I’m taking a break from the travelogue. It’s a lot of work getting those pictures posted! Besides I like my little routines.

Sundays are for reflection. Some of you may go to church to clear your head and heart. I prefer a different sort of internal process. I like to take stock of what I’ve accomplished and set plans for the next week—after giving myself a break for being less than perfect. Plus, a little meditation or a lot of affirmations helps get my head in the right place if I’ve suffered any disappointments (a rejection, a less than stellar review, a son who hasn’t called!).

Since I haven’t posted an SRP since before my trip, I thankfully have a little more to report than I would otherwise. You know December was all about the cruise—the first vacation that wasn’t centered around a writer’s conference since I became a writer. Not that I wasn’t being one aboard ship. I slammed some pages, interviewed travelers and crew (not that they knew it), and drank in setting details so that I could describe them later in a story. The cruise was lovely and just the right way to end a very strange year.

I haven’t finished anything so far this month. I am working on the last scene of Bad Moon Rising. I’m determined to get it out to you before the end of the month, but you all gave me a very difficult problem to overcome. How do I get a woman who has just met two very scrumptious men in the open and readied to have sex with them both?

I am halfway through a short story called Textile Free that I have to finish before the end of the month for another Cleis collection. By the way, I love writing those. Someday, I may just write a whole book’s worth of short stories of my own. There’s nothing more satisfying than wrapping up a story, and with shorts it doesn’t take weeks to get there.

My novella for Ellora’s Cave is giving me fits. It had such a cute opening, but the closer I get to the end, the more I know I didn’t get the conflict right. So, I’ve pushed it aside to give myself some think time. That one I’ll have to finish next month because I’ve dawdled over it so long.

I guess I’m having a crisis of confidence. I’m not the sort to sit around and cry when things don’t go exactly the way I want. Instead, I revise my plans. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately. I can’t stand it when I’m a crybaby, so instead, I have to get up, dust myself off, figure out what hasn’t worked, and change my course.

And with the new year just around the corner, I’m determined to step out on the right foot. I’m listing my resolutions. Have you started yours? Care to share?

BTW—I’ll be hosting the Ellora’s Cave chat loop this afternoon, 4 PM-8PM CST. Email me if you need the link!