Monthly Archives: November 2009

An “ah-ha” moment!

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I spent much of today with a writer friend of mine, and right before I was to leave, I had a stunning revelation!

The reason I’m struggling so hard to express my creativity lies in years and years of daily journalism.

Ah-ha!

Yesterday, I was an editor’s dream. My grammar was spot on, my punctuation perfect, my facts checked and re-checked, my copy was readable, tight, and in perfect inverted pyramid format. I didn’t need to be creative, or think about word count, or wonder if someone was going to buy or read my story — I had a ready-made audience, and I became so practiced at what I did that it wasn’t much of a challenge any more.

Time to tackle a new objective, writing a novel.

Now, you might think that since I’ve written practically my entire life, a novel would be a cake-walk.

You’d be wrong.

It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever undertaken.

Besides handling the basics — grammar, punctuation, spelling, research — I’ve learned I have to worry about plot, structure, dialog, point of view, first lines that “hook,” resolving all brought-up issues, characterization, timeline, setting, tension, denouement, final chapters that resonate with readers, and a gazillion other things while I’m writing.

Suddenly, there’s no magic formula other than “show, don’t tell.”

So I’m tackling this project the same way I usually tackle something new — researching the daylights out of it, soaking up as much information as possible from others more experienced than I, and practicing, practicing, practicing!

This struggle to free myself from the constraints of “formulaic” prose is frustrating. Why can’t I slap words on a page like my writing friend and have them mean something, tell a story, invoke feelings? What happened to the creativity I exhibited as a child? What can I do to get it back?

 

 

Football: Ya win some, ya lose some

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I refuse to talk about Notre Dame football today. Suffice it to say, I’m as angry and disappointed as gazillions of other Irish fans — and I hadn’t even bet any money on the outcome!

The coaches, the students, the alums, the nay-sayers — everybody has an opinion about what went wrong in Notre Dame’s 27-22 loss to No. 8 Pitt yesterday, as well as what needs to happen to fix things before they get worse. Some are quick to suggest firing Coach Charlie Weis; others point blame at the program itself, or at the refs, or the penalties, or whatever.

So really, there’s no sense in my weighing in with an opinion. I’m not a coach; I’m not a player; I’m not an owner.

On second thought, let me just say one thing, then I’ll move on to something else — you can’t expect to win football games by spending the first three quarters of the game in a foggy slumber! Since South Bend and Pittsburgh are in the same (Eastern) time zone, that wasn’t the problem (maybe it was having to leave campus on a Friday the 13th??). Regardless, the team struggled through three quarters, racking up only 3 measly points, before attempting to come alive following two touchdowns by dynamic wide receiver Golden Tate.

Unfortunately, it was too little, too late.

A 15-yard chop block penalty, along with a dubious fumble call on quarterback Jimmy Clausen, brought things to a screeching halt, and the Irish have to make do with a 6-4 record while awaiting two more games this season.

*********************

On a much happier note, anybody watch my Ole Miss Rebels beat the tar out of a fine Tennessee team on nationwide TV Saturday??

Posting their first win against the Vols since 1983, the Rebs struck hard and fast, eventually claiming a 42-17 victory AND clinching bowl eligibility for the second straight year!

This was an Ole Miss team that looked fabulous and played as one, with passion, guts, and determination. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have the likes of quarterback Jevan Snead (only sacked once), Brandon Bolden (two touchdowns), and senior wide receiver Dexter McCluster (who posted all kinds of rushing records and went for four touchdowns, including a 71-yard beauty)!

Now let’s pray they do as well next week against LSU (at least the game’s in Oxford!) and in their last regular season game against cross-state rival Mississippi State. Go Rebs!

 

Just a tiny suggestion…

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It’s traditional for the Notre Dame Band to play the Alma Mater for students and the team after a home football game.

Students link arms and sway while singing, the alumni get teary-eyed, and the team members remove helmets and proceed to the student section, where they join in the song.

It’s unfortunate this tradition can’t be continued during away games.

I understand that the cost of transporting some 400 Band members, plus their instruments and uniforms, to every away game would be prohibitive. But how about sending a trio of trumpet players (or even one?) That way, those students and alumni attending the game, along with the team, could still enjoy a bit of tradition even far from home.

After all, the cheerleaders and leprechaun accompany the team to away games. Why not let one Band kid? It would be an honor to represent the University and the Band — perhaps it could be a rotating honor among senior students — and it could serve as a recruitment tool, too.

Obviously, one person can’t put on a halftime show or even provide sufficient sound from the sidelines to overcome stadium noise. Nor can we expect an opposing team’s band to play Notre Dame’s songs with the same passion as our musicians. But wouldn’t it be grand hearing a trio of Band members harmonizing, or even a solitary trumpet playing, the haunting tune to “Notre Dame, Our Mother?”

At Notre Dame, there’s cohesion among the students, the team, and the alumni. What better way to provide continuity of tradition than to send even a tiny part of the Band to away games?

Protagonists/Antagonists

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While I was at the Writer’s Intensive conference in Cincinatti last month, I took some time to browse their selection of mostly “how-to” books and decided their 10 percent discount was too good to pass up.

I purchased The Fire in Fiction, a 265-page paperback by writer/literary agent Donald Maass of New York City.

Because I’ve been swamped in re-writing my novel, setting up this blog, running my Web Design business, AND tending to my family, I haven’t been able to immerse myself in reading; however, this reference book is one that should be on every writer’s bookshelf (or, better, beside the computer!)

Maass grabs you from the get-go by reminding you that it takes 10 hours to read the average novel, and readers usually spend 10 days with a single book. That means we writers must create a bond between reader and protagonist. Maass says too many submissions to his agency involve protagonists who are flawed, hopeless, cardboard stereotypes who, instead of engaging the reader, turn him off.

Nobody wants to spend 10 minutes with someone who’s always whining about his past or someone who’s perfect and has a perfect life!

To counteract this problem, Maass suggests writers get inside their characters’ heads and hearts as soon as they can. He says even a tiny positive characteristic will convince readers your protagonist is worthy of their time, and that likeable heroes generally have self-awareness and even poke fun at their own flaws.

Maass decries the antagonists he meets in too many manuscripts — they’re just too evil, he says. Instead, writers should look at the people who oppose them in real life; even the “helpers” with the highest of intentions are rarely deterred. To truly be frightening, he says, antagonists must be human and understandable, active and determined.

I can hardly wait to read more!

Christmas decorating early

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OK, so I succumbed!

I had absolutely no intention of putting out the Christmas decorations this early, but here in the Midwest, we take advantage of mild, pretty days when we get ’em.

Today’s temperature was flirting with the 60-degree mark, the sun was shining, and thankfully, the wind was only a puff, so I dug the Christmas lights from the storage boxes in the garage and decorated a few trees in the front yard.

I know the neighbors thought I’d lost it; shoot, y’all probably agree with them!

Sorry, but I’ve gotten caught more times than I care to admit, waiting until it’s “proper” to decorate — and then having to wrestle a stiff 40 mph gale right out of the North, not to mention having to string lights with mittens on!

No, sir, that’s NOT my idea of fun.

Maybe I spent too much time down South, where folks can pretty much decorate whenever the “spirit” overtakes them. Probably my blood thinned out while I was there, too.

Regardless, me and frigid weather don’t gee haw.

So whoever wants to be “proper” can have at it. Me, I’m finished with this chore and happy as a clam.

Of course, I won’t be turning the lights on until at least after Thanksgiving, just to keep everybody happy (and then I’ll be praying for another pretty day in January so I can get them boxed up again!)

Catching 40 Winks

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I haven’t met many middle-of-the-roaders when it comes to the subject of daytime naps.

Now I’m not talking about the occasional daydream when you’re doing a mundane or repetitious chore, or the close-your-eyes-for-five-minutes sort of respite in mid-afternoon. I’m referring to the practice of laying down and drifting into Nod for a half hour or more while the world carries on without you.

In many countries, a siesta (Spanish for the sixth hour after sunup, or 12 noon) is commonplace, perhaps because of the heat of the day, perhaps because of the size of the midday meal. And some people certainly seem to need a break from their everyday routine. In fact, one 2007 study indicated that folks who nap are 30 percent less likely to die of heart disease than those who don’t.

I’ve resisted napping most of my life. If truth be told, I suspect it started when I was pre-elementary school aged, and my mom insisted we kids take a nap every day after lunch. To sweeten the pot, she promised a quarter to the one who fell asleep first. Not being particularly interested in working that hard for a measly 25 cents, I of course was the last to drift off, if I ever did!

Even today, Mom is a napper, and all her close friends seem to know it. The phone doesn’t ring, the doorbell doesn’t chime, the TV is turned off while she grabs forty winks.

I once had a boss who was another staunch believer in naps. Every day after lunch, Miss Dot would ask one of us girls to wake her up in 45 minutes or so while she took a snooze on the couch in the ladies’ restroom. I remember going in there and finding her curled on her side, face to the wall, peacefully catching some zzz’s, and I always marveled that anybody could fall asleep in such busy (and smelly!) surroundings!

When I was pregnant with My Favorite Domer, I was working in pharmaceutical sales — luckily for me, I was managing my own time and territory. As soon as I’d made my last call, I beelined home and curled up on the sofa, where I promptly fell fast asleep for at least an hour. Nothing like hormones to turn a person into a napper!

But MFD took after me, I guess, and, after enduring naps for a couple of years, finally swore off them. To this day, he enjoys a “quiet time” mid-afternoon, but for him, that means he’s on his computer, playing music, or some such.

About the only times I succumb to naps now are when I’m sick or after that Thanksgiving or Christmas Day feast. People blame the tryptophan found in turkey as a sleep-inducer, but it could be something as simple as deviation from the norm — eating a BIG meal mid-day, when I’m used to lighter fare.

At any rate, that 2007 study also suggested that if you get a chance to nap, you should take it, and if you’re used to napping, you shouldn’t stop. So don’t feel guilty about napping — besides restoring your spirits for the rest of the day, it just might save your life!

Dog Beautification 101

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Most people I talk to are genuinely surprised when I tell them I groom my Sheltie.

Some are probably of the opinion that only professional groomers should “dabble” in grooming; others probably wonder why I’d “waste” my time on something like this; still others probably never thought a Sheltie would need grooming.

In case you don’t know, a Sheltie (or Shetland Sheepdog) is a breed of dog with two coats — a long, straight, outer coat, and a short, fluffy, dense undercoat. Think about it for a minute, okay? You brush your hair; why shouldn’t a Sheltie want his hair brushed? Besides helping distribute the skin’s natural oils, brushing removes old hair and helps with the shedding process (yes, Shelties do shed!)

And just as people need haircuts every so often, Shelties need to be trimmed. I trim the fur from between the pads on his paws (so he won’t bring mud or snow into the house). I also trim excess hair around his face and ears, thin out his kilts (the bushy part of his backside by the tail), thin the fringes on his front legs and hocks, and shape up his paws so they’ll be tight and rounded. No “house shoes” around here; the pretty little “cat foot” is a much more desirable look!

And speaking of paws, a dog’s toenails need regular trimming, or they’ll turn under and basically make him crippled (not a pretty thought). Since it’s nearly impossible to determine where to cut on black nails — you don’t want to cut into the quick or you’ll inflict pain and see a lot of bright, red blood — I always start on one of my dog’s white nails. Then I use an emery board to file each nail after I’ve cut it, so he doesn’t accidentally scratch me later! Some people swear by those battery-operated nail filers (like the Pedipaws advertised on TV), but I haven’t tried one yet. Anybody know if they work?

Which brings me to another question. Why do I do it? Obviously, the first reason has to be financial. I probably don’t groom as often as I should, but I try to do it every other week. Look how the costs would add up for something like that! I’m guessing I save a couple hundred dollars a year.

Then, too, I do it myself because it gives my dog and me a special time of “bonding.” Most dogs hate being handled, bathed, nails trimmed, etc., but mine is as docile as a lamb. He trusts me; he knows I won’t hurt him and he’ll get a special treat when all’s said and done! One “traumatic” trip to a groomer — I don’t care how careful he or she is — and all that foundation would be for naught.

It takes about an hour for this task, but the results are so worth it — don’t you agree??

a groomed Sheltie

my Sheltie all prettied up

Music for Writing

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My Favorite Domer finally sent me a belated birthday present, and I couldn’t be happier!

It’s a CD from the Band of the Fighting Irish for the 2003 season, and besides including all the favorites — the Victory March, the Alma Mater, Damsha Bua (the Victory Clog), and Hike Notre Dame, to name just a few — it has a little jazz (Birdland), some rock (Bohemian Rhapsody), some oldies (Saturday in the Park), classical (1812 Overture), and whimsical (Mario Medley).

As someone who spends a lot of time at my computer, I really appreciate being able to choose different styles of music to listen to. When I’m doing Web Design, I find myself tuning in to rock, usually something with lyrics (especially those I can sing along with!). I find it helps me focus (especially if I’m just doing routine maintenance on a site I’ve created!). But no way can I write fiction with somebody singing — too many words, and I’ve lost all track of my storyline!

So instrumental music becomes my primary companion when I write (and re-write). I often opt for classical — Mozart is a perennial favorite — and I have a stack of CDs and an MP3 loaded with hours of background music. In addition, MFD has compiled numerous CDs for me (“writing music,” he calls it) — everything from hard and soft rock (no lyrics!) to movies themes, piano and other instrumental selections.

One of my writing buddies is the exact opposite. She can’t write with any music in the background (she calls it “noise”). I wonder if it’s true that one person’s “noise” is another person’s “music?”  Whatever, I find it distracting to listen to things like the pipes creaking, branches scraping the gutter, and even owls hooting — must be because I write suspense fiction!

How about other writers out in blog-land? What’s your pleasure — music or silence? And, if music, what type?

 

Ladybugs

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It’s finally started — the Influx of the Ladybugs!

These small, (usually) polka-dotted, reddish-orange beetles are swarming all over the Midwest at this time of year. Farmers and gardeners love them because they feed on aphids and other insects that destroy plants and crops. Kids love to watch them scurry around, climbing up and down windows and bricks (especially the ones on the warm, southwestern sides of buildings).

But they’re everywhere!

Before I get too far into ranting, I’d better make a distinction. The ladybug native to U.S. soils is rather cute, as evidenced by the fact that one national sorority I know of selected it as its special symbol. It’s the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle that’s wearing on my last nerve. I’m told it was imported into this country almost a century ago to help farmers control pest populations naturally.

Today, they’re everywhere!

They slip into warm houses, looking for a place to hibernate over the winter. They come in on your clothing, sneak into your garage on your car, and even attach themselves to dog fur and ride Fido in.

Once in, count on them to stay in. If you try to scoop them up, they “play dead,” squirting out a stinky yellowish substance The Ladybug Lady says is blood from their legs. If you leave them be, they’ll periodically take flight and zip to another, usually warmer, location. The best way to keep them out is to caulk and repair even the tiniest of cracks in windows and door trim; once they’re in, you can suck them up with a shop vac and release them outside — just know they’ll probably find their way back!

And they’re everywhere!

Fortunately, they’re not poisonous to humans. However, the Asian variety is said to be more aggressive, and I believe it. If one lands on you, send it on its merry way or be prepared for a bite, which feels like a tiny sting. Also, I find their scurrying little legs feel irritating when they land on bare skin!

The Ladybug Lady says that dry indoor heat usually does them in, but occasionally, one will survive the entire season, only to fly off when spring arrives. That’s a long time to live with bugs in your house!

And remember, they’re everywhere!

Gaining on it!

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Wow, what a difference a day makes! That, and some new medicine!

I know what I said yesterday — about staying home when you’re sick. I meant it. I probably should have qualified it, though, by saying, “Stay home IF you’re able to.” And I wasn’t. I had to have meds, and everything in my own stash had either expired or was for something other than the cold I have.

So no, I wasn’t trying to infect the rest of you! And in my defense, I did keep to myself and was only in there 10 minutes max. Hey, it takes that long to look over the various choices (all screaming, “Buy me! Buy me!”), read the indications, useage, and warnings on all the boxes, then play “Eeny, meeny, miney, moe” until you’ve got one left!

I purchased a box of non-drowsy Sudafed PE Triple Action, which promised it would get rid of my sinus headache, sinus pressure and congestion, and chest congestion. I figured if it could at least get rid of the headache, it would be worth its price in spades!

I took two caplets and, while I didn’t feel better instantly, it was pretty fast. The headache went away, I can breathe again, and I don’t feel like there’s cotton batting in my head! Of course, my nose is still runny, my eyes are watery, and I’m coughing and sneezing, but hey, this at least is manageable. Nor did I suffer any of the possible bad reactions, like nervousness, sleeplessness, or dizziness. How wonderful to find something that works for a change (thanks, McNeil!!)

On an unrelated note, both my Rebels and the Irish are active today. Ole Miss (5-3 overall) takes on Northern Arizona (also 5-3) at home in Oxford; Notre Dame (6-2 overall) hosts Navy (6-3) in South Bend. I’ll repeat my ongoing beef with televised coverage of college football match-ups — why can’t we watch the halftime shows??? These Band kids work as hard as the football players, yet the announcers are quick to come on and yak about statistics, replays, predictions, scores from other games, etc. I know it’s possible for them to put a small square in one corner of the screen and show the Band there, while still letting the announcers have their fun; so why don’t they do it?