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.