Family members: 5
Case of strep throat: 4
Ear infections: 6
Mother losing her ever loving mind?: 1
I am pretty sure that whatever brain I had left in my head has melted into a bubbling mass of molten lava onto my laptop. I am the only one in the family NOT sick. They all have strep (including Clint). Every child has double ear infections. (But, the dog didn’t crap on my floor!)
While trying to play Florence Nightingale, I also got to work on my book proposal which entailed it’s own little drama. (Created of course by me in my sleep deprived, crazed mind.)
But I was half sane enough to pick up the phone and call another writer and say things like: “Rgggrgling flegshmeckilany redkfjjhtss.” Somehow he made sense of it all and talked me off of the edge of the curb as I prepared to hurl myself in front of an oncoming bus. Even managed to give me about 45 minutes of encouragement. 45 whole minutes where I was not trying to figure out how to bomb my own house with Lysol!
So I felt good. Honest. I went back to my critique group with my reworked proposal. I heard things like, “That is great! I like your voice coming through. Good job!” It thrilled me.
Until I read the next line by FOUR of them. “…But what makes it different from Book XYZ? It seems very similar. You would have to make it stand out more for me to want to pick yours up.”
BUS?! OH BUS?!! Where art thou?
I am proud of myself though because I didn’t email or call anyone in a fuss and emotional outpouring of Poor Me’s. For a drama queen that is pretty impressive. (Damn friends were probably screening their calls and wouldn’t pick up anyway. And I just may have reached a new level of being added to the spam-blocker of some of my writing buddies as well.)
But my patience did pay off with a very encouraging (and not sought after….much) email from an author that I really admire encouraging me and giving me advice. I decided to end the night on that note.
Not work on my proposal.
Not check my email.
Not contact my critique group.
Not stay in the room with anyone in my family.
And finally, not let the bad days get me down.
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