Story nine

Woo Hoo!  I finally have Story 9 back from my editors!  I've already begun to fix the revisions.  I am enjoying the story immensely.  I haven't read it since July so it's easy from me to forget that I wrote it.  I keep finding myself having to leave the library for one reason or another (kids, work, library closing) and not wanting to quit reading it.  I was up all night (literally, I slept an hour if I'm lucky) last night and now when I should be sleeping I'm here at the library because I couldn't wait to read more.   However, I can't start reading until I do everything else that I needed to do first.   Plus, knowing that this should be the last read through for Story 9 before it goes to copyright also adds to my excitement. 

When I'm not at the library, or being a mom, or teaching Tai Chi, I've been working on my newest book (story 14).  I wish I  could work on the computer with it, but first comes story 13 and The Shadow Dragon book 3.  Yesterday afternoon I started hand writing another story.  I know, finish what you've started, but the characters get impatient with me and it's hard to work on anything else.  The funny thing is, I've been going back and forth on buying a new laptop (or more to the point: how much money to spend on it), and part of me was concerned with what if I've written all my stories and then I have this awesome computer, but did I need to spend that much.  So when this new story began to consume my thoughts, I had to smile.  Of course, I'm not done yet.  This is what I love.   It's the insanity that keeps me sane.   I know, I know.   I am using the word sane very loosely. 

Made it to the Library! Yeah!

I've finally spent some serious time at the library! I cannot describe how happy I am right now! Thursday I finally made it to the point in The Shadow Dragon Book 3 where I get to start writing again (the part I am most excited about).  Friday morning my mom tells me I need to take another look at Story 13, because "the writing was too raw for it to have been one of my finals.  Ugh.  When she showed me all the oopses (typos, places where I changed things and forgot to delete what I changed, strange sentences, and several other things), I was very embarrassed.  So I decided since that story is so much closer to done, I would fix that up first.  I was very annoyed with myself, but I figured it was a good punishment to have to put The Shadow Dragon aside. (Hopefully I won't do that ever again -  I know over-confidence is not a good thing)  However, re-reading Story 13 has given me an awesome feeling.  I'm re-reading the book, fixing the oopses, and saying: "I wrote this?!" (in a good way)  I read 56 pages of my manuscript on Friday alone! I was so into the story that I had to keep backing up because I forgot to fix my mistakes, and I did not want to leave the library.    I know I've said this before, but it's a wonderful feeling to read something I've written and just be in disbelief that I created it.  The other awesome thing that makes this all so exciting is it means I'll get back to The Shadow Dragon in a few more days (as long as I can get to the library).  I've also been brainstorming cover ideas for Story 14, all this snow is just so beautiful and inspiring!  Best Michigan winter in a long time!   Well that's everything for now!  I am loving the time and opportunity I've had this past week to work on my books!  Yeah!!!