In Like A Lamb

March came in like a lamb here in southeastern Kentucky. It's been a gorgeous day, but still chilly. Tomorrow, the temperature is supposed to be 65 degrees. That will feel more like spring. I'm ready for it. I just hope we don't have a repeat of last year. Summertime came in March. Everything leafed out and bloomed, then got killed by a hard freeze.

I've had a terrific writing day. When I stopped earlier, I was so close to the 2,000 word mark for the day's total, I went back tonight and rounded it out. Yay! For me, that's smokin'! If I can keep up this pace, I'll make my end of April deadline.

The Seventy Days of Sweat challenge started today. A couple of weeks ago, I was tempted to enter, but I didn't. I figured I'd only jinx myself if I committed because I would have to write more than 1,200 words a day, EVERY day to keep up. The writing has been going so well lately, I was afraid to tempt fate by having Sven and company hanging over my head every week, checking up on me.

I ordered another book today. This one's a western historical romance. More market research. As many times as I go looking for westerns, I'm always amazed, dismayed, or whatever that there are so very, very few being published in the mass market these days. The buzz for the past year has been that they're coming back. If so, they sure are taking their good ole easy time about it.

Well, that's it for today. I think I've written so much today, I've run out of words.

Devon

Colin Farrell's Son

Most people who know me are aware that my 30 yr. old daughter has Angelman's Syndrome. She still lives at home with me and is one of the joys of my life. Recently, Colin Farrell disclosed that his 4 yr. old son has Angelman's, so I'm posting an interview he did. Here's the link. Colin Farrell Interview.

Devon

Doing The Homework

Yesterday was a terrific writing day. I added just slightly more than 1,200 solid words to my manuscript. By solid, I mean they advanced the story. I didn't dash them out just to be putting words on the page and there's little chance that I will end up ripping them out later because they're crap. They're there to stay, therefore they're solid. So, it was a good day for me. I just wish I could write faster.

Today, I hope to add at least a few more words, but I'm mostly taking the day off to do some research. Today's mail brought the books I ordered, so I'm going to do some reading. These books are historicals from the line I plan to target with the story I'm working on now. This is called doing your homework. Getting a feel for the kind of book your targeted publishers are buying. I'm homing in on the market. Eww... I feel smarter already. LOL!

Hey, it's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Devon

Let It Snow

It's snowing! We're supposed to get a couple of inches, and maybe as much as four! I was hoping we'd get at least one measurable snowfall before winter's end. I love the snow, but the climate has changed so much in the past few years, we only get dustings these days, rather than the big, scary blizzards we used to get just a few short years ago.

On the writing front, I'm counting this day as a loss. I only managed to write a few paragraphs this morning before hubby came home unexpectedly. He wasn't feeling well and left work early. I just can't understand why one little deviation in routine throws everyone around here for a loop. But that's exactly what it does to me.

I probably shouldn't count the day as a total loss. Even though I wasn't planted in front of my monitor today, my brain was busy clicking over scene possibilities. Two new scenes played out in my head while I washed dishes and cooked and tucked blankie around hubby when he fell asleep in his recliner. I can't wait to write them! It's times like this when I break away from the point of the story where I've left off and jump ahead. When a scene is screaming to be written, there's just no denying it. You have to go with the flow. So, I jump ahead and write those scenes, placing them in the order they'll appear when I catch up to them with the rest of the story. And I always write each story in one huge document so I can jump around and scroll back and forth if need be.

The one scene I'm most anxious to write is humorous. While I was thinking about it, I couldn't stop myself from tee-heeing. Hubby hates it when I do that. He always asks, "What's so funny?" And I always answer, "I was just thinking." And he always jumps to the conclusion that I've invented some private little joke about him. You'd think, after all these years, he'd know that I don't consider him to be that funny. Well, I have to admit, sometimes he is pretty funny, but not so much that I go around snickering several days later about his antics.

Sooo.... what gives you the laugh out loud giggles when you're alone in a room or have the entire house to yourself? Inquiring minds want to know.

Devon

It's Been A Good Day

For tonight's post, I have no certain topic in mind. I just felt the need to mark the day somehow because it's been a good one. I passed a mile marker today in my work in progress, and that's always reason to celebrate. I'm just thankful that my husband is understanding and tolerant of the peculiarities of "the writer's life." Otherwise, it might not have been such a good day. I sat here at my computer until 4:00 this afternoon in my flannel pj's. That's a new record with me for time of day and still not dressed. I noticed the time occasionally and would mutter, "Oh, God, I've got to get dressed!" A couple of times I made it as far as getting out of my comfy swivel armchair, and starting for the door. Then, I'd suddenly remember just one more line or snippet of dialogue I needed to do (before I forgot). So, each time I tried to tear myself away, I ended up back in the chair typing away again. I'm telling you, this is the life!

On an unrelated, and yet slightly related, topic... my numero uno crit partner, Jan Scarbrough, talked me into ordering a book by a new author that's--while still historical--outside my usual genre I turn to for reading material. I look forward to getting my hands on a good book, and she assures me, it is. Once I've read it, if it meets expectations, I'll post the cover and share my thoughts.

Hope you had a nice, relaxing, productive weekend. Until next time...

Devon

p.s.--if you haven't voted in my poll yet, go look in the sidebar and choose your favorite historical periods for romance novels. You can pick more than one. Thanks!