Finding Time to Write

I think the biggest challenge of any "part time do it for fun of it" writer is trying to find the time to write.
I remember listening to several authors and they said you needed to get up before the crack of dawn, when the house is quiet and write. Most professional writers I listen or read about say that they follow a schedule, just as if they were working at it.
That is my excuse. I can't really say problem since I know it is just an excuse.
I have been getting up at 6 each morning but I find myself reading more that I thought I would.
I still think reading is important so I need to figure a way to crave out a few more minutes each day to spend time writing.
Before Boo came along I had tons of time. But my time playing and being with her is priceless to me. Once she hits the bed I usually am out to since I am old and tired from being up at 6 every morning.
Then I need to fit in exercise as well...oh my!

Begin again

I set the goal at the first of the year to do more writing...well I have not done that, yet. I have been getting into a new schedule which is fun with a almost 3 year old around and a job that suddenly decided to change some hours for a week.
But never say die and all that, I am starting again. I will cut into my early morning reading to start to get a few words on paper. Of course I will still read but not just as much I guess.
I will update here as I go.
Right now it is time to review some old pieces and ideas to see if I want to continue or start anew.

Long Time not posting

It seems like I have forgotten this blog...well I guess I have.
I have been keeping up my other blog a bit better and facebook.
Just seem to run out of time...

A New BBook Series (for me)

Due to the raining wet day today I was able to finish a book I have been trying to get through for about a month.
"Dragonmaster" by Chris Bunch really hit the spot.
I was attracted to this book in the store due to the cover art, title and then a simple quote on the back cover from the Library Journal which read "Fans of military fantasy and dragon lore should enjoy this." and I did.
I look forward to the other twp books in the series as well as trying some of his other series.
Dare I say I am excited to read again after the end of Terry Brooks last book?

Good Reads dot com

Laurie Jo hooked me up with a new website. Goodreads.com.
I love it. It is a place where you can share the books you have read, are reading or planning to read.
It is fun to see what others think of books as well as how many people read what you like.

Thanks Jo for telling me about it.

2 Movies that worked for me

I just got done watching 2 movies I picked up at Redbox yesterday.
2012 and Up in the air.
I really enjoyed both. Totaly different types of movies but i was glad I spent the time watching them as I worked on spreadsheets and sort of paid attention to a long boring conference call with 40 other people.

2012 made me think of what if I was thrown in that situation...now I do not have the skills and unbelievable luck the characters had but I do have a family I am close to and would hope some of us would survive.
As for Up in the air...well I have done my share of traveling and thought that it showed life on the road very well. I remember when I first had to travel for business and I thought I was pretty cool. That did not last long.
One trip, after I had been upgraded to 1st class due to being a Platinum member (fly Delta!), I sat next to a guy that said. "Being upgraded so easy is nice, but it sure sucks having had to get to this spot"
He was right, the miles and hours and days I had spent away from Nat were not worth the nice seat, all the diet coke I could drink, the hot meal, all the snacks I wanted, free headphones, free movie in seat back etc. (Now the warm wet towel they give you right after takeoff is pretty nice, but still not worth it)

The writing in Up in the air hit home and in 2012 it made me think. What else do we want as writers but that...

Sometimes the Magic works

Just finished reading Terry Brooks book on writing called "Sometimes the magic works" This is actually the 2nd time I have read this book. I enjoyed it very much (again).
I have still been getting up at 6am every morning, not always doing my personal study or working on writing but still getting up and not giving up.
I have created a reference book that includes pictures of characters and places I have rolling around in my head. They will not all be in the first book or story but they will get their turn. (I promise)

Power of suggestion

At the start of the year I thought about goals and things i need to change. I decided that I need to find more time for personal study and make time to write. Over the next couple of days I thought about it and looked close at my time. I thought that if I wanted to have alone time it needed to be in the mornings. Once I get home from work Boo seems to all my attention until bed time and then I am tired and go to bed myself.
I thought "Well, if I really want to do this I need to start getting up at 6am and have an hour."
The next morning I woke up at 6 without even trying. Every morning since then I have been waking up right around 6am. Now I haven't followed through on my study time or writing, I usually wonder why the heck am I awake and go out and watch TV or go back to sleep.
I have decided that I must really want to do this since I am waking up on my own and not really planning it.
So tomorrow, I will start to do the study and writing. (I really will...no really! I ope so at least)

Other Worlds

Just finished reading "Master Harper of Pern".
What a great feeling in catching up with old friends.
The World of Pern has not completely died as it's author gets older...In fact her son has co-written several new books. They are not as great as her older ones but still the magic of the world continues...

3 Word Journal

Just heard a interview with the author of a new book " The 3 Word Journal
Finding Your Purpose In Life"

I was intrigued by the idea. You simply write down 3 words that describe what you want to remember about that day and using that as a trigger come back to fill in the story later.

Not only is this a good idea as you write your daily journal or life history, but could it not be applied to writing in general?

So often I think of a great story line or a twist to a previous story and mean to write it down but don't. It is then lost.

As I recommit to write this next year I think I will try this method.

Love this clip

Great Sayings

I have started to write down several great sayings I come across.

Here are a few:

"To a 9 yr old with a hammer, everything is a nail!" My boss's boss

"The only perfect people you know are people you do not know very well" Pres Uchtdorf

"Questions into spiritual things require spiritual answers" Pres. Uchtdorf

"God is more concerned with the offerer than the offering" Brad Wilcox

"Grandchildren are the reward you get for letting your children live" unknown

Daddys little helper

Boo is now helping me with everything I do. I am trying to find time to write again but she seems to latch on as soon as I get home until bed time.

Don't get me wrong I love it!!!!

Guess I need to stay up a bit longer and write then.

Bubble Magic

The magic of Bubbles.

I think the pictures say it all

Are we becoming the Borg?

I do not consider myself a Trekkie but I have seen most of the Star Trek Movies and seris . (I am currently watching Enterprise on DVD from the library)
I do find it interesting that we are becoming more like Star Trek. Cell phones, the internet etc. With all this advancement we are also coming closer to the Borg.
Face Book, Twitter, email has brought us all closer to becoming part of the “collective”. My blackberry keeps me in contact with any one 24 hrs a day. I get updates on face book on what friends are doing.
Youth seem to be at a loss if they are out of signal range for even 10 minutes let alone longer.
Technology is good but I do think we are losing some of our basic humanity along with it.

The Classics

I have been searching for a great read lately but have not found anything that really catches me.
I think I will try out some of the classics that I vaguely remember from my youth.
So I will start with The Black Arrow by Stevenson.

I miss the excitement of anxiously waiting for the next Harry Potter or Terry Brooks new work.

Good thing the classics are always there to fall back on.

Hate to admit...my boys were right

For years my boys have been telling me that I should watch the TV show "House". I had caught parts of it every so often. Last week they were doing a marathon of house and I caught several episodes and liked it. Randy was kind enough to loan me season one which I have been watching.
I really like this show. The writing is great and the characters are very enthralling...I hate to admit it but they were right, but they were!

Cool Dude!

Every superstar has two sides to them...

Laughs and growls

Boo loves to read. (well what she thinks is reading) She will sit in the corner and leaf through books. For the past several weeks she has been holding a book and laughing then giving a growl. I finally decided to look and see what book she does this with. This is it. She will often sit through at least 2 pages as I read it with her in my lap.
It is a good book. I guess she growls at the monster...I get such a kick out of watching her love for books start.

Dreams of flying

No magic can replace the dreams

a child gets as they soar through the sky.

Bound to earth by a simple rope and seat but

having no bounds in their mind

as the joy of wind in their hair brings

a smile to their face and

a laugh fills their heart.