Catching up

donthangupthequill — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:18:22 +0000

Spent most of January reading my MS and changing it per my agent suggestions. She’s read it and sent it back to me and I’m working on it again. And during all this, I’ve been performing in a local medieval faire as a singing wench.

My group sings very naughty songs. And it’s SO MUCH FUN.

I’ve been participating in the medieval faire for *cough*twenty*cough* years, but this is the first time I’ve been hired as a singer. My feet hurt and I’ve got a slight bodice burn (the weirdest-looking sunburn you’ll ever see) but it was completely worth it.

One of the best thing was having other performers tell us how good we sound. I hope I hope I hope I get to do this again next year.

You can watch one of our videos here. I’m the short, squat one in purple.

so…

donthangupthequill — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:45:27 +0000

I got nothin’. How about you?

I feel like I learned something

donthangupthequill — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:43:49 +0000

Went to my mom’s for Chanukkah with the intent of reading my story on a printed page and doing markups by hand. With the six hour drive down and husband behind the wheel, I figured I’d get a whole bunch of pages done on the first day easy.

Only we stopped for a bathroom break 2 hrs in and he asked me to drive afterward. *sigh*

The visit with my mom was so full of activity that I’ve been so sleepy at night and not able to edit as much as I liked. Same with the drive back. But tonight I plan on sleeping A LOT and get a fresh start tomorrow. After wench singing rehearsal.

One cool thing? The last time I printed out this story and did edits by hand, there was at least one change on every page. Usually four or five, but all had at least one. This time? Most pages only have one or two, and some have NONE at all!!! Go me!!

Workin’ Out

donthangupthequill — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:12:21 +0000

I started a fitness bootcamp today. You know what makes it easier? When Bootcamp Instructor Guy could be a cover model for a romance novel. Just sayin’.

You know what I hate?

donthangupthequill — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:37:44 +0000

… when you’re tracking changes, but you have them hidden, and you do something universal, like changing the spaces after a period from two to one. And then you keep making changes, until an hour later, when you realize what you’ve done.

Not that I’d know from personal experience or anything…

Writers are weird

donthangupthequill — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:14:33 +0000

Yesterday was the deadline for getting your Golden Heart entry to the RWA office in Houston. I mailed mine Monday with delivery confirmation. It still hadn’t shown up by 4pm Friday.

Enter Jaye, who lives in the area. Despite entering the same category, she used her paper, her ink, and her CDs to print out MY entry and left work early to drive to RWA and hand deliver it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I cannot say it enough.

And I know I would have done the same for her if the office was where I live.

Before that, we traded critiques, giving honest and sometimes harsh opinions of each others stories – again, even though we entered the same category. And I’m crossing my fingers for her finaling as much as I am for me.

Of course, our stories and voices are completely different, but still. Writers freely help their competition. I didn’t understand why when I first started writing – why would I tell someone about an agent taking pitches when I wanted to do it myself? – but now I celebrate my friends’ successes like they’re my own. Writers are weird.

crazy day…

donthangupthequill — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:21:59 +0000

Yesterday was one of those days that just didn’t stop! I mailed off my Golden Heart entry in the morning (should be delivered tomorrow), went to work, I got home from work and had a revision conversation with my agent (and y’all know I’m talking about it just so I can say “my agent” hee hee hee), got a massage at home from my wonderful friend, then high-tailed it to singing rehearsal for a show on Saturday (didn’t realize it was so close!) and THEN went grocery shopping! It was crazy. I scarfed down some dinner in there, too.

I’m about to start said revisions, and I’m really excited about it. Six months ago I would have said that if I had to read my cowboy story one more time, I was going to vomit, but I don’t feel that way anymore. So my computer is safe.

And I realized as I sat down that my story wasn’t even on my new computer! *laugh* I just emailed it to myself.

Happy Thansgiving!

donthangupthequill — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:06:49 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! May it be filled with love and laughter, good company and good things to eat!

Margie Lawesome

donthangupthequill — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:58:25 +0000

My brain is leaking neon pink, blue, orange, green, and yellow. After a full-day workshop with Margie Lawson, your brain would feel like that, too!

Aside from imparting fabulous information on making my reader feel what my characters are feeling, Margie was a fantastic speaker and a hoopy frood to hang with. And I can’t wait to get started using what I’ve learned.

Thanks, Margie! You’re welcome in Jacksonville any time.

Golden Heart 2012

donthangupthequill — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:44:02 +0000

I did it again. I’m entered in the 2012 Golden Heart.

Yikes.