I'm blogging at The Popculturedivas

I'm over at The Popculturedivas today, wondering whether writers ever really go on vacation...

Poetry Train Monday - 146 - No Cure

Hard at work on the second draft of my vampire story, this long weekend. It's inspired this assessment of the affliction I suffer.


For more poetry, Ride the Poetry Train!


No Cure


Story attacks like a virus
No cure except to write
First attempt inside out
Like the transported fly

Years of workshops
Tears of surrender
When it just won't make sense
When it won't leave you in peace

Light bulb moment
Only leads to dissection
Your story's scenes sliced bare
Moments amputated on the floor

Rebuilt version sent out
Fragile as spun sugar
The heart bruises
With every rejection

An offer is made
A contract is signed
Champagne cork popped
Dreams now stock on a shelf

Someone you've never met
Stays up all night
Reading your story in one gulp
As another story attacks you

- Julia Smith, Apr. 4, 2010

Sorcerer says Beautifully done.

Janet says Glad to hear the rewrites are going well - can't wait to hear more about it, Julia!

Akelamalu says Good stuff Julia. :)

Thursday Thirteen - 141 - 13 Views of 2009 at A Piece of My Mind

Colleen at Loose Leaf Notes took a look back at her blog through 2009 last week - and I so enjoyed her post, I decided to borrow her format for my own blog this week.

Clicking on the month will take you to the entire post I've excerpted here.


1 - January 2009 - One of the things I'll be looking forward to is a new tradition I've begun with my two dads. Both of them passed away recently. When the first birthday for my dad rolled around on Dec. 29th, 2007 - the first without him - my husband and I were in Toronto. It's my intention to fill a day when my thoughts naturally turn to missing someone so very, very precious with something that brings me great joy. And so last Dec. 29th began My Date With My Dad - a glorious matinee watching my favorite ballet company with my Dad along with me, sharing my joy.


2 - February 2009 - Welcome to my Second Blogiversary Celebration! Come in. Find a seat. I've got a show planned that celebrates life as I love to live it. And I'm grateful to you, my blog readers and fellow bloggers, for sharing this life with me. First up is Gene Wilder singing Pure Imagination from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. My life just wouldn't be the same if it wasn't fueled by imagination.


3 - March 2009 - I got a good writing day in, which included some internet research on methods to treat cuts that my little laundry maid Helen would use in 1840's Van Diemen's Land. I settled upon tea, as it fit seamlessly with the preceding scene where three characters have a rather surreal tea party. And I realized all the information I just gathered would make a fabulous post for my Blog Improvement Project. Et voila! The Common Tea Bag and Its Uncommon Usefulness in First Aid.


4 - April 2009 - For my second interview here at A Piece of My Mind, I've got Thomma Lyn Grindstaff joining me from her home in East Tennessee in the United States. A big Down East welcome, Thomma Lyn from me here on Canada's east coast.

Question - Your novel Mirror Blue releases May 1st. Will you be doing anything special on that day?

Answer - I'd thought of having a Virtual Book Release party on that day, but my hubby and I are planning a celebratory hike on the mountain!




5 - May 2009 - I've got a busy weekend. Tonight, after an extremely challenging week at work, I had a dress rehearsal for tomorrow's choir concert. Tomorrow morning I'll be hopping on the bus and heading for Spring Garden Road, to have an afternoon at the ballet - La Bayadere. After the ballet, it's hurry-scurry home, get changed and drive my husband and me to my choir concert, where he'll watch from the audience.


6 - June 2009 - For Summer Stock Sunday, I've got my lovely peonies which I transported from their original home in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia when we moved to Cole Harbour eight years ago. As we packed up the house to move to Cole Harbour, I made one final walk-around to make sure we had everything. I looked at the garden to make my goodbye - and realized I hadn't dug up the peony plant. I grabbed a broken, jagged broom handle from the trash and started digging madly for the peony bulbs. I plunged my hands into the earth and felt around until I could grasp the tubers. I yanked as hard as I could until a few broke free and came to the surface. I threw them in a box with some dirt and we slipped them onto the back of the truck.


7 - July 2009 - If you're anything like me, the idea that 39 tall ships will sail into my home port of Halifax Harbour is enough to send you into paroxysms of joy. I have always been attracted to these majestic ladies of the sea for as long as I can remember. So when the first Tall Ships Festival arrived here 25 years ago in the summer of 1984, my sister and I went down to the transformed waterfront filled with awe, our necks cricked up to stare at the forest of masts, the elaborate rigging, to see the faces of sailors from all over the world and hear languages spoken we'd only heard in movies.

We didn't know that we were walking towards the most incredible summer of our lives - the Summer of My Sister's Russian Sailor.


8 - August 2009 - I've been a form of weather vane for several decades, a sort of Doppler radar as far as the weather was concerned. I've felt an oncoming low pressure system, even when it was a few days away. The really bad storms are just giant low pressure systems, and my degree of pain was unrelenting for up to 10 days at a time.

For some reason earlier this year, I began thinking to myself: I resign from my weather vane job. The Weather Network can do it.

I started acupuncture for my migraines in June. There's another big storm coming up along the eastern seaboard toward Nova Scotia this weekend. Tropical Storm Danny. I first heard about it on the news in the middle of the week. I stared at the TV screen in confusion. Whenever a storm system appears on the weather report, I'm already feeling it. But this was actual news to me.


9 - September 2009 - I'm currently reading Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer for the Dewey Reading Challenge. The writing is so exceptional that I could craft found poems from every single page in this 382-page book. Here is one little nugget.

Terribly Lucky

By her twelfth birthday
My great-great-great-great-great-grandmother
Had received at least one
Proposal of marriage
From every citizen in Trachimbrod

She forced a blush
Batted her long eyelashes
Said to each, Perhaps no
Yankel says I am still too young

They are so silly, turning back to Yankel


10 - October 2009 - A few weeks ago I didn't even know who Eugene Hutz was. But I'm reading Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer for a reading challenge, and even though I hadn't finished the book I asked my husband to bring home the DVD of the film adaptation from Blockbuster, where he works. Playing the Ukrainian translater for New York-Jewish Jonathan was Eugene Hutz, turning in a remarkable performance for a non-actor. Now I'm quite obsessed with him.

I started thinking about Eugene's charismatic hold over women. I believe it's his Unattainable Man persona. Who could be more unattainable than a part-Gypsy globetrotter whose undying passion is Music?


11 - November 2009 - Whistleblower diplomat 'Richard Colvin sent senior Canadian officials no fewer than 17 messages in 2006 and 2007 warning that Afghan interrogators used torture as 'standard operating procedure,' that Canadian troops were handing over 'a lot of innocent people,' and that could make them complicit in war crimes. He also copied more than 70 people.' (Toronto Star)

'I find it insulting to listen to the governing party in Canada trying to discredit someone who is standing up for the Canadian sense of human justice.' (Rod Sarty, letter to the editor, Chronicle Herald)


12 - December 2009 - 13 Things That Kept Me Going During NaNoWriMo:

Stewie Griffin ('Victory is mine!')
Gogol Bordello - Forces of Victory ('I can't go on/I will go on')
My fellow bloggers who also did NaNo
My fellow Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada sisters who also did NaNo





13 - Since we don't have thirteen months in the year - although, think of all the stuff we could cross off of our collective lists if we did - here's an extra post that's a favorite of mine from 2009:

13 Reasons Why It's So Much Fun To Go To The Writers' Retreat

Through the Opera Glasses - 7 - Five No-Fail Inspirations When I Write

This past weekend I had three days off, and all to myself. It's not often I get such a luxury. And what did I do with those three days?

I wrote 4000 words of my English-gardener-transported-to-Van-Diemen's-Land story.

Since I 'cast' all of my characters, once I've got them settled in my mind, writing about the English gardener means having Ewan McGregor on the brain. I often turn to a file of photos I've got on my computer featuring my inspiration actors. Most of the time they're still shots from different films they've been in, with the actor caught up in an emotion that's central to the major scenes from my own story.

And watching scenes from the films themselves really helps. I 'download' the way the actor moves, the way he speaks - and my own character just takes off inside my mind.

Here's a little peek into my inspiration for the five stories I've got on the go. Not all at once, of course. They take turns.

















The first character who came to me was Guthrie Carmichael, a Scottish gamekeeper on an earl's estate in the 1820's. Once I felt I knew him well enough, I cast him as English actor Sean Bean.

My character has similar coloring to Sean Bean, but Guthrie has gray eyes instead of Sean Bean's blue ones. And I don't let the actor's English nationality get in the way of my character's Scottish background.

Here's a backstory poem I wrote from Guthrie's point of view. It really gets to the heart of his motivation:

Gold That Burns



The second character who came to me is Robbie Flynn, the English gardener in 1840's Cheltenham. I cast him as Scottish actor Ewan McGregor.

You see how I don't let the actor's nationality affect the way the character comes to me... English-actor-inspires-Scottish-gamekeeper, Scottish-actor-inspires-English-gardener.

In a bizarre bit of trivia, the estate where Guthrie the Sean-Bean-gamekeeper is employed is set near Crieff in Scotland. This was worked out before the gardener story came to me, before I started looking up info about Ewan McGregor. And yet Crieff is where Ewan McGregor hails from.

Here's a backstory poem from Robbie's point of view:

For Helen He Would Do It


The next character that came along was Jock MacKeigan, a highland clansman fighting the English in 1746. I cast Scottish actor Robert Carlyle for this character. First match of actor nationality to character background!

A very recent poem posted for last week's Poetry Train gives a glimpse into Jock's tough, fearless fighter:

Take One More With Him



















A magnificent character who came to me is the Dark Ages vampire, Peredur. By the time Peredur came to me, I already knew he would be 'played' by Gerard Butler. Peredur is Welsh, but Scottish Gerry will do fine. Just fine.

Although I didn't specify that this poem was from Peredur's point of view, I think I can share this secret with you now:

The Red Joy At Last


Last but emphatically not least is my latest arrival, Scorpius, chamberlain of Lady Elinor's keep. He appeared to me in the guise of English actor Richard Armitage. Scorpius is a paranormal/fantasy character, so Richard's English background is a total plus.


Here is Scorpius' backstory poem:

How Can I Ache For What I Never Had

Who are your favorite inspirations?

Confessions of A Scorpio Dragon

I have a confession to make.

Before I tell you what it is, I'll let you in on what making a confession like this means to someone like me.

I'm a Scorpio Dragon. Here's a brief peek at the inner me:

"Scorpios are extremely ambitious, persistent and fierce competitors. They are excellent at restoring order to a chaotic situation. Scorpios have a fear of failure which they keep hidden extremely well. Should their confrontation not be successful, or their career fail, they will simply use their adaptive skill to quickly move and and leave the bad experience behind.

Do not ever expect them to fess up or share their tale with anyone however because this shows signs of weakness and Scorpio always wins." - Zodiac-Signs-Astrology.com

Scorpio art by Ozgur Ustundag


"Dragons are proud, direct, and loaded with high ideals which they always try to live up to. In spite of being overly emotional, Dragons will just take it for granted that everyone loves them.

Although they are stubborn and irrational, they are not petty or begrudging. It's hard for them to hide their feelings. They don't even try.

Dragons consider themselves very strong. They will often bite off more than they can chew. When this happens, they are too proud to ask for help and exhaust themselves." - Rainfall.com

So here we come to the confession.

There is no way under the sun that I will be able to complete NaNoWriMo. I have 9 days left, and my word count is a paltry 9614. I had the flu this month - NaNo month. I was totally wiped out for three weeks. I didn't mention it here on my blog - "don't ever expect Scorpios to fess up because this shows signs of weakness."

My mind was filled with the Thursday Thirteens I did about the two world wars. Every day I felt like death warmed over, I thought of the soldiers and said to myself, Well, at least no one's shooting at me. That would be worse. Which is something I always do when I think I can't make it. I think of feeling the way I feel, only worse. Like: at least I'm not chained to a galley ship hauling on an oar all day. That would definitely be worse.

So I pushed myself, as I always do. But I pushed myself into work, rather than pushing my NaNo writing. I may be a stubborn idjit, but I'm no dummy. I missed two days of work but managed the rest. Everyone in my office fell like flies, missing work, with me covering their positions, feeling like death.

I was pleased by how I managed all of that, but for some reason my step-back logical brain that "restores order to a chaotic situation" would not cry uncle when it came to NaNoWriMo.


Most people who know me in person know how hard it is for me to admit defeat. I refuse to give up. I seem to have the basic Dragon inability to stop when the going gets tough.

"Dragons attract others because they are generous, charismatic and so brave that standing beside them banishes fear. They generate excitement and can help others achieve their dreams. Others love to be around Dragons because they have a way of making people feel better." - Lovegevity

I even make myself feel better - I give myself the same pep talks for which other people come to me. But this time I have to look reality unflinchingly in the eye.

I cannot write 40,000 words in 9 days.

There it is. I've said it. My confession. And believe me - that was hard.

Poetry Train Monday - 35 - Writers' Lunch

This one is so new it's barely wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Tomorrow is the One Year Blogiversary of A Piece of My Mind. Drop by and celebrate with me!

















Writers' Lunch


Real faces
I could touch
If I reached across

Words tumble
Not in my mind
But over the pasta

Morsels nourish
Even on my fork
As heads nod

I carry souls
In my heart
In my mind

Clink and clack
Drown them out
For an afternoon

Hungry muse
Happy with laughter
Plucked like a brass ring


Copyright - Julia Smith - 2008

Thursday Thirteen - 32 - Eye on The Prize

Many bloggers are taking part in NaNoWriMo this month (as I am, unofficially - I haven't got Microsoft Word in my new computer and thus no way to tally a word or page count! Working on that, though.) At this point many writers have tippy-tapped their way to almost 40,000 words. The 50,000-word finish line is so tantalizingly close.

Yet this is the point where we all have to push through the burn. Big problem for me - I'm at the point where generally in a non-time-crunch situation, I would take a few days and let the plot settle itself in my subconscious for a bit. Walls have been slammed into. Plotlines have galloped their way right over the cliff.

This Thursday Thirteen is for all of us who have our eye on the prize - the high of doing something completely insane like writing half a book in one month.

And not only that. People sell these things! Like Amy just did!



1 - "Chase down your passion like it's the last bus of the night."
- Glade Byron Addams









2 -"There are only two words that will always lead you to success. Those words are yes and no. Undoubtedly, you’ve mastered saying yes. So start practicing saying no. Your goals depend on it!"
- Jack Canfield


3 - "When I was a Boy Scout, we played a game when new Scouts joined the troop. We lined up chairs in a pattern, creating an obstacle course through which the new Scouts, blindfolded, were supposed to maneuver. The Scoutmaster gave them a few moments to study the pattern before our adventure began. But as soon as they were blindfolded, the rest of us quietly removed the chairs.

"Perhaps we spend our lives avoiding obstacles we have created for ourselves and in reality exist only in our minds. Don't avoid any chairs until you run smack into one. And if you do, at least you'll have a place to sit down."
- Pierce Vincent Eckhart


4 -"Obstacles are like wild animals. If they see you are afraid of them...they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight."
- Orison Swett Marden











5 -"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."
- Winston Churchill


6 - "When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on, or we will be taught to fly."
- Patrick Overton








7 - "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist."
- Friedrich Nietzsche


8 - "Time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time."
- T. S. Elliot









9 - "As poets, apostles and philosophers have insisted from the dawn of time, there is more to life than logic and common sense. Long distance runners know this instinctively. They understand, perhaps better than anyone, that the doors to the spirit will swing open with such effort. In running such long and taxing distances they answer a call from the deepest realms of their being - a call that asks who they are."
- David Blaikie

10 - "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing."
- George Bernard Shaw


11 - "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
- Henry David Thoreau







12 - "The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."
- Charles DuBois
















13 - "Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire."
- Arnold H. Glasow

Writing Full Time

Life has been all over the place lately.

Before I went on my trip to Toronto in October, I interviewed for the scanning position I'd held for the past six months. It was a casual position, but my manager really liked my job performance and how well I fit in with everyone. So he opened the job up to a permanent position, which I then had to apply for, because with government jobs here in Nova Scotia he can't simply hire whomever he wants. Seventy-seven people applied for my job, and six people interviewed. A few days before my trip, I had my interview, which went well. But when Brad and I boarded the plane for Toronto, that was my last day at work.

So I had a wonderful trip to Toronto, saw a whole bunch of family and friends that I miss and spent precious time with his dad who is being treated for liver cancer. All the while not knowing if I had a job to come home to.


Got back, kept working on my novel and celebrated my gram's 93rd birthday. On Brad's birthday - the 7th - we went to a special mass for all those from the St. Agnes parish who'd had funerals there in the past year. My dad passed away this March, so Brad and I joined my step mom Doris, my sister Michelle, my step sister Rhonda, and Judy, close friend of my dad's & Doris in a very beautiful ceremony. Doris, Michelle and I went up together to light a candle for Dad when his name was called.

When Brad and I got back from the mass, Mom and I decided that Gram needed to see a doctor. She'd been losing power for that whole week, her legs just giving out so that whoever was shadowing her had to suddenly support Gram's whole weight. Earlier that day I'd had to call for Brad to help me, cause Gram just couldn't make it to her chair in the living room.

An ambulance came and Mom and I spent a late night in emergency until they had Gram all settled for the night. The next few days, Mom and I stayed with Gram in emergency until a bed opened up for her in the regular part of the hospital. At that point, we had to cut our visiting time down because the regular floors have set times for that. By my birthday on the 11th, we needed a break, so my aunt & uncle, and my sister and her boyfriend saw Gram that day. Brad, Mom and I went out for lunch and celebrated my day and then rested.

At that point I'd received the call from my manager about the job, but with very disappointing news. Human Resources gave him another person, even though he asked for me, especially since it was so close. This other person scored 2.5 points higher than me on the interview, so HR insisted she get it. He was so upset!

I was REALLY upset by that news. I've been working at non-benefits jobs for a very long time. With Brad only able to work part time due to his bipolar condition, my quest for a fulltime job with benefits had been so tantalizingly close. I was on pins and needles since that interview on Oct. 10th. The difference it would make for Brad and me is impossible to explain.

So when I heard that it was all back to the drawing board, I have to tell you I really felt low.

I'm waiting on my employment insurance, and Brad is still working, of course. But here I am with an opportunity to write fulltime for awhile, and I'm doing my best to look on the bright side of this whole situation.


For one thing, it's good timing that I'm available to help out with Gram right now. Mom and I spell each other off for visiting. Today is Mom's birthday so I'm taking both visiting shifts, afternoon and evening.

And because of my extreme allergies, I've always battled the effects that a fulltime job gives me due to long workhour exposures to the chemicals present in every office, especially toner, which just kills me. Both Mom and I have noticed how much better I am this past month that I haven't been working.

And Mom and I talked about this opportunity to write fulltime. I know for me the ability to be a fulltime writer has never existed because I need to be the main wage earner. But now it seems that I'm being given a gift, almost.

When one door closes, another one opens.