BLOGGER RHYTHMS

Yesterday…

On yet another agent’s blog…

The question was raised…

Does blogging take time away from authors W.I.P?

(or worse, does blogging make writers less able to write anything with more substance)
(oh, I think we writers can handle different types of writing.)
But getting back to if blogging takes precious time away from real writing…

At least for me it doesn’t. I do it first thing in the morning.
But first is so relative…

Because always…

When it’s time for me to post…

I’ll look at the writers and agents blogs that I follow and…

Someone has beat me to it.

Like 20 minutes ago, or 5 minutes ago…

And yesterday, 5 seconds ago!

So my “first thing” is always the “last thing” in blog posting time.

What in the heck time do you authors and agents get up anyway?
So last night …
I decided to break my routine…
And get up earlier this morning to post my blog so I could be “first!”
And I did.

Got up even before my cat started stalking me to feed her.

While my coffee brewed…

Instead of thinking about what I was going to blog about. . .

(because I already knew what I was going to blog about today—this post)

My mind had time to wander…

Maybe I’ll water my plants.

And I did.

Hmm? Maybe I should pull out the dead leaves on–

Damn it!

Dirt everywhere!

Got the broom out and cleaned the mess.

Hmm? Why not keep sweeping?

And I did.

Hmm? The floor is really filthy. It won’t take long to wash it.

And I did.

Twenty minutes later—what in the heck was I doing?

Got to get upstairs and blog!

And I did. Or tried to.

But the cat was still on her routine and–

PEW!

Got to clean the litter box.

And I did.

I then looked at the clock and realized…

It was now the same time as I usually get up.

So what was the point of rising earlier…

If after all was cleaned and done…

I’m sitting here at my laptop at my usual time?

So at least for me…

Early to rise…

And breaking the rhythm of my routine…

Is not blogging-wise.

Always, Em-Musing

THUNDER DUDS

Now that it’s spring…

Everything’s sprouting up all over…

Flowers…

Weeds…

And leather!

I was sitting at a red light the other day…

When I heard a roar approaching from behind.

A familiar sound…

One that used to startle and sometimes annoy me…

Not anymore.

Now I feel a thrill…

From the thunderous energy…

Of dozens of bikers on the road.

And all because of a bunch of orphans.

Years ago, I used to be a DJ on a classic rock station.

One day, I was asked if I wanted to do a charity bike run for the local orphanage.

At that time my realm of reference for “bike” was a 10-speed.

“You do know what you signed up for, don’t you?” my radio partner asked.

“Well, I think I do.”

“Hello? Bikes—Harley’s—Hogs!”

“Oh!”

And oh what nervous wreck I was not knowing what to expect.

Would I have to learn to ride a Harley?

What if I spilled and messed up not only the bike, but me?

And what would I wear?

The charity event consisted of at least a hundred bikers…

(from every chapter imaginable in the area)

Who, having bought a toy for an orphan…

Formed a police-escorted motorcade…

To the orphanage.

Well, thankfully I didn’t have to learn to ride…

But I was expected to ride in a sidecar.

NOT!

“We’re responsible for your safety,” Big Mike said to me.

“Is any other woman riding in a sidecar?”

“No.”

“Then neither am I.” I ain’t no sissy!

And I also didn’t have to worry about what to wear…

Because whatever I had on was leathered up…

Jacket, gloves, boots, chaps, and of course a helmet.

Talk about feeling transformed!

And so off to the orphanage we all went…

Toys, boys, and me hanging on to Big Mike.

And when the bikes all started up at the same time…

The thunder rumbling from hundreds of engines…

Made my ribs rattle…

In a good way I can’t describe…

But recently, my cousin compared it to Nascar…

When you sit in the stands and hear/feel the cars zoom by.

One day this experience will find its way into one of my stories…

But for now…

When I hear that thunderous roar on the road…

I’ll wait to feel the energy and…

Transform.

Always, Em-Musing

DUH BLOG

Recently, on several people’s blogs…

The question has been raised…

Why do you blog?”

It got me wondering.

I know for me as an aspiring published author…

I wanted my blog to be a part of my platform.

But it’s more than that.

As a writer…

I love writing.

Duh—obvious!

But actually…

It’s more like an incessant urge.

I also enjoy creating and seeing my writing…

Leave the confines of my laptop’s software…

And reach a wider realm…

Like when my radio and TV copy “airs.”

But it’s more than that…

This past weekend…

While babysitting my grandchildren…

I no sooner sat down…

When my four grandkids …

Plopped themselves down on my lap…

And squealed in unison…

“Grandma! Tell us a story!”

And I did…

And that’s when it occurred to me…

No, not another story for them…

But rather why I blog.

I’m a storyteller!

I love to tell stories.

To my grandchildren, the stories I tell…

(much to the dismay of my daughters)

Are always about vampires or some other unearthly creature…

And of course, a princess somewhere in there.

And that’s when I realized something else…

My story…

Or “any” story told…

Has to be what the listener wants to hear.

Duh!

And then it occurred to me that literary agents…

Have to know for sure…

What genres readers are craving…

Then sort through all the queries… 

To find just the right manuscripts…

To sell to publishers…

Who'll print the books…

With the stories people want to read...
And buy.

Can I get a big DUH on that!

Always, 

Em-Musing

Here's a link to a great blog on publishing.

http://publishingdream.blogspot.com/2010/04/market-trends.html

Q MARKS THE SPOT

WARNING: This post is NOT x-rated

After taking a workshop on plotting Saturday morning…

Given by author, Donna MacMeans…

(She and the workshop were absolutely fantastic!)

I was excited to rework a chapter in my manuscript yesterday morning… 

When suddenly I was overwhelmed with an intense urge…

And had to leave my office and…

Oooooo!

MMmmmmm

Oh, yeah!

Deeper…..

Oh, yeah, that’s it….

Uh huh!

THAT'S the spot!

I then burst out laughing.

All I was doing was Q-tipping.

My ears have been affected by my cold…

And not only are they itching now because they’re healing…

They're also not as tender…

So I can stick a Q-tip in there…

Find the right spot…

Wiggle the Q-tip and…

Ahhhh!

NIRVANA!

Always, Em-Musing

Note: I know Q-tipping is not a word. Just taking artistic license.

TRANSCENDENTAL MEDIATION

It’s why you should never write on your laptop in the dark…

While your fingers aren’t quite awake.

The light emanating from my laptop made my office look dreamy…

Coupled with the New Age music playing from AOL radio…

I thought in this altered atmosphere…

My writing might transcend…

To where, I’m not sure…

But I thought it’d be fun to try.

Not!

Because my fingers are obviously clueless in the dark!

And whatever keys they hit…

Automatically slammed my W.I.P.…

With this ¶ symbol.

Everywhere!

And on every document in Word!

So I scrutinized all the function keys…

Surely the ¶ was there and I’d just hit it again…

And then the friggin’ ¶ symbol would be gone!

Not!

So I had to Google Word.

After five minutes, I finally found the right tutorial…

That prompted me to go the Tool menu…

Then scroll down to Options…

Then down to Formatting Marks…

Then select All.

Are you kidding me?

Really?

My fingers did all this in the dark?

I don’t think so.

I swear! It’s those computer imps again!

But seriously…

Options?

I had no idea Word has that many options in their Options.

I’m too busy now…

But one day…

When I have nothing to do (yeah, right!)…

I’m going to put on AOL's New Age radio station…

Turn the lights way up…

Learn all the Options and features of the software program…

That I’ve been using for over the past decade…

And transcend my ignorance.

Always, Em-Musing

DON'T STOP BELIEVING - JOURNEY

It’s been said that joy is not in the destination but the journey.

OK, I am enjoying the journey of writing…

But…

OMG!

I’m

One

Step

Closer

To my destination…

And

It’s

A

BIG STEP!

Recently, I participated in a “pitch” contest on QueryTracker.

My pitch wasn’t selected…

But…

The agent liked what I wrote and requested I send my query and offered to critique it.

I did and he did.

OMG!

Having struggled for so many months wondering if my query was “on track”…

I was ecstatic when he made only a few minor changes to my query.

Ultimately, he said my story was outside his wheelhouse…

(OK, I admit I’m ignorant, I had to look up wheelhouse)

But he did said my premise was solid.

WOO HOOOOO!

YEE HAAAAAA!

So, while this writer…

Is having fun and enjoying the journey…

I’ll be ecstatic to finally get to my destination…

Of being published. 

Always, Em-Musing

DE PLANE, DE PLANE CLUB

I find it ironic that when you board an airplane…

There's a priority routine.

Passengers with special needs and children go first…

Then first-class passengers…

Then those passengers who are a special club member of some sort…

Then it’s by rows…
And suddenly, a herd of people jump up and form a quasi line…

Inching their way to hurry up and board the plane…

Only to encounter…

A log-jam of people… 

With carry-on luggage…

Trying to find room in the overhead compartment. 

So here’s what I think…

When you’re leaving the plane there should also be a priority routine.

The flight attendant would announce,

“Everyone please remain seated while we "de-board" the plane

First…

ONLY those passengers who DO NOT have carry-on luggage…

May leave now.

Sorry, that means even you first class passengers with carry-on luggage must remain seated.

Then, and only then, when these priority passengers are off the plane…

The rest of you…

Can do what you always do…

Become a mass of people jostling, nudging, barging, pushing fools…

Trying to get off the plane as fast as you can…

But can't because of your carry-ons.

We hope you enjoyed the flight…

And maybe next time…

You'll consider checking your luggage.

Thank you.”

Always, Em-Musing

P.S. I know de-board is not a word, but disembark just didn't work. 

HEAD TRIP

I wish I could blow my ears like I do my nose.

Or my ears could cough like my mouth.

Trust me…

You do not want to travel by plane with a head cold!

I would have paid big money to anyone with a Q-tip…

A twizzler…

A straw…

Or a pair of chopsticks.

The flight started out OK.

But about a hundred miles before Philadelphia…

The plane descended to a lower altitude…

And maintained it until the final approach.

Dear God!

What was happening in my head?

The pressure!

The pain!

And worst of all…

The incessant itching!

And as an added bonus…

My ears were plugged for the rest of the day.

Happened again on the flight home too.

So I really wish…

I could blow my ears…

Or my ears could cough up…

Whatever fluid from hell is trapped between them…

That won't drain, get absorbed, or dissipate away!

Always, Em-Musing

THE LONGEST YARN

Why is it taking so long?

A thought provoking question…

Depending…

On what’s going on in your life.

For me this weekend…

It could have meant my head cold (thanks grankiddies—again!)…

And why it’s taking so long to get over it.

Or it could have meant how long I waited for all the passengers with carry-on luggage …

To stow their bags and sit so the flight could take off on time!

But the most relevant issue for me was…

“Why is it taking so long to get published?”

Cripes! I was sitting next to my conscious!

At my cousin’s 60^th b’day party!

My conscious lives and breathes and–

No, it was really my other cousin from Long Island who asked.

I’d forgotten that I had told her more than a year ago…

That I had written a novel (now three).

“So?” she persisted, “I don’t understand why it's taking so long to get your book published.”

As I explained the process of a writing to publication…

Editing…

Submitting to agents…

Getting an agent…

Re-writes and more editing…

Agent submitting to publishers…

Agent lands publisher … 

More editing and re-writes…

Yada, yada, yada…

I kept scolding myself that I need to work even harder to find an agent…

Because the next time I see my out-of-town folks…

The only question I want to hear is…

“So, now that you got an agent, how long before I see your book in stores?”

Always, Em-Musing

PROPER I.D.

As I packed last night for my 2-day trip to Philly…

To attend my cousin’s 60^th birthday party…

I pulled out my nesting Samsonite luggage…

Hmm?

Smallest one— too small.

It's not much bigger than my purse.

I then thought the middle sized one would be perfect.

But as I was putting my stuff in there…

I realized…

In order for all my creams, lotions, sprays, brushes, and rollers to fit …

I'd have to downsize…

All the jars and bottles.

That’s when I pulled out big bertha.

I want to travel happy…

I want all my personal item comfort with me.

And besides…

Who cares how big the luggage is?

It’s got wheels.

I figure…

When you buy luggage…

The outside dimension is in compliance with airline regulations. 

And when you pack…

You have to be conscientious of weight restriction…

But but as far as I know…

There is no volume restriction.

Always, Em-Musing

WILD CHILD

Writers aren't unique in feeling emotions.

Everyone has them.

We're just unique in that we can channel our emotions …

Into developing characters in the stories we write.

Last week I watched my three grandchildren.

My oldest granddaughter is seven.

A difficult child to say the least.

Has been since birth.

All week my patience struggled keeping my anger in check.

As I was leaving that last day, a different emotion erupted—from her.

Wrapping her arms around me, my granddaughter clung to me… 

“Grandma! Don’t go! Please don’t go!”

Her reaction surprised me because our time together had been challenging.

Of course I eventually had to leave.

On the way home, Enya's song, "The Wild Child" came to mind …

And I cried.

I’m sure Enya’s song isn’t about a wild child per se…

But rather the wild child within us all.

Doesn't matter…

It affected me just the same.

And one day I'll channel these tears and emotions into a character…

That will have the essence of my granddaughter—the wild child.

Here’s the link to Enya's, "Wild Child." Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__0QZTI6W5A

(And hope this link works)

Always, Em-Musing