How being a writer can help when you get a parking ticket

This semester I'm taking a graduate class in connection with my day job.  The class is tough, but the challenge is exciting and I may write about that in another post, but all you need to know for this post is that I'm taking the class at a downtown/city campus. 

On the first night of my class, I was nervous.  I wasn't sure about the class or where to park or who would be in the class or where to park.  You get the idea.

I left my day job with plenty of time to get to my class and pick up my parking pass, then proceed to one of the parking lots.  Well, I thought I had plenty of time. I parked, legally at that time of day, in the only space I could find, and took off to get my parking pass.  I followed the sign to the parking department, but found out that it had moved to another building since the last time I took a grad class, so I lost some time finding the right building.  Then, I found out that there was a problem with something in the building that houses the parking office, which meant I was directed to another location to pick up my pass.  When I arrived there, I was told that the building was open for people who needed the pass I needed, so I went back to the building.  As I opened the front door, I met a large group of workman coming out.  One of the men told me that the building was closed again to everyone for the next 30 minutes.

Since my class was starting in less than 30 minutes, I gave up and walked back to my car.  I turned the corner of the street where my car was parked just in time to see a parking office from the city, not the university, putting a ticket on my car. 

I grabbed the ticket off my windshield and drove to find another, legal at this time of day, parking space.  I drove around, turned around, drove back, but couldn't find any legal parking places with vacancies.

By this time, my class had started.

Now, you may be thinking, okay, fine, but what's the writer bit and how did that help?  Well, as I drove, my brain starting going.  I played out the whole story of what if I drove around for the next hour, ( I had plenty of gas), and found a parking place when everyone was leaving their classes.  Then, I'd run in to my class, only to meet everyone leaving.  What would happen next?  Would the professor talk to me or expunge my name from the class roster?

Then, I started noticing how many other people had tickets on their cars.  Unlike me, they'd just left their cars where they were without worrying about the ticket.  I wondered about those people and wondered if they did this every week.  Did they ever pay their tickets?  Did some of them owe the city thousands of dollars?  Could I make a citizen's arrest and get a reward that would be big enough to pay for my ticket?

My point is that every time I followed this line of imagining, I started to laugh.  Which was better than the few moments of weeping I had when I first started driving around with the parking ticket on the passenger's seat next to me.

Just when I had almost given up and was onto a story of how great it would be to have super powers and be able to pick up my car and put it in a parking space, I saw a deck for visitors that still had vacancies.  I parked and ran to my class.

My late arrival is another adventure, but I'm still enrolled in the class.

Once I reached home and told my husband of my adventures, he added another idea to my creative fire.  He thinks that the city police mark this week down as a huge money maker week and that they just wait for people like me who are starting classes and are clueless about where to park.  I made a few notes that night about potential stories with lurking parking officers and magical parking lots.  I'll probably never use those notes, but who knows.

What I do know is that being a writer helps me keep events in my life in perspective. 

What about you?  How does being a writer affect your every day interactions?  For example, raise your hand if you keep notes of phrases or comments you hear?  (Mine is raised!)  Let me know.

Reflections on September 11

Rachel Gardner challenged her blog readers to post their 9-11 memories/thoughts in 100 words or less.  I hadn't planned on writing about September 11 because it seemed to me that so many others had so much more to write about the events than I did.  However, after reading her blog, and after reading Maureen Johnson's post  I started thinking.  And writing.  So, here are the thoughts that came to me.

September 11, 2001, found me teaching senior English to a small group of high school students in a school where my husband of less than six months also worked.  We heard that something had happened when a student shared what she’d heard as she signed late in at the office.   Since we had televisions in our rooms and they were connected to cable,  we turned on a channel to check out what was happening.  At the time, I agreed to turn on the television because I thought there'd be nothing going on, and that drop the subject so we could get back to class work.  

I was wrong.  We watched, and watched.  None of us really said anything.  It was one of the student’s birthday, and his mom had sent cupcakes via another student.  We’d already each taken one, but as the period (100 minutes long) and news coverage continued, we ate all the cupcakes.

All of us got through that day, and at 3:00 p.m., we went home to watch the reports of everything that had happened and was still happening.

For days, afterwards, I insisted that we sleep with the television tuned to CNN or the radio on NPR, the volume very low, while we slept.  Somehow I thought that if something else happened, even in my sleep, I’d be able to tell the difference in the coverage and wake up so I would know about it.

That’s one thing that got to me; the need to know what was going on, what was happening.  Being in a classroom all day is very isolating as far as world events goes.

I was also very thankful that my family members were all safe.

My niece was in first grade, and her teachers did a magnificent job of keeping all their students calm and ignorant of what went on during the day of September 11, so that the children’s parents could explain things to them once they were home that evening.  My sister-in-law walked my niece to school on September 12 and was telling her something like, “You might hear some things today, that some bad people did some things and hurt people.  We’re sad about that, but you’re safe and we’re all safe, so you don’t have to worry.”

My niece’s response?  “Why didn’t the bad people’s mommies and daddies do something to stop them?”

I've thought about that a lot since then.

How time flies, and other things. . .

Yes, so much for my "I will post at least three times a week" plan.  My only defense is that I've been reading and writing as well as starting back to work at my day job.  And yes, I have been following the WFMAD challenge.  Have you?  If not, check out Laurie Halse Anderson's blog.  You could always start in September.

Also, I've been mourning the demise of Borders.  My favorite Borders store had survived the most recent round of closings, and I was relieved.  Then, the final death knell announcement broke about all the stores closing.  I know it's only a store, but it was MY Borders store.  Based on my research, there is one bookstore within a 45 minutes drive from my house.  There are no locally owned bookstores located less than an hour from me.  Sad.

Now, let's move on a happier topic.  What have I been reading?  Listed below are two of the books along with my reactions:

Divergent by Veronica Roth
I LOVE this book!  At first, I resisted reading it--even though the concept intrigued me and from reading her blog, I liked the author's writing.  The reason I resisted was that I just wasn't sure I was ready for another dystopian novel.  I became so caught up in the Hunger Games trilogy that I thought of the characters throughout the day, and I went through withdrawal at the end of The Passage because the next book isn't schedule for soooooo long;  let me just say that I didn't want to go through any of that again.  But, like I said, I was intrigued, so I read. . .and read. . .and read. . .and read.  I read the entire book one evening when I should have been washing clothes and getting to bed early.

And I didn't/don't regret a single minute of lost sleep.  (I washed clothes the next night, so I did not wear dirty clothes!)

The whole idea of this society has me thinking about all that could go on in the next book.  I believe in and care about Tris and Four; I can't wait to find out what happens next.  Also, I believe in Veronica Roth's vision and writing so I have no fears she will let me down in the upcoming books of this trilogy.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire
First, let me state that in high school, I was never one of those girls who read romance novels.  My cousins were and happily shared their books, and I read, oh, maybe one, and then just took their books and returned them, unread.  I read mysteries, horror, Greek myths, and a million other things.  I'd read good reviews of Hourglass, but thought maybe it wasn't for me.  But, I picked up a copy and. . .was hooked.  The whole time travel aspect kept me interested, and yes, the romance worked.  I loved the details about the setting and the food (yes, I kept wanting Cuban coffee) in the story.

I am in the process of reading the following books:


Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy 
Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
NOTE:  Yes, I am one of those people who read MANY books at one time.

Books I'm eagerly waiting to read:

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab  (Just received my copy in the mail.  It is my reward for this week, because not only am I back at my day job, I'm also starting a class relating to my day job.)

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson  (I've pre-ordered my copy from Books of Wonder and am hoping it will arrive BEFORE the September 29 release date.)

Downpour by Kat Richarson  (It shows how I've only been doing the limited survival type things lately because this book was released at the beginning of the month and I haven't gotten around to buying/ordering my copy yet.)

Okay, so that's what I've been reading.  What I've been writing will have to wait until my next post.  What are you reading?  What have you read this summer that you would recommend?  Let me know.  Until next time---READ ON!

Write Fifteen Minutes a Day Challenge

Okay, so three posts in one day is a little overboard, but hey, all three are time-centric, so that's the way it goes.  For anyone who doesn't know, today is the beginning of Laurie Halse Anderson's fourth annual Write Fifteen Minutes a Day Challenge.  The challenge is simple; write 15 minutes every day of the month of August.  There are no sign-ups or check-ins or word counts.  People are just supposed to write 15 minutes a day.

That's it.  Simple, elegant, accessible.  Write 15 minutes a day for 31 days and see if (it will be)  your life is changed by the end of the month.  Are you up for it?  Will you accept the challenge? 

I am.  Will you join me? 

If you do, then let me know.  And, check out Laurie's blog and let her know, too.  Read her entry about the challenge. 

Taking the time to write every day can make a difference in anyone's life, whether you are a writer or not.  So, take the challenge, what have you got to lose?

For anyone in the south who reads. . .

There's a book tour coming up in the south, and even though I can't attend, I thought I'd let those of you who might be able to stop by know about it.  The website is here.

The authors participating are listed below, along with links to their websites:  Myra McEntire, Victoria Schwab, Beth Revis

Here's what the tour website posted about the book tour:  "Myra, Victoria, and Beth are thrilled about bringing a tour to their local areas--from Asheville, NC, to Nashville, TN. We'd love it if you came out to see us. . ."

If, like me, you can't attend a book signing, then check out the links to the authors' websites!  READ ON!

Contests and authors! Prizes and books! Hurrah!

This is just a quick note to let everyone know about the YA Scavenger Hunt that's going on today!  Twenty-three (count them, 23!) authors are involved and there is a grand prize as well as special contests offered by individual authors.  Plus, you get to find out about deleted scenes and upcoming sequels and all kind of other good readerly things.  The only problem--the deadline is Midnight, August 1.  So, here's the link, and get moving and reading!

I know, it takes time, but it's worth it!  I have a huge list of books to read and books to look forward to reading, plus I've learned about new authors.  Get moving!

P.S.  Still not convinced?  Check out this list of authors who are participating: 

JOSEPHINE ANGELINI
TERA LYNN CHILDS
ANGELA CORBETT
KADY CROSS
HEATHER DAVIS
DJ DESMYTER
BREE DESPAIN
LEIGH FALLON
MARLEY GIBSON
ABBI GLINES
COLLEEN HOUCK
TARA HUDSON
ELANA JOHNSON
SOPHIE JORDAN
MYRA MCENTIRE
ALEXANDRA MONIR
LISA NOWAK
AMY PLUM
BETH REVIS
LISA & LAURA ROECKER
INARA SCOTT
JERI SMITH-READY
LANI WOODLAND

Now, get moving!

Reading and reading some more

Lately, I've been reading books and reading blogs and reading tweets.  Just in case you haven't been doing any of these things, let me tell you there are some amazing people doing amazing things out there!  What I'm reading right now is Hourglass by Myra McEntire.  I'm more than half-way through the book and I care so much about these characters!  I can't wait to see what happens next.


The blogs I've read include ones by Jane Friedman and Veronica Roth.  I've learned a lot about writing and creating characters, as well as what to do (and not to do) in blogging.  I've also been following links all over the place reading about how to create a blog people will read.  So, look for implementation of those ideas!


And, I have to admit I've spent more time than I want to admit reading tweets by Maureen Johnson.  She is hilarious!  I also read 13 Blue Envelopes and have pre-ordered her new book, The Name of the Star, from Books of Wonder in New York.

In addition to all this reading, I've also been writing.  Gracie's story is moving through a major revision because of a huge change in the beginning of the novel.  The NOHSCBWI conference is September 23-24, and I plan to submit pages for a critique, so I still have more to do!


What about you?  What have you been reading?  Read any good blogs or tweets?  Let me know!