An Exercise in Sharing Ideas

Once a month Northern Colorado Writers hosts an 8:30 to 9:30 AM coffee at its writers' studio for members only. The mix of attending members varies from month to month, but we always have a lively discussion on various writing issues. This month our fearless leader introduced a new exercise she had adapted from a workshop given by Denver poet laureate Chris Ransick.

Attendees were asked to write down a specific question related to whatever project they were currently working on. Once the questions were down on paper, papers were passed to the left and each person wrote a fast, off-the-cuff answer. The exercise was timed, so with each prompt, a paper was passed to the left and the next question accepted from the right. At the end of the exercise, each of us had a page or two or possible answers/solutions.

I was amazed by two things:

1. How fast we can think when faced with someone else's problem (as opposed to how slowly we often deal with our own obstacles), and

2. The amazing and diverse answers I received to my own question. There were excellent ways to solve my plot dilemma. Why hadn't I thought of them myself?

Brain-storming using verbal exchanges is a great technique and is often useful in small groups. I found, however, that this individual, quiet approach helpful in a different way. It seems there is a unique dynamic involved with each form of expression. Do we use different parts of the brain when we write an idea as opposed to speaking an idea? For whatever reason, and thanks to the morning coffee group, I now have a way to take my character from Point A to Point B in a blizzard. I highly recommend this idea-sharing exercise.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving Day

All my warmest wishes to you on this Thanksgiving Day. I believe the following words are just as true today as they were when spoken in the late 1800s:

"Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet. Believe in man. Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place. There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in."

---------------Phillips Brooks, (1835-1893), clergyman and author of the Christmas carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem (from The Quote Garden)

Quotes to Prepare You for Thanksgiving

I found these Thanksgiving-related quotes at brainyquote:

"Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence."
---------------Erma Bombeck

"I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land."
---------------Jon Stewart

Well, it's obvious I wasn't striving for sentimentality.

As you know, I'm easily distracted and have been known to wander off topic. Having a quote here from Erma Bombeck made me wonder what other Erma gems I might find. There was one on football:

"Anybody who watches three games of football in a row should be declared brain dead."
---------------Erma Bombeck

I cannot argue with that.

Getting Ready for the Holiday Market

There were a lot of things to pull together for the two-day Holiday Market where I'll be selling books on Friday and Saturday. The event is held every year at the Fort Collins Senior Center. Booths are set up in all of the meeting rooms, the lobby, the two large multipurpose rooms, and in the gymnasium. In addition to the bake sale, there is a snack bar open all day that serves coffee and pastries in the morning and soups and sandwiches at lunchtime.

I have been visiting this event for several years as a customer, shopping for handmade Christmas decorations and crafty toys and gifts ranging from crocheted stuffed animals to handworked jewelry. Last year the Holiday Market included an Author's Nook, but I was out of town and could not participate. This year I'll be there both days with my books and audiobook CDs of: The Prairie Grass Murders and The Desert Hedge Murders. If anyone is looking for a new hardcover copy of The Prairie Grass Murders, please contact me directly.

For the last couple of days, I've been getting ready:

1. Checked my book inventory and packed the boxes. I'll leave some in the trunk of the car and retrieve them only if needed.

2. Prepared and printed the price list to prominently display on the table in a plastic stand since I am discounting books for these holiday sales. Made sure I had a copy of the sales tax licenses with me.

3. Printed book cover photos and prepared a small sign to show the recent coverage of The Prairie Grass Murders in Colorado Country Life.

4. Packed the rest of my supplies, including bookmarks and postcards and a plastic holder, a tablecloth, candy bowl, individually wrapped candies, and catalogues from Five Star Publishing.

The only things I have left for today: 1) stop by the bank and get adequate change for cash transactions, 2) swing by the office supply store to pick up a change box, and 3) prepare a sales sheet to mark down each sale by item.

As far as I know, only two other authors are participating this year. Teresa Funke will be there with her new release, V for Victory. Teresa's books focus on the World War II years and most are written for middle grade to YA readers. The other author is local historian Barbara Fleming, author of Journeying, a historical love story and adventure set on the Colorado prairie.

This will be the first time I've participated in an event this big (and one that lasts so many hours). The Holiday Market is well-attended every year, so I'm hoping that a lot of my local Twitter and Facebook friends will stop by to say hello.

Colorado Author -- Becca Fitzpatrick

In my search for Colorado authors to feature here on Mondays, I've made a few exciting discoveries. Today's author, Becca Fitzpatrick, was a wonderful surprise.

Becca's first novel, Hush, Hush, is a YA paranormal romance from Simon & Schuster that debuted at #10 on the New York Times Bestseller List in October 2009. For the story behind the novel, click on the book title above.

The sales rank for Hush, Hush on amazon.com yesterday evening was #567. There are 104 customer reviews. At barnesandnoble.com, the book was ranked #204. There are 142 reviews at that site.

Sigh.

From the synopsis at Becca's website:

"For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.

...Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life."

Perhaps fallen archangels will now replace vampires in the hearts and minds of teen readers. The cover alone makes me wish I had a teenager in my family to shop for this holiday season. I have put myself on the Hold list for a library copy and will be reporting on this very successful debut novel as soon as I can.

For more on Becca's book and its sequel, Crescendo, coming in 2010, visit her blog and the fan site, fallenarchangel.com.

Five Things I Want To Accomplish in the Next 39 Days

Thirty-nine days from today is December 31, 2009. I plan to accomplish these five things before the old year disappears forever:

1. Finish the first draft of my suspense/thriller (not sure what to call it yet) with a working title of "A Terrible Mistake." Judging by the amount of trouble my heroine is in, I may have to change the title to, "A Bunch of Terrible Mistakes."

2. Clean up my office, catch up on filing important papers, shred and dispose of waste paper, hang up my bulletin board, dust the furniture and blinds, and run the sweeper.

3. Outline a new novel.

4. Get rid of as many unused clothes, appliances, household goods, and other possessions as I can in an organized effort to simplify and declutter our lives.

5. When the working draft of "Mistakes" is complete, I'll set it on the shelf to rest. Then I'll return to another WIP, a historical novel set in frontier Illinois. The main character, Jo Mae Proud, has been hanging about, begging for attention. She says it's time I read through Wishing Caswell Dead, make the necessary changes to beef up her part in the story, and begin the submission process. She's right. I've let this project go too long.

What are your plans for the next thirty-nine days?

My Five Favorite Movies of All Time

There are very few movies I like enough to watch more than once. These five, in no particular order, are exceptions:

1. Psycho (1960) -- That shower scene with Janet Leigh will haunt me forever, and yet, every five years or so, I watch the film again.

2. Love Me or Leave Me (1955) -- Doris Day sings wonderful songs in this drama about a dance hall girl who loves a piano player but can't break free of the mobster (James Cagney) who wants her. This movie isn't always easy to find, but it occasionally runs on television.

3. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) -- I've loved all the filmed versions, and already have my ticket to see it on stage (in Northern Colorado) in April 2010. There are quite a few filmed stage musicals I can watch again and again, including The Phantom of the Opera, Showboat, South Pacific, and The King and I. However, Jesus Christ Superstar tops the list.

4. Overboard (1987) -- Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in my favorite frivolous, fun, and charming romantic comedy. I always laugh, no matter how many times I see it.

5. Key Largo (1948) -- Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall. I enjoy watching this film a lot more since moving away from hurricane country.

Do you love movies as much as I do? What are your all-time favorites?