Getting ready for London trip and writing

Had a wonderful Christmas. Christmas Eve was celebrated at my brother and sister-in-law's home. Then Christmas Day at my husband's brother's home. That night we celebrated Christmas at our home with our daughters, one son-in-law, and two sons. So very nice and there was even snow falling that evening.

My daughter, Bailey gave me The Jane Austen Handbook. It has been so fun to read.

So onto writing. Since I've finished my first book and sent it into a contest, my mind has been wandering onto re-writing my next book. My trip with my sister to London is in two weeks and I am excited to see all the historical places that I've been writing about. I feel that once I am there, I will be able to get the feel of the place and put my characters right into the places we visit. 

Beautiful day gown that my daughter, Jordan made for me.

A gown and a story

Merry Christmas!  I'm back from a break. I wrenched my elbow last week and then couldn't sleep from the pain. After a few hours in the Emergency Room was told I had a fractured elbow. I was put in a splint and given pain medicine. The medicine didn't touch the pain so I was back in the Emergency Room that night hoping for some relief. More pain pills again but it also had no effect. Took some Advil and that seemed to help more than anything else.

My whole family pitched in and did all the things that I usually do. Now after a week, I can move my arm again. No lifting just yet. But mobility. Yeah!!  A Christmas Miracle!!!



I have not written or thought about writing this whole week.

So anyone that comes across my ramblings  Merry Christmas and to a Happy New Year.

Contest

After a rush of revising and changing the final scenes to be realistic, I sent my book off to the contest. It seems in my haste to get the book in the right format, in the right category and before the deadline, I inadvertently signed up to be a judge. I am not sure what I will be asked to do, but it looks like I have a lot of reading ahead of me.

I thought this gown would be wonderful for a dinner with friends. I love the leaf pattern on the hem, sleeves, high waist and neckline. Plus who doesn't love pleats. They are wonderful to look at and elegant to wear. 

Thanksgiving, edits and gowns

Yeah!!! Got through Thanksgiving. Talked to so many relatives. My brother and his two kids made it to my sister's Thanksgiving gathering from California. It was so nice to see him and talk to him.

But there is always sadness when you meet with 100's of people between my husband's and my family. A nephew's baby was lost before term and another nephew's coworker died earlier this week. Some of the younger generation had to work on Thanksgiving and some of our in-laws stayed home sick. Those in college are gearing up to finals and some in high school are getting ready to or have just gotten their driving licenses.

Now back to writing. The contest looms and I find myself going over and over every page, hoping it makes more sense than the last time I read it. I don't know. I just don't know. But I have the last four chapters to go over before this weekend is out. Then I need to convert it to a PDF and send it off by next Thursday. Friday at the latest.    

Contest looms

Two weeks until the contest and my last chapter needs reworking. It seems in my excitement to finish the book, I forgot that in order for it to be a good book, it must have an amazing ending. The action needs to tie up each story line. But I made it a summary instead of a story.

Ahhhh!!!! Back to working on it day and night.

It has been so cold. I think it was 1 degree overnight and a high todayof 14. Not looking forward to it. However, hope is on the horizon, it might reach up to 45 degrees later in the week, yeah!!

Gearing up for Thanksgiving. In a family of mom and dad, seven siblings and all of our husbands and wives, add to that our kids, two son-in-laws,and a few friends, it gets a little chaotic.

I like to bake and enjoy preparing for Thanksgiving.  I like the day and visiting with so many people. But I dread the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I hate running around trying to find gifts. What do you give people who have everything? What do you give to
those who have nothing?

Plans for London, contest and editing

Reading and editing 20 chapters is exhausting. I believe I have read over 500 pages this last week. But the contest looms, and I sure would like it to be the best that it can be.

I feel when I go through it and find nothing to change. No rocky parts that are hard to understand or boring parts that I want to skip through only then will it be done.

My editor was quite encouraging this week. She found the plot twists interesting and the storyline working. Yeah!!

Between editing and working, life is full. My sister and I have decided that one of the days we are in London in January, we will take the tunnel to France. So I am trying to figure that all out. We will be taking the bus to tour London and so I have heard that you can buy a pass or ticket that allows you on every train and bus. Now all I have to do is search the internet for such a thing.

Does anyone out there know anything about it?  

Jane Austen Movies, gowns and the writing contest

Still on a marathon of watching Jane Austen movies.  Saw Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant. Wonderful!! I've seen it before but it was such a pleasure to see it again.

I know, I said I would not watch another Persuasion but I did. It was truer to the book and only left out half-dozen intricate plot points. But it was very well made from the BBC from 1995.

Now, from my sister's library, my daughter and I have only one movie left - Emma.

Working on writing and I think  - one is never done. It is something that you must at one point just say, "This is all I will do on it for now. It is time to set it aside."  Will read it through 3 more times before the contest. My editor is painstakingly going through it - asking all sorts of important clarifications. She is wonderful.


And then however it turns out, I am sending it in to the contest and then will wait to see what happens.

It turns out to write a very bad book takes a lot of time. To write a good book takes even more. I wonder which category I'm in.  Until next week.