Where Ladybugs Roar

Confessions and Passions of a Compulsive Writer

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

This year I believe....

Okay, I know it's cliche to start off the year full of resolutions and giddy excitement. After two full days of traveling and two weeks of vacation that I need a vacation from (the family time was good--the colds and flus--not good) and a full year of writing and writing and writing and rejections, I wasn't expecting to wake up and feel hopeful. Trust me. Last night, I was ready to chuck it all. I kept thinking that writing for the public and agents was over-rated. I didn't want to query ever again. (I needed sleep in a bad, bad way.) This morning, it's still freaking dark outside. I need to get the munchkins off to school. My house has not been improved by the husband bringing in all our road trip stuff and dumping it. (Bless him for doing that, though. I was a lump on the couch praying for death to swallow me whole.)

Still!!! Wait for it! Wait for it!

I'm optimistic. This year feels good. It feels all bright and shiny and clean. It's just waiting for me to muck about in it.

So, New Year's Resolutions....

Yeah, I don't believe in them either. Mostly because it causes a February slump when you feel overwhelmed by these things you swore to do every day. I hated how packed the gyms were for the month of January, but the cynical side of me knew that they'd be back to normal come February.

Let's just call these my short term goals.

So, I'm going to get to work on editing Honor Among Thieves, and I've got to figure out what I'm going to be sending in for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest. They have a YA group this year. I'm torn on it. I feel like the expectation for the adult crowd is a hard-core literary novel, but I might be wrong. None of my adult novels are hard-core at all.

Hey, speaking of things that aren't hard-core. I read Richard Castle's Heat Wave--laughed my butt off. It was a gift from Santa. Santa was full of awesome.

Speaking of gifts, the husband got me a Tuck--a switchblade for those that haven't read Honor. My mom got me my own bottle of whipped cream to spray right into my mouth--also an Honor thing. It was fantastic. I had a fun time--possibly too much fun--playing with my switchblade. I also have a hat now that says "Bite me!"

Christmas was just fantastic in many ways.

Crap! It's time to get the kids off to school--past time. Oops. It's a good thing that wasn't one of my resolutions--I mean--short term goals.

14 comments:

  1. The kids made the bus!!! I know, it shocked the crap out of me too.

    I'm like on a roll or something. It helps when you go to bed at the same time as your six year old apparently.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like short term goals over resolutions -- I think I'll adopt them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree, this year seems shiny so far. But maybe that's because I've had quiet-to-myself time since school started.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am so excited that you got a tuck. Now you need a tricky sleeve so for to sheath it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I totally do, Amber. Must work on that. :) It's nice to be so understood.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm also excited for a brand new year--clean slate and all. I love imagining that anything could happen--and I guess it really could! Good luck on the Amazon contest--we'll watch out for you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was wondering about that Castle book. Must go get myself one:) Glad you had a Happy Christmas and hurray for Tuck and Whipped Cream!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey, Lisa and Laura! I have to disagree. Not "anything" can happen. I have a lot of supremely impossible things I could name off for you, but hopefully you don't force the issue.

    Tina! Yay! It's good to see you. I'm going to go spray some whipped cream in my mouth right now just because you brought it up.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Glad you had a good Christmas! This year does feel shiny and new. I love the New Year because it always feels like the first day of school again - sharp pencils, squeaky clean shoes, and empty notebooks waiting to be filled. Here's to 2010 :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I always managed to stab myself with my sharp pencils, actually.

    Huh. Underneath it all, I'm still cynical, I think. Dang it! The morning's optimism is wearing off.

    I just finished writing a kissing scene that was interrupted by rabid ducks. Maybe I'm feeling the "kissus interuptus" frustration. :)

    I'm really supposed to be working on editing Honor and working on queries, though. How soon before the "Resolution" queries get off the agents' desks? February?

    ReplyDelete
  11. (whispers) If you go back to my post on the 23rd, you'll find a special story about condoms. (Not my mom or mother-in-law, because I don't even know about condoms--well, I do. I don't know what they're used for. Okay, well, I know that too. Still, don't go there, you two, it'll embarrass the husband.)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm so happy you're back. You "sound" back. Now I'm off to read this apparent condom story. Anything for a little junior high humor *snicker*

    ReplyDelete
  13. That's what I want it to be too Wendy. Shiny and new full of possibilities. Hope some of those possibilities become reality for both of us. Sorry you were sick over the holidays and that you made home safely.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh--nifty. I just got my books from Lulu from my friend, Stephanie. Wow. I'd already seen Scorched and Honor Within at my mom's house, but there were the sixth, seventh, and eighth books in the Company of Him series in the box too. (Heidi has decided she wants to edit hard copies only. They do look pretty all printed out.) Scorched is still my favorite new cover. It's sweet.

    These are simply review copies not available to the public for those that haven't heard I do rewrites this way. It's easier to find beta readers for hard copies. I can usually get a Lulu printing for around $7 a book.

    I edited the ninth and tenth books of the COH series over vacation, so I just need to slap them on Lulu and rack my brains for the right covers. It'll be weird to have hard copies of every one of my manuscripts. It makes copyright a lot less worrisome for a neurotic paranoid like me.

    I made some picture books on Lulu of my kids for grandparents, and they turned out looking great. I'm a big Lulu fan. My husbands family is in printing and they said they couldn't print books on their press in such small amounts at the price I get them from Lulu at.

    Anyway, I always do a little evil, gleeful laugh whenever I see my books from Lulu. BAWHAHA! I don't know why, but I do.

    ReplyDelete