I forgot to include the photo of Rudolph...
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This Is How It's Done, Take Two
The girls are playing together quietly in the other room. Signs suggest that they intend to keep doing so indefinitely -- but it's 2pm, which is a good nap time, and they aren't bouncing around with energy, so... well, you might as well try.
You pick one up in either arm, stand up (that's one serious squat), and sit in the rocking chair. At first, they don't protest; this could, potentially, be interesting. Maybe you're going to play Trot Trot to Boston with them, or let them bang on your laptop. But then, when all you seem to be doing is rocking them and ignoring their signals that they'd rather get down... well, this might call for some screaming and struggles. At least, now that they're 14 months old, they're more aware of each other and of their own bodies than they used to be, so they're not kicking and pushing each otheras they did 7 months ago. No, the kicks and pushes are directed at the appropriate person: you.
Briefly, the girls are dis…
You pick one up in either arm, stand up (that's one serious squat), and sit in the rocking chair. At first, they don't protest; this could, potentially, be interesting. Maybe you're going to play Trot Trot to Boston with them, or let them bang on your laptop. But then, when all you seem to be doing is rocking them and ignoring their signals that they'd rather get down... well, this might call for some screaming and struggles. At least, now that they're 14 months old, they're more aware of each other and of their own bodies than they used to be, so they're not kicking and pushing each otheras they did 7 months ago. No, the kicks and pushes are directed at the appropriate person: you.
Briefly, the girls are dis…
At the Risk of Sounding Like a Broken Record: You Learn to Write by Writing
When I travel, I almost always bring work along, but the kind of work depends on the kind of travel. For me, writing and revising require a level of focus that itself requires periods of planned, uninterrupted alone time. ("Planned" meaning "anticipated." The uninterrupted alone time can happen on the spur of the moment, but I have to know at the time it begins that it's happening. In other words, I need to be confident that I will not be interrupted in the next however-long. In (other) other words -- if I believe the cable guy is coming, then that's not good writing time, even if it turns out that the cable guy never comes. Also, when the cable guy doesn't come, WOW do I ever hate him for ruining my writing time for nothing. But I digress.)
As it happens, planned uninterrupted alone time does not occur very often when one has traveled to a house of twin babies. :o)
Therefore, last week, when I went to Florida, I did not bring writing or revising work.…
As it happens, planned uninterrupted alone time does not occur very often when one has traveled to a house of twin babies. :o)
Therefore, last week, when I went to Florida, I did not bring writing or revising work.…
Location: Florida
So, this is how it's done.
First, in one arm, you pick up the twin who's falling asleep in her bouncy chair. Then you crouch down and, in the other arm, pick up the twin who's being cranky on the floor. Then, babies crying, you shuffle over to the stereo on your knees and use your elbow to turn on the Cranberries. Then you sit down on the floor for a second and do some adjustments. Baby adjustments are difficult when you've got a baby in each arm and no free hands, but you saw your sister, secret codename: Cordelia, doing it yesterday, so you know it can be done. Finally, each baby in as comfortable a position as can be achieved while she's bawling and thrashing, you stand yourself up, go to the rocking chair, and sit. You rock, bounce a bit, and make shushing noises continuously for about ten minutes. The babies scream and kick. The moment one settles down and begins to fall asleep, the other yells, kicks her, and wakes her up. They take turns at this for a…
First, in one arm, you pick up the twin who's falling asleep in her bouncy chair. Then you crouch down and, in the other arm, pick up the twin who's being cranky on the floor. Then, babies crying, you shuffle over to the stereo on your knees and use your elbow to turn on the Cranberries. Then you sit down on the floor for a second and do some adjustments. Baby adjustments are difficult when you've got a baby in each arm and no free hands, but you saw your sister, secret codename: Cordelia, doing it yesterday, so you know it can be done. Finally, each baby in as comfortable a position as can be achieved while she's bawling and thrashing, you stand yourself up, go to the rocking chair, and sit. You rock, bounce a bit, and make shushing noises continuously for about ten minutes. The babies scream and kick. The moment one settles down and begins to fall asleep, the other yells, kicks her, and wakes her up. They take turns at this for a…
Notes from a Mission Accomplished
Dutch adult market cover of Graceling ---> click to enlarge --->
Last week I visited the Boston area for a few days. There, I: spent some time with a friend and a small orange furry quadruped person;got to hang out with my sister, secret code name: Apocalyptica, for an evening;made beef stroganoff;baked cookies;wrote 10 pages of a frustrating scene and crossed out 9; andaccomplished a very important secret mission.Then I flew back home to Florida, where the air feels like bathwater. There, I: went for a sunset walk along the river. The sky was dusty blue, the water was the color of an eggplant, and a humongous, nearly full, pale pink moon rose right out of nowhere. I live in such a beautiful place!;curled up on the couch and watched an embarrassing number of Veronica Mars episodes in succession. (My thoughts on Season 2 [SPOILERS!]: It's not as good as Season 1. However, I remain v. fond of Logan and am convinced that if everyone he loved would stop beating him up, betra…
Last week I visited the Boston area for a few days. There, I: spent some time with a friend and a small orange furry quadruped person;got to hang out with my sister, secret code name: Apocalyptica, for an evening;made beef stroganoff;baked cookies;wrote 10 pages of a frustrating scene and crossed out 9; andaccomplished a very important secret mission.Then I flew back home to Florida, where the air feels like bathwater. There, I: went for a sunset walk along the river. The sky was dusty blue, the water was the color of an eggplant, and a humongous, nearly full, pale pink moon rose right out of nowhere. I live in such a beautiful place!;curled up on the couch and watched an embarrassing number of Veronica Mars episodes in succession. (My thoughts on Season 2 [SPOILERS!]: It's not as good as Season 1. However, I remain v. fond of Logan and am convinced that if everyone he loved would stop beating him up, betra…
Ring the bells that still can ring...
Forget your perfect offering.There is a crack in everything -- That's how the light gets in. - Leonard Cohen
It has been a lovely few days.
The photo shoot on Thursday was an absolute hoot, thanks to my photographer, Jensen Hande, who has a great personality and knows just how to coax out my inner warrior and my inner wimp. (Not that the wimp took much coaxing.) Hopefully I'll have some pics to share soon to show you what I mean!
On Friday I went to the sea. I don't do this too much in the summer, because it's too hot and crowded. But Friday was stormy and cool (a relative term here), and well, I just felt like it, so I went. It's a 20 mile drive, and parts of that drive are icky and never to be attempted during rush hour, but other parts are beautiful with tall bridges that shoot you off into the sky, and water water everywhere, and big boats. I LOVE big boats.
And when I got to the sea, there was a rainbow!
I had a wonderful walk and sang at the top of my lungs a…
It has been a lovely few days.
The photo shoot on Thursday was an absolute hoot, thanks to my photographer, Jensen Hande, who has a great personality and knows just how to coax out my inner warrior and my inner wimp. (Not that the wimp took much coaxing.) Hopefully I'll have some pics to share soon to show you what I mean!
On Friday I went to the sea. I don't do this too much in the summer, because it's too hot and crowded. But Friday was stormy and cool (a relative term here), and well, I just felt like it, so I went. It's a 20 mile drive, and parts of that drive are icky and never to be attempted during rush hour, but other parts are beautiful with tall bridges that shoot you off into the sky, and water water everywhere, and big boats. I LOVE big boats.
And when I got to the sea, there was a rainbow!
I had a wonderful walk and sang at the top of my lungs a…
The Florida Report
On Wednesday I was feeling a bit melancholy, and I'd also run out of bagels (possibly related). So I went for a walk to the bagel store, listening to sad Ani DiFranco songs on the way. When I got there, the bagel store was closed, so I walked to the grocery store, where the bagels are less stupendous, but acceptable in emergencies. On the way home I wore my sunglasses and my sun visor because the light was blinding, and I crouched under my purple sparkly iridescent umbrella because it also happened to be pouring. Just your normal summer day in north Florida.
The sad thing about summer here is that the pelicans on the broken-down pilings in the river go away -- maybe they go out to sea? But recently, a single blue heron has been spending a lot of time on the pilings. A solitary blue (for you Cynthia Voigt fans out there). I stopped to commune with the heron for a few minutes; and then, closer to home, I stopped to commune with a couple of the neighborhood's less skittish …
The sad thing about summer here is that the pelicans on the broken-down pilings in the river go away -- maybe they go out to sea? But recently, a single blue heron has been spending a lot of time on the pilings. A solitary blue (for you Cynthia Voigt fans out there). I stopped to commune with the heron for a few minutes; and then, closer to home, I stopped to commune with a couple of the neighborhood's less skittish …
It's a Mad Mission -- Sign Me Up
My title comes from a song by Patty Griffin, who's on my iPod and in all my CD players at the moment, thanks to my friend Joan, who also happens to be one of my intrepid readers.
I miss forests and hills, but I'll say this for Florida: the skies can't be beat. Every day there's a new sky and new clouds and new colors. The sky here has inspired the eye coloring for some of my characters, actually (eye color is important in all three books). A character in Fire got his eyes and hair from the St John's River and the sky above at night, and a character in Bitterblue from all the different purples here at sunset. It makes going for walks a tiny bit narcissistic, because at certain times of day, I see my own books wherever I go.... but it also gets me in the right frame of mind to go home and get back to writing.
Anyway. Without further ado, here is a list of the reasons why I'm not scared of revising Fire: I am the best person for the job. (I mean, sure, Joyce Ca…
I miss forests and hills, but I'll say this for Florida: the skies can't be beat. Every day there's a new sky and new clouds and new colors. The sky here has inspired the eye coloring for some of my characters, actually (eye color is important in all three books). A character in Fire got his eyes and hair from the St John's River and the sky above at night, and a character in Bitterblue from all the different purples here at sunset. It makes going for walks a tiny bit narcissistic, because at certain times of day, I see my own books wherever I go.... but it also gets me in the right frame of mind to go home and get back to writing.
Anyway. Without further ado, here is a list of the reasons why I'm not scared of revising Fire: I am the best person for the job. (I mean, sure, Joyce Ca…