tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38617093976300152312024-03-05T06:37:46.822-08:00My Writing ExistenceMy place to muse about writingAnne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-23820875543287237482015-02-18T18:24:00.001-08:002015-02-18T18:24:07.972-08:00Choosing to Write<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a while, my last post was back in early December. Lots has happened in the interim -- lots of Life.<br />
<br />
Things that Life taught me in the past two months:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>If a ceramic lid drops, let it fall and shatter. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(That is the better alternative to the husband catching it against a marble countertop, cracking it, and causing a complex laceration.)</span></li>
<li>Take a break from the insanity. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(and driving to therapy sessions as soon as he can drive himself again)</span> Corollary: Enjoy the break.</li>
<li>Finding your niche or passion is sometimes just a matter of choosing.</li>
</ul>
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Which brings me to the point of this blog post: I choose to continue writing.<br />
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I still loathe revision, but the challenge of crafting a good story still challenges me. That challenge is enough to keep me going even with all the curve balls that Life speeds my way.<br />
<br />
My pace may drop off for a while, but I will keep writing. I will keep writing.</div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-27027757910021186202014-12-03T21:15:00.000-08:002014-12-03T21:15:51.224-08:00My NaNoWriMo Recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
November has come and gone. I'm still here, still standing, if barely.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I did not win NaNoWriMo this year, so no winner's circle t-shirt for me. That doesn't mean that it wasn't a good month as far was writing was concerned. In fact, it was my best month this year!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
In the fashion of an engineer, I've taken a look back at the month and gleaned some tidbits to carry forward.</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I wrote 21,810 words. That's only 45 less words than I wrote all of the rest of the year. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Yes, I use a spreadsheet to keep track of daily/monthly/yearly word counts, complete with graphs. What can I say, creating it was a great procrastination vehicle.)</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8NKB3UPchJpDM9TmSk1BVowq0GKh70s7rClbaUjJt8EnepTc0WFGLp3NG1joT6jjBgcw9fVipKV9WZ5Ni7BuGPxdYNQqKg8t8Gb_vIQgqnAT0aU3vmdCBWjxDopYE9Ohi79pblik47Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-12-03+at+9.55.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8NKB3UPchJpDM9TmSk1BVowq0GKh70s7rClbaUjJt8EnepTc0WFGLp3NG1joT6jjBgcw9fVipKV9WZ5Ni7BuGPxdYNQqKg8t8Gb_vIQgqnAT0aU3vmdCBWjxDopYE9Ohi79pblik47Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-12-03+at+9.55.26+PM.png" height="244" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Key Take-Away: The NaNoWriMo game aspect and the deadline motivated me to get those words on the computer screen. It might be useful to create more "at stake" games and deadlines to keep my words count up outside of NaNoWriMo.</li>
</ul>
<li>One of the authors that I admire "buddied" up with me. Talk about a fan-girl moment when I saw that first email.</li>
<ul>
<li>Key Take-Away: Socializing with other writers is fulfilling and fun. Time to jump back into networking with those in my writers' circles. (And it's also ok to squee when reading those emails!)</li>
</ul>
<li>On some nights, I pushed myself to my limits so I could meet that minimum word count. I learned that I can write late at night after a full day of managing the kids' activities and life and still (mostly) function the next day. Just not too many days in a row.</li>
<ul>
<li>Key Take-Away: It's not necessary to push too hard, but I can get more accomplished than I been letting myself so far this year.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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There are probably other learnings from my 2014 NaNoWriMo experience, but frankly that's all I'm ready to look for and work on. Knowing that, I plan to regroup, assess priorities, and develop my strategy for another busy month and 2015.</div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-55500919111585782292014-10-30T22:07:00.001-07:002014-10-30T22:08:15.913-07:00That time of Year... NaNoWriMo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's that time of year again. No, not the worrying about having enough candy for Halloween time. And no, not getting ready for Thanksgiving or making those gift lists for Christmas time. It's NaNoWriMo time!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pujLO87flLxLN-vqFx6PGSqjMRoct0MwnHWqZGm7MrBtpQv6qsjLveoV-cM4bUK9KE0N3s653sURNx5-1eoqO9Cy0v9-T8dlcNSoPjLA7dNWY7PFi_znC02izATAqysD_ukHsS8EmyY/s1600/Participant-2014-Web-Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pujLO87flLxLN-vqFx6PGSqjMRoct0MwnHWqZGm7MrBtpQv6qsjLveoV-cM4bUK9KE0N3s653sURNx5-1eoqO9Cy0v9-T8dlcNSoPjLA7dNWY7PFi_znC02izATAqysD_ukHsS8EmyY/s1600/Participant-2014-Web-Banner.jpg" height="147" width="400" /></a>I won't be following the rule of writing a new story or even shooting for 50,000 words. My goal this November is to write every day on my current story, even if it's just 10 minutes a day. (Anything to get this story to its conclusion.) If nothing else, I'll use the NaNoWriMo communities to feed off the energy and enthusiasm of the other writers.<br />
<br />
If you are on the fence about participating, give it a shot. It's fun to see if one can write 50,000 words in a month given Life's responsibilities. There are lots of places to look for tips & tricks, pep talks, and tools to get you through the 30 Days and Nights of word sprints and squeezing in 1667 words a day. Here are few of the recent articles that I clicked to find some nuggets of info ...<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>From WritersWrite.co.za: <a href="http://writerswrite.co.za/finish-that-first-draft-five-fantastic-tips-to-keep-you-moving-forward">Finish That First Draft – Five Fantastic Tips to Keep You Moving Forward</a></li>
<li>From one of my favorite writers -- Lynn Viehl (who is participating again this year): <a href="http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2014/10/prep-talk.html">Prep Talk</a> and <a href="http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2014/10/final-cover-nanostuff.html">Final Cover & NaNoStuff</a></li>
<li>From my Writing Coach -- Christina Katz: <a href="http://christinakatz.com/seven-narrative-writing-tips-for-nanowrimo-success/">Seven Narrative Writing Tips for NaNoWriMo Success</a></li>
<li>From Writers Digest -- <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/nanowrimo-online-editor?et_mid=700783&rid=239108852">NaNoWriMo Tips</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.writersstore.com/software/?et_mid=700134&rid=239108852">Software Sale</a> on Writing Tools from the WritersStore.com</li>
<li>And of course -- their website: <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo.org</a>; on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/NaNoWordSprints">@NaNoWordSprints</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/NaNoWriMo">@NaNoWriMo</a>; on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nanowrimo">Facebook</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
Good luck to all the NaNoWriMo writers!<br />
<br />
edited to add: my username on NaNoWriMo.org is AnneV in case you wanted to Buddy up on the site.</div>
</div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-22158090421097298932014-09-17T19:16:00.000-07:002014-09-17T19:16:19.657-07:00A Brief Announcement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've got a writing gig for a local, regional newspaper called the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheTanqueVerdeVoice">Tanque Verde Voice</a>. I submitted my first piece and accompanying photograph yesterday. Proud writer right here.<br />
<br />
Life plays funny games with us humans. This material science engineer never thought I'd write for a newspaper, that I'd be publishing my musings about living in the Tanque Verde Valley, that I'd have to learn how to use watermarks on my photos, or that I'd gain this opportunity through volunteering at the school. Yep, Life likes to play funny games alright.<br />
<br />
I'll still work on character development, plot, and conflict as I continue developing my novels. I'll occasionally write in my journal and muse about writing on this blog. Now, I add personal essay writing and supportive photography to the mix.</div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-29091665694399209312014-08-20T23:32:00.002-07:002014-08-20T23:32:27.104-07:00#WiskyWednesday, Outlander, and My Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
According to the Hash Tags that Be, today is #WhiskyWednesday. So, I sit with just a wee dram of 10 year old Glengloyne* single malt whisky trying to think of a blog post. When I looked at the bottle of whisky, the idea for this post came to me...<br />
<br />
A long time ago, in the Left Armpit of America**, my best friend suggested I read a book that she'd discovered and devoured. That book was <b>Outlander</b> by Diana Gabaldon. Like the dutiful friend that I am, I bought it. <span id="goog_1826545983"></span><span id="goog_1826545984"></span><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/"></a>I loved it.<br />
<br />
Since then, I've purchased all the hard bound books, most of them signed by <a href="http://www.dianagabaldon.com/">Herself</a>, and have listened to the audiobooks many a times. Like any great story, it provided me an escape, let me be with characters that made no demands of me other than to enjoy their story, immersed me in history, gave me food for thought, and inspired my own time-travel story.<br />
<br />
But the story didn't stop there. The book series has had an incredible effect on my life. I could try to be poetic about it, but that's not my way. Lists, bulleted lists, that's my way. So here is a list of ways that the story has influenced my life ...<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>A love for another book series that starts with <a href="http://rosinalippi.com/weblog/novels/the-wilderness-novels-2/">Into the Wilderness</a></li>
<li>The chance to be internet friends with the <a href="http://rosinalippi.com/weblog/">writer</a> of the Wilderness Series</li>
<li>The chance to have Wilderness Series author as my editor (Squee!)</li>
<li>A love of all things Scottish especially shortbread, Edinburgh, and Stirling Castle***</li>
<li>A whole new group of songs in my music library: <a href="http://www.martynbennett.com/">Martyn Bennett</a> music, <a href="http://www.hearsonicimpulse.com/">techno bagpipe music</a>, <b>Hey Donald Set</b> by Scottish Women, <a href="http://www.redhotchillipipers.co.uk/">The Red Hot Chile Pipers</a> (listen to them on the <b>How to Train Your Dragon II</b> soundtrack as well), my favorite <a href="http://www.footstompin.com/podcast">traditional Scottish music podcast</a>, <a href="http://www.duncanchisholm.com/">Duncan Chisolm</a>, <a href="http://www.juliefowlis.com/">Julie Fowlis</a>, and a soon-to-be-favorite <a href="http://salsaceltica.com/">Salsa Celtica</a></li>
<li>A place to enjoy the first weekend of November: <a href="http://tucsoncelticfestival.org/">Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games</a></li>
<li>Bagpipes</li>
<li>Two Irish Dancers in the family, because the older daughter/dancer saw Irish dancers in their blinged-out dresses at the Celtic Festival</li>
<li>Because of all the waiting during the girls' classes at the Irish dance studio, a group of dance moms that I am glad to call my friends</li>
<li>An unforgettable trip to Scotland with my family, my best friend, and her family</li>
<li>A new <a href="http://www.starz.com/originals/outlander">TV show</a> to watch over and over again</li>
<li>An appreciation for single malt scotch (so long as it isn't peaty)</li>
<li>A career writing stories (I hope)</li>
</ul>
<div>
Who knows how else my life will be enhanced by this book series? Could be that one of my stories does this for a future reader.</div>
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All that from a hash tag and a book.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">* For those that can get it, the 18year Glengloyne is much better than the 10 year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">** The Left Armpit of America = Cleveland, OH. I know it has cleaned up nicely and is quite livable. I lived there 1994-1996 and loved going down to the Flats and dancing at the Smart Bar. I also met my husband and best friend while I was at CWRU during that time. What mars the whole experience for me is surviving two break-ins (one in which the thief came into my bedroom while I was asleep and woke me up) and two winters of lake effect snow.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*** Well I don't know about haggis, as I haven't tasted it.</span></div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-77392630295868994102014-07-31T12:12:00.001-07:002014-07-31T12:12:32.499-07:00Musing about Journal Writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday I met a friend for coffee. We talked about family and related issues, kids and the roller coaster ride they put parents through, you know, life experiences. Some of those situations can be filed in the "way less fun than an amusement ride" folder. Over the summer, my family lost five relatives. My friend and her family are dealing with changes and challenges as well.<br />
<br />
As my friend has experience editing stories, the topic of writing came up in our conversation. We noted that many writers mention how they <i>have</i> to write or die. While there's an infinite <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/195631686/printable-inspirational-poster-for?ref=listing-7">number of reasons</a> to write, the few that stood out to me given our conversation were...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
... to distract one from Life's overwhelming issues<br />
... to have something to do while waiting for balance<br />
... to work through emotions<br />
... to share heartbreak<br />
... to relate with others<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIaCRtkbHCkBh9vPMJT9wy2IYYtXMMyyFS0lboFpvnDzSgLNOXQAr8dvqBq-NEFoIRFyQZCIxdU8t7WnWL4IsetcWBggxODIzWhbelLraqOy_R2IInlsF-73cLwC_Bo6vp-PA_NeX2eg/s1600/Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIaCRtkbHCkBh9vPMJT9wy2IYYtXMMyyFS0lboFpvnDzSgLNOXQAr8dvqBq-NEFoIRFyQZCIxdU8t7WnWL4IsetcWBggxODIzWhbelLraqOy_R2IInlsF-73cLwC_Bo6vp-PA_NeX2eg/s1600/Snapseed.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>While the conversation wasn't meant to be thought provoking, apparently it crawled its way into my subconscious. So much so, that when I sat down at the computer and told my husband that I didn't know what to blog about this week, the snippets of the conversation bubbled up.<br />
<br />
While fiction writing can be a avenue for these writing reasons, given the topics of today's conversation, journal writing seems more appropriate to me. I've never been a journal writer despite the writing advice to do so. Adding a journal into my writing practice when I can barely fit in my story writing sounds crazy. Never mind that I've tried to journal a few times, but couldn't maintain the activity.<br />
<br />
Yet, when I participated in writing challenges that asked the writer to pick from a list of reasons to write, I enjoyed the freedom to rant, to complain, or to love just with my written words. I didn't have to share what I wrote, so I could be as candid as I wanted. A few of the reasons I wrote were to get things off my chest, to write about things that can't be said, and a few of the reasons listed above. The experience was cathartic and heart-wrenching, but was freeing as well.<br />
<br />
So, now I'm wondering if I will use that journal for something more than a photo subject...</div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-78060583816128052102014-07-18T21:57:00.002-07:002014-07-18T22:49:41.770-07:00Life, Books, and a Corollary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I hate to admit it, especially since I love books, but I finally I had to put a book away unfinished. Here's another admission: this was my second time giving up on a book.<br />
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The first time this happened to me it was a college-bound reading list book. The story started with a group of old men talking about I can't even remember. What I do remember was the frustration at not knowing who was talking as there were no dialogue tags. None. There was no way the reader could've picked out who was saying based on character biases because we had only just been introduced to these gossiping gentlemen. I tried and tried to read that scene, but I just couldn't figure it out or get past it. (I realized long after I'd donated the book that it might not have been important to know who was saying what, but rather what they were saying. Despite that hindsight, I'm not going attempt to reread that book. Just the thought makes me cringe. Sorry Henry James.)<br />
<br />
Just this week, I had to put another book in the donate pile. (The 2nd book in the series is in the pile too - because I'd do that, buy one book, see the next one, and assume that I'd want to read it.) I'd actually gotten quite far into the story, about a third of the way through, by sheer willpower. The medieval England locations are a places I'd loved learning about (especially after spending two weeks in London this summer). Deceit and treachery laced themselves in and out of the story. It was the characters that just didn't grab me. I couldn't find anything likable about them, nothing to pull me into the story. The two things that kept me reading: the idea that I'd spent good money for the book and that it had to get better. It didn't.<br />
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I had to tell myself that life is too short. Life is too short to read books that don't grab me, that don't make me question, that don't make me feel.<br />
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That I spent that much time on the book is crazy. I have an entire bookshelf of unread books, I could've read at least two in the time I spent on the one I didn't like. However, I did learned a few things about another author's style, a way that story can be pieced together, and what doesn't work for me. But still.<br />
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As this is my place to muse about writing, I discovered a corollary about life and books: Life is too short to <i>write</i> books that don't grab me, that don't make me question, that don't make me feel.<br />
<br />
If I'm not moved by the story I wrote, how can I expect my readers to be? I won't be able to touch every reader, but if I start with engaging me, then someone else is bound to be at least intrigued. While I've seen and heard the advice about writing a story that you want to read, I now have a deeper understanding of the tidbit.<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-92130577272435394222014-07-09T21:48:00.000-07:002014-07-09T21:48:13.795-07:00Back At It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a long time since my last blog post. I won't bore you with all the reasons and excuses for my absence. I'll just say that Life has been trying to tell me something. I'm finally starting to listen.<br />
<br />
See, it seems the more I plan, the more Life decides that I had the wrong plan and dictates a new one for me. I like knowing what's going on, to know what my day will entail. I like setting my own schedule, even if it is full of to-do items. I don't like ambiguity. You can see how I might have "issues" when Life doesn't go as planned.<br />
<br />
But after serveral Life events and changes this summer, I'm trying to learn to take Life's twists and turns as they come with grace and poise. I'm not always successful, I'm human afterall. (That's what I whisper to myself when the dust settles.) But I am learning.<br />
<br />
Because of all the shuffling of schedule and activities, my regular writing sessions and my blogging have taken a back seat. Sometimes I've been able to fit in the odd writing session or clean out email, but mostly I've had to focus on the Life's Other Stuff. While I'm not exactly happy about it, I'm learning to be ok with it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLny05Dlwm75px1TGIGA5J72Hk19hJL3Y11v9HYJkAb0iJsJZ_rf-uEu9UTVQjOmyFiClkXGyQ3ORqxColLp4d9fhaJRQRsJA68jIaYDdAWhEN9N9Jzeabyge5JT1vOLqTNEZXTj58x-w/s1600/Keep+At+It.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLny05Dlwm75px1TGIGA5J72Hk19hJL3Y11v9HYJkAb0iJsJZ_rf-uEu9UTVQjOmyFiClkXGyQ3ORqxColLp4d9fhaJRQRsJA68jIaYDdAWhEN9N9Jzeabyge5JT1vOLqTNEZXTj58x-w/s1600/Keep+At+It.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a>So, even though our summer break is half way over, and I still haven't found a routine or rhythm, I'm sneaking in some writing when I can. Yes, I'm still working on Akeva's story, at a snail's pace, but working just the same. Yes, I'd love to be done with the revision/editing process for this story. And yes, I still have my ever-present-cheerleader quote with me -- "Keep at It. It will Happen when It's Ready to Happen."<br />
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And while I'm Back At Keeping At It, I'll see about making a new poster too.<br />
<br /></div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-43217990718984187022014-05-01T09:19:00.000-07:002014-05-01T09:19:51.303-07:00Because I'm busy ... an excerpt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Busy, lazy, maybe both. Either way, I'm posting an excerpt.<br />
<br />
This is from the time-travel/historical fiction/romance story I'm currently revising. The main character has got determination in spades ...<br />
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<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Akeva saw the clod of dirt coming and felt the slap as it hit. Tears squeezed out from under her right lid and streaked down her cheeks. She tried to blink her eye, she'd need the jaws of life to pry it open. With her other eye, she looked up at the sky and asked, “Really?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">A gust of wind pulled at her skirts and blew at her hair, as if the universe was answering her with a “Yes, really.” As if the universe could answer her. She laughed at her own craziness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">She fought the temptation to rub at her eye with her dirt and rust covered hands. The last thing she needed right now was to scratch her cornea. If she hadn’t forgotten to bring water, she could rinse out her eye.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">She took a mental inventory and realized the only items she’d brought with her today that were of any use were her work-in-the-fields clothes, rough and dirty. She pushed out a sigh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Using the hammer as a cane of sorts, she lowered herself to the ground. Akeva rubbed off as much junk from her hands as she could on the outer skirt. She carefully folded the skirt back on itself exposing the shift underneath. It reeked of days of sweat, but looked relatively free of dirt. She used it to wipe away the dirt from her eye. What else would go wrong today?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">First she’d endured Meriel’s lecture about Akeva being part of the Faradoch den Beithe Cearcall family, how Akeva needed to help her family with the harvest, how she owed it to Meriel to stay away from the stones. Twinges of guilt still tried to poke through Akeva’s determination, but she ignored them now just as she did this morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Then she’d wandered around lost for who knew how long before she found the path to the hill. When she finally arrived at the stone circle, she could’ve killed Jean. The woman had to have known there was no way for the horse to make it up the rocky hill. Anger and determination had propelled Akeva up and down the craggy hillside with the rods and tools, until that last trip when she’d slipped down the hillside and twisted her ankle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">She’d tried to finish as much as she could before lunch, but the hobbling, digging, and hammering had left her with quite an appetite. So when she finally stopped for a bite to eat, with half the rods in the ground, Akeva could’ve kicked herself when she realized she’d forgotten to pack food and water in her haste to get to the circle. With nothing to do but get back to work, she hammered and wished for just one break.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Akeva hadn’t thought it had been too much to ask for. As she wiped the dirt and tears away from her eye, she wondered if it had.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Without a mirror, she couldn’t be sure she’d wiped all the dirt off her face, but figured it didn’t matter. It was the dirt left on the surface of her eye that was the problem. So much so that several minutes passed before she could open her eye. At least she only had one more rod to stake in the ground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Off to the East, she noticed clouds. Nice, thick, dark ones, the kind that storms were made of. Were they really moving towards her? Akeva held her breath as she watched the clouds. Could her luck have changed?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">She saw a light in the clouds, not a big one, but a flash none the less. “Perfect.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The lightning kindled hope in her chest, a tiny spark right in that empty hole in her heart. Finally. The break she’d asked for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">How long until the storm hovered over the stone circle? Akeva had no way of knowing if it would be an hour or the rest of the day. At least the rods were in place to attract the lightning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Rods. “Crap.” She still had one more to stake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">She pushed herself up and limped to the last rod, determined that a sprained ankle and a little bit of dirt weren’t getting the best of her. Several blows to the rod and it still hadn’t slipped into the ground like the others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">She’d planned to place the metal stakes in a small circle inside the standing stones. Akeva didn’t expect anyone to come looking at the circle, especially the way they all seemed to avoid even talking about them. But if they passed by, they wouldn’t see the spikes hiding in the inner shadow of the stones. However, her rod circle had to be big enough so she could stand in the center.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The ground in this area, closest to the hillside, consisted of that same rocky terrain she’d slipped on earlier. Not even the pick was going to help. At this point, it was better to have the thing in the ground than not: the more metal, the better. Still trying to keep the rods as evenly spaced as possible, she found a spot that looked softer. With the pick, she dug a hole deep enough that it should hold the rod.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Akeva didn’t know if it was it because this was the last rod, or if it was the one that didn’t fit her plan, but she knew she’d remember each lift of the pick, each eruption of dirt, the cold rod in her hand, the clang of each hammer blow, and the satisfaction of watching the rod inch down into the ground. Before she knew it, the rod stood on its own. With a few sweeps and pats of the pick to move the displaced dirt around the rod, she finished. Almost home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">She took a step back to inspect her work. So what if the rods stood at different heights and odd angles? “Not great, but good enough.” They didn’t need to be perfect to attract the lightning into the circle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">All she needed now was that storm. And she’d only be a lightning strike away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A part of her worried she’d imagined the clouds or that they had disappeared. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She glanced at the sky again and relief trickled over her skin. The approaching storm was still there. In fact, it had come closer. The lightning might arrive sooner than she’d hoped.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">What a crazy thought: purposefully putting herself in the middle of a lightning storm. Goosebumps erupted on her skin, and not entirely from fear. If this worked…she didn’t even want to think about it in case she jinxed herself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">With nothing else to do until the storm arrived, she moved the hammer and pick to the side before she settled down in the center of her pseudo-circle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">To think, that on her way to the standing stones, she’d started to doubt her plan. Now with the storm approaching, if she’d given up, she would’ve missed this opportunity. Maybe the universe <i>was</i> talking to her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Now that she’d sat down to wait, the clouds had stopped their advance towards her. Akeva figured it was because now she had nothing else to occupy her mind but to count the seconds until she felt that first raindrop, the first tingle that foreshadowed that something was about to send her home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Minutes passed and boredom set in, but determination kept her inside the two circles. She studied the sparse grass, the rusty rods, the stone circle rocks, her filthy dress, her swollen ankle, her chipped fingernails, and of course, the oncoming clouds until she couldn’t study them any more. She wished she’d brought something to read, some food and drink, and a pillow. The ground, while soft enough to place the rods, was still hard, especially while waiting for who knew how long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">With nothing else to occupy it, her mind filled with questions. What if today’s attempt didn’t work? How many storms would she race to the stone circle so she wouldn’t miss her chance to get back home? Was there a way to forecast the storms? If her computer still worked, could she have created a forecasting model? Why was the storm taking so long?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">In all her planning, she’d ignored an important fact which now smacked her in the face. Mother Nature, no matter the place or era, would take her own time. The most important aspect of her plan to get back home was completely and utterly out of her control.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">She hadn’t let Meriel or Ennis stop her. Getting lost hadn’t been a detriment, nor a sprained ankle or a nearly scratched cornea. Mother Nature could take her time. Akeva would keep coming back if need be, she was getting back home and to her family.</span></div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-17706156937155230592014-04-09T16:19:00.000-07:002014-04-09T16:19:54.603-07:00Style, Anything But Simple<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A few weeks ago, a fellow dance-mom/writer/photographer and friend sent me a link about Writing Style. (Sara is like that, thinking of others.) As I'm a self-taught writer, I'll read anything that might help me get a handle on the process.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/03/20/schopenhauer-on-style/">link</a>, found on BrainPicking.org, focused on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Schopenhauer">philosopher Arthur Schopenhaur's</a> take on Writing Style. In a sentence: Keep your Style Simple, and Be True to Yourself.</div>
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When I read the 19th century words, with the long sentences with complex clauses and the message repeated in multiple ways, I couldn't help think of the irony: for all his suggestions of brevity and naiveté, his words give the exact opposite effect.</div>
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Once I got past that, I'll be honest, I questioned my understanding of style, and more specifically, my own style. (Or lack of one.) What is my style? Do my words convey the picture I want the reader to imagine? Are my readers going to enjoy my writing, my style, my stories?</div>
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For a writer still trying to develop a voice, a style, and stories, those are big questions with no easy answers. Like everything else in this writing gig: Style is anything but clear cut or simple.</div>
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The writing they teach in primary, middle, and high school is full of adjectives, adverbs, speaking tags other than said and asked, prepositional phrases and clauses abound. However, once it's no longer for a grade but for a royalty check and a best-selling book list, the rules change: Show, Don't tell; No adverbs; No adjectives; Shorten Your Sentences.</div>
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To me, it seems that Style is a function of author, story, characters, setting, and plot. There may be signature phrasing and attitudes that link a particular writer's stories, but Style will evolve with a writer. Like one can always tell a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Halen">Van Halen</a> song from one by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linkin_Park">Linkin Park</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallica">Metallica</a>, or older songs from newer songs. Not only will Style be different every story, it could change based on the feedback from alpha and beta readers, editors, and publishers.</div>
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Maybe, I'm getting Style mixed up with Voice, but shouldn't they be linked?</div>
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So how does one develop a Style that is Simple and True to Yourself? I don't know. I'll just keep working & writing and trust that it will emerge on its own.</div>
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Thanks to <a href="http://oriellysdaughter.smugmug.com/">Sara P</a>. for the blog fodder and thought provoking link.</div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-65179435376746120462014-03-19T15:54:00.000-07:002014-03-19T15:54:03.567-07:00Another Tool in My Writer's Toolbox: IFTTT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I know bloggers and other social media savvy folks say one shouldn't cross post among the different media sites.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">But here's the deal... I'm a busy mom and wife, if I'm not driving my daughters to dance related events or my son to kung fu, I'm prepping meals to eat in the car as we drive back and forth, volunteering at the school, editing pictures, helping with homework, guest-teaching, developing my writing career, or managing the household. Then there's the social sites to keep up with family, friends, and writing acquaintances. I gotta cut corners sometimes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">So going against the pros advice, I cross post my blog to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I've used a few services to different effects - </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">the native sharing options within Facebook and Twitter, </span><a href="http://twitterfeed.com/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Twitterfeed</a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">, </span><a href="http://www.networkedblogs.com/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Networked Blogs</a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">, and <a href="https://friendsplus.me/">Friends Plus Me</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The latest service I've tried is <a href="https://ifttt.com/">IFTTT</a>, (If This Then That) and so far I like it best.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">The service works with recipes to get things done. A brief explanation of the service can be found <a href="https://ifttt.com/wtf">here</a>. (Their description is easy to understand. You really should go read it.) When creating a recipe, the service </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">walks the user through creating a recipe and turning it on. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Like anything these days, there is a social component: users can share their recipes with others. So there are lots of recipes to try out and lots of channels (cloud services, social networking sites) with which to experiment. It</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"> can even do some home automation actions.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pVmO9wi5ZBv5txp9dTEw2n__BpFTAnFKkGTkunfddVB5HhuaV-5Wkyv9G8Rspd2U-1bum8tre5zdeWmsbKk7mJjIgFyAIBvx3qiiP98azj7A1xYX7ZWhpsimnCJogN1sY9OXbiwHM50/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-19+at+3.47.28+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pVmO9wi5ZBv5txp9dTEw2n__BpFTAnFKkGTkunfddVB5HhuaV-5Wkyv9G8Rspd2U-1bum8tre5zdeWmsbKk7mJjIgFyAIBvx3qiiP98azj7A1xYX7ZWhpsimnCJogN1sY9OXbiwHM50/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-03-19+at+3.47.28+PM.png" height="320" width="305" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I've created two flavors of recipes. I have two blogs on Blogger, but IFTTT can only connect to one at a time. So one type of recipe watches my blog directly, and when a new post is published, IFTTT pushes it to my Facebook timeline and to my Twitter feed. For the other blog, IFTTT monitors the blog's RSS feed for a new post, then pushes it to my Facebook and Twitter. Two blogs to two social networking sites means four recipes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">I like the service because I haven't had to go back in and renew the recipe or blog like I have for a few other services. (If I have to fiddle with a service every time I publish a blog post, it doesn't work for me.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">When I catch a moment, I might look at the other recipes available. If there is something out there to make my life easier, I'm game.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">IFTTT is free. (So far.) So, take a look and see if you can put it to work for you. ##</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;">## No compensation was received, nor expected, for this mini-review.</span><br />
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-90592429274736854962014-02-26T16:05:00.001-08:002014-02-26T16:05:11.346-08:00New Tool in my Writer's Toolbox: The Emotion Thesaurus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As a former engineer**, I love working with systems, structures, and tools. In my engineering days, there was a specific problem to solve within a specific system with specific processes, specific requirements, and specific desired outcomes. Straightforward and repeatable. Something I understood.<div>
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There is nothing straightforward or repeatable about the storytelling process. Sure, there are systems to work in: romance, historical fiction, women's lit, urban fantasy, but the lines between genres are blurred. Sure, there is the requirement to write a good story, but it's vague, obvious, and not particularly helpful, especially when each story has its own eccentricities. Then there's the cardinal rule: Show, don't tell, except for when you have to. Clear as mud.</div>
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As a creature of habit that works with the nebulous distinctions of emotions of characters, I get in a rut when conveying emotions. "She rolled her eyes." "Her eyebrows furrowed." "He sighed." "He clenched his hands into fists."</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Emotion-Thesaurus-Character-Expression/dp/1475004958/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336608808&sr=8-1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVE6VroeAB__cTFQPyR9swrg9hDc428xbvIl4wpccY5zV9myeqHG1GcKbZpUXwS2Ea1fP0VrARj20eLuIWbR8UPNrYeySRDgz-GULnHN0EemM7u3gFBZ9ZpLL2TmPH7YTCvPG4ejV2X0Q/s1600/resized+by+half.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a>Which is why I'm glad I found <a href="http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/p/the-emotion-thesaurus.html">The Emotion Thesaurus</a>. </div>
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Emotions/feelings are listed alphabetically. Each entry provides a list of ways to describe a character's emotion through their physical actions and appearance, as if observing the emotion in another person. It also provides examples of emotional descriptions from an internal point of view.</div>
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I purchased the ebook version (Kindle format) so that I could have it with me without adding bulk inside my backpack. This strategy has already proven handy when I'm in the car fitting in some writing while waiting for the kids to get out of school.</div>
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A few <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13554235-the-emotion-thesaurus?bf=1000&from_search=true">reviews on Goodreads</a> gave me pause - that it was too basic, that writers already knew how to write emotion. However many more reviews touted its usefulness in depicting emotion.</div>
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Since purchasing the book, I've looked up a few emotions and used the descriptions in my own writing, adding my own twist as the story dictates. Looking forward, I can see this the reference tool becoming something I use frequently. And getting out of a writing rut.</div>
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If you're a writer and in need of something to help spruce up your writing, this might be something for your toolbox too.##</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">** I doubt there is such a creature as a former engineer -- once an engineer, always an engineer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">## No compensation was received, nor expected, for this mini-review.</span></div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-70329652802361174112014-02-13T11:23:00.002-08:002014-02-13T11:23:36.793-08:00Why Just a Week, Let's Make it Love of Reading Everyday!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's Love of Reading Week. My children and I love this week of celebrations.<br />
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How could we not? Reading is encouraged every day this week. Parents read favorite stories to classrooms. People share book tips with others. Character parades bring out the kid and joy in everyone. So, why do we only celebrate it just one week?<br />
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I think it should be Love of Ready Everyday.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Harry-Potter-Collection-ebook/dp/B005CRQ41A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1392316949&sr=8-3&keywords=harry+potter+books" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHtpMg94zETyz21zAcGSiwOEvx56l7yhmGHUnxa0uNZDeuJvOxeCSr3OQLQyhl7UstWgx8B0LnUkmHbHivI_KZXI76MnbkGso0_QmK_hQsxa-0RJG8KPaUL5PT4XihHDCCb85Z7w8t1Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-13+at+11.43.02+AM.png" height="192" width="200" /></a>Putting aside the research that indicates that reading is good for the brain and psyche, there's just the plain joy of getting lost in a story. But Love of Reading Everyday could lead to other not so tangible results. If everyone read everyday, there would be less time for less savory things.<br />
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Instead of bullying, people could fall in love with Harry, Ron and Hermione. And discover a universe of other people moved by the same story that band together under the power of love.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Pizza-Susan-K-Mitchell/dp/1891795260?ie=UTF8&tag=libraryextension-20&camp=211189&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1891795260" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvznLH3ljL_cQzC1VVMIMUEb5sRQKs8KfyHZe2b19s_M-Go6yW5KQHf_QRJ53xd9EJTBurnt8ulaPg2mbY8EH0y2-lbn9A3NCX2de-MdvMtDzSNckZW3HHSRHskAc6APM_0lrUrbMLKc/s1600/515JauR7PiL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" height="171" width="200" /></a><br />
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Instead of fighting, a little reader could imagine himself in the desert making Stone Pizza with that clever Coyote. And use Coyote's tricks of bringing people together to create something that everyone can share and enjoy.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Endless-Forest-A-Novel/dp/0553589911" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnm8VWzz-ZIDRQhUrzRZvbarmmwvowMZMZtCONMtazYa09j6GNouBmkGzP7O7aYmSgbHT0N_NUEv-bBW0-CCNVHaZ_1TEMkKZ3BUU4odj-NHgwgVVNhbZWRb6pCEfXmhk6PreF9pwLFIA/s1600/url.jpg" /></a><br />
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Instead of holding grudges, someone could listen to Curiosity Freeman share what secrets she' been keeping in the Endless Forests. And the reader could discover her own humility and strength that's been hiding inside so she can have the courage to let go of the hurt.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Changes-Dresden-Files-Jim-Butcher-ebook/dp/B0030DHPAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392317770&sr=8-1&keywords=harry+dresden+changes" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlasaCaVafhZ7LzQ0w917DxLOrKNz38qyY2h9Y42CRK5A1yNgoMiIddVOoiaYwVOQaDaJr6cGFHTveBFFswKeWiwcBAigLW0GLwuF_8w8PoJO8TohVGx2xABzuhFllAuT7j92Jdpgp28/s1600/Changes_Hardcover_106-300.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a></div>
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Instead of wallowing in self-pity, you could fight the good fight along side Harry Dresden as he casts spells and avoids death by the skin of his teeth. And learn that sometimes you gotta fight for something larger than yourself.</div>
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All it takes is a <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau">Majority of One</a>, or so said Mr. Thoreau. What could be more right than reading everyday? That's why at our house, from now on, we celebrate Love of Reading Everyday.<br />
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-76059848563814463272014-01-29T12:09:00.005-08:002014-01-29T12:09:44.943-08:00Web Wednesday: Links I Liked (29 Jan 2014 ed.)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm going to try something a new: muse about things that I saw on the interwebs that sparked something in me.</div>
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The links might've sparked something as simple as a smile, a new entry in my Evernote compendium of writing things, a story idea, or just plain enjoyment. As this is my writing existence space, I'll work to keep the links related to writing and story.</div>
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<li><a href="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/01/frozen-highest-grossing-animated-film-disney"><em style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 29px;">Frozen</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 29px;"> Becomes the Highest Grossing Animated Film!</span></a> I love Disney films, so it wasn't a surprise that I loved <i>Frozen</i> too. So kudos (not the snack bar - I made that mistake once) to the production crew, especially the writers. I wonder how much of the fact that the story has two strong female protagonists is a function of one of the writers being a female.</li>
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<li>I love Diana Gabaldon's <i>Outlander</i> series. The first book in the series is being adapted into a TV series by Starz to be aired this Summer. Starz has released two trailers, different only in the endings. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnaqypyJDHs">Trailer one</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xocmI6K13rk">Trailer two</a>. Love them both, but am partial to the second one.</li>
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<li>Another one of my favorite book series received <a href="http://rosinalippi.com/weblog/2014/01/24/top-20-almost-top-10-for-sara-donati/">some love this week</a>. The <i>Into the Wilderness</i> series by Rosina Lippi, pen name Sara Donati and my editor, received high marks in a survey of historical fiction books. If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? </li>
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<li>Photography is a big part of my life, and I'm weaving into my writing process as well. I use photographs to spark ideas, to record locations (I have a slew of photos from our Scotland trip to use in one my stories), and model characters. Sometimes, I enjoy a picture for the sake of the picture. This <a href="http://www.oliverfluck.com/blog/2014/01/22/sunrise-riders/">one</a>, by one of my first contacts from twitter, is one of my favorites just for its clean contrasts and starkness.</li>
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<li>I keep an Evernote list of agents looking for new clients. I realize that by the time I'm done with a story and ready to query, most of the agents listed will probably not be looking anymore. But I keep adding to the list because it'll be a good place to start my search. This week, two agents popped up: <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/new-literary-agent-alert-laura-zats-of-red-sofa-literary">Laura Zats</a> and <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/new-literary-agent-alert-nadeen-gayle-of-serendipity-literary-agency">Nadeen Gayle</a>. Thought I'd share the links in case anyone needed more query opportunities.</li>
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<li>Last year, I listened to <i>Fault in our Stars</i> by John Green and loved it. It too has been adapted, but into a feature film. The <a href="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/01/the-fault-in-our-stars-trailer">trailer</a> was released today. Be warned, tears will flow.</li>
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<li>And just for fun... This <a href="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/01/loki-mandarin-septimus-jaguar-commercial">link</a> is a commercial for Jaguar. "It's good to be bad."</li>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-66144178168067437642014-01-10T14:56:00.000-08:002014-01-10T14:56:27.876-08:00Just a Quickie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4VnNhLSLmL3di03ZudcYrEPk1y2L_SEnIUV_6aZ-4f_xM_8pvpkNEVHtoDqpXinLWHayTb7Rzi81kTtv0hzpQDqn2kOLYtbLFmMdzhDGFgk5oZe_cAYmDMFzGgXAJyA-h2f6H9v8dFU/s1600/DSC_1734yay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4VnNhLSLmL3di03ZudcYrEPk1y2L_SEnIUV_6aZ-4f_xM_8pvpkNEVHtoDqpXinLWHayTb7Rzi81kTtv0hzpQDqn2kOLYtbLFmMdzhDGFgk5oZe_cAYmDMFzGgXAJyA-h2f6H9v8dFU/s1600/DSC_1734yay.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
Just a quickie to say that the words flowed today. 1525 of them, to be precise.<br />
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Granted it took me a while to get started, and I had previous revisions of the scene to work with, but still. It's been a long time since I've gotten that many words out on this revision, and in one day. So...<br />
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Yay!<br />
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That's all. Carry on. </div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-57042004548939091702013-12-18T14:17:00.000-08:002013-12-18T21:38:08.545-08:00A Fun List of Gift Ideas for The Family that Has it All<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's that time of year again, when we try to figure out what to buy our friends and family. I thought I'd share a few gift recommendations that I came up for a family that's especially hard to shop for: Mother Nature, Father Time, and their Offspring. The recommendations might come in especially handy: Mother Nature is planning her next party. You might be on the invite list.<br />
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If you do get one of her gilded invitations, and you plan on going (crazy person you), you'll want to help keep spirits bright, and tensions low (especially important when you get all six of them together in one room). You'll need gifts that will help you stay under the radar. Or pacify them. (A nugget of truth forms every myth and legend, and is why humans used to offer sacrifices of all sorts to the gods. Although, they aren't as blood thirsty as they used to be.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzRKnKrEu9GQHP9EBaW7uN-Gla7QZccM21VoYWcMySnW3OT_urDstfrUuFL2Q6zWQBRK1876xmIfSe7AWnnCxeB_n3USO9OF-7stv9LXXJEEgo8sSD3oKz7wMbGINopiloH2TfuFbpV8/s1600/Lalique-Cire-Perdue-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzRKnKrEu9GQHP9EBaW7uN-Gla7QZccM21VoYWcMySnW3OT_urDstfrUuFL2Q6zWQBRK1876xmIfSe7AWnnCxeB_n3USO9OF-7stv9LXXJEEgo8sSD3oKz7wMbGINopiloH2TfuFbpV8/s1600/Lalique-Cire-Perdue-1.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>Father Time: He loves single malt Scotch whisky. Get him the peatiest available, like a <a href="http://www.laphroaig.com/">Laphroig</a> or <a href="http://www.malts.com/">Talisker</a>. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that the Immortal’s Edinburgh estate contains its own wing just for his favorite bottles. It’s the thought that counts. (Pun not intended.) But if you insist on trying to impress him with your knowledge of rarities, and no-limit credit card, try one of these at <a href="http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/entertainment/the-top-10-most-expensive-whiskies-in-the-world/">this site</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP34WOIQIvEDLEhQAR60DxgfbcXs4gTrOOui2BT2_t61BweoeTlVS57ofDYrJ30CCnKBwFmA6XfzNK47TNN3kK6aYEpyQS8PqZkiftaUFi9s52TziWWir0PX3H-18e3g8DlXzXEC1cQ88/s1600/img7f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP34WOIQIvEDLEhQAR60DxgfbcXs4gTrOOui2BT2_t61BweoeTlVS57ofDYrJ30CCnKBwFmA6XfzNK47TNN3kK6aYEpyQS8PqZkiftaUFi9s52TziWWir0PX3H-18e3g8DlXzXEC1cQ88/s1600/img7f.jpg" /></a>Mother Nature: This techno wizard, with macros for her macros in her spreadsheets, will sneak away from the party to check on her creation and climate-tracking models. The ideal Hostess Gift: a <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-smart-thermometer/?pkey=ctimer-thermometer-scale&cm_src=timer-thermometer-scale||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-">digital thermometer</a> that sends alerts via her smartphone so she doesn’t burn dinner again.</div>
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Atoño (Autumn): What to get the bachelor with the mischievous streak? Something that can’t come back and bite you. (And that will keep him too busy to notice that you are still in that swoon over his good looks, assuming you're female. If you’re male - then to keep Atoño from paying too much attention to your date). Bring beta versions of all the video games currently in development. Here’s a starting point of the <a href="http://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-2013/">best selling games for 2013</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnudlCteKnheUhqRX5JI_OSYPSqJHis4MFqKUoX4xGTDjLCKvTn9LJzXY5KMHWrlj427xHSTOLo1en6h6Kixtat3JXdxKjHF9QLtk6DO2ip8_vpZb6qPU-X62BMN8nGMnqovyTNcwsd0/s1600/Tango_Club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnudlCteKnheUhqRX5JI_OSYPSqJHis4MFqKUoX4xGTDjLCKvTn9LJzXY5KMHWrlj427xHSTOLo1en6h6Kixtat3JXdxKjHF9QLtk6DO2ip8_vpZb6qPU-X62BMN8nGMnqovyTNcwsd0/s1600/Tango_Club.jpg" height="180" width="200" /></a>Nieva (Winter): Ever since she founded that tango dance school down in Buenos Aires, she is always on the look out for great tango music. <a href="http://www.bajofondo.com/">Bajofundo</a> and <a href="http://www.otrosaires.com/">Otros Aires</a> are a few of her favorites. Fly the bands in for a live performance. They love her almost as much as she loves them.</div>
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Marcela (Spring): Her siblings call her PrimaDona for good reason. (Not to her face. They may be Immortal, but they aren’t crazy.) With access to the top designers at all the major fashion houses, it’s nearly impossible to get her anything that she doesn’t already have. So, bring one of the <a href="http://www.dewitzphotography.com/photography-product-reviews/top-10-best-portrait-photographers-today/">best portrait photographers</a> with you and give her a personal photo shoot.</div>
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For Vera (Summer): Direct and to the point, Summer is. Anything that reminds her of fun in the sun is sure to please her. And if you know anything about Summer and her pleasures, bringing an up and coming male model with a personality that can stand up to her is your best bet. Lately she’s been into a wild and scruffy look, so bring someone who looks like this <a href="http://models.com/rankings/ui/Top50Men/4247#4247">model</a> to help entertain her.</div>
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Hope you have a great time. (Me? I'll be hiding in the bunker until after the party.)<br />
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[These characters appear in Winter's Tango - my story that is waiting for me while I work on my time travel/alternate universe/witch hunt story. After writing this list, I wish I was immersed in Nieva's story again. Just more incentive to get Akeva's story finished.]<br />
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-17182308980296656622013-12-11T21:57:00.001-08:002013-12-11T21:57:33.892-08:00My 2013 Christmas List<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This year I'm asking for three external hard drives. I know, I know: not sexy, exciting, or sentimental, but practical.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">One drive I'll use to to keep my photo library </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">(opening up space to write and store that bestselling series)</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">, the second drive will serve as the photo backup, and one more drive so I can run a journaling backup of the laptop's internal drive. With the one drive that I already have to mirror the laptop drive, I'll have a total of four hard drives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Yes, I'm a little obsessed about backups. But after losing a drive once and all the data on it, I swore to never be in that situation again. I gotta protect my stories, right? One day when I have an income, I'll get that </span><a href="http://www.drobo.com/products/professionals/drobo-mini/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Drobo</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> that I've been pining for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">In the meantime, I'll also ask for a couple more things. </span><a href="http://debbieohi.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Debbie Ohi</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">, an illustrator and writer, does a great job of capturing what else I'd like...</span><br />
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<a href="http://inkygirl.com/inkygirl-main/2010/12/20/comic-writers-santa-wish-list.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGuLnZErXS7wrCup_-LV26vIjL3Ox3raT0cQI796fi5hxqEoWr1GgsOvo8f1i_skSC8_bL871iacVHSJ-hxgBBYuyMzbRtHVnCF5x0ivwrhkyxIQa0-W0iYEWDqkOxeLaD3ZkdQGxWPU/s320/blogger-image-892442172.jpg" width="315" /></a><a href="http://inkygirl.com/inkygirl-main/2010/12/19/comic-moms-christmas-wish-list.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXO5KxrCkyoyHEc8707sTGXPUe28GGOZLNL_eNvhyQnz8JfokuuEqzvHInlPrKogQURsQZVtkNh9-LkdU1G5Ll4PqDs9-hS-J8nqfgcs4mu2j7EvLjzwQku0DsNnxKRvRAe9hdl0feQA/s320/blogger-image-42784158.jpg" width="289" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Don't worry. I won't hold my breath that I'll get the time to write or the gripping opening sentence, but a writer has got to dream.</span></div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-62600408378498313682013-12-07T14:58:00.001-08:002013-12-07T14:58:13.713-08:00Books of 2013 per NPR's Book Concierge App<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Internet is full of places to look for book to recommendations: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">GoodReads</a>, <a href="http://www.librarything.com/" target="_blank">LibraryThing</a>, <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/" target="_blank">Project Gutenberg</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>, <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/" target="_blank">Smashwords</a>, <a href="http://www.audible.com/" target="_blank">Audible</a>, <a href="http://www.bookish.com/" target="_blank">Bookish</a>. Then there are the sites by the publishers, Indie booksellers, individual author websites, podcasts, and online book clubs. Millions of places.<br />
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Another one is making a ripple in my social networks: the <a href="http://apps.npr.org/best-books-2013/" target="_blank">NPR Book Concierge app</a>. </div>
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I've only played around for a minute or two. I like it so far. It's fairly easy to use and appealing to the eye with all those book covers. The folks at NPR compiled a list of books and added filters that a user can use to find books that fit the user's unique tastes.<br />
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I used the Love Stories and Sci-Fi/Fantasy filters to give me <a href="http://apps.npr.org/best-books-2013/#/tag/love-stories,science-fiction-and-fantasy" target="_blank">this</a>...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtarD3Ls_yYt1vM_34WMazgh5uBR0iImr4hHW0hQkcTP7pnz79o3SpeadFQGhYdc8IP6uiLk92VYq5CiK34PYaKtsWxM-VLhLz-BpWSfgkIPHiTcPsXWRSOTypAMjDZZe3d_Gtce5BmQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-07+at+3.40.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtarD3Ls_yYt1vM_34WMazgh5uBR0iImr4hHW0hQkcTP7pnz79o3SpeadFQGhYdc8IP6uiLk92VYq5CiK34PYaKtsWxM-VLhLz-BpWSfgkIPHiTcPsXWRSOTypAMjDZZe3d_Gtce5BmQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-07+at+3.40.47+PM.png" height="369" width="640" /></a></div>
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more books for my GoodReads Want-to-Read shelf, and to look for at our local library. If I like them well enough, I'll have to buy a copy to keep. (My husband won't mind. Much. Especially if they're ebooks. Right?) I plan to play with the filters some more and see what other recommendations and covers catch my eye.<br />
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Has anyone else played with the app? Or have a good book recommendation site that I didn't mention? Or have book recommendations? Let me know in the comments.</div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-88879314207251138662013-11-20T11:59:00.000-08:002013-11-20T11:59:47.537-08:00NaNoWriMo, 6798 words, and Progress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Remember how I said I wouldn't win NaNoWriMo? Not only will I not win, but at my current rate, I'll lose at epic proportions.<br />
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If I had produced the minimum daily word count of 1667, I would've had 33,333 words by the end of today. As of the writing of this blog post, I have written 6798 words. Yep, just 6798.<br />
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Just reading that number makes my chest tighten with anxiety. If I could, I'd ignore everything and just write to catch up. But I can't.<br />
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I could list all the reasons and excuses why I haven't been able to keep up for this year's NaNoWriMo. But I won't do that either.<br />
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Instead, I'm taking my <a href="http://ddllife.com/" target="_blank">coach</a>'s suggestions and realizing that any progress is, well, progress. Those are 6798 words that move me forward in the story. Those are 6798 words that didn't exist at the beginning of the month. Progress.<br />
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Ten more days to go in this year's game. Still time to generate more words. Win or lose, I'll be proud of the story I'm shaping. The story won't stop picking at me, so I'll keep writing into December and beyond to finish it. Along the way, I'll keep in mind <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/106472233774165113682" target="_blank">+Sylvia van Bruggen</a>'s reminder to enjoy the journey. And make Progress.</div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-8304928739705387622013-10-30T12:12:00.001-07:002013-10-30T12:12:20.197-07:00The Excitement is Back!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My husband gave me some feedback on my outline that correlated to what I'd thought was missing: the fear and reality of the witch hunts. Sure, the protagonist runs and hides from witch hunters and gets caught by one and escapes, but the outline didn't include the other aspects of having witch hunts: the trials and executions. How to fix that hole?<br />
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I researched via the trusty internet and found useful tidbits in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> and different Scottish history sites to help me better understand witch hunts. The best source was <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/175544?uid=3739552&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102773410547" target="_blank">The Great Scottish Witchhunt of 1661-1662</a>. This PDF, while expensive for this non-income earning writer, was exactly what I needed. The paper dovetailed so perfectly with my story (or is it the other way around?) ...<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>The majority of my story is set exactly in those years.</li>
<li>The witch hunts were centered in Midlothian, Scotland, just south of where my characters spend most of their time.</li>
<li>George MacKenzie, who helped free many of the "witches," is the same age as one of the major characters. Perfect for some fictional artistic license: he'll be an old school buddy of a main character and help the protagonist's cause.</li>
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The author of the paper listed several references, so should I need more info, I could search for those documents. However, I suspect they aren't as available to someone out in Arizona without a substantial fee. (Had I been in England, I could've popped into Cambridge and made a copy of the document. Would that I had a revenue stream large enough to do research on site.)</div>
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With this new information in hand, I've been amending and adding scenes that bring the trial and execution nose-to-nose with the protagonist. An added bonus: It made the story and process exciting again. It's been a while since I've felt this way with this story. Definitely full of Make-Me-Smile moments.</div>
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Now, to finish the outline so that I'm ready for NaNoWriMo in two days.<br />
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(Don't worry, I'm not going to rush through NaNoWriMo like always. I'll be thoughtful as I work this revision while trying to get as much done as possible. There is something about that looming deadline that motivates.)</div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-29084489520436238722013-10-02T11:09:00.003-07:002013-10-02T11:09:46.979-07:00To NaNoWriMo?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRHoyfACfA-wiv6_xvDIuqkSodjv0osZqm8OATFnxQd7AfskNoPmZ29yaefMHrJGRQcjD7Roq6XJtUcacCJIZGoo3pnCLvm3qyRvB0f1GdbWrq9O5T06ELdRpAXlI77oyRKFu5vqUp1g/s1600/crest-bda7b7a6e1b57bb9fb8ce9772b8faafb.png" /></a></div>
It's that time of year: the month before NaNoWriMo. The fine folks at <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo.org</a> have emailed past participants, reminding us that the first of November fast approaches. Writers from all over tweet/post/G+ tidbits about their preparations for the game that starts in just a few weeks.<br />
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All the chatter raises the question: To NaNoWriMo? It's like a big, red, question mark.<br />
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Before NaNoWriMo 2008, I'd been studying fiction-writing books, completing exercises, flirting with writing. Eventually I figured it was time to stop talking about writing and to just write. So I took the leap in 2008 and signed up for NaNoWriMo. With the mantle of "Writer" around my shoulders, I forged ahead with an outline, a new laptop, and family that gave me time to write in the interstices of our life.</div>
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Two drafts of that story later, four other novels, and a new bio focused on my writing endeavors, the question is back. To NaNoWriMo?</div>
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I can think of a few reasons why NOT:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45Ob94gwJnavGlZR21ivungZVpwNrjTwxXZqfbz9XQqaFThwnMu8JwgUFVOzgkrsp_Nbfoy1REY5-5LVOysXy6WYYL_iMH9Wt5GPy9k_Dr2RPSkcPLEfhyphenhyphenOoVY7NQ6ECvALFevvKehHk/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45Ob94gwJnavGlZR21ivungZVpwNrjTwxXZqfbz9XQqaFThwnMu8JwgUFVOzgkrsp_Nbfoy1REY5-5LVOysXy6WYYL_iMH9Wt5GPy9k_Dr2RPSkcPLEfhyphenhyphenOoVY7NQ6ECvALFevvKehHk/s320/photo.JPG" width="211" /></a>
<li>After working with my editor, I've learned that just getting words on a page can be helpful to achieving a 1st draft. However, the adventure can lead to a never-ending, torturous revision. (As I found out.)</li>
<li>Working on a NaNoWriMo story, no matter how exciting it is to create something from those blank pages and clicks on a keyboard, means that my other stories continue to languish in the recesses of my hard drive.</li>
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But the temptation of NaNoWriMo calls...</div>
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<li>To be part of a world-wide community in which each person commits to write 50k words in one of the busiest months of the year, without all the messy social entanglements.</li>
<li>A game against myself... Can I win this year? How good/cohesive can I make the story?</li>
<li>NaNoWriMo is the rabbit hole that brought me to this writing world, so it holds a soft spot in my heart.</li>
<li>Those dang t-shirts.</li>
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To get that infernal red thing out of my head, I've decided to NaNoWriMo this year. </div>
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But I won't be following the rules exactly. I won't be writing a new story per say, but working on the revision of that 2008 NaNoWriMo adventure. The 3rd-draft outline is nearly complete, and the second half of the story deviates from the 1st-draft. The story is different enough, I think, to be a "new" story.</div>
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So, short story long, that's my declaration: To NaNoWriMo.</div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-16680221349416585162013-09-26T13:07:00.001-07:002013-09-26T13:07:15.315-07:00Musing on Parents, Kids and Banned Books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm a parent of three children, one junior high student and two elementary school students. I'm a hovering sort of parent, keeping them in my line of sight. I don't like leaving the kids at their various activities alone. It's also not because I don't trust the instructors or other parents to act in my best interest should something terrible happen, but because they are my kids and my responsibility. (I want to be there for and with them.)<div>
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My husband and I want our children to be happy, healthy, contributing members of society. We take this responsibility seriously. We strongly encourage (ok, sometimes bribe) the kids to each their veggies, make sure they get their 8-10 hours of sleep, make sure that we know their friends, and introduce ourselves to the parents of their close friends. We think of ourselves as involved parents who know what is going on in our kids lives, at least most of the time.</div>
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Which might make you think that we censor our kids' music, books, and movies. We don't. Nickelback, with their racy lyrics, is on our kids' playlists. We've bought them all their own copies of the Harry Potter Series books. We watched "The Help" together. (Yes, even the little one watched. Her expression was priceless when we explained the type of pie that Miss Hilly ate.)</div>
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Don't get me wrong, we won't let our 1st grader read "Lord of the Flies" yet. Only because she wouldn't understand it at this point in her educational career. However, when the kids get around to reading it, I'll certainly be interested in hearing their opinions.</div>
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Our policy is to not ban the media, so long as it's mostly age-appropriate. Instead we talk about it as we listen, watch, or read it together. We discuss the questionable content, why we don't agree with it, why certain words are not to be repeated, why certain attitudes and actions are or aren't allowed in our house, and why it's important to respect the opinion of others, especially if you don't agree with them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyE9Tcz2HUk6Ce6VfGyAkLV3qAOMFZlu96PZbf8FYDIqEICQr9Lw24DWLamco6hFEM5K9JAGBoerq5_M7dPjkCgDXH_w_QQ-L3TKHPI8aH5B0L0QnvnCBuDfu5usENtqLXNRBcI6aEj3E/s1600/Slideshow-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyE9Tcz2HUk6Ce6VfGyAkLV3qAOMFZlu96PZbf8FYDIqEICQr9Lw24DWLamco6hFEM5K9JAGBoerq5_M7dPjkCgDXH_w_QQ-L3TKHPI8aH5B0L0QnvnCBuDfu5usENtqLXNRBcI6aEj3E/s320/Slideshow-1.jpg" width="320" /></a>So it always surprises me when Banned Week comes around and I read that parents challenge and get books banned from a school's curriculum or library. Prohibiting your child from reading something? That seems like waving the red cape in front of the angry bull, making the book all the more alluring. (Or at least, it does for my kids.)</div>
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Many of these challenged books reveal something about human nature that shocks and angers. (Human nature isn't all love and empathy. Shocking, I know.) There may be a few individuals who read these stories and think the sex, violence, abusive language, questionable behavior depicted something to act out. However, they are the few. From my own observations, most people don't react that way. (No one from my high school graduating class has gone tried a "Lord of the Flies" camp with anyone. Thank goodness.)</div>
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I respect that some parents may prohibit their children to read certain stories. That is within their responsibility and right. Every parent has the right to determine, with their child's best interests at heart, what story and when said story can be read. I object when a few parents take it to the extreme and decide for everyone else.</div>
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So in support of Banned Books Week, here are some links that I suggest you check out.</div>
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<li><a href="http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/">http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek">http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek</a></li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banned_Books_Week">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banned_Books_Week</a></li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governments">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governments</a></li>
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FWIW: After perusing the list at the Wikipedia, I'll be reading "The Pillars of the Earth" in honor of Banned Books week. I'll also have the kids pick out a book or two.</div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-68292881829229118942013-09-19T12:48:00.004-07:002013-09-19T12:48:58.204-07:00What I'm Up To (if not revising)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This month I signed up for <a href="http://christinakatz.com/take-the-21-moments-writing-challenge-starting-september-1st/">21 Moments - Round 4</a> and <a href="http://christinakatz.com/work-with-me/platform-bingo-with-christina-katz/">Platform Bingo - Round 2</a>. Like I needed more work to do, but when else would I take on developing my writer's platform or writing just for the sake of writing? Exactly. There isn't ever a better time.</div>
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For these writing challenges, I'm handwriting everything in notebooks. Thought I'd try out someone's theory of getting more written by longhand instead of typing. I can say, that while the thoughts aren't laid out as nice as I'd like, getting to 200-300 words for the 21 Moments is much easier since I can't use the delete button. Which makes keeping caught up a breeze. It's also nice to have the work in one, tangible place. I will say that I've gotten some interesting bits from the 21 Moments.<br />
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Platform Bingo, Round 1, highlighted that I have some work to do with my platform. With time, effort, and published works, eventually my platform will mature. Round 2 started with interesting tasks, which brought up the question of when to get my very own website. Still thinking about that.<br />
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Until I figure that out, I thought I'd share of a bit of the work that I've completed from Platform Bingo, Round 1. Christina's task for the last day of round was to write a Bio. It took a while, but I finally finished it. Read it below, dissect it, give me feedback - if you like.<br />
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<blockquote>
Anne Velosa loves a challenge. Which is why the former materials engineer became a writer. That and because she loves a good story. </blockquote>
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Writing a story that whisks a reader away on a mini-vacation, raises interesting questions, and plucks the heartstrings has proven quite a challenge for Anne, but one she gladly takes on. She enjoys reading different genres, so her novels contain elements of romance, history, science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. Sometimes, her fascination with technology and gadgets sneaks into her writing. </blockquote>
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Other challenges in Anne's life include managing a family of five,<br />shepherding her three children around Tucson, AZ for their various activities, and trying not to interrupt her work-from-home husband with her "Aha!" writing moments. Somehow, she also wedges in digital photography and yarn crafting into her busy days. </blockquote>
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Story excerpts and Anne's musing on her writing life can be found on her blog. <a href="http://mywritingexistence.blogspot.com/"><span class="s1">http://mywritingexistence.blogspot.com/</span></a></blockquote>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-90243961467336154352013-09-11T20:12:00.003-07:002013-09-11T21:14:43.280-07:00Hooky, Serendipity, and 11 Sep 2001<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtTu1mU0bsGbjvdKEC5y0nFbMnFllHBsID8seKz3qgr-m7rmD4qghRaNzNVR1Ri3IvRRjFqteqFJzWDW-ABmee4zh2fwU3n21StjnrD8W0zk3YQpksyE6X7p3nfoXm4BDUm277C4Fdpk/s1600/DSC_2216+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtTu1mU0bsGbjvdKEC5y0nFbMnFllHBsID8seKz3qgr-m7rmD4qghRaNzNVR1Ri3IvRRjFqteqFJzWDW-ABmee4zh2fwU3n21StjnrD8W0zk3YQpksyE6X7p3nfoXm4BDUm277C4Fdpk/s400/DSC_2216+(1).jpg" width="265" /></a>I played hooky today. Today was just one of those days where my brain rebelled against duty, obligation, and my Muse. I needed a break, and as I can't take a break from the kids or their activities, writing took the hit.</div>
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However, I couldn't just not do anything during my hooky, so I edited some photos.</div>
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One photo sticks with me given today's date. I took it after the 1st Grade Career Day Parade at the elementary school today. It was a perfect shot: a few of the kids dressed up as fire fighters and policemen standing near the lowered flags. Somehow my Hooky led to Serendipity. Unplanned. Timely. Touching. In remembrance.</div>
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Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3861709397630015231.post-87839591627566122132013-09-05T09:44:00.002-07:002013-09-05T09:44:48.710-07:00Me and My Blog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0u86QcU3MkZzt01NVnsEJhx9f8PIr0muEMEuEf3q63ysNMk22dnevTggNOUeS25zo8dkxAE4fK8ho2JGRnm80Tx_460tcDmMLUChqE4kNKVRsscq91j-ADfR6mDRTVyU0VH7UTB_9TI/s1600/vitural+high+five.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0u86QcU3MkZzt01NVnsEJhx9f8PIr0muEMEuEf3q63ysNMk22dnevTggNOUeS25zo8dkxAE4fK8ho2JGRnm80Tx_460tcDmMLUChqE4kNKVRsscq91j-ADfR6mDRTVyU0VH7UTB_9TI/s200/vitural+high+five.jpg" width="200" /></a>I know for a fact that two people that read this blog: my husband and my best friend. I know because of their encouraging email responses to Blogger's email of the post. One time I actually received an internet High Five from my friend. (There it is.==>) These are two people that will probably read anything that I write, even if it's useless and pure garbage. That's one of the great things about family and great friends.<br />
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However, it's the rest of my potential audience that makes me question what to <strike>blather on</strike> blog about. With other writers like LJ Cohen, Lynn Viehl, Diana Gabaldon, Rosina Lippi, and countless others offering elegant wisdom, why should anyone read what I have to say?<br />
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Leave it to the internet to lead me down that sometimes dark, this time brilliant search where I rediscovered this...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="bqQuoteLink" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 26px;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/stevejobs416854.html" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="view quote">Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.</a></span></span><br />
<span class="bodybold" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/steve_jobs.html" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="view author"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Steve Jobs</span></a></span><br />
<br />
Just what I needed.<br />
<br />
While I don't think I'm living someone else's life, I do find that I care an awful lot about what others may think about me and my efforts. Which leaves me shy and hesitant to put myself and my writing out there for all to see, questioning what to share in this space.<br />
<br />
No more questioning. What I say or write may not be profound, elegant, or Earth shaking, but it touched me in some way. It might be a new-to-me service or a cool tool, something that bothered me or made me smile, a story that I wanted to read or something that my Muse insisted I put down in words.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QbXMx84hih4wrPvYvjisXjOjMCJ0yvHLx1EsewifQvyTpVBnu3nM6e4-H32qcFWmk72Q5zGUUBR7iAPF31tKTphHj_VcEO4plV2EhY-vy_e9gbS9_QBywrTVO2Mmzgqn8JbQSjHtYwc/s1600/imgres.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QbXMx84hih4wrPvYvjisXjOjMCJ0yvHLx1EsewifQvyTpVBnu3nM6e4-H32qcFWmk72Q5zGUUBR7iAPF31tKTphHj_VcEO4plV2EhY-vy_e9gbS9_QBywrTVO2Mmzgqn8JbQSjHtYwc/s200/imgres.jpeg" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
I'll share these things just in case you, my audience, might find them entertaining, useful, or something you can relate to. Maybe it will bring <br />
you a smile.<br />
<br />
Could be that you'll have something to share back, and I guarantee that it will be another Made-Me-Smile moment.<br />
<br />
So, here's to putting myself out there. Inelegance, smiles and all.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anne Velosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04647230834696876870noreply@blogger.com0