Imagination in Flight

Getting Back Into the Swing

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:10:08 PDT

I signed up for an all day class this Saturday, so I'm looking forward to that. Two lecturers are folks and writing friends I've mentioned before: Dr. Bryce Anderson and Cyn Mobley. I love to listen to Bryce talk about bullets and ballistics, all that stuff that comes in handy in some of my stories. Cyn is always inspiring and with her no-nonsense style of doing things, a good kick in the pants, so we don't get carried away in a lofty writer kingdom that doesn't exist.
There's also an internet expert guy coming, a radio DJ and book club enthusiast to teach us about speaking on the radio, a person to speak on branding, and another on proposals and key word searching.

It will be a lot of fun and a nice break from my usual work.

I have been writing, but mostly little scenes that aren't going to make it to any bigger story, though with some adaptation, they could. I do not want to get stale on the writing skills I have learned so far and the writing keeps me in the imaginative mindset needed to write fiction. I am getting the itch to start working hard again, which takes a lot of brain energy to work out the details, especially in a fiction fantasy/other world type story. That's where my interest lies at the moment.

Hopefully I can get to all these things sooner rather than later.

Cotton Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:58:34 PST

I get this text message today from my daughter on her first day back to school: "They put cotton balls in the place of eyes before the funeral."

Huh?

Then I remember. She's reading Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. It's the book with the picture of feet bearing a toe tag on the cover. You might recognize that if you've been in a bookstore lately. She picked it up recently and has been sharing little tidbits from it the last couple of days. Fascinating stuff to be sure, however morbid.

Wouldn't it be nice to be the author of a book that someone finds so interesting they send you a text message between classes? Hopefully, it was between classes. ^_^

Withdrawn

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:40:00 PST

I think over a year's time is long enough for a submission to be handled and responded to, so I finally sent a withdrawal letter to the editor, much to my disappointment. I had already sent a follow-up letter three months ago, and received no response from that. I don't like to leave matters hanging for my own peace of mind. I can only fulfill my side of the deal and I did that. No hard feelings. Hopefully I'll have other opportunities with that house in the future.

I do have another agent requested submission hanging in the wind for months now, but I did not send a follow-up to her and I will not withdraw that one. No hard feelings there either, though I won't make any more attempts. The business relationship with an agent really has to click to work to the best advantage for both parties and I don't think we would have that. I've heard mostly good things, but my own impression gave me pause. I'm content to let this one go.

I'm still waiting within the normal expected time span on a response from an agent I sent material to in October following given guidelines. It wouldn't surprise me to have that one go past year end since the holiday season has arrived. Then again, I may receive a great response or a rejection at any moment. Nothing like a little suspense.

In the meantime, I'll keep at it.

Prince - the Artist

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:02:57 PST

I read an article about Prince, the singer/songwriter/artist, so many things. It's an interview with a lot of fluff around it written by Claire Hoffman after a visit to his home. Here's the link for as long as it's out there:
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/11/24/081124ta_talk_hoffman

He's one of the truly gifted people in the world. I find him very insightful, thoughtful in a way that most people aren't. Not thoughtful as in getting great gifts for his friends type thoughtful, though he may very well do that, but more thought filled. I don't think a lot gets by him. His thoughts on politics and all the junk that goes with it are true to form for him. I didn't find them so surprising. He doesn't feel any pressure to say something he doesn't adhere to. His mind goes down avenues as far as possible. I like that. His music reflects this in the raw, but compelling way that is his trademark.

The behind-the-scenes comments are interesting as well. Read here:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/goingson/2008/11/behind-the-scen.html

Prince has taken parts of his soul and turned it out so that we all get pulled in. This is a lesson for all us writers, though so few of us have the guts to share so deeply.

100 Random Things About Moi

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:48:37 PST

Does this count as a writing exercise? Yes? Good!

1 - It will be hard for me to blow through the list and not take forever.

2 - I love dark chocolate.

3 - I love cheese.

4 - I cannot live without milk, preferably skim. My Daddy calls it Blue John.

5 - I'm on my second marriage and loving it.

6 - I have one daughter. I imagined as a little girl that I would have 4 kids.

7 - Fat has given me a bit of a figure, but I'd rather be skinny.

8 - I have one brother. :)

9 - I have 2 dogs (black Lab and Huskey/Lab offspring) and a Russian blue cat.

10 - I still cry over past pets that are gone now, but not the fish.

11 - I wore dresses to school until 4th grade and then I had only 1 pr of plaid pants.

12 - I still have my closest childhood friends.

13 - I have lots of first cousins and I know each one.

14 - I have smoked less than 2 cigarettes in my youth and never did any illegal drugs.

15 - I don't really like wine, but do like wine-coolers.

16 - I can drink a shot of Jack Daniels without making a face.

17 - No, Moma, I don't do that as a rule.

18 - I love the sound of rain and thunder.

19 - I'm subconsciously afraid of dogs, but manage.

20 - I think arrogance cancels out intelligence.

21 - Given a choice of flavors, I always pick chocolate.

22 - My "last meal" would be porkchops, pinto beans and cornbread with a lot of butter, and milk.

23 - I'm crankier in my 40s.

24 - My favorite colors are various shades of blue, purple, green and pink.

25 - If TV disappeared I'm not so sure I would miss it, except to watch movies on DVD.

26 - I think these actors are ultra hunky: Marc Singer in Beastmaster, Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, Viggo Mortensen in LOTR and Hildago, and William Fichtner in Perfect Storm.

27 - My favorite wild animals are: whales, elephants, tigers, and butterflies.

28 - My favorite mythical animal is the dragon.

29 - My first romance book was 'Shanna' by Kathleen Woodiwiss.

30 - I love to track things like investments.

31 - I should have been an FBI agent digging through records.

32 - I have a fascination with detective work and forensics.

33 - I'm a budget queen. I believe it's the common man's most powerful tool to wealth.

34 - I'm a rotten housekeeper.

35 - My parents are the perfect parents.

36 - My parents and spouse are my best sources of advice.

37 - I think my husband is a great well of fascinating things.

38 - My favorite month is October.

39 - I'm energized by cooler fall weather, not spring.

40 - I love architecture, especially old stuff.

41 - I don't like spicy hot foods.

42 - I don't eat much seafood.

43 - I don't like super hot drinks or food. I prefer warm.

44 - My favorite car to date is my current Cadillac CTS, though I love my Chevy pickup, too.

45 - My favorite overall car maker is Jaguar.

46 - I don't get the obsessive interest in actors.

47 - I generally don't care for politics, but I vote in major elections.

48 - I don't like tricks or surprises as jokes on myself or anyone else.

49 - Slap-stick comedy is not funny to me.

50 - Magic shows don't tempt me at all.

51 - I take my lunch to work everyday, usually the same thing.

52 - I love books as my greatest entertainment and therapy.

53 - I think the naked human is a wonder to look upon.

54 - I'm disgusted with the use of sports enhancing drugs.

55 - I'm a good listener.

56 - I'm not sure what my gift is, but encouragement must be part of it.

57 - I like reading medical information.

58 - I never grow tired of being with my mate.

59 - I can be alone in a room full of people.

60 - I'm an introvert pretending to be extroverted.

61 - I can travel anywhere so long as someone goes with me.

62 - I don't have unlimited usage on my cell phone.

63 - I'm not a shopper.

64 - I believe love is like a gelatinous glob that expands, contracts, and reshapes itself to fit wherever it needs to be.

65 - I'm addicted to the online game World of Warcraft.

66 - I no longer feel like I have to please everyone.

67 - I realized in my 30s that my happiness is dependent only on me, but others can contribute.

68 - I don't believe in job security.

69 - When someone is mean to me, I imagine myself as a tough elephant.

70 - I've had lessons in violin and piano.

71 - I pick up pennies, heads up or tails up.

72 - I make wishes with pennies in water fountains.

73 - Pansies make me smile.

74 - I don't support abortion. Ever.

75 - I can forgive, but it's hard to forget.

76 - I rarely feel domestic.

77 - I like to feel and wear natural products.

78 - I love leather.

79 - I enjoy skipping makeup, never wear hairspray, rarely wear scent and I don't remember the last time I painted my nails.

80 - I don't really worry too much if other people like my outfit these days.

81 - Nature never ceases to fascinate me.

82 - I enjoyed my daughter as a baby, but I'm not drawn to babies.

83 - My competitive nature sneaks up in unexpected places, like go-kart racing.

84 - I insist on comfort from head to toe.

85 - I don't worry about revenge. Distance works fine.

86 - I have no problem seeking guidance if I can't figure it out by myself.

87 - I love fractal art.

88 - I love teaching myself how to do things.

89 - My hair will be the same general style until I die.

90 - My favorite hymn is "It is Well with My Soul" written by Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss.

91 - High school was not my element.

92 - If not for my husband, I would never stop at a convenience store.

93 - I hate crowds.

94 - I like trains.

95 - I don't like air travel, but pretend I'm not scared.

96 - I'd rather talk in person than by phone.

97 - I hate pantyhose. Please don't put them on my corspe.

98 - I'm not seeing any hair-color in my future.

99 - I'm considering getting a tattoo.

100 - I'm happy. :)

Side Effects of Consoling Statements

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:49:42 PST

Many writers (and authors) are fond of making the point they have to write, it is part of their makeup, a need to be fulfilled. They go on to say that if they never sell their work, that's okay because they are still satisfying a need to write. Generally this statement comes on the heels of a rejection or low sales for an author or failure to secure another book contract. It's an 'out' statement to console the bruised ego and make one feel that there is still meaning in just writing for writing's sake.

Okay?

That depends!

Depending on what a writer is attempting, it may or may not be okay to basically state one's writing efforts are a personal hobby, not a business.

Writer: "That's not what I said."

Me: "Yes, it is."

Writer: "Well, that's not what I meant."

Me: "Better rephrase then."

If a writer expects to take tax deductions for writing expenses, a profit motive is a must. Making efforts to sell the work is crucial and failure means making changes, seeking advice or appropriate training to do a better job, so the book, poem, article, or short story can sell. Just selling is not enough. The goal must be to make a profit, income that exceeds expenses.

Don't confuse making a profit with the intent to make a profit. A personal hobby can be profitable, but that doesn't mean the activity is a business with the purpose of making a profit. A business has the purpose to make a profit, to be sustaining beyond the fun factor or even the mental need factor.

So, the next time a writer feels the need to console herself by stating it is okay if she never makes money writing, hopefully she is not taking writing expenses on her tax return. She just declared it's a hobby.

Michael Crichton

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:44:33 PST

I'm saddened to read just now that Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park and The Lost World along with several other fantastic novels, has died at age 66 from cancer.

Jurassic Park and The Lost World are two of my daughter's favorite books and movies. She has read them over and over and watched the movies countless times. He's such a great author and the legacy of books that he leaves behind for all readers is impressive. His life history is just as entertaining to read as his fiction. If you haven't read up on the author, I encourage you to do so.

Episode 25 on Dialogue is Out

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:24:11 PST

I forgot to mention that episode 25 for the 'Imagination in Flight' podcast went out this past weekend. I hope listeners find it meaningful and helpful in their pursuit of great dialogue. I had a guest mp3 comment included in this episode. First time for that. Thanks, Ivy, for contributing. If anyone else has comments or questions on any of the episodes or just about writing in general, I'd love to hear from you and perhaps share your thoughts (with permission of course).

I'm catching up on many podcasts that I've gotten behind on. I'm caught up with Ivy's 'The WritingCast', and working on catching up on the 'Will Write for Wine' episodes I missed over the summer. The 'Will Write for Wine' podcast hasn't continued with regularly scheduled episodes, but the wealth of information they gave on previous ones are well worth going back to from time to time. I'm hoping they'll do a few episodes once in a while.

There Goes Another Fledgling

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:02:23 PDT

I sent out another submission to an agent. It's flopping around now, out of the nest, in that mysterious stage between survival and death.

lol...I'll try not to feel discouraged if it never comes back this time. I'm happier with the rejections than wondering what happened to the submission when I never hear back. Was it my email that failed and somehow flew off in the netherworld and they never got it? Did that happen twice perchance with my follow-up? Did they open and discard it by accident? Did they open and discard it on purpose? Has it been opened at all yet?

We'll never know.

Conference Take-Aways

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:51:01 PDT

What did I take away from the conference I "attended" online last week? A lot. I donated to the cause since I believe it had great value.

My classes were on: podcasting & other media, world building, magic systems, selling, websites, and writing sex. I managed to submit a query letter, synopsis and sex scene for critique, mostly because I already had something ready. I had to write out fresh thoughts on my fiction fantasy world that's on the backburner, but it was a lot of fun and insightful. I was happy to already know a fair amount about podcasting and websites, but I still learned more. I didn't attempt to write a media release since I really struggle with it already and it was too time intensive to get one done in time to feel comfortable sticking it out there. I don't mind criticism, but only when I've made a real effort to account for someone's time looking it over.

All in all, I enjoyed it and look forward to next year.

Learning is Forever and Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:28:45 PDT

Learning something new and continuing to take it higher is an ongoing experience that I never tire of. No matter what I'm trying to do, I get a thrill when progress is made, whether I move forward an inch or a mile.

Two things have thrilled me this week as I attend the Muse Online Writers Conference: making progress on writing a synopsis and receiving praise for my website and use of multimedia. The instructor for the website class has referenced my podcast page as an example for other writers. Here's a link to her helpful site on many website topics if you're interested: http://www.squidoo.com/websites-for-writers. I'm sure she updates references on her instructive page, but to be listed for even a short time is humbling and makes all my efforts to learn coding and podcasting worthwhile. Of course it also means I have to get busy and produce more episodes. I know I've been slack.

In other workshops, I also submitted a query letter and a love scene to be critiqued and the comments have been very informative and helpful. It never hurts to get another perspective on one's work. Often we cannot see the flaws. I also find it interesting and surprising at times to see what a person gets out of my work, flawed or not.

The world building classes have been inspiring. One instructor has prompted us to ask questions about the world we're creating. That's actually a lot of fun and a wonderful tool to figure out holes in the design.

All in all, I'm enjoying the workshops and chat sessions and look forward to the latter half of the week. I feel good about writing and look forward to applying new tricks I'm learning.

Trying Virtual

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:49:37 PDT

Next week I will be participating in the 2008 Muse Online Writers Conference. The conference is free, though donations can be made, so I decided I would give it a shot. Normally I'm not too wild about chats or forums for learning as most I have experienced went off track, wasting a lot of my time digging through all the posts to get to the good stuff. This one came recommended. The deadline has passed to sign up, so if you're interested, be on the lookout for information in August next year.

I will say the barrage of emails was a bit daunting during September and some people were so irritated as to email the coordinator and fuss at her. She in turned fussed back. I suppose that many people cannot figure out her instructions or they don't read them at all and problems occur. Either way, I've had no problems doing what I'm supposed to be doing. The forum is working; I'm good to go.

There is a class on just about every subject related to writing for a living. I expect it to be a lot of fun and educational as well. The convenience of a virtual class certainly can't be beat. The downside is not being able to focus 100% on class. I will have to work harder to keep distractions at bay. I rather enjoy sitting in classes when I travel to conferences, talking to people during mealtimes and in between, and the faster exchange of information. I do think there's an advantage to forums in having everything written out so I can refer back to a post if I need to.

I'll let you know how it works out.

Cover Art

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 06:36:00 PDT

I'll admit it. I'm drawn to the cover art on books and magazines first and foremost. Cover art is what prompts me to pick up the piece and examine the words. I don't just glance at the artwork, I study it. I may stand in the aisle for five minutes looking at the colors, shapes, people depicted, everything about it. Books and magazines with ugly artwork in my mind get me only because I'm looking for that particular book based on someone's recommendation or a magazine is on a subject I'm delving into. I love trading cards that feature artwork and I've purchased books on artwork.

I received my RWR (Romance Writers Report) in the mail this week and though I may not read it cover to cover, I did take a moment or two to look at the couple on the cover. I think the magazine folks do a good job picking out covers. There is no question about the contents relating to romance when one looks at the cover.

I do get amused when the cover art doesn't match the contents in some obvious way. In one book I read a couple of years ago, the female on the cover was blond when the heroine in the story was a brunette. Every reference to her hair made me think about this mistake. I would have found that very irritating had I been the author of that romance story. I'm sure she had to get over it like many do.

So Much for Being Brave

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:44:29 PDT

I felt rather brave to send a follow-up email in August to an editor that I had not heard from in ten months after sending a requested partial. I say 'brave' because some editors or agents get peeved when nudged and may decide the writer is a nuisance they don't wish to work with. Many are not that way, but that's impossible to determine without firsthand knowledge. Even if an editor instructs us in a blog to send follow-ups after such-and-such time has passed, we all have bad days and I don't want my email to be the trigger of a throw-it-all-out sentiment. I sent the email over a month ago despite misgivings. Did it work?

No.

I'm in the exact same boat of knowing nothing at all that I was in before the follow-up, except for one thing: more time has passed.

I'm dropping all hopes based on that partial submission. I'm not going to badmouth the editor or refuse to send anything else should I get an opportunity. Perhaps my partial and the follow-up never made it through the internet. Perhaps she is deathly ill or swamped or someone else screens her emails and deleted mine. There's no way to know. I tried and it's time to move on.

Music is Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:54:23 PDT

Music is part of the human soul. Music moves us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We're drawn to the sounds and have been since the beginning of our existence. Look at all the different instruments out there, the use of our voices, apart and together. We soothe ourselves with music and fire ourselves up. Music is one of the basic forms of communication.

Recently, I joined Blip.fm, a place to pretend I'm a DJ and line up the songs I love for myself and others that share my taste. I'm gradually building my playlist. I listen to random songs on Last.fm as well, sometimes when I'm writing and sometimes not.

At times I can't concentrate while I'm writing if music or noise from the TV is playing in the background. At other times I find music gets me in the mood for a particular scene I'm working on, whether it's playful, haunting, sad, sexual, or kick-ass. Anyone else feel that way? I've noticed in many interviews with authors that they're asked if they listen to music while writing and if they say yes, it follows to know what they preferred. I'd have a really hard time narrowing that down. Perhaps if they asked what I would listen to writing a certain scene I could say.

Suffice it to say I love music and I'm thankful for all those artists out there that create music that moves me in some way.

Sexual Temptation

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 06:03:57 PDT

I like to experiment every once in a while and see how much the subject heading of my blog attracts readers. I did it on MySpace very effectively once using symbols for cussing. We should all pay attention to our headings as a rule and I try to, but I like to remind myself of the importance of this by focusing on it. The psyche of the human brain and what draws us is often the opposite of what we are accepting of. I did one of those personality tests once and my personality (way of thinking) is considered a bit rare, but one comment stuck with me; my type is drawn to the dark side, wanting to peek over the wall, but not experience it. Not just drawn to it, but wanting to understand it, stare at it, and make assessments, maybe even "touch" it in some way. I don't think that's all that rare and certainly not in writers who need to understand all elements of human behavior in order to properly flesh out characters.

I get tons of sex spam email, which thankfully goes into the spam or trash folder automatically. The ones that generated it aren't aware of their subject headings that we've all grown immune to by now. Here is a list of email subject headings in my spam box this morning:

"Money well spent getting a larger package"
"Be an absolute beast in bed"
"Increase sex drive when you age"
"Increase your length"
"Make your lady worship you"

All but one is targeted to men and even the age one is mostly toward men. Given my website is obviously a woman's, I find these off target. Would any of you open these? You know immediately it's spam. I also find it funny that 90% or more of my spam email is sexual in nature. I did get a rash of spam email on news there for a few weeks pretending to be MSN or CNN, then it stopped when articles came out about it. That leads me to assume that the sexual spam has enough takers to keep them at it.

For those of you expecting some sort of confession from me based on my subject heading, I apologize. It does relate to what I wrote, but perhaps not as interesting as it could have been. :)

Over extended? Nah...well...maybe.

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:36:00 PDT

The chat and workshop schedules for "The 2008 Muse Online Writers Conference" have been released and I signed up over the weekend. I think I've overdone it, but we'll see. It's hard to put on the brakes though I know I don't have a lot of time for homework.

The handouts have also been released and I got a few of those downloaded to take a peek at. I'm a bit excited to see how it goes. I don't participate in too many online workshops. I think in the past I was turned off by the chats going off subject. Of course I couldn't sign up for any during the workday since I work then and I don't want to be tempted to sneak in for a look-see while I'm being paid to do something else.

Sent out a follow-up

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:36:43 PDT

Well, I did it, though I didn't want to do it. Last week I sent out a follow-up email to my previous email submission to an editor. Several writer friends thought I should and it's been ten months. I think I'm okay on the patience part, don't you? I really hated doing it though and I haven't sent out a follow-up to the agent yet. That submission is a bit younger than the one to the editor, so I'll let it stew another couple of months.

I guess I have it in my head that people are organized on the job and have some sort of system to keep track of things they are expected to respond to. I do. Of course, every system can fail and the more people involved, the more likely the failure in my experience. Someone thought you were going to do it and you thought they were, etc. A little communication handles that type thing usually, but cracks still exist. When I interviewed with the public accounting firm that I eventually worked for, no one remembered to call me and let me know I had the job. They figured it out when I didn't show up for work and communicated to each other as to who talked to me. No one. Luckily for me, they didn't assume that I was a goof-off that changed my mind about coming.

So, I understand about these things. It's just hard to decide whether you will rub someone the wrong way sending out an inquiry. On the other hand, I don't wish to wait an unreasonable time for a response and have to withdraw the submission so I can send it out to another party. Not the most comfortable position.

Drama, Drama, Drama, and Drama

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:30:46 PDT

Every once in a while, I'm reminded of how fiction can't seem to touch the drama of real life. Here's an example of the events around me in the last few days, the type of things that ignite a buzz:

- Car fire on my street Saturday night in the a.m. hours
- Tree fire yesterday afternoon that damaged some cars at my work
- Co-worker's sister dating a convicted felon rip-off con-man who was "framed" in her eyes
- High school shooting this morning right here in my city
(I guess I can't count the church shooting (and deaths) a couple of weeks ago since not the last few days.)
- Coyotes killing cats in a neighborhood near my work (my work is NOT rural)

I could go on, but I don't want to. So now, while I'm thinking about watching out for coyotes as I walk down the sidewalk to go into work in the dark each morning and wondering whether the kid shot will survive (ok, scratch that thought, just got word the student died), I'm...well, I don't know what I am. Saddened over the student for sure. I'm a bit tired of the excitement I think. This is the stuff for books, not in the newspaper or from watching it down the street. I guess Stephanie Plum's cars or workplace blowing up all the time is not so far-fetched as I thought.

2008 Muse Online Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:09:14 PDT

I signed up for the 2008 The Muse Online Writers Conference today. I'm excited about that. It's free, so super excited about that part. Ivy Reisner, an online writing buddy and fellow podcaster, gave a convincing plug for it after benefiting last year, so I'm giving it a shot. I won't be able to join in for the weekday classes for a portion of it since I'll be at work, but there are evening and weekend workshops, too. I'm slowly working my way back to writing.

Feels good to commit to some writing activities again.

Slowly things are starting to go back to normal, whatever normal is. I'm catching up on my podcasts subscriptions, including 'Will Write for Wine' (Lani and Sam) and 'The WritingCast' (Ivy's). Both are great and remind me of what I'm supposed to be doing. I joined a couple more writers forums, Absolute Write and the one related to The Muse (mentioned above). I don't know when I'll have time to jump on a comment, but we'll see. Hope springs eternal.

Crime Scenes

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:52:59 PDT

I attended an excellent two hour class last night on crime scene investigation for fiction writers. The class was taught by a writing acquaintance of mine, Dr. Bryce Anderson, whom I've gotten to know through my membership in the Knoxville Writers' Guild. I met him last year about this time in one of Cyn Mobley's classes that I signed up for upon joining the guild. Bryce's specialty is crash sites and bullet damage to state it briefly.

It's fascinating to learn exactly what different types of bullets fired from different types of weapons do to the body, what's false information floating around out there and what's accurate. I did not get grossed out by the graphic pictures, though if one thinks about that person in the photo too long, it may become too much. I'm sure had I been present when such a photo was taken, the smells and detail would take a toll on me until I learned how to suppress that initial reaction to things we are lucky enough not to see every day.

It is very important to give an accurate picture for the reader when describing a crime scene and procedural matters, though some real life events are far beyond plausible. Haven't we all seen something at least once that defied logic when we attempted to retell it?

Anyway, I loved the class and hope he does more in the future. :)

Forums and Groups

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:24:15 PDT

Like many writers, I belong to some forums or groups that share a common interest of writing. We exchange information, share writing news of exciting and the not-so-fun stuff, and try to encourage each other. Right now, I'm way behind on participating and that condition stems from two things: time and desire.

Time: This one is self-explanatory. A lack of time will eat away at one's ability to cruise around the internet and stop by to see the latest that everyone has to say. 2008 is proving to be a rather harried year so far with lots of changes and events that demand my attention. That's okay. That's life.

Desire: This one crept up on me after I thought about why I'm not scanning entries and keeping up despite the time crunch. Wouldn't I make time to do these things if I really wanted to? Yes and no, but let's assume yes for a moment. I really don't have the desire to keep up. Why? I think the answer lies somewhere in between being overwhelmed and off subject matters. I'm overwhelmed with the number of entries, especially in a group linear entry system where there is no system, you just go in and start reading or scanning. I spend a lot of time (the 1st problem) scanning and a great deal of what's being said simply doesn't relate to writing. I'm okay with personal stuff. Personal stuff interfere's with our writing and we coach each other on overcoming these things, give advice from our collective experiences, etc. When there are 10 people, there's room for mixing it up. When there are 50 people and you are presumed to have read them all, it's too much for me. Even with 10 people in a group, when you have a handful of groups, it still adds up. I cannot address each person effectively and to not say something when someone mentions something horrible makes me feel like an ass. It doesn't matter if we all know we can't comment on everything. I still feel like an ass. I'm a one-to-one type gal. Groups are not my best thing.

Forum systems are better in that I can scan topics and dive in where I wish and never see all that is said. Forums, however, also allow for more members and there is no way to know them all, a little bit disconcerting. In one forum I tried to keep up with new members, greeting them, etc. I gave up eventually. Everyone is blogging, too, including me. Many bloggers solicit your comments, a practice I don't follow. I could spend all evening 5 nights a week reading blogs and commenting and still not get them all.

I'm still searching for the happy medium in this writing world in activities that are not solo. I haven't given up yet and don't want to. I enjoy reading everyone's thoughts (most of the time), but I have to pick and choose, a task that isn't always easy to do.

In the Works

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:02:26 PDT

Sorry to be so neglectful of my podcast lately. I have planned an episode
for July 4th. It's just a matter of getting it recorded and uploaded. I
attempted to do it last night, but couldn't find my microphone piece.
Turns out Daughtly was using it, so I had to snatch that back. Then the
phone rang while recording, which turned out to be a health survey. I
declined, but still, the interruption threw me off. About that time, my
family got home from work and the noise began.

I think I still have some music in the hopper that I've already listened
to. If not, I'll have to get that together, which could cause delays
again. It takes a bit of time to listen to available new music, but I like
the music portion, so worth it to me.

Anyway, here's hoping I get it together for a holiday podcast!

CSI stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:52:16 PDT

Signed up for a class through one of my writing memberships for a discussion on CSI for fiction writers. I've always found the topic interesting, the real stuff more than the fiction show. I do like the fiction show, but realize that it's no where close to the real thing. I don't watch "CSI" much anymore as I just don't have the time for TV like I used to. Work and writing take up time, not to mention chores and of course the fun stuff. I'm not giving up the fun stuff or I'll go nuts.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the class. It's given by a writing friend of mine, Bryce Anderson, and he's just a super guy. It's helps that the class isn't expensive and it's only 2 hours long. Fits right into my schedule.

Brainstorming at the Wrong Time

noreply@blogger.com (Ruth) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:43:52 PDT

Here I sit at work eating my regular lunch (turkey sandwich, applesauce, yogurt, and a brownie/cookie someone brought in), and reflecting on the podcast topics and writing thoughts that popped into my head while working on the boring task of compiling trial balances into a format I can use to calculate estimated taxes due in less than two weeks. It's always stressful to wonder if I'll get done in time, which of course I always do, but the task itself, though not routine per se, follows a path I'm familiar with, so not much over thinking at the beginning. Tomorrow will be more thinking with a heavy dose of pure judgment, but today my brain can wander wherever it will.

That's the problem with having a day job and trying to do something creative at the end of that day. My best time is right now, not five hours from now after my brain has gone through the paces of the day for which I get paid. I am definitely a person that needs downtime and though I can write a novel, I can't do it quickly. I'm not going to be one of those dedicated folks that spend every evening thinking and typing to get a story down. All my writing tasks (actual writing, emails, attending group functions, podcasting, updating the websites, blogging, studying craft, etc.) are going to come in spurts. That's how I work. I've tried to do it differently, more structure and schedules, but it doesn't work. It's not who I am.

I'm going to have to write my butt off when the spurt hits and then wait for the next lull to pass. I can take advantage of days like today; make notes on my thoughts and then when I do sit down at the keyboard I have something to write. That's my strength. I don't have too many blank moments staring at the screen. When I sit down to write, I write.