What??? It's Thursday Already??

I am still in my PJ's. Working on a deadline of tomorrow. And LMAO at CrackBlackberry users. I am deeply, madly, obsessively in love with my MacBook Pro. I have ordered McDonald's for supper. I know, I know. But, a grrrl's got to let loose once in a while, doesn't she? I spent 2 hours in Abbotsford yesterday; that was enough for me. The 6 hours of bus riding made me ultra exhausted. How is it that travelling can be so incredibly tiring? I mean, when you're just sitting there?  I left Abbotsford with a duffle bag, which I filled with a frozen pizza, a feather pillow, a bathrobe, pair of slippers and a bottle of facial astringent. I forgot to look at the calender. So, I had to Facebook message my roommate and get her to tell me when my period will start. The bathroom floor here is crack-your-head-wide-open slippery. Like, the previous tenant must have gone mental with floor polisher. Like, I need Batman's suction boots whenever I go in there.

Favourite Shopping Experience

the best place to shop .... ever

The Secular Prophet

Steve Jobs took the symbol of fallen humankind ~ the apple which Adam and Eve bit into ~ and combined it with God's promise of love for humankind. Now, the apple has become a symbol of progress and positivity, a symbol of the beauty man can render, as a partner in creation. Steve Jobs has revolutionized the way we experience the world: iPod, iPad, iPhone. A visionary, Steve seemed to see into the future, or did he carve it? A little bit of both, I think. I read an article recently in which the author referred to Steve Jobs as a secular prophet. How very appropriate.

What a huge loss we have endured in the passing of Steve Jobs. How blessed I feel to have been touched by him through my use of his technology. I wonder if he had any clue how many people he inspired.

The Write Stuff

1. I have this intense love-hate relationship with structure. Writing my novel without it renders the piece spineless, like a glob of jello. Writing my novel with it leaves my imagination and inspiration feeling bound and gagged, and any progress becomes inertia. How do I strike a balance between structure and imagination? I struggle with this ... a lot. It's the main hindrance to progress. It blocks me.

2. I have this fixation, this obsession, with editing. Every time I open my manuscript in WORD, I read what I've written so far, and edit. When I pause, after writing some, I revert to the manuscript's beginning and read, then edit some more. Sometimes, editing becomes my muse; sometimes, these edits allow me to see where I need to go next.

3. I frequently engage in a battle with my inner critic, which tells me that what I've written so far sucks, that I should just give up and start over. The inner critic can seem quite convincing. I have to invent ways to shut myself away from this nasty voice. Do other writers doubt themselves like this?

4. I have discovered that writing needs a schedule, that I mustn't wait to feel inspired. I can cultivate the feeling of inspiration by simply sitting down in front of my laptop and telling myself Go. I'm cheating myself otherwise.

My Favourite Photograph

This picture really speaks to me ... 

not sure why, or what it says, but I simply love it!

A Thousand Kisses Deep In My Secret Life

... And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A Thousand Kisses Deep ...

... I’m always alone.
And my heart is like ice.
And it’s crowded and cold
In My Secret Life ...

~ Leonard Cohen

Most of my friends live inside my head

"The Internet is a big bathroom wall with people writing on it all the time." -Tim

An Ending, A Beginning

We've hung on long enough. So long, in fact, that it felt as though tied to a corpse. The charade ends now. Time to bury the corpse, to remove those concrete boots. Fear has anchored me, us, long enough. There is no longer any place for fear, nor acrimony, for that matter. We were friends first, and shall ever remain friends. Still, I grieve for what once was, and is no longer.

I have so many ideas for WIPs ... just still lack the courage to sit down, in front of the screen and get cracking! I have become somewhat of a recluse, with my books and my book light. And, I'm okay with that ~ it's working for me. And so ....

image by Chuck Wendig

Random Thoughts

1. Yeay, summer's coming to a close. Yeah, you read that correctly, I can hardly wait for this ridiculous sticky humid heat to end! I want the cool breezes of autumn! Besides, I love seeing people's dazed looks, as they get jolted from the mundane lull of their leisurely summertime. Grrrrrherherherhehe. Yeah, I know, I'm a mean one. In the meantime, while we wait, I've compiled some random thoughts.

2. I've been reading a lot of historical. The characters are constantly drinking wine or ale. Wow, really? Did people really drink that much alcohol hundreds of years ago? 

3. I've just finished reading about the French Revolution. It left me saddened, and wondering, are we humans really, underneath all the pretenses, just instinct-driven and chaotic beings with hankering for anarchy? Maybe we just kid ourselves about being orderly and considerate. Maybe we're those things because of rules and their enforcement.

4. Some people (more often women than men, it seems) are just plain unfriendly. Hmmmm. I sometimes wonder why.  And other times I wonder, who lit the fuse on your tampon!

5. I've decided that cell phones should be treated like open liquor, when it comes to driving. No, I don't think that's too harsh. So many imbeciles out there still text and talk on their cell phones while driving. This is what can happen! (WARNING VERY GRAPHIC PICTURES) Now, that's harsh! Grrrrr!! Why? Why do they do it?

Sparkfest, Day 3

Is there a book or author that changed your world view?

Sparkfest, Day 2

What author/book set off that spark of inspiration for your current Work in Progress? 

 I came across this book quite accidentally, a few years back when visiting my parents in Winnipeg. We decided to visit a recently opened used book shop. As I browsed the shelves, I spotted this gem. I like the concept of a story told through diary entries, such as Sandra Gulland tells the story of Josephine Bonaparte in this book. The first person narrative enables the reader to see through the character's eyes, and only through their eyes. How accurate is that particular character, in conveying the story? These all intrigue me, leaving me want to some how weave them into my stories.

Another book which has sparked me is this one. I very much like the notion of a third person, sort of on-looker, an ordinary voice telling an extraordinary tale. In this case, we view the world of the Tudor Court through the eyes of a simple fool. And finally, though not really a favourite, this book also has sparked me ~ I really like the idea of the secret diary, finally discovered, and the story unfolding through the diary's revelations. Thank you to these authors for the gift of these stories.

Sparkfest

Okay, so I am taking part in Sparkfest because I love books and writing. Today's post answers the first question.

What book made you realize you were doomed to be a writer?

I have always wanted to be a writer, ever since I can remember. But, the book that really sparked me? This one. I liked (and still do) the notion of a story told simply through letters: so much offered up for readers; so much left to the imagination. The longing, felt in each written word, seems to create some kind of tension, which plunges the reader head on into the material. I read voraciously. Many books inspire me, but this particular book provided the strongest spark to my heart and also, to my imagination.

The Book IS NOT Dead!!!

Sure, I've got my on a an e-reader. 

But there's just nuthin' to replace the joy I get 

from an actual, tangible book.

Sunday Seven

It's Sunday Monday. I haven't got much to say. Except to pass along these 7 cool sites to check out.

1. A Beer for the Shower ~ Hilarious, entertaining. Good for a laugh. And yes, they will tell you how you can enjoy a beer in the shower.
2. Verbal Release Therapy, anyone? ~ A little raunchy, so don't go there if your squeamish at the sight of the word f*ck.
3. Make Exposition Your Bitch ~ For all the writers out there that struggle with exposition as they try to stitch together their stories with their pens or keyboards.
4. Once Again ~ A breath-taking video I found on Vimeo.
5. Inspired by Tennyson ~ Found on Vimeo.
6.  Move ~ Visit 11 countries in 1 minute.
7. Order The Penmonkey Surprise ~ advice for writer.

I've Been Reading!

I have spend the past several weeks trying to quelch my nearly insatiable thirst for reading and books. But not just any books (I am choosy). Only books that thrill me, that transport me to far away lands, that fling me back centuries, even a millennium, ago. And so, I have visited ~ vicariously, thru the pages of numerous books ~ the courts of kings and queens, pre-WW2 Germany, the tower of London, and even the Vatican. Even now, I find myself two-thirds of the way thru a book called Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance, and I have a stack of 6 or 7 books on my desk, waiting for me to ravish. I have not written anything of real substance in weeks; I like to think that, in reading so voraciously, I am fueling up my muse, for a time in the near future when she must work, once more.

Hoping you all are having a wonderful summer. I love to see the roses blooming, and breathe in their delicate scent. I also delight in seeing the black berries are finally plumping themselves up. The sun has been quite generous, these past few days, but it's the cool night breezes I love best.

Roxanne

Friday Five

1. Making art ~ a series by my favouritest artist, Ande Cook

2. If you're bored, or lacking inspiration, you may find some here

3. Some ideas to guide your camera's lens ~ 52 Photos Project

4. Looking for something with a definite edge? Terrible Minds

5. A writer writes about writing ~ Been Writing




Oh yeah, I'm finally on Google + and so far really liking it. Right now, the only way to get on Google + is by invite. If you'd like to try it out ... please leave a comment with your e-mail.

Enjoy you're weekend, everyone!

Those That Did Not Make It

As I ponder the personal, emotion and spiritual work I had to do to get one year clean, and the work it takes to remain clean, I take a moment to reflect on those that did no make it .... how sad, for them, and moreover for those left behind, who loved them so.

Going to rehab remains one of the best decisions I ever made.

With Luv, For Jamie Ridler

Jamie Ridler is celebrating the second anniversary of her website's launch by holding a video contest. This is my entry ...

With Luv, For Jamie Ridler by Roxanne Galpin on Vimeo.

Hello, How Are You

1. Am still getting accustomed to the new blogger user interface. It's pretty and all, but when you've had the same user interface for 5, almost 6, years, the new one feels like a sort of culture shock.

2. I've been writing. Since my mind is like a spaghetti junction of ideas and inspirations, the writing comes out all over the place. The story has not formed itself in any kind of order, inside my mind.

3. Writing feels to me like a form of haemorrhage. Yes, to write = to bleed.

4. When writer's block plagues me, then I've been reading. Reading inspires me; I've got a notebook on my bedside table where I jot down little bits of inspiration that I get from reading.

5. I love Goodreads; see the button in the sidebar to find out what I've been reading. Currently reading The Girl Who Played With Fire. Stieg Larsson was an awesome writer; his was a life definitely cut too short.

6. I've been clean and sober for a year now.

So .... how are you? What are you up to, these days?

image: deviantART

One Year

I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.

 ~ Marilyn Monroe

Today marks 1 year clean and sober for me. The past year brought monumental changes into my life and also my self. I cried, laughed, screamed, and prayed. I lived with 17 drug-addicted women in a rehab house, for the first and I hope the last time in my life. I have trustworthy and likable-lovable women in my life ~ me, who tends to mistrust and push away women! I discovered the 12 steps, they work, no shit, they work. I find I have more patience and tolerance than I ever did in my whole life. I no longer play the role of control freak, because I no longer need to control everything around me. {whew! does that ever feel good!} I won't lie ~ staying clean has been one of the hardest things I've ever done. The work didn't stop when I reached step 12, nor when I graduated from the rehab programme. The work happens every day. Every day, presents a new battle with myself. And also, the opportunities to do those certain things and cleave to those certain people/affiliations that will keep me clean and sober.

So, thanx to all those who loved me and stuck by me at my worst, throughout my metamorphosis, and still stick by me now, today. You know who you are and I love you for it .... xoxoxo

A Bedtime Story?