How Expensive is Your Life

I know I’ve been absent from the ‘social’ sphere of things, not just from blogs, but all the rest as well. Do you ever get overloaded with everything in your life? All the to-dos. That are not getting all done.

Not to mention all the ‘real’ things in life to deal with, cooking cleaning, laundry…. and so on, and on, and on. More if you have children, husbands, jobs, etc…and all that goes with all that.

Never really ends, does it? And yes, I Do realize, and am Very Thankful, for the life I have and the wonderful husband I have. Still means there’s a Lot to do. And just because your life is different, doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges and troubles in all our lives.

To lighten things up a bit, sortta, I will say, Like dust bunnies. They happen to us all. Don’t they? If they don’t happen to you I want to know why and how. I think.

Sigh.

I am trying to get organized and make things easier to tackle. Course that means taking the time to get organized and things in place to begin with. Which is what I’ve been tackling. Still a work in progress. Although I am seeing progress. I’m pretty sure.

Even though I haven’t exactly kept up with blogs, and twitter, and the rest, I have been reading emails and such. [Yeah, you noticed I said reading. ;} ]

Which brings me to another reason I’ve been a bit absent here. I was gearing myself up to start posting more - okay, so I was trying to come up with more interesting things to say than talk about dust bunnies and cleaning and trying to keep ahead of those things, when I started getting emails about people leaving comments on old blog posts. They were flagged as suspicious so I deleted them. Okay so they were also in Russian and some people think I have problems with English let alone with another language….. But my smart husband said did you translate them before you deleted them?

…….

Yeah, that’s how blank I was. I plead dust mite overload, just so you know. [Nasty looking teeny little critters, btw.]

My husband isn’t all that proficient in languages either. His field, science. Yeah, told you, he’s smart.

So I did have a bit of reason to look at him blankly.

….. But yes, he did sigh. I’m pretty sure. [Yeah, like I’m sure That’s new.] Then proceeded to ask me where the Russian comments to my blog were… uh, deleted. Not to come back apparently no matter what beseeching I did while looking at the screen. But I did have the emails….

Google Trans. to the rescue. Translation.

Uh, I’m Really Really Sorry for all those people whose comments I deleted.

And espec. The comment -

'Subject: amusing blog Strange but true. Your life is expensive.'

Uh, I am not sure exactly how to take that - perhaps just a translation error, what do I know about languages and all. But made my brain go off into musings.

Oh, yeah, like your brain doesn’t? If you are a writer…. It does right?

I’ve read - I used to read a Lot, before guilt about not fighting dust bunnies and disorganization enough took over ---- anyway, I’ve read that for all the stuff we have we pay a price. To dust it, clean it, store it, …. you get idea. I’m not at hoarder stage, thank God, but I do have rather a lot of books. [ Books are our Friends. As are a lot of writers. ;-) ]

So yeah, there is a price for all the things in our lives.

And my brain started musing on the price of our lives…… and the price in terms of more than just money.

What price do we pay for our lives? What price to we pay for our dreams? Or for not following them?

What do we pay for our lives, not in just money terms, but all the rest of it?

Dangerous path to trod, huh?

And to avoid that path, for the moment anyway, I shall get back to organizing and cleaning, and oops, that load of laundry still in the dryer, and the one in the washer that needs to go to the dryer. [And there’s going to have to be all the folding and putting away at some point.]

Then there’s always the great distraction and education that goes on at the James River Writing Shows - which there is one tomorrow night for you to come to and check out.

And since I’ve had rather a heads up on the March Writing Show, I will let you know you should definitely put that on the calendar now to go to. That’s all I’m saying about it. For now. ;)

The Writing Shows are such a small price to pay for what they give you.

And what price do you pay for your life?

Is your life expensive?

Finding Your People

I’m not talking about relatives or people you are related to. Or probably not. But it is the South, and those of us raised in or around the South know how those things go. [If you don’t, you’re obviously not from around here. ‘nuff said?]

What I’m really talking about is finding people you can relate to. And as a lot of us know, Especially in the South, that’s not necessarily your relatives.

It’s nice to have someone to talk to. That understands you. And hopefully respects you and your work. [See above South comments]

It’s Especially nice to have all that when you are a writer. Especially a ‘beginning’ writer. Or maybe just a struggling one, no matter how ‘beginning’ you are.

It’s what a writer friend refers to as finding people from the same planet so you don’t feel like such an alien.

And haven’t we all had enough of Those experiences!

Some writers get that understanding from on-line communities and groups.

Luckily in the Richmond, Virginia area, there’s James River Writers. And all the opportunities they offer to meet up with writers, of all kinds and types.

Every month, the second Wednesday of every month, there’s Writers Wednesday, a casual get together where writers can come and feel like a part of the same planet. No matter how alien their writing and characters really are.

That’s the Second Wednesday of the month. Like February 8^th is the 2^nd Wednesday. Yes, Tonight!

Writers Wednesday is rotating around the Richmond area so all writers have an opportunity to come and meet others that understand. Feb., Mar., April will be at Capital Ale in Innsbrook, you lucky West End people you.

Sign up for the JRW e-letter for updates and notices of all the writerly happenings in the area. And check out the old JRW site for now, but get ready to check out the New one that will be launching the end of February.

Something to look forward to. Just like the JRW Writing Show that is the Third Thursday of the month.

Every month gives you opportunity to meet your alien…..er, your relatives in the writing world. Just like being on the same planet.

Sometimes a weird writing planet, but at least you know you aren’t alone.

Zombie Apocalypse Is Here You Know

Holidays can really suck. There’s often family stresses and issues, but if you’ve had to deal with, or had friends that have had to deal with, the truly awful disease of Alzheimer’s, then ….well, it came to me recently that for all the jokes about the Zombie Apocalypse coming on us, how many realize it actually is here.

Alzheimer’s is probably worse since zombie’s have the physical resemblance to loved ones, but at least they don’t show the spark of the real person you loved and cared about enough to break your heart and tear it to pieces all over again, and again. Movie zombies get it over quickly at least. And they seem to become zombies quickly. Not like the slow light of recognition dimming in the eyes of a loved one as they first struggle to remember your name, and then struggle to remember you at all.

Even worse is the wearing away of the caretaker trying to deal with it all.

You think the zombie apocalypse isn’t here? Take a look around you.

And if you have any information or help, reach out to those that are dealing with it.

If you are in the Raleigh, North Carolina area here’s a resource to contact to help with relatives with age related issues:

[Note: is a relative. But one that is having to deal with Alzheimer’s as a personal family issue, so does have personal understanding.]

contact Tom Christos, Always Best Care Senior Services at 919-417-8003.

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Contact Information: Tom Christos 417-8003

This is from a Chamber of Commerce site that is talking about services for Alzheimer’s and asking for donations of materials.

And if you are someone totally brilliant, please show everyone your luminosity by finding a cure for this truly dreadful horrible disease.

Before it overtakes the people you know and love.

May this new year contain great advancements in all areas of good. Including all of us struggling to deal with life, all it deals us, and to write and get published.

To a new year of hope. Of all kinds.

Picking Out a Place for Your Book

No, not for vacation spot, altho’ who doesn’t want to take their book to some tropical place on the beach. Or even better, have their book take them there, literally. Wouldn’t we all like to be making enough from our books to be doing that?

Course that means getting published first.

Which brings up this post.

We’ve been told as writers that when we pitch an agent one of the things we need to know is where our book fits in on book store shelves and sections.

Great.

Except when it’s not as easy to categorize into those categories / genres. I’m still trying to figure where mine fit. Yes, granted I need to actually finish them first. That would be the first thing. But then comes the question of where does it actually fit. And some believe we should know that as we write, because that would very possibly change how we are writing.

What do you think?

Do you know / have clear ideas of where the books you are writing fit in?

How did you determine that?

If you are still searching to where you fit in, here’s an interesting blog post that has genres and sub-genres you might want to take a look at.

Thanks to :

WriterThesaurus

Dec 01, 8:21am via TweetDeck

Wonder what Sub-Genre your book falls into? Check out this resource: bit.ly/sC3874 #writing #screenwriting #MyWANA

Retweeted by Quotes4Writers

Then it would be nice if you came back here to help me with mine.……if that's even possible.

And if you look around on their blog and find interesting things it would be nice if you came back and shared them with me. After all, I’m always sharing with you here.

It does look like it’s got some great info’ there. But I’m in the midst of stuff too you know. So it would be nice if we all shared here. Just sayin…. Tis the season.

Talking Too Much????

If it’s you, then you should know who you are. Don’t you?

Not sure these ideas would really help you but maybe….. I did come across this great post that will help you look at and determine if your characters are talking too much.

Might help you in other ways other than just your writing.

And since fellow writer and I were just talking about this recently will definitely help him.

While you are there looking, check out the rest of the blog. There’s some Good stuff there!

And do Please come back here and let me know what you find! I haven’t had time to look through it much either.

[Do I Really Need to tell you how behind we are with Holiday stuff??? No decorations up. No cards done. Still have baking / presents to do. Wrapped ones needed for this weekend…. Mostly. And so on and so on …. Sigh…..]

I send Great Thanks to for finding this:

PCrutcher Paige Crutcher

Hints that you have too much dialogue and helpful fixes: bit.ly/vPLCmE @NovelEditor #writetip @elizabethscraig

Holiday Writers Party / Get Together

Hey, it is the Holidays. And tomorrow is the 2^nd Wednesday of the Month. That means Writers Wednesday.

Where James River Writers Members gather to talk all things writing.

Or, since it’s the Holidays, talk writing and holidays.

Or just enjoy the atmosphere at the Capital Ale House downtown.

Of course that’s what we do. ;)

And if you show up it Could be a Party!

Come toast the holidays with us. And encourage the writer within us all.

Great Practical Writing Tips

I Especially like #3 and #4 of this one -

Cory Doctorow
Author of With a Little Help, For the Win, Makers, and Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

1. Write every day. Anything you do every day gets easier. If you’re insanely busy, make the amount that you write every day small (100 words? 250 words?) but do it every day.
2. Write even when the mood isn’t right. You can’t tell if what you’re writing is good or bad while you’re writing it.
3. Write when the book sucks and it isn’t going anywhere. Just keep writing. It doesn’t suck. Your conscious is having a panic attack because it doesn’t believe your subconscious knows what it’s doing.
4. Stop in the middle of a sentence, leaving a rough edge for you to start from the next day — that way, you can write three or five words without being “creative” and before you know it, you’re writing.

But there’s Lots more Terrific ones -

Thanks to :

RoyalePine Dave Bale

Practical Tips on Writing a Book from 23 Brilliant Authors blogs.plos.org/neurotribes/20…

What’s your favorite?