L.K. Latham's Blog, page 13

Welcome September

Would love to say August ended in a bang, but it sort of fizzled out. Had a wonderful time visiting with family last weekend, but hated flying with a mask on all day. Necessary, I know. I did it without complaint, but I’m looking forward to the day I can travel without a mask.

Completed my August short story challenge with SIX (instead of four) stories complete and ready for my WIP group to read. I'm pleased with four of the stories. Not too sure about two of them. I’ll wait for feedback from the WIP on those.

Oh, and the reviews from my Beta Readers on Midnight Bites are in. I’m so ready to get my fingers editing, or should I say, I’m ready to get my teeth back into Bites. Haha.

So, overall, August was a good month. It just ended with a blah. Allergies hit hard, and instead of having a couple of oatmeal days, I had an oatmeal week. Oh well: New Day, New Week. Charge ahead.

Next time, I expect to have a list of projects to talk to you about, including an ETA for getting Midnight Bites published.

Peace.

My August Short Story Challenge

Hello,

I’m excited about the chance to share what’s been going on.

First, Midnight Bites is now with my beta readers. It’s killing me not opening the file to tweak or make changes. Almost every day I think of something I should have done or something that needs to be done. I’m making a list but will make no changes until I get my readers’ notes.

Concentrating on short stories this August, and it’s going great. The most amazing part; most are under five-thousand words. I’ve never been able to do that. My short stories are always long. I set a goal to write one new short story or finish an existing short story each week in August. At the time of posting this, I have five completed new short stories. Fingers crossed, I get one more done.

I’ll run each short story through my WIP and make changes based on their feedback, and then I’ll send these to my editor. Planning something special with these stories: More on that later.

September will be all about me editing, editing some more, and me editing even more both Midnight Bites and these short stories. And then, there’s cover art and formatting and…. So much to do if I want the release of the box set for Midnight Whispers by New Year.

Can’t wait to share it with you. Keep your chin up and don’t forget to breathe.

Where do stories come from?

That was the question on my mind Tuesday morning as I unpacked my iPad at the coffee shop. My friend and I meet up occasionally to chat and write. I set a goal for this week:
One new short story each week in August.
It may not sound like a lot to you, but it’s a lot for me. If you haven’t noticed, my writing style leans toward the verbose. Me and “short” are aquatinted, but do not have a happy relationship. I have many short stories started. Some even have endings, but few are complete. Since my Beta Readers have Midnight Bites for the month, I decided this is the best time to concentrate on shorts.
What to write:
First, I searched through all the shorts in my files in need of completion.
Second, I read through blogs and shorts out on the web offering prompts and ideas.
Third, I cast my eye through my “unused scenes” folder from Midnight Bites and Midnight in Line and Form.
Presto! A story formed in my synopses like storm clouds on the horizon. I let my fingers loose on the keyboard. Before the morning was over, I had a complete story written - except for cleaning up the bodies. It felt terrific to write a complete story in one sitting.
All this brought me back to my original question: Where do stories come from? As August progresses, I hope to keep up the pace. I don’t expect to write a new short every day. I’ll be thrilled with four new stories (complete and ready for editing stories) by the end of August, but I will follow similar procedures each time I sit to write. I’ll make notes and study my notes at the end of August to see what works best for me.
Any tips? What inspires you to write a story?

Tune Out to Tune In

It’s Summer here in Central Texas. That’s another way of saying it’s hot. It’s not just hot, it’s f’in hot. I’m cranking through Midnight Bites preparing it for my beta readers - due on 1 August. That means rewriting some scenes and writing new ones to connect scenes and fix timelines. (Don’t even ask me about the line edits I need to do before sending it to the betas..) Needless to say, I’m busy and supper focused.

And then I took the tine to read a few blogs. Wow! Am I glad I did.

I was reading blogs during the time designated for my yoga, as I read his blog this week about taking time to be bored and listening to that little voice inside of us striving to guide us toward happiness even when we don’t want to listen,. If I hadn’t read that blog:
• I wouldn’t have done my yoga
• I wouldn’t have meditated (done nothing),
• I wouldn’t have heard that voice inside my head.

As a result of doing my yoga: I reconnected not only with myself, but with my story.

Your Turn: Take a moment to enjoy you for being you wherever you are and with whomever you are with and with whomever you want to be at this moment.
Peace,

Which one?

I’m enjoying first draft work on Midnight Bites. My long list of known fixes (names, timelines, locations) continues to grow, but now, the details of the plot align and make sense. It’s kind of like discovering a complete story that’s been playing peek-a-boo with me.
The opening scenes for chapter one are set, but now I have a quandary. Which one should start the book? Both scenes introduce two different events and characters. However, I’m not sure which one is the most enticing. Which one would tempt you to turn the page of this dark, speculative fiction novel?

First scene paragraph #1:
Maria ran until her lungs burned and legs trembled. Fatigue slapped her in the face. She wobbled, slipping until her hands grabbed the coarse wood of a lamp pole melding into its darkness. She filled her lungs with deep, quick breaths. Fear trickled down her back. The monster killed her brother. Louis would never have left on his own. Now it wants her.
She leaned her forehead into the pole as burning embers flowed down her cheeks from her eyes. So tired.

First scene paragraph #2:
The black bag hit with a squish and thunk. Luna gagged as the stink of stale coffee, moldy bread, dirt, spit, and whatever other putrid crap lived in dumpsters wafted over the edge and covered her like a sigh. She turned to face the back of her family’s cafe; she stopped. Her foot squished on something. “I hate this job,” she said, looking at the gray muck oozing around the edges of her new sneakers. “I just bought these.”

Draft Done!

My week off did the trick. I completed the shit draft of Midnight Bites - the draft that spills from the little gray cells to the fingers to the keyboard without regard for any rules, form, or pattern. It tastes and looks like puke at first glance, but that's the point of the shit draft. From this, the novel grows.

BTW: Don’t ask. No one reads the shit draft except me.

My list of “to-do’s” (fixes, changes, updates) increases daily: Excellent! My mind knows the how and why each character is in the novel. (No, I will not tell you what they did. You’ll have to read the book to find out.)

While I’m working down my “to-do” list, I’m also line editing and seeking (and fixing) the glaring plot holes. Can’t wait to have the first draft ready for someone to read. Then the second and how many other drafts will develop and change and keep me busy for the rest of the summer.

It’s great to be back among the living. I hope your work is progressing well, too.

Time to Stop in Order to Start

Evidently my brain shut down in April. My word count was the lowest it’s been in over a year. May is not improving (sort of on purpose). However, I will not fuss or beat myself up about it: That serves no purpose. Instead, I spent a day reflecting and meditating on my why I have not been writing.
April (and May) has been full of intentional and unintentional breaks:
• Got both my COVID vaccine shots and remained quarantined for two weeks to protect myself and my neighbors.
• Felt allergies develop into another sinus infection. (Blah!)
• Left Austin to visit my mom after a long absence. (Nothing like being with mom.)
• Flew to visit my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. (And had a great time!)

Now, it’s time to focus and get back to a “normal” routine that includes writing daily. So, for one week: no blogging, no social media, no newsletters - nothing but writing/editing for a solid week. (Maybe a quick check in Goodreads to see what's new.)

Goal: Have a solid draft of Midnight Bites ready for line edit by 24 May. After that, I will send the draft to my editor.

My last focus week was in January. While I reached my word count goal, I did not complete drafting Midnight Bites. The story keeps going and going and going. Enough!

I’ll miss you all over the next week, but I’ll be back. Cross your fingers I return reporting: Draft done.

Peace, Kathrine

April Showers But No Tears

Most of April is gone. It started so well, so busy, so productive. Not only was I posting daily for NaPoWriMo, I was daily adding words to Midnight Bites as my Camp NaNoWriMo project (so close to being done). And then it came to a stop. Once again, my health stuttered and my body shouted,"Stop!”

First, I’m feeling better and once again hitting the keyboard, producing words for NaPo and Midnight Bites.

However, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel glum over the missed days of writing, but that’s done: Back go work.

I’ve kept up reading some of NaPo blogs, so I know the spirit of poetry lives. That alone makes me feel good. How about you? Read any good poetry this month? Read any bad poetry this month? As long as you’re reading poetry, life is good.

Oh, and send me links to your blog (fiction, poetry, whatever kind of writing you do). I want to read more. Reading your stuff improves my writing and keeps me going.

That’s it for today. I’m still alive and I hope you’re well.

Peace,

National Poetry Writing Month

Six days in, and so far so good. Can I keep up with a poem every day?

I’ve got my own prompts ready - based on a theme. This should come as no surprise: Dancing in the Shadows of the Moon. For those who’ve followed me for a while, some characters in this month’s poems will be familiar.

Despite my conviction to slow down, I’ve signed up for CampNaNo, but I’m following the NaNoFinMo path - National Novel Finish Month. I will complete Midnight Bites in April.

Like to take a look at what a poem a day looks like? Check out my website: lklatham.com.

On Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I enjoy the poems of Elizabeth Barrett Browning - always have. In grade school and we copied, “How do I love thee” on Valentine cards. It was “sweet.” Today, the words are not as sweet as much as they are embracing.

Later in life, I read, “If it could weep, it could arise and go.” The words did not console me as much as they wrapped me in a warm blanket.

Despite these obvious connections with Barrett Browning, I didn’t “discover” until well into adulthood. Perhaps it was only when I reached the point of empathy with her that her poems took on a new life for me. I recently read Flush, a Biography by Virginia Wolff. It inspired me to know more of both Barrett and Wolff. That’s when I found Barrett’s poem about her long-time friend, Flush. Once again, Barrett’s words moved me, and for the first time in three years, I realized how much I missed my fuzzy little friends.

Barrett Browning live peculiar life she lived. Illness and obsession trapped her body for so long, that when she broke the bounds of family, she created a second life. All the while, her faithful companion, Flush, rested by her side.

Flush, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
You see this dog. It was but yesterday
I mused, forgetful of his presence here,
Till thought on thought drew downward tear on tear;
When from the pillow, where wet-cheeked I lay,
A head as hairy as Faunus, thrust its way
Right sudden against my face,—two golden-clear
Large eyes astonished mine,—a drooping ear
Did flap me on either cheek, to dry the spray!
I started first, as some Arcadian
Amazed by goatly god in twilight grove:
But as my bearded vision closelier ran
My tears off, I knew Flush, and rose above
Surprise and sadness; thanking the true Pan,
Who, by low creatures, leads to heights of love.Flush: A Biography