Vacations and Books & Giveaway

It's the beginning of February, so your thoughts may be wandering to thoughts of vacations to warm places. That's probably especially true if you live somewhere cold and grey. Last summer I taught in Siena, and this summer I'll be back in Florence for a couple weeks with another group of college undergrads. Add in trips to Colorado, Kentucky, New York City, and Dallas for writing conferences I'm teaching at, and the year is already looking really full.

As a writer, one of the things I'm always doing as I travel is looking for the details and nuances of a place. Everything can become a research trip. In fact, I've been known to fall in love with places and set a book there so I would have an excuse to return! Because it's the weekend, let's talk about two things:

1) places you've been that you'd love to turn into the setting of a book, and
2) books that have felt like a vacation.

For the first, I set a book on Mackinac Island so that I could return there. It's such an incredible place to visit, that I knew the first time I visited it would be the perfect place for a book. Italy I did backwards. I wrote the book and then I visited.

For the second, I love books where the setting is a vacation. I'm including a few links to books that fit that bill that are on ebook sale right now. Enjoy!

Be sure to scroll down for  Krista's post this week, A Writer's Insecurity and Mary's post Refined

Mary Vee's new release, Andiamo, Let's Go to Italy is available. Return to Italy in this virtual tour. Taste the food, visit the sights, laugh with friends, hear the bell towers ring, touch the vineyards, olive trees, sea, and so much more. Today you can go back. If you haven't been to Italy but always wished you could go, take this virtual tour-no passport or suitcase required--and know this is a country worth seeing. FULL COLOR PHOTOS

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Cara Putman

An award-winning author of more than twenty books, Cara is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana.

Taking a Vacation from your Characters

Does absence really make the heart grow fonder? It depends. There are times when a healthy break from the characters in your WIP is bound to do a world of good. When are those times? How can you know when the time is right to zip to the airport with all your bags packed, ready to go, preparing to leave on that jet plane for a little R&R and due time away from your four calling characters?

Here are surefire ways to ascertain if you need a break from your characters:

All About You

You are bleeding too much into your story. Your characters are starting to talk like you and walk like you. In fact, most of them have become you. This is sign number one you've become entirely too enmeshed in your work.

Story on Mute

Your characters have stopped talking. The mute button is on whenever you try to capture a scene in your brain. It's like watching a silent film where everyone is sitting around watching a silent film. Nothing is happening, clicking, or moving. Marcel Mareau on steroids.

Yawn

Whenever you sit to write you bore yourself silly. I once read if you're bored while you write or edit, than guess what? Your reader is bound to be equally, if not more bored.

Ideas Exploding like Fireworks

You have a plethora of plotlines shooting off in your brain. Fighting to take the story in a dozen different directions is as complicated as catching and keeping dozens of bullfrogs in a basin. New story ideas come a'knockin. And they knock hard. They've gotten all tangled in your synapses. You're excited to keep writing, but it's all starting to jumble. Might be time to step away and unravel the kinetic wires. Time to straighten it all out. Chiropractic work for your characters.

Personal Life on Overdrive

You are fully aware that you aren't doing justice to your story. Instead of the two to three hours a day spent writing, you're down to ten minutes, and what you squeeze out of those ten minutes is beyond ugly. Sometimes it's best to get some affairs in order so you can appropriately pour yourself back into your story when it's time. Realign. Reboot. Recharge so your characters can rally.

Have you ever needed a vacation from your characters? If so, why?

*photos from Flickr

**written on vacation ;0

What's Up The Street For Next Week?

VACATION!

Even if you don't care to travel, we all love to escape on a vacation and summer is the perfect time to do it!

Whether it's to the beach...

Into the green of the country....

 Or visiting a far off land...

A vacation holds so much promise and even if you're sticking close to home, we hope it will be restful and just the right amount of time to make you appreciate your jobs. ;-)

Coming next week...

Angie returns to her notes on plot from her attendance during the Shelley Beach Writing Workshop on Monday.

Julia is your blog hostess this coming Tuesday.


The Self-Editing Check List continues on Wednesday with your host, Sarah. Bring your red pen and be ready to mark for physical descriptions and senses.

Wendy brings a Vacation for your Characters to the Alley on Thursday.

It's Friday! Which means Cindy will be sharing with us.


Alley NewsStand...


To help get your weekend off to a great start and add some spice to your vacation, leave a comment for a chance to win Cowgirl at Heart by Christine Lynxwiler

We'll see you Monday!

Three Country Dream Vacation!

To continue our Vacation Friday Theme, I am going to share my trip of a lifetime that I went on five years ago. My husband was asked to teach a class in Mbale, Uganda in Africa, and our church decided I needed to go with him. Yep. For two and a half weeks, I left my 4 children in the hands of my sweet mother and traipsed across the globe, eyes wide with wonder and jaw slack with amazement.

Village Church in Mbale, Uganda

First we went to Mbale, Uganda. After a total of 18 hours in a plane, we arrived and were in awe of the landscape so different from the U.S. It was surreal. We were able to visit a village church where the roof was made of grass and the floor of hard, dry manure. Yes, I am really large one in the picture.

Source of the Nile

 We got to see the source of the Nile River.A little farther down, you can ride the rapids. I, being the non-water-type, nixed that particular fun.

Top of Mt. Wanale

The top of Mt. Wanale was beautiful. An interesting thing about Uganda was that people are constantly burning their fields, which adds a continual smoky look to the area. After crops are grown, the people burn them, thinking that it is good for the soil. The people there grow crops everywhere and line the mountains with them. How they work them on that incline, I'll never know.

Market in Mbale

There was some good shopping to be had and I found out that Goodwill sends clothes for the people to purchase. It was interesting to see the name brand clothes on the people there.

After my husband taught his week long course, we headed back and took a three day layover in London. Oh my goodness! For a lover of history, this city was  a piece of heaven. I will say, thought, that after seeing the poverty in Africa, it was difficult to walk through the palace and see the crown jewels. All those beautiful gems under glass, just sitting there looking pretty while they could be feeding so many hungry children in Africa. I know, I know....it's all a part of history and we have plenty of wealth here in the States, but it just struck home at that particular time and place.

Kensington Palace

We walked all over London, rode the subway quite a bit...MIND THE GAP...and saw some impressive architecture. We were able to see Trafalgar Square, where Mary Poppins sang about feeding birds. We walked across the London Bridge, and we toured the Tower of London.

London Bridge

One of my favorite things was seeing Westminster Abby. Oh my...the history there. I walked around the place, running my fingers across the walls, wondering what kings and queens placed their hands on the very walls I was touching. It was mind boggling.

Side View of Westminster Abby...with my husband.

We had a neighbor who insisted we hop over to Paris for a day and gave us the money to do so. We got up early and rode a train to Paris and we went fast and furious through the city, trying to get as much sightseeing as we could in the little time that we had. We visited Notre Dame and I was completely astounded at the beautiful craftsmanship. The stained glass, the painted carvings, the high carved ceilings. It was breathtaking.

Notre Dame

Stained Glass in Notre Dame

We did a really, really fast run through at the Louvre. Someday I am going back to Paris to spend several days perusing the sights and take my timethere. This museum is magnificent and is truly one of the most fascinating and lovely places I've ever been in. History from all over the world just wraps my brain in warm fuzzies.

Louvre

After the Louvre, we went to Eiffel Tower. We wanted to go up to the top, but the line was so long, we went to sidewalk cafe instead and had coffee and some delicious creme brule. Oooo-la-la...scrumptious. 

Eiffel Tower

We came home from this trip tired and hungry to see our children, but still reflect longingly on our trip, hoping one day to return and spend more time really getting into the history and life of these great cities. (Paris in particular).

I was not writing at the time, and wonder what kind of stories I would have spun while experiencing history with fresh eyes. Sure, I can reminisce and weave some fun tales of ...something...but I bet traveling to a new country while on the prowl for a new story would produce some fun tales. 

Another day, another story, another vacation.

So what is the best vacation you have ever taken?

The Dream Vacation...

When we think of a "dream" vacation, some of us think of sunny beaches and blue, blue waters, sparkling in the bright yellow of the sun.

That does look lovely. A hammock gently swaying in the breeze and a good book soothing my frazzled mind.

But still others like to think of journeying overseas and walking in the land of other people. Escaping to places they have never been. To explore and see the new sights.

And while I do love the idea of the romance of exploring such a beautiful landscape, I don't fancy the idea of traveling so far from home. I prefer to go some place within driving distance. In my own area of home.

Still others like to travel to the big city. To shop in all the stores, to mingle with people and an atmosphere that is charged with energy, noise, lights and excitement.

But the city is just not for me. I would much rather escape into the wilderness. Run through fields of green and catch the sun setting on the distant hills. Pluck a handful of flowers by a pond as smooth as glass. Camp beneath the evergreen trees and listen to the birds in the bows sing me to sleep.

While all of these places might be well and good to visit. To experience a new environment and expand horizans, I must admit that the best part of any vacation, is coming home.

Settling into my own bed and breathing in the heavenly scent of sheets dried on the line.

Of chickens pecking in their shared portion of earth. Of the cows lowing in the back pasture. The John Deere tractor next to the full woodshed. The house filled with pleasant surroundings and my family with open arms to welcome me back.

Because no matter how far I travel, no matter where I go, whether in life or in my dreams, I know there is no place like...

HOME

A Grand Idea!

Recently a few writers talked about taking a break from their work.  They went on fabulous vacations to cleanse their writing palettes, free up their minds, refresh their spirits.  My undiagnosed ADD can't seem to figure out how to do that.

Well, obviously I want to and do go on vacations--I just can't leave the writing at home.

Not too long ago my husband and I went on a vacation to celebrate one of those special numbered anniversaries.  Our flight to Phoenix left before any sane creature woke.  That morning, I stuffed last minute essentials in my carry-on bag and stumbled to the car.   About the time we hit security, I realized my laptop had been a stow-a-way.

We drove in a rental car from the airport to the Grand Canyon and arrived a few hours later.  Long day?  Sure!  Find our hotel and catch a few zzzzzs before checking out the scoop? Not a chance. Who could wait for a good night sleep to explore God's awesome creation?  A gorgeous sunset had been painted by the hand of the Creator.  No way would I miss that.

The first view from the South Rim took my breath away.  I couldn't speak.  The second, third, and fourth views produced the same result.  Good grief! I'm a writer.  What could I do?

My heart pulsed--I wrung my hands--there must be words.  Words!! Woords!  Must have wooords!  Majestic, vast, beautiful, breathtaking popped into my head.  No--not clear enough.  Were there words for the Grand Canyon?  That's when a grand idea came to me.  If I could figure out a way to describe the Grand Canyon, even in the smallest measure, my laptop and I would be happy.

Words provide meaning to things around us.  How could I capture the Grand Canyon to--say--a blind person who had the ability to see at some time in his or her life?

Now that you're hooked...I won't share my answer until it's time to comment.  Rather, take this challenge:  How would you describe one of these photos to someone who can't see them?

View 1

View 2

View 3

Sooooooooo what would you say?