2013 Winner!

Okay! I won NaNo! I still don't have a decent plot and the story is not finished, but I did the 50,000 words and now I can lay off until after Thanksgiving and enjoy the Holidays with a free conscience. I have the beginning of a new novel that may work out to be something great with a lot of work. I would not be that far along if I had not set myself this goal. I reminded myself that I can write even when I don't want to and that it can still be good and fun at the same time. Was it worth it? Yes I think it was. I needed something to prove to myself that I can set a goal and reach it. I did that and I feel good about that. Now I can move on to finish some other things that need my attention and know that I'm able to reach a goal, even a sort of hard one. I am a goal winner!

Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo

My book is done and I'm sending out query letters. Wow, I've already received one rejection! Thanks to the age of e-mail, it came the very next day. I'll send out a few more tomorrow, but come November it's out with the old and in with the new.
I'm getting ready to write the best NaNo-novel of the century. I've got a killer premise and a great character bible all worked out. Now, if I only had a plot . . .  Never fear, I will have one in a day or two, or I will start anyway and hope that the story unfolds into something organized.
I'm counting my blessings that I have something to take my mind off the whole query/rejection roller coaster. With NaNoWriMo in the works who has time to fret over a little note that says, "Sorry, I am not a good fit for this?" Who can stop their frantic creative juices long enough to wonder why some agent with a hundred other submissions doesn't think yours is the one that will set the world talking? Who has time to stew over such minor disappointments? Not I, I have NaNo-novel to comfort me. That old book is done, for better or worse,
and I shall move onward with fervor to the next.

Turn the Other Cheek, Don't Bare 'Em Both.

Today, and for many days past, I have been thinking about all the negative angst out there over religion.
I have always believed myself to be tolerant and open minded, but lately I have found myself caught up feeling angry and defensive. I'm trying to get over that.
What makes it really hard for me to understand is the bashing that goes on. Everyone is always pointing fingers and calling each other names, as if believing differently than them makes the other people bad. Where does that come from?
In my church "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men he same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." (Article of Faith #11)
I only wish that others would allow me the same privilege.
Let me put it this way. If you don't believe in Christ or Buddha or Mohammad or whoever, and you think that they never really existed or that they were just men who fooled everyone, then how can you get so bent out of shape at those who do? I don't believe in Santa Clause or Harry Potter or Doctor Who, but if you want to believe that they are real, that's no skin off my nose.
It would not offend me if you put a statue of Harry Potter on your lawn, or a TARDIS on your roof  for the Holidays (might actually think the last was funny). So why would it offend you if I put a manger scene on my lawn, or a cross on my roof? After all, to you it is only a symbol of a mythical story about a person who never really existed. It does not offend me to see a Menorah in a window or a statue of the Virgin Mary in someones front yard. But it would offend me to see those things being belittled, even though they are not a part of my own religion. It is their inalienable right to believe how they may. That is what this country used to be based on; freedom of religion, freedom of speech. That is why the pilgrims came here in the first place.
There are people who believe in Christ and people who don't, so get over it. Oh dear, I used the 'C word', how crass of me. We are not allowed to use that word because, good grief, it may offend someone.
But hey, when you cross out Christ and call it Xmas, DUH, you don't think that offends anyone? There are still a whole lot of Christians out there and as one of them I'm here to tell you that that offends ME. So while you are screaming about being politically correct you may consider practicing what you preach.
Well, I've ranted long enough. So to end I will just say, "So what if the other guy bares both cheeks instead of turning the other? It's not my problem, it's theirs."

Something Brilliant

It's been eight months since I blogged. That's too long, but as always I put it off thinking that I'll come up with something brilliant to say. I still haven't done that so I'm going to settle for something, ah . . . um . . . well . . . at least something.

Why is it so often we hold ourselves back waiting for the perfect comment or the perfect situation to arise instead of just getting on with enjoying our lives? Seems like I'm always waiting for something good to happen instead of getting on the ball and living in a way to make it happen.

"When I get published, then I will  . . ."
"When I finally lose the weight, then I'll . . ."
"When we make a lot of money, then we can . . . "

"When I stop procrastinating things will be so much better."

Procrastination, in my case is just my way of avoiding life. I spend a lot of time escaping too. Too many books, movies, video games, these are all escapes for me. When I don't want to meet life head on, I escape into some form of entertainment that has nothing to with real life.

But you know what? When I do finally get down to living my goals instead of wishing them, My world becomes so much better. This month I'm finally finishing my novel in progress. I'm making headway on living my dreams in all areas of my life. I'm still looking forward to things getting better, but it's no longer a false hope. It's a reality, because I'm making it a reality and I feel really good about that.

Turning the wrong way on a one way street.

I plagiarized the title of this blog post so I apologise to the fellow writer who coined it and thank him for the inspiration it provided. You see, I belong to an online writer's group that I really enjoy. However, occasionally I find myself feeling very out of place there. I'm not surprised actually that the bigger part of them are very liberal, left wing types. After all, it is a group of writers from all over the world, so by nature that would be expected. It is hard sometimes however not to feel like the poor tourist who accidentally turns the wrong way and gets shouted and honked at by the oncoming traffic.

The web sight is well moderated and politics are not allowed, so there is seldom any serious fracas. I love the sight and have learned a great deal about the craft of writing there. It's not the sight I am annoyed at, or even liberals in general, it's certain people.  I am always amazed at how quick some are to jump into the mob and pummel anyone who unwisely voices a, shall we say conservative for lack of a better word, point of view.

I am amazed and annoyed at some people who claim to be advocating tolerance for minorities, who in fact are shouting from the roof tops to support their pet group, yet when confronted with the opposing viewpoint are the least tolerant and most vindictive people in the world.

I'm very conservative and I hold fast to what some would call old fashioned traditional values. But I try very hard to be tolerant of those who express more fashionable views. My concern is that in so doing I'm quickly sliding into a quiet minority myself. It's ironic that those of us on the right more and more often find ourselves standing lonely and frightened in a crowd of screaming liberals.

The part that makes me angry is that I feel like these radicals are claiming their own so called rights by stomping on mine, especially where freedom of speech is concerned.

For example, nobody batted an eye after Obama won the election and in a very poor show of tolerance (not to mention hitting a man when he's already beaten) Romney was held up in a post as a "Hitler in the room." Yet when I stated that in my opinion it was the other way about you would have thought a two headed snake had jumped up and bitten them on the bum. It's very hard to remain tolerant in the face of such prejudice. We all have our sore spots after all, and I have the right to nurse mine as much as anyone. But enough of that, water under the bridge. I thank again a level headed moderator who smoothed it all over.

Let's just say that "thank goodness this is MY blog and I can say whatever I like."

Negative comments will be tolerated, I will not pummel you, but it's still MY blog.

 

 

Yes, I'm already excited to go to LDStorymakers conference in May. I hope to see some old friends and make some new.
I'm all signed up for bootcamp, and some awsome classes. Can't wait.

I'm super excited to see Anne Perry and soak up some of her wizdom and experience.
It looks like this will be the best year ever.
Even if you are not a writer but just a fan you can get tickets to hear her key note address.

Every time I have attended I've more than gotten my moneys worth. I hope to see many of you there! If your not signed up yet, go here