Finding Time

I can understand why many people don't actually become published until their kids are grown and gone. I imagine many of them are in enclosed atmospheres like I am. This house is livable - but still so small that it's impossible to get away from everyone and be able to work … well, not impossible, but mighty rough to organize.

I've been editing my first book to get it ready to present at a convention or send to agents soon. And last night I was working on a chapter - really going at it good. Only I couldn't finish the chapter because my son wanted to go to bed. Upstairs there's my studio and his bedroom - two really small rooms across from one another. He claims the light bothers him - I say shut his door - he says the light bothers him still from under the door. Well, that's bull. I'm pretty sure it was hubby talking more than son at that point.

Anyway, I had to quit before finishing the chapter and that hasn't helped my confidence at being able to make the writing thing work. I always get this. And mind you, the family should not have felt any neglect at this time - I had already spent a lot of time with them - my husband and I had a lot of alone time before hand - and the kids had a wonderful weekend.

But I did get a lot of work done last night in the time I had to me - did a lot of brainstorming for a direct marketing letter, messed with getting files in order, and then much of that chapter edited - and it turned out to be heavy editing. Not changing anything, just heavy revisions. More than just a quick spelling and punctuation correction run.

I thought I would rest a little and watch tv and then work a bit more on something once hubby went to bed. And he went to bed, but not to sleep. Kept clapping his hands and hollaring at me to get back there. He had a headache and his chest hurt a little and stomache's upset, so he was needy. He's got to learn how to eat just a little for supper and not as much as he can fit in! … and get some excersize.

Anyway, today isn't as smooth as I hoped, but I'll still get a little copywriting done - research gathered, and maybe some fiction work. Not sure what yet. The kids are home so I might just get to go to the studio and edit a little more tonight. In order to make the progress I want I really need to commit four hours a night to it - but my family life just doesn't allow that yet. I'm working on that.

I do have about an hour's worth of agent name gathering done. Next I'll sort them, crossing off the one's that don't cater to my genre and who aren't reliable. Hopefully, I'll still end up with at least five I can submit to.

Brainstorming

Ever since the divebombing, I've accomplished more brainstorming than anything in different areas - working on storylines, plotlines, what happens where, etc.

God help me - I've come up with another book. Take the prince falls in love with the pheasant cliche and give it a twist. I don't believe what I'm thinking of has been done before. I'm putting it in my idea file. Let's face it - I don't have time right now to work on it.

But I'm pathetic. I couldn't think of anything to write and just wanted to sit out and work ... so I wrote "When you piss a god off and he drops you back to earth in the woods, it's not pleasant." I ended up with five handwritten pages from that. Looks like either a prologue or part one to a story. I'm shooting for a story, novella at the most from it. Was really surprised where it went though.

I managed to buy another cheap printer - makes great manuscript pages. Went with the one that took cheaper cartridges. Should have known better. I'm almost out. It doesn't last long. And it is terrible in color. Lexmark brand. Now I see why some people said they won't buy them. But my last one was a Lexmark and was great - black lasted forever and it makes great color copies. Kind of thought this one would be too. Thankfully, it's a cheapo. I'm shopping around for the more expensive models. Hubby, the computer professional, wants me to get a really good one - but I've said not until I sell the novel or get the good copywriting jobs in. That will be my first reward for carrying out the writing goal.

Writing thought lately - Props.
I'm great on setting, character and such, but on studying a few other authors I realize I don't use many visual props. You know, the special ring you notice on someone's hand, the particular style of hat that's unique. Those things that if you see them again later, you know what character they are attached to - and they provide the clues to something being up.

Brainstorming

Ever since the divebombing, I've accomplished more brainstorming than anything in different areas - working on storylines, plotlines, what happens where, etc.

God help me - I've come up with another book. Take the prince falls in love with the pheasant cliche and give it a twist. I don't believe what I'm thinking of has been done before. I'm putting it in my idea file. Let's face it - I don't have time right now to work on it.

But I'm pathetic. I couldn't think of anything to write and just wanted to sit out and work ... so I wrote "When you piss a god off and he drops you back to earth in the woods, it's not pleasant." I ended up with five handwritten pages from that. Looks like either a prologue or part one to a story. I'm shooting for a story, novella at the most from it. Was really surprised where it went though.

I managed to buy another cheap printer - makes great manuscript pages. Went with the one that took cheaper cartridges. Should have known better. I'm almost out. It doesn't last long. And it is terrible in color. Lexmark brand. Now I see why some people said they won't buy them. But my last one was a Lexmark and was great - black lasted forever and it makes great color copies. Kind of thought this one would be too. Thankfully, it's a cheapo. I'm shopping around for the more expensive models. Hubby, the computer professional, wants me to get a really good one - but I've said not until I sell the novel or get the good copywriting jobs in. That will be my first reward for carrying out the writing goal.

Writing thought lately - Props.
I'm great on setting, character and such, but on studying a few other authors I realize I don't use many visual props. You know, the special ring you notice on someone's hand, the particular style of hat that's unique. Those things that if you see them again later, you know what character they are attached to - and they provide the clues to something being up.