COMPUTERS/CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THEM

I got up very early yesterday morning and started working on a chapter I received from my editor. I was excited but also challenged not knowing exactly how to make all the changes she was suggesting, work. Some of them I pondered over for what seemed an eternity. At times I got up, moved around, started another project, just to "jump-start" my thought processes. At one point yesterday, I decided to take a shower. As the cool water beat against my body, I was reminded of one scene she told me to work on. I dried off, pulled on clean shorts and tee shirt and returned to my computer. The creative juices flowing, computer keys clacking, my excitement at what I had created, I was full of joy. Several times as my husband walked through my office, I made him listen to the changes. "What do you think about this, what do you think about that?" He nodded his head and sometimes he would sit on the couch for a moment. I had several minor interruptions, friends calling needing help. Distractions that only took a few minutes. Needless to say, by 5:30 last evening I felt exhilarated. I shoved back from my desk, feeling proud of myself for accomplishing so much in one day. I saved the file, forwarded my newly created masterpiece to my editor. My husband asked me for a date. What a perfect way to end a productive day. All was right in my world. When we came home from dinner, I checked to see if my editor had responded to my changes. I couldn't believe it. The file was gone. The file I had worked on the entire day had vanished. I searched for an hour. During the day my ISP was acting very strange. I would click on one address and it was sending a message to another address. I was on my cell phone, the call was dropped, my home phone AND the Internet lost the signal. My friend called me back and said, "what's going on? My cell phone dropped the call and my TV went off." It's still a mystery to me. However, when I woke this morning about 5:30, I told myself I have two choices. I can sit around today and complain about everything I lost yesterday, or I get get to work and make it better than yesterday. When my husband woke, and came in my office this morning, I told him about my revelation. He smiled and nodded. I said to him, "I think I'm going to sit around all day and whine." He left to play golf!

Welcome Home Cory

I just learned fabulous news. A fellow writer friend just let us know her son is on his way home from the war! The other good news is, he is getting married. I love happy endings, don't you? As a writer, I have control of "my destiny" AND "my endings". Maybe that's one of the reasons I love writing. I can "fix" things. I can turn the worst situation into something wonderful. Everybody is happy and healthy. While reading one of the workbooks the other day, Donald Maass said, 'sometimes you need to kill the protagonist". Well, not in my world. He's telling me if I want to write a great novel, bad things have to happen. I supposed that's true. You need a little suspense. In fact, another "coach" says you need "something" to happen on every page, just to keep readers, reading. I supposed I need to save all the happy endings for my blog. He's right, there needs to be suspense and tension to keep people reading. If not tension, it would read like "see Spot run, Run Jane, Run. I'm celebrating with Cory's family. And rejoicing too. Congratulations Joy! What fabulous news.

SHOW DON'T TELL

I've worked most of the day editing. That used to be my least favorite thing to do. However, ever since I read Donald Maass books, I see editing differently. When you are writing, the first time, you pour your heart out. I am usually so excited, because I don't know what's going to happen next. There are times I have trouble keeping up with the typing, my mind is flowing so quickly.I'm surprised at how one idea will take a new twist. The protagonist does something uncharacteristic. Wow, what a surprise. I continue to be surprised and guessing all the way to the end. Then comes the editing. I think Stephen King's formula is 2nd draft=1st Draft-10%. My writing coach gave me so many tips today. My head is still floating. I read just the other day, from another editor, different manuscript to go back through and remove all the "that" ('s) in the manuscript. She said we don't need them! Imagine my surprise, when she was right. Today, my coach reminds me to "show, don't tell". Years ago, too many to count, my English professor at Ohio State gave me the same advice. You'd think I would have learned. The next few weeks, my nose will be against the keyboard. Editing and re-writing what I thought was already perfect. Guess I was wrong.

NO TIME FOR ME

I argued with someone yesterday briefly, that it was Friday. I don't know about you, but my days have started to blend. By that I mean they are running together. My life used to be so structured. I got up the same time everyday. Worked the same number of hours. Usually had lunch and dinner the same time. And most days was in bed the same time. Sounds boring doesn't it. I don't know that I accomplished more then, I feel that I had more time to myself. Probably because of the structure. One of the complaints I hear from other writers is that when you work at home you must deal with hundreds of interruptions. Part of the problem is that if you are at home, most people assume you are "free" for them to call you just to chat. Drop over. Email you with a question that they need an immediate answer to. Now mind you, those same people would never drop in at your "place of business." Nor would they call you in the middle of the day and expect you to drop everything to tend to them. I used to think that would be rude to set ground rules. But now I realize if I don't let them know, who is going to? So this week, when the phone rings; voice mail. Door bell rings, won't answer. I have set aside time to write. Just like I have set aside time to grocery shop, clean the house, run errands and take care of my husband. Yes, he does get his feelings hurt when I close the door in my office and tell him to go play golf.

GRIT FOR THE OYSTER

Debora M. Coty, co-author of GRIT FOR THE OYSTER: 250 Pearls of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers, has asked to interview me. It's going to appear on her blog on 4/3/09. The link is http://www.gritfortheoyster-book.blogspot.com/ I'm excited and happy to know Debbie Coty. She is a Christian who enjoys helping fellow writers. I first read Debbie's story in the Tampa Tribune. She invited other writers to email her. I accepted her invitation and did just that. I really didn't think I would hear from her. She's a busy lady. Imagine my surprise when her return email was in my incoming email box. Even more amazing was the fact that she asked to interview me. If you get a chance, visit her blog, http://www.gritfortheoyster-book.blogspot.com/ Better still, buy her book GRIT FOR THE OYSTER: 250 Pearls of Wisdom for Aspiring Authors. Let me know what you think.

GETTING IT WRITE

In the past two weeks, three people have asked me how to write a book. They said, I know I have a "book in me", I just don't know where to start. That sounds funny to me, because, you start writing a book like you start anything else. Just sit down and do it. My thinking is, one of their concerns is not doing it right. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to go about it. You just need to set aside time every day to write. It's like any other skill that we develop. The more you practice the better you become. In the beginning the most important aspect is just writing. Being self disciplined enough to sit in one spot and write. Most of the people I know who want to write, are just a little bit afraid. My advice to them is, take a deep breath, go sit at the computer (or where ever you write) and just do it. Remembering that what you write in the beginning won't be read by anyone else anyway. I've thought about having a workshop for those people. I can't mention that fact to my husband, because he feels like he has to schedule time to see me now.

SLOW DOWN

How many times have you heard someone say to you, "you need to slow down?" My question to you is, how do we do that? What is it during your normal daily routine that we can "cut out"? I'm sure the people who are telling me to slow down are well intentioned. Other people remark at how much I accomplish in a day. That's not because I have slowed down. I am learning to accept my limitations. However, I'm not doing that very well. Just recently we moved and then five days later we planned a trip to Colorado to wait for our granddaughters birth. Somewhere along the way, I picked up a "bug". One that I would have gladly left somewhere. But I brought it home with me. So for several days, my "daily routine" has been interrupted. I'm finding I don't have the energy to continue like the energizer bunny. To say I'm frustrated would be an understatement. Now what I'm hearing people say to me is, "you're not as young as you used to be." Somehow I've changed my mind. I think now, I love hearing people tell me to "slow down."