Life in the fast lane--where's the on ramp?

By Pat_B - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Journal

Saturday, September 25, 2010

A plan for the novel -- my to-do list for November

"Murder at 922" is beginning to take shape in my mind. I've gone through the newspaper reports, the published testimony and pulled together what I could about the victim. The facts will be my stepping off point for conjecture and speculation. Her name in my story is Isabelle. (I could use Izzy as a... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:35 AM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Friday, September 24, 2010

The Devil's Tattoo...

It's not something injected into skin with a needle. It's a knock. dat dah duh dit dit.. dat! dat! Wordwise: "Shave and a haircut -- two bits." Versions of it become a "secret" knock so a girl knows it's her lover at the door. Or a secret agent uses it to gain admittance to a listening post. Or it... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:24 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Hijacked and spammed, Damn!

Couple days ago I got an email from someone on my trusted list. No subject. Clicked on it, and there was a link. Clicked on it. Well, Duh! It was a spam thing hacked into my computer via someone else's computer, and now my email system has forwarded contamination to everyone on my mailing list,... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:05 AM | add or view comments (5) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

To WileyJohn, re: not putting the roof in the dishwasher.

John, I know it must have sounded crazy for me to speculate that patching plaster wouldn't be dishwasher safe. What I shoulda said was, since the substance can be used to create figurines, the little art projects might not be safe in the dishwasher... However, as I read over the thing again, I see... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 8:57 AM | add or view comments (2) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

How to write the bad guys and gals...

I'm a sucker for books on how-to write, on what makes a plot thicken and draw the reader in. The past few times I was browsing Borders, I've been resisting this one book in the "writing for publication" section. I've got a shelf of books on characterization, plot, outlining, etc. Of course I always... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 6:46 AM | add or view comments (1) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Reluctant Roofer: The Sequel

Of course we know the cookie-baking, detective-charming, aproned lady who was lied to by a tradesman (haven't we all?) really did initiate the demise of one I.B. Lyin, the unscrupulous "reluctant roofer." There's no witness to come forward to testify against her, given that the scoundrel so richly... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:51 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Case of the Reluctant Roofer

Cops arrived before the nail gun had a chance to cool off. Lying dead as a doornail in the middle of his pathetic excuses was the head honcho of One-Day Shinglers, I.B. Lyin. And the prime suspect, Miss Gilda Lilly, was twisting a handkerchief in her hands as she leaned anxiously over the body, the... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:51 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Sunday, September 19, 2010

My other life (in dreams) seems like so much more fun.

A group of us, a class of about a dozen, were on a trek, a five mile hike up a mountainous trail, across a bridge to a writer's retreat lodge. We were supposed to hear readings by a mysterious unnamed poet, but I was getting tired. I was almost ready to tell the others to go ahead, I'd catch 'em on... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 7:16 AM | add or view comments (4) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Flu shots by gift card... and a house call by June

It was in red flashing letters on Walgreen's sign. Gift cards for flu shots, $29.95. On Wednesday morning I went to Walgreens to refill a prescription -- and there was June, happily chatting away with another customer while waiting for her flu shot. I gave the clerk the empty bottle and sat next to... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 4:44 AM | add or view comments (5) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Friday, September 17, 2010

Life imitates art, and writers' research.

Scheduled to meet last night: Martha, Vicki, Lynn, Alan, Chuck and Me. This is the last squad of writers who meet monthly at Borders. I sent out a reminder email last week: time to email out your latest 5 pages to the all of "reply all." Vicki had written count me in, I've already arranged time off... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:27 AM | add or view comments (2) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

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Sometimes you have to write it down in order to learn what you really think about life, what it means, how to do what's best. Sometimes you need feedback from someone else to put things in perspective.

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