lisa_schroeder   tagged me

What were you doing 10 years ago?

Getting ready to graduate from high school. I was also probably planning for the prom. Not that I had a date or anything, but I wasn’t going to let that small detail ruin me from having an amazing time with my friends.

What are 5 things you need to do today?

1. Finish two more pages of my WIP for my writing group that’s meeting today (excellent motivation)
2. Pack
3. Try to find more garage sale items in my apartment to sell, since it’s overflowing with unnecessary clutter
4. Work out for our staff workout challenge (post to come about this, I'm sure)
5. Drive to Indiana tonight for an extended weekend visit
   

What are some snacks you enjoy?

• Strawberries (I only put this because Lisa had it down and they sounded yummy. I love strawberries, but when asked about snack foods, they usually don’t come to mind.)
• Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
• Rhubarb Pie
• String Cheese
• Is there food that exists besides snack food?

What would you do if you were a billionaire?

• Frequently lounge by my pool that has a water slide coming through a water fall
• Travel to every country in the world
• Buy a fancy house, so I don't have to listen to my neighbors' blaring radio or barking dogs
• Hire a maid (actually I’m close to doing this right now, on my non-billionaire salary, because Merry Maids could probably make my life much Merrier)
• Hire a personal chef (since I need to try other food groups besides the snack group)
  
• Give some to charity and family and friends
  

What are 3 bad habits?

1. I stress out and worry about very insignificant things
2. I curse in the car and frequently yell at little old ladies driving Cadillac’s that don’t deserve it
3. I’m addicted to my email and the Internet
   

Name 5 places you have lived

Fort Wayne, Indiana
Muncie, Indiana
Houghton, Michigan (go on, I dare you to look it up)
Knoxville, Tennessee
Brighton, Michigan

What are 5 jobs you've had?

Window saleswomen
AmeriCorps member
Department Store Event Planner
Engineering Development Graduate Assistant
Library Programming Coordinator


I tag:
jessicaburkhart 
miss_shortskirt
mindiscott 
dr_jordan 
tinaya  (but only if she needs something to do, while the baby takes his/her sweet time)W

This week has been extremely busy and incredibly cool.

1.) All week long, I've been attending a Michigan Library Association conference in Grand Rapids. My first official library conference, but what's even more fun is that there's been lots of authors in to speak. Including Tamora Pierce, Cynthia Lord, John Green, Hank Green (not an official author, but still cool), and Maureen Johnson. So not only have I learned tons of valuable information for my job, I've also had a bonus of getting writing tips.

2.) Cynthia Lord has pictures over here. Her pictures are much cooler than mine, since she not only has a carousal but another picture of her with John Green. I kept wanting to ask authors to take pictures with me, but I felt like an idiot fan-girl and chickened out. Any authors, please let me know if it's weird if people ask you to take pictures with them. If it's flattering, then I won't feel as weird asking people in the future for it.

3.) In addition to having cool pictures, I learned Cynthia Lord is incredibly nice and very deserving of all her book honors. I got a chance to briefly talk with her and asked her what her favorite piece of writing advice is. She told me two things, which boiled down to (my horrible paraphrase here, she said it much better): when writing the first draft let yourself go and try not to worry about the story yet, otherwise you'll never get it written. And two, the people that make it in this business are the ones that don't give up. That's definitely advice I needed right now. So thank you, Cynthia.

4.) I got a signed copy of Hank Green's CD of Brotherhood 2.0 songs for my husband. I had him autograph it for my husband and I didn't read it until I got back to my hotel room, but it said, "[Husband's name] I hope you know your wife is made of awesome." I LOVE IT. Only thing is, I doubt my husband will believe me when I tell him I didn't make him write that.

5.) I got a copy of Maureen Johnson's Suite Scarlett that I'm so excited to read. But in addition, she was handing out free sleep masks. How awesome is that? Not that I've ever used one. But you know, it could come in handy.

Thanks everyone for your weekend suggestions tips. They were all taken to heart and I definitely might be adding them to the "to do" pile for future weekends.

Though, I just found out in the next few weeks there will be both Stomp and roller derby nearby. And I really can't resist seeing roller derby live. I used to love both the shows RollerGames and the more recent Rollergirls, and have wanted to see it live for ever. I might get my wish soon.

Anyway, this weekend we opted to go here:





I'm all for festive towns that celebrate a culture. Whatever that culture maybe.

Here's me in lederhosen:




Good times. Good times.

1.) I'm getting ready to start a new novel, which I'm super excited about. One of my favorite stages of writing a novel is the planning and brainstorming stage. Because you just get to sit there and think of all these crazy ideas you can put into your novel. And then think of ways to actually make them fit together into a story.

2.) For the very first time, I have not one, but two story ideas that are calling me to be written. So not only do I have one idea that I can brainstorm, I have two, which is even better. Depending on my day, that's the one I'm dying to write next.

3.) On a typical weekend, my husband and I don't really do anything. We see a ton of movies (which will probably happen tonight), but other than that we don't do much. Not because we don't want to, but because we never think of anything fun to do. A few months ago, we tried to brainstorm idea after idea of things to do and wrote them all down in the hopes that when we couldn't think of anything to do, we'd just pull from the pile...and we'd automatically have something to do. The idea was good in theory, but then we started to forget about the pile, other times it would take us 15 pulls to find something we'd actually want to do. It just wasn't very effective.

4.) But pulling stuff out of a hat or not, I'm bound and determine I'm going to do something...interesting...this weekend. Before I start writing the above two novels. I just don't know what. I'm thinking a day trip of some sort. But I'm open to suggestions of Things to do of Interest for those that are incredibly talented and can think up fun stuff to do on the weekends.

5.) Speaking of my husband and randomness. On Tuesday afternoon, I randomly called him, expecting him to be at work. When he picked up the phone there was loud banging and clanking in the background, so I asked him where he was. His response: "a tattoo parlor." Which kind of surprised me, given the fact he hasn't gotten a tattoo, you know, the entire 7 years we've been married. But it wasn't that unusual since he has been talking about it for 2 years, even though it had been a few months since he'd brought it up. It was just unusual, since he didn't share that's what he was doing during the day. I guess he wanted it to be a surprise. Or maybe he thought I'd talk him out of it, which is weird, because I actually like tattoos (well...on other people...not me, because I'm more indecisive then Britney Spears and would be scared to death of doing anything that's permanent, let alone permanent to my body). So now my husband has a rampant lion he designed on his calf.


Have a nice weekend everyone!

 Well, there's several good reasons.

Reason 1: I am just so excited about Book Giveaways on Author2Author this week that I can't bring myself to formulate words. (Okay, so that's not really a reason why I haven't posted, but I just thought you should all know about the wonderful books we are giving away at Author2Author this week. And all you have to do to win these wonderful books is leave a comment. Yes, one little comment. You are most welcome for the inside tip. Now, go check it out :)


Reason 2: Oh yeah, I've sort of been on this trip-thingy. I know I didn't say it here, but I've still been on the trip none-the-less. I would post pictures, but I can't find my camera cord. Anywhere. Are any of you psychic and know where my camera cord is? If so, please call me. For the rest of you, you'll have to wait to see pics till the psychics call or I find my camera cord by stumbling upon it, which ever happens first.


Reason 3: My nephew gave me some kind of disease posing as a cold and I really can't be bothered to be in a sitting position for more than a second. Which is why I also can't be bothered to look for my camera cord for long periods of time. Dang you camera cord, where are you?


Reason 4: Awhile ago I agreed to be a screener for a local library writing contest. And later today apparently around 70 entries from 10th graders are going to be showing up at my doorstep. And I must prepare myself to read. All. Of. Them. I'm not so sure how good I will be at judging anything, since I tend to try to tell everyone what I like about their writing. But now I'm going to have to pick favorites. That's hard. And I know my tastes isn't anywhere near what they are probably learning in their English classes as great American books. Goodness, what did I get myself into?


Reason 5: I'm supposed to be working on my book. And don't you all want me to finish my book? Even those of you that have no idea what it's about or if it will be published?

1.) I think every Friday should be a holiday, since I could really get used to this day off from work.

2.) Bachelor Matt has really convinced me I need to go to London. Not that I didn't know this before or have been wanting to go since before I could walk. But the British just seem fun. And they really get that stuffing your lacy underwear in a man's jacket is just a no-no in any culture. And are adorable with their tea and crumpets talk.

3.) So I'm using my blog to tell my husband we should take a trip to London, since he's at work today and I'm not.

4.) See don't these pictures look pretty and make you want to visit:




5.) For everyone else, give me leverage. If you've been to London tell me about all it's fabulousness. And why I should go there. And if you went and didn't like it ,sorry to hear about that, but please don't put that in the comments where my husband can read them. I need leverage I tell you. Leverage.

...Apparently a lot.

As I’m revising my MS, I keep getting drawn to the names and nicknames of my characters. Occasionally, I want to refer to one character by several nicknames, but I’m finding for the purposes of understanding that I’m having to limit their name to their given name and maybe one easily recognizable nickname. Despite the fact in real life I love having tons of nicknames.

Hardly anyone I know calls me Emily. And hardly anyone I know calls me the same nickname. Here are some of my nicknames just based on my name alone. From most popular to least popular.

1.) Em
2.) Emmer
3.) Emmers
4.) Emma
5.) Ems or Emz
6.) Emmill
7.) Jessica--yeah, so it’s not my nickname, but I get called it all the time since it’s my sister’s name. Same as the new favorite one Makaylee due to my only niece with an “M” sounding first name.
8.) Amelia
9.) Emile (pronounced E-meal)
10.) Amile (definitely not to be confused with Emile)
11.) Amelie—gained in popularity after the film of the same name
12.) Amelia Bedelia—I am also amazed it’s this high on the list
13.) E
14.) Embrosia—yeah, some of my friends must shop at the Weird Nicknames Store
15.) Emmaline
16.) Emmalynn—amazingly surprised this is not more popular given my middle name is a variation of Lynn. But if I was born in the south, I bet it would be No. 1.
17.) Emi, Emmi, Emmie, or Emmy
18.) M-lee
19.) E-m-o-l-y
20.) Em&Em
21.) Milly—someone actually thought this was my name for awhile, but I have no idea why. Thankfully, I rarely get called this. Now if it was Miley that’d be a different story. Though I think that name doesn’t fit me at all.
22.) Jeremy (see No. 7)


I’m amazed for a short name how many nicknames I’ve gotten over the years. Or for that matter many of them are longer than my actual name itself. Plus, I think some people just make up a new name to call me anytime they see me. Or they use one of the other nicknames I have unrelated to my name (yeah, I’m so not sharing those) or call me by my last name.

So what do you think a reader would think if you called your character 20+ different names? My guess is they’d rightfully be, like, “Whaaaaaaa??????”

Can we take a break from all this writing talk to discuss One Tree Hill and more importantly Nanny Carrie?



Nanny Carrie,

I loved your character on Beautiful People (loved, loved, loved, long live Beautiful People), but on One Tree Hill I want to strangle your character any time you enter a scene.

But tonight's episode was just...whoa...too much. If I see you on One Tree Hill one more time, I might literally scream. And what's the deal with you being listed as being on next week's episode, the week after that, and the week after that?

No...No...No...this can't be. Please Nanny Carrie, leave these poor people alone.

A few weeks ago you might remember me asking for your help in deciding which cute purse accessory to get when I finished a draft of my current work in progress.

With all your help, I decided on a new wallet:





Which means YES, I finally finished a draft of the novel I'm working on this past weekend and could celebrate with this purchase!!!! In actuality this is more like a 4th or 5th draft than a 1st draft, which makes me 4 or 5 times more excited.

This is the first time with a novel that I've revised extensively as I've written. At times I began to question why I was doing that, but now that it's finished I have to say this is great. For all you that revise as you go, I can now feel like you do when finishing a draft, instead of the normal "yay, it's done, but man I have to completely rewrite it now, so pass the chocolate, now" feeling. (granted it does need a rewrite, especially one or two scenes in the middle and end, but still it's much more complete than my normal first official drafts, so writing "the end" feels much more exciting.)

Ever since I’ve had a DVR, I’ve had an obsession with wanting to see what people DVR or TiVo. It’s really an unhealthy obsession. Once in which if you don’t want me to know you secretly watch Little House on the Prairie or The Hills, then you probably shouldn’t invite me to your home and let me near your TV. (Though, seriously, do you really think I’m going to make fun of you for watching two kick-butt shows?)

I’m not sure where this obsession comes from, since it’s grounded in no facts. Because I don’t think you can learn much or judge a person by what shows they watch (yes, people that make fun of me for watching Disney Channel movies, I mean you.) Still, seeing what people watch on TV is a great hobby.

Looking through my own DVR series recording lists, I also find it super fun to look at shows that my husband records vs. shows I record (meaning shows that usually we don’t both watch). So, I give to you the TV TiVo War: Me vs. My Husband, the current edition.

(My Shows First, then My Husbands)

Girlicious


vs.

Mythbusters


***

Cashmere Mafia


vs.

How It's Made
on

***

Gossip Girl


vs.

Dirty Jobs



So if you could hypothetically tell a person by the TV shows they watch, I would be the smart one in the family, wouldn't I?

Because not only did I totally watch Girlicious tonight, but I went to sleep watching Mythbusters and learned they were demything MacGyver myths this week. How freakin' cool is that?

Due to the nature of this week, I'm feeling very lovey-dovey. So I thought I'd share a few things I'm in love with:

1.) American Eagle Athletic Pants/Sweat Pants/Fleece Pants:


OMG--these things ROCK. Like seriously. I have both AE sweatpants and fleece pants and I can't get enough of wearing them. They are like warm, cozy silk on your legs. Next time I find a pair on sale, I am buying like five, since as it is now, I don't get to wear them enough due to my dislike of anything laundry related.

2.) Girl Scout Cookies:


I really wish my niece lived closer, because I totally did not order enough Girl Scout cookies from her. Now I want to go get some from the troup outside the Walmart, but I'll feel like I'm cheating on my niece (but seriously, Girl Scout cookies are hard to resist).

3.) My new black ski pants


These are awesome, but they really only made the list because they represent the fact I will be going skiing in Colorado next month, which I'm uber excited about. I haven't been skiing in a long time, let alone "real" skiing. So I'm slightly scared, but I'm excited because I'm going with my entire family (which should be an adventure).

4.) The feeling of almost being done with a draft. 'Nough said.


5.) Book Giveaways

If you've ever had a book giveaway, you might have been able to figure out I love them, since I enter every single one I can find. Free Books? Delivered to your door? What's not to love?

So it's a good thing we are giving away free lovey dovey books (my favorite kind) over at Author2Author. Stop by and you might win a free book. And I'm interviewing Shana Norris over there today. Yay!

Today's post isn't even my own, but written by the fabulous Lisa Schroeder as posted on Author2Author. But in case you didn't see it, I'm reposting it here. Because next week on Author2Author we will be giving away not one, but FIVE books. And we'd love for you to stop by and join in the fun. I will even be interviewing Shana Norris about her new release Something to Blog About! YAY!

Here's the info as posted by Lisa at Author2Author:

In honor of Valentine’s Day next week, we’re hosting a contest where each day, one lucky blog reader can win a lovey-dovey young adult novel. Yep, we’ll be going to our bookshelves and selecting a new or a gently used, but like new, book and sharing the love, in more ways than one.

Here’s how it works.

Each day, we’ll blog about a book we are giving away. Simply leave a comment if you’d like to be entered to win that particular book.

If you’d like an extra entry, post about the contest on your blog, but make sure when you comment on our blog to enter for the contest that you tell us where to find your post for that extra entry. You only need to blog about it once, but when you are leaving a comment, refer to that entry each time, since we have five people doing five different drawings.

Entries must be received by midnight EST (9:00 PST) each day. Sorry, we will only be able to mail to US addresses.

Here are the books you have the opportunity to win!

Monday – IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ACCENT, by Caridad Ferrer
Tuesday – SOMETHING TO BLOG ABOUT, by Shana Norris
Wednesday – THE SECRET LIFE OF A TEENAGE SIREN, by Wendy Toliver
Thursday – THE BOYFRIEND LIST, by E. Lockhart
Friday – LOST IT, by Kristen Tracy

The contest begins Monday, February 12th - be there or be square. It promises to be a fun week, as we even have an interview scheduled with Shana Norris on Tuesday!

This day is turning out great for a number of reasons.

1.) It is the official release day of my writing friend and critique partner Shana Norris's first book Something to Blog About




About the Book
"Boys, bullies, and blogs come together in a book that brings the popular online diary format to print.

For fans of Lauren Myracle’s ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r, this fun, fast-paced book introduces an unforgettable and relatable heroine and features chapter openers designed to look like the pages of an online blog. An innovative debut, Something to Blog About is filled with the memorable missteps and heartfelt emotions of growing up.

Libby Fawcett decides to start a secret blog so that she can have an outlet to vent her feelings and frustrations. When Seth Jacobs (her crush since eighth grade) witnesses her tragic (and comic) run-in with a Bunsen burner in chemistry class, or when she finds out that her mother is dating the father of her arch-nemesis, Angel Rodriguez, she’s able to keep a level head and make it through school each day with each blog posting. But when her entries get posted all over for the whole world to see, will Libby be able to walk the halls—or face Seth—ever again?"

So, if you don't have a copy yet, make sure to check it out!


2.) It's a SNOW DAY, baby.



I don't think I've been this excited over seeing snow since High School. There's just something about an official snow day that is magical. My brother and I used to chant at the radio or TV whenever it snowed: "Please let school be canceled."

We'd sit there until all the school closing were announced and if we didn't hear ours we'd wait patiently till the next reading and start chanting all over again. This proceeded until we either saw the school bus or our school was announced. It wasn't because we hated school that much, but snow days are just pure fun. It's the unexpected that changes the course of a normally predictable day. And what's not to love about that!

jessicaburkhart tagged anyone who wanted to participate in a Purse Meme.

I guess, I'll join in the fun:

Here's my purse:



Chosen merely for it's single-digit price tag. Yes, I'm that bad and cheap.

And here's it's contents:



So, here's what inside my usually messy purse:
* My brightly covered scarf
* Thinsulate-lined gloves, which are a necessity, especially given how cold it was here in Michigan yesterday.
* A really pink comb (why, I have no idea, since I rarely need a comb when out and about. But Girl Scouts taught me to Be Prepared)
* Lip gloss and chapstick (I can't go anywhere without atleast one chapstick, and I prefer 3 or 4, so I guess I need to add more)
* Keys (which are overpowered by our "We're No. 1" keychain for my work keys)
* Gum
* My overflowing wallet (which I don't like anymore, but I can't find one anywhere that zips and has so many pockets inside)
* Random scraps of paper (I myself am amazed there's so few. If only you saw it a few weeks ago. Scary.)
* Not one, but four pens. (Note I am conveniently missing my notebook which is usually in here. It's a really good thing I have so many scraps of paper :)
* My beloved Bath and Body Works hand-sanitizer
* My cell phone
* My lovely new iPod and it's plain, black case
* A random computer cable (because you never know when someone is going to need an s-video cable to connect their computer to the TV)
* And my non-profit ID card info for when I'm shopping for work


There you have it. Jessica learned she needed new pens. I learned I needed to find one of my notebooks and I need some really, cute purse accessories.

And hopefully as a treat to myself for finishing my novel by next week, I am going to reward myself with not only a much-needed hair cut, but a cute purse accessory.

Which is why. I need your help. So, help a girl out. What cute purse accessory should I get? A new wallet. A cute carrying accessory bag for my iPod? Something I'm missing? Specifics are helpful and appreciated.

And I tag anyone reading, especially those that want to participate. Because I want to see in your purse.

I know it's not Friday or anything, but I felt like posting five things today. Does this mean I get my hand-slapped from the founder's of Friday Five for posting on the wrong day? Oh well...

1.) There's a good reason this blog has been on a short break. Mostly because I'm finishing up my current work-in-progress, which I hope to finish by the end of the week or beginning of next week. And frankly, I come from the philosophy that you are allowed to hold off on doing anything else while finishing a book.

2.) Did you know that Techno-music is amplified when your ears are under water? Ears not under water = loud music blaring from your downstairs neighbors apartment. Ears under water = REALLY loud music blaring from your downstairs neighbor's apartment.

3.) Did you know that Techno-music coming through the floor and walls is even more monotone and boring then Techno-music when listened to up close?

4.) shanawrites posted a 7 songs meme yesterday, which I will tag myself for. Here are 7 songs I'm currently obsessed with:

* "Love Like This" - Natasha Bedingfield and Sean Kingston
* "See You Again" - Miley Cyrus
* "Love Song" - Sara Bareilles
* "Beautiful Girls" - Sean Kingston
* "No One" - Alicia Keys
* "Stop and Stare" - OneRepublic
* "Kindly Unspoken" - Kate Voegele

To anyone that likes Techno-music: might I suggest broadening your wings and trying any of the above songs.

5.) I'm blogging over at Author2Author today. Stop by and say hi!

In an effort to stay more informed on current events, I have switched my Internet homepage to www.yahoo.com and now every time I open my browser I can check out the latest stories for the day.

It's a small step, I know. But being that I've never been a fan of reading a daily newspaper or watching the television news (except for guilty pleasures on the E! network), I think it's about time I do something towards being informed.

When I was in college, I took a PR class where the professor was adamant we know current events. So much so that we had to read The Wall Street Journal daily. And when I say "read," I mean cover to cover and everything in between. We were quizzed weekly, frequently on obscure articles below the fold on the last page.

But something I started to notice after being forced to read the paper daily was that amazingly I started to feel informed for once in my life. And at the weirdest times I could pull out a quote on an obscure article that was revel ant to things that my boss, the mailman and even my nieces were talking about. I've never felt like I've known that much information in all my life. Granted, it took reading hours a day to get there, but still it was a good feeling.

After that semester, I haven't kept up with reading the paper daily or even skimming it daily, and now I'm itching to feel informed again. Because as a writer I do feel it's important.

And if I hadn't switched my homepage, then I wouldn't have seen this gem of a story today:

"Stolen Boomerang Returns"




"25 years after it was stolen from an Australian outback museum, a boomerang comes back."

And really who can live with out a Boomerang returns after 25-year's story? I'm being completely honest, here. Seriously, go check it out. It even includes this quote from a note from the boomerang thief: "I removed this back in 1983 when I was younger and dumber."

I've already got thoughts in my head to pull out at anytime someone mentions: boomerang, museums, or even thief's in a sentence this week :)

If you didn't see it yet, I blogged over at Author2Author today!

And it says over there, my new friend Lisa Schroeder's book I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME officially releases today.





I myself just got the book today and can't wait to read it! Happy release day, Lisa.

The I Just Need to Finish My Novel Writing Challenge Day 1:


Not to bad for the first day of IJNTFMNWC*. I think this is the best single writing day I've had in awhile. Anyone else doing the challenge: how did you do on your own goals for the day?

* I love abbreviating things, but IJNTFMNWC is a pretty long abbreviation. I think that's one I'm going to have to copy and paste each time before using or really concentrate on getting the letters right each time. Having to do that makes makes me think of Meg Cabot's blog and how she constantly abbreviates He Who Shall Not Be Named In This Blog to HWSNBNITS. Am I the only one that wonders every time if she copies and paste that or retypes it every time? Or do you think she has it memorized by now? Seriously that's alot of letters to retype. Yes, I really do think about these things. Important as they are :)

I’ve discovered that I’m the type of writer that likes to spit stuff out and clean it up later. With my current WIP, I’ve tried to have a cleaner first draft, which has caused me to take my time and be more conscientious about scenes I select and being more in tune with my overall plot at all times.

However, the problem is that I’m thinking too much and not writing.

I’m also the type of writer that loves a good writing challenge, which is why I think NaNo has been good for me. There’s just something about knowing I only have X number of days to complete X number of words that pushes me forward.

So I’ve decided to issue myself a “I Just Need to Finish My Novel” Writing Challenge.

And I’d love it if you joined me.

The writing challenge will be simple . All you have to do is write 10,000 words in one week. (Which boils down to 1,429 words a day.)

It will begin next week on Monday, January 7 and end on Sunday, January 13.

I realize for those of you that like to plan ahead, this doesn’t give you much time, but I just thought of it and need to push myself soon. But maybe I’ll do another one again with advance notice, since really I could use a writing challenge every week.

If you want to join in my self-issued writing challenge, just leave a comment and let me know. And I’ll try to pop into your blog sometime this next week to encourage you, and feel free to post updates on your word count if that helps.

And if you don’t need a “I Just Need to Finish My Novel” challenge, but still want a writing challenge to push you forward, feel free to make yours a “I Just Need to Start My Novel” or a “I Just Need to Write My Middle” challenge (which mine might be more like, since I don’t think 10K will finish my novel, but it might get me close). Do whatever, I don’t care. But I do hope you’ll join me in my challenge.

It will be short and sweet, and hopefully it will help us get more of our novels done.