It seems just a teensy bit ironic that just days after I signed off from my ‘100 Words in 100 Days’ Yahoo loop, with the excuse that I was hooked and ready to go off on my own–I didn’t need to check in every day for motivation, I had it covered–here I am having only written a few days in the last week. They were actually very good days (at least I think so now), but still. Part of the problem is that my husband had the computer tied up most of the weekend trying to complete a six hour defensive driving course. (On the way back from Colorado, driving through a little town in northwest Texas, he missed a speed limit sign, and the ticket is for $180!)

So, since I don’t really write anything with a pen and paper, and since I wasn’t really looking to do ‘fresh material’ on my AlphaSmart, I instead used to time to read Me and Mr. Darcy (which I’m liking a lot) and get some stuff done around the house. But I’m starting to feel the distance, starting to get a little detached from my WIP. I need to focus this week and write everyday.

The problem I’m having right now is that my critique partner (whose opinion I do really respsect) keeps telling me I have too much description, too much internal reflection, and too many little asides. Okay. But then I read a book like Me and Mr. Darcy, for instance, and that sort of stuff is littered all over the place. And I like it. So…it makes me wonder if my C.P. and I just sort of like different styles or if my non-action/dialogue parts are just not interesting enough to pull her in. I’m having a lot of trouble with this, and I’m not really sure how to solve the problem. Other than to just make everything a lot more interesting. No sweat!

Oooh! I forgot some very exciting news. I’ve been appointed as an advisor in Stacy’s new World Domination Regime. So, besides the writing, I’m searching for the perfect designer (all Stacy’s advisors get a designer, a villa in Italy and an apartment in Paris–woo-hoo!), who’ll say ‘Respect Me, but Envy Me Too’. I’m tagged to do the World Domination Meme, but I think I’m happy toiling under Stacy.

Last night, I submitted my monthly column to my local RWA chapter’s newsletter editor. I always have trouble thinking of topics. The column is entitled ‘Ask A PRO’. I am a PRO, which in RWA lingo means that I’ve finished a full-length novel and submitted to an agent/editor for consideration. Yes, I’ve done all that, but I don’t really feel all that qualified to be offering anyone writing advice–I don’t feel like an actual pro. I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface myself–I’m still figuring out things that most writers probably get from the get-go. But that doesn’t stop me from having to write the columns, so coming up with a topic is always a trial. This month I wrote about critique partners–I’ve only had mine for a few months now, and so I felt I had a fresh perspective. I sent the column out at about 10:00 pm on the day of the deadline. Within five minutes, the editor had written me back to tell me that someone else had already submitted an article on critique groups.

She told me she was fine with including them both but did I mind? Did I want to see the other article. No, I didn’t. Because I’d already written this article and I didn’t have another topic in mind. But I looked. And it was great. Written from a different perspective from mine, but still about the same basic thing. So even though I thought it was sort of weird, I asked her to go with it unless the author of the other article had a problem with the overlap. I haven’t heard from her. And I’m crossing my fingers because I still don’t have another topic. But still…I feel weird about it.

And thanks to my Thursday 13 commenters, I’m now frantically trying to collect a thorough and entertaining list of Body Part Euphemisms. So thank you all. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments. I’m trying to stick to terms used in historical novels, but feel free to let loose.