Life is at a standstill right now as I contemplate my priorities. Motherhood, which I very seldom talk about in this blog, has become an all-consuming mind/body/soul activity. The day job has also become more interesting and (unfortunately) more time-consuming. It’s a zero-sum game right now. If I drive my kids to activities, I have to miss work. If I miss work, I can’t write. If I write, I can’t dance. If I dance, I can’t paint the house/repair the fence/fold laundry/grocery shop/run errands.

I do miss writing. I’m thinking about this now because the RWA is having their convention in my backyard this year. And while I don’t miss all the social activities that go with the writing (I’ve come to hate the conventions and reading about industry news and yes, blogging about my daily writing output), I still miss the actual WRITING.

I pulled maybe two pages this weekend. And I have no good excuse. Not even writer’s block. I know exactly what’s supposed to happen, and even then, I didn’t write. Laziness is all.

I’m going to put in twenty pages tonight if it kills me.

Kiss of Death, the mystery and suspense writers’ chapter of the Romance Writers of America, has outdone itself this year. For it’s pre-conference tour, a normally one-day event held before the big giant RWA annual conference, we are going to THREE different places instead:

• Monday, July 13: A tour of the FBI Academy in Quantico.
• Tuesday, July 14: A tour of the State Dept. in the morning and the U.S. Postal Service headquarters in the afternoon.
• And on Wednesday, July 15: A look-see at the CIA. Yep, THAT CIA. The one in Langley.

I’m so excited I could scream. I can’t wait for July. This is going to be the mother of all tours. I wanna say I’m going to take photos and send Facebook updates but I’m thinking they’re not gonna allow us any digital devices in any of those places. Y’all are just gonna have to settle for a firsthand, eyewitness account. Woohoo!

Yep, I’m going to admit it. One of my most favorite things to write is a good old-fashioned love scene. I don’t care if it’s emotion-laden or just a fleshy orgy; me loves da secks scenes and I ain’t apologizing for it. Maybe it’s because it involves choreography and movement (two of my favorite things in life). Same thing with a fight scene. I love writing those too.

I’m talking about this because I’m about to make my hero and heroine do the horizontal tango. It’ll be tricky. There are some things they have to watch out for. I’m gonna leave it at that because, you know, trade secrets and all. But I’m rubbing my hands in glee cause I can’t wait to get started. See y’all on the flipside.

Sometimes I wish that there was a workshop that deconstructs a novel. As pre-class homework, all the attendees would be assigned to read a particular book. Then the entire workshop would be spent minutely examining this story — from plot to characterization to pacing to the heroes’ inner journeys.

Alas, I have yet to find a workshop like this. Oh well…maybe that would be a future one that *I* could give.

Say it ain’t so! For some reason I’m having the hardest time hunkering down to write at night. This has never been a problem for me. I finished two novels by staying up into the wee hours of the morning. But now, like Superman, I seem to need sunlight.

Which is a bad thing. I have a day job, after all.

Not looking forward to springing forward this Sunday but at least it will give me more daylight to write. Despite the winter darkness I’ve crossed the 62K mark with Project George, which is a minor miracle in this age of economic uncertainty. What does one have to do with the other? Nothing. But you know, these days you have to relate everything to the bad economy.

New book review here. Love this author. Plus he added me as a friend on Facebook!

As I write my cats are circling around. I think they have cabin fever what with all the snow. Unless I’m going skiing, I hate snow. Wish it would stop.

The writing is progressing slowly but surely. First draft is always a bitch. I still need to rewrite every scene twice until it feels right to me. I’m now rethinking the casting of one of my secondary characters. I’m thinking of making him blonde and British. Or not. Wait…maybe I can turn the hero of my next story (the one about the Hollywood agent) blonde and British. As in this guy:

Nothing hotter than Cary Elwes circa 1987.

Here’s that stupid interesting meme that’s all the rage in Facebook. But instead of 25 Random Things About Me, I’m doing 25 Random Things About Vanessa, who is the heroine of Project George:

1. Graduated from West Springfield High School in Virginia, Class of 2004.
2. If her life became a movie, Megan Fox would play her.
3. Eats like it’s the end of the world. This morning, she had pancakes, bacon, eggs over medium (she hates them runny), two glasses of OJ, coffee, biscuits with gravy and kiwi slices (her favorite fruit).
4. Hates the fact that she loves romantic songs. They make her cry but it’s all she likes.
5. Favorite movie: “Sweet Home Alabama.”
6. The only twentysomethinger in the United States who doesn’t own a cell phone. Or an iPod.
7. Favorite ice cream flavor: cappuccino.
8. Likes jobs where she can use her hands. Like sewing or cooking.
9. Can throw a knife from fifteen feet and hit you between the eyes.
10. Never had a boyfriend.
11. Lived in six different states since turning eighteen.
12. Lived under six different aliases and she’s not telling you what they are.
13. A night owl.
14. Hates olives.
15. If she ever had a boyfriend she wants him to look like Robert Downey, Jr. Matter of fact, wouldn’t mind dating Robert Downey, Jr.
16. The most unplugged twenty-two year old in the United States. Doesn’t really know much about Google or Facebook or blogs or computers in general.
17. Really, really wants to learn how to play the guitar.
18. Wishes she could sing.
19. Wishes even more that she could dance.
20. Wished she knew the identity of her birth parents. Or any blood relatives.
21. Loved the Harry Potter books.
22. Can’t whistle.
23. Can’t swim.
24. Can’t stand being cold.
25. Can fit all her belongings in a large travel backpack.

And there you have it. So maybe these memes aren’t so annoying after all. Maybe they actually have their uses, like as character sketching exercises for stories. Huh.

Good weekend, all!

Some good news: a positive report on Project George from my critique partner, the wonderful J.T. Bock. She said so many nice things I threatened to fire her as my critique partner. Where’s the Simon Cowell, I asked? Where’s the Grumpy Old Man?

Course Jen is about as far from grumpy, old or a man as you can imagine. And, okay, I’ll admit to being inordinately pleased at her positive response. She accused me of channeling Dean Winchester in my hero, and I guiltily admit to that too. Why, oh why can’t I seem to write a male character that isn’t Jensen Ackles?

Thursday night is a designated writing night for me. No dance classes, no teaching, although there is Supernatural although I will resist the urge to watch. Tonight, after the kids’ bedtime, will be devoted solely to PG. Word count goal is 62K (I’m at 59K now).