My Ivory Tower

My name is Karin Huxman and I write romance for New Concepts Publishing. You can find my author page at http://newconceptspublishing.com/karinhuxmanbooks.html. I write a mix of time travel, contemporary, paranormal, and sf/fantasy and love every minute of it.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

New graduate...


My daughter, Kristin, graduated from the University of Northern Colorado last Saturday with a BA in Art. It was a cold and blustery day in Greeley, CO where they held the ceremony in the outside stadium. The College of Visual and Performing Arts was the sixth and final college to process into the stadium. The wind started blowing at gale force strength as the governor's wife began her remarks. I think about 10 people were holding down the poles that held the tent over the digniataries and guests. It was COLD. Graduating student's hats were flying before they even started handing out diplomas. I don't think I saw any snow, but the wind was blowing too hard to see very well. They managed to hand out individual diplomas, actually the diploma covers since the real diplomas won't be ready until June, to each student in the first, and largest college (the College of Education), then the president of the college told everyone who had yet to come forward to stand. She then proceded to do a mass blessing with all the rights and priviledges pertaining thereto, and sent everyone home before we all blew south to Denver! Wowie kazowie! What a day!

Then it took us at least an hour to find our graduate since she'd given her cell phone to her younger sister. At least I was able to find a warm spot for my parents to wait for the car. They travelled all the way from Massachusetts to witness this event. We had a party to celebrate later that night after we'd all had a chance to warm up and recuperate. The graduate is in the red shirt. I'm next to her in black. My husband, Jay, is on the far left, then our Katie. Son Steve, his wife Michelle, and our grandson Garin round out the shot.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Busy times and writing time

Like many of you I have a family that sometimes nudges at my writing time. Not with day to day regularity anymore since my three children are grown and mostly :) out of the house. Any time I don't take to write on a regular basis I blame strictly on myself and my procrastination gene. However I sometimes have house guests, always family from far away, come to visit and find myself aching for time alone to write or ponder. Right now my parents are visiting from back East and my youngest daughter, too. They are here to help celebrate my middle child's graduation from college. She's the one who did the awesome dragon and ivory tower picture for me. So it's definitely something to celebrate. And living in Colorado I don't get to see my family very often, so it's a treat for me. But then there's the writing time or lack there of. Here are some ways that I cope:

1. Read for pleasure. Somehow it's not quite as to rude to dip my nose in a good book while everyone else is watching TV than it is for me to excuse myself and lock myself in my office. Yes, I know that watching TV is not really "entertaining" company, but it is a way to relax after a busy day out and about in more than mile high oxygen deprevation. Besides, it's always good to feed your muse and catch up on what everyone else is writing out there.
2. Read a book on writing. This feels like a better compromise to me. It's feeding your writing education and reading too. Right now I'm reading Chapter after Chapter by Heather Sellers.
3. Discuss books with your guests. My mom and I often read completely different fiction so it's interesting to find out what she enjoys reading and why. And I can tell her why I like the romance fiction that I read so much. This goes the same for my dad. Both of my parents, really my whole family, have an interest in how my writing career is progressing. This gives us a way to talk about that without it being all about me. :)
4. Even if it's just writing a page in a journal or posting something online, like blogging :), find a way to write a little something every day. It keeps your brain and fingers in sync and you feel like you actually accomplished something.
5. Finally, enjoy your company. Remember that writing comes from life. Live it, embrace it, then allow it to enrich your writing. I try to remember details, feelings, the way the light fell, the way my grandson's hand looks juxtaposed against my mother's, or how he has my dad's eyes. The richness of our lives informs our work and helps to take it to the next level, helps the readers to connect with out words, and fills the creative well.

What do you do when company comes? How do you satisfy both your muse and your need to be with your guests?

Friday, May 2, 2008

Bilateral Ulnar nerve and etc.

Yes, those of you who took last week's procrastination post too seriously, I really did have a good reason for not posting yesterday. I've been diagnosed with a repetive stress injury. Hey, I work at a public library. Library work is not for sissies!! I was going to sign out of National Poetry Month with a bang but the whimper came out stronger after a morning with the physical therapists. Oh, and I had my grandson in the afternoon. He trumps posting every time. He's an eight month old sweetie pie who is happy unless he's hungry and I'm not reading the signs quite right. If his parents give me permission, I'll post a pic. So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!