What This Author is Doing Today

Monday. It's raining. Need I say more?

Almost time for Dr. Oz. Love that show.

On the agenda for today: laundry, writing (chapter 5), 30 minutes on treadmill, grocery shopping.

And that's the true picture of a writer's life. No bon-bons, no pool parties, no maids.

"Mood" Writing

Just looked at the clock and realized the morning is nearly gone! I've managed to take a shower and shampoo my hair. Since it's getting longer I usually let it partially air dry before attacking it with a hot air curling brush. Um, well, it's going to be a bad hair day. I look a bit like a clown with fuzzy hair. I doubt my curling brush will even go through this mop.

I still need to hop on the treadmill to get my morning exercise in before it's time to do the afternoon exercise. Yeah, it's not shaping up to be a good day. I'm thinking about putting it off and doing a full hour later this afternoon after I cram my hair under a ball cap.

Top that off with the dark, dreary skies and no sign of sunshine. Yuck! My mood is not the greatest. I think I'll pull up my book and write a dismal scene. It's the only good thing I can think to salvage out of this day. I call it "mood" writing.

Curtains opened, fingers on keyboard, go!

Ugh! Why Did I Do That?

Do you ever get mad at yourself for doing something you shouldn't?

Yesterday we attended a picnic with friends from church. The weather couldn't have been nicer. Nice breeze and high seventy temps. Friends who have a fantastic back yard of four acres filled with flower gardens, ponds, and fresh vegetable plots were the perfect hosts! We had a fantastic time.

So, what did I do wrong?

I ate a piece of cake and a homemade ice cream sandwich (ice cream between two large M&M cookies).  I should have avoided the treats NOT because I am trying to lose weight, but because I am battling high blood sugar. When I eat too many foods on the high glycemic index, then my blood sugar gets high and then...drops. The drop causes me to have bouts of "personal summers" or what some women think of as hot flashes. Mine are not due to a change in hormonal levels, but the fluctuating blood sugar. I need to maintain levels in the normal range.

Too bad this won't imprint on my brain like abstaining from food which causes a bout of stomach upset!  I really need to work on having a message trigger my brain to shout STOP! when I forget the after affects of eating such yummy treats!

Hope you all had a beautiful weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Fitting it All In Your Suitcase

Have you ever packed for a trip and found you couldn't fit everything into your suitcase? I remember sitting on mine to close the locks because I'd stuffed so much inside. Then I'd find something else to add, and would have to decide how important that item was. I could leave it behind, or open that suitcase and try to find a spot for it, or I could remove something else to make room for the item.

How about your goals for the day? Do you find yourself adding new items, trying to stuff them in the short hours available? Eventually, something will not get done. Just like the suitcase, there is only so much room.

When I retired, I dreamed of sitting at my desk eight hours a day and doing nothing but writing. I envisioned it, I longed for it, and finally I had the opportunity. What I hadn't bargained for were all those daily things that get in the way. I still had a house to run, a husband to feed and care for, laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, yard work, and the added challenges of volunteer work for my church.

The eight hour a day dream didn't come to fruition. Some days I sit and wonder how I ever managed to get everything done while I worked a full-time job. What happened?

Some days my suitcase is so full there is no way to close it. Other days, I'm so tired from closing the suitcase the prior day that I leave it sitting open and empty.

The key is defining the important things I need in the suitcase and leaving others behind. That's hard. Especially when an item is something like watching my favorite television show. Something has to give.

I'd always thought that when my children moved out, I would have more time for things I wanted to do. Not so.  Enter the husband.

But that's another story. I'll talk about that on Monday. For now, I have an open suitcase with only one thing inside. I need to go prioritize what to pack today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Critiquing Isn't for Me

Word for the Day: Ugh

I'm not posting a picture today. Sorry. Couldn't find one that inspired me. Today I want to write about critiquing. I volunteered to judge entries for a contest in our local chapter. I want to help and encourage. However, I'm bound to a stupid numbered scoresheet. Sure, I can make comments, but putting numbers on a writer's work really is hard. I don't want to discourage anyone, but I have to act like an editor in order to help them.

I'm so wishy-washy when it comes to critiquing anyone else's work. Don't know why, but I've learned one lesson. I will never judge another contest. No way. Hate the numbers. Have I said that before? Well, I do.

My friend and I get together for lunch and we talk about writing. We brainstorm and talk about things that have us stuck. We toss around suggestions and that works for me. So, even though it's a rainy day, I'm off to shower and get ready to have lunch with my friend. I'll deal with the numbers later. Ugh.

Thanks for stopping by!

Best Friends, Laptops, and Furry Babies

Quote for the Day: The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had. ~Author Unknown

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe by Teri Wilson

Picture of the Day:

We brought our fur babies home when they were eight weeks old. This is Charlotte. I received an email from our vet on Sunday. Our fur babies are now seven year old! Hard to believe. They grow much faster than our human babies.

Yesterday, I finally got a handle on the "overwhelmed" state of my life. I feel like I accomplished quite a lot, including mowing the lawn and weeding. Today seems manageable. The only thing I wish to do is write, so I allow myself the morning to tend to a few writing tasks, which helps me face the mundane everyday tasks.

What a gorgeous day in Ohio yesterday! I sat on the deck for two hours with my laptop and wrote. It's my favorite place to be, especially when my laptop accompanies me. Making progress toward writing "the end."

Currently, I'm taking an online writing course on "Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist" taught by Margie Lawson. What a fantastic class, and very timely. I'm using all the lectures to power up my current manuscript. Margie's classes are always dynamite, and I mean that in the best way. She inspires me to "do it better." So, now I'm off to the mundane, so I can get back to the joy of writing.

Tomorrow I have lunch with my very best friend. And the quote above says it all about our relationship.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank Goodness for Laptops

Word for the Day: Stormy

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe, by Teri Wilson

Picture for the Day:

My hubby reading my first published novel.

Yesterday, we began working on putting a ring of red castle stones around the trees in our front yard. We found them on sale and purchased 88 of them. Talk about heavy dead weight! Those suckers weigh nearly 19 pounds each. Since hubby can't lift them (or rather shouldn't be lifting them), I took them out of the truck and put on a hand dolly to cart them four at a time to the area where he laid them. We finished one complete row and began stacking the second level before giving up for the day. Then about an hour later the storms began.

This morning it's still dark and stormy. Windy, thunder. Hmmm. So, my muscles get a reprieve today!

I'm planning on taking my laptop upstairs and writing most of the day. Wish I had one of those batteries that last longer than an hour. *sigh* Stormy days are great for creating darker scenes. Maybe I'll write the last chapter today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Newly Opened Rainy Day Door

Thought for the day:  When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. ~~Alexander Graham Bell

I had planned to mow the lawn today. But when I awoke I found no sunshine...only rain.

Today is a perfect day for writing. The sky is overcast, making the landscape dark and dreary. Rain is falling, nourishing the flowers, bushes, trees, and grass...um, and weeds.

Although I heard thunder earlier, now it appears this is just going to be a nice rainy day.

So, I plan to fire up the laptop and get lost in writing today. The weather is perfect for getting into my heroine Amy's state of mind.

When I started writing this novel, Amy didn't have a child. Around page 62, I decided the plot would work much better if I added in this extra layer of conflict. So, I've edited the pages, adding in her little girl, Megan. The only problem is, I already have another little girl in the story. Jenny is two years older than Megan. Keeping both of the girls active in the scenes is proving to be a real challenge. But, I'm looking forward to making it work. My goal is to write a new chapter today. Why not? If I go outside, I just might melt!!

I'm not going to look back at the closed door, but walk boldly through the newly opened one.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

What's Not to Love about Counting Down the Days...

On December 31, I will be leaving my full-time day job. That's only 55 more days! And only eight more Mondays! I don't like Mondays.

However, it does get harder and harder to make myself go into work each day.

I'm counting down...but the countdown is soooo slow, and yet so exciting.

A new phase of my life. Something unknown. Adventure awaits...and hopefully, new books to write.

Have a wonderful Friday!

Thanks for stopping by.

Scavenger Hunt for Free Books

Do you like to read? Want to win free books and more? Check out the White Roses in Bloom blog on Saturday for full details.

Sixteen authors, including me, will be hiding a beautiful mug somewhere on our blog or website. We'll give you the list of sites. All you have to do is find the different colored mugs and submit your answers to be included in the drawing for free prizes. Check out the details on Saturday, September 12, at White Roses in Bloom.

I've been so busy over the past week or so that I hadn't written any new pages for my manuscript. Yesterday, I entered the fictional world of my characters. What a blessing! It's amazing how I lose all track of time and place when I walk in my characters shoes. This transformation is rewarding. Nothing makes me more sure that I was meant to write than moments like this.

Thanks for stopping by!

Headaches

Today is a bad day with the headache. Yesterday it started again and it hasn't really let up yet. I'll be glad to find out next Monday what the CT scan shows. I'm pretty sure it's just sinus infection, one that won't let go. I hate drugs, but at this point, I'd be happy to receive something to give me relief. The headaches aren't constant. Instead they come and go, come and go. Sometimes behind my eyes, sometimes at the base of my skull, sometimes on top of my head, but never across my forehead. Weird, huh?

Maybe stress is causing it.

I hope you all have a wonderful day. Thanks for stopping by!

When All IWant to Do is Go Back To Sleep...

...but I have to get moving and go to work, there is only one thing for me to do. Read my horoscope. My horoscope for today:

New ideas are coming your way today -- maybe too many of them! It's a really good time to take a break from your preconceptions and see if you can get a jump on the next big thing.

I sure hope this applies to my writing, not my job, although I am ready to move one. Just four more months.

Thanks for stopping by!

Doctors, Self-Diagnosis, and When Not to Listen

For the past week I've had pain in my jaw from where I had the shots from the dentist. This is not common. Usually in a day or two the pain recedes. The pain has been intermittent, worse in the morning. Yesterday my ear on that side began to ache. I had a headache and pains shooting up the side of my skull above the ear. At times it felt as if I were on an airplane and my ears needed to pop. Afraid to go out of town and get sick, I gave up when hubby insisted I see the doctor. Not wanting to miss work I went to an Urgent Care facility.

My experience with the doctor: He looked in both ears and said he saw no infection. Without looking further or asking any other questions, he said the problem was most likely caused by allergies. He said he would give me two prescriptions, Biaxin as an antibiotic and a steroid pack. That's it. He left, sent the nurse back in with the prescriptions and I was dismissed.

Do you see a problem with this? I sure do!

I know I have allergies and I could feel my sinuses clogged, but no infection seemed to be plaguing me. Just the weird pain.

I know I have a problem with TMJ. The left side of my jaw pops when I open wide. So, I came home and forced my mouth to open wide. It hurt. I continued until I heard it pop. I moved my jaw a bit open and closed and from side to side. Before going to bed I took ibuprofen.

This morning my jaw hurt really bad again. I did the same thing with my jaw and now the pain has lessened. I still have aching in my jaw/ear but I believe ibuprofen will help. I've researched TMJ and I'm sure that's the real problem. TMJ can cause headache and stomach upset. I've had both recently.

I am not going to fill the prescriptions given by the doctor. I will take Mucinex for the congestion and allergies and ibuprofen for the pain in my ear. Then I'll call the dentist and have them look at my mouth. After all, the pain started after that brutal session.

Bottom line, it pays to do self diagnosis and do it BEFORE going to see the doctor. With the insurance companies and their policies, doctors are running people in and out of their offices in a constant stream, and writing prescriptions without doing any diagnosis. Please be cautious. After all, it is your body...and your money.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Dangerous Salad

Yesterday for lunch I wanted a salad. Boy, did it look yummy! A perfect day, warm and comfortable, sunny, and nice wind blowing. I usually sit in my car at lunch to just get away and do some quiet brainstorming or reading. It doesn't get better than this.

So, I took my very first bite of mixed greens and bit on something hard! I maneuvered it around until I could grab it and...it was a piece of tooth. A large piece of tooth. At first I was grossed out and ready to go back to the restaurant and demand my money back. Then...I remembered that cracked molar that I've been ignoring for a year and a half.

Wiggled tongue around in mouth and felt the sharp edges of broken tooth. Argh! The only good thing is it isn't causing any pain. Well, unless you count the place where my tongue comes in contact and is irritated.

Today will consist of a trip to the dentist. Now I'm only hoping they can get it crowned before RWA National, but there's little hope for that. Temporary caps and I do not get along.

And, I have a headache so going to the dentist does not bode well for me today.

On a lighter note, I just might stay home today and write. I'm not good with dentists, numbing meds, drilling, and swollen face. I suppose I could write this into my manuscript somehow. Maybe torturing one of my characters will make me feel better.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weaving Romance, Suspense, and Inspiration...

...is not easy to do. How do you get the correct balance?

My latest manuscript is challenging me. I have a great conflict. The characters have gripped my heart.

But, when I thing too hard about getting the right balance of everything, it stops my progress. That dratted inner editor keeps whispering in my ear.

So, what to do? I decided to try something different. I'm going to finish the book focusing on the romance and development between the characters as they deal with the mystery/suspense that has drawn them together. I'm not comfortable with quoting scripture as some authors do.

Maybe I shouldn't classify my romance as an inspirational. True, my characters are christian, but I want them to be real people, not cardboard christians that I see in a lot of inspirational books.

Guess that means this book may never get published. But...it will get written, and when I'm finished, I can sing, "I Did It My Way!"

Have a great day. Thanks for stopping by.

Patience, Lord...

My daughter tells me I shouldn't pray for patience or God will give me situations in which I must practice patience. *sigh*

Yesterday opportunities abounded in which to practice patience.

#1 - Hubby is a trustee at church and this is his month to lock up the church. NO problem. Our Bible Study group met at 12:30 right after the second service. Problem: We could not open the closet which housed the keys to lock all the doors--and every one was open. There was a Master Lock box on the door which required a code to open. Okay, no one told hubby about this lock box or the code. The person in charge of the trustees had not given him a walk-through of what to do, but we figured it wouldn't be a big deal to lock all the doors, provided we had the tools to do so. At 2pm in the afternoon, all alone in a vast church, the problem loomed quite large. So, I began calling people from the church directory who lived close by. Answering machines. What did I expect on a beautiful, sunny Sunday? Finally, I reached someone who gave us the code--which didn't work! What now? Back to the phones. I reached another lady I knew would be helpful. Guess what? She gave me the same code. *sigh* However, she did tell me to call if I couldn't get it to work because she had a key that would open the door. Ten more minutes of trying and I had to ask her to bring that key. She arrived, in a good humor, thank the good Lord. I had her check the code and sure enough, I had input it correctly. HOWEVER, no one ever told us a Master Box would drop open and reveal a "key" to open the door! She simpy pulled the lock box open and grinned. Well, geesh. Patience, Lord. Then, she showed me the master floor plan with different colored dots. Apparently on the first Sunday, all the fire extinguishers need to be checked and initialed. And all the thermostats need to be checked and set appropriately. Did I tell you VAST church. Our sanctuary seats 1800 people. There is a huge family life center, AND an attached academy for preschool through sixth grade! Two floors of classrooms. An hour later, with all the extinguishers checked, the thermostats reset, and all the doors locked, we made our way home.

#2 - Had to go grocery shopping so we could eat this week. Took Mom with me because she "needed a few things." Last week she bought a one pound package of cheese slices, of which she still had over half left. She kept asking me where the BOX of three packages of cheese slices were. That's what she always buys. Before I could find this box of cheese, she began a frustrated string of words about how she should have brought the two boxes from her refrigerator along with her. Patience, Lord. I explained again how we had no way to refrigerate the cheese on our ten hour trip from Illinois to Ohio and that's why we didn't bring it. Luckily, I found the box of cheese slices, and she's now happy.

#3 - Hubby walked into my office and looked at the box of 100 calorie Kudos. He looked inside, picked up a M & M bar and asked if the bars were mine. I told him to help himself (thinking, this is exactly what he asked me two weeks ago when he took an M & M bar). Then he proceeded to ask me where I got them. I explained I purchased them from GFS when I purchased the paper products for our grandson's wedding reception. He stared at the bar, turned it around in his hand, and smiled. I told him to help himself whenever he wanted...but then I slipped and said, "Just as I told you two weeks ago when you asked me about them and ate an M & M bar." He said, "Really? I don't remember seeing these before." *sigh* Patience, Lord.

How Do You Get Your Ideas?

I see this question asked over and over again by writers, readers, and aspiring writers. I've always found this hard to answer when I'm asked this in an interview. So, I did some introspection to try and find out what it is that gives me a story starter.

As I've proclaimed many times, I'm a true pantster. If I plot and outline, you can just bet I won't ever write that particular story. There's something about the process that freezes my brain and stifles my creativity. So, what is it that gives me the idea for a story? It's a mood, a feeling, something I absorb into my mind when I look out the window of my office or my car.

Today, the sky is dark, there is a breeze blowing the trees, and lone bird sits on a wire. No cars are moving, nothing else is stirring. This pulls my mind into a scene of being all alone. I feel a woman who is at the depths of despair over something that has happened or is about to happen. Then I begin typing out what emotions I'm feeling and believe it or not, scene develops. My story builds around this scene. I don't yet know where the story might go, but I do have a deep-rooted awareness of my heroine.

There's nothing magical, nothing formulaic, just a dumping of what comes into my brain. Hmm, perhaps that is magical to someone who plots.

Thanks for stopping by!

When to Learn and When to Write

When I first began writing, I never once thought about "learning" the craft. I had a knack of sitting at a blank screen thinking of a first sentence and then just writing, writing, writing and seeing how the story developed on its own. I could spin a story of 1500 words in less than an hour. Writing was fun!

Then a yearning began deep in my heart to write a novel. I'd already written the beginning of a scene a few years prior--a scene that haunted me. From that scene, I wrote Hit and Run. I spent many hours glued to the computer, typing and being surprised by the story which developed until THE END came at page 347 a short three months later. That's when I discovered "writer's groups" existed. Wow! I could take classes on-line and learn how to become an author!

Thus began a "muddling of the mind." So many rules. So many do not's. Immersed in learning my craft, I kept revising and revising my novel. Soon, I became so confused I lost my enthusiasm for getting published. How could I write with all these rules and guidelines squeezing my brain? My writing shelf overflowed with "how to" craft books. Many contradicted another. Egads!

At this point, I could have quit. But, I stepped back and realized that all the classes and all the books had something I could use. I only had to learn what worked for me. Each writer is unique. Each writer approaches the craft in a different way. Thank goodness! No one would read if each of us produced the same type of story every single time.

Writing is a solitary process. I need the comaraderie of fellow writers to keep me motivated and inspired--to help me know I'm not alone. I need to take a class or read a book, if it appeals to me, but I also need to write. In order to write, I need to forget all the so-called rules and let the story flow. For me, turning off the internal editor can be difficult. However, that's when my best comes out.

Here's my advice. Take classes, read books, learn the craft, but don't turn yourself into a perpetual student. Write, write, write. Apply what you've learned in the editing process. Separate the two things. It won't be easy, but it is necessary. Soon, you'll find yourself following the "important rules" unconsciously.

Don't lose the joy of writing.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hurray for Hypnotherapy!

This is day four and all I can say is I feel free! No more worrying about dieting. I know diets don't work for most people. I'm one of them.

Over the years, I've tried every new diet that has come along. I've tried health clubs, diet pills, exercise gimmicks, South Beach Diet, Atkins, and just plain calorie counting. Sure, they all work...short term. And then, guess what? All the weight is regained, plus a few more pounds. This is what is known as yo-yo dieting. (Raising hand here. I'm guilty.)

As a last resort I decided to try the hypnotherapy route. I didn't go into this without doing some research. I didn't want to do the group hypnosis thing either. This is a personal venture for me and I'm different from every other person. How can a group session be geared specifically to me? I knew it wouldn't work. But I found a wonderful lady here in my home town who specializes in hypnotherapy for various things, one being weight loss. We talked on the telephone for about twenty minutes before my first session on Thursday. I felt very comfortable with her and with her process. So, I scheduled an appointment.

When I walked into her office, I sat in a chair next to her desk. She offered me a water and then handed me several papers to fill out. One was to list all the family history diseases and to list any medications I'm currently taking. Then I read over a two page sheet of "symptoms" and highlighted every one that applied to me. These were the tools to help her focus in on my specific problems and needs. We talked for another fifteen minutes about why I was there, what I had tried and she explained why diets don't work. She also explained the hypnosis session, what she would be doing, and what I would be doing. I felt good to know that she wouldn't be in control of my mind, but that I would be in control all the time. I would be listening to her suggestions. Interestingly, I learned that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.

Next we went into a room which had low lighting and I sat in a wonderfully comfortable soft leather recliner. I could control how far back I wanted to recline. Once comfortable she turned on ocean sounds which were very soothing. Then she proceeded with the actual program. I was totally aware of everything she said and could remember each word and suggestion. They all made sense to me. Throughout I felt as if I were floating on a raft on a calm body of water. After she brought me out of the hypnosis, I wasn't sure I had truly been hypnotized. She said I had been a great subject and that my movements had shown her that I had accepted her suggestions and that I had gone under quite deep. Amazing!

I left feeling very positive. One of the suggestions she gave me before the session and during the session was to make a fist with my hand. The size of my fist is the size of my stomach. Then I opened my fist and that is the size of the food portions that would fill me up.

Armed with a CD to listen to each night and a book which explains the reason diets don't work, I am prepared to believe. I attest that it is working. I don't know about weight loss. I can't weigh myself for a month. But I cannot believe how much less I've eaten for the past three days. I get full and I'm satisfied. Best of all, I don't really think a lot about food. I can eat whatever I want! That in itself is freeing. I don't worry about the calories, the fat, any of those "diet" words. Thus, I don't feel deprived. I just eat less. It's a wonderful feeling.

Hubby took me out to eat for Mother's Day. I wanted to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant. I ordered my usual grande burrito, which I would usually eat. All of it. Every morsel. Not so now. I ate 1/3 and was full! The rest is in the fridge and will be my lunch for the next two days. Need I say more?

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

Happy belated mother's day to all the mothers who are reading my blog.

Writer's Block, Hypnotherapy, and Me Time

I don't believe in writer's block, but I do believe that real life can sometimes take so much mental energy that you have to allow yourself to step back and recoup. With all the things happening surrounding moving my mother from Illinois into our home in Ohio, my mental energy is truly tapped out. Couple that with having new windows installed on Monday, along with a new furnace and central air at the same time, company coming from Michigan on Friday, that's a lot. Sometime between Tuesday and Thursday, I have to clean the clutter, put all the furniture back and buy groceries.
The following week my grandson gets married on Saturday, then Sunday morning we are off to Illinois.

I'm giving myself permission to step back from writing until June. My best advice to you other writers is to know when you need to step away from the computer and tend to the issues that are most important. I know you've heard "write something every day." You can still do that. Just don't push yourself to come up with the next scene or chapter of your book. If you have a blog, post something there.

If, like me, you also have a full-time job, sometimes there just isn't enough energy left at the end of the day when you have other pressing issues. Remember, relationships are very important. In the long run, the relationships you build with people will bless you. Don't ever beat yourself up because you feel like a failure for not pushing yourself beyond your limits.

Last night I began the journey into hypnotherapy for weight loss. I'm happy that I did this FOR ME. I love the knowledge that it is the total package of mind, body, and spirit. No, she didn't hold a shiny watch in front of my eyes and tell me I was getting sleepy. It doesn't work that way. But the power of positive thinking can do wonders in anything you attempt. Yes, even in completing your latest manuscript.

Just received Patty Lacy's new book, "What the Bayou Saw" by Kregel Publications. I can't wait to read it. The cover is beautifully haunting. Patty has a way with characters. They reach out of the page and grab you by the heart.

Thanks for stopping by!