I Have Returned!

After a very long absence, I have returned!

Life has been insane in the past few months. We lost two more family members, my daughter is currently living back at home due to the most recent death. It's CRAZY!

However, despite it all, I've been writing up a storm. Not my usual fare, but fun nonetheless. I have one out for consideration and am hoping to hear back within the next two weeks. 

Inspiration comes from strange places. While I don't recall where the initial inspiration came from, I've checked daily writing prompts, plot line ideas and the like when my brain goes on hiatus. What do you do when your mind won't produce?

Off to figure out dinner for six instead of the usual four. 

Until later. . .

Keep writing!

Settling Down

Things are finally starting to settle down. The house is coming together, though the garage still has way too many boxes in it, waiting for me to find homes for the contents. 

I'm hoping to eek out some time to write. Are you finding the time you need? It's difficult these days. There are so many other things that demand our attention. 

I'm also not very inspired or motivated. Theoretically, I want to write, but when it comes right down to it, I have nothing much to say. It's a bit depressing. I really need to just sit down and brainstorm and write from that, even if it goes nowhere. At least it gets the juices going and sometimes that's enough to spark something very worthwhile.

What do you do to get ideas that will take flight?

Off to brainstorm.

Until later. . .

Keep writing! 

Yahoo!!!

We're finally moved in. Things are incredibly disorganized but at least we're in the house and can relax a bit while we put things away. Most of the furniture has found its way out of the garage and into its new place, but there are still tons of boxes to open and put away. Still. . . I'm so glad.


Obviously I haven't had much time for writing but maybe now that things will calm down some, I'll be able to eek out more time. I sure hope so!


I hope all of you are writing. It can be such a great release.


Until later. . .


Keep writing!

A Different Kind of Drama

The weekend was crazy! One of my sons was away, so my husband and I took off for his place. Nice and quiet and secluded and..... no kids!!!


We got a bunch of stuff done for the house on Saturday. Saturday night my daughter calls. . . she's been in a rollover. We meet her later at the Sheriff's Dept. Luckily, and amazingly, she wasn't hurt too badly. Bumps and bruises mainly. Her car, on the other hand, is totaled. And of course, being a broke teenager, she had only Liability on it. So. . . she now has no transportation. Luckily she was not driving, her boyfriend was, so it won't destroy her insurance rates when she manages to get another car.


I couldn't believe the state of her car. The only thing not damaged, it seemed, was the hood. The roof was crumpled, the back end looked like she'd be slammed into by a truck. The doors were all damaged. Unreal.


Then last night, we get a call that her grandfather is in the hospital. We're off to see him today after we get paperwork and whatever out of her car.


It was a very long weekend and now a long week ahead. She's home now, for the foreseeable future while we try to figure out her transportation issues. We have 12 days to finish the house and get moved in. We made great progress this weekend so hopefully we'll actually be ready!


Needless to say, no writing was accomplished. Hope you had better luck!

Life has been crazy!

We're just over two weeks from moving and things are really picking up speed.


Finally decided on a paint color for our bedroom. My son and I painted today and we're going back this afternoon to finish that. We are getting the kitchen cabinets this weekend. My plan is for my husband to get padding and put carpet in at least one of the kids' room today. He isn't aware of said plan yet ;)  I'll tell him when he goes to lunch. That way we can finish painting while he does that... and I'll buy him dinner since we won't get home until later than usual and we get up so unbelievably early (3am!!).


Life right now is so very good. I haven't had much time for writing since we've been working like mad to get the place ready to move in to... we have to be in by March 31 since we both refuse to pay another month's rent on my place. I cannot wait to have three fewer bills each month!


I hope you're all inspired and writing. Read an interesting article about writer's block. You can access it here: Breaking the Block.  Hopefully that will spark some ideas to get through that frustrating time.


Until later. . .


Keep writing!

Drama

Are we addicted to drama? Creating it? Dealing with it?


This occurred to me this morning when I woke to find two messages on Facebook. One was sent with the sole purpose of irritating me, the other was in response to drama my daughter has managed to create.


I responded to the second one first, and that has required several phone calls. This is one reason why I hope my daughter never has to move back home! lol


The first message was from another adult, around my age, acting like she is still in high school. It's crazy. My life is settled, I'm happy finally. I've had plenty of drama in my life and frankly, I'm over it. It's discouraging that someone who should be past the need to create problems for others is still doing so. Does she not have enough excitement in her life? Is she so insecure that she needs to throw stones at me? Ridiculous. My answer to her was basically to get over it. 


Then I started thinking, maybe a composite character with some of these traits would make a good "villain" in one of my stories. lol I could combine what I know about all parties involved in both dramas of the day and see what I come up with. It's an intriguing idea and one I will explore after I finish this post.


Where do you get your character's traits? Are they modeled after people you know? Do you step out of your comfort zone to create your characters? How do you make them sound distinct from each other in things such as dialogue? 


Time to hit the keyboard.


Until later. . .


Keep writing!

Entering Contests

How many of you enter writing contests?

I've entered several. Amazon holds their Breakthrough Novel Award each year and I don't think I've missed a year since it started. Made it as far as the quarter-finals one year. That was exciting. Now they're judging the first round on your pitch! That has to be one of the most difficult things to write.

The synopsis is tough as well. How do you pare down an 80K story to a couple of pages? lol A little easier than condensing it to a paragraph but still. . .

Have you participated in NANOWRIMO? What an intense month that is! I've completed it once. Last year I didn't have time since we were closing on the new house and starting renovation. I miss having that type of intensity, but if the idea or the motivation isn't there, it's hard to manage.

I hope all of you are productively writing these days. I'm not so if you are, I must admit, I'm jealous! This blog is about as far as my writing has gone in the past week or so. I did start a new story idea, but haven't had time (or motivation) to carry it very far. I fall asleep thinking about it, plotting it out, starting the opening over and over in my head. I have several pages written, but it needs more!

Perhaps it's time to pull out something old. . . Yes, that's what I'll do this morning. That often inspires me.

Until later. . .

Keep writing!