Hey There! It’s been a relatively quiet day around the apartment today. Probably because Wednesdays tend to be more hyped up with all of the weekly errands I have to run, naturally casting a slight shadow on Thursdays. And yesterday I added to the chore list picking up a new pair of specks! So that made yesterday a little more adventurous and busy. New specks are pretty awesome. No, not bacon for you German readers (haha, aren’t I hilarious?), and not really a new pair, I guess, but new lenses. It really is amazing how glasses can…uh…improve your vision. I can actually read the book titles on the bookshelf in the living room when sitting across the room. Wowser! Who would have thought?
My neck and shoulders have been aching today so that’s been leaving me in a kind of bleh mood. Not a blah mood, but a bleh mood. My own way of saying not a negative blah, but not a hip hip hoorah grand. Just…a quiet day I guess. The sun hasn’t peeked out today so while I sit here and close my computer work for the day (not that I have really been all that productive), I figured I’d write a little blog post. A nice send off for the evening before I prep dinner and…super exciting…watch “Germany’s Next Top Model.”
I did purchase some new tunes from Amazon today and that’s exciting. Listening to Peter Bradley Adams right now and digging it. Really digging it. (Why didn’t I find you ages ago, Mr. Adams?) Also discovered Alison Krauss and Union Station and Barton Hollow recently, too. So now my husband insists I’m a country lover and I detest this. I detest this a lot. He said that since iTunes classifies the album “Paper Airplane” as Country, I am now a country-loving Okie. Well, I’m not. Sorry. This is Bluegrass or Folk or something entirely not Country. Country is that pop stuff that’s on virtually every single station on the Oklahoma radio that makes my ears bleed just a tiny bit. Because I love a good banjo jam doesn’t mean I’m Country. I hardly think anyone would consider Steve Martin Country. Now that I’ve clarified that I am not a Country girl…. (Husband, if you want to continue to insist we might have to arm wrestle it and the loser gets to decide what is and is not country.)
The new tunes I have will make for a nice soundtrack as I begin writing my next book. I usually start my writing sessions with complete silence. Maybe I’ll put on some non-vocal music (contemporary piano or Vivaldi or Chopin do well), but usually when I initiate the writing for the day I need complete silence. Then after a few minutes, once I start hammering at the keys, I’ll turn on one of two playlists that I have labeled specifically for writing sessions, or maybe go straight to an inspiring album that I love. I’ve got playlist “writing” and playlist “end of book.”
I’ve worn through my Kokowääh soundtrack for this recent book. And by the way, for a German film, that’s a pretty darn good film. Even for any ‘ol film. It’s pretty good. I enjoyed it. And I preface the recommendation with “for a German film” because I really don’t think Germany has the market or even a fraction of the market that the US, or even France, has on movies that wow me. Sorry Germany. You have a few…and “Stromberg” is a funny program. I know it! It’s just so hard to understand. With Kokowääh soundtrack worn down it’s high time for some fresh tune-age. Got some Tom Lüneberger and Glen Hansard with Marketa Irglova. And Yiruma, a classical and “new age” pianist (according to iTunes, although with their Country classification I don’t know if I trust them anymore…). I think I’m in good hands as I take on my next writing endeavor.
Currently my new book is 100% in the hands of my betas and I’ve taken Stephen King’s advice to leave my manuscript in the desk for awhile. I’ve been devouring his On Writing lately. I guess I have been kinda productive today since I’ve spent some time reading that. He suggests a six week break from the work once you’ve completed draft 1 and either start something new or catch up on the everyday life things that kinda took a back seat during the mad writing period of said work. I’ll do a bit of both, I think, but for just 4 weeks. I’ve got a deadline to achieve. Spring 2012 my next book is comin’ out ladies and gents! Once the betas are done and I edit yet again, the manuscript is off to a professional editor. Yup, got a little flak for Bumped being rough (what, didn’t you like being bumped along? Oh wow. I’m crackin’ myself up here!). Figured my next book needs to be very polished. As polished as an indie doing this 2nd time around can get it.
Well, this blog is a bit long already. I guess…. Mr. King would argue I’ve merely scratched the surface as a 350,000 word book is his norm. He admits writing a novel under 300,000 is torture. He likes the bricks. I think my niche is 60,000-95,000, but come back to me when I’ve written the 50 published novels Mr. King has. He’s amazing. I’m a little bit in love with him right now. I really want to buy 11/22/63, his latest book, but am going to read the 6 or so I already have on my currently-reading Goodreads list. But I’m getting itchier and itchier about buying it. Anything JFK usually peeks my interest.
Okay, time to sign off. A completely random post with some shout outs to random musicians and Mr. King. Guess that’s worth something, eh? And maybe some entertainment for you?
Oh, by the way, if you’re reading this, thank you. :)
Happy Reading!
