When I revised Briar-Bound, I made a lot of changes, some small, some big. In prep for a revision call with Chris tomorrow, I've been considering the consequences of those changes, on two levels. First, on the book level -- how do the revisions affect this book's story arc. Second, on a series level -- how will the changes reshape the next two books?
How has the story world changed? How will the revised history of this place change how its people act on a daily basis?
How will protagonist/antagonist relationships change? Will they reverse?
How may another relationship, now accelerated, continue to develop in an interesting way?
Can all essential information be filtered effectively through the POVs of three children without using an omniscient narrator?
Will relationships with adults who are now significantly more damaged change how the child characters meet the challenges awaiting them?
Is the overall story more compelling now?
How can the child characters grow in depth to the extent the focused POVs allow?
Considering the consequences is only making me more excited to finish this draft.
Who else loves revisions? :)
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Monday, August 31, 2009
Consequences of Revision
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Podcast: StoryCorps
From the StoryCorps website:
"StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening. Since 2003, over 50,000 people have shared life stories with family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind..."
I subscribe to the StoryCorps podcast through iTunes. Episodes tend to run 3 - 8 minutes long, with 2 or more stories each. Most I've listened to have been stories told by older people to younger ones. Stories might be funny, or sad, or dramatic, or nostalgic -- but always interesting.
You can contribute a recording to the StoryCorps project, too. To do so, you need to make a reservation at a StoryCorps location (permanent boothes in NYC and San Francisco, or mobile touring booths). They even have a few starter questions for you, in case you need inspiration. Want to bring StoryCorps to your community? Here's how.
You can also follow StoryCorps on Twitter (@storycorps), where tweets provide links to broadcast and blog updates. They're also hosting a National Day of Listening on November 27, 2009.
[image via PodBean]
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Saturday, August 29, 2009
Fresh Starts, Late Summer Edition
In the past few days, we've made a few fresh starts at Casa Morgan.
Taken steps and made decisions that will focus our energies, save some resources, and make life even better.
Among them:
*Dave started several seeds for our winter garden (crazy-quick sprouts at left) - beans, cucumbers, broccoli, beets, radishes, and carrots.
*We stepped up our half-marathon training now that we're leaner and lighter.
*We paid off a few lingering summer credit charges so that our only personal debt is our mortgage.
*We committed to eating dinner at home every night this week (unusual for us), and had some great homemade dinners with dishes we'll visit again.
*I agreed to take on a couple dinners a week, to take the load off of Dave and encourage us to skip restaurants more often -- 9 times of 10 we make better food at home than we can order out.
What about you guys and gals? Now that we're near a change of season, school's starting, etc, are you making any fresh starts?
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Friday, August 28, 2009
Fictional Film, Real Places
Something fun for this Friday afternoon:
Name the film shot in these real locations. I suppose there could be more than one film, so lots of chances to show your stuff! Travel angle? I'm guessing you could visit all of these places on a RyanAir flight pass...
[image sources: photo 1, photo 2, photo 3]
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Thursday, August 27, 2009
Loved Graceling. Want It?
So I've been reading a lot of middle grade books to get to know my market. Some I've enjoyed, others I haven't. I won't blog anything negative about a book -- it doesn't do any good for the author or for me. You avid readers have other review sources you can look to to if you want a tastemaker's verdict on a book.
That said, I will post when I love a book.
And I loved Graceling. It wasn't part of Middle Grade Madness (it's YA), but turned out to be a great detour. I fell into it in two pages. The world was solid, the language beautiful, the tension tense, the characters full. I finished it in a week, which, unless I'm on vacation doing nothing but reading, is about as fast as I can get through a book.
I was impressed with Cashore's choices for her characters and her story -- they will inspire brave choices in my own stories.
Pretty awesome for a book I bought as a consolation prize. Kristin Cashore, I won't doubt again. Next time, I'll be all, "[Insert latest book craze here]? No way -- I want Bitterblue!"
So, the second part of this post: a wee giveaway.
The only thing about Graceling that gave me pause was the main male character's name. Be the first to reveal (in the comments) what his name means in German slang, and you get my copy of Graceling.
Congrats, Jenn, and Jenn's mom, who confirmed! :)
[image via GoodReads]
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Training Begins, For Real
As of this past Sunday, we're 12 weeks from the half-marathon -- time to get serious, yo!
Dave took one of the PodRunner mixes and added tones at varying intervals to direct us to run, then walk, then run, then walk, etc. He says he made his own because Podrunner Intervals didn't have what he wanted. Anyhoo, tonight we tried it out in a nearby park. It worked well, though I had to keep an eye on Dave because I was listening to KT Tunstall, not the interval mix. When he ran, I ran; when he walked, I walked.
I also suggested a plan for our weekly long runs, and Dave agreed. I want to run them on the event course, so there's no psych-out on race morning. The first 5.5 miles of the run has most of the uphills, then the rest is mostly downhill. I figure if we train on that uphill section, it'll be a breeze come November. Not that it's a tough grade -- this is considered a flat course -- but the more we can steel our minds to any hill, the better. If we're able to run the whole course before the event, that's great. If not, it's cool -- we're familiar with the downtown (end) section -- it winds around where we work.
Overall, we're happy to be training outdoors and with less weight on our bones than a few months ago. YAY!
[image via San Antonio Rock'n'Roll]
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Monday, August 24, 2009
My Office Sure Does Smell Flow'ry
Thanks, Dave :)
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Today's Writing Goals
As I blogged last week, I emailed a partial revision to Chris. Later that night, I sent him a synopsis of the remainder.
Since then, I've hesitated (read: refused) to keep revising until I hear back from him. I should have confidence in my work, and I do think what I've done will make the story better. But Chris knows the market (and good work), so I'm reluctant to keep on keepin' on till I know I'm on the right track.
Which means Chris saying something like, "You're on the right track. Now fix this and this and this. Also, for the love of Pete, this."
I have to do something in the meantime, though, and I'm off today, so in the interest of appearing to move forward, I have two small goals for the day: come up with a new logline for the revised story, as well as a one-paragraph summary.
When I have them, I'll post an addendum here.
*UPDATE*
Logline: To find answers about his missing father, a twelve-year-old boy enters an enchanted forest he knows he can never leave.
Paragraph Summary: For years, Jack Sweet wanted to know what happened to his father, who disappeared the night Jack was born. The problem: there aren’t many places a person can disappear to in a town completely surrounded by a briar-bound Forest. Still without answers and becoming a troublemaker, twelve-year-old Jack breaks into the school janitor’s office, where he finds an ancient Book and unwittingly becomes its next Custodian. Soon after teaching Jack how to care for the Book, whose Tales are a living history of the Forest, the janitor suddenly vanishes, leaving Jack the Book and a cryptic note: FIND THE W—. Though he knows he can never leave it, Jack enters the enchanted Forest, where his search for the W brings the Tales to life, until he is face to face with the Forest’s oldest resident: a huge, gray Wolf. When the Wolf points Jack to the final Tale in the Book — the janitor’s — Jack learns the old man was responsible for kidnapping Jack’s father. After confronting the janitor, who lies dying nearby from an attack by an unknown assailant, Jack learns his search for answers has only begun.
Assignment for tomorrow: create loglines and 1-paragraph summaries for both main supporting characters.
Do you set writing or work goals? Do you tend to keep them small (e.g. attainable and check-off-a-list-able), or go big with one overall goal per project (e.g. "finish the project")? Are your goals realistic?
[image via Student Hacks]
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Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday Dinner
While it's still fresh in my mind, want to share (pix only -- sorry!) what Dave made for dinner tonight.
Roasted veg: young purple carrots w/ lemon zest and dill; fingerling potatoes w/ rosemary; and Brussels sprouts w/ sea salt...
New York Prime steak, pan-seared 3 minutes per side, then slow-roasted; served with a red wine reduction (fond, garlic, shallots, fresh thyme, red wine) and topped w/ hen-of-the-woods mushrooms...
Fresh tomato w/ black pepper; Central Market multigrain demi-baguette w/ thyme butter (saved some of the bread for goat cheese toasts later in the week)...
Not pictured (OOPS!): fresh pluot, pan-seared, then baked; served w/ local lemon mascarpone cheese, honey, and fresh blueberries.
Goal this week: eat in every evening. Will get easier as temps cool off -- nighttime temps begin to drop this week -- good sign!
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Podcast: This American Life
The cover of the DVD says: Funny. Dramatic. Surprising. True.
This American Life is all that and then some. Broadcasting since 1995 on WBEZ (Chicago), and hosted by Ira Glass, TAL usually has two or three acts, each a story on a chosen theme. Sometimes Glass interviews the subjects, but the show has some other great producers and field reporters, too.
You can listen to TAL on NPR, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes (where the episodes are offered free for the first week after airing). You can also listen free through the TAL website -- here's a page of their favorite episodes.
I second their recommendations of "Giant Pool of Money", the most accessible analysis of the mortgage crisis I've heard; "Prom", about teenagers trapped in the basement of their prom while a tornado destroys the town above; and "Music Lessons", with live readings by David Sedaris, Anne Lamott, and Sarah Vowell.
Not on the favorites page, but you gotta hear it, is "Mistakes Were Made", about a man who agreed to cryogenically freeze several people, with unbelievable results.
So what's up with the DVD? This American Life has enjoyed two seasons on Showtime, and lost none of its charm with the addition of video. It's available on NetFlix (season 1, season 2).
Recommended highly!
[image via Dave Hill's Internet Explosion]
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Saturday, August 22, 2009
3 Ways to Simplify Paying Bills
When it comes to bills, simpler is better.
The less I have to think about them, the happier I am.
Here are three quick tips to simplify paying your bills:
1. If your bank offers an automatic Bill-Pay service, use it!
I'd suggest designating an account just for this purpose. Then figure out how much you need to put in that account per payday or once a month, and transfer it to that account. Set up any bills you can to pay through your Bill-Pay account. All you have to do is transfer funds in periodically, and your bills get paid.
This option is best for bills that are always the same amount. Personally, I use it for any bills I can't pay by method #2...
2. Set up all bills to pay via your credit card.
This is a good option as long as you don't let the convenience become long-term debt. This is the method I use for most of our bills, for a few reasons. First, I don't have to think about it. Second, our credit card earns flight miles, so we're able to rack them up through everyday expenses. Third, many bills change from month to month (like utilities), and the card gives me flexibility to cover them.
To prevent debt, I pay the card off on a continuing basis, from dedicated accounts: debit expenses (groceries, restaurants), house/garden, travel, cars, medical, and short-term emergency. Because I do this, we never have a "must pay" amount on our credit card bill.
3. Reduce your consumption so you have fewer bills.
This is the toughie. We did it in the spring by leaving our gym, eliminating that bill. In the fall, I'll sell my car, getting rid of payments for insurance, registration, safety inspection, oil changes, and random repairs.
Unless you're willing to go live nekkid in a shack and eat berries, you'll reach a point where you can't realistically reduce expenses further. That's cool. But why not flirt with that line? You may discover you don't need what you think you need.
[image via SASS]
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Friday, August 21, 2009
5 Reasons to Travel Off-Season
One of the biggest travel tips I can give you is to travel in the off-season. When that is will depend on where you're going.
Think about the major tourist activities for your destination:
Are they season- or weather-based?
Are they based around an annual festival?
Think:
* The Rockies from late December through February (snow season)
* New England from October through November (fall foliage)
* The Netherlands from late March through May (tulip festivals)
To be an off-season traveler, it's best not to set your heart on the same travel experiences as seasonal travelers. The good news is: there are plenty of reasons to go anyway. Here are five off the top of my head...
1. Lower Prices
This is a biggie. Flights, hotels, car rentals, ferries -- even admissions and restaurant prices -- will be lower in the off-season. Some air carriers offer good deals to keep business going when most folks aren't traveling. Take advantage. You'll save money. You can brag to that annoying guy in your office.
2. Relaxed Locals
When a shopkeeper hasn't had to deal with 30 other clueless tourists already today, she's more likely to help you with a smile and an open heart. (Your own smile and open heart will help the process along, always.) How many times have you heard that Parisians are rude? They're not, for the record, but go in November anyway. Smiles abound when you're not one of a horde.
3. Fewer Tourists
Let's say you do want to take in some of the normal tourist attractions. After all, they attract people for a reason, right? In 2006, We went to Poland in December. Not only was it gorgeous, there were no lines or crowds for anything. Our tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine had maybe 15 people total. At Auschwitz-Birkenau, we requested an English guide and ended up with a private 3-hour tour because we were the only ones who needed such a guide. Even our hostel was empty. Fewer waits, more experiences!
4. Fewer American Tourists
Ah, Americans. We love our country. We love a free-market system. We love freedom. Unfortunately, for many Americans abroad, those loves morph into obnoxious patriotism, greedy consumption, and an attitude of entitlement. The worst offenders will never change -- why would they? America's the best! Confession: Dave and I avoid Americans when we travel.
Guy at next table over: "Dude...who's a bro gotta **** to get a beer around here?" (turns to us) "Am I right?"
Us: "Kein Englisch."
No, not all Americans are stinky tourists, and, yes, we'll be friendly if a fellow American needs help. But we're more likely to jump into local culture if we don't have a safety bubble of other Americans surrounding us. Which brings us to...
5. Windows Onto Real Life
Nothing is more authentic than a place in the off-season. Locals stop to chat with each other. They do business at a realistic pace. Children go to school. Old men play chess in the park. Bakers close shop when the bread sells out. Not everything is an event. But it's more real, and far more rewarding.
Are you an off-season traveler? What places do you like to experience in the off-season?
Conversely, do you live in a tourist destination? As a local, what's your perspective on the people who come at different times of year?
[image via Amazon]
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Thursday, August 20, 2009
Preview: Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation
I recently got the chance to read fellow Upstart Crow Literary author Matt Myklusch's debut novel, JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION (Simon & Schuster, 2010). Guys and gals? You're gonna like this one. And your kids, nieces, nephews, grandkids, and students are gonna love it.
Matt's own summary of the book is here, so I don't want to reinvent the wheel.
What I want to preview is Matt's world-building, because it rocks...
Like other nations, the Imagine Nation is both a physical place and a political entity. Geographically, Matt's created a vivid space for his readers, including a multi-boroughed capital city; a population of super heroes, super villains, learning androids, and others; and technology that feels like it's just around the corner. All of you word nerds will like how Matt has named things in this universe -- from the city boroughs to characters to gadgets and tools.
Politically, the Imagine Nation is governed by an equal-votes Council. Even so, one Council Member has effectively gained control of the Nation using a combination of innovative technology and fear tactics. Though the book is foremost a well-told story, the potential for our own leaders to gain similar power using similar methods gives JACK BLANK that much more depth.
I look forward to being able to tell you more about this book. Before JACK BLANK comes out next summer, I think I can talk Matt into an interview about the book and his writing process. In the meantime, check out the book's website, and mark your calendars!
**UPDATE: Follow Matt on Twitter (@mattmyk) for the latest news on JACK BLANK.
Thanks, Matt, for sharing! And thanks, Chris, for offering to ask Matt if I could read it in the first place!
[art by Matt Myklusch]
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Winter Is Coming
Fitness-wise, the coming of winter is welcome around here -- it's cooler, basically, and more comfortable to exercise outside.
But food-wise? A bit scarier for me...
As temperatures drop, I start to craves starches.
Sometimes this means I want nothing more than a giant bowl of oatmeal because it seems like it'll best stoke my internal furnace.
Most of the time, though, I just find myself leaning on starchy foods as go-to snacks and meals: sandwiches, cereal, toast, bagels, muffins -- all of which can be nutritious in moderation, but are usually out of balance for me in winter.
So. Winter is coming (eventually), and I've started to prepare.
Yesterday, when I went to make lunch, I grabbed the bread to make a peanut butter sandwich. When I found we were out of peanut butter, I thought, Okay, I'll make toast, and grabbed the jam. Then I heard it.
Winter is coming.
I put the bread and jam back, and got out the frozen peas and corn, and a tomato.
Upshot: I managed to talk myself away from an all-starch lunch to a sort-of-starchy veggie one. It was delicious. It satisfied my hunger. It lasted me through a movie (at a theatre that serves food, and where my server never delivered my dessert + coffee order [boo]).
I'm going to do the same today, maybe throw in some tuna or salmon salad for protein, and some Brussels sprouts (because peas and corn are starchy veg).
The hope is: I can retrain my body to want vegetables over starches and know it'll be satisfied. I'll still have oatmeal when it's chilly. But if I can balance my nutrients better in winter, maybe I won't gain that winter weight that takes all summer to shed.
BTW, progress on measurable goals: 136 lbs this morning. That's down from about 150 in January. I may have squealed a teeny bit.
Do you find your eating habits change throughout the year? If so, what causes it? Food availability, change in job/school schedule, fluctuating appetite? Do you do with it, or fight it?
[image via Eating Well]
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Daily Blogging: The Numbers
On July 2, I said Daily Pie would be getting back to daily. Here's how it's gone down...
Days since declaration: 48
Days blogged since declaration: 46 (96% days)
Topics missed: 2 (social media + books)
Days w/ bonus posts: 7
Topics w/ most conversation (comments):
Books - 24
Travel - 23
Simplicity - 23
Fitness - 22
Topics w/ least conversation:
Podcasts - 8
Social Media - 15
Writing - 18
Days left in 2009: 135
Number of 2009 posts if I keep it daily: 277 (76% days)
Most posts per year (historical, descending):
2007 - 270
2006 - 267
2008 - 200
2005 - 43
Minutes it took to gather this data + write post: 47
Minutes I'd like to cap post preparation at: 30
I compile numbers for grant reports at work. In evaluating Daily Pie's dailiness, I'd say it's going pretty well so far. I'm still deciding whether I want to write the posts in advance or day of (I think I prefer in advance). The comments numbers above are skewed because they include my own responses, but, frankly, I'm too lazy to go into each post to tally non-me comments. For now, I'll keep the topics the same, with re-evaluation in the fall. If I stay on track, 2009 will top all other years for number of posts.
Do you periodically review your stats or methods? Do you find it useful? What have you learned about your blogging?
[image via Jetson Green]
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Monday, August 17, 2009
Revised Partial or Partial Revision?
Whichever, it's finished and emailed to Super-Agent Chris.
This post is gonna be short 'cause I'm staying on task to write a synopsis of the rest of the revision. Chris didn't ask for it, but I figure it's good practice.
*is crazy*
Who else does synopses for fun?!
Eh? ... Eh?
Buehler?
Alternate question: If I've lost my mind, should I bother eating dinner?
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Sunday, August 16, 2009
Podcast: Will Write for Wine
I discovered this podcast on iTunes last summer while searching for writing podcasts. It's hosted by authors Samantha Graves, who writes romantic adventure (and also writes paranormal and futuristic romance as C.J. Barry) and Lani Diane Rich, who writes contemporary romantic comedy and women's fiction.
Divided into about five blocks, each episode has a little something for everyone, whether or not you write the same genres as Sam and Lani. The meat of each episode is the C block, when they get down to discussing their chosen topic. WWfW stopped airing new, regular episodes last August, and now broadcasts only occasionally. But the archive has 61 episodes that cover a lot of ground.
[**UPDATE** The gals announced on September 12, 2009, that they'll begin 'casting regularly again, once a month, beginning October 9.]
My favorites -- the C blocks I still go back to now and then -- are:
Ep 13: 50 Ways to Torture Your Characters
Ep 33: On Structure...We Think.
Ep 42: Rules? There Are Rules? Crap.
Ep 29: 50 Way to Hose Your Writing Career
Their Movie Nights are fun, too, wherein they discuss the arcs in movies like Finding Nemo (Ep 7), The Princess Bride (Ep 11), Romancing the Stone (Ep 27), and Raiders of the Lost Ark (Ep 41).
As you may have guessed from the podcast title, you'll get wine recommendations (Sam will spend money on a good red; Lani likes a good white, the cheaper the better). And if you like writerly communities, the show has its own forum (registration required).
[image via Will Write for Wine]
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Saturday, August 15, 2009
A Changing Aesthetic
I used to want to live in a house like this:
I wanted to be surrounded by logs, logs, logs. All wood, except for some stone around a fireplace, handwoven rugs here and there, and pottery. Texture everywhere. I equated it with warmth and comfort.
This is more like where I want to live now:
Or here:
Still some wood and stone, though concrete and steel would be fine, too. Expanses of wall without texture. Light. Space. Visual calm.
This is where we actually live:
That's our living room (before we put up art and got our new sofa). Light. Space. Visually calm, though vibrant in color.
As far as design goes, my living aesthetic has become simpler. Things that used to be attractive, I now find busy, or cloying, or frumpy. It's interesting to look back and see the change. It makes me wonder what will appeal another decade (or three) down the road.
Has your aesthetic changed over time? Was the home you wanted when you first moved out the same one you want now? Did you go from wanting sleek to wanting soft'n'cozy, the other way around, or something completely different?
[images via (top to bottom) Log Home, vi.sualize.us (1 and 2), and daily pie]
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Friday, August 14, 2009
Travel Deals: JetBlue and Chris Guillebeau
JetBlue currently has a flight pass deal you may find useful and/or inspiring of weekend jaunts: (almost) all you can fly for $599.
"Almost" because you can't have two flights in one day that involve the same city (e.g. you can't fly into and out of Seattle on the same day). Other than that, very few restrictions. You must buy the pass by August 21 (next Friday). Your flights can take place September 8 through October 8. Lots of cities -- more info here.
Second, a quick plug for Chris Guillebeau's Twitter feed.
Chris has, among other goals, the goal to visit every country in the world. Toward this goal, he's been doing a lot of travel lately. Chris has a lot of people following his adventures, partly because he shares the wealth: he often posts coupon codes for travel services.
For example, if he's paid for 8 hours of internet access at an airport, but will only be there for 2 hours, he posts the access code for anyone traveling through that airport in the relevant time frame. I've seen him post longer-term access/coupon codes, too, like savings for hotels rooms, etc. Worth checking out.
How about you -- found any good deals lately? Does it make you crazy to see great deals you can't take advantage of? (Please run that special again in January, JetBlue. Thanks!)
[image via JetBlue]
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Chick Stuff
I know you're curious, boys, but do yourself a favor and go here. Or here. Don't say I never linked you to anything good. Especially this.
OK, gals, so I didn't post yesterday because I was laid low by chick stuff. You know, those things that start with "cr" and rhyme with "lamps"? Wait, why am I spelling this? Anyway, I came home early from work because of it for the first time ever.
BOOOOOO!
The good news is I found an awesome remedy for all of y'all who get taken out by this same condition, periodically. Har - get it?...
This DVD:
Specifically, the Hip-Openers workout. It's about 15 minutes of yoga poses that open up your hip joints and muscles, plus a 5-minute relaxation to finish.
And it's like magic, gals. When I got up from the mat: no pain.
Hours later: still no pain.
This morning: what pain?
If you subscribe to NetFlix, this DVD is available.
If you're feeling frugal, try this page at About.com for lots of hip-opening yoga poses.
Let's enjoy being chicks, shall we?
[chicks image via Market Harborough Primary School]
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Monday, August 10, 2009
Revised Revision Schedule
So last week, when I said it'd be mid-September before I sent stuff to Chris, I was under the influence of pudding or something. I forgot I'd agreed to send him the first 50 pages (or up to an exciting point), so we could see if the new methods/ideas are working. That turning point happens 13 (short) chapters in, and 7 of them are finished now. Revised Stuff-To-Chris Date: August 17 (1 week).
Revisions are swimming along. Of the 27 chapters in the book's first half, 16 are now in pretty good shape. I did 9 of those on Saturday, in an attempt to put off writing new material. After another brief tangent yesterday, I jumped in and wrote a couple chapters (~2,400 words). They were fun because they're in Peter's POV. Peter's 5 years old and narrates in run-on sentences and is age-appropriately clueless, so he's fun to write. The trick with Peter is to make him funny and sweet without making him precious. (I hate precious children in fiction - bleh.)
Also, my manuscript looks like a bloodbath because Track Changes is treating Moves as Insertions. When I go to Track Change Options, I don't have the option to click "track Moves". Must investigate further.
Also, also: Upstart Crow Literary's site is live, folks! Submission guidelines and all. Check it out.
What did you guys do this weekend? Catch the football game last night? It started with a touchdown by a punter, looked like a blowout for a while, then almost evened up. Now you don't have to watch it. (Uh... spoiler alert.)
[image via PlaneBuzz]
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Sunday, August 9, 2009
Podcast: Fresh Air
One of the best interview shows ever.
Terry Gross has hosted Fresh Air since 1975, when it was a local show on WHYY, Philadelphia. Her show features interviews with the widest range of guests I can imagine -- from all professions imaginable -- though all notable for one reason or another. Some of my favorites are when she talks with aging rockers; they're always sharper than I ever give them credit for being.
I started listening in 1996, when I had a night job proofing scanned military instruction manuals. Her interviews lifted the drudgery (the manuals weren't as exciting as you might think). I remember one night, when she was interviewing Harrison Ford, an infamously surly interviewee. At one point, he chuckled and said (something like), "Wow, you ask really good questions."
And that's the heart of it. Gross is just very good at what she does, one of the best in the U.S. for sure. And since the show went national on NPR in 1985, there's a great archive to dive into.
Recommended highly!
[image via PodBean.com]
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Saturday, August 8, 2009
Do We Need It? Or 3 Decisions, Little to Big
Living simply is figuring out what you don't need. Obvious, right?
Some of those things are small, making for easy decisions. I've blogged about small things here and here.
There are big things, too. Not just size-big, but culture-big: society has been telling you since you were wee that you need these things, that having them makes you an adult, etc.
Because of that pressure, deciding if you need these bigger things can be tough. Many won't bother to question their importance. And yet, not taking them on will undoubtedly simplify your life.
I'll start with our easiest decision...
We won't have a landline phone.
Doesn't sound like that big a deal, right? Today, it isn't. We made this decision in 2001, when it was still expected that every house or apartment would have a landline -- that after utilities, that would be the first service you'd turn on. It's still expected, or at least hoped for by the phone company. We left Time Warner because they refused to give us an internet/cable package that didn't also include wired digital phone service.
We haven't looked back. We both have cell phones, and we don't use a fax machine at home (I've used eFax when I needed it, and my work fax). Our internet is provided by a local cable company (thank you, Grande). For me, a landline is just an extra expense with no added value.
I bought a scooter that will replace my car.
This fall, I'll sell my car for good. She's been a great car, and I got her for a great price (thanks, Dwayne!) But I don't need her. With the scooter, I still pay for tags ($40/yr), inspection ($15/yr), and insurance ($99/yr), but I get 80 miles per gallon.
80 miles per gallon.
Now, this decision works for me because I live in a place where I can scoot almost every day. An even better choice would be a bicycle, but I'm not yet willing to give up the engine. If you have a long commute or snowy winters, it may not be feasible. Related expenses included a helmet, skid-tested motorcycle jacket, and gloves (I'm currently cheating and not wearing long pants over my shorts because it's a thousand degrees outside, but it would be safer to do so). It can be a challenge to drive in pouring rain. Winter gets chilly. And car/truck drivers don't always treat me respectfully. At any rate, this one isn't for everyone. But did I mention how easy it is to park?
Finally,
We won't be having children.
Yeah, that's the biggie. Of all the decisions we've made to make (or keep) our lives simple, this is by far the biggest. And we do know what we're giving up. We'll never, ever get the kind of unconditional love and trust that comes from your child. Or feel the pride and satisfaction that results when your child does something well. Or feel the sensation that your heart is walking around outside your body. I won't experience child-birth or its transformative pain. Dave won't get to see me experience transformative pain. :)
A lot of the reasons child-free people give for this decision are preachy. I won't contribute to an over-populated world. The Kid Industry is out of control and depleting resources. Our education system is no longer competitive or even adequate. To some extent, I agree with all of these statements. But our decision was based on something entirely internal: We're selfish -- with our time together, our time alone, our space, and our future plans.
Beyond that, we've never felt an emotional or physical need to have children. We've been asked a few times to be emergency guardians or godparents. In a few cases, we've agreed, and we'll certainly step up if needed and be parents. Those situations aside, we're happy to be aunt and uncle to the kids in our lives.
Some of you have children, so this is moot. Others of you don't. This isn't about telling you why you should or shouldn't have kids -- even I don't have that level of hubris. I wanted to include this decision here because otherwise it'd be the 800-lb elephant in many of this blog's posts. You might say, "Well, sure you can write and travel and train and read and have a clutter-free house -- you don't have kids!" And you'd be right. So consider the elephant addressed.
Now, how about you? Have you made any big decisions that have simplified your life (whether or not that was your intention)?
[image via The College Solution Blog]
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Friday, August 7, 2009
Travel Tool: Bing
Hey, this is a shorty today.
Just want to recommend you check out bing.com's travel pages. LOTS of cool tools here to compare fares, etc.
For a few of the most interesting graphs, scroll down the main travel page to plan trips. Choose your departure and destination cities, and click go.
The resulting when to travel graph predicts fares for the next 30 days (you can change the 30-day range in the left sidebar).
The length of travel grid compares fares for different trip lengths. The darkest squares show the cheapest fares for a given departure date (you can change your trip length in the left sidebar).
Play around with it! I can't recommend its reliability because I haven't bought a fare using it, but it's fascinating to manipulate dates and cities.
[image via bing]
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Thursday, August 6, 2009
Oh, My.
Her name is Roxy. She was the Daily Puppy on Tuesday, the same day she became my new desktop. Too bad she's such an in-bred breed. What a cutie!
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Slow Readers
Some slow things are good.
These things include:
slow food
slow music
slow massage
slow vacations
Being a slow reader? Makes me want to cry.
So many books! I keep adding them to my list, and trying not to think about how many I may never get to. Right now, there are 125 books on my To Read list at GoodReads.
Hahaha! *sniffle*
Not sure why I'm a slow reader.
Could be I don't have (make) the same amount of time to read as I did when I was a kid (when I seemed to read faster).
I know I've never gotten over the feeling I'm going to be tested on a book (thanks, high school English!).
And I know I pronounce words as I read them (though I don't move my mouth, sometimes my tongue and breath move as though I'm reading out loud).
I also know when I told my psychologist sister-in-law I have trouble wrapping my eyes from one line to the next if the page is wide, her expression was not encouraging (eek!).
Anybody else out there a slow reader? Have you embraced it? Have you tried to pick up your reading pace? Does your to-read list taunt you with a bad French accent?
Mine says my mother was a hamster.
The good news is: I should have a teaser of fellow Upstart Crow Literary client Matt Myklusch's debut novel for you next week. Yay!
[image via Cheezburger.com]
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Wednesday, August 5, 2009
On Fitness Goals Measurable and Immeasurable
For grant proposals, we're taught to present measurable goals. We expect to see an xx% increase / decrease in xx by May xx, 2010. Like that.
Do our fitness goals have to be measurable?
They can be. Weight, waist circumference, body fat percentages -- all measurable. And I do have some goals here. For instance, I think a healthy weight for me is about 133 pounds (I was down to 139 this weekend for the first time in a while - WOOT!).
We can also set time, distance, or repetition goals for certain activities: running a mile in less than 10 minutes, biking 20 miles on the weekend, or taking 10,000 steps in a day.
But what if we're after something more subjective? More touchy-feely, maybe. Twinkle-ding-dong, if you will.
If we can't measure it, how will we know when we get there?
For me, realizing I've reached an immeasurable goal usually sneaks up on me. I'll be going along one day, and then realize I just feel better about myself. I don't wake up in the morning and do a mental scan. It just happens. (And I'm glad I don't do the mental scan, for the same reason I don't use a scale every day -- it's too easy to take a measurement out of context.)
So, I'm taking this opportunity to list a few subjective goals I've reached and a few I hope to attain with greater fitness...
Feeling lighter on my feet (goal met)
Not being shy about my upper arms (been wearing yoga halters for two months now - got your tickets to the gun show?)
Wanting to wear more fitted clothes (see "gun show" above)
Having a sense of physical power (yup)
Being more confident in social situations (not quite)
Valuing my body over food indulgences (am a firm believer in not giving up anything, just being reasonable - getting there)
And you? Do you tend to set measurable goals or subjective ones? Are your measurable goals body-based or activity-based? Or is this whole post too Type A for your chillaxed lifestyle?
[image via Mad Brew Labs]
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Tuesday, August 4, 2009
More Yum Dinners
Dave's workin' that julienne tool! This top salad is mostly cucumber, which, when julienned, is a great substitute for noodles. This is a gingery chicken salad with mango. We've been having the cucumber "noodles" with homemade peanut sauce, too. They're good...
For this one, Dave poached the salmon in mirin, low-sodium soy sauce, ginger, and orange juice, then steamed napa cabbage in that mixture when the fish was done. They're accompanied by marinated/grilled mushrooms and pineapple, and cucumber salad...
What kind of cool, summery dishes are you guys making?
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Title, Image, Teaser, Jump, Question
If you've been following Daily Pie regular-like (and really, why wouldn't you?...don't answer that...), you've maybe noticed a trend lately.
The structural trend in the title, in fact: most posts now have a post title, an appropriate image (usually top left), a few lines or short paragraphs, a jump link ("Click for more pie..."), and a question (or several).
Why?
Find out after the jump!
Okay, that was cheesy. Admitted.
But what I'm going for is consistency, one of the hallmarks of branding. When people know what to expect from a company, or author, or band, or blogger, they start to trust them. Then they come back and read more. Then they tell their friends. And pretty soon, that company, or author, or band, or blogger has a platform.
From which to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!
Kidding. Well, sometimes.
Anyway, part of finding my eventual reading audience is building a platform now, before a publisher's sales department says, "Whaddya mean, you don't have a blog?!"
So it's all about money?
No.
I'll admit my ultimate goal is to write fiction for a living, but frankly...shouldn't it be? I enjoy it and grow through it, and maybe someone else will, too.
At any rate, I want to be totally transparent about my obvious maneuvers here, and to give shouts out to the folks I'm emulating. They are two:
For always using a good image, a teaser, and a jump link, I credit Leo Babauta at Zen Habits. It's a really attractive blog, and the three tools I listed serve it well. The main page is always attractive and never cluttered. I rarely have to scroll down to tell if I want to keep reading. (If you follow a link to a Daily Pie post from Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, you'll see the whole post; the jump links only show if you land on DP's main page.)
For always asking a question of the reader, I credit Beth Revis at Writing It Out. She asks questions, then responds to the answers, and I, for one, appreciate that. I've always responded to all comments on this blog (spammers notwithstanding), so I just decided to make it official and be an active conversation starter. I really am interested in what you think, so if a post resonates, speak up. Agreement, disagreement, whatever. We have opinions for a reason: we've earned them (I hope).
So thanks, Leo, and thanks, Beth, for setting great examples!
...
...
...(wait for it)...
...
What do you think? :) Do you like consistent blogs? Or does predictability breed contempt? What are some of the features of your favorite blogs? What have you done with your own blog to give readers more value?
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Monday, August 3, 2009
It's Time
I've digested editor feedback and come up with solutions.
I've created a new character, named her (twice), and done a bit of exploratory writing from her POV. Then I discovered something that changed her physicality in a big way, and she got even more interesting.
And I've finished mapping the chapters as they'll be in the new condensed-POV draft. There are 56 chapters, more than double before and shorter. Finally, chapters now have just one POV per chapter, instead of per scene, as before.
So it's time to start writing. Today.
Up to last Friday, I had a 2-hour block in the morning to write, then I'd head to work. After reading this article about makers vs. managers, I've switched up my work schedule to put my writing time in a longer block in the afternoon (and without work looming).
Right now, my goal is to finish revisions by mid-September. I may finish before then -- it's certainly possible. By then, Super-Agent Chris should be settled nicely into the Crow's nest and ready to shred my draft offer feedback.
What are you guys working on? Or are you taking some time off because August is too freaking hot to do anything else?
[image via Time to Write]
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Sunday, August 2, 2009
Podcasts: Podrunner & Podrunner: Intervals
This week's recommendation comes from Dave, and it's a two-fer! First up...
Podrunner is a podcast put together by DJ Steve Boyett. Each installment is an hour-long mix of what I would call club music -- driving, bouncy, trance-ish -- where all the tracks have the same number of beats per minute. This number, be it 159 or 137 or 170, is in the title of the mix.
If you're like me, the tempo of a song affects your running pace. What's cool about Podrunner is you can pick a mix that matches your pace goal for any given workout.
And, Dave says, when it's over, you know you've worked out for an hour. He used these mixes on the gym's elliptical, and they helped him not watch the clock. Bonus!
Now, what if you want to mix it up?
Maybe you want to start slow and ramp up your pace. Or run at pace intervals within the same workout, as though you were running hills. Or even start with a 20-minute mix and work up to a 70-minute mix over several weeks?
Podrunner: Intervals is for you. Mixed by DJ Beatsmith, and designed by fitness coach Jenny Hadfield, P:I offers three goal-based series to help you work up to a 5K run (or 45 minutes continuous running), an 8K run (or 62 minutes), and a 10K run (or 69 minutes). The website mentions half-marathons and marathons, too, but they've not done those mix series yet.
As mentioned in P:I's helpful, 4-minute introductory episode, each week's mix has a warm-up and cool-down; uses chimes to signal tempo changes; and is designed to be run three times (with rest days between) before moving to the next week's mix.
The theory is: if you follow a series program, you'll reach that distance (or time) goal in 10 weeks.
I plan to use these starting in September when our training begins in earnest. If I get some cloudy days before then, I'll start sooner!
I know several of you are training for an event. Do you use music to keep your feet moving? Does tempo affect your pace? Do you prefer something other than music, like audiobooks or talk radio?
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Saturday, August 1, 2009
5 Ways to Simplify Your Kitchen
(No, that's not our kitchen, but we'll take it if anyone wants to buy it for us!)
Unless you can survive without food, you probably spend a bit of time in your kitchen every day. But maybe you don't enjoy it. Maybe you even avoid your kitchen.
For us, cooking is a social time and a creative outlet, so we spend a fair amount of time in our kitchen. To make it a space we enjoy using, we took a few steps to simplify our experience there...
Get rid of the Tupperware menagerie
All those different-sized bowls and lids, among which there are sad, partner-less pieces? Clear them out: recycle them, give them to charity, put them in your kid's play-kitchen, use them as flower pots. We use Zip-Loc snap & seal containers for storage -- pantry, freezer, leftovers. They're uniform, so they store neatly. They're cheap, so we don't cry when we lose one. And they're also recyclable. Win, win!
Let go of the need for matching serving ware
When we were about to get married, we had a favorite pottery place. Though it was going to be expensive, we thought we wanted to get all of our dinnerware and serving dishes in the same pattern. Then we realized how upset we'd be whenever one of them broke. So we opted for just a few serving pieces, most of which we've since given away -- our love for the pattern was fleeting, it turns out. Now, if we're out and about and see a bowl we like, we get one. We've taken the doors off of our kitchen cabinets and love seeing the array of colors, shapes, and patterns among our serving ware. It's liberating.
[Those first two pieces of advice may seem contradictory, but I don't mean them to be. It's the whole storage-bowl-without-its-lid thing (and vice versa) that makes me crazy. I like neat storage, but eclectic serving options.]
Put your cooking books and magazines in the kitchen
Obvious, right? We had so many we kept them in a closet in a different room. But we make a point to get cookbooks and cooking magazines that have lots of great photos, so it was a shame to hide them away. So Dave built some awesome shelves for them in the kitchen. Now they're in sight, ready to inspire or inform us as needed.
Install a speed rail
If your range is freestanding, you can put the rail on the open end, like Dave did. Otherwise, you can install it on a wall above or beside your stovetop. You can find them at restaurant supply stores in most cities or online. Pros: it keeps the prep ingredients you use most within easy reach. Ours holds squeeze bottles of different oils and vinegars. I use the olive oil every morning, and no longer have to open the pantry to get it. Yay!
Do the dishes every night
Man, if there's one thing I hate, it's waking to dishes in the sink. Plus, San Antonio has a roach problem, so we can't afford to leave out midnight snacks for them. So I do what dishes I can while we're making dinner, then the rest immediately after. Most of the time, Dave dries for me, so it's a chance to hang out and continue our dinner conversation. If he has something to do, my dish-washing time is an opportunity to chill and enjoy the feeling of water on my hands. Totally meditative.
What have you done to simplify your life in the kitchen? How did you decide where to begin? What further steps would you like to take?
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