B.I.C.*

Now that this is over (see "A Lovely Time Had By All", below), it's time for the real work to begin.

It's time for B.I.C., and I'm not talking about the pens.

*B.I.C. = Butt In Chair.

45,000 words into the rewrite of a 95,000-word novel and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it, but come you-know-what or high water, I'm going to get it finished. We are long overdue. The good news is, the stuff I'm bringing to group seems to be going over well. My Wonder Twin says the mechanics are there, which means - at least to me - that I've come quite a long way with my writing. No point of view issues, which I used to struggle with constantly. I finally get it. No gaping plot holes. So far.

So what's the problem?

Time, of course.

I'm not really sure I have aspirations that my writing will make me enough money to allow me to quit working altogether (although it's a nice dream/goal/hope), but it would be nice to make some decent money doing what I love most. I'm working toward the day when people ask me what I do for a living and I can say, "I'm a writer." Okay, yes, I do that now, but it's cheating a little because I have to qualify it with, "But I have a day job, too." And right now it's the day job that's getting in the way of what I really want to do.

It's a time management issue, of course. I've had to change my work hours, going back to full-time (i.e. eight hours a day), but lucky for me I still get to work at home, so when I finish the day job shift at 2:00 in the afternoon, it's a matter of seconds before I'm across the study and plugging away at the manuscript.

Theoretically speaking, it should be that easy. But I'm still settling in to the new schedule, and it's been a bit tough trying to get myself into this routine again, getting back into B.I.C. mode.

Fortunately, this weekend I was taking notes, and got a few good lessons under the ol' belt that should help.

A Lovely Time Had By All. This is what I'm talking about. I spent this past weekend in my element, hanging and schmoozing with some phenomenal people: Wonder Twin, The Goddess, Mr. Chicago, a Cajun beauty, and this really sweet guy and his gorgeous and equally sweet wife.

Now, there's a dynamic here that might set a few folks off kilter. Forgive me if you think I'm off base, but this is what I observed. I hosted three panels this weekend. The lovely ladies from my Sisters in Crime chapter who comprised our Sunday panel are all talented writers, and they love what they do, but to at least three of them, it's more for fun than profit. They all have jobs and write on the side.

To the other group, writing is the job. They consider it work, not just a hobby. It's what we bust our cans doing every day because it's our life, our passion. Me? My goal is to be hanging with this crowd. And hang with them I did. The weekend is a blur, but I know that I came out of it with a renewed affirmation of what it is I'm working toward.

I have pictures, but since it would only be fair to post them all at once, I'll have to wait and share them tomorrow, when I can do a little downloading from the digital camera.

In the meantime, I'm going to try to make tomorrow the official return to the land of B.I.C.

Wish me luck.

And read a book. It's good for you.

=) JB