Home of Writer Viansa Blake

A Round Of Words, Indeed

2012-02-06T03:19:00.000-05:00

So, I submitted my work for my classmates to critique. I drove myself crazy working on it and then even more crazy after I hit the submit button. Fear instantly made a home in my stomach. I kept running my story through my mind thinking about things I should have changed, ways to make it better.

The feedback has been positive with solid suggestions for improvement. Until today. This morning I received a brutal critique! I had to walk away from the computer for a while after reading it. Hours later I was able to talk myself into understanding how necessary this process is and that I needed to think about each point this person made. However, I believe there is a good way to critique someone's work and a bad way to do it.

As a writer, you're putting yourself out there, laying your heart down on the page. As a fellow writer, you should understand how much that person cares about their work and even if the piece has problems or you don't like certain aspects, there is a proper way to relay it. Don't get me wrong, I respect the critiquing process and believe in being 100% honest! Receiving feedback plays a huge part in developing your story and I would never want to sell someone short. I also believe in constructive criticism. I'm not saying to be all candy and roses, but don't be inconsiderate, either.

Am I being overly sensitive? Maybe, maybe not. It's a learning experience.

Goals for this week are focusing on my classwork: lesson plan, homework assignment, feedbacks, and preparing my next story for submission. I'm also planning to complete Part One of Story Engineering by Larry Brooks and Part One of Story by Robert McKee.

***

50/50 Challenge

Of all the movies I've watched this year, my favorite so far is Megamind. Adorable!

Last week my family came together to celebrate my father's 77th birthday. My awesome brother came bearing gifts for me, too. Aside from the cool LEGO minifigures to add to my collection,

he also brought four movies for me to watch for the 50/50 challenge.

What's the best movie you've watched this year?

House of A Thousand Sneezes

2012-01-23T02:02:00.000-05:00

OK, maybe not a thousand...

Everyone in my house has been sick, including me. I've been playing catch-up the last few days on all my classwork, so I definitely didn't hit my goals this week.

My goals for this coming week are simple: finish catching up with last week's homework, complete this week's homework and complete my short story for submission. Oh, and analyze and critique a bunch of short stories. Being sick isn't fun but it's the aftermath that's kicking my butt at the moment!

I'll cut this short and leave you with a quick video of two very cute and happy dogs. (Warning: apparently I stink at taking photos and shooting videos.)

Unexpected and Unstuck, an ROW80 Check-In

2012-01-16T02:49:00.000-05:00

Why is it the exercise goals are always the ones to fall by the wayside? Sigh, maybe it's just me.

Excluding the epic exercise fail, I had a productive and eye-opening week. Course #1 forced me to write a compact story that actually had an ending. I have issues with endings: I never seem to write them. It's like a phobia. I noticed with this assignment, as I got to the point where I had to write the ending, I got stuck. I had half of it played out in my head but couldn't get it on paper. I ended up going back to the beginning and re-writing it before I even wrote the ending. Because I had a deadline for this story, there wasn't an option of moving on to something else or starting something new. There's only so much laundry and cleaning a person can do and the size of my guilt at reading a book or watching TV knowing I hadn't finished this story was too much to ignore. I'm happy to say that I finished the assignment and actually smiled when I was done. At 5 in the morning.

Another realization came through course #2: I had to analyze someone else's writing. Wow, did I struggle with this. After reading the darn thing three times and finally handing in my positives and negatives, I read my classmates responses and was like, "Oh yeah, how'd I miss that, and that, and that?" Conclusion? I need to start reading with more of an analytical eye. This will take practice.

I hit all of my goals for the week except for getting on the blasted treadmill.

Goals for Week 3:
1) Keep up with my homework assignments, both reading and writing.
2) Get a solid portion of my short story done.
3) Juice veggies 3x.
4) Get butt on treadmill 2x!
5) Continue with my daily journal entries.

Go forth and conquer my fellow ROW80ers!

Sifting For Goals

2012-01-11T23:12:00.001-05:00

We're halfway through week 2 of ROW80 and some serious goal shifting is in progress. My courses started this week and the workload has me rethinking the next two months. One of my courses requires I write two short stories. The first one is due on January 30th, less than three weeks from now. This has left me unsure if I should continue focusing on my MS, finish it, and then start on my short story or start the short story first. I considered revising and finishing a short story I've already started but decided against it. I want to start a fresh story for my class. I really want to get the most out of these courses. I'm hoping to get some solid writing done in the next few months and have a piece that is ready for submission. So, I am going to put my MS on hold for now and focus on my reading and writing assignments.

I think I'll add "consumption of large quantities of java and black tea" to my goal list.

"Another word for creativity is courage." ~ George Prince.

Play Dates, Puppy or Human, Are Good For The Soul & ROW80 Check-In

2012-01-09T00:35:00.001-05:00

It is the end of Week One of ROW80 and between writing, family, and puppy play dates, my brain is a little fried up with salt, kinda like my friend Melanie's stories.

My sister brought over her boston terrier puppy, Miss Pugsli, for a play date with Phoebe. They're both eight months old, only two weeks apart, but there's about a 40 pound weight difference. Can you guess which one was the scaredy cat?

ROW80 Check-in

Baby goals proved to be very effective this first week of 2012. I missed one day of writing because I was exhausted but I hit and passed my goal for the total number of words I wanted to write for the week.

Total written words: 4,055
Here's the breakdown (mostly to help keep me motivated):
Monday - 522
Tuesday - 516
Wednesday - 421
Thursday - 1,144
Friday - 0
Saturday - 804
Sunday - 648

Not too shabby for the first week.

Goals for this week are going to be a lot different. I've noticed people are including goals other than writing and thought I would give that a try. Also, I am blessed to have the opportunity to take two online courses, one on writing fiction and one on reading fiction. The assignment schedules for these two classes will play a major part in my goals for the week, and the next two months, but they don't actually start until Tuesday.

Here are my tentative goals for Week Two, I'll adjust as necessary in my midweek check-in.
1) Write 2,000 words on my romantic thriller MS (NaNo 2011.)
2) Make a daily journal entry, even if it's only one sentence.
3) Watch one new movie toward my 50/50 challenge goal.
4) Juice veggies three times.
5) Get my butt on the treadmill at least twice.

Good luck to all my fellow ROW80ers!

ROW80 Round 1/Wk 1 Midweek Check-In

2012-01-05T00:56:00.001-05:00

Just a quick ROW80 midweek check-in. I'm on track with my writing goal of 200 words a day.

Here's the breakdown:
Monday - 522 words
Tuesday - 516 words
Wednesday - 421 words

My plan is to keep with the goal of 200 words a day as my minimum. I'm happy that I've already passed my goal for the week of 1,400.

On a side note, I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning. Why is this exciting or worth mentioning, you ask? Because my dentist's office is a pet friendly office.

Source

And, I'll be showing off my beautiful Bella tomorrow. Phoebe will not be joining us because I'm afraid of what she might eat before I could stop her. She will put anything in her mouth! Bella was like that at 8 months old, too.

I wish more places were pet friendly. :)

ROW80 Round One - Week 1 & Kristen Lamb

2012-01-02T15:35:00.002-05:00

Have you been reading Kristen Lamb's blog? If not, get to it! Her blog is chock-full of shiny pearls of wisdom for writers. I highly recommend checking it out.

You know how I decided to set baby goals this year rather than New Year's resolutions? Well, imagine how excited I was to read Kristen's post today about planning for success in 2012 in which she suggests, you guessed it, baby steps! :)

Baby goals commencing - ROW80 2012 starts today.

Here are the goals I tentatively set for the first round (listed in previous post):
1) Finish my 2011 NaNo novel. (I'm this close to the ending!)

2) Write a new poem.

3) Finish one of my short stories and get it ready to send out. (This is a biggie for me as I've not sent one piece of writing out for publishing, yet.)

4) Complete online writing course that begins on January 10th.

Now on to the the nitty-gritty weekly goal setting.

Round One - Week 1

My goal for this first week is to write a minimum of 200 words a day or a total of 1,400 words for the week.

I know that probably doesn't sound like much, but it's what I feel comfortable with right now. I will be working on finishing up my 2011 NaNo novel. I need to write the last few chapters, where my heroine kicks the evil doer's butt. ;) I don't believe it will take more than three chapters to accomplish this, maybe four.

To increase my geekiness level and help keep my motivation going, I've decided to name Jedi Master Yoda my mascot for Round One. :)

New Year, New Goals (Not Resolutions!)

2011-12-30T04:53:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays! I hope all of you had a rockin' time with lots of yummy food and loved ones surrounding you. My niece and I made our 3rd annual gingerbread house, I made my very first Christmas tree out of books, and my girls showed their holiday spirit (after many bribes of cheese.) ;)

***

What a year! This is a time for reminiscing about all we've done and experienced over the last 12 months. What's new, different, the same? The next natural step is to look at the upcoming new year, with many people setting resolutions. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground regarding resolutions: people either love or hate the idea. I've done quite a bit of thinking lately and although 2011 contained a great deal of loss for me, (I mean really, it sucked) I'm choosing to learn from it, make smarter decisions, smarter choices. I've considered making resolutions but decided against it. Resolutions have a tendency to fall by the wayside, and the next steps I take in my life are far too important. So, no resolutions for me. But, that doesn't mean no goal setting. The difference in my approach this year is I'm not going to make big statements or plan out the entire year (okay, so one big statement: get a new job!) I'm going to break my big goals up into baby goals and take each day, week, and month as they come. To me, this is much more manageable and not as overwhelming. Are you a resolution setting person?

***

On the writing front:

In keeping with my baby goals idea, I've decided to participate in A Round of Words in 80 Days, also known as, ROW 80. This is truly a great writing ~~party~~ challenge!

Here's the skinny: There are 4 rounds a year, each lasting 80 days. You create your own writing goals to fit your schedule. You post your goals and progress twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. The idea is that life is crazy and busy but it is essential to make writing a priority. The goals you set should push you but also be reachable and if you miss a day or two of writing because of life stuff, you can double your word count the next day or two or just move onward.

I've participated before and found the community of writers encouraging! The accountability factor is high, which is good. I often shy away from such challenges because if I don't meet the weekly goals I feel like such a lump; but I read a post on the ROW80 website a while back (which I can't find for the life of me now) that touched on this topic and helped me see that even if I don't meet a goal one week, that I can post about that and not beat myself up. That's what this community is all about: supporting each other during the good and bad weeks. I know it sounds obvious but sometimes obvious needs to be shoved into my face like a some sort of custard pie with lots of whipped cream.

Rough draft of my ROW80 Round One Goals (starts January 2nd):

1) Finish my 2011 NaNo novel. (I'm this close to the ending!)

2) Write a new poem.

3) Finish one of my short stories and get it ready to send out. (This is a biggie for me as I've not sent one piece of writing out for publishing, yet.)

4) Complete online writing course that begins on January 10th.

Good luck to my fellow ROW80'ers!

***

Expanding, learning, growing, and stepping outside the box.

I came across a fun book and movie challenge for the new year called The 50/50 Challenge. You have to read 50 new books and watch 50 new movies by the end of the year. I like the idea that you can't re-watch or re-read something and have it count toward your goal. Reading a new book will be easy for me, but the new movie part will be a big challenge. I love to re-watch the same movies over and over again. I haven't seen a lot of new movies lately. I'm excited to have some fun with this but I also want to use this challenge to expand my interests. I'm going to read books and watch movies that I would normally pass up or think I wouldn't be interested in. Any and all recommendations are welcome!

If you're still reading, I wish each one of you much success, health and happiness for the new year! May 2012 be the best year of your life, thus far.

Happy New Year! Cheers!

A Million Little Pieces (OK, just 1,254)

2011-12-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

Writing and reading can be listed as things that help when you are stressed, especially for me. But, sometimes stressors can only be helped with something mechanical. During the evenings of my last few days of work, I was experiencing a myriad of emotions and a bit overwhelmed. I happened upon a small project that did wonders to help keep my mind and hands occupied and distracted.

Of course, during my first day home, I sat on my Kindle and broke it. Sigh. Thankfully, it is still under warranty and they promptly sent me a knew one after reassuring me that I wouldn't lose any of my precious books.

Such a klutz!

The project I'm talking about is Lego's Millennium Falcon! Yes, I'm a geek and proud of it. I love Lego, especially their adorable minifigures, as witnessed below. (Thanks for the decorating tip, KC!) The only thing I've actually bought for myself on this shelf (aside from the books) is Hagrid. The rest were gifts. ;) Guess my geekiness isn't much of a secret.

Here's the box, front and back:

"Oh, this will be easy," I say. "Won't take but a couple of hours." Not so much.

Play by play in photos:

Bags upon bags! Shakespeare, my Betta, was a tremendous help. :)

R2-D2 and Ewok Paploo not included in the set.

I admit, I'm not the best photographer. Still pretty cool, huh?

May the force be with you! ;)

Movin' On Up

2011-12-18T19:09:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in my last post, December 14th was my last day at my job due to downsizing. It doesn't quite seem real at the moment. It feels like any Sunday would. I did all my laundry, cleaned my apartment and am ready for the week. Except this week won't require me getting up and driving an hour to work everyday. I guess I didn't have to do all my chores today, I could've spread them out; but it's Sunday and that's what I always do on Sundays...

It is very real when you hand in your laptop and badge: symbols of employment, comfort, stability, security, and pride. When I arrive at the security desk on Wednesday, the counter is covered with black laptop bags and brown confidentiality envelopes. I freeze in mid-step and stand looking at them; so many of us are leaving this day.

The whole day I force myself to be present; I want to remember all the "lasts". The last time I use my badge to get into the parking lot and building. The last time I dial into a teleconference. The last time I'll be next to and around the corner from my friends. I hug my friends. I cry a lot, there's no way round it. The tears flow as I say goodbye to the security guard and sit at the red light. The light turns green and I turn left, this chapter of my life reaching its conclusion.

I am excited to see what will be the title of my next chapter. I hope it’s a doozy.

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all." Emily Dickinson

Angry Winds, Heavy Hearts, Beginnings & Endings

2011-10-25T15:45:00.000-04:00

The tent was filled to its brim; over 800 folding chairs lined up facing a small stage. It was a windy November day, one week before Thanksgiving. Rumors had been going around about lay-offs, a 10 or 15 percent cut in jobs. We had discussed it; somewhat prepared ourselves for it, hoping it wouldn't affect our department directly.

Waiting for them to begin, I watched the speakers from my seat. There was nervousness in their mannerisms and facial expressions. This was not going to be good. I was sitting with my coworkers, whom I also consider my friends.

They began, presenting a few slides in which I don’t remember the content. Then there was the slide that delivered the bomb: We were ALL being laid off. Yes, my entire department, as well as, all of the other departments on this campus, but for one.

My life as I new it went up in flames. (Source)

I looked at my friend and she looked at me. I think we were both in shock, I know I was. At first we thought the layoffs would happen right away but as we found out in bits and pieces, it was going to be done in waves depending on workload.

So, my last day with them is December 14th. I am quite saddened by this. Six years is a long time to work alongside the same people eight hours a day, five days a week. A connection is created through sheer time spent and energies, thoughts, creativity merged, meshed and squished together to create amazing results.

I love my job and truly adore the people. Working there has been a gift and I am walking away a better, smarter, more confident, openhearted and open-minded person.

Although I can’t go into details as to why, I can share something funny. When they were trying to explain their reasons for doing this, the wind suddenly picked up and the entire tent shook so hard and for so long, we thought it might come down on our heads. Perhaps someone above wasn’t buying their ~~excuses~~ explanations? …

Source

As this chapter of my life is coming to a close, I am trying to figure out where to go from here. It’s possible a major career change may be necessary and I am terrified. There are days I'm excited, too; Thinking about all the possibilities and opportunities out there. The unknown can be scary but I guess that’s what life is all about, right? Living each day to its fullest and embracing whatever comes your way.

As it turns out, there’s more than just the work chapter of my life that is beginning anew. My apartment is getting a makeover, as well as, my love life. I never realized how much my surroundings affect my mood. I've also recently realized we often can't see how wrong something is for us until it’s no longer around to hurt us. I'm delighted to find that instead of an expected broken heart - my heart feels free.

Source

Here’s to new beginnings! It seems 2011 really will be a brand new ~~life~~ year for me. Woot!

Source

"Don't give up on me, baby!"

2011-10-09T16:15:00.000-04:00

I love the song "For The First Time" by The Script and the lyrics fit so nicely with how I feel about my paranormal WIP. :)

National Novel Writing Month is speeding toward us! Er, I should say, we are speeding toward it! Anywho, only a few weeks left to prep for it. I've been using First Draft in 30 Days by Karen S. Wiesner as a guide. You've probably already guessed: I will be writing within the same world my paranormal WIP is set in, with the same characters. I know, I know, I've been writing/revising/chopping up this MS for forever but I can't seem to let go/give up on it. I love the characters and believe in the fact that they have a story to tell, I just don't have it quite right yet.

I've considered signing up for the 4th and final round of ROW80 as part of my NaNo prep but decided not to. I think ROW80 is an ingenious idea and really helps keep you on schedule with your writing; however, there's too much going on at home that often needs to take precedence and when I don't reach those weekly goals, I feel guilty. I don't need anything else in my life right now to make me feel bad or create negative energy. I admit, I'm a bit fragile at the moment.

I'm choosing to make the most of the time and energy I do have on prepping for NaNo. I'm working on completing those character sketches, really getting into their heads, getting that plot into shape, deciding on which characters I will be focusing on to ensure I don't have too many in the story with such loud voices that you can't tell which is the MC. It's almost like starting a brand new novel, really. I am this close to having a working title and plan to have one by the time NaNo begins. (You'd think I'd have one by now!)

I've chosen pink to be the color of this novel. I got this idea from author Kim Harrison, who is an amazing storyteller and just happens to color code all of her novels.

Right now I'm using this mug:

Once NaNo begins, I'll be switching to my Witch's Brew mug, or something of similar size. :)

NaNo is launching their new site tomorrow, go check it out.

Fall is my favorite time of year! Welcome fall, welcome October, and welcome pumpkins!

Rebuilding... Redecorating... Renewal of Positive Thinking

2011-09-17T01:30:00.001-04:00

Not one drop of water has ever made its way into my basement in the 37 years we have owned this house. Thank you, Irene, for ruining our record. It has not been an easy road and I'll admit, positive thinking has taken a back seat the last several weeks. I must now rebuild the floors and walls. I am happy to say that I've decided to use this as an excuse to redecorate. It will take months to put my apartment back together, but I am going to make it fun and look prettier and more full of life than it was before.

Reemerge - Positive Thinking! It's all about attitude, right?

And because pictures can show you better than I could explain.. I present to you: Hurricane Irene's visit to mi casa. (Please excuse the mess! A lot of things got ruined and everything had to be shuffled around and stacked off the floor.)

All of my photos were under my bed. I'd forgotten they were there until the moment of the flood.

Took over an hour and two people to get the water off the bathroom floor.

The white paneling was covering the support beam. Less than a week and mold had started to grow on it.

Chaos! I used a plastic drop cloth I had from painting a few years ago to cover the floors and protect all the little paws I have running around my house.

I pulled the rug up by myself. It was a bear of a job! Then I tried to pull the wood floor up....

Getting this small piece up took me HOURS!

Continued feeble attempt. This is when I realized I was not qualified. :)

More chaos.

We cut a small piece of the bottom of the walls to check for mold. Present. Had to cut all around the room. Pretty, huh?

Hired professionals to pull up the floor. I can now say the term "professionals" for this company is to be used loosely. I won't recount the long list of things they missed or broke, but you can see the rip in the screen window in this photo. They completely bent the track and we couldn't get the window open/closed.

Wood floor up. Fans and dehumidifier doing their thing. Be gone, mold!!

Keeping in mind that I am being downsized from my job in just a few short months, this rebuilding/redecorating operation will be slow and creative. :o)

On a utterly positive note, Bella is doing fantastic! She's no longer a conehead and her skin is almost all healed. Her left tear duct is not working properly, but it's fixable with cream and artificial tears for a couple of months. Her hair will either not grow back at all or grow back black.

The Post I've Been Avoiding

2011-08-20T22:58:00.000-04:00

You can't choose whom you fall in love with. When those big brown eyes find yours and barrel through to your heart and those soft as silk ears slide across your cheek, you're done for! A goner! At least, I was! On July 2nd, this sweet little puppy came home with me and has since wormed her way into all of our hearts while simultaneously sprouted horns! Despite the horns, or maybe because of them, Phoebe fits right into my family and already loves her big sister, Bella.

"I'm sweet and innocent, I promise." Hah!

"Pardon me, I need a nap. I'm a growing puppy, ya know."

"What?"

First night home and first picture together.

So small and sweet...

The horns are hiding under her ears.

Four days after Phoebe blessed my life, Bella underwent a CT scan in which they found a large mass. They explained to me that whether it was malignant or benign it still acted malignant because of its location. A biopsy was done and three days later the results were in; Bella had a nasal adenocarcinoma. Basically a large cancerous tumor all along the left side of her snout and behind her left eye.

Devastation. Disbelief. Anger.

"Good news, it hasn't spread." Yes, that was phenominal news. Not so good news: surgery's not an option. Once again the location plays a major factor. More good news: we can fight it with radiation treatment. I'm told she's a great candidate and there's an 80 to 85% chance the radiation will get rid of the tumor, however, nothing can get rid of the cancer. It will eventually grow back, but it can take a very long time. I was in! If it could help her, add years to her life and, most importantly, improve the quality of her life, I would do anything in my power. And so, we began treatment the very next day.

Every single day has been an adventure! The treatments were done Monday through Friday at 8AM. Every morning I drove her to the vet for her treatment, then drove to work and then picked her up after work. When I picked her up after the first radiation treatment, I made a complete fool of myself in the waiting room. They had said they needed to shave her face but for some reason I had it in my head they would only shave the left side of her face. I was wrong. Her face and her neck were shaved and she had sharpie marks to show exactly where to direct the radiation. I was not prepared and I think reality hit me hard. When I finally gained my composure, everyone was either looking at me or had their head down, trying to decrease my embarrassment, I'm sure. Then a few days later there were white lines, too. I learned a new use for Whiteout. See the white lines on her nose? Yep, Whiteout.

Only a few days into her treatment regimen. No side-effects yet.

Three and a half weeks and 18 treatments later, I am now dealing with the aftermath. Although the side-effects are temporary, they are awful! It has killed a small part of me not just seeing her this way, but hearing her cry. Thankfully the pain has substantially subsided and she's more itchy than anything else. I will post pictures when she's all healed up and hopefully feeling better than she has in a long time. She is incredibly strong and her spirit glows brighter than the sun.

Once her face, eyes and mouth are healed, the only lasting side effect, hopefully, will be aesthetic. She has always been beautiful to me and I have a bond with her that is hard to explain. After watching her fight this, how amazing she has been, how strong and sweet and lovely and patient she has been, I feel even more connected to her and I am inspired by her spirit.

Taken a few days before we got the results. Pretty girl.

I'm also inspired by Phoebe's gentle and loving nature toward her big sister. Animals are amazing creatures; they enrich your life and make you a better person.

Pyometra Survivor - One Year Later

2011-06-27T21:01:00.000-04:00

Pyometra is a serious and life threatening condition that un-neutered female dogs, cats and other animals are susceptible to. A year ago I blogged about my golden retriever's experience with this disease. I can't believe it's been a year since Bella was hit with this scary and fast acting infection; the scariest part is there can be very little or no symptoms. Bella didn't show any serious symptoms until two days before I took her to the vet. She had recently been through hell with seizures and anxiety attacks and was put on a mess of meds, so her mushiness and trouble with her back legs didn't hit any extraneous warning bells. Then, one night she didn't eat her dinner; which, if you know Bella, is like, "Danger, Will Robinson!" A few days later she had emergency surgery. The doctors were so anxious to remove her pus-filled uterus before it exploded, they pushed all of her insides around and it took a while for them to settle back into their rightful places. This caused issues with her bladder and a need to make several trips outside throughout the night. Below is a post-op picture of the couch we both slept on for three nights because she couldn't do the stairs by herself.

She's still on a mess of meds; ones that are known to weaken the legs as well as cause weight gain. However, I am happy to say she is stealing my socks and hogging the bed and I'm lovin' every minute of it. Pet owners are attuned to their fur-babies and aware of even the slightest change in mood or behavior. Listen to your gut! Better to look paranoid than take a chance our fur-babies are sick.

You can read more about Pyometra at Wikipedia.

ROW80 - End of Round 2

2011-06-20T21:19:00.000-04:00

Have you ever written so many characters into one story you confused yourself and backed yourself into a corner? That is exactly what I did with my paranormal WIP. I completed my read through and realized I have way too many characters and plots. I think I finally understand why I have been struggling so much with this particular piece of work. I need to separate out the two main couples because they are strong enough to have their own standalone story; however, there’s a major problem: they are all connected to one of the major plots. Oh, did I mention I have two major plots?

My next steps are figuring out how to proceed. I wish it was as simple as separating the storylines but they are just too connected. Which couple will get this particular plot? Can I work it so they can both still be involved while not overshadowing the main hero and heroine? A more advanced writer may be able to pull this off, but I think I still need to build some writing chops. There’s also a third couple that I absolutely love and believe there’s a special story there, but they don’t overshadow anything and are nicely tied in as secondary characters for either plot. Yey!

I need to deconstruct the entire thing! Part of me wants to just start something new and part of me is ready to tackle what is going to be a huge job.

As Round 2 of ROW80 comes to a close, I am so glad I jumped in for the last four weeks. This is what is so awesome about ROW80 and it’s creator, Kait Nolan; it’s designed for real people with real lives and you work it around your schedule. Aside from everyone being so busy, we all know how life changes and throws us for a loop!

In the words of General Dodonna, “May the force be with you.” The “Writing Force,” that is.

Holy Rainfall, Batman!

2011-06-18T01:45:00.000-04:00

It rained so hard and fast that a flood formed outside my job's main gate right at quittin' time today. My coworkers and I watched from the safety of our 5th floor window as cars courageously (or stupidly) pushed through the foot of rain. Accidents were missed by a hair and four cars stalled out. One car actually floated backwards. Scary stuff! The torrent continued for what seemed like forever but finally stopped around 6:30. My job offered us rides to our cars because it wasn't possible to walk to the parking lot. There were a fearless few that waded through the water; I was not one of them. I say, "Don't mess with nature, she will win every time."

ROW80 6-12 Check-In (A day late.)

2011-06-13T22:30:00.000-04:00

Busy, busy, week. I didn't finish reading through my MS, I made it to pg 155. I have 40 pages to go. I only got partway through the writing exercise. Even though I did not reach my goals for this week, I still made great progress with my story. I have a better understanding of where I want the story to go and the main plot points that need to happen. I think my initial goal of completing the read through my first week of Round 2 was a bit lofty. My MS is a lot messier than I realized and I've learned quite a bit about myself and what I want to write since I've worked on it. There's going to be some major overhauling going on.

My ROW80 goals for this week are to finish the read through and begin my plot outline.

Tomorrow I'm getting an electromyogram (EMG), basically a nerve test, on my wrists to confirm and see the severity of my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). I am so not looking forward to it. However, it is getting to the point where it's interfering with daily activities, so I have to suck it up and just do it. Blah.

Stealing Time

2011-06-06T22:33:00.000-04:00

Anyone who works full-time and/or has a million things on their "To Do" list knows how important it is to manage your time. I admit, I'm not always the best at this, but I'm working on it. Today I went over to the cafeteria with some friends and grabbed a salad and brought it back to my desk and snuck in 15 minutes to work on my MS! Yey! I know it doesn't sound like much, but I think every bit counts and it all adds up at the end of the week.

"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing."

~ Thomas Jefferson

ROW80 Sunday Check-In

2011-06-05T23:33:00.000-04:00

I've made it through 74 out of 195 pgs of my MS, thus far. It's taking a bit longer than I anticipated because I keep making changes. I know I'm supposed to just do a read through to get my plot points down, but I can't help but edit along the way. I also got slammed with a crushing migraine for two days.

The plan is to finish the read through by next Sunday. I'm also adding a writing exercise that's in Writing the Paranormal Novel by Steven Harper to my goals for this week. It's the first exercise that appears in the book and contains five great, challenging questions. I need to work my writing muscle while I'm getting my head around plotting out my novel.

Happy June!

Jumping Back In - ROW80 Round 2

2011-05-25T22:12:00.000-04:00

Now that the school semester has ended, all finals have been taken, I am gearing up for three months of freedom. Free nights and weekends, that is. Free to read until my eyeballs fall out and free to write! Which brings me back to A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80). Even though there are only four weeks left to Round 2, I am going to jump back in and make the most of them.

Overall goal for the next four weeks:

I will be focusing on creating an outline for my paranormal novel. I have always been somewhat of a pantser, but considering I've rewritten this story around five times and still haven't written the ending, an outline may be the missing component. First step is to do another read through, re-enter the world of my novel, get the characters talking in my head again. Next, I'm going borrow Rachel Vincent's method of plotting to help me get started; you can read about it here. I'm going to write down all the main plot points and romance plot points on sticky notes, green and pink respectively. After that, I'm going to sticky note all events and turning points I have so far and put all notes up on my white board so I can get a visual on the flow of the story. I'm positive there'll be plenty of tweaking and shifting of notes. I'm not sure if I will work on filling in the holes or go back and rearrange/fix my story at this point.

Goal for this week:

Do a complete read through of my MS and write down all main plot points and romance plot points.

Connecticut Fiction Fest 2011

2011-05-25T16:01:00.000-04:00

I was blessed once again to be surrounded by writers at CTRWA's Connecticut Fiction Fest two weeks ago. The food was tasty and the company terrific. One of the coolest things I got to experience was the editors and agents critiquing first pages of manuscripts that were submitted anonymously. It was so educational and eye-opening. They were honest about the things they didn't like but in a way that wasn't discouraging. They were generous with positive comments and inspiring words. The workshops were also very informative. It was a great conference.

Another fun activity was the raffle. There was a bunch of fun stuff from a nail salon certificate to an iPad. I won nothing. :o) My friend Melanie won a neat looking cloak that I swear was made for her!

Match made in heaven.

You can read all about her and her writing here.

I must give a brief shout out to the Holiday Inn in North Haven, CT. I only stayed there one night but that was enough to appreciate their comfy bed and pillows. When my alarm screamed at 6:30 AM, I wanted to throw it out the window and just stay in that bed, it was that comfy.

When Writers Get Together...

2011-05-04T23:31:00.000-04:00

...it is a beautiful thing!

I attended the New England Chapter of the RWA's Let Your Imagination Take Flight conference last weekend at the Hawthorne hotel in Salem, MA. I have to say, this was my third time attending the NEC conference and the committee always rocks it out! NEC was my very first conference in 2008 and they set the bar high. Aside from the incredibly eye-opening special workshop with Donald Maass (who is just the coolest cat!), all of the workshops I attended were well planned out and informative. All of the keynotes speeches left me choked up, inspired and refueled. Every single writer I had the pleasure to speak with was friendly, funny, warm and lovely. The writing community is one of the most supportive groups of people in the world.

Oh, and I won the cutest table prize (having had the closest birthday to our sparkling luncheon keynote speaker Annette Blair.)

Each table had a different flowerpot, every one of them adorable!

I'll be attending the Connecticut Chapter of the RWA's Connecticut Fiction Fest next weekend. I didn't think I was going to be able to go, but I am and I'm so excited about it!

Romance writers are Rock Stars!

Mishka the Amazing and Miserable Misses

2011-04-05T01:16:00.000-04:00

Am I the last person in the world to see this You Tube video? If you love animals, you will fall in love with Mishka, the talking dog, just like I did.

Miserable Misses

Pray, God, please tell me the two obnoxious girls in my class are the exception and not the norm for young ladies today! They talk, text, write notes to each other and even create oragami type things in class. The blond LOUDLY whispers at least three negative/mean comments about the professor every single week. I literally cringe and nonchalantly look at me teacher to see if she heard, but amazingly, she hasn't so far. I truly hope she doesn't; she is a great professor and gives 150% of herself to the class. What ever happened to respect? Simple human decency? Talking and texting are disrespectful, but this girl is just plain mean! She reminds me of the mean girls from high school. There's nothing I can do, as it is not my place, so all I can do is hope she will see the light, smarten up and get a little taste of humble pie. OK, maybe more than a little taste!

Image

On a more positive note, I got an A on my Shakespeare midterm! :o)

Image

Update (i.e. Where the 'ell have I been?)

2011-03-01T01:14:00.000-05:00

To say the last few months, nay, six months, have been harrowing, would be putting it mildly. From my dad being in and out (mostly in) the hospital for a couple of months, enduring four surgeries (to which he is still recuperating,) to finding out that my company will be down-sizing 900 employees from our New Jersey campus (1500+ total from all sites) within the next two years and then my most precious, most sweet, most funny and most endearing Uncle Joey losing his battle with cancer one month and one day ago. Cancer... I hate the word, but what it brings even more.

I have done no writing on the personal front. I do still have a job, even if only until the end of this year, and I am taking two college courses at night. My calender is full while my heart feels empty. This is a grief I can't remember ever feeling and I'm still learning how to deal with it. Everything coupled together equals no writing for personal gratification. I won't be able to finish this round of ROW80 but am hoping to jump into round two (April 4th) but more than likely it will be round 3 (July 4th) because finals are in May. Maybe I'll just start my round two late. We'll see.

I'm taking Introduction to Shakespeare and Sociology: Minority Groups. I am in love with Shakespeare. And it could be due to my tender heart at this time, but his writing pulls so much emotion from me. He was brilliant. but HARD! but WORTH every frustrated sigh, every, "I am not smart of to read this!" and "What have I gotten myself into?!" and "Oh, I give up!"

Apologies for dropping offline right in the middle of ROW80. I hope all of you are kicking butt.

To my Uncle Joey, whom you would have loved instantly had you met him, simply put - I miss you.

Shopping in the Halloween section last year.

Atlantic City

Just being handsome.

My parents and Uncle Joey in AC.

Trying to help me dig my car out of the snow last year. Oh, how he hated snow!

God Bless and Keep You! You are always in our thoughts and forever in our hearts. Nothing and no one can fill the giant hole your leaving has created.

ROW80 Week 2 Check-In / Week 3 Goals

2011-01-17T21:19:00.001-05:00

As I sat there struggling to get words out, for something to put down on the page, about to give up for the day, call it a wash, I switched POV and the words came tumbling out. I've been writing my protag in 1st person POV since day one, so this was the first time I'd made the attempt to write in 3rd person POV in her voice. Doing this got the words moving and then without even realizing it, I had switched back to 1st person. Interesting. This got the writing ball rolling and set the tone for the week. Week 2 was more productive than Week 1. I missed two days of writing but had longer writing periods on the other days.

Midway through the week I switched to a different project. I'd sat down and began with full intentions of delving into my paranormal story, but something else tugged at me and until I turned to it, I was unable to focus. Once I closed out one document and opened the other, the words came and it was my longest writing session of the week.

I know I've said how I love ROW80 and the concept of working your writing schedule/challenge around your life schedule but I need to say it again. Keeping in mind that you are putting out something measurable, I feel like I've been so much more productive and don't beat myself up on the long days of work and other things that exhaust my mind and body where even if I sat down to write, nothing would come. I know I can do a double session the next day or maybe get two sessions in, like sneaking time at work. :o)

Week 3 Goals

I have decided to continue working on my other project this week rather than my paranormal. I am still referring to Watt's book because I think his questions open doors and give you a starting point. I've also created a writing schedule that I am going to try and implement this week to see how it works. I read somewhere that it is a good idea to try and write at the same time everyday. I won't be able to do that because of my schedule, but I'm going to try and write at a specific time for each day. This schedule will have to change once school starts, which is January 28th.

Here is my tentative writing schedule for Week 3:

Monday: 9-10pm

Tuesday: 9-10pm

Wednesday: 9-10pm

Thursday: 10-11pm

Friday: ?

Saturday: 1-2pm

Sunday: 7-8pm

Good luck ROW80'ers! Here's to the best week yet!

ROW80 Week 1 Check-In / Week 2 Goals

2011-01-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

This week proved to be productive for me but not as productive as I had planned or would have liked. I made a few big discoveries about my protag and a secondary character. The secondary character is becoming larger for me and getting quite interesting. I'm not going to worry about her overpowering the MC for now, as I am doing mostly stream-of-consciousness exercises, no solid plotting. Alan Watt's book 90-day Novel is helpful, thus far. His approach and simple exercises (questions, really) have helped me open up to the page. I've been working on my paranormal novel for some time and need to continue doing more free writing to understand my characters' motivations and desires better.

I mixed things up this week to see how my thoughts and ideas reveal themselves writing by hand versus clicking away at my keyboard. There is something about putting pen to paper for me that just feels good and natural. You can do it while sitting in the dentist office, too. :) I also feel good and connected when using my keyboard... I'm going to continue switching it up and comparing.

Week 2 Goals

My plan is to stick with Watt's exercises and be more productive during Week 2. I know these are not very specific goals, but this is what is going to work for me at the moment. (Love ROW80!)

Round of Words in 80 Days - Official Round 1 (Week 1) Goal Post

2011-01-02T20:41:00.002-05:00

I have officially signed up to participate in the Round of Words in 80 days challenge created by author Kait Nolan. Check out the details and/or sign-up here. The part of this challenge I was most drawn to was the fact that you set your own goals. Goals that are measurable but also doable for people who have full-time jobs or kids or both.

Round 1 is from January 3rd to March 24th. I would have liked to have my goals set for the entire round by now but I have decided to take it week by week. The reason for this is my classes begin at the end of January and I will need to put my schoolwork first. Once I know what my workload will be like, I'll be able to judge how much free time I will have. The one thing I am certain about is I will be utilizing ROW80 to focus on my paranormal novel. I've decided to use The 90-day Novel by Alan Watt as a guide.

Week 1
Goal 1 - Complete the daily writing exercises contained in The 90-day Novel.
Goal 2 - Show up to write for a minimum of 30 minutes every day.

To all my fellow writers participating in ROW80, good luck!

Volunteering & Vacation

2011-01-02T09:22:00.001-05:00

My volunteering experience for Shelter Our Sisters was great! I can now confirm that I still harbor a dislike for malls. :o) However, I was able meet some nice people and witness a good bit of generosity.

I admit that at first it was a bit nerve wracking. The people are standing there watching you wrap their gifts and you’re hoping they still want to donate when you're done. :) At least, I felt that way. The other girls were awesome at wrapping. Donating was not a requirement, just a suggestion. We had one really demanding customer! But, most were sweet and patient. There was a gentleman who had boxes of gifts for his wife that he'd purchased at Victoria's Secret. He folded everything with expertise; all of us girls were quite impressed with him. He was a lovely and funny man and was quite generous. His humor, and just general nice personality, put a smile on my face for the rest of the night. There was one nasty guy, but his behavior didn't touch our spirits. (I may have mumbled a few un-holiday spirit comments under my breath, but they were well deserved. Trust me!)

While we were there, three NY Giants players were also there signing photographs for Toys for Tots. If you brought a toy worth at least $10, then you received a photo signed by all three players. Football is a foreign language to me but I was impressed by these three gentlemen giving of their time to help ensure kids received presents for the holidays. Kudos, Gentlemen!

To top off this experience, two of my co-workers (whom I also consider friends) ended up volunteering with me. I don't know how much money was raised, but I do know it will help my fellow sisters and their children get and be safe! How fantastic are Shelter Our Sisters? I’d say, pretty fantastic!

On to vacation.... My company has been closed down for a couple of weeks for the holidays, so I have been able to focus much needed attention on my family, my uncle, in particular. My uncle is fighting for his life. He is fighting the demon that goes by the name of cancer. He moved in with us at the beginning of December and is still undergoing chemo. In fact, they just started him on a stronger type because the other one seems to have stopped working. I have never met anyone who is so strong-willed and courageous. His positive attitude and shining spirit are inspirational.

I'm grateful to have had this time off to be with him, my parents, brother, sister and niece and nephew. I have always loved and appreciated the family I have, but when you are faced with challenges, with the possibilities of time being cut short, you realize how important it is to make more time for the people you love.

I am both looking forward to and dreading going back to work on Monday. Blah... :)

I wish everyone a Happy and Healthy 2011!

Cheers!

Bella wishes everyone a wonderful New Year with lots of yummy treats!

How Are Your Wrapping Skills?

2010-11-30T19:27:00.001-05:00

This past year I was blessed to have had opportunities to volunteer at a couple of wonderful charities and community centers.

There are many benefits to volunteering:

1) You meet the most courageous people.

2) It reminds you to count your blessings.

3) It makes you see just how small you are in this big, big world.

4) You make a difference in the lives of others (even if it’s just one person.)

5) It feels AMAZING!

If you’re unable to donate money (like me ;) ), you can still donate your time and give of your heart to help give people back their humanity. I’m talking about the basics here - food and shelter. You can find a local food bank in your community and ask them if you can help in any way. Don’t put limits on how you can help. If you can help serve food, mop the floors, separate the bulk food, etc., do it. Go into it with an open mind and open heart. I promise you, you will grow as a human being.

Especially now that the holiday season is upon us, and so many people are struggling financially, kindness is of the utmost importance.

On to the my wrapping skills… I was very excited to hear about volunteer opportunities at Shelter Our Sisters. Shelter Our Sisters is a New Jersey based organization that helps women and children who are the victims of domestic violence. There are multiple ways you can help, but I have chosen to volunteer in their holiday gift-wrapping fundraiser. I’ll be wrapping presents for patrons at a mall for a couple of hours and all donations will go directly to the women and children at Shelter Our Sisters. Hopefully, they will donate before they see the finished product. It’s been a while since I’ve wrapped a present that had to look pretty.

The dates, times and locations are listed on their website, along with other ways to help. (Please note: I ~~HATE~~ dislike malls! If I can do this, anyone could!)

Don't get me wrong, I love my iPod, couldn’t survive without my GPS, am rather fond of my DVD player, and would do illegal things to someone if they damaged my laptop! The bottom line is, life is about people. It's true that here are some stinky people out there, but, I've learned that most people have the best of intentions and are inherently good.

Reach out this holiday season. Smile at a stranger. Help an elderly person carry their groceries. All that good stuff.

You never know what someone is going through… kindness is contagious!

How does a vegetarian spend Thanksgiving?

2010-11-27T20:12:00.002-05:00

I officially became a vegetarian on October 20^th of this year, and, so, have just experienced my very first Thanksgiving without eating turkey. It was strange. There sat the turkey just to the right of the candied sweet potatoes, looking shiny and golden. Turkey with gravy or cranberry sauce has always been one of my favorite meals. It felt odd to not miss eating it, although I did miss the feeling of tradition. I guess as I learn more about being a vegetarian, I need to begin my own traditions. Any ideas?

It has been a difficult year! I tried hard to think about what I was thankful for.

Here are a few things I came up with besides my family and friends:

Ø My father making it through all four surgeries and slowing making his way back.

Ø Bella’s (my golden retriever) seizures/anxiety attacks finally being under control

Ø Flavored coffee

Ø A roof over my head

Ø Fantastic writers/books

Ø My library

Did I mention it has been a REALLY difficult year? I’ll be happy to say goodbye to 2010!

Tonight's dinner was on the healthier side.

Grilled veggies included broccoli, eggplant and carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bottom tray had sweet potato and parsnip fries sprinkled with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and cloves.

Veggies were eh.. fries were delicious. Baked both at 400 degrees for 40 minutes but I think the carrots needed more time.

Also made some grilled tofu with honey.

First I wrapped the tofu in a paper towel and pressed between two dishes to get out the excess liquid. You can use anything with a little weight to it to help squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Then I put it on my George Foreman grill for 10 minutes. I love my GF grill! Yum!

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. Gobble, Gobble!

Sad News...

2010-11-01T12:25:00.000-04:00

Saturday night I noticed that my guinea pig, Lovey (aka LoveBug), hadn't eaten her tomatoes and carrots. I was immediately concerned because she would normally munch up all her veggies and then squeak for more. I took all the veggies out just incase she decided to eat them and they started to go bad. Then yesterday she didn't eat her veggies again and was really mushy. I tried feeding her with a syringe (I happen to have it from the last time she got sick and I had to use it to feed her.) I mixed this green superfood powder I have with a little bit of water and put tang in her drinking water and fed her as much as I could of both. Sadly, this didn't help...
Today my heart is heavy as I say goodbye to Lovey. She was almost 7 years old and gave me a lot of joy with her sweeter than sweet disposition and little miss diva attitude.

Lovey is on the left . She looked like an Oreo with her black face and booty and white body. Taz is on the right. He passed away about 5 years ago.

My two girls. Here is Lovey lying on the bed with my golden retriever, Bella. See what I mean by Lovey looking like an Oreo? A double stuffed Orea, at that.

Rest in peace, Lovey. You will be missed.

True Love & National Novel Writing Month

2010-10-31T20:54:00.001-04:00

We have all read a book or watched a movie that had two characters that were destined for each other. Soul mates. How many times have we witnessed it in real life? I’ve always known that my mother and father loved each other but the last three weeks have touched my heart. My father has been in the hospital for three weeks, and still is, and my mother has not left his side unless she was forced to. This is nothing new. He has been in the hospital before and she always stood by his side. This time around though, I saw a deeper level of their love. The worry and concern and tenderness on my mother’s face, the tears she cried when having to leave him, all hit me right in the face. They made their 53^rd wedding anniversary last week and they are just as in love as ever. If this doesn’t make me believe in true love, I don’t know what would.

On to a pressing matter… tomorrow is the first day of NANO! Start your engines folks, this is going to be a wild ride! Due to the craziness with family issues the last three weeks, I haven’t been able to do as much prep work for NANO this year. Yikes. I’m so glad I was able to recruit another writer to join in with the craziness. Author Anna Dawes saw my blog about NANO and has decided to give it a shot. Good luck Anna! You can do it! Check out her neat blog.

Good luck to all those participating in National Novel Writing Month. Visit me on their website, we can cheer each other on!

NANO is Only One Month Away!

2010-10-02T00:18:00.005-04:00

2010 has just been disappearing! Poof! Nine months gone, just like that. However, this is my favorite time of year and I'm welcoming it with open arms. One of the many lovely things about this time of year, other than the leaves changing colors, scary movies and pumpkin spice coffee, is National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo is for insane writers who crave less sleep, piles of dirty dishes and endure no clean underwear, in their quest to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It's fantabulous! I've participated in Nano for five years now but have only hit 50,000 words ONE TIME (2008)! I am "positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably," going to win this year. I'll be sure one of my many coffee mugs is filled endlessly with my favorite coffees (i.e. pumpkin spice, vanilla bean, hazelnut - yum, yum, yum.) SO, herein lies my dilemma... As just mentioned, I have a lot of mugs. Too many, I'm sure. It's a small addiction, one in which I am not willing to give up just yet.

The amazing people at NaNoWriMo.org have just posted new products and one of them is an adorable diner mug.
Take a look-see:

I SO want to buy this mug! I SO don't need it! Although, it's not like it won't get used, often. In November I'd use it every day. But if I buy it, I will only be feeding into my addiction and making even less space on my mug shelf. What to do? What to do?

Stay tuned to find out who wins the battle, me or... me. ;)

Apple Picking & Carnivals

2010-09-26T22:23:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a long day, long and lovely. Started off with the breakfast of champions (pancakes, courtesy of my mom) with my 8 yo niece. The two of us then set out for a music filled two-hour drive to Ochs Orchard in Warwick, NY. http://www.ochsorchard.net/ I’ve only been apple picking once before, a very long time ago, and don’t really remember much about the place, and so, don’t have much in which to compare. With that said, Ochs seemed… OK. The pumpkin patch was cute but most of the pumpkins were small. The gravel road to get to the store and orchard was long and quite narrow in parts. All of the workers were nice and friendly. The best part of visiting Ochs was the lesson in humanity. I was reminded that there are good people in this world, when a lovely Asian family, who barely spoke English, shared the strawberries they had just picked with us. The woman opened my hand and put a napkin filled with strawberries in it. I was touched by their generosity and kindness and that inspired me to share with the next family we passed. We all got to enjoy sweet strawberries and a smile.

Once we picked our apples and pumpkin, we set out to find Heaven Hill Farm in Vernon, NJ, which is only five miles from Ochs Orchard. http://www.heavenhillfarm.com/ This place was lots of fun! My niece had a blast going on all the rides and watching the pig race. All of the pigs had names that played off famous people like, my niece’s favorite, Taylor Ham. We saw horses and goats, baby ducks and baby chicks. They also had face painting and sand art, as well as a big Halloween store and tons of pumpkins. Giant pumpkins! If you have little ones in your life, I would recommend visiting Heaven Hill Farm.

Switching Gears

2010-08-27T18:26:00.002-04:00

I’ve just finished a full read through of my paranormal romance WIP. I cut a bunch of stuff and realized just how much work it still needs. I need to add characters and figure out the ending. I know most people probably finish their novels before giving them a read through, however, I was and am struggling with this story and needed to re-read it before I did any more work on it because I was STUCK!

Instead of trying to figure it all out, I think I am going to switch gears. I'm going to put my paranormal romance aside and let it percolate for a bit and work on another story. I have a plot idea, (which is SO different than anything I’ve ever written before) that I really want to explore. It’s not a mystery or a paranormal. It might fall under the Heart & Home category for Harlequin. It’s about family and love. Very different for me! I don’t have any characters living in my head yet (ok, maybe one, but she’s not a major character. I don't think...) This plot is literally two days old, but I feel compelled to explore it and see where it may travel. Maybe switching gears will help jog my brain and I’ll be able to figure out what’s happening with my paranormal story?

Now, if only the characters would come and introduce themselves. ;-)

Finding Your Courage

2010-08-24T23:09:00.003-04:00

Here’s the thing about writing... you can’t do it without emotion.

Well, you could, but it would be flat and boring and un-relatable. And, what would be the point then, really?

No, emotion is the critical point of writing. It IS the writing. Characters pull emotions from the reader via their actions. As each scene, whether it’s a description of a beat up old orange couch with kitty marks and soda stains or two characters shooting the breeze or maybe spilling their souls to each other, pulls emotion from the reader. The reader begins the story, any story, looking for an emotion. They want to feel. They want to be grossed out by the soda-stained couch, ease drop on someone’s conversation and feel their heart break when a love is lost. They want to get lost in someone else’s world and forget their own for a small moment in time.

The writer, however, must feel that emotion first before they can get it down on paper and breath life into their story. What happens when you, as the writer, do not want to feel any emotions? What if someone you care for is not well and you are sad and frightened and are unable to face those emotions? What if being in touch with your emotions is the very last thing you want or can handle? What if facing those emotions through your writing makes the last thread of composure you were holding onto, slip right through your fingers?

But, what if, you face them? They break you? They envelop you and send you crawling into your bed and under the covers shooing everyone away?

What if, when you push those covers off your head, you rediscover that thin, pathetic, resilient thread and there are a few more hanging out with it?

Before a reader can laugh, cry, scream or get lost, the writer must find their courage to do so first.

Atlantic City Getaway

2010-08-08T11:36:00.002-04:00

Finally had a few days "away from it all", last weekend. Stayed at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. There was a fair on the boardwalk with rides and games. Such fun!
There was a ride there that I've never seen before. It was this big hamster ball lookin' thing attached to a bunch of cables. It held two people and once they were locked in, it rolled backwards and then was catapulted into the air. Yikes!

There were SO many birds on the boardwalk. I swear they were stalking people! This lady was sitting alone on a bench eating french fries and I watched as the birds circled her, in the air and on foot! Kinda creepy.

We didn't come home winning, but we didn't lose much, either. We played a bunch of different slot machines. I'd say the ones I liked the most was The Amazing Race, The Sopranos & Alien vs. Predator.

It was much needed time away from the craziness that has been my life as of late.

While all in all I had a lovely time, I have to say I was a little disappointed in the hotel.
I won't go into details, but I more than likely won't be staying there again. Perhaps Showboat or The Borgata? :)

Of course, I missed Bella the most! Isn't she purty?

Carbon Monoxide

2010-07-13T21:08:00.000-04:00

If you don't have carbon monoxide detectors in your home, I urge you to go the store right now and buy one! Carbon monoxide is a silent, odorless killer. We have two CO detectors in my house and they both went off resulting in a visit from the Fire Department. As it turned out, we had high levels of CO in our basement. We all had to sit outside while they used fans to air out our house. The culprit was our water heater and that was replaced two days later. If we did not have the CO detectors, we may not be here right now. A few bucks for something that could save your life and the lives of the people you love.

True Blood & HBO

2010-07-12T23:36:00.001-04:00

Let me start off by saying that I am a huge fan of True Blood! I think Alan Ball is brilliant and all of the actors are so very, very talented. I also love coffee. I was very excited to find that the True Blood V coffee mug was finally available and ordered mine immediately. http://store.hbo.com/detail.php?p=256021&v=hbo_shows_true-blood_drinkware&pagemax=all

It came in the mail today and it's cracked! My beautiful mug, cracked. I was very disappointed. Ok, I pouted a little.

I called Shop HBO and was very impressed with their customer service. They are sending me another mug, no charge. And, no hassle of having to go to the post office to return the broken one, they said to just discard it.

So, while I am bummed, I'm also very happy with HBO. Thank you, HBO!

Pyometra

2010-06-27T10:13:00.016-04:00

Sometimes life just gets in your way, steps into your path with flailing arms, screaming, and you can't ignore it.

Please forgive my absence.

I feel strongly about sharing something with all pet owners out there. My 9 year old female golden retriever, Bella, started to have trouble with her back legs but since she had started blood pressure and seizure meds only a few months prior, I attributed it to her body handling and adjusting to the medication. I also attributed her mushiness to the meds. One night she didn't eat her dinner, one night turned into two and warning bells went off. I made an appointment with my vet for that coming Saturday. The night before the appointment she had an accident in the house, something she hasn't done since she was house broken as a puppy. I had a bad feeling. My vet, who is fantastic, examined her and said he believed Bella had something called Pyometra. To make things harder, it was Memorial Day Weekend. My vet sent me straight to NJ, where they were staffed to handle emergency surgery. The vet in NJ took Bella into surgery right away. She was officially diagnosed with closed Pyometra. Her uterus was so full of pus; it could've burst at any moment. Horrible, scary! To say I am grateful we made it in time, just doesn't even come close to covering the truth of my heart. It's been a month now and she is doing great. Her nine-inch booboo is healing nicely and she's back to her old silly, funny, sweet, demanding self.

Pyometra is an infection in the uterus. If your pet is not spayed, they could fall prey to this disease. There are two types of Pyometra, open and closed. The closed type has no symptoms! This disease is sudden and if left untreated, deadly. Ask your vet about it, do some research and get the facts!

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_pyometra.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyometra

One exhale at a time

2009-04-01T22:05:00.005-04:00

Nebulous:

In the form of a cloud or haze; hazy : a giant nebulous glow.
(of a concept or idea) unclear, vague, or ill-defined

That is how my brain feels right now. Foggy. That is how my heart feels right now. Unclear, ill-defined.

I’m sure a lot of people out there can sympathize when I say I feel like I’m being pulled in many different directions. I make my lists, prioritize, and do what I need to do. But sometimes, I just don’t know where to even begin…

One task at a time.

One crisis at a time.

One day at a time.

Madison Leigh - Check her out!

2009-03-25T10:03:00.003-04:00

My friend and fellow writer Madison Leigh has had another of her wonderful short stories published!

Check out "Blood and Ashes" at:
Prick of the Spindle: A Quarterly Online Journal of the Literary Arts. www.prickofthespindle.com

Click on fiction. The story is in the right column.

You can catch up with all the trouble she's getting into at: www.writingmadleigh.blogspot.com

Congrats Miss Madison Leigh!

Blessings

2009-02-13T13:57:00.011-05:00

My best friend gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on Tuesday. Sophia Alexandria was born at 9:59 am. She was 7 lbs, 5 oz and 20 inches long.

She is amazing, wonderful, gorgeous and so little! I am in awe!
Welcome to the world, baby girl! I love you!

New York Comic Con & Sherrilyn Kenyon

2009-02-09T20:53:00.006-05:00

I ventured to my very first comic convention this weekend. What a treat! It was an adventure trying to find our way around all the display booths. There was an artists' corner, an autographing area, a gaming area and some other stuff. A bit overwhelming for a first timer, but also lots of fun and pretty entertaining. There were a lot of people who dressed up, hence the entertaining part. I saw the Ghost Busters, Predator, Captain America, The Hulk, who was stomping around on stilts growling "Hulk Smash!". There was a slave Princess Leia, anime characters, a bunch of Green Lanterns and a lot of Heath Ledger versions of the Joker. There was one particular Joker who was so authentic, so spot on, he actually gave me the willies.

The highlight for me was getting to meet Author Sherrilyn Kenyon. She was amazingly gracious and warm and so down to earth. She didn't rush me through the signing. She spoke about her kids and she smiled and laughed and squeezed my hand.

I'm sitting here trying to think of a word that would describe her...and the word that's popping into my head is - Glowing. She was glowing. She just glowed with goodness and heart.

Not to mention, her pictures don't do her justice. I know she looks pretty in her pics, but in person she is so much more.

Sherrilyn Kenyon is the type of person who can renew your faith in humanity. She's a bestselling author, is famous with a huge following of fans, and yet she is real and human and humble. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have met her. I love having the pleasure of getting lost in her worlds but I also love reading her blog, where she provides inspiration and strength to those of us who have struggled. She makes you believe anything is possible.

Thank you, Miss Kenyon!

Here's to a rockin' new year!

2009-01-03T00:42:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone was able to rocket into 2009 with the people they love.

May 2009 be happier, more prosperous, more adventurous and more fun for everyone!

Good things are coming, I can feel it. :o)

Here's to new beginnings, second chances and never giving up!

**Sending good vibes out into the universe.**

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined." ~ Thoreau

Winner

2008-12-01T00:14:00.003-05:00

Well, I didn't win a contest or any money, but I did win a challenge with myself to finally win NaNo after four years of trying. I've participated in NaNo (www.nanowrimo.org) in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and never hit 50,000 words.

I am now an official 2008 National Novel Writing Month Winner! Woo Hoo! Go, me!

Now back to my paper and studying for my exam... blah.

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

New Jersey Romance Writers Conference

2008-10-27T22:27:00.004-04:00

I attended the NJRWA this weekend with fellow writer Madison Leigh and it was sooo much fun! It was held at the Woodbridge Convention Center in Iselin, NJ. The inside of the hotel was pretty, the lobby had a grand piano and waterfall. The room was nice with comfy queen sized beds.

All the workshops I took were insightful and engaging. Every author there had tons of energy. They were gracious and generous. The after party was tons of fun with dancing and karaoke. Madison got me up on the dance floor and I'm so glad she talked me into it.

The whole experience was great. I left feeling inspired and energized and with achy knees. The speakers this year were Eloisa James and Lisa Scottoline. Eloisa was charming and Lisa was like a little firecracker. They both delivered powerful speeches that pulled on my heartstrings.

I got to officially meet Megan Frampton! She's the author of A SINGULAR LADY. A great book and a very cool lady!

I think the best part was being able to experience it with my friend Madison. She lives five hours away from me so we don't get to see each other. She's fun and fearless. The only thing missing was Janelle.

Big Red Target

2008-08-03T22:19:00.002-04:00

On my car! Once again, Anita (my car) has become a victim. Beautifully rear-ended on Tuesday while on my way home from work. I now have this car for about seven months and it has more marks and scratches than my last car achieved in two years. I think I will be keeping this car at the end of my lease. Sigh...

I'm catching up with the Twilight craze. I'm now up to book three. I read an article where someone said it was similar to Harry Potter. I just don' t see that. If anything, it's like Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. I think Stephenie Meyers' series is very good and I love that its getting kids to read the way HP did.

On the writing front:

I've been working on my Emma Grace mystery story. I think my big problem is I tend to try to do too many things at once. So, I've stopped thinking about my other stories and am trying to focus just on my mystery. I think working on multiple projects, for me, can create issues like writer's block. I have trouble focusing on things in general; my mind is always going in a million directions. Just in making the small decision to focus on Emma, I already feel a difference in my approach and I feel less anxious.

A step in the right direction.

Confused weather

2008-06-29T13:59:00.005-04:00

This weather is driving me bananas. I wish it would make up its mind. One minute the sun is out, the next the sky is rumbling and everyone is running for cover. And what's with the hail!?!

I had just decided to take my computer outside and enjoy a little of the warmth while I write, I put on some suntan lotion and then I heard it. The rumbling from above crawling under my feet letting me know what's coming. (Insert small expletive!) I look outside and see half of the sun that I had just been looking at was gone. Five minutes later it’s storming outside. Now I'm sitting on my couch, laptop on my...lap, watching the rain slam down on the trees, the leaves bending and swaying.

How very romantic this could be! Hmmm... Back to my writing. :o)

Hail the size of matzo balls!

2008-06-14T20:20:00.006-04:00

Ok, maybe not that big, but larger than your average hail. Sort of like pebbles. Yesterday I was sitting on my couch watching TV (Robin Hood season one), when I heard popping noises. I was expecting to see the little tiles sitting in front of the bay window jumping, instead I saw pellets smacking off the windows, literally bouncing off the ledge. Poor Bella, my golden retriever, she was not happy with all the thunder. Her ears remained perked and she was circling around the house. So much for a weekend with nice weather, it’s raining again today. Blah.

Small Soap Box

2008-06-11T20:04:00.006-04:00

Don’t laugh at my following confession, or may never fess up to anything ever again. :o)

I occasionally watch WWE: World Wrestling Entertainment. I know, I know.

I got a little gem from Triple H this passed Monday, “It’s not about how many times you get knocked down. It’s about getting back up.” I know I must have heard that many times before, but for some reason when I heard it this time it really struck me. Maybe because I’ve been struggling a bit lately… at any rate, this statement is so very true. One must never give up! I think its human nature to lean toward giving up when we’ve failed or stumbled and I also think its ok to give yourself some time to heal depending on the situation, but little reminders like this are just what the doctor ordered. Tomorrow is another day, take advantage of that second, third, fourth chance. Take hold of the day and make it your own. Go after your dreams, no matter what your situation, no matter what your age, it’s never too late. Get back up, you’ll be stronger every time!

I was searching for a picture of wrestler John Cena to share with all of you, well, just because he’s a hottie, but I found one with him wearing a Red Rox jersey.. what the heck is that about?! Oh, wait, I think he’s from Boston. Ah, well. While I’m still a fan, I have to show my Yankee loyalty. Sorry, John. Here’s a picture of Batista. What do you think, ladies? ;)

BBC America's Robin Hood

2008-06-10T20:20:00.006-04:00

What a fantastic show!

Not to mention Jonas Armstrong...who plays Robin Hood himself, is quite easy on the eyes. I have recently discovered this particular Robin Hood on the BBC America channel. I have fallen in love with each character. If you like action and humor and true love all mixed together, this is the show for you. I haven’t seen much of the first season, only the last two episodes, but season 2 is great so far and those last two episodes from season 1 were emotional and thrilling and oh so romantic! It runs on Saturday nights, check it out.

Ok. I’m thinking he is going to make an appearance in one of my stories, he is just too adorable for words. Did I mention his sexy eyes? Yum!

A dollar and a dream… and my mom

2008-06-03T22:28:00.002-04:00

I attended the CTRWA writer’s conference this weekend, my second conference so far. It was intimate, very different from the NEC conference last month. I enjoyed the intimacy, being with the same people through all the workshops, hearing their questions and ideas. The speakers offered great advice and were very approachable and welcoming.

I, however, came back a jumble of emotions. Conflicted, scared, hopeful, insecure and excited. Yeah, I know. Imagine what it’s like in my head right now. I’m feeling too many different things to get into all of them, especially since I don’t even understand a lot of them.

There is one feeling I can express clearly, and that is doubt. Doubting my ability to write, to be specific. So, I asked my mom to be brutally honest with me, not to protect my feelings. I told her I needed to know how she truly felt. That if I wasn’t any good, I didn’t want to waste my time.

“Do you think my writing is any good?”

“Let me put it this way," She said. "I’ve been reading for how many years? I’ve read how many books? You have what it takes, don’t give up!”

Thanks, Ma! I needed to hear that, even if you weren’t being completely honest.

A Wonderful Experience for Writers!

2008-04-16T23:06:00.008-04:00

The New England Chapter Romance Writer’s Association – Let Your Imagination Take Flight: Come to the Edge - Writer’s Conference was FANTASTIC! I don’t even know where to begin..

Here are just some of the authors that were there:
Jessica Andersen, Suzanne Brockman, Linda Cardillo, Loretta Chase, Eileen Cook, Kristan Higgins, Geri Krotow, Caroline Linden, Eileen Rendahl, Kathryn Smith, Susan Wiggs, Lauren Willig, Virginia Kantra, Terri Brisbin, Hannah Howell

I got there around 3 on Friday and hooked up with my two writing buddies who were also attending the conference. I am part of an on-line international writing group that’s been together for about four years now and this was the first time I met any of them. Madison lives in MA and Janelle lives in DC. Experiencing my very first writer’s conference was that much more wonderful by being able to share it with them. They are both wonderful people and amazing writers! I feel blessed to know them!

I checked in and dropped my stuff off in the room, which, I must say, was pretty nice. It was at the Crown Plaza. I headed downstairs while Janelle and Madison attended a workshop and found the table full of free goodies from authors promoting their books. I took one of everything! I never have to buy a bookmark again! Some of the things authors used to promote their upcoming titles: bookmarks, magnets, gum, excerpts in little books, book covers with the picture on the front and blurb on the back, keychains, pens and more. Then I met up with the girls for the Agent/Editor workshop. We had dinner and dessert and found a little corner in the bar for some drinks. Let’s just say it was an interesting evening! ;)

Saturday was all workshops and then a book signing. I ended up getting 10 books, all signed to me! Yey!! :o) Every single author was friendly and nice and approachable. I did not stop smiling the entire time I was there! I’m almost afraid to read the books, wanting to keep them in perfect condition.

I attended a total of six workshops and they were all entertaining, enlightening and encouraging. I strongly recommend attending a conference. Being around all those writers, hearing their tricks and struggles was invigorating. These are the workshops I attended, to give you an idea of what they do at this particular annual conference:

Surviving the Agent/Editor Appointment lead by Jessica Andersen.
What Came Before – The Art of Back-story lead by Winnie Griggs.
Creating Characters – Giving Life to the People in your Head lead by Kathryn Smith.
What's It All About – From story to synopsis lead by Linda Cardillo.
Plotting by the Seat of your pants lead by Megan Frampton.
Setting as Metaphor lead by Eileen Rendahl.

One of the coolest things about the conference was winning and receiving a bunch of books! Woo Hoo!! I had so many books by the end of the conference, I didn’t know what to do with myself I was so happy!

In the NEC tote bag I received at registration there were three books: Sex & The Immortal Bad Boy by Stephanie Rowe, Meet me at Midnight by Jessica Andersen, Dating Dead Men by Harey Jane Kozak. Then at the table of free promotional material I got a copy of Beauty and the Beast by Hannah Howell (that little baggie had chocolate in it. My friend Madison took an hour to eat hers, savoring each bite!) Close Up by Virginia Kantra was on everyone's seat at dinner on Friday night. Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs was on everyone's seat at breakfast Saturday morning. At the workshop about back-story lead by Winnie Griggs, I won Lady's Choice by Winnie Griggs. Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockman was on everyone's seat at lunch Saturday.

And at the end of the luncheon I won the pretty little red bag in the center of the table because my birthday was the closest to Suzanne Brockman's 25th wedding anniversary, which is in August (I’m Sept. 16). Inside the bag: How to Murder a Millionaire by Nancy Martin, Roped Heat by Vonna Harper, If She Only Knew by Lisa Jackson & a romance DVD.

I stayed an extra day and went to the New England Aquarium on Sunday. It was awesome! They have this huge circular tank that held every kind of fish you could image as well as two sea turtles, one of which was HUGE! And I believe four or five sharks! I was about two feet away from the sharks and even though there was the glass between us… boy, are those puppies scary!!! I loved it!

I took some pictures with a disposable camera, I’ll try to scan some as soon as I get them developed. I forgot my digital camera… so stupid.

I loved going to the conference so much that when Madison told me about the one that is taking place on May 30 & 31 in CT, I decided to go. I’ve already made my hotel reservation and sent in my registration form. Let’s hope it doesn’t fill up before my check gets there. It doesn’t hurt that it’s only 2 hours away from me rather than 4 and a ½. :o) I’m so poor right now!

"Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch -- what makes you go beyond the norm."– Cicely Tyson

Burnt Out

2008-03-30T20:47:00.008-04:00

Warning: Gripe Session ahead!
Everything I've been doing has finally caught up with me. Friday morning I woke up feeling awful and beyond exhausted. I'm feeling better now. I guess I just needed a couple of days of sleep.
Of course, because I missed school on Friday night, I will now have to do two make up classes. One for when I'll be at the writer's conference and one for the class I just missed. I really feel like I can't get a break. I feel overwhelmed by what I have to do and what is required of me by my job, school, my family and just normal life things.
Before I head off to the conference which is in a little less than two weeks, I have to get my oil changed (I'm over 3,000 miles and I'll be driving 400 miles to the conference) I have my mid-term, and we're having my niece's birthday party here at my house. I also need to get to the dentist, I have a cavity and I keep having to put off the appointment because of my schedule.
I feel as though there aren't enough hours in the day and enough days in the week.
There are some things going on also that are hard to deal with emotionally. Maybe those are making things even harder for me, who knows.
At any rate, I can't wait for this semester to be over!!!! I was going to take a course over the summer... two months (instead of the normal five) of two nights a week till 10, again, but the work willl be heavier because it's so much shorter than a regular semester. Should I? Shouldn't I? Right now I'm thinking, "Oh hell no!" but, I want to finish school sooner rather than later.... so I may change my mind.

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."~ Marie Curie

Budget Cuts & Sleep Deprivation & Sites for Writers

2008-03-28T00:50:00.002-04:00

Well, my work trip to DC for training in drug development has been canceled. My company's budget received a huge cut and travel was the first thing they inspected and dissected.

Part of me is happy about this. I'm going to the NEC Romance Writer's Conference the weekend before I was supposed to go to DC and now I can stay in MA that Saturday night instead of heading home after the conference. I'm going to visit the Museum of Science and the Isabella Steward Gardner Art Museum! Can't wait! I hope they're open on Sundays... hmm.. have to check that out.

I finally finished my paper on Flannery O'Connor! I lost quite a bit of sleep this week and now it's almost one in the morning and I can't sleep. I think I may have put myself on a new schedule by accident here. ugh! Working full-time and going to school at night is HARD! Ah, but worth it, I imagine. :o)

Some sites for writers from Darla & Laurell K. Hamilton:

David Brin: http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtpdGhydXAuY29tL2JyaW4vYWR2aWNlYXJ0aWNsZS5odG1s
Lots of advice from a variety of authors http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmV5ZW9uYm9va3MuY29tL2NyYWZ0LnBocA==
Learn your craft with others! http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vc2ZmLm9ubGluZXdyaXRpbmd3b3Jrc2hvcC5jb20v
Lots of very useful info on the publishing industry: http://www.sfwa.org/beware/

"Passion, though a bad regulator, is a powerful spring." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Un - Freakin' - believable!

2008-03-24T18:49:00.003-04:00

I take an English class on Monday nights till 10. The professor often has us work together in groups. So far I've worked with two different girls and two different guys. This one guy asked me if we could exchange e-mail addresses incase one of us misses a class we could keep each other informed and up to date with what's going on in the class. I thought, sure, why not. This way if I ever do miss a class I hadn't planned on missing I could find out what I missed. WELL! I received this e-mail from him last night: (We don't have school tonight because of the holiday and are following a Monday schedule on Wednesday.)

Jennifer,
Hi baby. I didn’t attend our last week’s class session so I am written to request at least, some information about it. Also pls. send me, if possible, a copy of your second writing assistant’s draft.

I see you Wednesday night. I missed the class, especially you.

Gardoe
Your classmate

First of all, where does he get off calling me baby? There was never more than class work between us. I sure as hell never gave him any ideas.

Second and worst of all, how dare he ask to see my work?? This is an individual assignment! We're supposed to write a 4 page paper on three of Flannery O'Connor's short stories comparing narrative elements and themes.
This e-mail shocked the heck out of me!

My first instinct was to tell him a thing or two! But, I asked advice from my friend and brother and I just answered him telling him what he missed and I ignored the rest.

Can you believe it?

Spring & Bella

2008-03-22T18:04:00.002-04:00

Spring is finally here and today's weather was just beautiful! I opened all the windows and cleaned the house. It gives me such a great and calming feeling to feel the soft weather, with just a hint of chill in it. The upstairs is all clean, now I just have to work down here in the basement, where I am most of the time. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to change my furniture around so that I can create an office type space for myself to work on schoolwork and my writing. I wish I could channel a designer at this point because I haven't a clue how to accomplish what I want.

I took Bella, my golden retriever, to the vet yesterday. She has this thing on her eyelid that has to be removed. She has to be put under for it to be done.... ugh! That scares me so much, but there's no way around it. It will eventually start to scratch at her eye and can cause a lot of problems. Before it can be done though, the doc and I both agree she needs to lose weight. She's 102 lbs right now. I'd like to get her down to 85-90 before the operation. I'm going to be a mess that day.

Can you believe tomorrow is Easter? This year is flying! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.

"The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no valleys to traverse."
~ Helen Keller

A little over two months to go!!

2008-03-12T20:39:00.000-04:00

Simple Human Decency

2008-03-02T13:38:00.002-05:00

People suck.

We had a snow storm in NY/NJ on Friday (Feb. 22). Inches of snow and hiding patches of ice (I presume). I drove all the way to work - over an hour on a normal day, I was there 20 minutes when my company decided to close. I go home, park my brand new 2008 black Honda Civic coupe in front of my house and left it there all weekend. The weather was bad and I had a lot to do for school and stuff, so I bummed all weekend in the house.

Monday morning I put all my bags in the passenger seat and walk around the front of the car to look for marks because I got hit twice on Friday by those salt trucks. I don't see any marks and am very relieved about this.

I pull away from the curb and right away something feels off. From the first day I got it, January 7th of this year, it was pulling to the right. Nothing major, a slight pull, but with work and school I hadn't had time to go get it fixed....
Anyway, I look down and my steering wheel is at an almost 90 degree angle and my car was going straight. I went straight to the service station and there is where I found out that my car had been hit. I hadn’t seen it because I went around the front of the car and it was the back driver’s side that got hit.

What kind of person hits another person’s car and does even leave a note or anything?!?

The rental car place wasn’t any better. When they were giving me the car the outside was soaking wet from being washed or just sprayed with the house, which I could have lived with if not for the fact that the inside was filthy! Stains and crumbs and dirt. When I called Enterprise to tell them about it they said to bring it back they would clean it. I had school that night and I work in NJ and they close at 6 every night. I would never make it home in time before they close. When I called back a few days later about getting a different car I mentioned how dirty it was again and again they told me to come in. I told him I didn’t have time to do that and he said to have it professionally cleaned and they would take it off the bill. I’m sorry, but if I don’t have time to take it to you, what makes you think I would have time to take it to a carwash and why should I have to?? This conversation should not have even existed. Oh, and he tells me that it’s hard to motivate the guys that clean the cars… What? How do you tell your customer that? How is that acceptable? It isn’t! I may have to write a letter to the corporate office.

So, Anita (my car) is in the shop, being put back together and I am stuck with a VW bug that just doesn’t compare.

And it’s costing me the $500 deductible plus 17 bucks a day for the rental car that I’ve had since Monday.

Yeah, people just don’t care anymore. There’s a mentality out there that it’s every man for himself. I personally don’t live my life that way. It’s not the way I was raised and it’s not what I believe in my heart.

11 Reasons to Laugh

2008-02-22T12:58:00.002-05:00

(from Joan Reeves who got it from Frank)

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.

Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

NyQuil, the stuffy, sneezy, why-the-heck-is-the-room-spinning medicine.

Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.

Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up.

A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.

He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand timesthe memory.

The World Goes On

2008-02-14T22:23:00.002-05:00

I’m driving down New Dorp Lane, not five minutes from my house, looking forward to seeing my dog and my parents, quieting my angry stomach. I’m listening to an audio book, thinking about how the author put that particular scene together when a piercing siren cuts into my thoughts. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw the ambulance. I pulled over to the side as much as I could and yelled at the cars that weren’t moving out of the way or moving fast enough. My voice echoing in my empty car with the windows shut tight keeping the cold out. The ambulance was coming so fast I thought for sure it was going to hit the white van, but the van made it and the sirens flew past me. Then another one, followed by an unmarked cop car. By the time I moved the 40 feet to the scene, there were three cop cars, a big police truck, an unmarked car and two ambulances taking over the small corner of New Dorp Lane and Hylan Blvd where the 7-11 has been forever. One of the busiest and highest accident prone areas on Staten Island. And as I sat there, waiting for the cars to move, I watched. I watched the two suspicious looking guys, one with a grey hoodie, walk away from the scene. I watched as two women, they looked like mother and daughter, walk out of a store, not notice the raging red lights, one talking on her cell phone, turn in the opposite direction and walk. Just walk, life going on. And I thought, while they are walking, laughing and being normal, someone’s life could be hanging in the balance.

And so, no matter what is happening to you, in your life, the world continues, life goes on as usual. Good thing? Bad thing? Neither? Does it help you see the big picture?What a small part we play in this big world?

Yes

Love Story Writing Contest

2008-02-03T02:30:00.000-05:00

I don't know why I always put too much on myself. Always! Never fails!

Narrative Magazine/StoryQuarterly is having a contest. It's called the StoryQuarterly Love Story Contest:The StoryQuarterly Love Story Contest is open to all writers.

We’re looking for the heart of the story presented in fiction or nonfiction in the following categories: short stories, short short stories, novel excerpts, essays, memoirs, and excerpts from book-length nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 8,000 words, and must not have previously been chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.
The subject is love in any and all of its varieties and incarnations — familial, filial, romantic, platonic, the love of place, nature, animals, possessions, beauty, or truth, love that is intellectual, erotic, patriotic, real or imagined, fulfilled or denied, tragic or comedic. Tell us the truth about love!https://narrativemagazine.com/SQ/shared/contest.php

So, I started writing a love story based loosely on my parental units. Working title: Beduzza.

Short Story Contest

2008-01-24T01:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend is the 24 hour short story contest on http://www.writersweekly.com/. If you’ve never heard of it, here’s the lowdown: you are given a topic and a word count and 24 hours to write a story from that topic. It’s a lot of fun! If you like to write and like a challenge, it’s only 5 bucks to join. The prizes are ok, especially if you get first place, but I do it mostly for the challenge and to get my creative juices going.Problem: Saturday is my father’s 73rd birthday and we are celebrating here at my house. The contest starts at 1 pm EST and ends 1 pm Sunday. So, if I can get the topic before everyone comes, I can let the story ideas percolate in my head until they leave. Maybe by some miracle those stories won’t disappear into my abyss of lost plot ideas before I can write them down.Maybe I'll pull an all-nighter! :o)