All Mine

I don’t remember what my first desktop computer was but I may have shared it with someone so I can’t call it mine. But I do remember my first laptop, a Dell, one of those powerhouse laptops they sold and I paid $150 a month for I don’t know for how long now.

I learned Photoshop on that thing and wrote stories especially a 99k word fanfic that I posted on a blog before they were called blogs. Geocities, that was the name. Yep, I’m that old.

Then my brother and a next-door neighbor who was a graphic designer suggested I check out a Mac because I was using Photoshop a lot and it took forever just to do anything. So in 2007, I bought a Mac and I was hooked. I stopped using Photoshop after that though – or at least, I didn’t use it as much as I did when I had the laptop and had to deal with a lag before it would do something, especially in Illustrator.

So I pretty much had two FIRST computers. A Dell laptop and then the MacBook which I still have btw and it still has the old version of Photoshop and Illustrator back when you had the installation CDs and the code to activate them. And Microsoft Office Suite! It still works actually, except that you can smell the dust inside when you turn it on and it freaks me out.

These days, I have 4 Macbooks at home: the OG 2007 one, two 2012 Macbook Pros (an 11-inch and a 15-inch and they all still work great), but the one I use the most is an M1 Macbook Pro from a year and a half ago so I could avail of the latest version of Vellum which I use for my books.

Speaking of my books, I came up with this graphic for one series because I had to create a new cover for an existing book for a secret project and now I can put them all together in one cool graphic. Ironically, I don’t even use Photoshop (or in my case, Pixelmator because I refuse to subscribe at $20 a month) to create my graphics and covers anymore. All these 2024 covers for my books were created on Canva.

Hmmm… I just might be a hoarder when it comes to devices.

Daily writing prompt
Write about your first computer.

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Mondays 

Just one of those days when you want a do-over but you might as well just go with the flow.

Distracting Myself

  
…and hoping for some inspiration!

So Wattpad is having this contest that’s in partnership with Harlequin and it’s called So You Think You Can Write. In this case it’s the next romance novel.  And the winner will have the chance for a 2-book publishing contract with Harlequin.

It took me some time to think about it, what with forum talk about how Harlequin is the worst there is for writers and something about a 2.6% payday per book sold once everything else is deducted. It’s disappointing to say the least and enough for me to just say, screw it! I’ll just self-pub.

But then it hit me! I’ve already self-pubbed! Now what else haven’t I tried? For one I haven’t even done the legwork to get myself an agent, neither have I shopped my novels around (so busy self-pubbing, that’s why). So what have I got to lose?

So as of yesterday I threw my hat in the ring with a new novel, and now I’m stumped. What do my characters want?

It’s one thing to write because you want to write. It’s one thing to write something that fits some sort of mold and in this case, a romance novel. 

So while I figure out how wealthy families can feud over inheritance and what can one carry as far as something valuable enough to go after, I’m drawing. And coloring. And kinda doing everything but write despite a looming deadline.

AKA getting those creative juices flowing…

Yesterday’s Mood

 

Maybe I need to frame this for when I’m having a bad day…

Beauty

   
Doesn’t look anything like her but she was supposed to be Nastassja Kinski – or that’s how she started out to be before I messed up everything else and said, “oh fudge it! It’s whoever.” 

Remember her? I loved her in Tess and I cried my eyes out and I loved that she had a scar above her lip like me. But that’s as far as the similarities go haha and of course it looks nothing like her but what the heck.  She’s beautiful just the same.  

Besides I’m delirious and need my coffee.

Furiosa 

 

Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa
 

Haven’t yet seen the movie but I think I will love it. 

When Words Failed Me

20140720-151607-54967379.jpgWhen words failed me
once upon a time
I drew out my heart
and carved out the rhymes
that fell out of it
every damn word
I drew every tear of pain
for every word, unheard

And when it was all over
when all I wanted was to destroy every one
every page bearing proof  of my despair,
a time when I was undone,
you kept them all hidden
you kept them all safe from me
the one for whom each stroke of my pen –
to my scarred lock, was its key