No More Terrible Tuesdays!

Oh my Gosh! Already April... I can't believe it. Easter is just around the corner and with everybody buzzing about our church choir program, concentrating on writing has been a little harder. On the plus side, though... WE GOT INTERNET BACK!!!! I am sooooooo glad it is back. You can not EVEN imagine! Having to do all my research on a cell phone screen is hard on the eyes. Can anyone say Major Headache! I am glad to have it back, though. It's been good to be able to actually work again without having to go down to my dad's office after hours to steal Cable. Haha!

Though to me it seems I haven't done much of anything new, in reality there is a lot I have done. I've just been unable to write about it. So here it is. A catch up on everything I've done in the last couple months.

First, I started a new story. inspiration hit me one evening after everyone else had gone to bed and I was up half the night writing it all down on paper. (Well, actually typing it on Word Processor. I write WAY to slow to keep up with my brain!) The story follows a young women who, after a near death experience as a little girl, is able to see the shadows of lost souls who died the same way she would have had they not saved her for a special purpose. The souls want free, but she can't do it alone. She tried to tell her parents, her teachers, her friends, and anyone else who would listen. Because of this openness about her gift her family thought her mentally unstable and placed her in an institution for examination, diagnosis, and hopefully, rehabilitation. The young woman will not rest, though. Or rather, the shadows will not let her rest. She begins to tell her stories to the other patients in the mental hospital, and one by one, each join her cause. Even at the risk of being caught by the nurses and staff that watch over them nearly every second.

Well, it seemed like an interesting story to me. As excited as I am to write it, I hope others will be as equally excited to read it. It's my first horror mystery novel so I'm really hoping it turns out well!

In other news, I've been working steadily on my co-written projects, but the Conflict story is starting to suffer from a lack of inspiration. I fear that in waiting so long to start writing it again I lost focus of what the story was about. The excitement and the thrill of one's first year of college turning into an adventure he'd never expected... I've lost the inspiration to be thrilling and excited for this story... I need to find it again somehow!!!

Tuesday used to be the best day in the world! But this Tuesday is turning out to be just like any other regular day. Nothing special. So I'm to fix that. First, I'm going to be trying to write something really great for tomorrow, Wednesday, which is anti-procrastination day! So...Go Me! Haha. But in a more public way, I think today I will spend the rest of the day speaking in a British accent!! We'll see how many people I can fool, huh?

Starting......NOW!

-in a British accent- Well, I know I've done more than all that, but there's the gist of the big stuff. And I'll be better about writing every day now I promise! Don't tell me it's easy because it's not! There are so many distractions, like my novels and music and the telly! I've just discovered the BBC show Merlin and am positively Hooked!!

Sooo....we'll see about those updates.

Until next time then. Cheerio!

Fifteen Minute February!

FlyLady has taught me so much. In the few weeks that I've been following her program she's not only showed me my own ability to keep a tidy home but the potential of even the smallest things. Writing a book, just like any big project, can seem daunting at first, and as the progress slows the confidence the author has in himself may begin to decline. Negative thoughts can start popping up. Will I ever finish this? Will anyone even read this? Is spending so much time on this project really worth it? It can get overwhelming, fast.

Thank God for Flylady and her rule of fifteen minutes. One of her famous quotes is: "You can do anything in 15 minutes." It's true. Not only does it help with keeping your sanity while cleaning and organizing, I've also started applying it to my writing. Just sit down, set my timer, and for fifteen minutes do nothing but focus on my books. It's been so helpful! I've finally started seeing some progress!

So Thank you, Flylady! For once I'm not stressing over this project. It feels great!

I recommend everyone go visit her right now! Give her fifteen minutes of your time. She's an amazing woman and a great help to anyone who's a little scatter brained when it comes to keeping things organized, whether it's your house or your car or your desk or even yourself! She's amazing. Check her out here!

Until next time!

Candy!

GOODBYE, JANUARY!

Don't get me wrong, I like January and all, but February is just so much better!!! Alright, so I guess you could say my opinion is slightly a little bit biased. (My birthday is in February. Haha.) But it's still one of my favorite months, regardless. I love PINK! And February is all about pink and red and purple. Valentine's Day and all, you know.

No, sadly yet again this year I will be celebrating "Singles Day" rather than Valentine's Day. But that's alright with me. My sister and brother and I will have fun anyway!

Today I did my first bit of decorating for February. I went to Target to look around at the seasonal stuff. Especially the things in their little $1 aisle. I LOVE that section!!!! I actually found some pretty cute cards and a grocery list (both are things I had been planning on buying anyway, so getting them for a dollar was a total stroke of luck!). I also found some really pretty plates shaped like hearts I loved them so much, so decided to pass on the place mats I'd been looking for and get the plates instead. Once I get home, I gathered up all the leftover candy canes from Christmas. Most of them were peppermint, so obviously, red and pink and white! Then I found my white table cloth. Put them all together and PRESTO! a beautiful, cheap February table setting. =)

[Forgive the wrinkles. I didn't have time to iron this morning. =) ]

So that's what I've done today. Not much for writing. Just about a sentence, which really isn't anything to tell about. But I thought I might as well share this. Since this is what I've been doing too!

My romance has hit a bit of a snag. I just can't make the two characters click the way they are supposed to. So I'm really hoping that the SEASON OF LOVE this February will help to re-spark my inspirations so I can put that fire back into my couple!

Wave goodbye to January and I'll see you Next Month!!!

Rainy Mondays.

Okay, okay! Hands up! You got me... I took the weekend off. I know, I know. That's a bad thing to do. Writing once a day. All that. But I was tired and it was Saturday! Haha. Anyway, I'm back now so that counts for something right?

This morning I woke up to my Monday song. "Monday, oh Monday, I really can't describe... Monday, Oh Monday, how you make me feel inside. If I ever have a good one, I know it'd be a first. If there's one thing I know, as far as days go, Monday, you're the worst!" Haha I love that song. well, my Monday hasn't been too bad. It's been raining all day though. Doing errands in the rain is interesting, but not too bad.

I got flipped off today by another driver for the first time! It was great. I know that sounds horrible, but I just love road rage people. They act so ridiculous I have to laugh. What happened was completely her fault too, so it made it all the better. She was even more mad though that I couldn't stop laughing... Sorry, lady! Haha. 

Oh! And this afternoon I got asked to be someone's bridesmaid! I've never been asked to be someone's bridesmaid before, so of course I've never been one before. I'm excited and nervous at the same time, but it's a good feeling! The bride is super nice and really fun and we get to go SHOPPING for a dress on Friday! Can't WAIT!

As far as writing goes, which is what I'm really supposed to be telling you about, I haven't done much today. Wrote a couple paragraphs for Who Likes Who that I sent to Kiki just....now. Haha. Other than that today has been pretty low on the writing scale. I've been doing a lot of cleaning and errand running. The writing job kind of fell behind. But don't worry. Monday is always a hard day to get back into the swing of things after taking off the weekend. I'll be back on the ball by Tuesday. I promise!

So then, we shall see each other again soon. Farewell, my lovely readers. Farewell!

Depressing Depression

Becca's real name is Kiki! At least, that's what I started calling her a few years back and then everyone else copied me. Isn't is strange, how sometimes a nickname will just...stick? Anyway...just throwing that out there.

Today I'm supposed to talk to you about Fabulous Franny, but my mood is nothing short of gray. I tried, but can think of nothing funny to give to you today. Sorry to disappoint. 

Yesterday I didn't write anything. I couldn't. The mood I've been dropped in since then is a mixture of guilt and failure. It's frustrating to be caught in that. My sister even took notice of the "emo corner" I'd stuck myself in. She asked what was wrong, but I just couldn't tell her. Several hours later she saw me again. 

"Still depressed?" she asked. I had to let out a dramatic sigh (because it makes me feel better) as I responded.  

"I hate being depressed! It makes me depressed!!!" I hadn't realize what I'd said until after she broke out into laughter. Admittedly, I smiled too. I guess you could say that was the start of my getting better. But waking up this morning, everything that made me depressed yesterday came rushing back and now I feel horrible again. How do you feel better when you've admitted your guilt and been forgiven? What else is left to do? Maybe I did something else wrong...

I hope today I can figure out how to take my focus off this depressing situation and put it back on writing... 

Wish me Luck! -waves-

All Aboard!

It's nice to know when you've helped someone. The encouragement you can give someone is just as beneficial for yourself! Today I woke up and found that my best friend had started her own blog. Grant it, I wasn't the one who originally gave her the idea, but I'd been the messenger, so to speak. It was really encouraging to me to see her doing something about her writing, really working on it like that. I'm so proud of her! Moreover, her taking action has spurred me on to keep writing! With renewed vigor I'm more ready than ever to tackle my own writing! As well as hopefully being able to help her in any way she'll let me. Haha. ^_^ 

I'd really like everyone to give her your support. She's got a long road ahead of her but I just know she'll make it! So I encourage you all to read and subscribe to Random House Express and follow her progress on her writing. Just remember, I'm her biggest fan!! No competing for that spot. It's already taken!! 

Off you go now. Happy reading!

Cracking the Habit, at least a little.

Once you do something for a while it begins to become routine. A habit, if you will. Every morning my mom stumbles into the kitchen in search of the coffee pot. Every afternoon my brother comes home for school and heads straight for the tv. These are big habits that over time are formed. They pile up to create our daily routine. Trying to change that routine can be tough sometimes - breaking a habit is always hard - but it can be very worth it.

Every morning, I get up at eight, whether my alarm clock has told me to or not. First thing I do? Grab the computer. Check email, instant messages, face book, the blog. It's a whole routine, one website after another. Recently my house lost internet. It's been over three weeks, now, that I haven't been able to go for my computer first thing to check email and face book. But on the other hand, it's given me extra time every morning to focus on what I should be doing! Writing.

Yesterday, I was going through my notebooks. See, like I said before, I'm a really messy person in general (except my work spaces) so as part of a new year's resolution I started a step by step program that creates habits to help a person keep their home clean and organized without stressing. It's been interesting so far. The first thing that is recommended of beginners to the program is to get a notebook, to keep track of your progress and whatnot. So anyway, to do this, I was looking through my notebooks, trying to find once that was at least semi empty. Believe it or not, I have about a hundred notebooks of all sizes and colors, and not a single one of them was less than half filled. It was very frustrating…

Well, while looking through all of that mess, I stumbled (literally) over a notebook that I'd forgotten I still had. It happened to be one I used in college and it held some very detailed outlines of the original plot of Conflict. Everything I could imagine was in that notebook, from shorthand timelines to specific quotes and entire paragraphs of things that were supposed to happen! It was quite the find. I can't begin to describe how helpful it was to have that. And to think, if I'd never been without internet I'd never have been looking through those notebooks in the first place. I would have been on FaceBook!

Not to say that having internet is bad. In fact, I'm thanking the heavens and lucky stars and all that is good since we should be getting our brand new internet up and running this week. Sometimes, though, it's really good to break out of your routine and do something else, at least once. =) If nothing else, you may trip over something you thought you'd lost. Wouldn't that just make your day?

So, until we meet again. Ta-ta!