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 |  probably stuff i think is funny. or aggravating. or both. |
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heh. did i mention i won a KINDLE2? yep. i entered a contest at www.bookrix.com, a new publishing website. the contest was geared as a networking exercise to benefit both the contestants and the new site, so everyone's happy. i ended up in 4th place overall, and that garnered me a new kindle2! woop! i probably won't get it for several weeks, because of the huge waiting list & all. but still, pretty darned cool.  it's a fun site, if you're interested in posting your work in virtual book form for total strangers to read and/or download. keep in mind this constitutes publishing your work, so if you're hanging onto its purity in the hopes of submitting to a paying publisher, bookrix won't help you. the site's still wobbly on its newborn legs, and activity is low as far as forum posts and site contests, or writer-to-writer networking, but it may catch on. check it out, why don'tcha? here's a link to my page, if you'd wanna start there: http://bookrix.com/showuser.html?lang=en&user=lauriemariepea |
| hey, all-- i've got some news! two different publications to tell you about: www.ruthlesspeoples.com is a brand new online magazine (free subscription!), and they're publishing my Webb's Work in the Sight of God as a serial starting this month. first issue is march 14th, so please visit the site and subscribe to your very own issue!! from what i've seen, there's scads of good writing in there. www.alienskinmagazine.com is another online magazine, sf & horror genres, and my "Sensory Overlord" is slated for publication with them in the June/July issue. woop!! please visit them, also, and partake of the tasty online fiction. with all this encouragement, i feel like i've gotta get my ass in gear. i have to finish one of those stinking novels rotting away in my hard drive. i've also gotta do my best to keep the flow going and edit more of the short stories so i can maybe get more of them published. the more people read my stuff, the friendlier the world's gonna be for my first novel, right? ooh, more interesting news: amazon's kindle is now offering authors the opportunity to publish their work for download. authors set the list price and get 35% for each sale. i haven't looked too deeply into this, but i'm thinking this is a natural marketing tool--put a collection of shorts out there, get e few hundred downloads including a link to the website and kapow! more traffic, more fans looking forward to a more substantial work from their new favorite writer. seems simple, no? i must be missing something.  all right, back to the grindy stone. hope all is well with you guys--where are you, d? haven't seen you around anywhere for a while.  |
i wrote a poem. it's probably nonsensical, but i was inspired by certain properties of physics and the magic all around us. interesting how drawn i am to writing about spirituality, when i'm not a spiritual believer, myself. well, please check it out. it's short.
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| ooooh, fancy new banner image from kiya's image shop: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** gehee.  |
| (okay, actually nothing like that. no phoenix, no ashes. no rebirth. or afterbirth, thank god. ) hi, everyone-- i've gone and started another blog! somebody stop me, please. i like how this one's designed, and i'd love to hear any comments y'all might have. this may be the place i focus my writery blogging, if i decide to back off from wdc after this summer. check it out, won't you? http://dullyelloweye.blogspot.com/ thanks, and sorry for lack of activity here lately--i've been illin' and phlegmy, and nobody wants to be around that. not close up, anyway. blech. i hope to visit your blogs soon! |
| i can't express what today means. i wish i could do it justice, but realizing my limitations i won't try. the result would fall short and linger on as an embarrassment. suffice to say, this day is monumental in its symbolism, in its heart, and signifies a true changing of the guard in every respect. as big as this moment is, i know it will only feel bigger as time allows us perspective. i can't wait for the future to come! congratulations, president obama. http://www.whitehouse.gov check out: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/a_national_day_of_renewal_and_reconciliation/ "NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 20, 2009, a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, and call upon all of our citizens to serve one another and the common purpose of remaking this Nation for our new century." that's what i am talking about. right there. |
| shameless self-promotion: hey, all! i was turned onto a new site called www.bookrix.com. free (of course), and plenty of opportunity to get your word out. please check out my first "book": http://bookrix.com/-lauriemariepea note: the site has a contest closing in a few weeks for any type of writing. 1st prize? $2000. yep. check it out! (and if you like my stories, please please leave a message or rate or use whatever tool the site offers to let them know--kthxbai ) |
| hi, all-- to try to keep me blogging, i've decided to join this blogging challenge i stumbled across:
the prompt for dec 31st was: The obstacle is the path. ~Zen Proverb eenteresting. i'm a fairly pragmatic person. i make lists, i set priorities, i take steps. each day is an exercise in follow-through and achievement, mostly on the level of the mundane: 1. wake up.  2. scratch. 3. dress myself (requires matching shoes, shirt on right-side-out, etc.) 4. make and drink coffee. (i always get this one right)5. work for several hours. 6. find and eat lunch. you see where i'm going with this. my life is a routine. in a way, i wish for an obstacle, for a challenge against which to pit myself, a chance to see what i'm made of and what lessons i have yet to learn. with the economy the way it is, i wager i'll have that opportunity before the year's out. these obstacles, while we never think we want them while they're in our way, allow us to avoid sinking into complacency. these challenges, even though they may kick our ass sometimes, remind us we're still in this thing. and our lives, as they progress from obstacle to obstacle, form the path that defines us in the end. i want to lie on my death bed (hopefully many many years from now) and look back over the good and bad times and laugh to myself about how much fricking fun my life was. how lucky we are, to have the universe toss trouble into our laps from time to time. |
this week's flash fiction! i can't decide whether i like it or not.
i gotta change up the blog motif here pretty soon. won't be the season much longer. *sigh* post-christmas letdown is a bitch. hope y'all are having a great holiday season! get any cool new toys? |
| it's kinda sad, but i'm straying from wdc. farther each day, it seems. almost a year ago, i stumbled across another writing site. scribophile.com. the focus there is definitely more on writing than socializing, although people are friendly and helpful. the membership is also still under 1000, which lends the place a much more intimate feel. i've been a member of wdc for almost 3 years, now, and have considered it my warm blankie for writing. i've come here for stimulation, for support, for motivation. but i have to admit, i've come here less since taking a more active role in scribophile. i've been writing more, and writing better--at least, i think so--and while i spend my afternoons and days off online, i spend more time writing than i did before. this may be a natural progression, but i don't know. i think the focused environment at scribophile is helping me to focus, also. it's not universal with the members there, but most are serious about writing and getting their work published, and that's a wonderful crowd to surround myself with. plus, and this is no knock against younger writers, the minimum age at scribophile is 18. i think that once my author site is running, i'll be slowing down drastically on wdc action. i'm kinda nervous even saying it, because my portfolio is here, i've met several great people here, and my blog is here. unfortunately, it's not enough to keep me here anymore. my portfolio's also at scribophile, my friends are in contact regardless of wdc (most of them), and my blog will be loosed upon the world soon. it seems like wdc offers a huge social network, but wading through the time-eating activities isn't helping me develop the ole writing skills. we'll see how i feel when everything else is in place, and my membership's paid through july anyway, but it's like watching a friendship die. we used to have so much in common. *sniff* anyhoo, how're you feeling about wdc? pros? cons? anecdotes? |
| the holidays are upon us, and i mean upon us. less than two weeks from now, we'll be tearing through wrapping paper like wild animals and watching "it's a wonderful life" like we do every year, and then deflating a bit as that holiday cheer hangover settles over us. the sky always seems gray on christmas afternoon. the build-up never seems to deliver, does it? and then new year's eve, when we try to redesign our lives via lists of promises we make to our better selves, which inevitably sidle to the backs of our minds as more immediate concerns hoard our attention. well, i have a solution for you. enjoy family and friends, christmas tinsel and dreidel tournaments and kwanzaa casseroles, but also take a moment to consider the kind of gift giving that changes lives. you might feel that life-changing buzz as you plug in your new PS3 on christmas morning, but i guarantee your life won't be too terribly different after the shine wears off. and i double guarantee you won't improve anyone else's life with that PS3, unless your girlfriend didn't like you that much anyway and this just relieves her of the burden of spending time with you. to make a real difference, to change a person's or a family's life for the better in a tangible way, visit and contribute to one or both of the following organizations: http://www.heifer.org http://www.kiva.org these folks work all over the world helping others to help themselves. these are not charity organizations, but a hand offered, a gesture of faith in our fellow man to rise above his circumstances and make the most of opportunity when it comes. both organizations change lives for the better, including yours if you participate. do something great this season. |
| ha! you thought this was gonna be an entry about david sedaris, didn't you? sucker. it's about me. they're all about me. me me me!!! so, back to me, then. i've been writing steadily for a couple of years, now, and it's time for me to ratchet up the intensity of what i'm trying to do. with the writing and the publishing. i've decided to work on polishing my short stories so more are ready to be shopped around, and this year i'm gonna finish at least one novel, dammit. because this is getting ridiculous. i gotta start writing smarter, use the ole noggin. also, i bought my 2009 calendar, which always gets me excited. wheee!! i'm spending my friday evening (after this) working my way through each month, noting birthdays and deadlines...i use different color ink for each type of notation. i skipped last year, and all of 2008 i felt like i'd left my keys somewhere important but couldn't quite remember...no, my keys were fine. i just had no idea what day (or month) it was half the time. discombobulating, i gotta tell you. okay, i have a headache. i'm off to play with the markers. have a great night, y'all. may your highlighters always be moist. |
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2BfzUIBy9A&eurl=http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience... amazing story--wonderful duo, this cowboy and his dog. i'm from texas, originally, and most people joke about my home state. about the good ol' boys, the rampant discrimination and backward thinking, and yeah, texas has its share just like any other place. but what gets me is this feeling i have about texas i haven't felt anywhere else. maybe it's because i grew up there, but i feel a pang in my heart when i see stories that depict texans in a positive light. i see their goodheartedness, their generosity, their patience with each other, their unpretentious appreciation for simple joys, and i feel proud of where i came from. |
| so, yes, the season is upon us. i love the holidays! i can pretty much discover a reason to love each of the seasons, and halloween will always be a smidge closer to my heart than any other, but the Holidays keep a second place by a nose. because, you see, it's tucked under a fluffy knit scarf. homemade. i long to live somewhere i can physically feel the seasons shift. i love many aspects of the desert, the minimal required wardrobe options being one of them, but there's something about looking out the window and seeing snow. that white blanket covering everything familiar, lending the world a temporary magic otherness. and the way it crunches under your boots, and softens the noise around us. (i know you who live where it snows a lot are all right now, but clench your teeth and let me have my fantasy moment. )as i get older i seem to appreciate more on the inside while i bitch more on the outside. it's a weird dichotomy to hold, and i'm trying to even them out a bit...maybe even cut back on the bitching altogether. this season intensifies both for me--the love of the ideal and the dissatisfaction with what injustices or meanness i see around me. it's getting harder for me to accept the unfair in the world, and that may mean i'm slipping on the philosophical development ladder, but dammit, it matters to me. after the turn of the year, i'm going to get involved with a literacy tutoring program--one of the vital skills every person needs nowadays--and we try to contribute to causes which mean something to us as we can. we don't have the time to help as much as we'd like, but the idea of active involvement in our communities is important--maybe even more important now, with the uncertainty of how life will be in the coming years. and i'm shy! i don't especially like being around people i don't know.  so, in this season of generosity, of looking out for our fellow man, i ask you to look inside yourself and decide what you find important. what you would be willing to contribute to, to help others who maybe don't have what you do. and i don't mean your bank account (because i don't have much to brag about in that area, either). we all have big hearts--we're designed that way, us monkeys. if each person contributed just a little, broke out of your routine--whether you keep your front yard (and maybe your busy/elderly/solitary neighbor's) neat, or you deliver meals to folks who can't get around anymore, or you visit your local animal shelter and give a lonely, frightened critter a few minutes of love, think of the compound effect of all those gestures of faith in each other. what a wonderful world, indeed. check out this fabulous search engine: http://www.volunteermatch.org/ here's to a new day, a new hope in what we can achieve. *clink* (plastic cup with raspberry lemonade taps monitor) |
this week's story:
it's not horror! *quel surprise!* |
| hey, everyone-- clever and pointed and entertaining as hell, it's a video! watch it: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-bla... my favorite's doogie. |
| aw, lookit: december's a clean slate! i love that. the flipping of the calendar, the endless renewal of opportunity...each new month has me thinking this month could be the one i finish my novel! or write that perfect short story! or bathe every single day!! (it could happen...) so, today's the first. yep. i've put in my time at work, i've changed into my jammies and checked my email, checked activity on my sites (except the political ones--haven't seen those, yet). i'm ready to go!! ooh, wait. i gotta fix dinner. okay. that'll take a while, and then the eating always takes several minutes. and fucking hell, but it's cold in this room! i gotta go put on another layer of clothes before i come back! and there's that stack of books watching me with reproach in their pages...*sigh*. and then bed--i gotta go to bed in about three hours. suddenly this month doesn't feel so pristine with promise any more. it feels like any of the other months i've already checked off on the calendar. hm. i need a perspective adjustment.  hope december's going well for you so far--go ahead, have some pie. you've earned it!! |
| hi, everyone-- yep, looks like another nanowrimo is done. rode hard, put away wet. so much more to do on this one, i may not let it go just yet--i'm thinking i should address a few issues before i stop thinking about it for a few months. like, perhaps, an outline!! yeesh, but this story's all over the place!! i already know several chunks which are getting cut immediately--weird fantastical sequences which have nothing to do with what's going on. not even remotely. i figure i have about 40K of useful (related) text here. which is nothing to sneeze at, nosirreebob. but so much i wanted to get into i didn't have the time or space, if i was gonna cram an ending into this puppy. but, hey--it's the nature of the beast. BIG appreciation goes to you guys who wrote along with me this month--you kept me going, inspired me when i felt overwhelmed, and yer all my heroes. if you've been reading the inspirational pep talks sent out by chris baty, i second this last one by piers anthony: we are all dreamers. huzzah!!!!hope you all are hale and hearty, picking away at those leftovers from thanksgiving (i happen to hear a piece of pumpkin pie calling my name right now...). here's to a stupendous november!! and an even better december!!! we rock!!! |
makes me feel all warm & fuzzy, as if i lived somewhere where snow snowed. thanks to Acme  for the link!! search out her snowflake and mine!!http://www.popularfront.com/snowdays/ fun! fun! |
| i had a dream last night about my novel, and realized a simple but important fix i need to make to the setup--the problem is, it'll require me to rework a huge chunk of the initial chapters!!! i ain't be gotten no time right now for that!! *sigh* well, will forge ahead, make notes as i can, and hope this whole thing doesn't devolve into a puddle of oozing lost cause. so, how're your novels going??? |
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