My bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

I'm headed to Tucson for three weeks of warm weather and sunshine. I love living in the Pacific Northwest. I love the rain. But around February, I need a break. And my family lives in Tucson. Well, except my brother who lives in North Dakota and that's not the kind of break I'm after.

Spyscribbler posted today (or was it yesterday) about what kind of experience writers are aiming to give their readers. I'd never really thought about it before, but I immediately knew I'm the Entertainment writer. I never know what theme my book might of might not have. I don't write with character growth in mind. I like to create a character and give her lots of interesting situations. I like to write a story that keeps the reader wondering what's going to happen next and how the hell is the character going to get out of the situation. When I think about the emotion, the themes, the morals--I just get depressed and lose interest in writing.

When I write, I'm seeing a movie in my head and then putting it on paper. When I read, I read the words and that creates a movie in my head.

I remember a time when some co-workers and I were talking about movies. One of the co-workers and I both remembered a funny scene from a movie. We talked about it at length, trying to remember what movie it was from. We both remembered the scene in the same way. After a lot of discussion we both realized that the scene was from a book.

I want to write scenes like that.

Fear of Deadlines

Writers live with deadlines. Constantly. Deadlines for proposals. Deadlines for manuscripts. Deadlines for edits. Deadlines for cover art sheets. Deadlines for blurbs. I need to be completing a cover art sheet right now, I think. Although there was no hard and fast deadline attached to it. But there was a gentle reminder that they need it.
Usually I deal with deadlines by jumping on the project so I'm sure to complete it before the deadline. Well before the deadline.
I should be getting the edits soon on my next book. It's the first in a series and the second manuscript is due in November. So, right after the edits, I'll finish writing the second book. I'll probably finish the manuscript and have it to the publisher way before November. Because if I don't, I'll worry about it to the point that I won't get anything else done.
But first, I need to finish that cover art sheet.