Liz Flaherty's Blog, page 124

January 26, 2016

Process? There's a Process?

Okay, yeah, maybe there is a process. It's only that I've never given it much consideration. Mostly, I write . . . but perhaps we could call my pre-thinking a beginning of a process.

I always start with characters, too--very possibly one of hundreds of reasons why Liz and I are kindred spirits. Our stories start with people. We invent stories for the people in our heads, not people for the stories. Does that make sense? Unlike Liz, I do hear the characters talking to me, which probably means t...
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Published on January 26, 2016 03:30

January 25, 2016

Setting the seam

     by Liz Flaherty 
    Here are a few pieces of Word Wrangler conversation with no attribution, although you may be able to guess who said what.
...do you remember when we used to do themes? We rotated weeks on picking...
Do we have a theme for next week and I forgot it already? 
...we hadn't talked about theme yet ... since the last 2 were kind of 'slice of life'ish, do we want to go to a writer theme for next week? 
I can do a blog on my process if...
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Published on January 25, 2016 02:00

January 22, 2016

Thanks for the memories!

The Wrangler gals have put together quite a striking list of memorable days in their lives!

I struggled with this week’s theme, partially because so many of my memorable days are either unpleasant or bittersweet, but mostly because I’m horrible with dates. Case in point: my wedding anniversary is written in my old-school paper organizer affectionately called “my brain,” and I still forgot it one year. To make matters worse, hubby did notforget it. Fortunately, he’s a really great guy and does...
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Published on January 22, 2016 05:00

January 21, 2016

Summer Days


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Published on January 21, 2016 06:50

January 20, 2016

The Best Days? Mostly...

We're talking about best moments...or maybe just life-altering moments this week at WordWranglers. Why the video over here? Well, because I love Kellie Pickler and it's mostly on-topic.

You've already read about Nan's bank robbery and Liz's Bobby Kennedy moment ... and I'm wracking my brain trying to remember five moments that stand out more than others. There are a lot, but then I try to quantify what makes them 'more' and...my brain starts to hurt. So I'm clearing my head and the first five...
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Published on January 20, 2016 00:00

January 19, 2016

Not-So-Faded Memories...


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Published on January 19, 2016 03:00

January 18, 2016

Changing the rhythm...

by Liz Flaherty

...everybody's individual music, has its own rhythm... - Yo-Yo Ma


I had this idea for a post because today’s my daughter Kari’s birthday. It was definitely right up there
Kari Wilsonwith the best days of my life, along with her brothers’ births, the days they married and gave me my other three kids, the days the Magnificent Seven were born, the day back in 1971 when Duane and I said yes, we do, and all the days since. That’s life in Pollyannaville, folks—there are no bad days, on...
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Published on January 18, 2016 02:00

January 15, 2016

I Feel Fine!

Fortunately, like Margie, I have not been sick (yes, knocking on all kinds of wood here), though my heart goes out to my fellow wranglers. I hope they get over their creeping crud soon!

It’s probably for the best that I don’t get sick very often. While our culture pokes fun at men being big babies when it comes to having a cold, that’s not the case at my house.  I’m the biggest baby of all when I have a cold, or worse. I look at it this way: if I don’t feel sorry for myself, who will? He...
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Published on January 15, 2016 05:00

January 14, 2016

Knock On Wood

by Margie Senechal

While I feel bad for my Wrangler comrades, I'm very pleased to tell you that I am not sick--knock on keyboard. I think working in the public and handling money has it's payoffs--for me, a strong immune system.

But, I am a little heartsick as I write this.

First, I woke up to discover that Alan Rickman passed away. 
  

I have loved him since Die Hard. I even loved his less famous movies like The January Man. He was a dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham. 

And Galax...
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Published on January 14, 2016 10:39

January 13, 2016

My Favorites On a Sick Day

I absolutely love the Dayquil/Nyquil commercial about moms and sick days. Partially because, like Nan and Liz, I've been struggling with a yukky cold for a couple of weeks now. Not enough to really, truly put me down, but enough that I don't feel like sitting at my computer and writing. I'm doing it, but I'd rather be doing something else. Anything. Else.

Which brings me to the point of today's post: my favorite things to do when I'm sick. You know, sick enough to not be at the computer but no...
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Published on January 13, 2016 01:00