The Shelving Of The Novel with Kitten Pictures!

Hello! It's another Monday. Woo.

~I've been talking a lot about querying lately, which is funny (not ha-ha funny, really) because this past week I made a tough call and decided to shelve CALLING DEATH.

I took my baby by the hand and said, "I'm sorry but it's time . . ." and lifted him onto that imaginary shelf. He looked so sad, guys. But it's like taking your kitty to the vet. They may fuss and cry and not want to go, but tough nuggets. You know what's best.

I wish I felt like I knew this was best. I don't, honestly. I'm just beaten down to the point of no other option. Without knowing exactly why it isn't working for agents, my hands are tied. I'm told the writing is good, even beautiful. Told the voice is great, but then vagueness about a pass. I mean, I know notes from agents are rare and I'm blessed to have gotten as much direct feedback that I have, but I still have no direction to go. So, onto the shelf it goes.

Instead of sulking (we'll pretend I didn't for a couple days after that decision, mk?), I'm throwing myself into the new book. AND, if that isn't enough, I'm setting myself a deadline to have the rough draft done by the end of March. EEP!

It's kinda fun...

~In other news, I can't fit into any of my pants anymore! I've been exercising for, over a year now. Lost 10lb in the beginning, when I went to interval training and weights, gained 5 back. Had to stop watching the scale, though. Muscle weighs a butt-load, dudes! I have abs! And visible arm muscle! I don't mean to brag, but I kinda do too. It's been so enjoyable, getting fitter. The girls I work with in the office and I get together over lunch break every day and knock a one out. I love the workouts we do too, and have even started making up our own.

~I'm DYING for season 3 of Walking Dead to come on Netflix. It's the only show I'd get cable back for. If I wasn't stubborn. I heard so much goodness about it, can't wait! And Downton being back on has been awesome! I make the hubs watch it with me on Sundays. And by make him watch I mean I put it on and at some point during the hour he always falls asleep. But whatevs. He can absorb some good taste in drama while sleeping, right?

~And lastly in news probably no one gives a crap about: Last year we had a surprise in our backyard. A feral had kittens under hub's half pipe in the backyard. SO CUTE. If you know me, this is not shocking stuff. Strays in need FIND ME. And I'm not even joking. Maybe I'll tell you about all the strays and kittens before this litter some day...

Anyway, of course, I had to take them in. Got momma caught in a live trap one night and took her in to get fixed. She lived in the guestroom for 5 days while she recuperated from her operation. You couldn't touch her, you couldn't even see her most of the time w her hidey spot she had under the bed, inside the box springs stuffing.

After that, it took a while to get the kittens. Only 3 were tame enough for me to just snatch bare handed, since we had to wait so long for them to get weened and everything from mom. And then the last 3 got wise to the trap and that was drama. But eventually they found a new home in my bathroom until my cats could get adjusted enough to them. (Are you counting? That just went from 5 cats in my house to 11)

Please ignore the mess. They were LOVED to drag out all the toys at once.

 

Take that cuteness and add 4 other kittens. Awesome.

 

And months after that, we had gone through MORE drama and tears and gotten 5 of the 6 homes. All this to say, my house has gone from 5 to 8 to 12 to 11 to 9 to 8 to 6.

Missy Catelyn is our newest member. (she's such a prim lil lady) I just couldn't go through putting her in Petsmart and Petco anymore, it stressed her out and me out so badly. Hubs has proven his love for me yet again by not saying anything about it. He's so patient. He must love me. What man would put up with ALL THOSE cats in his house if he didn't love his lady?

She is an expert fetch player, too. Must get a video of this one day. She's good. 




Happy Monday, guys!

These Things We Pass Along

Hey guys!

Did anyone else know there were people on twitter that weren't writers/publishers/agents/interns? What do they do? Okay, I knew that, but still. It's baffling.

I'm working on my patience and attitude these days. Querying has a way to burn the best attitudes, and I surely don't have the best. I actually really enjoy querying. It's exhilarating. But it is still a process that can beat me down, just like anyone else.

I was down at work one day and my boss noticed (whoops, check that shiz at the door, ya'll). He said "Happiness is a state of mind. You can chose to cross that state line anytime." He went on to explain how, while it's normal to feel down and all that, we have the power to choose how we let things affect us. Natural reactions to rejection are anger, sadness, discouragement, etc. But we can chose to find another perspective. We can decide how we let things affect our lives. This is what I'm working on as I continue to query. It's working. Sort of.

It's kind of a process. You have to first recognize when you're letting things get you down. Sometimes it sneaks up on you. And then you have to change your way of thinking. That part is even harder.

HA! "I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow" just came on my Pandora Station. Fitting? Funny. (It's an Alison Kraus station btw...so shut up.)

Anyway, my boss is just full of wisdom he likes to pass along, and I'm happy to take. On the rare instances I've opened up with him about writing, he asks me what I'm doing to progress. Each time I make the mistake of saying "I'm trying to get an agent right now" (we have only talked about it a few times this past year). And he gets this look. It's hard to explain. It's like an "awe, poor thing" face. He says trying is a backdoor word. In reality, you're either doing something or your not. When you add "trying" on to anything you're doing, you're giving yourself an out, an escape, an excuse.

This is true, isn't it? Think how often you "try" to do something, fail, shrug, and give up. "Well, I tried, so it's okay." "At least I tried". How often have we had that pounded in our heads? But most of the time, I'll admit, with things I've given up doing, I may not have done the best I could have. I tried. But I didn't go all out for it like I could have. Trying is like driving with your parking brake engaged. Holds us back.

Can we stop trying and just do that shit? Can we change our attitudes and not let things be so crushing to our lives? Sure! Lets.

Happy Monday!

This Is Not One Of Those Posts

Ehem . . . *shuffles in*  

Hi!

Remember me? Anyone? I'm surprised I have any followers left! But, I'm glad you're all here and I missed you and all the blogs and all the things so very much.

It's a new year (had you heard?) and I figure, since I don't make resolutions because it's just setting myself up to forget and then feel guilty when I finally remember, why not just kick my ass into coming back to blogging? WAY easier than trying to remember to not say "shit" or to drink 12 glasses of water or some shit. (would have failed miserably already. Shit.) Because, this I enjoy. I hope you all believe me when I say I missed you guys.

Reconnected with a few bloggers via twitter this past year, which was neat! FINALLY got into Twitter. It took a while, but now I check it just as often as FB and stay on it longer than FB (we all know why...). So if I haven't found you yet, come find me!

Let's see . . . Hadn't blogged in forever . . . Oh, I remember one of the last posts. Was a downer post about how I was going to blog anyway, even if I was being a downer, right? Maybe . . . either way, that post exists and I'm tempted to take it down because that was a lie. *Raises hand* I admit it. I did not follow through at all, and I am ashamed. I just couldn't bring myself to do it, guys!

But this year is different. This year I will. Because, whether or not I have good news to bring to the blogging table, some things are important to share. Like being a downer. And why. I always said I wasn't going to post about querying, which is mostly why 2012 was so quiet around here. But I'd like to share that with you now, if I may. If you don't want to read it, I won't love you any less.

I started querying in March 2012. PUMPED, people. SERIOUSLY pumped. This was the book. This was it. 2012 was my year! (I have a thing about even numbered years and 2012? Super even. Please ignore the fact that every other year in the 2000 is super even, okay?)

So I queried. Tested the waters. Sent out a couple to gauge response. Things were going along. A tweak here, a snip there. Queried some more. Then got requests! Hazzah! A couple, but lets be honest, the first time an agent says "sent me a full" you start picturing yourself signing books in Barnes and Noble to a massive crowd.

Then I got the first no on the full with no explanation. That's okay, right? I still have another full out and it's early in the game and all isn't lost! Then a second no with no explanation came not too long after. Cue the whu-whu-whu-why sobs.

But, I have amazing crit partners who know how to lift spirits. I dusted off, they helped me up, and got back to it. People, lemme tell you, It was not pretty. To sum up the rest of the year, until late late 2012 you could hear crickets over my MS.

The query was changed (big changes) maybe four times. I lost faith in this book. I lost hope in myself. Every other day I wondered if I should just quit. Then the next day I'd laugh...and laugh and laugh...because that wasn't happening. Not write anymore? Seriously? Instead of writing when I normally do I'd be...doing...what? What is there besides writing? I couldn't tell ya. So, dejected or not, I queried on. I started a fourth book. Moped.

It wasn't until someone said "okay, but give me and R&R" that I got back the love for this again. If I'm being honest, I'd lost the love. It happens. But with the R&R, I looked again at my book, THE book that was supposed to be the one, and went "Huh . . . yup . . . those are excellent points. And not small points either . . ." When shown to me, I thought I saw maybe the reason I'd been doing so poorly. Made total sense! It was an epic *facepalm* moment where I wanted to go back to all those agents from the beginning and apologize and say "try again, give me another go, because I get it now!" But, we don't have that luxury, unfortunately.

So, I stopped querying. I threw myself into the edits. I asked for help, got one of my fabulous critters to go over it again and BOY DID SHE EVER. Pumped, this was it (again). These changes were going to do it. The R&R was going to be big stuff, guys.

And then, half-way through editing, that particular person quit the industry. It was like all the hope I'd regained shattered around me. (melodramatic anyone)

I was angry for a couple days, I admit. There was no word to me, no apology, nothing. I felt, in those two days, I was owed one. On the third day I fully realized that no, I wasn't. And that maybe it wasn't the end of the world. I got very valuable insight into why the book wasn't working, I was making it better, and perhaps, though that door had been slammed shut in my face, it could be for the best. Everything happens for a reason, I believe that. So why was I having a hard time accepting it in this instance?

Bruised ego pushed aside, I finished the edits in time for another full to be sent. And this is where I am in 2013. At first, I thought I was no where different than I was in March of 2012. I've had a few pep-talks about it and because of them, I can't really believe that.

The biggest thing I learn last year was that it takes others to show us what we don't see. You can stare all you like, but if your thinking isn't challenged, you'll never see it any differently.

I'm still not agented, but I am still a writer. I am still querying. I'm not even half as pumped this year as I start querying again, but whatever. And I won't be giving up anytime soon.

Also, I lost another Goodreads Challenge, dangit! *shrug* Aim lower, that's my new motto. (mostly kidding)


How was your 2012? Anything new I may not know? Share! Share! I would love to hear about it!

Happy Monday! Welcome back!

Easily Distracted

Firstly, my dear bloggy friend Alexia Chamberlynn tagged me in a Lucky 7 dealy (so awesome! Thank you!) which required posting 7 lines starting from the 7th line on the 77th page. But I looked . . . It's not a good one to use. It wont make sense and will just be confusing if you haven't been there for the rest. I thought of just faking it and doing something that I like but nope.

Instead I'll just offer it to anyone who wants to give it a try! Looked like fun! I wish I had a good one, but oh well. So if you all wanna check out your own MS and see where your 7th line on the 77th page puts you, go for it! And post the 7 lines if you want!

Secondly, my weekend was bitching and I hope yours was too! I love St. Patties day weekend! And a good friend dropped in from out of town for a short visit, got a couple more hours work put in to my tattoo, got super cute new running shoes and shorts, have a nice roast cooking in the crockpot AS I TYPE(Sunday), annnndddd had a nice day with just the hubs and me. So was very good. Hope you guys did too!!

THIRDLY, this coming weekend is THE HUNGER GAMES!! (just in case you've had your head jammed up . . . somewhere and didn't know. . .) Usually, I would so be there opening night, but I can't this weekend. But it wont be long. . . I'm so stupid excited to see it! The songs they've released from the soundtracks have been incredible so far, and the stills just as great. You guys psyched?

And Lastly, I got SO MUCH done last week on my book. If I am blessed enough to get as much done this week as last week (had an unusual amount of time on my hands), then I will be done with my last edits! I'm going back and forth on asking for beta readers and not. It's all very wishy-washy at this point. Not going to dwell on it now, though. Not there yet. Just excited to be almost done! Where is everyone else?

Happy Monday!

Getting Things Done

I got back my full MS from both crit partners and now I can start the tedious task of going through them both and editing. Yeay! . . .

Editing is not my favorite thing to do. Some people really enjoy it and others don't. I used to be in the severely HATE it column of people as far as editing goes, but actually I really like this book. I'm not trying to say it's good, or bragging because -- it could be complete rubbish for all I know and my friends/crit girls are just being nice. Either way, I really enjoy this story and the characters. And I really enjoy making it shine. Though there are bunches of notes, suggestions, and errors (I'm sorry!) I need to fix, as well as elaborations to make, I'm going to make the best of it!

And, besides, this is the home stretch. My query is done, my synopsis is . . .on paper(ugh), and the edits will make it that much closer. So I have no room to bitch. No one made me want to be a writer. Tis part of what we do, and I'm damn determined to enjoy ever single phase of it, which really isn't that hard. I love this gig.

But, I am going to stop picking months as my query deadline, because it's just not helping me get things done like it should. It's just making me frustrated when I realize I can't do all that in the space of time I'm allowing myself. So as of right now, I have NO query month set to start and don't intend to. Just going to work on bettering the book and be happy with that.

Where are you guys with your writing?

Also, Kim Harrisons most recent book is coming out Tuesday! Hoping my preordered copy will get here then...hope hope hope...I'm in love with the Hollows series. 

Finally, butt-ton's of seasons of Supernatural are on Netflix. Whoot!

Happy Monday!

Ode To The Importance Of Backups

I had a fancy computer
One I loved like no other
It was always with me
Even when I was under the weather
I watched Downton Abbey (season 2) on a slightly disreputable site
And all that got me besides hours of entertainment
Was a bug I could not fight
When all my computer knowledge was used up to no avail
And my virus protection was going insane
I had no other choice but to restore to a previous date.
Problem solved! Or so I thought, until a message popped up
It told me no documents had been harmed, which I thought a rather strange thing to say
And upon farther investigation found, indeed no documents had been harmed
But they had all been thrown away
Four years of document accumulation gone in the blink of an eye
But thankfully my panic attack lasted just long enough to remind me
I had a USB thing, Hurrah!
All hail the USB thingy!

This is my way of saying to you (and demonstrating my HORRIFIC lack of poetic abilities all at the same time!) to not wait for later. Back your shit up now, or else. It's not me threatening you, but all those a-holes out there that plant these little virus/worm/"malicious" URL bombs to destroy your entire life. Do they care that it took however long to write/perfect your work? Nope. They don't. Because they're a-holes. So go. RIGHT NOW.

Or be prepared to know the answer to this question: What would you do if everything you ever wrote was just gone?


On a more pleasant note,


Winner of My extra copy of The Marbury Lens goes to . . .

Random generator picked Gracielou

Yeay! So Gracielou, email me ce(dot)murphy(at)yahoo(dot)com with your address and I will send it your way!

Happy Monday!

The Creep-tactic And A Contest Winner!

You guys know I don't do book reviews. And I don't intend to now, but I do want to marvel at one authors ability. She is so unusually good. Not unusual THAT shes good, but the unusual way that she's good. It's Dia Reeves. And she is awesome at what she does with her books.

I read Bleeding Violet last year at some point and was amazed. It's creepy, and her heroine is . . . not exactly heroine material. She's HUGELY flawed and not all the time even in her right mind, exactly. But you can't help but hang on to her the same you would any other heroine. And that, I think, takes amazing writing abilities.

And here we are again with Miss Reeves, I'm reading Slice of Cherry and . . . wow. She's got me again. If you've never heard of this book, it's basically about these two sisters who enjoy murder. Not exactly the basic idea of main characters you want to root for. And really, I'm reading this not ROOTING for them exactly, but so entangled into their world and how they think and function, that it's hard to see another point of view. Yea, it's twisted and dark, but it's wonderful in those ways too. The way I find myself swayed, is so unexpected. (not that I'm plotting murder or ever intend to. . .)

I just think that takes incredible skill to create these main characters that are the opposite of heroic and make your readers love them anyway. 

So, last night I'm reading this part that just gave me the willies soooooooo freaking bad. (I would love to include that part because it's brilliantly, simplistically terrifying, but I don't want to tangle with the if I'm actually allowed to's and what not) I like to believe I'm not easily scared, but the truth is, all writers are in their own ways. Because we can't help how our minds wander. And I want to think I could write something this good, this creepy, and complicated. I donno if I really ever could! I'd freak myself out trying to write it!

Anyway, her books might not be for everyone (though I donno how they couldn't be!) but you want to see some incredible skill either way, you pick up one of her books.

But maybe you're saying "ugh, I don't give a flying squirrels fuzzy ass! tell me who won!". Well, I say to you . . . suck it. This is my blog, I do what I want.

. . .

. . .

Fine. . .

Random number generator picked out lucky number 9! And that was April Plummer!! Yeay!

So April, email me : ce(dot)murphy(at)yahoo(dot)com with your mailing address, what book you desire as your prize, and I will get it to you asap!

If you didn't win here, don't forget to check up on Abby and see who she had as her random winner!


Happy Monday my friends, and I will see you around the blogs!

Writer Wednesday Where I Say Boob Too Much

So, I am a lady. (derp) And ladies have their favorite bras. We love the way this particular one feels, makes us look all sexy, is comfy, etc.

I have a favorite. And an older back up of the same kind. The one was being washed so I just threw on the backup old one for the day. All day my boobs felt...weird. Not internally, but something just felt off.

I'm just laying around catching up on blogs, snacking, watching t.v. on another snow day stuck inside. And I just don't feel right. I can't get comfortable because of the strange feeling with my boobs. Re-situate the bra. Nothing. Re-situate myself. Nothing.

So, I debate asking the hubs "do my boobs look okay? Normal?" and decide against it. He, being the sweet liar that he is, will tell me what he thinks I want to hear. That my boobs look great, blah blah blah. Not. Helpful. I don't ask.

As I get ready for bed, I take off my shirt. (boys, calm down...) And see it! They aren't the same! They don't look symmetrical. The one is all "HI!", the other is all "meh, hey". Turns out the washing machine or something ate the wire out of one side. Took the pep out my one step, so to speak.

This whole story about my boobs and bra has a point. When you have something in your manuscript that doesn't feel right -- you know something is wrong and you can't figure it out on your own just by going off feelings  -- who do you ask for help? Are they the kind of people that will tell you your boob is off? Or will they tell say you rock, it's perfect and let you walk around lopsided?

A gut feeling is nothing to ignore when it comes to your work. When you feel like you suck, you're probably wrong. When you feel a scene doesn't work right for some reason, you're probably right.

I want to thank my three favorite bras, Abby, Jennie, and Melissa for being the right amount of lift, support, and helping me to force my boobs(MS, just in case you are now confused) into the right shape. Thanks, you wonderful gals! Those 3 have pointed out some real boob mistakes this week!


In other news, how in this WORLD did someone come across my blog by searching : "club penguin with sexy boys and wieners on them" ?!


I might be taking a few days off a week from reading blogs to work all day on my MS revisions. I have a long way to go, and a rapidly approaching deadline.

Hopefully you will all understand that I need to take my own advice (finally) and put writing first for now. So please don't be offended if you don't see me poking around Tuesdays and Thursdays. And if you do, please tell me to get back to work.


Don't forget to sign up for my very first blogfest I'm cohosting with the lovely Alexia Chamberlynn!! Button on your top left! 

Happy Wednesday!

It's my birfday

And my first present, though he didn't know it was, Kindros posted THIS on his blog in honor of Wash, my love of all Firefly loves.

It's Sunday night, and I was sure I had a post all ready to go. Until I checked, just to make sure. Womp Womp. I didn't.

But that's okay because it IS my birthday.

 (Lord_Voldemort7 declared Sunday Snapes birthday. So, I thought this was fitting to borrow.) 


AND my mom took me to a movie that fits into writing. Unfortunately.

My desire to review movies is equal to my desire to review books.(very low) Those of you that are here that review either or, I tip my stylish, always appropriate hat to you. It's difficult.

And I'm not doing it now either. But we did see a movie that opened my eyes to how becoming a better writer can taint things. It sounds like a good thing but it really boils down to having your eyes opened to something that was never a problem. In other words: poorly written movies.

I always loved most all movies. Even bad ones. I credit that to not knowing why it's bad. I used to not be able to pinpoint what made a bad movie. If you don't know WHY something isn't very good it's always easier to forgive.

But, after that movie, I realized I understood where they went wrong(flat characters, lacking real motivation, things just happened because they needed the story to go there not because it was the natural direction, dialogue fizzzzzzzle, etc.) That has me both sad and proud.

They had a great story. REALLY interesting IMO. I was so excited to see what they did with it. But then...they took a great idea and ran it into the ground! FAST.

Big names, awesome story premise. And then it was like watching a dude fall who's parachute didn't open. (which I have seen. He was, miraculously, okay btw.) You just had to cringe. Groan. Sigh. Then laugh because there was just nothing else you could do. (we didn't laugh at the skydiver who crashed down in front of us)

I have no point here except to warn all aspiring authors to be prepared for a change in vision when it comes to books and movies as your skill grows.

Oh well. I still can't say I hated it. My soft spot for bad movies has not hardened at least, no matter what crime they committed against a good plot.

I didn't make it to anyone this weekend! Which really bummed me out! My internet was so screwed up at the house the whole time. Again.

I'm ready to switch providers over it. It happens too often...But no matter, it started back up fine on
Sunday so I'm less moody. And excited to read up on you all!

Hope you all have a great day back! It snowed like a mother last night! I love to look at it but I hate driving in it. It is SO SCARY! But I know everywhere else has had much worse snow lately than what we got here so I have no room to complain I suppose.

Happy Monday!

Lets talk Innuendos.

Okay, not really innuendos but how about symbolism in writing instead.

I used to stress about what someone would read into what I write. What kind of things they could pick up about me or the intent of every letter I put down when I didn't actually intend more than what was there. What about all those things psychologists, philosophists, crazy people, etc see that I don't? Do writers intend on half the messages that people pull from their work?

What if they think I'm writing about the inadequacy of orphanages, the decline in society, or trying to push SIN and SEX on children.Or worse still, killing children! When none of that is what I mean in INTO, I could see validity in the what ifs. And if I can pick up on those things, surely I'm going to be put under a microscope and judged as being evil by every parent, church, organization dedicated to book-hate in the world!

What will a careful analysis of my story get? Anything? More than enough? Things I didn't intend? Probably.

Crawford Kilian wrote: "Nevertheless, as soon as you start writing, you start writing on some kind of symbolic level. Maybe you're not conscious of it, but it's there: in your characters, their actions, the setting, and the images. (Some writers are very powerful symbolists, but don't realize it; that's why authors are often poor critics of their own work.)"

I wonder if that is true. Do we, as writers,  make decisions about what goes in on a symbolic level without realizing it? I hope so. I'd feel a lot smarter, either way, if my story is deeper than I think it is.

******************This is where I stopped writing this post and put it aside for a few days. Check this junk out>*****************************************************

As I was working on my characters last Friday, sketching my MC(it helps me see her better) and wondering about them all -- if I had enough of them in my pages to be real to anyone but myself -- a song came on Pandora Radio. It hit me, like a wet hand to my face and I felt SO STUPID!

It was one line: "We lost our love somehow". And there, on that page that I scribbled that line down on was a sketch of my MC and her man. And I got it!  Just that simply!

My Story is ABOUT something! Yes, it's about what I intended to write it about but more than that IT HAS A THEME!!! Wow. I wrote and entire novel, been editing, staring at, editing some more, hating, threatening disembowelment, loving, editing it for months, almost a year, and never noticed the theme that runs through the whole thing - ties every character together! *facepalm* And it's good. I'm not bragging on myself at all. I'm not trying to be all "damn I'm awesome." Because, as I just mentioned, I never saw it. I didn't even know it was there. I just think it's cool how it worked out.


More Advice on Novel Writing by Crawford Kilian is HERE. 

Do you think your story has some deeper meaning? Did you mean it to?  What messages can you see in your own novel you don't mean to be there?

(I did warn you about random HP movie images) 



RANDOM: 



Andy over at Writing Myself Crazy has honored me with another One Lovely Blog Award! How freakin' cool is that?! 2 in 2 weeks! I feel like one special gal today so thank you Andy for that. Be sure to check him out. He is witty, smart, and always has some awesome info going up on his blog!

I try not to pay much attention to the stats of my blog, but sometimes I just get curious, like today. That's when I discovered someone/some people found my blog by searching "for private" and "for private reading". So I just wanted to give you a big 'ol one-eyebrow-raise in your honor.

The lady who checked me out at the bookstore looked like the albino from The Princess Bride. I don't mean that to be mean but...she totally did. On the plus side -- found Everlost by Neal Shusterman for $3.50.

I blazed through If I Stay by Gayle Forman this weekend while flying hither and tither. Ate up every wonderful word. LOVED this book! BUT: Never bring a book you KNOW is going to make you cry on a trip unless you are not ashamed to be a blubbering idiot in public. I cannot tell you how hard it was to master my girl-side when reading this. My eyes teared up, got sniffley, the whole bit. If anyone saw me they surely thought I was a freaking lunatic. I could just imagine people praying they didn't sit next to me. All of this I mean in the best way possible. I loved it.

If anyone missed the J.K.Rowling on Opera episode its HERE


Have you ever been eating a bowl of cereal and notice a dark speck, then worry for a moment that it could be a bug. But don't investigate farther because you just started eating and the cereal is really hitting the spot. So you just ignore it for a while until you just can't stand yourself for justifying possibly eating around a bug? Me neither. (It wasn't. It was an over-cooked frosted flake.) 



Happy Wednesday!

 

Some Content

I have been inspired by an authors blog. Yesterday her entire content was a day in the life of a full time writer. It was awesome. Made me understand that I am not the only one who gets distracted by things when I'm supposed to be working. Like right now. I wont do that day in the life b/c 1. I'm not full time. and 2. it would be ssuuuuuuuuper boring to follow me in a day. I want to get readers, not scare them away.

I'm supposed to be editing this super charged fight scene with my fav. character of this book and my MC. They aren't fighting each other. Shes actually having to save my fav.'s butt right now which, is awesome. Go her!

But instead of finishing the last 12 pages i have in my possession right now to be fixed, I'm here.

What's making it even harder is this dang music on at work. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE this spa channel on Sirius but MAN is it making me sleepy! It's super hard to focus when every five minutes you're having to blink away yawn-tears.

Today, i have been good though. Gotten through 5 pages, which is saying a lot for a busy Thursday at work. (Thursdays our Friday so everyone wants to get in before the weekend) It makes me pumped to be in this scene of my book and nearing the climax.

Up until now my MC has been just going along with things. But now, she's pissed (for lack of a better description) Sick of going along all la-la-la, she's had enough. And i love that. She turned herself into such a bad ass there at the end, which i didn't intend to happen when i set out.

As previously mentioned, I DONT plot out my books. I know how they begin and a vague idea of how they should end but the middle is always a mystery and sometimes, as it did in this one, the ending i got and the ending i planned were very different.

It's a lot harder for me to pound it out when i already know whats going on. It's much much much more fun when you just sit down with a blank screen and just go. Let your characters take you on their journey. SO FUN! (can't you tell I'm pumped up today)

Action scenes get me going.

This is the most I have ever written about my main book. This is weird for me, but I'm kinda diggin' it.

I am getting more into editing this then i was in the beginning just because of what I am learning along the way with my own writing. Its neat to be able to recognize the lessons and techniques I'm being taught by nothing more than a line through my words, an arrow pulling two sentences into one, or an X through certain unnecessary things I just added as FLUFF. Damn fluff...

So far all my fluff that has been cut has taken up 2.5 pages of my book. 2.5 pages of JUNK have been cut! I'm both thrilled about this and frustrated. I was supposed to be this perfect writer, man! (ha) Oh well. I can't imagine how much time and words I'm going to save in the future with all that I am learning though.

Got down on myself for a while, I hate to admit. But lately I have a renewed sense of faith. Something I needed. I believe, what I had forgotten, that whatever happens, I am on the road I'm meant to be on. (hows that for comma usage) I must believe that, no matter what.

I feel in my heart, my bones, and my head that writing is what I need to do. I need it like air. I need it to stay sane. I love it. I want to write for the rest of my life. Nothing makes me as happy to do as writing does. ahhh...to write...Doesn't matter if I never break out (knock on wood, call the fortune teller, someone mix me up a good luck potion) I really really WANT to make it, but I wont jump off a cliff if not, ya know?

But, I do need to get my boy out of trouble right now. And also finish up my work for the week..humph.

Happy Weekend! I WILL finish these pages!

How many times did I use "Super" in this thing anway!?

Just the start. sort of. okay thats a lie...

In the wide wide world of Blogs i have managed to keep my nose out of writing in them, simply because with all that's out there i feel i have nothing relevant to add. I also feel that some people should acknowledge that in themselves and pipe down on the blogging but hey, who am i?

I have decided to end my silence, not because i have found something to say really, but because i wanted to document my own journey into the writing world somewhere. And maybe be a help to someone else starting out. Maybe.

Its a lie because i started writing over a year ago. i have finished 2 books and am in the first draft of a third. Now the first book i wrote will never see the light of day. One person has ever read it and shes so sweet and loving i dont trust her judgment too much on its sellability. its crap. i know it.

But it was a jumping off point and though i know its crap i learned a lot of valuable information from my dribbling drabble of a book. So if you are there, with your first book and you look at it one day (when youre finished b/c lets face it, at some point we all hate our work) and you say to yourself: "self. you wrote some grade a crap there." dont be discouraged. its normal.

What you do then is ask yourself if your crap can be made amazing. if its a story thats been there done that then chances are no, you cant. but if you start off (like i have not) being a fantastic writer with an amazing story to tell then hell,
get off my blog
good for you! if not, then take the first try and get your lessons from it and move on.

Today im going to try and pump out a few thousand words but honestly, thats going to be a stretch. As a matter of fact im having a hard time getting this done.

I have a semi-full-time job as well as writing. i do have the luxury of being able to work and write at the same time but its just a bother when i have to stop suddenly to take care of the job. its hard to stop and start the creative process/ train of thought at random. but my easy going job has blessed me with two completed books (one failure) and one almost done in its first draft. so cant complain.

and if anyone wants to bitch about my typos, lack of capitalization, grammatical errors take it to someone who cares. as a writer you are constantly in a tizzy about those things. on my blog, im not.

Now i say i have completed 2 books but truthfully the second is being edited right now by a dear friend, writer, and master of all things grammatical. shes doing me a huge favor sludging through my stuff to help me make it great. for that i owe her infinite coffees. so that is advice #2. get friends who know what the heck they're doing.

Im leaving with a question: Do you think its better to outline a book before you even start with its beginning, conflict, dark moment, the light moment, and the ending or just dig in without knowing much of anything?

Off to go do some actual work and some fun work.