Monday, October 21, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
I Am Genuine and Sincere
From Sunday Stealing
My Random Randomness Meme, part 3
1) What room are you in?
A. The room we call my office, which is the front of the house. It originally was a bedroom. It has two windows, parquet flooring, three clocks, my diplomas on the wall, and many books, tons of paper, and my computer.
2) Can you solve a rubix cube?
A. Yes.
3) Are you psychic in any way?
A. Yes. You know yes or no questions are boring, right? I knew you were going to nod your head!
4) What star sign are you?
A. Gemini. The Twins. An air sign, it's ruled by Mercury and is the sign of communicators. Gemini people are known for their wit, their ability to think, and attention to detail. Famous Gemini include Marilyn Monroe, Anne Frank, Andy Griffith, John F. Kennedy, Maeve Binchy, and many others.
5) What's your favorite color?
A. Blue. This link offers an interesting take on personality based on what liking the color blue means. It says I am genuine and sincere and I take my responsibilities seriously. That sounds about right.
6) What's your lucky number?
A. Eight (8).
7) Do you have any chores that should be done now?
A. There are always chores. If you life your life doing everything you should, then it would be boring and unfulfilled. Who wants to work when there are silly questions to answer?
8) Did you have a cherished childhood teddy bear or other toy?
A. I had Blue Dog. Blue Dog was, well, a blue dog.
9) What was the last thing you bought from a vending machine?
A. Probably a bottled water, since that is all I ever get from vending machines.
10) What shoe size are you?
A. A Women's size 7W, generally. But it depends on the shoe.
11) How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A. More than 10.
12) If you were prime minister/ruler of the world what laws would you make?
A. Those that would make the world more equitable, because I believe everyone deserves, not just a chance, but to have their basic needs met, such as food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, and education. I would create a baseline. I think there will always be poverty and always wealthy people, but I think the disparity between those two divisions needs to be less, not greater. There is simply no reason for some people to live in slums while a few live in magnificence. It's just wrong. It should be something like Okay and better than Okay, but never Terrible and Fantastic. And certainly it should never be 99 percent live in Terrible and 1 percent live in Fantastic. It should be something like 1 percent lives in Terrible, 98 percent live in Great, and 1 percent live in Fantastic. Or something like that. I wish it could be 100 percent live in Great but I don't think that will ever happen.
13) If you were a super hero what powers would you have?
A. Invisibility, keen intelligence, speed, strength, and stamina.
14) and what would your hero name be?
A. Librarian Lady.
15) and what outfit would you wear?
A. Black. Black shirt, black long pants, black boots. Black gloves, black mask around the eyes. No cape.
16) What was your last dream about?
A. I dreamed about my doctor. I saw her at an event and she asked me how I was, and I told her I was dying. She told me she wasn't going to let that happen, and gave me a hug. (To my knowledge I am not dying in reality.)
17) What would you do if you won the lottery?
A. While it depends on the amount, if it is a vast sum, I would do the following: first, I would set half of it aside to use for charitable purposes, some of which would include building a local library, establishing a scholarship at my alma mater, and setting up a foundation to help people in need. For personal use, I would buy some land, build a new house, buy a new car, pay off my nephews (in the plural) student loans, assist other family members as necessary, and things like that. Whatever was left would go back to the charitable purpose half.
18) Would you like to build/design your own house?
A. I already did that. If I did it again, I would change a few things. After you've lived in a house you figure out what works and what doesn't.
19) Which form of public transport do you prefer?
A. I drive a car. I have been on a plane occasionally, and never on a bus as an adult. I can't say that I prefer any public transportation.
21) Can you juggle?
A. I can juggle a lot of different tasks at one time, as I am fairly good at multi-tasking, but I cannot juggle in the sense of tossing many things up in the air and then catching them.
My Random Randomness Meme, part 3
1) What room are you in?
A. The room we call my office, which is the front of the house. It originally was a bedroom. It has two windows, parquet flooring, three clocks, my diplomas on the wall, and many books, tons of paper, and my computer.
2) Can you solve a rubix cube?
A. Yes.
3) Are you psychic in any way?
A. Yes. You know yes or no questions are boring, right? I knew you were going to nod your head!
4) What star sign are you?
A. Gemini. The Twins. An air sign, it's ruled by Mercury and is the sign of communicators. Gemini people are known for their wit, their ability to think, and attention to detail. Famous Gemini include Marilyn Monroe, Anne Frank, Andy Griffith, John F. Kennedy, Maeve Binchy, and many others.
5) What's your favorite color?
A. Blue. This link offers an interesting take on personality based on what liking the color blue means. It says I am genuine and sincere and I take my responsibilities seriously. That sounds about right.
6) What's your lucky number?
A. Eight (8).
7) Do you have any chores that should be done now?
A. There are always chores. If you life your life doing everything you should, then it would be boring and unfulfilled. Who wants to work when there are silly questions to answer?
8) Did you have a cherished childhood teddy bear or other toy?
A. I had Blue Dog. Blue Dog was, well, a blue dog.
9) What was the last thing you bought from a vending machine?
A. Probably a bottled water, since that is all I ever get from vending machines.
10) What shoe size are you?
A. A Women's size 7W, generally. But it depends on the shoe.
11) How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A. More than 10.
12) If you were prime minister/ruler of the world what laws would you make?
A. Those that would make the world more equitable, because I believe everyone deserves, not just a chance, but to have their basic needs met, such as food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, and education. I would create a baseline. I think there will always be poverty and always wealthy people, but I think the disparity between those two divisions needs to be less, not greater. There is simply no reason for some people to live in slums while a few live in magnificence. It's just wrong. It should be something like Okay and better than Okay, but never Terrible and Fantastic. And certainly it should never be 99 percent live in Terrible and 1 percent live in Fantastic. It should be something like 1 percent lives in Terrible, 98 percent live in Great, and 1 percent live in Fantastic. Or something like that. I wish it could be 100 percent live in Great but I don't think that will ever happen.
13) If you were a super hero what powers would you have?
A. Invisibility, keen intelligence, speed, strength, and stamina.
14) and what would your hero name be?
A. Librarian Lady.
15) and what outfit would you wear?
A. Black. Black shirt, black long pants, black boots. Black gloves, black mask around the eyes. No cape.
16) What was your last dream about?
A. I dreamed about my doctor. I saw her at an event and she asked me how I was, and I told her I was dying. She told me she wasn't going to let that happen, and gave me a hug. (To my knowledge I am not dying in reality.)
17) What would you do if you won the lottery?
A. While it depends on the amount, if it is a vast sum, I would do the following: first, I would set half of it aside to use for charitable purposes, some of which would include building a local library, establishing a scholarship at my alma mater, and setting up a foundation to help people in need. For personal use, I would buy some land, build a new house, buy a new car, pay off my nephews (in the plural) student loans, assist other family members as necessary, and things like that. Whatever was left would go back to the charitable purpose half.
18) Would you like to build/design your own house?
A. I already did that. If I did it again, I would change a few things. After you've lived in a house you figure out what works and what doesn't.
19) Which form of public transport do you prefer?
A. I drive a car. I have been on a plane occasionally, and never on a bus as an adult. I can't say that I prefer any public transportation.
21) Can you juggle?
A. I can juggle a lot of different tasks at one time, as I am fairly good at multi-tasking, but I cannot juggle in the sense of tossing many things up in the air and then catching them.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Pumpkin Beauty
I shot these photos at Ikenberry Orchards earlier this week, using my Nikon Coolpix L22, a small camera I keep in the car. This is one of my favorite stops in Botetourt.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Thursday Thirteen
Thirteen websites I visited in a single day:
1. Weight Watchers. I'm an online member and since mid-June I have lost 22 pounds.
2. Mayo Clinic. I have a health problem.
3. Aol.com. I have an Aol email address that I've had for 20 years.
4. New York Times. Gotta have my news.
5. WDBJ 7 (local CBS affiliate). Gotta have the local news, too.
6. The Roanoke Times (local newspaper).
7. Medline Plus (which had a big red banner on it saying it might not be up-to-date because of the government shut down)
8. WebMD. More on that health problem.
9. Huffington Post. Keeping current, dontcha know.
10. Bing (I stopped using google as a search engine some time ago, all I get are ads and irrelevant phony sites)
11. Lots of blogs, including Diane Cayton Hakey, Word Trix, Looseleaf Notes, Around Roanoke, Peevish Pen, MsElaneous Rants, Shenandoah Gateway Farm, Sunnybrook Farm, and others. While I often comment, there are days when I just read and don't say much.
12. Business Insider. I am not sure why, I was probably reading something about the government shut down.
13. Wikipedia. Because there is always more stuff to know.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 314th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. Weight Watchers. I'm an online member and since mid-June I have lost 22 pounds.
2. Mayo Clinic. I have a health problem.
3. Aol.com. I have an Aol email address that I've had for 20 years.
4. New York Times. Gotta have my news.
5. WDBJ 7 (local CBS affiliate). Gotta have the local news, too.
6. The Roanoke Times (local newspaper).
7. Medline Plus (which had a big red banner on it saying it might not be up-to-date because of the government shut down)
8. WebMD. More on that health problem.
9. Huffington Post. Keeping current, dontcha know.
10. Bing (I stopped using google as a search engine some time ago, all I get are ads and irrelevant phony sites)
11. Lots of blogs, including Diane Cayton Hakey, Word Trix, Looseleaf Notes, Around Roanoke, Peevish Pen, MsElaneous Rants, Shenandoah Gateway Farm, Sunnybrook Farm, and others. While I often comment, there are days when I just read and don't say much.
12. Business Insider. I am not sure why, I was probably reading something about the government shut down.
13. Wikipedia. Because there is always more stuff to know.
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 314th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Game Camera Photos
I find it interesting the way photos taken with something like a game camera look. They have strange perspectives to them, and look "off" to me. I think it is the lack of a human behind the camera, though why that matters is beyond me. But they look otherworldly.
So far we haven't captured anything interesting this year, just does and a few small bucks. Nothing that makes you go "wow," anyway.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
The Upcoming Auction
On Saturday, my husband's cousins will be having an auction of their parents' estate. Their house is adjacent to the farm, so this is a big deal for these here parts.
Both Uncle Bill and Aunt Jenny passed away in recent years, Bill in January and Aunt Jenny in 2011. They were fine people who welcomed me into the family so very long ago.
If you're local and you want a look at some of the stuff they are selling, you can find it here at this link.
Aunt Jenny collected antiques and I know there are some nice pieces that will be in the sale. I am planning to go, and I think Aunt Jenny's sister is visiting from out of town just for this auction.
I hope to be able to stay and bid on a few items, but that will depend on several factors. Those factors are the weather, how many people are smoking, and how I feel. How I feel can change depending on the first two items, too. If a lot of folks are smoking around me I will have to leave.
One of the interesting things about local auctions is seeing folks you don't see often. I enjoy that. Sometimes you see people you haven't seen in years.
Another thing about an auction is people-watching. I like to see how folks react to bids, winning or losing. For some it's a game, and they are die-hard players. It is really fun when the bidding gets intense over an item that unexpectedly sells for a great deal of money.
When James' father held an auction after Grandma F. died, we watched in amazement as an old frying pan created a bidding war. Unbeknownst to us, the pan was a rare Griswold cast iron frying pan. The dealers there knew it, though, and the bidding war began.
In the end, someone paid $800 for the frying pan. My husband and I stood there with our mouths open, looking at one another. Who knew? Obviously not us!
I also came across an old slide projector and slides that had family images on them. I rescued those for $1. Might there be a similar find in Saturday's sale?
So it is fun to see what might happen. You just never know what kind of gem someone might find at an auction.
Both Uncle Bill and Aunt Jenny passed away in recent years, Bill in January and Aunt Jenny in 2011. They were fine people who welcomed me into the family so very long ago.
If you're local and you want a look at some of the stuff they are selling, you can find it here at this link.
Aunt Jenny collected antiques and I know there are some nice pieces that will be in the sale. I am planning to go, and I think Aunt Jenny's sister is visiting from out of town just for this auction.
I hope to be able to stay and bid on a few items, but that will depend on several factors. Those factors are the weather, how many people are smoking, and how I feel. How I feel can change depending on the first two items, too. If a lot of folks are smoking around me I will have to leave.
One of the interesting things about local auctions is seeing folks you don't see often. I enjoy that. Sometimes you see people you haven't seen in years.
Another thing about an auction is people-watching. I like to see how folks react to bids, winning or losing. For some it's a game, and they are die-hard players. It is really fun when the bidding gets intense over an item that unexpectedly sells for a great deal of money.
When James' father held an auction after Grandma F. died, we watched in amazement as an old frying pan created a bidding war. Unbeknownst to us, the pan was a rare Griswold cast iron frying pan. The dealers there knew it, though, and the bidding war began.
In the end, someone paid $800 for the frying pan. My husband and I stood there with our mouths open, looking at one another. Who knew? Obviously not us!
I also came across an old slide projector and slides that had family images on them. I rescued those for $1. Might there be a similar find in Saturday's sale?
So it is fun to see what might happen. You just never know what kind of gem someone might find at an auction.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Bear on the Farm
My nephew was bow hunting Saturday evening and found himself treed by a couple of bears.
A big bear came out and then later he saw two cubs. He took this photo of one of the cubs with his cell phone. He gave me permission to put it on my blog.
I was very jealous because I've been wanting to see a bear. I will have to settle for the photo - for now. (He did not shoot the bears.)
A big bear came out and then later he saw two cubs. He took this photo of one of the cubs with his cell phone. He gave me permission to put it on my blog.
I was very jealous because I've been wanting to see a bear. I will have to settle for the photo - for now. (He did not shoot the bears.)
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Some Interesting Misadventures
From Sunday Stealing
My Random Randomness Meme, part 2
1. What was your first alcoholic drink?
A. I don't remember, probably a sip of my father's Jack Daniels. I know in high school I tended to favor Mad Dog 2020. We didn't have wine coolers and such back then.
2. What was your first job?
A. Babysitting. Taking care of the farm when my parents weren't home. And then I worked as a file clerk, all before I was 16.
3. What was your first car?
A. A Datsun. A wagon that was some kind of awful burnt orange color. I had me some interesting misadventures in that car, yes I did.
4. What was your first mobile phone?
A. A Nokia. All you could do was talk on it, too.
5. What is your first proper memory?
A. My mother fainting onto the floor in front of me.
6. Who was your first teacher?
A. The first real teacher I remember was Mrs. Zircle, my first grade teacher. She made me cry.
7. Which fictional character do you wish was real?
A. Intelligence Woman, who goes around saving stupid people from themselves.
8. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
A. Spain. Although I think we had a stopover in England, and I didn't get to see anything but the airport.
9. Who was your first best friend?
A. I had an imaginary friend named Jamie who was my first best friend. My first real best friend that I remember was Chris.
10. What was your first detention for?
A. Ha. I only had one detention and that was for skipping band class.
11. What's your strongest sense?
A. Smell. I can smell stuff no one else can, including snakes and mold.
12. Who was your first kiss?
A. Interestingly enough, his name was Jamie, too. And I married a James. I sense a theme.
13. What was the first film you remember seeing at the cinema?
A. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I was five years old.
14. What's the largest amount of money you've ever won?
A. Probably about $5 bucks. I'm not very lucky that way.
15. What's the largest amount of money you've spent in one spree?
A. Probably about $150. I'm very thrifty, and I don't count big purchases like refrigerators or computers as "sprees."
16. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
A. Do Not Cross.
17. Have you ever got sweet revenge on anyone?
A. No, I can't say that I have.
18. Have you ever been to a live concert?
A. Yes. I've seen Loretta Lynn, Neil Diamond, Styz, Linda Rondstadt, Elton John, Conway Twitty, The Commodores, Juice Newton, Mannheim Steamroller, and probably a few others that I can't remember in concert. When I was a teenager, Lakeside Amusement Park (which no longer exists) used to have a summer concert series and they brought in a lot of big names or up-and-coming names. Me and my Datsun went to many of those concerts once I was old enough to drive.
19. Have you ever been to see stand up comedy?
A. Yes. I've seen Bill Cosby and Jeff Dunham.
20. Have you ever needed stitches?
A. Not for a deep cut, but I have needed them for surgery. I've got lines all over me.
My Random Randomness Meme, part 2
1. What was your first alcoholic drink?
A. I don't remember, probably a sip of my father's Jack Daniels. I know in high school I tended to favor Mad Dog 2020. We didn't have wine coolers and such back then.
2. What was your first job?
A. Babysitting. Taking care of the farm when my parents weren't home. And then I worked as a file clerk, all before I was 16.
3. What was your first car?
A. A Datsun. A wagon that was some kind of awful burnt orange color. I had me some interesting misadventures in that car, yes I did.
4. What was your first mobile phone?
A. A Nokia. All you could do was talk on it, too.
5. What is your first proper memory?
A. My mother fainting onto the floor in front of me.
6. Who was your first teacher?
A. The first real teacher I remember was Mrs. Zircle, my first grade teacher. She made me cry.
7. Which fictional character do you wish was real?
A. Intelligence Woman, who goes around saving stupid people from themselves.
8. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
A. Spain. Although I think we had a stopover in England, and I didn't get to see anything but the airport.
9. Who was your first best friend?
A. I had an imaginary friend named Jamie who was my first best friend. My first real best friend that I remember was Chris.
10. What was your first detention for?
A. Ha. I only had one detention and that was for skipping band class.
11. What's your strongest sense?
A. Smell. I can smell stuff no one else can, including snakes and mold.
12. Who was your first kiss?
A. Interestingly enough, his name was Jamie, too. And I married a James. I sense a theme.
13. What was the first film you remember seeing at the cinema?
A. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I was five years old.
14. What's the largest amount of money you've ever won?
A. Probably about $5 bucks. I'm not very lucky that way.
15. What's the largest amount of money you've spent in one spree?
A. Probably about $150. I'm very thrifty, and I don't count big purchases like refrigerators or computers as "sprees."
16. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
A. Do Not Cross.
17. Have you ever got sweet revenge on anyone?
A. No, I can't say that I have.
18. Have you ever been to a live concert?
A. Yes. I've seen Loretta Lynn, Neil Diamond, Styz, Linda Rondstadt, Elton John, Conway Twitty, The Commodores, Juice Newton, Mannheim Steamroller, and probably a few others that I can't remember in concert. When I was a teenager, Lakeside Amusement Park (which no longer exists) used to have a summer concert series and they brought in a lot of big names or up-and-coming names. Me and my Datsun went to many of those concerts once I was old enough to drive.
19. Have you ever been to see stand up comedy?
A. Yes. I've seen Bill Cosby and Jeff Dunham.
20. Have you ever needed stitches?
A. Not for a deep cut, but I have needed them for surgery. I've got lines all over me.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Books: Lirael
Lirael
By Garth Nix
Copyright 2001
464 pages
This is the second book in the Abhorsen trilogy.
Lirael is raised by Clayr, which is a group of mostly women who have the ability to see the future. But Lirael never receives her "calling" and she is ashamed that she does not have the "sight."
Sam is the prince of the Old Kingdom, and he is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting. However, he doesn't want the job. He's kind of a schmuck, actually.
The reader follows these two characters and learns about them and the ways of the Old Kingdom, which is full of magic, good and bad. Necromancers practice bad magic, and it is the job of the Abhorsen to fix what the necromancers do, which is make the dead rise up and do their bidding.
I enjoyed this book up until the end, mostly because it just sort of ends and it obviously leads into the third book. I prefer my stories to be a little better rounded and to have an obvious and satisfying ending. This ends with a revelation about Lirael that I had figured out in the first pages, so perhaps that is why I did not find the ending quite satisfying and anti-climatic.
The book does end in an obvious place for a cut-off, though. I suppose the book had to end or it would have been a very fat book indeed.
I look forward to reading the third installment and seeing how things ultimately end.
By Garth Nix
Copyright 2001
464 pages
This is the second book in the Abhorsen trilogy.
Lirael is raised by Clayr, which is a group of mostly women who have the ability to see the future. But Lirael never receives her "calling" and she is ashamed that she does not have the "sight."
Sam is the prince of the Old Kingdom, and he is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting. However, he doesn't want the job. He's kind of a schmuck, actually.
The reader follows these two characters and learns about them and the ways of the Old Kingdom, which is full of magic, good and bad. Necromancers practice bad magic, and it is the job of the Abhorsen to fix what the necromancers do, which is make the dead rise up and do their bidding.
I enjoyed this book up until the end, mostly because it just sort of ends and it obviously leads into the third book. I prefer my stories to be a little better rounded and to have an obvious and satisfying ending. This ends with a revelation about Lirael that I had figured out in the first pages, so perhaps that is why I did not find the ending quite satisfying and anti-climatic.
The book does end in an obvious place for a cut-off, though. I suppose the book had to end or it would have been a very fat book indeed.
I look forward to reading the third installment and seeing how things ultimately end.
Books: Chasing Fire
Chasing Fire
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 2011
Performed by Rebecca Lowman
15 hours
Rowan Tripp is a fire jumper. She leaps from planes into the mouth of a burning inferno and then, with her close-knit crew, she puts the fire out. She is tough and she doesn't fall in love.
But then the new crop of rookie jumpers come in, and she's drawn to Gulliver Curry. He's got fast feet and good talk and she breaks her own rules when it comes to him.
She also has nightmares because one of her buddies died in a fire the previous year, and she can't get him out of her mind.
Add in a mystery - who is the father of the fire base cook's baby - and even more mystery - who wants Rowan dead - and you have a pretty good story for the wife of a firefighter to listen to.
It's so good, in fact, that her fire-fighting husband will be listening to it next.
To be honest, I can't believe how good this story is. It is about as perfect a piece of work as I have read (or listened to) in quite a while. Nora Roberts uses lots of vivid imagery and great story telling to draw the reader in.
I guess now I am a Nora Roberts fan.
By Nora Roberts
Copyright 2011
Performed by Rebecca Lowman
15 hours
Rowan Tripp is a fire jumper. She leaps from planes into the mouth of a burning inferno and then, with her close-knit crew, she puts the fire out. She is tough and she doesn't fall in love.
But then the new crop of rookie jumpers come in, and she's drawn to Gulliver Curry. He's got fast feet and good talk and she breaks her own rules when it comes to him.
She also has nightmares because one of her buddies died in a fire the previous year, and she can't get him out of her mind.
Add in a mystery - who is the father of the fire base cook's baby - and even more mystery - who wants Rowan dead - and you have a pretty good story for the wife of a firefighter to listen to.
It's so good, in fact, that her fire-fighting husband will be listening to it next.
To be honest, I can't believe how good this story is. It is about as perfect a piece of work as I have read (or listened to) in quite a while. Nora Roberts uses lots of vivid imagery and great story telling to draw the reader in.
I guess now I am a Nora Roberts fan.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Books: Shut Up & Write
Shut Up & Write
By Judy Bridges
Copyright 2011
176 pages
I found this to be a good handbook for writers regardless of the stage of career, though experienced writers might find it less informative than beginners.
Bridges had interesting ideas for character creation using a character wheel that I had never seen before. It was a bit like the technique I teach in my journaling class called clustering.
She advocated for one writing technique that I'd not seen elsewhere, either: retype the entire manuscript, don't just cut and paste and move stuff around. A new writer in particular might find this helpful. Having been a journalist for years I learned to edit on the fly and don't know that I could slow my self down long enough to do an entire retyping of a piece, but it might be worth an attempt or two to see if it helps the brain cells think a bit.
Additionally the book introduces newbies to business terms, style manuals, and other writing necessities. She offers a useful critique list, too.
I read the book looking for new ideas to offer my writing classes and found them, so this was an excellent read for me.
Becky over at Peevish Pen reviewed this book in great detail about 18 months ago; she does a fine job of explaining what is good about this book. So click on that link if you want more info.
By Judy Bridges
Copyright 2011
176 pages
I found this to be a good handbook for writers regardless of the stage of career, though experienced writers might find it less informative than beginners.
Bridges had interesting ideas for character creation using a character wheel that I had never seen before. It was a bit like the technique I teach in my journaling class called clustering.
She advocated for one writing technique that I'd not seen elsewhere, either: retype the entire manuscript, don't just cut and paste and move stuff around. A new writer in particular might find this helpful. Having been a journalist for years I learned to edit on the fly and don't know that I could slow my self down long enough to do an entire retyping of a piece, but it might be worth an attempt or two to see if it helps the brain cells think a bit.
Additionally the book introduces newbies to business terms, style manuals, and other writing necessities. She offers a useful critique list, too.
I read the book looking for new ideas to offer my writing classes and found them, so this was an excellent read for me.
Becky over at Peevish Pen reviewed this book in great detail about 18 months ago; she does a fine job of explaining what is good about this book. So click on that link if you want more info.
Late Garden Bounty
Our little patch has done splendidly this year; I wish I had felt like doing more with it for it seems it would have been most productive. I bought seeds early on thinking I would plant again late in the season, but because I have not felt well I did not do what I had intended. Maybe next year - but who knows what will happen with the weather, then?
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