Seems silly, but I like the process.

I went back to the store.  I had to go back to the store. When I was originally wandering I saw dragonflies and I wanted them, no, no, no I said to myself what have dragonflies got to do with it?  I assumed that it was just me 'cause dragonflies are my very favoritest bug.

Thursday I wanted them again and on Friday I finally went back and they had ONE left.  I grabbed it, paid my buck and ran home to see if they really belonged.  They do.  Though I'm not sure why yet...

I found a home for my people.  However, in the story there will be trees.  Not the three little trees that can be seen in the photo. More of a wooded area.  Oh look, they have a horse. YaY!

Part of the process is to cast the story using characters from movies.  It gives you a voice in your head so all the characters don't all sound the same.  Someone cast as William Shatner would not talk like Morgan Freeman, kind of thing.    I have such a strong sense of who Mrs. Fanny Bottomwacker is that I just can't seem to find someone to play the part.  I thought that perhaps Angela Lansbury might work, I wanted someone quirky but it just wasn't right.

As a lark I googled Fanny's name... scanned the list carefully, fearful of what MIGHT pop up.  Nothing, just Fanny, Bottom, Wacker.  Then I realized that google had thought me totally mad and wasn't looking for what I wanted.  No, I meant Fanny Bottomwacker.  Gave it a little mousy click and only my blog came up.  Okay then, no pictures of a real Fanny B.  Oh lament.

This is the closest picture of Fanny that I've found.  Wait a minute... does she have a bolt in her neck?  Franken Fanny?  Dear Spirits noooooooo.

The quest continues.

Several hours later...



Okay - It's a sign. 

I went out to feed the porch kitties and was SWARMED by dragonflies.  It was totally awesome.  They danced about my forsythia and one landed on on my day lily.  I chatted with it for a bit and then I said, "If I go in and get my camera will you wait for me?"  He did.  Some of his friends came to pose too.  I tried to get a shot of them but it was too hard to see them all.  I settled for a photo of the first dragonfly and his buddy right behind him.  So that's it - dragonflies or dragonfly symbolism or something dragonflyish has got to be a part of my story.

Well, shut my mouth...

We all have to take critique seriously...
It is true, I let my blog become more personal than it should have.

Well, shut my mouth.

I shall try to keep my blog more focused on my writing.   Don't know that there is a lot that is interesting in that.   Guess I can talk about the process as I go through it.  Seems boring, but... maybe not?  It is what excites me.

This is how it starts

Fresh slate, new beginnings, unlimited potential.

Wander the stores for a bit contemplating the story and  before you know it...

A few things get added here and there.

Then you discover that...

Fanny has a cat.  A yellow cat with black stripes. 

Cat seems to be a bit of a trouble maker. 

Well, he IS a cat.

Gotta love dollar stores. I can hear 'em cowered in the back, "What's she doing? She's just wandering picking up random objects.  Is she talking to herself? Should we call the police? No, no it's okay.  It looks like she's leaving."  ahaha  Such a fun process and the most interesting thing is how the same dollar store chain is totally different depending on the side of the valley you are on. 

These are some of the names I wrote down when I found Mrs. Bottonwacker.

Mrs. Belcher, Mr Feeblebunny, Newton Hooton, Orange Marmelade Lemon, (oh I like this one ;), Mrs Screech, Verbal Funderbuck, (can you not see this person?), Constant Agony, Heidi Yum Yum, J. Fido Spot, Serious Misconduct, Wambly Bald, and Mrs. Claudia Thunderstruck.

I was thinking there should be an old street preacher kind of person he could be either Mr. Feeblebunny or Verbal Funderbuck - depending on how his character presents himself to me.

Done, done, done...

The official counter had me at 50,044  I think.  I stopped at 50,003 and I was DONE.  I am ready to put this freaking story in a drawer and bury it for a while.  Today while I'm enjoying the 'holiday' ahaha I'm gonna tear everything down and begin anew.

I will start preping for Nano I have had an idea for a fun novel that came about when looking for names.  On the list was a last name of Bottonwacker.  Instantly a portly woman from the 1800's complete with wooden spoon in hand was born.  Her name of course was Fanny.  Mrs. Fanny Bottomwacker. 

Not sure where it would go from there but it might be fun to explore. An orphanage maybe? Definitely a tongue in cheek kind of story.  All the names would be outrageous. There would have to be magic of course.

Mostly I just want to put Camp behind me.  I vow to never, ever, ever fall behind again.  When doing word wars and writing crazy amounts it is fun.  When coming from behind and just trying to see the finish line... not as much fun.  Lesson learned.

Utah is a confusing state...

Pioneer Day, July 24th, the day Utah became a state.

July 24th falls on a Sunday.  Sooooo in the great state of Utah the neighborhood was shooting off fireworks on the 23rd of July.  I woke up to the pops, bangs and whistles thinking I'd slept an entire day away.

It gets better.

The parade and all the festivities are on the 25th.
Someone must have slept through 4th grade Utah history class.  The 24th people, what are you doing on the 24th?

Last night the whole neighborhood was getting into the act.  Chester usually needs to be drugged to get through the experience, but he wasn't pacing and panting, nor had he lodged himself under my bed and so I just let it be. First off it was too late to do anything about it.  It would be over before the drug took effect.  Second, I thought if I got up and was anxious about him being anxious then he'd get anxious.  A vicious cycle best avoided.   He survived.

Camp Nano update:  Only 3,246 words today and I'll be on track to write the minimum, if I want to until the end of Camp. 

It's how I roll..

I'm exercising right now.  No really.  I'm sitting on a giant blue ball, that may or may not squirt out from under my butt at any minute.  Very good for the core you know, not to mention enhancing the sense of dread that I could go butt over tea cup any moment.

The dog sitting at my door looking hopefully on, is mentally willing the ball to zip across the room.  The look he gives me assures me that he'd know what to do with this ball and it wouldn't involve parking his arse atop the thing.

Ball for the core and caffeine to get the heart rate up. 
Yep, this is me exercising.

Camp Nanowrimo Update

I am moving along at the pace I set for myself and maybe just a little more.  I know that I will at least be to my goal word count by Monday evening and from there it is just a short sprint to the end.

Thanks for all your support.  I can almost see the red bar of doom there in the distance, if I squint just right and use my imagination.  I know that it is possible.  



Now, I must get back to writing.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

That sneaky editor slipped into camp yesterday.  Must have been sometime between the flag raising ceremony and the french toast breakfast.  I just went back to reread a bit to make sure I was on track with what I had been thinking and next thing I know I'm tweaking this sentence adding that yada, yada, yada.  Then I was going to work in the evening but one thing led to another and soon it was bed time.  So suffice it to say...word count sucked yesterday.  Not bad, but not what I wanted it to be.

Good thing I have a three day weekend coming up.  I'm going to have to hibernate, go to a coffee shop, or library or something.  My goal is to be at or above word count by Monday night. 40,325  That's only what about 4,000 words a day.  ahahah I know someone who is going to be using Write or Die .

Some of my best (and worst) stuff has been produced using this website. 
Can you say word count?  Whatever it takes baby, whatever it takes.

More Random

Land Ho..

They've made it back to the US.  This was a photo attached to the Spot locator.  Not sure if it is where they are at, but it was pretty and at least near where they are.

Doug and Judie Trees

The kids went up to Silver Lake today.  They took a picture of the trees we chose to be married by.  It was such a snowy winter we didn't even try to go up for our anniversary.

There's still snow up at Silver Lake, not much, but it is still there.

Stavo and Jess



Can't forget Chester ;)

Things to remember...

1. Always trust your gut instinct.
2. Be careful what you wish for.


ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TRUST YOUR GUT!!!

My boss had me send out a wire using wire instructions we had on hand.  I felt like I should question it.  But as I was just, helping out, I rationalized that it was okay.  I don't normally do this job.  The gal that does it was out for the day.  Had I questioned it my boss would have said, "Shit Jude. WTF!!!" etc. The wire would still have been sent, to an account that had been closed.   Yeah, not good.  It was a nightmare all day today and it has STILL not been resolved. 

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR...

I was on my way home and I got a text, I wanted a red light so I could check it but there was not a red light to be found.  I was approaching a trax crossing and I wished for a train.  Ahahaha I got the red light, where I check the message and I got BOTH trax trains.

I remembered to thank the universe for listening to me and giving me what I wanted.  I was laughing while I was thanking, but I was thanking.

Update on Camp Nanowrimo.  So far this is the only merit badge I've earned at camp.

World Building Procrastination/Your Creator is Avoiding You

*Thanks to SavannahJaxx for the Icon*

Where I've gone awry at camp hasn't been the smores or the nightly campfires and pillow fights. I simply forgot to put the editor to bed.  It comes natural to me during November.  I mentally gear up for locking the big bad editor up in a box and tossing him over the fence.  I didn't do that. 

I thought camp would be great 'cause I really just need to do a 'don't look down' draft of this story that has been dogging me for ten months now.  I have back story up the wazoo.  I keep changing who the MC should be, mother, daughter, evil aunt.  So now I am half way through the month and um, around 5,000 words.  I've written way more than that, but because of the editor and his chronic need to delete, delete, delete, I'm left with basically nothing. 

Not that I'm giving up, HELL NO!!  As I was walking Chester this morning, with the lovely full moon lighting our way, I started to feel the pieces fall into place.  All the back story, all the drama, all the loss, all the angst, I knew what needed to be done.  I've put these poor characters through hell for the last ten moons and by golly, it was time.

I have never failed at Nano and I am not going to fail at Camp Nano. 

It is a mere 2,700 words a day.  That is cake when the freaking editor is on vacation.

So THAT'S where you are.

We have a Spot on the boat.  It's a little device that can send out a photo of where you are currently. A fancy GPS kind of thing. 

Doug sent one from the boat yesterday.  Yep.  He's right where I thought he'd be.  It does give latitude and longitude and I could plot their course over the next few days if I was ambitious, but...eh.  At least I know the boat is still afloat.

A co-worker asked if I was worried about him.  It hadn't dawned on me to be worried.  Doug is such a "McGuiver" kind of person.  Multiply that by another Hendricks boy on the boat and there is not anything they couldn't accomplish, fix, jury-rig.  Everyone in the family is a freaking genius. They view the world though some sort of math/analytical mind and no problem is to big. They just break down all the components add some bubble gum, three screws, a bolt,  duct tape and problem solved.

I, on the other hand, am the balance to Doug's universe.  Being a bear of little brains and very irrational mind. I can't begin to imagine how he views the world, and I don't think I'd want to even if I could.  I like the wonder and don't need to know that what I view as magic is really (fill in long explanation complete with chalkboard diagrams). 

Dope on a Rope

Have to thank my Brother-in-Law for the title.

They are about to take off from the Bahamas and bring the boat up to Virginia.  It will take them about 7 days depending on the winds. Doug is up checking the lines and such before they head out into the big bad ocean.

Camp Nanowrimo

Okay, if the story goes the way I think it should.  These are the merit badges I should get durring Camp Nanowrimo.  

Definitions are below:  World Building Procrastination, In accordance with the prophecy.  OMG!, Magical Mayhem, Medling with Wizards, Magic Discovery, Looking for Elfland (or something like that), Here there be Dragons (maybe/maybe not) but a fun idea. Ghost Stories, Brick Wall, S'mores, Bulls Eye and Nano Saving. 

The banner below shows all the badges.

General Fantasy:
World Building Procrastination/ Your Creator is Avoiding You - procrastinating by working on your world
Time Can Be Funny In Dreams - for inventing an alternate calendar (or names) for your fantasy universe
Lost in Dreams - for including too many flashbacks or when a large portion takes place in a dream world
In Accordance With The Prophecy: if you've got a prophecy floating around your story
Dimension-Hopper - for having your characters travel to another (or several others) dimension(s). (See: Narnia, Wonderland, etc.,)
OMG! - for introducing god(s) to your story and/or blaming them for everything that happens.
Off The Edge of the Map - for getting your characters hopelessly lost (Less of a fantasy trope, but we tend to do this a lot)
Speak, Friend, and Enter- for building a con-lang
Off on a Quest- for epic questing
Extreme Badge - for going over the top with... something.
Apostrophe-Dash - Include a name with an ' or - or both or several
Savage Slayer- For someone who has a character who kills other "savages".

Related to Magic:Magical Mayhem - For either including magic or creating mayhem WITH magic
Meddling with Wizards - for when your MC/protaginist (s) use magic
Magic Discovery - for when a magical discovery is made that was not known to the characters before (About characters OR world)
The Wizard Did It - For using this trope literally (found on TVTropes, but TVTropes will ruin your life, so I am NOT linking)
Our Magic is Different - for well... making your own magic system. May or may not actually be different, even in your own opinion
High Fantasy:
Conjuring Kingdom- A kingdom filled with magical characters (or creatures!)

Fantastical Creatures:Originator Badge- for creating a new species
Our Elves are Different- for revamping an existing species
No Elves Allowed- for using no fantasy races
Looking for Elfland - for when looking for where (insert race or whatever [fairy, elf, etc.,]) is a significant subplot
Here There Be Dragons- for including dragons
Chattering Chipmunk/Pontificating Penguin- for talking animals
Brains - for including zombies
Sink Your Fangs In Badge- For adding a vampire to your story.
Ghosts Stories - for including a ghost or telling ghost stories
Urban Fantasy/Fantastical Realism/etc.,:
Magically Metro/ Magical Metro- For characters who are magical and travel by metro (Or Similar).
The Cool -Steed- Car - Protagonist (or other character) has traded the fearless destrier in shining armor for an improbably cool car

GENERAL BADGES (Non-fantasy specific):
Brick Wall - For getting over huge writer's block
De-Evolution - For hand-writing
S'mores - For actually eating s'mores while writing.
Tent Writer - For anyone actually camping (in a tent outside or under your dining room table) during part of camp.
Mail Call - Well, for sending or receiving camp mail, of course.
Bullseye! - for getting your 50,000 words.
NaNo Saving - for compulsively hitting save on everything from forum posts, to tweets, to your actual novel doc

I am so going to hell for this

Chester was snoozing on the bed when Bob, that evil looking denizen of the feline breed, decided to torture him.  They actually get along, but every twice in a while Bob will haul off and swat Chester.  This makes Chester just a bit leery of being in a confined space with Bob. 

Now, if I were a good person I would have convinced Bob that perhaps he could come over and help me type...but I didn't.  I grabbed the camera 'cause the look on Chester's face was just too funny.  I could just hear him saying, "Mom, make it go away." It wasn't until this morning that I saw just how truly evil Bob was looking. 

Swimin' with the Fishes

This is what I'm currently missing.

Doug, of course, gets to spend the summer on board the boat playing around, enjoying life, just being a lazy butt.  That is one of the joys of being a teacher, you get the whole summer off.



Do I envy him?  Well, maybe just a little around the edges.  However, during the school year I would not want to be him. He can put in 12-14 hours a day between teaching, preparing for school, preparing test, grading test, etc.  Yep, during the winter I don't envy him at all.

Cat o'clock

Chester and I were out walking and it was as if every cat in the neighborhood came out for the parade.  The first cat was a very brave cat.  Wasn't leaving that spot no way, no how.   I will detour Chester when I see the critters of the night, but I hadn't seen this cat. Chester was out the full length of his leash.  While I was reeling in this bouncing, pouncing pup, that cat held its ground. All arched up and meaning business, but there is only so much bravery in the face of a bouncing, tail wagging dog to be had.

Then we discovered the reason for the cat's fierceness. 
Chester saved a mouse from being breakfast, or at least gave it a bit of a chance.
The cat actually followed us down the street.  I told Chester to watch his back as we'd pissed off that cat royally. I think it told its friends too 'cause there were cats EVERYWHERE.  It was like being in an Alfred Hitchcock movie or Stephen King novel.

Seeing the mouse scurry away I thought... yay saved a mouse.
Then I thought.... boo starved a kitty.
However a determined cat will not be deterred from the course of his breakfast and as we were coming back to the house I saw that while we may have saved a mouse, it led to a birds demise.  The cat seemed a bit smug as we walked passed, but then maybe it's just me.