It would sound much more Shakespearean if Kenneth Branagh said it, but you get the idea.
I’ve been digging around in the family pictures to get a more detailed look at the early 1970s. Since learning to walk and talk filled my days, my perception of world events, fashions, and trivia is a bit skewed. Pretty sure naps and doughnuts were high on my priority list.
However, I hit a wall. Google and Life Magazine can only tell you so much.
Then I remembered, my Tante had sent me photos from her senior year in high school and, BINGO, my main character is heartbroken to be missing the Senior Tea, an event the senior girls dress up for and are waited on by underclassmen. Tante tells me she borrowed my mom’s car, a Rambler, which I then learned my grandpa bought for my mom as a surprise, “letting” her make the payments. How… umm… sweet?
Tante is the driver. Wish we'd kept that car!
Practicing for the Rockettes. Love these outfits! Pretty sure I saw Tante's aqua sheath in Macy's last year.
So, last week, research was the name of the game, both of a disease and the time period. Now, the two have converged and I must work up the courage to contact a doctor about treatments at that time. I’d rather drink Drano. (And I blew even more time trying to wiggle around that necessity last week.)
The point is, more research = less words written = only half my goal for the week.
BUT, and this is the point, the words written were SOLID. Researched. Content gob-smacked. No sweeping generalizations here, by golly!
Details are worth the time, yes? Accuracy is paramount, right? If you are my friend, you’re nodding right now. And possibly offering to refill my coffee mug and toast me an English muffin. Thanks!
***
#wipmadness peeps: Time to check in! How did you do last week? And what are thinking for the seven days ahead?
Me? I’m going to aim for 2,000 words again, though I didn’t make it last week. Plus I must contact a neurologist with my questions. Scared!! Film at 11…
Sending more coffee and an English muffin your way! I love these pictures. My goodness they’re great inspiration.
Kelly — you’re a peach! Thank you. Can’t wait to hear more about your YA work-in-progres.
You’re family albums are a treasure trove. The albums from my family around that time period are distinctly more hippy….
Let me know when you want that English muffin delivered… I have free time AND a car today.
I ACCEPT!! Today is coffee with Flend day, I hope. And did you see mommala’s response below? Momma Be Stylin!
Love these pictures! I’m finding myself researching strange things for my WWI-era wip. Strangest this week? Pickelhaube: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickelhaube
I had a crazy #wipmadness week. I suffered through two days of synopsis-drafting. Good news–I have a draft now! But it still needs work. Second good thing about this was that it made me go back and revise the first five chapters. And now I’m back to drafting. Had a great draft session on Saturday with the gang! We must do that again. Another good session today. The end is in sight, but still elusive …
Hope everyone else has a great week, and gets to research more fun things!
Okay, that is the craziest and silliest looking helmet I’ve ever seen!! Hilarious that those grown men and soldiers take themselves so seriously in that. haaa!!!
Congratulations on the synopsis draft AND the revisions. That’s some serious writing, Kip, besides the drafting. Well Done!!
Sounds like you’ve been having fun, Lori. And don’t be surprised if the doctor is effusive with help. Yes, thanks to Saturday’s challenge, I am just one chapter away from the initial finish line. In fact, I have vowed not to leave this spot on the couch (except for potty breaks, of course) until I write THE END. Hope I’m not still here next week. That would be awkward. Happy writing, peeps!
For anyone who missed it, she officially typed THE END yesterday, true to her word. **CONFETTI and APPLAUSE**
Wonderful news, Angi, and many hugs!
I heart you for wanting an English muffin. Toasted, buttered, & jammed, here you go!
I wrote about 2K, not quite, on the new book. But I’m not feeling the love for it yet… There’s something missing. This week, I’d like to figure out what (vaguely at least), and shoot for another 2K this week.
Luck to all — Did I mention how much I adore my Wipmadness friends. You guys keep my writing world real.
Lora
Here here that that final statement. I check my #wipmadness tweet tag many times a day just to see how we’re all doing. I know it took several months and about 10K in on my current WIP before I really knew my characters and loved the story. Hang in there. The missing piece will come to you soon!
Aren’t English muffins the best? Blissful sigh…
What fun pictures!
It’s been a tumultuous writing journey as of late. Crazy, many-hours-per-day writing, and then nothing. then another crazy spurt. I’m not normally like that. Usually I’m the slow and steady writer.
I’m so very close to having my proposal ready to send out. Hopefully this week (though it won’t actually get sent out until January now). And I just got some incredibly helpful advice on my Nano project (I’m looking at you, Angelina) so I’m super-anxious to get back to that one, maybe by next week.
YAY for the proposal send-off!! That must be such a relief to have that done. Congratulations!!! And don’t sweat the schedule. Sometimes our brains are just in sprint/nap mode. It will even out eventually.
And applause all around for good writing friends who give us the fresh eyes we need on our projects. Love my #wipmadness peeps for that, and especially to Angi, who intro’d me to y’all. My deepest thanks!
*nodding* …I got stuck. Made some headway towards the final show down, had the epiphany and then lost the star somewhere in the sky. So it’s back to star gazing a bit and then press on to finish the big moment. (I hope)
I think I got close to 2,000 words (lost track) last week. Hoping to spice it up this week and still get in some serious Christmas spirit. I’m a yankee who is struggling to find it in the 70º South. So after some wipmadness I’m diving into the DVD pool for Christmas!
Happy Christmas, everyone!!
Oh my, it’s no fun to feel displaced and it really can throw things off. But you watch, you’ll develop over time new southern traditions that become just as dear as a snowy day. Well done on pushing ahead and getting 2K in. That’s fabulous. You’ll find the moment, I’m sure of it.
Hey, before I was a hippie, I looked just like the gal in the middle. Not only that, but in 1970 my sainted mother bought me a 60′s-something Rambler in mint condition. ( The “a” in the name fell off shortly after I took possession, and being a single parent mom of a single parent mom, I knew nothing about oil changes, etc. We began calling it the Rumbler.)
Have fun with your research. If you could locate a hypochondriac the right age…alas, there wasn’t internet in those days, if I remember correctly…
The Rumbler!! HA!!! That’s fabulous. I sure wish mom’s car had survived all these years. Wouldn’t that be fun to have it for a weekend jaunt?
…and we had some hippie friends who called theirs “The Crumbler”. I would sincerely join you and your mom in a jaunt.
Lori, I’m nodding, refilling your coffee cup and toasting you an English muffin! hee hee! Gosh, I love your old photos! They make me wish I was back in those days, with the cool clothes and shoes! Life was so much simpler then. No Internet to drain us of our time and energy, no technology to take over our lives! Research was exclusively done in books and encyclopedias. Remember those? I’m glad you’ve managed to write “solid, researched content.” By golly, you’ll get there! Now let’s get another refill!
Oh my gosh, you totally reminded me of my set of children’s encyclopedias!! I loved those!! I remember reading the story about Harriet Tubman, the slave who helped form the underground railroad, about 100 times. While I love the internet and cell phones, part of me would gladly jump back to those simpler times. Hugs to ya, girl!
I squeezed in betareading time this week, despite the dayjob and sword class and five parties this weekend. @__@ The holidays are kinda squeezing back. I’m nearly done betareading a 105k novel and then I have one more queued up.
I made it to sword class on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I’m feeling stronger and smarter and I passed my second assessment of six that I need to pass before I can test for the next level.
However, all of the parties and sword class has meant that I’ve not been eating the greatest, I haven’t been beta-reading as much as I want to, definitely haven’t been reading, I definitely haven’t done any agent pursuits, and I also have just barely logged what I’ve eaten at the parties (kinda hard after the 4th drink
). But I’m looking forward to this week and next. This week is sword class, but there are no more parties, and aside from the holidays themselves and some pre-recorded tv-watching to be done, I don’t have external pressures. I’m off on Friday until the 3rd, as the college closes down during that time. Yaaay!
Yowza!! Thank goodness things are slowing down for you, sorta-kinda! You’ve been running like crazy. Enjoy the rest of your break and I definitely hope you find more time for reading and relaxing. You gotta recharge your creative batteries to tackle the new year ahead. And congratulations on passing your 2nd assessment!!
Great photos … and like Kelly, sending more java. Love the new digs btw. I am (deep sigh) finished with all my edits and moving on to formatting. Keep going, you’ll get there..
Hey Brenda!! You finished with edits?! That’s awesome!! I’m hoping that means that soon your words will be available for the public (and me!) to enjoy. Huge accomplishment!!
Congrats on your progress, everyone!!
Are you still working up the courage to ask a doctor about treatments? If so, you should ask Lydia Kang… She’s a doc, and she does these “Medical Mondays” posts where she answers writer medical questions.
#wipmadness: I was crazy last week! 4,073 words on my new project… Not sure how well I’ll do over Christmas, but I’ll shoot for maybe a 1,500 this week? Moving forward!
LisaAnn — Thank you so much for the medical reference! I really appreciate it as, deep sigh, I have not worked up the courage to ask yet. Pathetic since I work for docs and know them to be perfectly normal people. I’ll definitely look her up.
As for your progress, you’re a machine!! Well done and if things so down, you’ve definitely earned a break. Congratulations!