Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Sorrow and chocolate

Sorrow and chocolate thoughts. Not the sorrow of having no chocolate. Different thoughts. Although, the thought could work.


Seen on tea towel - "I don't drown my sorrows. I suffocate them with chocolate.'


Works for me.

What about you?


Although it should be Really good chocolate. Or that's a Different sorrow.

hmmm, I didn't get Valentine chocolates, perhaps you think............. ;)

Monday, February 14, 2011

Wishing you love, and hope

Wishing you love, and hope


On this Valentine’s Day

I wish you all love, of all kinds

which, whatever they say

Everyone needs.


I hope that everyone finds

the love they need

if not the one they think they are searching for

Or maybe just sees

what’s already there


Happy Valentine’s Day everyone


Sunday, February 13, 2011

Too busy to dream?


Are we getting too busy to dream?

I don't know anyone that doesn't live a life overflowing with to-do's and things that must be done, needs to be done, wants to be done.
And being a writer in today's world it's even more time consuming. We all have have lives, of some kind. Families. Jobs. And a myriad of other things that take up time, from cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry, to just taking time to take quick showers. Luckily breathing takes place on its on.
We are also told that as writers we Have to get 'out' in the social media world of Facebook, Twitter, and blogosphere to let people know of us and our writing. When we can squeeze in time for writing. Seems to be a rough balance of juggling sometimes.
How much of ourselves do we lose in the hectic pace we put ourselves on? How much of our dreams?

I discovered a Great blog post recently that has made me stop, at least a moment here ;}, and take a little extra breath.
http://cynthiapricecommunique.wordpress.com/

How Did I Get So Busy?


And be sure to read the comments - there was one that totally made me stop .... and I'm not sure why exactly, just that it resonated somewhere inside that has made me think I need to take some time and figure out why.

‘can be found in the dreams we dream along the way’

How about you? Where are your dreams?

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Writing Humor


I still go to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books when I need a break and just want to be entertained. But I can't read them back to back or all the time or anything. Even though they are crazily funny and have great, and funny, characters.

But I have just found a good mix of humor, mystery, and even fantasy wizard magic thrown in as well.
The Dresden Files mysteries, books by Jim Butcher.

One of the funniest male / female differences in sizing up others - from the book 'Changes' by Jim Butcher.
One of his Dresden Files mysteries... as one review puts them 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer starring Philip Marlowe'

I won't say much since I wouldn't want to ruin the surprises all through, even starting the book.
Or at least surprises to me certainly since I just discovered the Dresden Files books recently and have only had time to read one book, and, er, and 61 pages of this one. And I have read none in sequence or in order. Which is my test of a good series writer, can they keep the interest of someone new that drops in unexpectedly, as well as their regular clientele. So far Jim Butcher does a pretty great job.

As I said, I've only read one, and a piece of another so far, but Jim Butcher does a really good job with humor. There have been several really big smile moments in both books but this is just ....well... if no one else I know my friends that read this will think it's great!

pg. 61 brief summary so you aren't totally lost here altho' technically don't think you need it... but here it is anyway ... Susan, Harry's former girlfriend, has dropped in [a serious problem, I won't even mention so don't spoil the surprise] [p.s. Harry has a lot of problems. So makes good reading. ;) ] Susan has been away many years, doesn't realize Harry has a young female apprentice named Molly.

"
Susan smiled at me, giving Molly the Female Once-Over --- a process by which one woman creates a detailed profile of another woman based upon about a million subtle details of clothing, jewelry, makeup, and body type, and then decides how much of a social threat she might be. Men have a parallel process, but it's binary: Does he have beer? If yes, will he share with me?
"

Good one huh? :::grin::::

hmmmm, just came to me, given how Harry was in the latter Harry Potter books ... well without all the Horcrux stuff and all... or not, given I've not read many of the Dresden books....yet....Dresden is quite possibly what Potter might have become grown up.... and they are both Harry's. Dresden is snarkier and funnier though. ::grin::
What do you think?

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Research and Remembering


We are told by the old saying 'Those that don't remember the past are doomed to repeat it.'
Or something along those lines.
No, I didn't look it up.
I get sidetracked enough. Which is not always a bad thing, can find really neat things on off-shoots and side-tracks. But can also find yourself far from home, so far from home it can be difficult to find your way back to your story line.
And find all sorts of things popping up in your head. Like remembering the past. Where's the cross over line where remembering the past becomes too much reliving the past and keeps people from moving on with the life they have now?

Remembering has different functions I suppose. Warnings to not repeat things that did not work in the past to warnings to signs of things going awry while still have time to do something and alter the outcome. Hopefully.

Remembering also helps to remind us how far we've come. Which can be encouraging. Especially as writers. Helps sometimes to see all the words we've accumulated, when all we see is how far we have to go.
And helps to see how much better writers we are today than we were yesterday.

So remembering the past has it's purpose. Keeps us going forward, hopefully.
And keeps us going as writers, since there's always wonderful stories in the past. I didn't say happy stories, although hopefully everyone has those, but also wonderful interesting stories.
And learning how as writers to tell those wonderful stories in our own unique ways. But also learning how to leave the past behind when we need to and live our 'real' present lives as fully and happily as we can.
So I guess that's the line for remembering the past. And knowing how to draw that line. And when.




Friday, February 4, 2011

Research and Writing



Why is research so much more enjoyable than writing?



Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Love, Happiness, and Conviction


The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved.
---Victor Hugo

Read more: http://www.naturesgift.com/NewsFeb11.htm#ixzz1CoXmtNOh