tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7457393747368251082024-03-17T22:16:21.180-04:00Tamara Narayan, Author"Everything I do, I rush through, to do something else"-Stephen DobynsTamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.comBlogger430125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-72946571518076053142021-03-03T00:00:00.009-05:002021-05-15T07:01:23.388-04:00March IWSG, 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxdM9jz-v3BP_vDYWn-iyYJziZJPCP0VDidUfk0TqNsCUvm1tsswfp_ScrXkBqj0pfPbhWMYxtJNrsZORdLmtmkp0JnazM5IfsIb476CM4UMEDz_xrbknDukSxLKDnnhfae-giqrVNVbv/s932/IWSGNewBadge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxdM9jz-v3BP_vDYWn-iyYJziZJPCP0VDidUfk0TqNsCUvm1tsswfp_ScrXkBqj0pfPbhWMYxtJNrsZORdLmtmkp0JnazM5IfsIb476CM4UMEDz_xrbknDukSxLKDnnhfae-giqrVNVbv/w200-h197/IWSGNewBadge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And it's March. Almost a year has passed since school was closed for our kids and the big lockdown occurred. Things haven't changed a whole lot since then. The kids do go to school twice a week, but we still don't eat inside restaurants, we have not gone on a vacation, and we don't plan to until we're vaccinated. My parents got Covid (mild cases) and recovered. I don't obsess over the news as much as I used to, but I'm watching to see if there will be a fourth wave due to the variants. Strange times.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Books are a great escape when the stress gets too much, so I was happy to see this month's <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG</a> question. But before that, let me thank our host, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a> and his posse of co-hosts:<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen</a> <a href="https://worddreams.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Jacqui Murray,</a> <a href="http://hogwartssabbatical.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Chemist Ken,</a> <a href="http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Victoria Marie Lees,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> and <a href="http://www.jqrose.com/" target="_blank">JQ Rose</a>.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">March 3 question - </span><span style="background-color: white;">Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeLu04x97YhaGzwqjcYNuSIDyj0GWZju32O7UiTqHYUQ1B6bt8r8RnA5Qv8EH18wi_42duDK4Redx0krp5MEGwBL1PYK5g8jRGiSc54HyMobVXxoJKX3rzUJMxmO9Ods1k15xkSdLC2dM/s452/Firestarter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeLu04x97YhaGzwqjcYNuSIDyj0GWZju32O7UiTqHYUQ1B6bt8r8RnA5Qv8EH18wi_42duDK4Redx0krp5MEGwBL1PYK5g8jRGiSc54HyMobVXxoJKX3rzUJMxmO9Ods1k15xkSdLC2dM/s320/Firestarter.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stephen King's <i>Firestarter</i>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Stephen+King+Firestarter&ref=nb_sb_noss_2">Amazon</a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When I was a kid, horror was the best and only genre worth my time and Stephen King was the ultimate. I wanted to be <i>The Firestarter</i>. Yet I can remember loving the first six or so books by V.C. Andrews as well and sincerely hoping to find a doorway to another realm as in <i>The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe</i> by C.S. Lewis.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7G5XWmSr33XukaQo-qIB-Rnid8jtv3soyW4zlmbePdiqg83a5-o0zTfvSscW-WqXR8XKbd_3LIcRz9vrUQpjrwu8-h88GSxW6eJScaqEC7XYObqjwOsFg-cZPQnjZyoKlQsMmVlUbq_bN/s350/WhenTheBoughBreaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="221" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7G5XWmSr33XukaQo-qIB-Rnid8jtv3soyW4zlmbePdiqg83a5-o0zTfvSscW-WqXR8XKbd_3LIcRz9vrUQpjrwu8-h88GSxW6eJScaqEC7XYObqjwOsFg-cZPQnjZyoKlQsMmVlUbq_bN/s320/WhenTheBoughBreaks.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jonathon Kellerman's First Alex Delaware novel, <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/when-the-bough-breaks-by-jonathan-kellerman/265855/item/2061155/?mkwid=nNQcndKL%7cdc&pcrid=11558858482&pkw=&pmt=be&slid=&product=2061155&plc=&pgrid=3970769556&ptaid=pla-1101002859750&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Bing+Shopping+%7c+Literature+&+Fiction&utm_term=&utm_content=nNQcndKL%7cdc%7cpcrid%7c11558858482%7cpkw%7c%7cpmt%7cbe%7cproduct%7c2061155%7cslid%7c%7cpgrid%7c3970769556%7cptaid%7cpla-1101002859750%7c&msclkid=7d556c49f7a51a63d08f0c77b9c7fd3f#idiq=2061155&edition=2189807">Thriftbooks</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As an older teen and in college, I stretched a bit into the horror of the real world and got into detective/crime works with Jonathan Kellerman's series featuring Alex Delaware as a particular fave.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYVjzm6S4jGh8WPNFufQ7J6nXTfrvMpFsPfbOFOtKyVhDyTo250fx9qgR80MNCiw9QcR3VuRtr0kYUxNbu7uIP560TJA4Lel2ePQUn7ivGaxBq7GMfRKOB-QPttiP18DOCbmiSN0Wm_6z/s300/TheLacuna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYVjzm6S4jGh8WPNFufQ7J6nXTfrvMpFsPfbOFOtKyVhDyTo250fx9qgR80MNCiw9QcR3VuRtr0kYUxNbu7uIP560TJA4Lel2ePQUn7ivGaxBq7GMfRKOB-QPttiP18DOCbmiSN0Wm_6z/s0/TheLacuna.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lacuna-Deluxe-Modern-Classic-ebook/dp/B002SVQCRO/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+lacuna&qid=1614696293&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Then I branched out, taking in more popular fiction and literary-leaning fiction. I fell madly in love with the books of Barbara Kingsolver (especially <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i> and <i>The Lacuna</i>), Anne Patchett (<i>State of Wonder</i>), Yann Martel (<i>Life of Pi</i>), Sue Miller (<i>The Senator's Wife</i>), Kathryn Stockett (<i>The Help</i>), and Wally Lamb (<i>The Hour I First Believed</i>).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUqTvh3ZNWyPcJ6kk-3Bekmn4e_hkNhzFVeDP6XZK4Hp5hsF08JqcCDZ_ftMRlFNFbQpf3m7CCf3CVNGos8CmMbj_-Ij10_j-UPsUpeYCZAj75y4iV-UZzkRPCOBhicP2UZEchBV1GnQ9/s500/BookOfNightWomen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="332" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUqTvh3ZNWyPcJ6kk-3Bekmn4e_hkNhzFVeDP6XZK4Hp5hsF08JqcCDZ_ftMRlFNFbQpf3m7CCf3CVNGos8CmMbj_-Ij10_j-UPsUpeYCZAj75y4iV-UZzkRPCOBhicP2UZEchBV1GnQ9/s320/BookOfNightWomen.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Book-Night-Women-Marlon-James-ebook/dp/B001PYO394/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+book+of+night+women&qid=1614696415&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Before I wrote a historical novel featuring antebellum times, I read a big stack from that genre, both an inspiring and intimidating task.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro3Cn4GbwB-rFadj9j3j_STEwmDXw-PQCuNVRUEZRiR1yJQXNZpyREp7I2MdTxgDbRE8cSlsY01VNYzp7a2sYvv8ZXZky_R62cqqLSSCCTLSnsCWFEUHBhCjQZXWibkaLYelwroHbTiMP/s500/IntoThinAir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro3Cn4GbwB-rFadj9j3j_STEwmDXw-PQCuNVRUEZRiR1yJQXNZpyREp7I2MdTxgDbRE8cSlsY01VNYzp7a2sYvv8ZXZky_R62cqqLSSCCTLSnsCWFEUHBhCjQZXWibkaLYelwroHbTiMP/s320/IntoThinAir.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Jon-Krakauer-ebook/dp/B000FC1ITK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Into+thin+air&qid=1614696532&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I stuck a toe in the wide world of nonfiction and discovered treasures like John Krakauer's <i>Into Thin Air,</i> Andre Agassi's <i>Open</i>, Cheryl Strayed's <i>Wild</i>, and Tara Westover's <i>Educated</i>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphHrIMzZJfWfE6tl0cw5nifhuztK24p5A6XHp7RtgsOLdRB9nT1zzZTz9VkUA9VRXq8ivAQhMhWfywIQAgu5JrHGaKn184o9Mp18D2LiICFxqdpBWHRmL2u0VcA9l0PlAaeO_zNK5OWte/s400/The+Window+by+Dave+Cole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphHrIMzZJfWfE6tl0cw5nifhuztK24p5A6XHp7RtgsOLdRB9nT1zzZTz9VkUA9VRXq8ivAQhMhWfywIQAgu5JrHGaKn184o9Mp18D2LiICFxqdpBWHRmL2u0VcA9l0PlAaeO_zNK5OWte/s320/The+Window+by+Dave+Cole.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dancinglemurpressllc.com/">Dancing Lemur Press</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B5FX755">Amazon</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Books that entertain and inform with characters that feel alive motivate my reading choices. Two of them that I've recently finished include Suzanne Redfearn's <i>In An Instant</i> in which a horrific car crash contrasts the best and worst of humanity. The other is <i>The Window</i> by David Cole (publish by Dancing Lemur Press!) in which a magic portal to the future brings absolute chaos to the main character's life.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Do you use reading to escape and de-stress, gain writerly inspiration, or all of the above?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-37635664636406064582021-02-03T07:58:00.005-05:002021-02-03T08:01:53.381-05:00February IWSG 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqhOiM5HJOXDEveEyZ_lPeLZJSj_a0f83odVM0zL0zylRoMhShuuHvk2ib8XtDZ2Es-OgzV5S-zWMIXKf_sLAcQDIoJlY__9uXgbvXQJnBgytzyOBtzfSAkPPl_3_0ovfExcEFzvg9cy5/s932/IWSGNewBadge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqhOiM5HJOXDEveEyZ_lPeLZJSj_a0f83odVM0zL0zylRoMhShuuHvk2ib8XtDZ2Es-OgzV5S-zWMIXKf_sLAcQDIoJlY__9uXgbvXQJnBgytzyOBtzfSAkPPl_3_0ovfExcEFzvg9cy5/w200-h197/IWSGNewBadge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Another <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG day</a>, and another snowfall! Yesterday, I saw plenty of jokes on how every day is like Groundhog Day, and I swear, I thought I had an idea for a post today until I read my December IWSG post and realized I'd be repeating myself. Sigh. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Anyhoo, let me thank the host of this here par-tay: <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a> and his cohort of cohosts: <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><a href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Louise - Fundy Blue ,</a> <a href="http://jenniferlanebooks.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jennifer Lane,</a> <a href="http://playoffthepage.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Mary Aalgaard,</a> <a href="https://womagwriter.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Patsy Collins at Womagwriter,</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><a href="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Nancy Gideon!</a></span></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This month's optional question is about blogging and friendships. There are many wonderful bloggers I've been in contact with over the years, but my brain is locked in other areas, so I will skip it this month.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today I'm wondering: How long can you be on a writing hiatus and still consider yourself a writer?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">When I first started writing, my girls were three and one years old. The three-year-old went to a preschool in the morning and my husband took my one-year-old on two-hour shopping trips twice a week so I could write. <i>What a guy.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I used that time wisely and cranked out a first draft (<i>what a mess</i>) in a matter of months. Later, when the kids were in grade school (and rode the bus!!!), I might have seven hours to write, five days a week. <i>What a windfall</i>. Those were the golden years and I should have appreciated them more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Then came middle school and the bus became the ninth circle of hell, apparently. My time started to dwindle as evening time started to shift to more and more homework help.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Skip ahead to today. High School. Pandemic. Hybrid schedule with in-person classes only two days a week. I've come full circle, and yet that is not true. I haven't been using those precious, quiet hours to write. Yesterday, I spent them drafting a study guide for AP Chemistry, Unit Four on Lewis Dot Structures, Lattice Energy, and Bond Enthalpies. Not quite as exciting as writing fiction, let me tell you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But I'm a former professor who loves her kids and will do anything I can to help them through this current state of educational chaos.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Am I still a writer? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Are you?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2RTa6tzfwfFXd098lyDJAE4oModi_R_fqPVPnVmINv7RF-LwEVHaw_dtuglFJpmSXj6bOu7pYS-cqxzamF32CGZOBoU59-tH2ySkvbwSdNYOG3VmWv37NJGhpnXs4Ry3iWcH5rTfVPtF/s2048/NightClouds.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2RTa6tzfwfFXd098lyDJAE4oModi_R_fqPVPnVmINv7RF-LwEVHaw_dtuglFJpmSXj6bOu7pYS-cqxzamF32CGZOBoU59-tH2ySkvbwSdNYOG3VmWv37NJGhpnXs4Ry3iWcH5rTfVPtF/s320/NightClouds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Snow, Clouds, and Christmas Lights at dusk from my front door.</div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-54441764962145977362020-12-02T08:51:00.000-05:002020-12-02T08:51:47.657-05:00December 2020 IWSG<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2llLFB-DUfH-fAkQKqYifMf9HzoDCR93un9bT0sO1y1RMOsV1gerM-XgC6zl-Mai75wIYBAS82DdUsb4Vv4YLKDA0gTmrKrG469vdzRahZOaSBbABLWAgTtBYwbXWLTiB0fCSV7Or0WVE/s320/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2llLFB-DUfH-fAkQKqYifMf9HzoDCR93un9bT0sO1y1RMOsV1gerM-XgC6zl-Mai75wIYBAS82DdUsb4Vv4YLKDA0gTmrKrG469vdzRahZOaSBbABLWAgTtBYwbXWLTiB0fCSV7Or0WVE/w200-h197/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Good Morning, Writers. I woke up this morning to a beautiful surprise: three inches of the white stuff, and no, I'm not talking about the empty space on my screen begging for letters. Having grown up in the southern US, I do love snow and wish we could get more here in Rochester, NY. But for now, I'll just appreciate each and every flake.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL38m7pSxStsyGVp-99tZ-hjyRXBwqVjylITRHvuZn-r8bY99Y2NDyIFkIrR7hTStJh0-rj16RW4_jKZTN-ahlTwSWF0iuwlg7tLSvG57heKODjJpAMu30qSFz2xx0tZpZVXPvcObwUtYq/s2048/Backyardsnow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL38m7pSxStsyGVp-99tZ-hjyRXBwqVjylITRHvuZn-r8bY99Y2NDyIFkIrR7hTStJh0-rj16RW4_jKZTN-ahlTwSWF0iuwlg7tLSvG57heKODjJpAMu30qSFz2xx0tZpZVXPvcObwUtYq/s320/Backyardsnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A happy holiday shout-out to our host, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>, and his merry band of co-hosts: <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/" target="_blank">Pat Garcia,</a> <a href="http://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sylvia Ney,</a> <a href="https://www.roamingabout.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Liesbet @ Roaming About</a> <a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Cathrina Constantine,</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Natalie Aguirre</span>!</a></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This month's <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG</a> optional question: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I currently write best in months that contain the letter W. Sad, but true. These days are filled with finding the vertical asymptotes of functions, stoichiometry, rotation and revolution of the earth, and on and on. Funny, I once swore I'd never homeschool my children. Irony!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Otherwise there are cats to amuse, years of clutter to sort, and as much exercise to cram into my schedule. Plus, I'm binge watching The Crown late in the evening.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But when I was more active writing, I'd do best from September to December and then January to early May. Summers have been spent in the yard on various projects.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">____________</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's some more pictures to get you into the Holiday Spirit:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE68FRlxm5nq8sBZ9Nv2s-fA-Osr-vjyYaJg7zj9SIboPEnO_XEJ2C-2zJAAFrPW49RGZZVOmgqiy-yXjfNdCP4mAQdQi3HW36o1C8m_kGqcJrCzidWIKsL8otJNVdKjEh7v25pNcwukB_/s2048/DoveinSantaHat1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE68FRlxm5nq8sBZ9Nv2s-fA-Osr-vjyYaJg7zj9SIboPEnO_XEJ2C-2zJAAFrPW49RGZZVOmgqiy-yXjfNdCP4mAQdQi3HW36o1C8m_kGqcJrCzidWIKsL8otJNVdKjEh7v25pNcwukB_/s320/DoveinSantaHat1.jpeg" /></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I'd shake off this stupid hat if I wasn't so cozy. </i>(Dove)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWLmaR9TP5JwnXOgzk9V-sIzkxHUDpGeiABdr8CsYM8pQCJQVrlQSE1USlFNqYr6elBlXHfDUf-jHKM9qu7tPty6Zl0KKLo4HLR5HrkmmvmD_8h3meJOvweS22oKL_v0quex-cEYU96qs/s2048/NocheBoughs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWLmaR9TP5JwnXOgzk9V-sIzkxHUDpGeiABdr8CsYM8pQCJQVrlQSE1USlFNqYr6elBlXHfDUf-jHKM9qu7tPty6Zl0KKLo4HLR5HrkmmvmD_8h3meJOvweS22oKL_v0quex-cEYU96qs/s320/NocheBoughs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Did someone say "vacuum"?</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's Noche in his fort of overturned tree boughs cut from the bottom of our tree. But check out this shot from my daughters more superior phone and picture-taking skills: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4csZHbVqfxdyvkfgsMTFjwWf4o-NYPoDkCvNVlSM2kCnWdEtuyBXlAh9RPIk3PoqCjP4jaMvZ5GsmsS1qeWT5zpifPnZLZqlm9StD_vgRrl9r6ntZ1-2t8ZkrRVCn-FjKZMpWCJnO3yr/s2048/NocheInBoughs2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO4csZHbVqfxdyvkfgsMTFjwWf4o-NYPoDkCvNVlSM2kCnWdEtuyBXlAh9RPIk3PoqCjP4jaMvZ5GsmsS1qeWT5zpifPnZLZqlm9StD_vgRrl9r6ntZ1-2t8ZkrRVCn-FjKZMpWCJnO3yr/w300-h400/NocheInBoughs2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I is adorable, no?</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Have a safe, healthy, and wonderful holiday season...</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div></span></div><p></p>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-47125796956427785752020-11-04T18:21:00.002-05:002020-11-04T18:22:40.899-05:00November IWSG 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe0aFi-JE_2jm4i4-ev3PEwEfKJ0S5qb_1MrpNTR6R4ePklXwK3H3r8C6Jq87qwjiG5NsOFx-Ohq9CMiG2dPo-Ly7rpWlOdGzUqOeqT1JiLrrtVtkiFYS8-9_JzQj4mT9M4N08ZBEgbCm/s320/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe0aFi-JE_2jm4i4-ev3PEwEfKJ0S5qb_1MrpNTR6R4ePklXwK3H3r8C6Jq87qwjiG5NsOFx-Ohq9CMiG2dPo-Ly7rpWlOdGzUqOeqT1JiLrrtVtkiFYS8-9_JzQj4mT9M4N08ZBEgbCm/w200-h197/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Good evening, insecure writers. I think there are much more insecure folks in the good ole' U.S. of A. tonight than just the writers. What's going to happen next with this election? Talk about a nail biter. Have any of you ever put an election in one of your stories?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thank you to our host, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>, and most excellent crew of co-hosts: <a href="https://jemifraser.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Jemi Fraser,</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"> </span><a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"> </span><a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">L.G Keltner,</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"> </span><a href="http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tyrean Martinson,</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"> and </span><a href="http://rachnachhabria.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rachna Chhabria.</a></span></div><br /><p></p><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This month's optional question: <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><span>Why do you write what you write?</span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/inara-pey/16814282368/in/photolist-rBPAm9-3fqkaS-yoF18Z-yoJ5Sx-yFWxdz-areht-dGhL92-7LAGuq-xJiAua-yFWrdi-rBQQ9j-6egF4r-rUjVZr-QsLbn-ig6xcu-98wM4F-2hS62Yd-69rLR4-4iXKey-2h2Qju3-jeXoxP-e4RGaQ-qiATcA-4ohnrg-dqSXJx-2481TCn-XkV9jf-6TPaGe-rBXzRr-7KmUth-4xS5Wu-7aTRjX-bizcu-7LwGLn-tK8im6-23HpY5-7LwGkB-8vNHzc-7LAG2A-9UzmTf-2hS73Mr-F1X2Qn-ig6ZeM-81z4zZ-4YDEcH-6dMwgP-4Er19w-dyUEpd-9ywmA2-rUhBaN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Pandora's Box of Dreams - April 2015"><img alt="Pandora's Box of Dreams - April 2015" height="177" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8717/16814282368_d299ed8313_z.jpg" width="377" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/inara-pey/">Inara Pey</a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have loved books for so many years. They seem to cure so many maladies, including boredom and loneliness. They inspire. They educate. Books are magical. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I wanted to know if I could create a story comparable to the stories that made a big impression on me or the ones that made me think and see something from another point of view. I wanted to know if I could create something magical. Something a reader could get lost in. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This lead to stories where, hopefully, the characters seemed like real people and the situations were full of tension and surprises. </span></p><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><p>______________</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/97477873@N00/9381913928/in/photolist-fi3L9G-8hmA5-4kFHYh-2FdCgK-czb75q-qitVU-tk1qY-fhumuu-fhumHS-7akEkf-2kesfb-iGLf1-iGLk7-iGLn8-5JVUzc-4fZE6n-iGLgL-cD1C3-avMeWC-2jE6Qvx-8k5G3K-6xv6mW-4q5v6-a4NChP-bn4qTt-2zb2yh-c45F-f67Am-sFPcT-sFPkh-c3sL-iz5yp-iz5ys-iz5yr-iz5yu-iz5yq-iz5yt-4mZaHP-6zqqUa-82KPJ-eVy75d-HouxX-sFP8H-sFPhn-FqLoL-5zwmCZ-qnpFmt-sFPex-sFPgf-c43p" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="jello"><img alt="jello" height="206" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/2820/9381913928_f760659768_z.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/97477873@N00/">Marcia O' Connor </a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I skipped last month's IWSG blog hop because the Tuesday before, I did something all newly-minted, 50-year-olds (or rather, 45-year-olds nowadays) should do: I got my first colonoscopy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Man, I was dreading this test for years, not because of the procedure itself, but because of the prep. And not the drinking the bad stuff either (although Suprep tasted like sea water with a squirt of cherry piss and that's being generous).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My greatest fear was the day of fasting. I've never fasted more than 12 hours and I don't skip meals. I was afraid of getting the mother of all headaches and completely falling apart. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And like all fears, once I'd gotten through it, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Did I get a bad headache? Yes. But that's from working all day with one of my daughters on her schoolwork. Six hours of screen time without food will do that to a person. Did I have a minor freakout when I realized my Tylenol was coated in bright red, the forbidden color you absolutely <i>can't</i> have on the day before a colonoscopy? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Oh, yeah. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, I tried to make due with some years out-of-date white Tylenol that really didn't help much. You want to know the other forbidden color? Purple. I remembered this just as I was swishing the awful taste of Suprep away with my mouthwash and realized mid-swish that IT WAS PURPLE! Oh, calamity!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Well, at least I didn't accidentally scarf down a bunch of chocolate-chip cookies or anything. The only item close to food that you're allowed on fast day is Jello. I mixed up 4 batches of the stuff and learned some important things. First, you really need boiling hot water to dissolve the stuff properly. Otherwise, it turns out grainy. Second, blue raspberry jello isn't that great. Orange is the best flavor, then lime, then lemon. Skip the blue.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Another thing you can <strike>eat</strike> drink the day before is chicken broth. I read somewhere that you should treat yourself to an expensive brand of broth. Don't. The expensive brand I picked (Pacific) tasted like somebody scraped the burnt parts off a grill and mixed it with water. Hurl. Just go with a brand you know and you will be much happier.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">When I finally got home and could eat, I scarfed down all the chocolate-chip cookies in the house and slept for three hours. What a day.</span></p><p>_______________</p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Anything you've been dreading?</span> </p>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-62950861469895293392020-09-30T00:00:00.001-04:002020-09-30T00:00:03.756-04:00Chrys Fey Frozen Crimes Blog Hop<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VyKBQWkJV6bWNh0BXyY3CHymYAKyXyW_bZPkYv34j4i_K37J_lIjSg0TMgkdK8FhOX5L-8YM9tcgaDQuFfJ2HhHufy1-OKAj56m1Dbu42W_YLsw39GlClzhcFuLjRMTC_E__c0OykLdn/s500/FROZEN+CRIMES+BLOG+HOP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VyKBQWkJV6bWNh0BXyY3CHymYAKyXyW_bZPkYv34j4i_K37J_lIjSg0TMgkdK8FhOX5L-8YM9tcgaDQuFfJ2HhHufy1-OKAj56m1Dbu42W_YLsw39GlClzhcFuLjRMTC_E__c0OykLdn/s320/FROZEN+CRIMES+BLOG+HOP.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Whom would you want to be stuck with during a blizzard, and what would you do?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Well, I don't think I can pick just one. So here are my top three:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rileyroxx/150077159/in/photolist-egbHe-8Sm3GA-aXF78c-8SkYBE-8SkYmL-8ShVqH-jJ29wq-bSnwmF-8ShWPZ-4mdh27-bSnvYa-bDsMvh-bSnvmZ-bfQKhK-8ShX6H-bDsMcs-8ShTwR-8Sm3q1-8SkYP1-8Nm3rX-8Sm2JQ-bSnw4Z-bDsMj7-8ShRjR-8Sm2Vo-bSnw9c-bDsMFE-8ShRu4-bSnvRz-bDsMBj-ev2nYh-mQNBqJ-bSnvZV-8Sm2Qm-8ShUen-8Sm1vN-8ShS94-aXF7XR-8ShUEz-fnvGpv-bSnvLP-amU8mc-8ShXqR-bfQEtn-7tB2g5-bDsNo3-mQKPxe-8Sm2dm-8Sm4co-8ShUZD" title="Red Hot Chili Peppers Logo"><img alt="Red Hot Chili Peppers Logo" height="150" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/56/150077159_46694ce12e_z.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rileyroxx/">Richard Riley</a><br /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">3. The Red Hot Chili Peppers</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">They seem like a cool bunch to hang with and if I could hear acoustic versions of My Friends, By the Way, and Snow (Hey, Oh)--obviously--so much the better.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brettkiger/31683864332/in/photolist-QgN61Y-217gxp8-5XMJHi-26tVnRA-mo9nD-i1BpUv-mo9nE-aZHArc-ihVQKw-AV2MZN-cD1N6m-i9NUtz-5JwTxL-8ZqBH2-iqNVRR-21sVTpu-yY7tL-2i3proz-4b2AoR-5RXS1y-y8yP1-49nxE8-47LzjQ-7As1ZQ-2S95YL-7jw8am-5m5EB8-aNBwn6-22zQow8-GTE8wD-5MAwVk-qbtSF3-2acqTBs-7tec3C-QxfZAP-7g1HQd-7yBTKb-5GcgyA-22sz5Hp-tRfQk-25b1H5e-7jwb3C-NtDGuE-5VhGQd-5HnA2H-aPJ4xc-6LEPJ-dCfLYY-5XMuqr-hQaqPb" title="Santa Claus Came Last Night"><img alt="Santa Claus Came Last Night" height="213" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/544/31683864332_c53e5fa567_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brettkiger/">Brett Kiger</a><br /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2. Santa Claus</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ah, imagine it. Making toys with elves, drinking hot cider with Santa, taking a ride through the snowy night with Rudolph lighting the way. Every kid's dream.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/neilconway/5024687741/in/photolist-8E1QBg-871KFQ-fhNeE4-4PhdGQ-aegWuC-9wPbRm-Pzi41-fhNjs2-9xTKv3-k3dznt-q7nmu-2A379z-7YKh2J-6G2E8r-feqQTS-9hCgGf-6G6QaG-feqRz1-6G2FfZ-tXBA3o-dVg8og-2hd43m-ojvMd-8kaUAM-febym8-4PcZAv-9xQLyt-4PcWKX-5yFkZh-891k2R-4PcZMp-6G2SyT-wXHVYo-fi3u4W-6G6qdf-iNgs45-9wPc6W-7NhhBt-dWhcad-4PhdeQ-j4qFPW-7tEoUD-6G2q6i-CBsTPc-932nFp-74ztDd-5SXXy1-V5EyR-9wPhN5-9wPibG" title="So Hot"><img alt="So Hot" height="229" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4090/5024687741_61d79defbf_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/neilconway/">Neil Conway</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="Firsilar the cat asleep wearing a tiny top hat" height="240" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8106/8521507173_10e0ce545d_z.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/69302634@N02/">Helena Jacoba</a></div><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">1. Snuggly Party</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Fluff, fluff, and more fluff on a comfy sofa with a warm fire while the winds howl and the snow piles up and up. Pure bliss. (And these aren't my actual pets, so I'm not cheating!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f8c23236-7fff-b2ed-a070-1bd1938c7a3a"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hop around to the other participants to read their answers:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.writewithfey.com/2020/09/whom-would-you-want-to-be-stuck-with.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frozen Crimes Blog Hop</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When disasters strike around every corner, is it possible to have a happily-ever-after?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgk5mDWo7pF0UX4HhE6z9mlmMhnnlJtoar-Bg91qSVwhTG-d7JTs03RscCkY5Dbr17v90MRZufZHbTtJuOsMZ_hQNYYznNuxB6fNI0RP_XN4VtGCKj6Yje1rBb_56vvYhXsHWaPeHFum-/s2048/FrozenCrimes_w14767_ib.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgk5mDWo7pF0UX4HhE6z9mlmMhnnlJtoar-Bg91qSVwhTG-d7JTs03RscCkY5Dbr17v90MRZufZHbTtJuOsMZ_hQNYYznNuxB6fNI0RP_XN4VtGCKj6Yje1rBb_56vvYhXsHWaPeHFum-/s320/FrozenCrimes_w14767_ib.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BLURB:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Beth and Donovan are expecting their first child. Life couldn’t get any better…until a stalker makes his presence known. This person sends disturbing messages and unsettling items, but it isn’t long before his menacing goes too far.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hoping for a peaceful Christmas, Donovan takes Beth to Michigan. Days into their trip, a winter storm named Nemesis moves in with the goal of burying the state. Snowdrifts surround their house, and the temperature drops below freezing.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Except, the storm isn’t the only nemesis they must face. Everyone’s lives are at stake—especially that of their unborn child. Will they survive, or will they become a frozen crime?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BUY LINKS:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Crimes-Disaster-Book-ebook/dp/B08DZCQVBR/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> / </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frozen-crimes-chrys-fey/1137427199?ean=2940162697701" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Barnes & Noble</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> / </span><a href="https://books.apple.com/ca/book/frozen-crimes/id1526066708" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">iTunes</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">EXCERPT:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The crunch of the shovel pounding into the snow and ice filled his ears. It was all he could hear. The rest of the street was silent beneath its wintry blanket. Breathing was difficult with the icy air clogging his lungs. His nose burned. His throat was dry and on fire. But he ignored it, focusing on his task.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crack, crack, crack</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He jabbed the shovel into a hunk of snow. On the third hit, it shattered into several pieces. He scooped them up and flung them to the side. He surveyed what remained. There was one big ball in the middle of the path that needed to be dealt with next. He moved over to it and struck it. That one impact had it severing in two. He was about to hit it again when something crashed into the back of his head.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Explosions of white light danced over his vision. Pain enveloped his skull. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The shovel slipped from his fingers. Blackness cloaked his mind, coaxing him into its depths.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Beth</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Her name was a whisper in his head, as if his thoughts were being sucked into a wormhole.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">His legs collapsed under his weight.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cold. It seeped into him, consuming him. And then his consciousness fled down that same void that ate his thoughts.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">***HUGE DISASTER CRIMES GIVEAWAY*** </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9joioJuGmp9Y4vAalcso6pEo9eRC7FQTrkZg6an1lF7Jk-tW2WDzVrsQxW9G7YjM8nDZ0PTGL9XgU3bM5KO0LYdddviQDI4RQeUTVLRvtpXxC-M6sueKFgNwTLAxE5b6SkvrqmuOVD9JJ/s500/GIVEAWAY+-+FROZEN+CRIMES.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9joioJuGmp9Y4vAalcso6pEo9eRC7FQTrkZg6an1lF7Jk-tW2WDzVrsQxW9G7YjM8nDZ0PTGL9XgU3bM5KO0LYdddviQDI4RQeUTVLRvtpXxC-M6sueKFgNwTLAxE5b6SkvrqmuOVD9JJ/s320/GIVEAWAY+-+FROZEN+CRIMES.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prizes:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 4 eBooks (Disaster Crimes 1-4: Hurricane Crimes, Seismic Crimes, Tsunami Crimes, Flaming Crimes) + Girl Boss Magnets (4), Inflatable Cup Holder (1), Adventure Fuel To-Go Cups (2), Anchor Fashion Scarf (1), Mermaid Nail Clippers (2), Citrus and Sea Salt Scented Candle (1), Snowflake Handmade Bookmark (1), Insulated Cooler Bag (1)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eligibility:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> International</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Number of Winners:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> One</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Giveaway Ends:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> October 30, 2020 12:00am EST</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LINK:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76132e0221/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76132e0221/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="76132e0221" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/76132e0221/" id="rcwidget_kgj6wzuh" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">***FREE EXCLUSIVE EBOOK***</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_4g837lJeW_1O15umb6ARmwrzhdOPikVDBBsQo5qR7e60nQQJyJ470w5ALt49yWHAk_hVj9yC-QdE8C59tgqhYHt4S0MT3hBIHrUtGqGRlIWqeh7tYpMH5vF41oIB4-pPlDXfMx3O4l8/s1080/THE+CRIME+BEFORE+THE+STORM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_4g837lJeW_1O15umb6ARmwrzhdOPikVDBBsQo5qR7e60nQQJyJ470w5ALt49yWHAk_hVj9yC-QdE8C59tgqhYHt4S0MT3hBIHrUtGqGRlIWqeh7tYpMH5vF41oIB4-pPlDXfMx3O4l8/s320/THE+CRIME+BEFORE+THE+STORM.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To get the exclusive prequel to the Disaster Crimes series, </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2UlZjU0" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sign up for Chrys’ newsletter</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. By signing up, you agree to receive Chrys Fey’s newsletter. After you confirm subscription, you will receive an email (so check your inbox and spam folder) with directions on where to snag your eBook copy of THE CRIME BEFORE THE STORM.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2UlZjU0" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Click here to sign up and get The Crime Before the Storm FREE!</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBazOn4VH6dnaC_QUczJQKUwwhyphenhyphenPX6yWJBP0p7uBpas-fXC8t5KRE0sGIsS3pVe2BwPS1j24Mk-3vfGoUTmjDx8fnKI9EuGWzNMF-Fsjzz3H1VgWWyVPch9evv2m2KM1cjibzcrF0Zhyx6/s492/Chrys+Fey+Author+Photo+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBazOn4VH6dnaC_QUczJQKUwwhyphenhyphenPX6yWJBP0p7uBpas-fXC8t5KRE0sGIsS3pVe2BwPS1j24Mk-3vfGoUTmjDx8fnKI9EuGWzNMF-Fsjzz3H1VgWWyVPch9evv2m2KM1cjibzcrF0Zhyx6/w260-h320/Chrys+Fey+Author+Photo+%25281%2529.jpg" width="260" /></a></span></div><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance. She runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press. </span><a href="https://www.chrysfey.com" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.chrysfey.com</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Author Links:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chrysfey.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Website</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> / </span><a href="http://www.writewithfey.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blog</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> / </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/ChrysFey" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goodreads</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">/ </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/chrysfey" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> / </span><a href="https://twitter.com/ChrysFey" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> / </span><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chrys-Fey/e/B00GWLZJ8O/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1431100007&sr=1-2-ent" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Amazon</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;">________________________________________________</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;">Have you ever experienced a blizzard? Which of my three picks above appeals the most to you?</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p></span></div></div><p></p>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-3881123576470947872020-09-02T09:45:00.000-04:002020-09-02T09:45:03.173-04:00IWSG September 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-B95cbEOw7p0N4dktRKvI1LQblwIUy9cAZnPT449BkTUi_ugmpSHKf1xOeDUqFPePYrHCBfJXABsfIvY022AgOfwLl8f2lanpUoYhDNkREYXWxWMRj5rRnsErvJVZbUCBLmTob3LBuVP/s932/IWSGNewBadge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-B95cbEOw7p0N4dktRKvI1LQblwIUy9cAZnPT449BkTUi_ugmpSHKf1xOeDUqFPePYrHCBfJXABsfIvY022AgOfwLl8f2lanpUoYhDNkREYXWxWMRj5rRnsErvJVZbUCBLmTob3LBuVP/w168-h165/IWSGNewBadge.jpg" width="168" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hello and good morning (afternoon, evening, dead of night, whatever). How are things in your corner of this brave new world? I woke up with a pit of dread in my gut. My kids are scheduled to enter their school building in two weeks. Yikes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/100997855@N02/9680939238/in/photolist-fKtkXu-2js9uip-6WG4iU-oBTXBA-oDFyKr-oBDQHx-oBH8PU-ozTWQb-okr7Hi-oBH8k7-oDFupT-2h3W8cz-okrdaj-okraMe-2h3WQiy-4M9Buh-oBTUVy-ozTYaf-okqMZs-oBDR5p-oBVGk2-oBTZhQ-oBH5Yo-okqTpA-okqNN1-oBH7o7-oBH7SU-oBVFNk-oBHatL-oBVD5p-oBTUEU-oDFwwD-oBTVtN-8CBbWY-8Cy5Z8-8CBbwU-kjVaW-8CBc6w-8Cy5AD-8CBbFm-8CBcom-cvJqLY-2h3WQah-a8avQX-58tXBb-5qEJtB-8qMLN8-2js9uf8-5qF4F2-2jrJbh9" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cool_school_supplies"><img alt="Cool_school_supplies" height="205" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7415/9680939238_6c5994b478_z.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/100997855@N02/">The Wizard</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But before that, they'll start online learning and my youngest has picked the basement as her home school spot and, boy, oh boy, have I got a mess to straighten up down there. You've seen hoarding shows? And my oldest has decided a complete closet makeover including finding the smallest desk possible with drawers, reordering the shelving, and gosh, redoing the lighting would be spiffy and can I please help her get that done by next Thursday. It will be so cool! Uh . . . Sure! No problem. Gulp. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Step one in these mighty projects? Blog, obviously. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thank you, to <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex Cavanaugh</a> for hosting <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">this monthy blog hop</a> where writers can spew forth whatever is one their mind, be it fair or foul. And a big shout out to the co-hosts <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://pjcolandoblog.com/" target="_blank">PJ Colando,</a> <a href="https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">J Lenni Dorner,</a> <a href="http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Deniz Bevan,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a></span><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Louise - Fundy Blue!</a></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This month's optional question: </span><span face="" style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="" style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Picking a dead beta partner would be like querying agents. Getting any sort of feedback would be nothing short of a miracle. Ba-dun-duh. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Okay, that was a cheap shot. I'd be very tempted to pick Stephen King, just to read his novels waaay before they were ever available to the general public. I'd also be curious to see what his work looks like before his seriously-awesome editor steps in.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdobie/2795810195/in/photolist-5g4fY4-cHL79A-cw62AG-pRtxXk-dq8PYU-asCUxc-asFxmY-asCUba-LRobbc-bZL7h7-3bQFa4-25LGXbB-wrMy4-wrMxW-2zPED-qDykPy-SZVgS5-mHkYiH-c6cz-QwVdJ3-qT8HfF-4EjKui-5mMc55-7R6x33-7R3pdF-7R3dVV-7R3bJD-7R3s4F-e1fjG4-e1fb1a-e1fkok-e1fj2a-e1faa6-azeNT5-9wkUuP-cpBVSC-dRV6zZ-7wpUfB-bUpSHz-QJNmhr-92maFN-cbLZnQ-2stHS-HuhRkx-aEEFUK-mnBFF-aVFM8-21wvbu7-LRnzPB-2hARnte" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="King, Stephen - Wolves of the Calla (2004 TPB)"><img alt="King, Stephen - Wolves of the Calla (2004 TPB)" height="328" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/3160/2795810195_a2f95d17eb_z.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdobie/">sdobie</a><br /><i>What I'm currently rereading.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But that would mean he would see my stuff. <i>Oh, the mediocrity!</i> Well, hopefully not, but it would not be an equal partnership. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">What are the qualities of a great beta partner for you? Do you want someone whose writing skills seem near your level or would you prefer to work with a master-of-the-art?</span></div><br /><p></p>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-28849669309262606782020-08-05T00:00:00.019-04:002020-08-05T00:00:03.686-04:00IWSG and Keep Writing With Fey Blog Hops<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_BL8B0ZZRSNIspUQ3dNDZ-kP1DLeJKv5roWahGyHI7Am2ORTSVlfRhZlF7P3QV0RdIP8zTfUi_wfKiK6k14IF6kZcYr0teL5gim_4YB8gtq4NkpKx4HXhA80oEK0G8aS7wbxODSyrGgo/s932/IWSGNewBadge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_BL8B0ZZRSNIspUQ3dNDZ-kP1DLeJKv5roWahGyHI7Am2ORTSVlfRhZlF7P3QV0RdIP8zTfUi_wfKiK6k14IF6kZcYr0teL5gim_4YB8gtq4NkpKx4HXhA80oEK0G8aS7wbxODSyrGgo/w210-h206/IWSGNewBadge.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Today you get two blog hops for the price of one. It's time for the monthly IWSG hop hosted by Alex Cavannaugh and cohosted by </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="https://writingsusanb-rouch.blogspot.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Susan Baury Rouchard,</a><font color="#e50000"> </font><a href="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Nancy Gideon,</a><font color="#e50000"> </font><a href="http://jenniferlanebooks.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Jennifer Lane,</a><font color="#e50000"> </font><a href="https://www.blogger.com/jenniferswritingrevolution.blogspot.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Jennifer Hawes,</a><font color="#e50000"> </font><a href="http://hogwartssabbatical.blogspot.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Chemist Ken,</a><font color="#e50000"> and </font><a href="http://writewithfey.blogspot.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Chrys Fey</a>. The IWSG is great place for</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> writers who would like to share what's on their mind. This month, one of the above co-host, Chrys Fey, is also hosting a blog hop on writer's block, depression, and/or burnout that I will be participating in, because, yes, you can do it all, right? </span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Well, no, of course not. That's silly. I'll be skipping the optional monthly question for the IWSG. </span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Once upon a time, I was a happy writer, cranking out my first novel with dreams of getting an agent and then a publishing deal and someday, seeing my book in a store, watching with pride as a customer came along, plucked it from the shelf, and put in their cart/recyclable bag. Ah, such innocent times. </span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Then I tried to query. What a roller coaster that was. Lots of rejection, lots of not hearing anything, a small smattering of partial requests, an even smaller number of whole requests, and one revision and resubmit that still ended in the dreaded: No. Heck, I even went to NYC for a editorial conference to pitch to editors. </span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When I'd had enough, I wrote another novel and followed the sage advice that an efficient writer should start their new novel while quering the finished one. Sure! Except they never said how to keep writing while actively being rejected again and again. </span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So the third novel petered out during the second draft, restarted a bit here and there, and stopped dead with the pandemic. I haven't touched it in months. What to do, what to do? </span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I could self publish, but the amount of work to do it well, figuring out how to hire editors, copy-editors, cover-artists, self-promotion, and marketing all seemed too much. I wasn't ready to commit the time or the money. Maybe I should clean one of the novels up and put it on WattPad and see if it gains any readers. But that still would take a lot of time and do I want to keep investing time in either of the first two novels? Not sure.</span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So now what? Quit writing? Maybe. Or maybe, I'll just write <i>not</i> for the purpose of publishing, but for the purpose (and hopefully, joy) of creating. In other words, write for myself. Will anyone ever see it? I don't know. When will this writing ever begin? Possible this fall, depending on how much my daughters need my help with school. How do I feel about it? Sigh. I really don't know. Whatever I'm going through, call it writer's block, depression, or burn-out, it's not over yet. </span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But I'm not sitting in a corner crying about it. I'm gardening like a mad man (woman). I'm decluttering the house. I'm hiking, biking, kayaking, and reading Stephen King's Gunslinger series while eating way too many M&Ms.</span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWEx9TLJW3EmXMWKrPOm88LbFDtYuaeL3Len6HM2vBQXqBunB1UyPDbWEJcCMmA4xAWExfH7RfgvNZzOVuilmCoF0ya9uzGdQQ5eTcZ6CtjpgCZClEuoXCvqPkqF6yLNQLU2gal-FsDuL/s2048/RockGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWEx9TLJW3EmXMWKrPOm88LbFDtYuaeL3Len6HM2vBQXqBunB1UyPDbWEJcCMmA4xAWExfH7RfgvNZzOVuilmCoF0ya9uzGdQQ5eTcZ6CtjpgCZClEuoXCvqPkqF6yLNQLU2gal-FsDuL/w410-h307/RockGarden.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The rock garden, now with some plants, but not finished.</i></div> </span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And here's something else I could be reading: </span></font></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22jG20DOfWbphMHZwtrdvqPrnrMU5vqbPSafBBpaKuPVRGkhK5-zEUhX-XcDvsKYxEyxmI93uc3nHo2xGoIi4UGOVA-DQ-M2aB59bmvUcCfDSiA73nO4X2dX5qst3OmMAT_PA-dctXD19/s654/KWWF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="432" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22jG20DOfWbphMHZwtrdvqPrnrMU5vqbPSafBBpaKuPVRGkhK5-zEUhX-XcDvsKYxEyxmI93uc3nHo2xGoIi4UGOVA-DQ-M2aB59bmvUcCfDSiA73nO4X2dX5qst3OmMAT_PA-dctXD19/w216-h328/KWWF.jpg" width="216" /></a></b></div><b> </b><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Catch the sparks you need to conquer writer’s block, depression, and burnout!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">When Chrys Fey shared her story about depression and burnout, it struck a chord with other writers. That put into perspective for her how desperate writers are to hear they aren’t alone. Many creative types experience these challenges, battling to recover. Let Keep Writing with Fey: Sparks to Defeat Writer's Block, Depression, and Burnout guide you through:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.7in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 13.5pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Writer's block</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.7in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 13.5pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Depression</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.7in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 13.5pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Writer's burnout</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.7in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 13.5pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">What a writer doesn’t need to succeed</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.7in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 13.5pt;">·</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Finding creativity boosts</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">With these sparks, you can begin your journey of rediscovering your creativity and get back to what you love - writing.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">BOOK LINKS:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Keep-Writing-Fey-Writers-Depression-ebook/dp/B0849R9S8R/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> / </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keep-writing-with-fey-fey-chrys/1136384744?ean=9781939844743" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Nook</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> / </span><a href="https://books.apple.com/ca/book/keep-writing-with-fey/id1497044824" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">iTunes</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> / </span><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/keep-writing-with-fey" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Kobo</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50983917-keep-writing-with-fey" style="color: #954f72;">Goodreads</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr98QHyBIwAId6FrIdujCh8qc4HmUntRd1kdaHHz9dMFttDt_6VQOvofGdtFPacdITVPSUIaief9pbAshftk0X9LSjXU6SSTvK4uyuxOa03lK2d-HOgtvWhFXdz4xf_QilYSGkgM7YDyGg/s492/Chrys+Fey+Author+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="400" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr98QHyBIwAId6FrIdujCh8qc4HmUntRd1kdaHHz9dMFttDt_6VQOvofGdtFPacdITVPSUIaief9pbAshftk0X9LSjXU6SSTvK4uyuxOa03lK2d-HOgtvWhFXdz4xf_QilYSGkgM7YDyGg/w164-h202/Chrys+Fey+Author+Photo.jpg" width="164" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.2in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 19.26px;">Chrys Fey is the author of </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Write-Fey-Sparks-Guide-Publication/dp/1939844487" style="color: #954f72;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 19.26px;">Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication</span></i></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 19.26px;">. She is also the author of the <i>Disaster Crimes</i> series. Visit her blog, </span><a href="http://www.writewithfey.blogspot.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 19.26px;">Write with Fey</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 19.26px;">,</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 19.26px;"> for more tips on how to reverse writer’s burnout. </span><span style="color: #954f72; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 19.26px;"><a href="https://www.chrysfey.com/" style="color: #954f72;">https://www.chrysfey.com/</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 19.26px;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">_____________</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">Has burnout/writer's block been a problem for you?</p>
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<!--end LinkyTools script-->Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-54447760300944324542020-07-01T16:37:00.001-04:002020-07-01T16:37:47.070-04:00IWSG July 2020 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy (almost) 4th of July! Do you have any plans? I don't know if our local fireworks are happening or not. I'm guessing not. Our biggest plan: to watch <i>Hamilton</i> on Disney+. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh for hosting <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">this here shindig</a> along with his rockin' band of cohosts: <b style="font-size: 14.85px;"><a href="https://jennienzor.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Jenni Enzor,</a><span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="https://bethandwriting.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Beth Camp,</span></a> </span><a href="https://www.roamingabout.com/" style="background-color: white; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Liesbet,</a><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tyrean Martinson,</a></b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"> and </span><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><a href="http://sandracox.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sandra Cox!</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This month's optional question: <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A good question, but I got nothing.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, I will substitute my own question: Is there anything more fun than a pallet of flat rock?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let me explain. Like the past two summers, I've dropped writing like a hot potato in order to exhaust myself physically on outdoor projects. This spring my husband dismantled the kids' old swing set in the backyard.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">Much of the wood and plastic pieces were chewed to bits by squirrels. That and its advanced age made me realize it was not something anyone else would want in their yard, even if they were inclined to transfer the thing and not concerned about catching Covid from used items. Time to recycle, reuse, and re-imagine.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">My husband got his tools shined up and built some stunning flower boxes.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14.85px;">My project is something else: transforming the now-empty space of weeds and decaying mulch into something awesome.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">Step One: Dig up the old garden cloth underneath. Do not use this junk. Ever. It keeps weeds down for a year or two and then they'll grow right through it in an impenetrable weave any shovel or trowel will simply bounce off of. It's from the devil. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">Step Two: Make a big dirt pile. Any self-respecting ornamental landscape garden should not be flat. (My apologies to Kansas. (However, trivia fun-fact: Florida is the flattest of all the US states.))</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">Step Three: Wrestle, hog-tie, dig deep ditches, and get a hernia bringing in some weathered limestone boulders--all 1262 pounds of the five of them. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">Step Four: Arrange a pallet of flat stone to suggest waterfalls, natural bridges, and what-not. Keep rearranging them until your fingernails turn black and you can't feel your forearms. Realize your super-cool stream bed is tilted at least 15 degrees in the wrong direction. Undo two days work trying to fix. Bring in level to avoid this mistake again. Consider taking up arm-wrestling with all your new-found strength. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">Pictures? Well, not yet. It's still a Gehenna of dry dirt, rock, and three new wilting rhododendron plants that are getting way, way too much sun. But here are my dual inspirations: </span></span></span><br />
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Image: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cadampol/">Carlos Adampol Galindo</a></div>
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Image: Watkins Glen Gorge by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/7238238@N02/">h_wang_02</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a real sense, creating this landscape, even in miniature, is a lot like writing a novel. It's a lot harder than it looks, takes forever, is exhausting, needs a crap-ton of editing, and will probably not live up to my expectations. But there is a silver lining: no marketing needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Any projects for you this summer? </span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-46175655080155279342020-06-03T10:52:00.002-04:002020-06-03T11:10:47.372-04:00IWSG June 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy June! I don't know what happened to May. It crossed my mind to write my blog four days before it was due (so I procrastinated) and it crossed my mind to write it four days after it was due (so I gave up.) Oh well. That's what happens when every day seems the same.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A big thanks to our host, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>, and his wonderful co-hosts: <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><a href="http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Pat Garcia,</a> </span><a href="http://www.jqrose.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-size: 14.85px;" target="_blank">J.Q. Rose,</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"> and </span><a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-size: 14.85px;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre!</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today's <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG</a> optional question: <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;">Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?</span></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lanevids/16816333342/in/photolist-5XXuMX-dkeep-64Ypvr-5nyRZC-mNBXK6-bfhgeP-5dp3PA-bEsjrk-6yjS4B-6ruzEZ-NX69cW-4t9i3y-FRGT7j-Nhh6D1-5ycoBW-6yjRv8-932rdW-37scR7-7BHrJi-5cLWPa-34qZ5u-7GL5fK-4t5e5c-7GL572-6mTJZp-5y7LCx-7GQ1tG-4t5enV-5yc6u5-rC172L-4t9hJC-5y84nv-4t9hWb-96CDtv-5y7Fsr-5ycjZG-bfgT84-63PdzF-5ycaTJ-5y7RdX-5ychyC-5y7GkZ-xvWc5k-5yckBJ-5ychQQ-eusWzc-WNP6by-5y7YjP-6D4aW-6w5yi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Come to the Nerd Side ... We have Pi #PiDay #Pi #314 #nerd #geek #dork #math #mathjoke #starwars #HappyPiDay #Teachers #PiDay2015"><img alt="Come to the Nerd Side ... We have Pi #PiDay #Pi #314 #nerd #geek #dork #math #mathjoke #starwars #HappyPiDay #Teachers #PiDay2015" height="200" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/7636/16816333342_2f92411031_z.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm a math nerd. In 2001, I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Ph.D. in mathematics. I taught super fun stuff like calculus and linear algebra at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, GA followed by two years at RIT in Rochester, NY. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've never written a story in which math plays a major role. However, this background is a bonus when stuck at home homeschooling teens.</span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nh53/5165308386/in/photolist-8Srye9-8WvpGG-5oxJ5y-5otswD-xW7Fv4-HqCtNa-2fqPQ4x-2ihmzXR-QApek1-RWF4p3-26zSQG1-2ejSUT3-jGowEA-2cbcVi4-2cbcRbg-2aKAqFb-PNLjgB-PiGkmV-vQ7ra-2fgRe6g-RZrYg4-oaayq3-2cbcYZc-QTTxzL-orCQfS-SJyUQw-2cbcVJz-nzFB9Y-PNKCoF-NBnKuQ-zRD2us-ow7K1x-pRAzD-X5oj5e-a5Gmzj-ekCBPo-5yKXR3-PNLiJV-S9ZPZa-2cbcUuv-24e6aFx-RWENeJ-2dMxahE-25A6xJw-2ipn5ZG-4j5Cvu-a5DuKM-XkxJkP-ekBPwq-sESpEx" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="African Penguins at "The Boulders""><img alt="African Penguins at "The Boulders"" height="240" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4051/5165308386_8cc443dbcb_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before that, I had a way cooler job: penguin keeper at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. There I did the public penguin feedings twice a day and raised six baby penguins from their eggs. I learned to fillet fish like a boss to make penguin soup for the little 'uns. Cod, milk, and vitamins in a high speed blender. It was grey. Sound tempting?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I should write a story about working at the zoo someday. Every day was an adventure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What a fun question! Can't wait to blog around and learn everyone else's secrets. Hope everyone is doing okay in spite of Covid/Riots/Madness&Mayhem2020.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Peace.</span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-16631377095742159512020-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:002020-04-01T00:00:06.441-04:00IWSG April 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You get the picture. We even watched the movie <i>Groundhog Day</i> so our 13-year-old could better appreciate her lament that every day seems the same now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex Cavanaugh</a>, for creating <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">this monthly forum for writer's to spill out their insecurities</a>. And thank you, cohosts, <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><a href="http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Diane Burton,</a> <a href="http://www.jhmoncrieff.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">JH Moncrieff,</a> <a href="https://emaginette.wordpress.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Anna @ Emaginette,</a> <a href="http://reprobatetypewriter.com/blog/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter,</a> <a _blank="" href="https://erikabeebe.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;">Erika Beebe,</a> and <a href="http://www.lisabuiecollard.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lisa Buie-Collard!</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;">April's Optional Question: </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; text-align: center;">H</span></span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ow are things in your world? </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, it's not boring. I guess that's a plus, right? On the morning of Saturday, March 14, the call came in. School was closed for the foreseeable future. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was much rejoicing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">By the following Wednesday, teachers were sending assignments and setting up Google meets for classes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">By this time, RIT, where my husband is a math professor, had also closed and he was developing online lectures and assignments for his students. I'm extremely grateful his job is one that can be done online.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Husband: cancellation of trip to Boca Raton for math conference and to spend time with his parents.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">2. 13-year-old daughter: her school play, <i>The Little Mermaid</i>, was postponed from late March to late May. (I'm not holding my breath on that.) This was particularly painful as it is her last year. Her Stringfest concert was cancelled. Her E.L.A. statewide standardized test was cancelled. (Yay!)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. 15-year-old daughter: Solofest for clarinet was cancelled and she's been taking lessons for almost a year in preparation for it. Private clarinet lessons cancelled. Solofest for voice cancelled.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. We were supposed to travel to Kiawah Island, S.C., in mid-May for our annual vacation with my parents. This year would have been especially meaningful to my 15-year-old as she was planning to celebrate her sweet sixteen there: her favorite place in all the world. I will be stunned if we are able to make this trip.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Not</i> bummers:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Sleeping late every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Taking long walks, playing yard games or board games with my daughters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Reframing take-out meals and Amazon purchases as our contributions to the economy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Spoiling our two cats rotten with extra playtime, brushings, and belly rubs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The news is scary and sometimes overwhelming, but there are cool things happening out there. Some of my faves include the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVfTGFBJ8a8">letting their penguins explore</a> things from the customers' side, and the Georgia Aquarium sending <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb6c-PYWEJM">adoptable puppies racing through their exhibits</a>. So you've got to wonder, which aquarium will up the ante? My vote's for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzvYwlGXGYA">emus. Have you seen them run</a>?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">________________</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What animal would you like to see visit an aquarium? Is your state staying-at-home yet? Any cancellations bumming you out? What "good news" has made you smile recently?</span></div>
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<br />Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-48544520627073116732020-03-04T09:52:00.000-05:002020-03-04T10:14:52.568-05:00IWSG, March 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Is this the year March Madness refers to something other than college basketball? How obsessed are you with corona virus updates? You don't have to be a writer to have insecurities these days, but regardless of where your anxieties lay, let's give thanks to our intrepid <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG</a> host, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>, and his awesome group of co-hosts: <span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://worddreams.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Jacqui Murray,</a> <a href="http://www.lisabuiecollard.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lisa Buie-Collard,</a> <a href="http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sarah Foster,</a> </span><a _blank="" href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="background-color: white; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Shannon Lawrence!</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">March's Optional Question: </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Other than the obvious holiday traditions, have you ever included any personal or family traditions/customs in your stories?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dvorscak/">Dan Dvorscak</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Say cheese, y'all!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes. For some of my stories, I like to stick myself in the background for fun (under a different name, of course). My current manuscript takes place at a college. I used to be a mathematics professor, and at the start of each semester, I would ask my students to take out a clean sheet of paper and write their name on it in big bold letters. Then I'd take the students' pictures holding their "name sign" and use those to learn everyones' name. My main character, a student, gets to participate in this tradition in an early chapter of the novel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now that I have a smart phone, I should bring back this tradition when I meet anyone new. (That wouldn't be weird, right?) I'm terrible at remembering names.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/googlisti/">Peitro and Silvia</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Most bizarre stuffed toys ever? Is one for the corona virus in the works?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, how are you adapting to the pandemic, if we can call it that yet? Here are some of my questions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Did the authorities wait too long to give this bug its name? Is anyone using "Covid-19" conversationally? (I'm not.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/milesgehm/">Miles Gehm</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Red States: virus-affected or projected political wins?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Am I the only one getting political maps for the upcoming election and corona virus spread maps confused? (Probably.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Have you given in to any panic buying? (Yes. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Zone Bars. My whole family is addicted to these things.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. How does the idea of isolation/quarantine for two weeks or more hit you? (Advantage: no getting up early for school. Disadvantage: No break from kids if they're home from school.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hope everyone stays healthy.</span></div>
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Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-40862540722557018912020-02-05T00:00:00.000-05:002020-02-05T00:00:01.852-05:00February IWSG 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's February, which means a Super Bowl, Valentine's, our odd week off from school (which I desperately need to catch up on my sleep) and another <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG bloghop</a>. Time must be moving faster these days because I somehow managed to miss the January IWSG entirely. Too much going on. So hats off to those who can keep up with their blogging schedules on top of everything else, including our leader, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>, and his merry band of co-hosts: <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><a href="http://leelowery.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Lee Lowery,</a> <a href="http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/blog/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ronel Janse van Vuuren,</a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/jenniferswritingrevolution.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jennifer Hawes,</a> <a _blank="" href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;">Cathrina Constantine,</a> and <a href="http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tyrean Martinson!</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This month's optional question: <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hmmm. I don't think so. Although I've toyed with the idea of</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"> a story with a setting inspired from one of my favorite poems, </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubla_Khan" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">Kubla Khan, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">. Here's a sample to give you an idea of what that might look like, and of course, I couldn't pick just one. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">In Xanadu did Kubla Khan</span><br style="color: #222222; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">A stately pleasure-dome decree:</span></i></span></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwbaker/7120280733/in/photolist-bRcioV-HuvVf-LBHQ6h-nZFrSF-etFPRM-dUhUZ9-e1x8j4-s5gXU3-nP79ps-7eReUv-bDimWi-bDimsa-c5uR4J-bAGhZf-bDigYr-xo2YS-bDifVg-8zEQ3E-d3GhiU-bqomEq-jPbRE-ZDAff3-mAG3a2-a3WEaM-22ipPM5-55Gg6C-wtp3S-LMgtJa-LJfWuA-dojUbo-bVZjJi-8zBJ5F-6cBmVA-bZJY5A-eebGVi-bZJXRY-bDihqR-ZDAfD9-ZDAfwq-LBHRSJ-HCz1LU-5aXJ5D-ZHRYag-LkPxws-4rKVCe-7YqdRo-BnM5B-8zERmN-7pJP3X-51dgBm/" title="coleridgesque (mandalay hill)"><img alt="coleridgesque (mandalay hill)" height="324" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8147/7120280733_a1940df61b.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pwbaker/">pwbaker</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Where Alph, the sacred river, ran</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Through caverns measureless to man</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /></i></span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/snowpeak/28146369998/in/photolist-JTcvcm-27NSvBZ-QBXk8d-xo2X1-2NTBrk-243jJDJ-qVTtt4-9tjTWt-5t4aVD-Z6GCJ-LkPzm9-9M2Hwb-aoo94t-LBHNvy-Rr5GRy-QgRXYS-5VM796-BnMgy-wQ6HWj-2iibA6w-cWRGrA-5p78Fi-biNDrk-s94iWZ-8mUCb-224kC6Q-iKcgL9-fDWe12-7nD31h-Z6GDQ-EkUmw-7bNnBt-d9MD1s-v5mHc5-5iqS7T-89zxhz-dv2mi-2h9NFNg-o8fYAn-EzUZA6-2h9LWGA-Z6GDG-5HKjXN-VgWnKm-2h7MWqw-9uqGLU-uaQ7MU-o34U94-4HiwTb-krDDt" title="Xanadu"><img alt="Xanadu" height="304" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/827/28146369998_e9e586f0b2.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>
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Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/snowpeak/">John Fowler</a><br />
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Down to a sunless sea.</span></i><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/black_friction/6180972122/in/photolist-aqc6ES-swSoXk-abUEZn-ctvbGY-9pFnRW-cVPCVw-9pCCSM-9pFptJ-6tCpRh-571Twm-ctviey-ctvmVq-ctuXU3-dDR8je-abXzbf-56WZxr-d3eX8G-56WXDM-VcwUR6-daehCk-ctv2m7-9pFegf-7x1uY2-dDQSYP-6aUzVL-6ty5Dx-56WPnR-7i3gsB-cVPBGU-6tCqqE-571CdJ-9pFzPq-daehWe-9pFDGY-571Dbo-abUHbr-5728yw-ctvKLs-56WZzr-56WsYK-ctvpah-abUHMt-572avA-dDR4Tc-6aQwiX-5ecKWb-9pFz1d-abUJui-cVPBXS-ByZ39" title="Waterfall Cavern, Smoo Cave"><img alt="Waterfall Cavern, Smoo Cave" height="333" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/6163/6180972122_414af70518.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">And here were forests ancient as the hills,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.</span></i></span><br />
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/timo_w2s/36859242752/in/photolist-Ya8fHo-g9Pah8-MAr6Xi-ivSx4r-aBt1ej-YBF4Po-GsPmbL-KKgwrX-wVuTaX-2dvagMV-24vfakA-26KQkpW-2buMdYV-Nk3cm-4sCW5q-FAgFwC-sbMZ9b-24do5HK-c65bH-tYNLHK-U6jUA5-boJy8c-2eTKBGx-2ebUKdq-YH8api-64NHK3-2fkhRLy-2125y6M-bcYzMk-WqE7QV-8iVbFq-9YtWB7-XzPnrW-a3cyyy-GShWjk-aRwCNr-VVZBWj-rq6EEx-21BJVm2-2bbrVXa-HooeA8-6Jakhf-UDxWz5-B34qV-MWGDH9-vLxYg-59gSrL-4Vvghn-23hAdYx-91ngXF" title="Mossy Grill"><img alt="Mossy Grill" height="281" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/4379/36859242752_5012b711e5.jpg" width="500" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Image: <a href="http://timo%20newton-syms/">Timo Newton-Syms</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Alas, such a project will have to wait. I'm meandering through the second draft of my current story and it's slow going. In my earlier works, cutting and cutting to get under 100K left only dialogue and action. This time around, I've left myself space to explore the character's thoughts, feelings, motivation, and memories, which is great, but challenging.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">_____________</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What setting are you currently working with or would like to work with in the future?</span><br />
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<br />Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-86145990563783403662019-12-04T09:24:00.001-05:002019-12-04T10:40:58.584-05:00December IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's winter! (At least, in my mind, if not officially.) Happy, happy snow-time! We've had two good snowfalls, each </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">around 5 to 6 inches. Pretty decent. Not enough to cancel school, though. It's also drive-yourself-crazy-getting-ready-for-Christmas time. Yeah. How's that shopping coming along?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Time for a break to celebrate <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">being an insecure writer</a> with our fabulous host, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>, and his merry band of co-hosts (kind of like Santa and his elves, no?): </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Tonja Drecker,</a> <a href="http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000;" target="_blank">Beverly Stowe McClure,</a> <a href="http://nickielson.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000;" target="_blank">Nicki Elson,</a> <a _blank="" href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" http:="" style="color: #990000;" target="_blank" tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com="">Tyrean Martinson!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">December's optional question: </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">Let's play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream? Or if you are already there, what does it look and feel like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hmmm. Let's see. Well, first, I would have to fast forward at least five years into the future in order to get both kids out of my hair and into college. Or else there would be no time for writing, because right now it's all homework, study, prepare for concerts, recitals, endless meals, and even more endless laundry. Blah. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once the kids are off <strike>skipping class to sleep in</strike> studying to become brain surgeons, I'll be happily typing the final draft of my follow-up to my debut bestseller. My amazing agent emails me that the blurb will be from none other than Stephen King himself(<i>!!!</i>), and that I'll probably have an interview on either The Today Show or The Tonight Show, when it comes out. (I nudge them toward the Tonight Show. I hate getting up early.) My publisher's marketing gurus have sent me brilliantly beautiful cover art possibilities, and just as I type the words, "The End", super agent calls. The movie rights to my first book have been sold. Hot dog!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Okay, that was fun. Back to reality. It's time to go pick up the kids and survive another 6 hours of algebra, causes and effects of global warming, American foreign policy in the late 1800's, and the really hard part: figuring out what's for dinner. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To those about to parent, we salute you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How was your Thanksgiving?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As we started our yearly tradition of going around the table to talk about what we were thankful for, there came a high-pitched squealing and screeching from a plastic-wrapped sweet potato in the microwave--a sound eerily similar to the chorus of baby Mandrakes from Harry Potter (2? I think). Needless to say, the dignity of the moment was tossed aside and my daughters and I almost fell on the floor laughing while my husband shook his head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a writer, I am thankful for the never-ending insanity delivered daily from family life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What are you thankful for?</span></div>
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<br />Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-25085927017424041132019-11-06T00:00:00.000-05:002019-11-06T00:00:05.661-05:00November IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Did you survive the Halloween Storm of 2019? What timing! At least it was great for candy lovers. If you bought for trick-or-treaters, you got to keep 90% of it, and if you had a trick-or-treater, they got tons. Too bad it's hard to write when you're in a constant sugar coma. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyway, it's time to put down the KitKats and thank our host, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>, and his awesome co-hosts this month: <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sadirastone.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Sadira Stone,</a> <a href="https://www.patriciajosephine.com/blog" style="color: #990000;" target="_blank">Patricia Josephine,</a> <a href="http://www.lisabuiecollard.com/" style="color: #990000;" target="_blank">Lisa Buie-Collard,</a> <a _blank="" href="https://erikabeebe.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="color: #990000;">Erika Beebe,</a> and <a href="http://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/blog/" style="color: #990000;" target="_blank">C. Lee McKenzie!</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This month's optional question: </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oooo, what a cool question! I wish I could remember all the crazy stuff I've googled over the years. My first book involved terrorists and a bomb threat, so I was looking up all sorts of things that probably put me on a security watch list somewhere.</span> </div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage_illustration/29087256477/in/photolist-LjkMY2-Y4REA-oS2swU-8zL6xX-24oV1c-Y4Fgj-27cLNB-Y4RDf-XWiHw-27cLSc-4K9HcS-RZ4NSZ-Y4QXd-Y4UNQ-5VdQ7Z-pwr9Bo-XZchT-Y479E-eguKRF-bjkXJn-XZchR-6bAY3G-8yKtf7-5hXWmK-95RNzK-v1JH8-9VSFAu-9AN6Z-qpGhQH-5hXWdz-8dybLH-ejsKKf-4JYzeH-ppLUYp-ppQ6xx-9AN58-qY9wW6-rvjiH4-27Z8LLf-rts38a-rvbPEd-rvbPdS-qQYMkv-qQYN1D-qQYNaX-rMFz8B-rvcX6q-rME2wJ-rvbPbN-rMFyMX" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Vintage illustration of Quadrilles published in 1820-1820 by Sidebotham."><img alt="Vintage illustration of Quadrilles published in 1820-1820 by Sidebotham." height="215" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/1815/29087256477_e5c3b0f7a5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My second had me delving into all things 19th century. I once watched YouTube videos of people dancing a cotillon in period dress. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In my current story, the setting is a college campus. I found a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hazing_deaths_in_the_United_States">Wikipedia page that lists all the hazing deaths</a> experienced by members of fraternities and sororities going back to 1838.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaking of the macabre, here are some pictures of our Halloween Pumpkins:</span></div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMGsdZggOtAtUgYDtruHWNhLTsSSxkJCxve8FPGitO4rpU6-bkDucGVvkXJTticuLEiA1nk499ORB0_4ENQQxKSAhVyOHEKHvLTCYsrwHxvNwJ_cniuEv6S_875K6eZVVHRYuLZ0d7LRy/s1600/IMG_0322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMGsdZggOtAtUgYDtruHWNhLTsSSxkJCxve8FPGitO4rpU6-bkDucGVvkXJTticuLEiA1nk499ORB0_4ENQQxKSAhVyOHEKHvLTCYsrwHxvNwJ_cniuEv6S_875K6eZVVHRYuLZ0d7LRy/s400/IMG_0322.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here is my older daughter's version of Pennywise, from the movie It. All the rain dribbling down this pumpkin's many teeth made it look like it was drooling--how appropriate! Just don't look into the deadlights, folks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The pumpkin on the right is my younger daughter's--a mummy. And the one on the left is my interpretation of a Japanese bonsai tree, crane, and water flowing under a bridge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My husband took me on a walk last Saturday after all the rain, and we have a huge waterfall, not twenty minutes from our house. I couldn't believe it! Rochester's Lower Falls is like a small Niagara Falls.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNkhOON-c5mBZX1jDo2mkbX9vKKu1lw5Lzn8bfG5mBsOhbhCdD64blEj68xsjCmqbPTzHAXOMKpOZbB5QGXBHv-oF2L-f-uxLww47MBpvSeJT13ue5ziVAyY1z7ibLQLlnXook63-e4B9/s1600/IMG_0377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNkhOON-c5mBZX1jDo2mkbX9vKKu1lw5Lzn8bfG5mBsOhbhCdD64blEj68xsjCmqbPTzHAXOMKpOZbB5QGXBHv-oF2L-f-uxLww47MBpvSeJT13ue5ziVAyY1z7ibLQLlnXook63-e4B9/s320/IMG_0377.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKSFIwMY00UkSsrw7VfPXg73N0nsL8vpSGCzvcXYPcbNZ03yItchU0s78ZfjghXeo0Pd8N3KQSoWlDS_-OJj9wQPRbzVNXl1EhZ5yG_Ix6VRKSOKPCqC7e7hHNjnFCvJe-ma4sCmJ09s2/s1600/IMG_0381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKSFIwMY00UkSsrw7VfPXg73N0nsL8vpSGCzvcXYPcbNZ03yItchU0s78ZfjghXeo0Pd8N3KQSoWlDS_-OJj9wQPRbzVNXl1EhZ5yG_Ix6VRKSOKPCqC7e7hHNjnFCvJe-ma4sCmJ09s2/s320/IMG_0381.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How was your Halloween? Are there places near your home that you've always meant to visit, but never found the time?</span></div>
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<br />Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-5974081309573108762019-10-02T00:00:00.000-04:002019-10-02T00:00:05.779-04:00IWSG October<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy Fall! How's the weather in your neck of the woods? We're supposed to have record highs (almost 90) on Oct. 1 followed by cool, cool 50s and 60s. Sounds perfect to me. The only thing better would be to live in Browning, Montana! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What's better than 4 feet of snow in September? Maybe four awesome co-hosts for this month's <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG bloghop</a>: <b style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/blog/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Ronel Janse van Vuuren,</a> <a href="http://playoffthepage.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Mary Aalgaard,</a> <a _blank="" href="http://madelinemora-summonte.blogspot.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;">Madeline Mora-Summonte,</a> and <a href="http://thecynicalsailor.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor</a>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And a big thanks, of course, to our host, <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">October's Optional Question: </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?</span></span></div>
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Image: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Adichie-Chimamanda-Ngozi-Paperback/dp/B00ZATLH3K/ref=sr_1_18?crid=2V9RWCEBMZPZQ&keywords=chimamanda+ngozi+adichie&qid=1569934734&sprefix=chimimanda%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-18">Amazon</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I went to an author talk by<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a;"><a href="https://www.chimamanda.com/">Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie</a>, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454;">the author of <i>Purple Hibiscus</i>, <i>Half of a Yellow Sun</i>, <i>The Thing Around Your Neck</i>, <i>Americanah</i>, and <i>We Should All Be Feminists. </i>She told the audience that she didn't read fiction while she was trying to write fiction, because she didn't want another author's voice in her head. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was both impressed and horrified. It takes me months, if not years, to complete a book. (I am a tortoise). </span></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherbarnette/18636237219/in/photolist-uoPA3P-63Khfe-sn2pYX-6WLis8-kJTm3V-4iPWy9-9tC6Hs-7KLPMn-7KQVNN-6WQiPh-6AMTS7-dxDD2p-BZ2pc-9rVW96-8cz5gu-4LZmPv-5F6tJM-6Toh4y-YcpN1-fLL1Ex-Hskuc-8mBnyZ-nE4kwr-8cyA7S-br6PCC-5Be6aj-aVuNPk-3bQQWc-oJxgmq-cVvzFs-7KHUhJ-dN5tFf-gNov2y-BA7Z1-8uyGVa-atdRU3-6oM5oj-BZ1HS-34B5ab-zgUVV-9X6UL4-7C6H6r-Uittp-DqkSri-7DACeG-jzZhrB-5sAwaF-947QVg-bVLb1P-94YBaT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Tortoise"><img alt="Tortoise" height="212" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5443/18636237219_10174f884c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Hmm, now what?</i> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can't imagine giving up fiction. I need to read like I need to breathe. I'd sooner give up toilet paper. Now, I don't fault any writer who does stay away from reading to focus on their own work. Their writing could very well be amazing. Adichie's books certainly are. I just couldn't live that way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Speaking of tortoises, I've been slowly working on a new manuscript and am approaching the end of the first draft. I'll be super happy to reach that milestone, because I love to edit and expand. Right now, I've got a plot and a ton of dialogue, but almost no scenery or reflections/feelings from the characters. My first draft is an empty house waiting to be furnished and decorated. Oh, the possibilities. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And yes, I've been reading constantly, including Stephen King's <i>The Institute</i> and Margaret Atwood's <i>The Testaments</i>. Just following my bliss.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #545454; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you read any of Adichie's books? Did you know <i>Half a Yellow Sun</i> was made into a movie? (I didn't.) Read or write anything awesome lately? How do you find your bliss?</span></span></div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-26094048869849892582019-09-04T00:00:00.000-04:002019-09-04T09:59:13.128-04:00IWSG September 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Okay, what happened? Didn't school end last week or so? And now the kiddos are going back? Really? I should be jumping up and down because school = quiet writing time, but I'm not. Because school = getting up at 6:00 a.m. or 5:20 a.m. NOOOOO!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Breathe, breathe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A-hem. I'd like to thank <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex Cavanaugh</a> for hosting <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">this blog-hop</a> and this wonderful online community along with the co-hosts <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><a href="http://gwengardner.blogspot.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Gwen Gardner,</a> <a href="http://doreenmcgettigan.com/" style="color: #990000;" target="_blank">Doreen McGettigan,</a> <a _blank="" href="http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="color: #990000;">Tyrean Martinson,</a> <a href="http://hogwartssabbatical.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000;" target="_blank">Chemist Ken,</a> and <a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000;" target="_blank">Cathrina Constantiner!</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Optional Question: <span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My husband was just telling me yesterday that Barack Obama's mom rented him a house on the coast of Bali so he could finish his book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N2HCM4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1">Dreams From My Father</a>. For five months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wow. I can't believe it didn't take longer. If I was there, I don't think I'd do any writing. I'd just stare at the water, walk the beach, and swim.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, if I <i>really</i> wanted to focus on my writing with absolutely no distractions whatsoever, perhaps I should go here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With a high speed internet connection and three meals a day, who knows what I could accomplish? Then again, a cell would destroy my <strike>sanity</strike> creativity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'd much rather be somewhere scenic, in the mountains, with snow in the winter months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I might pick Banff. Lake Louise is gorgeous. There are beautiful hiking trails and the hotel we stayed at years ago had a great pool and hot tub--just the thing for relaxing after a long hike. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then there's the Blue Ridge Mountains. My folks live right beside them in Asheville, NC, so I'd know where to get a good meal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But with the responsibility of family, house, and pets, my next book will be written at home, of course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you ever written outside of your home on a vacation, business trip, or retreat?</span><br />
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Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-92107956711307653112019-08-07T00:00:00.000-04:002019-08-07T00:00:04.107-04:00August IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Good Morning (Afternoon, or Evening) Insecure Writers! What's up? Well, it had to happen sooner or later. I missed a IWSG post last month. We left town for a family reunion (husband's side), the day after that post at 3:30 a.m. to catch a flight. In the rush and chaos to get ready, my IWSG post didn't get on the to-do list. Oops. (I feel bad.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">But <i>this</i> month will be different. Because our flight leaving to see my folks is...oh, </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">no</i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">. Really?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yep. I did it again. Scheduled a flight the day after an IWSG post. But I'm writing this sucker over a week in advance! So HA, forgetful brain! Take that!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Enough preliminaries. Let's get this thing going. Thank you to our wonderful host, <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex Cavanaugh</a> and nimble co-hosts: <span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="http://reneescattergood.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Renee Scattergood,</a> <a href="http://sadirastone.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sadira Stone,</a> <a _blank="" href="https://worddreams.wordpress.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Jacqui Murray,</a> <a href="http://www.tamaranarayan.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Tamara Narayan</span>,</a> and <a href="http://lgkeltner.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">LG Keltner!</a> (Good thing I didn't forget to post this month, huh?)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">August's optional question: </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">Has your writing ever taken you by surprise? For example, a positive and belated response to a submission you'd forgotten about or an ending you never saw coming?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Well, yes. Yes, it has. When I started to query my historical novel, I sent a letter to <a href="https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/AZuckerman/?_ga=2.97587482.409122156.1564354478-1667246547.1564354478">Al Zuckerman</a> of Writer's House, who has represented <a href="https://ken-follett.com/">Ken Follett</a> of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TO5GXU/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1">Pillar's of the Earth</a></i> fame, along with many, many super, well-known authors. If you're going to dream, dream big, right? </span></div>
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Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/barichello/">Leonardo Barichello</a> (<i>Pillars of the Earth</i> involves the building of a cathedral.)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I never expected to hear anything back. Then ten months later, I got a request for a 50-page partial. Crazytown! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's as far as things went, but I did receive a comment that my pages were well-written along with specific feedback from his office, which was helpful, unexpected, and made me</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Smile!</span></div>
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Have you ever forgotten to post for a blog hop? Read <i>Pillar's of the Earth</i> or seen the mini-series? I highly recommend them if you haven't. Plus, there are sequels!</div>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script>Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-2673668356464501582019-06-05T00:00:00.000-04:002019-06-05T00:00:03.700-04:00June 2019 IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ah, June. Time for shorts and T-shirts, beach visits, and tall glasses of lemonade, right? Well here along the shore of Lake Ontario, we're still wearing our jeans and fleece. It's 59 degrees! But I love it, actually. Perfect weather for gardening and bike-riding. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Great weather for blogging as well. It's time for another <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG</a> post. Thanks to our host, <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex Cavanaugh</a> and his incredible band of cohosts: <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><a href="http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diane Burton,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a> <a _blank="" href="http://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/%20%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;">Sylvia Ney,</a> <a href="http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sarah Foster,</a> <a href="https://jenniferswritingrevolution.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jennifer Hawes,</a> and <a href="http://madelinemora-summonte.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Madeline Mora-Summonte!</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today's optional question: </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?</span></span></div>
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Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielsphotography/">Daniel STL</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I like to read literary fiction, women's fiction, commercial fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction, horror, dystopian, paranormal and suspense/thrillers. For writing, the list is a bit shorter. I've written a paranormal thriller, slave/historical fiction, contemporary fiction, speculative, suspense, and horror. I don't have a favorite, per se, because I haven't written in all of them yet. So how could I possibly pick? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The aspects of writing that I try to incorporate no matter what genre are: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Compelling characters. </span></div>
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Image: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Captain-Trips-Vol-ebook/dp/B00ZO97VZO/ref=pd_sim_351_6/142-1148273-1981145?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00ZO97VZO&pd_rd_r=faddef9a-86d7-11e9-b54d-15003332d70e&pd_rd_w=QdbJD&pd_rd_wg=NMrJW&pf_rd_p=a098ee4c-2e0f-4821-b463-d4b049053104&pf_rd_r=8JYT0QGNB8TNTJTE1WK7&psc=1&refRID=8JYT0QGNB8TNTJTE1WK7">Amazon</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Stephen King is my favorite author and at first, I thought it was because I loved spooky stories. But now, I think it's because his characters are so unique/amazing/well-rounded/alive and his voice comes shining through each story. It's simply magical. I love it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Buried themes/symbolism</span></div>
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Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonystakes/">Tony's Takes</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My favorite book, <i>Shadowland</i> by Peter Straub, is haunted by birds. They're all over this story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Twists and Curveballs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sometimes a twist is major plot point. <i>Spoiler Alert!</i> For example, in Gillian Flynn's <i>Gone Girl,</i> you discover the wife wasn't murdered by her husband. Nope. She sets him up as a form of revenge. Genius.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Other times, curveballs are like sweet pieces of candy that liven up the plot. I'm rereading George R. R. Martin's <i>Game of Thrones</i> and John Snow is expecting to be assigned ranger as he joins the Night's Watch because of his skills in fighting and horsemanship. Unbeknownst to him, he's actually going to be assigned steward to the Commander instead, which seems like a big step down. (But it will help train him to become commander some day.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My problem with twists and curveballs is that I like them so much, I tend to overload my novels with them until the plot gets too complicated. Then I have to have a serious talk with myself, and figure out which ones can stay and which can go. Setting up a major twist also takes a lot of thought and planning. A great twist needs plenty of hints without giving the whole game away. </span></div>
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Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/diegotirira/">Diego Tirira</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Curveballs in real life are not as much fun as we found out on our trip to Florida during Spring Break. Our first morning, my daughter woke with a high fever and our first stop was the local doc-in-a-box instead of Sea World. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Luckily, we were early, got through the sign-in, waiting room, strep and flu tests (both negative) very quickly, and even scored her scrip for antibiotics right there at the office. She insisted on carrying on with our plans and we were able to do everything (and then some). Even feeling ill, Sedona outlasted me in energy and enthusiasm. (I must be getting old.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Has life thrown you any curveballs? </span></div>
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<br />Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-35360536764946639792019-05-01T00:00:00.000-04:002019-05-01T07:21:39.589-04:00May IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">May. Wait a minute?! Wasn't it February about five minutes ago? Where does the time go? Who is stealing it? While I try to orient myself to the fact that it's spring, let's take a moment to thank the host of the <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG</a>, <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>, and his dedicated band of co-hosts: <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><a href="http://leelowery.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lee Lowery,</a> <a href="https://www.junetakey.com/#writersgambitblog" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Juneta Key,</a><a _blank="" href="http://yvonneventresca.com/blog.html%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;">Yvonne Ventresca,</a> and <a href="http://journalingwoman.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">T. Powell Coltrin!</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">May's optional question:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll pick 10th grade English class and our Shakespeare project. I decided to build a model of the Globe Theater circa 1600. It took forever to construct, was incredibly fiddly and awkward, and a real pain-in-the-butt to get to school. (But it did have a working trap door on stage.) Even though I got an A on the project, it wasn't the class favorite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Instead, another student took Marc Antony's speech beginning "<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i>Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears,</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">" from <i>Julius Caesar, </i>and reinterpreted it with a modern rap/hip-hop style. His delivery blew us (and the teacher) away. Afterwards we all cheered and clapped. I wish I could remember some of it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This guy, named of Lin-Manuel...something would later grow up to</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVPDDLFVX0gdmSokb7Zti32k5Iv8prd4W64yD-WVSC2AnLGZ0OO2QKaEA_BQt2xLXb0-SNmuZ5PhZiJgF3HGPp10NL-vtyM2soqD7_YIowNyXG1kGVecdbOCjVYnifFySPJ_buvxHjDOu/s1600/Hamilton-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVPDDLFVX0gdmSokb7Zti32k5Iv8prd4W64yD-WVSC2AnLGZ0OO2QKaEA_BQt2xLXb0-SNmuZ5PhZiJgF3HGPp10NL-vtyM2soqD7_YIowNyXG1kGVecdbOCjVYnifFySPJ_buvxHjDOu/s200/Hamilton-poster.jpg" width="143" /></a></div>
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Image: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hamilton-poster.jpg">Wikipedia</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Just kidding. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It wasn't him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But I did have the incredible privilege to see the touring version of the musical Hamilton last Saturday and, wow. Talk about the power of language! (Not to mention song.) The hype is true; this is a masterpiece of story-telling. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are many things to love about this production, but a few things stand out to the writer in me. There is a scene in which George Washington, dressed in black, is admonishing Alexander for defending Washington's honor. Washington is interested in winning the Revolutionary War; he doesn't care what people are saying behind his back. During their argument, Hamilton warns Washington numerous times not to call him "son".</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Later, in the second act, the table turns. (Which is fitting as there's an actual turn-table covering most of the stage floor.) Hamilton finds himself in Washington's role. Dressed in black, he admonishes his actual son not to defend his name against detractors. It's a great moment of symmetry. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another pivotal role reversal occurs in Hamilton's relationship to his wife, Eliza, that is especially poignant. Early in the marriage, Eliza is put in the role of begging for Hamilton's attention, just hoping to "be enough", while he focusses on his work. Later, after their marriage falls apart, he is the one left begging her for forgiveness, echoing the words "be enough". It's heart-breaking.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My favorite song was <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLsCFUe5ahM">Dear Theodosia</a></i> because it is beautiful, and I was lucky enough to see the original cast member, Leslie Odom, Jr. (who played Aaron Burr, sir) sing it in concert back in January.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you seen Hamilton? Have a favorite character and/or song? </span></span><br />
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Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-16229648401563008692019-04-03T10:23:00.000-04:002019-04-03T13:07:51.452-04:00April IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy April! Were you fooled on Monday? My twelve-year-old got me good. She ran into the kitchen right before bedtime--or rather, an hour past--looking for her backpack and muttering about a homework assignment she forgot to do. Instantly livid, I was about to <strike>yell</strike> emphasize that <strike>I don't feel like doing homework at 10-freaking-o'-clock</strike> she should be more mindful of these things, when she stopped, smiled, and said, "April Fools'". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Good one, kid. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of course, as writers, we fool people all the time, or at least, we try. So, it's time for another <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">post for the IWSG</a>, led by Ninja Captain <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a> and his merry crew of co-hosts: <span style="color: blue;"><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><a href="http://www.jhmoncrieff.com/" target="_blank">J.H. Moncrieff,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> <a href="http://patsy-collins.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Patsy Collins,</a></b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"> and </span><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><a href="http://hogwartssabbatical.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Chemist Ken!</a></b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">First, the IWSG optional question:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;">If you could use a wish to help you write just ONE scene/chapter of your book, which one would it be?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;">I'd pick the first five pages and have some magical super-fairy sprinkle writerly intoxication powder all over that sucker to make it irresistible to agents and publishers. <i>Ooooo, </i>they'd think,<i> I've got to represent/publish <b>this</b> one, for <b>sure</b>!</i> A 110K word count? <i>No problem</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;">The first draft of my current work-in-slomo-progress is still clunking along. It's set at a college campus, and is it just me, or are there a lot more novels and movies about high school than ones set at college. Why is that, you think? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;">Besides wanting help on those all-important first five pages, I'd also take some pointers on the parts of the novel between big scenes. Writing about specific things like fights, kisses, chases, or death are the fun parts. It's the lulls in between that can be tricky. You don't want to think of those parts as "filler" or else, chop-chop, they need to go. But you can't have things going full blast, 100 mph all the time, either. <i>Or can you? </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Being able to write the lower intensity scenes so that they are just as interesting and as important story-drivers as the high intensity scenes is a skill. In fact, I often find myself enjoying those parts the most when rewatching/rereading things.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">I mean, face it. Most of us went to our first viewing of <i>Titanic</i> to see the boat go down. But fess up. Who here kept going back to enjoy the evolution of Rose and Jack's love story, <i>hmm</i>? And whenever I reread Stephen King's <i>IT</i>, it's the characters and their backstories that I linger over much more than the final destruction of the monster. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">Can you name a book or movie that took place at college besides <i>Animal House</i>? Any book or movie you love for the development more than or as much as the climax?</span></span></div>
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<br />Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-68891231298891720532019-03-06T08:26:00.003-05:002019-03-06T08:32:24.423-05:00March IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wednesday, March 6. The dream: Spend a quiet day blogging and writing while the kids are at school and the husband is out of town. Enjoy the snow as it falls gently to the ground and the sound of sweet purring cats snoozing in their beds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The reality: Scratch cornea trying to pull out damaged contact. Locate granny glasses. Listen to child tell me they can't go to school because their ankle hurts. Call doctor. Realize basement toilet has a leak and carpet pad in room next door is soaked. Call plumber. Need to finish blog. Needs more humor. Need to save Dove from kitten. Noche's fangs are in her butt, again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why isn't husband here when chaos breaks loose? Why is it so freaking cold and snowy when I have to take my hobbling kid out? ARGGHH!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Welcome to another installment of the <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG</a>, led by Alex Cavannaugh and co-hosted by <span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Fundy Blue,</a> <a href="http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Beverly Stowe McClure,</a> <a href="https://erikabeebe.com/" target="_blank">Erika Beebe,</a> and <a href="http://www.lisabuiecollard.com/" target="_blank">Lisa Buie-Collard!</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">This month's optional question: </span></span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the hero (protagonist) or the villain (antagonist)? And why?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I started writing in first person many years ago and now I can't stop. So, I usually end up writing from the main character's point of view, and my main characters tend to be more heroic than villainous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After a long hiatus, I've forced myself to get back into writing fiction. I've given the advice that if a writer is stuck, one way to get through is to write anything, no matter how horrid, just to get the creative juices flowing. Spew forth and clean up the mess in later edits. Looks like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So far, that process has been working and I've got about 90 pages of new stuff. Absolute raw sewage. I'll fix it later. I'm not going to even think about the word count and I know this thing is going to bloat like nobody's business.</span><br />
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<i>I should have stopped at 90K! Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/1000photosofnewyorkcity/">Gerard Van Der Leun</a></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before leaving the writing chair, having an idea of what the next scene should be about is key. First, it gives me something to brainstorm about while washing dishes or taking a shower. Second, it stops me from sitting in front of a blank screen thinking, "Hmmmmmm. I have no idea what to do now." For me, getting started is more than half the battle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also took the unprecedented step of writing <i>while my children were in the house</i>! Once I even kept typing with one of them sitting right next to me, doing the "Mom...Mom...Mom" chant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But back to perspective. This MC doesn't see himself as a hero. In fact, he's made some awful choices, which derailed his life. He feels like of villain of circumstances and is striving for redemption.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To get back into the habit of writing daily (or close to it), I've been slapping down things that happen and dialogue, following a loose outline and making almost as many notes as prose. In later drafts, I'll focus on inner dialogue, feelings, and something which is going to be a challenge: writing a character suffering from bipolar disorder. Should be interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you written a character with a mental disorder? How's your Wednesday going?</span></div>
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<br />Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-60895295004614177242019-02-06T00:00:00.000-05:002019-02-06T08:34:46.126-05:00February IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy February! How bizarre is the weather where you are? Last week it was subzero temps that had us lower in degrees than Antartica (yes, really), yesterday it was a record high that let me jog in shorts, and tomorrow? Ice storm. Alrighty then. So, if the weather's got your head spinning, how's the writing going? <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">Feel free to dish</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks to <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a> for awesome ninja skills on this wonderful writer's platform along with his merry band of co-hosts: <b style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><a href="https://raimeygallant.com/" style="color: #e50000;" target="_blank">Raimey Gallant,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> <a href="https://cvgrehan.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">CV Grehan,</a> and <a href="http://www.writer-in-transit.co.za/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Michelle Wallace!</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Procrastination</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can find thirty different ways to avoid unpleasant tasks in a heartbeat. Don't want to make a phone call? Sorry, time to clean the litter box. (Hmm, that seems a little backwards, but I'm an odd bird.) Need a reason to avoid the writing desk? Oh, I've got a million of those, including fatigue, shopping, kids wanting to come home sick, fighting cats that need separating, housework, and scavenger hunts for lost items.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Clutter arranging/hiding</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's <strike>horrifying</strike> amazing the amount of <strike>crap</strike> dearly beloved keepsakes I can cram into the storage areas of this house. Send Maria Kondo, stat!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Wildlife Photography</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;">Here's our neighborhood friend, Foxy, a beautiful red critter that's been visiting for a several weeks now. He (or she) is gorgeous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Noche and a harbor seal, holding paws. Awww. Who says stuffed animals are just for kids?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have you ever seen a kid whose adult teeth come in behind their baby teeth, sort of like a shark? Well, guess what? It can happen to kittens, too. Here's a shot of Noche with double upper fangs. I hope it's not hurting the little guy. It's the same on the other side of his mouth as well. I wonder which is the baby tooth and which is the adult?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: left;">Our girl, Dove, impersonating a harp seal. She is the only cat I've ever met that actually allows belly rubs. I can even brush her tummy and she loves it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Can't leave out the fish friends. I can spot three here: two orange and one white.</span></div>
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Do you take pet pictures or other wildlife? How crazy is the weather in your town?</div>
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Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-56707690426576796572019-01-02T09:30:00.003-05:002019-01-02T10:16:50.646-05:00January IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy New Year to you. Happy New Year to me. Happy New Year, dear writers, may we all write with security. And if not, then let us know all about it during the <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">IWSG monthly blog hop</a>, hosted by the illustrious <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a> and his band of web-surfing maestros <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.patricialynne.com/blog" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Patricia Lynne,</a> <a href="http://www.lisabuiecollard.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lisa Buie-Collard,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a> and <a href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Fundy Blue!</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Least Favorite: So, how's the writing going?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Answer: It's not. The world has conspired against me having the time, energy, or brain power to string together letters into anything resembling coherent thought. But thanks for asking!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Favorite: Um, could I read your (unpublished) book?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Answer: Sure. Let me give you a pencil. Feel free to circle any typos you may find. On second thought, take the whole box. They're pre-sharpened!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ho, Ho, <i>HELP!</i></span></div>
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<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lisazins/45740768494/in/photolist-2cFXoTy-2dzA4JD-2aPCKY1-2c7TakC-fg8pfD-5DDkF2-91fYf9-91zYh4-dNVx9L-4z189J-aKmUsV-dD1P92-2bwd7J7-7dz2zw-2b2jnAE-dDRUa6-91fUE9-bUpnYV-EphSp1-W54G4j-96Mpqz-974EDb-7eWpf-aLMGTk-ifPdHz-nq61p-9571BW-94i7La-91zYMv-93UUdY-93Fbxp-wNUmm-2CdTkE-92vvgm-96MBWp-dpgav2-96MHQz-91cPWH-q7ugZj-91zZb8-oTtyHi-5H1rEq-96QK95-b2teR-ieMpRQ-Jr8dog-93MqKy-971AdK-8WPy1U-5Md54X" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Down Through The Chimney"><img alt="Down Through The Chimney" height="257" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4914/45740768494_1c441db0b4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I owe my commenters from last month's IWSG an apology. Usually I can return comments within a few days to a week. Not last month. Instead of being the most wonderful time of the year, December was brutal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How bad was it? Here's a small sample: (Sung to The Twelve Days of Christmas, final verse)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On the 31 Crazy Days of December, here's what happened to me:</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Too many presents wrapped in a frenzy.</i> (Because family Christmas was on the 15th due to travel)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Eleven days my husband had the shingles,</i> (Poor guy)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Ten days before my daughter got chicken pox,</i> (From him)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nine (plus 12) humongous anti-viral pills,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eight days of pill splitting,</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Seven (times 4) hours before pox reoccured, </i>(Damn it!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Six more days of pill splitting,</i> (More like 12 at the rate we're going.)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Five hours on a plane.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Four horrid migraines.</i> (For me, best-timed of which happened thirty minutes before leaving for the airport. Really?)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Three school concerts,</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Two nervous breakdowns, </i>(There were serious doubts on whether we could fly due to the chicken pox both going and coming home.) </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And our brand new kitten lost in the Christmas Tree......Touchdown!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At least there's <b>some</b> good news. Meet our new fur baby: little Noche, which is Spanish for "night". </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXKM24aEU4nhi2kNG-GBjpj0RACvja4gsigC7wKWestgV-zZI_EpJG8lKHfL1YdUCtrF3vdakUkvQaN5KRgzi05LDGJSFuyq9aqLRL0-Sj9yq58kTMVr7gmKKVcH6gKOmjPJut0sBQLqk/s1600/NocheLeaves2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXKM24aEU4nhi2kNG-GBjpj0RACvja4gsigC7wKWestgV-zZI_EpJG8lKHfL1YdUCtrF3vdakUkvQaN5KRgzi05LDGJSFuyq9aqLRL0-Sj9yq58kTMVr7gmKKVcH6gKOmjPJut0sBQLqk/s320/NocheLeaves2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And if you're wondering about the "touchdown" reference, watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZIzFm4BEQk">our family's favorite version of the Twelve Days of Christmas</a>.</span></div>
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How was your December? Get anything amazing for Christmas or Hanukkah? </div>
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(I've also posted on the <a href="http://parallelsanthology.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-world-according-to.html">Parallels:Felix was Here</a> website this week. As if you didn't have enough blogs to visit. ;)</div>
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<br />Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-16687002832366528722018-12-05T10:08:00.003-05:002018-12-05T10:10:20.077-05:00December IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oWcOY-plNRYv_BrIvGKnNnzGPGPGZ5hokOm03GVBNJ6IL9bi72gCMgSGPhQFqVZNFqxLlZxulwYdty7fKarw3pkMfTzMTKxyfXM73b9vOIxtEbVQAJIB3-U98rgRlSw7wUTW2M2Mc2yY/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="320" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oWcOY-plNRYv_BrIvGKnNnzGPGPGZ5hokOm03GVBNJ6IL9bi72gCMgSGPhQFqVZNFqxLlZxulwYdty7fKarw3pkMfTzMTKxyfXM73b9vOIxtEbVQAJIB3-U98rgRlSw7wUTW2M2Mc2yY/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ah-Ah-AH-CHOOOO! and blow, Ah-Ah-AH-CHOOOO! and blow, Ah-Ah-AH-CHOOOO! and blow. Don't you hate colds? I predict there will be a mountain of used tissues everywhere before this post is written, but so be it. Onward!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First allow me to thank our host, <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavannaugh</a>, and his wonderful co-hosts, <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"><a href="http://www.jhmoncrieff.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">J.H. Moncrieff,</a> <a href="https://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tonja Drecker,</a> <a href="http://patsy-collins.blogspot.com/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Patsy Collins,</a></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;"> and </span><a href="http://writewithfey.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #990000; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><b>Chrys Fey</b>.</a> You're all awesome.</span></div>
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<b style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today’s question - What are five objects we’d find in your writing space?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Besides Kleenex? I have no idea. Wait! There's lots of papers which keep piling and piling and I'm sure at least one or two of them are really, truly important and I'll dig in there and find them some day soon. (<i>Right.</i>) And there's the laptop, phone, and printer, but those are boring. So let's get to the interesting stoof:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. A Gem (or two) of a find:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The purple one is a polished hunk of amethyst in the shape of a bear. The rock behind him is calcite, which I love because its clear greenish color reminds me of a cresting wave. We go to a gem and rock show every October, and these were my picks this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Dead Pets Society:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This did not start out so grim. I had the picture of Sidney (white kitty) on my desk way before she passed. She is perched on the chair I'm sitting in right now. That was her favorite spot while I typed, and hey, she made a great neck warmer on cold days. More recently, my daughter added the pictures of Mr. Mistoffelees, one of him waiting outside our door in the snow back in the days when he was a stray, and the other after he had joined the household, tuckered out in front of the tree, Santa Hat set right behind him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Inspiration #1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">An illustrated Harry Potter! How cool are these? I know there are illustrated versions of the 2nd and 3rd book as well, but I've told myself, firmly, that I'm not allowed to purchase them until I've read the first one. These puppies ain't cheap. (Of course I've read the series through older versions--more than once--but I haven't read this particular copy yet.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Knitspiration</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For years, I've wanted to learn to knit and I finally did it this past summer by watching YouTube videos. Since then, I've only worked on two pieces. The is the second. The first is completely hideous. Excited about my new hobby, I quickly stocked up on way more yarn that I could possibly knit for the next ten years. Sigh. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. Inspiration #2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is Poe, the raven, the last of his kind. I found this guy mis-shelved after Halloween somewhere in the bowels of Michael's. He was too soft to leave in such dreary circumstances. I knew he'd be much happier perched on the Raven Edition of Edgar Allen Poe's works--copyright 1903.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Tell me, great bird, when will I start writing again?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't say it, buddy, or I'll banish you to the basement with the rest of the Halloween decor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">_________</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now I'm off to see what wonderous things my <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html">fellow insecure writers</a> have around their writing spaces. And do have a wonderful and safe holiday season!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do you keep your desk neat and tidy or does chaos reign?</span></div>
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Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-745739374736825108.post-43847863034745681122018-11-07T10:30:00.000-05:002018-11-07T10:30:50.115-05:00November IWSG<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Good morning, writers! Are you ready for the Christmas season? Every year, stores start throwing out their Christmas wares earlier and earlier, but this year was the first that I saw Christmas being pushed a full week before Halloween! And it wasn't just stores. My kids' orthodontist had her office completely decorated for Christmas. What's the rush, peeps?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway, it's time once again to share our insecurities via the <a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html">monthly IWSG</a>. A big Ho, Ho, Ho to our host, <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/">Alex J. Cavanaugh</a>, and his merry band of <strike>elves</strike> co-hosts: <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thecynicalsailor.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor,</a> </b><a href="https://afriendofjesus2013.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><b>Ann V. Friend</b>,</a><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jqrose.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">JQ Rose,</a> and <a href="http://eseckman.blogspot.com/" style="color: #3e62b4; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Elizabeth Seckman!</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This month's optional question: </span><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">How has your creativity in life evolved since you began writing?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was somewhat creative before I started writing. I took fine arts courses in college for sculpting, drawing, and painting. I liked to decorate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Writing, however, makes me stop and consider how to relate the world and my experiences in it with all the words stored in my brain. (Unfortunately, some of them tend to get lost these days.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For example, this past month has been difficult. My dear cat, Mr. M, passed away after a long battle with thyroid disease. Our family is devastated. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPyN1aKKjZb0WFZbvllqWQwKgj9TOLTvIVvHlyQ5U35PKwPSxXdCdz5X5T_957Tz5I_djVYi3OzHkgylyMOiqwQie-HX7Vf0eLwg4AFD5TG2IjLaHHgn7m2zQE4C2VPB-77YfxNySRpLp/s1600/Mr.MLilac.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPyN1aKKjZb0WFZbvllqWQwKgj9TOLTvIVvHlyQ5U35PKwPSxXdCdz5X5T_957Tz5I_djVYi3OzHkgylyMOiqwQie-HX7Vf0eLwg4AFD5TG2IjLaHHgn7m2zQE4C2VPB-77YfxNySRpLp/s320/Mr.MLilac.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mr. M is the third cat I've lost to old age and illness in the past five years, yet his passing really threw me deep into the dumps. Why is that? Unlike my other two kitties, I didn't pick Mr. M out from a shelter. He introduced himself to us shortly after we moved into our house waaay back in 2003. He showed up at the front door, peering in, and, being a cat lover, I couldn't have been more delighted than if a unicorn had appeared. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I started leaving out food for this magical cat, and he repaid our kindness by staring into our windows and sliding glass doors with an eerie, Buddha-like calm, until our indoor kitty, Sidney, would wake us all from a deep slumber, yowling as if some fiend had broken into the kitchen and was chopping her into pieces with a hatchet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After a few years, our fluffy moocher earned a name: Mr. Mistoffelees. Eventually, he decided we were trustworthy enough to pet him. But it had to be on his terms. I stopped petting him one day in the yard and turned my back to resume some yard work. Well, let's just say he went full-on assassin ninja with his claws and teeth into my bare legs.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_clWKtW8MJUYJB-nx9iaBogfJEjf_1e-wRSekZrK6Bz9Gut3tsuLH1B4SUueaLDnTlXQhH5kvETVtHTwIuc0cpOyszUGJXKVV_BLTeMndWtHuXjeEMi-d1RF-HLKspVGyH2d99A1N3wph/s1600/Mr.MSnow.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_clWKtW8MJUYJB-nx9iaBogfJEjf_1e-wRSekZrK6Bz9Gut3tsuLH1B4SUueaLDnTlXQhH5kvETVtHTwIuc0cpOyszUGJXKVV_BLTeMndWtHuXjeEMi-d1RF-HLKspVGyH2d99A1N3wph/s320/Mr.MSnow.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the seven year mark, I started letting him into our house. Or rather, he decided to grace us with his magnificent presence. Winters in Rochester can be very bitter and nothing pleased me more than seeing him snuggled up on the couch with one of my daughters.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfW53SEA4s9iLCocMYkTp8MSIyBjy2X6nFE7iw-btdHriHGS1IsvOq393HuGw42MGPNg1-SKXRSZEgc0JdwUALEoaaVf9Du5ihxLt1PDeHFAKQ6IqFC1xTRVaxWXgxYdf2Ff5aj12laVw/s1600/Mr.Mtummy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfW53SEA4s9iLCocMYkTp8MSIyBjy2X6nFE7iw-btdHriHGS1IsvOq393HuGw42MGPNg1-SKXRSZEgc0JdwUALEoaaVf9Du5ihxLt1PDeHFAKQ6IqFC1xTRVaxWXgxYdf2Ff5aj12laVw/s320/Mr.Mtummy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the years passed, he became more calm and less bitey around us. In fact, he became a total lap cat. I would lay down on my bed, bringing the covers up to my chin. He would crawl the length of my body and settle down on my chest, his nose two inches from mine, his claws kneading my neck. I'd rub behind his ears, along his cheeks, and under his chin until drops of smelly, tuna-scented drool plunked down on my face. Sometimes he would rub his nose all over mine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Good times. <i>Great times.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He could have done some serious damage to my eyes or face, but he didn't. I trusted him, and apparently, he trusted me. This cat was well known throughout the neighborhood and had many fans, feeders, and providers of outdoor cat homes. Our neighbors have stories and memories of his visits dating back to 2000. (He once slid open someone's screen door, to let their cats escape.) He was Jasper. He was "The Mayor." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet, for some reason, we were the lucky ones. He picked us as his home and I am so grateful that he did. </span></div>
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Tamara Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03725262301091012950noreply@blogger.com22