Monday, January 31, 2011

The Plan, (in a non-conformist, I don't follow "those" things kinda way)

Saturday I wrote about the jump, well... it's official, I jumped.

Aaaand I landed smack dab in the middle of a "Idontknowwhasit-itis" (That's a fancy way of saying that I have caught a nasty bug which doesn't have a name, but is still draining the crap out of me.) So, while I wait for the NyQuil to kick in I was thinking about my plans....

While my daily time-bar has exceedingly decreased and I am trying hard to fit all the monkeys back in the barrel, I figured I would start with something simple. Cooking.

I used to love to cook. I did it every night for my family and I even made them sit at the dinner table! There was a short time when I didn't do it, for certain personal reasons, but one day a couple of months ago (December to be exact) and I had the thought "I just need one goal. That's it, everything was a whirling dirvish of mass proportions and I need the top to stop spinning so I could sit on it." And I got the thought "Cooking. If I start cooking again, the writing will follow."

And that is what I did. Now, I am not saying that everything I have cooked over the past four weeks has been spectacular, (I just had to grab ketchup to save the Oh-so-dry-Mommy-I-can't-chew-this-roasted-chicken I made a couple of nights ago. My poor kids are troopers...) but the words --three simple words -- came two weeks after that.

Bam. I have started a new novel. (The exclamation point is too expected after the Bam! I think it's more serene this way, huh??)

To grow more courage I shipped off a very weird tale to the kickin mag Weird Tales, yes, lofty goals. But my tale is seriously weird, while I have an idea where it came from I can honestly look at it and say I was drinking the surrealism tea (not slang for anything recreational, I promise) when I wrote it. Anywhoo, I don't expect anything out of it, just the simple fact of putting myself back out into the writing world. Plus I wrote the first poem I've written since October. All in all, it's been alright on the writing front for me. (No acceptances or declines, but again, I have to start somewhere.)

I have also decided to mix and match some things I have learned along the way from writers I respect and admire, with the littler things that helped me get to my comfortable ways of before... Now I am sure I have you on the seat of anticipation with what I am going to do, but I think the NyQuil has finally hit full dosage and I am winding down, fast.

While I will be back, for now, I have no nuggets of wisdom, no springs of terror, just the well wishes for all to have a nice day tomorrow and to watch out because that purple dragon behind you looks hungry!

Happy writing folks!!

10 comments:

K. Allen Wood said...

Very cool, m'lady. Our stories are rubbing shoulders (and maybe other things) in the Weird Tales queue. =)

Good luck! =) On the novel and cooking as well.

(Oi! Word verification is "sellychu." Could that mean sell each...ooh? Haha.)

Denise Baer said...

Ah, cooking is good. I started cooking more since I do have the time and never realized how much I like it...especially when the dish turns out delicious.

You'll get there, Kara. For now, I'm sure your plans are minor ones, but plans they are. Throw a poem or story on paper whenever you can.

Take care.

Lee Thompson/Thomas Morgan/James Logan/Julian Vaughn said...

Bam!

Kara McElhinny said...

Great Ken! All the luck to ya for your submission :) Thanks for the favored luck, too!

Hey Bea! I actually am no slouch in the kitchen, so the chicken thing was sort of a random miscoincidence. Thanks for the support, lady! Have lots of fun and see lots of amazing sights!

Lee ...... :P

Aaron Polson said...

Weird Tales? Bam!

Monkey/Barrel? Bam?

A new novel? BAM!

Mercedes said...

Yay, Kara! Go for it. You have all of the support in the world. :D

You and I might be sharing the same mystery bug. We should watch old movies and be sick together. My best friend and I used to do that, and it was the most delightful way to recoup.

Laurie said...

Go Kara!

Over the last year or so, my muse has found me in the kitchen. Which is weird as cooking isn't something I'd consider fun. But every now and again, I get this itch to make something. The more off-recipe it is, the faster the words hit the paper.

Good luck with your novel and with Weird Tales!

Kara McElhinny said...

Aaron! Bam. :)

Mercedes, that sounds loverly, I'll be over in fifteen...oooh, wait, how long will it take me to fly to out there? :)(Hope you feel better soon!!)

Laurie, thanks! I've always enjoyed cooking (I actually used to go all out with my son's birthday cakes, it was my creative outlet) I just haven't done it for a while. I'm happy to be getting back in there.

Anonymous said...

I'm late to comment but wanted to say--yay for new novel starts! I love the sound of it. :D

Kara McElhinny said...

Thanks, Soapy! Hope you're doing well!!