Sunday, July 30, 2006

WIP Progress Report

I worked on my novel today, and here's why. Something author Jennie Hansen said in a blog comment on another site stirred my heart and made me realize that Yes, I have a gift from on high, and Yes, it is a calling, and Yes, I have to share it. So, I write when my characters tell me what they want to do. Even if they tell me on Sunday.

So far, I'm not making any money from my books, although I expect that I will someday. At that point, I will probably feel the need to refrain from Sunday writing, but at this point, it's still a calling. Besides, everyone's always calling me to finish this book. You can't imagine how guilty I feel when I don't write, because people at my church, as well as people in the community and all over the nation, keep bugging me to finish my novel. They have read about, enjoyed, and identified with my characters, and THEY WANT MORE!!!!

That's a neat feeling, by the way: to have your words be in demand. One of my most cherished moments was when a reader emailed me that my first book made her want to be a better wife. YES! (pumping arm) This, from a women who had never read a "Western" in her life. My doctor goes on and on about the theme of redemption in my second novel. (I'm glad he pointed out all the symbolism to me, heh-heh.)

Oh, I'd better give my word count, since this is a progress report: 1068! I'm nearing 80% of my goal! I might have written more, but I was having trouble breathing until I slapped myself upside the head and said, "It's your annual asthma attack, silly!" After using my inhaler, I was so shaky that I couldn't type, so I quit.

Hey, can I count the words in this report?

A good writing day

This month I've been doing the recordkeeping and sort of facilitating a BIAM for American Night Writer Association members and guests on our outreach list, anwadiscuss (soon to be renamed ANWAWrite). I kept my goal low, and figured 500 words a day over 25 days of writing would be doable. As always seems to happen to me when I'm keeping score, I couldn't write on schedule. I've only written 10 days out of the past 29, but I've achieved 70% of my goal! Just this evening, I wrote 1673 words. Yahoo! (not the company, the shout.)

I'm feeling pretty good, and making significant progress on my WIP. Of course, since this is flat-out writing with no editing allowed, it may all be puke-green drivel, but I'm piling up words, glorious words! I'm quite happy with my fight scene now (doesn't that sound odd to you non-writers?), and I'm skipping some stretches of the country (my people are on a journey) until later. I've remembered that "if in doubt, skip and come back" is good advice.

I took a walk today, and it's been raining, so maybe the exercise and water therapy is working. I also watched the classic 1940 movie "Brigham Young," and learned in the commentary that some of the scenes were recycled from "The Big Trail," an early John Wayne movie. If you can't do the river crossings live, borrow them from somewhere else, yes? Ha ha.

How long will this euphoria last? Who knows. I'm off my anxiety medication after 8 years, so I may go up and down from now on.

I'll shut up now.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Why does an elk cross the road?

To show everyone that he's the master of all he surveys, especially the puny vehicles on the highway.

One late afternoon a month or so ago, I was heading out of town (Payson AZ, pop. 15,000) toward home. Just before one reaches Star Valley (the newest town in Arizona), an entry road comes down from The Knolls. As I approached the road, my eye caught sight of a magnificent elk trotting nonchalantly off the high ground and onto the road toward the highway. It was very evident that he wasn't about to stop for the humans and their curious contraptions, so all traffic ceded to his majesty and arrogance (in other words, came to a screeching halt!) as he proceeded across the 260.

What a glorious sight he was! Full rack, broad shoulders, fat brisket, lean legs and all. It was my first view of an elk in broad daylight--although I've been in the midst of a herd at twilight. But that's a tale for another day.

Adventures in the heat

Tuesday, I went down to the Valley (Phoenix AZ area) to do multiple errands and attend a meeting of Desert Rose Chapter of Romance Writers of America (R). I haven't been for a long while, as I've had a commitment on Tuesday nights, and that's when they hold the meetings.

I got a late start, so I was running those errands during the climbing-to-the-top-of-the-thermometer part of the day: driving around the East Valley, parking, getting out of my air-conditioned car, feeling the old internal heat rise as I hurried to where I was going, taking care of business, and then getting into the car again and trying to cool it down before my next stop. Even though the temp was only in the low hundreds, not the hundred-and-teens of the week before, I was not used to it (it seldom gets to 100 degrees on my mountain). Funny how quickly you can acclimatize to a lower-temperature climate.

My last stop before the meeting was at Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe, to hunt down something for a friend. I haven't been there more than two times, so I'm not familiar with the layout of the mall or where the store that I wanted was located. (Near the food court, she said, but where in heck was the food court?) Consequently, due to Murphy's Law or Corrillary, or one of those related dictums, I parked at the wrong end of the mall, entered through Entry 3 (it's always a real good idea to remember which entry you came in), entered Neighborhood Three (I kid you not) and finally found a directory (this mall is all squeewampus--the directory is NOT by the entry door!). Where was my intended store? All the way at the other end of Neighborhood One!!! Reached by passing through Neighborhood Two, naturally.

By this time, I was dehydrated and starving, not having taken the time to eat during the afternoon, since I would be doing that at my meeting. As time passed, I figured I shouldn't kill my appetite for Manual's cuisine. I set off down the concrete floor, then passed onto a hardwood floor, then some kind of rubberized matting, and finally, back onto hardwood as I approach my quarry. The master of the store was in, stocking product, but he was also on the phone (I could tell that because he was talking to himself and was wearing an odd horn-like projection near his mouth). I looked over the displays, but my desired item didn't seem to be present. I remember holding on to one of the display cases, hoping I wasn't going to embarrass myself by fainting in the "As Seen On TV" store (I'm sure that goes over better in the Saks 5th Avenue outlet, as there are numerous personnel to rush over and tend to you. Alas! Saks is located at the far end of Neighborhood One). When I reached the point where I didn't care if I interrupted the clerk's fascinating phone conversation or not, I did so, only to be told that the item I was seeking would be in no sooner than Friday.

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

I left the store, found a Hi-Health juice bar, and bought a couple of energy-type bars. I devoured one so I'd have the energy to trudge back through the Neighborhoods. One seemed to do the job, so I kept the second in reserve, in case my food didn't come fast enough at Manuel's.

As I walked, I looked down at my tennis-shoe clad feet. Strange. The right one had a rounded toe and three rows of dot-like perforations arranged in a horizontal, slightly curved pattern. The left one had a pointed toe, and its dots lay in a triangular pattern. What the...? I was wearing representatives from two different pairs of tennies!

Oh well, the cantina where we hold our meetings at Manuel's is typically pretty dark. I was sure no one would notice my feet when they were focussing on my face, trying to remember who I was.

About 7:30, before the main program even began, I got the feeling I needed to leave. It was less of a spiritual prompting than an uneasy stomach-ache, and a desire to get home before I threw up (fat chance--I had a two-hour drive ahead). Definitely dehydrated and disoriented.

I said my good-byes and gave my apologies, then left. When I gassed up for the trip home, I bought something to settle my stomach. Then I got on the highway.

What a trip! Lightning filled the sky over Fountain Hills to my left. The wind blew so hard that I had to drive 10 miles under the speed limit just to be able to control my car and keep it on the road. I prayed for a safe journey, and God heard my prayers.

In fact, I fully believe that He had been watching over me for the whole day. The stomach-ache that got me to leave was surely due to His love for me, because the storm got worse after I passed through it, and I might not have gotten out of the Valley if I had stayed for the entire meeting.

God Works in Mysterious Ways!

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Frequency

I'm not likely to ever again make thirteen posts in one day. I estimate that if I get here once a week with thoughts, observations, and progress reports on my WIP, that will be about all one can expect. Since I am spending my long-form creativity on the novel, and also participating in a Book-in-a-Month event during July, I figure the posts here will be short-form length. Enjoy!

More about critters

Originally written on: 26 Oct 2005

I was returning from my RWA meeting in Tempe last night, and was nearly up to the Bush Highway, when a coyote crossed my path. I've never seen one that close in the wild before. I swerved a bit to the left, and happily missed him. Fortunately, there was no other traffic on the road.

As I arrived in my little hamlet, I decided to check my mailbox. It was about 11:30 p.m., and when I walked back to my car, I was thrilled to hear an elk bugling on the hill facing the mailbox array. I'd heard them in Gordon Canyon, but not in my own neighborhood!

ANWA Writers Conference

Originally written on: 12 Oct 2005

I had the opportunity to present a class [called "So You Want to Write a Book: Basic Techniques"] twice at the ANWA Writers Conference last Saturday. What a fun time we had! I contacted most of the members of the classes beforehand, and asked them what they wanted to cover. From the responses, I was able to tailor each class to the participants, and address their concerns. It was a great experience.

I also sold a bunch of books. That was nice.

Flannel and sweats

Originally written on: 12 Oct 2005

Those sheets are a wonder! I'm sleeping through the night, toasty and warm.

The weather has definitely cooled off. I'm wearing sweats during the day and at night as PJs, too. I haven't started up my gas heater yet, so I'm bundling up to keep warm. I even throw on a scarf or muffler from time to time.

Ice warnings, colored leaves, flannel sheets

Originally written on: 07 Oct 2005

A couple of things I've noticed:

On October 1, all the highway signs that proclaim the possibility of ice on the road had been unfolded. These signs come in two styles: diamond shaped and rectangular. The rectangular ones usually have some generic message on the backside that shows in the summertime. The diamonds are just innocuous, blank triangles unless it's the season for ice warnings.

Leaves have been falling! Colors are showing with a vengeance. Pine needles litter my deck. I really have to do something about that, but it'll have to wait until after this weekend, when I'm giving a class twice at the ANWA writers conference.

Today I changed my sheets. I put on the flannel cowboy sheets I got for Christmas last year. Actually, I discovered them in the store, bought them, and then presented them to a son, telling him that this was what he was getting me for Christmas. Does anyone else do that?

Almost Roadkill

Originally written on: 28 Sep 2005

Last night I was coming home from a dinner in Mesa. Just before I hit the Preacher Canyon highway split, I spotted a raccoon crossing the road in front of me. Due to some quick evasive manuevering, I avoided hitting it, but it almost became roadkill. Whew! I would not have liked smashing it.

There ARE four seasons here!

Originally written on: 20 Sep 2005

Our weather has been a bit warmer this week than last, but I noticed today the first colored leaves on the trees. The tips of the leaves on my little oak out front are morphing from green to yellow. Another oak tree down the way has a lot of yellow color.

Wood smoke and other things

Originally written on: 15 Sep 2005

I went into Payson today to pick up a prescription, and to get a tire looked at. I thought it was lower than it should be. My local guy (one of our few amenities here is an auto repair shop) was out on a tow and the shop was closed, so I drove into town as carefully as I could. The Payson tire guy couldn't find any leak, and thus didn't charge me a cent. That was a good thing!

While I was in town, I went to the pizza buffet at Railroad Pizza and stuffed myself. Then I saw a movie, "March of the Penguins." I enjoyed it. Quite moving, how much sacrifice the mother and father penguins go through for the benefit of their chicks. Something humans could take to heart!

When I got back, it was wood smoke time again. This time I didn't panic, but recognized it right off. I'm getting more experienced.

Fall Redux

Originally written on: 15 Sep 2005

Last night wasn't as cool as the night before, although I wore a sweater in the house before I retired. I woke up with my head and shoulders uncovered. That only happens when I'm comfortable.

I haven't seen leaves turning yet, but I'll keep my eyes open.

Fall

Originally written on: 14 Sep 2005

It's definitely Fall now. The temp didn't get above 70 degrees F in the house yesterday. I happened to change my sheets yesterday, and put on a blanket that I thought would do the job of keeping me warm. Surprise! I had to get up in the middle of the night to throw a quilt over the blanket, because I'd been shivering up to then.

I need to go down to my storage in Mesa and retrieve my other quilts and my sweaters. It's time to start layering clothing. Yippee! That means Summer is behind us, and I won't roast any more without a/c. That also means as soon as the temps in the Valley go lower than 90, I can go sit in my storage unit and get rid of things I didn't have time to go through before.

Wildlife

Originally written on: 12 Sep 2005

Yesterday as I was driving to Church, a squirrel ran across the road. I thought to myself, Hmmm, I wonder if there's any superstition about a squirrel crossing the road in front of you? I decided that for me, it would mean good luck is coming my way. On my way home from Church, the little squirrel was by the side of the road, lying on its back, stiff as a board. Crossing the road certainly wasn't good luck for the squirrel! No, no! I didn't run over it!

This morning I heard footsteps on my roof. About a month ago, my home teacher and the branch president were up there rolling some kind of plasticizing goop on my roof to stop the leaks (it worked!). I got up to see if they were back for some reason. Nope, there was no ladder leaning against the porch. I waited for a moment, then saw the shadow of a squirrel jumping from my roof to my neighbor's roof. More indications of good luck? It surely must be! But who would have thought a tiny squirrel made as much noise on my roof as a human?

Wood Smoke

Originally written on: 11 Sep 2005

I love the fragrance of wood smoke. That's fortunate, as my neightbors across the way have a wood stove. It's getting nippy in the morning as Fall approaches, so I'm going to smell it more and more.

One thing I have to remember is that the odor of wood burning does not automatically mean that there's a forest fire in the vicinity. Sometimes I panic a bit before I remember that.

Maybe I should close my windows as the temperature decreases? It's taking a bit of mental work to figure out how to live up here on "the mountain" fulltime. I haven't yet figured out when the daytime temperatures will actually fall into the 70s and stay there all day. Maybe it'll happen today?

The world we live in: Katrina, the hurricane

Originally written on: 08 Sep 2005

August 29 and 30, 2005, will be remembered by the majority of us as a milepost in our lives.

The question, "Where were you when Katrina hit, the levees broke, and New Orleans flooded?" is now added to the list that includes vivid memories about 9-11, the Challenger explosion, and JFK's murder.

I'm one of those people whose lives stopped while the images rolled on television. I've wasted vast blocks of time absorbing the news, feeling overwhelmed by the sweep of the devastation (larger than Great Britain), and sympathizing with the evacuees. I've prayed, emailed friends in the area, given money, and put donation links on websites. I live pretty far away from any shelters, so I can't volunteer at one. What more can I do?

Down-sizing, or adjusting to living in a small space

Originally written on: 08 Sep 2005

I used to live in a house in a large metropolitan area.

It was what real estate people call a "starter" house, just right for beginning a family. My husband and I managed to raise all five kids to teenage-hood in the same 1300 square foot house, and I lived there for 23 years. I survived two deaths in the family, married off a son, and saw my children leave, one by one, except for the youngest. One of my older sons moved back in, so we were three in the household. I joked that I'd have to sell my house to get them to leave. I was kidding.

Then, out of the blue, someone wanted to buy my house because it has a huge cul-de-sac lot, and they had growing kids.

Over the course of the next few months, I decided to sell to my oldest son and his wife, and after a horrendous down-sizing process, moved to the tiny mobile home in the mountains that I'd bought four years before as a "writing retreat."

The mobile has roughly 700 sq ft inside, sits on a lot in a heavily-treed, rustic mobile home park 100 miles from my former home, and is actually about the right size for one person.

Except that there was no room for essentials like food storage, heaps of office supplies, and paper products. Not having room for a storage shed, I've had to rent a couple of storage lockers until I can conquer the boxes--both in them, and in my formerly neat "retreat."

Sigh...

More later.
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