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 |   Exploring the future through the present. One day at a time. |
| I love my new camera! So much so, as another photographer noted in an article: Beware of macro photography. It's addicting. What on earth is macro photography anyway? It's super-close-ups where you have to practically smash the camera lens on top of the subject. For a beginner, my first efforts at macro photography are passable. I still have much to learn about composition, coloring, shadows and the best settings to use for the circumstances. Yep, I'm in heaven. To see my firstly efforts check out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26431235@N08/ My apologies for asking you to go to a separate website, but uploading to flickr is much easier than here, and the photos are larger for better viewing. |
| I've been working on "Traitors" since February, 2001. I wrote the first draft in three months. It's gone through over ten major drafts in the last eight years. It's a friend, comfortable, and in some ways predictable. Now that it's finished (for now), I need to concentrate on writing an entirely new story. I wrote 14k of it in 2007, and need to finish it. My first plan of attack is to write an outline of where I want the story to go. I have yet to write a single word. Why? Because I don't want to give up my comfortable blanky. It means thinking up a unique story with unique characters. I know the premise, I know the main characters, and I know about where the story will go. Writing it down, for whatever reason, daunts me a little. Okay, a lot. But I must if I don't want to stagnate. Sometimes throwing away the beloved thread-bare and stinky blanket is the only way to grow. It'll take some tears, much grumbling, a few tantrums, but I'll be happy about it once it's done. I have two working titles (science fiction): "A Planet to Call Home" and "The Redarian War". The second sounds more adventurous, don't ye think? A rough blurb: Two groups of colonists fight over who controls the planet, Redarian. The main character, Travis, is caught between the two. He was shunned by one colony for dereliction of duty resulting in the death of five people, and nearly killed as a spy by the other. Can he bring the two together, or will he be the first casualty of a long and brutal war? Intrigued? If so, perhaps I need to get my fingers tapping. |
| And I'm done! With three days to spare. That's right. I finished the latest rewrite of my novel. Boy does it feel good. What happens now? I print it out, let it sit for a week and skim through it for spelling and grammar errors. Anyone wanna help, say a few chapters at a time? There's a present in it fer ya. 2nd on my list of to-dos: Gather a list of agents/publishers. So far I found one publisher that I really, really want to take me, but I admit to some ambivalence. What if they reject me, er, my manuscript? I know, I know. Only one way to find out. I shall keep you apprised. 3rd on my list: Because I made my deadline, my reward is a new camera. I spent the last month searching, reading reviews, comparing features, and decided on a Canon Powershot SX10IS. It's what they call a prosumer (professional/consumer) fixed-lens superzoom. Got all that? Anyway, it has high megapixels, 20X zoom with the ability to add an external flash and other gotta-have features. For a mere $350. All I can say is I love birthday money! The camera reviews I paid most attention to were the negative ones. I soon discovered that in many cases the problem wasn't with the camera, but the buyer's expectations. We're in a gotta-have-it-now-don't-make-me-have-to-work-for-something society it seems. I noticed when novices (and I don't imply that as an insult, because I are one) bought one of these prosumer cameras with a slew of manual settings (it'll take months to figure it out myself) they expected it to act like a simpler point-and-shoot. Not every camera will take the same kind of pictures, and two different people using the same camera with the same settings will never take the exact same picture. Example: My husband used to take his two-wheel drive Toyota Corolla places people who drove 4-wheel drive Jeeps wouldn't dare go. He also used to take pictures with a Minolta waterproof 110 film camera. The quality of photos he took with that thing always left me in awe and a twinge of jealousy. I couldn't touch the excellence of his pictures with my more expensive 35mm. It's not always the camera that allows a person to take amazing photos, but the user. A camera in its simplest form is a tool. Some people can use a hammer and create beautiful, sturdy furniture. For others, it's a way to make wood look like a hailstorm attacked it. The reason Dave could drive to scary places in the mountains is because he pushed his car to its limits and learned what it could do. As for picture taking, I believe he has a natural eye for composition. He also pushed the little camera to its limits. Not being afraid of damaging it also helped, I'm sure. Will this camera help me to take better pictures? Perhaps, perhaps not, but it's always a joy to learn how to use a new tool. With enough practice, I may take envious photos. In the meantime, I plan to keep up with my writing. I've kept a decent schedule for the past month, and I don't want to let it slide. What to write? For starters, I want to finish the book I started in the 2007 Nanowrimo (national novel writing month). I at first thought about editing another manuscript, but I need to set editing aside and write something new. It's like doing pushups for a month and nothing else. Time to work a on a different set of muscles so I don't burn out. You will likely see me around more. Lucky you *snicker*. |
| When we first decide to seek out a publisher for our works, it's very easy to go too fast, and tie ourselves to the first publisher who gives us The Nod. Shiloh Darke  wrote an entry today that's a perfect example of what can happen: "Invalid Entry"  .Scary stuff. I know several others who published through Mystic Moon Press, so I admit to a little surprise, and sympathy for all those authors who were swindled. Two minutes of research yielded some interesting facts, namely in April, 2008. Karen Scott wrote a blog about how the owner of Mystic Moon Press had swindled before under a different publishing company: http://karenknowsbest.com/2008/04/10/kristi-studts-disgraced-ex-owner-of-triskel... That popped up after searching "Mystic Moon Press scandal". I'm sure if I searched more and included writer beware sites such as http://www.sfwa.org/beware I would find out even more about not only Mystic Press, but the owner. I could then be better informed about whether the publisher is legitimate, or not. I want my books published, and there was a time not too long ago I would have jumped at The Nod, to hell with any research into said publisher. After reading horror stories like the one above, I'm a bit more cautious. As we all should be. Some steps to take: 1. Check out any complaints against the publisher by it's (thinking of you Voxxylady   ) authors.2. Ask said publisher for references and a means to contact its authors. If they refuse to even provide a list, wave a hearty goodbye. Anyone else have a burned by a publisher experience and would like to share? My list of what do to do is a bit paltry (I'm tired and can't think straightly). What more advice can you impart to authors seeking publication (traditional or indie, don't matter here)? |
| Last Sunday, Dave's cousin Kyle and his wife Kim invited us to meet them on the Missouri River for the afternoon. Well, yeah! After a few (literal) false starts, Dave finally remembered how to start his boat. After not using it for two years, who can blame him? I can, because it's so much fun to tease the old man. We piled in his boat to search for Kyle and Kim, but not before I made Thomas struggle into his life jacket. Poor guy, he did not want to wear it. He cried and cried until we started motoring up the river. We found the cousins less than five minutes later near a sandbar. We then beached the boats and jumped out. Seeing how we were on wet, sandy land, I took Thomas' life jacket off. I figured the water was shallow enough he couldn't get into trouble. As soon as I set Thomas down, he ran toward the water. And down he went face forward into the water a mere three feet from shore. In that half-second, he not only started to sink, but the current was about to grab him. I think I flew the five feet into the water to grab him. I don't know who was more scared, me or Thomas. He cried for a few minutes until I changed him into dry clothes. We stayed on the sandbar from about 2pm until 7:30. Most of that time I made sure Thomas was slathered with plenty of sunscreen, and multiple times tried to push him toward the shallow shore of the sandbar. No, he kept wanting to dive off the deep end, even after that little scare. What is it with kids and danger, anyway? I could have a slew of shiny, colorful toys sitting on a counter or table, and what does he go after? The knives and scissors if they're within reach (and his reach keeps getting longer). It doesn't matter if he's never seen one before, and that I have yet to tell him no. It's the one thing his little hands go after, and he smiles like he accomplished walking on the moon if he's quicker than I am. Luckily he hasn't sliced himself. Or drowned. Sheesh. No wonder parents get high blood pressure and lose their hair. Here are a few photos of that day at the beach: Invalid Photo #1020346 Invalid Photo #1020347 As you can see, no permanent damage. You can also see why he sank. The boy's got no fat on his bones. Oh, yeah. He likes to eat dirt. |
| When "So You Think You Can Dance?" first came out I avoided it. One more reality show where people sign up to get their fifteen minutes of fame, do we really need it? I try not to miss an episode now, especially after the top 20 were picked. What drives these dancers, how did they make it to the top? Technique is part of it, as is the ability and willingness to learn multiple dancing genres. The judges, however, place passion at the top of the list. Passion is what made the dancers the top in the nation, it's what drives their willingness to learn from multiple choreographers, and listen intently to the advice of the judges. I've allowed my passion to flounder of late. Many a subject scream to be written here, but I reign them in and they lose their voice, never to be heard. How sad is that? If that continues, then my passion will leave me. Like a loyal pet, if it's not fed, it will find another owner who will feed it. Time to feed my passions. This morning Dave, Thomas and I went to the city's Independence Day parade. Thomas spent most of the time flirting with the women, young and old, and running after people who brought along their dogs. My favorite part of the parade was the National Guard. It wasn't the big truck with the boat on the trailer, or even the articulated guns swiveling about on its base in every direction imaginable (I want one of those). What struck me is how every single person stood, clapped and screamed out "Thank you" and "We love you!" Thomas Jefferson once said: "God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... And what country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." My thanks go to every member of our 100% volunteer armed forces who are willing to feed the tree of liberty with their blood and bones. My thanks to those who take every opportunity to show their gratitude. As for the rest of Jefferson's warning, I need not say more. Let us never forget the importance of our liberties and freedoms, on this day and all others. |
| Gone are the days when an author built up calluses on the fingers from pounding on a stiff, loud typewriter, having to replace the tape and tearing apart paper with those sandpaper like erasers (you remember those, the ones that were light blue, and had a small brush on the end). Now most of us type everything on a little screen. If we need to erase something, there's always the delete key. The keyboard is so light, we only have to worry about carpal tunnel syndrome or some other repetitive disorder. When we need to rewrite something, all we have to do is open up the original document and cut, paste, move, remove, add and subtract. Though it may kill our eyesight, we're at least saving a few trees. However, I'm more old-school when it comes to editing, especially if it's a major edit. I start from scratch, and type every word of my manuscript over again. For some reason, I see it more fresh that way, and I see things I would otherwise miss if I merely skimmed through my manuscript to address the problems I'm aware of. One downside to that is the likelihood of additional misspellings and grammar errors. I'll need at least two people read through it (my husband, poor guy who's now on his second read, I will ask for a third) before I submit to an agent/publisher. To keep ahead of my mid-August deadline, I need to write 11 pages tonight. Good thing I'm a fast typer, and can stay up until 11:30 without morning difficulties tomorrow. I should get it done. Question for you: What is your process of rewriting? |
| A few days I studied my hair in the mirror. I always considered it one of my better features. It's not thick, but it has enough body most people think it is. I also have just enough curl, not matter if it's long or short, I can step out of the shower, run a brush through it, and I'm golden. It's also growing shinier almost every day with strands losing their color. And yet I'm still pleased. As strange as it might sound to some of you, I look forward to going gray. It's because I have my grandmother's hair color, and her shiny, silver hair was always her most beautiful feature. Maybe it's because age is catching up with me, but I appreciate gray hair on everyone. It shows not only a person's age, but can also be a sign of wisdom (although not always), but it also shows that person has lived, endured both trials and triumphs, and can teach this young (or so I like to think of myself) woman a thing or two. I feel the same way about scars, no matter how deforming. To me they show strength, and endurance; it's a neon sign that says, "I survived." Scars are beautiful. Wrinkles are beautiful. Gray hair is beautiful. Cellulite? Not so much (for which I have aplenty). |
| Even if it requires stooping to bribery. My edits are going slower than I want. So, to motivate me I decided on a small bribe. I need a new camera. Okay, I don't really need it. I want a new camera, one that can zoom out more than my little Fuji Finepix, has a higher MP (mega-pixel), and more automatic and manual features. I can't buy it until I complete my edits, and it must be done prior to my birthday in August. That gives me two months. If I don't make the deadline, no camera. How's that for motivation, eh? I'll let you know if I make it. A few weeks ago I finished Donald Maass' "Writing the Breakout Novel." Excellent book. He gives excellent advice along with examples of recent (since the book's publication in 2000) breakout novels. He shows what they each have in common, and I gotta admit, it's fairly simple. In theory. In practice it's something else. When I purchased the book, I also bought the companion workbook. Here I ran into a snag. In each chapter such as creating a multidimensional character and establishing inner conflict, we're supposed to go through and change certain parts of our work in progress. The snag came when I couldn't find good examples to modify. It's not that because my book is in dire need of so much help, but that it already had the well-rounded characters, oodles of inner conflict, and even parts where the character does something unexpected. I decided the workbook needs to be shelved until I tackle a less-refined novel - one in it's first or second draft. The realization boosted me quite a bit. My novel doesn't need as much work as I feared. I won't claim it's of breakout caliber, but I will certainly continue to work toward that goal, and dream it's possible. A question for you. When you lack motivation to complete a writing project, how do you push yourself to finish? |
PlannerDan and I discussed the idea of predestination and God's will in my last entry. Because he had much to say on the subject, he wrote a separate item:
I often struggle with finding God's will in my life; where does he want me to take my talents, am I writing the books/stories he wants me to, have I lost my way, and a million other questions. PlannerDan described how that kind of thinking skews and muddles what living a Christ-centered life means. God does not seek to confuse us, but free us, so why are we constantly confused? Again PlannerDan lays out why, and how to rectify that kind of thinking.No go read it. It's your destiny. Ha! Thank ye, and have a great evening. |
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