What's happening

Just in case you wondered if I fell off the face of the earth --
I didn't.

What I am doing is working behind the scenes on a new blog with a new focus and (gasp!) a new identity. You'll be the first to know when I launch it.

As I get closer to publication (every day is closer to publication, no matter how far in the future or what happens between now and then, right?), I'm thinking about branding and considering how best to present myself as a writer.

I'm starting with my blog. I'd like to put a little more focus on the issues I'm exploring and a little less focus on my bellybutton. To that end, I'm taking a short break as I figure out the best way to do it. I'm getting there, and I think you'll like it. Just to give you a hint of one thing you'll find, I'm planning interviews not only with authors who write about families in crisis, but with real-life ordinary people who've faced extraordinary dilemmas.

I can't wait to show you the new digs, and I hope you'll stick with me and tolerate the silence until then.

~Julie

Sticking my head out of the sand

What I've been thinking about lately:

1) Work. Putting the finishing touches on my manuscript. It's currently with a lawyer friend getting the once over to be sure I didn't commit any major offenses against legal procedure in the story. When she returns it, if I haven't failed too miserably, I really and truly will be querying agents. (Yeah, I said that a few times already, but I forgot to account for this step in the process. Silly me.) Also working on synopses of varying lengths so they're ready to go when the time comes. I had to rename a character today when I realized I had too many similar names. I went through the 900 most popular girls' names in 1992 and finally settled on one I didn't like as much as the original, but it had to be done.

2) My treadmill. Yes, my new treadmill that sits proudly in my family room and will until or unless I stop using it for exercise and start using it as a clothes hanger. Let's hope that doesn't happen any time soon. I've discovered two things. First, I exercise better when distracted. My computer sits nicely on a built-in shelf on the console and I can get about 45 minutes of walking in while I read email and blogs first thing in the morning. (My morning, that is.) I've done this three out of three days so far this week. Whee! Second, I think I'm like a reverse addict when it comes to working out. I know in my heart of hearts and from past experience that if I skip a day, I'm about ten times more likely to quit. So, I get up, and I get on the treadmill. I don't take the first drink. :) I'm not sure how things will work on the days I truly can't do this (i.e., I have to be somewhere early), but I'm not going to think about that yet.

3) Blogging and focus. I read here and there how a blog needs a focus that keeps people coming back. I see the proof of this even in author blogs. Those that are simple journals don't necessarily have high traffic. Those that take a particular focus generally have a high level of traffic and interraction in the comments. It doesn't matter so much at this point in my life, but if I'm eventually published, it will become more important. So I've been thinking about this.

And in the interest of brevity, I'm quitting here for now!