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Category: Proposal

Friday, already?

The blooms on that tree are lovely, but why must we have all this heat?

The week has flown! Finished the art sheets yesterday and submitted them. I was at the end of the synopsis last night as I went to bed. As soon as I turned off the laptop and the lights, I saw what I needed to do for the ending. Usually, I just repeat what I need to remember over and over and assume it’s stuck in the wrinkles of my brain. For once, I actually got out a notebook and wrote everything down by the light of my phone. Here’s hoping I can read it this morning!

I’ll need to edit the synopsis again because it’s long, and I have to finish the last of three chapters for the synopsis, but I’m on the cusp of submitting! Then–back to the story I was working on when I stumbled upon the Medical Blitz in early February. I LOVE that story, but I realize after a month of letting it sit, that it needs some big work.

I’m also supposed to do yoga and lunch with a friend, but my car has a nail in the tire. I’m starting to despair over my car that’s barely a year old. The windshield has cracked twice. One tire went when I ran over a razor blade. (Who leaves a razor blade in a Target parking lot?) And now, I’ve run over a nail. The husband asked me why I did that. I was going to get all surly with him, but he offered to have it repaired for me, so I kept my yap shut! (Sort of.) Anyway, if my car gets home in time for yoga and lunch, I’m going out!

Hoping to have this proposal ready to submit by Monday!

Wishing you a happy weekend!

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Writers can work anywhere!

Not my favorite office!

And today, I’m working at a car dealership. I have some sort of oil–something–valve–who’sit problem that is apparently going to take three or more hours to repair. I’d pretty much trade this laptop for a string cheese, which I could have brought with me, but I had no idea the above-mentioned problem would require 3-4 hours!

Also doing art sheets for my next Heartwarming, which comes out in October. Right now, it’s called Jason and Fleming, but it’s a Scrooge-themed story, so I’ll probably try to find a title based on that. Sadly, I wrote the book about 11 months ago, and I don’t remember it, so I’m having to read it. Pieces are coming back. but the whole story refuses to unfurl in my mind, so I think I’m going to have to read the whole thing–which is too bad, since my editor will soon be sending revisions. Just have to read and not touch. (I’m unable to avoid fixing some rather stiff writing here and there, but I won’t be fooling with big things that my editor may or may not have a problem with.)

Also editing my proposal synopsis. I’m feeling a little stressed because I wanted to have the proposal in by now–but I definitely believe in quality over speed. And–I somehow lost track of the date, so the art sheets are due tomorrow. I probably need to focus on them today.

Or I may walk two miles to the nearest eatery!

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I have a synopsis!

I spy unattended toys!

As I told friends, I could disappear forever into the plotholes, and it’s so rough, I could lop off a limb on the jagged edges, but I’m about to go edit–and that’s when magic happens–when you see what you have, and how your unconscious has been plotting behind your back. I know a story/synopsis is working when I start to see things circling back–motivation, emotion. The story starts weaving itself together.

Very busy around our house. As you can see, Georgie loves when babies come to visit!

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Monday, Monday!

Writing Assistant, Fiddle-faddling!

What are you doing this Monday?

My proposal underwent major surgery this past week and weekend. I excised an especially insistent secondary character and got to the heart of some emotion. And I enjoyed it. A little over a year ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes after a particularly nasty bout of DKA that apparently addled my brains. I’ve had the worst wrestling matches with writing since then, but in the past month or so, I can actually feel my brain working the way I need it to. Juggling storylines and motivation.

So–this proposal may be rejected, too, but I’m enjoying putting it together. For the past two years I’ve seriously considered not writing ever again because it hasn’t been just hard. I like hard work. It’s been baffling. I’ve had 21 books published, but the ones in these past two years have been like every day punching through luxuriantly thick drapery. I thought I no longer knew what I was doing. Now I think sugar-addled brains are not as adept at critical thinking.

So–back to work. Unlike my writing assistant. He’s taking a break!

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Hello, Random Monday!

I’m not as slackadaisical as I look. I’ve been revising a proposal, and I decided to focus on that before I came back to blogging, post-holidays. I finished the changes and mailed the proposal mere moments ago, so here I am again!

(Pardon this tangent, but while I’m writing this, I’m watching a movie, and I fear one of my favorite actors is about to expire. I hate when that happens.)

Not a lot to report since last I blogged. We had company for the holidays, which was wonderful. We played tons of Taboo and Harry Potter Uno, and we made the traditional holiday trek to Cheesecake Factory for the pumpkin cheesecake. I actually only had a bite of my daughter’s pumpkin cheesecake, because I switched to a slab of chocolate cake at the last possible moment. It was so worth the calories. Seriously.

Have you noticed the lighthouse up there on the right? I wonder if it also makes you weep with joy? My daughter and my husband gave it to me. The second I saw it, I spewed some projectile tears of joy. Every morning of the early years of my life, I looked out my bedroom window and saw that lighthouse. I seem to have taken a crooked photo of it, but I still wanted to share it. Someday, I’ll post a level pic, but for now, you should gaze in wonder. And if you find you’d like an amazing artist to do something as beautiful for you, you might want to take a peek at Margalena Lepore’s website.

My next writing task–I’m going to edit the rest of the book to match the changes to the proposal. It’s a little worrisome that I’ve added over 20 pages already. Gotta keep an eye on that word-o-meter!

It’s nice to be back!

 

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Random Return

Here we go again?

You know how you fall out of the habit of blogging, and then it’s hard to start over? And then it’s easier to not blog, because how can you catch up? That’s what happened.

So–in no particular order, random stuff!

I loved watching the royal wedding. Loved it. Every second was filled with something lovely. The music–amazing! The happiness–touching! England on a cloudy day–heaven!

I’m also hooked on reality TV. How’d it happen? I wouldn’t be so embarrassed if I’d fallen a decade ago, when most folks with this affliction tumbled. I had to wait till now. Top Chef, ANTM (I am so not girly–can’t begin to explain it), Deadliest Catch (Obviously–snow, ice, water–I’m there.), Bethenney Ever After (the girl’s influence, but Bethenny is so kind and she doesn’t hide her flaws), and now, The Adam Levine Show. Oops, I mean The Voice. I’m joking cause Adam Levine is so freakishly beautiful! But this is a great show!

It’s after midnight and I’m having a random dream of apple crisp and homemade vanilla ice cream.

Better than apple pie and ice cream, we’re going to have a low of 36 degrees tonight. As a random gift from nature, I get to wear my favorite fuzzy jammies one more time.

Finally, yesterday’s storms didn’t carry off the roof. I was at the grocery store when those clouds up there blew in. I kind of wondered if last Wednesday was starting over again. Just a little rain and thunder. No big thing!

So–gonna go get today’s 1500 words. I have a writing challenge with some friends. Gotta report in. I’d better report some words, not some excuses!

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Compartments

I’m not very good at keeping things in compartments. I’ve been keeping my greatest focus on producing a proposal. So–last night I noticed that my cat seems to think the carpet looks best with a fine sheen of gray fur. And when I was walking, I was so busy planning my snopes that I didn’t notice it was raining till I got home and looked in the mirror. My hair is enthusiastically curly, but forty-five minutes in a misty rain, and I looked like Mary Pickford in a panic attack. Not so much ringlets as Medusa-like coils. Today, I only remembered to change out of jammies after the beloved quizzed me on whether I planned to before dinner.

Hmmm.

But I’m loving this story, and I’m having fun! Work can be a beautiful thing, and I’m ecstatic it keeps busting out of its compartment!

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Emerging…

from the pain of a rejection. I know it’s part of this business. I know I’m a professional, and I can get it right, but I’m frustrated when I get it wrong more than once. And I’ve managed to get it not-right-enough three times. I was already in something of a crisis of confidence, and this hasn’t helped.

But–you either pick yourself up and move on, or you give up and refuse to grow. I’ve been picking myself up. I want to grow. The worst part has been the certainty that the lovely editor I’ve been working with will tire of my efforts as I’ve kept getting it not-right-enough. Can you say counter-productive?

The last thing you need in your head when you’re trying to write bigger and better and free up your own emotions so that you can create a literal bath of emotion for a reader is a small voice going, “but, is this right? Is this going to be so wrong that she’s going to ask you to lose her email address?” Not very freeing, is it?

No.

Last night I started Chapter 1, v. 3. I’m not proud of being on v. 3, but v.3 is closer than anything I’ve produced in my trek toward a new line. Even I can tell that. So, I’m not going to rattle on here for too long. I have v. 3 to expand!

Growing is much nicer than nagging away at my self with doubt!

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Proposed!–and French Versions

The proposal is back with the lovely editor! I’m planning to read and swim and read and maybe read a little. I might squeeze in a movie. Or I might read.

Not that I’m giddy. Of course, the moment I hit the send button, the doubt piranha began pecking away, but I’m tossing them tofu. I so hope it’s right this time. Barring that, I hope it’s close enough that I haven’t annoyed the lovely editor! 🙂

I always envy writers who send a ms., feeling gleeful because they know it’s a great book (or proposal). I never feel that way, but I do feel I managed to beat down the doubts. I didn’t waste time overthinking. (Hope I shouldn’t have taken more time with that.) And I tried to follow the editor’s suggestions. And it’s back in a timely fashion.

My question now is tough. Do I look through the 90-some pages I’ve written on this book or do I start a new idea? Could do both!

And–on a tangent, see the book over there? It’s the French version of Temporary Father. I love that story–so ecstatic the French picked it up. And don’t they have amazing, too-beautiful covers?

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Earlyish Monday

Just after midnight on Monday, and I’ve made an uncalculated error. I fell asleep, and then everyone else in the house headed for bed and made noise. Being the Queen of Insomnia, I may be awake for the duration after a fortifying hour of sleep. So–I’ve got Moulin Rouge on the DVD player. Jim Broadbent is dancing to Nirvana, and I’m going to edit my unruly pages till I begin to sense sleepiness. Sleepiness is a wonderful thing. I think. I don’t really remember.

Isn’t Ewan McGregor lovely?

Right now, my ms. is at 8,515 words. There are sparse spots and spots where apparently, I was uncontent to make a point once when three or four less than subtle efforts would more than over-suffice. I’m at the unfortunate stage where I’m wondering–is this conflict enough? Too much?

Turns out exercise is vital to restraining self-doubt. First, and possibly most important, you can’t edit on a laptop in a pool if you actually prefer not to risk water damage. And a few moments or forty-five allow even the angstiest among us to back off and stop with the over-thinking.

Unfortunately, 12:36 in the a.m. is too early or late to throw oneself and one’s compulsions into the pool. I’ll just have to listen to my gut.

Happy earlyish Monday to all folks eager to be at their work!

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