My fingers have been flying over the keyboard on the current Work in Progress. In addition to that, I'm busy plotting another book or two. Sometimes the Muse cannot be controlled! She just wants to get up and get moving.
It doesn't always work that way, of course, so when Ms. Muse is in the mood to create, I run with her. Lately, I feel as if I've done the Boston Marathon three times over--but I'm not complaining! For a writer, that burst of energy is the best feeling in the world!
It's great to have inspiration handy when you need it. That lucky situation doesn't happen only with writers, either. There are all kinds of ways to be creative.
Cooking. Baking. Needlework.
Artwork. Aerobics.
Feng shui-ing your laundry room.
Giving your kid a haircut.
I'm on a two-minute stretch break before the next leg of the Marathon. So, be quick! And tell me, please--what gets your creativity going?
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Showing posts with label daily life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label daily life. Show all posts
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
It's a conspiracy
Honestly and truly, I have no idea why technology plots against me. Nine times out of ten, when I'm doing anything connected to computers, I have issues.
This time, it was loading a new program onto my computer. Piece of cake, you think? Any techno-dummy can handle it, right? All you have to do is stick in the CD and follow the prompts.
NOT!
I put in the CD.... Things moved along for a while.... Then a new file began loading...and loading...and loading.... And never stopped.
Called Tech Support. Got cut off. They called me back. Got cut off again.
Can you feel the frustration building? LOL
On my own again, tried rebooting the computer. Attempted re-clicking the CD. Went through the cycle of start, stop, start again, stop again--and at last, success!
Finally finished installing the program.
The program that should have taken...oh, approximately thirty minutes to load. And actually took four hours-plus.
So, I ask you:
Do things like this happen to you, too, or is it *really* a conspiracy? ;-))
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
This time, it was loading a new program onto my computer. Piece of cake, you think? Any techno-dummy can handle it, right? All you have to do is stick in the CD and follow the prompts.
NOT!
I put in the CD.... Things moved along for a while.... Then a new file began loading...and loading...and loading.... And never stopped.
Called Tech Support. Got cut off. They called me back. Got cut off again.
Can you feel the frustration building? LOL
On my own again, tried rebooting the computer. Attempted re-clicking the CD. Went through the cycle of start, stop, start again, stop again--and at last, success!
Finally finished installing the program.
The program that should have taken...oh, approximately thirty minutes to load. And actually took four hours-plus.
So, I ask you:
Do things like this happen to you, too, or is it *really* a conspiracy? ;-))
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Miss TV?
Are we suffering? I'm not sure the writers' strike is affecting my TV viewing that much. Sure I miss getting new episodes of Supernatural (gotta love that Dean!), but I've got both seasons on DVD. I read more, rent more videos, and have "more time" to write. PBS is airing new Jane Austen telecasts on Masterpiece Theater. (This week starts the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice.) The writers may have valid complaints, but I hope they're not waiting for me to add my voice to the outcry. I'm doing fine.
How about you? Missing TV?
Friday, April 13, 2007
Guest Post: Johanna Raisanen
Greetings to all our HAR authors and fans! Thanks for inviting me to the party. I was asked to write about what it’s like being an HAR editor. Well, I’m not sure what I do in a day could accurately convey what goes on, so I thought I’d give you a snapshot of a week.
Monday
Arrive at work for 8 am, which usually means running in the door at 8:10. Curse Monday mornings. Boot up computer and change outgoing voice mail message. Head to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and pour some milk on my cereal, then eat breakfast while checking emails.
Finish revision letter I’d started last week and email to the author. Pull out manuscript I read on Sunday and start new revision letter. Going through the manuscript page by page I make notes and suggestions. Cajole fellow editor Wanda Ottewell to go out for lunch with me. Back in the office, I meet with Kathleen, HAR senior editor, about scheduling issues, book titles and upcoming deadlines for RWA registration. Email final version of the revision letter to the author. Finally head home around 5 pm.
Tuesday
Spend some time chatting with coworkers about last night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars over a cup of tea. Read over and approve art fact sheets and respond to emails before an art meeting at 11 am. Kathleen and I head up to the 8th floor to meet with the HAR art director and marketing product manager. It’s up to us editors to tell the rest of the team what each book is about, give scene suggestions and pass along the author’s input. The art director takes our ideas and works up sketches for approval later in the process.
Spend lunch hour eating at my desk and inputting Dear Reader letter, dedication and author bio into our prelim template (prelims include back cover copy and all the front pages before the book). Look over copy submitted by freelance copy writers and finish up the prelim package and email it to Kathleen.
At 2 pm attend a brainstorming meeting to help come up with new ideas for limited continuities. Then call a west-coast author on her lunch hour to answer questions she had about her revision notes.
Wednesday
Work-at-home day. Since it’s almost impossible to actually edit in the office, most editors take at least one and sometimes two days to work on line edits or reads at home. I also work on some other series (as most editors do) and will start my Superromance line edit at 8 am. Lunch break consists of taking my dog for a walk in the park, giving me an opportunity to get some fresh air, too! Quit editing for the day around 6.
Thursday
Finish line edit at home. (330 pages in 2 days. Whew.)
Friday
Check in with Kathleen to see if there’s anything I need to know after being out of the office for two days. Head to the 8th floor where the good photocopier is and make three copies of the finished line edit. One copy for me, one for the author and one for the freelance copy writer. Kick the photocopier a couple of times to try to fix a paper jam. Finish photocopying on the 6th floor. Hand the line edit in to production and breathe a sigh of relief that I’m on time.
Back in my office, I tackle the slush pile. I read and evaluate manuscripts from unpublished authors and write correspondence. If the manuscript is turned down, I write a rejection letter. But if I find a true gem, I write a report for Kathleen giving reasons to buy the book. At the end of the day, I get an email saying there’s cake in the common area! Yippee!
So that’s a typical week for an editor. Meetings, edits, revision letters, art briefs and a whole lot more. And some fun along the way. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else!
Johanna
Monday
Arrive at work for 8 am, which usually means running in the door at 8:10. Curse Monday mornings. Boot up computer and change outgoing voice mail message. Head to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and pour some milk on my cereal, then eat breakfast while checking emails.
Finish revision letter I’d started last week and email to the author. Pull out manuscript I read on Sunday and start new revision letter. Going through the manuscript page by page I make notes and suggestions. Cajole fellow editor Wanda Ottewell to go out for lunch with me. Back in the office, I meet with Kathleen, HAR senior editor, about scheduling issues, book titles and upcoming deadlines for RWA registration. Email final version of the revision letter to the author. Finally head home around 5 pm.
Tuesday
Spend some time chatting with coworkers about last night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars over a cup of tea. Read over and approve art fact sheets and respond to emails before an art meeting at 11 am. Kathleen and I head up to the 8th floor to meet with the HAR art director and marketing product manager. It’s up to us editors to tell the rest of the team what each book is about, give scene suggestions and pass along the author’s input. The art director takes our ideas and works up sketches for approval later in the process.
Spend lunch hour eating at my desk and inputting Dear Reader letter, dedication and author bio into our prelim template (prelims include back cover copy and all the front pages before the book). Look over copy submitted by freelance copy writers and finish up the prelim package and email it to Kathleen.
At 2 pm attend a brainstorming meeting to help come up with new ideas for limited continuities. Then call a west-coast author on her lunch hour to answer questions she had about her revision notes.
Wednesday
Work-at-home day. Since it’s almost impossible to actually edit in the office, most editors take at least one and sometimes two days to work on line edits or reads at home. I also work on some other series (as most editors do) and will start my Superromance line edit at 8 am. Lunch break consists of taking my dog for a walk in the park, giving me an opportunity to get some fresh air, too! Quit editing for the day around 6.
Thursday
Finish line edit at home. (330 pages in 2 days. Whew.)
Friday
Check in with Kathleen to see if there’s anything I need to know after being out of the office for two days. Head to the 8th floor where the good photocopier is and make three copies of the finished line edit. One copy for me, one for the author and one for the freelance copy writer. Kick the photocopier a couple of times to try to fix a paper jam. Finish photocopying on the 6th floor. Hand the line edit in to production and breathe a sigh of relief that I’m on time.
Back in my office, I tackle the slush pile. I read and evaluate manuscripts from unpublished authors and write correspondence. If the manuscript is turned down, I write a rejection letter. But if I find a true gem, I write a report for Kathleen giving reasons to buy the book. At the end of the day, I get an email saying there’s cake in the common area! Yippee!
So that’s a typical week for an editor. Meetings, edits, revision letters, art briefs and a whole lot more. And some fun along the way. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else!
Johanna
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