It’s amazing how those few seconds of, “Gosh I feel great, so refreshed.” can turn into “Oh CRAP!”

In some ways, sleeping in was worth it. I awoke to a great half-dream that will make an awesome story. (now I just have to write down the premise before I forget it). It’s not so great because I want to get a few things around the house completed before I head over to hang out with some of my favourite writers for camaraderie and mutual cheer-leading.

I’m very excited because I set up the final two sections of my next novel to be edited. I have less than 8000 words left to proofread and then it’s on to the final polishing. ‘Hiding in Plain Sight’ should be online and ready for sale by the end of June. Whee!!

In the meantime, I’ve got 2 short stories almost ready for sale and two more about to be proofread. Smashwords and a few of the distributors have a short story sections in their online stores. I figure it’s time to start experimenting with them.

And of course, I’ll remind you that AESCIFI is still looking for sponsors and backers to help them get their online/print magazine off the ground. If you’re looking for an investment or advertising opportunity, take a look. They’re doing their fundraising through kickstarter, so everything is above-board and legitimate.

I’ve been in a writing group with Helen for a couple of years and have had several conversations with Duff about the project. They are real people and their plans for this magazine are bang on the money.

While they’re fundraising they’re running a Microfiction contest. Even if you’re not interested in entering, read the entries, some of them are quite good.

It’s been twenty years since I started writing the story about Jake and Kathryn. A lot has changed. Even if your rewrite is only a few months after the initial writing, check it to make sure your details are still current if your story is set in today’s world.

When I started the re-write in 2007, I had to adjust all sorts of things in my story.

Kathryn no longer needed to look up the number in the phone book to the Bed & Breakfast, instead she found the website on her laptop. On the wharf, I had to make it logical that she couldn’t just whip out her cell phone. It would have ruined the foundation scene for the entire story, so I had to come up with a reason for her cell to be shut off and thrown into the back seat of her car.

Reference points change quickly. Keep them vague if you can. Avoid mentioning models for electronics and specific television shows. Be extra careful if you’re using current celebrities. Three months ago it would have been fine for your hero to want to be just like Tiger Woods, he seemed infallible – umm yeah, now not so much.

Don’t stop writing. This is perhaps the most important and hardest thing to do.

We’re all our own worst critics. Seriously, real editors have nothing on us. And what’s even worse, if we are lucky enough to receive real feedback, it’s our own lack of confidence that interprets the comments to suit our perspective instead of allowing us to take the suggestions at face value. When I received my first rejection, it included a handwritten note saying my characters were wooden.

I was crushed. I put my manuscript and my dreams of becoming a writer up on a shelf and sulked. I gave up. Every time I’d catch myself writing little story starters or jot down ideas I’d stop. My inner editor was constantly berating me – who do you think you’re kidding? You can’t write.

It wasn’t until a few years later that my Mom was speaking to Dorothy Dearborn, a popular local author in Saint John. When Mom told her about my rejection, Dorothy wasted no time in correcting my assumption. Thanks Dorothy! Even if it’s just a scribbled comment on the side of a form letter, it means the editor not only read your work (which often they don’t) but they saw enough merit in it, to take the time and make a suggestion.

For those of you who are just starting out, there are three basic types of rejections.

The form letter – we cannot accept your work at this time, blah, blah, blah. Chances are, your work was not suitable for their target audience or had serious flaws to correct.

The form letter with comment – you’re moving up the food chain. They read your work and saw potential and made a few comments to steer you in the right direction.

The actual letter – addressed to you without any hint of form-y-ness to it at all. This means re-write your dang manuscript as soon as you can and resubmit it. Unless, the letter indicates that your work is not suitable for their audience. If that’s the case, find a publisher who has the right audience. These rejection letters are golden. I’m tempted to frame mine.

There is a special sort of grounding that I feel every time I come home. The power I get from returning to my roots is both humbling and astonishing. Now that I’m grown, I have a new appreciation for my parents. It seems they have an appreciation for us as well because now they say we weren’t have as rowdy and wild as they thought we were at the time.

Heh, I could have told them that… oh wait I did and they didn’t listen. I think it’s part of the parent /child contract. We’re not supposed to listen to each other from the time us kids are 13 until we’ve been out on our own for half a decade.

Last night was peaceful, the packages were wrapped (not as many as when we were younger but Christmas has always been more about family than presents for us anyway), the turkey was thawed and the potatoes for the stuffing were already mashed and waiting for the onions and other goodies to be added (didn’t want to chop the onions before church and be smelly). We sat down to watch It’s a Wonderful Life until it was time to head in to the church service. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the first part of the movie before. I always seem to come in halfway through.

After church, we came home, stuffed the bird and had a nip of Limoncello before bed to help us out with the visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads.

Waking up to the smell of roasted turkey is one of the best parts of Christmas. Having the bird done so you can relax and enjoy the day isn’t a bad side effect either. I had a cup of coffee, a leisurely breakfast, watched Mom prep the vegetables and waited for my other brother to arrive with his girlfriend and her kids.

Once they arrived it was chaos. Their 10yr old came in dressed as Santa and his sister like a reindeer. They had a blast handing out presents to us and weren’t disappointed when we gave them gifts in return. Then came dinner, turkey, stuffing, pie – we practically had to roll ourselves away from the table. The urge to nap was almost overwhelming. Dad succumbed, Mom sat down to read one of the books she got and one brother went outside to work off the meal while the other one had to prepare himself for heading over to his in-laws for 2nd Christmas. Me? well two guesses what I’m doing right now while sipping a lovely glass of NB cranberry wine.

Once I hit enter, I’m going to start writing again. I’ve been so busy with the book launches and editing other people’s work that I’ve been forced to suppress my own urge to write. This is my Christmas gift to myself… well that and the barley toy and ribbon candy I bought

Merry Christmas Everyone, may your day be filled with peace no matter how much chaos surrounds you.

Friday night we all went out to dinner to celebrate one of my best friend’s birthday. It was a semi-milestone (i.e. it ended in 5) Despite transit issues getting there, standing in the rain for 45 minutes in my party duds because the bus didn’t come, I had a blast.

Saturday was a trip out to Surrey to talk to my editors. Those awesome folks who are going over my novels with a fine tooth comb searching for flat wording and story inconsistencies, and alas still finding a few. the Then, I met up with post-birthday girl and we rode the wild rails of the skytrain in to Canada Place to see the Taboo, Naughty but Nice Show. I have to admit it is one of my favourite trade shows to attend

I love watching people at this show. You have the jaded “show me something I don’t already know” crowd, the adventursome couples who eagerly explore each booth, the fact finders… want something but aren’t sure exactly what, the newbies couples who tee-hee-hee their way through the aisles and the single boys who are barely old enough to walk in the doors. They are the most fun. Their bravado turns to wide-eyed wonder at their first sight of tassled boobs, leather clad studs and half-naked, body-painted ladies.

I came back to my desk last night almost refreshed. Spent and evening writing a bit and chatting a lot. Woke up this morning with the next few chapters all plotted out and ready to write. So off I go to nail these suckers down before the illusive muse runs away again with that guy in the tight ass-less chaps.

All those chores I’ve been avoiding all week are ganging up on me. Dishes piled high on the counters (I swear I didn’t have that many dishes before NaNo started), clothes overflowing my laundry basket (ditto on the clothes – seriously how can I have so many and still never find a thing to wear?)

It’s windy and rainy outside now which makes me hesitate about venturing out to the write-in. I’ve been to three already this week so surely missing one isn’t a bad thing. But there’s the energy I get from being with other writers (and let’s not forget the gorgeous bus driver on the way home if I time it just right ). So off I trek downtown to the Library for the write-in.

Have a great – dark and stormy night!

I wanted to hit 5000 words, but failed. At 8pm I hit a wall. I got a few paragraphs out after that but I suspect I’lll have to re-word them this morning. I did manage to crest 4000. That’s a personal best for this early in the challenge. Usually I’m woefully behind by this point.

As usual though, my story has morphed from what I was originally intended. I was thinking the battle scene would be at the end, turns out it’s going to happen before the end of chapter two and the rest will be about survival and beating the bad guys.

I’ve never written anything that could be classified as adventure before. This could get interesting.

Sundays are always busy for me and this one was worse (or better) than usual. In fact I started writing this blog around midnight and was nearly falling asleep on the computer so here it is Monday morning and I’m finally finishing it.

I stayed up until midnight on Saturday with several of the local NaNoers and at the stroke of 12+1 we started writing. To celebrate the occasion I had a glass of chocolate eggnog (President’s Choice has it and it’s good) with a shot of kahlua. I highly recommend it (if you’re under 19 of course -21 in the States) try it without the kahlua.

At the end of day 1 I’m at 1400 words. Only 300 behind schedule if I was doing a static daily goal. But as previously discussed, I’m a pantser. I write by the seat of my pants. Some days are crazy busy, so I know whatever i write will be crap. Other days I wake up running. the ideas are pouring out of my brain before my feet hit the floor.

Luckily, today, day 2, is one of those days and because of my flexible schedule, I can spend the day writing. I’ll be beyond todays static goal before noon.

Good Luck to all participants and good writing (don’t worry about quality, that’s why we edit in March)

Sunday is the start of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) AND half price chocolate day.

What a great boon to all those NaNoers who will need that extra boost of sugar in their systems to get a jump on their word count. Having said that I’m pretty sure with all the socializing, I’ll fall behind over the first few days.

The kickoff is Saturday afternoon which flows into Hallowe’en – which technically won’t interfere with writing time unless you count the sugar rush and hangovers that could result from all the festivities. I’m sure my hands will be shaky and my knees will be weak on Sunday Morning as I attempt to include the Sunday Brunch Writing Prompts at www.Toasted-Cheese.com in my latest NaNo  novel.

Then it’s off to make a quick stop at Waves in New West to hang out with some of the writing folks in this end of the burbs on my way dowtown to hang with the Sunday NaNo social crew. Then it’s off to a friends for dinner and a movie then back home to write (assuming I’m still somewhat awake and coherent). I’m tired just thinking about it.

Good thing there’s all that half price chocolate and candy available.

For those about to write we salute you. Gird your loins, loosen your belts (damn all that half price junk food) perk your coffee, ditch your inner editor and pen, pen that novel.

Are you a planner or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pantser. I am definitely a pantser. I did a complete outline once. When I had it finished I no longer wanted to write the novel because I knew how it ended.

If you’re like me we’re in good company. At the Surrey International Writers’ Conference I attended a seminar conducted by Hallie Ephron. When asked how she writes she admitted that she was on 260 of her new book and still had no idea who-dun-it. It was a 300 page book, she was begining to feel a bit uneasy. But, she hasn’t failed yet, so I take heart in knowing I’m not completely insane by writing the way I do.

I’ve done more planning this year than usual. This story idea came to me last spring while digging in my garden. I’ve been mulling over it during spare moments and think I have a good idea for the set-up. I still have no idea what’s going to happen. I’m sure the characters will let me know.

Last year I started out with 4 names and knew one of them was an alien hiding out on earth. That’s it, That’s all.

Ready or not, NaNo starts Sunday morning at 12:01am. This year I might even take an evening nap, make a cup of coffee and start writing at the sound of the gun. At least that’s my plan. What about you?

Oh and added bonus the clocks go back an hour on November 1st – whee!

I’ve always been a writer. I know that might sound a bit pretentious but it’s true. I’ve always told stories. I still have notebooks from creative writing classes back in elementary school and realize I was pretty darn good. Mom was right

Yesterday I was in a bit of a funk. I wanted to write but the business side of writing was rearing it’s ugly head and had to be dealt with. Some days that stuff isn’t my favourite, but it get’s me to where I have to go so I do it, even though I’d much rather be writing.

Today, everything is in line and I’m blasting through my to do list. My reward? Nano starts on Sunday. If you’ve never heard of NaNoWriMo.org here’s the deets.

We start November 1st and write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month. It works out to 1666.67 words per day which is totally doable.

My first year doing NaNo I was completely behind. We’re talking by 12,000 words. I’d barely started my story and it was the morning of November 11th. I decided to shun housework, errands and my roommate (he’s my youngest brother, so that was easy enough) and write. After lunch I decided his tiptoeing around me was more distracting than helpful, I packed up my laptop and headed out to one of the coffee shops down the street.

By end of day, I’d written 9,000 words. I was back in the race.

Leson learned though. The next day I was completely brain-dead (yes, more than usual) so I’ve resolved never to let that happen to me again.

NaNoWriMo.org has expanded a lot even in the three years I’ve been participating. It’s not just about writing in November. Many of us have stuck together throughout the year, writing (although not at that crazy pace) and encouraging each other. If you love to write, I say Do IT. Even if you don’t make the 50,000 words the process is a true learning experience and chances are, you’ll exceed your own expectations.

Speaking of wwriting, it’s time to go back and do some more of the not as fun writing. Business processes and editing – whee!!