IWW Update

Okay, so I've been participating in the IWW (the link I posted last time) for about a week now. I love it. You've got to try it. Especially the 'Practice Write' bit, which is really fun and has been so informative. My only complaint, is I hate to critique peoples work when it is...ummmm....less than great. I know how personal each everything that we write becomes and I feel terrible ripping them apart. I do it nicely though. On the flip side of that, I have appreciated every critique I've gotten. The bad ones are helping me to grow as a writer, and I'm learning so much from them.

So, give it a try. For me so far it's been really great. I love associating with other writers, it's fun to share a passion like this with other people.

Now, on the book front....still working, working, working, and having the best time. So, that's all that matters right? Right!

Critique Groups

I have always said to myself that if I ever became a published author I would help others that were just getting started. Now, since who knows when that will happen, I thought for the sake of good Karma I'd start now! I have a friend who is a published author of several books. (she's been really great for tips) I was asking her opinion on critique groups, because I have to admit I am a bit leery of them. However, she gave me a site that she used before making her break through into the industry, and so I'm going to share it! I just signed up and am still wading my way through it, but so far it looks pretty beneficial...time will tell. As my friend said, the best thing about the site is that it's free. Anyway, the link is this: www.internetwritingworkshop.org Give it a try, as I do and let me know what you think about it. I'm hoping this will be a flashlight in the strange and dark world of publishing!

On the writing side...well book one is receiving rave reviews from my very professional reviewers-my sisters. One of them even liked it as well as Twilight! Yeah, back to earth, they are my sisters, lol. But still it is fun to have people actually liking your work, even if they are your own flesh and blood! Book one is done editing for the umpteenth time, and now my sisters are all picking their way through a printed copy, highlighting my every mistake, thanks girls! Book two is well underway...I've been super disciplined since I got a cheering crowd and am up by 5 or 6 am to write every day before getting the kidlets off to school. I also squeaked out another painful query letter, sent it to the query shark, and am hoping she will tear it to pieces. If not, a fore mentioned author friend has offered to later this month....that would be a real dream there! But mostly....I am just loving the writing, which is good, since that's what it's all about anyway. Heck, Maude even had me help her with a Limerick for school, so I whipped one out for her, then told her to work with it. But being the teenager that she is, she just used mine-which was read aloud in her English class! Do I rock 8th grade English or what! (hahaha) I should totally go back and do it all again! NOT!

Lastly, a special 'editors note' to Platlet Girl and her hubby: THANK YOU! Hubby, for orchestrating the printing of my book and Platlet Girl for reading it and giving me such great input. Mostly though for just reading it...that meant a lot! You two are the bestest! :)

Writing the book was the easy part!

As I sit with my head in my hands trying to think of a great 'hook' for a query letter, it occurs to me for the millionth time, that writing the book is the easy part. Really, it is. People are always so awed by the fact that I have written a book or two, so I hate to break the spell, but I'm to honest not to. It's really easy to write a book, to pitch it, not so much. I have to say it's killing me! And then, that's not even counting the fact that once you think you have a good letter, or pitch, is it really? How do you know? You just don't...unless some lovely agent out there asks for a partial or (gasp) offers to rep you...now that's a dream all writers hang on to. Anywho, those are my thoughts on the strange and dark world of publishing that I have somehow ventured into. Maybe I should do as Super Spouse has suggested, just write for the love of it and bag making anything of it. Naw, that's to easy!

Thanks Maude

Just a quickie to thank my Maude. What a girl! She is reading book one again, bless her. Even though her opinion is obviously tainted by the fact that I am her mother, she still raves on and on about it. Going as far as calling it the cure for her O.T.D. (teen lingo for Obsessive Twilight Disorder, lol) Now, while I am not so naive as to believe that my book is that awesome, it's still feels good to have her say it, over and over. She even used a character comparison out of my book yesterday. Usually all her real life scenarios always end back at Edward and Bella. Yesterday, she used two of my characters, it was pretty cute. Super Spouse had to rein her in from telling all her friends about the plot of the book, and convincing her that having them read it was not the best idea-yet. Personally, I think he likes to keep my madness under wraps! ;) (kidding, Super Spouse is actually wonderful about the writing bit-he even went so far as to buy me my own laptop last year in a grand show of support.) Anyway, thanks Maude, for puffing my sails up again, giving me courage and that little bit of hope that maybe what I write isn't all that bad. You help me see the light at the end of this winding tunnel I'm in. You're the best! xoxox Now, back to work!

Time Out

Just a quickie...I am taking a 'blogger time-out'. The only writing I'm doing at the moment is on my book. I'm in the zone, no time for distractions, all that sort of thing! Wish me happy writing and off we goooo!

Arghh...Twilight!!!

It's the eve of Twilight, the movie, and my Maude has absolutely driven me CRAZY this last week. Now, don't get me wrong, I adore the fact that this book has gotten teens to pick up books in general, stop texting and start reading, but seriously??? No, really, seriously?? It was ok, it was entertaining, perfect for the genre it was written for. But these nutsy Twilight moms???? What on earth is that all about? There are old ladies, yeah, that means they are my age, drooling over this fictional character, who, in my opinion doesn't have a tenth of the depth of Mr. Darcy. But, that's a whole other ball game. Well, I guess it's not really, you see Mr. Darcy was written I think, (and humor myself) for the more mature mind. And really, Edward...really? So, my question is, are there honestly that many middle aged, miserably married, longing for the teenage twitters of years gone by women??? Apparently so. It has been my finding (yes it was a very extensive research project-not) that the women (and that's what we really are ladies, grown women)who didn't fall deeply in love with Edward and said books, are educated, well read, and pretty happy. (of course I found that, since I fit into that group.) But that's just me. All the rest of you...well you seem a bit unhinged to me. It's terribly odd. And that, my now much offended friends, is what drives me batty about Twilight.

That being said, I will let you know if the movie is better than the book (I think it will be) because I am taking Maude tomorrow night. Pray for any crazy Twilight Moms that I may encounter, and maybe, just maybe I will hold my tongue and only smile sadly at them. :)

Post Election Thoughts

Well, finally a week ago it was over! Didn't it seem like it was the longest election ever? Even my kids got into it, asking me the week before who I was going to vote for, and then telling me who'd they vote for. As with anything that involves children, there was a great deal of humor! Sprite cannot say Obama, she came home from school wanting to know if I was 'going to vote for that Oakabama guy.' We all laughed and laughed, so now she won't quit saying it! On election day itself, the kids all inquired had we voted, yes of course, early voted in fact, (bad move, we had to wait in line for an hour and a half) Squash and Sprite were so relieved at this. Now, what kind of mother would I be if I didn't take this golden opportunity and mess with Sprite a bit? After all, she had been so very serious about this election, as involved as a child could be. So naturally, I asked her had she voted today? Oh to see the look of panic on her little face, priceless! She stammered on and on, 'teacher didn't tell her too', 'she didn't know where she was to have voted', 'could I still vote?' Now, Squash being a very decent older brother, told her 'we all voted in the lunch room, didn't you?' Sprite lost it, started crying and wanted to get back to school to vote. At that point Squash was rolling and I told her it was all a joke. Squash gently told her 'duh, we can't vote until we're 18!' Isn't he the best brother in the world? Truly a tribute to all big brothers.
That evening we all gathered around the ole telly and watched the results roll in. The kids turned it into a game of sorts, some choosing the 'blue' team others the 'red' team. And then the results were in, we had a new president. It was really great to be able to explain the whole process to them. However, the three younger children learned something they had never noticed before-that there was a difference between white & black people. Truly, they had never noticed it. Yes, they noticed different skin colors, but we've long told them God loves all colors, so he makes people just as colorful as nature. They where told by there dad, see how McCain skin is white, and Obama is darker? That's what the news people are talking about, that's why they keep calling him black. Sad. How sad. They honestly never knew any of the race stuff that we grew up with. And so with the media going on and on about how monumental it was that perhaps the race barriers were finally down, they managed to put up a few more with children that had never even known they existed. Brilliant.

On the writing front, still editing what the computer tried to kill, and it's actually going really well. Plus I found parts of book 2 in an email I sent to my mom, thank heavens for moms, so after I polish book 1, I have the pieces of book two to start with. Reading....ahhh, finished Sense & Sensibility, which was good, not as good as Pride though. And of course, as I was wondering the Library, I sorta got sucked into the isle with Binchy, so I am reading a bit more of her.

It is feeding time at the zoo, and there are terrible screeching noises coming from the kitchen...as the zoo keeper I am obligated to check this out!