Coming Out of Hibernation

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. My son's diagnosis with over 50 food allergies gave me a choice: feed him or blog. Thankfully, after a month of research, analysis, and experimentation, I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

And I'm writing again.

What a relief! It feels good to have at least a few moments to put words on a page. To dive back into my storyworld. To reconnect with characters I love.

I've also joined a new critique group. There are five of us, and only two have been writing fiction for long. At first, I was kind of skittish about it. But having non-fiction writers critique fiction is actually a good thing! These amazing ladies are helping me tighten my prose and banish the fluff that inflated my word count.

My critique groups in the past met monthly. That was hard because so much time passed in between meetings that readers lost the thread of the story, and only twelve chapters a year were critiqued. My new group meets weekly, which keeps me polishing my chapters, plus writing new material because they'll need it sooner than I think.

I've missed you all. My plan is to post at least twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. See you next week!
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Keeping me in stitches...

You may or may not have noticed how quiet it's been here. No rice boiling at all!

A week and a half ago I had surgery. What was supposed to be quick and easy turned out to be neither. And I ended up with a whole bunch of stitches in my back.

One for every letter of the alphabet.

Needless to say, it's been an interesting week. After a bad experience with a couple pain meds, I decided to forgo them altogether. I've been sleeping a lot. And my family has taken wonderful care of me.

I'm more or less back on my feet, though I don't have much stamina. Hopefully, I'll be back to regular blogging on Monday.

But in the meantime, here's a link to make you chuckle. The 42 Worst Nativity Sets. I vote for the Zombie Nativity, but it's a close tie with the Godzilla Nativity.

Which one would you vote for?

More Ways for Writers to Help Sandy Victims

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Some of you may have participated in the auction I wrote about last week. The items up for bidding in that event went fast. But it's not too late! The same group is hosting a second auction, beginning today. Check out the KidLit Cares auction items, open for bidding until November 22nd.

But that's not the only game in town. A group of inspirational authors has organized their own auction. Each of the twelve authors will provide a 50 page critique to the winning bidder (who will make a donation in the amount of their bid). Starting bids are $50, but a 50 page critique usually takes about three hours, and with many professionals charging $35 or more per hour, $50 or so it's a great deal. Check out the various authors and links to the bidding. The nice thing about this auction is that some of the authors don't have bids yet. Bidding for this auction ends November 16th.

Like the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, stories are beginning to emerge of extreme deprivation. Many people live in high-rise low-income apartment buildings in some of the hardest hit areas. Folks have endured extremely low temperatures, no heat, no electricity or water. They haul water up countless flights of stairs to flush toilets. A great number of people have serious medical and transportation issues. Let's give them a hand.

I'll be traveling to New York City during the Thanksgiving break, and I know it will be so much more difficult to see the devastation in person. Thoughts and prayers are going out to all readers who live in the affected area. Hopefully, many of us can help out, even if we're not there.

Clearing my mind, creating a scene

So NaNoWiMo is almost one-third of the way done. And my word count is definitely not one-third of the way accomplished. Yesterday, I sat down to write another chapter, but I had a hard time finding my way through the notes I'd written for the scene.

Enter Libby.

Libby is our sweet golden retriever. She's been with us a little over a year, after our first golden passed away from leukemia. She's snuggly, patient, and always ready to chase a ball.

I grabbed her leash (much to her delight), and we set out on a beautiful November day, to stroll through our mountain neighborhood. We saw lots of interesting things: a chainsaw artist carving a dead tree into a face, a mama deer snoozing with her two fawns, and an unknown animal that darted away--it might have been a lynx.

Just being in the fresh air recharged my brain, and I began to think about my scene. I visualized it as a movie, and let it play, making mental notes about how each character might respond to what was going on. Suddenly the scene was coming together.

If I had thought to bring a pad of paper, I would have let Libby sniff a few tree trunks while I jotted notes to myself.

Once we got back and each had a drink of water, I wrote down a quick summary of the scene and started typing. It's so amazing how much better the scene flowed. Instead of sitting there staring at the screen, trying to come up with what happens next, I just spilled out what came next on the list. 

Now, I have to be sure to mention that I also have a plot kitty. Delilah (my daughter's cat) loves to play with my plot board and make sure I haven't missed any important scenes. However, I wouldn't put it past her to snag one she doesn't like and leave it under the sofa.

Do your pets encourage your writing? Does hiking (or folding laundry) or other activities shake loose the creativity waiting in your brain?

A practical way to help Hurricane Sandy victims

photo credit: mine

I spent a little while yesterday scanning through pictures of the devastation brought by Hurricane Sandy. Having lived in that area most of my life, it's difficult to view the fallout, but even more heart-breaking to imagine how it will take so long for folks to get back to some semblance of 'normal'.

Cold weather is setting in. The holidays are approaching. And many are without homes, or transportation to work, or gas for their car.

It's enough to make the rest of the country feel helpless.

And remember this: There's no telling how many writers, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals are affected.

Here's one thing we can do as writers. 

An organization called KidLitCares is sponsoring two auctions. The winners of each auction item make a donation to the Red Cross in the amount of their winning bid. All kinds of items are up for auction. Manuscript critiques, query critiques, Skype calls with authors, editors, and agents, gift baskets, and books.

One auction is going on right now with forty-one different things to bid on. This auction will run until Wednesday, November 7th. That's only two more days, so get your bids in while you can.

The other auction will begin on Monday, November 12th. Check Joanne Levy's site to see the items when it opens. And if you'd like to donate something to the second auction, shoot an email to Levy at kidlitcares[at]joannelevy[dot]com. And if you don't want to bid, or don't win your item, head over to the Red Cross to make a donation anyway.

Let's give folks a glimpse of blue sky after the storm. Isn't that what happy endings are all about?

The Therapy of Crisis Writing

Courtesy of A. B. Rutuelo

It's been hard to watch my hometown go through the ravages of Sandy this week. The subway tunnels I used to ride to high school are filled with water. Huge trees that shaded my neighborhood have toppled. And most of all, people have lost lives, livelihoods and homes. After the devastation of the Waldo Canyon fire here last summer, it was heart-wrenching to watch so many homes burn in the New York area.

My heart hurts also for writers affected by the storm. Likely thousands or tens of thousands of writers are trying to find some kind of normal instead of working on their WIP or NaNoWriMo novel.

It's hard to write despite the unexpected. But sometimes, as writers, that's what helps us work through tragedy. I've often found myself backed into a corner, and have been surprised when I was able to write myself out.

So here's to all the writers with basements full of water, no electricity or internet, and fridges full of thawing food. Though it might have to be with paper and pen, I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

Don't forget: today is the final day to link to last Friday's post. Write a post about your work in progress (or tell us about one you've finished) and leave a link. I'd love to read about what you're working on.

Calling all nosy writers!

 I'm a nosy writer. Are you? I love to hear more about what other people are writing, how they got their ideas, and what inspires them. I don't generally do memes, but I haven't really written much about my own WIP, so I figure it's time to share (Plus, it's a snowy day here in the mountains!). And I hope some of you share back with the link at the bottom.

I was tagged by Australian Trisha, and Canadian S.M. Carriere. Check out their contemporary and fantasy books. It's so interesting (and encouraging) to see the vast differences in the time frame different writers take in their creative process. 

 1. What is the name of your book?
SpindleWish

2. Where did the idea for your book come from?
Believe it or not, from a contest prompt (more details in question 9). But I love the idea of imagining "the rest of the story". In this Sleeping Beauty retelling, the princess is not so nice. Think about it. Growing up with a curse on your head isn't ideal, but it hasn’t done much for the princess' personality. Just ask her long-suffering chambermaid.

3. In what genre would you classify your book?
SpindleWish is young adult historical fantasy. It's set in medieval Croatia. If you're curious as to how this came about (and you want to see some amazing pictures), I wrote about my journey to this setting, and how it did wonders for my plot.

4. If you had to pick actors to play your characters in a movie rendition, who would you choose?
My characters are drawn from people I've met, or photos I find online. For this book, one of my daughters (see photo) and my sister's daughter play two of the main roles. Another character, a fascinating peddler, was put together through internet research. I shared some great links to where I found him in this post about describing characters.

5. Give us a one-sentence synopsis of your book.
Waking after a century, Sleeping Beauty’s chambermaid vows to find the powerful blood-tipped spindle before it can be used to destroy the remaining faeries. 

6. Is your book already published? Self-published or traditional?
Nope. I'm finishing the last of it, then I'll work on querying agents. I'm not ruling out self-publishing, but I really believe the querying process can help motivate me to make my writing stronger. 

7. How long did it take you to write your book?
I began in late 2009, but I've taken some long breaks! Probably a year, total.
 
8. What other books within your genre would you compare it to? Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours?
I love the stories of Shannon Hale, Donna Jo Napoli, Juliet Marillier and Robin McKinley.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The Enchanted Conversation was holding a submission contest. The topic was Sleeping Beauty, but writers had to imagine what life would be like once the palace woke up from 100 years of sleep. Once I came up with the idea that the blood on the spindle was the critical issue, plot ideas started popping up and away I went. I never did submit to that contest.

10. Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.        

 I loved exploring the theme of discovering inner strength through this book.

Now it's your turn to inspire the rest of us. Write a post with answers to the same (or similar) questions. Then come back here and share the link. I'll leave the link open for a week (till midnight on Nov. 2nd). I'm looking forward to finding out more about your stories.
 

When you hate your novel...

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When you've discovered a brand-new, shiny idea for a novel, you never think it will come to this: the point where you're ready to pitch the thing out the window. Or press the delete button.

New love is a powerful thing. We fall in love with our characters, our story world, our plot. Life is full of rainbows and fairy dust. But a few months (or years) later, we become convinced it's stale, trite, overdone. 

The best medicine for this kind of despondency is to realize it will probably happen to you. Expect it. Prepare for it. And get past it. By making yourself keep writing, no matter how bad it sounds even as you type.

The other cure is to realize it happens to others. Not just other writers, but other published writers. Bestselling writers. If they go through it, then it must be part of the journey, right? And multi-published author and former agent, Nathan Bransford says that means you're almost done. His brief post on revision fatigue could be the shot in the arm you need to keep going.

I remember feeling this way multiple times, but the most recent was after the summer, and I hadn't been writing very much. Without my head in the story, it was easy to listen to the negative comments in my head, and consider just starting on something new.

But I did two things. I started mapping out the plot, to see where I might be missing things, and I began reading a few scenes. It's not perfect, by any stretch, but I began to remember what it was I loved about this story. And it made me want to fight to finish it.

When did you hate your novel? Or question your ability as a writer? And what pulled you out of the muck?

A good day for a smile: making fun of the writing & publishing process

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It's an unusually rainy day here in Colorado. Most of our rain comes in buckets (we call them 'gullywashers'), and they're over quickly. Today we're enjoying steady rain, which we need, but there's the threat of mudslides due to the damage caused by the Waldo Canyon Fire. The steep mountain pass between my home and my sons' orthodontist could easily be blocked my mud and ash. Hopefully, we'll make it down and back!

Today I have three links for you that should make you smile.

The first one is from author (and former agent) Nathan Bransford (who I posted about a while ago). His blog is a worthwhile one to read. This particular one is Bransford's take on the publishing process, though he adds an extra twist by sharing it in .gif form (that means short video snippets to illustrate his points). Having experienced both the agent and author's sides of publishing, Bransford's insights are completely accurate. I dare you to read it without grinning.

The second one is for all those writers of fantasy. It comes from Dragon Writing Prompts, a great site to visit. This post is a fantasy novelist's exam. The idea is to ask yourself the questions to determine whether your fantasy manuscript is derivative or cliche. Even if you don't write fantasy, the questions will make you chuckle. Like this one:

56. Does anybody in your novel fight for two hours straight in full plate armor, then ride a horse for four hours, then delicately make love to a willing barmaid all in the same day?

 The third link is a post from my hilarious friend, Evangeline Denmark, who waits along with many of us for that elusive publishing contract in her post Drama Much?

 

Anyway, I hope you have a great day, and a drier one than mine. How do you keep laughing while you're waiting?

The Olympics vs. Novel Writing

My son Daniel at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.

Why have most of us been glued to the Olympic games the past few weeks? Is it just because it occurs only once every couple of years? 

I think it's more than that.

We get pulled into the athletes lives. We worry about them. Their prospects, their injuries, their personal challenges.

We felt the incredible disappointment when Jordyn Wieber didn't make the all around in gymnastics. We cringed when Jen Kessy had to take a medical timeout from her volleyball competition to warm her freezing feet. We rooted for runner Oscar Pistorius whose legs were amputated at age eleven months and for Cullen Jones, who learned to swim after a near drowning.

We see (thanks to the media) glimpses of the athletes' backstory--but not too much. If all the coverage was about the athletes' history, and not about what they're accomplishing or attempting right now, the backstory would have little meaning. It's the slice of backstory that adds depth to the individual's character, adds meaning to their goals, and makes their victories and triumphs so easy to share.

How about your novel? 

Is it so weighed down by backstory that your character doesn't do much except think about the past? All the Olympic athletes wouldn't have made it to London if they spent their time agonizing over their challenges or the unfairness of life. Let your character be impacted by his or her history. Let it make them stronger, more vulnerable, more fallible, but don't let it consume them and keep them from moving forward.

Is it too free of backstory? A character who acts without any connection to their past, their baggage, their life lessons, is not three-dimensional. What if the media only covered what the athletes did in the 'now', and ignored what they've overcome to get to that point? Watching elite athletes win medals would be a whole lot less compelling. It's the emotion we watch on the medal stand that tugs at our hearts. Seeing the athlete realize success after so many years of hard work, deprivation, and focus pulls us into their story. Are you so fearful of including backstory that you miss this connection to your readers' hearts?

For more information on creating unobtrusive backstory, check out this series titled "Making Your Reader Love Backstory" by author and writing teacher Randy Ingermanson. His four-part series will make you a backstory expert.

Part 1| Part 2| Part 3| Part 4

Read through your manuscript with balance in mind. A balance between enough backstory to give meaning to your character's present actions, decisions, failures and successes. Have the Olympics inspired your writing in other ways?

Happy Fourth of July!

I'm taking the day off today to enjoy friends, family, and our community's ugly dog contest (among other things). We're also celebrating that the Waldo Canyon Fire is 80% contained. I found this amazing video of the firefighters battling to save homes during the firestorm last week. It gives me new respect for these men and women.

Happy Fourth of July!

A Bittersweet Day

I had every intention of posting a "normal" post today. But after watching a huge section of Colorado Springs burn last night, it's hard to focus on plot and character.

Yesterday, the Waldo Canyon fire grew from 5000 acres to over 15,000 acres, burning an unknown number of homes and businesses as the wind drove it into the city. Many friends are in the terrible situation of knowing the fire burned through their neighborhood, but not knowing if their home still stands.

At the same time, today is my 25th wedding anniversary. How do you celebrate one thing, while you mourn something else? 

I appreciate everyone's encouraging words on the blog and on Facebook. I feel so blessed. I'll leave you with one last image from my friend and neighbor Kristy Simons. She took a photo of the smoke plume we saw from our town yesterday, and it's amazing to see a face in the cloud.

photo by Kristy Simons

So, a day to celebrate and mourn. Do you ever have days like that?

How does a writer evacuate in an emergency?

Kind of a weird week here. A new fire was started on Saturday afternoon much closer than the one I mentioned last week. My son works not far from the spot where the fire began and he saw the fire start up. 

If you want to see what I see when I look out the window, check this webcam from time to time.

There is a possibility our family could be ordered to evacuate. Just a few streets away, homes are on pre-evacuation orders. We're gathering what we'd need in case that happens.

So what does a writer bring in an emergency? 

I live in Woodland Park, at the top of the image.

Laptop. The obvious choice for keeping posted on news, it also holds copies of my manuscripts (though not the only copies!). I also use the free DropBox service to back up all my manuscripts. It's a painless way to ease my mind about my writing.

Flash drives and backup hard drive. These hold stories and manuscripts from the last several years.

Notebooks. I have binders of story ideas, character 'bibles', and other writing-related records. 

Kindle. Rather than take up room with my favorite writing books, I can make use of the ones on my Kindle, and I can always add more.

Computer and Kindle charging cords.

That's all I can think of right now. How about you? If the unthinkable happened, what would you grab along with your important papers and photos?

Keep Writing No Matter What

Crazy days here in Colorado. There's a wildfire twenty miles west of here, causing evacuations for many of my friends. Last week I put my two daughters on a plane to New York City, where they'll work for the summer. And on Monday, what was supposed to be a minor pre-cancerous skin removal turned into a ten-centimeter, 15 stitches scenario.

It's easy to get distracted and forget about writing. But Rachelle Gardner's post yesterday reminded me that writing should be 90% of what I do writing-wise (with platform-building getting the other 10%).

And this image on Facebook this morning is a wake-up call for those ready to give up.

From "Exceptional Living" on Facebook.

So today is a writing day. I'll rework the first chapter of one of my manuscripts to send off to a writing conference scholarship contest. How about you? What are you working on today? What's keeping you from wanting to?

Note: check out Kenda Turner's wonderful post today about the same idea, very motivational! Check out Restart the Engine: Revving up the R's.

Buckle Into Your Summer Writing Routine

My kids on an incredibly scary swing.

I'm back from vacation, and ready to get settled into my summer writing routine. How about you? Our family took some time last week to play in a couple of Colorado ski towns. When you have teenagers, it's hard to fit a family vacation around everyone's work schedules.

So now it's summer. It's really tempting to let fun activities and home projects take over writing time, but I'm setting some goals so that the summer doesn't slip by without dedicated progress on my manuscript. Here's what I'm thinking.

Eating at a vintage drive-in.

Each day will begin with writing time, before anything else. If I can get a good hour or two in, then any writing time the rest of the day is a bonus. And I'll keep the internet turned off till I'm done.

I'll make use of time on the road. Some of my best ideas come while I'm riding or driving for hours. I can really flesh out novel scenes and work through plot issues. There's something about watching scenery and disconnecting from stuff at home that spurs my imagination. Have you ever road-tripped a novel idea?

Projects will have a purpose. I'm replacing floors in my house, and doing some painting. What better time to think through a character's backstory, or develop new ideas? The more monotonous the project, the better.

How about you? Do you have goals for your writing this summer? How will you manage to keep summer activities and fluid schedules from eating up all your writing time? I'd love to know--I need even more ideas!

The Next Step: keep going, even if you hear 'no'.

I blogged about my pitch to an agent, and about hearing 'send it'. I blogged about actually hitting 'send'. So now it's time to blog about the response.

I only had to wait ten days for a response (though it could have taken two months). No, I didn't check my email constantly, mainly because I had company and a crazy schedule due to my daughter's impending graduation.

The answer was 'no', yet I feel like the query process was a complete success. Why?

First of all, I had the honor of pitching to Kristin Nelson. Need I say more?

Second, I was aware that out of 36,000 queries a year, she takes on one or two clients. Understanding reality is a big part of avoiding disappointment.

Third, I had a goal: to get feedback on my writing from an industry professional I greatly admire. And I got it! Kristin gave me her views on my idea, its saleability, and even made a suggestion that could bring more emotional impact to the first chapter. And she remembered how out of breath I was because I ran up seven flights of stairs when the elevator broke.

So what's next? I haven't yet submitted to other agents, so I'll digest Kristin's advice and make the changes I decide on. Then, I'll start submitting to several other agents who have asked for pages. It's time to really put my nose to the grindstone.

So, for me, my first query and response was a great experience. I realize that if I hadn't pitched in person and just sent my query to Kristin's slushpile, I might not have received a response at all, and definitely not a personalized response. That's one reason writing conferences are a great idea.

If you've been slogging through the query process for a while, you may be losing some of the excitement you had when you started. So here's a dose of encouragement from Missy Tippens at Seekerville: how to tackle fear that kills creativity. She offers a fantastic quote that just may remind you why you started writing in the first place. And if you're feeling really low, it may be time to quit writing so you can write.

How do you react when you hear 'no'? Have you heard it yet? Is it time to start accumulating some rejections?

Quit Now, So You Can Write

This is a Facebook post from my friend Angela Giles Klocke. When I saw it this morning, I realized how many of us come to this point and are better for it.

Have you ever quit writing? Endured too many rejections? A disappointing contest result? Fell out of love with your manuscript? Maybe the ups and downs of life have sapped your fire to write, and it's difficult to write despite the unexpected. Or you're just tired of the race to finally, magically have something happen.

Maybe it's time to quit, like Angela did. Let the fire burn through all the hopes and aspirations, the queries and the questions, until the only thing left is the pure desire to write. Not the desire for publication, for readers, for a platform, but just that itch to dig through your bag hoping for a scrap of paper because there's something you must write NOW.

One of the comments under Angela's post recommended a book, The Sound of Paper by Julia Cameron. Seems she recommends quitting writing in the first chapter.

Have you ever thrown in the proverbial writing towel? What happened when you did?

The Aftermath of 'Send It'

This isn't the first time I've heard 'send it'. But it's the first time I actually did send it (see here for why I didn't before). I've been thinking this week about how differently I looked at my manuscript once I knew who would be reading it. Suddenly, the pages I thought were just fine (having been critiqued and edited and re-edited), didn't look as ready as I'd thought.

Length. The agent asked for the first 30 pages. For my novel, that included the first four chapters. But I really wanted to include chapter five in the sample, since the end of that one precipitated something significant for my character. So I really examined each paragraph, identifying which ones carried their weight, and which sentences could be eliminated.

Tightness. Once I started rereading the pages, I realized there were many words that weren't completely necessary. I hunted for words like 'that', unnecessary phrases like 'I saw', and excess prepositional phrases. A couple of made-up examples:
Before: I saw the guards moving closer.
After: The guards moved closer.

Before: She thought that she ought to leave now.
After: She ought to leave now.

Paragraph squaring. I made up this word, but I learned the idea from fantasy author Carol Berg. It's a way to shorten the length of a manuscript (and Berg should know--her first drafts can be as long as 175,000 words!). Look at the tail end of a paragraph--the words that don't fill a whole line. Try to eliminate enough words somewhere in the paragraph to eliminate the 'tail'. When I first heard this idea, I was skeptical, but it really made me examine my words with a new eye, and I felt so good when I shortened the manuscript by another line. I'll be using this in the future, for sure.

Working hard for a week helped me get rid of over one thousand words, and I fit the extra chapter into my sample pages. Whew! It wasn't easy, and I read and reread those pages more times than I could count, but it was worth it. Now I'm applying the same techniques to the rest of my novel, hoping to bring the word count down.

How do you tighten your writing? Does submitting to an agent or editor make you look at it differently?

Q&A with . . . me!

I've never done one of these Q&A blog themes, but since I'm running around today between errands and doctor appointments, I thought I'd give it a try. I was tagged by the fabulous Evangeline Denmark, whose blog is my go-to resource for a guaranteed laugh. I'm thrilled I'll get to hang out with her at the Pikes Peak Writer's Conference this week!

1. Book or movie and why?

Always a book. I'm usually disappointed with a screen version. As a writer, I know I'd have a hard time leaving out my character's internal dialogue. And I'm a big proponent of stealing movie themes for use in novels.

2. Real book or e-book?

Both. On the road, the Kindle is better to carry and whip out when I have a few minutes. But I miss being able to easily flip back and forth in a novel.

3. Funniest thing you've done in the last 5 years?

Goodness. Probably going backpacking with a group of wild and crazy friends. Though while sitting in a waiting room, I just had the most fascinating conversation with Maxine, an 94-year-young woman born during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. She got the flu at 3 months of age--and survived. She says she's going for 110!

4. How would your best friend describe you?

Always writing. Always thinking about writing. Always talking about writing. (My kids get on my case about this. No matter what they say, I usually respond with something like, "That's a great idea for a story!"

5. Do you put yourself into the books you read/write or the movies you watch?

I put little things in my novels that may not mean much to others, but they make my books feel like my very own time capsule. For example, the donkey in my current historical fantasy brings back memories of trying (and failing, as a city girl) to ride my cousin's donkey bareback.

6. Favorite kind of car and why?

I'm not a huge car fan, so all I need is something to get me there and back.

7. Would your choice of party be a catered meal or barbecue out back?

Barbecue. Definitely. Though growing up in Brooklyn, New York, we didn't have a barbecue or an 'out back'!

8. What's your favorite season and why?

I love the fall. The colorful leaves are the best part. Though the leaves on the East Coast have more variety, the aspen trees here in the Rockies are breathtaking.

9. What specific lesson have you learned - Spiritual, educational, occupational?

It's never too late to embark on a new career. I've only been writing seriously for five years, and I never imagined I'd discover something I love so much at this season of life.

10. Besides writing, what's your favorite thing to do when you get some extra time?

Read. Bake. Hike, and hang out with my family and friends.

11. What's one place you can be found at least one time every week?

My church. The gym. One of my writing critique groups.

So here's a list of the new victims (and writers) to answer 11 Random Questions:

Stacy S. Jensen
Beth Vogt
Kenda Turner
Terri Forehand
Jess at Falling Leaflets
Janette Dolores
Jarm del Boccio
Leah Griffith
S.M. Carriere
Shelley Ring

Succumbed at Last

Today, February 20th, marks the two-month anniversary of my family's Season of Sickness. On December 20th, the first of my four children got sick with what would be a three-round-of-antibiotics-bronchitis. Since then, we haven't had one day where between one and four of us endured the flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, or the stomach bug.

Except me.

Even though I've been the one constantly in the face of each patient, I've felt fine. Which is good, since they all needed someone to take care of them.

But it looks like my time has come.

I hope it won't last long. I hope I won't need to sleep all the time. And I hope I can do some writing while I'm laid up.

I checked to see if other writers have tried to write while they're sick. Surprisingly, there was a lot out there. So even while I hope you stay healthy, here are some posts that might encourage you on your sick bed.

I absolutely love this post by SurlyMuse's Daniel Swenson. Writing While You're Sick, Tired, or Just Hate the World gives six practical but funny pieces of advice.

Sarah Wilson shares highlights from an interview with author Laura Hillenbrand of Seabiscuit fame. Hillenbrand has managed to fit successful writing into a life crippled by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Brian's situation at Anocial sounds like mine. Lots of sick kids, and he's the go-to guy. It's hard to work on bringing in an income when you can't actually take a day off.

Susannah Windsor Freeman, author of Write It Sideways, endured acute bronchitis while pregnant with twins (and caring for a toddler!). She shares how to keep up your writing when you're sick.

Do you try to write when you're sick? Maybe you just brainstorm, or do nothing at all. Hopefully, I'll see you Wednesday!