new post with(out) a creative title

I feel like it's been FOREVER since I posted. 

Hence the reason I can't come up with a title.  Apparently blog posting is NOT like riding a bike.

I'm suffocating a bit here in Wisconsin.  Don't get me wrong, I'm super thrilled it's summer, but the heavy heat is a bit stifling!  I'm all for zero humidity and low seventies.  Ah well.

It's my first day off and I spent it getting my son's first cavity filled.  He'd be happy it was over if he didn't have to go back on the 20th for another. 

Okay, I didn't spend the WHOLE day doing that.  Only the first 45 minutes of it.  THEN we had our first park playdate of the summer.  My son's lower lip was still numb, so he accidentally chewed on it while trying to eat his ham sandwich (three hours after the filling), despite how carefully I watched him.  We iced it after that.  I'll spare you the details of the rest of our fab and busy day.

My fingers are itching to get back into my writing.  I did very little during my partial blogging hiatus.  I'd planned to finish MS #2, and didnt, but even so am now planning to finish #1 instead.  (The type is always more intriguing in the other novel...(my lame attempt at using "The grass is always greener...."  as my excuse.))

  I've been reading an adult fantasy book entitled A Discovery of Witches that several colleagues suggested I read since they enjoyed it immensely.  It took me a bit to get into it.  It's only my third vampire book, including Twilight, so I'm finding it difficult not to compare the main characters (a witch and a vampire) to Edward and Bella.  There are parts that are so similar it's distracting.  NOT that I think the author copied or intended the similarities.  I'm assuming these would pop up in any vamp books.  The author has to describe their physiology and lifestyle, after all.

Anyways, while reading, I was also thinking about subplots and how they're woven into the main plot. 

In ADOW (erica's acronymphobia wore off on me) there are tiny pieces of information (that drive a subplot) that increase suspense and yet are just barely sprinkled through the novel.  I'm amazed at how a significant detail is dropped in the middle of a page and then not mentioned again for...ever.  Well, chapters and chapters later anyways.  I would have thought that would have driven me insane, but the actual outcome is that that's what is keeping me turning the pages! 

As a teacher who has been trying to perfect her 5-10 minute mini-lesson before giving the students guided practice, it seems I must also cut back in my writing.  (I have to watch myself because I can easily become a babbling lecturer who says the same thing over and over thinking the number of times I repeat something will definitely help more students to acquire the information.  Old habits....)  Oh, wait.  Is this OVERWRITING?  hehe.

I DON'T need to bat my students over the head to help them understand something (usually the OPPOSITE will occur...zzzzzz) and I don't need to do this with information in my novels either.  Poor readers.  Same effect, right?  zzzzzz. Or worse, they'll never open the book again!

You all have your main plot and your subplots (whether they've been carefully thought out or showed up randomly while writing freely).  The trick?  HOW you effectively weave, or better yet, SPRINKLE that subplot in. THAT is the challenge.  When/how often you let your reader in on something is the BEST part of writing.  I love knowing and deciding when my reader gets to know too! 

The underlying obstacles in your characters' lives will be what keeps your reader wide awake even at 3 AM.

Happy writing!  Remember, a little of this, a little of that.  Just like any good recipe.