Monthly Archives: October 2011

10,000 Word Weekend

Forget NaNoWriMo. This is my own personal challenge: to write 10,000 words this weekend. Each day thereafter, I plan to dedicate at least 2000 words each day until The Fifth Circle is complete. I’m tired of lugging the heavy burden of four Works In Progress, therefore I’ve decided to finish the book with the largest word count. At a whopping 41,000 words just a couple of days ago, The Fifth Circle now weighs in a total of 51,000. <The crowd goes wild>

Once the first draft of The Fifth Circle is complete (which will be within the next couple of weeks if I stay on track), I plan to devote all my time to writing the final book in The Claiming Words series. I hope to have it completed by the end of the year, but that depends on how wordy and long-winded I get.

In other boring news…I started writing a new book the other day. I love it so much, I’m using it as an incentive to complete my other goals. If I finish my word count goal on my other books, I am rewarded by being allowed to spend time on my new one. (I know…I grow increasingly strange with each passing day.)

I’m hoping I’ll be able to post a new entry titled, “I’m Finished” within the next few weeks. Until then, I’d better save my wordiness for my book and stop procrastinating.

Categories: writing | Leave a comment

What’s So Great About the Great Outdoors?

Nature. Just the word makes me shudder. There are bugs in nature. The ground is hard. The great outdoors isn’t climate controlled and you have to deal with whatever weather Mother Nature hurls your way. And, sometimes after a day of hiking and carrying gear, you wake the next day to discover you’ve pulled muscles in places you didn’t even know muscles existed. So, here’s the question of the day…

What’s so great about the great outdoors?

Or, how about this one: why do we go camping when we could just stay home? For the second time in three weeks, we packed sleeping bags, blankets, clothing, and food so we could leave our house and sleep on the ground. After picking up my youngest son from a Boy Scout encampment at one end of the county, we rushed home, packed up, and headed to the opposite end of the county to spend the night somewhere else. My son hasn’t slept at home in two nights. While I admire his sense of adventure and his ability to fall asleep anywhere, I can’t help but lament the fact that I am the only person in the state of Missouri with a sunburn.

Why is it that I am so ill-prepared to deal with nature? Is is because my parents never took us camping? Or, is it because I’m a bug-phobic wimp who can’t live without indoor plumbing? Whatever the case, I always come home from camping with a deep sense of failure and a vow to never sleep away from home again.

From now on, or at least until Spring, I’ll enjoy Mother Nature from the comforts of home. My forays into nature will have to be in the form of short day-trips for a while. I don’t mind bundling up for a brisk autumn hike, but when the temperatures dip below fifty, I’m sleeping inside, thanks.

So, back to the original question. What’s so great about the great outdoors? I’ll let you know when my sunburn fades.

Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

On the Business of Writing and My Own Personal Hang-ups.

Writing is easy. Or, so I thought. A little over a year ago, I scratched out a novel with reckless abandon without any thought to punctuation or publication. When my masterpiece (or something like it) was complete, I was anxious to share it with the world, so I researched queries, submissions, and agents. I realized that writing for publication is a business.
I am not a businesswoman.
To distract myself from the ego-crushing process of editing and submissions, I cranked out another book or two. Submissions suck. It hurts to be rejected…or ignored. Writing a novel is a personal experience and a piece of myself went into every sentence I wrote, so sending out queries felt like mailing out my diary for strangers to read and review. Melodramatic? Yeah, maybe.
Writing is easy. Finding an agent or publisher is hard.
Throughout the harrowing submissions process, I led myself to believe that once I cleared that major hurdle, the rest would be easy breezy. Not so much. And, I’m not talking about revisions and edits. I’m talking about promoting the book. I’ve only just realized I’m going to have to talk about my book. To people. People I don’t know. I can’t hide behind the anonymity of my computer forever. And, if I’m going to make a go of selling my book, I won’t be able to realize my life-long dream of becoming a recluse.
You see, I’m shy. That’s right. Shy. That might surprise some people. At work, I am the voice of the company. I broadcast my voice over the intercom, sending forth page after page. I speak with total strangers all day long, answering accounting questions and promising payments. I argue with sales people. I sing goofy songs with my co-workers. I’m out there. But, that’s only because I’ve been working at my job for nine years. I feel comfortable there. Miserably overworked, but comfortable. I know every nook and cranny of that building and I know the life story of nearly every person in the company. But, pull me from my usual habitat, and I’m a complete social misfit. When I’m nervous, I laugh at things that aren’t funny, stammer, and blush. It isn’t cool.
I strongly suspect that part of my eventual book promotion will involve talking to people, possibly face-to-face. But, even if I somehow manage to hide behind my computer, I’m still going to have to put myself out there. I’ll have to tell people my book rocks and them to buy it. When people ask me, “What’s your book about?” I’m not going to be able to get away with, “I don’t know.”  
Here’s the question: Can I overcome my own personal issues in order to conquer the business of writing?
I can either go with my natural tendency to hide from the world, or I can achieve my goal of becoming a successful published author. I can stick within the confines of my comfort zone, or I can take a risk. I can put aside my dream, or I can press forward. I can be the person I’ve always been, or become the person I’ve always wanted to be.
Okay. I’ve made my decision. Hey, everybody! My book totally rocks. Shoot me an email, and I’ll tell you all about it. Or, better yet, stop on by and I’ll act out the whole novel using my gift of interpretive dance. Only kidding about the dance. I’ll tell you all about over a cup of coffee. Face to face. No stammering, no blushing, no fear.
Categories: tricia drammeh, triciadrammeh, writing | 2 Comments

Zombies on the Brain

There are two sides to every story. Why should the Zombie Apocalypse be any different? I’ve read the Zombie books—we all have. Each story stresses the importance of preparation. Each tale explores the worst case scenario, the cataclysmic zombie invasion, the end of civilization as we know it. What if the Zombie invasion isn’t quite as invasive as we’ve anticipated? What if Zombies descend upon us in a trickle instead of a stream?
Imagine a world where Zombies are a way of life, where infomercials promise us the latest in Zombie repellent, and flesh-eaters petition for equal rights. Zombies are people too. They are brothers, sons, husbands, and fathers. They are sisters, daughters, wives, and mothers. Accept them. Love them.
Zombie Rights are Human Rights
A Public Service Announcement
Do you have a friend or a loved-one who has fallen victim to the devastating Virus sweeping the nation? Every day, hundreds of people contract the Virus through no fault of their own, yet are subjected to discrimination, threats, and violence. Here at the Center for Zombie Awareness and Tolerance, we believe in creating a world where viral and non-viral persons can live in harmony. Our Virus Awareness Counselors are standing by, ready to take your call. Whether it’s a question about how you can re-integrate your infected loved-one back into your household, or if you just need to share your concerns about the viral in your community, our trained operators can assist you with all your Zombie related needs.
FAQ’s
My brother-in-law has been infected for about a month and my wife forced me to re-integrate him back into our household. He recently ate my dog. How do I get past this incident and forgive him? Or, more importantly, how do I get him to move out and into a place of his own so he’ll stop getting brain-matter all over my sofa?
There are several steps you can take which will assist both you and your brother in your efforts to re-integrate.
  • Take a deep breath. You’ve made the first step toward acceptance by admitting there is a problem.
  • Accept that the Virus is an illness.
  • Stop playing “The Blame Game.” You can’t blame your brother-in-law for his urges. You can’t blame yourself for your feelings of anger. Only through love and acceptance can you learn to forgive.
  • Start a dialogue. It’s important to talk to your infected loved-one, even if the Virus has progressed to the stage where he can no longer understand you. He may not be capable of speech, but sometimes a friendly hug is enough to show you care.
  • Hide your pets and small children. Sleep with your bedroom door locked, your gun loaded, and one eye open.
I think my wife might have the virus. What steps should I take to ensure that she is able to remain in the household?
There are many steps you can take to ease the transition as her Virus progresses:
·         Make certain you provide healthful treats which will satisfy her cravings and reduce her urge to eat family members and neighbors.
·         To keep family life as normal as possible, remember to include her in outings, daytrips, and other activities. The Infected tend to become anti-social as the Virus progresses, so it’s important to be understanding when she just doesn’t feel like getting out.
·         To keep that “spice” in your marriage, there is a wide array of air-fresheners and alcoholic beverages which can assist you in easing into those romantic moments. Just remember that a “little nibble” is often a sign of danger.
·         Hide your pets and small children. Sleep with your bedroom door locked, your gun loaded, and one eye open.
The company I work for is very anti-Zombie. How can I raise awareness in the workplace and help foster a feeling of goodwill toward the Infected in our community.
Anti-Zombie attitudes are very prevalent in our society. Unfortunately, current laws do not prohibit Zombie discrimination in the workplace. But, fear not! There are some things you can do to help.  
·         Start a dialogue with your co-workers. Sometimes people are just waiting for someone to take that first step. Once your co-workers realize you have an attitude of acceptance and tolerance, they will come to you with questions. Be ready to share!
·         Petition your Human Resources Department and demand equal rights for the Infected. Ask about your company’s hiring policy and if possible, recommend an Infected friend for a job opening.
·         Re-evaluate your company’s security policies. An atmosphere of fear adds to the problem. Consider an “open door policy” that welcomes everyone!
Categories: apocalypse, author, blogger, Favorites, flesh-eaters, tricia drammeh, writer, zombies | Leave a comment

Things I would do if I didn’t have to go to work today…

Things I would do if I wasn’t at work:

1. Wear my penguin pajama pants all day
2. Drink gallons of coffee
3. Clean my house
4. Write
5. Work on lesson plans
6. Work on Den Meeting plans
7. Thank God I wasn’t at work

Things I do while I’m at work:

1. Pray for death
2. Drink gallons of coffee
3. Curse at my computer and printer
4. As much of my actual work as I can manage provided people will leave me alone
5. Stuff other people tell me to do
6. Stuff I don’t care about
7. Wish I was at home

Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Blog at WordPress.com. Theme: Adventure Journal by Contexture International.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 2,445 other followers

%d bloggers like this: