How'd It Get to be THURSDAY?

Oops! Where has the week gone? I wonder if it's in the lost and found?

The Bat Retreat was a tremendous success, IMHO, with a terrific workshop on Hooks (thank you, Tina!) and Valerie Parv's workshop on characters and the session she did with us for those who took a deep breath and sent her 1000 words--one time offer, how could I pass up this golden opportunity to have feedback from Australia's answer to Nora Roberts? Her comments, the workshops and just my renewed enthusiasm for writing has had a wonderful effect on the first chapter of the current WIP and will continue to affect the rest of the WIP as I adit and revise.

This week has been spent working on chapter one, critiquing (and yes, there are like 2 more crits I need to do in the near future)...and wallowing in the (finally) GORGEOUS weather! I'd love to say "Spring has arrived at last" but I'm too scared to do that. Every time I just THINK that, WHAMMO! Back to winter. So, nope, I'm not even thinking word "spring" in the event I might jinx the weather.

What else do I know? Life's good with a sweet doggie napping between your feet and occasionally giving your leg a bath to show her affection. I have some crafting I need to get done in the next week...EEK! School's winding down, we're heading in the final full month of school next week...

The weather across the nation has been a concern. All the storms spawning tornadoes. Since I have friends in the affected areas, it's a worry and I find myself checking Facebook to make sure they're posting, so I know they're okay.

The royal wedding is tomorrow---and just yesterday, I realized with a start, it's generation 2 of royal weddings for me---I remember when Prince Charles and Lady Diana married. I'm even (crazy nut that I am) thinking about getting up to watch the wedding live, which means I'll need to set my alarm for 2 a.m. Couldn't they have gotten married later in the day? I mean, really. How rude. LOL. This is a nice bit of news in an otherwise sad, dreary and often frustrating news cycle. Something happy, something joyous and worth celebrating, to remind us that yes, while there is death and destruction here in the good ol' US of A, life isn't craptastic, hateful and hate-filled across the board. Yanno? It's earnestly hopeful in such a sweet, sweet way that's very inspiring.

Thoughts and prayers with the storm savaged, ravaged and grieving, and the hope that this terrible weather is soon to cease and desist.

Thoughts, happy tidings, well-wishes to the soon-to-be newly wedded royal couple, Prince William and his Kate. May their future be filled with brightness and joy.

~*~*~Trip over love, you can get up. Fall in love and you fall forever.~*~*~
~Author Unknown

Holiday Season Writing Tips

It's official, at least in my book, that with the passing of the Election Season, it is now the Holiday Season. I much prefer the Holiday Season to the Election Season, for obvious reasons. While both have their turkeys, only during one season is it appropriate to stuff the turkey and serve it with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet taters...Or, I could opt for ham. Truth is, at Thanksgiving, I do both ham and turkey.

But I digress.

Keeping up with the writing during any season isn't easy, but the holidays can make it more difficult. There's baking, shopping, company, kids' school vacations---all sorts of lovely distractions that take our attention away from the current Work In Progress. So how to combat this? Good question. I have a few ideas, which I'll share, but I'd like to hear from others...What do you do to keep up with your writing during the Holiday Season? Do you even try?

Holiday Season Writing Tips

1. Write in between baking sessions. It's also a good opportunity to taste-test the goods. Wouldn't want to serve up inferior cookies, would you? ;)

2. Take your Neo, Alphie, Notebook/Pen, Notebook computer...and write while you're standing in the layaway or check out lines, or while standing in the line with your li'l ones to meet Santa. There's always a line during the Holiday Season, capitalize on it. GGG

3. If you have company, grab your portable writing device and hide in the bathroom.

4. Christmas Eve night, for those waiting for the li'l ones to fall asleep so Santa can visit, use that time to write. Or nap. It's a toss up at that point, which would be more beneficial. Do what's best for you. (ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....)

5. Grab any random spare moment that presents itself.

6. Plan ahead, know what you want to get accomplished and get it done before the true insanity of the Holiday Season takes hold. That way you can really enjoy the best part of this time of year---spending time with your family. :)

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Happy Holiday Season Writing...and Happy Holiday Season. :D

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