Why'd I sign up for this?

There are many reasons I gave up teaching.

Like having freshmen roll their eyes at me isn’t enough reason.

But, honestly, I’m not a very good teacher. Especially if you’re not an enthusiastic student. I lack patience; I abhor willful stupidity (I have no problem with ignorance. Ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge and the reason teachers exist. Stupid is a state of mind and I can’t fix stupid.). I often talk just to hear my own head rattle, and try to avoid talking about things I don’t enjoy very much.

I also fell easily into that “what I’m saying is important” trap that students find really annoying. I really wanted one of those shirts that said, “If I’m talking, you should be taking notes.” :-)

Add in the fact I don’t like grading papers and the administrative BS drove me up the wall, and you see why teaching probably wasn’t a good career choice for me. Hanging out with my computer has been much better for my mental health, and my family appreciates not listening to me whine about students.

So why then, am I booked for four presentations this summer and an online class?

The full truth of this just hit home when I turned in the new book Saturday. I’ve got a lot of prep work to do for these presentations. Outlines, Powerpoint presentations, handouts… What was I thinking?

Now, the issue of unenthusiastic students isn’t a problem. Thankfully, all the people I’ll be speaking to this summer are folks who want to be there and honestly believe I might have something worthwhile to tell them. (How refreshing a change from 18-year-olds who know everything.)

It’s good promotion, I know. And it’s not like I have a fear of public speaking or anything. I just kinda wish now that I hadn’t agreed to all five of these. That’s what happens when the requests don’t come in together and come in months in advance. I lost track of how many I’d agreed to and hey, that’s months away…

At least I don’t have to do a syllabus. Or grade papers. Or deal with administrators. Or put up with eyeball rolling freshmen. Just gotta keep looking at the positive, right?

At least the book is in. Hopefully the revisions won’t be too extreme. The packing up of the house and the accompanying paperwork is coming along. I can plan presentations while I strip ugly wallpaper and paint, right?

~sigh~

So, is anyone else in the “Why did I volunteer for that” hole right now? Or am I alone because I don’t know how to say no?

PC

WIP's and Chains

NaNoWriMo

If you travel in the blogosphere you’ve probably seen this word on writers’ blogs and wondered “What in the heck is that?”

It stands for National Novel Writing Month and it’s a novel (no pun intended) approach to writing a novel. Participants began writing on November 1 and the goal is to write a 50,000-word book by midnight November 30.

The internal editor is tossed out with the trash and your biggest goal is not quality but quantity. Write, write, write and get to that 50K mark so you can have bragging rights. You can edit in December. By creating a thirty-day window, writers must be persistent in order to meet their goal. That means writing 1667 words every day (or double that if you take a day off). When they picked November, did they forget about Thanksgiving and my son coming home from grad school to visit? And maybe the grandbaby being here for a day or two?

NaNoWriMo is a worldwide effort, so all around the globe writers are chained to their desks, bichok-ing (butt in chair, hands on keyboard) and maybe doing a little griping and screaming too.

The Playfriends are all participating (you will be able to monitor our WIPs -- works in progress -- with the word meters in the sidebar). Angel and I are each writing a book from scratch (though to be legal I had to re-write the first chapter I wrote a couple years ago). We (along with some of our other RWA chapter mates) have worked on plotting boards to guide us along the way.

Here's my plotting board. It's divided into chapters with sticky notes containing the key elements for each chapter, both from the hero's and heroine's point of view. If one of the secondary characters appears in that chapter, she gets a sticky note too. Hearts indicate S-E-X.

This is my hero and the woman who is his office manager. You can see the key elements of chapter one. Are you hooked yet?



This is my heroine and her best friend/co-worker. Can you tell I've been on a Law and Order SVU kick since February. Guess SVU can be my Tuesday reward if I've met my word count, huh?



Here's the first of those heart notes. You'll have to wait til Chapter 6 for them to do the horizontal mambo, but they'll be plenty of sexual tension before.


We had our first "write-in" on Monday at Angel's house. Four of us attended the four-hour session. It. Was. Awesome! I had my best daily word count to date. I'm convinced your own home or office is the worst place to write, though eventually I need to overcome this. I can't always escape to the library or Starbucks or someone else's house.

We had all the necessary tools available as evidenced by this photo. Here's Mary at the table with the laptops, notes, incense, magical mystical mojo beads (how's that for a mouthful -- NaNoWriMo Mojo) and caffeine. It seemed to work well because I wrote more in four hours on Monday than I wrote all day Saturday or Sunday. I can't wait to schedule the next one.

Of course, others have their own writing poses. Witness Angel in her recliner with the Alphasmart. She has some sort of holder with a gel wrist rest (she can probably tell everyone what it is) and when she was reclined, she was rocking and rolling on her Alphie. Sorry I didn't get a photo of Kathy on the sofa with her lap desk and uber-small laptop.

Instigator is working on the sequel to her debut novel from Blaze. Problem Child is working on her next book for Modern Heat. And Smarty Pants is writing 25K on a book that’s been requested and 25K on a new project.

Be warned that we may all write blogs that don’t make sense or even forget altogether until someone emails and says, “Hey stupid! Where’s your blog?”

Have you ever undertaken an intensive project like this? Anyone else participating in NaNo? Tell us about your book and keep us updated on YOUR progress too.

For more info on plotting boards, check out Angel's article on the Writing Playground website.

P.S. The following commenters have won books from Michelle from Monday's blog: MV Freeman, Sherry Werth, Kammie, Cheri2628, Rebekah E and Virginia. Please send your name and snail mail information to the Playground Monitor ASAP and she will forward it to Michelle.

P.P.S. Liza is Lori's winner from yesterday. Please email Smarty Pants with your name and snail mail info.

One week later...

Has the glow faded? Nope.

Does it still seem unreal? Yep.

Has it been an awesome week? Oh, yeah, bay-bee.

Has it been a crazy week? Omigodyes.

Not that my life is ever what you’d call boring—at least in the “sit around and do nothing way” (doesn’t that sound like bliss?)-- but I’ve been running non-stop lately. Take the general stuff—dance recitals, luncheon, a Tea, Parent-Teacher conference, PTA meetings, field day, field trips, SP’s birthday celebrations, doctor appointments, laundry and the fact my family likes to eat—and add in all the I JUST SOLD!!!! excitement, and I’m a flurry of activity this week. (Yes, we’re just talking about *this* week. I can’t even think about next week yet without crying…)

But who am I to complain? Like I’m going to whine about having to get headshots done or getting my website up and live. Oh, poor me--another congratulatory email just came in. Pfft! I’ll take this over the PTA meeting any day.

I am in a bit of a panic about that whole “next book” thing, though. I’m auditioning heroes and herioines and some plots in my head right now and none of them are exciting me yet. I’m just holding on to the faith that one of them will spark and I’ll have a new book idea ready to go…once I make it through the next two weeks (what *is* it with May anyway?).

(But, yeah, little “squees” do escape from time-to-time without warning, and that really does make everything else tolerable. )

So, I’m afraid this blog will be short, sweet, and not too pithy, because I have to plan the end-of-the-year party for the first grade.

Since Rhonda Nelson has given up her personal blog and "Whine About It Wednesday" is no more, I'll dub this "Tantrum Tuesday." Let it all out. We'll sympathize.

PC

****I'm guest blogging tomorrow at the Pink Heart Society (www.pinkheartsociety.blogspot.com) . Please come by and say Hi!***

The hard part

No, not that hard part. Get your minds out of the gutter, people!





I’m in Scotland this week, blogging in absentia. While DG and AC visit with the in-laws, I’m working on revisions.

It’s appropriate, in a way, that I’m revising this book in Scotland, as I finished this book in Scotland many moons ago. (For those of you new to the blog, I play Miss America chaperone to AC and escort her overseas every summer. I use that time to write. Usually.)

Once the euphoria of “I don’t suck” waned, I was faced with the prospect of actually revising. I knew it would be a major undertaking—not just a tweak here or there or just a rearranging of scenes. Pretty much everything after about chapter four would have to be cut or completely rewritten. Yikes.

The first cut—the stuff I knew had to go—took my book from 56k to 18.5k in two quick keystrokes. I had to go lie down in a dark room after that.

Once that nausea passed, I knew I was on the right track. Until now, I lacked the distance necessary to objectively evaluate what was really in this book. Of course the book was dragging—I stretched the action out over eight freaking months. (Yes, if you’d asked me if that was a good idea for your book, I would have told you no way. My book, however, was special and that rule didn’t apply.) That supporting cast of interesting and quirky characters—complete with backstory for each—had to go. Needless to say, the scenes written from their points of view also had to be slashed.

What can I say—it was my first book and I’ve learned a lot since then. ~shrug~

Let’s just say that the first cut is the deepest, and while it may be painful, it can improve your book exponentially.

Then, of course, came the question of what will I do now? The Beautiful Editor did give me some suggestions, and after much personal angst, I decided which ideas I could use to create an actual plot past page 50.

Then, just as I’d come (almost) to terms with all that was cut, I started wondering what I might be able to keep. Can I salvage that wonderful scene I love in chapter ten? Maybe I can work some of it in in chapter six? It’s a great scene—full of angst and self-discovery. Maybe a few tweaks will make it work in the revised version.

Or, maybe since it’s “cut” right now, I should leave it as such.

I’m not saying this is easy, but it’s a growing experience for me as a writer. I’m really trying to push myself to go deeper with these characters and their story, because I do love them and want them to have their chance to see the world.

But it’s tough, trying to figure out if I’m making this book better or worse with the revisions. Honestly, at this point, I’m not sure.

But the only way out is through, so I’m slogging along, unsure if this is the best stuff I’ve ever written or if I’m a complete talentless hack. I guess I’ll find out once I finish it and send it off to Beautiful Editor, huh?

So send creative thoughts my way, okay? And maybe today would be a good day to practice our affirmations. I’ll start: “I don’t suck. I don’t suck. This book is great.”



Your turn. What’s your affirmation?





PC

Playground Monitor's Version of MOANday

I spent Valentine's Day having surgery for hallux rigidus, and for the next week or so I'll be in bed with my right foot propped up while I pop pain pills every 4-5 hours. So far the whole ordeal hasn't been as bad as I'd expected. I go back to the doctor on Monday to have the sutures removed (I think -- I was under the influence of drugs when they told me so it might just be to check the sutures).


I can walk on the foot as long as I wear my cute little surgical shoe, but to keep the pain down, help prevent swelling and promote healing, I'm supposed to stay off it as much as possible. At least I can hobble to the bathroom and don't have to use a bedpan.

The DH has been a gem, keeping me supplied with cold drinks and meals in bed. He brings me the morning paper to read and he even sent me Valentine flowers a day early so I could enjoy them before I went under the knife. And thank goodness for the laptop with a wireless card. I am still connected to the world. I was even able to work on a proofreading job today.

Smarty Pants loaned me a stack of DVDs, I Tivo'd a bunch more movies off television and I have books galore, so I have plenty to keep me occupied. And this afternoon I even went through my files and pulled my tax records together for my accountant AKA the DH.

Heart of Dixie sent a beautiful vase of cut flowers and I can see them from the bed. They sure have brightened up the room. And thanks to everyone who has emailed to check on me. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

My latest pain pill is beginning to kick in good so I'd better quit before I begin to type gibberish.

Things that suck...

So, I’m trying to polish a first chapter and synopsis for a contest. The chapter was coming along just fine, but it was time to work on the synopsis.

I hate synopses. First of all, I can’t write a synopsis for a book I haven’t written—I’m a pantser. I know the beginning and the end, but the middle is still a question mark. A journey of possibilities, if you will. But since only the first four chapters of this book exist, writing that synopsis would be a real challenge.

But, hey! Look! I have a synopsis for this book. Neatly labeled as such in the computer file. Excellent. I have no idea why or when I wrote that synopsis, but let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. I click on it, knowing it probably sucked, but figuring I could work with it.

It’s NINE freaking pages long.

NINE.

Now, let’s ignore for a moment that the contest only allows a two-page synopsis. I want to know what possessed me to ever write a nine-page synopsis in the first place. Especially considering how I have NO idea how the middle of the book will unfold, how in hell did I come up with nine pages worth?

Of course the upside to a two-page synopsis is that you only have to hit the highlights—surely I can cull highlights from those nine pages and pull something together. As I read through the nine pages, though, I realized why it ended up at nine pages.

Have you ever been told that you can spot a lie because the liar doesn’t know when to stop talking? Because the lie doesn’t sound credible to them, they think more details are the way to make it sound credible to you. So they ramble on and on, piling on the extraneous details.

A nine-page synopsis for an unwritten book is kinda like that. At least in my case.

I’m a terrible liar, too, just for the record.

But I worked and worked and managed to pull together a two-page synopsis. I’m so proud. Then I went back Monday morning to double-check the rules. It’s supposed to be two-page, double-spaced. ACK!! More hacking required.

But I buckled down and got that puppy down to 2 double-spaced pages. And I only had to mess with the margins a little bit in the end. (Come on, one measly sentence ran onto page three. So I decreased the margins just enough to pull it onto the previous page. Shoot me.)

Of course, after all of this, I find out the book may be ineligible for the contest anyway.

Now I want to go cry. All that work, and I might not have an entry to show for it.

But I think everyone has been in a similar type of situation. You work so hard, only to have it fall apart just as the end is finally in sight. (A good friend is going through something much like this today as well. I think we’ll go get drunk tonight.)

Feel free to vent about something that recently went all to hell for you. Or simply marvel at the insanity of a NINE PAGE synopsis.

PC
~heading to the bar~

We interrupt this message...

I was right. Ceiling fan #2 got installed tonight.

The learning curve was still fresh in our minds, however, and this one only took about 45 minutes as opposed to 2 1/2 hours.

M is for Motivation (or maybe it's for Moron)

I had a blog all planned on the topic of il bel far niente -- the beauty of doing nothing. I heard the term on a talk radio show as I was driving home from a family reunion in North Carolina weekend before last. I'd planned to practice a little far niente this week and catch up on some reading.

Ha. Ha. Ha!

First, I had a perfectly wonderful adoption story idea pop into my head for the November issue of True Romance. The deadline for that issue is today. I had to do some in-depth research and then figure out my characters and write the story. "I can do this by Wednesday," I thought.

Then I was asked to teach a lesson about writing for the confessions magazine. Our RWA chapter is hosting an online workshop on writing for the confessions and romance markets, and since I've had some success with this, the instructor asked if I minded helping so she could concentrate on the folks who wanted to write short erotica.

I was beyond flattered and stayed up til 2:30 Monday morning writing two lessons. I had to spend time Monday finetuning them but got them uploaded on Monday afternoon. I also set up a contest for the confessions writers and recruited a second judge. (Hi, Angel!)

After getting that done and having dinner with the DH, I disappeared back into my office, my "Concentration" CD playing in the background to block out DH's piano music from upstairs. Then he wanted me to come up to his office so he could show me all the marvelous features of his new Yamaha digital piano. I was already contemplating enrolling in an engineering class so I could figure out the new cell phone he got me over the weekend; learning that piano would require an advanced degree.

Honestly, all I wanted to do was write.

I completed the first draft yesterday morning but had to interrupt my day to make a grocery store run and call the cell phone people because I couldn't access their online server to download my contact list. I finally got back to the computer and I had about half of the story typed into Word when the DH got home from work. I figured I'd throw the burgers on the grill, heat up the baked beans I'd made earlier in the day and get back to the computer by 7:00.

Ha. Ha. Ha!

He decided we needed to install the ceiling fan in my office. It's not that I don't appreciate the fan because this room tends to be a little warmer than the rest of the house and my small oscillating fan died last week. But that fan (and the matching one for the other bedroom) have sat in the garage for at least a month. What was so special about last night?

My Red Hat ladies are having our annual birthday lunch today so that's going to cut into writing time. But I enjoy getting together with them and there's one member who depends on me for a ride since she's blind.

Now I'm wondering if I should plan on installing the other fan tonight. Hopefully I'll finish typing the story into Word after I get home from lunch and I'll have at least the first edit done by dinner time. I already know we're having one of those rotisserie chickens and a salad so I don't have to heat up the house cooking.

This is the fastest I've ever written a story. I was either very inspired or highly motivated or both. But I'm still past the deadline, and I'm hoping the story is different enough and has enough of an impact that the editor will forgive me for submitting it late and still consider it for the November issue.

I'll be absent for the next two weeks while Harlequin editor Leslie Wainger and Blaze author Jennifer LaBrecque blog in my stead. I am SO looking forward to what they have to say.



Maybe in September I'll get around to il bel far niente and we can talk about some serious relaxing.

What do you do to relax?




Photo copyright City of London