Archive | August 2007

Unbidden Praise

…is so awesome becomes it comes so unexpectedly.

Today I was walking through town on my way to get groceries. A friend who was in town to get mail saw me and we walked through the Farmer’s Market to catch up quickly. She went over to the San Juan County Fair yesterday, on the “big island” and ran into our old writing teacher, and a man who once came over to talk to our class. This was over three years ago, during our last class in Spring ’04. He gave a talk on self-publishing and then (apparently, I barely remember this) stayed to listen to us read our work. I’ve never seen him since.

So my friend ran into him yesterday at the fair, and told me that he said to her, “Oh I remember your class. There was this young, tall, blond girl. She was such a fabulous writer.”

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I Work So Much Better When I’m Working

Aug17

It’s a proven fact in my life: I get more done creatively when I’m working. I work at a YMCA camp, doing dishes and prep cook stuff. The days when I’m scheduled to go in, I get up, put in some hours on my book, take care of errands, and go in for my evening shift.

On the days that I don’t have work, I take naps, go on instant messenger, do nothing, tell myself I’ll get to my book later. I think the downtime is good for sure, and that my mind, heart, body and spirit need the rest and relaxation. I just find it a bit odd that I get my best creative work done when I’m also working.

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"Orestes" by A Perfect Circle (Song of the Week)

Aug14

(Again, a MySpace re-post)

Continuing this whole idea of writing about music and life and how they intersect by randomly choosing songs.

Orestes
by A Perfect Circle
Album: Mer de Noms

Metaphor for a missing moment
Pull me into your perfect circle

One womb
One shape
One resolve

Liberate this will
To release us all

Gotta cut away, clear away
Snip away and sever this
Umbilical residue that’s
Keeping me from killing you

And from pulling you down with me in here
I can almost hear you scream

Give me
One more medicated peaceful moment
One more medicated peaceful moment

And I don’t wanna feel this overwhelming
Hostility
Because I don’t wanna feel this overwhelming
Hostility

Gotta cut away Clear away
Snip away and sever this
Umbilical residue
Gotta cut away Clear away
Snip away and sever this
Umbilical residue that’s
Keeping me from killing you
Keeping me from killing you Continue reading →

First Draft Writing Vs. Tweaking and Re-writing

Aug12

I’m now about midway through the third draft of my first book, a memoir, tentatively titled Moonchild.

Well, that is, first book if you don’t count the “book” I wrote in high school, a novel about a group of teenagers on a cabin trip who discover that they are vampires and struggle with how to deal with that. I wrote it all, and edited a lot, then sent it to a friend’s English teacher (since I wanted the opinion of someone who didn’t know me, who’d be unbiased), and edited some more. I looked back at it while in college and was mortified, and so glad I’d never done anything with it!

So, now here I am, ten years later, working on another book and right in the middle of the re-writing process.

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Another Rejection Letter

Aug10

About a month ago, I sent out a short story of mine called “Dark As Roses” to Realms of Fantasy. The story isn’t all that fantastical. It’s mainly about regular people and events, but the main character has the ability to see colors around people depending on their moods, and the core of the story is her struggle to either run from her ability and the complications that come with it, or to embrace it and find a way to live with it. I guess the term for that kind of story is “magical realism,” or at least, that’s what I’ve heard.

Well, today I had it returned with a form rejection slip paper-clipped to the manuscript. It’s frustrating, but it’s so common in a way, to myself and to all writers at some point, that I don’t even feel that disappointed. Or, at least not yet. Sometimes it’s like I have a time-delay reaction to things.

One thing that gives me reassurance is yesterday I read an interview with Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander, probably my favorite book EVER, and she wrote about getting rejected for years, and how when she got accepted somewhere, she had a party and papered the walls with her old rejection letters. So, it happens to all of us.

As they say the only thing to do is to keep trying, so I think I’ll go back to working on rewriting my book manuscript.

~Emilia J

Currently listening:
“Angels of the Silences” – Counting Crows

Cards, Signs and Numbers

Aug8

Along with being a writer and a music freak, I am also a tarot card reader, astrologer and numerologist, so I thought I’d take a little time and write about these things.

It’s funny, I believe in these metaphysicals and my own intuition when using them. I feel I have a pretty keen psychic sensibility (really, I think everyone does, to varying degrees), and have used these vehicles to harness that potential. There are times I know things beyond the basics of what a card or birth chart might indicate. In fact, especially with tarot, which I feel is my strongest of the three modes, I’d say that pretty much always happens. I get a sense of something beyond just the card, or because of the cards, I feel something in my own emotional field that is more than just the picture on the six of wands, for example. Also with tarot, the cards can be interpreted differently in different situations, so I feel there is something else at work there, some gut instinct, along with knowing the cards really well.

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Tarot

Aug8

A card reading can focus on a specific question (like, what’s the forecast for my relationship with my dreamy lover? Or, what’s the best way to approach the situation with my evil boss? Or, I can’t decide whether to move or stay where I’m at, what might come up with either possibility?), or they can give a general outlook.

The great thing about tarot is there are soooo many different spreads, so I can tailor mine to each individual seeker’s needs. If they want a light reading, a three-card quickie spread can usually do it, and there are vast and varied readings for those looking for more in-depth insight. There are spreads that specifically look at health and disease, financial situations, should I or shouldn’t I options, relationships, luck.

There’s a “flying bird” spread that’s great for anyone taking a leap, whether it’s starting a new business or artistic project, or contemplating any bold move. There’s a High Priestess reading (with a hidden card) that indicates what path a person is on. There are couples’ readings at all levels (from a few cards to a lot of cards, depending on the level of information a person wants). There’s a short diamond spread and a longer Celtic Cross (and a few others) that give a general overview of what’s going on, why, and where it’s going. There’s a Golden Dawn reading that looks at more than one possible path, and in depth at what a person is contributing themselves, and what’s coming from the outside world. There are all kinds of readings to look at a person’s overall strengths and weaknesses, or their overall nature and core issues.

I often think of tarot as a way to organize and look at possibilities and trends in a person’s life. Usually the outcome isn’t that surprising to the person asking the question, but (at least I hope) it’s a lot more clear and focused.

~Emilia J

Currently Listening:
“All Night Thing” – Temple of the Dog

Astrology

Aug8

In chart readings, I look at the position of all the planets at the time of a person’s birth, which makes up a person’s birthchart. Some “planets” (in quotes because a few aren’t technically, scientifically planets, but are referred to that way in astrology) have more of an influence than others, like the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars. Once you get to the bigger aand more distant planets (which move more and more slowly through the signs), I tend to think their influence in a person’s chart is less.

Another interesting thing to look at is the ascendant, or rising sign, which I think of as the secondary Sun sign in a way. For those who aren’t familiar with astrology and its terms, whatever sign you look up in the newspaper to check a simple horoscope is your Sun sign. So, if some guy comes up to me and says, “hey baby, what’s your sign?” and I answer that it’s Aquarius, that’s a Sun sign.

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Numerology

Aug8

In numerology, I look at a person’s birthday, their birth name, and any changed names they might have. The numbers in these indicate again, tendencies in a person, what’s emphasized in their lives, what they’re working on and what would help with their personal growth. Sometimes a person can look at how different possible changed names would draw out some elements and downplay others.

I have a client who felt so overburdenened and overworked, and not surprisingly, all her numbers were about work and responsibility. She was considering whether to go by her full name, her first and last, or her middle and last, for her art career. After studying the numbers in each, I found that one of the possibilities had a lot more emphasis on creativity, art and fun. There is also a personal year, indicating what the theme of that person’s year will be. They go in a cycle of nine different personal years. Then there’s a pinnacle, which says what the overall focus of that nine-year cycle is.

One cool thing I like to do with numerology readings (which, I have to say, I really just love, because I love numbers), is that with the birthday numbers, there are corresponding tarot cards that indicate a person’s soul purpose, life purpose, and shadow/teacher element. I especially love that last one, and have found it to be tremendously insightful. I love combining the cards with the numbers, because it gives a visual, and a depth to the numerology reading.

~Emilia J

"Lateralus" by TOOL (Song of the Week)

Aug7

(This is a re-post from my old MySpace blog)

While visiting the east coast a week or so ago, and listening to music on the long journey there and back, I started thinking about the songs on my discman (yes I still have one of thsoe and no MP3 player or iPod yet) and all the different meanings they have for me, the memories, the thoughts on the lyrics, the favorite lines, and somehow out of that I had the idea to do a weekly blog about a song, any song. Music is already so woven into my writing, and it’s like I always want to isolate the most meaninful lyrics, somehow convey to other people what it means to me as if could just sort of import it somehow. That isn’t exactly possible, but I thought doing this might help expand it.