Monday, January 26, 2009
This week on Star-Crossed Romance - Francesca Hawley
Good morning everyone! Today on Star-Crossed Romance, we have author Francesca Hawley. With a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science and her work as a librarian, it's no wonder Ms Hawley had a deep love of books. In fact, her love of books stems back to her teens when she first began writing romance. Join us for her entertaining and educating take on 'Supporting Actors, Actresses, and Bit Players' at http://www.star-crossedromance.blogspot.com
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Saturday Feasting
As many of you know, I love to bake bread or cook somewhat 'fancified' meals. Over the holidays, I made a couple of loaves of yeast bread, made soup, and, because it was the holidays, I prepared a number of family traditions without which my family would probably skin me alive, LOL
But I'm always on the look out for new, intriguing recipes. I found one just yesterday for Butternut Squash soup which was excellent because I have frozen butternut squash in my freezer. The recipe actually is an Emeril recipe and appears easy and inexpensive (only has onions, garlic, carrots, cumin, salt and pepper and a tidbit of heavy cream plus the squash) The really neat thing is I'll get to put my new immersion blender (a Christmas present) to real use.
That's going to be our dinner tonight especially since the weather is too nasty to go out in (huge snowfall --yuck!). But fortunately, my DH and I like simple meals like this so it should be a winner :D
But I'm always on the look out for new, intriguing recipes. I found one just yesterday for Butternut Squash soup which was excellent because I have frozen butternut squash in my freezer. The recipe actually is an Emeril recipe and appears easy and inexpensive (only has onions, garlic, carrots, cumin, salt and pepper and a tidbit of heavy cream plus the squash) The really neat thing is I'll get to put my new immersion blender (a Christmas present) to real use.
That's going to be our dinner tonight especially since the weather is too nasty to go out in (huge snowfall --yuck!). But fortunately, my DH and I like simple meals like this so it should be a winner :D
Friday, January 09, 2009
Friday Musing
The writer Henry Miller said: "In this age, which believes that there is a shortcut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest."
You know, there's a lot of truth in this. How many times have you (and, trust me, me too) set about doing a job but you try to cut corners to make it faster or cheaper or just plain old easier but it doesn't work the first time, so you add a step or whatever, and it still doesn't work. You keep on doing this until...gasp! You finally break down and do the job properly from start to finish all the while bemoaning the fact that you would have been long done if you'd only done it correctly to start with.
I don't know what it is in human nature that makes us repeatedly go through this. We know that following the correct steps, in the correct order, using the correct tools with the correct instructions will most often get the job done faster and easier. And we still look for those short cuts.
Maybe it's our drive to be inventive? Or our quest to be 'smarter' than the average joe plumber? I'm not sure.
How does this apply to writing? Well, how many of us have half-completed manuscripts lurking in drawers or hidden in folders on our hard drives? I'd bet quite a few.
Yet we cherish the notion that we're 'writers'. In a sense, we are, of course. but the measure of 'writerly' success is finishing that manuscript. We have to abandon the idea that we can produce a book in a matter of days or a few weeks. Only very prolific and extremely talented authors can do that. We also have to abandon the thought that our words are gold and perfect that moment we set them down.
Writing is hard work. It takes time. It takes practice. There are no shortcuts, no easy ways to produce a full-sized manuscript. The hardest but easiest way to write is to set our butts down in our chairs and write. Write even if it's only 50 words a day. Eventually you'll have a full length manuscript.
But the job isn't done.
Now comes the revision. Making sure that the plot makes sense. That the characters are doing what they would do, not because you want them to do it, but because they want to do it. That the grammar is correct. That writing principles like show-don't tell are not being violated.
Then when the manuscript is the best you can make it, send it out to agents or publishers if that's your dream, otherwise bask in the glow of a job well done.
Wait. You're still not done.
Now you start your next writing project.
You keep in mind that writing is hard work, that takes practice and time. And remember the wise words of Henry Miller which I'll repeat here "In this age, which believes that there is a shortcut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest."
You know, there's a lot of truth in this. How many times have you (and, trust me, me too) set about doing a job but you try to cut corners to make it faster or cheaper or just plain old easier but it doesn't work the first time, so you add a step or whatever, and it still doesn't work. You keep on doing this until...gasp! You finally break down and do the job properly from start to finish all the while bemoaning the fact that you would have been long done if you'd only done it correctly to start with.
I don't know what it is in human nature that makes us repeatedly go through this. We know that following the correct steps, in the correct order, using the correct tools with the correct instructions will most often get the job done faster and easier. And we still look for those short cuts.
Maybe it's our drive to be inventive? Or our quest to be 'smarter' than the average joe plumber? I'm not sure.
How does this apply to writing? Well, how many of us have half-completed manuscripts lurking in drawers or hidden in folders on our hard drives? I'd bet quite a few.
Yet we cherish the notion that we're 'writers'. In a sense, we are, of course. but the measure of 'writerly' success is finishing that manuscript. We have to abandon the idea that we can produce a book in a matter of days or a few weeks. Only very prolific and extremely talented authors can do that. We also have to abandon the thought that our words are gold and perfect that moment we set them down.
Writing is hard work. It takes time. It takes practice. There are no shortcuts, no easy ways to produce a full-sized manuscript. The hardest but easiest way to write is to set our butts down in our chairs and write. Write even if it's only 50 words a day. Eventually you'll have a full length manuscript.
But the job isn't done.
Now comes the revision. Making sure that the plot makes sense. That the characters are doing what they would do, not because you want them to do it, but because they want to do it. That the grammar is correct. That writing principles like show-don't tell are not being violated.
Then when the manuscript is the best you can make it, send it out to agents or publishers if that's your dream, otherwise bask in the glow of a job well done.
Wait. You're still not done.
Now you start your next writing project.
You keep in mind that writing is hard work, that takes practice and time. And remember the wise words of Henry Miller which I'll repeat here "In this age, which believes that there is a shortcut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest."
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
News Tidbits and Tittles
The January issue of Locus has the following interesting news item:
"HarperStudio, a new imprint at HarperCollins, has made an arrangement to sell books to Borders on a non-returnable basis, so the books cannot be sent back to the publisher for credit. In exchange, Borders will get a better discount (reportedly 58% to 63%), and will probably order fewer copies initially. It's an interesting experiment, and publishing insiders will be watching closely to see how it works out."
"HarperStudio, a new imprint at HarperCollins, has made an arrangement to sell books to Borders on a non-returnable basis, so the books cannot be sent back to the publisher for credit. In exchange, Borders will get a better discount (reportedly 58% to 63%), and will probably order fewer copies initially. It's an interesting experiment, and publishing insiders will be watching closely to see how it works out."
Monday, January 05, 2009
Happy New Year
Good morning and Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your holidays were fantastic. At the Scott household we didn't party too much, just had family and friends over. Of course we all celebrated the sale of my novel Heartstone to Mundania Press as I mentioned earlier (talk about a great Christmas present, hmmm?) But on the downside, I'm having problems with my computer and internet connection. Hopefully I can get those resolved soon but, in the meantime, I can pick up mail from a couple of other locations so if you need to get hold of me, just go ahead and email me at lyndak.scott@gmail.com
When I wasn't battling the computer, though, I was having fun being a 'domestic goddess' :D I made rum balls and peanut butter cookies for Santa (and he was lucky to get one -- those cookies were going FAST, lol) Then between the holidays I indulged myself by making a couple loaves of bread from scratch. There is nothing that smells as delicious as freshly baked bread. Yum. I also created a soup, Stuffed Green Pepper soup, based on a soup I had at a local restaurant just before Christmas. That was another yum. And I made a big old pan of lasagna - in DH's words the BEST EVER lasagna. I used whole wheat lasagna noodles which gave it a more healthy aspect (I'm really getting in to the whole wheat pastas) though I'm not sure that was the only reason for its mouthwatering goodness. It could be that I rarely make lasagna because of the quantity and the fact that only the hubs and I are there to eat it. Regardless, it was a definite yum and I froze half of it for future meals, always a good thing.
Normally, we don't do New Year's Resolutions (got tired of breaking them 4 days into the New Year, lol) but I stepped on the scale a few days ago and nearly had cardiac arrest, lol. So guess what we (the hubby and me) will be doing. That's right. We're going to eat less and exercise more to shed this holiday weight.
And for inspiration I ran across this photo and quote from marathoner David Goggins: “When you think you are done… You are only 40% in to what your body is capable of doing. That’s just a limit we put on ourselves.”
I doubt hubs and me will ever participate in a marathon but I love that quote. And, when you think about it, it's good for more than just inspiration to exercise. It's good for that extra push to write or create or do any of the myriad things we're interested in. So for this year, maybe forever, I'm going to adopt this one as a mantra.
So are any of you doing Resolutions this year? Or are you like me and ignoring the whole resolution thing? Whichever you do, I wish you a spectacular New Year filled with love, health and prosperity.
-- Lynda
When I wasn't battling the computer, though, I was having fun being a 'domestic goddess' :D I made rum balls and peanut butter cookies for Santa (and he was lucky to get one -- those cookies were going FAST, lol) Then between the holidays I indulged myself by making a couple loaves of bread from scratch. There is nothing that smells as delicious as freshly baked bread. Yum. I also created a soup, Stuffed Green Pepper soup, based on a soup I had at a local restaurant just before Christmas. That was another yum. And I made a big old pan of lasagna - in DH's words the BEST EVER lasagna. I used whole wheat lasagna noodles which gave it a more healthy aspect (I'm really getting in to the whole wheat pastas) though I'm not sure that was the only reason for its mouthwatering goodness. It could be that I rarely make lasagna because of the quantity and the fact that only the hubs and I are there to eat it. Regardless, it was a definite yum and I froze half of it for future meals, always a good thing.
Normally, we don't do New Year's Resolutions (got tired of breaking them 4 days into the New Year, lol) but I stepped on the scale a few days ago and nearly had cardiac arrest, lol. So guess what we (the hubby and me) will be doing. That's right. We're going to eat less and exercise more to shed this holiday weight.
And for inspiration I ran across this photo and quote from marathoner David Goggins: “When you think you are done… You are only 40% in to what your body is capable of doing. That’s just a limit we put on ourselves.”
I doubt hubs and me will ever participate in a marathon but I love that quote. And, when you think about it, it's good for more than just inspiration to exercise. It's good for that extra push to write or create or do any of the myriad things we're interested in. So for this year, maybe forever, I'm going to adopt this one as a mantra.
So are any of you doing Resolutions this year? Or are you like me and ignoring the whole resolution thing? Whichever you do, I wish you a spectacular New Year filled with love, health and prosperity.
-- Lynda
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