Quick Update

I'm stealing a few minutes this Sunday morning to post to my blog. I'm attending Wiscon, which is a science fiction convention held in Madison every Memorial Day weekend and there's an 8:30 panel I want to attend, so I must be brief

Last Sunday I blogged about how I was going to spend the following week working on a story that was due June 1st. And I did. I wrote like crazy last week. However, a friend emailed me on Friday to tell me that submissions were closed early.

Bummer!

I'd gotten about 25% of the story done and was going to squeeze in working on it while attending the convention this weekend. I think I had a pretty good chance of finishing it in time but, well, there you are.

I've set the project aside for now. I do intend on finishing it and finding another market. I'm working on a new project, due date of July 31st but my goal is to get it done ASAP because of my fear of something similar happening!

Personally, however, I think if a deadline is given for a project it should be adhered to if at all possible. I suppose, in this case, more than enough submissions were received and that's why submissions were closed early but some people (like me, for example) have to squeeze in our writing with full-time jobs, school or family responsiblities.

I mean, sure, a lot of the time it is just good old-fashioned procrastination at work but sometimes it's just finding the time.

Oh, well, I'm not going to gripe about it. What's done is done. I will finish the story and I will find another market for it.

I will say that after I'd gotten my writing done last Thursday, I spent the entire evening watching the DVD, which I'd gotten from the library, of PBS's version of Jane Eyre.

Loved it! Absolutely loved it! Kept me rivited to the screen and was one of the most romantic movies I've seen in a long time. Definitely on my to-buy list.

Got an email from the editor of Cowboy Lover: Erotic Tales of the Wild West, which contains my short story "The Branding of Miss Charlotte Babington." She received the books from the publisher and, with hope, I'll soon have not only my copy but money too!

Ciao!

Writing, Writing and More Writing

Ah, yes. Another weekend, another blog update.

Well, as the title for my post states, I'm writing, writing and more writing. This week I submitted the short story I was working on so I can pat myself on the back for that. And move on to my next project for which I have 12 days---12 days, mind you---to get a 10,000 to 15,000 erotic paranormal drafted, revised and submitted by June 1st

And, hmmm, let's see. I have to work my full-time job and, oh, yes, next weekend is Memorial Day Weekend and I'm going to Wiscon which is a science fiction convention held here in the Mad City.

But guess what? I'm going to get it done, by golly!

Actually, I'm about to leave to do one of my Sunday writing marathons. I've done these for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where I pretty much spend the entire day at various bookstores and cafes, writing my not-so-little butt off. *grin*

My goal? At least 4,000 words today. 6,000 if I'm either feeling lucky or have completely lost my ever-loving mind.

Then, I'll still have to write my sex scenes which should fill up the rest of the word count. But that part will be fun. *wink*

Oh, I got this on a email loop I'm on. I thought it was hilarious.

How to Write a Trashy Romance Novel.

Part the One - http://tinyurl.com/2u23vo
Part the Two - http://tinyurl.com/2argar
Part the Last - http://tinyurl.com/cmx9c

And go to this link. It's a perferct companion to the How To Write A Trashy Romance.

Longmire Does Romance Novels

Seriously, if we romance writers don't laugh at ourselves every now and then, we'll go crazy!!

Ciao until next weekend!

Weekend Check In

I really, truly wish I had something interesting to blog about for my weekend check in. But, in all truthfullness, all I've been doing is working and writing. I'm not having any ephiphanies about life in general or particular.

I did spend last week, when I wasn't writing or working, watching some DVDs. I never watched, for example, either Stargate SG1 or Angel on television. But thanks to DVDs and my local library, I'm currently done watching the third season of Angel and I'm in the middle of watching the first season of Stargate SG1.

Yeah, I know. Stargate has been running for 10 years. Well, can't say I won't have someting to fill up the time when I want to relax. My local library has the DVDs for all 9 seasons so I'll be able to catch up on the shows.

I'm enjoying both shows very much and love how character driven, in spite of the out of this world plots, both shows are. Being that I'm a character driven writer that's a major plus for me.

I'm rereading the last two Harry Potter books in preparation for the release of the last Harry Potter book in July.

I have yet to see Spiderman 3 but plan to see it probably Memorial Day weekend. Sherk the Third is coming out this Friday and the Friday after that, POC: At World's End.

A new movie theater opened in Madison. Robert Redford chose Madison as the one of the first cities in the country in which to open his Sundance Cinema Theaters. I hestiate to use the words theater chain because one of the things Redford is hoping to avoid is the cookie-cutter style of most theater chains.

Here's a link to it.

Sundance 608.

It's called Sundance 608 because 608 is Madison's area code. I've yet to visit it but I'm very excited about it. As you know Redford started the Sundance Institute, which is dedicated to fostering independent artists and audiences and there's his world famous Sundance Film Festival.

As for my writing, I'm nearly done with my submission for Tuesday, the 15th but, good-golly-Miss-Molly, I've got to get a fire burning under my butt or I'm going to miss the darn deadline! I'm also trying to get up to speed on a submission due on June 1st.

Once again time is flying. Can you believe it's almost the 15th of May!! Does time truly travel at a constant speed or are there times when it cheats and speeds up just a little.

Oh, and Happy Mom's Day!

Ciao for now!

The First Line

In a recent episode of the The Tudors, Thomas Tallis, a composer, is speaking with Thomas Wyatt, a poet. Wyatt tells Tallis that he'd like for him to compose some music for a poem he's written. He tells Tallis that he has the first line. Tallis responds by saying, "Then you have almost everything."

I like that. That's the way I feel about writing. If I can get that first line down of a story or a poem then I feel as if I have almost everything because, if nothing else, I've broken through the barrier of the white page and into the kaleidoscope of creativity.