This is kind of a test, to se if it works. I had a stroke 19 months ago and am working on getting my sight back. I have to relearn a lot already, so just testing this out first!

Sorry I haven't written in a while. Going to get caught up on that, though things will be different.  See, 14 months ago, I had a stroke. I was blind for 10 days and I am still working on my vision. My right side needs some work too...So that is my focus right now. Bonus? I did not die like my favorite author Janet Chapman, amd no, I have no idea why sir died. But I have a lot of work to do brfore I write again, though that is the goal.

I will probably screw up a lot. I find that random things piss me off or make me happy. And I cannot read reply's yet, but I'm trying. No telling how long it will take for me to write again, and yes, that is the goal, but I'm working on it!

Crazy Days

Attended what has to be the best writers' retreat EVER! Ate like a queen. Critiqued some wonderful manuscripts. Then left my laptop at our lakefront condo. Ack. Am in the process of retrieving the laptop, but what a pain.

Discovered I have 2 books debuting in December. An essay in a book by Gloria Gaynor is on pre-order at Amazon. It's called How We Survived. Marvelous cover, and comes with a CD. And my first novel with Harlequin Escape, in Australia, debuts December 1st! This one is RILEY'S BILLIONAIRE.

This Indian Summer has been fantastic. While I'm not looking forward to nasty weather, I always seem to writ more during colder months. Win-win, right?

More later. Enjoy Life!
Sunny

Visit Jami Gold's Cool Site For Writers

Jami Gold, a paranormal writer, has some worksheets that kick butt.
http://jamigold.com/for-writers/worksheets-for-writers/

Wish I'd thought of her branding idea: Beach Reads With Bite.

But then my heroes don't bite. 

Take a look at some of these worksheets Jami lists: 

• Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat Beat Sheet (plot arc oriented)
• Larry Brooks’s Story Engineering Beat Sheet (plot arc oriented)
• Master Beat Sheet Combining Save the Cat and Story Engineering (plot arc oriented)
• Michael Hauge’s Six Stage Plot Structure (character arc oriented)
• Jami Gold’s Romance Beat Sheet (romance arc oriented)
• Jami Gold’s Elements of a Good Scene Checklist
• Jami Gold’s Elements of a Good Scene Worksheet

* With the exception of the Save the Cat Beat Sheet, which was developed by Elizabeth Davis.

(Click each image to view larger version.)

Thank you, DeAnn Sicard for sending me to Jami's site!

Life Lessons

There was a time, when... 

I didn't like my circumstances, so I tried "correcting" my surroundings. That only got me so far, so I attempted changing others. When that didn't work, I tried making over myself. All that did was point out things that were still out of my control. So I complained to God, who asked what my plan would be.

He's still laughing.

Now I'm studying Buddhism. Maybe there are more answers within than without. I'm open to learning and receiving. Maybe an epiphany or two is in order, but they won't be much good without action. Just sucks that in order to gain the peace I need, I'll have to give up what drives me crazy. 

Riting & Reeling

I'm reeling because of the heartbreaking devastation in Oklahoma City and the pain from saying goodbye to a wonderful old pet. Riting/writing because it is what I do and it helps me sort things out. I'm not able to write about either OKC or Chewy at this point, but someday I might. For now, I'm concentrating on women's fiction and fleshing out the most screwed up protagonist ever.

I used to be a plotter, use a detailed outline as a roadmap. I could veer off a bit, but I always knew precisely where I was going and how to reach my destination. This character has turned me into a total pantster, and she surprises me every day. Now I get why so many writers prefer this method. It's exciting, challenging, and absolutely maddening. I often wonder why I chose this path, because now not only is my character bonkers--she's driving ME nuts.

What appeals is the adventure. Maybe her journey reflects my own somehow. I know for sure every time she emotes, I feel like I've dropped my pants in public.

Sunny with a chance of ass-kicking

Friend Bubbles made breakfast this morning. What the Aussies call Egg & Toast Soldiers, we say 3-minute boiled egg and toast strips. So coffee, conversation, and healthy breakfast...it was a pleasant way to begin the day. Good thing, because the following hour has sucked.

I'm without a ride and not feeling great anyway, so not attending a monthly writers' meeting this afternoon. One dog has to be put down when schedules can be coordinated and he can be taken to the vet. The other dog won't stop barking. Cat is blissfully unaware dog is barking more because she's obnoxious than because he's present. Son is upset about the noise. My stomach is churning because I'm letting his grouchiness affect my breakfast. 

Couldn't write yesterday because of drill and shop vac noise and DIL asking where her textbooks are so she could resell them. Dryer won't dry. There are bees in the basement, so can't wash clothes anyway. 

If I had orange juice I'd make screwdrivers. This is bullshit.

Hello, Goodbye

Doesn't matter what we ask for. I feel we generally have to go through the search, the meditation, the trauma of achieving...or releasing. I do feel it is better to seek with a selfless heart, even if what we want is for ourselves. We have to weigh the importance against the need. Is this strictly for our own good, or will it benefit or hurt others?

In my case with Chewy, I'm setting aside my desire he remain with me to his declining health and quality of life. As with a favorite character, I can't bargain with The Universe to give me what I want if it's not doable for all concerned.

Tough decision. Goodbye sucks.

Yes. No. Maybe.

 

Fiction is so much more precise than reality. Dorothy Garlock was once asked in my presence what she would do if a character took over her story. Thinking the question absurd, she replied: I would kill them. It's my book. 

If anyone asked me the most difficult part of writing, I'd have to say it is a toss-up between penning emotion (because real emotion comes from my heart, gut, and head--it's personal, and I always feel exposed)...and separating the voices in my head.

There are those writerly voices, the characters, and there are the screams from my subconscious that force me into a corner. If a friend asks: Does this haircut make my ass look fat, I'm not about to tell her to wear a wig until her buzz cut grows out, so I'll say NO and assure her she looks great. If an aging parent makes a decision out of hope and desperation, I'll waffle, trying to find my ground before answering. Time to say goodbye to a beloved pet--the hardest truth to face, but in the best interest of the animal, I won't lie to myself.

With fiction, it's easier to be brutally honest. I'm not killing a character I've created just because he pisses me off if he veers outside his character boundaries, but since the book will have my name on it instead of his, he's not getting by with his crap. 

Maybe it all boils down to ownership and responsibility. I'm responsible for what my characters say and do. It's not that simple when it comes to controlling others' actions, because I don't wish to own their pain.

No, it's not Monday. Just feels like it.

 

Back to writing today

I'm actually in a great mood. The new bed is AWESOME. The new cat is adapting and getting along with the old dogs. Well...as well as cats and dogs get along.

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all, you moms and to the dads who helped make them moms.

Social Media

Like I've said, my writing goals for 2013 include submitting at least 1 new project per month, and since I'm published in long, short, novel, novella, short stories, essays, and what have you... And since I'm a stay-at-home writer... I have no excuses. None I'll accept, anyway.

I also have goals for social media. I dislike dropping my pants unless I am skinny dipping, so this is difficult. Add to that my short term memory issues...it is hard for me to retain new knowledge without a struggle. (By the way, that skinny dipping thing rarely occurs, and not unless I'm sure I won't get caught!

My only goals in SM right now are to keep up with the blog, because writing and life ARE adventurous for me. Even at my age, I learn something new every day. Ha. I just don't recall some of it.

I also have a need to do one or two things better, if not well, so I'm relearning Facebook and Twitter, even if it kills me. I live networking, but it's best I don't learn everything second-hand, so I'm striving to be proactive. Anyone else in the same boat?

Have a great day!

Life Gets In The Way

Or does it? Picture every film you've seen on aging parents, the books you've read on coping with health issues, and articles in magazines on aging pets. Multiply by 10, and you have my last 6 months.

That said, despite getting my parents situated closer to me (he broke a hip and she broke a leg and has other issues requiring 24/7 assistance), WORRYING over big dog with hip problems, smaller dog losing her hearing, and other things...I have managed to write! My goal was for one submission per month, and I had 6 before end of April.

This time last year I was in Australia. Never had time to upload info and pics but will gather steam and get my butt into gear. Stay tuned.

Happy "pico de gayo"--as a friend said to me earlier. And that was her pronunciation.

More later!

Motivation

Back when I was a working girl and many of you weren't even a glimmer in your parents' eyes, I kept journals. In them, I'd set the dollar amount I wanted to hit daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. And since I'm a visual person, I'd clip photos of what I'd buy with that money.

For some reason, my journals kept me motivated. I'd put a big check mark every time I hit a goal. New washing machine, jewelry, trip...whatever I wanted. Often, the goal was to get a new book, visit a friend I hadn't seen in ages. Sometimes during lean months, the goal was simply to have a nice meal.

Looking back later, I'd find I produced more books and sometimes raised the bar on myself, hitting several thousand dollars more than I'd worked toward.

Good books to help included:

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Dr. Susan Jeffries
Wishcraft by Barbra Sher
anything by Shakti Gawain, starting with Creative Visualization
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

I was partially paralyzed for 18 months when I began this method. First goals were to move my legs, walk without crutches, get off of pain killers, and stop feeling like a victim. I was bitter, angry, depressed, and a single mother with a young son. But even writing Thank You on a bill I could pay was a goal worth keeping. Gratitude produced abundance.

Set goals. It works. But you can't hit a target you don't have.

Writing buddy DeAnn sent a link to our group that defines how to set goals. Even if you're familiar with the concept, this blog post is worth the read. Sometimes seeing something through a different lens recharges our will to succeed.

http://romancebeckons.blogspot.com/2012/10/career-planning-for-authors-wwow.html

I need to heed my own advice. Have been trapped in one of those "life hells" that pop up now and then. Both parents in and out of hospitals and nursing homes, neither doing well (understatement), with me between helping them and taking care of things at home with my family here. Haven't done much writing. Pretty much became a hermit once I arrived back here. But I'm working my way through whatever needs to be done and hope to get back into what feeds my soul...the writing.

Have a great weekend coming up.

More next time (and hopefully soon).

Coffee and Confessions

Remember when you were young and had girlfriends, the ones who gave you alibis, held your hair when you were sick, stayed up all hours giggling and chatting when you should have been asleep? I highly recommend cultivating those friendships, no matter your age or stage in life. I have such girlfriends, and my personal and writing lives would be insane and much less fun without them. One such friend is De.

Fellow author DeAnn Sicard and I are on a new joint adventure, that of publishing a monthly ezine called Coffee and Confessions. Just what it says--confession stories, tips and info on coffee, recipes, and even a monthly guest bit in which they offer up a free read. The first edition should be out within a week, and this one is FREE. I'll post the link as soon as it goes live on Amazon.

Since De's a tea-sipper, and I'm the java maven, we will do issues later on called Tea and...Something. There will also be issues with beer (beer-battered fish recipes, etc) and short mysteries. Murder On Tap. And, yes, for those who remember my erotic romance stories, we will even have issues like Cocktail Teasers...spirits and sex.

For now, however, we're concentrating on coffee, because it's a passion of mine.

On Oahu, I passed coffee plantations, visited a macadamia nut farm, and thoroughly enjoyed a few cups of locally grown Kona coffee. And with those delicious Hawaiian cookies? Heaven!

A few weeks later, while in Old Sydney, I browsed local shops and discovered the Baker's Oven. Quaint al fresco seating, crisp autumn weather, and the best mocha ever. I sat by myself, taking photos, unabashedly eavesdropping--Aussie accents are to die for, and journaling. When I finished my coffee, I realized the shop had delivered a message inside the cup: Sharing the Passion.

That's what De and I wish to do with Coffee and Confessions. Give readers a coffee break with passionate yet tame stories (even if the titles are a tad titalating), information/facts/folklore on coffee, and a recipe readers might try when they have time.

Join us in a few days. Again, the first issue is free!
http://www.coffeenconfession.blogspot.com/

Rested, Rejuvenated, Ready

If I've been slack with the blog, I hope I've made up with the writing. A girl's gotta earn her keep somehow. But, oh, the adventures I've had this year at age sixty!

Trips. Within four months, I visited Hawaii during spring, lived in Australia during their winter, had a nice summer jaunt to Las Vegas, and soon afterward spent a wonderful autumn writers' retreat with old friends and new in historic Ft. Scott, Kansas. All within a matter of weeks and months.

What I've learned on my safari of the soul this year would fill volumes. My goal on the blog is to share important highlights and offer insights as to how we can all grow as writers.

The magic lies within each of us to create our own journeys. Sometimes they involve miles: more often than not, the milestones are how we mark and track our adventures. Yes, doing the unusual is inspiring--one of the most deeply felt instances for me was having a dolphin near Waikiki kiss my cheek. His smooth, supple skin against mine, his nose nuzzling me and his chin in my palm when I kissed him...spiritual, core-cradling love and a connection like no other to the mysteries of life.

Seeing tears spring to a new writer's eyes (subtle wave to Chris) when others praised her efforts, hearing a passage being read from yet another writer who has grown tremendously over the past year (Hello, Kim!)--those, too, were blessings. Chris stumbles over a few words, but I've no doubt she will grow into a fine writer. Kim began at ground zero and has taken class after class, written page after page--and watching her progress both thrills and inspires me.

Both of these women have courage for beginning their journeys in such a fluctuating business in which even pros have difficulty staying published.

Courage is paramount when we offer up our dreams and aspirations. Sometimes our hopes are shattered, while often they soar on wings of encouragement. The important thing is that we try with gusto, continually challenging ourselves, giving our own shoulders the atta-boy or atta-girl when no one else is able or willing.

Dolphins are by nature wild creatures. So are untamed writers. For most of us, it isn't in our nature to play unsafely. But the joys of daring are delightful when we do so with hope, courage, and determination.

Risk is imperative for us. We gain nothing but complacency when we remain in our comfort zones. As dear friend and author Alfie Thompson reminded me recently, it's not the things we've done that can fill us with regret so much as it is the chances we didn't take. If you've dreamed of publishing and haven't sold a book, keep trying. If you've sold fifty or a hundred books but haven't reached your goal of winning a specific award, or if there's another genre in which you haven't reached your goals, don't brush your needs aside. Work harder. Use what you've learned to lay the foundation for a new path. But don't quit! Keep growing and getting better!

Take your opportunities. Challenge yourself to live the life you desire and to write the books of your heart. Whatever the obstacles, overcome them rather than play it safe. Spirit is mighty when fueled by love and backed by action.

In not-so-chicken-soup-motherly-advice, love yourself and writing then get off your ass and do the work. Unlike the typical parent sending their child to school or camp, don't say take care, be safe. Advise yourself to take calculated risks today.

Coming Home Soon

I've been slack with the blog while I've been on holiday but not with my writing, I promise to start giving updates on the trip of a lifetime plus more information concerning writing, beginning in about a week (well, maybe 10 days?)... First need to fly home in about a week (which will take me about 22-23 hours, not counting the layovers), unpack, REST from jet lag, hug the kids, pet the dogs, that sort of thing.

Teasers...I've been kissed by dolphins, have spent hours walking the streets and sampling the food of Old Sydney, stroked the soft fur of koalas (one was a baby!), viewed magnificent scenery, and witnessed remarkable transformations, in myself, not just others.

See you in a few days - take care of yourselves and keep writing! It does pay off.

Sunny

Secondary Characters

Yoo hoo.  Sunny, I'm here.

Yeah, she's thinking.  About time, you b*tch.  (She might think that.  I, personally, wouldn't. I just don't use that kind of language much.)

The bad news for me is that Sunny would be justified in thinking it.  I told her back in January or February that, yes, I would be delighted to be a participant in her blog.  You see, I love writing.  I love sharing my opinions and ideas.  I loved her slant and ideas for this blog.  I love Sunny.  She's one of my fallback, supportive, most-encouraging, consistently upbeat, optimistic (for me) friends. Why wouldn't I want to be a part of Safari of the Writer's Soul?  

The good news for all of you is that Sunny is the Primary Character here.  I'm a secondary character.

We are all the Primary (Protagonist, Heroine/Hero, Lead, Main) Character in our own stories.

And we are all secondary characters in the lives of the people we know.  (In some peoples' lives, we're just walk-ons. Not even minor characters.)

Secondary characters have only two jobs in our stories.

They can either be a help--they are there with a shoulder when it's needed, available to listen, or share adventures with, interact with, make you think, give you feedback and try to help keep you on track, and receive the same from you, etc. They are supportive and help the main character make progress in the story.

Or they can be a hindrance.  As in all stories, the bad guys can be obviously that: striving to stop you from achieving whatever it is for nefarious reasons or striving to gain what is YOUR goal and you both can't achieve it. (The 'other' woman, for example, in some of the classic traditional romances.) Or sometimes they can be disguised as good guys, subtly throwing roadblocks in your way or undermining you by encouraging you to make choices that take you further from your goals.

So far, in Sunny's Safari, this particular secondary character has been a hindrance.

But I'm the main character in my own story.  I control what happens to me. I decide a lot of it by where I go, who I hang out with, what I decide to do, how I decide to spend my limited time.  Yes, sometimes I have no control over what happens while I am wherever I am.  I don't totally control the demands job, family, day to day obligations make on my time. But I do control whether to set aside a half hour to do something I've promised I'll do or whether I'll use it to play a couple of quick games of Spider Solitaire.

As the Main Character in my own story, I'm going to choose to be the good kind of secondary character in Sunny's story. Expect me back soon, Sunny.  (Hope I don't scare anyone away...)  

Mama's Quilts ~ Seeing The Whole Picture

Something on voice from a blog post years ago...

Diabetes runs strong in my family, and my maternal grandmother went blind a little earlier than expected. Her passions were reading, funny movies, and sewing. We could get her books on tape and take her to movie theaters (as opposed to having her watching something on television). But with the sewing--she was on her own.


One of the things that often 'needled' (for lack of a better word and not really intending a pun) those who received her handiwork was that she loved drab olive or deep forest green as a landscape on which to place other colors. Sometimes she'd choose denim blue. I never complained, because to me every quilt square meant something--I knew who had worn that shirt or dress before it was cut up into fabric for a blanket, but there were others in the family who flat hated her choice of colors and didn't take into consideration the time and effort spent on Mama giving them something she made. They saw only the background and not the details. They didn't see the whole picture.


Then I found out while talking with her that everything else in her quilts stood out by contrast when she worked with greens and blues. She was better able to see the vibrant yellows or reds or other colors she used when they were on a flat-colored background. In retrospect, I applaud her for even trying when she could barely see to stitch.


I catch myself wondering why my stories are often set in ordinary, even mundane, backgrounds, every-day settings in which my main protagonists jump to life when presented with other colorful characters or scenes/situations that seem out of place. The fact that John Grisham has lawyers or Tess Gerritsen uses the medical field as props against which their stories are set...just speaks volumes when I think back on Mama and her quilts.


Every good painting needs a canvas --size, background, shading, use of light all matter. Every good story needs the same--for instance, a setting that doesn't overpower the characters who must come to life and generate interest. Stories need contrast, conflict, design, all of which capture a reader's imagination.


Each author paints a word picture with their own unique brush stroke and colors, and whatever we use has to come from within, for if we're to develop our voice as writers, we can't be copycats--we have to use what we own and develop that talent before we can be heard.


Next time you're stuck in the details, try stepping back and taking another look, grasping what you envision as a whole. Maybe finishing the story won't be so difficult if you see that this part of it is out of focus, too large for the canvas, or too small to complete the final product.


Perhaps you have more than one story, more than one book in what you're attempting. I'm guilty of letting secondary characters take over, so trying to frame what I have written isn't always neat and tidy, and I have to whittle things a bit, save some of my material for other books.


Then again, I've been known to face the opposite problem--what to me is a brilliant kernel with which to start but major difficulty developing the story so that it is complete (no contrast/conflict, not enough emotional intensity--a bland background). Those works resemble so many unorganized specs on a vast wasteland where nothing connects until I step back and reevaluate where I want the story to go.


Mama has long since passed away, but her lessons linger, and I am forever grateful to her for helping me see the whole picture. Now it's up to me to develop the skills to work on background or details, whichever calls for the most attention.

Safari Voice

Think for a moment about your favorite writers. Even if their books have mistakes, even if they break the rules determined by whoever sets the standard to which you adhere--there's something in their writing that speaks to you, moves you, compels you to pick up their books and read their words. Perhaps it's the genre and they're the best in it.


Break this down, though. Scope the big picture. Somewhere in the myriad of reasons, what draws you is their turn of phrase, their ability to engage you, their style...the nearly indescribable and intangible quality called voice. It's unique, theirs. And if they can develop it, so can you if you're not afraid to be yourself.


In the 1960's there was beautiful housewife who with surgical enhancement became a phenomenally gorgeous actress. Her acting ability was debatable, but her power to draw a crowd to theaters was undeniable. Her studio swathed her in an animal skin, ran the projector, and Jo Raquel Tejada Welch became America's favorite sex symbol in the mid-sixties.


At the same time, the daughter of a roguish father and over-bearing mother wrote a book that shot her to stardom. She wanted to be an actress, but it was her penchant for pulling her past experiences--and those of her friends--that made her famous. Valley of the Dolls became an international bestseller for Jacqueline Susann.


I'm not advocating you wrap yourself in leopard skin or dive headfirst into drug abuse. I'm asking you to contemplate what makes you different. Can you use that in your writing?


An attorney friend calls John Grisham a hack. I asked "Why do you keep buying his books?" He couldn't answer to his satisfaction, but I hid a smile. Grisham drew him because of his uncomplicated, easy-going style, his ability to break down legalities that are convoluted so laymen could understand them. He has a unique voice.

If none of the above makes much sense, do an exercise that may make the light bulbs go off. One phrase: You can't handle the truth.


Who do you imagine saying that? If you're a film buff, you probably thought of Jack Nicholson.


Now...same sentence...this time spoken by George Clooney. Brad Pitt. Meryl Streep. Literally dredge your memories for those actors' voices. Different inflections, right? Different timber, pace, intensity, mood.


That's voice. Each is unique, including yours. Some voices are more powerful depending upon the moment.


Recall Pitt as Achilles in "Troy", his grief then fury after Patrocius is killed in battle. Can you see anyone else playing the part?


Just as each actor polishes their skill, as singers hone their talents (another exercise...have various people perform "Mary Had A Little Lamb" for you--note the differences in delivery between Tony Bennett and Elmer Fudd or NIN and Journey), writers must define and refine themselves in order to find their voice. This ability to deliver words in a fashion that projects them onto readers' memories is in essence what establishes them separate, apart from other writers, even within their own genre.


Before you find your true, authentic voice, maybe there are obstacles you must overcome. My money is on fear being your nemesis. Often we sit to write and are stymied not by what comes next but on how we say it. VOICE. Good friend and American western historical writer Leigh Stites covers this topic extremely well in her February, 2012, president's column for Midwest Romance Authors. As she states: Fear will kill you.  Fear will kill every dream you have.  It will kill the momentum you need to achieve those goals you set when you weren’t so afraid.  It will kill the future you might have had if you’d been brave enough to leave the cave and go out hunting.

Put on your rhino skin, because the writing world is tough. Arm yourself with your writers' tool box, and venture forth. Don't let fear stop you.

Bad Hair & Bad Writing

Packing for the upcoming trip has given me pause as to what to pack, what to leave, and I'm discovering that some of what hangs in my closet no longer represents who I am. To compound the confusion of coming to terms with the image I present to others, a tactless pal gave me a start a few days ago.

The friend I hadn't seen in a couple of years greeted me over coffee with this: What will you do when you go bald? Wear wigs or scarves?


Mind you, I'm (knock wood) no longer a cancer patient. My hairline is simply receding a bit! But this got me thinking...

How often do we let a bad hair day impact our writing? Me--never. It is what it is. I did let hair humility conquer me in 1st grade, but rarely since. I had long honey blonde hair at age 6, and my mother decided a shorter cut would be easier to manage. She sent me across the street to a neighbor lady. I walked home later sporting a "poodle" perm. The "stylist" had put my tresses into a tight ponytail, whacked it off behind the band, then gave me a perm so curly it hurt to touch it. I went home in tears, the aborted ponytail in my hands. Even my poor dad cried.

Ever since, I've not been a slave to anything hair other than color. Well-meaning friends gently suggest this cut or that. One friend even offered to pay for the cut and styling. To humor her, I went. Walked out looking like a 90's Tina Turner. She was thrilled. I wasn't. (In her defense, we all have gifts. My friend was a gorgeous black woman, a retired runway model, and she wanted to impart a bit of style to me.) I may have a terrific rapport and affinity for my AA friends, but their identity isn't mine. No matter how much I admire them, I cannot pull off their style or essence with panache. The only thing I can compare this to would be if I tried to imitate Stephen King's writing or that of Harper Lee.

I have a tad of obsessive compulsive disorder anyway. I don't need to muck up my life adding to the list. It's freaking HAIR. Love me, love my roots and the occasional ponytail. One of my few stubborn screw-yous to society. Also one of the reasons I prefer cremation--nobody staring down and wishing to God the mortician had done more with my hair. Send me out the way I entered--in my birthday suit, wrinkled as it may be, and not knowing a damn thing.

Think about it. Do you let society dictate how you look?

Do you allow anyone else to set the bar on your writing for you? Make you feel guilty if you don't write X number of pages per day--or have you question your hero's appearance or heroine's occupation? Of course not! That's part of your identity as a writer.

I say critique my story as *I* see it and either accept me as I am, or reject me--bad hair and all.

Authentic image and writing have to come from the soul. If I'm not authentic to myself, I don't see how others could possibly view my writing as anything but fitting a predesigned mold. False advertising.

The cool thing is that I'm constantly finding myself and reinventing my writing, so I'm never bored, and I rather like challenges. An inadvertent bonus...my friends are likely to witness the outer transformation as the inner being changes and develops. Who knows? Maybe someday I'll reflect a better head of hair in their eyes. Or maybe I'll simply go bald and tattoo the noggin. Either way, like my writing, my appearance must be a reflection of how I feel, think, and see myself, not as how they see me or wish I was.

Sunny