From This Moment

It's a dreary Halloween eve in L.A. A little rainy and cloudy here today.

Found a nice video treat: Gladys Knight singing From This Moment. I think at a wedding.

It's originally done by Shania Twain.

Love both versions. Happy Friday. Happy Halloween if that's your thing. Enjoy this moment... and make a memory tonight!
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National Novel Writing Month

It's that time of year again... National Novel Writing Month.

Each November, thousands of would-be novelists try their hands at completing a 50,000 word draft of a novel in 30 days. The website provides plenty of supportive tips and resources for working toward the goal. Another site, Paperback Writer, offers tips for succeeding at NaNoWriMo.

The idea is geared toward quantity -- that is, pushing those who sit with the idea of writing to do so. The quality comes later, as the first draft turns into a revised second and third draft. For NaNoWriMo, 50,000 words is a good beginning (about 175 pages). Most fiction manuscripts aim for minimally 65-70,000 thousand words.

If you're up to the challenge, give it a try. 50,000 words over 30 days comes to about 1,600 words daily... or about 6 pages daily. And with the economy the way it is lately, and many of us saving money by staying IN, might as well stay IN with the notepad and/or keyboard for the month of November and create something that could pay off in the long run.
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Writers Link

Some writerly links for you...

Toni Morrison reads from her new novel, A Mercy, on NPR this week.

TV Guide Canada celebrates the best-written in daytime television, Young and the Restless.

Guide To Literary Agents blog answers all the questions you have about getting your novel represented by an agent.

The Spendid Table shares the best in food, food writing and recipes, and succulent dining at home.

Finally, in case you didn't know it... Toni Morrison graces the cover of the latest Poets & Writers.
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Classic Y&R: Olivia, Nathan, Keesha, and HIV

Been a YouTube addict this afternoon going down soap opera memory lane.

One of my ALL TIME favorite storylines on Young and The Restless was when Olivia, played by the fabulous Tonya Lee Williams, found out her husband, Nathan, had been having an affair with Keesha, who happened to be HIV-positive.

Such a well-written and well-acted storyline by all involved. And it showed how good Y&R was with its realistic black characters... especially with the following clips featuring Olivia and her sister Drucilla processing about "what a dog" Nathan is.

What made the storyline work was the classic Y&R formula... slow build up to the scenes you see here. Olivia was an ambitious doctor, who worked a lot of hours. Nathan felt neglected, didn't like that Olivia wasn't home all the time and that she'd hired someone to look after their son. Soon, Nathan met Keesha out in Genoa City (I believe on a case he was working on, Nathan was a private investigator), and their affair started. Keesha found out she was HIV-positive from a previous lover... and all hell broke loose. Nathan HAD to tell his wife about the affair and the exposure to HIV. It took a good year for this storyline to play out. And this was long before HIV and the black community made headlines.

Olivia is returning to the show, played by Tonya Lee Williams. Hopefully Dru played by Victoria Rowell will follow. (My sidenote, the actor playing the husband Nathan is/was sooooooo cute to me, but that's a major sidenote, lol)

In the meantime, some great clips:

Olivia confronts Keesha when she finds out about the affair and the HIV exposure. (Olivia eventually tested negative, and they followed her testing process in real time over the next year)

Olivia and Dru talk about Nathan. Part 1.

Olivia and Nathan Part 2... and Part 3.
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Confessions of a Contractor

We recently finished a MAJOR construction project at my day job, so I've developed a thing or two for contractors, construction workers, and people who make something from nothing. I mean... they made the new place fabulous.

So when I heard about this novel, Confessions of a Contractor, I knew I had to pick up a copy.

The novel is by Richard Murphy, and is a humorous and detailed story of a contractor in the middle of a steamy love triangle with two wealthy clients whose houses the contractor is working on. The competitors in this love triangle are two ex-best friends.

Sounds fun and like a good read to escape from the day-to-day build up of stress and money woes.
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You've Got Mail... And More

Quite timely and tech savvy for the late 2000s.

STD notification by anonymous online e-card. Story on MSNBC.com.

The service is available in many major U.S. cities, via inSpot.

A group of students and I were talking about the ease of online relationships for the kids of the late 80s and early 90s. Maybe this service can make it just as easy to take care of their sexual health.

Imagine opening up your email and discovering you've got mail... and more. I guess better to learn this way, than never to learn until it's too late.
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Sunday Surprises

A couple surprises today.

The good one... an interview with Annie Proulx in the L.A. Times. Proulx is the author of the short story which is the basis of the film Brokeback Mountain. Very good interview, with some surprising insights into life in Wyoming and life as a writer. I've written about Proulx and her writing on this blog before.

The bad surprise... I went to my neighborhood park to run this afternoon. Lots of cars, red t-shirts, and people gathered. I figured it was one of the weekly festivals or yard sales they hold. It was a Yes for Prop 8 rally.

For those of you not from California, Prop 8 is seeking to write in the state constitution the definition of marriage. It seeks to take the right of marriage away from gay and lesbian couples who would like to get married.

A YES vote would define marriage as between one man and one woman, and write it into the state constitution. A NO vote would not write a definition of marriage into the state constitution, meaning that people could marry the one person they want if they choose to marry.

I was surprised that 1) my town park gave a permit for a group to host a Yes on 8 event, and 2) that this event was clearly targeting the Asian Pacific Islander community as the group of choice to deliver the discriminatory message, based on who was present and the languages and symbols on t-shirts and signs.

For the record, I am voting NO on Prop 8 in California. I believe that anyone who chooses to marry another person should have the right to do so. Taking away rights, and writing such measures in the state constitution, isn't fair.

But back to Annie Proulx... here's a list of her books available on Amazon. Definitely some work not to be missed.
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Options

So I just found out that my friend Liza Palmer's first novel, Conversations with the Fat Girl, has been optioned by HBO for a series. That's great news. I'm happy for her. It's such a great book and voice, and I can totally see it as a series. Liza and I started out around the same time with our publishing journey. I've written about her books, Conversations and Seeing Me Naked on the blog before.

In these tough economic and political times, we're all looking for good escapist options to get our minds off of things. Miriam Goderich, of the Dystel & Goderich literary agency, shares her desire to be swept away by a good new book across her desk.

One option to escape... travel. Our friend Tayari Jones is heading to Ghana in early November for International African Writers' Day.

Finally, you and your literary agent are trying to get a better deal for your book. The Book Deal blog offers these options.

Have a great one... create a memory today!
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