Chaps and Snaps

Happy mid-week to you!

I'm So Sure has officially released. I'm giving away a copy (or two…) this week. You have until Friday night when the black crow flies over the cornfield to enter the drawing. See the details HERE.

If you watch Ellen, you know that every October she scares her guests in honor of Halloween. I loved it when Taylor Swift dropped by to visit. And when I say dropped…I mean that literally.

Okay, so Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog fans, have you seen Horrible Turn?

Is this a prequel? Is this Whedon or a copycat? I'm guessing it's Whedon but WHERE is Nathan Fillion and Doogie? You can't have a Dr. Horrible movie without the Doog.

I joke about smoking a lot. And I don't smoke. Unless someone lights me on fire, I won't ever be smoking. But it's inventions like this that make me give it a second thought…

Are you kidding me? It's acceptable in restaurants? At work? I can just see this craze taking over the world. I'll be teaching and look out at a sea of 30 kids puffing away on their smoking simulators.

Did you know November is National Write a Novel Month? We writers do not believe in letting the pilgrims hog the calendar. For the first time ever I joined NaNoWriMo. You register online and then log in your word count every day. Basically the goal is to write 50,000 words in one month. At least I think that is the goal. In true “me” fashion, I haven't actually read the instructions. So that might not be completely accurate. I found out some other long-held beliefs about NaNoWriMo weren't true. Like it's not true that the losers are auctioned off as Russian mail order brides. And the winners don't get to carry the Olympic torch.

But I'm pretty sure the 50k business is correct. And that's a LOT of words for one month. For me that's about 200 pages. And who has a contest to write an entire novel in the same month as that very special holiday in which people gather together and give thanks? And by that, I mean Black Friday. And then there's that Thanksgiving thing too. Anyway, the cool thing about NaNoWriMo is that you can track your progress with a little gauge and also see your friends' progress. And seeing other writers' accumulating pages is what is keeping me going. It really is a motivator. My big goal for this competition is: Don't Come In Last. Lofty goal, I know. I like to dream big though. It's just who I am. So join me in NaNo! I've already arm twisted, threatened, and blackmailed gently persuaded a bunch of people to join. And teens, there's a competition just for you! So recruit some friends and get to writing.

Okay, enough pro-active talk about getting things done. Let's talk about something I'm more familiar with–half-baked ideas! I'm currently writing a romantic comedy and…I have no idea where it's going. Which can be nauseating, sleep depriving, and make one consider drugs and other varieties of illegal matter fun! But usually when I'm stuck with one book, ideas for the next will start to unfold in my head. (Because heaven forbid ideas for the book I'm WRITING unfold in my head.) One of the ideas I'm kicking around involves some research. I mean, I don't think there's any way I could accurately write it without seeing the setting first hand. Two words: Dude. Ranch. Now, if you're like me, you will be saddened to know that a dude ranch is not a farm of hot men. Think City Slickers. And if you're age 20 or below then YouTube it. So I proposed to my travel buddies a summer jaunt to a working dude ranch.

I just threw the idea out today, but my friend and I are already getting the ball rolling. It's funny how a simple vacation idea can deteriorate so quickly. Here is a piece of our phone conversation from only hours ago. Names changed to protect the innocent and slightly deranged:

Chiquita: I don't own a pair of boots. Do you have crappy jeans?
Mabel: No. No crappy jeans. Just wear your Citizen and Joe Jeans. How bad can it be?
Chiquita: We're gonna have to get us some snap shirts.

Chiquita: Do we have to have cowboy boots?
Mabel: I dunno. Maybe they'd let us wear Asics.
Chiquita: Then we'd be outcasts.
Mabel: We'd be dude ranch rejects.

Mabel: I'm not roping doggies. (searching internet site of ranch…) Oh, look at those pictures. Everyone is wearing a hat. And bandannas. I'm not wearing bandannas. I'm not roping doggies and I'm not wearing a bandanna.
Chiquita: What? Why?
Mabel: Because. They're…ugly.
Chiquita: What's wrong with bandannas?
Mabel: What's RIGHT about bandannas?

And then a later email...
Chiquita: Don't forget chaps.
Mabel: Already have buttless ones.
Chiquita: Figures.

I'll keep you posted. This should get REAL interesting. . .

Much obliged you stopped by.
JEN

Robyn - November 4, 2009

You’re totally mabel with the butt-less chaps aren’t you? he hee

And competition is my main motivator in Nano too. Must always be ahead of nameless friend who doesn’t even know that we’re in a competition in my head.

Sarah - November 4, 2009

LOVE the Taylor Swift thing. I watched that episode and kept rewinding the DVR to watch it over and over:)

And the Dr. Horrible thing I think is fan based, but looks well made. I might watch. My husband was Dr. Horible for Halloween this year, but not many people knew who he was-so sad.

Kristy - November 4, 2009

I loved City Slickers. But even more, I loved Hey Dude. It was on Nickelodeon when I was growing up. It was a show about a bunch of teenagers that worked on a dude ranch. I now own the series on DVD. You should check it out–it’ll help with that book. 😉

Heather aka Dynamic Uno - November 4, 2009

I’m quite sure you won’t come in last with NaNoWriMo–especially since I only have about 700 words and I should be averaging about 2000 per day. Yep–I think I’ve got last place covered for you. 🙂

“I’m standin’ in the middle of a river yelling “Moo Cow Move!”

Colene - November 4, 2009

i <3 Ellen. shes just so cute and spunky. i can see you on a dude ranch in cute little shoes and a sparkly bandanna Fred from scooby doo style tangling yourself up in a rope.

Kristin - November 5, 2009

I’m already over 1,000 words behind on NaNoWriMo. I’m at a weird point in my story right now, so I’m not very motivated to write.
In better news, I finished reading “Just Between You and Me” just minutes ago. I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it. It was an amazing book, and I loved how you pulled everything together in the end. And how, at some of the most serious, important moments in the story, you put in humor that made me laugh out loud. I’ve been having to deal with a lot of fear lately, because I’m a really shy person (who’s been homeschooled for the past four years) who started community college this fall. One of the classes I have to take sometime is public speaking, and that means I’ll have to face my biggest fear, not once, but quite a few times. Anyway, it was a lovely, encouraging book, not to mention that now I have a major crush on Connor. I’m really excited to start “So Not Happening,” but it’ll probably have to wait until December 1st. =)
Also, thanks for the comment you left on my blog the other day.
~Kristin

Cassidy - November 5, 2009

I love that video of Ellen Degeneres scaring Taylor Swift. LoL funny stuff.
That NaNoWriMo thing looks awesome. I joined. I’ve kinda always wanted to write a novel.
And seriously? Butt-less chaps? LoL really getting into that whole dude ranch thing huh?

tori - November 6, 2009

i joined national writers month! i already have 1110 words in one hour! my user name is frostingbubble and my novel is called street rats. will you be my writing buddy? i don’t know your info so I’m telling you mine.

Rachael - November 7, 2009

Already finished I’m so sure — great work :]
…and don’t worry, for my own selfish reasons i will be praying for you to quickly continue the series 😀 haha
Thanks for everything – keep it up =)

Jenny B. Jones - November 7, 2009

Robyn, I do contests in my head against people who don’t know we’re competing as well. ha!

Sarah, Taylor even falls in a cute fashion. If that had been me I probably would’ve been a big production of arms, legs, and wayward pee.

Kristy, thanks for the tip. In the name of research, i gotta check that out.

Heather, I don’t like to be reminded that we have to write 2k words a day. Ugh. WHY November? WHY?

Colene, maybe I would feel better about bandannas if I bedazzled mine. And I’m sure I will be one big tangled ball of misplaced bones for Dr. L to straighten out when I return. He’ll probably take a look at me and be like, “I can’t work with this.”

Cassidy, i’m glad you joined NaNo! You can do it! First novel–yay!

Tori, glad you joined as well. You are on the boards! What a great start! WOOOOOO!

Rachael, thanks so much. I’m glad you enjoyed the book. : )

Kristin, speech is a hard class for most people. Keep that in mind and don’t go in assuming everyone else but you knows what he/she is doing. They don’t. You can do it though. Just stick to things you’re interested in for speeches if at all possible.

ashley - November 11, 2009

i live for the day i make it onto Ellen and she scares the *beep!* outta me.

hannah - November 11, 2009

i was looking at some past blogs and i read the one about fashion going no where. it isn’t. i have decided that because of the economy people are scared (like fashion designers afraid of losing their job, putting food on the table, affording the house…)and let their latest fashions reflect that they are scared. like pants with those trouser things. peace love and happiness t’s and abby dawn skulls and other dark things.

Chaps and Snaps

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