Lies, Lies, Lies.

An email I received as a forward from a friend.

******************


Read ALL of this one, it is interesting!! Make sure you read down
to the very bottom!!!


VERY INTERESTING-
1. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq .

2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization!

3. Noah built the ark in Iraq

4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq

5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq

6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq

7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.

8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.

9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.

10 Amos cried out in Iraq!

11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem.

12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq!

13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in
Iraq also as the fourth person in the Fiery Furnace!)

14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq .

15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq .

16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq .

17. The wise men were from Iraq .

18. Peter preached in Iraq .

19. The "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon, which was
a city in Iraq !

And you have probably seen this one: Israel is the nation most often
mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq!
However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in
the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia
means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers. The name Iraq, means country with deep roots.

Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country
in the Bible.

No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated
with it than Iraq .

And also, This is something to think about: Since America is typically
represented by an eagle. Saddam should have read up on his Muslim
passages...

The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible)

Koran (9:11 ) - For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a
fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands
of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more
rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah;
and there was peace.

(Note the verse number!)
*************

Okay, I'm uptight, I know that, but emails like this just get my goat.

While this is all very interesting, many of the "facts" listed are faulty or misleading. The garden of Eden was most likely more northeastern, in the Caucus Mts, same with Noah and his ark, but no location is known as fact. Assyria was huge, of which Iraq was just a part.

I do find the Koran quote interesting. Although, I'm not really sure what it has to do with the previous statements besides trying to lend biblical and religious credence to the War On Terror, associating the two by location within the same email, not on a factual basis.

And just for the record, "Israel" was not a nation in the political sense until 1948. Before then the term referred to a group of people, not a land mass. Which leads me to state that the people living in a country currently aren't necessarily the people who have always lived there. Take the US for an example, there wasn't always such a diverse population here. Just as the racial makeup of the Middle East during biblical times isn't the same as it is today.

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Egypt, Germany, Panama, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia are also associated with the eagle.

Oh and just to let everyone know, that quote from Koran is false, if it is in the Koran, which I cannot find, it certainly isn't verse 9:11.

Sources of information surround us everyday, but they don't do anyone good is they aren't used. You have the internet obviously if you are reading this, and libraries exist all over the world. Please get your facts straight before you blindly believe "facts" presented to you, especially ones forwared to you in email.

SICK!

Health is a funny thing. One of those elusive feelings in life that is hardly ever black and white. We say healthy and unhealthy, yet there are a million possibilities in between. More than likely, we notice our unhealthy when we first wake up in the morning, is illness worse then? Perhaps. Or perhaps we just don’t have the continual downfall of our health to compare it to. We expect our bodies to be healthy, and should feel that way in the morning. If not, well then something is wrong. For the gradual illness though, diagnosing can get a little tricky. After your last cold you had cough that lasted forever (I know I did) and now, months later it seems you still have that cold. Is it the same one? Did you ever get rid of it? Perhaps you did, just didn’t notice it, then you got a new one.

Hmm, you think as you scratch your head, is Sandra Tuttle sick? My answer? Perhaps. My cough is the one referred to above. I have allergies as well, so it’s entirely possible I had a bit too much snot action going on in my sinuses and coughing ensues. But I woke up with a sore throat this morning, much like a have a few other days. Nothing serious mind you, oh if my sore throat was serious, you’d hear about it. I don’t tolerate bad ones very well. I’d be a whining.

No the one who is sick today is Sandra’s Hubby, Mr. Cheese (named so after his jokes) today he could be Mr. Pukey though. He hasn’t vomited yet, but his tumbly is a rumbly. He drove about half way to work then turned around and crawled into bed when he got home, which is why I’m awake so early. I ran out to the gas station to get beverages for him. Is ST a good wife or what? (hint: answer is YES!)


Randomness: I made fruit pizza this weekend. For those of you who don't know what that is, lemme give ya a run down. First of all, its yummy to the max. Now what is it? Sugar cookie crust, then frosting (personally I use cream cheese frosting) then you top with fruit, I use kiwi, pineapple, strawberries, mandarin oranges (really a must) and blueberries (which add a yumminess factor but also add more color) I usually make mine in a round pizza pan and I decorate it like a kalidescope.

I couldn't see this whole thing because once again, I am enslaved to dial up... So I hope it's good. If not, or something is wrong with the vid, lemme know and I'll delete it.

Vamp Huntress Intro

As advertised, the soft black leather between her thighs made no noise as she moved. Crouching low, she ran a finger along the outside seam, feeling the bumps of the bullets that lined the length of her leg. Not very practical of her, but she had a few extra clips on her other side. The single bullets were just precautions in case the clips ran out, after she’d exhausted her stakes, holy water, cleaver and UV flashlight.

The roughly hewn brick at her back rubbed against her bare arms. She’d expected the place to be decrepit and cold, and while the brick was crumbling, it was warm—disconcertingly so. Her first boyfriend’s hands had felt like that, hot fine sandpaper. She tried to shake that thought away, knowing it was true no longer. Those hands were now squishy with rot and more than likely, maggot infested. No, she focused on that image. Thinking of those dead hands would strengthen her resolve, fuel her ire. The thought of his hands on her had always brought her shivering, but normally with want—need—this time the quakes wormed their way down into her soul, cooling her already frigid stone core.

Her face, a solid mask of vacant emotions, offered no quarter. She was here to kill, permanently. Exterminator. Pest control. Righteous one. She had many names. The one she liked the best though was murderer. Wanting to think of them as human, her revenge would be sweeter, aka more painful for the opposition. Oh yes, she hoped they had feelings, tender ones at that—for she would play on them until they were raw. Just as her emotions were once—before they disappeared all together. Mind on taking her pound of flesh, she slid further down the underground hall toward their sanctuary.

***

Bad News Busy Bear

Hmm... well, I may be the bearer of, what I hope is, bad news to some of you. I don't think I will be blogging as much. Coming up with a story or something worthwhile to say five times a week is sapping a lot of my rewrite and writing time away. So for now I will be reducing it to three times a week, more than likely M-W-F. This will begin next week.

Til then...

Here is a a video for no apparent reason at all, 'cept I like Vikings and well... this video has a little bit to do with Vikings haha.

Bad Boys

I updated the manuscript excerpt this morning. I added a little bit here and there.

Something a little more light hearted...
________________________________________

Yup, there another one went… right to prison. This happens to me every time. Either they go to prison, or jail, or go on house arrest, or have to flee the country.

I like bad boys, and they like me.

The cop sauntered up my driveway, illuminated by the rainbow of flashing lights.

“Hey there again, Sally.”

“Heya, Burt. You putting me under surveillance again?”

“Nah, but I bet I’d have the best stats in the force if I did. Perhaps you
should just become an informant. You don’t have to do anything, ‘cept what you’ve been doing—picking losers.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.”

“Where’d you find this one? Last time you came in for the line up?”

“Five star restaurant actually. And here I thought I was overcoming my lot in life. I should’ve known better.”

Burt wrapped his arm around me. “There, there Sally. You are just moving on to a different kind of criminal. You’ve advanced from your garden variety blue collar criminal to the elusive, white collar mastermind. You should feel proud.”

“Oh it’s a bright day in my world, lemme tell ya.”

“Now, how’s about helping us find the loot?”

“I’ll do what I can boss.”

Out of Control part Deux

A continuation from yesterday's intro...

***

Water pounded on my bloody fingernails as my brain snapped into place. They had given me back control too early…again. If only that were a good thing. I much preferred the days when I woke up blissfully unaware of my nighttime activities.

My stomach revolted and I doubled over in pain, awaiting the worst to come. Every awakening was the same—a moment of clear headedness followed by the racing stream of images of my covert actions. Like a dream, they drifted out of my mind’s grasp as soon as I tried to hold on. The memories I lacked were as elusive as the chip in my head was present.

Our bodies are ruled by little electrical pulses directed by our brains. A chip can control those pulses more effectively than our brains. The technology that held me together and kept me alive was the bane of my existence. The irony was not lost on me.

Decisions had been decided, deals had been done—I’d made this choice. Purging myself of whatever entered my stomach from the night before was on par with me trying to vomit the remnants of the deal I made with the titanium devil—fruitless. I’d have to eat again and I couldn’t survive without my mechanical friends.

Dragging my sorry ass out of the bathroom, I looked at the clock in the kitchen, seven in the morning. Not bad, I’d only lost a few hours this time. How much damage could I have done in three hours time? Downing a glass of water from the sink, the taste of regret and vomit was replaced with the cotton mouth feel of dread. The cordless phone sat on the counter, unaware of its part in my mood swing. The date and time on the caller id taunted as it flashed. I hadn’t been booted up for three hours.

I’d been plugged in for three weeks.
___________

Caution: This video contains disturbing images. Do not watch if you are under 18.

Out of Control

Out of control: intro...

Does anyone know what that truly means? Sure there are drunken nights where we go a little wild, but we still made those choices. Our minds were under the influence of alcohol, but alcohol doesn’t tell us what to do. It cannot control us, it simply loosens our morals a bit, causing us to do what we would if we had no inhibitions. Alcohol makes us do what we really want to do.

That certainly isn’t being out of control, perhaps being drunk is simply being out of the control of society, of civilization.

But what truly is being out of control? We have choices we make everyday. The waking up in the morning, the getting out of bed—we choose that. We wear certain clothes. We talk with certain words—all choices.

What if all that was taken away from you? What if you weren’t even able to think your own thoughts? If you had no control over your motor functions? What if someone—something—had control over your breathing, and even when you blinked?

Welcome to my world.


And now the theme from one of my favorite shows growing up, Inspector Gadget, performed quite uniquely.

Books cause dangerous thoughts

It’s hard to remember that I was once whole. Yes, at one time my body was smooth, perfect and completely untouched by this treacherous world, and that was only five years ago. And look at me now. A decrepit shell of what I once was, now deformed, hurt and hunted.

They did this to me. Oh, they’ll say I did this to myself, with my actions, by they did it. Their hands held the scalpels, the needles, and the pins that held my eyes open.

I’m lucky to be alive, really. Part of me knows that, the part that doesn’t lament my lot in life, or rather the “civilized” world containing my lot.

I am different. I always was. The only difference now is my appearance, a physical manifestation of my insides. They’ve made me look the part of the monster they claim I am.

I am no monster, however, I am a free thinker.

Setting the mood and thematic elements

Yesterday I listed a few examples of what to think about when setting the mood: Speed, Weather, Colors, Lighting. Does the living space reflect the person? Chapter Titles: Quotes, Lyrics, Titles, Names, Songs etc...

Anyone who is an avid reader or movie watcher most likely has a good sense of how a story should be told. Go with that. You pick up on clues, perhaps it’s a dark and stormy night, with creepy music playing, doors creek, floorboards squeak, lightning flashes and illuminated a shape that wasn’t there before. This all sets the scene. You know what’s coming next, maybe not exactly what happens but you get the gist. Writing is much the same way, except you are coming up with all of that in your head. You know how you want your characters to feel and to act, and you, as the writer, need to create a physical atmosphere to represent that. There is one exception and I will mention that last.

Now speed may not make much sense in word form, but it does, I assure you. How fast the scene plays out. Is your character frantic? Or perhaps they are stalling, then the scene should play out slower. How fast does your character get from one place to another? Pacing is very important in movies, I believe this should be attributed to being important to books as well. Some books are just Go Go Go (most Dan Brown books I’ve read) These are great books and the kind that don’t put down, which is good, but I tend to feel quite worn out after a reading session like that and can’t read another like it or some time. In order for the fast parts to seem fast, you need slower parts… the intrigue perhaps or the mystery. The calm before the storm…

Which leads me to the next item, weather. This can play a big role. Dark stormy night yes, but then you have the winds of change. A light drizzle is different than pouring. Is it a quick stormy, or is the sky gray as far as the eye can see? The sun is shining, is it nice warmth or a stifling heat bearing down on all the inhabitants?

Colors: This one is bit trickier to play with, as it is opened to much interpretation. There are some tried and true methods here though, White means good, Black means bad. Red is blood or love etc… I encourage a writer to break those molds and create something different. Perhaps your good characters wear blue and bad ones wear yellow, then your main character who is conflicted wears green, or has green eyes, or lives in a green car, drives a green car. Color is where a lot of the deeper level of writing comes into play… or all those little things that most readers don’t consciously think about, but the writer delights in adding, or at least I do.

Lighting: This doesn’t seem as important in writing as inn film, but it can be used to the writers advantage. Most readers are movie savvy. Create movie images using your words. Create a shadow of miniblinds, light the character from behind so the face is in shadow. Tell the readers these things, these visual clues so they can visualize it in their head and make it more real. A brightly lit room will feel different than one with lots of shadows. But a brightly lit room can be a bad thing too, if your MC is trying to hide.

Living Space: In film this would be the art director’s pet project. The buildings, the furniture, the paintings on the wall, all add to the personality of the character. Do they like Monet or Dali, a big difference there. Furniture modern or shabby, hand me down. Is their apartment decorated at all? Do they move a lot? No place is really a home? Is their house pretty mundane with the exception of one room? In the business the saying is Location, Location, Location… and with good reason, people affiliate locations with certain traits, good neighborhood, across the tracks…

Chapter Titles: Ooh, this is my latest baby. Chapter 1, 2… etc. Can get boring. Most of use just overlook them unless we need to remember where we are in the book. Chapter titles have a draw back however. If your reader is so involved that they just have to keep reading, the chapter titles can be distracting and take you a bit out of the story. But a proper chapter title will add quite a bit more to the reader’s experience. The writer can really add to the theme with a proper title. Using a common reference, such as “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” and associating it with your chapter will add a lot, especially if you aren’t referring to the death of someone, but perhaps the death of an idea, a relationship etc.

Physical environment: Samantha, my MC (main character), is feeling aimless and unsure of what to do. I have her walking on a winding path, where she can't see around the next bend. She ends up in a carefully planned garden, surrounded by unknown paths and wilderness. While she may have this one moment figured out... She still has many paths and the only one she knows is the one she came from.

She is feeling small and out of her element... So I put her in a large unknown place that has high ceilings.

Chap 4, Samantha wears a bathrobe that is too big for her. She's going through a major change in her life, she is new to this paranormal world and knows virtually nothing about it, she is as innocent as a child, and appears so by her mode of dress.

The one exception I talked about earlier? When shouldn’t the atmosphere reflect the main characters feelings? When you don’t want it to. When you want to create discord between the environment and your MC use juxtaposition, in fact all of the items listed for setting the mood can be used adversely to set a different mood than the one the character is feeling, thus creating… yup you guess it, conflict. You have a mass murdered going to Chuck E Cheese’s… A person so incredibly happy and it’s storming out. Your MC is shy and is forced to where some revealing outfit. Conflict of images also creates conflict in character and plot.


Training scene from Rocky... notice the surroundings, the clothing, the colors, or lack there of.

Setting the Mood

First let me just say that in no way do I think there is only one way to do things, nor do I think I know everything… that certainly is not the case! So with yesterday’s and today’s blog I am not presuming to know things… I’m simply stating what works for me. These blogs are essentially a way for me to get away with talking to myself without seeming crazy.

I don’t know the rules of writing, in fact I try to stay as far away as possible from them. If I know them, then I feel the need to follow them, and I believe that will cut my writing off at the knees. I don’t pretend to me some creative genius that has all original ideas, I’m not so out of the box to be innovative, I just don’t want to be stifled by rules.

So these blogs about writing are simply me figuring what works out as I go along. I’m sure there are rules or suggestions quite similar to these, but instead of me reading them then wracking my brain trying to find a way to use them, I’m finding the rules out myself as I go. I’m seeing what works with my storytelling, or what I use subconsciously in the bit that I really like, and try to figure out what I did so I can use the same technique later.

I’m sure my way takes longer in the end, but I know what works for me, and this works. So read my ideas or don’t, use them in your own writing or don’t… this is mainly for me, but it may help others.

Setting the mood...

Being trained as a filmmaker has made me quite the visual thinker, which has helped and hindered my writing. It’s helped in the essence of I’m not relying on telling the reader what the character is thinking, I’m showing them. On the same hand, I can go overboard with some description because I have a certain composition in mind for the events that are playing out, and shot composition doesn’t transfer well to the written word.

I be believe though, that filmmaking has helped more than hindered my writing, one of the main benefits is setting the scene. Now here… I’m a fan of the subtle. In film I would use visual clues, colors, shapes, shot composition, clothing, all to add to the feeling of the scene… and all this on top of the acting. I try to do the same when writing.

A few examples of what to think about when setting the mood: Speed, Weather, Colors, Lighting. Does the living space reflect the person? Chapter Titles: Quotes, Lyrics, Titles, Names, Songs etc...

Okay, here I went through and quite in depth on each of the things listed… and that has turned my blog into a candidate for epic blogs… so I will add them tomorrow…

In the meantime a little something to help you on this day, Valentines.

Juxtaposition

Today I felt the urge to talk about how my filmmaking experience helps me with writing, and how it hinders.

The first item I wanted to discuss is Juxtaposition. Basically juxtaposition is placing two or more unrelated objects together and creating meaning that isn't there without the other object. For instance, in film, you have a shot of a very thin man, dressed shabbily, looking down. Then you cut to an overhead shot looking down and on a table you see an empty bowl, clean. The viewer would create meaning between these two shots, the man is hungry and has no food to eat.

Juxtaposition doesn't even have to be as blatent as that, or as direct a meaning. I blogged awhile back about a bad dream I had, pretty freaky to me and to a few fellow readers who let me know as such. The daily video that I choose for that blog was the opening for the old cartoon show Strawberry Shortcake, a very innocent thing, but when in combination with the creepy dream, the repetitive quality most kid's songs have, now seemed creepy... as in "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" kinda creepy.

"Intense amusement." That is an example used in Chapter 1 of Inevitable of juxtaposition in literature. One doesn't have to do with the other, but combined they create new meaning.

Sometimes the combination of two things can add some insight, rather than confusion about a character. In Chapter 1 again, Sam is making pizza dough by hand. How very domestic of her, but at the same time, she's swearing and punching it, how very UN-domestic of her. This shows insight into her character, but also shows that she has conflicting elements of her personality.

Writing in first person it is a tad more difficult to write juxtaposition between scenes but it can be done, the missing space needs to be accounted for however. Juxtaposition is used a lot to create suspense, eerie, creepy suspense. You have a killer on the loose who preys upon young girls, you've just seen him slaughter someone. End chapter. Next chapter opener? Why a young girl playing with her dolls of course.

Juxtaposition comes naturally to the story teller most of the time. Stories need conflict. Conflict of imagery is a good way to create an unsettling mood and enhance suspense. If you are a writer, filmmaker or any story teller really... try using juxtaposition consciously. Feel a scene doesn't cut the suspense mustard? Use conflicting images and see how the mood shifts.

Tomorrow's blog will be about setting the mood and how to take movie imagery and put it into words.

Here is an example of very POOR juxtaposition. These two separate commercials ran back to back.

Team Doom

An amazing thing has just happened. I have a fan site. I'm not published yet but the Cheerleader of Doom has taken it upon herself to make me a fan myspace site. Does she kick ass or what?

Check it out and be added as a friend click here:


Seriously though, this has to be one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me, I'm touched beyond words really, but seeing as I'm a writer, me not having words just can't happen, so I will do my best to explain. The COD (Cheerleader of Doom) put so much work into something, just for me and my work. It's humbling that's for sure. Reading the site put tears in my eyes yesterday when she presented it to me. I better not win any awards or I'll be gushing like a river. I don't think I've ever cried from happiness before. I'm not one to blubber.

So I ask all of you that have myspace check it out and be added as a friend, and not just for my work, but for all the work she put into it. Help me show her how much she rocks. I raise the goblet of rock to you Cheerleader of Doom


This one goes out to the COD

Changes

A look at Sandra's life through her many hairstyles.

As a child...

Braids mostly... I still where those today. Some habits are hard to break






I went through the bob in the preteen years.






At 14, I started my trek down the slightly odd... Green hair. (a real pic of Sandra)






Inverted bob at 15.





oh and it was pink




Purple too




Then it looked a little something like this...



Then at 17 this...




Then this...




And currently it resembles this except reddish blonde...



Done. :)

Fate is forever trying to contradict me

Ahh, the benefits of writing everyday… I’m trying very hard to remember them. I know writing keeps my mind sharp and those pesky creative juices flowing, but sometimes… well sometimes it just isn’t very fun. Today it may be a bit of a chore. So, by writing about it being a chore, it will become less so. That’s just the way it works, I complain about not wanting to write or having nothing to write about and voila, I want to and have something to jot some words down about. Fate is forever trying to contradict me.

A friend asked me to expand my killer in college story, or shiny gun as I call it. You all may be more familiar with it as This is my rifle, this is my gun. I added a paragraph to it, and included the preceding paragraphs to help the diligent reader get a feel for where I was when I last left off.
__________

I threw the ball at Sneer’s head. He caught it, but it took him two hands and he wasn’t as quick as me. I could take him. It was my turn to sneer.

Pale green eyes stared back at me. I’ve seen those kind of eyes before, goblin eyes. They almost glow and have little variation or texture in the color. The light color was accentuated by the slash of cheek bones and a roman nose. His strong jaw jutted out at an angle to seem proud. How could I have thought his former expression was a flirtatious one? A face as serious as his isn’t capable of flirtation. It was only capable of one thing that I knew of.

Turning to the front, his face went through a drastic change. He was all smiles again. Ahh, he’s one of those—a blender. Perhaps, I need to lighten my step around here. Blenders are dangerous. They are not easily caught, since no one ever expects them. I saw him, but he let me. A shiver trembled along in the inside of my body. I was too good to let it show on the outside. Appearance was everything, but I felt like someone just walked over my grave, and that almost made me reveal weakness. If there was one type of person you can’t show weakness to, it’s a blender. I should know, I am one.
___________

The only reason for this is because I listened to it last night. HA! They are so NOT tough. One of the more tasteful guitar solos though. Way to go on that CC!

Mindless Entertainment WOOHOO!

The start of another little ditty. Thinking of making this a short paranormal romance, but it definitely has wiggle room to make it full length. I like the characters so far, could be lots of fun.

Slot was going to win this year damn it. He’d find the perfect specimen. Only the purest form of temptation would enable him to get through the Ordeal. At the end he’d be rewarded with blood, sweat and tears, none of which would be his. Although if he had his way, some of the sweat may be his, worked up in a way that would make her forget her blood and tears—if she survived that long.

What a better place to find such an inspiration than at a catholic college. St Mary’s home for pure bred, moral, ethical, and totally off limits women. It was perfect.

**

Eliza ran her hand along the books lined so neatly on the library stacks the same way she did every other day. Nothing changed here. Even a misshelving would’ve livened things up a bit. But no. Alas, her life was destined to be static, no matter how dynamic her wardrobe was.

Decked out in orange polyester bell bottoms and an E.T. phone home T shirt, her life still wasn’t interesting. Come on, no one can get away with bright orange polyester pants, especially ones with the seam running down the middle of the legs that flare out beyond all reason. But oh no, Miss Eliza can. Not a snicker, a sideways look or even an approving nod. She was cursed with monotony.



Mindless entertainment...

*does a little dance*

Rewrites are starting to come together. I found the right kind of car I was looking for in a certain scene (not easy to find a sporty looking, 4 door, fast car that a billionaire might drive) I also gained some input on other research details, such as Viking swords... very cool info btw and I'm uber excited to incorporate it into my book. It'll make me look smart or something!

I'm just excited in general I guess. The book(s) is (are) coming along well, ideas are blossoming, the ones I've already had are bearing fruit and the closer I come to being done with this, the more hopeful I am. ALL GOOD SIGNS.

Had another strange dream last night (thanks for that jinx Cheerleader of Doom)It had me waking up about an hour after I went to sleep all freaked out. The bad guys were like zombie werewolf things, kinda weird, and totally freaky.

Oh and we watched 4 episodes of Prison Break last night... KICK ASS! That damned dvd better come in the mail soon!


And now for a horrible song...

Alone or Lonely

My hubby and the boys went camping this past weekend. Usually I welcome the break from the constant company being a homeschool mom provides. I like the quiet time to write. This weekend however, I found myself at a bit of a loss. Normally I'm quite a private person and love alone time, NEED alone time. But it wasn't alone "me" time this past weekend, it was lonely time.

Not sure quite what was different than before. I probably sound like a horrible person for not normally missing my family, I do miss them, I'm just not normally so lonely, I immerse myself in writing then come up for air when I hear the boys yelling "Mooom! We did this and that..." the second they get in the door.

I invited a few people over to watch movies on Saturday, but that didn't happen either. Fate was determined to have me be alone, save two dogs this weekend. I did talk to my mom three times though lol.

So I guess the question you are asking is... did I get anything done? I did in fact. My mother, acting as my muse once again, she's so good, inspired me to add something to Sam's personal life in Book 1. I really think it makes a HUGE difference. I also changed the title, Beginning of Forever, which was a working title, by the way. The manuscript formerly known as BOF will now be called Inevitable.

I also got some major house cleaning done, ate some chinese food and got back in touch with My Cheerleader of Doom who was on temporary hiatus. "How dare she not be there when you need to bounce an idea off someone" you say.

I know! Totally selfish of her, but alas, we made up for it by staying up until almost 5 am sat night, or sun morning rather talking.

Now I may seem smart or stupid here…

or some of you may just not give a shit at all, that’s cool too. If that’s the case though, then why the hell are you reading this?

There are some things in this world that I just plain don’t think about. Last night however, as I was taking my eye makeup off with Vaseline, I got to thinking about how petroleum jelly was made. I knew it came from oil, but wasn’t sure of the process. So, I asked my hubby. You know how when you are a kid, you ask your parents a question and always expect them to have an answer? Well, that’s how I am with my hubby. He is just flat out smarter than me, which, and I will be honest here, tends to annoy me at times, but I’m getting over it.

He started telling me all the things that come from oil that I never thought of, basically plastic in general. So our carpet, clothes, plastic bottles etc… all come from oil. “Pretty much at least half of the stuff in this house comes from oil”

Officially, my mind was boggled. My writer/filmmaker brain kicked on of course and I compared it to some foreign planet where everything came from one source, Atlantis and crystals, Krypton and Kryptonite… On top of that though, how the hell did scientists figure this out? I keep revising my opinion of myself, I seem to get more naïve and dumb everyday, isn’t that lame? The more I learn, the dumber I feel. Perhaps “Ignorance is Bliss.”

I will admit, I have my moments of being a tree hugger, although I’d like to think of it as a responsible, informed consumer, but really, take a look at the list below of all the products that come from oil. What will we do when the oil disappears? No such thing will happen you say. I’m not so sure about that.

I am a fan of bio-diesel, or fuel made from the oil of plants not crude oil. Mr. Diesel actually made the diesel engine to run on peanut oil. Australia has bio-diesel at their petrol stations right next to regular unleaded. Should I buy a car I may try to buy diesel. It is possible to make your own fuel. Seems to me, and I know I’m not so smart about some things, that we should try to make as many of these imperative products with alternative materials if at all possible.

Products Made from Oil

Ink Dishwashing liquids Paint brushes Telephones
Toys Unbreakable dishes Insecticides Antiseptics
Dolls Car sound insulation Fishing lures Deodorant
Tires Motorcycle helmets Linoleum Sweaters
Tents Refrigerator linings Paint rollers Floor wax
Shoes Electrician's tape Plastic wood Model cars
Glue Roller-skate wheels Trash bags Soap dishes
Skis Permanent press clothes Hand lotion Clothesline
Dyes Soft contact lenses Shampoo Panty hose
Cameras Food preservatives Fishing rods Oil filters
Combs Transparent tape Anesthetics Upholstery
Dice Disposable diapers TV cabinets Cassettes
Mops Sports car bodies Salad bowls House paint
Purses Electric blankets Awnings Ammonia
Dresses Car battery cases Safety glass Hair curlers
Pajamas Synthetic rubber VCR tapes Eyeglasses
Pillows Vitamin capsules Movie film Ice chests
Candles Rubbing alcohol Loudspeakers Ice buckets
Boats Ice cube trays Credit cards Fertilizers
Crayons Insect repellent Water pipes Toilet seats
Caulking Roofing shingles Fishing boots Life jackets
Balloons Shower curtains Garden hose Golf balls
Curtains Plywood adhesive Umbrellas Detergents
Milk jugs Beach umbrellas Rubber cement Sun glasses
Putty Faucet washers Cold cream Bandages
Tool racks Antihistamines Hair coloring Nail polish
Slacks Drinking cups Guitar strings False teeth
Yarn Petroleum jelly Toothpaste Golf bags
Roofing Tennis rackets Toothbrushes Perfume
Luggage Wire insulation Folding doors Shoe polish
Fan belts Ballpoint pens Shower doors Cortisone
Carpeting Artificial turf Heart valves LP records
Lipstick Artificial limbs Hearing aids Vaporizers
Aspirin Shaving cream Wading pools Parachutes

A filmmaker who writes books

Read yet another good book yesterday, Mona Lisa Awakening by Sunny. If you like Laurell K Hamilton (post ardeur) you'll like this book. Quite racy in parts. There are a lot of similarities in character interaction but Sunny's world is quite original and very enjoyable to read about. I believe she had a short in an anthology that came out in Jan. and the next in the series coming this month. YAY! It will go on my must buy list.

I may have to add myself to my Monarchy of Suckdom list from yesterday. I didn't get any editing or writing down yesterday. BLAH! At least I read a good book right? Um yeah well I got totally distracted. My hubby and the boys are going camping for Boy Scouts again this weekend so if I'm lucky I will be able to take that time to write more of book 2 and/or edit book 1.

Random fact about me: Hmm some of you may know this but I have a degree in Film Production. I'm not sure if this has helped or hindered my writing. I'm obviously not writing screen plays. I do seem to have a good sense of how action flows. When I write I have a composition for a scene in my head and I tend to write that way. I set the stage and the mood and then go into the meat. I haven't had any bad remarks on this. It'll be interesting to see what an editor has to say about it. Perhaps my writing style isn't all that different, maybe just how I go about writing in my head is.

Random Funniness.