Monday, January 05, 2009

Manic Monday Musings

Manic because it's the first day back and my multi-media inboxes stacked high. Finally wading out...

Writing moms, tell the truth - weren't you slightly euphoric watching the kids get on the bus today? Come on, don't lie... it's hard work doing all that family togetherness for two straight weeks... so hard, I'm taking the last three days of THIS week off to recover.

THE WRITING... On January 2, BRIGHTER THAN BRIGHT turned 3. A toddler with, hopefully, a more sophisticated vocabulary. I celebrated by reading the first completed draft, finished June 15, 2006 and clocking in @ 183k words. A hefty tome, laden with adverbs and backstory and telling and... she reads much better now. Funny, though... many of my key scenes begin and end almost verbatim. There is something about that first draft establishing voice and narrative...

Wrote two flashes for the 6S Volume II Print Anthology. No tawdry sex and drugs this time, just a couple of dark imaginings relating to being a mother and daughter both. These pieces kind of wrung me out. PURE lies fallow for now...

THE READING... Indulgences galore. One reason I'm not writing is because in four days I devoured PHARMAKON, HURRY DOWN SUNSHINE, and THE KITE FLYER. Pharmakon rang out the year, while Hurry Down toasted the new one in. I'm often leery of books that everyone else raves about, so had put off The Kite Flyer. It kept me up for two nights straight past midnight, sobbing into the sofa pillow. More on these later...

THE BLOG... I'm getting tired of these posts, need to perk it up - ideas? I'm thinking more book reviews, interviews with writers and scientists, and changing to a fuschia background (not!). Bring it on, folks...

LISTENING TO... Spiralling from Keane's PERFECT SYMMETRY. On my new iTouch. Nice.

Peace, Linda
Posted by Linda at Monday, January 05, 2009
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12 comments:

  1. moonratJanuary 6, 2009 at 1:10 PM

    i always love other people's book reviews.

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  2. twizzleJanuary 6, 2009 at 4:37 PM

    slightly euphoric? SLIGHTLY?

    SLIGHTLY???

    wept with joy, maybe. screamed in delight, possibly. nearly passed out over the euphoric ecstasy of seeing the bus pull away...well, hell yeah.

    and you?

    ReplyDelete
  3. GretaJanuary 6, 2009 at 5:41 PM

    Yep, euphoric about covers it.

    I love book reviews, too, Linda, so I'd be happy to read any you'd offer. Did you ever get to the new Wally Lamb? I had it in my hands the other day, then put it back down. Too many books, too little balance on my gift card :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Georganna Hancock M.S.January 6, 2009 at 5:51 PM

    Oh, yes! I remember those days of feeling overjoyed when I had the house to myself alone! Well, me and all the Siamese cats.

    Yes, do post reviews. Start with Foucault's Pendulum, please. I'd really be interested in your reactions to it!

    Georganna @ A Writer's Edge

    ReplyDelete
  5. ChrysJanuary 6, 2009 at 7:22 PM

    Heh, I don't have kids, but trust me if I did I'd be joining all of you in that victory dance. I do not know how you do it - being a mom and finding time to write, nevermind having such a consuming full-time job! You are a wonder, Linda.

    As for perking it up? Well, I say more tawdy sex and drugs, but then again, I'll always vote for that, won't I?

    Book reviews sound good. And all joking aside, I always like when you write about drugs - I mean, this is a specialty of yours, your area of expertise, so I love when you share your knowledge on the topics of drugs, the mind, pharmacy studies, and the like.

    But yeah, I still vote for more sex and drugs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. 80s QueenJanuary 6, 2009 at 8:49 PM

    Ha ha, I'll second what Twizzle said.

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  7. LindaJanuary 6, 2009 at 9:50 PM

    Okay, okay, book reviews most def, with a focus on books about tawdry sex and drugs :^)

    Twiz, thought I heard you scream 800 miles away - or was that my echo?

    Chrys, my bathrooms are scary places. That's how I do it ;^)

    Georganna, Foucault's Pendulum is on my 2009 TBR, so yes. But first up most likely PHARMAKON...

    Thanks all - like the new colors here? Trying to be more upbeat...

    Peace, Linda

    ReplyDelete
  8. StephenJanuary 7, 2009 at 5:57 PM

    Blog suggestion: Pick a themed series and run with it. Try something like The Seven Deadly Sins of A Writer's Family Life or Six Things Writers Never Talk About... But Probably Should or, better up your alley, The Five Best Uses of [fill in the drug of choice] For Your Character.

    Me, I'm trying to do something like that; however, I just haven't found the right subject yet.

    ReplyDelete
  9. DeborahBJanuary 8, 2009 at 10:14 AM

    Reviews, yes! Colors nice, but since it is winter, I'd like a little yellow sunshine added. :)
    Deborah

    ReplyDelete
  10. LindaJanuary 9, 2009 at 9:12 PM

    AH, Deb... I'll try to find a good sun for you and post it :^)

    Stephen, I like themes... I recently did a 5 series where I picked up a book, types in the first page, and asked whether you would read on. Then did my own analysis of what worked - and didn't - in that first page. Good idea.

    Thanks guys! First book review posted this Monday... Peace, Linda

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  11. cindyJanuary 14, 2009 at 1:28 PM

    Happy New Year, Linda. I haven't visited in a while so I'm not sure if I ever offered my congratulations to you on winning the contest for BTB. I listened to the interview and you are as marvelous on air as in print. Inspiring! Best of best wishes to you as your journey continues.

    ReplyDelete
  12. LindaJanuary 14, 2009 at 11:02 PM

    HNY back at you, Cindy. Thanks for listening to my 55 minutes of fame. The contest was a highlight; the money was nice, but the chance to speak about my book and writing and my crazy characters: priceless. Peace, Linda

    ReplyDelete

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