Harry Potter Eve.

No Friday Fiver today, we'll do that Monday in honor of this momentous occasion. It's not everyday the final installment of HP comes out.

Yes, I'm getting caught up in the HP frenzy. I'm so sorry. I read Michiko Kukatani's review featured in yesterday's Publisher's Lunch Daily and can't wait to get my hands on that book.

In the meantime, I loaded up on books by the historian Thomas Cahill from my friendly local library, saving 80 bucks, which is already in savings. (I read that if you save 80 bucks by not buying books, add 20 bucks to it and save that each month for 40 years you will have half a million dollars?) Yes, I'm strange, get used to it. Not that I'm a money freak, but I already pay taxes for the library here and it seems silly to continue buying every book. That said, I have already decided that a few of these books should probably be on my bookshelf permanently, but it can wait until we're settled in another house elsewhere (yes, we are still thinking of moving).

So yesterday afternoon after work, I was working on my two articles that are due Monday and reading Jack Hart's book on writing and was making some serious progress, when it struck me.

I'm a writer.

Not just in spirit only or because I have a writing assignment. These assignments are the first of many and that officially makes me a writer.

It was a great feeling. And I have to say it sure helps when editing for my job. I have such empathy for the authors of these monographs that we're working on. I don't want to hurt their words, which has always been the case, I so want to make them better.

My job and freelance work dovetail beautifully. It's a good thing.

Happy Friday! Long live the Order of the Phoenix.

Fedex Woes.

Spent the morning chasing a Fedex package around. Not happy with Kinko's employees who so casually let me do so.

All is well now.

Lots of writing to do today. Working on an article and hoping to get through a phone interview without draining my recorder batteries again.

Met good friends, S and G, who are visiting Seattle from Tampa, last night for a lovely dinner at Cafe Champagne off Alaskan Way. Thank goodness S is a native French speaker so she could translate the menu for us. Delicious food all-around, right up to the chocolate-hazelnut mousse with fresh strawberries for dessert. I want to go back soon!

Weather is improving; not raining today at least. (Good for S who is wandering around the arboretum and conservatory outdoors today; wish I could join you, S! Enjoy!)

I love summer in Seattle. Nippy enough for a light sweater and city jeans, but warm enough that the rain feels so good. :)

Keep moving forward.

Jack Hart Is A Genius

Reading the first of my library books (see library widget post of last week) that I picked up without ever talking to a human! King County is very automated.

Jack Hart, editor at the Oregonian in Portland, Oregon wrote A Writer's Coach, which is a fantastic book.

Some great tips on writing and writer's block and beginning a writing project (any writing project, for that matter).

I am really enjoying it and delighted that once I'm done with it I don't have to find a place for it on my overcrowded bookshelves!

It's still raining here. I'm in today finishing a glossary, starting a new project, and writing a first draft on an article that's due Monday.

Onward!

Rain, Rain Go Away

What is it with July in the PNW? Yes, folks, it rains year-round in Seattle. It's very gray and overcast out there today; almost chilly.

A great day to polish off a few projects and make some progress on my to-do list.

In writing news: I'm feeling a need to just keep writing and deal with it later. Must be my mood. I did find top-notch editorial coaches last night, so now to get ready for them. Need to just write today and let it be.

My mood matches the weather. I am off to rectify that right now.

Keep moving forward.

Still Flying

Spent the weekend with family and it was great fun. Picking blueberries at Roman's with baby niece, bbq with family, relaxed meandering walk in the evening cool, then church out under the oak trees at my folks' church (Calvary Chapel Corvallis). Lunch at the Mexican joint and then everyone tore off to their own separate agendas: naps, paperwork, driving north on 1-5 back home.

But the biggest development is my successful meeting late Friday afternoon with my new fiction writing buddy. I came away so inspired I missed my exit on 167 south and had to double back. We are planning to sell our novels in 2008 together. I have to catch up quite a bit with Jen, but it can be done. I have decided which manuscript I'm focusing on and now will find a fiction coach to help me rework my story. This will keep me on track and focused and I'm so excited!

It is the most incredible experience to meet a fellow fiction writer to bounce ideas and goals off of. Writing is such a solitary experience that I had long despaired of finding such a person locally. Well, local or not, Jen has inspired me more than I can even write on this blog.

You know what I'll be doing in my free-time hours!

Must dash to finish the work so I can write!