Mondays Made of Awesome

Things I Did Yesterday

• Took Rio to Dog Training Class (she would have been a superstar, except for an unfortunate “Leave It” incident)
• Went to Lunch with Friends I Haven’t Seen in Weeks
• Took a Nap
• Updated the Web Site with Some Cool New Content
• Tried to Navigate My Way Around Verizon to Figure Out How to Get My New Cellphone… and Failed (I’m really nervous about screwing this up, because the last time I was in charge of figuring out our cellphones, I accidentally deleted Sailor Boy’s number and account, which we were using for our contact info and which was listed on the top of all the job resumes I’d just sent out. That was quite the picnic, let me tell you. Especially when I tried to get it reinstated and was told, sometime around call 17 of 30 in trying to get it reinstated, that I had no right to access the account — well then, bub, put back the number that I illegally deleted, would you?)

Things I Did Not Do Yesterday

• Watch the Superbowl
• Or Any Superbowl Commercials
• Write

I also tried to make one of those nifty “To Do in 2009” lists like I’m seeing all over the blogs of other writers, and I failed. Because, I realized, that I’m not so interested in talking about nascent projects in public. So my To Do list looks a little sad: write KU2 (see, I am not even sharing the working title for that yet), write something for an anthology I can’t talk about yet, and, um… other stuff. You know how some writers say they can’t do outlines or synopses for their book in advance, because then it ruins it for them? I have what I call a “darkroom” phase, which is similar. If I open the door and talk about something in a fragile, embryonic state, then it burns out and vanishes. I need to know there’s “there there” — that a book has legs and all other manner of cliches — before I can start talking about it. I odn’t even chat with my critique partners until then. Sailor Boy hears, but he’s SB, and therefore the exception to all sorts of rules.

And, unfortunately, I’ve had a few darkroom burn out experiences recently, so I’m keeping things close to the vest for a bit.

What is not in this phase: KU2. It helps that is it both contracted and a sequel to a book that is coming out in a few months. I’m really excited to write this book, though it is vastly different from what I intended when I sold it, as well as when I envisioned the series. It’s about a different character, to start with. But I love Astrid, and I can’t wait to get back into her head, almost as much as I can’t wait for readers to meet her.

February marks the beginning of deadline days Chez Diana, so I may not be around as much as usual. However, I will be posting a Valentine’s Secret Story on that page in the middle of the month, so that’s some February excitement. (We all need excitement in February. It’s the worst month in the year.) I also have some rather big news I’m bursting to share, but I’m told I must hold off on it. Le sigh.

Not yet? Awww, Heck. Fine, I’ll just snooze while I wait. Bum, de bum bumzzzzzzzz.