workshop mania

       Can a person overload on trying to learn the craft of writing. I vote YES. I have enrolled in four online workshops. It is true I can lurk,but what is the point of taking the workshops if you don't participate. I would probably learn from reading others posts, but I would get no feedback on my work. So I will burn the midnight oil and keep up with the posting of assignments,lessons or snippets. whatever the instructor calls for. I do love to write and learn. Most writers,agents and such tell novice writers that in order to be a better writer you must write. I want to be a great writer,therefore I have a great deal of writing to do.
       I will always remember what my band instructor told us one hot summer afternoon, after we had butchered and plodded our way through the music  for our upcoming school program repeatedly. All we wanted to do was go home that Friday afternoon. our minds were on swimming,making out at the local park and other teenage pursuits.Exasperated he eyed our restless bored faces and shook his head.
"Contrary to popular belief,practice does not make perfect boys and girls. Only perfect practice makes perfect."

As you can see I digressed a bit,however, I understand what he meant. Okay,Okay. I have to admit I never quite understood what he meant,but I suppose he meant that merely repeating something over and over will not improve ones ability unless you commit to making it better each time. Only then will it be as good as you can possibly make it. Hopefully at some point it will become as perfect as you can make it. so I will learn,study,write and rewrite. Maybe I'll be the next King,Roberts,Hemingway,Fitzgerald or Shakespeare,maybe I'll be even better.

Firefly. Why was it cancelled?

Recently I discovered this series. Basically it is a buddy movie,space western. What makes it excellent is the interplay  between the misfit crew.Premise, post apocalyptic war for freedom. Earth pretty much destroyed. Rebels in space ship travel to different worlds stealing, smuggling, and fighting everyone else. It has horses, cowboys,stolen cattle, six shooters, futuristic weapons,nasty bad guys,pretty women,hunky guys, a gorgeous courtesan, and occasionally nudity.What's not to like? Apparently not enough people agree with me that it was a great show. I've read the various reasons why it did not survive and I expect they are partially correct. It seems the network, itself,set the series up for failure. Shame on them. I think Josh Whedon is a genius. The show was great entertainment and I'm glad I had the opportunity to watch. 

Be careful what you wish for.

       Have you ever wished for something and gotten it only to realize it wasn't what you really wanted? A home by the ocean only to have everything gone in a hurricane. The speedy little sports car only to be injured in a one car crash. My wish was to be retired and alone to do whatever I wanted.Watch movies,read,shop,perfect my woodcarving skills and write novels. I suppose I should have been more specific: The retirement wish should have included, good health,enough money to pay for all of my needs, and some of my wants.  Write GREAT  novels that are loved by a wonderful agent who wants to represent my work and sells to a popular publishing house here they become, popular for years,and  make money.
      I got my wish to be retired after four work related injuries. I now get by with social security checks and hope my novels will be published and sell eventually. Oh and I am living with my daughter and her family now. Guess I should have mentioned the alone part was to be in my own home and not in a bedroom in one of my children's homes. At least they love me( for now).However, I was thinking more along the lines of a cozy cottage in Ireland or at least in a little cottage close to my children. Damn,should have been more specific.However,I am fortunate I stopped wishing before things became much,much worse.
       Read the Monkey's Paw when you get the chance. There is no such animal as the perfect wish!

Not my usual lighthearted,tongue in cheek, post.

         Sharon drove me back to Sulphur,La. today. Good to see my family and my wonderful granddaughter again,but I will sorely miss having my best friends to talk to. My closet friends are in Texas, so I am torn between my  friends,Sharon,Sandy,Mark, and Mary's company, and my family.
       My question is who do you confide in the most?Husband,wife,best friend,your dog, a random stranger held captive for a brief moment in time or the guy on the street corner holding a will work for food but prefer money sign? If you must choose between family, by blood or marriage, and a family of friends you have chosen and to whom you confide all your secrets, who would you choose to be with the majority of the time?
        Seems like a no brainer doesn't it? But,is it? What if no one was left alive who knew you when you were growing up? Would you feel like an orphan? It hits me at random moments,that is precisely what I am now. One shouldn't outlive parents,grandparents,aunts ,uncles,majority of cousins, siblings and one of their children.Is it a gift to be able to see them all at the end of their lives or a curse to out live them all?
        Life is hard and rarely fair,but the alternative is not something I care to rush into.Ahh well, I suppose I have been morose long enough.Tomorrow I will undoubtedly return to my lighthearted, hopefully entertaining posts.  Maybe I'll talk about books,recipes, list my favorite sexy men in the movies or tell a funny story. Check back and see.

frustration with a capitol F

Daddy always told me you have to have money to make money. True. I have learned you have to have credit to get credit. I pay with a debit card,safer and more convenient to keep track of than money. I find myself in a situation of needing a loan to have from car shipped from out of state. What stops me from being approved? You got it!The bank says  I have no credit history,therefore, I don't qualify. the credit card company says I don't have any credit history from a major source so I don't qualify for a credit card or a loan.Can you say Catch 22? My car and I will not be united for some time.

You found my blog. Make a comment.

Well I'm back in Louisiana after living in Alaska for three years. Talk about culture and climate shock. Not very productive with writing last few weeks. The characters from my new idea for a fantasy series are starting to tap on the door of my scrambled brain.got to go for now .talk to you later.pam