She's done.

So yeah, I finished my novel.

Weird.

Christina Vs. The Barista II

Me: I'd like a Dark Hot Chocolate with two shots of caramel.**
Barista: Uuhhhhh, did you want a Cocoa Carmella?
Me: Is it the same as a dark hot chocolate with two shots of caramel?
Barista: I don't know.
Me: Ok, then I'll have a Dark Hot Chocolate with two shots of caramel.
Barista: *Consults with other barista*
Barista 2: Uhm, did you want a Cocoa Carmella?

Me: Is that the same as a Dark Hot Chocolate with two shots of caramel?
Barista 2: Uhm, its like a shot of chocolate and a shot of caramel.
Me: Is that the same amount of shots I'd get with a Dark Hot Chocolate with two caramel shots?
Barista 2: No.
Me: *Through clenched teeth* I'd like a Dark Hot Chocolate with a double shot of caramel. I'm fine with whatever you have to call it to get those things into a cup and then serve it to me. 
Barista 2: *Gives me a look like I'm a crazy person while she makes my drink, mumbling.*
Me: *Weeps*

The most frustrating thing is that every single time I go, we have this conversation and every time, I ask them to clarify how much chocolate and caramel you get in the two different drinks, since the menu doesn't tell me. They refuse to answer me. So instead we have to fight every single time.

Howdy

Hey Party People! I'm sorry I've been a ghost lately. I'm in the last stretch of my novel. I gave myself a deadline to finish it by the 26th of October, so I'll have a few days to prep before NaNoWriMo. Ahhhhh! Its scary. I have two measly weeks to finish it and instead of writing, I'm looking up pictures of shirtless Dean Winchester. Oops.

Anyhow, I'm not doing a traditional NaNoWriMo this year. Instead, I'm going to use the deadlines to get my new novel off the ground. I want both of them finished before I start querying for agents next year. If I do things the way I want to, I'll have a third or fourth one in my back pocket by the time I get the first one published. I hate the pressure of deadlines, so I'd like to have some wiggle room.

In other news, my blog is getting yet another overhaul. You'll notice a deterioration in the attractiveness of it for a little while. I'm playing with some ideas and I have hired someone who knows code better than I do to get the heavy lifting done. The test site looks amazing and we'll hopefully be finished by the end of the month. Just in time for NaNoWriMo and for me to fall off the face of the earth again. Ah well.

The rest of life is good. Good food, lovely husband. First episode of the of the new season of Supernatural is already on Hulu which brings me endless joy. SHIRTLESS DEAN! I'm easy to please.

IWSG: Of Workshops and Writing Careers

insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

I want to be a published author.

I am already a writer, but being published is the next step. As my manuscript is winding down (I'm in the third act), I'm realizing more and more, that I need to get out there and start my writing career.

So I joined a local writing association, which has been wonderful. I love the energy and the fantastic mix of people. I've gone to monthly writing workshops which have been fantastic. The last one was so good. It was all about figuring out how to get unstuck in your story. It was great and I had some epiphanies about my book that are going to make it much better. I also paid a wad of cash to attend a writing conference where I get two, count them two, workshops with Donald Maas. One is a two-hour generalized workshop about writing and the other is a four-hour advanced workshop where we'll be working on our manuscripts. My manuscript will be in the same room as Donald Maas!

If you read his name and got as excited as I did, you're a huge nerd. Its okay. Admitting it is the first step. 

In other news, I just finished chapter twenty-five and it took some turns I wasn't expecting but I like them. I'm elbow deep in angst and my characters are running from their feelings and its awesome. I wrote some scenes in the last five chapters that make me so proud to do what I'm doing.

I'm now no longer working with an outline, so I'm not sure where my story is going to go, now. But I suppose that's part of the fun.

That's all.

Oh wait. I started scenes for two different followup novels. Yep.  I killed it in September! Productivity rules!

And those are words you never think you'll grow up to say.