mood: upbeat
workout: lower body; very tiring
treat for the day: a long soak (the gym has a big hot tub) and exfoliation

Today went better than yesterday on the writing front. Don't be shocked at the word count. I've been able to use stuff from my old pre-writing drafts, and I'm not editing as I write, so it's not as super-polished as drafts of people who revise as they go.

I'm fairly happy with the progress and what I have so far. I think the character motivation, etc. is better explained. I may need to write a couple of new scenes to clarify villain GMC, but I'm going to wait until I'm done with this draft before I make the final determination.

Now on to the life stuff —

Last night, Kuro escaped. Hero Material realized that he was gone when he saw a hamster running around in the living room. (Other hamsters stayed in the cage like good lil rodents!) Kuro found the sunflower seed stash, so he went hog-wild and left piles of empty husks behind him. Furthermore, he managed to climb up the couch and took a bunch of tissue papers to make a nest behind the couch. I know I'm supposed to get mad at him for being a naughty boy, but he's absolutely precious. Besides how can you scold a hamster who looks at you with such big sparkly eyes? *sigh*

Hero Material and I know how Kuro managed to get out of the cage, so he can't repeat the experience. I guess that's punishment enough.

mood: tired but feeling accomplished
currently working on: All the King's Women
dreamed last night: that I won a $30 million jackpot (lottery) and spent over two months consulting lawyers and CPAs to figure out how to minimize my tax liability and to set up multiple trust funds and develop an investment strategy; I got nothing written during that time and felt extremely guilty and had to call Agent and apologize for the lack of progress on my WIPs; unfortunately the dream ended before Agent could say anything…anyway it was a weird dream 8O

Got up very early this morning…(well…anything before 9:00 a.m. is early for me) and started working on the story. There's nothing like blood and love and sex and pain…well, you get the point.

I think it went okay, but I could've done better by concentrating more on the story. Sometimes I get slightly distracted. Also I'm not sure if I can continue to write over 6k / day. Usually the opening chapters are the easiest for me to write, so I'm sure things will slow down when I reach the middle / ending. Today's progress chart:

On the hamster front — Buttercup is ovulating today, and Kuro tried to hump her, and we had to separate the two. It's so wrong since Kuro is her daddy. Oi. Shiro's been very aggressive recently, and I'm wondering if she's abusing Peanut. To be honest, I think Buttercup is a bit scared of Shiro. But then Shiro is the white specter of doom…er…mommy hamster.

I had my first workout of the year. I did some easy stuff with 22 lb dumbbells, but my right delt is feeling very tight. Must stretch before going to bed.

How's everyone doing today?

mood: sleepy
watched last night: The Forbidden Kingdom
bought today: a small calendar from a ¥100 store

Tomorrow I start the first real day of writing after a long break plus brainstorming. I'm totally anxious to get going. This month has only nineteen working days due to various national holidays, etc. and so on. Knowing that of course makes me even more determined to make the best use of those days. I'm trying to figure out the point where marginal productivity diminishes because I feel like I've been working hard for a long time without sufficient return for all my effort. I spend so many months on something, but at the end I don't have a whole lot to show for. So that's something I really want to work on this year.

mood: upbeat
current workshop: Margie Lawson's Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors
bought yesterday: Philips Sonicare R732 HealthyWhite Power Toothbrush

Went to McD for a Big Mac. It was that or cooking. For whatever reason, McD in Japan tastes better than McD in America. I think it's due to the fact that Japanese franchisees use fresher veggies, etc.

Yesterday, I bought Sonicare. I've been thinking about buying it for a long long time. It's less than $150 in the States. In Japan, it's $200. (For those of you who think protective tariffs are great, this is the result — paying 25-50% more for the same stuff, just because it's made by a non-domestic firm.) Hero Material and I used it last night, and we decided that it is indeed excellent. My teeth feel extra clean.

This Christmas / New Years, I've mostly bought books, some stuff from VS and so on. For whatever reason, I'm not really interested in shopping. This month I'm also going to close my HELOC account the second I pay off the balance. I don't see any point in keeping it since the bank won't let me withdraw any money out of it. So yes, my bank did lose a customer, but I don't think it cares. Oh the joy of modern banking.

status: made my Twitter account public, so anyone can view my updates
watched last night: Starship Troopers II
currently reading: Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
just read: Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

I've avoided reading Mercy Thompson series for a while because of the controversial ending to Iron Kissed that many have talked about.

I'm currently kicking myself for being so stupid. The controversial part was very credible, and it showed and highlighted something that is often very real and yet ignored by many people — consequences of rape and how people react to it. I've seen some cases where the victim is blamed for asking for it. The victim was either too stupid or dressed too sexy or whatever. And I'm sure such judgment also makes the victim question if she somehow deserved to be raped. I was relieved and happy that the pack stood behind Mercy and made sure she understood that it was not her fault. Furthermore, they helped her heal by letting her know that she's a valuable member of the pack no matter what.

As I closed the book, I was awed by the acceptance of the werewolves around her and the sensitivity with which Briggs handled the rape and the character arc. Because in a way Mercy really needed to see that she wasn't alone and that the pack wouldn't desert her. I felt that in many ways she felt a great deal of insecurity about her place in the world. She seemed to believe that the werewolves only accepted her because of Bran, not because they liked her. The book's climax and the resolution addressed her issues and I can't think of any other way Briggs could've done it without gutting Mercy's character arc.

mood: optimistic about the future
currently working on: All the King's Women outline; I have it almost figured out…!
currently reading: Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

2008 was long and difficult yet surprisingly interesting and rewarding as well.

On the writing front, the year started off with selling a book to Samhain so that's always fantastic. But the biggest accomplishment is of course signing with an agent. I also left a critique group, but I think in a way it was inevitable. I do miss many of the writers I met there. Oh, and I have a new pretty website. :)

On to the financial matters — my mom lost a ton of money thank to subprime. I wish she'd listened to me when I asked her to sit tight for another year before investing in the funds she was interested in. When you hear about banks raking in record profit from issuing more and more subprime loans, which are by nature very risky, you know there's something fishy going on, and that it's going to fall when weaker real estate markets start to lose their value one by one. I started the year with a ton of debt, but my venture investment paid off right before Christmas, so I'm starting the year with no debt (except the mortgage I have on my house) and some extra cash.

Talk about strange since I never expected to get any payment from the investment, given what's going on in the market.

My writing goals for 2009 are:

1. Complete two manuscripts. I think I figured out what's wrong with All the King's Women and Nine. W00t!
2. Read 52 books. Fiction, non-fiction, it doesn't matter. I just need to read to get more ideas and to recharge. I noticed that I didn't read all that much during the latter half of 2008, and it really affected my creativity.
3. Take time off! I'm absolutely terrible at taking time off and relaxing. I always feel like I have to work or else. Of course this is unsustainable, and I do burn out and can't write for a month or two. Very unproductive. So I'm forcing myself to take two days a week off, along with major holidays, etc. Oh, I'm also making myself go to the gym three times a week at least.
4. Read 2 how-to books (this does not count toward my goal #2) or take two online classes. I already signed up for a January class on how to not sabotage myself. I'm also eying another class on line edits because I think I can benefit from it.
5. Write 2 blog posts a month. I'm terrible at blogging because I just forget at times. So I resolve to do better this year. :)
6. Stop looking for and/or seek crit partners / groups. It's really not that I think I'm too good for feedback, but it takes a lot of time and energy to find a good crit group, and I've decided (after a long and careful consideration) that ROI would be better if I stick with the beta readers I have right now and spend the time I would've used to find good crit groups / partners on reading and taking classes. (BTW — this doesn't mean I don't want any CPs or anything if one happens to come my way, but I just won't be actively looking for them either.)
7. Evaluate and identify all not-helpful-anymore loops, groups, etc. Resign from them by Jan 31. This is a must since I decided that I don't have time for them. I stayed with most of them because you “have to network” but I had to wonder networking isn't about being in a group that sucks up all your time but gives very little in return. I should know better (or else my management consulting professor would send me a stern note saying she taught me better than this).

How about everyone else? How was your 2008 and what are your goals for 2009?