What I did on summer vacation...

Thinking about Thursday

So, school starts on Monday. Well, it starts for the kids on Monday. It started for me two weeks ago. Two weeks of sitting in meetings and being reminded why I never had the urge to join the corporate world.

I love teaching.
I hate meetings.

All and all, it was a good summer.

I spent a night sleeping on a  sloped floor, staring  at these guys, hoping the glass was as strong as we were told it was!

Swam in the ocean for the first time in my life. Prayed my friends from above didn't tag along!

And I got to go here!!!!!

So, what did you do on your summer vacation? If you didn't do anything, feel free to make something up. I won't judge.

Workshop Hangover

Thinking about Thursday

Look, it's Nora Roberts! And, she's standing with ME! 

 

This time last week, I was sitting in my first RWA NATIONALS workshop.

It was an absolutely exhausting, fantastic trip. 

I came home with my brain so full I haven't been able to even open my WIP.

Don't think that was the intended result. 

Other than the general physical exhaustion, which  I have finally recovered from, I think I have a "Workshop hangover". 

RWA was my 3rd writing conference this year. So, I've had this feeling before. I should be completely pumped, motivated, cranking out words so fast you can't see my fingers moving on the keyboard. 

Instead, I couldn't even write my blog post on Tuesday and haven't managed more than a few emails this whole week. 

Why? Because the sheer sense of responsibility to create a quality product is overwhelming. 

After all I've learned this year, I feel like I've been to OZ and seen the man behind the curtain. He's short, ugly and looks alot like my internal editor, Boris.

 I know people are going to tell me,

 "Just write. Just get the words on the paper."

But, I'm past that. I am in my fourth round of revisions.  

And, because of what I learned last week, facing down a HUGE rewrite. 

Please, don't read this as whining.

I will do it. 

I have 11 days before my real life pounces, again. 

I plan to make good use of that time, but I'm still... oh, I don't know... 

Paralyzed with fear? 

Am I the only one? Do you come back from conferences all afire and ready to go? Or does the knowledge it isn't just about "getting the story on paper" give you a moment's pause? 

Writer Round Up

Thinking about Thursday

Writer Round-Up

Since I am in California at RWA,

I thought I'd give you the opportunity to get to know a few of the 

SUPER-COOL people I get to hang out with this weekend. 

In no particular order:

Roni Loren 

Sharla Lovelace

Barb Han

Jerrie Alexander

Olivia Kelly

Lavender Daye

Molly Cannon

 and many, many, more. 

I hope to come back with lots of new friends for author features and Tell Me Your Story Tuesdays. 

Let me know if there's anyone at RWA 12, I should say HI to! 

The Important Part...

Tell Me Your Story Tuesday

If you aren't a Romance writer, (or are a romance writer but live in an editing cave) you might not be aware there is this little thing happen this week known as RWA NATIONALS.

Just a little writer's convention in Anaheim with approximately a bazillion published, pre-published, wanna-be-published, might-be-published-someday and haven't-written-a-word-but-how-hard-can-it be-to-get-published-? authors descending next door to the "happiest place on Earth"!

And, I'm one of them! (pause for excited SQUEEE!)

Social media is all abuzz with Who is going? Not going? What shoes should you wear? How many shoes can you cram into a carry-on suit case? What color are your nails? (Passionate Purple, by the way, thanks for asking)

My new twitter friend, Diane Farr blogged about how unimportant all of the above are to getting published. Like an agent is seriously going to ignore your fabulous or not-so-fabulous pitch and decide your fate based on your footwear. 

But, most of us are girls. 

This is what we do.

 It's like getting ready for camp and prom all in the same week. 

Of course, I wore this to prom.

I'm hoping to project a little more sophistication this weekend. 

And, a lot less hair. 

So, it isn't the shoes, the nails or the earrings that's important. 

For me, it isn't even that I will see some of my FAVORITE writer friends  (although that is enough to make me bounce around the room like Tigger on street speed).

For me, it is the fact: I am going. 

One year ago, I sat at home reading the #RWA11 tweets, living vicariously, but not truly believing I would ever go. 

Wednesday, I am getting plane and proving to myself that this writing thing is real. It has value and I'm not too bad at it. 

So, if you see me there, PLEASE SAY HI!  and, let me show off my cute, new shoes!