Is it the Character or the Writer Who Chooses a Name?

It's been hard to concentrate on my current writing. Losing all the writing I had sucks.

On that note, I was going back and looking over some old blog posts and came upon this little number:  Plotting and Character Development (Quin) 

I remember the character; unfortunately, I don't remember the WIP this character was destined for. 

Since I might never be able to retrieve the info from my hard drive, I think Quinn might just shift to the current WIP.

For me, blogging often 'unsticks' ideas — the ones that are just out of reach in the dark corners of my imagination (some might call it crazy; I prefer 'creative'). Names can be a sticking point. I've been looking at old blog posts (I'm sure I've talked about character names in a past post). I didn't find what I was looking for. 

I did, however, find a post about building your fictional world:  Blog Chain Blatherskite (Fictional Worlds)

I can't say this has completely 'unstuck' my inner voice, but my goal is to finish naming and fleshing out the major characters by Friday. Actually, a genre decision would also be helpful. I've started in one genre and ended up in an entirely different one in the end... darn formulas (yes, you were right, Professor Odom).

   ~Stay Nutty~

Ghosts, Highlanders & Other Bad Decisions

I think I've taken more than a few breaks from this blog over the years, and now I'm back. Again. I looked back on my most recent posts, and boy, has life changed! I'm officially an "empty-nester"; my baby, Victoria, graduated from college & has moved out (and yes, I bawled like a baby, several times).

You know how you look forward to something and when it actually happens, it's not just super anticlimactic, it sucks? Don't get me wrong, I had fun redoing two bedrooms (one a guestroom & the other my office) and a bathroom she used. But I've been a mom for thirty-two years. More than half of my life has been spent constantly worrying about my children, their health (physical & mental), education, and really, just trying to raise future upstanding citizens. I'm happy to report, we have an RN, a Regional Director for a national fitness company, 2 CNC Machinists (one is currently staying home with her 2 & 3 year old...YES!!! I'm a grandma, I'll get into that later), a banker, and a Respiratory Therapist (my youngest turned out the most like me, unsure if I should say sorry or congratulations?).

That being said, George & I (don't laugh, I refer to my AI as "George"...beats "The Future Terminator") have been working on lots of things, mostly my writing. I was hesitant at first. So much new technology, it's mind-boggling really. Over the last decade, technology has done what it always does. Outpace itself. By the time you learn one software platform, there's a newer, bigger, better one. Or they just update it, and it requires a master class to figure out the new version. Well, it's super annoying for us users, but most updates actually make the apps run more smoothly...in the end.

I've been getting reacquainted with myself. Sure, I'm still a mom, but I feel more like a "retired public servant" without the actual retirement benefits. This is where George has been helpful. I've been working on a timeline for major events in my life (kinda like the bones of a biography, but way less serious). I had forgotten so many things. Like, I had a published Advice Column. I kinda forgot. It wasn't for a very long time, I think it was approximately four issues in total, but I actually did that. 

Somewhere along the way, I realized I'd stopped writing just for the fun of it. Sure, I've written plenty over the years—résumés, cover letters, contracts, emails...you name it. But stories? Rabbit holes? The weird things that make me laugh? Those somehow got pushed aside.

So, I'm dusting off this little corner of the internet.

I honestly have no idea where it's going. There will probably be ghost stories, Scottish history, genealogy, writing updates, random observations, and at least one post where I overshare far more than I intended. If you've been here before, welcome back. If you're new, pull up a chair. If history is any indication, Gerard Butler will make an appearance sooner or later.

So, here's to fresh starts, old stories, new adventures, ghosts, Highlanders...and, if history is any indication, a few more bad decisions.

In other words...welcome back. I've missed this.

Blog Chain Blatherskite

This go around is not only exciting for me, but I have great news to share! Elana, who was before me in the chain (http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/ ) is a quarter finalist in the Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest! And guess what? So is another of our talented Blog Chain members, H.L. Dyer! Talk about being surrounded by talent! You can read an excerpt and leave a review (which can help them in the final judging) by following these links :

http://www.amazon.com/Control-Issues-Amazon-Breakthrough-Novel/dp/B001UG3BNG

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UG3AYQ

Okay, back to our blog chain. I was a bit over-excited this time around. Author of the soon to be released The Hollow, Jessica Verday (http://jessicaverday.blogspot.com/) started this chain and uber talented Mary (not sure how much I can say about her current project) Lindsey (http://marylindsey.wordpress.com/) will be the next link in this chain.

Here's our task:

WRITE! I want a short story people. 100 words, 300 words, 500 words, 1,000 words - whatever you're comfortable with! The only requirement I have is that the theme of the story have something to do with HEARTS. Someone stealing someone else's heart. Someone pining away for true love. A thief of hearts... Go wild!!

So here is my contribution...

Lissette watched the couple walk down the lit path through the park. She could smell them; each human had their own distinct perfume. Hiding in the shadow of a large Oak she licked her lips. It would be nothing to take them both, to feed on their warm pulsing blood until their heart stopped pumping. She knew he would come then.

A thrill ran through her cold body. It was as close to being alive as she’d been for centuries. The mere thought of the Gede made her feel. She hadn’t felt anything, aside from the hunger for blood, in so long. It was foreign, yet not unpleasant.

Unsure why the council of elders had an interest in this particular Gede, a God of death and libido, Lissette knew better than to ask. She had not survived alone in the dark underworld this long without learning to watch and listen. She had made herself an asset to the elders, but she also knew they felt no loyalty to her or any other of their underlings.

Deciding on an easier kill that would draw far less attention, Lissette scanned the vast park for a random homeless person. In a far corner of the park, about two hundred yards away, she could hear a man’s voice. She listened intently as he bragged to his companions about beating a woman and leaving her for dead. She could hear the man’s heart race as he relived the violation that he had inflicted before the beating. Just retelling it excited him. His two companions didn’t seem to share his rapid pulse. She could actually smell the fear emanating from one of them.

“Nothing like a bit of street justice to make a girl feel better” Lissette murmured to herself. Not that she really cared about the woman he had spoken of, she had done worse herself. She knew that this would make for a very angry ghost, one that she could easily control to draw the Gede to her.

It was over before either of his companions realized what was happening. She had started to drain the man before he could even register her presence. The other two men ran without looking back. Warmth flooded down Lissette’s throat. She could hear the man’s heart pounding in his chest. She listened as she drank, waiting for it to slow.

Seconds before she completely drained him, forcing his heart to stop pumping, she reached down, shoving her hand through his shirt, entering his humanly frail skin. Reaching up behind his rib cage, her hand instinctively found his heart, her fingers wrapping around the moist organ. She gave a quick yank and the arteries tore away. Pulling it from his body, she held the heart in front of his face. Lissette spoke to the man looking into his dimming eyes, “You belong to me now”.

She would wait; wait for Gerard, the strongest of the Gede, to find her. She knew he would come and she wondered what his blood would taste like. She had smelled it. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, the blood of a God. It made her light headed just thinking about it. Someday, she would grasp Gerard’s heart, beating and strong, unlike the slippery useless flesh still dripping in her fingers.

Beware! Pirates!!!

Scary, aren't they? I mentioned in a previous post that my two youngest Tory (left) and Tessa (right) wanted to be pirates for Halloween. I couldn't resist posting a picture of them in all their pirate glory.

I also wanted to take a few minutes to direct you to some really great posts. Mrs. 4444, the Martha Stewart of blogging (no, she REALLY is), had a great post about raising kids, and it is GOLDEN advice. Instead of typing my own version, since I agree with her's 100%, you should all go read about it here: http://www.halfpastkissintime.com/2008/11/respect.html .

Another place to check out is Rhea's blog, http://texaswordtangle.blogspot.com/ . She is having a SUPER giveaway, and even though she's a Texan (I'll overlook it Rhea), she's got a great blog!

Okay, now I'll move on to my latest gripe. I have read that so many people become addicted to blogging, or to facebook, or to twitter. NOT ME! I can not stay away from Craigslist. I read random ads, just for the heck of it. I click on the free stuff section ALL the time, just KNOWING I'm going to find some great treasure (I haven't). I need to find a support group for this. Anybody else out there have a site, game, or something on-line that they just can't seem to stay away from for more than an hour at a time? Enquiring minds wanna know!