Melanie Nilles

babies = sleep = creativity = writing
The result…delay in character interview.

Honestly, I haven’t had a break all day with the kids. I’m tired. I’m cranky. I’m ready to SCREAM!! Crabby babies can make mom very, VERY moody, especially when it steals her creativity because of the lack of sleep and lack of alone time.

There is such a thing as overstimulation. That’s what makes babies “colicky”. It makes mommies colicky too. Same thing. We just need quiet time, and in my case, exercise, which was lacking this weekend. Blame it on hubby for staying out of the house and leaving me with the kids. I already spend ten hours a day with my kids and other people’s kids, five days a week. You think I want to hang out in the house with my own all weekend? NO! I need to GET OUT!

/rant

My nerves are frazzled. My mind is shot. I need to get out, but that won’t happen until tomorrow night, after the dentist replaces the temporary crown with the permanent one. *sigh* I wish I had perfect teeth.

I promised a character interview, but if it doesn’t get posted tomorrow by noon, it won’t happen until tomorrow night at this time. Look for it within twenty-four hours.

Thanks for listening!

I’ve had such a busy weekend selling and welcoming horses that I haven’t had time to write up the interview with the next character from Legend of the White Dragon. Due to the full weekend, I will delay that interview until tomorrow and apologize for any inconvenience to those waiting.

In the meantime, here’s a pic of Beau, my new horse (shipped all the way from Kentucky):

And here:

Btw, he’s only a yearling, so no riding for about a year and a half.

This is really weird.  Here I am, done with my series, except for all the publishing side of it, and all the stories I was writing, except for a couple of unfinished works I left hanging.  It’s always harder to get back to something after some time off it, so until the right inspiration hits, those may continue to collect dust.

I don’t know what to do with myself now.  I have a dozen Equus and Practical Horseman mags to catch up on, though.  That’s a project in and of itself.  It’ll keep me reading for the week, anyway.

It’s hard to concentrate on writing right now.  I’m waiting to hear from a shipper to move my new horse to his new home with me.  I’m also hoping to sell Star, but that hasn’t gone well.   There are far too many people who think they want to ride horse but who can’t.  They need a machine, not an animal.  they have no concept of balance–their own–much less what reins are really for.  Poor Star gets so pissy now when strangers are around.  She dreads what the next rider will do to cause her discomfort, and so do I.  If I can’t find the right rider, I suppose I’ll keep her until spring, when prices tend to go up again.  I don’t have much of a choice.  I’m not going to give her away.  She’s too good to go to just anyone.

Sorry, it’s a sore spot of late, after watching strangers jerk my horse’s mouth around because they tense up so bad she goes faster than they want.  She’s highly responsive–trained to be that way–to the lightest aids.  Please, if any of you ever get on a horse, don’t pretend you can ride anything.  Just because you can make it go and stop does not mean you can ride.  True riding produces harmony between horse and rider, because the rider is communicating invisibly to bystanders and the horse is picking up on the subtlest of cues.  It’s like dance partners–one leads and the other follows, but each makes miniscule adjustments on which the other instinctively picks up and makes adjustments.  A good rider knows this.  An insensitive rider will never achieve this.

Getting off my soapbox now.  Sorry to rant.  I hate selling horses, because I’ve encountered this many times throughout the years.  It never fails.

Now that I have only the interviews to occupy me, it’s time for something new.  I’m waiting for the right inspiration to write, but in the meantime, I need to read.  Besides magazines, I need a good adventure.  I’ve read reviews of many books in the last year, and now it’s time to pick one…or two…or a series, and sit down and read.  I think a trip to the bookstore is calling me.  I may have to stop there tonight, after another likely disappointment finding the right new owner for Star.

In the meantime, I’m bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, anxious for the new horse, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, wondering when the shipper will call back, bored, bored, bored, bored, praying for a good home for Star, bored, bored, bored, bored, watching Bo’s video again, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored…you get the point. Okay, I’m going to go read my magazines.

With all the fuss about horses, I haven’t given much thought to what to write about. The deposit on the new horse has been sent and I’m waiting on a shipping quote, although I may end up going with a shipper that others I trust have given rave reviews, even if it costs more–at least I know the horse would get here safe and sound. Insurance is set up and I just need to send them a payment. And I’m hoping to find the right match of a new owner for Star. That’s the hardest part of all this.

Throughout it all, I have been working through the first draft of Dragon Child to send something decent off to my publisher in the next week. It’s a tedious process, but one that’s going well. I’ve gone through the first three stories, nitpicking about my writing and checking again for inconsistencies, of which I’ve found only a few minor ones. It will be nice to have it all done and submitted. And I have promised to post the map, which I will do soon.

I finally have a baby who has returned to a regular napping schedule coordinated with the others. YAY! After five weeks of her not wanting to sleep, she’s getting back to sleep. It is just a developmental phase with all the newly discovered mobility and realizing the world can go on without her. I have more time for writing now.

But after the latest edit of Dragon Child, I plan to take a short break from writing any new novels until the right story comes or until ideas on an abandoned story begin anew. I’ll probably spend time enjoying my new horse or maybe try my hand at writing a short or two *gasp!*. Honestly, I like writing novel-length stories better than shorts, but writing shorts would be a good exercise without the lengthy commitment. The market is tougher for shorts, however, than for novels. Nevertheless, as someone dedicated to writing, I always seek to improve my skills. Short stories are a quick, simple means to that end.

Better yet, maybe I’ll actually have time to read! Wow! It’s been so long since I sat and just read a book cover to cover (other than Harry Potter, which I wasn’t compelled to read in one sitting, except for my fear of reading spoilers before I finished it). That may be just what I do! I miss having time to read a good book. Now, to find a good book, or at least one that I would enjoy.

Okay, so I didn’t actually post about anything related to writing. I have…sort of. This is the life of a full-time mother, wife, horsewoman, early childhood education professional and business owner, writer, and science fiction and fantasy fan. It’s all the same package. Our real lives affect our writing lives. It is a part of writing. I just wear many other hats besides that of “Writer”.

I read this long ago and did a search to find it again. Unfortunately, I don’t know who the author is, but it is a wonderful piece. I share it with you, the readers, so that you may enjoy it as I always have. It touched me the first time I read it, or heard it (I can’t remember now as it was years ago). I’ve never forgotten it. May it do the same for you:

Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day.
Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course?
Each of us has such a bank. It’s name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off as lost whatever of this you have failed to invest to a good purpose.
It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against “tomorrow.”
You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!
The clock is running!! Make the most of today.

To realize the value of one year, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of one month, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute, ask a person who just missed a train.
To realize the value of one second, ask someone who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond, ask the person who won a silver medal at the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with. And remember time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That’s why they call it the present.

Admit it–we all wish we had more than 24 hours in a day. Some days, between two kids and a husband (who usually gets short-changed), a horse, my writing, working full-time in a non-writing profession, etc., I wish I had more.

My latest project–besides the character interviews, which take one-two hours of writing time total–is a read-through of the Legend of the White Dragon series in a final pass for consistency and readability. I’ve found a few minor things to fix and some places where the writing needed a little more than a few words to smoothen the flow. I’ve said before that writers write. We have a need to express ourselves through words.

Some of us also have the need to feel busy, or just can’t say no. Then, again, I finished the latest newsletter of the Bismarck English Riders, a volunteer position I enjoy but which takes a couple hours every other month. It doesn’t take long, but it does take away from other projects and happened to be due this month. At least I’ve accomplished something.

Now, to get back to work on the series. However, I have this other idea for another novel in the same world I created for Dark Angel, but an adult story. I keep getting bits of scenes for that one and have to make notes. That’s a third project, but one I have to tell myself to not immerse myself in. It’s hard, but it just has to wait.

Priorities are a necessity when we are given a finite number of hours and minutes in each day. First come the kids, then myself (because, let’s face it, kids are a handful and demanding but we need a break no matter how much we love them), then my writing, my husband, and my horse. The cats (yes, I found another one, but two is enough) come last, although they have a knack for pushing ahead in the line, as anyone who has or has ever had cats knows ;P

But I always make time, even if only fifteen or thirty minutes a day. When you want something, you make the time. I just wish I had more of it.

I’m so happy! I have my moody ol’ mare back from her vacation. I’ve lost all but a pound of what I gained in my pregnancy (over 40 lbs!) and all the medical bills are paid. Now I’ve had her back at the boarding stable for a couple weeks. She *insert tongue in cheek* LOVES me right now. Oh, at first I was all right, but when I started making her work again, I turned into the bad guy.

I might have been in good shape, but not riding shape. I was sore after each of the first few rides. I’ve adjusted now, but she still has a long ways to go. She tends to drop her left shoulder and right hip, which makes for some very crooked and unbalanced work, but the longeing is helping with that. It’ll take another month or more to really get her strong again and not falling on her forehand, which is another issue we have to work through. She knows what to do, but she’s lazy. Her workouts consist of lots of circle work to make her balance.

And, I’ve figured out that I don’t want to even really touch on dressage but to focus on the hunter showing in which she excels. She is no dressage horse. Sure, the training has helped us, but it’s not our focus. I’m at a point where I just want to have fun, but I may want to show at the fall BER show coming up and I want a balanced, correctly moving horse. That means we actually have to work.

She hates it But she tries. She doesn’t have much of a choice, and I make the effort painless. It gives us a goal to work towards too, which I need.

Now, to get her slimmed down! She’s off pasture and on a diet now…the fat pig.  If I can do it, so can she.

I’m glad to get back to the old me, and it will help my writing.  You’ll see more horse posts now with updates of what we’re doing.  I used to keep a diary from her perspective, but I quit doing that long ago.  Now, it’s my turn.  My mare and me, a team again.

At some point as writers, we think to ourselves, “My writing sucks!” No it doesn’t! But it’s hard not to think it. I go through moments of self-doubt, even now, with five books contracted. I still doubt whether my stories will be read and appreciated. I see other similar books by prolific, successful authors and think “Mine is horrible compared to that! He/She already did something similar. How can I beat that?”

I can’t. But…

Mine are written as only I can write them. My stories are not theirs. I have been accepted above thousands of others who submitted. Those other authors wrote what they know. They haven’t had my experiences, nor do they see the world the same as I do. My stories may have similar elements but they are completely different, as only I can write them, and I do write well. Mine are good. Someone will read and enjoy them, and they can’t be compared because they are different plots, different characters. I wrote what I like and know; they wrote what they know. And–dammit!–I have a more farfetched imagination and am not limited by what’s on this world. (The fact I enjoy anime is evidenced in Dark Angel, which is nothing like a certain popular YA series, which takes a more scientific, Earth-based, approach with a similar element.) I’m just starting, and I’ll make my own mark. I didn’t copy anyone. My stories will stand strong for their own merits, because it satisfies a different niche.

Next time you start feeling depressed because of rejections and reading similar stories to yours, remember this. Only you can write your story. It may need editing, but the world you create is yours. When it’s accepted for publication, it happened because someone believed in your work. You should too.

I have one word–AWESOME! I know someone who would have loved the Transformers movie as much as my husband, but unfortunately he will never see it. I know that where he is now, he’s giving it two spectral thumbs up

It’s rare when you have kids to find the time to go out to a movie. So far this year, we’ve seen Shrek the Third with our older girl, but Transformers was a night out for me and my husband. I’ll give you a hint of how old we are–we both grew up with Transformers when we were kids. Having grown up with two brothers, I didn’t have much of a choice, but I didn’t mind as I have always been a tomboy and never a girly girl. My brothers, like my husband, had a bunch of the toys. The cartoons were cool, because the concept was unique.

Well, Michael Bay has gone and turned that into one of the most intense, action-packed movies you’ll see this summer. If you like action, SEE IT!! The villains were evil. The one-liners were hilarious. Bumblebee stole the show. Megatron was nasty (”You want a piece of me?”-Jazz; “No, I want two pieces”-Megatron). Optimus had his same voice from the cartoons (same voice actor). And, ladies, Josh Duhamel is from Minot, North Dakota! We raise ‘em right! (I think the Roughrider Hall of Fame will be adding another portrait to the hall in the Capitol building in the near future

The story was well-scripted with witty dialogue and a well-thought out plot. We start with a surviving group of soldiers, led by their captain (Josh Duhamel) in Qatar after an attack by a Decepticon (Blackout–mind you, I’m getting these names from my husband) takes out a USAF base. They are followed by another Decepticon while seeking a means to communicate with the Pentagon what they know. Meanwhile, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) gives a speech in his high school history class where he’s trying to hock his explorer grandfather’s items for money to buy a car. Well, that car (Bumblebee) chooses him because they have discovered that his grandfather’s glasses have some secret etched into the lenses. The story follows Sam and the others as both sides seek the glasses to find a cube known as the All Spark, an alien device that can bring technology to life (basically turns a pop machine into a Decepticon). Bumblebee leads Sam to the Autobots while protecting him from the Decepticons, who take the form of a police car, a fighter jet, and other military vehicles. The race is on and the fighting intensifies with each round between Autobots and Decepticons with the human race caught in between and learning that some of these giant robots are on our side.

While I loved the movie and the eye-candy was dazzling, I would give it a four and a half out of five stars. I would like to have had the dialogue explain some things more clearly and the plot to slow down enough to catch my breath. It’s a good lesson in pacing. Fast is good, but too intense for that long and the mind goes numb. A well-written story has some slow moments to allow the reader/audience to catch their breath and sort out of the jumble before the next big moment. A story is made up of several mini-climaxes before the last big one where all is revealed. While Transformers is well-done with the CG and plot, I would have liked to have had a chance to get the know the characters a little better with some down time and time to explore with the human race exactly what was going on. The only weakness of the plot was that they didn’t follow the authority figures enough to see how they came to their conclusions and made the decisions they did. Their actions seemed premature and full of assumptions. The videography could have pulled back also. The fight scenes were a little too close to the action from the camera angle and much of that action ended up blurred because they moved fast!

Otherwise, AWESOME!

It’s Independence Day in the U.S. and time to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It’s been 231 years since the founding fathers signed this important document carefully crafted by Thomas Jefferson. There’s a piece of writing we can all honor. Thomas Jefferson was a master of words. (Click here for the full text.)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

That sums up what we as Americans believe in our hearts to be the basis of our country’s founding. On this day, we celebrate the day the original colonies declared their independence and started down the road to the formation of a country honoring the freedom we value as citizens not only of this country but also as members of the human race.

Have a Happy 4th of July!  Now, go shoot off some fireworks!