Quote From My Life: See Dick Run

Posted on November 25, 2011 by SloanParker

I was working on a new scene for my serial novel today and was getting frustrated after the first 300 words. I went out to the living room, lay down on the couch, and put my head on my sweetie’s lap. Here’s how the conversation went.

Her: “How’s it going?

Me: “Like crap.”

“Why?”

“Everything I write sucks.”

“Is it a first draft?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, it’s just important to get the ideas down. You can fix the writing later. So you say, ‘See Dick run into Dick’s dick.’ You can rewrite it later. Although I’m not sure why you’d want two characters named Dick.”

That got me laughing. I went back into the office to write some more.

Gotta love these little motivational talks with my sweetie. Thanks, hon!

Quote From My Life: Words Matter

Posted on November 11, 2011 by SloanParker

It’s been a long week. Maybe the lack of sleep is getting to me, or maybe I’m just feeling the need to vent a little. In either case, here’s one from my own life today.

“When your partner’s mom is in a serious car crash, is taken by helicopter to the hospital, has a 14 hour surgery, and is in the ICU, you are reminded how important the words “spouse” and “mother-in-law” are and how much it sucks when you can’t legally use them.”

– Sloan Parker

Friday Photo: The autumn view outside my writing room

Posted on October 28, 2011 by SloanParker

For the Love of: Cooperative Games (no more time alone in jail for me)

Posted on October 26, 2011 by SloanParker

Thanks to my fabulous and wickedly smart uncle (Hey T!) I learned how to play Pandemic a few months back. It was my first time playing a cooperative board game where players work together rather than compete against each other. We just got our own copy of Pandemic and have been playing the two player version. I have to say, I love cooperative games like this!

Maybe it’s the romantic in me that prefers the non-competitive nature of the game. I really hate seeing my sweetie get frustrated when I’m kicking her ass in a game. I mean, all we have to do is mention the game Clue and I can see her get all serious like she might actually be able to beat me this time, then her expression falls as she thinks, Nope. She ALWAYS wins that game.

Then there’s the other night when we decided to play Monopoly, something we haven’t played in years. I think I ended up in jail 42 times. My mood was pretty good the first 40 times, but I hit the 41st and it was no longer funny. It was just sad.

At least with Pandemic if we go down, we do it as a couple and have some laughs at ourselves at the same time.

Now if we could just figure out how to always get us a happy ending in Pandemic, all would be right with the world. (I do love my happy, all-is-right-with-the-world endings.)

What’s your favorite board game? I’m a game geek and would love to try out some new ones.

You Never Know What You’ll Hear at a Writers’ Brainstorming Retreat

Posted on October 7, 2011 by SloanParker

Two weeks ago I attended a brainstorming event with some of the writers in my local writing group. It was my third year attending this annual event, and I had such a fabulous time. Not only is it productive in generating story ideas, it’s also a time to recharge my writing energy. Just hanging with these fabulous women (and our lone, brave man who slept in a lake cottage with 12 women) gets me excited about writing. These people have amazing energy and talent. I’m always in awe of their creativity.

We spent the weekend talking about each other’s stories and coming up with titles, plot ideas, ways to kill off characters (don’t worry, that wasn’t mine), and more. We have writers of all genres and heat levels in the group. From contemporary to sci-fi. From sweet inspiration to steamy erotic romance and erotica. Most write romance, but some don’t.

So what kinds of things did I hear that weekend? Here’s a sampling:

“He’s a schizophrenic vampire priest!”

“Die, bitch, die!” (which worked for several of the stories)

“Orgasmoplasm“

“Hooha goo”

“Viagraville”

“Regrow the cherry!”

“Everybody use frickidous in a sentence.” Our 18-year-old, youngest member immediately told us all to, “Go frickidous yourselves.”

“bilabial frickidousness and glaodal stoppages”

And perhaps my favorite…“We need to make his junk grow!”

So yeah, it was a blast. Thanks ladies and Ray! I had a wonderful time.