Leave a Comment
May 25, 2008 | Uncategorized
I’ve been gone, away from my blog, but not writing. So much is going on and I wanted to think how I could make my blog different. I’ve done interviews and really enjoyed that, but in 2008 I decided to make some changes. As Tupac said, we need to make changes in the way we think, the way we eat, change the way we live. Well changes happen whether we want them or not. Even when we want changes, the way they occur may not be how we want it.
So I’m going to change my blog to document my writing journey. Not on a daily basis, but weekly updates. The good, the bad, and the crazy. I promise it won’t be boring. Wait until you see what my writing life is like!
But first let’s do catch-up.
January 2008 to May 2008
Writing:
1. Dyanne Davis, a valued friend and excellent writer, took the first three chapters of my paranormal and pointed out major plot problems. That occured in January and it took me until late April to figure out how to change my story. Not touching my voice or the major plot but other stuff. She now has it in her hands, or computer. This is a lesson for all unpublished writers, patience. Dyanne said the story couldn’t, shouldn’t be forced, yeah, yeah, easy for a multi-published author to say. But, she’s right.
2. I attended two really great conferences and they were local. My RWA chapter, Chicago North and Romance Slam Jam. These conferences fell on back to back weekends. Wow! Talk about a wealth of information, authors, and new friends right in my backyard. Not to mention, I got to stay at hotels for two weekends. The best thing about these conferences, they were two sides of the same coin – romance writing. My Chicago North Chaper is predominantly white, and Romance Slam Jam, black. So I got – everything! I became acquainted with quality, friendly authors, willing to share their experience.
I don’t think my guys, husband and son, missed me, they didn’t call. Although my son was playing tennis and I hated to miss those matches. I came away from both conferences for requests, have I sent them? We’ll talk about that later. But they’re on their way out, as I type. No really they are.
3. I’ve put together a daily schedule: writing comes first. Taking a shower, brushing teeth, and dressing come first, but you know what I mean. Writing comes before folding clothes, cleaning the bathrooms and before cooking. I journal in the morning, light a Yankee Candle, and turn on my computer. My girl pal, Cheryl and I were at a local cool mall and found a Yankee Candle store. I bought a wishing well candle stand and as soon as I figure out how to upload a picture of it, I will. My ritual includes on weekdays, watching Perry Mason reruns, then I write for two hours, break, read for an hour, nap time 2:00pm, run errands and then back to it from 9pm to 12 or longer. Friday night, is Doctor Who and Battlestar Gallactica. Saturday, Torchwood, Sunday, The Tudors. Thank goodness all the other shows I love are in reruns. Not the tennis season though. It’s French Open time right now! No, I can’t tape and then go back and watch. I’d rather stay up late and keep my writing commitment.
4. I write in quiet, if you can call movies I’ve seen twenty or more times, quiet. The Chronicles of Riddick, 300, Tombstone, V for Vendetta, Smokin Aces, you get the idea. Noise, but I don’t pay attention because I could recite the dialogue from start to finish.
5. I have a local critique group, Beth, Sloane and the others I haven’t seen in almost a year. I miss them and will try to catch up with them this summer. I joined a new online critique group and I’ll talk more about them in my weekly update.
Life:
1. My son is graduating from high school, June 1st. And then it’s off to college. I had a couple of days to experience him not being home. IT SUCKED!! When he’s here, he’s quiet, busy online XBox, but I know he’s here. Of course, when he leaves this means more commitment from me to writing. After I cry for a couple of weeks.
2. Tupac said we need to change the way we eat. So before my waist and southern region grows bigger, I’m changing my food habits. I’ll update you on that too, because writers sit, writers eat and we don’t eat well. When I get into the zone and write, I don’t want to get up from the computer, I don’t want to cook, I want something simple, like nachos and salsa, chips, peanuts, etc. Who wants the celery and peanut butter, or apple, an orange, fruit?? I do, but I’m too laz-hungry to cut it. No more!! And no more fried foods. I’ll let you know what food plan works best for me.
3. I love tennis, but due to a ‘change in direction’ my tennis team decided to take, (i.e. dump the captain, moi, before the end of the season), I’ll be playing at another club I belong to. And I’ll be ‘tell me when, where, and with whom am I playing’ player. This change is really good, because instead of sweating over lineups, attitudes, and what to eat after a match (there’s a definite theme going here with food), I can just practice, play AND concentrate on writing.
4. I’m trying not to surf the Internet – aren’t we all. I’ll sneak in little cool stuff I find to buy, to make my life simple so I don’t have to worry about anything except writing. Like what, Yasmine? You ask. Okay, I’ll tell you about a couple of purchases. In the interest of going lean and mean, I bought a small Hobo International handbag, called Raquel. At zappos, they have free shipping and no sales tax for some areas. It has eliminated the need for a wallet, because it has credit card slips inside and because it’s dual sided, I keep personal stuff, like lipstick, face powder on one side, and on the other business stuff, my business cards, pen, paper, house keys. There’s a zipper middle section where I keep my cash – no wallet. No money.
And my iPhone. Oh yeah, the iPhone was a great investment. Internet, phone, and my music all on one device. See, simplicity. And when people ask to see a picture of my children, I pull up a slide presentation.
Oh yeah and another little investment, I think that’s what I’ll call these things, was a matte silver empty lipstick palette. How many lipsticks do you carry? How many are in the bottom of your purse? For many women, one may give you the color you want, others like me it takes two. Again simplicity, I can slice off, with dental floss, six of my favorite lipsticks, pat them down in the container and carry it around. $15.00. That I found at Alconeco The less stuff I haul around, the less I need a big handbag.
So my Internet finds, writing and personal, I’ll share with you. Especially if it has my favorite four letter word – SALE
5. I’m trying to find a job. Really, Greg I am. I just accepted the position of freshman sophmore girls coach for our local high school. It’s for four months and I will be working with the coach for the varsity girls team! Again it fits my writing time, since I won’t be at the school until afternoons. Boy have I got some drills for those girls! And during June, I have to take and pass the online classes so I can be certified a coach.
So every week, I’ll keep you posted and we’ll see what happens by end of 2008. I may be published, I may be close, I may not, but I’ll still be writing.
If you stop by, please add what gets you through the writing life. And they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. What’s playing on my computer? Jill Scott.
We went there, and chilled just like we always did.