Writing Wrongs

All I Want Is You

I found this one over at Book-a-Rama.

Here’s what you do:

Set your Mp3 player on shuffle and write the title of the first song that comes up as an answer to each question no matter how stupid it sounds…(savvy? Here we go.)

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY?” YOU SAY?
Angel of Harlem, by U2 (that’s a weird answer)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Temptation, by Tom Waits (honestly, I wouldn’t)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Extreme Ways, by Moby (ha, ha, this one actually makes sense)

HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW?
She’s So High, by Tal Bachman (no, I am not)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, by U2 (but apparently I’ve found every U2 song)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Take Me Out, by Franz Ferdinand (I have some demanding friends, no?)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
True, by Spandau Ballet (I think this is a good answer, it could be worse, no?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN?
Walking on the Moon, by The Police (I’m not sure I’ve ever thought of that)

WHAT IS 1+1?
Don’t Leave Home, by Dido (It must be that new math)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle, by Cake (too funny)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Original of the Species, by U2 (When Charity isn’t being original, she’s clearly listening to U2)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LOVE?
Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money), by the Pet Shop Boys (Snort)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Longview, by Green Day (Whatever)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Black Coffee in Bed, by Squeeze (Caffeine is my life)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
The Other Side, by David Gray (Strangely appropriate, freakishly so, even)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, by The Police (Bet you didn’t know I was magic)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Tangled Up in Blue, by Bob Dylan (you guys are all tangled up)

WHAT IS THE THEME SONG TO YOUR LIFE?
Leaving New York, by R.E.M (I’ve only been there once)

WHAT DESCRIBES YOU?
Rio, by Duran Duran (I’ve got nothing for this)

WHAT WILL YOU NAME THIS POST?
All I Want is You, by U2 (I know. Again with the U2)

Oh, I have a blog …

Perhaps I should write in it once in a while.

Actually, I have been writing. How much, I’m not sure, because I kind of lost count, but I think I’m up 10,000 words for the week. And since I left MacKenna and Landon in serious pre-make out mode, I should get back to them.

Last night, we had Chinese take out for dinner. Favorite part is the fortune cookie. Kyra got something about her generosity, which Andrew snorted at, seeing as she took the last two pieces of lemon chicken and wouldn’t share. Andrew will bring sunshine into someone’s life. Mine said … wait for it:

You will become an accomplished writer.

I’m not making this up. I’ll scan it, too, if anyone would like proof. But first, I need to get back to MacKenna and Landon. First, there’s that whole pre-make out deal. And of course, before you can become an accomplished writer, you need to accomplish some writing.

Geektastic … meet world

The line edits … they are here.

Note to to Darcy: Don’t worry, she did NOT write on every page.

Last page = intact.

Master debater line (hee, hee) = intact.

The rest, I think, is negotiable.

Note to everyone else: At some point, I’m sure I’ll get a hold of myself and stop recording every tiny step in this process. I wouldn’t count on that being any time soon.

Pen name? Let me show you them

So, our agent (!!!) suggested Darcy and I should brainstorm a snappy name to write under, since most YA novels are published with a single author name on them. This, actually, was something we’d anticipated, so no surprises here.We didn’t anticipate that everyone would want to help.

Andrew came up with Morgan Meyers. He came up with other names, too, which I suspect are characters from the Transformers movie.

Bob thought up several he put in an email. Unfortunately, the email got caught in one of the many spam filters somewhere in the internets. Sadly, I never saw said email. Maybe this is just as well.

Kyra suggested: “Charity and Darcy likes each other.” This, while true, is difficult to file alphabetically.

We did think up a name, but we’ll keep it under wraps for now. (I know. The suspense.) We need to run it by our agent (!!!), plus, these things can and do change, so we don’t want to grow too attached, or be premature about it.

We do like it. I’m hoping it sticks.

Over at the Noodlers today

I’m blogging today over at the Wet Noodle Posse, all about final round judging in the Golden Heart.

It was fun to research/write this blog. Although, honestly, all I did was ask the questions. Stephani Fry, Projects Coordinator for RWA, did all the work in answering.

In other news:

Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading: line-edits are in the (snail) mail, on their way to us (or rather, me) from our agent (!!!). I may have to take a picture. And post it. And yes, I am that geeky. Did you not see the title to the manuscript?

Other writing: 12,000 words and counting. No, I’m not doing National Novel Writing blah-blah-blah month. But it explains why this entry is short and why I might be a scarce for the next few days.

Revenge of the flying monkey mom

So, the other day when Andrew went roller skating, he brought back two flying monkeys (uh, stuffed ones, not the real deal from Oz), one brown for him, and one pink for Kyra.

They (the monkeys, not the kids) have little capes and masks and rubber bands in their arms. Their little hands are pockets, so you can slip your fingers in there, pull back on their tails, and zing! They fly across the room.

Upon landing, however, the make the most hideous noise known to mankind. I am tempted to fling one at the floor, record it, and post it here to prove it is the most hideous noise known to mankind.

As you’ve probably guessed, it’s all I’ve been hearing for the past few days, because while it’s the most hideous noise known to mankind, it is also the noise guaranteed to make kids laugh.

So, the other morning, when the kids wouldn’t budge from bed, I went in search of the flying, hideous-noise-making monkeys (one under the dining room table, the other next to the bathroom sink). Then, loving mom that I am, I flung the flying monkeys at the kids.

Monkeys hit child; monkeys make the most hideous noise known to mankind. Child wakes up laughing.

So much for revenge.

Snow princess riot, film at 11

So, we walked into school this morning, with me, carrying Kyra’s snow princess costume on a hanger, and caused a small riot.

Everyone oohed and ahed. Or rather, the adults did. The little boys strutted around and acted tough. The little girls crowded around the dress and declared it the best costume ever. Kyra took it all in with a shy, but very pleased, smile on her face.

Like I’ve said, she knows how to dress. Chalk one up for the snow princess costume.

The fifth and six graders don’t get to dress up. They do get some “drop everything and read” time, plus roller skating. Andrew’s been doing some calculations for extra book projects (turn in twelve and you get to go to Valley Fair at the end of the school year). He’s turned in a couple, done some extra credit projects that substitute for a book project. By his calculations, he figures reading Harry Potter 5 will take care of the rest.

He’s on page 12, but hanging in there so far.

Tonight we’ll go trick or treating, but that means we won’t be home to hand out candy. This would be bad except hardly anyone comes to our house and we live in the sort of neighborhood where you can leave a bowl of candy on the front step and everyone will politely take one or two pieces and that’s it.

So, minus any riots started by snow princess sightings, it should be a good night.

Do you have a good style?

Talk about quiz serendipity. Jen asked about my “style” yesterday and whether I, like the marvelous Miss B., am/ever was a fashion plate. Or as we like to call it around here, a fashion girl.

Your Fashion Style is Classic

You like what’s stood the test of time…
Simple, well styled clothes that don’t scream trendy
You stay updated and modern, but your clothes stay in style for a while
You wouldn’t be caught in animal prints, fake fur, or super bright colors

What Kind of Fashionable Woman Are You?

Miss B on the other hand, would be caught in animal prints, fake fur, and super bright colors–on a regular basis.

Every night, we pick out a “good style” for her to wear to school the next day. This is vital. This circumvents the whole: Mommy, I have nothing to wear! crisis. I know. She’s five and she has nothing to wear? Thirteen years of this? Not happening.

You pick out your good style. You wear it. So says drill sergeant mommy.

On most days.

Constantly A-mazed

Today’s adventure involved a trip to the combined apple orchard/pumpkin patch/corn maze at Afton Apples. They also have a petting zoo and a playground. As you’ve probably guessed, we’re talking nonstop fun. If you want, you can run the movie they have on the Afton Apples website and view said fun.

Once we turned off all the main highways and hit the two lane, real farm-type country roads, the kids got really excited. Kyra bounced in her seat and said:

“Oh, look, Mommy! It’s the place where aliens can land their spaceships!”

What did she see?

A cornfield.

I think a few more trips to the country may be in order.

We also drove by another relic of Americana–the drive-in movie theater, a concept Andrew found fascinating.

A few pictures from today. I’m going to (try to) place the majority under a cut, but I’m not sure it will work.