Sunny Sunday?

I read that Stephen King writes every day of the year. Even holidays. Hm. How does he keep his balance? Of course, when I read that I decided I should be writing every day, too, just to keep up with my characters. And I believe I'm a full-fledged workaholic. DH agrees. My mother agrees. And my dad, another workaholic says, "I know what you're saying."

Perhaps the issue is more of balance rather than writing 365 days a year. I just don't know how to work everything in and get every necessary task completed each day. Balance...body, mind and soul...yoga. I should start doing yoga again. Since I have just made a major life altering decision to lose weight...60 pounds...I have to have a plan to lose by. In addition to the 60 pounds of body weight I want to lose, I also want to lose the negative self-talk that says I can't complete my novels and sell them. I want to lose the toxic people in my life who run me down, don't believe in me, and tell me I'm a failure by not supporting and encouraging me the way I support and encourage them. Maybe I don't want to lose the people...I just want to lose their negative attitudes that I perceive.

So, this is the first day of a new week. A new day. And I can try again from this new beginning.

Oh, the other thing I've been pondering. I hate it when I have to admit I've started yet another novel. Sounds like I can't finish anything. Then I hear an author say, "I wrote five, six, ten, twelve novels before the first one that sold." I can relate to that. I have a dozen novel manuscripts here in various stages of completion. But I get to a point where I don't know where they are going. Then I set them aside and start something new.

I think it's a learning process. Each time I start a story, I manage to write closer to the end of it. I had never tried the NaNoWriMo because I didn't think I could commit to writing 50K words. So, in 2006 I decided I wanted to try it. But I tested it first. I wrote 60K words in October. Whoo-hoo! I COULD do it! So when Nov. 1 rolled around, I was ready to commit to 50K for NaNo. AND I DID IT!

I have spent the time since January working on a novel I started several years ago. I've been ignoring it for two or three days. And I started another story. But this one is different. I can see the beginning, the middle and the end of the story. I know where it started, I know where it has to go and I know where it's going to end! FanTAStic! I am learning through the process.

I read an autobiography to review it, Beyond Dancing by Anita Bloom Ornoff. It will go live at my bellaonline site, Senior Living, on Monday. (www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50029.asp) Nita published her book in late 2003 when she was 83 years young. She's getting ready to start writing her next book...her life before the WAAC. (I guess you'll have to read the review and/or the article about her (www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50069.asp) to find out what that is.

Now I am reading another book to review, and I'm going to interview the author, as well. This one is "Shadow of the Cross" by Carolyn Garriott. Stay tuned. I'll post the links to those articles, too. Carolyn's book was released in 2006. This is her first book, I believe, and she is 70 years young.

I guess there's hope for me since I'm what Nita termed, "still a baby" at age 53...er...Purple 3. Hm. I guess I'm getting used to the big 5-0 decade.

Another week's end

The weeks are flying fast. One more week in March. One more week in the first quarter of 2007. Whew! Things need to slow down a bit.

When I was working at Salem News, Bob said, "We've got it all wrong. We should be adults at the beginning and work our way to being kids because young people don't know how to properly use the time they have!"

Well, it's paraphrased a bit. That was at least 10 years ago.

It's been a week and a half. Actually, it's been a 2007! With no changes in sight. I guess when one has a larger family there is always something going on. As mom of four daughters, now all grown up, two with children of their own, there is always going to be something going on. So I have to figure out my priorities at this particular stage of my life.

Writing has to be high up there. I have to write. I want to be published. I want to write 100 novels before I die. But with all the interruptions, I'm not so sure how realistic that's going to be for me.

I said to Dad, "I'm a workaholic." I made a point of looking at him because he has been a workaholic for decades. "I don't want to be a workaholic!"

Mom said, "You are a workaholic. You always set set your expectations too high, you can't reach them, then you beat up on yourself because you don't reach them."

She had a point. A valid point. A VERY valid point. She was absolutely correct. Right on the money.

"Moi?"

There's an ad in the paper. A newspaper wants a reporter. I must have been psychic this morning. I picked up the paper and thought, "I should see if they're looking for a reporter and apply." There, when I opened the paper to the classifieds, was their ad. I didn't even have to read it. I recognized the box, the standard ad all the newspapers run when they're looking for reporters.

But there's another issue. I am planning on returning to college in the fall to complete my bachelor's degree. I am one hour from senior standing. I can graduate in a year to a year and a half. Which do I do? I have to have a car to be able to get back and forth to school. I need a job to have the money to buy the car. I can't work full time, go to school full time and have time for my family all at the same time. ssssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

And what about writing?!

Use the time I have. Take every opportunity I have and can realistically apply. OK. Time to take a shower, dress and get to Beth's to babysit my darling granddaughter who will be 3 months old on Tuesday.

Today's writing challenge

I have an appointment at FRC at 10:30. Take a few pictures. Talk to a few teens. Write an article to send to the newspapers. I can do that.

I have to finish the book review and interview article with Anita Bloom Ornoff and send them off for accuracy, then put them on the web. I can do that.

I have a little research to do for some teen pregnancy prevention work I'll be doing for FRC in April and May. I can do that.

I have to visit my parents today because I haven't been there for several days. I can do that.

And I have to work on Saved by Grace today. I'm working on chapter 23 of 20. Yeah. It's a little longer than I had anticipated, but I'm flexible. I can do this.

And I should throw something in the slow cooker (it's a Hamilton Beach, not a Crock Pot and I love it! It's brand-spanking new!) so I won't have to stop what I'm doing and go to the kitchen to cook. Well, that's my theory, anyway.

I also have to check all of my blogs and my BellaOnline site to make sure I'm not missing anything.

And my house...there is no little genie taking up my slack. So I'll have to find a few minutes for some housework somewhere. But the day is still young. It's only 9 a.m.

Writing anything

I've been writing today, but not on the novel. Sunday I worked on BellaOnline articles. Yesterday I worked on getting my blogs updated and ready for a blog tour for Joyce Anthony's new release, Storm. I will be posting an interview with her right here at Novel or Bust on April 21.

I got started by offering to write a review of Anita Bloom Ornoff's book Beyond Dancing. Anita is 85 years young and lives with her husband of 46 years, Hal, in Central Florida. She was permanently paralyzed at age 19. I'm working on the review and the interview which will be posted at BellaOnline and the review at Bella and Amazon and all of it right here at Novel or Bust. Nita's book is a memoir, though, not a novel.

So, I will resume working on my novel tonight for awhile, as I did Sunday evening. A little writing is better than no writing at all.

And there are several other articles I need to write for Family Recovery Center. And there is WomanSongs that needs to be updated...so sadly neglected for SO long.

New beginnings...again

Novel or bust...I set up this blog as my writer's blog when I joined a writing challenge that would--in theory--help me get my novel written. I was never quite sure whether the challenge was going by plan or just hit and miss by the facilitator. She was there, and then she wasn't. I know from experience that life with a family interferes in a woman's plans, so I'm not being critical, bless that woman's heart!

When the challenge ended, I didn't have the novel finished. I have a dozen of them in various states of completion. I took one of them, though, and decided I'm not working on another piece of fiction until this one is complete. I'm working on Chapter 23 of 20. Yeah. Well, having a plan is good. Being flexible is--ha!--gooder. Hehehe. My word count is right around 67,000 of 85,000.

DH says I don't have a sense of humor and I over-react to everything he says. Well, we never see ourselves as others see us. I delivered my list of reasons why I don't have a sense of humor, but if he's willing to work on his attitude, I'll work on mine, too, but we won't have any double standards.

But I'm still not talking to him about my work. One day, when one of our daughters was right there in the room with us, he said he gave up on my writing anything a long time ago. Our daughter couldn't believe he said that to me. The kids probably would have thought I made it up if she hadn't been there to hear it. So, I don't talk about my writing with him. I don't talk about my dreams with him. We just don't talk much because the only thing we have in common is our children. A lot of couples reach this point in their relationship with two choices: 1.) Jump ship. 2.) Work on the relationship.

And it all affects a writer and the writer's writing. Relationship status affects what a writer writes. It does.

(c)2007 Cathy Brownfield