Marissa Priest's Blog, page 6
June 24, 2015
WIP Wednesday!
Since I am digging back into The Resurrected Thief, you will be seeing quite a bit of that in the upcoming weeks. As a taste, here are the opening three lines.
The sound of a single crash poured through the empty halls of the British Museum. The night guard’s skin prickled as the echo reverberated in his ears. A brief application of friction eased away the small bumps sprouting on the back of his neck, but could not banish the cold lingering beneath his skin.
The sound of a single crash poured through the empty halls of the British Museum. The night guard’s skin prickled as the echo reverberated in his ears. A brief application of friction eased away the small bumps sprouting on the back of his neck, but could not banish the cold lingering beneath his skin.
June 22, 2015
Back to the grindstone
While I've talked about it a few times before, I am officially back to finishing Resurrected Thief. My short stories have all been sent off. Only two open submissions remain, but I have two months to decide if I even have a good idea for a story. In the meantime, I want to finally get back to my book.
There is quite a bit of work to be done. The short stories have led to more backstory, and some changes need to be reflected in the novel. Plus, there are new scenes and scenes I just don't like any more. Hopefully, this novel will finish smoothly and the Muse will be encouraging.
Right now, she is napping. Hence the lack of ideas for those two open calls for shorts. Let's all hope she wakes up soon. But I must be back to work!
There is quite a bit of work to be done. The short stories have led to more backstory, and some changes need to be reflected in the novel. Plus, there are new scenes and scenes I just don't like any more. Hopefully, this novel will finish smoothly and the Muse will be encouraging.
Right now, she is napping. Hence the lack of ideas for those two open calls for shorts. Let's all hope she wakes up soon. But I must be back to work!
June 19, 2015
Snip, Snip, Snip
Another day, another completed submission! I'm surprised I finished this one nearly a month ahead of the deadline, but great things happen when the Muse lets me write 1,500+ words a day!
The only hiccup was that my streak of getting under the word cap for the shorts has ended. My final story was almost 9,000 and this submission had a cut off of 7,500. EEK. The past three days have been trimming and rewriting. I'm still happy with it, but kept the longer draft just in case. Can't hurt to be prepared for a rejection and moving forward.
I'm nearly done with my docket of short stories for the time being. And by that I mean, I have one more I'm thinking of writing and two more to edit and ship out. I really do what to get back to fixing up the novels. Someone should make the Muse and the Internet aware of my thoughts. No?
In other news, edits for "The Knocking Below" have been sent in. That should be out any day now! I plan on doing something really special when that finally happens. I've also started sending follow up emails to publishers when I don't hear back on submissions. I was passive and waited for months before, but I think it's time to be proactive.
Here is hoping more good news comes along.
The only hiccup was that my streak of getting under the word cap for the shorts has ended. My final story was almost 9,000 and this submission had a cut off of 7,500. EEK. The past three days have been trimming and rewriting. I'm still happy with it, but kept the longer draft just in case. Can't hurt to be prepared for a rejection and moving forward.
I'm nearly done with my docket of short stories for the time being. And by that I mean, I have one more I'm thinking of writing and two more to edit and ship out. I really do what to get back to fixing up the novels. Someone should make the Muse and the Internet aware of my thoughts. No?
In other news, edits for "The Knocking Below" have been sent in. That should be out any day now! I plan on doing something really special when that finally happens. I've also started sending follow up emails to publishers when I don't hear back on submissions. I was passive and waited for months before, but I think it's time to be proactive.
Here is hoping more good news comes along.
June 10, 2015
WIP Wednesday!
Here is another snippet from "The Moss People".
"What are they chattering about?" Bryan cringed, but refused to back away from the horde of glittering lights.
"You angered them by disrespecting their queen," Esther answered him with a lowered voice and head.
"The only queen I bow to is Queen Vicky," he huffed, causing Esther to snicker.
"What are they chattering about?" Bryan cringed, but refused to back away from the horde of glittering lights.
"You angered them by disrespecting their queen," Esther answered him with a lowered voice and head.
"The only queen I bow to is Queen Vicky," he huffed, causing Esther to snicker.
June 9, 2015
Staying on Track
For once, my thoughts are not geared towards meeting deadlines or reorganizing a writing schedule. I am actually doing quite well there. But I have seem to come into a habit that may or may not be good. It may or may not also slow me down.
As of late, I have been just writing out whatever scene pops into my mind. While the entire story is outlined, the Muse doesn't want to follow it. She wants to write whatever is more exciting at the time. I've been following her moods, and it's leading to some great numbers at the end of the day. However, that leaves some gaps in the story marked by some asterisks.
I know many other authors that do this as well, so it's not really revolutionary. It's only causing hiccups for me because staring at those asterisks seems to chase away the Muse. In order to combat it, I've been looking to a blank sheet of paper instead. With my lovely pen, I can fill in the breaks between scenes. It's a great deal better than staring until my head hurts, but it just causes that slight delay in having to write out the scene on paper and then again on the computer. Since I type fairly quickly, this has not been an issue yet. Plus, I'm ahead of schedule.
At this point, I'd do just about anything to keep writing and avoid the dreadful writer's block.
As of late, I have been just writing out whatever scene pops into my mind. While the entire story is outlined, the Muse doesn't want to follow it. She wants to write whatever is more exciting at the time. I've been following her moods, and it's leading to some great numbers at the end of the day. However, that leaves some gaps in the story marked by some asterisks.
I know many other authors that do this as well, so it's not really revolutionary. It's only causing hiccups for me because staring at those asterisks seems to chase away the Muse. In order to combat it, I've been looking to a blank sheet of paper instead. With my lovely pen, I can fill in the breaks between scenes. It's a great deal better than staring until my head hurts, but it just causes that slight delay in having to write out the scene on paper and then again on the computer. Since I type fairly quickly, this has not been an issue yet. Plus, I'm ahead of schedule.
At this point, I'd do just about anything to keep writing and avoid the dreadful writer's block.
June 3, 2015
WIP Wednesday!
Today's snippet comes from a piece I just started working on this afternoon. Tentatively titled "The Moss People"
“Be careful with those! That is invaluable equipment,” her employer, Mister James Hawke, barked at the young man unloading his trunks from the train. He proceeded to wave a sleek black cane in the air, which caused the porter to cringe. Biting down on the corner of her lip, Esther stepped away from her two small bags.
“Be careful with those! That is invaluable equipment,” her employer, Mister James Hawke, barked at the young man unloading his trunks from the train. He proceeded to wave a sleek black cane in the air, which caused the porter to cringe. Biting down on the corner of her lip, Esther stepped away from her two small bags.
