About Me

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I've been writing since I could first hold a pencil, and by all accounts I didn't limit myself to paper. Walls, tablecloths and the occasional sibling were all fair game, and it shouldn't be surprising to learn that markers were banned in my home with all due haste. Although I now content myself with inconveniencing electrons, the desire to bring the stories in my mind to life hasn't waned. In my spare time, I read, putter in the kitchen, and relax on my terrace or at the lake, weather permitting, with my corgi who strives to be part muse, part food disposal. I'm also addicted to coffee and have a close relationship with my Keurig.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Whether we like it or not...

the weather does what it wants.

Seriously, I woke to snow today. White, powdery snow, on April 16th. The Easter bunny will have to hop to stay warm, and never mind hard boiled, the eggs will be frozen.

I'm mostly Irish, and what isn't Irish is Swedish. You'd think I'd have an affinity for cold and damp, but no. I like beaches, blue tropical water and white, white sand. I like balmy nights. I like not shivering, or having rain dripping from the tip of my nose. For me, the sight of snow this morning was akin to a knife in the heart. It was 80 degrees this weekend! (That's nearly 27 degrees for those who use Celsius, i.e., the rest of the world.) So waking up to snow was not exactly a happy thing for me.

On the bright side, I was impulse shopping yesterday and ordered mattresses, which are being delivered today. I have a perfectly good reason for staying home (and skipping the gym) while feeling quite virtuous. It's an unusual feeling, believe me. Virtue and I are not on a first name basis. But that's what the cold will do to me. It makes me behave in all sorts of uncharacteristic ways.

Rumor has it that the temperatures will climb back to 61 degrees by Saturday. I'll believe it when I see the Easter bunny put away his woolies.

Monday, April 14, 2014

How to keep your mind occupied...

The second hardest part of sending out a manuscript is suddenly wondering what to do with all the time that your story used to take up. There's a void, and it's hard to let go of characters that have become part of the daily routine.

"Let's see, the kids are off to school, laundry's done and put away, I've been to the shops, tidied up a bit, so now let's see what's up with the lads."

That's been my routine for months, and now the lads are off, out the door, without so much as a backward look. I'm telling you, that gets me every time. We started this as part of National Novel Writers Month, and look where we wound up. They grew up so quickly...

I tend to have a couple of projects going at once, because I find I need to be able to throw myself into something right away. While it might be hard to have two larger things going at once, short stories are a great way to ease the shock of having my lads move on.

At least for my fictional lads. When it comes to the real life kids, I think I'm good, thank you! :D

Sunday, April 13, 2014

It Doesn't Get Easier!

You'd think it would. It's not like this was my first time or anything. But here I am, as nervous as can be.

All it takes is one finger. Click the little button marked "Send." That's not very complicated, and it's not as though I'm going to get a nasty shock when I click. The little electrons do what it is they do, and there you go. Manuscript submitted.

And now, I'm at a loss. I've spent six months writing, revising, and tweaking that story, and I'm sort of attached to it now. I've already decided there are bits that needed more work, and I'm convinced that I've missed a dozen typos, not to mention gruesome errors in syntax. I can't do anything about it now. I just have to wait, and see if it gets accepted.

Of all the things I do as a writer, actually submitting something is the hardest thing. I love the writing, and I adore the research. I don't mind proofreading, either. But when it comes down to that moment when I have to let it go, I'm a mess. I dither over the email, triple check the formatting, agonize over a synopsis, and I know I'll drink way too much coffee for the next week.

You want to know the truth? This might be the hardest job I've ever had, but I wouldn't want to do anything else.