Tuesday, February 19, 2013

It's back...hopefully it sticks around.

I don't know if it's because I was finally invited back for the second interview of that job I interviewed for a few weeks ago, or because I had such a ridiculously lazy weekend, but I'm feeling much more motivated again.  I got up (super early with the toddler who can't seem to sleep past 6:30 in her new big-girl toddler bed), made coffee (after laying on the couch for cartoon hour), cleaned up, put a load of laundry in, emptied the dishwasher, did some potty training (we'll get there), worked on some jewelry, then at 10 AM I threw on workout clothes and we went to the gym (they have a fun daycare there).  I did the stair-climbing machine for 20 minutes (actual stairs that revolve and you walk up...it's the most hardcore I can get aside from going for a run), chatted with a friend, then did an hour of Hatha Yoga.



Back home, we had lunch, I finished a ring and three necklaces, showered, and took the kiddo after her nap to the post office so I could mail out the finished jewelry (it's super annoying that I have to drive to the post office if I have outgoing mail...I can't wait to live somewhere that I can just walk to the end of the driveway).  We went to the park after that little trip, then daddy got home and took her to the grocery store with him so I could get started on another ring.  I finished that while he was out so I sat down to edit for a little while (a very short while...but I got over a hump in the story, so I still feel good about it).  After they got back, I filled out a questionnaire for a life insurance application my husband signed me up for (yea...so keep that in mind if I suddenly have a mortal accident in the next few months).  Now I'm blogging and looking forward to the kiddo's bedtime.  I'll hopefully do some more editing and I really want to take the doggy for a walk.

I'm sad that all this motivation returned the day before a cold spell in Arizona that's bringing a very rainy Wednesday, followed by highs in the 50s for the next few days.  Couldn't it have shown up a few days ago, so I could have really made the most of the mid 70s and sun?  Oh well, beggars can't be choosers, and I live in Arizona now...so if there's one thing I can count on, it's that the sun and heat will return.


Monday, February 18, 2013

Laziness

I don't know if it's the result of not making it to the second round of the novel contest, the fact that I still haven't found a job, or an odd backfire effect from the week I had to myself where I went a little overboard on writing/reading/jewelry-making, but I don't have any motivation to do anything productive during my kiddo's naptimes.  That's not even the worst of it...I almost feel the opposite of motivation.  There's still the inclination to write, or make jewelry, or read...but then part of me fights that inclination to the point where I end up eating an endless amount of snacks, lying on the couch, and watching a marathon of Psych for the 2-3 hour duration of her naps.

I need to quit it though, because I have several pieces of jewelry I need to finish so I can get them in the mail tomorrow, I have nothing stopping me from editing the rest of the book (again) and querying for an agent, and my house could use some more attention.  Maybe tomorrow I'll get back to normal.  The jewelry can wait until bedtime.


Ugh..maybe it's because I'm turning 30 in less than two weeks.  That one is a real downer.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Bummer

I didn't make it to the second round. This has really been the year of rejections. It's only February though, so hopefully I either get a job, or find an agent, or both.  The number 13 isn't looking any better yet, though.

Guess I get to dive right into the second edit of my manuscript and get ready to search for an agent

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Cliffhangers.


To those of you who write movies, books, short stories, poems, etc., and decide whatever it is you're writing needs...can't live without...can't move people without a cliffhanger at the end...NO.  I do think it's appropriate, in some instances, to leave the story a little bit open for interpretation, but to build the audience, reader, casual bystander, up to some final and ultimately necessary finale in your work of art, I have decided you're a putz if you leave us hanging.  We as the viewers or readers of your words and scenes are putting our trust, time, and faith in you to entertain us (I don't know anyone who doesn't value their time, especially not parents).  We want the entertainment because it's hard to fit into our daily lives nowadays.  So if you think letting us hang on the end of your totally incomplete thought process is the way to go, think again.  It's really just the wimpy way to go.  Or the bullyish way to go.  Because I can almost feel you snickering with your other artsy friends in the background about how much more thought provoking your work could be if you just ended it with a big, ridiculous, elephant-in-the-room sized question.  This is my ode to cliffhangers...and why I think they suck. Unless, of course, you're planning on following up with a sequel.  In which case, you'd better be taking vitamins and avoiding unhealthy foods or dangerous activities, because if you happen to lose the ability to complete said cliffhanger, you fall into the above category.  

Luckily, the above movie had a great and believable story going for it all the way up until the stupid cliffhanger end.  

ABNA Contest Results, Round One (Coming Soon!)

Ahh!  The results of the first round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award come out tomorrow (on or around tomorrow, according to their site).  They're narrowing the 10,000 pitches down to 400 for each category (so about 2,000 out of the original 10,000 will move on to round two).  Stay tuned to see if the pitch for my novel makes it!  I want it to, but I also don't.  If it doesn't move on, I'll be able to edit the book again and then start sending it to agents.  If it does make it, I'll get my hopes up about winning the whole contest, and the odds of that happening are extremely low, so it's probably best if I just get eliminated from the contest sooner than later.

Also, my husband and daughter are flying to PA for his family.  There were two completely unexpected and unrelated deaths in his family this past weekend.  I know they'll appreciate him being there, and I hope my daughter will help lift some spirits while she's there.  I'm staying behind to watch the dog.  Having this kind of free time is difficult to cope with!


Saturday, February 9, 2013

Worst Week Ever

Obviously it couldn't have been that bad, right?  I interviewed for a job I really felt confident about, then they asked me to come back in for a second interview, and I still didn't get it.  I'm at an all time low as far as my hopes for finding a good job here.  If you follow me on Facebook (which I'm sure you do, since I think the only people in the world that read this blog are my Facebook friends), you already know this information.  It was an emotional week though, I won't lie, I had my hopes up real high for that job.  I'm basically over it now, but I don't look forward to the endless job searching, applying, waiting, then giving up on most of the jobs I thought would be a good fit for me.

There was some awful news last Saturday morning, then there was similarly awful news this morning, both aren't my place to write into the Blogspot void, so I'll just leave it at that.  I'm not looking forward to next Saturday morning though.

My aunt is reading my book.  Dan finished it last weekend and gave my some great feedback.  He has more, but I have to figure out how to get the notes he made on the Kindle document I sent him.  My sister also offered to read it but hasn't had a chance to start it yet.  I'm keeping an open mind and so far I'm still feeling confident about the book itself.  I'll find out soon if it made it through the first round in the ABNA contest.  I almost don't want it to move to the second round so I can make more edits and look for an agent.

Those are my only updates for now.  I'll be sure to write when the ABNA first round winners are announced (I think that'll be around February 15th).