Flashwords!

It's Flashwords time again??  Wow, a year goes by pretty fast.  I'll be scribbling like crazy for the next few days trying to write a whole story in 150 words.  I'll have to use 10 out of a list of words from the titles of books written by Joseph Finder, our guest speaker.  Flashwords is something I look forward to every year at CrimeBake.  I love the challenge.  The top three stories will be read at the conference.  The prospect of having a story read in front of all those people is so exciting.

CrimeBake is coming up very soon.  November 9 - 11.  It's a nice opportunity to meet new people and to get together with old friends.  My friend, Karen, will be there and it's always such a pleasure to see her.  We met in an online writing class about six years ago and have managed a meeting about once a year since then.  Looking forward to it.  I'll drive up with my friend, Margo.  We met a little over a year ago when we signed on to go to Seascape, a writing retreat in CT, and have also been friends ever since.

Life is Good.

Kenny and I ran over to Barnes & Noble yesterday to see Hank Phillippi Ryan at her book signing for "The Other Woman."  I'd heard great things about it and couldn't wait to pick it up.  Of course, she was her usual lovely self, and, upon learning of my Guppy status, gave me a big hug.  I have to say that when Hank is talking with you, she has that knack for making you feel as though you're the only person in the room.  I've met her several times and have always come away with that feeling.  Thanks, Hank!

Success on the Cape

Thank God we had a rainy week end on Cape Cod, because the grounds were so beautiful we may not have gotten anything done otherwise.  We had a terrific room with two bedrooms, two televisions, a fridge, ironing board, and breakfast with gorgeous views.  The bathroom was huge, immaculate and had a great shower.  Mmm mmm! 

I'm pretty sure we accomplished what we set out to, at least I did.  I learned how to use a flash-drive (Thanks, Margo) and I also learned that I know nothing!  We completed a class from a writing magazine and applied what we learned to each of our manuscripts, point-by-point.  That was very beneficial, so glad we did that.  I'd like to go back, but I'd set aside one day to enjoy the resort. 

When I got home, I submitted "Listen And You Shall Hear" for critique at Crime Bake.  I'd like to start sending it out, so I thought that was the smartest thing to do.

This picture cracks me up! Lol!

FEED ME!

Margo and I are leaving for the Cape tomorrow, it's 11:00 and I'm still not packed!  Yikes!  I had today off and everything.  I did accomplish quite a bit though, and met with my critique group at 6:00. 

They think that CRUISING TO A MURDER sounds like my best bet, so that's what I'm going with.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute for everything.

I'm hoping this week-end proves to be a productive one.  I have to submit my ms by October 1st.  Oh, man, I'm going to have to work my butt off!  I'll be sure to begin each day with a meditation and some yoga.  I'm thinking we probably shouldn't have gotten the ocean view??

Pedal to the metal.   Butt in chair.    Eyes front.   



Switching Gears!

Rosie's going on the back burner. Bummer, I know, but I need to finish Gina's story. It really is the one that haunts me, and, anyone who knows me keeps asking, "So, how's that Gina story coming along?" So, I've decided to shop this story at Crime Bake this year. The first few chapters have to be in by Oct 1 in order to be critiqued by a published author.

Here's a little synopsis. Let me know what you think!

THE SEDUCTION OF INTENT is a story about two young women; Gina Maria Baldini and Margo Adams, born only months apart, in the same city, in the same hospital. That, however, is where the similarity ends...for now.

When she is ten years old, Gina's childhood comes to an abrupt end when her beloved father dies in a fiery car crash on his way home from work and her mother becomes lost in her grief, leaving Gina to fend for herself and take on the role of caretaker. She has very few friends throughout her childhood and only one, Bonnie, does she trust enough to bring home. Bonnie comes from a similar background and they become best friends.

At thirty-two years old, Gina commits murder after the stress in her life becomes such that her mind has a break with reality. She has no memory of the actual murder, only of the events leading up to and after the crime.

In contrast, Margo, also an only child, has a storybook childhood surrounded by a doting family. As the center of attention, she's always been a little self-centered, although her family does its best to keep her grounded. She's a journalist assigned to write a story about women who kill and is sent to a state mental institution to begin a series of interviews with Gina. In her effort to get a sensational, real-life murder story, however, Margo is a little over-zealous in her approach to Gina and is asked to leave. Gina is intrigued with Margo though, and eventually invites her back.

Margo, who is in denial about her own relationship with her fiancee, learns some of life's greatest lessons through Gina. Only then is she able to let go of a dream that wasn't originally her to begin with.

Workshop Weekend

Had a very busy week-end! My friend, Margo, and I drove to Dedham to attend a full day workshop with New York Agent and author of Writing The Breakout Novel, Donald Maass. There were about fifty sisters-in-crime in attendance from all six of the New England states and it was nice to see the familiar faces from Crime Bake. It was such a treat to see my friend, Karen, from Long Island. I only stayed one night, but wished I had reserved the room for two nights, because Karen and I didn't really have enough time to visit. The workshop was terrific, although it felt a little long by 2:30. (Another reason I was wishing I'd reserved the room for two nights).

After dinner on Friday evening, Margo, Karen and I did some brainstorming in a quiet area of the Hotel that Karen had found. It was so good - for all of us. We all took a great new idea home with us and Karen did a line item critique for Margo. You're the best, Karen!

I haven't yet learned to post photos from my computer, so I couldn't put them all up. I didn't even want the two I did post, where they landed. I was trying to get them at the bottom of this post. Lisa!!!!! Help!!!!!!

My Eyes Are Bigger Than My Stomach

I've bitten off more than I can chew! I'm so stressed out. Two writing classes and an all-day workshop with a MASTER is turning out to be a nightmare for me. First, I signed up for a Margie Lawson course, which is very interactive, so I have another person counting on me for my input. Oh, the pressure! The class is wonderful, but I'm really short on time.

This coming week-end is the Donald Maass workshop for SinC, so I'll be gone all week-end. I'll have to bring my laptop and play catch-up Friday night, after dinner. Maybe. I'll be with two good friends, so it might be a pretty late night. Oh, but wait! Two days before the workshop my class with Writer's Digest University begins. Yikes! I don't have time to work. Oh, right, I've become accustomed to eating.

Lesson learned.

Back to business...

Valerie and Melissa Webster are as close as sisters can be. Because their not-so-ideal childhood forced them to take care of each other when no one else would, and because some things never change, they continue to be stuck together like glue. Perhaps too much so.

In an effort to create some semblance of independence, both sisters have deliberately kept a part of their lives completely private, neither one guessing each had such perfectly hidden secrets. The close quarters of a cruise ship, however, are less than ideal for keeping secrets and their lives take quite a turn when they are forced to reveal themselves to one another, and to the world.

Yay!

While perusing an issue of Writer's Digest magazine the other day, I saw the list of winners in their annual contest results so I began reading them to see if any of the names sounded familiar to me and wouldn't you know, I found one! Not only that, the name I recognized was that of one of my critique partners! She never said a word. So modest. So humble. I'm sure I would have been yelling it from the roof-tops, had it been me.

So, congratulations to Suellen Wedmore for her fourth place listing in non-ryhming poetry in the November/December 2011 issue of Writer's Digest!

Meet Rosalie!

Rosalie Chandler is a woman of a certain age. When she boards a cruise ship with her husband, Stanley, for their long-awaited cruise through the Eastern Caribbean, she has no idea how much her life is about to change.

Feeling a little depressed over her fifty-something birthday, and, oh-by-the-way, that twenty or so extra pounds that seems to have crept up on her over the last few years, Rosalie is fairly certain that her life has begun to wind down. That is, until she meets six women only a few years older than her own daughters, who welcome her with open arms into their newly formed clique.

When the group decides to gather their wits and set out to solve the mystery of a missing crew member, they, and Rosalie (dubbed, "Rosie"), by her new circle of friends, realize that she has a knack for all things investigative which makes the group look to her not only for motherly advice, but for clues and insight into the disappearance as well.

Rosalie Chandler is funny, smart and heartbreakingly fragile in this story of a woman looking for her place in the world when she doesn't seem to fit anywhere, anymore.

Cruising to a Murder

A new story means a new notebook. Oh, but wait. It has to have a matching folder. Here’s what jumped out at me.

My new story, “Cruising to a Murder,” is about seven women who meet on a cruise ship and solve a murder that the crew is trying to cover up. They become life-long friends and find themselves in some pretty funky situations in the years to come. They’re funny, smart and sometimes, a little complicated. Getting to know them has been a blast for me and I’m finally ready to write their stories. My writer friend, Karen, and I have made a pact to have our first drafts completed by Crimebake of this year. Making that commitment to each other has been a good motivator to keep it going. Thanks, Karen.

Next, I’ll find a little something that I think Rosalie, my protagonist, might carry around with her. It might be a key ring charm or a healing stone. Not sure yet as to what that might be, but I’ll know it when I see it, and I’ll keep it with me to remind myself to try and experience things from her point of view.

My friend Margo’s characters keep a journal. What a great idea. It’s a terrific way to stay in tune with all the characters, even when you’re only writing about one. And you know what? You never know what might come out on the pages of those journals.

My Favorite Blogs

I've just enrolled in an online blogging class with Gotham and it made me start thinking about my favorite blogs. One of the first things that attracts me to a blog is the visual. I love a colorful, wildly busy page where I don't know where to look first.

Of my favorites, two stand out for me, partly because I love to ride a bicycle and the other reason is, I love NYC!

www.sherylyvette.com, "A Neurotic Glamour Girl's Weight Watcher's Experience and Fitness Adventures, is by far, my favorite. Sheryl, or Bitchcakes, as she's otherwise known, blogs about her struggle with weight loss and body image. Hers is a truly inspiring story of strength and optimism. She's had an incredible journey and I only know what she's written about. She's a tiny little thing with a great, big spirit.

The Julie Blog is written by a young woman who is cute and funny and fashionable. She even has a cute husband and a cute dog. Julie bikes to work every day! In the cold! In the rain! In NYC! I especially love the pictures she takes of herself in Central Park.

Both of these women love riding their bicycles. In fact, they've named their bicycles. I follow them as though they were my own friends. From Sheryl's weekly beer and waffle fries to Julie's latest fashion designs, I love keeping up with them.

Like the two of them, I love to ride my bicycle, although I haven't yet ventured out into 28 degree weather to do it. One thing I've learned from Sheryl and Julie is that I don't have to wear sneakers and capris to ride my bike. I can wear whatever I want. These women have their own style and they wear it well!

I also have my favorite writing blogs. www.jungleredwriters.com is a good one, exercise blogs, with my daughter's being my absolute favorite of those, gettingitdoneontherun.blogspot.com and, of course, my mosaic blogs. Soon, through this class, I would like to create a mosaic blog of my own where I can post pictures of my art and hope to update this one.

Onward!