All over the place!

My mind is going a million different directions today.

I'm okay with that usually, but today it's stressing me out. I really want to be writing, but I have work to do. But oh what sweet work it is....have a peeky.

How can I not enjoy that? I always listen to music while I edit photos, I must, and often I daydream about my wip. However, something about newborns is not jiving with my wip. Go figure. So, on I go, editing away. It's okay if I don't get any writing done today. It happens. I can't wait to show this family these images.

Which leads me to what I'm thankful for today!

 I skipped last week but now I'm back on track. I'll be extra thankful this week!!  Join the "Thankfulness" over at Oasis for YA.
I'm thankful to be able to work at home for my family. I'm thankful I have a job in which I get to witness the most amazing reactions to images like those above. These are priceless memories and I love giving my clients this gift. It is amazing.

I'm also thankful that it is a beautiful day out. Finally. I'm going to ignore the fact that my husband saw on the news this morning the possibility of snow this weekend. I'm in denial. I'm thankful for today.

Last but not least, I'm incredibly thankful for itunes and ipods. Steve Jobs, if you were more handsome I would have a full on crushing obsession with you. Fortunately, you look exactly like a computer geek should. My husband is thankful for that...he likes me to have eyes only for him!! :)

Spring

I have never been so ready for Spring!! It has been a very long winter here in the midwest. Long, cold and wet. With that being said, thank goodness my kids are back to school today!! Yay, Spring Break is over.

That may seem cold, but I've found the last couple of years that I am not a fan of Spring Break. It's not long enough to adapt a new routine, but it is long enough that the novelty wears off after a few days. It's just...annoying. You're kids are home, it may or may not be nice enough for them to go outside. I realize that not every parent may feel this way, but when you have three little boys under the age of 10— things can get pretty stressful. Fast.

In other news, I wrote 8600 words in the past 48 hours, and that feels good! Very good. I did a complete POV rehaul on my wip and it seems to be coming very easily, leading me to believe it was a good choice. We'll see.

Has anyone done that? I'm curious, do most writers just have a default style of writing and no matter what idea pops into their head it automatically goes to that style...or do you choose based on each individual piece? Do you try a couple and then choose?

Oh, and completely unrelated...but these new Thick and Fluffy Eggo Waffles=REALLY good if you sometimes crave that bad for you breakfast food!!

Feeling the Story

I'm a music person. A big music person.

I know it goes without saying, but music is so powerful. It has the ability to make you happy or sad in about 30 seconds. The ability to jog your memory, get you in the mood, make you mad.

Music and my writing go hand and hand. I think I may have mentioned this on here before, not sure, but I don't think any plot development has been created in my mind without the aid of music. Usually while driving in the car. We live in a small town about 15 minutes outside the "metro" area so the highway I drive in and out of town is where I do my dreaming. Characters are born, scenes are created, dialogue happens. All in my head, aided by what is on the radio, or on my ipod.

It's always interesting to me how this process happens. Sometimes it's the lyrics of the song. Or even just some of the lyrics. Sometimes it's the melody, or the emotion. Other times it's just that the song makes me feel like myself. Or the me I dream of being, and that somehow manifests into the building of my work. I don't know how to explain it, other than to say that there is obviously a piece of me in all of my characters and when music makes "me" feel, it makes my characters evolve. This is the part of the process that I love, and I'm all over the map when it comes to musical styles. Sometimes it's rock, classical, country, pop even folk I love. I'm a huge i Tunes browser!! The fact that they updated it so the preview is longer just about made my year!!

It makes me realize why some writers reveal a playlist to go along with their work. It can be so crucial to the process. You want to share it with people, to deepen their understanding of not only your work and your characters...but how they came to be.

I know I'm not alone in this. How do you use music in your writing process?

A song that is relevant to my current WIP is this one....love her

Tweet? Necessary, or don't go there.

I have never had a desire to open a twitter account. Ever.

Until recently.

It's not at all that I have a desire to have  my opinion or daily activity out in the universe, it's pretty much just because I feel like I should.

Which is why this is an issue for me. I don't dig peer pressure. It makes me feel weak, it stresses me out. I almost don't want to Twitter because I do feel like I should. Isn't that ridiculous? I also know myself. I don't want to add another "thing". Know what I mean? It's hard enough to write, blog, facebook, email, oh yea and I also work and have 3 kids. Oh and a house, and a husband. Those are kind of important.

So my question is this. Is it really necessary, as a writer, to be on twitter? Do you twitter? Do you feel you benefit from it? Does the good out weight the bad? And by bad, I think you know what I mean. Addiction, distraction, obsession.

Please weigh in on this.

Where oh where have I gone?

I apologize for falling off the blogging wagon! I hate that!

I think after I was deathly ill there for awhile I overcompensated in the "Pull my life together" arena. My house had gone to crap...along with other things. I spent the past week or so trying to get myself organized. I said before, this is a "spring" trend for me. sigh.

I also did my taxes.....BLECH!! In the past this has been something I look forward too...but owning your business does not always = fun in the tax department. This year being the worst. Yuck. Oh well, it's done and over with.

ALSO, on the writing front I finally, (thanks to my wonderful Aunt) have Microsoft Office Pro on my laptop!!! YAY!!! I can now write from it, and let me tell you... 2010 is the SHIZ!!! Wow. Outlook alone makes me want to do a dance. I love me some updated software!! :)

Anyway, getting back into the swing of things and missed blog land very much! Can't wait to catch up with everyone on their own blogs!! :)

OH AND, I can't wait to see this movie!!! eek!!! I have not (shockingly) read the book but I'm going to before I see it. I LOVE chick flicks. Yes, I admit it. But I also love total guy, sci-fi, and historical movies too. This weekend is also when Red Riding Hood and Jane Eyre open up. Lots coming up!! :)

Endless Summer

Over the weekend, as I let myself rest up and relax, I consumed this double feature by Jennifer Echols.



I really enjoyed it. It completely took me back to high school or even middle school. This main character started out a little behind in the social/feminine department so she came across a little younger to me. (Either that, or I was a hellion...both maybe.)
Jennifer seems to effortlessly capture the emotions of teens. The drama!!! She was able to walk the line perfectly at being very real but not being too grown up.

This book is really two books in one, first The Boys of Summer and then it's sequel Endless Summer. Both with the same main characters.

Highly recommend and I'll be trying some more of her books! Any suggestions?