Readying for the Frenzy

I’m sorry that I am posting this so late. I was at a writers’ retreat this weekend, and even though I got home from it by mid-afternoon Sunday, I was too scattered to sit at the computer. Instead, I took a nap.

The writers’ retreat went well. Gave me more ideas of things to write about and how to write them. Things like the family story. Somehow I need to fit that in to my schedule, but more and more fictional characters are showing up on my doorstep insisting that I write their stories first. Argh. Not enough hours in the day.

So have I made any progress on my concise list of goals? As usual, green highlights are a win, yellow highlights are worked on and red letters are a fail.  

1)      Finish writing my current novel, “The Big House”. I only wrote 2,080 words on this newest novel last week, and those were all last Sunday afternoon. (I need 5,000 a week for the green.) Revised goal number 2 has taken precedence.

2)      Continue researching publishers for my first novel  Work on readying “Where the Sky Meets the Sand” for publication.. Since I signed a contract last week with Ambassador International to publish my novel, I will be spending long hours working with their editors, design artists, marketing people, etc., for the next six months. This Friday I have a phone conference with the publisher, which should give me a better idea of the time line for this project.   

3)      Do some editing on my two memoirs, “Pat’s Story” and “Two More Trips To Africa”. Edited chapter one of Two Trips. (With this crazy schedule, I’m saying one chapter a week is a win.)

4)      Continue posting to my other blog, “The Dino Chronicles” three times a week. Didn’t get to a post on Sunday for the Chronicles, and the Sunday post here is a day late.  

5)      Finalize the next trip to Kenya for my daughter’s nonprofit, Tumaini Volunteers.  Hmm? I don’t remember working on it at all. Oops.

6)      Get my body in shape. I don’t remember. I think I exercised three mornings, but I think that’s about it. I’ve also been eating like an Ethiopian who has just arrived in this land of plenty. Oink, oink, oink. I really need to get it together.   

Right now my number one priority needs to be working like a slave for the new publisher, meeting their deadlines and driving myself to bring the very best product that I can to virtual book store shelves. I know that somehow in that frenzy I need to take time for myself as well. I’ll find a balance. I’ll be fine.  

Apple something recipe that I baked with Minnesota apples. Only one of the many things I've been pigging out on.