vivaler

This Sat night I will be taking my oldest daughter to meet Alex Flinn and watch Beastly with a group of SCBWI members! My daughter read Beastly about a month ago, and totally loved it. (I admit I haven't gotten around to it yet, although I read one of Alex' books (Breaking Point) a few years ago, and liked that!)

I'm excited to be able to take Meaghan, and let her experience being surrounded by all those authors.

A few years ago, I attended an SCBWI conference in Miami, and actually sat next to Alex on the bus ride back from Books and Books on the first night. She was very nice and will without doubt NOT recognize me, but that's ok.

Not much of a post, just a little: I am so excited I can't stand it kind of mood!! And I really can't wait to see the movie.

I have discovered that I am not very good at the whole "blogging" thing. Every so often, I stumble across this, remembering that I am actually supposed to be posting to it every other day or so. Weekly would be good, too, but, as you can see, I don't.

But the funny thing is..."you" don't see, because the God's honest truth is: NO ONE READS THIS at all!! The laugh's on me, huh?

That's ok...I will post today, maybe next week, and if anyone stumbles upon this, then they can be my "YOU."

I just read Libba Bray's post...quite phenomenal! All about choices to be made when a teenager is ready to leave the nest. But the post was so much more than just that. YOU should go read it, because it is enlightening...

I just ate the worst lunch ever! A lean cuisine/healthy choice (not sure which one) lunch entree that is: honey balsamic chicken with asparagus, red potatoes and halved-cherry tomatoes. When Macaroni Grill makes this, it tastes REALLY good! When my hubby makes this, it tastes REALLY good! When they make it, it tastes HORRIBLE! Really! Maybe the difference was in the starch...because Macaroni Grill and my hubby make it with angel hair pasta. They made it with red potatoes, which ironically were the best part of it. The sauce was sickeningly sweet, with a very dense consistency. And the tomatoes were mush with the skin that slid right off, choking you as you tried to swallow it. I am replaying in my head how I almost put back the second box, but stopped myself with a mental message: You'll LOVE it!

Charles, my hubby is out of town. He's up in jersey helping fix up his sister's house. He'll be home in another week. Then in Dec., we'll all be flying up! Him first, then me with the girls a week and a half later. Then I'll fly home 3 days later, followed by him with the girlies 2 days after that.

I am excited to feel that bone-chilling cold! Although, I just know I'll hate it! LOL The girls experienced it about 9 years ago, so the memory has long since left them, too. The thing that stinks about all this is: we do not have the proper clothes needed to spend any length of time in a place that's going to be so cold! Sure, we have some long pants. Although I actually only have one pair that fits. :( At least we have winter coats. (Except my oldest, but I have given her instructions to start asking friends at school if anyone has one she can borrow.)

And an added bonus to the trip, besides seeing family and friends will be the PUPPIES!!! Tiny, baby chihuahua puppies that will be about 3 or 4 weeks old! They are gonna be so CUTE!! My kids are going to wine and pester me incessantly about taking one home with us, and even when they finally understand they can not have one, they will keep telling me over and over and over and over again, until one of us is blue in the face: "I wish we could have one. I know we can't, but I wish we could." Also, they will say things like: "What would you name it if we could take it home?"; "I would name it Blue or Sunshine or maybe Petals."; "Wouldn't this one be the cutest to take home?"; "I'd play with it all the time, and feed it and it could sleep with me at night!"

And honestly, if we didn't have two OLD dogs at home, and had the money to pay for vet bills, I'd probably end up taking one home.

But we DO have two OLD dogs at home, and we do NOT have the money to pay for vet bills, so we will without doubt, NOT be taking a cute, adorable, baby chihuahua puppy home with us, even if it would fit in our pocket on the plane!

I have been writing this one particular YA for about 3 years now. I have taken several breaks from this particular story, mostly because of some major things happening in my life. Now that things have mostly calmed down, I'm finding my desire to finish this story strengthen. YAY!

I found I had a pretty solid idea of where the story was heading, but I've never been one to "know" any of my stories from start to finish. I get an idea, and play with ideas in my head, and then start writing. This YA, though, I actually did sit down and "plot" as best I knew how. I basically used a chapter by chapter outline, which only led up to about chapter 7 or so. Then I began writing.

Since that beginning, I was so fortunate to attend a plotting workshop with Joyce Sweeney (which I think I wrote about in a previous blog). AMAZING!!! I definitely knew this story needed to be plotted using Ms. Sweeney's technique. Today, I did that! I actually began thinking about it early this morning before I got up. A lot of great ideas come my way in that quasi-awake/quasi-asleep state of being that comes just as your falling asleep or just awakening.

Anyway, I realized my story's climactic moment this morning! And this afternoon, I sat with an old fashioned pencil and paper and plotted. It was fun. I even added a "growth chart" for my MC. I'd never done that before and I believe it helped a lot, by allowing me to have a clearer view of just how my MC is supposed to change. (a.k.a. character arc?)

So, my suggestion to anyone, take a workshop in plotting if ever you're able. It was well worth the money spent! And in July, I have another workshop with Ms. Sweeney on poetry in fiction.

That will definitely be interesting...

I just finished reading one of those kinds of books that just haunts you after you've put it down. My neighbor had just finished it, and I'd just happened to be over her house, and she suggested I read it. So I took the book, not really into it that much, because it wasn't a historical novel, which is what my typical read is.

So it took me a bit of time to get into it (not to mention that I'm always running around taxi-ing the kids from one spot to another). The story is basically about a modern-day slave, a wealthy art dealer, and the woman who brought them together. (That's prety much what the blurb says on the back of the book.)

The chapters alternate between these two men's perspective and background story, leading up to their inevitable meeting. The one man, Denver, having grown up in practical slavery, who at the age of 20 or so, hops on a train to somewhere other than where he was at. The other man grew up a middle class college student, ends up working for a bank until he strikes it rich when he takes a risk on selling a painting. How these two men come together is something only God could do.

And that's all I'm going to say, except don't forget a box of tissues, because it gets a little teary somewhere in there.

But the tears are well worth it, because I don't think you'll finish the book the same way you began it. I know I didn't.

Picture books...I love them. And I love the idea of seeing one with my name on it, opening the pages where the words I lovingly created flow across the pages that are enblazoned with beautiful drawings that fully depict what it is that I meant.

I just had one of my stories critiqued by an extrememly talented author who just had her 14th novel released (am I allowed to say her name?), Joyce Sweeney. The story I sent off is one that I wrote in about 30 minutes. Well, the rough draft that is. I love this story; it's about Christmas and the wonder of it, and I've worked so hard on it, and I can visualize how the pictures would look.

I received Ms. Sweeney's reply, and was disheartened to hear that my picture book is not. It's not the right story for a picture book format. Boo-Hoo. I think I kind of realized that, because as I would read it, I had blank spots in my mind for certain lines. Those blank spots were pages of text with no real picture.

But that's not to say this story, which I still believe is a unique and fun story is unsellable. Only now, I know to stop looking at book publishers, and turn to magazines. And this is where I am not very good. In fact, the overwhelming nature of finding the right "home" for something I've written sends me into a frozen state of being. A state of procrastination, if you will.

I need to force myself to research, and search for the perfect home for my baby, but it's really not easy!

So wish me luck!

I am feeling very nostalgic. Every so often, I get that way. It almost makes me want to cry. Especially when I think about how things change; I remember how they were, and how at this moment, it's different and no matter what I do, I can't bring it back. It's just gone... forever.

Change is something I have mixed feelings about. Sometimes I like it, and other times I just don't. I guess we're all like that, though, aren't we? The proverbial "they" say: the older you become, the harder it is to change. People are such habitual creatures, that we get set in our ways. Doing the same thing in the same way is comforting; therefore, to change the way we do things becomes uncomfortable (obviously).

I have a friend who is a labor & delivery nurse. This woman is amazing! She has such a natural ability to understand others and to accept them as they are. Anyway, she was telling me about this woman who came in to deliver her baby, but it was too early or something like that, and the baby died. My friend told me how she went in to this woman's room afterwards, and the woman asked her, "Will it ever be normal again?"

My friend, said, "No. It won't be; but you'll create a new normal."

You'll create a new normal.

That to me, is so profound. That's what life is all about. Creating new normals. And I don't have it with me, but there is a tiny part of one of the Anne of Green Gables stories, that mentions this very idea. And if I can remember, I will quote it here.

So go out there, and start creating your new normals! And hopefully you will enjoy the process!

This past Sat, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop on getting your book published. Joyce Sweeney served as speaker on this topic, and boy, does she know a lot about this process, because she has 14 or 15 books of her own published, not to mention she has helped 26 people become published! That's a pretty good track record if you ask me. What I wouldn't do to have her guidance.

Speaking of which, this Friday coming, I'm attending one of Joyce's workshops on plotting, at a friend's house, who is in one of Joyce's weekly critique groups. I'm going to be so nervous! I know I shouldn't be, but I will anyway.

The good thing about worskshops, and conferences, and even critique groups, is that they inspire you to keep trudging along. And that is what I am doing, because I see a light at the end of the tunnel...

Tonight's my critique group. YAY! I really do enjoy getting together with my pals to chat about this thing I love so much.

Tara's progress kind of slowed down this past week, but she'll get going again, soon. Especially after tonight's meeting. I have hit my 50th page, which is at about 13,000 words. I've never done that before, and it feels really good.

Aside from anything writing...I bought a new shirt last night. It is very pretty and feminine, and I love it. And it hides the bit of extra weight I've gained in my belly. Getting old isn't fun. I used to be able to eat all the ice cream I wanted and never worried. Now as I sit there at night, I try to limit the size of the scoops, because I really love ice cream.

Maybe I should start exercising?

So I am on to Chapter 8! Not quite sure I started it in the right spot, but once I get going, I'll figure it out. I loved the way Chapter 6 ended. It's my favorite in the book, so far. The MC's love interest just walks away. And I hadn't even planned it, the character did it for me. And when he did, I knew it was right!

I almost didn't get up early enough this morning to write. But I made myself and now I'm glad I did, because I started the next chapter. And I'm on page 48! I have never made it to page 48 before, ever, ever, ever!! I almost kept going, just to reach 50, but I had to stop and get ready for work. So tomorrow is going to be a very momentous day for me. And my word count is at about 12,200!

I have another PB that I have to start sending out. Need to set a time to look at publishing houses online websites, and see where I can send it.

As the subject informs, so I am...

Tara, Not Terra is coming along nicely. This new habit of getting up when it's dark, while not exactly pleasant, is helping my story become written. I now have something terrific to take to my critique group this coming wed. They have been waiting patiently for it, and now I can deliver.

Who knew that setting aside actual "writing time" would produce just that!?! [Just kidding...that was an attempt at being humorous-- which sometimes flops--as my 12 year old put it when she was 4, in one of those "All About My Mom" questionaires the teachers help them fill out for mother's day: "My mom is funniest...(and she answered!)...she's not." Well, I don't know about you, but I find that funny!]

Getting back on track...

I am still in Chapter 7. But I'm about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way finished. I was starting to hit a wall, when just a few minutes ago I saw a crack that soon tumbled to allow passage to the other side! Yay! And I think it's going to be good...

I'll let you know!