Tia Silverthorne Bach's Blog, page 47
November 6, 2013
NaNo = I Can: #ROW80 and #IWSG
It's the first Wednesday of the month and time for my Insecure Writer's Support Group post. A huge thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for putting together this group. I appreciate the opportunity to share my insecurities on the #IWSG therapy couch and to read how others are doing.
It’s Day 6 of NaNo, and as of yesterday evening, I was sitting at 9,642 words. Just ahead of schedule thanks to eleven hours of flight time and seven hours of layover time since Saturday.
I did NaNo last year to kickstart an idea I’d been writing in my head for almost a year. But I let Life constantly distract me from writing it.
51,104 words in one month! And by May my young adult book, Chasing Memories, was published. I didn’t rush it, thanks to a lot of great advice. Everyone told me to take at least the month of December to let the NaNo book sit. I didn’t touch it until mid-January.
This year, I’m writing book two—an idea that’s also been in my head for a year. How did it get to be November again already?
And why, when I know I’m capable of writing 50,000 words in a month, do I struggle to write 10,000 words in a year between NaNos?
Book three is becoming clearer as I write book two, so I hope I can…
* Finish NaNo strongly. I’m shooting for 60,000 words this time and a roughly finished novel.
* Take December off and then write book 3 in January while editing book 2 around mid-January.
Now, if I can just keep the muse pumped up and the insecurity monster at bay, I should be fine. Such a simple statement to make. Why does Life seem to be in cahoots with my insecurities?
I hope I can break my bad habits (i.e., making excuses not to write or to write other things) this time. Any advice?
A Round of Words in 80 Days(ROW80) Update
Wednesdays are also my ROW80 update days. Current NaNo count: 9,642. Now that I’m back from an incredible weekend in New York City (photos during my next update), I plan to return to the #ROW80 sprints (11amPST/2pmEST).
Wishing all the best to my writing buddies, whether you are doing NaNo or not. May you have the ideas necessary to fill your days with writing.
November 4, 2013
My Addictions: Surviving Nano & ROW80
During NaNo, I decided to write some posts in advance so I could concentrate on writing. But I wanted to do something that would be on my mind during the process of trying to write 50,000 words in a month.
So for this post I decided to share my addictions. Why?
Normally, I use these addictions to decompress. But during NaNo, I've decided to also use them as rewards. Any day I surpass my goal of 1,667 words, I get to choose something from the list and enjoy. A few of them (food/drink) will be by my side as I write to keep the words flowing.
My Addictions
Sugar
My Kryptonite. But I've gotten better at choosing the sugar I really want and having enough to feel satisfied. When I try to avoid it completely, I fail and eat a whole pie.
Candy Crush
Game + sugar references = heaven. It's so addicting, so I love that you get five lives and out. This is a total brain break activity for me.
Pitch Perfect
Misfits working it out to rock it in the end. My kind of movie. Plus, there are Breakfast Club references. This movie makes me want to dream big and go for it.
Books
No explanation necessary. I sometimes read a book a day. But NaNo might require me to sleep more so I have less brain fog.
Diet Coke
It's my version of coffee. I'm trying to cut back. I'll do that December 1.
Pens
Sure, my favorite will always be the red pen. But I love them in all kinds of different shapes and colors. I have an obsessive amount (along with notebooks).
Bath
Long and hot. Skin-turns-red kind of hot. And I'm a daredevil... I read my Kindle in there. So far, no slips.
Pedicures
I gave up on my fingernails a long time ago, but I love bright, shiny toes. And now that I live in CA, I can expose them a lot more.
Do you have any addictions that help you get through times of stress?
*****
My A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) Update is simple. My current NaNoWriMo word count is (drum roll please) ----> 6,206.
It helps that I spent way too many hours on a plane and in the airport on Saturday to go to New York City. Pictures to come! Of course, I did all of this on Friday and Saturday, no writing on Sunday and probably none today. But I have a lot more airport time tomorrow, so...
So for this post I decided to share my addictions. Why?
Normally, I use these addictions to decompress. But during NaNo, I've decided to also use them as rewards. Any day I surpass my goal of 1,667 words, I get to choose something from the list and enjoy. A few of them (food/drink) will be by my side as I write to keep the words flowing.
My Addictions
Sugar
My Kryptonite. But I've gotten better at choosing the sugar I really want and having enough to feel satisfied. When I try to avoid it completely, I fail and eat a whole pie. Candy Crush
Game + sugar references = heaven. It's so addicting, so I love that you get five lives and out. This is a total brain break activity for me.
Pitch Perfect
Misfits working it out to rock it in the end. My kind of movie. Plus, there are Breakfast Club references. This movie makes me want to dream big and go for it.
Books
No explanation necessary. I sometimes read a book a day. But NaNo might require me to sleep more so I have less brain fog.
Diet Coke
It's my version of coffee. I'm trying to cut back. I'll do that December 1.
Pens
Sure, my favorite will always be the red pen. But I love them in all kinds of different shapes and colors. I have an obsessive amount (along with notebooks).
Bath
Long and hot. Skin-turns-red kind of hot. And I'm a daredevil... I read my Kindle in there. So far, no slips.
Pedicures
I gave up on my fingernails a long time ago, but I love bright, shiny toes. And now that I live in CA, I can expose them a lot more.
Do you have any addictions that help you get through times of stress?
*****
My A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) Update is simple. My current NaNoWriMo word count is (drum roll please) ----> 6,206.
It helps that I spent way too many hours on a plane and in the airport on Saturday to go to New York City. Pictures to come! Of course, I did all of this on Friday and Saturday, no writing on Sunday and probably none today. But I have a lot more airport time tomorrow, so...
November 1, 2013
And We're Off... NaNo!
It's November 1 and time to write 50,000 words in a month.
So, of course, my kids are home from school today. Oh, and I leave tomorrow for New York City for a fun girls' weekend (planned earlier this year when I wasn't even thinking about NaNo). But I have five hours of flight time and three hours of layover sans kids, so I hope to get off to a strong start.
Wishing all my NaNoWriMo friends, and anyone with a long to do list this month, well.
Keeping it short today. But just for some cuteness, I thought I'd share my girls in their Halloween costumes: a gypsy, a hot dog, and Frankenstein's bride.
As for why a hot dog would have a mustache, I can honestly say I have no clue and knew better than to ask.
So, of course, my kids are home from school today. Oh, and I leave tomorrow for New York City for a fun girls' weekend (planned earlier this year when I wasn't even thinking about NaNo). But I have five hours of flight time and three hours of layover sans kids, so I hope to get off to a strong start.
Wishing all my NaNoWriMo friends, and anyone with a long to do list this month, well.
Keeping it short today. But just for some cuteness, I thought I'd share my girls in their Halloween costumes: a gypsy, a hot dog, and Frankenstein's bride.
As for why a hot dog would have a mustache, I can honestly say I have no clue and knew better than to ask.
October 31, 2013
Death's Call: A Spooky Halloween Story
Today, I wanted to share my spooky Halloween story that first appeared earlier this month on
Gin's Book Notes
. If you haven't checked out her blog, please do. And follow her on
Facebook
. She's a friend to authors and readers alike.
Never Answer Death's Call
Darkness was everywhere. Thud. Thud. Thud. My heartbeat, deafening as it quickened, was the only sound. As my eyes adjusted to the blackness, I realized I was in a narrow passageway. Roots and dirt surrounded me.
Cramped and terrified, I squeezed my eyes shut. “Wake up, before it’s too late.” A voice I didn’t know echoed in my head. My eyes flew open. Still, there was nothing.
Panic set in. Then, I heard it. A noise like nails on a chalkboard, and it was getting closer. An eerie voice began to chant my name.
“Don’t answer the call.” The voice from before. I moved forward, pushing away roots and spider webs to clear my path. My hand reached out just in time to keep me from running into a wall. A dead end.
Again, my name wafted toward me. This time, it was my mother’s voice.
Relief flooded through me. I turned and started to answer her. Before I could utter a sound, someone grabbed me from behind and clamped a hand over my mouth. A voice, so close to my ear I could feel the breathing, whispered, “Death is tricky. Never answer. He’ll take you.”
( ^_^ ) ( ^_^ ) ( ^_^ ) ( ^_^ ) ( ^_^ )
Many years ago, I had this dream and awoke to my mom shaking me. When I told her about it, she said her grandmother once told her that you should never answer a voice calling to you in the night because it was Death.
When my children were young, I would shiver whenever they called out to me at night. After all, Death is tricky.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I love Halloween! My middle daughter has many dangerous food allergies, so Halloween can be tricky. Years ago, someone told me about the Switch Witch. Every year, my girls pick their favorite 10-15 pieces of candy and the rest gets left out for the Switch Witch. She then comes and takes the candy and leaves a little prize in its place.
What's your favorite part of Halloween?
Oh, and there's one day left to win a signed copy of Chasing Memories on Gin's blog. Find the giveaway here .
Never Answer Death's Call
Darkness was everywhere. Thud. Thud. Thud. My heartbeat, deafening as it quickened, was the only sound. As my eyes adjusted to the blackness, I realized I was in a narrow passageway. Roots and dirt surrounded me.
Cramped and terrified, I squeezed my eyes shut. “Wake up, before it’s too late.” A voice I didn’t know echoed in my head. My eyes flew open. Still, there was nothing.
Panic set in. Then, I heard it. A noise like nails on a chalkboard, and it was getting closer. An eerie voice began to chant my name.
“Don’t answer the call.” The voice from before. I moved forward, pushing away roots and spider webs to clear my path. My hand reached out just in time to keep me from running into a wall. A dead end.
Again, my name wafted toward me. This time, it was my mother’s voice.
Relief flooded through me. I turned and started to answer her. Before I could utter a sound, someone grabbed me from behind and clamped a hand over my mouth. A voice, so close to my ear I could feel the breathing, whispered, “Death is tricky. Never answer. He’ll take you.”
( ^_^ ) ( ^_^ ) ( ^_^ ) ( ^_^ ) ( ^_^ )
Many years ago, I had this dream and awoke to my mom shaking me. When I told her about it, she said her grandmother once told her that you should never answer a voice calling to you in the night because it was Death.
When my children were young, I would shiver whenever they called out to me at night. After all, Death is tricky.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I love Halloween! My middle daughter has many dangerous food allergies, so Halloween can be tricky. Years ago, someone told me about the Switch Witch. Every year, my girls pick their favorite 10-15 pieces of candy and the rest gets left out for the Switch Witch. She then comes and takes the candy and leaves a little prize in its place.
What's your favorite part of Halloween?
Oh, and there's one day left to win a signed copy of Chasing Memories on Gin's blog. Find the giveaway here .
October 30, 2013
Shaking It Off: ROW80 & NaNo Prep
This week I am preparing for the start of
NaNoWriMo
on Friday. Only 2 days left!
Earlier today, I ran across this article on the UTopYA Facebook page:
10 Things That Should Never Stop You From Writing Your Story
. Just the encouragement I needed before busting out 50,000 words.
Of the ten, two struck my insecurity chord the most: fear of finishing and fear that someone else could tell it better.
I am an avid reader. For the most part, that makes me a better writer. But it also reminds me how much amazing talent is out there. Then, my insecurity beast rears his ugly head and starts picking away at my confidence.
As far as the fear of finishing, it's more of a fear of finishing well. I have very high expectations of my writing. My fear is that I re-read it in mid-December and not love it.
*shakes it off*
Okay, no time for insecurity right now. I need to focus on writing. After all, there's no book to fret over if I don't write it.
Today and tomorrow, my goal is to do as much pre-planning I can. My November goals for A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) are simple.
* Announce my updated word total
* Stay on top of my sponsorship duties
And to keep the insecurity monster at bay, I plan to write first each day. As a reward for doing that, I will play (whether it's a good book, a good movie/TV show, time with my kids) to rejuvenate. After all, all work and no play...
Earlier today, I ran across this article on the UTopYA Facebook page:
10 Things That Should Never Stop You From Writing Your Story
. Just the encouragement I needed before busting out 50,000 words.Of the ten, two struck my insecurity chord the most: fear of finishing and fear that someone else could tell it better.
I am an avid reader. For the most part, that makes me a better writer. But it also reminds me how much amazing talent is out there. Then, my insecurity beast rears his ugly head and starts picking away at my confidence.
As far as the fear of finishing, it's more of a fear of finishing well. I have very high expectations of my writing. My fear is that I re-read it in mid-December and not love it.
*shakes it off*
Okay, no time for insecurity right now. I need to focus on writing. After all, there's no book to fret over if I don't write it.
Today and tomorrow, my goal is to do as much pre-planning I can. My November goals for A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) are simple.
* Announce my updated word total
* Stay on top of my sponsorship duties
And to keep the insecurity monster at bay, I plan to write first each day. As a reward for doing that, I will play (whether it's a good book, a good movie/TV show, time with my kids) to rejuvenate. After all, all work and no play...
October 28, 2013
Nearing the Start: ROW80
SourceNovember 1 is Friday!I'm only slightly stressing out about writing 50,000 words in November for NaNoWriMo . Yes, I finished last year, but there's always one element that terrifies me more than any other... Life.
Life likes to toy with the best laid plans. I've tried to do as much as possible to ensure plenty of writing time, but...
* I do have three children and cold and flu season is approaching.
* I am going to New York City 11/2-5 to hang out with girlfriends and support a friend who is running the New York Marathon.
* My parents are coming out for Thanksgiving week, and it will be their first time in my CA home.
It's like when I run a race--I'm the most anxious waiting for it to begin. No matter how much you train, anything can happen on race day, and it always makes me queasy. But once the starting horn goes off, I settle in and have faith in my preparations.
Same for NaNo. I've pre-written blog posts, outlined plot points for my book, and cut down on any other commitments for the month. Now, I just need a bit of luck to go with my determination.
So, please wish me luck!
It's Monday, and time for my A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) update. Since I only blog Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I post my Sunday updates on Mondays.
My biggest goals for this week:
* Write a few more November posts.
* Set up my website.
* Cull through emails and to-dos.
Assuming you all enjoy sales as much as I do, Chasing Memories is only $2.99 on Kindle for a limited time (originally $3.99). So pick up a copy if you haven't, or gift a copy. The price will start later today.
October 25, 2013
Should Your Characters See a Psychiatrist?
Recently, I read a wonderful book with an interesting concept. A male writer seeks out a psychiatrist (who was also a writer) to help him figure out some problems with his main character.
It left me intrigued.
Reagan, my main character in the Tala Prophecy series, sees a psychiatrist in Chasing Memories. It was a fun way to have my character evaluated. But how much more fun would it be to go to a psychiatrist and talk about my character's (or characters') issues. Heck, I could even pretend to be my character... but before anyone thinks I've gone off the deep end, I'll stick with my first idea.
So, am I crazy or is this a really interesting idea?
Maybe a psychiatrist out there could start picking apart characters for writers. Just thinking out loud here. :-)
Oh, and the book was The Hourglass by Sharon Struth. Read the review here .
Of course, in The Hourglass, it turned out the character's issues were deeply rooted in the author's. So I guess the simpler solution would be for me to seek out therapy.
It left me intrigued.Reagan, my main character in the Tala Prophecy series, sees a psychiatrist in Chasing Memories. It was a fun way to have my character evaluated. But how much more fun would it be to go to a psychiatrist and talk about my character's (or characters') issues. Heck, I could even pretend to be my character... but before anyone thinks I've gone off the deep end, I'll stick with my first idea.
So, am I crazy or is this a really interesting idea?
Maybe a psychiatrist out there could start picking apart characters for writers. Just thinking out loud here. :-)
Oh, and the book was The Hourglass by Sharon Struth. Read the review here .
Of course, in The Hourglass, it turned out the character's issues were deeply rooted in the author's. So I guess the simpler solution would be for me to seek out therapy.
October 23, 2013
More Questions than Answers: ROW80
A very late Wednesday post for me.
My goal for the rest of this month is to do as much prep work as I can before November's
NaNoWriMo
. That includes pre-writing some posts and getting my commitments in order (I spent four hours yesterday weeding through emails and answering as necessary) in addition to writing down story ideas for my NaNo project.
I am a pantser. I'm okay with that, but it makes prep work difficult. Instead of outlining, I decided to just bullet point events I wanted to happen.
But then I ended up with more questions than answers.
I'd write down a plot point and then my mind would explode with...
If A happens, then B is affected and C makes no sense so D must happen before A and then Z might change.
To say the least, my brain is fried.
For now, I'm trying to make note of any questions that arise, and then deal with them as I'm writing--which is how I deal with plot issues/questions.
Any other suggestions for dealing with the mind-blowing questions?
I'll do a more thorough A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) check in on Monday. But I'm hoping all my ROW80 and NaNo buddies are getting along well.
Oh, and I would love more NaNo buddies. Find me here .
My goal for the rest of this month is to do as much prep work as I can before November's
NaNoWriMo
. That includes pre-writing some posts and getting my commitments in order (I spent four hours yesterday weeding through emails and answering as necessary) in addition to writing down story ideas for my NaNo project.I am a pantser. I'm okay with that, but it makes prep work difficult. Instead of outlining, I decided to just bullet point events I wanted to happen.
But then I ended up with more questions than answers.
I'd write down a plot point and then my mind would explode with...
If A happens, then B is affected and C makes no sense so D must happen before A and then Z might change.
To say the least, my brain is fried.
For now, I'm trying to make note of any questions that arise, and then deal with them as I'm writing--which is how I deal with plot issues/questions.
Any other suggestions for dealing with the mind-blowing questions?
I'll do a more thorough A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) check in on Monday. But I'm hoping all my ROW80 and NaNo buddies are getting along well.
Oh, and I would love more NaNo buddies. Find me here .
October 21, 2013
Faerie War Release Day Blitz & ROW80 Update
I'm thrilled to celebrate Rachel Morgan's release day blitz for The Faerie War today in addition to my ROW80 Update (bottom of post).
It's party time!!!
Today is the official online release of Rachel Morgan's third Creepy Hollow novel, The Faerie War. After that cliffhanger at the end of the second book, fans can finally find out what happens to Violet and everyone else in Creepy Hollow. If you'd like to get your copy, you can find it at the following online stores, plus a few others:
Amazon US | Amazon UKBarnes & NobleiTunesCreateSpace (print)
There are seven other teaser images displayed on various blogs today. If you'd like to see them, you can visit the following fabulous bloggers:
And there's a major giveaway going on!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*****
A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) Update
I have a few goals to focus on leading up to NaNo.
Outline at least 30 things I want to happen in my ms for use during NaNoWriMo (TiaBach, if you want to buddy me). Thanks to Kim Switzer for this idea. For more great ideas, please visit her NaNo Planning 2013 post. ---> So far I've made a list of 10 good events.Use #ROW80 word sprints (11amPST/2pmEST) to work on events and outlining for NaNo piece. ---> Plan to start today.Perform weekly ROW80 sponsor duties. ---> Will catch up later today.Get website set up. ---> On my to do list for tomorrow. Cull through emails and finish up to dos as necessary. ---> Made some progress on this last week. The problem is that to dos never stop flowing in, so it feels like a task that can never really be complete.Get Depression Cookies on Smashwords. ---> Will do this week.
Please take a moment and enter Rachel's giveaway above. You can win an eBook of Chasing Memories among other things.
It's party time!!! 
Today is the official online release of Rachel Morgan's third Creepy Hollow novel, The Faerie War. After that cliffhanger at the end of the second book, fans can finally find out what happens to Violet and everyone else in Creepy Hollow. If you'd like to get your copy, you can find it at the following online stores, plus a few others:Amazon US | Amazon UKBarnes & NobleiTunesCreateSpace (print)
There are seven other teaser images displayed on various blogs today. If you'd like to see them, you can visit the following fabulous bloggers:
And there's a major giveaway going on!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*****
A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) Update
I have a few goals to focus on leading up to NaNo.
Outline at least 30 things I want to happen in my ms for use during NaNoWriMo (TiaBach, if you want to buddy me). Thanks to Kim Switzer for this idea. For more great ideas, please visit her NaNo Planning 2013 post. ---> So far I've made a list of 10 good events.Use #ROW80 word sprints (11amPST/2pmEST) to work on events and outlining for NaNo piece. ---> Plan to start today.Perform weekly ROW80 sponsor duties. ---> Will catch up later today.Get website set up. ---> On my to do list for tomorrow. Cull through emails and finish up to dos as necessary. ---> Made some progress on this last week. The problem is that to dos never stop flowing in, so it feels like a task that can never really be complete.Get Depression Cookies on Smashwords. ---> Will do this week.
Please take a moment and enter Rachel's giveaway above. You can win an eBook of Chasing Memories among other things.
October 18, 2013
Death's Call: Death as a Character
As part of the Something Wicked Returns event, Ginny at
Gin's Book Notes
asked if I would write a guest post. One of the suggestions was to write about a spooky personal story. So I shared an eerie one about Death's call:
Never Answer Death's Call
.
I hope you'll stop by and read it. Plus, you can enter to win a signed paperback copy of Chasing Memories while you are there.
When I was writing the piece, I got to thinking... what books have featured Death as a character?
I loved The Book Thief, but that's the only one I could think of. Curiosity got the best of me, and I scoured the Internet. I was surprised to find only a few books claiming Death as a character: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 1) by Piers Anthony. Milton's Paradise Lost was also mentioned (but someone noted Death is only mentioned once).
Death seems like such an intriguing character to me. So, what am I missing... are there other books with Death as a character?
Also, if you haven't had a chance, please stop by and listen to my YAPodcast (Episode 13) . In addition to talking about the young adult genre, I answered questions about how I pick my characters' names and what inspired Chasing Memories. Plus, I read the prologue.
I hope you'll stop by and read it. Plus, you can enter to win a signed paperback copy of Chasing Memories while you are there.
When I was writing the piece, I got to thinking... what books have featured Death as a character?
I loved The Book Thief, but that's the only one I could think of. Curiosity got the best of me, and I scoured the Internet. I was surprised to find only a few books claiming Death as a character: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and On a Pale Horse (Incarnations of Immortality, Book 1) by Piers Anthony. Milton's Paradise Lost was also mentioned (but someone noted Death is only mentioned once).
Death seems like such an intriguing character to me. So, what am I missing... are there other books with Death as a character?
Also, if you haven't had a chance, please stop by and listen to my YAPodcast (Episode 13) . In addition to talking about the young adult genre, I answered questions about how I pick my characters' names and what inspired Chasing Memories. Plus, I read the prologue.
