Went to Vegas for 24 hours. Ate amazing dim sum, saw my sister and niece for the first time in years, so that was lovely. Shopped at Trader Joe’s, which is a huge treat. Celebrated my birthday with my friend Debbi. Came home the night before the inauguration, all excited to watch the swearing in on TV while I surfed the net on my laptop. Woke up yesterday with no internet! Argh! It came back around 4:30, but I missed it during the day. I would have tweeted my happiness, my tears, my excitement. I’m fired up, all righty.
Today it’s back to work, which is good because the book is going well. Thank goodness. It has taken me such a long time to get back here. All in all, a lovely few days and life feels bright and fine. How about that? There were so many days that I lost to sadness, and even though the sorrow comes, it isn’t crippling and it’s accompanied by joyful memories.
I hope whoever drops by is also feeling good and filled with hope. :)
Edit: AMAZING pictures my nephew Rami took of the Obamas! (click to embiggen)
As you’ve probably seen, my generous, wonderful online friends have come together to help me during a particularly trying time. Alison Kent, HelenKay Dimon, Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler have worked their butts off to gather together an astonishing group of writers, editors and agents to hold an auction to help me winnow down some of the medical bills that somehow won’t disappear on their own. For this, I am more grateful and touched than I could ever say.
It was Alison’s idea, bless her heart. She and I have been friends for so many, many years (and she still likes me!) and with all she had on her own plate, she still managed to do this selfless thing. HelenKay, Larissa and Stephanie are all online friends who blow me away with their kindness and willingness to reach out to a fellow writer.
As for the folks who are donating time and goods and services, you are each and every one in my heart. Hell, everyone involved, including my lovely readers who are bidding, thank you. A special note to my editor Birgit Davis-Todd and editor Brenda Chin, who are not just partners in work, but good friends, thank you for generously offering a complete manuscript critique. I’m boggled.
Okay, I’m tearing up again. For the billionth time.
It’s almost election day! It can’t come soon enough. Honestly, I’m exhausted and I can’t imagine what it’s like for those running. I’m still bewildered by why anyone would want to be President. Better them than me. I can barely rustle up the energy to pay my bills.
I’m working, slowly, but seeing as how I’m learning how to write again, it’s frustrating. My brain is not cooperating well and needs a stern talking to. But a friend is coming up tomorrow so there’s going to be plot group, and that’s always helpful.
I’ve been watching old Doctor Who vids, trying hard to wrap my head around Tennant leaving after 2009. ::sigh:: I don’t understand why I don’t rule the universe in matters of television. I would keep my favorites locked in basements for ages, although I would provide nice games for them to play when they weren’t making episodes. And also pudding.
It’s going to snow tomorrow and I’m not ready. I lost the summer so it feels weird that there would be winter now.
Also, a very lovely pick-me-up from Malle Vallik, who is the director of digital content & interactivity at Harlequin, who wrote in her blog about MS. MATCH: “Great read! Really intelligent characters and incredibly romantic. One of my favorite category novels ever! ”
Here’s hoping everyone has a nice voting day – remember to bring a book!
Reading Harry Potter books, 1-7. Just starting 6. I love these books so much. They make me feel altogether better and I’m really glad they’ve been read by so many young people. What great examples of love and courage and friendship and facing unpleasant things in a world that isn’t in the least bit fair.
Top 10 Passion Titles 1. Kiss & Tell by Alison Kent
2. Greek Tycoon, Waitress Wife by Julia James
3. Pregnant on the Upper East Side? by Emilie Rose
4. The Money Man’s Seduction by Leslie LaFoy
5. Spanish Doctor, Pregnant Nurse by Carol Marinelli
6. Ruthlessly Bedded by the Italian Billionaire by Emma Darcy
7. Amorous Liaisons by Sarah Mayberry
8. Sicilian Husband, Unexpected Baby by Sharon Kendrick
9. The Italian Count’s Baby by Amy Andrews
10. Dante’s Contract Marriage by Day Leclaire
In my research of how the brain works, I’ve been reading a lot about creativity and the chemistry that spurs and nurtures it. One particular area of interest is metaphor. People think in all different ways, and it turns out that a great many artists are synesthetes, where the brain blends two or more senses. For example, someone hears the word cat and simultaneously sees the color blue.
There are various grades of synesthesia, some profound and some subtle. Some people are simply visual thinkers, or perhaps that should be visual rememberers. When they see a cat, they don’t see blue, but their memories pluck out things that somehow, someway resonate with cat and bring them to the fore. As in: cat-soft quilt from childhood-scratch of sandpaper on fingertip-squish of Jello-distant thunder-etc. All in a split second of course, but the remembrance of somewhat similar, vaguely suggestive memories are available for use. Sometimes they’re just thoughts, but sometimes they become a book by Barbara Samual or an image that lingers from Stephen King.
Some people simply think metaphorically, and when you read their words, they are filled with color and light and images that surprise and delight, that give the reader the gift of their special sight.
And some people do not think metaphorically. Like me. Instead of images and sensations, what happens to me is that odd bits of other conversations come to me. Real or imagined, I don’t know, but my associations are predominantly heard, not seen.
This has a profound influence on my writing. I struggle mightily over metaphors, despite my knowledge that metaphors are incredibly powerful and give context and meaning to the reader that can’t be given any other way. My manuscripts tend to have a billion XXs where a metaphor should be. I’ve been taught not to accept the first, most obvious metaphor because it’s always going to be unoriginal, a cliche, but often, I only have that one. This struggle has been with me since I first started writing.
It’s only now, this past week, that I’ve seen my struggle in a new light. Okay, my strength is not in word-pictures. But that doesn’t mean my process is wrong. Where my strength lies is in dialogue. Because I hear really well. I’ve been told, and believe for myself, that my dialogue rings true and basically carries the story. The critical breakthrough, though, is that I’m not wrong or bad or stupid. My brain is another kind of brain. Which is just as valid, meaning I don’t have to turn in my writer’s license, at least not for this. I get to be my kind of writer, because there are lots of readers who find value in dialogue heavy work.
The word pictures will have to be left to those who have that gift. From this moment forward, I give myself permission not sweat it. This doesn’t mean I don’t have any metaphors in my books. I do, and some of them are quite good, but it’s not my primary gift. It’s okay. I can live with that. It’s a tremendous relief, in fact.
