friday's quote

"There is a giant asleep within every man. When the giant awakes, miracles happen."

Frederick Faust

pity party

so i had a bit of a pity party yesterday about self publishing and the ridiculous stigma that is out there. then i had one about my whole career in writing. in my hours of subconcious thinking, while i slept, i was reminded of what i know is true. it is up to me to make the opportunities and if i am not making very many then i will not have very many. if you want to be whatever you want to be in life you have to work so hard and so diligent everyday, and in all honesty, i havent been doing that. so, like my darling friend says, the nathan bransford post referred to in an earlier post must have lit a fire underneath me, and i guess it has. 

so off to work on my second novel and article queries...

hitting a wall

i was so excited this week about getting my website going, joining james river writers, and getting my book in front of agents, while reigninting my daily schedule for writing my second novel, when i came upon this post at nathan bransford's blog and it knocked the wind out of my sails. what should i do? while i am not stuck on my first book needing to get traditionally published before i move on it would be nice to get more coverage for it, yet every which way i turn i run into the same dead ends. defeat, i tell you, were i a more realistic person i might be tempted to throw in the towel and do something that makes more sense for a living, something that avoids pain not seeks it out. maybe become a black belt in martial arts, it would be much less suffering...so, if you have a minute, glance at the post and give me your advice. 

website

my website should be finished and published this week! i am so excited about this as it has been a long time coming. i now have to weed through pictures of myself and pick ones that will make me look like a serious professional, not easy considering i am just a goofy girl. this is a serious downside for me, i hate looking at pictures of myself. i can see the sun spots, the random greys that my hair dye didn't cover, and my too gummy smile so then i wonder why in the world i have to have these pictures on the site, it is torture. alas, i must and so i close my eyes whenever i see the photos, pretend i am a supermodel and go on. 

i did my site through network solutions, in case anyone is looking for somewhere to build a site. it was so easy, as easy as a blog really. thanks, to my friend david who recommended it. 

friday's quote

"Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties."  Erich Fromm

"It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all."  Edward de Bono

i couldn't decide which one i liked better today...

back to work

i am back to work now that my incredible granddaughter has gone home. she was here for two weeks. i always love to be with her and can not ever thank her enough for changing my perspective on life. it is so great to see the world through a child's eyes. it helps my creativity and reminds me that we are all born with talents that we should honor and nurture. i get so lost sometimes in day to day problems, in overwhelming decisions and the basics of paying bills, taking care of a house and family that i forget how simple it really is. then, my granddaughter appears, wraps her arms around me and for two weeks forces me to be creative, playing make believe and telling made up stories. i once again surprised myself with how creative my stories can be when i have to come up with them on the spot. 

the audacity of hope

i finished reading this book and have to say i loved the way obama writes. it is eloquent and effective. this book, while definitely expressing his views and beliefs, was written in such a way that you forget you are reading the kind of book that is usually dry and boring. i found myself inspired and informed, not only about obama's goals but also about the history of our country. the audacity of hope was engaging and definitely worth reading.

to be fair i want to read a book that explains mccain's positions and beliefs, can anyone recommend one?

friday's quote

"None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

i wanted to share a review of my book i found on my birthday the other day, what a great present!

it came with five stars on amazon!!!

"The streets of Chicago are not the most forgiving of places. "One of the Best Things" follows Sunni as she tries to pursue her dream-only to have it snatched away from her, crushing her and making her perform unspeakable acts. At rock bottom, her only strands to climb back up lie in her mother and where she least expects help to come. "One of the Best Things" is a deftly written inspirational novel, a top pick for community library fiction collections."

Midwest Book Review

duh

as i stood in front of the trash can, with the plastic tub for dirty dishes on it, i turn to the guy behind the counter and asked him where i should put my dirty plates. kindly, he and the gentleman standing next to him pointed to the plastic tub behind me without snickering or even rolling their eyes. duh. luckily i am used to asking stupid questions as i can sometimes be a bit preoccupied in the morning, however it was a very humbling moment, reminding me to try to be more tolerant of people who might be a bit preoccupied at other times during the day. (also a reminder to try to remember not to run out of milk so i dont leave the house without at least one cup of coffee in me...)

friday's quote

"After a year in therapy, my psychiatrist said to me, 'Maybe life isn't for everyone.'"

"It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others."


i think these quotes are so funny. does anyone know who said them? i found them here but with no credit given to the originator.

have a good weekend!

ira glass storytelling 2.

even though ira glass talks about storytelling in reference to broadcasting i think it is applicable to writing articles, stories or novels. i think anyone creative can get the message here about getting rid of crap. definitely my mantra, especially today as i embark on a new project.

ira glass storytelling 1.

as we all know i am a little behind the times so some of you may have seen this video. if you have it is a great reminder and if you havent i hope you enjoy it.i will put the other ones that continue the podcast on over the next two days.

rest your mind

i want to do a post on our trip to honduras, tell you about the great dive shop, some funny stories and show some pics but my computer is locked away since our 115 year old floors are now being refinished. while this is an exciting process it is crippling me, i can't write, i can't send info, or access any, i can't invoice clients etc. and of course this is when all of the material is popping into my head, when i am writing brilliant stories as i clean walls, scrape paint and scrub floors. i have written several chapters in my second book and one short story. i have also written query letters to two different magazines and have started my new blog. it is incredible what my mind can do in a day, and i am absolutely brilliant in each thing i have done this week; in my mind anyway.
all of this has led me to the confirmation of what i always suspected was true but could never force myself to do it, let your mind rest, let it be quiet without demands for creativity or expectations. you will be a lot more creative and when you resume your work, whatever it may be, you will be much more productive.

essay contest

want to win a beach house in oregon. it is easy, just write a great essay. here is the article and the info. the contest expires on june 30.

i spent the weekend working on our new old house. while scraping 40 year old wallpaper off of the walls, i was thinking about short stories i could write. (i have abandoned the one i was writing, not because i thought it was going nowhere but because it was dragging on too long. if you think otherwise let me know.) i came up with a few ideas that could be pretty good, then i came up with a few that went nowhere, and then a few that were completely ridiculous and unbelievable, and then i read this at salon.com and was shown once again, that real life is always one upping even the best imagination...

friday's quote

"Age puzzles me. I thought it was a quiet time. My seventies were interesting and fairly serene, but my eighties are passionate. I grow more intense as I age."
-Florida Scott Maxwell


my birthday is this month, which refers back to my epiphany that i am closing in on 40. while this was shocking to me at first i began to realize that most of the really fantastic people i know are over 50. they do have a lot more enthusiasm for life and are much more adventurous than the people under 40 that i know. this makes me really excited to turn 40. i also know that the older i get the better i feel in my own skin, although my skin doesn't feel better, in fact there is evidence of sagging, wrinkles and unwanted fat deposits. i become more of myself with every year and definitely more capable of looking people in the eye and saying, "hmmm, sorry but this is who i am, and on most days that is a pretty damn good thing to be."
so, with a little lipo under my upper arms, actually i am going to try weight lifting first, a lot of hair dye and daily thanks that my husbands eye sight is poor and he doesnt wear glasses to bed i say i am excited about getting older, especially since i can still get away with acting so young!

contrary

contrary to what you have seen of late on this blog i am actually quite funny and while at times i act like a twelve year old, maybe not so desirable as a person pushes 40 ( a revelation we will be exploring tomorrow as i digest this information while trying not to have a breakdown), which to me is a blessing really. so here i am definitely showing the mature side of me, loving the fact that i could wear a bandanna every day without anyone staring at me, thinking i am a biker chick, or feeling self conscious. let me tell you i definitely discovered the joy of being myself with a bandanna and a two week absence of a bra. the lack of hot air burning my scalp as i try to get my hair to do something everyday is a serious blessing. so, besides being immature i am definitely in love with a simple life as far as beauty goes. (of course this is all true until i put on a dress, style my hair, put on my jewelry and some gorgeous shoes and i pretend i am a social lite, who of course my husband is immensely appreciative that he gets to take out in public, it is better than the 12 year old me...).

i'm back

the last several weeks have been crazy for me, but i am back now. i was gone helping my sis get ready for her wedding, then moving into a new house, actually a very old house, but new to us. then cleaning the old house which was, actually still is, filthy! and then finally off to roatan, honduras for a much needed break with my husband and then a fantastic dive adventure with our best friends. i am home now, tan and ready to go...
on my trip i talked a lot with my best friend and she gave me some really great advice about my writing and a book to read which changed my perspective. i am going to be working on writing differently now. my sister has told me that i write so seriously all of the time. this is what my best friend was telling me as well. i am not a serious person, in fact i am often accused of acting very silly, so as the advice was given, write the words from who you are, and so i shall try...
here we go on another adventure...

friday's quote

"There's many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher."
- Flannery O'Connor

new blog

my friend from simplyolive sent me this blog, stuff white people like. it is hilarious and judging from his comments i am the only person left who didnt know about it. but in case you too are unaware here is the link.

earth day

in honor of earth day...

give up this:

it takes over 5,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. it takes 2 gallons to produce one pound of vegetables.



travel like this:



conserve this:




join this:

a local reuse group where you can get free stuff and spare our landfills.


do this as much as you can everyday and help change where we live.

first photo: umpaqua on flickr
second photo: my family
third photo: terrygray on flickr

monday's story continued

the officer on the left raised his arm towards the door, as if to brace it in case she changed her mind about it opening. he was short and stocky, and balding. his skin was pale, and while it showed no real signs of his age she guessed he must be in his mid forties, he definitely dressed like an aging, balding man, who gave no thought to his appearance. his plaid dress shirt, hanging sloppily from his rotund belly looked at least twenty years old, a little threadbare around the elbow that was now placed against the door. she could see them both and they could see her, so she stopped opening the door, leaned her body into it so they would know they weren't welcome and asked if she could help them.

friday's quote

"words are things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think." lord byron

e.e.

i have always been a big fan of e.e. cummings. i liked him because of his rebellion against punctuation, and his attempt at making words a little more visual. for me he created vision with his
lack of capital letters, and the layout of his letters. when i tried to experiment with that in college my poetry professor had a fit! isn't that incredible, 36 years after his death and my college professor is still trying to insist we all write traditionally, limiting creativity and squelching ideas. is this why so much of our popular art, writing, music and movies are the same these days? the formula that is safe is the one that is rewarded?

visual writing

my very best friend is a painter. she is an amazing painter. recently while she was visiting we visited galleries all over richmond. i started to feel jealous of her trade. i began feeling that she was luckier than me because she is a painter and not a writer. when i spoke to her about this she was astonished, after all, she is struggling too. the thing that was really getting to me though is that visual artists and musicians create something that people can see easily and make a decision. i can not hang my writing on the wall and have someone stand there and decide if they like it or not. in order to make a decision about my writing a person must commit time, time for a book or a short story. they can't walk down the street and look into a window and see my work, they have to sit somewhere and read, they have to buy my book BEFORE they know if they like it or not, a risk. with paintings, you can look for a long time and decide first, with music you can listen to the radio, or hear a sample on amazon or at the bookstore before you decide.
so all of this got me thinking about how cool it would be to write in visual art. can a book be done in a way that is artistic, more visual even? how would you do it?

art courtesy of dawn fetty at creativeendeavors.blogspot.com

monday's story continued

as she pulled the paneled white door towards her body she could see the hallway, at first appearing empty, long black carpet runner spread out in front of her, leading to her neighbors door across the hallway. she moved her eyes up, to look straight ahead and then slightly to the left. they stood there, close together, dressed in everyday clothes, waiting for her to pull the door completely open. one of the officers stared at her from behind rectangular, metal framed glasses. she thought how rare it was to see someone wearing glasses, almost everyone wore contacts these days. behind the glasses she could see the beginnings of age, small lines leading from the corners of his eyes and then fragmenting towards his temples. she wondered if he squinted a lot. his eyes were solid brown, and a little small for his face. he stared back at her as she revealed more of herself and her apartment.

friday's quote

The methods, even the ideas of successful writers contradict each other in a most heartening way, and the only element I find common to all successful writers is persistence-an overwhelming determination to succeed.
Sophy Burnham

book review

I recently finished On Writing Well by william zinsser. i thought this book had a lot of great tips about all different kinds of non fiction writing. he covers everything from non fiction literature, to interviewing styles to business writing. the examples he gives of successful writing in each field are inspiring, in fact i have a list of people i want to read such as e.b. white, nora ephron (he talks about her talent as a humor writer), and v.s. pritchett to name a few. i learned a great deal about writing non fiction that evokes emotion, and interest. i am reading and writing non fiction in a different way now. his advice on the approaches to take while interviewing were, for me, invaluable.

"write with the respect for the english language at it's best-and for readers at their best." he writes in length about how we have strayed from this and fallen into a trap of breezy writing, writing down to readers and using slang words to express ourselves, cheating our readers of the moment, the details, and the setting.
i would strongly recommend this book as one of the best writing books i have read thus far!

friday's quote

Zest. Gusto. How rarely one hears these words used. How rarely do we see people living, or for that matter, creating by them. Yet if I were asked to name the most important items in a writer’s make-up, the things that shape his material and rush him along the road to where he wants to go, I could only warn him to look to his zest, see to his gusto. Ray Bradbury

if we write from who we are, then our words have to be worth writing, worth reading because we are all worth knowing. perhaps it is the deviation from ourselves, changing our words, our styles, or our stories to please the masses that makes our books, in the end, less publishable or less sellable...

monday's story continued

sorry about my absence lately. and the missing story today. i have been traveling and am now in negotiations over a house. i will let you know what happens and hopefully be back in full swing in the next few days. thanks for your patience!