tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8495832760192283102024-03-18T15:45:15.905-04:00Heim Binas FictionI write contemporary women's fiction, and some really weird short stories. In this blog, I plan to talk about writing, and my path towards publication. Stick around. (For the time being I am not blogging on any regular schedule.)CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-85795248461932674442017-06-01T15:50:00.001-04:002017-06-01T15:51:10.356-04:00Female Gaze (short story)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What do the women of Gilead see? A short story (and contest entry!) on <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/405810241-female-gaze" target="_blank">WATTPAD</a>, inspired by Margaret Atwood's <i>The Handmaid's Tale</i>...</h3>
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-76325093149749457282016-03-23T15:11:00.000-04:002016-04-07T08:21:26.910-04:00Did someone say NATIONAL PUPPY DAY?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-73774144179614228662016-02-23T16:39:00.001-05:002017-06-01T15:09:31.798-04:00"Snowman" in Japanese<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Photo by my father on location in Takayama; Studio Ghibli addiction courtesy of The Serious Girl.<br />
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-57667365698564984962015-12-07T08:44:00.001-05:002016-02-10T12:38:02.246-05:00Don't Panic.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-79570594077973026672015-06-26T16:10:00.001-04:002016-02-10T12:38:14.892-05:00America the Beautiful<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-55436640575048348832015-06-03T11:29:00.000-04:002015-06-03T11:29:28.431-04:00Starting Over<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My husband, on hearing that I was throwing out the current draft of my novel and starting over:<br />
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"Wrong vein?"</div>
CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-86157035654602252762015-04-10T01:00:00.000-04:002015-04-10T01:00:06.986-04:00Acting Archives: "Two of our kids are dead, and we sold the other one."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Original air date: April 10, 1982<br />
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I finally found the clip online! I think my pigtails tied with rope is a nice touch. For more behind-the-scenes info, see my previous post <a href="http://heimbinasfiction.blogspot.com/2009/12/two-degrees-from-kevin-bacon.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-191327934465359242015-03-14T09:26:00.000-04:002017-06-01T15:09:17.083-04:003-14-15 9:26<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-32962924220012991502015-02-10T13:23:00.001-05:002015-02-21T08:43:37.322-05:00Snow-pocalypse-ageddon 2.0: no big deal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-379836157173253402015-02-02T13:47:00.001-05:002015-03-11T09:15:46.388-04:00Let it snow.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-132635598905299382014-03-21T11:21:00.001-04:002014-03-22T08:49:58.064-04:00MFA Boston<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Took a day off & went art-appreciatin'...<br />
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-55915578870412988372013-10-02T12:04:00.004-04:002013-10-02T12:04:32.224-04:00BReaking BAd eggS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Note to self: unlike with most other falling items, it will <i>not</i> be an improvement if you manage to catch a raw egg between your upper leg and the kitchen counter as it drops to the floor.<div>
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-57704896890385320872013-08-23T11:52:00.001-04:002013-08-23T14:24:33.702-04:00The Chinchilla Rapper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The students in my Grub Street Teen Intensive Workshop class are awesome. They got an assignment to use elements from my own personal history as story prompts, and this is what it has led to...</div>
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(The chinchilla's name is Hammy. He refused to stay in the family business by becoming a coat, and instead followed his dream of being a rapper. Cotton candy also has something to do with it. Things get weird here at Grub Street...)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Oh, and here is a photo of the actual chinchilla I owned in college (her name was Kenga):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sg8e5k321qM/Uheo4O-uY6I/AAAAAAAABQs/WTt8b_4upT0/s640/blogger-image-1891525721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sg8e5k321qM/Uheo4O-uY6I/AAAAAAAABQs/WTt8b_4upT0/s640/blogger-image-1891525721.jpg"></a></div><br></div>
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-4352449873415939432013-07-29T20:18:00.001-04:002013-07-29T20:18:30.341-04:00Serious GirlOur family in a nutshell: reading while walking.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cQYvE9FSdmM/UfcGVJN29EI/AAAAAAAABP8/BKCIDVwzY3U/s640/blogger-image-1264531402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cQYvE9FSdmM/UfcGVJN29EI/AAAAAAAABP8/BKCIDVwzY3U/s640/blogger-image-1264531402.jpg"></a></div><br></div>CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-65073869545161601812013-07-16T12:45:00.001-04:002013-07-16T13:34:22.690-04:00Meet Toad-oro<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This little guy showed up on our doorstep one night this weekend, like he was waiting to be let in. He peeps like a baby chick, eats crickets (live ONLY) and will stare raptly at Studio Ghibli movies but ignores all other television.<br />
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He's wild and won't stay with us long, but he's just too charming not to share...<br />
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-22181066962068104762013-05-23T13:12:00.000-04:002013-05-23T13:12:47.256-04:00Happy World Turtle Day!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If you know my daughter Serious Girl, you know why this is a tremendously big deal.<br />
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Happy WTD, everyone!<br />
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-36047755309526120752013-01-17T11:03:00.003-05:002013-01-17T11:03:58.186-05:00Choose Wisely<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The biggest decision you make each day is what gets done, and what doesn't.</span></b></i></div>
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Don't think that you get to avoid making choices by avoiding your work. That's a choice, too.</div>
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-52593316601816587112012-12-16T21:14:00.001-05:002012-12-16T21:14:27.901-05:00Keep Going<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-21892421191450088702012-12-16T08:21:00.001-05:002013-01-04T17:39:45.756-05:00Remember the victims, not the sensationalism.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>source: http://petrichorandrose.tumblr.com</i></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">This quote was incorrectly attributed to Morgan Freeman... whoever said it, I agree:</b></span><br />
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<b style="margin-bottom: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">“You want to know why. This may sound cynical, but here’s why.</b></div>
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<b style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">It’s because of the way the media reports it. Flip on the news and watch how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single *victim* of Columbine? Disturbed</b><span style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;"> </span><b style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basements see the news and want to top it by doing something worse, and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he’ll be remembered as a horrible monster, instead of a sad nobody.</b><br />
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<b style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">CNN’s article says that if the body count “holds up”, this will rank as the second deadliest shooting behind Virginia Tech, as if statistics somehow make one shooting worse than another. Then they post a video interview of third-graders for all the details of what they saw and heard while the shootings were happening. Fox News has plastered the killer’s face on all their reports for hours. Any articles or news stories yet that focus on the victims and ignore the killer’s identity? None that I’ve seen yet. Because they don’t sell. So congratulations, sensationalist media, you’ve just lit the fire for someone to top this and knock off a day care center or a maternity ward next.</b><br />
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<b style="margin-bottom: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px;">You can help by forgetting you ever read this man’s name, and remembering the name of at least one victim. You can help by donating to mental health research instead of pointing to gun control as the problem. You can help by turning off the news.”</b><br />
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-36023855316268073762012-12-14T19:38:00.000-05:002012-12-14T19:39:11.047-05:00For my husband<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-8348692303977737712012-11-30T10:28:00.002-05:002012-11-30T10:28:24.728-05:00How To Write Good<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>source: <a href="http://littletotoros.tumblr.com/post/35613103731/how-to-write-good" target="_blank">littletotoros</a></i></td></tr>
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I would prefer if #1 said "avoid accidental alliteration always"... sometimes a well-placed repetition of sound is pleasing. But you have to be aware that you're doing it.<br />
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-43211866985484605232012-11-28T11:17:00.004-05:002012-11-28T11:17:38.987-05:00Use what you have.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-80896134694163000662012-11-04T00:15:00.000-04:002012-11-04T08:58:35.507-05:00The Serious Girl's Halloween Costume<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Neighbor_Totoro" target="_blank"><i>TOTORO</i></a></td></tr>
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'Cause it was awesome.</div>
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-43112123955656567612012-11-03T00:59:00.000-04:002012-11-04T08:59:00.222-05:00Thoughts on "winning" NaNoWriMo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>First posted Oct. 30, 2009:</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">For those of you who are doing NaNoWriMo with me, I want you to take a moment to ponder... what does winning mean to you?<br /><br />Is it precisely what the NaNoWriMo website says: 50K words in 30 days? Or is it more than that? (And, less.)<br /><br />To me, NaNoWriMo is about <span style="font-style: italic;">put up or shut up</span>. Do you want to be a writer? <span style="font-style: italic;">Then write.</span> Do you want to write a novel? What have you done this very day to make that happen? Or, what did you prioritize instead? Was that the right choice?<br /><br />Because NaNoWriMo is limited to a single month, it is easier to make sacrifices for our writing because we know it isn't going to be like this forever. We don't think too hard about recording a few t.v. shows, delegating a few household chores, and making a little more room for writing time, because it's a <span style="font-style: italic;">special event</span>. In December, everything can go back to normal.<br /><br />But what if it didn't? At the end of the month, win or lose, what will you have gained? There is a very distinct possibility that you will find that you were happier writing your novel than you were sitting on the couch watching reruns. Or you'll find out that your partner/kids <span style="font-style: italic;">can </span>cook a meal or two every week without anyone being poisoned. Can you keep that going?<br /><br />I have <span style="font-style: italic;">never won NaNo</span>, in the strictest sense. I have never made it to 50,000 words without bringing in words that I wrote before November 1. In fact, ~30K words is the most I've ever gotten in one month. But you damn well better believe that I am a winner because of NaNo, because I kept writing, and rewriting, until I had an actual novel. Beginning, middle, and end, no plot holes... a BOOK. I wouldn't have that book if not for NaNo.</span><br />
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Think about the many goals that can be part of your NaNo experience: quieting your inner editor, getting a first draft done, getting a new character written, finding some new internet friends or perhaps even meeting some local Wrimos. If you keep those in your head as prominently as you do the 50K number, then you'll be less likely to give up just because that number seems too far away, and you'll be more likely to recognize that you ARE a winner, just for trying.</div>
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Good luck and break a leg!</div>
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<b>2012 addendum: If you need more inspiration, please check out Chuck Wendig's <a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/01/03/25-things-writers-should-stop-doing/" target="_blank">25 THINGS WRITERS SHOULD STOP DOING</a>. Number 2 is "stop stopping."</b></div>
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-849583276019228310.post-89507097053983699472012-11-02T05:00:00.000-04:002012-11-02T05:00:08.145-04:00Bookshelf porn (week 7)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>idea by CKHB, engraving by <a href="http://dangerawesome.co/" target="_blank">Danger!Awesome</a></i></td></tr>
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Why is this bookshelf porn? Because it's the laser engraving we just had done on my husband's Kindle cover, and therefore it's his portable bookshelf. I'm very pleased with how it came out...</div>
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And in NaNoWriMo news, have you all checked out the <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/offers" target="_blank">VERY cool offers associated with being a participant</a>? For example, there's a free trial version of <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/nanowrimo.php" target="_blank">Scrivener</a> for the month of November (complete with a customized NaNo template), plus 20% off the software for all participants if you decide to buy, and <i>50% </i>off if you're a NaNo winner. I've been a fan of Scrivener ever since they built a Windows version -- back in my pre-MacBook Air days -- so if you've ever thought about trying it, now's the time.</div>
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Go on. You know you want to join in...</div>
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CKHBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17741681893677604323noreply@blogger.com0