Wanted: One Writer's Theme Song

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The good news: I've been talking with my editor at Ten Speed Press and we think we've nailed down the next great cat book idea. (I'd tell you, but then I'd either have to kill you or sic a herd of wild Maine Coons on you.) I need to present her with an outline and sample chapter before it's a definite go, but it looks like it will happen. 

The bad news: I fear my novel writing will suffer (i.e., "disappear") as I pour all energy into writing the cat book. 

It's not the end of the world it that's what happens, but I would really like to attempt a balance between the two books, making the time to work on each. For this to happen, I need to set boundaries around how I spend my time. And what better way to gain clarity on what's important and what's not than to make a list? 

NOTE: I need a theme song I can play whenever I make a list. I make them so often, it would be great to have musical accompaniment. Remember the Picture Pages theme song (see below)? Something cute and fun like that. Anyone out there care to work on that for me?

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Send Help, I'm Nesting

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I think I would write better with authentic Turkish spa towels in the house, don't you?Ahem.

I have become obsessed with buying new bath towels, making sure all the crumbs are cleaned out from the silverware drawer, and finding a painting for the blank wall in the hall. Life holds little meaning or value unless and until each of these things gets done RIGHT NOW.

A friend asked the other day over coffee, "What distracts Dena?"

Uh, nesting. Whenever I'm feeling less than self-confident in my work, I battle the strong, strong urge to organize each and every aspect of my life. Somehow, I seem to believe that a tidy bathroom and freshly purged CD collection will bring about the clarity needed for me to get back to my writing. 

The unfortunate thing for those around me (read: Blair) is that I'm a, well... less-than-nice person when I nest. It's frustration. I can't get the dialogue in my scene to sound the way I want it so I channel that anxiety into a migraine over the fact that (sob!) the damn cat hair keeps piling up and the tupperware keeps falling over inside the pantry. 

The obvious answer--and the only answer--is to sit my butt in the chair and write. Write bad scenes, crappy dialogue, cliched plots, doesn't matter so long as it's writing. Writing is the only thing that will calm my racing heart when I see a water glass left out that hasn't been put in the dishwasher or fingerprint smudges on the glass door. 

Naturally, writing is the last thing I feel like doing. It feels more pressing--and useful--to scour overstock.com for deals on Egyptian cotton bath towels. Surely I would write better scenes if only I weren't forced to use threadbare towels each day and instead started the morning with a nice, fluffy cotton wrap. 

Okay, I see your point. Just one more swoop through overstock.com and then I'm going back to writing. 

I really want those towels. 

Cheers,

Dena

Who Moved My Mouse: The Russian Edition

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Good news! My editor e-mailed yesterday to say that my newest book, Who Moved My Mouse? A Self-Help Book for Cats has been purchased by Exmo Publishing House, a Russian publisher. Soon, all of Moscow and St. Petersburg will be abuzz about the funny cat book written by that crazy cat lady. 

I hope. 

Cheers (and vodka shots all around!),

Dena