Hiya, Peeps! I’m writing the final chapter on the WIP today (is that why this song keeps playing in my head?) and it’s a tricky one. I feel like I used to when I was a kid and my mom was forcing me to learn horrific handicrafts teaching me to crochet/knit/quilt, and the project looked so awesome… except for all those threads hanging out. For her, it was obvious how you would tuck all those threads in – “just weave them under, Nikki, it’s not hard” etc., – but for me it just looked like a project that would never get finished. In fact, a lot of my crafty projects never did make it all the way to the end, because of that – I didn’t really know how to finish them off.

But “not finishing” isn’t a luxury we novelists have, is it? Not if we want to pursue, you know, actual publication. So, I’m grabbing all those loose threads today, bundling them together as best I can (noticing in the process how I forgot a couple of subplots that I’d intended to weave through this novel UGH!), and crafting some sort of ending. And, given my middle-grade writing gig, it’ll be a happy one, with series potential. LOL (By the way, have I told you all how excited I am to have finally written a middle-grade novel that references the Apocalypse? I was starting to feel like I’d never get my stakes high enough.)

The whole ending process has taken a lot longer than I’d planned, given the illness that’s been sweeping through the house – we’ve had flu for weeks, and colds now. Ick. I hope you’re all staying well, Writer Friends.

Now, back to work. One more chapter, a Lady Gaga song to choreograph for tomorrow’s Zumba class, and a few dozen more cups of hot tea with honey to knock this cold out. And then, as a reward, a read-through of a manuscript one of my dear Writer Friends sent me that is turning out to be very, very good indeed. Magic and mixed-up love, and mind-reading teenagers… I’m pretty much falling in love with this one. Adore that feeling.

News: I got into the AROHO conference for August! *confetti all around* AND I placed a couple of short pieces – one will be out tomorrow in the March issue of Literature4Kids here. Another one will come out in their July issue. Also, I sold an essay to eChook digital publishing. Yay!

Interesting Stuff: Check out Shelli Cornelison’s blog for great recaps of the Austin SCBWI conference. I’ll post more about that later, but I’m still in awe of all the groovy, delightful, utterly cool famous people I spoke with. Arther Levine, Carolyn Coman, Kimberly Willis Holt, Stephen Roxburgh… I could go on all day long. Seriously,Writer Friends – Austin is THE place to be a children’s book writer!

Also: You know how I go on and on about my agent, Suzie? Well, you can ask her your very own questions tonight at writeoncon! Check it out! Now!!