Monthly Archives: September 2004

I tell ya, life can really interfere with the writing. Still, it’s gone pretty well so far this week. I managed to get a few pages written on Monday. Yesterday, I got seven, even with another trip into Amarillo to pick up things I didn’t get Monday and to paint. Today, I’ve done five.

I might get another one done, maybe, but I’m in the midst of browning thirty pounds of hamburger meat for Friday night’s Mexican Pile-on. Fifteen down, fifteen to go. Not to mention the ice cream I need to scoop up or the regular, ordinary, normal stuff that needs to be done. Like watering the house plants.

Three of my five African violets are currently in bloom, as is–believe it or not–the white Christmas cactus. Both the cacti I own bloomed late last year–in February and March, rather than Thanksgiving through Valentine’s like they usually do. And the white one’s blooming again! I almost missed it. The pink cactus–which is about 2 feet around–is currently outside. I guess it’s about time I brought it in. Here’s hoping it puts on a nice show for me. Now if I can just keep the begonia from dying on me…

Some days the writing seems more real than the rest of my life–even though the rest of it keeps me hopping. After this week, I hope I’m through with the volunteering for the rest of the year. But I doubt it.

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Worked on the new opening all morning today (along with laundry). I’m not sure it’s working. I keep thinking of things I left out, and I’ve got 6 pages of pretty much nothing but introspection. Very slow. And it’s in the POV of one of the secondary characters. I may write it this way, then try doing it the way it was at first, only thinned out a whole lot. Except there are other changes I think we’re going to make, which would slow down the original opening and cut a lot of the action.

Well, The Compass Rose actually opens fairly slowly, with the heroine on the city wall musing over how they got into this fix, so I guess I can get away with a slow-ish opening for book 2. I’m hoping once I move into the heroine’s POV, it will get more active–a lot more active. I hope I’ll have time to do that tomorrow. I have a newspaper column to write, but since I ran some of my errands today, I’m hoping I won’t have to head into the city quite as early tomorrow. We shall see how it works out. I have a big insert to write, something I forgot to do today.

The post-revision-letter depression was much alleviated Friday when I got a big package full of covers for Compass Rose. The cover is Gorgeous, and should get a lot of attention on the bookshelves. This is apparently the version that’s going out to booksellers, because there’s promo material about this book inside, rather than the stuff that’s on the inside of the published books. So there may still be tweaking going on, but I’m thrilled with the way it looks right now. (It’s up on my website on the “my books” page. Now you have an excuse to visit my website.)

I sure am liking my computer glasses. Fewer headaches and I can actually see. Seeing is important. Of course, I tend to forget to take them off and put on the bifocals when I get up from the computer, but eventually, I do figure out why I can’t see to walk through the house…

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Didn’t write much over the weekend. Actually, didn’t write squat.

First, on Saturday, I gathered up all the leftover clothes from the garage sale and dragged them downtown to the First Baptist Ministry Center, and dragged them inside. Then, since I hadn’t helped at the Clothes Closet in way, way too long, I stayed to help my friends Marva and Joburta and the other volunteers sort, fold and put out the stuff I brought and about a dozen trashbags full of more clothing. We picked out clothes for the nurse at the elementary school to use when the little ones have accidents or other problems and need a change of clothes, and dug out mates for shoes somebody wanted to take home.

Then after lunch, it was time to get ready for the annual Goodnight Reunion and Saint’s Roost Chuckwagon Cook-off to benefit the local museum, which used to be the hospital. (We don’t have a hospital in town any more.) Anyway, the son was providing some of the mid-afternoon entertainment, singing and playing his guitar. And I forgot the video camera, ran back to pick it up, and missed most of his performance. Not that I hadn’t heard it all many, many times over during the last few weeks. Then we hung around on the museum grounds till it was time for supper. We dined at the Double Diamond outfit chuckwagon this year–very good food, all cooked over open fires.

Sunday brought all the usual Sunday activities, as well as a retirement party for the pastor of our church. I did however, manage to get a Sunday afternoon nap in. Just a bit later than usual. I also managed to make all but one of the phone calls I had hanging over my head–and even reached everyone I needed to reach. Except for my sisters. They seem to be a lot busier than me. How, I’m not sure, but they’re never there when I try to call. Just have to try harder, I guess.

So now, I think I have time to write next week. Still have a LOT of stuff to do for the band fundraiser and the lunch meeting I’m doing (both on Friday), but I think it’s maybe under control. (It had better be!) Tomorrow, I ought to be able to sit down and figure out how the story will open now that the first 2-1/2 chapters are getting chucked out the window. Wish me luck!

Got revision requests this week, which always depress me, because first it’s like “What? You mean you didn’t love my baby just as it is!!!????” And then I get mad. Then I try to make deals (in my head mostly, because I’m smarter than that)–like, “well, but okay, if I fix this, then I really need to leave that in…”

And then I get depressed and decide the whole thing sucks, so I just may as well throw it all in the trash and give up. And then I take a deep breath, actually open the revision letter and see what it says (yeah, I know, I really ought to read the thing before I go through all this angst, but what can I say? I’m a coward. And I’d still go through the angst anyway.)

And when I read it, I realize they’re totally right and everything needs to be done and it won’t totally screw up the story and a couple of things could be really, totally cool, and oh, I already took care of that bit anyway–

You might notice that those are the steps Kubler-Ross (I think that’s the right name) says the dying go through, or the steps of grief. Bob Mayer, who ran a workshop I attended, claims these are also the steps to change. Because before something can change, it has to die. You have to let go of the old thing so the new thing has room to come into being. And this is why it’s so hard for most people to change. Because dying is scary.

That’s why, even though the Tarot death card very seldom indicates physical death, most people are afraid to see it in a reading. It generally means that something needs to end so that something new can begin. And see how far I can go from the original topic. I’m good at going off on tangents like this, and occasionally wax philosophical. (Don’t wax much else.)

But it only took me one day to go through all this angst. Unfortunately, next week is going to be the week from heck. I’m either in charge of or seriously involved with two major events that will both take place next Friday. I have many phone calls to make, lots of people to request assistance from, lots of stuff to do. Ugh. Hopefully I can write in the morning anyway, because nobody will be home then for me to call.

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There are probably those who would be appalled, but I avoid politics as much as possible. My own, and especially every one else’s. I pay attention to the issues, make up my own mind, and keep my mouth shut.

And there we have today’s editorial.

Didn’t write much this a.m. Got a phone call from the editor about revision notes on the book, and I’ve been afraid to look at them. I’m pretty sure they’ll say just what she told me on the phone, but that means I’ll have to look at them and revise stuff. Did I mention how much I hate revising? I do it. I’m fairly good at it. But I hate it. Probably because I don’t like messing with my babies, even if they do need emergency surgery. So I’ve been doing the avoidance thing.

Eventually, I’ll figure out how to introduce 6 major characters in the first pages and do what they want too. (sigh)

And trying to get the son’s computer to work with the wireless router thingie we got. First the sucker wasn’t installed and the installation CD wouldn’t work, so I downloaded a driver from the site, burned it on a CD and he and his friend got it installed. Now they’re complaining because the signal is weak. So we’re moving things around. We may have to break down and just get a wired connection. Which is not making me happy, because I don’t want wires trailing all over everywhere. (more sighing)

I really should bite the bullet and look at what is wanted. I should. But I don’t want to. But I should. Let’s see how long I can procrastinate.

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I need to come up with better titles for my blog posts, don’t I?

But, you know–it is Monday again. And it’s time to get back to work. Friday was a wash because of errands and stuff. So I managed to put out a few pages on Sunday. Almost four.

I’m impressed. Didn’t think I’d done that many. And today, Monday, I got 7 pages written.

Have I mentioned here that I’m one of those weird throwback people who writes the first draft in longhand? Yep. I am. So this means that each page I write–on college-ruled looseleaf notebook paper with a roller-ball pen–actually types up to about a page and a half. Depending on how many scratchouts I have on that page. I’m always thinking of great lines, and then having to move them down a few paragraphs… But it’s nice being able to lay pages side by side, and other things.

Tomorrow, have to go back to the “big city” to pick up the new computer. And I have a meeting beforehand, so I won’t have much time for errands. However, I did get my weekly newspaper column written tonight, which means I don’t have that hanging over my head tomorrow morning.

Yeah, I’m the local “society” columnist for our weekly newspaper. Just call me Hedda Hopper of the High Plains. (I’m not sure I know who HH was, but it’s alliterative.) I get a big fat $10 per column. I do it mostly because it’s kinda fun, and it keeps me in contact with the community.

So, anyway, I don’t have a big bunch of stuff to do before I skip town tomorrow, and can sit down and get the writing done.

This was a really boring day. I spent the vast majority of it helping with a garage sale. Our garage sale. It was so much fun (not). We got rid of a great deal of junque, and made a fair bit of money, but there’s a LOT of junk left. (The stuff that departed is the “junque”. 😉 ) Some of it is going to the downtown Clothes Closet. The boxes of books that are left will go to the library. (I’m on the Friends of the Library after all, though thank heaven, I’m no longer the President!!! (YAYYYY)) And the rest of it will go to Goodwill. We can only hope they pick up. We even sold a car. Still have one left to sell, but…

I read a book or two. All those books I’d culled from my own collection…I think we had some 12 boxes of books out there. I picked up one or two books to read during the lulls. One lady bought 7 boxes of them. And there are still–oh, probably between 8 and 12 boxes in my garage that I couldn’t give up. I want to bring them inside. Yes, I will read them again. The ones I’ve managed to get in the house, I’ve read again–some of them. I’m a writer. That means I’m a book addict.

Found a new old Jayne Ann Krentz book. I love her old ones, because I really like the way she did her war-of-the-sexes conflict. I get so angry with the heros, I want to smack them. And then I want to write something with that kind of intense, involving conflict. However, I tend to like breezy charmers for heroes, rather than arrogant know-it-alls. Ah well. I think I have one of each in the current book. Pretty much anything you can think of… A breezy charmer. A wounded soul. A strong but silent. A Mr. Dependable. And an ex-con. Have a number of heroines too… Having lots of fun.

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Okay, It’s Friday. I meant to update this sooner. I really did. But–well, I got a new internet connection (high speed at last!) and then I realized I didn’t have a firewall yet, so I was a bit paranoid and didn’t want to leave it connected very long till I got one, and then my son thought he had to use it all available hours and I couldn’t beat him off with a stick (though I didn’t try very hard)–so anyway, I bought a new backup computer (which is actually better than this one, but I’ll let him use it till he leaves home for college next year, then I’ll steal it) and a firewall and had Mexican food at a very atmospheric Route 66 place for lunch and came home in installed software and stuff, and now I’m posting. So see? I am keeping up with my blog. Sorta.

And it has actually been a pretty good week for the writing. I got my 6 pages in every day except today, and today was … today was … Well, I didn’t write. I drove 60 miles into Amarillo, met this writer guy and a bunch of writer friends, ate lunch and talked about writing, bought stuff, bought more stuff, and drove 60 miles home. I did not go to the football game tonight. I have no idea where Hart, Texas is, but it’s a long way from here. Somewhere near Lorenzo, maybe. Or Muleshoe.

But I wrote all the rest of the week, so there. I even got extra pages–8 pages–on Wednesday. And I sewed on my quilt, too. And made those awful band booster president (was I sick in the head when I agreed to do this???) phone calls. And all sorts of exciting things are happening in the story. I started with a slightly boring talking heads scene and decided I needed more excitement and now things are blowing up and people are getting shot and stuff. Well, nothing has blown up yet. But it will. I think. Once I decide what I’m going to blow up and where. And when. It will be safer out spying on the enemy than staying in town…

The weekend will be busy. Garage sale tomorrow. We will finally get rid of all the stuff we didn’t move. One way or the other. And lots of singing Sunday. The voice has recovered from all the reading outloud on the galley proofs. Now if it would only recover from the ragweed. So I doubt I’ll get more writing done till Monday. If I do, it’s gravy.Or chocolate cream pie.

I made up my mind today that I would not leave town for the weekly trek to Amarillo until I had finished my writing quota. Unfortunately, I did not write my newspaper column for this week yesterday, so I had to write it this a.m. so it would get turned in before deadline. So I wrote 400 words for that. Then I had another article to write for the paper that I’d promised…a month ago, I think. And it had to get in this week. So I wrote 500 or so words on that. And only THEN could I even start working on the book.

But I got the 6 pages written. And they made sense (I think) and do what I need them to do. Not sure exactly where I’m going next. Guess I’ll have to figure that out in the morning.

Of course, I have to go meet with the high school band director in the morning to make sure I have all the info I need for Band Boosters. And there’s bound to be something else I have to do. But I will get my six pages written, darn it! And maybe move up to seven.

I did finish a painting at my art class tonight. A typical Texas scene… I haven’t taken a picture of it yet, but when I do (and get around to downloading it from the camera flash card), I’ll post it here.

My life is so exciting.

I discovered while I was going through the 566 pages of my monster manuscript that I caught more boo-boos if I read it out loud. I didn’t catch on to this until–oh, chapter 4 or so, so I didn’t read all 566 pages aloud. I probably read 500. My voice got a little rusty. But I got through it, and only found about 40 corrections total. Not bad.

I remembered some things I put in the first book that will have an impact on the second and had to make notes so I can go back and add them in. They did take out the things that had to come out in order to keep the bad guys from being exposed before the proper time. And they left in the things that could have come out, but I really wanted to leave in because I think they made the book better. So I’m happy. And the copy edits took it about 20 pages shorter–about 5000 words shorter–than it was when I turned it in. Which takes it down to about 143,000 words. That doesn’t sound nearly so bad. (Yeah, I’m obsessing. So what?)

I took time off for my quilt class Saturday. We were learning a pattern called Hatchet–and I learned that I am a very sloppy quilter. If it gets sorta close, that’s good enough for me. No wonder they come out all womperjawed and funny-looking. Though the quilting can hide a multitude of sins. These other ladies were measuring and ripping out and worrying about getting exactly one-quarter inch seams, and I was just zipping right along–and coming out with funny looking stuff. I only obsess about the writing, I guess.

My motto: I won’t get perfection this side of glory, so pretty damn good is good enough.

Works for pretty much everything.

Did get one page of new stuff on the new book written today. Have to do more tomorrow.