iPod Essentials #40: "Magic Man"--Heart

The title of this song is my nickname for my eleven-year-old husky, Magic. It fits him. In his early years, Magic was a handful (well, he still can be one at times). Even so, Magic can magically sense my moods and is a very loyal dog. Every night he sits next to me on the couch. I would be very lonely without him and Georgy, my other dog.

Next time I blog, I will discuss my dogs in more depth and even provide a picture.

iPod Essentials #39: "Magic Man"--Heart

The song title is my nickname for my dog Magic. He's an eleven-year-old Siberian Husky. He's actually eleven going on three. He has so much energy, except on those days when his arthritis bothers him.

Even though he was a rescue dog and didn't know me during his puppyhood, he magically senses my feelings. When I'm sad, he is right there to comfort me. When I'm happy, he wants to play and play.

A magic man, he is.

iPod Essentials #38: "Georgy Girl"--The New Seekers

I was thrilled when iTunes finally released this song. It's the theme song to one of my favorites movies, Georgy Girl. It's also the name of my five-year-old Siberian husky. When I adopted her last year, the rescue facility had named her Peanut, of all things. I looked at her, and the line, "There's another Georgy down deep inside" kept running through my mind.

Sure enough, Georgy has proven herself to be a great dog, though she has a couple of odd quirks about toys. She's so happy and strong. Not a Peanut.

This song is inspirational and tells the story of the film in two minutes.

Resolutions

Shame on me. It's been over a month since my last posting. English teachers don't have lives during their semesters due to papers, papers, exams, more papers, and final grades.

In 2008, I resolve to find a small publisher or a literary agent for my latest Quinn manuscript, which is floating around in Agentspace. I will complete and market my newest manscript (almost done). I will find a better-paying B Job. Part-time community college teaching is just not working out anymore since life in So Cal is now too damn expensive, and this country is heading toward a recession.

On the personal front, I will reach my goal weight with Weight Watchers. (The program does work as long as you track your points.) I will stay healthy and strong with exercise and stress reduction. I will go to Peru for ten days in July. (My passport and I haven't been out of the country in two years!) Despite life's challenges, I will try to remain positive.

Oh, yeah, I also resolve to blog more frequently.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

iPod Essentials #37: "Love Comes Quickly"--Pet Shop Boys

Ahhh, every time I hear this selection I picture myself in my bedroom thinking about my senior year in college and the guy I couldn't have. A moody but hopeful song, the lyrics and synthesizer gelled in a way that I remained hopeful that one day I could change his mind about me. It never happened. I wonder what he's doing now.

What's Wrong With GENERAL HOSPITAL

Sigh...I have watched GH since its glory days in the 80's. GH had it all: great acting, exciting stories, mystery and intrigue, and hot romances.

But this week...I'm not sure if I will be tuning in much longer.

I'm beginning to believe that the suits on the show and its writers hate women. This "Spook Island" storyline, with Nicolas's uncontrollable mental state and the umpteenth mob war, is ridiculous. The death of Emily Quartermaine, Nicolas's beloved, was horrific, even for daytime standards. (Hey, I write mysteries, so I'm no stranger to bloodshed or corpses.) You heard Emily being strangled, and it was graphic. I'm having trouble shaking it.

Why are ratings down? First, get Sonny and Jason out of the mob business. Give women characters lives other than pining for men they can't be with (i.e. Jason and Elizabeth). Bring back the romance and adventure. Bring back the veterans (like Genie Francis), and get rid of the NIGHT SHIFT crew. Writers should be required to study videotapes of the 1980-1990 period and learn how to tell a story.

Heartbreak

Imagine coming home to something that is no longer there. That is happening to over 2,000 families in the southern California area right now, the wildfire victims. They are now forced to grieve, deal with the idiots at FEMA and insurance companies, and rebuild their lives and homes. Not an easy thing to do at all.

Some people, like moronic commentation Glenn Beck, believe that these people are facing this loss since they have "anti-Christian" or "liberal" beliefs. There is no logical reasoning behind this.

Tragedies occur at will. I don't think God plans them or that people deserve them. They just happen. It's our responsibility to support our fellow Californians.

iPod Essentials #36: "Every Day Is Like Halloween"--Ministry

Before they turned Industrial and angry in the early 90's, Ministry was a great mid 80's New Wave dance band. "Halloween" does maintain an air of anti-establishment and pro-individuality; however, it is so danceable. You have to move your feet and your bodies. A great thing to do on this Halloween week!

iPod Essentials #35: "Lowdown"--Boz Scaggs

An oldie, but a killer song from a killer pop album. I love the blue in Scagg's voice, regardless of whether or not he's singing a dance tune, like "Lowdown" or a ballad. He's lived, and it shows in his music. Scaggs also has range. He can easily reach high notes. Nice, tight song.

Fall From Gold

As a alumus of Thousand Oaks High School, I am dismayed about the truth from Marion Jones, who was a star athlete. What compelled her to use steroids? (I don't buy the typical athlete's excuse that he or she was taking flaxseed oil from a trainer. Athletes prize their bodies, so they know everything they put into them.) Didn't she believe enough in her talent?

When her first husband, shotputter C.J. Hunter, was banned from the 2000 Sydney games for testing positive for a banned substance, I was suspicious of her accomplishments, especially when she would cross finish lines far ahead of everyone else on the track. I wanted to believe that she trained hard, and her victories were because of this reason.

I shouldn't be so naive anymore. We live in a society of cheats and liars. I feel sorry for young kids. Between doping athletes and drug-addicted, no-talented celebrities, who can they believe in? I guess Mom and Dad. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

iPod Essentials #34: "Peter Gunn"--Art of Noise

This Essential is a recent download to my Pod. It's one of those songs that you forget about until you hear it playing on the radio (which is seldom). It's a jazzy, techno remake of the classic theme of the 60's TV show, written by the late great Henry Mancini, I believe. It's sexy, great when you're thinking about writing those gun-wielding scenes in your manuscript.

Join Together

Writers groups are invaluable inspiration to learn about the craft, network with others, and motivate yourself to finish your work. I find whenever I attend at MWA So Cal or a SinC/LA meeting, I take my manuscripts and myself more seriously. It's a domino effect: one person finishes a work, another gets something else published, and so forth. If they can do it, so will I.

If you're new to writing, or if you've been struggling to complete a work, join a writer's group or an organization. Join now.

iPod Essentials #33: "New Toy"--Lene Lovitch

This Essentials is dedicated to my new desktop computer, which I will begin installing tomorrow. (I've heard bad things about Vista, so I'm a bit nervous.). My new computer is a Dell, like usual, but this time it was a One Time Only value on QVC. I saved about $700, even though it has a lot of bells and whistles.

"New Toy" is a silly song about casual flings. Though I don't like replacing big-ticket items until they begin to give me problems, some things and flings can be light.

Wish me luck...

iPod Essentials #32: "Dreamin'"--Cliff Richard

Today's Essential is dedicated to the Mega Millions jackpot I did not win last night. (But hey, I got one number on my ticket.)

Cliff Richard has been a pop institution in Britain since the 60's. He's turned out some good songs, like "Devil Woman." I like this song because it's light and breezy, great for dreaming about lottery jackpots and quitting day jobs (Bye, bye teaching!) and taking long vacations to faraway places (Botswana, anyone? India? Tuscany?) and lifelong private Pilates sessions and my own Paint horse and...

Well, you get the picture. I think I'll pick up a Superlotto ticket today for tonight's jackpot.

iPod Essentials #31: "You're My Best Friend"--Queen

Ahhhh. The summer of '76...

Queen was a great band (Godspeed, Freddie!). This is one of my favorites. It's a simple song at a simple time. The joys of love and the preteen freedom of summer...

When the Plot Hits a Spot

I'm in the middle of the third draft of my new mystery series, and the plot has hit a spot. I'm not sure if my killer should be my killer anymore; his motivation in carrying out the dastardly deeds of two murders and one abduction seems weak. My heroine needs to be the one to figure things out, but I'm not sure if she can at this point.

When your plot hits a spot, step back and retool, as I'm about to do. Dramatica Pro is an excellent tool for this. Although pricey, the software program offers writers ways to examine their characters and stories. All of its features can be overwhelming, but it allows me to talk out the novel's problems and find a solution to them.

Revise, revise, revise.

Revision

Revision is my favorite part of the writing process. By the third draft of most of my novels, characters appear more developed, plot is more intricate, and language seems richer than in the previous drafts.

With the third draft, I am able to relax, to breathe, to let the writing come naturally.

I don't understand some writers who falsely believe their work is done after the second draft. Revision makes writing that much more worthwhile to agents, editors, readers, and ultimately, yourself.

iPod Essentials #30: "In the Year 2525"--Zaeger & Evans

Some of you may have never heard of this song, which was released in 1969. It was one of the first 45 singles I owned, and even though I was too young to understand its implications at the time, I believed it was worth listening to over and over again.

The song's lyrics about the perils of humanity and the fate of our existance belies its upbeat tempo: "In the year 2525, if man is still alive, if woman can survive, they may thrive."

In light of the global warming epidemic and the uncertainty of the world around us, this song now scares me. Sometimes while I'm listening to my Pod and it starts playing, I will skip to the next song. I've heard the lyrics too often, but little is being done nowadays to change the message.

iPod Essentials #29: "Dream on"--Aerosmith

A rock classic, full of angst and hope. Steven Tyler's vocals for this song along with Joe Perry's guitar wail with conviction.

Ends

And so, with a bit of sadness, I finished the last Harry Potter novel a couple of days ago. (Yes, I read the bulk of it in one day. I had to see how the novel ended.)

A few weeks earlier, I had sent my newest Quinn McKay manuscript off to a prospective agent. End of long writing process. I won't hear from Quinn until I begin working on another McKay mystery. (Right now I'm working on a new series.)

As writers, we must face ends: the end of a writing process, the end of a character, the end of a story. Often, these ends are painful. I cried after the completion of my first novel, GOTHIC DOO-WOP.

To grow as writers, we must find ends to our works at some point. We can stay with the same manuscript for twenty years.