I'm in countdown mode starting this week. Only a couple of weeks and I am traveling, again. I keep thinking of one more thing I want to do, go see, or someone else to go visit on the way. Have you ever done that?
You lay out your plan. Go see Aunt Jane, visit the lake, of course go shopping, and then more ideas just keep popping in your head. By the time you get home you are exhausted! But you got all those things done and then some.
I'm looking forward to just that. I'm taking my laptop and hopefully will be able to write a page or two.
Then there is reading in the airport. Or do you just like to people watch? I like doing both, but then I'm looking over my book, glancing here and there, loosing my place, rereading the page several times. I'm sure you've done that too. But it's interesting. Could be a good story. A thriller. A ruse while he's reading the book watching for the agent that following him.
Okay enough of that. But it is a good story. I've got a lot of books on my shelf that I've got to get read. Think I'll start with Steven James. Good suspense....FBI......looking forward to it!
Busy day ahead....got to get in some research too so I'm off.
Until then.....
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
I'm in Overload Mode
I was in Tampa last week and arrived home late Thur. I hit the ground running you might say. Friday morning I was at a meeting to help finalize our workshop that evening, then off to the store, and back home again to check messages. One o'clock found me at my daughter's babysitting while she took the oldest to get his passport (a trip with a friend at Christmas to Costa Rica) then home again to fix my dish for the evening.
Our writer's group is amazing......at least the ladies that put together our speakers, authors, and give of their time to make sure we have a great take away from the workshops. We heard Janice Hanna Thompson, over sixty books to her credit, speak about Finding My Unique Place in the Writing Industry.
Then off to hear the other speakers in their workshops, Allison Pittman (Revising Your Writing for Depth and Creating Multi-Dimensional Characters), Kelly Irvin (Maintaining Suspense in Your Fiction), Eileen Key (Research in Contemporary Fiction), Karen Roth (Research in Historical Fiction). What a blessing to each one of our eager writers who want to learn how to craft their writing.
Then.......to top off the excellent week end on Monday night, our usual critique night, we were able to hear Steven James talk about his writing. WOW. He has four novels out, mystery, and they are titled from a chess set (Rook, Knight, Pawn, Bishop). Yes I got all four and I want to sit down and read all four at once.
We have an awesome writer's group and I feel privileged to belong to it. Everyone is willing to help each other and lift them up when they are feeling low. Thank you Lord.
Until then........
Our writer's group is amazing......at least the ladies that put together our speakers, authors, and give of their time to make sure we have a great take away from the workshops. We heard Janice Hanna Thompson, over sixty books to her credit, speak about Finding My Unique Place in the Writing Industry.
Then off to hear the other speakers in their workshops, Allison Pittman (Revising Your Writing for Depth and Creating Multi-Dimensional Characters), Kelly Irvin (Maintaining Suspense in Your Fiction), Eileen Key (Research in Contemporary Fiction), Karen Roth (Research in Historical Fiction). What a blessing to each one of our eager writers who want to learn how to craft their writing.
Then.......to top off the excellent week end on Monday night, our usual critique night, we were able to hear Steven James talk about his writing. WOW. He has four novels out, mystery, and they are titled from a chess set (Rook, Knight, Pawn, Bishop). Yes I got all four and I want to sit down and read all four at once.
We have an awesome writer's group and I feel privileged to belong to it. Everyone is willing to help each other and lift them up when they are feeling low. Thank you Lord.
Until then........
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A Week In Tampa
My husband had to go to a conference in Tampa for a week. I tagged along thinking oh boy I will have a week of quiet to do writing, maybe see a few sights, and of course there has to be some shopping I can do in Tampa. Wrong on all accounts.
The flight was smooth, got to the beautiful hotel overlooking the channel, and found out there isn't much here. That is unless you own a boat, have a LOT of money, and have a car readily available. Oh yes, there is a trolley that runs from the hotel to Ybor City, but don't let the sun go down on you in that part of town.
Saturday we took the trolley to Ybor City, got off looking for a place to grab a bite to eat. If you drink your lunch you are all set, but we, on the other hand prefer to grab a bite of salad or have a sandwich. So we head back to our hotel. The conductor suggested we get off at Channel Plaza. There were a few restaurants in the small area, of which we found Bennigans. The waiter gave a us a booth by the window and while we shared our plate of bar-b-que ribs we watched boats go by. Then of course, we were sort of on vacation, we decided to go with the dessert the waiter suggested. It was chocolate ice cream, chocolate topping, and chocolate fudge crust, death by chocolate. Topped our day off!
Sunday morning.........yes Sunday morning..........we made our way to one of the hotel's four restaurants. Of course this was the only one open at nine o'clock in the morning. We glanced through the menu then looked at each other, mouth agape.......bowl of oatmeal......$15! The waitress suggested the buffet so we proceeded to indulge. It was really good...........then we were presented with the bill. Fifty dollars! Is this how the rich live?
I told my husband it's time we rented a car and get away from the hotel. I wasn't going to spend that kind of money again. Renting the car was really the best thing to do. We followed the map and found Tarpon Springs. The sponge capital of the world. Very interesting. Worth the car rental.
Oh yes did I say at the beginning we left home with a sick husband? He's been real good about not catching a cold for a long time.......well he caught it before we left. And here we are in the hotel room.....I'm on the computer.......and he's in bed with his head covered up! We don't leave for two more days!
Until then....
The flight was smooth, got to the beautiful hotel overlooking the channel, and found out there isn't much here. That is unless you own a boat, have a LOT of money, and have a car readily available. Oh yes, there is a trolley that runs from the hotel to Ybor City, but don't let the sun go down on you in that part of town.
Saturday we took the trolley to Ybor City, got off looking for a place to grab a bite to eat. If you drink your lunch you are all set, but we, on the other hand prefer to grab a bite of salad or have a sandwich. So we head back to our hotel. The conductor suggested we get off at Channel Plaza. There were a few restaurants in the small area, of which we found Bennigans. The waiter gave a us a booth by the window and while we shared our plate of bar-b-que ribs we watched boats go by. Then of course, we were sort of on vacation, we decided to go with the dessert the waiter suggested. It was chocolate ice cream, chocolate topping, and chocolate fudge crust, death by chocolate. Topped our day off!
Sunday morning.........yes Sunday morning..........we made our way to one of the hotel's four restaurants. Of course this was the only one open at nine o'clock in the morning. We glanced through the menu then looked at each other, mouth agape.......bowl of oatmeal......$15! The waitress suggested the buffet so we proceeded to indulge. It was really good...........then we were presented with the bill. Fifty dollars! Is this how the rich live?
I told my husband it's time we rented a car and get away from the hotel. I wasn't going to spend that kind of money again. Renting the car was really the best thing to do. We followed the map and found Tarpon Springs. The sponge capital of the world. Very interesting. Worth the car rental.
Oh yes did I say at the beginning we left home with a sick husband? He's been real good about not catching a cold for a long time.......well he caught it before we left. And here we are in the hotel room.....I'm on the computer.......and he's in bed with his head covered up! We don't leave for two more days!
Until then....
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Is This Monday
We had a great 4th of July weekend. It lasted four days, so this must be Monday? If it isn't then I'm behind!
It's time to put the fingers to the keyboard and the old brain to working. Words to grace the pages of my novel. Now this little Indian girl has escaped the massacre and she is trying to find her way back to her camp. She meets up with a brave from another camp and they team up together. Oh yes, did I say the little girl is only six years old?
Okay, so I'm stumped...........well maybe not stumped......but how many things can happen before she finds help? True story folks...but it needs a little help.....a little drama to make it more interesting.
If you are a writer, aspiring to be a writer, and needing help, check out the workshop sponsored by the Christian Writer's Group of Greater San Antonio and the Alamo Christian Fiction Writers' Group. It takes place on July 16 & 17 at First Baptist Church Universal City. Go to www.cwgsa.com and download a registration form and get your money in to reserve a space for you. There are seven different workshops to choose from. Don't delay..........act now!
Until then...........
It's time to put the fingers to the keyboard and the old brain to working. Words to grace the pages of my novel. Now this little Indian girl has escaped the massacre and she is trying to find her way back to her camp. She meets up with a brave from another camp and they team up together. Oh yes, did I say the little girl is only six years old?
Okay, so I'm stumped...........well maybe not stumped......but how many things can happen before she finds help? True story folks...but it needs a little help.....a little drama to make it more interesting.
If you are a writer, aspiring to be a writer, and needing help, check out the workshop sponsored by the Christian Writer's Group of Greater San Antonio and the Alamo Christian Fiction Writers' Group. It takes place on July 16 & 17 at First Baptist Church Universal City. Go to www.cwgsa.com and download a registration form and get your money in to reserve a space for you. There are seven different workshops to choose from. Don't delay..........act now!
Until then...........
Friday, July 2, 2010
Working On The Book
Or shall I say the book(s). Hopping from one to the other......making corrections, adding, taking out things that don't make sense, and just plain rewriting.........tweaking.
Writing is continuous and rewriting is like fine tuning. Going over and over to make sure it sounds right, right grammar, and all around good reading.
Belonging to a critique group is a number one priority. At least belonging to one is a priority for me. You keep checking your wonderful masterpiece and you see nothing amiss but when you take it to the group, well ........
They find the punctuation marks in the wrong place, misspelled words, and you get the picture. What do they say, oh yes, four eyes are better than one. And in a group it's more than four eyes.
So my friends we have this long week end to play at the lake, lay around and do nothing, clean out the garage, have a bar-b-que, and we can work on our novels. So alright maybe, for me anyway, clean out the garage, and work on the novel.
Until then......
Writing is continuous and rewriting is like fine tuning. Going over and over to make sure it sounds right, right grammar, and all around good reading.
Belonging to a critique group is a number one priority. At least belonging to one is a priority for me. You keep checking your wonderful masterpiece and you see nothing amiss but when you take it to the group, well ........
They find the punctuation marks in the wrong place, misspelled words, and you get the picture. What do they say, oh yes, four eyes are better than one. And in a group it's more than four eyes.
So my friends we have this long week end to play at the lake, lay around and do nothing, clean out the garage, have a bar-b-que, and we can work on our novels. So alright maybe, for me anyway, clean out the garage, and work on the novel.
Until then......
Thursday, July 1, 2010
New Month For Writing
It's July already and where has the time gone? I told myself at the beginning of the year I want to finish at least one of my projects. Well it looks like I've been working on them.......they're further than they were.......but finished?
Sometimes I feel like I must be ADD the way I bounce around from project to project. Then again......keep the house clean.....yard work done....laundry...............and yes, don't forget babysit grandkids! Help!
Today is massage time. My wonderful husband gave me a gift certificate for a massage at the salon he tried this last week end. Yes, my husband finally went to have a massage and he said he'd do it again. For years I've told him how it would relax him, help him with the stress of the job, and he always said that wasn't for him. Someone else gave him a free massage and told him he expected him to use it, not his wife, but him. Thank you friend.
Anyway back to my writing. I'm working on a memoir, a historical fiction about an Indian girl and the Black Hawk War, and trying to put together my genealogy works. By works I mean the lineage plus incorporate stories of my childhood, and then trace my ancestors from New York to Oregon. Whew!!!!
So you see folks I'm busy, busy, busy. But I love it. So it's off to my usual breakfast with my red hat lady friends, massage, work on my book(s), then Bunco tonight. See you tomorrow.
Until then........
Sometimes I feel like I must be ADD the way I bounce around from project to project. Then again......keep the house clean.....yard work done....laundry...............and yes, don't forget babysit grandkids! Help!
Today is massage time. My wonderful husband gave me a gift certificate for a massage at the salon he tried this last week end. Yes, my husband finally went to have a massage and he said he'd do it again. For years I've told him how it would relax him, help him with the stress of the job, and he always said that wasn't for him. Someone else gave him a free massage and told him he expected him to use it, not his wife, but him. Thank you friend.
Anyway back to my writing. I'm working on a memoir, a historical fiction about an Indian girl and the Black Hawk War, and trying to put together my genealogy works. By works I mean the lineage plus incorporate stories of my childhood, and then trace my ancestors from New York to Oregon. Whew!!!!
So you see folks I'm busy, busy, busy. But I love it. So it's off to my usual breakfast with my red hat lady friends, massage, work on my book(s), then Bunco tonight. See you tomorrow.
Until then........
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