Writing Romance (and devotionals)

Well, I'm back to romances again. I'm in Ch1 of a new manuscript. Let's hope this one goes better than the mystery I started, and I can actually make it on to more chapters! I needed a break and I hope it has helped me to better concentrate on the emotional stuff I need to get into my story. After all, I've learned what I know about writing thru the romance industry, so I feel I should stick to my roots and not veer off in other directions. Some people can do that and do it well. I've tried, and each time, I just lose all my momentum.

Risk. Stakes. Upping the ante for the hero and heroine. It's starting to sink in, after all these years. This is what Harlequin is looking for. The lack of it results in rejections. I don't want another rejection. <>

Anyway, just thought I'd tell everyone that I'm back to romance writing. Two people have said, "Yea!" That's uplifting! I hope I don't disappoint my two fans (Marsha and Torie.) LOLOL

And I wrote a devotional this week for our church. It reminded me of some of the entries I did for the Comfort Ministry manual. This one was on seeking perfection. There was a time when I wanted to be perfect in just about everything I did. But I learned my lesson, and now I do not believe God expects us to be perfect. He knows we're all sinners. We're supposed to seek perfection though, according to both the Old and New Testaments. But it ain't easy. As usual, we're mere humans, trying to walk the straight path. Sounds so simple, yet only one ever achieved it--the One and Only. That's why I love the 1Corinthians:12-13 passages, 12"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Our Bible study lesson was on faith and unfaith. I think if we have hope, and especially if we have love, then it leads to faith. The two, love and hope, make us want to be faithful. When you love someone or something, you will do things you would never do. You'll take leaps of faith, based on that love.

So, does love+hope+faith=perfect? Maybe so. Food for thought, anyway.

End of sermon! Just practicing devotional stuff on *you.*

On a lighter note, after much floor wrestling with both Buddy the sheltie and me, the cattle dog is sleeping. SSSSSSHHHHHH!!!

Continuation of Last Post and Breakthrough!

Hey! While I was in the shower, something struck me. The answer to all my worries lately. Ready for it?

BE HAPPY

Simple and true. Here is what I just emailed a friend, concerning this light bulb moment:

I just wrote on my blog about how anal I am. I was angsting about my dog's poor manners and how I was searching out the best trainer around, how I am obsessing about just starting this new story, and worrying over whether I should be knitting or sewing goofy stuff or heirlooms. Suddenly it dawned on me what the answer to all of my troubles is: be happy.

Be happy w/my dog, whom I love no matter what he does. Be happy with my story and just enjoy the heck out of writing. Be happy with my needlework. Who gives a crap if all I ever crochet is rosary bag booties? There's a story behind that last one. I'll tell it in a second.

Anyway, I have decided to quit being so hard on myself. For today. Remind me of this decision tomorrow. I am terrible this way. I go in definite cycles, but yesterday and this morning were doozies of the downward spiral type.

As for rosary bag booties, I'm not Catholic and only know the bare basics about rosaries. It's just that when my niece was a baby, my sister had this Great Aunt Katherine on her husband's side who gave her several sets of these odd-looking, square-toed baby booties. Seems Aunt Katherine was always crocheting rosary bags for her church bazaar, and we surmised that one day when someone had a baby, Aunt Katherine realized she could make two matching rosary bags and they'd pass as booties! After all, they were about the size of a little foot, and tied off at the top to stay on nicely (or contain a bunch of beads.)

I need to be more like Aunt Katherine. I didn't ever meet her, but I can imagine that she just took great joy in her craft.

I am tired of.....

...eating Zone Perfect bars!! Ugh. Especially the Fudge Graham ones. Those are Frank's. I like the Peanut Butter. But mine are gone so I've started in on his. They're too sweet. The only reason I eat them is because I have a sweet tooth and somehow feel they're better for me than a candy bar. And I can control how many I eat cuz they're in individual packaging.

...trying to figure out how to train a cattle dog. I've finally found the experts who can help me, though. This guy has trained national champs in obedience and agility. He has received awards with his own dogs, and many of his staff members have won awards with dogs. He provides feedback in law enforcement trials concerning dogs (ie police dog biting a fleeing suspect, etc,...) and he's been at this for several years. I think he can probably tackle Shadow and me, so we have enrolled in a day of assessment and training. Meanwhile, Shadow is bored. Last night, he "tackled" an empty Coke case and really enjoyed ripping it into a million tiny pieces. This annoyed Frank no end, but I was just happy that the dog found something entertaining and rather innocuous to do with himself for a few happy minutes.

...plotting a new story. This story is not coming easily. I have a hard time pre-planning a book, and I'm about to quit on this one. I'd rather do it seat-of-my-pants and I'm going to revert to that method as soon as I get frustrated enough with working on this synopsis. It stinks trying to come up with stuff before I know my characters. I've done enough work on character sheets to start and not work myself into a hole. I think I may get busy and let the story flow from them.

...worrying over what I should be doing with my needlework. My latest thoughts are, should I be doing needlework the Napoleon Dynamite way, as in, "Whatever I feel like doing! Gosh!" or should I be creating the best I can create, in the way of heirlooms? What is the answer to this??? It's driving me nuts! Heirlooms can take a while. They take years of practice, or hours of tedious sewing, knitting, embroidery. Some things are just fun because you don't have to sweat them. Pincushions. Altoids sewing kits. Bookmarks. They satisfy the need to complete things faster. What to do, what to do. And needlework was always the one thing I didn't sweat so much. Now I've decided to pour my perfectionism into that, too. As Frank said, "It's not enough that each piece must be perfect in your eyes? Now you're putting your perfecting into even deciding what to work on?"

...worrying about what to have in each room of my house, and what to throw out. It bugs me that I can't make decisions. I would like to just know what I liked and what I was hanging on to out of fear, guilt, concern. You know. I just would rather be a little more satisfied and less of a worrywart.

I hate worrywarts!! And look! I'm the worst!

Okay. Back to work on a manuscript that has me worried from the start, about *starting* it!

Sheesh. It's a wonder I ever complete *any* project, and it's an even bigger wonder that I'm ever satisfied with it once I do.

My dog is snoring. That's a satisfying sound. Oh, to just be a sleeping dog.