ELEVEN DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!

Well, actually eleven days until Christmas Eve. Have most of my Christmas shopping done - have the outside lights up but have done nothing to the inside. Have baking yet to do for the neighbors and not sure when I'm going to get to it - have a bunch of stuff going on this week.
Marion called me over the weekend and invited me to a luncheon tomorrow at the Rainier Golf & Country Club. Haven't seen her since our wedding. Three other gals I haven't seen since Larry and I divorced are also going to be there - 25 years! Will be fun. They don't know I'm coming. Marion also called to ask if she could copy my Xmas letter and send out to various friends. Way flattering. I've had five or six people now either call, email or send me a note telling me how much they enjoyed the Christmas letter.
Have critique Wednesday - have written nothing, so nothing to bring to that - huh . . . maybe the Christmas letter? Have critique Thursday - will take Chapter 17 - that will be the last meeting for that group until January.
Thursday evening the Arts Commission is meeting for dinner at Mama Sortini's and Friday night we're going to JazzBones to hear Maia - then maybe either Puyallup or Auburn after that to dance.
Guess I'm going to have to start moving faster!!!

Have been thinking (as usual) about SAH and I'm thinking I need to set up more conflict - so instead of Nick telling Tina "no thanks" I'm going to have him meet her later - Katie is going to think he's hanging around and Harry also warns him about getting tangled up with Tina again. But - she's got that magnetic power Nick finds so hard to resist.
Have so much revising to do on this book it's scary. Absolutely have to set a writing schedule for myself and STICK TO IT. THAT'S GOING TO BE MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION!!!!

Snow, snow, go away . . .

Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the snow is still on the ground and the bitter cold is still with us . . . BUT, the sun is out and it's supposed to start raining and warm up tomorrow. Yeah!! Rich went into work today - said roads weren't bad - I remain a winter wuss - namely a snow and ice wuss, thus I will remain in my little warm house.
No critique today - actually wasn't planning to go anyway because as stated above . . .
So I shall write. All is quiet here, desk is cleared and organized once again, house is clean, wash is done - I have no excuses left. Chapter 18 will be completed by this evening. Must take the time to read through entire book thus far and find all those loose ends I've let dangle. Events have happened throughout this book that I didn't see coming. While I feel I'm staying on track, there are happenings that should lead to something else that I don't feel I've gone full circle on yet. Much work to be done!!
FINALLY received my postcard back from Writer's Digest Short Short contest stating they received my entry. Was beginning to wonder as had heard nothing, check hadn't been cashed, etc. Have a feeling they received hundreds, if not thousands of entries. Not holding my breath for any amazing results.

Would like to begin Christmas shopping this weekend - Friday will be wild. Snow will be pretty much gone and everyone and their dog will be out there, not only because that's normally the biggest shopping day of the year, but now because of the snow, everyone has cabin fever - may just do a local yocal thing - or wait until Sat.
For now it's into the shower and then writing. Ta-da.

It's Snowing!!!

Perfect day for writing. Yesterday was the first snowfall of the season. But, alas it was all gone by noon. A dusting appeared around 4:30, then the temperature dropped and we awakened to the same, now frozen, dusting. However it started snowing again around 9:30 this morning - big, fluffy flakes and I supposed we may have an inch or two on the ground. Rich left for work around 8:00 - streets were bare - not the case now. It's now going on 11:00 and it's still snowing, although not nearly as hard. According to the weather report, the sun will come out tomorrow (sounds like a song title) and then it's supposed to warm up and rain for the remainder of the week. Hope so, because we're headed for Snoqualmie Ridge for TG on Thursday.
Anyway, as said, it's a perfect day for writing. Wish Rich was home. Worry about him driving home tonight. Hope he leaves early. Doubt this stuff is going to melt before nightfall.
Want to finish Chapter 18 before Wednesday critique. Need to bring Harry back in the picture - have maybe eight more pages to write . . . so better get busy!!

Monday Again . . .

Boy the weekends go fast. It would seem since I'm no longer working outside the home, that weekends would just blur into the week days - but I think since Rich is still working, there are still weekends. Probably always will be since that is our social time.
Debating whether to go see the doctor for this weird stuff going on with my body - similar to the residual from migranes, but no longer have the headaches. However, it's keeping me from sleeping and feeling good. Strange stuff. Should probably go and at least ask a few questions since it's been going on since Oct 30th. May have to take a nap since I didn't go to bed last night until 3:00, then woke up at 4:30 with an anxiety attack - read until 5:15 - blood pressure high - went back to bed and crashed until 9:00 this morning.

However, through it all, I did manage to get 5 pages written on Chapter 18 last night before midnight, and reading it over today, not bad either. Would like to get the chapter finished by Tuesday night so I'll have it for critique on Wednesday.

Have much rewriting to do on the first 15 chapters, and must admit am putting that off - am even putting off reading it. One of these days.

Must get back to my desk. . .

Holidays are approaching!!

Here it is November 12 - and we're (family) making plans for TG and Xmas . . . and New Years already. Rich really wants to go to Las Vegas for New Years. It would be fun, but without knowing anyone there, or going down with another couple or two (which would really be fun), I'm having trouble getting up for it. It sounded like a good idea in the beginning - in fact it was definately a "yes, let's do it." But the more time I have to think about it, the less appealing it sounds. We're not gamblers . . . but there are all the shows and big New Years Eve dances and parties. But there's also the hassel of getting there (airports I'm not into, particularily during the holidays). Then there's the hassel of finding our way around, where to go and how to get there . . . am I sounding like too much of a bah humbuger? Hum-m-m . . .
Sad day, Friday - Dave Neuhause, voice of the Mariners died suddenly of a heart attack. Whole city is grieving. He was really something.

Chris W. is participating in nanowrimo and has written around 25,000 words since
Nov 1!!! How does she do that??? It takes me a week to write 10,000 - and most of the time I don't do that. I'm pooped out or out of ideas after 4 pages - have to talk to her about that.
Am on chapter 18 of Harry - have decided there may be a sequel to this book. Was thinking about it the other day, and keeping Harry around for another book or two seems like a good idea. First I'd better concentrate on finishing this first one.

Sunday - November 14 - Whew . . . Rich announced this morning that he thinks maybe I'm right about rethinking the Las Vegas trip. I just smiled and said I thought he was right (sort of letting him think it was his idea to cancel) - there would be a goodly amount of money spent had we gone in that direction and I probably wouldn't have minded if we knew for sure it wouldn't be a disappointment. Our "get-away" to eastern WA this summer was a total disappointment, and I'm not in the mood for seconds. Anyway, now we're talking Portland - taking the train down, which would be fun - there's some type of NY Eve bash going on down there - so will call tomorrow and see if tickets are still available. Rich has asked for 4 days off, so would be fun.
Need to totally get organized with my time, writing, life. Waste entirely too much time goofing off at the computer - get nothing done around the house - need to completely clean out my closet, get rid of a bunch of stuff - need to paint the office and our bedroom. Need to finish doing some cute things I have in mind for the TV room - and we need to do some major upgrading to the main bathroom. Then . . . I HAVE TO LOSE SOME WEIGHT!! Ugh. And I need to finished this book!!! Think I'll start early on my new year's resolutions.

And now here it is the 15th (tomorrow) of November - we have about 6 more weeks left in 2010. Where in the hell did the year go??

November?? Are you sure?

Okay, so the year is passing me by and I didn't even know I was standing still. Today is November 1, the beginning to Nanowrimo - I was actually toying with the idea of attempting this this year - the idea being to write 50,000 words between November 1 and 30. Have actually nothing in mind and really should be working on Harry. I'm still at the Halloween party at the B & B and Nick's ex-wife shows up - the plot thickens. Have to go back and rework a lot of this book, and just keep putting it off for whatever reason - under the microscope it looks like fear of tons of work. And probably the microscope isn't lying.
The Authors Event, Write In The Valley, went well. Lots of work, but worth it, I think. Another new critique group evolved from it - all very young, new writers.
Finished a short story to enter in the Writer's Digest Short-Shorts contest. Both critique groups have looked at it, so will mail that off this week. Election Day tomorrow - so glad that's over.
Ugly, rainy, chilly day today. Supposed to be nice the rest of the week however. Good day to stay home and write.
And that's what I'm going to do upon closure of this!!!

Where did July go?

August 1st - and we've barely had summer - good weather didn't begin until July 5 and we're still not having a steller summer, although no rain, thank god! Have enough of that in the winter.
I've shamefully not been writing much for the past several months. Dug out Winter's Edge and have worked some on that, but nothing like 12 chapters or something. It's not writer's block - actually don't really think there is such a thing - I think writer's block is pretty much either laziness, or lack of stimulus or the book is going in the wrong direction or wrong character - and the subconscience holds up both scrawny hands and says STOP. And until the brain catches up with that, you're stuck - anyway, my problem is lack of something that pushes me to discipline myself to writing "X" number of pages a day.
I've also begun to think I need some changes in my life - maybe a new hobby - read in the paper today about collecting glass shards from the ocean. This would be fun . . . if I lived close to the ocean. Unfortunately, we don't. I suggested "birding" to Richard - he laughed. Not sure I'd really stick to that for long either. Last time I felt this way I quit smoking and met Richard. Those were BIG changes. Not sure that's what I have in mind. Collecting something always interests me, however. But have no idea what I would collect. Would be fun to get a couple of kittens - but Kaluha would HATE that. He'd be tramatized. So I'll keep thinking. Maybe I'll take some kind of class this fall.
Meantime - I've done little or nothing on Something about Harry all summer, and actually haven't done much on Winter. Hum-m-m - where'd I hide that discipline?
Guess I need to post notes to myself. Have to do something to jump start myself.

A Better Day

Except for the fact that I'm worried about Davin - and hopefully that will go away within the next 48 hours - I think it's going to be a better day.

Started writing again yesterday!!! Haven't done much of that for the past month. It's called recovering from "Nadineism." Hate it when I let her do that to me. But, I'm back to Chapter 17 of SAH, and it's going pretty well. Haven't thought much about what happens in the book after that, but guess I'll deal with that when I get there.

No critique groups this week - Renton Writers broke for the summer last week - won't meet again until September; the Wednesday group only had two members who were going to be in town this week, so we cancelled - critiquing with two isn't productive. It actually has been a nice break - think I needed that as opposed to scrambling two days before to get something prepared to read. Don't like to show up empty handed. Anyway, if I can stay a couple of chapters ahead, that will make me happy. Still would like to finish that book by Sept. or Oct. -

Golfed with the league yesterday - had a fun time - would love to go golfing again today, but don't really have anyone to go with and don't like going alone. Maybe if Rich gets home early, we can run out and play 9 holes.
Meantime, I'll get back to writing.

Getting Organized . . . still

Spent a great deal of yesterday going through crap on my desk, tossing, organizing into categories, more tossing. Found about 6 different versions of SAH - good grief. Have had too many people looking at it, I think. Have reached the point where I'm totally trusting my gut. If I like a particular scene, phrase, word - it stays, if I don't it goes. I was going to change the first chapter - do a complete rewrite - but have changed my mind. I like the book opening with the cat, and it's staying. Cleaned out a bunch of files, sorted through those and got things up-to-date. Now if I can just keep it this way - well, even as I write that, I know that isn't going to happen. I'll be doing this same thing all over 6 months from now. Ah well . . .
Right now (hopefully temporarily) I've sort of lost interest in Harry. Have taken a couple of chapters of WINTER'S EDGE to my Wednesday critique (for lack of anything new to bring on the Harry book), and unfortunately have gotten really interested in it again. Problem is, I only have 4 chapters written on it which means I either have to get busy and get back to Harry, or write a new chapter (5) for Winter's Edge. Am also working on stuff for the Authors Event in September (we've renamed it WRITE IN THE VALLEY - Chapter 2)- have done mock-ups for a flyer - worked on that all day Friday.
Rain again - the entire month of June - and looking ahead at the 10 day forecast, it's more rain and chilly. We're not going to have much of a summer I don't think. We're wearing sweat shirts to golf in and sweaters during the day. Crummy.
Mike is taking Rich to brunch for Father's Day - so guess I'll write. Rainy days are good for that.

Found a flaw

It's now June, and the drippy, overcast weather continues. We've been on the deck so far maybe twice, have golfed in drizzle and peek-a-boo sun - am so ready for warm weather and continuous sunny days!!
Discovered a huge flaw in the book - how I didn't see this before, I have no idea - think when I rush to get a chapter or scene done for critique on Wednesdays, I only write to have something compelling to read, without planning it out - it's called writing by the seat of your pants. My bad!
Anyway, I have stated in something like chapter 13 or 14, via my character Sara, Katie's mother, that for the past year, Harry has used one of the computers at the bookstore, supposedly to do genealogy. HOWEVER - in chapter two I have Katie reminding us of one of Harry's pet peeves: Harry hated the Internet and computers, thus he would NEVER have gone to the bookstore and used a computer. So, chapter 17 has to go. Also, have begun a "scissors in hand" editing job on the entire book - I'm currently ready to start a new chapter 17, and will go straight to the Halloween party - thinking this needs to be a big turning point in the book. Strange things need to happen, and Harry isn't necessarily the cause of them. Nick is approached by someone at the party about selling the B & B and decides he will; puts up for sale sign - Katie's furious. However, meantime Nick realizes before this place can sell, he needs to do some serious work on it as more and more things begin to break, etc. Prior to the party Harry tells Nick about Anna's journal (that has yet to be found) and that there are bonds or money or something hidden within the walls of that house. I think I also need to go back and have Katie find Harry's notes in the back of the ledger - then later, those pages are missing.
Also, I need to have Snoop drop something else at Nick's doorstep - maybe the torn out pages of the ledger with Harry's notes.
Have to bring more mystery into the book about that house and have to go back and bring in more sexual tension between Nick and Katie.
Have lots of work to do on that book!!!!! Can I finish it before September? Only if I write on it EVERY day.

Time to get organized

Ya know, I promised myself Nadine wouldn't stop me - sent her a letter backing out of our critique by mail thing, thought I was moving on . . . and what's happening, I haven't written a thing for two weeks!!!
I didn't even go to Wednesday critique yesterday - made a doctor appointment which interrupted that time slot - normally would have worked the doctor appointment around critique. In the back of my mind I keep thinking: what if she's right? - and then I kick myself for thinking that. So in the meantime, I'm entering Rich's memoir into his computer - editing and rewriting in places.
Tomorrow I will get back to Harry. And one of these days, I will sit down and read the book all the way through - to where I am. Judge for myself if I need more. I do this with other people's work all the time - maybe I'm terrified I'll find I need to add lots more and that's going to freak me out.

Adding a twist

Mailed the letter to Nadine Friday - she should have received it either Saturday or today. Have heard nothing from her - but doubt the silence will hold. She's not the suffer (sulk) in silence type. So we'll see - meantime . . . have figured out (I think) what my story twist will be at this stage of the book. Have established that Nick has visited The Secret Bookstore in Westbay numerous times in the past 10 days, but has only stopped at the B & B once. Katie discovers this when she stops at the bookstore to leave something with her mother. Sara (Katie's mother) doesn't tell her that Nick has inquired about a promise Harry made to her, lest Katie think Sara is meddling in her business, however we discover later that that's one of the reasons Nick stopped in the second time. Since then he's been using one of the computers at the bookstore to get into Harry's geneology search site. Harry gave him the password. Note: It occurred to me: why then, if he has the password, wouldn't he use a computer closer to home? Decided Harry has fixed it so the password only works on the bookstore computer.
Nick's curious about what Harry's been searching for.
While on the computer, Nick also does some research on realtors. He's thinking more and more about selling the B & B.
Am also thinking, the night of the Halloween party, someone approaches Nick about selling the B & B. Not sure which idea I'll go with yet.

Ahhh - sigh of relief

Sunday afternoon - Finishing the letter to Nadine has taken a huge weight off my shoulders. Feel 100% better and am ready to move forward once again. She has indeed been helpful at times however, weighing that against the destruction she also does wasn't worth trying to salvage this critique venture. I tried that once before (in January) - things improved for a while, then went back to her usual viciousness. Don't need it.
So now I need to pull a chapter or at least a scene together by Wednesday morning for chapter 17. Originally I had 17, 18, & 19 written, but reading them over, I now realize they go nowhere and actually add nothing. Will dump them in the "dead chapter " file and start fresh.

A new day, a new decision

Late Sat. night - Well, I let Nadine do it to me again. She has the ability to stop me cold, and the last time she did this years ago, I stopped writing on a very good book, and I've never gone back to it. I vowed I would never let her do that to me again. But . . . she did and I did!!! So after two days of doubting myself, feeling awful, I finally sat down and drafted a letter to her. I'll tweak it, and probably do some editing, but I intend to type it up and mail it along with her last chapter.
Essentially, I'm cutting bait. She doesn't critique, she shreds. It's been obvious for some time she doesn't like my book and that's okay, I don't really care, but at least critique fairly. And she doesn't, can't or whatever. So will tell her this is no longer working for me and why. Then I'm done with it. I've taken the high road for months, but it's become wearing.
Just making that decision has made me feel like a huge weight has been lifted.
Yeah - now I can get back to writing.

Have I hit a wall?

My worst fear is Nadine is right. Do I have enough story to carry the book for 22 more chapters? I need something big to happen about now. I need to establish some history about that house, Nick's ancestors? Harry's connection to it all.
I'm dumping the first chapter, starting with something new - how much of a trickledown effect will that have on the entire book.
The eternal question: why didn't I plan this out better?
Ugggggggggg!!!!

Revelation between the eyes

Thursday - May 13 afternoon - just ran off all chapters I have finished, sixteen of them, and did a word count - HELP - I don't write long chapters - they are generally from 1500 words to 3025 words - totaling it all up I come up with around 34,500 words! I need around 80,000. So that means I have to come up with around 46,000 more words, or around 22 more chapters.
God, I will never finish with this book. I figure even if I write a chapter a week from here on out I won't finish this book until about mid-October. I was hoping to finish by the end of August. Not going to happen if I maintain the same pace I'm keeping now. Am really going to have to buckle down!!!!

Wed's midnight thoughts in Thur's daylight

Thursday - May 13 - am rethinking my first chapter. As it stands, it's probably too slow, doesn't pull the reader in fast enough and, although it gives a picture of the premise, albeit somewhat blurred, it needs to be much stronger. I wrote that first chapter years ago. It's gone through numerous tweakings, even rewrites, but not a complete "dump and start over." I've revamped the rest of the book A LOT - added more characters, added more plot, subplot - two critique groups LOVE it - but again, they get to read it in fits and starts. Would (could) they catch the overall flow of the book?
In rereading my old chapters 15 - 19 - I'm dumping them. Nothing much happens. And I'm to a point where something dramatic, shocking, surprising, 90 degree turn thing, has to happen.
EEEEEkkkkkkkkk - pulling my hair!!! Writing is work!!!

May thoughts and wraps . . .

Wednesday's critique group met today - good group. Involved, committed, good writers striving to be great writers. Oncoming summer will bring spasmodic attendance for some because of vacations, travel etc. Read chap. 16 - was well received. Forging on to 17.