Where's My Happy Ending?

I listened to an Amy Tan audiobook this month, The Hundred Secret Senses.  I engaged in a rollercoaster ride of emotions with the main character, Olivia. The story is basically the releationship between Olivia and her half-sister.  Olivia is half Chinese, while her much older half-sister is full Chinese. The story is rich with Chinese culture.  I have always felt that I can identify with the  characters that Amy Tan writes.  Being the product of an American father and Korean mother, I understand the irritating, funny, mystifying, and sometimes maddening experience of a bi-cultural home.

I think the author did a great job of telling a story where you feel invested in the characters.  I wanted them all to be happy. I needed to be happy because I had become the main character watching my story unfold.  The ending was powerful in case you haven't guessed.   I wonder if writers struggle with telling a story ending that will not make everyone happy. Have you read anything lately where the ending surprised you?

On the Road Again

Baltimore is an extraordinary city.  I traveled to a conference for work this week.  I think that they must have tailored the sessions with me in mind.  Technology is the overwhelming theme. I love it!  The conference is League for Innovation 2010 with lots of attendance from community college personnel around the world.  I must say that I am exhausted from the load of conference sessions PLUS sightseeing, shopping, and eating.  Yes, I have eaten the best crabcake ever.   No, crabcake isn't the only good thing I've dined on this week.

I am in an awesome room with a view of the Oriole Park and only a few blocks from Inner Harbor.  I've been to the World Trade Center in Baltimore and had a spectacular view of the entire city.  Have I complimented Baltimore enough?

Bad things about traveling: eating too much, spending money, and procrastinating about writing.  I did receive critiques from Chapter Three of my manuscript to review, and I have much work to do. I am currently writing on Chapter Eight.  I read through all my critiques and take their advice on edits to heart in my current chapter that I am writing. 

Baltimore is great, but I'm ready to return home tomorrow.  There's no place like home.~Dorothy

Plotting Along

At lunch yesterday, my friend asked me about the progress of my book, The Waiting Booth.  I am fortunate to have people in my life who are truly interested.  I answered.Then, questions followed about how I knew I was at that point.  I have a plotline for each character pasted on bookshelf in my office at home.  I know what will happen in each chapter with each character. I have subplots galore. This guide consists of a dozen sheets of paper taped together to make one giant map.  I also try to stay cognizant of my page count total and per chapter.

Why I am doing this?  I took a plotting class in January, and this is the result.  I am now organized and on track.  No more chasing rabbits in the story, hoping I'll pop out on the other side of the bushes.  This really all makes sense for me.  I am the one who makes a detailed itinerary for each day of vacation.  I know where I will eat, what I'll do (or not do), how much I will spend- you get the picture.  Sometimes while I vacation, something unexpected does happen. And it's usually lots of fun.  I fully expect this to happen in my story as well.

I have twenty-five percent of my manuscript completed. Chapter seven, here I come!

The Oscar for Books

I watched the Academy Awards the other night and was pleased that I had stayed up past my 8:30 pm bedtime.  No kidding-I do retire that early.  The glitz, stars, speeches, humor...it was all very satisfying.  I found myself proud to be in the Sandra Bullock and Demi Moore generation.  All I can say is, "Way to represent, ladies!" They looked fabulous.  I love movies, but I see most of my movies as they arrive on DVD.  So, I regret to say that I hadn't seen most of the movies up for awards.  I did see The Blind Side.  I took my husband to see it in the hours following his lasik surgery.  We needed a dark place where he could sleep before a followup appointment later in the day.  Since we couldn't go home that quickly, it was a toss up between the movies and a hotel room. And....welll....I picked the movies.  I shouldn't have picked that one.  The football engaged him from the beginning, and he kept his eyes open the entire time. I don't think he could see if very well.  As we were leaving, I said, "Tim McGraw did a pretty good job." My husband  replied, "Was he in the movie?"   Thank goodness no harm was done, and his vision is fine today.  Or he says. 

As I said, I don't see very many movies in the theater.  I tend to spend more money on books than movie tickets.  Why don't they have an Academy Awards type show for great new literature?  I guess we just don't love to see authors all dressed up and thanking their loved ones for supporting their art. Which book or author would you nominate for 2009?

Resolving to Celebrate Anything at All

I had made a resolution in starting this new blog that I would consider it an exercise in discipline to post regularly.  By regularly, I thought twice a week at minimum would be acceptable.  In addtition to that, I resolved to make it a habit to add to my current manuscript in some productive fashion.  So much for resolutions, whether they be a new diet, relationships, or any other facet of life.  The problem is life.  Life throws a monkey wrench in it every single time.  And, of course, we never anticipate these stumbling blocks that encourage us to say, "I just can't do it today.  I'll get back on track tomorrow."  So, I spent several hours (I counted at least 8) last week in doctor's offices with my son.  I got tempted into watching American Idol too much.  Excuses abound.

Instead of thinking about all the tasks I DIDN'T accomplish last week, I'm going to celebrate that I got anything done at all.  I did write two chapters in my book.  I did finally finish reading the book my sister lent me.  I did register for the Romance Writers of America conference in July. I did add a cool widget with my favorite books on the right panel of this blog.  I did finally get finished watching The Bachelor.  I did finish listening to Catching Fire.  I did back-up my husband's files from his work laptop.  I did file my son's taxes.  Heck....I have changed my mind.  I really did get some things accomplished.  Woo hoo!!

Oversharing

One of the reasons that I think I liked watching Seinfield shows is that I could imagine myself having the conversations from the diner and Jerry's apartment.  If the show were still running today, I can just hear the conversations that would be had about Facebook, Twitter, and now the new Buzz. 
Jerry: Do I REALLY need to know that she needs two cows and a pig for her Facebook farm?
Elaine: Would you rather hear a plea for a pig or  daily play-by-play of every activity from her day?
Jerry:  I'm goin for the pig.

Now that I have stepped on multiple toes from the social networking folks, let me admit that I am guilty of some oversharing also.  I have posted some updates and then deleted two seconds later.    And although I don't play along on the farming and mafia games on Facebook, I understand the posting of the activities is really part of the game.  As far as the updates go, I am sometimes amazed at what people will post.  Maybe I am just too shy for that.  Or maybe I think, do all of my 150+ friends on Facebook need  this information?  I do not log on to Facebook everyday.  I am sure that I miss out on a lot.  Do you think Facebook and Twitter posters overshare?

Audible Enthusiasm

     I have been commuting for some time now. It's two hours daily...if I'm lucky, and I don't hit traffic.  I have discovered a way to make the trip more than bearable.  I actually look forward to my time in the car alone with my newest book.  This week, I downloaded a book from the young adult genre, The Hunger Games.  I have a monthly subscription with Audible for one download credit a month, and I also frequent the library for books on DVD.  The Hunger Games started out with a riveting premise that reminds me somewhat of a Stephen King story, The Running Man.  I am only on chapter three and am excited about my drive tomorrow.  You might think, "Why not listen to more of it tonight if you are that excited about it?"  I try to limit myself to access to my audiobook.  I then will be in for a treat when I make the 50-mile trek to work.  
     The narrator of The Hunger Games is not one that I accepted with enthusiasm at the beginning of the book.  I am accustomed to her voice now, but I did have some reservations through the first chapter.  I have been an Audible customer for a couple of years now.  During this time, I have deserted one book due to the narrator.  The book was Beyond the Highland Mist, and if I ever pick it up again, it will be in print.  The best narrator of a book in my audio library is Neverwhere and is narrated by the author, Neil Gaiman. I've listened to it three times.  I tried to read another Gaiman book and didn't get hooked.  I missed his voice.
    Although I'm only on chapter three, I'm already attached to the main characters of The Hunger Games.  I'd love to give you a summary.  The only problem is that I can't spell the main character's name (since I don't have it in print).  Katness, Catness, or Catnis?