Ms. I. Editor has made her presence well and truly known this week. Just as soon as I'd rounded my 13K mark, she wouldn't be quiet. So I did the sensible thing. I stepped away from the keyboard and listened to her.
Sometimes the old gal knows of what she nags. This time was one of them. I went back, listened to my characters, analyzed what I'd written, bug the stew out of my critique partners, my beta readers and any unsuspecting person walking down the street that I could accost and ask, "So if you were reading a book about a woman who is ..." (Survey results: canvassing Unsuspecting People Walking Down The Street nets a 100% response rate of "uh, are you crazy or what?")
I figured out what was wrong. Now the question is, can I figure out how to fix it and make up all my lost ground in my challenge with Kate the BritChickLit writer? I'll bet she's fired her Internal Editor and just sailing along.
On a more personal note, my little angel caught her first fish today -- an oversized minnow. She's already told her dad that she wants to go fishing tomorrow. She asked, since the fish she caught was not quite frying size, if we could put it in our fish aquarium. Somehow I think that would have required A LOT of explaining to our goldfish.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Isn't she lovely?
My blog, that is! My lovely and wonderful friend Bosey has removed the tentacles of HTML from around my neck and helped me update the template. Bosey calls me a technophobe, but that's not true. I'm more of a technifumbler -- sometimes I get it right, and sometimes I don't.
Writing ... is ... not ... going well. There, I said it. Another writer that I know, Michelle Styles talked about table-dusting, where two actresses in the role of maids dance around a table with feather dusters while their dialogue sets up the play. My internal editor, confound her, is now convinced that all 13K plus words of BeBe are the sum and product of table-dusting. Meh.
Still, all the more reason to write quickly and not let Ms. Internal Editor get her evil clutches into me. Why can't that woman ever go on vacation?? She could take the jaunt to Rome I want to take!
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: Word count is 13,416. Still lots of writing ahead of me today.
WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING INSTEAD OF BLOGGING: Folding clothes, working on that writing challenge, visiting my mom.
Writing ... is ... not ... going well. There, I said it. Another writer that I know, Michelle Styles talked about table-dusting, where two actresses in the role of maids dance around a table with feather dusters while their dialogue sets up the play. My internal editor, confound her, is now convinced that all 13K plus words of BeBe are the sum and product of table-dusting. Meh.
Still, all the more reason to write quickly and not let Ms. Internal Editor get her evil clutches into me. Why can't that woman ever go on vacation?? She could take the jaunt to Rome I want to take!
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: Word count is 13,416. Still lots of writing ahead of me today.
WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING INSTEAD OF BLOGGING: Folding clothes, working on that writing challenge, visiting my mom.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Well, pride goeth ...
Okay, okay, so much for my big, fat mouth. In the past 24 hours, I've managed to write only a thousand or so words. However, in the spirit of my challenge, I've decided to post the good, bad and ugly.
Current word count: 11,195. (Do all the words your Internal Editor zapped count? Because that witch scrapped a bunch!)
WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING INSTEAD OF BLOGGING: Making good on that challenge, and feeding the kiddo and the hubby.
TO DO LIST: Figure out how to edit this blasted sidebar ... HELP! ANYBODY! I'm being strangled by HTML!
Current word count: 11,195. (Do all the words your Internal Editor zapped count? Because that witch scrapped a bunch!)
WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING INSTEAD OF BLOGGING: Making good on that challenge, and feeding the kiddo and the hubby.
TO DO LIST: Figure out how to edit this blasted sidebar ... HELP! ANYBODY! I'm being strangled by HTML!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A challenge in the spirit of NaNoWriMo!
As I was researching how to replace my old non-working word meter, I came across a fellow (and better disciplined) blogger across the Pond, Chicklit Work in Progress (And wouldn't you know, I'm so technologically challenged, I can't even get the hyperlink to work. Blast.)
Kate, who writes British Chicklit (some of my absolute favorite writing, btw, though I can't write it to save my life!) recently cranked out an amazing amount of words in one sitting. She was wondering if perhaps she could finish her rough draft of her YA in two weeks if she kept up the present rate.
By sheer coincidence, I, too, had cranked out a similar number of words on Sunday (just over 3500) on my latest women's fiction project. I'd figured that I could be done with the rough draft by August 18 if I continued to write another 2500 words each day.
So what's a writer like myself to do except to challenge her? As one of my CPs just posted on my Facebook wall, "Um, insane much? :)"
The details are still being worked out -- Kate needs to finish her rough draft in two weeks, whereas I have the luxury of waiting until August 18. But I figure, hmmm, whoever gets to 50K words first wins ... bragging rights? A one-way ticket to the nuthouse? Or at least just the chance to type THE END.
We'll see. To keep me honest, I'll post word counts on this blog and on Facebook and perhaps eHarlequin.
Kate, who writes British Chicklit (some of my absolute favorite writing, btw, though I can't write it to save my life!) recently cranked out an amazing amount of words in one sitting. She was wondering if perhaps she could finish her rough draft of her YA in two weeks if she kept up the present rate.
By sheer coincidence, I, too, had cranked out a similar number of words on Sunday (just over 3500) on my latest women's fiction project. I'd figured that I could be done with the rough draft by August 18 if I continued to write another 2500 words each day.
So what's a writer like myself to do except to challenge her? As one of my CPs just posted on my Facebook wall, "Um, insane much? :)"
The details are still being worked out -- Kate needs to finish her rough draft in two weeks, whereas I have the luxury of waiting until August 18. But I figure, hmmm, whoever gets to 50K words first wins ... bragging rights? A one-way ticket to the nuthouse? Or at least just the chance to type THE END.
We'll see. To keep me honest, I'll post word counts on this blog and on Facebook and perhaps eHarlequin.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Been MIA for awhile
Uh, from the looks of it, about a three books-long while. Yep. In the interim, I've written and sold three more books. The last one was For The Sake of The Children (Harlequin Superromance Dec. 08.)
My lovely editor, Victoria Curran, has another proposal from me ... hopefully it will be a go as well. That's one thing they don't tell you (or maybe can't convince you about) before you sell a book for the first time: that squirrelly, nervous feeling about a project's prospects? It never goes away ... or it hasn't yet.
I'm tweaking another proposal for Victoria, and I'm also working away at two totally different projects, just for fun. One is a women's fiction MS, and the other is a cozy mystery.
WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING INSTEAD OF BLOGGING: uh ... grocery shopping? GROAN. I hate grocery shopping!
NEXT THING ON THE TO-DO LIST: Figure out how to get the word count calculator off my sidebar ... it never worked that well anyway!
My lovely editor, Victoria Curran, has another proposal from me ... hopefully it will be a go as well. That's one thing they don't tell you (or maybe can't convince you about) before you sell a book for the first time: that squirrelly, nervous feeling about a project's prospects? It never goes away ... or it hasn't yet.
I'm tweaking another proposal for Victoria, and I'm also working away at two totally different projects, just for fun. One is a women's fiction MS, and the other is a cozy mystery.
WHAT I SHOULD BE DOING INSTEAD OF BLOGGING: uh ... grocery shopping? GROAN. I hate grocery shopping!
NEXT THING ON THE TO-DO LIST: Figure out how to get the word count calculator off my sidebar ... it never worked that well anyway!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
New time on Statesboro Signing!
Ooops ... my bad!
The Statesboro Wal-Mart will start at 11 a.m., not 10 a.m., on May 5.
Sheesh. I'll never get the hang of this!
The Statesboro Wal-Mart will start at 11 a.m., not 10 a.m., on May 5.
Sheesh. I'll never get the hang of this!
My book's on the shelves!
I have news! I've wanted to share it, but unfortunately Blogger and I have had a disagreement about whether I should move to the New and Improved Blogger. Grrr.
Blogger won.
Double-grr.
Onward to news: My book, THE BABY WAIT, is now on the shelves! People -- complete and total strangers -- are picking up my book, turning it over, reading the blurb, flipping open to the first page, and ...
Eeek. I don't know what's next. Will they buy it? Or will they say, "Eh, not for me."
Oh, well -- it's a treat for me to see it on the shelves! My friend Cindy Miles spotted it first -- and called me to share the good news!
Later that day, I took Kate and my dh to see it -- and while I was standing there, I sold and autographed two books -- to complete and total strangers! Yay!
More news: I am doing several signings, basically because I am a nut and won't believe what experienced writers tell me -- it's a waste of time. I'm a hard-headed person and I have to learn this for myself.
On Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. -12 noon., I'll be at the Vidalia Wal-Mart. That's during the middle of the Vidalia Onion Festival, so come for the air show and stop by Wally-World to see me.
Later that day, (April 28) from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., I'll be signing at the Dublin Wal-Mart.
I know, I know, two signings in one day -- I must be a loon, right?
On May 5, you can catch me at the Statesboro, Georgia Wal-Mart -- home of the GSU Eagles! I'll be there from 10 a.m. until noon.
On May 19, I'll be signing at the Barnes & Noble at the Forum in Norcross -- I believe that signing will begin around 2 p.m. I know I'll be signing with one other pubbed author of GREAT talent -- Berta Platas, whose CINDERELLA LOPEZ I just absolultely loved!
On June 23, I'll be signing with loads of talented ladies at the Savannah B&N -- I'll update you on who all will be there soon, I promise! (Especially now that Blogger and I have come to an understanding!)
Blogger won.
Double-grr.
Onward to news: My book, THE BABY WAIT, is now on the shelves! People -- complete and total strangers -- are picking up my book, turning it over, reading the blurb, flipping open to the first page, and ...
Eeek. I don't know what's next. Will they buy it? Or will they say, "Eh, not for me."
Oh, well -- it's a treat for me to see it on the shelves! My friend Cindy Miles spotted it first -- and called me to share the good news!
Later that day, I took Kate and my dh to see it -- and while I was standing there, I sold and autographed two books -- to complete and total strangers! Yay!
More news: I am doing several signings, basically because I am a nut and won't believe what experienced writers tell me -- it's a waste of time. I'm a hard-headed person and I have to learn this for myself.
On Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. -12 noon., I'll be at the Vidalia Wal-Mart. That's during the middle of the Vidalia Onion Festival, so come for the air show and stop by Wally-World to see me.
Later that day, (April 28) from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., I'll be signing at the Dublin Wal-Mart.
I know, I know, two signings in one day -- I must be a loon, right?
On May 5, you can catch me at the Statesboro, Georgia Wal-Mart -- home of the GSU Eagles! I'll be there from 10 a.m. until noon.
On May 19, I'll be signing at the Barnes & Noble at the Forum in Norcross -- I believe that signing will begin around 2 p.m. I know I'll be signing with one other pubbed author of GREAT talent -- Berta Platas, whose CINDERELLA LOPEZ I just absolultely loved!
On June 23, I'll be signing with loads of talented ladies at the Savannah B&N -- I'll update you on who all will be there soon, I promise! (Especially now that Blogger and I have come to an understanding!)
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Writing: How do I do it
Tess Gerritsen, a thriller writer I much admire, on her blog had a very interesting pair of entries. They were about how she wrote.
She is a pantser -- a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants, where she has no idea who the bad guy is when she first starts out with the book.
I'm amazed that anyone could do that. I'm a plotter, a planner, a list-maker extraordinaire. It drives me crazy to go grocery shopping without a list, so how on earth could I write a book without at least a little planning?
She does it, and does it well, so I'm not knocking it. It's not for me, though.
People ask me how I do it. How do I plan so much of the story and not get so bored out of my mind that I can go ahead and write it?
The trick is to have faith that your characters will surprise you. A minor character will leap off the page and take over -- like in WHERE LOVE GROWS, my Superromance that will be released in October. My heroine visits a farm only to be introduced to a guy who surely loves his porcine pets. He was such an unexpected, loveable character that I plan to use in him in a spin-off novel (please, Lord, let my editor like it!)
I don't want to know EVERYTHING about my characters -- just enough to have more than a conversation of smalltalk with them. Later on, like I do when making a new friend, I'll discover new and small things. I'll discover my heroine hated Spaghettios or never got to wear a pair of red ruby slippers she coveted (I'm making this up about these characters -- but it's got my creative juices flowing).
For me, it all comes down to the old saw about luck being preparation meeting up with opportunity. If I wasn't sure where the story was going, I might be impatient and ignore these subtle clues my brain is using to help me improve the story. As it is, I have learned to listen ... but I'm still not able to leave home without the map.
She is a pantser -- a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants, where she has no idea who the bad guy is when she first starts out with the book.
I'm amazed that anyone could do that. I'm a plotter, a planner, a list-maker extraordinaire. It drives me crazy to go grocery shopping without a list, so how on earth could I write a book without at least a little planning?
She does it, and does it well, so I'm not knocking it. It's not for me, though.
People ask me how I do it. How do I plan so much of the story and not get so bored out of my mind that I can go ahead and write it?
The trick is to have faith that your characters will surprise you. A minor character will leap off the page and take over -- like in WHERE LOVE GROWS, my Superromance that will be released in October. My heroine visits a farm only to be introduced to a guy who surely loves his porcine pets. He was such an unexpected, loveable character that I plan to use in him in a spin-off novel (please, Lord, let my editor like it!)
I don't want to know EVERYTHING about my characters -- just enough to have more than a conversation of smalltalk with them. Later on, like I do when making a new friend, I'll discover new and small things. I'll discover my heroine hated Spaghettios or never got to wear a pair of red ruby slippers she coveted (I'm making this up about these characters -- but it's got my creative juices flowing).
For me, it all comes down to the old saw about luck being preparation meeting up with opportunity. If I wasn't sure where the story was going, I might be impatient and ignore these subtle clues my brain is using to help me improve the story. As it is, I have learned to listen ... but I'm still not able to leave home without the map.
Sorry to be MIA
OK, OK, so I'm the world's worst blogger and I haven't blogged in ages. But I come bearing excuses: (a) the dayjob is kicking my backside; (b) I've not long got off the revised version of WHERE LOVE GROWS -- it's in production, according to my lovely and talented editor Laura Shin, who swears it's "very far from crap." (That's good, isn't it?); (c) I've been working on proposals ... and (d) the fact of the matter is, life's swamped me.
Today I caught up on tax prep (ewww, yuck. Why CAN'T I be organized and do this expense stuff monthly), took Kate to an Easter Egg hunt and gardened. This is the first year in a while that I've actually took the trouble to put a garden in. I do it by the Square Foot method ... anybody ever heard of that?
I also (yay!) got some writing time in, though only six pages, not my usual 10. Still, I only have about four pages left to write of this partial, and I think I can finish it up tomorrow.
Operative word there, think. I have church, a visit to my mom, and Kate's singing in the special Passover service at church tomorrow night. But I'm determined! And sleep is HIGHLY overrated!
Today I caught up on tax prep (ewww, yuck. Why CAN'T I be organized and do this expense stuff monthly), took Kate to an Easter Egg hunt and gardened. This is the first year in a while that I've actually took the trouble to put a garden in. I do it by the Square Foot method ... anybody ever heard of that?
I also (yay!) got some writing time in, though only six pages, not my usual 10. Still, I only have about four pages left to write of this partial, and I think I can finish it up tomorrow.
Operative word there, think. I have church, a visit to my mom, and Kate's singing in the special Passover service at church tomorrow night. But I'm determined! And sleep is HIGHLY overrated!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Oops ...
Okay, upon looking at my Blogroll, I find I don't have my fellow Super author Amy Knupp on there ... but you can find her at www.amyknupp.com (and no, I can't make that a live link -- remember, browser issues?).
While I'm at it, I'll tag Stephanie Bose, CP extraordinaire, and Tammy ... why not share the love and find out weird things about my buds?
While I'm at it, I'll tag Stephanie Bose, CP extraordinaire, and Tammy ... why not share the love and find out weird things about my buds?
Six to Ten Weird things about myself
Teresa has tagged me, so I guess I should honor her tag and figure out six to ten weird things about me.
I'm a fairly boring person, so I don't know that I can come up with three things, but I'll try.
Hmmm ...
Weird Fact One: I'm only 4'10" tall. That means I go through life at arm-pit level to everyone else. So PLEASE, for the vertically challenged around you, wear your anti-perspirant.
Weird Fact Two: I wear a size three and a half ladies shoe ... which means that I have a heckuva time finding shoes to wear.
Weird Fact Three: Something about my elbow, shoulder or wrist joints is super-flexible, and I can rotate my arms in a way that makes my dh gag.
Weird Fact Four: I have not very much feeling in my left big toe. I kid you not, I can't even test bath water with it.
Weird Fact Five: I'm dyscalculic. I'll let you guys look that word up. Consider it your vocabulary word of the day.
Weird Fact Six: Speaking of dictionaries, when I was little, on rainy days when I had exhausted all the books in the house, I actually DID read the dictionary. (Yes, I know I'm weird. Isn't that the point of this exercise?)
OK, that's about it. I can't think of another weird thing that wouldn't make you guys yawn with boredom. I'm back to Art Fact Sheets that are due on Feb. 22 (Happy Birthday, George Washington!) and proposals that my editor is asking for as she reads over WHERE LOVE GROWS (which is, by the way, the official title of my book that will come out in in October.)
Oh, hmmmh, I suppose I should tag some other folks. I'm on a 9.2 version of Mac OS, which means my browser is giving me fits (yes, I know, I know, I should upgrade ... but that comes after the dayjob, the writing job, the kid, the hubby and the laundry -- and notice dusting isn't mentioned ANYWHERE in that list.) So use my links to my favorite blogs to get there from here.
I tag Cindy Miles and Tanya Michaels and Amy Knupp. All three of them are probably swamped, but they'll get to it eventually.
I'm a fairly boring person, so I don't know that I can come up with three things, but I'll try.
Hmmm ...
Weird Fact One: I'm only 4'10" tall. That means I go through life at arm-pit level to everyone else. So PLEASE, for the vertically challenged around you, wear your anti-perspirant.
Weird Fact Two: I wear a size three and a half ladies shoe ... which means that I have a heckuva time finding shoes to wear.
Weird Fact Three: Something about my elbow, shoulder or wrist joints is super-flexible, and I can rotate my arms in a way that makes my dh gag.
Weird Fact Four: I have not very much feeling in my left big toe. I kid you not, I can't even test bath water with it.
Weird Fact Five: I'm dyscalculic. I'll let you guys look that word up. Consider it your vocabulary word of the day.
Weird Fact Six: Speaking of dictionaries, when I was little, on rainy days when I had exhausted all the books in the house, I actually DID read the dictionary. (Yes, I know I'm weird. Isn't that the point of this exercise?)
OK, that's about it. I can't think of another weird thing that wouldn't make you guys yawn with boredom. I'm back to Art Fact Sheets that are due on Feb. 22 (Happy Birthday, George Washington!) and proposals that my editor is asking for as she reads over WHERE LOVE GROWS (which is, by the way, the official title of my book that will come out in in October.)
Oh, hmmmh, I suppose I should tag some other folks. I'm on a 9.2 version of Mac OS, which means my browser is giving me fits (yes, I know, I know, I should upgrade ... but that comes after the dayjob, the writing job, the kid, the hubby and the laundry -- and notice dusting isn't mentioned ANYWHERE in that list.) So use my links to my favorite blogs to get there from here.
I tag Cindy Miles and Tanya Michaels and Amy Knupp. All three of them are probably swamped, but they'll get to it eventually.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
GOT MY COVER!!
Who knew a paragraph here and there would be so impossible?
Not me... but I do now, what with a book that is finally in the hands of my editor-- yay -- and then on the other hand, sheer terror!
But I did want to share my early Valentine's Day present with whomever might still be tuning in ...
Igot my cover! Isn't it a beaut? My hero looks just like Joe, and Sara looksa whole bunch like some actress that I can't place ... any guesses or isit all just in my head?
As an added plus, I'm actually on Amazon.com ... eek!
Of course, I would highly recommend you buy any online copies from, say, eHarlequin.
I am also considering doing a contest giveaway ... would anybody be open to, say, a lovely batch of Supers?
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Past the 20K mark!
I'm sure I'm boring the fire out of what few people stick their head in here ... but nightly reporting my progress on my blog keeps me honest ...
I am proud to report my CWC (computer word count) stands at 20,023! Yay! I have 93 pp, as well, which means I'm almost done with the horrid first hundred. Does anybody else have trouble with the first hundred pp?
My calculations (again, forgive me, I'm not tangling with that blasted progress bar) tell me I'm 28% done ...
Oh, and good news from three of my CPs: One has several agents VERY interested in her ... yay! She actually has an offer on the table and other agents are breaking their neck to finish up her stuff. Another has two requests on her YA project -- and it's good stuff, so yay for her! And my third CPs good news is non-writing, but let's face it, until we're all NYT best-selling authors, dayjob good news is welcome any ol' time ... she has a new job, her first in management. I know she'll do well, and that this will give her a good step up in the right direction.
So yay! Atta-girls all around!
I am proud to report my CWC (computer word count) stands at 20,023! Yay! I have 93 pp, as well, which means I'm almost done with the horrid first hundred. Does anybody else have trouble with the first hundred pp?
My calculations (again, forgive me, I'm not tangling with that blasted progress bar) tell me I'm 28% done ...
Oh, and good news from three of my CPs: One has several agents VERY interested in her ... yay! She actually has an offer on the table and other agents are breaking their neck to finish up her stuff. Another has two requests on her YA project -- and it's good stuff, so yay for her! And my third CPs good news is non-writing, but let's face it, until we're all NYT best-selling authors, dayjob good news is welcome any ol' time ... she has a new job, her first in management. I know she'll do well, and that this will give her a good step up in the right direction.
So yay! Atta-girls all around!
A quarter of the way!
OK! I now have 17, 487 little words, and according to my calculations, that means I'm 24.9% of the way! Yay!
If I can keep up this pace, I will have the rough draft done in 23 more days ... more like 25 more days, because I intend to take off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
This makes, however, the third day straight where I have fallen asleep during my goodnight snuggle with Kate ... I wake up to find it's really late, but I MUST write. So I wind up writing until one or two in the morning and then ... that next night, I repeat the cycle.
The good thing is that after tomorrow, I should have off until the first part of January, which means I can get some writing done during the day, catch up on sleep and make some headway. My wonderful dh has said he will babysit so that I can get ahead on my writing. Maybe he's tired of sleeping by the glow of the laptop?!
If I can keep up this pace, I will have the rough draft done in 23 more days ... more like 25 more days, because I intend to take off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
This makes, however, the third day straight where I have fallen asleep during my goodnight snuggle with Kate ... I wake up to find it's really late, but I MUST write. So I wind up writing until one or two in the morning and then ... that next night, I repeat the cycle.
The good thing is that after tomorrow, I should have off until the first part of January, which means I can get some writing done during the day, catch up on sleep and make some headway. My wonderful dh has said he will babysit so that I can get ahead on my writing. Maybe he's tired of sleeping by the glow of the laptop?!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Another 12 pages
My dh says be reasonable ... but reasonable to a writer with a deadline is to kick it in high gear and write while the ink is flowing. So tonight, after a Christmas dance program for Kate, supper out at Mickey D's, and baking cookies for Kate's teacher, parapro, music rotation teacher, P.E. coaches, computer rotation teacher, speech pathologist, a teacher who is next door to Kate's class AND a teacher who Kate knows (all this was Kate's idea, mind you, and I felt like a bah-humbug for wanting to say, "uhm, let's ..." so I didn't.), I got kicked into high gear and wrote an even dozen.
I'm not fooling with the progress bar, but according to my spotty math, I'm 21% done now ... a chapter a day keeps the editor saying, "Yay!"
I'm not fooling with the progress bar, but according to my spotty math, I'm 21% done now ... a chapter a day keeps the editor saying, "Yay!"
Monday, December 18, 2006
A Little Progress On The Progress Bar
Well, tinkered with the progress bar, and got it to register word count, which says I'm 17% of the way done ... onward, onward!
Sunday, December 17, 2006
A chuggin' along
OK, another nine pages done tonight ... and it's only half past midnight. If I don't get sucked into Miss Snark's Crap-o-meter, (pay no attention to the woman in the stillettos, pay NO attention to the woman in the stillettos!) I will actually get to bed at a semi-decent time.
I am still at a loss as to how to fix my little progress bar. I know how to change the numbers, but I'll be John Brown if I can figure out why the progress bar doesn't move forward like it should. Very demoralizing, I tell you. Maybe it's my browser?
Today was quite busy ... my little one had to do an encore performance of a special interpretive dance at church this morning, and she had to do it solo, without her friend. She was all tears last night, until I said, "I know you can do it, and you're going to do so well that afterwards we're going to go anywhere you'd like to for lunch."
I was expecting McDonald's or Wendy's or Burger King.
She said ... "Red Lobster."
Guess that last sale celebration I had stuck in her mind!
So toss in church (she NAILED that dance, btw! Proud mommy moment there!), the celebratory lunch afterwards, a visit to my mom's and my grandmother's and then back here for supper, bath, storytime and bed (and sleep came VERY hard for Kate tonight!) ... and I was doing good to get to my laptop by 10 p.m.
Oh, and Jenna ... they ARE trying to bankrupt us! Grandparents! Why won't they get that excited about investing in the COLLEGE fund?! I know, I know ... not any fun at all!
I am still at a loss as to how to fix my little progress bar. I know how to change the numbers, but I'll be John Brown if I can figure out why the progress bar doesn't move forward like it should. Very demoralizing, I tell you. Maybe it's my browser?
Today was quite busy ... my little one had to do an encore performance of a special interpretive dance at church this morning, and she had to do it solo, without her friend. She was all tears last night, until I said, "I know you can do it, and you're going to do so well that afterwards we're going to go anywhere you'd like to for lunch."
I was expecting McDonald's or Wendy's or Burger King.
She said ... "Red Lobster."
Guess that last sale celebration I had stuck in her mind!
So toss in church (she NAILED that dance, btw! Proud mommy moment there!), the celebratory lunch afterwards, a visit to my mom's and my grandmother's and then back here for supper, bath, storytime and bed (and sleep came VERY hard for Kate tonight!) ... and I was doing good to get to my laptop by 10 p.m.
Oh, and Jenna ... they ARE trying to bankrupt us! Grandparents! Why won't they get that excited about investing in the COLLEGE fund?! I know, I know ... not any fun at all!
Pshew! Still got it!
For various reasons that would bore most people to tears, I've suffered that dreaded writer's disorder (no, not Writer's Block ... it doesn't exist) Lifeus Interruptus. I'm sure there's a nice Latin word for Life, but for the life of me (no pun intended), I can't think of it.
But yes, life has interrupted and I've been away from my laptop for my nightly sessions. Coming back intimidated me ... would I still be able to churn out a chapter a night?
Well, tonight, I got back on the horse. Yes, I started late (10:45, after a day of cleaning, gift-wrapping and cell phone programming ... DON'T ask!), but at 1:30 a.m., I had 11 pp like I wanted 'em for now.
How I'll make it to Sunday School in the morning (er, today), I haven't a clue ... but if anybody has any toothpicks, I would appreciate it. Maybe I'll be so razzed to have the first 50 pp written (the first 38 revised per my editor's request) and written that I'll not require any toothpicks?!
But yes, life has interrupted and I've been away from my laptop for my nightly sessions. Coming back intimidated me ... would I still be able to churn out a chapter a night?
Well, tonight, I got back on the horse. Yes, I started late (10:45, after a day of cleaning, gift-wrapping and cell phone programming ... DON'T ask!), but at 1:30 a.m., I had 11 pp like I wanted 'em for now.
How I'll make it to Sunday School in the morning (er, today), I haven't a clue ... but if anybody has any toothpicks, I would appreciate it. Maybe I'll be so razzed to have the first 50 pp written (the first 38 revised per my editor's request) and written that I'll not require any toothpicks?!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Santa and the Tooth Fairy
You know, I’m cruisin’ for a bruisin’.
For the past few years, I’ve had it pretty well made when it came to Santa lore. Kate was an only child with no just-a-few-years-older cousins to muck things up … well, it made me a bit complacent. I started doing things my way.
(My dh, of course, would opine that I’ve ALWAYS done things my way, and that it’s the normal course of events.)
That “my way” part was a few clever little stitches in the tapestry of Santa’s life. Kate has never questioned that Santa only brings ONE present to each little girl and boy; after all, how else would he fit everything in his sleigh? She knows that mommies and daddies provide the rest of the kit and caboodle under the tree on Christmas morning.
She knows because that’s what I told her. It seemed like a stroke of genius at the time … I was, truth be told, sick of the Big Red Guy getting all the credit for the neat toys and so forth Christmas brings. Plus, I figured that the prospect of her losing one present from Santa would make it easier for her to come clean when she dispenses with the whole notion that Santa is … uhm, well, you know.
Now, however, she is in school. And she just might compare notes with some other little boy or girl … like she did about the Tooth Fairy.
Kate is sporting her first loose tooth. She worried about when her teeth would start falling out more than I expected … she worried because at least two other classmates already had visits from the Tooth Fairy. Naturally, she was ecstatic about having a wiggly tooth.
When I inspected that loose tooth of hers for the first time, I said, “Oooh, Kate, you’ll get a visit from the Tooth Fairy! Wow! She’ll leave you a bright shiny quarter under your pillow.”
Kate’s face got all scrunched up. She pondered that statement of mine for the longest time. Just as I started worrying that the Tooth Fairy’s visit might incite in Kate an unwelcome case of insomnia, my daughter allowed as to what was troubling her.
“Mason said that the Tooth Fairy leaves you a dollar.”
My heart did a double-skip. I did some mental digging into my brain’s databases … how many baby teeth were there? Twenty? Twenty-two? Whatever the number, that was a heckuvalotta greenbacks. No, no, a quarter would have to do.
“Uh, baby,” I said brightly, “that’s just for the FIRST tooth. You know, your FIRST tooth is a special tooth. But after that, it’s just a quarter. How else would the tooth fairy ever be able to afford to pay for all those kids’ teeth?”
I have similar visions of imminent catastrophe: some little kid, repeating the family tale he’s been told, will tell Kate that Santa brings him all manner of presents.
And that is as worrying as having to figure out just how I’ll pry that tooth out of Kate’s head when the time comes.
For the past few years, I’ve had it pretty well made when it came to Santa lore. Kate was an only child with no just-a-few-years-older cousins to muck things up … well, it made me a bit complacent. I started doing things my way.
(My dh, of course, would opine that I’ve ALWAYS done things my way, and that it’s the normal course of events.)
That “my way” part was a few clever little stitches in the tapestry of Santa’s life. Kate has never questioned that Santa only brings ONE present to each little girl and boy; after all, how else would he fit everything in his sleigh? She knows that mommies and daddies provide the rest of the kit and caboodle under the tree on Christmas morning.
She knows because that’s what I told her. It seemed like a stroke of genius at the time … I was, truth be told, sick of the Big Red Guy getting all the credit for the neat toys and so forth Christmas brings. Plus, I figured that the prospect of her losing one present from Santa would make it easier for her to come clean when she dispenses with the whole notion that Santa is … uhm, well, you know.
Now, however, she is in school. And she just might compare notes with some other little boy or girl … like she did about the Tooth Fairy.
Kate is sporting her first loose tooth. She worried about when her teeth would start falling out more than I expected … she worried because at least two other classmates already had visits from the Tooth Fairy. Naturally, she was ecstatic about having a wiggly tooth.
When I inspected that loose tooth of hers for the first time, I said, “Oooh, Kate, you’ll get a visit from the Tooth Fairy! Wow! She’ll leave you a bright shiny quarter under your pillow.”
Kate’s face got all scrunched up. She pondered that statement of mine for the longest time. Just as I started worrying that the Tooth Fairy’s visit might incite in Kate an unwelcome case of insomnia, my daughter allowed as to what was troubling her.
“Mason said that the Tooth Fairy leaves you a dollar.”
My heart did a double-skip. I did some mental digging into my brain’s databases … how many baby teeth were there? Twenty? Twenty-two? Whatever the number, that was a heckuvalotta greenbacks. No, no, a quarter would have to do.
“Uh, baby,” I said brightly, “that’s just for the FIRST tooth. You know, your FIRST tooth is a special tooth. But after that, it’s just a quarter. How else would the tooth fairy ever be able to afford to pay for all those kids’ teeth?”
I have similar visions of imminent catastrophe: some little kid, repeating the family tale he’s been told, will tell Kate that Santa brings him all manner of presents.
And that is as worrying as having to figure out just how I’ll pry that tooth out of Kate’s head when the time comes.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Printouts and Christmas Trees
Don't ask.
Yup, that's what I'd say if you asked me how my weekend was. But in order for you to fully appreciate the weekend, I guess I would have to cough up a few details.
Say, how I squeezed in the reading of a printout (double-checking for spelling and typos on THE BABY WAIT which is due back in Toronto by Dec. 15) in with putting up my Christmas tree, participating in a parade for my dayjob boss, hustling my little one to practice for the Christmas Cantata and going to her teacher's Christmas Concert.
I will say this -- during each and every event on my busy weekend calendar, I found myself saying, "Gee, I'm glad I took time for this!"
The tree was the worst chore. I'm too chintzy to buy a pre-lit tree, and I HATE putting on the lights. I usually put up my tree on the first Saturday in December. Kate would NOT let me put it off beyond Sunday. Which, I guess, was a smart move on her part. Any closer to Christmas, I would have stuck a bow on a poinsetta and said, "Ho, ho, ho ..."
No, I wouldn't have. I don't think.
Kate is big enough now to put ornaments on the tree, which is a bad thing and a good thing. The good part is that she basically did it. The bad thing is she was bored out of her skull until I could get her to that point.
Which brings me to another good/bad point: having so many ornaments. The bad part, of course, is the storing and the putting them on the tree. But the good part is that I have so many that you can't see any green on the tree when we're done (and we're talking MAMMOTH eight-footer here), so it didn't matter where Kate installed the ornaments -- it wound up looking as good as I could do it. The only thing I really did was help move the breakable ones to the top, in vain hopes that our two demon cats wouldn't trash 'em.
THe best part: it's DONE. And I got the printout read, too! Yay!
Yup, that's what I'd say if you asked me how my weekend was. But in order for you to fully appreciate the weekend, I guess I would have to cough up a few details.
Say, how I squeezed in the reading of a printout (double-checking for spelling and typos on THE BABY WAIT which is due back in Toronto by Dec. 15) in with putting up my Christmas tree, participating in a parade for my dayjob boss, hustling my little one to practice for the Christmas Cantata and going to her teacher's Christmas Concert.
I will say this -- during each and every event on my busy weekend calendar, I found myself saying, "Gee, I'm glad I took time for this!"
The tree was the worst chore. I'm too chintzy to buy a pre-lit tree, and I HATE putting on the lights. I usually put up my tree on the first Saturday in December. Kate would NOT let me put it off beyond Sunday. Which, I guess, was a smart move on her part. Any closer to Christmas, I would have stuck a bow on a poinsetta and said, "Ho, ho, ho ..."
No, I wouldn't have. I don't think.
Kate is big enough now to put ornaments on the tree, which is a bad thing and a good thing. The good part is that she basically did it. The bad thing is she was bored out of her skull until I could get her to that point.
Which brings me to another good/bad point: having so many ornaments. The bad part, of course, is the storing and the putting them on the tree. But the good part is that I have so many that you can't see any green on the tree when we're done (and we're talking MAMMOTH eight-footer here), so it didn't matter where Kate installed the ornaments -- it wound up looking as good as I could do it. The only thing I really did was help move the breakable ones to the top, in vain hopes that our two demon cats wouldn't trash 'em.
THe best part: it's DONE. And I got the printout read, too! Yay!
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