How I will spend my summer...

This is the stack of books under my really cool bed table I bought at the DI for 15 bucks. That isn't the story tho'. These books are my reading list for this summer. Why? you ask. Because I am teaching a writing class this next school year at the local Jr High. I helped teach the same class in Tooele last year; and I have in my posession some really cool lessons that my friends wrote. This summer I am re-writing the lessons to fit my style, and using books that are young adult and
I am familiar with. Therefore the stack. The only books that are missing are #4 from the Wizzard Series by Diane Duane, #2 The Widow's Revenge, By KL Fogg, The Twilight Series, that my daughter owns by Stephenie Meyer (Breaking Dawn comes out in August), and I guess the new Artemis Fowl. It may look like alot but I read fairly fast, I will probably be done reading by the end of June. Leaving July and Aug. to write and polish the lessons.

I just had an idea, my writer friend is bloging on the writing process from start to finish. I'll post the lessons I am preparing as I finish them. It'll be fun, dont hold your breath though, I won't post anything until probably July.

sisters in arms...

Although writing is a solitary activity, and writers spend a lot of time alone. (not counting the hundred or so characters in our heads) There is one very important thing that a writer needs besides paper and pen or computer and printer. It is writer friends. These writer friends are people who we can send our manuscripts to, share our frustrations with, and celebrate our successes and failures (celebrate failures… don’t you mean cry over rejections?) We bounce ideas off them when we are plotting (ouch that sounds like it hurts) and go to them when we have hit the proverbial writers block (block? More like a 15 foot tall brick wall).
The reason for this post is I have been blessed with some very good writer friends, those members of SCRaWL, my writing group from Tooele, and my best friend who is also a writer Paulette. A few days ago, (few days…I think it was yesterday) we talked on the phone, she wanted a certain kiss to stay in the scene, but the events prior to the kiss had changed so at that moment there was no reason for it except it is so cute and sweet. We talked about it and suddenly I had an idea… “What if…” I said and she thought about it and it worked. Then this morning I had some revisions on the plot for book two and I told her and together we worked on it and made the plot more solid and even better. (except for the part about leaving Noble dead in the snow…) We were both PSYCHED! This is what is so cool about having writer friends.
SO…… To the members of SCRaWL consider yourselves awarded.
And to Paulette, you deserve more than just an award but it is all I have at the moment. 
Thanks guys! From Michelle (and Noble)

I did it.

Dominion Day is finished, it is as polished as it can get without a publishing editor taking a red pen to it.

Even more:

I SENT IT TO COVENANT YESTERDAY MORNING!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only thing I forgot to do is put page numbers on it. I am so lame sometimes. I read the submission guidelines so many times, I knew I hadn't done that one thing but alas in the excitement of sending it to them I forgot. Hopefully it will be a small thing that he can overlook. Hopefully my awesome writing will override the lack of numbers on the bottom right corner. SIGH!
I am excited, this is a real submission. AAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

See I am dreaming big.

Finished!!!!!!!!

I have finished reading through my MS. I have corrected every error I have seen. Dominion Day stands at 105,592 words and 362 pages in Times size 12. So Monday I tackle the cover letter and send it to Covenant.

Okay all of you take a deep breath and say with me...
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Found...

My mom is an avid reader, I get the bad habit from her. Now at her age, (she is 22 years older than me)she requires reading glasses to support her habit. She is also famous for taking them off and losing them.

So the gist of the story is that my patrents gave thier older couch to my cousin. When my cousins husband lost the remote in the couch they cut it open and found

16 PAIRS of glasses all belonging to my mom!!!!!!!

She took a picture of them and posted a found post on the family web page. I laughed so hard I couldn't move.

My mom has requested that the glasses be put in a box and mailed to my parents house. I'm still chuckling.....


Mom I love you and your missing glasses.

No your eyes arent playing tricks on you...

I changed my template, I was bored of the pink although don't be surprised if it is back tomorrow. It is my and Nobles favorite color. Yeah I know a guy who likes pink, go figure. Hey, this is the guy that lives in my shower too. I saw this lovely color on a friends blog and had to try it. (thanks Tristi) I like blue it is the color of the Prophet robes that Noble wears.

Janette Rallingson has a post on her blog about theme songs. I have thought about it for a day or so and I have decided that my theme song would be "Dream Big". I don't know the artist but as I prepare to send my MS to a publisher the song keeps rolling in my head.

I am Dreaming Big right now. Perhaps I'll fall flat on my face but it will be a good thing right?

Wendy, I get dibs on the "Vision" title, (already have a character in my head).

Thanks

Eyes to see....

Three of my sons and I spent most of the day yesterday at the optometrist. Two of my sons had appointments. The 16 year old appointment went as planned; exam pick out glasses and pay co-pays. The four year old was another story. When they put the drops in his eyes to dilate them he squeezed his eyes shut and then he couldn’t open them; he stretched his face sooooo long but his eyes wouldn’t open. It was so funny, we were all laughing there in the exam room.

When we went to choose glasses he grabbed this pair of Barbie light blue glasses that were obviously for a girl. He wanted blue glasses and wouldn’t budge until I put a pair of black ones on him. Then he wanted black. A few minutes later he wanted blue ones again. I honestly thought it would be harder for my 16 year old to choose glasses than my four year old. We finally ordered a pair of blue glasses with red on the inside and we were both happy.

Last night I went to a stake Relief Society diner and program, I couldn’t eat the dinner, with my food allergies, I usually can’t. The women who performed were good, it just isn’t my type of preferred entertainment. But there was one part that jarred me to full attention and that thought pervaded my thoughts the rest of the night. We stood as a group and recited the RS declaration. It wasn’t the group or their intentions that caught my attention, but a word.(of course me being a writer) The Relief Society declaration states that “We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity.” Vision is the word that struck me, a voice in my head asked me “do you have Vision…”

The eyeglasses incident and that question has made me think deeply for the last few hours. In my writing exercises with my friend one of her characters, who is blind, said “you don’t have to see to have vision.” Surely sight and vision are different things. We see things all the time…. But do we use vision in our lives often enough?
I am a writer; I have written and edited thousands of pages. While publishing my books is a huge dream of mine it isn’t my solitary goal. I write because I love to write. I love filling clean white pages with things from my head. The Vision of black letters on a clean white page fills me with satisfaction. If I never get published I still have these wonderful stories to share with family and friends.
So… if you aren’t focused on publishing as your primary goal then why submit at all? You ask.

Because I have vision,

“I do have Vision.” I told that voice in my head, last night. I have seen my books in the book store all seven of them lined up together. I have seen the black spines with electric blue lettering. My Vision tells me that I am on the right path for me.

Yes I have Vision, and that Vision will see Dominion Day published…