Thursday, July 31, 2014

Alibis and Other Misnomers

I didn't do it!

Who knows for sure? Do you have an alibi? I sure don't unless you count sleeping a room full of cats. I bet the judge would not allow their testimony in court, now would s/he?

I was thinking of a scene for one of my novels and how I would react to a certain situation. Would I be hurt? Defensive? Offensive? How many four letter words would I use in that moment?

Okay, lots... but what would my character do?

When writing from a character's point of view sometimes it is difficult to cut yourself loose from that moment with them. You have created your own little alibi. I was with my character at the time. 

But isn't that the fun of writing?

Have a great and wonderful day!

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Budgets, Budgets, Budgets

It seems that every week I am going over my budget.

What did I buy? What did I pay? What has gone through? What hasn't?

Sometimes I just want to throw my ledger out, but then I realize that after all that is said and done I have a few bucks at the end of the month. I can't do anything with a few dollars unless I add it to whatever I have left for next month.

So then I'll have two bucks! hahaha!!!

Writing is a lot like my budget. You put in some more; you take out some more. You have to find a balance or you end up with a bankrupt story. 

Now back to dreaming about what I can do with my stash.

Have a great and wonderful day.

Monday, July 28, 2014

A Little Inspiration

Sometimes when I need to feel something, I turn to my DVD collection.

Want to be in love? Watch Kate and Leopold. Want to feel scared? Watch The First Power. If you want to be motivated as an action hero, then Witchblade should be on tap.

I used to love watching that show. Of course I refuse to watch the second season. The show went from a web of teasers and subplots to episodic nonsense. I wish someone would do as good as version here soon. I need my feminine action hero fix. Rizzoli and Isles just don't cut it for me. 

Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 rocked the slick chick with a chip vibe.

Anyway, when you need a mood for yourself or a character you are writing, being in someone else's universe can be positive. Even music can be a mood enhancer, I know I have some favorites in the CD player.

So a little inspiration can go a long way. Just remember not to get so caught up in the external that the internal creative drive suffers. It's easy to be sucked in by Hollywood.

Now back to Witchblade. 

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Stormy Nights and Restless Mornings

How I love the sound of thunder and rain. 

Mostly rain. We need a few good deluges where I live. The desert seeks to rekindle life during its yearly monsoon season. 

How I love to watch the fire of lightning, hear the crackle of thunder, and dance in the perceptional. Poems are written on such occasions. I write many myself.

I have lived in the midwest and west coast. I have visited the east coast. Nothing is more energetic and mysterious as the desert monsoon season.

You never know what you are going to get.

Writing is like that. Some days, a writer can write up a storm. Other days: a drought manifests. In the end, writing a good story is what counts.

Ah, the thunder comes again.

I wonder what Mother Nature writes with each passing rain shower.

Have a great and wonderful day!

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Shut the Door

116F 

Should I say more? I'm not going outside unless I have to. I could die of heat stroke just walking out my front door at 9am.

Welcome to the desert in late July.

Most people I encounter online ask why I live in the hottest region of the United States besides Death Valley. I list the facts: there are no tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, blizzards, or other potential natural disasters apart from some monsoon action. 

I don't have to run to a basement or tuck myself into a bathtub. I lived in the midwest and western coastal region. Phoenix may be unbearable for about 90 days a year but at least if all else fails, I can go to the local grocery store and hang out until the sun goes down. 

It's not perfect but at least I am not afraid. 

Plus it is the perfect weather to write. I'm not going outside. I'm not jogging or walking or exercising of any kind. Nada.

I have a plan and that is to write 2K to 5K words a day. 

A person I know said one paragraph a day and you can write a book in a year. I'm too OCD for that. I like writing, then I stop for a while, and then I begin again at a furious rate. 

So it's time to do a little pacing of my writing habits. 

It's better than pacing in the heat!

Have a great time writing this summer.


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

So It Begins

It's funny.

When you are working on fleshing out one of your stories, you start to cheer for every page and/or 1000 words you can add.

Of course my cats don't care. They hang out in the room with me. Some sleep on the floor. Some sleep on the dresser. The brave ones sleep on the bed while I type.

Brave because I am in and out, up and down. I must refill my glass. I must get a munchie. I need a break. Sometimes I go just to pet and tease a cat! 

Now that it is 111+ here in Phoenix, I keep the house cool in the back part. The front part gets most of the sun so I close the accordion door on the hallway I had put up a few years ago and chill out in my room.

I am laid up in bed anyway, I might as well take advantage. 

Oh, you don't know about accordion doors? Shop online at Lowes or Home Depot. Then have a handy man place one at the end of your hall. The door helps keep the heat or the a/c in the bedrooms and not where it's not needed during the day or night. 

I am so glad I put one up.

Now for solar...

Have a great and wonderful day!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

And That's the Word

When I edit works, other people's or my own, I am always looking for that perfect word.

Merriam Webster online really gets a workout when I am searching for words. Do I mean this or that? Is it spelt correctly? What's in the Thesaurus that might sound better?

And God forbid me to use the same descriptive word twice. 

I have got to find words that I can use without misuse and overuse. Bored readers are not what I want. I want people to enjoy as well as understand the pieces.

A tall order to say the least but that's what writing is. It's not just grammar and spell check. Writing is about conveying several ideas at once in a clear, concise, and albeit fun manner. 

Because who doesn't want to have fun?

The only secret to writing is making it look easy.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Novella, Where Art Thou Novel?

So you wrote a novella you want to make into a novel.

60,000 more words and you have it made! Yeah, right. Sounds like a few thousand bags of chips and blocking out reruns on the television for the next two months. 

But you wanted to be a writer... didn't you?

Shoulda, woulda, coulda. My other job qualification these days is disabled, allergic to the world person. So writer should do. That title sounds better than I just spent the last four to five days in bed with a recurrent migraine and several ice packs.

I wonder if I gave my ice packs names, if I could count them as dates? Anyone?

Joking aside, I feel the need for a legal pad and a number two pencil. I wish I could do the whole highlighter and print out thing but I'm pretty much allergic to the printer, its ink, and some types of new paper. Hell, all my books are ebooks now.

So much for the smelly part of learning through musty, dirty books.

Let the horrification begin!

So that was my day after looking up word counts.

Hope yours was better!

Word Count

I was perusing the internet about word count.

Talk about confusing, every genre has its own definition of what a novel's word count should be plus no one wants to see a first time author write more than 100,000 words. 

Please, I have some novels way past the 100K mark. Of course those stories are trilogies and such.

I guess it's back to the grind for me.

Happy writing!

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Birthdays, Attitudes, Chores and Wishes Galore!

I love when a migraine lasts for days.

Sometimes when things seem to go awry, other things fall into place. Interesting concept but it happened today. It's my birthday so good news should happen.

A little over four decades and I have survived more than my share. Actually, I'm giving away my share if anyone wants the bad stuff. I'm only into the good stuff now.

So I went to the store, got my bday dinner, and came home. I found a cab driver who doesn't use toxic chemicals and air fresheners so I am going to employ her this week. It is tough to find a cab that isn't so heavily scented.

As for me, I did my customary gambling. Once near my birthday and once by New Year's. I spent five dollars and won two back. Funny, funny, funny.  I never get that kind of return playing the lottery. I may stick with cheap scratcher's tickets from now on.

So on this bday post of mine, I am glad to be getting some things accomplished this week so I can get down and dirty with my actual chores next week.  Lots to do.  People who need their attitudes checked and paperwork to be sent off are all on my to do list. 

I love people who believe that because I am disabled means that I am mentally handicapped and therefore deserve to be bullied or my favorite: talked down to. I am ill. Sick does not mean stupid. 

Some people. 

I guess their karma is going to find them some day. Well, I can only hope. I want to get beyond karma and investigate the reality of our reality. 

Isn't that funny or what?

Have a great and wonderful day, I know I am!

Monday, July 14, 2014

Life is Full of Suprises

I was searching the internet not to long ago and discovered I had been published in another book.

Hahahaha! It is now listed in the Bibliography section of the Press Paquet.  Three Line Poetry Issue #7 is the magazine/chapbook and it is on Amazon just like the other poetry book I was published in. It's funny how submitting for publication works!

That gem was the highlight of my day. Quite a discovery. I guess I better submit more poetry to publishers and see what gets accepted. 

Writing is always exciting, isn't it?

Have a great and wonderful day.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

A New Life; A New Path

I love my Rune set.

Runes are a great way to figure out where you are on your spiritual journey. I started this blog/website to begin anew. That is what the Runes told me. 

I am to begin a new path.

That is what I like about spiritual divination. I'm not looking for winning lottery numbers, even though that would be nice; I'm seeking knowledge. Knowledge of myself, my path, and the universe.

The Rune I pulled is of completion. My old life, old ways of doing things have come to an end. That is why I have a few projects to do as my priority. Books I need to edit and send out into the publishing world, personal business, and medical issues.

All have culminated into the now.

But I also must ground myself and meditate. Free from external and negative influences, I will prevail.

Positive energy, humor are my guides now. I wonder if the universe means I should watch more Jeff Dunham or Lewis Black? Hmm...

Have a great and wonderful day!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

More Creativity On The Way

I am going to take some time and research the likes of lulu, amazon, create a space, and cafepress.

It has been a while since I have ventured out onto the internet looking at what can and cannot be done. What can be bought and sold. Hell, I might even look into ebay.

Keep your fingers crossed. 

I might be adding to my Store links very soon! 

Have a great and wonderful day.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Another Day, Another Dollar

I wish I had a dollar!

Today was quiet. I had to stay inside because a neighbor had their weeds sprayed. I wish people would stop using pesticides. Those chemicals are toxic and not good for anything.

Remember if you can't ingest it, why are you using it?

There are far better, easier, safer, and cheaper ways to kill weeds and insects than industrial strength poisons. 

Beyond the ritual toxicity of life, I have been really uploading writing projects of mine this week. I hope I find more in my archives to post. It is always exciting to discover a piece of writing you had forgotten about. Plus I have hidden an Easter Egg on the site. That will be a place for little treasures for my readers.

You never know when a coupon code may just pop up there for something I am selling like a book, art piece, or a design of mine.

I'm just sneaky that way. 

This weekend I will be piling on more of my archives and maybe I'll find something to post on lulu.com or Amazon.  It's not like I am hurting for words.

Have a safe weekend!


The Reading Room

On the left, the menu section has a new item: The Reading Room.

Instead of traipsing all over the blog/website for poetry and writing samples, there is a place where these creations will be listed and linked to. The area is empty but not for long. I try and write something every day. 

Well I better get back to placing more content on Undawnted. While you are perusing, check out my new Facebook and Authorsden pages!

Have a great and wonderful day!

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Poetry Content Upload Complete

I hope you all have enjoyed the poetry and writing samples. 

Still more writing to come as I have essays, drabbles, and short stories to find and upload. If you want to read all the poems I have published on Undawnted, then click the Nonfiction tab. Chapbooks are listed, click that link and below will be all the poems after the chapbooks that will be published soon. 

It's been a busy day and I am tired. 

See you tomorrow!

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Blood Oath; Blood War Debut

In the past I have written many stories, but none so experimental as Blood War

Crime drama, family story, comedy, and horror all rolled into one piece. I like taking an established genre and mixing in other elements. That is how Blood War began.

I have placed the story on a writer's forum for critiques. The positive feedback I received was amazing. I never knew readers were so hungry for new. 

Over time, I have edited, added, and polished the story to fit within the definition of a horror novel. The additions have created a better story that I named: Blood Oath; Blood War. I cannot wait to publish this emotive and provocative story.

To read more about this novel and my other writings, please go to the Fiction page.

I hope to publish the book this coming October 1st.

*****
Blood Oath; Blood War is: In the Name of Blood find the novel in the Long Fiction section.

Critical Acclaim, Future with a Hint of Hope

I have been going through my writings and I have discovered many positive critiques to my writing. 

That feels so good. Now I have to revise and edit so I can get my writings published. It will feel good again to be apart of the world. 

I do have some chapbooks full of poetry I can publish. Then the fiction stories are next. I have so much writing to go through and edit that reading over more of my writing will take a few more months. See I was doing something will I wasn't posting. 

That and I was ill. Chronic illness, the one thing that I can truly count on. ;) 

So have a happy hump day and keep coming back as I keep updating and publishing more of my original works.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

New Look; New Outlook

I wanted to design a blog/website that was more like me: cutting edge and creative.

With brain inflammation/injury, sometimes accessing that part of the mind is a challenge. Lately, I seem to have found it again. I like being creative.

I hope you enjoy the art and writing too.

Insights are us? Maybe not yet, but it will come.

Run. ;)

Have a great and wonderful day.

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