Winter days seems so cold and drab after the Christmas decorations are stowed away.

Writing: First drafts make me wonder why I think I can write a novel. Just because I've done it before doesn't make the journey easier. Less than thirty pages in and I'm mired in drifts of words and images. If it weren't for the energy and encouragement I get from talking with friends and other writers, I couldn't continue this trip. Thanks again and again.

An autobiography is self-indulgent. Daphne du Maurier

Writing: Writers don't need to pen memoirs, their past and views are in their writing. No one needs to know the specifics of a writer's life--memories can fuzz those--it's honesty that readers deserve.

There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein. Walter Wellesey "Red" Smith

It takes time to grow a story.

Writing: It would be easy if a book could be written on a schedule of so many pages of day. But each story needs time to grow-- for the characters to become real, for the setting to gel, for plots to evolve-- for a novel to be born.

Writing the first draft of a book is like looking at the wrong side of your side mirror and expecting to know where you're going.

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Why
should
writers
read?

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1. To learn pacing
2. To appreciate good writing and improve their own writing
3. To keep up with book trends
4. To better understand their genre.
5. Research
6. Because they love books
Six should be the most obvious. It's the most important since the other five follow it.

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense. Tom Clancy

Writing: Science fiction often requires the imagining of a world, whether alien or futuristic. But then again every novel inhabits a world imagined by its author. What is reality? Perhaps a figment of our imagination.

Okay, I still have to do my research and build my book's world.

Getting it in focus.

Writing: As I write the first draft of my novel, the story keeps veering off into different directions and I have to take the time to research and think in order to find my way. I can't reject any paths yet, as I'm still trying to bring the story into focus. For now I will have to count ideas rather than pages.

January: We take down decorations and clean--all to begin anew.

Writing: Sometimes you need to clear off your writing space to clear your mind. A fellow writer, Jeanne Klaver reminded me of this today. Thanks.

"Are you writing about me?" friends ask.

You may think your writer friends are modeling a character after you-don't worry your secrets are safe. True, a mannerism, a quirk, the clothes you prefer may appear. But although the character has a cat and hates mushroom pizza, she isn't you. No one wants to knows a friend as thoroughly as he has have to know his characters.

Everyone in the pool!

Writing: Either you write or you don't. Saying you have a great idea for novel doesn't count. Get wet. Get writing.

Today I had to revise a section of my previous book.

Writing: Writers 'rest' their manuscripts before doing a final revision. That means putting the manuscript aside for awhile. When the writer returns he sees his novel through the eyes of a reader. Spell checks errors, remnants of deleted and awkward sentences become evident. no longer married to every word, the writer can tackle bigger problems like rearranging scenes, losing character, anything that doesn't work for the reader he is now.

"Curiosity has its own reason for existence. The important thing is not stop questioning." Albert Einstein

Writing: We have to ask our characters not only what are you going to do but why. No one is all evil and everyone believes their actions are right.

Writing: Once you start to write regularly the story moves step by step. The trick is to know where your going--the ending--and then be willing take it each step no matter how slow the writing gets.

Writing: You throw everything in the first draft -- trying to flesh out the story and understand your characters. As order arises from this chaos, images and themes are discovered that will transform the writing in the later revisions.

If science fiction is the mythology of of modern technology, then its myth is tragic. --Ursula K. Le Guin

Often works of literary science fiction are transformed into cinema. Can you guess who wrote the book or short story these movies came from:

1. Next

2. 2001, A Space Odyssey

3. 2010

4. Total Recall

5. Minority Report

6. I, Robot

7. Blade Runner

8. Destination Moon

9. Soylent Green

10 Starship Troopers

11. A Scanner Darkly

12. Screamers

13. The Puppet Masters

14. The Running Man

Answers:::

1. Not Micheal Crichton, Philip K. Dick " The Golden Man"

2. of course-Arthur c. Clarke

3. Gave you this one, Arthur C. Clarke, " 2010: the Year We Made Contact"

4. Philip K. Dick, "We Can Remember If for You Wholesale."

5. Philip K. Dick

6. Isaac Asimov

7. Philip K. Dick, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

8. Robert A. Heinlein

9. Harry Harrison, "Make Room! Make Room!" (no cannibalism!)

10. Robert A. Heinlein

11. You just guessing-- Philip K.Dick

12. Philip K. Dick, "Second Variety"

13. Robert A. Heinlein

13. Richard Bachman (that's Stephen King)

Scoring:

1-4, You could have gotten 5 answering Dick every time!

5-9, Expand your horizons. Read more science fiction.

10-13, Smart, but did you know the titles of the works that spawn the movies?

14 , I bow to your knowlege.

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My office.

I miss it. Since this room is over the garage and expensive to heat I don't use it in the winter.

Writing: If you want to write, you can write anywhere. I'm at my laptop. For now my office is the den. Tomorrow it could be a bookstore or the kitchen. What's important is that I'm writing.

Writing: As a reader I don't like vague endings. I don't want to put down a book and wonder what I read. A book needs to feel complete. Occasionally a book can be read from two levels and feel complete from both. "Life of Pi" is a clear, contemporary example. But a writer shouldn't confuse their own indecision and lack of conviction or skill with producing a multilevel book. Know what you're doing. The reader isn't going to figure it out for you.

Science Fiction: The sequel to Arthur C. Clarke's 2001 is his 2010. Now might be an interesting time to read it, although we don't travel to Jupiter, know aliens, etc. Science fiction writers seem to be optimistic and ambitious, while humanity seems to move at a snail's space. Perhaps a re-read of 1984 would be a good idea.

Writers need other writers.

Last night Jonathan Maberry spoke at my writers' group. His enthusiasm and encouragement has put my writing resolutions into gear. Check jonathanmaberry.com

Writing: Lucky for unpublished writers, successful writers want to share their love of the craft. They enjoy sharing tips and advice. It's all a part of the magic of books.

Writing: Sometimes a story shines so brightly it's difficult to discern its elements, and delineate characters and even setting. Catching light would be easier.

Writing: Don't be afraid to explore the depths of your plot and characters.

Writers don't march in step with the rest of world--that's why they see what others miss.

Visions of a trip to Florida are dancing in my head. I go for two weeks to visit my mother.

Writing: I make lists. Mundane items like picking up milk and making bread out of old bananas are written alongside of revising my query and research for the next book. Some chores take a minute while others take hours. I write best when I should be mopping the kitchen floor and vice versus. Perhaps that's the yin and the yang of writing. With the list, I get a sense of accomplishment when I check off routine chores while I'm pushed to write. Eventually it all gets done--the banana bread, the query, the next list...

More than twenty years ago my husband planted a cane of the corn plant, or dracaena fragrans. I've had to dust it and pull off the dead leaves. Then a month ago the plant flowered. The blooms opened at night nearly suffocating me. If not moved or re-potted, I can look forward to the plant blooming annually.

Writing: After a year and half of work on a book, I have to compose a query letter and condense a three hundred page book to a two page synopsis only to have an agent read a sentence and decide he just didn't love my book or that it isn't the flavor of the month. Instead of wasting my time on some wild goose chase, I would rather write another novel, unraveling the mysteries of a new story. But since lightening does strike and old corn plants do occasionally blossom I will query agents with my science fiction book. (But I'm really excited about the next one.)