Good evening and welcome to Gigi Catches Air.  My name is Gigi, parti poodle.  Tonight, we begin a new series which is based on the bloggings of my pet, Karen.  And might I add she is a marvelous companion on walks, a warm lap when I watch television and always prompt in providing meals and treats.  Even the baths she gives me are uncommonly tolerable.  She has fared well under my tutelage and I expect her to express her thoughts brilliantly on this page.  The only drawback I can deduce about her is she has chosen to adopt a Maltese.  But we shall not speak of that disconcerting indiscretion at this time.  So, without further ado here is my human.     

My name is not Gigi.  It is Karen.  Gigi is my toy parti poodle who catches air when she sees me come home by jumping up and down in front of the window.  But Gigi Catches Air is a more beguiling name for a blog than Karen Rolls so we’re going to call it Gigi Catches Air. 

I (Karen that is) have written seriously for over a decade and a half.  My mission is to publish every bizarre tale I have penned.  My goal is to tell you about how I go about writing and how I do it almost every day.  I’ll share with you all the wacky ways I create my stories and perhaps you’ll find something to either spark your imagination or add to your toolbox or throw in the trash.  In addition, I will talk randomly about film, television and my outré view of the world at large.  My philosophy is writing should make you happy.  Even if your dog just died, your boyfriend dumped you and the giant tree the neighbor refused to cut down just fell on your car you should have a happy writing session that day.   

I am or was a trained actor and I love film and television.  I believe acting is good for writers even if it isn’t their goal in life.  I’ve learned as much about storytelling from acting classes as I did from writing classes.  I also worked at a video store for three years and have watched thousands of films.  Because of this my novels have a lot of dialogue.  I put more emphasis on what people say rather than what they’re wearing or the scenery around them.  My stories are primarily dark comedies or seriocomic in nature.  When I have done public readings of my work some people have laughed, and others have left the room in terror.  I consider both reactions a triumph.   

I’ll post every Thursday.  That’s the schedule.  While you’re waiting for my next post check out my novel Chicane currently available on Amazon.

Good evening.  My human is now going to present her first blog post. She has decided the subject with be how she goes about a common everyday writing session.  I would like to mention that during her writing time I like to lie on my designated pillow by the window and make certain all goes well and micromanage the session as it were.  I am quiet most of the time but if I hear someone come to the door it is my job to go ballistic and bark at the top of my lungs. 

I thought a great place to start…

Notice I didn’t say I felt a great place to start.  I said I thought a great place to start.  This is important, and I will get back to it in a later post. 

I thought a great place to start my blog would be to talk about how I go about a day in the life writing.  And the answer is simply I write almost every day at the same time.  There are writers who don’t like to do that.  They don’t want a schedule, or they would rather do all their writing with their writing group, or they prefer to walk around and jot down wise little thoughts when inspiration strikes.  But not me.  I like a schedule and I like to stick to it.    

I write for two to three hours a day.  Do I write straight through without a break?  No.  That’s crazy and stupid.  Sometimes I surf the internet and think.  Sometimes I listen to music.  Sometimes I get up from my chair and do something else for a little while. Why?  Because if I’m stuck, getting up may be just enough to jolt my brain into coming up with the escape plan out of the corner I’ve written myself into.  Writing shouldn’t be a chore.  It should be a joy.

To start my writing time I make myself a cup of tea, a small cup (probably a half cup in measurement) of fruit and a small cup of a combination of nuts (usually Costco nuts which rock), Annie’s Bunny Cookies and the most important ingredient of all six to seven Dilettante chocolate covered coffee beans which I buy in bulk because otherwise I would be broke. When I first started out the fruit was a couple of large strips of Just Mangos from Trader Joe’s.  Later I tried Costco berries.  Sometimes I have an apple.  Sometimes I switch out the bunny cookies out for dried apples or something else.  It just depends.  On Friday, Saturday and Sunday I make espresso instead of tea.  And when I say I make espresso I make it.  I do not stick a plastic cup into a machine and push a button.  I brew the espresso on a little espresso machine, and I froth the milk.   I like Torriano and Ghirardelli syrups which I use sparingly to give my latte some flavor.  See, I worked as a barista in college and so I don’t have a problem making my own coffee.  A lot cheaper and less sugary than buying it from a stand. 

I have tried different teas through the years and my favorite is Harney’s & Sons.  They are excellent.  I like their green and white teas.  They cost a little more, but they do have sales on their site and their teas are worth it.  And their shipping is free, and the tea comes in tins not cardboard boxes.  Awesome.  

Anyway, that’s essentially my ritual because all those stupid little things are part of what I look forward to.  Every writer should make their writing time something to look forward to because it makes it more fun and you deserve it. 

I’ll post every Thursday.  That’s the schedule.  While you’re waiting for my next post check out my novel Chicane currently available on Amazon.