The Weather and its influence on the garden-variety writer

It is gray, snowing, blowing, carrying on like a ... like a Labrador November I guess. And I'm wasting time instead of revising. Why? Beats me. This is the ideal writing weather if you ask me. It gives nothing and demands you get your entertainment elsewhere. To be strictly honest I did a bit of revising on The Rock Walker. I would like to go back and do some more. My goal is to be finished that and have feedback in hand by the end of the month. That means I should have this revision done by the end of the week. And no reason not to.

Yesterday we walked for ages - please read about it shortly in my other blog - Living the Complicated Simple Life -   I'll post pictures and a bit about the whole wonderful surreal aspect of the day.

Okay then. Back to work. Whiiiitishhhh (sound of a whip). I hereby promise to do at least three more chapters. I have thirty-six out of fifty-six so twenty more to do. Hmmmm.... I"ll finish five more today. Then I have a reasonable five a day to finish the week. Yep. Short week due to Remembrance Day.

So now I have a goal.
First I'll make cocoa then I'll start using mytomatoes which is how I discipline myself - 25 minute timer. Two or three of them should see me clear.

Later dear hearts! Here is one of 137 photos I took yesterday.

Today I am Reading

Friday was a bust. The death of a young friend took me from my work. Instead I walked, I sat on my cushion pondering the imponderable and called friends back home. Today, after a slow gentle weekend, I am back at my desk. I've read part way through making very minor tinkerings. I will send the manuscript out this afternoon when I'm finished.
Then I will bring up The Rock Walker and begin again on that. Any of you all doing NaNoWriMo? Must say I had a slight pull. What better place than here? But no. I must finish all my revisions before starting something new. I do have a wee idea for a kid's book though. Need to talk to Kathy Kaulbach first.

finished this revision!

the sticky bits weren't really. More like a bit of push and then the new part slid in like it belonged there - which it did. Now I'm finished this revision. I will read the whole thing over to make sure it is still as cohesive as I think it is and then send it on to a couple of readers. Then while I wait to hear back from them I'm going to pull out The Rock Walker and see what sort of shape it is in. Be fun to have two novels out at the same time looking for homes!

now though, Bella and I will go for our mid-day ramble - then back for curried chicken soup and maybe I'll break into the chocolate bar stash to celebrate this particular deadline being met!

And how are you all?
Working away?
Feeling that good crisp autumn into winter feeling?
What could be better than working on plot points or revising for language when the air is cold and fresh? Nothing! That's what.

Sticky Bits

I wanted to have a good draft to send to my second readers by tomorrow. I'm nearly there but I have a sticky bit. What is a sticky bit? I think it is when I know that I have to put something in and take something out. Or no - it is that I know somewhere in my mind/heart that there is a different piece I have to add but I can't quite work out how to do it. Like putting in another staircase or a bathroom when the space isn't plumbed. Damn - you wish it could happen without having to take everything apart and having an ungodly mess but you know, deep down in the basement of your soul, that the mess has to happen.And you keep trying to see if you can trick the process - play it differently - if this time - just this once please - that you can finagle it. But no.

The Sweet Patootie is over fixing something at his Uncle's house. My sister-in-law is busy with something she's up to (she's here selling books) and Bella had such a good walk # 1 that she is exhausted - at least for an hour or so. My letters are written, it isn't time for piano practice so I think the universe is telling me to go for it - write and get it over with or started or something. Move or die - the universe is saying. Don't hesitate, don't try and put a fix in. Just let 'er rip and see what happens.

Do you all know what I'm saying? I bet you do.

This is the opposite of a 'peaceful easy feeling' like the Eagles promised. But it could lead somewhere good.

I'll report on what happens - in the meantime here is another gratuitous photo - the Mealy Mountains and some floating islands taken this morning on walk #1.

How I Will Tame the Snake in the Garden

This morning Bella and I hit the beach running. We appraised the newest dawn and found it good. I wrote my daily letter before we walked and then ate when we came home. I was writing by 8:30 and I wrote for two hours. That is how I will tame technology and make it mine! I didn't start up the internet until my work was done. And it was easy to keep it at bay.

I am happy with work on Bright Angel. I will be sending it out this weekend to my second set of readers. Then, after I've made any changes deemed necessary I will start the fun process of sending it out. When it is OUT I will start my revision of The Rock Walker. I'm not inspired to think of True - it might need more time in a drawer or it might be let go altogether. At any rate, I'm not there yet. Also I need to spend some time on my frippery  - Lost and Gone Forever, the true story of Darling Clementine - the play I'm writing.

The sis of my sweet patootie arrives tomorrow. She has recently had a book published - Dear Everybody - it is a wonderful true story of a woman who came here to North West River in the thirties, from Park Avenue, and married a trapper. Here is the Amazon link  This is a great read - I loved it to bits and she's been getting wonderful press. She's going to be signing and selling in Goose Bay on Saturday at their annual craft market. I'm going to help her set up and hopefully meet local folks that I haven't yet.









Feels good to be back in the saddle again. How do you keep your discipline in the storm of life?