Let's Do It Again! Writerly company anyone?

Wasn't yesterday's work-time fun? (If you didn't join us yesterday, just trust that it was and join in today. You're productivity will increase. Promise!)

Even though no one is sitting at this little cafe table with me as I work (probably better that way), it so nice to have know friends far and wide are sitting in their respective spots with keyboards under fingertips, working away.

Plus, I get the added distraction of everyone chiming in with comments throughout the day (you too) and it makes me feel like we're all together. (Except we can't start tangent conversations that take us away from our work. That's a good thing.)

I'm in a new work spot today. I come here every once in a while, and I love it here. It's called the Under Town and I'm literally under one of the old buildings in my little seaside town. Below is my set up, minus me since I'm behind the camera. Today is Bob's Bagel Day, always a perfect reason to come to the Under Town on a Friday. Maybe I'll update with my treats throughout the day.

So, tell me! What are your goals on this writing (or illustrating) day?

I'm going to ratchet mine up from yesterday and press for 2000 words.

**UPDATE**

Although I have many coffeehouse distractions, I have so far manage a bit over 700 words, but I better keep moving, still a lot to get done.

Some of my distractions:

Yummy latte...

My everything bagel...

I'm pretty sure some of this bagel is now in my teeth.

And the biggest distraction, one I've never dealt with before, is this...

This loose brick is right next to me. But the bigger distraction is I think something might be behind there. Look...

See that bit of red and black? There's totally something back there. Don't you think? I want to pull out the brick and look but, you know...seems sort of strange to pull a brick out of the coffee house wall.

Looking for Some Writerly Company Today?

My last couple of days have started way too late. It always seems that when I'm just getting started, my east coast friends are probably done with their day.

Maybe this is early enough.

I'll be here, sitting at my favorite table at The Vault, working away.

Wanna work together?

I'll be checking in on my progress in the comments. If you care to join me as to not feel oh-so-writerly lonely, I'll cheer on your day's writing goals. :)

What's up with me and mine today? Well, the last couple of days I've really be diving into character, getting in and digging around to know as much as I can know.

I'm looking to have at least 1000 new words today. Should be doable.

How 'bout you?

Monday Moment #58: a writing prompt for your work-in-progress

(If you’ve already read this then skip past all the italicized blah-di-blah and start writing.) Monday Moments are writing prompts for your work-in-progress. They are questions that come from my experiences and are my favorite way to find out more about my characters. I find I learn a lot. Some of it I use. Some of it I don’t. But I always, always get to know my character(s) better just by answering the question. I hope you do too. )

Yesterday I went back in time.

The fam loaded up in the minivan (oh yeah), hopped on a ferry, and hit our old stomping ground to see friends.

We haven't lived on the Eastside (Seattle suburbia) for many, many years.

There was a strange mix of emotions: funny and sweet to point out to our girlies the spot mommy and daddy shared their first kiss and the spot where we got engaged; a true sense of arrested development as we pointed to where we went to Junior High (me, for only 9th grade, the worst school-year of my life); fondness as we drove by my old house that now looks so much smaller; a flood of memories as we took the same drive, the one I took many times, to my hubby's house on a street he said look so much shorter now; and joy as a bunch of kids from high school, all now grown, watched their kids play together in the park.

What "spot" has your character revisited from their past and how do they feel about it?

Chat with an Agent!

Hey all!

The fab Mark McVeigh is having a bit of contest on his blog. You can win a chat with him. Awesome, eh? There's not a lot of time left to try and snag a chat with him, but you have all weekend and Monday, so go for it.

CHECK OUT ALL CONTEST DETAILS HERE.

Personally, I point you in Mark's direction, not because I'm trying to get one of 15-minute chats with Mark, but because he's a great and smart guy (not to mention a fab dresser). I think it was five years ago I met Mark when he was still wearing his editor hat and he was on faculty at our SCBWI Western Washington conference (back when I was wearing my regional advisor hat). Any time I've crossed paths with him since, he's always been a pleasure.

So, I steer you there now to become a follower, because I'm certain he'll have amazing info to share.

What are you still doing here. Go THERE now.

Here We Go! Challenge Day 1...What's Your Goal Today

Take Two!

So, those of you who were part of the comments on my last post know my day was derailed yesterday. Such is life, I guess. So I had started this whole post (below) and will now return to yesterday's scheduled programming. The sooner, the better. Because so far, I've been wasting way too much time.


What was I saying yesterday? Here we go...


What's your goal? Today that is!


It can be big or small! But let's cheer each other on.


-Write a 1333 words?


-Revise one chapter?


-Write a synopsis?


-Research perspective agents?


We may not be in the same stage of process (the other day I wrote quite vaguely about where I'm in my process) but that doesn't mean we can't push each other along. Right? Right!


Mine will be word count goals.


Today's:


For my WIP: write 2000 words.

But let's see now, what shall I call my little pet project, that new one that popped up. Ooh. Let me share with you that I shared my idea, and beginning pages, with my crit group the other night and the reaction was just what I needed: they laughed and loved and praised. In other words, I can't let this one go. I think I will call it my heart project.


For my heart project: I will write 250 words.

Wanna play? Leave your goal in the comments!

What's Up!?!

So, I realize Cuppa Jolie has been a bit quiet of late. I've mostly been sticking to my Monday Moments, with some SCBWI Team Blog thrown in.

Not much at all about my writing.

I'm here to confess, I've felt pretty private about it all as of late. Maybe because I'm in a fairly tender part of the process. Stuffs been happening, good stuff. But work has needed to be done and it all hasn't been moving particularly fast.

Which is fine. I'm not complaining. It's just the way it is.

But I am in a bit of new phase, at least with a couple of projects. I have a rough draft that needs to be finished and I have a new project that snuck up on me and is begging me to write it.

Dilemma: I don't want to ignore Project One (I promise I won't) but I'm also committing to this new idea, at least committing to get my initial thoughts and a bit of trial writing down.

Work for me now means fast fingers. Always moving forward. Those of you who have known me for a while know I love the outside accountability. Love it! Need it! Want it!

Anyone else currently concerned with word count?

I may be sending out word count challenges in the days ahead. Wanna play?

Wheee!!!

Monday Moment #57: a writing prompt for your work-in-progress

(If you’ve already read this then skip past all the italicized blah-di-blah and start writing.) Monday Moments are writing prompts for your work-in-progress. They are questions that come from my experiences and are my favorite way to find out more about my characters. I find I learn a lot. Some of it I use. Some of it I don’t. But I always, always get to know my character(s) better just by answering the question. I hope you do too. )

Flowers schmowers.

Card schmard.

All I got for Valentine's Day was a runny nose.

Although that is pretty sad, don't feel too bad for me. I'm one of those people who doesn't love getting some obligatory card or flowers or chocolates because a day on the calendar says it should happen. Somehow it doesn't feel very sincere.

It's the surprise gift or note or words that mean the world to me. The world!!!

But, I guess, sometimes you can even get those kind of things on days like Valentine's day. I guess I spoke (wrote) too soon, because my nine-year-old girlie did surprise me with something. She took one of my empty composition notebooks (have lots of those) and recovered it with plain paper, her art, and her words along with an inscription inside: I love you, Mommy. Yeah, that's the kind of Valentine love I like to receive. She knows my heart.

What surprise gift or note does your character get and what does it mean to them?

Monday Moment #56: a writing prompt for your work-in-progress

(If you’ve already read this then skip past all the italicized blah-di-blah and start writing.) Monday Moments are writing prompts for your work-in-progress. They are questions that come from my experiences and are my favorite way to find out more about my characters. I find I learn a lot. Some of it I use. Some of it I don’t. But I always, always get to know my character(s) better just by answering the question. I hope you do too. )

I returned from New York to a week of DRAMA!

No, really! Quite literally...drama.

This was theater week at the girlies' school. A small (two people) acting troupe came in on Monday, auditioned the kids, then they get to work on an hour-long production of Peter Pan to be presented on Friday and Saturday. Ambitious, no?

I returned just in time for the girlies to tell me the parts they wanted to get. In the words of my seven-year-old girlie, "I want to be Tinker Bell, Tiger Lilly, one of the fairies, or one of the mermaids. But I think I'm going to be Mullens and I don't like Mullens."

Well, she didn't get the part of Mullens, but she also didn't get any of the parts she wanted. Nor did my nine-year-old girlie. This is when the real drama got rolling. I had two girls who were not too happy to have gotten the parts of Scar and Bellamy, pirates. Greater insult for the biggest girlie, her little sister got twice as many speaking lines. Ouch.

But I have to say, after pouting and tears and much complaining, the parts grew on them, and come Friday and Saturday, that production of Peter Pan, was a joy.

When has your character experienced disappointment and had to watch another person play the role they wanted?

SCBWI Conference * NYC * Team Blog

Ah, I miss it already.

All of it: SCBWI, the friends, the city, my team.

Before I get to all my potentially boring personal stuff...if you missed the Official Conference Blog, you can find it HERE!

Let me know if you hung out with us (online) while our fingers flew from the conference floor. Or if you plan to check it out. I really do want to know. (I still remember being glued to Alice's lone coverage last year, attempting to pretend I was at the conference.)

This is truly a Dream Team to work with...

I'm mean, really! Look at how happy we all look at the end of it all. (From left to right: Lee Wind, Suzanne Young, Jaime Temairik, Alice Pope, and me.)

It always seems that when I get home, I think, I didn't take enough pictures. I didn't get one with her. Or him. Or that!

But I did get one with HER!

Yes, that is the funny and warm Libba Bray, otherwise known as the Super Vixen (the way she requested to be referred to when I blogged her keynote...in her wonderful Libba-way)! Now that we are on speaking terms, Libba and I, I will think of her as my newest and shiniest friend. Look at how our hair is in perfect harmony, swooshing in sync. That must mean something, right? Our hair does sprout just above our brains.

And because Libba told me to go and try this fudge, so I did...


I went with my buddy Lee Wind. Why-oh-why didn't I get a photo with HIM. Lee is behind the camera here. He got some joe for Cuppa Jolie. Ahh! I love that guy.

But wait! I'm getting ahead of myself.

REWIND

Jaime and I took a red eye out of Seattle on Wednesday night and arrived to snow falling in NYC(brrr!). Thursday was the day of our 10 Food Truck Tour with a very cool foodie blogger friend. And yes, we ate at 10 food trucks, getting one item per truck, sharing it between the three of us. It took us over two hours. Our fingers were cold, but our tummies were happy.

My favorite...the Belgium waffle with fudge and fresh strawberries. The only way I can describe it: chewy, sugary, fudgy, strawberry yumminess...it stayed on my mind the whole trip. I wish I could have made it back for another and another and another.

Just LOOK at it. I miss you, Waffle!!!!

Friday brought on the Writer's Intensive. It's well named because it is an intense treat. I highly recommend it if you ever attend the winter conference. Here's a photo of my first group. Look how happy everyone looks (hardly intense).


Friday was a fun, happy day that ended at the SCBWI cocktail party.

Here's Jenn Bailey doing the Cuppa pose with me. You can read the blog post of her breakout session HERE.



And then there was the always beautiful Esther Hershenhorn.


Jaime, Lee, and I had a great bloggy chit-chat with her. You can read about it at the wonderful Teaching Authors Blog.

Then it was off to kidlit drink night, but I was missing my party pants that night, so I didn't close down the place with the others. (Note-to-self: remember to pack an extra pair of party pants for the next conference.)

The main reason for being at the conference was for SCBWI Team Blog, and although we all blogged a bit on Friday, the real work started on Saturday. Can I call it work? Well, yeah, it's work, but work I love, so it's fan-flipping-tastic.

But there as some down time. Like the Saturday luncheon. I enjoyed a table with several people from Western Washington. Like Jennifer Mann and Stasia Kehoe.

And SCBWI WWA's fearless leaders Laurie Thompson and Joni Sensel.

The lovely Kim Baker was there, too. (How'd she miss a photo-op? Wait. No. She didn't. There she is. You see? That one, behind her hands...that's Kim.)

Can you tell what a great table we had? Just look the smiles those ladies brought to our faces.

After a full day of conference-going and blogging, it was time for a night out with friends. I celebrated my anniversary with Ann Haywood Leal (our special friendship started at this very conference three years before).

Ann and I take a Cuppa photo.

After dinner and wine, what does a group need next? CUPCAKES AND MORE WINE!

Look at the seriousness taken to find the correct route to get to Sweet Revenge. (A place that pairs cupcakes with wine and beer. That can't be missed!)

That's Jaime with Mr. Sydney Salter. :)


Cupcakes ordered...

YUM!

A happy Jaime!

Then suddenly, it was Sunday. It came and went fast, fast, fast.

The day ended with a wonderful autograph party.

Of course I got my signed copy of The Naughty List by Suzanne Young which just came out YESTERDAY!

That's Suz signing my copy.

Time for a photo with the AMAZING-SWEET-ADORABLE Alice Pope - the wonderful leader of Team Blog.

And then, we had to say GOODBYE!

Monday Moment #55 (even though it's Tuesday): a writing prompt for your work-in-progress

(If you’ve already read this then skip past all the italicized blah-di-blah and start writing.) Monday Moments are writing prompts for your work-in-progress. They are questions that come from my experiences and are my favorite way to find out more about my characters. I find I learn a lot. Some of it I use. Some of it I don’t. But I always, always get to know my character(s) better just by answering the question. I hope you do too. )

I still feel bad. So, so bad (about missing a Monday Moment). I don't like letting people down, never have. And, after an amazing weekend (and then some), and meeting people who read Cuppa, it's the Monday Moments that always seem to come up. It's very cool to meet those of you out there who start your week with this writing prompt. Makes my heart do a happy dance.

So, of course, I feel horrible to have missed yesterday.

I know that in the scheme of thing, this isn't a huge deal, but obviously, in a way, it is to me. But I guess not big enough for me to get this blog post done last night. *sigh* I was quite aware that my brain power was rolling in at about 1% and I was getting one of those message, like you get when your computer's battery is low, "Warning. Brain power critically low. Go to sleep or there will be fatal errors." So I did.

But I feel bad. Bad, bad, bad.

I was thinking this question would be about guilt, but I guess it's going to be about feeling bad, becasue that's how I feel.

What does your character feel bad about doing or not doing, big or small?

Monday Moment Fail

I'm feeling horrible. Not sick. Just bad.

This is my first Monday Moment Fail. :(

I think I have a good excuse. But then I think it's no excuse at all.

But I will not even attempt to get something semi-coherent down tonight (even though it is still Monday...although, if I'm still on NY time, it's not).

I'll look forward to talking to you tomorrow.