Spring Cleaning?

Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas from Pexels

Spring is definitely on the way, even if it is taking its sweet time. Soon, our thoughts will turn to spring cleaning (won't they?). Here are the top 5 things I want to clear out:

1. Putin, Trump, O'Connell, Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Fox News, and a long list of politicians on both sides of the aisle. I think we've all had enough and need some fresh faces who aren't destructive.

2. Winter. I'm so done. Bring back sunshine and flowers, and not shivering my freckles off when I traipse through subzero temps and/or snow on my way to the Y to swim.

3. Use of the word "unprecedented." I may have mentioned this before, but after 3 years in the pandemic, nothing seems unprecedented anymore.

4. Clutter. I'm cleaning out books I don't want, papers I don't need, and clothes I won't wear. And old stuff in the medicine cabinet.

5. Any show or mention of the Duggars, the Kardashians, Snooki, OJ Simpson, Antonio Brown, Caitlyn Jenner, Melania, (Kan)Ye, and all the other media hogs. Let's clean out the TV listing also, there are a lot of shows that I'm so tired of because they've been overrated, overdone, redone, or bad from the start. We all have a bunch on our hit list, so you don't need me to list mine; and we probably agree on a good number of them.

Now, back to work. I'm cleaning out my email, making notes for my MFA final project, thinking about a new romance series for after graduation, and cleaning off my desk. 

Remember: 53 days until spring, 109 until I open my pool. 

Char

Things I Don't Understand...

 This world is a strange, beautiful, confusing, amazing, and weird place. And sometimes very annoying. This is what's bothering me today:

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1.  HOW MANY TIMES DOES MICHAEL MYERS HAVE TO BE KILLED BEFORE HE'S REALLY DEAD? What are we up to, like Halloween 6? Enough. There are so many great authors out there with fabulous scary stories. Make one of their books into a movie and move on from Michael, Jason, Freddy, the Blair Witch, etc. 

2. When you record a show, like, say the Buccaneers vs. Falcons game (Go Tom Brady!), or, a favorite TV show like Manifest, and it goes over a few minutes, the last few are cut off so I MISS THE ENDING!!!!!! I hate that. It made me say some bad words. Cut out a few commercials so it doesn't run past time! (At least I can watch it online... but still!)

3. How come we don't see more women like Halle Berry, Angelica Houston, Bette Midler, and other greats? These women are fabulous, yet... we see all roles played by 20-30 somethings. 

4. Why are most people ignorant when it comes to using apostrophes? "...more record's will be..." NONONONONONONO. NO APOSTROPHE! If it's plural, just add an s. If you're showing possession, like "Mikey's car" then yes, apostrophe and s. For all that's (contraction of that and is so yes, an apostrophe!) holy, LEARN THIS! 

5. WHY do my cats just nibble their food, then walk away, only to sneak back to eat from the other's bowl? IT'S THE SAME FOOD. EVERY. DAY.

There are a lot of things that annoy me and I don't understand, but I'll stop here. Next post, only positive things, to balance the energies.

Till then,

PEACE!

Char

Take a Damn Break...

My stepdad was having knee replacement surgery. That meant a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms and night hours after my mom went to bed. Lots of time to finish a revision, do a critique, write blog posts, and network on social media.

Unless of course, you forget your laptop power cord which is a unique size that has to be specially ordered and wouldn't arrive until after you went home, and home was almost two hours away- too far for a quick retrieval.

Damn.

With all my notes and material on the laptop or at home, no way could I work on anything.

I was forced to take a break.

Photo Courtesy of Pexels, Alexander Dummer

So I read a book. Played Scrabble and Dominoes with my parents. Watched TV I had no interest in with them. Walked their dog. Cooked their favorite dishes. 

It made me slow down, appreciate blessings like precious time with family, reconnect with my love of reading for pleasure, enjoy a walk in springlike weather and notice that hyacinths and daffodils would soon be here.

I need to remind myself more often to just 'take a damn break.' An energized and refreshed writer is a better writer than one who is stressed and harried, looking to simply get something done. 

With the non-productive week behind me, I'm going to be even more busy, but that's okay. My mind is sharper and I'm happier. 

So take a damn break!

Char

Photo by bruce mars from Pexels 

Wahoo! I FINISHED #NANOWRIMO ON TIME!

I got behind (by a LOT) with visiting my sister, Thanksgiving, and other interruptions. BUT I DID IT. I buckled down and gave up reading, TV (except for my Patriots games) and even yoga and swimming. Sacrifices had to be made. (I'm paying for it now- going back to yoga was brutal.)

So as a treat to myself, I'm wimping out on my blog and am going to celebrate with a nice Christmas read (I'm a sucker for that stuff). I'm kind of burnt from writing, although I've made a list of plot and character problems with my NaNo book. In January I will start revisions (unless I get a mega book or movie deal from my other manuscripts. Hey, a girl can dream!).

Don't expect serious blogs for the rest of the year. I have lots going on with bell practice, cookie making, wrapping presents, and enjoying the holiday. 

Now excuse me while I dance and skip around a bit; I deserve it! 

Char

Just a Quickie....

I'm in the midst of #NaNoWriMo2018 and happy to say I'm not only on track, but 4 days ahead. This allows me a stress-free Thanksgiving and a weekend visit with my sister. Here are 5 things I've learned this year during the craziness of NaNoWriMo:

1. I work faster and better if I shut myself in my office, working at a proper desk. There are too many distractions if I'm sitting on the couch (too near to the TV and people coming in & out, the fridge, etc. For me, isolation is key to productivity!
2. When I work on a comfy couch, being so tall, I have to dip my head to see the laptop. This has given me neck and back problems. Who needs that? So, another reason to use my beautiful office.
3. Stretch! I work about an hour, then get up and get a cup of tea, throw in a load of wash, etc. Sitting too long leads to stiff joints. 
4. Getting up is good for the circulation, but I don't want to lose my train of thought. make a few notes at the bottom of the page saying where I was going. As I do a chore, make that tea, I keep thinking about the next chapter/block of writing. By the time I get back to my seat, I'm fairly burning to get the words on paper. Bonus: if you can, incorporate your notes into the chapter/block rather than erase and you've added a bunch of words!
5. I had to break from writing because I needed a fact. Going onto the internet to find out what I need for this particular section of the manuscript can lead to getting lost down that rabbit hole. Key: set a timer so that you spend no more than 5-10 minutes searching. You just need that one fact, not pages of notes. If you need more detailed info, try to write around it, like a scene that comes later in the book, and research after you've hit your word count. I like to surf at night, on commercials while I relax in front of the TV. 

Now it's time to get in another 1,677 words so I stay ahead of the daily goals. 

Don't forget to update your word count!

Char

Just Ignore the Science... Really!

I was chatting with my middle son, an engineering/math major, and he told me that it would be impossible for squirrels like my character Jack in the Evolution Revolution series to learn to use simple machines. When I mentioned Koko, the gorilla that learned sign language, he pointed out that Koko could answer she was 'fine' when asked 'How are you?' but did not ask the same question in return. For her, there was only that moment. Because of that sense of only here and now, she could not 'imagine' any action and its consequences. It would not be possible, my son argued, for Jack, even though he's learned about rolling and sees a rock impeding a wheel from moving, to apply this knowledge to stop bulldozers from coming into his wood. My argument was that squirrels share what they learn with other squirrels, thus 'disproving' (in my mind) that animals only think in the here and now, because teaching others to defeat a food puzzle (i.e. bird feeder), results in future gain.

Photo courtesy of Chris Carter, Pexels

I have some scientific basis for my argument. In a study published in Current Zoology, Professor Thomas Hills, a co-author, asserts that animals which can simulate future actions "must be able to distinguish between their imagined actions and those that are actually experienced." (In my case, it's Jack blocking the wheels on the construction machines because he already did so on a wheelchair, or me watching videos of squirrels solve puzzles and then teach other squirrels.) The authors say their data supports the concept that animals which can 'simulate environments and conceive the future must have some form of self-awareness," and this means projecting themselves into the future in a situation.

My son disagrees.

We will have to agree to disagree. It may not happen now or even in the near future, but I believe animal intellect is slowly increasing, evolving. But that's not science, that's imagination.

Sometimes though, you have to ignore the science. So many books, TV shows, and films would not exist if we simply followed the science. American astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson posted on social media that he was watching the sci fi movie, Armageddon even though it's got rotten science. (Apparently we can't blow a giant meteor in half with a nuclear bomb, and even if it were possible, the fragments hitting the earth would be life-ending events on their own.) There are numerous incidents which are impossible, at least with current knowledge, in many movies, TV shows, and novels. Staying within what we actually know would limit our imagination, and maybe not inspire future generations to achieve what was dreamed/proposed in creative works. (Cell phones first appeared in the original Star Trek.)

So, ignore the science - (but not all; some things are irrefutable like the laws of physics, and you don't want to be obviously ignorant about basic science or the audience won't believe your story.) Creativity and imagination sets us apart from all other animals...

At least for now.

Char 

Namely, Cheating.

Not a very original title for a post about naming your characters. Plus, I've done posts where I've interviewed a number of YA authors (some VERY well known) about how they go about naming their characters. Some have complex rules about syllables in the first name than last, some mix and match sounds, some do research for cosmic significance, some go through the family tree, etc.

I'm too lazy. Plus, (shhh!  a secret here-) not everyone in the family deserves to be in one of my novels or the character with their name would tick them off because no one wants to be the bad guy/gal. Avoid using family names, it can only lead to trouble.

So I cheat. Rather, I like to call it Inspirational Smack. When I need a name for a main character, I watch a movie or TV show.

No, I don't steal famous names. I steal names from the credits. Really. Sometimes a name just jumps out at you and smacks me in virtual face, it's so perfect. I read the names that scroll after a show ends, and get an endless source of unusual, typical, ethnic, and cross cultural names. Watch the wide screen and let Hollywood do the work for you. It's like walking through Macy's and seeing the most perfect pair of shoes; out of all the others, one pair seems to shine, drawing your eye and you know it's the perfect choice. Plus, these are real people getting credit for working so you have a valid case when someone says "No one would name their child that!" Yes they do, and it's in black and white, out in cyberspace.

 And your character has been given an imaginary birth certificate with a legal name.

But don't stop there. Even if you have all your characters' names, you'll be writing more novels or stories, right? Start a list of names that just grab you. That's how I got the name for my main character in my sci fi, Lethal Dose. His name is Dalen. I saw the name in a book of baby names and knew that one day I'd need it for one of my works. It was on my list for several years and now has a body.

That's another great source: a baby name book. (I'm sure most of you know this.) I flip through the pages and when I see a moniker I like (other than the common ones like Sarah or Michael or Chris which I can just pull out of my head because we're surrounded by people with those names) I put it on the list. Then it's just a matter of picking a last name that fits. Sometimes zipping through the phone book can help, although I don't particularly like that method- it's too time consuming. You have to go through all the A's, B's, etc.

So, take the easy way out. Watch TV or a movie and solve one of the biggest problems of being an author: finding the perfect name for your character.

Char