Tis the season…

For brotherly love:
Jingle Bells
Andrew smells, a million miles away
Oh what fun a jingle bells
Andrew smells, all the way to Africa
As sung by Miss B.

Cold

Not really the weather, since it’s a balmy 31 degrees according to my weather widget–and sunny. But me, and Miss B. We. Have. Colds. Or coughs. (Or cough-es, as she used to say, because that’s more than one cough.)
I’m wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt, plus I have my old school, velour-lined hoodie on the back of [...]

Is your Thanksgiving bejeweled?

Ours is:

Wishing everyone a most bejeweled and bedazzled Thanksgiving.

Not so manic Monday

So, I’m off work this week, transfixed by how quiet it is when the kids are not home. Things I’m doing:

I’m wondering if it’s possible to melt one’s deltoids, because I’m thinking I totally did that during this morning’s workout.
I’m enjoying the simple goodness of the grilled cheese sandwich for lunch.
I’m contemplating the possibility of [...]

Who are those masked kids?

So today Bob outfitted the kids for their ongoing sibling battle:

The kids, ready to continue their war. Oreo, enthralled, watches in the background.

What do you suppose he has in mind?

So after school, Andrew sometimes uses my computer. On the front page of Amazon.com, I found these in the recently viewed items:

World Industries Complete Skateboard (4 Styles) by Bravo Sports
Mojo Rails Complete Skate Park by Mojo Rails
RAMPTECH MICRO 3′ HALFPIPE PLANS by RAMP TECH

I have to mention that the Mojo Rails Complete Skate Park is [...]

What’s your (blog) type?

Yet another fascinating way to waste time since I discovered Wordle. I give you
Typealyzer
It analyzes your blog (or really, anyone’s blog) and suggests what personality type you are, or at least what you’re writing personality type is when you blog. How’s that for specific?
Writing Wrongs happens to be The Mechanics:
The independent and problem-solving type. They [...]

They don’t listen to me either

So, last night I’m in one room, the kids in another. There might have been (nerf) football throwing going on. But it was getting close to bedtime, so I say:
Me: No more rowdy. It’s time to get ready for bed. Play a quiet game.
Kids: Okay!
Andrew (after a barely imperceptible pause): Kyra, throw this at me [...]

Getting schooled: a writer prepares (for the worst)

Despite all his talk about writing from the unconscious, Butler believes a writer should prepare before sitting down to write a novel.
So, does he want you to outline?
Nooooooo.
Brainstorm, do character sheets?
Nooooooo.
Plot boards, Excel spreadsheets, synopses?
Nooooooo.
He wants you to dreamstorm your novel. Yes. You’ve heard it here first. (Well, unless you’ve read Butler’s book, in which [...]

Getting Schooled: If we were a movie

Now here’s a chapter I think we can all get behind. Butler calls it cinema of the mind. He’s not talking adaptations here, but rather film techniques writers can use. These are:

The shot: A unit of uninterrupted flow of imagery.
The cut: A transitional device for getting from one shot to another.
Dissolve: A transitional device that [...]