Whew! Been crazy! One week into P90X! YAY! Bringin' it! Yesterday was my little guy's 3rd birthday party. I can't believe he's already 3 years old. Wow.
No writing in a couple of weeks. Mom's visiting and trying to get the P90X schedule down, which isn't easy with a toddler. Trying to get the bean used to us being down there and doing the work-out so that it isn't such a novelty. He's getting better. Not running circles around us while we're trying to work out. It could get dangerous with the Kenpo X kicks.
I can already see a change in myself in just one week. Clothes are fitting more loosely. That's a good thing. Except that I'll have to buy new ones eventually if the good progress keeps up. Either that or look like a hobo walking around in clothes that are floating on me.
Nothing much else new. Trying to find time to read but been so tired at night that I'm nodding off on the sofa. The workouts kick my butt! Today is a blissful day of rest, which is good because Mondays kick my butt anyway.
But tomorrow, I'm bringin' it again! Yeah!
Twitter Updates
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Alice in Chains - Got Me Wrong
Oh yeah, that's the stuff
Lyrics for Indigo:
Yeah, it goes away
All of this and more of nothing in my life
No colored clay
Individuality not safe
As of now I bet you've got me wrong
So unsure you run from something strong
I can't let go
Threadbare tapestry unwinding slow
Feel a tortured brain
Show your belly like you want me too
As of now I bet you've got me wrong
So unsure we reach for something strong
I haven't felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
That don't last forever
Something's got to turn out right
You sugar taste
Sweetness doesn't often touch my face
Stay if you please
You may not be here when I leave
As of now I bet you've got me wrong
So unsure we reach for something strong
I haven't felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
Strong, I haven't felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
That don't last forever
Something's got to turn out right.
Lyrics for Indigo:
Yeah, it goes away
All of this and more of nothing in my life
No colored clay
Individuality not safe
As of now I bet you've got me wrong
So unsure you run from something strong
I can't let go
Threadbare tapestry unwinding slow
Feel a tortured brain
Show your belly like you want me too
As of now I bet you've got me wrong
So unsure we reach for something strong
I haven't felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
That don't last forever
Something's got to turn out right
You sugar taste
Sweetness doesn't often touch my face
Stay if you please
You may not be here when I leave
As of now I bet you've got me wrong
So unsure we reach for something strong
I haven't felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
Strong, I haven't felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
That don't last forever
Something's got to turn out right.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wonderwall
Woooaah. Had the wrong version of Wonderwall on the playlist. I now have the original version by Oasis. Much betta.
The Process of Creative Problem Solving
In my internet searches of late, I came across this article by William J. Altier, which discusses creative problem solving. The gist of the article is that in order to problem solve creatively, we need to be open to new ideas, new answers, and to see things through fresh eyes. Assumptions are the enemy.
This theory can be applied to writing. His approaches to creativity work perfectly. The first step being Forget Everything You Know (the relationships).
When writing, you want to avoid cliches. You want to avoid ideas that have been over done and that are expected. You need to think about your characters without applying old tried and true traits to them. Same with plotting. Avoid taking the easy way out. Come up with something new and unexpected. Let your mind wander into different territory. Head down twisted paths you're not used to taking and see where they lead you and what comes up.
The second step, Remember Everything You Know. Altier quotes, Nobel laureate Albert Szent-Gyorgyi: "Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different." See things in a different light. Look for beautiful flaws, unique angles. What could turn a scene idea into something unique and fresh? Something that resonates and stands out?
The third step in Creative Problem Solving is: Rearrange Everything You Know. When I write, I use what's called a Mind Map. I open a Word document and place text boxes on that blank page, and type in possible scenes and plot threads. Often times I don't even know the relationship between one thread and another until near the end, when inevitably I have a eureka moment when I say, "That's why I planted that there! That's why I wrote that scene!" Something along those lines.
It takes a lot of faith to allow something to stay in a book I'm writing when I don't know why I've written it in there to begin with. But if I trust myself, it all works out. That tiny little thing that seemed so irrelevant has become very important to the plot.
I move these boxes around a lot. Pretty soon I begin to see other ideas emerge in between those boxes. New relationships between characters and scenes. Sometimes it's like looking at those freaky pictures that you have to stare at and defocus your eyes for before the new picture emerges for you.
Some of these text boxes get deleted as I discard them as possible scenes for the story. The point is to get all your ideas down, even the ones that seem silly, and rearrange them many times on the screen. See what could work.
Most importantly, keep an open mind. Trust yourself.
This theory can be applied to writing. His approaches to creativity work perfectly. The first step being Forget Everything You Know (the relationships).
When writing, you want to avoid cliches. You want to avoid ideas that have been over done and that are expected. You need to think about your characters without applying old tried and true traits to them. Same with plotting. Avoid taking the easy way out. Come up with something new and unexpected. Let your mind wander into different territory. Head down twisted paths you're not used to taking and see where they lead you and what comes up.
The second step, Remember Everything You Know. Altier quotes, Nobel laureate Albert Szent-Gyorgyi: "Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different." See things in a different light. Look for beautiful flaws, unique angles. What could turn a scene idea into something unique and fresh? Something that resonates and stands out?
The third step in Creative Problem Solving is: Rearrange Everything You Know. When I write, I use what's called a Mind Map. I open a Word document and place text boxes on that blank page, and type in possible scenes and plot threads. Often times I don't even know the relationship between one thread and another until near the end, when inevitably I have a eureka moment when I say, "That's why I planted that there! That's why I wrote that scene!" Something along those lines.
It takes a lot of faith to allow something to stay in a book I'm writing when I don't know why I've written it in there to begin with. But if I trust myself, it all works out. That tiny little thing that seemed so irrelevant has become very important to the plot.
I move these boxes around a lot. Pretty soon I begin to see other ideas emerge in between those boxes. New relationships between characters and scenes. Sometimes it's like looking at those freaky pictures that you have to stare at and defocus your eyes for before the new picture emerges for you.
Some of these text boxes get deleted as I discard them as possible scenes for the story. The point is to get all your ideas down, even the ones that seem silly, and rearrange them many times on the screen. See what could work.
Most importantly, keep an open mind. Trust yourself.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Act Two
Working on act two of Dead for Good. Plotted out the elements I need to have in the second act yesterday, and rarin' to go today. Just need to find some quiet time away from the little bean. Daddy took him to get his hair cut and then out for a while yesterday so I got quite a bit of work done.
I love my little bean, but it's hard to concentrate with a toddler causing mayhem all around you :)
I had help from Chris Isaak's Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing. I played it over and over while I wrote two scenes. I love Chris Isaak's voice. So smooth and sexy. Not hard on the eyes, either. Found the video.
I love my little bean, but it's hard to concentrate with a toddler causing mayhem all around you :)
I had help from Chris Isaak's Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing. I played it over and over while I wrote two scenes. I love Chris Isaak's voice. So smooth and sexy. Not hard on the eyes, either. Found the video.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Silly, Stubborn Writer
Got one scene written today. Seems like a small thing but considering that I've been fighting a lung infection for three weeks which has pretty much sapped me of any creative energy I may have, it's a pretty big deal to me. Finally got on antibiotics and an inhaler. Didn't know it was that bad. I'm stubborn and always think that I can deal with things on my own. Silly, silly writer girl.
But also my little guy has been sick and he's on his second round of antibiotics for his chest thing. When you're a mother you're usually focused on getting your kids better and you don't think much about that stuff you're fighting off.
Soooooo that means I have to wait at least a week to begin the P90X program. Doc thinks I won't get very far before I lose my breath or a coughing fit takes over. So I'll listen. It's frustrating though.
Still, ideas for scenes are running through my mind, and that's a good thing. When I can actually sit down and write a scene without almost nodding off at the end of it, I'll be a writing fool on this book. I'm having fun with it. It's eerie and spooky, and definitely not for the faint of heart. So I'm loving it.
So in the absence of anything productive to say to you, I'm directing you to the wonderful Lilith Saintcrow, who has a fantastic blog entry on fight scenes. Go take a look. Good stuff.
But also my little guy has been sick and he's on his second round of antibiotics for his chest thing. When you're a mother you're usually focused on getting your kids better and you don't think much about that stuff you're fighting off.
Soooooo that means I have to wait at least a week to begin the P90X program. Doc thinks I won't get very far before I lose my breath or a coughing fit takes over. So I'll listen. It's frustrating though.
Still, ideas for scenes are running through my mind, and that's a good thing. When I can actually sit down and write a scene without almost nodding off at the end of it, I'll be a writing fool on this book. I'm having fun with it. It's eerie and spooky, and definitely not for the faint of heart. So I'm loving it.
So in the absence of anything productive to say to you, I'm directing you to the wonderful Lilith Saintcrow, who has a fantastic blog entry on fight scenes. Go take a look. Good stuff.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
The Mind of the Creative
This is a cool article. It's neat because it's like Gary A. Davis is actually talking about me. I guess he is. Since I'm a creative type. But it's neat because I can now say, "Hey! See? That's why I'm like this! He pretty much hits the nail on the head with everything he says.
I'm not absentminded or forgetful though, because I have a neurotic fear of being that way. Like I have a neurotic fear of being late. I am a risk taker and I'm not afraid of failure. I recently tried for a job at my company that I didn't get, but I didn't take it personally and asked the manager to keep me in mind for future positions. No biggie.
But I can be rebellious and I do get bored with triviality. And I hate boredom. Hate. It. But I can amuse myself so I'm rarely bored. If somebody gives me a super long explanation to something that only requires a sentence or two, I tend to zone out. Give me the short version.
Here is a blurb from the article. It's worth reading if you are a creative type or if you're close to one. Useful info to know, as I know I'm a bit of an enigma to some who know me. Thank God my fella knows me and understands. He just lets me be me :)
Creative Personality Traits
"Creativity" is not just a collection of intellectual abilities. It is also a personality type, a way of thinking and living. Although creative people tend to be unconventional, they share common traits. For example, creative thinkers are confident, independent, and risk-taking. They are perceptive and have good intuition. They display flexible, original thinking. They dare to differ, make waves, challenge traditions, and bend a few rules.
Like all of us, creative people make mistakes, and they subject themselves to embarrassment and humiliation. They must be willing to fail. Thomas Watson, founder of IBM, even recommended that one route to success was to "double your failure rate."
One particularly common trait of creative people is enthusiasm. The phrases "driving absorption," "high commitment," "passionate interest," and "unwilling to give up" describe most creative people. The high energy also appears in adventurous and thrill-seeking activities. Don't some of your most creative colleagues ride motorcycles, fly airplanes, sky dive, climb cliffs, or downhill ski?
Curiosity and wide interests are related traits, whether the creative person is a research scientist, entrepreneur, artist, or professional entertainer. A good sense of humor is common. Creative people tend to have a childlike sense of wonder and intrigue, and an experimental nature. They may take things apart to see how they work, explore old attics or odd museums, or explore unusual hobbies and collections. In other words, "the creative adult is essentially a perpetual child—the tragedy is that most of us grow up."
Another interesting combination some creative people display is a tolerance for complexity and ambiguity and an attraction to the mysterious. Creative thinking requires working with incomplete ideas: relevant facts are missing, rules are cloudy, "correct" procedures nonexistent.
Update:
My number one negative trait? If there were a photo next to the term Easily Distracted in the dictionary, you'd see my smiling face in it.
Also, in extremely stressful situations or even times of prolonged stress, things stop making sense to me and I have to take a breather. I may even get lost on roads I travel on all the time. Suddenly unable to remember where things are. Those streets and roads may seem foreign to me when I'm freaked out. Which, of course, freaks me out even more, exacerbating the situation.
Oh, and I take back the absentmindedness thing. I can be absentminded. I might put the milk in the cabinet and the coffee mug in the fridge. I do that shit all the time.
I'm not absentminded or forgetful though, because I have a neurotic fear of being that way. Like I have a neurotic fear of being late. I am a risk taker and I'm not afraid of failure. I recently tried for a job at my company that I didn't get, but I didn't take it personally and asked the manager to keep me in mind for future positions. No biggie.
But I can be rebellious and I do get bored with triviality. And I hate boredom. Hate. It. But I can amuse myself so I'm rarely bored. If somebody gives me a super long explanation to something that only requires a sentence or two, I tend to zone out. Give me the short version.
Here is a blurb from the article. It's worth reading if you are a creative type or if you're close to one. Useful info to know, as I know I'm a bit of an enigma to some who know me. Thank God my fella knows me and understands. He just lets me be me :)
Creative Personality Traits
"Creativity" is not just a collection of intellectual abilities. It is also a personality type, a way of thinking and living. Although creative people tend to be unconventional, they share common traits. For example, creative thinkers are confident, independent, and risk-taking. They are perceptive and have good intuition. They display flexible, original thinking. They dare to differ, make waves, challenge traditions, and bend a few rules.
Like all of us, creative people make mistakes, and they subject themselves to embarrassment and humiliation. They must be willing to fail. Thomas Watson, founder of IBM, even recommended that one route to success was to "double your failure rate."
One particularly common trait of creative people is enthusiasm. The phrases "driving absorption," "high commitment," "passionate interest," and "unwilling to give up" describe most creative people. The high energy also appears in adventurous and thrill-seeking activities. Don't some of your most creative colleagues ride motorcycles, fly airplanes, sky dive, climb cliffs, or downhill ski?
Curiosity and wide interests are related traits, whether the creative person is a research scientist, entrepreneur, artist, or professional entertainer. A good sense of humor is common. Creative people tend to have a childlike sense of wonder and intrigue, and an experimental nature. They may take things apart to see how they work, explore old attics or odd museums, or explore unusual hobbies and collections. In other words, "the creative adult is essentially a perpetual child—the tragedy is that most of us grow up."
Another interesting combination some creative people display is a tolerance for complexity and ambiguity and an attraction to the mysterious. Creative thinking requires working with incomplete ideas: relevant facts are missing, rules are cloudy, "correct" procedures nonexistent.
Update:
My number one negative trait? If there were a photo next to the term Easily Distracted in the dictionary, you'd see my smiling face in it.
Also, in extremely stressful situations or even times of prolonged stress, things stop making sense to me and I have to take a breather. I may even get lost on roads I travel on all the time. Suddenly unable to remember where things are. Those streets and roads may seem foreign to me when I'm freaked out. Which, of course, freaks me out even more, exacerbating the situation.
Oh, and I take back the absentmindedness thing. I can be absentminded. I might put the milk in the cabinet and the coffee mug in the fridge. I do that shit all the time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)