Lions and Bigfoots and Bears..... Oh My

No, this isn't some kind of strange Wizard of Oz.

Today my husband, son and I decided to go tramping in the woods. They wanted to go hunting and I brought along the metal detector because there are several cellar holes in the woods around my father in laws house.

Okay, when I first moved to New Hampshire when I was 11 we lived on 12 acres of woods. I was in heaven. I spent more time playing out in the woods than anything else, until I got my horse). I wasn't afraid of anything out there and never saw anything out there that would make me worry about my safety. I loooooved the woods.

I don't know when it happened. Maybe it was right around the time I saw the mountain lion trotting across the road. I started getting a bit nervous about what lurked in the woods. Then of course I hear about the stories of black bears in the yard, coyotes, fisher cats, bobcats and of course.... the dreaded mountain lion.

It didn't help that last night I watched a show on bigfoot.

So, there we are, walking in the woods. The guys have their guns.... full of bird shot, which would do no more than annoy an attacking animal. I considered the metal detector as a weapon, or maybe the little forked thingie that I was carrying to dig in the dirt. Would that be a good weapon? Yeah... riiiiight.

And then, as we left the road we were on (4-wheeler path is more like it), I started thinking of the Blair Witch Project. Oh man!! Would I ever enjoy a walk in the woods again??????

Then we found a cellar hole, right out there in the middle of the woods. Got the metal detector going, started digging, finding broken china, the metal lid to something, a latch for somethingoruther, nails and bunches of broken bricks. Thoughts of bear, lions, bigfoot and witches went right out the window. I started remembering how my friends and I had done this when we were young and found about 100 clay marbles (which I sold for about 75.00) and how I used to want to be an archaeologist growing up. I thought about the people who used to live there, when there was a house where now there was just an overgrown pile of rocks, bricks, rusted cans and broken china. What had happened to the house? Why did they leave the china behind? Where did they go after leaving that home. What kind of people were they?

We walked on, found a spot, a cave of sorts, that the town, long ago, used to store dead bodies before burial. Pretty freaky. And we found another cellar hole on the walk home.

I remembered how much I loved walking out in the woods, looking for things to discover. We talked about coming back out, starting early in the morning, spending more time investigating and looking for more goodies.

And next time we'll at least carry something with a little more power than birdshot.

Jumping From One WIP To Another

Well, this morning before I dragged myself out of bed (actually stayed in bed til nearly 8am) I thought of a short story I'd written a while ago and wondered if it would be suited for a certain line. When I got up I checked the writing guidelines and then realized that I have another wip in progress (put down a while ago) that would work for another of their lines.

Whats a poor writer to do! I have the current one I'm working on (got 6 pages handwritten while waiting on laundry this afternoon). I really want to continue it, but I only have a little over a month left before Nano starts and I have to put it aside anyway. So I could either get what I can done on it during that time, or pick up one of these short stories and possibly finish and submit it within that time.

What to do what to do. I hate going from one wip to another (though I do it all the time). I want to get one done then start on another.... nice and neat and orderly.

Chya... as if.

Putting Me Out Of My Misery

This morning I took a few to check my email before work (something I don't do so often anymore) and what should be waiting for me but an email from "My" editor (well the editor I'm working with on Sweet Forever).

Finally, after nearly 3 months (which is normal I guess, but still tends to drag) I don't have to wait for an answer on whether or not she wants Where One Road Leads.

She likey!!!!!

So she sent me a contract along with her email. Oh yeah Oh yeah Uh-huh Uh-huh!

I'm so psyched!

My mother and sister brought over a bottle of champagne this afternoon (along with a carton of OJ because Jim prefers mimosas)

I'm pretty proud that this was my Nano project from last year. Puts the pressure on for this year, though. but thats okay. I've got my game on and I know what I'm going to write so I'm all set for this November BRING IT ON!! Because at the moment I have nothing else to offer an editor.

Got to stop my muse from her little football touchdown dance and get back to my current wip.

The Case Of The Disappearing Muse

Subtitled-Muses Gone Wild

Yesterday when I was at work my muse was crazy busy filling me with ideas for my current wip (well, I'm only really at the plotting stages right now). Couldn't get her off my shoulder. This is a good thing, to a point. I can't just stop what I'm doing at work to write down my thoughts except at my designated break time.

I was hoping that she'd be just as full of good ideas today as she was yesterday, but she's not around. Hello! Here Musey Musey Musey!!!

So, why do muses disappear just when you need them the most? She's as fickle as I am apparently, but I don't like my creativity being toyed with.

And now my daughter is setting up the table so she and I can do crafts and puzzles. I need more hours in the day cuz i need to do laundry, make banana bread, make lunch and I'd hope, find my missing muse.

Inspiration

There seems to be a bunch of it lately, especially on some of the new tv shows coming out. I'm talking about the relationships between the hero and heroine (or main male/female characters). Yeh, I watch too much tv, but I have my favorite shows that I have to watch. I don't watch tv when there's nothing on. There are 3 new shows that I'm drawing on, Eureka, Three Moons Over Milford and Men In Trees. Each of these have a couple who aren't together but you know that they want to be. Oh, and the Office too (Jim and Pam). The best part of the whole thing is the tension between them. You're cheering them on because you want them to be together, but you know that once that happens the show will lose something.

There's been a lot of talk on this relating to writing. I've been questioning some of my wips where the heroine and hero get too hot and heavy too soon. Its expected from a lot of the lines that I aim for. Well, I don't want to anymore. Its the tension that I want to build on. Okay, if they have sex in the last 3rd of the book so be it, but by chapter 2? No, lets not go there.

So, now that I'm figuring this out I have to apply it. So what if people want erotica. I don't want to write it.

So there.

Now I have to have some more inspiration.

So What Am I Doing?

Something I never expected I'd do and am actually quite amazed and a little bewildered.

I've been thinking that my muse has jumped ship, been traded to a better team, went to find herself...whatever. She hasn't been spending much time with me. Not like I'm demanding (yet... but just wait til November). So I did a writing exercise and I really really like it! The only problem is that if I continue on with it its going to be some kind of suspense type books which I just don't do. Talk about venturing far far far out of my comfort zone (finding my muse along the way).

I can go two ways with this one. Make it a basic suspense or add a little extra and make it a sci fi suspense.. maybe a little time travel.

So (less than 2 months before Nano) I need to sit down with a notebook and figure out just what type of insanity I'm suffering from to make me even want to take on something like this.

If I didn't like the exercise I did so much I'd never even consider something like this.

I'm definitely certifiable.

BTW Eureka fans, what did you think of the show last night? I felt bad for Jack in the end. He's such a hottie. I can't believe he's so young! Just slightly older than my DH, who is a heck of a lot younger than me.

Okay, back to work. I've got me some plotting to do. AND I PROMISE THAT IN THE HEIGHT OF DANGER MY HEROINE WON'T GET THE URGE TO JUMP THE HERO. On the contrary, I may not even "go there" in this book. But I promise lots of that good tension.

If this wip gets off the ground. :)

Falling In and Out of Love

Maybe its just me. I love that moment, your eyes find each other across the room, you meet, that starry eyed googly feeling begins somewhere between your heart and the pit of your stomach. After getting to know each other a bit the first stirring of love begins. You have wonderful plans for the future, the possibilities are endless and you have that golden glow of love all around you.

Then as time progresses things don't seem as rosy and lovey dovey as they did in the beginning. Things slowly begin to get dull and you spend less and less time together. You may even start thinking of others. It gets harder and harder to come up with reasons why you should stay in this relationship. Sure, you remember what brought you there, have fond memories of that first moment, and the few moments after that held you in the arms of romance, but you just can't recapture them, no matter how hard you try. Finally, you just can't pretend anymore. You have to let them go. Its bitterweet, but it must be done. After all, you know that you'll fall in love again. Maybe next time it'll last. Someday you're bound to meet the right one. It has to happen.

I've been looking back at all the wips I have in my folders, those wonderful awesome stories that I thought were "The One" but who fizzled out of me prematurely. Poor Eli and Isobel, Mac and Iona, Lydia and Kyle. Maybe Juliana and Aidan will suffer the same fate. Or maybe, just maybe I'll be able to reclaim the fire that each of these stories lit in me once upon a time. I'd hate to think that they're gone, never to return.

But I have to look forward, to the new love that may be waiting just around the corner.

Swingin To And Fro

Well, just when I get settled into a wip I get ideas on another one and I go back to that one while the thoughts are fresh. The one I'm "on" now is the one that is on my "Most Wanted To Write" list, right up there at #1. But its a huge undertaking, a fantasy.

So, do I stick with that one, or the one that I was revising before? And come November I'm going to have to put both aside for my Nano project.

Oh, what to do what to do...

Its such a beautiful day here in SW New Hampshire. And I'm stuck in the office all day. Not fair. tomorrow I have to pack up my #2 daughter for her trip to Maine. I have to write a bunch of letters for her. Okay, have to do these in advance because if I mail them they probably wouldnt' reach her in time.

But my lunch break is over and I have too much to do. So its time to quit playing and get back to the grindstone. Or something like that.

Will It Never End?

I'm already getting tired of being on the run. I don't think I've spent an afternoon/evening at home without having to run out to do school/shopping/errands or some other activity in about 2 weeks. It doesn't bode well for my writing when I can't settle into a good flow. I know that it'll settle down eventually. Last night it was the middle school open house, tonite its dinner with my mom. Tomorrow? I'll be driving all over southern NH, dropping my oldest off with her stepmom and then heading to the other half of the state to pick up my stepmother (don't get me started, but it would be so nice to have them meet us half way, but noooo, that never happens). I don't see myself home until probably nearly 7pm. Saturday have to work all day, Sunday its a trip to Sams Club then have to do the pick up/drop off once more

Whats the outlook for Monday? Actually pretty good. Daughter #2 will be off for environmental camp. It may actually be quiet. *knock on wood*

Because I really need to get going on my writing. Oh, and house cleaning. *sigh*

I know...

its only early September but I'm already thinking about what the heck I'm going to do for Nano this year. I have an idea, a sequel to Finally Home (to be released by Whiskey Creek Press next year). So I have just under 2 months to plot it out. It is fair to plot things out, right? Just can't start the actual writing, right? I guess that would be better than waiting til the last minute to figure out what I want to write, even though it worked out great for last years Nano.

Sad day with the loss of Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin. He'll be missed. So much life but at least he died doing what he loved.

I haven't been doing much writing lately, too much going on, getting kids settled in school and activities, relocating myself at work (now I'm in the boonies and I'm feeling like the Maytag repairman). Maybe this week will be calmer. Can always hope.

Time to do more dishes. Seem to have a lot more dirty dishes lately. I hate that.