First, I’ve got a post about some of the things I wish I’d known before I sold the trilogy on the Ripping Ozzing Reads blog. You can find it here http://ripping-ozzie-reads.blogspot.com/2009/09/five-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-got.html
Second, was it just me or were the Emmys a bit of a fizzer? Not because of Neil Patrick Harris – he is all things awesome and I will never heard a word against him – but it seems there was a concerted lack of energy around the room. Almost as if those attending were too cool for school. I was left with a decided feeling of ‘meh’, which is a travesty considering how much I LOVE award shows. Although I did like the idea of doing the awards in genre categories.
Third, you have got to start following Maureen Johnson’s reader’s guide to The Lost Symbol http://maureenjohnson.blogspot.com/2009/09/lost-symbol-readers-guide-part-one.html Tres, tres, tres funny. And a little concerning – what if my book is such dross that someone can do this to me? Although, if it comes with Dan Brown’s paycheck, go for it :) Hmm, you know, having written it down, I’ve now decided that The Lost Symbol is a pretty dumb title for a book. There’s nothing interesting in it – there’s a symbol, and it’s lost. Whoopie. Why should I care? Demons and Angels, now there’s a title – cause you know if there’s demons involved, there’s gonna be some bad-arse shit going down there. But someone lost a symbol – boo hoo. Hmmm, snark seems to be catching…
Four, things are a changing around here at Casa de Murphy. I’ve started back on the healthy eating plan that saw me lose massive kilos when I was living in Sussex Inlet, and upping the exercise quotient too, so hopefully there will be some good results from that. I’ve also started reconfiguring the whole housework thing in order for it to not become too pig sty-ie as the pressure builds and the deadlines come closer. Control, peoples. The word de jour is control.
Five, I’ve picked up Freedom to Be (that’s a better title than The Lost Symbol, right?) to start revising and polishing with the aim to have it ready for my wonderful, fantabulous beta readers by the end of October. At least, that’s the plan, but I’m expecting to get edits on Love in Control (now, that’s a good title, right?) sometime soon. And then, while I put FTB away in November and wait for responses from the betas, I’m gonna start the re-write of Chance and Reward (oh no, now I’ve got title paranoia!). December, more polishing of FTB, then more beta reading of it and re-writing of C&R, then at the retreat at January will do the final polish of FTB to have it ready to send to the publishers at the end of January. Then it’s onto focussing on the re-write and polish of C&R, while also doing edits of FTB and working on promoting LIC… Tell me again why I thought this was a good idea?
Six, go the mighty Eels! I know I don’t always talk about my love of sport, mainly cause I go in and out of the mood to actually watch it, but my heart has belonged to the Parramatta Eels since I was a little girl, and it makes me all tingly to see how well they’re going this year. Special kudos to Nathan Hindmarsh, who is a bloody legend, and to Jarryd Hayne whose turnaround from being involved in shootouts at nightclubs last year to winning the best player in the league this year has re-affirmed my faith in mankind. Friday, it’s the game of the year against the old enemy, the Bulldogs! Go boys!