Preparation

Last night I went through Jeff Herman's book and found 7 publishers and about 20 agents who will be hearing from me. Also prepping for a new writing conference, researching the California book, and looking at the beginning of Promiscuous Mode. Still, why do I feel that my progress is so damn incremental, as in friggin' slow?

Once I read that it takes patience to learn patience and I never took the time to acquire any.

A writer needs patience as well as inspiration. My next Toastmaster's speech will cover the topic "what does a writer do?" and of course the audience assumes that a writer writes, which is true, of course, but a writer has to do so much more, the research, the networking, the promotion, web sites, blogs (sic) conferences, speeches, more research, finding agents/editors, critique group. Yes, a writer can get so involved in all the peripheral stuff, that pretty soon a writer is not writing, but always preparing to write, which is what I've done the past year. Oh yeah, I completed three more drafts of the Burning Man book, and some synopses, and a class or two, but somehow this isn't writing, and writing it where it's really at, not all this schmoozing.

Proust was right. Lock yourself into a cork-lined room and write, dammit, write.

Today we joined the 'Y,' to stay in shape or get back into shape, and that will be another excuse not to plant butt in chair.

What to do? Do I need a coach? What is all this business about life coaches and job coaches and every other kind of coach? And while I am on a good bitch session, why do manufacturers change the packaging of items in a stupid-assed way? Came back from CVS gritting my teeth. New isn't always better.

We're having cheddar-broccoli soup tonight, and I wrote on the recipe "good" so that is something to look forward to. No meat to speak of for days. Probably the reason I have a cold. Maybe even why I'm grumpy. No, I'm grumpy because I'm not writing. Grrrr.


Grrrrapeshot.