Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 156
January 13, 2013
Los Angeles and Their Arctic Blast
A friend sent me the link to this video and it made me laugh out loud for real. For those of you who don't know, I'm from Minnesota originally--and so recently that I'm still in awe of winter in Atlanta--and the idea of a city freaking out over those temperatures.... Take a look for yourself.
January 10, 2013
Creativity Burst
While I was home for Christmas, I had this incredible burst of creativity. It was rather unexpected, but I was able to sit down and do overviews for six stories (two trilogies). For me, overviews are usually like back cover copy on a book. This time, however, they were much longer than that. Still not synopsis length, but probably about 2.5 pages apiece.
It was intense. For five or six days, all I did was work on these things. I got characters, I got the big picture on the story, and I couldn't stop working on it.
Until I got stuck.
The sixth story, the second set of trilogies, had a heroine without a job/career. Nothing I came up with worked for her.
It was frustrating and yet I was obsessed. I had to finish this overview. I tried it with her not knowing what she wanted to do. Maybe that was why I couldn't find anything for her, but that didn't work and I continued to spin my wheels.
Then on the afternoon of the third day, it all came together. She was a spy! And suddenly everything fell into place.
I knew what the conflict was between my hero and heroine. I knew what the storyline was and I really hadn't had much of anything up until then. I even had a vague idea of the ending and that's rare. Heck, sometimes I don't know the endings of my books until I'm almost there.
Of course, the overview is probably the easiest part of the whole process. Writing the stories is the hard part.
It also kind of messed me up. The week of intense writing/kind of plotting left me exhausted and feeling used up. It also kept my attention on this world and not on the story I'm supposed to be working on. I'm still messed up on the writing. And despite this, I still think of that week as the best, most exciting thing that's happened to me in a long while.
It was intense. For five or six days, all I did was work on these things. I got characters, I got the big picture on the story, and I couldn't stop working on it.
Until I got stuck.
The sixth story, the second set of trilogies, had a heroine without a job/career. Nothing I came up with worked for her.
It was frustrating and yet I was obsessed. I had to finish this overview. I tried it with her not knowing what she wanted to do. Maybe that was why I couldn't find anything for her, but that didn't work and I continued to spin my wheels.
Then on the afternoon of the third day, it all came together. She was a spy! And suddenly everything fell into place.
I knew what the conflict was between my hero and heroine. I knew what the storyline was and I really hadn't had much of anything up until then. I even had a vague idea of the ending and that's rare. Heck, sometimes I don't know the endings of my books until I'm almost there.
Of course, the overview is probably the easiest part of the whole process. Writing the stories is the hard part.
It also kind of messed me up. The week of intense writing/kind of plotting left me exhausted and feeling used up. It also kept my attention on this world and not on the story I'm supposed to be working on. I'm still messed up on the writing. And despite this, I still think of that week as the best, most exciting thing that's happened to me in a long while.
January 8, 2013
One Year
A year ago on January 2nd I arrived in Atlanta from Minneapolis. This, of course, was cause for reflection.
It doesn't seem as if it that much time has passed. My perception is that it was much shorter than this. I also feel as if I haven't accomplished much since my arrival, although it did take me quite a while to acclimate.
The time difference was one of my biggest hurdles. You wouldn't think an hour is that much, and for daylight savings time it isn't. I adjust to that in about 2 weeks. The time zone change, though, was bigger for me.
For example, the east coast baseball games start at 6pm in the central time zone and I could watch a full game and be in bed by 9:30. Here? Push everything an hour forward, but my alarm was still set for 4am. There's a big difference between 6.5 hours of sleep and 5.5. I finally did adjust, but it took about 9 months. For real.
Driving here was another adjustment, and while I've gotten used to it, I find it extremely stressful. In fact, it's my least favorite part about the city. I can't believe how fast people drive here, and let's face it, most of them aren't good enough to do it--hence my death grip on the steering wheel.
After my near-death experience with the semi-trailer, I realized I was never going to be relaxed about driving here and it was ruining my quality of life. Since I had to do something, I joined the van pool. That also started January 2nd and I love it! I get to work relaxed. Heck, last Friday I even rode in with my eyes closed for most of the trip. Totally awesome.
I still don't like the bugs, but in the last couple of months, there hasn't been many in the condo at all. Thank the lord! It really helped that someone moved in the upstairs unit. I've stopped flinching now when I think something is moving.
The weather is totally awesome! I don't mind the 95 and humid--at least I haven't so far. Maybe once I've been here for a while, I will, but for now I'm still used to Minnesota's short summers and to me 95 and humid means no snow. Last winter here I only wore my winter jacket about 6 or 7 times. This year I haven't worn it at all yet.
Overall, I don't know. Minnesota is still home and I miss the northern bugs. They're small. On the other hand, when I went home for Christmas, I realized I was so done with cold and snow.
It doesn't seem as if it that much time has passed. My perception is that it was much shorter than this. I also feel as if I haven't accomplished much since my arrival, although it did take me quite a while to acclimate.
The time difference was one of my biggest hurdles. You wouldn't think an hour is that much, and for daylight savings time it isn't. I adjust to that in about 2 weeks. The time zone change, though, was bigger for me.
For example, the east coast baseball games start at 6pm in the central time zone and I could watch a full game and be in bed by 9:30. Here? Push everything an hour forward, but my alarm was still set for 4am. There's a big difference between 6.5 hours of sleep and 5.5. I finally did adjust, but it took about 9 months. For real.
Driving here was another adjustment, and while I've gotten used to it, I find it extremely stressful. In fact, it's my least favorite part about the city. I can't believe how fast people drive here, and let's face it, most of them aren't good enough to do it--hence my death grip on the steering wheel.
After my near-death experience with the semi-trailer, I realized I was never going to be relaxed about driving here and it was ruining my quality of life. Since I had to do something, I joined the van pool. That also started January 2nd and I love it! I get to work relaxed. Heck, last Friday I even rode in with my eyes closed for most of the trip. Totally awesome.
I still don't like the bugs, but in the last couple of months, there hasn't been many in the condo at all. Thank the lord! It really helped that someone moved in the upstairs unit. I've stopped flinching now when I think something is moving.
The weather is totally awesome! I don't mind the 95 and humid--at least I haven't so far. Maybe once I've been here for a while, I will, but for now I'm still used to Minnesota's short summers and to me 95 and humid means no snow. Last winter here I only wore my winter jacket about 6 or 7 times. This year I haven't worn it at all yet.
Overall, I don't know. Minnesota is still home and I miss the northern bugs. They're small. On the other hand, when I went home for Christmas, I realized I was so done with cold and snow.
January 6, 2013
Not Cute and Fluffy
Not cute and fluffy, but let's show them some love anyway.
January 3, 2013
To 2013
Last week, while paging through Pinterest, I saw a number of people had pinned a graphic that basically said 2013 is going to be better. My first reaction was 2012 was great. And then I thought about it a little more. Um, no, 2012 wasn't great.
This was my year of utter turmoil. On Jan 1, 2012, I started my drive down to Georgia. It was the beginning of my great relocation epic that isn't over yet. I arrived in Atlanta on Jan 2nd and torqued the hell out of my knee on January 3rd. Yes, nothing quite like being laid up for a few days. Luckily, a few days of rest took care of the pain, but it wasn't an auspicious start to my new life.
2012 was also the year in which I pretty much didn't write and what little I did write, sucked. Hard. I did finally get going again toward the end of the year, but it was painful in the meantime.
I also spent most of the year in a state of perpetual exhaustion because I couldn't adjust to Eastern time. It honestly took me nine months to acclimate. And even when I could get to bed at a reasonable hour, I had a lot of insomnia. I blame some of that on the time difference, too, because my body disagreed with my brain's version of what time it was.
The year wasn't all bad. I didn't die.
No, I'm not being melodramatic. I almost got smooshed by a semi, and at the speed he was traveling and with the vehicles in front of me, if he'd hit me, I would have died. Instead of looking at this event as a negative for 2012, I've decided to look at it as a positive. It's also what compelled me to join the van pool to work, so I should have less stress not driving here and save some wear and tear on the car.
It's the year where I didn't have to deal with huge amounts of snow or months of frigid temperatures. Atlanta is much more temperate than Minnesota.
I was trying to come up with some more positives, but I've got nothing else, so 2012 must have really been a sucky year.
This upcoming year is going to hold more challenges for me as I try to sell my house up in Minnesota and find one here in Atlanta. Since I love my house up north and had it specially built just the way I like it, I think both events are going to be difficult for me.
But here's to 2013. May it be a better year for all of us!
This was my year of utter turmoil. On Jan 1, 2012, I started my drive down to Georgia. It was the beginning of my great relocation epic that isn't over yet. I arrived in Atlanta on Jan 2nd and torqued the hell out of my knee on January 3rd. Yes, nothing quite like being laid up for a few days. Luckily, a few days of rest took care of the pain, but it wasn't an auspicious start to my new life.
2012 was also the year in which I pretty much didn't write and what little I did write, sucked. Hard. I did finally get going again toward the end of the year, but it was painful in the meantime.
I also spent most of the year in a state of perpetual exhaustion because I couldn't adjust to Eastern time. It honestly took me nine months to acclimate. And even when I could get to bed at a reasonable hour, I had a lot of insomnia. I blame some of that on the time difference, too, because my body disagreed with my brain's version of what time it was.
The year wasn't all bad. I didn't die.
No, I'm not being melodramatic. I almost got smooshed by a semi, and at the speed he was traveling and with the vehicles in front of me, if he'd hit me, I would have died. Instead of looking at this event as a negative for 2012, I've decided to look at it as a positive. It's also what compelled me to join the van pool to work, so I should have less stress not driving here and save some wear and tear on the car.
It's the year where I didn't have to deal with huge amounts of snow or months of frigid temperatures. Atlanta is much more temperate than Minnesota.
I was trying to come up with some more positives, but I've got nothing else, so 2012 must have really been a sucky year.
This upcoming year is going to hold more challenges for me as I try to sell my house up in Minnesota and find one here in Atlanta. Since I love my house up north and had it specially built just the way I like it, I think both events are going to be difficult for me.
But here's to 2013. May it be a better year for all of us!
January 1, 2013
December 30, 2012
NASA Johnson Style
This is awesome! NASA did a parody of Gangnam Style. Too fun!
December 27, 2012
Pushing the Comfort Zone
I've always been a firm believer in writers pushing themselves, stretching with every book or story they write. I think I've done this to some degree or another, but recently I really pushed my comfort zone. It was an interesting experience in some ways--in others, completely terrifying.
In the past, I'd challenged myself by writing novellas. Up until then I'd only written books that routinely came in over 115,000 words. (Most single title books are between 85,000 and 100,000 words.) Then I challenged my length issues even farther by writing a couple of short stories. And sometimes it's the storyline that challenges me. Kel and his PTSD. Kendall and Wyatt trapped inside a pyramid. Characters with jobs or hobbies I know nothing about.
This time my challenge was different. The proposal I put together was for Nocturne Cravings--and the Cravings stories are erotic paranormal romance.
Yes, I've written hot stories before, but not erotic hot. And the heat levels in my books have been driven by the characters, not by me. Instead, I had to go into a project knowing it had to be hot, hot, hot.
To say I was insecure about this would be understating the matter. My poor writing buddies listened to me over and over and reassured me over and over. It's good to have friends. :-)
Somehow, I got through the proposal and somehow it was good enough to submit. And I survived the challenge. At least the beginning part of the challenge. If I sell this story, I'll be facing this challenge again, but magnified because I'll have to maintain the heat level for the entire story.
I knew going in that writing erotic romance wasn't easy. I was right, it isn't. But I feel good about stretching and trying something different, whether it sells or not. It also gives me the encouragement I need to tackle some other story ideas I have that I know will challenge me.
In the past, I'd challenged myself by writing novellas. Up until then I'd only written books that routinely came in over 115,000 words. (Most single title books are between 85,000 and 100,000 words.) Then I challenged my length issues even farther by writing a couple of short stories. And sometimes it's the storyline that challenges me. Kel and his PTSD. Kendall and Wyatt trapped inside a pyramid. Characters with jobs or hobbies I know nothing about.
This time my challenge was different. The proposal I put together was for Nocturne Cravings--and the Cravings stories are erotic paranormal romance.
Yes, I've written hot stories before, but not erotic hot. And the heat levels in my books have been driven by the characters, not by me. Instead, I had to go into a project knowing it had to be hot, hot, hot.
To say I was insecure about this would be understating the matter. My poor writing buddies listened to me over and over and reassured me over and over. It's good to have friends. :-)
Somehow, I got through the proposal and somehow it was good enough to submit. And I survived the challenge. At least the beginning part of the challenge. If I sell this story, I'll be facing this challenge again, but magnified because I'll have to maintain the heat level for the entire story.
I knew going in that writing erotic romance wasn't easy. I was right, it isn't. But I feel good about stretching and trying something different, whether it sells or not. It also gives me the encouragement I need to tackle some other story ideas I have that I know will challenge me.
December 25, 2012
December 23, 2012
Here Comes Santa Claus with the USMC Band
The US Marine Corps band in Okinawa, Japan did a rendition of Here Comes Santa Claus that has to be shared.
