Terror Stricken

Okay… so by now, I'm thinking you guys are aware of my Goddamn Deadline to have Pendomus ready for queryable status come Sept 3rd. Right? Right. *shifts eyes back and forth*

I've been making sooper-cool progress via way of my >>MINI Goddamn Deadlines<< and I'm actually ahead of schedule. As of today, I am done with chapters 1-19 (of 32, I THINK). If I can continue along this trend, I should be done by mid-August. Well, assuming the ending UNDO doesn't kill me, first. Could happen.

If all that wasn't enough to leave me terror stricken… there's this new thing…

Come the end of September, some of my CRITS gals are going to this conference thing called Moonlight & Magnolias down in Georgia. I absolutely thought nothing of it at first.

Good luck, have fun ladies. See ya when you get back. *waves*

It's a romance writer thing and I write science fiction. Sure, Pendomus has romantical-type elements, too…

BUT

Now, the CRIT gals have asked me to take a closer look at it.

Beyond the high comedy that would ensue upon meeting these ladies in person; it turns out some great agents, editors and speakers will be there.


Oh, gawd. 


Don't know why, but it scares the absolute bejeezus out of me.

Maybe it's where I am in my process? My inner perfectionist demon hasn't been satiated yet, so the idea of meeting agents in person is crazy-daunting. Maybe it's because I've never been to something like this before? Maybe it's just because I'm a big pansy. Yeah, that's probably it.

Then another part, the schizophrenic voice in the back of my head, tells me this is perfect timing. I'm going to be querying anyway. This could be an extension of it…

Plus, after years of travel drought, I've had the fortuitous timing of having gone to both Arizona and Colorado. Each one offering experiences I would need to attempt such a voyage on my own. *gulp*

Terror is a part of any great adventure, right? Things worth having don't come without a little fear…

So, here's where I am: 

What are your thoughts?

Should I stay home where things are safe and cozy?

or

Should I go and [quite probably] make a fool of myself being the sci-fi freak at a romance gathering? 

Can horoscopes be wrong?

Amazing Deviant Art

Virgo


You are a pain in the ass. 
(It was at this point, in my lack of coffee, I did a double take.)


You regulate your breathing and color-coordinate the clothes in your closet. No Virgo in history has ever belched. (HA!) Virgos clean every square inch of everything they own twice daily with a toothbrush. Everything has its place, and yours is on the floor scrubbing with a magnifying glass, checking for germs. Obsessive-compulsive disorder? A nice euphemism for the word "Virgo". 

(Hey! I have no idea what they're... oh, wait. Yeah, okay. Maybe.)

Virgos use pointers and elaborate charts to describe philosophical concepts. You commit a lot of drive-by shootings. When you are questioned, you tell the police that it was because "the bastard had a filthy car". The police usually let you go because they are Virgos too. (ROTFL!)



It is easy to freak out a Virgo. Tell them they have something between their teeth. Then watch them scrub frantically at the imaginary thing. Virgos are a hell of a lot of fun for assholes like us. Hell for a Virgo is being locked up in an elevator for eternity with a naked Aquarius (Oh, GOD! MY husband is Aquarius!?). That is because in hell, Aquarians are allowed to bring beer, which they leave all over the floor (That's fact. I can attest). Virgos, however, have to surrender their brooms and squeegees to God. (Nooooooo!)


Virgos don't see the world in shades of black and white. They see it in shades of clean and dirty. Cat hair makes Virgos foam at the mouth. Virgos are cool because they will do your laundry for you. They'll separate everything by color and fabric until it consists of fourteen loads of three things apiece. Then they will put them in the washer in alphabetical order by name of manufacturer. (I have sooooo.... NOT done this. *shifts eyes back and forth*)


Virgos also have a hard time coping when they find out there's something under the fridge. But it's usually just a depressed Taurus. Virgos have read enough Hints from Heloise to know that the depressed Taurus can be coaxed out from under the fridge with a banana wine cooler. (Really? Mental note: Get Heloise book.)

~~~~~###~~~~~

Hmph. What am I to do with all this new found, truthful disheartening information?

Eh, I'll just fill you in on my progress. Then I need to go check my teeth.

Without further adieu... the first "official" week of mini-goddamn-deadlines is over and I'm heading face first into week 2.

I'm happy to say that the edits for the first four chapters are complete! 

Though, knowing my obnoxious, overly critical, want-to-make-it-perfect self (see above)... I'll probably end up going back into those first four again.

At some point.

Not now.

(HEY! They're the most important, right? They must be color coordinated and oh... Uh, nevermind.)

Whoa. Did something just move under my fridge?

Taurus?

Mini Goddamn Deadlines

Not only does this represent how I've felt lately,
but this is the Manitou Incline.

I *may* have agreed to do this.
I reserve the right to change my goddamn mind.

One month has been frittered away due to brain mutiny. We're now closing in on July and with my *new* goddamn deadline just two months away, I feel a need to take action.

I need mini goddamn deadlines.

This week, I am gonna be in Colorado visiting a close friend. So, starting any new kind of regimen (besides trying to adjust to a new time zone) is probably out of the question. Besides, she's planning on having me do some crazy ass stuff like climbing the Manitou Incline. Oh, shit.

So, here's what I'm proposing starting the week of July 4th:

I'm going edit 4 chapters a week. 

There are currently 36 chapters to do in 9 weeks. Considering I wrote the majority of the book in 2 months, I see no reason why I can't make this happen.

It may involve me letting go of my lazy wake-ups that I've taken on since the concussion and get my bum back into my 5am wake-ups. (Shhh. Don't tell anyone, but I'm kinda looking forward to that.)

So that I keep in line with my word, I plan on posting my progress on my facebook author page. If you want to know if I'm keeping up my end of the bargain, check me out there.

This way, it's just one more way to be held accountable. ;)

What are your goals/plans? Are there any that I could help hold you accountable with?