Ah Inspiration!

Well, it's been a very busy couple of weeks, and by the time I got to Sunday night (which of course was also Halloween AND my wedding anniversary), I couldn't face an all-night NaNoWriMo kick-off.  In fact, I hadn't the foggiest idea what I would write about anyway, and decided a good night's sleep would be best all round.

And then the magic happened.  I had one those dreams.  You know, the kind with a plot that almost makes sense, and unexpected characters, and life-and-death on the line, and vivid sensations and emotions.  The kind you can't stop thinking about because you've tapped a vein that runs to depths you forgot you had.

And voila!  Like a gift from heaven, I have something to write about.  Here's hoping I still love it in 28 days.

How's it coming with everyone else?

Oh by the way, if you are in the U.S., please go VOTE!!!!!!

My Bouchercon Post (that Isn't)

Last year a friend on mine went to Bouchercon, and between her raving and all the online author and agent posts about it, I decided I was for sure going to go this year.  Well, Bouchercon came and went, and I didn't, because I had a work thing.  Sadly, the work thing fell though too, and not even my friend who went last year could make it this year.  I will now draw upon my optimistically assumed-to-exist writerly talents to express how I feel about this:

Pooooo!

Who's Doing NaNoWriMo?

There are less than 30 days until NaNoWriMo starts - who's in?

I haven't decided yet myself.  I really want to, but I'll only do it if I have a chance of winning* (and having won last year I have an idea of the minimum amount of time necessary).  Unfortunately my work schedule isn't firmed up yet so I'm not ready to commit.

*Winning = Writing 50,000 words between Nov 1 and Nov 30.

I Can Show My Face Again!

Dear friends, I confess I have been hiding in shame.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of five months ago, I offered to redesign a couple of author websites for free.  Two lovely strangers from blogland took me up on it.  I completed the first in a couple of weeks.  But the second was a little bit trickier, requiring a simultaneously simpler and more meaningful aesthetic, and a LOT more content and functionality.  It was taking more thought and more time and then... well, life got in the way. Life being primarily in the form of contractual obligations to paying clients, and secondarily in the form of two broken arms.  And while I can declare without qualification that I could not physically have accomplished it sooner (I haven't even completed my own website), I feel so very badly that this lovely, talented, and patient author had to wait until about thirty seconds before her book launch to get her new website.

So, as a favor to me, please go visit D.J. Kirkby's new site, and congratulate her on the publication of her debut novel, Without Alice.

Guilty Pleasure

I just finished reading Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  Now I have to admit to you that I am excited about these being made into movies; there is already a deal for the first one, though no details yet.

Frankly, I wish I could work on it, preferably as a costume designer.  If I had the first idea how to land that job, I'd go for it.

Meanwhile, I keep finding myself fantasizing about the costumes, the sets, the music, the composition of shots, and of course the casting.  In fact, one of my favorite daydream-pastimes is producing imaginary movies from my favorite books.  Not many of my favorite books are YA though, and casting this one is a little tougher for me because I don't know too many young actors.  As for the older ones, though, let's get Hugh Laurie for Haymitch, Bill Nighy as Snow, David Allen Greer as Caesar Flickerman, and Jane Lynch as Effie.  I'll probably switch them all up again tomorrow, but you get the drift.

So now back to writing for a second... when you create characters, do you make up their physical appearance from scratch, or do you start with an actual person?  I find myself using actors (usually pretty unknown ones, since my characters can't all be, you know, gorgeous), and then recasting them as my characters - changing their costumes and demeanor and so forth, but drawing on the details of the real person.  Is this cheating?

Childrens' Micro-Publishing

My oldest daughter is going to start kindergarten on Monday!  Tonight we had New Parent Orientation, at least half of which was PTA* recruitment, but this turned out to be very interesting.

One of the PTA projects at this elementary school is actually a tiny publishing company!  Students are encouraged to write and illustrate a story, and Wildcat Publishing produces it in hardcover.  Not one book for the whole school, mind you - each child gets her own book.  In fact, the first one is free for each child, but she can pay for additional books.

The PTA mom in charge was looking for volunteers to do everything but the binding: scan, type, edit, layout and design.  She told me it takes an average volunteer about two weeks to produce one book.  There are over 900 students at this school.  I don't know how they make that math work, but I sincerely hope these kids appreciate it!


*In case they don't have PTA wherever you live, it is short for Parent-Teacher Association. Volunteer Parent Auxiliary might be more apt though; it is a corps of parents who volunteer time to assist with school operations and support school initiatives.  Since the work is typically done during the school day and on school grounds, most of the active participants are stay-at-home moms.

From My Friend, the Published Author

This is from my BFF, who has published a bunch of books in recent years, despite having less free time than the hamster who powers the internet.

I love to write.  However, when my editor said in reference to the next book they want me to write, "You do understand that a 450 page book will require 675 manuscript pages"... I felt like I got punched in the gut.

And here I was hoping this sort of thing got easier with experience.

I Can't Stand it Anymore

I am nothing if not disciplined when it comes to work.  When I decide to "buckle down", I buckle down.  But in working like crazy on my business, it's now been something like six months since I've allowed myself any significant time to write, and it's driving me crazy.  Missing the most recent Clarity of Night contest was the last straw.

So, I hereby grant myself free time to write.  Being my own boss was the reason to start my own biz in the first place, after all.

And with the writing, I should be around here a little more often too.  Talk to you soon!

Nerd Power

This story makes me proud to be a nerd.

Use Your Imagination

Things I like about having two mildly broken arms:

• no diaper duty
• no dishes
• no laundry
• no cooking

Things I don't like:

• no driving
• no beverage opening
• no good sleep

And in an untitled third column:

• inability to manage my own bra