Good Morning! Today, even though it is cloudy and I have company coming, will be a good day. I had a good day of writing yesterday, almost caught up and after today, will be. It's amazing how a good writing day leaves you all pumped and rearing to go. I absolutely love everything about the process. Even though I am going to have company, I plan to spend at least an hour a day writing. I think I have enough projects for everyone to do so no one will get bored.
I also found out yesterday I am invited to the Red Dirt Book Festival in November. That should be fun. Hopefully, I will sell a lot of books too. Speaking of books, I need to order some. Will go do that before I forget again.
Til Tomorrow~

Obnoxious granny here! Went to see my grandson yesterday. He has already grown so much in a week. Now, he has a little curl right on the top of his head. He was sleeping yesterday when I stopped by. He is soooo very precious.
But now, it's time to get back to work. Of course, I am drowning in correspondence. I'm afraid to check my email. Haven't been on for a week. Gulp! Thought I would write here first, get back in the swing of things. Later, I'll be pouncing on my 1000 words.
My Thursday night classes are over, so now it's back to the word count, assignments, and my art projects. I do have company coming for a while tomorrow, but it should be fine.
Til Later~

Somehow, someway, for some reason, I have lost an entire file of my notes and handouts. I have spent the last hour looking for them and at this point am totally annoyed at myself. I remember seeing the file...somewhere. Thus the reason why a writer needs an assistant or at the very least an excellent filing system. It doesn't help that my mind is whirling in a million different directions. I still haven't come down from having my grandson here.
Okay, off for another search. I have a few more places I can look. Wish me luck. I'm going to need it.
Til Later~

Grandbaby Update: Grandson arrived tonight at 6:02 P.M. He weighed 8.35 pounds and was 22 inches long. He has dark hair, big eyes, and was looking all around at everybody. Oh, and did I mention he is perfect.
More later~

Last night was my second class in a series of three. We covered a lot of stuff, mainly talking about vanity presses, self-publishing, and traditional publishing. I still think traditional is the way to go, however if worse comes to worse, people now have the option of self-publishing. I've heard too many horror stories about vanity/subsidary publishers. All I know is you still have to pay them to print your work and if you're going to do that, you might as well self-publish. You're going to have to do all the promotion for yourself so if you believe in your project, you might as well invest in it.
Next week, we're going to talk about rights and various other topics. If you are interested in self publishing, here are a few websites you might want to check out:
www.booksjustbooks.com
www.selfpublishing.com
www.booklocker.com
www.bowker.com
www.copyright.gov
Til Tomorrow Happy Writing~

I had a great idea for this blog last night. I didn't write it down and this morning can't remember what it was. I hate it when I do that. I know better, but was too lazy to get up, and get a pen and paper. Tip #1 for you, when experiencing those inspirational moments right before going to sleep, get up and write them down. If you sleep alone, keep a notepad, pen, and/or small tape recorder on your night stand. When inspiration strikes record, record, record. You don't want to lose those ideas. Sometimes they're the best ones you'll have all day.
Grandbaby Watch: Still waiting. I did finish the baby blanket last night!!!!!
Til Tomorrow~

I was going to vent today. But like a good writer, I deleted that blog and started over. My vent was about those groups of people I think are freaks-the molestors, Jesus impersonators, etc....
For the past few weeks I have done pretty good on my novel writing. I am up to 90 pages, 26,447 words, and I'm not even half way through my outline. I've come up with some more things to add. By the time I feed those scenes in I should be up over 95 to 100 pages. I'm hoping to have at least 185 pages, maybe more. It's coming along though and that's the main thing.
I almost have the baby blanket finished too. My grandbaby should be here any day. We're all excited.
It's time for me to get back to work. My 1000 words a day are adding up.
Til Tomorrow~

I watched a show last night on the History Channel. It was about people in the Dark Ages who died of the plague. They said hundreds of thousands of people died across the continent at that time and had to be buried in mass graves. That disturbed me. Yes, I was disturbed because they died , but also because no one knows or remembers who they were.
My sister-in-law and brother-in-law, and uncle died over the past five years. I thought about them and wondered after this generation passes, will they be remembered. Now we talk about them and it always comes down to a sigh. We acknowldege they passed and then we go on with life. I guess I mostly wonder who will remember them when we're gone. They kept no journals, never served in public office, there is not monument to them ever being here. Just like the people who died in the plague, generations from now, I wonder if people will remember them.
I guess that's another reason I like writing so much. I'm sure my immediate family won't appreciate all my journal writing and my published books, but some day, generations from now, I hope one of my great grandchildren pulls out my journals and read what I've written. I hope someone going through an old museum pulls out one of my books and is mesmorized. I want to be remembered. Perhaps writing will allow that.
Til Tomorrow~

Haven't written for a few days. Saturday, I didn't feel good and yesterday, I was just being a rebel. I wanted to get up and write, but just didn't. I didn't even write in my journal.
But, I got up this morning and swore to start over.
i have already written in my journal, now here, and once this is finished, I'm going to do my thousand words for the day. I'm 80 something pages in on the book. I have over 50 left to go through the rough draft, so I'm confident for better or worse it will be a book when I'm finished. I don't know if it will sell, but one thing for sure, it is good training ground.
The Nano novel really helped las November. I saw through thick or thin, I can write and put down words regardless of what is happening around me, if I am committed too. I so want to get back on my writing thing. I want to sell articles and books. I want to make money writing, not teaching, but writing.
Okay, today I am starting over. I have learned from my past, now there is nothing but moving on. I'm feeling better. Spring is here. I'm going to lose weight and get on with it.
Tata for now.
Til Tomorrow~

Today I am frustrated with technology. It seems the email on my website is not working. I taught a class last night and students told me they have been trying to email me from the site, but their email bounces, saying my box is full. That's weird because I've not been getting any emails.
Called in my web tech so hopefully it will get worked out. Last month, I had 199 hits. That's a lot considering I'm not doing any advertising. So, I need to figure out what's going on.
Still waiting for my grandbaby to be born. We're expecting him just any day. Can't wait.
And I'm still plugging along on the book. One thousand words a day keeps adding up. I think I may be able to make a book out of this after all.
Til Later~

Sometimes I think writing is like walking through a craft or book store. At times, it's difficult to stay focused.
Not too long ago, my daughter and I were preparing for my son and his wife's baby shower. We were picking up some last minute items, but found ourselves drawn away by items on the shelves we were interested in.
"We're losing focus," I told my daughter at one point. "We've got to stay focused."
The same thing happens to me when I go into a book store. So many books on the shelves, so little time. I get easily distracted by all the titles and covers. I repeatedly tell myself to stay focused and find what I'm looking for.
Many times when I sit down at the computer and start working on a project ideas flood my mind. I think about starting a new piece or how a new topic would work in the article or book I'm working on. Then I remember, I've got to stay focused, get back on track with what I am working on.
Sometimes it is hard. So many ideas, so little time.
Til Tomorrow~