InkyBlots

…it’ll be quiet for a while here. I should be back to regular, non-pre-scheduled posting next week.

I originally planned to put up the next edition of the blog carnival on April 5th. However, the lease on the unit I’m moving to starts on April 6th, which means I’m going to be busy sorting, packing, moving and unpacking for a while.

I’m rescheduling and plan on putting up the blog carnival on Monday, April 12th.

Unfortunately, the silly site won’t let me change the dates, so the deadline is still the same (last Friday of March).

Go here to submit your blog posts.

I’m used to posting the calls for submissions, not putting out my own call. Anywho, I have a fun promotional opportunity for the new year. I’m working on a new blog called “Life in the First Draft” that focuses on – yep, you guessed it – anything and everything to do with the first draft. Be it making time to write, those funky little writer habits you have or just the fun things you have on your desk, I’m looking to create a comfortable hub for any and all aspiring writers. (And for established writers as well! We have to go back and face that first draft again and again…)

So, let’s get to the nitty gritty. What I’m looking for:

*One (to three) guest post/s in the range of 250 – 500 words – with a title, please
*Any pictures that correspond to your post (for example, if you decide to write a ‘my desk/my writing space’ guest post – take a picture of it!) .jpgs please
*A brief biography with a link to your website and/or blog
*A picture of you or your book cover

Easy peasy.

If you’d like to participate but are feeling a bit stuck for a topic(s)…

*Introduce us to your writing space (with pictures, hehe)
*How do you make yourself write when you don’t want to?
*Do you have a daily word count goal or do you go by some other measurement?
*How do you balance your ‘regular’ life with your writing life?
*Finding inspiration
*Anything on character, plot, setting, research, etc
*What has been going on in your mind before you sit down to write the first words of that first draft?
*Are you a ‘planner’ or a ‘pantser’ (outline or no outline)?
*Finally typing ‘The End’ on your first draft…

Please send all guest posts to jmfictionscribe (at) gmail (dot) com.

Dates will be scheduled in the order they come in, so it’s sort of a first come, first serve. When you email me, I will email you back with the ebook and the date you will appear at Life in the First Draft.

Cheers.

PS. The URL is: http://lifeinthefirstdraft.blogspot.com/

I’m used to posting the calls for submissions, not putting out my own call. Anywho, I have a fun promotional opportunity for the new year. I’m working on a new blog called “Life in the First Draft” that focuses on – yep, you guessed it – anything and everything to do with the first draft. Be it making time to write, those funky little writer habits you have or just the fun things you have on your desk, I’m looking to create a comfortable hub for any and all aspiring writers. (And for established writers as well! We have to go back and face that first draft again and again…)

So, let’s get to the nitty gritty. What I’m looking for:

*One (to three) guest post/s in the range of 250 – 500 words – with a title, please
*Any pictures that correspond to your post (for example, if you decide to write a ‘my desk/my writing space’ guest post – take a picture of it!) .jpgs please
*A brief biography with a link to your website and/or blog
*A picture of you or your book cover

Easy peasy.

If you’d like to participate but are feeling a bit stuck for a topic(s)…

*Introduce us to your writing space (with pictures, hehe)
*How do you make yourself write when you don’t want to?
*Do you have a daily word count goal or do you go by some other measurement?
*How do you balance your ‘regular’ life with your writing life?
*Finding inspiration
*Anything on character, plot, setting, research, etc
*What has been going on in your mind before you sit down to write the first words of that first draft?
*Are you a ‘planner’ or a ‘pantser’ (outline or no outline)?
*Finally typing ‘The End’ on your first draft…

Please send all guest posts to jmfictionscribe (at) gmail (dot) com.

Dates will be scheduled in the order they come in, so it’s sort of a first come, first serve. When you email me, I will email you back with the ebook and the date you will appear at Life in the First Draft.

Cheers.

PS. The URL is: http://lifeinthefirstdraft.blogspot.com/

I’m used to posting the calls for submissions, not putting out my own call. Anywho, I have a fun promotional opportunity for the new year. I’m working on a new blog called “Life in the First Draft” that focuses on – yep, you guessed it – anything and everything to do with the first draft. Be it making time to write, those funky little writer habits you have or just the fun things you have on your desk, I’m looking to create a comfortable hub for any and all aspiring writers. (And for established writers as well! We have to go back and face that first draft again and again…)

So, let’s get to the nitty gritty. What I’m looking for:

*One (to three) guest post/s in the range of 250 – 500 words – with a title, please
*Any pictures that correspond to your post (for example, if you decide to write a ‘my desk/my writing space’ guest post – take a picture of it!) .jpgs please
*A brief biography with a link to your website and/or blog
*A picture of you or your book cover

Easy peasy.

If you’d like to participate but are feeling a bit stuck for a topic(s)…

*Introduce us to your writing space (with pictures, hehe)
*How do you make yourself write when you don’t want to?
*Do you have a daily word count goal or do you go by some other measurement?
*How do you balance your ‘regular’ life with your writing life?
*Finding inspiration
*Anything on character, plot, setting, research, etc
*What has been going on in your mind before you sit down to write the first words of that first draft?
*Are you a ‘planner’ or a ‘pantser’ (outline or no outline)?
*Finally typing ‘The End’ on your first draft…

Please send all guest posts to jmfictionscribe (at) gmail (dot) com.

Dates will be scheduled in the order they come in, so it’s sort of a first come, first serve. When you email me, I will email you back with the ebook and the date you will appear at Life in the First Draft.

Cheers.

PS. The URL is: http://lifeinthefirstdraft.blogspot.com/

…but I don’t want anyone thinking I have abandoned my blogs.

All my good intentions about getting back into the swing of things after my early Sunday morning emergency room visit didn’t quite go as planned. I checked in (previous post) and felt pretty good Monday. But, it was only one day and I didn’t get all I wanted done. By Monday night my side was aching something fierce, but I decided to ignore it and put it up to soreness from Sunday’s incident.

About 2am Tuesday morning, I was back in the emergency room – almost exactly 48 hours after the previous visit. They got me into a bed straight away and had me knock back a few painkillers so I could talk to them without squealing and squirming. It didn’t take them long to let me know that I wouldn’t be going home the following afternoon like before – they were going to take out my gallbladder.

I was bound and determined not to have surgery, after I had a long, soul-searching conversation with my husband. Any natural treatment would get my looksee before I considered surgery.

To give them a heap of credit, the surgeon was very understanding of how I felt regarding the surgery and went to the head of surgery to check out my options.

As it turned out, surgery was the only way for me. According to the head surgeon – who came to see me personally a number of times – my stones were simply too big to pass and would likely only get bigger. The infection/inflammation was the final sign (for them) that it was time to take my gallbladder out.

My surgery didn’t happen until Thursday night, and I was pumped full of antibiotics and fluids in the mean time. It wasn’t a great time, but I slept a lot. Plus, I had three roommates – Lee, Steve and Terry – who were great for conversation (and not so great for putting the toilet seat back down – haha).

Going into surgery was a teary-eyed event, but my husband got to be by my side right up until they wheeled me into theatre. I wasn’t awake for more than five minutes after I left his company.

When I opened my eyes (and kept them open) his smiling face was the first thing I saw. When I saw him, I knew everything would be okay. I was quite out of it, but I managed to tell him repeatedly that I loved him – even though I was slurring a bit and trying to speak loud enough to be heard through the oxygen mask.

Waking up fully was a bit rude the next morning because it was only then that I learned I had a tube coming out of my stomach. I hadn’t moved much before that (thank goodness) so I had no idea. I managed to get to the loo carrying the attached bag and without looking at the tube in me (I couldn’t bear to), but it was a very painful process. I pestered them about getting the tube taken out, and a very gentle nurse was finally given the go-ahead later that morning.

Though the surgeon had told me before surgery that it wouldn’t be likely I would get out before Saturday morning, I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to leave Friday night at the latest. Even after discovering the stomach tube, I didn’t change my mind.

My determination seemed to do the trick, though, because I was able to be discharged Friday afternoon. I was barely walking and incredibly sore, but I made it.

With the help of my amazing, supportive husband, of course.

It’s now Sunday and I’m feeling pretty good. My appetite isn’t great, but I eat little bit anyway to help with the healing. I’m still very store, but I can get out of bed by myself and do most things by myself now. Staying awake is easier, though I still take one or two naps a day.

I overdid it a smidge yesterday and have sore legs for it today, but I insist on getting exercise while I’m healing. Very gentle exercise, but still.

The space where my gallbladder used to be still feels a bit strange. I’m getting used to it now, but after spending so many weeks being hyper-aware of it, its absence is weird.

I could go into all the things this whole experience taught me – there are more things than you might think – but I’ll leave that for another time. I’m still sorting things out for myself.

And it might be time for another nap…

G’day!

I am teaming up with my dear friend <a href=”http://sandynawrot.blogspot.com”>Sandy</a> for an awesome cause: Adult Literacy.

Why are Sandy and I asking for your help. Sandy been charged with collecting as many author-signed books as she can for the silent auction put on my A.L.L. (and I’ve been charged with spreading the word). Any books are welcome…young adult, children’s books, adult books, cookbooks.

If anyone reading this post has an author-signed book, or knows of someone who has access to author-signed books, a donation would be so greatly appreciated for this worthy cause. The Adult Literacy League, Sandy and I would be forever in your debt.

If you can help, please contact me here or Sandy at <a href=”mailto:rnawrot@cfl.rr.com”>rnawrot@cfl.rr.com</a>.

You can also read her post by <a href=”http://sandynawrot.blogspot.com/2010/01/adult-literacy-league-needs-your-help.html”>clicking here</a>.

Well, I had to go to emergency early this morning (yay, 2am) and am now back home with a lot of antibiotics and pain relievers for my inflamed gallbladder. Woo.

I probably won’t be posting again until Tuesday.