I’ve been reading, listening, perusing, and thinking (constantly thinking) about my revision for this book. I have a lot of work ahead of me which is daunting and exciting. And then more daunting, when I look at all of my discombobulated notes. So yes, I will have to get myself…combobulated.

I was listening to an audiobook of Margot Berwin’s Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire and this line resonated with me:

“Don’t fall in love with ideas of magic and special powers and shamans’ sons. Develop power for yourself, so that it’s yours. Don’t fall in love with what someone else has. Do the work.”

You hear that, writers out there? Mind you, in the context of the book, the main character was searching for plants with mystical properties and not, say, writing a novel. But this thought can apply to many things. Don’t waste your time thinking about what someone else is doing or writing – concentrate on your own work. And don’t worry about someone else’s success either, it will only distract you from the work you have to do.

Remember First Page Panda? There’s another book giveaway there. FREE SIGNED BOOK! You should check it out: http://www.firstpagepanda.com/.

At GSLIS (my daytime altar ego) we just published a great newsletter with a feature about books transformed into movies – the ones that worked and the ones that didn’t. People are very passionate about this subject, and I would love to hear your thoughts! You can download the full issue here: http://www.simmons.edu/gslis/news/publications/infolink/index.php.

In other news, I’m seeing Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra in the fall!! Last night I dreamed that a friend of mine had Amanda Palmer as a literary agent. I was Very Jealous. But I sang a rousing rendition of “Leeds United” with her, so it wasn’t all bad.