SOS

I'm still in the process of sorting through my documents and weeding out the good scenes and meh parts. I've been keeping notes and marking sections with *** in areas that are in need of research. And while I have read articles and books, there's nothing like interviewing an expert for feedback. So, if anyone knows of someone who works in the Department of Fish and Game and wouldn't mind my interviewing them I'd greatly appreciate it. Please know that if I do ever get my story published, I'd definitely acknowledge them and their assistance.

For those not in the know of what I'm writing about it's a supernatural thriller/mystery set at a California inn. The inn and tourist town are fictional, but it deals with the growing human-bear conflict that often leads to the DFG's destruction of nuisance bears and/or the illegal taking (killing) of bears by homeowners. My goal for the novel is to not only write an entertaining story, but to inform readers of this problem and to help prevent further injuries to humans and the death of these beautiful creatures.

Must Remain Focused

This will be my new mantra. Wrote this morning and must write again before the sun sets. I've been distracted lately with family obligations, but need focus. I'm considering printing out all the pages I've written for my novel and wading through it. I hesitate because I think of all the beautiful trees I'm killing yet I think holding the pages in my hands will help in organizing my novel. I have not written it chronologically and have changed characters, suspects, and clues. Part of me dreads printing it out while the other welcomes it and hopes for clarity.

Happy living!

Back to the Blog

For personal reasons, I've been neglecting my blog and writing. My dad recently had a kidney transplant and his surgery/recovery has been my main focus. Now that he's home we're more comfortable managing his blood pressure, temp, diet, blood glucose levels, his 20+ pills and the twice-a-week doctor visits to Stanford. Believe it or not, it's become easier and life can start getting back to normal. Thank goodness!

I'd also like to thank those selfless enough to become organ donors. It's the greatest gift anyone can give and I'm proud to say I'm an organ donor. And while we don't know the identity of my dad's donor, I could never begin to thank the donor and his/her family for this gift. And of course, thank the surgeons and nurses who cared for my dad.

While I haven't been able to tap away on my novel (I just couldn't nor did I want to bring a laptop to G2S during visiting hours), it doesn't mean I haven't been thinking and reworking the novel. During my hours not spent at the hospital I forced myself to wield a good old fashion pen and legal notepad. Mapping out the novel by hand reminds me of those flow charts teachers assigned us in high school. You remember the days when we had to turn in the notes plus the completed essay. While I love my laptop I'd forgotten how comforting a pen and notepad can be.

Happy writing and living.

Where did February go?

I've fallen behind in my blogging but not my writing or researching. The library's become my second home and I've lost count of how many times I've requested a novel/resource book. I knew there'd be some research involved but I didn't expect this much, and I must be careful and not lose myself in the research.

With that said, I recently checked out Tales from the Fjeld. The tales are pretty brutal, which I like since there's this tendency to sweeten fairy tales/folklore. Not the case here. Take "The Sweetheart in the Wood." Our heroine's set to marry this dashing suitor and heads out into the woods to his home/castle for her wedding. She arrives a day early and finds the castle empty except for a room of gowns, a room of jewels, and lastly a room of rotting, bloody corpses. Yep, he's a serial killer. She ducks under the bed in time to witness the suitor return home with another potential bride...

I know, it's a cautionary tale, but it rocks some vengeance and who doesn't enjoy a little revenge in a story. Happy reading and writing.

Theodor Kittelsen

Bears. Bears will be playing a critical role in my novel. For the past year I've been googling bear-sightings in California and well bears in general. During my search I found this drawing by Theodor Kittelsen, "En Uheldig Bjornejakt" or Bearhunt Gone Wrong. In my research of Kittelsen it appears he's more known for his fairy tale drawings and trolls, so I haven't had much luck in finding out what inspired this drawing. I find it both comical and somewhat disturbing as Mama Bear looks to be having way too much fun. For now I'm posting the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Theodor_Kittelsen-En_uheldig_bjørnejakt.jpg.

Enjoy.

Short Stories

I decided to take a short break from my novel to write a short story. It's a mystery and has the potential of being a stand alone story or a tie in to my novel.

To be honest, I've missed the short story genre and that was part of the reason I decided to write something new. Another reason, I'm currently reading Murder Most Crafty, a collection of mystery short stories on you guessed it, crafts. It's a fun departure from reading werewolf and vampire novels (which I've done a lot of lately).

Don't worry, I'm not abandoning my novel. I have too much research and time invested not to finish it. Here's hoping this will rejuvenate my writing.

Photo Update

I love flipping through old photo albums. Yesterday, I found this photo from my day trip to Santa Cruz's Roaring Camp Railroads. California's coastal redwoods are beautiful and you don't realize how small you are until you stand beside one of these babies. I think it's a nice addition to the layout. Plus, each time I post the photo will inspire me to write my novel. The coastal redwoods factor into my setting of a fictional California town.

On a side note, anyone interested in trains or California's history should check out Roaring Camp. They're having their Rain Forest Weekend from Jan. 2 to March 28. I've never been to this event, but it sounds fun. I'll try and post the link. Be patient, I'm new to this.