It's A Mystery

done, Done, DONE!

2009-04-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

I'm done, done, done with my stinky first draft! And it's not as bad as I thought, but there are some mega plot problems to be fixed. A couple of things don't make sense, and it's not a matter of shoring up motivation because there isn't any! Or there isn't any motivation that makes sense. But I'm noodling it around in my head and trust that the answers will come.

I'm trying to take a break from it--do some reading, for pleasure as well as some writing books. Then I'll dive into the rewrite. It's a little scary. You have this vision in your head that you try to put down in your first draft. You *know* it's not working but you console yourself with the fact that you can nail it in your revision. But can you? What if you can't?

Something Smells

2009-03-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Do you smell that? I was writing one of my penultimate scenes the other day and realized I was actually making a face! I was wrinkling my nose and my mouth was pursed up the way it gets when something tastes bad. Yes, my first draft writing was so bad that it actually smelled!

A second read a couple of days later revealed that it really wasn't *that* bad. Not great, but not absolutely stinky either.

Honestly, I was writing and making a face...kind of blew me away when I realized it!

Three Scenes, People!

2009-03-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

I am about three scenes from The End--give or take a few. I just got back from a walk with the dog (gorgeous day here in Michigan) during which I ran through those scenes in my head. They should be pretty easy to write. Fun, too. Then I can sink my teeth into the rewrite.

I have "Don't Murder Your Mystery" by Chris Roerden on my desk to be read. I hope to apply her tips and tricks to my rewrite. I will need to put the manuscript away for a week or two anyway to gain some distance. Then I want to print it out and read it through. I'm sure I've forgotten entire scenes!

I know it needs some work from an organizational standpoint. And I'll have to be sure to wrap up all subplots and dangling clues. And give my main character a personality. Ha!

Fun stuff ahead!

In Sight of "The End"

2009-03-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

Finally, I am only a couple of chapters away from The End. And I feel a strange reluctance to finish for some reason! Which is ridiculous because I'm hardly done with this manuscript--just beginning actually. I'll probably come in at 70K which means adding another 5 to 10K in the rewrite. That's fine because I write very spare the first time around. I need to do tons of editing and rewriting.

My protag needs to develop some sort of personality in this second draft! She's a bit bland. I need to ratchet up the other characters as well. But I enjoy that part. Now that I've got the action more or less block out, I can concentrate on the details.

And a title. I need a title. Two actually. I envision this as part of a series so the series needs a name and this manuscript needs a title.

Fun stuff ahead!

Working with a Coach

2009-02-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

I'm working with a creativity coach. No, I'm not paying for it--they were looking for volunteers to work with coaches who were taking extra training in creativity coaching (see www.ericmaisel.com). My coach is from Norway and writes absolutely perfect English. I have no sense of who/what she's about because the focus is meant to be on me, and any round-about questions I might ask about her are subtley deflected. Which in and of itself is very interesting--I am so used to concentrating on the other person that this feels quite strange.

One of her first suggestions, after getting a sense of my process, was to get up earlier and write before work. She feels I might be very surprised by the "quality" of my ideas first thing in the morning before I've given away most of my energy to work and family. I will try it. But maybe not right now. Life is really stressful at the moment, and I don't think I need the added stress of trying to wake up earlier.

Plus in a few more weeks it might be a bit lighter earlier...or at least there will be the suggestion of dawn on the horizon. And maybe a little warmer, too. We're keeping the house at 66 during the night to save money and our sinuses. Although one can program the thermometer so perhaps I could just change it.

Modeling

2009-02-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

I just read another writing instructor who recommends "modeling" as a method for learning to write. It's James N. Frey in his "How to Write a Damn Good Mystery." It was also recommended by Elizabeth Lyons in her book. I think I need to try this! I hate taking time away from my actual writing, but I'm almost finished with the first draft and will need to put it in the deep chill for a bit before revising. Maybe that would be a good time to try it.

Meanwhile, I'm writing away but my body is beginning to suffer, specifically my shoulder. At work my mouse is on my desk and is just a tad too high--I have to lift my arm/shoulder ever so slightly. It takes a toll after awhile. A massage will help. I can also smear on some of that dreadful smelling Chinese ointments we bought in our tiny little Chinatown area here. They're kind of like Ben Gay. Fortunately hubby doesn't mind the smell.

It's Already February--Who Knew?

2009-02-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been ages since I've updated this. I have a good excuse though--I've been writing my fingers to the bone on my latest wip. I'm now about 10K from the end whereas not too long ago I wondered if it would be another abandoned project. I *always* finished what I started until recently when I abandoned two manuscripts at around the 150 page mark. I will get back to them though. Especially the one--I still keep getting ideas for it.

I'm considering an exercise from James Scott Bell's book called plot drills. You take six books in your genre, read them, and create scene cards for each and every scene. You then read these over and over and over while you assimilate plot and structure. It's a huge investment of time obviously. He thinks it's worth it--and he's selling and I'm not! Perhaps when I finish the current draft, I will set aside the time to do it.

Live & Learn

2009-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about my goals for this new year, 2009. I don't want to make any resolutions--they always come across as negative and things you're *not* going to do like smoke or overeat. No, I think goals are much more motivating.

One goal is definitely to finish my cozy mystery manuscript, make revisions and get it circulating with agents. And the sooner the better.

My other goal is to learn. I want to take some good books off my shelf and really study them--do the whole underline in different colored magic markers thing. I want to try "modeling" as described in Elizabeth Lyons' book Manuscript Makeover. And writing riffs from the same volume.

Once and for all I want to see, inside out, how accomplished authors put their books together. Then I'm going to use that knowledge to write another one of my own.

What Is It About Deirdre

2009-01-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, what's going on with me and the name Deirdre? I wrote a YA with a protag named Deirdre. That was on purpose, so okay, that's fine. But I've just been re-reading my current work in progress--not the YA but an adult mystery this time--and I have named not one, but TWO minor characters Deirdre! One is the about-to-be-married daughter of a secretary in the police department...the other is a snooty sales clerk at Abigail's, an upscale dress shop.

I toyed briefly with seeing if the two Deirdres could be one and the same, perhaps unleashing some interesting possibilities, but I don't think it's going to work. Alice's daughter is NOT snooty, and I need the sales clerk to be so she can intimidate my protag Gigi.

But seriously, what is with me? Any suggestions for alternate names is appreciated.

Filling the Page

2008-12-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

I got some more words done yesterday. Not as many as I would have liked, but still... Part of my problem is "holding back." I usually tend to write "short," and subconsciously I think I am afraid of running out of story before I've filled enough manuscript pages.

But going back over what I've already written, I realize my second draft will be longer as I layer in things I've overlooked--scene setting here, internalizations there. My first draft is relatively bare bones in most places. I guess I need to get the story down and first and then go back and fill in the details.

I'm trying to push myself to finish by the end of January. I'm anxious to get started in a critique group to see what they think of this mess...

Are We Stressed Yet?

2008-12-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

I've been hideously stressed lately. No, not the usual holiday stuff, worse than that. I can handle the holiday rigamarole with one hand tied behind my back. No, make that *both* hands tied behind my back! So not many words have hit the page partly because of the time sucking holiday run-around and partly because of the stress.

However...last night when I woke up in the middle of the night for the thousandth time and began to fret and worry and whimper in the dark...I turned my attention to my wip. And lo and behold I got a couple of good ideas! And I remembered most of them come morning...I still think there's one that got away but perhaps when I start scribbling some notes, I can grab hold of its elusive tendrils and bring it back into focus. Meanwhile, I'm pleased with the bonanza of the other ideas.

Panic at the Computer

2008-12-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Had a moment of panic yesterday when strange things began happening to my manuscript (as saved on my flash drive). Lines appeared in the wrong places, some lines were only half visible (as in the bottom half of the letters), etc. I'd save the manuscript on my home computer but there were around 7 or 8 pages that I didn't have anywhere except on the flash drive.

All is well, though. I added the new pages to the manuscript on my hard drive and saved all to both places. I think I messed it up when I pulled out the flash drive and then closed the manuscript--when it tried to "save" there was no where to save it to...so I put the flash back in, and something weird happened.

Finished another scene, and I'm happy about that. Not sure what scene comes next...have to noodle a bit on that one. I'm making slow and somewhat steady progress minus the Thanksgiving holidays.

Home for the Holidays

2008-11-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

Like so many others, I will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week, and I doubt I will get any writing done...some thinking--maybe. We are headed back home to NJ (from MI) where it will be a whirlwind of seeing relatives and friends plus my daughter is coming down from Boston where she is at BU!! I am so excited. Haven't seen her since August. It was too expensive to fly her home for four days at Thanksgiving, especially with Christmas coming right afterwards, so we decided we'd all meet in NJ! Yeah!

Chipping Away

2008-11-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not setting any records with words-per-day lately, but I am continuing to chip away at the story. It's growing daily which is all I can ask for. And I find that the more I get into it, the more ideas I have. I would do love so have this completed by January! Then I could jump into revision and possibly be looking at querying by as early as February.

Time to get the fingers on the keys...

2008-11-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at lunch I cranked out 350 words. Rather pitiful since I didn't write last night. What did I do? Read a bit. Had a late dinner. Had to sign some papers for investment man. Somehow the evening got away from me. Oh, yes, there was the puppy cam, too. Fortunately the pups are almost ready to go to their new homes so no more distractions from them!

The night before I read the new book I received via Barnes & Noble's used book service (in great shape except it SMELLS like mildew. Have to hold it far away from my nose.) It's Plot & Structure by James Bell (I think he has a middle name in there, but I've forgotten what it is.) Some really interesting tips for brainstorming and enhancing creativity. Can't wait to try some of them. He recommends setting aside a certain amount of time per week to get ideas. Lots of them. So when you pick one, you know it's one you're really in love with.

Smoking!

2008-11-12T07:24:00.001-08:00

Last night I was really smoking. The words were coming so fast and furious I could hardly type fast enough to keep up (and I can type REALLY fast). It was great! The scene isn't quite finished yet, but hopefully at lunch today I'll be able to hammer out the ending. Had a lunch meeting yesterday so I didn't get any words done then, but I did put down almost 900 words last night! WooHoo!

I might actually finish this manuscript yet!

I'm also finding that the more involved I become with it on a consistent basis, the more ideas float to the top of my subconscious--usually to be harvested while showering. What is it about water anyway? I'm not much of a swimmer, but perhaps I should go do some laps and see if pool water works as well as shower water.

Talk Amongst Yourselves

2008-11-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

Finished a scene at lunch yesterday. Didn't do a massive amount of writing, but I did some at least.

But then last night when I should have been writing, I was watching Dancing with the Stars instead. Which I've never seen before. But I was so intrigued that I had temporarily managed to keep hubby from clicking the remote and changing the channel that I sat there dumbfounded. He wasn't even *holding* the remote!

I finally shook myself free of the fascination and headed to the computer where I accomplished nothing. Nada. Zilch. Didn't even open my manuscript. Sigh. It's starting a new scene and the first word blues. It's going to need to be another one of those "everyone sits around and discusses the clues" type of scene. I can't afford another tea drinking scene--this one has to be more active. The characters have to be *doing* something besides talking. Maybe I'll set it in the theater. And maybe they think they've been overheard. Make it a little spooky. Yeah, that's the ticket. Ooooh, now I can't wait for lunch to sketch this out!

Giants, Desperate Housewives and Writing

2008-11-10T05:42:00.000-08:00

Despite the distractions of the evening Giants game, a really dishy Desperate Housewives and this live "puppy cam" my daughter turned me onto, I managed to get some words down last night! Go, me. Even better, I had fun with it. I love when you know you need a minor character, he/she could be almost anything/anyone (in this case I needed a managing editor for a small town newspaper to impart some information to my protag) and they spring to life in front of your eyes. Devon Singleton turned out to be young (to the surprise of both me and my protag), a new father, a graduate of BU (no surprise there since that's where my daughter is going to school!), have spikey black hair and a hole in his jeans. I thought he was going to be old with hair coming out of his ears, but he just didn't want to be!

Tomorrow starts the 70 Days of Sweat challenge. I'm up for it. Are you?

i DID it

2008-11-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

Sat in front of the computer last night, and I WROTE! I have 800 new words in the last three days. Yeah, that's not going to set any records, but I'm getting there. And the 77 days of sweat challenge hasn't even started yet.

Got some good ideas in the shower, too (best place for ideas, I swear, try it, you'll see.) I was thinking about my last scene, two characters are talking. Now you can't have talking heads so they're doing stuff. Ordinary stuff. Then I realized I could use those little break-up-the-dialogue-gestures to say a lot more about the character. Like instead of having Sienna turn her mug of tea (yes, it's a tea drinking scene! Cozies are allowed to have one or two!) around and around in her hands, what if she fiddles with a loose sequin on the long, gauzy skirt she's wearing? Or tucks her hands into the belled sleeves of her diaphonous blouse (AFTER she puts down the mug of tea, of course.) Doesn't that give you a better visual of the character without a lot of tedious description?

Okay, it's not earth shattering. Not rocket science. I'm a slow learner sometimes. And sometimes I reach for what's easy and expedient instead of trying to go deeper. Fortunately I usually make it better in the rewrites. But how cool to get it better in the first draft!

So Shoot Me

2008-11-06T10:19:00.001-08:00

Okay, I didn't make my 500 words. Not even 250. More like 150. So shoot me. I coulda, shoulda, woulda done it but...was in a funk. Feeling sorry for myself. Ended up reading instead. So not a total waste...reading Lisa Scottoline for the first time. Wow, great, fresh language.

Today, I promise, going to work hard. Came up with a great plot twist in the shower.

I'm off to write. See 'ya.

Bad Day

2008-11-05T09:40:00.001-08:00

Bad day. No words day. I was too preoccupied with the election to get anything done. Today is another day. I promise myself at least 250 words. No, make that 500.

Let's see what happens.

Adding Words One-by-One

2008-11-04T06:08:00.001-08:00

This whole 77 days of sweat thing has me going. I did a little noodling on my wip on my lunch hour AND I also dragged it out after dinner and spent an hour finishing a scene! I'm really pleased with myself. Now let's see how tonight goes...I hate starting a new scene. Until I can get that first sentence down I'm paralyzed. It's like starting the book all over again. I'm going to try to think about it during the day while doing other mundane things--maybe my subconscious will come up with that first line for me...

2008-11-02T10:55:00.001-08:00

I know. It's been a while. So what has motivated me to post again? I've signed up for the 70 (actually 77) days of sweat challenge. And they ask for your blog. So this seemed the perfect time to (figuratively) pick up the old pen again and blog.

I have a wip that is stalled at around 30,000 words. Not quite half way there. I need between 70K and 75K. So I'm thinking this 70 day sweat thing might just be what I need to get the thing DONE!

I've always wanted to do NaNo but November is just not the right time for something like that with Thanksgiving and all the cooking, guests, etc. But this 77 day thing gives you time off for the holidays. Plus I'm not committing to a full manuscript--just to completing my wip.

Wish me luck, okay?

Tag, You're It

2007-05-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

I've been "tagged" apparently by someone named Rachel (??). I'm not sure I'm doing this right, but it seems like fun! I'm not sure I can find the requisite number of other bloggers to tag, but I'll do my best.

Here are the rules I was sent:
Here are the rules as posted by Turning Pages:1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.2. People who are tagged, write a blog post about their own 8 random things, and post these rules.3. At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and include their names.4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Okay, 8 random things...got to make this interesting.

1. I was a twin, but my twin died a few hours after birth. I didn't find out about her until I was 12 years old. My mother told a friend of hers, and her daughter told me the story. I didn't believe it at first. I wanted to know where my twin (Mary) was buried, but my mother said she didn't know. Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like had she lived. But my younger sister and I are best friends and that might not have happened had Mary been around.
2. I spent 15 years working for the son of the artist Henri Matisse. Pierre Matisse owned a gallery in NYC and I was the gallery manager. He told THE most interesting stories! It was quite an experience.
3. My first husband had a heart attack at 44 and dropped dead on my kitchen floor. He had diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, etc. My 17 year old daughter was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago. Hopefully modern advances will make her life very different!
4. My other daughter will be 23 tomorrow! 23 years ago tonight I was sitting on the sofa in the living room timing my contractions (far, far apart). I was too excited to sleep so I spent all night reading and re-reading the first two pages of "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe. My second daughter was almost born in a Chinese restaurant.
5. I lived in NYC for 10 years which was wonderful! Then I commuted for almost another 20.
6. I hate oatmeal and any kind of mushy cereal or food stuff. It's not the taste, it's the texture.
7. I recently took up yoga which I LOVE.
8. I am SO boring. Trying to think of something for number 8. Okay. Not about me but family stuff. Both my grandmothers were very strong women. Jennie was a garment worker in NYC. Single parent when her husband died when my dad was 3. She raised/paid for a bunch of nieces and nephews too. She went on strike because the factory owners were Jewish and gave their workers Saturday off (their holy day). the worker were mostly Catholic and wanted Sunday off. So...they struck. And that's one of the origins of the two day weekend!
My other grandmother was from Hungary. Her family decided to immigrate to the US. She was only six and not able to work. They left her sitting in the train station on Christmas Eve while they started their journey to America. She was taken to an orphanage and then sent to work when she was 10. She worked for a Hungarian actress who taught her a lot. She finally came to this country after WWI when she was in her early 20s.

I need to tag some people, but first I need to figure out how to do that!

How Do You Do Normal?

2007-05-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

I'm in an online group (I'm in a LOT of online groups!) and there is currently a guest "instructor" who is giving us exercises in character building. It's been great fun. Once he just gave us a line..."Gary hated weddings" and we had to run with it using details to show Gary hating weddings as opposed to coming right out and saying it. Another time we had to develop a character in a couple of paragraphs starting with the line "Amy stared out at the sea of faces." This last one was great...create a character you hate...but show them having one redeeming feature.

The last exercise got me thinking. I had no trouble creating the character. She came alive on the page and in my mind in an instant. But she's not a "normal" character. She's obnoxious, opinionated, unkind, etc. Easy to bring her to life. What's hard is bringing a "normal" character to life without descending into quirkiness. My current protag for instance is a 30-something woman. I don't want to define her as someone who "doesn't eat he green M&Ms" or who "sings karaoke" once a week. But it's hard to get "normal" but "real" across on the page.

Here is my nasty old lady:

"We're good Christians you know," The woman reluctantly opened the screen door a little wider and let the police detective in.

"But when the boy came to the door, asking for help…?" The detective raised her hands questioningly as she looked around.

"Might as well have a seat." The woman pointed toward a stiff looking armchair that took up a large amount of space in the tiny room. Her lips thinned, and she raised her chin slightly as she took her own seat, a comfortably worn chaise with a knitting bag within easy reach. "The Bible tells us to shun that kind of lifestyle."

"But surely that doesn't mean you can't help…"

"He made his choice. Time these people learned they can't go bending the good word of the Lord to suit themselves." The woman's mouth snapped shut like a rubber band.

"But he was bleeding," the detective leaned forward in her seat. "Surely Christ preached compassion for our fellow man." She held her hands out in supplication.

The woman shook her head.

The sound of claws echoed on the polished wooden floor and a tiny, white terrier jumped into the woman's lap. Her face softened, and she stroked its nappy fur. "This is our Baby. Found him at the pound. Poor thing had been nearly starved to death. Who could do something like that to one of God's creatures?" She buried her face in the dog's worn fur.

Always a Student

2007-04-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm taking another writing course. I'm hoping it's not just a delaying tactic to keep from writing. I don't think so. It's a great class about empowering one's characters' emotions. I think it's just what I need. My writing is too "dry" and emotionless. A critiquer said my YA manuscript was very interesting, great characters, but she couldn't feel the characters' emotions and there weren't enough internalizations to bring the reader closer to the characters.

So revising that is on my to-do list. Another writer told me about a YA contest with an October deadline. That gives me plenty of time. But I'm still pushing forward on my mystery. I've rewritten the opening with some new characters and hopefully more oomph. I *think* I've found the right voice for it. That's been the hardest part. It's got to be just right for the story. At first I was aiming for a sort of chick lit type voice with a humorous edge. But that's not me. The humor part, yes, but with a little more grit and gristle to it!

Someone in one of my online writing groups mentioned having some things out on your desk that remind you of what you're writing and your characters. I'm going to print off some good roller derby pictures. I think it will prove immensely helpful. I find it hard to write at work on my lunch hour, and I think it's because of the atmosphere. It's work after all!

On another note, I've had another idea for another manuscript. Actually it's been rumbling around in my head in one form or another for quite a long time. Years. Maybe I should seriously consider it (AFTER I finish the current wip of course!) It would be a thriller which would be a first for me. Maybe even a sort of romantic suspense although more like suspense with a romance in it. Something that men might read as well. (Funny but I always think of myself as writing for women...) I'll add it to the long list of other ideas waiting to be hatched into life.

The Importance of Research

2007-03-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

AAAARRRGH. That's me screaming. I had this whole post written--what a beauty too--and I accidentally hit something and it DISAPPEARED! Woe is me.

Anyway...I was rambling on about how I hadn't accomplished much this week other than mucho tinkering with the old plot thanks to some help from my online plotting group Plot Hatchers. Bless you, ladies! I also did a lot more research on roller derby. I concentrated on reading blogs related to roller derby and got lots of ideas for conflict, plot twists, etc. I would highly recommend it. If you are writing about a particular subject...horse racing, for instance...go to blogspot or your favorite and plug it into the search engine. All sorts of wonderful things will pop up.

I discovered one most amazing thing. According to a news report I unearthed, girls, desperate to get into a top college in this year when college applications have hit an all-time record, have turned away from the unbiquitous sports like soccer and lacrosse, to...you guessed it...roller derby!

Hmmmm, can I work an over-achieving coed into my manuscript?

Starting Over

2007-03-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Last week was something of a wash. My writing coach and I exchange our goals at the beginning of the week and then review them to see how we've done at the end of the week. Unfortunately I did not accomplish any of my goals.

On the other hand, I did stop to do some more background work--fixing plot problems, doing character sketches, etc. I think it is going to make for a stronger story. It means starting over, but there are bit and pieces I can keep.

I hope this isn't my internal editor's way to getting me to stop and smell the revisions! I started this determined to push forward without going back to edit.

Epiphany

2007-03-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

Had to check the spelling of that!

Or maybe I should have entitled this "phoenix" for my novel rising from the ashes. Even though I am 50 pages in, I still haven't been satisfied with the plot. I'm in a wonderful, small plotting group, and they gave me some ideas and urged me to keep thinking. While walking the dog, I GOT IT. Or most of it. I'd been approaching this too analytically. I needed to concentrate on the backstory of my characters. Some of the answers were right there.

If I trust the process, the rest will come as I write/think/sleep/walk the dog (pray for good weather).

Sometimes I think this is the most fun you can have without involving large amounts of chocolate!

Blue Collar Broads

2007-03-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

I saw my first roller derby game tonight! It was wild and great fun. The Blue Collar Broads beat the Roustabouts. All are incredible skaters. Wild costumes. Interesting crowd of people--everything from punk dyed hair and piercings to families with kids. Enormous potential for a story. I'm already rethinking my plot...

Went to a Thai restaurant with our friends afterwards, and they were all weighing in on my potential plot. Some good ideas there...

I think it's going to be fun. Of course no writing got done today. But I have soaked up lots of wonderful impressions...

Are We Having Fun Yet?

2007-03-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

I've got 45 pages, and I'm darned proud of it. I've even had some fun with it. Did you know that my protag's brother-in-law would suddenly announce after 15 years of marriage and three kids that he's gay? Neither did I, but I'm going to have a lot of fun with it. (I'm working on a humorous cozy mystery meaning most violence is offstage).

I would have liked to have written more, but this has been the week of all weeks. I have to stop viewing writing as WORK which I never used to before I started writing so much on my day job. It helps to grab my Alphie (portable word processor) and get in bed early with it or sit in my great big chair with the ottoman.

Coming up on the weekend and that's the hardest time for me to write what with family all over the place expecting attention. Tomorrow I am doing research though--hubby and I are going to a roller derby game. My mystery is set in the world of roller derby, and I can't wait to see a game firsthand.

Distractions

2007-02-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm very proud of myself for writing in spite of serious distractions. DD came to spend the night on Monday and was in bad shape although she did eat dinner with us. By last night she was angry, argumentative and refusing to eat at all (she is being treated for bulimia/bipolar/ADHD). Both nights I was sad/upset/concerned...but I managed to get my fingers onto the keyboard and get down some words. Funny, but I got into the writing and it sort of carried me away from life for a bit.

Tonight she is being admitted to the hospital which we tried to avoid (it will be her 10th or 11th stay) but at least I will be able to rest knowing she is safe.

My lunch hour is nearly over, but I did manage to get some more words. I'm keeping up with my goals, but I puprosely made them small to start.

Life Interferes

2007-02-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

But I try not to let it. I was all set to write on my lunch hour (busman's holiday since I do a lot of writing at work), practically had my fingers on the old keyboard, when the phone rang. It was dd (23 yrs. old). She has bipolar disorder and is a wonderful girl but a challenge. She has been doing quite well but lately I've noticed some signs of a downward slide...again. It happens four or five times a year. I was feeling pretty bummed and hoping that I had misread the signals.

But here I am ready to write, and she calls having a mini-meltdown. By the time I hung up all creative urge had vanished to be replaced by an urge for gooey, sweet, highly caloric foodstuffs..since I'm at work and can't have any of the hard stuff.

But I put my fingers BACK on the keys, and managed to subdue my own neurotic tendencies toward extreme worry long enough to bang out a page and a half. Triumph! I am at the end of Chapter two and perking right along. It still feels like crap, but I think there are one or two funny moments and a couple of decent sentences.

Is There an Editor In the House?

2007-02-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

I'm up to 8 pages. Unfortunately I don't like any of them. I did reread even through I promised I wouldn't. One minute I thought it wasn't so bad, and the next I was convinced I had lost any ability to write that I might have once possessed. No more going back. Promise. Even if my fingers are crossed.

I haven't found the right "voice" for the piece yet. It needs to be light and funny. I am not taking myself seriously with this manuscript. I think I need to spend a little more time getting into the head of my protag so forward progress might be temporarily halted.

I am getting into the swing of things though. Was irritated with hubby last night because he wanted me to hang around drinking V-day champagne and eating chocolates with him instead of hunkering down over the computer. And reading the book he got me. Ahem. Nearly 100 new ways to do something we've already been doing for quite awhile now.

Time out tonight for Grey's Anatomy (hey, it's part 2). Then fingers on the keyboard. I promise.

Chapter One, Page One

2007-02-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

And so it begins. I'm trying not to look back at what I've written. It's not absolutely terrible, but it's not great either. I'm trying to find the right "voice". Once I get that, I'll be on a roll. I'm trying to just give it time and not panic.

It's hard not to go back and read and reread and edit. I've got four pages--two more than my goal for the day. I spent some time doing a little research which will come in handy, but it's still not writing so it doesn't really count. I'll have to see how I feel about it in the morning. Maybe I'll have an epiphany during the night!

2007-02-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

I am so dumb. 24 hours later and I've already forgotten that my "user name" is the same as my email address. Sheesh.

No writing yet...still planning. Very scared. I'm afraid the words won't come, and I won't be able to get what is in my mind down on paper. And that it won't be as funny as I'd like it to be (light, comic mystery). I've written at least 8 manuscripts so far, and somehow the words always showed up so I don't know why all the panic. I sort of feel like this is my "last chance". Ridiculous.

Sunday I plan to sit down with my cookbooks and come up with a week of healthy! menus for me, hubby and the kid remaining at home. Then I'll be able to get dinner out of the way and WORK. I can also do a little on my lunchbreak at the office, but I sometimes find that the atmosphere stifles creativity, and I tend to write as if someone were looking over my shoulder. Doesn't work well for sex scenes! Or just about any scene...

I'd love to do 5 pages per day. Secretly I'm hoping for 10. I want to get the first draft DONE. This isn't going to be Shakespere. I hope to be plunged back into the submission process by summer.

Sigh.

On your mark, get set...

2007-02-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'm almost ready to join the great novel race. I just needed a blog. My blog at xanga is probably defunct by now and wouldn't be relevant anyway filled as it is with answers to stupid questionnaires with stuff like "what time do you get up" and "what's your favorite drink". So I am starting over here.

I'm still in the plotting stage and plan to start writing on Monday, February 12th. It's a mystery. Set in the world of women's roller derby. Hopefully funny and a little chick lit-ish. No title as of yet. It's something like my 8th manuscript. Mostly mysteries, a couple of YAs and two romances. I've had two agents and a lot of disappointments. But back on the horse. Maybe this will be IT.