quilt washed and dried

quilt washed and dried, originally uploaded by mysterywriter40.

I didn't finish my novel this year for NaNoWriMo, but I did complete my very first quilt for my niece Kait living in Italy with her MP husband.

NaNoWriMo treats

NaNoWriMo treats, originally uploaded by mysterywriter40.

I decided to treat myself with an order from JetPens (along with some yarn and knitting supplies) even though I didn't complete my novel for NaNoWriMo.

No NaNoWriMo win this year

I could not get the words to come out this month. I had a late start, then just couldn't seem to get started. I'm angry, but at myself. I let outside issues derail my writing and I'm refusing to let that happen ever again.

So starting December 1st, a new start to my writings. Everyday write. This is one habit I haven't not picked up yet. I let excuses keep me from doing what I love most to do.

So here's to NaNoWriMo 2011!

Some of my favs from Flickr - looking for NaNoWriMo 2010 inspiration

1. 1949 Living Room in the Berkshires, 2. Shetland Silk, 3. Linen Tote, 4. here she is, 5. Last gathering of the deer in the forest, 6. A Sunday picnic, 7. DSC06169adj-rs Italian Gardens at the Vanderbilt Estate, 8. sleeping santa dogs, 9. Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes I, 10. The hexie side, 11. KOI 5218 Watercolor, 12. Don't blink, 13. bags, bags, bags., 14. Texture, 15. Dude looks like a lady, 16. Knotty Gloves, 17. Fifth Avenue New York 1898, 18. Endless, 19. Pincushion - Yellow Aqua, 20. The gang's all here and stuffed, 21. Untitled, 22. Ridenour Lake, 23. ::love::, 24. Hot Squirrel, 25. Morning, 26. Pencil Roll - Inside, 27. Bird on a Bike, 28. Tokyo Subway Map Mini Quilt, 29. union quilt top, 30. The Beehive - Amy's Block for Amy, 31. red and aqua stars quilt, 32. 1910s - Charles M. Schwab mansion on right, West End Ave & Riverside Drive, 73 to 74 Sts, 33. 1910-15 City Hall Post Office (1878-1938) bet Broadway & Park Row, architect A.B. Mullett, 34. 1910s - Charles M. Schwab mansion, West End Ave & Riverside Drive, 73 to 74 Sts, demolished 1948, 35. The garden seat, 36. French Daybed

Gearing up for NaNoWriMo

I was able to paint the back of my TV room door with chalkboard paint this weekend in preparation for NaNoWriMo 2010. I plan to write my notes, daily word count goals and inspirational quotes to win again this year.

Waiting for November 1 - NaNoWriMo

Like a lot of other people out there I'm eagerly awaiting 2010's NaNoWriMo. I'm already thinking about what to write (sequel to last year's The Contessa or work on a new idea?) and trying to make sure I'll have plenty of time to write (pawning work off onto my co-workers, etc. Just kidding, I promise).

One thing I do not do is write at work. I've plotted and planned on my lunch break, but that's it. When I'm at work, I'm there to work.

The post office has been busy delivering research material to me - this Saturday I received a copy of:

After requesting it through ILL several years ago, I've been on the lookout for my own copy. One book in the trilogy I'm now writing based on last year's novel is set in and around Hollywood and Los Angeles in the 1930s, 1933 specifically. I can't wait to start reading.

Turning one story into three has been quite time-consuming. All those pesky time lines, for each major character (six total, two for each novel, plus numerous minor characters who show up in all three) has been a little daunting. I finally had to set the series aside and work on plotting another story. I'm headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway later this month so I thought I would work on a mystery (what else?) set on the parkway. Still trying to wrap my head around that plot and its characters, so I can do a little bit of research on the side while there.

Happy 4th of July!

A big THANK YOU to the troops, wherever you are, especially Joe C. who is stationed in Italy and is married to my niece K!!!!

Here's is how I spent part of my day:

A big THANK YOU to the troops, wherever you are, especially Joe C. who is stationed in Italy and is married to my niece K!!!!

Here's is how I spent part of my day:

I'm back

Indie, originally uploaded by mysterywriter40.

I've taken a much needed break from writing and used the past few weeks to make some decisions.

Do I want to write? Yes. It all boils down to that. No more excuses.

Tomorrow I will be participating in the New York Writers Coalition Write Your A** Off Write-a-thon. You can find more information here - the goal is to write 3K in one day. Anyone who has participated in NaNoWriMo should be able to complete this with time to spare. I have to attend a family reunion on Saturday, but tonight and tomorrow morning will be spent plotting a scene to write when I return.

So let the writing begin. Again.

The end - for now - thanks for stopping by

I would like to thank all those who read the little bit of writing I put out here over the past several months.

My work is taking up much more of my time now so for right now so I am taking a break (and hopefully writing for Script Frenzy). See you when I get back.

Leslie

Script Frenzy

Found on the Script Frenzy site. Awesome video. The madness starts April 1st!

From time travelers to ghosts

I couldn't seem to work on my current WIP so I kept looking around on my hard drive until I found something totally different to work on. Ghosts are different from time travelers, aren't they? I did a little editing, and added about 200 words, but it still needs work, and direction.

The three figures stood near the rear gates of the cemetery, watching in silence as four men dug up one of the graves. The police car across the street had a uniformed officer watching from a distance. Grace hadn’t been here long and had yet to make any friends, but now with the disturbance of her final resting place she would have to start over again when she was re-interred or moved to a different cemetery.

Miranda glanced over she shoulder at the other two. Phillip was holding the young child’s hand as he leaned against him for support. Young Robbie had only been here for six months. A piano prodigy, he’d been hit by a vehicle while crossing the street. He was having trouble adapting because of his young age and the fact he knew no one buried here. Everyone he knew in his young life was still alive.

Phillip had been here the longest, since 1829. Before his death, he had been a butler in London and proud of his position. His sister had married an American and moved to Virginia. When he died, she’d had him brought over and buried near where she and her family were living. Miranda herself had arrived in 1933. She, too, had been murdered while on a cross country to promote her latest movie. Since she had no living relatives, the movie company executives had left her here. She had taken several months herself coming to terms with where she was and what she was. By then she had met Phillip and she thought he was the one who would pull the child through.

“Why do you think they’re digging her up?”

“I believe because of the reason behind her death. She said she had been murdered. Maybe the local authorities have new evidence to check her body for.” Phillip had been the first one to make contact with Grace and she hadn’t attempted to speak to any one else the short time she was here.

“Did she say who had killed her? Or why?” She would never admit to Phillip but she, too, liked watching the crime shows he did.

“No, she didn’t. I think she would have, in time. Maybe the police already know and they are gathering more evidence from her body.”

“I wish her well. No one wants to stay here longer than necessary. We’re stuck here since we died so long ago, but the others have a chance to go on. We need to find a way to help them.”

“Have you thought about contacting the caretaker again? She didn’t seem frightened the last time you tried. She kept asking who you were and where you were. I think you should try again. She can help us to help those who did not die a natural or accidental death.”

“I will when she visits again. She has helpers who aid her. She just happened to be working on a map of the graves when I saw her. She hasn’t been back since.”

“I’ll have others start watching for her. Surely one of us can communicate with her, since she seems so receptive.” The three of them turned away and headed back toward the mansion in the middle of the cemetery.

The caretaker lived inside on the upper floors while the main floor held the cemetery office and records of the individuals interred in the surrounding estate fields. Elizabeth Park Cemetery had been named for the daughter of the original owner. When she had died, her father didn’t want her buried across town. So he had her buried in a field out back, fenced in to keep people and animals out.

My Name is Lincoln

I've never seen the movie The Island but I just downloaded this track from its soundtrack because I have been looking for this piece of music for 4 long years! Check out the piece below, especially the music at the mark 4:55 - that's the one I downloaded. Whew. I now know all the parts.

And more snow

Snow snow and more snow

This picture above was taken on Sunday.
This picture was taken this morning.

I'm really tired of all this snow. I know, I know that when spring finally gets here, followed by summer, all this stuff will help with tto grow, but enough is enough. I'm glad I have a healthy balance of AL (annual leave = vacation time) to use for days like this. What you can't see is the ice on top of the white stuff. So I called in at work today. Driving 40 miles in this stuff is something I don't like to do anymore.

One good thing about being stuck at home is I can work on my NaNo '09 story. I'm turning it into a trilogy to expand the story line of a character who finally came out and told me he wasn't the bad guy I was making him out to be and that he wanted his own happy ending. So there. Time to rewrite part of what I had written last November. But I can deal with that. I was having trouble editing anyway, since I wasn't actually finished with the story. So now I'm planning three (had planned on a sequel, but not continuing the current plot) separate stories, all following one major plot line, with three separate plots for the individual stories.

This series all started because earlier in 2009 I came up with some teenage time travelers. There was one character in there who was there to help the teens and her background appealed to me and she was the one who won the coveted spot for NaNoWriMo 2009 for me. So I wrote about Contessa and Oliver, intending to follow it with Nor (Eleanor) and Robert and Marcus was the "bad guy" - until he wouldn't shut up about needing to go back to Hollywood, CA and right a wrong that might change him for the better.

So last night I was stayed on Wikipedia printing out page after page of details about Hollywood, then and now. I have several books on old Hollywood, like I do on New York City, but I will have to dig them out. They are packed away in a box in another room in the house. I'm wanting to get my hands on "The Story of Hollywoodland" by Gregory Williams.

This book has some awesome photographs of the homes in Beachwood Canyon, the Hollywood sign, and a model replica of the home that was supposed to have been built atop Mt. Lee, above where the Hollywood sign stands now.

So here's for another snow day tomorrow.

Birthday Girl!

Today is my 42nd birthday. 10:36 is the magical time when I entered this world on a cold January morning.

Can I let you in on a secret? I always get leery this time of year. My fear is that something will happen and I will get so close and not reach it. Birthdays are important to me. Not for the presents and the cake and the special dinners cooked by my mom, but for all the things I've experienced so far in my life and all the things I'm thankful for. I have so many, but I'll list a few today to show them how grateful I am to have them in my life.

To L, one of my best buddies, for being there when I've needed someone to listen to my ranting, to bounce ideas off of, and for sharing some of my travels these past few years.

To G, another of my best buddies, for being a super co-worker, a friend who encourages me to try new books and ideas and for being almost a total opposite of me in our previous lives and beliefs that we seem to mesh pretty well together.

To T, we've been friends since grade school and best buddies since high school. Thanks for coming to visit on Sunday and for sharing your love of the UT Lady Volunteers and Captain Kirk. Live long and prosper.

To my boss B, who tries her best to keep all her peeps happy and who has let me cry in her office on numerous occasions last summer when a co-worker and her inability to do her job had me ready to hand in my resignation. (NOTE: Said co-worker handed in HER resignation letter and the 29th is her last day in the office - I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present!)

To all the blogs I read out there and the people who write them, keep up the good writing. I get inspiration from each of you and use what I find to better myself and my own writings.

And finally, to my parents, who have been there for me for 42 years, who have supported and encouraged me through the ups and downs and still love me.

One last thanks for my friend Cliffy for yet another ROTFLMAO birthday card! It was great. But remember, yours is only a couple of weeks away and you will be the same age!!

Prairie dog

Prairie dog, originally uploaded by Stu232.

I think he's plotting murder! MUHAHAHAHA

Whew!

I've never been so thankful for a pair of weeks to come to an end as I did the past two. Work has been horrendous trying to get people admitted. I have to admit that I'm tired of all the sob stories. But enough of that.

I've printed out my novel from NaNoWriMo last year. I'm starting the editing phase, something I haven't really done before with any of my writings. I have no chapters and about a third of the way through I lost my focus and started to write scenes, most of them out of order, so I have a lot of fixing to do. But this will be a great experience for me. I've thought up more things I want to add since I finished.

So now I go to catch up on all the blogs I follow.

Was there ever any doubt?

1/365, originally uploaded by mysterywriter.

The title for 2010's quote book is: The world needs your story.

This will, I hope, be the driving force behind my writing this year. New ideas? Editing older stories? I've got 365 days to find out.

Happy New Year!