Wishing...

I'm wishing I had more time to devote to my fiction and poetry lately. I know my online friend, Gina Conroy over at Writer Interrupted knows what I'm talking about! But, I have been doing a little bit of writing here and there. I have a new homeschool blog over at Homeschool Redux and I have been doing some writing for our business blog at Journal in a Box. In fact, Journal in a Box is one big project that has been taking up much of my time lately. Have you ever tried to write in a journal only to put it down and not pick it back up? Have you tried to journal and then felt your journal became repetitive and boring? Then you should come and check out Journal in a Box where we give you the tools to start an interesting and engaging journal and then keep doing it. Come check it out!

Do you Steampunk? Steampunking in the 21st Century...

So there I was, doing some research for my latest novel, looking up some info on the 1940's and some other things I want to include in the novel when I stumbled upon this blog: Hawkins Strongbox. Now, this is some fun and intriguing work and it has me excited thinking of all the fantastic possibilities for authorship in this technological age. I've seen and heard of ideas like this before, but Mr. Pepper (a Disney writer) has put a crazy amount of time and effort into this blog, not just the writing, but the artistic side as well. The blog is fascinating and the potential is endless. And it is an example of "steampunk" writing.

Having never heard of the term "steampunk" until today, I am surprised to find myself already a fan of the genre. I've long been a science fiction fan, loving the futuristic works of Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and the like. I've also liked The Leauge of Extraordinary Gentlemen which is based on the comic book series by Alan Moore who also created the anti-hero V of V for Vendetta fame Apparently those movies are somewhat Steampunk. Similarly, I've always been intrigued by the movie starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline which is based upon a television series of the same name - Wild Wild West. Apparently, this is Western Steampunk. And, of course, I have long read H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, which apparently a lot of steampunk artists base their stuff on. Do you find yourself scratching your head and saying, "Huh?" out loud to yourself? 'Cause I certainly did earlier today.

So, I did a little research and found out that steampunk actually has a long and fascinating history. What I find equally as fascinating is the apparently large cult following of all things steampunk and how little I previously knew of this interesting genre and its audience. A quick search on Amazon.com for steampunk turned up everything from books to apparel to props and more.

My momma always told me, "You learn something new every day." Today I learned more than one thing. I learned about a new genre, I learned something about what the future of writing might be and how it could involve the internet and I learned that steampunk is a word...okay a made up word...but, hey, Shakespeare made up a whole bunch of words that we don't call made up any more!

Writing and Waiting

I am getting more and more excited about this novel that has been brewing in my head. I've put some scenes onto paper and am working on character backgrounds and plot points. This is the fun part, the interesting part. The part where I am finding out who I am writing about and how their story unfolds. Next will come the hard part. Sitting down and writing and putting it all together into something cohesive! I can't wait to see what will happen. Yep, that's right. Even I, with all my plot points, don't know exactly what is going to happen yet. My characters are often sneaky that way!

I am also still waiting to hear from the journal to which I submitted my recent article. That is HARDEST part - all the waiting after a submission. Oh - the agony! (Too dramatic? Don't forget, I'm also into drama.)

Speaking of which - sounds like plans are coming together for the performing arts studio - perhaps my drama teaching position will be starting soon. I'll be sure and update on here!

Working on New Characters

The whisper of an idea for a novel came to me about eight years ago, during the time that I lived in Las Vegas and pieces of it have been floating around in my (strange) cranium for that many years. The other night, after reading the last chapter of The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee, I was inspired to actually begin putting together this novel that I have been playing around with for that long. It is amazing to me the process of building characters. I've only been working on this particular work for two days and already some of the characters that have been lurking in the shadows of my brain have surprised me with who they really are! For instance, one of the main female characters that I have been thinking of for several years as young, essentially good and innocent surprised me today when I peeked into her closet. I suddenly realized that she is not as innocent as I had previously assumed. I can't wait to see what other surprises lie in store for me as I get to know better these folks who have been my acquaintances for a number of years. Well, back to plotting...

Writing? What's that?

I'll admit there has been very little real writing going on around here as of late. For a multitude of reasons. One of them is one year of age, teething, and sitting on my lap right now. Also, I had a great arrangement with a good friend to keep my kids one day a week so I could devote that day to writing, but that didn't work out because I didn't stay disciplined and because she went out and got a real job.

I have been doing some work since I last posted here in 2009, though. I have been writing for the blog at Knowledge Equips and have been offered a job as a drama instructor with a local performing arts studio. That position will start within a couple of months, as soon as the new studio is up and running.

Writing anything with two busy, active young children in the house is so incredibly difficult, but I plan to make more of an effort, starting today. So, here is my first blog post back here. A few days ago, I pulled out my copy of the Gotham Writers' Workshop book Writing Fiction. I'm going to start going through it and do some of the exercises and see what comes up. I also found my copy of Sparknotes How to Write Poetry, so stay tuned for updates of what comes out of digging into both of those books.

What to Read?

I'm looking for something new to read. I just finished Burr by Gore Vidal and loved it! You'd think with all the books I just finished unpacking a few days ago that I would have a ton to read. My problem is that there are a lot of hardbacks which are hard to read in bed and all of the paperbacks are Koontz. (They are hand-me-down's from my mom and she has a bit of a Koontz fetish.) While I do love a good Koontz now and then, a girl has to read something other than old Deano from time to time. So, I'm asking all of you out there for some good suggestions. Throw me some fun summertime paperback reading selections! I'm trying out this new affiliate linking program from Amazon, so send me some great Amazon links to your summer reading favorites!

To give you a hint of what I like, here are some of my former summer favorites:

Poetry Contest Goal

Our family was setting some family and personal goals recently and I have set this personal goal for myself: I WILL enter the Writer's Digest Poetry Contest coming up this December. The deadline for entries is December 15, so I have set myself the goal of making my entries ready by the end of November. I wrote it down on our personal goal sheet and I am setting it in stone here in this forum. I want to have it written and have others know about it so that I will be more invested in taking the steps to actually get it done this time. So, wish me luck!

For more info on the contest you can head to: http://www.writersdigest.com/poetryawards

favorite things

Here is a poem I wrote for my online poetry group:

favorite things

sunshine smiles and gumdrop kisses
cowboys and indians
and fairy tale wishes

dinner by candlelight, walks on the beach
lying in bed
when he is in reach

grimy hand messes, crumbs on the floor
muddy footprints
and jam on the door

spills on the stove, oven disasters
always more stuff
to clean up after

these are a few of my favorite things
my prince and princess
and of course my king

Wednesday Prompts

Even though the April Poem A Day Challenge is long over, Robrt Lee Brewer is still throwing out a weekly Wednesday prompt over at his Poetic Asides blog: http://blog.writersdigest.com/poeticasides/

His prompt from yesterday was "something you've been through." Here is my day late submission:

Five Years

He asked her to dance and asked
for a Ferris wheel ride. He told her
he was interested in settling down
as he jetted off in the night. He
“forgot” to call and made her wait
wondering. But then made it all up
with a night on the town and a
pretty excuse about phones on the
road. He carried her along with
promises galore while she planned
out a wedding for years. He
neglected to mention all the other
women that she feared, but never
let herself believe. For five years
he strung her along, as she waited
and worried and hoped. Till she came
down with a case of common sense
and ran away to Cancun.

small stones

Here are some small stones I have recently written (somewhat in the style of Fiona Robyn):

clear blue eyes
engaged in a smile
sparkling at river’s edge


tiny forms,
motionless
except for
barely discernible
chest heaves
breathe, little ones,
breathe


moment captured in time:
four smiles surround
one smile – with no hair above it
she was lovely bald


crescendo rising, rising
closed eyes and a slight smile
appreciation at its finest


a question mark
was most decidedly
growing
out of her head
questionable photography skills

Television Treatments

Well, here is a new one! I have been asked to help develop and write a treatment for an idea for a television show. This is something I have never done. I am doing some research on the process and on what should be included in a treatment (title, logline, synopsis). Have you ever written a treatment? Do you know the process? Do you know anything about registering with the WGA? Any information from my loyal readers would be greatly appreciated!

New Projects

Well, after a bit of a "maternity leave", I'm back on the hunt for new freelance projects. I'm reworking my writing resume a bit and submitting on new fronts. Internet magazines seem to be the up and coming craze. It will be interesting to see the direction that they take. Here are some that I have come across recently:

a handful of stones
http://www.ahandfulofstones.com/

First and Last Sentence Magazine
http://www.firstandlastsentence.blogspot.com/

and of course the great The Adirondack Review
http://adirondackreview.homestead.com/index.html

PAD Challenge Day #30

Whoa! What?!? Day 30? It's over? Where did this month go?

Today's prompt was, appropriately, a farewell poem. I came up with two:

good-bye

was something never said
you were there and then
you weren’t

i wasn’t even aware
at first

suddenly – awkwardly –
i realized you were
gone

absconded
with a piece of my heart

does this mean you
never meant to go?

or that you mean
never to return?

------------------------------------------------------------

In The End

This cliché
all is said and done
seems so all encompassing

How do you know
you have said all
there is to say?

How do you know
you have done all
that can be done?

Could just one more
word change the course
of history?

Could a simple
act reverse the trajectory
of a life?

In the end who’s to say
that ALL
is said and done?

PAD Challenge Day #29

Okay, I am finally done with my catch-up game! Here is my post for the prompt to write a poem beginning "Never (blank)."

Never sleep with snakes

some may think it goes
without saying
but it seems that many
need a warning

getting all chummy
with vipers
could lead to some serious
bodily harm

PAD Challenge Day #28

I'm not proud of it, but here is my sestina for Day #28. I wasn't going to write a sestina (since the two-for-tuesday prompt left an option for writing an anti-sestina poem), but then this idea came up and I ran with it. I'd like to rewrite it, but that's the beauty of the PAD Challenge - first drafts are the whole idea! :-)

The Girl

Once upon a time she dreamed
of fairy tale princesses and castles
and held aloft the idea
that one day her prince charming
would ride in on his white horse
and carry her off to happily ever after.

It was not long after
she first dreamed those dreams
that a pretender on a fake horse
came along with stories of his castle.
His entire demeanor was charming
so she really had no idea

that all of his so-called romantic ideals
were not really what he was after.
Until the day that he lost all his charm
and shattered her innocent dreams.
So she locked up her heart in a castle
and swore off any man riding horses.

She went to work on a ranch with horses
with only a prayer and the idea
that no one lives in castles
anymore and there is no happily ever after.
But somewhere deep in her heart a dream
still survived involving a man quite charming.

But though many still tried to charm
her, she felt more at home with her horses
and buried quite deep those dreams
until she became very comfortable in the idea
that she would live alone hereafter
and never more thought of castles.

Until the day she realized a castle
can come in the form of a charming
ranch house – it was only after
she saw him ride in on a quarter horse
that she finally understood the idea
that a cowboy could be the man of her dreams.

She followed the dream to his castle
and gave over to the idea that real charm
can be found on any color horse and lived happily ever after.

PAD Challenge Day #27

The prompt for day 27 was a poem of longing:

not knowing

the life that was there
now suddenly gone
why so soon?

now I’ll never know

the color your eyes held
the length of your nose
the feel of your breath on my neck
the sound of your tiny voice

PAD Challenge Day #26

what?

i love you, he said
i love you, too, she said
neither one of them
had a clue what
the other was
talking about

PAD Challenge Day #25

Still playing catch-up. The prompt for Day 25 was to write a poem about an event. Here is the best I could come up with - it is based on a song I heard earlier today and that really seemed to hit home today.

30th Birthday

“I've done some growing up
and I'm still growing up
so I know I'll never be
as smart as I once was
that was back
Back when the world was flat and
mama and daddy didn't have a clue
…
Lord I'm learning so much more than
back when I knew it all”
-Montgomery Gentry
Back When I Knew It All

the day is approaching fast
the third decade almost done
years speeding by in a blur

the first decade
is something of a mystery
many memories just beyond reach

the second decade
was loaded with difficulty
as hormones raged and loyalties changed

the third decade
has been full of lessons
some hard, some wonderful, all necessary

the fourth decade
lies ahead with promise
what glorious truths await to be found

PAD Challenge Day #24

Okay, I am really having to play catch-up. The last few days have been something of a blur. Here is my poem for day 24 - the prompt is a travel poem.

leaving

heat radiated from the pavement
sweat trickled down the end of my nose
as I walked down the asphalt road
I felt the rubber at the bottom
of my Vans sink into the blacktop

my back was sticky and wet
the backpack was getting heavy
dragging me down with the
weight of the world
I was leaving behind

a sound caught a current
of the breeze and made me
lift my head to look behind
a car was coming – just a speck
on the horizon – growing

I continued trudging as it rolled
toward me – within very little
time it was upon me and then
just as quickly it was gone on
down the road to wherever I was going

PAD Challenge Day #23

Still playing catch-up after a crazy and hard day. The prompt for yesterday was a poem about regret. Here is my offering:

Looking Back

The gravel crunches
underfoot as onward I go.
Ahead the road is shrouded
in fog and mist – I can’t
see what lies beyond.
Behind me the road lies
twisted and bent,
the sunlight streams
through golden colored
leaves, casting shadows here,
revealing sunny patches there.
Looking back with fondness
on the curving road it is hard
to remember any cold or stormy
nights shivering under ominous
dark branches.
I see only a quiet road
down which, guided
by an unseen hand,
I have walked and known
and laughed and loved.