Monday Moan

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Yes, my friends it’s monday again. Time to drag that sagging butt to the computer and finish those revisions (at least for me anyway!)

New week also means a new plan for me. Excuse me a moment while I digress…

At the RWA conference, I had the pleasure of stalking of Nora (Yes, I feel comfortable now calling her by her first name – Nora is Nora Roberts, in case you didn’t know!) I use the term “stalk” loosely – cause I would never really do something as juvenile as that. Anyway, at her “Chat with Nora” workshop, she repeated over and over that you have to find the style or process that works for you.

Surprise, surprise – I haven’t found the process that works for me yet. So, I’ve decided it’s time to steal someone else’s process and see if I can make that work for me. Once again I need to acknowledge Gina, since I’m going to steal amd modifiy her idea.

Up to this point, I have been keeping everything I write on the computer or the Palm Tungsten SD Card. I create, read and edit all there. Vicki suggests printing out the chapter you worked on at the end of the writing day and editing with your red pen after you’ve removed yourself from the computer and can sit and really read what you wrote. LIGHTBULB!

So, yesterday I did this. I printed out a chapter on paper – wow – did it look and read different. I liked what I wrote, but I was able to see where the flow was off and where things could be moved.

Happy day – revisions here I come. (And my sincere apologies to all the trees I will killing in the process.)

So, tell me – do you have a writing, revising process that works for you?

Today’s Coffee – Tully’s Kona Blend - with a shot of hazelnut syrup

Thursday Thirteen #6 – RWA Conference

13 things I learned at the RWA National Conference!

1. Travel with someone you like! (cause you’ll be spending lots of time with them) – My travel partner and roomie was THE BEST. We laughed, we learned and we partied – What more could a girl ask for? Thanks Gina!

2. Bring comfortable shoes. Between standing in line, waiting for the elevators, trudging up and down stairs or just sight-seeing, I’m so glad I brought the comfortable (but stylish) shoes.

3. Bring food for your room. Sometimes the food won’t be out at a good time for you, sometimes the food just won’t sit right with your stomach – either way if the munchies hit at 10 pm in your room, you want to be prepared.

4. The Goodie Room IS all it’s rumored to be! And more. I’ve got enough pens to last the year. I picked up lip-balms, book-thongs, bookmarks and magnets and BOOKS – Gina and I hit the room frequently and were rewarded for our efforts!

5. The books! After the books I gave away that I knew I wouldn’t read (or be able to pass off to family and friends) I still had to ship a box of 45 books home – I think getting that box delivered was better than Christmas for me!

6. The workshops. Informative, interesting and fun (and sometimes more free books!) – the workshops were great. From learning to think outside the box, to publishing spotlights with details on what they are looking for and how to submit, to fiquring out my left brain/right brain writing style – everything was covered.

7. The schmoozing. Yup – Gina and I hit the bar for a razzarita and found ourselves drinking with an agent – too bad I don’t remember the conversation -but I hear it was delightful and if I should choose to query said agent – she’d probably remember me (in a good way ).

8. Meeting people I’ve only met online. What a thrill to recognize a name on a badge and realize you chat with this person daily online! To be a face to a name and chat “in person” – well, priceless!

9. Finding common ground. I think it took less than a day for me for to realize that from the bestsellers down to us struggling unpublished – we share so many common traits it’s scary – like our love of our comfy PJs and being less than enthusiastic when expected to leave the house!

10. Making new friends. You walk into the breakfast buffet or the luncheon to a sea of tables – you pick a seat and introduce yourself. Business card pass and you’ve got a new contact.

11. Leave your ego at the door. I was stunned at how approachable even the bestsellers are (for the most part!) Nora was always in the lounge sharing and talking. Her “chat with Nora” workshop was standing room only and well worth it! Another thanks goes out to my fabbo roomie who kept me from stalking Nora – I soooo want to be her someday! But really, every bestseller had great inspirational things to say. What a fabulous bunch of woman!

12. Be ready to pitch. At the elevators, in the bar or even at the end of a workshop – there are so many opportunities to slid your pitch in there and get noticed.

13. Impressed by the numbers. Over 2000 attendees. All writing and loving romance. So many open minds, people willing to share their ups and downs. Being inspired by everything around me and coming home with the feeling that “yes – I can do this!”

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Leave your link in the comments and I’ll add you here!

1. Gina Ardito
2. Tempest Knight
3. Gabrielle
4. Elle
5. Dawn
6. Jennifer

In between

The packing is moving at a snail’s pace. School is approaching and we haven’t moved yet – so once we finally close on the new house, it should be a mad scramble of unpacking and registering the three kids at three different schools.

Since today was my day to blog over the Otherworld Diner – I’ve decided to be lazy and direct you over there.

Looking for a new book to add to your pile? Have you read Julia London? Want to get one of her books for free? Check out the sidebar to the right for the details, and leave me a comment on that post to enter!

Have a great Wednesday – I think I’ll be banished to the basement where there are more things to be packed than I care to mention .

Today’s Coffee - Green Mountian Columbian Supreme - shot of hazelnut and vanilla (is that considered a double?)

Is it Monday already?

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Where did my weekend go? I’m pretty sure it was lost in the shuffle of shopping and packing to move – but man it went by quick!

I sit here staring at the computer screen, trying to figure out how to keep one little girl from spending the entire day (make that one entire rainy day) on my computer – because that’s where I want to be .

Have a great day where ever you are!

Have you entered my contest to win a free book yet? Details are on the sidebar to the right – it’s easy and free – take a look!

Today’s Coffee - Columbian Supreme – shot of caramel.

Thursday Thirteen – 13 ways to drive your husband crazy

First of all, get your brain on track here – this is a PG13 blog! Now that we have that cleared up – Here are my top 13 ways to drive my husband crazy(or more aptly, why he deserves a medal!)

1. Promise that this week he really will have clean underwear. (And then of course, have to be reminded of said promise, because I have the attention span of a gnat. – Yes, he does the laundry more often than I do now.)

2. Take furniture measurements and then send him to pick up said furniture – assuring him that IT WILL fit in said vehicle. (Do I need to tell you that I am inept at taking measurements? – Good thing hubby figured out a long time ago that me and tapemeasures don’t mix!)

3. Buy a new cookbook! (I refer you to previous blogs, where it is now common knowledge that I can’t cook, shouldn’t bother and hubby has become a wizard in the kitchen

4. Start a sentence with “I was thinking…” - These words alone make him nuts – probably because it’s usually followed by something that involves work on his part – and directing on mine .

5. Make plans and never put them on the calendar. Okay organization is not my strongest point – thank god I married a very organized marvel of a man

6. Give driving directions - ha! I only have a three letter response for this problem – GPS!

7. Create a sauna in the house. I love, love, love my hot showers. Seems not everyone in the house shares my love or enjoys the steamroom feel of the house for hours afterward – go figure.

8. Do you hear that noise? In my defense, hubby does have a hearing problem, but come on – everything from clunking car noises to humming appliances can drive me crazy and I drive him crazy making him find the source and elminating it.

9. What list? I don’t shop with a list – this has to be one of the worst offenders on this list. I’ve been told that grocery shopping with my going up and down every aisle at least once while scouring my memory is enough to drive him off the cliff.

10. Have coffee obsession. I’ll admit I like a nice cup of coffee. I’ll even admit that I’m fairly partial to the flavorings and creams I put in my coffee – I’m not a plain vanilla girl, don’t ask me to drink plain jane coffee either. Evidently he thinks this is odd.

11. Develop pack-rat ways. Getting back to my organizational inabilities – I realize I live in what I have deemed “organized chaos.” I can generally put my finger on something important within a few hours or possible a day if I need to. And I do see his point that my piles of stuff drive him nuts (good thing the new house has more closets!)

12. Procrastinate. I think this one word is enough on that subject, thanks.

13. Ask dumb sports questions. Admit it, we’ve all done this. Asked the question that seems so logical in our mind, and is most definitely an insult to his favorite game. The hubby’s eyes roll back in his head, he chokes on his beer and the look in his eye that says “are you kidding?” are common signs that I’ve crossed the sports-lingo line.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Leave your name and website in the comments and I’ll add your link here:

1. Gina
2. Tempest Knight
3. Jennifer
4. Zee
5. Rhonda Stapleton
6. Deb Logan
7. Katherine Allred
8. Dawn
9. Elle Fredrix
10. Kate Willoughby
11. Paige Tyler
12. Lanie Fuller
13. Robin L. Rotham
14. Ava Rose Johnson

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants