Finito!

At last! Finally I feel justified enough to actually blog about writing. I mean, beyond the simple subjects I tackle such as where I get character names. Why this new joie de vivre, you ask? Plain and simple: I finished my first novel! I know, I can hardly believe it myself! Even as I write, Crucifying Angel (Book 1 in the Future Imperfect series, Desert Breeze Publishing, November, 2009-plug plug plug!) is being fed into the editing bay of my publisher where it will emerge (most certainly) in need of revision. Hey, I can deal with revision. It's the getting it done and having it make sense that's the difficult part for me.
And once again, I celebrate the power of the subsconscious and its creativity. Somehow, some way, the plot always works itself out, despite me, and ends tie themselves up in surprising but logical ways. And many times they push new story lines all the way into the next book in the series.
Now, I don't consider myself a great writer or qualified enough to be giving advice or instruction on the art and craft of writing. I simply do what feels right, sounds right, and have to admit that most of it has been pilfered from years of reading both classics and contemporaries, and whatever my tiny mind learned and retained back when I first discovered reading and writing in first grade. My mind is still tiny by the way.
Stephen King described it as "seeing the hole in the page where the story is..." (my tiny mind can't recall, isn't that from "The Shining"?) and I realized that while I don't see an actual hole in my blank page, I definitely do see the story playing out in front of me including dialogue.
I presume that most of you who write do so as well. If you don't I would LOVE to know how you do perceive writing! No, seriously. Do you also "see" the story playing out like a movie or is there some other device that sparks your keys into tapping fire? Do you see through the eyes of your characters only or is it a combination of watching them and seeing their literal POV?
Well, I "see" finishing a book doesn't make me any better a blogger, unfortunately. I have no learned wisdom to impart, no magical words or images or anything else that might spark up your imagination. I must now come to the sad realization that my subconscious is of absolutely NO USE regarding blogging.
And while I'm not cracking open any Moet & Chandon or Dom Perignon, I am happy just to announce that I managed to complete a novel and get it scheduled for publication!
I'll save the Mimosas for the first million copies, LOL!
Okay, you're excused. Class dismissed. Next week, we'll watch a film.
The Egypsy Has Spoken.

Anyone remember Rolfing!?!

Earlier this week I got blasted back all the way to the end of the 1970's! My sister decided to pamper my dog by rolling her hands over the pup's belly from side to side. Naturally my doggie began grinning (literally) in joy.
Suddenly an image popped into my head. She was 'rolfing' my dog! Am I the only one who remembers that mini-craze? It sits in the attic of my mind along with all those other laughable self-help theories and practices conjured up by any and every looney expert of those days in between hippiedom and yuppiedom!
"Rolfing" was a type of rolling massage. Primal Screaming was literally that. And perhaps they helped--for a while. Me? I basically never went into any of that "therapy" and those who did never jibed with my personality. While I like relaxation I go usually for the more practical. And generally, though not intentional, cheaper methods. Like doing my own nails. Like doing my own pedicure. Like watching nature videos. Like listening to music. That's the type of therapy I dig. Like re-organizing my room, the pantry, my houseplants, listening to music with the rainfall outside my open window. Like gardening. I really dig that, lol!
But I'm just curious. Anybody out there remember Rolfing?
How do you remember it? Laughable or legitimate?
Love to hear from ya'!
The Egypsy Has Spoken.

A New Feature-Book Reviews!

Today, I'm initiating a new feature on The Egypsy Speaks! It will be a book review spotlight! As time and opportunity allow, I will be reviewing various books in various genre's! Coming up immediately is my very first online review!

Changing subjects

Hello friends and darlings!
I have decided to change the direction of this particular to include more writing related subjects (however, I do reserve the right to veer off once in a while!) in the hope it will be not only more interesting, but helpful as well!
This blog will talk more about writing and all its ups, downs, twists, turns and sometimes achievements! I will also be including book reviews, writing essays, and anything I can think of (or you can think of) that might help everyone who is a writer or aspires to be. Hopefully, it'll be funny and most of all, interesting!
I hope you'll like it and visit often.
The Egypsy Has Spoken.

"Clobbered" and other non-phrases

I bid you welcome. For those of you who have been monitoring vampyres for the last six decades or so, that should be an appropriate greeting.

Speaking of undead things, I was thinking a few days ago how we rarely use certain phrases these days. Oh sure, I'll be exposing my age, but the difference between the common phrasing that I was taught and what is used today is in some ways surprising as well as sentimental.

And of course, let's not forget the humorous side of it all.

Put your little (or big) thinking caps on (okay, right there is an ancient phrase!) and try to remember the last time you heard someone actually say these phrases:

"In conclusion..." Mostly used by orators/speakers either in a school of some sort or a stiff congregation of captive listeners.

"To summarize..." See above.

"Swizzzle" Used to describe imbibing an alcoholic drink, a coffee or other plastic drink stirrer, and I believe a variation of it used to name of a candy: "Swizzle Sticks"?

"Clobbered" I actually heard someone use this term on an old rerun of Cops this week. Once I got though laughing hysterically, I realized I had not heard this word in very possibly thirty years. Definition: Beaten up or 'clobbered', sometimes with a club or stick or even fisticuffs.

"Guzzled/Guzzling" Generally used to describe gulping beer or other beverage. Most commonly used by environmental bloggers to describe low mileage per gallon of gas-powered vehicles (SUV, Trucks, large luxury sedans=Cadillacs, Lincolns, etc.,), i.e. "gas guzzlers."

"Swine/Swineherds" Okay, this may not have been used since Medieval times but you should ALL know this one. If you're under 21, you may have vague recollections of hearing an adult use this, perhaps in reading to you from an old, dog-eared, dusty printed book (yeah, I know, what's that?"). Definition and usage: several different uses-Swine means pigs and hogs. Swinherd, someone who herds swine. Also, an antiquated phrase: "Oh the swine!" used in ancient (for our puposes) times to express dismay over being injured (not physically) or cheated in some manner.

"Manner" as opposed to "Manor", means "way" or "style".

"Manner of speaking" According The Free Dictionary: a phrase sometimes used in place of describing something unpleasant to follow. "I was, in a manner of speaking, close to death." Just look it up.

"Manor" Oh come on. This means a manor house of the local 'Laird" or Lord over serfs in the Dark Ages in Britain.

"Hullabaloo" A commotion (commotion being an excited noise-- usually made by people--over something). Also the name of a 1960's television dance show. Cheap rendition of "American Bandstand."

Okay, I give up at this point. I've got a project that desperately needs re-writes and editing and I cannot procrastinate any more. If you have any phrases, words, idioms, etc., I'd love to read them. You can post them in the comments section!

Thanks for your time,

The Egypsy has Spoken.