Are you serious about meeting your writing goals? Then check out Write or Die by Dr. Wicked. Depending on the settings you choose, stop writing and only seconds later it will gobble up your words. If you don't want to lose your wordcount for the day, you will continue writing until you have met your goal. Genius!

For a minimal fee, you can purchase a desktop copy or use the online version for free. Free is always good.

While waiting for an appointment the other day, I had the opportunity to do one of the things I like to do best, people watch. It's a great method to store away information that might assist you later when you're building characters. Because you have to wonder exactly what entices someone to purchase that ill-fitting denim coat with the leopard face covering the entire back...what ran through their mind when they pulled it off the rack? Or from their closet that morning. What about the lady who wore the snow boots with the long, wrinkly denim jumper? (Did I mention, she wore a long, wrinkled denim jumper!) There were people whose sleeves were too long (their hands practically disappeared into them, like a turtle slipping into his shell), or the shoulders of their coats were too wide (especially the leopard-face lady--made her look boxy), one young guy, stepped into the restroom and started throwing up. (We could hear him through the door--yuck! Not pleasant.) What was that all about? Makes you curious though doesn't it?

Next time you're at the mall or just waiting for an appointment, pull out your notebook and make some notes on the people you see. It might come in handy later on.

I've included a web site my son shared with me yesterday. It is the People of Walmart. Enjoy!

"The more you read, the more you become aware of the techniques that are special to every genre, and the more you begin to see ways to meld the strengths of the genres into a whole that is, one hopes, more than the sum of its parts." --Dean Koontz

So how long do you think you have to write to come up with genius quotes like these?

I didn't do so great with my writing goals yesterday. I got a little bit of new writing done. Nothing to write home about. Disappointed.