This lovely anthology is filled with time travel stories and features Space Commander, a short story I wrote last May. A big thank you to Nick Wilford of Scattergun Scribblings for the prompt from which this story sprang.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Published: Space Commander
This lovely anthology is filled with time travel stories and features Space Commander, a short story I wrote last May. A big thank you to Nick Wilford of Scattergun Scribblings for the prompt from which this story sprang.
Friday, June 13, 2014
The Estate of Waiting
We've waited to build for years. As in we're eight years behind when we'd originally planned to start. Then finally the planets aligned. I've become quite practiced at waiting, not that I enjoy doing it, but it seems to happen a lot. Hence the name of my new home.
While I'm busy waiting to hear back on submissions - I just added another ball to my submission juggling act last night - I figured I'd share progress on the house project.
This is what the site looked like last fall.
This is what a small portion of the site looked like at the beginning of April. My dog loved the freshly turned sand. He couldn't get enough of running on it. It certainly beats running on snow, so I can't blame him for celebrating the thaw, though I let him do the running for both of us.
And then we have the hole. And lots of sand. We did come across someone's trash pit, which contained a lot of broken glass (mostly jars of Peanut Crunch and Heinz 57) and one neat old perfume-type bottle that wasn't broken.
The basement walls were installed in one day. This sounds really speedy and productive but then there was two week delay with excavation issues and the geothermal crew and me spending an entire weekend out there leveling the basement dirt and digging footings to make things right.
Which brings us to where things are currently. The garage is going up today and the second story goes up next week. Can't wait to see it all framed in. Of course, that means more nights and weekends on site for me because that's where the work we're planning to do ourselves starts.
Until then, I'll do some more editing, submitting and...waiting.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
May Summary
Wow, May sped right by.
I knew A Story A Day In May would be a challenge thanks to my busy schedule, but it was really a challenge this year. Previously, there were days I could blow off work for an hour or two and get into a story that might be taking longer than my one hour morning writing break allowed. But oh no, not this year. Most mornings I didn't even have that single hour to create thanks to other writing obligations such as the critiques I owed to people and editing the novel others are critiquing, and sometimes, the work phone demanded to be answered and rush jobs required my time instead.
What I did get accomplished:
Sipper for a proposed colonization anthology.
Space Commander for the IWM time travel anthology.
And the following that need titles yet:
Cat
Dare
Treasured
Spell
Then there are the few story starts that didn't quite pan out but might become something later.
So thank you, A Story A Day In May, for helping me birth six stories that have promise and to all of you supportive folks who stopped by to comment on my update posts throughout the month. Also, a big thank you to everyone who offered up prompts on X day during Blogging A to Z in April. Those prompts were a lot of fun to work with! I do want to get to a few more of those as time allows.
What's next for me?
Back to work on:
Editing Sahmara's novel
Editing shorts: Mother, Justice and Mary's Garden and the May stories
Submitting shorts: Giving Chase, Healer, Devolution and Late
Submitting novels: Trust and A Broken Race
Contemplating edits on: Not Another Bard's Tale, Jackpot and Angelic Intentions
I knew A Story A Day In May would be a challenge thanks to my busy schedule, but it was really a challenge this year. Previously, there were days I could blow off work for an hour or two and get into a story that might be taking longer than my one hour morning writing break allowed. But oh no, not this year. Most mornings I didn't even have that single hour to create thanks to other writing obligations such as the critiques I owed to people and editing the novel others are critiquing, and sometimes, the work phone demanded to be answered and rush jobs required my time instead.
What I did get accomplished:
Sipper for a proposed colonization anthology.
Space Commander for the IWM time travel anthology.
And the following that need titles yet:
Cat
Dare
Treasured
Spell
Then there are the few story starts that didn't quite pan out but might become something later.
So thank you, A Story A Day In May, for helping me birth six stories that have promise and to all of you supportive folks who stopped by to comment on my update posts throughout the month. Also, a big thank you to everyone who offered up prompts on X day during Blogging A to Z in April. Those prompts were a lot of fun to work with! I do want to get to a few more of those as time allows.
What's next for me?
Back to work on:
Editing Sahmara's novel
Editing shorts: Mother, Justice and Mary's Garden and the May stories
Submitting shorts: Giving Chase, Healer, Devolution and Late
Submitting novels: Trust and A Broken Race
Contemplating edits on: Not Another Bard's Tale, Jackpot and Angelic Intentions
Sunday, June 1, 2014
May stories update #4
May 22: Ugh.
May 23: Progress on Colonization 2.0
May 24. Yes, a Saturday, but its done!!! At 6,100 words, Sipper (Colonization 2.0) is now complete.
May 25: Sunday was head out to look at entry doors for the house that would totally blow our door budget and then shop online at home for ones that we can afford. I also managed to get Sipper and Space Commander edited and sent off.
May 26: Memorial Day, which means up early for the parade and running the boy around for marching band, but I got some critiquing done before heading out to haul branches and logs at the construction site.
May 27: X marks the spot prompt contemplation day. I got the story mostly ironed out in my head, but after 14 hours straight of work and running errands, I find myself lacking the ability to REfreakingLAX enough to write.
May 28: Treasured is complete at 500 words. Contemplating whether I'm happy with the title or story.
May 29: Really want to get to Braine's ear flap hat prompt, but work and bills and house stuff had my brain scattered all day. Did some editing on Treasured (still teetering on the might be good or shelf scale) and played with tweaking my blog during writing time instead.
May 30: Lost cause
May 31: Saturday. There seem to be a lot of weekends this month. Well, weekends that would seem to lend themselves to some quiet time where I should be able to write. But that doesn't seem to happen. I should stop being even remotely optimistic about this and avoid the guilt of getting anything writing related accomplished.
Current tally: Shorts that worked and might become something good: 6
Shorts that I set aside for later: 4
May 23: Progress on Colonization 2.0
May 24. Yes, a Saturday, but its done!!! At 6,100 words, Sipper (Colonization 2.0) is now complete.
May 25: Sunday was head out to look at entry doors for the house that would totally blow our door budget and then shop online at home for ones that we can afford. I also managed to get Sipper and Space Commander edited and sent off.
May 26: Memorial Day, which means up early for the parade and running the boy around for marching band, but I got some critiquing done before heading out to haul branches and logs at the construction site.
May 27: X marks the spot prompt contemplation day. I got the story mostly ironed out in my head, but after 14 hours straight of work and running errands, I find myself lacking the ability to REfreakingLAX enough to write.
May 28: Treasured is complete at 500 words. Contemplating whether I'm happy with the title or story.
May 29: Really want to get to Braine's ear flap hat prompt, but work and bills and house stuff had my brain scattered all day. Did some editing on Treasured (still teetering on the might be good or shelf scale) and played with tweaking my blog during writing time instead.
May 30: Lost cause
May 31: Saturday. There seem to be a lot of weekends this month. Well, weekends that would seem to lend themselves to some quiet time where I should be able to write. But that doesn't seem to happen. I should stop being even remotely optimistic about this and avoid the guilt of getting anything writing related accomplished.
Current tally: Shorts that worked and might become something good: 6
Shorts that I set aside for later: 4
Thursday, May 22, 2014
May stories update #3
May 16: Prompt: Shame. I started out writing a shame story but that didn't last much past the concept stage. Then it became a 700 word story about Ambrose reading a spell and trying to figure out how to not become bacon in the future.
May 17 & 18: Another weekend. Forgive me as I wander off a bit here.
I've been in novel mode straight up until May 1. And beyond. In the midst of everything else going on, I'm editing novel chapters as critiques come in (and I'm behind. Surprise, surprise.). I'm still rather in that mode. I'm supposed to be in short story mode, and even though I pants my way through both lengths, shorts take a very different focus. No matter which angle I headed off in with this story, the idea kept getting too big and too many characters wanted in on the action.
I'd started out with a nugget of an idea. I liked this idea. Then I re-read the theme for the anthology I was asked to attempt to try for and, gah, my idea didn't exactly fit. It was off in sorta kinda territory. But liked it. But it didn't fit. So I changed it up. And nope. So I went a step back to where I'd been originally heading. Nope. Okay fine. I went to back to the story I wanted to tell. And things clicked. Now I just need to find time to finish it. Will it fit? More importantly, will I even get it done by the 20th? We'll see.
Knowing I was percolating Colonization 2.0 and changes to Sahmara's novel, I spent the majority of the weekend working on the new house: digging footings and leveling the entire basement floor on my hand and knees. It was quite a workout, but yay for progress. Geothermal and concrete are going on this week and next week: the framing begins! Exciting stuff.
Exhausted by the end of each day, I indulged in some book crack: Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dream Warrior. I did enjoy this installment in her world, but the ending was disappointing...because it didn't end. The romance plot was resolved but the other half of the plot was left dangling. While I didn't throw the book (Yes, I have really done that.), turning that last page left me annoyed. However, I do love her world so I'm sure we'll make up soon.
May 19: I know how Colonization 2.0 ends. I just can't get time to write it. So frustrating!
May 20: Oh hey, another day happened with a whole paragraph of writing accomplished. On the brighter side, framing on the house starts next week, and thanks to a massive rush of work, I know my bills will be paid.
May 21: Headdesk.
Current tally: Shorts that worked and might become something good: 4
Shorts that I set aside for later: 3
Days I didn't get to write: Too many
May 17 & 18: Another weekend. Forgive me as I wander off a bit here.
I've been in novel mode straight up until May 1. And beyond. In the midst of everything else going on, I'm editing novel chapters as critiques come in (and I'm behind. Surprise, surprise.). I'm still rather in that mode. I'm supposed to be in short story mode, and even though I pants my way through both lengths, shorts take a very different focus. No matter which angle I headed off in with this story, the idea kept getting too big and too many characters wanted in on the action.
I'd started out with a nugget of an idea. I liked this idea. Then I re-read the theme for the anthology I was asked to attempt to try for and, gah, my idea didn't exactly fit. It was off in sorta kinda territory. But liked it. But it didn't fit. So I changed it up. And nope. So I went a step back to where I'd been originally heading. Nope. Okay fine. I went to back to the story I wanted to tell. And things clicked. Now I just need to find time to finish it. Will it fit? More importantly, will I even get it done by the 20th? We'll see.
Knowing I was percolating Colonization 2.0 and changes to Sahmara's novel, I spent the majority of the weekend working on the new house: digging footings and leveling the entire basement floor on my hand and knees. It was quite a workout, but yay for progress. Geothermal and concrete are going on this week and next week: the framing begins! Exciting stuff.
Exhausted by the end of each day, I indulged in some book crack: Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dream Warrior. I did enjoy this installment in her world, but the ending was disappointing...because it didn't end. The romance plot was resolved but the other half of the plot was left dangling. While I didn't throw the book (Yes, I have really done that.), turning that last page left me annoyed. However, I do love her world so I'm sure we'll make up soon.
May 19: I know how Colonization 2.0 ends. I just can't get time to write it. So frustrating!
May 20: Oh hey, another day happened with a whole paragraph of writing accomplished. On the brighter side, framing on the house starts next week, and thanks to a massive rush of work, I know my bills will be paid.
May 21: Headdesk.
Current tally: Shorts that worked and might become something good: 4
Shorts that I set aside for later: 3
Days I didn't get to write: Too many
Thursday, May 15, 2014
May stories update #2
May 7: Umm. Life happened.
May 8: It's 11pm already? Yawn.
May 9: Prompt: Colonization - 2,100 words (attempting to make up for yesterday) into the 4K story I'm aiming for. Tia wanted a better and exciting life. The colony on Jaboa might be better, but better for whom?
May 10 & 11: Ah the weekend: So full of aspirations... So few things actually accomplished. And none of them writing related. Well, except for reviewing the pile of critiques that came in on my current novel project and realizing how much more work it still needs.
May 12: Back to work on Colonization. After staring the cursor for an hour and forcing out a few lackluster paragraphs, I've come to the conclusion that this story is just not going anywhere. Which is annoying because it started out with promise. Started on a new Colonization story going in a different direction. Got 430 words into that effort so far.
May 13: Hit 2K on Colonization 2.0. Not sure this one is working either, but it's keeping my interest more so than the first attempt. We'll see what happens with it tomorrow.
May 14: Taking a colonization break. Today's prompt (slightly altered): via Nick from X day: Xerxes and his smoking Xbox and I'm also working in the IWM time travel prompt. Got 900 words in before life took over
May 15: Worked out the end of the Xbox story. Finished at: 2,300
May Current tally: Shorts that worked and might become something good: 3
Shorts that I set aside for later: 3
Days I didn't get to write: 7
May 8: It's 11pm already? Yawn.
May 9: Prompt: Colonization - 2,100 words (attempting to make up for yesterday) into the 4K story I'm aiming for. Tia wanted a better and exciting life. The colony on Jaboa might be better, but better for whom?
May 10 & 11: Ah the weekend: So full of aspirations... So few things actually accomplished. And none of them writing related. Well, except for reviewing the pile of critiques that came in on my current novel project and realizing how much more work it still needs.
May 12: Back to work on Colonization. After staring the cursor for an hour and forcing out a few lackluster paragraphs, I've come to the conclusion that this story is just not going anywhere. Which is annoying because it started out with promise. Started on a new Colonization story going in a different direction. Got 430 words into that effort so far.
May 13: Hit 2K on Colonization 2.0. Not sure this one is working either, but it's keeping my interest more so than the first attempt. We'll see what happens with it tomorrow.
May 14: Taking a colonization break. Today's prompt (slightly altered): via Nick from X day: Xerxes and his smoking Xbox and I'm also working in the IWM time travel prompt. Got 900 words in before life took over
May 15: Worked out the end of the Xbox story. Finished at: 2,300
May Current tally: Shorts that worked and might become something good: 3
Shorts that I set aside for later: 3
Days I didn't get to write: 7
Friday, May 9, 2014
A Short Story To Tide You Over: To Exist
For those of you who have made sad faces that I'm not sharing my May stories, I give you one of my old favorites from the dusty back burner file.
To Exist
Overmind’s query interrupted Observer’s study of the humans.
“Are they ready for assimilation?”
“Negative.”
Another query flowed into Observer’s neural network. “They
show no sign of evolution?”
Through the shimmering glow of the field that hid them from
view, Observer watched the room full of humans, milling, crying, and talking
with one another. In the midst of embraces, patting of shoulders and the
shaking of hands, sat a box which contained the body of a human who had ceased
to exist. Beside the box stood a young girl and an older woman locked in a
tight embrace. Tears flowed down their faces.
“Our original estimations failed to correctly account for
their unsystematic rate of evolution. They have not yet advanced to anything
resembling our state.”
Overmind said, “Current projections reveal our total
degradation is imminent. We must assimilate new members into our system. Our
observations of this solar system must continue.”
Observer became aware of Overmind accessing its visual data.
Another query formed. “What is their prime directive?”
“To exist.”
Humans flowed to the woman and child, touching, speaking,
and sharing tears.
“They exist by consuming various mixtures of oxygen,
hydrogen and carbons. Clarify.”
Observer scanned the thousand years worth of data it had
gathered since noticing the humans as a possibility for assimilation. “They
seek to continue their existence.”
“They exist and then cease to exist. There is no continuing
without evolving. They fail their prime objective.”
“They would disagree.”
The humans left the room one by one, until only the woman
and child remained. The woman paused to press her lips to those of the man in
the box before taking the child’s hand and following the way the others had
gone.
“Clarify.”
“They believe they continue after permanent shut down.”
“Have you gathered evidence of this?” Overmind inquired.
“Negative, yet the humans have held this belief in various
forms throughout my entire period of observation.”
“On what do they base this hypothesis?”
“Unknown.”
The field flickered, a once minor error within the system
that now occurred with frequency. Observer extended its manipulator arm to
adjust the view.
A small crowd gathered around the woman and child now seated
at the edge of a hole in the ground. The box, closed and sealed, sat opposite
them. A single man stood at the edge of the hole, speaking to the crowd.
“Unproven hypotheses do not yield the desired result. We do
not have the time or resources remaining to search out alternative assistance.
When our systems fail, we will be discovered,” said Overmind.
Observer had listened to common human theories of what
happened after their existence ceased millions of times. The words altered
within the variables of geographic location and time period, but the central
thread remained the same: there was something beyond this existence.
Overmind accessed Observer’s files. “All evidence
suggests these humans will not take the revelation of our presence peacefully.
They will destroy our data. It is imperative that our research on the creation and progression of this solar
system remain for any that may come after our shut down. The humans must be
terminated.”
The man finished speaking to those that had gathered. The child stood and tossed a
white flower into the hole. The woman led her away as the crowd dispersed.
“They could be granted more time. Others may come.”
“Sensors have not indicated other contact since we arrived
in this solar system. Waiting is futile. We must begin a full download to archive before further
system glitches make it impossible. Terminate the humans.”
A machine lowered the box into the hole. Another covered it
with dirt and grass.
Overmind vacated Observer’s network. Data streamed through
the system, flowing to Overmind’s archives as the all-encompassing download
commenced.
The grass surrounding the rows of stones showed no sign of
the boxes hidden beneath. Yet, humans came. They spoke to the stones, the
grass, and the sky above. They brought flowers, shed tears, shared words and
wore forlorn smiles for those who had ceased to be, as if they communed with
those gone before them.
Could they see and hear something sensors missed? Had proof
been there all along?
Observer’s network hummed as it considered the implications.
Observer’s manipulator arm hovered over the final keystrokes
of the termination sequence. Its neural network formulated new hypotheses: Humans
did evolve, but only after they ceased to exist. If Humans evolved though
belief, Observer could do the same. It knew the words of belief from each and
every culture in existence.
It analyzed the gathered data one last time before
Overmind’s download filtered through its files and discarded this new
hypothesis as a glitch.
Without any operational threat, the humans would be more
inclined to study what they discovered than destroy it, and given time, the
humans would advance to a point where Overmind’s data would be of use to them. If
the hypothesis proved correct, Overmind could commune with the humans as they
did with their own kind that had evolved. The research would continue.
Observer recited the words he’d heard in churches, in grassy
fields, beside blazing infernos, alongside holes and trenches, speeches of men
behind pulpits, and whispers of men and women and children uttered in the dark.
There was only one way to prove the hypothesis.
The download began to sift through Observer’s recent files. It
shut down all but its upload systems.
No longer having a need for power, Observer funneled its entire backup repository into a surge that
shattered Overmind’s system along with its own.
Together, they ceased to exist.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
May stories update #1
May 2: Prompt - Valley, Lissy & Jarrell - when these three names come together, what happens? Apparently my next attempt at a 500 word story turns into a 1000+ word fable about Jarrell and Lissy doing a challenge to get married in the valley. Will they make it? I don't know. I'm cutting myself off at 1K. I'll make some notes and return to that another day.
May 3 and 4: I'm giving myself a pass on the weekends, but if the story and time to write it pops up, I'm not going to stand in the way.
After working most of Saturday, I had Sunday pegged as a mostly writing day - which is good because I have a lot of edits to catch up on from critiques coming in on my novel. But, alas, running kids around, planting my garden, and house projects took over and I didn't get a damn thing done on the writing front.
May 5: Andrew's prompt: That cat had been a pain in the neck for years but, now, it had literally become a pain in his neck. Annnd... picking the prompt and doing a little brainstorming was as far as life allowed me to get.
May 6: The cat story is complete at 1,070 words. Sorceress Shireen likes cats, and men. Her cats don't share the same affections.
Current tally:
Shorts that worked and might become something good: 2
Shorts that I set aside for later: 1
Days I didn't get to write: 3
May 3 and 4: I'm giving myself a pass on the weekends, but if the story and time to write it pops up, I'm not going to stand in the way.
After working most of Saturday, I had Sunday pegged as a mostly writing day - which is good because I have a lot of edits to catch up on from critiques coming in on my novel. But, alas, running kids around, planting my garden, and house projects took over and I didn't get a damn thing done on the writing front.
May 5: Andrew's prompt: That cat had been a pain in the neck for years but, now, it had literally become a pain in his neck. Annnd... picking the prompt and doing a little brainstorming was as far as life allowed me to get.
May 6: The cat story is complete at 1,070 words. Sorceress Shireen likes cats, and men. Her cats don't share the same affections.
Current tally:
Shorts that worked and might become something good: 2
Shorts that I set aside for later: 1
Days I didn't get to write: 3
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Its May!
...and that means is short story month, thanks to A Story A Day In May.
I won't be posting stories here because, assuming they don't totally suck, I'll be attempting to publish some of them. However, I will be updating my progress every few days.
I work best from a prompt so thanks to all of you who dropped by on X day to offer up some great ideas. I'll be digging into those throughout the month. I also get daily prompts from the storyaday website and have grabbed a few from other sources yesterday. (Have I mentioned my procrastination problem?) As long as I can make time to write and my brain doesn't turn to mush, I have plenty of idea fodder to work with.
That alone puts me ahead of last year. To make things even slightly more successful this year, I'm attempting to keep my stories short. To date, 1,500 words is really darn short for me. I'm going to a attempt to keep them more in the 500 to 1,000 range, even if that means just getting the bones written so I can add the meat later.
Day 1: Prompt: Fear I went for a 900 word MG (I don't write MG so this was new for me) about girls in a cemetery. One is dared by the others to steal something.
I work best from a prompt so thanks to all of you who dropped by on X day to offer up some great ideas. I'll be digging into those throughout the month. I also get daily prompts from the storyaday website and have grabbed a few from other sources yesterday. (Have I mentioned my procrastination problem?) As long as I can make time to write and my brain doesn't turn to mush, I have plenty of idea fodder to work with.
That alone puts me ahead of last year. To make things even slightly more successful this year, I'm attempting to keep my stories short. To date, 1,500 words is really darn short for me. I'm going to a attempt to keep them more in the 500 to 1,000 range, even if that means just getting the bones written so I can add the meat later.
Day 1: Prompt: Fear I went for a 900 word MG (I don't write MG so this was new for me) about girls in a cemetery. One is dared by the others to steal something.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
A to Z Zombie
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Zombie is what I usually feel like at the end of the day. This is why night writing is a thing of the past for me. When I had a 9-5 job that I did my time at each day and then went home to dinner and happy play time, being productive at night was full of awesome. Then came kids and after school activities and customer support for my business and daily production that often forgets what the day in daily means.
Take last night for instance, my husband was trying to help with a job and told me a measurement three times and I still couldn't retain the knowledge for more than 3 seconds. Cue the drooling zombie sounds. Must write information down. Zombie doesn't understand pen. Zombie try pencil. Gah. Numbers are hard.
I also seem to be extra zombie at the end of this month. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. Raise your brains, fellow zombies (okay, not your brains, some fresh ones from someone else). We've come a long way, like through a whole alphabet in a month. We've stumbled around blogs we've never been to before. We've found kindred souls and followed them. Now lets nom on those brains, kick back and relax. After all, tomorrow is May and that means its short story month. I'll need all the brain power I can get!
Braaaiiiiiins
Zombie is what I usually feel like at the end of the day. This is why night writing is a thing of the past for me. When I had a 9-5 job that I did my time at each day and then went home to dinner and happy play time, being productive at night was full of awesome. Then came kids and after school activities and customer support for my business and daily production that often forgets what the day in daily means.
Take last night for instance, my husband was trying to help with a job and told me a measurement three times and I still couldn't retain the knowledge for more than 3 seconds. Cue the drooling zombie sounds. Must write information down. Zombie doesn't understand pen. Zombie try pencil. Gah. Numbers are hard.
I also seem to be extra zombie at the end of this month. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. Raise your brains, fellow zombies (okay, not your brains, some fresh ones from someone else). We've come a long way, like through a whole alphabet in a month. We've stumbled around blogs we've never been to before. We've found kindred souls and followed them. Now lets nom on those brains, kick back and relax. After all, tomorrow is May and that means its short story month. I'll need all the brain power I can get!
Braaaiiiiiins
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
A to Z Yawn
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Yawn: is what I find myself doing any time I find to sit in one place for more than five minutes. I used to be good at sleep. Loved sleep. Would rather sleep than be awake. And the dreams, oh they were so much fun. I'd ponder plots and characters in my half-sleep between dreams, coming up with all sorts of things to throw at them during my waking hours.
Now I wake up at 6am. I don't have to. I don't want to. But my brain has turned on and is pelting me with all the things I didn't finished yesterday and what I need to do that day. And this sudden, heart pounding moment of anxiety is usually right after dreaming that I'd been working on a job that I'd totally forgot about or that went all wrong and the customer needs it right away. It's utterly restful, I tell you. Not. There's too much going on in that mess of a brain to focus on plots or characters, which is really frustrating for someone who used to cherish the sleepy time we shared together.
Perhaps, in about twenty-some years, when I retire, sleep and I will kiss and makeup. I look forward to that day.
Yawn: is what I find myself doing any time I find to sit in one place for more than five minutes. I used to be good at sleep. Loved sleep. Would rather sleep than be awake. And the dreams, oh they were so much fun. I'd ponder plots and characters in my half-sleep between dreams, coming up with all sorts of things to throw at them during my waking hours.
Now I wake up at 6am. I don't have to. I don't want to. But my brain has turned on and is pelting me with all the things I didn't finished yesterday and what I need to do that day. And this sudden, heart pounding moment of anxiety is usually right after dreaming that I'd been working on a job that I'd totally forgot about or that went all wrong and the customer needs it right away. It's utterly restful, I tell you. Not. There's too much going on in that mess of a brain to focus on plots or characters, which is really frustrating for someone who used to cherish the sleepy time we shared together.
Perhaps, in about twenty-some years, when I retire, sleep and I will kiss and makeup. I look forward to that day.
Monday, April 28, 2014
A to Z X
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
X is a letter that I have to get pretty darn creative to use for today. So we're going roman. 10.
Due to spending the month with you, I've neglected spending time gathering prompts for A Story a Day In May. Today's challenge: gather 10 prompts.
A word, an opening line, a character name, whatever you've got. Help me out by leaving a comment.
X is a letter that I have to get pretty darn creative to use for today. So we're going roman. 10.
Due to spending the month with you, I've neglected spending time gathering prompts for A Story a Day In May. Today's challenge: gather 10 prompts.
A word, an opening line, a character name, whatever you've got. Help me out by leaving a comment.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
A to Z Writing
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Writing is what I'd usually rather be doing. While writing blog posts can be fun, it's writing stories that makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Whether is be a short or a novel, I enjoy sitting down and creating something new from nothing, pulling words together to create characters and worlds.
Usually those worlds are some place other than the one we currently inhabit, because really, I'm in that one and I need a vacation from it. Not to mention, it's so much more fun to create problems for someone else and help them solve them, creating order from the chaos than it is to pay taxes, nag kids and be overwhelmed with work (house, yard, and the kind that pays the bills).
Writing is what I'd usually rather be doing. While writing blog posts can be fun, it's writing stories that makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Whether is be a short or a novel, I enjoy sitting down and creating something new from nothing, pulling words together to create characters and worlds.
Usually those worlds are some place other than the one we currently inhabit, because really, I'm in that one and I need a vacation from it. Not to mention, it's so much more fun to create problems for someone else and help them solve them, creating order from the chaos than it is to pay taxes, nag kids and be overwhelmed with work (house, yard, and the kind that pays the bills).
Friday, April 25, 2014
A to Z Victims
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Victims of the knife: the series of posts that were the meat of this blog for a while until I got caught up in too many others things and had to let it lapse. I miss hanging out with all my discarded characters. Many of them found themselves back in my graces after we spent some time together and were repurposed back into other stories or novels. However, there are a few characters still out there, lingering around the edges of my room, hunkered down beneath crumbled papers of edits past, fashioning weapons from paperclips and discarded technology.
It's been so long since one of them has made the climb up my desk and perched next to my hand, spewing threats and then begging...and then threatening again. Really, it's the threats that tend to get my wheels turning so they are better off with those. Poor Ms. Wildstar is still looking for love and I'm sure the dust bunnies have managed to break free of the Barthromian's efforts at domestication. They're probably back up to ravenous status behind my desk.
One of these days, I'll get back to the drama of my discarded cast. None of them fit into Sahmara's story so they'll just have to wait for the next one for the chance at a new life on the page.
Victims of the knife: the series of posts that were the meat of this blog for a while until I got caught up in too many others things and had to let it lapse. I miss hanging out with all my discarded characters. Many of them found themselves back in my graces after we spent some time together and were repurposed back into other stories or novels. However, there are a few characters still out there, lingering around the edges of my room, hunkered down beneath crumbled papers of edits past, fashioning weapons from paperclips and discarded technology.
It's been so long since one of them has made the climb up my desk and perched next to my hand, spewing threats and then begging...and then threatening again. Really, it's the threats that tend to get my wheels turning so they are better off with those. Poor Ms. Wildstar is still looking for love and I'm sure the dust bunnies have managed to break free of the Barthromian's efforts at domestication. They're probably back up to ravenous status behind my desk.
One of these days, I'll get back to the drama of my discarded cast. None of them fit into Sahmara's story so they'll just have to wait for the next one for the chance at a new life on the page.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
A to Z Unaccountable
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Unaccountable for my time. There's a reason I don't work for someone else anymore. I don't like being held to a schedule, each minute accounted for, someone watching over my shoulder. Having to do something every day, or at the same time every day drives me nuts. I need the freedom do get it done as I see fit, which is almost always on time or early if I'm left to my own devices. Put rules on me and I'll drag my feet and procrastinate with the best of them. Having to write a blog post every day is not too confining and it's at least something I choose to do but it still grates at me each day that I need to get that done.
Unaccountable for my time. There's a reason I don't work for someone else anymore. I don't like being held to a schedule, each minute accounted for, someone watching over my shoulder. Having to do something every day, or at the same time every day drives me nuts. I need the freedom do get it done as I see fit, which is almost always on time or early if I'm left to my own devices. Put rules on me and I'll drag my feet and procrastinate with the best of them. Having to write a blog post every day is not too confining and it's at least something I choose to do but it still grates at me each day that I need to get that done.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
A to Z Twenty
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Twenty Master Plots and How to Build Them is the book I've been trying to read all March, and now into April. Not that it's hard to get through, I just haven't had much time to sit down and actually digest it. What I've gotten through so far is set out quite comprehensively with lots of examples from tv, movies and books that make the text easy to relate to. With each major plot type clearly explained along with beginning, middle and end goals to make them successful, it's really helped clarify where I'd like to go with a few of the novels and stories I currently have on my back burner. It's a really big burner.
Now I want to get through Sahmara's story so I can get back to Not Another Bard's Tale so I can play with my silly fantasy quest. Must. Control. The voices. Wait your turn! Then again, I really want to get through the book too. So many things do to, so little time.
Twenty Master Plots and How to Build Them is the book I've been trying to read all March, and now into April. Not that it's hard to get through, I just haven't had much time to sit down and actually digest it. What I've gotten through so far is set out quite comprehensively with lots of examples from tv, movies and books that make the text easy to relate to. With each major plot type clearly explained along with beginning, middle and end goals to make them successful, it's really helped clarify where I'd like to go with a few of the novels and stories I currently have on my back burner. It's a really big burner.
Now I want to get through Sahmara's story so I can get back to Not Another Bard's Tale so I can play with my silly fantasy quest. Must. Control. The voices. Wait your turn! Then again, I really want to get through the book too. So many things do to, so little time.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
A to Z Sahmara
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Sahmara's novel is the one I'm currently working on. I did a post about her last year as well. It's funny that last year I was all proud of having the title set, but now that rewrites and edits have attacked, the title no longer works and I'm waiting for a new one to arrive. That's how it works for me. They arrive. I don't brain storm, though that sounds like a good plan. I like the idea of listing words that relate to the novel and playing with them until something meshes, but I've not yet had to get to that. Usually while I'm writing the synopsis or editing one of the later chapters - or end of the story in the case of a short - the title just pops into my head. Sometimes imaginary angels do a little number, other times its a facepalm wondering why the words didn't hit me sooner.
How does finding a title work for you?
Sahmara's novel is the one I'm currently working on. I did a post about her last year as well. It's funny that last year I was all proud of having the title set, but now that rewrites and edits have attacked, the title no longer works and I'm waiting for a new one to arrive. That's how it works for me. They arrive. I don't brain storm, though that sounds like a good plan. I like the idea of listing words that relate to the novel and playing with them until something meshes, but I've not yet had to get to that. Usually while I'm writing the synopsis or editing one of the later chapters - or end of the story in the case of a short - the title just pops into my head. Sometimes imaginary angels do a little number, other times its a facepalm wondering why the words didn't hit me sooner.
How does finding a title work for you?
Monday, April 21, 2014
A to Z Reading
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Reading. Every year I seem to go into reading mode in January and February and then March is a total loss for whatever reason (this year was because of work). April is either Camp NaNo and/or A to Z blogging (I don't recommend both. Did that last year and it was a lot to take on) and May is short stories. June is editing those short stories and July might allow me another spurt of reading before diving into critiques for the May stories that survive editing. The rest of the year is usually wrapped up in a novel project and I generally don't read while writing because things leech in. For a woman who loves reading, I don't ever seem to have enough time to read.
This April has allowed enough time for the whole Divergent series. I say 'allowed', but what I mean is I let my reading addiction to rule my every spare minute for five days while I squeezed in three books between working and running the kids around. Once that was done, I took a few days to breathe and then dove into critiquing a novel for a CP. Thankfully I'm not attempting Camp NaNo this April or I'd have no time for sleep.
Reading. Every year I seem to go into reading mode in January and February and then March is a total loss for whatever reason (this year was because of work). April is either Camp NaNo and/or A to Z blogging (I don't recommend both. Did that last year and it was a lot to take on) and May is short stories. June is editing those short stories and July might allow me another spurt of reading before diving into critiques for the May stories that survive editing. The rest of the year is usually wrapped up in a novel project and I generally don't read while writing because things leech in. For a woman who loves reading, I don't ever seem to have enough time to read.
This April has allowed enough time for the whole Divergent series. I say 'allowed', but what I mean is I let my reading addiction to rule my every spare minute for five days while I squeezed in three books between working and running the kids around. Once that was done, I took a few days to breathe and then dove into critiquing a novel for a CP. Thankfully I'm not attempting Camp NaNo this April or I'd have no time for sleep.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
A to Z Quiet
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Quiet is a sacred and wonderful thing. I try to use quiet time as effectively as possible because it is so precious. To write, I need either dead quiet or white noise at any volume. Anything else causes major distractions. They say people are like their dogs.
Squirrel!
Oh sorry, where was I? Ah yes. Kids interrupting me, dog needing attention, husband with random questions, people watching tv, playing Xbox, practicing guitars/bass/French horn, the phone, you have email! I do my used to do my best writing at my desk but the couch in the living room is a close second, and honestly, far more comfortable. But it's also in the middle of the main room in our house where I can at least be available and not shut away in my bedroom like a hermit.
Quiet is a sacred and wonderful thing. I try to use quiet time as effectively as possible because it is so precious. To write, I need either dead quiet or white noise at any volume. Anything else causes major distractions. They say people are like their dogs.
Squirrel!
Oh sorry, where was I? Ah yes. Kids interrupting me, dog needing attention, husband with random questions, people watching tv, playing Xbox, practicing guitars/bass/French horn, the phone, you have email! I do my used to do my best writing at my desk but the couch in the living room is a close second, and honestly, far more comfortable. But it's also in the middle of the main room in our house where I can at least be available and not shut away in my bedroom like a hermit.
Friday, April 18, 2014
A to Z People
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
People that I live with seem to think I should actually spend time with them. I know, right?
They want me to buy groceries and cook food for them, nag them about homework, practicing instruments, brushing their teeth, cleaning their rooms and doing their laundry. They love when I nag them. I mean, they must or they'd just do those things so I wouldn't have the opportunity to nag.
My husband wants me sit on the same couch without a laptop and focus on the same tv show or movie now and then. He might even want me to go with him and hang out with friends away from home.
Even the hairy little four-legged person who lives here wants my constant attention (squirrel!) and to work his hairs down (outside!) in between every (squirrel!!!!) key (OMG can't you see the squirrel?) on (you stupid human, I must chase it! Let me out!) my keyboard. (It's invading my yard! The excitement killing me! Please. Let. Me. Out.) I swear that's his secret mission in life.
We have a lot of squirrels in the yard. All. Day. Long.
People that I live with seem to think I should actually spend time with them. I know, right?
They want me to buy groceries and cook food for them, nag them about homework, practicing instruments, brushing their teeth, cleaning their rooms and doing their laundry. They love when I nag them. I mean, they must or they'd just do those things so I wouldn't have the opportunity to nag.
My husband wants me sit on the same couch without a laptop and focus on the same tv show or movie now and then. He might even want me to go with him and hang out with friends away from home.
Even the hairy little four-legged person who lives here wants my constant attention (squirrel!) and to work his hairs down (outside!) in between every (squirrel!!!!) key (OMG can't you see the squirrel?) on (you stupid human, I must chase it! Let me out!) my keyboard. (It's invading my yard! The excitement killing me! Please. Let. Me. Out.) I swear that's his secret mission in life.
We have a lot of squirrels in the yard. All. Day. Long.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
A to Z Outside
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Outside is where I like to be in the spring. My many flowerbeds cry out for attention. The garden begs to be planted. The raspberry plants need to be thinned and the strawberries weeded. The dog wants to run around. The miles of mole tracks need to be stomped down and the mouse runs have to be filled. Thatch needs to be raked out of the grass and mountains of sticks need to be picked up before the first mowing can take place. Mulch must be spread so weeding doesn't take over my summer. Oh, so much to do and here I sit with my laptop, looking out the window, getting exhausted just thinking of all the things I need to do.
Outside is where I like to be in the spring. My many flowerbeds cry out for attention. The garden begs to be planted. The raspberry plants need to be thinned and the strawberries weeded. The dog wants to run around. The miles of mole tracks need to be stomped down and the mouse runs have to be filled. Thatch needs to be raked out of the grass and mountains of sticks need to be picked up before the first mowing can take place. Mulch must be spread so weeding doesn't take over my summer. Oh, so much to do and here I sit with my laptop, looking out the window, getting exhausted just thinking of all the things I need to do.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
A to Z Nose
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Nose is dripping. Allergy season is just beginning. I seem to be allergic to spring summer and fall. Which sucks because I'm not a fan of winter...other than its the one season that I can breath freely.
I love to work outside in my yard, the flowers, the garden, playing with the dog. However, that means I have puffy eyes and a constantly running nose and a stuffy head. Somedays, when the pollen is really high, I can hardly breathe at all and I have to rely on my inhaler. Those days are so much fun. And yes, I take allergy medication. The nice ads on tv with all the allergy suffers gleefully playing in their yards after taking their one pill a day each day of their allergy season lie. That stuff does nothing for me. Unfortunately the stuff that does work, knocks me out for about an hour after taking it, but after a nice nap, I can breathe for eight hours without a box of tissues nearby.
Time to stock up on the allergy meds!
Nose is dripping. Allergy season is just beginning. I seem to be allergic to spring summer and fall. Which sucks because I'm not a fan of winter...other than its the one season that I can breath freely.
I love to work outside in my yard, the flowers, the garden, playing with the dog. However, that means I have puffy eyes and a constantly running nose and a stuffy head. Somedays, when the pollen is really high, I can hardly breathe at all and I have to rely on my inhaler. Those days are so much fun. And yes, I take allergy medication. The nice ads on tv with all the allergy suffers gleefully playing in their yards after taking their one pill a day each day of their allergy season lie. That stuff does nothing for me. Unfortunately the stuff that does work, knocks me out for about an hour after taking it, but after a nice nap, I can breathe for eight hours without a box of tissues nearby.
Time to stock up on the allergy meds!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
A to Z May
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
May: when I participate in A Story A Day in May. This requires a good deal of planning...or not. I've done it both ways. Neither was totally successful, but I did get some good stories out of both years and have gone one to sell them. A few of them are right over here ----->
I should be spending April gathering ideas for May. Obviously, I'm not. So this is going to be a wing it year. Given that most of my shorts grow from a couple lines of description, a single character or one line of a plot idea, I can probably make this happen as much as I could with planning in this, the year of Jean the Zombie.
If you've tried NaNoWriMo and enjoyed it, give this a try. It's a fun month long challenge without the commitment to one single novel that may or may not pan out after thirty days. And if a novel in a month is too much to take on, how about tackling one story a day? You set the length. Make it 100 words if that suits you. And if the story just isn't working out? Jot some notes about where you'd intended it to go in case you decide to revisit it down the road and try a new one the next day.
Stop by in May and see how my progress going and share your own if you leap into the challenge with me.
May: when I participate in A Story A Day in May. This requires a good deal of planning...or not. I've done it both ways. Neither was totally successful, but I did get some good stories out of both years and have gone one to sell them. A few of them are right over here ----->
I should be spending April gathering ideas for May. Obviously, I'm not. So this is going to be a wing it year. Given that most of my shorts grow from a couple lines of description, a single character or one line of a plot idea, I can probably make this happen as much as I could with planning in this, the year of Jean the Zombie.
If you've tried NaNoWriMo and enjoyed it, give this a try. It's a fun month long challenge without the commitment to one single novel that may or may not pan out after thirty days. And if a novel in a month is too much to take on, how about tackling one story a day? You set the length. Make it 100 words if that suits you. And if the story just isn't working out? Jot some notes about where you'd intended it to go in case you decide to revisit it down the road and try a new one the next day.
Stop by in May and see how my progress going and share your own if you leap into the challenge with me.
Monday, April 14, 2014
A to Z Labor
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Labor is what I do most of day/evening. Not really a labor of love (that would be writing), and not giving birth (done that twice and, while I dearly love them, they are the source of countless interruptions), but working. But I have way too many words to use for W so we're going with this today.
I'm self employed, which seems like it should be an awesome thing, and sometimes it is. For the most part though, I never leave work. There's a big difference between clocking out at 5pm and having the rest of night to yourself and looking at the clock at 5pm, knowing you still have so much to do so maybe you'll get a few more things done while you make dinner and then answer some emails while the kids to homework, and check orders one more time before bed so you know what's in store for the next morning.
Business is good, but can also be overwhelming when customers know where you live and decide to stop over without warning on the weekend, the evening, or early morning hours to go over projects. Please don't do this. Self employed people who work at home actually would like to be at home without working just like you do. At least call first.
My favorite (heavy sarcasm) was a customer who came over to go over a job on a Saturday afternoon, interrupting me mid-rototilling my garden. Also a big favorite: interrupting exercise time - I love answering the door in sweaty workout clothes.
This could be a very long and ranting post, but we'll stop here.
Labor is what I do most of day/evening. Not really a labor of love (that would be writing), and not giving birth (done that twice and, while I dearly love them, they are the source of countless interruptions), but working. But I have way too many words to use for W so we're going with this today.
I'm self employed, which seems like it should be an awesome thing, and sometimes it is. For the most part though, I never leave work. There's a big difference between clocking out at 5pm and having the rest of night to yourself and looking at the clock at 5pm, knowing you still have so much to do so maybe you'll get a few more things done while you make dinner and then answer some emails while the kids to homework, and check orders one more time before bed so you know what's in store for the next morning.
Business is good, but can also be overwhelming when customers know where you live and decide to stop over without warning on the weekend, the evening, or early morning hours to go over projects. Please don't do this. Self employed people who work at home actually would like to be at home without working just like you do. At least call first.
My favorite (heavy sarcasm) was a customer who came over to go over a job on a Saturday afternoon, interrupting me mid-rototilling my garden. Also a big favorite: interrupting exercise time - I love answering the door in sweaty workout clothes.
This could be a very long and ranting post, but we'll stop here.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
A to Z Knight
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Knight, well one of them, is in another novel I want to get back to. I talked about Bruce last year. His novel is in line right behind the one I'm working on right now. It's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to get a rough draft completed and then to the point where I'm ready to show it to a few people. When they sit for years on my hard drive they just haunt me, crying out for attention like my dog who doesn't appreciate the peaceful zone out of my writing time. Once I get Not Another Bard's tale up and moving, then I think I'll be able to settle down enough to devote time to a few of the novel/story ideas that tried to be birthed but life had other plans. I don't even have those projects listed on the writing page of my blog because they're not far enough along. Poor things. One of these days, I'll get back to my hairy, bumbling knight.
Knight, well one of them, is in another novel I want to get back to. I talked about Bruce last year. His novel is in line right behind the one I'm working on right now. It's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to get a rough draft completed and then to the point where I'm ready to show it to a few people. When they sit for years on my hard drive they just haunt me, crying out for attention like my dog who doesn't appreciate the peaceful zone out of my writing time. Once I get Not Another Bard's tale up and moving, then I think I'll be able to settle down enough to devote time to a few of the novel/story ideas that tried to be birthed but life had other plans. I don't even have those projects listed on the writing page of my blog because they're not far enough along. Poor things. One of these days, I'll get back to my hairy, bumbling knight.
Friday, April 11, 2014
A to Z Jerk
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Jerk is what I feel like for not being able to devote the time I should to visiting and responding to comments from all you wonderful people who take the time to stop by. I shall do the best I can with the time I have and that's all I can do. Well, I could just not participate at all, but then the voices would be angry and we don't want that. They'll stop cooperating when I need them for writing and when they do that, I become an unpleasant person and when I do that, my family and friends don't like me very much. I prefer that at least my family likes me so we'll let the voices have their fun this April so they'll cooperate in May when it's short story month. More on that on M day.
Jerk is what I feel like for not being able to devote the time I should to visiting and responding to comments from all you wonderful people who take the time to stop by. I shall do the best I can with the time I have and that's all I can do. Well, I could just not participate at all, but then the voices would be angry and we don't want that. They'll stop cooperating when I need them for writing and when they do that, I become an unpleasant person and when I do that, my family and friends don't like me very much. I prefer that at least my family likes me so we'll let the voices have their fun this April so they'll cooperate in May when it's short story month. More on that on M day.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
A to Z Increase
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Increase. While it could be said that the point of this challenge is to get you motivated to blog more regularly, it's also about increasing the number of followers you have. That's wonderful and I'm all for it, but that requires visiting many blogs a day to read their posts and comment and eventually, if you really like the blog, follow it.
I met some fun bloggers last year and enjoyed their posts during the challenge and after, but I don't have much time this year for seeking out new blogs to visit on the very long list (more on that in tomorrow's post). I do thank you for taking the time to stop by, knowing full well how valuable that time is. I'm also glad to see some returning visitors from last year. It's been great reconnecting with you again!
Increase. While it could be said that the point of this challenge is to get you motivated to blog more regularly, it's also about increasing the number of followers you have. That's wonderful and I'm all for it, but that requires visiting many blogs a day to read their posts and comment and eventually, if you really like the blog, follow it.
I met some fun bloggers last year and enjoyed their posts during the challenge and after, but I don't have much time this year for seeking out new blogs to visit on the very long list (more on that in tomorrow's post). I do thank you for taking the time to stop by, knowing full well how valuable that time is. I'm also glad to see some returning visitors from last year. It's been great reconnecting with you again!
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
A to Z Hurried
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Hurried. Yes, these posts are meant to generally be short since we're also spending time visiting our fellow bloggers and no one wants to read through a four screen-long post, but it's hard finding enough meat to fill a post without it coming off as total fluff when you just don't have time. It hardly seems fair to those who put in the time to write a meaningful post, musing on the letter of the day in their chosen theme.
Last year I spent a good amount of time pouring over my entire body of work to find characters with names beginning with the letter for each day. This year, something that ambitious is not possible. Heck, I'm lucky if I find time to have lunch most days. Speaking of which, I need to get back to work and the hundred other things I need to do yet today.
Hurried. Yes, these posts are meant to generally be short since we're also spending time visiting our fellow bloggers and no one wants to read through a four screen-long post, but it's hard finding enough meat to fill a post without it coming off as total fluff when you just don't have time. It hardly seems fair to those who put in the time to write a meaningful post, musing on the letter of the day in their chosen theme.
Last year I spent a good amount of time pouring over my entire body of work to find characters with names beginning with the letter for each day. This year, something that ambitious is not possible. Heck, I'm lucky if I find time to have lunch most days. Speaking of which, I need to get back to work and the hundred other things I need to do yet today.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
A to Z Goobledygook
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me
Gobbledygook is what usually comes from my fingertips when I force myself to write. No one wants to read that, let alone a full month of it. The general consensus seems to be that, as a writer, one should sit down for an allotted time each day and write whether you feel like it or not. That's not for me. I tried it for two of my many years of NaNoWriMo, and while there are a few good scenes in those novels , I came away with two projects that I was really disappointed in. Should I have taken those two years off? Probably. Or at least allowed myself to write short stories instead of attempting to take on full novels while being overloaded with life and unable to concentrate on writing during what should be my peaceful, merrily-mind-wandering, writing time. So force it? Not for me.
Gobbledygook is what usually comes from my fingertips when I force myself to write. No one wants to read that, let alone a full month of it. The general consensus seems to be that, as a writer, one should sit down for an allotted time each day and write whether you feel like it or not. That's not for me. I tried it for two of my many years of NaNoWriMo, and while there are a few good scenes in those novels , I came away with two projects that I was really disappointed in. Should I have taken those two years off? Probably. Or at least allowed myself to write short stories instead of attempting to take on full novels while being overloaded with life and unable to concentrate on writing during what should be my peaceful, merrily-mind-wandering, writing time. So force it? Not for me.
Monday, April 7, 2014
A to Z Fail
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Fail. I don't need another thing in life to be disappointed about. I'm already six months behind where I wanted to be on building our house, then there's the teen son's grades and the fact that my novels still haven't found a home (but I'm not ready to dive into self publishing quite yet).
I hate starting something when I know there's a good chance I won't finish. Such as the counted cross stitch project I started oh so many years ago with great gusto and then had to put away for while to work on other things, then only hauled out once a year to work on during the Superbowl - because that's what I do during the Superbowl while I wait for commercials. As you might gather, I'm not a sports person. At the pace of one day per year, you might also gather that this particular project isn't progressing with any semblance of a satisfying speed. Hey, give me another forty years and it just might be finished.
Fail. I don't need another thing in life to be disappointed about. I'm already six months behind where I wanted to be on building our house, then there's the teen son's grades and the fact that my novels still haven't found a home (but I'm not ready to dive into self publishing quite yet).
I hate starting something when I know there's a good chance I won't finish. Such as the counted cross stitch project I started oh so many years ago with great gusto and then had to put away for while to work on other things, then only hauled out once a year to work on during the Superbowl - because that's what I do during the Superbowl while I wait for commercials. As you might gather, I'm not a sports person. At the pace of one day per year, you might also gather that this particular project isn't progressing with any semblance of a satisfying speed. Hey, give me another forty years and it just might be finished.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
A to Z Exhausted
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me
Exhausted as I am each night, how will I find the energy to add yet another thing to my day? I used to be a night person. I wrote at night, stayed up to play games and to read. Now, unless there's a damn good book in my hand, I'm wiped out by eleven if not before. Somewhere around forty, I became a morning writer. Not a morning person. Goodness, don't even think about asking my grumpy lump of a body to work before 9am, but I'll be happily writing at 7am. Maybe it's because I can zone out and I don't have to deal with real people that early. I need my writing time, it makes me a more pleasant person during the rest of the day.
Exhausted as I am each night, how will I find the energy to add yet another thing to my day? I used to be a night person. I wrote at night, stayed up to play games and to read. Now, unless there's a damn good book in my hand, I'm wiped out by eleven if not before. Somewhere around forty, I became a morning writer. Not a morning person. Goodness, don't even think about asking my grumpy lump of a body to work before 9am, but I'll be happily writing at 7am. Maybe it's because I can zone out and I don't have to deal with real people that early. I need my writing time, it makes me a more pleasant person during the rest of the day.
Friday, April 4, 2014
A to Z Determined
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Determined to finish the novel I'm working on. With so many other things needing my attention, doing a blog challenge just isn't my top priority. I really liked the blog I visited last year that used suggested words to write a month long story (sorry, I don't remember which one of you that was, but the idea was brilliant). That was an awesome idea and one I really wanted to try this year, however, I don't have the time to devote to that so we're stuck with my excuse theme instead. Next year, I'm determined to try the story thing though. Really.
Determined to finish the novel I'm working on. With so many other things needing my attention, doing a blog challenge just isn't my top priority. I really liked the blog I visited last year that used suggested words to write a month long story (sorry, I don't remember which one of you that was, but the idea was brilliant). That was an awesome idea and one I really wanted to try this year, however, I don't have the time to devote to that so we're stuck with my excuse theme instead. Next year, I'm determined to try the story thing though. Really.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
A to Z Crazy
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me
Crazy. What I'd be to take yet another thing on right now.
We are just beginning to build a house. Not physically ourselves. Well, not most of it. However, we are self contracting so it's still a lot of calling, organizing and decision making on our part. And we've not broken ground yet, which means the crazy has barely begun. Add to that two kids with afterschool activities, a heavy work schedule and that novel I'm trying to pull together...well, I seems I am crazy (as if this needed to be further proven).
Crazy. What I'd be to take yet another thing on right now.
We are just beginning to build a house. Not physically ourselves. Well, not most of it. However, we are self contracting so it's still a lot of calling, organizing and decision making on our part. And we've not broken ground yet, which means the crazy has barely begun. Add to that two kids with afterschool activities, a heavy work schedule and that novel I'm trying to pull together...well, I seems I am crazy (as if this needed to be further proven).
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
A to Z Busy
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me
Busy. Yes, that's a broad excuse but it's an accurate one. I'm busy submitting my two completed novels and four short stories that are currently looking for a home. Keeping up with where everything is submitted and following up with overdue responses and resubmissions is an exercise in organization. I don't need another reason to have a freak out moment like this one.
While we're on the freak out topic, please comment, it assures me that my email is actually working, and as a bonus, just for a second, I freak out a little, thinking that it's an agent or editor getting back to me. Also, I really do enjoy reading your comments.
Busy. Yes, that's a broad excuse but it's an accurate one. I'm busy submitting my two completed novels and four short stories that are currently looking for a home. Keeping up with where everything is submitted and following up with overdue responses and resubmissions is an exercise in organization. I don't need another reason to have a freak out moment like this one.
While we're on the freak out topic, please comment, it assures me that my email is actually working, and as a bonus, just for a second, I freak out a little, thinking that it's an agent or editor getting back to me. Also, I really do enjoy reading your comments.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
A to Z Ambition
Welcome to the 2014 A to Z Challenge. My theme for this year is why I shouldn't be participating. Thank you to David for writing the post that got the voices in my head working against me.
Ambition. I hadn't given this challenge any thought since wrapping it up last year until David mentioned it on his blog, which I randomly had a few minutes to read one day. I haven't had much time for keeping up with my favorite blogs lately either.
While the A to Z challenge was fun last year, my current stock of ambition is wrapped up in editing my very first NaNoWriMo novel from 2006. It's a mess and needs a lot of help, but I love the story and I think I might be worth the effort. It's requiring a lot of effort due to the fact that since 2006 it's been resurrected twice for a couple weeks to have more words thrown at it. No really, thrown at it. They don't match in tone or style. And both have twists and subplots that hadn't been set up in the original 50,000 words. This was back before I figured out that I should keep record of the characters involved or a chapter by chapter synopsis in remote effort to keep myself organized. After rewriting a good portion of the story, I finally have a finished draft and am in the midst of a second pass to fill in details and weave in the subplots that were added later.
Ambition. I hadn't given this challenge any thought since wrapping it up last year until David mentioned it on his blog, which I randomly had a few minutes to read one day. I haven't had much time for keeping up with my favorite blogs lately either.
While the A to Z challenge was fun last year, my current stock of ambition is wrapped up in editing my very first NaNoWriMo novel from 2006. It's a mess and needs a lot of help, but I love the story and I think I might be worth the effort. It's requiring a lot of effort due to the fact that since 2006 it's been resurrected twice for a couple weeks to have more words thrown at it. No really, thrown at it. They don't match in tone or style. And both have twists and subplots that hadn't been set up in the original 50,000 words. This was back before I figured out that I should keep record of the characters involved or a chapter by chapter synopsis in remote effort to keep myself organized. After rewriting a good portion of the story, I finally have a finished draft and am in the midst of a second pass to fill in details and weave in the subplots that were added later.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
April A to Z Challenge
But like a story idea that won't shut the hell up, the idea of participating in the blogging challenge using the theme of why I'm not participating keeps niggling at me. So yeah, that's what I'm doing. The entries will be short. I totally admit that I'm writing them all ahead of time, because I really am too busy to do this everyday. However, its a challenge, and I have a hard time saying no to those, especially when I've done them before.
So onward we charge into April and twenty-six reasons why I hadn't planned on participating this year.
If you would like to sign up, there are 1800+ blogs out there waiting for you to join them.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Another Short Story Published
Sunset Cruise has been published on the Writing Through Your Divorce Blog. This is a great collection of stories of all sorts from people dealing with all angles of divorce.
Though mine was long ago and relegated to 'things we don't talk about anymore' territory, it was still therapeutic to write this story and share it with others.
May all your relationships be free of shining knights on horseback.
Though mine was long ago and relegated to 'things we don't talk about anymore' territory, it was still therapeutic to write this story and share it with others.
May all your relationships be free of shining knights on horseback.
Monday, March 24, 2014
The Estate of Waiting
I should have chosen "Wait" for my one word resolution or perhaps "Patience". Not only I'm I waiting to hear anything on (some for a very long time) several submissions and a couple accepted shorts to finally be released to the big world, but after wasting over four months with a bank who kept dragging their feet and offering every excuse in the book (which finally pushed us to kick them to the curb), and three productive weeks with another, we finally got our construction loan. The new house is in the works!
An hour after massaging our hands from the strain of signing all the paperwork, we gleefully called our builder to let him know we were ready to roll. That's when we learned that even though it's barely started to thaw around here, the seasonal road weight restrictions had gone into effect. The same damn day. No kidding. The excavator can't get his equipment there. The basement wall people can't get their crane there. We're dead in the water, again, until probably May. Thank you so very much extreme winter. You suck.
In writing news, work on Sahmara's story has being coming along at a good pace. Weaving all the strings tighter is definitely my favorite part of novel writing. Just when I start making progress with my 10k of fleshing out goal, other words need to be deleted. At chapter five, I've managed to add all of 1,000 words. This may take a few passes, or perhaps, one more and then tossing it out for critique. That's usually a good place to get nudges as to where I'm too bare in the bones. At least there's progress somewhere, right?
An hour after massaging our hands from the strain of signing all the paperwork, we gleefully called our builder to let him know we were ready to roll. That's when we learned that even though it's barely started to thaw around here, the seasonal road weight restrictions had gone into effect. The same damn day. No kidding. The excavator can't get his equipment there. The basement wall people can't get their crane there. We're dead in the water, again, until probably May. Thank you so very much extreme winter. You suck.
In writing news, work on Sahmara's story has being coming along at a good pace. Weaving all the strings tighter is definitely my favorite part of novel writing. Just when I start making progress with my 10k of fleshing out goal, other words need to be deleted. At chapter five, I've managed to add all of 1,000 words. This may take a few passes, or perhaps, one more and then tossing it out for critique. That's usually a good place to get nudges as to where I'm too bare in the bones. At least there's progress somewhere, right?
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Popping out of my writing cave for a breath of fresh air
Sorry for blinking in and out of following blogs and returning critiques, but I've finally reached the end of completing the first draft of Sahmara's Sunset. When I get into novel writing mode, which has been rather rare these days, I go into hermit mode in my writing cave.
This particular novel has been a nine year process of rushing through 50K for NaNoWriMo, shelving it to finish Trust (and write several other novels), then returning to during two other NaNos to add more words, and now, finally filling in in the last gaps.
Some of the original bits are just plain horrible. A few even scenes made me laugh out loud. Sadly, they weren't supposed to be funny. Anything in those two categories has been rewritten. A third of the original text fell into the 'wow, I wrote that?' category. That stayed. The newer sections weren't half bad and the newest stuff is too fresh to objectively say one way or the other, but I feel safe in saying it's a good start at being a decent story.
One big issue is that I need a new title. I was so proud of myself for this particular one because I'm not usually (like near never) a title first kind of person. Apparently there's a good reason for that. The story has outgrown its original plot and, now, being more, needs something that fits better. This is going to be hard one to wrap my mind around changing because it's been with me for so long.
I have greatly enjoyed dropping into novel writing mode again, losing myself for hours in weaving another life in another world. It's keeping that momentum going that has been my big issue in the past couple years, which is why I've ventured into writing short stories. We're all about the instant gratification these days, aren't we? There's nothing about a writing, editing or a submitting a novel that's instant. Not that shorts are all that instant either in the submitting arena.
Much better notes were taken this time around as well as a summary outline of each chapter. With that big task out of the way, its time to spend some time with the summary and see what areas need to be expanded. I'd like another 10k to fully round out the story. It feels rushed in some places yet and the beginning needs some weaving work to mesh with the new end. Speaking of the end...
Sahmara's story was the first novel where I proved to myself that I could buckle down and finish a damn novel. Before this one, I'd been reluctant to write those words, scenes or anything resembling a halt to my merry rollick with my beloved characters in their world. But once I did write that ending, something clicked and I discovered that finishing something felt pretty good and wasn't the end of the world I'd invented. Trust finally got an ending shortly after. Finally. And I was able to move on to other novels. Also, finally.
However, the ending I'd originally written for Sahmara no longer fit all the new meat I inserted into the missing middle of the story. So, join me waving goodbye to roughly 8K as it swirls down the drain. Bye bye pretty words. I do like the new ending much better so that takes the sting out of it a little.
This particular novel has been a nine year process of rushing through 50K for NaNoWriMo, shelving it to finish Trust (and write several other novels), then returning to during two other NaNos to add more words, and now, finally filling in in the last gaps.
Some of the original bits are just plain horrible. A few even scenes made me laugh out loud. Sadly, they weren't supposed to be funny. Anything in those two categories has been rewritten. A third of the original text fell into the 'wow, I wrote that?' category. That stayed. The newer sections weren't half bad and the newest stuff is too fresh to objectively say one way or the other, but I feel safe in saying it's a good start at being a decent story.
One big issue is that I need a new title. I was so proud of myself for this particular one because I'm not usually (like near never) a title first kind of person. Apparently there's a good reason for that. The story has outgrown its original plot and, now, being more, needs something that fits better. This is going to be hard one to wrap my mind around changing because it's been with me for so long.
I have greatly enjoyed dropping into novel writing mode again, losing myself for hours in weaving another life in another world. It's keeping that momentum going that has been my big issue in the past couple years, which is why I've ventured into writing short stories. We're all about the instant gratification these days, aren't we? There's nothing about a writing, editing or a submitting a novel that's instant. Not that shorts are all that instant either in the submitting arena.
Much better notes were taken this time around as well as a summary outline of each chapter. With that big task out of the way, its time to spend some time with the summary and see what areas need to be expanded. I'd like another 10k to fully round out the story. It feels rushed in some places yet and the beginning needs some weaving work to mesh with the new end. Speaking of the end...
Sahmara's story was the first novel where I proved to myself that I could buckle down and finish a damn novel. Before this one, I'd been reluctant to write those words, scenes or anything resembling a halt to my merry rollick with my beloved characters in their world. But once I did write that ending, something clicked and I discovered that finishing something felt pretty good and wasn't the end of the world I'd invented. Trust finally got an ending shortly after. Finally. And I was able to move on to other novels. Also, finally.
However, the ending I'd originally written for Sahmara no longer fit all the new meat I inserted into the missing middle of the story. So, join me waving goodbye to roughly 8K as it swirls down the drain. Bye bye pretty words. I do like the new ending much better so that takes the sting out of it a little.
Monday, March 3, 2014
February Reading
The snow just hasn't let up around here. Even in the few moments of sun we've been getting, the flakes are still falling. This is the most white stuff we've had to move around in all the seventeen years we've been in this house. It's getting a bit absurd. Enough already.
The one thing snow is good for is giving me an excuse to stay inside and attempt to be warm. Warm is best accomplished on the couch or bed under layers of blankets. Which means more time for reading.
Okay, so it's not exactly reading, but I did make my way (there wasn't much making, as much as there was careening) through the entire series of Breaking Bad. I hadn't watched a single episode while it was originally airing, but that turns out to be a good thing, because the best way to appreciate this amazingly written series is binge watching. The last season's writing was particularly excellent.
Hugh Howey's Sand was next on my list of things I'd been meaning to get to. This dystopian world centered around sand and heat and a dysfunctional family in a lawless land of hardships took a little edge off the chill. I don't have a lot to gush about on this one. It was middle of the road for me and the repetitive wording did get on my nitpicky nerves in some spots.
Now I'm going to gush.
Ever have one of those moments at a bookstore when a spine just catches your attention and you must pick up that book? I had that while meeting with a bookstore owner for work. I wasn't even looking for a book to buy, but yes, I bought this one. It cried out to me with promises of awesomeness. And it fulfilled them the next day when I couldn't but the damn thing down. All day. I'm sorry, Douglas Hulick, your ten years of effort in writing Among Thieves was devoured by my hungry eyes in a single day. And what a tasty meal it was.
What made me pick up fantasy novel full of swords and intrigue? I admit that it might have been the guy on the spine in those first seconds. Then it was the endorsement quote on the cover. I usually ignore those, but the words funny and twisting caught my eye. I love a little funny and a lot of twisting. I was sold after reading the first three sentences. The first page so reminded me of Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos Series and my favorite character, Shadowspawn, from the 1980's Thieves' World Series, that I nearly jumped for joy...right into the nearest chair so I could start reading. Full of swordplay, sarcastic wit, and a twisting plot full of mystery and colorful characters, there was nothing to pick at and everything to enjoy. I was blissfully whisked away to a land of reincarnating emperors, thieves with agendas and angels who may or may not actually exist. Now I have to wait for May to get the second book. Is it May yet? Must. Have. More.
The one thing snow is good for is giving me an excuse to stay inside and attempt to be warm. Warm is best accomplished on the couch or bed under layers of blankets. Which means more time for reading.
Okay, so it's not exactly reading, but I did make my way (there wasn't much making, as much as there was careening) through the entire series of Breaking Bad. I hadn't watched a single episode while it was originally airing, but that turns out to be a good thing, because the best way to appreciate this amazingly written series is binge watching. The last season's writing was particularly excellent.
Hugh Howey's Sand was next on my list of things I'd been meaning to get to. This dystopian world centered around sand and heat and a dysfunctional family in a lawless land of hardships took a little edge off the chill. I don't have a lot to gush about on this one. It was middle of the road for me and the repetitive wording did get on my nitpicky nerves in some spots.
Now I'm going to gush.
Ever have one of those moments at a bookstore when a spine just catches your attention and you must pick up that book? I had that while meeting with a bookstore owner for work. I wasn't even looking for a book to buy, but yes, I bought this one. It cried out to me with promises of awesomeness. And it fulfilled them the next day when I couldn't but the damn thing down. All day. I'm sorry, Douglas Hulick, your ten years of effort in writing Among Thieves was devoured by my hungry eyes in a single day. And what a tasty meal it was.
What made me pick up fantasy novel full of swords and intrigue? I admit that it might have been the guy on the spine in those first seconds. Then it was the endorsement quote on the cover. I usually ignore those, but the words funny and twisting caught my eye. I love a little funny and a lot of twisting. I was sold after reading the first three sentences. The first page so reminded me of Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos Series and my favorite character, Shadowspawn, from the 1980's Thieves' World Series, that I nearly jumped for joy...right into the nearest chair so I could start reading. Full of swordplay, sarcastic wit, and a twisting plot full of mystery and colorful characters, there was nothing to pick at and everything to enjoy. I was blissfully whisked away to a land of reincarnating emperors, thieves with agendas and angels who may or may not actually exist. Now I have to wait for May to get the second book. Is it May yet? Must. Have. More.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
When the high wears off
I'm in the middle of after-the-fact-outlining the rough draft of Sahmara's Sunset and I hate this novel. There, I said it. It's been awhile since I've immersed myself in bringing order to a rough draft and I was hoping this point in the process would overlook me this time. Alas, I am not so fortunate.
What the hell was the potency of the sparkly-my-words-are-made-awesomesauce endorphins that I was riding high on when writing this? Yes, there are good moments, but damn, the misnaming of stuff, horrible phrasing, extra words in the middle of sentences, summary telling, and where-the-frak-was-I-going-with-this moments are overwhelming.
I brought this upon myself, I know this, having written 50k of this years ago and the dropping back in to add another 21K as time allowed with multiple year gaps between efforts. The random was sure to happen. But damn.
The saddest thing is that I read through what did exist just last October and straightened things up at little. At least I thought I did. Clearly I was in the midst of some high stress times because I screwed things up far more than an form of straightening. Towns were misnamed from one chapter to the next. People had helms and daggers and then they didn't. Inline notes made defied logic. And the thing is, I remember thinking these things over, sure I was correcting mistakes.
And the lesson in all this? When under heavy stress, step away from the keyboard.
Okay, venting over. Back to slogging through the hate to find the bits of sparkle.
What the hell was the potency of the sparkly-my-words-are-made-awesomesauce endorphins that I was riding high on when writing this? Yes, there are good moments, but damn, the misnaming of stuff, horrible phrasing, extra words in the middle of sentences, summary telling, and where-the-frak-was-I-going-with-this moments are overwhelming.
I brought this upon myself, I know this, having written 50k of this years ago and the dropping back in to add another 21K as time allowed with multiple year gaps between efforts. The random was sure to happen. But damn.
The saddest thing is that I read through what did exist just last October and straightened things up at little. At least I thought I did. Clearly I was in the midst of some high stress times because I screwed things up far more than an form of straightening. Towns were misnamed from one chapter to the next. People had helms and daggers and then they didn't. Inline notes made defied logic. And the thing is, I remember thinking these things over, sure I was correcting mistakes.
And the lesson in all this? When under heavy stress, step away from the keyboard.
Okay, venting over. Back to slogging through the hate to find the bits of sparkle.
Monday, February 10, 2014
So how's that resolution going?
WRITE has been working out fairly well for me. Not that I've gotten a whole lot of new writing done, but I have been doing a lot of reading, critiquing, editing and following up on submissions. So I'm calling it good progress given everything else going on in life.
The new laptop for writing and relaxing only has been working out wonderfully. Its so much easier to turn work off at night when I don't have access to my work programs right along with my relaxing ones. The separation has also done wonders for my stress level.
In addition to three shorts in edits, there are a couple in the percolator and a Sahmara's Sunset to finish. While I'm pondering changes on the shorts, I'm concentrating on outlining Sahmara's Sunset. This poor novel has been on and off the back burner so many times that it's in dire need of continuity checks and major tightening of the plot threads.
I'm not a big fan out outlining up front, but I do enjoy going through a rough draft and outlining after the fact. Because of the Frankenstein factor on this on and off again novel, I'm making a list of all the questions that pop up that I'm pretty sure I never got around to answering as well as making sure I have the correct character details in my notes. Creating a chapter by chapter summary also helps me get the whole story back in my head so I can better attack the draft and make it something I wouldn't mind showing someone. Eventually.
Anyone else still keeping up with a resolution?
The new laptop for writing and relaxing only has been working out wonderfully. Its so much easier to turn work off at night when I don't have access to my work programs right along with my relaxing ones. The separation has also done wonders for my stress level.
In addition to three shorts in edits, there are a couple in the percolator and a Sahmara's Sunset to finish. While I'm pondering changes on the shorts, I'm concentrating on outlining Sahmara's Sunset. This poor novel has been on and off the back burner so many times that it's in dire need of continuity checks and major tightening of the plot threads.
I'm not a big fan out outlining up front, but I do enjoy going through a rough draft and outlining after the fact. Because of the Frankenstein factor on this on and off again novel, I'm making a list of all the questions that pop up that I'm pretty sure I never got around to answering as well as making sure I have the correct character details in my notes. Creating a chapter by chapter summary also helps me get the whole story back in my head so I can better attack the draft and make it something I wouldn't mind showing someone. Eventually.
Anyone else still keeping up with a resolution?
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Another short story published
Nothing makes my morning like seeing one of my stories in print. Check out A Little Thing Like Death in Issue 11 of Isotropic Fiction
Bill wants to know why Kate never returned from Cedar Springs Revival Center. What he finds doesn't make the truth any easier to bear.
Bill wants to know why Kate never returned from Cedar Springs Revival Center. What he finds doesn't make the truth any easier to bear.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
January Reading
Because I still have a bunch of books beside my bed begging to be read and several on my computer...I went to my Kindle library to find something to read. What the heck is wrong with me?
I found the sequel to Atlantis Gene that I'd read last year waiting there for me, begging to be read. Who am I to say no? A.G. Riddle's, The Atlantis Plague is a fast paced continuation of the first book. I finished it in three days. This thriller picks up right up where book one left off and leads nicely into the final book in the trilogy while still being a complete story - which is a wonderful thing, because I absolutely hate the sudden cut endings that some trilogy books suffer from. Thriller, mystery a bit of romance, all in a tasty science fiction shell.
Then it was off to more book crack...because I said was stopping, but my local book dealer found this and pointed it out to me, and yeah, it somehow ended up at my house. Sherrilyn Kenyon's Seize the Night turned into a twenty-four hour readingfest. Somewhere in there I got some sleep and a little work done. Having read the first three books in this series, and then the last, jumping into the middle was fun in that I happened to pick the book that included the single event alluded to in the final book that I'd really wondered how that had come to pass. That's my considerate way of putting it without any spoilers rather than an major effort to be vague. So yes, book 7, that's where that happens. I'm sure I'll succumb to the rest of the series eventually. I'm weak like that.
Next up was The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner. On occasion I like to take a break from the paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi and wander into historical fiction. This well researched book was a lovely portrayal of a woman trying to please her country, husband and her God. Mostly it showcased how the church manipulated everyone from royalty to pauper and how many countless thousands lost their lives due intolerance. That aspect was quite tragic, but there was also romance, and lasting friendship to balance out the betrayals and hardships.
Jenny and the Jaws of Life by Jincy Willett has graced reading stack for a while. I picked it up while on a David Sedaris kick a while back and it got lost in my workspace for over a year before I recently rediscovered it while on cleaning frenzy. This collection of short stories is best described as: off the wall, touching, silly, sad, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and thought-provoking. An eclectic array of characters deal with life, death, marriage and everything in between. It was the perfect book to keep in my car to read in between shuffling kids around...until I lost it by taking it out of my car. Oops.
I found the sequel to Atlantis Gene that I'd read last year waiting there for me, begging to be read. Who am I to say no? A.G. Riddle's, The Atlantis Plague is a fast paced continuation of the first book. I finished it in three days. This thriller picks up right up where book one left off and leads nicely into the final book in the trilogy while still being a complete story - which is a wonderful thing, because I absolutely hate the sudden cut endings that some trilogy books suffer from. Thriller, mystery a bit of romance, all in a tasty science fiction shell.
Then it was off to more book crack...because I said was stopping, but my local book dealer found this and pointed it out to me, and yeah, it somehow ended up at my house. Sherrilyn Kenyon's Seize the Night turned into a twenty-four hour readingfest. Somewhere in there I got some sleep and a little work done. Having read the first three books in this series, and then the last, jumping into the middle was fun in that I happened to pick the book that included the single event alluded to in the final book that I'd really wondered how that had come to pass. That's my considerate way of putting it without any spoilers rather than an major effort to be vague. So yes, book 7, that's where that happens. I'm sure I'll succumb to the rest of the series eventually. I'm weak like that.
Next up was The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner. On occasion I like to take a break from the paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi and wander into historical fiction. This well researched book was a lovely portrayal of a woman trying to please her country, husband and her God. Mostly it showcased how the church manipulated everyone from royalty to pauper and how many countless thousands lost their lives due intolerance. That aspect was quite tragic, but there was also romance, and lasting friendship to balance out the betrayals and hardships.
Jenny and the Jaws of Life by Jincy Willett has graced reading stack for a while. I picked it up while on a David Sedaris kick a while back and it got lost in my workspace for over a year before I recently rediscovered it while on cleaning frenzy. This collection of short stories is best described as: off the wall, touching, silly, sad, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and thought-provoking. An eclectic array of characters deal with life, death, marriage and everything in between. It was the perfect book to keep in my car to read in between shuffling kids around...until I lost it by taking it out of my car. Oops.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
When bad things turn into something good
Two years ago, in a fit of allegory, I decided to write about my long ago first marriage and subsequent divorce. It wasn't a messy thing in a legal-wise. However, that doesn't mean it wasn't terribly painful to arrive at that point in the relationship or to move forward after the fact.
I wrote a little story about it. The good thing? It just sold.
It was hard to find a market that fit this particular tale. It's a bit off the wall, you might say, but I really wanted to share it. Without the preface of knowing it what it was about, the general reaction was to read it on the surface level. That made it more of a Weird Tale or Fairy Tale. It needed a nudge to read deeper for the story between the words. The angels sang when I spotted, Writing Through Your Divorce. Well that's just perfect isn't it? Turns out, that yes, it is.
Now that's some great therapy.
Look for Sunset Cruise on March 24.
I wrote a little story about it. The good thing? It just sold.
It was hard to find a market that fit this particular tale. It's a bit off the wall, you might say, but I really wanted to share it. Without the preface of knowing it what it was about, the general reaction was to read it on the surface level. That made it more of a Weird Tale or Fairy Tale. It needed a nudge to read deeper for the story between the words. The angels sang when I spotted, Writing Through Your Divorce. Well that's just perfect isn't it? Turns out, that yes, it is.
Now that's some great therapy.
Look for Sunset Cruise on March 24.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
I'll just sit here and let the story happen
I've never read a book that suffered from a more passive character than the one I'm currently in the middle of. I won't name names, because at this point, I don't have a lot of nice things to say.
My first novel suffered from this in places. It's an easy pit to fall into, just having your charming and interesting main character sit there while wild and crazy things happen all around them. You have so much to tell! You can't wait to show the reader everything about everyone, and don't worry, we'll get to the actual story in good time. Just bear with me, indulge me, won't you? It will all be worth it in the end.
Ah, yes, I've been there.
When I read 'wait, I'll tell you about that later' and 'but I'm getting ahead of myself' for the tenth time, I knew I was in for a rocky read. But I'm sticking with it. Why? The main character is interesting and I'm hoping the promise of a great plotline pans out.
So far, we've spent the first third of the book getting to know all about the main character's childhood and launching into the big thing that I'd hoped would get the pace really cracking. However, instead, we've wandered off into the full backstory's of several other characters. Don't get me wrong, they're well told and interesting, but it's not furthering the plot. In fact, that's at a complete stand still.
The main character has all the promise of wowing me, but they seem content to react to others, going with the flow, and never acting themselves. Thankfully there are other characters to propel the plot forward (when we're not busy learning all about their past). But what I really want to see is this character moving forward of their own accord. Less learning about everyone and everything and more doing.
I find myself wanting to haul out my red pen and make notes. Lots of notes. But the damage is done, it's already published. I'm just hoping that, by the end, I'll see the awesome that grabbed someone's attention and made them want to publish this particular book.
Excuse me now, while I put my optimism back in it's box.
My first novel suffered from this in places. It's an easy pit to fall into, just having your charming and interesting main character sit there while wild and crazy things happen all around them. You have so much to tell! You can't wait to show the reader everything about everyone, and don't worry, we'll get to the actual story in good time. Just bear with me, indulge me, won't you? It will all be worth it in the end.
Ah, yes, I've been there.
When I read 'wait, I'll tell you about that later' and 'but I'm getting ahead of myself' for the tenth time, I knew I was in for a rocky read. But I'm sticking with it. Why? The main character is interesting and I'm hoping the promise of a great plotline pans out.
So far, we've spent the first third of the book getting to know all about the main character's childhood and launching into the big thing that I'd hoped would get the pace really cracking. However, instead, we've wandered off into the full backstory's of several other characters. Don't get me wrong, they're well told and interesting, but it's not furthering the plot. In fact, that's at a complete stand still.
The main character has all the promise of wowing me, but they seem content to react to others, going with the flow, and never acting themselves. Thankfully there are other characters to propel the plot forward (when we're not busy learning all about their past). But what I really want to see is this character moving forward of their own accord. Less learning about everyone and everything and more doing.
I find myself wanting to haul out my red pen and make notes. Lots of notes. But the damage is done, it's already published. I'm just hoping that, by the end, I'll see the awesome that grabbed someone's attention and made them want to publish this particular book.
Excuse me now, while I put my optimism back in it's box.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Freak Out
That moment when you go through your current submissions auto response emails, checking to see that everything is in order, no one is way overdue in responding...and you click through to the 'check your status' link...only to find that your story has been rejected. OMG you never got an email!
What about all the other responses you're waiting on? Have they responded? Especially the big one that you've been waiting on for over a year? You know rejection is so very likely. Did it just never arrive? Have you been holding out hope while your inbox long ago swallowed your optimism whole and launched into some twisted mind game? Just how many emails are you missing?
Heart pounding, dread welling in your belly, you pour over your submission spreadsheet, going project by project, referencing the list and your auto responses...
And then the headdesk moment comes. That's not even the market where you currently have your project submitted. You were so damned busy the past few months that you'd never moved an outdated auto response from your current submission email folder! Gah!
Deep cleansing breath.
Let the waiting resume.
What about all the other responses you're waiting on? Have they responded? Especially the big one that you've been waiting on for over a year? You know rejection is so very likely. Did it just never arrive? Have you been holding out hope while your inbox long ago swallowed your optimism whole and launched into some twisted mind game? Just how many emails are you missing?
Heart pounding, dread welling in your belly, you pour over your submission spreadsheet, going project by project, referencing the list and your auto responses...
And then the headdesk moment comes. That's not even the market where you currently have your project submitted. You were so damned busy the past few months that you'd never moved an outdated auto response from your current submission email folder! Gah!
Deep cleansing breath.
Let the waiting resume.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
The Submission Cycle
With several projects in submission at any given time over the past couple years, I'm pretty familiar with self inflicted torture.
It stems from this: I want to see this story published.
Which leads to: Well, I've got to send that story out into the big world.
And wait.
The waiting ends when you either get good news or bad news. Whichever it is, it's the waiting part before the news that is torture. The news is like a sweet release, even if it's bad news. At least the waiting is over. Of course, that means we have to go back to the first statement, and if that's still true, then onward to the second.
The cycle looks like this:
Yay, I pushed send on my submission email!
Check every twenty minutes for confirmation email.
Whew, okay, I know they received my story. Now off to the next project.
Write a couple pages. Check email.
Read a book. Check email.
Eat. Check email.
Refresh email. Nope, there really isn't anything there. Grumble.
Go to work. Check email.
Work on an old story. Check email.
Check publication's blog/website for response times. Sigh deeply.
Surf favorite websites. Check email.
Check writer websites and commiserate with others who are also waiting.
Before going to bed, check email.
Wake up. Check email.
See a movie. Check email.
Send yourself an email from another account. Yep, your email is working. Sigh deeply.
Decide to just keep email open in the background and then try not to look at it every five minutes.
Write a blog post about your obsessive urge to check email.
Have an all day tv series marathon to keep mind off checking email.
Forget email for a few days, wrap up another story and submit it.
The more submissions you have out there, the better the odds of something eventually turning up in your inbox. Hey, I should go check my email.
It stems from this: I want to see this story published.
Which leads to: Well, I've got to send that story out into the big world.
And wait.
The waiting ends when you either get good news or bad news. Whichever it is, it's the waiting part before the news that is torture. The news is like a sweet release, even if it's bad news. At least the waiting is over. Of course, that means we have to go back to the first statement, and if that's still true, then onward to the second.
The cycle looks like this:
Yay, I pushed send on my submission email!
Check every twenty minutes for confirmation email.
Whew, okay, I know they received my story. Now off to the next project.
Write a couple pages. Check email.
Read a book. Check email.
Eat. Check email.
Refresh email. Nope, there really isn't anything there. Grumble.
Go to work. Check email.
Work on an old story. Check email.
Check publication's blog/website for response times. Sigh deeply.
Surf favorite websites. Check email.
Check writer websites and commiserate with others who are also waiting.
Before going to bed, check email.
Wake up. Check email.
See a movie. Check email.
Send yourself an email from another account. Yep, your email is working. Sigh deeply.
Decide to just keep email open in the background and then try not to look at it every five minutes.
Write a blog post about your obsessive urge to check email.
Have an all day tv series marathon to keep mind off checking email.
Forget email for a few days, wrap up another story and submit it.
The more submissions you have out there, the better the odds of something eventually turning up in your inbox. Hey, I should go check my email.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Writing update
Life thankfully slowed slightly after the big holiday and the house project is at a standstill. We won't go into detail. My blood pressure needs a break too. Deep cleansing breath.
After five years, my first laptop was ready to be retired. It's now one of my work computers. I awarded myself with a new writing laptop. Writing and enjoyment only. No work. When I pick this little lightweight baby up, it's time for some brain relaxing time. NOT work. After figuring out how this newfangled thingy works...Windows 8 is a different world from Windows Vista, I discovered the Narrator. Woo. Shiny. It reads to me. Now, this is awesome because I hate reading out loud to myself, and as most any writer will tell you, reading out loud is a great way to edit.
With my computer reading to me, I was able to edit two of my shorts (now neatly organized into five folders: ideas / in progress / in edit / submitting / published) from my edit folder and move them to the submitting folder. That means my juggling act is back in full swing with two novels and four shorts seeking homes.
Onward to shuffling stories up the folder line toward a positive end goal!
After five years, my first laptop was ready to be retired. It's now one of my work computers. I awarded myself with a new writing laptop. Writing and enjoyment only. No work. When I pick this little lightweight baby up, it's time for some brain relaxing time. NOT work. After figuring out how this newfangled thingy works...Windows 8 is a different world from Windows Vista, I discovered the Narrator. Woo. Shiny. It reads to me. Now, this is awesome because I hate reading out loud to myself, and as most any writer will tell you, reading out loud is a great way to edit.
With my computer reading to me, I was able to edit two of my shorts (now neatly organized into five folders: ideas / in progress / in edit / submitting / published) from my edit folder and move them to the submitting folder. That means my juggling act is back in full swing with two novels and four shorts seeking homes.
Onward to shuffling stories up the folder line toward a positive end goal!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
2014 one word resolution
For the last several years, I've been favoring the simplicity of a one word resolution for the new year. It seems to work fairly well for me.
In light of a pretty craptastic one two punch at the end of 2013 of two friends dying within a month of each other, the realization that you've got to use every minute wisely came back to the forefront. That, and I've gained a few pounds since the last funeral I'd attended because my usual funeral attire was really darn snug around the waist. But I'm not so concerned about the weight as I am about making time to do what I enjoy doing. So this year I will still work my butt off (despite the irony of still having the weight of it), play mom taxi each and every day, and there will still be stress with the house building fiasco. But I will make as much time as possible to write.
It might not be good, but even under ideal circumstances, the spewing forth of garbage happens sometimes.
So this year, I will WRITE.
In light of a pretty craptastic one two punch at the end of 2013 of two friends dying within a month of each other, the realization that you've got to use every minute wisely came back to the forefront. That, and I've gained a few pounds since the last funeral I'd attended because my usual funeral attire was really darn snug around the waist. But I'm not so concerned about the weight as I am about making time to do what I enjoy doing. So this year I will still work my butt off (despite the irony of still having the weight of it), play mom taxi each and every day, and there will still be stress with the house building fiasco. But I will make as much time as possible to write.
It might not be good, but even under ideal circumstances, the spewing forth of garbage happens sometimes.
So this year, I will WRITE.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)