Life and a Ball gown

The last two weeks have been crazy. I caught a cold on top of my allergies which blocked my ear. So I've been deaf in my right ear now for two weeks. One week into it, I went to the finest nurse practitioner money can buy at the Walgreens Well Clinic. She was a kind a gracious woman that told me that my eustachian tube was blocked. So now I have been taking sudafed, nasal spray and Claritan D to try and open that tube up.

Then my van called the "Grey Phantom" died. It not only died but it happened while bringing six children home from a field trip an hour away from home. My daughter that does all the great artwork was with me. And my husband had to leave a business lunch with his boss who had just flown into Denver. But I was so grateful that he came to my rescue. Yeah!! But now I'm car-less. It is not a great feeling.

To the left is another one of the marvelous gowns my daughter made for me. I love the rosette

So I am relying on my grown kids to borrow their cars and to watch my daycare kids as I take the older ones to and from school. Thank heaven that my one son is looking for a job and is carrying the brunt of helping me out.

In the midst of all of this, we went camping this weekend. A much needed reprieve from troubles. We saw three baby fawns with their white spots still showing. A bunch of baby calves, bats and a vole. We watched the stars and satellites in the sky by a roaring fire at night. One of our sons fished the river with much luck, the other went hiking. My daughter also went hiking.And when they weren't doing those things they played Yahtzee. My husband and I went on a hike up the side of a mountain. I should re-think my footwear.  I don't think flip-flops were the ideal choice. But I did make it to the spot where the rapids were wildly beautiful.

Again my last chapter rests with my editor. I think I closed the gaps between coincidences and reality. We'll see.

Writing and Masquerade scene

My editor sent my final chapter back. Yeah!! She said it was getting closer. There are a few scenes that need tightening up and then a few lines need to be added to give the right motivation of why someone is where they are. But all in all, it was music to my ears. Today and tomorrow, I will pick apart each scene and try to make sure that every line is needed.

Can I actually have this book finished within the month?  It seems too good to be true.
My daughter made a few scenes for me. I give her the details and she uses her creativity to bring it alive. This one is a gown that would be worn at a masquerade
What do you think?

Writing and a Wrapper

And so I wait to hear back from my sister/editor believing that what I have written is actually better than what I read before I sent it to her. It is like taking pictures. When you download them onto your computer days or weeks later, they seem a trifle less spectacular than when you snapped them.

Writing and edits

Today, I sent off the last chapter of my 345 page novel to my editor. I wish I could say that it is exactly the way that I want it already. But what I have found is that in places where it feels right it usually isn't far off. But in those places where I feel most confused are the spots where my returned chapter will hold all green ink. Questions about a scene, concerns about reality, prods that I've been lazy and instead of describing what is happening glossing over it.

Every time she sends me the chapter back, I dip slightly into a depression. By that evening, I say, "She doesn't know what she's talking about."  By the next morning, I open the file again and look at the sea of green ink staring back at me. By that evening, I'm ready to work on it. 

Word by word, line by line, I go slowly and review her comments and also what I really wanted the flavor of this scene to taste like. Within a week, I have something even better than I thought possible.

Here's a gown that I worked on for three days, watercolors and ink. It is not up to the caliber that my daughter's gowns are. But it was fun to do. 

Inspiration visits

After brainstorming on how to tie up all the lose ends, I began to write. But I felt again that it wasn't right. So I spent these last five days thinking. Which let inspiration take form.

Out of the five scenes I need to wrap up this book. I have an outline for each. And an outline I feel I can develop.  I'm excited to write again. With each line, I feel like the scenes are coming together.

I know. I know I've said this before and my editor sent it back to me ripped to pieces. Such is the life of the aspiring writer.

Did Inspiration Die?

Trying to write but only see dead ends. Inspiration has to come soon, right? I keep inviting it over and it keeps saying it will stop by. So far he has not. I won't talk bad about him just yet, but if he doesn't show this week, I will have to call him up and have a serious talk. Maybe an intervention. We'll see.

Back to work. There are two things wrong with vacation.

                1. You look forward to it all year. 

2. It is over so quickly. 

“Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!”

Psalm 66:5