Saturday, December 04, 2004

Do I Even KNOW That Many Words?

Argh. Learning a lesson about blogs. Don't navigate away from the page before you are done. I'm trying to add emoticons but when you preview, you don't see them there, doing their thing, so I'm not sure if they are working or not.

I need another cup of coffee ;-)

I had to laugh at Dee's idea of sharing her pie with her cat. I can just see me giving a dollop of whipped cream to our kitten, Bella. She's the newest addition to our family (I published a photo of her below--haven't figured out how to do it within the blog. It's not the best, because she's so white, it's hard to get a good image of her).

I figure if I start caving to her, it'll be like that book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Before I know it, I'll be a slave at her feet.

Oh wait, I already am.

And I wanted to say thanks to Tammie for her sweet comments the other day -- you made my day!

I haven't posted in a couple days because I've been out of the house. Running here and there, meeting some friends in the northern part of the state, then running the kids all over the place...just in my car more than my house. I'm going to be home all weekend, though, writing.

Which brings me to the subject line of this blog (yeah, I was going to get there eventually). I've been working on THE BACHELOR COMMITTED PASTRY and now have 18+ pages done (more are waiting in my QuickPad to be uploaded). That book, when done, will be 400+ pages and 90,000 words.

When I first start a book, I feel like I don't even KNOW 90,000 words (and I probably don't; I liked vocab in high school, but not that much!). Here's a secret--I re-use a few ;-).

I have to write this book (well the draft of it; not all 90k, just the bones of the book), plus two book proposals, all before the end of December because I am teaching a class in January and need to have time to create my materials. Right now, that seems to be a pretty daunting task. Too big for one little writer ;-)

In fact, it always seems too daunting when I begin. But somehow, one word after another, one page after another, I get from the first word to the last and live to tell the tale.

That's my point to all you writers who feel like it seems way too much to write a whole novel or a whole short story. Just treat it one word at a time. You'll get there...you truly will.

In reader news, I received my author copies of KISSED BY CAT, my February 2005 release the other day and it looks wonderful! I can't wait to see this paranormal tale on shelves! I really, really enjoyed writing this one. My daughter, the cat lover (okay, I love the cats too, though don't tell them that or they'll figure out how to manipulate me--

Oh, wait, they already did.)

But I digress. My daughter, the cat lover, helped me with part of the book. It's dedicated to her, but she can't read the whole thing yet. Someday, when she's older.

I dedicated HER FROG PRINCE to my son, the one who I envision being out there among the whales and squids someday, digging in and having fun. That books hits shelves very soon and I can't wait.

I hope you all are having a great weekend! I know what I'll be doing...expanding my vocabulary! (and learning how to put emoticons in here; note the barren post ).

Oh, and another word of wisdom: If all the pie is gone, cookies and milk are a good substitute!

Shirley

1 comment:

  1. I know what you mean about the finish line seeming impossibly away when you start a book. I find that once I've got about 30,000 words under my belt, the rest of the book comes together much more easily. It's getting the first 30,000 words of a 150,000 word book down on paper that practically kills me! (Most of my non-fiction pregnancy/parenting books are in the 150,000 word range.)

    Ann Douglas
    http://anndouglas.blogspot.com
    The Mother of All Blogs

    ReplyDelete

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