Happy Halloween!

May you get all the candy you want, and none of the tricks!

here, have a rough draft excerpt

I started working on a ghost story quite a while ago, and with Halloween upcoming, it has been on my mind to return to it. I won't really get a chance, seeing as I have a lot of other things clamoring for attention, but I thought it'd be fun to throw out one of the little snippets from the story. This part has almost nothing to do with the ghost-arc in the story, and I'm still hemming and hawing about the main characters names. But it is a rugged little bit, with kissing. Link goes to the snippet at another location.It's just signposts....

Halloween!

This is the Saturday before Halloween! I went to a haunted house last night, and I've been looking over my options for more haunted house/haunted hayrides tonight, and maybe even tomorrow. I love a good, safe scare. The weather could cooperate a little bit more than it is, though. Cold and rainy may be perfect Halloween weather: chill and damp, dark and foul, teeming with the promise of hauntings and frights. But it isn't much fun to stand around in a line, waiting! Although the hot cider and doughnuts does a lot of compensate. I should really get onto writing some spooky stuff. I love reading it just as much as I love writing it.

I got nothin'

Quite tired tonight. I finally buckled down and did some paperwork that has been languishing and needed to be done. One small drop into a huge, huge bucket. How does everyone else do it? I always feel like I'm barely keeping on top of things. But: yay! Paperwork done!

Cookies are an acceptable dinner substitute, right?

Today was long. And the insomnia from last night didn't help. I've finally made it home, gone through a big pile of mail, and paid the important bills. Dinner, however, is going to be a handful of cookies. One of the cookies is oatmeal raisin. I'm going to count that as healthy. Oatmeal is high in fiber and fights cholesterol, and raisins are fruit.

Steampunk Insomnia

I was at a museum earlier today and it had both a steamship from around 1920/1930 and some train cars from the same time. Real life steampunk, and it was pretty cool stuff. I can see the allure of that genre. Everything was so physical -- the ship moved by means of coal being shoveled into the furnace, and it was hot, sweaty work. But upstairs, the guests had silver and linens. I don't know that I would ever write steampunk, but it is gorgeous imagery. And in other news, insomnia has come to claim me. Usually it is a rare night that I wallow through the darkened hours, so I should be tired enough to sleep tomorrow night, but the thing about insomnia (at least for me) is that I'm not really alert enough to be creative. I can't use these hours for writing. I could clean, or read, or watch tv, or even pay the bills, but creativity is a slight reach too far.

writing comfort

So, it is going to be a busy weekend, outside of writing, but I am going to make sure to eke out some time. I have some serious editing to do to a longer piece, and there's been an opportunity to work on an older piece I have to get it ready, and then it would be a free work, so that readers could see my style. That one needs a Very Serious Edit. So I have a lot of work to do. But for the moment, I wanted to mention my writing gauntlets! Now that the weather is turning cooler, and it isn't quite time to turn the heat on, I get to dress in warm, bulky, comfy clothes, and that includes using these really lovely knitted gauntlets that my mom made for me. I actually have several pairs of them. I keep one set at work for when there isn't heat there (it happens!) and a couple sets at home. The ones I have don't individually cover the fingers, so they're like very long sweatshirt sleeves, but with a thumb-hole. I just love them. They're pretty, as each one is done in different colored yarn, and they really do a great job of keeping the hand warm, and the fingers free to type. Once again, it really is some of the smallest things in life that make you happy!

graham crackers

I went years without eating them, and then, last year, I had some, and rediscovered how delicious they are! But the question that needs asking -- why do they come in wrappings that are impossible to close again? Not even with a clip. The uneaten portion must be placed into another, separate container of some sort to keep the graham crackers from going soft (and they always go soft, graham flour must be very absorbent). I wish graham crackers came in some different sort of packaging. Also, casual conversation with a friend gave me an awesome idea for a setting for a story! I love chance serendipity like that.

period between writing

There's always an odd little down period between finishing one story and gearing up to start another. It isn't that the ideas aren't waiting, but rather that there is some odd, emotional lull that needs to be filled with energy before I can start again. So, I meant to write tonight, but didn't. A night of rest isn't such a bad thing.

after edit agony

The thing that is so frustrating, is finding an error (in this case a silly *math* error) after working so hard on an edit, and knowing that it must be corrected, but wondering how many people will read it before you get the chance to fix it. Oh, GAH. Math, why do you torture me so?

quarry, quarry, query

I have a serious love/hate relationship with this word: quarry. Because it firstly means some place where you are getting rocks out. Granite quarry. Marble quarry. And secondly means a thing you are searching for. Today the quarry we hunt for is jackalope. And I have to look up the spelling every single time! Also, I like to confuse it with query. Those "qu" words are tough.

writing time tonight!

I've been writing and writing and writing this week! I finally finished the first draft (although portions of it have already gotten a nice strong edit) tonight, and then worked on a few bits and bobs. But I'm feeling excited! There's just such a nice feeling to finally having a completed project. I have, however, completely failed to allow my characters to imbibe and partake of some drinks. Tomorrow, I will edit, and slide in a few drinks. My poor fellows should at least get a beer, or something. I also was so cruel -- there was cake in the story, and I wrote that they went off to kiss, instead of eating cake! It must be true love. Who else would you give up CAKE for?

one precious hour!

I've paid the bills, made the food, and organized the stuff. Now, I've got one precious hour in which to write and edit. I suppose I should be better about this, and write first and take care of the rest of life later, but I figure I have to handle the necessities first. Food, shelter, safety. Can't get myself hauled down to the pokey for not paying the bills! And while I wouldn't waste away if I skipped a few meals, I'd be terribly cranky!!

uncommonly pleased

It really is the smallest things in life that can make you happy. One of my credit cards is due to expire, so I'll be getting a new card at some point. For years, I've had the generic design on the face. But now, there are designs to choose from! I picked one I liked, submitted, and then sat in front of my computer and actually clapped my hands with glee. Ha! I will enjoy having a pretty picture in my wallet!

cookie issues

I love cookies, and I love making my own cookies. Getting out the ingredients is fun, measuring is fun, mixing is fun, eating is fun. The part that isn't fun? Putting the cookie dough on the cookie sheet! For whatever reason, I *despise* that part of it. It's so tedious, and there's all sorts of issues about spacing to consider! It is also the part I dislike the most when making muffins, or cupcakes. Multiple filling just makes me groan. I suppose I should just start making cake. One big blob of batter into one container, and done with it! But while I like cake, I love cookies so much more.

curry, and chocolate crinkle cookies

I have the ingredients! I know it is late, but I'm about to embark on all evening session of making a new curry recipe (YES -- with the rice cooker!!) and some chocolate crinkle cookies. The cookies are to give away, but the curry is ALL for me.

all the pretty colors

I'm off to the paint store this morning! I have a little paint project in mind and I need to choose a color. Some variation of off-white! This may be one of the hardest things to do. There are a LOT of versions of off-white.

hounding

While paying the bills last night, I just left the tv on for background noise and one of those entertainment shows came on. They had a clip about a celebrity having to push through a crowd of the paparazzi, clinging to the hand of their body guard, before they were able to get into a car and be whisked away. I have to say, it was appalling. I realize that a lot of people make their living being a celebrity, and a lot of celebrities make more money in a week than I'll see in my life time, and this is one of those prices to pay, but still. I just felt bad that they would have to go through something like that. I like the pretty pictures of the pretty people just as much as the next person -- but the really good ones come from their work (tv, movies, etc.) and photo shoots. I wish the pop culture wasn't so much about hounding them. I suppose I'm even more grateful for the quiet in my life, when I see reminders like that.

sit-coms

I finally got an antenna for my tv, so after a year of going without, I have some stations again. I had a few shows on tonight while I did some tasks around my home (will the *chaos* of my house ever be tamed? probably not....) and a few of them were sit-coms. They were funny, and had interesting characters. But I noticed a disturbing tendency. Why is there so much shouting? I know they aren't actually *shouting*, but so many of the character interactions are done at a projected voice-level and a projected emotion level. I watched MASH the other night, and a bit of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and they seemed a bit less with the projection. (Oh my, have I reached the grumpy stage of my life? So soon? How wonderful! I've been waiting for the opportunity to grumble and be grumpy!) Is there some difference because some shows are on stages, and others are filmed live?