Do You Suffer from Repetitive Work Injuries....

....such as carpel tunnel syndrome? I used to, but don't anymore and I did WITHOUT SURGERY. I had it so bad, I used to sleep with braces on my wrists--and I had to type with them on, too. Now I don't even use ergonomic equipment. Don't care if my bed is hard or soft or worry that much when I lift something.

And I did by reading a book. :-)

To read more about my "adventures in curing repetitive work injuries," visit my website and read the article I wrote about it. Click on the link for "adventures in writing." The article is top of the list on the right.

And while you're there, if you like the website, vote for it in The Romance Studio's Diva contest. :-)

Here's hoping that your writing work week is a productive one!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

The Key is a semi-finalist in the Independent Publisher's Book Awards (the IPPYs!)

From their website:

This year's contest attracted over 3,100 total entries; just over 2,500 entries in the national categories and just over 600 entries in the regional competition. Books came from 49 U.S. states (come on, North Dakota!), D.C., and U.S. Virgin Islands; 9 Canadian provinces (get with it, Northwest Territories!), and 16 countries around the world: Trinidad to Thailand, Croatia to Czech Republic, and France to Finland. As you can imagine, we are judging a large and wonderfully eclectic collection of books.The quality of entries this year is totally amazing, and we're seeing better designed books, reading higher quality writing. and being exposed to a more widely diverse collection of concepts. We've been impressed with the in-depth research in our non-fiction and current events entries, important breakthroughs in our science and health entries, and breathtaking artwork and photography in our fine arts and coffee table book entries.These are the eventual gold, silver and bronze medal winners whose designations will be announced on May 23rd. Congratulations to all!

And about me:

10. Fantasy/Science Fiction Brian Froud’s World of Faerie, by Brian Froud (Insight Editions); The Starfish People, by Leann Marshall (Xlibris Corporation); Virtual Evil, by Jana G. Oliver (Dragon Moon Press); Sharlie, by Lynda Johnson (Swansea Music); The Oblivion Society, by Marcus Alexander Hart (Permuted Press); The Key, by Pauline Baird Jones (L&L Dreamspell)

I'm thrilled to find myself in such great company. :-)
Perilously yours,
Pauline

I blogged at Novelspot last week, as I mentioned in my earlier whine, er, blog. It was a great experience. Really helped me focus my thoughts. I was looking through those blogs and found myself drawn to the last one, about endings.

As I mention in that blog, when I was young, all the books had "The End" at, well, the end of the book. Maybe they thought we wouldn't know the book had ended. I don't know. Books today don't always have "The End" at the end, but I still type them in when I finish the first draft of a new novel. It is SO satisfying to reach that goal post.

I still have edits and re-edits and edits of edits ahead, but I still crossed an important finish line in the process of writing a book. I can still remember the rush of excitementn I felt when I finished Pig in a Park, my first book. I thought, "Wow, now I know how to write a book. It will never be this hard again."

Wrong.

The next book was a different as my first child is from my second and they are from my third. For each book that came after that first book, what helped me keep going, what helped me face the new challenges and struggles of finishing those stories was the knowledge that I'd done it before and I could do it again.

Agents and editors know the importance of finishing that first book, too. With few exceptions, they won't look at a new author's stuff until they've finished one, whole book. It's all part of the "earning your chops" process, of proving that you can cross that finish line.

So, the first time you type "The End," (and all the times after, if you want), take a moment to celebrate, to pat yourself on the back. You've reached a key milestone in the process of becoming a writer.

And now, it is time for me to type....

The End.

Perilously yours,
Pauline

Pauline Baird Jones
www.paulinebjones.com
Pauline@paulinebjones.comThe Key, L&L Dreamspell
He sighed, signaled for her to get up, then strolled forward, circling the damaged ship, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Dang.” He looked at her. “I said it before and I’ll say it again. You fly like a girl.”
Sara grinned. “I crash like one, too.”
His bushy brows rose. “Suppose that means you broke a nail.”
She kind of shrugged and rubbed a finger along one of her fingernails.
from THE KEY