Okay. I'm feeling a little better today... so I'm going to post. Yeah... lucky you guys.
Regarding this whole writing thing... is it just me? Srsly (tm). Is it just me? What am I talking about? Let me explain.
I love ice cream. Love it! So... if this is placed in front of me...
... I will do this...
(Dramatization... this is NOT me.)Or... I love dogs. Oh... to have a little pooch again. Years ago, when my mom first told me we were getting a dog... she took this photo of me.
I just peed a little.And the beach. Who doesn't love this...
When someone asks me if I want to go to the beach... my typical expression is one of delusion.
Where's my Speedo?SO...
I also claim to LOVE writing. And I honestly do. I think. Or am I wrong? Do I love it? My immediate reaction would say otherwise. When I'm givin' a slot of time, the kids are gone, I'm alone, the computer's booted up, I have my notes, my coffee. My mind is ready to be purged. The words are begging to be released from my fingers. Everything is ready. I sit down... I love writing... BUT... I look like this...
Dammit, Jim! The Internet's down again!If I truly love writing... the way I love the beach, dogs and ice cream, why is it so hard to sit down and actually WRITE? I'll admit this... once I do get going... then things REALLY get going, that's when I feel the love. And I especially enjoy reading what I've written... that's love to the eleventy-seventh power. But getting started... not so easy.
Do you feel this way?
- Mood:
good - Music:Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
I've been sick (Cold, Sore throat, Cough, Body Aches, No Sleep) since last week.
Sorry I haven't had time to respond to replies. But I'm on the mend... another day or two and I'll be back to normal... about 62.5%.
To make matters worse... we're buried in snow in Ohio... and...
- Mood:miserable
- Music:Rain - Creed (Great Song!)
1. The last thing that I ate - Maple Cream Stick (yeah... I'm a health nut).
2. The amount of sleep I had last night - Two hours (but not in a row)
3. Last song I download - Someone Like You by the Michael Stanley Band
4. Last sentence I wrote in my WIP - "But I... I mean... I do..."
5. Book I'm currently reading - The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
- Mood:
bouncy - Music:Never Gonna Be Alone - Nickelback
Went to the library the other day with my youngest daughter. When I walk into the library, it's like Norm walking into Cheers... the whole crowd shouts, "Brian!" The librarian will ask something like, "What's shakin', Brian?" and I'll come back with something like, "All four cheeks and a couple of chins." It's fun.
But the problem with this is the fact that they know me so well. Too well. If I do or say something stupid (it happens), everyone eventually knows about it.
During this trip, I tell me daughter to pick out some picture books while I go and select a few new titles to trash... er, I mean read. After some time, I track her down and she hands me a few books. I go to the checkout, and Sister Mary Angel is working the computer. A demur, sweet old lady whom everyone admires. A saint in the making.
"Hello, Mr. Kell," Sister says.
"Yo! Sister Mary! Waz up!" I respond. Immediately her expression blooms with disappointment. "I mean... Good Evening."
With a slender gray eyebrow raised, she takes the books and begins to scan them. My daughter is standing by the exit, eager to get home and watch 'What Not To Wear'.
"Oh!" Sister gasps.
"Something wrong?" I ask, expecting to see a spider or Linda Blair crawling along the counter. Sister's head is down, she staring at a book. When I notice the title, I immediately go into defense mode. "My daughter picked that one out. Right, sweetie?" I look around for my daughter, but she's gone. I can see her silouette in the car. She bolted. Smart kid.
Sister Mary's expression is easily discernable... I'm going straight to Hell. On the fast track.
"It's my daughter's book. I swear!" My face is as red as the devil's flesh.
"Mm," Sister says. And that sound speaks volumes. No amount of good deeds will save me now. She hands me the books and I trudge out to the car as though the sidewalk is freshly poured concrete.
******************
I'm sure you're wondering about the book. To spare those with a weak heart, an innocent mind or irritable bowels... I'm placing it under the cut. Click at your own risk. And, yes, it is a REAL picture book. And, though I may have enhanced the story, we read the book last night.
( The Book in Question... )
- Mood:
confused - Music:Everybody Hurts - R.E.M.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 19
Do you buy your music...
- Mood: chipper
- Music:Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
1. Two of the greatest qualities in life are:
Patience And Wisdom
2. When your cup gets like this (and it will)... get a new cup
3. Be careful... sometimes cooking S'mores can go horribly wrong.
4. Just because his jeans state a 32” waist...
5. You can curse, throw things, delete your journal a few times, threaten to quit, actually quit (for a while), feel jealous, drown in envy, get rejected (over and over), go into a depression, cry, be a major pain in the butt to your family and friends, sound irrational, tell those who try to inspire you that they're nuts, flip off the bookshelves at Borders (not the books)... But Never Give Up...
- Mood: grateful
- Music:Money Talks - AC/DC
If you KNEW... absolutely KNEW that there was a life after this one... I mean proven by scientific fact and without question...
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 21
Would you have lived your life differently?
The world would be...
- Mood: relieved
- Music:Go - Def Leppard
I picked up the new Michael Crichton book (Man, do I miss that guy), Pirate Latitudes, and, last night, I was laying in bed reading away. In heaven, really. And it dawned on me... reading is WONDERFUL! I love it. It's so relaxing and inspiring and mind blowing and imaginative... so many cool things.
And you can read ANYWHERE...
So why doesn't EVERYONE read? I've heard people say its because they're lazy... but it takes no physical effort. You could even listen to an audio book if it's to much hassle to hold a book or move your eyes.
So I ask these questions:
1. Why doesn't everyone enjoy reading?
2. How do you get a non-reader to begin reading?
- Mood: jubilant
- Music:Human - The Killers
General Larry Platt - Pants on the Ground!
Sure he's 62, but I loved his message. He wants to stop all these dudes from looking like this...
I've often wondered why these guys dress this way. Where did it come from? And I FINALLY... after much research, I've discoverd the truth. FOR REAL!!!
The Reason: These guys are Jerks.
Don't believe me... then have a look at where it all started...
( The Originator of this Strange Fashion )
- Mood:
frustrated - Music:Pants on the Ground - General Larry
So... I'm watching American Idol last night with 2 out of my 4 daughters (one of the older twins and my middle daughter). As the contestants auditioned, my daughters would ooh and ahh at the cute boys. And, I guess, these guys weren't bad looking.
But, as a father, I had to rip on them. Make fun of them. And then this contestant named Tyler Grady took center stage. They ran one of those little profiles on him, giving a bit of his history. And then he walked in front of the judges.
And I asked, "Don't you think he's cute?"
Both of them were like, "Daddy! He's so skinny. Look at his hair! No way! Ew!"**
The expressions on their faces showed horror, how could their dad even THINK that.
Then Tyler started to talk to the judges. And he was funny. Animated. Both of his wrists were broke, he fell out of a tree. He was charming. Friendly.
"I like his smile!" my middle daughter said. My other daughter's expression began to soften as well.
And then Tyler began to sing. And sing well. Suddenly both of my daughters were enamored by him. Once they learned a bit about him, how funny and kind he seemed, plus his great voice... he WAS cute. They might not admit that yet... but I could tell.
It was a great example of not judging a book by its cover, or a person by their looks. Attraction should go much deeper than the physcial... and my daughters emulate that. And I'm glad. Something to remember while creating characters for my novels.
(**Now I've taught my kids not to judge people by their appearance and they're very good about that, this type of conversation only takes place during something like American Idol.)
- Mood: cynical
- Music:Today - Smashing Pumpkins
Did you see the news about Mark McGwire yesterday… the baseball player who shattered the ‘single-season’ homerun record a few years ago? He admitted to using Steroids during that time. It's a shame but I admire his honesty.
Imagine, if you will, Steroids were available for WRITERS. What effect (for one year) would you want from the drug? Just for fun, of course.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 26
Which Steroid Effect (for one year) is for you?
Generate 3,000 perfect words a day (no revision necessary)
9 (34.6%)
Write a huge bestseller (beyond DaVinci Code numbers) 4 (15.4%)
Create a manuscript that Hollywood producers fight over 2 (7.7%)
Sign contract that makes James Patterson's 17 book deal look like small potatoes 1 (3.8%)
Write prose that would cause readers to laugh/cry at every word 0 (0.0%)
Become the next Jane Evanovich 1 (3.8%)
Get a series that outnumbers Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone 0 (0.0%)
Create a page-turning behemoth like 'Under the Dome' by Stephen King 3 (11.5%)
Become legendary like Charles Dickens 5 (19.2%)
Add your own effect in the comments 1 (3.8%)
- Mood:
worried - Music:Star Trek Theme (The Next Generation)
John Updike, a Year After His Death, Finally Gets a Literary Agent
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/media/jOf course, I'll be buried in one of these...
The KISS coffin!*from inside* - "What! You want to rep me?"
- Mood:
lethargic - Music:Just Crap Commercials
I've been trying to read a new book every two weeks. I'm a slow reader. Even with my limited time, I'm just slow. I estimate I read at a rate of 20 pages every 30 minutes. So if I wanted to read a book cover to cover in one sitting (average length of book 300 pages), it would take me about 7-1/2 hours. So, basically, I've never read a book in one sitting.
I am envious of my mother (she picks up 10 books every two/three weeks and finishes them all), and of others like
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
robinellen who read 245 books last year. I think I read 20 books, but I'm not positive. I read 'Under the Dome' in 25 days, so that was like 50 pages a day. This year I'm going to keep track. How fast can you guys read? How many books in a year?
With so many GREAT books coming out, I desperately wish I could read faster. But since that's not possible, I have to pick and choose my books carefully. And if I'm not enjoying the book or not getting sucked in, I'll put it down.
And here is one I just finished and really loved....
Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan
lkmadigan Written from the POV of a teenage boy, I ate this book up. It's rare I read a book without a supernatural twist, but I've always enjoyed Lisa's blog so I thought I'd give'er a go. And boy am I glad I did. She's got great VOICE. It moves quickly and it's funny and touching and real.
Lisa's a very generous author and I see a bright future for her in publishing. I recommend this book HIGHLY!!!
- Mood:
awake - Music:My youngest playing with Playdough
I should know by now NOT to look through the old family albums. I glanced through one the other day from 1964. My mom LOVED to take pictures of people when she told them she was pregnant.
Here are their reactions when she told them she was pregnant with ME!!! It's very telling...
1. My dad...
2. My older brother (He was two at the time)...
3. My Grandma (on my mom's side)...
4. The Tin Man...
5. The kid working at the grocery store...
And people wonder why I have issues.
- Mood: grumpy
- Music:Commericals
So… after almost two SOLID months of editing… I’ve sent out my revised manuscript (vibes of any kind would be appreciated) and I’m trying to figure out how to bide my time while I wait. I don’t want to stare at my inbox and wind up looking like this…
Of course I need to spend time with my wife and daughters. (Last night we played ‘Trouble’… my middle daughter won, but it’s fun to play. No one gets angry about losing.) And we’ve been playing Rock Band 2 (I played Foo Fighters ‘Everlong’ on expert (guitar) and made it through (73%) not bad).
But what about writing? That’s where I’m stuck. I hate NOT having a project to focus/work on… I feel like I’m going nowhere… moving backwards.
Since it’s been two months since I’ve written a word on my WIP… I forget where I left off. I forget the character motivations and emotions. I suppose the best thing to do would be to read through the 24 chaps I have written and pick up after that.
But…
I have this other idea I’d LOVE to start writing.
Questions:
1. Why does the new idea ALWAYS seem better/shinier than the WIP?
2. How do you deal with this conundrum?
- Mood: curious
- Music:Jumper - Third Eye Blind
- Mood:
anxious - Music:Everything Zen - Bush
I just wanted to share a bit about my eldest daughters. Twins. They're really good kids, honest, trustworthy, helpful, smart, pretty. I'm very proud of them.
It wasn't an easy birth for my wife. Baby Girl 'A' came out just fine, weighing in at 4-1/2 pounds. But baby girl 'B' was VERY different. Her ambilical cord was prolapsed. Not good. The room burst open with doctors and nurses and lots of other techs (I think I saw the janitor) and they performed and emergency C-section. I watched... most of it. And Baby Girl 'B' was born, weighing in at 5 pounds 3 ounces.
My wife's recovery wasn't very pleasant. It was almost 24 hours before she even got to see the babies. Both were placed in ICU and remained there until they were able to take 4 ounces a formula at one feeding.
It was amazing and stressful. I still can't believe I have twins. They are very much alike... yet can be very different. It's fun to watch.
Here is a picture of them just after their birth.
( The doctor presenting our babies! )
- Mood:
busy - Music:The Middle
...Encouragement.
Last year, 'The Year of the Book Deal', worked out well for many of you. Hooray! But, sadly, not for me. And looking back... it was sort of a selfish Title to give a year. Not all of us were/are in a place where a Book Deal will/could happen... so... my apologies for even going that route to begin with... guess I was just trying to keep myself optimistic at the time.
So this Year is going to be completely different. This is the Year of Encouragement.
I/We need to encourage our fellow writers to stay with their dream, keep their hopes alive, live in the moment, celebrate their success, learn from their failures.
We're all in different places in our careers/dreams. Some will get a movie deal this year... I WILL ENCOURAGE that author to soak in the moment... I will NOT be bitter, I will not waste my time on envy.
When a friend suffers a writing setback, I WILL ENCOURAGE that author to learn from it, to let it run its course. But to also beat that setback's ass.
I'm hoping the Year of Encouragement will be a successful year for all of us, whether in writing or life in general. My first act is simple... I encourage you all to encourage each other.
- Mood:encouraged
- Music:My youngest daughter whining
When I was a boy, I had a sure fire way of gettin' the chicks. Worked everytime!!! I should have patented it. But I'll share it with you as my 'Last Day of 2009' Gift.
Basically, I would invite the prettiest girl in school over to my place... then I'd put the '3 Point Plan' in motion.
FIRST: We'd share a tall glass of Ovaltine...
SECOND: we'd watch an episode of Squiddly Diddly...
THIRD: I'd pull out my 'Piece De Resistance'...
( Try to Resist... )
Hope you all have a Safe and Happy New Year.
- Mood: chipper
- Music:Wheels - Foo Fighters
My FIVE Goals for 2010…
- No new ideas for novels.
- Give up on writing completely.
- Cancel and delete my Live Journal.
- Stop reading.
- Never meet any of you in person.
There you have it! I’m REALLY excited about these goals… I think I’ve nailed them this year. Finally!
I hope all of you achieve your goals, too! I’ll be rooting for you.
Oh… maybe I should add this. Many of you may not know that I am the King of Pessimists, crowned a long time ago. For years I’ve posted goals and I’ve had NO success achieving them.
So I figured, if I can stay with that trend, I WILL NOT meet any of these goals either. I’m going to work very hard to make SURE I don’t.
So… here’s to a Crappy 2010 !!! Time for the Fireworks!!!
Yep... another dud.
- Mood: optimistic
- Music:You Belong To Me - Taylor Swift
