Sidetracked...

Or should I say kidnapped!  What am I writing?  Labels.  Yep, labels.  Oh, it takes lots of creative genius to come up with a label for an egg carton.

In case you don't follow my farm blog blahwg!, I'm talking about Mr J's chicken hobby.  My other blog documented our journey with his chickens.  In April, we became caretakers of seventy-five day-old chicks!  Now we sell eggs.  (For the record, birds are dirty, nasty animals.  I do not share his love of chickens. However, I am a farmer's wife, for better or for worse...)

Yesterday, I rode with Mr J to the local feed store to pick up 250 generic egg cartons.  So I spent the evening coming up with designs to his liking for the 250 cartons.  Between you and me, I think an agent is easier to please.  But now, here I sit with a stack of approved labels to cut and apply.

Crooked Creek Farm

Free-Range Eggs 

Liz, if you can hear me, I'll be there soon...

Read it to me...

As if I didn't have enough to do...  My BF was telling me just last week that she was going to purchase a voice-to-text program (very affordable) to allow her to dictate her book.  (We're supposed to be co-authors, but she needs a fire lit under...  oh well, that's another subject.)  It sounded like a good idea... for her - not me.  I like writing my ms.  I type almost as fast as I think.  I don't know that I could focus as well by dictation.

I never gave a minutes thought to the flip side of this possibility...  At least, not until I read a blog just now on QueryTracker.  Even though I keep vowing to stop editing and get finished with the writing, I have read portions of my ms aloud as an editing tool.  It is effective to a point.  We do tend to read it the way we meant it, and not necessarily the way it truly reads.  So what if a computer read it to you?

Check out today's post:  Was Blind But Now I See-- Text-to-Voice: An Underappreciated Editing Tool

The Danger of Agents' Blogs Part II - My Brain is a Sponge

...and it's dripping all over my manuscript!  Have you seen that commercial for bing, the new search engine?  It's the one where the people keep spewing strings of information.  I'm having a similar problem.

I am constantly editing.  I write, then edit, then write some more...  I wish I could just write the whole thing down, and then, when the story is finished, go back and begin the editing process.  I've written on this before... my obsessive need to edit, but now I've taken it to the next level!

I made need to take a vacation from my WIP.  Not because I need distance from it, but I need to escape the thoughts that are consuming me.

 I absorbed all this information from reading the blogs, and now it's flooding my consciousness.  As I'm writing the current chapter, my brain keeps jumping back to previous parts and telling me, "You're supposed to..." or "Don't you remember what she said about..."  I think it's a form of mental illness.  Whatever it is, it's driving me crazy!  I think about it while I'm cooking and doing dishes.

Isn't this a good thing?  I mean, I've really learned a lot about the structure of a good manuscript.  That has to make me a better writer.  On the other hand, if it drives me over the edge, will I have access to my laptop in the padded room?

Is there anything in your writing process that you're extremely obsessive about?  Share with me so I don't think I'm all alone...  Hello?  Are you out there?

Writer's Haven Goes to Hell

I do most of my writing in my bedroom. I designed this house with my in-laws in mind, so we each have our own area at opposite ends of the house. From my room, I cannot hear their TV. I made our bedroom large enough for our sitting area. I have two wing-back recliners with a table between them.

When I look straight ahead from my chair, I can just barely see the neighbor's house, as the leaves are starting to fall. In the summer, I see only trees. When I look to the side, through the doors to my deck, I see pasture and more trees, sometimes goats and horses. It is a very peaceful setting... a true writer's paradise!


Beyond the pasture and woods is a bike path, which borders our property. The grandkids love that feature! Across the bike path, there was a welding shop. It was sold to some guys that cut firewood. Then it stood empty, waiting for the new owners. Well, they've moved in...

It is now home to a dance school. How nice. Apparently, the instructors believe in fresh air. Yes, they do routines outside the building. Ordinarily it wouldn't matter, since it's so far away. Ordinarily one does not associate a loud bass drum with a dance class.

At first I thought there was someone parked on the bike path with those big woofers blaring. The bass sounded like a cadence for a marching band. I thought about putting on my industrial strength earmuffs, but decided it should quit soon. It didn't.

Hubby came in from splitting wood. "How do you like having a dance place next door?" he asked.

"Is that what that is?" I yelled over the ba-da-da-DUM, ba-da-da-DUM.

He smiled. "Every Saturday."

"Oh, well. Dance classes only last for about an hour, don't they?" I guess I'll write later...