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Cathy C. Hallhttps://cathychall.wordpress.com/I write, write, write. Then I rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. THEN I submit all those polished-up words out into the world and sell 'em. It's a plan that's worked pretty well.

Friday’s Fun Finds: Books, Cooks, and Maps

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I ran across this most amazing website a few weeks ago and so you must really dash along here if you want to send in an entry for the map contest! But even without the contest, you’re going to love these wonderfully illustrated recipes and maps.

Take a look at They Draw & Cook…but I must warn you that you’ll get sucked in for a while. The art work is SO clever, and honestly, I don’t even like to cook and I wanted to try some of these recipes. If you have an artsy side, you can even submit a recipe yourself, maybe end up in the next cook book.  (You can shop for the book and really cool fonts, or mugs or…well,  zip over here to see the Monkey Banana Shop where proceeds benefit the World Food Program USA.  That’s pretty neat, right?)

And if you are an artist,  you’ll want to check out the map contest at They Draw & Travel. HUGE prizes but not a lot of time to get that map finished (Deadline February 10th!!!!). You know, I don’t think you have to be a Rembrandt kind of artist for this contest. If you’re creative and inventive and have a favorite place, I’ll bet you could draw something swell. Not that I can draw much beyond stick men (Hence, Cathy-on-a-Stick is a photo of me on a stick) but I’ve met lots of writers who can also draw, or paint, or dance or play music. So, I wanted to pass this contest along to you incredibly talented people (who through no fault of your own make me feel somewhat inadequate).

Anyway, it’s Friday and time for a lovely little break. I watched this animated short called “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” which just happens to be nominated for the 2012 Academy Awards’ Best Animated Short Category. And yes, it’s 15 minutes. But after only a minute, you’ll see why it’s up for an Oscar. And if you love books, you’ll see why it made me cry (in a totally uplifting and lovely way). Enjoy.

Catching Up Is Hard To Do

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With apologies to Neil Sedaka. (On the other hand, I’ll never get this song out of my head now. So we’re kind of even.)

“They say that catching up is hard to do…

Now I know, I know that it’s true.

Don’t say shut up and begin–

Instead of catching up I wish that I was all caught up again.”

So, I’ve been sort of missing for the last week. I applied to the Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop and got accepted (Wheee!) And they offered me a scholarship, too. (Double wheee!) But then I kind of had to say I’d go (Fly on a plane all the way to Pennsylvania–eeeeek!). Plus I had to send my novel to my reader (Uh-oh.)

See, I had to make a few small changes in that novel before I could send it off to a Big, Important Editor Person. Changes in, oh, I don’t know…the goals and stakes.

Just for the record, I do not recommend making goals and stakes changes on a 60,000 word novel in 7 days. It’s doable, but only if you do the following:

1. Skim your emails, reading ONLY those that require immediate attention (roughly translated to “money is involved”.)

2. Dash through Facebook, skip Twitter, and ignore blogs (By the way, happy belated birthdays, y’all!)

3. Leave loved ones to fend for themselves (But do not be surprised if a. a Junior loved one shows up with a tattoo and/or fourth ear piercing because you said “uh huh” while you were typing and “talking”  on the phone or b. you have gained 6 pounds because your wonderful spouse offered to take care of the cooking. And by cooking, I mean “picking up tacos and/or  pizza” every day. P.S. You haven’t noticed you’ve been eating tacos and/or pizza every day.)

Now, I have a ton of catching up to do…emails to attend to, blogs to read, friends to (virtually) see, and all that other writing and reading that’s been waiting for me. Not to mention the matter of six extra pounds.  But still…

“I beg of you, don’t say goodbye!

Let me give this whole thing one more try.

Come on, y’all, I’ll start anew…

But catching up is hard to do.”