Bloggy Break

I am two chapters away from finishing my first draft on my second book, so I'm going to take a break this week and try to get it done.

I'll be around if I feel a need for a laugh, some inspiration, or gossip.

Hope everyone has a great productive week.

Typing and a contest

Go to Megan's blog for a great contest for some awesome books (I've been wanting to read The Shifter) and a critique (who couldn't use that)

A long time ago in a classroom not too far away, I learned to type. Not on a computer, but an old fashioned typewriter (I know showing my age). My mom made me take this course, for which I have been eternally grateful. Not only has it allowed me to be employable, it is also makes writing a lot faster since I can type about 50-70 words per minute.

I have a hard time writing by long hand, because I kind of play with sentences. I try it one way and then another, which is a lot more time consuming with a pen and paper.

How about you? Do you know how to type properly or do you still look at the keyboard? If you fall into the latter category, go on line and teach yourself to type. You'll never regret it.

Have a good weekend.

What happens when?

What happens when you play four soccer games in five days - you can barely walk down the stairs.

What happens when you go on a soccer tournament and take your some of your chapters with you thinking you'll get some editing done - it sits in your bag.

What happens to your family when you go away for the long weekend - they get a lot done around the house, but starve.

What happens when you come back and get to sleep in your own bed - you sleep better.

What happens when you score three goals in one game - you get a hat trick (and I got one tonight - yeah, go me)

What happens when your not around a computer for almost a week - you don't read anyone's blogs or comment, something that I'll rectify tomorrow since it's late and I need to shower and go to bed.

It was good to go away with the girls on a soccer tournament. We laughed, we ate, we won, we lost, and had a long drive home with lots of traffic, but now it's good to be home. Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been up to.

I have been neglectful

I have a horrible memory. Over the past few months I have received a few awards and have not reciprocated. I tried to keep a list, but then I lost it. I swear if I don't have it in my inbox, I don't remember.

So I apologize to everyone who has given me an award. I will try to do better.

That being said Abby Annis tagged me for this revealing questionnaire.

I had a hard time with this. I used to have a saying that a lot can happen in a year, well it turns out for me not so much. We are still at the same house, we still drive the same vehicles. Nothing momentuous has occurred, so I had problems answering the first set of questions.

Question 1 - Where were you five years ago?

1. I was a stay at home mom.
2. I just started playing competitive soccer. (played in a house league for 3 years before that)
3. My life didn't revolve around my kids sports, well actually now that I think about it, it kind of did.
4. I still live in the same house.
5. I was in the middle of writing my first book. Yes, it's been that long.

Question 2 - Where would you like to be in five years?

1. Published
2. To take a lot less time to write a book.
3. To have written three more books.
4. To be 20 pounds lighter.
5. To stop liking peanut butter so much, which would help with the 20 pound goal.

Question 3 - What is on your to-do list today?

1. Write this blog post - and go to other blogs.
2. Finish chapter 19, start chapter 20 on current WIP. Finish a critique.
3. Work all day.
4. Go a soccer game right after work.
5. Pack because I'm going away on a soccer tournament this weekend.

Question 4 - What snacks do you enjoy?

1. Peanut butter with honey or jam on toast.
2. Ice cream
3. Chocolate (this goes without saying)
4. Swedish Berries
5. Cookies (my chocolate chip ones - in fact I might have to stay up late tonight to make some to take with me this weekend.)

Question 5 - What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. Me and hubby would quit our jobs.
2. Travel.
3. Buy a bigger home.
4. Buy a loaded up 4x4 jeep.
5. Give to charity

Lots of people have already done this. So I'll wait until the next award to pass it on.

Hope everyone has a good Memorial long weekend for the US and Victoria long weekend for Canada and cross your fingers that I don't injury myself this weekend.

Handling Disappointment

Two weeks ago my son tried out for the provincial U15 basketball team. The try outs were four full days of six hour practices. He made it the final selection camp and survived the first day cuts. In fact, my husband came home saying that he thought he would be the starting point guard.

The next day the coach for the team pulled my husband aside and told him that he doesn't see my son as a point guard and if he wanted to play that position then he would red shirt with the team (practice but not play in games), but if he wanted to be a wing, he would make the team for sure. After some convincing, my son decided to accept the wing position.

Fast forward to end of the try out. The coach didn't put him on the team and kept him as a red shirt. Over the next few days emails went back and forth between said coach and my husband. My son was disappointed, but in the end made the decision not to play, which was a very mature decision.

It's been stressful and I have to say I'm more disappointed for him than he is.

I had a friend told me that a publisher wanted to publish her book, but she would have to complete change it to a romance instead of adventure. She turned them down.

I've been thinking a bit about this lately. What if an agent or editor wanted you to change your book? What would you say? Do you have a line that you would say no?

The sad thing is, just like my son, even if you do compromise there's no guarantee of anything.

Just something to think about.

How do you define yourself?

If you exclude the fact that most of us are mothers, wives, daugthers, or friends. How would define yourself?

Is it your by your actions, your deeds, how you react in times of adversity, how humble you are in times of triumph.

Last week a lady from my church called and asked for three things about myself that people didn't know. After some prodding and pondering, my answers were: I play on a Classic Premier soccer team, I've written a book, and I've climbed fifteen mountains (not sure if that number is totally accurate, but it's somewhere around there).

I thought about it over the weekend and found it funny that I would define myself that way. I could have mentioned that I'm actually incredibly shy around people I don't know (which sometimes gets mistaken for being a snob), I could have said that I'm very accommodating (in order to avoid confrontation). I could have said that I feel like I fall short of most things (which is probably how we all feel, at times). I could have said that I'm an incredibly emotional person and can cry at the drop of a hat.

Instead of defining myself by how I feel or react, I defined myself by what I've accomplished. I guess it's just not wanting to open myself up emotionally to people I don't know very well or at all. Did I mention that I'm also very guarded. I can do it here, because I'm not going to meet any of you in the grocery store tomorrow.

Analogy to writing: How do you define your characters? Finding my characters emotional state of being is the thing I struggle with most, probably because I'm not really in touch with my own. I just read a few chapters for a friend and even though not much action was going on, she nailed her characters emotions so well that it kept me riveted.

I hope that one day I can learn to do that.

Sorry, I kind of wondered around a bit in this post.

Hope everyone has a good week.

Theme for the Weekend

I'm going to push myself to the limit, so my talent will surface.
~Nelly

Mixing the Old with the New

Remember those times when you've boughten a new skirt and brought it home only to find that it doesn't go with anything you own, so you have to go and buy a blouse to match.

That's how I have felt about editing a few scenes these past few weeks.

I'll be editing a scene, taking stuff out, putting stuff in when all it really needed was something completely new. I've opened a new document and rewritten the scene without looking to see if I an old sentence will match.

What do you guys do when you edit? Do you rewrite entire scenes or do you try to mix your new words with the old.?

Recap

The goal this weekend was to rewrite the middle.

This is how the weekend went down.

Friday: Get kids off to school. Clean kitchen (daughter asked me to clean it the night before for her birthday party - exact words "Can you make sure this is cleaned up tomorrow). Phone rings at 10am, daughter has pain in her neck. Bring daughter home, feed her advil. She has a bath. Take her back to school. Go kick a ball around for an hour so I don't hurt myself for my game. Rest of the day spent getting ready for birthday party, making cake, taking six girls swimming and watching the Tooth Fairy.

Saturday: Get a phone call at 9am. One of my players hurt her ribs coughing and now doesn't know if she can play. Spend the next four hours trying to find another player to sub. Go get daughters baseball team photos taken. Get groceries, buy mother's day gift, take kids home. Go to soccer game. Win 3-0 (I got a goal and an assist - go me). Home by 8:30, spend a little time writing.

Sunday: Church, go to parents for lunch, make dinner for mother in law, write a bit.

End result: I have only one chapter left to edit to finish the middle. Will now extend the weekend goal to Monday.

By the Way: Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, would be mothers, or anyone who helps raise a child.

Thanks

Thanks so much for all the words of encouragement yesterday. This community always amazes me. I've never met any of you, but your support means a great deal. It's wonderful to know I have somewhere to turn when things aren't going right.

Onto today. It's still snowing here, part of the ground is covered in the white stuff, but green grass is waiting to emerge, making me believe that once the snow is gone, we'll have a green city and spring can finally begin.

Last night I read through my first six chapters and thought they were really good. In fact, I skimmed through the next few and didn't think I'd have to change much, but chapters 11 and 12 are a different story (they are still covered in snow). I'm hoping once I do my re-writes, I'll have some great chapters.

My job this weekend is to get past the middle. I like my ending and think I will just need a few tweaks, but the middle may need a scene added and a few scenes modified.

I also have a soccer game on Saturday, which will be interesting seeing as we haven't even been outside yet and we have a new coach who doesn't know all of our names. Wish me luck.

Have a good weekend.

Beginning to lose confidence

Inigio: More pursuit than study lately. You see, I cannot find him. It's been twenty years now. I am starting to lose confidence. I just work for Vizzini to pay the bills. There's not a lot of money in revenge.

This what I've been feeling like.

Writing has become more frustrating than rewarding. I cannot seem to find the right words. It's been more years than I wish to admit and I am starting to lose confidence. I just work as a secretary to pay the bills. There's not a lot of money in writing.

If you don't like the weather....

A popular saying where I live is "If you don't like the weather wait five minutes", which is exactly what happened last Thursday

Now I hate to perpetuate a stereotype that in Canada it snows all the time, but last Wednesday night we got hit with a blizzard. Snow fell, wind blew, roads were treacherous. My son had a friend spend the night because he couldn't make it home.

The next morning they canceled school and closed down the highway so I couldn't get to work. To top it off it was my daughter's birthday.

We had a great day of being together, playing games, and going to the gym to shoot some hoops. I made a cake, bought a present and we went out for dinner. By supper time the sun is shining and most of the snow is gone. As we were sitting at the restaurant my son makes this comment, "It's hard to believe today was a snow day."

It was had to believe that within a twelve hour period the weather could change so much. I try to think this way in terms of writing. You never know when things are going to change. You might work on your book one day and it feels like a blizzard, but the next day things turn around. You just never know what the next day may bring.