Ours isn’t, either. I mean, seriously. What kind of slacker losers would still have their Christmas Tree up at the end of January? Certainly not this family! Nope, no Christmas trees anywhere near Casa Chaos, you can be sure of that!

But hey! Look at this great CHAUCER tree we’ve assembled in honor of Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Parlement of Fowles”, the bird debate poem that is the first time in literature that St. Valentine’s Day is explicitly named as February 14:

The Chaucer Tree

See? Just Birds and Valentines... not a Santa Claus in sight!

There's a Valentine for everybirdy on the Chaucer Tree!

Ahhhh, Tercel. When Will You Learn? Maybe THIS Year, She'll Accept You.... Or, Maybe Not...

Chaucer and Nature, Sitting In A Tree....

So, there – you see? NOT a Christmas Tree. A CHAUCER tree. I’m not a Slacker Mommy With No Time… I’m an Excellent Medievalist with Imagination!

In My Head: It’s amazing how something you think is very straightforward can suddenly careen into a mass of chaos that leaves you reaching for the nearest beer…

In the Cup: See previous comment.

Currently Playing: Norah and Katie are still getting their groove on..

Daily Run: 2 miles. I’ll do better….

On the Desk: Arthur’s, Morgan’s, Lance’s, and Mark’s college applications, rewriting of the Mighty knights synopsis, and treatment for a new high concept idea, take 10 or so.

On the Nightstand: Meg Cabot’s Avalon High and The Encyclopedia of Alchemy

Papers Graded: 5.

Hi, guys! Sorry I’ve been derelict, I’m swamped. It’s not you, it’s me…

I spent today having a wonderful time filling out college application forms and writing recommendations from the perspective of three different teachers. I have learned a LOT about my seniors today! But I’ve also reached an existential crisis. Well, let’s rephrase: my WIP reached an existential crisis, and that in turn threw me into one.

Essentially, Mighty Knights and I have come to an agreement: It’s not really a YA novel. it’s actually a sort of literary/YA hybrid. I believe the combination we have agreed on is, it’s Thomas Malory’s Morte Darthur meets James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake and the Epistolary Novel (Dracula, if you will, or Carrie, or the Unauthorized Autobiography of Lemony Snicket), filtered through a realistic, non-magical contemporary American high school setting.

This sudden self-awareness moment came about when a critical reader from the writer’s website I am a member of said that the novel was a problem because a.) there are too many characters to keep track of, b.) the storyline is too complicated and has too many branches and c.) the point of view should be one character’s, first person. Her recommendations were to strip away everyone except Arthur, Lance and Gwyn, focus on the football, and tell the story from one character’s point of view. And also, to include some of the magic elements, like Excalibur and Avalon.

Or, to write Meg Cabot’s Avalon High.

And that is when I realized that what I am doing doesn’t make sense for YA. Here’s the post I wrote in response to the critique:

This is edited and cross-posted, because it occurred to me I might not be the only one trying something that doesn’t fit in the box, and also because I think I really want feedback on it….

So – protagonist-antagonist – plotline. The traditional novel setup.

This is tricky for me in terms of The Mighty Knights, the WIP I have going right now. And to some degree, in revisions I can and will rewrite Mighty Knights to at least fit this more clearly in terms of the central storyline of the football team and the sub storylines of the Arthur-Gwen-Lance and Bella-Mark-Tristan love triangles.

HOWEVER.

This book is experimental. It’s a modern re-casting of the traditional medieval Arthurian romances (think Chretien de Troyes and Thomas Malory) filtered through a realistic high school setting. The medieval works on which my book is based had the central idea that there was Camelot, and Arthur’s court, and a basic storyline that centers around Arthur’s rise to power and then his fall and the fall of Camelot, due to human flaws. And everything else in that tradition is a loosely inter-connected series of individual stories, about individual knights and their adventures.

That’s essentially what I am seeking to do. There’s a Camelot (the county where the book takes place). There’s a football team (roughly correspondent to the Knights of the Round Table). They have a leader named Arthur. Arthur has a lady named Gwen. The knights have modern versions of the traditional names. And they have a central purpose (“holy grail”, AKA football championship). And from there, the story has multiple points of view and multiple scenes featuring the various members of the team involved in mini-stories. That’s NOT because I don’t know how to write a centrally focused plot, it’s because this work isn’t about a centrally focused plot, it’s an experiment in bringing a traditional literary form (the medieval prose romance collection) into the 21st century. This works because of the setting – high schools are teeming with individuals, each with their own goals and interests and problems and conflicts, yet all interconnected in their common goal of trying to get from freshman to senior year and graduated. Within that are the different groups – the drama students, the football team, the 4-H crowd, the ROTC, the Chess club, the however-many-organizations there are to join. Some of these overlap, some don’t. My work is complicated and messy because that’s real, and because that’s what the works it is based on are. My job as the writer in this project is to present the mess in such a way that it is compelling and interesting enough to keep the readers going – so I have the central storyline, and everything else is psychologically conceived, very character-driven. If I’ve done my job properly, the readers will care about one or more of the people in this book, and read to find out how they turn out. There isn’t one, central protagonist figure. The book is about the Knights. They are all the protagonists, and they are also one another’s antagonists, and Arthur is at the center of the group as a linchpin. This works with the quest holding everyone together loosely as a communal goal, with communal antagonists (the other football teams) and also pulling everyone apart because of the individual aspect of Knight against Knight. The Mighty Knights is a return to a literary style that did NOT follow the traditional protagonist-antagonist form, because at the time the earlier Arthurian romances were being crafted that really didn’t exist. Antagonist-Protagonist-central story is a classical theater trope that became a self-consciously present literary trope sometime in the 18th or 19th century with the rise of the novel. My book is an experiment in filtering the medieval romance tradition into a modern setting.

I do understand that readers are looking for a comfortable model. I provide that with the basic storyline and central love conflicts. But beyond that, I’m not writing the traditional YA novel – I’m really doing something that isn’t being done by anyone else. I believe it is working. I believe it needs a lot of work. I believe that with a lot of revision, this book will be a great read as it was conceived, without resorting to the traditional novel plotline, and I also believe — nay, I KNOW – that if I rewrote this book following the traditional plotline, it would more or less be a worthless knock-off of the modern YA Arthurian literary tradition, and I wouldn’t submit it because there wouldn’t be any point – it has already been done traditionally. My work is important and fresh because I DON’T follow that plotline, because I AM writing a central plot with a messy labyrinth of overplots featuring compelling characters that are psychologically resonant with readers on a variety of levels. That’s realistic, because that’s what life is, especially when you’re a teenager — you know what’s supposed to be going on, you know what you’re trying to do, and then things get in the way, and people get involved, and other people are involved, and you might or might not know what’s going on, or who’s involved — and in the end, things work out one way or the other, and you learn what was going on and usually, it’s nothing like what you expected. That’s how the medieval stories worked. That’s how this story will (hopefully) work. Hopefully, when it’s done and ready to be looked at, there will be an agent or publisher out there who believes that it does. If not, I’ll self-publish this one. There will be many, many works in my future written along more traditional lines – this is just not that book.

And, in considering all of this, now I’m wondering if this book even IS YA…? It’s set in high school. It features high school students and high school student concerns. The adults are incidental. Those are all YA tropes. But it also features philosophical passages, deeply psychologically crafted characters, and as I have said, a very non-traditional plotline. It’s a book I would have loved as a teen, but I wasn’t actually a typical teen reader. I dunno. Maybe it’s not YA, maybe it belongs in high concept/literary. I know it’s shaping up to be what I want it to be, but now, I’m hearing “One of these things is not like the other” over and over in my head, and I am questioning the choice to place it in YA, young protagonist(s) or no young protagonist(s)….

Thoughts?

SO, with that in mind, here’s my re-written synopsis for this book:

The Camelot County Knights are poised to make history with four consecutive state championships at the Triple-A level. It’s the Holy Grail of high school football, and as the season opens the Knights are the team to beat. The primary obstacle standing in their way… is one another. It’s going to take focused leadership to keep this team together.

Unfortunately, team captain Arthur Draggon finds keeping his head in the game tough thanks to the arrival of Welsh exchange student Gwyneth Greidal. Until now Arthur’s defining passion has been football; but Gwyn’s glowing blue eyes and easy smile, her curvy figure and lilting accent, awaken this late-bloomer’s sexuality: for the first time, he’s starting to understand what all the fuss is about, and football might just be relegated to second place in his heart. His lack of focus enables upheaval among the Knights both on and off the field.

Summer practices brought confidence and solidarity to the team, but when school started so did the chaos. Arthur’s best friend Lance finds the girl of his dreams in Gwyn; shy receiver Mark Howell loves Bella Fayre and learns betrayal from his best friend, the hotshot young wide-receiver Tristan Linness; and rash linebacker Bret Anderson, proudly carrying his first hunting license, chooses his desire to bag a ten-pointer over his duty to the team with tragic results. As if all that weren’t enough to pull the team apart, Arthur’s siblings Morgan and K don’t want him to succeed if they can’t have their own glory: their actions constitute sabotage, but if that means the team doesn’t win the championship, it’s not their problem.

Personal betrayals polarize teammates, tragedy strikes when the stakes are highest, and human concerns trump the drive for greatness. Arthur must regain their confidence in his leadership, and each of the Knights must set aside his personal grievances, if they are to win and remain THE MIGHTY KNIGHTS. Told from shifting points of view and featuring a teeming cast of characters engaged in interwoven storylines, here are Arthur and his knights as modern readers have never experienced them before.

And my question to you Cauldronites is… would you want to read that book?

So…. four months’ growth: that’s what there is. It’s about an inch and a half long. I find those uneven growth patterns at my nape pretty hilarious, actually. ;op

In My Head: Ohhhh, I don’t think I want to scare annoy fascinate frighten horrify delight impress terrorize tell you too much; let’s not bother you folks with all of that just now, shall we?Let me straighten up a bit before I invite you in for tea, and what not.

In My Cup: Coffee. Strong. Necessary.

Currently Playing: I could actually use some suggestions at the moment. Anyone got anything they’re loving in their Ipod right now?

Daily Run: I’m going to try an easy mile and see what happens with the coughing today. Keep your fingers crossed!

On the Desk: Treatment for a new, high-concept fantasy series; blocking for the Vestribliss Academy Chronicles, and The Mighty Knights

On the Nightstand: Philippa Gregory, The Lady of Rivers; The Encyclopedia of Alchemy

BPal of the Day: Catherine

Now, I don’t know how sinful it is, but I love this once it has dried down. For some reason, it smells like suntan lotion going on, which is weird, since there’s no coconut in the blend. Maybe it’s just my weird olfactory.

Papers Graded: 3 3.5 (so far). it’s a long, slow process….

SO, things are bubbling away here at the Cauldron. Mighty Knights is at 98,000 words as of this morning, when (I have to share) after an hour of drafting-followed-by-tinkering, I walked away from my desk having written what I honestly consider to be one of the best paragraphs I have ever crafted. Any writer can tell you that we are our harshest critics, so being able to walk away from a session with that sense of pride in what I accomplished is a real gift from the Universe. (NO, darlings, I can’t share it with you yet. Patience….!) I also continued to flesh out a VERY promising new high-concept series proposal, and re-framed Vestribliss yet again (Some day, I’ll be satisfied enough with the overall outline to take the plunge and draft the whole thing, instead of starting and stalling all over the place on Book One). I know where I’m going… the “how to get there” is the hold up right now. Again, be patient, and know that the Musettes are on it. ;op

Today, I wrote #JustOneMore paragraph before leaving for work, and I graded #JustOneMore(almost!) paper this morning. What is your #JustOneMore moment today?

For those who initially were attracted to the Cauldron because of my chronicling of my experiences with cancer, we have a guest article today from David Haas on the importance of diet and exercise in management of cancer treatment. As you are aware (having read through my blog) I credit my relatively easy time with surgery, chemo and radiation largely to my proactive approach to overhauling my diet and fitness regime, and I do believe that this is a crucial step in the management of treatment and side effects, and one of the only things you actually have some degree of control over throughout the stressful months following a cancer diagnosis.  Without further ado, here’s David:

Ensuring a Better Healing Process from Cancer through Exercise

David Haas

It is important to be physically active so as to maintain your body in good health. Physical activity not only keeps you healthy, but also helps in combating various diseases. The following benefits of physical health may help people diagnosed with various types of cancer to cope with the treatment and healing process.

•    Physically activity helps to boost energy levels. It also helps the body to keep energy levels constant. This is important with the big energy fluctuations that are experienced during cancer treatments.
•    Physical activity improves your mood. During physical activity, the levels of stress are reduced. This has an effect of brightening your mood. People diagnosed with life-threatening conditions such as cancer need to maintain a positive attitude. This makes for an easier treatment and healing process.
•    Exercise reduces body fat. The presence of excessive body fat may be a hindrance to effectively fight cancer. Body fat affects proper circulation, which is a condition that may abet proliferation of cancerous cells.

The initial diagnosis of cancer and the harsh treatment that follows often leaves you feeling out of control with your body. Managing a treatable cancer like skin cancer or dealing with a rare mesothelioma treatment may require chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, or even a combination of several methods. The sheer strain on your body while undergoing treatment can easily overwhelm you. Maintaining a constant level of physical activity and proper nutrition will ensure that your body is able to withstand the process.

Joining a cancer fitness program or creating your own is important to take control of the general wellbeing of your body. The National Cancer Institute tracks the results of various studies carried out on cancer patients. According to the institute, the amount of physical exercise before diagnosis was not related to survivorship in patients of colon cancer. The observational studies tracked however reported a reduced incidence of recurrence for people who are more physically active after diagnosis. Although the relationship between physical activity and fighting cancer is not definitive, the research is promising.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that physical activity could help to prevent certain forms of cancer.

]]> http://caridwen.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/guest-blogger-david-haas-on-cancer-management-through-diet-exercise/feed/ 5 caridwen http://caridwen.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/introducing-the-musettes/ http://caridwen.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/introducing-the-musettes/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:00:20 +0000 Cerridwen http://caridwen.wordpress.com/?p=3583 Continue reading »

Hello, my Loveys! You will not believe this, but… we hit 30,000 views! (Yes, I had to take a pill and lie down for a bit.) Also, equally astonishing and very cool, is that the Cauldron is getting crowded these days! Let’s have a big, bubbly welcome for our newest subscribers!

razorbladexdreamz

deepamwadds

@ladyeji

and, last but not least, @joshua_r_eyler!

(And be especially nice to Joshua, because he’s another medievalist working in Chaucer. Don’t go behind my back and tell him any embarrassing stories about me. I’ll take care of that at Kalamazoo one of these years;op)

Speaking of, to silence those who keep asking, alas, no I’m not going to the ‘Zoo this year. I would love to, but it simply isn’t in the budget. I would need to magically come up with about six hundred extra dollars to make that happen, and if I did come up with six hundred extra dollars, those would probably need to go to the cancer bills. So – no ‘Zoo this year. But on the bright side, I organized two sessions, so my work will be represented there, even if I am not. )

OK… now on to business!

In My Head: Actually, it does suck that I’m not going to the ‘Zoo. If I magically sell a novel between now and then, I’ll definitely go, though.

In My Cup: English breakfast tea with splash of almond milk, a cinnamon stick and some sugar. Because you really cannot only drink coffee and green tea all of the time.

Currently Playing: Norah Jones/Katie Melua: Back to Back. Mellow and inspiring!

Daily Run: I thought about it today. That’s the first time since last week, so I’m definitely doing better. This bronchial thing = Not Cool.

On the Desk: Critiques for some fellow writers, some nascent song lyrics, and Mighty  Knights

On the Nightstand: the Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, and Welsh for Beginners

Papers Graded: 4

OK, so you know that little NaNO novel I decided to write in November?

You know, just to see if I could do it?

Well, it’s kind of…taken over. Yeah. If you’re a writer, then you know.

Right now, we are at 95,500 words and counting. Good news is, I’m two football games and a locker room showdown from the end. Bad news is, I already know about twenty things I need to change before I can even consider it a finished first draft.

The good news THERE is, that gives you a little more time to put your name in as a beta reader. I’ll keep the offer open for another week or so.

In the meanwhile, if I get a little spotty on you when it comes to posting regularly, bear with me… remember, I’m stage managing one show, starring in another, teaching full time, singing in a concert this weekend, and trying to keep the voices in my head under control… oh, and also, critiquing some friends’ writings and grading 65 papers.

I might miss a postie here or there. But I’ll make up for it with… ummmm…….. sneak peeks! How’s that for fair? If I go over 24 hours without a post, you get some Mighty Knights in exchange. Deal?

Meanwhile – check this out:

Speak No Bad Prose, Hear No Bad Prose, See No Bad Prose! My Writing Dragons, AKA the Musettes. Yay for Amazon.com Gift Cards!

(Yes, you may be jealous. Not everyone has dragons looking over her shoulder while she writes to make sure she’s not screwing it up! ;op)

(No, my Muse isn’t jealous. Actually, they were her idea. She said she could use some Musettes for backup. ;op )

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In My Head: Scrambled Brains.

In My Cup: Tea with sugar and almond milk in it

Currently Playing: Silence. And it better stay that way.

Daily Run: Are you kidding me? But hey, I’m getting an amazing abs workout with all of the coughing…

On the Desk: Mighty Knights

On the Nightstand: The Dictionary of Alchemy and a book on writing the name of which escapes me.

Papers Graded: 0

So, yesterday got progressively worse. I started out with a little cough, and by the time the day was over I dragged my sorry ass to the car and essentially went on auto-pilot to the nearest doctor’s office. I’m not sure how all the forced eye-closing due to extreme coughing did not land me in the ditch somewhere, but I’m grateful.

The doctor’s office was funny. The woman at the counter asked me what was wrong. I immediately went into paroxysms of coughing when I took a breath to speak. When that was over, I opened my mouth — and, of course, nothing came out. She told me she needed me to tell her what was wrong; I opened my mouth. Took a breath to speak. Coughed interminably. Tried to speak. Nothing came out. This went on for a few rounds before finally, Dimwit had the sense to pick up a pen and scrap of paper and ask me to write down what was wrong.

Really. I swear. I’m not making this up. You can’t make stupid shit like this up. But, whatever. I wrote down what was wrong, coughing most of the time I was doing it, and presented her with this lovely haiku-like self-diagnosis:

Been coughing all day.

Can’t speak or catch my breath

Now my head aches

She says, “OK, so let me get this straight, you’ve been coughing, and you have laryngitis, and now your head aches?”" I nod hopefully (Ow… don’t nod when you’ve been coughing so much your head hurtds. Dumb idea.) “Well, your head probably hurts from all that coughing you’re doing,” she says helpfully. If it wouldn’t have hurt to do it, I would have face-palmed at that point. Clearly, I was working with a genius here. I just nodded. That hurt, even.

Everything hurts.

They gave me Tussinex and Azithromycin and told me to get some rest.

I still can’t talk, but I got a lot of sleep today from the Tussinex. Mmmm, codeine.

And now, I have scrambled brains. Because that kind of coughing does that to you. Hopefully Zombies don’t like scrambled brains. Either that, or there won’t be a Zombie apocalypse while I’m still fighting off this bronchial whatever the hell it is.

And while we’re at it, since it’s Friday, hot buttered rums all around! WOOT! Here’s a recipe for yum:

1/4 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cloves

1 good shake of salt

a bottle of DARK rum

and water in the tea kettle

Directions:

Do Ahead:

1. Combine the butter and brown sugar thoroughly; add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt, stir to blend, and set in the refrigerator to firm up (about an hour or two)

Then, when you’re ready to drink up:

2. Set the tea kettle to boil. Put two tablespoons of the butter mixture into a cup and add about 3 ounces of rum.

3. Pour boiling water to fill cup; stir. Drinkies!

This will serve two or three people – unless you eat the butter mixture straight from the bowl with a spoon. Don’t do that, it’s really bad for you. But you are actually not going to be able to stop yourself if you lick your fingers at any point in the making of this cocky-tail, because it’s so. Damned. Good. ;op

In My Head: Dammit, why did I share that recipe right off? Because now I really want one, and I have to go to work first! Sigggghhhhhh….

In My Cup: Seattle’s Best #3 with a splash of almond milk

Currently playing: the squeaks and whistles and whooshes of the radiator. I know it’s so passe and inefficient, but I just love radiator heat. Love, love, love. #ILoveOldHouses!

Daily Run: No run – fighting off something icky and bronchial now.

On the Desk: Mighty Knights and 1800 Days

On the Nightstand: “Fiddler” script

Papers graded: 2 of 60. It’s a long, slow road….

For those who may have missed the announcement due to blackouts, cyber protest, daily life & etc., I have put out a preliminary call for beta readers for The Mighty Knights. See this post for details and let me know if you are interested!

So – yesterday morning I woke up, went downstairs, started the coffee, and shouted at Thomas Malory to get off the countertop (that’s the end of the cat’s part of the story, Jules!). Only, instead of shouting, here’s what came out:

Did you get that? Let me say it one more time:

*cricket*   *cricket*   *cricket*

Yup – no voice. Total laryngitis. Which basically meant I was a worthless being yesterday – I couldn’t teach, I couldn’t parent, I couldn’t even phone in a pizza or hit the drive through on our way to play practice last night (And YES, we went even though I couldn’t fully participate because that is how you show support and commitment to both the project and your fellow thespians). And all that sudden silence in a life that is usually filled with speech got me to thinking about voice, and agency, and reminded me all over again how important communication is, and how much we take for granted our ability to speak up, to tell others what we need and want and think and hope. It was my physical reminder that SOPA and PIPA and all other such acts must be blocked.

On the other hand, I enjoyed having a whole day to myself in blissful, monk-like silence, punctuated only by fierce coughing that left my throat raw and ragged. Any guesses where the laryngitis came from?

Alas, this morning, I still can’t talk. Fortunately, my classes are in the library on Fridays for research, so I can actually go in and supervise them there. And even get some papers graded!

And also, at least I can still type.

What’s your #JustOneMore story today? This morning, while I was waiting for my coffee to brew and making the girls’ lunches, I did #JustOneMore thing by clearing the clutter off the counters and wiping them down. And yesterday, I registered with #JustOneMore writer’s site on the Internet and wrote #JustOneMore page on the WIP. And even though I spent the rest of the day asleep, I felt like I accomplished something – so, it was a win!

Let’s celebrate with a little hot buttered rum, shall we? )

In My Cup: green tea with honey in it.

Currently Playing: Silence, blissful silence.

On My Desk: The Mighty Knights

On My Nightstand: “Fiddler on the Roof” script and the Encyclopedia of Alchemy.

Today’s Run: Not sure – depends on whether the coughing lessens over the course of the day – if so, then I’ll probably run 2-3 miles, if not, I’ll go to the doctor.

SO, long, long ago, in times I like to read about, write about, and teach, only the wealthiest could afford educations. Only those with the political and economic wherewithal to buy knowledge and wield it with authority (vested in them through their political and economic connections) had control over who knew what, and who had access to what.

If you have visited Google or Wikipedia today (Or even the front page of wordpress) then you have probably noticed there’s a blackout going on. Inconvenient? Sure. But what would the Internet be, if most sites you visited looked like that?

That’s essentially what SOPA and PIPA threaten us with.

Emmie Mears has written an outstanding summation of the most prescient elements of this issue. She also has a direct “write Congress now” link here.

Consider this one of your #JustOneMore actions for the day – do just one more thing and read her comments, then email Congress demanding they not pass this foolish law, for all of the very common sense reasons she presents.

Certainly my blog, among many, many others, would fall under the categories the bill threatens to hit, and frankly, I don’t look good in orange and would prefer not to go to jail for five years because I linked you to Wikipedia so you could learn more about Robert the Bruce and William the Conqueror. I know, I know, I’m a damned communist/socialist, aren’t I, with my desire to give you access to the same knowledge I have. Sheeeeeeesh.

There are ways of handling the problems that SOPA and PIPA are intended to address. This is not a good one. Tell Congress to start over and do their job thoroughly and correctly, for a change, rather than blanketing everyone under a cloud of “we don’t really want to deal with this problem so we’ll just shut the whole thing down for now and go on recess and let the next sorry saps who are sworn in handle it”.

I’m sick of it… aren’t you?

Wait for it….

AND, @ladyeji, who is following via Twitter.

It’s like Christmas all over again, only better, because instead of getting books to read, I’m getting readers!*

No Matter How You Arrived At The Decision To Subscribe: Thank you for your support!

In my head: How can I have chest congestion a month after I started having chest congestion when I was fine two days ago?

In my cup: Green tea with honey in it. Because I am congested AGAIN (still?). Sigh.

Currently Playing: Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack

Daily Run: a little under 3 miles; 35 minutes. Easy morning.

On the Desk: Mighty Knights

On the Nightstand: Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery (do you smell Vestribliss in the air? Because if you do, you’re right!) & “Fiddler” script.

OK, here we go…. the #JustOneMore movement. It’s here. It’s time.

Time to let go of our fears and worries that we will never be enough or do enough.

Time to let go of that niggly feeling that we should/could/might/ought to be doing more.

Time to go from the intention to up the ante, to actually upping the ante.

Time to let go of the side of the pool and start swimming in the deep end (with floaties. Because I don’t want to be responsible for anyone’s drowning, even metaphorically).

Time to take the training wheels off the bike and go flying down the hill (wearing a helmet. Because again, I don’t want to be responsible for an ER visit to repair a bashed-in head, even metaphorically).

Time to Shine like the Top of the Eiffel Tower at Christmas/Yuletide. (Have you ever seen that? It’s pretty groovy.)

In short: It’s time to take the bull by the horns and do the rhumba until it rolls over in submission to your awesomeness.

OK, OK, enough, I’m fresh out of cliches.

So, here’s the deal: Today, starting now, I am initiating the #JustOneMore movement.

It’s very simple. Deliciously simple. Arguably the simplest thing we can possibly do to take charge and feel like we are in control of our own destinies.

It’s just what it says: Each day, pick one thing you are doing or intend to do, and do just one more.

Let’s say, your New Year Resolution was to run for twenty minutes every day. Today, at the end of those twenty minutes, run just one more. Now, you’ve done twenty-one minutes! It doesn’t sound like much, does it? Well, on Sunday, I was running five-minute change-up intervals on the treadmill. At 25 minutes, when I planned to stop, I was at 2.2 miles and 223 calories burned. I did just one more set of five minutes, and I ended up at 3.1 and 305, respectively. That can really add up! 13.1 miles, here I come!

Or, maybe your goals are less lofty than running a half-marathon; let’s say you want to be able to do 10 pushups. Do as many as you think you can…and then just one more. Think how badass you are going to feel, you buff hottie, you! Boo ya!

Or, maybe your goal is to write 1,000 words a day. Break it down into 100-word increments. Now, write just one more. Ta-da! 1,100 words! Doesn’t seem like that much to you? Well, if you do it every day, at the end of the week that’s 700 extra words in your document, without even trying for it.

Maybe you have set a goal to finish reading that stack of books on your nightstand, or if you’re an academic, to get through a pile of articles. If you read just one more chapter/article/ even page, each night, that’s that much closer to your goal, that much quicker!

Grading papers? At the end of the session, tack on just one more.

Doing laundry? get just one more load into the washer before you call it a night.

Got a list of things to do? Tackle just one more before bed.

Answering emails? Answer just one more before you log off.

Hugging someone you love? Why not slip in just one more, while you’re at it. Ditto kisses. Ditto orgasms (oops, that one just slipped in there, sorry Mom. Wait a minute, I’m not sorry at all. )

The possibilities are endless. Why, just the other night, I did just one more thing before bed: I sewed the back of my daughter’s stuffed dragon up. He’s been sitting on my couch in my study waiting for me to attend to his gaping wound for weeks. I didn’t have time to sit down and do the pile of mending he was added to, so I just didn’t do any of it. With #JustOneMore, I did that one, last thing and made her night. And then in doing that, it occurred to me that hey! That was actually pretty easy, and maybe, just maybe, I could go ahead and sew one thing each night and that pile would go away and stop scaring me. So, tonight before bed, I’m going to sew a pair of my husband’s pants, and maybe even another one for good measure! And if I keep this up, the mending pile will slowly but surely, disappear. One thing at a time.

Today, during a faculty meeting, I listened, contributed to the discussion, and graded just one more set of papers… which freed up extra time this evening for me to write. SCORE! And this week, I submitted a proposal to write just one more essay for publication.

And it dawned on me, while I was developing all of this, that I pretty much already do this, all the time. I’m constantly pushing myself, in competition with myself. But we don’t have to go to extremes to do this. We can ALL do and be more, and thereby be more the person we are trying to be.

See, here’s the thing: we can ALL of us do JUST ONE MORE THING. It’s not that much. It’s just one thing. Even when we think we are going to drop from exhaustion, we can still do one more thing. One, small thing we have been meaning to do. And then that springboards and rolls over and turns into two things, and three things, and before you know it we are all tap-dancing around the kitchen while simultaneously cooking a three-course meal, folding the laundry, doing the dishes, working on our unpublished novels, checking emails, updating Facebook, checking the daughter’s Math homework, talking to our Mothers on the phone, AND doing isometrics to tone that tummy. Piece of cake. (After we’re done tap-dancing, because during would be a bit messy and over-complicate things).

SO, here’s the challenge: For the next 30 days, every day, I want YOU to #JustOneMore. Every day, identify and tackle ONE MORE THING. And make sure you come here and tell me about it, or blog it and link back to me so I know where to go to read it, or Tweet it to @mridleyelmes. And I will do it, too. And at the end of the 30 days, let’s see how we feel. I would be shocked if we were all of us anything less than delighted with what marvelously accomplished creatures we have become.

Anybody up for that shiny, happy feeling of, “I totally did that, I’m a rock star”? Let’s do it! Remember, it all starts with one, simple phrase:

#JustOneMore!

Spread the word! Let’s get a positive, optimistic, inspirational movement going!

*Not that I didn’t totally love the books I got for Christmas this year. Because DH got me the first 3 Temeraire books, in hardback, mylar-wrapped UK first editions. I asked him why the UK and not US and he said: Because Temeraire is a British dragon. So I figured you needed the British hardbacks. Because I married the right guy. )

The Mighty Knights is currently crowned, and will be a fully-birthed draft 0 this weekend. I am then going to be spending next week ironing out the initial kinks.

In other words, Draft 1 is imminent. And therefore, I am ready to start looking for four VIPs (Very Interested People), who will be serving as my beta readers for this project.

If you think you might be interested in beta reading The Mighty Knights, send me an email, subject line Beta Reader TMK and your name, to:

madamemedievalist@gmail.com

In your message, please include the following information:

1. A brief background of your education/ pertinent experience (This is not for the purposes of snobbery, but rather to determine one, very important thing: Are you a Literate Being capable of critically examining a document?) Beta readers for this work MUST be high school aged or older.

2. Representative titles of works you have read and loved/ a list of your reading interests.

3. A brief explanation as to why you are interested in serving as a beta reader for this work.

As a reminder, here is the brief synopsis of this YA novel:

The Camelot County Knights are up for a record: four consecutive state championships.  But team captain Arthur Penn Draggon is having trouble keeping his head in the game thanks to the arrival of Welsh exchange student Gwyneth Greidal. It doesn’t help that Arthur’s sister Morgan has decided (this year, anyway) that she is Wicca, that his father is running for a seat in the state congress, and that both Morgan and their technology-obsessed step-brother Kevin (“K”) resent Arthur’s popularity and success to the point where being at home is a nightmare.

Further complicating the Mighty Knights’ bid for state high school football immortality is the fact that they are so mortal. The stress of classes and (for the seniors on the team) college applications, the whirlwind of homecoming preparations, the desire to impress this – and – that girl, and the basic adolescent need to test their limits, prove their worth, and best the opposition in any situation on or off the field all threaten on a daily basis their drive towards the championship.

Living in a conservative, Christian, rural Virginia county comes with its own set of complications on top of those of the average American teenager. Gossip runs rampant, everyone knows everything that’s going on (or thinks s/he does), and there’s no way to escape from the constant small-town drama, unless your parents let you borrow the car to drive to Richmond or Virginia Beach for the day. It’s also not helpful that football season coincides with hunting season. The people in charge of those signs outside the churches like to embed personal jabs and individually-directed slogans in their weekly messages; trying to figure out who its meant for is a county-wide hobby. The person doing the weekly readings looks right at you on Sundays when he’s reading a passage that he feels is of particular relevance to you or a situation you’re involved in. And when you come from an Important Family – like the Draggons – with a father who was, himself, a hometown hero football star in his time and now is playing a central role in turning the county into an agri-tourist destination, and a mother who was Miss Camelot County and first – runner up in the Miss Virginia pageant and whose family traces back to the Jamestown colony (a fact documented in writing, ostentatiously framed, and hanging on the front hall of the Draggon home) – well, there’s not a lot of wiggle-room for lapses in judgment.

Morgan can’t wait to get the hell out of Camelot County; she’s had her application to New York University filled out for six months. As soon as she gets her diploma, she is out of here, and on her way to Broadway. Despite her talent and dark beauty, she has spent four years under Arthur’s shadow, because the only things that matter in Camelot County are deer season and football. She’s done playing second fiddle to her brother. She’s also sick to death of “safe” musicals like “Godspell” and “Pippin” and “The Sound of Music”. This year, she’s convinced Mrs. Henderson to produce the sensational and provocative “Jekyll and Hyde”. For once, Morgan is confident the fall drama production will be as popular as Friday night’s football game — and nobody, not even Arthur, is going to stop her from stepping into the limelight at last. She’s cast a spell to make sure of it.

K is struggling to come to terms with the death of his parents and with finding his own place in a high school so thoroughly dominated by his older step-brother, cousins Gavin, Gary, Garrett and Andy, and their friends Lance, Mark and Tristan – all members of the football team. Uncoordinated, gangly, and with a bum leg, he’s no athlete; he’s too shy to be on stage, not academically gifted enough to be an honor student, and not as striking in appearance as either golden Arthur or dark Morgan. How does an average guy get a break when everyone in his family is a superstar?

Every generation has its version of the King Arthur story; narrated by the engaging and insightful high Camelot High Chronicle columnist Tal I. E. Singer, this is ours.

I’m excited to reach this milestone and to begin the revision and rewriting process!