The writing journal

        With NaNoWriMo starting next Tuesday, today's topic is timely. I'm planning to participate (unofficially) this year and I hope you will consider joining me. If you do, most of your time will be spent getting words on paper, but I think you'll find the journal described below to be a useful place to store ideas that pop into your head that have nothing to do with your NaNoWriMo manuscript. Record them in your journal for December :).

       Because so many writers, both beginning and experienced, will be taking November as their "get it all down on paper and edit later" month, the writing workshops will be suspended for the next five weeks as we all write our fingers into cramps. I will, however, post thoughts throughout the month designed to keep your (and my!) spirits from flagging. I will use Twitter to post my daily word counts using the hashtags #NaNoWriMo and#dhunterwdct. I encourage you to do the same and if you use those tags we call all see how we're doing.

All right, with no more ado: this week's writing workshop!

The Writing Journal

       Recently behavioral scientists have examined the thought processes that are engaged when we sit down to write. They have concluded what many of us have instinctively known: we think differently with a pen or pencil in our hand than we do when using a keyboard.

We also edit differently when using paper rather than a computer screen. Our eyes see the printed word in a different light (literally) and this can be useful in the editing process.

While we write more words when using a computer, writing in longhand on old-fashioned paper slows us down—makes us think more carefully about the words we use.

That tactile trigger can be a useful way to get your mindset ready for writing and is a useful tool to keep in mind...especially when you're stuck. The key is to not get locked into using just one method or technique. This workshop is about adding to your toolbox of writing skills through the many uses of a writing journal.

There are many reasons for keeping a writing journal. Among them are:

·         A place to record character sketches.

·         A place to write down snippets of conversations overheard that might lead to something.

·         A place to explore an idea you have; to chase it down before it’s gone.

·         Allow a place for “stream of consciousness” writing; the unedited throwing up on paper of what’s in your head.

·         To increase your powers of observation.

·         To help you develop your own writing style.

·         To “get the juices flowing.”

·         To get those haunting phrases out of your system.

·         To provide raw material for future writing.

·         To provide an alternative to napkins, backs of bank statements, etc.

Writing in your journal allows the ideas to “settle”. What you write and think is brilliant one day may, after time, prove to be little more than an ill-worded rant. That’s okay. It’s in your writing journal and no one’s going to see it but you.

Using a journal has the advantage of collecting all your writing ideas in one place. No more scraps of paper or half-torn napkins. Of course, the drawback is that you have to have it with you in order for it to be of use.

Activities: the reflective writer

Being reflective is another use of the writing journal. If you already have a journal, consider answering these questions there. If you do not, any scrap of paper will do .

1.      Set the timer for ten minutes and try to write for the full time as you answer: Does it sound like a writing journal would be a useful tool for you?

Use the questions below if you get stuck.

How would you use it? (Or how do you use it if you already have one)

Where would you keep it?

Will you allow anyone to read it?

2. Get thyself a writing journal.

That’s easier said than done, I know. Is this a case where style dictates style? Should your journal be a hardcover blank book with lined pages inside? Or unlined so you can write whatever way your mood strikes? Should it be leather-bound with fancy tooling or plain so nothing distracts you? Would a spiral bound notebook be better because you can easily rip out pages and organize them in folders later on? What about a composition notebook, or something small enough to fit in your coat pocket or purse? Or heck! Will your journal be digital and kept on the computer or your mobile?

Told you it was easier said than done.

Here’s your activity for this part: Set the timer for ten minutes and write for the full time: For YOU, does style dictate style? Does your writing style change depending on what you’re writing in (or on)?

*****

I hope you're enjoying the writing workshops each week. If you find them helpful, please use the following button to donate to the cause. Play safe!

BDSM and abuse

I’ve been trying to write this post for almost three weeks. Every time I start, I stumble, trying to find the right words to express my concerns and frustrations regarding the comparison of the subject matter in my books to real life.

I write erotic romance that contain elements of the BDSM kink. I primarily tell my stories from the female point of view although, through research and interviews over the years with many in the lifestyle, I think I’ve gotten a pretty good handle on the male side of the story as well. All of my stories have male Doms and female subs although a few books also have appearances by Dommes and their male submissives.

I’ve written in the past (scroll down the page to read it) about the line between a BDSM D/s relationship and an abusive one, but I think it bears repeating (I know I wrote another post, but I can’t find the link at the moment). I’ve recently been reminded that not all men (or women) who claim to be Doms really are; some people are emotional or physical abusers. Likewise, not all who claim to be submissive really are; some people are just broken.

Submissiveness MUST come from a place of strength. The woman (or man) MUST understand her own sense of self-worth BEFORE entering into any sort of power exchange. To do so without that rock to anchor to, is to set oneself adrift and open oneself to abuse.

Likewise, a Dom(me) must also have a realistic sense of self-worth and not one that’s overly-inflated. A power-exchange scene is heady enough without an uncontrolled ego getting in the way.

I’m including this link concerning abusive relationships specifically for the Basic Rights in a Relationship section partway down the page. It’s absolutely wonderful and applies to ALL relationships, vanilla or BDSM included. It is a must-read for all couples of any persuasion.

If you think you are in an abusive relationship, GET OUT NOW. Don’t wait. Leave and go to a friend’s house, a relative’s or the nearest shelter. You don’t have to wait for permission from anyone, you don’t have to wait for anything. Just GO.

I know that sounds like a drastic step, but distance helps the abused gain perspective. Right now it seems like the world is small and there is no one to help you. But remember, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. There are lots of people who are willing to help you. You, however, have to take the first step. It’s the hardest step to take, but once you reach out, there are lots of people who’s arms are ready to catch you.

And if you know someone in an abusive situation, be there for him or her. You cannot force them to recognize the abuse but you can give them hugs and hold them when they need it.

Serious post tonight – but it needed to be said. Tomorrow look for the next writing workshop and above all...

Play safe!

Diana

Characterization

Ready to try something new? Get out your pen and paper and read on...

Put your timer on ten minutes and jot down your answer to the following questions. Try to write for the full time.

Who is your favorite character in any movie, play or work of literature? Why? How has the filmmaker/playwright/author made you care?

Exposition

(background information you need for the rest of this to make sense)

Readers find out about character in five ways:

• The author tells us directly what we need to know or think
• Listening to what the character says or doesn’t say.
• Watching what the character does or doesn’t do.
• Listening to what the other characters say about him/her.
• Watching how the other characters treat him/her.

Activity

1. Choose any work in progress you already have (if you don’t have one, go to this workshop for prompts).

2. Determine your protagonist (the main character).

3. The challenge: Write a scene where the reader learns about the protagonist, but he/she never appears. Use the last two methods for finding out about a character only. This could be a scene that’s used to introduce the reader to the main character or a scene where we learn more information about him or her.

Want an example? Read the dialogue below to see how Charles Dickens did it in this abridged excerpt from A Christmas Carol. Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Future are eavesdropping on a rather unsavory group of people:

Scrooge and the Phantom came into the presence of this man, just as a woman with a heavy bundle slunk into the shop. But she had scarcely entered, when another woman, similarly laden, came in too, and she was closely followed by a man in faded black, who was no less startled by the sight of them than they had been upon the recognition of each other. After a short period of blank astonishment, in which the old man with the pipe had joined them, they all three burst into a laugh.

"You couldn't have met in a better place," said old Joe, removing his pipe from his mouth. "Come into the parlour. You were made free of it long ago, you know; and the other two an't strangers. Stop till I shut the door of the shop. Ah! How it skreeks! There an't such a rusty bit of metal in the place as its own hinges, I believe; and I'm sure there's no such old bones here as mine. Ha! ha! We're all suitable to our calling, we're well matched. Come into the parlour. Come into the parlour."

The parlour was the space behind the screen of rags. The old man raked the fire together with an old stair-rod, and, having trimmed his smoky lamp (for it was night) with the stem of his pipe, put it into his mouth again.

While he did this, the woman who had already spoken threw her bundle on the floor, and sat down in a flaunting manner on a stool; crossing her elbows on her knees, and looking with a bold defiance at the other two.

"What odds, then? What odds, Mrs. Dilber?" said the woman. "Every person has a right to take care of themselves. He always did!"

"That's true, indeed!" said the laundress. "No man more so."

"Why, then, don't stand staring as if you was afraid, woman! Who's the wiser? We're not going to pick holes in each other's coats, I suppose?"

"No, indeed!" said Mrs. Dilber and the man together. "We should hope not."

"Very well, then!" cried the woman. "That's enough. Who's the worse for the loss of a few things like these? Not a dead man, I suppose?"

"No, indeed," said Mrs. Dilber, laughing.

"If he wanted to keep 'em after he was dead, a wicked old screw," pursued the woman, "why wasn't he natural in his lifetime? If he had been, he'd have had somebody to look after him when he was struck with Death, instead of lying gasping out his last there, alone by himself."

"It's the truest word that ever was spoke," said Mrs. Dilber, "It's a judgment on him."

"I wish it was a little heavier judgment," replied the woman; "and it should have been, you may depend upon it, if I could have laid my hands on anything else. Open that bundle, old Joe, and let me know the value of it. Speak out plain. I'm not afraid to be the first, nor afraid for them to see it. We knew pretty well that we were helping ourselves before we met here, I believe. It's no sin. Open the bundle, Joe."

But the gallantry of her friends would not allow of this; and the man in faded black, mounting the breach first, produced _his_ plunder. It was not extensive. A seal or two, a pencil-case, a pair of sleeve-buttons, and a brooch of no great value, were all. They were severally examined and appraised by old Joe, who chalked the sums he was disposed to give for each upon the wall, and added them up into a total when he found that there was nothing more to come.

"That's your account," said Joe, "and I wouldn't give another sixpence, if I was to be boiled for not doing it. Who's next?"

Mrs. Dilber was next. Sheets and towels, a little wearing apparel, two old-fashioned silver tea-spoons, a pair of sugar-tongs, and a few boots. Her account was stated on the wall in the same manner.

"I always give too much to ladies. It's a weakness of mine, and that's the way I ruin myself," said old Joe. "That's your account. If you asked me for another penny, and made it an open question, I'd repent of being so liberal, and knock off half-a-crown."

"And now undo my bundle, Joe," said the first woman.

Joe went down on his knees for the greater convenience of opening it, and, having unfastened a great many knots, dragged out a large heavy roll of some dark stuff.

"What do you call this?" said Joe. "Bed-curtains?"

"Ah!" returned the woman, laughing and leaning forward on her crossed arms. "Bed-curtains!"

"You don't mean to say you took 'em down, rings and all, with him lying there?" said Joe.

"Yes, I do," replied the woman. "Why not?"

"You were born to make your fortune," said Joe, "and you'll certainly do it."

"I certainly shan't hold my hand, when I can get anything in it by reaching it out, for the sake of such a man as He was, I promise you, Joe," returned the woman coolly. "Don't drop that oil upon the blankets, now."

"His blankets?" asked Joe.

"Whose else's do you think?" replied the woman. "He isn't likely to take cold without 'em, I dare say."

"I hope he didn't die of anything catching? Eh?" said old Joe, stopping in his work, and looking up.

"Don't you be afraid of that," returned the woman. "I ain’t so fond of his company that I'd loiter about him for such things, if he did. Ah! You may look through that shirt till your eyes ache; but you won't find a hole in it, nor a threadbare place. It's the best he had, and a fine one too. They'd have wasted it, if it hadn't been for me."

"What do you call wasting of it?" asked old Joe.

"Putting it on him to be buried in, to be sure," replied the woman with a laugh. "Somebody was fool enough to do it, but I took it off again. If calico ain’t good enough for such a purpose, it isn't good enough for anything. It's quite as becoming to the body. He can't look uglier than he did in that one."

Scrooge listened to this dialogue in horror. As they sat grouped about their spoil, in the scanty light afforded by the old man's lamp, he viewed them with a detestation and disgust which could hardly have been greater, though they had been obscene demons, marketing the corpse itself.

See how Dickens used the other characters to give us information about Ebenezer Scrooge? They never mentioned him by name, yet we know from the context who they disparaged. All done without Scrooge saying a word.

Okay, go back up to #3 above and write your own scene. Show us a character through other people’s words and actions. To check for validity, ask yourself the question:: how would an actor portray the character you’ve created? What clues have you given him/her to use?

Use the comments sections to post questions or to brag about your success!

My qualifications

The contents of these workshops are actually my accumulation of several years’ experience teaching creative writing in real-life classroom settings. Each workshop has been tried and tested several times. Additional workshops came from my work in Second Life where I gave many of these workshops in the virtual world (as Diana Allandale). This is, however, the first time all the various workshops I’ve offered in both worlds are gathered and published in one place.

The nitty-gritty

 A new workshop will be posted every Tuesday. Eventually we’ll have the contents of a book about writing. At that point, I’ll collect all the workshops in ebook (and maybe print) form for those who would like it all bundled into one nice, neat place and offer it for sale.

 You’ll see a new button below. If you enjoy the workshops and find them useful, please consider sending a donation my way. When the final product is ready to go, those who have donated each time will get a free copy of the ebook as a gift from me. I won’t dun you twice for the content.

Dancing

Last night, my husband took me dancing. At a supermarket.

Yes, a real supermarket with produce and a meat department and canned goods on the shelves. Wegman's supermarket, to be specific, up by Baytown plaza in Webster, New York.

And no, I don't mean just dancing through the aisles -- I mean real dancing. Swing dancing, the waltz, the mambo...in a supermarket.

You see, my mom and dad have been asking us to come up every Friday night for the past several months, but something always gets in the way. And really, who wants to go to a supermarket to dance? Well, after last night? I do!

To understand why, you need to know a little about Wegman's. It's been voted one the Best Companies to Work For  by Fortune magazine for the past several years, coming in at #3 for the past two years (it's been in the top five for eight years running). Yes, it's a supermarket, but it's also an experience. Just ask Alex Baldwin and his mom. I won't go on extolling the virtues of the store because, if you live near one, you already know and if you don't live near one...here's hoping you will someday!

Anyway, at the Wegman's up at Baytown, they have a large area for their Market Cafe. They sell all sorts of already-prepared foods (Asian, pizza, chicken wings, soups,subs, salads, even sushi!) and you can either make your purchase and take it home, or you can eat in their dining area. The first time I went to a supermarket for dinner I will admit, I felt a little odd. But the food is freshly made (often right in front of you) and is actually better than some "regular" restaurants I've been to.

Several months ago, this particular Wegman's started offering live music by Johnny Matt and his combo (he has a full swing band, but only brings a small group to perform on these Friday nights). The Powers That Be at Wegman's rearranged the tables and made a dance floor -- and people have been coming ever since. The band (which is terrific, by the way), plays swing and pop music from the 40's and 50's -- a lot of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and songs originally sung by Dean Martin, Sinatra, Como and others (if you've read "One Last Dance" in my Timeless Love anthology, you'll realize Glenn Miller and I go way back. And if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? ).

Not only did my husband and I have a great time last night, so did about 50 other couples. The two of us did bring down the median age on the floor, but my glory, can some of those older folks dance! Most of them put us to shame. So many with hunched backs and more than one of them with a walker, got out on that floor and looked great. And of course, the solo woman in her fishnet stockings, all dressed up and by herself who wasn't going to let the lack of a dance partner stop her. She wove in and out of the couples all by herself, enjoying the music and light on her feet --and nearly 80 years old. She was terrific!

Robert Fulghum wrote a wonderful book called "All You Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" and followed that up with "It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It." To understand this woman, you should read his piece on "Geek Dancing". She fit it to a "T" -- even to the strappy shoes she wore.

So yes, last night my husband took me dancing at the supermarket -- and I'm going to make him take me again. Soon!

Here's to dancing -- play safe :)
Diana

Good Deed Day!

Did you know today is Good Deed Wednesday? Neither did I.

This morning I stopped at McDonald’s on my way to my day job as I often do (large hot chocolate, low fat). I got to the window to pay and she told me it was Good Deed Wednesday according to the person in the car in front of me who was just pulling away from the next window up. He’d paid not only for my hot chocolate, but for the order in the car behind me as well.

What a wonderful way to start the day! Now to pay it forward, I hereby declare tomorrow as Good Deed Thursday. Go out and do something nice for someone tomorrow.

Play safe!

Diana :)

Getting Started II

Some days ideas are far and few between. You want to write, but you sit down and…nothing.

The five writing prompts below are designed to 1) get you motivated or 2) just to give you some practice. Remember, we’re throwing spaghetti here. Go with one of these ideas and we’ll see if it sticks.

Activity

You can either read through the whole list and then choose one, or take each one in turn and write for ten minutes. The goal here is to write for at least a half an hour.

Writing prompts

1)  It is your turn to pick up the bill for the Friday afternoon Happy Hour with your friends. They’ve all left. You reach for your wallet…and you’ve only four dollars inside. You hand the bartender your credit card…which is denied. Now what?

2)  You’re at a local fair and everyone’s having a good time. Then your significant other slobbers mustard down the front of his (or her) best shirt. While the others rib him (or her), you fume. You told him (or her) not to wear that shirt today. Write the scene you have when you two get home.

3)  Scents often are powerful memory inducers. What kind of person would find their memory triggered by the following scents: lilacs in full bloom, coffee brewing on the stove, fresh-turned earth after a spring rain, a skunk that’s just been frightened? Brainstorm, then write a scene where that scent triggers the memory.

4)  The local church is having a bake sale. An older member of the congregation calls and asks if you’d bake something to sell. You’re not home…one of your family members takes the call and cheerily volunteers your services. But you’re a lousy baker. What happens?

5)  Your siblings excel at sports, winning medals and ribbons and setting various records. You can barely walk without tripping over your own feet. Write a scene where your mother or father consoles you after the latest success on the part of your siblings.

Don’t lose what you’ve written. If you’re working digitally, BACK UP (You’ll discover this is one of my mantras. Experience has taught me well.) Next week we’ll be doing some character work and you’ll need a story you’ve already begun (either something sparked by today’s writing or another piece from your files), so bring it along.

PS. “Backup” does NOT mean making a second copy on the same drive. It means making a second copy on a flash drive or emailing it to yourself. Or even printing it out to have a hard copy. Whatever you do, have a second copy in case something happens to the first. We’ll talk further file management options in a future workshop.

My qualifications

The contents of these workshops are actually my accumulation of several years’ experience teaching creative writing in real-life classroom settings. Each workshop has been tried and tested several times. Additional workshops came from my work in Second Life where I gave many of these workshops in the virtual world (as Diana Allandale). This is, however, the first time I’ve gathered all the various workshops I’ve offered in both worlds and published them in one place.

The nitty-gritty

A new workshop will be posted every Tuesday. Eventually we’ll have the contents of a book about writing. At that point, I’ll collect all the workshops in ebook (and maybe print) form for those who would like it all bundled into one nice, neat place and offer it for sale.

You’ll see a new button below. If you enjoy the workshops and find them useful, please consider sending a donation my way. When the final product is ready to go, those who have donated each time will get a free copy of the ebook as a gift from me. I won’t dun you twice for the content.

Writing workshop #1

Getting Started

So you’ve got a great story. You know the characters, the details of their lives, maybe even the minutiae of what happens to them. You’ve talked about it lots of times over the years, telling it to critique groups, friends, neighbors, anyone who would listen as you refined the plot points and developed the hero.

But you haven’t written it down. It still exists only in your head. And therein lies the problem.

Writing is an art, and just like all the other arts, you create first and sell later. No one’s going to buy that blank canvas just because you say you’re going to paint a beautiful sunset on it. They’ll buy the painting of the sunset once you’re done. No one’s going to buy the music in your head that they can’t hear. But make a sound recording or write it on staff paper and it becomes something real. And saleable.

Same with that story you’ve refined in your head till your significant others don’t want to hear it anymore. The time has come to stop telling your story and start writing it down. It’s time to create.

NOTE: The terms “work” and “play” are nearly synonymous in an author’s life. We “work” at crafting a good story, yet we “play” with language in order to find just the right word. Throughout these workshops you’ll hear the two concepts used interchangeably. Remember, if you’re not having fun writing it, your audience won’t have fun reading it!

Where do you begin?

“Begin at the beginning,” the King said, very gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

First metaphor:

These first few workshops are designed to get you thinking. To get the words out of your head and onto the page.

Some of what you throw up out of your head and onto the page will be wonderful, like a great spaghetti dinner. Other stuff will be puke.

This is a fact of creation. Accept it and move on.

Second metaphor:

When I was a kid, I came into the kitchen shortly before dinner one night to see my mother fling a piece of spaghetti at the wall. It stuck for several moments before beginning a slow descent. She watched it, beaming a satisfied smile as she turned off the heat under the pot of pasta.

Confused, I just had to ask. “What are you doing?”

“Checking to see if the pasta’s done. I read about it in a magazine. If it sticks, it’s done. If it doesn’t, it needs more boiling.”

For the next several months, I had the unwelcome task of wiping the wall down after my mother made spaghetti.

In these workshops I will encourage you to throw up an idea onto the paper, to play with it a while and see if it “sticks”. If it’s good, you’ll know. Like a large family dinner, the characters will talk, the action will move and the story will get written.

If it’s not good—well, you’ll know that, too.

Taking Inventory

Whether you’re a published author or just starting out, stopping to take inventory every once in a while is a great way to gain perspective and spark new ideas.

Activity:

Step One: Gather together all the stories and scraps of stories you have already written down. Whether on the backs of napkins, in piles of spiral notebooks or computer documents scattered hither and yon, find them all. If you only have a few on the computer, print them out.

For those of you with lots of your stories on the computer, gather them together into one file. And make a back up.

Step Two: If your scraps are on paper, get out a ruler and measure the height of the pile. Those of you with digital files, look at the list in that folder. Talk about an affirmation that you’re a writer! Did you realize you had so many pieces?

Step Three: Choose three of the pieces and read them without editing. This is spaghetti you threw against the wall at some time in the past. What do you think of this now? Any new ideas sparked?

Step Four: If the ideas are starting, stop here and go write. Throw more words down on the page and see what happens.

Step FourA: Nothing’s happening? Pick another three and read through. If you get through the entire pile and nothing sparks, it might be time to start something fresh. And that’s next week’s workshop J .

My qualifications

The contents of these workshops are actually my accumulation of several years’ experience teaching creative writing in real-life classroom settings. Each workshop has been tried and tested several times. Additional workshops came from my work in Second Life where I gave many of these workshops in the virtual world (as Diana Allandale). This is, however, the first time I’ve gathered all the various workshops I’ve offered in both worlds and published them in one place.

The nitty-gritty

A new workshop will be posted every Tuesday. Eventually we’ll have the contents of a book about writing. At that point, I’ll collect all the workshops in ebook (and maybe print) form for those who would like it all bundled into one nice, neat place and offer it for sale.

You’ll see a new button below. If you enjoy the workshops and find them useful, please consider sending a donation my way. When the final product is ready to go, those who have donated each time will get a free copy of the ebook as a gift from me. I won’t dun you twice for the content.

Blog's up!

It's later than I expected to post but that's what happens when I go to my daughter's show and the theatre is two and a half hours away and I forget to post before I leave (big sigh).

Anyway, it's up now and filled with links to all sorts of me all over the web :) Head on over and take a look!

Diana

October newsletter out

I think most of you know, but for those who don't, I'm a member of the Sizzling Scribes, a group of seven authors who originally banded together in order to pool our promotional dollars in an attempt to make them go further. We created ourselves a website and we take turns blogging as well (my turn is tomorrow, so be sure to  stop by).

But what started as a business partnership has long since turned into honest-to-goodness friendships. When we began I'd never met Tielle and had only passing acquaintances with Tara, Cait, Cat, and Lynn. Ruby was really the only one I'd ever had a long conversation with and it was she who got me involved with this zany group of people. I bonded with Tara over several bottles of Guinness at the last two Romanticons and am thankful for a story she told me one night that paved the way for Services Rendered. Cat helped me over my first conventions with the Romantic Times crowd and I will never forget meeting Cait for the first time on a visit to Bubba Gump's in Daytona, Florida. I met Tielle when I took a trip to Alaska and we talked so long we closed the bar and then sat in the hotel lobby and talked to the wee hours of the morning. And then there's Lynn, who's bright spirit and incredible organizational skills keeps us all headed in the right direction. I love you all, ladies!

Some time ago we published a cookbook and had such fun doing it we decided to publish a quarterly newsletter of all our doings. We include excerpts from our latest works, there's always an interview with one of the seven of us where you can learn all sorts of odd tidbits about our lives and lately we've started running an article about some aspect of life and/or writing. In April Tara started us off and this month features my article.

The newsletter is free and if you like, you can subscribe to it. Or you can just wait for me to post that the newest edition is up and ready for your viewing pleasure .

So, tomorrow you're going to want to head to the blog (I'll post a reminder, don't worry) and then on Tuesday you're going to want to be here for the unveiling of the first writer's workshop (if you don't know what that is, click here to read about it).

In the meantime, play safe!
Diana