Wendword

What Time Reveals...

2012-02-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

A year and a half ago, I was so mad I could have spit bricks - wanna know why?

I wrote my "life story", which really is a good one. It was torture. Who was it said that writing is sitting down and opening a vein? They were right. I dug up and faced things from my past that were excruciating. I was digging up things that weren't pleasant for my family, either. I was told by my sister I should quit before I had a nervous breakdown, and my own mother accused me of being on a witch hunt.

When I finally finished, I felt like I had overcome Death itself. Certainly, if I had gone through all that and survived - this must be the finest piece of literature ever written, right?

I had a fellow author read it. She gave me some feedback, including that I should fictionalize it - write it as a novel. FICTIONALIZE IT? And downplay all that I had gone through in that time of my life? I thought NOT.

Then I submitted it for publishing.

Now it just so happens that the editor I submitted it to is a friend of mine. I expected her to understand a little better than the previous author.

The editor, my friend, sent me a rejection! Albeit a very sweet rejection, and full of feedback, how could she have rejected what I'd suffered so much to write!?

My heart felt smashed into a million little shards, and I couldn't face suffering any more over this manuscript.

You know when you get a scrape or a cut? It hurts, and it bleeds for a while. Then it scabs over, stays sensitive for quite a while, then it gets less and less sore. Eventually it gets to the point where it toughens up, and you can peel that scab off to show the new, pink skin underneath. It's still a little sensitive, but you can take it.

I think my soul is there. It's sore, but it's healed from the bleeding. I can stand more pressure than I could before, though it's always going to be sensitive.

I pulled my manuscript off the shelf yesterday and started reading it with fresh eyes.

Frankly, it sucked! My editor friend was right, it's not publishable. Now I can see it for what it really is, a 100+ page infodump. The good news is I'm tough enough to handle that. It's not fresh and bleeding, so I can handle a new set of pokes and digs.

So, though I never thought I'd actually say this out loud...

Thank you, Tristi and Stacey. You were right, and I am grateful you were so honest with me whether I liked it or not.

I wrote my history before, now I think I'm ready to write the story.

Zooks! What a goof!

2012-02-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

Apparently, I hit a wrong button! Came to my attention that my blog has been marked "Private" for I don't know how long now! Gadzooks! That's no way to treat your readers!

Forgive me, dear readers - and come back! I'm here, really I am!

A First, and a Free Book

2011-12-19T08:20:00.003-07:00

For the first time in doing blog reviews for books, I have come across a book that I cannot bring myself to review. My apologies to Ms. Poague. They sent me a free copy in exchange, which I do not feel right in keeping, since I would rather not review it at all than give it the review I would do.

So, for anyone who would like to have it, I will send this copy to you.

Click picture to be taken to the Amazon.com page!

One string attached - you must promise to do a review of it when you are done, preferably by the end of the year, if possible. If you let me know when you do the review, I will put a link to it here on my blog and send all my readers (all two of them) to your blog.

Leave a comment on this post if you would like to read and review Heir to Power!

Thoughts, But Not My Own

2011-11-13T21:43:00.001-07:00

Trust that little voice in your head that says "Wouldn't it be interesting if..." And then do it. ~Duane Michals

When you are describing,
A shape, or sound, or tint;
Don't state the matter plainly,
But put it in a hint;
And learn to look at all things,
With a sort of mental squint.~Lewis Carroll
Sometimes imagination pounces; mostly it sleeps soundly in the corner, purring. ~Terri Guillemets

Imagination and fiction make up more than three-quarters of our real life. ~Simone Weil

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities. ~Theodore Geisel

Ink on paper is as beautiful to me as flowers on the mountains; God composes, why shouldn't we? ~Terri Guillemets

The maker of a sentence launches out into the infinite and builds a road into Chaos and old Night, and is followed by those who hear him with something of wild, creative delight. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Review: Bitter Blessings byChristine Mehring

2011-11-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

Due to internet service problems, this review is a day late - my apologies.*

At the outset, I wasn't too keen on reading, but by chapter two I was hooked and couldn't put it down until I'd finished it.

Bitter Blessings, by Christine Mehring is well worth reading! Here's what the back of the book has to say:

After the death of her mother, everything seems to spin out of control for Megan. Taking care of her grandmother--who refuses to receive help from anyone--and her two younger sisters, Megan must depend on her best friend Adam to get through these hard times. But when she discovers an old family secret, Megan must choose between trusting her family and following what her heart tells her to be true. Thought-provoking and heartfelt, this debut novel shows that the power of love brings the best blessings even during the bitterest trials.

Thought provoking and heartfelt is absolutely right! There are a few lines out of the book that really caught me and made me look up from the page to think about that for a moment. Here's my favorite:

'...all I could think was, "This is not Gram's Jesus...." Gram's Jesus was more like a combination of Santa Clauas and the Terminator. He knew if you'd been good or bad, and was coming back to get you.'

That made me laugh, but it also made me think of the differences in what people believe.

Megan is one of those characters any woman can relate to, because we've all been like her at one point in time or another. It comes with the female territory. She is real, and has flaws, and makes bad judgements in haste and anger. And yet, when she fell to her knees page 146, I was right there with her and almost longed to put my arm around that 17 year old girl going through such hell. And even though she didn't get the perfect happily ever after, I was glad to see things work out for the most realistic best.

Christine Mehring has written a fantastic novel, and I give hearty kudos! Freely recommend.

Bitter Blessings, a novel by Christing Mehring

Published by Bonneville Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.

ISBN:978-1-59955-523-2

Available HERE at Amazon.com

Friday Funny

2011-10-28T13:14:00.002-06:00

The Simplicity of Showing Deep Character

2011-10-11T16:20:00.001-06:00

Here is the set up:

A young woman and her friend have shared the heartbreak of not being able to concieve children. Both women and their respective husbands have tried, and failed, and remain childless. Our MC, as it were, had cried on her friend's shoulder, devastated by this tragedy, more than once, and the friend had commiserated, having gone through the same trials a few years previous.

One day our MC finds out that her sister is expecting a baby. Again, she cries on her friend's shoulder, the hurt again surfacing at being reminded of her own infertility.

Several months later, the two are together when the call comes that the sister has had a miscarriage and her baby has died.

"Well, I don't feel too bad for her," our MC states to her friend. "At least she knows she can get pregnant again later."

...really?

With something as simple as a single sentence, didn't your view of our MC change drastically?

"Completely out of character," you might say, "no woman who'd ever been through that would say such a thing!"

...are you sure?

Here's the kick - it's a true, real life story. I won't say who the MC is, but I will say that the 'friend' was me. And it was years and years ago.

Got me to thinking how a well- (or badly-) put sentence can quickly turn our perception of a character. Those little flaws that make our characters human can be simply and quietly shown with very little. Even the good guys have flaws and idiocies, and even the bad guys have flashes of compassion and humanity. Are they really out of character? Or are they the real, deep, and abiding characteristics that we don't show to very many people but that make us who and what we really are?

I used to have a boss who told me, "You never really know someone until you've seen them naked."

That nakedness - of emotion, of personality - is what we should aim for. Now I'm not saying that you, or your character, should run naked through the streets - unless it's vital to the plot, of course.

Unless running naked through the streets inspires you to write better...

No! No, forget I said that....

(but you did you just get a glimpse of my personality you didn't have before, didn'tcha?)

My New, Young Writing Pal

2011-09-26T16:55:00.000-06:00

A young woman in the neighborhood has shared with me her desire to be a writer. She's gung-ho, totally thrilled by it all, and green behind the ears.

She's where I was ten years ago.

I've read her stuff, it's not bad. Not Pulitzer ready yet, but it will be good once it's polished.

It's odd to look back at where I was when I was in her shoes. I've learned volumes since then. I'm still not perfect, and I'm still not published, but I'm a vastly different person, and writer, than I was back when.

When I served as a full time missionary for the LDS Church, my very last month I was paired with a sister hot out of the MTC. She loved to tract, and I was all but packed! And yet, her enthusiasm rubbed off and made me want to jump back into the work.

This young writer does that for me too. She makes me feel enthusiastic again, and I'm thankful. I hope I can help her with my knowledge of the craft as much as she helps me feel the sheer fun of it!

I Need a Better Working Title

2011-09-22T21:19:00.000-06:00

I've been writing! Yay for me!

But I have a perplexion. When I started, I could call the story "Petal & Falco" because that's who it was about. My problem began when the cast expanded from two to fourteen - not really a problem, because they're all great characters. Petal and Falco are still the MCs, but there's so much more to it that my erstwhile title no longer fits.

Meanwhile, this has got the be the best plot ever to work it's way through my brain! It's a muddled mess of tangled personalities, false identities, senile sorcerers, well intentioned but deluded henchmen, and a curse that everyone thinks is quite beautiful.

Oy! What a beautiful mess!

This just caught me as really funny...

2011-09-19T20:44:00.002-06:00

1/2 Way Mark, and Several Short Reviews

2011-07-12T18:50:00.001-06:00

Summer's about half over, and I thought I'd check in and show off what I've been doing.

Here's my reading list so far, beginning June 1 of this year, along with a brief review of my opinions of each:

1. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley.
Crap - don't bother - gave up and read the last page, which made me glad I hadn't bothered reading more than I did.

2. Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell
Loved it! Award winner, would recommend to anyone above 12.

3. Animal Farm, George Orwell
   I got the point of it, and see why it was required reading. It's a great fable on government and human nature. Glad I read it, wouldn't read it again.

4. Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Fantastic!! Worth reading, as are the two following that make up the trilogy.

5. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
   See Hunger Games

6. Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
   See Hunger Games

7. Goose Girl, Shannon Hale
   Liked it. Worth reading.

8. Finding Caruso
   Too much crap, not enough plot - but what can you expect of a story set in a bar?

9. Dragon's Kin, Anne and Todd McCaffery
Back to Pern's Glory Days!!! Love it, love it, love it!!!! It's not that I was that crazy about this particular story (which I did really like) as much as it is a return to the Pern of the original Dragonriders. Apparently, all that sci-fi techno stuff they found that threatened the integrity of the series didn't work - since Thread is going to fall again, and the Dragonriders are needed! Did I mention I love it - it was like coming home!

10. Dragon Harper, Anne and Todd McCaffery
   Ditto #9

11. On Writing, Stephen King
   I wasn't a King fan before, but I sure am now!! MUST read for writers!

12. Mother Had a Secret, Tiffany Fletcher
   Wow. Hard to read, but worth it. Not for kids, maybe teens.

13. Once Upon a Marigold, Jean Ferris
   Just a good ol' fun read! Loved it - am currently working on the sequel.

14. A Year on Ladybug Farm, Donna Ball
   Chick lit at it's (almost) best. (Why does chick lit always start out with somebody's husband either dying or beating them?)

15. Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriett Beecher Stowe
Cannot say enough about this book. If you haven't read it, you SHOULD!

So that's where I am so far. Short Pants (my seven year old) and I are having a little competition to see who can read the most books this summer. He thinks its fantastic, because he's read even more books than me! What can I say - Uncle Tom's Cabin was 630 pages! Pedro's Burro was only 32, I'm at a bit of a handicap! But that's okay with me - it's been a long time since I was sunk this deep into the written word, I'm like a wanderer in the desert that just discovered that oasis is not a mirage!

Bring on the books!

Conflict (dis)Interest

2011-06-23T18:53:00.000-06:00

Maybe it's because there has been so much chaos in my real life, or maybe it's because I'm so much like my Dad.

I like my characters. Characters and setting are what I'm good at. My characters are so real to me that I grieve for them when they have troubles, I talk to them like they're my friends, and like all those I truly care about I want nothing for them but goodness and light, butterflies and rainbows.

But... (and there's always a big but...)

I don't like conflict, or confrontation. Just like Dad, I'll walk a mile to avoid it if I can.

Who ever heard of a writer that doesn't like conflict? Isn't that what 3/4 of plot is?

So I'm throwing open the doors of Conflict Hall to the public.

How do you decide what your characters conflict is?

What sorts of conflicts make for good plots - the ones with twists and turns, gut wrenching, heart stopping, yet satisfyingly fabulous plots?

Where do I go to find them? Is there a Plot Conflict Store somewhere no one ever told me about?

(Hello, Thank you for calling PCS - this is Weston, how can I help you?)

Please, if you like conflict - I need your help.

Help me get my characters into trouble, I'm begging you!

LJ's Breakup!

2011-06-14T22:54:00.000-06:00

This is far too good not to pass along - so instead of reading my blog, hop over and read LJ's:

http://www.ljwrites.com/2011/06/breakup.html?spref=fb

Summer Reading

2011-06-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

Since school ended, I signed Short Pants up for a summer reading program through the local library. Come to find out, they've got one for grown ups, too - how 'bout that?

So I signed up.

I didn't realize how ravenous I was for good books until I dug into a couple! So far, I've finished four and am into number 5. I've thoroughly enjoyed the Hunger Games, George Orwell's Animal Farm, and am halfway through Shannon Hale's Goose Girl.

Now if I can just teach Hub, Short Pants and the two cats that I'm not really "there" when I have an open book in my hands.... It's like the telephone, as soon as I pick it up, everyone (even the cat) desperately needs my attention. It's a Mom-thing, I think.

Since writing is not on my list of possibles right now, I figure I'll stoke myself up with some good reads over the summer. Then when school starts and I've got big chunks of time to myself, I'll have lots stored up to be inspired by when I start in writing again.

Sound like a good plan?

Book Review: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

2011-06-07T08:42:00.003-06:00

I just can't say enough about this book, but I'll sure try.

Garbage.

Absolute crap.

Don't bother.

Biggest waste of time ever.

Classic, my left foot!

The complete premise of the entire book is as follows.

In the future, humans will be manufactured for the sole purpose of buying things - commercialism. Drug use is a good thing, and government subsidized. And promiscuous sex is expected, encouraged, and it's just about the only thing these manufactured humans do or talk about. (The author actually uses the phrase "orgy-porgy" just to give you an idea how bad it is...)

There it is. Deep, huh?

Gads.

How did this get published in the 1930's??

How did this get published at all?????

Manufacturing Time, Revisited

2011-05-09T21:29:00.001-06:00

I was perusing the bookshelves at my local D.I. store (similar to a Goodwill for anyone not familiar with Utah), and came across an oft quoted book on writing. Without a second glance I snatched it up and dropped it in my cart, thinking how fortunate I was to have found it for a couple of bucks!

Thriftiness? No...

Habit? Not after all this time...

An inherent knowledge that I've always wanted to be a writer? A bit...

Some part of myself that knows, whether I like it or not, that down deep I'm an author waiting for my moment to do something I love?

Bing! That's the real answer right there.

My husband actually said to me the other day, "You can say you're not a writer anymore all you want, but I know better." (Gadzooks, I love that man!)

There are other priorities for me at this time, and I like to think it is wisdom to recognize them. I've given up a lot of myself and my 'druthers in exchange for the gift of motherhood to a challenged child. I don't begrudge it, except on the occasional 'off' day when I'm feeling ratty and sorry for myself. Would I do it again? I really can't say for sure. Would I take back what I've gone through so far? Not a chance!

There'll be time later for me to pursue this particular passion in depth. For now, I'll keep reminding myself that there are moments to spare for my own hobbies, and those moments will do for now. I've g ot time right now to read Steven King's On Writing, and that can only do my own writing good eventually.

(That's right - Steven King's book, On Writing. Mint condition - $2.00! TWO dollars! Hardcover! Yeah, right - like I was gonna leave that on the shelf. Pshaw!)

You Knew I Couldn't Stay Away...

2011-05-05T21:55:00.000-06:00

I'm eclectic, we all know that. And I have a terrible time making up my mind about things.

Well, okay, that's not true. I have an easy time making up my mind, the problem is I have no trouble making it up over and over with fourteen different decisions about the same question.

I miss writing! I really do! I don't miss the guilt of not getting a word count, but I do miss being a writer.

I sat down with my compy the other day and actually opened up my Word program without really thinking about it. Then I sat there and stared at the blank screen and thought to myself, "what are you doing? You're not a writer anymore..." So I closed the program. But I had to fight with myself to stop from opening up one of my WIP's from before and reading through it to see if anything new came into being.

Let's face it - I like to tell stories. I enjoy that time away from reality.

Here's the deal, though - I refuse to feel guilty about any of it; that I'm not hitting a word count, that I'm not doing enough, that I'm not in an active writers group, that I'm not published, or even trying to get that way. This is MY writing, and I'll do with it what I darn well please.

So, now that I've told my inner critic off with that last sentence - I imagine you'll see me back around here a bit more. New name, new picture maybe, but same old me. Well, little more laid back same old me.

Cancelled Due to Lack of Interest..... Mine.

2011-01-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, not really. Well, maybe a little bit really.

'Let me 'splain. No, there is too much, let me sum up.'

With the new year, I've made some resolutions. My goal is to get my life under control - spiritually, physically, and financially. My priorities have shifted - and it's absolutely for the better.

Unfortunately, writing to be published is not on that list of the most important things in life. I've agonized over it, and mulled, and pondered, and struggled. This isn't to say that I won't write - but if I do it will strictly be for my own enjoyment.

I've made some good friends in writer circles, and I sincerely hope to keep them. Thanks for all the support you've given me. I wish you all the best of luck, and can't wait to see your name on a best seller list!

I Won! I Won!

2010-12-29T21:25:00.001-07:00

Not to brag, but .... who am I kidding?! I'm braggin', baby!

I won LDS Publisher's 2010 Christmas Story Contest - Publisher's Choice Unpublished Authors Category.

You know, every time I think I'm really gonna call it quits, something like this happens and makes me remember that I actually like to write. And I like it even better when someone else likes what I've written.

Go figure...

Meanwhile, there were 42 entries, and all of them were worth reading. They're still there, (CLICK HERE and HERE) so go enjoy the great stories!

Review: Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest

2010-12-27T18:02:00.004-07:00

To begin, I should start by warning everyone (who doesn't already know) that I am a die hard adventure fan. I love knights in shining armor, preferably dented from their skirmishes against evil. I love damsels that can darn well take care of themselves. I love horses, and dragons, and all the trappings that go with a good old fashioned adventure! As such, I'm opinionated about the subject, and a pretty harsh judge of whats good and what's garbage. That being said...

Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest did not disappoint. It's a gritty, purposeful adventure that kept me reading. I wished I had read the preceeding books, since it is part of a series, and made me look forward to the future of this world Mr. Black has built.

From the back cover:

Sir Rowan is the most decorated tournament knight in Cameria, but when he is attacked and left for dead, his world collapses. Betrayed and lingering at death’s door, only a bizarre vision of his Prince and the help of a woman dedicated to the King keeps him alive. As Rowan heals, he finds new purpose in life through service to his King.
But his beloved land of Cameria has fallen victim to the tyranny of the Dark Knight.

Rowan’s countrymen need his help taking their cities back from the enemy, but all is not as it appears. The mysterious Sir Lijah insists Rowan’s purpose lies elsewhere—far away from Cameria, in an ancient city and for an ancient cause.
Rowan’s destiny is greater than he ever imagined. The final battle with the Dark Knight approaches, and he must choose where he will fight. Will he discover his true identity and purpose as a Knight of the Prince, or will the Dark Knight claim victory for eternity?

Rowan is a completely real, if not entirely loveable, character. He has faults and foibles, but he also has a good heart. I understood why he made bad choices, and rejoiced when he made good ones. I appreciated his gentlemanly actions toward his new love, and was glad when that love was requited. I wanted to see him win!

There was one thing that bothered me. The 'theology' factor - the parallels between their great king and ours seemed a little too obvious, when they really didn't need to be. Even at that, it wasn't enough to discourage me from reading on - but in the spirit of a completely honest review, I thought I ought to mention it.

Best of all, being from WaterBrook Multnomah, there was not one inappropriate word, scene, or double meaning to be found. So I need not be discouraged from freely recommending this book to anyone and everyone that likes a good adventure.

And I fully intend to!

Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest
ISBN: 9781601421296
Available at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421296
or from Amazon.com (Click Here)

FTC Disclaimer: Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Suddenly, I Was Doing Dishes

2010-12-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness. I accidentally tripped over talk radio the other day, and decided to leave the dial there while I did dishes - since none of the other stations were playing anything good. There, with my hands to my elbows in suds, I discovered a treasure!

He's a poet by the name of Billy Collins and I thoroughly enjoyed his interview as well as the poetry he read on the air. One in particular made me laugh so hard I had to stop scrubbing pans to listen. I had to pass it on!

Tension

By Billy Collins

Never use the word suddenly just to create tension.

-Writing Fiction

Suddenly, you were planting some yellow petunias

outside in the garden,

and suddenly I was in the study

looking up the word oligarchy for the thirty-seventh time.

When suddenly, without warning,

you planted the last petunia in the flat,

and I suddenly closed the dictionary

now that I was reminded of that vile form of governance.

A moment later, we found ourselves

standing suddenly in the kitchen

where you suddenly opened a can of cat food

and I just as suddenly watched you doing that.

I observed a window of leafy activity

and beyond that, a bird perched on the edge

of the stone birdbath

when suddenly you announced you were leaving

to pick up a few things at the market

and I stunned you by impulsively

pointing out that we were getting low on butter

and another case of wine would not be a bad idea.

Who could tell what the next moment would hold?

another drip from the faucet?

another little spasm of the second hand?

Would the painting of a bowl of pears continue

to hang on the wall from that nail?

Would the heavy anthologies remain on the shelves?

Would the stove hold its position?

Suddenly, it was anyone’s guess.

The sun rose ever higher in the sky.

The state capitals remained motionless on the wall map

when suddenly I found myself lying on a couch

where I closed my eyes and without any warning

began to picture the Andes, of all places,

and a path that led over the mountains to another country

with strange customs and eye-catching hats,

each one suddenly fringed with colorful little tassels.

Go Ye Therefore And Vote!

2010-12-15T00:35:00.000-07:00

LDS Publisher is having her annual Christmas Story Contest over on her blog! Those who want to enter have until December 18th to get their submission in.

The rest of you really should go and vote for your favorite story, since one of the awards is Readers' Choice.

I can tell you that I have submitted a story, but I can't tell you which one is mine (that's the rules). So go, read some good Christmas stories to get you in the holiday mood, and comment on which one you like the best.

Either way - here is the link you need to get there:

LDS Publisher Blog

Oh, Great...

2010-12-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

I think I've finally figured out what's become of my writing streak. It's not gone, it's just buried under a big concern.

If you've known me for any length of time, then you are probably aware that I have panic disorder. I don't do well in crowded, busy places. Add any level of sound, and I'm competely overwhelmed and usually run for the door. (To give you an idea of how bad it is, I will admit that I haven't sat through an entire church meeting in well over a year.)

It dawned on me the other day that I've actually been worried about what I might have to do if and when I do get published. I get on Facebook and read all about my friends going and doing booksignings, holding and promoting contests on their blog, and otherwise drawing as much attention to themselves and their books as possible.

I. don't. wanna.

If I had to go to a crowded bookstore and sign books, and if it got noisy, what am I going to do - jump and run for the door? Or sit there in complete and utter misery and anxiety? Either way, it's not a good scenario for me.

So what do I do now?

Longshot!

2010-11-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

I know this might be a long shot, but would the person(s) who ordered a workbook from me within the last while, and have not yet recieved it, please PLEASE leave a comment here telling me how to reach you.

Apparently, PayPal has gone on strike, and I can't get any record of my past transactions! All I know is there is a payment on my account that I have no idea where it came from.

So if you've ordered from me, or know someone who has, PLEASE let me know so I can get you your Workbook(s)! I promise, I'm not just ignoring you!

November Is Coming!

2010-10-16T16:56:00.000-06:00

...and so is

National Novel Writing Month

otherwise affectionately known as

NaNoWriMo!

Check it out!

New Online Writing Courses!

2010-10-12T21:11:00.000-06:00

Taught by none other than author and editor Tristi Pinkston!

For more information, click here!

I Have Nothing Interesting to Add.

2010-09-20T13:33:00.000-06:00

Seriously, it's true. I've been working hard on getting my house sustainably clean. I've been thinking about writing. but not actually doing it.

I've also been reevaluating my decision to be a writer.

In high school, I'd jot down stories that I wanted to write, but they never went anywhere. I'm really great, always have been, at first chapters. It's chapters 3-100 that bog me down. But I have been writing the beginnings of things since I was a kid. Because I enjoyed it.

When we got our first computer with internet access, I really delved into writing, because I had this really cool story idea. Then I got into a writers group online that challenged me to improve my skills, and two other members of that group encouraged me to actually finish. And I did. And it was a breathless thrill! I COULD write a novel, heck, I'd done it!

And then I attended my first writers conference and got to rub elbows with others who had like interests. I got caught up in the thick of the publishing dream, swept along with hundreds of others who could, and did, collude and/or cahoot.

Mostly, though, I wrote because I needed a purpose, a cause, a reason to be living, needed to leave some kind of mark on some part of this world. Not having children of my own, I could at lease entertain and uplift someone else's through writing.

And then, out of the blue, like a rocket, came Danny. Not only does this little boy fill that void I felt before, he fills my entire life, my brain, my heart - everything. I have a purpose, complete with challenges, and a defined role in life I never had before. I am truly content.

I still like to jot down story ideas, run scenes through my brain like a movie. The love of good books, and thinking it would be cool to add one of mine to the stack, remains. But now I question myself: do I still need to write? Do I still want to?

I'm not sure.

Getting My Groove Back... Slowly

2010-09-10T21:41:00.000-06:00

I thought I wouldn't get anything done yesterday, but it turned out I wrote 194 words. Not much, but 194 better than zero.

Today (Friday) I wrote two sentences. Grand total of 38 words. Then the urge to take a nap took over, so I did. Yes, I'm weak - I admit it. :)

. You wouldn't think it would be so hard to get back in the groove of writing... oh, who'm I kidding? I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I am proud of myself for the mere fact that I have made an effort for four days straight - and that is something after the better part of two years!.

First is Always the Hardest Gear

2010-09-08T18:31:00.000-06:00

Progress to date:

Tuesday: Took Shorty to the bus stop and saw him onto the bus, then returned home and took the most delicious three hour nap . Just the sensation of being alone in the house without having to worry about what anyone else might be doing at that moment - that was bliss! I felt rejuvenated and refreshed, and it lasted throughout today as well.

Today: Wrote 900 words, most of which was actually transcribed from a notebook that I took on vacation with me. Not much, but it got the engine revved. I also took two files, an original I thought was lost and the second version I had rewritten after, and merged them together into one very good first chapter. I don't know where the story is going, but I really like the chapter now that the best of both have been put together.

Tomorrow's goal: Not much, because tomorrow is payday, which means I'll be out running errands all day long and probably won't get two minutes to sit down that I'm not behind the wheel headed somewhere.

But watch out, come Friday!

Alrighty Then!

2010-09-06T01:00:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! I'm back, and I'm rarin' to go.

The first day of Kindergarten was a smashing success, made even sweeter by the news that there will be a bus to and from the afternoon session. This frees up more time for me, since I won't have to take hubby to work in the morning in order to take ShortPants to Kindergarten in the afternoon. It also buys me an extra twenty minutes of writing time per day.

By darling husband has made me promise that this alone time will be writing time, time strictly for me to work on the career that I want to build. His support and faith in my talent is the most unbelievable boost I can imagine.

I've chosen the manuscript I will be working on - a romantic suspense, if you can believe it. It's an offshoot of one of those great old teenage daydreams from 'back in the day'.I've already got the first chapter written, a fairly good idea of where the plot has to go, and an absolute knowledge of how it ends. I love the characters, especially the villain, and I'm looking forward to jumping into it.

I've been out of the loop for a while, and I'm really feeling it. Expect to see more of me - because I'm back, baby!

'Til Then, My Fair and Faithful Readers...

2010-07-05T09:42:00.001-06:00

You might have noticed the lack of posts here lately. Partly it's because I'm a working mother (kudos to single mom's who work for a living, I dont' know how you do it!). Mostly, though, it's because I feel like a hypocrite -

I'm writing a blog about writing, but I haven't written anything for over a year. I don't believe in the "those who can't do, teach" approach. My point in doing this bloggy thing is to share what it's like trying to be a writer - I'm not even trying, so what's left? Yeah, my point exactly...

This is not to say there is no hope for the future, though. There is this wonderful thing called Kindergarten! I'll have blocks of time, hours in fact, every weekday, that I fully intend to use to sit and write. Kindergarten hours are not housework hours, or errand hours - they are going to be writing hours.

And when does this wonderful invention begin, you ask. August 26 is the first week of school. So, give me a week to settle in and make up all the lost sleep, and I'll be back here bright and early September 6th.

...In the words of the Happenings....

See You in September!

What did Blogger DO???

2010-06-14T20:04:00.001-06:00

Wow. Don't play with your blog for a while and WHAMO, they go and change the way they do things!! Not sure if I like it yet, I'll let you know...

I Wanna Do This to My Readers!

2010-05-13T19:29:00.005-06:00

Thank God for His Blessings

2010-05-05T20:51:00.003-06:00

Today I am grateful for many things, but here's what's at the top of my list:

Thank God for His protection.

Thank God for the feeling that I should wear a baseball cap while we traveled.

Thank God for a good sturdy American-made Chevrolet.

Thank God for not allowing an innocent animal to suffer.

Thank God for good Christian people who listened when the Spirit prompted them to leave for home late at night instead of waiting for the next morning.

Thank God for grumpy hotel room clerks who had a room for us to rest.

Thank God for tiny miracles, like a missing sandal, a well made carseat, and stillness of mind when the rest of my body was violently shaking.

Thank God for His servants who came to our rescue, bringing priesthood blessings and transportation if we needed it.

I never understood the phrase "tender mercies"..... until now.

Here's why.

At approximately 3am in the morning of the 24th of April, doing 70 down a deserted back highway, we came across two horses standing in the middle of the road - one in each lane. With milliseconds to react, I had to judge whether to swerve off the side of the road and risk rolling our SUV, or slamming head on into a 1200 lb horse. I stood on the brakes steered as far off the road as I dared.

The horse was so tall that he came up onto the hood, into the windshield and dented the roof of our Chevy Blazer.

All I remember of the impact is the windshield shattering and turning completely opaque.

According to the Nevada State Trooper we should have all been killed, but our only injuries were a bruise on my husband's right shoulder blade, a welt on my neice's forehead, and several tiny cuts on the backs of my hands and the tops of my feet. My six year old son, and the seat around him, were completely untouched by anything.

Literally 100 miles from anywhere, no hope of cell phone reception, we prayed that Heavenly Father would lead someone to find us. Three hours later, just as the moon went down over the horizon turning the whole world black, He did - in the form of a family of Mennonites who felt impressed to start their journey that night rather than wait till the next morning. They helped Fred push the car and horse off the road, then bundled us in with their family for the hour and a half drive to the nearest town.

From there, with the care of a loving Heavenly Father and more blessings, big and small, than I could possibly list here, we drove home in a rented car.

When we got back to SLC, dear friends were waiting for us with a car for us to borrow while we needed it, kind words and lots of love. In the week and a half since then, we've bought a new car and our insurance paid off the old one. Everything has pretty well returned to normal.

Once in a while, I start to think about the horrific things that could have happened that night. But when I do, I am overwhelmed again with the sheer magnitude of knowing that Heavenly Father was watching out for us, that He kept us safe and delivered us from harm. He brought us angels in pickup trucks in the darkest hours of the night, the means to do what needed to be done, and gave us the strength to see it all through.

For all that, a simple whispered thank you doesn't quite seem enough. But I suppose it will have do till I can fall at His feet and thank him in person.

blog on hold

2010-04-27T12:30:00.000-06:00

I'm supposed to post a review of Tristi Pinkston's Secret Sisters today, but if you notice, it's not here. It will be soon, I promise!

Book Review: The Thorn by Daron D. Fraley

2010-04-23T06:00:00.001-06:00

Wow.

I have just finished reading The Thorn, Book One of The Chronicles of Gan. I am almost speechless, and that’s a rare thing (ask anybody who knows me!)

I don’t even know where to start.

Once in a very great while, a book comes along that is so unique, so original, that it changes the scope of literature. I’m looking at one right now. I have nothing to compare it to, because something like this has simply not been done before. It has expanded the lines of genre – it’s a sci-fi/fantasy/religious work while also managing to be action/adventure/drama. The Thorn is truly unique.

From the book cover: Three tribes are at war on the planet Gan, unaware that the sign of Christ’s birth on an unknown world-Earth-is about to appear in the heavens.

Do you see why I would have a hard time describing it?

Daron Fraley’s writing is fantastic, and has a voice all it’s own. The characters are real and lovable, and the detail of the world of Gan is absolutely extraordinary, from the description of the places to the intricacies of custom and lifestyle of the three individual clans. Even the history of Gan is woven into the story so effortlessly that you feel that you could step into the world and know exactly where you stood.

An excellent story and a marvelous read, I highly recommended The Thorn! Absolutely loved it and can’t wait for the next one!

The Thorn: Book One of the Chronicles of Gan

By Daron D. Fraley

Published by Valor Publishing Group, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-935546-11-5

Available on Amazon - click here.

Note: I do know Daron Fraley personally; in fact he’s a friend of mine. Don’t think for one minute that would change my opinion or my report on this book. As much as I might like the author (which I do, very much) if the book was awful, I’d pan it without a second thought. Happily, I didn’t have to!

Brandon, You're a Genius!

2010-04-11T11:31:00.000-06:00

Just finished Fablehaven 5 - Keys to the Demon Prison!

That rotten kid threw in a disclaimer at the end that this really is the last of the series - for which I could strangle him. I love this series, I'd like about ten more!!

The ending was fabulous, the climax fantastic, and series as a whole: freakin' awesome!!

Must read, if you have any liking for adventure at all!!!!!!!

Good Reads!

2010-04-02T11:04:00.000-06:00

I have just finished two really great books! One was The Thorn by Daron Fraley, the other was Secret Sisters by Tristi Pinkston. I don't often get time to just sit and read, but I couldn't leave these two books alone.

Keep an eye out for my review of each of them here on the blog. I'll be reviewing The Thorn on April 23, and Secret Sisters on April 27!

Across Weirdish Wild Space

2010-03-22T22:29:00.000-06:00

For those of you who haven't, everyone should read "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss. You'll find yourself in it somewhere, no matter who you are. And I'm finding myself in it at the moment.

"...a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
... for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for a fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting."

I'm so there. Sitting on the second bench to the right of the "IN" door. Problem is, I don't know how to find the "EXIT".

I'm waiting for hubby's hours to shift
waiting around for a moodish lift
waiting for ideas to come
waiting for a plot that doesn't sound dumb
waiting to move to a better home
and a six year old's first day of school to come
waiting for time to sit and type
and to hear my name mentioned in all the hype
waiting for dreams to come to be
waiting and wishing for time for me
Every day seems like just Waiting.

I love Dr. Seuss. He makes me feel like maybe, just maybe, I'm a little bit normal.

He Said It, Not Me

2010-03-21T20:00:00.002-06:00

.
.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited.
Imagination encircles the world.

- Albert Einstein

2010-03-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Faulty Cliches #1

2010-03-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

Why does the phrase "the eleventh hour" strike terror when a day has 24?

If you really want to be frightening, shouldn't it be "the twenty-third hour"?

2010-02-28T15:58:00.001-07:00

Thought to Ponder

2010-02-28T00:18:00.002-07:00

"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed."

~G. K. Chesterton

Oh, the Irony!!

2010-02-17T10:30:00.002-07:00

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!

Success, If Not My Own...

2010-02-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking I should write something, but I have no idea what to put down that anyone would care to read. There isn't any extraordinary news - for me at least. But there is for some of my friends, so I will share their good news.

Karen Hoover's The Sapphire Flute is being released in March (Valor Publishing)

Daren Fraley's The Thorn; Book 1 of the Chronicles of Gan is being released in March (Valor Publishing).

Tristi Pinkston's Secret Sisters is also being released in March (also Valor Publishing).

I consider myself very lucky to be counted friends of each of these authors, and I am absolutely thrilled with their success!! More of my writing friends have also reached the goal of being published this year, though I can't name them all, I do with each of them the greatest success! I am slightly envious that I'm not on the boat yet - but I will be. Eventually.

There's good readin' to be had folks! Take a look HERE to see Valor's list of new releases. There's something there to interest every reader!

another writers' chuckle...

2010-01-26T22:00:00.003-07:00

Tangles, and un...

2010-01-20T21:18:00.002-07:00

I've laid off writing for a while, trying to get my groove back. My house is clean - all at once - for the first time since a certain kid came to live with us. I'm getting enough sleep, and walking the dog is giving me regular exercise.

Here's the unexpected benefit - several sticking points of various plots are unravelling themselves! Tangles that I've been agonizing over for months are slowly coming undone and straightening out, without any pressure from me.

Odd, isn't it?

LOL's

2010-01-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

Weighing Virtue to Justify Vice

2010-01-04T21:45:00.001-07:00

(Warning: contains spoilers for Disney's Princess and the Frog movie)

A few days ago, a friend and I took our kids to see Disney's new animated movie, The Princess and the Frog. I was so looking forward to it. I am something of a Disney fanatic after all.

I left the theater with a disappointing mix of opinions about the movie, and it has taken some time for me to sort my feelings and come to a decision about whether or not I liked it. Sadly, the answer is no.

And why, you ask, do I bring this up on a blog about writing? Hear me out, and you'll get your answer.

The Main Characters were charming, likeable, and their romantic plot was actually very sweet. I liked that half of the movie very much, throw in a jazz trumpet playing alligator named Louis and a firefly named Raymond (pronounced Ray-MOWnd) and I could even go so far as to say I loved it.

What killed it for me was the villain. Now I know that villains are, de facto, bad. And this villain was very bad, and in that vein, his part was very well written. But there was something very uncomfortable about the script, itself.

The setting is New Orleans in the 20's, during Mardi Gras. That alone I could overlook, even though I thoroughly dislike Mardi Gras and everything that relates to it. But, in keeping with the setting and localisms, the villain is called The Shadowman, and he is - for lack of a better description - a VooDoo witch doctor. That is where the whole movie experience went steeply downhill for me.

It began with the ShadowMan offering to tell the hero's fortune - which he proceeded to do with Tarot Cards. It wasn't just a generic card-flipping scene, it was detailed. After that, he turns the prince into a frog, of course, ergo the title and main plot. In the process, there's a musical number all about - and this is a quote from the movie, not my own words - his "friends on the other side". When things don't go as he wants, he bargains with these "friends on the other side", also with a catchy song, to bring him the Frog Prince. As part of the bargain, evil shadows chase down the Prince and his friends, unseen and evil demons pursue them through the rest of the movie.

Adding to this "not okay" aspect of the movie, the old lady they go to for help - sort of the fairy godmother figure - is a cute, pudgy little old blind lady with a pet snake. She's also a mystic of sorts. She mixes up a jumbalaya in a bathtub, which tells their fortunes.

Now, anybody who knows me or reads this knows that I am very strongly opinionated about some things, my religious belief being one of them. I believe in the Bible where it says that witchcraft and soothsaying are of the devil. As unlikely as it sounds, I've had the unfortunate experience of encountering dark, unseen spirits and felt the horrible and unforgetable evil of their presence. Those sorts of things are not something I can easily overlook because, to me, they are very real, and very evil. They are things I do not want my children familiar with in any way, especially presented in something so benign as a children's movie.

I started out wondering if I could overlook those things that made me so uncomfortable because the main story was so cute. The longer I pondered, the more the question became should I overlook those things? And the more the answer became absolutely not.

This is one of the reasons I decided to be a writer - to write good literature that is safe on every level.. Not just minus the illicit sex and foul language that are so obviously rampant everywhere, but the subtle introductions of evil on a level, and in a venue, that is targeted at and appeals to young children. The battle between good and evil is getting more blatant. I don't mean the fictional one, I mean the real life, everyday onslaught that is degrading our society at it's youngest levels.

Will I be buying The Princess and the Frog for my home collection? No.

Am I glad I watched it? Yes. Because it reminded me of something very important that I had forgotten. I'd been distracted from my real purpose, and now my focus is returning.

That's why I wanted to be a writer. Now I remember...

Haiku for the New Year

2009-12-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

One sunset on last page

The year's burial

Until dawn births a new one

(Yeah, okay, so I stink at poetry! We all know it - no need to remind me. This is why I write fiction instead.)

Happy new year!

Aaahhhhhhh, Pipe Dreams.....

2009-12-15T22:48:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas from the Elf-liotts!

2009-12-13T23:43:00.000-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Need I Say More?

2009-12-10T10:02:00.002-07:00

This gave me a giggle when I saw it today! What a perfect picture to go with my moods lately.

LOL!

Stepping Back for a Closer Look

2009-12-08T21:02:00.003-07:00

I know I've complained before about the effects that prescription medicines have on my imagination and/or writing. I guess it's an old refrain, but this time seems to be much worse. I'm terribly afraid of sounding like I'm just whining for sympathy, and tell myself 'buck up, little camper!' But that is turning out to be far more difficult than it sounds.

Instead of doubting my imagination, I'm doubting everything about myself. I look at all the wonderful books on my favorite shelf and know that I'll never live up to what's already up there. I think about the authors that I know personally, who are wonderful people that I wish all the very best things in the world, and wonder why they would want to know me.

They say my body will get used to this in time, but it sure doesn't feel like it at the moment. Right now it feels like I should go hide in a corner. My self confidence has plummeted, and my excruciating shyness is returning in tsunami style waves. Worst of all, I'm not even sure it's the drugs. I'm terrified it might be my dream of being a writer slipping away, or the realization that I will never have the talent that it requires. I desperately wonder if I'm the only one who wades through outside influences like these, ones that I have no control over - ones that I have to have in order to live.

So forgive me while I take a short hiatus. I may get a bug up my nose once in a while and post anyway. Heck, my mood might change dramatically within the hour, and I'll erase this whole post. But I've got to give myself some time off to just be, without trying to be something different than what I already am, if that makes any sense at all. I've got to talk to my doctor about these side effects, and pray that's all they are.

They say to be great one should suffer for one's art. If that's true, I should be legendary...

Maybe there's a book in this somewhere.

Comin' Around Again!

2009-12-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

April 23-24, 2010

7th Annual

LDStorymakers

Writers' Conference

Provo, UT

Click HERE for details!

D'oh! You Threw Off My Groove..

2009-11-22T00:56:00.000-07:00

All right, I know I can't really get by with blaming anyone else for my giving up on NaNo. I have to say, though, that despite the fact I won't be winning this year, I do feel quite proud of myself for having written over 20,000 words in a week and a half. If nothing else, that has given me the boost that I needed.

When my husband first went to work as a bus driver, there was no hope of any kind of stability as far as his working hours were concerned. He would find out at 5 pm any given day what he would be working the next day. It could be anything between 3 am and well after midnight, everything in between, and it was never the same thing twice in a row. Several years of senority building later, he finally begin getting halfway decent, regular schedules. So what happened then? They went and made him a trainer. Now he's working with the new greeny drivers, which means, by default, he's back to working extra-board sorts of hours. The only difference, and saving grace, is that as the trainer he gets to decide what sort of chaotic the hours are.

Which, thanks the the downhill effect, means that my life, housekeeping duties, and job as Mom now have no guarantee of any sort of regularity. I literally, have no way to plan a set time to write each day. Makes it really hard when you have to capture a few minutes between Shorty going to sleep and my falling into a welcome coma. Naps are a thing of the past, and putting a movie on doesn't help because I end up watching the movie, too.

*sigh*

What's that song by Louis Armstong? "There must be a way..."

Bad Choice of Words, Honey!

2009-11-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

I was lamenting to my husband today that NaNo has gotten away from me over the last couple of days. Things being as they are, writing has not been as high on my priority list as it was supposed to be when the month started. Sitting on the bed together this morning, I told him:

"I'd need 10,000 words today to catch up."

"What's the most you've ever written in a day?" he asked.

"About 6,000," I answered.

"So you'd have to, like, sit and type all day long to catch up, huh?"

"Yep," I said. "If that's the only thing I did all day, I might have half a chance."

"Well, honey," my darling husband said to me, "It wouldn't be the first time you did nothing all day."

The funeral will be Saturday at 2:00.

The Spirit Is Willing, Doesn't That Count?

2009-11-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

I would love to pull an all nighter tonight. I think it would be great to sit up, in the living room, in my favorite chair - turn off all the lamps and type by the light of my screen. Someone on the NaNoWriMo site suggested buying one of those glow-stick things, shaking it till it glows and writing till it goes out (presumably several hours later) That just seems like the kind of thing that I would have done....

...when I was younger....

... back in the late Jurassic Period...

When did I get too old for adventure? Maybe it would help if I got a hotel room, then I wouldn't feel like I had to keep one ear open for anyone who might need me in the middle of the night.

No, that wouldn't work - who in their right mind would waste a perfectly comfortable hotel room with no distractions by staying awake??? Not this little red hen, that's for sure!

As if NaNo wasn't enough of a challenge, I had to go and make my writing life harder, by...

....are you ready for this?...

...going cold turkey - no more soda! No more caffiene, no more carbonation, no more nothin'! Yeah, I'm an idiot.

So I can't even run over the the store for a two liter of Cherry Coke to help this all-night write take place. Good, healthy intentions - lousy blasted timing.

Is there really a point to this rant? I don't think so. I think it's my version of withdrawls.

Oh, by the way - if you're going to quit soda cold turkey, take my advice - do not substitute 64 ounces of fruit juice! It will help keep you awake, that's for sure, just not in the way you were hoping!!

The Blessings of a Supportive Spouse

2009-11-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

My darling, dear husband took the Short One off my hands completely for the day! (Shorty wasn't so hot on the idea, until Dad took him to a new park - then it was the best idea ever.)

It was a wee bit agonizing, but with the room to 'float' (my word for daydream with no distractions) I was able to get over a hurdle and bang out 4,000+ words.

I've had to get very mean with my I.E. (inner editor). I bound and gagged, then threw her in the closet, but she still kept shouting things at me. "Page two still STINKS - go back and fix it, you numbskull!" Finally to appease her, I turned one of my major characters into a big jerk and made him leave his wife. "Good job! Now she can marry the handsome prince at the end." (Dont' be too mad - I was going to kill him off at first!)

So - at the moment, my word count stands at just under 14,000 words. Not where I'd hoped to be, but a darn sight farther than I was this morning! The goal is still very reachable, even if the stretching does get a little uncomfortable.

Must Be On The Right Track, Everythings Going Wrong!

2009-11-06T21:55:00.001-07:00

Well, it took six days for me to get behind. I'm down, but not out - this isn't that kind of whine.

It's this kind:

How come when you are doing something that is important everything under the sun happens to prevent you, or at least discourage you, from doing that important thing? (Yes, I know that's a run on sentence - stop editing!) Seriously - it happens to me every single time something good is coming. It's the calm before the storm, only in reverse. And it's really, really annoying!

NaNoWriMo started on the 1st of the month - and here's what's been happening in that last week:

Shorty and I saw the doctor - we both have had the respiratory flu, and now we have the stomach flu to go along with. I'm just coughing a lot and mildly nauseated. Danny, on the other hand, has been puking up his heels every evening. It's a little hard to write and hold a little boy who's guts refuse to stay put. (How I can actually DO that is a whole other topic - God gives mothers superpowers, I just know it!)

My husband and I ended up in a huge argument that lasted all day and part of the next. It was stupid. I was right, he was a jerk. (yeah, okay, so that's not really true - it was six of one, half dozen of the other. Hey, I never claimed to be perfect.) I can't write when I'm mad - it just comes out as bad words and complaining.

I sprained my thumb somehow. At least I think I did - I was standing in a second hand shop today and my hand went into this massive cramp. That five hours ago - and I still can't move my left thumb without excruciating pain. Happily it's just my thumb, but that's my space-bar digit, so it slows down the typing a bit.

My nephew (you know the one with the three kids that went on the cross-country adventure with me?) had another crisis. So I spent a while in tears. That's always conducive to writing - if you're working on a Shakespearian tragedy, but not for my current work in progress.

Add to this all a dog that has to be taken out once in a while, a cat that likes to sit on my keyboard and tries to escape every time I take the dog out, having to run interference between dog and boy, dad and boy, boy and anything that might possibly bruise him, dog and anything that might bruise me and the presence of a very necessary bottle of nasty tasting cough syrup and box of kleenex... well, you get the picture.

Once I did sit down to write this evening, with the boy in bed, the dog on the couch and the cat sprawled all over the living room floor - I can't for the life of me figure out how to get the king to the place he needs to be to meet the heroine of the story. He's very nice, but he's very reserved, not the kind of guy to jump off the page and talk to me. What does he need, anyway, an engraved invitation? Where are my voices??? I have no voices in my head - and that, for a writer, is frightening!

exxxxxhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllle.

I ought to just go to bed, get a good night's sleep, and start fresh in the morning. Oh, wait - that won't work. I have to pick my husband up from work at 11 pm. And tomorrow, he works a ten hour shift starting early, so it'll be poor sick me, poor sick, bored little boy, ADHD dog, and escape artist cat all day long.

I should be at 10,000 words. I'm sitting at 7,440. That's not too shabby, all things considered.

I shall overcome.

No, maybe not - but I shall write!

The Race Is Long...

2009-11-02T18:13:00.003-07:00

The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

-Baz Luhrmann

I am not very good at competition. I'd walk a mile around the other way to avoid confrontation. So when I looked at the tallies of everyone on my NaNoWriMo buddy list today, and found myself squarely in the middle of the pack, I felt a moment of despair and avoidance sweep over me.

But this isn't a competition. NaNoWriMo is not about who can get the most words, or get there the fastest. It's about challenging yourself with a goal - one that thousands of people share for themselves as well.

That's what I love about it, and about this group of people who have let me be their buddy. I'm cheering them on (Way to go Nicole, Cheri and LT!! over the 5,000 mark!) and I know they're rooting for me as well. There are people I haven't even met who are arranging write-ins and get togethers to encourage other people they've never met either. We all have a common goal, and though we have to achieve it separately, we're all wanting to help urge others forward with us. How awesome is that?!!

There are few other places on the face of the world I've felt this kind of comraderie, and one is within the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We all have the common goal of getting to Heaven, and though we have to achieve it separately, don't we all feel the need to help urge others to reach their goal of paradise as well?

If only everything in life could be such a vast network of cooperation and support! Can you just imagine what the world would be like then?

And They're Off!!

2009-11-01T15:02:00.001-07:00

I knew it! I just knew it!

NaNoWriMo is going to be good for me!

The first day of NaNo is well underway, and I've exceeded my goal by 100 words. Count for today? 2,101 words!

Yay NaNo! Yay Me!! Yayyyy - WORDS!

Book Review: Am I Not A Man: The Dred Scott Story

2009-10-31T08:58:00.004-06:00

An illiterate slave, Dred Scott trusted in an all-white, slave-owning jury to declare him free. But after briefly experiencing the glory of freedom and manhood, a new state Supreme Court ordered the cold steel of the shackles to be closed again around his wrists and ankles. Falling to his knees, Dred cried, "Ain't I a man?" Dred answered his own question by rising and taking his fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dred ultimately lost his epic battle when the Chief Justice declared that a black man was so inferior that he had "no rights a white man was bound to respect."

Dred died not knowing that his undying courage led directly to the election of President Abraham Lincoln and the emancipation proclamation.Dred Scott's inspiring and compelling true story of adventure, courage, love, hatred, and friendship parallels the history of this nation from the long night of slavery to the narrow crack in the door that would ultimately lead to freedom and equality for all men.

There are so many things to be said about this book, it will be hard to narrow it to a helpful review!

For history buffs, which I think most people who pick this book up will be, this is a must have. It should be the staple of a historian's library, especially for those interested in the Civil War. I can see, and would highly recommend, Am I Not A Man being put to great use as required reading for college, or even high school, American History courses. The detail included of such a confusing time in US history is astounding.

I am not a history buff. And the entire thought of slavery ever being allowed in this, the home of the free, sickens me.

This story was almost agonizing for me to read. Not because of the writing style, which was excellent, but because this is a true story. Mark Shurtleff captured the person so well that you get to know these people, and this man who took the name of Dred, and it is almost as if it's happening to a dear friend!

Knowing that Dred died before the complete tale was told worried me when I first started reading. How can you possibly have a happy ending in that case? You can't really. The end may not be happy, but it is triumphant, and in this case, I think that is the better of the two options. Dred Scott's life, his persistance and determination to oppose the law peacefully instead of turning to violence, affected an entire nation. I am glad that his story was told, and not allowed to fall into obscurity, as I'm sure many, many others have done.

So - did I enjoy the book? Not exactly, but I am glad I read it.

Good for kids? Not remotely. There is nothing inappropriate in the writing, but the subject matter, and the cold, hard facts of what Dred and his family endured, are too much for young readers. Give this to history buffs, teach it in college classrooms, that is where it will do the most good!

Would I recommend it? HIGHLY.

Am I Not A Man? by Mark Shurtleff

Publisher: Valor Publishing Group; 1st edition (November 3, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1935546007
ISBN-13: 978-1935546009

Available to purchase at Amazon.com - Follow THIS LINK.

When It Rains, It Pours

2009-10-29T05:16:00.002-06:00

So, I signed up for NaNoWriMo. I'm totally stoked and the fires are burning, the kettle on the back burner is starting to steam. I've told my husband about my goal and he's on my side. It's gonna be good.

And then, the other day I get a notice in my email - a huge order (well, huge for me) for workbooks! Wonderful! So I spend an entire day putting those together. I can't have them professionaly bound, no one will put the rings on them that they are designed to have, so I print and compile them myself. I don't mind, it's not a gigantic amount of work, but it does take time.

Just finished those up last night and the neighbors come knocking on my door. We share a common interest in the Renaissance, and they asked if I could design/sew a tunic for him - and they need it by tomorrow afternoon. Of course I jumped at the chance, I love to sew as much as I love to write!

It never ceases to astound me how it's never one thing at a time. Oh, I don't mind, I love to be busy, and the timing isn't particularly bad. It's just that it seems to be feast or famine. I guess it's my turn for feasting...

Will somebody pass the salt, please?

Never Surrender Your Passion

2009-10-22T19:42:00.000-06:00

Beautiful and astounding, this video should remind everyone why we do what we do. Watch, and I hope you find the same amazing inspiration I did!

Let it Begin! Let it Begin!

2009-10-21T14:04:00.002-06:00

Well, I've done it now! I've officially signed up for NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month.

The entire idea behind it is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. That divies up to 1,667 words per day, every day of the month of November. You are not allowed to edit, you are only to write, word count is all that matters. It's about quantity - quality can come later. It's like a big "sit in" - but in this case it's a "write in" - the Woodstock of Writing! It's gonna be awesome!

The SLC region is having a kick off party here in South Jordan on the afternoon of the 31st - and I've RSVP'd. So I'm in as far as I can get.

Just today, a thought crossed my mind of what I should write. I've never actually put it down on paper because it's always seemed kinda corny, but what the heck? Maybe it'll end up a best seller. Probably not, but anything to get me back in the swing - because heaven knows my swing ain't been doin' much lately.

You're ALL invited to join me at NaNoWriMo - the more the merrier!

NaNoWriMo is Here Again!

2009-10-18T08:13:00.000-06:00

(click for more information!)

Adrift

2009-10-11T14:12:00.003-06:00

I have nothing I really, really want to write.

I have lots of things I could be working on, but nothing I'm just dying to dive into.

Is this writer's block, or something different?

My muse is FIRED!

406 Words

2009-10-07T22:35:00.001-06:00

Hey, it may not be much in the Grand Scheme of Things, but I'll take it!

One small step for mankind, one giant leap for ME...

I'm Being Bullied by a Blank Page!

2009-10-06T11:37:00.002-06:00

Ever noticed that the phase of the moon can really mess around with some things? Kids get cranky, electronics act up, all the weirdos come out of the woodwork. I'd love to blame the moon for this gihumongous case of writers block I have, but I don't think I'd get away with it, since this has been going on for a couple of months.

I sometimes wonder if I've written myself out. Have I exhausted my writers supply?

Is there any hope of ever enjoying opening my Word program again? Ever?

(Insert overdramatic sigh here!)

The Grand Adventure

2009-10-01T10:48:00.004-06:00

I think I've finally recovered enough to write about it. Our weekend vacation to California was nice, the drive home exhausting, but that isn't what caused the lack of blogging.

Last Monday, I found out that my nephew and his sweet wife were having a family crisis. He is an Iraqi veteran, and his wife is in the Navy. I'm being purposefully vague on the reason, but J. (the wife) ended up in the hospital, leaving N. (my nephew) torn between caring for his children and house and being with his wife who needed him by her side.Add a sudden transfer to another state, compliments of the Navy, and you can just imagine what kind of stress that young man was feeling!

They live in New York, while the rest of both of their families are on the west coast. With the situation and the distance, they were feeling rather desperate, and it quickly became apparent that there was only one person in the family that was in a position to help - me.

My sister is much older than I am, and married young, so her children are as close to my age as she is. Since they've always lived practically next door (in some cases literally next door) those three boys are like my little brothers instead of nephews. Of course I was going to help if I could.

Tuesday, Danny and I caught a plane to New York. Danny had never been on a plane before, so he was thrilled with the whole thing. I have never been further east than Wyoming, so it was something new for me, too. We stopped in Chicago, and had to catch a connecting flight in Baltimore, before we got to New York. It was a long flight, and Danny was as good as a five year old could possibly be.

We spent one day with N. and his three kids: E, W and V. Danny was so excited to meet cousins he hadn't met yet.

This is where the hard part really started. N. decided that the best course of action was to send his children to thier grandmothers so they would be taken care of by family so he could take care of his dear wife. I had only seen the oldest child, E, when she was three months old, now she was three years. We needed to get to know each other, and help them trust me - and fast.

Thursday, we - and by we I mean myself and four children under five - caught a plane. We were late getting to the airport to begin with, since we'd only purchased the tickets two hours before.

It went something like this:

-Run to the ticket counter
-Argue with the agent about why I needed a birth certificate for the youngest one
-Get boarding passes
-Run to security, where they would not let N escort me past
-Off with everyone's shoes and coats
-Send four little children through the detectors one at a time
-put everyone's shoes back on
-get everyone's carry-ons situated
-head for the gate
-DISCOVER MISSING BOARDING PASSES
-go back to security and search
-go to gate anyway, to find someone had found and turned in our passes
-get tags for stroller
-get to doorway to plane
-wait while stewards rearrange other passengers to get us four seats together
-situate oldest three while trying to hold 5 month old
-have upset 5 year old because he is sitting across the aisle and wants to sit with cousins
-finally take off, while holding 5 year old's hand across the aisle
-wait for seatbelt light to turn off, so I can switch places with 5 year old

IN Chicago we stayed on the plane, but I learned quickly to sit at the very back row of the plane, so kids could be closer to the bathroom. Something about take-off seems to activate childrens bladders. So we rearranged everything to relocate to the back row.

Halfway through the six hour flight between Chicago and Phoenix, V (5 months old) POO'd. She didn't just poo - she plopped a pile to rival a Texas Longhorn! Have you ever tried changing a diaper in an airplane bathroom? It's a fine art, let me tell you! She was so stinky, by the time I was done I threw everything she had been wearing away. I opened the bathroom door to ask for a plastic garbage bag, and the stewardess exclaimed:

"Whew! What are you feeding that child?!"

In Pheonix, we had to switch planes so:

-off the plane
-reconstruct stroller, which broke down into three pieces
-get all kids and carry-ons situated around said stroller
-walk as fast as three year old legs can go to completely different gate in completely different hallway
-repeat last half of first list

Happily, all three of the older kids slept the entire way from Phoenix to Portland.

I could not have done it without two of the most helpful, wonderful flight crews in the history of the world. They let the crews know that I'd be there with four kids. The stewards were absolutely wonderful! I don't think I could have done it without them! Kudos to Linda, Tim and Teisha of Southwest Airlines - you are all fabulous and you have the thanks of a grateful auntie!! And an equal thanks to all the passengers who were understanding and offered a hand!

So, finally in Oregon, we unloaded the kids, handed them off to grandmothers and spent a couple of days with my mother and sisters. Danny got to meet three more cousins, and even go to a birthday party at a park for one of them.

Sunday afternoon, we caught a flight home to SLC - both so tired we could hardly stand it. I've never been so glad to see Utah in my entire life! In five days we had traveled over 7,000 miles - twice across the width of this great country of ours. It was definitely an adventure, and a once in a lifetime experience, but I don't think I'd do it again if I could help it. Once in this lifetime is quite enough...

So there it is - the most extreme excuse for not posting on a blog ever heard! I think next time I'll stay home and settle for "the dog ate my computer"!

Please let me SLEEP!

2009-09-28T10:17:00.000-06:00

Hang in there with me one more day and I'll tell you all about our grand Adventure.

For today, have a great time watching this video!!

Something to give you a chuckle while I'm away...

2009-09-16T15:57:00.001-06:00

Take a minute to watch this, it's well worth it...

http://www.kens5.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=398663&shu=1

Neener Neener Neener!

2009-09-14T17:55:00.000-06:00

I'm in Californa! I'm in California!

Don't you wish you were?

Don't Forget! Book Academy Reminder

2009-09-09T10:04:00.003-06:00

You have until tomorrow to register for THE BOOK ACADEMY at the discounted rate of $40.

FOR MORE INFO, OR TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE!

Been There!

2009-08-28T23:16:00.001-06:00

One More Review, then I'll stop...

2009-08-22T20:32:00.002-06:00

who am I kidding! I'm not going to stop! It tickles me to no end that fellow writers are finding the Complete Novel Plotting Workbook so handy.

Here's what Jewel of Pink Ink said about it:

"I found the perfect tool to help me transition from my summer holiday back into novel-writing: Weston Elliott's The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook.
.... On my other stories, I have so many notes here and there on different scraps of paper, it's great to finally have one place I can put everything!
.... it fits nicely in a small bag, the middle console of a truck, a study table, the kitchen counter..."

She also said:

"My only complaint is it does not come in pink."

Well, it does now! I'll be putting pink on the list of available covers first thing Monday morning.

The Schmoozing Predicament

2009-08-19T21:13:00.003-06:00

I had one of those rare days today. I ran all over town with no plan, no one to answer to, no company other than the radio. My phone was dead, so I left it at home. Shorty was with Dad, since it was Dad's day off, and I had the keys to the car

It was wonderful.

But with all that wonderfulness, I still found myself borrowing a phone two or three times to call home and make sure everything was okay. I almost felt guilty for feeling so free.

Where does this relate to writing? Good question.

I have a gift for public relations. Between my mission and my time in the banking business, I discovered this talent. From bums to statesmen, there is no one that I can't hold a conversation with (except white supremecists, but that's another post I'd rather not get into). I'm good at getting my name out there. Speaking in public, especially to a big crowd, is not only pleasant, in the right circumstances it's downright fun. If I believe in my cause, I can stop strangers on the street without hesitation. I have no natural fear of making an idiot of myself. I even know what fork to use in a completely formal table setting. In other words, I'm an absolute crackerjack at schmoozing.

I know it's a gift coveted by many, but here's the catch:

I hate it.

Not all of it - I know at least a hundred other writers, and have a fabulous network of wonderful associates in the writing world. I adore my fellow writers, and I love reading comments from those who've read my blog.

I hate the schmoozing part of it all. Always have. True that it's easy for me, but it's not the talent I would have wished for. And yet, I get caught up in it easily, because - after all - it's my thing.

Weird, isn't it?

I think I've forgotten in the last little while that this isn't what I got into this racket for. It's all well and good to have name recognition, but what good will it do me if I have nothing for which my name should be recognized?

I signed up to be a writer, not a schmoozer.

So, how do I steer myself back to what I really want to do? To be honest, I'm not sure. Now that I have Shorty, I can't just lock myself in the back room and ignore the world. The hound has to go out every few hours, whether I like it or not, so we end up outside to play. Great, I think, here's my chance. Until the neighbor comes out with her little guy to play and visit. And then the guys upstairs come in from work and stop to chat, and the little girl across the way asks if she can play with the puppy....

And there I am, schmoozing again. Not that I mind, I'm blessed with (mostly) fabulous neighbors, just like those fantastic 100+ writers I know.

It's a strange quandry, I know...

Maybe it's just the phase of the moon.

(That poor moon gets blamed for a lot, doesn't he?)

I Have an Ad!

2009-08-15T15:39:00.002-06:00

Okay, I feel so official now! I have an advertisement on LDS Publisher's website!! It's so awesome!

Today an ad, tomorrow a BILLBOARD!!

Boy, I Don't Do Things Halfway...

2009-08-13T10:17:00.003-06:00

When I get writer's block, I REALLY get writer's block! And have I got a doozie of it right now!

I released and am marketing The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook - which is going great, and you would think I'd be moving on to something new. But the fact of it is, I just can't seem to do that.

I wonder if it's because there was no point of sending my baby off into the world. It's still here, and I'm doing it all. Kinda like having a 40 year old kid still living at home, I'd imagine.

I tend toward workaholicism, so if there's anything left to do on a pet project, I'll find it and do it. When I got my guitar, I played until my fingers bled. With the violin, I couldn't move my thumb from holding the bow for so long at a time. I'm a hound dog with a good scent, I just can't leave it alone if I know it's there! (speaking of hound dogs - look at these pictures!)

So, meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Here I am with fifty stories on the back burner and completely unable to get any of them to boil. I've got to get cookin' but I'm afraid I've forgotten how to turn up the heat... No, that's not it at all. Frankly, I'm stifled. I have a sick dog, a sick boy, and zero sleep! My house is a wreck, and no matter how clean it gets, it looks like a tornado hit five minutes later. I'm cranky, and feeling more than a little cantakerous. But I cannot "check out" to get into the writing phase because they need me more right now.

So I suppose, if I'm going to be blatantly honest - I'm frustrated! And probably a little bit lazy. I suppose if I really had the drive, I would find a way to write, and find something to write.

I don't want much, I just want the words to carry me away.....

....far, FAR away.....

...preferably to somewhere I could get a good night's sleep!

And Yet ANOTHER One...

2009-08-08T22:52:00.002-06:00

This one is from Heather Justesen, and I have to include a quote from it.

Here's part of what she said:

"For example, if I set something in another country, like California, I might need to write down the kinds of animals indigenous to the area, strange customs, and more . (Yes, I'm aware California really is part of the U.S. It only seems like a whole other country.)"

Oh, boy, did I have a good laugh at that! I married a Californian, and even lived there for a while - and yes, it IS it's own strange sort of country! Very, very strange...

Meanwhile, the rest of her review is located HERE - CLICK TO READ IT ALL!

And Yet Another Review

2009-08-08T10:50:00.002-06:00

Cathy Witbeck of Story Painter, has also reviewed The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook.

READ IT HERE!

Another Review

2009-08-08T09:07:00.001-06:00

Kim Thompson of Scribbled Scraps gave The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook a try.

CLICK HERE TO READ WHAT SHE SAID!

A Great New Review!

2009-08-07T21:41:00.004-06:00

My good friend, Stacy Anderson - author of "The Santa Letters" - reviewed The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook!

It made me laugh, and cheer, and be glad that I put this thing together!

READ IT HERE!

IT'S OFFICIAL! I'M A MAMA!!

2009-08-04T21:56:00.002-06:00

http://wendsdayschild.blogspot.com/2009/08/hes-ours.html

Here's What People Are Saying...

2009-08-04T11:29:00.003-06:00

about The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook!

Tristi Pinkston
"...I'm so fascinated by the idea presented in Weston Elliott's new creation, "The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook." It's just a simple book, really, held together with metal rings, and completely ready to be written in. From the first page, you are given a path and shown how to create an outline for your story that you then follow to create a cohesive tale."
Read complete review HERE.

Shanna Blythe:
"Everything is in there for you to come up with an entire book and can be written in the book. Just what you need before you start writing the actual novel."
Read complete review HERE.

Michelle Jefferies:
"I was extremely pleased. The workbook is extremley comprehensive. "
Read complete review HERE.

More to come. Stay tuned!

AVAILABLE NOW!

2009-08-03T11:49:00.005-06:00

The Complete Novel Plotting workbook is now available for purchase!

You can find out more information HERE and read a review from Tristi Pinkston HERE!

There may not be a magic writing formula, but this comes pretty darn close!

Order today!

Copepidy!

2009-08-02T20:18:00.007-06:00

Okay, I have no idea what that title means - I doubt it's even a word! It was the verification word I had to type in while commenting on someone else's blog today, and it just struck me as the funniest, cutest word I'd heard all day. I think I'll keep it!

I love being a writer! You get to do things like that - make up words. The feeling of power is awesome.

A "brumble" of thunder in the distance showed up in my first novel.

Think of Tim Allen, and a bunch of little green men chanting "Grignak! Grignak!"

Look at the Klingons for crying out loud - they've got an entire language of their own.

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility.

For example:

Some cartoonist/screenwriter thought "yabba dabba doo!" sounded good, and it became a legendary saying! Ask anyone now, forty+ years later, and that person could probably tell you who said it!

Tolkien, for example, created a new race of creatures called "orcs" for his Lord of the Rings series. Now look what's happened - his theretofore unheard of species now has a place in the Fantasy Role Playing Hall of Fame!

Ray Bradbury decided his starships needed a regular enemy to fear and fight and the next thing you know, an entire subculture knows how to swear at each other in a language that never existed pre-1960.(Swearing in "tlhIngan Hol", the Klingon language, is an art form embraced with fervor by hard-core Trekkies - books have been written about it and you can even get lessons if you know the right sources! And NO, I am NOT making that up! Click here to be taken to The Klingon Language Institute online. See, I told you I wasn't making it up!)

So, enjoy the power of creating new words, but use it wisely. You never know what you might start that could be held against you for the rest of eternity!

Copepidy!!

or, in Klingon:

Hab SoSlI' Quch!

(Note: this is a powerful insult; don't say it to friends.)

The Book Academy-Writer's Conference!

2009-07-24T19:31:00.002-06:00

Thursday, September 24, Utah Valley University is hosting a Writer's conference, only better! Not only is this for writers, it's also for readers and book clubs!

Keynote speakers will be Brandon Sanderson (Author of the Mistborn series) and Maria Covey Cole (a frequent speaker BYU Education Week). Workshops for beginning writers, advanced writers, and readers/clubs will be taught by several names you may be familiar with - Jeff Savage, Tristi Pinkston, and more!

My husband actually brought this to my attention with an order that I was NOT allowed to miss it (he's awesome, ain't he?) I'm thrilled, and can't wait!

For more details, click here to be taken to the UVU Book Academy page!

Hope to see you there!

A Mormon Joke and a Free Book Contest!

2009-07-23T14:36:00.004-06:00

One fine Sunday morning, a man woke up. His wife was getting ready for church, but he just sat on the end of the bed.

"Aren't you going to get ready?" his wife asked.

"I don't think I'll go today," he said, shaking his head.

"Why on earth not?"

"I don't really feel like it," he said.

"But you need to go to church," his wife answered.

"I don't want to go today," the man said. "I'm tired of wearing the same old suit. I'm not in the mood to sing. Besides, I go every week, and it doesn't do any good. I'm still not perfect. Everybody else is much better than I am. I don't think the people there like me very much, anyway."

"But, honey," his wife said, "You're the Bishop!"

I'm 100% sure we've all had days like that - and not just about church, about everything. Especially writing - being that most people that read this blog are writers.

I've spent my fair share of time in that spot. As a matter of fact, I'm in and out of it almost daily. Some days it's worse than others. Some days I can shake it off, other days it shakes me.

So what do you do in a case like that?

Hey, that's the words to a song:

"So what do you do in a case like that?
What can you do but stomp on your hat,
Or on your mother,
Or on your toothpaste,
Or anything else that's helpless?"

Okay, now THAT's obscure! I'll bet ten to one that nobody knows that song but me! If anyone CAN name that song, I'll be completely shocked! And impressed.

As a matter of fact, just because I feel the need to do something completely fun and random - the first person that correctly identifies the name of that song in the comments of this post will win a FREE copy of The Complete Novel Plotting Workbook! (to be mailed Aug 1st)

(If nobody gets it - I'll post another hint later. But I'm gonna make you work for it!)

BIG RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT!

2009-07-20T16:48:00.005-06:00

I am so excited to finally announce

MY FIRST:

NEW RELEASE COMING AUGUST 1ST, 2009!

THE COMPLETE NOVEL PLOTTING WORKBOOK!

There may not be a magic formula for plotting your novel, but
THE COMPLETE NOVEL PLOTTING WORKBOOK
comes pretty darn close!

You supply the ideas, the characters, and the Workbook gives you a unique and great way to organize them!

A great tool designed for writers, by writers!

For more details, a look at some of the pages, and to preorder your copy (or copies!) CLICK HERE or visit:

http://weston-elliott.yolasite.com/tcnpworkbook.php

The CNPW will be on virtual blog tour the first week of August. Links to those reviews will be posted next week!

Greatest News Ever!

2009-07-18T18:04:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, as we geared up to go to the George Strait concert (yes, it was fabulous!) I got a call from my husband. He and Buddy took the car in to the shop to get some work done on it, and left me home to sleep in (which was also fabulous!).

"Are you sitting down?" he asked.

"No." He didn't sound upset, so I wasn't too worried.

"Sit down right now," he told me.I sat down to humor him, and expected a punchline.

"Okay, I'm sitting."

"I just got off the phone with the attorney's office." My heart sank. "She signed the papers this morning."

"What??""That woman signed the papers this morning! Mr. H just got out of court and told his assistant to call me and let me know."

- there was no punchline!Excuse me a moment while I scream...

SHE SIGNED THE RELINQUISHMENT PAPERS!!!!!WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

The court date on August 4th has just gone from an evidentiary hearing to a request for finalization on our adoption! Buddy is free and clear to be adopted

-AND OURS FOREVER!!!!!

Thank you to all those who have prayed and hoped for this with us over the past year. Our prayers have been answered!

An Answer, Simple and Direct

2009-07-16T20:36:00.002-06:00

Someone asked me a question about a previous post, and it dawned on me that everyone who reads this doesn't already know everything about me - so I figured I'd answer it for anyone else that may be wondering.

I suffer from Panic Disorder. I have since I was a itty bitty kid. Someday I'll write a book about it, so that I can help others who may not know that they aren't the only ones going through something like this.

It's not fun - but there are medications that treat it. I went for a long time without anything to help me deal with it. There are several different treatments, and prescription Zoloft works best for me. I do take an occasional Xanax when things get really bad - but those tend to be addictive, so I only take them as a last resort. The Zoloft was the medication that I mentioned in the previous post that puts a big dent in my imagination. It's a lousy side effect, but better than life without it by a long shot, trust me.

I struggled for a long time with the concept of being "mentally ill" - those words have such a horrid connotation to them. I am not psycho, I do not talk to myself - and generally when I'm in the middle of a raging panic attack, no one around me will ever know it.

In April, I left the LDStorymakers conference halfway through Saturday. I missed a couple of workshops that I really wanted to attend (by the way, Mr. J. Scott Savage, if you read this - I'd love the notes from your Character Bible workshop!). I try very hard not to let the disorder rule my life, but there are times I have to cut and run for my own well-being.

So now you know - probably much more than you ever wanted to about this lady. But please, my lovely readers - never worry about asking me questions about myself (it's my favorite subject, by far!) If I don't feel like answering, I'll tell you so - but more than likely, I'll be happy to!

Coming Soon!!!

2009-07-09T20:28:00.001-06:00

More details coming next week!

I can't type it twice...

2009-07-07T15:54:00.002-06:00

so to see today's big news, you'll have to swing over to my other blog!

www.wendsdayschild.blogspot.com

Networked to Death

2009-07-06T23:20:00.003-06:00

Okay, I'm all for getting my name out there, brand recognition and all that, but seriously...

I actually heard on the radio news the other day that a man went jogging and ended up in the hospital with a fairly serious concussion - because he was "Twittering" from his cell phone while he ran, and ran his own forehead into a low-hanging tree branch.

Come on, now... There are perks to being connected, but aren't we getting a little excessive?

It made me think of Wall-E, when the two guys were talking to each other over the computer screen, while they were within two feet of each other.

Is human physical contact in danger of completely disappearing, all while we are tied so tightly together with this silken thread we call networking that we can't get away for even 15 minutes to go jogging?

Heaven help us all.

TradeMarked

2009-07-04T01:27:00.003-06:00

Wendword is now a TradeMark - and I've got a logo to go with it. It all feels terribly official - for whatever that's worth. *grin!*

So here's my new, official Wendword TradeMarked Logo!

Whaddaya think?

Perk!

2009-06-30T21:33:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I found a perk that comes with the whole fictionalizing falderal, and I must share.

I can say ANYTHING! I can tell things I never would have admitted to in a million years, and if anyone says anything about it, I can answer -

It's FICTION!

Mwaaahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa.....

*sighhhh...*

Windblown and Weary

2009-06-29T15:57:00.004-06:00

There are a few things about me that do not go well with my dream of being a writer. They're very frustrating. But I'll tell you about them so that anyone else who feels this way will know they're not alone.

In order to survive in this life, I have to take prescription drugs every night. I don't dare go a day without them, or the adverse effects are immediate. One of them, in particular, affects my imagination. The first time I took it, I felt stupid because I only had one thought in my brain at a time. Oh, sure - come to find out that's supposedly "normal', but it had never happened to me before. I always had four or five trains of thought barreling through my mind all at the same time, sounding their loudest whistles as they went, which made it very easy to always have two or three stories brewing on different burners back there at all times. Can't do that so well any more.

My age seems to have snuck up on me while I wasn't looking, and suddenly all those wonderful ultra romantic daydreams that used to come so easily all seem improbable and full of catches. Maybe it's too much personal experience that tell me that handsome prince over in the corner giving me the "come hither" stare is most likely a really big, fat, immature jerk. And those impossible quests that made for so much excitement as a kid now seem such a useless waste of time, when there's so many other important things that really need to be done that I already don't have the time and energy to get done like I should.

I always thought my greatest goal in life was to be a mother. I may go to hell for saying this, but now I'm not so sure. Don't get me wrong - I love my boy, but forty isn't really the best time to start having kids, if we'd ended up with Short Pants ten or fifteen years ago it would have been great. But I'd already given up when he came along, and adjusted my life's goals to be a writer instead of a mom. Adjusting them back to somewhere in the middle is not easily done.

So, add that to all the financial strains, stresses of an unsure adoption, and life in an apartment that's two sizes too small, and that's my life in general viciously battling with my dream of being a writer.

Don't worry about me - I'm not as depressed as this post makes it sound. It just is what it is...

So if anyone else is struggling, you're not the only one. Hang in there with me, and we'll be okay.