For the time being - and probably the next few months -- this blog is suspended.  I'm just too busy to maintain it right now.  When I have more time, I may return but now I just can't.  :(

Keeping It Small

There's something to be said for keeping things small. Small is manageable. Whether it's a short story, a painting, a drawing, a musical group or even a song, if you can keep it small you can easily hone the quality of your work. If I'm working on a big painting with lots of objects, almost invariably something happens. The pears will begin to rot, the set-up gets nudged and one of the objects breaks. Ugh. Yes, I guess that can happen with a small still life set-up, too, but it's much more likely to happen with a cumbersome one.

Likewise, a small garden is easy to keep weeded. A small meal doesn't take long to prepare. A small novel takes less time to write than a long, rambling one and is easier to plot. It also takes less time to read (although if I'm enjoying the book I want it to go on and on). A small house is easier to clean, as long as you don't try to cram too many things into it.

Small things often make up for their diminutive size by packing more punch. Small sentences consisting of a word or two often say more than long ones. I mention all this because I have a novel I've worked on for some time now and it's grown far too long. I have trouble wrapping my head around it or knowing what to cut. What do you do with a novel that has grown too large? It's like a garden choked with big weeds and unidentifiable species of plants - well, almost. Any suggestions? Ideas? I'm thinking of tucking it away for a few years while I continue with another project, but man, I'd sure like to ship it out some time. I actually like this novel. I've lived with my MC so long that's she's like a dear friend I don't want to abandon.

Perhaps some novels were never meant to be published. I guess I could consider this one an exercise in writing or think of it along the lines of a musical etude - something you do for practice. If anybody has any suggestions, I'm wide open. Otherwise, this one will get buried in my underwear drawer with other small things.

Hooked On Shakespeare

While in college, I took three Shakespeare courses. The first was a Shakespeare survey class in which we read a few of his tragedies, a sampling of his comedies and a smattering of his histories. Along the way, we also read a couple of his sonnets. It wasn't much, but once Shakespeare's language crawled inside my head, I couldn't let it go. So, I took another course in Shakespeare's tragedies and yet another in his comedies with the unforgettable Dr. Blount.

Dr. Blount's father had been a tax accountant, a job which had paid him well but often left him feeling drained. He had to do something to offset the soul numbing effects of his job. So, after dinner, he read Shakespeare - often aloud to his young son. It was no wonder, then, that Dale became a Shakespeare professor -- an unforgettable one.

You may wonder what can an aspiring writer for children could possibly want with Shakespeare. Certainly I can't squeeze it all into one blog post, but here's one small item that has stayed with me over the years. Shakespeare tempered his comedies with some tragedy and his tragedies with some comedy. He understood that life isn't isn't either all black or all white, but a textured blend of both.

If I'm writing something serious, I always try to insert a touch of humor. In my WIP about an abused girl, my main character covers up her pain with jokes and sarcasm, especially when she's around her friends. The humor serves the duel purpose of lightening up the story while helping my MC grapple with her fear. She doesn't want anybody to guess what really goes on behind the cheery front door of her home and so her witticisms, swift retorts and often biting barbs are her defense. In a sense, they also boost her self-confidence. Her friends appreciate her humor without realizing what's driving it.

Shakespeare not only had a firm grip on language and its power, but understood the forces that shape human nature in its infinite complexity. It may be but one facet of a successful novel, but it's an important one that I try to keep in mind when orchestrating a cast of characters and and all their predicaments.

Friday Five

It's been a while since I've updated this poor, neglected blog. Anyhow, here's my Friday Five.

1. Even with less snow than anybody can remember in recent history, skiing in Utah is still the best in the country. Favorite area is Solitude - just gorgeous - followed by Alta and Brighton. I love the trails winding through the spruce trees and aspens and the way they've preserved the beauty of the mountain. Wish we could afford to go every year.

2. Am finally slipping back into painting. It's been a couple of years and I got off to a rather ragged start but slowly, I'm remembering how to mix color and recalling the rules of applying paint to canvas.

3. I went to the endocrinologist recently who gave me an on-the-spot A1C test (measures the glucose in my blood). Three and a half years ago I was diagnosed with type II diabetes and had an A1C of 13.1 - totally off the charts. They admitted me to the hospital and there I stayed for a week getting insulin shots until they could bring my blood sugar down to something more reasonable. My last A1C test? 6.2. Am doing a little happy dance. It's my best yet and the doctor said I'm not diabetic anymore. I've been following largely a vegan diet and running 16-21 miles a week. Finally my diligence is paying off. Can't say how thrilled I am. For a while I was scared of the future - of losing my vision, a foot, my hearing, my kidneys. My dad was a brittle type 1 diabetic and I witnessed his struggle for years. Anyhow, this is the best news yet and I'm hoping to bring it down below 6.0 in the future. Maybe next test?

4. Am very proud of both of my sons. We visited Derek in Utah and he showed us the cello he's working on. I am so impressed. Like many young people, Derek struggled for a while with finding his place in the world and I'm glad to see he finally found it - a place where he can channel his creativity while creating something of beauty that will be used by others.

Am also proud of my youngest, Sean, who received tenure this year and found a job as an assistant wrestling coach. For somebody who wasn't sure he even wanted to go to college at one time, he's doing great. If you're not sure, college is a good place to discover what you want to do with your life.

5. Congratulations to former crit partner, Heather Ayris Burnell, who landed an agent after many many tries. Am so excited for her.


That's it for now.

Goals For the New Year

I don't like the word "resolution". To me, a resolution is just a promise waiting to be broken. Instead, this year I have goals I'd like to work toward. If I don't quite achieve them, at least I'll make some progress in the right direction and that's a zillion times better than some lame resolution I know I'll never keep. Anyhow, here are mine:

1. Take at least 2 minutes off my 5K race time. I love the afterburn of a hard run and I like to run fast. Alas, I'm not as young as I once was and my definition of "fast" has been revised over the years. Still, I can compete with other women in my age group and I'm not too far from earning an occasional medal. Here's hoping I can run through the winter and remain injury free, while increasing my base. If I can do that, I'll be on my way later this year.

2. To put together a group of good paintings for an art show. Natalia Clarke and I will be having a small art show sometime next spring and I need to be ready for it. This is actually a "must do".

3. To finish the novel I've been working on - a fantasy. I got a little tired of it and put it aside and now it's time to pick it up and finish it.

4. To get working on my second project - a verse novel. This one will be totally different from my current project. I am looking forward to it immensely. I just hope that I can "make it work", as Tim Gunn says.

5. To complete my 2nd Bargue copy and maybe almost finish my 2nd cast drawing.

I think that's enough for this year. What are your goals for 2012?

Crossroads

I'm standing at a sort of crossroads where visual art intersects the art of writing. I want to write and yet I want to be an artist, too. How do I find time to pursue both of these deeply embedded passions? Or should I merge the two and try my hand at writing and illustrating a picture book?

Problem is, I've been studying fine art, not illustration techniques. The two are totally different. Another problem is that picture books are a tough sell these days, even if I did write one. Also, I'm not much of a picture book writer. I find the short text confining. Perhaps if I illustrated my own I'd have more fun with it. Actually, I'm best at the short story but there's not much of a market for short stories these days. What do I do? What would you do?

Anybody have a suggestion?

What I Learned From Steve Jobs

I was always a fan of Jobs and his death has saddened me more than I realized. He wasn't always a nice man. He could be cold, demanding and a micro manager. He was a perfectionist with a vision who never compromised on his dreams -- not the kind of person I would have enjoyed working for. Still, I had an enormous respect for him.

He was born the same year as me - 1955 - and graduated from high school the same year, too. I remember reading an article that said my generation had nothing going for it, that we had no ambition and lacked vision so it always made me feel good to think there was somebody out there like Steve Jobs- somebody from my generation I could point to and say, "There!"

Here are five things I learned from Jobs:

1. No knowledge is wasted. Some may consider it silly to take a class such as calligraphy, yet when Jobs left school that's exactly what he did. He later incorporated his knowledge of calligraphy into his computer programs which is why we now have such a wide spectrum of fonts to choose from when it comes to writing an article, a paper, a card or even an invitation. You never know when the knowledge you gained from that class on basket weaving or yoga may be put to good use.

2. Elegance can be one with function. Apple products are a little pricey, but well worth the extra bucks. Not only are they sleek, lightweight and attractive, but they work incredibly well. They're virtually virus proof and have innumerable designs that make them easy to use and offer great creative possibilities. Elegant? Oh yes!

3. It's okay to fail. Steve Jobs was fired from the company he founded. For a while, he was down and sort of out, (though only for a short time), but eventually he discovered that getting fired was actually a liberating experience that gave rise to one of the most creative periods in his life. Our lives are a roller coaster, a cross country course that undulates with as many ups as it does downs. If things aren't going well, be patient and wait for the upside. Surely it will happen.

4. Don't compromise on your dreams. Compromise, I've been taught, is what life is about. You can't have everything your way. Life is about give and take. Still, Steve Jobs didn't compromise - not one single inch. Perhaps it earned him some enemies, but his attitude is also what propelled him to fame and helped him change the way the world operates. And he wasn't inspired by money but by his singular vision.

5. Make amends with your past. Steve did, for the most part. In seeking out his birth mother, he learned he had a sister. When they finally met, they discovered they had more in common than either had imagined. They were both driven, smart and intense. Too bad Jobs never connected with his birth father, too. Ah well, none of us are perfect.

There are many more reasons to applaud Jobs but for me, these are the main ones.