Word 2007

I got a beta version of Word 2007 from my friend B. at Microsoft. It was actually a give-a-way at our meeting tonight for the IT Pro group I work with, but I asked really nicely if I could have it since there were SO many items to give away and he said sure. He also told me I'd LOVE the new Outlook and he's right! I DO!

I'm also finding the new version of Word is much easier to use than I anticpated. I haven't had any problems using it and for writers it is much easier to use for word counts and editing than Word 2003 (which I still love).

So, for those of you out there that want to try something different, give a new perspective to your writing without starting a new work, why not download the beta version of Office 2007 and start using it? My version is good until February 2007 (the new proposed release date of the software) but I have to be ready to present "why implement the new office" for September.

Maybe I should just try to write about Techie stuff instead of these romantic ramblings I want to get out.

Speaking of romantic, my hubby is sawing logs, literally! and just listening to that rhythmic in/out sawing is driving me NUTS! LOL I think I'll stick my headphones on and put a groovey 70's radio station on my iTunes.

What's with the Antagonist

I'm working on an idea...but I have to get it straight in my head and thought perhaps it would be good to jot down some items...just some ramblings about the idea.

Antagonist:
Function: noun
1 : one that contends with or opposes another : Adversary, Opponent

So here's where I'm going with this...

In romantic fiction, would you consider the male love interest of a female lead character to be the antagonist?

Of course it would totally be dependant on the premise behind the story, the action that takes place and how willing he is to participate in a romantic encounter with our sex-crazed heroine, but couldn't the female lead ALSO be the antagonist of the story as well as being the protagonist?

Is it written anywhere that states in order to have a good story you have to have a protagonist, an antagonist and that they can't be the same person?

I wonder sometimes, as I believe I have a female friend who is both a protagonist and the antagonist in her own life...which tends to cause her problems romantically.

Hmm....now there's an idea. I could use her as a character. I don't think I'd make her the main character, but maybe a mid character. Yes, for sure! She could show everyone why they make the choices they do and why she doesn't!

I'm off to jot that idea down and some great dialogue ideas I have for it too!

Happy Birthday to Me

so for my birthday this year I aksed for a few little odds and ends...a scrapbook from Creative Memories, a few little tools, an MP3 player, and another memory stick.

I got the scrapbook stuff from my folks, and my family gave me a memory stick. I was so happy as I use my other two memory sticks all the time...they are both full and since I do use them I didn't want to clean them off.

The idea behind this new memory stick (USB thumb drive) is that I can use it for my writing.

I've got a word doc with all the ideas on it so that I can jot down my ideas anytime they spring into my head (as long as I have a computer handy).

The other item I've taken to using lately is my Blackberry. I use the memo portion and synchronlize it with my laptop so that I have the file on my laptop in Outlook and on my mobile device that way if I can update either one I'll have everything when I synchronize in both locations.

It's almost like an extra present.

Not Getting Very Far

GRRRRR....

I think I need a writing buddy to help me out.

I'm just not giving 100% to this. OK, let's be honest, I'm not even giving 1% to this.

The time just doesn't seem to be there for me, it's one crisis after another and with the long days I've had at work and the travel time back and forth to the big "smoke", I'm too tired to write anything at all. In fact this is my first blog in months, and I did this because I didn't want to do my email.

F- is the grade I've given myself for effort in doing something I thought I wanted to do. I thought that if I wanted it bad enough I'd be able to find the time to do it, but that just doesn't seem to be so.

I can feel me falling....

There's that rut I've fallen into.

You know that one that keeps you from doing everything you've ever dreamed of because you can't say no? And I'm not sure I can get out of this particular wheel rut.

I have, yet again, taken on more than any superwoman can handle. I just wonder if this time I can stay sane while I try to work in all the things I need to do for my day job, I'm studying for a Microsoft Certification exam and it's SO HARD - I don't remember university being like this!, I've got to deal with my clients, finish up the contract I've been work in on in the big "Smoke", that means very long days, very short nights, and no time for the necessities, you know, laundry, meals, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, cutting the lawn, tidying up after everyone in my house, cleaning the kitty litter...

It really sucks when you have to wash your underwear in the sink and hang it on the shower stall because you don't have time to put on the washer and the dryer is full of those clothes you forgot to DRY when you changed the laundry last night.

And on top of all that, all I want to do is get started on writing more than two quick sentences to remind myself of an idea I had for a story to write. At this point, I'd be happy to write a paragraph, which could explain why I'm here doing this while my hubby sleeps so peacfully beside me!

Hey, just writing it down has made it all seem OK. It's not so bad as I imagined it to be. There is light at the end of the tunnel becuase my contract will be finished at the end of this week, school will be out and my girl will be able to do some of the light house keeping duties, hubby gets some holidays so he'll be able to help out (maybe, if he gets his ass off the chesterfield long enough!) and my work website needs updating so he better freaking get at least that done!

Ah, I feel so much better, breaking my things to do into little pieces makes it so much more manageable!

A Berry Nice Mother's Day

My family gave me a really great gift for Mother's Day!

I got a BlackBerry and I'm so excited! (I would have been happy with a Windows Mobile device to which would have integrated with my Small Business Server (aka SBS2003) but I didn't really care which I got.

Now I have to find a million reasons to use it for things other than a cellular phone...there's the calendar, the tasklist and the address list, all of which integrate with my Outlook. Then there is the web browser which allows me to remotely connect to my SBS2003, and the calculator and the ability to instant message with Yahoo and the QWERTY keypad that makes it easy to type and on and on and on...

I'm very excited about my new toy...I'm going to find a few ways to use it to make it easier to write. I could likely use the calendar and the reminders to set time aside for writing and let me know when the time begins or ends...it's really amazing.

It does everything but get my coffee...

Not keeping up

Well I've got about 25 or so solid ideas that would make a good read I think.

They interest me anyway, and I'm sure once I could make a story out of them.

I've decided to continue with the items from the BIAY as mentioned earlier in my post but at the same time, I'm going to start disecting a couple of choice romance novels.

I'm going to begin with a couple of Nora Robets titles, and then just for fun, I'm going to do a J.D. Robb...wait a minute, I've been deceived! What do you mean they are one and the same???

My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to see if I can find the similarities in the writing and try to work on a love scene.

um...... shouldn't I have a couple of main characters first?

What's in a DAY job?

It seems that every time I try to set aside time to write, something else more important creeps into my personal time.

I don't even have time to read anymore...it's really quite sad.

Perhaps what I'll try to do is schedule some time on my calendar and create writing goals for myself.

Sound like a plan?

New Discoveries

I love making discoveries online.

It's like getting a surprise present...

I've been struggling with telling anyone I want to write romance novels...specifically I think I want to write romance novels with a bit of mystery, or intrique.

I don't want to make a lot of money at it, I'm not sure you really can make a lot of money unless you are writing a book a week and selling every one of them.

Truly, this is something I want to do for me.

So why am I so afraid of what others will say?

------------now back to the topic at hand: my online new discovery.

I discovered the book in a year page at http://www.eharlequin.com/cms/learntowrite/ltwToc.jhtml and scroll to the centre of the page where they list all the montly classes from 2005's BIAY class.

I think I'll get started. At least it gives me an idea of a direction to take on getting my thoughts to paper.

Yes, I Slept with him and it was GRAND

So, I finally got back to sleep after my sexy dream guy woke me up trying to get his hands in the pants of my heroine...

I jotted down the ideas and tried to be as descriptive as possible about the guy. I have this thing for guys with dark hair and dark eyes, and killer eye lashes and dimples, two day stubble and sweat....

Of course muscles play a big part in how my heroine will react to him. Not all guys have to have loads of muscles, and I wish I could write a story about real life but who would read that?

anyway, it's off to my day job I go...high-ho

Can't Sleep with Sexy Men....

ok - yes, I can, but seriously, it's hard to sleep when I've got an idea for a story floating around...just fluttering on the edge of my consious mind...slightly out of grasp.

I can tell you this, he's HOT HOT HOT

Playing Around

it's obvious i'm having too much fun learning all about blogger.
I've taken about an hour to make a few changes to this lovely blogskin and add a little of my own spice to it. Now if only I was an HTML guru...I'd be all set.
I'm off to have some more fun with some other changes.

so this is it?

So, this is it, the first post to my blog dedicated to the joy and pain of my journey of self-writing discovery.