Hello, Tuesday. We Meet Again.

Been busy reworking my outline. I had some moments of outline panic, but a nice chat with my fantastic editors cleared it all up.

I'm not used to other people giving me their opinions on my work. It's cool and strange and annoying. Yeah, I said it. Sometimes it can be annoying. But just because it's annoying doesn't mean they're wrong. Doesn't mean they're right either. What it means is that I (and every other writer out there) have to become a better listener. I have to learn the art of zen and the scary editing letter. I have to learn how to take comments, evaluate them, and make them work for me. I also have to stop feeling bad for possibly disagreeing with all the changes. That's part of it too.

It's all a crapshoot.

Either way, we're chugging along now. Heading toward the July 1 finish line. I can't wait.

I also slacked on Monday and worked on my probable next project. I created RocketBall. It's a combination of rugby and basketball but with heely type shoes equipped with ion propulsion. Just think jetpack shoes and rugby.

This week I leave you with a pug in a toilet.

Monday Mania

Hi internet!

Loving WolframAlpha. It's not your typical search engine. It's used to find data sets. It's pretty geektastic. Good for anyone looking for hard data. Try stuff like you name or the meaning of life.

Outline got in on time. Should get outline edits back today. I'm pretty scared. After a thousand tiny cuts, will my story still be my story? Too dramatic for Monday morning. Moving on.

I'm twittering. It's a sickness. Follow the sickness

I'm working on a new design for my forthcoming website. I'm not sure what to do. I want something simple and fun and something that reflects my personality. As much as I love my ironically scary bunny, I need something more. I'll be posting some designs in the next few weeks and getting some input.

In a couple of weeks I'm moving. Being that I'm wishy-washy, I'm not ready to sign a new lease and give up on moving to CO for another year, so I'm doing the next best thing and staying at my parent's empty house for a couple of months until I can finish my revisions and turn my full attention to making this decision. There are lots of pros and cons, but right now I can't wrap my head around anything bigger than the dangling participles in chapter 3.

I'm fat again. Sigh. It seems like I do this bi-annually. I get fat from writing and working behind a desk (and let's be honest, too much TV), I get angry about it and hit the gym/bike/run hard for about three months, get into really good shape, go on a vacation, and slowly slide back into bad habits. I get a little sad when I have to go from smalls and mediums to larges, but I tell myself I'll get back on the wagon after [insert random deadline here]. And finally, I wake up one morning, look at myself in the mirror, and realize I'm gross again. It's a really sick cycle. I keep telling myself that what I need to do is find a sustainable lifestyle, but it's difficult when I'm writing 4 hours a day, working 10-11, and having to take care of a needy dog.

Anyway, I have issues losing weight without a goal. The first time it was to get into the Fire Academy. I got into the best shape of my life. The second time it was to be fit for my Europe trip. It got into great shape. This time, I'm going to do it so that I can run a marathon. It's a good goal and one that I can go after again and again. It gives me a goal that I can keep setting higher, so that it's never really achieved. Soon I'll start a weekly post that gives all the gross stats (weight, diet, running times, etc.).

And to begin the week: A turtle humping a shoe.

Let the War Begin

My dog is an evil taskmaster

His eyes say: Don't you have an outline due?

Another reason I love being a writer

One of the best parts of being a writer - a part I didn't know about until I sold my first book - is this amazing sense of community. I have friends, but when I talk about things like deadlines and revisions and line edits and how I'm going to resolve this plot hole or that, they look at me like I have ass face, which to be fair, I usually do. But other writers, they get it. And they produce gems like this (by the lovely Lara Zielin, author of the upcoming Donut Days):

June Fifteenth!!

Well the revision letter has come in, so now I start the march to my deadline. I'll likely be quiet here for a while, but I've been joining really great sites like The Tenners. They're a group of authors who all debut in 2010. Pretty rad stuff.

Once I hit my deadline I've got so much to do. I'll likely have more revisions, copy edits, I need to get my author photo, design and build my webpage. Lots and lots to do. Kind of daunting. Kind of exciting. All awesome.

I'll keep updating over the next 6-8 weeks, but it'll likely mostly be more videos of creepy old men with missing teeth singing...and those'll just be from my home video collection.

Wish me the luck!