RUN, RUN, RUN

Run, run, run...I feel like a hamster in a wheel...just moving my little feet as fast as I can, but not feeling like I'm getting anywhere. It's 6:40p.m. and I am just getting around to posting my blog for the day. Still helping my daughter get her new place in order and had a house full of women last nite and quite frankly...my brain is fried!

I did get some great story ideas sitting around talking with friends. Some creative "turn of phrases" were picked up here and there. What an interesting group of ladies I have in my life. Each and every one of them is very special to me in very different ways. We all seem to mesh together so well. I truly love them all.

We played a new game last nite called "The Game of Things". A card is picked with a statement on it...such as, "things you shouldn't say to your in-laws" or "things you wish worked by remote control." For each round a designated reader is chosen and everyone writes their brief response to the statement on a sheet of paper, along with their name and hands it to the reader. She then reads each response outloud and starting with the person to her left, that person tries to guess who gave what response. We played about 5 rounds and I was so entertained by some of the answers that were given. I was also able to come up with some funny ideas for future writing endeavors.

Thank you ladies for keeping me company while my hubby is out carousing with his men friends. You are all greatly appreciated!

Back to the actual art of writing...Monday!

A PLETHORA OF IDEAS

Took my hubby to the airport yesterday, so he could fly to Chicago for "Man's Weekend". I wish I could be a mouse in his pocket, cause I just know there are some great stories developing while these four guys are together. This is an annual event between four guys who grew up together. They are celebrating their 11th year...MWIX as their illustrious "leader" likes to refer to it.

While I was driving away from the airport I was "waxing nostalgic" back to a time...eons ago...when I was in my 20's and living in Pittsburgh, PA. A very good friend and I used to spend lazy days sitting in the local airport just sipping Cokes and watching the people coming and going. The airport was a plethora (that's right I used the word "plethora"...pat on back) of story ideas. We enjoyed making up story lines for people as we relaxed and observed them.

I miss those "hanging out at the airport" days. These days you can't get past security and if you were seen hanging around the ticket area all the time you'd probably be arrested, subjected to a thorough "pat down" and possibly even a cavity search. (and I ain't talking teeth here) However, may I suggest the...bus station? Grab your mace and your stun gun, cause for some reason cities seem to love building bus stations in the worst sections of town, but if you are a writer looking for "fodder" (that's right I used the word "fodder"...another pat on back) then by all means head to the bus station. If you're looking for ideas in a less dangerous area (wimp) then visit your local park or museum. Any place where hundreds of people gather each day is sure to spark a creative musing or two and who knows...maybe one of those "musings" will become a best seller.

LOGISTICS

The brain is an amazing piece of human body equipment. Just think about it. Your brain is basically responsible for every little freakin' thing you do. If it works right...then you have no problems. If though, you have the kind of brain I seemed to have been blessed (using term lightly) with, then your thoughts and memory are somewhat scattered. I love the fact that I can now blame my "dispersed brain disease" on aging. I'm not sure how I used to explain it to myself and others before I reached the age of 40...because I can't remember...duh.

But I "disperse". I actually wanted to talk about Logistics. I woke up yesterday morning with this word running through my head, but to be honest I have no idea how it got there or even what the word meant exactly. I thought I knew the meaning, but when I looked it up, this is what I found...Logistics: "the planning, implementation and coordination of details. Why had the "definition God" seen fit to drop this little word nugget into my brain at 6a.m. yesterday? Because I needed to study the "logistics" of my manuscript. Especially the "coordination of details" bit.

So once again I started reading through my manuscript and guess what? I had some real logistical problems! One of the major ones that I found was the cities the characters were living in. I had two of them living in the same town...why wouldn't they have visited each other? I had one of my characters with baby blues in one chapter and several chapters later...she had flashing green eyes and she hadn't even started wearing colored contacts.

Moral of this little rant...check the "logistics" in your manuscript before sending it out. I'm not saying an agent or publisher wouldn't still have thought my book worthy of printing, but as a debut author I think it's important for me to keep my "diverse brain disease" to myself and at least appear competent.

I'LL GO CRAZY

A very famous woman, namely Scarlett O'Hara, once said, "I can't think about that right now. If I do I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow." Lordy, don't I wish writing worked this way. If I think about sending my "newborn" manuscript to an agent...I feel like I'll go crazy. I HAVE to send it, of course, to even have a chance at getting published...but it drives me nuts, the pressure of rejection. And there will be rejection. No doubt about that. I haven't written a Noble prize winning, life altering, Oprah book club story, but I have written a thrilling, page turning romance, worthy of publication. It's just stumbling through the process and finding that right fit, when it comes to agents.

A dear friend of mine, emailed me a wonderful quote one day, by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It started out, "Finish each day and be done with it." In our personal lives, I think that is definitely what we should attempt to do. Forget the crap that slowed us down, hurt us or made us feel bad about ourselves. Keep pushing. But my writing and my relationship with it is different. I can't just be "done with it." Emerson goes on to say, "You've done what you could." Have I? Have I really Ralph? Done all I could? In my world of self-doubt I'm not too sure of that. The quote continues, "tomorrow is a new day." NOW we're on the same page Ralphie buddy! I get another chance "tomorrow". Or do I...cause we all know..."tomorrow never comes." sigh..................... Picking up highlighter....

I GOT NOTHING....

I got nothing this morning. One of the rules of writing...when you don't feel like writing, when your mind is a blank, when it's pure agony to place your fingers on those computer keys...do it anyway! I'm sure this morning you aren't going to get anything worthy of praise, but hey...at least my digits are typing away!

Maybe I can just amuse all of you with a little tale from last night. Our next door neighbor came over for a visit with a bottle of wine. His wife is out of town for a few days and we love hanging out with them (missed her) so it was nice that he came to chit-chat for a bit. Remember the dog poop story I was driven to share with you in yesterday's blog? Well, guess what...we ended up in another discussion about dog droppings. I hadn't even mentioned the Saturday conversation, so this was a topic that morphed into being all on its own. We talked about dogs in our neighborhood who are allowed, by their owners, to use our lawns as their potties...we talked about burning bags of dog poo and believe it or not...it just all went downhill (if that's possible) from there. I'm concerned. Is this what my life has become...friends and relatives sitting around regaling each other with stories of poo?

I'm going out with a group of ladies' this evening. I don't plan on mentioning doggy poop at all, but so help me...if somehow this topic of conversation comes up...I am high tailing my butt (no pun intended) out of that place and back home to my fortress of solitude and peace and quiet. Can I get a "no sheeeeeet"?

INDEX TO INSPIRATION

Everywhere I go and everything I do makes me want to put pen to paper and write about something I've seen or heard. This weekend was no exception. Although every muscle in my body is screaming in agony after hauling boxes, painting walls and stressing over things not running exactly perfect for the "great American apartment switch" this weekend, I am grateful for the story ideas that I picked up while hurrying here and there.

I've purchased a small box. Index card size. I've also purchased the index cards to go in the box. On the index cards I plan to write things that stir my interest. I always carry a notebook with me, but now I will also carry some index cards. I'm at that wonderful age where...if I don't write down my thoughts right away...they ain't gonna be there two minutes later for me to recall. I like to think this is because after so many years my brain is so totally full of information that I don't have a spare corner to store any other facts in, so thoughts just run through me like water. (this is my story and I'm sticking to it!) At any rate grabbing an index card and making a few notes about what I've just experienced or something I've just seen or maybe snippets of a conversation I've just overheard...will help me later when I'm trying to come up with an idea for a story line. I'll put all my cards in the index box and I will call it "My Index to Inspiration".

An example of an index card filled out for this weekend...a large dog "dropping" left on the walking path at my daughter's brand new apartment complex, with the doggy poop bag dispenser two feet away. This started almost an hour's discussion on inconsideration, size of the dog, laziness of the owner, will this be continued behaviour, whose job was it to pick it up now....SEE...definitely worthy of an index card! So grab a box, stuff some index cards in your pants pocket or purse and start making notes!