M.J. Fredrick's Blog, page 74

Brainstorming

One of the things I love above all about writing is brainstorming. While I've been revising (NOT my favorite part) I've been rewarding myself for meeting my goals by brainstorming.

I have three different story ideas that I've been playing with. The most fun I've been having is with a short story that may never get anywhere (can always be a free read, I figure). It's Halloween set, a birthday party weekend at a haunted house, and the heroine has crushed on the hero forever, but he was involved with someone—until recently. I'm toying with the idea of making it a love triangle with the heroine resembling a woman who'd lived in the house, and the ghost falling in love with her. The trouble I'm having right now is making the real live hero as interesting as the ghost hero is in my mind.

Then there's the post-apocalyptic book. I have my world-building, for the most part. I have my heroine and my hero. I have their goal. Now I'm working on the inciting incident. I had one, but the Samhain anthology only wants 30K.

And there's my next action adventure. I have my hero and heroine and inciting incident, but no idea how I'm going to keep them together.

I used to have a brainstorming group. We'd meet once a month and for a bit I had more stories than I thought I could write. We stopped when they got too busy but lately I've been jonesing. I like that my stories are my own this way, but I do like the twists other people can add.

So, what's your favorite part of writing? Do you find brainstorming fun? Do you have a brainstorming group or do you work on your own?

 

Christmas Favorites

I've been seeing this meme around and I want to play!

Favorite Christmas movie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite Christmas special (I know it by heart!)

Favorite religious Christmas song:

Favorite secular Christmas song:

Favorite kid Christmas movie:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite Christmas cookie: sugar cookies with LOTS of icing

Favorite Christmas candy: Reese's

Favorite sign that the holiday season has started:

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What are your favorites this season?

My Christmas Wish List

While I was spending 15 minutes cleaning off the breakfast bar (about 5 feet long and COVERED with crap, I made a mental list of what I want for Christmas.

1) a husband and son who pick up after themselves. Honestly, you should've seen what was out. Garlic salt? Really? And my husband's side of the bed is carpeted by clothes. Granted, the hamper is, what, 15 feet away, but he's going that way anyway.

2) Someone, somewhere–here, school–who does something the minute I ask them to do it, whether it's rotating laundry or bringing me their homework. Just once a day, that would be nice.

3) Patience. You'd think I'd learn not to haunt the inbox after sending a submission, yet I do.

4) Restraint. Hand me a coupon and I have to use it. HAVE TO USE IT. Never mind I have more books than I can read in the next 5 years and enough Bath and Body to open my own store. I have to use the coupon.

5) More time. To, you know, read those books. And to write the 4 books in my head and revise the 2 already written.

6) Okay, and really? I want some of this lady's jewelry. GORGEOUS stuff.

What do you want for Christmas?

 

Goals for Christmas Break

It's here! It's HERE! 2 weeks of no traffic, no one shorter than I am, no schedule except for the one I want to keep! It will be busy, but…my kind of busy, you know?

1)      Finish revising the bodyguard book

2)      Start revising NaNo book

3)      2 Supernatural Sisters blogs

4)      Revamp website

5)      Finalize promo plan for March release

6)      DH on vacation, so time with him

7)      Lunch with JoAnn

8)      Visit retired teacher friend

9)      Time with Mom

10)   Eye appointment

11)   Catch up on magazines!

12)   Maybe get new cushions for couch.

13)   Close on MIL's house (can I get an hallelujah?)

14)   House/yard

Well, THAT'S Over

Why yes. Yes, it did.

Started out the usual way, until I got in the car and saw I was out of gas. Well, I had enough to get to the gas station, but not to work. Then I had to stop for the Panera bagels I promised my class since they had perfect attendance for an entire week (the first time since the first week of school!) Then I got to school and started making the hot chocolate. Someone knocked on my door and it was another 4th grade student crying his eyes out because he was sick but his mom sent him to school so he wouldn't be counted absent. Of course the nurse wasn't there yet….

Finally got my class in, we were about to go practice for our program (tonight!) and another teacher came in and said we couldn't practice because the bilingual classes were making tamales in the cafeteria, which is where the stage is. Now, that's really nice, but we have a big cafeteria. So why were they set up right by the stage? Argh! So, back to class, panicking because I had to do all the stuff I was going to do in the afternoon in the morning, since we would have to practice in the afternoon. Okay, fine.

Got an email from my student teacher, whose last day was last Wednesday. When he walked off without me filling out any evaluation or anything, I asked another teacher who had a student teacher from the same school. He said, no, we had a ton of forms to fill out. I emailed the supervisor, who emailed me back late Friday, so I didn't see it until yesterday. He said the student teacher would bring me the paperwork this week. Well, student teacher is on a cruise until Thursday and wants to bring me the paperwork Thursday after school. Well, that's fine, but I'm not going to fill it out right there. He graduates Sunday. Wouldn't you think he would have taken care of this before he left??? Is it wrong that this irritates me?

Then I came home and my son brought his girlfriend over. I love her, but I was tired and couldn't relax. But there was a new Hawaii 5-0 and it was good. But I woke up this AM because the dh kept getting text SPAM! And today will be a long day. Wish me luck!

World Building

So, about this post-apoc story.

The way I'd envisioned it at first, it took place after years after the event, and the town where my heroine and her mother lived had kind of found a way to manage with what they had. People were working again, buildings were in decent repair. They didn't have a lot of variety of food, but they had enough. They were in the foothills, so kind of out of the way of some more desperate people. My heroine's dad had been their leader but he died. They've been managing…until their peaceful town is invaded.

Which is why I'm thinking now I need to shorten the timeline after the event to maybe 3 years. Or maybe even 2. That would explain the invasion better, I think, and would explain them still having supplies, including fuel (though I could maybe have them have invented a fuel alternative for their vehicles). I'd like there to have been communication again, that the network was rebuilt after the event, only to collapse with the invasion.

Those of you who write paranormals and futuristics–do you world-build on paper? I mean, do you tell the backstory to yourself so you have it down? How do you create the reality for your characters?

Goals for the Last Week Before Christmas BREAK!

 

If I can survive this week, I DESERVE this 2 week break!

1) Finish shopping (the boy. I have a couple of ideas, but…)

2) Christmas program Tuesday night and again Wednesday morning

3) Christmas dance

4) Christmas breakfast with the teachers–I need a parent volunteer to stay with my kids for the hour and a half of the breakfast. Do I have one? No. Usually I get one at the last minute, but they're pickier this year.

5) Christmas party with kids. I got their presents already but would like to get them Play-Doh. I hope I can still find some

6) House–I really fell behind this week. I came home exhausted and stressed every day.

7) Revise bodyguard

Bluestone query letter

Okay, I call that enough.

Scattered

I know I should expect to be scattered this time of year, especially trying to put on the Christmas program (which is SO much less stressful than last year's) and wrapping up the semester and praying that this house sale will go through by the end of the year. But I always take refuge from the crazy in writing. My problem right now is that I don't know exactly what I should be working on.

I wrote the synopsis for my NaNo book this week (still need the query) and I really like it and am anxious to revisit. I plan to submit it to Special Edition after the holidays.

But I have the bodyguard book that's been thrice rejected that I want to revise and submit elsewhere.

Then Samhain put out the call for a post-apoc novella. I've had an idea in the back of my head for years–YEARS–that I would love to trot out, though I've never had luck being selected for an anthology. The deadline is March, but still….

See, the problem is, right now I have only 2 books out next year. If I don't kick some booty (my own), well, I don't want to lose momentum here.

As of today, I'm working on the bodyguard book. After the tamale festival downtown

2010

Last night on Twitter someone tweeted that they'd had 13 ebook releases, 2 print books and 300K words written.

So…I counted. I have had 5 ebook releases, 2 print books and wrote 3 books and 3 novellas. Not bad for having a fulltime job and a TV addiction. But no wonder I'm tired!

Alive, Really

I'm here, really. Just crazy busy. Thank God I don't have any deadlines right now. Today is my student teacher's last day (he told me yesterday at lunch he doesn't have to make up all the days he missed–out of 30 he's been there 23.) I had planned to work on Cindi and Robert's websites in return for lunch, so must do that this afternoon since we're practicing for our program this morning. Yesterday afternoon I made choir "ponchos." I didn't want to go to a lot of work for "Silent Night," since the song's not that long. I want to write 2 query letters and a synopsis this week, though that's probably foolish considering publishing will shut down after next week.

I have everyone's gifts except my son's. NO idea what to get him. None. I'd love to get him a new laptop, but unless we sell that house (it's under contract, but the current timeline is Dec. 30 for closing) it's not going to happen.

Add to the craziness Samhain's call for post-apocalyptic romance. Y'all. I have serious love for this genre, and have kind of an idea cooking, but…write it WHEN?

Okay, going to try to knock out a query before school. Or maybe the guest blog post due tomorrow.

Oh, and hey, I'm revising a story and I recast the hero. Do you approve?