My Outline

Up to this point, with a 96,000 word manuscript (completed but for editing) and 1/3-1/2 done manuscript of 50,000 I've always been a winger as a writer. This is actually unusual for me, since I'm normally a list maker and very organized. How else can I run an election for a population of 92,000 people or do public speaking? But for some strange reason I've had a hard time doing an outline for writing.

I decided for my NaNoWriMo project that I would try and discipline myself and do an outline. Each of the cards above represent what I hope will be a chapter. Not too shabby! We'll see how it works when I can actually start typing from my notes.

When I finish this project, I will then evaluate the experience and find out if winging it or outlining works best for me.

In My Mailbox

I cannot keep from buying books anymore. I don't know what it is. I used to use my library all the time, but I can't seem to not order books. My collection continues to grow.

My latest Amazon delivery actually included three different media. The first was a newly released first book from one of my favorite authors (I have MANY), Patricia Briggs. I'm a really big fan of her Mercy Thompson and the Alpha & Omega series.









On an editorial comment, I don't like the covers for the Mercy books. My daughter Erin told me about them and said they were very good. They dress Mercy like a skanky ho, which she absolutely is not. She's a mechanic and dresses in jeans and t-shirts. Personally I question the wisdom of putting misleading covers on books. People who are looking for nickle nasties may be drawn to such a cover but will be disappointed when the character doesn't act like the cover implies. If you're like me and avoid the nickle nasties, you will avoid books with covers like that. I think it's stupid.

/endrant

Back to my delivery. Briggs's first book was called Masques. From her bio, it didn't sell well and she nearly quite writing. She's rereleased this first book and a sequel to it will be coming out on Tuesday.

I'm going to need to hurry and get it read, since Tuesday is also the release of the next to the last book in the Wheel of Time series, Towers of Midnight. Can't WAIT for Tuesday!











In my mail also came the DVD of The Scarlet Pimpernel with Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellan. Love this version!

I also received a new Wii Game called Just Dance. Haven't had a chance to play it yet (for exercise, I hope) because I'm furiously trying to write up my outline for my NaNoWriMo project. I should be doing that rather than updating my blog. =D

Halloween

Here's Kelsey, Paul, and Adam (after we tried curls on him):














After this picture, they went shopping and got Adam a pair of matching pants. Then they did his makeup. We all went to Pirate Island, and the waitress asked if they played with a band. Well, of course Paul said they did--which was kind of the truth, since they play Rock Band together, and Paul and Adam write music. They just haven't had any gigs yet.

Adam dyed his hair black last night and also purchased curlers, so he and Paul could compete. Here's Adam taking the curlers out this morning. When we got back from church three hours later, his curls are still SERIOUSLY curly.

Shirley Temple Paul

ROFL - Kelsey sent me this picture of Paul. She said he'd slept in curlers last night. It must be for a Halloween costume.

Witch Palooza

What a crazy week it's been this week. Monday I went right from work to that writing/publishing seminar. Tuesday I took minutes at a VERY long city council meeting (from 4 to 11:30 p.m.--and of course I couldn't fall asleep until 1 a.m. and still had to be at work at 8 a.m.).

But last night I went to Gardner Village with my daughter-in-law Kelsey (Paul's wife), her mom, sister, and grandmother. They got tickets for the dinner theater there called Witch Palooza. Erin and I had talked several years about possibly going but never made it. It was SO fun! They paid extra to get premier seats, and we were dead center up front. It was great. Thanks, Kelsey for inviting me! Maybe Erin will be visiting for Halloween some time ...

Interesting Seminar on Publishing

I attended a very interesting "class" or seminar last night at the local university as part of their continuing education program. The instructor, Bobbie Christensen, takes a very different approach to getting yourself published in one of her books "Writing, Publishing & Marketing Your 1st Book (or 7th)". She's got 13 books in publication right now and is supporting herself on her income from sales.

Something I found particularly interesting was her disdain for agents. I was surprised about this because I've read so much online about agents being how it's done now. When I attended UVU's Book Academy the end of September I was glad to hear that most of the the local publishing companies prefer not to work through an agent.

The instructor said she (not an agent) submitted her first book to a bazillion (obvious exaggeration here) publishing companies. Surprising to her, the publisher who chose her book was one that had said they would only work through agents.

Ticker Update

I saw my doctor on Thursday, and the news is good--I guess. The heart monitor only showed a few little flutters that are nothing to worry about. The underlying beat is good, my cholesterol is low, and my blood pressure is great. The fact that during my little "episode" I was short of breath, light headed, and dizzy is an indication that blood wasn't being pumped adequately, which is something that didn't happen the first two times.

I told my doc that I figured if it happened again I would just rush over to the hospital near my home (about 1/2 a mile) and have them hook up their little machine to record what's going on. They don't want to start giving me meds when they don't know what it is exactly that's happening.

That's good news right?

Of course, the best news would be that my heart just gives up Hip Hop altogether. =D