scenes that work

I love when you are rereading a favorite book and have your writer's hat on, and you still like it. Great chapter in the middle of Fire and Hemlock: the MC's mother (who is emotionally unstable) wants to patch things up with her boyfriend, so she sends Polly off to live with her dad and his woman. The dad forgot to mention that the daughter is actually moving there, and the woman--whose house is dust-proof designer (with gray and gold toilet paper) assumes she's visiting for a few days, and that's it. "And when are you leaving, anyway, because we have plans for tomorrow night" sort of thing. And within a chapter, Polly is left entirely betrayed by all the good adults who SHOULD be watching out for her. And the whole thing is so beautifully shown, not told. Which all becomes a lovely foil for the next chapter, when the at-first-glance-shy Mr. Lynn shows that he really is heroic in the things that matter. I also love how every single character is so distinct (except for those that are supposed to be similiar--and even they are quite different). It's a wonderfully convoluted plot, and yet the characters are so clear. That's what I'd like to be able to do.

Still haven't been able to write a word today. I have high hopes that my kids will at some point go to bed. But my two-year-old must have gotten hold of that book Potty Training in a Day, because she's going crazy with the toilet thing. She's been in there several times an hour since she got up today. Mostly it's Fun with Toilet Paper. She took a break a few times to play with deodorant and get the out-of-reach nail polish down and paint her toes...and dump out a few drawers...and throw a few books around...and play with the butter from the fridge...and unroll a roll of tape...and back to playing in the bathroom. Two-year-olds are very cute and funny, but man, where do they get their energy??