Writing Weekend 2012 was an amazing success!  I got through the rest of the rewrites for Tales!  It’s been a long hard road, and hopefully I’m approaching the end.  At the very least, I’m approaching a nice, wooden, two-story, solidly built inn with soft, feather beds, and serving delicious bowls of hot lamb stew.  I think I will rest here for a while.  Well, after I do another read-through and edit and send the umpteenth draft of my novel to agent X.

The big milestone had me remembering back to when I finished the first draft in 2009.  WOW.  That was a long time ago.  After I finished, I did a rewrite, then I did another, and another, and…you get the drift.  I took a picture of the first draft I printed out.  There it is sitting pretty in the binder, waiting for my red pen to mark up all the pages.  This last edit I did completely on my computer, which really got me thinking about how I best like to edit, rewrite, read, and write.  I’m pretty sure I like a combination of both paper and plasma….hmmmm….not sure if computer screens are plasma….but either way, I’m sure you get my drift.

What’s your favourite way to do each writerly activity?

So this weekend I would normally participate in the 3-Day Novel Writing Contest, which is a great source of inspiration for writers aspiring or otherwise.  If you’ve never heard of it you can check it out here:  http://www.3daynovel.com/

But this year I’m not writing a novel, I’m re-writing one. Specifically for Agent X who requested some changes and a re-submittal.  My goal this weekend is to keep my but in the chair until are the changes are made.  Currently, I’m on chapter 15.  I think there are 27 chapters, so this put me a teeny bit more than halfway through.  I want to get finished today, which is going to make for a very long day.  Realistically, I won’t be done until the end of the long weekend – hence why I’m naming this writing weekend 2012.

In order to keep myself motivated, I’ve brought home the following treats as rewards:  Kernels popcorn, chocolates, and this wonderful breakfast that I just went for a morning walk to retrieve.  It’s a whole wheat scone with dates and nuts from my local bakery (which I have deliciously coated in butter, a handfull of raspberries (which I picked up at the grocery store), and a cup of Lady Jane Grey tea (which was a gift from a friend – whom I’m very grateful for).  I’ve attached a picture so you can drool too:

One thing I noticed on my walk to the bakery this morning, was how eerily quiet the streets are on a Saturday.  But maybe that’s a blog for another time.  Today I need to get re-writing.

When it comes to writing, there are many required tools, such as paper and pen, but there are also many additional tools, which may not be required but that add a lot to the creative process – at least mine.  Currently, I’m working on edits to my Young Adult novel Tales of a Redheaded Sea-Witch.  My required editing tool is a red, purple, or pink pen.  My favourite is purple.  Some preferred editing tools are sticky notes, paper clips, highlighters, and a trash bin.  That last is actually a lie.  I’m a hoarder of manuscripts.  I keep each and every copy of every novel and novel version that I write.  Seriously. I’m running out of room.  And if I ever get the kind of time to be the writer I want to be, I’m going to have to buy an entire house just to have a place to put the masses of paper.  And no, I cannot do all my editing electronically, just like I can’t read everything electronically.  I love paper.  I surround myself with paper.  I found these sticky notes at Chapters, and was thrilled to see two of my favourite things come together: paper and paris.  These sticky notes are heaven, they actually make me look forward to the most-dreaded task of editing.  What kind of writing tools do you use?

The past month and a half has been much less productive than I would like.  I blame this on quitting coffee.  When I imagine myself writing, I picture a hot steaming mug of coffee beside me.  I can feel the hot ceramic in my hand, warming my fingers, keeping them nice and loose for typing.
Supposedly, I’m replacing coffee with tea.  Decaf tea.
It isn’t working.
I’ve given in more than once.  Especially in the morning.  But this is always when I’m at my Incredibly Boring Day Job (IBDJ), and by the time I get home the buzz has worn off and there is no way I can have another cup of coffee and sleep at all in the night.  And it’s driving me crazy.  But I think I’ve found the problem:  tea isn’t thick enough.  Tea is thin, watery, lacking subsidence.
Coffee is rich, thick, and enveloping.  So is there a better substitute out there?  An inbetween?  Before you suggest it, I can’t drink decaf coffee because my problem with coffee is that it upsets my stomach.  Don’t even ask about the reaction I get when I combine coffee with garlic.  Yeow.  Let’s just say you can hear me for miles.
So tea it is.  Decaf tea.
What’s your favorite kind?

It has become apparent to me that I will never hear back from some agents.  I guess they too are busy – really, aren’t we all?  The point is to keep your head up no matter what, to keep trying, to keep working, to keep SUBMITTING, because eventually, something’s got to give.  This is going to have to become my mantra I think.

 The above image is one I play around with when designing a self-publish cover.  I’m still not sure if I will go that route, I have a few other options to explore, but it’s definitely a fun exercise.  Personally, I believe that covers make or break a book.  I will randomly grab a book at Indigo if I love the cover. I will order gorgeous cover art online (and the free book it comes with).  I will borrow beautiful pictures from the library (and read them too).  More often, I pick up a book for what’s on the back cover, but the front cover must catch my eye first.  It is one of my many hopes that WHEN I get a publisher I will also get a designer of gorgeous cover art.

Meanwhile, I’m open to ideas.  What does the title “Tales of a Redheaded Sea-Witch” say to you? What should be on my cover?

Drama.  Life is drama.  Lately things have not been good, and I have not been blogging.  But  yesterday was the Summer Solstice, the day that marks change, so I am forcing myself back out into the land of the living.  But all I can think for the past couple of days is the line from the Princess Bride (one of my favorite movies):  “Life is Pain.”

This is how I’ve been feeling.

But of course this isn’t what life is.  Life is laughter, love, friendship, the hot sun on skin, cool water on hands, food on your tongue, tastes so delicious they spread to your toes.  This is what we all need to keep in mind as we moved around, day to day, mundane task after mundane task.  Life is beautiful.

What is life to you?