There was a rainbow on my desk today! I tried to capture it, but it just didn’t work out with my stupid ol’ camera and the fast rate with which the mini-rainbow disappeared. I had the blinds open and an empty glass picture frame stood right in the sun’s rays. This created a mini-rainbow on my desk that extended right up to my laptop. Such a fun and sweet thing! I had kind of a rough day yesterday, so today’s mini-rainbow was much appreciated
I don’t get the shakes or anything when I don’t have a to-do list, but I do get a lot less done. The act of writing down my tasks for the day makes me more likely to actually do them. It’s not just a matter of remembering either. I know all the stuff I have to do everyday in order to make my weekly goals (I’m such a dork!), but for some reason, I find it very difficult to manage my time well if I don’t have my to-do list sitting in front of me on a piece of paper. My mind wanders, I can’t focus and it takes me longer to do stuff. Oh and if I didn’t get in a good meditation that morning, forget about it!
All of that is just to say that I didn’t make a to-do list this morning! Plus, yesterday was a tough day for me as far as writing. I write every single day, but sometimes it is truly a Herculean task to get these fingers tapping on the keyboard.
Tonight, I’m doing my to-do list for tomorrow and it’s going to be a friggin’ awesome day.
And so it is.
Did you have a wonderful dream last night? Well, work to make it come true!
I think this calendar is adorable. Check out the website.
I don’t know what it is about a new month that makes me feel a little better. Sure, it’s another round of bills, but it’s also like a clean slate in a way. Sometimes, I like to set little 30/31-day goals for myself. I’ve found that big goals are oh so much more manageable if I break them down into actions/tasks that I can check off and see that I’m making progress.
But right now, I have a HUGE end of year goal of having the first draft of my novel completed. I know what I need to do to make that happen (ummm, write) and I’ve been focusing a lot of energy on that lately. Sometimes I enjoy writing it and sometimes I don’t, but I make time for it every single day.
I have a general rule of thumb that I stick to, which is to go to at least two networking events every month. This month though, I am setting a goal of going to some kind of networking event at least once a week. I think it’ll be good to get out there more often and talk to people outside of my usual circles. So, that’s my November goal.
Do you have any particular goals for this month or am I the only kooky lady who does such things?
Since it’s Halloween and all, how about reading some scary stories? One of my favorite scary books when I was little was “Scary Stories to tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz. If you’ve never read that, you are missing out. The stories are for kids and they’re just great scary stuff. Below, I’ve listed a few sites where you can read other tales of the spooky variety. Enjoy!
Are you up on Michaela Angela Davis? You’re really missing out if you’re not. Anywho, she has a piece on Essence.com about our fabulous first Lady Michelle Obama and what Mrs. Obama’s presence means for the image of black women. “Post-ho era” for that ass! (pun intended) Definitely a good read.
~Essence~
This shit right here is pure comedy. My esteemd (ahem) former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick took the stand recently to discuss his finances and the progress of him paying the $1 million in restitution that he owes the city of Detroit for his embarrassing antics. Well, Nino Brown…ummm, I mean Kilpatrick took the stand and acted the fool. The judge asked him who pays the rent on his Texas home (he moved there after the scandal) and he said he didn’t know. He said maybe his wife pays it, but he’s never really asked her and he also doesn’t know if his wife has a job or not. Yeah. Just read this. smh
~Detroit Free Press~
Would you ever ask your man to go half on your birth control pills? A blogger recently posed this question to her readers. What say you, LID readers?
~A Belle In Brooklyn~
Are you coordinating costumes with your honey bunny this Halloween? What are you gonna be?
~Get ‘Em Girls~
Perhaps I should preface this review by saying that I do not own many science fiction books. In fact, save for this book and maybe “Time Traveler’s Wife” if you want to get technical, all of the sci-fi books in my personal library are by Octavia Butler. She was an awesome writer and her work sets a very high bar for me in terms of sci-fi writing.
All of that said, I was not exactly wowed by M. John Harrison’s “Nova Swing,” but it is an interesting read. It’s a noir-ish futuristic tale in a world where people can planet hop, get tattoos that change and become “tailored” to be nearly invincible fighters, half-horse buggy pullers or prostitutes with all the “right” equipment.
The world that Harrison describes seems to be full of many interesting things, but for some reason, it takes a while for the book to get where it’s going. I had to force myself along at several points in the book (including the beginning) and at times it seems like there is jut not enough description. This is a crazy little world in this book. The reader needs to be able to visualize it.
The great thing about this book for me personally though, is that I am currently working on the draft of my first novel and though I don’t love this book, it has inspired me to think more about the “whys” in my own book.
In sci-fi, a lot of times the author is introducing the reader to something new. There are terms, laws and just general procedures that the writer must figure out how to communicate to the reader without turning the book into dry exposition. When you come across a term or an action in a sci-fi book that you are not familiar with, you automatically think “Well, why did that happen?” or “Why did that person say that?” and you try to use the text to deduce the answer. In non-sci-fi works we often take for granted the motivations of the characters, but as a writer, I need to be crystal clear on what motivates my characters. That sounds like a fairly simple idea, but it’s something that is easily lost when the story is unfolding and new plot twists jump on the page.
Also, that’s another great thing about sci-fi. It’s the perfect vehicle to discuss racism, sexism and all those other ridiculous isms. When you talk about pyschics, or people with purple eyes or kids with green hair being discriminated against, it’s easier to see the absurdity in all the “anti” movements as they apply to current society.
“Nova Swing” is not something I would recommend to someone who is new to science fiction, but a more seasoned sci-fi reader might find it enjoyable.
Read more of my book reviews on Good Reads.
Ooooh, I love this kind of mail! Here’s to you and I getting this kind of mail this week. 
