Thursday, October 28, 2010

First EVER book review.


I just finished reading Intrinsical by Lani Woodland for the third time. I love this book! Alright so now I think I'm supposed to give you a blurb about it. Here I go. Yara is sixteen and fighting the fact that she may be a Waker. A person who can see ghosts. On her first day at her new Prep school she finds her life being turn upside down as she watches as a dark mist attack Brent(a really hot guy) and  decides she must save him. 

Now there is so much more that happens in this book. I thought it was going one way and was completely surprised at what was really happening. Intrinsical is a quick read that I highly recommend. I also advise reading it during the day. I had a very hard time turning off my lights to go to bed the first time I read it. And for those of you who are a heck of a lot braver than me I dare you to read it under your sheets with a flashlight.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Chained Links

   For the last couple of weeks I have been working on some sterling silver bracelets for my husband's aunt. She is going to give them away as gifts. The one turned out to be very simple and easy to complete. But the other has become the bane of my existance. I dream about this bracelet at night. It is horrible. So today I took it to my local jewelry supply store and asked if there was something I could do to fix it. It really wasn't working for me. This is what it looked liked a couple weeks ago. And yes that is 8 gage wire that I made into jump rings. I also flattened them into oval's using some heavy duty pliers.
Anyway back to my story. I went to the store and the owner directed me to a little mexican man who apparently makes these bracelets for a living. So with my husband and daughter in tow we drove across town to this little hole in the wall jewelry place. No one spoke any english and the guy his name was Leo never cracked a smile, but he did end up helping me. So instead I now have. . . this.
Although this is no where near completion it is getting there. But the thing that struck me as odd is the whole time I'm with this little mexican jeweler he kept saying. "That's not the way I would have done it." Well of course it's not. This is the way I've decided to do my bracelet. Because of this I have really been thinking. How often do we do things because that is how everybody else does it? Granted if I had made this bracelet the way Leo does it probably would have spared me a lot of tears and frustration. But I didn't. So just because everybody has done a particular thing the same way for years doesn't mean that there isn't another way of doing it. 
So surprise yourself and start doing things your way. You will be amazed at the results. Trust me I was.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Dreams

I have told very few people that I am writing a book. Of those I have told I am sometimes met with encouraging skeptism and others seem geniunly supportive. But I have decided that none of this matters. I want to write a book. For me being published is a dream that use to seem unobtainable. Now I see it as something that has already happened. I'm very excited for the day when I can say I'm a published author. To me it isn't about the money or fame that could come. It is about me finishing one of my dreams. So to all you skeptics out there: what is your dream? Go get it. The only thing stopping you is yourself.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Persistence

"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence."
Richard DeVos

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Getting Distracted

I have been pondering on if it is good to go to all of these writer conventions and workshops. I went to one in April that was Fabulous and taught me so much. Since then I have gotten email after email of writers workshops I could go too. So here is my question. Is there a point where these workshops become a distraction from our writing?

I have found myself thinking "Oh I could go to this workshop and it would help me so much." And then I realize that I'm using it as an excuse not to write. Now please don't think that I'm saying anything bad about workshops. All I'm wondering is, is there a point when they become more of a distraction instead of a help. Just something to think about.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Being a Rembrandt

When I was taking an Art History class on Rembrandt and Rubens the teacher told us a story about Rembrandt and how he would sneak into the Sisteen Chapel and sketch Michelangelo's work. And then he would tweak it just enough and call it his own. Michelangelo got so angry he actually had the chapel locked and set up camp inside.

I always found this story profound, because we all do it. We read something or see something and think "Oh what a great idea!" Then we take it tweak it just enough and wallah it becomes our own. I can see why inventors are so protective of their ideas. They don't want them stolen. So this is my challenge. I challenge you to come up with one idea that is your very own.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Inspiration for Creativity

I believe that everyone has something out their that is their creative muse. For it is pizza and dark chocolate.
When I can't have pizza I start to get depressed. And my creativity suffers. Now I know that this is a waist lines worst fear. But don't worry I work out to counteract my addiction to pizza. So I want to know what is your creative muse? What is that gets your creative juicese flowing?

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Feeling insecure

Whenever I'm feeling down I go and watch the youtube video of Susan Boyle. She was a contestant on Britian Got Talent. Anyway she walks out on stage and the entire crowd is doubting her ability, but then she opens her mouth and the most amazing thing happens. Everybody stands for her and starts cheering her on.

I just finished reading the Hunger Games. It was a good book and everything but after I got finished I started doubting my book. I started thinking, "Maybe I should rewrite my book in first person." "Maybe I should write a disoptic novel too." And other such crazy things like this. So I'm wondering how do you keep your confidence after you have just read another book that has been published already? Is there some secret that I haven't yet been taught? Here is the link for Susan Boyle on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OcQ9A-5noM

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Reason I haven't been writing.

Alright I know that I'm just making excuses but this is really a legitimate escuse. I'm a jewelry designer by trade so on occasion I have to make jewelry. Well I made this necklace. Everything you see on it I made. The chain the end caps the big focal piece. The only thing I didn't make was the magnetic clasps. So now it is done I will start writing again.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

I Took a Risk

First of all let me just say I never win anything. I normally look at contests and say "OOOO I could do that." and then never do it because my insecure inner voice starts talking. Last week I received an email from Author Incognito, this is the writers group I'm a part of. There was a list of twenty things we had to include in a short story or poem no longer than a thousand words. I took a chance and this is what came out. This just won first place. If you would like to see the second and third place winners go to www.christinebryant.blogspot.com there you will also see the list of twenty things that was supposed to be included.
Enjoy.



The Heist
By Gail Zuniga
"Frankie, tell me again, why we’re doin’ this?”
“Shut up and go over the supplies again.”
“Pink fuzzy bunny slippers, check, Stuffed Alligator, check. White bean bag chair, check, I think I got it all, Frankie.”
“Good, let’s go,” Frankie said. I started roller skating down the street following him. Frankie on his white ten speed bike and me with a bag slung over my shoulder. The bean bag was heavy but as long as I was following Frankie, the love of my life, it didn’t matter. My free hand reached up and played with the simple heart locket he had given me two years ago. Yeah, so it turned my skin green and made it break out in a rash anytime I wore it. That didn’t matter, I loved it. Someday I was hoping for that jewelry box that would have a beautiful diamond ring in it, but for now the locket was good enough.
Frankie held up his hand and I stopped. We both watched as a huge bouquet of flowers was delivered to the house next door to our target.
“Why don’t you ever get me flowers?” I asked longingly.
“Quiet you,” Frankie said turning his cold hard gaze on me. I laughed and Frankie fought back a smile. We started moving again slowly. The weight of the bag was starting to break my back. I moved slower, but the wheel of my roller skate caught on something and I started to fall forward. The bag was forgotten as I held my hands out to help break my fall. I closed my eyes not wanting to see my impending doom but nothing happened. I opened my eyes to see Frankie’s arms around my waist.
“Thanks,” I said breathlessly. Frankie looked into my eyes and then said, “Why are you so clumsy?”
I straightened up and looked to see what had stopped my wheels. A long forgotten Barbie doll was caught in my skate. I bent down and untangled it. I had never had a Barbie so I put it in the bag and picked it up again.
“Move quickly we’re getting close. Remember what I told you.” Frankie started to walk his bike down the street slowly.
“Don’t worry I remember Frankie. When we get there watch out for the evil monster Sheba.”
Frankie nodded and motioned me forward. As we got closer Frankie ordered me to take off my skates. We proceeded down the street but a terrible flup flup flup kept following us. It stopped every time I turned to see what was behind us.
Flup . . . flup . . . flup. “Frankie I think someone’s on to us,” I whispered tugging on his sleeve. He turned and looked down at my feet.
“Lose the flip flops.”
I smiled and took them off. The sound stopped, whoever it was must have got scared off.
“Now comes the tricky part,” Frankie said holding up his hand. I looked around his arm and saw a great lump lying in a hummock. As we got closer it looked like a great brown bear, but it was just a sleeping bag and then it moved. We quickly pulled out the bean bag and hid behind it. Slowly we inched the bean bag along as whatever was in the sleeping bag turned and snorted.
We made it to the door and ditched the bag. Quickly and quietly Frankie worked the lock and the door swung open without a sound. A huge poster of a man with white teeth and dark curly hair met us in the entry way. Donny Osmond was written across the top in bright shiny letters.
“Now we have to move quickly. You ready?”
I nodded holding up my list. We split up and went to work. One diamond incrusted horse coming up, actually it was glass but that’s sounds so boring. I moved quickly to the cupboard and found it. With my hands shaking I carefully opened the door and got the horse. I tiptoed up the stairs and looked from room to room for the next thing on my list.
I was almost caught when one of the victims put a flat round black thing with a hole in it on an ancient stereo. I quickly whipped around the corner and ducked into another room. Trying to control my racing heart I slumped against the door.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I saw my target. An old cedar chest in the corner was holding my prize. I moved quickly and opened it with nimble fingers, I pulled out the journal full of secrets and stowed it in my bag. My mission was done, now to meet Frankie at the rendezvous point.
I quickly maneuvered my way back down the stairs. A loud roar stopped me in my tracks. I turned slowly my heart beating so loudly in was hurting my ears. I turned and there it was Sheba the monster of all monsters. She may have been small, cute, and cuddling but don’t let her kitten sweetness fool you. I threw the pink bunny slippers and stuffed alligator at her. She ripped them to shreds and kept coming. I was out of decoys. I searched frantically for something anything to appease this beast. Quickly I lunged for a book “How to draw animals.” Maybe she would get scared of the dogs.
It bought me the time I needed. I ran for the door and shut it without looking back.
Giggling I ran for the hide out. Frankie was there sitting by the lamp for his desk with his toy .22 rifle.
“Hey did you get it all?”
“I sure did,” I said smiling throwing down the bag.
“Want to do this again tomorrow at my house?”
“You bet,” I said laughing, “let’s pretend we’re Bonnie and Clyde and will steal your mom’s jewelry.”
Frankie laughed and said, “That’s a great idea. See you tomorrow Celia.”

THE END

Monday, June 28, 2010

Opening Up.

Have you ever taken an art class where everyone sits around and critiques your project? I majored in Art so this was a daily occurance. People in your class will sit around as you nervously bring a project up that you have put your sweat and love into and . . . rip it to shreds.
When it came to these "Critique days" I made sure that I put on my extra thick armor and kept reminding myself that it wasn't me personally that they were attacking, but in the back of my mind I promised myself that I would never let any of the other things that I loved go through this kind of ridicule and rejection.
It took eight years for me to come out of the closet and admit that I wanted to write a book. I had been writing one for years in my journal. Me and husbands courtship turned into this huge world wind romance and even had the wicked ex-girlfriend. Of course looking back on it our dating was actually pretty boring, but if you got to read my journal WOW!
So from now on I am going to stop being scared of my desire to write and I will shout it from the roof tops. GAIL ZUNIGA IS A WRITER AND I'M DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Inspiration

I'm making it a goal to post something that helps us all feel more motivated. So enjoy.

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your mind. Put your whole soul to it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friday, June 18, 2010

This is my first ever Blog

I'm a little intimidated by the whole blogging thing. I thought this would be easy, but in reality it's more confusing than building a website. Oh wait I've never built a website. Okay I think I'm screwed.