Holidays in Writing

The post title might be misleading. I don't mean how the holidays affect your writing or about taking a break from writing, but how holidays appear in your writing. Every culture has special days and different ways to celebrate those days. From a fantasy standpoint these days could be very different in underlying premise, but all cultures gather with those they love for their holidays. There are rituals involving food that we eat and drinks that we drink and games that we play. These days are something that every human has participated in throughout his or her life. These days are soaked in memories both good and bad. Some people lost a loved one around the holidays and forever after a bittersweet flavor penetrates. Often holidays bring back memories and can be a good way to naturally bring up little snippits of background. Often holidays are filled with tension between family members. Also, seeing our friends interact with their families gives us another dimension and understanding to them, in the same way this is true about seeing our characters interact with their families. How are they similar to those who raised them? How are they different?

If you are a fantasy writer like I am then you have the chore of developing something new and distinct to the world that you have created. The reward is a deeper feeling of reality that your readers will have. If you are not writing fantasy then in some ways you have a more difficult job. You have to be true to the cultural identity of your character and the holidays because someone, somewhere will read your inaccuracies and will get ticked off.

Are there any books that you have read that incorporate holidays to some extent (without being all about the holidays)? What difference do you feel this made to the story?

What I did over my Fall "Blogging Vacation"

Hello everyone out in blog-land! How I have missed reading your blogs and posting about my writing journey! I've been so involved and engrossed in classes plus work that I've had no time to do anything else. Well, that is not completely true. I have managed to work on some of my 1001 things to do. So, I figured that my first post back would be about all of the things that I have been working on. Most notably, and the main reason for not blogging......I finally gradated!

#38 Graduate from college! Not only did I graduate, but I also managed to get As in both my sr level math classes! I'd say not to brag, but in this case I do want to! :)


#51 Put up a place for Skittles to enjoy that is just for her. I got her a little heat reflecting pad and put it on the counter above the fridge.


#52 Decorate main room. We installed a new backsplash and put up a clock on the blank wall. We still have to seal and buff the backsplash so I'll post pics after we've done that.


#53 Refinance condo. This was a super big pain because of the economy, but we finally were able to do it!

#55 Out from PMI. We ended up going with a 15 year FHA mortgage and then didn't have to get monthly PMI.

#58 Get a financial adviser. We are going to use our insurance guy, but first before we can really leverage him we have to save up our emergency fund, which is number 57 anyways :)

#74 Swim with dolphins. We did this in Cabo over Thanksgiving weekend.


#77 ATV somewhere. We did this in Cabo as well.


#104 Do something with a friend they have never done before. My friend Rob who I met while doing study abroad in Australia came to visit and it was his first time in America. So showing him around counts :) That and I fed him homemade chocolate chip cookies. Oh, and he is going to make sure my beta readership is international :)



For the amount of time that this covers I've not done too much, but school took a lot out of me. Also, with the changes at work some of my professional goals have shifted so I might need to make new goals for some of those.

Anyhoo, now that I have completed school I have time to blog and to write! Yey! :)

My Mantra: When I'm done with School

I know that I've been fairly sporadic about posting, but when I'm done with school I'm going to resume my former schedule of posting 3-4 times a week. Actually, it's been kinda funny, but every time something fun comes up I immediately say, "I'm going to do that when I'm done with school". Class three nights a week after working 9-10 hour days plus all the study that I do over the weekend has sucked the life out of my life!


When I'm done with school I'm going to apply all the time that I've spent on my classes per week and put it towards my book. When I'm done with school I am going to start hosting weekly dinner parties every Tuesday. I will cook with food from the CSA program that I will join. When I'm done with school I'll take the dog on more walks and will teach her more tricks. When I am done with school I'll start exercising again. When I'm done with school I will go visit friends that I haven't spend time seeing over the past several months. When I am done with school I will finally make it to those membership committee meetings at yacht club and to my Junior League events and to the prospective member meetings for the Lincoln Park Zoo. I'll go to all the fundraisers for them, many of which I will help put on.

When I'm done paying for school, that whole extra bill that's bigger than my mortgage will be gone and I can start doing normal things like get cable or a second car so the hubby and I don't have to share.

These are just a few things. I hope I have enough time to do all the things that I want to do before I start to shift my focus towards grad school, which was the whole reason I went back to complete the undergrad to begin with :) But before that I will have my novel completed, revised and going through the submission process.


Tune in later this week for a fantasy world building related post about different types of calendars in different types of cultures.

In that vein, what's your favorite world building special detail that others overlook, but you make sure not to?

Our Identities

I am not a "hype" person. I don't buy designer, instead I buy Indie or Target. I don't own an iPod, instead I own a Zune. I refuse to get an iPhone on principle. It is just too hyped.

But this Twitter thing. It's getting a lot of hype, and much of it makes sense to me. I like the idea of getting software industry links and news updates pushed to me. I don't really care to hear about the various ramblings of people (that's why I have facebook). But I like the premise of sort 140 character thoughts being shared.

I was looking through some old "tweets" by Twitter's CEO, Evan Willams, and read a response of his to a user named BrokeDad.

@brokedad I like your spirit, but I'm concerned about your name. How can you ever be not-broke if it's part of your identity?

Intriguing. And true. And I am not just talking about our online handle, but our general identities. How much of who you are is who you think you are? Williams was referencing BrokeDad's inability to become not-broke, by his name, but what about forming an identity off of who we would like to be. I am not talking about having unrealistic expectations of our abilities. But what if BrokeDad was DimeAtaTimeDad or PiggyBankInflaterDad? We need to see ourselves as the journey and the destination while recognizing where we are.

So, how does this relate to me/you/etc? As a writer I think that it's fairly ingrained that we have a path with a destination so I am not as worried about that particular aspect. I am also not talking about Image, or how we try to project ourselves out into the world, but what we identify ourselves as, deep down in our core. Images lie and I don't find anything wrong with that. Images are for our acquaintances and those we work with but aren't that close to, but an identity is our core.

I guess one's identity needs to be where they want to be, but within reason of what he or she can obtain. It's about keeping on foot in your past and the other in the future, while thinking about how the present can bridge those two. If you define yourself by your past then how can the present be a bridge. A bridge must have two ends. So, if you ignore your past or do not take full assessment of the pieces that form you, how can you keep from falling over?

This sort of brings me back to my inherent dislike for trendy items. Sometimes I feel like people use these items to help form their identities rather than struggle to figure out what their identities are. Sometimes people use what they had been in the past to form it without thinking as much towards the future. Just because you are one thing now doesn't mean that you can't be another later on after growth.

As a writer I think that we identify with certain aspects of writing. Some of us are aspiring. Others are published within a genre. Some aren't published but have a genre that they define themselves by. For example, I am an aspring fantasy writer. Also, going back to @brokedad, a writer doesn't just write. We revise. We market. We do so many things more than just the act of writing.

As a side note, I do have a Twitter account (http://twitter.com/laurenamundson). While it's trendy, I do like it :)

What is your identity?

Rusty

After not writing since late July I've discovered that my skill has gotten a bit rusty. Re-reading my older pieces really drills in the fact that I've lost a bit. It'll come back quickly, I know. But it's still annoying. And since I'm newly back to writing I don't want to get frustrated and fall back off the wagon again. So I'm doing a short little book for my nieces about the daughter of a prison guard who can talk to horses. Their dad is a detective so I think they will appreciate the main character being a child of "law enforcement" and, like most girls in the third grade, they love horses. Blondie Girl more so than my Mini Me (who will be more impressed with the fact that there is a princess in the story). I'm making the MC not the princess because I want her to really be a rough and tumble dirty kneed girl. Sure, a princess COULD be that, but I want her to be the underdog. I've not ever really written for kids (or at least not since I was one) so it's fun and hopefully it will get the gears going again. This isn't indended to be published, just something to amuse my nieces :)

What do you do when you feel a bit rusty or need a change of pace creatively?

October? Seriously?

It's been about two months since my last post. That has been on purpose, but at the same time (and I know it's cliche) I can't believe time has gone by so fast. How can it be October already?! I've been feeling very overwhelmed between work and school. I'm in classes three nights a week this semester and two of the nights are out in Schamburg, which takes about an hour and a half travel each way. I didn't really understand exactly how much time that would eat up. And then work drama has been work drama. I've mentioned very briefly about issues in the past. I don't want to go into too much detail about the situation, but the old CEO ended up getting fired (which is a good thing). The new guy is great. But, still it's a new boss and there's all this drama. Make a great novel if my genre wasn't fantasy :) Maybe in a few years it might be worth a trip to something more chick-lit-ish.

Classes are going okay. Midterms start next week, which is great. I will finally be done in December. Only took me a decade. But, hey, I'll be done and I'll be able to focus on the book. I still want my MBA, but I've decided that I am going to finish up my draft, and revise until agent-ready before I start to study for my GMAT (which is the standardized test for MBA). If I don't then I think that I will never finish the book!

I have been so stressed and because of that I dropped writing. But now I've realized that writing was my stress release. My mind doesn't go round and round about school or work. It goes round and round about Hailey and Altis and the steam-punk-esque world that I've created.

So, I'm back. And while I might not be very active, I'm not going away. :)

Puddles and Awards

First off, I have recently received two different blog awards, but the same award. They are from Robyn at Putting Pen to Paper and Lady Glamis. Since each was suppose to allow me to list five bloggers, I have combined it to put ten. There are a couple others that I *really* wanted to add, but I kinda bent the rules as it was. So if your name isn't here, it was you that I was totally thinking of!


While this award is traditionally used to represent animal friendly bloggers, the writing community has embraced it as celebrating encouraging writer. So I will say five bloggers who have been encouraging me in my writing.

1) Lynn - My first commenter...so she deserves to be my first on my list!
2) Spy - Technically Spy is Natasha. She recently moved out onto the open road in an RV. She used to be a piano teacher with a blog called spyscribbler so I still call her the old name, but the new blog is super cool!
3) Shelli at Market my Words- Writes about writing from an interesting perspective--marketing
4) Stu - Stu is wrapping up his PhD, but always find time to write about various occurrences with his life or his writing.
5) Charles at Razored Zen - I've been reading his book, Swords of Talera and loving it. He's such a great commenter and always has something interesting to say.
6) Struggling Writer - Real name: Paul. He's a fellow techie, so that's fun.
7) Barry - He's been through so much with battling and defeating cancer and has over 600 followers, but still seems to find time to comment on my blog!
8) Christina - Just has interesting things and observations going on in her life.
9) GutsyWriter- Really named Sonia. She took her whole family to Belize in order to get her kids to be less materialistic. Seems to work because all three of her boys are doing very well for themselves at their various life stages (just after college down to high school, I believe).
10) Raph's Ramblings - This giraffe takes the time to talk to us earthlings about his interesting life on another planet--one full of giraffe-ie things.


Sooo...that was the "awards" part of my title. What about the puddles? Well, I am glad that you asked :-P

My husband and I have been trying to re-fi our condo. It's been a super pain because I didn't have any credit history until we got the condo two years ago (side note, parents of teens and college students, get your kids on some form of credit. Make sure they are responsible with it, but get them on credit. Our world is run by computers today and that little credit number is so important.)

Anyways, I took over my most recent set of documents to the mortgage lady today. It was kind of drizzling so I grabbed my starbucks in one hand and my umbrella in the other and set off. The walk over was fine. It's summery and I enjoy being outside. I gave Wanda the papers and set back off to work.

Unfortunately, the new shoes I was wearing had different plans for me. You see, as I crossed the street and attempted to step over a puddle, my heal (which wasn't properly secured, something that I normally look for in a shoe, but my others were literally falling apart and and been secured with elmers about ten times too many so I hastily got shoes that were moderately comfortable and ignored the fact that they were gloried flip flops with a wedge)--anyhoo, my heal slipped perpendicular to my shoe.

PLOP.

That was me. Falling. Into a dirty roadside mud puddle. On top of my umbrella. And under my Starbucks. Remember it's Chicago so about a hundred people saw me. I had mud up to my right knee. That was better than my left side. There was mud on my bright orange dress up to my hip. AND, the coffee was all over the road. I scrambled up. I didn't need to be hit by a car again this year. (Twas only a bump).

But then, suddenly, it began to rain harder. I put my umbrella above my head, but the mangled metal spikes sticking in all directions only seemed to direct the water onto my head instead of away from it. So there I am, covered in mud, underneath the el tracks with the rain cascading down. Empty Starbucks in one hand and smooshed umbrella in the other. Oh, and when I got back to my block, it had been closed so I had to walk around.

What else could I do? I tried to frown, but couldn't, I just laughed. What a perfectly horrible situation.

I am not trying to sound vain, but usually when I walk any distance, especially in a brightly colored dress through Chicago with lots of people, I get some form of complimentary comment, gaze or noise. I've got that whole cute, but not too pretty, approachable thing going on, especially since I try to always walk around with a bouncy step and a smile. People usually say hi. Don't get me wrong, on this walk I got looks. Far form complimentary, though. And given my laughter and overall appearance, some were down right confused and worried. But, seriously, how could you NOT laugh at yourself after doing that?!

Once the rain had gone away and I'd managed to clean myself up in the bathroom sink a little bit, I went for a new Starbucks. The sun was shining. Sun glasses on my head, Caramel Frappachino in my hand, sunny dress, sunny smile. Guy in truck whistled. I waved.

Rain; it goes away.

I love summer.

Finals Week

So I didn't realize that this was finals week until Saturday night. I thought that it was next week. Oops. Looks like I have my work cut out for me. So, needless to say, I don't have time to write about My Town Monday. Anyhoo, I wrote something on my other blog that readers of this blog might find interesting. It's a little bit about me as a kid complete with a few pictures. Yes, it's a way to bail out, but...hey, finals. :) It's all just papers though, so that's good :).

A Bit About Me. I hope you enjoy

Getting Back into the Flow of Things

I am recovering this week from my week off last week. First priority is school. That's almost all caught up. Second priority is writing. I've done a little bit, but this weekend Pete is the one with the busy social schedule and I am the one with nothing to do (by design). Friday and Saturday I will spend on writing. I will not make plans. I will not go out (other than to the coffee shop). I will stay in and write, write, write.

So, I've been patchy on the commenting, but now that I am back in the swing of things, that too will be better :)

New comments on the weight loss. I've lost 2 of the needed 10 pounds, but haven't been that great on the no drinking thing. I have cut way back as I've only drunk a couple times and both times only had one drink. However, I think that I have developed an alcohol allergy (in addition to maybe something else) so this will make giving up drinking even easier. Hey, there is always a positive thing. Per directions of a friend of mine who is an RN I am keeping a food journal and will go to doctor after I have collected 2-4 weeks of data.

New Blog

I have decided to start a second blog, New-Fashioned Housewife. I plan on posting about recipes, dinner party ideas, cleaning ideas, dating one's spouse and randomness I deem somehow related to household management in a post-modern world.

We shall see how good I am about posting on two blogs :-P.