WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO BE A REAL WRITER

Sorry I missed last week's post. I had a good reason. No! I'm not going to tell you! (Okay, I will.) My three-year-old got second and third degree burns on his fingers and I've been a little pre-occupied with doctor visits and bandages and cuddling. See, I told you it was a good reason.

So, I just found out my poem, Ladybug Friend, was published in the May 2009 issue of Kidzwonder Magazine. IN MAY. It's July right now. I know, I need to pay better attention to these kinds of things. Anyway, Yippee for another publication!

Also, last night I decided I wanted to be a REAL writer. You know, one of those people who drives to a mysterious place, like a library, or a bookstore, or a coffee shop, or McDonalds, and sets up their laptop and WRITES. And there aren't kids around. (Who said that?) So, when hubby got home from work, I borrowed his laptop and wrote at the library with no interruptions.

It. Was. Pure. Bliss. I could have stayed there for seven hours, except the librarians kicked me out after 45 minutes, since it was closing time.

I'm thinking I should make this a weekly thing.

When and where do you spend your writing time?

SITTING. IT DOES A MANUSCRIPT GOOD.

I love sitting in the shade in the summer. Speaking of sitting . . . Does it do your manuscript good to let it sit for a while? To collect some dust? I recently took out a picture book manuscript I had put away over a year ago. I wrote the first draft six years ago (a badly rhymed piece) and someone in my crit group told me the rhyming made him so nauseous, he couldn't even finish reading the story. Ouch, but he was right.

The second draft was prose and had a cute little boy for the mc. Over the years, I revised and revised, had it critiqued, revised some more, etc. Finally, after five years of messing with it, I couldn't stand the thing and I put it away.

A few weeks ago I got it out and wa-la! My muse spoke loud and clear. The boy needs to be a pig. I couldn't type fast enough and I'm lovin' the new version.

Have you ever had that happen?

"Sometimes you can learn more about a person by what they don’t tell you. Sometimes you can learn a lot from the things they just make up. If you are tagged with this Meme, lie to me. Then tag 7 other folks (one for each deadly sin) and hope they can lie."

Pride -- What is your biggest contribution to the world?

My beautiful singing voice.

Envy -- What do your coworkers have that you wish was yours?

A curfew.

Gluttony -- What did you eat last night?

Eggs. Scrambled, poached, and deviled.

Lust -- What really lights your fire?

The purposeful passing of bodily gases at the dinner table. Oh yeah!

Anger -- What is the last thing that really pissed you off?

When I fell running down the hallway to check on my kids.

Greed -- Name something you hoard and keep from others.

Desserts I make. I like to eat the whole plate/dish/pan all myself. I never give any to the neighbors or to my kid's friends when they come over.

Sloth -- What’s the laziest thing you ever did?

Gave birth to my two kids.

Am I a good liar? Hmm. I don't know.
I tag the following 7 bloggers --

Amy, Michele, Kelly, Mike, Rebecca, Susie, and Tracey.

FOR THE SAKE OF CONTINUING THIS BLOG

Is that how you spell continuing? Guess so. Spell checker didn't underline it.

Anyway, for the sake of continuing this blog, let's just give the Lovely Blog Award to the 15 followers you see on the right there. Great idea Corey! :)

THANKS ZOOK BOOK NOOK!

I had the flu for nine days. That's my excuse of why I haven't posted recently. Okay. Leave me alone. I'm feeling much better now. Thank you. Thank you very much. Speaking of thank you's, thanks to Kimberly Zook for giving me a lovely blog award. I think her blog is quite lovely, too!

So, I guess I have to choose 15 other blogs to give the award to as well. Hmmm. What are you gals willing to pay? J/K. You all have great blogs. But, seriously, does anyone have a plate of brownies?

P.S. Remind me not to blog when I'm really tired. I'll post MY award nominees tomorrow.

CLIPBOARDS AND BUBBLE BATHS ARE MY FAVORITE TREAT

You know what I like to do late at night after I put my two kids to sleep? You guessed it! I fill up the tub, get a tall glass of water (this purple cup pictured is great because it holds a lot of ice) and clip a few pages of my latest project to a board and jump in. Sometimes after I get out, my husband will glance at the clock and say, "You were in there for two hours. What are you working on?"

Where is your favorite place to write???

NAPIBOWRIWEE, DRAFTS, AND SHANNON HALE

Ya know, I just feel like chatting, so let's chat.

I never posted about this, but a couple of weeks ago, I participated in the first NaPiBoWriWee off of Paula Yoo's blog. Participants had to write 7 picture books in 7 days. I did it. Most of the rough drafts I wrote were REALLY rough. I'm not sure I like six of them. One might work. I'm glad I participated. Anyone interested? It will now be held every year the first week of May!

I'm now writing the second draft of my middle grade fantasy novel I wrote in February. It's going a lot slower than the first draft, but I suppose that's normal. The thing about it though: I'm enjoying it-a lot. Who knew the second draft could be so much fun? I hope the third and fourth and fifth and sixth and seventh and eighth and ninth drafts are fun, too.

Last Saturday was the Provo Children's Book Festival at the Provo Library in Provo, UT. I really, really, superbly wanted to go, but I couldn't. (Plus, I live 4 hours away). However, my little sis lives a few blocks away from this library and she, being the kindest sister in the whole wide world, went for me. She's not a writer. She's not even that big of a reader, but she went for me. Why? Two words: Shannon Hale. My most favorite YA author of all time was there. My sister bought "Enna Burning" and had Shannon sign it for me. Do I not owe my sister the biggest hug in the world? Thanks, Tara!