Yes, I went to the zoo

That was yesterday. I could probably go back tomorrow -- Russ has another class to teach -- but I think I'm going to skip, hard as it is for me. I had a great time. Got a few lovely pictures, like this tiny ruby throated hummingbird. The picture at the left is at least twice as big as the actual bird. And I mean that about the small version of the picture, not the click and see it larger one.

I love my camera.

I'm outlining a new novel and having a good time at it. I tihnk I'll write this one for Labor of Love at FM...though Sudden Storm is still out there, ready to go as well. I just think I don't want to do it quite this soon. I have the feeling I'm still missing something there. We'll see. I'll do it when I'm ready.


People still ask me how I manage to come up with new ideas all the time. It's not a gift -- it's something you have to learn to do and accept when it happens. If you don't want to write as often as I do, that's one thing. But if you want new ideas, and you want to enjoy writing, then you have to accept that it is fun. I know it's an odd thing to say, but over and over again I see people taking the joy out of their writing. It's the old problem that all artists face when confronted by the expectations of our society: If it's fun it can't be work, and if it isn't work, it can't be important.

So people, trying to live up to some stupid cultural expectation, make writing into something they don't enjoy so that it's acceptable.

I work very hard at my writing. I also love it, enjoy it, work at improving it, and accept that it is imperfect.

And the more I write, the more I learn.

And the more fun it is.

I am working on a final edit of Paid in Gold and Blood. I'm glad I let it sit for a while. This is one of the better books I've written in a while. I'm so happy with it that I love this last editing part. I'm about 40 pages into it, and I think I can get it done pretty fast. Yay!

I have 345 pictures in my Access file now. Not a huge number, but I do at least ten a day. The problem is days like yesterday. I did ten -- but I took 294 pictures at the zoo, which pretty much negates everything I've already put in. Eeek!

I'm still, obviously, adding in the pictures from 1998. This is going to be a long project, but it's reaquainting me with some of my early work. I look forward to seeing some of the trips we've taken since then.

And now....back to writing!