WIP update: I’m roughly 4600 words in. Chapters 1 and 2 are written. Chapter 3 is in progress. I kind of feel like all of it is crap, but my lovely first draft readers assure me that’s not true. Of course, I don’t entirely believe them, but I’m trying to remember that crap is okay for right now. I just gotta get the story down, then I can mold it into something pretty.

I do feel pressure to be polished, though. Even on this blog. It’s very difficult for me to shut off my Internal Editor, even though I know it’s holding me back. In fact, that might be my greatest challenge as a writer. That and my ASDD: Avidly Seeking Distractions Disease.

(Dude, it’s totally a real thing.)

Also, I completely forgot to do my morning pages this weekend. Whoops. I’ll blame my dog. See, there’s a new (ADORABLE!) puppy next door, and Riley has taken it upon himself to announce the puppy’s comings and goings with a rousing chorus of barks and howls. No matter what time of day. Or night. Yeah, it’s awesome. NOT. It also means I didn’t sleep great on Friday night, which means I didn’t function that well on Saturday. There’s still time for me to do my “morning” pages today, though.

In better news, I might be published soon? I submitted my flash fiction piece “How to Field Dress a Deer” to my alma mater’s literary magazine, and I got an email today that it was accepted. Hurrah! More details on that if/when it’s confirmed.

And finally, at the risk of sounding hokey, lately I’ve been reminded that real life/the world around us really does provide the best stories and inspiration. Like Joannie Rochette’s tragedy & triumph at the Olympics. Or like this weird parasitic fungus that infects an ant, kills it, and then bursts out of its head. Or like a twenty-something writer who’s struggling to meet her daily word quotas and just wants to watch some cute rom-coms, goshdarnit!

Oh, that one’s not a good story? My bad.

I’ve been talking a lot about writing lately, so today I thought I’d do something a little different. Hard as it is to believe, I know that some people don’t actually care about writing, or my writing, or even words. So for those people, and just to mix it up, here’s a photographic peek into my fascinating crazy awesome life.

My job:

My buds:

My Narnia-like backyard (hearts added as an experiment):

And some weird vegetable that looks like brains:

Think I could put one of those in my head instead of what I’ve got? Or maybe that is what’s in there right now. You know, that would explain a lot…

Since “hope is on the horizon” for me (as my writing group put it) I’d like to spread the good vibes. Here are some great links and opportunities:

• This one’s a little short notice (sorry!) but the Kenyon Review is running their annual short story contest through Feb 28th. Final judge is Louise Erdrich, and grand prize is publication AND a scholarship to their 2010 writing workshop. I went to the workshop in 2009 and loved it.
• My friend Mary just started a new blog called Out of Texas (“and into the rest of the world!” – hehe, so cute). Unfortunately the shiny fun newness of it is making me want a Tumblr too. Because, you know, I don’t have enough social media outlets. o_O MUST RESIST.
• The fantabulous Kiersten White and Natalie Whipple participated in a round-table with two other writers, and the resulting discussion CHARMED MY PANTS OFF. (Not literally. Or at least not that I’m admitting to.) It also introduced me to Sean Ferrell, a friendly, funny guy whose book Numb sounds awesome.
• Sigriddaughter’s 7th Glass Woman contest is seeking short fiction and creative nonfiction submissions from female writers. I actually know, via WritingForums.com, the woman who won last year. I had even critiqued her piece there! We’re not BFF or anything, but it was totally cool (and a little surreal) to read her piece and realize I already knew it. It also makes the possibility of winning seem more real/attainable, you know?
• And last but definitely not least, Writer Unboxed is looking for an unpublished writer to contribute monthly. WU is a great resource for writers of all genres, and features a rotating panel of authors, from YA writer Kathleen Bolton, to NYTimes Bestseller Allison Winn Scotch, to podcast-to-book deal extraordinaire J.C. Hutchins. Click here for details on how to apply, and yes, I’ll be tossing my hat into the ring.

Okay, now back to my regularly scheduled work/writing/Olympics-watching mayhem. (PS: How awesome was Yu-Na Kim last night?! And Mirai is just adorable. I can’t wait to see the free skate programs tonight.)

WIP update: I’ve written Chapter 1 and have been wrestling Chapter 2 for days. Yesterday I finally got him in a headlock, and today he’s going down for the count! Then it’s on to Chapter 3…

I was in the middle of writing a completely different blog post for today, but then

I GOT MY FIRST REQUEST FOR A PARTIAL!!!!!!!!!

(Translation for non-writers: A literary agent asked to see a synopsis and the first 3 chapters of Twenty-Somewhere. This is a good thing. A very, very good thing.)

Andy’s reply to my ecstatic email:

SWEET

You are more successful at writing than fishing

Fortunately, that appears to be true.

Man, I feel like someone shot me full of adrenaline. Which would probably be fine if I hadn’t just downed a can of Pepsi too. Now I’m going to be jittery all afternoon…

Jittery and grinning like an idiot.

How about a little humor for a Friday?

“Anybody who writes a book is an optimist. First of all, they think they’re going to finish it. Second, they think somebody’s going to publish it. Third, they think somebody’s going to read it. Fourth, they think somebody’s going to like it. How optimistic is that?”

- Margaret Atwood in an interview with CNN (via Amanda the Aspiring Writer)

Awesome, no? Then in the comments section of that interview, I found something that’s awesome in an entirely different way:

Hehehe.

Other than nerdy writing funnies, I’m keeping myself busy with the new WIP. Starting slow (daily quota of 500 words) but I’d like to finish the whole thing by April, so obviously I’ll be picking up the pace.

I’ve also started “morning pages” — which I haven’t been doing in the morning, but whatever. Through this freewriting, I’ve already gotten a new idea for a YA novel. Because, you know, FIVE ideas waiting to be written wasn’t enough.

o_O

Ah well, into the queue it goes…