Leave it to Da Queen to ask a question like this! You are right, there are a dozen or more things that continue to trip me up, but I think I'd have to say that the #1 issue is balancing my time spent online. This includes answering emails and reading blogs and newsletters and such. I can get an early start and before I know it the morning is gone and it's noon!

When I am on a deadline, or doing my best to stay focused on actually writing, I need to stay OFFLINE. Period. Easier said than done, I'm afraid. I'm an email addict. (insert heavy sigh here.)

As for question #2... saying that I am a writer has never come hard for me, but it is an issue for many folks I know. I've been writing since I was a little girl, I've been telling folks "I'm a writer" for decades - even when I wasn't a writer. :-) Alas, delusions of writing grandeur came early for me, the drama queen. :-)

Dianne made a good point about writing personal memoir. The addition of video footage was a plus for that story, but I would hazard to guess that even without video footage the book would have sold - it is a compelling story. Please don't get me wrong, and I don't mean to diminish the work of anyone who has written or wants to write personal memoir, it's just a very hard sell to get a major publisher behind it. However, there are small presses and self-publishing options that are very successful for many folks.

As for the kind of ms to take to the CO Springs writers conference, it depends...what is your goal? Do you want to take classes to help you write it? Or, do you want to pitch it to editors from the big publishing houses? Or, do you want to find an agent? Or...what?

If you are ready to pitch it to a publishing house, do you have a complete book proposal?

Lots of questions...let's talk more about this.

Phyllis, no current plans to be in MI area any time soon, sorry.

Onward!