male veiled chameleon drinking water from a ficus leaf

So, I got my outline for book #2 back from Editor Wendy. Let me just say that this is the absolutely-most-detailed-of-my-entire-life-planned-out outline I have ever written. I suspect it's better choreographed than my wedding was.

Naturally, Editor Wendy found some holes. Because this is her job. And she is very excellent at her job. Lucky for me. I'd much prefer to fill in the holes and iron out the wrinkles (sorry about the awkward mixed metaphors) now than after many, many, many hours of typing.

I am clearing my calendar for December so that I'll have lots of writing time. Or as much as possible given the festive season. I have already been invited to FIVE Christmas parties. This may surprise some of you, but I can actually be a lot of fun at a party. Ha!

This year, however, I will be the woman with the beautiful highlights (thank you Hairdresser Jamie) in the black, sequined dress (thank you fashion-conscious child #3) in the corner on her lap top. I'll have to be in a corner with an electrical outlet because my MacBook battery died (shame on you Apple Customer Service for leaving me on hold for 30 min.) which means I'm always plugged in.

Right now, I'm seated at my kitchen table with a steaming mug of Irish Breakfast tea, a delightful oatmeal cereal bar, and my plugged-in MacBook. Dorothy the Dog is asleep at my feet. Next to me is, of course, the trusty MULTI-paged outline.

Wish me luck. I'm off to write, write, write.

I will take a break in a while and check out all your journal entries. And I'm curious to know who writes with what kind of outline?

Writing and crockpots go hand in hand. The upside: Crockpots deliver an entire meal with a minimum of fuss. Which gives me more time to write.

The downside: I have only discovered ONE crockpot recipe that everyone in my family likes. ONE. Two nights ago, I tried a new brown sugar + vinegar + misc ingredenients + chicken dish. I liked it. No one else did. So, I won't be making it again. Just a little too much overcooked, slightly dried-out chicken for one person.

Feel free to post in comments or email me a decent crockpot receipt. I'm desperate.

Here's THE ONE SUCCESSFUL recipe.

Irish Stew Adapted From Child #2's Friend's Father's Recipe (Thanks Mr. R.)

2 pounds beef or lamb or a mixture, cubed
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon each, salt, pepper, paprika
1 1/2 cups beef broth (or chicken broth if you're using all lamb)
1 teaspoon worstershire sauce
1 bay leaf, 2 crushed clove garlic
8 carrots, sliced
4 potatoes, diced
2 onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, diced (I added extra celery because I love cooked celery)
another vegetable (zucchini, yam), opt'l and depends on how much room you have

Place the vegetables on the bottom, then add the meat.
Stir salt, pepper, paprika, worstershire sauce, garlic, four into broth. Pour over mixture. Add bay leaf.
Cook 10 hours on low or 6 hours on high.

If you try it, lemme know what you think.