HC: Congratulations!! ...and thanks...

Wow, Jayne and Krystal, I am in awe. My fingers are crossed for both of you.

The "thanks" part comes because I am about to rerererererere-read my finished novel. I'm off to Seattle for a week of fun, food, rest, hiking (minor), and reading "Cape May." Four people have read it and made comments, and now I will do additions, deletions, updates, and try to make it better Better BETTER!! That's my goal anyway. Having my sister OPDers in my head and spirit will help a great deal.

Thank you!!

To Krystal and Jayne

Brava!

(from Wendy)

A Nice Boost

I got an email yesterday from the editors at Seven Kitchens Press that my chapbook manuscript is a finalist in the Keystone Poetry Prize. Still 14 mss. in the mix, but the boost is palpable--the "It doesn't suck" affirmation helped get me back to the writing desk this morning, and to a new (kinda scary, which is good) approach to some material. Even a short poem I rediscovered hiding as a writing exercise and revised. Huzzah! Jayne

Submitted!

I sent in my article submission today for Ethos. All I have to do now is wait. It could take a month for the reviewers to get through the piece, it could be six months--BUT, it's done and it's in and whatever may be will be.

I'm ridiculously happy.

Krystal

There's someone on my trail ...

Yes, indeed. It's a team as a matter of fact, not just "someone." It turns out that I lit the fire just in time: "Other" research on digital media is emerging -- and the study has been given the honor of "one of the first to model social influence in a virtual world." AHHH!! I have no one to blame but myself; I've been fiddling with this since I graduated. Well, it's going out. Better late than never ... besides, we can study the same field, right?

From HC to KD: Will you share?

What is your writing project for? Can you tell us? Is it a magazine submission?

First Drafts Don't Have to Be Perfect

In fact, it's even okay if they stink.

(I just needed to remind myself.) Wendy

PS. I decided to include a picture of something that is perfect, just for contrast.

Make way for progress.

My hardass deadline seems to have kicked me into gear. I put the article through some vicious editing (and in the process realized that somewhere along the line my academic "voice" has changed--but for the better!) I'm winding up data collection and expect/hope to have the discussion and conclusion done over the coming weekend.

This is it. I can see the end of the path up ahead, and I'm relieved.

Yay Krystal!

I'm so glad you've decided to send your baby out into the world. That's very exciting.

Knowing when to let go is an endless challenge for me. I remember reading that one author--I forget who--said that she knew she was done when her changes were hurting rather than helping her work. But, personally, I can't always tell when that is. And sometimes, I just say, "Okay, good or bad, I've got no more juice for this particular project."

I'm looking forward to your pirate writing!

Decisions, Decisions

That's it. I have finally come to the decision that I need to stop nursing my article. The constant tweaks and rewrites mean that I won't send this out until well after I have a child and put him or her through college--and by then, my research will be hopelessly out of date. I am setting a firm deadline to submit the piece to a journal by the end of the month. And then I am moving on--pirates, suspense, archaeology all beckon from the shadow cast by this monster. I'm afraid I'll stop writing completely if I don't let it go.