Category Archives: My blog
Will multiple sidekicks work?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
With each book I write, Linnie’s sidekick could be the same. However, I think it might work to use a different one in each subsequent book. I have several characters who are clamoring for the job. In Doggoned Dead, there’s Perry. In Doggoned Bullseye, I think one of the other characters would work better. In Doggoned Bones, her cousin seems to fit the bill.
What do you think? In a series mystery, does it matter to you if the sidekick changes according to the storyline? I won’t mix and match several in one book I don’t think that would work.
Why am I writing a mystery series? I love reading them. I enjoy getting to know the characters. The idea of picking up a book that has a familiar set of characters appeals to me.
Do you read mystery series? What do like best about a mystery series? What turns you off? Come on people, let me hear your opinions.
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
The night owl advantage
Posted by doggonedmysteries
From the hours of midnight to 5 a.m., the city quiets down. It’s so peaceful that, on the odd occasion, I can hear the trains from the other side of town. When I’m outside, all I hear is our waterfall, fountains, crickets, and frogs. The occasional siren or passing car intrudes but not too often.
Inside the dogs are snoring quietly and the phone is silent. Ideally, the TV is off. I write. The dinner dishes sit in the sink all rinsed and ready for washing. They will keep for a while.
With coffee close to hand and some inspiration, my nightly post grows. I read the comments on my blog and answer them. I reply to E-mails and my books take on new life. I play with words, phases, expressions, dialogue, and characters. I hope to take my readers on a journey into a good mystery with twists, turns, and a resolution at the end.
Around about 4 a.m., I take the dogs out, do my dishes, and go to bed.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
I keep very strange hours
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My internal clock is different from almost everyone I know. How many people do you know that make potato salad at 3 a.m. for dinner the next day? I just finished making it and put it in the fridge. Do you know anyone who does dishes at 4 a.m.? I’ve been known to do that often. See? Weird.
I also do my writing after 11p.m. I’m never fully awake until sometime in the afternoon. Before that, I live on coffee to jump start my brain. Ask me a question before noon and I make no sense. Probably because I’m still in bed and sound asleep at that time.
I can’t help it. I’ve tried changing my circadian clock but before long, it is right back to where it was before. My mother told me many times I did this as a child. I drove her crazy with it. My dear Aunties have learned to take my crazy hours in stride. They let me sleep until I wake up when I visit. They also know never to phone me before noon and preferably not until sometime around 3 in the afternoon when I am completely functioning.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
What do you do with an uncooperative character?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’m having difficulty with one of my characters. He doesn’t seem to be working as well as I hoped he would. However, the story falls flat without him since he is an important character. Now comes the time either to lose him or fix him. This is not an easy decision.
What would you do if you have a character that doesn’t seem quite right? Do you rewrite him numerous times to fix him or do you continue plodding on with the story and hope that you can go back and fix him later?
I’m not certain if he needs to be meaner or if he’s mean enough but I haven’t quite caught his character. I can’t seem to get into his head enough.
How do you get into a character’s head? I haven’t had problems with this when I write other characters, so why does this one elude me?
I feel as if I’m spending time banging my head against the wall.
Posted in My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Fiction, Life, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
There was no blueberry feasting at our house
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’ve been hunting up recipes for things to do with blueberries. I’m dreaming that next year we’ll have some to harvest from the bushes. My cousin gave me some much needed information on how to get them to produce. He told me to add peat moss, iron sulfate, and plenty of mulch to the soil around them. Next time I at Home Depot, or Lowes I’ll make sure to pick up what I need.
The bushes looked puny this year and didn’t produce enough fruit especially with the cat bird making raids on the bushes. Danged bird would look right at me, make his mewling noise, grab a blueberry, and fly away. He beat me to every ripe berry.
The only blueberries I had this year were the ones I picked and brought home from my Aunt’s place. The first thing I did was to make us a lovely batch of blueberry pancakes. Next year, if my bushes produce like the ones at my Aunt’s place, I’ll have enough to share with the blasted bird without missing out.
I’m thinking about all this because I have to start now if I want the bushes to be in good shape next year.
Posted in Misc, My blog, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
A do nothing day
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Today was a very good day to do nothing. According to the weather reports, tomorrow will also be a great day to sit inside in the AC. I don’t do air conditioned ‘nothing’ very well. I get restless and I want to be outside. Gavin was content to sit with me in the chair and even relaxed on his back alongside me. Patty preferred the couch away from body heat.
Dear Hubby’s mother picked today of all days to ask him to run some errands for her. What the hell? She waits until the hottest day we’ve had so far this year to ask him. I swear she does this on purpose.
Given that this is a do nothing day, this will be a short post too. Tomorrow I’ll spend another day inside in the AC with DH and the pups since it’s going to be hotter.
Posted in Misc, MS related, My blog
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Coffee and a good book
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I spent a quiet couple of hours at our local Borders today. I stopped in the café, ordered a large coffee and a blueberry scone. I then sat at a table, read Donna Andrews’ Cockatiels at Seven, sipped my coffee, and munched my scone. It was a pleasant way to spend some time. I needed a break and Dear Hubby needed some alone time too.
Although we love each other dearly, there are times when you feel as if you are constantly tripping over each other. Since I was too sick to go to my critiquing group when they met last, I needed to get out a bit today. One of my greatest pleasures is browsing through the book store, treating myself to a new book, coffee, and a light snack.
Usually I buy more than one book when I stop in at Borders but today was a one book day. The guy at the register knows me, and he almost dropped his teeth to see me buy only one book.
I told him, “I’m getting off cheap today.”
Geez, you’d think I’d slapped his mother with the look he gave me. I’ll be back next Thursday, cut me a break here.
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
The green stalker
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I have a stalker. It seems I can’t weed the gardens now without feeling as though I’m being watched. Yes, that creepy sensation of eyes boring into your back that makes you turn to see who it is. Slowly I turn and, and, and….
GAH! He has webbed feet and a green complexion. It’s Goliath Frog. He’s crept up behind me and is waiting for me to toss him some worms. I can’t go anywhere near the gardens now without his sudden appearance near me. Yes, I’ve told him I won’t kiss him, I’ve already found my prince.
The idea of a stalker frog cracks up Dear Hubby. I’ve had to prove it to him. This man knows that bull frogs are smart — he told me about them using a dead bird as bait for a fly feast. Yeah, I know. How gross!
I’ve seen them stalk and catch starlings. We now have six big bullfrogs and three medium sized ones. However, Goliath makes the five other large frogs look small. I’m hoping that one day we can find tadpoles for the pond that will produce small frogs. I’m tired of relocating bullfrogs.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Give me a starting line
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Many writing books have writing exercises to do at the end of each chapter. They are supposed to free your creativity and help you write. For me they don’t. What they do to me is stress me out, lock up my brain, and put my creativity on ice. It’s like taking a test. I always hated taking tests.
I do better when I don’t have a structured writing lesson. Give me a good writing prompt or a starting line any time. It’s as though the bells have run, the gates have opened, and the horses have taken off around the track. My mind runs free.
I had a high school English teacher who discovered this in me. She began to give assignments with starting lines. My grades soared, not that my grades in English class were poor, they weren’t, but she knew I could do better.
Now my writing comes from my own starting lines, which are usually my working titles.
What works for you? Is it a structured exercise, a good prompt, or an unrestrictive starting line?
Posted in My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
August already?!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s hard to believe that it’s August already. This summer has swooped past at top speed. We were lucky that for the most part the weather was mild. However, that does make one wonder what this winter will be like.
My gardens are now full of marigolds from last year’s seed heads, red sage, purple Echinacea, multicolored snap dragons, and the mums are beginning to bloom. As I dead head flowers, I have a habit of dropping the seeds from all my annuals right onto the ground. I have been lucky to have the flowers return each year. It saves me a fortune since I haven’t had to buy these annuals for several years now.
I spent several hours weeding the pond garden and trimming back the Lizard Tail in the pond. The Lizard Tail is in a pot on a shelf in the pond. It was getting huge and taking up a lot of space both in and out of the pond.
The Koi seem happy that I trimmed back the Lizard Tail but I think the frogs are upset that they lost some hiding places. They’ll get over it.
Posted in My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Shhh, I’m trying to watch the movie
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We had temperatures in the 90’s and plenty of humidity. It was a good day to go to a movie. My neighbor and I went to see the Harry Potter movie. I loaded my purse with cough drops so I could sit through it without driving everyone crazy by coughing during the show.
I needn’t have worried about that. There were three young gals seated off to our right, across the aisle, and back two rows, whose mother’s had never taught them proper manners. Through the entire movie, we heard them chewing their pop corn, candy and slurping their drinks. My mother always told us to chew our food with our mouths closed I guess theirs never did.
There’s nothing like listening to dialogue punctuated with, “Chomp, chomp, chomp. Sluuuurp.” Mind you, I said they were across the aisle and two rows back. My neighbor and I were both wishing for a mute button. Then there was their stage whispered argument that almost made me throw a few cough drops at them.
How was the movie? I liked it even with the extra sound effects.
Posted in My blog
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Where were my manners?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Dear Hubby was trying to get an electric cart unplugged at the grocery store today so he could do some shopping with me. A very rude man pushed past him and almost knocked him over. I have to admit it now; I did stick my foot out and trip the man.
I grabbed his arm to help balance him. “My goodness! Are you okay sir? You sure did take a nice trip there.”
He shook my hand off his arm. “I’m fine. Must’ve tripped on the edge of the rug.”
“Yes that can happen when you’re in a hurry.”
He rushed away.
I shrugged at DH and said, “I don’t know what his problem was Hon. It seems that lately my manners have become appalling. He mustn’t have wanted my help.
Dear Hubby drove past me and said, “You don’t fool me, I saw what you did.”
“He didn’t. And he quite deserved it.”
DH grinned. “You’re right he did. Let’s see, we want the bread aisle, right?”
Posted in Misc, MS related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
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