Yippe! Words! Words, spilling and glowing and ripe for the picking, all OVER the page.

I woke up early this morning, full of ideas. I'm working on two projects right now, both of which I can't talk much about, but both are widely different from one another. Or so I thought.  This morning, when I woke with two intense, detailed character sketches in my head, I knew I needed to write them down immediately. So I got up, typed them up, and sent them off and realized - hey, what I just did there is totally applicable to what I have to do next.

So I opened the manuscript, and off I went.

Interesting revelations today. I never thought I could work on two projects at once. I hear you, I hear you, of course I can. I just need to focus. But finding the kind of focus that lets me play with two different sets of characters in two different settings isn't something I've ever been good at. I've always admired writers who can bounce around through their ideas. Working on one story here, one story there, shorts and manuscript and scripts- that's just not my forte.

But, the process for one has rubbed off on the process of the other, and suddenly, I have rich characters coming out the wazoo.

This is a Very Good Thing.

Second revelation, in the sandwich book, one of the characters who had paraded onto the scene and really tripped me up is there to tell the story of another character. Aha!

Word, glorious words!

Over 2k on one project and 1K on the other for a total of 3K today! And that's before the blog.

It feels good to settle down and be a writer again.

I had to take a quick break to do a live radio interview, which was lots of fun - I adore radio. There's something so very intimate about it. Tomorrow morning I have a taping for a local TV show, so I need to pick a dress.

And tomorrow evening I head to Bouchercon. For those of you who don't know, it is the largest mystery convention in the world. We're talking hundreds of authors and thousands of readers.

Bouchercon is pretty much our Prom.

Books, panels, parties, dinners.... I am full up with commitments. I'll do my very best to stop in and give updates, because I still have a lot of work to do while I'm gone, so I will be sneaking off to my room to write.

If you're coming, please say hi. Don't be shy, grab me in the hall if I'm blowing past, or come to one of the panels or signings. Bouchercon is a true whirlwind, so remember to hydrate, wear comfortable shoes and stop to smell the roses a few times.

Here's my schedule - so honored to be a part of all three of these:

September 15, 2011 1-2 pm
Panel: TIMEBOMB
When the clock is ticking.
Laura Benedict (M), JT Ellison, Meg Gardiner, Adrian Magson, Daniel Palmer, Simon Toyne

September 16, 2011 2:30-3:30 pm
Panel: MONSTERS
Investigating crime in the age of social networking, google, technology, etc.
Hilary Davidson (M), J.T. Ellison, Chris Knopf, P. J. Parrish, Sam Reaves, Mark Russinovich

September 17, 2011 3-4 pm
MURDER IN THE STACKS:
St. Charles City County Library Mystery Event
Middendorf-Kredell Library
2750 Highway K, O'Fallon, MO
"Thrillers": JT Ellison, author of the Taylor Jackson series; Julie Compton, author of "Rescuing Olivia" and "Tell No Lies"; and Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of the Charlotte McNally series.

Now, off to fold clothes, and pack, and find places for all the shoes I think I'm taking. Have a great night!