Opposite Problems

You know that obnoxious jerk who says his or her "big problem" is that they're too rich to work and too young to retire? It's not me.
But I took some obnoxious pride at the Surrey Writer's Conference in hearing about problems I could and don't have as a storyteller. For one, blogging is apparently a dangerous addiction. I can understand why, especially if you have an audience for it. And especially because any major work is a major amount of work (hence the term), and delays gratification for a job well done, well, a long time. Nevertheless, I am one who must remind myself to blog at least once every five or six months. Necessary? Debatable. But let's pretend for a second that someone someday will be madly interested in every brewing monologue I cooked up while not in another world. At least I can deliver without losing control.
I can write description that doesn't bog down. To be fair, this is because it's my least favourite part of the writing. Look at almost any chapter of mine in its final stages of completion, you'll see flowing dialogue with {some kind of mountain} or {pretty tree} still in note brackets. The established author who did my Blue Pencil (editing your manuscript in front of you) approved my single-sentence setting of a "noisy, crowded bar," saying so many writers would have gone on in detail before starting their story, and she'd been waiting to see that so she could tell me not to do it!
All in all, a very encouraging Writer's Conference and way more relaxing than last year. Drescopata took a backseat, and I pitched a couple of storybooks to a publisher. I am convinced I have more of those, plus a stand-alone novel to do before I'll really have a chance with the big series.
On the way home from the Conference, I met a writer who has kids I might get to babysit;-) We had a good, long talk and of course I had to admit how many books there are going to be in my series. A scene from "Cheaper by the Dozen" comes to mind: Steve Martin on the phone, trying to find all sorts of don't-scare-the-help-off ways to say he has twelve kids. I've done the exact same thing with my books.
And...random brag...I think I just aced an interview to be a substitute childcare worker!

Quote from Writer's Conference: "If you never leave the house, you'll have nothing to write about."

Song from Early Childhood Education (to the tune of Frere Jacque): "I hear thunder, I hear thunder, Hark don't you?, Hark don't you?, Pitter patter raindrops, Pitter patter raindrops, I'm wet through, I'm wet through. I see blue skies, I see blue skies, Way up high, Way up high, Hurry up the sunshine, Hurry up the sunshine, I'll soon dry, I'll soon dry."

Currently Writing: Chapter 10 of Diamond (second Drescopata novel), Chapter 1 of stand-alone (still in rough notes).

Other Quotes:
"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." -- E.L. Doctorow
"Science fiction is no more written for scientists than ghost stories are written for ghosts." -- Brian Aldiss
"The pen is mightier than the sword, and considerably easier to write with." -- Marty Feldman

What is the longest word in the English language? "Smiles" — because there’s a mile between the first and last letter.