tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83101692024-03-07T16:58:04.211-05:00Road to WritingWhen I first started, I thought all you had to do is write a book. Can you say *naive*, boys and girls? Join me on my journey as a pre- published writer looking to see my name on the cover of a book. I'll talk about all the bumps, bruises, joys and frustrations I encounter along the way.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1118453559310822322005-06-10T21:29:00.000-04:002006-05-11T01:12:28.656-04:00The Time Has Come......for me to finally move my blog. I've been working on it for a week or more, and I think I've got the new site as complete as it's going to get without outside input. So please join me for tonight's blog post and all future posts at my new blog site:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.lynndaniels.com/blog">http://www.lynndaniels.com/blog</a></span><br /></div><br />Hope to see you all there!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This blog will remain up with this as the final post in the event you lose the new link...and for the stragglers. *wink*</span>Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1118421096750889722005-06-10T12:15:00.000-04:002005-06-10T12:31:36.766-04:00Having an A-Team Moment<span style="font-style: italic;">I love it when a plan comes together</span>.<br /><br />Wasn't that the stock line from the old TV show? That's how I'm feeling today. Not that any of my plans, per se, have actually come together, but things are definitely looking up.<br /><br />First, Zone Labs worked quickly and got Zone Alarm fixed. No more crashes! No more MS Firewall! No more fighting to log on to the 'net! Life is good.<br /><br />Second, the whole Graphical Standards debacle seems to be diminishing to an acceptable level. After I'm sure what must have been a tremendous e-mail campaign (although I can't say for certain it's <span style="font-style: italic;">because </span>of it), it looks like the Board is slowly backstepping. My hope is that they suspend the Graphical Standards pending input from the organization members. The originating idea, as it's since been explained by one of the Board members speaking as a <acronym title="member in good standing">MIGS</acronym> and not a Board member, was actually reasonable. But it seemed to have snowballed from there and spiraled way out of hand, angering a lot of people and hurting a lot of feelings. I know I'm feeling a lot better about this.<br /><br />Third, I got a workout in this morning. That makes three for the week. Can I get a WOO HOO?<br /><br />Fourth, the crit is DONE, man! (Said in my best "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" voice.) Banged that sucker out last night, got it uploaded, and I'm now ecstatic I'm able to cross something off the dreaded "To Do" list.<br /><br />Sadly, that dratted "To Do" list grows quicker than I can do things, but at least I'm slowly making progress. Today, I'm hoping to tweak chapter two of <acronym title="Burn Me Once">BMO</acronym> and get that sent off to my <acronym title="Romance Divas"><a href="http://www.romancedivas.com/" target="_blank">RD</a></acronym> mentor, who probably thinks I've dropped off the face of the earth.<br /><br />Off to tweak!Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1118376727603324372005-06-10T00:09:00.000-04:002005-06-10T00:12:07.610-04:00AAAAAARRGH!!!!<div class="itemContent"> <p>Y'all don't mind if I rant, whine, and complain a minute, do you? I sure hope not.</p> <p>Today has not been a good computer today. Oh, the first half was fine. Just dandy. Then sometime late this afternoon, everything went to hell. Suddenly, I couldn't access the internet anymore. Now, our phone line was really noisy today, so I figured maybe the phone company was doing some work and it was affecting the DSL. That is, until my husband told me he was browsing the 'net on the computer in the kitchen without problems. So I rebooted <acronym title="my laptop computer">Rocky</acronym>. When he came back up, I immediately opened Outlook, then got an error message saying that True Vector Internet Monitor had encountered a problem and needed to close. Almost immediately afterward, Zone Alarm gave me a warning message saying that True Vector had closed down and asked if I'd like to restart. Clicked yes, then got another True Vector encountering a problem message. One more time of going through this loop and I said "to hell with this" and rebooted <acronym title="my laptop computer">Rocky</acronym> again. </p> <p>Wouldn't you know it didn't make a damn bit of difference? </p> <p>So while the laptop was going through this seemingly endless loop, I went and hopped onto the kitchen computer (my husband went to bed during this time). I browsed the Zone Labs message boards and discovered something interesting. I'm not the only person having this problem. Not only that, but it's a problem that's just started today. Some people worked around it by setting their computer one day back. I tried that. But of course, nothing can ever be that easy for me. Finally, I shut Zone Alarm down and am working with the Windows firewall. Not my first choice, but it's better than nothing.</p> <p>Anyway, if you're using Zone Alarm as your firewall (I use Zone Alarm Security Suite) and you're having this problem too, somebody at the message boards claimed to have spoken to a tech, and the word is they're aware of this problem and plan to have a fix by Monday or Tuesday.<br /></p> <p>Does anybody know what's up with Audioblogger? I've received nothing but busy signals for a week now when I try to call the number, and an e-mail to them has gone unanswered. Please let me know if you happen to have the scoop on this.<br /></p> <p>Hm. There was something else I was going to complain about, but now I'm so worked up about Zone Alarm, I can't even remember what it is. Lucky for you, I guess, but now it's gonna bug me all night.</p> <p>I suppose this is a sign. TPTB telling me to get of the net, finish that crit, and do some writing of my own. Oh well. Since my Internet access seems to have slowed down to a crawl, that's probably the only thing that makes sense for me to do, anyway. So I'm off to pop the headphones on my head, get lost in some music, and crit my little heart out.</p></div>Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1118363994915125882005-06-09T20:35:00.000-04:002005-06-09T20:39:54.926-04:00It's Got My NumberThanks to <a href="http://www.silma.org/blog" target="_blank">Silma</a>, <a href="http://teresainga.bravejournal.com/" target="_blank">Teresa</a>, and <a href="http://www.stephanietyler.com/blog" target="_blank">Stephanie</a> for this one:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="border-style: double; border-color: gray; padding: 5px; background: rgb(211, 206, 245) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; font-family: Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: small-caps; font-weight: bolder; font-size: 14pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: black; text-transform: capitalize; word-spacing: 0.3em; text-align: center; width: 350px;">Your Expression Number is 7</td></tr><tr><td style="border-style: double; border-color: gray; padding: 5px; background: rgb(232, 229, 250) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; font-family: Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: black; text-transform: none; text-align: left; width: 350px;">Very intelligent, you are usually thinking, introspecting, or analyzing.<br />You have a good mind, and you are especially good at finding out the truth.<br />Very little ever escapes your observation and deep understanding.<br /><br />You tend to obsess over wisdom and hidden truths.<br />You are likely to become a authority on any subject you undertake.<br />Operating on a different wavelength, most people don't know you that well.<br /><br />Very logical and rational, at times you tend to lack emotion.<br />So much so, that you often have times coping with emotional situations.<br />You are not very adaptable - you may tend to be overly critical at times.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourexpressionnumberquiz/">What's Your Expression Number?</a></div><br /><br /><br />Hmm. The first paragraphi is spot-on, the second is eh, and the third is a big fat WTF? Anybody who knows me would get a stomach ache from laughing if I told them I lack emotion. And not adaptable? BWAHAHAHAHA! My family moved almost every year when I was growing up. I <span style="font-style: italic;">had </span>to be adaptable. Oh, well. It was fun anyway.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1118286492932511012005-06-08T22:50:00.000-04:002005-06-08T23:15:33.213-04:00A Walk Down Memory Lane<a href="http://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kat</a> tagged me for this thing (a lot of tagging going on lately!), so here goes!<br /><br /><u><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Rules</span></center></u><br /><br />Remove the #1 item from the following list, bump everyone up one place and add your blog's name in the #5 spot. You need to actually link to each of the blogs for the link-whorage aspect of this fiendish meme-age to kick in *g*.<br /><br />Here we go:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://nbond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Soliloquy</a></span><br />2. <a href="http://www.joelysueburkhart.com/blogger.html" target="_blank">Joely Sue Burkhart</a><br />3. <a href="http://teresainga.bravejournal.com/" target="_blank">Teresa</a><br />4. <a href="http://www.thesoap-box.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kat (The SoapBox)</a><br />5. Lynn Daniels<br /><br /><i>...and then you choose 4 unsuspecting victims...</i><br /><br />1. <a href="http://kristenpainter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kristen</a><br />2. <a href="http://jaxadora.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jax</a><br />3. <a href="http://dreamy_danica.bravejournal.com/" target="_blank">Dream</a><br />4. <a href="http://jerri2001.bravejournal.com/" target="_blank">Jerri</a><br /><br />And now for Memory Lane:<br /><br /><u><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">5 Things I Miss From My Childhood</span></center></u><br />1. Being able to eat whatever I want. I know it sounds shallow, but I'd been underweight all my life until I had kids, and I would eat things to try and <span style="font-style: italic;">gain </span>weight. I really do miss that.<br /><br />2. Whiling away the cool spring afternoons riding bikes, or playing, or doing whatever we decided to do that way without worry.<br /><br />3. Family vacations. We'd go to Disney World, or New Orleans to see King Tut's treasure, or New York to see where my father grew up. I always looked forward to family vacations.<br /><br />4. My family dog. He was a German Shepherd/Siberian Husky mix, pure white, and his name was Snow. He was the coolest dog ever.<br /><br />5. Running free in the woods. Four about four years we lived in northern Arkansas. Very rural. The closest house to us was a mile away. My brother and sister and I would wander through the woods all day long, making "discoveries". Ahh, those were the days.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1118283394079073222005-06-08T21:52:00.000-04:002005-06-08T22:16:34.086-04:00Admit it. You've done it too.You're sitting alone with your computer, maybe late at night, and a face or name from the past pops into your head. And old classmate, or friend, or boyfriend/girlfriend. You start to wonder what they're up to, what they've been doing over the years, and what they look like now. <br /><br />That's what happened to me the other night.<br /><br />My whole family was asleep and I was up in the wee hours of the morning fighting with WordPress. Suddenly the name of the guy I dated in high school popped into my head. So I did what came naturally. I googled him. I had a general idea of what he'd been up to so I had a good starting point even though his name brought no hits. Zero. Zilch. How many people can plug their name into Google and get no hits? Anyway, I found out he was still pretty much doing the same thing (that's not a bad thing), but no matter how hard I searched I couldn't find any pictures. It was a little disappointing.<br /><br />But I did manage to find some people who'd seen him lately, and I e-mailed them asking about him. They, in turn, passed the e-mail on to him, and then he e-mailed me. Believe it or not, I just got off the phone with him.<br /><br />It was kind of cool talking to somebody I haven't spoken to since I was in my early 20s, even if he did tell me it was now obvious I live in the South. We caught up on where we'd been over the years and what's going on in the near future. Talked a bit about my family--the ones he knows and the ones he's never met, and he caught me up a little on his. Overall, it was a pretty nice conversation and a major blast from the past.<br /><br />Oh, and the WordPress thing? I think I've finally beat it! Okay, maybe not beat it, but at least it's not kicking my ass anymore. So the big news is I'll be migrating both blogs into one soon. Don't worry, I'll post a link for you. *g* I don't have an official launch date for the new blog in mind yet, I still want to play with WordPress a bit longer and get a real feel for the program, not to mention I want to research a few more plugins (more toys!).<br /><br />So I may be rationalizing, or even making excuses, but I'm not looking at all this work/research I've been doing with WordPress as procrastinating from writing. I was working on a networking tool, something that has the potential to help with my career. Even more important, I've been learning something new, broadening my horizons. That's a good thing in my book.<br /><br />Anyway, keep your eyes open for the announcement of the launch of the new blog!Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1118170854656039252005-06-07T14:37:00.000-04:002005-06-07T15:03:06.316-04:00It's Calling MeMy laundry's calling me. Yelling in a high-pitched, whiny voice, and I'm trying desperately to ignore it. I doubt it'll work, though. High-pitched and whiny is extremely hard to ignore...something my kids know well.<br /><br />I got a new toy. A personal digital music player. I warned my husband last week I was going to buy it. Even asked permission. He joked that it didn't matter what he said, I'd buy it anyway. But I wouldn't have if he'd said I couldn't. Really. I might have pouted, dropped a few of my patented not-so-subtle hints, but I wouldn't have bought it. That's what I told my husband. Luckily, I didn't have to employ any of those tactics.<br /><br />So I spent Saturday night playing with the little sucker. Loaded about 450 songs into it. Set it to shuffle, popped the little ear buds in, sat back, and with a small satisfied smile on my face, enjoyed my favorite music. I think I'm in love. *g*<br /><br />Took it with me to the studio last night, and while they were mixing a rap tune in the other room, I sat in the kitchenette with my little music player (it needs a name--any suggestions?) and <acronym title="my laptop computer">Rocky</acronym> and started getting caught up on the <a href="http://www.rwaonlinechapter.org/" target="_blank"><acronym title="RWA Online Chapter">RWAOL</acronym></a> boards. I would have worked on that crit, but since the chapters are erotic romance and I was at my husband's place of business, I didn't want to have that up on the computer when the client walked in and looked over my shoulder, which they often do. Nosy people.<br /><br />Now the kids are down the street at a friend's house and I'm home all alone. Guess I really should get that laundry started then work on that crit while there are no young prying eyes (or whiny, high-pitched voices--except for the laundry) around to bother me.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1118083040359707792005-06-06T14:20:00.000-04:002005-06-06T14:46:24.223-04:00Graphical Standards FirestormThere's been a firestorm of outrage, confusion, and discussion regarding <acronym title="Romance Writers of America">RWA</acronym>'s implementation of their Graphical Standards Policy. I have, for the most part, tried to stay out of the discussion, but have been following it intently.<br /><br />Most of the problem, as far as I can see, stems from the ambiguity of the language posted at <a href="http://www.rwanational.org/" target="_blank"><acronym title="Romance Writers of America">RWA</acronym>'s website</a>, and from the way the policy was voted in. But regardless of the reason behind it, the firestorm exists.<br /><br />Members of the organization are waiting, some quite impatiently, for clarification of the policy language and how it will affect them. Here's what I've learned from posts on RWA lists: Some of the Board members have been away at a conference, and there is sincere hope the ambiguity will be cleared up when they return. There is also the possibility that it might not be cleared until the next Board meeting. However, the Board has indicated that the individual organization chapters will be receiving an e-mail regarding the new policy.<br /><br />The President of <acronym title="Romance Writers of America">RWA</acronym> just posted to one of the RWA lists, and although I can't quote her specifically, I will say she indicated that most of what's been tossed around on blogs and listserves is rumor and pure speculation. RWA is not looking to kick any of their members out of the organization, they are simply trying to move forward as a romance writing organization.<br /><br />That being said, there's a lesson to be learned here. If you're unhappy with the direction of RWA, get involved. Volunteer. Run for a Board position. Answer the periodic surveys RWA sends out. Read the <acronym title="Romance Writers Report">RWR</acronym>, and when asked for opinions, make certain to share yours. The Board members endeavor to act in the best interest of the organization as a whole, so let them know how you, as a paid member of RWA, feel.<br /><br />But, along with most of the other RWA members, I'm anxiously awaiting clarification of the policy. How will it affect me and my future with RWA? Or the futures of my <acronym title="critique partner">CP</acronym>s? My other online writing friends? How much of what I've read is truth?<br /><br />And that's all I'm going to say about that. For now.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1118032277078251962005-06-06T00:17:00.000-04:002005-06-06T00:31:17.086-04:00It's Good to Be QueenThat's what my t-shirt says today. Okay, so I'm not really queen, not even of my household. But I can dream, can't I? Besides, it's a souvenir.<br /><br />We finally made it out to the Georgia Renaissance Festival yesterday. This is the last weekend--matter of fact, today was the closing day--so as usual, we made it in just under the wire. The weather held out for us, and we had a great time. Plus, I got a t-shirt declaring me queen. What more could a girl want?<br /><br />I've been thinking about moving this blog to my website, so I downloaded WordPress to do some playing. <acronym title="oh my god">OMG</acronym>. I've been fighting with this stupid program all day, just trying to move my layout over, and it's <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> looking funky. And I don't mean that in a <span style="font-style: italic;">Starsky & Hutch</span> Huggy Bear kinda way, either. The problem (or at least the biggest one) is I know exactly zippo about PHP coding. Trust me, my cut-and-paste skills have been getting a major workout. I think I'm going to put it aside for now and work on something that won't make me pull my hair out by the roots.<br /><br />And I'll close with two more quotes from Friday night (thanks for reminding me, <a href="http://sherihaynes.bravewriting.com/" target="_blank">Sheri</a>):<br /><ul> <li>Oh, yeah, he's a dog. A cute dog. But he's definitely a dog.</li> <li>The box man should come every day.</li> </ul> I hope everybody had a wonderful weekend!Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117869338699761562005-06-04T03:13:00.000-04:002005-06-04T03:16:59.993-04:00Oooh! "Space Cowboys"!I met up with <a href="http://sherihaynes.bravewriting.com/" target="_blank"> Sheri</a> tonight in a local bar to <a href="http://writingroad.blogspot.com/2005/05/overworked-and-undervalued.html" target="_blank"> smother her battle scars with alcohol</a> (my friend Kip joined us). Admittedly, I was the only one drinking, as evidenced by my constant declaration of "It's the beer." Here's some quotes from our night (in no particular order):<br /><ul> <li>You know, I saw her through the window and now I don't see her.</li><br /><li><span style="font-style: italic;">fuck face</span></li><br /><li>I'm gonna lose my 'I wanna shot' buzz.</li><br /><li>Barry Manilow!</li><br /><li>This song reminds me of Viagra.</li><br /><li>I wish [he] would walk through the door right now, but I'd settle for [him]. (Names removed to protect the innocent...and the not-so-innocent)</li><br /><li>He looked good in leather.</li><br /><li>His chest was so hairy he looked like he was wearing a bathroom rug.</li><br /><li>I feel like I should be stoned for this song.</li><br /><li>Look at her tattoos.</li><br /><li>Let's keep talking so he won't try to draw us into the conversation.</li><br /><li>Where are you from?</li><br /><li>I couldn't understand a word he said.</li><br /><li>He knows we're married and he actually gave us his phone number.</li><br /><li>Now I <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> need that damn shot!</li><br /><li>I wonder if she used to be a stripper.</li><br /><li>I've never heard "Brick House" sound so much like elevator music.</li><br /><li>It makes me never want to dance again.</li><br /><li>Table dances are free--go ahead and hop on up.</li><br /><li>Thanks a lot, guys.</li><br /><li>Oh, you meant the state? I thought you were talking about Kansas, the band.</li><br /><li>HEAD EAST!!!</li><br /><li>Oh. My. God.</li><br /><li>(points to ring finger) I'm married.</li><br /><li>Where the hell's that damn waitress?</li><br /><li>Oooh! Space Cowboys!</li><br /><li>I can't believe they're actually playing this. -- It's ten to one. I can.</li><br /><li>(rolling eyes at each other)</li><br /><li>There's that damn waitress!</li><br /><li>No, I'm the only lush here.</li><br /><li>Okay, all of a sudden he's cute.</li><br /><li>Oh, look! The prayer channel!</li><br /><li>Oh, look. He's conducting.</li><br /><li>I have to warn you. It's not Derek St. Holmes. (BTW, Sheri. I checked the schedule. Although this week was originally listed for that bar--I swear--now this week and next week are blank.)</li><br /><li>Oh, he does have drumsticks.</li><br /><li>Why are all his fingers bandaged?</li><br /><li>EWWWW!</li><br /><li>I gotta wash that.</li><br /><li>Oh, look. They match.</li><br /><li>I thought you'd be standing there with Bubba!</li><br /><li>What the hell did he say?</li><br /><li>Oh, gross! My heels are sticking to the floor!</li><br /><li>He looks like a child molester.</li><br /><li>Give him your husband's phone number.</li><br /><li>She's got a butt like a man.</li><br /><li>The family is the family.</li><br /><li>Lottie says: Foreigners don't tip.</li><br /><li>When you go out, don't talk to anybody.</li><br /><li>That was kind of scary.</li><br /><li>I'm married too.</li><br /><li>You're nice people. American's are not nice people.</li><br /><li>Sorry? I didn't get that?</li><br /><li>Shit, that was weird.</li><br /><li>Why do 300-year-old men always try to pick up on me?</li><br /><li>Stupid Audioblogger. (Ths one was said by me when I tried to audioblog and got a consistent busy signal)</li><br /></ul> And that's just a small part (believe it or not) of our night. I think we succeeded in smothering Sheri's wounds. What do you think? (Yes, <a href="http://evejameson.bravejournal.com/" target="_blank">Eve</a>, we do always end up with stories after we go out.)Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117782896094565842005-06-03T03:14:00.000-04:002005-06-03T03:33:09.466-04:00And the Dust Settles......I think.<br /><br />I've been working a few hours now, and I think I've got all the kinks worked out of the new layout. Please let me know if it doesn't look as good in your browser as it does in mine. I've tested it in both Mozilla Firefox and Explorer, but feedback always helps, you know?<br /><br />So...why did I choose this layout? And why did I want to change the layout in the first place?<br /><br />The layout change was inspired by <a href="http://kristenpainter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kristen</a>, whose cool new blog look made me want to try and go for something a little less generic. For something half a million other Blogspot bloggers weren't using.<br /><br />The search for a new layout proved more difficult than I anticipated, though. I had to find something that was <span style="font-style: italic;">me</span>. Something that either fit my personality or the style of stories I write. Easier said than done. I came across some beautiful layouts: some that made me wish I was more "froo-froo" in personality, some that made me wish I wrote paranormal or fantasy, some that made me wish I was a chick-lit kinda gal.<br /><br />But I'm not in the least bit "froo-froo", so the pretty flowers were out. Although I love to read paranormal, I can't write it to save my tail, so the otherworldly, the ethereal, the mystical, and the fairies were out. I'm not cutesie, so out went the sweet layouts and the anime. I live in rural Georgia and favor faded jeans with either my Avias or my beat up old cowboy boots, so anything that hinted at hip urban chic was out of the question too.<br /><br />What did that leave? Not a whole lot.<br /><br />I finally chose three layouts that I thought were pretty close to me. I set them up with test blogs, then decided on the one that looked best, in my humble opinion. The result is what you see.<br /><br />Once upon a time, I wouldn't even have considered this layout. I would never describe myself as a coffee addict. But I do drink coffee now (for years my caffeine jolt came from a can of Coke) thanks to <a href="http://teresainga.bravejournal.com/" target="_blank">Teresa</a> introducing me to Kahlua Vanilla Cream flavored coffee (have I mentioned how much I love Kahlua?).<br /><br />I settled on this layout mainly because I liked the title (and the colors were nice). Not because of the coffee insinuation, but because it described the real eye-opening smack in the head I received when I first started researching romance writing.<br /><br />What? You mean I can't just write whatever story that comes to me? You mean there are occupations considered tabboo? The hero and heroine can only be with each other and nobody else once the story starts? They have to meet in the first few chapters? The hell, you say.<br /><br />Hence, my jolt of reality.<br /><br />I won't even mention my jaw-dropping discoveries of <acronym title="point of view">POV</acronym>, <acronym title="goal, motivation, conflict">GMC</acronym>, and scene and structure, or the hell commonly known as the synopsis, query letter, and agent/editor research.<br /><br />But now I'm aware of all these things. I'm dealing with them. Gaining proficiency. I'm working to expand my knowledge. And my writing is stronger as a result. I've come a long way, baby.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117774787596494052005-06-03T00:58:00.000-04:002005-06-03T01:01:12.686-04:00Please Pardon My DustI'm changing the layout of the blog, and as you can see, I still have some tweaking to do in order to get this sucker fixed. I sure hope I'm able to get it fixed, because I really like this layout.<br /><br />Anyway, please pardon the kinda funky look until I get everything straightened out.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117643060464492162005-06-01T12:19:00.000-04:002005-06-01T12:24:20.470-04:00Yellowstone, Here We Come!My husband has been talking about taking a trip out to Yellowstone National Park this summer, and this morning he asked me to start researching hotels and other trip information. Of course, he hasn't bothered to give me exact dates yet, nothing beyond "the middle of July", which makes it a bit hard to do any good research. Anybody out there have advice?<br /><br />Finally got a workout in this morning. I had to be subtle with my husband: "It kind of sucks that I'll be paying for this membership all summer and not be able to use it since the kids are out of school." He agreed to go in late to work two mornings a week, which will give me at least three workouts per week. I didn't think he'd actually do it, but he shocked me! WOO HOO!<br /><br />Still haven't done any of my own writing, but I did manage to make great progress on that critique I'm working on, so I'm pretty pleased. I'm hoping to get it finished today (still have 20 pages to go through), but first I have to shower, do laundry, and convince my daughter to do the dishes. Oh, and mustn't forget my daughter's Tae Kwon Do lesson this afternoon.<br /><br />How's your day going?Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117582776887988652005-05-31T19:38:00.000-04:002005-05-31T19:42:12.160-04:00I Couldn't Look Away<a href="http://postsecret.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">PostSecret</a><br /><br />It's all <a href="http://mkate.bravejournal.com/" target="_blank">Kate</a>'s fault.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117564660710882462005-05-31T14:29:00.000-04:002005-05-31T14:37:40.720-04:00That Damn SynopsisNot only is today the last day of May, it's also the last day of the month-long course I was taking with <a href="http://www.marybuckham.com/" target="_blank">Mary Buckham</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Mastering the 1-2 Page Synopsis</span>. It's been a wonderful workshop--Mary's an awesome (and very patient!) instructor--and if you have the opportunity to take this workshop in the future, I highly recommend it.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I fell way behind in the course (along with everything else pertaining to my writing life), so I didn't get my synopsis done. BUT I have all the lectures and templates saved, and as soon as I finish this crit (it's coming, Eve, I promise!) I'm seriously going to tackle this thing.<br /><br />It's frustrating to look down at my plate and see that it's not just full, the contents are spilling over off the plate and onto the table. I'm reminded of a line from the movie "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" (I'm paraphrasing because I don't remember the exact line): <span style="font-style: italic;">Try not to feel overwhelmed. Just do one thing at a time.</span> That line's about to become my new mantra.<br /><br />Hope everybody's having a wonderful "day after the holiday"!Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117506710922428992005-05-30T22:11:00.000-04:002005-05-30T22:39:43.356-04:00Overworked and Undervalued<div style="text-align: left;"><table width="150" border="2" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="3"><tr><td><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mood:</span>Inspired!</td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-weight:bold;">Progress:</span> Finished 1-1/2 crits last night</td></tr> <br /></table></div> <br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!</span></span><br /></div><br />I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday. It's been a typical Georgia holiday, meaning rainy and blah. We didn't do anything special...my husband wanted to retrieve something he'd left at the studio, so we drove down and ended up staying for <span style="font-style: italic;">hours</span>. That's okay--I ended up winning an online Bingo game while playing a rousing round of Hide-n-Seek with the kids, so I'll chalk it up as a good day.<br /><br />Finally got one of those crits finished that I owed, and sent it on to that <acronym title="critique partner">CP</acronym>. The same person had also asked for some brainstorming help, so I sent along a couple ideas off the top of my head. She hasn't responded with an <span style="font-style: italic;">Are you kidding? This is crap!</span> e-mail yet, but then again, it's Memorial Day. I'm kidding. I know she won't respond that way. She's too nice. She might think it, but she'd never come out and say it. *g*<br /><br />Another of my <acronym title="critique partner">CP</acronym>s received a rejection letter today, so she's online shopping to help heal the wound. I'll be meeting up with her Friday night to help smother that new battle scar with alcohol. If you get a chance, pop by and give <a href="http://sherihaynes.bravewriting.com/" target="_blank">Sheri</a> a hug. She can use it.<br /><br />I received an e-mail from my <a href="http://www.romancedivas.com/" target="_blank">Romance Divas</a> Bootcamp mentor this evening that really made me feel good. She called me a very talented writer, and said she thought I undervalued myself when I rated my work for the program. Talk about an ego boost! I'm now publicly thanking Diva Lisa for her wonderful comments. She may not realize it, but her words gave me a much needed kick in the butt.<br /><br />So now I'm home and the kids are upstairs, which means I have time to work. I'm going to work on another crit and hopefully finish it by tomorrow (it's three chapters), then revisit that old grindstone on <acronym title="Burn Me Once">BMO</acronym>.<br /><br />Here's to making good progress!Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117417129672499482005-05-29T20:52:00.000-04:002005-05-29T21:54:16.276-04:00Just When I Wasn't Paying Attention...<a href="http://ginasramblings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gina</a> and <a href="http://kristenpainter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kristen</a> tagged me, and I didn't even realize it! Sorry it took so long for me to get to this. (BTW--Love the new blog look, Gina!)<br /><br />Anyway, here goes:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Total number of books I own:</span> Good question. Unfortunately, I don't have a good answer. I have lots and lots and lots of books...so many, my husband says we'll have to buy a separate house just for my books.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Last book I bought:</span> I bought four books on my last book-buying trip. I went into the store to buy one book--really!--and came out with four. <span style="font-style: italic;">Losing the Moon</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Where the River Runs</span> by Patti Callahan Henry, <span style="font-style: italic;">Master of the Moon</span> by Angela Knight, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Guilty Pleasures</span> by Laurell K. Hamilton.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Last book I read:</span> Does this mean in its entirety? That would be <span style="font-style: italic;">Losing the Moon</span> by Patti Callahan Henry. Right now, I'm reading <span style="font-style: italic;">Fire Me Up</span> by Katie MacAlister.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Five books that mean a lot to me:</span> Only five? Hm. I'm trying to think of five books on my shelf, under my bed, in my <acronym title="my affectionate, and apt, description of the cabinet under my tv">black hole</acronym>, and in the millions of other places I've stashed them, that mean something or have made some kind of impact. These probably aren't the same choices I'd make on another day, but here they are off the top of my head:<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/c5prj" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Night Embrace</span></a> by <a href="http://www.dark-hunter.com/" target="_blank">Sherrilyn Kenyon</a> - The first book I ever read in the Dark Hunter series, which has spurned many late-night lust-filled reading jags. I'm still waiting impatiently for Talon to tire of Sunshine. (Gawd, I so want to be Sherrilyn Kenyon when I grow up.)<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/9s694" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Interview With the Vampire</span></a> by <a href="http://www.annerice.com/" target="_blank">Anne Rice</a> - My introduction to vampire romance, even though it's not really a romance. But it sure did whet my appetite for vampires. I can't write 'em, but I love to read 'em.<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/7jdtk" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Legend</span></a> by Jude Deveraux - One of those books most readers either love or hate. I fall in the category of the former, rather than the latter. I love to reread this one (and her <a href="http://tinyurl.com/9xrjy" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Knight in Shining Armor</span></a>) and always cry when Kady "reunites" with the very young Cole.<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/ddqt7" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Outlander</span></a> by <a href="http://www.dianagabaldon.com/" target="_blank">Diana Gabaldon</a> - And not just for the wonderful story that immediately captured me and made me want to read on and on and on (and crave a burly red-headed Scot of my very own). I love the story of how this book was published. I love the rules it breaks. But hey, the story's great, too.<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/7gmkn" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">First Love, Wild Love</span></a> by <a href="http://www.janelletaylor.com/" target="_blank">Janelle Taylor</a> - This is the first romance novel I really remember falling in love with, and one of the few older books I truly enjoy returning to and rereading. I'd like to say that this book inspired me to try my hand at writing romance, but I'd be lying. However, I did find my Paula character in <acronym title="Irresistible Harmony">IH</acronym> frequently morphing into a carbon copy of the Selena character from this book, and it took quite a bit for me to make her different. I suppose that says something about the way Ms. Taylor's characters stuck with me.<br /><br />I know I'm supposed to tag somebody else, but that's going to take some research to find people who haven't yet been tagged. As soon as I can, I'll edit this post and tag somebody!Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117411546745993922005-05-29T20:03:00.000-04:002005-05-29T22:41:55.260-04:00You Believe Me, Don't You?<table align="right" border="2" cellpadding="5"><br /><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mood:</span> lazy, lazy, lazy</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's been a dreary day here on the homefront, which of course means lazing about the house and thinking about how I really should get to work on the various writing projects I've been steadfastly avoiding. I do it so well, but then, I've had a lot of practice.<br /><br />Right now my son is angry with me because I won't let him ride his bicycle outside in the rain. I'm such a mean mom. Again, practice makes perfect!<br /><br />But now, I'm honestly going to start getting caught up. As soon as I close this post, I'm off to catch up on blog-hopping then I'll attack those crits I've been hiding from. Really. I swear.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1117220896916909442005-05-27T15:02:00.000-04:002005-05-27T15:09:57.376-04:00Good News / Bad NewsThe good news is I'm home.<br /><br />The bad news is I'm still feeling a bit lazy.<br /><br />The good news is <acronym title="my laptop computer">Rocky's</acronym> open and in my lap.<br /><br />The bad news is he's been closed for so long, I think he's mad at me. He's taking forever to do anything.<br /><br />The good news is I've finally downloaded the hoardes of e-mail I've been ignoring.<br /><br />The bad news is it seemed to take an hour to do it and it'll take me forever to get through it.<br /><br />The good news is I actually thought about <acronym title="Burn Me Once">BMO</acronym> last night, and decided to drop the outline into my story file and try "filling in the blanks"--I'm hoping that will get me jump started again.<br /><br />The bad news is...still no writing.<br /><br />The good news is the day's not over yet!Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1116969861394880302005-05-24T17:24:00.000-04:002005-05-29T21:45:06.016-04:00Habits Are Important<div class="audblog"><a href="http://www.audioblogger.com/media/53180/194654.mp3" class="audLink"><img src="http://www.audioblogger.com/media/images/audioblogger.gif" class="audImg" alt="this is an audio post - click to play" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Edited to add: </span> This audio file may not play properly in Mozilla.<br /></div>Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1116608225787970832005-05-20T12:34:00.000-04:002005-05-29T22:48:30.603-04:00A Diminishing Spot in My Rearview Mirror<table align="right" border="2" cellpadding="5"><br /><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I'm Reading:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Losing the Moon</span> by <a href="http://www.patticallahanhenry.com/" target="_blank">Patti Callahan Henry</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Today was the last day of school for both my kids. We spent this morning first attending an awards ceremony for my daughter, then an end-of-the-year pizza party for my son. Now we're all home, and my freedom is behind me, at least for the next three months. I'm so reluctant to let it go that I'm turning in my seat and reaching for it, stretching as far as I possibly can. Unfortunately, my foot's duct taped to the accelerator and weighed down with a brick, making me move so fast I can do little more than whimper and watch sweet freedom fade into the distance behind me.<br /><br />Let's not forget my kids are in the back seat, laughing uproariously and shooting straw paper at my head.<br /><br />I remember last August--the beginning of the school year. I was so excited both my kids were finally in school. I'd finally have time to do all the things I needed to do during the day: laundry, housework, writing...can you say <span style="font-style: italic;">naïve</span>, boys and girls?<br /><br />I did manage to get things done, including quite a bit of writing even though I've since discovered I write much better at night, when the household is snoring.<br /><br />But now it's summer vacation, both my kids will be home every day, and I think my daughter said it best: "Now we'll be able to torture you every day!" I look forward to torturing them, too. Besides, it's summer. They'll be outside most of the time (I hope). For now, I've banished them upstairs so I can take care of e-mail and get those crits done.<br /><br />I'll sign off now, search for my sense of humor, ever grateful to <a href="http://kristenpainter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kristen</a> for finally returning my motivation.Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1116447860386844072005-05-18T16:07:00.000-04:002005-05-18T16:56:55.440-04:00Freak? Or Geek?Got my first report card from my <acronym title="Romance Divas"><a href="http://www.romancedivas.com/" target="_blank">RD</a></acronym> Bootcamp mentor. She pointed out some shortcomings I knew I had but didn't know how to articulate, but overall, it was good, so I'm not freaked out. She wants me to send her more, which reminds me, I need to respond to her e-mail.<br /><br />Worked out this morning with my friend, and I think I did something do my back. It's killing me! My daughter walked on it for a little while, and that helped, but damn, did I really need this reminder that I'm getting old?<br /><br />After the workout, my friend and I met up with one of my <acronym title="critique partner">CP</acronym>s, <a href="http://teresainga.bravejournal.com/">Teresa</a>, for lunch. We laughed a lot, ate a lot, and had a great conversation. We decided the food probably negated our workout, but then again, at least we had a workout to negate, right?<br /><br />The past couple of days, I've been watching my DVDs of the old television show <a href="http://www.freaksandgeeks.com/home.shtm" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Freaks and Geeks</span></a>. I'd forgotten how great this show was! It was one of those shows that died an early death, never receiving the recognition it truly deserved, despite the Emmy nominations.<br /><br />If you never saw it (and most people probably haven't), it's about a group of high school students in 1980 Michigan. One of my favorite things about this show is the music. I mean, how many shows do you know have used Ted Nugent, Van Halen, Cream, BTO, Madness, Journey, Styx, The Allman Brothers, Supertramp, and a bunch of others in the soundtrack, all reflective of the time period? Even if the other components of this show sucked (which they don't), I'd be watching just for the tunes.<br /><br />Does that make me a freak? Or a geek?<br /><br />I'm hoping to get some work done on <acronym title="Burn Me Once">BMO</acronym> tonight, since it's my husband's late night at work. One problem. Has anybody seen my motivation hanging around anywhere?Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1116343990786583782005-05-17T11:27:00.000-04:002005-06-04T21:31:20.230-04:00Sunday in the MountainsYesterday was a decent writing day...met my husband at the studio again, and I managed about 10 handwritten pages. Got the sore spot on my pinky to prove it. *g* Today I'll work on getting those pages into the computer and do some work on the crits.<br /><br />How about some pictures? Here are some of the things we saw during our drive in the mountains Sunday (captions are below each picture):<br /><br /><center><img src="http://www.geocities.com/ladylynn6/051505-012a1.jpg" width="200" /></center><br />We were driving on one of those dirt roads up the side of a mountain. I saw this and made my husband stop.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://www.geocities.com/ladylynn6/051505-016a1.jpg" width="200" /></center><br />My husband stopped for this one without me having to yell. We all climbed up the side, and we're not going to talk about me losing my balance and nearly sliding all the way down on my tail when a big fat raindrop hit me in the center of my forehead.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://www.geocities.com/ladylynn6/051505-026a1.jpg" width="200" /></center><br />When we stopped to eat, another couple pulled up and left this parked outside. How could I <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>take a picture?Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1116272676497370852005-05-16T15:38:00.000-04:002005-05-16T15:46:12.543-04:00Was It Good For You?I hope you enjoyed my <a href="http://writingroad.blogspot.com/2005/05/my-first-audio-post.html" target="_blank">Audioblog</a> this morning. I'm still undecided about doing it again. Any opinions?<br /><br />This morning's workout went well--worked up a sweat, guzzled some water, and headed home for microwave popcorn. I haven't started my crits yet, but I have been writing steadily. Started out working on <acronym title="my laptop computer">Rocky</acronym>, struggled, then remembered I seem to work better with pen and paper. And so far, since picking my son up from school, I've scored four handwritten pages. I'm not done yet, though. Just taking a quick break to keep my promise and post a "regular" blog entry.<br /><br />Now my break's over, entry's done, and it's time to pick my green pen back up and get back to work.<br /><br />Hope everybody's enjoying their days!Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8310169.post-1116247212337210662005-05-16T08:40:00.000-04:002005-05-16T08:42:46.413-04:00My First Audio Post!<div class="audblog"><a href="http://www.audioblogger.com/media/53180/191079.mp3" class="audLink"><img src="http://www.audioblogger.com/media/images/audioblogger.gif" class="audImg" alt="this is an audio post - click to play" border="0" /></a><br /><br />(I've just discovered it doesn't work well in Mozilla Firefox)<br /></div>Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06711039452246216110noreply@blogger.com8