Happy Halloween! Have fun with this puzzle. My score was 3:54. What's yours?
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
My Secret to Plotting Sans Holes
I’ve discovered a super duper book that’s helping me outline better to avoid plot holes. It’s called: “First Draft in 30 Days” by Karen S. Wiesner. Despite the misleading title, you won’t actually have a typical draft written in 30 days, but you will have a properly formatted outline that’ll help you on your journey to completing the first draft. You really have to take a peek at the book to get a good idea of what’s inside it, but I’ll show you a little.
There are three things you need to write out when plotting your beginning:
1. Conflict is introduced
2. Story goal is introduced
3. Characters are outfitted for their tasks
The middle is where a lot of stories sag because the author doesn’t take certain elements into consideration. Here’s the plan Karen suggests following when plotting your middle:
1. Characters design short-term goals to reach the story goal
2. Quest to reach the story goal begins
3. First short-term goals are thwarted
4. Characters react with disappointment
5. Stakes of the conflict are raised
6. Characters react to conflict
7. Characters revise old or design new short-term goals
8. Quest to reach the story goal is continued
9. Short-term goals are thwarted again
10. Characters react with disappointment
The list goes on, but I don’t want to spoil it all for you. If you’re a plotter, I believe you’ll really enjoy this book. If you’re a pantser, but have been having problems with your plot, maybe you should try this. When I first started writing, I thought I was a pantser, but once I tried plotting out a story, I was hooked. I loved knowing how things were going to come about without waiting forever to get there in the story. Does that make me impatient? However, I’ve always believed nothing is written in stone. If, while writing the draft, a better scene comes along, I have no problem making the changes. Besides, with an outline, my synopsis is practically written already.
Do you have any books to suggest? Have you tried both plotting and writing by the seat of your pants to see what really works for you? Or have you just assumed the one you’re doing is a natural fit? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
There are three things you need to write out when plotting your beginning:
1. Conflict is introduced
2. Story goal is introduced
3. Characters are outfitted for their tasks
The middle is where a lot of stories sag because the author doesn’t take certain elements into consideration. Here’s the plan Karen suggests following when plotting your middle:
1. Characters design short-term goals to reach the story goal
2. Quest to reach the story goal begins
3. First short-term goals are thwarted
4. Characters react with disappointment
5. Stakes of the conflict are raised
6. Characters react to conflict
7. Characters revise old or design new short-term goals
8. Quest to reach the story goal is continued
9. Short-term goals are thwarted again
10. Characters react with disappointment
The list goes on, but I don’t want to spoil it all for you. If you’re a plotter, I believe you’ll really enjoy this book. If you’re a pantser, but have been having problems with your plot, maybe you should try this. When I first started writing, I thought I was a pantser, but once I tried plotting out a story, I was hooked. I loved knowing how things were going to come about without waiting forever to get there in the story. Does that make me impatient? However, I’ve always believed nothing is written in stone. If, while writing the draft, a better scene comes along, I have no problem making the changes. Besides, with an outline, my synopsis is practically written already.
Do you have any books to suggest? Have you tried both plotting and writing by the seat of your pants to see what really works for you? Or have you just assumed the one you’re doing is a natural fit? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Are You Stuck?
Are you stuck? Is something not quite right about your story? That’s where I was until I found my voice, which I mentioned in Monday’s post. However, now that said voice has been discovered, I need to basically start over. Again. If I didn’t like my characters so much and enjoy their story, I’d scrap the book, but I can’t. I need to give it a fair shot.
However, I’ve learned my way of plotting is flawed. I was unable to see plot holes with my method, so I needed something else. Tomorrow, I’ll share what my secret is, but first, I want to hear yours. How do you ensure you don’t have plot holes? Are you confident everything has been resolved in the end and that you haven’t left anything hanging? Are your characters fully developed? Have they grown? If not, or if you’re not sure, stop by tomorrow. I may have something that can help you…
However, I’ve learned my way of plotting is flawed. I was unable to see plot holes with my method, so I needed something else. Tomorrow, I’ll share what my secret is, but first, I want to hear yours. How do you ensure you don’t have plot holes? Are you confident everything has been resolved in the end and that you haven’t left anything hanging? Are your characters fully developed? Have they grown? If not, or if you’re not sure, stop by tomorrow. I may have something that can help you…
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Write Tight as Granny's New Girdle
Tamika asked about one of the workshops I attended at the Muse Online Writers Conference. She was interested in “Write Tight as Granny’s New Girdle” by Margot Finke.
There weren’t actual lessons in this workshop. I was a little disappointed in that. However, what totally made up for the lack of lessons was a critique of my first page. This woman was B-U-S-Y. She had so many first pages to go through plus she hosted three chats. Unfortunately, I can’t post any of that information here. That’s one of the rules of the conference. But, if you ever have a chance to take one of Margot’s workshops, go for it.
I recently took another online course where the instructor critiqued this same first page. She shredded the scene, which surprised me because my crit group liked it. This bothered me, but not because someone didn’t like my work. (I have developed thicker skin than that.) What bugged me was the advice this industry professional gave to me. Everything she said in that critique went against anything I’ve learned the past two years. The biggest part was that she told me to cut my dialogue/action tags. ALL of them.
I took a closer look at that page and removed a couple of the tags, but that’s all I could afford. The others revealed character traits or reactions. (These aren’t the typical “said” or “asked” tags.) Without this info, the scene is flat. However, since this woman is an industry professional, I figured she must know, so that crushed me. How could I trust anything I’ve learned so far if none of it is worth anything in the real world? Yeah, I was kind of bummed and discouraged. My muse packed her bags and left while I dealt with this information all by myself. Thanks a lot, Muse.
When Margot offered to critique our first page, I couldn’t resist. I sent her the same words I’d sent to my other instructor. What a difference. Sure, there were little changes I could make to tighten, but Margot didn’t share the other instructor’s opinion of my first page. She didn’t seem to have a problem with any of the tags.
Does that mean the first instructor was wrong and that Margot was right? Maybe. Maybe not. I think what it tells me more than anything is that writing is very subjective. What some people might love, others will hate. There’s nothing we can do about that. We just have to accept that’s the way it is. And we can remember this when we get rejections. Just because that agent/editor didn’t like our story, doesn’t mean the next one won’t.
Don’t give up. Keep plugging away at your writing and submissions. Some day, you’ll be rewarded for your hard work.
And then the real work begins. ;)
Have you had an experience like this where people had totally different opinions of your work? How did you deal with the mixed message?
There weren’t actual lessons in this workshop. I was a little disappointed in that. However, what totally made up for the lack of lessons was a critique of my first page. This woman was B-U-S-Y. She had so many first pages to go through plus she hosted three chats. Unfortunately, I can’t post any of that information here. That’s one of the rules of the conference. But, if you ever have a chance to take one of Margot’s workshops, go for it.
I recently took another online course where the instructor critiqued this same first page. She shredded the scene, which surprised me because my crit group liked it. This bothered me, but not because someone didn’t like my work. (I have developed thicker skin than that.) What bugged me was the advice this industry professional gave to me. Everything she said in that critique went against anything I’ve learned the past two years. The biggest part was that she told me to cut my dialogue/action tags. ALL of them.
I took a closer look at that page and removed a couple of the tags, but that’s all I could afford. The others revealed character traits or reactions. (These aren’t the typical “said” or “asked” tags.) Without this info, the scene is flat. However, since this woman is an industry professional, I figured she must know, so that crushed me. How could I trust anything I’ve learned so far if none of it is worth anything in the real world? Yeah, I was kind of bummed and discouraged. My muse packed her bags and left while I dealt with this information all by myself. Thanks a lot, Muse.
When Margot offered to critique our first page, I couldn’t resist. I sent her the same words I’d sent to my other instructor. What a difference. Sure, there were little changes I could make to tighten, but Margot didn’t share the other instructor’s opinion of my first page. She didn’t seem to have a problem with any of the tags.
Does that mean the first instructor was wrong and that Margot was right? Maybe. Maybe not. I think what it tells me more than anything is that writing is very subjective. What some people might love, others will hate. There’s nothing we can do about that. We just have to accept that’s the way it is. And we can remember this when we get rejections. Just because that agent/editor didn’t like our story, doesn’t mean the next one won’t.
Don’t give up. Keep plugging away at your writing and submissions. Some day, you’ll be rewarded for your hard work.
And then the real work begins. ;)
Have you had an experience like this where people had totally different opinions of your work? How did you deal with the mixed message?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday Me: Allison Brennan's Speech
Allison Brennan made an amazing speech the other day. While I didn’t actually hear her present, I read the written version. If you haven’t seen it yet, go here.
Two things really stuck to me from that speech. Writers are not normal. I just love that. It’s true. Aren’t we always complaining how non-writers don’t get us? Well, that’s why. They’re normal, we’re not. Okay, they might not be normal either, but that’s beside the point. I won’t attempt to go into this as Allison does such a good job of it. You really have to read what she said.
The other piece that resonated with me was when she talked about finding your voice. A novel can be written well, but if the voice isn’t true to its owner, the story will feel forced and the reader won’t enjoy the journey.
How do we find our true voice? Allison found hers by writing, writing, and writing. She believes that’s why her fifth novel sold. She finally found her voice.
I totally get that because I just experienced the same thing. Well, minus the selling of a fifth book. As some of you know, I started writing YA, but switched to adult romantic suspense a few years ago. The first r/s I wrote was dark. I was about to edit it, when a better story idea came to mind. The plan was to plot out that idea and then go back to edit the first book. Instead, I liked the second story better, so I wrote it, even though it was a light r/s. Then, I joined RWA and a critique group only to discover my baby wasn’t worth publishing. I cut and shredded the poor infant until only ¼ of it was still there. Then, I started again and was 78% complete, when I hit a roadblock. Something wasn’t right. But I couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. I struggled with this for a while before the light came on.
My voice.
This story wasn’t representing my voice, not entirely. Parts of my voice were present, but not enough was coming through, nor would it be able to show itself in a light romantic suspense. Unfortunately, because of who the killer was, there was no way for me to turn this novel into a dark r/s without doing some major house cleaning starting with the killer. Once I chopped a few characters and replaced the villain, boulders rolled off my shoulders, down my back, and headed to the gravel pit. I felt so light and enlightened that I jumped up and down, and did a few twirly-twirls.
I’VE FOUND MY VOICE!!! If only I could described it. I’d say it’s like a blend of dark and light r/s. The suspense part is dark, but the interaction between the hero and heroine is light with a little bit of wit thrown in. Make sense?
Have you found your voice?
Two things really stuck to me from that speech. Writers are not normal. I just love that. It’s true. Aren’t we always complaining how non-writers don’t get us? Well, that’s why. They’re normal, we’re not. Okay, they might not be normal either, but that’s beside the point. I won’t attempt to go into this as Allison does such a good job of it. You really have to read what she said.
The other piece that resonated with me was when she talked about finding your voice. A novel can be written well, but if the voice isn’t true to its owner, the story will feel forced and the reader won’t enjoy the journey.
How do we find our true voice? Allison found hers by writing, writing, and writing. She believes that’s why her fifth novel sold. She finally found her voice.
I totally get that because I just experienced the same thing. Well, minus the selling of a fifth book. As some of you know, I started writing YA, but switched to adult romantic suspense a few years ago. The first r/s I wrote was dark. I was about to edit it, when a better story idea came to mind. The plan was to plot out that idea and then go back to edit the first book. Instead, I liked the second story better, so I wrote it, even though it was a light r/s. Then, I joined RWA and a critique group only to discover my baby wasn’t worth publishing. I cut and shredded the poor infant until only ¼ of it was still there. Then, I started again and was 78% complete, when I hit a roadblock. Something wasn’t right. But I couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. I struggled with this for a while before the light came on.
My voice.
This story wasn’t representing my voice, not entirely. Parts of my voice were present, but not enough was coming through, nor would it be able to show itself in a light romantic suspense. Unfortunately, because of who the killer was, there was no way for me to turn this novel into a dark r/s without doing some major house cleaning starting with the killer. Once I chopped a few characters and replaced the villain, boulders rolled off my shoulders, down my back, and headed to the gravel pit. I felt so light and enlightened that I jumped up and down, and did a few twirly-twirls.
I’VE FOUND MY VOICE!!! If only I could described it. I’d say it’s like a blend of dark and light r/s. The suspense part is dark, but the interaction between the hero and heroine is light with a little bit of wit thrown in. Make sense?
Have you found your voice?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Fun Friday
Thanks for all the warm wishes. I'm still sick, but just because I'm feeling under weather, doesn't mean you can't have some fun. It is FUN FRIDAY after all. Here's your puzzle... I'm so dreaming of being there right now...
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sick Day
I have some sort of flu. Not sure if it's THE FLU or not, but I'm coughing and have a fever, so not blogging today. Hope you have a good day.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Bipolars Don't Twitch: Mental Illness Workshop Described
Yesterday, Dee Yoder requested more information on one of the workshops I attended. “Bipolars Don’t Twitch: Mental Illness Workshop” was presented by Dr. Cathy Chance. We’re not allowed to post the workshops themselves, but I’ll give you a taste for what I’ve learned.
A lot of this workshop was put together so writers could get a better understanding of different mental illnesses. Dr. Cathy Chance wants us to depict these people as realistically as possible. Too many writers of books, movies, and TV shows don’t do the research and write the characters according to myths rather than truths of some mental illnesses.
Day 1: Aside from the welcome and overview, she talked about the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist, and described a variety of therapists. She went into laws and ethics, including hospitalization of a patient.
Day 2: The second day was all about psychotic disorders. What are hallucinations and delusions? Schizophrenia was described along with misconceptions with this disorder.
Day 3: The next session focused on mood disorders. Major depression, bipolar disorder, and post partum depression were discussed.
Day 4: Some anxiety disorders were identified like: obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, panic disorder, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Day 5: Dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality disorder was explained.
Day 6: Personality disorders were the last on the list, but extremely important (at least to my research). Dr. Chance shed some light on antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.
It’s hard to know what your psycho character has and what to research unless you have a general understanding of these disorders, which is exactly what Dr. Chance gave us. She also answered specific questions to assist us in our story writing.
If ever you have the opportunity to take this workshop, I recommend it.
Do any of your characters have mental illnesses? If yes, which ones?
A lot of this workshop was put together so writers could get a better understanding of different mental illnesses. Dr. Cathy Chance wants us to depict these people as realistically as possible. Too many writers of books, movies, and TV shows don’t do the research and write the characters according to myths rather than truths of some mental illnesses.
Day 1: Aside from the welcome and overview, she talked about the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist, and described a variety of therapists. She went into laws and ethics, including hospitalization of a patient.
Day 2: The second day was all about psychotic disorders. What are hallucinations and delusions? Schizophrenia was described along with misconceptions with this disorder.
Day 3: The next session focused on mood disorders. Major depression, bipolar disorder, and post partum depression were discussed.
Day 4: Some anxiety disorders were identified like: obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, panic disorder, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Day 5: Dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality disorder was explained.
Day 6: Personality disorders were the last on the list, but extremely important (at least to my research). Dr. Chance shed some light on antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.
It’s hard to know what your psycho character has and what to research unless you have a general understanding of these disorders, which is exactly what Dr. Chance gave us. She also answered specific questions to assist us in our story writing.
If ever you have the opportunity to take this workshop, I recommend it.
Do any of your characters have mental illnesses? If yes, which ones?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
My Muse Workshop List
Since some of you were able to get to The Muse Online Writers Conference, I thought I’d list the workshops I followed just to give you an idea what was offered. Keep in mind there were many more to choose from.
Workshops:
-Bipolars Don’t Twitch: Mental Illness Workshop
-Website Makeover
-Using Social Media to Attract Readers
-Before Copy Editing
-Don’t Kill Your Editor
-Writing with Impact
-How to Promote When You Don’t Know How
-Adding Suspense
-Blogging Your Way to Greater Recogition and More Sales
-Pick Your Poison
-Schizophrenic Doesn’t Mean Multiple Personality
-How to Write Powerful Sentences
-Pre-publisher Book Marketing
-Non-Verbal Communication-How to Be Aware of and Use It
-Write as Tight as Granny’s New Girdle
-Writing Love Scenes That Sizzle
-Infusing the Romance Novel With Emotional and Sexual Tension
-How to Write Your Bio, Headshot, and More
-On Being a Professional Amateur
There were many chats as well, but I felt the workshops were of more value. You may not have been able to get an answer immediately with the workshops, but at least you were able to ask your question. In the chats, there often wasn’t enough time for everyone to pose a question. After waiting for 50 minutes to ask something and then not getting a chance could’ve frustrated some writers. I didn’t have questions when I was in a chat, but I didn’t go to many of them. I was simply too busy. Besides, there are transcripts for all the chats that I’ll grab this week.
See any workshops that might’ve interested you? Maybe I’ll give you an overview. Please note, some workshops offered more material than other, so I may not have much to share on the subject.
Workshops:
-Bipolars Don’t Twitch: Mental Illness Workshop
-Website Makeover
-Using Social Media to Attract Readers
-Before Copy Editing
-Don’t Kill Your Editor
-Writing with Impact
-How to Promote When You Don’t Know How
-Adding Suspense
-Blogging Your Way to Greater Recogition and More Sales
-Pick Your Poison
-Schizophrenic Doesn’t Mean Multiple Personality
-How to Write Powerful Sentences
-Pre-publisher Book Marketing
-Non-Verbal Communication-How to Be Aware of and Use It
-Write as Tight as Granny’s New Girdle
-Writing Love Scenes That Sizzle
-Infusing the Romance Novel With Emotional and Sexual Tension
-How to Write Your Bio, Headshot, and More
-On Being a Professional Amateur
There were many chats as well, but I felt the workshops were of more value. You may not have been able to get an answer immediately with the workshops, but at least you were able to ask your question. In the chats, there often wasn’t enough time for everyone to pose a question. After waiting for 50 minutes to ask something and then not getting a chance could’ve frustrated some writers. I didn’t have questions when I was in a chat, but I didn’t go to many of them. I was simply too busy. Besides, there are transcripts for all the chats that I’ll grab this week.
See any workshops that might’ve interested you? Maybe I’ll give you an overview. Please note, some workshops offered more material than other, so I may not have much to share on the subject.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday Me: How the Muse Online Writers Conference Helped Me
Many of you wanted to know how The Muse Online Writers Conference went this past week. It was overwhelming, but great. I signed up for way too many courses and wasn’t able to participate in many of them. However, a few of the workshops came at the right time.
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been struggling with the last quarter of my manuscript. Something just wasn’t feeling right. Then, it hit me. I was using the wrong slant and the wrong killer. Ugh. Yeah. Big problem.
The first romantic suspense I wrote was dark. Most of the r/s I read are dark, but I do read light r/s, too. This manuscript was light. I was okay with that. I really was. In fact, when Allison Brennan told me I’d have to chose between writing dark and light so my publisher would know how to market me and I could create a following, I thought I’d made the right choice. I even went through my other story ideas and found some of them were dark, but some were light. Hey, I could turn the darks into lights, right?
Wrong.
If that’s not my voice, it won’t work. So, back to the drawing board I went. As it turns out, I won’t have to do a lot of changes. The interaction between my hero and heroine will remain the same for the first part of the book anyway. However, because I decided on another killer, I needed some information before I could develop him into a realistic character. That’s where The Muse Online Writers Conference came in handy.
I took two workshops on mental illnesses and was able to get a great sense as to how my killer thinks and how he would evolve during the story. I also was lucky enough to learn how he can murder his victims through a workshop about poisons. So, now it’s a matter of putting this new knowledge to work.
What about you? What did you learn from the conference? What was your favorite workshop and why?
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been struggling with the last quarter of my manuscript. Something just wasn’t feeling right. Then, it hit me. I was using the wrong slant and the wrong killer. Ugh. Yeah. Big problem.
The first romantic suspense I wrote was dark. Most of the r/s I read are dark, but I do read light r/s, too. This manuscript was light. I was okay with that. I really was. In fact, when Allison Brennan told me I’d have to chose between writing dark and light so my publisher would know how to market me and I could create a following, I thought I’d made the right choice. I even went through my other story ideas and found some of them were dark, but some were light. Hey, I could turn the darks into lights, right?
Wrong.
If that’s not my voice, it won’t work. So, back to the drawing board I went. As it turns out, I won’t have to do a lot of changes. The interaction between my hero and heroine will remain the same for the first part of the book anyway. However, because I decided on another killer, I needed some information before I could develop him into a realistic character. That’s where The Muse Online Writers Conference came in handy.
I took two workshops on mental illnesses and was able to get a great sense as to how my killer thinks and how he would evolve during the story. I also was lucky enough to learn how he can murder his victims through a workshop about poisons. So, now it’s a matter of putting this new knowledge to work.
What about you? What did you learn from the conference? What was your favorite workshop and why?
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Muse Online Writers Conference Is On
Since The Muse Online Writers Conference is on all week and I've signed up for a ridiculous amount of workshops and chats (had to take advantage of the free stuff, ya know), I'm going to take the week off from blogging. Sorry 'bout that. Feel free to leave me messages. Otherwise, have a great week and see you back here on Monday.
Oh, I will give you a little update. The family went searching for a kangaroo costume for hours this weekend, but didn't find one. We lucked out and got an Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) costume at K-Mart for $12.95 (regular price is $20). Then, we realized it was just too cold to wear such a thin costume. It wasn't big enough to get a jacket under it, so we'd have wear one over it, which defeats the purpose. Instead, we went to Old Navy (who knew they had costumes there???) and bought two really warm, fuzzy costumes: a white and pink cat, and a pink butterfly. So, if you have little ones, check out Old Navy's costumes. They're the warmest around and a little cheaper than some of the other places. Happy hunting!
Oh, I will give you a little update. The family went searching for a kangaroo costume for hours this weekend, but didn't find one. We lucked out and got an Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) costume at K-Mart for $12.95 (regular price is $20). Then, we realized it was just too cold to wear such a thin costume. It wasn't big enough to get a jacket under it, so we'd have wear one over it, which defeats the purpose. Instead, we went to Old Navy (who knew they had costumes there???) and bought two really warm, fuzzy costumes: a white and pink cat, and a pink butterfly. So, if you have little ones, check out Old Navy's costumes. They're the warmest around and a little cheaper than some of the other places. Happy hunting!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Fun Friday
We woke up to hard frost this morning, so this is a perfect puzzle for today. Hope you have a great weekend!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Halloween Costumes
Is it me or have Halloween costumes gone up in price? Maybe I just never noticed before, but man! $20-$45 for a few hours? Yikes! Luckily, one of the twins wants to be Sleeping Beauty (Aurora), so I can "cheat" the system by purchasing a role-playing Aurora costume, which is better made and half the price. The other twin, however, is determined to be a kangaroo this year. I'm not sure where she got that idea. She just decided she didn't want to be a "person". She wants to be an animal and she REALLY likes kangaroos (as of a few days ago, apparently). Hopefully, we'll be able to find her a costume in the store, but if not, I've seen kangaroo costumes on the internet.
What are your kids going to be this year?
What are your kids going to be this year?
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
It's 'Bout Time.
Last week, Patricia Stoltey gave me the Honest Scrap Award. I followed the instructions and dished out ten truths about me, but didn't have time to nomimate others, so here we go.
-Tara McClendon
-Amy Tate
-Jody Hedlund
Now, it's your turn to tell us ten things about yourselves and nomimate your own batch of bloggers. Don't forget to link to my blog and theirs.
Next, I also received the Heartfelt Award from Jeannie Campbell.
Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when you're relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family and friends? You know the feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea, or a hot toddy? That is what the Heartfelt Award is all about, feeling warm inside.
Rules:Put the logo on your blog/post. Nominate up to to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside. Be sure to link your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.
Since I already nomimated three for the Honest Scrap Award, I'll do the same for this one.
-Kelly Hoeckelberg-Young
-Danyelle Leafty
-Janna Qualman
Please check out these fabulous blogs! Have a great day!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Hold Up Part 2
In case you missed it... Yesterday, I started to relive my experience of being held up while working as a manager of my parents florist shop. Here's the rest of the true story.
He pulled out a knife. “We don’t want to hurt you. We just want the money.”
I nearly passed out.
They stood by the door, waiting for me to react. Apparently, the punks weren’t the brightest because in order for me to get to the till, I would’ve had to approach them. Like that was going to happen. Instead, I shouted something about having more money in the back room. Then, I escaped out the rear door and told my employee to call the cops.
The guys immediately took off.
After the incident, and the lecture from the cops to not play hero, we installed a security camera.
A week or two later, the boys came back with another cup. They must’ve figured that plan worked better. As they entered, they looked up at the camera. Without hesitation, they asked my employee to toss their garbage and left. This only drew more attention to the punks because there were trash cans outside they could’ve used.
The police later told us these dudes were really bad apples. They were responsible for burning cars and churches, assault, and burglary. Totally not the harmless boys I thought they were.
So, why did I take such a risk? Well, I didn’t realize my life was actually in danger. The guys seems so timid that I felt they were more afraid than I was. And the knife they had was just a small knife. I'm not sure why, but it never registered that a knife is still a knife and can kill me. I guess I’m a victim of watching too many murder scenes on TV. The other thing was, like I said before, I had no intension of getting any closer to the knife or the punks. Luckily, there was a back door or I’m not sure what would’ve happened. And the last reason I didn’t give into these guys was that I considered this to be my business. They’d already robbed us once. I wasn’t going to give in to their demands and allow them anymore of our hard earned money. That being said, my pride would’ve dashed out the window if I hadn’t had an escape route, the guy’s knife was bigger, or either punk had been more aggressive.
What do you think you would’ve done?
He pulled out a knife. “We don’t want to hurt you. We just want the money.”
I nearly passed out.
They stood by the door, waiting for me to react. Apparently, the punks weren’t the brightest because in order for me to get to the till, I would’ve had to approach them. Like that was going to happen. Instead, I shouted something about having more money in the back room. Then, I escaped out the rear door and told my employee to call the cops.
The guys immediately took off.
After the incident, and the lecture from the cops to not play hero, we installed a security camera.
A week or two later, the boys came back with another cup. They must’ve figured that plan worked better. As they entered, they looked up at the camera. Without hesitation, they asked my employee to toss their garbage and left. This only drew more attention to the punks because there were trash cans outside they could’ve used.
The police later told us these dudes were really bad apples. They were responsible for burning cars and churches, assault, and burglary. Totally not the harmless boys I thought they were.
So, why did I take such a risk? Well, I didn’t realize my life was actually in danger. The guys seems so timid that I felt they were more afraid than I was. And the knife they had was just a small knife. I'm not sure why, but it never registered that a knife is still a knife and can kill me. I guess I’m a victim of watching too many murder scenes on TV. The other thing was, like I said before, I had no intension of getting any closer to the knife or the punks. Luckily, there was a back door or I’m not sure what would’ve happened. And the last reason I didn’t give into these guys was that I considered this to be my business. They’d already robbed us once. I wasn’t going to give in to their demands and allow them anymore of our hard earned money. That being said, my pride would’ve dashed out the window if I hadn’t had an escape route, the guy’s knife was bigger, or either punk had been more aggressive.
What do you think you would’ve done?
Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday Me: The Hold Up Part 1
If I wrote an accurate account of what happened when I was held up at knife point, and I was the heroine of the story, I’d be considered TSTL (too stupid to live). Cops will tell you if ever someone’s threatening your life in an attempt to rob you, hand over the goods. I didn’t do that. But I’m lucky to have survived.
Years ago, I managed a florist shop owned by my parents. My mom replaced me on my days off and she was working when these two punks entered the store. It was winter, so she didn’t think too much of their scarves or hats that covered most of their faces. One of the guys had an empty paper cup in his hand. He approached her at the till saying he had a knife in his pocket and would use it if she didn’t fill his cup with the money. She complied and the guys took off.
I suppose the punks felt this was an easy target and came back when I was working. The problem began with my ignorance. I was living in the good old “it can’t happen to me” life. Well, those rose colored glasses were soon smashed.
The guys came in early in the day, but I was very busy with customers. Must’ve been too many witnesses for our young criminals because they left only to return a few hours later. For whatever reason, they didn’t cover their faces, so I had no reason to think they were anything except a couple of teenaged boys wanting to buy flowers.
Our store was set up with a walk-in cooler. Being the great salesperson that I am, I didn’t give them a chance to threaten me near the cash register as they did with my mom. Instead, I lured them into my lair and tried to upsell them from my $9.99 roses to the $14.99 bouquet of roses, baby’s breath, and greens.
The guys looked nervous. Should’ve been a sign, I know, but I still thought it was all about the purchase. Then, the blond mumbled something. I politely asked him to repeat himself. Big mistake.
Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2.
Years ago, I managed a florist shop owned by my parents. My mom replaced me on my days off and she was working when these two punks entered the store. It was winter, so she didn’t think too much of their scarves or hats that covered most of their faces. One of the guys had an empty paper cup in his hand. He approached her at the till saying he had a knife in his pocket and would use it if she didn’t fill his cup with the money. She complied and the guys took off.
I suppose the punks felt this was an easy target and came back when I was working. The problem began with my ignorance. I was living in the good old “it can’t happen to me” life. Well, those rose colored glasses were soon smashed.
The guys came in early in the day, but I was very busy with customers. Must’ve been too many witnesses for our young criminals because they left only to return a few hours later. For whatever reason, they didn’t cover their faces, so I had no reason to think they were anything except a couple of teenaged boys wanting to buy flowers.
Our store was set up with a walk-in cooler. Being the great salesperson that I am, I didn’t give them a chance to threaten me near the cash register as they did with my mom. Instead, I lured them into my lair and tried to upsell them from my $9.99 roses to the $14.99 bouquet of roses, baby’s breath, and greens.
The guys looked nervous. Should’ve been a sign, I know, but I still thought it was all about the purchase. Then, the blond mumbled something. I politely asked him to repeat himself. Big mistake.
Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Fun Friday
Here's an easier puzzle for you. I just dropped the twins off at preschool. This puzzle reminds me of them since they love coloring so much. Just like their mommy.
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
To Be Honest
Yesterday, Patricia Stoltey gave me the Honest Scrap Award. To receive this gem, I have to tell you ten things about myself and pass it along. To be honest, I don't have time to set up the links today, so I'll announce the nominees next week. However, I will spill the beans about myself.
1. My hair used to be poker straight growing up, which drove me nuts. I often got it permed to give it more body. For whatever reason, in my early 20s (before kids) my hormones must've done something strange to my hair because now I have a slight wave in my hair, which amounts more to frizz than anything else. Very annoying. Somehow, poker straight no longer seems so bad.
2. I'm allergic to cats.
3. I always have projects on the go, but am never late for deadlines.
4. I have a collection of unique salt and pepper shakers. My grandma started the collection for me when I was a baby. Although, I've stopped acquiring new shakers, I can't seem to part with the ones I have. My husband LOVES this about me. LOL
5. I can't drive a stick shift. I've only tried twice (several years apart), but it just doesn't feel natural to me.
6. I was held up at knife point when managing a florist shop and was stupid enough to NOT give into their demands. Luckily, I scared the guys off.
7. I'm doing Jillian Michaels (from the Biggest Loser) 's Making the Cut. It's an exercise and diet program for people wanting to tone and lose the last 10-20 lbs. Man, is it hard! I've been on this program for two weeks and have seen more results in inches lost than pounds, which is fantastic. In fact, I went down one pant size in 2 weeks. But I'm hungry most of the time. :(
8. I'm just a little bit addicted to Yoville. It's an online game where your avatar lives her life, working, earning money, buying clothes, redecorating her place, visiting friends, etc... I'm not on it long, but I have to log on several times a day just to get "paid" and ensure my bakery goods don't burn. LOL
9. I'm on Facebook and Twitter, but mostly use Facebook.
10. I'm sometimes a lurker. If I'm following you, I'm probably reading most of your posts. I just don't have time to comment on all of them.
Okay, that's ten truths about me. Care to share any about yourself? Do we have anything in common?
1. My hair used to be poker straight growing up, which drove me nuts. I often got it permed to give it more body. For whatever reason, in my early 20s (before kids) my hormones must've done something strange to my hair because now I have a slight wave in my hair, which amounts more to frizz than anything else. Very annoying. Somehow, poker straight no longer seems so bad.
2. I'm allergic to cats.
3. I always have projects on the go, but am never late for deadlines.
4. I have a collection of unique salt and pepper shakers. My grandma started the collection for me when I was a baby. Although, I've stopped acquiring new shakers, I can't seem to part with the ones I have. My husband LOVES this about me. LOL
5. I can't drive a stick shift. I've only tried twice (several years apart), but it just doesn't feel natural to me.
6. I was held up at knife point when managing a florist shop and was stupid enough to NOT give into their demands. Luckily, I scared the guys off.
7. I'm doing Jillian Michaels (from the Biggest Loser) 's Making the Cut. It's an exercise and diet program for people wanting to tone and lose the last 10-20 lbs. Man, is it hard! I've been on this program for two weeks and have seen more results in inches lost than pounds, which is fantastic. In fact, I went down one pant size in 2 weeks. But I'm hungry most of the time. :(
8. I'm just a little bit addicted to Yoville. It's an online game where your avatar lives her life, working, earning money, buying clothes, redecorating her place, visiting friends, etc... I'm not on it long, but I have to log on several times a day just to get "paid" and ensure my bakery goods don't burn. LOL
9. I'm on Facebook and Twitter, but mostly use Facebook.
10. I'm sometimes a lurker. If I'm following you, I'm probably reading most of your posts. I just don't have time to comment on all of them.
Okay, that's ten truths about me. Care to share any about yourself? Do we have anything in common?
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