Sunday, May 15, 2011

Bloggin' 'Bout Birthdays and Books

Today is my birthday and I feel like bloggin'. Because if I don't, my reader might be disappointed. This could very well be the first birthday I can remember having that I'm not making a whole big thing out of. Remember the year I had everyone comment anonymously and I had to figure out who they were? And then the year I said I wanted as many comments as possible and I got hundreds? That was awesome. This year, I'm a little eh about my big day. Maybe it's cause it's on a Sunday, the first Sunday birthday I've had in 14 years. (Doesn't add up you say? Figure it out.) Or maybe it's because it's been completely overshadowed by the fact that it's tacked on to the end of one of the most emotionally draining weeks I've had in a long time.

This week was impossibly one of the worst weeks and one of the best weeks of my life at the same time, for two completely separate reasons. I won't delve into why it was one of the worst, but I will say why it was one of the best: because after three years and a lifetime of dreaming, I finished my book. That's right, I finished it. I've written a book. A whole book. It doesn't seem real, like something I really did, but I did! I wrote a book. And tomorrow I'm going to send it in to my publisher at which time we will set a release date. Wait, did you hear that? That was me peeing my pants with excitement. You know how people say something feels like a dream, like it can't be real? They're not kidding. This never seems real. I wake up every day thinking at any minute Ashton Kutcher's gonna pop out from behind my couch with a camera and tell me I've been Punk'd. That would be more believable than this.

So you can see how a little thing like a birthday might not be such a big deal in light of other, bigger things happening. Especially a Sunday birthday. Especially a Sunday birthday that I'm turning 32 on. Blech. Not being super over-the-top ridiculously excited about my birthday? I feel like such a grown-up.

Friday, May 6, 2011

All Day She Wrote

I am beyond exhausted and I just need to write something that isn't making my brain hurt.

It's one week till D-Day (Deadline). I can't believe it. The past few months came and went so fast, the last few weeks have gone by in a blur. Each day that passes is one less day I have to finish this book. I've made a ton of progress, thank goodness. But oh, the stress. My headaches have been out of control. I go to bed with one every night and wake up with one every morning, which I've almost never done. Fortunately they go away from mid-morning till the evening, which is when I do almost all my writing, otherwise I don't know what I'd do. Today I went to my chiropractor (aka cousin Marshall) and he couldn't believe how messed up my back and neck were. He said, "You're stressed, huh?" Uh, YEAH! I even had a shoulder out of place. What?? Crazy. I left there feeling like a new woman.

It's amazing how draining sitting in front of a computer all day trying to think of what to write next can be. Seriously, exhausting. Plus, I can't take naps cause it's precious writing time (okay, I still manage to squeeze one in every few days) so I'm that much more tired. Plus, I'm nearing the end (for real this time, not like last time when I just thought I was) and I still have absolutely no idea how it should end. Every angle I take I wind up in a corner somewhere with no way out. In fact, I thought I had it figured out today only to learn that, no, it won't work. Neither did Plan B. Now it's after 10:00 which means it's too late to call my Idea Bouncer Offer, and pointless to email my Help! I Need Advicer because she won't be able to respond till tomorrow.

So I'm blogging. And playing Words With Friends whenever an alert pops up saying it's my turn.

The good news is I got my title back (Emerald City) and I know for a fact the cover is going to be a-mazing. Seriously, whenever I'm having a day like today and I think I'm going to wind up in the hospital for exhaustion or a mental breakdown before Friday comes, I just think of my cover and all the stress and anxiety just floats away. It's not finished yet, but I have an idea of how it will look and you are going to LOVE it. (Yes, all of you.)

So, that's my life right now. My poor kids will be haunted for the rest of their lives by the phrase, "Sorry, kiddo, I have to write." Oh well, maybe by then I'll be rich off of royalty checks and I'll be able to get them the best therapy money can buy.

Oh, and something else making my life soooo much better right now? My freaking awesome friends who are taking turns bringing me dinner three times a week. I can't even tell you how wonderful it is to realize it's 5:30 and not have to play Rock, Paper, Scissors with Bill to see who has to go get McDonald's. My cup runneth over.

Well...I'm out of things to say. I guess that means it's back to writing. My hands are actually swollen, I'm not kidding.

This is my dream coming true, this is my dream coming true, this is my dream coming true...