Friday, October 26, 2012

WANTED! Missing Muse

Titan tries to help.
At the FWA conference last weekend I sat in on a session titled, Finding Your Voice, with literary agent Nicole Resciniti and author Amanda Carlson. Both ladies were friendly, inspiring, generous speakers. Throughout the presentation Amanda repeatedly said to keep writing, keep trying. When something doesn’t work, scrap it, you can do better. “You can do better.”

It’s been one of those weeks. I put in the time. You know, butt in the chair. But I couldn’t get the ideas onto the screen let alone, reduce them to tight, meaningful sentences. My head felt like an over-inflated helium balloon.

Finally, I resorted to sitting on the floor with a drawing pad and rainbow markers. There, I wrote anything and everything that came to mind. Ten scribbled pages later I was still clueless as to how to write the paragraph I was struggling with.

Even though it was dinner time, I debated cleaning the shower. I’m not sure if it’s the mindless chore that spurs inspiration or being in a confined space with strong chemicals. Anyway, the shower had already been cleaned earlier in the week and the kids were hungry, so I cooked instead.
Tyke thinks we should sleep on it.
In the middle of the night the ideal phrase, the perfect words, woke me up. They fluttered across my mind as lightly as a butterfly. They were so simple and familiar they seemed to have been there all along.

I’m happy to say the paragraph is written and best of all, it’s really sharp. It was a tedious effort but Amanda was right. I can do better.

You can too!




On the lighter side.  
Salads get a bad wrap! Get creative with your salads. They can be satisfying culinary delights. Here’s one of my recent weird-o salads. Give it a try, it’s delicious. 

Ingredients:
Chopped cucumber
Canned garbanzo beans 
Cubed ham
Diced onion
Cherry tomatoes
Crumbled Feta
Fresh chopped cilantro
Italian salad dressing
Combine ingredients. Toss. Chill. Share.

Enjoy!
Lisa

Saturday, October 20, 2012

On the Road

Wow! Am I enjoying all the motivating sessions and super friendly people here at the Florida Writers Association Annual Conference in Orlando. Can't wait to get back home and use these helpful nuggets in my manuscript.

Write on!
Lisa

Friday, October 12, 2012

Victim of auto-correct!

 Yesterday, while riding in the passenger seat of my car, I hammered out an email on my phone. My permit-carrying 15 year-old daughter was driving. Her new boyfriend was in the back seat. Somehow, HE was in control of the music, the volume and the play list. What they called so cool, I called scream-o DEVIL music. Needless to say I was a little distracted but still tried tapping the email to my critique group. I wanted to let them know that I was having trouble with a chapter in my novel and wouldn’t be submitting anything for this weeks meeting. Before hitting the send button, I realized the phone auto-corrected my message. I quickly deleted it and wrote a generic, “No submission this week,” for the sake of giving the ladies adequate notice.  

The hurried original message read: I won't be submitting this week. This chapter is licking my butt.

Hope you get as big a laugh out of it as I did.

Life’s little pleasures.  

  • Morning temperatures under 60 degrees
  • Sleeping puppies
  • Jessie’s hugs
  • Niki’s laugh
  • Good friends
  • Unconditional love  <3

Find this spooky pattern and other holiday treats in FireWorks
now available at your art glass supplier.

Cinderella
Proof that shoes can change your life.

Make it a great day!
Lisa