No Motivation

I sat down the other day with my trusty computer and opened my writing file. It is a woeful mess that makes me blush in shame when I look at it. It accurately reflects my writing life at this point, though, so I didn't do anything to organize it. Sounds odd, doesn't it? I leave it a shambles to remind me that my writing self is in shambles. You would think I'd put some type of order to it with the hopes that it would motivate me to writing success. I find, though, that I don't even want to touch the files. It's kinda like those cooties we were so scared of getting from other kids when we were little. I don't have a full writing cootie suit so I keep my distance. One day, when I feel empowered, I will jump right into the middle of the sludge and start slinging the muck everywhere.

I have been reading just about everything I can get my hands on in recent weeks. I will recommend Tasha Alexander and her mystery series in this post. They are not terribly deep mysteries but there is potential there for greatness if she ever decides to go deeper. She is a wonderful storyteller and her style of description not only lets you see the scenes with clarity, they are cleverly done so as not to burden you with the narrative of them. The romance of the stories is a bit overdone for the true mystery lover and I'm not sure her characters would actually have existed in their time but its nice to dream. If you need some light reading with an unexpectedly good murder thrown in, "And Only To Deceive" is the beginning. Happy reading.

In other news, Em has her new computer and is thoroughly enjoying not worrying if the next keystroke will be the last one for her. She's also waiting till May when she'll get her permit and start driving with supervision. YIKES! T is eagerly waiting for the new "Portal" game to come out. They've been advertising it a lot lately. Gams is doing well, though work has been tough on her this week. And I'm struggling with UNIX. Such is life.

Deanna Raybourn's Mystery Series

I've been reading the mystery series by Deanna Raybourn with her lead character Lady Jane Grey. "Silent In The Grave" is the first in the series and does a good job of introducing the family to you. The mystery itself is a bit slow in starting and the fact that it is set in the 1880's severely curtails the amount of action the main character sees. She is, after all, a lady of high society and she is trying not to become an outcast. The murderer was a bit obvious but Raybourn does a nice job in making him evil at the end. This was someone I did not mind seeing get burned.

"Silent In The Sanctuary" follows the first book rather nicely although it is more of a romp at the family home than a really good mystery. The story is pleasantly written and I found myself smiling more than once at the ridiculousness of the March family. The mystery is fluffy but the book is enjoyable.

The third installation of the series is "Silent On The Moor". The headstrong Lady Julia is warned not to go to the moors where her wannabe lover is, so, of course, she packs up and goes. This mystery is more deserving of the title mystery than the other two books combined. Not only is there a fairly good mystery happening but the murky background of Lady Julia's true love are revealed in this one. The question of who Mariah is and why she is important is finally answered.

I am currently reading the fourth in the series, "Dark Road to Darjeeling". Thank goodness Raybourn quit with the silent theme in the titles. It was getting irritating. Lady Julia heads to India after her sister's lover and to find out if a murder happened. That's as far as I have gotten.

I will say this about the author, she has a writing style that is enjoyable. She knows how to string out a romance to keep you wondering if the two will ever get together, she writes a great murder scene with all the clues but not obvious pointers to the murder, and she keeps the story moving so that even though her mysteries are not hard core suspense they do keep you entertained. Obviously, this works for me even though I love the grittier works as well. I would recommend this author and her works to anyone who just wants a bit of light reading with a cute murder mystery thrown in for good measure. We all need to be entertained. Enjoy.

Two Bad Reviews

I read "Dissolution" by C.J. Sansom and I was sadly disappointed in it. I waited for the bookstore to get this book in stock for about a month so I could buy it. I was so psyched for this one. It sounded so good and the reviews were awesome. Yes, well, this book had the makings of a really great mystery but fell into the comfortable habit of describing every arch, doorway, window enclosure, priest and weather pattern change. Believe me, these patterns became quite comfortable after the first ten pages. Every time the author had a chance to really move the story forward the insertion of the weather happened or we must stop to look at the completely awesome architecture of a Norman monastery. Those that know me know that I love historic building so it isn't that aspect I object to in particular. Rather, it is the habitual stopping of the story in order for the author to catch his breath just in case the next few pages don't go as he wishes ... apparently. In a few words, this was a total waste of talent, money, and paper.

I also read "The Man Called Outlaw" by K.M. Weiland. I'm glad I bought it as an ebook. It would have been a waste of money otherwise. It's set in the old west but I never ran across a more weeny bunch of men in my life. Once again, the talent behind the book is tremendous and I know there are quite a few out there that love the book. I was expecting so much more from it than it delivered. By the end, I really wanted the bad guy to just shoot the good guy and put him out of his misery. I mean, duh, the bad guy is hurting the good guy's girl. I was left with the feeling the good guy had no balls at all. Sorry, K.M., truly I am. I just like a man who isn't afraid to take action and stand up for himself and the woman he's hot for. Didn't happen till the very, very end of the book. This sucks. So, my advice is don't bother with it.

Feel free to disagree with me if you want. You won't hurt my feelings. I at least made it through K.M.'s book. I couldn't stomach the second half of C.J.'s. I had to quit before I started making notes in the margins and marking out whole sections of text.

And, there you have it. Two harsh reviews for two very talented writers. That's the problem. The talent shines through quite spectacularly. The books ... well, not so much.

Spring Reading

Spring is here and the flowers are coming up in abundance here in NC. I love this time of year. Everything is so fresh and green; the flowers are so colorful. I've been taking pictures like crazy as they open up. A friend of mine has a printer that will make huge pictures so I think I'm going to try one or two and see what happens. I know you'll all be on pins and needles to find out what happens.

I've been reading some good books. T.F. Banks' "The Thief Taker" is one I'd highly recommend. It's a mystery set in England circa 1815. I liked it so well I bought the next in the series "The Emperor's Assassin". I'm almost done with it and it's just as good as the first. Henry Morton makes a great main character and his lady-love, Arabella Malibrant, is an equally engaging character. If you have a chance and you love mysteries, I encourage you to read this author. I'm getting ready to read "Dissolution" by C.J. Sansom. I'll let you know if it's worth your time and money next time.

In other news, T has applied for a job with Verizon Ampitheater. He'll be able to attend all the concerts there for free if he gets the job. I hope he gets it even though it will mean some interesting maneuvering with the car schedule. Em has finished drivers' ed. There were no deaths during the driving portion and all trees and phone poles were left unscathed. I am quite proud of her. Mom is trying to get her meds balanced. Anyone with health problems knows what this is like. I'm on spring break. School starts again the first week of April.

So, here is a thought to mull over, if you're in the car with your teenage son and a male enhancement commercial comes on the radio, resist the urge to make that snarky comment you're just dying to make. The resulting conversation is something you do not want to have. Trust me on this.

The Boy Is Writing

Good Lord, it's been forever since I've found my way here. I reread my last blog and I must say I had high expectations for the month of February. I've been writing like a whirling dervish but nothing that any of you would want to read. Well, unless you're interested in how mass media has affected society and created subcultures. If you wish to read about that amazing phenomenon, let me know and I'll email you all the information you could possibly want on the subject.

I got the shock of my life when T came to me last evening to ask me to read a book he is writing. I was in such a stunned state that I think the poor boy thought I'd lost my mind for a moment. I'm sure he was looking for drool to be running out of my mouth. After remembering to breath again, I, of course, said absolutely I would look at his writing. Let me just say this, he has a great idea and he listened to my thoughts without getting all diva on me. Those of you who are writers know exactly what I'm talking about. You show your writing to someone, they say yes, I like it, but... and you start explaining why they are wrong about your precious. T didn't do that. For a person who is a self proclaimed non writer, he did a good job. There are admittedly sentence structure issues and a few lagging moments but his plot was there. His thinking was organized and he knew where he was in the story and where he wanted it to go. I was impressed. I did warn him not to think he would have an agent within the week but he definitely had something to work with. I will be interested to see how far it goes.

So, if I'm not writing, does it count that my son is? I think it should. Score for me. LOL

In other news, Em is in drivers' ed. This is her last week of classroom time then she hits the road. Thank God she's with an instructor. I'm not sure either of us would survive her first time behind the wheel if she was with me. T is going on Friday to get his final tier on his license. He gets a full license without restrictions when he is 18. It think this is just another way for the state to get a bit more money out of me. Every tier means a new picture and card which equals $15. Lovely. Mom is getting better. She was sick most of January and February. She had the flu a couple of times, bronchitis was in there somewhere, and now she's recovering from an inner ear infection that makes her walk like she's drunk. No balance at all. I think she'd be fine on a boat, though. And me? Well, you know, eat, sleep, work, school, shuttle kids. Same old, same old.

Oh, and by the way, did you know that "Scooby Doo" cartoons teach tolerance? Neither did I until I studied about mass media. But, that's a discussion for another day. Go Scooby!

My February Goal

If you have been reading here lately, you've noticed that I've picked up and put down several writing projects. You may think I have a billion pieces lying around just waiting for my attention but you would be wrong. I do have a few, that's true, but I have a problem that has nothing to do with which one to work on, nope, that isn't it. My problem is focus and by extension priorities.

When I first started back to school, I had to take a course about going back to school especially since there is the online element to some of the classes. They talked a great deal about focus, stress, priorities, and communicating all of these issues with everyone around me that might have a right to my time. In my school work, these items have never been an issue. If anyone in my house sees me at my computer, they leave me alone. I'm working and I'm not to be bothered.

So where is the issue, you ask. The issue lies in the fact that even when my homework is finished and I have free time, even when I've spent time with my family and feel free to pursue my own pursuits, I cannot focus on my own writing. I sit down with a great idea and before I know it I've completely wandered, mentally, into a different story or possibility of a different story or this story told from a different point of view or, well, the list goes on. None of these mental wanderings are necessarily bad but they are counter productive. If I can't get one good thought down, I have nothing to work with, no story to grow.

What have I been doing with my time then, you ask. I've been reading. I've read more books in the last few months than I have for several years. I love to read but I don't have a lot of time to do so. I bought a nook recently and that has given me the ability to carry my books with me easily and read while I'm waiting anywhere. It's great. I love it. However, I'm not writing.

With that in mind, I'm trying to think of ways to make myself write. I'd like to write a little everyday. I don't. By the time I remember to do it, I'm tired, my head hurts from all the computer work I do, or there are a million other excuses. I'd like to write ten pages every week not necessarily a bit every day but a total of ten no matter how often I write. Not happening. Can't seem to get that far. So, it's time to get tough with myself and focus. February is almost here and I've decided to set a goal that by the end of February I'll have written fifty pages. That really isn't such a huge goal, after all, I did write 50000 words in November. I'm tired of wanting to write and not being able to write. So, I'm going to write. I have decided. Yep, we'll see how far that gets me.

In other news, T is starting to require the car more and more. I'm all right with that. He is old enough to come and go mostly as he pleases but it puts a cramp in my style since I don't have the money to help him get his own car. Em is Em, not much else to say. Mom is finally starting to look and sound better. She caught the flu on top of the bronchitis but is actually up and moving around with purpose today. As for me, well, I'm still whining about my writing. What more is there to say?

Rant On Writing About Teens

Why is it that you can live with a teen, survive, just barely, that ugly teen gargoyle period, and still not be able to write a convincing teen in that same gargoyle stage? I've lived through it, I've been riding that roller coaster as a parent, and I've survived the first wave of it. Still, I cannot get it right on paper. Either that or the readers who say the kid is unlovable and therefore unsympathetic have never dealt with the wee beasties themselves. After all, how lovable and sympathetic do you think a teen is who has a death wish for you and every other form of authority they see? I mean sure, they can be sweet, when they need money, and they can be kind, when they need money, and they can even revert back to that sweet child you once knew, again, when they need money, but really, those moments aren't often enough to make you forget that, well, they need money. Have you ever tried to wrap your arms around a bony kid who absolutely doesn't want to be touched and unfortunately has the wit and quickness to state this with such rapier sharpness that they cut your heart out and hand it to you before you even know they've moved? They leave no finer feeling untrampled and no kindness appreciated. They are in a word unlovable. Yet, we do love them. So, how do you write it? Apparently, the opposite of how I write it. My kids are written as if you're viewing the world through their eyes. Things are totally unfair. The parent is unjust and downright unreasonable. I mean really, weren't your parents? Didn't they require more of you than you could possibly give? Didn't you heave sighs and roll your eyes and generally make yourself and anyone around you as miserable as possible? Yet, if I write it that way, suddenly my characters are horrors let loose on the world. Well, hello. What do you think populates our schools?

OK, enough rant. Now for the other stuff. I've made some progress on an old piece I found. It isn't much but it might make a good short story. I don't have a lot of time to devote to it and I'm not sure where in the world I would market it but it is fun to mess about with it.

I've been reading a couple of things outside my comfort zone. I like sci-fi/fantasy but not on a regular basis. I like it more in a movie than in a book mostly because the fight scenes are better visualized than read, at least in my imagination. However, the book "Something From The Nightside" by Simon R Green is a pretty good offering. It felt like those old black and white films of the PI and the blonde bombshell. I swear I could hear the movie music in the background and smell the smoke as I read the opening chapters. It gets a little cheesy at times and is in no way a serious read, but, it does nicely to pass the time and I love the ending. The story was completely predictable but fun and the ending was superior. You didn't really know how it was going to end even though you weren't completely surprised by it either. Over all, not a disappointment. I will read the next installment of it if only to find out if he really does keep the girl as his secretary ... and that's all I'm going to say.

In other news, Em had friends over this weekend. The mall may never be the same again. T showed real maturity in dealing with the girls. They are a couple of years younger than him and he could have really put them in their place. He was kind and even shared a few laughs with them before closing himself firmly in his room and sealing the door against all invaders. Smart boy. Mom has bronchitis that won't go away. She does not have pneumonia, the x-rays say so. Could have fooled me. I'm, well, I'm still here, still in school, and still keeping the balance. That's about it.

No Writing On Snow Days

Here we are in the new year with snow and ice and a couple of snow days. You'd think this is the perfect time to get some writing done. Umm, no. Between "Left for Dead" playing in the background in T's room with its screams and groans and gunshots, HGTV and the shopping channels my mom watches, the music and games Em's playing, and my homework, I can't find a quiet place to sit and think. I wish I had a snow day and everyone else did not.

I've got a new story banging around in my head, playing itself out, rewinding, changing, and playing again. I really want to start writing it but it isn't letting me get anything concrete on paper about it yet. It keeps changing about as fast as I try to nail the details down. So, I'll just wait on it to get tired and then quick scribble some of it on a piece of paper and see where it goes from there. This is really exciting for me. I was so terribly afraid that I'd lost my storytelling ability. With all the writing I do for school, my funner, fictional side went very quiet. Either that or the homework was screaming so loud I couldn't hear the fun stuff anymore. Now, though, it's back and it's loud and I'm so, so, so happy about that.

By the way, while I'm thinking about homework, Microsoft has a good program that creates flowcharts called Visio. Does anyone know of any other, preferably free, program that does something similar? I'm making oodles of flowcharts for some programming I'm doing and I will break down and buy Visio if I have to but I'm checking out all the alternatives first. If anyone has any good ideas, please let me know.

I've been reading a few good books over the past month or so. The first set I have read recently is the first four of the "Mistress of the Art of Death" series by Ariana Franklin. The first in the series goes by that same name. They are set in the 1100's so if you like mysteries of that period, I can heartily recommend them to you. They are well written and even though I arrived at the answer before they did, lets face it, that isn't hard to do in most mystery fiction, they weren't far behind my own deductions. She isn't an author that gives you everything you need to get to the answer then at the end throws you a curve ball by giving you the one piece of evidence that would have changed everything if you'd had it within the first five pages like the characters did. I hate those types of stories. Anyway, I think you'll like this set of books if you decide to give them a chance. I've read some others but I'll get to them in another post. We mustn't tell all we know in one go, you know.

In other news, both the kids are loving their snow days. I'm not sure if they realize they lose some of their time off school later to make up for these days, but if they don't, they will, eventually. Mom has a terrible cold. I had to ban her from being within three feet of me. She just has to sneeze and cough, geez, it's enough to give me a cold. I'm working my way through an avalanche of homework. It's insane how much you have to work through at the beginning of a course. It seems like it tapers off till the last couple of weeks then you're deluged again. NOT enjoying this. Speaking of avalanches, we have four inches of snow on the ground. That's all I'm going to say about it. Most of you already know what I think about this already. Sigh.

Words of wisdom: If someone throws a snowball at you in August, duck, it's probably a baseball. Just thought you should know.