Santa

This year my kids got their first picture with santa. Not that I didn't try before, they just didn't want to sit on santa's lap and when I tried, they screamed bloody murder... But not this year! At four and six, they finally got brave and went to see santa!

Funny thing was, my boys are not very patient. When we got there and found out the shortest line time was 1-1/2 hours, I kind of panicked. That's forever when you have restless children that like to pee every half hour! Luckily though, the moment they saw santa, they did not complain once through the entire line! :) I couldn't believe it...

Today, I must say I'm very proud of my little dudes for being so good and patient, but also... beware! -Mom now knows that you 'can' be good when in a long line! And in the future, I will be much wiser about your antics!

Happy holidays everyone!

Take Time to Smell the Flowers

After my critique group last night I have learned a couple things. For one, my writing has shown improvement after a few months of working in the group. Second, I am finally doing more showing than telling, whew hew! Third, and this to me is the most important, I realized that part of why I was doing so much telling is because I was not stopping to smell the flowers.

Honestly, that is the only way I can relate what I was doing. Before, I rushed into the field, took a quick look around, then moved along. Now, I notice the color of the grass, is it green, blue-green, yellow, dead, prickly, soft, short, overgrown, does it smell musty, like large amounts of moss are growing, or is it new growth, very firm? Taking the time to find details in my scenes makes a big difference in my writing.

I also learned how to use the five senses when describing something. What did the character smell, feel, hear, see, or taste. Granted, that last one is a bit more difficult as none of my characters taste trees, grass, houses, etc... But still. Taste has it's uses, just maybe not as often.

So what is the lesson for the day? Stop and smell the flowers! Notice every little detail.

Why Are People Angry With Protesters?

Over the weekend I got into a conversation about the 99% label that has been going around FB and the protesters. My friend was upset with the ones protesting because in her words (roughly), "they are blaming others for their financial problems and if they just invested or saved their money, they could be like the 1% too."

Honestly, I don't see that being the case at all. Granted, I am sure that some people do like to over-spend and rather than take responsibility for it, would rather blame someone else. I get that... But most people I know do not live that way. Most, in fact, live quite humble.

As far as the protesters and the 99% percent go, I have this to say. Remember, these are just my opinions, but I am trying to keep an open mind, so if you want to give me your opinion, I would be happy to hear you out. :-) I keep hearing things about how people are claiming they are not the 99%, but to this day, I have yet to find one of you who it part of the elite. Here are my thoughts...

If you are not the 1% elite, then you ARE the 99%. That does not mean you agree with all of the protests going on, but it does mean you are part of that group.

People are protesting way more than just the international banks on Wall Street. The protests are against some of the bills trying to be passed by our government, like controlling the Internet. Others are protesting for local causes, and are still calling themselves the 99%. Some protests are for health care, and our soldiers returning home to no paid medical coverage... There are reasons longer than I could list in one night on why people are protesting, and the only reason that many of the protesters are using the 99% label is to show that it is the 1% making these laws, and the majority of us want change. This does NOT mean that all these people blame the banks for the state of our nation. We are at fault for the state of our nation by not protesting sooner, before things got so out of control.

As far as those protesting the banks go, I do agree that if we bail out banks, that the citizens should have the same opportunities. If all student loan debt was forgiven, if we didn't have to pay for health care (which I might add costs my family $850.00 a month), then bailing out banks for their misconducts at least seems a bit more fair. But as it stands, the reason so many people are withdrawing money from 'international' banks is because they commit fraud and get away with it. How many people lost everything they invested into their homes because the banks committed real estate fraud and used dishonest practices to get people into crazy balloon payments? It is outrageous what these bankers have gotten away with. If they were held accountable, and all those men and women who got wealthy over the fraud had to pay it back to the citizens and do jail time for their crimes, then I would actually trust our countries banking system.

It is my opinion that the problem is not that most people blow their money, it is fraud on the part of corporations and bank institutions. The workers of Enron that literally lost everything were not blowing their money. They were investing into retirement, saving, and had faith in their company. They lost everything because they trusted our way of doing things. They believed that if they put money into retirement, they'd actually get it back... So as far as the notion that 'if we all invested, and just saved our money, then we could be the 1% too', I don't buy it for one second. If we invest money, and we use a mutual fund through a company that has a great reputation, just to have them steal our money, that is not us being irresponsible, not in the least. If we have a savings account, or retirement, and the company or bank files bankruptcy, that is not us as citizens being irresponsible with the way we manage our money. Point blank, we can not travel from the poorest of poor to the top elite just by saving $50 a month. The 1% are not millionaires, they are not even billionaires, they have trillions. Maybe not in the bank, but in net worth. So no, I do not feel that is possible no matter what we do. Unless of course we come up with a way to steal the shirts off the 1%'s backs, and also everything else they own, then we might make that 1% group. :-)

Bottom line, I am proud of the protesters. Even though some are leaving messes and using it to excuse their own ill judgement, most of the people are out there every day trying to make a difference. They are getting pepper sprayed, hit, arrested, shot at with bean guns, and for what??? Because they are peacefully demonstrating for change? I don't find an ounce of anger with them, even if the protesting is costing the cities for clean up. What I do find I hold in great depths is appreciation and thanks. They are out rain or shine, freezing or heat, in the line of fire to help all of us that are part of the 99%. No matter what their individual causes are. So to all of you who complain about this, I will still hear your opinions, but to those of you who are out there doing all the dirty work to make change happen, THANK YOU! Because there have already been several changes made throughout different states.

To my friend that sparked this blog, I do not mean this as a personal attack on you. :-) I know you are an intelligent and open-minded person. What you said though has mirrored things I have heard elsewhere, and I just wanted to share my thoughts.

Never Park in a NO PARKING Zone! :-)

This is kind of a funny story I heard this morning. Since it did not happen to me, I will not name names. Thankfully, no one ended up getting in trouble. :-)

So, Joe headed to a government building in the city yesterday to work on some locks for the building. Parking was completely full, and Joe didn't know what to do, so he talked to security of the building. They told him to park out front.

Joe's response was, "But the sign says no parking."

Security guy. "That's okay... You can park there, just not random visitors. It is reserved."

Joe looks curiously at the guard, but needs to get his work done and obliges. After several hours of installing locks, Joe heads back out to his non-marked white van in the no parking zone. As he is walking up to the van, two federal labeled vehicles pull up and rush toward him demanding answers.

Joe stops dead in his tracks and looks to the federal agents for understanding, but they do not tell him anything. Instead, they demand to know why he has parked his white van in the no parking zone.

Poor Joe replies, "the head of security told me too..."

The agents do not believe Joe and press him further. They want to know who he is, what he is doing in the building, and demand answers.

Joe repeats the same thing,"the parking lot was full and the security needed the locks done right away. Call inside, they will tell you."

All this time Joe is assuming that the agents out front, who introduced themselves as federal security, are agents that work in the building. He can't understand why they are making such a big deal about it and why they don't just ask their boss since he was the one who told him to park there. But the agents tick away with more questions instead.

Finally, the agents ask Joe for some ID. To which he hands them his business card, still not realizing just how serious the situation is.

The agents eye one another as if Joe is trying to hide something, and proceed to step forward and demand his driver's license.

At this point, Joe is finally catching on that there is more going on than just some building security and hands over his license. He had just been about to crack a joke when that happened about how he really didn't have manure in the back of his van and he wasn't really going to blow the place up... Thank goodness he didn't tell the joke, because that is EXACTLY what the agents thought he was doing.

The federal agents called in Joe's information and found out that yes, he did work for a construction company, no he had no warrants for his arrest, and he was supposed to be working in the building. Then, and only then, did the agents relax. But they warned him that he was going to get a ticket for parking in front of a government building in a no parking zone.

Joe of course does not want a ticket. He was told to park there and doesn't feel it is fair that he get the ticket and have his insurance raised when security told him to do it. But Joe also realizes now that the federal agents are not working for building security, they are with NATIONAL SECURITY. And poor Joe does not want to cause anymore trouble. He accepts his fate and agrees to the ticket.

The agents then question the building security and find out that they did tell him to park there, not realizing it would be a problem since they needed the locks done asap. Finally, the agents realized Joe was not going to harm anyone and was simply doing his job, so they let him go without a ticket. But Joe leaned a serious lesson, NEVER EVER PARK IN A NO PARKING ZONE IN FRONT OF A GOVERNMENT BUILDING! :-)

Opinions Shminions

Over the weekend I went to my monthly writer's critique and since then, I have not been able to stop thinking about the way we let others opinions affect us.

This question goes far into the depths of who we are as a species, because as much as we want to write off what others say, that doesn't mean we always should. If a friend tells me I'm a jerk, what kind of friend would I be to dismiss that?

If, on the other hand, someone makes a comment to me that feels unfair, I probably should dismiss it.

Here are a couple things that I realized pondering all this...

Is what the person said accurate?

Were they making assumptions based on incomplete information?

Was the person speaking from a loving perspective?

Or did the person sharing their opinion literally throw up everything nasty they could think of right on your lap?

The fact is, those around us do often have good and accurate views to share. I know I have grown from things others have told me, even sometimes when they were negative. Afterall, somebody has to teach us how to give the finger... :)

Really though, I think what bothers us the most is when someone has put us down and our fear kicks in. 'Could he/she be right?' That is the hardest of all. But we shouldn't let our fear keep us from facing the truth, whatever that truth is. Without hearing hard things, we never get the chance to grow. Which is something I hope to never stop doing. :)

So for now, I will let my mind rest with the knowledge that for every bad opinion, there is also a good one just waiting to burst forth!

Self-Publishing

Lately I have been toying with the idea of self-publishing. I have a family member who is going that route, and now know miss Katie Cord, who is going that route, and I am just unsure of which way to get my work out.

If I self-publish, I can get my novel series out very soon. Waiting to find a publishing house that wants to put my work out could take a lot longer, but has other benefits. So which is best?

Either way, I have learned from an editor at Tor that new authors mostly promote their own work. At least in the beginning. No matter which way I go, I will be promoting my own novel. So does it really matter if I choose to self-publish, or go to a known publishing house?

I am really battling what to do right now. I would love to have the agent/publisher scenario. Not because I need that per say, but because if I go through others than I am adding to the economy by helping to pay their salary. That is something I feel strongly about.

If, however, it will take several years for me to find an agent and for that agent to find a publisher, then maybe that is not the best route...

Seriously all, I need some input! Please. :-)

My Advice To New Writers...

Since I really didn't know anyone in the industry when I began writing, I pretty much was doing all the typical new writer 'no-no's'. I began my novel with a dream, and though my main character is a prophetic dreamer, to begin the novel that way screams newbie! I also used a reflection to describe an appearance, another newbie mistake... And lets not forget my over 'telling' and under 'showing'.

After meeting with other writers and critiquing each other's work, my writing skills have grown significantly. I am writing like crazy... competing in contests for short stories, I've written most of my second novel in the Ewlishash series, and I also am about 50,000 words into a new series. Going back and looking at the way I first wrote, well... Let's just say the improvement is very noticeable!

For any of you who are new to writing and might want to publish one day, I offer this advice... Join a writing group! Also attend any conventions where you can ask questions to other authors, agents, or publishers. It makes a huge difference. Even if you are just writing for yourself and have no intent to publish, it is still very fun and helpful to get other's feedback.

One thing I kept hearing, and still hear, is concern that someone will give negative feedback. But truly, none of it is negative. Unless you view improving something as bad... Getting critiqued really offers the chance to express yourself more effectively.

So please, to all of you who have expressed concern over the critique process, know that it will only help you improve and everyone, even published authors of many years, get edited...  Plus, you get to feel good about all the successful aspects of your novel!

Tuned In

Lately, I feel like I've literally been tuned in to everything around me. Plants that need watering, the crows patiently awaiting the ends to the bread loaf, people that want me to call them because they aren't comfortable enough to call me... Even at the store, when I sense someone is in a hurry, I have been instinctively backing up and letting them pay first.

The funny thing about that is these things are happening all the time, all around me. This last few weeks though, I am actually listening to that little voice inside telling me to grab the bread 'before' I head outside, and I'm letting others go before me in line. It feels like instinct. I'm not having to think about it. Just doing it.

I have read about what it would be like to live in a society where we are all in harmony with our surroundings, and I wonder if that is what it would be like all the time. Imagine if we were all tuned in... Knew what eachother was dealing with, or needed... We would be so different as a species if we were all plugged into one another!

Just thought I'd share this, because I find it very helpful when I have these moments of plugged-in-ness. Have a great day everyone!

Summer is over...

Finally, summer is over and I have time to blog again. Hurray! :) I never would have thought taking care of kiddos, running errands, and writing like mad would be so time consuming... Ugh! But now I have some free time and will be resuming my blogs. Hope everyone had a great summer!

Also, I am attempting to use my cell for this post, so hope it works.

Writing Event This Weekend!

Sorry I have been not writing much this last few weeks... For the event I am attending this weekend I have had tons to do and read lately, but the day has almost arrived when I get to go! Soon, things will be back to normal and I will resume my blogging. :-)

As far as Thursday goes, I am off to the event! My jitters of getting to see what everyone thought of my submission are both nerve racking and also welcome. This will be the first time that complete strangers get to view my work, and I am greatly looking forward to it!

I will make sure to give feedback on the event when it is over, but I know already I am going to love it. Have a great week everyone!

Raw Food Diets

The other day I watched the most informative documentary called Food Matters. What caught my attention about it was the classic line of 'You are what you eat..." But their twist on that concept was quite different.

First, they showed thirty years of research to suggest that eating a diet of 51% raw foods (mainly fruits, veggies, and nuts) and eating the remaining 49% cooked food, not only assisted in extreme weight loss in patients, but also in combination with super foods and high doses of Vitamin C (given through an IV) resulted in killing cancer cells. Yes, CANCER cells! What is even more amazing is that these people were terminal. The Vitamin C kills only the bad cells, not the good ones like Chemo does.

One can only guess why every Dr. doesn't use this method, but the show even covered that as well. First, very few Doctors have a degree in nutrition. They are instead taught to 'treat the symptom.' Which is done with patented drugs. So something like super high doses of vitamins wouldn't be profitable enough (since it is natural and can not be patented) enough to promote. Not to say all Doctors are pill pushers, because I know many who aren't. Oddly enough, those same MDs also push a healthy diet with lots of fresh and raw fruits and veggies. Interesting...

With all I have learned from the video, and the last three days of research to verify that those Docs and scientists knew what they were talking about, I have decided to start building an arsenal of meals that can be eaten raw. It is going to take me a while since most people cook the majority of their food, but I am determined to at least get most of our meals with that healthy 51/49 ratio. Wish me luck! :-)

I will close with this, since the show kept saying it over and over... We are what we eat! If we consume a pastry from a box, that is loaded with chemicals and additives, then what are we? Red 40, yellow 5, or blue 2? Will we become the result of constant chemical bombardment? With heart disease and cancer so high, it seems like maybe chemicals in food are not helping with all the other things that keep our bodies under attack. Our bodies have the ability to heal themselves, at least most of the time, but we have to use the proper fuel to get the mileage we want! :-)

Reading Material

Since I have my writers event next month, all of us participating now have to read through one anothers short stories or chapters and give feedback. I am finding it so fascinating to see all the other writing styles and topics. Though only some of the people have published works, I am really feeling the individuals voices come through. Whether they are experienced or not.

This also gives me insight when I read about an agent or publisher that is looking for a certain 'voice'. Whether it be a strong female lead, or youth based, it has become much easier to understand what they are requesting now that I am reading so many different works in progress.

All in all, my fellow event writers are blowing me away. So many people have talent, and I am pleasantly surprised with how well they all write. I was expecting to find people who had major storyline issues, or huge character flaws, but I have found nothing more than simple typos. Well done all! And I can't wait to hear what you all think of my chapter!

Dark Novels for Teens - Not the Problem

Recently a woman by the name of Meghan Cox Gurdon wrote an article titled 'Darkness Too Visible'. In the article, she speaks about YA novels and how they have content that is much too dark for teen readers. What disturbed me about it was not the fact that she wants to protect the children, but the fact that she seems to attack the writers as well as publishers. If you haven't read it, you should check it out and see what I mean.

I wanted to speak my opinions on this topic because I feel that sometimes adults lock themselves into the illusion that teens don't see and experience violence, which is completely absurd. By the time I reached middle school, 8th grade to be exact, my school held a class on sexual abuse. The girls and boys were separated, and in the room of only girls and speakers, we were all asked to write down if we had been sexually abused before, keep it anonymous, and turn it in. When the guest speakers read the results, over 60% had been abused sexually.

By the time I reached high school, I knew in my heart that everything I had been taught about the justice system was a lie. A cruel joke, with only the innocent at the butt of it. Sadly, I had friends that were beaten everyday. CPS only got involved if one of the kids was hospitalized and then they always gave the kids back. Other friends were raped or molested by parents, neighbors, step parents, friends, I knew of much drug use, cutting, suicide attempts, drug overdoses resulting in death, and yet in very few cases was anything ever done to help these kids.

This is the truth of our society. If we don't speak about, and ignore these things, then they will never change. Being ignorant of something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Writing about these things does not make them happen more. It only makes the problem that already existed, 'known'.

Another issue that I feel many adults overlook is that kids today are much more aware of things that when I was younger.  My 6 yr old is already asking where babies come from. By 3 he wanted to know why we died, got married, lived away from our families, had to go to school, why people hurt one another and why we don't take care of animals and the Earth better. He was 3! :-) So, suffice it to say, kids are by no means ignorant to the ways of the world. We absolutely live in dark times, and the longer that we as humans deny that fact, the longer it will be before we stop it.

As parents, mentors, teachers, aunts and uncles, or whoever you might be to a child, we do have to be careful what we expose them to. No doubt... But that means that we actually have to 'be' parents. Or mentors, or educators. That means that we listen more than we speak, and it means that kids come first over everything else.

Children, no matter the age, need to know they come first in everything. Not when work is over, or the night out playing DND is done. That does not mean we can hit them, cuss at them, or abuse them, and then expect them not to turn to sources like these books later in life. If there is any fault to be placed where these dark novels are concerned, it is with us all as a society.

I am willing to bet that most of the people who are drawn to these books have been through some sort of trauma themselves already. They are merely reaching out and trying to find answers. And though I do understand one point of the article, which spoke about a Dad being concerned that his daughter would begin cutting herself again after seeing the book cover with a cut arm, I can say with some certainty that the image will not be the cause if someone is to go back to cutting. Believe me, I know from experience.

The root of self mutilation has much more to do with being disconnected and emotionally numb, than it does seeing an image of cut marks on an arm. If a picture can take a young woman back to cutting herself, then she was never cured in the first place. So as much as I understand that father's concern, I think he may have missed the boat... If she isn't cured, then you need to get to the root of why she is doing it.

I had a mother email me a few months ago wanting to know how to keep her daughter, who is now about 16, from becoming cynical in life. At first, I was totally shocked that she would come to me. I hardly know her. But then I thought about it and realized that I became cynical of the world when I saw injustice. The more I saw, the more cynical I became. My suggestion to her was to find out something her daughter is passionate about. And I made sure to add, 'this does not include sports, games, hanging out, or things like that...', I told her to really get to the root of how her daughter feels on major topics, and then to get her involved.

If she was bothered by the crisis of global warming, get her involved in awareness campaigns. If she has friends who were beaten and nothing done, help her find her voice so she can stand up for her friends. These things are not rocket science, they only take time. Time that has become so precious for those who must work multiple jobs to stay afloat.

That is why I don't feel we need to handle these things alone. We, as a society, need to step up. Dark YA novels are the least of our worldly concerns at the moment, and being 'opinionated' over whether or not youngsters should be reading this stuff, is not going to do you a lick of good. Because many of these authors have been through the same things as the readers are going through, and finally... Someone is speaking up about it.

Just my thoughts... Sending love and peace to you all. :-)

Blackout Days?

Today, I heard on the radio that my state is over budget by 5 billion dollars. Yikes... I have no idea if this is true, but am beginning to wonder. The clip was a man's voice, speaking about what can be done to fix this financial issue, and one suggestion was 'blackout days'.

What the heck does that mean?!

Are they seriously thinking about shutting off power to the state? Cause that is what it sounded like. Or does this mean they will close schools, government buildings, health care programs, and things like that?

Sadly, I have yet to find someone who has this answer. So far, it seems the term 'blackout' can mean many things. Which has me concerned.

This state has a lot of low income people, and our schools have suffered greatly due to budget cuts. My son is in kindergarten, and yet has to walk to school from a mile away (so I drive him). That is really far for a five year old. I understand many used to do that, back when things were a bit safer, but nowadays it is too dangerous for kids that young to be walking alone. Also, books were cut, supplies, programs, activities. Where the heck do all our tax dollars go?

I have an idea... Lets stop spending the money on war. We spend trillions of dollars on our exploits in other countries, while the citizens here suffer. I am all for protecting our nation, and helping out countries that ask for assistance, but we should also be taking care of our own as well.

I could go on for hours here... Truthfully, I just can't wait until we have a system that works. Don't know if I will ever get to see it, but one can have faith right? :-)

Spring Cleaning - Uh Huh...

So, I have been spending the last few days getting rid of all the stuff we don't use anymore, and cleaning those 'oh so hard to reach places' while everything is torn apart. Sadly, I am only about 2/3 done, ugh... and I already have 6 full garbage bags full of stuff to donate.

Which brings me to the question... How the heck do we accumulate so much anyway? :-p I am not one of those people who has to have to latest fashion, or buy my kids the coolest toys, in fact, I am the total opposite!


I am very aware of things I purchase, or at least, I try hard to be... Like buying things I know aren't made in a sweat shop, or buying recycled items, or things that can be reused. So for me, accumulating this much stuff in a matter of a year, is outrageous! Seriously, 6 big garbage bags. This is not including the 2 bags I donate roughly every few months. I don't like to store things, or keep them if we no longer use them.

So how is it we have gotten so much, and I still haven't gone through the entire place yet? Ugh! :-)

Well, I am back to my cleaning... But I will leave with this thought (taken from Fight Club)

The things we own, end up owning us. SO TRUE! :-)

Making up Words

I have been in a debate for a while now over the subject of made up words in novels...

Here's the opposing side - When you make up a word, then a reader will not be able to visualize what is being said.  I find this true in instances where someone has made up words for things like 'water'. If the writer is speaking about water, then calling it fregna would make no sense. Unless you want the reader to have to look up the meanings in the back of the book. Which makes a lot of work for readers.

My side - It is okay to make up a word for something, if that thing does not exist in real life. The only thing is to make sure and explain, or give a quick description of the item, so the reader does not have to be confused over what the word means.

The debate began when someone read a portion of my story and felt confused as to what the item was I had spoken about. What that person neglected to understand is there is no word for what the item is. I had no choice but to make it up, and the reader also skipped past the part of the story where I describe what the item is.

So here is my question, to which I would love your feedback. :-)

Is it confusing to make up a word for something that does not exist in real life, and if it is necessary to do so, what is the best way to bring the word about so the reader does not feel confused?

Also, is it confusing to have that made up word as part of the story title? Or does it have the possibility of catching the reader? Like in Eragon?

Thank you all!

Am I Conceited?

I totally don't want to sound conceited, but I had set my novel aside for a couple months while I focused on queries, a synopsis, and other projects, and when I came back to read it again I absolutely loved it! I didn't want to put it down...

It's good I suppose that I enjoyed my own manuscript. My husband agrees too. But I will admit, at first I was like, "Hun, should I be enjoying this so much? I mean, I 'did' write it after all!"

His answer was just what I needed to hear, "If you don't want to read your own story, then why would anyone else?"

Though his logic is sound, and I agree with him, I still feel a bit 'conceited' about liking my own story so much. Do any of my fellow writers feel that way? :-)

What do you think? Just 'how' much should we enjoy our own stories?

Technology - Good or Bad?

Being someone who is very aware of the impacts we have on the Earth, one question that constantly comes up in discussion is technology. The use of it and whether it is better for our environment or not. Quite often I find people feel that our way of life, including our use of technology, is what is causing all the problems we face today. But I don't see that as the case...

First, I have learned the most about what is happening to the Earth and how to change our lifestyles from the Internet! So, taking that into account, I can not say that technology is bad or causing the problem.

What I can say is that our way of life is. Not by using electricity or having cars, but by using them mindlessly. We can install solar panels, use rechargeable batteries, or drive Eco cars, we just have to be aware of what we are doing and how each act effects the environment around us.

Personally, I feel technology is good. It has connected us to people all around the world, and gives us a means to see media that is not mainstream. We also have the capability of paying bills online, banking online, ordering things and selling.

One thing I love is that the new android phones we got have a feature called video chat. Since my husband works late, he can call the boys on video chat and see them to tell them goodnight. They love it and it helps with the difficult hours.

So to say that all technology is bad, well... I just don't agree. As long as we remember ~

Just because we watch fishing, that does not make us a fisherman...

If we like watching sports on T.V., that does not make us an athlete...

If technology is used to keep in contact with one another, help the planet, help our fellow man, and for things that will have little impact on the environment, then it is good. If we use it as a crutch, then maybe it is time to get out and meet some people the old fashioned way. There is one thing I have learned for certain, we must be aware of what we do at all times, and we must always have balance. :-)

Cascade Writers

Just got registered for the Cascade Writers event this July and I am so excited to go! I know some people worry about getting their work critiqued, but honestly I can not wait. I have been trying for months to get my first chapter as strong as possible and need help... :-)

There is so much competition right now for authors, I think getting my manuscript in the best possible shape is really the only option. Only 'good' option that is, if I want to get published.

Anyway, just had to let everyone know I am going!

Backscratches and Bedtime Woes

Why is it that every time my kids go to bed I get the following...?

"Mom, I forgot to brush my teeth..."

"But, I need a drink..."

"I can't sleep, I'm too itchy. Will you scratch my back?"

"I'm too hot..."

"I'm too cold..."

"Mom!" Whine Whine "He took my pillow!" More whining ensues...

"Can't we stay up later Mom..."

"Why do we have to go to bed now?"

"Mom, the dog just pooped in my bathroom." Crazy enough, this happens quite often. Apparently the dog thinks he's human. He will hold his poo until he is in front of the toilet. UGH! :-)

"But Mom," sniffle sniffle, "I miss you. Can you please snuggle me?" I am not one of those parents who thinks you can't snuggle your kids, but this comes after snuggling on the couch for the last hour. Hmmm

"Can't you read one more story Mom, or tell us a story?" They like stories I make up about fantastical lands and fairies.

The list could go on for days...

So what is my message here?

I can't wait until they fall asleep at night! LOL

Have a good nighty night everyone, and if you have kids, I hope they fall asleep at a decent hour. :-)

Oh yes, a reminder... To those friends of mine that read this often, please don't forget to hit the 'follow' button. That will make it easier for you to know when I write something, and also lets me know who is interested in what I am saying. Thanks guys!

Norwescon 34

This last weekend I attended Norwescon 34 and feel like such an oober! :-) I had the best time, met some of the greatest people, and learned a lot... I just never realized there were writers workshops there! I thought it would be fun to go see people dressed like Klingon's and fairies.

The first day I got there too late to go to the panels for writers, but the next day I tried to hit every one I could. Not only did I get to meet published authors, but I also got great advice and feedback from them. I have to say, I am so excited and happy I went.

Of course, all my friends, including my husband, thought I wanted to go 'for' these writing events. So when I announced to them that I found all these writing panels, they looked at me like, "is she nuts, or kidding...?" Sadly, I fit nicely into the nutty category. But oh well! :-) I got to attend, and that is the best part.

The authors offered absolute pearls of wisdom. For as long as I have been sending queries, it is only now that I have learned my story is sci fi with light romance. I thought it fit more into the paranormal genre, NOT SO MUCH! :-) I had been totally wrong. It seems the online sites for getting genre info. don't go into much detail.

For instance; I wrote about a person who can see ghosts, but because she doesn't interact with them and they are explained scientifically, the novel is sci fi. Another main part of the story is about falling in love, that is just not the main part. So romance is part of the genre,  just light romance.

I am so thankful to all the authors who worked with me this past weekend, thank you all so much! :-)

Great Minds Think Alike!

Recently, I entered a writing contest. I can not say what all that short story entailed just yet, but part of that story involved a serial killer who only kills criminals. Funny enough, I had never seen or heard of Dexter. Probably because I don't generally sign up for cable, especially Showtime, so I had no idea that there was a series about this type of character, nor was I aware there were books. I am so glad I didn't see Dexter until 'after' I wrote the story! That way I know without a doubt that I did not draw from the show in my writing. Plus, mine has a supernatural side, but the coincidence still amazes me...

I can only come to this conclusion, great minds must think alike! :-)

Character Books

One thing I absolutely love about writing is that I get to live in the world of all my characters. I have to say, it is better than reading. :-) My only problem is having so many characters I want to put on paper, and so little time for them all! Thus, I started the 'character book.'

This is actually kind of amusing, but I recently read a blog about what editors/publishers would like to see. Funny enough, one thing on the list was that we should have a notebook of characters. What they look like, personality traits, where they work, who they date, live with and where, who they are related to and where they come up in the story. After reading the blog, I reached under my desk and pulled out my character book.

I'm not sure if any of you fellow writers have done this, but it really helps to keep things clear. Especially if I change something, I just put it in the character notebook and then can follow up in the novel. This has really helped me when I did major revisions and changed appearances and relations of some of the characters. I found my mind kept seeing them the way I originally wrote about them, so I pull out the notebook occasionally to remind myself.

Now all I need is more hours in the day... :-) Then I will be able to bring more of these characters into reality. Oh the power of the pen!

The Cost of Truth $1500.00

Over the weekend, I finally got my van back. And thank goodness too! Thankfully I have wonderful people in my life who were very gracious in lending me their cars, which I appreciate greatly. :-) But my husband and I were also faced with a decision in regards to the vehicles, and it has cost us for telling the truth...

My van, though it broke down, wasn't what cost so much. That was my husband's car. Unfortunately, it came to just over $1500. So here's what happened...

After my van began acting up, my husband took his car in to have his brakes tightened. He had gotten new ones a few weeks earlier, and they were not working properly. But when he took the car in, he found out the problem was not the new brakes, but the fact that there was a contaminant in the brake fluid. They quoted us $3000 roughly to fix it. We, of course, were shocked. The last ones to touch the brakes were the guys who put the new brakes on, so we figured they were the culprits...

That night however, we found out that it wasn't the company at all, it was, in fact, our neighbor. Granted, he didn't know that would cause the problem, he said he had done it all the time in his old vehicle. But it did cause a problem, and we were stuck with what to do.

We knew our neighbor had done it without realizing that would happen, and also that he didn't have the money to fix it (though he did not offer to help financially in any way), but we also knew the mechanic didn't do it. They should have caught the problem, and warned us before releasing the car, but they had missed it too.

The problem was power steering fluid, which is petroleum based, had been put in the brake lines and damaged anything rubber. All of which needed to be replaced. So what should we have done?

One family member felt we should just blame the mechanic and demand they pay for it for not catching it, another felt that we should say the mechanic did it themselves, but here was the problem, we KNEW who had done it. Yes, maybe telling a fib would have saved us a lot of money, but it would have been a lie. So we chose to tell the truth.

Amazingly, the mechanic offered to cover half the labor and a third of the parts, while also salvaging some others. Which pretty much cut our cost in half. He said, "I should have caught this, and I'm sorry... But I did not put the wrong fluids in." We told him we knew, and to start the work. He honored his word, and only charged half, and we had our car back in a week.

Looking back, yes, that money had been meant for something else... I am upset at what happened, and that we had to spend so much to fix something that should not have happened in the first place. However, I do not regret telling the truth...

This lesson has been an expensive one, we will not allow any neighbors to work on vehicles for us anymore! LOL :-) But is has also been a good lesson. So often people want to save a buck by being deceitful, in the end though, honesty is so much more important. We may have paid out the money, and I know some of you who feel that was foolish, but I know many more people who feel we made the right choice. Because selling your integrity, at any price, is just not worth it. :-)

So, our cost for telling the truth... $1500.00  A price far worth knowing we did not lie.

Dead or Alive?

I watched a movie through Netflix called, "Paul McCartney Really is Dead," and it amazed me. I had never heard the rumors of his alleged death before, and seeing all the backmasking in their songs, the hidden messages in album covers and photos, it does make me wonder.

The movie plays along with the voice (if it is really him) of George Harrison in the hospital after being stabbed by an intruder. Something he was told would happen if he went public about Paul (aka Faul for fake Paul), and what happened back in November of 1966.

Basically the story is this, the real Paul was in a fatal car accident around 5am. and was replaced by the man who won the McCartney look alike contest in Canada. This was all done very secretively with the excuse that if the young women of the world found out Paul was dead, they would all kill themselves. Allegedly, William Campbell, went through numerous surgeries to look more like Paul even having to learn to be left handed like the real Paul. Of course, another theory says that an impostor took Paul's place for only 3 years, so he could take a break from fame. Who knows...

Honestly, the movie was pretty convincing, though it is hard to believe anything nowadays... When I think about all the people who seem to die suddenly, like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, it becomes very intoxicating trying to make sense of everything. It seems Elvis, Michael, and Paul all had/have connections, and all have left clues as to the truth. Numerology plays a key role in a lot of these alleged deaths, and though so many feel that one day Elvis and Michael will show up again, my thoughts are... if they took all the time to fake their deaths, why on Earth would they want to come back?

Not saying I am not a believer, I have seen enough proof to show me that something is not quite right about any of these singers' deaths or absences. But following the white rabbit can lead down some very surprising paths, so any of you who decide to take a trip down the road of hidden messages and symbolism, I wish you a safe and exciting journey! :-)

Afraid of a Paper Face

This morning I had the most bizarre dream... Normally when these things happen, I intentionally fall back asleep and re-dream the parts that bothered me. This morning, however, offered  no such convenience and has therefore been on my mind all day.

What's this odd dream you might be thinking? It's rather silly, but here it goes...

I was at my parents' place, standing in their front yard while a woman I did not recognize picked flowers with me to make a bracelet. But the wind picked up very fast, and before we knew it, we could hardly stand. I could hear trees breaking, and though I could not see them, they sounded like they were going to land on us.

We ran toward the garage to get out of the way, but as I turned to close the door behind me, I saw a woman with a dark blueish cloak and a piece of paper for her face. I do not mean she had a blank expression, or a face without eyes or mouth, it was seriously a sheet of paper where her face would have been.

Doesn't seem scary right?

WRONG! :-)

I have no idea why, but the woman with the paper face terrified me. In the dream, I tried to shut the door on her, but there were two doors (not in the actual house, just the dream) so when I hit the button to close the door, it began to open the second set of doors. I quickly hit lock again and shut the woman out.

So here's my conclusion... 

I feel this woman had something to do with me, maybe an aspect of myself that I am unaware of, or afraid of facing, but immediately upon waking, I felt irritated with myself for not letter in this paper lady. What if she had been there to help? Now, I will never know.

Either way, this serves to remind me that sometimes the thing we fear the most, is the unknown. I know what the traditional types of dream symbols mean, but this felt different. Any opinions or interpretations? I gladly welcome them. :-)

Agent Bashing ~ Not OK

For all the agents who get bashed by writers, and all the writers who are guilty of bashing agents, this post is for you... It is truly how I feel.

I tend to surf agent blogs a lot because I get good information from them on what agents are looking for. Most of the agents I follow don't even represent my genre, but that is not the point. They give me insight into the writing world, and ideas on how to reach other audiences. I respect all the information I get, because they 'are' in the know.

This is why I find it so irritating when I hear people bashing agents because they get a rejection letter. Yet some of these same people are sending in queries on genres they should not be. No matter how fabulous the novel is, if an agent only takes romance, and yours is sci fi, most likely you will get a rejection.

In my opinion, it is disrespectful to send a query to an agent that clearly does not have interest in the genre. If I were an agent, that would only show me that you aren't serious about writing, or about me as an agent. It isn't that hard to go to the agent's blog or website and see what they are looking for. Make yourself and your novel fit the agent, not the agent fit your novel. It is hard enough to promote books in this economy, and as writers, we need to be flexible.

Most agents only get paid if they can sell your work. This means that even if an agent reads your manuscript, and absolutely loves it, he or she still has to be able to sell it. If the agent knows there are three other books coming out soon with the same type of story line, chances are, he or she won't be able to find a publisher.

Getting a rejection does not mean your writing sucks, or that the agent is out to get you, but it may mean that it is not be the best time for your manuscript. As a writer, I know how hard it is to play the waiting game, and to have someone not like your style, but we can not blame the agents for that.

There are so many things to consider in a rejection, and we should not be taking anything personally. Honestly, if an agent's opinion is so traumatizing, then being in the public eye may NOT be the best idea. :-) We will always have fans, and critics. Having a bit tougher skin seems like a better solution.

If your query is perfect, and your manuscript unique, there are other reasons as to why you may have received a rejection. For instance...

~ The agent may already be representing a novel in your genre, and yours would conflict with what that agent was trying to promote. I don't know about you, but personally, if I had an agent trying to promote my work, I would NEVER want that person also promoting something that is in competition with mine. What would be the point?

~ The agent may have a full plate, not being able to take anything else on at the moment.

~ Another thing to consider is writing style. An agent and their assistants KNOW what writing styles they like, and each of us have a unique one. I like to write in shorter, easy to read sentences, while my husband writes like Oscar Wilde. This does not mean one of us is better than the other, it only means that an agent who enjoys reading Wilde, would probably not enjoy my style even if both writings are in the same genre. Our queries generally show our style, unless we have it written by someone else (which seems a bit dangerous to me), and agents can tell from our query if we would be a good fit.

Most likely, if we receive a lot of rejections, the agents are not the ones where the blame should be placed. We, as writers, are responsible. Our task is to sell our novel to the agent, therefore it is up to us. So please, can we stop the agent bashing already? It is not professional, and only serves to show those agents that they made the right decision in the rejection.

To sum it up, we should be thanking all the agents and assistants that spend so much of their time weeding through the mess of queries they get every day, and for offering insight into how we can improve. They do not get paid to read queries, or write blogs, or edit our queries for us, yet so many still do this. So, from me, and the many others you have all helped, thank you! :-)

Strange Days...

My week has been so incredibly strange that I just have to write about it here...

Thursday - My van began making odd noises. Since I had no idea what was wrong with it, I chose not to drive anywhere until I could have it looked at. All while not stressing over the issue...

Friday - Had a birthday party to go to about an hour away. With my van acting up, we decided to take my husband's car to the party. But before we could go, he wanted to have his brakes tightened.

A few weeks ago, he got new brakes. For about a week now, those brakes have been hardly working and they're grinding. So he took the car in for a quick check, with our six yr. old in tow.

(one hour later) I am ready to go, waiting for them to show up, with my kids' pirate costumes all prepared (costume themed party) when I get a phone call...  Apparently, at some point, whether the shop that did his brakes did it, or someone else, a contaminate got into his brake lines and we were told we couldn't drive it until it got fixed at a hefty price of about $2800.00.  We were like, Holy Crap!!!

Since my husband had my six yr old, and it is way too far for him to walk home, I reluctantly decided to take the van to get them. BAD IDEA! Just as we were up the street from our place, we hear a snap, and my husband suddenly had no power steering! :-o  Thankfully, he was able to make it home. Had I been driving, I would have not been able to turn the wheel...

Needless to say, we didn't get to go to the party... Now, we had no vehicles, all within an hours time. Surprisingly, I still kept the stress under control. I just kept reminding myself not to worry, that things would work out.

Saturday - My son's birthday party roles around. Along with some pretty amazing things.

First, we all had a fabulous time, not letting the cars get to us.

Second, we got overwhelming support from family and friends. The brake company acknowledged they should have caught the problem, and offered to cover about half of parts and labor for us. We also had offers of help on my van, which apparently needs a new water pump, and multiple people loaning us their cars! It was so amazing to have such support. Even my neighbor brought up his keys to his BRAND NEW car, and asks if we need it before he takes it anywhere. Can you believe that? :-)

So now, we have the car under way, the van being fixed this weekend (wish us luck!) and the awareness that when we needed help, many people came forward to assist us. Thank you all so much for your love and support!

L.O.V.E.

Not Gonna Stress...

Why is it that vehicles always decide to act up when there is absolutely NO place to pull over?!? Seriously... 

Anyway, today my van began making some pretty interesting, and kind of scary noises, as I was making my way home from the store. Surprisingly though, I did not panic.

Normally in this situation I would freak a bit, worry about what was happening, if I would have enough money to fix it, as well as 'how am I going to get home?'  Today however, none of the following happened. In fact, I felt no stress at all. Just an mild irritation with the fact that the van is so old and needs a lot of work. This is such a huge leap from how I used to be! :-) I am so proud of myself for just taking things in, accepting that the van needed a serious attitude adjustment, and moving on.

Sure I checked all the fluids, stared blankly at the running engine to see if I could find the problem, then called my husband, but I never once stressed about it.  I have been working very hard to just 'accept' what life brings me and learn from it. Surprisingly, I found that belief helped me even today.

Maybe it is time for a new vehicle, or maybe the mechanic I take it too desperately needs the work.  We truly never know why things happen, or what purpose they are meant to serve (if any), but it really does feel good not to be worried about it.  I have definitely come a long way from where I used to be!

Learning To Be Loved

It dawned on me recently that many people, though not all, know how to love. They may not always practice it, or might not 'want' to love, but we all do.  We all have the ability.

Strangely, as I watched people around me, and also myself, I realized that though many know how to love, very few know how to receive it. I'm not speaking of personal 'I'm in love' types, but the unconditional love of everyone and our willingness to help and be helped. For instance...

I get so used to being cut off in traffic, or having someone cut in line at the store, or push their way by me in an isle without an 'excuse me', that I tend to get all discombobulated when someone actually lets me go first, or lets me out in traffic, or is kind in general. 

In a recent incident, a woman saw that i was trying to get my kids in the van and offered to take the cart back for me. Normally, if someone tried to be polite and help, I would say, 'Oh thank you, but I can get it...'. This time however, I let her do it. I have been working on allowing others to help me. For some reason, I have no problems helping others, I just have a hard time receiving it.

As I began to watch neighbors, family, and friends, I began to see a lot of that behavior in them too. Like one would have no problem loaning me some butter, but in the reverse, wouldn't want to take something from me. I thought maybe it was just people not wanting to impose on others, but I think there is more to it than that.

For some reason, whether we are taught through our doctrines, society, or just feel unloved in general, too many of us believe that we somehow do not deserve to be loved. It seems so simple, life is not just about learning to love, but learning to be loved in return. I think once we as a whole, learn to allow love in, humanity is going to take a huge leap into a higher state of being.

We all deserve to be loved. :-)

'Are' Disasters on the Rise?

I have been contemplating this for a while now, thinking of all the recent earth quakes, tsunamis, protests, flooding, drought, and die offs. Many people have told me they feel like the world is falling apart, and are now wondering if 2012 will really be the END.

After much study, however, I have come to the conclusion that I don't think things are actually getting worse in the world. I believe the exact opposite...

First of all, just to set people straight, the Mayan Calender that speaks of Dec. 21, 2012 isn't actually about death. It is about a rebirth, or new beginning. It is a shift from one way of living, into another. This is not a bad or fearful thing, as long as you are flexible to change. The new timeline will begin with the dawning of the humanitarian age. This is a time to celebrate. So no, I do not believe the world will end in 2012.

If you listen to the news carefully, all the places that have been hit recently have had similar things happen before. I live on a fault line, and every day am aware that we are do for a major earth quake... That does not mean that if it happens soon, it is because the world is ending.

So what has really changed?  Is it Earth? Or maybe, could it be us??

If you think about it, the only thing that is different now is that we have the world wide web, video cameras on our cell phones, and the ability to send information instantly...  It seems to me that what has changed is our awareness of these events. It is so easy to forget that Chile, for instance, got hit with a quake. Or that there are football fields of rain forest still being removed daily for cattle in our ever demanding fast food race. These things seem like they should impact us when we are told, but the fact of the matter is that rarely happens. Most of us need to see the devastation, see what is happening, in order to truly grasp and connect with the tragedy.

Maybe things are getting worse with the heating of our atmosphere and pollution, but history shows many of these events are natural.  Funny enough, our technology that so many people feel disconnects us from one another (in face to face situations), is now what is bringing us together. Our awareness; consciousness, is expanding, and these events of late are allowing us to have compassion for one another on a mass scale. These times we live in are sometimes tragic, but also so exciting and full of possibilities! :-)

Sending love tonight for all those who are in Japan, Egypt, Lybia, Haiti, Dar Fur, Australia, and to anyone who is suffering throughout the world.

WE ARE ALL ONE! :-) LOVE

Picking a Genre

After many months of researching, I have decided that there are many different ways to market the same piece of literature...  At first, my story was based on high school students and I had planned on marketing it as YA.  But the age bracket just wasn't right for the subject matter, so I re-wrote over half the novel to fit college students just about to graduate and embark on the journey of adulthood.  This changed the genre to NA (New Adult for those of you who don't know what that is yet).

Here is where things get sticky...

My story has multiple components. For instance, a large part of the storyline is about things paranormal, and other parts (though they are in current times) are sci fi, and yet, these things do not make up the entire manuscript.  What it is mainly about is a character's journey of self discovery.  She is deciding who she wants to be in life.  The only catch is that the paranormal and sci fi events help her in her choices.

Since the story is about the college student dealing with day to day life as well, falling in love, rejection, graduation, jobs, places to live, friendship, doesn't this also make it fit the mainstream fiction category?

HELP! :-)

Agents and books on writing classify my novel differently.  Just depending on what they see in it...  Does anyone have any ideas?

Mouth of Fire

Tonight my family went to a great little Sushi place by our house.  My husband and I had been there before, but never with our 4 and 6 year olds. We decided that tonight would be the night for them to try something a little different...

On the menu were California and TNT rolls, also some Miso soup, Gyoza, and some Chicken Teriyaki.  The kids chowed down and by the time they were done, there was only a couple California rolls left!  The best part, was when our 4 year old decided he wanted to put his finger in the pretty green flower of Wasabi, and then shove it in his mouth.  (We had warned him it was extremely hot, and not to try it unless he thought he could handle it.) 

My husband and I waited, our own eyes watering just watching the little guy, and to our utter surprise, he loved it!  The only thing he said was, "Few, that was hot..."  His finger reached into the Wasabi several times after that, all with a smile on his face.

Realizing that my 4 year old was out 'heating' me, I added a bit more Wasabi to my own dish.  Things were okay at first, just a bit hotter.  But of course, being the typical girl who loves to chit chat, I got distracted and managed to swipe my last bite through half the flower of Wasabi. For those of you who do not know what that feels like, I will give you this...

DON'T BREATHE!!!

All in all we had a great night, and we are so proud of our kiddos for passing on the corn dogs and french fries to try something new. ;-)

The Human Etch-A-Sketch

My husband and I were discussing the concept of the human Etch A Sketch recently, you know the type right?  When you ask them a question, they give you one answer until you dispute what they say and suddenly they are sputtering "well, uh, I meant..." 

This used to annoy me beyond belief.  I mean really, would I ask your opinion if I wanted to hear my own thoughts on the subject?  Of course not...  When I ask you what you think, or how you feel, I am truly seeking your honest opinion.  No need to spare my feelings, or make me happy by telling me what you think I want to hear. 

Rather than let this annoy me any further however, my husband has lightened the topic by referring to these people in our lives as The Human Etch A Sketch...  In his eyes, this is a great thing.  You can really have fun with people by asking them a question, and if you don't like the answer, just shaken up a bit and get the one you want! Imagine all the colorful things you could extract from someone! :-)

Okay, so I am not really that mean as to question these people merely to get as many "uh, no, I mean, I meant, well I see what you're saying..." out of them, but I will say that the next time someone does this to me, all I am going to see is a very large Etch A Sketch standing before me, shaking back and forth every time I raise an eyebrow! LOL

This is promising :-)

This is promising :-)

Ha ha ha...

I didn't let myself get discouraged with the writing contest, and wouldn't you know it, I got it down to the right length! Dang I'm good... Now all I gotta do is wait until October, oh so far away!!!

Holy Crap! Are you kidding me??

Okay, out goes my excitement over being done with my short story for the writing contest! I went to submit it only to find it is 1000 words too long!  Ugh...  I have the printout from my original inquiry on the contest, and it clearly states for my genre it is 5000 words, now it has been chopped down to 4000 and mine is too long!

(Heavy sighs here...)

Oh well, I still have one day to chop it down.  I know I can do it, so wish me luck everyone!

Finally Finished!

Yay Yay Yay!

I am finally done with my short story to enter in the Writer's Digest competition, and still have three days left!  Wew hew!  After rewriting it so many times, I was beginning to think I would never finish...  I do my best work under pressure though, and the fear of not making the entry deadline definitely helped me. 

I can't wait to enter and see how I do!  To any fellow writers entering the contest, best of luck to you all, though I sincerely hope you don't win! :-)

The Beauty of Avatars

Honestly, I used to think using an avatar for you picture was, well, silly...  And in the case of this blog, it probably would be. I have no reason to hide my face here.  In the past, I have actually looked at the use of avatars as deceitful, just being honest here...  I no longer feel that way though. 

On things like youtube, metacafe, or other websites of a similar venue, I realize that the use of avatars has actually opened my mind...  When you see a picture of someone, you instantly get a feel for them.  As much as most of us would like to deny this, first impressions are hugely significant. With the use of avatars though, we can project what we want others to feel from us.

Because of the use of avatars, I have now communicated with people all over the world, of all different creeds, social status, race, and I have found something that has blown my mind away...

WE ARE ALL THE SAME! :-)

Can you believe it???

You see, without a face to associate with, you are left purely with what that person says and how they portray themselves.  I have found so many cases now where I was conversing with someone about a topic, only to find out they are not what I thought.  Or better explained, not what I was conditioned to think they were.

It is so easy to label people; fat, bimbo, money grubber, dirty, religious, punk, goth, jock, geek, whatever the case may be, all from a simple picture.  What we look like, whether we like it or not, has a huge impact on the way people see us.  With avatars, we have no way of knowing what each other looks like, what our sexual preference, financial status, etc. is. We are simply friends... 

Looking at things from this perspective, it kind of makes me wonder why we judge so much on looks anyway.  Or why we care what others wear, or how they eat, or live...  If we judged one another simply on the energy we are emitting, like we do with avatars, wouldn't that be a much better way of doing things?

I know even as far as humanity has come, we still have work to do.  But befriending people not knowing what they look like, or even what gender or how old they are, has really made me a lot of friends.  Ones that I see eye to eye with. We are friends because of common beliefs, similar interests, and sometimes, just to get fresh and different perspectives.  People don't have to put up walls, because no one knows who they are in the body.  In some ways, avatars allow us to be more real, because their is no preconceived notion of who and what we are.

Just a few thoughts...

You know you are working to much when ~

you dream of spreadsheets

speaking of children has nothing to do with actual children

checking your email at 2am to see if everything is okay at work becomes a nightly habit

you begin speaking to friends and family in work lingo

your boss knows the name of your soon to be born child before your family members do

sleeping in your office becomes a welcome event

(I sincerely love all of my friends and family, even if this does apply to many of them! :-) )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It really annoys me when ~

a friend deletes you from facebook because you got in an argument

a friend deletes you from facebook because your spouse got in an argument with them

people feel the need to race a minivan when the light turns green

drivers assume a minivan driver will drive 10 under the speed limit

people do something stupid and blame it on a witch casting a love spell on them (this really happened)

someone claims to teach about spiritual things, while charging you through the roof

you pay 20 bucks to see a movie and it sucks

you pay 20 bucks to see a movie and the girl next to you is crying because Taylor Lautner took off his shirt

a beautiful picture is posted on facebook of your newborn and a family member responds by typing in bold letters, "JESUS IS OUR ONE AND ONLY SAVIOR, WE SHALL ONLY MEET OUR MAKER THROUGH HIM" (paraphrased or course...)

someone avoids you because they think you are mad at them for avoiding you

you ask a question about a product at the grocery store and the clerk responds by rolling their eyes

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Things I love to see ~

parents who actually parent

people who wait for you to pull out before proceeding

a yummy starbucks in the hands of my husband with my name on it

those who can forgive

those who love divinely and unconditionally

people getting involved in issues they see around the world

someone picking up trash that isn't theirs


*Please, feel free to share your thoughts as well! :-)*

Entering a Writing contest

One would think that writing a 5000 word short story for a writing contest would be fairly simple... NOT!  Maybe it is just me, but holy manoli!  Trying to fit an entire story, with a beginning, middle, and end, also character development, an interesting plot, twists in the storyline, villains and hero's, all in one short and tiny package, is truly quite challenging...

Since I have never entered a contest before, I decided this current Writer's Digest contest would be for me.  After all, the do have a 5000 word max.  Where others charge an arm and a leg to enter and only allow 2000-4000 words. But writing this piece has not been easy.

Usually, I am the winner at the baby shower or bachelorette party who ends up with the funniest or most entertaining short story using "x" amount of words with certain keys like, "diapers, oil, store, gas, arrested, etc..."  Everyone gets a laugh, and I get to put my skills to work under the pressure of the 5 minute timer on the table.  But this, this is a whole new ball game.

I started by picking my topic, which was actually the easy part, and dove in.  Since I really get to know my characters, (they are like my own personal friends inside my head) the draw to this new addition came natural and she seems to flow right from my thoughts and onto the computer.  The more I write though, the more I wonder just how I am going to tie this bad boy up in the end.  With such a short limit on words, I keep going back to take things unnecessary, or that go into too much detail, out.  To be honest, this is great experience for me! :-)

For now, I am still working at it to get the story in perfect shape to enter the big contest...  But after all is said and done, I will post it on here (if I am allowed to do that), to give you all the result to what will probably be many rantings on the issue. I know I can do it, so I will keep working until I do!

Much love to you all for sharing my thoughts!