Thoughts from Virginia Woolf

"It is worth mentioning, for future reference, that the creative power
which bubbles so pleasantly in beginning a new book quiets down after
a time, and one goes on more steadily. Doubts creep in. Then one
becomes resigned. Determination not to give in, and the sense of an
impending shape keep one at it more than anything."
--Virginia Woolf

Kind of like running a marathon. It's easy to start off too fast, and lose steam and not finish. So, I'm taking heart that starting this book is going slowly. Maybe that's a sign.

In honor of Easter....

Thursday's quiz, a day late. Although in the interest of full disclosure, I don't eat jelly beans. I don't eat any candy that doesn't involve chocolate. Life's too short to eat sugar straight.

You Are a Caramel Apple Jelly Bean

You have a gentle sophistication. An appreciation of fine things, without being snobby about it. You enjoy sweet tastes and silky textures.

What Flavor Jelly Bean Are You?

More new writing equipment...

I'm allergic to cats, so I can never have one of those, but here is the latest employee here at the story factory




As far as I can tell, his job is lure in the victims, so the main dog can bark at them. Gotta love team work.




Otherwise, their jobs are to:
sleep
snore
Ask to go out every 24 minutes, so I have to get up and move from the desk.
fight at 6:45 am, making sure I am awake. If I could teach one of them to make the coffee, then I'd have something...
.

I won't be here for Thursday, Quiz Day,

Does this mean I'm a moderate?

You Are 68% Democrat

You have a good deal of donkey running through your blood, and you're proud to be liberal. You don't fit every Democrat stereotype, but you definitely belong in the Democrat party.

How Democrat Are You?

Booking along....

Sometimes, you get to writing something and then you just have to sit around and think about it for awhile. So that's the stage I'm in. Although, if you know an Iraq war vet who has lost a limb and wouldn't mind answering questions for this book, pass them on!

New tools, new book

Not sure, but for some reason, blogger isn't liking my new laptop. I did get a new laptop this week. The desktop has just celebrated its sixth birthday in January, So it's time to think about moving to the notebook fulltime. There is still somethings left on the desktop, but portability is key.

While I taught a class on marathon running a while back, several people said I needed to write a book about how to run a marathon. I don't think the world needs another how to book on running 26.2 miles, but maybe a novel about the characters who took part in the class?

The structure is already there. I could even put the class running schedule in.

Yes, I am a Quizaholic...

But, it gives me something to do while I'm waiting for my turn to be flogged on the Flogometer, Ray Rhames'
answer to Miss Snark's Crapometer. The Good news...my first two pages are entry number 6. 

You paid attention during 97% of high school!

 

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

It's not Thursday, and it's not a quiz, but here we go...

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Most Serene Highness Lady Illiah the Free of Much Madness upon Avon Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

or

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Venerable Lady Susan the Festive of Helions Bumpstead Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

How did I put off writing before the internet???

If it's Thursday, it must be random quiz day...

You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well. But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.

What's Your Beer Personality?

You Are Eggnog

Rich, sweet, and probably a little drunk. Everyone who knows you tends to get a little fatter.

What Holiday Food Are You?

You Are Apple Pie

You're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional Those who like you crave security

What Kind of Pie Are You?

You Are 30% Left Brained, 70% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

New Year, New Blog

I needed a wordpress id for something, so I thought I'd play with some new toys. Don't worry, the quizzes will all stay here!

My latest quiz...

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

It's random quiz day...

Sure, I could be wrapping Christmas gifts, baking cookies, or (gasp) writing, but that just means it's time for one of those blog quizzes. This fascinated me, because I'm not from anywhere near the great lakes, I'm from Texas via New Jersey. Guess the accent is from the half way point or something. That or I have too many friends from Wisconsin.

Go Packers.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North   You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

The Fat Lady has sung her piece...

Nanowrimo is over. I managed to validate the 50K or so words at 1:34 am today, the 30th. Glad it's over and I must say that it some of the worst writing I have ever done. Maybe even the worst, although the one about the accounting trolls in the tee-shirt factory is really bad. I think there is some convention that a story shouldn't start by someone observing a growing pile of used facial tissues.

So, now that that's over, I can get back to work on the Venti Inquisitioner for real, as well as continue Queries are us and the editing of Purse Driven Life. And in my spare time, I'm going to take violin lessons. Many of the writers that I respect play piano. I can't do two things at once, so piano is out for me. So, sitting in my room right now is a brand new Eastman 4/4 violin. Rental. With a brand new bow that seems like it will never have enough rosin on it. I can almost play an E scale. Watch out London Philharmonic. Once I get the other half of the E scale, there's no stopping me.

New Feature..Writing tips

Yeppers, it's National Novel Writing Month and I can find more ways to procrastinate than you could shake a stick at.

This weekend's task? Install the writing tip of the day, from Terry Whalin, who is a generous soul who shares my respect and admiration for Eugene Peterson, writes a lot of books, etc. Surely he would have something helpful to say to me and others.

So, now I'll have it here. But remember, I didn't make these up.

Query Update

Six more little agent assistants will have the fun of opening packages from me. I only hope they are all in happy moods and have gotten plenty of Halloween Candy.

Oh, am I in the wrong business...

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Something to watch when you should be writing....

We'll call it Random Acts of Flushing....

Cat has a toilet flushing obsession

Because this is America and Grand isn't Grande enough...

It is getting dangerously close to National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo, and so I have be scheming, reading and researching to get ready to write a first draft in thirty days. I have having company come for Thanksgiving, so technically, I will be trying to get mostly done by the end of November 20th.

Anyway, it helps this year that instead of coming up with a totally original idea, I'm going to modernize a classic. The Brothers Karamazov. Now, David James Duncan did this and set his book in the 60's. But I believe that's one of the few out there, so I have a good chance.

If I make it based on Oil Barons from Midland, Texas, I'll be out of my element, and most likely sued for slander. So let's see, how about a mobile home manufacturer in a Navasota-like town? One of his sons may run for Governor of the great state of Texas.

And the title?

drumroll.....

The Venti Inquisitioner
Because Everything is Bigger in Texas

I am a Query-Aholic. Is there help?

I was reading an incredible book last night, Little Children by Tom Perrotta and for some reason, I got it in my little head that I should query the agent. Unfortunately, she only takes email queries. I sent it off at 9:15 this morning. The idea is how long the form rejection takes. It's just one of those little things I do to entertain myself on rainy days...

My record for a form rejection for an email query is about nine hours.
So here goes....

Still querying along...

For yet another week, two lucky agent assistants or interns will get the chance to try to convince their bosses that they can't live another day without representing me and my work. No, I'm really not that arrogant, but it's a good false attitude for today's victims, uh, selected agents. One is the type of person who really does represent books exactly (or as close as can be) like mine, but then she's this gorgeous society person who volunteer on all kinds of boards of groups (that I would totally support) and she golfs and runs. What would she do with a book like mine? I know, I'm not querying for a new best friend, it would be hard to beat the friends I have. But sometimes, you just have to wonder...

Eat your veggies....

Several months ago, I made the confession that personal trainers aren't supposed to make. I don't like drinking water. So I don't. Not the "tote your gallon jug of water" around amounts I was supposed to recommend. My theory, if you're thirsty, you might ought to drink something. Life's short, so may as well enjoy your beverages.

Lately, writing books I've been reading recommend reading poetry with the same evangelical zeal the Water People have. The same gusto as the Vegetable people. Famous writers write how they spend hours reading poetry, out loud, everyday.

Yeah? Bull.

I'm starting to think it's like the celebrities that are quoted in all the grocery store checkout line diet/fashion magazines. "Yeah, for lunch I have some broiled chicken and veggies."

Let's be honest here. The only people who eat vegetables are: Children (under compulsion), vegetarians (and not many of them! Peanut butter and cheese are not veggies.) skinny ashen vegans, and old people trying to regain their cholesterol levels of youth. Sure, everyone clains to, but I personally have never seen a grocery store out of vegetables. We had several hurricane scares last year. Couldn't buy bread, milk, or batteries. But the veggie aisle? Help yourself, plenty to go around. Face it, vegetables aren't sexy and twenty-somethings don't eat them.

Same for poetry. If poetry was something that sexy, that popular with the twenty-somethings, we'd know it. But every one talks about poetry, no one reads it!!

(Yes, they write it, to rid themselves of angst and all, but how often do you see someone with head deep into any book of poetry???)

Repeat. No one reads poetry. So I will no longer feel guilty for not reading it, nor pretending to.

If real people read poetry, then grocery store racks would be filled with poetry tabloids and celebrity rags would be "little journals."

Back to my coffee and the Stephen King Fiction Fest....