Friday Fiver Halloween Style

1. Some ruckus-raising high schoolers smashed all our pumpkins last night and then rang the doorbell as if there was an emergency. Some lady walking her dog with a cell phone called the cops, but they couldn't find them. They ruined our neighbors' pumpkins up the street too. Boo!

2. Whoooooooooo. Writing going full blast. I am going to have to take a break from it this morning to finish a book editing project or two. Back to it over the weekend!

3. Hilarious new advanced reader copy from Virgin USA of a book on public libraries. Can't wait to read it. (creepy organ music)

4. Scrubs is back! (scream) I am so happy. This show is one of my favorites and I don't understand why it's not a bigger hit. Watch it; you'll be glad you did.

5. Sending good vibes to K today as she heads in for yet another batch of chemo. We love you, K. GO WSU and keep the faith.

Playing on the iPod: Valkyrie Missile (Angels & Airwaves)

Anti-Resistance Thursday

Oh boy, am I getting it. Not in the usual manner either. And then the little miracles always appear and I am pretty insistent on seeing those whenever I can. This morning we had a few and so I'm inspired to face Resistance head-on today.

The writing is moving along at a steady pace; my to-do list is getting done and I'm lining up the rest of this year for freelance and down-time (lists of books to read by year's end, etc.) and it feels good to be home and getting settled. Of course, the bits of Resistance that continue to show up are signs that I'm heading the right direction and I'm relieved that they are blocking my path. I need to overcome them today to keep going. Here we go!

Here's a bit of Steven Pressfield to get us all fired up.

Sometimes we balk at embarking on an enterprise because we're afraid of being alone. We feel uncomfortable with the tribe around us; it makes us nervous going off into the woods on our own.

Here's the trick: We're never alone. As soon as we step outside the campfire glow, our Muse lights on our shoulder like a butterfly. The act of courage calls forth infallibly that deeper part of ourselves that supports and sustains us.

Playing on the iPod: Move Along (All-American Rejects)

Writing Inspiration Wednesday

Some tips on writing dialogue from Monica Wood:

When writing dialogue, eliminate hellos and good-byes. Salutations usually gum up the works without adding a shred of character development or forward motion.
Dialogue from inexperienced writers often reads like this:

"Hello."
"Mitzi, is that you?"
"Yes, it's me."
"What do you want."
"Well, it's about Fluffy."

And so forth, paralyzing the story's momentum. When the phone rings, skip to the point:

Igor picked up the phone. It was Mitzi, bent on delivering the latest installment of Fluffy's confinement.
"She's doing that weird drooly thing again," she said. "I need you to pick up some of her special food."

Similarly, when it's time to hang up, ditch the farewells and disconnect:

"There's nothing wrong with that suptid lizard that a healthy dose of neglect won't cure," Igor said.
"Are you going to start on her? Don't you even think about starting on her."
They went on like this for another ten minutes, until Igor hung up, hauled on his coat, and headed to the pet store.

Good ideas, right? Helps me today as I write, write, write. Am knee-deep in my first draft.

Playing on the iPod: Bad Day (Daniel Powter)

Monday/Tuesday Mash

Yes, I'm a day behind (but not a dollar short, or behind on my writing, so I'm good).

Life has now slowed down for the traveling two of us. We're tired after a month of being in transit and so glad to be home and gearing up for a fun holiday season! We're with family in Oregon for T-day, but we're home for Christmas! First time in this house and first time in four years! It's going to be great. I finally can get a tree if I want to and I can bake and store up piles of movies and stay at home in my comfy fleece and Ugg boots and eat dark chocolate and Christmas cookies!

I'm adding a Good Reads feature to my blog. We'll see how it looks. It gives my readers a chance to see what I've got on my reading list. And I will definitely link to any reviews that are worthwhile for your enjoyment.

My thoughts are with SoCal as the fires rage. Stay safe, friends!

Playing on the iPod: Enigma Variations (Elgar)

Friday Fiver

1. And it's Friday! I'm so glad. What a drive down south through the wind and rain. All the Seattle floating bridges had nice cresting waves, but I don't think it was too bad. Visibility coming down through Salem was really poor, but I'm here.

2. Writing is moving along, I'm really making progress and enjoying it so much! I will be done with my 35k by October 31. I can't wait. Lots of inspiration this week in the big book sales for several writing colleagues. Go, J and A!

3. Reading piles of writing and history books. Just finished a very disturbing look at the foundations of the Nazi Party and its occult leanings. Very disturbing. Also finishing Cahill's book on the Middle Ages. Next up is a book on WWII events in North Africa and Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire (didn't get through it before London; will recheck it out and finish in November) and the sequel.

4. Perplexed by the massacre in Pakistan surrounding Bhutto's return. Encouraged by Bush's encouragement and award to the Dalai Lama this past week.

5. Enjoying the little things in life today; an Internet connection, a good book, cashmere socks(!), and the chance to give grace, even to those who don't impress me much.

Playing on the Ipod: Love Song (Sara Bareilles)

Rainy Thursday.

Just dashing through in between writing madly and dodging rain drops and blustery clouds overhead. Puget Sound is getting it today. I'm headed down to the family for a few days to a wedding reception and to laugh and hang out.

First wedding anniversary spent apart! Yes, hubby was traveling this time. We have been married four years. I can't believe how time flies when you're having fun. :)

Must be off. Have a great day and stay dry!

Playing on the iPod: I Wonder (Kanye West)

Busy writing.

Hello, I don't have much to say today (to make up for yesterday or today's lack of blog posts) because I'm writing up a storm. The October 31 deadline is looming (I'm in the NST Novel Challenge) and then the next day starts Nanowrimo and I've decided to not stop at the end of October (because there is no way I'm going to finish by then). So 35k must be done by October 31 and all 70k done by end of Nanowrimo. I know, I know, that's not the way Nanowrimo works, but this year is how it works for me.

Missing hubby terribly, but he just sent pictures of the managers group squinting into the Arizona sunshine, so he's doing good. When I'm not writing, I'm cleaning out the pantries, closets, fridge, drawers, etc. Sorting is so good for the writing life and I swear this house feels lighter.

Playing on the iPod: Wunderkind (Alanis Morissette)

Non-Fiction Rec for Monday

I know, I'm supposed to be recommending fiction. I'm coming right back to that next week, but I need to recap my London visit for a bit.

While in Oxford at Blackwell's bookshop, I picked up a British paperback, The Inklings, which chronicles the writing group C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and others utilized during their most prolific years. Tolkien used this group as a sounding board for his Lord of the Rings trilogy and C.S. Lewis wrote his science fiction and Narnia books while in this group (Lewis wrote many, many things, including a large volume of the Oxford History of English Literature series for Oxford University Press on English Literature in the Sixteenth Century; I have a first edition copy of this book in my library). After reading The Inklings, I now have a much better understanding of why Lewis and Tolkien were able to write such epic stories. They read so widely, and both preferred the Icelandic mythology to the modern poets (T.S. Eliot was not a favorite at first, but gradually grew on the group as acceptable) and both Tolkien and Lewis actually petitioned the board successfully to change the Oxford literature curriculum from a wide sweep of old/middle/modern literature to old and middle literature, stopping at 1830, thereby omitting the moderns, which was used for many years.

The book is a conglomeration of diaries (mostly from Warnie who wrote one faithfully; Lewis disdained the use of such trifles), which recorded happenings around the most prolific members' writing and publishing endeavors. An editor at Oxford University Press, marooned in Oxford from London during the war, Charles Williams, is the other prolific member, although J.R.R. Tolkien's son, Christopher, was a latter member, which in my opinion is truly appropos.

The book is a quick and fascinating read and worth the trouble to get if you're a diehard Lewis/Tolkien fan and desire to know more. Of course, as I just returned from visiting Lewis' home, I appreciated the filling in of the broad stories I have heard growing up about Lewis' life. I learned many new things.

Playing on the iPod: Littlest Things (Lily Allen)

Friday Fiver.

I've been so busy this week that my blogging has suffered. So a super-duper double-large dose of the top five for this Friday!

1. The writing is moving right along. This weekend I intend to reacquaint myself with my novel game plan and get back on the horse. I admit that journaling and scrawling notes from my intense reading schedule (need to update what I'm reading currently; don't pass out!) is my neutral zone. To actually create a story is my addiction, but my energy levels wane, and with the jet lag from last weekend (see number 2), I definitely went to neutral. I intend to get back to first gear this weekend and then keep accelerating from there. Reading a nifty writing process book I picked up in Oxford still and that is helping me immensely.

2. The jet lag sapped my creativity. I was affected more coming home than going to London. It was the adrenaline, I know. I zonked out in early afternoon and then was awake all night. Finally, hubby kept me out late playing pool late last weekend and that seemed to switch me over to the right circadian rhythm. I finally feel myself today and I intend to use the next six days to catch up on all my work, read, and just enjoy being home. Because I'm headed out for another four days next week. Whew.

3. I was inspired in London to buy for style and beauty. I bought beautiful things in London and here at home this week at stores that surprised me. I've decided to buy because I love it. And to quit taking myself so seriously. And to quit trying to make life perfect. How anal is that?

4. Cancer has returned for several dear friends and so I'd ask blog readers to please support cancer charities and fundraisers (wear that yellow livestrong bracelet!) to find a cure.

5. Trader Joe's is my new favorite grocery store. Metropolitan Market has long been my favorite, but Trader Joe's is so close and the organic milk and eggs are so good. I have long bought regular buttermilk. Have you tasted organic buttermilk ranch dressing? Oh wow. They have salty treats, sugary treats, incredible two-buck Chuck wines, everything. I am sorry to say I've only gone there occasionally. It is my new favorite place!

Happy weekend all. Keep writing.

Playing on the iPod: My Moon My Man (Feist)

Writing Inspiration Wednesday

On the road traveling with hubby on his business trip, thus this post is late.

From Monica Wood's The Pocket Muse:

Cleverness is not wisdom.--Euripides
Listen to your elders. There comes a point in every draft when you have to examine a turn of phrase--maybe your favorite one, the one that occasioned the entire piece. Be honest: Does the smarty-pants phrasing illuminate something at the heart of the work, or are yolu just being a show-off, a smart aleck, a writer's writer? Be careful with these beloved phrases--sometimes we can't tell the difference between cleverness and wisdom.

I like that. A great reminder as I scribble away this week, making very slow progress on my WIP, but filling my notebooks as fast as I can scrawl. Who knows if it is good, but it feels great to let it out.

Playing on the iPod: Love Song (Sara Bareilles)

Gadget Girl Tuesday

If you're into Internet marketing, you know the name John Reese. His Reese Report is worth gold and his Traffic Secrets course, well, I think it has launched most of the successful businesses on the web.

His new venture is Blogrush and while I've had mixed results and am still tweaking it, I thought it was worth mentioning here just FYI, in case people reading wanted to check it out.

Basically, it's a gathering of blog posts that are related to your blog's topic, updated with a widget (similar to my news widget to the right, below) and so far there have been complaints of crappy content, but if I know John Reese, he does not send out a beta project and then just let it sit. His team will tweak it until it works. So, just to let you know.

The Latest on BlogRush

In other news, headed out with hubby on his business trip this week, but will continue to post from my laptop. He's off to another trip next week too, but I can't join him. Bollox!

I assume it will be my chance to catch up on the first three seasons of the Office, clean out my closet for winter, and write and read into the wee hours!

Playing on the iPod: 1,2,3,4 (Feist)

Monday Catch-Up

Home from London. Missing London.

Started reading a British paperback version of Possession by A.S. Byatt on the flight home. Fantastic. If you've not ever read this book, go get it now. It's on every reading list I've seen out there. Antonia Byatt wrote the poetry throughout the book too, which blows my mind.

We bought books at Blackwells bookstores in Oxford and only had a few minutes to pick up what we could before we had to be up in Risinghurst to visit C.S. Lewis' home. Pictures from that and elsewhere on our trip coming soon.

Everything went smoothly while I was gone. Everyone survived and I feel a bit like I'm off to the races already with hubby traveling the next two weeks (I am going with him), so I'll be blogging in fits most likely.

Writing update later this week!

Playing on the iPod: Here We Go Again (Kanye West)

Writing Inspiration Wednesday

Today is my last post for the next 10 days as I'll be in London, baby!

Today's writing inspiration tidbit is again from Monica Wood's The Pocket Muse.

The Bible is a magical repository for story ideas. Every story is a metaphor with limitless possibilities for retelling.
Place Lot's wife at a school board meeting in Kansas.
Tempt Adam with a Corvette rather than an apple.
Turn Job into a bus driver and give him a test that even God couldn't dream up.

Great ideas, right? I'll say. I'm writing on the plane both ways and will update you when I return. I'm looking forward to letting my imagination soar as I visit the sites in London and day trip to Oxford. We will be visiting Magdalen College and the Kilns, C.S. Lewis' home.

Playing on the Ipod: Narnia soundtrack (Harry Gregson-Williams)

Gadget Girl Tuesday

If you haven't heard about GrandCentral or have and are curious, Merlin from 43Folders discusses the app and has some really nifty screen shots to show how he uses this service.

GrandCentral by Merlin Mann

I'm on a waiting list for a Seattle number, and hitting up every contact I can find to get an invite any earlier.

In writing news, still slow, but steady. In travel news, we're at T2 days and 5.5 hours until departure to London. The packing is now at final stage and I think I'm taking an even smaller suitcase than I originally thought. This should be fun.

Playing on the iPod: The Glory (Kanye West)

Fiction Pick Monday

Okay, so I'm still in the midst of this one, but Ann Packer's new novel is pretty darn good. If you've read her first book, Dive From Clausen's Pier, you'll remember her finely nuanced prose and incredible character development. I don't think you'll be disappointed with her new novel, Songs Without Words, but I'm not done yet.

Met up with Jen yesterday at Starbucks at the Lodge in Bellevue and made out like a bandit at the J. Crew sale. I'm going to be Devil Wears Prada for Halloween, but since Prada is a more than I want to pay for a costume, I'll actually be Devil Wears J. Crew. Sound good? We've got three Halloween parties to go to in one weekend! Good grief.

Spent Saturday out with a friend on his boat on Lake Tapps. Absolutely gorgeous and so relaxing. The boys did a few spins on the water, trying to knock each other off the inner tube by driving as fast as they dared. I lounged in the sun and laughed at hubby who is like a little kid out on the water. It was great. We ate dinner at The Rock and then crashed.

This week is finalizing everything for our London trip and trying to do as much as I can at work as it is the end of month feed frenzy. I hope to see my coworkers next week for the first time! Should be great fun.

Still writing, slow and sure.

Playing on the iPod: Back to Black (Amy Winehouse)

Friday Fiver

1. Finishing up job stuff (the massive backlog of style docs and feedback docs are headed to done!) as I am determined to leave for London with everything in tip-top shape. Finishing up all the freelance that has straggled in over the past six months. Great feeling!

2. Unpacking the boxes I packed in preparation to move over the summer. If I can find my web site mapping docs for my business writer website, I will be doubly thrilled.

3. Got hold of the new Ann Packer novel last night. Cannot wait to read this one. She's a master and one of my favorites.

4. Bought London Moleskine notebooks for me and my travel buddy. They are so cute! This will be great fun. Heard from the C.S. Lewis house, the Kilns, and we have an appointment for a tour on October 2 in Oxford. I cannot wait. Gotta take the number 9 bus from Gloucester Green. :)

5. I love fall. It is my favorite time of year. I was married in the fall and every time it nears October 1, I can feel it in my bones. I think my soul gets all happy to be settling in for the winter too. Each year in the fall, I've been able to see amazing places and this year is no exception. London, baby!

Playing on the iPod: Once soundtrack

Anti-Resistance Thursday

I'm getting severe Resistance this week (I am going to London/Oxford next week, so can you blame me?) and writing a pitiful amount of words. Some of my writing buddies finished their drafts yesterday. Argh.

Oh well. This is a trip I've dreamed about for a long time and I just cannot wait.

But I'll leave you with some good thoughts on Resistance.

Resistance is directly proportional to love. If you're feeling massive Resistance, the good news is, it means there's tremendous love there too. If you didn't love the project that is terrifying you, you wouldn't feel anything. The opposite of love isn't hate; it's indifference.

The more Resistance you experience, the more important your unmanifested art/project/enterprise is to you--and the more gratification you will feel when you finally do it.

Playing on the iPod: Stranded (Plumb)

Writing Inspiration Wednesday

For those I know who are stressed out writing their next books under intense deadline (with ft jobs, kids, and other pressures), here's a great one to get your mind wheel turning:

Complication versus Situation: A Primer

I once spent four miserable years on a version of a novel that had a great situation: a murder-suicide that left an orphaned child who was taken in by her aunts. My problem? I mistook situation for complication. A situation, however complicated, is self-contained. A complication, however simple, opens up, affording a path out. Excellent complications afford several paths and, in a short story, you take one path; in a novel you might take five.

So how does one turn a situation into a complication, one that will engender the story's rising action and lead to a climax and a denouement that satisfies both writer and reader? One starts adding, is what one does. Pile it on, baby, until something cracks. What if the depressed person holding a gun to his head gets a phone call--a wrong number? Who might this wrong number be? What might this wrong number say? What if the wrong number is herself a person in trouble? What if the wrong number demands something of the depressed person? How does the depressed person solve this problem?

Bingo, we're writing again.

A good complication illuminates, thwarts, or alters the character's desire. A good complication forces the character to act. A good complication offers the story a point of departure. A good complication raises the stakes. A good complication thickens the plot.

This pushed me back to my writing today. Go for it!

Playing on the iPod: Smile (Lily Allen)

Gadget Girl Tuesday

I can't draw worth a toot, but a Wacom tablet was a very smart purchase in 2006 (actually a birthday gift) because of the fun I can have playing doodle on my Mac. Plus, on that Mac are Curio and Scrivener, which thanks to the Wacom tablet is like a giant corkboard ready for brainstorming.

I saw Jenny Crusie's office-cleaning series yesterday and loved how she unburied her Wacom tablet as a result and how she uses it just like I do (with the same programs; it's Jenny's fault I am a Curio/Scrivener addict).

Jenny's The Twelve Days of My Office . . .

Her pictures were instant gratification for me. I have a much bigger office, with much less stuff (how did that happen?), but the longing to organize it better, even to sort through the piles of paper, is never far from my heart.

Enjoy.

Playing on the iPod: Love Story (Sara Bareilles)

Fiction Pick Monday

So while talking over a leisurely breakfast with my beloved great aunt S this past weekend, we got onto the subject of books and what we've read.

Now I read everything, so take that with a grain of salt. What I like may just horrify you, but "all's fair in love and [book choices]."

So I'm going to give some recommendations for fiction. Ignore me, or read and then hate me. At this point, I have very thick skin and will not be hurt by scourges. Truthfully, if you hate it, please don't tell me, because I really don't care. I'd rather hear what you do like.

Yes, I'm all about the power of positive reading.

And . . . I frequently have to read a half-dozen lemons to find the true gem. It's just the nature of publishing, that beast. I am blessed to get advance copies of a lot of novels for my job as content editor at BKSP.org, so that's something. At least I only have to buy 45% of the novels I do read. :)

First book up is Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale (can't imbed a link from Amazon because their site is wonky right now) and this book is fantastic. Much more tawdry and morbid than Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, but still so deliciously good. I love creepy old houses and legends and back story. My own novels are full of that kind of thing.

Setterfield gets great reviews on this book and I agree. Well worth the read.

Playing on the iPod: Back to Black (Amy Winehouse)