So I’m computer-retarded. It’s ok, you can laugh. It’s true. This is why when I decided to start a blog, I went with what I knew. That happened to be Blogger, although in the last few months I’ve seen more and more people using Word Press. However, at the time all the sites I read were blogspots, so I promptly got my own blogspot address. Now you might be wondering why this is newsworthy. Well, the dirty truth is that Blogger is owned by Google.
Ok, you probably knew that. You’re still wondering why I care. There’s a simple answer for this, too: if Blogger is owned by Google, then I’m sleeping with the enemy.
And can I tell you a secret? It feels great 
See, in theory my household bows before The Evil Empire (TEE). This is because TEE pays half of our bills. TEE moved us out here–all 8000 pounds of our furniture, 3 cars, 2 cats, a dog, and a truckload of dreams. (Aww, that was beautiful. Sniff.) TEE gave my boyfriend a week off work for the successful (cough) ship of his product, thus ensuring he is extra cuddly for the holiday, and TEE gives us advance access to awesome software in the form of crazy beta versions that entertain us and our friends.
Ok, so if TEE is a major player in why My Life Rocks, why do I stab my benevolent benefactor in the back? Why is it I download IE7 and promptly set my search engine to Google? Why, when I decide I need a new email address, do I get a Gmail account? What about when I figure I should start organizing the pictures in my computer that look like DCM1758s2x.bmp and choose Picasa to do it? Or I decide to wake up and smell the video downloads and click on YouTube without a second thought? Or worse: I promote Google Talk to all my friends and family!
Well, *I* don’t work for TEE. So there. Ok, that’s probably a bad excuse. I’d claim Google simply has a superior product, but the truth is I’ve never even tried to use Live Spaces. I think the problem is that I’m drawn to the simple, clean lines of Google products (which are usually purchased from 3rd parties, I know) and their prevalance. And, of course, I’m PC-challenged. Google makes things ridiculously simple, even for me.
Kind of like how the Nintendo Wii is ridiculously simple. Point and click. I do recall Matt handing me the Xbox 360 controller and saying, “Good luck logging in to Xbox Live!” Ha–I did it. But it did take a confusing number of flips through the screens. Anyway, all this is to say that lately I’ve been particularly infatuated with the new Blogger Beta and its Layout features. Which is why you’re looking at a completely new template, modified to look exactly the way I want it to.
Nice. Well, I hope you think it’s nice. I like it. I’m even feeling motivated to give my website another try. Maybe if I’m feeling particularly procrastolative this weekend, I’ll do that. (God, I hope not. What a time suck!)
What I should be doing this weekend is finishing my book. Yes! I’m so close to The End that if I sat down for maybe 10 hours, I could finish. Since Matt just got The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (which XPLAY assures us has upwards of 40 hours of gameplay and the Nintendo Wii ensures will not make him motion-sick), not to mention Need For Speed: Carbon, Final Fantasy XII, and Guitar Hero II (hey, I’d claim it was because of his birthday but really, this is just an average month for him!) I think this is do-able.
And last night I pre-prepared everything I could. Pie: check. Cranberry sauce: check. Green Bean Casserole: check. He does the turkey so I’m thinking there’s 2 hours right there 
Tonight I’ll go work out, get that out of the way, and then tomorrow BAM! Instant book.
Ahh, if only it were that easy.
I actually am a little impressed with the way the characters have developed. The only problem is their growth has put a damper on my original concept of the Black Moment, or that part of the book where the reader believes the challenges facing the h/h are insurmountable. See, originally the BM was mildly externally motivated. I had conceptualized a pretty stable BM, not based on misunderstanding or miscommunication, but I didn’t know WHY the hero would do what he did other than it sounded good in theory. Now I know why he would do that but I’m not sure he WILL. And I only have three chapters to figure it out!
I’m really excited to do a second pass on this book, by the way. Jacqueline and Darcy and I send out daily excerpts (which are often just equal to the amount we wrote that day), which has turned out to be a huge motivating factor in whether or not I sit down and write. But more importantly, it’s given me polish envy. Jacqueline is a polish-first kind of writer, whereas Darcy and I are more of a get-it-on-the-page-and-fix-it-later kind of writer. But over the weekend I read a few chapters of Kristian’s second (third? fourth?) draft and now Jacqueline’s sending these incredible scenes from her Black Moment. Naturally, I’m just DYING to get on the stage and prove I can write a finished scene at least as good as theirs. Stupid competitive streak kicking in, you understand. It’s like a disease.
But before I can give in to the urge, I have to finish polishing IYATDTD! See, I know this foray into a new book has taught me a lot–an incredible amount, really, about writing a story quickly so it hangs together and doesn’t lose momentum (thank you, NaNo)–and I know I can apply it to IYATDTD because now I’m confident that if I sit down in a weekend or so and polish the last ten chapters I can greatly enhance the pacing and smooth the flow. I just have to do it.
But the new story caaaaaallllls. Lacey, fix me. Lacey, write me. Lacey, I NEED you!
What’s that shirt say? The voices in my head tell me what to write. In this case, they’re screaming at me to stop writing this post and get on with other things.
Hm. I’m even bossy in my own head.
So what about you? Any great plans to push yourself during the holiday? Or will family and friends make that impossible? Lucky for me, I can eat my turkey in pajamas if I feel like it. And you know what? I do. Ptth.
