Elisabeth Naughton

Archive for the 'Writing' Category

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Wednesday, January 31st, 2007

Don’t you love that title? I do. One of the crime show dramas uses it as a tagline, and I think it’s great (though I don’t watch those shows so I have no idea which one actually uses it).

I’m not big on watching TV, but I do love to watch the news. Especially when I’m at the gym on the treadmill, beating feet and listening to my ipod. Best way to watch the news actually – no sound, great music, and you get to read the story via closed captioning.

Today as I was sweating and watching, I couldn’t help but think how many fabulous plot ideas are right in front of our eyes.

Take for instance the Massachusetts man who’s suing Continental Airlines because his ex-wife took their 3 yr old daughter into Mexico without a notarized letter from him stating it was okay. (BTW, I did that, took my 1 yr old to Canada with me a few years ago and didn’t realize I needed a letter from her dad stating it was okay for her to leave the country. Canadian officials raised an eyebrow, but they let us through without much of a hassle).

How about the Sheriff in Florida who lost his father to a serial killer years ago and Tuesday night lost his wife to a home invader?

Or the mother in NY who accidentally smothered her baby while trying to fend off rats.

Or the mummified man found dead after six years

Not interested in headlines? Try Hollywood. What about the Tara Conner controversy or anything dealing with Brittany Spears or Madonna’s adoption fiasco or….the list goes on and on.

Looking for plot ideas? Try watching the news.

Have any news stories stood out in your mind as great plot ideas? And have you ever written a story that developed from something you saw on the news?

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Thursday, January 25th, 2007

I’m obsessed with American Idol. I blame this new obsession on Karin Tabke. (Thanks a lot, Karin.) My husband thinks I’m nuts, although he watched it with me last night. It’s so hard not to cringe during this first round. I know I should stop watching, I just can’t. It’s like a train wreck. And as much as I hate Simon Cowell, I can’t wait to see what horrendous words will spew out of his mouth or what ludicrous expressions he’ll make next. I’m sick, I tell you.

Actually, I really am sick. Some flu-like thing. Maybe that’s where the AI obsessession came from. Perhaps it will pass? One can hope. I’m feeling a lot better today, so hopefully I’m on the upswing.

Got news yesterday my brother and his wife (and their baby) are moving to upstate NY next summer. My SIL took a teaching position with a college there. I’m soooo thrilled for them! Although it’s on the other side of the country and I’ll miss them terribly. However, visiting should be fun…as long as it’s not winter. The weather report said it’s like -10 there right now. Brrrrr.

I started a 10-pg a day challenge at Romance Worth Killing For. If you missed it, go look. We have a couple of takers. I was doing really well until I got sick. Yesterday I did nothing – just laid around and vegged, but today I hope to dive right back to work. Wish me luck. If you want to join us, go on over and respond to the post.

Oh, and speaking of RWKF…we have some really exciting things happening over there in the month of February. Big changes. So be sure to come by. There will be prizes! And new bloggers! And fun, fun, fun, so don’t miss it.

What have you been up to lately?

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Thursday, January 18th, 2007

Completely, over the moon in love.

With a coffee house.

My DH has been out of town, and we’ve been house-bound because of the snow. As you can imagine, I’ve been going stir crazy locked in the house with my three Gremlins. So when my brother showed up today, out of the blue, and offered to watch my kids so I could escape for a few hours, there was no way I was saying no.

I took the laptop and went in search of someplace quiet to work. Starbucks was too busy (and I knew I’d run into too many friends there). The newly refurbished coffee house just down the block from Starbucks closed too early. Desperate for the quiet, I went off in search of someplace else, and, to my surprise, I found the most amazing little coffee house tucked away in the most unlikely place. This cafe is adorable – quiet, cozy, trendy and chic, sorta like Central Perk on Friends. They serve coffee in those great big mugs, and they have sugar free mochas! (beat that, Starbucks!). I sat in this big, plush purple chair right next to the fireplace and typed my little heart out. Wrote a whole chapter in two hours. I was completely inspired. No one asked me to make them a snack. No one tugged on my pants or whined in my ear. The coffee lady even left me alone to work! It was heaven. It also didn’t hurt that there was no internet access so there was no temptation to log on to the web and waste time.

This is going to be my new favorite hangout. I can’t wait to go back.

Where’s your favorite place to escape and write (or read)?

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