S.L. Viehl's Blog, page 119
July 22, 2013
New Idea-ology
While shopping at JoAnn for stuff for my August promotions I noticed Tim Holtz has some new Idea-ology products out on the market:
Starting clockwise from the pack with keys in the upper right corner, here's what they are:
Collage Keys -- four skeleton keys with blank recesses that you customize with ten included picture and epoxy stickers. These would be fun to design with your own images, too. ($9.99)
Compass Coins -- four metal disks in two sizes stamped with compass designs; great as game spinners, journal cover embellishments or whatever you want to make into a compass. I'm going to try one of the larger coins in Tim's fillable pocket watch case, which you can see to the left of the coins. ($4.99 for the compass pack, and $7.99 for the pocket watch case.)
Custom Fasteners -- 24 large and small pronged, blank-faced fasteners that you customize with 43 included picture and epozy stickers; like the collage keys you could design these with your own images. ($5.99)
Wishbones -- a fanciful little corked glass vial that contains 15 faux wishbones. As you can see in the close-up pic to the right here, you can remove the cork and the wishbones. I think they'd be great for assemblage art or just a spirit-boost gift for yourself or a friend. Besides, who doesn't need a few more wishes? ($5.99)
Starting clockwise from the pack with keys in the upper right corner, here's what they are:
Collage Keys -- four skeleton keys with blank recesses that you customize with ten included picture and epoxy stickers. These would be fun to design with your own images, too. ($9.99)
Compass Coins -- four metal disks in two sizes stamped with compass designs; great as game spinners, journal cover embellishments or whatever you want to make into a compass. I'm going to try one of the larger coins in Tim's fillable pocket watch case, which you can see to the left of the coins. ($4.99 for the compass pack, and $7.99 for the pocket watch case.)Custom Fasteners -- 24 large and small pronged, blank-faced fasteners that you customize with 43 included picture and epozy stickers; like the collage keys you could design these with your own images. ($5.99)
Wishbones -- a fanciful little corked glass vial that contains 15 faux wishbones. As you can see in the close-up pic to the right here, you can remove the cork and the wishbones. I think they'd be great for assemblage art or just a spirit-boost gift for yourself or a friend. Besides, who doesn't need a few more wishes? ($5.99)
July 21, 2013
Hodge Podge Ten
Ten Interesting Things I Found on the Internet
Archaeology Magazine provides online, interactive access to digs all over the world -- see the links list here.
Someone asked me if I'd ever found an mind mapper site that allows you to work online versus downloading a program, and I finally found a free one -- Bubbl.us
e.e.cummings was an amazing poet, but did you know he was an artist, too?
Don't walk like an Egyptian, write like one with this online Egyptian Hieroglyphic typwriter, which produces fun texts like this:
Found in a junk shop: the creations of Charles Dellchau, by day a grumpy butcher, by night a secret and wildly imaginative artist (and I brazenly lifted this link right off Kris Reisz's live journal.)
Check your grammar for free online with this free online grammar checker.
Need an idea on what to write for your blog? Try a random Mind Bump.
If you're a devoted notebook addict like me you'll probably want to avoid Notebook Stories (not.)
SelfPubBookCovers.com -- Create a cover for your self-pubbed book with art from independent artists that is not resold to other writers, starting at $69.00 (and since the artists make 70% of the purchase price I thought that was nice.)
Learn how to sit properly at your desk to eliminate lower back pain with this short YouTube video from Park City telvision (and I tried it and it actually worked for me.)
Got some interesting links you want to share? Post them in comments.
Archaeology Magazine provides online, interactive access to digs all over the world -- see the links list here.
Someone asked me if I'd ever found an mind mapper site that allows you to work online versus downloading a program, and I finally found a free one -- Bubbl.us
e.e.cummings was an amazing poet, but did you know he was an artist, too?
Don't walk like an Egyptian, write like one with this online Egyptian Hieroglyphic typwriter, which produces fun texts like this:
Found in a junk shop: the creations of Charles Dellchau, by day a grumpy butcher, by night a secret and wildly imaginative artist (and I brazenly lifted this link right off Kris Reisz's live journal.)
Check your grammar for free online with this free online grammar checker.
Need an idea on what to write for your blog? Try a random Mind Bump.
If you're a devoted notebook addict like me you'll probably want to avoid Notebook Stories (not.)
SelfPubBookCovers.com -- Create a cover for your self-pubbed book with art from independent artists that is not resold to other writers, starting at $69.00 (and since the artists make 70% of the purchase price I thought that was nice.)
Learn how to sit properly at your desk to eliminate lower back pain with this short YouTube video from Park City telvision (and I tried it and it actually worked for me.)
Got some interesting links you want to share? Post them in comments.
Comments Catchup Day
See you in comments.
July 20, 2013
Day Breaks
I looked at the wall calendar in the kitchen last week and realized a couple of things: it's not May (I'd forgotten to flip it for two months) and more than half the year has passed. I've been so busy time hasn't had to sneak away from me; it walked right out the front door with the last eight weeks. Back to school supplies are suddenly on display in every store I go to. We're halfway through Hurricane season, too.
I know staying busy and productive is better than being idle and depressed. In addition to a mountain of work I've tackled some particularly tough situations and resolved them, so I haven't wasted those blurry eight weeks. Out of them I took one day for myself to spend with the family, and that was great. The other 55 days I just worked, often from dawn until midnight, and that's not so good.
The next four weeks are going to be twice as busy for me as the last eight. There are a hundred things I have yet to get done for the series launch. E-mail is piling up again, and so are my housework and sewing projects. I've made promises to help my guy and my kid with their own projects, which are still waiting in the wings. I also have two proposals to finish, plans to make for the holidays, three rooms to unclutter and the year can't be half over because I'm going to need at least another year to get all this stuff done.
Unexpected things always happen, but when you're busy they only add to the stress. They can also have a toppling domino effect that creates new problems. For example, my car broke down while I was out running errands the other day. When I finally got home, I took an aspirin for the screaming headache I'd gotten waiting on the tow truck. I then had to rush to get dinner ready for visiting family (who called to say they were arriving two hours early), which resulted in me cutting open a finger. The cut was thankfully minor, but thanks to the aspirin I'd taken I couldn't stop the bleeding right away. I had to get my kid to help patch me up. My guy's job made him late getting home, so dinner had to be in two shifts -- taking twice as long, of course. Once I'd finished dishes, got my guests settled in and turned on my computer it was midnight. I still had to look at the copy my editor sent me for review, and naturally it needed extensive revision. By that time I was too tired and aggravated to do it, and I gave up and went to bed.
Despite all the problems I'd handled that day I felt like a complete failure, which activated my insomnia, which kept me staring at the ceiling most of the night. I think that's what stress does best -- no matter how hard we work, it never seems good enough.
After that wretched day I knew I really needed a break, so I looked for something unusual to do. I found a notice about a sale at an old hotel undergoing renovations. The new owners were clearing out 92 years' worth of old furniture, paintings and other unwanted items junk by selling it to the public. I'd never been to something like that, so I grabbed my kid, my camera, and went on a day trip. Here's a slideshow of what we saw (and I apologize for the poor lighting in some of the pics; they didn't have a lot of lights hooked up inside the hotel):
It wasn't wall-to-wall antiques, but it was fun to browse through all the hotel junk. The last two pictures in the slideshow are what we bought -- my kid picked up a forest scene oil painting for $10.00, and I settled on an old brass door knob set for $1.00.
In the two hours we spent at the sale I had a few flashbacks to The Shining, but mainly I got a couple dozen story ideas. I also relaxed enough to spend a few more hours walking around town, browsing through an Asian market, having a wonderful lunch at this neat little diner and finishing up with stops at a bead store and a family-owned bakery. I didn't think about anything but what we were doing at the moment, and nothing we did that day was important, which made it priceless. When I got home I still had all the work waiting, but none of the stress was there. Taking that day break decompressed me, recharged my batteries and reset my expectations of myself. The all work/no play thing is really true.
What do you do to handle stress and give yourself a day break? Let us know in comments.
I know staying busy and productive is better than being idle and depressed. In addition to a mountain of work I've tackled some particularly tough situations and resolved them, so I haven't wasted those blurry eight weeks. Out of them I took one day for myself to spend with the family, and that was great. The other 55 days I just worked, often from dawn until midnight, and that's not so good.
The next four weeks are going to be twice as busy for me as the last eight. There are a hundred things I have yet to get done for the series launch. E-mail is piling up again, and so are my housework and sewing projects. I've made promises to help my guy and my kid with their own projects, which are still waiting in the wings. I also have two proposals to finish, plans to make for the holidays, three rooms to unclutter and the year can't be half over because I'm going to need at least another year to get all this stuff done.
Unexpected things always happen, but when you're busy they only add to the stress. They can also have a toppling domino effect that creates new problems. For example, my car broke down while I was out running errands the other day. When I finally got home, I took an aspirin for the screaming headache I'd gotten waiting on the tow truck. I then had to rush to get dinner ready for visiting family (who called to say they were arriving two hours early), which resulted in me cutting open a finger. The cut was thankfully minor, but thanks to the aspirin I'd taken I couldn't stop the bleeding right away. I had to get my kid to help patch me up. My guy's job made him late getting home, so dinner had to be in two shifts -- taking twice as long, of course. Once I'd finished dishes, got my guests settled in and turned on my computer it was midnight. I still had to look at the copy my editor sent me for review, and naturally it needed extensive revision. By that time I was too tired and aggravated to do it, and I gave up and went to bed.
Despite all the problems I'd handled that day I felt like a complete failure, which activated my insomnia, which kept me staring at the ceiling most of the night. I think that's what stress does best -- no matter how hard we work, it never seems good enough.
After that wretched day I knew I really needed a break, so I looked for something unusual to do. I found a notice about a sale at an old hotel undergoing renovations. The new owners were clearing out 92 years' worth of old furniture, paintings and other unwanted items junk by selling it to the public. I'd never been to something like that, so I grabbed my kid, my camera, and went on a day trip. Here's a slideshow of what we saw (and I apologize for the poor lighting in some of the pics; they didn't have a lot of lights hooked up inside the hotel):
It wasn't wall-to-wall antiques, but it was fun to browse through all the hotel junk. The last two pictures in the slideshow are what we bought -- my kid picked up a forest scene oil painting for $10.00, and I settled on an old brass door knob set for $1.00.
In the two hours we spent at the sale I had a few flashbacks to The Shining, but mainly I got a couple dozen story ideas. I also relaxed enough to spend a few more hours walking around town, browsing through an Asian market, having a wonderful lunch at this neat little diner and finishing up with stops at a bead store and a family-owned bakery. I didn't think about anything but what we were doing at the moment, and nothing we did that day was important, which made it priceless. When I got home I still had all the work waiting, but none of the stress was there. Taking that day break decompressed me, recharged my batteries and reset my expectations of myself. The all work/no play thing is really true.
What do you do to handle stress and give yourself a day break? Let us know in comments.
July 18, 2013
A Correction & A Title & Adrift
Some news on the new series -- I have a new/updated version of the cover art for Disenchanted & Co., and this replaces the cover I posted earlier this week:
Also it seems that the title for the next book in the Disenchanted & Co. series will be my original title, The Clockwork Wolf, as that's how it is being listed on the bookseller sites.
Finally for the Friday video, we have Simon Christen's gorgeous short film Adrift. If time ever took form, I think it would look like this (contains background music, for those of you at work):
Also it seems that the title for the next book in the Disenchanted & Co. series will be my original title, The Clockwork Wolf, as that's how it is being listed on the bookseller sites.
Finally for the Friday video, we have Simon Christen's gorgeous short film Adrift. If time ever took form, I think it would look like this (contains background music, for those of you at work):
Adrift from Simon Christen on Vimeo.
(Video link swiped from Gerard over at The Presurfer.)
Winner
The Publishing Fairy has been appeased, and by random draw will be granting a BookWish to:
Gail Leinweber, who wrote I really liked Eloisa James's Once Upon A Tower (though the Rapunzel aspect is pretty subtle).
Gail, when you have a chance please send the title of the book you'd like along with your ship-to information to LynnViehl@aol.com. My thanks to everyone for joining in.
Gail Leinweber, who wrote I really liked Eloisa James's Once Upon A Tower (though the Rapunzel aspect is pretty subtle).
Gail, when you have a chance please send the title of the book you'd like along with your ship-to information to LynnViehl@aol.com. My thanks to everyone for joining in.
July 17, 2013
Appease the Fairy, Please
Last night the Publishing Fairy dropped by to whine about how I've been ignoring her lately. To keep the peace (and prevent her from cursing my next release) I'm giving her today's post and the chance to grant a BookWish* for one of my readers.If you'd like to be the one for whom the wand waves, in comments to this post name a book you've just read that you really enjoyed (or if you haven't read anything enjoyable recently, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST tonight, July 17th, 2013. I'll choose one name at random from everyone who participates and grant the winner a BookWish. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
*A BookWish is any book of the winner's choice available for order online and that costs up to a maximum of $30.00 U.S. dollars (I'll cover any additional shipping costs involved.)
July 15, 2013
Print Edition Cover Art
We have cover art for the print edition of Her Ladyship's Curse and His Lordship Possessed, which will be released together in January as one novel:
No surprises here, as it's the same artwork my publisher used for the e-book edition of Her Ladyship's Curse. Since this was my favorite of the two covers, however, I'm quite happy.
No surprises here, as it's the same artwork my publisher used for the e-book edition of Her Ladyship's Curse. Since this was my favorite of the two covers, however, I'm quite happy.
July 14, 2013
Writerisms Ten
Ten Things Writers Say (and What They Really Mean)
(The copy and revisions edition)
A copy-edit is something all writers look forward to.
A copy-edit is something all writers dodge until the last minute, and then gripe about for weeks after.
Generally I don't use as many ellipses as you've suggested in my stories.
Why do you think all my characters are stutterers and asthmatics?
I actually clarified this in Chapter One (note to editor).
(Note to self) He won't notice that I just went back and clarified this in Chapter One.
I appreciate all the corrections you took the liberty of making throughout the story, but in the process you seem to have changed my character's title.
363 times, and now he's the Viscount of an illicit sex act. Do you hate me or something?
I used an alternative spelling here, but I'll replace it with the more common word.
I misspelled the word it but I don't want to admit that.
Look at all these helpful little comments and suggestions on the writing.
Great, another copy-editor who thinks they're a writer.
May I STET this, please?
May I smack you in the head with my manuscript a few times, please?
There's a little problem with the cover copy.
There's a huge problem with the cover copy, and it took me two hours of anxiety attacks before I calmed down enough to write this e-mail. Excuse me while I go start freaking out again.
This scene is important to the development of the character and the plot, so I'd like it to remain intact.
This scene is important to me because it took me three weeks and nine rewrites to get it right, and I'm so in love with it I'm thinking of having it tattooed in Chinese on my left shoulder.
Why sure, I can run through the copy-edit, answer all two hundred of the queries and get it back to you tomorrow morning.
Goodbye, sleep, hello, expresso maker.
(The copy and revisions edition)
A copy-edit is something all writers look forward to.
A copy-edit is something all writers dodge until the last minute, and then gripe about for weeks after.
Generally I don't use as many ellipses as you've suggested in my stories.
Why do you think all my characters are stutterers and asthmatics?
I actually clarified this in Chapter One (note to editor).
(Note to self) He won't notice that I just went back and clarified this in Chapter One.
I appreciate all the corrections you took the liberty of making throughout the story, but in the process you seem to have changed my character's title.
363 times, and now he's the Viscount of an illicit sex act. Do you hate me or something?
I used an alternative spelling here, but I'll replace it with the more common word.
I misspelled the word it but I don't want to admit that.
Look at all these helpful little comments and suggestions on the writing.
Great, another copy-editor who thinks they're a writer.
May I STET this, please?
May I smack you in the head with my manuscript a few times, please?
There's a little problem with the cover copy.
There's a huge problem with the cover copy, and it took me two hours of anxiety attacks before I calmed down enough to write this e-mail. Excuse me while I go start freaking out again.
This scene is important to the development of the character and the plot, so I'd like it to remain intact.
This scene is important to me because it took me three weeks and nine rewrites to get it right, and I'm so in love with it I'm thinking of having it tattooed in Chinese on my left shoulder.
Why sure, I can run through the copy-edit, answer all two hundred of the queries and get it back to you tomorrow morning.
Goodbye, sleep, hello, expresso maker.
Comments Catchup Day
See you in comments.
S.L. Viehl's Blog
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