The Healing List

I just wanted to post the link to the Colorado Cultural Arts Society website that posted the winners to the 1st Annual Holiday Story Contest.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts. ~Charles Dickens

No word yet on when the story will be posted on the CCAS website, but as soon as its up I will let you all know. :)

So I thought I'd do an end of year blog update. I started this blog a little over a year ago and wanted to share a few fun stats:

Total number of pageviews to date: 1,001
Most hits in one day: 61 on December 26, 2010
Most hits in one month: 294 - November 2010 (although December 2010 is only 12 hits behind that as of today)
Number of hits per country:
United States: 842
Germany: 55
India: 24
Russia: 24
Peru: 12
United Kingdom: 8
Lithuania: 5
Canada: 4
France: 3
Poland: 3
Nigeria: 2
Morocco: 1
Netherlands: 1

Isn't that amazing?!

I also want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I thought I'd share this fun poem a friend sent me. Thank you all for your support and encouragement this past year and lets bring 2011 in in style!

My Wish For You In 2011

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debt.
May the pockets of your jeans be magnets for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips.
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had forget your home address.
In simple terms, may 2011 be the best year of your life!
Happy New year!

BE SAFE EVERYONE!!

Speechless

QUOTE OF THE DAY: The secret to success is to be ready when your opportunity comes. ~Benjamin Disraeli

I received this notice on Christmas Eve. Best gift I could receive this year. :)

Celebrate!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards. ~Vernon Law

I am celebrating today.

Celebrating Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

Celebrating that I am healthy and so are my friends and family.

Celebrating all that I have and all that I've been blessed with in my life.

And I'm celebrating one additional thing. So far the BEST gift I could get this Christmas. But I can't tell you about it ... yet.

Merry Christmas everyone. Enjoy all that you have and all that you've been blessed with.

I'll keep you posted!!

Take A Break

QUOTE OF THE DAY: The secret to success is to be ready when your opportunity comes. ~Benjamin Disraeli

I blogged before about my need to read to feed my creativity. I've been reading a lot lately. I've revisited Sidney Sheldon and Nicholas Sparks. I read THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER by Glenn Beck and was reminded of the true meaning of Christmas once again. What are you reading? Please give me some suggestions!

I belong to a writer's group (the best group in the world if you ask me), NoCo Writer's Group (I know, a little generic - name to change soon - leave suggestions if you have any!) and NoCo is sponsored by Colorado Cultural Arts Society, an non-profit organization that supports a variety of the arts. CCAS sponsored a Holiday Story Contest, and I took the leap! It was fun and challenging as the story could only be 1500 words long. Do you know how hard that is? To put together a full, detailed, engaging story in 1500 words or less?

It was a good exercise as it forced me to focus, edit and revise. I will keep you all posted as to how it does. The winners will be posted on CCAS and you can read all about them there!

I hope all your holiday preparations are going smoothly!

Give me just one more minute ...

QUOTE OF THE DAY: It isn't best that we all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse races. ~Mark Twain

I missed my weekly blog post this past weekend. My days have all blurred together since last week and today I am feeling the pressure. Self-imposed pressure to get it all done. The struggle comes from what to do first. Time Management. Ugh. I get so stuck on the things I HAVE to do (i.e. wake up, go to work, take kids to karate or school or choir, do the laundry, WRITE, pay the bills, etc.) and the things I WANT to do (i.e. read, sleep, play with my kids, WRITE, have coffee with friends, etc.) that I lose my ability to prioritize. Throw in the fact that its DECEMBER and that adds an entire new list of things we HAVE to do and things we WANT to do, and its no wonder the woman in line at the grocery store goes postal on the clerk. Why do we put such added pressure on ourselves?


I love Christmas. I love celebrating with my children and watching the wonder in their eyes as they decorate the tree, or help bake cookies, or put money in the can by the guy ringing the bell. But I also breath a sigh of relief when the holidays are over and we can pack everything up and move on with the new year. One day, I want it not to be that way. I want to feel like a kid again, sad that Christmas is over and I have to go back to school.

So tell me, how do you handle the stress of the holidays? How do you manage your time and not go insane?

PLEASE leave your comments! I would love to hear from you! I also found this great site that measures your Time Management abilities. Wow. I won't tell you how I scored. :)

Happy Mananging everyone!

Please. Let me explain ...

QUOTE OF THE DAY: If you would hit the mark, you must aim a little above it. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

WORD COUNT: 12,750 new; 29,114 total

So I made a major revelation Thursday. As I sat around the table with my family, eating good food and appreciating all that I have in my life, it hit me that I am also grateful for my new found love. Writing. And I've missed it.

What? Haven't I been writing like mad this month? The answer is yes. Too much in fact. I got so caught up in the idea of writing like crazy to reach my goal and finish my book, that the true passion disappeared. I had removed supposed time wasters like reading and movies from my schedule for the month. I love to write. But I need other stories to keep my imagination running.

I learned that the fuel that helps me do it had been eliminated. The ability to get sucked into a good story is exactly what I need to get my own mind churning. My brain had run dry and until I replenished it, I became unable to write like I know I can.

So, I am now announcing the book will not be done by November 30. I will not be hitting 50,000 words this month. That's just a fact. It will not work with my current life schedule. I do not want to write a story just to write it. I need to feel it. To see it. To nurture it.

Its all about balance, you know? I have almost doubled the number of words. And that's saying something. The beginning of November, I started with 16,354 words that had taken me three months to write. Since November 1, I've written 12,750 words. I've almost doubled what I started with. So, that's more my pace I think. I can do that. If I could focus for 6 hours straight, 5 days a week, I'd be able to complete it, but that's not a reality for me and my life. I've accepted that.

So, not only am I thankful for my family and friends, for finding my true passion in writing and creating stories, but I am thankful that I set a goal for myself, and I'm thankful that I can recognize when I'm not going to hit it and still like myself.

I just need to set a new goal.

Happy week everyone. Don't go too crazy with all the holiday madness. Be careful out there ...

Gobble ... Gobble!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity. ~Lou Holtz

WORD COUNT UPDATE: Coming soon

A cute Thanksgiving poem that was emailed to me. I did not write it and I have no idea who did, but boy do I love it! Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Cherish those you love.

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

10 Easy Steps to Publication

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Fear not that your life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it never has a beginning. ~John Henry Cardinal Newton (Apparently I liked the quote from last week so much that I posted it two weeks in a row. Sorry about that!)

WORD COUNT: 10,620 new. Total Word Count: 26,974
So, I'm just a little behind the goal. However, I have almost doubled in three weeks what it took me three months to write before. That's something right? I know, excuses, excuses. But it is only the 21st of the month. I still have 9 days. A lot can happen in 9 days.


A friend asked me the other day what the process is for fiction writing for the purpose of publication. Well, I'm no expert, by all means. But this is the process that I've stumbled across.

1. After completing your novel (which took you 6 months to write - Woo! Hoo! - completed before your self-imposed deadline!), you put it aside and forget about it for 2 months. Then you pick it up again and for 6 months, make 10-15 revisions to it.

2. When you think you've made all the revisions you can possible make and keep it the original story you wanted to tell, you take it to your local writer's group for critique.

3. Return from the critique group and make another 10-15 different revisions.

4. Finally you determine all you are doing is rearranging words and its time to let the baby go, so you research agents.

5. After determining which agent will accept the genre you write, you learn that some accept a query letter only (i.e. a jacket flap, two paragraph blub stating what your book is about and a one sentence paragraph detailing the writing credential you don't have. Because if you did, you probably don't need to be querying agents), some accept a query letter and a 5 page synopsis, some accept a query letter and your first ten pages, while still others accept a query letter and a 1-2 page synopsis (which has to be written completely different from the 5 page synopsis).

6. You send out your query letters to 50 different agents, tailoring each letter to the agent you are querying, cutting and pasting your text because the agent website states you will be blacklisted if you send an attachment. Unfortunately, you notice too late that the last agent you send to, after rewriting your synopsis a third time to be no longer than their 3000 words requirement, states in the fine print that they accept exclusive submissions only. That means that they want to be the only agent you send your query letter to. And they will get back to you in 4-6 weeks if they decide to request a partial (first 50 pages) of your manuscript.

7. Most agents will say "Thank you for your submission, but you work is not really for us." But some agents will ask for a partial and some may actually ask for a full. Each partial or full will take the agent 3-6 months to review. And then they could still say no.

8. When you get the magic phone call from an agent stating they want to sign you, you do a happy dance and toast to yourself with your lukewarm coffee because for once you have the house to yourself and no one is around to help you celebrate, and your coffee cup is the closest drinking dish you could find.

9. After 3 more hefty revisions, your agent submits your book to publishers. After two agonizing months, one publisher bites, but wants additional revisions. And you comply. Again.

10. After 3 years from when you wrote the first word of the first chapter, your book is accepted for publication. But who knows when it will end up on the shelf at Barnes & Noble. That date has yet to be determined. You receive a miniature check resembling an advance for your book, and you may receive royalties if your book sells what the publisher says it should sell. And you learn all about e-books and royalty statements and Agent Paychecks. (Yes, now that your agent helped find a publisher for you, you have to pay her)

But you can now call yourself a published author. And you smile from ear to ear because you achieved your goal.

And it was worth it.

And you boot up your computer and write the first word of the first chapter of your second novel...

To Facebook or not to Facebook ...

QUOTE OF THE DAY: A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor people perfected without trials. Chinese Proverb

WORD COUNT: 7,228 (Its been a slow week for writing and an insane week for reality!)

Facebook is what you make it.

I know a lot of people out there that have apposed Facebook from the beginning. If you are one of those that did (or still does), you are not alone.

But here's my spiel you lucky ducks.

Facebook is what you make it. You don't have to login everyday. You don't have to post pictures of everything in your house, including your children, pets, dirt, spiders and trash. You don't have to post every time you go to the bathroom, step on a thorn or floss your teeth. Unless you want to. If you want to, the freedom is yours. That's the beauty of Facebook. It is what you want it to be.

I started my Facebook account almost two years ago and I still love it to this day. I began by finding and connecting with old friends. Of which I have found SO many and am SO grateful! How successful are high school reunions now because of it? Oh, sure, there are plenty of people I would choose NOT to get back in touch with, so I don't. You can ignore friend requests you know. *cheesy grin*

My Facebook account then turned into an avenue I could use to advertise my passion. And has also turned into an amazing support group for me.

I like tuning into the lives of my family and friends, seeing what their kids look like, reading their witty comments, learning about what they believe in. It offers me an amazing connection to others that I wouldn't normally have in today's hectic, crazy world.

But to be honest, I don't talk to a lot of my Facebook friends, outside of Facebook. And I'm friends with many people who aren't even on Facebook. In fact, most of my closest friends I never chat with via Facebook.

So, if you are one of those that “hates Facebook”, that's okay. You can. But I love it. And that's okay too. We'll just not be Facebook friends. Of course, then I don't have to worry about you unfriending me. :)

A Good Find

QUOTE OF THE DAY: A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor people perfected without trials. ~Chinese Proverb

WORD COUNT FOR NaNoWriMo writing contest: 5,920 words (748 short of the average daily goal, but the day isn't over yet!!)


Today's post has nothing to do with writing or contests or goal setting. I wanted to let you know about a fun blog I found through my friend, Joel. I know Joel from what seems a past life, when I was young and knew it all, and 4-H was my world.

Joel's wife, Anju Coleman-Nakai's blog, A Worthy Splurge, features products and services she feels are worthy of your dollar, your energy and/or your time. She researches the products/services and only features them if they fit her criteria.

I think checking out her blog is A Worthy Splurge in itself. Click on her blurb below, to link to her site. Make sure to leave her a comment if you see something you like! Enjoy!


"Let's face it. It's fun to splurge. Just saying the word makes you feel kind of giddy. But one too many frivolous purchases and there you are with a bad case of buyer's remorse. You're in the doldrums. "What to do?" you think, biting your nails.

"Make worthy splurges. Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Happily, it's not..."

A Goal is a Goal

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Some goals are so worthy that it is glorious even to fail.

Wow, does that ever hit home. I've gone and done it. I set a goal, and for me, a goal doesn't really cement until I tell someone else about it. And I told ALL OF YOU!

The goal is 50,000 words in 30 days. That's 5 with four zeroes. I know you know that but that puts it into a whole different perspective for me. That's 1,666.66666667 words per day. And what do I get if I attain such a lofty and crazy goal? Well, sore fingers, annoyed family, and ... a completed first draft. Worth it? Definitely.

Now, I just have to get over the fear of starting. The goal seems unattainable right now. It seem like an enormous mountain impossible to climb. But I take each step, one at a time. Day by day. And before I know it, I will be more than halfway. And then belief and momentum increase, and I know I will start to believe the goal wasn't so unattainable after all, it was just my negative voices telling me that so I would be too afraid to start.

Okay, so you all hear those voices too, right? It's not just me? Please tell me it's not just me. :)

So, I am starting with my current word count, and I will update the blog periodically as I post as to what my word count has grown to. You all will help me stay on track. And I thank you!

Happy Monday! Happy November! Happy writing or whatever else it is that you do that you love.

CURRENT WORD COUNT: 16,354

Dream BIG!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Talent develops in quiet, alone; character is sharpened in the torrent of the world. - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Every November the writing world buzzes with a contest, well, more of a challenge, called NaNoWriMo. It stands for National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to write a novel in 30 days. Here is the link to their website. And here is a link to another online writer buddy, Lia Mack, who blogs about NaNoWriMo, too.

A 50,000 word novel.

From scratch.

In 30 days.

And while I would love to take on this challenge, my current situation doesn't fit the criteria. I am already working on a novel, and am 15,000 words into it. I don't want to stop that creative flow to get another one going for the challenge. So why don't I take the challenge and just add 50,000 to my current work in progress? Well, that's what I said. But the NaNoWriMo rules state this is not acceptable. The piece you submit must not be started prior to November 1. So I am challenging myself to NaNoCoMo. National Novel Completion Month. I will add 50,000 words to my current novel by November 30. Eek. Did I just say that?

I am excited to get started, scared that I won't complete it and terrified that I just might. Could I actually have the first draft of my new novel completed before Christmas? ABSOLUTELY!

So, there you have it. You've all heard the challenge first. Although I am not able to be a part of the official contest, I am challenging myself to my own kind of contest.

I figure even if I don't succeed, I'm closer to the goal than I would have been otherwise. And that is a positive thing. Always set your goals. And then buckle down and get focused!

I'll keep you posted on the word count!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Get Focused!

Quote for the day: In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: hit the line hard. - Theodore Roosevelt

How fitting a quote is that for Football Sunday, eh?

So, my critique groupie pal, Tim is a runner. He writes non-fiction and is currently writing pieces about running. He is an avid runner, bordering on obsessed and addicted if you ask me (just kidding Tim!) but it's what he does, what he teaches and who he is: he is dedicated and passionate about it.

The work he brings to the group for critique is inspirational, uplifting and motivating. To the point that the non-runners of the group (i.e. the rest of us) almost feel like getting up and running laps around the room. I said ALMOST.

Tim writes about the focus it takes to stay dedicated and determined on your goal. And as I read his words, I realize I can apply them to all aspects of life. To writing, raising children or household chores. His words apply to life. Yours, his, mine.

Here are links to Tim's blogs:

Teenedge-cation
Tim Catalano's Uncommon Sense
Run the Edge

So tell me, how do you stay focused? What keeps you dedicated or motivated to complete the task at hand? Please leave comments! I would love to hear from you!

Tap into J.K. Rowling's working mind

Quote of the day: Do what you love. The rest will come.

I am attaching a link today for J.K. Rowling's map of her plot spreadsheet for Harry Potter's Order of the Phoenix. Amazing to see how her mind worked and how she visualized her story.

Have a fantastic week everyone!

A Battle Lost

I am posting this blog today in honor of Brandy. I've never met her. I only know her brother. He is my boss. And because I know him, and his wife, and the kind of people they are, I can only imagine the type of person Brandy was. Brandy died today. At the absurdly young age of 33. How? Two words.

Breast Cancer.

She was officially diagnosed in April. Cancer stole her life in six short months. And she fought the good fight. To the very end. She would have kept fighting too, if the doctors had any further treatments to offer. Brandy was truly fearless in her battle.

Brandy has two children, ages 7 and 4. How on earth do you cope with telling your children you are dying and going to Heaven? That you will not be able to watch their football games or help them get ready for school dances, or watch them get married? That's what we all want to do with our children, isn't it? To have that life cut short is unspeakable. I can not imagine how you deal with that. Except that, you just do. You get through one day, and then the next. Because you don't have a choice. And the best way to honor their mother is to remind those children every day of who their mother was. What she stood for. How much she loved them. And how much they loved her. I have no doubt those children will be told daily.

Her son sat on her lap, simply lifted the oxygen mask and kissed her goodbye on her cracked, dry lips, said he loved her and he would miss her. No tears. No questions. He knows she will be better cared for in Heaven than she every could be here on Earth.

So thank you Brandy, for teaching me, a woman you have never met, to fight the good fight. To never, ever give up. No matter how hard or painful or scary the battle is, to give it everything you've got and fight with courage.

I'm honored to know your story.

Tough Love

Quote of the Day: Laughter is a glimpse into the human soul.

Janet Reid is another favorite agent I've come across. I love her blog. She scares the hell out of me, but I think she is a phenomenal agent. She is blunt and too the point. Janet reminds me of Simon Cowell. She will tell you what you need to hear, and not sugar coat it to spare your feelings. She wants to help you improve your writing. Its up to you to take her advice and apply it. I have to respect that.

Here is a link to her blog.

You can bet I'll be checking out the book she refers to. Because whether she is my agent or not, she is still trying to make me a better writer. I have to value that and I will take her advice.

Have a fantastic week!

Animate, Stimulate, Invigorate

I thought about calling this post Manic Monday. But "Manic" leads one to believe things are crazy, out of control or unruly. And while that may very well be the case, I really don't want to give the impression that my Mondays are always like that. And well, also because its Tuesday. Although my original goal was to post this Monday, and to post every Monday from now on, but, alas, Blogger was down for the 13 seconds yesterday I had free to get this post done.

So, to lend a more positive twist to this post, I've chosen the above name. Hee hee. I'm already inspired!

My quote for the day:

"The universe is changing. Life is understanding."

I have no idea who the author is, but I can tell you its not me. A long time ago, I made desk calendars with 365 of my favorite quotes. I gave them as gifts to others, and keep one on my desk as well. Its interesting that I don't remember so many of them. I read one and it hits me as though its the first time I've read it. And no matter how many times I read it, I always seem to gain something new.

I want to post a link to one of the many blogs I follow. Kristin Nelson is my favorite Literary Agent. She is my dream agent. I love her blog. She is straight and to the point and offers so much advice and assistance to me, her NON-CLIENT, I can only imagine the support and expertise she offers her actual clients.

Thanks Kristin!

Kickstarting the Emotion of Writing

I blogged before about how I'd gotten out of the habit of the creative side of writing once I finished my first book because I was more focused on editing and getting it ready for submission. This had created a sort of writer's block for me. Not that I don't have any ideas of what I want to write, but more, the desire to sit down and focus on it.

I challenged myself to write about an emotional experience. Something that had affected me and would trigger some emotion and feeling. I wasn't sure what that experience would be, but it hit me like a blow to the gut, taking my breath away when I discovered the moment.

I was dropping my girls off with their father who would take them for the weekend. It has always been and still is a difficult thing for me, but after three years, I thought I had adjusted.

Once I started writing about the moment, the look on my daughters faces, the feelings I still felt, the feelings I thought they still felt, it all came rushing out in a blur of words. I couldn't stop them. The emotion was flowing and by the time I finished it, I was in tears. I re-read it, and wow, was I a mess.

But my little experiment reconnected me to my true love of writing. It started the wheel turning again, and I have vowed not to stop it again. And anytime I need a jump start, I know exactly what to do.

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Let us never forget those that fought to protect our freedom of speech.

Maintaining Confidence

Well, after submitting to agents the past few weeks, I am dealing with second guessing, rejection and lack of motivation.

Its time to move on to the next project, but the voices in the corners of my brain are working against me.

I read a great article on the WEbook blog by John Meils. Outstanding! It was exactly what I needed, and I'm attaching it here for you all to read. Its worth the read.

Now, on to the next project...

Brainstorm...Men vs. Women

Hey all!

Help me brainstorm, will you? I'm ready to start focusing on my next book, and in order to do so, I wanted to stretch my creative juices and get them flowing.

I want to write about the ultimate gender debates. What are some of the biggest Men vs. Women issues? Topics the battle of the sexes generally just can't seem to agree on...

Toilet paper - up or down?
Shopping?
Ahem...sex?

Let me know your thoughts and ideas and I'll post some of what I come up with!

Beautiful Blogger Award

Thank you Trish for this wonderful award! I'm honored.

Now, to pay it forward. I nominate the following for this prestigious award:

Jodi Meadows
Michael at Cornell DeVille
Editorial Ass
Kate Schafer Testerman
Kristin Nelson
Janet Reid
Lia Mack
Kathy Upham
WEBook

Thanks to all of you for your support and inspiration!

In celebration of Tax Day...

I took my 2nd leap of faith and submitted Fire In the Soul to agents. Its out there. The baby I gave birth to, nurtured, disciplined and praised is out there for review by the sharks of the agency world. I can only hope, as all mothers do, that it has thick enough skin to survive.

Make It Better!

Listen to it
Absorb it
Accept or decline it
Change it

The one thing I've learned from entering my work in contests and online critiques is I have to be able to accept criticism. Its hard. It feels like being told I'm a bad mother. But after the the sting of the suggestions settle a little, I realize that some of them make sense, and when I re-work it, and what I end up with is a better story or letter.

Because, honestly, that's what I want, right?

WEbook

If you like reading the first 250-word blurbs from your favorite genre, or if you want to know if your work will spark interest in other readers, then check out www.webook.com. You have the opportunity to rank submissions and help move them to the next level, which is submitting an entire chapter. From there, entries can submit partial (first 50 pages) and fulls. Work is also reviewed by participating agents, so what better place to get feedback and possible agent representation!

Check it out!

Fire in the Soul

Following is a short blurb regarding my novel:

What happens when you set fire to a pizza box in your oven? Ella Steel is about to find out by having her already chaotic life as a single mom turned upside down by Captain Jack Piper of the local fire department. Ella is trying to get a grip on her life after her deadbeat ex-husband abandons her, her sleazy boss sexually harasses her, she encounters numerous financial pitfalls, child induced emergencies, and drama from her mischievous dog, JJ, all the while, trying to get her best friend married. When Ella's son disappears at the reception, she must overcome her trust issues and faith in the male gender in order to find him.

Ella is a native to Fort Collins, Colorado and is struggling to get her life back on track; whether it be the right track or the wrong track, she doesn't care, as long as she can start moving in some direction again! Jack has no idea what he is getting himself involved in when he shows up to aid Ella on that fateful day, but the stars have aligned them for the ride of their lives. There is a little heat, a lot of chemistry, and too much sexual tension between them that Ella fights with everything she's got as her battle begins with finding herself again and learning to trust in others.

Fire in the Soul is a sweet, sexy story of having the strength to survive the past, courage to face the future and faith in others to help along the way.

Creative Inspiration

So I was driving down the road the other day and a story idea just hit me. I couldn't drive quickly enough to get to where I was going so I could start writing it down.

The book I am writing now actually came to me in the form of a dream...and no, it does not involve a vampire thank goodness! The next morning it took me an hour to type as much as I could possible remember about it before it faded into the recycle file of my brain.

And today, WHAM! another one it me. So, again, jotting ideas down as quickly as they come to me so that when I have the chance to elaborate on them I have something to work with.

What amazes me is the little things that inspire me on a new idea. It can be the smallest, simplest thing. And who know if the stories will ever be read by anyone but me, but its fun to think about them, and write them just the same!

Writing isn't for the weak of heart!

Well, I submitted the first 200 words of the beginning of my second novel for an online contest and wow! You sure have to be ready to deal with criticism! It is the first contest I've entered and all in all, I felt it was a positive experience. No, shockingly, I didn't win the prize, but I got some GREAT advice from other writers and that is what its all about, isn't it? Writers helping writers. Thank you.

Now, off to make revisions...

Duh...

As much fun as one might think it might be to blog with oneself, well, I'm here to say that it really isn't.

So I need to advertise the blog to get people to visit with me? Hmmm...what a concept.

I bit the bullet and posted it on facebook that I write, that I'd written a book and that I have a blog! Nothing like laying all my vulnerability out naked on the table for all to see! Eek!

But it is a necessary step, and frankly, isn't the scariest thing in the world. Submitting your work to a critique group, now THAT is scary!

I also mentioned in my post my bucket list. Ah, yes, we all know the movie that term was coined from. And we all have a bucket list. Those things we all want to do before we die. So, I believe first hand, that saying of write your goals down and you will achieve them. That is what my bucket list is. My goals and dreams. And listed below is my bucket list. What's yours? Give my your top ten items that would be on your bucket list. Heck, it could be twice that or half that. What do you want to do before you die?

1. Write and publish a novel
2. Run a 5K
3. Raise my daughters to be strong women
4. Visit Austrailia
5. Take a cruise
6. Learn sign language
7. Own land where my man and kids can play
8. Watch my daughters get married and start their own families
9. Be debt free
10. Travel to all 50 states

Celebration Time!

Well, I'd set a goal to finish writing my first novel by December 31. And I did it! But does that mean its now done? Oh, no. Definately not. But I hit the first goal to finish writing it, and now starts the endless task of editing, revising, polishing and editing again. But needless to say, I took a moment to celebrate for hitting a goal I'd set for myself. And now the party is over and I'm back to writing. Happy Wednesday!