Monday, May 23, 2011

if we don't get a holiday we'll all run away....

Technically speaking tomorrow is the Queen's birthday - in this case Queen Victoria and the rhyme we heard growing up was:

The 24th of May is the Queen's Birthday
If we don't get a holiday
we'll all run away.

Here in Canada, we continue to celebrate the dead Queen's special day. I don't think they do anymore in Britain -at least it doesn't show up in my date book and it would. It is a British made date book.
For many Canadians, this is a long weekend devoted to getting the docks in the water, cleaning out the mouse nests in the cottage bedrooms, drinking a two four, or going on a picnic. I'm going to work. My sweet patootie has gone to work already. Those of us who are self-employed don't necessarily take off the holidays. We're just too plum grateful to have work when it happens.

As for writing, taking a day off would be a bad idea for me. I am back trying to work for a couple of hours a day when I can. As soon as this is posted, I'll take the Hoagy for a stroll - it is sunny out but I'm trying not to get excited about it. I don't want to scare it - the sun has been so shy of late - so I'm just pretending it is a regular rainy day. That'll fool it.

Then I'll come back and write for a couple of hours. I'm smack dab in the big fat wandering about middle of my second Kitty MacDonald mystery. I think I finally decided on who did it and why. Yes, I'm that much of a pantser. That's another reason for not taking a holiday - I need to keep the rhythm up and going. I want to finish the first draft by July 1st. Then I'll put it away for a couple of weeks and work on a structural change I'm making to the first Kitty book. I found out yesterday that I didn't make the short-list for the contest I entered. That contest was the Debut Dagger which gave Louise Penney her start. I don't feel one bit bad about not making that short list. I'll try again next year if I haven't been published yet. It was a huge field - 700 I think and I could see by the blurbs on the seven who made it that my type of mystery wasn't what this gang of judges was looking for. So, no bad feelings there. In fact, I'm really glad I entered it as the process shook up my beginning and I think it is going to be a much stronger book than it would've been.

I'm meeting my fine-tooth comb and broad view editor on Wednesday to go through that process with True. She's been beavering away on it and thinks she can see what is needed to give it the polish I want for it. I'm still feeling the pain of having not made that short-list but it won't last forever. And I'm anxious to get back with that wip. Despite it being rejected (and the manuscript that was rejected had been entered in the fall before lots more revision) I am happy with it overall and think it might be a small jewel. So there!

How do you approach holidays, rejection and the crazy writing life?

PS - the chicks are good. so completely themselves at the age of one week!

10 comments:

Carol Kilgore said...

yea chicks!

I totally agree about keeping the rhythm going. This week I'll finish my WIP except for reading it aloud and inputting those changes next week.

Rejection stings don't last too long.

Elspeth Futcher said...

Happy Victoria Day from the west coast! Keep on going, Jan; it sounds as if you have it all in hand. I'm sending a special 'peep' for the chicks...and you've the right attitude about the short list. I fear I'd have had a brief hour of bitterness before I was able to move on.

Anonymous said...

Jan - Happy Victoria Day, Jan! I have the same view you do about keeping on with writing. I find if I don't write just about every day, I lose my pace and my train of thought. It's a lot like a diet or an exercise routine that way. One's got to keep up with those things or they just don't get done.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I'm self employed, so while holidays don't usually trouble me, snow days really mess up my budget!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Happy Victoria Day! Cute rhyme. :)

I just sort of keep trudging through the manuscript...otherwise I tend to forget where I left off and waste time trying to get back into it. Sorry about the contest--but 700 is a huge field! I never entered anything...I think I felt kind of insecure about it and wasn't sure if I could follow all the different rules.

Faith Pray said...

Hurray for the chicks! They look so very cute. I'm inspired by your courage in submitting to the contest. I am such a chicken. One of my goals is to develop a thicker skin; much-needed in the writing life. As to dealing with rejection, I'm in a terrible slump - I doubt my writing, my other skills and personal qualities. I probably need to step back and find something joyful to soak in for awhile. Maybe a different WIP, or just curl up with a good book, eh? Good luck on your journey, Jan. You are brave and strong.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Holidays are the BEST time for writing!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan,

So you like my little doggy?

I frankly admit to spenfing way too much on it, and trawlinh ebay for days looking at VERY overpriced steiff dolls.

I got this one on eBay and it said it was steiff. And I didnt have to re mortgage the house for it, either..

sooo cute??

love,
D

Craig said...

I am new to blogging, well sort of new, I've been at it about a year. But I recently made a commitment to post every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. and then I post a video on Thursday at the same time. So I spent about three hours of my day today writing tomorrow Tuesday's post. I have other work besides writing, so these two posts per week are my max right now. But it feels great to do it consistently, and as you say, to keep the rhythm alive and moving.

I don't really relate to holidays either. I have spent the last four winters in southern parts of the world not working, so when I'm here in Canada, I work whenever I have clients. I worked this weekend Saturday and Sunday, and wrote today. I like your writing Jan. Nice to find you here, and happy blogging and best of good fortune with your books.

Liza said...

I'm curious. What is a "two four?"