Handling Tension

Okay, to be completely honest, I used to deal with pressure with the "Seefood" diet. You know, see food (brownies, rolls, mashed potatoes), and eat them. These days, I'm trying to mend my ways.

But writers have to deal with tension. If there's no tension, there's nothing interesting happening. If there's no tension, there's nothing to compel the reader to keep reading. So, even though tension is not good for my waistline nonexistent waistline, it is necessary for stories.

In my most recent post at The Muffin, I share one of my favorite David Bowie songs. No, it's not Young American, but that one is a contender.

If you'd like to see David Bowie with huge shoulder pads as he wails out Young American, check this video out.

And if you'd like to find out the book I just finished and am recommending to every person I meet on the street--strangers as well as friends--read my Muffin post.

(It's a whole class on how to handle tension in a novel.)

To All the Mops I've Loved Before

To be completely honest, my husband and I have battled over mops throughout the years. He doesn't mop, but he thinks he know which mops are the best. He'll see one, buy it, and then mumble when I complain about it and refuse to use it.

Do I love to mop? Certainly not. However, I don't love having a mop and wringer-bucket contraption that's large enough and sturdy enough to store in a school's custodian's closet either. And we had one of those for a while. It was heavy and yellow and lots of fun to haul up the basement steps.

There is a mop I love. It's kind of fun to wring out, and it's lightweight. Joni Mitchell wrote, "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone" but I didn't miss Big Yellow when I got rid of him. CS & N sang, "Love the one you're with," and as much as you can love a mop, I love the one we have.

Are you curious? Do you wonder what cleaning instrument pleases me? Maybe not. But maybe you're curious about how I reflected on writing, when thinking of housecleaning.

If you are, check out my post at The Muffin.

Why I Hated Tanya Tucker

When I was young (10) I had a crazy crush on Glen Campbell. Our family had a record or two of his in our cabinet, and when the movie True Grit came out, my mom and I went to see it in the theater. We both were excited. Mom was a John Wayne fan, and I got to see Glen on the big screen.

When his character died, I cried.

Way after my little-girl gush over Glen ended, he had a lengthy affair with Tanya Tucker. Deep in my heart, I knew Glen deserved more than that bleached-blonde hussy. But did I get rabid about it? No. By then, Campbell had been replaced by Cat Stevens, James Taylor and Viggo Mortensen.

Recently I saw a piece on Tanya Tucker. She's still singing, still honest with her craft, and still single. I saw her as an incredibly independent woman who's obviously talented. (She had her first hit single--"Delta Dawn" when she was 13. Thirteen!)

Something Tanya said struck a chord in me. What did that now pink-haired singer say that stuck with me?

Read my post on The Muffin, where I write about one thing that might be needed in order to be successful. (You be the judge.)

What's Bugging Sioux?

Hi. I'm Sioux and I'm a Seinfeld-aholic. I was at a park yesterday, thought I was in a bathroom stall without toilet paper, and asked the person in the stall next to me if they had a square to spare.

If you're not into the show Seinfeld, sorry--that reference won't make you smile.

I recently survived Christmas (it's been a tough year) and fantasized about celebrating Festivus--a made-up Seinfeld holiday. It involves an aluminum pole (that is not decorated), the airing of grievances and finally, the feats of strength.

Since the year 2019 is now officially over, I figured I would air my grievances. (I have lots of griping to do.)

One of my grievances involves Viggo Mortensen. One involves Nutella. Another one involves my writing accountability group.

If you'd like to experience the airing of my grievances, head to my WOW post.

And happy Festivus--for the rest of us!

Promotion

This is Dewey, my grand-dog. Yes, after growing up in a family surrounded by golden retrievers, my son married a girl who was into pug-love... and now they have a pug, a soon-to-be adopted baby and another baby due to be born in June.

I always semi-apologize when I tell people my son has a pug. *

Dewey is cute, but pugs are not my favorite breed. For one, they have breathing problems. Secondly, they inevitably get stocky when they're older, and resemble Winston Churchill--all you have to do is stick a cigar in their mouth, and it's uncanny. Third, they always look unhappy.

Goldens, on the other hand, always look happy.

My daughter-in-law never stops trying to get me to switch sides. She'd love nothing more than to hear me say that I'm going to adopt a pug (never gonna happen)... that I love pugs more than golden retrievers (totally not true)... that I adore everything about pugs (nope, but I do admit I love watching them scamper around. They are fast little--well, since this is a PG site, I'll just say they're really fast.)

I recently signed up to do something scary (for me) to work on my self-promotion skills.  Many writers I know do it well--Linda O'Connell, Margo Dill, Cathy Hall, Lisa Ricard Claro and Pat Wahler. They don't beat their readers over the head in their bragging (and they all have lots to brag about), they let their readers into their lives, and they share their writing advice and resources with generosity.

What scares Sioux? Sioux, who has gone skydiving three times. Sioux, who has played basketball while riding a donkey. Sioux, who drove to the Grand Canyon in an estrogen-filled van with five other females.

If you're curious, check out my recent post on WOW.

* For those who love pugs, please don't leave a mountain of comments, pointing out their charm, their wonderful characteristics. Every dog breed has its fans. I'm just not a fan of pugs.

When "No" Means "Yes"

Sometimes people hear "no" and they don't stop. They're told they can't get something published... and they publish it themselves. They're told they'll never get into a certain publication... and they keep trying until they do.

No can shut people down. However, it can also fire people up.

If you'd like to find out what being told "no" has done to me, check out my post on The Muffin. It might be some nibbling you'll enjoy...