Monday, January 30, 2012

Baglady???

Where Did "baglady" Come From?
Years ago I used to drive for a delivery type company.  I delivered payroll and bank mail over NW Ohio.  Since I was on the road for 8 hours a day, I got bored, sleepy, lost, stuck in construction and so on.  So I decided to buy a CB radio. 
Listening to the chatter on the airwaves was interesting and kept me awake.  After I got over my fear of using the microphone, I could ask for directions, hear and give bear (police) reports and just have conversations besides hearing about construction or an accident up the road. It was especially helpful on days when the highway was covered in snow and the wind was blowing and I thought I was the only one out there.
But I needed a handle (CB name).  One day when I walked into a bank in Delphos with my big orange bag of bank mail, one of the tellers called out "Here comes the baglady!"  Bingo!  There was my handle.  And that's how "You got the baglady here" came to be.

Web Developer:
I'd like to add a plug for my son, Stephen.  He is a web developer and very good at what he does.  So if you're thinking of having your own web site for personal reasons or for your business, check out this link to his business:  http://www.hackworks.net/, otherwise known as Pixelbot. There is also a link on the right side of this page.  He and his partner would be more than happy to work with you.  As for what they can do, check this out... http://www.invoguerecords.com/index.php

My New Novel - Charlie
This next week is full speed ahead for Charlie.  I know who he is now and how his mind thinks.  I know what he's afraid of and how he expresses himself.  Since Charlie is joining the 3 women from my recent manuscript, I don't have to do my character sketches on them, at least not as detailed, since I already know these women quite well.  Now comes the outline.
I'm not a firm believer in a detailed, by the book, outline.  I like to know where the story is going and how it's going to end, but I've found that I can't get too caught up in what is exactly supposed to happen next.  I've read other writers talk about their characters writing the scenes and I've finally realized what they mean.  When I'm engrossed in what I'm writing, suddenly I realize that the story has taken a different tone, or a different direction, or maybe a character is doing something I hadn't planned.  Do I stop and backtrack?  Absolutely not!  This is where good stories come from.  The characters.  So I finish out what is happening in the direction the story wants to go.  Then I go back and see if this new side road is plausible.  Is this something that moves the story along?  Is this something that goes with my character's personality?  If not, then maybe I need to cut some of it.  But if it does, and that's what happened a number of times when writing my first novel, then I sit back with a satisfied feeling and a grin on my face.  And this is what writing a novel can feel like.  Satisfying. 
and the agents....
Also, this next week, I'm putting together packages for a few more agents.  I still have 3  out there waiting for a response, but I have many more agents that fit my novel (The Ironing Board) and I want to get the query and the synopsis ready for what each of them expects.  Its a waiting game.  It can take up to 3-4 months to hear back from some agents.  And they give you 2 main reasons why.  1. They can receive hundreds of queries each week.  And 2...they have existing clients they are working for.  I understand that and so the waiting goes on...and on...and on.  Sigh.....

The Hot Dog Recipe:
This is the hot dog recipe my niece wants so badly and she knows how good it is.
6 hot dogs diced
2 hard-boiled eggs diced
3 sweet pickles chopped or 2T relish
3T ketchup
3T mustard
2T salad oil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 hot dog buns
Mix all ing. (except the buns, haha) and don't judge a book by its cover...they look gross :) Spoon mixture into 8 hot dog buns, wrap each snugly in a piece of foil, put on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 min. at 350*  With all the kids we had, I had to triple this recipe but they are a real crowd pleaser. Not having a lot of money but having a lot of kids, and there were days we had 10, mac and cheese and applesauce were usually our sides with this dish.
Now my daughter wants me to post our "stretch potatoes" so that will probably show up here next week. :)

Quotes of the Day:
As a writer, you can't allow yourself the luxury of being discouraged and giving up when you are rejected, either by agents or publishers. You absolutely must plow forward.  ~ Augusten Burroughs

"The noblest of all dogs is the hot-dog; it feeds the hand that bites it."
~ Lawrence J. Peter.


4 comments:

Karen Lynne said...

Karen, that hotdog recipe sounds...shall we say less than gourmet but I try anything once. Can see it would be a kid pleaser.

Karen said...

With all the kids we had, gourmet isn't a word we even tried. Believe it or not I still make myself these hot dogs, but instead of tripling the recipe, I'm now cutting it in half. Sigh, I miss cooking for all those kids.

Tari said...

YUMMY!! Can't wait to fix it. It's been YEARS since I've had it. thank you thank you thank you!!! :o)

Karen said...

Enjoy!! And let me know if it still tastes like you remember it.