Footloose and...Appendix Free

I planned to write a post this past weekend about my fabulous celebration dinner with husband. We went up to San Francisco and enjoyed a dinner at the hip Absinthe Brasserie & Bar--much fancier than our usual fare. I even took pictures to share. However, that evening I developed a stomachache, which progressed as the weekend went on, until I ended up in the ER Sunday afternoon. Appendicitis. Eight hours later and I finally made it into the OR for an emergency appendectomy. Needless to say, I haven't gotten around to uploading my pictures!

I'm at home now, recovering. I was planning to finish my last tweaks to the final draft over the next two weeks before I head home--I have a little niece on the way--but I think that will be delayed another week now.

In other news, I finally sent out my Pay It Forward gifts after a very long delay. I really enjoyed participating and hope everyone else has fun as it goes forward.

Thanks for all the comments over on Facebook. You are all lovely!

Moving On

I wish I knew how established writers do it. Every time I finish part of the novel--say the first draft, or completing a revision--I have to begin again. I never know where to start. Each time I try to establish a new work plan, but I flounder until eventually I happen upon something that works for me. Do others struggle with this?

I think, in truth, the next step should be easy. Right now I have to focus on writing the new scenes I need and cutting old ones I flagged. (Plus, I'm doing some research hole-filling reading.) But I'm worrying ahead of myself, thinking of the step after that. The one where people read my full novel. I'm trying to decide who and when, and it's all a little terrifying. At times like this, I think I might be insane. Why did I decide to write a novel, again?

Surfacing

I'm surfacing from my editing cave, covered in red ink, and thrilled to see those two little words, like a beacon of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

The End. Though it's not really. The end, that is. Characters still clamor for attention. I have new scenes to write, and scenes to surgically cut from the opening chapters. But I couldn't be more thrilled! I reached my goal, and now THE END is in sight.

I want to shout out thanks to blog readers who visited with words of encouragement during my period of silence. They fueled and motivated me. You are all lovely!

Bam!

Quick update: I finished my revision!

(At 4am last night/this morning, if you must know.)

Huzzah!

Sadly, I'm not celebrating yet, because I have to finish typing in the edits, and I fell behind a few chapters in order to keep my editing pace. (For some ridiculous reason, I can only do small edits on the screen. For large revisions I need good old-fashioned (red) pen and paper.)

I'm running low on fuel after weeks of late nights and little sleep, but I have to hold on a bit longer. Next week we drive home for graduation/baby shower madness, so my deadline is firm.

See you this side of next week, gin in hand.

Offline

I'm a bad blogger. I keep meaning to post writing updates; I often have random ideas and think, "Hey, that would be a good post." But I don't get around to it.

We entered our 'busy season' early last month, and I'm trying to keep my head above water. We made it through the spring birthday season (Husband and I, plus two parents, a grandma, a brother-in-law, and numerous friends) and mother's day. On the writing front, I submitted short pieces to four separate journals and attended two events in San Francisco by the HCNC for my research. (At the second event I chaperoned a survivor, which was an honor and a great experience. A story I wanted to share, but alas, the moment is gone.)

But soon we enter the real pandemonium.

In three weeks we're heading home for a long weekend, which will include sister C's 18th birthday, sister A's baby shower (which I'm helping to plan), a graduation and graduation party. When we return, we have a wedding and baby shower the same afternoon. July brings my baby niece, a wedding and sister B's birthday (on the same day, incidentally), as well as my ten-year school reunion, which I may or may not attend.

For some reason I thought this would finally be our quiet summer. Ha!

On top of all that, Husband and I devised a new work schedule for me. I was struggling with my edits, so he created a goal-oriented incentive program to keep me on track. I work well on a deadline. My aggressive goal is to finish this revision by the end of May. (For which I will receive a nice dinner, a pair of shoes, AND a new outfit!) If I reach this goal, I will have revised over 130 pages in May. Suffice it to say, I have not slept much the past two weeks.

All of this is to tell you I am sorry for being a bad blogger, and I promise to return to some kind of regular schedule after I finish this draft. Also, I have not forgotten my pay-it-forward recipients. I am almost finished with the gifts and will have them in the mail shortly! I'm signing off for now, but hope to see everyone in blogland again soon.

p.s.

I'm finalizing my gifts for the Pay It Forward participants and I still have one spot open. I would love it if three people participated. All you have to do is repay the gift to three new people on your own blog. If you'd like to join, leave a comment and send me an email with your mailing address (and favorite color). Don't be shy, it's fun!

Question Time

For a bit of fun, fellow blogger Alisia tagged me for a meme. Here are the guidelines:

1. Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention; add a question of your own.

2. Tag eight other un-tagged people.


Here we go...

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OBSESSION? Finishing the second draft of my novel. At this moment, it feels like an impossible feat!

GOOD COFFEE PLACE? My locals - Coffee Society or Orchard Valley Coffee, both of which are funky. They also have good coffee and a great environment to relax with friends, or buckle down to write.

DO YOU NAP A LOT? Never. I can't nap and never could. The few times I tried, I walked around like a zombie the rest of the evening, which felt like a waste. (Power napping baffles me. Two of my friends are expert powernappers, but I can't fall asleep before the fifteen minutes is up!)

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? Probably hotdogs...I'm taking husband to a baseball game for his birthday: Red Sox vs. A's. (Go Sox!)

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? Beautiful new clothes and a pair of sassy red espadrilles with my birthday money.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My iTunes mix. Current song: "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WEATHER? The warming days of late spring and early fall and warm and breezy summer evenings.

WHAT'S ON YOUR BEDSIDE TABLE? A lamp, writing notebook and pen (for those pesky middle-of-the-night ideas), and whatever I'm reading at the moment.

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT? It's difficult to pick one since I like to see new places when I travel, but I'd have to go with London. However, a white sandy beach and Prague tie for a close second.

NAME THE THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT. My family, books, chapstick, and coffee.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW? My first published novel.

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD FOR THE NEXT HOUR, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Tea at The Orangery in Kensington (sans jetlag).

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BECOME AS A CHILD? A writer and a teacher.

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg. (I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Saturday and fell in love with it.)

WHAT DO YOU FEAR THE MOST? Losing those I love, and spiders.

FAVORITE BOOKS YOU'VE READ THIS YEAR? Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, Disraeli Avenue by Caroline Smailes, and Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte.

MOVIES THAT MAKE YOU CRY? The Notebook gets me every time, but I finally caught P.S. I Love You this weekend, and I'm glad husband was the only witness, because I was an embarrassing wreck. Good stuff.

I won't tag anyone, but feel free to continue this meme if you're interested.

Spring

April showers bring May flowers, or so 'they' say. Our flowers began blooming last weekend when it was gloriously sunny, but spring showers followed nonetheless, bringing along overcast skies and darkened mornings.

Husband's jasmine is blooming on the patio, leaving a gorgeous aroma outside, and I've put a cluster of daffies on the table to brighten up my writing area. I love daffodils. They add a small dose of sunshine and cheer.

We spent last weekend in a flurry of spring cleaning, and since we didn't finish, the remnants are piled here and there, disrupting our space and forcing us to attack the remainder of the cleaning next weekend. I finally worked up the stamina to clear my closet, dresser, and even (*gasp*) my shoe and bag collections. I come from a family of hoarders, so I always feel satisfied when I remove unnecessary clutter.

Speaking of unnecessary clutter, I'm making progress (however slowly) through my edit. I'm on chapter 10 of 15, and I distilled the first three pages of this chapter into three post-it notes, which was satisfying. I also cut a few pages entirely. The pages look like a bloody mess, but hopefully the aggressive cuts will improve the writing and the story.

Rattled

Headlines have been dire. In the bay area alone there were four police officers killed last week, followed by another family murder-suicide this week. (Not to mention the surge in violence across the country or the ever-present economic woes.) Today I experienced my third minor quake! Imagine a giant stomping on the floor above you whilst moving giant-sized furniture, because that's how it felt.

Amongst all the bad news lately, I've found solace in a book. Where else? I just finished reading Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

I adored it!

It was a beautiful, heartfelt story of family and first love. As the title suggests, the story is bittersweet, but although it's heartbreaking, it's ultimately redemptive. Ford paints a picture of life in WWII-era Seattle and touches on the tragedy of the Japanese internment camps as well as the rampant prejudice and discrimination during that time. He handles these difficult topics delicately and captures a pivotal moment in American history. The underlying story of Seattle's jazz movement adds depth and breathes life into a little-known world.

Jamie Ford is a writer to watch. Grab a copy of the book; you won't regret it!

Finally, I have two people signed up for the Pay It Forward gesture. There's an opening for one more. Go on, you know you want to join...

Woeful Winces

I'm wincing at the stupidity of publicly pronouncing my goal completion date for this draft. I'm woefully behind, and although I thought it was a realistic goal, I have yet to meet my targeted number of pages for the day. I am making progress, but it's been painfully slow. I linger over sentences for ages--dwelling on each word--maybe finishing a page an hour at the most. I wish I could work faster, but I suppose this is my process. Any advice from the cheering section? I need a little shove, but please don't be too hard on me if I miss my mark.

I don't have any volunteers for the Pay it Forward gesture yet, so I'm making one final plea. I would love to put together parcels for three participants, and I swear it's fun and inspirational! If you want to participate, leave a comment on my post. By volunteering you agree to pay it forward to three more people on your own blog once you receive your package.

Sensory delights

The roundup:

Watching - I've been eager to see Slumdog Millionaire since I read an enthusiastic review over Thanksgiving, and Husband and I finally caught it last weekend. It was well worth the wait and definitely lived up to all the hype. It was touching, funny, sweet, sad, and beautiful.

I just found the new trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I can't wait for July!

Reading - In need of a light, humorous read, I picked up a copy of An Arsonist's Guide to Writer's Homes in New England, which fits the bill so far. The narrator is a self-deluded, quirky character who accidentally burned down Emily Dickinson's home and many years later inadvertently sets himself up to be blamed for other fires. At first it was a page turner, but now that I'm halfway through it, I'm struggling to empathize with the character. I find myself simultaneously laughing at him, while constantly feeling the urge to smack some sense into him. I'll report back when I finish the book to let you know if it's a recommended read.

Listening - I picked up the new album by The Fray just before my holiday and I've been listening to it on repeat (as I do when I'm obsessed with a new CD). The only competition right now is the rain pouring down outside in sheets. The sound is soothing, until Drew needs to go out for a pee, and then it sounds like the soundtrack for a horror film!

Eating - I've been cooking from scratch a lot lately, which is unusual for me. I cook probably 5-6 nights a week, but I usually make simple dishes that require little planning and work. Last week I prepared five homemade meals as well as a batch of no pudge fudge (box) brownies! I felt inspired to be creative with the ingredients sitting in our cupboards and here's what I came up with:

*Spicy Thai coconut chicken noodle soup
*Coconut macadamia pancakes (I made these in honor of pancake day, which I've never celebrated, but all day the news talked about pancakes and it made me hungry for them!)
*Crustless Quiche with red pepper, tomato, cheese, and basil
*Whole wheat pizza with prosciutto, roma tomato, and basil
*Baked (Light!) Macaroni and Cheese with sweet peas

Not to brag (too much), but they all turned out really well, which is not the case for all of my kitchen experiments. Tonight I plan to try a Thai-inspired stir fry with the remaining coconut milk.

So. What have you been watching, reading, listening to, and eating lately?

The Horror

...and some nice things.

We really know how to live it up here. We spent a wild and crazy Saturday night attempting to pull two ticks from Drew's belly. Unsuccessfully. Eurgh! It's no secret that I have severe arachnophobia, and that includes all the other nasty critters with creepy wiggly legs. I was a very brave mama holding the Drewser while Husband attempted the impossible feat, and I was bitten at least five times for it! (By Drew, not the critters!) If only Drew knew how much I love him in order to actually look at those nasty beasties. I nearly jumped out of my skin. *Shudders*
First thing Sunday morning we visited the vet, who pulled the buggers out and tested for Lyme Disease. All clear, thank goodness.


Now if I haven't already scared you away with my nasty tale, I do have something more positive to share. A "Love Ya" blog award from Aspiring Writer, Joanne. Here's a description of the award:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers."

I don't feel like I deserve an award since I've been neglecting my blog lately, but I'm thankful for the acknowledgment, so this award means a lot to me. Cheers!

Like Joanne, I'm going to pass this award on to three lovely writing bloggers:

JJ over at Tea Stains has the most excellent taste in brew and is a lovely, supportive friend too. (Oh, I rhymed!)

Marmite & Tea has blogged about books for some time, but began the novel-writing journey last year and is a cheerful and enthusiastic blog chum.

I began blogging around the same time as Yvonne at It Had Better Be Good and we've been buds ever since. She recently finished the second draft of her first novel and is always an inspiration.

Love ya, ladies!

February Ups and Downs

Lately I've been feeling a bit down, but I'm chalking it up to the February Blues. This is my least favorite month. It's cold without the benefit of Christmas or New Years, and with the dreaded Valentine's Day thrown in, it always seems to go awry. Thankfully it will be over soon.

I tend to blog less during these periods because I hate writing depressing posts. In fact, I think I'll add pictures from my recent trip to Maui to cheer things up:
Top Left: Chang Beach in Wailea, the site of the wedding. Top Right: Sunset from Haleakala. (Incidentally, the temperature dropped 40 degrees as we drove up Haleakala, which is at 10,000 feet elevation.) Bottom Left: A Humpback Whale slapping its tail, as seen on our snorkeling cruise. Bottom Right: Entrance to the Bamboo Forest where we hiked on the road to Hana.

Anyway, the editing has been a roller coaster ride lately. Some days I inch along and feel like my book will never meet it's full potential, while other days I'm excited about my story and get pages and pages done. I think I pulled myself out of the dumps by creating a new 'plan' for the second draft completion, although it doesn't scare all the bad editing days away. I shy away from announcing my goals so loudly, but I think it might motivate me if I share it with you. I'm aiming to complete the second draft on April 3rd, which just happens to be the day after my birthday. Hopefully I'll be celebrating double that weekend. I am planning a third draft, but hopefully it won't take nearly as long as the first or second.

On another note, I still have slots open for the Pay It Forward gesture and would love to have people participate. The first three who agree to 'pay it forward' and sign up in the comments on that post will receive a gift from me.

Pay It Forward

Back in January JJ over at Tea Stains was involved in a Pay It Forward gesture. She received a gift and was offering to pay that act of kindness forward to three people. I joined in because I love receiving packages and thought it was a neat idea. When I arrived home from Maui (more on that later), I received a lovely package from Thailand containing a writing notebook, a traditional Thai embroidered purse, a silver necklace made in the Karen Hill tribes, and a cute orange elephant.JJ is wonderful and I love everything!

I am now appealing for three people who’d like to receive a gift from me. You’ll owe me nothing. If you join you only have to agree to pay it forward, link back to me, and blog about it. What you send is up to you. The gifts don’t have to cost much--and can in fact be handmade--but should be fun, inspiring or uplifting.

Like JJ, I’m happy to send the package anywhere in the world. If you’d like to be one of three recipients for my Pay it Forward, then please leave a message in the comments. The first three to indicate that they’d like to join in will be the winners. And then I’ll need your postal addresses.

Best of luck!

Cheerful news in publishing:

A Long Winter

Recap in Five

I notice whenever life gets busy I neglect the blog and blog reading. (Sorry.) In two days I'm leaving for Maui to spend a week with family to celebrate my little sister's wedding. (Yay!)

So.

I've spent the last few weeks finalizing plans for the bridal shower, which is surprisingly difficult to plan from afar. I'm a perfectionist. I like things organized, so it's killing me to plan from here and hope everything I need is available when I get there.

Naturally last week was full of events that kept us from preparing to leave. On Thursday we went to an Adele concert in San Francisco with friends. She was amazing live and more adorable than you can imagine. Two days before the concert we discovered that James Morrison was opening for her, which was fabulous - two of my faves in one concert! His album does not do him justice. I had chills almost the entire time he sang. (Sadly, I forgot my camera.)

We spent Friday and Saturday in Sacramento with friends who recently returned from India and shared lots of lovely pictures and tasty food.

And finally, we returned home to begin the laundry and packing and last minute planning. Maui, here we come!

Revolutionary Road

I finally finished reading Revolutionary Road yesterday and immediately made Husband take me to the movie, which I've been dying to see.

I loved both.

Kate and Leo were fantastic, of course, and the other actors filled their roles perfectly.

Yates delicately portrayed the complications and nuances of human relations, which the movie managed to reflect. In the book he also captured the interplay between character and circumstance as well as the experience of encountering the dissipating dreams of youth. I'm not sure I can write a review that will do the book justice, so let me just say that I highly recommend it to everyone.

Um...

How have I not mentioned the return of 24?

I heart Jack. And Tony! (How I love his growling whisper...)

I'm looking forward to another adrenaline-filled, addictive season of Bauer and the return of his intrepid manbag.

Unexpected

I forgot that I participated in a survey for St. Martin's Reading Group Gold after I volunteered at Book Group Expo back in October. The survey mentioned a complimentary book, but somehow that escaped my memory, so it came as an unexpected surprise when a package arrived in the mail today bearing a free book. Huzzah! That is always a good thing. I hadn't heard of the book, Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, but it looks intriguing and has a lovely cover, not to mention that it takes place in the Pacific Northwest, my home.

In other unexpected news...
I noticed today that the pages weren't numbered in the last two chapters I worked on. When I inserted them, I discovered I'm on page 298. (OMG!) Tomorrow I will breach 300 manuscript pages, and I still have three chapters to read through. Oh dear. I fear I'm going to have to cut at least 50 pages from the manuscript when I finish this draft, although given some of the drivel I've been reading, that may not be too hard. I may cut half that number in adverbs alone!

Disraeli Avenue

Disraeli Avenue by Caroline Smailes


In this touching novella, Caroline Smailes provides fascinating glimpses into the lives of the 32 residents of Disraeli Avenue--the location of her first novel, In Search of Adam. She displays a strong grasp of the regional dialect and social mores of her characters.

Disraeli Avenue expands upon the characters and events that Jude mentions in In Search of Adam. I nearly cried when I read Crystal Williams’ chapter reflecting on Jude, her older sister, and I found myself getting angry while reading Aunty Maggie's reflections. However, ending the collection with Jude’s father somehow made the story feel resolved, and although he doesn't redeem himself completely, he does bring the story full circle.


If you want a copy of this limited edition book, head on over to Caroline's website, and donate to a worthy cause while you're at it.

The S List

I love memes and this one is from JJ at Tea Stains . If you want to do it, leave me a comment saying so, and I'll give you a letter. JJ has given me the letter S and the meme is my list of ten things I love beginning with S.

Sense and Sensibility - one of my top three Jane Austen novels. The other two are Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion.

Sisters - I have three awesome younger sisters, but I have to shout out to the youngest whose name starts with an S, Stephanie.

Shepherds - As in toy Australian Shepherds, as in Drewser.

Santa and stockings and snow - I love all things Christmas.

Stephenie Meyer - I love her fun romantic vampires. And her website, which has some great playlists.

Semi-sweet chocolate - no Angie favorites list is complete without a mention of chocolate, and as far as I'm concerned, the darker the better.

Starbucks - I heart coffee, but skinny lattes are my weakness.

Strawberries - Is any explanation needed for this most wonderful fruit?

San Francisco - I love living in the bay area and visiting this beautiful city regularly, but my favorite section is North Beach, otherwise known as Little Italy.

SW1 - I couldn't figure out how to squeeze London in to this tops list, but never fear, I found a way via this prestigious postcode.

Shakespeare - Anyone writing in the English language owes a lot to the great grandad of English lit. To be [a writer] or not to be? That is the question.

Silver - I've never been a gold girl, but I love all things silver, including my jewelry, my car, and my first teddybear, who bears the name.

Strongbow - I discovered dry English cider while living in London, and I've never turned back.

Singing, swimming, surprises, and sassy red nail polish - These round out the list of my favorite things starting with S.

Okay, so I have a bit over ten, but it was too fun...

Signing off for 2008. Have a safe and Happy New Year all!