Little White Christmas Horse

It time once again for Little Horse to make tracks into the homes and hearts of boys and girls once again. The little horse story is brought to readers for the past three years through a book, newspaper serials and an audio CD. You can find out about details of all this by visiting my website at www.janiceabel.com. Read or listen to excerpts.

What I am focusing on here is the audio CD and the great way I have found as a writer to not only get my story out but to improve and change my writing. Reading aloud really makes you articulate clearly and listening to yourself. It has really helped me in editing for clarity.

And it isn't hard to get a mini- recording studio set up. I found beside it being laborious, its fun! Using Audacity freeware - you can get it easily over the internet- plug in a mic if you don't already have one inhouse on your computer and you are off and ready to go.

Granted it can and still is frustrating for me at times, but Audacity has good instructions and support help. On Little Horse, I started out recording each chapter and found out where I needed to really articulate - "s's a's especially- word endings. Also I changed some of the text copy.

Once you get onto the basics of Audacity, it really has some easy but quite sophisticated features. It allows you to stop, go an then cut and paste. First off I put together a reading of each chapter and then added sound effects. Audacity allows you to have different tracks going on. I created voice track with several sound support tracks. You can cut and paste and move the sound effects around the track as you like. You can fade in out, change pitch even if you like. You mix them all at the last. I kept each original audacity track so I could go in and change details as I liked. For example, change a text phrase or two - extend the interval and add in a horse whinie as I wanted.

Creating sound effects was fun. For little horse, I found myself recording horse snorts etc at Waverly horse show- Many sound effects I found on the internet. I was very careful to use only those free to be use as public domain, as I did want to sell the CD. In most cases I ended up creating my own effects. For example, the shoes step clicking on the walk. the sleigh bells ringing.

At any rate I highly recommend reading and recording your work aloud!

I am off and trotting now to get little horse ready for her christmas trek into the homes of familes once again. Until next time - stay well - keep writing - do something you love.

Red Wing with Judy Collins

What a great weekend with friends- following the fall follage, strolling through an art craft show on mainstreet Red Wing and ending with a wonderful Judy Collins concert.

The art craft show was stellar. Mary Lou bought a couple pieces of glass that adds a lot to our living space. The sun was out and we took in everything, including good Scandianvian Almond Cake. Mary Lou is making some right now as I write this. The UFFDA shoppe is a great store on main and many others. As you can see we found shoes big enough!

On Judy Collins - we waited at the back entrance for a short time. The day was crisp but we were still warm with her songs when she appeared. I would say - all of the same vintage. Better with time. Her new CD is mellow- but a good change. entitled Portrait of an American Girl. She had a good reception at the concert and the theatre was a good one. Small- with outstanding features- a good venue.

Gardens and Glass

On Vancouver Island at Buchardt Gardens Mary Lou and I have a wonderful day. Flowers all around us as we walked through acres of annuals and perennials. A feast for the eyes and then tea and lush cookies and pasteries at the end of the day before we headed to Victoria where we enjoyed the wharf, took a horse carriage ride and ate at our Royal Scott Hotel.

Leaving Victoria headed for Tacoma where the Glass Museum shows off in great splendar with Dale Chihuly Glass cascading over highway. The steel colored cone you can partially see is the hot shop in the Museum where they have demonstrations . On the day we were there, there was two glassblowers making a fabulous glass piece with complex swan design. Great demo with kids there as well. Galleries are filled with glass art like I never imagined. What a sight- and thinking of nature and glass all in one trip.

We wandered down the coast of Oregon and on to Crater lake and then found our way home through Idaho, Wyoming, even hit Utah before getting back into Iowa. Many things, and at least one more blog post to finish the trip off. And all that is much to short. A trip to enjoy for many years to come, and planning more. Janice