November Blog Chain- Writer’s survival list.

Okay, so it’s the first week of November. I am once again participating in Abosolute Write’s Blog Chain. This month we are following the theme of lists, more specifically what we as a writer need in order to write. Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for their patience this month, I kinda let this fall through the cracks and didn’t pay attention to time. Sorry!

Time, would be my number one. I squeeze writing in everywhere, at work at home, I’ll think about it. Just not while I am driving, that could be bad.

Reading, something to read is always nice. I just have to stop the reading sometimes and get to writing.

Allowing myself time for procrastination. I have to day dream a little sometimes or not look at the narly twist in my plot in order to go forward.

Space, a place to spread out helps. Usually I don’t have much space so the corner of the couch or the floor works in a pinch. So does the desk at work on break time.

Paper and pen (pencil fades). Yes, because my computer cannot go everywhere with me I use paper. I actually like the mechanics of physically writing and can keep up with my ideas better. I have learned, write on one side of the paper, then everything will paste into the notebook better.

When at home, my computer unless it’s not on, then paper and pen.

A plot and characters that hold my attention, if I am interested in what they are doing and where they are going, I can usually write on anything anywhere and not have the first half of the sentence left from the last time I wrote.

And something to drink; coffee, tea and water all work.

PS: a deadline of somesort helps me too. Otherwise I follow the “one day…” thought about writing.

 

PARTICIPANTS

1. DavidZahir – http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/
2. shethinkstoomuch – http://shethinkstoomuch.wordpress.com
3. Lost Wanderer – http://lostwanderer5.blogspot.com/
4. aimeelaine – http://www.aimeelaine.com/
5. Ravencorinncarluk – http://raven.youareannoying.us/
6. Bsolah – http://www.benjaminsolah.com/blog/
7. Charlotte49ers – http://www.amandaplavich.com/
8. Angyl78 – http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/
9. truelyana – http://expressiveworld.com/
10. Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com/

To much “Screen” time

Recently we added a rule in the house limiting screen time. I never knew how much time was spent in front of an electronic screen until I had to find other things to do besides sitting in front of  an entertainment unit on the weekend. Kinda makes me think of “Wall-E”, where he finds all of the humans being taken care of in the space station, sadly out of shape. I think about myself and realize that while I am still moving on my own two feet, I’m not entertaining myself or interacting with real people as much as I could, and yes, sadly out of shape.

Now, thanks to the new electronics rule in the house (details are still being hashed out) I will have to first write my blogs with paper and pen. I did that today and was able to spend more time writing down ideas and scribbling adding onto them than when I try to write in this post. Go figure.

The RULE as it stands; two hours a day Monday through Friday and three hours each, Saturday and Sunday. Looking at it, it doesn’t seem like that much time. I would like more time, especially on the weekends. However, I have noted one benefit: I go to bed at a decent hour now.

From one Sunday, I realized how much time I spent in front of the television, in front of the computer screen, in front of an audio book. I’m fine with the lack of TV, just don’t take away my internet. I really do not mind not watching television. Simply because I am usually the one who sits down and watches what ever show or channel the set is left on. Rarely do I ever change it, maybe if it is a really bad show. For me it is pleasant noise and an escape. Maybe I should have learned to turn it off?

Well now I can and will. Why use my internet time on TV? Maybe a little time on Saturday morning cartoons.

AW’s October Blogchain

This month we are focusing on Autumn (Halloween if we wish). Raven is before me and Shethinkstoomuch follows next. There is a complete list at the end of this post. We can write anything, flash fiction, little-known facts, history… what ever we choose. I am choosing, not an essay, but a rambling of ideas and thoughts that I associate with the fall season.

Autumn, Fall if you will, means the beginning of the year to me. It’s the start of rushing through activities, school, work, the stress of the holidays… For me it is the new year. It is the comfort of an old routine starting again. The ending of the official year which goes quickly. Though December gets cold, and ice can start as soon as September, I don’t consider fall ending until January, then it’s Winter.

I remember the few years between highschool and college, I felt bereft and out of sink. My schedule was free, vacation was when ever I wanted, summer was just a season, not a break between school years. It did not feel right. I had just spent fourteen years on a schedule, school starts in September and ends in June. That was my year.

We have now been on a school routine for four years; getting all of the school supplies, seeing the classroom, meeting the teacher and shopping for clothes. I am still not good at that. The first day of school starts the ball rolling because the next thing will be picture day. Usually after picture day follows Halloween, even this year I am far from prepared. The costume is picked out, missing a few bits and pieces, which I will spend the next few weekends before the 31st finding. My own personal scavenger hunt.

Then Thanksgiving, and choosing something to make to contribute to the dinner. I always want to make something elaborate, but given my cooking skills, I’ll stick with bacon-wrapped water chestnuts. (If you have ever had them, they’re yummy!!). The prayer we participate in every year troubles me. I never know what to say, sometimes I feel I have nothing to say because everyone else has already said it, or I have tons of things to say and be thankful for, but I wish to keep my moment of speaking short. It is hard making the younger ones wait to eat, so many tempations sitting on the plate before them. (Well, I’m one of the young ones too.)

And now the mad dash for Christmas… what to get, what to get?? I never know. I try not to buy the same thing that I did the year before. Every year I mean to write down all the gifts I gave out, and never do. So starting in the beginning of fall, I start making my Christmas list, and checking it more than twice. Just to make sure I haven’t forgotten anyone or that special gift. Which reminds me, I have yet to find that special gift. I think every child deserves that ‘one’ gift under the tree, and I find it to be the hardest one to choose. Yet, I get it figured out every year, so no big worries yet.

By the time all of this is done, my year is on its way. Having all of the Holidays taken care of at the beginning of the year makes the rest of the year run smoothly. Kind of like getting your homework and chores done so you can play. A new year to begin…

 

PARTICIPANTS

1. Lost Wanderer – http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com

2. Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogspot.com

3. Angela 785 – http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com

4. Ravencorinncarluk – http://ravencorinncarluk.blogspot.com

5. Angyl78 – http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com

 6. shethinkstoomuch – http://shethinkstoomuch.wordpress.com

7. trulyana – http://expressiveworld.com

8. Bsolah – http://benjaminsolah.com/blog

9. freshhell – http://freshhell.wordpress.com

10. Ralph Pines – http://ralfast.wordpress.com

11. aimeelaine – http://www.aimeelaine.com

12. HigherEdUnderground – http://higheredunderground.com

13. Cath – http://blog.cathsmith.net

14. DavidZahir – http://zahirblue.blogspot.com

AW September Blog Chain

This month we are receiving three words from the person in line before us. I received sleeping, stolen and camping from bsolah. Well here goes….  (I have to give a big thanks to my beta reader Tracey. Don’t know what I’d do without her.)

“You.  Have.  Got to be kidding me!” I sat down hard at my desk and stared at the pile of documents and folders neatly stacked in front of me. I was going camping this weekend, if you can call air conditioning, a soft bed and room service camping. I did not want to deal with extra projects today. Last night, when I left, my desk had been spotless. Somehow between when I left and then came back this morning, this mess had shown up. Glancing at the handwriting on the note attached to it, I knew who was responsible.

Tessa peeked her head in the door before walking in. Not two seconds later, Anne came in with tea and shut the door.

“What is all of that Jane?” Tessa asked me, taking her seat in front of my desk. She and Anne were my assistants, slash friends, slash support. Anne handed me my tea and then took her seat. Normally, I would sit in my chair, but the pile of unknown files would be in my line of sight if I did that, so I sat on the desk in front of the pile.

All I wanted was a few moments of stolen quiet. Sleeping. Sleeping would be good, really good. I wasn’t planning to go far, just to one of the hotels in town. I had reserved one of the company’s suites at the Ritz.  I looked behind me and slumped, “Okay, what’s the news?”

“Well Boss is out,” Tess fidgeted, obviously not wanting to tell me something. “So he left Cain in charge.”

I tried, I really tried, but I couldn’t help glaring upon hearing this. “Why wasn’t I told?”

I watched them glance at each other and then me. It was the silent language of friends who have been around each other for a long time. Rubbing my eyes, I held up my other hand.

“Wait, let me guess. Boss was glad,” frowning I rephrased that, “Boss was excited that I was finally taking a vacation and told everyone not to tell me Cain was going to be in charge.”

“Got it in one,” Anne looked at Tessa before continuing. “We were all told to make sure you left the office on time. Looks like Cain didn’t get the message.”

“Does he ever?”

Now there was a rhetorical question if I ever heard one. When Boss left and I was in charge, everything went smoothly. It wasn’t because I was a great leader; I just left things the way  Boss ran them. His nephew on the other hand? When Cain was in charge, everything got very interesting and not always in a good way.

We finished talking about the division of assignments that needed to be handled while I was out the first of next week, and then Tessa and Anne left. And now I had a pile of unknown files sitting on my desk. I did not want to start. So, I had another cup of tea.

Finally, I could no longer in good conscience avoid my work. I got up, started the computer and pulling the note off the top of the pile, sat in my chair. The note, written in Cain’s precise, block print read…

‘Jane, these are the proposals we talked about last time my uncle left on a business trip. Please double check them and provide the supporting data needed to make my numbers right. I don’t remember where you keep all of the statistics in this office. ‘

Didn’t remember or didn’t want to look for the files?

‘I have meetings today so I’ll stop off at your room this evening.

Cain’

I leaned back in my chair and groaned. This was going to be an all nighter, no sleep. Well, I wouldn’t be where I was if I wasn’t good at what I do. Besides, he didn’t really know where I was staying, did he?

I pulled open the first file and realized that the reports were well put together, just a few adjustments and printing of some of the data was needed. I worked methodically, double checking my numbers, and eating my lunch when someone brought it to me, though, I don’t remember what my lunch was or who brought it. When Tessa and Anne came to chase me out of the office at five, I had completed half of the work, saving the rewrites for the weekend.

Tessa and Anne walked with me to my car. Tessa eyed the pile of files I put on the passenger seat. As I went to get in behind the wheel she pointed out, “You won’t get any sleep if you take those with you.”

“It’s the only work I’m taking with me. I’ll be back on Wednesday.”

I waived out the window as I drove away. By six, I was all settled in my room for the next few days. Feeling hungry, I started to page through the room service menu. I was still searching for something to eat when I heard a knock at the door.

I looked out the peep hole and saw the one person I didn’t want to deal with tonight. Cain. Shoot, he did know where I was. I saw what else he had with him when I opened the door; room service for two and a suitcase.

“Can I come in?”

My words for FreshHell  are : Mabel, teaching, paintbrush.

August Blog Chain

This is my first time participating in the blog chain on Absolute Write. Here’s the question coryleslie asked me:

“You mention miracles in multiple posts on your blog. What constitutes a miracle to you, and do you plan to factor this into your writing?”

Honestly, I believe miracles are those little moments when you look back and say, “ah, I understand.” Only to realize you have no idea how such a thing came to be. Miracles happen everyday. A miracle can simply be the fact that you realize how someone is, and that you accept them for them.

Love itself is a miracle. How can two people fall in love and stay together for the rest of their lives? To trust someone to that extent is in and of itself a miracle. You have to trust that when you say, “Here. This is who I am.” That, that person will wrap you in their arms and accept you, warts and all. I find it a miracle the people who love whole heartily, are left broken and torn, only to go out and try it/do it again. And the ones that do find that love, I am envious of their miracle.

Maybe miracles are merely the insane finally accomplishing the result from their repetitous choices. Or, maybe a miracle isn’t a miracle, but a simple understanding and acceptance of what is.

I don’t know if I’ll factor miracles into my writing. I more than likely will. Since I am finding the  people around me to be little miracles. For some, just how with all the adversity in their life, how they came out to be such caring and sincere individuals. The more I think on it, the more I think I will. How else will the world see the miracle that a simple mind observes in the flowers and trees.

Here’s my question for Raven:  You’ve mentioned an annoyance with people who butcher the English Language, your co-workers and your animals throughout your blog. How do they influence your writing, and do you use any of them as models for main or supporting characters?

Participants:
Claire Crossdale ; razibahmed; aimeelaine; bsolah; dnic; JamieMT; LiliCray; ealexis; errantruth; Lady Cat; Proach; Simran; lostwanderer5; Forbidden Snowflake; coryleslie; RavenCorinnCarluk

Books I have read

Redone:  2009 Booklist

The Last Mortal Man by Syne Mitchell

Me and My Brothers by (vol. 1-7)

Jurasssic Park by Michael Crighton

Adromeda Strain by Michael Crighton

High School Debut by (vol. 1-12)

Motor Mouth by Janet Evonovich

The Comeback Kiss by

Heart Fate by

Millennium Snow by Hatori Bisco (vol. 1,2)

OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB by Hatori Bisco (vol. 1-13)

The Fiction Class by Susan Breen

Loveless by  (vol. 1-9)

Fruits Basket by  (vol. 1-23)

Camping

Camping is an adventure that you need to take a vacation from. Sadley I must work tomorrow. It is amazing how tired you can become from simply tent camping one night.

It took two and a half hours to leave. I was packed, ready to leave, then needed gas. Got the gas, on the way out of town, the phone call. “Where are you going next?” Well I was going to Wal mart, so go to Wal mart, get what I need and then some. Run back home drop off the requested item, to the storage unit! Yeah.

Spend time looking for all the camping gear. Find it, drive an hour and a half to the next Wal mart. (hmm… possible pattern?) Walk up and down the SUPER Wal mart to find food, dried goods, a flashlight(see I forgot something. The nice lantern type flashlight sitting on my bed back home. It was still there when I got back.) and lighter fluid.

Drive another 45 minutes to the camp ground. Get a tent spot. Did I mention this was tent camping? Not the nice reserve a trailer with a real bed camping. No, the sleep in a sleeping bag on the hard ground trying not to end up with all the blood rushing to your head because the ground is tilted, tent camping.

Got checked in, found a site (close to bathrooms and playground… not so sure that was the best), set up tent and lay out sleeping bags, go back to Wal mart to pick up a charcoal grill and charcoal grill. Who knew that due to all of this hot weather there were no open camp fires. Finally back to camp ground. By now it’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I am tired.

Finish unpacking all of the equipment, prepare grill, get fishing license. Now fishing would be okay if I was only watching one pole. But I spent a half hour feeding the fish bait. Bobber goes down, fish gets away. Fall back for dinner…. drum roll please: HOT DOGS!!! Now aren’t those the best?? I actually managed toasty, crispy, burnt hotdogs. The best!

The campground had a fun family event: Hula dancers. They were great ittty bitty little girls to middle aged women. By that time it was time for bed. Somehow amongst all the kids not going to bed, the guy in the next tent who snores loud enough to wake me up in the middle of the night, I fell asleep.  Thank God for sleeping bags rated at 30 degrees.

Morning. Oh was it cold. Took forever to willingly crawl out of bed and go make breakfast. Luck Charms and bananas.

Get ready for the day, crafts, start tearing down the campsite, playground, make lunch(hot dogs ). Let charcoal cool, go look for golf balls to play miniture golf. None. Next option, swimming. Doesn’t last long, but wastes time. Finish cleaning up tent site, go to icecream social. Head home, realize I am too old to sleep on the ground.

Stop at Starbucks, need coffee! Drive home, unload car at storage unit, unload car at house. 3 hours later, still exhausted.

Support

I have recently had the pleasure of discussing writing with a fellow colleague. Something we share is the wish to become published. We also wish we had a group to write with, that thankfully is in the works. Now we must simply become dedicated and serious. Anything to encourage and support ourselves. 

I am also graced with the support of friends who give honest criticism. It helps that one has an English major and has the tactand confidence to read my work and give me suggestions in a caring manor.  I have to say I spend more time laughing at myself when errors are pointed out to me. I am also learning new things, or rather relearning all those terms and sentence structures I forgot in high school.

So I am in the process of writing short stories for school and researching topics for longer books.

I can go forward, simply because I have this small system of support. Hopefully it will grow larger as I meet new people, and gain the maturity I’ll need in writing to publish.

In this world anything is possible, especially when you have people behind you.

Time Management, Part 2

Staying up until 3 in the morning is not the best way to manage time.

I did manage to get the house clean and post many meaningless comments elsewhere, but not everything I did was what I wanted to do. The downside to such poor management is the total lack of self discipline. I ended up very tired at work.

I ended up very tired at work, relying on venti peppermint mocha’s to get me through the day. Here, miraculously,  is where time management works. I know exactly how many documents I can review in one hour. I know how many I can do on a bad day and on a good day. I know the other projects that are on my desk waiting to be done.

I do data entry. Great place to work, great people. Not so great half asleep. But knowing how tired I am, I choose the lower quota for the day, and spend the last two hours of my work day doing projects that do not tax my brain. Yeah! Time saved, projects worked on.

Now, I have in all of this insanity of staying up until 3 in the morning, managed to complete a writing assignment, start a plot, research writing material, books, authors and what not. I have not managed in time for sleep.

I simple believe that there is not enough time in the day to do everything I want to do. But I have come to realize that time is like a void, or the vacuum effect found on California highways. If there is more than half a car length between two cars, another car automatically gets sucked in there. If there was more time, I would have more things I would want to do, and less time to do them.

Time Management, Part 1

I admit I have taken the time management classes. I do not think they have helped yet. Either they are not helping or I do not have a realistic view on how long it takes to do things.

Simple human nature/factors interfere in my carefully calculated time schedule. Such as right now. I should be in bed thinking of wonderful new stories to write, instead I am typing on my blog for the simple fact I have been absent from it.

So absent, that a simple five minute task of opening the blog should not have taken ten minutes.  Open main email, find username and password to second email, find username to blog. Enter password in wrong the first time. Second time was the charm.

Now, if I had retained any of the skills or lessons from any of those courses. I would have all of this information logically placed somewhere requiring no ‘clicks’ to open one website.

Everthing should have a place and a time. Even human nature should be included and given a few minutes. I have since then given human nature all the minutes and feel I am lucky to get just a teeny tiny bit of writing done.