Tomorrow night we’ll be ringing in the new year. Along with that, though, comes a time for ringing in with new goals for 2007. It’s disheartening to know I didn’t manage to accomplish as much as I had hoped in 2006. Life threw me some curve balls that really zapped my writing momentum, but I’m excited to wipe the slate clean and start fresh in 2007. Luckily, I’ve regained some of the momentum I’d lost….most notably with my recent contest win and my decision to focus 2007 exclusively on the agent hunt. I feel good about those decisions.

In fact, I feel good about my writing, probably for the first time. Oh, sure, I’ve always known that I had a talent for writing, but I often doubted that I was good enough to actually deserve publication. I’ve gained confidence during this year, along with a confidence in the ability to trust my instincts. I know when a scene is working and when it’s not, which isn’t something I’ve ever trusted before.

So, although the quality of my writing is blossoming, my vow for 2007 is to work on discipline. I’ve never been the most disciplined person, nor the most organized. But I really want to focus on that for 2007.

Goals:

1. Become organized, set a schedule.
2. Write everyday.
3. Eat better and exercise regularly.
4. Give 110% to finding an agent.
5. Write Cameron’s story (secondary character/best friend of hero from Her Own Best Enemy)

If I can learn to write everyday, become more organized and give my dream of finding an agent/selling Her Own Best Enemy my all, then I’ll have declared 2007 a success. What would make 2007 a success for you?

I wish all of you a beautiful day filled with family, many blessings, warmth and laughter.  

Today is the mad dash of baked goods for tomorrow, the last day of school before winter break. I realized on Monday that I completely spaced the idea of teacher gifts for the boys’ teachers. I needed a quick and inexpensive idea, so I’m making homemade fudge and “mock” toffee bars (some with nuts, some with peppermint chips) for them. I bought inexpensive christmas mugs and cellophane bags and plan to wrap the fudge and toffee in the bags, put them in the mug, and tie them up with pretty ribbon.

Next, I need to make some goodies for DareDevil’s kindergarten class. I’m making reindeer cookies:

Hopefully they’ll turn out as cute as the picture! ;) And if Science-Boy needs treats, that means a double batch of these. *sigh* Why do I feel so behind this year?

There’s how many days left until Christmas?

There are days when I feel a bit like a little girl looking through her papa’s reading glasses. Fuzzy. Out of focus. I sit at the computer, staring at the blinking cursor and wait for some miracle to put me in the zone. Trouble is, eventually I start to wander away from my original intent, drift to the internet to check email and kill time, and then suddenly, I’m completely adrift in a sea of procrastination, and can’t find my way back. Though I’ve suspected for quite some time now that this method is not working for me, LOL, I’ve just convinced myself that it is time for change.

But how? My first thought was to figure out what time of day the writing bug ‘bites’ me. Easy. It’s usually later afternoon. Sounds good, except, by that time, both my boys are home from school and clamoring for my attention.

I have a couple of hours in the morning when both Daredevil and Science-Boy are at school that is usually ideal, except my brain doesn’t seem to want to function and I usually end up throwing the time away in some sort of procrastination wasteland.

So, here’s the deal. I need to train my brain to ‘get to work’ during those morning hours. Great. I can do it. If I commit to writing from 9-11 every Monday through Friday morning WITHOUT getting on the internet during that time for 21 days, I should be able to make this a habit.

But I can’t do it without a little help from all you writers out in blogland. How do you find your focus so you can get down to business when you sit at the keyboard? Does listening to music do it? Lighting candles? Brewing a cup of tea? Editing previous chapters of your manuscript?

What ‘magic’ ritual snaps your brain into focus and puts you back in your story? 

Besides the fact that it’s Daredevil’s sixth birthday tomorrow (Monday, Dec. 11th), I’m celebrating because Her Own Best Enemy took first place in the Where The Magic Begins contest!!!!

I have a feeling I’ll be partying this entire week…but unfortunately, I can’t party too hard because I still have a lot of work to do to polish this manuscript up to get it ready for submission!

But, still … I feel awesome!!!!

This is the time of year when, inevitably, I start thinking of all that I accomplished (or more apropo, what I didn’t accomplish). I didn’t land a mega agent. I didn’t sell. I didn’t even get all the projects completed that I had hoped when I started 2006 with a bright eyed, bushy tailed optimism.

It’s been a tough year. Life got in the way of many of my writing goals….and procrastination got in the way of the rest. But, you know what? I can’t look at this past year and think of it as anything other than a resounding success. I think I will always think of 2006 as “The Year of the Great Learning”.

Yes, I’ve learned so much while writing Her Own Best Enemy. It’s my first romantic suspense project and the most challenging thing I’ve ever written — but it’s also, hands down, the best. And it’s because I learned some essential fundamentals about putting together a kick butt story along the way. I’ve started. I’ve stopped. I changed direction. But, for once, I have a clear vision. A vision that, perhaps, was missing from my previous stories.

I’ve learned how to put together a hero’s journey that rocks. I’ve learned how to plot — imagine that! Plotting has always been the thorn in my side, but this year I took a couple of fantastic online workshops that helped me get to the heart of a character’s motivation and plot from the inside (internal GMC) out (external GMC). I’m amazed at the difference it truly does make in a story.

And, maybe the most valuable lesson of all….I’ve learned to be patient. Well, at least, somewhat. I admit, I’m not the most patient person in the world when it comes to something I want, but I’ve learned to step back this year. I’ll achieve my publishing dream when I’m ready. Whether that’s with Her Own Best Enemy or something else down the line.

In January, I embark on a renewed quest. I’ll start sending Her Own Best Enemy out into the agent abyss and hope that I’ll find one out there that loves it and believes they can sell it. I’m already bracing myself for the pile of rejections I’m sure to rack up.

But, win or lose — Her Own Best Enemy will hold a special place in my heart for all it’s taught me along the way. 

Bad me for being seriously remiss in my blogging! This is a terribly hectic season, made even more hectic by the construction of our house. Yet, it’s exciting just the same! This week we’ll be picking out our kitchen appliances. I cannot even begin to express how long I’ve waited for this moment. We’ve lived with what my husband and I refer to as the “Mini-Me Oven” for far too long…it’s like one of those kiddie ‘Easy Bake Ovens’. No wonder I don’t like to cook!

On to a few pictures…The roof is done, the electrical is roughed-in, and my husband is working on the plumbing this week.

Here’s the front of the house (obviously). You can’t see the front door too well do to the scaffolding. The French Doors on the upper left will be to a sitting room off the master bedroom. Eventually, we want to build a ‘deck’ that connects these doors to the office doors I’ve showed in other pictures.

Here’s an inside view (2nd floor) of those pointed windows. You can see the wall to the master bedroom in the background.

And one more view of the other side of the 2nd floor. My office will be by the French Doors to the right, my husband’s office the French Doors on the left. The offices aren’t completely framed out yet. The majority of the open space here will be a ‘rec room’ of sorts. We’d love to do a pool table in here at some point.

In other ‘news’, the results of the contest I finaled in will be announced next week. I’m doing a bit of nail biting. I keep hoping for some good, positive yet constructive feedback from the RandomHouse editor….if I can get that, it doesn’t matter where I place…or so I keep telling myself.