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Welcome!



*Star*In 2011, my main focus will be on writing a novel. Since I'm a novice novelist, I've decided to come at the project from different angles, exploring the genre and experimenting with its elements. This blog and its offsite sister blog will be my journals where I attack novel-writing one day at a time.

As I was creating my BlogSpot page, the inspiration for the blog solidified in my mind. I named that blog "One Significant Moment at a Time." In essence, I want to use the format as a reminder to walk through my life with my author's eyes open, taking in the details, feeling the emotions of the day. As moments unfold and I feel their affects on me as a person, a woman, a mother, a sister, a member of the world community, I'll let the writer in me talk about it.

Creative Nonfiction is the genre most fitting to describe what I envision accomplishing here, moreso than blogging or journaling. The style is best suited, I feel, for my ambitions as a novelist.

In addition, Friday entries will not be written by me. Instead, I'll turn the keyboard over to one of the characters in my novel. He or she will relate the events of the day as s/he saw them, through the filter of his or her perception.


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*Up* Click this image to visit my Blog City neighbors! *Up*



*Star* I'd Love Your Help *Star*

If you've read my blog before, and find yourself here again, won't you click this link and check out my BlogSpot?

http://www.nicoleducleroir.blogspot.com

*Star* Leave me a comment there, and I'll send you a WDC token of my appreciation!

*Star* Become a Follower there, and I'll send you a Supportive Merit Badge! -- You don't have to go to blogspot.com each day; in fact, I post much of the same entries here in this WDC blog. But building up a verifiable readership may prove important one day when I'm knocking on literary agent/publishers' doors!

*Right* To Follow, just click "Follow" on the right margin of my blog page. You'll have to sign in using, or create, a Google account (it's free and only takes two minutes!), and then follow the short instructions. It's easy, and I'd appreciate it so much!!


Merit Badges Sent To:

*Bullet**Heart*~Noelle ~ TY Anon! ~*Heart**Bullet*
*Bullet**Heart*~sunshine014 (*Left* Where'd Ashy go??)~*Heart**Bullet*
*Bullet**Heart*~Mara ♣ McBain~17 yrs on WDC! ~*Heart**Bullet*
*Bullet**Heart*~Adriana Noir ~*Heart**Bullet*
*Bullet**Heart*~Jeff ~*Heart**Bullet*
*Bullet**Heart*~Carol St.Ann ~*Heart**Bullet*






2011 Reading Goal = 25 Books in 52 Weeks. To see the list of books I've read so far, CLICK HERE  





*Star**Bullet* Leave me a comment anytime ~ even on older postings! *Bullet**Star*



Thanks for reading!!




Previous ... 1 2 3 -4- 5 6 7 8 ... Next
March 30, 2011 at 8:44am
March 30, 2011 at 8:44am
#720919
My stomach is in knots. I'm so surprised at my reaction! I've written articles before, even several newsletters for "Invalid Item which have become the official "unofficial WDC reviewing newsletter." But today the first newsletter I edited as a moderator -- the Action/Adventure newsletter -- came out. Yikes! I'm a mess *Laugh*

So, what's my problem, you ask? Why the knots? Here's the thing: I worry that the topic is boring; that the article is too long; that readers will lose interest by the second paragraph and move on; that I've made grammatical errors that flush my credibility down the can; that my "voice" is irritating and pompous; that...that...(I could go on. Seriously. I could... *Bigsmile*)

I know it's silly to indulge in these self-doubts; a rational voice in my head has been scolding me for a while now. I should listen to her, right? Quit spinning my wheels? Cha-ah! Easy for you to say!

If you happen across this post and don't subscribe to the Action/Adventure newsletter, here's a copy:



I have to say, though, I've really appreciated editing the newsletter. It made me think, contemplate what I've learned, and put me in a teaching role that I really enjoy. I took on a second issue, due out on April 27th. I will include in that edition any feedback and submitted items readers put in comments this time around. Feel free to include yours! *Smile*...*Worry*...*Bigsmile*

Have a fab day!
~ *Peace* out ~

March 28, 2011 at 1:54pm
March 28, 2011 at 1:54pm
#720761
My blogging friend and writing partner, Jessica Bell, is looking forward to the November 2011 release of her debut novel, String Bridge. I've worked with her on this project, as a beta reader, but I haven't read the whole thing yet. However, I know how wildly talented Jessica is and how amazing the chapters I've read are from this book. I can't wait to buy a copy!

Here's her brand new book trailer! And, by the way, Jessica sings the song and plays the guitar on the track you hear in the trailer. The images are from stock photography sites -- but, Jessica herself appears twice. Both times you see a brunette playing the guitar on stage, you are seeing the real Jessica Bell! Enjoy!!

March 23, 2011 at 8:54am
March 23, 2011 at 8:54am
#720336
The Challenge:

Write a flash fiction story (in any format) in 100 words or less, excluding the title. Begin the story with the words, “The goldfish bowl teetered” These four words will be included in the word count.




Inside a Fishbowl



The goldfish bowl teetered on the table’s edge. Marilyn jerked back her finger, leaving another greasy fingerprint. Inside, tiny swells crashed, sloshed backward. Marilyn glared at the fish. It hovered, serene, unaffected by the waves she caused or by her unwavering vigilance. She scowled and jabbed the bowl again. Too hard.

The bowl plunged from its perch. Shards of wet glass splattered across white, sterile tile. The goldfish floundered, gills gaping and yawning, sucking useless air. Marilyn’s mouth twitched. Balancing, she stomped, ground her heel. Lab coat-clad men scribbled on clipboards on the other side of the plate glass windows.


(100 words)


Thanks for reading!




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March 21, 2011 at 12:57pm
March 21, 2011 at 12:57pm
#720218
We rode together in Courtney's Yukon to the funeral home. It was the first time I'd been in her car, even though we go back nine years. Actually, in all that time, I'd never met her outside the hair salon.

With gas prices so high, it didn't make sense to drive separate cars the seventy miles, round trip. But the real reason? Neither of us wanted to be alone with our thoughts.

Courtney had called me the night before. Again, I'm usually the one calling her, to make my hair appointments. But she'd remembered months ago I'd asked about her training, about whether mortuary beauticians learned their trade in regular beautician schools, or if there were specialized schools for that industry. At the time, she told me there hadn't been anything in her curriculum about mortuary hair and make-up techniques. But she had worked on deceased clients.

Our eyes had met in the mirror. See, I was crafting a character at the time and was seeking avenues for research. I picked Courtney's brains that day, the whole while she worked on my hair.

So she thought of me when her friend contacted her last week.

Her friend's family was in the throes of tragedy. Courtney's friend's brother-in-law, Carl had been going through a lot recently. Work sucked. He'd been fighting with his brother. His girlfriend split with him. But no one thought he'd take his own life. He was just twenty-four.

On the phone, Courtney asked if I'd like to go with her in the morning to cut Carl's hair. It's one thing to want direct experience when researching for fiction, but the reality of this situation took my breath away. Still, I couldn't -- wouldn't -- pass up the opportunity. I wanted to know too much.

Of course, I wanted to be able to describe the inner chambers of a funeral home. What you see, smell, hear. But I was more curious about the people who work there. I'd read that mortuary staff view their work primarily as services they provide for the surviving family, to comfort them and minimize their grief by laying their loved one to rest in a way that honors that life. But the staff works, hands-on, with dead bodies. How, I wondered, do they maintain a level of professionalism that weaves compassion with the detachment necessary for their line of work?

We walked into the funeral home. A faint smell of cut flowers hung in the air. My heart was pounding. I couldn't really feel my feet as I walked down the carpeted corridor to a glossy, wooden door with a plague that read 'Business Office.'

We were led by a young, round woman, whose red beaded necklace jingled as she walked, to the end of a back hallway. She asked us to wait there and she'd "pulled him out." Courtney and I exchanged a nervous glance as the woman disappeared behind a door.

My body was in a heightened state of awareness but my mind had gone into numb survival mode. I felt like I'd accepted a dare and passed the point of no return, only now I questioned whether I wanted to -- could -- follow through. Too late. The door opened again and the woman ushered us in.

Carl lay on a gurney in the center of the small room. He was dressed in a suit but was covered from the chest down by a blue blanket that hung halfway to the floor. I could tell that beneath the blanket his hands lay folded on his stomach, and his shoes lay flat so that his heels faced each other, toes pointing at the walls to the left and right. The floral scent of the hallway was gone, replaced by what smelled like my fifth grade science classroom, the week we dissected fetal pigs. Only stronger.

Courtney told the woman she'd brought a drape from the salon. The woman thought it wasn't necessary, that normally they simply placed towels under and around the head to catch the hair clippings. From a wall of cabinets to the right, the woman retrieved two white, bath-sized towels. She plopped the short stack on Carl's chest. Carefully, she slipped a hand under Carl's head and lifted, pulling the neck stand away. His neck was surprisingly pliant. With her free hand, she snapped open a towel and maneuvered it to cover the end of the gurney. It started to slip, and Courtney grabbed the towel and held it until the woman had the neck stand back in place.

She tucked the edges of the bottom towel under Carl's shoulders, then draped the second towel across his chest. She pulled the center edge up under his chin and flattened the rest down the backs of his shoulders. When she was satisfied, she asked Courtney if she needed anything, then left us alone.

By now, I'd been in the room about five minutes. My heart rate had slowed, but when I walked closer to help Courtney get her hair dryer and clipper cords plugged in, I noticed my feet were still numb.

I've been to wakes and funerals. This was not the first time I'd looked at a dead person. But it was the first time I'd stood over one, close enough to see the wrinkles in his skin, the glisten of glue holding his lips closed, the stitches, barely visible, woven into his eyelashes.

Courtney misted Carl's hair with a water bottle, working the humidity in with her fingers. "Feels like mannequin hair," she commented. She worked the scissors at increasingly complicated angles, cutting as best she could considering her client was flat on his back.

During this time, there was a shift in my sub-conscious mind. All remnants of fear dissipated. I was at ease on a level that I couldn't have imagined fifteen minutes before. It was surprising to realize. It was very clear to me that Carl was not there. His life-force, his soul, his energy had moved on, and we were attending to his human shell, left behind. I can see people's auras. I tried hard to see Carl's. There wasn't anything to see, not a shimmer, not a color, not a thing.

Going around Carl's ear with the clippers, Courtney touched him. She'd been trying hard not to come in contact with his skin, out of respect, I think. But she looked at me after she nudged him. "He's so cold," she said.

I moved next to her, hovered my hand above his face. Cold radiated from him. With as much gentle reverence as I could muster, I grazed the tip of his ear with the the top side of my index finger. It was velvety soft and cold. Sadness squeezed my heart. Things could have been different for this beautiful human being. So sad.

Within thirty minutes, Courtney was finished. I asked her how she was feeling, as we packed up her gear. She said she never feels sad in here, working on people she knew. But she anticipated breaking down at the wake the following evening. She said, that's when it usually hits her.

The atmosphere in the car on the way home was more animated than the ride there. We talked a lot about what we'd just experienced together. I felt the exhilaration that follows a long period of fearful anticipation. Or maybe it was because I'd just lived an hour wholly present, in the moment. Either way, I felt good.

It took a few hours, though, before I didn't think I smelled formaldehyde everywhere.
March 19, 2011 at 8:08am
March 19, 2011 at 8:08am
#720092
The power of positive thinking can never be understated.

After months of mild, lingering depression, I have finally turned a corner. It wasn't easy to pull myself out of my computer chair, but once I did I was able to put into action a plan I'd devised to combat my sadness.

When you feel down, it's so easy to isolate yourself and wait for it to pass on its own. Sometimes it even works. But prolonged depression is a dangerous, slippery slope. Before I realized what had happened, the sadness had lashed itself about me, binding my arms, my legs...my creativity.

This week has been different. I feel light-spirited. Happy! I laugh with my kids, snuggle up with my husband, reach out to my friends. It's been a really, really good week.

So what made this week different?

On Monday morning, I headed to the Athens Botanical Gardens, maintained by the University of Georgia. The manicured lawns and plotted flower and herb gardens are gorgeous, but if you hit the trails beyond the electric enclosure, erected to keep deer and other forest foragers away from the plants, you quickly forget you are inside city limits. The trails are rugged, like being on the side of a mountain. There are stretches that follow the swift-moving Oconee River, or babbling brooks. When the trails head up steep hills, you have to lift your knees and reach with your feet, hoist yourself up the knobby, exposed roots of forty-foot trees. Really gets your heart rate up.

I was so invigorated from the four-mile hike that I went back yesterday. I explored more trails, felt the sun on my face, felt my muscles working.

(I'm working on a little project, born from these hikes, and I'll share it next week.)

The other outing this week was a "writer's field trip," of sorts. I worked on a character back during the holidays, a young woman afraid to live her authentic life, held back by the childhood death of her sister which she witnessed. I'd decided she would choose, as a career, a hair and make-up artist in a funeral home. Later in the story, as she faced her inner conflicts, she would leave that job to pursue her true life passions. I'd asked my hair stylist if she'd learned in beautician school about mortuary work. She hadn't, but she had been asked by family members to work on deceased clients.

Such a job came up this week. She called me. Would I be interested in assisting her? Wow. I was terrified, but I grabbed the opportunity.


On Monday, I'll tell you about that experience.


Until then, have a wonderful weekend!
March 14, 2011 at 8:32am
March 14, 2011 at 8:32am
#719757
It's supposed to snow in northern Japan.

As if the monster 8.9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami weren't enough, or the terrifying 400+ aftershocks -- some up to 7.0 on the Richter Scale, now search and rescue operations will be further hindered by snow. Temperatures will drop to the 20s and 30s, while whole communities have no electricity, or experience rolling blackouts, as experts scramble to avoid a nuclear meltdown disaster. My heart goes out to survivors of this horrific natural disaster.

Puts things in perspective, doesn't it? I've been wallowing in my creative slump for too long. Yeah, it sucks feeling blocked. But I'm warm. I'm not hungry, or thirsty. Everyone in my family is safe and accounted for.

Today, I'm grateful for all I have. But that just doesn't seem good enough, to me.

I will celebrate what I have. It's an honor to have a roomy, beautiful home to live in. Beginning today, I'm going to kick-start my trusted daily cleaning schedule. Monday is Power-Clean-the-Kitchen Day. Each day this week, I'll focus on another room in the house. By next week, the whole house will sparkle and I'll shift into daily maintenance mode. A house is shelter, but it's more than a building. It protects my family life, keeps us together and safe, healthy and happy. I'm grateful for it.

When I'm finished cleaning, I'm getting out of the house! Away from my computer, away from my blockages. I need to stop trying so hard to write. Get outside, commune with nature, breathe. I'm driving to the Botanical Gardens in Athens. There's a great five mile nature trail that follows the Oconee River before wrapping around the wetlands that give rise to deciduous forests. I'm taking along fruits, nuts & raisins, and plenty of water. I'll have my camera and my journal. I'll celebrate my good health, my vitality, and the beautiful, powerful planet -- capable of supporting life...capable of whisking it away.

Today is about being grateful, celebrating blessings. And praying for those whose blessings lie on rubble.

What are you most grateful for?

March 12, 2011 at 10:34am
March 12, 2011 at 10:34am
#719646
This morning, I sent out the first monthly TWIST newsletter of 2011. New installments will be sent to group members every first week of the month. You can read the latest here:

Most Recent TWIST Newsletter ~ 8/10/2011  (E)
Monthly Newsletter alerting teen TWIST members about contests and activities around WDC
#1758922 by NickiD89



Also, in a random drawing I chose two TWIST members to receive Merit Badges. Congratulations to:

sproke
Durrakan

If you'd like to support these two young writers, stop in their ports and read/review some of their work. Let me know about it, and I'll send you a little token of my appreciation!

Have a wonderful weekend, all!
*Peace* Nicki *Heart*
March 11, 2011 at 4:54pm
March 11, 2011 at 4:54pm
#719604
I launched a unique group last year, called TWIST, to help our community's teen writers learn what contests and activities were available around the site for them. I went on hiatus from the group, with the intention of getting the regular newsletter emails rolling again at the beginning of this year.

And here we are. In March. *Rolleyes*

But my brand new mod-ship has lit a fire under my, let's say desk chair, and I'm getting together the next installment.

If you are a teen writer, or know any, or would like to be a part of the group as an adult member, please check out what we're all about:



Have a fab weekend, all!





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March 9, 2011 at 2:30pm
March 9, 2011 at 2:30pm
#719469
Today has been a complete love fest for me!! It's pretty lame for a writer to be at a loss for words, but I'm having a hard time articulating the elation I felt realizing I'd been promoted to Moderator or the bliss I've reveled in since, as all the congratulatory emails, C-Notes, Notebook Scribbles and Merit Badges rolled in. Thank you, friends and family!!

WDC is such a wonderful place to spend time every day. So glad I 'moved in', and here's where I'm going to stay!

Hope everyone is having as stellar a day as me!!!!
I *Heart* you all!
January 3, 2011 at 1:29pm
January 3, 2011 at 1:29pm
#714625
Literary Foray, a new anthology of literary fiction short stories, is now available for pre-order. I'm extra excited about this book. Not only is one of my short stories featured, but there are stories and poems by my real life sister and several of my close writer/blogger friends! Beneath this book's hauntingly beautiful coverart, you'll find work by Jessica Bell  , Matthew Rush   (a.k.a. Matthew MacNish), Mara ♣ McBain~17 yrs on WDC! , Adriana Noir , Noelle ~ TY Anon! (my sister *Bigsmile*) and me, alongside the work of 24 other authors and poets.

The book is in editing post-production, but you can pre-order at Amazon.com  . And, it's available at a discounted price from the publisher's online store. Details at Pill Hill Press.com  .

Tomorrow, I will be Carolyn Abiad's guest at her blog Serendipity  . My post will be the first in a series about international romance and how it affects a writer's work. As many of you know, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer, and I met my husband while we were both working in Africa. I hope you join me at Serendipity   tomorrow for my discussion and photos!

What about you? Any news you'd like to share with me? I have confetti....


October 15, 2010 at 8:50am
October 15, 2010 at 8:50am
#708512
There are only five days left before the Final Round of the "Invalid Item closes for judging. For those who aren't familiar, it's a fantastic, uber-challenging, speculative ficition-focused contest that began August 30th. Back then, there were 19 competitors. After three elimination rounds, there are three of us left, vying for first, second, and third places.

The final prompt is super creative. We were giving the link to an off-site blog. Based on the unnamed blogger's posts, we are challenged to build a character and write a story. Genre and word count are up to us. This link takes you to the blog in question:



I'd LOVE to hear feedback on my story. I've read it over so many times during edits that I can no longer determine where problematic sentences lie or whether the voice and pacing are strong. I need your help!

There are over 1600 auto-reward GPs for reviewing this 3292-word story. Plus helpful, quality reviews will be generously awarded additional GPs and review credits. (*WARNING* Dark fiction, Rated 18+ ) Any takers? Great! Here's the story:

 ~Silenced~  (18+)
Sometimes, you have to listen without your ears. Entry: WYRM's Gauntlet,Final Round 2010
#1716387 by NickiD89



Looking forward to hearing what you think!
*Cat* ~ Thank you! ~ *Cat*
August 5, 2010 at 10:13am
August 5, 2010 at 10:13am
#703228
Last night, I entered the Twitter frenzy by creating an account. I have a blogger friend who has been saying for months that it's a great site and I should join. It was only natural that he was one of the first people I contacted once my profile was set up. Talk about launching myself head-first into the deep end of the Twitter pool...

Simon   has over 2,000 followers, and he was in conversation with hundreds of them last night. I developed an immediate case of ADHD trying to follow along.

He's awesome and tweeted an invitation for his followers to make me feel welcome. Seconds later "@NicoleDwrites" messages began flooding my timeline. It was great -- and flattering/fun/chaotic/scary/intimidating/exhausting/and did I say fun?

I've figured out only a couple things:

*NoteG* Tweets I make show up on my timeline, as well as tweets made by the people I follow.

*NoteG* I visit other people's Twitter sites to get involved with a conversation by reading/replying to what they've tweeted, that was in reply to someone other than me. (What? I don't even understand what I'm typing!)

*NoteG* If I put @ followed by someone's username, at the end of my tweet, it indicates I'm referring to that person.

*NoteG* If I put # followed by a word(s), I create a hashtag

And that's it. So basically, I'm the newest brand of Twitter newbie and pretty lost. If anyone has Twitter knowledge to share with me, from navigation tips to etiquette to "things you should never do on Twitter," please pass it on!

Thanks!!

Oh, and to find me on Twitter, click here: NicoleDwrites  

*Peace* Nicki


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August 4, 2010 at 8:22am
August 4, 2010 at 8:22am
#703149
[This post can be viewed with accompanying book cover art, author and illustrator photos, and lots of links HERE  ]

*Note* *Note* *Note* *Note* *Note* *Note*



I’m thrilled to participate today in the Blog Book Tour for Little Pickle Press and their newly released children’s book What Does It Mean To Be Present? This little treasure’s beautiful message, illustrated with whimsical brilliance, is capturing the fancy of children and parents alike.


(One Significant Moment at a Time   followers are able to purchase What Does it Mean To Be Present at a discounted rate online. Receive your coupon code below!)


Author Rana DiOrio's third book in the "What Does it Mean..." series is a refreshing, vibrant picture book aimed at children 4-8 years old, which engages all of the senses and explores answers to a deceptively simple question, “What does it mean to be present?” Each colorful page reveals how to seize the moment and "be present," sharing ideas that will open important dialog between children and parents, and teachers and students.

In DiOrio's words, being present can mean “listening carefully when other people are speaking”; “focusing on what’s happening now instead of thinking about what’s next”; or “savoring each bite of your delicious food.” The book helps children judge what’s truly important in life.

The author's powerful messages resonate with adults, too. As I read, I reflected on my own rushed, often hectic daily life. It’s easy to forget to slow down, to indulge the senses, and to listen to your heart sing. Children learn to behave primarily through the example set by their care-givers. This book is a wonderful tool for grown-ups who know there is no greater gift than teaching a child the importance of “closing your eyes and being still enough to hear your inner voice.”

DiOrio’s words come alive accompanied by the magic of Eliza Wheeler’s whimsical illustrations. Through Wheeler's drawings, a story emerges of two children, a boy and a girl, as they move through their day. Wheeler creates the book's wonderful sense of flow as the background scenery moves from setting to setting, with each turn of the page. And children will be delighted to hunt on every page for the blue butterfly and the orange fruit, sometimes out in plain view, sometimes slightly hidden. When Wheeler was asked about the butterfly in a recent interview, she said:

“Whenever a butterfly is around people seem to stop to watch them. They are fragile, gentle creatures that don't usually live long, yet they bring such beauty while they are here. I included blue butterflies on each page because kids love to search within drawings and find repetition. Searching for the butterflies slows them down as they read the book, and helps them to be "present" and fully experience each page.”

I love that!


I was completely enchanted by What Does It Mean to be Present? and I highly recommend it. Be sure to seek out the other two titles in the series: What Does It Mean to be Green? and What Does It Mean to be Global?




An Offer Just For You (Visit my BlogSpot blog HERE   -- where everything is linked properly!)


Rana DiOrio and the Little Pickle Press are offering One Significant Moment followers a great deal! You can order online any two books in the series and a poster for just $29.95.


Go HERE and type the coupon code MOMENT at check-out.



Grand Prize Give Away (Visit my BlogSpot blog HERE   -- where everything is linked properly!)


You could win all three books in the What Does It Mean... series, plus four posters and a DabbaWalla backpack. Click HERE for full details!



About the Author



Rana DiOrio was born in Providence, RI and grew up in a colorful Italian-American family. Her curiosity about the world began in kindergarten, while studying Western access to China and, obviously, panda bears! She has written her way through life – as a student, a lawyer, an investment banker, a private equity investor - and now as an author of children’s picture books and owner of Little Pickle Press.
Rana’s motivation for writing What Does It Mean To Be Present? was deciding that she had a Blackberry® addiction and hoping that the best cure would be to write about how best to live without it. Her interests include reading nonfiction, dreaming, effecting positive change, and, of course, practicing yoga. She lives in Belvedere, California with her husband and their three Little Pickles.


About the Illustrator



Eliza Wheeler, an award winning children's book illustrator, was born into a family of musicians, artists, and teachers, and was raised in the north woods of Wisconsin. As a toddler, she adored crayons, and drawing has been her favorite creative outlet ever since. Eliza received her BFA in Graphic Design at the University of Wisconsin-Stout; shortly thereafter, she abandoned the mouse and embraced pen on paper to pursue a career in illustration. She began studying illustration in earnest and fell in love all over again with the picture books of her childhood. Now, Eliza has found her true calling — illustrating for the children’s book market and creating illustrated gifts for her online gallery.



Thanks to Dani Greer at Blog Book Tours for inviting me to participate today. And thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for thinking of me and passing my name to Dani!


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August 2, 2010 at 8:34am
August 2, 2010 at 8:34am
#702927
7:10 a.m., and the house is quiet. And it isn't because the children are snug in their beds, dreaming of carefree summer bliss.

The beds are already made.

Any dreaming of carefree summer bliss is happening on the school bus.

That's right, the children have gone back to school...and now my vacation begins. Just kidding! Sorry if I sound a bit giddy. And please don't misunderstand. It isn't that I haven't enjoyed my children immensely this summer. I have! It's been one of the best on record. But, this schedule-oriented, deadline-loving, early-to-bed-early-to-rise, muggy weather-hating, I-need-silence-to-work writer is doing the happy dance today!

Back to business as usual. And the first step is:

Re-evaluate my goals for 2010.

I've come to realize I approach the year in two five-month blocks. Think about it. On January first, it's easy to look the year to come straight on, as a twelve month entity. But summer derails all my best-intended goals.

In reality, I'm on-track in all aspects of my life (my writing, the housework, my health and fitness routine, etc.) from January through May. Then, school lets out -- and all hell breaks loose -- for summer break.

We sleep in, sometimes staying in our jammies until it's time to put the swim suits on and head for the pool. We eat Cheez-Its and Diet Coke for lunch. I put baskets of clean, badly-wrinkled laundry back in the dryer, because I never get around to folding the clothes the same day I wash them. Every evening I remember I didn't take meat out of the freezer, so I dash to the store to buy steaks for dinner. We start a feature-length movie at 8:30 at night, eat dinner on the living room coffee table in front of the TV, finish the dishes at 11:30, shoo the kids off to bed by midnight, and finally fall into bed in the wee hours -- only to get up late the next morning and do it all over again.

And my WiP gathers dust in the binder where I put it, back when I was preparing for the trip to France.

But today begins the second five-month block of 2010. August through December sees the return to normalcy around here. My beloved daily schedule resumes! (*fist pump*)

So, re-evaluation time. I took pages of notes in France, for a new story floating around the edges of my mind. But I won't turn my attention there just yet. First things first. I'm sticking to my original deadline of finishing the first draft of Overcome by November first. I want to attend the Georgia Writers Association's Red Clay Writer's Conference   on November 6th with a completed manuscript in hand. So I need to write, on the WiP, e.v.e.r.y.d.a.y.

Also, I need to get my @ss back in the gym. I've managed to maintain my weight, more or less, this summer, but my muscle tone is disappearing. I can't wait to get my sweat on.

This week, I'm easing into things. Organizing my desk, mopping a sticky floor here and there, actually planning a couple meals. Tomorrow I hit the gym with Lorri. (But afterwards, we're heading over to a friend's pool where she's hosting a "Our Kids Are Back In School Let's Drink Margaritas and Celebrate Party.")

And I'm going to write. At least 500 words. E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y.

By next week, I should be completely transitioned back to my regularly scheduled life.

What are your goals this week? Please share -- it'll help me to feed off your motivation energies!





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August 1, 2010 at 5:48pm
August 1, 2010 at 5:48pm
#702870
Please Never Text and Drive...
...Distracted Drivers Are As Deadly As Drunk Drivers!


Other distracting activities include:


*Bullet* Using a cell phone
*Bullet* Eating and drinking
*Bullet* Talking to passengers
*Bullet* Grooming
*Bullet* Reading, including maps
*Bullet* Using a PDA or navigation system
*Bullet* Watching a video
*Bullet* Changing the radio station, CD, or Mp3 player.

Did You Know?
Research on distracted driving reveals some surprising facts:


*Bullet* In 2008, slightly more than almost 20 percent of all crashes in the year involved some type of distraction. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - NHTSA).

*Bullet* Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted driver, and more than half a million were injured. (NHTSA)

*Bullet* The younger, inexperienced drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes.

*Bullet* Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

*Bullet* Using a cell phone use while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (Source: University of Utah)

(The above facts were copied from the Official US Government Website For Distracted Driving.
Please visit the site today: DISTRACTION.gov  )



I have a steadfast rule in my car: NO CELL PHONE USAGE. I won't answer a call, not even with a blue tooth accessory. I won't read or respond to a text message. If my kids are in the car with me, and if it's appropriate, I ask them to type a text I dictate, or answer the phone. Otherwise, I wait until I'm parked, engine off, to use my phone.

My cell phone voice mail message is: "Hello! I'm either away from my phone or driving the car, but I'll call you back as soon as possible. Until then, have a great day!" Of course, I worry that someone may take me for a snooty Oprah-wannabe. But if that message-leaver is a friend or family member I love, making the call from her car, and she is reminded not to risk her life or the lives of others by driving distractedly, then I don't care if labels are cast on me.

Some things are worth that climb atop the soap box *Smile*



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July 31, 2010 at 12:25pm
July 31, 2010 at 12:25pm
#702788
The countdown is on, and in just three short days my upbeat children will enter again the hallowed halls of elementary and middle schools. Summer swept us into her sunny whirlpool, leaving us giddy, light-headed, and incredulous that it could possibly be over, already.

And the promise of a quiet house, paramount for writers like me, is tucked in a box on the next page of my week-at-a-glance calendar, waiting like a gift to be opened on the 2nd.

My muse is having a hard time staying patient.

To soothe her unsettled soul, I pulled out my Word Box this morning.

The word box is one of my favorite possessions. The box itself was made by my mother in her small, basement stained glass studio. The glass is clear with what looks like embedded scraps in various tints of rose-colored tissue paper and threadlike ribbons of black ink. The hinged top is inlaid with opaque glass and beveled mirrored. Mom did a great job soldering the pieces together. I was heartbroken when one of the kids accidentally knocked it off the coffee table last year, but now I think the crack visible along the front facing side, and the fact that the lid will forever close off-centered, adds to the box's life story and charm.

Inside this box are juicy words.

Last year, I cut narrow strips of colored card stock, and over the course of several weeks I wrote upon them delicious-sounding, descriptive words. The box stays in a prominent place (but no longer on the dangerous coffee table) where I add to it whenever I hear a vivid or picturesque word.

When Sidney and I cook together, we take turns swishing around the words and pulling two scraps of paper out. Those words become our names for the evening. Once I was Pristine Flabbergast, and Sidney was Polite Lovely-Green.

Since Muse is chomping at the bit to write, but I have a three-boy sleepover party ready to awaken at any moment and demand breakfast -- (...did I just hear a toilet flush downstairs?...) -- I decided to share with you my little early morning exercise.

I stirred up the words, infusing the papers with my creative energy, and pulled my hand away. I wrote a list of all the words I could read without moving the papers:


Treasure
Disturb
Maple rose
Extinguish
Vibrant
Breathe
Loneliness
Frantic
Torch
Filter
Write
Silliness
Wander
Aura
Shoe
Remember



And from the words, I gave myself five minutes to compose a poem. My rules for this game are: it's okay to add short connector words (the, its, than, etc.), and if a word is better used as a different part of speech (silliness [noun] becomes silly [adjective]), change away! With only five minutes, you really have to muzzle your inner editor and embrace the whimsical results. Here were mine:


Remember
Filter not the silliness you write
Better to let its vibrant aura breathe
Than extinguish the treasure torch.
And...
...always wear your wander shoes.




I wasn't able to use disturb, frantic, or loneliness. I guess my energy rejected them. And Maple Rose missed the creative cut, too.


Feel inspired? What funky word combinations can you come up with from this list? (Ex. Frantic Torch) Can you write a line of poetry using some of these words? Please share your inspired results in the comments!



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May 12, 2010 at 9:48am
May 12, 2010 at 9:48am
#695929
New Round Banner

*Up* Click the image to Join! *Up*



This round is unique! My dear friend and talented writer/poet Cherokeescribe has had a rough go the past year and a half. Like so many of us, her personal life is further complicated by financial hardships. But now, the unthinkable has happened. Her membership lapsed and over one hundred of her poems and short fiction is locked. I wanted to help.

I've asked every MB Bonanza participant to donate (a minimum of) 10,000 gift points upon signing up for the activity. All entrance donations go directly to Robin to save her membership.

We've already raised a whooping 775,500 GPs!!!!!!!


Now, "Showering Acts of Joy Garden leaders have joined with me. And you can help! For every Showering Act of Joy review you do between now and June 15th, when you mention the Merit Badge Bonanza, they will donate 5K to Cherokeescribe !!

I created an item to explain the details. Please click here if you're interested in learning more:

 Reviewers Unite! (for Common Causes)  (E)
MB Bonanza & Showering Acts of Joy Unite our Community with Reviews- Be a part of it here!
#1672543 by NickiD89



And, since you love to review, would you aslo like to earn an easy Merit Badge? It's as easy as clicking this link:

Merit Badge Bonanza!  (E)
~ MB Bonanza~ CLOSED FOR NEW SIGN-UPS
#1594698 by NickiD89




*Heart* Thanks for making this community GREAT! *Heart*


April 5, 2010 at 3:09pm
April 5, 2010 at 3:09pm
#692355
The characters I cast in my novel aren't who I thought they were. I don't know why I'm so surprised. Anytime I meet someone for the first time, the new acquaintance smiles a lot, flatters me with complimentary politeness, chooses her words carefully. I do the same thing. It's only through subsequent meetings, time spent hanging out together, that guarded moments give way to natural reactions, and the façade begins to crumble.

In the time I've hung out with my characters this week, they have begun to shown me their authentic selves. I learned the antagonist has a lifelong fascination for electroshock weaponry. And here, I thought fire was his thing. Another character informed me I had it all wrong, that he never wanted to marry his fiancée. One character up and altogether quit the project! And an Asian dude I'd pegged from the start as a wicked man turned out to be a student and a young fellow of incredible honor. It's a shame what's going to happen to him. However, it was only when he revealed himself to me that the big climactic scene -- the one I just couldn't figure out for weeks and weeks and weeks -- finally played out in my mind. Maybe I'll make it up to him by mentioning him in the book's dedication blurb...

So, I made my first self-imposed deadline: Step Six of the Snowflake Method is complete, on time, on April 3.

The steps in this method of plotting a novel are extremely well designed. For example, in Step Five I wrote a one-page narration of each major character and a half-page narration of each minor character. The exercise was to write in first person from the POV of that character, letting him or her explain his or her role in the book (relationship to other characters, goals, motivations, etc.) Then this week, in Step Six, I expanded the one-page plot synopsis of the novel I wrote for Step Four to a four-page synopsis. Today I begin Step Seven which shifts focus back to the characters and asks me to create detailed character charts for each character. It's brilliant, because I know so much more about the characters after working through Step Six, including how wrong some of my original interpretations of the characters were. I'm excited to dive into this exercise and fully flesh these people out.

Snowflake Method author Randy Ingermanson says in Step Seven notes: "You will probably go back and revise steps (1-6) as your characters become "real" to you and begin making petulant demands on the story. This is good -- great fiction is character-driven. Take as much time as you need to do this, because you're just saving time downstream."


How do you get to know your characters? Have you ever interviewed them? Have your ever had a character quit your novel?
March 18, 2010 at 12:28pm
March 18, 2010 at 12:28pm
#690616
We've heard a quilt is a metaphor for life so many times that it's become cliché. And I try to avoid using clichés...so I'll put on it my own twist and use it anyways to explain why I'm struggling so much with my WIP.

The quilt pictured below was the first I'd ever attempted, my debut textile project. As you can see, I didn't start out sewing a small, crib-size quilt with a simple four-block pattern. Instead, I chose a complicated nine-patch block, of which five patches were constructed from tiny triangles. I never considered a crib quilt -- I skipped right to queen size. And, I added to the original pattern, creating two additional borders (the skinny yellow border and the border that's a single row of stars were my ideas). As I struggled with my WIP outline this week, I realized that my creative methods are the same, regardless of the medium I'm working with. It's surely a mild form of arrogance, or perhaps an inability to know my own boundaries, but I've never been able to accept myself as a novice.

Short stories are easier for me to write. I'm comfortable dealing with one significant moment in time. Transitioning to the format of a novel is brand new territory for me. But like my big fat first quilt project, I've thrown myself into the deep end of the creative pool.

Rather than construct a linear plot that fits into a basic three act formula, I'm working with two distinct storylines. Two strangers, dealing with the conflicts in their lives, are fated to cross paths after a computer-generated phone call puts them on a collision course. Their lives don't intersect until midway through the book. Until then, chapters go back and forth, sometimes narrated by one character in one part of the country, and other times narrated by the other in a different city, so that the reader understands and sympathizes with both by the time they arrive at their crossroad.

I've struggled with tying their two separate experiences together. I'm worried the book will come across fractual, with odd patchwork pieces that don't fit together. My answer to this quandary is theme. Both characters, as different as their circumstances and as polar opposite as they are on the morality scale, are connected by the theme(s) I'm exploring throughout the book.

A novice novelist? Me? (*chuckles condescendingly, as if to herself*) You must have me confused with someone who doesn't know what she's doing.


Do you ever feel like your creative ideas exceed your skills? Do you think big and then scale down? Or does your confidence grow as you write, so that your end result is more successful than you imagined it'd be?

 
 ~
 ~
March 10, 2010 at 1:11pm
March 10, 2010 at 1:11pm
#689835
For me, the characteristic that sets an author's writing above the others is a strong descriptive voice. Descriptions captivate me when they flow like water down the riverbed of a story. I want to be pulled into the characters' world through all five of my senses, until my imagination is alive in their reality.

I aspire to write what I'd want to read.

One of the masters of literary fiction was Truman Capote. His penchant for prolific prose was astounding, and his rich descriptions permeate his short stories, novellas, and novels. I'd looked forward to reading Breakfast at Tiffany's this week (the local library's copy was checked out), but settled on a collection of short stories based on Capote's childhood. Here is an excerpt from A Christmas Memory that illustrates perfectly why I admire Capote's descriptive genuis:

Silently, wallowing in the pleasures of conspiracy, we take the bead purse from its secret place and spill its contents on the scrap quilt. Dollar bills, tightly rolled and green as May buds. Somber fifty-cent pieces, heavy enough to weight a dead man's eyes. Lovely dimes, the liveliest coin, the one that really jingles. Nickels and quarters, worn smooth as creek pebbles. Bost mostly a hateful heap of bitter-odored pennies. Last summer, others in the house contracted us a penny for every twenty-five flies we killed. Oh, the carnage of August: the flies that flew to heaven! Yet it was not work in which we took pride. And, as we sit counting pennies, it is as though we were back tabulating dead flies. (Truman Capote, A Christmas Memory  , page 10)

The poetic descriptions for the various pieces of money not only held my attention, but they brought the narrating character into sharper focus. Clearly, the narrator was not a city dweller. Only a country boy would see springtime buds in rolled dollar bills or equate worn coins with the smoothness of water-eroded stones. The narrator was not wealthy in the traditional sense, otherwise he wouldn't have kept coins hidden in a beaded purse, had a scrap quilt on the bed, or accepted a job paying only a penny per twenty-five dead flies. We're shown so much in such a short paragraph.

When I read his work, I glean a lesson in creative writing in every paragraph of a Capote story.


Who are your author champions, the writers who exemplify what you'd like to achieve in your own work?

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