Shanna Swendson's Blog, page 275

Classic Spoilers

I wasn't nearly as productive yesterday as I wanted to be. I did tweak a scene I'd already revised, but after VBS and physical therapy, I was kind of spent for the day. Here's hoping that today is better. No therapy today, and I'm getting an early start.

Something I forgot when reporting on yesterday's Vacation Bible School experience: My real-life friends and those who have seen me on convention panels may be aware of my tendency toward the Inappropriate Giggle Fit, in which something strikes...

Ah, Silence!

Well, I survived day one of Vacation Bible School. The kids weren't bad. They don't seem to be vicious at all. They're just LOUD. At least, the boys are. They don't seem to have any volume control whatsoever. We don't spend a lot of time in our classroom, since we're usually going from one activity station to another, but the room we're in is all hard surfaces, and then there's this almost chimney-like construction going up to a skylight, which seems to create a sound echo chamber. It's like ...

Consulting the Subconscious

It's another late day because I had physical therapy this morning. I left early because I was trying to run an errand, then realized that I wasn't totally clear on which thing I needed (silly me, I only wrote down the size, but didn't know there were more specifics I needed to check), then I went grocery shopping afterward, and then it was lunchtime, and then I got distracted.

I believe I am winning the war with the sinuses. I discovered a flaw with the Curry Plan, namely that getting curry wo...

Waging War with the Sinuses

This may be a good day for me to avoid human contact. My sinuses are currently staging an armed rebellion. I fought back last night by drinking V8 with horseradish and Tabasco (my mom's surefire cold/sinus cure, with a twist). As stuffy as I am, I can't really taste much, so I didn't realize I'd possibly put a bit too much Tabasco in, until my lips started tingling. The sinuses rallied and staged a fierce comeback, so I think today I may go for curry. Or, if it turns out that I'm right and th...

Market Research

I had a reader question about how I do research for a book, so in the next couple of writing posts I'll address that. I do three kinds of research: market research, idea generation research and fact research. This time, I'll talk about market research. I'll address the other two next time, since they involve similar reading but for different purposes.

Not every project needs market research, but if you're just starting to write or if you're writing something different than you've written befor...

Who Are the Real Mean Girls?

I tried to tough out the allergies (the shoulder stopped hurting after one Tylenol) and get some work done yesterday, but it just wasn't working. I hit a scene I knew needed work, but I couldn't concentrate enough to fix it. I did get some brainstorming done on fixing it, but finding the words was something of a challenge. I hope it will be better today.

While I'm on a tear about reading rants, I have another one, as well as a question for other readers, particularly the younger ones -- any te...

The Sad Literary Fate of Useful Women

Another busy morning. I've already run some errands, gone to physical therapy and replaced my air conditioner filter. Now my shoulder hurts. A lot. I really need to get some writing done, but between the shoulder and the ongoing allergy attack, I may do some napping this afternoon and hope I feel up to working tonight, since I don't have anywhere to go.

One of my errands involved correcting an odd lack in my closet. I'm teaching Vacation Bible School next week, and at the training session yest...

Ow!

My morning accomplishments for the day: a physical therapy appointment, then a trip downtown to the Friends of the Library Book Sale and then Target.

The physical therapy doesn't seem like it's going to be as bad as I feared. The therapist said she thought the Vicodin prescription was probably overkill, so I may not have to worry about the transportation and drugs issue. I'd worried that I'd end up with some Helga the Healer type person, a former East German swimmer who would grab my arm and s...

Building a Big Book

I realized while doing my revising yesterday that this book may be funnier than I thought. There was one line that made me laugh out loud, and I wrote it, so that's probably a good sign. I'm going to get really crazy today and try to work in the morning, since I have my first physical therapy appointment in the afternoon, and that will pretty much kill the whole afternoon. This is the assessment appointment, so I imagine it will mostly consist of them seeing the range of motion in the bad arm...

Revenge of the Subconscious

I continue to be ridiculously productive, with 5 hours of real writing work yesterday, and today I've already been to the bank, post office and library and have taken a shower after all that walking in the heat.

I think my subconscious has struck again. That weekend craving for a fantasy romantic comedy may have been a signal about the book I'm working on. It's not what I would really call a romantic comedy, as it's neither truly romantic nor a comedy. It does have some romantic elements, alth...