Major vacation warning

Mr. Why-aren't-you-writing has given his tentative approval (like I need it, but it's good to keep him happy cause he's a peach. Really. Red Haven. No, we will not discuss plums.) for me and our daughter to take a college graduation trip this summer. We have some ideas, but she's stressed with her last few months of school, so we're dipping our toes in the water about destinations. Knowing LB, it will be someplace unconventional.
If you could take the trip of your dreams, where would it be? Tell me your first and second choices and why.

Backload not backhoe (or back story)

Writers know the importance of back story, the story behind the story. We try not to abuse it, like info-dumping it in the first chapter. But do you know how to backload?

Backloading a sentence, paragraph or scene puts the "punch" at its end. It gives your words power. Take, for example, this sentence from The Spell Breaker:

Immediately, she drew back, shock numbing her.

Not bad, but it could be stronger. Immediately, she drew back, numb with shock. Isn't "shock" have more punch than "her"? Or, take this example, Mahogany, (table edge) she noted as her eyesight left her. Could we empower it more? ...as her eyesight dimmed.

It's little substitutions like this that make your work stronger. Go through your work and rearrange. Substitute. Play with the sentence structure to add power. Every sentence doesn't have to end with a wow factor, but you should strive for paragraph and scene endings.

BTW, none of this is my idea. I took an online workshop three years ago from Margie Lawson www.margielawson.com She'll be offering the same course "Empowering Character's Emotions" for the Kiss of Death online chapter next month. (www.rwamysterysuspense.org) <--shameless plug. I'm doing a read-through of The Spell Breaker, backloading, and am pleasantly surprised some of it was done unconsciously. The sign of a good teacher, yes?

112 days

Start to finish, 112 days. Yes, ladies and gents, I finished the Spell Breaker. At least, the first draft, which, as all who know me, is pretty clean. I still have to fix stuff. Like (insert wedding scene here) but the bones are there. Time to celebrate!
Yes, the car is running, good for another 97,000 miles. I think I'll take every other Wednesday off. Two weeks ago, it was the weather that kept me home. Next month? We'll see. Official March-is-finally-here party?
On to heavy edits.

Trapped at home or a day off?

The weather killed my car. Or, it was terrorists. I blissfully opened the door this morning, threw my stuff on the passenger seat and turned the key. Nothing. Not even a whine or whimper. Dead air. My trusty little car had bit the dust. Or snowpile. As we are a one car family, and Mr. Why-Aren't-You-Writing had left in his company van for the day, I was stuck. I'm currently waiting for him to appear with a new battery, the favored CPR for D.O.A. vehicles. Do you know you can pick up the phone and order a car battery as easily as Chinese take-out? No deliveries, though.

So, a day at home with no schedule. The possibilities are endless, and the list in my mind keeps growing. Unlike other free days, I'll not squander this one (I am trapped, which takes away unnecessary diversions like shopping.)

Number one priority? Finish the first draft of The Spell Breaker. All but one of the Big, Black Moments have passed, it's on to the resolution and HEA. Gonna miss these guys. Especially Richard, because he's so damn hot.

The next step? Merging the four acts, breaking it into chapters and reading it through for logistical errors and unity. By next Friday, my self-imposed deadline to restart Tall, Dark and Slayer. Another case for CPR.

Here's Richard, in case you forgot:

Yum, yum, yum.

Geek Yoga

While scouring the bookstores/craftstores/local all-in-one grocery store for a specific craft magazine I had to have, I stumbled upon the bargain book pile. On top, a collection of >50 6" x 8" cards showing different yoga poses and how to accomplish them. Hmm, I say. And look, it's on sale! I plunk down my $4.99 and trot home.

Now, I've done yoga before, but it was in a class situation, and no poses lasted longer than 30 seconds. It was a keep-'em-moving class. Actually, the attendance was so low, they threw in belly-dancing at the end.

I followed the cards for mental fatigue and exhaustion and it seemed to work. I took a nap afterward.

As for the magazine, I finally found it after looking in four places. "Cloth Paper Scissors" which has some awesome cool stuff in it, none of which I'll probably do because it looks like rocket science collaging to me. I mean, jello for rubber stamps? And what is heavy gel medium? I think it's glue, but it's hard to say. Plus, I'd have to start collecting more stuff, and I have no room for the stuff I have now and don't use. Doesn't mean I won't go to a few more garage sales come spring. . .

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

Happy 199th birthday, Abe. You don't look a day over 80. Har. Because of you, my husband doesn't have to work next Monday. I do, however. Here's my beef. If you were the president of equality, how come we all don't have President's Day off? Just asking. Anyway, have a good one, and don't let Mary talk you into a movie.

Page count update -366. That's thirty-six over the weekend. Wowzers! I didn't write yesterday because my villain had a bad case of the wimps. I think she was ready to sit down and swap recipes with the heroine, so I have to go back and find out where she lost her moxie. Then there's the rest of the smack-down and loose ends. Second draft should take a couple of weeks.

Last week, I went back and re-read TDS, which is damn good and hot! I have a March 1 deadline to start in on it again. Hellllo Gabe!

A writing weekend

I spent this weekend with a majority of my RWA chapter at a writing retreat. Lovely facilities, good food, a little booze, lots of laughs and much writing. Friday night was socializing, as we yabbered at each other and pretty much ignored our laptops (I did anyway.) Saturday was better. I cranked up the music, plopped on my headphones and knuckled down to write sex.
SEX, I tell you. Try to creatively put tab A in slot B while enhancing the relationship when a dozen or so fellow writers are shrieking with laughter in the next room. So unfair, she said, shaking her head. But imagine the understanding looks when I later announced, "I'm done with sex." (for this book) They've all been there. (And I know it wasn't all laughs, I saw lots of concentration. Could have been web surfing. . .nah.)
Except for a wickedly huge bag of M & M's, I pretty much stuck to the diet.
I am so close to finishing the Spell Breaker! Everyone is in tremendous trouble. I love it. I love writing short scenes, jumping from Lissa to Richard to Rue and making sure they have equal angst. They don't call it the Big Black Moment for nothing.
Now to get them all out and wrap up the loose ends.