Tag Archives: writing

run ian run!

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My panic attack is well contained now. I wrote like the wind today, adding 13 new pages so far and will continue tonight after Rader’s soccer game.

Yesterday, Ian ran in his 3rd cross-country meet. They award the top twenty runners with ribbons and on his 1st meet, Ian came in 23rd. Close, but no cigar.

His 2nd meet, he kicked major ass, and came in 16th. Score a ribbon!

Yesterday, the track was a little longer and a little tougher. But not tough enough to keep that boy of mine out of the top 2o! He was 2oth and he walked away with another ribbon.

I’m very proud of my #1 boy. He’s never been a runner before. He’s now been running 3 days a week for about 6 weeks. He’s getting better and better. I hope he sticks it out.

Here’s a camera phone pic of my baby running toward the finish line.

mel-o-panic!

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I woke up this morning to a panic attack. My dream sent me into a total state of Oh Shit.

Apparently, in my dream, I was two weeks from my deadline and on page fifty of my book. (which, if I’d taken the time to wake up, I would’ve realized it was a dream because of the page number alone.) But I didn’t take the time to wake up. I had a stroke instead.

So, I got up at 5:30 (when my heart finally returned to its normal pace) made a pot of coffee (must get my heart rate back up with that caffeine injection, you know) and started writing.

I’ve written 5 pages so far. Thank God. I guess my subconscious was telling me that I’ve spent way too much time being the mom-taxi this week and not enough being the writer. Guess that’ll show me.

In other news, Fishdog finally posted a new blog. Pop in and tell him twfkam sent ya.

big dam bridge

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Little Rock is the proud home to the world’s largest pedestrian bridge. It’s almost a mile long (4/5 of a mile to be exact). The bridge crosses the Arkansas River over Murray Lock and Dam and that is why it’s called the Big Dam Bridge. Which is the perfect pun because it is a big damn bridge.

The boys love asking me if I’ve been to the Big Dam Bridge because they think they’re getting away with cursing. Ian totally tried to nonchalantly blow it off and say “I know” when we pointed out it was “dam” and not “damn”.

Anyway, Pete and I walked the dam(n) bridge this morning. I jogged a little with him, probably about 1/3 of a mile. Not nearly enough, but since I haven’t been to the gym in 3 weeks, it was plenty. I walked the nearly 2 miles in 26 minutes. Not too bad. Not great either.

Writing wise, I plan to hit it for 5 pages today. Not a lot, but we have to take the car to the shop and do some other shit today. Maybe we’ll go look at a house or two and hope while we’re there our house in Oxford will sell.

Happy Monday y’all!

BTW: It’s not too late to donate to save the ta-tas! Jenna the sex kitten walked on Saturday. I’m still waiting to see how well she did. She’s 74% to her goal of raising $2600. Every little bit helps, so save a ta-ta and donate a buck or ten.

70 days of sweat

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I’m going to sweat it out with Sven for 70 days starting on 10/15. Doesn’t that sound sexy?

Any of you writers out there wanna join me?

Oh and I’m hitting the fitness trail again. I’ve been away from the gym for 3 weeks and I feel sluggish and yucky. I wonder if I can lose 70 lbs in the 70 days? Okay, probably not. But a girl can dream, right?

mel francis: on writing

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Before I begin today’s informative post, let me first ask: Have you saved a ta-ta today? Go forth and donate.

No I am not Stephen King. No, I don’t want to be Stephen King. But I do have some things to say about writing.

I’ve been doing this “fulltime” writer thing since September. (I can’t count August because of the moving and my vacation.) Guess what I’ve discovered?

It ain’t easy!

Sometimes I think I accomplished more in the few hours at night and on the weekends than I do during the day. Part of that is because we haven’t settled in our own home yet. That will help. It’s difficult to get a routine going when your living with your parents or your in-laws. But, living with them is allowing me to stay a fulltime writer in today’s world. (Who wants 2 mortgages in this market? especially on 1 income!)

I’m finding my way. I have discovered I do better away from the house right now. I go to the library or to a little coffee shop in the morning and I write.

So, on that front, I am putting some finishing touches on a new proposal that Deidre will be sending out very soon. I can’t wait! I love this story!

Today, I’m working on BITE ME! I’m about halfway through the first draft and have high hopes to be finished with it mid-November. I had hoped to be finished end of October, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. But it will be finished early! I am determined. I want to get a jump start on book 2 (tentatively titled LOVE SUX!) and if the stars are aligned, I’ll have another contracted novel to be working on as well.

This has been Mel Francis: On Writing. This blog has been brought to you by the breast offices of Ta and Ta. Please don’t forget to donate.

au bouquet de Tyne Daly

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Yesterday afternoon, Fishdog and I had drinks with some good friends. You know how hard it is to find a couple you and your spouse love equally? Well, Chris and DeeDee are our perfect match.

Unfortunately, there is a problem with our friendship.

We get stupid together. Totally, unbelievably, ridiculously stupid.

Stoooooopid.

Yesterday’s stupidity began with one of Chris’s favorite questions: “Which character am I gonna be in your book?”

I explain that I’m not sure but maybe I’ll make him a bad sheriff. Or the hot teacher.

Both options meet his approval. Then he asks, “Who’s gonna play me in the movie.”

That’s easy enough. “Timothy Dalton. You guys could be twins.” (it’s true. They look remarkably alike–of course, Chris is 20 years younger, so Timothy will have to have a good make-up artist, but it could work…)

Again, this meets Chris’s approval.

Then he asks me, “Are you gonna have a fart joke in your book? Cuz you know, flatulence can make or break a story.” (what is it with boys and fart jokes?)

So, at the same time that Chris is talking about farts, Fishdog is still casting the movie. When Chris says something about farting, Fishdog says Tim Daly should be cast as Chris’s character. I say something about “loving me some Tim Daly” and what does DeeDee hear?

“I love me some Tyne Daly farts.”

OMG. Stooooopid.

But it gets worse. We couldn’t let it go. Suddenly, we’ve cast Tyne Daly as Chris’s character and Chris says he doesn’t mind if Tyne plays his character in the movie as long as she farts. So for the rest of the afternoon, if Tyne Daly was mentioned, you had to make a fart noise. And now I’ve been commanded to write in a character that can be played by Tyne Daly and that character must have a flatulence problem. I don’t know how well a Farting Vampire will go over with YA girls, but I’m guessing I may be able to appeal to the teenage boy demographic if I write that character.

We were all crying from laughing so hard. I don’t know which is worse, the fact that we were sober when we created the Tyne Daly Fart Game or the fact that I’m really considering writing that character into the book.

This author has no knowledge of Tyne Daly’s actual flatulence issues or lack thereof. No offense to Tyne Daly intended…

have things changed?

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In the comments of my last post, Liz said:

I haven’t been to a high school football game since I was in high school. I too miss it, although my memories of the games include sneaking drinks in, chatting, walking off site to smoke, and checking out the 17 year old guys. Have things changed?

In a word? Nope.

But apparently I have.

It’s a bit strange being an adult at a high school function. I haven’t seen so much eye rolling and gum smacking in one place ever! I looked around for a 17 year old guy to make out with, but they were all already occupied in the with their own girlfriends. Darn.

The clicks are still around in full force. The junior high kids go off and nerd it up together. The senior high girls are all wearing too much make up and showing too much skin. Whatever happened to jeans and t-shirts at a football game? When did hoochie “skirts” become the in thing for a football game. Honey, when you sit down, we see your bidniz. K? And when you stumble down the bleachers and fall because you’ve had one too many “Cokes”, well, we can really see your bidniz. Put on a pair of pants. Hell, I’m not picky. Put on some panties! The kids don’t need an anatomy lesson just yet.

The senior high boys are all trying so hard to look nonchalant that they all end up looking constipated.

Pretty much, things haven’t changed at all.

Saturday was busy, busy for us. We got up and went to the park for a family run. Fishdog and Ian ran about 1.5 miles and Rader and I walked and ran a mile. We were getting ready to start our second trip around the track when a yellow jacket decided to attack. It got Rader on the arm, landed on his ear and I knocked it away. We ran toward the van, got about 10 ft. away from the original sting site, and that bitch yellow jacket caught up to Rader, landed on his shoulder blade and stung him again. Bitch had to die! Get my boy twice! Of course, you know how bad those things hurt and Rader did a good job of letting Saline County hear his wailing. After a while, he was okay. I was afraid he was gonna let the drama interfere with his soccer game that afternoon, but he manned up and managed to play a helluva game. The kids lost, but I was proud of the way Rader played.

Now the weekend is over, today we rest, hang out with some friends, and tomorrow we start all over. Soccer, cross-country, confirmation class, CYM Jr., working out…oh, and writing. Yeah. Gotta fit my job into my busy schedule!

days go by

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What day is it?

Oh, FRIDAY.

That’s been the strangest thing for me since I stopped working at my office job. I can’t keep up with the days of the week. Even the fact that I’m taking the kids to school everyday doesn’t seem to help. I’m always carting them around anyway, right?

I’m not complaining, mind you. It’s just strange that today is Friday and I’m not feeling that “THANK GOD!” excitement hum through me. And come Monday, I won’t feel that, “it’s really Monday?” sense of dread as my alarm goes off. That is a nice change. I feel much more even and happy.

Yesterday I completed my chapter. I’m thinking that library thing might really work out, so I’m gonna do it a couple of days a week, I think. But I have to take a sweater because they keep the temperature set on Meat Locker in there. Burrrrrrr.

Ian completed his first full week of cross-country yesterday. He’s been whining like an old lady about his thighs and how much he hurts. I just hand him two Advil and tell him to drink plenty of water. Poor baby. He thought because he was skinny that meant he was in shape. Hah!

Rader’s soccer team looks like they might be pretty good. I really like the coach, he’s Irish (so I love listening to him talk) and he loves soccer and he’s good with the kids. Fishdog’s gonna help out when he’s around more. Rader is still struggling with running, too. We’re gonna have to make this running thing into a family thing. Not that I’m any better off the elliptical. But I think I could manage ten mins of running. Maybe.

Fishdog is coming back tonight. Rader’s first game is tomorrow and the Fishdog has a game on Sunday. Ian’s first cross-country meet is the 19th. That should be interesting. I’ve never been to a cross-country meet before. I hope Ian’s competitive side kicks in and he runs through the pain. LOL

I’m taking the boys to the Catholic High football game tonight. They play my high school’s rival, Benton. It should be fun. I miss high school football and tonight should be perfect. Unless it’s raining. I don’t miss it that much.