Are you inspired?

Watching the Sound of Music inspired me...it usually does.  I always get the urge to glide out of my little house twirlling my front yard singing with all my might. Makes me forget the pavement is uneven, and the door doesn't stayed closed unless you bolt it and well the neighbors are not really the Sound of Music "type," so movie inspirations have to go elsewhere. 

I am constantly looking for inspiration.  When I am feeling particularly spent from a long binge of writing there are a few tricks that seem to get me going...

1) Routine. 
Not the most sexy of inspirational words, but man I love it.  It is like that afternoon walk, you start to crave it look forward to it.  This has been my saving grace many a day.  I know the writing will be at 6-midnight everyday there are no questions 1,000 words will be done.  On those days when feeling super seeped in creativity I may start a little early but that is just gravy on top of the regular day's work, because I won't finish early I will only add to what I already have.

Not only is the time routine but I "get into my office."  Settled into the sofa, pillow on my lap with the laptop perched on top, glasses on and the earbuds in listening to my tunes I am in the zone.  As soon as I get in the position I can feel it, building inside ready to come out words race to be the first to sprint to my fingertips. According to Mark McGuinness I am on the right track, in his blog RSS Creativity, creativity is a balance of routine, systems and spontenaity.

I've tried not having a routine.  Jack Cheng on his blog states that "no routine is the worse routine." I have to agree it was an utter fail for me as well.  Whatever gives you the feeling that you are ready to work, make it yours and do it regularly enough to make that connection to the activity to the creative deed. 

There is an entire blog of interviews of artistic masters and what their routines are to be creative. 

2)Mindless wondering.
When I am so stuck I can't find my way out need a little brain message.  I hop on www.stumbleupon.com.  Just the random clicking and I find the most random and amazing things that I would have never found on my own.  It is truely a cool exercise.

3) Join the world.
The boring exestinces of being chained behind a laptop can suck the life out of you.  Every now and then getting out in crowded spaces and sitting still is all I need.  I don't have to be apart of the crazy life around me.  I pull out the notepad and write, listen, observe and ponder what the story is behind the drama that surround us everyday. It is the real life sound of music that gets my pen twirling around the page.

I Once Wrote a Query

When I was up to my armpits in rough drafting, slinging words and desperate for the right phrase I had no idea that I was in the middle of the best time of my life.  I thought when I finished there would be high fives, cheering crowds and instant recognition.  Instead I clicked the close button on the screen and went to bed.   For weeks I wondered around listless, unsure what to do with my free time, scared about what came next. 

My obsessive nature wouldn't let it go.  Instead of letting the words flow on the weekends, I sat unshowered, searching, researching trying to figure out my next step.  Do I try to look for an agent and face the chance of multiple rejections?  Or do I epublish and hope for the best?  Looking to those I admire the most I asked, talked and asked some more.  Then I found the coolest site, haven't been able to find it again but man I am so happy I saw it that week.  On there it said that only 3% of those that start a novel finish it. Feeling brave as a member of the elite gave me a bit more confidence.  I took the next step...made a writer's plan.

Plans are essentially check list, another passion of mine.  With goals in hand I felt more like myself, ready to move forward and send away my baby to the unknown world.  This required a very painful first step, capture the essences of my love/book in a short summary that will blow the socks off of any agent.  Locked down for an entire weekend my hair sat thrown in the ugly, unwashed bun, I hacked at the query in my tight, faded sweats grumpy, with the world- writing my query letter to my future, (please oh please God) agent. That Monday I put it in the mail.  Looking at the mailman I felt like a bad Mom just handing her child to stranger that I bumped into after leaving the delivery room.  He could sense some hesitating and commented, "Out of site, out of mind." Boy he was so wrong.  As soon as he turned the corner with it I felt like throwing up.  That was on the 25th of October, and still nothing.  I know deep down that it has only been gone six business days but it does not help. I know that all of my favorite writers had to do this multiple...like double digits worth of times.  That doesn't help.  Maybe the pain and stress will fade as I do this more. 

Think I'm going to go back to my happy place, go back to rough drafting. 

Murder on Falcon Lake

Writing murder mysteries turns you into a strange creature with an ear for the macabre.  The news is one of my favorite shows.  The odd bits that others try not to hear, you know the killings and sad odd stories are all stored away for some later use.  The best stories simmer in the back of my brain. At night they take shape into twisting into new story lines eager to take form.

One such story has recently taken hold of my imagination. There was a shoot out on Lake Falcon.

Out on a misty lake, a couple's life changed forever.  The calm picturesque scene cuts a tremulous border between two nations. Pirates started months ago attacking fisherman and tourist. The violence led the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to issue a warnings to stay off the Mexican side of the lake.  Suggestions have been made to bring a gun if going on 'that' side. 

Calling like a Greek Sirens of old, tourist often ignore the warnings and go to the dangerous side of the lake. The fishing is worthy of tournaments.  The beauty is undeniable.  And even more  enchanting, there nestled on the 'dark side' of the lake is the haunting charm of Old Guerrero the skeletal of  an old Catholic Church.  Once the pentacle of Spanish settlement of the frontier, Old Guerrero was taken by the misty lake for over 40 years. It was only with the last few years that the waters have pulled away to reveal her to us all.  Was it this temptress that called the young couple to her?  Or was it something all the more sinister?  

    The story being splashed across the news every night is of a wild shoot out on this 'dark side' of the lake that the couple decided to visit.  Splashing around on seados they ignored the warnings.  This was a final trip for the couple to the region.  He had lost his job.  They sold their house and were on their way to leaving Texas. Deciding to move closer to home. 

They were on the seados, alone.  She says the gunman sprayed bullets and her husband fell.  She was never hit.  In wild spray of bullets she was safe. Her injured husband tumbled  from the small craft into the waters.  She tells authorities that she tried to pull him onto her boat...amid the spray of bullets.  He was too heavy.  She couldn't pull him onto the seado.  She had to cruise away and leave him there to go for help.

Her story went viral.  Governor Rick Perry, running for re-election, has demanded Mexico to find and return the body.  To this date there has never been any observed investigation of the crime scene.  

What really happened?  Was it a lone gunman with the rapid fire machine gun?  Or was it a wife that wanted to leave the marriage and saw the perfect way to get rid of a husband and get a hold of the much needed life insurance money?  Was she investigated?  It is always suggested that the investigation needs to start with the spouse. 

The tale is still unwinding before us.  I won't let the findings get in my way.  Imagination has already taken control...I see book 3 in the works. 

Moths and More Moths

"Between our birth and death we may touch understanding, As a moth brushes a window with its wing." ~Christopher Fry

You never know what will strike a cord with your readers.  Or for that much what will bring understanding.  I wrote a post about that very quote and had  a beautiful picture of a moth.  That moth was a popular guy. He has made that post the most downloaded international post I have yet to produce. Like the moth's wing the post brushed with understanding...or maybe people just love them some moth pictures. 

As a tribute to those...I honor your passion.

I give you wings of butter carmel and robin's egg blue.   Simple elegance.

The foreign alien of the collection.  Leaves must envy the free flowing form and angry read eyes.

The Colombian favorite.  Smoky wings contrasted with blood read stripe he sits on a prickled paradise.

Are we...Waiting for Superman

"Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself."  ~John Dewey

I have been in the Education business for the last eleven years.  I know it is not perfect, but I am beyond passionate about my profession. An industry that is so important will always be much criticised.  There are constant worries that we don't measure up.  The other guys are scoring higher test scores,  their graduation rates are better- are worries that echo in our ears every single year.  

The upcoming release of Waiting for Superman is making these echos grow louder.  I know that there are some schools and school districts that are not working and they are failing our future.  There are some, like mine, that work and we are not alone in huge nation.   

Eager to be see if my passions were correct I have done a little research.       

The National Assessment of Education Progress has been tracking the schools progress since 1973.  There is progress it is slow but test scores show that we are improving. Not just in Math but Reading too.  The education gaps between the races is slowly closing.  Public schools still lag behind Catholic and private schools in these test but all three groups are moving up the scale to progress. Progress and increases have a statistical relationship with the amount of money that are invested in schools.  

Miller-McCune, did an incredible posting, "What are American School Doing Right?" about researching what those top countries are doing that is working.  Unlike what many are touting here in the states of privatizing schools the countries and townships found that the resources in the district model were best to turn the system around and keep it working.  That even though we keep hearing the barrage of criticism we are doing a ton right.  We may not be at the top of the list for test scores but we are still the global standard.  Our graduation rate maybe 70% but we have not gone down we are still getting better. His findings are that despite our diversity we are doing a great job, but it all boils down to money.   

Before you rush out to see a movie that shouts at what we are doing wrong check out what we are doing really right.  

 

Touching Understanding

"Between our birth and death we may touch understanding, As a moth brushes a window with its wing." ~Christopher Fry

It has been raining here for the last two days.  It is always a sad event.  Three large dogs caged for sleep wake with a giant mud pit for a backyard.  Rain means wet walks.  It means dirty carpets and bad hair days. 

Yesterday driving to work I was grumpy and running late.  Rain sprinkled all around while the traffic crawled.  Parked at a particular light way too long my morning trance was broken. A big movement caught my attention.  Turning I saw it.  I dove attempting to fly past my truck stopped and took a bit of a break on the hood of my car next to the windshield.  Worried it would get hurt I slowed down.  It turned and faced the wind holding its head up enjoying the break.  I enjoyed giving it a ride.  She sat there and took the ride from Davis to Precinct Ln, four blocks.  Stopped at another light she walked to my side then flew away.  I drove on my grumpiness melted away.  Smile returned.  It was a good day.  

Query, Query oh thou douth slay me!

Two days straight and I am wearing out the delete key on the computer.  Same page has been filled and erased more times then I care to admit.  I've searched, googling my way into utter confusion. I some how end up completely spent on Facebook feeling guilty knowing the stupid letter won't write itself.  Peering around my laptop screen at the pile of hard work that has haunted me this last year I see it sitting nice and neat in the 3 inch binder. 

Why do I query?  The only way to break into the  sainted "Six Sisters," the six major publishing houses is to have an agent.  After hunting through the list of thousands filtering the correct genre, the type of experience, the locations and the authors they represent the list has taken major cuts.  Now down to two list the 'super wish list of champions' and the 'eh at least I will be published' list. I sit with a wretched sad start of a letter that is meant to be my foot in the door.    

The little articles make it sound simple.

1. Purpose for contacting.  Holding back the overwhelming urge to beg and plea for representation, I instead have modeled it after what I have seen others do I settled on the..."I am seeking representation for my contemporary mystery, In God We Trust complete at 62,000 words. Enclosed are a synopsis and a sample chapter." Not thrilling but it is professional. 
2. Prove you have done your research.  There is a fine line between kissing up, complementing someone and being snarky.  I have to admit I hate this part.  Giving complements to someone I know has had huge amounts of success is awkward for me.  I got nothing for this.  Thinking of skipping it and hoping that the fact that I am querying them says enough.
3. Summary of plot, 5-7 sentences.  Up until this point I have worried that summarizing the book to those who ask would be like ripping the soul from the book and giving it to a stranger.  Trying to put the giant living being of this project into 5-7 magical sentences feels impossible.  Having written three different summaries each represent it, but each completely different I am at a loss as to which to go with. 
4. Credentials.  This paragraph reeks!  A B.S. in History and Secondary education says nothing to my my ability to write.   I am not a journalist.  I blog...looked down upon by those in the 'writing community' because it takes no ability, anyone can do it.  I haven't even outed my writing ability to those around me till this book was completed.  There are no awards no past experience.  I sit alone with my finished book.  Hoping for a chance.