Happy New Year's Eve

Hi all,
I want to wish everyone a happy and safe New Year's Eve. Do you do anything special on this night? We used to host huge parties but not any more. They are just so much work. So I will be cuddling with the hubby tonight. Most likely, we will not make it to see the ball drop. Usually, one of will wake up and then wake the other up with a kiss and then back to dreamland for this house. Tomorrow, I will cook a big meal with some nice wine. I like the time together more than the big party scene.

Peace Out,
MRD

Call me Ms. Procrastinator

I feel that I should be made queen of Procrastinator-land. I am a huge procrastinator. I think that I actually have raised it to an art form. I will push off something that I don't want to do until the very last minute and I do it in every aspect of my life. Let's see some examples:

HOME- I hate doing dishes. I don't have a dishwasher, as I have blogged before. For a brief few years of my life, before we got our house, I did have one and my kitchen was one of the cleanest in the land. It was actually the major selling point of the place. When I saw it, all nice and shiny in the kitchen, it was like the heavens opened up and a choir of angels was singing. Now, since I have to use my two hands, the kitchen is perpetually a mess. I am not proud of this. It's a fact. So instead of doing dishes right now, I am blogging. Later, instead of doing dishes, I will be revision my manuscript. I might even take the husband to see a movie and out to lunch instead of doing dishes.  Who knows? I know that it has to be done either today or tomorrow.Don't think that I am a slob. The rest of the house is immaculate.  It's just those damn dishes!

WORK- I am on vacation this week, so it has been work-lite. I could have taken work home but I have devoted one week to my writing. In my work inbox, I received an e-mail from the university where I taught a class last semester. They want me back to teach the same class for the Spring semester. I am procrastinating responding. It was a lot of work. I know that there are a lot of people out there who think that teachers have a cushy job, blah, blah, blah... Well we really don't. I am not going to get on my soapbox here about that topic. I used to hate Tuesdays because of this course. I would have to drive 70 extra mile to get to the college and home. I hate bridges, so I would dive extra to avoid them, especially at night. My car really stinks.  I need brand new tires and the thought of driving on those dark windy roads frightens me to the core. So, if I hated it so much, why am I not sending a response rejecting the offer. I already have committed myself to supervising the homework club after school. I don't know why I haven't sent the letter yet.

So reporting from Procrastinator-land, my name is Marie Rose Dufour, and I'm signing off!

MRD

Shoveling really stinks

OMG! I have actually been down for the count for the past two days because of shoveling. The husband's back was acting up and couldn't do anymore shoveling. So, I had to do it. My neighbor usually takes pity on us but his snowblower died and he also wasn't feeling well. I was totally on my own. I don't want to sound bitter but all my sister had to do was put on Facebook that her snowblower wasn't working and my brother loaded his up in the truck and went over to get rid of the snow in her driveway. When I asked if he could just do the pile at the end, which I offered $20 for his gas (I can almost guarantee that my sister didn't offer), I was told that he had already put it away and wasn't going to struggle to get it into the truck again. I said a giant FU to the universe and did it myself but paid for it. My arms hurt so much yesterday that I could barely fasten my bra! I spent the whole day yesterday napping on the couch. I even had sandwiches delivered for dinner. I am feeling better today. Although, my mother reminded me about my birthday coming up (I would rather not celebrate it.  Thank you very much.) So a few errands to run today and then some much needed writing. I feel like I'm falling behind on my goal of getting this manuscript out by the end of the week. I think that it is realistic but not writing yesterday made me feel behind and unproductive.

Peace Out,
MRD

Snowed in

I don't know how much snow is covering my driveway right now but I would have to say that it is over a foot and still coming down.  The husband went out last night and shoveled at least 6 inches but you can't tell right now. We are officially having a blizzard. So, the first day of my vacation is going to be spent indoors. I plan on doing some writing. I have been doing a lot of revising on my manuscript and like it more and more. I actually had an epiphany about the "head popping".  What I am going to do is make it dialogue. So instead of hearing what is going on inside everyone's head and having a passive paragraph, I am going to make it active. I also think that it would be a good example of "showing, not telling".

It is a brief blog today but I hope to do some work before the husband gets up and asks me to help with the shoveling.

Peace out,
MRD

Happy Holidays

It has been crazy here in the house. At 2:15 today, I will be officially on vacation until January 3rd. Ironically, I go back to work on my birthday, which really stinks. I wish I could tell you that I am totally prepared right now for Christmas but it would be a lie. I still have to buy a few things but thankfully most of what I need to buy are gift cards and I can get them all in one place. I still have to buy a few things for the husband. I haven't decided if you is on the nice or naughty list this year but I will still probably cut him some slack.

We have been having snow showers for days, I was hoping for a snow day because I despise the white stuff but that was a no-go! All of the kids at school have been crazy with the holiday and vacation coming.  I keep on telling myself that it is almost over! I actually can't believe how quickly this year is going by.

I have been diligently revising and editing my manuscript. I am hoping to send it out to new publishers next week. I think that this time I will be sending it out to multiple ones at the same time.  I am determined to have this published.

Have a great holiday and new year,
MRD

After rejection, comes reflection

After complaining about not getting a response on my manuscript, I sent an inquiry letter in which I received an almost immediate response. The editor had read my partial and requested  the whole manuscript. I thought that this was a good sign because they wanted to see more of my writing. Ultimately, not even a few hours after I sent the completed manuscript, I received a rejection e-mail. So, I started reflecting on the feedback. Here it is:

The Good (Always start with the good, isn't that universal?)

1. The editor really liked my base story. The basis of the story was solid and she wanted to read more about it. Since the basis is the bones of the story, I took this as a good sign.
2. It wasn't rejected right away.  The editor wanted to read more of the manuscript.  I consider this another good sign. To me, it means that my writing doesn't TOTALLY stink.
3. She really liked my hero. She thought that he was a well developed and interesting character.
4. The editor liked my sex scenes.  She thought they were incredibly hot.

So the "goods" made me feel optimistic.  Then...

The Bad (With the good, always comes the bad, but I consider it part of the reflecting process of becoming a better writer.)

1.  The editor thought there should be more "meat" to the story.  I understand this. So, I am taking this as meaning that parts of the story should have been more developed. I actually agree with this. After reading, my manuscript, I feel it needed "more".
2.  She didn't like my female heroine as much. She thought that she needed a lot of work. This is one of the places that needed to have more "meat". I don't think that she was as well developed as the hero. (I wonder what it means that I write better about men than women. Could I always be thinking about men? Hmmm...)
3. The editor found a few places confusing because I "head pop". I will have to revise my manuscript with a lens on point of view, apparently in a few places, there is not one clear POV.
4. Lastly, I need to proofread my manuscript better.  This, I totally understand. As anyone who has every read anything by me knows, this is the weakest part of my writing. An example of this mistake happened to me this morning. I responded to an e-mail using some one's pen name instead of their real name. I sent a follow-up email, blaming the lack of coffee and the fact that it was 4:30 am but who am I fooling, it was because I didn't proofread my writing before I hit the send button.

All in all, I think that the "good" is very solid and the "bad" is fixable. So this week and especially next, when I am on vacation, I am going to work on my manuscript and send it to another publisher.

Peace Out,
MRD

Have you ever?

Have you ever just stared at the computer screen and nothing? I have been staring at the computer for about an hour and I have no ideas.  To be all fair, my staring at the computer screen has nothing to do with my writing.  It has to do with my day job.  I have to create agendas for some meetings this week and I have no idea of what to talk about.  This block only started this year.  I was transferred against my wished from a place I had been working at for 7 years.  To say that I was devastated would have been an understatement.  Half of my job is creating relationships with people.  With my old place, the relationships had already been established and serious work could be done.  I just know if I have it in my to start all over again. I am seriously thinking of a job change. I have never been in this position before.  I have always loved my job, some days more than others but I have never dreaded going into work in the morning like I do now.  It is days like today that I like to dream that someday I will become as famous an author as Nora Roberts, Hannah Howell, Christine Feehan, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.  Then, I would be paid for doing something that I love to do.

Step one.  Get something under contract.

Peace out,
MRD