Friday, August 30, 2013

Summer Recap and Writing News

So I've been away for awhile, can you blame me? I've been burping, rocking, changing and cuddling an adorable baby. Cuddling is a lot of work you know! And sooo worth it <3
I mean, look at that little face! It doesn't get cuter than this. She looooves that blanket. She'd bathe in it if I let her.

Summer recap: 

Esther had solids for the first time:
(She loved it)
Stuart and I had our second anniversary. Woot!
 We went camping (yay!) for the first time as a family of three:
I learned that though a whole lime (cut in half) in a glass looks like jelly fish and makes a great photo, it also makes a REALLY strong drink.Seriously, if you can chug that one down you can hold your drink!
(My pet limy jelly fish)
 Esther went swimming for the first time, and loved it.
And we went to the park almost every day:

 *Sigh* Summer, why must you be ending? Won't you stay awhile longer.... perhaps forever?
 
What did you (my reader) do this past summer? Any special moments? Or just plain, every day, happy ones?
 
In Writing news: 
I'm on my final assignment for the course I'm taking at the Institute for Children's Literature. I'm planning out a book idea I came up with awhile ago, it's called Between the Shadows. Here's a short pitch for it:

How is it possible for a blind boy to see? And what does he want with books? Especially dusty old ones that are hidden away in the city archives? Why does he sleep during the day? And what's with those glowing eyes?
Solnea Weaver wants to know the answers to these questions but Row Blindsight isn't giving them. But she isn't about to let him get away with his secrets...

I'm really excited to be starting another project. Though Silver Blood still calls to me; "Publish me! Send me out for the world to reaaaad!" And I still plan to do that, though I can't help feeling it needs more editing. (Says the girl that has edited it to pieces). I remember reading something an author said and it's always stuck with me (I am paraphrasing here);
"You are never going to be happy with your finished manuscript. Eventually you just have to accept that it's done and stop worrying about it."
But I can't help worrying about it... I guess a large part of it is that I know I can write so much better than I did when I wrote Silver Blood and I worry that I can't get it up to standard.

On the encouraging side, all the people who have read it have enjoyed it. Someone even told me they liked it so much that they want to read it again. I try to remember that when I feel discouraged.