J.R. Pearse Nelson's Blog, page 26
July 25, 2012
Mid-Week Update: Once More With Feeling
I'm writing today. I took the day off, with the sole purpose of going through my Queen Witch manuscript from head to toe -- inserting the final scenes I've written, nailing the transitions, and in general making this draft as polished as possible. It will be so nice when this book is done. lol. But I have a final edit ahead of me, then betas, clearing up any issues that emerge, and then a last read through. Any of you who aren't writers must be getting bored by now. And if I didn't talk to and read blogs written by a lot of other writers, I might have completely lost my mind by now. So thank you writer friends, for keeping me somewhat sane. :)
I know some of you will recognize the title of this post, and get what I'm referring to, besides the seemingly eternal editing process. And for you, here's a wayback playback from Buffy the Musical (a.k.a. Once More With Feeling). As an aside: Once I watched this video, I just wanted to sit and watch all the songs from this musical episode of Buffy. And then I wanted to watch the episode. But I'm an Angel girl right now (just started re-watching the second season).
I hope everyone has a productive week. Or that you're on vacation at a beach somewhere, getting the most out of unproductive writing days. :)
I know some of you will recognize the title of this post, and get what I'm referring to, besides the seemingly eternal editing process. And for you, here's a wayback playback from Buffy the Musical (a.k.a. Once More With Feeling). As an aside: Once I watched this video, I just wanted to sit and watch all the songs from this musical episode of Buffy. And then I wanted to watch the episode. But I'm an Angel girl right now (just started re-watching the second season).
I hope everyone has a productive week. Or that you're on vacation at a beach somewhere, getting the most out of unproductive writing days. :)
July 22, 2012
Sunday Update: Finished Writing New Scenes!
Major accomplishment this week! I'm done writing all of the scenes I invented during my last (incredibly brutal) edit. It only took me two writing days, which was great, since that's all I had this week. :)
Monday I wrote 700 words, and Friday I wrote all the way to the finish line -- 1,700 words! That's NaNo pace.
Speaking of NaNo, I'm considering participating this November. I completed the 50,000 words to "win" in 2009, but the result was a disjointed piece of crap I would never call a novel. Good ideas, but not enough of them to keep the plot moving, and too little time spent up front on the magical structure and plot. This time around, I'd be writing the sequel to Queen Witch, which I have plotted out already. But I should probably focus on publishing the two books I've already written before I get all excited about hammering out a first draft of another novel in November. Maybe the idea will light a fire in me to see Queen Witch through to publication FASTER, and get on to editing my novella Flight.
You know how one tangent leads to another? Well, speaking of Flight in particular and my Children of the Sidhe in general -- I made more progress on the outlines for the final two books, Descent and Shield. I'm going crazy with excitement to draft Descent in August. That's the first thing I thought about when I finished my last Queen Witch scene. Now I can start writing Descent! But I have a little more plotting to do, and will focus on that some more this week.
I'm taking Wednesday off of work to finalize this draft of Queen Witch. I plan to order my print copy to edit by the end of that day.
Good luck with your goals this week, ROWers and other writing friends!
Monday I wrote 700 words, and Friday I wrote all the way to the finish line -- 1,700 words! That's NaNo pace.
Speaking of NaNo, I'm considering participating this November. I completed the 50,000 words to "win" in 2009, but the result was a disjointed piece of crap I would never call a novel. Good ideas, but not enough of them to keep the plot moving, and too little time spent up front on the magical structure and plot. This time around, I'd be writing the sequel to Queen Witch, which I have plotted out already. But I should probably focus on publishing the two books I've already written before I get all excited about hammering out a first draft of another novel in November. Maybe the idea will light a fire in me to see Queen Witch through to publication FASTER, and get on to editing my novella Flight.
You know how one tangent leads to another? Well, speaking of Flight in particular and my Children of the Sidhe in general -- I made more progress on the outlines for the final two books, Descent and Shield. I'm going crazy with excitement to draft Descent in August. That's the first thing I thought about when I finished my last Queen Witch scene. Now I can start writing Descent! But I have a little more plotting to do, and will focus on that some more this week.
I'm taking Wednesday off of work to finalize this draft of Queen Witch. I plan to order my print copy to edit by the end of that day.
Good luck with your goals this week, ROWers and other writing friends!
July 17, 2012
For Writers: You've Finished Editing ... What Comes Next?
After Sunday's post on editing, I'm going to offer some information about the next step -- the possibilities (there are many!) for getting your work out once you've completed it. If any other writers or publishing professionals want to add their advice in the comments, or send me a link to their own posts on this topic at jrpearsenelson@gmail.com, I'd be happy to add links to the end of this post.
In the digital age, the possibilities for getting your work out there are practically endless. You could:start a blog and include excerpts and free reads therepost stories and excerpts on Goodreads and many other sites offering free readsenter contests and submit work for anthologiespursue self-publishingpursue a more traditional agent-to-publisher or straight-to-publisher routeAny combination of these styles may work for you. One style may be perfect for one of your projects, and a different style could work wonderfully for something else you’re working on. We shouldn’t feel limited to one track – because we aren’t.
Make sure you wait to move forward on any publication plan until you believe with all you have that your work is ready. That includes making use of authors’ services companies if you don't have a good handle on the area of editing/formatting/cover art. There are many companies and independent contractors out there. But do careful research and be careful what you pay. Some companies have cropped up that offer services you can easily complete on your own, or by networking and asking other authors. Make sure you understand what’s included and how much you'll pay when you contract for services.
For those who choose independent publishing, there are many decisions to make! It's super exciting! Do you want to publish in ebook form, or in hard copy, or both? Have you always wanted to hold your book in your hand, or are you looking for the widest reach?
I have not yet pursued publication in hard copy form. From what I hear, the formatting for paperbacks can be ... difficult. But not insurmountable. (This is an area I need to dig into further before I publish Queen Witch, so I shall do more research and probably another post in the future. Advice anyone??)
There are several established companies that offer different approaches to the self-publishing process. For example, Lulu.com makes it possible to publish for free in print (on demand, so you don't pay for copies that then sit in your garage) and ebook form. They also offer additional services that range from editing to cover design to marketing. Those are fee for service offerings. They also sell books from their site, and distribute to the biggies, like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple. Their approach is flexible and tailored to the author's needs, and they offer a wide range of sizes for paperbacks.
Each site is going to have it's own system for formatting/distribution/other offerings. This is a brave new world, and innovative business models give us all a better chance at success.
what’s my advice on what to pay for and what can be done on your own? This is a matter of being honest about what skills you possess, and where your work would be strengthened by another set of eyes or a different skill set.
Graphic design is my biggy. I’m completely willing to pay for a cover. Prices are reasonable, and I do not have the slightest clue about graphic design. Just learning would cost far more in my time than it would save me – not to mention the hassle that’s saved by buying my covers. Ask authors you like where they got their cover art.
Many writers will want to pay an editor to at least proofread their work. A second pair of eyes is absolutely essential. Writers with solid self-editing skills may get by with beta readers. But be honest with yourself, because this is your product you're talking about. Depending on the scope of the project, the editing help you need may vary. Editing can be costly, because good editors make a living wage.
Formatting, especially if your book contains images or special formatting, and not just text, might also cost you.
Writers Beware!! Don’t pay for someone else to upload your ebooks to Amazon, Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, PubIt!, or anywhere else when you can do it yourself, without careful thought. I've heard of companies charging hundreds of dollars to do what takes me about two hours (and I hear I'm slow). Remember that these retailer sites make it simple to publish ebooks. Your success is their success. It might mean learning some new skills, that is true. But what happens when you want to make a simple change, or even change your price, and you don’t know the systems you’ve independently published through? It is worth the time investment to do these steps on your own, in my humble opinion.
The options will only continue to increase as the digital age progresses. Times have never been brighter for writers. So get out there and pursue your dream! And remember to chime in if you have something to add to the conversation. :)
In the digital age, the possibilities for getting your work out there are practically endless. You could:start a blog and include excerpts and free reads therepost stories and excerpts on Goodreads and many other sites offering free readsenter contests and submit work for anthologiespursue self-publishingpursue a more traditional agent-to-publisher or straight-to-publisher routeAny combination of these styles may work for you. One style may be perfect for one of your projects, and a different style could work wonderfully for something else you’re working on. We shouldn’t feel limited to one track – because we aren’t.
Make sure you wait to move forward on any publication plan until you believe with all you have that your work is ready. That includes making use of authors’ services companies if you don't have a good handle on the area of editing/formatting/cover art. There are many companies and independent contractors out there. But do careful research and be careful what you pay. Some companies have cropped up that offer services you can easily complete on your own, or by networking and asking other authors. Make sure you understand what’s included and how much you'll pay when you contract for services.
For those who choose independent publishing, there are many decisions to make! It's super exciting! Do you want to publish in ebook form, or in hard copy, or both? Have you always wanted to hold your book in your hand, or are you looking for the widest reach?
I have not yet pursued publication in hard copy form. From what I hear, the formatting for paperbacks can be ... difficult. But not insurmountable. (This is an area I need to dig into further before I publish Queen Witch, so I shall do more research and probably another post in the future. Advice anyone??)
There are several established companies that offer different approaches to the self-publishing process. For example, Lulu.com makes it possible to publish for free in print (on demand, so you don't pay for copies that then sit in your garage) and ebook form. They also offer additional services that range from editing to cover design to marketing. Those are fee for service offerings. They also sell books from their site, and distribute to the biggies, like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple. Their approach is flexible and tailored to the author's needs, and they offer a wide range of sizes for paperbacks.
Each site is going to have it's own system for formatting/distribution/other offerings. This is a brave new world, and innovative business models give us all a better chance at success.
what’s my advice on what to pay for and what can be done on your own? This is a matter of being honest about what skills you possess, and where your work would be strengthened by another set of eyes or a different skill set.
Graphic design is my biggy. I’m completely willing to pay for a cover. Prices are reasonable, and I do not have the slightest clue about graphic design. Just learning would cost far more in my time than it would save me – not to mention the hassle that’s saved by buying my covers. Ask authors you like where they got their cover art.
Many writers will want to pay an editor to at least proofread their work. A second pair of eyes is absolutely essential. Writers with solid self-editing skills may get by with beta readers. But be honest with yourself, because this is your product you're talking about. Depending on the scope of the project, the editing help you need may vary. Editing can be costly, because good editors make a living wage.
Formatting, especially if your book contains images or special formatting, and not just text, might also cost you.
Writers Beware!! Don’t pay for someone else to upload your ebooks to Amazon, Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, PubIt!, or anywhere else when you can do it yourself, without careful thought. I've heard of companies charging hundreds of dollars to do what takes me about two hours (and I hear I'm slow). Remember that these retailer sites make it simple to publish ebooks. Your success is their success. It might mean learning some new skills, that is true. But what happens when you want to make a simple change, or even change your price, and you don’t know the systems you’ve independently published through? It is worth the time investment to do these steps on your own, in my humble opinion.
The options will only continue to increase as the digital age progresses. Times have never been brighter for writers. So get out there and pursue your dream! And remember to chime in if you have something to add to the conversation. :)
July 15, 2012
For Writers: What Does Editing Mean to You?
A reader asked after my last post about editing. Specifically, what advice do I have for writers who have finished a book, but are stuck at the first edit? Other writers, please chime in by leaving a comment, or write your own post on the topic and let us know about it in the comments. This could be a good chain for all of us. :)
Here's my two cents on editing.
In my opinion, editing takes as much practice as writing. I started learning by paying close attention to what made the books I love work for me. Then I started editing at work, so I've spent six to ten hours a week for the last five years editing economics articles, papers, and reports. When I was ready to edit my first novel, I floundered. Okay, so this was right after I took the professional editing gig. Editing for work will really loosen you up. Working in a critique group or beta swap where you edit each other's work might help, too. Sorry for the tangent, back to my main point. The fact is, that first novel is still in a drawer. I took a look at it the other day (and I think that's the subject for yet another post).
After writing a novel during NaNoWriMo in 2009, I read up on story structure. Check out Larry Brooks at storyfix.com. Buy one of his books. Or all of them. They're very useful. I print copies of some of his diagrams as I'm plotting each project.
The editing will depend on what your story needs. If the plot is solid but it just doesn't feel there yet, you might end up adding sensory detail, working in more details from the character's backstory to establish motivation, finding places you can show something instead of telling it, adding meat to some of the other characters and their backstories...the possibilities are really endless.
Maybe I should talk a little about editing vs. revision. They are different. Editing is engaging the critical mind and really tearing something apart, making sure everything has a reason, the logic is sound, and the piece is written as smoothly and coherently as possible. Revision is the work it takes to fix the problems you found while editing. As an editor, I make a lot of simple changes to improve the plot's flow; correct grammar, spelling and punctuation; and trim unnecessary words and phrases. The bigger picture stuff requires me to put on a strange combo of writer/editor hat -- often many new words are needed (that's the writer) but they have to be exactly the right words (that's the editor). So revising takes me a fair amount of time.
This novel I'm working on needed something drastic. I started by listing every scene backward, with one sentence about it's purpose. Then I thought long and hard about the entire mid-section, because I felt like the timing/age/pace was off. Once I had a good idea what I was cutting, I pulled that stuff out into a "scrap" document. (I don't delete large sections. Bad idea.) Then I re-examined what I had left, went back to that backwards outline, figured out how to tell the story I needed without being boring, added back in some of the things I'd cut, and determined what additional scenes I needed to write. It's been painful. Really painful at points. But I love the story, and I've worked on different parts of the plot since 2004 -- so this thing was coming out of me one way or another. I want it to be beautiful, awkward, and one hundred percent itself.
Other writers, please chime in with advice for someone working on editing their first book. I know I'm eager to hear what others have to say about this topic, because we all do things differently.
Here's my two cents on editing.
In my opinion, editing takes as much practice as writing. I started learning by paying close attention to what made the books I love work for me. Then I started editing at work, so I've spent six to ten hours a week for the last five years editing economics articles, papers, and reports. When I was ready to edit my first novel, I floundered. Okay, so this was right after I took the professional editing gig. Editing for work will really loosen you up. Working in a critique group or beta swap where you edit each other's work might help, too. Sorry for the tangent, back to my main point. The fact is, that first novel is still in a drawer. I took a look at it the other day (and I think that's the subject for yet another post).
After writing a novel during NaNoWriMo in 2009, I read up on story structure. Check out Larry Brooks at storyfix.com. Buy one of his books. Or all of them. They're very useful. I print copies of some of his diagrams as I'm plotting each project.
The editing will depend on what your story needs. If the plot is solid but it just doesn't feel there yet, you might end up adding sensory detail, working in more details from the character's backstory to establish motivation, finding places you can show something instead of telling it, adding meat to some of the other characters and their backstories...the possibilities are really endless.
Maybe I should talk a little about editing vs. revision. They are different. Editing is engaging the critical mind and really tearing something apart, making sure everything has a reason, the logic is sound, and the piece is written as smoothly and coherently as possible. Revision is the work it takes to fix the problems you found while editing. As an editor, I make a lot of simple changes to improve the plot's flow; correct grammar, spelling and punctuation; and trim unnecessary words and phrases. The bigger picture stuff requires me to put on a strange combo of writer/editor hat -- often many new words are needed (that's the writer) but they have to be exactly the right words (that's the editor). So revising takes me a fair amount of time.
This novel I'm working on needed something drastic. I started by listing every scene backward, with one sentence about it's purpose. Then I thought long and hard about the entire mid-section, because I felt like the timing/age/pace was off. Once I had a good idea what I was cutting, I pulled that stuff out into a "scrap" document. (I don't delete large sections. Bad idea.) Then I re-examined what I had left, went back to that backwards outline, figured out how to tell the story I needed without being boring, added back in some of the things I'd cut, and determined what additional scenes I needed to write. It's been painful. Really painful at points. But I love the story, and I've worked on different parts of the plot since 2004 -- so this thing was coming out of me one way or another. I want it to be beautiful, awkward, and one hundred percent itself.
Other writers, please chime in with advice for someone working on editing their first book. I know I'm eager to hear what others have to say about this topic, because we all do things differently.
Sunday Update: Super Productive Weekend
Yay! The title was very nice to write. As you may already know, I took a break for pretty much the last three weeks as I prepared for a friend's wedding, vacationed with the family, and got my head around the final stages of revision on Queen Witch. My head is there, baby! Now it's a matter of clearing the time to finish up. Of course finishing revision doesn't mean the book will be finished. I'm going to print out another copy and do another complete paper round of edits, incorporate those into the electronic manuscript, get beta input, incorporate changes... but I'm so ready to get this book into the world!
If you're interested in being a beta reader for Queen Witch, a fantasy novel about a witch forced to serve an immortal who does not have her best interests in mind, please write to me at jrpearsenelson@gmail.com. I love my current betas, but I could use a few more. I'm excited about this book, and I'm looking forward to opinions from other writers and readers before the release. For one, I'm not quite sure how to classify it. I know it's fantasy, but it isn't exactly urban... It has a modern setting, a seedy underbelly in the form of a controlling family of witches, and an immortal breeding witches over centuries to serve her purposes. It might just be fantasy, but as I said, a few more opinions would be very helpful. :)
My progress since Wednesday (actually since Friday, since I didn't write Wednesday or Thursday):
Friday - 500 words
Saturday - 2,200 words (Thank you, hubby, for taking the kids out!)
Sunday - 600 words, so far. :)
Another week like this and I'll have all of the scenes finished. I'm thinking about a vacation day soon so I can tidy up the manuscript before I print it. I want it to be as final as I can make it before I print and edit the paper copy.
In other news of the Foulweather Twin series: I cleaned up the chapter outline for Chaos Calling, the second and final Foulweather novel. I can't wait to write it, but also can't see fitting it in before 2013. What a pickle. :( I also have a short story (or novella) outlined, featuring the immortals the Queen of Peace and her arch-rival the Prince of Chaos, two hundred years before the Foulweather Twins.
I also spent time this week on the outline for the fourth Children of the Sidhe novella. I still have books four and five to write in this series. Book three is waiting for revision. I will start writing book four August first. I may try to be a maniac and write the whole novella in August. That would be 1,000 words per day. I can do it; that's the way I wrote Vessel in May 2011. You can look back on my blog posts on that experience here. And I'm super-di-duper excited about writing this one. I've always loved the characters and it's their turn for some action!
So that's enough of this lunatic writer's ranting for one Sunday morning. Two weeks in and looking good -- ROW on, people!
If you're interested in being a beta reader for Queen Witch, a fantasy novel about a witch forced to serve an immortal who does not have her best interests in mind, please write to me at jrpearsenelson@gmail.com. I love my current betas, but I could use a few more. I'm excited about this book, and I'm looking forward to opinions from other writers and readers before the release. For one, I'm not quite sure how to classify it. I know it's fantasy, but it isn't exactly urban... It has a modern setting, a seedy underbelly in the form of a controlling family of witches, and an immortal breeding witches over centuries to serve her purposes. It might just be fantasy, but as I said, a few more opinions would be very helpful. :)
My progress since Wednesday (actually since Friday, since I didn't write Wednesday or Thursday):
Friday - 500 words
Saturday - 2,200 words (Thank you, hubby, for taking the kids out!)
Sunday - 600 words, so far. :)
Another week like this and I'll have all of the scenes finished. I'm thinking about a vacation day soon so I can tidy up the manuscript before I print it. I want it to be as final as I can make it before I print and edit the paper copy.
In other news of the Foulweather Twin series: I cleaned up the chapter outline for Chaos Calling, the second and final Foulweather novel. I can't wait to write it, but also can't see fitting it in before 2013. What a pickle. :( I also have a short story (or novella) outlined, featuring the immortals the Queen of Peace and her arch-rival the Prince of Chaos, two hundred years before the Foulweather Twins.
I also spent time this week on the outline for the fourth Children of the Sidhe novella. I still have books four and five to write in this series. Book three is waiting for revision. I will start writing book four August first. I may try to be a maniac and write the whole novella in August. That would be 1,000 words per day. I can do it; that's the way I wrote Vessel in May 2011. You can look back on my blog posts on that experience here. And I'm super-di-duper excited about writing this one. I've always loved the characters and it's their turn for some action!
So that's enough of this lunatic writer's ranting for one Sunday morning. Two weeks in and looking good -- ROW on, people!
July 10, 2012
Mid-Week Update: Back to Business
Ever have that feeling you need a vacation from your vacation? That's the way it hit me today as I returned to work, with the house looking like a clothes/toys bomb went off, and far too little sleep.
I married off my dear friend on Saturday, and it was truly an amazing day. My husband did an awesome job with the ceremony (he officiated -- his first wedding), and the whole event was just their style. We met up with so many friends it was absolutely unreal. The kind of situation where I look around and realize how many wonderful people I'm connected with. I am one lucky woman.
I'm excited to have a little more head space for writing the rest of the summer, because I've been working on one aspect of the wedding or another for several months ... in all of my grand amounts of spare time.
So what did I accomplish with the most days off in a row since I returned from my last maternity leave? Let me give it to you straight: I did not write a single word on my vacation. I know that's okay. I needed the vacation desperately. And like I said before, now I need a vacation from my vacation.
But seriously, I must get back to business. In the next couple of weeks I will finish the final scenes of Queen Witch. Then I will print a copy of Flight and start editing and revising that. And starting August 1, I'll be drafting Descent. Somewhere in there I will edit the remaining two stories in my short story collection and publish the collection.
That be the plan. I hope all of my fellow ROWers have achieved more since the starting line than I have. :)
I married off my dear friend on Saturday, and it was truly an amazing day. My husband did an awesome job with the ceremony (he officiated -- his first wedding), and the whole event was just their style. We met up with so many friends it was absolutely unreal. The kind of situation where I look around and realize how many wonderful people I'm connected with. I am one lucky woman.
I'm excited to have a little more head space for writing the rest of the summer, because I've been working on one aspect of the wedding or another for several months ... in all of my grand amounts of spare time.
So what did I accomplish with the most days off in a row since I returned from my last maternity leave? Let me give it to you straight: I did not write a single word on my vacation. I know that's okay. I needed the vacation desperately. And like I said before, now I need a vacation from my vacation.
But seriously, I must get back to business. In the next couple of weeks I will finish the final scenes of Queen Witch. Then I will print a copy of Flight and start editing and revising that. And starting August 1, I'll be drafting Descent. Somewhere in there I will edit the remaining two stories in my short story collection and publish the collection.
That be the plan. I hope all of my fellow ROWers have achieved more since the starting line than I have. :)
July 4, 2012
Happy 4th of July! (and ROW80 update)
It's Independence Day! Let's celebrate!
Are you doing fireworks this year? It's been years since I bought a single firework. For one, I just can't afford to do something literally one step away from lighting my five-dollar bills on fire. For another, I've been pregnant or had babies for the past four summers -- which means I'm dog tired by dark, quite frankly. Stay up after dark to hear a multitude of loud noises and stand in crowds? No thank you.
My dog is also one terrified pooch when it comes to fireworks, and we started hearing the nightly fireworks in our neighborhood last Friday. Seriously. Apparently some people need six nights of fireworks. And I never saw this before I moved to this neighborhood. But it really scares my dog, and he's been cowering in the bathroom at night. When I go to bed, he's so thankful when I move his bed close to my side and he can be as close to me as possible. It's serious stress for an animal that doesn't understand what all those loud noises are. I understand it's entertaining, but it is also dangerous and LOUD. Okay, I'll quit complaining now, it's out of my system.
Today we're going over the mountains and through the woods to Bend to visit my mother-in-law and marry off one of my best friends. It will be a busy trip, tons of family & friend fun, and a great opportunity for my kids to spend time with their Mimi. We'll come home on Monday.
On the writing side, I've copied over the handful of scenes in Queen Witch that still need work, and now I have that available on my iPad so that I can work on it when I have time. I may get some good writing time in the mornings, because my kids will have their grandparents and my husband to play with -- all of whom are supportive of my writing endeavors. Yay! I'll update you when I return on the status of that project. I don't plan another update until next Wednesday, though I will try to check in on other's blogs during my vacation. Have a great week, peeps!
Are you doing fireworks this year? It's been years since I bought a single firework. For one, I just can't afford to do something literally one step away from lighting my five-dollar bills on fire. For another, I've been pregnant or had babies for the past four summers -- which means I'm dog tired by dark, quite frankly. Stay up after dark to hear a multitude of loud noises and stand in crowds? No thank you.
My dog is also one terrified pooch when it comes to fireworks, and we started hearing the nightly fireworks in our neighborhood last Friday. Seriously. Apparently some people need six nights of fireworks. And I never saw this before I moved to this neighborhood. But it really scares my dog, and he's been cowering in the bathroom at night. When I go to bed, he's so thankful when I move his bed close to my side and he can be as close to me as possible. It's serious stress for an animal that doesn't understand what all those loud noises are. I understand it's entertaining, but it is also dangerous and LOUD. Okay, I'll quit complaining now, it's out of my system.
Today we're going over the mountains and through the woods to Bend to visit my mother-in-law and marry off one of my best friends. It will be a busy trip, tons of family & friend fun, and a great opportunity for my kids to spend time with their Mimi. We'll come home on Monday.
On the writing side, I've copied over the handful of scenes in Queen Witch that still need work, and now I have that available on my iPad so that I can work on it when I have time. I may get some good writing time in the mornings, because my kids will have their grandparents and my husband to play with -- all of whom are supportive of my writing endeavors. Yay! I'll update you when I return on the status of that project. I don't plan another update until next Wednesday, though I will try to check in on other's blogs during my vacation. Have a great week, peeps!
July 3, 2012
Gardening & Child's Play
I'm enjoying a little vacation from writing. Not that my mind isn't straying to my stories -- I'm just not clearing time as I usually do to make room for writing. After my friend's wedding on July 7th I'll be back in the swing of things.
For now, check out this beautiful flower blooming in my backyard. It's a hosta. (Or something.) We planted it two years ago (a transplant from my mother's garden; she of the greenest thumb). It only blooms once a year, and this is our first opportunity to enjoy it. Last year, my then eight-month-old daughter tore off the single spire when I bent down to let her look at it. That made me heartsick, and I knew I had to wait a year to see the flowers. This glorious display makes up for it. :)
It's been a slow start to the vegetable garden. Actually, one garden bed is doing great -- we already have more lettuce than we can use, spinach, cilantro, and the cucumbers are blooming. The other garden was started with seeds less than a month ago (late start, I know). I'm hoping in a few weeks we'll be happier with the growth there. It's always shocking how quickly plants grow when the weather finally warms up; you can often see the changes every day.
Our strawberry patch has produced a handful of berries for the kids to enjoy each evening for the past couple of weeks, and it looks like it will continue for a while. Sidenote: when I was a kid, my parents had a big yard (well, a quarter acre inside Portland is considered big) with mature apple, plum and cherry trees; blueberries; and a big vegetable garden. I grew up foraging for my snacks, and I strongly believe in kids eating fresh fruit from their own land, or grown with their help, if at all possible. It fosters a connection with our roots that you just don't get picking produce at the grocery store, or even at a farmer's market.
One of the most exciting changes in our family this year is the young one's independence. She loves to be outside, and is perfectly content to play on her own a lot of the time out there. At one and a half, she needs a constant eye, but I can garden, or even clean the kitchen if she's in a spot where I can see her. This is major!
Watering the kids has become a nightly tradition, at least if it's not raining. After dinner, we go outside and play; slides, chalk, bubbles, hopscotch. When it's almost time for bed, we water the garden, and both kids want to get in front of the hose, or make rain. These are fun times. I haven't had so much fun just enjoying life since I was a kid.
This summer is going to fly by, and the next one will be completely different. I'm going to appreciate every day.
For now, check out this beautiful flower blooming in my backyard. It's a hosta. (Or something.) We planted it two years ago (a transplant from my mother's garden; she of the greenest thumb). It only blooms once a year, and this is our first opportunity to enjoy it. Last year, my then eight-month-old daughter tore off the single spire when I bent down to let her look at it. That made me heartsick, and I knew I had to wait a year to see the flowers. This glorious display makes up for it. :)
It's been a slow start to the vegetable garden. Actually, one garden bed is doing great -- we already have more lettuce than we can use, spinach, cilantro, and the cucumbers are blooming. The other garden was started with seeds less than a month ago (late start, I know). I'm hoping in a few weeks we'll be happier with the growth there. It's always shocking how quickly plants grow when the weather finally warms up; you can often see the changes every day.
Our strawberry patch has produced a handful of berries for the kids to enjoy each evening for the past couple of weeks, and it looks like it will continue for a while. Sidenote: when I was a kid, my parents had a big yard (well, a quarter acre inside Portland is considered big) with mature apple, plum and cherry trees; blueberries; and a big vegetable garden. I grew up foraging for my snacks, and I strongly believe in kids eating fresh fruit from their own land, or grown with their help, if at all possible. It fosters a connection with our roots that you just don't get picking produce at the grocery store, or even at a farmer's market.
One of the most exciting changes in our family this year is the young one's independence. She loves to be outside, and is perfectly content to play on her own a lot of the time out there. At one and a half, she needs a constant eye, but I can garden, or even clean the kitchen if she's in a spot where I can see her. This is major!
Watering the kids has become a nightly tradition, at least if it's not raining. After dinner, we go outside and play; slides, chalk, bubbles, hopscotch. When it's almost time for bed, we water the garden, and both kids want to get in front of the hose, or make rain. These are fun times. I haven't had so much fun just enjoying life since I was a kid.
This summer is going to fly by, and the next one will be completely different. I'm going to appreciate every day.
July 1, 2012
Round of Words Goals Post
It's time to start the third round of Round of Words in Eighty Days, the writing challenge that knows you have a life. In this challenge, each writer works toward their own goals
Last round, I set a singular goal; revising the first draft of my novel Queen Witch. While I made major progress, I still have a bit to go to finish that one. I don't think having a singular goal helped my productivity level. The truth is, these different writing stages take different parts of the brain -- they're just separate processes. I seem to accomplish more overall when I'm working on multiple projects.
And that brings me to my goals for round three:
1) My first goal for this round is to finish revisions on my novel Queen Witch. I'll have this done by July 15.
2) I'll publish my short story collection, The Harshands and Eternal Summer, in late July. This is another hold over that I thought I'd get to in May, but still haven't.
3) Next I need to get back to the Children of the Sidhe paranormal romance series. My second goal is to print and revise Flight, the third novella in that series. I'll work on this starting July 15, including going through the first draft on paper, editing and revising, and adding notes and details for any new scenes; then writing any new scenes; and finally incorporating all of these changes into the electronic manuscript. Flight will not go back on the shelf (well, maybe for a couple of weeks...). After these revisions, it's straight into editing, sending to betas, and publishing in round four.
4) Finally, while I'm still in the revision stage of two projects, I can't wait to write something new. The fourth Children of the Sidhe novella is swirling in my mind, and I'll only be able to contain that for so long. So August 1 I'll start drafting that novella, Descent. I can't wait to write the characters in this book.
I can't wait to see what everyone else is working on this summer. Good luck to all of my writer friends partaking in the challenge. :)
Last round, I set a singular goal; revising the first draft of my novel Queen Witch. While I made major progress, I still have a bit to go to finish that one. I don't think having a singular goal helped my productivity level. The truth is, these different writing stages take different parts of the brain -- they're just separate processes. I seem to accomplish more overall when I'm working on multiple projects.
And that brings me to my goals for round three:
1) My first goal for this round is to finish revisions on my novel Queen Witch. I'll have this done by July 15.
2) I'll publish my short story collection, The Harshands and Eternal Summer, in late July. This is another hold over that I thought I'd get to in May, but still haven't.
3) Next I need to get back to the Children of the Sidhe paranormal romance series. My second goal is to print and revise Flight, the third novella in that series. I'll work on this starting July 15, including going through the first draft on paper, editing and revising, and adding notes and details for any new scenes; then writing any new scenes; and finally incorporating all of these changes into the electronic manuscript. Flight will not go back on the shelf (well, maybe for a couple of weeks...). After these revisions, it's straight into editing, sending to betas, and publishing in round four.
4) Finally, while I'm still in the revision stage of two projects, I can't wait to write something new. The fourth Children of the Sidhe novella is swirling in my mind, and I'll only be able to contain that for so long. So August 1 I'll start drafting that novella, Descent. I can't wait to write the characters in this book.
I can't wait to see what everyone else is working on this summer. Good luck to all of my writer friends partaking in the challenge. :)
June 23, 2012
The Story of My Life
Alrighty whippersnapper. (That's me talking to me.) Time to get that rear in gear.
So ... who never managed to do a ROW80 close-out post? Who? That's right; me. I don't even think I'll add it to the linky tool, because I doubt anyone goes back to it. However, I also don't want to start getting emails from my writer friends asking if I'm okay. I am fine. I'm just not sure how to close out this particular round ... Where am I again?
Here we go: I had a singular goal for Round 2 of ROW80, and that was revising my novel Queen Witch. I made great progress ... but I'm still not done. I have three scenes left to write, and the final third of the novel to edit on this round of revisions. I'm a tad disappointed in that, but I also need a break. And that's what I'm doing now. I'm on a nice little break. :)
What have I been up to? it's obviously not writing, reading, blogging. Not folding laundry or cleaning or cooking (although I think I'll whip up some bbq pork and cookies later ... maybe I'll get back to this, but I'm home alone tonight with my youngest -- the first time we've ever been totally alone overnight. She's napping now, so I'm typing fast since I've been meaning to do this post since Wednesday. lol. Aren't long parenthetical statements terrible?).
My friend's wedding is in two weeks! Eek! We've been going nuts with parties. I have many, many stories and can not type fast enough. I'm skipping updating you on the bridal shower, 'cause that was pretty tame.
Last Saturday night was the bachelorette party. My husband gave me very helpful tips on packing for Who Knows What. (Like I never did all-nighters before I had kids? Sheesh.) I packed a lot. And that was good. We started out at one of the bridesmaid's houses -- a very cute 1940s, very Southeast Portland place. She throws a mean party, and her husband is one hell of a bartender. Fun was had, including many snacks in penis shapes, and t-shirts made by another bridesmaid. Mine was purple. Rock on! And on the back it read "Maid of Dishonor." I. Loved. It. We went out in downtown Portland, to Kells, which is a great bar, and then to a tiny dive called Tube. That is where I left my credit card (bad news, not so smart, comes with it's own stories but this post is too long). The bridesmaid who hosted was ready for bed, but several of us partied on, and ended up crashing at the bride's house. Her hubby-to-be made us a bed in the living room, which we could see him doing from the pizza joint across the street, even though it was after two a.m. Because that friend, too, lives in a very cool, very Southeast Portland location. When I woke up in the morning, the terror began. I'd meant to sleep at the other house so I'd have my car. I stewed for a bit. No one else was up. I texted my hubby. I slept a little longer. I woke up and stewed some more ... and then eureka! The light-bulb went on. I was only 0.9 miles from my car. So I hoofed it there and made it home. End of story.
And that's all I have time for because the kiddo is waking up. Hope everyone has a happy Saturday! I'm going to do the Mom thing. :)
So ... who never managed to do a ROW80 close-out post? Who? That's right; me. I don't even think I'll add it to the linky tool, because I doubt anyone goes back to it. However, I also don't want to start getting emails from my writer friends asking if I'm okay. I am fine. I'm just not sure how to close out this particular round ... Where am I again?
Here we go: I had a singular goal for Round 2 of ROW80, and that was revising my novel Queen Witch. I made great progress ... but I'm still not done. I have three scenes left to write, and the final third of the novel to edit on this round of revisions. I'm a tad disappointed in that, but I also need a break. And that's what I'm doing now. I'm on a nice little break. :)
What have I been up to? it's obviously not writing, reading, blogging. Not folding laundry or cleaning or cooking (although I think I'll whip up some bbq pork and cookies later ... maybe I'll get back to this, but I'm home alone tonight with my youngest -- the first time we've ever been totally alone overnight. She's napping now, so I'm typing fast since I've been meaning to do this post since Wednesday. lol. Aren't long parenthetical statements terrible?).
My friend's wedding is in two weeks! Eek! We've been going nuts with parties. I have many, many stories and can not type fast enough. I'm skipping updating you on the bridal shower, 'cause that was pretty tame.
Last Saturday night was the bachelorette party. My husband gave me very helpful tips on packing for Who Knows What. (Like I never did all-nighters before I had kids? Sheesh.) I packed a lot. And that was good. We started out at one of the bridesmaid's houses -- a very cute 1940s, very Southeast Portland place. She throws a mean party, and her husband is one hell of a bartender. Fun was had, including many snacks in penis shapes, and t-shirts made by another bridesmaid. Mine was purple. Rock on! And on the back it read "Maid of Dishonor." I. Loved. It. We went out in downtown Portland, to Kells, which is a great bar, and then to a tiny dive called Tube. That is where I left my credit card (bad news, not so smart, comes with it's own stories but this post is too long). The bridesmaid who hosted was ready for bed, but several of us partied on, and ended up crashing at the bride's house. Her hubby-to-be made us a bed in the living room, which we could see him doing from the pizza joint across the street, even though it was after two a.m. Because that friend, too, lives in a very cool, very Southeast Portland location. When I woke up in the morning, the terror began. I'd meant to sleep at the other house so I'd have my car. I stewed for a bit. No one else was up. I texted my hubby. I slept a little longer. I woke up and stewed some more ... and then eureka! The light-bulb went on. I was only 0.9 miles from my car. So I hoofed it there and made it home. End of story.
And that's all I have time for because the kiddo is waking up. Hope everyone has a happy Saturday! I'm going to do the Mom thing. :)
