Shelfies

Over at Compuserve we've had a thread of 'shelfies' going. It's been fun (if a little jealousy inducing) to see everyone's bookshelves. It's a great way to get to know virtual friends, make them feel less virtual and more actual. While I actually have 8 bookshelves in my house here's a look at two of them. 

Yes, I did cut out everything surround the shelf.  I didn't want you to be disturbed at the clutter or amazed (disturbed) by all our Star Wars memorabilia. Cause that's a whole other post.

So, post your own shelfie and put a link in the comments.  I'd love to see your shelves.

Introducing...

Our new son!

This last week has felt like riding a roller-coaster through a tornado. It has been crazy hectic but oh, so fun.  Sorry to everyone for not visiting your blogs or responding to comments. 

Last Tuesday evening we got the phone call. Friday we started driving (12 1/2 hour trip. Plus bathroom breaks). Sunday we picked him up. And Tuesday we finalized the adoption.  (This is not normal but the state we adopted him from has some pretty easy going adoption laws).  Now we are home and loving it.

Truck Boy is two years old and the sweetest, happiest kid you have ever met.  He is super friendly and will introduce himself to and hug every single person we see.

Mini Engineer and Pretty Girl are adjusting really well.  Tuesday is the first day of school then hopefully we can get into some sort of routine. I'm looking forward to writing time again. 

So, what's new with you?

Turn, Turn, Turn

One thing I have to remind myself of constantly is that there is a time and place for everything.

Just because I used to do it, is no reason that it is a good idea now.  The things I may do now I never did twenty years ago, and probably won’t do in another 20 years.  Each year of our life is different. We have different needs, health, family, jobs, etc.

Looking back and wondering where the ‘me that used to be’ went is no good. That me doesn’t exist right now.  But I exist. And I like myself. I just can’t live by the same hobbies and goals I used to have.  The things that have dropped by the wayside were let go to make room for better more important things.

And that’s all right.

A little while ago I realized that an author I respect was turning 40.  40!  I hope they don’t take this the wrong way but I thought they were older. This person is barely a year and a half older than I am and has at least a dozen books published.  I guess it was a blow to my ego to realize they were so close to my own age, because what have I accomplished? It's come at an interesting time, as The Engineer and I  have been making plans, giving up on some ideas and accepting new ones. A time of flux.

Everyone takes their own journey. Everyone has their own set of crazy to deal with. To everything there is a season and a time and place for everything.  It’s natural for us to compare ourselves to others, to always long for what we don’t have, or haven’t accomplished yet. Striving to make ourselves better is one of the things that make us human. Or maybe one of the things that make us divine. And perhaps that’s why we have to keep reminding ourselves that there is a time and place for everything, and sometimes just being is enough. 

I'm back!

Hey all!  The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of driving, visiting, driving, swimming, driving, eating, and driving.  Good times, but it's nice to be home. 

Two weeks away from the WIP was a nice break but now I'm ready to dive into more revisions. I still might be able to be querying before the end of year break. 

I have a lot to catch up on in the blogosphere but here are a few interesting things I've found.

Agent Andrea Hurst opens up to submissions until September.

An article about how the average income of writers is getting smaller. 

A thought provoking post about diversity in writing.

A post about how writing is a mind altering substance.



So, what's new with you?

Family Break

We're going to be hunkering down for some family time so I'm not going to be posting for the next three weeks. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and I'll see you in July!

Someday...

There is danger in the word ‘someday’.  Someday I’ll work on this goal. Someday I’ll accomplish my dreams.  

Someday is vague and nebulous. Someday may never come.  

Choose to start today.

Whether it’s that rewrite you’re contemplating, the blank paper waiting, the friends you could find, the promotion you want. Someday won’t be soon enough, what can you do today?

There are times when something must wait for that ambiguous ‘someday’, but only because there is a more pressing ‘today’ to live.  

Find your someday, and make it today. You won’t be sorry.

Big Reveals

Hey all, sorry  for the problem with comments earlier today. I think I have it fixed now. Thanks for your patience. Now, on to the post.


There are times when the author can raise tension by holding information back. There are also times when the author holds something back for the sake of holding it back. The author gives hints and says things such as ‘I wouldn’t think about that now’. It gets old and the reader figures it out. If this is the case, when the author finally gets to the Big Reveal the reader is bored. The book has lost momentum because the author was continually holding back, never moving us forward.  

I've seen an increasing amount of this recently and it's a little disturbing. The author doesn't need to shove everything into the story at once. Information should be given when it is pertinent. That could mean up front, or it could mean later in the story. But, the reader shouldn’t be kept in the dark if everyone else in the story knows. It creates a lack of trust between the reader, the book, and the author. And if the only tension or build up the author has is these kind of reveals, then there really isn’t much going for the book. 

It would be much better to create a forward moving story, focused on the events of the literary present, rather than the past. While the past does affect the present in novels (and in life) we shouldn’t be hung up on it. Keep the story moving forward. Don’t hold us back.  

Have you seen much of this?  What do you think?