So what have YOU been up to?

Seems these days I'm only posting links or pictures. I don't really have much to blog about lately. I've been focusing on getting ready for my writing conference--still need to watch L.A. Confidential--but I did do something a little crazy...I signed up for a critique.

I didn't want to in the beginning. I figured this is my first conference and I don't know how things are done, so I'll go and observe certain...things...and next year I'll do more. But for the past few weeks, say from the first of September, I began to wonder if maybe I should have signed up for one. The opinion of another professional (not just my instructor, who is a published author) can only bolster my confidence, right? Or, yeah, tear it down, I know, I know. I'm trying to think positive here. So I thought about it for a while, and finally decided that I would bring a couple extra copies of my work and see if I could sign up for one at the conference. See, if they say no, then I can say "I wasn't able to get an appointment" rather than "I was too chicken to sign up sooner." Weak, yeah, but it worked for me.

Anyway, on Sep 30, I get this e-mail saying "There are still open slots available...sign up now with the following critiquers!" And of course, I read through the list. And of course, there's one--only one--person on the list who is in my genre. I agonized for about ten minutes "Should I? Why shouldn't I? Why should I?" etc, etc...you get the picture.

One of my co-workers walks by as he's leaving and asks what's wrong. I tell him I'm trying to make a decision. "Easy," he said. "Don't do it."

"That's the wrong answer," I told him.

"Then that's your answer," he said. "You want to do it, so do it."

And he was right. I picked up my phone, called and booked the appointment. By the end of the week, I sent out my synopsis and first ten pages of my story. I've taken the next step on my road to becoming an author.

So what did YOU do this week?