The Southern Tablet and Other Stuff

So this is November. November is a busy month. It is National Novel Writing Month, National Thankful Month, there's Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Tree lightings, Alabama plays Auburn (Roll Tide), and the beginnings of all things Holidays. Love this time of year!

Courtesy of
www.agwire.com

Best part of holiday season? Food. I LOVE food. I'm not a cake/pie/cookie person but I do like gravy and mashed potatoes, and hors d'oeuvres, and stuffing, and casseroles, and soufflés, and wine. Ummmm..... This could be why I need to hit that place, what's it called? Oh yeah, the gym. *pout*

Another outstanding thing happening this November is the launching of a new literary journal called The Southern Tablet. The first edition makes its debut on Saturday, November 9th. Initially, it will be online only, but within a year there should be a print version as well. You can see the journal at www.thesoutherntablet.com. So, what's my interest in this? No big deal, I'm just Managing Editor. That and I have one story and one essay being featured in it. Well, everyone on our staff has two pieces featured. We will be accepting submissions beginning in January for our March issue. If you are interested in submitting, please see the website for the guidelines.

Also, this month we launched our accompanying blog called The Southern Tablet. You can find it at www.thesoutherntablet.wordpress.com. What is awesome about our blog is we are writing a round-robin novel in honor of our launch and NaNoWriMo. Each one of us chose a day to write a chapter of a story. My day is Tuesday. If you have a chance, check it out. Not just my entry, of course, the whole thing. It's really good and who knew that we were actually that creative! Then keep up with it until the conclusion.

What do you have going on this November, aside from catching up on our blog and breathlessly awaiting The Southern Tablet? Yes, I plan on getting back to my revisions on my novel. Things quiet down a bit after Saturday. Would love to hear from you!

How Can I Help You

Courtesy of Federal Express

A man entered a Federal Express office minutes before closing time. He had a package that "absolutely, positively had to be there overnight." The last truck had already left with the last load of the day and was on the way to the airport to be sorted and loaded. Undeterred by this minor technicality, the clerk accepted the package from the man and assured him his package would arrive at its destination on time. He then called a messenger service to take the package to the airport sorting facility. His second call was to the sorting facility letting them know a last minute package was on its way. Unfortunately, the plane leaving for the package's final destination had just taken off. The clerk, made one other call; he chartered a plane to make sure that package made it to its destination on time, as promised. The next day, the package was indeed where it needed to be. What happened to the clerk? Was his boss angry by the exorbitant cost of sending this lone package? I mean really! A messenger fee, a chartered plane! No. The clerk received thanks from upper management and a promotion. Why? Because this clerk took responsibility, took initiative, took ownership of the company's motto.

Whether or not this is a true story or an urban legend, it shows what true customer service is all about. All too often companies use customer service as a means to shrug off their customers. How many times have you called for assistance and received a phone tree? A mechanical woman or man offering opportunities to press 1 or 2 or to repeat these options, press 9. En Español, marque ocho. How many times have these options not been even close to the reason you called?

My favorite is when you finally reach a live human being. After you give them your vital statistics and information you hope they will now be able to help you. Isn't it disappointing when they start reading from a script? And then when they transfer you, the new person starts all over again with the same questions. Arg! I am not angry with the person I'm speaking to. He or she is simply following the guidelines and the company's policies and culture. I am frustrated with their inability to really provide customer service. And sadly, perhaps it is today's culture that has forgotten what it means to be helpful. My recent run it left me sad and disappointed with today's concepts of serving the customer.

So I asked myself, what would have happened if the first person I talked to at the USPS had taken initiative to locate my missing package? What if the customer service people at the USPS had taken ownership of the situation and worked on actually solving the problem instead of parroting the tracking information I got online already? Would my package have arrived any sooner than it did? No, probably not. But they may have been able to tell me where it was, specifically as opposed to some vague "departed destination" with no update for 12 hours. This was an overnight package for heavens sake! And perhaps, if the customer service person had placed a few calls such as, what plane was it on? when did it depart? why was an overnight package placed on a 2-day plane? Perhaps, someone may have taken initiative and gotten the package on the correct plane and it would have arrived in the evening.

Sure, the Post Office has a money back guarantee if the overnight package doesn't get there overnight. But companies that do that are missing the mark. Their customers are, yes, angry about paying for something they didn't get, but they are MORE upset about missing the original promise. Overnight means it needs to be there the next day. Thanks for my refund, but because of you, your lack of service, your lack to uphold your promise of overnight, I missed out on my promise. I can't get that back.

What have been some of your customer service run-ins? Any good stories?

Pass It On

Last weekend we went to the art festival in our downtown. Lots of beautiful crafts, paintings, photography, wood turnings, etc. and music and food from everywhere around the world. It is always a good time and this year it was even better because for the first time since we moved here it wasn't a hundred degrees. This year it was overcast and cooler than years past and so we were able to walk around and breathe and not sweat. My husband ate food from Samoa, I ate Greek food and Little Man ate a hotdog. After lunch, and a little more walking around, we experienced potty training in a port-o-potty.

When we left, we strolled downtown and ducked into several antique stores. My husband was looking at the furniture for ideas and joinery techniques. I just browsed around looking at old books, and knick-knacks. In one of these stores, upstairs and tucked away into a back corner, I noticed several pillows. They had some wear and tear and needed a little love to restore them but even in their discarded state they were beautiful.

These pillows were needlepoint and embroidery. They were intricate, graceful, feminine, and meticulous. The number of hours it must have taken to embroider the small flowers makes me gasp. The even stitches that were patiently and lovingly laid with each pull of the thread. Even the design was unique, well, certainly nothing I've seen before.

I touched them and felt their delicateness. The still silky feel of the embroidery floss and the durability of the tapestry wool. The once vivid colors were fading and the seams were splitting in spots. There were stains of use and living. I found myself standing still and staring at them for a few minutes with thoughts and emotions racing through my mind.

Who had made these? Who were they made for? What happened to the creator and the owner? How many people had rested upon them? Questions with no answers. I was sad that these pillows, which represented care and love and talent and practice and patience and planning, had ended up in the dark, dusty corner of this antique store. No one to know their history and no one to carry it on.

I felt sad for these pillows, or rather for what they represented - lost history and perhaps the last in a family line. More so, I felt sad for those who gave them up. They have no appreciation for those that came before them. No knowledge of their history or care to look beyond their own world.

I have things like this that have been passed down in the family - furniture, needlepoint, lace, jewelry, books, etc. I love it. To me, these are the tangibles of our DNA. "Your great-great-grandperson made this." Well, they also made me. Isn't it a responsibility to pass these things, this history down to the next generation? What do you think?

That Bothers Me

It's pet peeve day. I have a number of pet peeves; everyone does. Some days they seem to be everywhere, depending on how much sleep I've had I guess. Other days they don't bother me as much - but they never don't bother me.

One is when I'm emptying the dishwasher and the tops of cups and glasses (or the bottoms) have water on them. Worse is the Tupperware, or sippy cups, that flip over and fill up with water. Yuck. I need to invent tiny bungee cords that can be hooked to the rack and stretched over the flippy things to keep them from doing that.

Another is dog fur. We have two BIG yellow labs who seem to shed an additional dog in fur daily. It gets under the furniture, on the furniture and in places I don't like to look. I sweep and sweep and still there's more. Love the doggies, not the fur. Sigh. Maybe I'll get one of those robot vacuum cleaners that can suck up fur all day.

Carpet on stairs ranks up there. Actually, it's not the carpet itself that is offensive, it's the vacuuming of it. I think whenever carpeting is installed on stairs, the cost should include someone who comes over to vacuum it. Have you ever tried to balance the vacuum with one hand, yourself with another and use the attachment and hose with the third hand? Really, who has three hands?

Those are the ones that mostly bother me. I'm sure there are others, but not today. I wonder if my characters have pet peeves. I know Walter doesn't like pickles, but that's a dislike, not a peeve. Would it be realistic to add peeves to my characters? What are your pet peeves and what do you do when they flare up?

Where's the veggies?

In an effort to get the Little Man (and the Big Man) to eat more healthily, I'm trying to incorporate more vegetables into our diets. The problem is, I don't particularly like them either. Oh sure, I prepare them with most meals, and eat them, but there aren't that many I like and there's not much variety. And really, just how healthy are vegetables that are smothered in cheese sauce or sautéed in butter? Fortunately, you can hide vegetables in lots of ways. You can puree them and hide them in tomato sauce, meatballs, meatloaf, and in stews. There is even a pasta that's made from cauliflower.

Carrot cake cupcakes

Typically, I don't bake. I cook, but baking isn't something I like to do. I marvel at these women who can whip out an upside-down pineapple cake, or those moms who just put out a batch of cookies at a moments notice. However, in an attempt to get vegetables into a tasty form and to satisfy my husband's request to have cookies of muffins every now and then, I have turned to the recipe box.

Recently, I have made zucchini bread and carrot cake cupcakes. Both males have tasted them and deemed them good enough to eat. My husband is aware that the treat is made with vegetables but Little Man is not. We let him come up with his own name for the treat. He calls the zucchini bread "chocolate bread." The carrot cake cupcakes he calls "cupcake muffins." That's fine, for now it's our little secret.

Too Much Or Too Little And How Do You Know?

Courtesy of
www.freedigitalphotos.net

So, I like to cook. It is a creative outlet for me although I admit to falling down on this a bit recently. Toddlers don't really like to experiment with food and I don't like cooking separate meals all the time so we've been eating like children lately. Or ordering out so someone else can cook separate meals. But, when I do cook, I enjoy it because I can combine and layer flavors and textures making something pleasing to the palette. Or, as my husband says, "Mmmmm! This is good! You can make this again."

I like knitting too because I can combine knits with purls to add texture and patterns. Throw in different color yarns and make stripes. Make cables too and Celtic knots. My goal is to learn Nordic patterns (yikes!). I know what you're thinking. You live in the south, you don't need sweaters and mittens. No, but I have family up there. Besides, an Irish sweater or Nordic sweater just plain looks cool.

Needlepoint and embroidery is fun for me too. Same reasons - different color yarns, different materials (wool or floss), different stitches. All yield different textures and patterns.

As you all know, I have also been editing and revising my novel. There was a horrible error that was caught by one of my beta readers. Terrible, but no big deal really (now that the twitching has stopped). I'll just move some chapters around and alter a few things. The important thing is that it was caught and can be corrected! Yay!

But the one thing that has me scratching my head is more about editing than revising. I have had some readers say they like certain things, and others say they don't like it. I've read blogs and editing resources that say don't do this, but then in just about every book I've read or am currently reading, it's there.

I'm not talking about too many or redundant adverbs. He shouted loudly. Duh, how else do you shout? I'm not talking about asides - he thought to himself. Well, who else do you think to? I'm not talking about weird physical things (although I've seen this in many professionally published books) - her eyes followed him down the street. No, her gaze, stare, glance can follow, but not her eyes.

I'm talking about what's called "stage direction." You know, telling what the character is doing. I get that we don't need to know that the character opened the refrigerator door, reached in, pulled out a beer and opened it. He lifted it to his mouth and drank deep gulps, downing the beverage in a matter of seconds. Simply saying he downed a beer may be enough. I agree, that that much detail is too much. But, I've had some readers say they like to know what the character is doing (downing the beer) and others say, cut it all out. Which is right?

I can't "taste" it to see if there is too much salt or "feel" it for too loose or tight stitches. When do you know what to cut and what to keep? If I cut too much, will the story now be a little stiff? If I don't cut enough, will it be trite? I guess I'll just have to make that decision on my own.

When Stars Die

So, I promised you something special today, and here it is!

This is the cover reveal for a fellow author, friend, and member of our critique group, Amber Skye Forbes! Her book is going to be published! Due to be released October 2013 by AEC Stellar Publishing The title is When Stars Die. It is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance. Viola Estrella of Estrella Cover Art is responsible for the beautiful cover. Way to go Amber!

 

Synopsis: Amelia Gareth's brother is a witch and the only way to save her family from the taint in his blood is to become a professed nun at Cathedral Reims in the snowy city of Malva. However, in order to become professed, she must endure trials that all nuns must face.
          
Surviving these trials is not easy, especially for Amelia, who is being stalked by shadowy beings only she can see. They're searching for people they can physically touch, because only those they can touch can see them. Amelia soon learns why she is being stalked when she accidentally harms her best friend with fire during the third trial. Fire is a witch's signature. The shadows are after witches.
          
Now Amelia must decide what to do: should she continue on her path to profession knowing there is no redemption, or should she give up on her dream and turn away from Cathedral Reims in order to stop the shadows who plan to destroy everything she loves?

Where Amber Can be Found:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmberSkyeForbes?ref=br_tf

Website: http://amberskyeforbes.com
Wordpress Blog: http://amberskyeforbes.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmberSkyeF
Tumblr: http://thedancingwriter.tumblr.com/

It's a New Year



schoolhouse by aware.org.sg

Little Man started school yesterday. It's his second year in "school." Last year he was in nursery school only a couple of mornings each week. This year he's 3 so his school is called early pre-school. It's only 3 mornings per week but they have more structure and actual lessons.

He was so excited taking off in the morning with his backpack and his lunchbox. I was so nervous wondering if he'd have an accident and if he'd actually eat his lunch. See, this year he has to be potty trained and even though we've been working on it since his birthday in July, he still doesn't quite get it on his own. When I picked him up, he had eaten his entire lunch and had had 3 accidents. He was wearing clothes that didn't belong to him. Sigh, oh well. He had a great time and was so excited to have been there.

I am taking the opportunity of his absence to go through his toys and organize them, getting them off the floor and into containers that can be put away into his cabinet. Today, I will tackle the toys in his room and rearrange his closet. Some of his beloved toys will be donated for the church yard sale. Some, will go into his "memory box" I have started for him and be kept for his children.

It's difficult to decide exactly what to eliminate and what to keep. In many ways, Little Man is fast changing from a baby to a little boy. He is so much more independent and capable than he was even just a couple of months ago. Yet, in almost surprising ways, the baby will show up and something I think he should be able to do on his own will completely flummox him. And a toy that has been idle for months will suddenly become interesting again.

But, it's a new year and he has new clothes, new hair cut, new backpack, new shoes, new classroom, and new friends. He can have new toys and a new organization of them too.

I guess I'm in editing mode since I just finished editing (for the third time) my novel. I need to hone my query letter blurb and start in the dreaded synopsis so I can begin soliciting to publishers and agents. The blurb has almost gotten as good as it's going to get. And I don't know why I feel intimidated by writing the synopsis. Maybe I'm worried I'll find another GAPING hole in my plot, or that when it's boiled down, my story won't be as good as I hope it is. Well, it can only be as good as it's going to be. In the mean time, I have to get Little Man ready for school and hope he doesn't have an accident today.

I See!

Rest Time by Michelle Meiklejohn
www.freedigitalphotos.net

I was in my mid-thirties, not so long ago, and teaching 7th grade, when I realized admitted I needed reading glasses. No big deal, I went to the corner drug store and bought a pair. These served me well for a few number of years, at least until after Little Man was born. Then, I discovered the world was just a little out of focus.

The ophthalmologist confirmed I had hyperopia. Technically, that meant my arms were too short to hold things or books or the baby out to where they were in focus. To correct this he prescribed glasses with progressive lenses. The glasses would make up for the shortness of my arms. It worked! And I'm pleased to tell you that the Little Man is as handsome as I thought he was.

Recently, due to the fact I am doing more things that require more

Sweater vest I knitted for my husband

up-close work like writing, editing, reading, knitting, and needlepoint; I've found that the progressive lenses just aren't as comfortable as reading glasses. The are great for driving, reading menus, playing with the toddler, gardening, and anything active. Focused activities, not so much. So I returned to the drug store and recently purchased a new pair of reading glasses.

I love them because I can use them on the computer and anytime I'm doing work that requires rapt attention up close. Just don't look up, it makes you dizzy! Not that I notice really, I wore them half a day the other day and thought I just had a headache. Anyway, with my new glasses and a new red pen, I'm looking forward to finishing my edits!!

And now that we are on the topic of my novel, I had chosen the title Poison. I was excited but now I'm not so much. I'm considering posting a blurb (a mini synopsis) about it and running a title contest. The winner will get a free copy on my novel! Are you up for that? Leave me a comment!!

Exciting Times

I know it is the middle of summer with the solstice and Independence Day behind us. We are looking at days becoming shorter, cooler and the next holiday is Labor Day which marks the end of summer. Yet, there is a lot of spring going on in my life right now. By spring I mean new beginnings and fresh starts.

First, Little Man has begun potty training. This is a new beginning for us. Soon I won't have diapers to change and he'll experience more independence. It's the end of babyhood, the end of intimacy between us. Soon, he'll be bathing himself and the personal barrio will be put up. We'll no longer be one the way only a mother and child can be. It is the spring of his boyhood and really the beginning of his life.

Second, the first round of self-edits are done on my novel Murder at the Primrose Inn and it is in the hands of my first readers. This is an unofficial edit. I'm using beta readers for many of the edits and a professional editor when it is as clean and interesting as it can get. I know that the manuscript is raw and just one step above a rough draft but the prospect of someone reading my work with a criticizing eye (which is different from a critical eye) makes me nauseous. This is the spring of my first novel. It is the beginning of it becoming the best it can be. Very soon it will not be just a hope or a dream, it will be real.

Finally, the really BEST news of all! My writer's group will be launching an e-magazine (an e-zine) in November of this year. It will be a literary magazine (duh, what else would it be) focusing on Georgia and South Carolina writers; published or unpublished. We have named our periodical Red Clay in honor of the southern soil and because words, like clay, must be molded into form. That's not my line, that's from one of our members, Tim. I liked it so I used it. It is the beginning of something new for us, a spring, well, a spring off anyway.

Just Get Over It

I belong to a critique group. I love my critique group because I can

Courtesy of Amdro
www.freedigitalphotos.net

take in the pages of my current Work In Progress and they will tell me what they think about them. At least I hope they tell me what they think about them. I want them too. See, I want my WIP to be good and when it comes time to edit, I look at their suggestions so I can make it better. That's what critiques are for - suggestions to make the work better. I love praise too. Who doesn't? But praise isn't making my writing better.

Not all suggestions are going to fit with where I want to take the story so I'll have to disregard them. Some suggestions are just ridiculous - change the character's height or don't write a mystery, write a romantic comedy - whatever. Most of the time, the critiques

Courtesy of David Castillo Dominici
www.freedigitalphotos.net

are spot on. And although I've had critiques that cut really deep, I've considered all of them before implementing or discarding them. One of the BEST critiques I got was from Kyle Martin who flat out told me that my story sucked because I didn't know my characters very well. That was hard to hear, but he was absolutely correct. And thanks to him, I got to know my characters and rewrote my story. It's better. And with editing, it will get better yet. Eventually, it will be good - and good enough to publish. *fingers crossed*

Fortunately, just about everyone in our critique group wants honest opinions and suggestions. There is one member, however, who doesn't like suggestions or criticisms. And that's fine if you don't like them, disregard them. Who cares? But this member doesn't just disregard them, first he writes a scathing email to the individual member or to the group as a whole complaining how he feels victimized, disenfranchised, and insulted. He is actually a good writer with a creative vision, specifically in screen play writing. What I don't understand, is if he is going to disregard the suggestions that get made and be offended by them, then why does he even attend? My guess is for the praise. But, praise doesn't make you better.

Ironically, Kristen Lamb just wrote a blog about this very thing

Kristen Lamb
www.warriorwrites.wordpress.com

called Handling Criticism. It reinforces the fact that as writers we need to develop thick skins. If our critique group is going to upset our tender sensibilities and make us cry like little girls, then a professional editor is going to destroy our very soul. Oh! I know, I'll just upload my novel without having it edited or having beta readers. That way I won't have my feelings hurt. Really? Because the public isn't going to be shy about reviewing your work for the whole world to see and telling them just what kind of drivel and tripe you wrote. Great for sales!

It sounds like I have a thin skin about receiving accusatory emails or having my suggestions ignored. On the contrary, I don't care. The thing that bothers me is that in my response to this man I curbed what I really wanted to say to him and that causes me stress. I don't like to sensor my opinions. It bothers me because he is a good writer and he will never go further than just wanting to be a writer if he can't handle editorial suggestions. Oh well.

Time to get back to work. I'm editing today. I hope my skin is thick enough to handle all the bad things I'm going to say about my writing! I'll just have to get over it.

Editing and Revising

Last week after a one month hiatus, I started editing and revising the adolescent scribbling I call my novel. A couple of evil fiends friends offered to be fresh eyes and they have made a number of harsh suggestions that I'm sure will make my novel better.

Two things have surprised me. First, how taking a break from my novel could change my perspective. Now that I'm not living in wrapped up in the storyline or held captive captivated by the characters on a daily basis, I can be more objective. This is good because I can look at the evil criticisms suggestions that were made without taking them personally. More than likely, the critiques are things I'd have seen too.

Second, just how impossible difficult editing and revising can be. You have to look for punctuation, grammar and spelling. Then there's continuity, repetition, gaps, cliche, awkwardness, wordsmithing, triteness, imagery, etc. Somethings will get cut and condensed, others will get expanded and explored. The hard part is knowing what makes the story better.

I hope the shredding editing of my novel won't take as long as writing it did. I'd like to get this over and done with finished as soon as it's ready. In the meantime, I have started my second novel. The working title is Untitled.

I'm Done! No, Wait...

My novel!

So, on Tuesday, April 2nd at 6:34 PM I finished my novel Murder at the Primrose Inn (working title). So what does it mean to be finished? Does it mean my story is ready for print? I don't write anymore? My characters just disappear into the night? I go back to cooking and cleaning? Well, actually, no.

Now that the rough draft is done, it is time to begin revisions which means there will be additions where additions are needed and subtractions where subtractions are needed. There will be rewording, moving of sentences and paragraphs. Basically, rewriting the story in a cohesive, organized form that reads like a story rather than random thoughts. After the revisions comes the editing. Then Beta readers. Then revise and edit again. And then, maybe, it will be ready for print.

I am taking some time off before beginning to work anew on Murder at the Primrose Inn. I have to get away from my characters for a while. I miss them. Now that their story is told, their voices are quiet (okay, not so quiet. One of them keeps shouting "don't forget to add this!!"). It's bittersweet to just close the book on them, so to speak. During my break from this work, I will do some edits for a couple of friends, yes Amanda Harms and Allison Silver I promise to get to work on your stories! And, I will reopen my story of Emily and her BFF Bill and the psycho stalker that she doesn't know she has yet. I may put out a short story in there somewhere, I haven't written one in a while and I have a good one.

My characters, for the most part have gone on with their lives in the land of Make Believe. One or two of the minor characters may resurface in other stories. I have grown fond of them, after all. My main character, Walter Martin, will be a fixture in other stories and that's for sure. During the writing of Murder at the Primrose Inn I learned that Walter is indeed a complex character and he has at least four more stories to tell. I'm excited about those!

As for cooking and cleaning.... Well, I do like to cook, and eat. The cleaning part I never really did anyway so that will remain as it is. Why start something you have no intention of finishing? Why do anything that will just have to be redone again and again and again?

It's nice to say "I finished writing my novel." But I'm not really finished. As far as the other stories that need to be told.... I have just begun.

That New Car Smell

So, I didn't blog last week. There was a lot going on and yes, I could have written about that but sadly, I didn't. On Monday I could have written about things going on over the weekend like how we FINALLY got around to painting the woodwork in the foyer (well, most of it). And how for an entryway, there is a LOT of woodwork - door frames, window frames, baseboards, chair rail, crown molding, geesh! Instead, I spent Monday sick with worry about the Little Man who was having trouble shaking a cold and who was becoming feverish.

Courtesy of Graur Razvan Ionut
www.freedigitalphotos.net

Thursday rolled around and what a treasure trove of stuff I could have written about! I could have written about chasing the two-year-old around the house trying to get him to take his medicine. The State of the Union Address was Tuesday and, as an opinionated politics junkie I could have written PAGES on that alone (aren't you glad I didn't). Thursday was Valentine's Day and I could have written something schmaltzy about love or how if you aren't in a relationship this "holiday" can make you feel like a leper. Or, I could have written how Little Man shared his cold with me and how sick I was by then, stumbling around in a Nyquil haze.

And yes, all of these things would be pertinent to my writing. What makes my characters sick with worry? What hobbies or chores do they have to do? What are their politics? Should you put politics in your writing? (Writer's Digest has a wonderful in-depth article in the March/April issue covering this very question so thank goodness I didn't try to tackle it. Embarrassing!) Are the characters lovers or are they lepers? Do the characters get sick and what do they do for a cold?


Courtesy of www.gomotors.com

Instead, I'm going to tell you about the new car. When my husband and I got married we had four vehicles between us. He had an SUV, I had an SUV, he had a motorcycle, I had a Mustang GT (convertible, red, oh yeah baby!). We decided to get rid of my SUV since his was newer. Flash forward six years and he still has his motorcycle, and I still have my Mustang (complete with baby seat and Cheerios in the back). The family car, the SUV, had seen better days. It was time to bid farewell to it and start considering something more practical.

My husband has a substantial commute to work and the SUV was not as fuel efficient as it should have been. What I really mean to say is that it cost too much money out of our budget for gas. Still, we needed something with space. We have two GIANT labs who need to be transported here and there, the Little Man, the two of us, and not a weekend goes by that we aren't at a big-box hardware store getting something to work on the fixer-upper house. I wanted another SUV (an Expedition would be nice), my husband wanted a truck (F-150 King Ranch). Those didn't improve gas mileage and then adding a car payment on top was way out of reach. Practicality and budget won and we ended up getting, sigh, it's so hard to say, a Prius V.

At first it was a little embarrassing to be riding around in a Prius. I mean, please, it goes from 0 to 60 in eleven seconds. I'm used to my Mustang that can go from 0 to 60 in four seconds and not be out of third gear. The Prius doesn't have gears. It doesn't have a key. You press a button to turn it on. And then there's no noise because it is electric. It's alien and weird and unnatural. But it has four redeeming qualities. First, it has the same space as an SUV. Second, the gas mileage is phenomenal. The savings alone in gas will make most of the car payment. Third, my husband drives it more than I do. And fourth, that new car smell. Is there anything better than that?

Courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

So, what does this have to do with my novel, or my writing? A lot. Fantasy is wonderful and it is great to be able to create your own world. But, I am not a fantasy writer and my characters, God bless them, live in more of a real world scenario. My characters are budget conscious, frugal, and work for a living. My characters struggle with wants vs. needs like we do. They also have things come up that get in the way of their normal lives (yes, that is the plot of the novel). I hope that makes them accessible to readers. My husband just finished reading the twenty-seven chapters I had printed out of my rough draft. He's my first beta reader. He had really good suggestions but mostly he was complimentary so that is encouraging (and no, he's not just saying nice things because I cook his food). I'm hopeful that the new novel smell lasts through the revisions!

Back to Normal??

The holidays are fun. They are a well-earned diversion from our mundane lives and by the end of the year, we need a diversion. The holidays are well-choreographed chaos beginning with planning family visits around EVERYONE’S schedule, the panic of choosing the right gifts for the right people and wrapping, bowing, labeling and shipping said gifts. It is the rush of writing the Christmas letter (yes, we are the annoying family that writes an update letter), addressing cards, getting stamps and mailing the cards in time for them to reach their destination before Christmas. It is the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree, the ornaments, lights, wreaths, garland and stockings hung with care. And feasting. We didn’t have one Christmas feast, we had three. We had the one when my parents came to visit (okay, we feasted at a restaurant), we had the feast when my sister came to visit and the one on Christmas Day with Nana. The holiday festivities are a huge, dramatic prelude to a short-lived climax and finally the “Thank you notes.” I do hope all of you wrote personal notes and didn’t send a mass text or tweet just saying “thanks.”

But now that the holidays are behind us and the last pine needle has been swept up, it’s good to get back to normal. There is a lot to be said for routine. I like routine. Everyone goes back to work and school and we have dinner at six. It’s comforting to know what to expect. But do we really know? Sure, the Big Man is back to work and the Little Man is back to his Play Care, but my car is leaving puddles of a mysterious fluid on the garage floor so it’s off to the shop for that. One of our big, yellow labs who chases the nocturnal thing on the fence every night precisely at 8:30 aggravated his hip. This morning he was stiff (sorry old man, you aren’t as young as you were).

As I’ve written before, I prefer to live in my planner without too much straying from the schedule of the day. My husband is more of the spontaneous ilk. We’ve both learned to adjust. I have learned to go to bed even if action items on my list haven’t been completed. My husband has learned to ignore my panic when he suddenly suggests we do something. He has also gotten better and will tell me on Thursday that we should take Little Man to the zoo on Saturday. To him that’s planning. To me that’s a whole rearrangement of chores and schedules (i.e. stress) but at least it gives me a few days to plan.

Life is constantly in flux and there are surprises that pop up out of nowhere that catch us off guard and make us say bad words that I don’t want Little Man to repeat in church. At least with a routine there is a framework, or scaffolding, to prevent us from falling too far off the cliff.

 

This is good to keep in mind for writing too. Recently, there was an excellent article in Writer’s Digest by James Scott Bell. He wrote about structure in our writing. Our stories, be they short or long, must have a structure to hang on – a beginning, middle, and end. Obviously there was more to the article than just that but basically that’s what we need to keep in mind. We may draft an outline, or chapter blocks, or jot a synopsis, but eventually, we have to put our story into some sort of order. What make our story interesting are the surprises of it. What do the characters do? How do they react? What is the “gasp” moment? And just to give you a little tid-bit about my novel, working title Murder at the Primrose Inn, the main character, Walter Martin, gets run over by his own car. You’ll have to read the book to see how that happens!!!

Sooooo...This is Christmas?

We are into December. Still, only single digits, but it is Christmas time and the BIG day is approaching faster than eight reindeer can fly! This year is the first year that Little Man is aware of Santa Claus and understands that there will be presents.

His first Christmas was special to my husband and me, the Little Man was only five months old and had just mastered sitting up so he didn't really care. Last year he was seventeen months old and it was FUN to shred the wrapping paper and run, but other than that not a big deal. The tree was a big attraction and something that made mommy yell "Don't touch!" to him all day.

This year it is different. We have told him about Santa Claus, watched the Christmas shows, talk about getting and giving presents. Told him the meaning of Christmas. He lights up at the lights in the neighborhood. We talk about the family members that will travel to visit through out the next few weeks and he is excited.

Do we have a tree yet? No. Do we have the house decorated yet? No. Have I baked ginger bread cookies or started Christmas cooking yet? No. We still have the autumn wreath on our front door. We'd still have a pumpkin too if it weren't for the fact it started to decompose. I can barely keep up with the groceries and cooking needed to feed the Little Man on a daily basis let alone start cooking for a future meal. And the cookies wouldn't make it to Christmas anyway. Sadly, I suffer from procrasti-Christmas.

I start each season with excellent intentions to be perfect. I DO have the wreath ordered. I DO have all the gifts purchased. I DO have the Christmas letter written. I DO have some Christmas cards. But for all that, I can't finish. I don't have enough wrapping paper or tape. I don't have enough printer ink. I don't have holiday printer paper. I don't have enough Christmas cards. I don't have stamps. I don't have packaging tape.

My goal is to have all of these obstacles addressed and overcome by the middle of next week. I have to because that's when the travelling relatives start coming and the cut-off date for shipping hits. I'm beginning to feel holiday stress. And is this what Christmas should be about? Should I feel inadequate because I'm not quite done? And just who are these super people who already have their Christmas cards mailed and their houses decorated?

I have to remember that Christmas is for the Little Man and to show family members and friends our love. That message doesn't change whether there are lights on the house or not or if the cards go out in time to arrive before Christmas. I must embrace my procrastination and not let my wannabe inner perfectionist start making me feel bad. After all, 'tis the season to be jolly!

There's nothing ice cream can't fix. With sprinkles.

This evening my Little Man learned the meaning of the word "hot." He's two and he's babbling up a storm and has a huge vocabulary already. He knows words that he can put his finger on like puppy dog, socks, shoes, lunch box, etc. He knows how to say "hot" and that Mommy and Daddy caution him against things that are hot, he didn't understand the concept of "hot." Until 6:00 this evening.

While I'm chopping green peppers and onions I have the pan with olive oil heating on the stove. He starts talking to me and I turn around just in time to see him put his little precious finger on the side of the pan. He pulled it away quickly but there was a delayed reaction of about 5 seconds before the pain set in. Then the tears. I was amazed at his stoicism. There were tears, BIG tears and crying but not the screaming I expected. I picked him up and took him to the sink and put his finger under the running cold water. I cried with him. I told him it was hot and "no touch hot." He was saying "hot, hot, hot" over and over again.

Then he pushed away from me. His crying stopped.  He looked at his finger and pointed it up to me and said "hot boo boo." My God he's smart. Then he went to the refrigerator, pointed his finger up to the freezer and said "boo boo ice cream." Then, pointing to the sprinkles container he says "that." Genius! Already at the age of two he knows that ice cream with sprinkles cures all ailments! Is it cultural? Genetic? It doesn't matter, he's right.

I've reached the 43,000 word mark in my novel and the story line is closing in on completion. I look forward to writing every second I get to do it and I'm thinking already about revisions and editing and cover art and formatting. I know I'll be sad to see my characters go and this vignette into their lives be completed. I also know that once I say my book is done and I must put it aside, there will be ice cream with sprinkles.

Research - Who knew?

Okay, I'm a freak. I LOVE doing research. No, I'm not being sarcastic, I'm serious. I love learning new things. But not everything is easily researched on the Internet or library and I find I need to ask specific questions to knowledgeable people to get the answers I seek.

Let me remind you that I'm writing a murder mystery (actually, I'm writing two of them but I'm soooo close to finishing my first one, that I've put the other one down for a few months). Anyway, some of my questions are mundane about investigation jurisdiction. Others are questions about medical examinations. My favorite questions are the ones about methods of killing.

Now you can type into Google your question and you'll get LOTS of "helpful" sites to go to that may or may not answer your question completely. The paranoid part of me knows that by typing in a method of murder (I won't tell you because you'll have to read my book) I get a little cookie put on my computer and my information is sent directly to the agency that watches people who ask macabre questions (which explains the dark car parked in front of my house).

But what these sites do have is usually a "contact us" button. So, yes, I click it and send my email. "Hello. My name is LeeAnn Rhoden and I'm a writer. I am working on my first novel involving blah, blah, blah..." And yes, I send the email (after spell checking). Then I wait eagerly and hopefully for a response. Meanwhile I know that as soon as I load Little Man into the car to run to the grocery store, a team of people wearing dark suits come into my house and plant bugs and monitoring devices to keep tabs on me.

Surprisingly, I do receive responses! And even more surprising is how NICE these people are to take time out of their day to answer creepy, morbid questions from a still unpublished writer. I could understand their willingness to reply if I was Steven King or Tom Clancy, but I'm just little old me! I guess after their surveillance teams came back with an all clear (It's cool. You can answer her questions, she just a suburban housewife) then they felt free to send me the information I needed.

Even more impressive is all of them, without fail, have encouraged me to continue my writing and wished me success. I have saved all of the responses I've received. Mainly because I still need the information for editing, but also because I want to make sure each one of these kind professionals gets an appropriate thank you notation in my book. And I can't imagine why these professionals aren't writing their own novels with all the cool stuff they know.

That's all I have for today. I have to go back to writing now that I have information, after I sweep for bugs!

Good Work!

I've been cheering my writer friends and acquaintances who have broken the 30,000 word (or more) barrier during NaNoWriMo. During this month, and I'm not participating, I've managed to break the 20,000 word glass ceiling and I can venture forth toward 30,000! Yes! Into the abyss I go!

Abyss? Yes, because up to this point I've had a clear picture in my mind of how my story goes. But, during the writing of my novel, the main character changed, one of his compadres changed, and weirdest of all the murderer in my novel changed and with that the motive. So now I'm following my characters' leads writing in a different direction than I first envisioned. I must say, their story is MUCH better than mine!

I try to explain to my husband that I'm listening to my characters, or waiting for my characters to tell me what to write while I'm sitting idle in front of the computer instead of cooking dinner. He is really supportive but he is of the analytical persuasion rather than the creative persuasion so he usually shakes his head and tells me I'm a geek and gives me a hug. That's fine, I learned a long time ago to embrace my geekhood. And as far as geeks go - math and science - need I say more?

So while it is quiet in the house - the husband is off to work, the dogs have been fed, the off-spring is asleep and the sun is not yet up - it is time to stare at the computer waiting for my characters to talk to me. I hope they're up!

THE NEXT BIG THING

The Next Big Thing!

Welcome to THE NEXT BIG THING!

This is part of an author’s blog tour. Each author who is tagged has the privilege of answering 10 questions about their current work-in-progress. I am honored to have been tagged by Amanda Harms. You can see the link to Amanda’s blog at the end of this post. I’ve included links to other writers blogs you might enjoy. After reading about my “Next Big Thing” be sure to check out the other authors to see what their NEXT BIG THING is!

 What is the working title of your book?

The working title of the book is Murder at the Primrose Inn. I’m sure it will change; I just don’t know what to yet. I seem to struggle with titles.
 

Where did the idea for the book come from?

It came from one of the characters in my book. That’s how most of my stories come to me; they are presented by characters who need their story told. Sometimes they come to me in dreams, sometimes they come to me while I’m doing something mundane like washing dishes. Ironically, this character is not turning out to be the main character. They usually are.

 What genre does your book fall under?

My book is a murder mystery suspense novel. I love reading them and so, naturally, I’m comfortable writing in that vein.

 What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

That’s a difficult question to answer. To me, each of my characters has a very specific look and personality. They are very real. Trying to put someone else into their place is difficult.

 What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Retired cop, and private detective, Walter Martin is hired by the innkeeper of the Primrose Inn when one of his guests, the wealthy Baron Nigel van Rojin, is found dead in his bed.

 Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

 I would LOVE to be traditionally published so I will submit it to agencies for representation. If no one picks it up then I will likely self-publish. I am reminded by a member of my writer’s group that J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter was rejected a number of times before it was picked up by a publisher. I’m not that patient.

 How long did it take you to write the first-draft of your manuscript?

 I am still working on the first-draft. It germinated for a while and then I started writing it but had to put it down. It was stuck. Recently, I pulled it back out to work on it some more but had to toss out most of what I had written and started over again. I’ve been working on it, off and on, for about a year. I hope to get a first draft done by the end of the year.

 What other books would you compare to this story to within the genre?

Definitely Agatha Christie’s works are a good comparison to what I want to write. I just hope I can live up to that!

 Who or what inspired you to write this book?

 I’ve always had the writing bug, ever since I was a little girl. My father and my husband have been very encouraging in my writing. They would like to see me fulfill my life-long dream.

 What else about your book might pique your readers’ interest?

I like puzzles and patterns – sudoku, jumbles, jigsaw, challenging knitting patterns, needlepoint and embroidery. I also like cooking – layering herbs and spices, mixing and matching flavors, and bringing everything out with perfect timing. I write like that. My book is a puzzle that can be solved by looking at the patterns and hopefully the words and language make a wonderful meal.

 

I was tagged by Amanda Harms http://abharmsbooks.blogspot.com

Tag Kyle Martin! Your next! www.storiesbykyle.blogspot.com

 Check out Angel Zapata http://arageofangel.blogspot.com/