Ta-Da Friday

My little wall hanging is finished. What a fun feeling to tie off the last stitch last night. It is way cuter than I thought it would be when I first laid out the pieces. In fact, about the time I ironed on the appliques, I decided I didn't like it at all. Since it was a kit, I didn't get to choose the fabrics. It just seemed bland and uninteresting, but I didn't want to waste it either.

On I sewed.

Thankfully, too, because the more detail I added, the more life the quilt took on. By the time I added the embroidery and ladybug buttons I rather liked it. Quilting only added more depth.

I'm finding I have the same sticking points when it comes to a story. About a third of the way into the script I realize I thoroughly dislike the characters I've created. Bland, uninteresting, and one dimensional. They certainly aren't doing anything of interest. At that point, my MO has been to put the mess aside and do something else. Usually create new characters, who like someone on a first date, seem enchanting and intriguing.

I'm learning my characters and story are a bit like my wall hanging. Boring until added details give depth and interest. What I've learned is that I can't quit on a story. I have to push on through, keeping the characters moving until they finally *do* somthing worth reading.

Here's to pushing through and adding details.

Unwritten Rules

In the land of writing, there are a few unwritten rules an author dare not break. (Cue spooky music here.) A couple of them came to mind while writing this afternoon.

Rule of woe #1. Do not introduce your character's physical features by way of a mirror. Need I tell you that one of my characters is looking in a mirror?

Rule of woe #2. Do not start a book with the main characters traveling in a car. I can think of a couple of well known authors who've smashed this rule effectively. However, a New York editor told me that she would put down a manuscript with this as an opening scene. She would also put down one containing--

Rule of woe #3. Don't start a book with a dream scene.

From what I understand, each of the above scenarios tells an agent or editor that the author is new to the business. Which brings me to another rule...

Rule of woe #4. Editors and agents look for authors who've written at least three manuscripts. Even if they haven't sold one of them, the very act of writing three complete novels tells the agent/editor a lot. That an author has persistance. That an author has more than one story in him or her. That an author is able to finish a project. An editor once told me that by the time an author gets to the third manuscript he or she has begun to learn to write. Nora Roberts had six manuscripts written before she sold her first one, so it may take a few people a bit longer.

Professional photography is full of rules of woe...Homeschooling has its share, too. I imagine there are lots of unwritten rules in whatever we do. Are there unwritten rules in what you do? And what do you do with those rules? Abide by them? Break them?

One of my favorite quotes is 'learn the rules, then break them. But learn them first, so you can break them with authority.'

Off to begin figuring out another way to let my readers know what my character looks like....

Icy Days and Comfort Foods

When the weather is cold and damp, I love to cook up some comfort food.

Cherry Turnovers


Homemade bread


The Pilot Guy made these


Icy




Besides cooking, I worked on a writing project and did some hand stitching on the wall hanging.

The 2009 Gardening Season Begins

A string of pretty days has made joyful work of winter gardening.

The guys at the garden center seemed slightly unnerved by my showing up only two hours after they unpacked the veggie transplants. Don't know about them, but my gardening alarm clock has been ringing for days.

We put onions sets into cool soil first. Purpley reds and sweet yellows. Thin little slips that will root, grow, and swell into bulbs of flavor and scent. Two days ago, I put in broccoli, cauliflower, and red cabbage transplants. Bunny watch has now begun, too. They won't nibble on onions, but they do seem to enjoy broccoli. If all goes well, a crunchy lunch salad will be served to you and I sometime in May.

What a wonderful feeling to get my hands in the dirt again. My only concern is that pretty warm weather in January often leads to hot, hot, dry weather during the summer. I'm already planning and thinking about our watering systems this spring. In addition, the Pilot Guy should be very pleased with the restraint I've shown thus far this year. Why, just the other day, in shirt sleeve warm sunshine, I did not start digging on a new and expanded pond. Admirable, right?

Here's to a happy, productive, and beautiful gardening season.

Small Pleasures

a stitch in time....

Yesterday as the pagentry of the peaceful transition of power unfolded in Washington via my TV, I camped on my couch with a small wall hanging, hand stitiching around appliques. The rhythmic pull and tug made a long line of rustic stitches. It was creative, peaceful, and productive, quieting my heart, settling my spirit.

Maybe if we all want to give peace a chance, we should take up more hand stitchery.

Create

Jean, in a comment to a recent post, said that reading many books on writing didn't make her a writer. It made her a reader.

Ouch.

A clean shot right through the heart.

I've often joked that reading about writing was as good as writing. (Isn't it? Are you sure?) But, Jean has it right. If we continue to read..... And read some more.......And read again, then we are spending our time not creating.

My photography mentor often told me that I had everything I needed within me to succeed. Still do. I need only to limit my reading about writing (quilting, gardening, photography, etc.), settle down and create. I know enough.

Frankly, actually doing something can be scary, whether it's writing a story, picking out fabrics for a quilt project or breaking ground on a new garden bed. It's anteing up and saying you want to play the game. Sometimes the game is filled with hard knocks, losses, and disappointments. On the other hand, you can't win anything if you don't play.

To that end....I started on a non-fiction book proposal today for an idea I've turned over in my mind for about six months. I plan to have the proposal complete before Valentine's Day.

It's time to ante up and get in the game.

My Short Story Has an Ending

I've been working on a spooky, Twilight Zone-ish, short story for a while. I kinda knew where the ending was going, but I was having a difficult time getting there. Today, I forced it to end.

Yay! I love bringing a story together. This one is in no way finished, but it does have an ending. I suppose if you compare it to quilting, I've completed the top. Now, I just have to layer, back, bind, and quilt this story into a finished form.

For today, I'm celebrating a small success and hoping it leads to bigger ones in the future.