A Thanksgiving full of Thanks...

What are you thankful for this holiday season?

See my list over at New Kids and add your own.

http://newkidonthewritersblock.blogspot.com/2011/11/writers-thankful-list.html

Dangerous Alterations' Author - Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Is visiting my New Kids Blog today with a Christmas story of hope to all writers. Miracles do happen.

http://newkidonthewritersblock.blogspot.com/2011/11/dangerous-alterations-author-elizabeth.html

Hosting Debut Author KC Klein

Over at New Kids... Stop by for a chance to win a copy of her new book...

http://newkidonthewritersblock.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday to me – X2

Yesterday I drove down to the older, original part of Alton, Illinois. The side streets in this part of the city I’m coming to call home are brick paved, flowing over hills that rival downtown Seattle and San Francisco for their grade.

I parked the car at one end of the street and headed out in search of antique shops. I wasn’t disappointed. My work in progress in my cozy series has a new shop in town, Thomas’ Fine Antiques. I needed to do some recon.

What I didn’t expect was to run into two and maybe three new characters for my book. My first encounter was a man sitting outside his store, enjoying what my mom always called Indian summer, a warm October day. One of those days that tries to fool you into thinking snow, ice and freezing temperatures aren’t weeks away. Anyway, sitting outside the front door was an original member of ZZ Top. Or he could have passed for one. My original impression of this man didn’t mix with what I found inside the store. Warm, cared for furniture, waiting for a new home. A soft side to this hard, rock biker dude with kind eyes.

Big find here? An old hotel or business switchboard with the wires and plugs still attached.

Going on down the street, I was amazed at the differences from store to store. From being well cared for like store number one, to a jumble of items, dirty and dusty, and unmarked. The next to last store was the most ‘retail’ focused. They’d decorated for Halloween, had lots of glass cases and every item was marked and marketed to its best advantage. Candles burned, music played, and the two men running the store were gracious and helpful. A couple I could see running one of my imaginary bed and breakfasts in my mystery series.

Of course, my characters won’t be the people I met on my walk. When I’ve let the muse play with their history and life stories, the original models will be just a memory. My characters will have their own thoughts, memories, hurts, and accomplishments. Just like the stores I walked through, they will have their own personality and feel.

Major find for the day? I bought a soup bowl in the same pattern as the china my mother gave me. Currently I only have serving pieces, gravy boat, bowls and platters. I guess raising five kids took its toll on the set. Now I have a soup bowl too.

What antiques do you have that you treasure?

Wandering muses

I'm over at New Kids today talking about looking for my wandering muse. Stop by..

http://newkidonthewritersblock.blogspot.com/

It’s my birthday month - celebrate

When I worked for the state, I used to get the upcoming holiday, Columbus Day, off. After my divorce, this was MY birthday day. My actual birthday is a few days earlier. I'd plan the day surrounded not by what needed to be done, but what I wanted to do.

Now that I work for corporate America, I find they don't hold Mr. Columbus in the same esteem as the governmental and banking systems do. His day, along with three other days I used to think of as holidays are now just another Monday.

So I carved out my own 'me' day.

Friday I visited our local art museum (all exhibits are free on Friday.) They had a Monet exhibit with the entire triptych (a fancy art word for set) of his water lily study. The local St. Louis museum owns one of the paintings; the other two were on loan. The sight was amazing.

I sat on the benches letting the painting talk to me and letting my muse listen. When I left, I had three new story ideas written furiously across my small notebook.

What I found most interesting was how the painting changed over time. They've punch holes (very, very tiny holes) in the canvas to reveal six or more layers of paint. And there are pictures of the first draft of the paintings showing what they looked like at first.

Revision. As a writer, that's where I find myself. Taking perfectly good stories, and trying to make them great. So the thought of Monet, standing in his studio, day after day for years, trying to determine if he was done, well, it's just chilling.

So I'm wondering about my readers? Have you ever carved out a 'me' day? Where does your perfect day lead you?

Busy weekend…

And most of my time has been spent sitting and eating and talking with friends.

I always say I'm a food pusher just like my mom. Come over to my house and you'll hear things like, have you eaten yet? Can I get you something?

Of course my mom always has a cake she just baked, or a pie she had to make to use up the rest of the peaches someone had given her.

I don't remember the last time I baked a dessert, even just box brownies.

But this weekend, I met friends for after work drinks, a different group for dinner with a visiting agent, breakfast before my writing chapter meeting, and a couple's dinner last night with good friends.

This morning, one more breakfast before my friend flies back to her real life four states away.

Then I've got to come home and do all the normal weekend tasks. Like cleaning, shopping, laundry, and trying to eek out some writing time.

Busy weekend. But oh, so fun.

What about you? Are you a food pusher? When you get with your friends is it around a dinner table?

Lynn

Can I do a blog from my word program?

I guess we'll see. This is a test. If you're reading this, you may want to switch over to my New Kids post on 09/02/11.

 

School - Love it or hate it?

Posting over at New Kids today.

An adult back to school edition. Stop by and give me your vote.

http://newkidonthewritersblock.blogspot.com/

Disasters and what we learn.

Tomorrow I'm posting about my egg Benedict disaster over at New Kids.

Stop by.

http://newkidonthewritersblock.blogspot.com/

The picture isn't an actual depiction of my results.

Dreaming of home - through food

This recipe is a huge hit at my house. I've even included it in my book (manuscript) The Date Doctor currently under submission. Sharon, my hero's daughter owns a small Seattle coffee shop and Idaho Potato Pie is on her menu.

Today I sent it to a brunch contest sponsored by Country Woman magazine. You can see the recipe here. Let me know if you try it out. Sharon will be pleased.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Community/Idaho-Potato-Pie

Lynn

I'm posting at New Kids today.

Digging deeper to finish edits and keep writing... but I'm posting over at New Kids today.

When do you give up on a dream? My answer - Never

If you haven't read Sherrilyn Kenyon's RWA keynote, I've got a link over at New Kids. Stop by and join the discussion.

http://newkidonthewritersblock.blogspot.com/

Lynn

Mid Summer Update

So, it’s been a while since I posted on my goals for living dangerously. I’m busy working on editing a couple manuscripts that I’ve had requests for and trying to keep up with real life.

Since we’ve chatted here on the blog, I’ve visited NYC for a writer’s convention where I ate, breathed, and talked books. Staying off site from the hotel, I got a taste of what living in the city really feels like. We ate at small neighborhood restaurants, walked Central Park, rode the subway, and even had doormen to spin the revolving door of our apartment building.

For a week, I was someone else. And I loved that person.

But a strange thing happened on the road to NYC. Actually, a friend and I were walking down Columbus Ave to register for the conference when I spied a book seller (right on the sidewalk.) And on top of his many piles of used books for sale, a copy of Illusions.

Illusions was a follow up book to Jonathon Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach. And people LOVED JLS. I thought it was alright. But Illusions? My hardback copy was torn, stained, and all the worse for wear. I must have read that book twenty times. Maybe more. Then I moved and the book stayed behind.

One of the quotes from the Messiah’s Handbook in Illusions tells about how your friends will know you better the minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a life time. And that was the passage I found immediately upon slapping my three bucks down and opening the book to a random page.

Reading the quote out loud, I realized that the woman walking next to me was that kind of friend. Someone who knew me.

And I bless the all knowing IS for bringing her into my life.

(**If you don’t know what the ‘IS’ is, you need to read the book.)

And the other best thing about finding the book? Inside the front cover is an inscription from a man to his lover. Beautiful, haunting words that made me wonder, why did she let the book go? Did the relationship disintegrate causing the book to become a painful reminder of a feeling no long there?

That’s why I’m a writer. Because there’s always a story, you just have to find it.

What I learned in Home Economics class…

As a high school senior, I had two conflicting goals. One, I was going to get my degree in marketing and go work in NYC as a buyer in the fashion industry. The other, I was going to meet my Mr. Right and have twelve kids, being the perfect stay at home mom.

Neither plan came true. And for that, I bless the fates.

Why was I thinking about this? I’m a planner. I always have been. I planned my high school class schedule with a tight contingency plan. I had my fun classes – even then I knew I wasn’t going to be a musical prodigy, but I did work my way up to first chair – third position clarinet. But it was a small school.

When I wasn’t in Band class, I took college prep courses like Algebra – Geometry –and Algebra II – at which time I exceeded my math skills and finished my requirements. I took office occupation classes and found typing a chore – 55 words is my max before deducting for mistakes. Accounting however was a breeze and oddly, comforting in its rules and lines. I won first place in my district competition. An award that allowed me to go on to state, but I was already committed.

I was an officer in Future Homemakers of America organization. If you live in a rural area, you’re probably familiar with the brother organization, Future Farmers of America. At our school, the mainly boy group got all the cool stuff. But we were determined.

As an officer, I attended their district, state and national conventions. Funny thing is the conventions I attended as a youth; bear a striking resemblance to the business conventions I’ve attended as an adult.

I took at least one home-economics course each semester, cooking, baking, canning, sewing, and crafts. I learned how to sew, knit, crochet, can foods, and bake. I learned how to run a fund raiser – and in the club, I earn my service awards, setting goals and meeting them – to progress through the ranks. But instead of preparing me to be a homemaker, the time I spent in Mrs. Higgins’ classes prepared me for life.

I still have the small apron I made out of shared fabric with my best friend and her sister. I love seeing a row of canned peaches, sitting on my kitchen cupboard, cooling, their lids popping sealed. And I have made several baby blankets this spring, crocheting the pink or blue yarn into something that feels warm and heavy in my hand.

Learning to complete the task at hand. Learning to plan for the future. Learning to set goals. Learning how to fit into a world where I was different. All these were lessons I didn’t realize I was learning until years later.

Thank you Mrs. Higgins. And I swear, I’m going to try to make popovers, one more time.

Did you know it's April 16?

Honestly, the last two weeks have totally gotten away from me. Too many to do's on my list and my brain shuts down... It's a documented fact. (Lynn Law #435)

So March goals...redux.... Write a new short for WW. Finish - Writing Characters Across the Generations article. Host blog for ELC's new book. Write 20000 words this month. Send out at least five queries on my cozy mystery.

Report - ehhhh---wait... I got a new story send and finished my article. I hosted an author on my blog and wrote...20,230 words... and sent out no queries. So my initial luke warm feeling was wrong. I met four of the five goals.

So why was I feeling down?

This month - that has two more weeks in it, I've already attended a conference, a writer's retreat and blogged. Was I a successful wallflower? I think so. I'm never going to win Miss Congeniality or be elected to a national office, but I met the agent I wanted to meet and pitched two projects with two requests.

So for the rest of the month, I'm going to be head down and fingers flying to polish up two manuscripts for submission. I'm counting the one agent I met at the conference in my goal and sending the cozy out to four more.

Focus grasshopper. The journey starts with a single step. And even a blind man...

Okay, you get my drift. Wish me luck.

February Report - March Goals...

Enter Fire and Ice Contest as well as Chocolate Rose. Look at mystery contest and Great American Novel contests.
**Fire and Ice; Chocolate Rose and Kiss of Death - All done. Missed the Great American Novel contest. Frankly, I just forgot. Goal MET!

Send off my Idaho cowboy story to the targeted line. I LOVE this story. I hope the editor loves it as well.
**My package is setting on a desk in Canada.

Volunteer to give a coffee talk presentation for our local chapter. Generational Characters. This one is harder. I’ve got a topic, some of the research material, and the date. Now to just write the darn training.
**The presentation went really well. Now I have to write up an article for our chapter newsletter. Ongoing goal for March

Send off a short story to Women’s World. This is a tight market. 800 word stories have to be emotional, tightly written and satisfying. I’ve learned my draft is way over the story limits and my challenge is cutting word length.
**Got February's story written and send. And as of today, I've got a start on the next one. Ongoing goal for 2011.

I am guest hosting a debut author on http://www.newkidonthewritersblock.com/ on the 18th. This is my first blog party so I'm hoping people will show up.
**Lot's of posts, fun questions, and a very happy debut author. I'm doing this again in April with Elizabeth Lynn Casey's release -- Deadly Notions. SO this is one of March's goals as well.

So - Write a new short for WW. Finish - Writing Characters Across the Generations article. Host blog for ELC's new book.

And... write 20000 words this month. That's less than NANO. And more than what I've been doing. I wrote 35000 words in November. So, it's doable but a stretch from where I am now.

I'm also going to send out at least five queries on my cozy mystery.

So that's it. My living dangerously goals. Next month, I'll be working on some networking strategies to prepare me for the local confernce and practice for nationals.

And now for a word from our sponsor...

Actually I was going to update and post new goals but the day job is calling. So today's blog is going to focus on two things.

A grin... I was chosen as this years winner for the Jeannie Gray Golden Friendship Award. The essay on my version of paying it forward will be posted on Friday over at New Kids at the Writers blog (http://newkidonthewritersblock.blogspot.com/). So stop on by and let me know what you think. I'm honored to have been chosen.

A groan...I got a denial from a life insurance company for coverage because of my health history. Breast Cancer, the gift that just keeps giving. I guess the 'C' word just scares them. It scares a lot of people. They don't want to gamble on the number of years in my life. I'll just have to prove them wrong. (grin)

And, I'm showing off the professional photos I got in January. I'm looking all serious and writerly in this one, don't you think?

Learning to adjust to reality

Failure. I hate failure, but I'll admit my falling now, then at the end of the month, we'll just skim over this.

Friday night was the work event I was planning on attending. Apparently my body had other plans. I had a horrible toothache. Heading to the dentist tomorrow so wish me luck - filling good - root canal bad.

So I failed.

So I'm adding a new living dangerously goal for February. I am guest hosting a debut author on http://www.newkidonthewritersblock.com/ on the 18th. This is my first blog party so I'm hoping people will show up.

Now, back to writing.

January report... And Feb goals...

Sign up for Missouri writer’s conference. This April conference is with in driving distance – no need for overnight accommodations and they have fiction and essay presenters who I can learn from and one of my dream agents taking pitches. And I get to meet a cozy mystery author I love.

**Done - and paid for. I'm excited about this conference!

Send off a short story to Women’s World. This is a tight market. 800 word stories have to be emotional, tightly written and satisfying. I’ve learned my draft is way over the story limits and my challenge is cutting word length.

**I've sent one and started a second. This is going to be an ongoing goal to send one a month.

Commit to attending RWA nationals. Still working out the money bugs on this one. But as Kevin Costner’s character learned in Field of Dreams, if you plan it, it will come. (Paraphrasing just a bit.)

**Off Topic - I watched Field of Dreams last night. I love the part where Holly Hunter is taking on Censorship. Still working out money, but commited to go! NYC, here I come.

Volunteer to give a coffee talk presentation for our local chapter. Generational Characters. This one is harder. I’ve got a topic, some of the research material, and the date. Now to just write the darn training. You would think since I used to do this for a living I wouldn’t be so nervous.

**I presented on this during my day job so I've got a better idea where the session will go, but no training package yet. Soon. This is a continual goal - challenge for February.

So with the two ongoing goals, I'll add the following:

Send off my Idaho cowboy story to the targeted line. I LOVE this story. I hope the editor loves it as well.

Enter Fire and Ice Contest as well as Chocolate Rose. Look at mystery contest and Great American Novel contests. Contests are a double edge sword for me. I love entering, but not finaling is a downer. So maybe I'll just final in all the contests I enter this year... Yay!

I'm attending a work potluck/party next week. In the Living Dangerously style, I'm going to talk to all level three managers in attendance about something besides work. I'm scared already. (grin)

So there you go. February challenges to keep me busy.

What's going on with your challenges? Did you keep your new years resolutions?

The Year of Living Dangerously – Cahoon edition

A few months ago, the PRO liaison for RWA issued a challenge. Make 2011 the year of living dangerously in your writing. She suggested trying a new market, sending your work out to agents and editors, or try writing a new genre.

I’ve been thinking about this challenge a lot. How can I stretch out of my comfort area and take a chance? And this is what I’ve come up with for now. I’ll update this list as new challenges arise.

Side note: I was listening to a speaker on making plans. She said you only have to plan three steps. Three. Because by the time you have accomplished those three steps, new pathways have opened up and it’s time to plan three more. Three that you might not have known about before you took those three steps.

January living dangerously steps:

Sign up for Missouri writer’s conference. This April conference is with in driving distance – no need for overnight accommodations and they have fiction and essay presenters who I can learn from and one of my dream agents taking pitches. And I get to meet a cozy mystery author I love.

Send off a short story to Women’s World. This is a tight market. 800 word stories have to be emotional, tightly written and satisfying. I’ve learned my draft is way over the story limits and my challenge is cutting word length.

Commit to attending RWA nationals. Still working out the money bugs on this one. But as Kevin Costner’s character learned in Field of Dreams, if you plan it, it will come. (Paraphrasing just a bit.)

Volunteer to give a coffee talk presentation for our local chapter. Generational Characters. This one is harder. I’ve got a topic, some of the research material, and the date. Now to just write the darn training. You would think since I used to do this for a living I wouldn’t be so nervous.

But I guess that’s what the year of living dangerously is all about. To stretch. To grow. And to take chances.

What challenges have you taken on lately?

Snow Day 2011

We got a storm last night that covered our area with three inches of snow. At least. So after riding to the store with my dh, I decided to avoid the roads (and the accidents) and stay home from work. I had a day to pretend I was a full time writer.

I don’t think I did very well. Not for what could have been an eight-hour day of writing, but I did get another big scene done for my work in progress. I read some work for a contest I’m judging. And I dug through my email, getting stuff deleted, answered, and filed. I realized I get over 200 emails on a weekday. And that’s in my personal emails, not counting what I get in the day job.

But maybe I did all right. I did some planning on the cozy mystery that I’ll be starting to write as soon as The Bull Rider’s Brother (BRB) is done. I’ve got the first scene started in my head. A Cambria business owner comes knocking on Jill’s front door needing help for her son. Or maybe that will be a later scene….the order of the scenes will come, eventually.

I was lying in bed Saturday morning and realized I’d missed a scene in BRB. And all of a sudden, a new character popped into my head and messes with my hero. Which he deserves. And then to add the new twist, I had to change the POV orders for my heroine and hero for the last two chapters.

Sometimes I feel my characters are in charge and I’m just doing their transcriptions. Especially when I’m at the end of the books. When I really know my characters and what they would do. How they live.

So maybe I didn’t get more words down because my characters were taking a snow day as well. Or maybe they thought I was still at the day job.

The picture in today's blog shows the woods that run behind my house. Where the deer hide.