writing
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Happy New Year!
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Happy 2011! I love new years. Actually, it’s the week before the new year that I really love. That seems to be the only time I can relax and plan. Each year I come up with new goal. Some are long term with no real guess as to when they will be accomplished. Being a Genesis finalist was one of those goals. I’m thrilled to have doubly met that mark in 2010. Other goals are just for that year. I’ll share a few with you and we’ll see how I did at the end of 2011.
Professional goals:
1. Sign with an agent.
2. Submit two magazine articles.
3. Finish edits for Counting on Callie.
4. Complete the first drafts of two more manuscripts.
5. Attend the ACFW conference.
6. Attend the summer OCW conference.
Personal goals:
1. Lose 40 pounds by my 40th birthday (November 8, 2011).
2. Clear out some of the clutter that has started to attack our home. Get rid of at least 40 items per month.
3. Retile the kitchen and bathroom floors and the bay window.
4. Paint the hall a color that I love.
Family goals:
1. Spend at least five days somewhere else, just relaxing.
These are just a few of my goals. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to jump into another year of adventure. This year promises to be busy and fun with basketball for three of the kids, horse stuff for two of them, 4H for all four, soccer, volleyball, birthdays, vacations, youth group, friends and many things I can’t even imagine.
What’s on your list for 2011?
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Moments from the ACFW conference, Chick-fil-A
I’d never been to a Chick-fil-A, but I’d heard of them from writers that live in other parts of the country. And then of course there is Tim Hawkins’ loving tribute to the restaurant (see video below). I had to see this place for myself. Good sports that they are, my critique group took me across the street from our hotel and into the downtown Indianapolis mall. At the top of the escalator we found our treasure. There was a cow wearing a t-shirt advocating the eating of chickens. A dream come true. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal, but the chance to do something new with a group of my favorite people really was priceless. Oh, and the chicken sandwich was very yummy.
Donna Moore, Kimberly Buckner, a cow, Jodie Bailey, and me. -
Back online and out the door!
Yay for the wise tech people that solved my database error. I don’t even have a clue what a database error is so it’s great they were there to help. Now I’m back online, and just in time to leave for the 2010 ACFW conference in Indianapolis. As I write, I’m sitting on the Hut Shuttle in route to Portland International Airport. My dear friend and critique partner, Jodie Bailey, is driving her way up from Tennessee. I can’t wait to see her at the end of this very long day.
This is a special conference for me. Of course I think it’s special every year, but this year most of my critique group will be attending. Donna and Kimberly will arrive tomorrow. Janay, we’ll miss you. This year is also special for me because I accomplished a major goal. I finaled in the Genesis contest. This was one of those goals I didn’t really know if I’d ever meet, but last May I found out that I made the cut in Women’s Fiction and in Contemporary Fiction. I’m still shocked. The winners will be announced at the banquet Sunday night. And believe it or not, there is a lot of truth to the “It’s just an honor to be nominated” thing.
I’ll update you as I go. Hopefully with pictures.
Christina
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New Adventure
Usually new adventure means something exciting and fresh. Not this time. The adventure I’ve been on for the last three days is better described as torture. Really torturous torture.I tried, with every ounce of my brain, to put together a website.
I’m a creative kind of thinker. I know that better now than ever. Writing and stories, they are my passion. Math and technical science, not so much. All that html, FTP, CMS; I don’t get it. It’s like dropping into an advanced math class with out learning how to add first.
So after three long days, I’ve stopped. No more staring at code and pouring over those how to for dummy books (apparently I’m a few levels below dummy in this arena), and no more waking up in the middle of the night to worry over this project. I’m done. My website will sit vacant until I hire someone with a computer brain to bring it to life.
Today I return to the world I love. I’ve missed three days of writing and I think taken five years off my life, but I’ve learned a valuable lesson: Let the experts do what the experts do.
Have a lovely, low-stress week,
Christina
