Today is the last day I'm going to work on this manuscript. It's so close to being finished I can taste it ... not to mention the fact that today is my deadline. The one we (that is, JT, the WMVR and I) set for me to have it finished. And we're doing it. Today.
I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. Take some time to remember what you're thankful for, and appreciate it. I have a huge list, but not enough time to enumerate it here.
We'll do vocabulary tomorrow or Monday. Right now I'm getting back to work.
So close ...
Read a book - and hope that mine will be ready for you to add to your TBR pile soon!
=) JB
11.24.2007
11.16.2007
When Life Gets in the Way
I always have a quotation for everything - it saves original thinking.
-- Dorothy L. Sayers, classic mystery novelist and Christian Writer
I'm still busy with the rewrite. One positive thing that came out of this week has to do with that surprise I mentioned a little while back - we're still not quite ready to reveal it just yet, but at the least it was a distraction from real life that helped me slog through the week. And don't get all in a dither, it's really not such a big deal, just a little something I've got cooking on the back burner for the new book.
Because my brain is more focused on this rewrite than just about everything else, I'm going to close out the week by following the suggestion of my wonder twin and saddle you with the week's vocabulary lessons, as well as a few quotes I've come across this week that I particularly enjoyed.
More news soon. In the meantime, read a book!
=) JB
Word(s) of the Day:
malapropism \mal-uh-PROP-iz-uhm\ (noun) - The usually unintentionally humorous misuse of a word, especially by confusion with one of similar sound; also, an example of such misuse.
lubricious \loo-BRISH-us\ (adjective) - 1 : Lustful; lewd. 2 : Stimulating or appealing to sexual desire or imagination. 3 : Having a slippery or smooth quality.
languor \LANG-guhr; LANG-uhr\ (noun) - 1 : Mental or physical weariness or fatigue. 2 : Listless indolence, especially the indolence of one who is satiated by a life of luxury or pleasure. 3 : A heaviness or oppressive stillness of the air.
pulchritude \PUL-kruh-tood; -tyood\ (noun) - That quality of appearance which pleases the eye; beauty; comeliness; grace; loveliness.
censure \SEN-shur\ (noun) - 1 : The act of blaming or finding fault with and condemning as wrong; reprehension; blame. 2 : An official reprimand or expression of disapproval.
Quotable Quotes:
"The test of literature is, I suppose, whether we ourselves live more intensely for the reading of it."
-- Elizabeth Drew (1935- ) US journalist
"All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared hearer."
-- Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) Scottish novelist, poet
"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver."
-- Martin Luther (1483-1546) German leader of the Protestant Reformation
"I have learned not to think little of any one's belief, no matter how strange it may be. I have tried to keep an open mind, and it is not the ordinary things of life that could close it, but the strange things, the extraordinary things, the things that make one doubt if they be mad or sane."
-- Bram Stoker (1847-1912) English novelist
Vocabulary and Quotes from ArcaMax
11.08.2007
A word aptly spoken ...
I love words.
Good thing, considering what I do, huh?
As I've mentioned, every day I get somewhere in the neighborhood of a bazillion ezines. One of my favorites is the vocabulary - a new word every day, woot! Some of you will stop reading here. You are not the logophiles that my comrades and I are. And that's fine. To each her own, yes? But since I'm diving back into my writing again I thought it fitting to share some of the choicest words I've received over the past couple weeks. Some of these I was already familiar with, some not.
I've also mentioned that my illustrious critique partner and Wonder Twin has an amazing vocabulary. She can pull words off the top of her head that I have to look up just to pronounce. My goal is to utilize the new words I'm learning and enhance my ability to wax eloquent when the occasion warrants. The WMVR knew someone once who said (and I'm probably paraphrasing a bit here), "A word doesn't become part of your vocabulary until you've used it three times in everyday conversation."
I had another friend who used to claim that she could go home each day when she learned something new. Employing that philosophy sometimes allowed us to "go home" at 10 in the morning. Which in my opinion is a good day.
You know those Reader's Digest pages called "It Pays to Enrich Your Word Power"? I love those, too.
Here's hoping you learn something new today. Go home early. And read a book. See how many "choice" words the author uses - and how effective is the vocabulary in telling the story?
Let me know which of these you like best.
=) JB
Word(s) of the Day:
hebetude \HEB-uh-tood-; -tyood\ (noun) - Mental dullness or sluggishness.
coruscate \KOR-uh-skayt\ (intransitive verb) - 1 : To give off or reflect bright beams or flashes of light; to sparkle. 2 : To exhibit brilliant, sparkling technique or style.
pelf \PELF\ (noun) - Money; riches; gain; -- generally conveying the idea of something ill-gotten.
mellifluous \muh-LIF-loo-us\ (adjective) - Flowing as with honey; smooth; flowing sweetly or smoothly; as, a mellifluous voice.
quagmire \KWAG-myr; KWOG-\ (noun) - 1 : Soft, wet, miry land that shakes or yields under the feet. 2 : A difficult or precarious position or situation; a predicament.
disquisition \dis-kwuh-ZISH-uhn\ (noun) - A formal discourse on a subject.
recondite \REK-uhn-dyt\ (adjective) - 1 : Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2 : Concerned with obscure subject matter.
prescience \PREE-shuns; PREE-shee-uns; PRESH-uns; PRESH-ee-uns; PREE-see-uns; PRES-ee-uns\ (noun) - Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight.
moiety \MOY-uh-tee\ (noun) - 1 : One of two equal parts; a half. 2 : An indefinite part; a small portion or share. 3 : One of two basic tribal subdivisions.
bibulous \BIB-yuh-luhs\ (adjective) - 1 : Of, pertaining to, marked by, or given to the consumption of alcoholic drink. 2 : Readily absorbing fluids or moisture.
repine \rih-PINE\ (intransitive verb) - 1 : To feel or express discontent. 2 : To long for something.
deracinate \dee-RAS-uh-nayt\ (transitive verb) - 1 : To pluck up by the roots; to uproot. 2 : To displace from one's native or accustomed environment.
gamine \gam-EEN; GAM-een\ (noun) - 1 : A girl who wanders about the streets; an urchin. 2 : A playfully mischievous girl or young woman.
empyrean \em-py-REE-uhn; -PEER-ee-\ (noun) - 1 : The highest heaven, in ancient belief usually thought to be a realm of pure fire or light. 2 : Heaven; paradise. 3 : The heavens; the sky. (adjective) - 1 : Of or pertaining to the empyrean of ancient belief.
All Vocabulary words above courtesy of ArcaMax.
Good thing, considering what I do, huh?
As I've mentioned, every day I get somewhere in the neighborhood of a bazillion ezines. One of my favorites is the vocabulary - a new word every day, woot! Some of you will stop reading here. You are not the logophiles that my comrades and I are. And that's fine. To each her own, yes? But since I'm diving back into my writing again I thought it fitting to share some of the choicest words I've received over the past couple weeks. Some of these I was already familiar with, some not.
I've also mentioned that my illustrious critique partner and Wonder Twin has an amazing vocabulary. She can pull words off the top of her head that I have to look up just to pronounce. My goal is to utilize the new words I'm learning and enhance my ability to wax eloquent when the occasion warrants. The WMVR knew someone once who said (and I'm probably paraphrasing a bit here), "A word doesn't become part of your vocabulary until you've used it three times in everyday conversation."
I had another friend who used to claim that she could go home each day when she learned something new. Employing that philosophy sometimes allowed us to "go home" at 10 in the morning. Which in my opinion is a good day.
You know those Reader's Digest pages called "It Pays to Enrich Your Word Power"? I love those, too.
Here's hoping you learn something new today. Go home early. And read a book. See how many "choice" words the author uses - and how effective is the vocabulary in telling the story?
Let me know which of these you like best.
=) JB
Word(s) of the Day:
hebetude \HEB-uh-tood-; -tyood\ (noun) - Mental dullness or sluggishness.
coruscate \KOR-uh-skayt\ (intransitive verb) - 1 : To give off or reflect bright beams or flashes of light; to sparkle. 2 : To exhibit brilliant, sparkling technique or style.
pelf \PELF\ (noun) - Money; riches; gain; -- generally conveying the idea of something ill-gotten.
mellifluous \muh-LIF-loo-us\ (adjective) - Flowing as with honey; smooth; flowing sweetly or smoothly; as, a mellifluous voice.
quagmire \KWAG-myr; KWOG-\ (noun) - 1 : Soft, wet, miry land that shakes or yields under the feet. 2 : A difficult or precarious position or situation; a predicament.
disquisition \dis-kwuh-ZISH-uhn\ (noun) - A formal discourse on a subject.
recondite \REK-uhn-dyt\ (adjective) - 1 : Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2 : Concerned with obscure subject matter.
prescience \PREE-shuns; PREE-shee-uns; PRESH-uns; PRESH-ee-uns; PREE-see-uns; PRES-ee-uns\ (noun) - Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight.
moiety \MOY-uh-tee\ (noun) - 1 : One of two equal parts; a half. 2 : An indefinite part; a small portion or share. 3 : One of two basic tribal subdivisions.
bibulous \BIB-yuh-luhs\ (adjective) - 1 : Of, pertaining to, marked by, or given to the consumption of alcoholic drink. 2 : Readily absorbing fluids or moisture.
repine \rih-PINE\ (intransitive verb) - 1 : To feel or express discontent. 2 : To long for something.
deracinate \dee-RAS-uh-nayt\ (transitive verb) - 1 : To pluck up by the roots; to uproot. 2 : To displace from one's native or accustomed environment.
gamine \gam-EEN; GAM-een\ (noun) - 1 : A girl who wanders about the streets; an urchin. 2 : A playfully mischievous girl or young woman.
empyrean \em-py-REE-uhn; -PEER-ee-\ (noun) - 1 : The highest heaven, in ancient belief usually thought to be a realm of pure fire or light. 2 : Heaven; paradise. 3 : The heavens; the sky. (adjective) - 1 : Of or pertaining to the empyrean of ancient belief.
All Vocabulary words above courtesy of ArcaMax.
11.06.2007
Back on Track ... of Sorts
I'm guessing the first thing I need to do is clarify that I did not mean to sound so downhearted yesterday. The tone of the post seems to have raised a few eyebrows in my circle. I'm okay, really. Just frustrated. But things are looking up.
You'll notice tonight I'm on later than usual, which is because after my shift on the day job ended this afternoon, I went immediately (more or less) to work on the manuscript. Yes, indeedy. And, I'm happy to report that I actually made progress! I don't really have an accurate count because it's a rewrite, but if we're going from where I started to where I ended up, I wrote somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 words today. And yes, most of it was new material.
At least for today, the new plan worked.
Tomorrow, the BMWs will meet. I will be taking 10 (well 10-1/4, but I don't think they'll care) pages which will bring us to the end of the first major section of the book. We'll see if they like the direction it's going. This last chapter of the first section, the one I'm taking tomorrow night, is kind of a heart-thumper, if I do say so myself.
I'll come back to the Lunch Room tomorrow - for a midnight snack, I guess - and let you know how things go.
In the meantime, I'm still here, still writing. If you're still there, thanks for sticking with and by me. I appreciate the support.
Now go read a book!
=) JB
You'll notice tonight I'm on later than usual, which is because after my shift on the day job ended this afternoon, I went immediately (more or less) to work on the manuscript. Yes, indeedy. And, I'm happy to report that I actually made progress! I don't really have an accurate count because it's a rewrite, but if we're going from where I started to where I ended up, I wrote somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 words today. And yes, most of it was new material.
At least for today, the new plan worked.
Tomorrow, the BMWs will meet. I will be taking 10 (well 10-1/4, but I don't think they'll care) pages which will bring us to the end of the first major section of the book. We'll see if they like the direction it's going. This last chapter of the first section, the one I'm taking tomorrow night, is kind of a heart-thumper, if I do say so myself.
I'll come back to the Lunch Room tomorrow - for a midnight snack, I guess - and let you know how things go.
In the meantime, I'm still here, still writing. If you're still there, thanks for sticking with and by me. I appreciate the support.
Now go read a book!
=) JB
11.05.2007
Derailed
A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe, "The fact
has not created in me a sense of obligation."
-- Stephen Crane, US writer (1871-1900)
Someone, or something, is determined to prevent me from writing.
After all the wind and smoke I blew about how Friday was going to be the day that I was going to get some serious work done on the manuscript, I was struck down by one whale of a migraine headache. I got all my errands run, but by the time I got home my skull was throbbing fit to burst with that white-hot, stabbing, blinding pain in my left temple. I took drugs and went to bed. Even missed the ball game Friday night, choosing instead to stay home and nurse my aches with a nice bowl of popcorn and You've Got Mail on the VCR.
By Saturday morning I was functional again, but that day, of course, was the Division II State Marching Band Championships. So I picked up The Tall One and the two of us spent the better part of the day in the sunshine and fresh air (yes, my face is cooked) watching high school marching bands perform. Tons of fun, but again, no writing time. (I might mention at this point that the reason I went to the band thing is that The Boy is in our band, and they went. Yep, doing the Mom thing.)
Yesterday it was church and work. Today, the WGH went off and left his wallet in my car, and I had to drive into town to take it to him because the poor fella didn't have enough gas in his truck to make it home - plus he had to be back in town for a rehearsal, anyway. And storms. Ugly weather zooming through the area. I put dinner together and watched the news and now it's 5:30 and I still haven't written anything.
I'm telling you, something is against me here.
Okay, here's the part where the little cheerleaders all jump up and down, wave their pom-pons in the air and start screaming at the tops of their lungs - "YOU can DO it!!! Go, go, go, go!!" And I hear them. Far in the distance, like a homing signal, I hear them.
We'll try this again tomorrow and see how it goes. I have a deadline. JT is on me. Tasha is on me. I will have this manuscript finished, edited and ready to submit by the middle of December.
And whatever's in my way better get the heck out, 'cause I ain't havin' any of it.
So there.
Read a book. I'll let you in on mine when it's finished.
=) JB
11.02.2007
Fun Free Friday, Fabulous Friends & Furious Fingers
Shhhhh ... listen.
Do you hear that?
That's the sound of quiet at my house. No kids. No WGH. And no day job! No clicking of my furious fingers on the keyboard, listening to what the doctors say and then trying to make sense of it. Just my furious fingers clicking on the keyboard, working on the manuscript!
Okay, right now, they're here, working on this post, but you get the idea.
This is why I love Fridays. Yes, I have to go grocery shopping. It's payday. It's also the only free day I have this week. But a quick trip to the bank and then the store is not going to take up my entire day. I will write today, and I will make progress!
JT is going to wait and post a report and pictures from last night's launch party over at Murderati next week, so I won't spoil the fun here, except to say that I realized this morning that no one got a picture of the two of us together, and I'm a little disappointed with myself for not thinking of that. I mean, hello? The Wonder Twins together at "the big moment" for one of them, and no one bothers to take their picture? What were we thinking? We weren't. Sigh. One of those life moments, lost. But the memories are there, and they are good ones.
I will also say that she was brilliant. She schmoozed, she signed, she spoke (and got choked up, which did the same to me), and she shined. One of the booksellers there (courtesy of Borders) made the comment that JT knows how to work a room. A completely accurate assessment. I'm so proud of her I'm fit to burst.
And someday - in the not too distant future, if all goes well - I will be where she is, and she will be there with me. So in her honor, because she has her proverbial boot up my behind, I will work harder today than I ever have. I will attempt to make her proud. Love you, Sister - Wonder Twin powers, activate!
And the rest of you, thank you for sharing this moment with us. We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming. In other words ...
Read a book!
=) JB
Do you hear that?
That's the sound of quiet at my house. No kids. No WGH. And no day job! No clicking of my furious fingers on the keyboard, listening to what the doctors say and then trying to make sense of it. Just my furious fingers clicking on the keyboard, working on the manuscript!
Okay, right now, they're here, working on this post, but you get the idea.
This is why I love Fridays. Yes, I have to go grocery shopping. It's payday. It's also the only free day I have this week. But a quick trip to the bank and then the store is not going to take up my entire day. I will write today, and I will make progress!
JT is going to wait and post a report and pictures from last night's launch party over at Murderati next week, so I won't spoil the fun here, except to say that I realized this morning that no one got a picture of the two of us together, and I'm a little disappointed with myself for not thinking of that. I mean, hello? The Wonder Twins together at "the big moment" for one of them, and no one bothers to take their picture? What were we thinking? We weren't. Sigh. One of those life moments, lost. But the memories are there, and they are good ones.
I will also say that she was brilliant. She schmoozed, she signed, she spoke (and got choked up, which did the same to me), and she shined. One of the booksellers there (courtesy of Borders) made the comment that JT knows how to work a room. A completely accurate assessment. I'm so proud of her I'm fit to burst.
And someday - in the not too distant future, if all goes well - I will be where she is, and she will be there with me. So in her honor, because she has her proverbial boot up my behind, I will work harder today than I ever have. I will attempt to make her proud. Love you, Sister - Wonder Twin powers, activate!
And the rest of you, thank you for sharing this moment with us. We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming. In other words ...
Read a book!
=) JB
11.01.2007
Gallivanting
That's a great word, isn't it?
It's a short post today ... getting ready to head downtown for the launch party for ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS (on sale now!).
The WGH and I handed out somewhere in the range of 300+ pieces of candy last night (at one per kid - yep, trick-or-treat is HUGE in our neighborhood). We noted a rather retro theme to the kids' costumes - saw a lot of Super Friends, for instance. Remember the Super Friends? Superman, Batman & Robin, Wonder Woman. I misidentified a few kids and got looks like you can't imagine ... one Star Wars character in particular. I'm a big fan of Star Wars, but when I called him Bobo Fett, the kid flipped his mask up, rolled his eyes and said, "It's JENGA. You know, Bobo's DAD????"
Excuse me. I stand corrected. Sorry, kid, but I'm old school, and it's the Harrison Ford Star Wars I remember. Cowboy in a starship.
There was another little guy I thought was supposed to be The Flash, but it turns out he was someone from some other thing The Boy and his friend knew about but I didn't have a clue. Got a look from that kid, too. Oh, well.
When we did Halloween, especially when my brother and I were much, much younger, we used to DO costumes - and it was really cool last night to see several kids that had DONE costumes. We had not one but TWO Marilyn Monroes come through. There was a Dorothy, too, and her big brother was The Tin Man. Kinda cool, in an old fashioned, retro, were your parents hippies or what? sort of way.
Groovy, dude.
Tomorrow I don't have to work the day job (yay), so I get to work on the manuscript (double-yay) for most if not all day. Last home football game of the season is tomorrow night. State marching band contest on Saturday. It's going to be another fun fall weekend.
If you get a chance? Read a book. It's good for you.
=) JB
It's a short post today ... getting ready to head downtown for the launch party for ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS (on sale now!).
The WGH and I handed out somewhere in the range of 300+ pieces of candy last night (at one per kid - yep, trick-or-treat is HUGE in our neighborhood). We noted a rather retro theme to the kids' costumes - saw a lot of Super Friends, for instance. Remember the Super Friends? Superman, Batman & Robin, Wonder Woman. I misidentified a few kids and got looks like you can't imagine ... one Star Wars character in particular. I'm a big fan of Star Wars, but when I called him Bobo Fett, the kid flipped his mask up, rolled his eyes and said, "It's JENGA. You know, Bobo's DAD????"
Excuse me. I stand corrected. Sorry, kid, but I'm old school, and it's the Harrison Ford Star Wars I remember. Cowboy in a starship.
There was another little guy I thought was supposed to be The Flash, but it turns out he was someone from some other thing The Boy and his friend knew about but I didn't have a clue. Got a look from that kid, too. Oh, well.
When we did Halloween, especially when my brother and I were much, much younger, we used to DO costumes - and it was really cool last night to see several kids that had DONE costumes. We had not one but TWO Marilyn Monroes come through. There was a Dorothy, too, and her big brother was The Tin Man. Kinda cool, in an old fashioned, retro, were your parents hippies or what? sort of way.
Groovy, dude.
Tomorrow I don't have to work the day job (yay), so I get to work on the manuscript (double-yay) for most if not all day. Last home football game of the season is tomorrow night. State marching band contest on Saturday. It's going to be another fun fall weekend.
If you get a chance? Read a book. It's good for you.
=) JB
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