Category: Uncategorized (Page 4 of 5)

I'm just a NaNoWriMo squirrel trying to get a nut to move my butt.

NaNoWriMo Rebel

November 1, 2016 / Grace

Tuesday evening, 73° and hazy
Listening to Led Zeppelin, The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair

Why I’m Editing Through NaNoWriMo

I thought quite a lot about how I would approach NaNoWriMo 2016, and didn’t settle on a decision until late last night. This will be my ~~ninth~~ tenth NaNoWriMo. For the last ~~eight~~ nine years, I’ve written an all-new novel. I’ve gotten skilled enough at NaNo that three of my last four Nano novels are in the queue to get revised, polished and published. You could say I’m a little like a chipmunk writing stories and socking them away like acorns to be feasted on at a later date.

Finding that brand new story and getting most of it committed to paper in just 30 days is part of the beauty of NaNo. But my hang up this year is that I’m already mid-story and going full-steam on a book I deeply believe in. I was torn between setting that aside for an entire month to chase a new story, or using the added pressure of NaNo to finish the story at hand.Continue Reading NaNoWriMo Rebel

My NaNoWriMo dilemma — Instead of the Hogwarts Express, there's a Ford Econoline van.

My NaNoWriMo Dilemma

October 24, 2016 / Grace

Monday night, 41° and cloudy
Listening to Hiss Golden Messenger, Like a Mirror Loves a Hammer

NaNoWrimo starts in one week

And oh boy do I have a NaNoWriMo dilemma. November is when I till the soil and plant the seeds of my novels. I’ve won NaNoWriMo every year since my first attempt in 2007. Don’t hate me. I know how to NaNo and I dig it. I’ve amassed a small arsenal of NaNo novels, several of which I will revise and publish. One of them (originally titled Anything In Between) became the backbone of my first published novel, State of Love & Trust.

I’m on board with nailing my vicious inner editor into her pine coffin and letting a new story rip. (Don’t worry. I’ll let her out when it’s time to edit). I have no problem with the magical daily word goal of 1667. That number is painted on the inside of my special NaNo coffee mug I made at a pottery place during the Saginaw Bay Wombats’ kick-off party a few years ago. I’m all about the write-ins, writer friends, word wars, stickers, commitment, and coffee drinks. I love NaNo like Elf loves Christmastime.Continue Reading My NaNoWriMo Dilemma

Rock n roll! Traeger and Blackwell, Night Beats — James Traeger and Danny Lee Blackwell of the incredible psychedelic band, Night Beats.

Rumors of Rock-n-Roll’s Death

September 27, 2016 / Grace

have been greatly exaggerated

Tuesday afternoon, 63° and windy
Listening to Night Beats, The New World

If you believe rock n roll is dead, or that there is no good new rock music, or that Justin Beiber, Rhianna or *insert popular, predictable, auto-tuned act here* killed rock n roll, I have seven suggestions for you.

1. Quit complaining about today’s Top 40. Top 40 has largely sucked throughout its history, has only been a trailing indicator of musical trends, and has completely missed countless fantastic acts. For every Space Oddity there were approximately 1,794 Afternoon Delights. If you’re over 35, you do not have enough years left to wait for Top 40 to spoon feed you something great. Most likely, it won’t.

Yes, 1973 was an exception. So what. You’ve been holding your breath for four decades waiting for that to happen again? Get over it.

Continue Reading Rumors of Rock-n-Roll’s Death

2112 inspires me — Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart performing Temples of Syrinx from 2112 at the Capitol Theatre in 1976.

Why 2112 Inspires Me

September 4, 2016 / Grace

Sunday morning, 72°F and sunny
Listening to The Allman Brothers, Jessica

I take my writing inspiration from a lot of different places, but mainly from music and musicians. While I’ve talked about Pearl Jam quite a bit because my first published novel was inspired by their music, I think it’s time I mention Rush and how their album 2112 inspires me.

It’s a story any Rush fan knows, so here’s the short version. Rush’s first, self-titled album was a brilliant work of accessible hard rock that went gold. Their second album, the more progressive Fly By Night, went platinum. Caress of Steel, their third album effort, contained a 12-minute progressive piece, The Necromancer, on side A and the entire B-side was a conceptual suite called Fountain of Lamneth. That album “only” went gold, disappointing Rush’s label.

The label instructed Rush to head back to the studio and produce a rock album more like their first. No more of this 12-minute long progressive experimentation. We’re in this to make money, boys. Now step in line. But Rush believed in their progressive direction and hit back hard with 2112, a concept album that begins with a 20-minute, 7-song suite based on an Ayn Rand novella. (Oh look, novelists inspiring musicians. I love it!)Continue Reading Why 2112 Inspires Me

Using copyrighted lyrics -- and Eddie Vedder singing Whipping — Eddie Vedder performing Whipping with Pearl Jam in 1998.

Saint’s Whipping Tattoo

August 17, 2016 / Grace

Wednesday afternoon, 81°F and partly sunny
Listening to CSNY The Loner/Cinnamon Girl/Down by the River

Some thoughts on using copyrighted lyrics

[UPDATE: When I wrote this post on using copyrighted lyrics, I was doubtful that I’d be able to obtain the proper permissions. Happily, Pearl Jam and music publisher Hal Leonard came through, granting me permission to include these lyrics in my novel. Lesson: If you want something, it’s worth asking for.]

In the first chapter of my novel State of Love & Trust, the character Saint Wozniak peels up his Mother Love Bone tank shirt to reveal the entire first stanza of Whipping inked in a neat typewriter font on his shoulder blade. Those lyrics, which he says are his favorite, matter to the novel. Yet they are not included anywhere in the text, and for good reason.Continue Reading Saint’s Whipping Tattoo

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