Linda Lael Miller's Blog, page 5
January 17, 2012
Chatter
Well, we've been lucky with the weather so far this winter, but it seems all our chickens are coming home to roost, beginning with light snow tonight and semi-blizzard levels tomorrow and the day after. As long as the power stays on, my computer will work and I can concentrate on my story, which means I'm a happy and grateful camper. (I'll still be happy and grateful if the lights go out, but it will take more effort. :) )
I really enjoyed your answers to yesterday's question--those of you who haven't seen them can click on the 'comments' link under Monday's blog entry. I certainly agree with all your choices--Robyn Carr's Jack, for instance, is a definite hunk. Today, I'd add Francis Crawford, of Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles, and of course Rhett Butler deserves a spot in the Hero Hall of Fame. Branching out into TV, I'm still crazy about Little Joe Cartwright, of "Bonanza" fame. Even after all these years, that saucy grin of his inspires me. :)
I mentioned my dawn simulator, basically an alarm clock with a blindingly bright light, a few entries back. Gadget queen though I am, I couldn't figure out how to set the thing for about a week. Finally, a tech-savvy friend solved the problem, and I've been using the widget for a couple of days now. It definitely wakes me up, but I'm all too able to ignore it. Maybe what I need is a radio/CD player that will boom out with something like, "76 Trombones" or Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" :) My goal is to resume my old habit of getting up at 4 a.m. (I am a morning person, obviously.) I like to read my devotionals and listen to the Daily Audio Bible, get a little exercise, and start writing immediately after that, so I can be all jazzed up when I sit down at my computer.
The best laid plans. Today, the first thing I had to do was throw Bernicie into the sink and lather her up. You're happier without the details, believe me. Then the coffee pot--which I bought 2 months ago--went on the blink.
John Lennon was right. Life IS what happens when you've made other plans.
See you tomorrow.
I really enjoyed your answers to yesterday's question--those of you who haven't seen them can click on the 'comments' link under Monday's blog entry. I certainly agree with all your choices--Robyn Carr's Jack, for instance, is a definite hunk. Today, I'd add Francis Crawford, of Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles, and of course Rhett Butler deserves a spot in the Hero Hall of Fame. Branching out into TV, I'm still crazy about Little Joe Cartwright, of "Bonanza" fame. Even after all these years, that saucy grin of his inspires me. :)
I mentioned my dawn simulator, basically an alarm clock with a blindingly bright light, a few entries back. Gadget queen though I am, I couldn't figure out how to set the thing for about a week. Finally, a tech-savvy friend solved the problem, and I've been using the widget for a couple of days now. It definitely wakes me up, but I'm all too able to ignore it. Maybe what I need is a radio/CD player that will boom out with something like, "76 Trombones" or Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" :) My goal is to resume my old habit of getting up at 4 a.m. (I am a morning person, obviously.) I like to read my devotionals and listen to the Daily Audio Bible, get a little exercise, and start writing immediately after that, so I can be all jazzed up when I sit down at my computer.
The best laid plans. Today, the first thing I had to do was throw Bernicie into the sink and lather her up. You're happier without the details, believe me. Then the coffee pot--which I bought 2 months ago--went on the blink.
John Lennon was right. Life IS what happens when you've made other plans.
See you tomorrow.
January 16, 2012
Friday's Topic
Wow. You sure responded to that one. Fun to hear so many different viewpoints--we'll have to have more of these discussions.
The consensus seemed to be:
Full moons ARE different from other moons--I've always figured it was simple physics, ie, if the moon pulls at the tides, why wouldn't it pull at little ole water-filled us? (This last one, according to my MoonPhase app, was the Wolf Moon. Don't you love that name?)
Black cats, like all small furry folks, are wonderful. :)
Some of you told great stories about things your grandmothers believed. (My mom could never stand to see us play with crutches, I recall, because we might wind up needing them sometime.)
And you brought to mind one superstition I do believe in, because I've seen it happen so many times, growing up in a small town the way I did. Big events--especially deaths--happen in threes.
Or maybe we just segment them that way. :)
If you could pick one hero, from one novel or from history or whatever, and marry him, who would you choose?
Dibs on Sam O'Ballivan, the Man from Stone Creek.
The consensus seemed to be:
Full moons ARE different from other moons--I've always figured it was simple physics, ie, if the moon pulls at the tides, why wouldn't it pull at little ole water-filled us? (This last one, according to my MoonPhase app, was the Wolf Moon. Don't you love that name?)
Black cats, like all small furry folks, are wonderful. :)
Some of you told great stories about things your grandmothers believed. (My mom could never stand to see us play with crutches, I recall, because we might wind up needing them sometime.)
And you brought to mind one superstition I do believe in, because I've seen it happen so many times, growing up in a small town the way I did. Big events--especially deaths--happen in threes.
Or maybe we just segment them that way. :)
If you could pick one hero, from one novel or from history or whatever, and marry him, who would you choose?
Dibs on Sam O'Ballivan, the Man from Stone Creek.
January 13, 2012
Friday the 13th
I'm not superstitious--well, not very--but I do tend to watch my p's and q's on Friday the 13th. :) I'm also not wild about walking under ladders--that's probably just common sense--but I don't throw salt over my shoulder when I spill it or anything like that, and I have no issues with black cats. My daughter has two.
On the other hand, the full moon always seems to affect me, as does Mercury Retrograde. (Even when I deliberately ignore them.)
Are you superstitious about anything? Let's talk about it.
Just click on the comment button below. I'll send an autographed book to one of you.
Have a great weekend and, oh, yes, don't walk under any ladders.
On the other hand, the full moon always seems to affect me, as does Mercury Retrograde. (Even when I deliberately ignore them.)
Are you superstitious about anything? Let's talk about it.
Just click on the comment button below. I'll send an autographed book to one of you.
Have a great weekend and, oh, yes, don't walk under any ladders.
January 12, 2012
Sunny Skies in January
This is the Eastern Washington weather I remember from my childhood--it's very cold out, but the sun is shining and the sky is sugar-bowl blue. As Bernicie and I walked around the pasture this morning, I felt my heart just swell with gratitude. That's my prayer time, while I'm walking, and it's just such a gift to me to spend that time with God and my all-time favorite Yorkie. :)
I mentioned losing my cell phone--odd how disconnected I felt, even though I'm not actually a phone person anyway. I missed my Daily Audio Bible app most of all--listening regularly to the Word is so healing, even when the stories themselves are confusing. By that I mean some of the stuff in the Old Testament--burnt offerings, for instance, or Lot, willing to toss his two virgin daughters to the angry crowd outside his house. Yikes. For a long time, things like that kept me at a distance from the Bible, even though I was raised on the King James Version and will forever be grateful to my mom for taking us to the Northport Presbyterian Church from infancy. Still, as I'm rediscovering now, there is much more to the scriptures than the superficial meaning of the words themselves. It definitely has a singular power, all it's own.
For me, the key was to stop trying to understand, and let up on wanting to argue every point. Now, I don't worry about believing or disbelieving, I just listen. And there is some kind of shift going on within.
Snow predicted for the end of the week.
Oh, well. :) It IS January, after all.
I mentioned losing my cell phone--odd how disconnected I felt, even though I'm not actually a phone person anyway. I missed my Daily Audio Bible app most of all--listening regularly to the Word is so healing, even when the stories themselves are confusing. By that I mean some of the stuff in the Old Testament--burnt offerings, for instance, or Lot, willing to toss his two virgin daughters to the angry crowd outside his house. Yikes. For a long time, things like that kept me at a distance from the Bible, even though I was raised on the King James Version and will forever be grateful to my mom for taking us to the Northport Presbyterian Church from infancy. Still, as I'm rediscovering now, there is much more to the scriptures than the superficial meaning of the words themselves. It definitely has a singular power, all it's own.
For me, the key was to stop trying to understand, and let up on wanting to argue every point. Now, I don't worry about believing or disbelieving, I just listen. And there is some kind of shift going on within.
Snow predicted for the end of the week.
Oh, well. :) It IS January, after all.
January 11, 2012
#1600!!
It's hard to believe I've written 1600 entries on this blog, but I reckon the counter doesn't lie. :) Amazing.
Today's Q&A:
Hilda asked if sections of my books are ever cut out, and told me some authors post the missing chapters on the web so the reader can fill in the blanks. I've never experienced this, really. My editor and I work very closely together throughout the process, and that keeps me on track. If Joan asks me to change something, I generally agree with her, and make the changes. If--and this is rare because we are very like-minded--I don't agree, we negotiate a solution that suits both of us.
Lea didn't actually ask a question--she sent me a link to her blog, "Lea and Her Mustangs". The pictures are great!
It's a beautiful, sunny day today. This has to be the nicest January in my long and winding memory--not counting the 8 I spent in Arizona, of course. :)
And now back to the writing.
Today's Q&A:
Hilda asked if sections of my books are ever cut out, and told me some authors post the missing chapters on the web so the reader can fill in the blanks. I've never experienced this, really. My editor and I work very closely together throughout the process, and that keeps me on track. If Joan asks me to change something, I generally agree with her, and make the changes. If--and this is rare because we are very like-minded--I don't agree, we negotiate a solution that suits both of us.
Lea didn't actually ask a question--she sent me a link to her blog, "Lea and Her Mustangs". The pictures are great!
It's a beautiful, sunny day today. This has to be the nicest January in my long and winding memory--not counting the 8 I spent in Arizona, of course. :)
And now back to the writing.
January 10, 2012
One Question
A special hello to Jennifer, who emailed to say she's an aspiring writer. Here's her quesion: do you define your characters before you write, physical and character details, or let them develop as you write?
A: Both. Usually, I'm getting to know a character for weeks, if not months or years, before I write about them. When I begin the story, I have a fairly comprehensive but also generalized vision of the characters, the situation, etc., but my characters invariably develop as the book unfolds and they often surprise me--and I love it when that happens.
That's my method, but I hasten to add that there is no one "right" way to plan characters--I work organically, with one thing growing out of another. Something happens, a character responds to it, and so on. Here's the most valuable advice I can give an aspiring writer (besides the obvious, which is write, and you wouldn't believe how often that particular step gets overlooked): Be willing to write badly until you learn to do it well. Perfectionism is the enemy--and after all these years, it's still a struggle I face every day.
Only God is perfect. The rest of us have to be satisfied with doing our best and letting that be okay. When you get right down to it, after all, "good enough" is plenty in most cases--and it sure beats doing nothing at all.
Bernice and I took a nice walk today. No snow. (YES!) The Yorkster is downright perky these days, thanks to her medicine, and that lights up my heart.
Until tomorrow....
A: Both. Usually, I'm getting to know a character for weeks, if not months or years, before I write about them. When I begin the story, I have a fairly comprehensive but also generalized vision of the characters, the situation, etc., but my characters invariably develop as the book unfolds and they often surprise me--and I love it when that happens.
That's my method, but I hasten to add that there is no one "right" way to plan characters--I work organically, with one thing growing out of another. Something happens, a character responds to it, and so on. Here's the most valuable advice I can give an aspiring writer (besides the obvious, which is write, and you wouldn't believe how often that particular step gets overlooked): Be willing to write badly until you learn to do it well. Perfectionism is the enemy--and after all these years, it's still a struggle I face every day.
Only God is perfect. The rest of us have to be satisfied with doing our best and letting that be okay. When you get right down to it, after all, "good enough" is plenty in most cases--and it sure beats doing nothing at all.
Bernice and I took a nice walk today. No snow. (YES!) The Yorkster is downright perky these days, thanks to her medicine, and that lights up my heart.
Until tomorrow....
January 9, 2012
Leaner But Not Meaner
I did it. I worked up the courage to step onto the scale this morning and--hallelujah--I am at my pre-rodeo, pre-Toronto trip, pre-Vegas weight! YES. Viva la D.I.E.T.
OK, so a dozen of you left comments, with questions, and I will address them here as best I can.
Thanks first, though, for all those kind words.
Q: Will I be writing more time travel books?
A: If I get a really good idea for one, yes. Right now, I'm up to my eyeballs in sexy cowboy heroes and the view from here is great. :)
Q: Is there a man in your life? Romantically speaking, that is?
A: No. But I believe he's out there somewhere and he's a lot like Sam O'Ballivan, the man from Stone Creek. :) I expect he'll turn up when the time is right.
Q: Are there audio versions of your books?
A: Most of them are available on audible.com or iTunes, methinks, but not all are on CD.
Q: How do you like your CPAP machine? (This is a breathing device for those of us with sleep apnea.)
A: I rest ever so much better, now that I don't wake up fifty times a night to breathe. The mask part is bulky, though, and I took a while to get used to the thing.
Q: Do you use events from your own life in your stories?
A: Well, I never put down an experience exactly as it happened to me, but of course I am influenced by life--mainly the stories I remember my cowboy dad and uncles telling and certainly Gramma Wiley's tales of her Kansas childhood. My writing tends to be organic--I begin with a certain character in a situation that intrigues me, and build from there.
So that's the overview for the most recent crop of questions. If I missed yours, never fear. I'll get to it. :) Keep them coming.
In other news, I have misplaced my cell phone and am awaiting a new one. There was a delay. Is Mercury in retrograde? I'll have to check. The moon has been full the last couple of nights, and that usually dials up the crazy-meter a little. :)
Basically, it's all good. Bernicie the Yorkie is doing very well on her new medicine. (She'll be 12 in April.) My old Buckaroo is still hanging in, wandering around the pasture during the day with the other horses, clad in his beloved green blanket, and keeping his mischievous fan club, Banjo and Traveler, in their places. Both these ponies want to be like Buck when they grow up. :)
And who can blame them?
OK, so a dozen of you left comments, with questions, and I will address them here as best I can.
Thanks first, though, for all those kind words.
Q: Will I be writing more time travel books?
A: If I get a really good idea for one, yes. Right now, I'm up to my eyeballs in sexy cowboy heroes and the view from here is great. :)
Q: Is there a man in your life? Romantically speaking, that is?
A: No. But I believe he's out there somewhere and he's a lot like Sam O'Ballivan, the man from Stone Creek. :) I expect he'll turn up when the time is right.
Q: Are there audio versions of your books?
A: Most of them are available on audible.com or iTunes, methinks, but not all are on CD.
Q: How do you like your CPAP machine? (This is a breathing device for those of us with sleep apnea.)
A: I rest ever so much better, now that I don't wake up fifty times a night to breathe. The mask part is bulky, though, and I took a while to get used to the thing.
Q: Do you use events from your own life in your stories?
A: Well, I never put down an experience exactly as it happened to me, but of course I am influenced by life--mainly the stories I remember my cowboy dad and uncles telling and certainly Gramma Wiley's tales of her Kansas childhood. My writing tends to be organic--I begin with a certain character in a situation that intrigues me, and build from there.
So that's the overview for the most recent crop of questions. If I missed yours, never fear. I'll get to it. :) Keep them coming.
In other news, I have misplaced my cell phone and am awaiting a new one. There was a delay. Is Mercury in retrograde? I'll have to check. The moon has been full the last couple of nights, and that usually dials up the crazy-meter a little. :)
Basically, it's all good. Bernicie the Yorkie is doing very well on her new medicine. (She'll be 12 in April.) My old Buckaroo is still hanging in, wandering around the pasture during the day with the other horses, clad in his beloved green blanket, and keeping his mischievous fan club, Banjo and Traveler, in their places. Both these ponies want to be like Buck when they grow up. :)
And who can blame them?
January 3, 2012
Writing and Rambling
I'm writing today, and I'll like be at it for the next several hours, but I wanted to stop by the blog to let you know I'm thinking about you and to wish you a wonderful New Year.
2012. I can hardly believe it. I'm still setting goals--looking for ways to live up to this year's word, "Thrive"--and I think I mentioned the art journal I've begun. I started off by signing up for a Photoshop class, starting in late February--something I've always wanted to do. Randy Travis is appearing at Northern Quest casino in February as well, and I plan to be there. I am a major Randy Travis fan. :) Not that going to a concert is the same as achieving a goal, except that, for me, it's part of the process. Part of my definition of thriving is having more fun.
As I write this blog entry, I'm awash in full-spectrum light--bought myself a special floor lamp for Christmas, to keep the winter blues at bay. So far, so good. I forge on with the D.I.E.T. and all I can say for sure is, my jeans still fit. :)
I'm opening the floor for questions, informally at least. Click on the comment button and ask your question. I will answer as many of them as I can, right here on the blog.
Time to get back to Parable, Montana.
See you tomorrow.
2012. I can hardly believe it. I'm still setting goals--looking for ways to live up to this year's word, "Thrive"--and I think I mentioned the art journal I've begun. I started off by signing up for a Photoshop class, starting in late February--something I've always wanted to do. Randy Travis is appearing at Northern Quest casino in February as well, and I plan to be there. I am a major Randy Travis fan. :) Not that going to a concert is the same as achieving a goal, except that, for me, it's part of the process. Part of my definition of thriving is having more fun.
As I write this blog entry, I'm awash in full-spectrum light--bought myself a special floor lamp for Christmas, to keep the winter blues at bay. So far, so good. I forge on with the D.I.E.T. and all I can say for sure is, my jeans still fit. :)
I'm opening the floor for questions, informally at least. Click on the comment button and ask your question. I will answer as many of them as I can, right here on the blog.
Time to get back to Parable, Montana.
See you tomorrow.
December 31, 2011
New Year's Eve
I have largely recovered from Christmas and its before-and-aftermaths. :) As my old daddy used to say, I've had about as much fun as I can stand.
Every guest room was full, and the kitchen was Grand Central Station, in micro. I ate and I drank--there was a lot to celebrate--but now I'm back, with some relief, on the D.I.E.T. and walking Bernice at least once a day. She lives for those walks. :)
For me, by contrast, New Year's is a very quiet and introspective time. I set goals and intentions, light candles, and reflect on my long, long gratitude list. I think about things I'd like to do differently in the future, like most people, but I can't say I make actual resolutions. That just doesn't work for me, perhaps because the resolutions are so often framed (nobody's fault but my own) in a negative way.
I like my friend Debbie Macomber's "word" method--see the current issue of "Guideposts", she's on the cover!--i.e., choosing a powerful, concise word to live up to in the coming year. This year, I'm choosing "Thrive". I'm determined to relax a little and enjoy the things I've already achieved, instead of looking for the ever elusive "more". At my stage of life, it's about collecting experiences, not things.
I've set up the beginnings of an art journal, done calendar style, with a small square for each day of January, just to make a note. I'm not all that happy with it, frankly, but since I have a shelf-full of art journals with one or two pages filled, I'm determined to follow through. In other words, I'm willing to do this badly until I can do it better. :) After all, it's a personal journal--how fancy does it have to be? Of course it doesn't look like the journals of artists I admire, like Teesha Moore and Pam Carriker, to name just two of dozens, but there is a good reason for that. It's MY journal and it should reflect where I'm at in my journey, in the all-important Right Now.
On another topic, if you were in Spokane right this moment, you'd swear it was spring. The sun is shining and the sky is the most delicate blue. Only the cold would give you a clue that it's really the last day of December, and I've got that covered. My sister Sally knitted me a wonderful, warm scarf to wear when Bernice and I head out on our short treks around the property and my trusty old nylon jacket keeps out the chill.
You, my friends and readers, are at the top of my gratitude list this year and every year. Thank you for being exactly who you are, and for doing what you do.
Here's to a wonderful 2012, for all of us.
Every guest room was full, and the kitchen was Grand Central Station, in micro. I ate and I drank--there was a lot to celebrate--but now I'm back, with some relief, on the D.I.E.T. and walking Bernice at least once a day. She lives for those walks. :)
For me, by contrast, New Year's is a very quiet and introspective time. I set goals and intentions, light candles, and reflect on my long, long gratitude list. I think about things I'd like to do differently in the future, like most people, but I can't say I make actual resolutions. That just doesn't work for me, perhaps because the resolutions are so often framed (nobody's fault but my own) in a negative way.
I like my friend Debbie Macomber's "word" method--see the current issue of "Guideposts", she's on the cover!--i.e., choosing a powerful, concise word to live up to in the coming year. This year, I'm choosing "Thrive". I'm determined to relax a little and enjoy the things I've already achieved, instead of looking for the ever elusive "more". At my stage of life, it's about collecting experiences, not things.
I've set up the beginnings of an art journal, done calendar style, with a small square for each day of January, just to make a note. I'm not all that happy with it, frankly, but since I have a shelf-full of art journals with one or two pages filled, I'm determined to follow through. In other words, I'm willing to do this badly until I can do it better. :) After all, it's a personal journal--how fancy does it have to be? Of course it doesn't look like the journals of artists I admire, like Teesha Moore and Pam Carriker, to name just two of dozens, but there is a good reason for that. It's MY journal and it should reflect where I'm at in my journey, in the all-important Right Now.
On another topic, if you were in Spokane right this moment, you'd swear it was spring. The sun is shining and the sky is the most delicate blue. Only the cold would give you a clue that it's really the last day of December, and I've got that covered. My sister Sally knitted me a wonderful, warm scarf to wear when Bernice and I head out on our short treks around the property and my trusty old nylon jacket keeps out the chill.
You, my friends and readers, are at the top of my gratitude list this year and every year. Thank you for being exactly who you are, and for doing what you do.
Here's to a wonderful 2012, for all of us.
December 28, 2011
Happy Birthday, Chyanne Lael
Today is my niece's birthday. Have a happy one, sweetie.
Jeremy and Wendy are gearing up to head back to L.A. today--I will miss them very much but, may I say, our Christmas was truly a Norman Rockwell event. Jeremy's folks, Pat and Sheri Crouch, were visiting from Port Orchard, WA, as were Wendy's dad and stepmother, Rick and Kathy Miller, who hail from Montana. My mom, Hazel Bleecker Lael, of Choteau, Montana fame, rounded out the mottley crew. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of food, a lot of memories flying back and forth.
This blog was briefly interrupted so Bernice and I could go out for a short walk. With all the company and the excitement, we haven't been able to meet our usual quota for exploring the Great Outdoors. :)
Tomorrow, I get back to work. Just between you and me, I can hardly wait.
Yee-haw!
Jeremy and Wendy are gearing up to head back to L.A. today--I will miss them very much but, may I say, our Christmas was truly a Norman Rockwell event. Jeremy's folks, Pat and Sheri Crouch, were visiting from Port Orchard, WA, as were Wendy's dad and stepmother, Rick and Kathy Miller, who hail from Montana. My mom, Hazel Bleecker Lael, of Choteau, Montana fame, rounded out the mottley crew. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of food, a lot of memories flying back and forth.
This blog was briefly interrupted so Bernice and I could go out for a short walk. With all the company and the excitement, we haven't been able to meet our usual quota for exploring the Great Outdoors. :)
Tomorrow, I get back to work. Just between you and me, I can hardly wait.
Yee-haw!
