My Pick For New Moon's Most Cheesy Line

YOU'RE SO BUFF

HOW'D YOU GET THAT WAY?

This is what I thought of when Bella said it to Jacob.

Palin Mania

HOWEVER YOU FEEL ABOUT HER

WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO HAVE BOOK SIGNINGS LIKE THIS?http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Sarah-Palin

Believe in Yourself

EVEN IF NO ONE ELSE DOES

If you think you’re a writer…

If you read books thinking, “I can do this…”

In my case, “I WANT to do this… only better.”

If you stay up late into the night because you have to put your thoughts on paper…

If you self edit over and over (and over and over) because it doesn’t sound right and it’s driving you crazy…

If you know there’s a better way to say it, you just have to figure it out…

If you spend more time in the pen and notebook aisle than in the rest of the entire supermarket…

You’re a writer. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

It takes a lot of work. Don’t kid yourself. Lots of sleepless nights. Years of study. Don’t let the hardship stop you.

What is wrong with this picture?

I SEE THREE THINGS.

Taken at Meijer, a Midwest superstore.

Number 1: The Teen Self Help section is filled with YA books about vampires, witches and other paranormals.

Number 2: One of them is very different from the rest.

Can you see it? It's the book by my friend James Dashner... The Maze Runner.

Plus James Dashner's book has one or two other distinctions.... Can you guess what they are?

Apparently You Can Get Tech Anywhere

PLUGGED IN HORSEMAN

About a mile out of town, I came upon a horse wandering down the middle of the road, heading across the center line. The guy on the horse looked like he was asleep. I stopped, not wanting to go around them because I didn't want to spook the horse.

Finally the guy looked up, saw me and aimed his horse back to the side of the road.

When I edged past I could see he was texting.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME

DUDE TEXTING WHILE ON HORSE (well, not this one)

But this is the closest picture I could find that shows what it was like.

I really need a camera. (hint, hint--Anyone want Christmas ideas?)

Writing Is More Caft Than Art

MASTERING YOUR CRAFT

When I was studying art I was told the world's masterpieces didn't come about from brief flashes of inspiration when the artists sat around eating their breakfast. There was a lot of work and a lot of failures that went on before the great pieces of art came into being. It was the daily doing, the painting and sculpting, the hour after hour of constantly refining those efforts and frequently producing flops before the artists were able to create their works of genius.

Dolly Parton, a hugely successful songwriter, in a 2009 interview with CNN's Larry King Live, indicated that she had written "at least 3,000" songs, having written seriously since the age of seven. Parton went on to say that she writes something every day, be it a song or an idea. Not all of them are recording material but many of them have become huge successes.
[Larry King Live: March 7, 2009]

As a piano teacher I've seen students with less talent than others go farther because they did the hard work. Two of my students, who were very talented, went divergent ways because one did nothing with his talent, while the other practiced all the time. He has gone on to make a wonderful career in music.

Even though some may argue there is a measure of talent required, I believe anyone who wants to learn how to write can if they put forth the discipline and practice.

Heavy emphasis on practice. And I guess you can't slight the discipline.

Wait a minute....
This is getting kind of serious.
The bloggy me demands to be heard.

Breathe.
Okay.

Back to mastering the craft of writing.

You have to write because you can only learn it by doing. You improve with every word. It's like running. The more you run the farther you can go.

I have a mantra I chant to myself while I do something hard, "Its not the the nature of the thing that gets easier, but our capacity that increases.”

Unlike running, where the body eventually tires and gives out, your mind will keep you in the writing game.

THE KEY...

Study the craft of writing by doing it. You can read all the how-to books you can find, but you have to actually write to improve.

Write. Everyday.

First Anniversary

I FORGOT

Like so many spouses forget.

YEP....
I forgot.

I'VE BEEN A BLOGGER FOR A YEAR.

I started my blog on November 1, 2008.

I had actually planned on a nice post listing the great blogs I've discovered during the past year, but I guess I'll do that sometime later this week.

So, in the meantime...

TO ME!!

So I'm Not Very Bright

HANNAH'S RUBY

For about 2 years, I thought this family had 2 dogs.

Dog #1
Dog #2

Uh-huh. Like I said...

She's a very interesting puppy. While Hannah's playing the piano, Ruby likes to sit on the piano bench, or in Hannah's lap.

What's worse than too much candy?

HALLOWEEN AFTERMATH

Part of my celebration of Halloween has always been a movie-thon--watching as many Halloween movies as I can for the week before the holiday is over. I wanted movies about vampires, but I wanted REAL vampires. Nothing sparkly! I wanted blood and chills!

I also wanted movies about witches, and ghosts.

I didn't want any slasher movies because they're on all the time.

I couldn't find anything I was looking for, so I ended up watching every Casper movie that was scheduled (not quite the kind of ghost I had in mind, but oh well), a few R. L. Stine Goosebumps (instead of chills), and several other Disney movies.
Unfortunately, watching movies on the Disney Channel all week had an unexpected side effect. During the commercial breaks there were sometimes music videos by the stars of the Disney shows.

And Horror of Horrors... I discovered I like HANNAH MONTANA.

NOOOOOOOO

YESSSSSSSS

Something must be wrong with me. I'm big into heavy music. I swear. It had to be too many rated G movies, or something.

I know... I've come down with H1M1. (note the M.)

If I end up with Hannah Montana products in my car and on my desk,

I'm going to need an intervention.

Dragons and Girls #5