Miscellaneous Ramblings From the Pod

For some reason I seem to do my best thinking when submerged in water. This morning, while shampooing in the shower, I realized just where to cut the necessary 100 pages from The Outlaw Bride. I figured out a plot point that came off as too contrived because I didn’t have the room to develop it. Of course this plot point was what the ending hinged on, but I worked through how to change that too. So I must say, it was a very productive shower session. One of these days they are going to invent a laptop computer that’s waterproof and then they’ll be no stopping me. I’ll be incredibly pruny, but I’ll be writing up a storm, so I guess it’s a fair trade-off.

Once I managed to figure out what needed to be done to Outlaw Bride, I went downstairs to work on the scene capsules for Desire & Brimstone. I did get dressed first people, so no worries. I am not running amuck, naked as the day I was born. I save that for those special moments when I want to shock my neighbors, most of whom seem convinced all single women in their neighborhood should be branded with a scarlet letter.

D&B is coming along great since I made the switch, turning my widows into spinsters. This theme seems to work much better for the plots I had devised, so I’m quite pleased. I hope to finish the first draft/formatted outline by next week if all goes well. Then I’ll shelve it for a month while I clean up Outlaw Bride and send it off to HQN.

I’ve also decided to enter the Golden Heart this year. I’m still debating on whether to use The Outlaw Bride or Desire & Brimstone. TOB will be done and polished in time; D&B, I’m not so sure. I don’t know if I can get that manuscript polished to the degree I think it needs to be in order to enter by the deadline set out. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, in other news, the hottie from yesterday had returned to his homeland. Heavy sigh. I did determine who he reminds me of though. If any of you were fans of the TV show, The Guardian starring Simon Baker – well that’s who he looks like in those random moments when Simon’s character Nick actually broke down and smiled. I kept trying to remember to do a ring check but when I thought of it, I couldn’t get a clear shot and then when I could have gotten a clear shot of the left hand, I was too busy gazing into those baby blues. Oh well, what’s a girl to do?

Tomorrow I leave for my chapter’s annual retreat. I’m giving the presentation this year and since most of us it seems have purchased First Draft in 30 Days, I decided to make that the topic. I finished typing up my notes last night. I think it’ll be fun and hopefully helpful for those who have bought the book but not yet started the process. I’m looking forward to it. I’m also looking forward to the hoards of food Heather cooks up. They had to practically roll me out to my car after last year’s feed. Guess maybe I should up my workout time to compensate. Between being out of commission for over a month with my bruised ribs, the food fest that was Reno and now the retreat, I’m going to be busting out of my new fall clothes if I don’t reverse the effects of the mass consumption.