I needed this laugh today:)

Quotes of the day

Quotes by Colin Greenland:

 

Plotting is like sex. Plotting is about desire and satisfaction, anticipation and release. You have to arouse your reader's desire to know what happens, to unravel the mystery, to see good triumph. You have to sustain it, keep it warm, feed it, just a little bit, not too much at a time, as your story goes on. That's called suspense. It can bring desire to a frenzy, in which case you are in a good position to bring off a wonderful climax.

.....................

Plotting isn't like sex, because you can go back and adjust it afterwards. Whether you plan your story beforehand or not, if the climax turns out to be the revelation that the mad professor's anti-gravity device actually works, you must go back and silently delete all those flying cars buzzing around the city on page one. If you want to reveal something, you need to hide it properly first.

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So, what do you think? (Smiles)

Writing tweets and more

Here are some of my recent writing tweets. If you aren't following me on Twitter (@Buffyandrews) I'd love to see you on that platform as well.
 1. Three words for a writer: Make me care. That pretty much sums it up, I think.
2. Characters are like kids. They want to be played with, taken on adventures. And they won't let you rest until you do.
3. Trying to get an agent is like standing in line to be picked for kickball. Pick me! Pick me! ...Dang, last again. (smiles)
For more of my writing tweets, go here.
You can also find me on Facebook (Smartmama and Letseatpa and my personal account) as well as my other blog, Buffy's World.

Do you have a writing tweet to share? Love to see it in comments.

Don't stop believin'

I worked out at the Y today. Ugh! It was dang hard. It was one of those days when I knew what I needed to do but my legs wanted no part of it. But I willed myself to work through it. Every step I took, every minute I ran brought me closer to my goal. Two hours later, I was glad I hadn’t given up. Yes, it would have been so much easier to stay home and enjoy the awesome fire Hubs had made on what turned out to be a bitter cold day. It would have been easier, but far less satisfying.

So what does this have to do with writing? Nothing and yet everything. There are days when you might not feel like writing, days when you might question your talent, days when you might just want to throw in the towel. Don’t. Don’t ever throw in that towel. If you have a goal, go for it. If you have a dream, keep it. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not talented enough or good enough or smart enough. Who are they anyway? Yes, some days will be tougher than others. But if you push through the bad days you will get to the good ones. It might not be tomorrow or the next day or next. But it will come. And when the good days come, they will be dripping in so much sweetness that the bad days will melt away.

I hope that you’re always able to push through the tough days. That your struggles make you stronger, your doubts become weaker and you find victory in every step, no matter how small, you take toward whatever goal you have. I am always amazed by the journey and how much it teaches me about myself. Mostly, I’m amazed that God has given me something so precious – the ability to write and touch and help others.

I hope you have an amazing week filled with everything good. Blessings, Buffy

Flashback: 50s and 60s jingles

Have you ever written a jingle? If so, I'd love for you to share in comments. I know very little about how these are done. Do you start with the music or the words?

Watch tribute to cartoons from the 60s.

Watch tribute to TV shows from the 60s.

R2-D2, C-3PO and my Droid

So I left for lunch the other day. Grab my purse, got in the car, started the car, began to drive when...
Oh, no! It was missing.
Not my wallet or my eye glasses or my umbrella (It was beginning to rain.) but my Droid. I tried to keep going but I couldn't bear not being able to check in on Foursquare at all of the stops I had planned.
Read rest here.

Do you have a writing routine?

“I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning” --Peter De Vries

Do you write at a certain time each day? Perhaps you write as soon as you put the kids on the bus or when the baby is napping. Or, if you work outside the home, you write early in the morning or late at night. And do you have a particular routine? Maybe you always make a cup of green tea or listen to a particular song to get you jazzed. What works best for you? I would love for you to share:)

What's your line?

Give me one opening line that will make me want to read more. Here's mine:
The minute I did it, I knew I was dead meat.
Let's see them gang:)

Flashback: Cartoons from 60s

Continuing our flashback week. Enjoy!



Watch tribute to jingles from the 50s and 60s.
Watch tribute to TV shows from the 60s.

Flashback: TV shows of the 1960s

How many of these TV shows did you watch? For some of us, it might have been in syndication. I was familiar with all but a few. How about you?



Watch tribute to cartoons of the 60s.
Watch tribute to jingles of the 50s and 60s.

At a crossroads

Imagine being at a crossroads. You’re in the middle, able to go in any direction you choose.
North.
South.
East.
West.
Which road do you take?
It’s difficult deciding what path to travel when you don’t know where each road leads. And yet there’s something wild and romantic and adventurous about going down a road you know nothing about.
Will there be obstacles?
Most certainly.
Will I fall and get hurt?
Probably.
Will the end be worth the journey?
It almost always is.
If you are standing at a crossroads and trying to decide which road to take, I hope you choose a path that leads to adventure and discovery and personal and professional growth. I think that we grow from the challenges and difficulties we face. That doesn’t mean I like facing them. It means that I do the best I can with what I have. Sometimes, it’s enough; sometimes, it’s not. But all I can do is try. That’s all you can do, too.
A new year has begun. Who knows what it will bring.
Happiness?
I hope so.
Success?
That would be great.
But no matter what lies ahead, I hope that you stay true to yourself, believe in yourself and live.
Really, really live.
Life is far too short to crowd it with regrets. It’s far too short to crowd it with I-wish-I-would-haves. Some of the happiest people in the world are those who take the path they are least sure of and discover that it’s not always the destiny that counts, but the journey there.

Quote of the day

"There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly: sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges." --Ernest Hemingway

What is your favorite Hemingway book?