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Silly Saturday

Silly Saturday is all about everything silly, off the wall, crazy, and senseless.  I have some books from the series of "imponderables books" by David Feldman.  They are titles like "How Does Aspirin Find a Headache?" and "Why Do Clocks Turn Clockwise?".  I'll pick a question or two from these books and educate you all on something silly! 

Silly Question of the Day:
Do Snakes Sneeze?

     Norman J. Scott, Jr., zoologist and past president of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles told Imponderables, "As far as I know snakes don't sneeze with their mouths shut, but they do clear fluid from their throat with an explosive blast of air from the lungs."

     Snakes don't sneeze very often, though.  In fact a few herpetologists we contacted denied that snakes sneeze at all.  Bu John E. Simmons, of the Americcan Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Information Committee, insisited otherwise:

     "Snakes sneeze for the same reason as other vertebrates - to clear their respiratory passages.  Snakes rarely sneeze, however,and people who keep them in captivity know that sneezing in snakes is usually a sign of respiratory illness resulting in fluid in the air passage."

                                                            
Submitted by Sue Scott of Baltimore, MD. 

Thanks also to June Puchy Lyndhursst, Ohio.
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There you go!  Now you know that snakes most likely do sneeze, and if they are sneezing, they could be sick.  Silly, eh?  Hope you enjoyed this Silly Saturday.

Journal Juju:

Make a lundry list of everything you are glad you did in the past few days.  Then celebrate your awesome accomplishments - even if they are just errands!!

Toast of the Day:

Here's to the promise of Spring!!  (Today is the first day!!)

Favorite Friday

I'm working out the kinks for Favorite Friday, but today it's going to be about my favorite thing today.  Today in Denver, Colorado it is snowing its' proverbial brains out!  It's blowing sideways snow - the kind that gets into your ear when you're walking outside!  I just got about two pounds of ear snow while leaving work.  So my favorite thing to do when it's snowing like it is, is to cuddle up under a blanket with a good book, all cozy and comfy.  What book should I read today?  And what is your favorite things to do when it's snowing all crazy?

                                                    comic courtesy of chickengiggle.com

Toast of the day:
Here's to the first sip of that perfect hot cider or cocoa!!  (Cider - also a favorite thing to drink when it's snowing!!)

Tao Thursday

I am going to implement Tao Thursdays.  For those of you unaware of what the Tao is, here is a short explanation per Wikipedia:

Taoism (or Daoism) refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions that have influenced Eastern Asia for more than two millennia, and have had a notable influence on the western world since the 19th century. The word 道, Tao (or Dao, depending on the romanization scheme), literally translated as "path" or "way", although in Chinese folk religion and philosophy it carries more abstract meanings. Taoist propriety and ethics emphasize the Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility, while Taoist thought generally focuses on nature, the relationship between humanity and the cosmos (天人相应), health and longevity, and wu wei (action through inaction), which is thought to produce harmony with the universe.
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I am very interested in Taoism, and try to use its philosophies in every day life.  Today I will begin with my favorite passages from the Tao Teh Ching (a piece of scripture of Taoism).  It is #11 and this is how it goes in a translation from John C. H. Wu's book Tao Teh Ching:

Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub;

It is on the hole in the center that the use of the cart hinges.

We make a vessel from a lump of clay;

It is the empty space within the vesself that makes it useful.

We make doors and windows for a room;
But it is these empty spaces that make the room livable.

Thus, while the tangible has advantages,
It is the intangible that makes it useful.

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So how do I relate this to writing, you may ask?  Well this, lets call it a proverb, reminds me that it is not just the words that make up a manuscript - it is the feeling behind the words, the emotion, the connection an author has with the words - that is important.  We can get too worried about word counts and forget about what we're actually writing.  I know that happens to me.  I feel the pressure of everyone else's accomplishments and start getting fearful and insecure about my work.  This proverb helps me stay focused on what's important.  Hope it can help you!  Any thoughts?  Leave a comment!

Toast of the Day:
Here's to reading something you really liked an realizing you wrote it!!!

Just Wednesday

Just going to start off with a few good writing quotes:

"I love writing.  I love the swirl and swing of words as they tange with human emotions." -James Michener

"Everybody who writes is interested in living inside themselves in order to tell what is inside themselves.  That is why writers have to have two countries, the one where they belong and the one which they live really."
-Gertrude Stein

The Middle Part:

Today was a tiring day, so I don't have much energy to impart.  Just keep on pushing through! It's already Wednesday!






Journal Juju:
Write about "envy" - what associations does the word bring up for you?  Write about what people might envy you for and what you envy in others.  Then remember to appreciate all the amazing things you accomplish every day!

Envy for me is a dangerous game.  It leads to me doubting my capabilities, which is just downright self-destructive.  Lately I find myself envying all you writers who write, or who have mulitple books written, or have books published!  I know that it's a long, hard road, so I keep on pushing, hoping that one day I'll have someone who might envy my accomplishments enough to use them as inspiration!

Toast of the Day:
Here's to the feeling of receiving a genuine compliment!!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme held by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

"Touche," I said, and zipped up my pants while slipping on my flats.

"You've got to admit this isn't our usual way of relating."

-The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

Toast of the Day:
Here's to silly mistakes that turn into creative discoveries!!

Back to Work Monday

"If you always take time to stop and smell the roses, sooner or later, you'll inhale a bee." - Anonymous

This quote reminds me to keep working amongst all the fun of life.  Slack off too much and it'll eventually catch up with you.  It's been a few days since I've put pen to paper, so to speak, or more correct fingers to the keyboard, and I have to start again!  It's Monday!  Time to get back to the grind of working.  Just in moderation, cause I'm still gonna take time to smell some roses along the way!

In addition, my Awe-Manac tells me it's Rude Awakenings Day.  So my Journal Juju for the day is this:

Any rude awakenings lately?  List any from the past and elaborate on at least one.  Use your daily soul vitamin (provided in the book) for inspiration.

Daily soul vitamin: "Never take counsel of your fears."  -Andrew Jackson

Journal Juju:
I've had quite a few rude awakenings lately.  One in particular being the fact that I am merely a speck of sand amongst a worldwide beach of people.  Not putting myself down, I just realized that if I want to make a difference and do more than just exist I must actually try at life.  But taking inspiration from Mr. Jackson up there, I can't be afraid of trying!  So off I go, trying to make a difference with my smallness!  :) 
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One more thing before I go, I'm starting Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice today!  So excited to be reading a super classic!  Wish me luck!

One last last thing I'd like to implement from the Awe-Manac:
Toast of the Day:
Here's to finding a twenty dollar bill in your pocket! 

Happy Birthday Albert Einstein!

Yep! Today is Albert Einstein's birthday. Well it would've been his 131st birthday if he was still alive!  Here's a quote from the old man:

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." -Albert Einstein

I bought a book today called the Awe-Manac by Jill Badonsky.  It has a "daily dose of wonder" on every page for every day of the year.  Things like inspiring quotes, "journal juju" to get the writing juices flowing, "awe-servances" for things like famous birthdays and such, and many other little things for the soul.  I plan on using this book for inspiration for some of my blogs, as everyone could use this book! :)

One more quote for the road:

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy." -Albert Einstein

Journal Juju for the day:
Break the rules and invent a new emotion. E=?

What emotions did you come up with?  Feel free to share.  I came up with frustappy.  Frustrated/happy.  It's a hell of a thing to be at once.  Tears usually accompany it.

Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge!

How did I not hear about this before today??  I'm already 3 months behind!  This is a fantastic challenge and can be found at http://gilmoregirlschallenge.blogspot.com/ !!  Check out this list of books!  I'm going for the Rory level (at least 20 books from at least 4 of the offered categories).  Hope you all can find space in your other challenges for this one!  Good luck!

Oh, my! What a lovely montage you've got there!

How do you write a montage?  I was laying in bed, trying to sleep, when the next part in my WIP popped in my head, as a montage.  I had to get up and hop on the computer to search for something, somewhere about writing montages.  I mostly found screenplay writing software.  

However, I did find one interesting article, not so much an instruction manual, but it is interesting and has a great snippet of Potemkin by Sergei Eisenstein.  I like the snippet, in all its early 1900's glory.  Either way, the article helped me realize that montages are just simple tellings of a bunch of "shots" of things that happen.  I guess I knew it all along.  It just seemed a bit overwhelming, squishing something like 15 months of time into a few short paragraphs. 

How do you all go about montages?  Or do you even go about them?  I suppose it's just about getting the pictures into words, like a collage that is connected somehow.  But I guess that's all writing is anyway.  I just have to get this montage down into words.  Guess we'll see what happens!

Guest Blog!

Ha! Gotcha! I don't have a guest blogger on my blog, I'm guest blogging over at Lisa Pietsch's Blog today.  Head on over for some giggles, hopefully!  Either way, she's got some great guest bloggers on her blog every day starting last week and going for quite awhile!  So go enjoy her blog, and mine while you're at it!

Lisapietsch.com

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme held by MizB at Should Be Reading!
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?


Currently Reading: Dial Me for Murder by Amanda Matetsky (great so far!)


Recently Finished Reading: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold ( fantastically creepy )


Planning on Reading Next: Wings by Aprilynne Pike (gotta read it so I can read Spells!)

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

I've taken the idea from over at Bibliophilic Book Blog about this book of a list of 1001 books you must read before you die.  It's a fantastic challenge to try and take on, even if it's only on the back burner.  Thank you to Monica S. over there at the Bibliophilic Book Blog for the heads up.  I can't wait to buy the actual book with the list in it.  Does it count as another book?  :)   Also, I just read that on 23 March there is a revised edition of the book coming out!  Guess I'll wait for that one.  Happy reading everyone!!

MarNaNoWriMo Progress

I know it's the 9th of March, and I haven't posted much about my WIP for MarNaNo.  I've been busy sleeping off my surgery pain, but I do have some updates today.  I read a blog today from one of my friends - Lisa Pietsch - and it inspired me to write.  She had a guest blogger on -Cher Gorman - who talked about muses and their influence on writing.  It made so much sense!  So this morning before I even had breakfast I wrote 1,000 words to my WIP.  I made it my #writegoal, and made it!  I was so excited I set another goal of 2,000 words for the day.  I haven't written more yet, but I've been doing some research before I jump in.  Anyway, here is my progress and a snippet of my WIP, that of which has no name yet.

3,691 words of 15,000

“Well I enjoy reading too, perhaps not as much as you, but I will join you in a good book anytime. I mostly take pictures. Photography drives me wild! My mother, um, well she left me her camera. Can I take your picture sometime?” Alex held her breath.



“Absolutely! I can’t say I’d ever turn down having my picture taken. I think I’m very photogenic.” Roma grinned wide. “Not to be conceited or anything, it’s just the truth. Do you have your camera with you right now?”


“I take it everywhere with me! Do you want a photo now?” Alex was ecstatic at her new friend’s enthusiasm for being a muse. She needed practice at taking live action shots, and Roma really was a beauty. Her photos would be lovely.


“Of course I do!” Roma stood up, wiped off her skirt and struck her best Madonna pose, hands framing her face wildly.


“Oh lovely! Yes, yes, keep it up! You look great!” Alex giggled openly and glowed with excitement. She felt on top of the world. As she focused her lens on Roma’s smile, a lump formed in her throat. The last person she had taken a picture of was her mother. Since she went missing Alex only took wildlife photos or captured sunsets, flowers, and the like. This thought stopped Alex in mid-shutter click, a frown filling her face. She stood stiff, lost in her sadness.



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Hope you all enjoy my excerpt!  And good luck in all your progress!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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Here is my Teaser Tuesday Entry!
 
"You said you had something to tell me."
"Yeah I do," Abby murmered, "but you're not gonna be very happy about it, so I think we better have another drink first."
 
-Dial Me For Murder by Amanda Matetsky

NaBloPoMo

As a brand spankin new member of NaBloPoMo, I will write my first official NaBloPoMo post.  I'm not sure what the topic of the month STRANGE(R) means.  Does it mean write about strange things that are rated R?  Or write about strange things or stranger things?  I'm also on percocet right now as I had oral surgery this morning, so everything feels a bit StRaNgE......I feel all warm and fuzzy, and sleeeeeepy.  Anyway, beside my drug reactions, I'll try to figure out this topic thing.  I might just write another blog later once I'm more coherent and have done more research about this NaBloPoMo thing.  One last thing, I'm tryin to find focus for my blog, so this might help too.  I really like the ideas everyone has about having certain things happen on certain days every week.  I was thinking of 'New Novel Monday', couldn't figure Tuesday, "Wordy Wednesday", "Thankful Thursday", "Favorite Friday", and if I do the weekend "Silly Saturday" and "Summary Sunday".  What do you guys think?  And thanks to all the blogs I read for the ideas.  You are all smarter than me to have thought of it first!!  :)  I just feel like if I had focus my blog might be more interesting for you all to read and enjoy!  Anyways, starting to get hard to keep my eyes propped open.  Be back later with something STRANGE(R)...... LOL

---ChArLiE

A small, yet important epiphany

While writing on the fourth day I discovered my story was forming something of a prequel to my other WIP.  It was beautiful!  I didn't even notice!  Now I have the framework and focus to really write some words!  I'm so very excited.  My characters in my main WIP will have more depth now based on what I'm discovering in this new transcript.  On another note, I didn't write yesterday.  Instead I went and saw Alice in Wonderland!  AMAZING!  I want to watch it again today, but I have other more "important" things to do, like clean.  Bleh.  Anyways, off I go.

-Charlie

Day Three

So I wrote so many words over the last two days.  Rewrote some while transposing the words from my random pages, but it turned out better.  I decided that while I was writing this short story I wouldn't plan anything, and it seems to be working out alright. The characters are just coming to me.  We'll see how it goes.  Off I go!

-Charlie

First Excerpt

Mist flowed around her feet, crept up the back of her thighs, enveloped her waist. The fog encircled her entire body, caressing her face gently. All around her was darkness except for a purple glow emanating from under the door, mesmerizing her. Her senses were heightened; her toes gripped the cool hardwood floor beneath, her breath was shallow and focused, she listened so intently she could hear her heart beating slow and hard in her chest. She slowly inched towards the strange door, placing her fingertip lightly on the silver filigree doorknob. A shiver of goose bumps shot up her arm as she felt the cold metal under her hand.

“What is behind this door??” She contemplated the millions of possibilities that lay before her on the other side of the thick oak. She gulped one last time as she turned the knob.





That's it for tonight, it's getting late and I gotta get some laundry put away.  Happy writing to all!!

-Sleepy Charlie

MarNANOWRIMO!!

So I just learned of MarNanoWrimo about 5 minutes ago.  I still have plenty of time to play along!  I have decided to try for *gulp* 15K.  Now that doesn't sound like a lot for most, but I want to actually be able to meet this goal without an early death by stress.  I am kind of excited I found out tody, I had just been tossing around an idea for a short story this past week.  My current WIP is growing stagnant and I think I just need something new to spark my creativity.  So off I go into the wild writing yonder.  *cheesy smile*  I'll post my word count daily and maybe an excerpt weekly or so.

-Charlie