Today is the official announcement of round 2 cuts for ABNA. If I PASS, I will officially be a Quarter-finalist. If I DON'T, I will be out. Now the folks over there are talking very bravely at the moment... it's been a great experience regardless (it has) having a finished book and entering is already a win (it's true), as long as we keep writing and keep improving, we will make it one day (this, ALSO is true). But we all are sitting there today with our jugulars exposed for the vine reviewers to give us an in or an out.
I am of two minds (which is really quite few for me)... I know my book (including the excerpt) need some work. I think it's PRETTY good, but it is not great. And besides THAT, if I am OUT, I can stop contemplating Whatifishness... but DAMMIT I want to keep going!
*sighs *
I have half a dozen deadlines right on top of each other at work... and it's made me come to terms with the fact I probably take too many breaks to check blogs, normally... Granted, I've cut out lunch, and such... but I probably get half my blog reading done on those work breaks—the five minutes to adjust between tasks... blog reading... but with deadlines, you CAN'T. Every minute is filled.
Compound that with a couple blogfests where I feel obliged to visit THOSE participants (hell, one of them was MY blogfest) and I haven't done my NORMAL rounds in over a week. I am committing to get back to it today. I still have busy work, but I also know fewer people post on Tuesday, so if I work from the top, I should hit all the days posts in my blog roll at some point, then tomorrow I can get to those I missed today because of schedule...
I feel a little LOST when I don't get to all your blogs regularly... and I haven't done as well following back or getting people into blogrolls. I really try to get people who stop by regularly onto my blogroll, and I KNOW I am behind, so if you could help me, I would TOTALLY appreciate it. If you stop my pretty regularly (weekly or so) and you are NOT in my blogroll, POKE ME. (you need to comment, or I don't KNOW you stop by, but I confess to being negligent on top of that... if you read me, I want to read you)
I've been managing some 750 words about 5 days a week... it's not NOTHING, but it also isn't flowing linearly. The rewrite is going to be a HUGE undertaking. And even though I am writing, it is still painful... every word is hard to get out. I am hoping when the above two mental drains recede, I will get back to it. I have no choice but to keep plugging away...
So I thought maybe you'd join me in a little Red Hot Chile Peppers Prayer. This is from near the end of Sir Psycho Sexy:
“Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the funk won't make me freak
If I should die before I waked
Allow me Lord to rock out Naked.”
Let's hope that works...
34 comments:
Hi Hart...ohh poor you, I know this feeling, the kind of being pinched from all sides, no time to settle to anything because there's so much to do- with a bunch of nerves with it. Have an hour off where you eat a cupcake, have a coffee,get outside, forget about it all and stare at some ducks. Don't worry about being behind on hopping around everyone's blogs - we'll still be here when it all calms down for you and all love you anyway (I'm a newby, but you've been super brill to me!)
Good luck on the Amazon Award -will be thinking of you
Lxxx
Awwww you need some NAKED loving and hugs!!!!!!
You sound ever so stressed!! So drop everything - literally and figuratively!!!!! :-)- even if it's only for a moment or two and breathe deeply! :-)
Take care
x
I am so with you, sistah. And for some of the same reasons. Though 750 words a day would be hugely good for me right now.
later, dear.
yours in abject nudity,
jan
Oh my goodness, good luck with the Amazon contest! That's amazing that you've made it this far!
I hear you on the lack of time thing. I just came off a four-day weekend, and somehow didn't manage to relax for five minutes of it. Now it's back to the grind :/
Keeping my fingers crossed that your stress lifts!
First, good luck with the Amazon contest. Second, I know how you feel about not being able to do the usual rounds. You may have noticed I've beena bit absent too. I'm absolutely worn out after the novel revisions and am now in the middle of writing a writing skills book for an ELT publisher. It never stops. Sometimes you just need time out and that's totally understandable. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it! Thirdly, so sorry to hear about the writing funk ... but look on the bright side: You just got an awesome song stuck in someone's head :o) xoxox
Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing great. Good luck on the contest, I think I'm delaying finishing my book because I don't want to tackle a re-write . . . you can do this!
Fingers crossed for you with the quarter finals.
Your plate is piled high. I think you're doing good to hit 750 words. When the mind is engaged in too many other things, it's difficult for words to flow.
Love the 'rock out naked' lyrics :)
Good luck with Amazon! I'm trying to shake off a funk too...must be something about that super moon -lol! Thanks for the Chile :)
Hart
Funny little poem! Best of luck with squeezing through the next ABNA round.
ah, chili peppers always helps. But yeah, i'm with you. Kind of in a funk which is effecting my blogging. Again
Laura-a cupcake break, sounds PERFECT. Thanks so much for the support--that was a great way to start my morning!
Jenny-I wish I COULD just drop everything! I just have to keep my eyes on May when all deadlines are past and i can play again...
Jan *hugs to you* Sorry you're in it, too!
Gina-Man, I hate that! Weekends with no relaxing make the week so much harder--I really count on the rejuvenation!
Jessica-yeah, that editing can take it out of you! Especially on deadline. You're doing great though--how great is that book cover!
Sheila-I know that fear... editing can LOOM! I'd actually give it a sit after you finish for a month or so... does that help?
Carol-Thanks! I guess when it's all out there, I see why it is wearing on me!
Carolyn-Sorry you are in the middle of it too! I wonder if Mars is in retrograde or something!
Catherine-Yay! Glad you found your way here! And good luck to you, too!
Sara-you snuck in there! You make it official... there is something going around! Ack! I hope you pull out of it, too!
That is a major funk of all sorts. No worries about not checking other blogs. We all go through busy spurts where that becomes nearly impossible.
I hope you get out of your funk soon and that you do well with ABNA.
It must be stressful waiting for the results. ARGH! So, tell me something, do you work on it even though it is submitted? Do you query it to agents? Or just wait.
“I probably take too many breaks to check blogs” I think I do too.
My writing has just picked up and
I hoping my writing funk is over. I hope yours is over soon too.
What a great blog - love the title! I know how you feel - major stress. Take a deep breath - you are clearly a talented and caring person. Your readers understand this and will cut you some slack. No one expects you to be wonder woman! ;-) I look forward to reading more from you.
All the very best of luck, my little sparkly cupcake. Crossing fingers and toes and sending out loads of karma.
Nothing like a blast of RHCP when you're down, hope you feel better byy now.
Hey - saw you on the list! Congratulations!
Congrats HART!
Let's hope the funk ends now that you made the list. CONGRATS!!! How exciting.
Had to go over and take a gander on that list... and THERE YOU ARE!!!! Congratulations :)
Abe-I know we all go through it, but I don't have to like it!
Michael, man, me too! (and I did make Quarterfinals!!)
Holly-very glad your funk is over! Well done! Maybe that's a good sign for all of us in it. I've just been sitting on my ABNA entry, but the main REASON is I am on deadline for this Cozy (and honestly, it is a couple iterations short of being query ready IMHO)
Slyvia-Welcome and thank you! I think my thing is I am a creature of habit, so I need to make sure nothing falls too far off board or I lose it.
Alison-it's been ages since anyone called me a cupcake! teehee. Thanks! (and thanks for the congrats!)
eeleenlee-I know, right!? That whole Blood Sugar Sex Magic CD is still my fav.
Michael-Thank you! I'm so sad not to see your name there too, though.
Kerri-welcome to you, too! And thank you! I doubt this will end the funk on it's own... the pitch round didn't, but at least I can not worry about it for a few weeks.
Laura-how sweet of you to go check! Thank you!
Congrats on making it through!
Congratulations on being a quarter finalist Hart :) I'm so happy for you. I didn't get picked, but that's ok. Now the pressure is off.
Be strong for your reviews. Having made it this far, I'm sure they can't be too harsh.
Hope your day gets better now :)
........dhole
So am I reading the comments right? You made quarter finalist? CONGRATULATIONS! You deserve success and lots of down time from work and pressures because it really sounds like the world is piling in on top of you. May buckets of success and leisure lie in your near future.
FUNK BEGONE!!! LOL--You did it!!! Whoot Whoot!!! **jumping up and down**
What now??? :D <3
Congratulations, Hart! That is so awesome you're on the list
Now that I've read the comments, I'm changing my comment - YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY! I hope that lifts your spirits.
P.S. Anything Chili Peppers is a huge boost in my opinion.
Congratulations on making the list! Fantastic news! :)
Try to schedule some 'you time' in all your busyness...maybe the lack of time for you is showing up in other ways. Shouldn't you be eating lunch every day? (asks the busybody mom) :)
Hart - You made it!!!! I'm sending you big, huge hugs. Awesome!!! As for the funk? I get it. I'll find that FUNKBEGONE I have around here somewhere and send you some. =D
Well Hart, there won't be any more 'poor you' going around. I just heard you made the cut. Well done you. I know this is a gruelling process so I can only say you must be awesome to succeed so far! We'll all hope it rubs off on us.
Denise<3
Hey, good luck with the contest. Those Amazon contests are great for raising your profile.
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