Archive for January 2010 | Monthly archive page
Again, I went to my NARWA meeting … and again I was inspired by a great speaker. Jennifer Ashley talked about how to finish that manuscript and get it published. And as usual, I had to come back to Flagstaff and head straight to work when I wanted to go home and write.
Agents and the business of writing were on the table, but the most important take-home point for me was this:
Treat writing like it’s your day job and it will become your day job.
It sounds like such a simple concept … yet I’ve been guilty of writing only when “I feel like it” or when I’m inspired.
What I need to do is get in the habit of writing every day, whether I feel like it or not.
Hmm. Now that I think about it, discipline is a big problem in other areas of my life, too. I’m trying to lose weight, but I don’t always stick to my Weight Watchers plan — I do it when I feel like it. (That’s probably why I’m having trouble taking off the last few, eh?) … All too often, I feel like eating something I shouldn’t, like gooey, cheesy Italian or Mexican food.
But that’s another blog! 😀
Now, let’s get back to the subject at hand: writing. For the next week, I’m going to try something different. Every day, I’m going to spend at least an hour writing — preferably before I do anything else. (That includes hopping online, one of my biggest distractions. Darn that Bejeweled on Facebook! I pull up the screen to play one game and end up playing for an hour …)
I’m also going to finally finish my query letter for “Operation Snag Mike Brad” and start looking for the agent of my dreams. I got some great feedback from out chapter president and will be using it to polish up my query.
It’s time for me to make writing my day job.
I’ll be logging in nightly to report how many minutes I spent writing, so please keep checking in to keep me honest.
I got a little writing done today … very little. I’d say I wrote about a page — a far cry from the heady days of November when I was writing 2,000 words a day.
Guess I’ll look at the positive: It’s a page more than I wrote yesterday.
I’ve actually been a little lazy since finishing the first draft of “Blind Date Bride” last month. I haven’t been writing much, though I did finish my query letter … I think. I’m waiting for some feedback from my writer friends.
The problem is, I’m not sure what I want to work on now. I can’t make up my mind. I’ve dabbled with Cassie & Dustin’s story and today I wrote on Meg & Matt. I could also go back to Drew & Lainy’s story, or Bree & Mike’s.
I think, now that I’ve figured out how to print on both sides of the paper with the Boyfriend’s new printer, I’m going to print out a copy of “Blind Date Bride” so I can give it a good read-through. I didn’t want to waste 350 sheets on a first draft … even if it might be the best thing I’ve ever written.
… Literally. I was unable to talk above a whisper yesterday. Even now, my voice is all scratchy and it hurts to talk.
Being without a voice gave me pause and made me think about what it would be like to lose my writing voice: Not much fun.
Some writers struggle to find their voices. Not me. I’ve always known where mine was. For as long as I can remember, people have told me I write like I talk. They can hear my “voice” in the words on the paper. In fact, I once got an e-mail from a guy who wanted to meet me because liked my column in the newspaper. (No romance developed, but we became friends.)
Not much has been happening on the writing front. I’m still working on that query — I think the tables are about to turn so I can start kicking its butt. (About time. I’m tired of feeling battered and bruised.) I’m also about to print out “Blind Date Bride” so I can read through it and start editing.
Our NARWA meeting is a little less than a week away, on Jan. 16. I’m excited for that. It always gives me a writing nudge.
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