Wednesday, July 07, 2010

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.

16 comments:

Jacqueline Seewald said...

I like the new digs! Great photos! I always feel more inspired after taking a walk myself.

Terry Odell said...

Thanks, Jacqueline. And I was feeling more than inspiration the next morning!

Carol Kilgore said...

Great post. You're going to really enjoy your new desk. I love all the surface space of it! This:
"Do you pass the time in the grocery store line wondering about the people around you?" You've been in my head again :)

Carol Kilgore said...

Oops. Forgot. I like the tabs. I've been wondering how complicated they are. My sidebar runs way too long.

Terry Odell said...

Carol - yes, loving the desk. I feel almost obligated to be productive! As for the tabs -- short answer--if I could figure it out, anyone can. Email me if you want a more detailed answer with a few "not-well-explained" things I discovered along the way.

Jemi Fraser said...

Love your desk and setup - I work on my laptop in a chair in the living room or on my bed, so I'm a little jealous :)

I continually have stories run through my head when I'm walking and strangely when I'm doing the dishes and laundry. You never know what's going to pop up!

Maryannwrites said...

I like the new look of the blog, Terry. Congrats on the great review of Nowhere to Hide.

Terry Odell said...

Jemi - sometimes I work on the couch with the laptop -- another 'change of place' that has its moments. But I do Love My Desk.

Maryann--thanks.

Carol Kilgore said...

I felt the same way when I got my new desk. Tabs will be a weekend project. Maybe this weekend. We'll see. I may need to yell for help, so thanks.

Kerrie said...

First of all I love your desk. Wish I had something like that. :) Secondly, you are very right. Getting out and picturing characters in other places can be very inspiring.

Terry Odell said...

Kerrie - It's been a long time coming. I did have a desk back in Orlando, but it was one of those particle board put-it-together yourself deals. I love that this has the return. More room to spread out! And what's cool is that this room doesn't have to provide overnight sleeping for guests.

Debra St. John said...

Love the new work set up. I think I need to do some rearranging to get some new inspiration.

Terry Odell said...

Debra - I like it too. Rearranging can be good. Of course, there are those who need everything 'just so'. Neither is 'right' or 'wrong.'

Joyce Elson Moore said...

Terry: Very nice layout, and I liked the pictures. Maybe it's just me, but I couldn't read the tabs. Might be my monitor though.
Congrats on the followers.

Terry Odell said...

Joyce - I tried to play with the tab colors, but that was one of the 'not-so-user-friendly' parts of the design. But when you run your cursor over them, they should change. Did you try that?

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I like the new layout for the blog. Looks great!