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Beating its wings in my face

/ Tracy Abell / 8 Comments

I’m still working on my JoNoWriMo+1.5 project.  Despite being ahead of schedule, I’m experiencing almost daily bouts of Help, my book has fallen and it can’t get up!

Last night I felt the need to take a break from children’s literature so I started reading Edith Wharton’s THE GLIMPSES OF THE MOON.  The Nick Lansing character is writing his first novel, and Wharton begins her seventh chapter with this:

 Of some new ferment at work in him Nick Lansing himself was equally aware.  He was a better judge of the book he was trying to write than either Susy or Strefford; he knew its weaknesses, its treacheries, its tendency to slip through his fingers just as he thought his grasp tightest; but he knew also that at the very moment when it seemed to have failed him it would suddenly be back, beating its loud wings in his face.


Ain’t that the truth.

 

                     

Waste-Not Wednesday: Flushing Toilets

/ Tracy Abell / 12 Comments

Seeing as it’s Halloween and all I considered writing about recycling treats for the little witches and goblins.  You know the recycling I refer to: you’re all out of goodies because someone wouldn’t stop eating, but the doorbell keeps ringing so you dash into the pantry in frantic search of something, anything, to ward off the TP Avengers.  And you spot those granola bars at the back of the shelf plus a few packages of Top Ramen, so you grab those and a couple honey sticks on the way back to the front door in hopes you won’t arrive there to find a burning bag of dog doo.

But you already know the drill.

So let’s talk toilets.  Briefly.

Get yourself a big bucket to keep in your bathroom.  Put it under the tub faucet so it catches the water when you’re warming it up for your bath or shower:

Then use that water to flush your toilet:

Also, we have a plastic bottle filled with water (blue cap at Left) and a plastic container with rocks (next to ball at Right) in the tank.  These displace water so not as much water is needed to refill the tank after each flush.  Just make sure your displacement items don’t interfere with the flushing mechanism.  (If you already have low-flush toilets, I don’t think there’s room for displacement items but you can still use the bucket to refill the tank).

                                      

Planting a Flag

/ Tracy Abell / 27 Comments

My office somehow became the family office and then the family dumping ground.  I’d post a photo of what it looks like today but it’s too damned scary.  Visualize piles of papers, stacks of books next to full bookshelves, a dead computer on the floor, various cords and plug-ins, dust, tax files, homework, more dust, bins and boxes, magazines and unpaid bills.  Did I mention the dust?  

Believe me when I say there’s not a whole lot of space for creativity.

Well, I read

[info]dotificus

 notes on Laurie Halse Anderson in which LHA said writers must create a sacred writing space.  Dot quoted her as saying “Writing space creates focus. You’re planting a flag.”

I thought, yeah.  But how?

Then today I was flipping through Monica Wood’s THE POCKET MUSE (a great book, by the way) and came across Ingredients of a good writing space which includes  “The space should be marked as yours by the decor: a favorite vase, a framed photo, a special charm or knick-knack.  Put up a sign, a flag, a fence; pee on it if you have to.  It’s yours.”

So I mulled over the possibilities before moving a little desk out of the office and putting it in the weight room.  I figure I’m safe in there since I’m the only one in the family who lifts weights.

And I didn’t even have to pee to make it mine.      

I Learned My First Trick!

/ Tracy Abell / 16 Comments

I bought my first hoop in June.  As mentioned before, this hoop is heavier and thicker than those we had as kids and so is much easier to keep moving.  I fell in love with hooping and the way it relaxes me.  I kept at it and after a while got good enough that I could remove one of the segments and hoop with the smaller hoop (which means I can hoop faster and really work up a sweat).  Then I started taking little steps and practiced doing some spins and turns.  Eventually, I could even skip as I hooped.

This is all good.  I feel better, I look better.  It’s all good.

Except.

I’d done some investigating and discovered that my little spins and turns weren’t much in the wide, wide, world of hooping.  Hoopers can pick up hoops with their feet, hoop around both shoulders or just one shoulder, around their knees, and even hoop blindfolded.  I wanted to do more.

So I made myself a lighter, thinner hoop because the one I have is too heavy for tricks.  I ended up making two hoops since the first was too small for me (although it’s a good size for Zebu).  And then I started trying to get it up.   I bruised my forearm, repeatedly smacked my leg with the hoop, and yesterday knocked my glasses halfway off my face but . . . TODAY I mastered** a slightly modified version of Push It followed by overhead twirls and bringing the hoop back to my waist without a break in the spinning.

This video shows what I’d like to be able to do someday.  I smile and feel all floaty as I watch Ammre:

** I was successful at two attempts in a row.  🙂

      

Waste-Not Wednesday: Fabric Softener

/ Tracy Abell / 23 Comments

I had the idea of designating one day per week for sharing ways my family tries to reduce our impact on the environment.  I’m going to call it WASTE-NOT WEDNESDAY and I’d be thrilled if anyone else would like to join in and share ideas from their households, too.  I’m at about the halfway point of my life expectancy but Wildebeest and Zebu and all your children have a lot of years ahead of them on this planet, and whatever we can do to protect the resources for them and their children (and their children’s children and so on), is well worth the effort.

So I hope you join me now and again in sharing some tips for helping out Mother Earth.

As you can see, my washing machine has a big jug of white vinegar sitting on top.  That’s because each time I wash a load of laundry, I pour white vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser at the top of the agitator-thingy.  We live in Colorado where it’s extremely dry which results in lots of static cling.  I mean LOTS.  However, the vinegar prevents that icky, clingy feeling plus keeps the laundry soft.  Believe me, if it works here vinegar will work in your climate, too.

Why not just use that fancy-smelling blue stuff?  Well, I don’t like liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets because I’m hypersensitive to strong odors.  When I’m taking a walk in my neighborhood, I can smell when someone’s running a dryer with one of those sheets inside and the smell hurts my lungs. 

While writing this post I just did a little googling and found out there’s a good reason why my lungs hurt when I smell that stuff:  nasty chemicals!

Do your wallet and the planet a favor by giving up the fabric softener.  Reach for the white vinegar instead.

                             

/ Tracy Abell / 33 Comments

I’ve fallen WAY behind on updating my word count but am so pleased with my progress that I just had to share:

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
28,014 / 38,000
(73.7%)

I think I’ve definitely established a writing habit. I set a goal of 400 words per day but usually write a few more EVERY SINGLE DAY! (Well, I didn’t write one day this week but I did story mapping so I was working. Really. Truly).

How’s everyone else doing with their goals?

Please tell me I’m not the only one . . .

/ Tracy Abell / 14 Comments

I’ve been adrift in my WIP but this morning felt a renewed sense of purpose about the book.  I realized it was time for the dry erase board so I could visually map out the story.  I gathered all my materials in one place and started talking aloud because that’s how I process best.  I decided to start by mapping out the big ending scene because while I’ve had a general idea about it from day one, I needed more details so that I could understand characters’ motivations as I continue writing earlier scenes.

I uncapped a stinky marker and started listing the things I already knew about the big ending scene.  It wasn’t a whole lot so I referred to my legal pad to check for other details I’d missed.

Oh my.

I’d completely forgotten about this.  On September 20 I wrote three pages of notes, the majority of which concern the big ending scene.  I wrote details out the wazoo but somehow, somehow, I’d managed to forget them.

Has this ever happened to you?  Please tell me I’m not the only one.  I mean, I know I’ve killed some brain cells over the years and that I’ve been under some Wildebeest-induced stress these past weeks but right now I’m feeling embarrassed and somewhat alarmed.

                         

Lessons From a Dead Girl

/ Tracy Abell / 13 Comments


Look what I’ve got in my hot little hand! 

Finally!

I pre-ordered way back when 

[info]jbknowles

said the book was available but there was some sort of delay.   I’m hoping Amazon sold so many copies they had to run out and get more before shipping mine out to me!

CONGRATULATIONS, Jo!  Can’t wait to read this beautiful book.

Blog Action Day – plastic bags

/ Tracy Abell / 28 Comments

I just read

[info]susanwrites

 post about native plants.  Beautiful story and accompanying photos in honor of today’s Blog Action Day.  This year’s topic is the environment and I decided to write about ways to reduce the number of plastic bags in our lives.

There are some sobering statistics at this site, including one from the EPA:  over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.

Yikes.

One easy way to reduce the plastic in your life is to keep some of these in your car so that when you’re asked “Plastic or paper?” you can say “Neither”:

And instead of plastic sandwich bags, you can pack lunches with these:

Plastic debris is especially hard on marine wildlife as animals often mistake the bags for food.  We’re sharing the planet with lots of other beings and our actions can have a profound effect so I’m sure this sea turtle appreciates all efforts to keep his home clean:

I look forward to reading other takes on the environment in honor of Blog Action Day.

       

Days Fifteen – Nineteen: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 34 Comments

It’s been crazy around my household this past week. In spite of the various ups and downs, I kept to my word goal although I won’t vouch for the quality of anything written. This might possibly be the suckiest draft in the history of the world but I’m forging ahead. At this point I’m writing scenes out of order. I never do this. Maybe once or twice in other books I wrote one scene out of order but not the way I’m doing now which is to basically fend off that icky brain-creep paralysis by writing whatever it takes to get me to my word count. So while it might all be dreck, I’m at least establishing a habit by writing each and every day. That part does feel good.

But man oh man, this writing gig can really take it out of a person. Yesterday I realized it’s already October which means I’m nearing the end of yet another year in which I didn’t sell a book and then I think about January 1st and how I’ll soon be staring down that whole hopes and dreams and goals routine for the new year wherein I continue to flail about wondering if I’m incapable of producing anything anyone wants to read, and the whole situation makes me want to curl up in a ball and disappear.

May I just say “Shit on a stick!” and “Crap on a cracker!”? (And feel free to share any of your favorite expressions so I don’t feel too juvenile.)

Anyway, I’m posting my stats here so I can at least remember that I’m honoring my word count goal while I battle the demons in my head:

Day 15: 321 words
Day 16: 511 words
Day 17: 516 words
Day 18: 440 words
Day 19: 739 words

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
20,733 / 38,000
(54.6%)

Days Thirteen and Fourteen: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 3 Comments

Day Thirteen I eked out 360 words while at the Rockies baseball game. I wasn’t all that surprised to read them today and discover that all but maybe 34 of those words stink. But hey, I was trying to keep with the program.

Day Fourteen went much better and although I was practically in tears at one point, declaring that I hated my book, I kept writing and exceeded my goal. Who knows how many of those are keepers, though. At this point, I don’t care. I stopped at a good point so I’ll have momentum tomorrow and I can only hope that momentum doesn’t steer me right into a slag heap. Or the literary equivalent.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
18,206 / 38,000
(47.9%)

Day Ten: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 4 Comments

Probably only half these words are any good but I consider them all gold at this point because I’ve fulfilled my promise to myself and this project despite being quite tired from the hours of busting sod today plus the drive to Boulder for a summer camp reunion/potluck for Wildebeest and Zebu plus the knowledge that in about ten hours I’ll be headed back to Boulder for my weekly appointment.

Last week I saw two bald eagles circling just as I hit the Boulder city limits. Maybe they’ll be there to escort me tomorrow, too. A woman can dream.

And that’s what I hope to be doing very soon.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
16,324 / 38,000
(43.0%)

Day Nine: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 1 Comment

Not only did I achieve my word count today but also made great progress on my sod-busting project in my front lawn. I reached the sidewalk! It was dark by the time I got there which helps explain why I didn’t notice where I was stepping. My nose figured it out pretty quickly, though; a little treat left by some dog. Those shoes are spending the night in the garage.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
15,970 / 38,000
(42.0%)

Day Eight: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 14 Comments

I’m happy with today’s words but am a little leery of what’s coming tomorrow since I didn’t leave myself in the best jumping-off position. Maybe the Fairies of Enlightenment will pay me a visit in the nighttime. If you see any fluttering nearby could you please send a few my way?

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
15,386 / 38,000
(40.5%)

Day Seven: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 2 Comments

I’m especially proud of these words today, not because they’re extraordinarily good (although I guess there’s a chance they are) but because my running/honking/walking experience earlier today left me with an enormous headache. The good news is it subsided (all hail the neti pot) and I was able to look at a computer screen long enough to create some new stuff.

Hope all the rest of you are making progress, too.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
14,709 / 38,000
(38.7%)

It was my race and I honked ’cause I had to

/ Tracy Abell / 39 Comments

I just got home after running a three-mile race. I haven’t run in a month because every time I ran I got a horrific headache from sinuses plugged with pollen (my medical diagnosis). I even stopped running the trails out in the open space to avoid getting coated in yellow pollen and just ran the streets but still felt mighty shitty when I finished. And where’s the fun in that?! So for the past month I’ve focused on hooping and feeling groovy in my living room every morning.  Pollen-free!

Well, Zippy and Wildebeest ran this same race last year and planned to do it this year but then got free tickets to the Broncos game so they opted out. I didn’t think I wanted to run but yesterday my neighbor called to say she wanted to sponsor me.  Wow!  A sponsorship!  I felt very NASCAR (or something).

So I went down and signed up the race which is for  a really good cause. The Second Wind Fund was established to prevent teen suicide after four local high school students committed suicide in a nine-month period during 2001-2002.  This is serious stuff and now that I have my own hormonally-challenged teen, I figured I could stagger around a three-mile loop to support those efforts.

Oh my.

My exercise-induced asthma was so bad today that people ran alongside me asking if I was okay.  I was practically honking.  One man asked if I was all right and I gasped that I was fine, thanks, and he nodded and ran ahead.  After a few more steps, though, he stopped and turned and asked me again if I was all right.  Very kind of him, I know.  But then when the teenage girl asked and the older man asked and all those other runners ran past staring at me, I started to feel like a freak show.   With a really annoying soundtrack.

So I walked.  In a three-mile race.  I didn’t just walk once, I think I walked four different times (I can’t figure out how to get the splits off my watch and Zebu isn’t here to help).  Honking away the entire time.

When I crossed the finish line, I got a bottle of water and found an out-of-the-way place to cool down and stretch.  And I had myself a good cleansing cry.  Truly, it felt good and productive to get that frustration and embarrassment and disappointment out of my system.

HONK!

    
                                              
 

Day Six: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

Did it again. Feels good to have six days of work behind me. This disciplined approach works pretty well.

I should send Jo chocolate or maybe coffee. Didn’t she recently join the ranks of the coffee addicts? HA.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
14,188 / 38,000
(37.3%)

Day Five: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

Another good day! I think today’s key to success was giving myself permission to over-write. I told myself not to worry about final word count and pacing so much as just telling the story now so that when it’s finished (remember, Tracy, the goal isn’t to agonize but to complete this book!) I can go back and slash the extra debris. This approach saved me from that horrible creeping paralysis that sends me into a complete panic each time it comes a callin’.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
13,744 / 38,000
(36.2%)

I’m so grateful for Keith Olbermann

/ Tracy Abell / 6 Comments

MSNBC Countdown’s Keith Olbermann: Special Comment for 9/20/07. A stunning denunciation of Bush’s cowardice and hypocrisy. Here is an excerpt:

“…Mr. Bush, you have hidden behind the General’s skirts, and today you have hidden behind the skirts of ‘the last question’ at a news conference, to indicate once again that your presidency has been about the tilted playing field, about no rules for your party in terms of character assassination and changing the fabric of our nation, and no right for your opponents or critics to as much as respond.

That, Sir, is not only unAmerican — it is dictatorial.

And in pimping General David Petraeus, Sir, in violation of everything this country has been assiduously and vigilantly against for 220 years, you have tried to blur the gleaming radioactive line between the military and the political, and to portray your party as the one associated with the military, and your opponents as the ones somehow antithetical to it. You did it again today, Sir, and you need to know how history will judge the line you just crossed.”

Day Four: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 44 Comments

The work was fine today but not so much in the way I’d anticipated. I ended up adding fewer than my 400-word goal but that’s okay for two reasons: One, my count was more than 400 yesterday and combined with today’s word count I’m still on schedule for my final goal. Two, I figured out all sorts of stuff about the story and wrote three pages of notes.

I finally know the story with G’s mother! She’s not dead! She’s alive, she’s alive!
I understand why Mr. E is such a prickly personality when he’s around T.
I realized which character is the real rat bastard of the story.

Best of all, I found some needed inspiration while reading I’M A LEBOWSKI, YOU’RE A LEBOWSKI: LIFE, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, AND WHAT HAVE YOU (a fan book written for those of us who can’t get enough of the Coen brothers’ movie). It’s not rocket science but it was the perfect time for this particular slap upside my head (plus it came from an interview with the real-life Dude who inspired the character and movie). So what is the Dude’s explanation for the cult success of THE BIG LEBOWSKI? He points out that in all great comedy the situation gets progressively worse for the character(s).

Doh.

Apparently Joel Coen writes a scene and makes it as difficult as he possibly can for the character. Then Ethan Coen rewrites it, making it worse. And then Joel makes it worse again.

Thanks. That had not occurred to me, Dude.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
13,113 / 38,000
(34.5%)

Day Three: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 5 Comments

A pattern is emerging: First day was ugh, second was fine, third was ugh again.

According to my complex analysis, tomorrow should be another fine writing day. That is a relief. I don’t think I could take two days in a row of crying out in a fit of self-loathing as I slam all fingers onto the keyboard, momentarily sending the display into a quivering spasm of random chaos.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
12,839 / 38,000
(33.8%)

Day Two: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 21 Comments

Today was a bit easier. A couple days ago I realized I need to compress this book’s time-line but it stressed me because I wasn’t sure how to do that. And I sure didn’t want to tackle that dilemma today when I’m trying to get in the habit of adding words every day rather than slash a couple thousand in one sitting.

So I pulled a Scarlett O’Hara and told myself I’d worry about that issue tomorrow. And then I just kind of picked a jumping off point and started writing. Those words came pretty easily. In fact, I might go add some more right now.

As of this moment, I have at least 469 more words in my story.

Hope the day was productive for you, too, my writing comrades.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
12,277 / 38,000
(32.3%)

Day One: JoNoWriMo+1.5

/ Tracy Abell / 35 Comments

Made my 400-word goal. Just barely. Ugh. Hope the next 74 days aren’t filled with such insecurity and angst. I felt so adrift in the story it was unnerving but I wrote my word count and now hope for an epiphany that will keep me on track for tomorrow.

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
11,808 / 38,000
(31.1%)