Spring brings new beginnings...
Today was a beautiful day. The kind that inspires you to break out those capris and strappy shoes for the first time of the season. The kind that makes you open the sunroof and blast your new Joshua Bell CD for the cultural edification of passersby. The kind that slaps you in the face and says, "Look what a fantastic world you live in--and what have you done about it lately?"
Sigh.
Today was our first meeting for this year's WIFYR conference. It's a fantastic week of writing workshops, helpful how-to sessions, and networking with some of the best writers, editors, and agents in the business. The author's assistants met to go over details and plans for the small part we get to play. Since I missed the conference last year due to a trip to Europe (I know, poor me), and since I get assigned one of my favorite authors this year (I know, poor poor me) I was feeling more than a little excited.
That was, until our fearless leader Cheri announced that this is the conference's ten year anniversary.
Ten years.
Surely there is some mistake. Cheri is, after all, a writer, not a mathematician. There is no possible way that I have been plodding along at this for ten years. A decade of filling my hard drive with scenes that I rarely let anyone peek at? A decade of telling people I'm a writer, when I feel like I haven't done much to earn that title?
Ten years.
After the meeting a few of us stuck around to share our mutual apprehension about the upcoming conference and our feelings of unpreparedness. (Cheri may not be a mathematician, but she is a great therapist.) We came up with a plan--why not set some goals for ourselves, and make it into a little friendly competition?
So here's my declaration, for all of the world to see: a daily goal of at least two pages per day and a daily blog update of my progress, with a final goal of a completed manuscript of the novel I've been working on by the time the conference starts. And I probably should take a stab at a revision of my first novel too. Improbable, but not impossible.
The prizes mentioned so far have included puppies or tiaras, so that should be quite an incentive for everyone. Although I think no longer dealing with the guilt of having a half-finished novel banging around in my head trying to get out will be prize enough.
Pages written today: none, but I did finally make a blog post!
Currently reading: My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
Sigh.
Today was our first meeting for this year's WIFYR conference. It's a fantastic week of writing workshops, helpful how-to sessions, and networking with some of the best writers, editors, and agents in the business. The author's assistants met to go over details and plans for the small part we get to play. Since I missed the conference last year due to a trip to Europe (I know, poor me), and since I get assigned one of my favorite authors this year (I know, poor poor me) I was feeling more than a little excited.
That was, until our fearless leader Cheri announced that this is the conference's ten year anniversary.
Ten years.
Surely there is some mistake. Cheri is, after all, a writer, not a mathematician. There is no possible way that I have been plodding along at this for ten years. A decade of filling my hard drive with scenes that I rarely let anyone peek at? A decade of telling people I'm a writer, when I feel like I haven't done much to earn that title?
Ten years.
After the meeting a few of us stuck around to share our mutual apprehension about the upcoming conference and our feelings of unpreparedness. (Cheri may not be a mathematician, but she is a great therapist.) We came up with a plan--why not set some goals for ourselves, and make it into a little friendly competition?
So here's my declaration, for all of the world to see: a daily goal of at least two pages per day and a daily blog update of my progress, with a final goal of a completed manuscript of the novel I've been working on by the time the conference starts. And I probably should take a stab at a revision of my first novel too. Improbable, but not impossible.
The prizes mentioned so far have included puppies or tiaras, so that should be quite an incentive for everyone. Although I think no longer dealing with the guilt of having a half-finished novel banging around in my head trying to get out will be prize enough.
Pages written today: none, but I did finally make a blog post!
Currently reading: My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
