Working, working, working

It's been longer than I'd like to admit since I last updated this blog.  For that, please accept my humble apologies. If you don't follow Mimosa Mornings Writers yet, that's a great way to keep up with me every Wednesday.  :-)

However, let me fill you in on what's been going on since we last met.

I've been editing like a feind. I also went on a weekend writer's retreat with my local chapter of RWA (Romance Writers of America). Guess who I got to meet?  Anna DeStefano! I know, right?!?! She was amazing and did a three-part workshop with us that has me re-inspired to edit!

I can't tell you just how much I needed that push to get back to editing since I was starting to dread sitting down in front of my computer to edit. Perfect timing!

The weekend also offered me the priceless opportunity to get better acquainted with the local writers in RWA. I never expected to have so much support as a writer. Honestly, I couldn't have found a better group of people to work with!

Oh! Don't let me forget to mention that I also was lucky enough to find a group of writers who are all needing that "accountability" that sometimes falls by the wayside when you don't have a hard-fast deadline to keep you working. So, we've decided to implement an accountability pledge where each week, we will list a few reasonable small goals and we will send our progress by the end of the week.

If you're interested here are my goals for the week as stated when I sent them to Denise Leton:

Okay, so let's get down to business about our goal for this week…

1- I've printed my MS today so I can implement some of Anna's editing suggestions.  I also bought more mini post-its than is healthy for one woman to own.  

2- I'm going through my story and getting the BME chart filled out with both internal and external conflicts to make sure my book has what it needs. 

3- I'm reading Rivet Your Readers With Deep Point Of View -- It was recommended by Tracey Poole and it's a quick read that already helps with my "showing vs telling" in a few spots that were irking me

4- One that note, by Saturday I will send you 5 different parts that I've revised from telling instead of showing to showing instead of telling.  

Also, I'll send you my first chapter and overview so you know what you're reading… 

So far, I've sent the first chapter and overview and started post-it noting my MS (#1). Today I'll finish #3 and start #4. Tomorrow I'm going to do #2. Thursday I will wrap up whichever of these isn't fully completed!  

See what I mean about working, working, working?  

The good news is that all of this work will pay off someday when the book gets picked up by a publisher. Then hopefully the second book will too. And the third, and so on. :-)

So, until next time my faithful readers, I'll be seeing you on Mimosa Mornings Writers every Wednesday. In fact, here's a super secret sneak peek at tomorrow's post entitled, Nature... Inspiration or trying to kill you?

The thing is now I live in suburbia outside of a major NC city (Yes, folks, this Jersey Girl has gone Southern Gal) and it seems all-of-a-sudden nature is out to get me.

Like bears. Apparently bears run the world. So do geese that would rather chase you down and murder you rather than just ignore you with disdain and look cute like ducks.  Why can’t geese be more like duck-pond ducks?? 

To read more, go check out Mimosa Mornings Writers tomorrow, May 22nd!

Be Well!
~Jeni

I'm walking on sunshine

Well, not really and technically I'm sitting in sun rays coming through a window, but the lyrics of a catchy song sounded better as a title than "I'm sitting on my ass with sun coming in the nearby window."

I'll call the spade a spade and we can move on.  My mom is currently out of town with my younger brother and his family on vacation.  I'm excited that she's feeling well enough to go and that all the doctors who weigh in on these things eagerly gave ehr the green light to go. However, I'm finding myself worrying.

I can't explain why exactly, but there's this nagging worry that she will overdo and get sick or something. I know it's an irrational worry, because she's al set to be in a wheelchair for safety, my brother has been briefed on her needs as far as her health conditions are concerned and she's a grown-up. She knows her limits and she has promised to respect those limits and not overdo.

But still I worry.  Why?  Probably because deep down I'm a bit of a control freak. (Okay, maybe that's a huge understatement at times) Mostly it's probably because once someone tells you that your favorite person in the entire world has an unknown but definitely finite number of days left in this world, you start to worry about anything that can limit or reduce those numbered days.

So I worry that she might fall. Or catch a simple cold. Or her blood sugar will tank. Or any number of stupid things that she herself would tell me to stop worrying about. Honestly, I usually do a good job of not worrying so much about those things.  Of course that's because she's usually right here. I can walk downstairs and around a corner and see for myself that she's okay.

So this week when she's away I find myself sitting on my ass, trying to work but instead hoping and praying that she's okay. I remember doing the same thing last year when she moved back home when they couldn't find any other cancer cells after her rigorous treatment plan, but then I thought she was healthy.  This time knowing she's sick makes it different I guess.

The house is too quiet. She oftentimes likes having the tv on for background noise during the day. I can't wait until she's home again. Then I can relax again. Which is funny since she thought I'd be more relaxed with her gone so I could work in peace as she is fond of saying. Too bad that she brings me peace!

And by the time you are reading this post, I will in fact be walking on sunshine because I'll post this after she returns home so that she won't read it and worry about me worrying.

Be well!