Happy New Year!

A member of my RWA chapter would add…*blows tootie horns* *throws confetti*, and I think it adds the perfect touch here…

Well, I’m hoping 2006 is extraordinarily productive. I haven’t really gotten myself into a writer zone yet, and I’ve been writing for five and a half years now! I only have about two hours a day to write, except on those days (Tues/Thurs) when my little one goes to Mother’s Day Out. Then I have about six. But I also have to deal with email, promotion, the occasional household chore, the occasional errand, and the occasional little task my husband sets for me. Sure these are mostly minor, but added up, they take time, and I’m not one of those people who can just sit down and get started. I don’t write just to get something down on paper—I want to actually be proud of the first revision, or it bugs me. Sure I change things and cut whole sections out later, and revisions go on forever with me, but I really wanna like it the first time too. I sit and pour over possible dialog nuances and whether I’ve added too much introspection, but then it all gets checked, double-checked, and triple-checked later. So really, I should just write and leave it to get edited in the second round. And I’m gonna try to do that. I’m gonna try not to surf around on the web for that perfect bag or perfect book, I’m gonna try not to get hung up on other people’s blogs, and I’m gonna try to update mine more regularly.

Thank goodness I’m not contracted and don’t have deadlines right now because I’m not ready to churn a book out in just a couple of months—I’m not properly disciplined. Plus, I really love to read too, and I’m a slow reader. I’ve decided this year, for each book I get through, I’m going to make a note of what I liked about the author’s style. Maybe knowing what stood out for me will help me write better, cleaner, and tighter.

January 2, 2006: Resolutions Made. Countdown begins till they’re broken…
Current read: Thunder on the Right by Mary Stewart (a re-read, and a favorite author of mine)