November 2009
It was fun and empowering but I am soooo tired.
October 2009
Not sure what I'm talking about?
NANOWRIMO or National Novel Writing Month. Here's an explanation from the official site nanowrimo.com
What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.
Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.
Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.
When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
Kentucky Derby Day!
Friends and I gathered to watch the Derby. Any excuse for a party! We wore fancy hats, drank appropriately flavored beverages, and enjoyed one of the most exciting races I've ever seen. Yes, I know the sport is flawed, but since my childhood days sneaking onto the Pimlico race track I've been a huge fan of the Derby and of the Triple Crown. It was especially exciting this year because a local Portland horse was in the running and took third!
Writing wise I've been pretty productive this month. I've published 64 articles as of last night. I've also made a few contacts with other freelancers and am learning a lot about affiliate marketing, article marketing and other ways to sell my writing. Seems like by the time I get my craft perfected, so that I'm worth producing, I'll have to produce, package, and sell my own stuff. Guess I'd better be ready.
Cold Kill is coming along well. I'm into chapter 4 but have slowed up a bit as I'm also writing an eBook, How to Finish Your Novel. I'm using all the tools and methods I put together to produce Cold Kill so I'm using much of it as material. Things like the character pics, the goal statements, the spread sheet outlining the plot lines. All of it will be available via my web site's new eBook link as soon as I can get it posted.
April 2009
April was freelance article writing and a trip to Depoe Bay to exhibit the baidarka my husband build. A baidarka is an Aleutian style kayak. We also did some whale watching, going out on a ship in truly terrible chop and swells. In fact that picture is the Coast Guard heading out to rescue a ship that had broken down out there.
While we hung out, explaining to people what a baidarka was and the reason for its unusual design, we got very interested in the Puddle Duck Racer that was sailing around in the harbor. It was a small sailboat, about 8' long, built from plywood, glue, and paint, and with a sail made from a blue tarp. We learned there are growing numbers of clubs all over the US and various countries. The plans for what is called "The easiest boat to build" are free online so I imagine it will be our next boat to build.
As for the writing life, I'm getting ready to develop pitches for all three books for the Willamette Writer's Conference in August. This may seem like I'm getting ready too early, but knowing how long it takes to perfect my queries I know it's none too soon.
March 2009
March was the kind of month writer's dread. The kind of month when using the excuse, "I didn't have time to write," is actually true.
One of the many things that happened in March, and by far the most wonderful, was that my amazing daughter got married to her long-time, and almost as awesome fiance. And guess who got to officiate? That's right folks. Finally, my strange hobby of collecting certificates and licenses paid off. I guess I should tell those of you who don't know me that I have kind of a goofy hobby. I like to get certified to do, well everything.
For instance, I hold a license to captain a ship. Now, I have no idea how to actually do this. I don't even know how to swim! But I had fun studying for the test and I did retain a few navigational aids. Who knows, Red/Right/Return might save my life some day! I also have a certificate in defensive driving. I'm working on my concealed weapon permit (though I don't own a handgun). I'm a minister (and an agnostic). Well, you get the idea.
So on March 14th I read some passages from a book and did the whole ring exchange, do you take this person spiel, filled out some paperwork and...suprise...it worked. They received their certified marriage certificate yesterday, so I guess it was legal after all. I did have my doubts. but it turns out I really can marry folks.
So now I'm getting calls from various family members and friends wondering if I'd like to do the same for them. Don't for a moment believe these folks think I'm some wonder minister with a melodic voice and a spiritual presence. Nope, what you can believe is that most of my family and friends are cheap!
February 2009
I got to meet TIMOTHY ZAHN!!!!!!!!
So okay, I'm a little starstruck, but hey, who wouldn't be? Certainly no one who's a long time fan of science fiction. Plus, in my defense, I wasn't alone in this. I met a fantastic writer, Lea, while I was in Gold Beach. She and I shared lunch (and a number of common interests) and we both admitted (with goofy giggles and un-us like shrieks) that we were totally, truly, just blown away by the chance to meet TIMOTHY freakin' ZAHN!
Just in case you are totally lame and need edukatin here's his bio from wikkipedia.com
Timothy Zahn (born September 1, 1951) is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award.[1] He is known for the Thrawn Trilogy, three Star Wars Expanded Universe novels taking place after Return of the Jedi. He also wrote the Dragonback series and the popular Conquerors' Trilogy about a war between humans and aliens that have seemingly indestructible spaceships and can remain in spirit form after death.
Timothy Zahn was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1973. He then moved to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and achieved an M.S. degree in physics in 1975. While he was pursuing a doctorate in physics, his thesis adviser quite suddenly died, leaving Zahn with three years of thesis work down the drain. Zahn never completed the doctorate. In 1975 he had begun writing science fiction as a hobby, and later he became a professional writer. He and his wife Anna live in Bandon, Oregon. They have a son, Corwin Zahn.
So turns out Lea is a big fan of the Starwars books, but I'm a short-story nut, who for years carted around, through several moves, dusty boxes of Analog, Assimov's, and other sci-fi anthologies I'd bought over the years. I sold most in lots when I had my bookstore, in order to make room for more stock, but I still remember those stories. They kept me company, and carried me to worlds I'd never have been able to imagine on my own.
Mr. Zahn was kind, gracious, funny, intelligent, helpful and approachable. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, lecture or teach, do yourself a favor and make it happen.
January 2009
So here's my thinking. If I list them here, for all to see, odds are I'll keep them...right?
Yeah, I didn't think so either but here we go.
1. Lose weight (Oh that's a new one)
2. Exercise (Ditto)
3. Put down the wallflower and go out and meet more writers (Yikes)
4. Figure out how this whole social networking thing works (Tedious)
5. Write at least 15 online articles per month (Could be the one doable thing)
6. Find an agent/publisher for Something In The Dark, Cold Kill, Yetzirah (Well duh)
7. Start outlining next book (Fun)
December 2008
Went to my first meeting of Willamette Writers. What a great way to meet other writers! I remember the first time I walked into a writing group. I was young and nervous and very shy. It took about 20 minutes before I realized I'd found "my people" and I've never looked back. Got that same sort of rush when I wandered around the foyer of the Old Church saying hi and introducing myself to Kathy and Lisa and John and others. Some folks were working on their first novels, others were long time veterans of the craft.
I'm afraid the speaker was a let down. She was certainly doing a great job of pitching her book and seems like a lovely person who knows a lot about networking, but I'm afraid I didn't learn much. You see, she wrote 2 books on how to write books. Maybe these are extraordinary books, and I'm a fool for not buying them, but I have this sort of visceral, negative reaction to writers who only write about writing. I'll happily read Stephen King's or Lawrence Block's books on writing, but I'm just not willing to be lectured on how to earn my creds by someone who has none of their own. It's right along the lines of books on how to make money on eBay written by someone who has only made money on books about making money on eBay. Makes my head hurt!
In any case I plan to attend the next WW meeting, weather permitting. I can't wait to meet more folks in the Pdx writing community.
As for my current projects: Working on this website, writing an entry for the Kay Snow contest, and sort of taking it easy during the holidays while planning to be more productive starting January. Hmmm, sounds a lot like a resolution.
Happy Holidays!
November 2008
Yes there's a reason. That's a baby turkey folks. Cute huh? Certainly a much smaller turkey than the one Palin layed in that infamous Youtube video. All right, I promised myself no political rants so I just went back and deleted everything I said. Now, on to stuff about writing.
I'm waiting for the agenda to post so I can sign up for the South Coast Writers' Conference in Gold Beach in February. It's held annually over President's Day weekend. I haven't seen the agenda for this year but Timothy Zahn will be there. He's best known for his Star Wars novels but what I know him for are his short stories, such as Cascade Point. I'm very excited about meeting both him and Elizabeth Lyon. Ms. Lyon writes on writing and I've read a lot of her articles/books. In a way it's like getting to meet an online friend face to face, excitement colored with a little fear. What's with the fear? Is it possible that I still want everyone to like me? Ah, shades of high school. Do we ever outgrow it? I suppose if the presenters don't take to me I'll still have a good time hanging out with fellow writers for a couple days. Plus, since the in-laws live just a few miles south I get to stay with them and do some catching up. If you want more info on the SC Conference go to www.socc.edu/scwriters
In a few days I'm heading to the Old Church in Portland for a Willamette Writers' Meeting. Willamette Writers is the largest writer's organization in Oregon. On December 2nd Christina Katz will present "Get Known Before the Book Deal: A Platform Development Checklist". They promise a lively presentation about how to name, claim, cultivate and explain the all-important writer's platform. Given that I've just developed this website for my writing it seems like perfect timing. If you want to learn more go to www.willamettewriters.com
October 2008
Cold Kill is going well. This is a serial killer novel based on a real event that happened in Klamath Falls, Oregon. A couple were driving through on their way home to Alaska. They were in a large pickup, hauling a fifth-wheel travel trailer. They drove past a row of trucks on the side of the road and a short time later were pulled over by an Oregon State Policeman. Seems they had failed to put on their tire chains. They hadn't seen the sign because it was blocked by the row of trucks.
Well, they were going to get a ticket anyway, so the driver said, "Go ahead and ticket me. My wife and I are in too good a mood to let that upset us, we're celebrating."
Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. The officer immediately asked if they were drinking. "A glass of wine with lunch," they admitted. Well that did it. The breathalyzer was broken, so off to jail went the husband, while wife got to sit on the side of the road in her unheated RV or risk going to jail herself. When the test showed that the man's blood alcohol was well below limits they let him go. Tough thing though. If you, like this gentleman, make your living taking folks out fishing in your boat in Alaska and you cross into Canadian waters, and you've been charged, (not convicted just charged) with a DUII you get to post a $1,000 bond each and every time you cross. Hmmm. That could sort of tick you off.
After I read that story my mind was full of what ifs. This was not a young couple. These folks were late 50's maybe 60's. What if the wife died of complications from being out in the cold? What if she'd been sick to start with? What if the husband comes back to the town for revenge? What if he's no ordinary guy? What ifs are a lot of fun. I highly recommend them.
I have this great police officer who is helping me with the book. You know, getting the facts straight. I've worked in probation and trained with police officers as part of my emergency response training but I've never had the chance to ask one what a day, and a week, and a year in the life of a policeman was like. Or what kind of gun you get to carry or what if...there they go again.
September 2008
I just gave my third lecture at the community college. This one was to a magazine writing class. I found I wasn't nearly as amped as I was for the first two. A good thing, since as I recall I just about took the head off that poor guy who told me he just didn't have time to write. The tightly wound me said something like, "Bullshit. Quit watching television." Yikes!
Well turns out he's a high-powered attorney so maybe he doesn't have time for a lot of TV, and boy I sure hope I never have reason to need him (or face him) in court.
Anyway my answer to - I don't have time to write - has now mellowed to something like, "There are times in our lives when we don't have time but it's best to be prepared for those times when we do."
Nah, I'm just kidding. Chances are my normal, surly self will re-emerge before the next class. I find teaching is a real challenge. Not the content but that whole public speaking thing. However, its probably good for me to stretch like that and it's a great antidote for the pain of rejection. I figure if I don't make it maybe I'll be able to help someone who does. And maybe that person will not only acknowledge me, but send me a couple first class tickets to Hawaii. Hey, I can dream. It's better than sitting around watching TV!
August 2008
Today's theme is butterflies. I just finished writing Yetzirah, the novel I'm dedicating to my husband, Jim. I should explain that about a year and a half ago I gave Jim one of my short stories to read. It was a pretty dark story and when he finished he looked up at me with this horrified expression and said, "Can't you write about something nice, like butterflies?" So I started my next novel with a butterfly. Of course this butterfly is hand-crafted by a wizard and is a portent of doom, but hey, it's a butterfly!