The hard part

No, not that hard part. Get your minds out of the gutter, people!





I’m in Scotland this week, blogging in absentia. While DG and AC visit with the in-laws, I’m working on revisions.

It’s appropriate, in a way, that I’m revising this book in Scotland, as I finished this book in Scotland many moons ago. (For those of you new to the blog, I play Miss America chaperone to AC and escort her overseas every summer. I use that time to write. Usually.)

Once the euphoria of “I don’t suck” waned, I was faced with the prospect of actually revising. I knew it would be a major undertaking—not just a tweak here or there or just a rearranging of scenes. Pretty much everything after about chapter four would have to be cut or completely rewritten. Yikes.

The first cut—the stuff I knew had to go—took my book from 56k to 18.5k in two quick keystrokes. I had to go lie down in a dark room after that.

Once that nausea passed, I knew I was on the right track. Until now, I lacked the distance necessary to objectively evaluate what was really in this book. Of course the book was dragging—I stretched the action out over eight freaking months. (Yes, if you’d asked me if that was a good idea for your book, I would have told you no way. My book, however, was special and that rule didn’t apply.) That supporting cast of interesting and quirky characters—complete with backstory for each—had to go. Needless to say, the scenes written from their points of view also had to be slashed.

What can I say—it was my first book and I’ve learned a lot since then. ~shrug~

Let’s just say that the first cut is the deepest, and while it may be painful, it can improve your book exponentially.

Then, of course, came the question of what will I do now? The Beautiful Editor did give me some suggestions, and after much personal angst, I decided which ideas I could use to create an actual plot past page 50.

Then, just as I’d come (almost) to terms with all that was cut, I started wondering what I might be able to keep. Can I salvage that wonderful scene I love in chapter ten? Maybe I can work some of it in in chapter six? It’s a great scene—full of angst and self-discovery. Maybe a few tweaks will make it work in the revised version.

Or, maybe since it’s “cut” right now, I should leave it as such.

I’m not saying this is easy, but it’s a growing experience for me as a writer. I’m really trying to push myself to go deeper with these characters and their story, because I do love them and want them to have their chance to see the world.

But it’s tough, trying to figure out if I’m making this book better or worse with the revisions. Honestly, at this point, I’m not sure.

But the only way out is through, so I’m slogging along, unsure if this is the best stuff I’ve ever written or if I’m a complete talentless hack. I guess I’ll find out once I finish it and send it off to Beautiful Editor, huh?

So send creative thoughts my way, okay? And maybe today would be a good day to practice our affirmations. I’ll start: “I don’t suck. I don’t suck. This book is great.”



Your turn. What’s your affirmation?





PC

Behind The Scenes Look

WE'RE BACK!!!

I must say that Scotland was more beautiful than I could have imagined. There is something so awe-inspiring about seeing in 3D what you've only seen in books before. And the wonderful conversations and experiences that come with seeing it with friends. This truly was an awesome trip.

Since my jet-lagged brain can't come up with anything else (all I can think about is the trip and being with my family again), I thought I'd talk about a few Behind The Scenes happenings. Since we wrote our blogs before we left, they didn't include some of the funny, embarrassing, or memorable experiences we had. I hope these entertain you a bit today:

1. Never underestimate jet lag, combined with insomnia and motion sickness. Unfortunately I did and got up close and personal with the thistles on the side of the road outside Glasgow. Puking is not a great way to start the Vacation of a Lifetime.

2. Smarty Pants + Ambien = A Surreal Eating Experience. The Ambien kicked in while we were being served dinner on the plane. It was late because we sat on the tarmac for 2 hours waiting to take off. She was very funny.

3. Note to self: I'm allergic to stinging nettle. Those emerging whelps weren't pretty. Thank goodness Smarty Pants carries Anti-Allergy meds with her.

4. It is kind of hard to sleep and eat on a schedule when the sun comes up around 4am and goes down after 10pm. But you can get in a lot of sight-seeing that way.

5. I love Scotland's version of bacon, scones with clotted cream and jam, and PC's mother-in-law's rhubarb cobbler and meringues. I don't care for haggis.

6. I abhor flying all day, and don't particularly care for the airline we used. I also don't like the idea of people going through my things, especially when they abscond with one of my packages of shortbread.

7. Scotland has a very weird taste in chips, which they call crisps. I brought my husband home Roasted Chicken, Steak and Onion, and Prawn Cocktail flavors.

8. PC is awesome driving on the wrong side of the road, except when tour buses decide to drift into her lane. That leads to some interesting curse words. She also performed some pretty nifty parking.

9. Dramamine is my friend.

10. The sight of my children's faces when we met in the airport will live with me forever. Remembering still makes me cry.

Angel

P.S. Tomorrow Kelley St. John will be visiting the Playground!

P.P.S. Thanks so much for all the comments while we were gone. Once I've recovered from the jet lag, I'll be going over the past posts and choosing a winner for my contest. Stay tuned!!!

Whoa There!

Our trip to Scotland has almost come to an end. Tonight, we drive back to Glasgow, where we're staying in a hotel before catching our early flight back to the US. Today, we're taking it easy (in comparison) and catching anything we might have missed in Inverary since a big chunk of our first day there was spent on our mini-adventure.


Mind you, my definition of adventure is loose. Very loose.

Whenever I go to someplace I'm likely not to come back to, I always try to do three things. One, I try to buy myself one small, special item that I can only get there. I'm not inclined to load up on Scotland t-shirts and teddy bears in kilts, etc. I'm very selective. I always buy a magnet for my fridge, an ornament for my Christmas tree, and something special (and usually expensive) just for me. Second, I try to sample the regional foods and drinks, regardless of what my picky palate may have to say about it. I have to at least try it, even if I high tail it back to the Munich McDonald's later that afternoon. Third, I have to do that special thing, regardless of cost or potential cheese factor, that is outside of the norm, outside of my comfort-zone - something I can't do back at home. Hence - adventure of some sort or another.

When I went to Austria, I took the very creepy hillside train up to the Salzburg Fortress and spent a fortune on crystal from the actual Swarovski factory. I ate this horrible white sausage in Munich, knowing full well what was in it and drank beer because that's just what they do. When I went to Alaska, I went kayaking in the ocean and blew big bucks on whale watching and hot stone massages. I ate salmon, although it isn't my favorite, because it should be the best, freshest salmon I'd ever eat. When I went to the Bahamas, I swam with manta rays, drank lots of rum and let little island girls overcharge me to braid a few strands of my hair with beads. If I went to Venice, I'd have to ride in a gondola. In Paris, I'd have to climb to the top of Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower. You've just got to do it because the chance may never come up again.

In Scotland, I will probably have taken at least one bite of haggis and one sip of Scottish whisky. I'll probably stop there, but I will have done it. (I do reserve the right to change my mind about this, however.) I will have bought myself some beautiful celtic jewelry and maybe a wool or cashmere sweater. As for the adventure - its going to be horseback riding through the Scottish countryside. I know you're thinking that I live in the country and that riding horses is commonplace, but I'll tell you - this city girl hasn't ridden a horse in 20 years. It isn't something I do everyday and it certainly isn't ever going to be through the Scottish hills, even if I took up riding when I came home.


There's several places that ofter "Pony Trekking" through the Inveraray Argyll countryside and the shores of Loch Fyne. The one we're going with is called Brenfield Farms. I've ridden on a horse once. When I was 8. It says the riders do not need to be experienced for the tour we're taking. They'd better mean it. If that horse so much as trots, I'm likely to take a head dive into Loch Fyne, if not a rocky crag. Instigator mentioned something about them not using real saddles - some English thing that means there's little for me to grip to in abject fear. Should be fun! :)

Even if my horse does have a mind of its own and does something crazy, it will be memorable at the very least. A great two page layout in my scrapbook to remember the trip. Then I can say I did something very cool in Scotland that most people haven't done. Hopefully we won't be too saddle sore.

What has been your biggest travel adventure? Have you flown in a helicopter over a Hawaiian volcano? Swam with dolphins? Rode on a donkey to the bottom of the Grand Canyon? If you haven't got a story to share, what is your dream travel adventure? Share your story and one commenter will get a Scotland magnet for their fridge.

P.S. from PM
They're coming home tomorrow! And I won't be here! I guess I'll catch up with them via email over the weekend and in person next week.

Eye of the Beholder

Either I've terribly mis-guestimated my longhand word count or it's not going to take 6000 words to tell this story because I'm nearing the end. Yay! But I like to at least end up around 5000 words because that gives me a check with a nice round number -- provided they buy it that is.

3,100 / 6,000 (51.7%)

Far East

Today we're traveling to Callander, the Trossachs and Loch Lomand. We've got a jam packed day full of castles, cathedrals and Rest and Be Thankful. The area itself is huge and there are a million different dirrections we could go in.

We're planning to visit Doune Castle of Monty Python and the Holy Grail fame. SP is very excited (as we all are) to visit this important site. :-) I'm very certain there will be many quotes from the movie as we tour the castle.

Next, we're hitting Dunblane Cathedral a church with it's beginnings dating back to 600 AD. For someone from a country less than 250 years old, that's just mindboggling.

Then we're heading over to Lochleven Castle the site of Mary Queen of Scots imprisonment. It was here that Mary was forced to abdicate her throne to her son James.

Next, we're planning to drive through the Trossachs National forest, by Loch Lomand and up to a place called Rest and Be Thankful. According to PC, it's a spot at the very top of a hill. Once there, you're supposed to rest, look at the vista around you, and be thankful that everything is downhill from here :-) Of course, we're driving up there instead of walking. I'm still planning to be suitably thankful (that I didn't have to walk).

Tell me what you're most thankful for. There will of course be prizes.

Instigator

P.S. from PM

Here's the latest word count on "Eye of the Beholder." The writing is going better now. It's all just a guestimate at best since it's all written in longhand right now.

2,125 / 6,000 (35.4%)

Tuesday in Scotland

Today is a another busy day. We spent last night in Inverness at a B&B, and have to be up at the crack of dawn for our day trip to Orkney. The coach leaves at 7.30 am.

Yikes.

We’ll cruise from Inverness up to John O’Groats—which is about as far north as you can be on mainland Scotland. There, we board a ferry for a 40-minute trek even further north to Orkney. (My mom, my aunt and I did this day trip many moons ago. It’s a “running tour” where you don’t spend a lot of time at any one place. More of a “taste of” as opposed to a “full meal.”)

Since we’re on a tour, all we have to do is sit back and enjoy the scenery. Places we’re going and things we’ll see include:

Skara Brae: A Neolithic village inhabited from 3200-2200 BC and remarkably well-preserved.

Standing stones: Okay all you Outlander fans—we’ll be visiting not one, but two sets of standing stones on Orkney (and pretty close to the Solstice too. Guess we’d better be careful!) One is called the called the Ring of Brodgar

And the other is the henge monuments and both date from the Neolithic period.

A stop in Kirwall will provide a quick lunch and shopping and a chance to see the Cathedral there.

There’s some driving sightseeing—Orkney was important during the war so there’s some military history—but one stop will be the Italian Chapel, an amazing church built by Italian prisioners of war in 1943. The pictures here don't do it justice. Check out the site.

And if we're lucky, we'll get to see some puffins.

Another ferry ride and coach ride back to Inverness, then the long trek back to Glen Orchy. If we’re lucky, we’ll be home around 11.30. I just hope no one wants to be up too early tomorrow.

PC

P.S. from PM

Ha! I've seen puffins in Alaska. They're so cute. I hope the Playfriends and Miss Rhonda get to see some. Remind me to tag along on their next Scotland trip. These sights today are just too cool (not that the others haven't been).

P.P.S. The winner of a nifty Writing Playground pen from Saturday when we were heading for 50,000 hits is ..... Nini! Send your snail mail info to the Playground Monitor and I'll get that pen out to you as soon as I get back home.

A Hunting We Will Go...

For the Loch Ness Monster, that is. Today we trek to Loch Ness, hoping for a glimpse of the famous Nessie.

And it looks like we have a great chance of seeing her. Recently, an amateur scientist caught what is believed to be video of the famous monster. Very Cool!

My daughter has given me specific instructions to bring her home a stuffed Nessie, which we saw online while searching for pictures. I shall endeavor to succeed, just in case I can't get a picture of the real thing.





After scoping out the old girl, we'll drive further along Loch Ness to Culloden. There we'll visit the Battlefield, Exhibition, and Visitor Center that memorializes over 1300 Jacobites and Government soldiers killed in the last battle to take place on Scottish soil. The entire battle lasted only an hour. Mass graves here are simply marked by clan, though the coming government strictures brought about the breakdown of the clan system.

Then it is on to Inverness, where we hope to visit the Inverness Castle, rumored to be linked with the murder of King Duncan featured in Shakespeare's play MacBeth.

Across the river is Saint Andrew's Cathedral and several historical houses, then it's off to the B&B for some sleep. We'll have a very early morning, so turning in on time is imperative. :)

While you are waiting for our return, you can go on a hunt for Nessie yourself. Check out this live webcam located on Loch Ness.

Talking with my daughter about the Loch Ness monster has made me think a lot about various "monsters" in our culture. We watch the Adams Family and Munsters a lot on TV Land. There are all those old B movies of the Swamp Thing and giant radioactive ants. Paranormal is really popular right now, but I'm talking about old school monsters. There's even another Nessie-type monster seen in one of the Great Lakes called Champ.

What's your favorite "monster" story, from when you were a kid or old movies or tv shows? I'll choose my favorite to win some paranormal books and a Nessie trinket when I return.



Angel

P.S. from PM

Y'all are doing a great job of keeping me company. I've hardly missed the Playfriends at all. I should have gotten a bunch of writing done this weekend but I just vegged instead. And read 2 books. And went for a motorcycle ride with the hubby yesterday. Tomorrow I resume the hunt for the perfect Rita dress. Stay tuned for details.

A Scottish Weekend

Our weekend in Scotland will have some definite highlights!

We'll start off Saturday by taking the bus through Edinburgh and on to Rosslyn Chapel. For those of you familiar with the movie The DaVinci Code, this is the chapel at the end where Sophie meets her family.

Founded in 1446 by the St. Clair Prince of Orkney, it is a smaller portion of what was to have been a larger structure. It wasn't completed after the death of the Prince, but what remains is undeniably beautiful.



I particularly love the inscription on the Apprentice Pillar, "Wine is strong a King is stronger, women are stronger still, but truth conquers all." The master mason who began carving the pillar left for Rome to receive further guidance as to completing it, but upon his return found that his apprentice had continued working to the pillar's completion. The master was so angry that he killed the young man, thus earning the pillar its name.

After finishing up in Edinburgh, we'll travel to our home base along the Glen Orchy river and get settled. The next day we'll take in Inveraray. The castle there looks gorgeous. Check out the website, it's interactive and you can view various rooms on the web. We might also check out the Maritime Museum, restored jail, or whatever takes our fancy.



Check back in on Monday for a chance to win a paranormal prize pack that includes a Nessie souvenir. And don't forget our "Keep Marilyn Company" contest, going on all week!


Angel

P.S. from PM

1. No writing yesterday because the workmen came at 8:00 AM to install the lights on the front of the house and didn't finish untiol 3:00 PM. They were drilling and hammering and generally not conducive to writing. Once they left I headed for the campground, where perhaps I will be able to write. Perhaps.

2. The blog is very close to its 50,000th hit! We should reach that big milestone today. Yay us! I'll pick a commenter today to receive a fabuloso Writing Playground pen.

3. So what if the other Playfriends are seeing castles and chapels. I saw a dead deer by the roadside and a dust devil in a carwash parking lot. Not the same, huh?

It's Pronounced Ed-den-burra

Today, Instigator, PC, SP, Angel and Miss Rhonda are conquering the capital city of Edinburgh. We’re taking the bus into the city from our seaside B&B to the Royal Mile and Prince’s Street.

After much discussion, we decided that we are going to start our day at the Edinburgh Castle. This is the most famous Scottish castle. The oldest part, St Margaret's Chapel, dates from the 12th century; the Great Hall was erected by James IV around 1510; the Half Moon Battery by the Regent Morton in the late 16th century; and the Scottish National War Memorial was built after the First World War. The castle houses the crown jewels of Scotland, known as the Honours, the Stone of Destiny, the famous 15th century gun, Mons Meg, the One O' Clock Gun and the National War Museum of Scotland.

After we finish touring the castle, we’re going to make our way down the Royal Mile. There will be much shopping, whisky tasting at places like the famous Scotch Whisky Heritage Center, and touring of beautiful old buildings like the St. Giles’ Cathedral. A more grisly turn might take us to Mary King's Close. In 1645, plague victims were barricaded inside these narrow tenament rooms and left to die. City Chambers was later built on top of the closed off area and its said to be one of the most haunted places in Scotland.

At the other end of the Royal Mile is the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Founded as a monastery in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is The Queen's official residence in Scotland. Highlights include the royal apartments, with intricately carved plaster ceilings, floor-to-ceiling tapestries and mythological paintings. Most recently, a Gallery has been added.

This should take up the bulk of today. Fortunately, the sun doesn't set until about 10PM, so we can go as long as our little bodies (and gift shop hours) will let us. That evening, after a good Scottish dinner (maybe some haggis, maybe not) we may take one of the haunted Edinburgh tours - either the Murder & Mystery Tour or the Ghosts and Gore tour. From what I've heard, Edinburgh has a grisly and dark history, so there may be trouble sleeping tonight, despite being totally exhausted.

There are several live webcams set up around Edinburgh, so click to try and catch a peek of us (note the time change - Scotland is 6 hours ahead of CST!).

The streets of Edinburgh are thought to be haunted (and not just by the tourguides that jump out at you as you go by). Have you ever had a run-in with what you believed was a real ghost? If not, what's your favorite ghost story? One commenter will receive a spooky treat from a Royal Mile gift shop courtesy of me!

SP

P.S. from PM

Great travel stories yesterday!

And my writing ? Eh... Had to go to a picnic and then rushed home for workmen to install lights on my house. But when they got there they didn't have the lights. Communications snafu. They're back today, lights in hand and they knocked $50 off the job. Anyway, I only got a smidgeon written. Maybe I can write today.

More Than Enough Woman

800 / 6,000 (13.3%)

Arriving in Glasgow

This morning our plane touched down on Scottish soil. I can only imagine how excited (and possibly exhausted after hours in a plane) we're going to be. From this moment on our feet are pretty much flying. We've only given ourselves 10 days in the country and we're packing everything possible second.

Today we're picking up our rental car, visiting the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow and then heading for our B&B in Portabello. If we can still function once we get there we're planning a nice dinner and a walk along the beach. We'll see :-)

Please pray that all five of us - including our luggage - can fit into the rental car. PC has become the luggage nazi (although I secretly admit I need one). I have been instructed no more than 3 pairs of shoes. You know, to look at me you probably wouldn't expect I'd be a luggage hog but...looks can be deceiving I suppose.

I've been looking forward to this trip for months. I can only imagine how amazing it's going to be to finally get there.

Tell me your favorite trip story. Is there someplace you always dreamed of visiting and finally got to? Or is there someplace special you're dying to go?

After I get back I'll pick one post to win some books from my stash.

Instigator

P.S. from the Playground Monitor

Congrats to ChristyJan for winning my "Favorite Word" contest from yesterday. Okay, so I know that Anais Anais isn't really a word, but I laughed all day over that one. Email me at playgroundmonitor@writingplayground.com and let me know which of the three books you'd like. Include your snail mail address too.

P.P.S. from PM

I started a new story today and y'all need to help keep me writing. I'll be posting a wordcount meter so you can track my progress.


More Than Enough Woman

750 / 6,000 (12.5%)

Goodies galore to be given away...

As Angel, Instigator, Smarty Pants, and I rush around with last minute packing, here's a reminder to our faithful blog readers that there's goodies to be had...

Keep Marilyn Company: With the four of us gone for ten days, poor Marilyn will have no one to monitor. We need you to keep her in tip-top whistle-blowing condition. We'll be giving away presents from our trip (and, of course, there are books to be had!) to Honorary Playfriends who step up to the plate and keep Marilyn from missing us too badly. Comment on the blog. Send fun emails to playgroundmonitor@writingplayground.com. Keep her busy for us. Winners will be chosen when we return.

Ask Us (Almost) Anything: Don't forget to send your burning questions about the personal lives of the Playfriends to me at problemchild@writingplayground.dom. We'll choose our favorites to answer and post those answers while we're away at the RWA National Conference in July. If we chose your question to answer, you'll win a prize! Keep those questions coming!