Friday, February 26, 2010

*Sigh* The Blahs

I definitely have the blahs. I have found it very hard to get back on track since going on a mini-vacation up to visit my family.

I think it is the pressure. They all know now that I want to write, SO they want to know when I am going to get a book published. As if it were that easy. Then the self-doubts start piling in. What if I never get anything published? What will they think of me? Am I wasting my time? Why on earth did I ever tell them?

Don't get me wrong, I have the most wonderful and supportive family in the world. That is the problem. I don't want to disappoint them.

Hmmm... "I won't think about it today, I'll think about it tomorrow."

M

Saturday, February 13, 2010

New Toys

I will never be an e-reader. I just love books too much. I love the feel of the pages as I flip through them. I love being able to fold down the page when I pause for the night. I love the treasures that I have read lining up across my book shelf. You just can't curl up on the sofa all snuggly with a computer. I've tried. Doesn't work for me.

All of that leads us to my point. I got some fun new and used books off of Amazon that I hope are going to assist in the development of my writing, and I thought I would share them with you:

1. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms. Fun!!!

2. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters. It was the 'Other Monsters' part that caught my attention.

3. Romance Writer's Phrase Book - what romance writer wouldn't want this?

4. How to Write Romances - well, you gotta start somewhere don't you?

Do I think these books will lead me to fame and fortune? Probably not, but they will be great additions to my book shelf.

Also, let me give a shout out to my wonderful critique group. You ladies are making me a better writer and your input is more valuable than any book or writing course!

M

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Self-evaluation Time

Wow. Is the first week of February gone already? My mom always says time flies the older you get. I think she is right on target about that.

So I was thinking it is time to take a little break and review my goal list to see where I stand:

Write daily - Wish I could say that is what I am doing, but alas, it is so easy to find other things to do. If I was writing daily, I would probably have another half finished ms on my hands. I need to remember that.

Brush up on style and grammar - I am still working on the copy-editing course that Mezzo Magazine is putting me through. I think that I am learning a lot from that course. It isn't as easy as I thought it would be. There are tests.

Submit - I am. Not to a publisher yet, but I have submitted to a couple of pitch contests, the Chase the Dream Contest (twice), and I am trying to keep up with some of the HQ 1,000 word prompt challenges.

Patience - is a virtue.

Read - I am a little behind on this. I plan to rectify that in a few minutes with the new Paula Graves book I picked up yesterday.

Out of writing closet - I can say I really have completed this task. Being published on Mezzo Magazine really helped this one. I was so excited that I shared it with everyone I could, including my hubby, parents and best friend. All of which did not have a clue I was even interested in writing. They are all so supportive, I wish I would have told them sooner.

Not too shabby, me thinks! Last, but not least I am so pleased to have joined a critique group on-line. They are a great group of ladies and I am learning so much from them already. I like a group versus one partner because there are several different points of views to work off of.

It's a good thing. Now, off to relax and read. Go Colts - you got this!

M