Kara Lennox's Blog, page 4

Dreamin' in Dallas

Here I am in beautiful Richardson, Texas, gearing up for the Dreamin' in Dallas writers' conference. (I came a day early to get a lower airfare, and so I could hang with my old critiquing partners for a bit.) It's nice to be in a hotel room by myself, though, and just chill. And how pleasant it was to see the prices on the menu in the bar! I didn't really think California restaurants were that much more expensive, but a big chicken salad wrap with a huge side order of fresh fruit for 8...

Trying a new word meter

Shadows from the Past

It's from the Savvy Authors forum, where I'm teaching a class.

Today is moving day! We get to move back into our bedroom and I'm so excited. I've been working on this room for months. I'm also going to plant the tomatoes we bought at Home Depot yesterday. (We couldn't find the new window hardware we wanted, but we didn't leave empty-handed.)

Trick for cleaning copper

The original hardware on our built-in bedroom drawers were covered in so many layers of paint, it was impossible to tell what they were. I stripped the paint and discovered they were copper, but still darkly oxidized. So I cleaned them with ketchup (yes, ketchup) then shined them with a silver polishing cloth.

Like everything else in this house, they still have a distressed look, but I rather like it!

Built-in drawers with semi-restored copper hardware

Gradually finishing up the details so we c...

It's after ten, pages finally done

I didn't sit down to write my pages until after dinner. (Normally I write in the mornings.) But at least they got done!

42981 / 70000 words. 61% done!

Grr. I don't know why the word meter isn't working properly. Just imagine that lovely blue bar that's supposed to be there.

Not much else to report today. More rain. I don't mean to complain, because rain is always welcome where I live, but it's getting a little monotonous. Wish the clouds could save a little, and deliver it in, say, August.

...

Quick Check In

I am so falling behind! Ack! I have no idea why this book is writing so slowly. My normal pace is just not here. At least I haven't hit that "I hate this book" stage where I want to give the advance money back and quit writing altogether. I'm more at the "I think I can finish this book but it's going to be crappy" stage.

38679 / 70000 words. 55% done!

Structure Your Novel Like a Movie

Three-act structure–which you will find in almost every movie ever made–has been around at least as long as the ancient Greeks. Screenwriters adhere to it strictly. As a novelist, you are probably more aware of it than you think. You know that every story has a beginning, a middle, a climax and a resolution. But knowing the specifics of what goes where, and when, can help you structure your story so that it resonates with readers on a subconscious level.

Next month, my online ...

Checking in with my word count

Creeping forward, but still not where I need to be.

33349 / 70000 words. 48% done!

Had some excitement yesterday.  The previous evening, our oven wouldn't come on and our burners were kind of sickly. Overnight the furnace didn't kick on. So I called the gas company. Turns out our earthquake sensor had been tripped. Cost $65 to reset it.

The gas company guy said it was probably a garbage truck–or maybe the big car accident that happened in front of our house the previous day. Seems kind of s...

Mosaic-making at a neighborhood school

Our local grammar school, Luther Burbank Elementary, has commissioned a mosaic to be created and installed at their front entrance. The project is being directed by artist Dawn Mendelson. The subject matter of the mosaic is a tree bearing several different kinds of fruit. (Burbank  is famous for his pioneering fruit tree grafting.).

A call went out for volunteers to help create the mosaic, so since I love that particular art form (and I haven't been able to do it since we moved because I...

Started a new online class

It's always tough that first week when everything is getting set up and people are introducing themselves. This is still not a good excuse for why my word count isn't rising very fast.

My writing has been slooooooow! Can't seem to get the momentum going on this book:

 

26685 / 70000 words. 38% done!

But at least it was Date Night, and we went out to dinner for the first time in a while. Walked across the street to the Thai place where we can amuse ourselves watching the fish in the salt water ...

Dutifully reporting wordcount

Even though it kind of sucks. But 1/3 of the way to the end, that doesn't sound so bad!

23427 / 70000 words. 33% done!

Today I will put the last coat of "Youthful Coral" on the bedroom walls. Given the comments I've gotten from everyone, I guess it's too bright. But I can't face choosing a new color, so I'll live with it for now.