Get better, not bitter.

I love this.

Belief vs Fear

I believe in my book, don't get me wrong.

But I'm in the middle of the book and it's dragging. Not from the story; I know what I'm gonna do, and mostly how it's gonna end, but I know what's happening. It's the life outside of my books. It's making me mad. There's been so many changes in my life this month and last month it's ... just ... overwhelming so much to do.

I've found myself this last week almost completely stymied...and haven't written a thing.

However, it seems like to me that I might have found my way again, and you know how? From critiquing other people's chapters. An added benefit!

It seems to me that there is no one real way of writing. Even if you have to do it or your heart cries, there's still always the fact that sometimes you'll have life going and crushing it out of you, or too much to do, or or or.

Even if it's a word a day, I'm gonna write.

Are you in with me?

Congrats are in order!

Wow, we seem to really be having a run of luck lately!

If you have a sec, go and congratulate Heidi on her shiny book contract!

It's a very nice thing. :-)

General Randomosity or Happy Friday

We're finally settling into the new flat, and starting to get some kind of schedule. Thank goodness.

I've found a polo club and after three aborted attempts to get out there, I'm going on Sunday. Which will be good for my mental health, I think.

Today's Friday, which is a really good thing but it causes me to wonder: what the heck happened to the LAST WEEK. Was I in a time warp? Because first thing I know, it's Monday and now BOOM Friday. Insane.

My cat Blue's still sick, but getting slowly better. I hate feeling very helpless and I always do when one of the boys is sick. I hate that.

I have a backpack to go food shopping now. Like a good little Berliner, I pack it all in and get on the bus to go home. For some reason this is the quinessential city thing I never thought I'd do. I mean, a backpack.

Book is going well! I'm at about 42k, with the highest word count being 55 to end. I think I'll be done before then, and I did manage to work out the rest of the book til the end yesterday. So ... it goes pretty well.

Gosh this was random. How YOU doin'????

Silver Linings

You know how sometimes you wake up with a word, a sentence, something ringing in your ears? That was me this morning. And the sentence?

"there is a silver lining in everything. Just be open enough to see it & smart enough to act on it."

Agents rejecting you left and right? Look at your query. Check the first chapters of your book. Are they strong enough? Could they be stronger? Does someone other than your Aunt Mary need to read it first?

Publishers taking a long time? Write that next book. You won't have time once you're contracted, to experiment and make yourself better. Now's your chance!

Gone through your list of agents? Take a look at your book. If it's the best you can make it, and you still want to try, sub to smaller publishers yourself. Don't give up!

Got a bad review online, or someone trashed your book? Hey, you got it in front of another person, and they felt strongly enough about what you wrote to write something about it themself...and any publicity (within reason, heh) is good publicity.

Have a block on your writing for some reason? Take a little time out, enjoy life going on around you. Think of other ways to be creative and give your brain a break - maybe it needed it.

While I'm writing these down for me, so that I can remember those silver linings, maybe it helps you too.

Poor Blue kitteh -

- he's sick.

I'll be atcha'll guys later.

LOLCAT FREIDAYZ - you know you missed 'em

...because if like me you need a pick me up.

I had a post today...

...but the cat eeted it.

Carry on amongst yourselves.

XOXOX

me

Dreams do come true.

I know a lot of writers that are pretty irritated with other writer's success. In fact, there've been some twitter controversies recently, which just goes to show - *think* before you *tweet*.

lol

Anyway, can you all do me a favour? My friend Aprilynne Pike, a regular mom with some really cute kids and a great husband, wrote a book. She kind of exploded on the scene, more or less, and now has some really great news.

I'm a firm believer in "What success you have, I have," as I do think we're all in this together. So if you get a chance today, can you go over and comment on her post? Spread the love and share in the excitement?

Congratulations, Aprilynne! I'm super proud of you!! Livin' the dream, allllll right!

Getting the hang of it

As you all might know if you follow me on Twitter, last night I had an accident.

I was walking into our bathroom (which has a very low door) and bashed my head upon it. I am (un)happy to report that my hubs confirmed it does sound just like a melon cracking. Which is gross.

The funny part? My first thought was "Crap, this HURTS!" and my second thought was, "it's all story fodder." And that second thought I've had quite a bit lately.

So there you go.

Everything in my life is story fodder, and I'm okay with that.

How YOU Doin'?

Well, we got the Leipzig house moved up on the weekend. And it gave me a chance to feel like a trucker, as I was the designated driver for the Mercedes Sprint truck we rented for the move.

Now there are lots of boxes in my flat again, all of which need to be unpacked as well as new furniture we need to find a home for. It's a constant shuffle.

And that's how I'm feeling with my writing right now, too. Reading through, editing a little of the last page I've written before going onward with the book, reading over The Forester's Son and thinking about what I'll do to make this book more marketable. I.E., sellable.

I think I have an idea but it will require a basic rewrite of the book. I think I'm up to it, but I've got to finish the rough draft of the PoloGRRL book first before seriously thinking about it.

I'm even keeping up (mostly) with my word count goal, although I'm not sweating it if I don't get much in. I'm going for quality over quantity right now, and I think I'm succeeding.

So how are YOU doin' with your writing?

What's the rush?

I had a talk with my agent the other day, and she gave me some really good things to chew on.

Namely, what's the rush?

The rush to get published? For what? I have it on good authority, from her and from published authors I'm friends with, that this never gets better. The demands on you only increase, and your time is less.

Time, my agent said, to really push the envelope in your writing. To see what you're capable of. To try different things. With all this rush to get an agent, and then a publishing contract...she said (and I really do think she's on target here) pure writing falls by the wayside in some cases.

Why not prepare yourself as well as you can beforehand?

I think this advice can be extended to almost every aspect and place we're all at in our writing. Whether you're doing a first draft, editing, looking for an agent or looking for a publisher, the way is long, and we need to stop and enjoy the route a little more. (I am lecturing myself as I type this).

So although I've got myself a goal here, I'm not going to worry about it if I don't make it by that exact day. I'll relax on my little raft on the publishing waters and just see where I go.

Never give up, never surrender.

I know it's insane.

I know.

But I'm setting myself a goal.

I reckon I've got about 20k left to do on PG before the first draft is finished.

Next month I'll have been here seven years. On the 6th I'll have been married for five.

August is a big month.

So I'm a-gonna set myself a goal. As I said.

First draft of PoloGRRL - done by the 15th of August.

I won't do it unless I write it down here, so here's looking at you, kids.

The 15th. Mark it.

Anybody else in?

A tour.

Yoda-cat, get up!

*clears throat*

Hi guys! Welcome to my house! Ignore the cats snoring in the bed, I want to take you through and give you a quick looksee.

Yoda has now gotten his rear end up and is happy to lead the way as I show you through the house.

The living room is, I think, my favourite room. Did I mention that this is the first house I've ever lived in where I feel like a normal-heighted person? For a 6'1" behemoth, this is a very. nice. thing.

Anyways, I dig that all the rooms' ceilings are bordered in stucco patterns. And they are so tall.

Yoda wants me to point out that he can reach the top of the bookcase from the back of the sofa. He does not answer when I ask why this is important.

We have a little balcony that faces out to our quiet street. The altbaus here (old houses) have double-windowed windows. By this I mean they have two sets, with a small space in between. It's how they did insulation in the old days.

Isn't that neat?

(Don't worry, they've stuck enough real-time insulation around it to not have to worry in winter.

Yoda wants to go outside too.

Here are our little plants on the balcony, and ...

A nice view of our quiet little street. The "Sauertz" store is a flower shop. Isn't that nice, how things work out?

I love flower shops.
So when you come in, here's the view from the office.

Such a nice office.

Again, the patterns just tear me up. I love it. I feel like I'm living in some crazy castle dream.

We have two long hallways that the boyz have decided are their Kitteh Raceways. Let me tell you, Daytona has *nothing* on two cats who are busy chasing each other up and down.

Yoda would *again* like me to point out to you that if he gets to the top of the cat tree, he can be closer to the ceiling than me.

Um, big whoop.

Ah, the pretteh patterns.

Berlin has a large number of altbau houses...and generally (according to the gossip we got here once we settled) the first floor room to the front was very 'pimp'. As in fancy to the max, so people from the street could see it.

They can't see my door handles, though, all of which are like this.

*drools*

Here's part of the kitchen. The other part has my drying clothes in it, and I don't think you want to see it.

But aren't my orchids nice? They all align on one window and are blooming like mad. They like it too!

And that's it. Yoda is very. tired. from. his. host. duties.

I'm going to make sure to take my camera with me so I can get some street life, and whatnot. You guys interested in that?

Berlin is the PLACE TO BE, bbs, of this I am certain! I love my room, and I love me some Berlin!

Hello everyone!

How you all doin'?

What's been going on over here??

How's writing?

Mine has...fallen down and can't get up. The one positive of having a four hour commute daily was the fact I could get in up to a chapter a day of rough material. Now that I sleep in until like 7, roll up to work at 9, I ... am slacking.

I plan to get back on the horse today, though. Even if it's only 500 words, I want this book done. I want, even more so, to get myself back in the saddle of writing every day. This nice life of being with the husband and the cats in one room all the time is spoiling me.

So today I begin writing again. No more time for slackin', peeps!

Fill me in about you!

I'm here, I promise!

I should get internet tomorrow. So big post then!