How Did You Like Seventh Grade?

Have been laying here with my broken foot, watching What Not to Wear with DD#2.  She is a seventh grader.  Is there any woman out there who looks back and says “OMG, I loved seventh grade!” ?

I think not.  I have done an incredibly unscientific study of the matter, and I have have learned that if you just mention the words “seventh grade” to 10 women, at least seven of them will immediately say “Ughh! Worst year of my life” or the equivalent. If you go a bit further and ask the other three “Did you like seventh grade?”   They will either say something like “Are you kidding” or suddenly find that they are running late for an appointment, would love to chat, catch you later.

My kid is having the friendship trauma that is de rigeur for the middle year of middle school — tears, frantic IMing, “Madison told Lily, who told Tasha, who told me. . . ” and all the other things we all  remember so fondly.  I am so glad I don’t have to live through it again. Except vicariously.

Her big sister and I keep telling her she will just have to live through it, but it hurts to listen to her cry like her little heart is broken because somebody said something to somebody else.  Last night it got to the point where I finally said, “Sweetie, sometimes you just have to let go and let God. There is nothing else you can do.” I wanted to just haul off and yell “I got nothing here! I don’t know what to tell you and I cant make it hurt less!” But moms can’t admit that they don’t know, so I just said we would have to pray about it. 

On the upside, I can look at the hs senior,  who seriously had the seventh grade from Hell, and say, “She made it, and even though some of it was horrible,  she is the stronger for it.” My big one has turned into someone I really like. I just hope and pray the little one finds her way through.

And, as a writer, I am mining this situation for all the angst I need for Lady Anne and the gang during their Come Out Season.  The Haute Ton in 1811 seems to have a lot in common with middle school.

Writing As It Should Be

Here for the past few weeks I have been down in the mud and dirt, wrestling every single word and phrase out of my B-I-witch of a Countess for my WIP. She won’t come across with anything without making me work for it. (Then again, she’s pretty much treating the Earl the same way.)

But yesterday I went to the Gulf Coast RWA meeting, and then the Southern Sizzlers had a meeting at Barnes and Noble. (Aside: “meeting” is far too formal a word for what the Sizzlers do, but let’s leave it at that.) I got to bat my story and my pitch around with some of the most talented ladies I know.  Then tonight, out of the blue, the Countess put on a nice dressing gown, poured some tea,  and invited me over to the Abbey to dish. She finally started telling me what happens — she was cordial, even witty. (I think the Earl is  gonna get lucky here!)

So why can’t it always go that way? It was fun. I got lost in the flow of it  and just let it happen. There is nothing enjoyable about sitting in front of a screen, going, “And then what did you say????” to a figment of my own imagination. It makes my kids look at me funny.

I honestly think that I require the input from the lovely ladies of GCCRWA and the Sizzle to get me gping. I know, writing is a lonely pursuit, and it all eventually comes down to me putting my butt in my chair and doing it. But when the old well runs dry, my friends get things flowing again.  I love those women! (and Don, our male member too!)

Note to self: NO MORE SKIPPING RWA MEETINGS!!!!!

So, here’s the inspiration for the Earl of Garth Celyn — whatta ya think?

New Year, New Goals

Well, hi there kiddos!  Has been a good year so far.  Yeah, I know, it is only 2 days old, but I think we are on a roll here!

I went to the Gulf Coast RWA meeting today, and I have to say, those chix are truly the best!  We practiced pitches, planned our conference (Come to the Silken Sands Conference 3/19-21/10!!!!) and generally had fun.

After GCCRWA, the six S0uthern Sizzlers (check our blog: www.southernsizzleromance.com!!!) went to Barnes and Noble for our semiregular when-we-can meeting.  If GCCRWA members are the best, what can I say about the Sizzlers? They are the best of the best, the cream o the crop, truly wonderful women with whom I have formed the greatest of friendships! We talked about everything from sexy men to ghosts, from writing queries to sexy men,  to raising kids/grands to sexy men, from research websites to sexy men . . . .  Well, you get the idea.

I am truly blessed to have these five women as my companions on this baffling and exciting journey to publication. They are each special individuals, but in combination, they are more than I can describe.  (Rita wasn’t able to be with us today, but she was there in spirit!)

SFCatty said today that she has belonged to a group that encourages each member to pick a word for the year.  I have decided that my word this year is “Grateful.”  I get really caught up in what I haven’t done, what I haven’t got, what might go wrong. But today I was talking to someone who put it all in perspective.  She said a few years ago, she got really upset about turning forty.  However, that year she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Every birthday after that has been a blessing.

I have two beautiful, healthy girls, and a husband who loves me and those girls totally and completely. I have a job many people would envy, we own our home, we never go hungry (obviously, in my case!) I can’t even begin to name the blessings that I take for granted.

So, while I really want to publish my writing, and my job has things that make me nuts, and I wish I was independently wealthy, etc., etc., etc., I really have too much to be grateful for.  So “GRATEFUL” is the word for 2010.

Stop a minute — I bet you haven’t thought today of something you are grateful for. What is it?

I’m ba-ack!

Well, kids, I have been a busy little bee lately. I have been trying to whip my new Earl and Lady Anne into shape, and they are very passive aggressive about telling me what happens.

When I have managed to blog, I have been posting over at Southern Sizzle Romance — please check the blog there. Six fabulous (if we say so ourselves) writers talking about our journey to publishing success.

But it is Advent, meaning a new year. I am going to resolve to take my writing to the next level this year.  2009 I said would be the year I actually wrote my (first) novel — MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

So this year, 2010, I will finish my two WIPs and make serious steps toward publication.  As part of that, I am going to refocus on the blogs, the e-loops, and networking. 

So here we go!!!!

lying here feverish

Well, yall, I seem to have succumbed to the swine flu. I guess that is what I have. I feel like hammered dog poop, and I took the regular flu shot. So I guess this is the porcine version.

I need to be working on my nanowrimo, but I feel too punk. Maybe later.

 

Love to all, if I don’t survive this!

So Very Busy

In my day to day life, I work in the legal office of a district school system. Yes, school systems have to have their own lawyers — having 6000 employees and 40,000 kids means all the legal work we and several outsourced lawfirms can handle.  We basically run a restaurant chain, transportation service, and maintenance business as well as doing all the teaching, child-care and human resource issues that go with the schools.

So right now is just about the busiest time of a very busy year. But I am still making my time to write.  I feel like my brain is just bursting with ideas. I wish I had time to write all of them. Guess I have to try to sort out the best and devote all my spare minutes to them.

I am going to be interviewing Cheryl Smith, who just made her first sale to Berkley over on the Southern Sizzle blog — check it out!

Long Weekend . . .and not in a good way

It was a horrible weekend. We had to put Mama in a nursing home last month, and yesterday was my first visit since then. She was royally ticked off at me and didn’t seem to recognize DD (age 12). She finally went off on me when I said we wouldn’t discuss the reasons anymore (after numerous attempts to explain why she can’t live at home). She became violent — my little sweet Baptist mother! — and DD went hysterical. Suffice it to say that the nurses don’t want me to visit again anytime soon.
At least any lingering doubts about the decision have been alleviated. She cannot live at home anymore.
I do need to remember the pain and horror of the event, though. If I can put it on paper, I can convey my characters’ feelings when the worst that can happen, happens.
To quote one of my Regency heroines, “Lud, what a coil!!!”

I’m Sizzling!!!

Go check out my posse of romance-writin’ hot mamas at southernsizzleromance.wordpress.com!

Stop Playing with It!!!

So I have a request for a partial from Scott Eagan of the Greyhaus Agency. Great! But I can’t seem to stop messing with my manuscript!!!

I keep trying to improve it, make it perfect. Of course, you have to edit and improve things — everything you send needs to be the best it can be. But where is the line between editing and fidgeting?
I’m not sure I’m improving it. I am just changing it. But until the darn thing goes in the mailbox, I think I am going to be worrying at it like a sore tooth. I wish it was morning so I could take it to the Post Office and then it would be beyond my control.
Of course, for all the playing with it and fiddling with it, as soon as I mail it, I will find a typo. Never fails.

Let’s see if the gods of computerdom will let me upload the incredible Billy Zane from Titanic (bad boys are always so much more interesting than the hero!)

Editing Goddess

I am sooooo the goddess of editing. I have five colors of highlite pen and a copy of Browne and King. I scare myself sometimes.

and for some reason, my computer won’t load today’s eye candy. I owe y’all two next time!