E-Day!

Today is the day I'm going to start that all-important third polish of my Meg Dare book...I'm stalling right now. I'm going to start some laundry, then run some quick errands...not out of laziness, but out of hopefulness...my grandmother's comments are hopefully arriving in today's mail...if not, I'll start without them, but I really want to use them, so if I start today without, I'll have to do a second pass over once they come! I'm feeling Excited to Edit! Like, crazy excited! I've tried to start the outline for the next book, but am too distracted, too consumed with this one.

Today you can feel it, when Fai left this morning and I walked outside with him, the chill in the air...summer is ending, soon it'll be fall. I am sad, but it seems appropriate. I feel that my life is in a period of change, it feels right for the seasons to change too. This year I will take pictures of the beautiful golden leaves...

Mommy vs Writer

Here are some pictures I used for inspiration/setting of my novel, Meg Dare and the Bermuda Treaty. These are all in St. George, Bermuda. They're also taped to the wall over my desk...

Another mom was asking how my book was going...and I gave her a brief run down (well, as brief as I ever am when talking about writing) Her reply: I'd love to write a book, but just don't have the time...

A teacher/writer I admire greatly (Julianna Baggot) said in one of her classes to always pay yourself first. It took me awhile to catch on to what that means. As supermoms, we always take care of...everyone else. I wanted to write this book, if I didn't, I'd be unhappy, if I was unhappy, I'm be a bad mom....So here's today, and a picture of me doing both (mommying and writing) We all multitask, I'd like to think I've become a master! (although writing does detract from housework...)

Last night: Nadira scream fest=1 hour of sleep.
6:30 am: Mommy, I'm hungry, can I watch a show?
8:00 am: Family prayer. Microwave pancakes, turn on computer. Start editing.
8:20 am: Stop editing, set Anjali up with watercolors, get more pancakes for Nadira, start editing
again.
9:00 am: Try to put Nadira down for a nap, clean up mess from water colors...find kid music and
less messy art project. Get self bowl of cereal and diet coke.
9:45 am: Continue editing while eating a clemintine Anjali peeled for me....seriously great
moment...
10:20 am: Do silly dance with Anjali, set up to nurse Nadira while editing, have to stop editing
suddenly b/c Anjali picked up closed water colors and they dripped...everywhere...
10:40 am: Find good show for Anjali, open yogart tube
10:55 am: Open another yogart tube
11:05 am: Realize I forgot to let the dog out...
11:30 am: On to second diet coke...and another clemintine...
11:45 am: Finish second draft of novel!!!!!!! Yep, yep. Do another silly dance with Anjali...

Celebration: We go to the post office, mail a copy to my grandmother, then paint the town! We hit the playground, the library, Chick-fil-a for an early dinner and ice cream, the play area at Chick-fil-a, then home again....

And I've discovered to get a tired Nadira to stop screaming, need daddy singing on speakerphone. Planning on making a CD for bedtime...when she out grows it, it can be used for blackmail...

Summer Photos

I think this first picture sums up Anjali...yeah. These are the pictures from Hershey Park and Dutch Wonderland. The Princess, whose name Anjali learned is Princess Brooke, was extremely patient with Anjali, who was on the look out for her the whole day. And what does Anjali think of rollercoasters? She wants more! It always amazes me how incredibly fearless she is, an awesome kid for sure. And what about Nadira? I think she enjoyed it as much as any 8 month old could...

First Draft Done!

I am on a writing High! I wasn't going to write today, I felt cranky and tired and my baby didn't sleep last night, but my plot kept nagging at me...yesterday I wrote about a thousand words, not much, and from that point I thought I had about two or three days worth of writing to do.

After only two hours of sleep last night, I stayed home from church and sent Fai with the girls, fully intending to nap. I got a text message that I wasn't babysitting today, and so I settled into my comfy bed...

Then I started thinking about Meg, and Read, and my plot, and this and that and next thing I knew I was at the computer. I wrote for a good spell, about 2,500 words in just over an hour, then went to sleep. Then Fai and the girls got home, and we did the lunch thing and everyone went to nap.

And I returned to my desk...and I wrote and wrote and wrote until.........

It's done! My first draft is done! I wrote a grand total of just over 4,000 words today, which is roughly 20 pages, and a big achievement! I feel elated, I feel jazzed, I feel like I want to run around my house screaming....

But everyone is still asleep!

So this is my big Hurray! Tomorrow I'm knocking the most common bit of writing advice, and skipping the cooling-off period and jumping right into my second draft. Mentally, I started my second draft about a week ago. I'm hoping to have it done soon, because I'm going to a writer's conference in New York next month, and want to take a third draft with me...

By the way, I'm currently recruiting readers for my second draft, to look through it and offer advice on how to improve it. Any volunteers?

So that's it, I'm very jazzed....

Do I Need To Go Goth???

So I'm back, from an amazing weekend in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania? Yep, Pennsylvania. And I want to go back. Apparently it's a touristy place. We went to Hershey Park, swam a lot in the hotel pool, and then went to Dutch Wonderland, a kiddie-centered theme park. Anjali had a blast, and Nadira seem to really enjoy the carousal and the train ride...pictures will be forthcoming, I hope...

Anyway, so I cranked up the computer and set to checking my e-mails before opening up my novel and starting my daily writing attempt...

And on facebook, a new friend of mine sent me a link to a new author's website. Her name is Becca Fitzpatrick, and her new novel, "Hush, Hush," will be coming out soon. It's YA, and it's about a girl who falls for a guy who's a fallen angel. So I read about her and her book, and she's got an amazing story, and I can't wait to read her novel. Look her up, I bet most of you would like her too. And on her blog there's this pic of her with one of the ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) of her book, putting in on her bookshelf with her other books, and there's all four of the Twilight books. And automatically I saw the connection.

Not only are these books YA, but they are also what I would term a modern form of the Gothic novel. I studied Gothic novels in one of my classes at FSU, basically it's dark and dangerous, with the main character in danger, and the male lead being a dangerous hero...You get the idea.

Here's why I'm bugged:

I love my book, I love my character, Meg Dare is not in danger, she doesn't need a hero, she's strong and independent. I don't want her to be rescued, she's the hero! There is a bad guy who might become a love interest in a later book, but he'll be part of a love triangle, and the good guy will finish first. The story, while rich in suspense and action, is not dark. This is not a Gothic novel, and right now YA gothic seems to be the hot selling ticket. I know they say you shouldn't write to sell, you should write what you love, but honestly I would love anything I'm writing, and I want this as a career, not just a hobby. I want people to read this stuff! And getting a little money would be nice, although I'm obviously not counting on that anytime soon. So I'm in love with writing YA now, I'm going to finish Meg Dare and keep working on that series, but then should I maybe go for YA Gothic? Is there a market for YA strong female lead with high adventure and suspense, sorta a cross between Nancy Drew and Indian Jones, with mermaids and werewolves and other creatures thrown in? Would you read that kind of book? Would you buy it?

There's my writing rant for today, now I'm going to go and try to write...and not spend any more time on Becca's website!