I know, I know, it just doesn't get any more exciting than seeing my image and life's goals up on a site for a science-based game show!

Check it out!

Try not to get too groovy with the techno-pop playing in the background.

Now I must get back to the WIP... "THE END" is nigh!

Labels: adventures, fun

Now I realize there are a gazillion writers out there who can pump out 30 pages in a single day if they really put there minds to it, but for me, a 30-page week is fantabulous.

The end is nigh. Well, of course, now that I'm almost there, I completely forgot about a pivotal scene that must be added to tie up one major loose end that can't be left dangling or it may get caught up on something and strangle the possibility of a series. Yeah, and I'm working on my run-on sentences too.

And to help make my summer even more fun, I'm helping out in my RWA Chapter's contest. It's pretty darn cool seeing all that happens behind the scenes: the voodoo rituals, cover-model auditions and martini-tasting parties. Sheesh! It's hard to imagine how we find the time to tabulate the results. ;)

I'm hoping this will keep me too busy to enter more writing contests. Oh, you don't know how tempting it is for me when I see all the "deadline extended" calls for more entries. Funny how our chapter's contest didn't have to do that. In fact, we got more this year than last year. So much for the economy making people limit their entries (or maybe they just entered ours...).

Okay, I'll stop bragging now. It's not like I had anything to do with it -- I was too busy taping a game show and putting my thoughts on paper for my tell-all account of the Canadian game show industry.

Is that the phone ringing with offers already? Or is Grandma calling again?

Subject change alert! For some reason, I ended up seeing The Hangover. As some of you may not realize, I find it hard to watch comedies simply because a lot of them, in my opinion, totally suck. Or I could just be jealous because I didn't write them. ;)

So when The Proposal ended up being sold out, Michelle and I had to choose between Terminator: Salvation (which she had seen already) and The Hangover (which Michelle wanted to see in the first place). Funny how that worked out... hmm.

Michelle let me choose, so I went with the one I expected to be completely horrid. Besides, she really wanted to see it anyway.

And you know something? I found it to be... hilarious! I laughed out loud numerous times. It was so unexpected, I even forgot to finish my popcorn. The Hangover had some moments that could be improved upon (and covered up), but overall, I enjoyed it.

Plus, when I got home from the movie theater, I sat down and wrote eight more pages in the WIP.

Now if that isn't the sign of a good movie, I don't know what is. LOL

How about you? What are your fave summer movies so far? (No spoilers please!)

Labels: adventures, fun, goals, RWA, writing

The writing on the novel that I should be working on is going well, thank you for asking. ;)

And I've learned a huge lesson over the past week: my schedule is way more flexible than I thought. It all started with DH getting a job with super-cool incentives, like flights at a price that makes the bargain-hunter in me squeal like I'm at a Duran Duran concert.

So the first thing I did was contact some girlfriends to see when they could either welcome me to their home (after I flew across the country) or join me for a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants trip (since she gets super discounts at hotels).

And then I forgot... they have kids! Oh, and really busy lives too, even without the kids. ;)

Rats.

Then I even had a crazier idea: I was going to go to the RWA National Conference next month. I mean, I could fly there for next to nothing, so that would make up for the $500 entry fee, and the $200/night hotel bill.... yeah, then I dropped the calculator and went back to dreaming of an affordable getaway. Like flying to an airport and hanging out there for the day, like that movie I can't remember the name of about the man who lives in the airport.

And I might be terrified of completing this manuscript. Thanks to those who stepped forward to support me at my last RWA chapter meeting; it's helped, along with the deep breathing and not thinking about writing the very last chapter (even though it's almost done and just needs a bit of a revision).

In the meantime, I'll just lie down a bit until my breathing returns to normal again. ;)

How about you? What are you most afraid of when it comes to your work?

Labels: blahs, ideas, writing

The weirdest thing happened the other day. DH and I were driving home from a very exciting grocery shop (lots of coupons were used!) and a song that had been in my head since we were in the produce section came back to me, loud and clear. And it wouldn't go away.

Once we got home, I told him a song was trapped in my head.

"Me too," he huffed as he lifted the cases of Diet Coke out of the trunk.

"Really? Which song?"

And, wouldn't you know it, we both had the SAME SONG trapped in our heads!

You don't understand: our household is of two musical tastes: his and mine. Rarely do I venture into his progressive-rock filled universe, and he doesn't dare to trip on over to retro '80s more than three times a year.

But for some reason, such as being together for over two decades, we were both thinking about this song by The B52's:



How about you? What song's been trapped in your head lately?

Labels: adventures, blahs

There are dark times ahead, my friends. Mainly because I don't do too well in the summer sun. ;)

Seriously though, June has been a month of highs and lows already, and I haven't even gotten to all the game-show appearance stuff yet. (I can't spill any details, at least not until the show is broadcast. Let's just say I'm still buying lottery tickets. LOL)

So what has me all angsty, but in a good way? Getting closer to THE END. Sure, it's the same place I reached about this time last year on the same stinking manuscript, but this time it's stronger, more fun and filled with vitamins and minerals.

My motivation? The novel-in-waiting, which has gone from being all shiny and new to a foot-stomping terrible two to a... project I can't wait to lose myself in. Yeah, it's the part of the process I enjoy most, without all the revising and editing and pulling out my hair and rewriting entire sections thing.

I've even been doing something called plotting. Go figure.

And even though I'm not attending the RWA conference this year, I'm working hard on my pitch and my query for the novel that has almost killed me. A shorter title may be required, for a start. ;)

Now I must get back to the manuscript... no, the other one!

What about you? How do you balance finishing one project and starting another that's way more enticing than the one that needs to get done?

Labels: goals, ideas, writing

OMG. It's happening again. The shiny new idea has wooed me.

Just this afternoon I was sitting at the computer, minding my own business, when I suddenly looked up and realized it was two hours later -- and an unfamiliar Word document filled the screen.

And dang it if it wasn't the novel I'm going to work on next. Once the current masterpiece is no longer in pieces.

Seriously. It snuck up on me like an empty bag of Golden Oreos -- you know, one moment it's sealed and the next minute it's completely empty?

Yeah, I found the zone. Too bad it's for the wrong manuscript. LOL

But it's not all bad. I make some good progress on the shiny new manuscript, but now the tired, not-so-new one is giving me the stink eye.

Labels: ideas, writing