Staying on track...and a bit of Potter fun

Dear Blog,

It's not you, it's me. I've been seeing other loves. Specifically a manuscript I started in 2008 and feared I'd never finish. I've written two and a half chapters since I got back from vacation July first. 

I know. I can't believe it either. But I have fans now, Blog, and they want to read novels from me, not merely shop talk and writing tips.

There, there, Blog. I know my writing tips have fans too. And I promise we'll work together to create a book just for them. But not this month. 

I haven't been this prolific in years. And if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that you need to stay focused when a story gels and you know exactly what will happen in the next nine scenes.

So, Blog, I will be giving you a bit of a summer vacation. I'll catch you every Wednesday. In September, we'll celebrate our fifth anniversary belatedly. Because the celebration deserves some forethought, and that will have to come later.

You're the best, Blog! Have a great summer!

All best,

Laurel

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Yule Ball ice sculpture

And for your entertainment, a meme I picked up from Margo Berendsen (with my photos from the Harry Potter studio tour in England):

Would you rather go to prom with Harry, Draco or Ron?

Neville. Definitely Neville. The most underrated guy at Hogwarts. And forget the prom. I want the Yule Ball.

Would you rather be sorted into Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin?

I usually sort as Ravenclaw, but I have Hufflepuff tendencies (liking comfort and routine).

Would you rather explore the forbidden forest or the halls of Hogwarts?

Having seen the scale model in the UK, I think it would take months to explore all of Hogwarts. I'd love meeting all the people in the portraits.

Would you rather enroll in Potions, Charms, Divination or Defense Against The Dark Arts?

Probably Charms. I'd likely do fine in Potions (chem was one of my best subjects), but I don't like the dark, gloomy lab.

Would you rather buy an owl, cat, rat or toad?

I love my kitties, but there's something magnetic about owls: so serene, so elegant. 

Would you rather have in possession: the elder wand, resurrection stone, or the cloak of invisibility?

Wizard chess, anyone?

The invisibility cloak would be nifty, but I could most use the ability to apparate. Never be late or stuck in traffic again!

Would you rather be tutored by Luna Lovegood or Hermione Granger?

Luna would frustrate me. My mind works more like Hermione's. 

Would you rather, in the final battle, fight against Nagini (the snake) or Bellatrix?

Nagini, because even if he taunted me, I wouldn't understand it. 

Would you rather fight a basilisk or a dragon?

A dragon, but only if I had Hiccup's help. Oh wait, that's another mythology. 

Fred and George at the Burrow

Would you rather be a part of the Malfoy family or Weasley family?

The Weasleys. I'm already accustomed to big, noisy families (I'm the youngest of 5).

Would you rather have a butterbeer or pumpkin juice?

Butterbeer sounds more appealing. 

Would you rather fly on a broomstick, Hagrid's motorbike or Buckbeak?

I'm torn. The motorbike seems the most stable, but Buckbeak is so beautiful.

Would you rather have a conversation with Daniel Radcliffe or J.K. Rowling?

Definitely the author. I'd love to know how she kept all these complex plot threads organized.

Feel free to do the meme on your own blog! 

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Have you ever needed to step away from your blogging responsibilities for a while? How did you manage it?

Which of my answers to the HP meme surprised you most? 

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Lookie here...

Fellow Rabble Writer Madeline Sharples invited me to take part in The Look Challenge for writers. The premise is simple: find a passage in your manuscript or book that contains the word “look,” post it on your blog, and tag five other blogging writers to do the same.

Here's my excerpt, from Chapter 2 of my debut:

As I head toward the bathroom, a flash of blue by the front door catches my eye. Dad’s terry robe. And Dad, straightening frames. He frowns, probably deciding whether to swap some photos. When he gets to the second row, he turns and motions to me. Come.

My hands shake so badly I almost drop my makeup case. He’s still here. Right here. Maybe the phone call, the hospital, the surgeries weren’t real. Just a very vivid nightmare. My feet carry the rest of me, like a sleepwalker, toward him.

When I get there, he’s gone. Before me is the magic photo: the one split second in my short life that I look incredible. It’s not a coiffed, polished glamour shot. No, I’m sweaty and my clothes are rumpled. But I’m floating four feet in the air, my gawky tallness curved like a curlicue C around the high jump bar. My leading arm is like a ballerina’s, legs steely and lean, face full of happy peace. A swan moment.

I tag the following friends:
Deniz Bevan
Faith Elizabeth Hough
Connie Keller
Melissa Pearl
Melanie Schulz

I was surprised that "look" didn't appear more frequently in my story, which has as a theme "good vision" or seeing things correctly, rather than filtered through prejudices and pre-jududgments.

How much "look" ing happens in your work? Is vision the primary sense, or are your stories more strongly auditory and sound-centered?

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