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.
Monday, April 14, 2014
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.
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