Heidi 12/25/14 Heidi 12/25/14

Research can be deadly (OR) Why Scotland?

Merry Christmas. Enjoy some pictures of Scotland :)

So, as I'm writing (yay!), I'm listening to a guided meditation. There is a very calming voice in my ears telling me that I am intimately connected to the creative power of the Universe.I'm also looking at pictures of the Scottish countryside, because that's where the next part of my story takes place. Why Scotland? Why do American writers always go back to Scotland? I'll tell you why: because it's pure dead brilliant that's why. And if you've ever been there, you know what I'm talking about. It's been over 20 years since the summer I spent there, and it still pulls me back.My husband thinks I'm crazy. I'm sure he thinks it's just a nerd-fantasy thing, and yeah it's that, too. I'm a nerd, I like fantasy, so that's cool. But he probably wishes I would shut up about it - the same way I get when people talk about football.But looking at the pictures helps me get in the mindset. Where my characters are, what they're doing, the topography they're traveling through. If I can see it in my mind's eye, I can follow them, and let them show me what's going to happen next. It also helps me focus.Why is research deadly? Because like so many other things - like blogging for instance (ahem) - it takes away from what I should be doing, which is writing.The searches, images, and learning more about the things in my story help me feel connected to what's going on in that world, as opposed to letting my mind wander back to the dusting and the laundry pile. Not to mention that it's Christmas and that puts a whole new spin on the lack of writing time. Even though research (er, Google) can be a deadly distraction from your daily word count, sometimes you just need to dump the everyday garbage out of your head before you can make way for your story. Don't overthink and don't be too hard on yourself.Thankfully, I'm making progress. I keep telling myself that all I have to do is keep moving my story forward, and it will tell me where it needs to go.So now I'm going to stop blogging and researching and get back to writing. Happy Holidays everyone.xoxo heidi.Enjoy some pictures of Scotland (click for source):http://www.flickr.com/photos/8184136@N05/4177776613/in/photostream/ d1182071f86b0626b8f8cab348293cb1 -- If anyone ever says to you, "Hey I've got an aunt who lives in Glasgow, you want to hang out for the summer?" Say yes.-- More Scotland info here.-- the meditation currently in my ears: click here.Merry Christmas. Juniper is waiting for Santa :)

Heidi 12/17/12 Heidi 12/17/12

Foggy morning, December

Thanks for hanging out with me on my foggy desert morning!

We finally had a good soaking rain. It has been over 3 months since we had any precipitation, and the whole place - the house, the yard, the whole city for that matter, had been covered in layers of dry gritty dust. There was a lifeless pallor over everything, keeping the color and vitality of the desert hidden from view.While everyone in the rest of the country gets hammered by storms, here's us:

Not that I'm asking for a hurricane (my heart goes out to everyone affected by Sandy), but a few drops here and there would be nice. Below is a lovely photo of what we Phoenicians call "the brown cloud," caused by ozone: "Ozone is an invisible gas created when other pollutants in the air - such as those created by combustion- are heated by the sun." Just another day for us:

And then I'm sure this doesn't help the dust situation - summer dust storms known as Haboobs. (Yes that really is what they are called, and yes, they really do look this big and freaky)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrcVqtmugj8]

So when we hear we are getting rain after almost 4 months, we kinda freak out. All the weather people have their sleeves rolled up, the maps are flashing all over the place, and weather is the LEAD STORY.

What is just an average storm in any other part of the country is an event for us. I mean, it didn't just rain...it rained for two whole days!!

I loved it.

Sat in my jammies drinking coffee all Saturday morning, then actually got my rain jacket out of the closet (yes, it had DUST on it!), and went out Christmas shopping.

In the rain!

It was kind of exciting. Everyone had jackets and/or hats, and some even had this fancy type of nylon water shield that they would hold over head. You see them a lot in British shows.

But the cool this was, everyone was in a good mood. And mellow. No grumpiness, obnoxious yapping or complaining...just cool, you know? The rainy day vibe.

The horses loved it, too. They stood out there, just soaking it in, and getting good and muddy.

And then I woke up Sunday morning, to