Steeple Hill Writers Club ~2~

Okay, I found my way, but no one else is here! Where are you all?

 Marta

I'm here. I'm kind of waiting for someone else to post :)

Dream - I've been 'watching' you knit on Facebook. I know what you've been going through. I love to knit but can't anymore b/c my fingers swell from the arthritis when they stay too long in one position like holding the knitting needles. Now typing on the other hand...

Beckie - I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you since we became friends on Facebook but I've blogged about the ACFW conf on my blog.

I think I've told everyone the results here too...?

I rec'd partial requests from 2 editors and 1 agent so I've been busy trying to get my ms whipped into shape from all the wonderful things I learned at the conf.

My biggest prob is passive writing and I have to delete all the 'ing' words as well as 'have', 'was', etc.

Well, I guess I don't HAVE to, but it's definitely improving my writing and now that I know, I can't claim ignorance.

Anita Mae -- I don't think I heard about the requests.  Way to go!!

Janet

Way to go Anita Mae! How exciting.

Anita Mae, that's wonderful about the requests!

I tried knitting and needless to say it didn't go well.

Margaret 

Funny thing is, I'm craft impaired as well. But after spending time with Camy and Allie at ACFW and their knitting obsession, I have to admit to being a little jealous that they had something else to do with themselves other than read or write. I've tried the exercise thing with little success, and even though I do love gardening, I have a black thumb.

For me, the decision I made about my knitting is that it's a no-pressure, no deadline thing. I just stitch here and there, and it's been very relaxing. Oh! And it's a no-perfection thing. My first project is hideous, but I love it.

I have to admit that I enjoy crafty things but I'm not very good at them.  My Grandmother taught me to crochet, but that was a disaster.  I'm left-handed so everything was backwards.  Years later, I tried again and forced myself to use my right hand rather than my left.  I'm not bad at very simple projects.  If you need a dishcloth, I'm your gal.  I do find it relaxing though, and if I crochet while watching TV I'm not as likely to snack.

Kara

Just found this one.  Nice! 

Some crafts, yes.  Other crafts, not so much. 

I guess we are going to see how crafty I am. I am doing some Christmas stockings for my church. We give them to the children in a shelter. I went yesterday to the store and I couldn't find much I wanted to do to the stockings. I didn't see much for Christmas yet there. They were still on Halloween. I'm going to check at some other places this week.

Margaret 

I used to do that.  I made my own designs.  It was fun.  I wish I still had time for it.... 

Like Kara Lynn, I, too, am left-handed and find that everything is backwards.  It takes me forever to hem clothes because I'm told I do it backwards.  I would love to knit or crochet.  My mother-in-law used to do both - so beautifully. 

Right now I am reading Homecoming Heroes and just love the stories.  The one by Marta Perry and Patricia Davids were so good - emotional and thought provoking.

Thank you to those authors who we enjoy so much and also to those who can make crafts - you are so talented.  Both bring such special joy to others.

Glad you're joining us, bookbuff!  I've heard that you can look in a mirror for left-handed instructions on crafts, but I'm not sure how that would work.  Basically, I think it's just do everything backward from what it says. 

Wish I still had time for crafts.  Well, I do sometimes work on them when I'm on the phone.  (Isn't hands-free great?)

Welcome, bookbuff.

Margaret 

Welcome Bookbuff

I also learned to knit the continental way by Mama, (pronounced Mum-ma) my Finn grandmother, when I was 12. My mom is the only leftie in the bunch but Mama taught her the same way.

Then I taught myself to crochet but when I tried to teach that to Mom, it was all backwards to her and she was all thumbs. Too bad b/c it was something she'd really wanted to learn. Too bad Mama didn't know how.

Mama spent most of her time braiding rugs. People would drop bags of rags off at her door and she'd cut them up and braid them together. Big ones for the floor but also small ones for the old wooden chairs. I remember the first time I noticed plastic on one and I tried to pull it out but Mama told me to leave it be. I tried to say something was stuck in the seat pad but she just shushed me. Later when I asked my mom, she told me Mama braided plastic bread bags in with the fabric. Mom thought it was for durability but she wasn't sure and Mama never did explain why.

Welcome Bookbuff.  I've always been horrible at hemming, too.  It never occured to me that this could be a "left handed" thing.

Kara

My grandmother used to make rugs out of plastic shopping bags. It was a bit of a thing a few years ago. They're very durable and pretty.

I love to decorate cakes. I'm still playing and learning but have some some neat stuff including a 4 tier rose covered anniversary cake. Unfortunately, my favourite hobby comes in at about 2000 calories an hour

Anita Mae, I've never sold a cake but we have very cool cakes for birthday's at my house. I have a couple in my facebook albums. My neighbour has been helping me out a bit with babysitting and wants nothing for it so I gave them a Thanksgiving cake.

Well, aren't I the observant one.

I'd noticed the very wide pages but not the photos.

This new look at eharlequin is interesting. It's supposed to make things easier to find.

You all are talking about how crafty you are. Like singing, I'm not real good at crafts either. I will sew things by hand but not on a sewing machine. 

Margaret 

Yes, I logged on today and the photos and top of page numbers are back.

Marta - you have a very active imagination. No wonder your books are so good.

Margaret - I can't hand sew but I love using my machine. I hate mending, but I love starting from scratch with a piece of fabric and a pattern. Come to think of it, all my baking is from scratch as well.

About the new look - i love it.

However, I found another problem tonight...I clicked on WRITE at the bottom of the page and although it took me to the guideline pages, when I clicked on the samples for QUERY and SYNOPSIS, i only got blank pages. Can you guess what i'm doing? Finally?

Woo hoo, Anita Mae!  Way to go!  I guess you can go to the thread where they're discussing the new look and mention that the pages you need are blank.  It could be that Scott & the team just haven't connected them yet.  That's what happened with the pictures and page numbers, and they're back now.

Kara, I'm doing the best I can.  Took out today to participate in the online reenactment of the O.K. Corral shootout this morning after church, and had to leave before they were done, for evening church, but I came back and put a couple more after supper.  It about wrung me out. (Very emotional.  I need an HEA, now!  Where's a real romance?) Tomorrow, it's back to the chick lit.  I still have a little over 16K to go, so I may not make it... I may have to put it on hold for NaNo, and while that might ordinarily drive me nuts, I've gotten so close to this one that maybe taking a break is exactly what I need.  I'll have to pray about it (and let Dream know if I'm changing my goal instead of meeting it). 

And speaking of winterizing, it's supposed to get to freezing tonight, and I forgot to take the rest of the bottles of water out of the RV...uh-oh...

I tend to like hard copies of things anyway--maybe because I started writing long, long ago before I had a computer. I still tend to keep more paper files than I need. And I feel I have to print out a copy in order to do a rewrite. It just doesn't feel right to do that on the screen.

 Of course, then the problem is to find the paper I need!

I'm heading down to Tampa to play with grandkids for a week. See you all when I get back.

Marta

Hey Debby - thanks.

I'd say goodbye to Marta but I think she's already gone.

Anyway, I have a question:

I have my partial all ready to send out in a Tyvek envelope. However, I was told to attach it all with a binder clip.

But when I do that and put it in the envelope, you can feel the bulky binder clip through the Tyvek envelope. Won't it get caught up in some postal equipment?

Marta, have fun!  Tampa ought to be beautiful this time of year, and grandkids are fun anytime, aren't they?

Anita Mae, binder clips?  Well, if that's what they say to use.  (I was always told rubber bands.  Of course those can disintegrate and snap the person removing them...)  We'll just pray it gets there safely!  And if Dream's never had a problem, then you shouldn't, either.  I think they don't run packages through those automated machines, anyway.  I think that's mostly for envelopes of the smaller sizes. 

Debby, it's so great to have you here!  I just finished COUNTDOWN TO DEATH and loved it!  You had me on the proverbial tenterhooks!  I haven't posted it yet on my book count (unless I did and I don't remember--trying to get the chick lit finished before NaNo is making me a little NaNoish before the time!), but hope to soon (unless I already did).  Can you tell it's late and I'm in need of sleep?  It's cold here in AR/OK borderland, too!  We're supposed to break a low record tonight!  Brrrr. 

Dream, thanks for the encouragement on the other thread.  I'm going to keep plugging away at this book.  Right now I'm to Uriah Heep.    (You'd have to be there.  )  I'm aiming for 42,000 words before I call it a night, although midnight is fast approaching....