2023: Year of the Appliances

Posted on July 2, 2023 by peggylchambers

I normally use an appliance until I’ve wrung the very last drop of energy out of it.  A classic example is the wall oven that was in my house when I moved in 27 years ago.  It is large, self-cleaning, and has served me well.  However, in the last couple of years it hasn’t been reliable.  The chicken strips didn’t get done in the time the package said, the cake fell in the middle and was burned around the edges even though I cooked it longer at a lower temperature than called for, the pies I made for the holidays were runny in the middle, etc.  My final failure was the cornbread that was gooey in the middle and burned on top even though I adjusted the temperature and time.  The poor thing is tired and I don’t know how old it is.  But it has dials instead of being digital if that helps you understand.  The self-cleaning feature seems to work when it feels like it, too.

Then there is the dishwasher.  I am tired of washing my dishes by hand, putting them in the dishwasher, and then washing them again when they come out.  Especially the silverware.  I’ve cleaned it multiple times and it helped for a while, but it still doesn’t get the dishes as clean as I’d like.  It has push buttons on the outside that are cracked and the white plastic door has become yellow.  While not as old as the oven, only 20 years old, it has been a workhorse and now it is tired.

I went to the local big box store and looked at so many ovens and dishwashers, my head swam.  I went home and did the same online reading reviews of brands and models.  Then I went to the local mom and pop appliance store.  They had a lot of the same things.  They told me they were in a buying group and normally there would be sales around the 4th of July.  So I went home to my limping appliances and tried to make them work. 

This week, I ordered a new dishwasher and wall oven at the same time!  They will arrive in about a week. I ran back and forth several times to the store and had the installation guy come to the house to be sure the wall oven would fit.  Finally, I ordered them both after settling on the best buy for the money.  I am looking forward to the installation.  It might be 2 weeks before this is done, but I cook and clean daily and need my appliances.  These two will probably outlive me.  That’s fine.  The kids can sell them with the house when I’m gone. 

Now all I have to do is pay for them!

What are you reading/writing/buying this week?

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2023: Flatiron Death Grip – Graphic Novel

Posted on June 25, 2023 by peggylchambers

I’ve been in touch with Gabriella Saenz this week about the artwork for our upcoming graphic novel, Flatiron Death Grip. This woman is SO talented! I am always amazed at her work. She has finished sketching all the characters and will begin working on the panels for the graphic novel. In the meantime, you can pick up a copy of the original novel, with her illustrations on the inside, from Amazon at Flatiron Death Grip: Chambers, Peggy, Saenz, Gabriella: 9781953589101: Amazon.com: Books where it is currently on sale for $6.10 in paperback.

I wanted to show you some of her sketches. She is such a perfectionist. I emailed her a copy of the novel, the graphic novel script, the 4 short stories that originally created the main characters, characterizations, etc. I probably overwhelmed her. But since I didn’t know what I was doing with an artist, I went for overkill. This was originally her idea to make this a graphic novel and I was blown away with the offer.

At a craft show lately I ran into a woman who picked up the novel, Flatiron Death Grip, and opened it. “Oh, I hoped it was a graphic novel,” she said. And I said, “Soon!” So, Gabs was right. It needed to be a graphic novel.

I’ll keep you informed as to progress. But here are a few more sketches.

What are you reading/writing this week?

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2023: Happy Father’s Day

Posted on June 18, 2023 by peggylchambers

It’s Father’s Day and I wanted to pay tribute to all the fathers that have been in my life.

I barely remember my paternal grandfather because he died when I was young though he outlived two wives. We called him Papa and he told me there were bugs in my oatmeal at breakfast. He was just teasing, but I refused to eat breakfast that day. He was a farmer and raised five children during The Great Depression. My father was the youngest.

My maternal grandfather was also a farmer and big hunter and fisherman with a deep baritone voice that could be heard all over the tiny church where he attended. He also raised a family during The Great Depression and here were eight of them, my mother one of the oldest.

I come from a long line of farmers as my father-in-law farmed for a while and then moved to town. They only had two children, and neither of them got into farming. Both went to college.

My father also stayed away from farming and went into the Air Force during WWII and became an aircraft mechanic. He spent his life raising three children and fishing as often as possible.

My husband and his brother both went into radio and raised two children each. Later my husband changed professions and worked in Aircraft Maintenance to take care of his family and hunted when he could. He loved the great outdoors but didn’t work in that field.

My husband and I raised two children, and our son became an immediate father to two children when he married their mother. He is an avid fisherman, and motorcyle enthusiast, but spends his days in front of a computer, though he, too, loves the outdoors.

All of these men worked hard all their lives, raised their children, and played when they were given a chance—if they weren’t too tired after the day’s work. Men like them are what make the world go ‘round. They work hard, play hard, and enjoy their families.

Happy Father’s Day to any and all.

What are you reading/writing this week?

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2023: Writing Your First Line

Posted on June 11, 2023 by peggylchambers

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2023: Nescatunga Arts Festival, Alva, Oklahoma

Posted on June 4, 2023 by peggylchambers

Yesterday I attended the 52nd Annual Nescatunga Arts Festival Arts Festival | Nescatunga Arts Festival | United States | Alva, Oklahoma in Alva, Oklahoma, home of Northwestern Oklahoma State University. The Nescatunga Arts Council had the festivities set up in the Percefull Field House on the NWOSU campus. There was a sugar show, as well as authors, artists, musicians, and crafters from all over the state and Kansas/Missouri. This year it was a three-day event, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  There were activities both inside and outside and food trucks kept everyone fed.

Alva has a large art community in northwest Oklahoma.  I’ve attended this before and consequently become involved in the Graceful Arts Studio Graceful Arts Center | Alva, OK | Gallery and Studio on the downtown Alva square where they not only teach art but promote artists of all kinds.  I have books for sale on the shelves there.

Judges were set up to award prizes for the artisans’ booths. It was a fun day and there were many things to see and do. Musicians were on the stage continually and face painters kept the kids entertained.

You can still attend this afternoon and if you miss it, there is always next year.  The Nescatunga Arts Festival has been around for 52 years and will be there again next year celebrating the arts in the community and surrounding areas.

What are you reading/writing/attending this week?

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2023: Year of the Robins

Posted on May 28, 2023 by peggylchambers

I posted on Facebook this week that our backyard had become a robin maternity ward.  And my little beagle dog was no longer allowed in her own backyard.  That was her yard (and her bathroom) and she wasn’t allowed to go there anymore. The robins said so.

I don’t know how long it takes to make a nest, lay eggs, hatch them, feed the hungry little critters, and teach them to fly but I think we’ve been dealing with the robin nest for about a month. There are two flood lights on the back porch by the dining room window and we didn’t pay close attention to the robin who built the nest there.  We will next time.  Soon we saw the mother sitting on the nest and then later we watched her feed them. 

A few days ago I heard a ruckus and ran to the door to see my husband dragging the dog inside. There was a baby robin in the grass outback.  Evidently the dog did no damage and the little guy hopped and cheeped all over the backyard finally landing in the mostly dead bush by the fence. 

Today my husband announced he HAD to mow the grass. He put on a hat expecting to be bombarded by adult robins. I took the dog for her second walk of the day.  She can’t do everything she needs to do in the front yard with the neighbors watching. That is reserved for the backyard or a neighbor’s yard as we walk. She is certain someone will clean up after her no matter where it lands.

The mowing went smoothly.  The robin parents seem unconcerned now. And in just a short time there are no longer four little heads poking out of the nest, but only two!  My kids didn’t leave home that quickly. The robin parents may be somewhere resting.  The last babies are on their own, not fed as often.  I don’t know if it will fly soon, but my dog wishes it would. We’re hoping this fiasco is over this week and my little dog can have her backyard to herself.

We will be cleaning out a nest shortly and keeping a closer eye on other potential nests in the future.

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2023: One Hundred-Year-Old Treasure

Posted on May 21, 2023 by peggylchambers

When I was young, when I got tired of a room, I’d run to the hardware store, buy a bucket of paint, change the color of the room, and move the furniture around. I’d peruse the Sears or Penney’s catalogue for new curtains and presto/chango, new room. None of that is possible anymore.

I’ve been wanting to paint my kitchen.  I’ve been in this house for 27 years and I’ve re-wallpapered the kitchen once, painted the walls and cabinets once, and it is time once again. It’s the main room of the house next to the living room. But I’m not as young as I once was. I’m hiring it done this time.

Before my husband and I were married, we visited a used furniture store and spent $75 on the table and chairs in the picture.  My mom came up with the buffet later.  A friend refinished them. We raised our kids on them and we are about to have our 51st anniversary.  They’ve been around awhile.  They’ve been in the kitchen and dining room.  I’ve worn out countless tablecloths trying to keep the table in good condition and I’m so tired of tablecloths. 

I thought about painting the dining set. Just the tops and then putting a glaze over the paint so it was waterproof and I wouldn’t have to keep the tablecloth clean.  I know my husband would have hated it. Instead, I took pictures of them and put them through Google Lens to see what they were worth. I found they are 100 years old.  They were made in the early 1900s. 100 years!  A century! That deserves respect.  That deserves a new tablecloth and some furniture polish.

Okay, I won’t paint them. But I will hire someone to get rid of my florescent lights in the kitchen and paint the walls a new color.  I’ll move some art around (I have plenty), buy some new curtains, and change things up a little.

Change is good.  But a century old piece of furniture that has been well loved and well used—that is a treasure.

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2023: Being a Mother

Posted on May 14, 2023 by peggylchambers

It’s Mother’s Day once again. I looked back and I have been writing this blog for over 10 years. By now you should know all about me. I got married young, had my children young, and then quit having children at a young age. I only had two, my grandmother had eight! But the two I had were just enough. Enough to love and enough to keep me busy. I would do it all over again. They are still the light of my life.

I looked for pictures of me when I was pregnant. I remember thinking I was as big as a battleship. I wasn’t. But it seemed that way at the time.

And in what seemed like just a few years, I became a grandmother. Just one at first, then five more in quick succession. I loved kids when I was young and that has never ended, though like most mothers, I needed a break now and then.

I taught half of the City of Enid how to swim at the YMCA and Champlin pool. My kids often went to work with me and they are both excellent swimmers. I taught some private lessons at home pools and also the Campfire girls and other organizations. I also helped with Bible School and was the local Kool aid mom in the neighborhood. Our yard was the meeting place. My husband was a Scout leader and baseball coach. We were the youngest parents in the P.T.A. We were very involved parents and I’m sure our kids wished we’d go away sometimes. But we had the type of jobs that made us available during the day.

Today I am invited to my grandson’s college graduation party. That can’t be possible. I am in awe of him and his perseverance. I have five grandchildren and they are all equally awesome. None of them are children anymore. But they make me happy and make me realize I have a life well-lived.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. May your day be as wonderful as mine.

What are you reading/writing this week?

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2023: External Conflict in Your Plot

Posted on May 7, 2023 by peggylchambers

As a writer for The Wild Rose Press, I attend their Tuesday night chats (http://chat.thewildrosepress.com/) and have learned a lot from editors and other speakers. Lately the Tuesday topic was conflict in stories by Eilidh MacKenzie, a 15-year veteran editing for The Wild Rose Press. With permission, I am going to share some of what I learned. It made me stop and think about my latest WIP and how the conflict was working itself out in the novel.

Last week we discussed internal conflict so this week we will give equal time to external conflict.

EXTERNAL conflict comes from a NEW problem or dilemma or a danger from OUTSIDE of the character’s normal life that requires ACTION.

Example: My boss assigns me to lead a mixed team of human and vampire employees.

The CONFLICT ARC is about change, from one settled state that is disrupted by a new problem… The external conflict arc shows change in the character’s outside world.

Example: My job is boring but secure until my boss assigns me to a mixed team of humans and vampires. In trying to fix this problem through various actions, I discover skullduggery going on in the company’s upper management. I have to cooperate with my vampire coworkers to track down the evidence to take to the company’s president.

The story starts when the outside problem first affects the character strongly enough that her life becomes intolerable or unmanageable without fixing the issue.

The bulk of the book is about her efforts to resolve or overcome the problem.

The external conflict arc is the main plot. The internal conflict arc adds richness to the reading experience, but it’s a subplot. The struggles the character goes through in the main plot affect the subplot by helping her to realize the flaw in her false belief and develop a healthier belief. Ideally, the growth in the character’s internal understanding of the world (or of her relationships or of herself) will give her new insight into how to resolve her external problem in the main plot.

The external conflict is the engine of the narrative; it creates the narrative drive. Without a strong external conflict arc, the pace is slow or nonexistent.

If you want to read more about conflict arcs, I recommend Deborah Dixon’s book on goal, motivation, and conflict, and Janice Hardy’s blog, Fiction University. She has years of short articles there on various writing topics including conflict (http://blog.janicehardy.com/2008/02/lack-of-conflict.html). Jenny Crusie’s frequently hilarious writing blog (https://arghink.com) is packed with mini seminars on writing technique, along with musings on TV and movie plots, her dogs, deep thoughts, etc.

If you’re working on writing a short story, novel, screenplay, etc. conflict drives any story. Check out these ideas to help you make the most of your story.

What are you reading/writing this week?

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2023: Internal Conflict in Your Plot

Posted on April 30, 2023 by peggylchambers

As a writer for The Wild Rose Press, I attend their Tuesday night chats (http://chat.thewildrosepress.com/) and have learned a lot from editors and other speakers. This last Tuesday the topic was conflict in stories by Eilidh MacKenzie, a 15-year veteran editing for The Wild Rose Press. With permission, I am going to share some of what I learned last week. It made me stop and think about my latest WIP and how the conflict was working itself out in the novel.

We’re going to divide this blog up into two parts: one for internal conflict of your characters within the story and then next week, external conflict.  Both are important in story telling to keep the story fresh and vibrant.

Eilidh said the following about conflict:

Conflict is the Engine of Your Narrative Drive. Internal conflict alone is never enough. You need the external conflict as well.

INTERNAL conflict derives from the thoughts, beliefs, and emotions of the characters.

Example: I believe all vampires are evil creatures and must be exterminated.

EXTERNAL conflict comes from a NEW problem or dilemma or a danger from OUTSIDE of the character’s normal life that requires ACTION.

Example: My boss assigns me to lead a mixed team of human and vampire employees.

The CONFLICT ARC is about change, from one settled state that is disrupted by a new problem… through efforts to deal with the disruption with escalating tension… to a climax that resolves into a final new settled state different from the original state.

The internal conflict arc shows changes in the character’s thought, beliefs, or emotions.

Example: I believe all vampires are evil creatures and must be exterminated. I get to know several vampires and find some are helpful and caring. My belief changes to acknowledge that vampires are like the rest of us: good, bad, and indifferent.

When a story is based on internal conflict, there’s a lot of sitting and thinking, musing, agonizing, and introspection. The character isn’t taking action, and neither is the book. The pace is dead.

Any conflict that can be resolved with an honest conversation is not enough to support a plot.

Make sure she’s not just sittin’ and thinkin’. Give her a scene goal relevant to the main conflict or the subplot conflict. Put her in action and make her overcome obstacles to that scene goal. Or not overcome the obstacle and make the situation worse.

Then, when I finally have my coworker chained with silver and under my stake, begging to know Why Are You Doing This??? and I tell her about the vampires who slaughtered my family, she says, “Yeah, I remember reading about that. But it wasn’t vampires. It was werewolves.”…  

All I can say is “Oh. Sorry about this.” The End.

Oops! That fell flat.  Maybe we needed a little external conflict here to round things out for the reader. Stories need both internal and external conflict. Be sure to give your characters plenty of both.

Next week, we’ll talk more about external conflict and how it makes your story better. Be sure to check out the other half of conflict in stories.

What are you reading/writing this week?

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