I slid a bit further behind yesterday but if I have a good weekend, I can easily catch up. I managed to finish a cover that I intend to use to publish a short story and I studied Vellum and did marketing research. So while it was not as productive a day for writing, it was still focused more or less in that direction.

Friday nights are sacred for Steve and me since it is Shabbat. Once the sun goes down we don’t work and we celebrate Shabbat with an appropriate dinner and wine. This is the compromise we made with the world a long time ago when we realized that we would need to work on Saturdays on occasion. So while we are not particularly good Jews, we are still Jewish enough to honor Friday night. This means that Fridays tend to be low productivity days and I make up for it on Saturday and Sunday. But it also means that we approach the weekend cheered from a soul-filling Friday night.

The 20 Books to 50K conference was held this week in Las Vegas. I didn’t go, but I am reaping the benefits nonetheless, You can too since they made videos of the sessions available. So far, I recommend Dean Wesley Smith’s talk on Attitude for Fictionwriters, Romance Leveling Up, and Mark Dawson’s The Reader Final: How to Turn Readers Into Super Fans. If you always wondered why I’m such a Deaniac, watch the video. That’s Maximum Dean at his best. I haven’t watched all the videos but the ones I’ve seen are really worth your time. Here’s the complete list of seminars they taped. Watching the videos turned my frown upside down and I’m psyched and ready to write today.

Tomorrow is a big potluck writing day at the Main Library from 1pm to 5pm. I intend to bring a big container of chocolate truffles and something warm, delicious, and vegan. Join me there!

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