It was a busy weekend going to two bookstores. Event#1 was awesome - sold out of books and had a generally awesome time.

Event #2 resulted in 3 books sold.... I was at the back of the store and very few educators came. But, I met some nice people, bought a Jay Asher book, and finished my hydrocarbon poem.

Somedays you plant the seed, and others days you sow.... but you always go to work.

Tags: b&n, moose
Current Mood: indescribable

Poetry is hard and just takes alot of practise, practise, practise.

Yesterday I hand wrote 50 poems I liked to to get a feel of the rhythm. From the exercise, I got one good poems to use in my next book.

But, I like the exercise, and I just wanted to continued the sextuplet pattern all day. In my head it sounds like a thump-thump of a flat tire, except happier.

And this is why I will never teach poetry....

Current Mood: creative

I've finished a revision, and now working on a PB that is requested after my lovely agent pitched the project to an editor I admire and who's books I love.

But, I'm having trouble ~~~ it's just not flowing. I feel like I have a flat tire.

Now, I'm stuck in a cafe for a few hours, trying to figure out what to write. Don't you hate when you crave out time to do something and it's Just Not Working.

blarghhhhhh!

Current Location: La Madeline
Current Mood: disappointed
Current Music: muszak

I spent a few days trying to tie up this dilemma with my WIP. Mr Dodd was hanging out there, but I couldn't figure out what he would do when Mercedes asked to retake a test.

So I asked DH - his answer is too logical. "Teachers are supposed to wanna help. So he should help her."

But, this is fictional. He needs incentive and a reason.

So... what would a male teacher want? Respect.

What do men want? Sex and food. Well, Mr Dodd isn't getting sex in my book, but I did give him a love interest, and I threw in a sandwich just to make sure all knots close up.

Only a little more to go... I'm losing steam, but the end of the book is near, and submission by week end.

Current Mood: indifferent

Okay, I have a mean teacher in my current WIP - Mr. Dodd. He teaches trig.

Now of course, my character hasn't done her homework on time, but now she is caught up and just asking for a bit of mercy. She brings him lunch from his favorite place and apologizes for not respecting his

Here is my thing. Should he say yes or no?

If yes - what does he want in return (nothing sexual... just something a teacher would want from a high schooler)

If no - what will she do.

Any ideas?

My Dallas girls, Julie and Sally, give me the best inspiration.

I was having trouble creating lies for my character... probably because I'm just to close to her and I know how to hates to do it.

But Julie and Sally just have a hey-day.

Best lie from critique group yesterday for my character Mercedes.

I chewed my lip, trying to think of something innocuous to say. "My clothes came from a party given to me by my uncles co-workers."
Becca nearly spit her food out, "You mean the hookers threw you a shower?"
Mercedes turned red. "We prefer to call them performance artists."


Thank you ACORN! I would have never thought that one up on my own.

Current Mood: mischievous

The revision of THINGS THAT DON'T TRANSLATE WELL is within 15 pages of completion of The Big Revision.

It's been fun, almost addictive to get back to the characters, who are now deeper and much more distinctive. Before I began, I had too large of a cast and couldn't keep people straight. Now, everyone has their own quirks, habits and ways of standing out.

Only problem with this revision has been sitting for 6-7 hours a day. My back is a mess and I need more exercise in between.

Except when the characters are talking, I can't just get up and leave.

Current Mood: chipper

So yesterday, a friend's husband got part of his cancer diagnosis. Stage 3 skin cancer (the really yucky, spread to all of your organs kind). He's 32.

I only knew he was going into surgery last week because friend told me out of desperation to tell someone. Her hubbie didn't want people making the cancer face at him.

I brought over a large bottle of wine and a bag of Cheetos. I told him I was making the Cheeto face, and we all laughed a bit as every line ended in "because I have cancer."

But I'm scared for him. He's 32. They have been married five years. Their baby is less than one year old.

What will today's surgery show? Percentages aren't good, but he seems fine... now.

Got me thinking about angels again. What would they do for his cancer... and do Cheetos cure anything?

Current Mood: hopeful

I am revising my WIP, Things that don't translate well. It was hard to get started, but now, I'm just buzzing along.

I love when my characters chat with me and tell me MORE about their lives... even if it doesn't make it onto the paper. Since beginning the revision, I've added close to 7000 words, but that is okay, because I am a sparse and sloppy writer the first, second and third time around. Perhaps I will get better with more experience in ten or twenty years. I'll probably be just about ready a few years from death when I'm too tired to write anymore.

Also, I heard an interesting radio program on NPR last night. "A Case for God". I'll have to do more research on it, but I liked how she described God as a being beyond description. She looks at world religions from a historical point of view. She described how in 10 BC India, priests had contests trying to describe Bramhim (sp?) in a poetic fashion. The priest who reduced everyone to silence was the winner as God was found in the silence. Cool huh?

I wonder where my angels play into all of this.

Back to the coal mine.

Tags: angels, telenovela
Current Mood: energetic

I've been thinking about angels. Who are they, what do they do, what do they want to do.

I know what the major religions say - almost all world religions believe in a type of angel, whatever they want to call it. Only Mormons and the Baha'i believe angels were previously people.

I think someone new might be speaking in my head. Maybe someone who wants to tell me a story. No wings, seems cliche. They don't have a message, they are looking for one.

Hmmmmmm.

Tags: angel
Current Location: at the desk
Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: the sound of allen playing