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Revisiting Internal Thoughts

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  Yesterday, I recorded a dialogue workshop that will be part of the virtual part of the Imaginarium Convention , a writing conference on July 9-11. As I discussed aspects of dialogue, I got to thinking about internal dialogue. Out of curiosity, I scrolled back through my posts and found this one on internal thoughts. It felt like a great time to share it again. I hope you enjoy it! Internal Thoughts: Too Much or Too Little? When James knocked on his elderly neighbor's door, it swung open.  "Hello?" he called out, poking his head into the house. No one answered, so he entered. The unmistakable stench of vomit assaulted his nose. Piles of old newspapers and trash scattered a trail across the room to the bedroom door, and he fought the urge to cringe. It looked and smelled so much like his father's last home, he expected the man to lurch from the bedroom and pummel him with his fists. Even drunk, his father's aim and punch carried great strength. He shook his head a
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Why World Giraffe Day Matters

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World Giraffe Day is less than a week away, June 21, Why June 21? It's the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the longest night of the year in the southern hemisphere. Seems appropriate for the tallest animal on earth. Interested in learning more? In case you're new to me and have never heard about the giraffe's silent extinction, you can check out the following links for more info: Giraffe Conservation Fondation's site on giraffe population status Giraffe Conservation Foundation's actions in the field (lots of info here) The Mystery of Giraffes in Africa (African Wildlife Foundation) Support Giraffe Conservation (Wild Tomorrow Fund) Research conducted by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) tells us there are roughly 117,000 giraffes in the wild. Why haven't you heard about it? Because until a few decades ago, no one researched Africa's most iconic animal. To put their numbers in perspective, there are 4 elephants for every 1 giraf
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Busy Weekend: It's Con Season

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It's Tuesday, and I'm beginning to feel more like me after my marathon weekend of activities. On Friday, I headed for Charlotte, NC and ConCarolinas. I've attended this con many times over it's 20 years, and it just keeps getting better. This year, I went as a presenter instead of a fan.  Full disclosure: I thought I had applied as a guest but somehow didn't get that particular application submitted. They still found a few panels for me to join when we realized my mistake. Since the writing panels were filled already, Jim Nettles ( ConTinual: The Con That Never Ends and Author Essentials ) invited me to sit on a few of the Science and Tech panels. You might be scratching your head on that one, but it makes more sense than you know. I have a degree in Zoology. Bet you didn't know that! Plus, I've been a corporate trainer for 30+ years and started out as a tech trainer. Add my experience running my own business and creating my business platform as well as my
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Author Reading: Audience of One

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  A little over a week ago, I participated in Fantasci in Durham, NC. The first event on my schedule was my book reading at noon--the same time the con officially started. A part of me groaned when I saw the time slot, figuring I'd be sitting in a room all by myself. Between trying to leave my home with enough time to get to the venue prior to noon and dealing with my constantly-running-late grandchildren, to say I was frazzled when I got on the road would be an understatement. Then I hit road construction that went on for miles on the interstate. I've had no compelling reason to travel in the past year, so it didn't occur to me that construction going on two years ago was still in progress. My GPS adjusted my trip time by another hour. The result? Barring any other slowdowns, I would arrive before my reading but with little time to change clothes or get set up. I called the hotel to see if I could check in quickly when I arrived. The hotel said they wouldn't have my ro
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