Lexie, Geese and NaNoWriMo

Look who ventured upstairs to keep me company this morning.



She's on my lap now, and making it tough to type. The last few days she hadn't come upstairs at all, and any time I went downstairs, she'd yell at me: "MEOW! I'M LONELY!"

So last night after the dog went to bed, I dragged Lexie upstairs. She immediately ran back down, but eventually slithered up again, looked for the dog and made herself comfortable. I've tried explaining that my dog is the most harmless thing in the world, but she's not buying it yet.

Still, this morning when I opened the basement door (no, she's not allowed to roam at night -- neither was Breeann) she popped right out. Of course, the dog was up so she ran back down, but she hovered halfway down the stairs (way to tease the dog!) and waited. Once Dakota left, she came back up.

Silly girl.

And fall is definitely here. We're getting flocks of geese coming through as the venture south. I was at the library yesterday morning around 9 a.m. and there were a couple dozen on the lawn below, grazing (and finding the occasional apple -- it's an old apple orchard):



I know they're hard to see, but my camera on the phone doesn't zoom. I've cropped it here:


DD goes on her first field trip today. I admit to being a little nervous ... it's something I did hundreds of times as a kid and never thought about whether my mom worried about my safety (on the road ... not so much at the place). Still, this is good for me, too. Gotta let go of your kidlets at some point, right?

Charity Tahmaseb commented yesterday about my issues with waiting on my Samhain submission: You could, of course, take your mind off things by writing something new. I believe NaNo is coming up, no?

Yes, yes it is!! And yes, I'd love to try NaNo again. I really, really love NaNoWriMo ... I have a month to plan. Maybe I'll even (*GASP*) write an outline! I'd still love to give Geoff (from "One Love for Liv") his HEA. And it would be wildly appropriate to finish his story during NaNo, since that's when I originally wrote Liv.

I'll have to give it some serious thought. And for those of you who've read Liv: What kind of heroine do you think would be perfect for Geoff?

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You Are Confident

You know what you want, and you're not quick to change your mind. You have strong opinions that are set in stone. You love being the center of attention and having your moment. You don't shy away from the spotlight. You are focused and committed. You never lose site of your goals. You enjoy challenges... in fact, you seek them out. You like to put yourself to the test and see what you're made of.

The Toast Test

About 90% right!

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Thoughts On My Writing

"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go." - E.L. Doctorow

I was contemplating the writing I want to get done this year. It's not *that* much, really, and if I apply myself, I should be able to.

*Queen and Assassin (my fantasy): Finish by 1/31 -- it's at 30k words right now, and nearly finished (maybe another 5 - 10k to go), so I should make it.

*Now and Forever ("Kitchen Matches" sequel): Finish by 4/30 -- it's about 18k words right now. I'd planned for it to be around 20k, but that's not going to happen! There's a lot more to go, storywise, so I think I'm more like about half done.

*A Jewel for Geoff ("One Love for Liv" sequel): Finish by 12/31 -- this will be at least 55k, and since I have to redo the entire thing, this is the "iffy-est" goal on my list.

*Drive Me Crazy (another "Kitchen Matches" story -- technically the sequel to "Now and Forever" even though I started it first): Finish by 8/31 -- it's at about 15k and more than half done, so I should be good.

At least two "short" short stories (15k words or fewer) -- possibly "Perilous Love" or "Beautiful Blossom", both of which are started and *sort of* outlined.

If I have time, I'd like to complete "A Change of Tune" (the sequel to "A Change of Heart"), also started, but not outlined.

Since all of those except "Geoff" are novellas, I don't think that's unreasonable.

I wish I was like Dru -- who mentioned yesterday that she prefers to get around 5 hours of sleep a day ... that would give me 3 extra hours of up-time daily!!

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You Are Easygoing

Your friends would all agree that you have a pleasant personality. You're easy to get along with. You appreciate people from all walks of life. You especially like colorful, quirky folks. You are mostly a flexible person, but you can be unpredictably stubborn at times. You always need to stick to your routine. If you end up deviating from your plan, you aren't as dependable as you'd like to be.

The Pasta Test

About 50/50 -- I'm neither flexible nor particularly easy-going but otherwise it pretty well fits.

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Decisions, Decisions

“Good writing is rewriting.” - Truman Capote

So ... I agonized all yesterday about my NaNo project. Is it better to get words down on a story that isn't working, just to get my "winner" badge and then have to either toss the entire thing and start over, or edit the H-E-Double-Toothpicks out of it later -or- is it better to set it aside and "moodle" over it awhile to figure out what's working, what isn't and how to make it right?

The clincher for me is this: I hate editing. HATE it with an all-consuming passion. I know it's a necessary evil, but I do my very best to have a relatively clean first draft with all the ducks in as straight a row as possible in order to do as little major editing as possible.

So, "A Jewel For Geoff" is once again shelved. It just wasn't working for me -- the characters didn't have chemistry, the conflict was weak, the plot was all over the place, I couldn't decide if Geoff's parents were dead or not and how that would change things, I couldn't decide if any of the girls had boyfriends, I couldn't decide... well, you get the idea.

It all began to feel like a royal waste of time, and time is simply the one thing I don't have any of to spare.

Instead, I'm rewriting a story (Camilla's story) that I actually have nearly finished and changing two things in the plot to make it work for me and building up the internal conflict between the H/H. I worked on it last night and again this morning, and I'm really excited about it. I like the story, the plot and the characters. I plan on having it done by the end of November -- can that count for NaNo? I'll need a couple folks with good editing eyes who like contemporary light-hearted romance to look it over for me (anyone?), but the plan is to submit to Harlequin American. By end of December.

Am I being unrealistic? I have no idea.

Following THAT, though, I want to get my fantasy done. ASAP.

And after that, I have big plans for "Return to Stiller Creek" which include completely changing "who dunnit" and making the story less reliant on DNA testing -- and, yes, I've figured out how to do that. And, I need to ramp up the suspense. That one I'd like to submit to Harlequin Romantic Suspense.

Hmmm....

Eventually I will return to "A Jewel for Geoff" and to the "Kitchen Matches" sequel. I think about them constantly, so something is going to click in my brain eventually. It always does on the ones that matter.

In other news, I think I have one manuscript that is history -- permanently shelved. That would be "Playing House". With the incredible leaps that technology has taken in the last five or six years, my premise won't work at all. I may recycle the characters though and try to give them a different story (at the very least, I want to use Minerva because I <3 her).

So many ideas, so little time. We won't talk about the other twenty or thirty started manuscripts I have on my hard drive.

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You Have a Wild Imagination

You can think or dream anything. You have very vivid and colorful thoughts. You have a refreshing and bold attitude. People can count on you to be honest. You are chill to the point of being a little lazy. It's hard for you to get motivated at times. You are a very thoughtful person. Even when you're resting, your mind is churning a bit.

The Bubble Bath Test

Except the "chill to the point of being lazy" part, this really fits.

=======================

It's Monday ...

"Creativity, as has been said, consists largely of rearranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know. Hence, to think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted." — George Kneller

But not a usual one because ... yes... DH is still off! LOL!

The weekend wasn't too bad, and WOW was the weather beautiful. On Saturday we were in the low 60s and I had my house all opened up. Amazing.

Unfortunately, I got nearly NO writing done, and am now about 10,000 words behind on NaNoWriMo. I should have time to write this morning, though, after DH leaves to go hunting and before DD wakes up. I did manage to write about Geoff's unexpected mentor and father figure (he never really had one), so that was good, and I shifted POV in one scene I was struggling with from Emmy to Geoff, and that worked. Not a lot of words, but some, and at this point I'll take what I can get.

Honestly, I'm struggling with creating real chemistry between my H/H. I know it's there somewhere, I can totally picture them together, and the scene I wrote with the Traveling Shovel of Death was exactly right and showed it perfectly, so I just need to channel that into the rest of the story. I'm still working on writing random scenes for a few reasons: because sometimes it's just easier to write the fun stuff, and it helps me really get a feel for my characters (which I think I need -- I *thought* I knew them, but new stuff keeps popping up).

Onward and upward...

I also posted a few new items on DistinctivelyDD yesterday. I really LOVE the new camera -- it takes amazing close-up pictures. Check out this picture of the beads I took of one pair of earrings.

Here are the earrings, and this is the type of picture I had to use with my old camera:



And here is the close up I took with the new one so I could show the detail:



I did it with a few of the items and was so amazed!



LOVE, LOVE my camera!

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I am going to try to catch up on my blog-hopping again ... I hate getting behind because then it's just overwhelming, but I needed the break from everything this weekend. I'm very much a person who needs a routine, and this month I've had none. It's incredibly stressful for me, and is taking a toll on my health, mental and physical. I swear, next year I'm going on vacation in November. But then, I say that every year!

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You Are Lucy

You are smart as a whip... maybe a little too smart for your own good! Other people tend to annoy you. You tell it like it is, and you're not about to spare anyone's feelings. You're very blunt. You are assertive to the point of being aggressive. You know what you want, and you're going to make sure you get it. Deep down, you're trying to be helpful. You give good advice, even if people don't want to hear it. You always shoot from the hip.

What Peanuts Character Are You?

I had a feeling that was what I'd get! LOL....

Knees and NaNo

Writing only leads to more writing. - Colette

I finally went to the orthopedic doctor yesterday about my knee (yes, I am still having troubles). He's not sure what's wrong so has me scheduled for an MRI next week. Seven minutes in a metal tube. Whee.

Being the up front kinda gal I am, I told the doc right off that I don't really like conventional doctors, that I don't take prescriptions meds and that if he says I need surgery, he'd have to prove that nothing else would work and that surgery would fix the problem.

Yeah, I'm a little stubborn. But I also think conventional medicine tends to slap a band-aid (AKA prescription drugs) on symptoms instead of looking for the deeper issue and that drugs only tend to make things worse. Blame it on my mom whose had Rheumatoid Arthritis for 15 years and doesn't take meds for it (and isn't crippled by it).

Anyway, I'll keep you posted.

On the writing front, I'm slowly falling more and more behind... but I had a brainstorm today that should help a little. Part of my problem is that the story just isn't light-hearted enough. I don't expect it to be slapstick comedy, but it should be at least a little funny. And, I got to thinking that I gave Liv an unconventional mentor in "One Love For Liv", so I wanted to give Geoff one, too. He's about to meet his, but won't realize that the guy is wicked wise for a bit -- because he won't appear to be. Emmy helps open his eyes.

I love Emmy.

I also used another one of your challenge objects today:

She spun around, holding an antique magnifying glass to her eye, making it appear three times as huge and twice as green as the other. “Hey, you’re even more handsome close up!” (Brandy)

And I've decided that every scene needs to include a reference or an appearance of a particular item. Not saying WHAT -- that'll be for you to figure out once it's published. *G*

So, even though I'm 4000 words behind, I'm still motivated. And all I have to do is write at least 2000 words a day for the next couple of weeks and I'll be good.

Yep.... that's "all".

:-P

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You Are an Extrovert

You are honest and comfortable in your own skin. You don't show off, but you never hide who you are either. You like to weigh all of your options before making a decision. You are apt to look for a compromise. You are responsible and determined to do the right thing. There is often a lot on your plate, but you handle it all well. You rely on yourself first and foremost. You know that you won't ever let yourself down.

The House Oracle

Though I don't really think of myself as an extrovert, I'll take their word for it. The rest though? Pretty close...

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Chasing My Tail

"A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." - Thomas Mann

I'm still about 3500 words behind in NaNoWriMo -- but I'm still writing and have high hopes of catching up. This morning I wrote a scene using the Traveling Shovel of Death (recommended by Kristina .

I've also continued taking your challenges of objects to use and have managed these:

He slapped the paper down on her copy holder and grabbed a sticky note to add his two cents to what she’d written when he heard a strange noise... a squeaking sound. (From Dru)

When footsteps thundered down the hall, she knew it was too late, and grabbed the closest object to protect herself, disgusted to find herself holding an enormous stuffed pig from Ruby’s collection. (From Tori)

Am plugging away, so my blog posts will be short, but I'm here! I'm trying to visit blogs, too, but have to budget my time -- so I am reading most blogs, but haven't always clicked through to comment.

Hopefully in December things will be a little back to normal.

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You Are Confident

Your friends would describe you as a real "go-getter." You're very accomplished. You're a natural leader. You always know what needs to be done and who should do it. You trust yourself to perform well. You like to challenge yourself. You aren't afraid of failure. You are proactive instead of being reactive. You just get going and do what needs to be done.

What Adjective Describes You?

Yep.

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Like Pulling Teeth

The story I am writing exists, written in absolutely perfect fashion, some place, in the air. All I must do is find it, and copy it. ~Jules Renard, "Diary," February 1895

I managed to stay slightly ahead of the necessary word count ... but it was an extreme effort. I did look through the "dares" on the NaNoWriMo forum, though, and found some interesting ones that I might just have to use.

I spent time yesterday looking for the perfect gown for my heroine. She needed to have something a little unique, something that would stand out in a crowd, but still be appropriate for a high society charity auction. Those of you who are my friends on Facebook have already seen it, but this is what I chose:



So... I'll keep on keeping on, though I'm not entirely happy with what I have thus far. The conflict is weak and needs to be dramatically increased. I need to have some secondary characters added who are really "out there" (like Frank in "One Love for Liv" -- he really was my fave character). Geoff is so somber. His life pretty much sucks right now, so it's been a bit dark. Time to lighten up a little!

I still haven't used any other of the objects you gave me, but I will. I will!

In other news ... I will probably not post on the blog over the weekend. Between usual weekend craziness and having full day agility competitions BOTH days, I'm going to be both brain dead and exhausted. BUT... come Monday, hopefully I'll have some fun videos to share with you and be a little bit back to normal.

Have an awesome weekend!

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You Are Dorothy

You are a little lost right now, but you are slowly finding your way home. You are a kind and loyal person. You are the truest friend anyone could ever have. You have an active imagination, and you are intrigued by far away places. You make friends easily. But at the end of the day, there is no place like home. You value your family and roots.

What Wizard of Oz Character Are You?

Mostly right :-)

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Words, Wonderful Words

"The task of a writer consists of being able to make something out of an idea." - Thomas Mann

Things are moving quickly on NaNo right now -- but that's only because I'm working on what I had plotted already. I'm rapidly reaching the spot where it's anyone's guess what will happen. Still, I'm glad I'm getting a little ahead.

Thanks to the folks who gave me words (and two of you who gave me other ideas! Lamancha goats and foot fetishes... hmmm...).

Here's what I had:

cornucopia (from Dru)
Exasperate (from Brandy)
rambunctious or rigmarole (from Maria)
flaunt, consternation (from Anno)
extemporaneous (from Ceri)
plethora, dearth (from Groovy)

And so far I've used two:

How had he managed to lose touch with the plethora of people who had mattered so deeply only a few years ago?

Less than a minute and the girl had managed to exasperate Geoff.

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In other news, my knee went out for no apparent reason yesterday. Once again it had been feeling just fine and dandy and then ... WHAMMO... I couldn't walk. So, I'm finally breaking down and calling the doctor.

I hate doctors. I'm also not particularly fond of having a body that appears to be breaking down already. I'm not THAT old. Sheesh.

====================

You Are an Overachiever

Good for you! You believe you can do anything, and you just go for it. Like everyone else in this world, you have limitations... but you don't let them slow you down. At times you can be a bit of a perfectionist. Remember to be easy on yourself. You don't have to be perfect as long as you're doing your best!

Are You an Overachiever or Underachiever?

Yeah ... well, I didn't need a quiz to tell me that.

======================

On NaNo and Dreams

Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives. ~William Dement

I'm alternately ready and OH-SO not ready for NaNoWriMo to start. I have a long list of ideas for scenes and have been messing with my favorite scene question:

What would (the character) NEVER do? Now ... find a way for (the character) to do it.

Always fun and challenging.

I also updated my collage for the story:



Geoff is going to be swallowed up into a family of crazy sisters -- all artists of some sort and full of fun and energy. He's a little out of his depth. And, if you look up in the corner, that's Liv and Mike. We'll touch base with them now and then throughout the story as well.

I know I have more to do to be truly prepared, and I have to figure out how to work around DH's "I'm off all month" November schedule to find time to write AND get all my work done.

I may need to commit myself to the funny farm come December 1st. Maybe before.

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I had an incredibly vivid dream last night. I didn't live here, I was in a house in the city with a smaller backyard. The yard was FULL of a thriving vegetable garden: tomatoes and squash. The plants were huge and full of ripe fruit and needed harvesting. The colors were so vivid -- I remember seeing heirloom tomatoes in all colors: orange, yellow, pink. Everything was too big -- the squash fruit was enormous, the tomatoes the size of my head. And I had to army crawl under them to get anywhere, and when I did I discovered that something had come along at that level and taken a bite out of every tomato underneath. I was also raising tomato worms in my caterpillar box!

My mom was there, and in the dream she and DD were leaving in her car to go somewhere and I had to harvest everything by myself. The tomato worms were out of food, too, so I had to replenish their supplies.

I think I need a dream analyst on staff. I have the strangest dreams...

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You Are Bold

You are a total go getter. You aren't meek about speaking your mind and taking action. You are successful and a high achiever. You like to work hard, and you like the rewards that come with your success. While you are very career focused, you are also family oriented. You seek a balanced life. You have lofty goals, but you still have your feet firmly planted on the ground.

The Snack Test

Pretty close to all correct.

======================

Gearing up for NaNoWriMo

“Every novel should have a beginning, a muddle, and an end.” - Peter De Vries

I'm under few illusions this year -- if I win NaNoWriMo it will be a miracle. But I'm going to give it the old college try and even if I only get 25,000 words that 25,000 more than I've BEEN getting, so it'll all be good.

I spent some time last night revisiting "A Jewel for Geoff" -- My "One Love for Liv" sequel. I had *barely* started it, but knew that the conflict wasn't good and the story wasn't heading in the right direction. It needed a complete overhaul -- as in, keep the characters and ditch everything else. It's going to be my NaNoWriMo project because it's the only full length project I have planned currently.

I also did some brainstorming on it last night as I laid in bed. Thought of scenes (My favorite question to ask is: What would Geoff NEVER do? Now, how can you make him do it?), added a new conflict (actually two, but one is fairly small), and just basically let my mind think up plenty of goofiness. Not as much as will probably end up being there as I use NaNoWriMo dares (those are in the forums), but still -- it's a start.

Now, I have also been checking out a few sites that are talking about NaNo prep and thought I'd share them with you.

Routines For Writers is a site I visit regularly. But this month (with the exception of today's post) has been dedicated to NaNo prep. There is LOTS of good info there. If you have time, give it a look.

Lynn Viehl at Paperback Writer has been discussing NaNo on her blog this month as well. Every Wednesday, she's posting tips.

And if you're looking for ideas on creating characters, plotting a novel, world-building and more, you can do worse than checking out Forward Motion, a writing forum of sorts created by Holly Lisle.

Okay ... who else has some suggestions for getting ready for NaNoWriMo? I want to hear them all!

Also, feel free to add my to your list of NaNo buddies. My user ID is MarianneArkins

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You Are Driven Stressed

You have a lot of stress in your life, but a lot of it is your own doing. You put a lot of pressure on yourself. You have high standards, and you won't stop until you meet them. You can become work and goal obsessed. You sometimes suffer from too much micromanagement. Slow down and give yourself a break. When it comes to stress, you are your own worst enemy.

What Kind of Stressed Are You?

Um .. yeah.. that's pretty much right on.

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A Funny Place to Find an Idea

"Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young." - W. Somerset Maugham

So ... funny thing happened the other day. My biz partner, Judy, mentioned that she's written the title of a book wrong in an email to someone. Just a "ha ha" moment, really, but then I grabbed the title and said, "The story could be about this and the heroine could be this way." and then she chimed in with more, that I added to, and she added to and then I said, "Yanno, this would work for Geoff's story."

You see, I'd set "A Jewel For Geoff" aside because the heroine wasn't working for me. I liked HER and her family, but what she was in the story? Just wasn't adding enough conflict and she fought me every step of the way, so I knew it was wrong. I just didn't know what was right.

Now I think I do. I'm going to jot down some notes and let it simmer in my brain a bit while I work on the "Kitchen Matches" sequel, but I'm pretty sure this one is it.

And all from an error on an email.

People always ask writers where they get their ideas. Fact is, ideas are everywhere .... you just need to grab 'em when you see 'em.

======================

In Pillar Place: we have one more pillar on walkabout. Lambda started doing his thing late afternoon.

We are a bit concerned about Kappa... he made his little webbing (the one that adheres him to the roof) funny and it's sort of loosely wrapped around the front of his body. We're concerned that it may impede his ability to shed his skin the final time -- and if it does, hopefully that's ALL it will do. We're hoping he still makes his pupa correctly.

Iota is the only big pillar left and I bet he goes walkabout today. Then things should be very quiet for a bit (unless DD finds more pillars. She's looking every day, but no luck).

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You Are Popular

For as long as you can remember, you've always made friends easily. You are spontaneous and adventurous. You're happy to go with the flow or shake things up a little bit. You are charming and smooth. You can make the best of a boring or awkward moment. You are hilarious and eager to make others laugh. Things can only be so bad when you are around.

Who Are You?

Uh... no. Not really...

This and That

Dreaming is an act of pure imagination, attesting in all men a creative power, which if it were available in waking, would make every man a Dante or Shakespeare. ~H.F. Hedge

I'm in a rambling mood, so beware :-)

DH asked me to wake him up this morning to go out hunting if it wasn't windy (the leftovers from Ida are hitting us today). At 2 a.m., the dog had to potty (*sigh* She hasn't had to do that in a long time), so I took her out (and noticed it was already windy) and then curled up on the couch because I'm a light sleeper and DH ... well... he can really saw the ZZZ's so getting back to sleep would have been tough.

Anyway, at 4 a.m., my alarm went off (startling the cat who was drooling on my pillow -- guess SHE isn't a light sleeper) and I looked out the window and saw the trees swaying, so rolled over and went back to sleep.

Only -- here's the thing. There is no window I can see out of from the couch, and it's too dark at 4 a.m. to see anything anyway. At 4:45, I stretched and thought, "Boy I'm glad it was windy so I could doze off again and I wonder if it still is." then rolled over to look and realized I couldn't see out -- and had DREAMED the whole other thing! LOL... I jumped up and stuck my head outside and almost had it blown off, so it was still windy, but wow. Vivid dream.

===============

Maria Zannini got the book thong DD made especially for her. DD tried to match it to the banner ad Maria has at the top of her blog for her book, "Touch the Fire".

It sounds like it was well loved, and my DD was thrilled she appreciated it. BTW, if you want a custom made book thong or earrings or bracelets, email DD and put in your order (she's at distinctivelydd AT gmail DOT com). We've had several custom order requests already, and she enjoys the challenge of making them.

Speaking of Distinctively DD, she has her first bracelet/earring set up. Once we get bracelets down pat, we'll be moving on to necklaces. And then maybe some fancier earrings.

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Allie posted this on her blog yesterday and I think it's something that should be shared:



I recently posted about losing Georgia, the pit bull mix in our agility class. She was an amazing dog. Some of the best, gentlest dogs I've know were Rotties. The most amazing dog I ever knew was a German Shepherd named Jenny that one of my SIL's owned. People have ideas about dog breeds because of the media -- I've only been bitten once in my life, and it was by a chihuahua (and it was a bad bite). Instead of punishing a particular breed, we need to start punishing the people who make the dogs the way they are.

As an aside, a breed that is the most well loved family pet is also a breed with one of the highest rates of reported dog bites (albeit not fatal bites): The Golden Retriever. So don't judge a book (or in this case, a dog) by it's cover. Breed specific legislation is wrong.

==========================

I'm slowly beginning to write again, but not on my NaNo book -- because I can't seem to brainstorm a really good, juicy conflict for my H/H. OTOH, I did think of a really great conflict for my H/H in "A Jewel for Geoff" so that was exciting. AND, I found some pretty hot pix of a good-looking blond guy to replace my folically challenged Geoff in my mind, so I'm hoping that will help me find him more attractive. I have to be able to fall in love with my heroes, or I can't feel like the heroine can. Yanno?

I wonder if it's legit to add together the writing I do on "A Jewel for Geoff" to the writing I already did for "Drive Me Crazy" and total them for a win on NaNoWriMo?

Probably not. *sigh*

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You Should Have Curly Hair

You are cheerful, outgoing, and downright bouncy. People find you to be very personable and real. You are confident in your own skin, and you don't feel like you have to fake anything. You are very independent and unique. You wouldn't like to look like every other person on the street. People find that you're honest, and it's easy to trust you. Others expect you to be honest in all facets of your life.

Should You Have Straight Hair or Curly Hair?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Well... that's convenient, since I HAVE curly hair. Except -- check this out! I got my hair cut and flat-ironed on Weds. What do you think?



I like it :-) ... or I should say, I likeD it -- cuz it's curly again.

Okay, time to get back to work. Have a great Saturday.

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Chat Hangover

In its early stages, insomnia is almost an oasis in which those who have to think or suffer darkly take refuge. ~Colette


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

I have chat hangover.

We had SO much fun at the chat -- I've never had hours pass so quickly. But, holy moly, the craziness!

Then, last night when we were finally officially done, and I closed the computer and crawled to bed, I could NOT get to sleep. I laid there. And laid there. And laid there.

I thought about my WIPs...

Should I add the new character to Stiller Creek, and what do I really know about police departments and forensics and crime? Maybe I should just trash the whole thing? Maybe I shouldn't have the hero be a cop? Maybe the original bad guy shouldn't be bad... but then, how does that affect the ending?

Should I get back to writing "A Jewel for Geoff"? What if Geoff leaves the law firm where he works and goes out on his own? Then how would I include info about Liv? Would he do something like that? What if he quits law altogether and does something completely different? How would that impact the story?

In "Playing House", maybe I should change the story back to where my hero isn't engaged to someone else when the story starts. Maybe he should only be dating Audree. This story is actually finished, so do I really want to change an integral plot point and then have to completely rewrite the entire thing?

What about Camilla? Is there a way I can have Jed have to live in her place without wounding him, since that's what hangs me up?

And...

... for two hours I thought about this stuff. Mulled it over. Felt like I should get up and write things down. My brain was a ping-pong ball, all over the place.

Finally, though, I crashed. Yay.

And then woke up at 3 a.m.

Yes, really. I laid in bed for an hour, certain I would get back to sleep, but the brain was awake again and singing to me. Yes, I had a song in my head ("Who Says You Can't Go Home" by Jon Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles, and no I don't know why) and it repeated until I thought I'd scream.

I got up. It wasn't like I didn't have work to do.

But... dear heavens I am tired.

How was your weekend?

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Writing Struggles

“You can’t be a serious writer of fiction unless you believe the story you are telling.” - Norman Mailer

So... I took some time yesterday to do a bit of writing. I worked on "A Jewel for Geoff" because it was on my mind. I wrote an entire scene but it felt rather flat and I finally figured out why: I'm not particularly attracted to him.

Usually, when I write a story, I fall madly in love with the hero -- I should, right? If I don't love him then why would a reader?

The problem is that the cover for "One Love for Liv" portrays Geoff as a follicly challenged geeky guy... not how I had pictured him at all. But, that cover was my last hurrah -- and I had no choice but to take it (w/o complaint). So instead of the rather handsome and yuppy-ish Geoff I had pictured in my mind when I wrote the book:



I ended up with balding Geoff:



And I can't get past it. One line I wrote had Geoff raking his fingers through what little hair he had left, and I kinda went... eww...

**sigh**

So what do I do now? I can't change him into a different person. He is who he is in the first book... It's a conundrum. A quandary. A problem.

Of course, Mike didn't look at all like I'd planned either. Here is my Mike:



Fun, irreverent, goofy -- not Mr. hot and intense from the cover.

I'm thinking this sequel may not end up written, which makes me a little sad. Geoff deserved a HEA. I'm just not sure I can write it.

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Good news in Pillar Place: Swallowtail!! Carole hatched yesterday without any problems! She popped right out of her glued pupa and fluffed up her wings in no time at all. We released her without incident about an hour after hatching. It was a beautiful thing.

In Pillar Place: Monarch things are about the same. We have five pillars munching away happily and growing in leaps and bound, while the other five eggs show no sign of hatching. Odd. We also haven't found any more eggs. This whole pillar season has me worried this year. I sure hope somewhere there is a bumper crop of pillars, because it surely isn't here.

Butterfly tidbit: The caterpillar has about 2,000 muscles in its body. That would be 1,344 more than us humans, we only have 656.

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Weather and Writing

"Sit down to write what you have thought, and not to think about what you shall write." - William Cobbett

Was going to do the Monday Morning Meme, but one of the questions got me all fired up politically that I decided I'd better not. LOL...

It was supposed to snow last night. So far... no white stuff. But, it might be lurking. Waiting. Lulling me into a false sense of security. So, I'm not letting down my guard.

However, if none of the white stuff falls, I'll be heading outdoors to start the great spring clean-up of doggie doo. I try to pooper scoop during the winter, but it's just not possible to get it all. And because of the overwhelming amount of excrement left from the winter potty breaks, I try to do it slowly... taking each patch of grass as the snow melts. Otherwise, I might break down and cry.

On the "good news, spring might actually be coming" front: my crocus are beginning to stick their little green heads out of the dirt (I splurged this past fall and bought a bunch of large crocus bulbs -- I had a lot of bulb replacing to do after the attack from the Cunning Voles of Doom), and my chives and 'mums and seedum is all beginning to grow. Just a smidge... but, for someone (like me!) who is utterly fed up with winter, it's enough to make my heart sing for joy.

===========================

Yesterday, I sent the first 26,000 words of my fantasy to Judy to peruse. She's a big fantasy fan, so I wanted to see if it passed the "big fantasy fan" test. And, as I took a look through the story, I fell in love all over again. I also had a great idea hit me upside the head on how to... well... I can't say, cuz it would give away a HUGE plot point in the story. Still, it was something that was bothering me, and now it's not.

On yet another writing front: the novel that wouldn't go away ("The Possibility of Forever" formerly "Camilla's Critters") also gave me a jab and told me how to fix one problem as well. That story has been frustrating me for a couple of reasons, and I've got one figured out now. Yay.

The subconscious is an amazing thing.

Also, "A Jewel for Geoff" has been a bit dead in the water. I wasn't happy with it, and couldn't figure out why until I realized two things: I'm not in the least bit attracted to Geoff (and if I don't fall in love with my hero, I can't realistically have my heroine do so, IMHO) and I haven't written anything in the heroine's POV. So... I've decided that my cover artist for "Liv" got it wrong, and I'm redesigning Geoff's looks (he's going to be bigger, stronger, better than before... though still blond) and I'm going to start letting the reader get to know my heroine, Emmy, better.

And, GAH, I just looked outside. It's snowing. SEE... I knew it was going to wait until I'd let down my guard a bit!!! BAD SNOW.

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You Are Stable and Cheerful

When You Are Comfortable: You are a hard worker. You need security and stability in your life, even if that means putting in long hours. People see you as solid and dependable. You are always able to see the good in situations. Other find this comforting. When You Are At Your Best: You are quite quirky, and you enjoy doing things your own way. You are optimistic, and you've always got a good idea brewing. People find you to be positive and uplifting. You make people feel good about themselves. When You Are in a Social Setting: You are philosophical and opinionated. You have quite a few pet causes, and you're always adopting a new one. People see you as clever and smart. You now a lot, and you love to talk about a variety of subjects.

What Do Your Initials Say About You?

Me? Opinionated? Quirky? Nah.......

Okay, I admit, this quiz actually came pretty close to nailing my personality. How weird is that?

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After the Snow

The future is called "perhaps," which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the only important thing is not to allow that to scare you. ~Tennessee Williams, Orpheus Descending, 1957

That quote has nothing to do with my post... I just liked it :-)

It finally stopped snowing last evening... all told we got a LOT. LOL... I didn't actually measure, but I do know that it's higher than Dakota's tummy and she has to break a path to go potty. My best estimate is 15 - 18" ... with drifts twice that high. Crazy.

I'd have pictures, but it's still dark out. Sorry.

Since my daffodils were peeking out of the ground, I suspect they're going to look like they did last year -- little frost-burned greens with lovely flowers. My seedum was starting to sprout as well... the downside to having a light-colored house with full sun. The snow in front melts quickly and the ground warms before it should.

The good news is I did find time to write yesterday, and I did so. On Geoff's story. He's a little on the stuffy side and really needs to loosen up. I'm taking care of that, via my heroine. Geoff doesn't know what's hit him.

Speaking of Geoff (and Liv), Mary said very nice things about "One Love for Liv" on her blog yesterday. Thanks, Mary! I love warm fuzzies *G*.

It's funny... there are days I just don't WANT to write, but I do... and then I love it! Once the document is opened and the words start it's such a rush. It makes me wonder why I ever fought it. For JaNoWriMo this month, my goal is a measly 500 words a day. So far, I haven't done that even one day! But, I will write every day... and every word is one word more than I had. I really could use a couple extra hours. Anyone have some they'd like to share?

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You Are CURVES AHEAD

When you're confronted with a problem, you take it on immediately - but with your eyes wide open. You deal with stress well. You take things as they come, and you don't panic. In fact, you often enjoy challenging situations. Difficulty makes you feel alive. You are alert and observant. You notice every twist and turn in the road.

What Street Sign Are You?

Okay...

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Rambling

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. -- Confucius

Saw this at Judy's and couldn't resist:

Here are the rules:

1. Go to “Wikipedia.” Hit “random article” and the first article you get is the name of your band.

I got an article on a band... irony? I suppose it would be cheating if I just took their album cover and ran with it, huh?

2. Then go to “Random Quotations” and the last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

Oooh... as the queen of quotes, I'm excited about this site. Forget them meme, I'm adding it to my favorites.

3. Then, go to Flickr and click on “Explore the Last Seven Days” and the third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

But, but... I like the first one better. :::pouts:::

4. Use Photoshop or some other image editor to add text & spiffify.

Is "spiffify" a word? And, I have Photoshop, but I really don't know how to use it. Bother.

5. Post a link to your band's album cover here!



Best I could do. Though, I have to admit, I rather like both the band name AND the title...

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Thanks for your comments about Geoff (Amy, yours cracked me up). And Dru, you weren't really supposed to like him in Liv. Sympathize with him a little, maybe. But he wasn't the hero. Now he is, and I sure hope you'll like him now!

Speaking of which... I'm off to write.

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I have a mammogram appointment today. I know... fun, fun, fun. Still, the reason I bring it up is to say: Are YOU getting your mammograms done? Hmmmm? To all the JaNoWriMo folks: Aren't you glad I wear the nag hat here sometimes, too?

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Discovery

"Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say." -- Sharon O'Brien

So there I was, innocently typing away on my sequel to "One Love for Liv" when Geoff dumped on me. Seriously. It wasn't supposed to be a big, introspective moment. And I don't know why he's never talked to me like that before (maybe, because in Liv I wrote him as a cheating slimeball the first time through -- all attitude and no morals -- and he hasn't forgiven me for that, even though I changed a lot of that for the final story), but I now know where his self-esteem issues come from (aside from the fact that he's follicly challenged, something I didn't even know, but apparently my cover artist at Samhain did... and it's working out nicely now).

In any case, despite growing up in a wealthy family (distant relatives) and graduating top of his class at Harvard law, Geoff doesn't think very highly of himself. Poor guy.

My heroine has her work cut out for her. Lucky for her, she has no self-esteem problems and grew up in a loving, albeit really strange, family.

And so... marching onward, ever onward...

===========================

We had agility last night and Dakota did fabulously! She balked at the "walk-it" and the "frame" and the "see-saw" as expected... BUT... the second time on the frame, she went right up, and the third time on the walk-it she went right up, and she didn't completely refuse the see-saw, she was just really, really hesitant. I'm thrilled! Now, I need to make sure I don't mess up again, because it was MY error that struck fear into her little doggy heart.

I still wish the dang class wasn't so late, though. UGH.

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You Are a Green Light

You take life at a fast pace. You act quickly and decisively. You have good instincts and trust your gut. You're confident and brave. You are determined and ambitious. You don't allow yourself to waste time. It's no surprise that you get a lot done. You are efficient and productive.

What Color Traffic Light Are You?

Yeah... that's about right. Judy?

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Monday Morning Meme and more

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward. ~Kurt Vonnegut



1. What was the last thing you laughed at? Would you say you have a great sense of humor? What sorts of things make you laugh in general? Would you say people “get” your humor?

This email was the last thing I laughed at:

Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words.

The winners are:

1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

3 . Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.

6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.

7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle (n), olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

I have an odd sense of humor. I'm more "Frasier" than Adam Sandler or Three Stooges. I appreciate a good pun, and liberally sprinkle my conversation with sarcasm. Some people get it, some don't.

2. How many pieces of jewelery are you wearing at this very moment? Do you wear jewelry every day, or only on special occasions? What is your favorite piece of jewelery? Tell us the story behind one piece of your jewelery.

Um... wedding ring and two pairs of earrings: diamond studs and usually silver hoops. Does a watch count? That's pretty much what I wear daily. I really don't wear necklaces or bracelets and my ears are the only thing I have pierced. My fave jewelry would be my wedding ring. Story? Um... the diamond earrings I wear in the top hole in my ears were from my DH. I wanted little bitty chips (maybe an 1/8th carat total?), and he refused to get me something that small. I think the ones I have are 1/4 carat, but I gotta be honest -- it really doesn't matter to me. I am SO not a jewelry person. If I could find good, cheap, fake jewelry that wouldn't tarnish, I'd be all over it. Who cares if it's real?

3. If you could offer one piece of etiquette advice that everyone should follow when dining out, what would it be?

I have to admit to leaning toward how your treat the waitstaff... but that's probably because I was one for so many years. Pay attention to them, they really are people. I typically make folks who eat out with me laugh, because I'll carry on long conversations with the servers, but I remember being ignored or treated like a piece of furniture, and that stinks.

You might also take your kids outside if they are screaming, turn off your cell phone and don't talk like the person with you is deaf.

Wait... you asked for one, didn't you? ::shrugs::

4. What are the first three things a guest would notice when they walked through your front door?

Once they got through the Dakota leaping, crying, barking, licking greeting? The stairs (the door pretty much opens on them, the living room and the TV room. I don't have any fancy furniture or paintings or knick-knacks. Sorry.

====================

Favorite line I wrote for my JaNoWriMo challenge yesterday (from "A Jewel for Geoff")... Liv has just run into Geoff (much to his dismay). And she says:

“Geoff, I need advice.” She grabbed his sleeve and tugged him to the chairs that lined the wall, shoving him into one. “Okay, now pretend you’re a man.”

Ouch.

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RE: My Big Fat Greek Wedding...the votes were as follows:

Chick Flick: 5

Comedy: 2

People who haven't seen it, but thought it was a chick flick: 2

Hmmmm..... I guess the votes reflect that it's a truly funny chick flick that both men and women can enjoy.

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