Get Your Wordsworth

Limits

2007-06-04T05:47:00.000-07:00

Knowing my limits is a freeing thing. I have been trying several genre and writing styles. This weekend I hit the delete key and got rid of the paranormal manuscripts, I wiped out the fantasy little unicorns dancing around little forests with sentient trees story and the shape shifters. I deleted a holiday story that just dragged and dragged even though I still think the basic idea is okay and someday I may do it differently.
I did the challenge and wrote two erotica romances, and my writing partner refuses to read them. Go figure. I doubt that I will do another erotic, but I did find that I liked doing the happy ever after and I have two more romances to complete in my four novella challenge.
All that deleteing left me with the romance novella set in Alaska, the American civil war historical romance novel, one mystery novel length that needs a major rewrite (how do you spell stinko), and an almost bare hard drive. I have been thinking about another mystery, using the same characters is the first mystery, but have them older and wiser. So many stories still bouncing around in my head.

Two Done, Two to Go

2007-05-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

The second novella is complete. A tad over 11000 words. The story I think is good, warm and funny. I have the blurb for the query letter completed and most of the synopsis completed. Just need to again do a line edit on the blurb and synopsis, put the whole shooting match together and off it goes to the publisher.
Two more novellas to go in my four novellas by July 15th challenge. The next one is set in Alaska, is another romance with a little mystery thrown in for the fun of it.The third one I have goaled out at 30K to 50,000 words. Eleven thousand words is just too short, but that story just would not go any farther than that. It says what it says and nothing else.

Love in Sin City

2007-05-16T03:56:00.000-07:00

I have submitted my Novella to three publishers. The novella is "Love in Sin City", a romance.
The novella form is interesting and was hard for me to use. I'm such a blabber fingers, that keeping the story tight and focused in 25000 words was a good experience for me. It also took no time to write when compared to a novel at 90000 words. Just line editing that is a full time career. The novella seemed a piece of cake to edit with only 85 pages.
Today, I'm returning to work on the Cat shape shifter novella form, I'm just a few pages into the synopsis. I've never written a paranormal anything before. Another genre to try. I think all this shifting between genre has to be good for my writing skills. I have another novella in mind and then back to the long form.

Off She Goes,Into the Wild Blue Yonder

2007-04-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

The book is now flying around New York cyberspace, hunting for an agent. I have many more places to send Rocky to find some one who will love her. I want to re-polish the synopsis and then off she goes to even more agencies next week.
I'm having fun with the new story, this is the one set at the end of the American Civil War. I'm starting to find the voices of the characters. I read my writing lesson for the week, and went in and re-wrote the four pages of dialogue that I had written this morning. It was improved, and I know the female characters much better. The ladies are getting four, possibly five men as playmates in the story. I'm still deciding who is getting the girl, I have not introduced any of them yet, I hoping that the characters will let fly with some sparks when they meet. The old guy may get the woman that he has known since she was a little girl, but he has already shown a fondness for the older woman, Emeralda. I think that is a cool name. It was my grandmothers middle name. She had a twin sister and I think that her middle name was Pearl. I don't have a first name for the female heroine yet, she will probably come up with something in the next few days. I have the children named, those just fell from my fingers when I started writing about them. We have Tilly and Peter. The ship Captain is named after my children's Great Grand Father Capt. Nason. Hey, I didn't know I was writing a family saga. No, it is not going to be a generational novel.I don't have that type of attention span.LOL.

I Love My Mondays, No, Really.

2007-04-02T05:28:00.000-07:00

My goals for this week are: write synopsis and query letters. Oh, how I wish that were as easy as it sounds.
2. Discover why the refrigerator is spitting water on the floor. Much more interesting than writing that synopsis.
3. Continue on the romance novel, I did five pages over the weekend. I have another 4 to 5 pages of story waiting in my fingers.
4. Explore creating a webpage and all the e-publicity items suggested for writers. This is on the level of things I think are fun to do with writing the synopsis and having my wisdom teeth pulled.
5. Making my soap entry for the SoapNuts soap swap. This is fun thing I have to do this week.
6. Create a working title for the current story. This is the third fun thing for this week.
That is it: my chores.
Write On.

A Romance Novel in My Future

2007-03-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

I write action, I write sad stuff, I write murderous things, I admit I have never written a happy ending. I really, really want to write a happy ending, heck, even an almost working toward being a happy ending. Oozing with love all around.
Yesterday an idea came to me. Something I haven't read or heard about in a romance novel. I want to write this, I want to address this "what if". I will set aside the other stories I'm working on, except His and Miss and start on the unnamed romance with the happy ending.
The best part about this is I have so few preconceptions about romance novels that it could turn out to be something really strange or wonderful. The only thing I know about romance novels is that I like the historicals and I like them to be hundred of pages. Think of Diana Gabaldon type, if she can even be considered a romance writer. I hate labels on people, so I think what I want to write is a long, happy ending story set in the past. With lots of people. A question in my mind is can I keep them all straight and in action. Like War and Peace...holy pete sake. How long did it take you to read that tome? Okay, I'll go with 150,000 words.
Wait till the writing partner hears what I have up my sleeve. LOL...

It was a Dark and Stormy Night

2007-03-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

Brian starts every writing session with "It was a Dark and Stormy Night". Goober me, every session types in "It was a Dark and Stormy Night." He laughs and we move on to work.
Seriously, after a dozen times of this I am considering how abundantly the sense of humor abounds in his bod, because I've stopped deleting the phrase. It will be he who must edit them out. I don't think he knows the "find" feature in Word. When I am bored with that phrase I will revert to my personal favorite, the "midnight dreary" lines.
If we stopped screwing around, we could have had this book in print already.

The Morning After

2007-03-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a web site for one of the places in the book. http://www.oldtownauburnca.com
Thought you might like a peek at gold country.
What do you do after finishing books you have been working on a year?
1. You get to immediately move on to the next book. I'm writing the action chapter in the spy story today, I get to write the fun-nest stuff. I have to get this awful man off a mountain with a bunch of stolen missles. I get to move him from outside Las Vegas into Arizona. The goal is Tucson but I may not get him all that way today. I promised that I would not hurt him or kill him off, since he is a despicable rotter he deserves it but he is not "my" character so I can't. However, he is holding one of "my" characters hostage so I can't hurt him but I can make his life a miserble hell for the trip. I will, I will.
2. Find an apartment. We decided to move as soon as the third book was finished..it is, we are.
3. Figure out what is for dinner.
4. Put new guts in the broken toilet in my bathroom. Ah, the glamourous life of an author.
5. Begin printing Ms. Got Rocks so Brian can read it, he doesn't do reading entire manuscripts from a monitor. He has never read this book . He had read short parts and listened to me yammer about it, but this is the first reading for him, red pencil in hand.
6. Arrrgh, start writing the synopsis, outline and whatever those two paragraph blurbs are that go into the query letter. This is harder for me than writing a 90,000 word adventure story.
7. Cross my heart, next ms. I start from scratch, I'm going to write the synopsis as I write daily, there must be some way to organize this porton of the process to make it less onerous.
8. Buy a little present for moi, for finishing it. This is the third full length book, plus one screenplay that I have completed.
9. This may be the impossible dream, but I would like a photo of Holly and Byein, the models for the dogs Lovie and Phoebe in the book. Holly will sit for a photo, but Bye never sits,ever. So this a new goal.

Done,Done,Done

2007-03-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

I finished the novel Ms. Got Rocks a few minutes ago. 89779 words.
Done..yay!

Pages are Passing Through

2007-03-16T04:20:00.000-07:00

One hundred twenty pages edited, rewritten, or kissed goodbye in the past two days. Rocky the heroine is Rocking On, and I think I will have the rewrite and edit done by Monday. Writing partner Brian and I worked for a short time last night on Hit and Miss the spy adventure story that has just been sitting on the top of the mountains between Las Vegas and somewhere for about a year, sitting in a bookish way on the computer. We are determined to get this book back on track. Brian wants to write and he can write, but the kind of 60 hour a week outside job he has wears him out and he has no energy to sit at the computer after work. We now have a deal he tells the story, I type the story. I get to jump in with ideas if I want but my function is my ability to take diction on the fly. We did two pages last night, doesn't seem like a lot, but two pages is better than no pages. I'm glad to be doing some new writing. My cyclopian eye was crossing yesterday from all the editing. Back to it, just do it.

The Fish are Jumpin' and the Weather is Fine

2007-03-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

I suppose I need to pay royalties to "Porgy and Bess", I'll send them some of this 85F weather that started yesterday. Dude, no kidding.
I have no idea what the fish are doing at Lake Mead, but this fishie is working up a storm and writing as much as I can. As I can considering that 85F with all the windows open is perfect,poifect reading weather. I kicked back all afternoon yesterday and read a memoir by Carol Drinkwater about growing olives in the south of France. I really enjoyed it, not just for the French aspects and that she played Helen in All Creatures Great and Small TV series. I enjoyed the parts about restoring an old house and rejuvenating an old olive grove and how olive oil is crushed. I was amazed that olive oil soap is made from the fourth or fifth crushing of the olive mash in that particuliar Cote d' Azur area. In the USA among handmade soapmakers (of which I am one)usually exta virgin and virgin oil is the way to go. Very interesting I read the whole book in one sitting. Thank you Ms. Drinkwater, I enjoyed it. I grew up with olive trees, we only had 20-25 and they were just coming into prime being around 80-100 years old, a company used to come and harvest them for my mother. They were cured for black olives.
Anyway, enough olive culture, my book will be finished this week. My older sister got married yesterday in Maui..best wishes to Mary and Richard Sites.
Write on

New Words.

2007-03-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Finally, I'm getting to write new words. I have reached the point in the re-invented manuscript that the jigsaw puzzle is taking shape. One minor exception I discovered last night. This is funny enough to be just plain stupid. I have 75 pages of the heroine doing all kinds of stuff and I have never described her. Slight error, repairable but I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO LOOK AT THOSE PAGES AGAIN. Rocky could be a tiny weensy green and purple person eating aquatic plant for all the description she has written about her.
I will take care of that this morning and then off and running again on new stuff.
Today is will be 78F in Las Vegas, Nevada. I have the windows open and the birds are cooing and chirping, and even the morning commute smog is tolerable.

More of Yesterday, Less of Tomorrow

2007-02-27T11:21:00.000-08:00

I added back over 4000 words to the beginning, also wrote some new. Oh me, oh my is that better or what? At least, it is better until writing partner reads it and gives me another big eyed look. He was more than a bit astonished when I told him I transfered 19000 words to the leftovers file.
The beginning is much better, I promise. I will have this baby born by next Monday.

That was Scary

2007-02-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

I just deleted 19154 words from the Got Rocks story. Deliberately. Right from the front of the story. I think I need smelling salts, a hot bath and a long rest.
Scary.

Doing the Splitzies

2007-02-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Remember months ago that writing partner Brian suggested that I should combine the Rocky books into one bigger and better. I didn't want to do it then, I wasn't finished writing the second one. He could see that I was going nowhere with the second story. I'm now doing the splits taking from Load of Rocks, adding to Got Rocks and new writing, shorter more intense beginning and I'm seeing that he was right.
I'm also writing the fantasy story. Writing partner Brian is into that fantasy stuff ,I am mystery/techo thriller. We cannot always write what I want to write and so I am writing fantasy. The story line is nice, it is clever and will be romantic. It is a lot easier for me to write something that rolls the heroine down the backside of a river and attempts murderlizeing her then write about the fairies who live in sentient trees. And if the damn fairies and trees don't do something soon, I will scream. Thank the sentient tree god that this thing is only goaled out at 25000 words. Brian has promised me mean fairies, somewhere.
Could be why I'm doing the splitzies to get some relief.
I have a new keyboard that is very stiff and full of spring. I writeaparagraph and discover the space bar stike is not firm enough. I'm trying not to whine or at least whine to self. Brian bought a basic keyboard, that is what he wanted, I want my bells and whistles back, I love my calculator button and my internet access button and volumne control and the cut,paste and copy keys are my favorites. I'm putting the bells and whistles back on this morning. Dang the splits takes too long doing the control this and control that keys. So I'm a diva, I'm from a long line of divas, so kill me, at least that would be some action to write.

I Just Have to Love It.

2007-02-14T05:42:00.000-08:00

I woke up with two really, funny ideas for the book. Don't know how they are going to be worked into the stories but they will appear somewhere.
Yeah, I wrote them down. Today I'm probably not going to be writing much, because I'm planning on the Romance Divas Valentine's Day Read-Fest and the Running with Quills Blog Romance authors are having a Valentines party tonight so I want to be there after I run to the pharmacy to get meds for both of us. Crass me, I hope to win a prize!
I'm going to watch "The Devil Wears Prada" this afternoon. So much is written about the book and the movie that I have to see it. Meryl Streep is an amazing woman. If I ever get another chance to write a screenplay I would want her and Judi Dench in it. What a fest of acting that would be. Note: Judi Dench is "M or X" or whatever in the recent James Bond movies.
Happy Valentines Day. Write hearts and flowers today. I promise not to dispose of any of my heroines today. Everybody gets a pass in the mystery.

Ten Odd Things About Me.

2007-02-13T05:42:00.000-08:00

M G Braden tagged me for this meme. Ten odd things about myself..everything is odd about me, so ten of the oddest.
1. I'm the only person in my family who is left handed and has curly hair.
2. I can remember the first story I wrote, I was about eleven. It would be classed as chick lit today. Even I thought it was awful. It did make me feel good inside while writing it ,though.
3. I can knit throwing the yarn with either hand. Bless being left handed.
4. I like getting up between 4 and 5 AM.
5. I don't think it is odd, but some might: I make handmade soap.
6. Chocolate is not my sweet of choice. Tho' York Peppermint Patties and Cadbury Eggs had better run for their lives.
7. I read my first ever Harlequin book and my first ever vampire story yesterday. I enjoyed it.
8. I'm related to Sir Isaac Newton. Not directly 'cause he didn't have any children. My ancestor was his assistant and biographer who married old Uncle Newts niece Caroline. Wish old Uncle Newton had peeled some apples and not invented algebra. Blast him.
9. My goal is to write screenplays with great parts for women. Women who do things and are funny, who don't scream.
10. I hate telephones.

If You Ask Me

2007-02-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

This truth I hold to be self-evident.
Mashed boiled cauliflower with artifical butter is not mashed potatoes.
The two options for tomorrow are clean house or write, nothing else may be substituted. Especially cauliflower.

Jumping Forward

2007-02-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

I found a title for the romance novel. The working title is going to be "Freeze Out". Doesn't sound like any hot steamy romance novel. Jheeez, but the novel is set in Antarctica. I think but not positive yet, the title is referring to the freezing out of the unwanted attention of the gicky type when the Yummy Dude is standing around with his tongue flapping like a winded Labrador retriever. I can not see Yummy Dude yet, so he is just YD1 in the notes for the meanwhile.
I decided that there is no reason that I cannot re-write Load of Rocks, write Liberty and also Freeze Out at the same time. Load and Liberty should come in around 75000 and Freeze Out may be around 35-50000. Whatever am I thinking? I would be editing three books at the same time..that is as nutty as squirrel guts. Bad idea, you did not read it here.

I'm Jumping Backward.

2007-02-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

It is driving me sleepless that I have shelved Load of Rocks as an unfinishable dud. It has been bugging me, serious cosmic annoyance that I did not finish what I started. Everytime I write something on Liberty I find that my mind wanders off to fixing Load. I knew this morning what I am going to do with it. I feel better, even though I'm not sure that this is the problem. I know that I bored the readers that I sent copies. I'm hoping that this will be the beginning of a good solid story.I decided to move the opening to the "to be saved file" and move the middle scene to the opening and just basically rewrite the entire 65489 words.
The really funny part of my mother insinuateing herself into my thought pattern, she will shortly begin screaming at me that I was supposed to be working on Liberty and the e-publishing romance. I do not have a conscience, I have a mother in my head. The writing partner and I are working on the Liberty project this weekend, and I still haven't found anything on the Presidential Palace in Argentina. I think that sounds like a wonderful reason to go to Argentina and look for the palace in person.

It Is Monday Again.

2007-02-05T04:59:00.000-08:00

I love Monday, I really do. I feel like the pet that gets the house back to herself when everyone goes back to school and work on Monday. Yay, the place is mine to do as I wish.
This morning I get to continue on writing the plot highlights for Liberty, the next book. I get to work on the time frame for finishing this new one. The date in my head to Jan 2008, all duded up and ready to go. I'm going to try a short story in between pages of the novel. I want to experiment with e-publishing, but I don't want to invest the time that a novel takes into doing it. Oops, I got sidetracked again...the house is almost mine again, so do I care?
I wanted to say that spring is sprung in Las Vegas, it was above 70F yesterday and when I got up at 4AM, it was 47F. Today is predicted to be in the 70's again. Yay, the pressure gradients smoothed themselves into whatever configuration my sinus likes again, so I should be racking up the outline this week. I also have to find out everything I can on the Presidential palace in Argentina. Don't even ask, it is for what the writing partner is about to write and I just have to do the research, at this point I don't know what it is for. I wish he would write a comic book.
So this is the week, stew in the crock-pot,pie in the oven, book outline and synopsis into the computer,Argentina to make my brain smarter,bean soup tomorrow in the crockpot. Continuing through the week, I'm reading a book that even though I'm finding it interesting as it jumps from Isaac Newton's cohorts to a nanny in the court of Charles II, and I'm not sure when this author is going to connect the two stories, I will finish it this week and let you know.
Have a wonderful day. Write lots of words.

New Title, New Book

2007-02-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

I changed it to Liberty Tree Deja Vu, or Liberty Tree Redux. Sooo sorry that took me all day yesterday. I think I can write this without a title that knocks me socks off, but it seems to help when I pick up the file in the morning and it sounds like a book-y title. Could be "Bookies #4", or "Sex and the Sr. Center". Oh, geeshy.
Right as of this moment it is Liberty Tree...though I think there is already a book wih that title. Works for me for today.
Have a wonderful Saturday and write lots, because tomorrow is FOOTBALL.

The New Story

2007-02-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

Another action adventure story is in the works. Around the sinus meds yesterday I wrote five single spaced pages of plot and people. I must have been a tiny bit spacey because the story now has one of those big draft horses. A dappled grey Percheron like my Grandparents had, except they had a set of two for plowing and Dolly the horse is out wandering on her own. Not sure where this is going in the story, funny what I write when I'm "under the weather" or "three sheets to the wind or just plain miserable. Yesterday was the miserable part.
So the story is going to be a hybrid action/adventure cyberpunk possibly romantic but maybe more likely erotic romantic. I have accepted the challenge from my writing partner to write a romance with hot love scenes. He, being in his thirties, seems to think the old broad can't do that. I wonder if he ever considered how he got here, hatched out by the sun? Not even.
Anyway, where was I? I have one male character described, one horse described, okay so she is dappled grey with big feet, white mane and tail (big stretch there), there is a dog sled team of 10 dogs, and no invaders from other planets. It is set in 2027,the working title is now The Longest Trek, but that will probably change soon as the brain clears. The heroine is going to be fairly ordinary looking, but of course she will do things, I haven't described her other than 5'4" brown hair and brown eyes. In my mind is she nice looking but she wouldn't get a job modeling for Versace. The main hero, who I think I'm going to have to kill off around mid story, is just the funniest man. Have you ever noticed how truely sexy funny men are. Not the Jim Carrey kind of funny, but men who are infused with the sense of play, joy, I guess. I'm hoping that I can write that into this guy. I'm going to be upset with myself if he comes off as a dimwitted doofus.
I'll tell you some more about this when I get it out of the head and onto the 'puter.

My First Rejection Slip

2007-01-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

I want to bronze the little sucker. I finally feel that I am now officially a writer. Sure, I do think that says a lot of scary things about me.
Have begun working on the plot for the next ms. Won't be doing much today, I woke with a sinus headache and the meds are at last starting to take effect. I will be asleep soon, very, very soon.
Have a great day, write lots.

You Have to Read This Book!

2007-01-29T05:58:00.000-08:00

I mean it! If you like action adventure mystery stories, don't miss it. "Firestorm" by Nevada Barr.
I want to write action adventure. I have just discovered Ms. Barr because I read mysteries. I could hardly put this book down, I fell asleep reading it. I kept reading and saying to myself, "this is how it is done." "Learn from her." This not a recent book, you may have to search it out at the used book store or from the library. I hope you like Ranger Anna Pigeon.
I have written one sentence this morning, in addition to this blog. Big fat sloth this morning, but now I have a huge cuppa of coffee and I'm hitting the keys.
I have a plan for a new book and sometime this week I'll be back and tell you more about it. Rocky is not in this one. Joanne is the character. I may change the name, not totally liking that, yet. Mariclaire was another choice but it is too long, besides my sister would kill me using her name. The Gallic sound works for her, tho'.

I Know What Walrus Do!

2007-01-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

But it didn't take me all this time to find out. I have been busy with preparing for the agent search. To get it out of the way, Walrus do the same thing winter and summer. No winter vac in Cabo San Lucas for them. They stay in Alaska and keep the ice warm. There, now we both know. LOL
I have been working steadily finishing up the interminable rewrites and making submittal packets for agents. This whole "finding an agent" is the most irritating and complex process. Finding a lifetime mate is way easier than this. I have bought Jaguar cars in less time than it takes to make up one agent submittal.
In case you aren't a writer, I will fill you in on the process and each agent that you apply for has a slight or major variation on the theme.
First you write your book...if it is fiction use this set of rules..non-fiction has another whole set of rules.
When you at last think it is ready for publication, you find an agent.
Agents will allow you to pay them 15% of your book deal after:
1. They agree that they may want to represent you, and how do they determine that? First you have to search them out in Writers Digest or other directories. Then you must determine if they are looking for a new client. Then does that agent want a client that writes the kind of stuff that you write, if they do both...then you send them a query letter..not any old business letter stating that you write and have book ready to go and you will pay them 15%. No, that is not how it goes, the letter must be formatted in a certain manner. One page, single spaced, approved font, a certain size, with author bio, short synopsis of story, why you think this particular agent will be a good deal with your work and perhaps what famous author you have the audacity to compare yourself to. Okay, now we are cooking with gas, you say, hah, we aren't even one third finished. Next, you get to create a longer synopsis, disregarding that in your query letter you have already devoted a closely written paragraph to the synopsis. I will not create one longer than one page, though I have seen recommendations of one page per chapter. Whew, then you get to make a copy of your manuscript, ranging anywhere from the first two pages to the first 50 pages. Each agent has their own requirement on that. Then just add a SASE and you are ready to go.
One of my submissions weighs just over a pound. Okay, now multiply all that by the 26 agents that I am submitting to and you see why this is such a formidable task. The absolute capper on all this agenting business is that the author then patiently waits while someone at the agency reads all that paper and decides if you are fit to represent. Many agents advise in their brochures to not worry about receiving an answer from them for around ten weeks.
The whole process is insane. I want to join the walrus and keep an ice floe warm.

What Does a Walrus Do in Winter?

2007-01-12T05:58:00.000-08:00

You really wanted to know that didn't you? Yeah, me too. But it is important, really! I was working away yesterday, taking the damn adverbs out and putting them back and vice versa, and I came to a section of the story where there is a walrus and that is fine. But it is winter in the story and a blizzard is beginning to blow and why would any walrus worth a toothbrush, sit around in that? Is a walrus there or sitting drinking Corona in Cabo San Lucas? I still don't know, but by tonight I will know. Would you like a special e-mail advising you of the whereabouts of the walrus in Alaska? Now, oh course you would. Seriously, I will not spam you with walrus spam.
Last night I finished the two last parts of "Stephen King on Writing." It was really interesting, I could not put it down once I started it. I learned two things about myself and the way I write. One of them I have been back and forth and cannot feel right about. I do feel better or perhaps more resolved about the swearing issue, thanks to Mr. King. I promised him as I finished that section that I would tighten up more and watch my adverb useage.
If you recieved a CD of "Load of Rocks" from me and the damn thing will not open,please let me know. My sister tried to open hers last night and all she got was a blank screen. Could it be possible I sent her a blank CD? Nah, DS2 made the CD's...who knows, I know more about walrus in winter than copying to a simple CD.

I wrote a song.

2007-01-05T05:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I woke up with a song floating through the brain waves. The melody is a Celtic folk song that I have heard somewhere. I have never written music. At this late date I think it is strange that I have never written music. I majored in music for my first two semesters in college. Majored in music until it occurred to me there are as many starving musicans as unpublished writers. Changed majors to chemistry and business. I would have preferred singing, but a girl has to earn a living. There were two working opera singers in my family, my voice wasn't that good. It is good enough to use as a defensive weapon when the idiot upstairs turns on his icky music and thinks he can sing. He cannot carry a simple tune. A couple of bars of the Stanford Fight Song or "I am Pretty" and he shuts the heck up. Could it be he doesn't like his windows rattled. I digress.
Be that as it may, I wrote the lyrics yesterday morning. I was supposed to be writing chapters. Was this lyrical inspiration due to lack of inspiration on the book?
While I was keying the lyrics into the computer as fast as they were pouring out of my sleepy head, I thought I was writing poetry. I do not write poetry. There are few genres of writing that I find dreary, in fact there is only one. That one is poetry written by amateur poets, where every line is written in limerick meter. The meter where the accent is always on the last word of the line and every line rhymes. That is why I don't write poetry.
I like my song, I will have to ship it off to my sister to sing for her singing group.

The Clean Slate

2007-01-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

That is what the New Year always feel to me. Time renewed to achieve whatever you want to achieve, to be whatever you need to be.
I usually don't bother with resolutions. Revolutions would be more appropiate to getting me to change my ways and amend my personality. So the few I made I will try to work on, but no promises.
Today I just worked my hiney off and finished the rewrite, final, and at last done, editing of the first full length book I wrote. It is going to the agent this week coming heqq or high water. I had not read it for quite awhile and some parts of it just suck and bog down, but some parts of it, well I have to say I impressed myself. It is a rollicking good suspense mystery and the ending is just such a surprise!
Enough patting myself on the back and now I have just the extra addition attractions to the third novel and well..who knows after that. The second week in January is a long way away.
Cheers, have a great year.

The Tally Stands

2006-12-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

One book complete.
One book completly through the third edit and needing to be lengthened.
New chapter for the above book is in the first writing.
Two chapters thought about with nothing on a computer or paper.
One book complete and one third through the fourth and final revision.
One outline, timeline and character bios finished,begun and in the works, repectively.
One book half finished and already into editing what is complete. Seriously considering abandonment of project.
One more day to write finished on all the above to complete my goal. Not even will I make it, but it is good enough for me.
"Load of Rocks" will be complete by the 15th of January 2007.

Who designs this product?

2006-12-27T04:43:00.000-08:00

I purchased a product that seemed fine. I purchased it a month ago. I paid an enormous amount of money for me to get something well constructed and would last. Approximately immediately the keyboard will not work. The actual keyboard works well, therefore the fault must be the wire or the connection into the tower. Faulty design one, the connection is in the back of the tower, and unless I really want the tower set front to wall and have to reach behind it to push the start button, basic troubleshooting is screwed. I am beginning to believe there is a conspiracy between computer tower designers and computer station designers. What blooming bloody numb brain decided that the shelf holding the tower should be knee high to a four year old? Is the four year old going to do the troubleshooting? Not even, Mr. Designer, she is going to cry for her Mommy to fix the keyboard. How tall is Mommy? I'll wager Mum is tall enough that bending in half to look into the rear end of a tower is not a pleasant consumer experience. Should I ever meet Mr. or Ms. Designer I will suggest that they stick their head behind the tower while a four year old is screaming and perhaps they will consider what the ##### they were designing. How hard is it to design a tower self that is waist high to an adult female. You notice that I said female.? Do you have one of those kitchens designed by a 6'4" male where the cabinets are so high that a reasonably tall adult female can reach nothing?! Yeah, maybe he is related to the person who designed this piece of junque.
Okay, gripping about a problem without providing a reasonable solution is not something I encourage in myself. Here is the design in words. Workstations with enough room on both sides of what would be the logical place(middle) for the monitor that either right or left handed persons can work. Tower shelves (to reinterate) at waist height. The shelf to contain a lockdown device for holding the tower securely. The shelf will tilt forward on a spring to provide a secure way to view the rear of the tower, faciltating the repair of a poorly designed connection for the keyboard. How ding dong hard is that? The next time the furniture designer in the family does work stations, oh boy, Mom will give him such a good idea. The piece d' resistance, a work light on the back of the tower, with enough wattage that one can actually see something. The connections should be on the top of the tower, no other place that a reasonable person would put them, period.
Is that too much to ask?

Scratch the Love Scene

2006-12-23T09:04:00.000-08:00

I remembered a true incident about gold mining that I was going to put into Ms. Got Rocks, but it never got there. It will get to Load of Rocks and it will fit in nicely .
I was reading a Nevada Barr novel last night, and noticed that I had lost track of the story. I was thinking of something for Rocky, that had nothing to do with the Barr story. I "read" two pages and didn't get a thing. I think that bit in my head can be expanded into something really intriquing for Rocky. Has nothing to do with skin diving in the Dry Tortugas as the pages in the book were explaining. How close is it to what I was reading? Rocky will be cleaning out the attic of the cabin in Whiskey Gap California. See, really close to skin diving in the Gulf of Mexico, eh.

Hunkin' Guy Alert

2006-12-23T06:26:00.000-08:00

If I were young and single again, I would live in Whole Foods store in Las Vegas. I have never seen so many absolutely gloriously yummy handsome young men grocery shopping as there yesterday. And the goodies they were buying? Raspberries,spiral cut hams, grapes and veggies I didn't even know what they were.
Yes, Ma'm I would live at that store.Ladies,listen up. Friday morning 10 to 11 AM, Charleston Blvd Store Las Vegas Nevada..worth the trip...oh my!
Get a piece of the artichoke pizza for your disguise.

What Do I Do Now?

2006-12-22T06:33:00.000-08:00

The first edit is complete on "Load of Rocks." Remember me saying I added around 15 new pages. The little rascal is still too short. I planned for at least 75000 words. It stands at 62462. Agreed that is a lot of words. But it is too long for a short story, too short for a novel and novella production would mean that I would have to shorten Mrs. Got Rocks to make these a set of two. Mrs. Got Rocks is weighing in at a weensy over 75000.
I have to do the math...I need, rounded down, 12500 words. That equated to 51.65 pages at my word rate of 242 words per page. At 13 to 15 pages per chapter, shhhheeeessssh that is about 4 more chapters! I hate math and love words. Okay, I have to think up four more chapters and I have until the end of the year to do that, get them written, edited, and ready to go. No Prob...may I go be sick somewhere.
Write on...think on...invent a new adventure on..guess I'm going to force myself to write a really truly love scene, and I do mean a love scene, not a sex scene, tho' that can be an adventure also. I can probably make the part where Rocky had the realization in the room in Fairbanks, I could probably make that much more layered, I did want it to just be her sitting and discovering that what she has in her life, is sitting in a room talking to her dogs and how desperate that makes her feel, the deperation reflected in the sparsely worded and length of the scene. That may work to define that better. Some of this may be resolved when the guinea pig readers have finished and I have their input. Nevertheless, the little pony is too small to go to the big pony show.

Where was I?

2006-12-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

My apparent lack of a grasp on English grammar never ceases to amaze me.

Emma Thompson and "Sense and Sensibility"

2006-12-18T05:31:00.000-08:00

I ran out of writing juice yesterday and flipped into movie land with the adaption of Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility ". The screenplay was written by the lovely actor Emma Thompson.
I was listening to the commentary in the production notes section and sat up and paid attention when Emma Thompson states that characters written today are one dimensional. I am paraphrasing here please note, she commented that women were either sexy or not, men were mean, not mean or there was a third "type" men could be that I cannot remember this morning. Love was sex with no layers of emotional involvement. Remember, she was talking about books and scripts, not reality.
I have been thinking about what she said in the hours since I listened. Stunning as I feel reality must be reflected in film and books, or is it not?
The characters in a 18th century English novel about money, may not be applicable to life in the 21st century. Not applicable other than we are still chasing money, tho' perhaps in a different way. Present day humans are more open, though not less manipulative than the Lucy character I would venture. I stand in any public place and in a moment can hear at the top decibel of the human vocal range, a woman telling her entire private business on a cellphone, without regard that total strangers can hear her. Our society must consider that no one within 100' has functional hearing. Unfortunately, I have not learned the Japanese art of not listening to the life functions of a stranger two feet from them.
I am still considering how this self applied lack of privacy or of mystery in person can be used in a modern day entertainment way. Perhaps we as viewers really are interested in viewing photos of Music Personalities lack of underpants. Where is the mystery in that? How do I write a female or for that matter a male character with layers and layers of emotions without creating someone that seems archaic, uncool, or not "with it" enough to attract a publisher of mass market appeal. Creating a lovely literary piece would fill my heart. Creating a lovely literary piece which (if sold at all )would not be read by thousands of people and the profit from it would not fill the truck's gas tank for a week. I do not forget that one object of writing books is to sell them. I have the same money goal in life as Eleanor in Sense and Sensibility.
I need to think on this.

That Was Fast?

2006-12-17T05:18:00.000-08:00

Last night I finished the first major edit on "Load of Rocks". It seems to me that I ran through the edit lickety split. I faithfully read other writer's blogs and particuliarly pay attention when they are in the edit rewrite stag. Either I'm not doing this part correctly or I spend more time daily doing it. I'm not going to get myself all anxious about this..not much anyway.
The story still has a notation on what I orginally planned to write in one section. I planned to write that part and then got bored or side tracked with a better idea that I needed to put the metal to the metal and get into the story before I forgot it. I'm thinking since I'm not blazing away writing that part that it could be deleted. If it was not important enough to me for the first writing, well you know.
At this time I still like Rocky the main character, but I'm anxious to move along. The next story is driving me nuts trying to get out of my imagination. Between today and the first of the year, I want to do run through/rewrites on all three of the completed manuscripts. I have earned so many new and better writing skills this past six months that I want to work again on Blackberry Project and Mrs. Got Rocks. I need to finish these and get the spy mystery that I'm co-authoring that is sitting doing nothing, off the blocks and back into the race. Only then can I start writing the new adventure story. I have two single spaced note pages and the time line working. I told the plot line to my sister yesterday and she just went "Wow". Who knows, she sounded more stunned than interested.
Anyway off to edit land I go..
Have a wonderful happy Sunday.

That really adds up.

2006-12-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

I picked and fussed all weekend on the expanision of the chapter. I'm done for the day, turning over the computer to the telecommuter. I counted the new pages, hoping for a little pat on the back for myself. There are seventeen new pages. "Surprised and pleased, am I."said the little writer.
The next section involves the Lucky Longhorn Ranch. Numbero Uno option is to delete a whole mucho whopper of these pages as boring, not moving the story and who gives a peanut anyway.
So that's it for the day, back to the regular routine of dishwasher,and bathtub scrubbing.
Have a wonderful week. Write on.

Brick by Brick, My Citzens

2006-12-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

and in my case, line by line..Hadrian go build your walls. 7069 lines in the story and each one is being scrutinised. I have added on to the section I talked about previously. I deleted so much of another chapter that I'm even more in the hole than when I started this edit three days ago.
That doesn't really matter, the point is the story is stronger and better.
I've wrung my story telling ability out to nothing today, I've stopped doing lines and re-writes for the day.
Monday I hope to get two more copies into the mail for the guinea pig readers. Now I wish that I had waited a week, and sent out this new improved Hadrian's Wall.

The perfect writer. She is not moi.

2006-12-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

This is a bit of all right. I went back into the story and started the first big edit. This is past the spell check, lazy words and dumb writing errors edit. I need this story to be longer. The section is the part about the Lost Dutchman Mine, somewhere around Chapter Three. I have about 2500 new words into it and there is another 500 floating about in my head. It is so much better. My hyper-critical self asks why the flip couldn't I do that the first time around? I will forever demand that I write the story correctly the first time and then never,ever,have to do the editing or rewriting.
DS2 suggests getting famous and hiring a word processing assistant who passed third grade grammar. What a concept, to be trite. Great idea.
His theory: those writers who can produce three books a year, write them all right but they employ people who do the spell checks, the formating, the page numbering, the communication with agents and publishers and all the other stuff that goes into making a manuscript a book. The author writes eight or more hours a day, seven days a week.
My theory: those authors actually learned grammar, they type fast (me too) and they just do the whole process correctly the first time. They also work 8 hours a day, and probably seven days a week, with time out to run to the grocery store.

Heart and Soul, I Fell in Love with You

2006-12-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

The music has been running through my head for about 18 hours. I was "listening" to the latest Superman flick. The melody stuck. It lasted through my sleep and I found that I was humming it as I brushed my teeth. I think this is the best Superman movie made, however I only have to see this genre once. Son has viewed it at least three times, so I removed myself (very Victorian) to my room and tried not to listen, but that durn song. It is similar to watching "You've Got Mail." without singing the opening song all day.
The Heart and Soul of the manuscript is not long enough. I figured I'm about 18K words short of a dime. For two days I have been going through the manuscript in my head looking for sections that could be expanded or places where another whole adventure could be inserted without rewriting the entire story. Two logical spots for expansion just fell in place. The first is the one that I did leave short, honestly I truly did that. I sound like the "dog ate it." That is the Chapter on the Lost Dutchman Mine. When I was writing it I thought it would work much better than I think it stands. For the past months writing this I have been debating within my head to just cut that section of the story out. But and it has a big bad but, it explains so much about one of the characters, who, what, where and very importantly the biggie WHY. So it has managed to stay in the story, limping along being too short. I think I lost my concentration on the Lost Dutchman Mine at the wrong stage of writing.
Listening to Heart and Soul I Fell in Love With You, I did get a blast of wind driven sand into my brain and came up with some more action that will fit in that chapter.
The second area of expansion is in the first date scene. I got it to one point and just stopped it with a joke. DS2 writing partner read it and laughed out loud. Then he wanted to know if Rocky got nekked. Such is the Heart and Soul of man!?? Does Dr. Scarpetta get nekked, indeed not.Well, on occason she has, but with that Wesley guy, who I think would be like having two glaciers bumping, but P. Cornwell's books do not need Dr. Scarpetta to be bed hopping. Maybe the author just feels that she can't write sex scenes well. Tho' she does a wonderful job with that aspect of the victims of the crimes. And while we are on the subject, why oh why did she never allow Kay Scarpetta to finally fall in love with the big goofy detective? She let him go all to pieces. It didn't take too much to see that the spark in Scarpetta could have been ignited beautifully and readily, but no she sticks her with that ice cube Wesley. Oh well, I still wait on the book truck for the latest Scarpetta and Heart and Soul will forever sing for them.
So back to my measely little book and Patricia Cornwell can deliver her latest to the store and I'll be thrilled.
Back to topic. I can expand the date scene, though I really like it just the silly way it turned out. I may have to expand, because I'm also thinking of a section that I want to remove, and it isn't a little bitty three paragraph jobbie either, it goes on and on and on and on. Which is exactly why I'm thinking that the section needs to go bye bye.
Write on, have a wonderful day.

Completed, Done, Finished.

2006-11-21T05:18:00.000-08:00

That's right! I just finished writing the sequel to "Mrs. Got Rocks". The sequel right now is titled "Load of Rocks." There are some little pieces yet to be written. Things that I find boring to write, so I skip over them. Like saying goodbyes at airports, so maybe a whole page of dialogue like that. It is times like that I wish it were kosher to write a paragraph and reuse it every time that situation occurs.
"Load of Rocks" will be done by next Monday, and then it goes into sit,stay mode to gel and then into rewrite. While that is happening I will re-work some spots on Mrs. Got Rocks and start the new adventure book, tentatively titled Joanne Dark.
Joanne Dark is going to take time to write, because I will have to have the writing partner write large sections of it, and I'm going to have to do some research on locations to take the story.
I can't get the book rights to the other story from my family to do that book that was supposed to be next. The one about my Uncle and Aunt in Burma pre and World War II. Good romance and adventure story. They were incredible people, and the story is just itching to be told. And such a movie it would make, oh my! I will be happy with what I have, it is a good tale, so far in my head and a little on paper. Writing partner was fairly interested in the story line.
Joanne Dark probably will take an entire year to write, at least that is the time line I see.
Hooray, the Rocky series is done!!!! It is was blast and a headache to write.

That Was the Funniest Thing I've Written.

2006-11-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

This morning I am in the midst of writing a fairly depressing,morose,sad portion of the story. I'm feeling good about doing this, having some closure at the end of the story is a good thing. Then out of the blue the characters are saying the darnest, funniest things and for two pages I can not get these three to shut up and get back on track. Am I leaving it in..oh yeah, I am leaving those two pages in. I laughed out loud.
The mirror image of sorrow is merriment, happiness. I would not go so far as to say the characters were happy, but maybe comforted by their humor and their friendship.
Certainly an interesting development when writing sad, depression to have the characters force to the surface the basic human feeling of joy. I wish I could express that better.

She said, He said

2006-11-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

I wrote the final three paragraphs of the second Mrs. Got Rocks book. I could not wait for my writing partner to read them. After all, what I did to the main character was his idea. When I asked him to read it and told him what I did, I was horrendously surprised at his reaction.
"You didn't." he said.
"Yeah, I did." she said.
"How could you?" he asked.
"You told me to!" she explained.

There is plenty to write between where the story is now, and the end that I have written. I'm about 90 pages from goal length.

Did writing partner like what I had written? I do not think so, I think he was so stunned at what happened to poor Got Rocks, that he felt nothing else. Or maybe, it was just a piece of bad writing.

Scream if it doesn't work!!

2006-10-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

I broke down and bought a new computer tower. Wed. I booted up old faithful and I kept getting memory errors, one error after another. After having some sort of sinus headache thing going for a week, this was not what I was ready,willing, or able to tolerate. Let's say that the whole purchasing process was funny when I look back on it. I overbought memory and got plenty of buss speed, I also got stuck with MS Media for brainpower and I'm unhappy with that. I know how many salespersons told me how wonderful it was, how I would totally be in love with it's ability to handle all my digital camera needs. Well, let me tell you, I really wanted XP Professional Edition, but I'm not going to Dell to get it. So anyway for the last two days I have been trying to get everything set up and shifted from there to here and working.
The scanner just totally refuses to even speak in a pleasant tone of voice to the new machine, okay, so I can live with that. However, then the printer decided it too must be a butthead, if everyone was going to be a butthead. I screamed at it for several hours yesterday afternoon trying to get it to work. It had worked for a little while on Wednesday, so I knew that it could work. I screamed in frustration and said I will figure it out in the morning, like this morning. I worked on it for another hour, running all those diagnostic things, and back and forth. I decided that was enough, that I would delete all of it from the hard drive and re-install, that was the only thing I could see left to do, other than throwing the printer in the dumpster and taking the tower back to CompUSA. So since my airplane background says check all the wires first, in case something is broken, I started there on my way to uninstalled and re-installed. Yup, the thing wasn't even connected to the tower. Okay it is connected and lo and behold it prints. Amazing, and who didn't connect the USB to the tower, well, I tell you, it weren't me. He was born in Sept 1968. I may even allow him to live through the night. Good thing that he isn't here for at least another 3 hours.
Was it easy for me to do the USB, well after all the other stuff, yeah, I was sorta afraid of getting shocked, but I sure as hell wasn't unplugging the tower at that point. I like the new keyboard and Word is pretty cool to watch it correct a misspelled word all on it's own. I'm misspelling words, just to watch it correct them.
Next stop on the train..an external hardrive to get all the books off of the other hard drive and into the new harddrive. Haven't used the CD and DVD burner,ripper,slasher yet, but that was a must have for me, so once I get all these screamers down I will try my hand at that.
Have a great day and evening. I may get to write somethng here in the next day or so.

I've Got Connections!

2006-10-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

The story is now in one piece, connected. The scanner takes longer to fuss with than just sitting and re-typing into the computer..I can do three pages to it's one . The scanner doesn't edit and re-write as it puts the text back onto the computer. It makes me feel very smart,talented,multi-taskable, and also worn out just having to re-do the whole thing.
Onward and upward back to the story. Re-typing is going for the gold of three pages a day. What do you mean that will take forty-one point six days? What the hexx else do I have to do?
Going to build coffee in the new maker and start writing new words.
Your Friend Jackie

Promontory, Utah

2006-10-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have control of the two railroads about to meet in Utah to join West and East. Well, not quite, talk about arrogant! But I worked into the night and I'm within inches, not pages but lines of having the story back into one piece.
The rest of the day I'm going to try to talk the scanner into scanning 125 pages of text back onto the word processor. If it is it's usual stubborn self, then I'm retyping it in over the next week.
Hee hee..and hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go!
Sincerely,
Your Friend, Dopey the Dwarf

The blazing coffee maker

2006-10-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

I just counted. I have 187 pages of the story complete. The two sides are not as yet connected, but there is not such a big gap between them. There is alot more story to what would be the recovered pieces. I'm actually past what I lost in page count, but the story is not together though much more extensive that the first go round. Like this is the second revision before the first.
Still haven't found the computer that will do the job for us...but I did find a most important writing tool. A new coffee maker. The old one was taking 45 minutes to make three cups, this one makes 11 cups in less than 5 minutes. Maybe that is why I got so much written this past weekend and blazed through the pages this AM.The old lady who writes is grinning.

The Knuckles are Dragging.

2006-10-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

My knuckles and fingers are kind of sore, I've typed so much today and I still have not got the two parts of the story connected. I've typed so much today, I'm wondering why I'm typing now. A cool down from exercise period, maybe?
What I did to the Callaghan character today!! Whoo whee..is he in big trouble. Sometime over the weekend, I'm going to somehow rescue his wonderful body, though I'm not sure Rocky will let me wriggle him out of this.
I tried to buy a computer today. Admittedly I'm not the brightest bulb in the box, but I can't figure out that Dell website. I know what I want and I just can't seem to find it. Do I dare call and ask to speak to a human being.? I think I really need to just go get a 'puter in a box that is all put together and pay and go. I can just order a Dell key board separately, I think, maybe sort of. DS2 is ready to start his own design business on the side until it gets big enough he can do it full time. And I'm tired to death of battling this wonderful old faithful for every word, every log on every day. I lose one more page of writing and I will probably sit down and cry.

Don't shut down the brain.

2006-10-13T04:41:00.000-07:00

Getting there, today I finally am at the point that connects the old part of the book that I'm recovering and the new part of the book that I'm winging on. This transitional part should be about three pages long and is something that I actually saw. It should not take any time at all to write. This part ties in and locks down the part that I've already written about it in the 20 pages of new stuff. Confused?? I know what you mean! To make my brain even wilder and unable to focus on the task, I came up with this intriguing idea for the next book. I've been trying to write a historical novel for three books now, some day I will get the damn thing out of my head. In the meantime, was working through scenes on the Rocky's story and this idea pops into my head. Is it a historical, somewhat romantic novel? Not even. The thing looks like it is going to be another adventure story with a very current political angle. Though the main character is a historical figure that the modern day character may channel or something I haven't worked out yet.. The book will be what Brian calls Superman vs Godzilla. Maybe I can write the historical romantic novel on the blog, and get rid of it. Brian wants to write Superman vs Godzilla one day. I've got enough problems without taking on Godzilla, whom I love.
Have a wonderful weekend. Write ON!

That is so much better.

2006-10-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

The recovery writing is going as good as I can reconstruct. Even as I write that, I feel that writing a book backwards,sideways,front, back and middle wise may not be the way that "real" writers do this job. Makes me kind of crazy in a put down sort of way. I make this jigsaw puzzle and then work it together. I felt this way until yesterday evening, when I visited Diana Gabaldon's webpage, to see how soon her next book is expected. Well, I was working my way thru her fax, and found that she works in pieces and bits and then blends them into her wonderous, huge, yummy, adventure historical novels. I feel so much better. I would feel infinately so much better, if I could physically write a 900 page anything,but that is why there are the Gabaldons to keep me reading. I love historical novels, since the first one I read in elementary school. "The Silver Chalice" by Thomas B. Costain. My mother thought it was a religous tract, so I was allowed to enjoy in peace. Speaking of what I read. When I was a Sophmore in high school, I tried to read "Peyton Place", by Grace Metalious, somehow my Mother knew what that one was about and I didn't even get to read the "good" parts. I was forced to give it back to my buddy Adrienne. I digressed, what I'm supposed to be writing is a historical novel, but this Rocky person keeps butting in and I keep writing this adventure thing. I have only written two pages this morning on the adventure thing. I need to make a meat loaf for dinner and make words. Write on!!

Rollin,Rollin, Rolling...

2006-10-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

Twenty pages..ten of new story, ten of reconstructed old story. Two files being switched back and forth between old and new. It is harder to reconstruct the old, than writing the new.
I was laughing at myself this morning, by writing the ending while I'm writing the middle,maybe I will finish before the middle is complete. That makes no sense at all, must be one of those thing that think perfectly nice at four AM, and are totally fruit loops at a quarter to eight.
I had to calm myself down I was so upset at the loss of the book, so I've been working really hard getting a wool hat knit for Craig for Christmas. It is the swatch hat, two hats in one, which will be nice since it is in wool. He will use it this January up in the mountains. I will try to refrain from reminding him not to loan it out, give it away, sell it or send it sailing down the Klamath River on the way to the Pacific Ocean. It is a medium forest green and on one cap of the reversible I have just put a couple of rows of garter stitch on the plain knit. One the other hat side I put a varigated green,brown,blue,cream three rows of "lice" and then two rows of purl garter stitch. The cap even got an unsolicited good comment from the other son. I'm back centered emotionally and writing away.
This week the data goes to the agent on the mystery story that I finished before the Got Rocks series.
Rollin,rollin,rolling...theme from "Rawhide"...you aren't old enough to remember that TV series.
Back in the saddle again.
Write on.

.

Screwed, Blued and Tattoo'd

2006-10-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

I really did it this time. Last night I deleted the whole book. Yuppers, all 180 pages, every living, breathing 43000+- words. I don't even know how I did it. I was writing along and I had reached for the shift key with my right hand. I missed and I think I mashed the keys to the right of the space bar. Whatever...the screen kinda did a burp, and I just happened to look at the toolbar, and I had about 420 kb's logged and then there was .9kb on the toolbar. It went from 1.5 spacing to single spacing. I type each day with a different color and after the burp I was in black instead of Saturday's teal blue. I'm sick, sick, sick.
I had 125 hard copy pages printed, so I only have to recover around 55 pages. That is a lot of words, even if I already know what happens.
55 x 240 words per page = 13,200 words to redo.
Excuse me while I go throw up.

I've Got It, By Gad.

2006-10-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

I was so stiff and sore after my walk yesterday, and sunburned, after dinner I was just dragging. I hauled myself into a full tub of hot water and a new bar of Green Apple Soap, and I soaked. I soaked and woke myself up with someone snoring with the sound reverberating off the tiled walls of the bathroom. DS2 says I'm going to drown one day falling asleep in the tub, be that as it may, this old babe has never taken a sleeping pill in her life. Anyway, it and a long sleep in a bed fixed the sore muscles. As I was just at the spot between awake and asleep, you know the one, I got the ending for the book. I have written what, three books and a screenplay now, and each of them has been plotted out on paper well ahead of time, with characters all tidy in a row. Not this sequel to Mrs. Got Rocks, the ideas just seem to be coming into place when I need them, I hadn't even begun to worry yet about how to close the thing. I have nearly 150 good pages out of what I want to be 350. This whole ending scenario is going to be long and involved and I can see it being around 75 to 100 pages. I'm going to have to plot it out on paper, otherwise I know I will forget something. Today is going to be get a dentist appointment day and plot out the ending day. And somehow over the weekend every surface in the apartment got covered with stuff. That will have to go somewhere, or I will be having a snit by the end of the day.
Tomorrow, I want to make a batch of Honey Butter Soap, I need to get some made for DS2 to take with him to India, they are proposing leaving in December. I don't know how long they will be gone, so I'm doing the 18 bar mold for him. I doubt that he will need to take that many, so the rest will be for us.
I also need to make some peppermint soap or some Creamy HoneyedMint Soap. I searched through the whole soap stash last night and there is not one bar of minty soap. I think tomorrow and Friday are going to be writing and soaping days. I can't ask for anything more. Well I suppose I could, but why be greedy.
Have a wonderful day.

I'm easing into it.

2006-10-02T05:59:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning, I'm easing into things. I wrote ten pages yesterday and last night. I wanted to get a bit ahead because this morning I have to take a hike into the wilds of the streets of Las Vegas to go to the Post Office to mail a package. First given: I don't drive. Second given: the Post Office has the least customer friendly hours of almost any company in the world. I love the new automatic scale do it yourself powered by credit card machine. I hate how Americans love to dismantle them to see what makes them go. Loves them so much that the post office has to lock them up after 6pm at night. Just the time those machines would be the most useful is when they are not available. Yeah, I'm not dumb enough to think "they who destroy" just want to learn how they work.
My little printer who works his little butt off for me, failed the postal office test for printing the "quality" of label for the at home do-it-yourself. I did not have the heart to tell that to little Epson. So hi ho hi ho it is off to hike I go. Have I ever mentioned trying to take a bus to the Post Office, oh my dear! This Post Office is about 2.5 straight miles away. To take the bus I have to change buses twice, and the buses run once an hour, so last time, I had a three hour one way, I walked home. The bus does not run down the straight shot street from the strip to the post office, like twenty miles you can see straight shot street..swoop. No, not, don't even think. The bus runs in the other direction, so it is half mile walk to the first stop, then change bus, another two mile ride, change bus then another two mile ride.hen another half mile walk to the post office. So I'm walking, even these old legs will make it faster than that.
So I'm easing into it, and will try to get back here before it is scorching hot out.
The result of course, is all Epsons fault for not making a printer even a cheapee, that will print the Post Office spec. postage. So I'm easing into it. Have a great day..write lots.

Jeez, it is Friday again.

2006-09-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

Remember yesterday ,about selling my antique bed. The lady backed out, she was supposed to pick it up today. Better she back out then give me a bum check. I'm still going to have money to go to the dentist, my sister is sending me some of my inheritance money. For now I still resemble the Beverly Hill Billies, and I'm glad I did not go to the dentist first...but the money should be here maybe Monday or Tuesday..and then I will call the dentist. The bed still needs to be sold. So, the antique dealer will probably look at it over the weekend or early next week. The monster bed will cost between six and seven hundred dollars to ship between where it is in Cali and here in Vegas. It is worth in the area of 1500 or more bux. The closest I can date it is between 1870 and 1900. Any bidders?
Yesterday, was a fun writing day, I wrote five pages just like they were flowing through my fingers. Good funny stuff, I laughed out loud. Kind of a section where the character says, "There take that!!" So by the time I wrote myself out I had about 10 pages finished. The story is around 150-175 pages now. Overall I think it is good, a little more humor in it than the first one with the Rocky persona.
I could not get the damn pictures to load on the blog. All was not lost, I finally got the photos to email feature to work. I spent many too many hours yesterday trying to do the impossible dream with Mr. Clunker Computer.
Happy Friday, write lots, and just try smiling with your mouth closed.

This and That/Soaping and Antiques

2006-09-28T05:30:00.000-07:00

I promised when I started blogging there would not be pictures on my Blog. The big reason is that my Digital Camera did not appear after the move to Las Vegas. The small reason is that the blog is about writing an adventure story. What shall I photograph today, my hands typing or me looking for inspiration on the ceiling?
Today, I am going to attempt to post some pictures of my soapmaking. Good thing I'm a better soapstress than a blog photo tech. I'm willing to try anyway.
I need to make a batch of peppermint soap, I am down to almost no peppermint soap. I make two peppermint soaps, the one I want to make is the Creamy Honey Mint. A mixture of three mint essential oils,honey and yogurt. If I have whipping cream in the freezer I'll use that instead of yogurt. Lovely soap,refreshing with the mints,smells so good and clean. The moisturizing of the honey and cream does not leave the skin gooey like slathering on the moisturizer or body lotion after the bath.

I sold my antique bed. My older than the prairie, been in the family for a lots of years bed. Cast iron, weighed a ton,the conciever of children,comforter of mothers,well earned rest stop for husbands,refuge for reading under the covers kind of kids old bed. Why did I sell that bed? I broke my @#$%^ eyetooth off at almost the gum line, and the bed will pay for the dentist. Am I angry? #$%^& do bears sleep in the forest? Wouldn't it have been nice to sell my old bed and take a cruise or better yet buy the new computer I really need.Did I mention that I was angry?

I have procrastinated long enough, the coffee is almost ready and I can not think of another excuse to wiggle out of posting pictures. Please do not hold your breath.I will not take responsibility for any holding breath deaths.
Have a wonderful day. Write lots.

I'm from Grizzly Country

2006-09-27T06:22:00.002-07:00

The weather is turning nice again, and I decided that I had no excuse for not getting back into the walking routine. I hitched a ride over to the neaest big casino, early, and planned to play video poker for awhile, have coffee and walk back.
I have a favorite machine to play, actually I have several, but I like this machine the best, though the love for the most part is not returned. When this machine pays, it pays. But getting it to that point is a pain in the butt and expensive pain. Like a colonoscopy. So I settle in with my coffee and drop in my limit. You have all ready finished the sentence. Yes, she just wanted to play nice yesterday morning. Every three of a kind, she seems to follow with a full house, and then ditto, ditto. Every time the score was racked up, the machine would let out this little growl,snarl,hum noise.Finally, after being growled at for about fifteen minutes, and also not being intimadated by most machines, I let it know that I felt it was being quite rude. This machines are supposed to flash lights, make music, jangle bells when they payoff, not this growly thingee ma doosy. Next time it did that, on three of a kind, I bent down and whispered into the area that was grumpily humming. I whispered, "I'm from Grizzly country, missy, you don't scare me. The next hand I got four kings,paid 150.00 and the machine did not growl at me.
I walked home with 200.00 bucks, breakfast,two coffees, and a diet Pepsi. The machine was still growling when I left. I was not pressing my luck.
So this morning I am back to writing. I have not written since last Friday morning, I have pooped around with some maintenance and editing but nothing new on the board.

Pulled Up Them Socks

2006-09-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

That is what I did yesterday, I pulled up my socks, rearranged my flip flops and told self, that any more Drek outta my fingers was not getting the bacon earned. I mean I chewed a new path through ego, work ethic,talent and any other thing I could chew on. The result almost 5000 decent storytelling, plot advancing,edited,spellchecked and revised words. I know that is not a lot of word production. Hah, that was three quarters of what I had produced the five days before. To speak nothing of the words being usable. I guess I'm back in the writing flip-flops and as soon as I finish my salad snack I'm back working on this new technique that I learned. I was reading a famous mystery novelist latest book for the second time, I really like the way she writes, when out of the blue I saw the composition of her book, how she wove that character around. Wow, I went to Faye Kellerman, Jonathan Kellerman and Tom Clancy and somewhere in each of those books they used that same technique. I had never noticed it before.I tried it and shoot, that works really good.
Technically the manscript is one third written to the first draft stage, but I'm probably going to throw out at least ten pages and/or rewrite them .So let's just say that by the end of business today, I will be one third through the sequel to Mrs. Got Rocks.

It is Friday

2006-09-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

It is Friday and I'm glad, and I do not know why. This morning's production includes one load of laundry, not even put away, one man's shirt ironed, and 1330 new words written. The laundry is cleaned, but still not trained to fold and put itself away. The shirt is all ready out the door covering the youngest son, and each and every one of the words is drek,crap,junk and I'm going to puke boring.
Then while producing that junk it occurred to me that I cannot spell the easiest darn words. I can spell some extremely darn words that no one uses in every day life, but not something as easy as the word "difficult". Paradigm, I can spell. Have you ever, ever heard anyone in normal everyday conversation say paradigm. Me either, I rest my case. Thank God, it is Friday.

Coffee is dripping.

2006-09-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Yarn Harlot gave her blog the news that her lap top had failed over the weekend. Her manuscript with a deadline two weeks away was on the laptop. The new bookette was not lost because Stephanie Pearl McPhee had run a backup the week before she went on tour. Well, I'm here to tell you that there was smoke coming out of my feet as I raced into the supply desk for a ream of paper and did a print out of my new manuscript.
One might ask, why I didn't just do a backup disc or all those other wonderful ways to save data. 'Cause little old Hewlitt Packard is pushing ten and he don't do backup discs no more..well, he does but they are unreadable, when he is finished. He writes backup discs in a language from another galaxy. So I printed out my seventy-seven pages of new stuff and breathed a sigh of relief.
The sun is almost up and the coffeemaker has stopped singing "Pufferbellies", so I can go to work.

Write Lots of Ideas on Bits of Paper

2006-09-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

The air conditioning is repaired, life is returning to as normal as it ever gets here. I have a half page of closely hand written adventures to put into the Rocky II story. I was watching a DVD with a horrendous navel battle and suddenly I got this whole scene for Rocky to do just reeling through my head like another private DVD. I did not wait, ran for paper and pencil and got the idea down. By the time the naval battle DVD was done, I had ideas for six chapters on the paper and ready for filling out or writing today and tomorrow.
That is so much more classy way to get ideas than my usual answer, when someone asks me "how do you know what to write?" or "where do you get your ideas?" My answer is usually a sheepish, "they just fall out of my fingers." Now I can hold up my head and say, "Watch Tora,Tora,Tora and you will get the idea for a baking biscuits chapter" LOL
Have to get the fam- dam-ily up and on to job, and then to my job of getting this stuff onto the word processor before I forget the details.
Have a wonderful week, write lots.

The Air Conditioning is Broken.

2006-09-08T03:28:00.000-07:00

No air conditioning, we are suffering for 1.5 days now. Repair is scheduled for today between noon and 4 this afternoon. Got no writing done, got nothing done more than going to the big neighborhood casino for breakfast and hang out for awhile in the a/c, then sat surrounded by fans for hours. Read,battled migrane,and thought up some cool stuff for the main character to do.
DS2 finished the first edit of Mrs. Got Rocks last night. Now there is stick to activity. Editing your mothers book in the 85F heat inside and with lots of humidity. Overall he liked the story, made some really good suggestions regarding Callaghan that are going to go into the next book. He found no major rewrite sections. He liked the all ready re-written ending. He liked Deputy Tony Dixon,Rocky and Margie. He is not totally as gaga about Devlin as I am. He thought Callaghan was a supreme jerk, who Rocky should have shot while she had a chance when he was claim jumping. He is now likeing Callaghan better when I explained the long range plan for him, he likes him better as a character, but as a person he doesn't like Callaghan. I haven't told him what is going to happen to poor Deputy Tony Dixon, other than he has been renamed in the re-write.
We sat in my room, (which for some reason is the coolest in the apartment) and talked for a long time about weaving the characters more intricately together.
He also guessed that Callaghan stole Mom's chairs.
I now have all the hard copy of Mrs. Got Rocks and that means it is my turn to sit down and read her again as a "book" and then start the rewrite. I am not doing that until the gosh damn air conditioning is working and the apartment is anywhere in the temp range of 75 or cooler.

If This is Wednesday, I Must Be in Las Vegas

2006-09-06T04:58:00.000-07:00

Book word count 22000, actual count 12579. I'm crowning myself the Queen of Excuses. I hardly wrote anything yesterday. What I wrote yesterday was really cool. Excuse one: Two emails from Family=Migrane, that I finally have almost on the edge of control. Wish it were that easy to control the family emails. Excuse two=spent time tracing down oldest son, who is in "will of the whisp" phase and I'm always one stop behind where he was day before yesterday. Caught him yesterday. We had a good talk and he is doing okay. If you know me fairly well, you may remember that the eldest son was supposed to be going to India for the gem mining company, this was about 3 years ago. The Indian company pulled out of the deal at the last minute, after the company Craig worked with built this gem mining dredge that was big as a very large houseboat. Anyway, they said that they lost their financing and they ended up stiffing the company for fifteen grand that they still owed on the dredge and stiffed Craig personally out of about 4 grand in wages. Well, last week their check for 15 grand cleared the bank and the India project is back in the works. Craig hasn't seen his 4 grand yet, but the head honcho will be there for a meeting on Thursday or Friday. Craig will be back on the payroll to finish the last minute stuff on the dredge and see that the big beastie gets on the ship to India from Portland, Oregon around the end of Oct. Anyway, I hope that they come through with his back pay, and I hope that he does get a chance to go to India. He will be teaching the Indian mining people, underwater dredgeing. The mining claim or business in on some river in Southern India (Madras River?) that I can't think of right now, anyway some of the best gem mining in the world is there. Especially nice colored diamonds. Craig not only will get paid(?) he gets a cut of anything(gems and the by product of gold) that the miners get. If he wants to, he can putz around on his on down there and get his own gems.
So anyway, after talking for a long time about that, and the house he is trying to buy, I still had the migrane, but happy to talk to him.
Then DS2 Brian got a promotion, he is going to be a straight out designer, not a CAD person. Much less tension and stress, use a lot of more of his talent, and bigger bucks. So I'm extremely proud of him. He has come a long way in the past two years, Vegas has been very good for him.
But all this good and bad stuff didn't get the writing done.
DS2 is reading the Mrs Got Rocks in parts..he finished the amputated finger part last night..I think that I actually impressed him. He did have a suggestion for one line and I will work that into the second re-write. He is so much better at dialogue than I am.
Since I had about 3 hours sleep last night, I might be able to nap this morning, if the headache monster stays further back in my head. I will not write anything today that will be worth a hoot. But if I can sit still that long, I will write something. I'm thinking a rain storm might be a good thing, since Rocky just got the new roof on the cabin. Yes, she did, a bright blue roof. She didn't hurt herself, fall off the roof, step on a nail, or bash her finger or drop a shingle on someones head. Need a good rainstorm to roll some gold down into Rocky's claim.
I'm hungry, ohh, that is a good sign, going to toast a waffle. Have a great day.

Uncle,Uncle!

2006-09-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

In the race between myself and, well, myself...one of me is not doing well. My competative person says that I should have 15400 completed words in the manuscript. The person, doing the thinking and typing has racked up an paltry 11326. One of us is just going to have to concede and cry Uncle,Uncle.
Today or tomorrow I will begin the second and hopefully final draft of Mrs. Got Rocks. I have already rewritten the icky ending so I'm in good shape there. What happens is that I read the entire story in print version and start making it better if I can. I walk around hollering "Icky Poo."as I read. This can take months or not. The Blackberry Project took several weeks and that story was much more complex than Mrs. Got Rocks.
So if it takes doubling the time for the Rocky sequel, I guess I can live with that.
Put on the coffee, I'm off to write a couple thousand words then, and start re-reading.

Did I Do the Math Correctly?

2006-09-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

I wrote my brains out yesterday, plus I edited over 200 pages of Rocky I. I think I'm still behind. Did I screw up the math? As of right now I should have a word count of 8800 words. The actual count is 8442. Hummmm,that means the score is still Jackie minus 358. Shoot, I was only minus 400 yesterday. That math is too depressing.
Perhaps I should have added a quality bonus round. Extra points for having a person reading it as you write it and they laugh or snort in the right places.
Having cut myself a big piece of pie to complete today, I better get to it. This is housecleaning day, so I am going to have to put the pedal to the metal to be able to do both.

Reached the top of the mountain yesterday.

2006-08-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

The goal is a first draft manuscript in 5 weeks. Yesterday at this time, I was 1000 words behind in the race. Yesterday, I achievd my goal writing and another 400 words before I fell exhausted onto the couch. Just kidding about the "fell exhausted" part; but not the 400 part.
This morning the score is minus 600 for me.
Today, I should have no difficulty making my extra words and the goal. I have a new human character to introduce and three new animal characters.
Cannot spend any time dawdling however, as DS2 is taking me out to breakfast.
Have a great day, I'm going to do my best to do that.

Chasing the Lead Dog

2006-08-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

If I have to do anything; I need a goal to accomplish the task. I'm always competing with myself. Life says that I'm always second dog on the team, but that doesn't preclude me from running over the rear hocks of the lead dog now and then. In addition to that, you know what they say: If you aren't the lead dog, the scenery never changes.
As of right now, I'm about a thousand words back from goal for the past four days. The goal is that in 5 weeks I can write a full manscript and it can't just be a bunch of crap either...75000 and's, but's ,and the's do not work around here.
So let's lay on the excuses: yesterday I didn't feel good, the weather is changing and I woke with a snarling sinus cavity, the dog ate the computer, what do you mean I can not use that one, just because I don't have a dog. I ran spell and grammar checks as I went. I can't think of anymore. If I divide the missing 1000 words over the time until 8pm Sunday night, that comes out to an extra 200 words per day. I can probably do that. But the race results right now look like 5 weeks and 1.5 days. Manuscript 1, Jackie 0.
Have a great day...Hi ho, hi ho,off to write I go..

Just Apply Pressure

2006-08-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

I calculated last night that if I wrote consistently every day for 5 weeks, I could have the next book written to the second draft stage.
I did not take into account mornings like this, when I have had coffee, and the only thing I have written is what I'm writing now.
The only excuse is that I slept in and I was looking at the Sisters in Crime webpage and the Sisters in Crime Guppies Chapters page.Then somehow that transpired into reading all the Stabenow newletters back to 2004. Am I crazy? I have writing to do, not reading someone elses writing.
I think I'll have another coffee warm up. Looks like 5 weeks and one day.
I discovered that Bless His Heart Old Computer can and still does have the grammar check feature. Ran through about 100 pages yesterday, until my eyeballs were about to drop out. Had a refresher for the eyeballs watching a DVD from the Horatio Hornblower TV miniseries.
All right ,I will fill up the coffee and write my own stuff.

I'm writing again.

2006-08-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Last night I made three pages of the opening for the new story of Rocky, what is probably going to have to be series.
This morning I did a total rework of the ending of Mrs. Got Rocks. Much, much better this time. But dang his hide I still cannot get Deputy Bashful to grab Rocky and do what is in his head.
Maybe I will have better luck in A Pile of Rocks, or a Bag of Rocks or a Load of Rocks..whatever it is..Deputy Dixon is in the second book and he is going to be working his buns off. So far the dogs and Thumper are back. I like Thumper alot, so she is going to be doing some cute things, that I have written down just for her. There is a new character introduced on the first pages.
Yesterday, I made soup in the crockpot, it turned out fairly good, but I think I put in too much chili powder and cumino. A south of the border type Yankee vegetable soup.DS2 liked it.
Back to the story, break is over.

Rocky round two-no promises

2006-08-25T04:09:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I have not finished everything I was going to say about Rocky S. Clancy(Mrs. Got Rocks). While researching for the projected next story, I was sitting quietly doing a timeline on the action scenes. I kept writing sidebars that were chapter headings that had nothing to do with the planned novel. They were suspiciously like the situations that Rocky would get into.
Then I went out for breakfast ,while waiting for my yummy mushroom and spinach omelet, the main situation popped into my head. Must have been my brain waiting for fuel, the synapes all snapping their little syn-fingers.
Now with two timelines to work, the next year should prove busy and interesting. There is also a plot note sitting in the Projects file. This takes place right here in Las Vegas and puts us right back into the mystery/crime genre. When I mentioned it to the writing partner he did get a big grin. I think I do not have the brain power to have three storys writing all once. If I did try it, I would have to put in 8 hours or more daily to make it work and that is a lot of sitting. I have a problem with three hours.
This morning I'm going back and write a new do on the ending of Mrs. Got Rocks. I will log onto the computer all the chapter headings in the new Mrs. Got Rocks, so I don't lose them. I will have to check a couple of things out for what can be done with some of the situations. I will log into the Vegas library and see what I can find. I also decided what kind of airplane that Rocky owns, I skirted around the whole issue in the manuscript just because I did not want to get too techno..but now I think I should put it in and describe that better. She has a Twin Otter...the Alaskan workhorse.
Working title: A Pile of Rocks...well, probably not permanently, but that may be it for right now.

They Did What to Pluto?

2006-08-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Poor, poor Pluto. That darling little planet sitting out there with just three moons or is it two moons to keep him company. All these eons of time, just sitting knowing he is a planet, a small ,taking care of business,erratic obit, debris sweeping kinda guy. So what do Those Who Decide Planets do to poor little Pluto. They make him a dwarf planet! Like being a Great Dane one moment and the next you are a weinie dog. Someday years from now, they will change their minds and you dear sweet 9th planet,Ceres,Cheron and that lovely Xena will be renamed to your rightful place.

That was Sticker Shock!!

2006-08-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

I did what I tasked myself yesterday. Around the seven loads of laundry,dishwasher and the other mundane junk. I went online and looked at three university online education programs. Deleted two because there was not a course offering I wanted to take. Then, I did find an interestng course and went to the bottom line knitty-gritty. I almost croaked, the cost was very close to an entire months pay, fer pete's sake.
There will not be an MFA degree in the future of this old lady.
Well, I may revise that.I'm checking out U of Nevada Las Vegas regular courses. If there is a huge difference in cost, I could almost take a taxi to class and still come out ahead. Too far away to take a bus..would be about a six hour round trip. Now that would be stupid.
Editing Mrs. Got Rocks...no, of course I am not finished with yapping about it. I got this brainstorm about the time the second load of jeans came out of the dryer. I don't like some of the characters names, next week, Justin is going to be something else,Justin just sounds to nice and probably Deputy Dixon will have a more Dudley DoRight first name. Margie,Devlin.Rocky,Talltree,Doc Martin are fine. Next week the ending will be rewritten, not changed in content of Rocky and Tony riding off into the sunset, but I do not like the way I said it. I can do better.

Mrs. Got Rock is Finished

2006-08-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

Whew, I did it. I finished it at 7am Pacific time. My goal to finish was today at 8am. Hee hee..talk about your anal writer.Actually the goal was the end of September ,so I'm really ahead.
There are some hours of houskeeping things to do, such as page numbers and chapter breaks. Actually, make that chapter breaks, then page numbering. It finished out at 78890 words, 339 pages. As I wrote yesterday, I'm tired of it. So, the Rocks is getting to sleep for awhile. Now is the time for the writer to become businesswoman and start in on the long nasty process of getting someone to publish it. Then I can stop calling it a manuscript and call it a book.
I have three of my A list publishers to start with. My sister has a friend who started his own publishing company to get his book printed, and of course, she wants me to send him a copy. I will send his publishing company a letter this week. I googled the name and got no hits.
Well, I'm going to go celebrate the completion of my second novel by loading the dishwasher and mopping the kitchen floor.

Other book news, I got a chance yesterday to go to my local used book store(and also the closest bookstore) where I found a signed copy of one of Dana Stabenow's book. Cost me an arm and leg, but I got it anyway. Small world squared, the owner of the bookstore is a personal friend of hers. Isn't that peculair since we are in Vegas, and she lives and writes in Anchorage, Alaska.
I'm looking into the Harvard University Online Education program. This is a program I believe that Harvard started last year. I would like to work on an MFA, but getting around is getting more difficult for me. An online program would be a real life answer. U C San Diego has a MFA also, I might hop over there today, and check out the online courses.
Just too much to do, I think I will need another lifetime to squeeze it all in.

I Love this Monday Morning

2006-08-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

Why? There are only 35 pages of Mrs. Got Rocks left to edit...yay. I'm taking a Pepsi break and then back at it. My goal is 8AM, tomorrow morning.
I have an interesting book by Barbara Tuchman on General Joe Stilwell to read. I do not usually read books on military history but it counts as background for the next manuscript.Tuchman also wrote Guns of August so I know that this book will be interesting.
I'm not going to get Mikey's hooded sweater knit before they move. Dang it. I'll will finish it and give it to Paige. She is almost as old as Mikey, and the color will be cute for a little girl in jeans.
Have a wonderful week, everyone, I'm back to my search for the run on sentence.

What am I going to do now.

2006-08-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting afternoon. Mrs. Got Rocks is all finished posting to the blog, and I deeply appreciate all of you who took the time to read it. Your comments thrilled me to pieces. Really, they did.
I have about 100 more pages of the first edit and rewrite of Rocky to complete. It is now at 326 pages, getting closer to the goal of 350. I have several hundreds of new words written, more deleted and/or rewritten. I think it is coming along being tighter and still the warm fuzzy story I wanted to tell. I still like the concept, though quite frankly at this point, I'm sick of reading it. I will finish the first edit task this weekend. Then Rocky will take at least a week of rest and then I will sit down and read the story through. I will begin the second edit and rewrite any thing that is too nasty. Like I already am not thrilled with that weak butted ending paragraph, even though when I wrote it a year ago, I thought it was pretty durned good. That is what is up with Rocky. Then if it is looking good, I will send out her letter asking an agent to present her to a publisher.
I have already begun the task of research of my next big project. This will be another adventure novel based on a true story chronicled by one of my uncles about another of my uncles.
But since that research will take about a year and then another year to write the book, I need something to write along with that.
I would like to do a series of essays and those I will probably post as blogs, which many blogs are essays, though the writers would go eehew, if they were known as essayists.
I have an idea for a soapmaking how to book concept that I want to present to Storey Publishers.
I am planning to take DS2 spy novel and get it back on track, he just doesn't have the time to devote to writing that I do, and his job provides him with the creative outlet he needs. There is no impearative there to write, as there is with me.
I guess I'll figure it out.

I'm Homesick for Alaska

2006-08-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a series of mysteries by Dana Stabenow. She was born,raised and still lives in Anchorage, Alaska. Not only does she write well, I think, but she gives a realistic modern telling of what it is really like to live in Alaska. This week I devoured three of her books. One is just a short story, but it is so well done I was not disappointed.Her descriptions of places in Anchorage is like going on a tour of the city. Not a tour bus tour, but as if I took you in my car and we sooped around town.
I have never seen these books in a bookstore or in hardbound, my local library in Vegas has them. Can you believe??? Love Vegas' library system.
Anyway, the three this week are: A Fatal Thaw...: Blood Will Tell and the last one A Fine and Bitter Snow.
If you can find them--and are the least bit interested in the Alaskan lifestyle grab them and hold them close.
I cried though a lot of A Fatal Thaw, it made me so home sick.
Tomorrow, Friday morning, I will put up the next piece of Mrs. Got Rocks.