Friday, November 21, 2008

Frost







As it turns out, frost is not that easy to photo. The flash reflects back into the camera (duh!), and it's hard to get a sharp focus. Maybe I should have turned on the light in the hall - but I was trying to get the sunrise through the window. Well I have all winter to try and get it right!
Good news today, I was notified that my synopsis for moonlighting in vermont came in second in it's category (Romantic Elements) in the MERWA synopsis contest. Yeah! That's something anyway. This came the day before I was rejected by my all time dream agent. It was a very nice rejection, with an open door to submit another time, but it was still disappointing. I dared to dream. Well onward and upward, I will continue to submit moonlighting while I work on Tank and Maggie meet the mob.
Happy Thanksgiving all!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Winter, and the general tardiness of being

It would be great if I could claim the unbearable lightness of being, but unfortunately it's just poor time management skills. It's been, what? Two weeks since I updated my blog. I will be better I promise! Although as it appears that few people, if anyone actually read this, I may be just writing to myself. In which case no apology is needed. I already forgave myself.

Tomorrow, perhaps if I'm not overwhelmed and remember in the morning, I will post a picture of frost. You know those poems we read in grade school? Jack Frost painting on the window? Living most of my life in California I never really paid much attention. Maybe as a child living in British Columbia. But maybe not, too. Here in Vermont, where old houses reign and storm windows are the norm, frost is abundant. A window in the upstairs hall may not be clear again until spring comes in June. That is not an exaggeration.

The thing is, the reason people write about frosted windows, that they are really very beautiful. This morning, as the sun was rising that one window caught my eye. I should have run downstairs and grabbed my camera, but I thought it would be even better when the sun was up over the hill and shining on that window. Of course I got busy and didn't take the picture.

Tomorrow's another day.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Stephen King

Stephen King is an incredibly prolific writer.  An Raather, good at it too.  (Raather is on purpose, read it with a nasal snooty tone and you'll have it right.)  I sat up reading his book "On Writing"
the other night until waaay too late.  I find his writing very engaging.

Here's the rub.  I've only read a couple of his many novels, and those gave me nightmares. Consequently, I'm not likely to read any more.  It's a pity, but it can't be helped.  I have enough trouble with sleep without waking up screaming in the small hours.  Come to think of it, his non-fiction interfered with my sleep too.  Only in a good way.  Sort of.  I didn't get nightmares.  To the contrary.  But I ended up grouchy all the same.

This brings me back to the time issue.  There doesn't seem to be enough.  I'm not sure why.  Priorities I guess.  I have too many.  Need to pay  those bills.  Feed the kids.  Taxi the kids.  Should spend more time cleaning the house.  Make the costumes.  Meet the friends for Halloweening.  

It's the personal goals that get me in trouble.  Get the novel finished.  Read more.  (Stephen King says writers should be reading every day.  Reading every day?  I can't find time to write every day!)  Get the two stories I've got brewing in my head down on paper.  Send a note to my cousin who's recuperating.  Touch base with my Grandma and Aunts.

Are any of these less of a priority that others? No.  They are all important.  And all part of my job - of who I am in this world.  The trick is fitting it all in.  So maybe it doesn't matter if I read books that give me nightmares after all.  I'm destined to be short on sleep regardless.

And the timer signaling dinner is ready has been going off for at least three minutes!