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Words Are Not Forthcoming

Posted on September 10, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of that title earlier, when I was working on a letter to a friend.  I feel it is quite pathetic to be unable even to write a letter.

Eventually I turned to a new page in my notebook (yes, a spiral-bound paper notebook with a pen) and actually wrote something.  One word followed another and I soon had almost a whole page, front and back.  Was it any good?  I can’t tell.  What I can tell is that I need to get a better grip on this novel I am allegedly writing.

Full disclosure:  I am having difficulty in maintaining my grip at all these days.  Yesterday at work I spent a good part of the day telling people I was at the end of my rope.  A poster back in the ’70’s (it may have been an Argus poster, remember those?) said that if you get to the end of your rope, you should tie a knot and hang on.  I think you should swing.  It is fun to swing on a rope.  Or, if you are feeling vindictive, you could make a noose and go after whoever drove you to the end of the rope.  Just to threaten!  I am not recommending murder!

Well, that brings me over 200 words.  I’m going to call it Wuss-out Wednesday and drive on.  I am still working on the post about my Virtual Boilermaker 15K.  I trust eventually words will be forthcoming.

 

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Not Much Writing on Wuss-out Wednesdsy

Posted on August 6, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am afraid this is going to be a bad blogging week.  I did not mean to make a Wuss-out Wednesday Post, and yet, here we are.  I went on a long run this morning.  Perhaps that is what took it out of me.  I did a few household chores, wrote a letter, and wrote a little bit on my novel.

Here’s a thing:  as I started to write on my novel,  I thought, “What is with this not writing?  All I have to do is write!  Just put the pen to paper and write!”  Of course the pen petered out shortly after that.  And the part I left out was how much I had to bestir my brain to start that first sentence.

What I find is that if I say to myself, “OK, just write,”  not much happens.  If I think of a scene — for example, what if something freaky happens to Olivia in a dark alley? —  I can often come up with something.

OK, you may say (you know who you are), so just think of a scene.  It is these glib bits of advice that make writers like me tear our hair out.

Me with my hair torn out.

Just kidding.  Regular readers know my bald has nothing to do with my frustration.  I am not even sure I would call it frustration.  In fact, I think I will try to follow the above mentioned glib advice:  just think of a scene.  I will let you know how it works out.

In the meantime, sorry about another lame blog post.  I’ll try for something better tomorrow.

 

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Am I Write?

Posted on May 7, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am wondering if today’s post will be Mid-week Middle-aged Musings or Wuss-out Wednesday.   I guess I’ll start typing and see what happens (and by “typing,” of course I mean tapping one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet).

Who me? A monster? I suppose it could be.

This is not the illustration I was looking for, but I think it is fitting for a post about not writing.  Today was a particularly dreadful day in that respect.  I could not convince myself to write any post cards or letters (I am running out of post cards in any case).  I did not even make any notes in the TV Journal.  That novel?  I couldn’t even think about it!

Some would say that this is the moment to take myself firmly in hand and Just Write.  What am I stalling for, these people will ask.  Stop being so lazy, they will exhort.  Put pen to paper and get on with it!

My sister Cheryl gave me this, and many agree to its appropriateness.

I think “Oh, stop dilly dallying” is  kinder exhortation than “Stop being so lazy!”  The question is how I will respond to any exhortations.

OK.  I just typed in about five sentences after the word “exhortations” and backspaced them out.  I guess trying to make a blog post has not cured my malaise.  No matter.  I am over 200 words.  Perhaps after I hit Publish I will take up a pen and try again.

THIS is the illustration I was looking for!

 

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Tired From My Ego Trip?

Posted on May 22, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went running after work today,  so I thought I c

ould make a Running Commentary post.  Since finishing the run, I have been running around doing all kinds of useful stuff (at least I hope it was all useful), so no promises as to how much of the run I remember.

Mostly I remember that it started bad but ended good.  Oh dear, should I have included a Spoiler Alert? Maybe I am not up to a Running Commentary post and should content myself with my usual Tired Tuesday (check it out, the predictive text thingy guessed I was about to type Tired Tuesday).

Writing has not been coming easily lately.  I can’t add “tired or not” because it seems I am always tired.  However,  I persevere.  I was rewarded earlier with some good ideas for the novel I am working on.  After I hit Publish on this piece of nonsense,  I may work on it some more.

Then again, if this is all I can manage for a blog post, what business do I have embarking on a novel?  What an ego!  Well, I have always maintained that there are worse things than having an ego the size of Manhattan.

In the meantime,  I just hit 200 words.  I am going to put the Tablet down and pick up my notebook (I mean the regular spiral-bound paper kind, not another computer).  Happy Tuesday and I hope to see you all on Wuss-out Wednesday (BONUS!  The predictive text thingy guessed Wuss-out Wednesday! ).

 

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A Post with Character?

Posted on May 21, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am getting totally used to this Tablet posting.   Unfortunately,  that is pretty much all I’ve got to say this evening.  The other problem is I don’t know how to download new monster pictures for a Monstrous Monday post.  Shall I go with previously seen creatures, as I have on numerous occasions? Or just go with some Monday Middle-aged Musings?

“Did somebody mention Monstrous Monday?”

You know that given a choice I will almost always go with my beloved Nosferatu.

In Sunday’s post, which I cravenly made earlier today, I mentioned finding a new approach.  Well, when I got to work,  I decided  to write.   I opened my notebook to a fresh page and started a new novel.  Ahem, what actually happened was I said to myself, “OK, let’s start our novel.”  After a minute or two of thinking,  “Oh, crap,” I started making up character names.  I put a few notes next to most of them.

I really don’t think this such a bad start.  After all, it is all about the people,  as far as I’m concerned. I just need to make them more than names and notes.

 

Now here’s a character, if you like.

I try to make my characters more than just pretty (or handsome) faces.  I figured this picture combined the Monstrous Monday theme with my novel update.

No Smoking? But this guy is smoking hot!

Just to end on a monster,  here’s one who is also a great character, Blackula!

As for my blog, this post is over 250 words.  Happy Monday,  folks!

 

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Beat the Heat with Books!

Posted on July 4, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

The heat wave continues in the Mohawk Valley, and I do not have air conditioning.  However, libraries do!  In the last two days, I went to two, so I thought I would give them a shout out instead of having my usual Tired Tuesday post.

Monday I went to Basloe Library in Herkimer, NY.  I actually went so I could print out the script to Where’s the Cheesecake?, the play I am in during Little Falls Cheese Festival, July 14 (I’ll make tomorrow’s blog post about that, by the way) (preview of coming attractions).  I still don’t have a printer, but I was just as happy to go to the library.   As I paid for my printed pages, I remarked that it might be time to purchase a printer of my own.

“Then again, I’m not too unhappy to be here in the air conditioning,” I told the clerk.  She agreed that this was a good place to be, especially since they also have books.  With that in mind, I found a few books.  Then I sat down and tried to write.  That did not go so well, because I had a headache.  As I left the library, I saw they had changed the sandwich board outside to say, “Come on in!  It’s cool and we have books!” I only wish I had had my Tablet with me to take a picture.

Today I went to Weller Library in Mohawk. I was determined to write more.  For one reason, I did not have a headache.  For another reason, they have the most beautiful reading room.  Once again, I ought to have had my Tablet with me.  Next time!

Well, once again, the writing did not go so well, so I looked for books. I thought I found a couple of Agatha Christie’s I had not read, only to discover that they were novelizations based on, I don’t know, a movie or a play.  I put them back on the shelf and found a couple of authentic Agatha Christie novels, one of which I actually have not read. Score!

I managed to get a little writing done: some on a novel that I fear is not going to go anyplace, and some on a murder mystery for the fall.  I think the murder mystery is going to work out. I’ll write more on it tomorrow.

So, my advice to anybody who is tired of the head and doesn’t have air conditioning:  go to the library!  It’s cool, and they have books!

 

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Wrist to Scattered Sunday

Posted on May 7, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s that time on a Sunday when all I want to do is settle down with a glass of wine, my knitting, and watch Snapped, and I remember I have not yet done my blog post.   And Snapped isn’t on!  We find a Snapped On Demand and I try to type in a fast Wrist to Forehead Sunday post so I can get back to my activities of choice.

It has actually been a delightful Sunday.  I worked for a half hour in the yard and got quite a lot done. Steven was happy when he came home and saw the progress I had made.  I got the dishes done, took a shower, and put on a cute outfit (although perhaps I flatter myself). I made myself a cup of tea and worked on my novel.   I finished a letter to a friend, wrote my weekly postcards and walked to the post office, taking a convoluted route home to make a 35 minute walk.

After Steven got home, we went to Little Falls to the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts for a reading featuring two local authors, one of whom is a theatre friend of mine.  That was fun; I must write a full post about it.  Then we had a delightful dinner at Ruggiero’s Trattoria.  Yum!  While Steven stepped outside to smoke a cigarette, I wrote a few more notes on my novel.  Maybe if I ever finish one and publish it, I can have a reading at the Center for the Arts.

So I’m going to hit Publish and call this a Scattered Sunday.  After all, I have knitting to do, wine to drink, and Snapped to watch.  Happy Sunday, everyone!

 

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Apparently I Can Still Write a Little

Posted on January 18, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

You know how I say writing begets writing?  That the more you write, the more you will write.  Well, that is true, I suppose, but, you know what, after you write and you write and you write, sometimes you get tired.  That is where I am at.

Oh, I wrote today.  First I started a letter to my friend, Marsha, whose birthday is coming up. I intended to go to Huckleberry Letterpress in Little Falls to get her a card, which I still have reasonable hopes of sending out in time to arrive not too awfully late.  I also wrote a bit on my novel.  That makes 19 days in a row of working at least a little bit every day on it.

After work, I drove straight to Little Falls and had a lovely visit at Huckleberry Letterpress.  The couple that own it are so nice!  I got a nice card for Marsha and enough material to write my (late) article for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  After leaving Huckleberry, I walked up Main Street and found The Sandwich Chef.  I thought a cup of tea would taste awfully good, and I was write.

While I sipped my tea, I worked a little more on my letter to Marsha, telling her a little about Huckleberry and the Sandwich Chef.  I took a few notes about the Chef as well.  I told the lady I would probably write a blog post about it (um, hopefully a better post than this one).

I got home, grabbed my laptop and went to work.  I wrote an article about Huckleberry Letterpress.  I wrote a shorter one about The Sandwich Chef.  Steven read both and said they sounded OK.  I emailed them out.  Phew!

Then I thought, “I can’t write any more!  I can’t do a blog post!  IT!  WON’T! WORK!”

But I see now that it did.  Happy Wednesday, everybody.

 

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Early or Late, Here I Go!

Posted on January 12, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

So posting at 4:30 a.m. on Friday (my time; I don’t know what my WordPress timestamp will do) makes this a real Non-Sequitur Thursday, doesn’t it?  Now if only I can think of anything to say on half a cup of coffee.  Maybe another sip or two is in order.

We are in the midst of a January thaw (colder temperatures on the way, according to my Local on the Ones that I hear in the background as I type this).  Do the changing temperatures have anything to do with the sick days I’ve been taking?  Blogger’s Sick Days, that is.  I’ve been going to work.  That means if I have some sort of contagious bug, I have been sharing my germs.  I say to my co-workers, don’t say I never gave you nothin’!  Just kidding.  I have been trying to keep to myself.  Anyways, I don’t think I am contagious.

So here I go talking about my health woes, which I realize is tiresome and boring to many.  Well, I intend to have some Mohawk Valley adventures this weekend, so I hope for better blog posts soon (probably not today, though; it is Lame Post Friday, after all).

One writing note:  I have been working on a new novel every day for thirteen days now (today is Day Fourteen).   I had decided to work on it every day for 100 days and see what good it did me.  So far, pretty good.  I even opened up my notebook and wrote some on it last night with a bad headache.  Isn’t that exciting?

Oh, one other writing note:  I have a murder mystery to finish.  I will definitely write more about that.  For one thing, I will want to publicize the event for the benefit of my local readers.

In the meantime, I have coffee to drink and a day to prepare for.  I hope to write another blog post later.  A late Happy Thursday and early Happy Friday to all.

 

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Not Just Slacker: Sagging!

Posted on December 31, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Ah, what a lousy week for my blog!  Post Christmas let-down, a fender-bender, foolish post after foolish post… and I am damn tired today!  I was going to start a new feature of Sagging Saturday when I remembered I already had one called Slacker Saturday, which is an accurate description of me today.

I had thought of making a post about my goals for 2018, although that would be inviting the scorn of people who Don’t Do New Year’s Resolutions (you know who you are).  Well, why shouldn’t I set goals for myself, and since the calendar is about to turn over, why should I not call them goals for 2018?  Being the dithery, indecisive person that I am, I naturally hesitate to do so.  What if I set these ambitions for myself and fail to follow through?  How foolish will I look and feel?  I suppose no more foolish than usual.

My main goal, which I set for myself again and again throughout the calendar year, is to Write More.  On Facebook this morning, I saw a couple of videos of people who decided to do something every day for 100 days:  doing something they were scared of, going to the gym.  I thought, hey, Work on My Novel.  So when I went to the store this morning, I purchased a nice new notebook and got started.

Did I make a good start?  I can’t tell you that.  I’m sorry I told as much as I did.  It’s not so much the fear of looking foolish I mentioned earlier.  It is the fear of Once You Talk About Writing It, You No Longer Feel the Need to Write It.  So I shall say no more.

My headline now seems less apropos.  Perhaps something about Day One of a Hundred would have been better.  But I am still sagging.  Hey, it’s still a holiday week.  I’ll try to perk up and do better in 2018.

 

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