For Mothers and People who have Mothers

Before I was a mom, I thought I knew what I was getting into. And I did, sort of.

I knew there would be nights of interrupted sleep. I just didn't realize I'd have them EVERY NIGHT for the next 6 years (and counting).

I knew I'd have to clean up occasional accidents. I just didn't realize there would come a time when I would clean 3 or 4 A DAY.

I knew my kids would want to play. I just didn't realize that sometimes the ONLY way to play is to dump every toy they own onto the family room carpet and cover the mess with couch cushions and every last blanket, towel and sheet from the linen closet.

I knew they would have to eat, and I hoped that eventually they'd learn to feed themselves. I just didn't realize this milestone would come with new messes (like blueberry yogurt all over the carpet).

I knew I would love my children. I just didn't realize I'd love them more than ANYTHING else in the world.

I'm so grateful for my wonderful mom and I'm so grateful to be a mom. My family is everything to me. Writing is a fun thing I do when I have a few minutes to myself, but it isn't my focus.

One of the reasons I've made so little writing progress these past few months is that I'm pregnant. I was terribly sick for a few months and it was hard to do anything more than feed and clothe myself and my kids. But it will be worth it! Now I'm feeling good and my life should be fairly normal until the new baby comes next fall.

To all of you mothers out there HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! And to everyone else, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO YOUR MOMS! They've raised beautiful, imaginative, talented children. You should thank them.

What We Can Do

I've mentioned before that I get overwhelmed when I see news coverage about natural disasters. I feel helpless. I know I can't fly down to Haiti and feed hungry children suffering after the earthquake. I can't do anything to staunch the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. And I can't go to Nashville and put my arms around the people who have lost their family members, homes, and livelihood.

But, I can give money. Even if it isn't a lot.

There are some fantastic opportunities right now to share with people effected by these disasters. I'm sure you've heard about the Do the Write Thing for Nashville Auction raising money for flood relief. You can bid on agent critiques and phone calls, editor critiques, books, and so much more. It's a great opportunity to get professional feedback AND help out people in need.

And if there's nothing at the auction that interests you, there are hundreds of other ways to give (just make sure to only donate to legitimate charities!). I hope you'll do something if you can.

THE WINNER and Trying to be Productive

First off, thanks to everyone who participated in Spread the Awesome and thanks for all of your comments and book recommendations! I now have more books on my TBR list than I could read in a year, but I'm excited to dive in.

I selected a winner this morning using Random.org. The winner of a copy of When You Reach Me is Christina Lee! Congratulations Christina! I'll email you to get your address.

Now onto today's post.

My kids get out of school in four weeks. Once summer comes they will be at home 24 hours a day. I'm really excited about this actually. I love having them home. I love walks to the park and lazy afternoons in the backyard.

But... I know my writing (and blogging) will have to move to a back burner. And that is why this month needs to be productive. I've been working on the same first draft since November and I need to get it done before summer comes. I have a few REALLY good excuses for taking so long to write it, but my excuses have run out and now I just need to get it done.

So, for the rest of May I am committing to write 1000 words a day and finish this manuscript.

I've mentioned before that I do better with deadlines than daily word counts so I'm also going to set a date for finishing. I will be done with my first draft by Monday, May 31.

Do you have something you need to finish? If you need a kick in the pants to get something done I urge you to join me. Let me know what you plan to accomplish in May. It will be fun.

Spread the Awesome: When You Reach Me

A few weeks ago Elana Johnson had this great idea to have a day celebrating the books and authors we love. Today is the day. A bunch of bloggers will be highlighting favorite authors and a lot of us will be giving books away (some people even have SIGNED books to give!) Go check out Elana's blog for a complete list of participants. With so many giveaways the odds are in your favor to win a book or two. And who doesn't like free books?

For me choosing a favorite book is like choosing a favorite child. I just can't do it. So instead I chose a recent read that I really enjoyed: Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me.

I am not too good at book reviewing, and I really don't want to give anything away (there story has some great surprises), so I'll keep this short and sweet. This was an awesome read--well written, page-turning, and sweet. I was engrossed from beginning to end. It was brilliant, and you don't have to take my word for it, it won the Newbery. Um yeah, that means a lot of other people thought it was great too.

Read it.

I'll be giving away a copy. To win it all you have to do is:

1. Follow this blog

2. Leave a comment telling me about a book you love

I'll pick the winner Wednesday morning. If you comment before midnight on Tuesday, you'll be in the running!

We're doing a blog chain so you can check out all the Spread The Awesome posts if you want to. Next up is Windy Aphayrath. She's highlighting Elizabeth Scott and she's giving away SIGNED books. Enjoy!

Someone You Ought to Meet

I've been doing a lot of beta reading this last month. I think I've read from 5 different manuscripts. I still don't feel like I'm a very good beta reader, but I've definitely getting some practice.

A few days ago I got a note from a friend I read for last fall. I also read a different novel for her last summer and it was the first piece I had ever beta read. I had no idea what I was doing either time, but she claimed my notes were helpful, and she was writing to tell me SHE SIGNED WITH AN AGENT!!! I love hearing great news! She is a writer who really deserves this, and I'm thrilled for her.

I won't give too much away about her story or her agent because you can go check it out on her brand new blog. I hope you'll stop by and say congratulations.

Work in Progress

When we bought our house a couple years ago we liked the house, but what really sold us on the deal was the HUGE garden area hidden behind a hedge in the back yard. My husband and I imagined what we could do with the space and we dreamed BIG. We'd transform the dirt patch into a garden worthy of the Martha Stewart catalogue-- raised beds, stone walkways filled in with Irish moss, mini fruit trees in giant pots, and a fountain to add ambiance. It was going to be awesome.

Two years later it is not awesome... yet. We've started the raised beds. My husband spent half the summer carting giant stones for the walkway and only finished about a third of it. The moss doesn't really like growing between the stones, but weeds LOVE it.

So now mostly we have a giant weed patch with some pretty rectangular structures filled with vegetables in the middle. I know it's a work in progress and it's better than what we started with, but most days all I can see are the weeds.

This is kind of how I feel about my manuscript right now. I haven't even finished the first draft yet, but all the imperfections are driving me crazy. I just have to remind myself that my last one felt like this too. Writing, like creating the perfect garden, just takes time. I need to finish it before I move on to massive revisions.

Maybe in a year I'll have another finished book AND a garden that would make Martha Stewart proud. Or maybe just another finished book.

Do the weeds slow down your writing process or are you able to forget about them until after the first draft is done?

Writing is Rewriting

"Writing is rewriting. A writer must learn to deepen characters, trim writing, intensify scenes. To fall in love with a first draft to the point where one cannot change it is to greatly enhance the prospects of never publishing." ~Richard North Patterson

and

"Books aren't written--they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it." ~Michael Crichton

Um, yes. That's really all I have to say today.

Do you want to have your work published someday? Does your story need another rewrite? Mine does.