Are you sick of this topic yet? Well, tough noogies. This is my blog, dammit. Read it and like it.

Okay, so I may be a collage convert. It’s not going to be for everyone, just like doing Q&A sessions with your characters isn’t for everyone.

But, I’m trying to become a Plantser. Or mabye thats a Plotzer? I’m trying to combine my love for just letting the story come with plotting…It’s not easy, btw. But it’s something I have to learn in order to make a proposal work.

Anyway, I’ve had this new story swirling in my head for a while and the first two chaps came relatively easily, but it’s pretty plot heavy and it really has to be plotted out. My strengths are character and dialogue. This plotting shit is for people who like to plan.

When Barbara talked about the collages opening up her mind and helping her to see her story better, I decided to try it. Honestly, it’s not like I was really wasting time. I wasn’t actually writing and the collaging would at least focus my energy somewhat.

I had nothing to lose.

So, this is what I discovered. I have a very vivid imagination but when it comes to clipping pictures, I’m very literal…Sure, there’s some color and mood setting in my collage, but for the most part, it’s very literal. I found myselfdrawn to words and the emotion they pricked in me. The book will be sexy and even though I’ve known that, I was still surprised at how many evocative pics I clipped.

I am very in tune with my hero. He’s cocky (peacock and mirrors). My heroine, I’m still struggling with. I see her physically, and I understand her motivation, but she’s being very secretive. I’m thinking of just doing a character collage to see what happens. I’ve never been good with the Q&A stuff. Those have never seemed to evoke my imagination or press my characters into opening up.

But maybe the collages will?

Are you sick of this topic yet? Well, tough noogies. This is my blog, dammit. Read it and like it.

Okay, so I may be a collage convert. It’s not going to be for everyone, just like doing Q&A sessions with your characters isn’t for everyone.

But, I’m trying to become a Plantser. Or mabye thats a Plotzer? I’m trying to combine my love for just letting the story come with plotting…It’s not easy, btw. But it’s something I have to learn in order to make a proposal work.

Anyway, I’ve had this new story swirling in my head for a while and the first two chaps came relatively easily, but it’s pretty plot heavy and it really has to be plotted out. My strengths are character and dialogue. This plotting shit is for people who like to plan.

When Barbara talked about the collages opening up her mind and helping her to see her story better, I decided to try it. Honestly, it’s not like I was really wasting time. I wasn’t actually writing and the collaging would at least focus my energy somewhat.

I had nothing to lose.

So, this is what I discovered. I have a very vivid imagination but when it comes to clipping pictures, I’m very literal…Sure, there’s some color and mood setting in my collage, but for the most part, it’s very literal. I found myselfdrawn to words and the emotion they pricked in me. The book will be sexy and even though I’ve known that, I was still surprised at how many evocative pics I clipped.

I am very in tune with my hero. He’s cocky (peacock and mirrors). My heroine, I’m still struggling with. I see her physically, and I understand her motivation, but she’s being very secretive. I’m thinking of just doing a character collage to see what happens. I’ve never been good with the Q&A stuff. Those have never seemed to evoke my imagination or press my characters into opening up.

But maybe the collages will?

So, I mentioned earlier today that I did a collage for my current WIP this weekend. I know that Jenny Crusie and Barbara Samuel are big fans of the collaging thing, but I was very skeptical.

First off, it’s very difficult for me not to analyze why the hell I’m clipping certain pictures. Turning off my internal “editor” so to speak was a bitch. But I found a way to help relax the editor into submission. MAKER’S MARK. Oh yeah, baby.

I just snipped and clipped my way through about six magazines. I ignored the fact that I was clipping a lot of words and physical representations of my book and just clipped.

Barbara’s collages are mood and setting for her. Jenny finds theme in hers. I looked at my pile of scraps and thought, Kindergarten art project.
But, I wanted to give this a true shot. I put the collage together, just allowing my instincts to guide me. Here is the final product:It’s not a 3-D work of art. It’s not even pretty. But after it was all said and done, I looked at it, and GOT IT.

I have scenes in my head that weren’t there before. (well, they were there, just hidden) I have dialogue running through my brain. I have a sense of place and mood.

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys see in this collage? Is there anything that you really picked up on immediately? Anything you are really drawn to?

So, I mentioned earlier today that I did a collage for my current WIP this weekend. I know that Jenny Crusie and Barbara Samuel are big fans of the collaging thing, but I was very skeptical.

First off, it’s very difficult for me not to analyze why the hell I’m clipping certain pictures. Turning off my internal “editor” so to speak was a bitch. But I found a way to help relax the editor into submission. MAKER’S MARK. Oh yeah, baby.

I just snipped and clipped my way through about six magazines. I ignored the fact that I was clipping a lot of words and physical representations of my book and just clipped.

Barbara’s collages are mood and setting for her. Jenny finds theme in hers. I looked at my pile of scraps and thought, Kindergarten art project.
But, I wanted to give this a true shot. I put the collage together, just allowing my instincts to guide me. Here is the final product:It’s not a 3-D work of art. It’s not even pretty. But after it was all said and done, I looked at it, and GOT IT.

I have scenes in my head that weren’t there before. (well, they were there, just hidden) I have dialogue running through my brain. I have a sense of place and mood.

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys see in this collage? Is there anything that you really picked up on immediately? Anything you are really drawn to?

Misc.
I’m sleepy.

It’s rainy here and we’re supposed to have thunderstorms later today.

A cute guy in a celery green shirt just walked by my office. I don’t know who he is but I should find out.

We have lots of outta-towners in the office today. It’s loud. I don’t feel like dealing with loud.

See, the stupid architect who designed our building was, well, STOOPID.

Our “offices” are glass cubes, basically. My office has 3 solid walls and one solid GLASS wall. It has no ceiling. I don’t even know why I bother locking my door at night because all you need to do is get a ladder and hoist yourself over the wall.

Having no ceiling with a solid glass wall is like being in a fishbowl. Or maybe I’m a zoo animal. The guys in the loft can toss things into my office. (and they have) I hear everything…and it’s loud because it’s like the noise gets trapped in my little cage. So when all these outta-towners are here and all on their conference calls, it’s like they have the speaker phone in my lap.

And it’s all because of the STOOPID architect. The design may look cool, but it’s about as functional as a dead toenail.

Writing Stuff
I worked on a collage for my book this weekend. I had never done that before but Barbara Samuel talked about it on one of my loops and it made sense to me, so I gave it a go. And then I went and looked at one of Jenny Crusie’s collages, and I felt quite inadequate. She’s like a collage -savant. I’m more of a collage-doofus. But it was very relaxing. Or maybe that was the bourbon. Who knows?

I’ll post pics later and talk about what I did.

K. That’s my monday-monday post. I’m going to do a little blog hopping and maybe find a hot picture of Matthew McC. to brighten my day.

Misc.
I’m sleepy.

It’s rainy here and we’re supposed to have thunderstorms later today.

A cute guy in a celery green shirt just walked by my office. I don’t know who he is but I should find out.

We have lots of outta-towners in the office today. It’s loud. I don’t feel like dealing with loud.

See, the stupid architect who designed our building was, well, STOOPID.

Our “offices” are glass cubes, basically. My office has 3 solid walls and one solid GLASS wall. It has no ceiling. I don’t even know why I bother locking my door at night because all you need to do is get a ladder and hoist yourself over the wall.

Having no ceiling with a solid glass wall is like being in a fishbowl. Or maybe I’m a zoo animal. The guys in the loft can toss things into my office. (and they have) I hear everything…and it’s loud because it’s like the noise gets trapped in my little cage. So when all these outta-towners are here and all on their conference calls, it’s like they have the speaker phone in my lap.

And it’s all because of the STOOPID architect. The design may look cool, but it’s about as functional as a dead toenail.

Writing Stuff
I worked on a collage for my book this weekend. I had never done that before but Barbara Samuel talked about it on one of my loops and it made sense to me, so I gave it a go. And then I went and looked at one of Jenny Crusie’s collages, and I felt quite inadequate. She’s like a collage -savant. I’m more of a collage-doofus. But it was very relaxing. Or maybe that was the bourbon. Who knows?

I’ll post pics later and talk about what I did.

K. That’s my monday-monday post. I’m going to do a little blog hopping and maybe find a hot picture of Matthew McC. to brighten my day.

Before I start writing this morning, I need a little inspiration. And since I’ve seen this meme all over Blogdom, I thought, this would be perfect as my inspiration.

I have a perfect partner. In REAL life. Not everything I do is made up or imaginary, thankyouverymuch.

Aren’t we the cutest couple ever? You can read a little bit about him over at Fishdog’s Flophaus. Or you can just take my word for it, he’s perfect for me.
Now onto other stuff:

My friend Marley Gibson (who is also a TKA client) signed a four book deal with Puffin! You can read all about it here. (Marley is also the creator of Vanessa Virtue. If you haven’t checked out that blog, I suggest you do so!)

What else is going on? I did a little blog hopping yesterday and for the longest time, I was forbidden to see Jill Monroe’s blog. How does that happen? Why was I getting the FORBIDDEN 403 message? Was Jill Monroe doing something super secret that Mel Francis wasn’t allowed to see? Was it a Secret Society of Bloggers that I wasn’t invited to join? Of course, being forbidden made me even more determined to see what Jill Monroe was up to. My perserverance paid off and I finally remembered the secret handshake. Apparently, Jill was blogging about the NCAA Tournament and how Oklahoma let her down. Yeah, they let me down too. And so did my little Piggies. But that’s okay, because I’m still in the top 5 of the office pool. I still have a shot.

Hmmm. What else? Kristen Painter refused to blog the other day. I even tempted her with WARM triple chocolate cake that I made for my son’s birthday…but she didn’t bite. She did, however, tell me I’m evil. Acutally, she said I was “poorly behaved”. She has NOOOO idea how true that is.

Gena Showalter did her good news Friday yesterday. And a couple of days ago she posted a picture asking folks if she was on drugs because she liked it. I went with the drugs, but apparently I’m in the minority.

I tried to see what Jaci Burton was up to, but all I got was a blank page. Of course, now I’m wondering if she’s in on the Secret Society. What is her secret handshake? I wonder if I can bribe her with chocolate. Who am I kidding, of course I can.

Lucy got to see Matthew McC. yesterday. She’s so lucky. Maria hasn’t blogged in so long I’m worried her fingers have fallen off. It’s a good thing we talk on the phone almost everyday. I’ve heard a rumor that she’s going to blog about “Sexy-Ugly”. And do you know who she thinks is “sexy-ugly”? Heath Ledger. Is she crazy? Is there anything ugly about this man?

Well, anyway. Maria will just have to post something and prove to me I’m wrong. (which I’m not). Good luck, sista-girl.

Savannah Jordan did the wrasslin’ thing last night. I don’t get wrasslin’ myself, but lots of folks do. Maybe if the big hunky guys weren’t wearing panties and tights it would help.

and

Bonnie posted a great Irish Blessing in honor of St. Patty’s Day.

Okay, I’m done with Stuff. I visited other blogs yesterday but I am now out of my allotted blogging time. I’m off to finish my synopsis and post it to my crit group for appropriate slaughtering.

Check y’all later!

Okay, so for my birthday, my husband took me to see Matthew McConaughey. The man brings me to my knees. (yes, my husband does too, but right now, we’re talking about Matthew McConaughey.) Saying his name gives me a mouth-gasm. (Say it with me, Matthew McConaughey. Did you feel it? The tingle and shudder? Oh yeah. you felt it.) I mean, look at the man!
and let’s not forget his accent. Holy cow. The man could read straight from a contract law textbook and it would sound like poetry.

Anyway, I digress. This post isn’t about the lust in my heart and loins for Matthew McC. It’s about the book I wish I’d written.

Failure to Launch. Have you seen it yet? (Oh goody, an excuse to post another picture of my little Lust-Muffin)

This movie was exactly what it was supposed to be. Watching it was like reading a great romantic comedy. It had some fantastic secondary characters with brilliant dialogue and humor out the ass. All kinds of humor that could appeal to a wide audience.

This movie will never win an Oscar…nor should it. It’s a good story, well acted, well, written, and it couldn’t have been any better if it had tried. It’s perfect for the genre of Romantic Comedy. It’s what a good date movie should be.

Plus, it has Matthew McConaughey. (Did you feel the tingle that time?)

This movie is what I aspire to write when I tell my stories. It’s a different take on the same story. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy and girl reunite. In between is some sex and laughter. But here’s the thing…when watching this movie or reading this type of book, you don’t see the “same story”. If it’s done right, it pulls you in so deep you may as well be a character. You’re a voyeur in their world.

I hope I can do that one day. I hope one day, you guys will be a voyeur to my stories. And then blog about how great a story teller I am. 🙂

And I hope I can do all this before Matthew McC. is too old to play one of my heroes on screen. Sigh.

Okay, so for my birthday, my husband took me to see Matthew McConaughey. The man brings me to my knees. (yes, my husband does too, but right now, we’re talking about Matthew McConaughey.) Saying his name gives me a mouth-gasm. (Say it with me, Matthew McConaughey. Did you feel it? The tingle and shudder? Oh yeah. you felt it.) I mean, look at the man!
and let’s not forget his accent. Holy cow. The man could read straight from a contract law textbook and it would sound like poetry.

Anyway, I digress. This post isn’t about the lust in my heart and loins for Matthew McC. It’s about the book I wish I’d written.

Failure to Launch. Have you seen it yet? (Oh goody, an excuse to post another picture of my little Lust-Muffin)

This movie was exactly what it was supposed to be. Watching it was like reading a great romantic comedy. It had some fantastic secondary characters with brilliant dialogue and humor out the ass. All kinds of humor that could appeal to a wide audience.

This movie will never win an Oscar…nor should it. It’s a good story, well acted, well, written, and it couldn’t have been any better if it had tried. It’s perfect for the genre of Romantic Comedy. It’s what a good date movie should be.

Plus, it has Matthew McConaughey. (Did you feel the tingle that time?)

This movie is what I aspire to write when I tell my stories. It’s a different take on the same story. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy and girl reunite. In between is some sex and laughter. But here’s the thing…when watching this movie or reading this type of book, you don’t see the “same story”. If it’s done right, it pulls you in so deep you may as well be a character. You’re a voyeur in their world.

I hope I can do that one day. I hope one day, you guys will be a voyeur to my stories. And then blog about how great a story teller I am. 🙂

And I hope I can do all this before Matthew McC. is too old to play one of my heroes on screen. Sigh.

In honor of my 37th birthday (which was yesterday) I stole the Age Gauge from Jill Monroe’s blog. Here are some interesting facts surrounding my bday.

You said your birthday is 3 / 14 / 1969
which means you are 37 years old and about:

50 years 1 month younger than Zsa Zsa Gabor, age 87
38 years 9 months younger than Clint Eastwood, age 75
36 years 1 month younger than Kim Novak, age 73
33 years 1 month younger than Burt Reynolds, age 70
29 years 1 month younger than Nick Nolte, age 66
27 years 11 months younger than Ann-Margret, age 64
22 years 0 months younger than Billy Crystal, age 59
19 years 4 months younger than Whoopi Goldberg, age 56
16 years 8 months younger than Robin Williams, age 53
12 years 8 months younger than Tom Hanks, age 49
10 years 4 months younger than Jamie Lee Curtis, age 47
7 years 11 months younger than Eddie Murphy, age 44
1 year 4 months older than Jennifer Lopez, age 35
9 years 11 months older than Jennifer Love Hewitt, age 27
19 years 1 month older than Haley Joel Osment, age 17

and when these movies were released in the U.S. your age was:

The Godfather: 3
American Graffiti: 4
Jaws: 6
Star Wars: 8
Animal House: 9
Star Trek: The Motion Picture: 10
ET: 13
The Terminator: 15
Top Gun: 17
Planes, Trains & Automobiles: 18
Steel Magnolias: 20
Home Alone: 21
Wayne’s World: 22
Jurassic Park: 24
Forrest Gump: 25
Fargo: 26
Saving Private Ryan: 29
Toy Story 2: 30

TV

42 years 9 months younger than Andy Griffith, age 79
39 years 3 months younger than Dick Clark, age 76
38 years 0 months younger than Leonard Nimoy, age 74
35 years 11 months younger than Carol Burnett, age 72
33 years 2 months younger than Alan Alda, age 70
31 years 8 months younger than Bill Cosby, age 68
26 years 4 months younger than Linda Evans, age 63
24 years 2 months younger than Tom Selleck, age 61
21 years 3 months younger than Ted Danson, age 58
18 years 11 months younger than Jay Leno, age 55
15 years 2 months younger than Oprah Winfrey, age 52
14 years 1 month younger than Kelsey Grammer, age 51
10 years 10 months younger than Drew Carey, age 47
7 years 9 months younger than Michael J. Fox, age 44
4 years 4 months younger than Calista Flockhart, age 41
0 years 1 month younger than Jennifer Aniston, age 37
3 years 9 months older than Alyssa Milano, age 33
8 years 8 months older than Colin Hanks, age 28
14 years 5 months older than Mila Kunis, age 22
22 years 3 months older than Madylin Sweeten, age 14

and that you were:

1 years old when All in the Family was first shown
3 years old at the time the TV series M*A*S*H began
6 years old when Saturday Night Live first aired
9 years old when CBS introduced Dallas
11 years old during the first airing of Hill Street Blues
13 years old at the time the first Cheers episode was televised
17 years old when L.A. Law was first aired on TV
18 years old at the time the series Married with Children began
21 years old when Seinfeld was first televised
22 years old in the month Home Improvement began
25 years old at the time the TV series Friends began
27 years old when Everybody Loves Raymond first aired
30 years old when Who Wants To Be A Millionaire began in the US