I hate it when I want something that I can't have

I want this poster, and I want to be in London on June 29th. Since they are selling it there at the festival, and it is limited, I won't get either desire fulfilled.   Bummer. My life is incomplete.

The Last Day of Freedom

Today is the last day of school for the kids. Since this is my last day of freedom, I contemplated what I wanted to do with my last few  of precious hours. I realized what I most wanted to do was write. I want to write with pure silence in my house. I know there will be no distractions, no fighting, no whining. 

So, I am off to immerse myself in my latest plot.  I will surface at 3:00 to go pick up son #1 from school.

Families are handy for reading through manuscripts

My kind husband has been reading my latest manuscript out loud to the family every night.  Though I sometimes want to pull my hair out in frustration over the obnoxious teenage comments and the silliness during dramatic scenes, overall it is a useful tool for editing. Here are a few reasons why:

1.                  Having the manuscript read out loud by someone else helps me to notice the errors.  Sometimes, no matter how many times I read the pages, my eyes will slip over little mistakes.

2.                  You hear any awkward dialogue. What I read and what I hear are completely different. I especially notice when I haven’t thrown in a contraction that would be used when speaking.

3.                  My MC is a teenage boy. This is where the obnoxious teenage comments actually help. Since I’m the only girl in the family, it is obvious when I have written something out of character for a boy. In my first book I had a teenage boy giggle. I will never make that mistake again. The ridicule was unbearable.

I recommend if you can, having somebody read out loud at least the dialogue parts of your manuscript. It can be both an entertaining and a learning experience.

Civil War and ethics

Been doing more research on the Civil War and it really got me thinking.  At what point does a person abandon their friends and family to fight in war against those they love?  I would have to feel that the cause I was fighting for was more important than my loved ones.
     That isn't an easy thing to do.  The only way I could fight against my family is if I honestly believed that they were doing something so evil and wrong that they had to be stopped. Luckily, I have never been put in that position.
     Reading letters from the Civil War has been fascinating and emotional. It is easy to forget that wars are fought by individuals who  have a personal lives. Every soldier had a mother; they were once small innocent children.

I really want this dining room

This dining room is my dream room.  I love the colors, the ceiling lamp and the sunny windows. 

Creating characters that are real and interesting

    I admit it, I'm obsessed with my main characters.  I am beginning to feel like they are real people. Is that necessarily a bad thing? Of course not.  It means I am being a detailed author. (I am not insane, so stop saying that).  So, what have I done lately to better grasp my Main Character's personalities?
     First off, my main character, Paul, is short. He's 5'2" and knows that he isn't going to grow much taller.  How does he deal with that?  In order to better understand how he would feel, I went searching on forums and blogs for posts from teenagers who are of smaller stature. 
     It was helpful to read personal experiences from guys who are in a similar situation to Paul.  I also picked up useful information that I wouldn't have thought about, like buying clothes and shoes for men who are the same size as boys.  
     'I've also spent time deciding what types of foods he likes, what does he do when he has free time, what does he really dislike, what does he love?  It all helps to make are more rounded character. 

I am a Patient Person, Honestly

I understand, I live in Oregon. We get a lot of rain here, especially in the Spring.  But I am so tired of not seeing the sun.  It has been an abnormally wet year.  There is moss growing in my hair, and everyone thinks I am tan, but it is actually rust.
     Seriously, I am ready for some sunshine and heat.  I have my garden planted, but it won't grow without sunlight.  Please Mr. Sun, come out and play soon.