Jennifer Lyon


Monday, May 21st, 2012
Weekend Round up

Great weekend! First off, Wizard came home. He was gone all last week for work, and surprisingly, I managed to not get into any trouble. Probably because BLB appointed himself my babysitter and stayed with me all week. Usually he goes home for half the week now, but it was nice to have him here.

Saturday we had a family party to celebrate a college graduation. We really enjoyed that. Even though I have a problem understand why people order white cake for these things. Two events in a row–white cake.  It just makes me sad that people don’t respect chocolate properly :-)

Sunday Wizard was gone all day again (this time for fun, which he needed) and I worked in peace. It feels like I’m making progress. But man, in every book, I always forget what it takes to get into the character’s heads:

In the beginning, it’s all hearts and flowers as I get to know the superficial stuff about the characters. Height, weight, hair and eye color, job, dreams, goals…and at first, that all seems like enough.

Then it’s not enough.

And man, this is the hard part. I have to get inside them and poke around to the most painful parts because that is the only place I will find what truly motivates them. It’s only there I learn their fears,  their pain, their darkest parts that all of us have.

Now since all these characters are created from MY imagination, guess who’s experiences I have to mine to figure this stuff out?

Why do I do this again? Because I know it’s not for the money, LOL! Hey, maybe it’s a form of therapy?

In any case, as morose as all this sounds, I’m pretty happy with the progress I’ve made!

So how was your weekend?

11 comments to “Weekend Round up”

  1. B.E Sanderson
    May 21st, 2012 at 7:03 am · Link

    You can mine my moroseness anytime. ;o)

    The weekend was okay. Did the birthaversary thing. (Yes, I made him marry me close to my birthday. Makes gift giving so much easier.) Daughter did her first real job interview on Friday and she starts work today, which means I start my job as chauffeur. It’s only about a mile one way, so no biggie. I inhaled a few books this weekend, and I managed to write. Of course, I wrote and deleted the first 1500 words of that, but I think the next 2K got me back on track. Keep your fingers crossed.



  2. Kat
    May 21st, 2012 at 8:17 am · Link

    The theme for my weekend was “If you want something done at all do it yourself” I have the sunburn and sore muscels to prove it. 8)

    The kids help when I ask but there a still some really tough jobs in the yard and around the house that I have to tackle myself. (My son did scrub the soap scum out of the shower. He is so sweet.) My husand feels bad about all the stuff he can’t do. The reality is that it still needs done and I do it. I ask him to do things I know he can especially with the kids that way he is interacting with them. The physical stuff has helped to work out a great deal of pent up frustration on my part so it really is a good thing. :)



  3. Silver James
    May 21st, 2012 at 10:41 am · Link

    Yay for writing, Jen! And you mine those dark places so well. ;)

    Yay for writing and reading, B.E. Congrats on DD getting the job! You should have some free time while she’s at work, and for me, driving is a time when I can really tap into working out the knotty problems with a MS.

    Kat, I really sympathize with you. The guys just hate that they can’t be the big, strong male and that we have to take up the slack. As I tell mine, we’re partners and each of us does what we can and we always take up the slack. That’s the way it works. Hang in there!

    My weekend? Rain. LOTS of rain but we always need it around here. I was invited to attend the “Red Green” comedy concert last night, with Lawyer Guy and his office partner. The Red Green show is a Canadian thing introduced to American audiences on PBS. It’s…funny. Especially live as these otherwise normal guys dress up like Red Green so it’s like Rocky Horror for old dudes. Google it. Trust me, I can’t do it justice.



  4. Jen Lyon
    May 21st, 2012 at 10:57 am · Link

    B.E. congrats to your daughter! The chauffeur gig doesn’t sound too hard.

    I hear you on the write/delete thing. I cut so much of what I write, it makes a couple of my writer friends nauseous. I usually have a cut file that is at least half the size of my finished manuscript–and that doesn’t count all that I deleted and didn’t move to the file. Don’t sweat it, it’s just the way you work.

    And my fingers are always crossed for you (figuratively speaking, I can’t type if I do it literally :-)



  5. Ashlynn
    May 21st, 2012 at 11:02 am · Link

    Way to go Jen! You got some work done, and…I thought writing was a sort of therapy??? haha But it does make the story better. If you feel it, then your characters can feel it and then your readers will. :) all win-win in my book.

    And so glad you stayed out of trouble. We all knew it was possible. :-P hehe



  6. Jen Lyon
    May 21st, 2012 at 11:04 am · Link

    Kat, sounds like you really earned those sore muscles! I’m glad it helped you work off some frustration, but you must get awfully tired.

    It will probably get better as your husband learns to live with his limitations and work around them. I was just telling Wizard last night that BLB appears to be walking better when in reality it’s that he’s gotten better at working with his limitation (he will still improve). You know all this, but it can’t hurt to hear it again!

    And can I just add, your family is so lucky to have you!



  7. Jen Lyon
    May 21st, 2012 at 11:06 am · Link

    Silver, when I hear rain for you, I think of your pups, and by pups, I mean HUGE dogs, LOL! Hope they like the rain.

    The Red Green comedy must be good! I will google it and find out more! So glad you got out and had some fun.



  8. Jen Lyon
    May 21st, 2012 at 11:08 am · Link

    Ashlynn, I can never decide if writing is therapy or not. Sometimes, I truly think it’s sending me over the edge :-)

    So glad you believed in me! Who knew I could stay out of trouble? Usually I do something really strange…although I don’t know if I can ever top getting locked out of the house by a lizard.



  9. Viki S.
    May 21st, 2012 at 2:13 pm · Link

    Hey Jenn –

    Sounds like you’re making real progress with your characters. It must be as much fun figuring them out as it is frustrating. I know, as the reader I love it as the depth of the character unfolds.

    I’m with you on white cake too. How can chocolate be neglected – not in my house ;).

    My weekend was good until last night. Sat. was dinner out with hubs. Real nice. I even had tiramisu afterwards :).
    Sunday we went to Joe’s (his birthday is today). So sad, he’s down to under 100 pounds. He’s gotten to the very demanding stage and he doesn’t even know it. His poor wife. She tries to be so nice and jump at every command but he still take offense when she doesn’t jump the moment the words are out of his mouth. All I can say is there is going to be a very special place for Julie in heaven. Truly an angel.
    When we got home I was carrying in the cooler and fell. I face planted unto the hard wood floor. Split open my forehead, bridge of my nose, lip and knee. I also jarred my neck and back. Agony – oh yes! I ache like crazy and if you didn’t know me you’d swear I was stoned. My eyes are so glassy.

    B. E. – Did I miss wishing you a Happy Birthday? Well better late than not at all – HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Congrats to your daughter on her job :).

    Kat – I wish my boys would nail the soap scum ;). Finding things your hubs can do with the kids is great. I’m all for having them be together even if they’re working rather than playing. Some of the best bonding is done while working on home projects.

    I hope everyone has a great week :)!



  10. Jen Lyon
    May 21st, 2012 at 3:04 pm · Link

    Viki, your fall sounds terrible! I can’t even think about it without cringing. Since you were carrying something, I’m guessing you couldn’t get your hands up to break your fall. I’m so sorry! Please see a doctor if you have any concerns. That really does sound like a serious fall.

    Poor Julie and Joe, and all of you seeing this happen. I’m just praying that everyone can find the strength and peace they need to get through it.

    Glad you at least had a good dinner on Saturday night.



  11. B.E Sanderson
    May 21st, 2012 at 7:11 pm · Link

    Thanks, Silver and Jen. The driving is easy, although it’s not nearly long enough to think about anything constructive. I’ll pass your good wishes along to the Kid. And thank you, Viki. You didn’t miss it. I just didn’t mention it until now.



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