The bug has bit my butt.

And I'm rockin' it for all it's worth.

Saturday was a bust around here for all of our plans. We had a sick kid so the b-ball game was a no-go and we were too "contaminated" to be around all the new babies in the family that were congregating before they left for a ski trip. (Yeah, even though we weren't invited, I'm not crying too hard on missing out on a trip with a three year old and two babies under 6 months.)

So with our germ-germy selves we did nada.

And it was such a grand day!! It seems like an open schedule was all that was needed to get motivated to get this book finished ASAP. I was having serious doubts (AGAIN) that I was wasting my time on crap, but NOT NO MO SISTAH!!! I got you guys the letter that I have been working on-so yeah for me for finishing it. And I have been spit polishing the manuscript from the beginning. And, you know what, it's not crap at all.

What's really got me excited is that I didn't have to spend tons of time re-reading it. It just flew by like reading an acutal book. Usually I would get bogged down in fixing things. Since it is going so good and my schedule at work is winding down, I came home early today to work some more. (I actually wanted to call in sick today so I could stay home but figured it would come back to bite me in the butt.)

So I'll update you tonight before I hit the hay to let you know my progress.

I AM a ROCKSTAR!!!

This is probably the best description I have ever read:

I am stunned by the announcement. To say that the news hits me like a football-sized chunk of uranium contained in a safe that has then been placed in an iron-framed grand piano and sent plummeting from the fifteenth floor window of the Institute of High Gravity Studies with a member of sixties hippie combo 'The Mamas and the Papas' tied to each leg (John Phillips having a large quantity of loose change in his pocket) followed by an antelope, a large bag of ball bearings and a parcel marked 'DANGER OF INJURY! Do Not Attempt to Lift This' would be an understatement.

Original post at Private Secret Diary.

As you'll see in the next post, I've started cleaning up the sidebar. It was getting quite cluttered and unwieldy, so it was time to move it somewhere else.

I've started moving the old links over to an archive post that will have a permanent link on the sidebar. I'll probably add a new links section to temporarily highlight additions to the list, but streamlined is the new code-word.

I hope someone besides me finds the links interesting and/or useful.

Links Useful to Writers

I've taken the rather unwieldly list of links from the sidebar and put them here with a little additional info about each one. Unfortunately, I am having trouble grouping these meaningfully, so I'm using the rather imprecise labels "Publishing Stuff", "Writing Stuff", "Romance Stuff", "Fantasy Stuff", "Linky Stuff".

Publishing Stuff

The Knight Agency Blog
The Knight Agency specializes in romance and women's fiction. This blog mainly covers new releases from the agency, not advice, but it's great for the authors they represent.

Miss Snark, the literary agent (archives)
Miss Snark, the anonymous literary agent, dished out advice (with a big side of snark) on the publishing business to clueless newbies. Her selfless and pitiless contribution will not soon be http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifforgotten.
(Kelly McCullough over at the Wyrdsmiths has indexed Miss Snark's blog, to make it easier to find what you are looking for.)

A Kossack's guide to book publishing
Part 1 - Why bad things happen to good books
Part 2 - Avoiding publishing scams
Part 3 - Literary conventions (with an emphasis on SF Conventions)
Part 4 - Book packagers
Part 5 - Submitting a manuscript
Part 6 - Publishing lists
Part 7 - Literary agents
Part 8 - Copyediting
Part 9 - Marketing and publicity
Part 10 - Outlining
Part 11 - Editing
Part 12 - Ideas
Part 13 - Contracts
Part 14 - How Writers Get Paid
Part 15 - Worldbuilding
Leigh Ronald Grossman, under the moniker Swordsmith, is a regular contributor over at Daily Kos, in additional to writing novels and teaching writing and literure. Here he tries to help break down the publishing (and to some extent writing) process into manageable chunks for the unitiated.

The Sobering Sage of Myrtle the Manuscript
Tappan King follows Myrtle the Manuscript along her labyrinthine trip through a publishing house. See what really happens to your baby when you send it out into the world!

Kit Whitfield: The Publisher-Dating Dictionary
A clever phrasebook based on Kit Whitfield’s personal experience as an editor: "Imagine that the editor or agent is a woman standing on her own in a bar. Your letter is a man approaching her with the aim of asking her for a date." She takes the kinds of language found in query letters and "translates" them into the more familiar language of dating.

Marg Gilks: How to Write a Synopsis
Basic information on writing your synopsis.

Dee-Ann Latona LeBlanc: Writing a Synopsis from the Ground Up
More information on writing different types of synopses.

Writing Stuff

Kit Whitfield: The Lexicon
Collected terms to describe some common issues in writing. Sections are titled “Points of Style”, “Scene-Setting”, “Structure”, “Handling Character”, “Series and Sequels”, “Influences”, “Critics and Feedback”, and “Living the Life”.

Debbie Notkin: Varied Ways of Looking at a Manuscript
She talks about various kinds of feedback writers look for, from critiquing to editing.

Short Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Creative Writers

Douglas Clegg’s Journal
“Three Selves, Writing Resistance, and PW”
Douglas Clegg writes about his writing process, and how it always includes a period of internal resistance before he is able to buckle down and put pen to paper.

Megan Lindholm: "How I Became A Famous Writer (A True Story"
Who knew cats could be so insightful?

Confusing Words
"Confusing Words is a collection of 3210 words that are troublesome to readers and writers. Words are grouped according to the way they are most often confused or misused."

Columbia Journalism Review: Language Corner
Resources for English usage.

Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust
Various articles on writing, including "Advice to New Writers", "Grammar", "Translations from the Editorial", and "Why Did My Story Get Rejected?"

Romance Stuff

Romancing the Blog
“What if someone put together a group blog where readers, authors, and industry professionals with established blogs of their own came together to discuss topics relevant to today’s romance? And what if it was done out of love for the romance genre and not for the purpose of blatant promotion?”

Charlotte Dillon
"Charlotte Dillon's Resources for Romance Writers"

Maria Zannini: "Creating the Sizzle in Sex"

Jenna Peterson/Jess Michaels: The Passionate Pen
"Welcome to The Passionate Pen, a resource for Romance Writers who are pursuing their dream of publication."

Fantasy Stuff

David J. Parker: "The Fantasy Novelist's Exam"
"We think anybody considering writing a fantasy novel should be required to take this exam first. Answering "yes" to any one question results in failure and means that the prospective novel should be abandoned at once."

Wyrdsmiths
"A weblog for the Twin Cities area speculative fiction writers' group"

Charles Coleman Finlay: the prodigal blog

Elizabeth Bear: they must need bears

Holly Black, No Longer Dry Like a Martini

I'm here. I'm here.

It occurred to me a couple of days ago that I would have felt better about neglecting my writing-and posting-over the holidays if I had just PLANNED not to write. Instead, I ignored the impending doom that the holidays have on my normal schedule and kept thinking I'd get back to it. Then I felt guilty about it and it kept swirling around in my brain and detracting from enjoying the holidays 100%. So it was a lose-lose all because I couldn't face up to the realities that it writing would have to be low on my priorities for a while.

Speaking of, I have made some plans for the new year. And since I have read your last few posts and have lurked over to westexgirl's goodies, I thought it would be appropriate to share. First, I should say I have been hooked on watching BBC's How Clean is Your House and You Are What You Eat. From the food show, I have found some ways to incorporate a more natural and organic way of heating into our lives. I already feel better-which will be great during the next few months.

But the really big plans come from the cleaning show. With my way limited time coming up and the need to plan in me time (i.e. writing time) EVERY day, I knew I couldn't let my house pile up like it did last year. SO here's the plan, with a little background. I am pretty sure some of my procrastination about housework-it eventually gets done when someone calls to say they are coming over-has to do with the IDEA of housework. Like the IDEA that it takes a long time. That's usually what my kids moan when I tell them it's time to clean up. So with them I would set the timer on the stove for like 5 or 10 minutes and tell them they had to clean everything they could in that time. When the timer went off, they were done. It at least got some of it done and the whining stopped.

So my plan for 2008 is based on that. Every day of the week-I have some chore planned-Laundry-Mon & Wed, Picking up clutter in rooms-Tue & Thursday. Some days have two things. And I even planned my grocery shopping as one (because I hate to go-but now I have to go more regular for all the fresh food). The idea on planning the chores is that I know that day I have to do it-BUT it's ALL I HAVE to do. There is no guilt in not doing other things and there is no wondering when I'll get to those other things because they have their own day coming up. Also-nothing gets carried over-example:whatever laundry didn't get done on Monday has to wait until Wednesday. To me it's like the timer method. There's something about it in my head that says 'Just do it because it's only going to take a little bit of effort and then you're done for the day.'

It's only been a few days but it seems to be working so far. And our -even hubby and the boys- attitude about it is MUCH better. The list is up on the fridge and the boys helped make it. It's kinda got an order to it so they know they have to do each day's work. Like we can't do the floors if the clutter wasn't picked up the day before.

I know this was all more than you wanted to know about my life or my inner rationalizations, but I thought it might help you know you're not the only one who can think herself out of doing something.

When I was on a roll writing, some of my best stuff came out when I sat down and knew I ONLY had one hour to get something down to send to you. I usually got the least amount accomplished when I had all day. I had to remind myself that it didn't have to be an hour that resulted in perfect output as long as it was output. It was a very freeing feeling.

Kinda like letting the boys do more and more around the house. No, they won't make their beds or put their clothes in the drawers just like I would. But does it really matter in the long run. They will get better as they do it more.

And I will have more time to send stuff to you!!!

I finished the proofreading (21 pages of double-spaced text and 1 page of works cited), and I would just like to say BLARGH! before I turn it in.

I am thinking of updating/streamlining the links, so let me know if there is anything you'd like me to add or toss, Kee, and I'll get to work on it.

I have't got much reading done on my paper, mostly because of the proofreading, but also because I didn't feel like it yesterday, but today I am feeling more alert and spry, so I'll give it another go.

A couple of stories have started stirring around in the back of my head, not enought to capture on paper, but just enough to remind me that they're there. I don't really have the time to deal with that right now, so I guess I'll just ignore them for the time being, but it makes me kind of sad to do that. On the other hand, trying to work on them will just distract me from the stuff I *need* to be doing, so back into the broom closet they go.

I was hoping to have something from Kee by now *HINT HINT*, but I guess I will just have to be patient for another day or 2. But THEN I will be impatient, and I will start making snide remarks here and elsewhere... You have been warned, Kee. :-)

I have realized that I need to change the way I look at how I use my time. I have a nasty habit of looking at the clock and thinking, "Hmm, I have to leave in 3 hours, and that will just fly by, so what's the point of trying to do anything in such a short time."

That is bad.

I am a wife, mother, student, employee, and person, and my life is splintered into "small" chunks of time. I can't do much about that. But I *can* change the way I think about it. I need to look at my chunks of free time and say, "This is what I need to work on. I might not be able to finish the whole thing, but I bet I can do a lot."

I guess I could call this a resolution, but it is an ongoing problem that I have been thinking about for a while.

Yesterday I got up and read a chapter for my paper, proofread 7 pages of an article for a professor, and studied German. I know I could have gotten more reading or proofreading in, but another bad habit I need to deep-six is resting on my laurels when I accomplish anything. I lose my momentum and have to work myself back up to actually doing anything, and then I congratulate myself by doing nothing, and then it is a vicious cycle that prevents me from finishing anything.

So, baby steps, Nee. Step 1: finish this up and get back to proofreading.

Kee, send me something, even if it is only notes.