Sep 26, 2014 |
Five Things Friday at Frankly, My Dear…
Welcome back to Five Things Friday. My theme for this week is #DoingTheWriteThing. I can’t get tired of it. The more I promote writing, the more addicted to writing I become.
Every conversation I hear, every sight I see, every sense I experience is placed in my mental filing cabinet (and sometimes on paper) for probable later use.
Reading about writing excites me. I’m currently studying Flannery O’Connor’s “Mystery and Manners” and came across this gem, Number One on today’s Five Things Friday.
Flannery O’Connor’s “Mystery and Manners”
1. My writing mentor assigned me to read two books. Flannery O’Connor’s “Mystery and Manners” is the first. I’ve been struggling with how to write a gripping murder mystery while retaining my Christianity. He has been telling me for several months that this book would clear that up for me. Three chapters in, and I see he’s right. The book begins with an essay or two on peacocks, which has rekindled my love for these beautiful creatures. That’s another blog post. The next sections express the importance of Christians writing the grotesque with redemption. For if we write only “rainbow and unicorns” (my words) where is the challenge for others to change their world? Authenticity, not loftiness, is the better writing.
2. I finally released The Unemployment Cookbook for Kindle on Amazon. I spent quite a bit of last week rekeying the text into the proper format, then creating the hyperlinks in the Table of Contents. It’s satisfying to have another title in the stable, as well as a completed project. Novel writing takes years, so to have something to show for all my writing efforts makes me feel productive, but more than that, it gives me the chance to show you, my faithful readers, that your support isn’t in vain or cast aside.
The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition
3. All the profits from the Kindle cookbook are going into my #DoingTheWriteThing fundraiser. So even though I have a fundraiser page set up, I’m doing as much as I can to contribute my fair share. Each morning brings me one day closer to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and other networking and learning opportunities, and one step closer to being the better writer I know I can be.
Go Fund Me: #DoingTheWriteThing
4. I reconnected with old friends last week. My missionary friend, Cynthia, returned home from Germany for a short visit. It’s been quite a few years since we were able to see each other, and I am grateful for the time we had. I was reminded that she, too, is a creative writer. She shared how she’s using her gift to minister to children, teens, and young women near Dresden, Germany.
Three Amigas: Corrie, Cynthia, Molly Jo
5. I’m promoting the High Desert Chapter of the California Writers Club. I’ve mentioned it before. It’s a wonderful, state-recognized organization for writers to get together. With over one hundred active members, we have formal critique groups, informal salons, monthly meetings with guest speakers, book fairs, networking and sales opportunities. For the last several months I’ve been the official Social Media Marketer. That’s just a fancy way of saying I get to be on social media for the club. I sit up front at the meetings, attend local author book signings, take photos, and share content. There’s something magical about being in a room of like-minded people, those who don’t just see the words on paper, but know how to put them there. I’m very honored to be an active member of this group.
Wordsmith Salon: Dwight, Tess, Richard, Lorelei, Molly Jo
Today’s bonus is for those of you who think I can’t stop writing.
My Favorite Quote From Isaac Asimov
You’re right.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Five Years and a Party
FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: The Big Easy
“What’s the Word?” Wednesday: Aaron Gansky on Magic and Writing
New Meaning to Ghost Writing
I’ll Fly Away
Sep 23, 2014 |
Five years ago today I found what would become Bedford Manor. For over a year I’ve been writing NOLA, my murder mystery set in New Orleans.This week an article I wrote for my Writers Club was solicited to be featured in a larger, Southern California-wide publication. This morning, The Unemployment Cookbook was released for Kindle at Amazon. And tonight, one of my favorite shows, NCIS, has a spin-off series debut with NCIS: New Orleans.
Naturally, I have to celebrate.
Mardi Gras at Bedford Manor
With the great food that Zatarain’s sent me a few weeks ago (look for the product review post in a few days), I declared September 23 the official “NOLA Day” at Bedford Manor.
The local Dollar Tree had all I needed for decorations, including the requisite beads and masks. I was delighted to find that although Mardi Gras is half a year away, people choose to celebrate it often enough that supplies are always available.
Mardi Gras Decor
The menu was planned around my Zatarian’s Care Package and Ms. New Orleans 2014 Cookbook:
Mayonnaise Biscuits
Garden Vegetable Brown Rice
Jambalaya Brown Rice with Garlic and Herb Shrimp
Blackened Salmon
Sweet Tea
Hurricane Mocktail
Easy King Cake
After spending a few hours in the kitchen, it was fun to sit and enjoy good food with good company. The lagniappe (“lan-yap”, meaning “that little something extra”) is my Pandora station built around “St. James Infirmary” by Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Bedford Manor is five years old, and oh! the changes we’ve made! Paint and repaint, repair, clean, and clear. Add, subtract, embellish and all the wonderfulness that goes with being a home owner.
Paint and Repaint – Ceramic Beige
We’ve been through a lot, Bedford Manor and I. At times, I thought of selling. I couldn’t do the maintenance. I couldn’t afford the bills. But I always went to bed with a roof over my head, and when I’m anxious, coming through these doors makes things better. When I’m sick, it’s these walls that comfort me. These appliances that I cook on. This place that I write about. This is where the cats live and love.
Where else in the world could an off-shore hurricane over a hundred miles away bring me a great writing atmosphere?
Under the Influence of Hurricane Norbert
And of course, this is where my office is.
My “new” workspace ~ a real desk!
I realized a few months ago the mantra my now-defunct relationship taught me is applicable to every aspect of my life.
Don’t Leave. Period.
Staying is more than feeling like it. Staying is a commitment to doing the right thing. So no matter what struggles I have, I know I’m blessed with a big house and a small mortgage. When I need help, it’s here. Want to know something funny? It took me almost five years to fully commit to staying. To not find a reason to pack up, leave, walk away. It’s not that I have a propensity for instability. But prior to buying a house, life was full of uncertainties. Since I made the mental commitment to stay, no matter what, I’ve been more comfortable. I’ve met more neighbors. I’ve enjoyed more company.
I like my life.
Now that’s worth celebrating, isn’t it?
Celebrate with King Cake
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
My Interview with Ms. New Orleans 2014, Lindsay Reine
It’s Complicated, Part One: My Relationship
How Bedford Manor Got Its Name
Aug 24, 2014 |
The wind has been blowing here at Bedford Manor. At times its brought with it a cleansing rain, at others, it just stirs the dust. There’s been heat, sun, clouds, humidity, wind, and stillness. The weather just can’t make up its mind.
Rain on a Leaf
It’s symbolic of how I’ve been feeling lately ~ uncertain as to my purpose. I hit a rather large wall of writer’s block last month and it’s taken me until two days ago to chisel it down.
I’d previously set a goal to have the first (and hopefully only) draft of NOLA finished by now. I’d wanted to start marketing it for sale in October. Instead, I’m rewriting the beginning and incorporating bits and pieces of what I’ve already done.
Most writers will advocate for writing the first draft in its entirety before starting any edits. I usually agree. Except NOLA needed a change. Without changing the beginning, I couldn’t coherently string those changes through the rest of the text. So I threw my self-imposed deadline out the window and, to the cheers of my writing mentor and critique group, am focusing on quality, not quantity.
I’ve been blessed with a friendship with Ms. New Orleans 2014, Lindsay Reine. Not only is she full of information on New Orleans, she’s become my newest cheerleader.
I still have my #DoingTheWriteThing fundraiser but I’ve amped it up a little. On the advice of several friends, I began a GoFundMe campaign. I like it for a variety of reasons. There’s no deadline, no all-or-nothing criteria. And it’s incredibly easy to navigate, update, and share.
I currently have three sponsors for a total of $110.00. It may not sound like much, but it’s eleven thousand pennies more than I had a month ago!
My Penny Jar
I must be doing something right, or should I say, write. I’m thankful for each of you, all of you, who believe in what I do, and who are helping me to achieve the goals of taking one step at a time. Some steps are bigger than others, and sometimes I have to take a step back. But a trusted person once told me
One Step Forward
Being a Christian and writing a murder mystery can be dichotic but not mutually exclusive. Ted Dekker does a fine job of weaving intrigue and sinister acts into redeeming storylines. I can do the same.
So I will continue to work on NOLA, and trust you’ll understand my delay. I’d much rather present you with a take-your-breath-away piece of writing in a few months or even a year or two, than to sell something now that you wouldn’t take off the bookshelf again, or worse, recommend to a friend.
I’m back in the saddle with blogging too, but I’ve a suspicion you may already know this.
During the holidays, I hope to add a few craft and decorating ideas as well as some recipes and reviews.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to pray, work, take care of Bedford Manor, and of course, I’ll keep #DoingTheWriteThing.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
How Bedford Manor Got Its Name
My Real Italian Kitchen: Polenta and Sauce
FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: Start/Stop
BETTER: Thanksgiving
More or Less: 29 Words
