Any idea how?

My original goal was to finish this WIP by January 31. Yeah, considering that’s tomorrow, it ain’t gonna happen. My guess is I’ve got another 100 pages to go. It’s going much slower than I’d anticipated.

That, coupled with my extreme procrastination and I’m in serious trouble.

So, I’ve finally gotten in the right headspace, am ready to write my tushie off today, but then there’s all that other stuff that I have to do…

Since I’m already not writing, well, I might as well procrastinate, right?

So, here’s my question for the day, something I need EXTREME help with - How do I stop procrastinating?

Oh, and have you heard of this myspace thing? How much time will that cost me in terms of procrastinating?

I’ve been restless lately.

It happens fairly regularly where I just can’t really concentrate on anything and have the urge to just go somewhere.

Back when we were living in Seattle it was nice, ’cause there were lots of places to go. Drive a few hours, you’re in the desert, or the mountains, or the rainforest, or the ocean.

Now that I’m back east, nothing appeals to me. Drive a few hours and if you’re lucky, you’ve made it to the other side of DC.

I’m trying to gear the Hubster up for a trip to Atlantic City. I’ve never been there before. Unfortunately it’ll still be a few weeks/months before we’ll be able to pull that off. In the mean time, I’m being lazy.

I read Kate Douglas’s Wolf Tales yesterday. I LOVED it. This was the book that had the whole brew-ha-ha (I’m pretty sure that’s not how you spell that) with the Amazon reviews and stuff. It’s been sitting on my TBR pile since before that whole thing (you can check the archives of RTB if you don’t know what I’m talking about but I’m too lazy to go hunting, lol).

It’s definately not for the faint of heart, I’ll say that. AND if it weren’t for the whole issue I probably wouldn’t know that they are really meant as four short stories and I think that made things clearer to me, but I really enjoyed the book. There was TONS of envelope pushing. Though the one chicks eyes did change color in the span of two pages, that was my biggest compaint.

But if you’re at all uncomfortable, heed the warning on the back.

As for my Sunday? It’s a toss up between actually working (which should win out) or Shelley Bradley’s Bound and Determined.

How’s your weekend?

Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time… The wait is simply too long.

Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990)

I think this might be my favorite writing quote.

I don’t have a muse. I might have at one point, but apparently I’ve worked him/her so hard that he/she no longer cooperates.

I write every day. Sometimes it’s a very little as I find anything and everything to do before I get to the actual writing part (including blog hopping to every blog in the known universe) but eventually I get someting written down.

None of this waiting for the muse to inspire me crap.

I know a lot of authors talk about their muses, but I don’t get it. I’m not trying to be difficult, I truly don’t get it.

Sometimes the writing goes better than other times…is that because of my muse? I prefer to think it’s because I’m letting the characters speak through me than trying to write them, but is that what the muse lets you do?

I mean, I know no one actually has a little being sitting on their shoulder whispering in their ear, but what does your “muse” mean to you?

Do I actually have one and just prefer to take the credit myself?

You know, if I did have a muse, I hope he’d look like this (I write a lot…I’d need three muses).

I can’t comment anywhere. Apparently blogspot blogs are down for maintenance. Of course the note says they’ll be down from 4-4:30PST. Yeah, it’s noon EST. Something’s a bit off there.

Anyway, April asks “Who’s Writing this Book?”

My answer, sure as hell not me. At least not my conscious mind anyway. Actually that’s not true and reading through my own work I can tell when *I* was actually in control ’cause it sucks.

I was re-reading/editing a story I’m getting ready to sub (the sequel to Tempting Fate) and I actually lost myself in the book. And I was laughing my ass off at something that I don’t even remember writing.

That’s when I know things are going well.

At Writeminded, Steph is looking for a reader but she also commented about how her friends that read her work can’t get past the fact that she wrote a book. Several of them even. (Actually it’s yesterday’s post, but admire Amy’s cover first).

I get the same thing. Apparently there are 3 kind of people in the world. Those that write. Those that “could writing a book if only they had the time” (I refer to those as the people that suck) and the people who absolutely in a million years can’t fathom that someone actually wrote a book.

I can deal with the first kind of people (hell, that’s the only kind I can deal with anymore), the second people I can just hate, but I don’t know how to answer questions for the third kind.

How did you write a whole book? I dunno.

Shannon is right. Word grammar sucks. But still, I leave it on anyway just ’cause I’m a glutton for punishment.

So anybody else have comments on anything that they can’t seem to leave anywhere else?

My write all week wiht nothing else to do got inturrupted this morning when I got edits for my Spring Fling Story.

I haven’t looked at them yet, but it’s a short story so they can’t be too bad, right? Right?

I think the most time intensive thing is going to be coming up with a new name. It seems as if they only want one story per book with Spring in the title (makes sense, otherwise it gets confusing). So can anyone think of a story title about Spring Break that doesn’t have the words Spring in it?

Yeah, I can’t yet.

If you’re around this evening looking for something to do, there’s a Whiskey Creek Torrid Chat at the FAR Chatroom this evening at 9:00pmEST. I’ll be there (assuming I remember) so hope to see you there, too.

Yes, I actually somehow managed to hurt my leg in my sleep. It takes some extra talent to do that.

I got this new Salsa workout video but I couldn’t make it though the warm-up this morning because my leg hurt. Talk about pathetic.

Anyway I guess it’ll give me more time to write today. Yay! I’m pretty sure I managed to get all (or most of) the crappy life stuff out of the way yesterday, leaving me free to write for the rest of the week, too.

Good thing since my self imposed deadline is rapidly approaching and I’m not close to being finished!

But I hit an exciting part yesterday so hopefully that will carry me on for awhile. Yay!

Oh, and if I owe you a prize for something it’s finally going to go in the mail this afternoong. Sorry, the hubster has been using my car for the past few weeks leaving me stranded at home (not that I mind, but I haven’t been able to go to the post office).

So, how’s your work going so far this week

I can’t lose!!!

I grew up in Pittsburgh, lived in Seattle for five years. And really, I don’t give a damn who wins!

I am excited already about watching the superbowl. The quarterback are Rothlisburger and Hasselback. Anybody taking bets on how often the commentators trip over the names?

Oh, and I’m blogging over at Torrid Temptations today, so come say Hi. We’re talking about songs that make you think about sex.

For those of you that don’t speak Pittsburgeese, the title of the post translates as “Them Steelers,” which to the rest of the world I suppose would be “Those Steelers.”

I am convinced that every child born in Pittsburgh secretely has a chip implanted at birth that is only activated when the Steelers have a chance of getting to the Superbowl (it may be effective for the Pirates and the Penguins, too, but we may never know as those teams seem to suck).

I was born in Pittsburgh and even though I haven’t lived there in 10 years, my chip has been activated.

I don’t like football. I couldn’t give a good God damn who wins the Superbowl, let alone the playoff games. Yet suddenly my Steeler pride is showing.

I think this a good time to point out that what I mean by Steelers pride is actually nothing in the while scope of thing. I tried to dig out my 10 year old Steeler sweatshirt only to find out that I must have gotten rid of it when I moved (note: this statement will get me one for Christmas next year. When it comes to the Steelers memories are like a steel trap).

Today I gaurentee everyone in Pittsburgh is wearing black and gold. They’re wearing their favorite players jersey and everyone is carrying their Terrible Towels and the greeting is not “hello” it’ll be “where are you going to watch the game.”

The Iron City beer is flowing (translated for those in the ‘Burgh: the Ahrn is flowing).

The bars downtown (dahntahn) will be backed with Steeler Fans.

And even I will be checking the score every now and then. All because of that damn microchip.

Check out my fancy new blog template…

We’re (read: the hubster) still working out some minor kinks, but please let me know if anything looks super funky to you.

I’ve found that the blog looks way different with Opera than it does with Safari. Let me know if it looks funky with your browser and I’ll see what I can do about it.

From Nalini’s blog.

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you. But on the inside, you’re a total pushover and completely soft. You’re a traditionalist, and you don’t change easily. You’re likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it’s sold out.