Keeping Things Fresh

I am definitely a creature of habit. I like a routine. Get up, fix coffee, have coffee while checking internet things, try to write, blah blah blah. But today, I've switched things up. See, normally my husband takes our 6YO to the bus stop in the morning allowing me to sleep a little later which means I'll stay up late. But I've noticed that I write more in the morning, when my mind is fresh. When I stay up, I say that I'll get writing done, but I usually just end up watching a lame movie or youtube videos or playing phone games. Then I'm like:

So, I'm hoping this change will make a difference in my daily word count. We shall see. It's 8:30 now (a good hour before I normally wake up), and I've already done my twittering, facebooking, and now, even a blog post.

Also, there's just something about making a change in one's life. Even though it's just a tiny thing, I feel like I'm moving forward. Like I just leveled up or something!

LEVEL UP DANCE!

Now it's time to spend those experience points and get down to business!

What about you? Are you a morning or night or evening writer? Do you stick to a routine or let things happen as they may?

5 Animated Movies That Won't Annoy The Crap Out Of You

I'm a stay-at-home mom. My oldest is six and then there's the three year old. We don't have television because we can't afford it. It's not so bad seeing as I don't have America's Top Model or reruns of CSI to distract me, but I also don't have Nick Jr. to distract the monkey-boy. The littlest is pretty good about keeping himself entertained, but sometimes I have to just put on some eye candy to keep him out of trouble (and to retain my sanity). In other words, I've seen a lot, A LOT, of animated movies. And I've narrowed it down to the least annoying, the ones that I actually enjoy and can handle watching multiple times (because as most people know, children can watch the same movie twelve times in one day and still say, "Again, again!"). So, here they are for those of you who might be in the same position as me.

1. CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 

Based on the children's book written by Judi Barrett, this is our family's go to movie. We even have a nickname for it: Steve. The voice acting includes Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Neil Patrick Harris, and the always brilliant, Bruce Campbell. The animation is fun, the story is great, and my husband and I are constantly repeating some of the hilarious one liners. I'm pretty sure a day doesn't go by that we don't watch this movie, and oddly enough, that's alright with me.

2. TANGLED

Remember when you were a little girl and you had crushes on animated characters? Yeah, apparently I never grew out of that. I just love Flynn Rider played by Zachary Levi in this one. My husband says the horse, Maximus, is the best part of the movie. And my 3yo has "Mother Knows Best" stuck in his head practically day and night. Laugh out loud moments combined with great songs make this one a classic Disney flick.

3. MEGAMIND

You can see all the big names in this one. I'm particularly impressed with the story. There's a great anti-hero thing going on plus a strong female character. And the animation is really quite pretty.

4. GNOMEO & JULIET

All Elton John, all movie long. Emily Blunt and James McAvoy do the main voices in this retelling of Romeo and Juliet. I'm a sucker for retellings and I love Shakespeare so this is a no-brainer for me. Also, there is nothing sweeter than listening to the boys sing along with "Love Builds a Garden." Makes me tear up every time.

5. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

This is a recent addition to our regular viewing list. The 6yo especially loves this one. There are lots of Scottish accents which I could listen to all day. The story reminds me of a boy and his dog kind of story. And who wouldn't want their own Toothless?

So, there you have it! I'm always looking for new kids' movies to add to our list. Do you have any that don't make you want to pull your hair out?

And now that I've finally done a new blog post, I think I deserve a break!

In which I vow to care less...

So, this post from Chuck Wendig: Ask A Writer: In Which I Exhort You To Care Less

It seriously hit me hard. Like hard hard. I encourage everyone to read it.

After reading it, letting it really soak in, I came to two conclusions.

1. I let things get to me way too easily. Then, I let those things dig their stupid, meaningless claws into my brain where they constantly bug the crap out of me. You see, I'm a worrier (I might have mentioned this before). Tiny things, things that happened years ago, still nag me. Most of the people that were involved in these insignificant happenings probably don't even remember them or remember them differently than I do, but still, they're there in my brain. This habit has got to stop because pretty soon, when TSIBAN is released, there will be people who like my book (hopefully), but there will also be people who really don't like it, maybe even hate it. I've already vowed not to read the bad reviews, like the really bad ones that might be super hurtful. I don't know if this makes me smart or a coward, but it's just the way I'm going to approach the whole thing because life is too short, dude.

2. I have GOT to unclench when it comes to writing. I have GOT to relax and remember what is wonderful about doing this. I don't know what it is that's causing this sometimes overwhelming feeling of fear and doubt. Maybe I'm trying to hard to improve, maybe I'm letting other people's writing intimidate me because there are so many awesome authors and am I even worthy of a place on a shelf even close to them and *PANIC*

... Deep breaths...

See how quickly the anxiety sets in?

So, here's my promise to myself (and maybe you want to join me on this):

I shall care less. 

Simple enough. Easy? Highly doubtful, but if by saying that over and over in mirror gets me another thousand words down then it is worth it.

And just to end on a happy note:

Teen Cult Classics

I was talking with my husband the other day about my characters. I mentioned something about how the characters might have known each other as children, maybe played video games when they were little kids.

"Aw, yeah," he said, "I can see them hanging out playing Nintendo."

"No, they wouldn't have played Nintendo," I said.

"Super Nintendo?"

"Nope, try Playstation 2," I said.

"Oh my God, I'm so OLD!"

This conversation got me to thinking. My generation's classics are completely different from my target audience's classics. I watched Care Bears and Rainbow Bright. They watched Dora the Explorer and Blue's Clues. I played Nintendo and Sega. They played PS2 and XBox. I was obsessed with Leonardo Dicaprio (who am I kidding with that "was", I still am obsessed with him). They're into Zac Efron. 

So, here's my question, what are this generation's cult classic movies? I wasn't entirely sure so I went to the most knowledgeable source: My 19 year old niece. 

Her immediate answer was, "Mean Girls!!!! Hands down."

Then she said, "People quote The Hangover, too." 

So, what do you guys think? Do you have anymore? 

Stefanie is Bedazzled!

Once upon a time, there was a girl who went searching for a writer buddy. After meeting a few people, this girl thought she would never find "The One". Nobody was clicking with her. In an act of desperation, the girl posted on the AbsoluteWrite.com forums, titling the post "Can a girl get a writer buddy :)". The heavens shined down on her then. Her savior came in the form of a girl who wrote awesome YA and was funny and just as silly as the girl was. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic, but considering the impact this writer buddy has had on me, the dramatics are warranted. I first started exchanging emails with Stefanie Gaither back on March 27, 2011. Over the past year, Stef has become not only a writer buddy, but also a dear friend. I even had a dream once in which we met at a writing conference. When we saw each other in said dream, there was lots of hugging and girly squealing (later, when I told Stef about the dream she said she would have tackle hugged me, lol). After the hugs, we became detectives to find the person trying to sabotage our writing... But back to the point of this blog post.

Without Stef's help, my writing would not be what it is today. She taught me the difference between its and it's. She opened my eyes to the wonders of the semi-colon and the emdash. She's tried to help me with my comma problems, but that is a lost cause. She has always been honest about my writing without being harsh. She's helped me out of many writer blocks including one last night. She listened to me rant about how hard writing is and life in general. We have stayed up into the early morning hours just being crazy.

Needless to say, Stef will be getting a very heartfelt acknowledgement at the end of THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD  because, if not for her, the book would be crap.

Here's just a small collection of things we've traded in chat sessions (of which, there have been "many" or that's what gmail says, apparently there are too many to count), emails, through facebook, and twitter. Enjoy the crazy!

The Big Reveal

It was Friday, February 10th. I was a little down and out about querying. I had given a certain publishing company a look before, I knew who they were, I knew some of their authors, I knew they were very author friendly, and I knew that they were legit and making a big splash. After even more research, they seemed like exactly the type of team I wanted to be on. So, I thought, "Why not?"

I put together my query for Heather Howland, Senior Editor, and pressed the send button. Normally, when sending a query, I would hem and haw over clicking that button, but for some reason, I barely hesitated this time. Twenty minutes later, she responded with an enthusiastic full request.

One week and a day later, February 18th, I was having a phone conversation with her. She loved my book... Sigh... That feels SO GOOD to say!

Today, I signed the contract!

That's right... I'm an Entangled Teen author!!! My book, THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD, is slated for Spring 2013!!!

Wow... I still... I can't even... Yeah, I'm still in shock...

Birds in My Brain

So, I've finished THE SUMMER I BECAME A NERD. It's polished. At least, I think it's polished. I've been querying, waiting for someone to bite. And I've gotten a couple of nibbles, which just means I have to wait even more. I'm sure I've said this before, but I'll say it again: I'm a very impatient person. So, maybe I'm learning a lesson in how to keep my mouth shut and just trust that news will come soon, but the waiting is driving me crazy. The general line of advice I've been getting from writer friends is to keep writing, start something new, which is proving to be incredibly tough.

In our front yard, there's a huge pecan tree. It's gorgeous with it's tire swing and phoenix fern covered trunk. So, I was on the porch this morning, watching the tree, watching little birds flit to it then to the ground and then on their way and so on. I look over at my kids' window and there's my cat, Minnie the Skinny, doing the same thing as me: bird watching. It occurred to me then that this is exactly what trying to find the right idea for the next project is like.

The tree is my brain and here comes a little bird. It settles on a branch ever so lightly. Maybe it pecks at the branches, leaving little remnants of the fact that it was there, ideas for scenes or plot points. Then, it moves on. More birds come, more birds leave. Ideas flit in and out, none staying long enough for me to find my binoculars so I can take a longer look. I make note of the ideas like I'm checking off different species in a field guide to birds of North America.

It's only when one of the birds decides that my pecan tree is the perfect place to make its home that I'll be able to start that new WIP. I could write the wren that hopped from branch to branch, never staying still. I could write the crow that cawed so loudly it woke the dogs sleeping in the yard. But I want to fall in love with my story. I want it to build a nest and have babies (Am I really saying I want to have baby birds hatch in my brain? Geez, I'm weird) then nourish those chirpers and teach them how to fly.

Has it really been almost a year?!

Ah, what to blog about? All the things? Only a few things? How about just one of the things? Yeah, let's go with that.

So, it's coming up on my one year blog-o-versary. Yep, I've been doing this crazy thing since December 22, 2010. Back then, I had an idea for a book. During the course of writing that book, I traversed a world I didn't know existed prior to December 22, 2010. I learned about writing via twitter and blogs. I learned about agents via twitter and blogs. I learned about the publishing industry via twitter and blogs.

Hmmm, I'm starting to see a trend here.

Now, I'm not a professional. Yet. I'm not the best writer I can be. Yet (and I'm sure that's something I'll forever be reaching for). But I wouldn't even be contemplating being an author if it wasn't for twitter and blogs. The internet is a vast and wondrous place rife with knowledge and support for people like me. The information is there, it just needs to be read.

Yes, the biggest step is actually writing. Twitter and blogs might help with the process, but they can't do that for you. And write, I did. Two manuscripts came from these fingers and this brain this year. One is on the shelf, poor thing. The other is my current WIP and I love it. I'm prepared to make it the best it can be no matter what. Of course, other parts of my life have suffered from my obsessive pursuit. Dishes and laundry have gone unwashed, floors have gone unmopped, flower beds have turned into weed beds, friendships have not been nurtured, BUT I'm making that step towards doing something with my life other than being a mother (which is the best thing ever, but still) and a wife.

This has all been pretty rambly, sorry about that, but my brain is fried from edits and revising. I guess the point is: twitter and blogs = awesome. Not giving up, still willing to go the extra mile = me even after a year.

Inspiration for Writers

So, we all know about the normal resources for writers. There are awesome blogs done by everyone in the business from authors to agents to editors. Plus, there are certain books that every writer should have on their shelf like Self-Editing for the Fiction Writer by Browne & King. But, today, I'd like to talk about some of the unsung resources. Or, at least, I consider them resources, because without them I wouldn't be able to be as creative as I like to think I am.

I'm talking about inspiration, people. We, as writers, are in the business of creating. What we do is basically an art form. Heck, there's no "basically" about it, it IS an art form. So, here are some of the things that are must-haves for me as a writer.

1. Music - I like to figure out what type of music my characters would listen to or what type of soundtrack my book would have if it were a movie. With my last novel, it was mostly dreamy, quirky, pretty stuff like Ellie Goulding, Imogen Heap, and Jonsi. But my new book has a completely different feel. I went on Facebook and asked my friends for recommendations that had a certain vibe. People are always willing to share their taste in music. Pandora.com is a wonderful site for this. Just put in a couple of artists or songs and Pandora will play things similar to them.

2. Art - Deviantart.com, people, check it out. Especially if you're writing fantasy or sci-fi, the pieces on that site are so inspiring, it's ridiculous.

3. Tumblr - You must walk a tightrope with this one, folks, because it will suck you in. Music, art, gifs, videos, it's all there.

4. Favorite things - This one might just be me and my weirdo self, but I find that if I have a box of my favorite candy or a tall glass of cherry coke sitting on my desk, I'm happy. And, I don't know about you but, a happy writer makes for a happy word count. I don't know how many times just putting on my fuzzy socks got me through a writer's block.

5. Friends & Family - For me, this is the most important. Sure, my husband might suggest a gem of an idea for that scene I'm stuck on, but that's not the real reason I need him and all the rest of my wonderful circle of people. I need their support, plain and simple. I need them to stroke my ego when I've just written a (IMO) beautiful sentence. I need their "It'll be okay"s and "You'll figure it out"s when I'm deadlocked. I need my kids to be cute for those times when I need a distraction.

So, that's it. The five things that are essential to my process. What kind of crazy things or not-so-crazy things are important to your writing? Let me know in the comments!

Day 95: To Get Beta-Readers...

... or not?

So, I'm half way through editing my first draft. I started typing it up, making the changes I thought needed to be made. AND it's driving me bonkers! I think I went over board, changing every other sentence, every other description. I couldn't stop myself.

When I reread what I'd done to the first 3 pages, all I could do was shake my head. I got frustrated, discouraged, and flat out pissed! I believe I need some knowledgeable input.

Here's where I start looking for beta readers or crit partners. A while back I said that I loved writing this book because the research was either fun or not needed because I already knew a lot on a certain topic. Well, I was, in a way, completely WRONG! Sure, the book research was that way but the writing research is NOT! There is so much to research as a writer and it is easy to get bogged down in it. There's agent research, there's craft research (you know, character developement, story arcs, etc.), there's query research, and on and on. Now, beta reader research is the same way. I get sucked into the forums at sites like Absolutewrite.com and I end up reading blog posts that have nothing to do with crit partners on Kidlit.com. And then, it's 2:30 in the afternoon and I have to rush to get ready (because I've yet get out of my pajamas) in order to go pick up the 4YO. *le sigh*

What's a girl to do?
I'm serious, what do I do?

See, I'm a very impatient person. When I want something, I want it now and I'll figure out a way to get it (hmmm, can you tell I'm the youngest of 3 kids and the only girl?). But, I want to do this whole thing right. So, I'll continue to read every blog post by every agent and author and publisher and editor and reader. And if any of you have advice for this spoiled brat, I'd appreciate it. Or, if you'd like to rant a little about how tough this writing gig is, let me hear it!

Day 73: No, I Would Not Like Some Cheese...

So, here I am, just three or four more scenes from finishing my first draft and it is so hard. Not because I don't know what happens. Of course I know what happens. I've known that since I wrote the first word. Its because life is interfering.

Life, as in money troubles, keeping the house clean, giving my family the attention it deserves, money troubles. Oh, I said that already, huh? Anyway, all these things are weighing on my mind making it incredibly hard to focus on the imaginary world I've created.

What's a girl to do? And why didn't anyone tell me being a writer is tough? Oh, that's right, EVERYBODY has said this. It is addressed in every blog I read. *sigh*

*think, think, think*

Let's see, I have a few more hours before I have to pick up my son from school. Plenty of time to focus on pumping out a couple thousand words, right? Also plenty of time to fold some clothes. There's nothing I can do about the money situation at the moment. And the only family member here is my youngest son who is currently watching his favorite show.

OK, 2 hours of writing, 1 hour of laundry, pick up kid, do dishes, pick up living room, start diner, and while doing these chores I will multi-task by thinking about the rest of the book. Maybe if I stick to this plan, I won't spend the whole day worrying about junk I can't do a darn thing about (I have a big tendency of doing that, I blame my mother. You know its true, Mom. I love you, though.).

So there you have it. My whine, whine, bitch, bitch post. Hopefully, there won't be anymore of these...*crosses fingers*

Aw, Shucks... I Got An Award!

The awesome ladies, Alicia and Miranda, over at Slice of the Blog Pie were sweet enough to give me one of these lovelies. *blush*

The rules are:
1. Acknowledge and link back to who gave you the award.
2. List 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award to 10 other bloggers.


7 Things About Me
1. I can knit and crochet.
2. I dream of one day owning my own cupcake/dessert/coffee shop.
3. I breastfed both of my sons for the first year of their lives. I don't care if that's too much information, folks. I'm super proud of that :)
4. I am a huge Boston Celtics fan! I bleed green, baby!
5. I'm a horrible waitress due to being clumsy and awkward around strangers which is why I don't do that anymore.
6. When children aren't present, I cuss like a sailor. Its like I have to meet my quota before the kids come home again.
7. The first movie I can remember seeing in a theater is Willow.

And since I'm new to the whole Blog-O-Sphere, I'm only going to give this out to 5 people.

Melissa Dezendorf
Teralyn Rose Pilgrim
Deborah Burns
Veronica Gutierrez
Uncorked and Unwined

Day 62: Epiphanies and Merlot...

...always seem to go together, don't they?

I spent most of the day yesterday writing. I didn't hit the 5k mark but I did get 2k and did some revising. I also did some thinking on improving the story. And after a slow glass of red wine, I had an epiphany! It is an event that will happen in the book that is so awesome and unexpected. I love the idea and can't wait to write it.

The kids were at Grandma's for the evening so the DH and I had time to talk about my book. And since he's the super amazing man that he is, he actually liked helping me out. He's always saying, "Yes, that sounds so cool. I can't wait to read it! Go write! Now!" I'm such a lucky duck, ya'll :)

I also realized last night that my book might not end up being the length that I predicted. That's nothing to be freaked out about, though. 80,000 words is a little on the long side for a YA fantasy, I think (but really I have no idea, being the big, honkin' newb that I am). Now I'm looking at around 65k to 55k. But, who knows what it'll end up being. I can't count on anything when it comes to this story because as I write, as I analyze it, parts of it get thrown away as I add things that I believe are better ideas.

I've been trying my hand at writing a book for many years now. But, as I think I've said before, none of those were ever as promising and complex as this one. I've never believed in an idea as much as I do this one. So, I want to do it right!

Anyway, I see a lot more writing in store for today. My coffee cup is almost empty which means the brain is about to start working double time. This is my favorite time to write. I guess coffee and high word counts always seem to go together.

Here's a song by a chick that I'm a little obsessed with right now. Her stuff is a little poppish which I'm not usually interested it, but her voice is unique and the music is a little quirky. Enjoy! (could say 'a little' just a little bit more, grrr)

Day 58: Moving On...

Thanks so much to everyone who gave me suggestions yesterday! I really appreciate it. You all know what I'm going through and it is such a wonderful thing that we are all able to communicate and help each other. I did take a break from looking at my WIP. I ended up having to take my kiddos to the doctor. I cooked dinner for the fam. And this morning I've made a decision: I'm going to leave that scene alone, I'll write it another day. I'm going to move on to some scenes that I'm really excited to write. Namely, a kissing scene *grin*. I'm also going to start editing and revising. I started rereading this first draft yesterday and realized it needs sssssooooo much work. But, that's what first drafts are for, right?

Here's another question. Do ya'll have any tricks that you do when you start editing? Certain words or sentence forms you look for? I know some of the classic tips like "get rid of all your -ly words". Do you guys follow those tips?

Day 47: Ahhhh, the Weekend is Here!

Thank goodness the weekend is here! Being a stay-at-home Mom, I have some trouble getting words down during the week. I try, I really do, but there's always something else to get done. Did you know kids can be needy? I know, I was shocked, too!

The weekend is when I get most of my writing done. I get to foist the kids onto the DH or which ever Grandparent needs kiddo time. I tend to lock myself in my office and frantically type, type, type.

So in honor of those munchkins we all love so much, here's a little example of one of those things that tend to distract me during the week. As parents, we have to keep an eye on what our kids are watching. I freakin' love this!

Day 45: Who Has 2 Thumbs and is a Little Crazy?

THIS GIRL! Seriously, folks, I now see why writers are considered a little bonkers. Everyday on my way to pick up my son from Pre-K, I have conversations with my characters... Out loud... Thankfully, the only other person in the car is my 18 month old. I hope I'm instilling in him the need to be creative and not the need to talk to people who aren't there.

In other news, there are some AMAZING contests going on right now! Of course, they're mostly for people with finished manuscripts so I can't enter, but that doesn't mean ya'll can't!

There's the one over at Shelli's (@srjohannes) Blog, Market My Words: Pay It Forward Contest.

There's also the one over at Brenda Drake's (@brendadrake) Blog, It Was A Dark and Stormy Blogfest Contest.

So, there you have it. Go check them out and enter them, all you finished novel people >.<

Day 44: The Color is Touching the Numbers!!!

So, for a while now, I've been constantly updating my little word count meter over there ----->, just waiting for the day when the color part touches the numbers. Its silly, I know, but its like when you stare at a lava lamp, waiting for the first bubbling up of the lava. Or when you stare at a screen saver waiting for the corner of the logo to bounce exactly in the corner of the screen.

Yeah, well, it happened today, folks! I'm so proud that I've reached 30,000 words. Actually, every day that I can get at least 500 words seems like a huge accomplishment. Granted, the house is kinda a wreck and I'm not even gonna say when the last time I made the bed was.

But who cares about that stuff! THE COLOR IS TOUCHING THE NUMBERS! HUZZAH!

Anyway, this morning my husband's alarm woke me up and I almost fell back to sleep but... You know those images that sometimes flash before your eyes right as you're falling back to sleep and you go "Huh. That's weird." Well, I had one of those that was so haunting and perfect for my book I sat up and thought about it some more. I didn't trust myself to remember it if I did go back to sleep so I had to get up and jot it down or something. Its so spooky and freaky and eerie and well, I can't wait to write about it.

So, there you have it. My rambling thoughts for the day. You may now continue with your scheduled life... BBBBEEEEEEEPPPPPPP.......

But watch this first cause its hilarious!!!

Day 43: Some Days You Wanna Write...

... and some days you don't. Yesterday was one of those "don't" days for me. I just didn't feel like it. I couldn't even think about writing. I watched like 3 movies and just hung out with the boys. Today though, the monster returned in full force. I woke up thinking about what my next scene should be. Thank goodness... I was a little worried there for a moment.

Oh, the New Horizons Literary Club's (we're still debating on the name) first meeting on Sunday went extremely well. Melissa has a great story idea and I hope I helped her. It did seem like she was working it out as we went along. And of course, her input on my WIP is always helpful. Plus, it made me feel super good that she was excited to read the stuff that I'd done since giving her my partial manuscript.

We did end up scraping the reading of Les Mis and The Great Gatsby, though. Les Mis is such a long and involved story that I don't blame her for being a little annoyed with it. And I tried to get into Gatsby. The writing of it can be very beautiful, but I just can't get into it because I just plain disliked all the characters. Oh well. Melissa does have Anna and the French Kiss so, maybe, she read the first few pages and inevitably get hooked!

It looks like today is going to be a super stormy and all around bad weather day. Which means my internet will be down. Which means NO DISTRACTIONS! Good for writing...

So, its time to get back to it.

Day 40: A Writer's Work is Never Done...

Started thinking last night about what the future holds for me when it comes to being a writer. I love/hate doing this because it usually inspires/discourages me all at the same time. What will it be like to actually finish my book? I can see the end in the distance.

I went back and reread some of my earlier posts. Did I really think my YA manuscript needed to be 150,000 words! Oh, how silly I was. Now at 28,000 words, I realize i'm close to being half way finished! I'm not going to force anything, of course. If it ends up being 100,000 words then so be it, but it feels good to know I don't have to write War & Peace.

Also, I thought about how many times I will need to revise. Will I be happy with it after one or will it take 5 or 6 times? Or will I even know how many times I've revised it when I'm done?

Oh! And then there's the query letter! I haven't even attempted doing one yet! That's a whole nother ball of wax, ya know. Then, the agent search... Okay, now my brain is using my skull as a racketball court.

But, as frustrated, confused, afraid, apprehensive as I get, I've never really entertained the thought of not finishing, of giving up. Tragic, I know...

In other news, there's a convention coming up, the Teen Book Con in Houston, that I'm seriously considering going to. Tons of authors I admire will be there and it will be a great reason to get away with the DH. Although, he kind of utterly DESPISES large crowds so I might be walking the halls of the Con alone while he finds a local bar or hardware store. But, that's cool, I'll love it no matter what I'm sure!

Anyway, I want to say THANK YOU!!!! to everyone who commented on my 99th page yesterday! Ya'll's (don't question it, its a word!) kind words lifted me up and gave me even more incentive to continue down this path! It was tons of fun, so many great pages out there!

I'd like to thank all of you in the silliest, girliest way I know. Here's some man candy and a song to listen to while you peruse. *THROWS SKITTLES AT YOU* HAPPY WRITING!

Day 38: Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

Even though I took the baby to Grandma's yesterday and the four year old was at school, I basically got nothing done on my WIP. I had two and a half hours by myself and hardly got anything written. Later that night, I explained this to the DH. "You wanna talk it out?" he said.

Me: "Yes, please."

And that's what it took, once again. He listened, asked important questions, and gave me a few cute ideas. WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT HIM, PEOPLE?! Anyway, I was too tired to capitalize on our convo so I went to bed. Woke up this morning as chipper as... Curly from Oklahoma and couldn't stop myself from hitting that document like a mad woman.

Turns out I'm a morning writer. Huh, who knew?

Anyway, have a great day, every last one of ya'll!!!