No writing today. Seems to be a pattern, I know. For those of you who may still be following my progress — I promise I will be sharing something positive and inspiring at some point in the near future. I’m still reading “Gift from the Sea” and I absolutely love it. If you haven’t read it, and you’re over the age of 40, put it on your reading list. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Writing retreat is just around the corner and I’m still bathing suit-less. Am not exactly in a state of mind that screams “Let’s try on bathing suits!” Every woman (well, except those few friends of mine who have sleek physiques …you know who you are and you know I love you just the same) — every woman can relate to me when I say bathing suit shopping is second only to having your hair ripped out by the roots. Painful. Painful. Painful. Nowhere to hide when you’re in a bathing suit. Can’t even hide behind your Spanx, in a bathing suit.

Other than the suit, I’m about ready to embark on this 5-day journey with a group of women writers (and Jack Riggs, of course). New friends. At the beach, no less. What could be more perfect? (other than actually getting some words down?)

The countdown is on.

photo credit: Dave Morrison

Wow, a whole lot can happen in less than a year. Here I am, behind on the blog again. Behind on the writing. I have a lot of very exciting things going on and it’s a matter of drawing straws every day to determine what comes first. Today, it was business stuff. Tomorrow, I hope to tuck away an hour just to write. With the retreat coming up, I don’t feel too guilty about using my time now for other things. I’m going to “kill it” at the beach. My goal (now) is to complete 10,000 words of the novel while lounging by the pool — a pen in one hand, a cold martini in the other. You know us writers…we are so much more creative after a cocktail or three.

Got up early and wrote for an hour. The picture above is where I’d LIKE to be, when I get up early. I’m a beach person. I should be living on the beach, writing novels all day, and sitting on the beach with a glass of white wine in the evening. I’m just sayin’….

Didn’t quite make 1000 words, but am on a roll. I am getting haircut after work, and then it’s a Cinco de Mayo-style dinner at The Morrison house. Dave is whipping up a Mexican feast, including ice-cold Margaritas!

I’m still having trouble with tense. It was a struggle in my last book, and I’m finding it a struggle again. Part of me thinks I should just write it out (vomit it out), and part of me wants to fix it, obsess over it as I go. The more I think, analyze, the quicker I lose track of the story. Those poor characters are still sitting on the porch waiting to bury their mother. And here I am, holding them up over  “was” and “is.” Ok. Onward. I will stop obsessing as of today. Fix later.

Tomorrow night is gym night so I hope to write a little in the morning before the day job, and then again at night after I get home. Best laid plans. I’ll see how it goes.

The month of May is already getting away from me. If I hope to finish by my self-imposed May 31 final draft (readable) by that date, I might have to take a day off from the day job. Write all day. Sounds glorious. Might do it. Hide out. Get up early. Write all day. Hmmm….It’s a good thought.