A Time For Everything

I guess that reference might show my age, although to be fair, I remember it from the movie Space Jam (released in 1996), which my kids loved. I was actually eight years old when the Steve Miller Band released the single in 1976...

But I digress.

My point is that it's almost May and where the heck has the time gone? This year has been a haze of running my writer's group's contest, hockey fan girling, and lots and lots of writing and revising--mostly revising until now.

I finally got to start a new book and I've been so excited to finally get these guys on the page.

But now I'm struggling. Things aren't gelling. I thought I knew them, I do know them--but maybe I don't know the things I need to. I can't seem to pull the threads together. I'm missing some key nugget.

I'm writing scenes and I'm making my minimum daily word count, which is good, but the scenes have no meaning at this point... There's gonna be some heavy-duty thinking in my future. I have a deadline--end of June for this to be written and ready for the proofreader.

Better get to work. I know what I'm going to be doing this weekend.

How about you? Big plans??

I finally heard from Sonshine who's been on a communications blackout while his ship has been completing deployment inspections and exercises--which the ships & crews passed with flying colors.

He called Monday afternoon to say hello and that he's enjoying the job and having fun despite the long long days. Not much more a mother could ask for. :0) Except to maybe SEE said child, but all in due course. I might be able to make it to Seattle before he deploys, I may not. Either way is okay...

But what a great way to start my week and end a Monday.

Hope your week is going well.

I've been watching hockey for a year now...I came in somewhere in the middle of the 2016 playoffs. The Stars lost in the second round to the St. Louis Blues who are making a run for the Cup again this year. The Blues won this past Saturday in overtime, sending them once again to the second round...

But that's not the point of this. :0)

Last year, I knew nothing about hockey except that the team that scored the most goals won the game. And that's pretty much the easiest thing about hockey to understand.

Now lest you think I watch hockey to watch the hot athletes, let me disabuse you of that notion right now--those men wear so much padding that there's nothing to ogle. In fact, I went to a Stars open practice a while back and saw some of the players in street clothes after the fact and, quite frankly, I was shocked at how skinny a couple of those guys actually are.

Let's compare...Tyler Seguin in street clothes...


Tyler Seguin in hockey gear...


As lovely as he is, I digress...

So over the course of the last seven months (hockey season starts in October), I've watched games and listened to announcers and I've learned a bit about the strategy of the game. I've learned things like why a player slides across the ice...it's not because he slipped, although sometimes it happens. It's because he's trying to block the puck. I've learned that sometimes players pick fights just to rouse the crowd. Of course, sometimes, they're just pissed off. And I've learned why players chuck the puck down the ice without there necessarily being a teammate waiting for it...to clear it away from their goalie/net.

I still have a lot to learn, but I don't think hockey's going anywhere for awhile.

Now if only learning about writing was as easy as watching and listening...

I've been doing this "event" thing with my writers group where we read a blog post by this particular author/publisher and discuss his topic.

I've mentioned it before, but I'll say it again, this guy's opinions really resonate with me. They don't resonate quite as deeply or as across the board with everyone else, though. Which is, of course, perfectly fine. But it's certainly been interesting.

I was reminded the other day that this journey, my journey, is not a race. Yes, there are deadlines I need to meet and a there's an understanding in indie publishing romance that the faster you churn out books, the more financially successful you can be. Of course I want to be successful. Financially and otherwise.

But I also know that I don't want to be a slave to my writing. I'm almost fifty years old and I'm in a better place than I've been on many levels for most of my life--I want to live and enjoy life too. And if I'm not out living life and learning things and meeting people, then I fear my writing won't be as enriched as it could be.

I'm not even in competition with other writers. My chosen sub-genre is a small one. There's room for new authors. I hope my style, my twist resonates with people. I think (I hope) it will.

Not only is it not a race, but it's no one's journey but mine. I get to choose what I write, when I publish, if I advertise or spend time on social media. All the loud voices say you should advertise and promote and connect with fans on Facebook (or wherever) but that's not me and I'd much rather spend time writing or watching hockey or talking to my DD.

That's not to say I won't put my Facebook out there and interact with people if they find me, but I'm not going to actively recruit. I've never been convinced that all that stuff equals enough sales to justify the amount of time people seem to spend on it.

Every little while I start feeling ansty, like I'm falling behind, but until that first (second & third) book goes live, I can take as much time as I need to get there. After that, there's a bit more pressure to stay on track and be more timely rather than less, but it's still ultimately my decision.

I'm still hoping to hit "publish" on or before my birthday in June, but I've had some small hurdles and I'm just not sure if everything's going to come together. And maybe every single thing doesn't need to be in place. I don't know. Food for thought.

Have a great weekend!!!

Sorry this is soooo late today...it's been a crazy few days.

And so sorry I missed Monday. The weekend was a bit busy and then Monday, I ended up being without Internet access aside from my phone, but that's not conducive to everything Internet-based. Not for me anyway.

On the other hand, I did have my laptop and I was able to finish reading through book five. It could use another pass (or two), but it needs to go to the editor in a few days. And--I'm tired of looking at it. The editor may have her work cut out for her, but I said that about the last book and she didn't say much about that one. So who knows. >>shrugs<<

Does watching real TV count as being off the grid? because I've been able to watch the Stanley Cup semi-finals on my big screen TV the last couple of nights too, so that's been a nice change from watching it on my iPad. Anyway, last night's game was a freakin' nail biter.



Anyway, being off the grid was nice and lonely at the same time. But I survived.

Hope you've had a good week so far!