I've been baaaadddd....

I haven't blogged here in way too long. That's because I've been busy with my 2 other blogs (which I will eventually link here - but later). One's my techie blog, that acts as my purse for all my tech notes that I need for my day job. The other one is my new blog for my new etsy site, and which holds the clue as to why I've been bad here.

To be fair, I did get a huge chunk written on Collie's first book (25,000+ words - she was very chatty), I got editing done on Jess' first book, rewrote the synopsis for A Reluctant Psychic, and added some to Merie's story, so I've been busy.

Also, I have a new obsession which has resulted in a new character popping up, and a possible new series, revolving around an older, talented, gentleman who restores vintage sewing machines. He's in the back of my head telling me "Oh, lookie there, what a nice little machine that could be with just a bit of TLC and elbow grease". Great. Thanks. Just what I need, another vintage sewing machine. Aren't 6 enough? My Kenmore doesn't count yet, it's still in it's teen years.

Here's what I know about "The Scot". He's from the UK, I'm thinking Scotland, but I'm not sure as his accent isn't hugely thick. He's a widow, and I keep picturing him in the NorthEast, but I also see him in the UK, so he may be hopping back and forth. His wife got him into saving old machines, and he continues it as a labor of love for his late wife. She's a cute little thing, about 5'1', masses of red curls, with a touch of grey, fiesty, with a perpetual twinkle in deep blue eyes. He's about 5'10" now, a bit shorter due to age, salt and pepper wavy hair, with dark eyes, and BIG hands from years of mechanical work. Always with a twinkle in his eye and a quick smile, I'm not sure of his name yet either. He makes me smile like Merie makes me smile. He was a whisper in the back of my head when I got this little beauty home and out of it's trapped location inside a bent wood case with a bent lock.

The Scot popped in full force when I decided on a name for this old, neglected beauty that was my grandmother's and is now mine. I've named her Black Betty, and have dubbed her restoration project "The Black Betty Project" at which he let out a musical belly laugh. He's really quite charming.

So please forgive my lapses in posting here, I promise to try to get better at it. I have so much to do, machines to restore, pages to write, an agent to find, and a short story to get ePublished. Oh, and I've learned how to can, make jam and pickles, and next weekend I'm learning how to make and can salsa. It's a very good thing I'm a Gemini...otherwise I'd be a bit freaked out about all the people in my head. :)

Silver Linings

I just got done reading a post from Bronwyn's blog about how she ruined the life of one of her research contacts. Made me laugh, and as usual I found a silver lining in the entire story.

Which is rather funny as last night I just submitted a story to Chicken Soup for the Soul for an upcoming book. It's one on family caregivers, and seeing as how I have lots of experience with that I wrote a story for them on Alzheimer's.

Granted, most people wouldn't find Alzheimer's a "funny" topic. But I'm not most people and I do sport a warped sense of humor. I fully expect to find myself (or more likely someone finding me) running down the street some day with my underwear on my head proclaiming myself the "Queen of Everything". It doesn't make me sad, it makes me laugh, as that scene is a true possibility for me. See, another silver lining! I must get it from my mother, although I'm a cynic there are some topics that just beg me to dig for a sparkle of mirth somewhere.

I just hope I'm as funny as my great-grandmother was and as feisty as my grandmother when it strikes. They both showed true grace and left me with warm memories that make me laugh. Like Grandma dropping the f-bomb and swearing like a sailor. So out of character and yet so hilariously funny! I just hope I remember that when it's my turn.

Writer's Groups ARE Important

In addition to helping you hone your craft, decide between traditional publishing vs. self-publishing vs. epublishing, and whether or not your really need an agent, they can provide you with much needed moral support.

My local group is full of published authors who are great at their craft, and whom are willing to share their knowledge. It's awesome! On top of that, one of them has decided to tackle reading my first book and has told me I definitely have a voice and I'm not as bad at the grammar and mechanical skills as I think I am.

All of this makes me smile, and want to go write. Unfortunately, I'm watching system files copy in my attempt to resurrect an email system for a client at the same time I'm installing virtual servers. The day job pays the bills and is challenging, but one of these summers I'd really like to be able to take a week off, sit by a lake and just write.

I've been baaaddd

Oh dear, a month has gone by with no posts! Shame on me.

I've been busy, still it's no excuse. I hope to hop on this weekend and make a posting about all the stuff I learned at my latest writer's group meeting. For instance, how my first chapter of my first book is completely wrong.

The good news is that I've found a reader - a REAL reader - who will be honest with me about my first book. I hope it's still worth working on. I've been begging for brutally honest feedback for several years now and have yet to receive any. This time though my reader is a fellow writer who is a hoot and a half, that I enjoy immensely.

Hopefully, I haven't lost my few followers!

Writing and Drag Queens

So, what do those two have in common, you may ask. Well, I found a sure fire cure for writer's block (well at least for me).

I entered into my writer's group contest and have to have two books ready to go by September 1st. Just a short 6 weeks away! I was kind of stuck on Collie's story. Then this weekend happened.

Saturday was the 2nd Annual Network Neighborhood Bash in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My writer's group sponsored a booth there this year (at my nudging). We had a blast! It's a bit of Pride coupled with a Street Fair and there is so much energy you can feel the air vibrate.

Pretty young men and women paraded about, some modeling, some just being themselves and owning their beauty. A belly dancing young man treated us to a special scarf dance and then danced with a full troupe of belly dancing women who danced together, had their own solos (one complete with a snake that launched a new story idea), and one did a belly dance to country song! Then there was the Queens and Kings show. Our King was adorable, and the Queen's were fierce. California Queens be warned - Michigan knows how to be F-I-E-R-C-E too. (Yes, I am surprised by that as the area I live in is very homophobic).

So much color, so much fun, and so many interesting people. I met some transgendered women I hadn't met before, some trans people there I already knew that I hadn't seen in a while, and I got to catch up with a lot of friends from the LGBTQ community that I don't see often enough. Interesting conversations with all of them, and no, we don't have the same political views on everything. Which makes the conversations even more fun.

Top that up with a visit from one of the college students I know (although my brain was completely fried by then and I didn't spend enough time enjoying her presence as I should have). I also got to know some of my fellow writer's better and now understand why I was drawn to them in my first timid visit to the group meeting.

All in all, I feel like an energy vampire. I'm still vibrating a bit from all the energy, color and life, and my girls are all chatting up a storm.

Got writer's block? Visit a local LGBTQ summer event and you may find it vanish as you laugh, cheer and simply soak up the colors. It seems to work great for me.

I often surprise myself

There is a short story contest going on for Paranormal Romance that I was considering a submission for. (Romance isn't my genre, but there's one that kind of fits in their category).

I haven't read this particular piece in about a year, and I was astounded that I wrote it. Not because it's that bad, but because it was much better than I remembered and I was surprised by the wording. It's very different from Jess' story lines, so it's a bit odd to me that I even wrote it. I know I have different styles for different characters, but still, I was surprised I had written it. It's a style I'd read, but not one I thought I could actually write. So, yes, I surprised myself, and pleasantly so.

Do other writers do this? Surprise themselves with their own writing? It's kind of like catching yourself in a window after getting into shape and thinking "Is that me?". Happier moment than the one I see more often these days of an larger version of my mother staring back at me in the mirror.

Time flies too fast!

I'm so behind on so many things this summer. First there was the month-long delay in getting my veggies in the ground - more of which is being done this 3-day weekend - and then there's been the 12 to 16 hour work days that have been going on, so I haven't updated my blogs. I'm overwhelmed at best.

I still have to get the list of writer's links added to this blog site, get the tech stuff added to my tech blog (sometimes I wonder why I bother then some techie friend says "hey, your post helped me" and I'm guilted into maintaining it), and change the format here to include additional pages.

Plus I need to find an editor for the short story from Collie's life submitted into a Paranormal Romanace genre contest just to see how it does. Plus Jess has been bugging me to work on the real-life book of my grandparent's lives, plus get her 2nd book wrapped up and 3rd book started. Oh yeah, and where-oh-where can I find an editor?

Remember those old sexist commercials by Calgon? I feel like I'm stuck in a "Calgon, take me away!" loop lately. Maybe a Jack & Pepsi will do the trick instead.