Flora Doone

Monday Ramble

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:24:23 GMT

I've got a house filled with people...all nice, but nowhere to go. My writing room is a guest room this week, the office is a guest room, the guest room is a guest room... Little M complains that her loo is a mess! I explain that five people are sharing that one bathroom. She asks why they don't want to use the other two. I have no answers but sure am glad it's not my loo that is a mess!

Cooking for nine is insane. I'm doing it, but it's insane.

Saw Marley & Me last night...laughed, cried, passed tissues to some little boy sitting next to me. His mom dropped him in the only open seat and went to sit somewhere else. I swear, when that kid was crying I wanted to hug him, only I thought that might be inappropriate being he was someone else's kid, but his sniffles were making me sob even more. Kind of fun watching bits of the movie though. Some of the scenes were shot at the Sun-Sentinel, where I work, only it looked a lot more glamorous in the movies. Gotta say, I'm not a huge dog person but that movie stole my heart. And what's all this Jen talk...what about Owen? He's the one that needs the boost, not Jen! It's all about Jen vs. Brad at the box office, but really, it's all about Owen Wilson. I love Owen Wilson. I love his brother, Luke, too!

I planned on finishing up my last twenty pages by 2009. I haven't even touched those last twenty pages. Twenty! That's not too much...I can do it...but when? At work? Shall I write at work? Not an option. Longhand? I don't think I can do it! I neeeeeeed my little writing space.

Okay, have a great idea for a musical. Now I'm really getting ahead of myself, but I'm sure it would be a SRO hit! I had the idea a while ago but it keeps leaping into my head and each time it comes to me with another idea, twist, turn, musical number. I think I'm possessed. Too much egg nog. No, actually, it's latkes in my house and that oil can really clog your brain.

The new year is coming and along with it the pressure of having fun on the last night of 2008. Pressure! I've decided to have the guests each prepare one thing they would like to eat...one finger food...and that's dinner! A martooni or three will lighten the mood, or maybe a Mojito...I love a Mojito with lots of mint.

It's my brother's birthday today.

My husband is going to cover the outdoor hockey game in Chicago where it will be 40 below. Right at this very minute he is seeking out ski stores. Tough to do in south Florida, but I found him one in Delray Beach. He's there now buying thermal socks. I'd buy more than socks. I once had a friend tell me that on a trip to Russia, she stuffed socks in her bra to keep warm. Who knew socks had more uses other than sock puppets.

You have to check out this wrap up of 2008. It's hysterical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWiXy55OHyY

Well my LJ friends, have a very happy new year!

Feeling Groovy!

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:38:32 GMT

Once in a while I need a dose of grooviness -- kind of takes me back to a different time in my life when I wasn't a PTA mom, a sandwich generation daughter, and a responsible (ack!) adult.

I'm at this "meet the parents" gathering on Friday night for my daughter's school. It's a charter school for the arts and we're gathered at someones home. Kids who volunteered are serving aps while the dads are pouring the drinks. From across the patio I spied a bottle of Rain vodka. Okay, it called to me, but either way, I wanted some! This one particular dad pouring the vodka sported an earring along with a dash of coolness. (I myself used to sport the same dash of coolness.) Anyway, the exchange goes something like this:

Me: I'll take a cup of Rain.
Volunteer Dad: A box of rain?
Me: Oh, former dead head?
VD: Yeah, I used to tour with the Dead.
Me: Gosh, I remember one concert I worked. I was this close to Bob Weir. That's when I worked at the Palladium -- when it was a concert hall
VD: Oh yeah? I ran the VIP room at the Ritz
Me: SHUT UP! I ran the VIP room at the Ritz!
VD: Huh?
Me: In the eighties. You?
VD: Yeah, after they moved it to the old Studio 54
Me: So...you know my life!

Then I proceeded to hover at the vodka table all because I felt validated in my grooviness and who could ever imagine meeting someone (in Boca Raton no less) who did this most unusual (but really cool) job!

The next night I went to a party, sans husband, that some old friends threw. Friends that I haven't seen in over a decade. Let me just say the apartment was beyond cool with every inch of wall and space covered with art, found objects, sculptures, paintings, odd montages and other unusual artifacts. A clip board was given to each guest with around 30 names of artists separated by categories like ceramics, paintings, drawings, photography, etc. Several of the works of art around this mecca of coolness were numbered. So, while sipping champagne and sampling tasty morsels of food, one walked around the apartment examining and guessing (unless of course there was a signature which I will not deem as cheating) the artist. I myself used the male/female method when I was really not sure -- and for the most part it worked! In this situation you were forced to converse with people, pick out the artist if they were present and try to scope out their conversation and find their particular piece. I felt so at peace and so in my element...

I had my does of grooviness which by Sunday manifested itself into the joy of writing and added several pages to my WIP.

Ba, da, da, da, da, da, da...feelin' groovy!

My Friday five!

Sat, 10 May 2008 03:07:52 GMT

1. I registered for the scbwi LA conference! Thanks to the peer pressure of Tamarak and Cynthea... thank you very much. I almost, almost I say, didn't go this year. How could I possibly skip a year when I know just how much fun I'm going to have? See ya'all there!
2. I placed as a finalist in the South Florida Writers' Network for the second year in a row! Short story, not kid stuff. Last year I took first place. It was an unbelievable feeling. I'll find out on May 21 how I did this year. Truth be told, I'm happy to be in the running!
3. Darling daughter performs tomorrow in a Broadway revue (and for the next 3 Saturdays. I caught a glimpse of her rehearsal and walked in just as she was doing a song from Wicked. Tears welled up, I had chills, as my grandma would say, I was kvelling! And if I may kvell some more, I should shout REALLY LOUD that darling daughter made it into a school of the arts for middle school next Fall. She placed among the top 20% and will be studying theater for the next three years. If I tell you how cool this school is... well, I wanna go there. It's amazing!
4. I signed up for the Orlando scbwi summer workshop where I will fortunately be spending a day in a Humor track with none other than...Debbie Garfinkle! Does it get any funnier?
5. It's the weekend! Hallelujah!

If I may add a 6th... Last night was a cool triple book signing for Summer Reads at Borders in Boca Raton where Gaby Triana (The Temptress Four), Debbie Fischer (Braless in Wonderland) and Dorian Cirrone (Prom Kings and Drama Queens) read from their novels, captured the audience, signed books and kicked off summer reading with panache! By the way, all fellow Chudneyites... Can I get a seat at that table PLEASE :)

Random mind babble...

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:06:16 GMT

I'm glad I don't make resolutions. For one, if I did make resolutions it would be to write in my LJ at least once a week, to write 1,000 words a day as my friend Steven had suggested, and to eat less... See, by not making those resolutions I have not made an entry since December 26, wrote very little and ate a lot.
It is probably one of the single most horrible things to endure...the blank page. The second most horrible thing to endure...the excuses of why you haven't been writing, exercising, eating less and again...writing. Isn't the drama of not exercising and eating too much worth writing about. No, absolutely not! The stuff that's worth writing about is the stuff that's stored away, locked up, waiting to explode onto that blank page. Exhausting, huh?
I have been writing though. Writing out of sequence because I can see so many scenes unfolding but can't make sense of the order just yet. It will come, it will come. Through writing these scenes, my character comes alive in so many situations that he's letting me get to know him. It's more of a "what will he do next" kind of writing...and I wait until he tells me. Then, it's another scene. 25,000 words into the ms and I think I'm really liking this guy. I mean, not in the I like this guy sense, but the I love my character and he's becoming solid, sense.
The SCBWI Florida conference was wonderful. I've said it before and I'll say it again...what a wonderful community to be a part of. So many talented people! Linda did an excellent job of putting together a dynamic conference with wonderful speakers and great workshops. An editor who critiqued my new WIP (mentioned above) is interested in seeing it when finished (even tho she previously passed on a novel of mine). Encouraging.
The ms that my agent is shopping is having a hard time finding the right set of eyes to fall in love with it. I expected as much, but I am ambivalent about rewriting just yet. It hasn't gone to that many editors yet and frankly, it's different. It needs a brave soul to take it on.
Ah, brave souls. That's us! We are the brave souls putting it all out there for them. Here's to all of us... Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:05:22 GMT

I am a closet kringle-a-holic. Yes, that's right. I'm Christmas starved!
Having been raised with nothing in particular, I knew I was Jewish 'cause we just were. However, I was constantly left with a Christian aunt and uncle who celebrated Christmas and Easter with verve! I loved it and saw nothing wrong with celebrating both. (I make a mean Easter Pie loaded with ham and cheese!)
Fast forward to dating the now husband.
Me: "I have a Christmas tree at Christmas!"
Him: You do?
Me: (I sense some excitement...I think.) Oh yes, and I make my own decorations, cut woodblock prints for my holiday cards, love gingerbread, and...
Him: BUT YOU'RE JEWISH!
Me: (Shrinking to the height of a sugar plum.) Oh, yeah. Do you like cats?
Him: No.
And then I married him anyway!
So, around Christmas time, I go to the supermarket and bury my nose in the sweet scented pine trees and when nobody is looking, yank a small piece off to squish between my fingers and sniff away! My daughter also loves Christmas but we "don't tell Daddy."
Yesterday was Christmas Day. I started by watching A Christmas Carrol and thought she'd watch it with me. She said it was boring. Then we watched Miracle on 34th Street, or should I say, I watched. She went off to sing in her room. Elf was a hit. That she watched.
I was prepared to cook something for dinner but Husband had spilkus (ants in the pants) and needed to 'get out'. So we did. We hunted down anything that was open and settled on a deli. Need I say, every octogenarian that's come down to Florida with a shiny new walker was on line, waiting for a table. We did take out...back at the house...ate corned beef sandwiches (hardly my idea of a Christmas dinner. Where was the figgy pudding?)...back to watching Christmas movies and a history of Radio City and the Rockettes (great, b.t.w.).
Now I'm at work...bah, humbug. The air compressor has blown out in the whole building. I let the group go home early but will stay put till I can't breathe anymore!
Happy Holidays!

It has been 3 months since my last confession...

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:35:17 GMT

Oh, sorry, different blog! It has been three months since I've made any kind of entry and that coincided with the three months I've actually been writing. Writing! And may I say, my WIP makes me very, very happy!

Last night I read to my crit group and they were howling! HOWLING! I couldn't believe that my attempt at being funny won me hugs at break and "thanks" for reading. My ego is stroked and I am empowered to move forward and write another 7,000 words by next Thursday, if not more. The challenge was to write 1,000 words a day. Whether those 1,000 words are good or not is to be determined, but getting it all down on paper when you have that number looming over your keyboard is amazing. It works!

And...this morning, the coffee pot I had my eye on at starbucks was on sale AND an additional 20% off gave me the one cup coffee maker of my dreams...for my new office...to keep me juiced up and ready to work. Work has finally balanced out with real life. Real life is trying to balance with writing.

M. has been so involved in theater this year that her 5th grade teacher conferenced me this morning to tell me that we should probably take her off the "gifted" track for middle school. Husband freaked. He says no more computer and TV. Pull the plug!!! Take her out of gifted? I say, go ahead. Why pressure my daughter when her real gifts are theater-related. She's getting ready to audition for a magnet school of the arts that blows all those other schools away. Recently, she had a solo performance and before she fell asleep she said, "Mama, I love a crowd!" Her fate is sealed. Broadway, look out!

Agent is still trying to place my middle grade novel. A friend who read it this past week said I just haven't found the right pair of eyes. Anyone out there have nice eyes??? Agent will be very surprised by my current WIP which I think is a departure from other manuscripts he's seen. Evolve! Evolve! Evolve!

And...CYNTHEA IS HAVING A BABY TODAY!!! Happy Friday!

Peace.

Fame

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 01:54:11 GMT

We had our fifteen minutes...uh, fifteen seconds...okay, who am I kidding...our two seconds of fame! Woo-hoo! Here are Mark, Cynthia, Me and Tammi applauding like the trained seals we were. I mean, totally natural. It all came so naturally! We're FAMOUS!!!

Oh, did I mention this was while we were in LA before the SCBWI conference actually began... we were whisked from the airport to DEAL OR NO DEAL ... and spent ... uh, what was it Tammi? Cynthia? Like TEN hours?!!!

sparkles get in your eyes!

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:29:36 GMT

See our silver? See the glitter? Our costumes were soooooo awesome! It's all in the eyes!

Hmmmmm.....

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:07:12 GMT

There's baby bumps in the tabloids, trans fat labels not to be believed and oh, Laura Bush and daughter will write a children's book to the tune of a lot o' money and a huge printing and net proceeds going to some charity or another. A story about a boy who hates to read. Okay, has that been done? Is yet another celebrity book going to take away from the budget that might allow, say, a first-time novelist to break in! Might the PR budget take away from, let's say, a first-time novelist's book showing up in PW? Harrumph!!!
But I digress, it's all good...If our work stands out and shines above the celebrity books, then so be it. I just get disgusted every time I find out about someone who doesn't work hard at their craft, getting a deal like this. And who does she think she is anyway? First Lady? Oh, yeah. Ohhhhhhhh, I get it! Thaaaaaaaaaaaaat's why. Hmmmmmmm.
Could you tell it's Friday and I had that glass of wine and I'm UNWINDING????

Sadly, it's over...

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:28:46 GMT

SCBWI LA makes me so happy! I need not say more, but I will...
I thought about this year's conference on the way home -- actually, that's not true, I took a red eye and was asleep before the plane left the runway (remnants of the par-tay). So, maybe it was when I woke up that I thought about the conference and here's what I think: I think that if you step outside your comfort zone, go to workshops that you might not go to because you aren't a YA writer, middle grade writer or even an illustrator, you would still glean something from it.
I usually leave the conference inspired, invigorated and ready to write, write, write. No different this year, only I'm willing to try something new. Even better, I've already begun. I'll say no more.
It was lovely meeting new people and fellow LJ bloggers. It was great seeing my conference buddies and rooming with the every-so-famous tksauer.
How many days till next year?

Tick...tick...tick...

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:16:17 GMT

I'm waiting...
Waiting to bring my daughter home from camp...miss her teribly.
Waiting for my agent to bring me wonderful news...anticipation.
Waiting for L.A.... how fun!

I'm waiting.

Pip, Pip, Cherios!

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:04:47 GMT

For the last 5 years, Cheerios has teamed up with parents and families to encourage reading with "Spoonfuls of Stories®," distributing more than 25 million books in boxes of Cheerios and donating more than $2 million to First Book®, an international children’s literacy organization.

This summer we’d like to encourage aspiring children’s book authors to write and share their best story – through our new Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Children’s Book Contest.

This contest is open to unpublished adult authors ages 18 years and older to submit their children’s story. The story should be suitable for children ages 4 to 8 years old. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a cash prize from Cheerios and have an opportunity to have their book reviewed for a potential book deal with a publisher. In addition, two First Prize winners will receive cash prizes. The top three finalists will be featured online at www.spoonfulsofstories.com!

The contest opens June 14 and all entries must be received by 11:59 pm (Central Time), September 7.

Go to www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com to read the complete rules, judging criteria, entry form and submit your children’s story!

Bit by the muse...again!

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:50:17 GMT

Your Inner Child Is Surprised

You see many things through the eyes of a child.
Meaning, you're rarely cynical or jaded.
You cherish all of the details in life.
Easily fascinated, you enjoy experiencing new things.

How Is Your Inner Child?

I'd been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for something to enter the curls inside my head, for something to tell me WHAT TO WRITE! And then it happened...

On my birthday I was sent to a spa for four whole hours. Now, my daughter is away at camp and four whole hours seems like four whole days. Actually, the six weeks she will be gone is going to feel like six months. After just one week I feel lost without her. Oh sure, you say, it's good to get rid of the kids once in a while, but she's my BFF. Okay, before I get weepy... Oh, wait! One more thing... so the camp posts pix of random kids every day and on my birthday there was a photo of M. holding a Happy B-Day sign for me... Talk about weepy!

Okay, the bit by the muse thing. Well, I'm having my facial and loving it... then they take me to my massage and this little, tiny thing of a lady with hulk hogan hands proceeds to practically rolf my muscles into new positions. I'm trying to relax, and frankly, I don't find massages relaxing. I'm too preoccupied with trying to relax that it makes me more tense! So I'm thinking, don't think about it... think about something else... empty your miiiiiiiiind. And then it bit me! I saw very clearly my next novel and it surprised me -- I saw the beginning and I saw the end. Now all I have to do is journey thru the middle!

I needed a project. I came home and wrote the first chapter and a brief synopsis of where I think it will go. I needed something new to obsess about, and this weekend I'm off to the West Coast (Naples) where there is nothing to do but lay on the beach and write! Woo-hoo! Here's to the new WIP!

Still wearing the same stupid smile I went to bed with!

Thu, 17 May 2007 14:33:34 GMT

Last night I attended an award ceremony for the Ninth Annual Writing Contest of The Writers' Network of South Florida. I was told that I was picked as a finalist and to be present for results. It was the first writing contest I've ever entered. I entered a short story (adult) and never expected TO COME IN FIRST PLACE!!!

The night before, I had a dream I didn't win. Last week my husband had a dream that I didn't get a job I was up for. I got the job! Hoping this dreaming was a trend, I went in with a positive attitude. Now, I wasn't sure if being a finalist meant that you were indeed one of the winners, but there were three finalists along with the first, second and third place winners. My friend told me yes, you could be a finalist and walk away with nothing. So, after they called the three finalists I realized I was actually in... I said to myself, self...third place would be good. Then, they called the third place name and it wasn't me. OMG, I'm one of the others! Sure enough, the second name was called and it wasn't me. Now my heart is racing and I'm starting to get a little light headed, because, shhhhhhhh, I'm a fainter from way back when I get nervous.... and there it was! Flora Doone -- first place in the short story category. I swear, I had this grin on from ear to ear and when I got home and showed it to my ten year old, she assured me I looked like a "doofus". Oh, great!

The contest was judged blindly. In other words, the author's name was not on the ms. The judges were not disclosed until last night. One was Dorian Cirrone, who I think is brilliant! Even more so now. Okay, that's a joke, but I was so pleased that she chose me. God, I feel like Sally Field...they like me, they really like me! Joyce Sweeney, my current mentor said it's really hard to be first place in a multi-judge contest and that's a real achievement.

Now, where to submit...

Guns Scare Me

Thu, 10 May 2007 21:04:13 GMT

THIS JUST IN:

Del Prado Elementary was locked down for about 45 minutes this afternoon after police got reports of a suspicious looking man who may have been armed, Palm Beach County school and sheriff’s officials said.

The lockdown began about 2 p.m. just as the 840 students were about to be released for the day, said school district spokesman Steve Nichol.

Deputies on the ground and in a helicopter searched the area of the school at 7900 Del Prado Circle near Palmetto Park and Powerline roads, sheriff’s officials said.

Nothing suspicious was immediately found, Nichol said.

I get to my daughter's school early today to deliver the PTA newsletter, thinking I'll drop that off and avoid the carpool line -- pick up my daughter and her friend who is staying with us and that's that. The door to the office, the only way in (supposedly) is locked. The secretary waves me away and screams thru the glass that they're in lockdown. I give her that look like I don't understand, because frankly, it's near two and I don't understand. A few more parents walk up and try the door. I tell them, they're in lockdown. We basically stand around looking pretty stupid. All this in our quiet, little affluent suburb.

Then two cop cars pull up and four cops fly out, open their trunks, don black helmets, pick up their rifles and yell for us to leave! Leave? I ran to my car which was in a PTA prime parking spot and watched as the events unfolded, until they asked us all to leave the area.

Once I saw guns, it was all over. I looked to the right and saw a friend crying and that was when I lost it.

Now I'm with a few hundred parents freaking out, asking questions, watching about a dozen more cop cars move in, more rifles, more guns, a helicopter... what to do? All I knew was that my daughter was in a portable, which made her more vulnerable to someone on the school grounds and I was freaking out!

Questions. No answers. Tears. This was so surreal I can't even begin to tell you what my heart and head were feeling (although I am having a martini and it isn't even 5 o'clock!).

We waited... and waited...and...

Finally, they told us to get back into our cars and proceed slowly. Cars? Every one of us ran toward the school to find our kids. For the most part they were okay, a little scared but I think even more scared when they saw the state police and county cops with their rifles at their sides. The search would continue inside the school once we were all gone.

My husband was about 40 miles away at the time this all began and started the drive home. I was a mess. I thought, don't cry when M. comes out. Don't show her how upset you are, just let her know everything is okay. Thank God for sunglassess... then again, she caught me and then she started crying. She said everyone was okay until a police officer rapped on the door -- during lockdown you can't open the door to anyone -- and so they heard him say to get away from the windows and stay down. M. said half of her fourth grade class was crying and the other half just freaked. The teacher, equally freaked.

Moving forward... all is well, sort of. My husband and I can't stop feeling these surges of emotion where you just start crying. We know it's fine, now, but ...

We're having martinis.

I'm letting them stay home tomorrow.

Happy Mother's Day.

Send those vibes...

Sat, 05 May 2007 19:22:12 GMT

I just found out that a short story (adult) I entered in the Ninth Annual Writing Contest, for the Writers' Network of South Florida has been picked as a finalist! I could plotz! I don't find out anything until May 16th, at their May gala reception. Ooooooooh, something to look forward to! Send those vibes to downtown Ft. Lauderdale.

Kurt Vonnegut's MIT Graduation Speech

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 20:20:27 GMT

Ladies and gentlemen: Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas
the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering
experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But
trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a
way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you
really looked.

You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real
troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind,
the kind that blindside you at 4:00 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people
who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes
you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in
doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with
their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when
they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe
you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken
on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate
yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of
what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should
hold on to.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the
older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will
philander.

You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you
were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children
respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund.
Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might
run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look
85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply
it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from
the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it
for more than it's worth.

..But trust me on the sunscreen.

I'm dancing!

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:21:16 GMT

I just needed a few days for it to sink in and now I'm feeling it! Yay me!
Read over my ms and indeed it was a wonderful ride. Now what do I write? Uh-oh!

Here's what I did this weekend...
Rearranged my art closet
Made some serious CDs for my friend in Peru
Made icecream
Read Twisted
Wrote letters (yes, actually with a pen)
Read a book with my daughter
Watched Hoot

...and did the happy dance!

So, where's the happy dance?

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 23:58:18 GMT

I'm done. I've finished my ms and I thought when I was done I would do the happy dance. Sadly, I do not feel like dancing.
I totally threw myself into this one and I think I'm drained. I love the novel. I'm happy with what I've written and yet...where's the happy dance? Hmmmm?

I'm going to take a few steps away for one week while the ms is getting the once over from JS and then it's back to clean up.

Went to lunch with other writers today, talking about agents with the writer who writes many genres. From a marketing point of view, they said, one agent deemed changing styles will not help branding. I don't look at this as branding. Is that what we base our success on? The novel being shopped now is whimsical and geared towards girls. The novel I just completed is more sophisticated (I'm told) and geared towards boys. Why is my agent going to Bologna? No talking ... no communication... nothing till May. Ugh.

I want to do the happy dance!

Maybe a martini...

...extra olives.

It's the home stretch!

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:07:19 GMT

Woo-hoo!

I'm nearly done with my ms. I've been rewriting while I've been writing and this book has just felt right, right, right to me and it's not slowing down. I'm in the homestretch...10,000 words to go +/-. I've known the ending since the start of the book and getting there has been an amazing journey. I'm off to finish it. Back when it's done.

Closes door to office, tells child to go to sleep, important things are about to happen!

PS - Don't forget the moment of silence for Kilgore Trout.

Here's to the writing fools...

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:11:18 GMT

So yeah, I develop this attitude that I can wait, I can take it... I'm fine and poof! an email with some interest stirring for my ms. Okay, I'll try not to be on edge...

I read my last entry and I said "shame on me that I haven't written in two months" -- I meant in my journal, natch! I'm writing. I'm a writing fool! Met with my crit group yesterday and am always so nervous about reading. Alas I shouldn't worry 'cause they loved it. I'm so sure this book is being channeled 'cause I just don't know where it's coming from!

Maybe my brain is running interference with the cable company and I, um... nah, not a good theory. Perhaps I'll come up with a more practical one.

I have been emailing my friend in Peru and recounting the last twenty years of my life. Not so easy! Especially when you don't have a great mind for memories. More like a sieve here... but, there are some good memories (and bad) and the more I dig, the more they surface. I feel a little like Griffin & Sabine. I loved those books.

Now I'm feeling inspired. Gotta go...

Wow!

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:49:21 GMT

Wow is about all I can say...Wow. Tonight I received an email from an old friend, from a part of my life that I will always hold so dear ... and it's all because of LJ! She found me here! All the way from arequipa peru -- our roots are Queens, NY!
And wow that I haven't written in over two months. Shame on me!
Rejection number 12 (or maybe it was 13 -- I've lost count!) rolled in beautifully and still my agent believes in me. He's even sent it to four new houses. At this point waiting is no longer tough...it just is what it is. I will say this though, my rejections have been lovely!
What I have been doing in my two month absence is writing. Writing with the same energy as I have when I started this novel. The first chapter made a "glorious debut" in my new critique group that I absolutely love. I expect to be done with it by the end of the month. At least that's my goal.
I tried explaining this to someone once, and I don't know if it got through... See, when I know I'm writing something really good, or at least "I" think it's really good, I get this feeling and I know it shows through my eyes -- I feel it behind my eyes! (Don't call in the white coats yet...) So here I am in the crit group with some extremely talented writers and as they're talking about their work I see that shining in their eyes. It's real! It's very real! And finally I am home with a community of my own. It's taken some time to get to the right writers group but I'm definitely home.
I entered an adult story in a contest -- my first contest -- and I have high hopes. It's great being optimistic!
Husband tells me to take less jobs and focus on my writing...it's a good plan, I just have a hard time letting go of work. I built this business ten years ago and it's taken a dive since I've prioritized -- but it's all about me, right! It should be!
And Wow... I can't believe my old friend found me... definitely a high note in this day.

Stuck on the Fly Paper - memories of my teen years

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 16:22:29 GMT

I'm at lunch the other day, chatting with a friend (and maybe I was loud, dunno) when someone jumps out from the booth behind my friend and asks if in fact I am Flora Doone! I'm thinking, wow, famous already and I'm not even published. Then she quietly asks if I have deaf parents. I tell her yes and she grabs both my cheeks in her hands and gives me kisses and tells me that she's been thinking of me for years! Oh, she's a bit older than I am. I still don't really remember her...but I think I remember her husband, the tennis instructor. Hottie! But I digress...

She tells me how when I was a counselor at a sleep-away camp in Pennsylvania, I was one of the only counselors allowed in the staff house, and did I remember her? So, now my mind, which is relatively blank, tries to conjure up some image of my teens and the summers I spent at ILC. Then she says how I used to use the phone in the staff house. I said, since my parents were/are deaf, who exactly did they think I was calling? Good question, she says. But forget that! Do I remember chatting in the "staff house", rambling on, and always so expressively with my hands, that when one arm excitedly flew up I got stuck to the fly paper! Gee, wonder why I can't bring that memory up from the abyss of which my teen year messy memories might lie... Like farting on Tiny's knee, or having a strawberry milkshake land innocently on my head...or the time I was camping with friends and we all swam (I'm not a great swimmer) across the lake from one side to the other and upon the return I decided floating on my back would be the best way to get across. I started to panic and yelled to my friends (who were already on shore) that I didn't think I could make it. They just laughed and told me to stand up. Yes, I was in about 12 inches of water. Gee, I just can't remember those good times, good times. Perhaps if I dig far enough I can come up with some other embarrassing moments to transfer to words on a page. Hmmmm. Oh well, can't remember the fly paper!

I laugh when I think though, if I were to put that incident into modern times, would the hair on my arms fry on a bug zapper? Fly paper indeed... Do they still have that?

PS... still working on the new piece and loving every minute of it!

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 00:17:23 GMT

Back from a whirlwind weekend at the SCBWI FL conference which always leaves me happy. As a matter of fact, all the SCBWI gatherings leave me with a great feeling. There's nothing better than being together in a community where everyone fits in and nobody is a stranger -- or should that be nobody is stranger. Hmmmm. I'll have to ponder that one!
David LaRochelle was indeed, for me, the highlight of the conference. He's naturally funny, even when he doesn't mean to be.
Submitted and rec'd a favorable review on my WIP. Extremely happy with whatever suggestions were made and just as psyched to continue writing. The possession still takes over as I think about my next step.
I almost feel like I should outline this one. I never work with outlines but here I am with the beginning of a promising adventure to which I already know the last three chapters. So, it's the middle, the real adventure that needs to be plotted carefully so I can arrive at those final chapters.
I think I'll take just a small step back to web my characters to the point where I can place them in absolutely any situation and make it work. Then the adventure will be easy...er...easier. I've even decided to take out a portion that I felt very strong about keeping in. I thought it was important to the rest of the novel but after some careful consideration, I'm going to take it out which will have to alter the book slightly -- but only slightly.

So enough blogging and onto the real work!

A Brand New Day

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:56:49 GMT

Okay, enough wallowing. It's a brand new day. I needed that one day to really feel the blues, but I woke up this morning and ALMOST got on the treadmill! Woo-hoo! Actually, it's 40 something degrees in Boca Raton and I love the cold snaps we get in the winter. I would have them last longer. M and I dig out our sweats and pretend there's the possibility of snow. We can dream, can't we?
So it's back to writing, back to feeling hopeful, and back to feeling happy. Okay, let's not overdo it.
I'm at the computer, ready to work, so I'll close here.
Good day!