I’m off to Washington, D.C. for:

1. The SCBWI Mid-Atlantic one day conference, where I’ll have my first ever manuscript critique for a mid-grade novel. (I’ve had pb manuscript critiques before but never one the “I have no idea what I’m doing writing a novel” novel.) Wheeee! And to top it all off, I get to see the wonderful

and others. Double wheeee!

2. The Marine Corps 10K on Sunday. There is also a marathon being run that day. I, however, felt that I didn’t have time “in this phase of my life” to train for another marathon. (Isn’t that much nicer than saying “I’m too lazy to train for it”? Just the 10K for me this time. But I’m open to discussing future marathon possibilities, if anyone wants to commit. 🙂

And right now, I’m in the wonderful Charlotte, NC airport where they have complimentary internet access. Hooray for Charlotte, NC!!!

This is how I’m learning to finish a novel and to be consistent with exercise and to keep the dishes washed and just about any other thing I feel compelled or constrained to do: I just ask myself “what do I really want?” Would I really rather watch tv or finish a novel? Would I really rather take a nap or lose 5 pounds? Would I really rather wake up to a clean kitchen or do it in the morning? “What do I really want?”

And sometimes, I choose tv. Or the nap. Or waiting until morning. But lately 9 times out of 10, I choose to do now what could wait until later. Especially when it comes to writing. Because I don’t want it to be this time next year when I wake up and realize I’ve watched this same episode of Oprah three times now, but I still haven’t finished my novel.