Distraction

The writing has taken a back seat this week while I give into the craziness of my muse and make a youtube music video. Why, you ask? Because in my weaker moments I'm a crazy fangirl. The learning curve was steep, but I am three minutes into a four minute song, and it ROCKS!

I've decided that film editing is a lot like writing. You cut and splice the scenes so they fit into the space provided and don't put people to sleep. You make sure you have transitions, and that everything flows together to make, well, a story. I believe I might be good at this (she says humbly.) And that it is good training for book trailers, which will be my next hurdle. I'm slowing down at it though. Books don't get written in Windows Movie Maker.

Tomorrow is poker night, and I luuurve poker. We'll be just down the street, spending the evening with good friends, people who make me laugh a lot. Can't ask for more than that. Have a safe and Happy New Year.

Detroit...My Kind Of Town

Hi, everyone. Okay, so have you survived the Holiday Season? I didn't think I would make it. Honestly. We flew to West Virginia to spend Xmas, and it takes two airplane rides to get there. I hate, hate, hate flying. There are not enough hates to put in front of the word to convey how I feel. When I was younger I thought flying was a hoot, but as I've gotten older it's hit me how keeping a plane in the air is literally fighting the laws of physics. It doesn't help when my husband, who used to build airplane engines, says as we board, "Man, this plane is old."

However, there was one part of the trip that surprised me pleasantly. I love, love, love the Detroit Airport. How can I love an airport? I don't know. But we spent a good half hour in front of the dancing water fountain, where by some marvel of engineering they have the water streams jump like fish (or tadpoles, as the kid said) and seem to retract on themselves. Okay, on second thought, I've seen people squirt water through their cupped hands in much the same fashion, but still. I was impressed. And the Light Tunnel in between the concourses? That tunnel...man was it cool. Music that's a cross between easy listening and whales crying, light panels on the walls and ceilings morphing from crimson red, to indigo blue, to aqua green with the mood of the music. Very Logan's Run.

Aaaaand, I won't post a link here, but once again proving you can find anything at youtube, if you go there and type in Detroit Airport you can find videos of both the fountain (not so great) and the tunnel (good).

Buy The World A Coke

There's enough stress running rampant right now to beat the Xmas spirit right out of me, but this is an antidote. It fills me with happy ;)

A word on pacing

I don't have much to say about pacing, except either I'm really good at it, or really terrible. But Hilary Sares has something to say at the Brava Authors website. Don't skip the comments, yo!

Popular Wednesdays

Um...is it okay for me to whip out a Christmas theme? I did wait until almost the middle of December.

Merry Christmas From The Family - Robert Earl Keene. This song...I cannot listen to it enough.

Love, Actually - This may not be a Christmas movie, but I feel like it is. So many good things: Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson...Colin - the guy who goes to America absolutely certain his English accent will get him laid. Spoiler - it does.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas - Classic

Gift Cards - Only for good places - like bookstores, and Starbucks. Sometimes I wonder if gift cards are like paying someone to write a term paper for you - you get a gift without all the gruntwork. Conceivably, you could stop at one store and do all your shopping for the entire season. I'm not that bad, but I would certainly rather by watching Supernatural than hazarding the soulless aisles of a superstore wondering if my father-in-law needs a new knife sharpener, no! a digital frame, no! maybe these DVDs? Are gift cards the easy way out of Christmas shopping?Maybe...but it's still a win/win for the giver and the givee.

Scarves - Ooooh, pretty.

It's My Xmas Party, And I'll Cry If I Want To

We had a huge weekend planned - a birthday party, my RWA chapter's party, my husband's company Xmas party, and a family Xmas party that should count as a reunion because there's usually at least 50 people there. Honestly, I didn't know if I could stand that much partying. Even so, I did not want to be sidelined by a cold, one that had reached the coughing, hacking, laryngitis stage. Still, perfect reason to sit on the sofa with my laptop and football going on the TV. ;)

It seems that I can write through colds and flus, all kinds of stuff. But put an energetic child in the room and it's all over. I know my husband doesn't get it, but when I'm writing, my mind goes to a different place and I'm able to ignore a sniffly nose, or even a headache. If I can write, how come I can't vacuum? Well, probably because I like writing.

So everyone out there, just a reminder--it's cold season. Please be careful when you're doing this.

Popular Wednesdays

Ha! I made it. But this week shall be down and dirty. My favorite things this week are:

Supernatural - Season 1 and 2 DVDs.

Couponz - so I can purchase Supernatural 1 & 2 DVDs without so much guilt.

Xmas - So I can justify purchase as gift to myself. Because I deserve it. Really.

Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron - we've watched about every animated movie ever made when I checked this out at the library. My daughter loves it. Spirit is about horses, and unlike other animated movies about animals, they don't talk to each other using words. They act like real horses, and express themselves with their body language, ears, tail--and, yeah, big emo eyes. But there's not much dialogue in it, hardly thirty lines, and she had to do a lot of work to follow what was going on. It wasn't just spoon fed to her--she had to pay attention, to interpret. I couldn't believe she was watching it. But then I check on her and she's sniffling. Because watching the horses emote their sadness made her sad for them. Aw. Sniff.

When in doubt, go deep

1 Starbucks - My hubby enabled my habit today. He took the kid to run errands and very considerately brought my favorite - and when I say considerate I mean it. He thinks Starbucks is a complete waste of money, akin to throwing it into the trash (I never said it wasn't.) I'm so glad I had my 4 year old memorize my order. You think I'm kidding.

Big shout out to my genius CP Celeste. She pointed out something that rolls like an eighteen wheeler across all my wips. What did she say? Get into some Deep POV, sistah! So simple I should have been able to see it, but I didn't. All I could do was wring my hands and say, "Something's not right!" Suddenly I know what to do in every single place I was having trouble. Thanks, Celeste. Now we're even for the tag line excision ;)