It's That Time of Year

Just scrambling through the days at the moment with what feels like back to back demands and engagements - Christmas concerts, school prize givings, social get togethers, and I've barely started my Christmas shopping and haven't even bought any cards let alone written in them. But for all that, I do love this time of year, the tree is up and smells like Christmas and I will find some quiet time in my day to relax and breathe and I will also find time to write! Like maybe right now. Ciao.

Maybe I jinxed myself

Perhaps I shouldn't have written that post on the invisible truck. Because yesterday I backed smack into it. Didn't just clip the side or anything. Just reversed backwards into what I thought was an empty space.

Friends have offered me spare beds - but my husband is slowly getting over it, though it will undoubtedly come up in conversation (usually in front of other people) for years to come. Sigh

Onwards and Upwards

Got a rejection yesterday on a manuscript that I really liked (but then again, I like them all). Kind of sucky, but not as bad as I'd thought the feeling might be. There's not much point in losing sleep over it, all I can do is keep writing and keep submitting. And sadly, because of the whole 'trying to lose weight thing' I can't even indulge in the chocs and wine like I'd like to. I have a couple of other things out there to pin a few hopes on but I thought that I had a good shot with that ms, editor, and line. Still, they've asked to see something else, and so something else is already on its way to them. Meanwhile it's back to the waiting and writing game.

The Invisible Truck

For various reasons I've been driving my husband's work truck this week. And nobody can see me. Well, not nobody, but nobody who would normally see me, not my friends as I pass them on the road, not the mothers outside the school. They don't even look to see who's driving like they might if I was driving a Mum car. It feels like I'm invisible. It's different and kind of nice. And I've also noticed the surprise on strangers' faces when they see me pull up somewhere and jump out of the truck. Certainly it's got me thinking anout expectations, how we see what we want to see, filter out what we don't think is relevant, and how we make judgements based on external clues. Wonder how I'd go on a Harley?

Barking

The dog has been put in his kennel and is not happy about it. But then again, I'm less than happy about him getting his labrador chops around the leftover dinner that was sitting cooling on the kitchen counter waiting to go into the fridge for my lunch tommorrow. So he can bark all he likes.

And I thought I was being so good too, organising meals ahead of time so I don't mindlessly snack throughout the day. I'm trying to lose a few pounds - 11 years after the birth of my second and final child I really have no excuse to be still carrying the extra post pregnancy weight. And it is coming off - but very slowly. It's a bit like writing a manuscript I guess - it's the consistent effort that gets you there in the end. Sigh.

Computer Trouble

I like to think I don't use a lot of technology. I can imagine myself living in a remote cabin and communing with nature. And then I have computer trouble and am despairing. I need it so much. To write. To keep in touch with friends and the world. And what if my agent or would-be editor had been trying to contact me to say a contract was on the table but I only had one day to agree? Anyway it's all fixed. I will look after it better, speak nicely to it, and back up my work more religiously. Lesson learned - for now.

Contests

Got some contest scoresheets back today. Didn't final, which is a shame because I really wanted to get this ms in front of the editor they had judging the short contemporary section - so much for that shortcut! There were 3 preliminary judges, one loved it (bless her) and two didn't go for it quite so much - you get that with contests and I guess ultimately I'll get it with readers too.

The one who liked it was a published writer, which in my book counts for a little more -- you know they really know what they're talking about. And she was also generous enough to give me some really detailed feedback - gotta love the support you get from other writers in this business. It's so nice to be in an industry filled with women (and men) who not only write positive uplifting stories but espouse the values of our heroes and heroines in their actions and reach out to help others.

character surprises

I try to write 1000 words each week day. Some days those thousand words come easily and some days it's like pulling teeth. Today was the second kind of day. But then right when I was getting up around 900 words and looking forward to leaving my desk, my hero - who's been particularly taciturn throughout the book - went and said something that completely surprised both me and the heroine. We had no idea he thought that. And it's the little gems like that, that give me a real kick, and make writing the thing I will always do.

The Waiting Game

I love the book, Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr Seuss. It's all about believing in yourself. To paraphrase, I have brains in my head. I have feet in my shoes. I can steer myself any direction I choose. And the direction I choose is writing.

But there's a page in there where he talks about "A most useless place. The waiting Place... for people just waiting." I'm familiar with the territory. Waiting for editors to read my manuscripts, or to hear back about contests, it sometimes feels like I'm eternally in The Waiting Place. (Though I have to say the Waiting Place beats the heck out of the Slump. Because "when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.")

I definitely try to use my time in The Waiting Place productively - ie by keeping writing, getting more work ready to send out, honing my craft. I have faith that as Dr Seuss reassures, "Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying. You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing." And trust me - boom bands will definitely be playing in this house when I finally get The Call.

In the meantime..."My mountain is waiting." I need to get up on my way.

Rain

It's raining gently and I've been out weeding my vegetable garden. I'm a recent and not exactly wholehearted convert to gardening - but I want to eat home grown vegetables and after failing to convince my husband to take responsibility for the veges have had to take it on myself. Fortunately, it turns out to be rather pleasant. And it definitely puts a different slant on the whole rain thing, so that instead of bemoaning the weather I can appreciate what wonderful things it's doing for my seedlings. So far I've got broccoli, capsicums, lettuces, beetroot and rhubarb. I'm envisioning wonderful salads all summer long.

The other benefit, hopefully, is that time spent gardening and communing with nature must surely be good for my creativity and so my vege plot could theoretically help my story plot.

Sandra

Let It Be

I don't even remember where I heard this but the suggestion was that "let it be" is a much better expression to use than "let it go".

I've been thinking about this a lot because sometimes, like if something is really bothering me, I can't let it go, and then feel bad about not being able to let it go. But on the other hand, I can give myself permission to let it be. Which seems to me to be acknowledging that there's this thing that's bothering me. But I don't have to keep picking at it like a scab. I can see it, and then just leave it alone.

Anyways, I've found "let it be" to be a really empowering expression.

And now I'm going to let it be.

Bye