Happy Friday!

Colorado is going a bit crazy today. The big playoff game between the Patriots (ahhhh, Tom Brady is so dreamy) and the Broncos (gush, Tim Tebow’s arms make me swoon) is tomorrow.

Regardless of the outcome, go Broncos!, I am looking forward to the game. The Broncos have been fun to watch this season. So I’ll wear my orange and yes, I’m considering buying my dog a jersey to wear during the game.

Today is also the last day of One Life to Live on ABC

The soap opera set in Llanview Pennsylvania has been on for 43 years. I’ve been watching it since I was in junior high. I inherited it from my mother along with General Hospital and the recently deceased All My Children.

I believe that soap operas did play a role in my desire to become a writer. The characters created on soaps along with the heartbreaking stories, and the fantastical stories like the General Hospital weather machine, helped me see the possibilities for fiction and gain an appreciation for a romantic storyline. I’ll be setting work aside today for one hour and to watch the final episode and say goodbye.

How Often Do You Look in the (Romance Writing) Mirror and Like What You See?

For me I think it’s about 75/25. Most of the time I’m pretty content with what I see in the mirror. But there are those days when I look in the mirror and instead of seeing a goddess, I see a ghoul.

Writing is a lot like looking in the mirror.

Sometimes you read your pages and you think, “hey, I’m pretty good.” Other times you read it and it’s all just crap.

Those crappy days can really be a downer and they suck the motivation and productivity right out of you.

The Solution to The Ghoulish Writing Days?

Stop looking in the mirror so darn much!

Yes, you do need to read your pages and analyze your craft and progress but you don’t need to do it every day. Part of writing is faith. Have the faith that you’re doing the best you can and continue writing. The revision process is waiting for you and that’s when you can really scrutinize your pages and look for flaws.