today, Chatsworth is a lovely, sprawling estate full of lush trees and rolling hills. The current Duke and Duchess of Devonshire live there and have opened their home to the public. Back in October of 2008, I walked through those hallowed halls, saw the portrais of Georgiana and her husband, marveled at the brilliance of how they lived.

In a way, the opulence of their lifestyle covered the ugliness underneath. No matter how I loved looking at the splendor of their past lives, I can't help but think how much better my life is in my humble Cape Cod home on this side of the Atlantic.

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

But in memory of Georgiana and the life she lived, I have a portrait of her in my living room. It's my reminder to be thankful for my independence as a woman and for the richness of my own life - my husband, my daughter, my family - and the love I have for them and they have for me. It's something that should never be taken for granted.

Free Is Good (Especially When It Comes to Writing!)

2011-04-14T13:36:00.001-06:00

The Nebraska Book Festival is coming up in May. Thanks to the miracle of Facebook, I saw they were offering free writing workshops and of course, I had to check it out.

I'm happy to say I'm enrolled in Nebraska author Timothy Schaffer's writing workshop called "Geographies of Fiction." Here's a short bio and intro:

"Timothy Schaffert is a fourth-generation Nebraskan whose central Nebraska farm has been in his family for seventy years. Three of his four novels have been set in that landscape, and a sense of place, and of the relationships that inform rural communities, have been integral to the development of his fiction. In this fiction-writing workshop, Timothy will offer writing exercises and lead a discussion on how writers use place to portray character, to further the plot, and enhance story and theme."

This is just about as perfect as it gets for me since I have recently realized I am big on "place" in my fiction and in my life. I'm quite excited about it.

Best of all? It's free.

I'm also considering signing up for a weekend workshop at the Nebraska Summer Writers Conference in June. Timothy Schaffer is also the director of this conference, and there are lots of great workshops available that week. I probably can only afford one workshop over the weekend, but hey, since my birthday is in June, this should be the perfect birthday present to myself.

You Can't Go Home Again - Or Can You?

2011-04-12T09:13:00.000-06:00

This weekend was wonderful. I got to spend a lot of time with my family and since they are one of the most important things in my life, it was a true blessing. I wouldn't be where I am today, or the person I am today, without them. They've stuck by me even when they didn't understand or agree with my choices, and I will forever love them for it.

My brothers, my Dad, and my Grandmother, 2009

I had a semi-meltdown when I got back home on Sunday night. Why? Because I live five and a half hours away from my family and I miss them. We're a close-knit family and not being able to see them for months on end is hard. Of course, they visit me when they can, but it's not as often as we would like. I'm blessed to have my little brother living in the same town as me, but my parents, my grandmother, my brother and sister-in-law, plus my niece and nephew, and numerous cousins, all live on the western end of the state.

My Dad and my nephew

Sometimes I think I should move back home. But then I realize that I absolutely love living where I do. Place is a big factor for me. I need to be happy where I live - in my home, in my neighborhood, and in my community. And I am very happy with all three of those at this point in my life.

My Mom and My Daughter

If I moved back home, I wouldn't have that, and I especially wouldn't have the opportunities that I do here. This end of the state is economically richer and, dare I say it, the mentality is much more positive. I'm not quite sure why that is - maybe it's because the land and the weather is harder to deal with in Western Nebraska. Farmers must irrigate, and drought and hail storms that wipe out entire fields of crops are not uncommon. It may have made the people tougher, but I think it's also contributed to some negativity. This is a broad assumption and certainly not everyone is this way, but I can always feel the subtle shift in the air when I come home.

But even so, if I moved back home, I would have my family.

It's a conundrum, for sure, and the situation would be a whole lot easier to bear if I could just have a private plane take me home whenever I wanted. Of course, the drive really isn't that bad. But when you work full-time and have limited vacation time, weekends are about all you can manage, and they are incredibly long weekends when you consider you're on the road for 12 hours total.

Still. When I have weekends like I did this past time, I tend to look at my hometown with rose-colored glasses. Since my brothers organized a school alumni basketball tournament, a lot of people were in town. We went out on Saturday night and I had a blast catching up with people and seeing where everyone had taken their lives since they graduated high school.

It made me incredibly sentimental, and I suddenly longed to be a part of this town again. But to live amongst people you've known your entire life can be a two-edged sword. There's an element of comfort, but I've come to discover that a lot of the relationships shaped in high school tend to be the same today. There are those you still get along with, and those you don't.

On the long drive home (when you have plenty of time to think), I was feeling rather nostalgic and, a bit depressed at leaving. But then I discovered that I'd idealized this weekend. Simply put, the events of this weekend are rather rare. My small town is normally very quiet, subdued, and, well, a small town with all its small town elements - especially the one where everyone knows everyone else's business! I love visiting, but I just couldn't live there again.

At this point in my life, this is how it is. My family is there, and I am here. Thank goodness for e-mail, Facebook, and phones so we can keep in touch. Thank goodness for special events, holidays, and impromptu trips that get us together. I am fortunate - I could live clear across the country from them and only see them once a year. So I'm going to count my blessings.

Do you live in or near your hometown, or has destiny taken you miles and miles away?

Road Trip!

2011-04-08T10:06:00.001-06:00

Sometimes, you just gotta get away.

After the crazy, hectic, and altogether busy month I had preparing to move, actually moving, and then settling in to the new house, I'm plain exhausted.

So what's the best thing to do?

Get out of town for awhile.

My two brothers and I.

My brother and I are headed home to see the family and enjoy an alumni basketball tournament. I won't be playing, but my two brothers will, and I'm sure I'll see lots of former classmates there, as well. Should be a good time.

My plan for the five and a half hour drive there? Work on my novel. I need to really iron out a few issues and this is the perfect time to do it.

What are your weekend plans?

Living the Thoughtful Life

2011-04-06T09:50:00.002-06:00

Last night, after hubby, my daughter, and I finished putting fresh mulch on our flower beds, we decided to take a well-deserved break and sit in our backyard to enjoy nature. It was a gorgeous evening with mild temperatures, a cool breeze, and blue skies. I watched a cardinal frolic in the tree branches, saw a black-capped chickadee check out the birdhouse we recently hung (he must be house-hunting!), and listened to the different sounds of nature.

It was glorious.

Right before bedtime, I snuggled into my reading chair in my office and wrote in my journal. This office is actually a dream come true for me. I've always wanted a space to call my own for writing, and with the exception of a few months before my daughter was born when I had a small room (before it was turned into the baby's room), I haven't had a room of my own. As I scribbled away in my journal, a deep sense of satisfaction filled me. This room was mine, decorated just like I wanted, a haven for my creativity and my soul.

These two events - soaking up nature and soaking up the ambience of my new office - made me realize that I strive to live a thoughtful life. What do I mean by that? Perhaps it can be described as choosing to enjoy and embrace the simple pleasures of life.

Too often, we become wrapped up in our world's culture that demands we continually strive to have more - whether it be more stuff, more money, or more success. We want perfection in our body, our spirits, our careers, our kids, our spouses, our houses, and on and on.

We need to stop thinking this way.

My office isn't perfect. My house isn't perfect. My backyard isn't perfect. I don't have the latest styles, the brand new car, or the high-paying job. And even though my bank account wishes it had a little more in it, I am incredibly thankful for everything that I have.

I don't have "perfect" in the conventional meaning of the word. Instead, I have my own version of perfect. My hubby fits me perfectly. He understands me like no one else can. My daughter is a richly creative, talented, beautiful little girl and she is perfect in my eyes. My house may be older with cracks and chips and dents, but it is perfect for my family and I.

This version of perfect - your own version - comes from changing your thinking.

Living a thoughtful life means you think about the simple things and how they enrich your life. It means you sit outside on a balmy spring evening and listen to the birds, talk with your family, and soak up God's beautiful creation. It means you stop wanting for more and start being thankful for what you have. It means you believe you are already a success no matter if you don't have your perfect job or your perfect house. It means if you have children, they are perfect just the way they are even if they draw on the walls or leave their socks on the floor or have to be reminded to brush their teeth every night.

Living a thoughtful life means you are blessed and you know it.

It's not easy to change our way of thinking, especially in a culture such as ours, but it's possible. How? By looking at things differently, by seeing them in a new light, and by embracing the blessings we have and forgetting about the things we don't have.

We have a choice. We can be miserable in how we live because we don't live in a new house or have the latest plasma screen TV or haven't taken a vacation to Europe yet, OR, we can embrace what we have - and celebrate it.

Done (For the Most Part!)

2011-04-04T08:39:00.002-06:00

I spent all weekend hanging pictures, cleaning, doing laundry, putting things away, and even took some time off to go antique shopping. As of last night, the house is pretty much done. I still need to mop the kitchen floor (because what is the point of doing it when we're carrying things through the kitchen all the live long day?), though to tell you the truth, I'm pretty sick of cleaning. I had to clean the apartment on Friday night (what a fun Friday night activity!) and that cured me of ever wanting to become a professional maid. I tip my hat to those folks. They are hard workers.

I love our house. It's so cute and cozy. All the hard work has definitely paid off! The last two mornings, I ate breakfast sitting at the kitchen table and watching the birds and squirrels play in the backyard through the kitchen window. Heavenly.

My daughter has decorated her room just how she wanted it and she couldn't be happier. We bought her a tiger mural for her wall, put up a shelf so she could display her Webkinz, and she has tacked up a ton of her drawings on just about every available inch of wall space.

Hubby has created his domain in the garage and downstairs - which is fine with me. He has his Oakland Raiders stuff, a nice, big sofa left to us by the previous renters, his DVD collection, and a huge t.v. He's set.

My office is wonderful. I have a few pics of it below. I've added some vintage touches - a vintage fan, 1940s curtains, 1940s magazines, and a few other items. And with the office being all finished, now it's time to get back to the writing.

I can't wait.

Here are a few pics to tide you over until I take more with my actual camera - these are just from my phone.

My vintage kitchen! 1950s curtains, 1950s tablecloth, vintage kitchen utensils and salt and pepper shakers; clock is from Target. :-)

My cozy reading nook in my office.

Oh look! Someone has taken residence in my reading spot!

Almost There!

2011-03-31T09:57:00.000-06:00

Goodbye, apartment! How I loved your red walls and vaulted ceilings...

Are you tired of hearing about my move?

Probably. I am tired of the actual moving!

I promise I will have actual non-moving news, riveting writing posts, and random thoughts in the forseeable future.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Last night I packed up more boxes. We should have everything out of the apartment by the end of the day - or rather, my hubby will have everything out since I am stuck at work. He has practically done all the moving himself which has amazed me - give him a two-wheeled cart and he can move practically anything (it helps that he was a professional mover in Europe for three years...).

I did some cleaning and laundry last night, too. Now both bathrooms are clean, we have clean clothes, and all that remains to do is clean the refrigerator, mop the floors, and vacuum. Doesn't sound so bad...and tomorrow is Friday.

I even managed to weed through my clothes and get rid of a good amount. I'll donate those as well as some of my daughter's things that she's outgrown. And speaking of my daughter, she is a packrat just like me when it comes to paper and books and tiny toys, and her room will be the hardest of all to organize.

The best part about moving in this fashion (i.e. having an entire month to move) is that the new house pretty much has everything put in its place. We've reused the same boxes over and over again. It's a lot better than having boxes stacked to the ceiling in the new place and taking a month to go through them all.

However, last night I hit the wall when it came to packing. If you've moved, you know the wall I'm talking about - where you just start throwing random stuff into boxes with the promise to yourself that you'll sort through it all when you get to the new house. (insert laughter here).

Moving is also an opportunity to purge, to look at an item you've been carting around for the past 10 years and ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" Unfortunately, I tend to be the sentimental type when it comes to objects and it's really hard for me to throw things away. I'm working on this, though.

Funny story: My cat loves to hide under our bed. It is her "official cowering zone." This morning, my husband moved the mattresses off the bed frame. The cat sat on the floor within the skeleton of the bed frame, looking quite lost and forlorn. I assured her that her "cowering zone" would soon be back in operational order at the new place. She just gave me a very sad meow.

The evening before, my daughter gave the kitty a stuffed animal and kitty ended up cuddling with it for most of the night. Too cute.

In other news...I am itching to get back to my manuscript. I looked through it a bit yesterday and got excited all over again. This is a good thing considering two months ago, I was so bored with it I wanted to chuck it into the trash icon on my computer.

What's the news from your end? Anything exciting?

Confession: I'm a Chocolate Addict

2011-03-29T08:57:00.000-06:00

I'm really not kidding when I say I'm addicted to chocolate.

Dove Dark Chocolate is my absolute favorite. This amuses me because I always used to avoid dark chocolate. Milk chocolate was far more pleasing to my taste buds, and whenever I tried the darker kind, it always left a bitter taste in my mouth.

But when I heard that dark chocolate was better for you, well, I had to see if I could "adapt" to the taste.

I can say, with absolute certainty, that those taste buds have been forever converted.

While I occasionally will eat milk chocolate, it tastes nowhere near as good as it once did.

I've always loved chocolate. But lately, I've realized that I cannot go a single day without it. I honestly cannot remember the last day I didn't have some sort of the sweet stuff.

This makes losing weight a bit harder since chocolate contains fat. But in the past, I've successfully stuck to one serving of chocolate a day and lost weight.

The problem now, however, is that with moving to a new place and all the hassle that entails, I tend to deviate from one serving and make it closer to two. One serving of Dove Dark Chocolate is five pieces. Sometimes I stretch it to six or seven. Whoops.

I blame the stress.

However, dark chocolate (in moderation) is actually good for you.

So, I guess I'm just being really good to myself, right? :-)

Vintage Finds and Decorating Styles

2011-03-24T08:26:00.004-06:00

In my quest to make my new home - and my life - more vintage, I've been hitting the second-hand and antique stores in town. It takes some digging sometimes, but I've been able to find some awesome treasures.

Since our house was built in 1951, I wanted to incorporate vintage touches into the kitchen, which is still relatively close to the original design. I found an awesome pair of vintage 1950s cafe curtains (and I promise I'll take pics as soon as they're hung up!) via Etsy and yesterday I scored some amazing vintage kitchen utensils that will look perfect on the built in decorative kitchen shelves. I'm on the hunt for a vintage 1950s kitchen clock - preferably red - as well as some vintage linens including a cute tablecloth. If I could, I'd buy one of these and make my kitchen complete, but alas, I don't have that kind of money!

For my office, I plan on a more 1940s theme in keeping with what I write. While I can't afford a vintage desk right now (though I'll keep my eyes out for them), I can add some great vintage touches. Yesterday, I found a vintage 1940s Royal typewriter at an antique store and promptly bought it (well, put it on layaway, at least!). Not only does it still work, but it will look amazing in my office! I'll take a picture of mine when I bring it home, but to give you an idea, it looks just like this:

I'm also searching for a vintage desk set and a cool vintage lamp. However, all of this treasure-hunting takes time and money, so I've had to limit my purchases lately. I figure I have time to get things just how I want them. (By the way, if you're into vintage and want to join a terrific online community of like-minded folks, I highly recommend The Fedora Lounge.)

For the living room, I'm not going with a twentieth century look at all. Since I have a mixture of tastes from eighteenth century to the 1940s and 1950s, I choose to create eras in different rooms as opposed to having the entire house have one look (though there are those that do that and their houses look AMAZING). Since my aunt gifted with some beautiful Victorian-style couches last year, I'm sticking with a nineteenth-century style for my living room. I had that style before, so things will stay pretty much as they were over at the apartment.

Now the basement...well, that's not going to be my domain. It's all my hubby's. Don't be surprised if I show you a picture in a few months and there's lots of Oakland Raiders' and car stuff everywhere in his "man cave"...

What about you? Do you have different decors in each room of your house, or do you prefer a uniform style throughout?