This week

Well, my writing week is over and now I have to put my Librarian hat back on.
What did I accomplish?

The dog story is revised -- as per the 5 critiques it got in March.
Spell checked
printed out
and packed away to read next weekend.
It needs another run-through before I send it to another writer who will give it a second look.

The 10-year old's room has been organized and most of her clean wash put away. (we're now in the process of packing away outgrown clothes -- if I can tear them away from her. (NO! That's my favorite! Sorry honey, it doesn't fit anymore.)

The living room is looking spiffy and the dining room is semi-organized. I don't think we'll ever get the construction stuff out of the hallway, tho.

The 10-year old took me out for a pre-Mother's day dinner, since her vocal recital is next Sunday and we can't plan to do much that day.

But now, to bed
and back to work on Monday.
-wendieO

Writing Week -- Tuesday

I've been on vacation and busy, busy. (with time out to be sick, then busy busy again.)
It's another one of those 'vacation weeks' where I move from my day job to my writing job.

So far I've managed to collate all the comments I got on my dog story that I took to the Novel Writing Workshop last month. It's amazing that so many different eyes caught the very same things. It's also amazing that the very same parts of the story that some people loved -- others hated and wanted removed.
I'll have to decide what advice to follow.

Almost everyone had suggestions for expanding the story -- which is good because it has to grow from 4000 words to 6000 or 8000.

Wednesday = revision time.
(Plus a bit of housework = spring cleaning)
Thursday, repeat.
Friday, repeat.
-wendieO

Update on SNOW in Maryland

We, my husband, the two 10-year olds, and I managed to shovel most of the 2 feet of snow out of the thousand-foot driveway. Except for that last bit. The four-foot wall of slush, now ice, pushed onto the end of the driveway by the street snow plow trucks remains.

Here's hoping that we can remove that mess tomorrow morning. Even though my library will be closed and the 10-year-old's school will be closed on Monday, so far my husband's library has not announced what it's going to do. Open or stay closed. Which is why he's in a rush to get the driveway clear.

Writing done this week?
Not so much, once the snow started.
One manuscript almost whipped into shape.
Noodled around with another.
Several speaking contracts mailed (emailed) out.
One speaking gig canceled because of Friday's snow.
-wendieO

Report from my writing life

This week was mostly a writing week.

Mailed off four manuscripts to publishers. Well, actually one manuscript to two publishers on Monday and another manuscript to two more publishers on Friday. All nonfiction Children's books. I feel very accomplished.

I joined three other authors on a panel discussion at Harford Community College. It was fascinating to learn how the others worked and thought. One professor of literature who wrote poetry. One who wrote biography. One home security expert who also has a novel in the works. And me -- the children's book writer.

But writing is writing and our creation processes were similar.

The audience consisted of writers and readers and all had great questions.

At work I felt accomplished, too. I spent every penny of my book replacement budget, had fun doing a storytime about princesses (and planned for a hermit crab program for Saturday), and joy of joys -- unpacked boxes of Summer Reading Program supplies. It's just like opening Christmas presents when the decorations and supplies for Summer Reading arrive. Are you ready for libraries full of bugs this summer? (I'm emphasising butterflies at my library.)

After doing two talks about writing this month, I'm all primed to offer writing advice. Please do drop a note in the comments section with your writing question and I'll try to answer it in the blog.

-wendieO