Plot Monkeys

Note - I wrote this blog last week, before Julie’s week of excerpts. Now the title seems like it should be FINALLY It’s All About Me - just kidding! I loved Julie’s story as much as the rest of you and what really thrilled me was your reaction to it! Julie has a winner on her hands!
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NOW back to me!

I’ve been going through a rough patch. I didn’t realize it for awhile. I knew I wasn’t writing at the pace I wanted. I wasn’t as “up” as I wanted to be. I couldn’t put my finger on what I was feeling or why. A friend mentioned some things she was going through and I was able to relate enough to make some personal changes in my life too. Among those changes was to try to think more about ME.

On the one hand, this seemed odd. I mean, don’t I always think about me? Well yes in between thinking about everyone else in the family. Don’t I always put my writing first? That’s the thing – I always THINK about writing. Doesn’t mean I’m always writing. And I decided that the reason I’m falling behind on the writing is because I’m thinking more about things than doing them. So I decided to put some things into action.

1. I’m eating better.
2. I joined a gym with my sixteen year old daughter and we are going to motivate each other. We will go after school or early evenings, so I will no longer feel like I have no time to exercise because I could use the time writing. I never write during these hours because I’m carpooling and then the kids are home … so now we make better use of our after school time.
3. I’m getting weekly manicures – this makes Mom happy (seriously!) and makes me feel better about ME.
4. I bought a new desk chair and I’m having someone come into the house to make my keyboard tray and mouse tray more ergonomically fit to alleviate the back and shoulder pain. (which has me in physical therapy 2 – 3 times week and takes up way too much time!) I’m hoping to have the set up in place next week.
5. I saw my doctor and tweaked some things that needed tweaking!

As a result of focusing more on me, I’m hearing the voices again! Not schizophrenic voices but a writer’s voices. The characters are starting to talk to me again, slowly but surely and that to me is key. So for anyone who feels blah or lost, I highly suggest you take some time to be selfish. Make your life more about you – you’ll be happier and more productive and everyone around you will thank you for it in the end.
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NOTE again - FRIDAY I am off to Arizona for the Desert Dreams Conference where I’ll be their luncheon speaker and where I am also doing a workshop on The Writing Process. If you live in Arizona, there is also a huge booksigning open to the public:
Saturday, April 5
5:30 - 7 p.m.
Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort & Hotel
One San Marcos Place
Chandler, Arizona
Santan Room/San Marcos Ballroom
I hope some of you are in the area and will stop by and say hi!!!!

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST - coming next week … HOT PROPERTY NEWS!

Ha…Julie here…Carly THINKS today is all about her…but I still have one last winner to announce.

Thanks everyone for following the excerpts all week (Did you miss them? Start here) AND for showering me with reports of PHANTOM PLEASURES sightings and purchases! Keep ‘em coming!