Thought I'd write a quick note. Waiting for my husband to arrive. He was supposed to be here an hour ago. The shuttle is bringing him up from the airport. We will be spending a few days together before heading back on Sunday. I guess I'm going to have to call them and find out where he's at.
I got up early this morning, went for a walk. Have done all my writing, have read some. You know, just as luck would have it, iiiiiiffffff I didn't have everything done and caught up, he would have been here two hours ago. As it is, I'm left twiddling my thumbs, wondering where the heck he is. This is making me a little annoyed.
Guess I better run. Going to go make a call.
Til Next Time~

Hello! Well, I've been packing up my stuff, getting ready to head back to Oklahoma next Sunday. I think I'm almost there. I think all my boxes will fit in the back of my vehicle. Tomorrow I am going to go do an interview and start loading.
I've decided about this blog. It's going to take on a newsletter format, which means I may only put it out once a week or once every two weeks. I'll have to see how my schedule is when I get back.
Did my 650 words today, plus both of my journals. I plan to keep that up when I return.
How is your writing coming. Remember if you write 650 words a day, in four months you will have a good sized book. Think about it.
Til Tomorrow~

This is a very late post. I went out to the Park today and absorbed some atmosphere. Only ten days left before I head back to Oklahoma. I already have so much to do once I get back when I think about it my head almost spins. Needless to say, I will cross the border in full sprint. :-)
I've got to get organized, get my calendar down, get dates marked, and figure everything out. I've got deadlines galore, plus I will be running all over Kansas, especially when I first return. Oh well, deep breaths are in order.
I am going to start posting here once or twice a week from now on. I am also pondering taking this blog in a different direction. I'm thinking perhaps more of a newsletter format with a market listing and perhaps a writer's meditation. Kicking that around and will let you know more about that next week.
Til Then~

I finished the first layer rough draft of my newest book. I'm excited, yet at the same time, I know what work lies ahead of me. Oh well. I'm going to set it aside for a while, then I'll come back and start revamping it. I hope to have a partial ready to go shortly after the first of the year. Maybe this baby will sell sometime in 2007.
I'm going to be starting another book in a few weeks. In the remaining days that I have up here I am going to work on a detailed synopsis, so I know where I'm headed with it.
Finished up the proofs for Oklahoma Off The Beaten Path today, got them in the mail. That book will be out in January.
Wow! It feels so good to 'have written'. I finally feel like a writer.
Once I settled in and got into a rhythm, I found I could write more than my 'required' pages. I so want this to continue once I get back to Oklahoma. I am so afraid my momentum won't.
No. I will continue it. Two hours a day. That is all that is required. Two hours. If I can't find two hours somewhere to be by myself, I am in deep trouble.
Til Tomorrow~

Yesterday when I was making out our bills, I saw where our mortgage company was holding an essay contest. The prize $250,000 toward a new house. I went to their website, ran off the rules, and proceeded to read them.
I was a little put off by their topics, but kept kicking around the third one in hopes something would enter the brain. It wasn't until this morning, in the shower no less, that an idea came to me. I sat down before lunch and knocked out the 350 word masterpiece. :-)
I think the topic/idea is a good one, however I know there will be thousands of competitive pieces. I've got to go back, edit the piece, cut about 100 words, edit again, and then I will send it in. I know my chances of winning are astronomical..against, but once I get it in, there will be a chance.
They're not to announce the winner until February 2007 and by then this contest will long be forgotten. I've not told my family as I don't want them to know--let it be a surprise if, and that is a big IF, I win.
I myself, already feel like a winner because I sat down and wrote something. That's the way we have to look at all contest we enter. They are all so subjective. I remember contests I've entered where I've received scathing remarks, only to sell the piece or in some cases already have the piece sold.
The simple truth is one must 'write' and feel good about what has been written. I'm there for today.
Til Tomorrow~

Today I had one of those days. I wrote my pages, but know fully well when I go in and start editing, they will 'all' have to be axed. I kept trying to focus, but my mind kept wondering here and there. The good thing is, I unexpectedly was introduced to a character who needs to be in the book toward the beginning. He will make the ending more logical and easier to write. As a matter of fact, with him in there, the ending will almost write itself.
Frankly, I was surprised when he showed up..and toward the end of my writing session too. I am glad he did though. Even though the writing is horrible, that one character will be worth the angst of today.
Til Tomorrow~

What do you do when you get stumped when writing your book? You plod on.
It would be wonderful if the first words we put down on paper were lined in gold and said everything we wanted them to say. It would be great if first drafts were perfect, but the truth is, they're simply not. I have a book I've rewritten five times and I'm getting ready to rewrite it again. It will be completely gutted when I get through it again, but if that's what it takes. I have rewritten articles multiple times because I didn't like the way they were the first time. That's part of writing-rewriting. Yes, there is even a word for it.
So don't despair if you have been rejected. Pull your manuscript out, get red marker and start going through it. It will take time, but if you want to get published, you'll do what it takes.
Til Tomorrow~

I think I got my feelings hurt the other day. My daughter said she visited my blog, and said that no one wanted to read about my walking everyday. First of all, I don't write about my walk everyday, but even if I did, it's because I 'enjoy' my walk. It gives me time to think and I think about writing.
Which brings me to my blog topic today-pondering what you are writing.
I am in the process of writing the rough draft of a book. As I walk, I think about what happened the day before in my scenes, I run new scenes through my head and see if they advance the story, and dialogue. Just today, I was thinking about a conversation a couple of my characters were having and realized the tone was all wrong, so I made notations to go back and change that before I moved on.
Granted people who are non-writers don't understand the time "alone" we spend thinking, plotting, planning, etc. Some people just sit in a chair and think. I walk.
My feelings are not hurt anymore. I've moved beyond that. I'm going to get through this book and it's all because of my walks, so.....
Til Tomorrow~

Whew! What a day. Have been up since the crack dawn, working, working, working. Today is one of those days I wish I could rewind and do over. Tomorrow, I will have to go duplicate what I did today. Yes, it's been one of those days.
On the new book, I was happily writing along when I realized I was missing part of what I'd written. God alone knows what happened to it and I'm not being sacreligious when I say that. Tomorrow, I will have to go rewrite that section. Argh!
Theeeeeeennn, I thought I was moving along on the proofs for the travel book, but alas no. I stumbled upon a misspelled word and when I started searching for an area where I knew it would be, nothing matched up. The Index of this book is having to be totally redone, so I have spent most of the afternoon reindexing a fourth of the thing. Theeeen, I hit a page where the illustration is three pages off from the entry. When that is moved, it will mess up the index again. AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Taking deep breaths, thinking detail work is good for the brain, will stave off alzheimers and brain forgetfulness. I keep telling myself this and know will convince myself it's true come page 202.
Off to take something for the headache I have.
Til Tomorrow~

Whew! I have been writing, writing, editing, writing, editing, proofing, etc. all day long. I got the proofs for the Oklahoma Off The Beaten Path book yesterday. Started going over those. The work is not difficult. It's tedious. I have to make sure all the phone numbers and website address are correct and then double check to make sure what I put in is okay. I'm through about 1/4 of it. I've got to have it back in the mail by the 10th, so....
Then I worked on 'the other book'. In the past two days, I've written nine pages on it, so that's not too bad. Will probably have to cut 7 of those pages, but such is the life.
Thought of a great line for a poem last night, didn't write it down, and now it's lost for eternity. If I could even remember what I was thinking about, I might be able to bring it back, but I've got nothing but a headache for my efforts. That makes me sooooo mad when I do that. The sad thing is I know better.
Til Tomorrow~

Today has been a mixed up crazy day. Thought I would write here before doing my pages. I just finished printing out what I've written so far of the book. I'm maybe half-way there. I am hoping to finish up the rough before I have to head back. I have about two weeks. Looking at what I have so far, I think it may be doable. Once the rough is done, I like to let it set for about 30 days so I forget it, then I'll go back, look at it like it's a strangers manuscript. I know I have a few problems, but hopefully with the fresh look will be able to work them out.
I am surprised at how fun writing this book has been. To be honest too, I'm looking forward to finishing this one, so I can start on another one I've been kicking around in my head longer than this one.
Well, I'm off to do the pages.
Til Tomorrow~

My muse has decided to work overtime. Yesterday I spent some time coming up with new ideas. It wasn't until 2 in the morning however, that the most obvious idea hit me. I have a friend up here who is an artist genius. She has an art store, creates, etc. I woke up in the middle of the night and thought, duh!, I should interview her. I could get an art article, business article, local business piece, etc.
Sometimes the best things are the most obvious and the ones we overlook. I talked to her today and she agreed to be my subject. HA!
I also received proofs for the Oklahoma Off The Beaten Path Book. I'll be working on those for the rest of the week. Need to have them back in the mail no later than Tuesday. Good grief!
Til Tomorrow~