Author Archives: aliceaudrey
Drumming
I play hand drums. Conga, ashiko, djembe, djum djum <yes I know it’s not technically a hand drum>, I’ve even tried my hand at bongos, talking drum, water drums, baudran, and Native American style flat drums. I’m not particularly proficient at any of them, but I know 6 hand positions for conga, three or four songs, and am reasonably comfortable with 6/8 time. I can handle most drummer’s circles without embarrassing myself. Drumming in a circle has a certain magic. […]
Suzie’s House 7: There’s No Place Like Home
Suzie sat at the desk in the little alcove of her office. Sunlight poured through the windows in the rounded walls making the small office warm and inviting. She could see traffic pass, when she chose to look through the windows. Instead she stared at the checkbook which sat on the desk along with a pile of bills. She tried to ignore the thumping and bumping from the rooms overhead by focusing on the bills she could now pay. It […]
Challenge 3, Chapter 2 TONIGHT!!
Yep, the round closes at 11 pm Mountain Standard Time tonight. I figured out what the schedule glitch was. We added two days to make up for the emergency poll, but I forgot to fix the calander. I have two entries in progress with high hopes of getting them both in. Suzie only needs a quick polish, and will be posted late, late tonight or fairly early tomorrow. And I’m going to be “Least In Sight” for a few hours here. […]
48 Questions
1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:58, 7:08, and 7:28am Snooze alarm. 2. Diamonds or Pearls? Pearls 3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Eragon 4. What is your favorite TV show? I don’t watch TV 5. What did you have for breakfast? A bowl of cereal 6. What is your middle name? I have to have a middle name? 7. What is your favorite cuisine? Whatever I can get my hands on. […]
No More Wednesday Roundup For Writers.
The whole reason I started doing my little how to write mini lecture series was to accommodate May’s Wednesday Roundup in which she did links to about a dozen writers who all offered their suggestions on how to write. May no longer does that. Which means I can happily step down from my little soap box and stop doing these how-to write blogs. Seriously, considering that I am not a published author, I feel a bit silly offering advice. This […]
How much SHOULD you let other writers influence you?
Clearly you don’t want to give up your own idea of a story in order to accommodate another writer’s idea. If you’re willing to do that then you might as well go around doing all the stories that non-writers perpetually offer to writers. “You know what you should write? You should write about my grandfather <or other relative, friend, favorite pet, or self> who <insert long boring monolog>.” But it really helps to get some feedback, and sometimes that feedback […]
Cocoa Conversion
It may not be a cookie, but it’s still sweet, and I thought the chocolate fit in with Valentine’s. When there isn’t any more hot cocoa mix on the shelf and the kids have come in from the snow shivering and looking pathetic, this is one way to please them. 5 T. cocoa 1 c. sugar 2 c. powdered milk Mix. Put about a quarter of a cup of mix into a tea cup. Poor boiling water into the tea […]
Validation. Who are you writing for?
Yesterday Sara made a commented on her blog about how silly the need for complements from other writers. I adamantly disagree. I’ve said it before and I’ll no doubt say it again. Writing for yourself is like playing tennis with a wall. There’s a kind of satisfaction on a primal level that comes from the feel of the ball hitting the racket, the success of having caused the ball to leave your control then return to it as it bounces […]
To My Son
My son likes to lick. Nothing I do makes him stop. So when he licked my hand, I rubbed it all over his face. He laughed and turned his head this way and that. We were having a pretty good time with it. I told him to lick my hand again because it was drying off, and he started blowing at it to dry it faster. He was so cute going “puff, puff, puff” on my hand. So I threatened […]
Suzie’s House 6: Back to Work
The tour of Suzie’s house ended right where it had begun. In the kitchen. Drew watched Suzie move to the stove where something good was cooking and turn all the burners back on. Conscientious woman, Suzie Hammacker. Drew liked that about her. Miranda, dressed in black leather and thigh-high boots, leaned against the counter to talk to Suzie. Lots of sex appeal there. Good fling material, were he so inclined. “I need to talk to you. In private.” Vin’s voice […]
Winter
Before we turn the weather front corner into spring, I’d like to offer one last tribute to winter. How would you like to sit here? Notice the van above? Now check out the other side of it. According to the email that had these pictures in it, these are all of Versoix Switzerland, a town near Geneva. The lake in the background is Leman Lake. Apparently the lakefront there looks like this every winter. . Alice
Where to Start A Story
Readers who haven’t tried their hand at writing tend to belittle the problem of where to start. They don’t see the characters lives starting out before the first word, or the little silly things like the way a character spends a day. The characters don’t live for them the way they might for a writer. From inside the lives of the characters it isn’t so clear where an event really begins. So how do we bridge the gap between the […]
When Should You Complain About Your Doctor?
Mr. Al thinks it should complain now. I’m not so sure. And really, my problem is with the receptionist more than with the doctor. See, the doctor said I had to see a specialist, and that the specialist in question would have his office contact me to set up an appointment. It never happened. So I called today to let my doctor know the specialist’s office didn’t call, which is what my doctor told me to do, and to see […]
Chocolate Chip Cookies
What could be more classic? Here’s my favorite, right off the chocolate chip bag. 😀 Those of you who know me are probably waiting for the alterations. I’m almost tempted to say “don’t mess with perfection” but perfection is a relative term. For instance my son won’t eat anything with nuts, so I generally just leave them out with no apparent harm to the recipe. They can even be made as given above without the chips and come out just […]
Moe and Joe
This joke is probably going to sound morbid, taken in context. But honest, it came in the mail yesterday and I thought what the heck. I’ll share. 😀 . Two 90 year old men, Moe and Joe, have been friends all of their lives. When it’s clear that Joe is dying, Moe visits him every day. One day Moe says, “Joe, we both loved baseball all our lives, and we played minor league ball together for so many years. Please […]
