Starting the Thursday Thirteen, cause it just looks like fun and I have a good time reading everyone elses

Thirteen Things about Michelle 1. I must have coffee in the morning no matter where I am or I am grumpy and cannot open my eyes before 10:00 o'clock. 2. Sometimes I like animals more than people for various and sundry reasons. 3. I was an only child. 4. I only have one child. 5. I only own three pairs of shoes right now because my dogs ate the rest of them. 6. I write because I love it not because I get paid. 7. I prefer the beach over the mountains. 8. Chocolate over Vanilla 9. Love my flip flops 10. Hate the cold. If it's going to be cold it might as well snow so I have something pretty to look at. 11. I LOVE LOVE LOVE music. Any kind!!! 12. I'm addicted to watching American Idol, Two and a half men, and Hannah Montona (Oh, Gawd...why...please tell me why!) 13. And best but not least, I have it on good authority that I'm the coolest Mom in the neighborhood. (Or maybe that is only what the kids tell me so I'll give them soda.) Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Michelle

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Webkinz...Who knew? Rough Draft Challenge update.

Well, obviously, my daughter knew since she now owns three and surprisingly enough, I thought the idea cool. But what I did not know is that these things are hotter than those rotating Rudolf’s at Christmas time. (Come on you know that you guys really think those things are cool! Especially the ones with the fake snow. Can we Southerners help it if we are frozen precipitation deprived and have to rely on styrofoam balls to get our snow kick?)

So back to the subject at hand, you can have Webkinz or Lil’kins and they come with all these different animals. I’m thinking lions and tigers and bears but the dd (dear daughter)told me that she hasn’t seen any bears, but hippo’s, blue ones, are apparently quite the thing.

These puppies are the new beanie babies of this generation. The thing that makes them cool, in my daughter’s words, is that each little furry critter comes with its’ own internet password into the…yes, wait for it…

The Webkinz world.

Now it is kinda cool and I found myself thinking that whoever came up with this idea is making a bloody mint because we can only find them at our Hallmark store or specialty stores. So if you have a child that you need to buy a present for from the ages of 7 to 15 you now have ze perfect gift idea. (grin)

Well onward with my update for the week.

I didn’t write a blooming thing this week.

There, I said it and I feel horrible. Actually I can’t really say I didn’t write anything because I did write this post and I have a bunch of notes on my TWAB journal where I had been stymied by this little problem I had with my antagonist and my protagonist, but, after having a little eureka moment earlier this week I think I’ve gotten that solved. Hmm…well, at least I think it’s solved. Either it is or I’ve just been wasting the last three days trying to figure out what the moon cycles are and how they affect the tides and such. Living at the beach all my life I knew that the phases of the moon ruled the tides but I want it to rule more…

Cause I’m special like that.

And when you write a book, especially one that is part fantasy you get to make all the rules. How cool is that? You just have to make sure you stay consistent and that the rules aren’t stooopid. (yeah, I know I spelled it wrong, but that is how I say it when I am trying to be sarcastic. Thought I would share.)

And I don’t want my rules to be stooooopid, cause that just gets you a bunch of grief because then people will read your book and get ticked off, maybe throw it against a wall somewhere or maybe even ping their husbands or partners in the head with said book, and then wammo next thing you know you’re in court because it’s all your fault (cause you have stooooooopid world rules) that they incapacitated their maybe loved one.
Altogether better to just figure it out and run it by some test readers first. Right Bonita?

So hopefully I’ll be able to get back to the nuts and bolt of writing the actually first draft next week, which is really Monday.

And somewhere in next week I also have to find time to do laundry, grade papers, do final grades, etc, etc.

Who needs sleep?

God Bless Maxwell house is all I can say.

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Egads...American Idol, Writing, and the immediate need for sleep

Quite a bit of a title eh? Well, I'm all for those crazy blog titles. Makes it more interesting than saying I live the most boring life known to man.

I've included a picture of Thunder. The newest addition to our crazy 'animal farm' that we seem to have going on. What possessed me I don't know. Oh, wait. It didn't possess me it possessed those other two people that I live with, my daughter and my husband. The only thing I can't figure out is why I'm the one shoveling horse poop.

Do you know how much horses poop? Like on a daily basis?

Holy smokes, batman. I could literally compost about ten gardens with this horses poop. Maybe I could sell it as fertilizer? Nah, I bet they have to do something to it to make it fertilizer. Hmmm...I bet my Uncle would know as he is the farmer in the family.

Today I reached a major milestone. I actually stood behind the horse and brushed its tail. (He knew I was back there of course) But see, I don't get normal animals. It just doesn't happen to me. You know where this is headed right? Well, I walked into the barn with my daughter this afternoon and what is MY horse doing? Ha. I only wished I'd had a camera because he was using his feed bucket to scratch his rear end. And a might big rear end it is if I may say so. I, of course, realize that no one will believe me, but next time I go to the barn I'm gonna take the camera to see if I can catch his happy tail in the act. (Happy tail, get it?) Okay, maybe I'm just slap happy. LOL.

I'm off to go write my pages!
Hugs to all!

The Dreaded Middle, Rough Draft Challenge, Michelle

Well, I've reached it. That dreaded middle schmiddle part of my book that makes me extremely happy (that I've actually made it this far) And the next moment I'm besieged with thoughts that I have absolutely not one wit of talent and what on earth made me possibly think that I could write a 70,000 word novel.

I mean really.

Why? What makes me so different?

Nothing, except that I know that I have to go on, (whether or not I have any talent, no matter how tired I am, no matter how much I would rather be mopping my kitchen floor and let me tell you I hate to mop so that is saying something about my ability to procrastinater)no matter how slowly that might be until I can regain my balance via good self talks.

It's painful to write right now. I've entered the land of doubt, where the forest is full of nay saying whispers that taunt me every time I pick up a blank piece of paper or turn on the computer. Am I still intrigued with my characters? Yes. So, it's not really the story that has me worried but only my ability to tell it well, to make the reader feel like they are truly in the thick of things with my characters. That is my worry.

Is it silly? Yes. Does it still bother me? Yes. Am I still writing? Barely LOL but yes.

So for all you out there stuck 'in the middle' with me, stay true to the course and keep writing. Throw mental fire bombs at the nasty whispers that tickle your ears and ignore anyone who makes you veer off track. That includes your self.

Because sometimes we are our own worst enemies.

P.S. Positive self talks always seem to work wonders with me. Well, that and gummi bears.

Word Count update: 34288

For those following American Idol this season, this one is for you. Simply hysterical!

My favorite line? "Blake, you owe me like a million dollars...*pause* bitch"
Omg! My sides are hurting I'm laughing so hard!
Getting on American Idol? Hard Work and Determination
Dealing with Simon every week? A good doctor or become medicated
Having friends? Priceless

I hate Ticks...

I’m trying to do better with my posting on both my personal blog and the Wild Hearts blog. But first I have to tell you! OMG! I got bitten by a tick! Yuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot remember how long it’s been since I got bitten by one of those yucky things. I was sitting here and I reached over to scratch my back and felt this bumpy thing. Before I knew what it was I had yanked it out.

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Once I realized, of course by holding the little creeping bloodsucker in my fingers that it was a tick I was like crap! What do I do with it now? Ugh! So I did what I always do with icky bugs. I flushed him down the toilet. Flushing bugs is always a best resort in my opinion because I figure if they can live in the sewer then more power to them, as long as they don’t come creeping back up into my house.

I love spring time but I hate the bugs and if you live in the Southeastern United States you have to deal with the bugs. At least here in North Carolina I don’t really have to deal too much with roaches. If you live in Charleston, that would not hold true. I guess that every place has their minor irritants but most of them don’t fly at you, and are afraid of you. Here in the South our roaches were brought up on Raid, it’s their adult beverage of choice. The only thing that works efficiently is the bottom of your shoe or final net and a match.

At least I haven’t had to deal with the ants. Oh wait. Let me knock on some wood cause if it starts raining they are sure to come out of hiding.

Book progress is for the birds this week. I did some re-writing and some plotting this week. (Which means I didn’t do what I wanted to do) However I did add another 1032 words to my current young adult. Yay me right? Well, hey the way I’m going by the time my kid graduates college I should be done with the book. LOL. I shouldn’t say that, I haven’t really been working on it that long.

Okay folks. Enough chit chat from me tonight, I’ll check in with all of you later!

Tootles!
I’m out.

P.S. The picture? (He is just cause)

P.S.S. I do really LOVE LOVE LOVE my new blog. Must remind myself to send Ms. Zoot a letter of thank you for making these templates available for free! She is ze bomb diggity!

Tuesday and I missed American Idol again...sigh

You would think that I would remember that it was 'that' time again wouldn't you? But nooooooo, not me. I ended up doing dishes and laundry and then at the last minute realized that I had seriously goofed up and missed the one show that I have enjoyed this season. Well, other than Deadliest Catch on Discovery, doesn't everyone watch that show too?

This means, of course, that I will have to go to the Americal Idol website or You Tube and watch the performances after the fact which really loses something in the doing. Maybe it's because I have to watch it on the computer instead of my T.V. and I miss my daughter screaming "Blake, Blake, I love you Blake." (Shaking my head, even though he is my favorite.) Not that I don't like the other contestants but Blake has got the "IT" factor down pat. Serious Karma going on over in Mr. Lewis' direction, I do declare.

Oh, okay. Let's see what else to update on. I know, the book progress. After a long and thoughtful discussion with myself I believe I've come up with a way to salvage the romance fantasy book. Maybe. I'm not quite sure yet but it has a definite possibility of surviving at least until next week when I take another look at it.

I hit a milestone on TWAB this week. By Friday I should be half way done with the first draft. I feel so productive with this story. I never ever quit working on it these last few months and I'm so glad that I didn't give up on it. It is the first book that I have plotted out by myself and not written by the seat of my pants. It's taken me some serious adjustment to write this way but I think I've saved myself a lot of time in the long run.

So in signing off for today...who is your favorite going into the finals? (for AI anyway) I'm currently reading a Kresley Cole book. If my brain were working correctly I could tell you the title. I'm sure I'll be able to tell you tomorow. Till then have a happy one!
TTFN