Meeting Deadlines

I've missed a few blog days, but every free second has been spent trying to make my self-appointed deadline for my new novel. Well, I got it done, but I'm still working on a little editing before it's ready to send out. I should have it out to several agents in about a week.

Am I ecstatic? I will be as soon as it's in the mail! Well, it's short and sweet today. I've got a meeting at 1 p.m., the chamber Enews to get out and more chapters to edit before all my children begin trickling in from school.

I hope you all have a fabulous day and I promise to keep you updated in my quest for an agent.

Talk About Writing

by Marcia Mickelson

I'm not sure how it is for everyone else, but when I start on a new book, I don't like to talk about it to anyone. I keep completely quiet about it because I feel that if I start to talk about it too early on, the magic will go away. I know that sounds weird, but during the infancy of my book, it's too fragile to talk about. It's at the point where if I talk about it, it might not even get written.

I don't mind people reading my work when it's about halfway done or more. I like and need to get good, honest criticism. The more negative the better. I welcome it. I want to hear how I can improve it, but not too soon. Once, the idea is more firmly cemented and past its tentative stage, then I can share it.

Maybe it's like when it's very early in my pregnancy, I don't like to tell people. I prefer to wait until after the second doctor's appointment to share my news. I guess I'm too worried to tell anyone just in case. In case of what? I don't know, just in case. By the way, this is in no way an announcement. I'm just making a comparison--a pregnancy in its early stages is like a book in its early stages, and I'm too worried to share it until I know it's well into development.

So, I am working on a new book. I can say that much, but I can't even say what it's about. It's too scary. I'm about 10,000 words into it and I'm grateful for Tristi Pinkston's Book In A Month challenge this month so I can work like crazy on it.

What a Mess!

by Marsha Ward

While I was enjoying myself in Utah at the LDStorymakers Writers Conference, Nature was having fun in Arizona.

I'm sure the land slips and slides around all over the continent, but this slide occurred next to a highway--and not just any highway! The highway in the picture is the major link between where I live and the Phoenix area, where my family members live. With part of the mountain hanging so precariously over the roadway, the department of transportation has closed it.

There's also the problem of the pavement having buckled.

Pictured here are some heavy-duty chasms. I don't want to travel through there until a lot of earth is removed to some other place. Of course, that is the plan. There is no announced date for re-opening the highway, although some talk has gone around about using the other side for one lane each way come Memorial Day weekend. That's a long way off, when there are birthdays to celebrate very soon in my family.

There are alternate routes, adding over a hundred miles to the one-way trip, and doubling the time necessary to get to where I'm going. I look for prices to rise on basic things like food, water, soap, chocolate, etc.

I wonder if the earth roared when it let go?

Touching Scene at the Airport

This past week, I was in Salt Lake to attend the LDStorymakers Conference, and I was going to blog about that. However, I witnessed a touching scene at the San Antonio Airport today when I flew back home. I wanted to blog about that instead.

I was waiting outside at the departing/arriving curbside of Terminal 2 at the San Antonio International Airport. I was waiting for my husband and three boys to pick me up after their church ended. At that terminal, there are cars both dropping off passengers or picking up people who've arrived.

I saw a minivan pull up to the curb right in front of me. There was an older man driving, the grandpa, I assume. Out came a woman in her late 20's or early 30's. She was dressed in an Air Force uniform. I noticed next to her was seated a young baby, probably 18 months or so. From the back seat, came a man, also dressed in an Air Force uniform. I couldn't help but watch the scene unfold. The baby was cranky and crying right off. At first, I thought that both mom and dad were leaving, perhaps deployed somewhere on military service. The baby was crying and holding his arms out toward his parents. The couple embraced for a few minutes and then dad continued into the airport. The mom got back into the car. All the while, the baby was crying for his dad. I almost couldn't watch. I was sad. Mom was not leaving that day, but perhaps one day she too will be called away. It hurt my heart about the little boy. I am in awe and admiration to all those who sacrifice their time to serve our country. What a great service they give; what a great sacrifice. They are people of great honor and duty.

I felt so guilty that I would be soon seeing my family. I missed them for the few days that I was away, but I was really glad to be seeing them. But, I felt so guilty that I was saying 'hello' while they were saying 'good-bye.' I don't know how long that dad will be gone, but 'good-bye' is never easy. A few minutes later, my van pulled up. It was so good to see them, and I still felt guilty. I'm still thinking about that family. I just hope that all the people who serve our country can soon be with their families.

The Whitney Awards (!)

It's almost here! Tonight the 2007 Whitney Awards for LDS fiction will be announced at a gala celebration following the LDStorymakers annual writers' conference.

Yeah, I think everyone else is there except for me. Yeah, everyone else will know who won before I do. Yeah, I'm feeling sorry for myself, a little. But not much. Some wonderful Storymakers will be blogging the results at http://whitneyawards.blogspot.com/
and of course, you can see the results later at www.whitneyawards.com.

Personally, I think this will be a rockin' set of awards, and I fully intend to win one in the future.

Why Do I Bother to Worry?

by Marsha Ward

It was branch conference last Sunday.

For those not of the LDS faith, it's a once-a-year occasion in the local congregation when the next-higher tier (stake) leaders--both the ecclesiastical and auxiliary leaders--come and give the lessons. The stake president also gives a talk in the worship service. These lessons and talks contain insights the leaders want to share with us, and encouragement for further advancement in faith and good works during the coming year.

Our choir leader choose a special arrangement of a well-beloved hymn for the choir to prepare and present. Mind you, our choir generally consists of about ten people. The arrangement she chose was written for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir of over three hundred singers. Most of the choir members don't really read music, especially the men. The Mack Wilberg version of the hymn is quite complex, including several key changes, and eight voice parts at the end.

Well. We don't have any tenors to speak of, and eight parts into ten people generally leaves 1+ person per part. Our chapel isn't huge, so that's okay. It wasn't volume that concerned me. I worried about our ability to render the arrangement in any recognizable fashion. Not that amateur singing was my paramount concern. I know that the spirit the choir brings to the congregation's worship experience is much more important than whether or not a few sour notes get produced. I worried that Lynn would be disappointed, that the choir would feel deflated, or that God would not accept our puny efforts to do the arrangement justice.

Why do I bother to worry? Lynn did her due diligence to recruit visitors and more people from the branch to sing today. Some had practiced with us a time or two; others had not. The results: awe-inspiring!

The sound was full--angels must have joined us, as they have in the past. The spirit of God was in the performance. I felt it so strongly that when I sat down I cried for the overwhelming sense of love it brought. I'm crying now as I recall it.

The hymn?

"The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning."

Leavin' on a Jet Plane...HOPEFULLY!

By Tamra Norton

All my bags were were packed, I was ready to go...when the call came. "Mrs. Norton, we regret to inform you that your flight from Houston to Salt Lake City was cancelled due to bad weather."

"WHAT?!!! But I'm giving an assembly tomorrow. 500 kids are counting on me. And I'm going to my friend's booksigning tonight! And I've been looking forward to and planning this trip for months! And, and and..."

Apparently mother nature could care less about my plans. Right now Houston is under a tornado watch (which, honestly, we don't take too seriously in these parts because we have tornado watches at least once a month for a good chunk of the year).

I suppose I should be grateful to the airlines for watching out for my safety. I'll definitely be in their hands all day tomorrow! Instead of my non-stop flight that was supposed to take place today, I've been booked on a flight at 6:45 am to Cincinnati (yup--as in OHIO!!!) where I will then sit in the airport for 4 hours until I catch my flight to Salt Lake City.

The bright side of all of this? I hope to have a good writing day tomorrow.

Wish me luck! Oh, and I was able to reschedule the school visit for next Monday--whew!