New Look

Like Alyson, I decided I needed a new look to go with my new voice revelations. I've played with this layout for a couple of days now. It isn't perfect. Someday, I'll pay someone to design exactly what I want, but in the meantime, I like this.

I love the red.

I used to like red less, but lately red is a color for which I have great affinity. Perhaps it has to do with my new boldness as a writer. I took a silly little color test online. Of course I picked red first as the color I was currently most attracted to. This is what the test said about me: You are likely an emotional person who experiences strong feelings. The fact that you chose Red first also indicates that others probably see you as a passionate and vibrant person.

I like that. I have decided that I have an emotional voice. And color is important to me. And I really hope people experience strong feelings when they read my work (about which I'm very passionate).

(Of course, I didn't post the other color test results that said I was over-stressed, trying to do too many things, and was experiencing some serious procrastination as a result. I mean... that's not me. I would NEVER procrastinate with silly little online tests or anything like that.....)

Macy

10 things I love that start with the letter H

I've been tagged by Julie Scott at Julie Says.
She posted 10 things she loves that start with the letter P.

She tagged me with the letter H.

Here goes:

1) Hot showers: These are especially great after a long, wet, Friday night, high school football game where the hubby's team loses and everyone is miserable.
2) Holidays which get you out of the bill paying job: Enough said.
3) Harry: Potter
4) A Hotty Hero in a good romance novel.
5) My Home on my little lake with the great views and new kitchen.
6) Horses: Have I ever told you my totem animal is a wild mustang? I love them.
7) Howling: With my pack of writers. For those of you who've taken Barbara Samuel's "Girls in the Basement" class, you know just what I mean. For those of you who haven't, you should considering taking it. It's worth every penny to learn how to howl.
8) High heels
9) Houston's -- the restaurant, not the city; I love meeting friends for good steak and good wine at Houston's.
10) (I'm saving the best for last) My Husband. I never thought it was possible to keep falling more and more in love, but it is.

If you want to participate, let me know and I'll tag you and send you a letter.

Also, check out my post over at the Affairs of the Pen blog. I posted on voice -- yet again.

Macy

Voice...again

We had to write a statement that described our voice for the final week of voice class. I wrote a "real" one that talked about writer sorts of things, but I like this one better. It illustrates my "just so" thing, along with my intense love of color and nature. I guess it's a writer sort of statement, too.

My voice is crimson and burgundy and just-before-a-storm-blue muted with fog and twilight and lit with candles on stone pillars that threaten to go out in the gusts of the impending storm.

Macy

What do I write?

I write allegorical women's fiction with paranormal elements about quests of self discovery and freedom and discovering one's inherent power.

(I'm trying that on for size. It actual feels pretty amazing against my skin.)

As you know, I'm in an online voice class taught by Barbara Samuels. I don't recommend taking it unless you REALLY what to know what you should write and unless you are REALLY willing to make that leap.

I'm ready. I think -- in between minor panic attacks since I so didn't have it all figured out up front.

I had little pieces, but not the whole picture. Now, I'm trying to wrap my head around something much bigger.

Thank you Barbara and voice class buddies.

However, I think my very astute friend Alyson hit the nail on the head for me. This is what she said about my voice:
(Thanks, Al.)

...allegorical women's fiction with paranormal elements about quests of self discovery and freedom and discovering one's inherent power

Update from my voice class

My good friend, Julie, pointed out that since my last post -- the haircut post -- my hair has probably grown out.

So, that's what's wrong with it.....

I have a great excuse for not being up-to-date. I'm taking the amazing Barbara Samuel's voice class online with most of my writing group. The exercises and the epiphanies and the comments and the commenting are all taking alot of time. It's time I don't really have but which I gladly give anyway. I'm learning so much about myself and my friends. My writing will benefit greatly from it.

I only wrote 11 pages last week. This week -- zero. But what are Saturday and Sunday for?

It isn't just the voice class. The day job has been busy, busy, busy. I hope it will slow down soon.

However, I want to share an excerpt of something I wrote and something Barbara said about it.

It's about one of my favorite places. Here goes:

When it rains, I open all the French doors along the back of my house to let in the breeze off the rain, to let in the scent of its freshness. I stand on the porch and watch the dark clouds roll in with ominous majesty. I see lightening dance and hear thunder roll and watch as the wave of falling water moves toward me across the lake. Big, hard drops roar across the lake bouncing like a thousand marbles off the glassy water, each making their own little splash. The dragon flies sweep up out of the grasses to find a tall stalk of weed to alight upon and spread their wings – dozens of them, holding on for dear life in the wind. The Annihingas swoop and dive into the water as it boils with the relentless pounding of the rain. The opposite side of the lake becomes obscure as the wall of water impedes the view of it. The grass and trees and lily pads seem to assume a Technicolor appearance, their greens accentuated against the gray-blue of the sky.

Here's what Barbara said about it:

The whole thing has a feeling of really good women's fiction, the connection point between emotion and nature and a woman. Lyric detail.

I'm still reeling over the visual of those dragonflies. That's what happens when you tap into things you madly, madly love--the writing is fantastic and natural.

Ok, um, Barbara -- that Barbara with the beautiful lyrical voice -- said I (me!) have lyric detail. Lyric detail!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And that it feels like really good women's fiction.

(Ok -- that part's scary. I hadn't really thought "women's fiction" before. But... well, I guess I had sort of. But I was saving it for when I became a really good writer. No time like the present, huh?)

Macy

Haircuts

I got a hair cut yesterday. It's much shorter now -- not quite shoulder length but almost. It's lighter and thinner and takes half the time in the morning. And I'm pretty sure it lightened the load in my brain and boosted my creativity since I wrote nearly four pages this morning in about 30 minutes. Maybe I need to get a new hair cut every time I get stuck on the MIP. Of course, I'd be bald pretty rapidly, but ......

Ever had any little changes like that really boost your creative side?

Macy

Fun stuff

I've got some really exciting stuff going on this week. My writing isn't progressing as fast as I'd like. A migraine knocked me out yesterday and my new job as been busier than expected. However, I am writing and I have some really, really cool stuff going on.

Check it out.

1) I just started Barbara Samuel's voice class. I'm so excited! I've been waiting to take this class for a long, long time. Five of the six girls in my writing group are in the class with me. I took Barbara's 12-week Girls in the Basement class in January, and some of my friends from that class are in my voice class, too. Yippee!!!!!

2) There's a plotting retreat in the works. I have some great ideas and I can't wait to work on the plots with my friends. Did I mention that they are all very talented?

3) I bought a $75 Ann Taylor black suit on Sunday at the outlet mall. $75!!!! That's like a $225 savings.

4) The husband promised me I could go to San Fran for RWA next year. His exact words, "Even if I have to work a second job, you're going to that conference."

5) I got some really hard scenes for WIP out of the way last week. Now, I'm just that much closer to submission (and PRO).

That's all! Macy