Sunday, September 24, 2006

A week in the life of...me

Okay, it's over. The 2006 ACFW conference is history. It's been tough for me to sit this one out, but it's been nice not to feel pressured to have something ready to present to editors and agents. I think, as writers, we have to slow ourselves down sometime. This is a sloooow moving industry. They'll wait for me.

Critter Robin scored 2nd place in the suspense category of the Genesis contest. Colleen Coble, friend by association, mopped up the joint with 2nd and 1st place for book of the year in the suspense category. She was awarded Mentor of the Year last year, too. She is, without a doubt, one of the hardest working ladies in the industry, and always willing to help out a newbie. So buy her books. She rocks.

I should complete Murder on the Side, the first of my River Bend Mysteries Series, within the next week or two. I feel another twist burning in my little brain, so it may be a couple weeks. I have got to figure out how to handle the juggling act of editing previous works while writing the new. If I've got something that's several years old, do I scrap it and concentrate on the newer works? I'm thinking yes. I can always come back to the old one later. You know how those first attempts are--good ideas and...well...good ideas. Not much in the way of good writing. Editing those is harder work than starting over.

Sydney had her first b'ball game last week. It was a blowout--we lost. I kind of wonder when the 7th grade girls on the opposing team are taller than I am. My parent's house selling fell through, so they're back on the market, the journey westward on hold. I'll be heading north this weekend for a quick "Doe Camp" with dad. There won't even be any deer hunting, just ducks and maybe grouse. It's really about time away, cold nights and campfires, and the celebration of autumn, something that Michiganders have made into an art form.

So now I'm waiting to hear the reports from my buds who did go to the ACFW conference. They're surely crashing as I write this. Now back to work.

4 comments:

Mark Terry said...

Good luck with MOTS.

Best,
Mark

Unknown said...

Wow, almost finished, eh? I'm jealous! We missed you this year just so you know.

Unknown said...

We missed ya! But you know what, from the content of this post, I think you might have attended my "secret" workshop....The Art of Kissing Up 101! LOLOLOL

Sabrina L. Fox said...

"Editing those is harder work than starting over."

I hear ya, Ron! I can totally relate. It's just so hard to chuck those first books. So much work. It just seems like you have to perfect them before you can move on. Which is a losing battle, I'm afraid! ;)