Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YouTube. Show all posts
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
I Got Nuthin'
I swear, lately it's like someone has come along with a brain sucker and sucked out all my brains. I open a document to write and I'm blank. I'll be talking to someone and words escape me. I can't settle for more than a few moments before I pop up to do something different.
I'm antsy. Tired. Irritable. Uninspired.
The muse -- all the muses (because I have them for other life things, too ... the muse of cooking, the muse of mothering, the muse of cleaning, the muse of entertaining, etc) have gone on vacation. And they haven't even sent a postcard.
And still, I'll open those documents and struggle to get words down. I'll try to make dinner more than a box of Kraft Mac-n-Cheese. I'll continue to clean well enough to keep the health department from condemning the house.
And hope the muses return.
I don't suppose you've seen them anywhere?
Monday, December 13, 2010
Monday Morning Music Memories: Classic Christmas Songs
How can you resist?
What's your favorite Christmas song memory? Play along!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday Morning Music Memory
From "Welcome to My World of Dreams" who asks: What singer (from your childhood) made you swoon?
For me? I'm an child of the 80s, so who made me swoon?
Rick Springfield, of course...
Isn't he YUMMY???
What about YOU? What singer from your childhood was swoonworthy?
For me? I'm an child of the 80s, so who made me swoon?
Rick Springfield, of course...
Isn't he YUMMY???
What about YOU? What singer from your childhood was swoonworthy?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
It's Who I Am
I read a lot about "are you a plotter or a pantser?" around the writing blogosphere and I used to try to pigeonhole myself into one or the other.
But the truth is? I'm neither. Or maybe I'm both.
You see, I write in much the same way as I cook. I drive my DH crazy, because he'll say, "So-and-so really liked that thing you made last week. Would you send them the recipe?" My response? "Uh. No. I can't. I'm sorry."
Because when I cook, I don't really use a recipe. I start with one, for certain, especially if I haven't made whatever it is before. But, even when I swear I'll stick to the recipe as written, sometimes my hands have a mind of their own and they add this or take out that or use a little more of another thing.
I bake by the handful. A teaspoon of salt? About *this* much poured into my cupped hand.
My MIL is the type who uses a knife to level the ingredients in her measuring cups. I even had a friend who would measure the water for her Kraft mac and cheese ("But it says 'use a quart of water'!" :::rolls eyes:::). Not me. And sometimes the things I make aren't edible, sometimes they're passable and sometimes they are absolutely stellar.
Same with my stories.
I usually start with a recipe (i.e. a basic plot with the characters I'll be using). I *think* know where I'm going or what I'm going to end up with. But then I'll get into it and the characters let me know I'm on the wrong track and I'll add or subtract or change.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But unlike cooking, the final product isn't done until I say it's done. I can go back and change and change until I'm happy with it.
Still... plotter or pantser?
Both.
Neither.
You?
PS I couldn't resist adding this book video since I titled the post after the song. I think it's one of the best songs about what makes a character: it's not the hair color or the clothes... it's this:
But the truth is? I'm neither. Or maybe I'm both.
You see, I write in much the same way as I cook. I drive my DH crazy, because he'll say, "So-and-so really liked that thing you made last week. Would you send them the recipe?" My response? "Uh. No. I can't. I'm sorry."
Because when I cook, I don't really use a recipe. I start with one, for certain, especially if I haven't made whatever it is before. But, even when I swear I'll stick to the recipe as written, sometimes my hands have a mind of their own and they add this or take out that or use a little more of another thing.
I bake by the handful. A teaspoon of salt? About *this* much poured into my cupped hand.
My MIL is the type who uses a knife to level the ingredients in her measuring cups. I even had a friend who would measure the water for her Kraft mac and cheese ("But it says 'use a quart of water'!" :::rolls eyes:::). Not me. And sometimes the things I make aren't edible, sometimes they're passable and sometimes they are absolutely stellar.
Same with my stories.
I usually start with a recipe (i.e. a basic plot with the characters I'll be using). I *think* know where I'm going or what I'm going to end up with. But then I'll get into it and the characters let me know I'm on the wrong track and I'll add or subtract or change.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But unlike cooking, the final product isn't done until I say it's done. I can go back and change and change until I'm happy with it.
Still... plotter or pantser?
Both.
Neither.
You?
PS I couldn't resist adding this book video since I titled the post after the song. I think it's one of the best songs about what makes a character: it's not the hair color or the clothes... it's this:
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A Tale of Two Brains
I like writing from a man's POV. I do... it's fascinating, but can be difficult. I've had more than one crit partner tell me, "Men don't talk that much. Cut back on the dialogue."
It's true. Men DON'T talk that much, at least not about relationship stuff, etc. Maybe about, oh, fishing or cars or guns, but not about how they feel.
It's an exercise in understanding the opposite sex.
Yesterday, I saw this video on a friend's Facebook page and it was absolutely PERFECT. Take a look and be prepared to laugh.
What do you think? Did you sit there and nod all the way through?
And, do you enjoy writing from the POV of the opposite sex? Why or why not?
It's true. Men DON'T talk that much, at least not about relationship stuff, etc. Maybe about, oh, fishing or cars or guns, but not about how they feel.
It's an exercise in understanding the opposite sex.
Yesterday, I saw this video on a friend's Facebook page and it was absolutely PERFECT. Take a look and be prepared to laugh.
What do you think? Did you sit there and nod all the way through?
And, do you enjoy writing from the POV of the opposite sex? Why or why not?
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
You're Gonna Miss This
I've been having all kinds of emotional struggles with my daughter lately -- she's all of ten years old, and very much a drama queen and quite emotional (lots of tears and rending of clothes... okay, maybe not the rending). There are days I don't think I'm going to make it through. It's all drama, all the time. And she hasn't even hit puberty yet!
And then I heard this, and it put it all into perspective. I hope you enjoy it.
"You're Going to Miss This" (embedding was disabled, but click through -- if you're a wife or mother, it's going to tug at your heart).
Have a lovely day!
And then I heard this, and it put it all into perspective. I hope you enjoy it.
"You're Going to Miss This" (embedding was disabled, but click through -- if you're a wife or mother, it's going to tug at your heart).
Have a lovely day!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Books on Writing Fiction
I read a lot of books... I'm sure you can well imagine. I don't believe you can be a writer without being a reader.I also enjoy books about HOW to write, and have read many. But my favorite -- by a mile -- is "On Writing" by Stephen King. I can't recommend this one enough for sheer inspiration.
The first part of the book is his writing journey. The second is some truly nuts-and-bolts advice. Stephen King doesn't mince words, he tells it like it is.
Want proof? Check this out:
And, if you haven't already... go read his book. In fact, I think I'm going to grab it and read it again.
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