Melani Blazer

Just for you, Emma, I was all set to write a lukewarm love scene sounding like Scarlett O’hara. Of course, what I was supposed to be writing was a real sex scene between my characters in my current WIP. Fearful I’d have my characters, who are in New York, sounding like southern belle and suitor, I typed *insert sex scene here* and moved on to the action occurring the next morning. Really.

Yeah, still can’t shake that word. Working on it though.

This book is on it’s, oh, maybe 4th, 5th synopsis? Rough outlines of what I want to happen. First couple were based on a full length story, then I decided to….de-complicate it and shoot for quickie or novella length. I only tell you that because I don’t change my story THAT much. *cough cough* normally.

So I wrote about….15K then decided I need to really have a solid idea of how this is going to resolve itself. I’ve got the character arcs laid out, at least internally. I know, shaking on that though, what will need to actually happen (externally and internally) to give these two a happily ever after. So I wrote it down, about 2 1/2 notebook pages, handwritten in various amounts of detail and have been happily writing from that.

Then what does my hero do? Walks out of a room to face the “villian” without having a very IMPORTANT conversation with the heroine. That conversation would lead to a minor but understandable misunderstanding (huh? Mel, what????) and cause the hero to make a decision based on what he thinks the heroine wants and is best for her, rather than what she wants. Hero’s actions have also left heroine in possession of a very core piece of….paraphernalia that has been central to the story, and that the hero actually needs.

You know the whole advice about doing the very worst thing to your characters and then seeing how they react because it really brings out the emotions? Hello, they’ve just gotten even and done it to ME!

Someone give me IV valium and some blank paper. I need to completely rethink this. WHY, what if, and “oh no you didn’t” are doomed to be among the things exiting my mouth as I venture into this discovery time.

Pray for me.

Ya know, sometimes there’s just a word that keeps really repeating itself over and over. Really.

Any idea which word it is that’s really getting on my last nerve, but keeps escaping from the end of my pen?

yeah. really.
No… really.
I mean it. Really.

The word IS… Really.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!

Just and that are making cameo appearances. As are sentences that start with But or And, and of course, the famous So that likes to pop in and visit.

At least I know, if this book really goes over word count, I can search for those words and really make a dent.
Really.

I’m going back to typing now. And trying to avoid putting that word in my actually document, despite it appearing really frequently in my handwritten story. (Is there a pill for this? A really-holic anonymous?)

Happy Sunday, everyone.

Another boring blog post. I feel guilty when I don’t blog, but it seems pointless to blog about nothing.

I’ve embarked in a little writing challenge with a couple of pals. I haven’t said anything “out loud” about it, so I’m not going to, less I jinx myself. The good news is that the words are really flowing. Bad for hand cramps, since it’s all been handwritten, but I’ll take it anyway I can, though I’m a bit nervous about scribing in blood. I tend to write long books. Eeek.

My copy of Grimspace arrived. I look at it every morning and tell myself I need to start reading. Anyone else push reading away to not interrupt the muse? But I’ve agreed to review it on my blog, so I’ll probably grab that this weekend and power read. I’m eager to get to it.

Other than that, it’s been lots of the same ole, same ole. Went shopping for a new desk chair and printer, but didn’t buy…yet. Think I’ll go back for the chair (40% off sale ends soon… must jump on a deal like that). Weather here has been incredibly moody. We’ve had temps ranging from below zero to nearly sixty this month, with rain, snow, thunder, lightning, wind and then more of the same. Adds flavor to a usually dull, gray month. I’m eager for spring. Very eager.

Let’s see….Not much else I can ramble about, so I’ll mosey onto bed where I can prop myself up on some pillows and head off into the world I’ve created and see how bad I can torture me some characters. *evil laugh*

Cheers!
Mel

How the heck did it arrive already? Back when it was a fleck on the horizon, I’d wanted to do something special. Guess I’d gotten better at procrastination than I’d thought. Whoo hoo.

The weather is wonky. Think it has a toll on all of us. Today had sunshine, and despite the fact I’m on day four of the most heinous back-ache of my life (saw Doc, got meds and a diagnosis. I’ll live. but pain sucks) anyway, I really enjoyed the sight of the bright sunlight. Cheers the soul, brightens the spirit. All that jazz.

Doing writing when I can. Searching for a good heroine name. I’ll know it when I see/hear it. Nothing’s clicking yet. Anyone wanna toss a suggestion, I won’t complain–or make promises.

If you’re stopping by on the weekend. Pop over to Shan’s blog and check out her question, maybe offer an answer/opinion. I’m looking forward to what discussion will develop there.

Well, the meds are kicking in and my eyelids have become weighted. Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with roses and chocolate and love–even if its the cyber kind!

Cheers!

Okay…. I did a few upgrades without breaking the blog. I’m relieved.

Seems I managed to survive the funk that was November and December (and part of January) and can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Things I put in place back in November are starting to happen and I’ve got more than a pinkie grip on “life”—and here I thought this romance writer gig was supposed to be satin negligee’s or at least a silky robe, furry slippers and chocolate bonbons. Dangit!

Handwriting still seems to be the thing. I’m way ahead of myself on handwritten vs. typed in, but I’m happy with progress no matter how I come by it. Overall, the time spent in my little writer’s funk was beneficial. I did a lot of philosophizing. Why I write, what I want to write, why I read and what makes me pick up a book. Where do I want to go with this and how much effort am I willing to put in it–I don’t have all the definitive answers, but definitely a better grip on how to get them–and how to do this for me, not to please friends or family or all those other reasons.
(more…)

Just pausing for station identification here. It’s been a mad house here, not that it’s usually something else, but we’ve all been crazy-busy. Tree’s up, that’s it’s own story, but it’s the biggest damn tree we’ve ever had. Thanks Goose. Needed that.

Made some cookies, and not sure I have the stamina to make oodles of them this year. Ate about 4 of them and am now cookie’d out. Sad, eh? We’ll see. I’m just not mentally or in any other way, prepared for Christmas.

Had snow. Had ice. Had rain. All within about 6 hours. All gone now, left with brrr cold and wind. Welcome to winter. Can I hibernate someplace about 80* please?

Writing, yeah. I’ve typed in a ton, handwritten some, and word count on computer is somewhere over 27,000. It’s not where I wanted to be, but it’s progress, nonetheless. Considering the stress, outside interruptions and all the other chaos hitting me in the head like a fast-pitched baseball, it’s pretty amazing.

That’s about the end of the time I have. Off to work with me.
Have a good one!

It’s been a busy life. I suppose a lot of you can say that, especially this weekend. We’re always advised to “Stop and smell the roses”…but well, roses aren’t exactly in season. This weekend I smelled turkey, ham, pecan pie. I watched the warmth of a flickering candle and listened to my family talk over dinner. I heard my cats meow in eagerness when I held up the cans of turkey 9 lives.

While my life was still crazy with way too much to do with too little time to accomplish it, I did totally appreciate those moments.
Today we headed out for a walk. I thought we were heading to a park we often visit for a quiet walk. We bundled up and even let the 16 yr old drive us.

The husband navigated and I knew immediately we weren’t going somewhere I recognized. We ended up at a “wildlife reserve” had sparse parking and was mostly unadvertised. We parked and got out. I have to admit I was skeptical, but the trails were short, but well marked. The brown, red and yellow oak leaves covered the path and gave us the feeling of walking through an untouched wilderness. Within moments we couldn’t see the parking area and became immersed in raw nature. Within moments of our walk, it began to snow lightly, just enough to turn an already mystical adventure into a virtual faerietale. Maybe we were caught in a snowglobe.

Farther in, the husband and daughter caught site of a majestic whitetail. Later I saw movement deep in the trees, but couldn’t tell if it was the same deer or something else. It was about that time the snow became heavier. As we stood, straining to see miles into the untouched forest, we realized we could hear the snow hitting the leaves around us.

It was as if God (or Mother Nature) had whispered “stop and listen to the snow fall”. Not an obvious sound, of course, just a whisper, but one that often goes unheard because we’re so busy with everything else.

We were gone for an hour, maybe hour and a half tops, but we’d traveled far–into another world, the way I see it.

I’d originally planned to blog about finally getting time this morning to type in some of my handwritten writing and philosophize about how what I was writing was affecting me, but this seemed far more inspiring.

So when you get a chance, stop, and listen to the snow, smell the roses, or pinecones, or listen to your kitten purr…or something else that you don’t think must about, but would miss if it were gone.

I’m missing. My brain is missing, money is missing, time is missing. I’m standing, okay, sitting, here, going… it’s what date? I’m supposed to be doing what and have accomplished what?

I’m not complaining and won’t make excuses, cuz frankly, I don’t know what I’d say. I’ve just got way too much on my plate and sadly, blogging has fallen off the priority list. I’m not even getting computer time to write, so I’m filling up journal pages by hand and eyeing up that *can’t remember the name now* focus/fly thingy that’s a pen that stores what you write. Tho’ I’ll need to do more research before I officially put it on my Christmas list. Would be nice not to have to transcribe the 40 or so pages I’ve filled.

Anyhoot, off to work with me. Short, but extremely busy week. If I don’t make it back, you all have a happy Thanksgiving!

I had an adventure today. In conjunction with the EDJ (Evil Day Job), I had to attend a meeting in a town about 40 minutes, and one time zone away.

First, I needed slapped for volunteering to go to this meeting before knowing the details. I was thinking, “oooh, time off work, free food, yada yada.” I missed the fine print about getting up before the bars closed, don dressier clothes than normal and drive a road rarely traveled (by moi) in the dark. And rain, did I mention the icy cold rain?

I kinda sorta knew where I was going. Clearly darkness and rain clouded my common sense because in a flash of over confidence, I went a direction OTHER than Mapquest’s suggestions. But I got there, even found the road okay. Avoided running red lights, getting pulled over or even carjacked. (My alternate route included a tour of ghetto-land. Scary in the dark, really…)

So I see hotel/conference center and I’m feeling pretty damn proud of myself. Until I realize I have to park in a parking garage. I pull up, have no clue I have to get a parking ticket. I was the person everyone yells at. The one who left their brains at home in bed and it’s surprising she knows what foot her shoes go on. The attendant comes over and stabs the button that clearly states “push here for ticket” Oh. Doh.

“Never been here before,” I offer.

Grunt.

TSTL, oh yeah, it’s all over my forehead.

So I drive forward, wondering WTF just happened. I’m usually the one who’s got her shit together. I “do” these kind of things. I’m not afraid.
Yeah, tell that to the panic attack building in my chest as I realize I have to… da da dum…enter a parking garage. A below ground parking garage.

First, I had a tense moment as my Jeep barely, I mean barely, skittered under the sign advising the maximum height. Dude, it’s a Liberty. These things aren’t THAT tall. I swear I heard the plastic thingy scrape the plastic rails on the roof. (cringe)

But luckily the powers that be knew I was at breaking point and hadn’t even made it in the building yet, so a parking place was immediately available and I was able to park quickly. I sat there for a moment.

If you know me at all, you realize this is so not like me. I was even pinching myself and wondering who’d brain-napped me today.

This was the thought on my mind as I wound my way–on foot now—through this windy, under-contruction parking garage until I found the entrance to the lobby. Once there, I looked back in a moment of extreme disbelief. I’d been so caught up in my own thoughts I hadn’t bothered to map my way back. In my own defense, let me say it’s only about 7am. I’m usually arguing with a snooze button, not proving myself one really uncool dumbass in an out-of-town parking garage.

But, I win.
After the meeting I retrace my steps to the lobby, find the door I came in and with only a few missteps, found the Jeep. I had no idea how to EXIT said parking garage–no, there were no signs, thanks to crazy construction. I decided to wait and follow someone smarter than me. Within two minutes, a black sedan passed heading out the way I came in. Wah-lah, it IS a two way road. Thankfully, someone had come before me and completely wiped OUT the plastic sign warning of the low ceiling, so I exited without threat of property damage. (Tho’ while walking through garage, I see all kinds of vans and SUVs–how the hell had they gotten down there without caving in their roofs? Was there a tall-car entrance I’d not been told about?)

I was almost free, but I had to do something with the ticket thing I was forced to take upon entering. Unwilling to try anything–and making it worse than it alread was, I simply handed the same attendant (bless hims heart) my free pass and ticket. I smiled through my humiliation as he exited his booth, walked around the Jeep and swiped the pass and the ticket in the boxy thingy I’d driven past. Er, oops.
It’s a good thing I don’t frequent the area. I clearly don’t have the mentality to handle parking garages. At all.

But today, I survived and if I didn’t tell this story, I could claim surpeme victory. Instead, you get the truth. It was touch and go, nearly went into overtime, but at the end, I got the “W” in the column. Take that.

…cuz if I had a convo like this with a character, I’d lock myself up.

So, there’s this internal joke about rubber duckies (I had to buy one for my daughter’s friend) and while there, I found a pirate ducky. She’s THE biggest Johnny Depp/Captain Jack fan I know so it was a no brainer that el pirate duckie was coming home with me that night. I got it in the baby section, so it has one of those heat sensitive disks on it, to change color if the water’s too warm. Tonight she IM’s me with the following:

Daughter: Mommeh

Mom: yes

D: I’m back from meh shower…

D: And the ducky works! The bottom (where it says “HOT”) does turn white when it’s really hot

M: you kill me

D: Hey, it had to be tested somehow. What better way that taking a rubber ducky-shower!

M: yuh huh

D: It was quite fun. My ducky is quite a great pirate on the high seas

M: o.m.g.

D: Are you laughing at me?

M: you betcha

D: figures

D: It’s your pasttime

M: you’re clever

D: I am clever. Like a goldfish.

D: I get a smart idea, then 2 seconds later, it’s gone.

D: Most call it short-term memory loss.

D: I call it Goldfish. =]
____

Goldfish, rubber duckies and pirates on the high seas. That’s a 16 yr old for ya. (okay, she’ll be 16 in less than a month… close enough)

ETA: Daughter had an irritated eye from her contact. Very bloodshot. This convo happened while I was posting the ducky stuff…

D: So today
D: There’s this one person
D: who came up to me
D: And asked if I snorted up one nose and didn’t the other.
D: So now I have two noses.

She’s SUCH a goldfish.