A Change of Place

What I'm reading: Thread of Fear, by Laura Griffin

And thanks to Elspeth for that wonderful creative post yesterday!

If you want a little more about NOWHERE TO HIDE, I'm a guest at Liana Laverentz's "Life is a Journey" today. Colleen showed up, too.

And, I notice that as of the time of writing this, I have 196 people following Terry's Place through Google. I can't believe I'm almost at 200. When I get there, we'll have to have a party! Tell your friends. Meanwhile, don't forget my contest.

Speaking of my contest—what do you think of the new blog layout? Feedback appreciated. Do you like the tabs rather than all the information on the sidebar? I'll confess to spending too much time trying to figure out how to add those tabs and pages, so my original plans to give you a 'tour' of my new office didn't pan out.



Of course, I could show you around, but I want it to be presentable for company. And I'm still trying to decide what goes where. But here are a few "pre-organization" shots.

Changing the work environment can be uplifting and motivating. It's like a fresh start. One thing I noticed immediately was that sitting at my New Desk, I'm at a much better distance from my monitor, and I no longer get a stiff neck. Also, with room to have things at my fingertips, I'm not constantly having to rearrange things, search for things (OK, I still misplace stuff), or pick things up off the floor when they fall off my tiny computer stand, which was my workspace prior to the New Desk..



Getting out of the house is another way to get motivated. There are always things to see, no matter where you are. Yesterday, hubster and I walked "around the block". We were armed with cameras and binoculars, and took our time covering the distance. Of course, we had to go 'backward', so that meant we finished our walk with that steep uphill stretch from the mailbox. Maybe next time, we'll go the other direction and finish on a downhill.

Pay attention to your senses. What do you hear? Smell. Feel? What would your character be doing here? For my WIP, I can envision Grinch and Elizabeth sitting by the pond, enjoying the sunshine while Will and Dylan explore. Maybe Grinch, who's lived a good part of his life around the area will identify all the birds just from their song. Maybe she'll point out something swimming in the lake, and he'll (reluctantly) call the boys over to let them get their first look at a beaver heading for its lodge.

Or maybe this will be their first intimate moment. He'll pick a wildflower, their hands will touch, and she'll feel electricity that isn't fear. The first seeds of trust could be planted. They might share that glance that says, "do we dare sneak a kiss?"

Or maybe they'll just watch the people at the neighboring pond wrestle a trout out of the water.

What about you? What stories run through your head when doing something that might be routine? Do you pass the time in the grocery store line wondering about the people around you? Do you stop to inhale the fresh-baked offerings at the bakery counter? What thoughts do those scents trigger? Fond childhood memories? Or frustration that you're already testing the tolerance of the waistband on your jeans? And as you stand there, perusing the delicacies in the counter, maybe there's someone standing behind you, imagining what stories you're hiding.