Tuesday, December 31, 2013

THE END 2013

We'll I've reached the end. The end of what, you ask? The end of 2013 of course!! Oh yeah, and THE END of draft 1B of my third book. Sort of... I guess. Now you're wondering about my hesitation and I refuse to leave you hanging. As I neared the end of this draft I started to feel perplexed out how to wrap it up. I'm not confident I did it right. Which bothers me even if I know this isn't a completed manuscript. And my other issue is the word count. It's only 46,132 which is far lower than I had ever, ever planned on. I'm writing YA so I know it fits, I just can't help being nervous when I'm falling on the lower end of the acceptable range. Despite my fears I really am still glad to have finished! No, not glad to have finished, but proud to have completed this draft finally!!! Here's to finishing up 2013 right and keeping the momentum in 2014!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Check in time

42,849!!!! I am getting so much closer!! I have adjusted my goal and become happier with the number 55,000 or there abouts. I'm getting back to where the story is coming a little easier although I probably just ruined that. So I think I've got about 3 or 4 more chapters to go until t h e e n d... Keep on going!!

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Snow Days

The best laid plans can be... Ruined, waylaid, detoured...it all depends on you how you take a change in plans. I was supposed to get away for the weekend, instead it snowed about ten inches! So instead of a 2 day get away, I get 3 snow days with my son. I'll take that trade :) Writing can be like that. You have an outline, may be even a cork board of post it notes mapping out your book. Then your characters start developing and they can really throw a wrench in your plan. What are you going to do?! I say roll with it. See where they take you. If its a dead end, save it in a different folder and take them over a cliff :) Right now I just finished a good chapter. I say good because the chapter didnt require me to pull any teeth. But I dont know what is going to happen in the next chapter. It's just that part of the story. I've heard it described as the part where you just want to stab the book over and over while screaming "Die!" If I can eek out another 15,000 I'll just about be done screaming and pulling teeth...I hope!

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Final NaNo WriMo Check In

Okay, so the computer isn't up right this moment so this is an estimate... 32,000 That's right, I fell short...way short. Of my goal and of the official goal of nnwm. And yet, I'm not as disappointed as I thought I'd be. Obviously I'm making a new goal to get me through December. So my new goal is to finish my WIP by the end of December with somewhere between 50,000-60,000 words. Nnwm did one thing for me, the most important thing. It got me writing! And putting up some serious word counts despite working full time, being a mom with a husband who travels for work and dealing with some "issues" life threw at me. I hope nnwm did something amazing for you!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Get Away

Every now and then you just need to get away. Me and hubby have needed that for a while just to treat ourselves and keep our marriage strong. That was hard to start this morning even though after the week I've had it was beyond needed. Lets just say my stress level and tiredness has tripled in the last week. It's hard for me sometimes to step away from a story I'm deep inside and focus on real life. I found myself flipping between conversation with my hubby and the story in my head. But I needed that, I needed to get pulled into a good part of my life away from the stress and away from the story I was trying to hide in. My husband deserves my focus. Sooooo...we got away and I'm loving it. As for writing, it's going good despite life trying hard to overwhelm me. So tomorrow I'll get back to normal and keep on keeping on :)

Sunday, November 17, 2013

A Day...or Two Late

Nano WriMo halfway check in. I hit my halfway goal a day late and I'm posting two days late. From here on out its fresh words to finish this novel. Wish me luck just like I'm wishing you! November 16, 2013: 25,223 words

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

NaNo WriMo Check In

Lets start with my rules. That's right, my rules not the rules. I'm using this month as a motivational time to join a ton of other writers in putting words on pages. My rules, or goals or whatever you want to call them are to get this draft 1B finished or unbelievably close. While ideally I'd like a 60,000 word manuscript, I'll settle for 50,000 at the end of 1B. I will squash the little bit of OCD in me that protests that is too short. My word count is not at all limited to new words written. The goal is to finish. This is a novel I hand wrote until about midway and then got stuck. With a the plotting I referred to in an earlier post(..post-it note plotting..) I am doing some majority g tweaking to the original draft 1 as I type it. So just 50,000 words, new and refurbished. Now for some stats! Word count... I'm getting close to writing new words and not just overhauling draft 1A. This feels a bit like walking toward the deep end of the pool to jump in. I'm not a strong swimmer so that's an intimidating thought. We're almost halfway through November and I'm almost halfway in my word count!!!! Super excited about that! Music...You Tube and music videos, which I'm listening to not watching, has been a real mood setter. I've been listening to some of the following: the piano guys, Taylor swift, miley Cyrus, Passenger(my favorite so far!) Where...I've been writing on my birthday present, my own laptop :) When...I've been writing at work on my lunch and at home in the evenings. Well that's all! Be prepared for actual numbers on the 15th.

Friday, November 8, 2013

To the Point

NaNo WriMo is going good! I know it will get harder soon when I have to do more fresh writing and less copy/paste/EDIT but I'm just keeping on!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Finding Balance

I was thinking about balance today as I slogged through a two mile run. That run shouldn't have felt like my legs were moving through mud, but it did. I had a knee issue last week and as a result I begrudgingly took a week off. Because if I got going too soon I knew I might have an even longer lay off. I had to over correct because... I guess I ran too hard when my legs were tired from some increasing mileage and speed. I should have backed off and instead I pushed too long. My 2nd to last run was AMAZING which I'll blame for my lack of common sense. I needed better balance. Sometimes in your writing life it's intense and the word count is sky rocketing. I say go for it! Your body won't suffer, but always, always keep in mind you can't continuously neglect the rest of your life for an amazing word count and not expect some consequences from the neglected family, friends, work, etc. And sometimes it's ok to take a break from writing, just not a ridiculously too long break like I did :) Just a little nnwm update: it's going great right now! A lot of this is stuff I already wrote, it just needed reorganized and Tweaked. I'm still nervous about the last half of the book which is what stalled me out before. Keep on keeping on!

Sunday, November 3, 2013

2013 November NaNo WriMo

It's been a long while. I got really stuck... Lazy...lost in the rut of life. I'm scared to even try this "writing thing" again. But try I will. About a couple months ago I sat down late one night in my living room floor and did a general plot/outline on post-it notes. I've started up on that unruly novel and would like to, between old and new, finish this novel. And beyond finishing that I'm going to return to my 2nd finished novel, tweak it, and return to trying to get it published. From there Ill either start draft 2 or start a new novel that's been tickling my brain. My main goal is to keep trying! Wish me luck and I've already wished you some too.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Monster University

The family and I went to see Monster's University yesterday. What a super cute movie! I was a little worried about this movie because it was jumping backwards in time and that could have some flaws. I loved the story and how it tied in to the first movie. Not to mention, the young one loved it too. In other personal news...I spent at least an hour in a shoe store yesterday and still don't know if I got the right pair of running shoes. Sometimes that is just how life goes. Sometimes, we just don't know if we have it right. Which leads to writing. I have no idea if I have GoP right. I've been querying it for three months now, but haven't had the slightest nibble. I of course love my book and think it's great, but no agent has yet been interested. I haven't sent out very many queries, just a few at a time, and I will continue to patiently wait(which I hear is the name of the game in publishing, so at least I'm getting practice!). As for my current WIP, I'm still slowly plugging away. I was stuck for so long I've gotten out of the habit of writing consistently. Not to mention I'm still not sure the solution I came up with is the right one. I'm at the point where I'm trying to decide if I should keep riding this horse until it's dead *cough* I mean done, or if I need to stop, make a "new" outline to see if I can fix whatever my finicky gut is opposing right now and start over. Of course I'll have lots of writing to steal and reform to the new version, so that wouldn't be so bad. I just hate to quit. Well, that shall be all for now. I'm off to round up the hubby and young one, head home to change, and then off for a run(the easiest thing to do, no thought or concentration, just a pair of tennis shoes, shorts and a tank top!) Here's to writing and hobbies and living your life! Keep at it!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Where there is smoke...

There is fire, serious, awesome, inspiring fire. I adored Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I cannot wait to read Days of Blood and Starlight. SPOILER alert(potentially)... My only problems with the book were thus: it was a bit convenient that Brimstone set Karou up so well, financially speaking; as well as I am still having just a bit of a hard time balancing Karou and Madrigal... Other than that, I adored the story. Angels and Devils told in a completely new way. Fantastical descriptions that paint characters and places and scenes in your mind. It is my sincere recommendation that you read it!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

What can't you stop reading?

Lately I've gotten distracted with life and writing, resulting in me not reading nearly as much. But I recently bought Daughter of Smoke and Bone... which means yesterday my house did not get cleaned like I had intended. I read at least half of it yesterday and only quit because my son came up to me and said, "I'm hungry." I managed not to pick it up again last night, an amazing accomplishment! And only because I want to savor it, instead of devouring it completely in one sitting. Sort of like the ice cream I'm eating right now ;-D So I'm just wondering, what other books are out there that you can't put down? What are you reading instead of doing whatever else it is that you're suppposed to be doing?

Friday, May 24, 2013

Smile :-D

Holy cannoli! Looking back I've had some depressing titles lately! Life really isn't all that bad! Especially since I will be experiencing a 4 day weekend!!!! One exclamation mark for every day! I have big plans...cleaning the house, washing the dog, shaving the cat, shopping;-) Okay, so lets get real. I know my life is enthralling, but it's time for the nitty gritty. I haven't written in a couple weeks. I've been stuck and lazy. I've let myself get distracted at lunch(my writing time) and spent it on the Internet or talking to coworkers or running(which I don't regret cause I love running). I've also been obsessing on researching agents for GoP. At least that's writing related. I need to focus and re-plot out this book. I have been pondering some important questions about my current WIP, such as: 1 what does A want? 2 what is stopping A from getting it? 3 what problem in A's world needs solved? I'm trying to balance/figure out A's personal journey and the world conflict that is happening as well as thinking about the overall arc I want for this series. It's a lot to sort out and deserves the thought put into it. But I also need to buckle down and write! For the next week my computer is out of town with my husband but once it's back I'm going to have to get back my discipline. Wish me luck! Hope you're journey is full of living!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Painful...

So many parts of writing are painful. The middle of writing a first draft, the fifth round of edits, writing a query letter, querying, being told no by an agent for whatever reason. The list can go on and on but my point is this, when there are so many inherently painful parts to writing, why be cruel to someone else when critiquing a fellow writer? I was over at Evil Editor and some of the comments about the most recent synopsis crossed the line IMO. All critiques are hard to swallow, but how they're presented is still important. I'm not even saying you have to sandwhich a negative between to positives. I just think you don't have to twist the knife you're shoving in. In other painful news... I got another rejection from an agent. I know I'm biased, but I don't feel like my query is that bad which means may be my idea just isn't good enough for the market. I keep telling myself that it is very different. There's nothing out there that I can find in YA that has similar paranormal characters. I'm not giving up though! Come Sunday I'll have Internet access and I'll be sending out some more query letters. Keep living life so you've got something to write about!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Stumbling

Well, I've two stumbling blocks in my life. One of which is GoP, which I am currently querying. Nothing can obsess you or depress you like trying to query out a book! I keep getting stuck on one thing...here is my confession... I have not written a synopsis yet. I know I'm being lazy, but for grief's sake, I've written a whole manuscript and a query, and now you want a synopsis too!!! I will have to give in and write one I know, but currently I feel like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. I just want you to want my book. Simple as that. Block number two...I am stumbling my way through what I guess would be a writers block with my current WIP. I came up with a complete change for the main gal's love interest. I thought this would "fix" my block, but alas it did not. This morning, I came up with yet another change, an additional character... I have not yet worked through that addition, so I am still in the dark as to whether or not it will help. I keep wanting to cling to my original idea, despite knowing it would have been altered no matter what. May be because these new ideas mean a really big rewrite. As in, not another draft, but almost a whole new book! It is overwhelming to say the least And now, I have to get going, life is interrupting this blog! :) Got to live it to write it!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Sick & Tired

I haven't felt this crappy in a while. It stated the day after tromping a couple blocks in the cold rain to watch a hockey game. It didn't help that I ran a 5k yesterday... You guessed it, in the rain. So needless to say, I have accomplished nothing writing-wise, as well as my house is a disaster. Add on top of that I had an issue of miscommunication with a friend that ended with my feelings being hurt. All good writing fodder if only I felt better to put it to use! Well, now that I've depressed you all with my la k of Cheerios I'm off to continue trying to recuperate and try for a better week!!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Querying...

All righty then...I am actively querying again...Yes the ... are fully representative of the major part of querying...WAITING. It is so hard, but what is harder is a "no," especially a form rejection "no." I despise those. So once again I fear checking my email for a dreaded rejection of any kind. But I know the only way to find an agent is to put myself out there, painful as it is. It's like dating, something I never want to do again(mostly because I'm happily married but also because it's emotionally dangerous!) But here I go! Now I can get back to my current WIP, which I have come to a major impasse with. I have been stuck, partially because I left it alone to focus on getting GoP ready to query, and partially because something was wrong. I just couldn't figure out where to go from the point I left off. Now I'm afraid that what is really wrong is not as simple as answering "What happens next?" I think I'm going to have to completely revise my m.c's love interest which will cause all of the story I've written so far to need major restructuring. I'm okay with that, as long as it is what's good for the story. I just have to figure out if it is actually the right change to make. So tomorrow, on my lunch, I will write an outline for the "new" way of things and then compare it to the old way and see if the change makes sense and will allow me to move the story forward. Whooo! I hope that makes sense to you, cause things are swirling in my head! Also, a side note, based on my search for agents to query I am considering writing a new story that will be a bit out of my comfort zone, but seems to be what agents are looking for. Is this wrong? The only defense I have is it is an idea I already had, with the exception that I had planned it to be an adult novel, and this would be a YA twist. Think thriller??!!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Let's Get Personal

I have finally finished "draft 4." It wasn't too awful because there were just a few simple plot hole issues to fix...Hmmmm, that didn't sound right ;-) I was a little disappointed in how long it took me but to be frank life was happening. I don't mean anything "big", just plain old life. Right now I have a full time job and a family to take care of. I also have the disadvantage of being a squirrel, as in easily distracted, especially by shiny things. Anyway, I would love to write full time but that's not possible right now. So I have to figure out how to be dedicated to writing and keep my family first. It is certainly a struggle to do so, and not helped by mood swings ;-) The good news is, tomorrow Ill be at my in laws with access to the Internet withy laptop and will be able to begin querying again! For now, it's back to life for me, outside of my head that is.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Slacker

I have slacked off in "writing" this week. My goal has been to quickly get GoP edited so I can begin querying again. I have only done 4 out of 22 chapters :( Part of why its taken me so long to query GoP was I didn't have any beta readers who enjoyed my genre and therefore book. But now I do! So after having my query shredded I was shown a couple plot holes to fix. While I could query and fix at the same time, I would like to have it ready for my first request from an agent(dreaming big!) it is possible I will get ants in my pants and start again. Luckily those issues are easy to fix, I just have to quit getting distracted at lunch and conquer these edits. Other writing news...I've already started a book which will follow GoP but feature a new main character. She's very shy and it's been slow going to finish her first draft. I stalled out at the point that I started dealing with GoP again. This is probably a combination of things topped by one main character being much bolder than the other. Well then,I'm off to get to it.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Little bit of life

So up until yesterday, my young one has went to a private sitter while I work. Yesterday was his first day at a daycare. He loved everything but nap time! Up until the point I saw him after his daddy picked him up(I was working my weekly 12 hour shift) I was able to survive the insanity of work only because I was worried about his first day. Today is my day off and I plan on enjoying it to the fullest! Have a good one!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

1 week is less than 1 year

So... I had my query critiqued online. I now know what other authors mean when they say they have to wait until a few days after they receive edits to actually get to work. That was painful, but helpful too. What I'm not good at is always seeing the perspective of my book from someone who hasn't been inside of it. The critique helped... I hope! I only found two complaints which were issues that needed fixed in the book and not just in the query. I've resubmitted my new and shiny query and I am oh so anxiously waiting for results. Now back to twiddling my thumbs says no mom/wife/owned by pets person ever.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Guilty as Charged!

There really isn't a need to confess, when it is blatantly obvious I have not posted for a whole year, is there? There are so many reasons why, but mostly it all links back to having no internet access at home accept when using my iphone. I detest blogging from my phone. But for a couple of reasons, I'd like to start up again. Ready for it?? Greed...Yup, greed. Not for money, but because I want to be published and I am well aware that an online presence(though mine here is small, in fact, it's minuscule) is very helpful to one who wants to be published. So...I'm a bad person I guess ;) Oh yeah, there was another reason...the other reason I started in the first place. This blog place of mine was meant to be sort of an online diary/place of accountability. Now, while I don't mind sharing a bit of myself, within reason, I mostly want to be accountable somewhere when it comes to my writing. Of course, in all honesty, I make no guarantees to keep this up. But I will endeavor to try! So now that I've kick started this blog back up, let me give a brief update on where I am in my writing life: I finally found a couple of people to read the second book I wrote. One of my beta readers finished my story and said she really liked it...Weeeeeeee! There's a good feeling for ya :) I've just send the book to my second beta reader, so no response yet from her....Waiting is hard. Lucky me, possibly unlucky them, I work with both. Que evil laughter***ha*ha*ha* I have finally sent out queries for my second book. Out of the first three, I have already received 2 no's. Yes I know that is a part of the industry, but man it still stings. As for actual writing, I am 2/3's of the way through my 3rd book. Honestly I am stuck right now. I think that part of that is that I have been sucked back into the book I am querying, let's call it GoP. I don't know if I will keep plugging away at WIP 3 or may be stop and read something to give my brain a break. Wish me luck and perseverance!