Update on Kitchen

New updates at least make it seem real and that we have gone somewhere other than crazy

Now I know many of you worried about how this kitchen was coming along. So did we really.

But here are some pics of where we are--no rhyming, no sing-a-long, but hey, the important part is the pictures, right?

And as they say, looking good! (Not feeling good yet)

I Love Home Projects

As many of you have witnessed from previous posts: Eric and I are doing some major home improvements.

Here is a sample of how great our electrical system is in our house:




Some times you have to laugh, and some times you have to cry. We choose to laugh.

The End User

I was watching TED Talks today on my break. This one is called a warm embrace and is about cheaper incubators for developing worlds:


I was struck by the fact that she went back to the end user, looked at the needs, looked at the most simplest way to do what needed to be done, and didn't pay any attention to what had already been created. Awesome.

This speaker obviously loves her job and loves the difference she makes.

I realized that is what I am looking for in my life. Somewhere where I make a difference in a life, somewhere where I am encouraged to think outside the box--to not worry about what has been done--but to focus on the needs of the end user. This notion could work for anything, not just creating a new product--but also for marketing, writing, ads, my life.

I may be the end user of my life, but you are affected. So how can I live my life where it makes a difference to you? Especially if I don't know you? Does it really come back to doing what you love? Can you always do that? Will the money follow?

Maybe the question I need to ask is: What do I really need? Can I separate it from what I want?

I really need to help people, make a difference through sharing something that will change their lives.

Is there a job title that fits that description?

How Do You Know When Your Book is Finished?

So here is what I know:

the book I am writing will be a part of a series. I don't know how long of a series, but it definitely won't be complete in one shot.

A nice break just happened where it could feel complete--like this section of the story feels complete, but with a lot of holes in the larger story. So, should I stop here and begin revision or go a bit further to really leave it on a cliff hanger?

Creative Penn talks about when to stop editing and revising, but I am not there yet. L P King tells you not to be a dork and turn it in to the publisher too soon.

No one seems to be talking about when to end a book though....well, Blake Stacey says

When something more is going to take place, but the characters have been so fully drawn, and the preceding events so carefully shaped that the reader, on reflection, knows what more will happen, and is satisfied by it — then the book ends.

And to this, I say--huh?

I could give you the "You just know" or "It feels right" but then I wouldn't have been wondering on Sunday if this was the right place to end this book. I would have finished writing the last word, smiled, sipped a bit of cold coffee, and maybe bought myself a gluten-free cookie in celebration. Instead, I questioned whether this was the right place to end.

Part of me says that if I am questioning it, then I should continue writing a bit longer and see what happens. Part of me is excited to begin the revision process in earnest. Part of me is just happy I have something else to write.

So I don't know the answer to this question. I do know that I have decided what I will do to resolve it: begin reading it. I figure that if I can reread the whole book and I feel it is complete, leaves me excited to read the next one, and wanting to know the character better, then it is the right place to stop. If it leaves too much hanging out--I continue writing.

What would you do?

When Remodeling Your Kitchen Overtakes Your Writing

So, I am remodeling my kitchen. Not refacing, or upgrading, but actually demolishing the entire kitchen and moving it into the dining room where we can have a much more spacious area in which to cook.

What does this have to do with writing?

Well, two things really.

One: instead of upgrading or refacing, I really pushed for a complete redo. I often do this in my writing as well. Revising just seems pointless and so I will often just rewrite something. Completely. It usually turns out better and I often say it better the second time around. Now if it just needs some minor tweets, then I will touch those up, but if it is in need of a major overhaul, I start again. This was the attitude I had with the kitchen. It needed work--and a lot of work, not just a small amount. So why just place pretty doors on a crappy kitchen? Have you ever read a book because the title and the cover were really cool--only to be sorely disappointed with the actual words? I have. So this is something I have discovered about myself. First, I am attracted to pretty covers and titles; and second, I really don't like revision.

Two: I have been consumed by this project and let it get in the way of my writing. I didn't write for two weeks. Now, I only write on Sundays and so I really only missed two days, but two weeks away from your novel is heart wrenching and I began to miss it. By taking that time off though, my heart did grow fonder of my work and I was very happy to come back to it last Sunday. All of the manual labor was also nice because it allowed me to do something different and creative from another perspective. I learned how to build a wall and what size is the smallest item you should put in a 12 inch blade saw. That would be 6 inches (thank you Eric). Luckily, I still own all my digits and truly just enjoyed the power I welded with that machine. This helped me to also understand the power I also weld with a pen when I write and create stories, images, ideas that can be lifted from the page.

Of course, my kitchen isn't complete yet, but our floor is down and most electrical fittings and plumbing is now in place. Our cabinets and appliances are coming this week and all we have left to order is the range/hood and the faucet.

If you want to see our progress, check out my previous blog.