Monthly Archives: September 2004

I was plugging right along, writing my stuff, and I got an e-mail that the galleys for Compass Rose were in the big brown van. And they need them back in NY by next Thursday. Don’t they know I have a quilting class tomorrow (Saturday)?

I have never seen such a huge stack of paper in my life–well, except for the stack I mailed to them when I sent them the complete ms. It’s huge. I had 150,000 words to play with, and darn if I didn’t write 148,250 of the suckers… I’m getting close to half-way through…

It has also become obvious that I have lost my mind. Not only to I have galleys to finish, and a book to write by deadline (which isn’t even 1/3 of the way through yet, if this one turns out as long as his brother), but I am staying up late (NO, not to write this) to start yet another story. One I probably can’t sell till I finish the last Rose book. But it won’t leave me alone, so I may as well get down what I can. It’ll mean less to do once I actually can write it. (sigh) And there are all those single title romantic comedies I want to write too… Better get busy.

I’ll take the file folder with me to town, but between having to write my newspaper column today (and fooling around too much on the internet) I’m not getting any of the book written this morning. Maybe I can do a page or two when I stop to eat before going to paint, but I doubt it will happen. I have books to buy. Will probably read them rather than writing. (sigh)

I get my computer glasses today. No more headaches (I hope) from trying to read from the wrong half of the bifocals. I’m just getting too darned old. Alas.

Only three pages written today. Holidays are difficult. Lots of interruptions and having to go look at things. Plus, it’s a love scene. Maybe it wouldn’t take me so dang long to write them if I didn’t keep letting them talk. If they’d just get on with things, I’d be done with it and ready to move on to whatever comes next… Given these characters, more sex, probably. They seem to have acquired one track minds. (sigh)

This is a really boring blog, because it’s about my really boring life. I don’t really do anything, but sit at my desk and write. I went outside and inspected fence scraping and bush demolishing today. And I did write.

Five more pages.

Worked through half a love scene, now need to finish it, and hope I didn’t repeat myself too much, and if I did it looks like I meant to do it. Intentional repetition is okay. Accidental repetition isn’t.

Need to update the website, and haven’t. Ah well. Maybe tomorrow.

Went a little slower today than yesterday. Got four pages before I had to go to Art Club.

They had one of the WWII WASP pilots–one of the original 25–come and speak today, and it was really fascinating. She talked a long time and a lot of the people got up and left because they ran out of lunch hour, but I hung out till the bitter end, because it was so interesting. Of course, I’ve been fascinated by these women pilots for a long time, but it was so cool to get to meet one. She was in the “ferry” service and flew planes all over the country during the war.

Then when I got home, at almost three, I sat down to try to write again, because nothing in the shelves looked as interesting to read as the book I was writing. The scene is totally different from what I thought it would be yesterday. Much slower, much gentler, much more…poignant, I guess. A lot of history that he hadn’t told even me came out. I didn’t get much written then, because I got sleepy, but nearly a page, so I’m going to count 5 pages for today. Unless of course, I can sit down and write a bit more tonight. And I have the opening line for NEW BLOOD–and I still have another book on this contract after the one I’m a third of the way into gets finished.

Had to go to the football game tonight and watch the son be drum major for the band. Walked home after the 3rd quarter because the allergies got too bad. Plus all the people I was sitting with left too and dh got drafted to run the clock. (Like he knows anything about it. 😉 ) It’s not but about 4 or 5 blocks from the stadium. Not bad. Beautiful night out there tonight, not too hot, not too cold, no wind to speak of. Just lovely.

Yes, I am a blog virgin.

Good day writing today. The characters took over and before I could blink, I had 8 pages. Good pages, I think, and a place to go tomorrow. K is about to demolish O for being such a…moody shit. The demolishing should be fun. We may have mutual demolishing. With handcuffs.

Let’s begin with this, and see how it goes.