Unlike silent screams, warrior screams are triumphant. Deep, guttural howls of purpose that rise from the core, and explode in a frenzy of action. A soldier leaping out of an Apache helicopter. A laboring woman bearing down as she forces her child into the world. A writer bleeding on the page. Anyone acting on a dream.
Action.
Warrior screams.
Loose yours.
DA
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Silent Screams
What is a silent scream?
It is the knot in your stomach, the perpsiration on your palms. The headache. Nausea. Muscle tension. It's the ache in your jaw, dryness in your mouth; the tears you don't want others to see. It is your conscience, your truth. It is who you are smothered by what you pretend to be; it is the real you, begging to be set free.
Listen.
Carefully.
Does your soul dance to the tune of an authentic life, or stagger under the weight of silent screams?
DA
It is the knot in your stomach, the perpsiration on your palms. The headache. Nausea. Muscle tension. It's the ache in your jaw, dryness in your mouth; the tears you don't want others to see. It is your conscience, your truth. It is who you are smothered by what you pretend to be; it is the real you, begging to be set free.
Listen.
Carefully.
Does your soul dance to the tune of an authentic life, or stagger under the weight of silent screams?
DA
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Susan's Done It Again!
If you were ever 13, or watched black and white movies, then you have to check out Susan Adrian's interview with Nova Ren Suma about her YA novel, Dani Noir. If you like to win, Tweet or Blog about Susan's contest, and you could win a copy of Dani Noir, or a copy of Rita Hayworth's classic film noir, GILDA, on DVD.
Check it out. Get in on the action.
Go.
Now.
DA
Check it out. Get in on the action.
Go.
Now.
DA
Monday, November 9, 2009
Get 'er Done
Writing is a solitary process rife with insecurity. In some cases, it's borderline insanity, as this article -- shared by Vicki Pettersson -- confirms. What begs the question is:
Is it crazy to write on a laptop while sitting on the edge of the tub (Junot Diaz)? Get up at 4:00 a.m. and write in the dark (Nicholson Baker)? Or write three or four drafts by hand in a lined notebook and edit by literally cutting and pasting using scissors and glue (Michael Ondaatje)? Maybe.
Does it matter?
No.
How, where, or when a writer writes is less important than results: words on the page. That is the only way to finish a novel. One word, one page, one chapter at time.
As Larry the Cable Guy would say: "Get 'er done".
DA
Is it crazy to write on a laptop while sitting on the edge of the tub (Junot Diaz)? Get up at 4:00 a.m. and write in the dark (Nicholson Baker)? Or write three or four drafts by hand in a lined notebook and edit by literally cutting and pasting using scissors and glue (Michael Ondaatje)? Maybe.
Does it matter?
No.
How, where, or when a writer writes is less important than results: words on the page. That is the only way to finish a novel. One word, one page, one chapter at time.
As Larry the Cable Guy would say: "Get 'er done".
DA
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Bookin' It
There's nothing quite like a sinus infection to drive one to distraction--or to seek distraction--from the pain. And who better to help than my friends? Only one problem: they're at work. So...
Desperate, lonely, and tired of hearing myself whimper, I reactivated my Facebook account. Wow. It's like opening the front door and welcoming in everyone I love.
My daughter's cell phone died. My brother wants to lift the ban on fireworks. And I reconnected with an old friend I haven't seen in about ten years. Who knew?
Apparently everyone, but me.
Even my mother--who's a tad older than me--is Bookin' it. She welcomed me by advising me that like her, I can keep tabs on my kids. Another reason to Book it.
I can spy on those closest to me. And vice-versa.
Cool.
Except that was the reason I originally deactivated my account.
Invasion of privacy.
But loneliness is just as invasive. Though I still prefer face time to Facebook, in this era or H1N1, and busy working lives, I concede: virtual friendship is better than none.
DA
Desperate, lonely, and tired of hearing myself whimper, I reactivated my Facebook account. Wow. It's like opening the front door and welcoming in everyone I love.
My daughter's cell phone died. My brother wants to lift the ban on fireworks. And I reconnected with an old friend I haven't seen in about ten years. Who knew?
Apparently everyone, but me.
Even my mother--who's a tad older than me--is Bookin' it. She welcomed me by advising me that like her, I can keep tabs on my kids. Another reason to Book it.
I can spy on those closest to me. And vice-versa.
Cool.
Except that was the reason I originally deactivated my account.
Invasion of privacy.
But loneliness is just as invasive. Though I still prefer face time to Facebook, in this era or H1N1, and busy working lives, I concede: virtual friendship is better than none.
DA
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Contest Alert!
My friend and amazing YA writer, Susan Adrian, is hosting a contest to celebrate her 500th Twitter follower. Isn't that amazing? I think I tweeted five times and have about than many followers (I am seriously Interverted (play on Internet/introverted)); I find it very difficult to keep up with the FaceBook/Twitter forms of communication. In contrast, Susan is as accomplished at virtual communication as she is at writing. Check her out, here, and you could win a YA novel!
DA
DA
Monday, November 2, 2009
A book review
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn, 2007
Steeped in history; rich; evocative; predictable.
Lady Julia Gray's husband Edward collapses at her feet and dies shortly thereafter. When she discovers he may have been murdered, she enlists Nicholas Brisbane, an eccentric--and strangely erotic--private investigator. As Julia seeks answers to Edward's death, she discovers far more than she would like to know about her husband and the people closest to her--and a few interesting tidbits about herself.
Silent in the Grave is a dense story, packed with unusual and lovable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the language and period details, but was disappointed by the plot: I knew who done it long before the culprit was revealed.
I don't know if it's my writing background, or the decades I've spent reading mysteries and thrillers, but I was not surprised when the murderer was revealed. How did I know? The murderer was the only person not 'suspected' in the entire cast of potential criminals, which of course, made him/her the obvious suspect.
Regardless of my disappointment, I enjoyed the character and historical setting so much, that I will pick up Deanna Raybourn's sequel to Silent in the Grave: Silent in the Sanctuary.
DA
Steeped in history; rich; evocative; predictable.
Lady Julia Gray's husband Edward collapses at her feet and dies shortly thereafter. When she discovers he may have been murdered, she enlists Nicholas Brisbane, an eccentric--and strangely erotic--private investigator. As Julia seeks answers to Edward's death, she discovers far more than she would like to know about her husband and the people closest to her--and a few interesting tidbits about herself.
Silent in the Grave is a dense story, packed with unusual and lovable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the language and period details, but was disappointed by the plot: I knew who done it long before the culprit was revealed.
I don't know if it's my writing background, or the decades I've spent reading mysteries and thrillers, but I was not surprised when the murderer was revealed. How did I know? The murderer was the only person not 'suspected' in the entire cast of potential criminals, which of course, made him/her the obvious suspect.
Regardless of my disappointment, I enjoyed the character and historical setting so much, that I will pick up Deanna Raybourn's sequel to Silent in the Grave: Silent in the Sanctuary.
DA
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