Happy Thanksgiving!
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Friday, November 22nd, 2013
When I walked in, there were only there were only three people in the office. And now, forty minutes later…I’m still sitting in the waiting room, and there’s not a seat to be had. Seriously. Standing room only. The funny part: the expression on each newcomer’s face when they walk through the door. Most people are surprised at first. Then comes annoyance. There are quite a few angry faces, too. (I’m thinking of Mrs. Potato Head in Toy Story right now, where she packs Mr. Potato Head’s angry eyes, just in case he needs them.) Me? I’m laughing. If I’d been one of the entrants facing a backed up schedule and nowhere to sit, I’d probably be sporting my angry eyes and a tight-lipped frowny face, too. Instead, I’ve been joking with the seated folks sitting close to me. We’re watching it all unfold and waiting for an explosion. That should be fun. Here’s Your Prompt:
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wednesday, November 20th, 2013
I don’t expect to have a table, but I’ll be carrying paperback copies of my novel and short stories from my publisher for you to touch and feel (or buy). 🙂 Here’s my schedule: FRIDAY 7:00 – 8:00PM: “Show, don’t tell!” – This is an age-old piece of advice from writers. What the heck does it mean? Is it important for writers (including screenwriters and playwrights) to understand this advice? If so, why? SATURDAY 12:00 – 1:00PM: Jaelle’s Memorial – Held in Atrium (Just Attending) 4:00 – 5:00PM: Autograph Session 5:00 PM – Broad Universe Reading with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Margaret Carter, Meriah Crawford, Elektra Hammond, Erika Satifka, Vonnie Winslow Crist, Leona Wisoker, and Sarah Pinsker. 6:00 – 7:00PM: The “Woman with a Sword” Phenomenon – Take your pick: from Robert E. Howard’s “Red Sonya” (a 16th Century Russian warrior-woman) to Marvel’s “Red Sonja” (a swordswoman of the Hyborian Age); from C.L. Moore’s “Jirel of Joiry” (a wandering Fantasy swordswoman) to J.A. Pitts’s “Sara Beauhall” (a Urban Fantasy lesbian blacksmith) and Revolution’s “Charlie Matheson”. And it seems that dozens of new book covers feature pictures of sword-wielding, leather-clad women. Why the attraction? Is “the woman with a sword” motif a guaranteed “winning combination” for a writer or an artist? SUNDAY I hope to see you there! Please drop by and say hello if you’re around. Also: The Con Needs Volunteers! If you can help out, see this Darkover Volunteer Page. Every hour you volunteer, can earn you a dollar off the admission to next year’s First Annual Chessiecon. Friday, November 15th, 2013
Wherever I go, I’m tuning in to the things that are being said around me. I’m a snob, though. I generally don’t listen in on conversations between, for instance, the barista and the guy in front of me buying coffee. The guy buying coffee is passing time, waiting for his extra foamy tallboy. The barista is paid to be charming. That conversation? Worthless. Usually. I might listen in if there’s no one else around, but I’d rather listen to the old folks behind me, talking in hushed whispers. Or the goth couple hanging out in the corner arguing. I love it when I’ve already sat down and gotten my coffee. (Black thanks, I’ll add a bit of cream for myself.) Because if I’m sitting, I can take notes. Awesome. Conversation is great fodder for scenes. It can prompt entire stories. Here’s Your Prompt: (And your homework!) Make time to sit in a place where you can overhear what other people are saying. With luck, you’ll start hearing things in the middle of the conversation. After you’ve written a few lines, stop listening and re-read what you’ve written down. What story does it spark? Write it. If you don’t like the first conversation, go listen to another. This time, stop transcribing when something catches your fancy. If you can’t get out, do an internet search for “overheard conversations.” There are tons of them out there. Ignore the context and the celebrity of who said what. Find a conversation you like, and write from there. Good luck! Friday, November 8th, 2013
There’s more to do, fertilizing and getting empty pots back into the shed, for instance. We just ran out of time. I love tending the garden, whether it’s spring–and the ground is ripe for rebirth–or fall, when blooms are dying off and everything is ready for sleep. I love the dirt. (And puttering is a great time to noodle over plots.) Gardens are so full of metaphor…and wonderful inspirations for writing. Here’s Your Prompt:
Good Luck! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, November 1st, 2013  Reuben Sandwich. Photo by Ernesto Andrade. November 3 is National Sandwich Day! Yay for sandwiches! I love a good ‘wet’ sandwich: soft, fresh bread, good cuts of meat–and for cold sandwiches–heavy on the pickles and hots. My favorite hot sandwich is a Reuben: corned beef and Swiss cheese on rye with lots of thousand island dressing and sauerkraut. Yum! Novelist Lawrence Sanders in his book “The First Deadly Sin” describes his detective eating a ‘wet sandwich’ over the sink, accompanied by a bottle of beer. It’s the first time I’d heard the term. Sanders goes into such loving detail describing the making and eating of this sandwich–taking nearly an entire page to do so, if I remember correctly–that my mouth watered the entire time I was reading. That’s good writing. (Or maybe it’s my Pavlov response to sandwich descriptions!) Here’s Your Prompt:
Good Luck! Thursday, October 31st, 2013
Happy Halloween! A few folks mentioned that they would love to see my finished Zero sculpture. Here he is! He looked a little better pre-rain, but I don’t think he turned out all that bad (considering I’m in no way an artist). He was certainly a big hit with just about everyone who saw him tonight. The head was the hardest part, and I did that in about two hours. It’s molded from newspaper, tinfoil, styrofoam and masking tape. His body is an old pillowcase that I cut open. I hemmed all the rough edges and then ran some pliable wire through the hem. This enabled me to ‘bend’ his body into waves so that it wouldn’t hang straight down…and look like an old pillow case. It really looked cool when the wind blew. I wish the flash hadn’t washed the photo out so much: his nose really glows in the dark. This photo doesn’t do it justice. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did tonight! And I’ve got chocolate left over: it doesn’t get any better than that! Monday, October 28th, 2013
Melissa over at My World…In Words and Pages asked me to talk a bit about them for her “Mythical Monday,” post today. A selkie features prominently in my story, Selk Skin Deep, so it was a natural fit. Even if you’re not interested in my tale, I highly recommend Melissa’s Web site. She’s an ardent book blogger and discusses all things fantasy. Her reviews are spot on, and she almost always has a book giveaway running. Friday, October 25th, 2013
My candy’s bought, my house is decorated, and I’m chomping at the bit looking for activities to extend it a little. Tonight, the Husband of Awesome™ and I will be handing out candy at the local elementary school and watching their costume parade. I can’t wait. I’m working on a prop for tonight: Zero, Jack Skellington’s faithful ghost hound. I sculpted his head from newspaper, tinfoil, masking tape and styrofoam. Today, I’m spray-painting him white. I should have covered him in paper mache before painting, but I ran out of time. I’ve been procrastinating. Ahem. I’ve also been procrastinating on my writing. I haven’t even turned on my laptop for THREE days! My word count is not looking too hot this week, unless you count all the non-fiction… (And who counts that?) The ‘Zero’ project–and other Halloween stuff–has kept me pretty busy. Here’s Your Prompt:
Good luck!
Friday, October 18th, 2013
Omitting the most special and the most horrible of days, I am hard-pressed to define a single most meaningful moment in my day. (Is that my ingrained sense of adventure surfacing? I can always find something interesting, even at the most mundane of times…) I like when the alarm goes off at 5 a.m. in the morning and I peek out the window into the back yard. I do this without fail: rain or shine, winter and summer. There’s always something going on out there–even in the darkest of winter mornings–or maybe especially then: many times I’ve flipped on the light and caught some nocturnal beast in action. Good morning kisses with my Husband of Awesome™ are also meaningful… …as is hitting my daily word quota in the early morning. (Yay! Hooky day!) 🙂 Can you define a most meaningful moment of your day? Some time ago, Real Simple Magazine featured an article where they asked writers to pontificate on their most meaningful time of the day. The article features a meaningful moment as written by each author, and spans the entire day. Interesting reading. Here’s Your Prompt
Good luck! PHoto Copyright © Winterberg | Dreamstime Stock Photos |
I’m sitting in the doctor’s office as I type this.
I’ll be in Timonium, MD Thanksgiving Weekend for the last-ever 
I’m an eavesdropper. I admit it. 
If you’ve ever wondered where selkies come from, I’ve got answers for you!
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