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.