My Bucket List

This list came to me from a good friend.  Bucket lists are fun because you can write down something you've always wanted to do before leaving this earth and it becomes a goal for the future.  It can even give meaning to your life. So here is mine. The items not marked are some of the things I would like to do, especially the traveling ones, but have not done yet.  I have never stepped a foot outside this country and would like to visit other places.  I've traveled from one end of the country to the other but not outside.  Food for thought!!!!

(X ) shot a gun 
( X) gone on a blind date
( X )skipped school  
(X) watched someone die
(  ) served on a Jury  
( X ) been lost  
( X ) traveled to the opposite side of the country

 (  X ) visited Washington , DC 
( X )  visited New York City  
(  )  visited Canada 
 (  ) visited Hawaii 
( )   visited Cuba    
(  ) visited Europe 
(  )  visited South America 
( X ) visited Las Vegas      
(   )  visited Mexico    
( X ) visited Florida
(  )  visited Australia
( )  visited Jerusalem
( )  visited Egypt
(  )  visited Alaska  
( X ) visited the Grand Canyon
( )  visited Mediterranean 
( )  visited Far East
( )  lived in a foreign country (longer than a month) 

( X)  swam in the Ocean 

(X)  cried yourself to sleep 
(X)  played Cops and Robbers 
(X )  played Cowboys and Indians 
( X)  recently colored with crayons  
(  )   sang Karaoke

(X) Sang for a prophet (Harold B. Lee)

( )  Sold a piece of your own artwork 

( )  won a ribbon at a county or state fair

(X) Published a book (4)

( X) paid for a meal with coins only 
( X) made prank phone calls  
( X) laughed until some beverage came out of your nose   
( X ) caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X)  sneaked into a theatre, movie, or ticketed event
(X)  participated in a “Chinese fire drill” 

( X )  had children 
(X) had grandchildren
(  ) been married longer than 30 years (not quite)
(X)  been married more than once
( X ) had a pet    
(X )  been skinny-dipping outdoors 
( X ) been fishing  
( X ) been boating

 (  ) been deep sea-diving 
( x)  been water-skiing
(X)  dove off the high dive board
(X ) swung from a rope into swimming-hole
(x ) been Downhill Skiing
(  )  been cross country skiing
(  ) been parasailing

(X) skated on a frozen lake
(x) been snow-mobiling
(  ) been hooky bobbing (on an innertube, towed by car –snow)
(  )  been ice-fishing

( X ) been Hiking 
(X) been Back Packing
( X ) been camping in a trailer/RV 
( X) been camping in a tent

(X) Camped in the desert

(X ) flown in a small or private 4-seater airplane  
( )flown in a two-seater plane
(  ) flown in a glider  
(  ) flown in a helicopter 
(   ) flown in a hot air balloon
( ) been on a cruise ship 
(   ) walked on a glacier 
( x ) driven a Motorcycle  (rode on one)  
(  ) been bungee-jumping   
( X ) gone to a drive-in movie  

(X ) done something that could have killed you 
( X ) done something that you will regret (feel sad about)  
(x)   Rode a horse
(X )  rode an elephant  
(x)  eaten just cookies for dinner… or cake 
(X)  been on T.V.
(X)  Been on the Radio 
( )  talked on a ham radio

( ) stolen any traffic signs   
(x) been in a car accident  
(x )donated blood (plasma)
(  ) bailed out of Helicopter/Plane 
(X)  Published a paper or book (4)
 (  )  gone without food & or beverages for longer than 48 hours

  X )  been Hiking 

(X)   been Back Packing
( X ) been camping in a trailer/RV 
( X)  been camping in a tent 

(X )  flown in a small or private 4-seater airplane  
(  )   flown in a two-seater plane
(  )   flown in a glider  
(  )   flown in a helicopter 
(   )  flown in a hot air balloon
( )   been on a cruise ship 
(   )   walked on a glacier 
( X)  driven a Motorcycle  (rode on one)  
(  )   been bungee-jumping   
( X ) gone to a drive-in movie  

 Favorite Drink : water

 Have Piercings--yes (each ear only)

 Have tattoo--no

 Do you drive a 4-door vehicle?  yes

 Favorite number: 6

 Favorite Movie: Ever After

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?:   Living

       in an old remodeled Hotel and traveling a lot

Celebrating Moments of Mediocrity

I’ve been pooped on a time or two.

My youngest daughter has now ventured into the world of potty training. I’ve psyched myself up for success! Something better than failure! I speak in lots of exclamation points!

Each time I think it’s going to get easier (if you’re wondering. . .it doesn’t). Kids will still have accidents. They will still shed their diaper in the middle of the hallway and cop a squat.

On purpose.

But every time she makes it to the bathroom,

and poops on the potty,

and manages to wipe herself properly,

and it ends up in the toilet bowl,

and then earns her potty sticker-

I do a little victory dance. Shuffle my feet, and wave my hands in the air. One step closer. One more tiny movement in the way to a successfully potty trained child. Pun intended.

I’ve been thinking about discouragement this last week. How we can allow our thoughts of inadequacy to overwhelm our overall purpose. How it’s important to celebrate our successes as we move forward- no matter how minor they may be.

I don’t have to sell a million copies of my book to feel successful.

I only have to write another thousand words. I only have to write my three emails for the day. I only have to sell one more copy of my book.

I am already successful for accomplishing that much.

Mommy writers make great writers, and I think it’s because we see the momentary setbacks in our writing process, aren’t a factor in our overall success. We don’t allow the occasional “crappy” day to damage our self worth as a parent, or as a writer.

So write today, and then do a little potty dance. I guarantee you’ll feel better.

-Laura

Day 13: Deciding on Device

When reading through Laura Whitcomb's book Novel Shortcuts: Ten Techniques that Ensure a Great First Draft I was thrilled to learn about the little gem she calls Device.  She was working on her second novel, The Fetch, and had decided to tell it through the lens of a knightly quest, but she found herself struggling to explain her intention to her writing buddies.  This new "lens" clearly couldn't be described as the point of view; she'd known for a while who would tell the story.  It wasn't style because her actual sentence structure would remain true to how she usually wrote.  It was obviously not the tone because the novel's mood hadn't changed.  After a while of discussion she and her friends came to realize she was speaking about the story's device.  The device is not the tone, the voice, or the point of view of your novel, though it affects all three.

"The... device is a contrivance, a way to present your novel in an iconic form so the readers will have a deeper experience of the story," (Whitcomb, Novel Shortcuts, pg 63).

Are you with me so far?  To confess the truth I was still pretty lost until reading through Whitcomb's following list of device examples:

• The Epistolary Novel - telling the story through a host of medium such as journal entries, letters, newspaper clippings, or doctors' notes.  Perhaps the most famous use of such a device is Bram Stoker's Dracula.
• The Confession - a guilt-ridden narrator reveals former sins or mistakes to another character or the reader.  In Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus we learn of the extreme lengths the narrator, Salieri, went through to frustrate his rival Mozart.
• The Fairy Tale - stories in which good and evil are in stark contrast, and where good always triumphs.  Do I really need to provide a specific story for this one?  I mean, Disney did a pretty good job making us aware of the whole good vs. evil fairy tale thing.   
• The Knight's Tale - because I cited this example above I couldn't leave it unexplained.  Told with a language that hearkens back to the romance and chivalry of the knightly era, Laura Whitcomb's novel The Fetch also employs props such as vows, legends, psalms, and the passing of a key.

The exciting part about deciding on devices is that you get to choose how overt or concealed you want that device to be.  Take into consideration Bridget Jones's Diary.  With date headings and detailed recordings of her current weight, and cigarette and alcohol consumption, Helen Fielding used the journal as an obvious and effective device.  We literally feel we are peeking into Bridget's diary and the narration reflects the same frank, in-depth language that one would expect in an actual journal.

Perhaps you'd prefer to go with a more subtle device.  In my own WIP (an historical version of a fairy tale) I've decided on the Gothic device.  Employing dark colors in the language, night scenes, live burial, claustrophobia, old castle-like fortresses, and a Byronic hero I've moved from the typical "good vs. evil" and into the greyer areas of heroes and villains.  I've changed the joyful singing for little enchanted creatures and twisted it to screams of terror at being entombed alive.  Nowhere in the book will I step outside of the narration to point out the Gothic elements; instead they will be the subtle shading that paints a darker version of a familiar tale.

Not every story uses such devices.  Have you ever used one in yours?  Has this article sparked an idea for adding that richer element to your storytelling?

MY DAY 13:  After such a productive weekend I was certain I'd somehow bypassed all the other struggling writers and found my muse with ease.  Unfortunately I felt worn out and uninspired.  But being a real writer means taking the job seriously.  If my husband has to go to work even though he's tired and might not feel like it, then I certainly should too.  (If only I could follow my own advice.... sigh).

November is my favorite time of year!

Well not really. I actually happen to hate winter, and by November in Wyoming, winter has arrived in with full force. Which makes it the perfect month to hole up in your house with a store of hot chocolate and write. So from now until ... well, probably sometime in the middle of December, National Novel Writing Month (NaNo WriMo) is pretty much all I'm going to talk about. I'm a big believer in NaNo WriMo. It's because of NaNo that I finished my full novel and here's why: * To finish 50,000 words in 30 days (the goal NaNo WriMo) you have to keep pace at 1666 words per day. That means you have to totally shut off your inner critic. Which feels good. (Until you go back and read through it ...) * It taught me to write to the finish, no matter how bad I think it is. The result is that instead of a computer full documents with only one or two chapters, I actually have a folder full of (badly written) first drafts with a lot of potential. * It's okay to write silly and ridiculous scenes. Remember, you're the editor. You can always take it out later. But if you want to write it, write it! I think everyone should try NaNo WriMo just for the things it will teach you about your writing. Don't worry; like I always tell my sister, the NaNo WriMo Police won't come after you if you don't make 50,000 words. Get geared up! November is right around the corner and I expect you all to join in! (I created a fun group on Facebook for moral support for NaNo WriMo. Drop by and we'll add you to the group! http://www.facebook.com/raneesclark)

Exemplary Lives to Follow

It's my birthday today and I always ponder on what I have accomplished over the time I have been on earth thus far......  These two people were a great example to me --so I wanted to write about them.

It’s difficult in our modern times to listen to the nightly news without getting totally disgusted.  There are so many negative reports of all the crime, corruption and destruction of our great nation and it can really weigh you down.

I received an email from an old friend, from where I grew up in New Jersey, last week telling me that her father passed away at the age of 78.  A rush of memories had filled my head.  I loved her father.  He was a very giving person.  He used to drive us around to church activities, singing songs and telling stories and we all had such a great time together.  No generation gap there.  My friend and I were teenagers during the 70’s too. I “googled” his name to find the obituary because he had accomplished so much when I knew him, I wanted to see what else he had done after I went off to college and their family moved away.

It was amazing to see. He already had a PhD in nuclear chemistry and helped Bell Labs in New Jersey get a satellite up in orbit. After moving away, he then became the head of the department of physics at the State University of New York in Albany. He did Research in X-ray optics and then eventually did research on the effects of metal in the human brain helping to find how to cure Alzheimer’s disease.  Besides all the work he accomplished in his career, he was very active in his church and spent a lot of time with his family making his life very full right up until the end.

Another friend of mine wrote this week about a speech she heard Sunday night at a church fireside of a woman who spent time in a concentration camp as a child in Indonesia during WWII.  Her name is Kitty De Ruyer Bon and she wrote all about her experiences in a book called “As I Have Loved You”. The amazing thing about this woman is that in the face of the most humiliating of circumstances and inhumane physical treatment, she kept faith, courage, strength and dignity.  With no hope of any earthly reward or return for the good she gave, she still gave even to her captors.

The lives of these two people have touched my life and gave me such a great example to never give up when life seems so overwhelming.  At times life does get overwhelming and discouraging and the temptation to throw it all away is sometimes very great. Even to give up on mankind, but that would accomplish nothing. The wisdom to give to others is much better than always thinking: What’s in it for me?   Raising children, filling a calling at church, finishing a college degree, building a house; all have their moments when we stop and think--Is this really worth it?  A resounding: yes! This is most definitely worth our time on earth.  A great lesson for us to learn while we are here.

MBA

Not Master of Business Administration but rather, My Best Advice.

I was going to sugarcoat this post in analogies. I had this really great one about being a new mom and listening to all the well meaning advice of ladies that haven’t birthed a baby since. . .

Instead I’m going to be straight up today.

People always ask authors, “What’s the best advice you could give an aspiring writer?” The inevitable answer is “write every day,” or “write what you know.”

Fantastic answers.

You should be doing that.

But what is my best advice? Well you thought writing the book was the difficult part? Editing your books? I’m here to tell you that’s the tip of the sinking-of-the-titanic iceberg.

There is a book published every ten seconds. Ten. Seconds. How do you stand out in the crowd?

This is what I wish someone had told me, before I hit the publish button.

Start marketing yourself. Now. Your RSS feed should be your best friend. Facebook. Twitter. Goodreads. Don’t have a blog? Get one. Then start making connections, because those are the people who are going to buy your book. Face reality immediately and realize you are not going to be Stephenie Meyer. You will be lucky to even get a publishing contract. And that publishing contract will not come with a media frenzy. You will have to create it yourself. This is how you can begin.

Get a blog. Blogger and wordpress are the two best services for beginners. My website was done through wordpress.org, because I know how to write code. I love you all, but please don’t write me with wordpress questions. That is what google is for.

After you have a kicking blog, start finding other kicking blogs. Focus on book review sites. Start adding them to a feed reader, and making meaningful comments on posts. They love followers. I have approximately 1100 blogs in my feed reader. That is not a typo. Eleven hundred. They are split into all sorts of folders depending on the type of site they are. I try and spend an hour each day going through them quickly, and commenting on at least three of them. It’s easiest to do this if you have a smartphone and can read while the kids are at swim lessons, waiting in the carpool line, etc. Read the review policies and see if they allow guest posts. I have a spreadsheet of review sites that allow indie reviews.

Most sites will have a twitter button. Click on it to follow them on twitter. Then make it a point to write them a note about why you’re following them on twitter. Something like, “Just started following @abc’s reviews because they’re so insightful and you should totally follow too!” include a link to their site.

If they have a goodreads account, follow their reviews. Start posting your own reviews of books they’re reading, and start commenting. Goodreads is the single greatest social media site for authors. Take advantage of it now, before your book is published, and before you might be seen as having ulterior motives.

I don’t think I can stress the importance of this enough. Get networking, start building your name brand before you’re even finished with your first novel, it’s much harder to do once your book is out.

I’d love to hear from some of you- how do you network yourself?