Today I sat down and had no plan. None. I could not figure out for the life of me what to work on. I have a ms that needs to be edited by the end of November, but I could not get into the mood to work on it. Every word was torture. This is editing mind you. I know where the story is going and how it’s going to end, but every sentence I wrote didn’t seem to flow the way it should and I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between my H and h. It was rather like getting teeth pulled.

On top of that, I feel as if I’m being very passive. Everything is mailed out and I’m just waiting. I hate that. I need to be working toward something. So I’m off to take a shower, which is where I seem to come up with story ideas. Then I’m going to read. Hopefully, by the time I’m done I’ll have figured what direction to take next.

Oh, and for those of you watching Lori Foster’s Message Board, if you see anything I should know, please tell me. I’m trying to limit my trips to that board to maintain my sanity. I’ll return the favor to you if I hear anything. Thank you tons. I’m really, really, really wishing for good news for all of us. Best of luck and heartfelt wishes for success, Ellen, Larissa, and HelenKay. I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed!!

Sylvia: Woodland
Name Origin: Latin
Number of Syllables: 3.00
Gender: Female

More interesting facts about the name Sylvia:

Lucky Number: 7
Ruling Planet: Neptune
Element: Water
Primary Color: Violet
Traits: Frequently possesses E.S.P. Extremely “psychic”; Introvert. Although s/he does not say much, s/he usually knows a great deal. Mysterious. Often interested in psychology, psychiatry, chemistry, and botany. Knowledgeable in astrology and all fields of the occult. Fond of fishing. Inclined to take from the “haves” and give to the “have nots”.

http://thenamesite.com

Now, I’m not at all into chemistry or botany and I detest fishing. The rest I’d say is pretty right on. Purple is my favorite color, seven is my lucky number, I love the water, and I’m female.

Steph and I got the same result. Is that because we’re S names? hmm….

I’ve been deliberately slowing down my writing related activites this weekend. It’s a good time for me to do it, everything is out and the edits I’m working on aren’t due anywhere for a while yet. It’s been nice. The next week or two will be emotionally hectic with all the contests wrapping up, so a bit of relaxation is a gift.

In a week, I’ll be working on the informal message board challenge. I really think being accountable to the other writers participating will keep me in line. (And I think it will be fun too!!) I’ve also got my writer’s retreat coming up, so the two short stories that I have conceived in my head and need to write, will for sure get started and most likely finished.

I intended to blog more, but Sasha had trouble with her e-mail and we worked on it until the wee hours of the morning. All worth it, since now it works! Gotta have e-mail!! I’ll try to get more blogging done tomorrow!!

Oh… and I watched The Day After Tomorrow. What a riot!

Tonight I watched Walking Tall with The Rock. Yummy Dwayne. The whole time I was watching him, I thought what a perfect Wulfric he would be from my novel Sapphire’s Worth. Now my Wulf has emerald green eyes, but other than that, Dwayne is physically perfect for the role.

I’ve been working on my edits and I noticed that if I separate the editing into sections, I do a better job. Why? Because I make every word count and I cut out extraneous details. I’m thinking I should try that more often. Think of when you enter a contest with a word or page count. You make sure your entry is tight. I’m thinking that approaching all editing in a similar fashion will make for a tighter and more pulled together story. Think it could work?

Also, November is National Novel Writing Month. Marguerite has started a purely fun and informal challenge on the message board in tandem with the formal challenge. If you’re interested, head on over to the message board.

Which would you like to hear first? I always hear the bad news first so that the good news can cheer me up.

Bad news:
My favorite low-carb shoppe is going to close at the end of the month. The owner’s husband is in the miltary and he has to relocate. No more Brownie Overloads or Cookie Craziness. What am I going to do?

Good News:
The final judge of the historical category of the Golden Opportunity was Kelly Harms of Avon. She said,

“The winner is a great storyteller, so I enjoyed turning the pages.”

I’m so flattered and thrilled she said that!! I can’t wait to get my entry back.

While on my trip, I was notified that Almost Too Much is the winner in the IRW Golden Opportunity historical category!!!

I think I should go away more often. I seem to get to the best news when I am away from home!

On a personal note, the wedding was beautiful. I cried. So glad I went, although I’m exhausted. My sister looked gorgeous.

My sister has decided to get married.

Tomorrow.

So here I am packing for myself and the kids, running around getting ready for a six hour trip with one hour’s notice. The wedding is at 6pm tomorrow. Immediately following the ceremony I will have to bundle the kids up and drive the 6 hours back home so my son doesn’t miss more than one day of school.

It’s pouring rain.

Good grief