Author: tamaramorning

Goal Progress-Week One

Every week, I’m going to try to update my progress on the goals I set for the year. I’m hoping being held accountable like this will give me the motivation to actually work on the goals, instead of procrastinating and letting them slide.

Of the ten writing-related goals I set for the year, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve worked on six of them in the last week. Not too bad, all things considered. I did some work on the NaNo 2007 story, finished up a chapter. Less than a thousand words, but hey, every little bit helps. I’m also planning on working on it some more tonight. At least, that’s the plan.

I haven’t actually written any on the zombie story, but I did have a meeting with my co-writer, to read her most recent chapter and plan out the next couple of chapters. So, I know what my next chapter is about, I just have to actually write it. That would be the plan for tomorrow.

I’ve been working pretty consistently on Witches, and have edited around six chapters this week. Of course, those were all chapters that had been extensively edited before, so this was just a loose edit. Now I’m moving into the untouched chapters. The horror!

I have actually done a tiny bit of work for my NaNo story for this year (2008). See, I already have a loose idea. And then, a couple of nights ago, I had this dream and I woke up thinking “OMG! It’s the NaNo story. It’s part of the story. I have to get up right now and write this down.” So, I did. (Then, the next night, I had another dream that could definitely be a story one day. Yay for dreaming!)

I’ve worked on the 2YN story. In fact, the last chapter I wrote flowed really well. I love those days. I just sat down and there it was, straight from my brain to the computer screen with no pauses in between. Such a good day. Makes me love being a writer.

Last but not least, I’ve written a big, whopping 2,913 words towards my goal of 250,000. Sad to say, only a week into the new year, and I’m already behind. Oh well. There’s plenty of time to catch up, right?

A Plethora of Reading

I’ve actually read a lot the last couple of weeks. I haven’t been working much, so I’ve had plenty of time. That’s kind of nice, actually. I read Swimming Without a Net, by Mary Janice Davidson. I really enjoyed this book a lot. The heroine is great, the world was interesting. In fact, if I hadn’t been seeing more mermaid stuff lately, I would be tempted to use the idea. But this story had some good humor as well as nice characters. I’m going to be searching for the previous book with these characters, although this one works well as a stand-alone.

Next up is Metro Girl, by Janet Evanovich. Now, I’m a big fan of the Stephanie Plum novels, but I’ve never read anything else of Evanovich’s. This one wasn’t bad. Funny, like the Plum books, and the heroine got in a lot of hilarious scrapes. I do like the Plum books better, but I’m glad I branched out a bit. Plus, she completely has my luck.

Then I read I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson. Maybe I made a mistake in watching the movie first, because I loved the movie. However, I did not care for the book at all. In fact, the movie and the book bear only a passing resemblance. I much preferred the Robert Neville character from the movie, as opposed to the depressed alcoholic in the book. Also, the end of the movie came about halfway through the book, and the rest were random, unrelated short stories. Some of them were interesting, I’ll admit, but I was still less than impressed. I thought the storyline in the movie was much stronger. In fact, I almost threw this book across the room when I finished it.

First for this year was Coraline, by Neil Gaiman. It was…different. Gaiman is a talented writer, of course, but this story was just plain weird to me. And a little creepy, what with the disembodied hand and all.

I read Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson. I’ve been wanting to read this for a while, and finally stumbled across it in a used bookstore. I really, really liked this book. The characters are great, the writing is strong. I could relate to some of the things the characters went through, and it made me cry. Just once. I really recommend it.

I also read Tempting the Beast, by Lora Leigh. My best friend loaned it to me. Not a bad premise, in itself, but there was a lot of sex in this book (published by Ellora’s Cave). In fact, the whole “mating frenzy” thing reminded me quite a bit of Laurell K. Hamilton’s ardeur.

I re-read Margaret Sidne’s Five Little Peppers And How They Grew. I had actually completely forgotten about this book. I’ve read it a couple of times, and it reminds me a lot of Little Women. It’s just so wholesome, and that makes it an enjoyable read.

Last but not least, I re-read Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll. What can I say? I just revisited some childhood favorites recently.

Books Read in 2007 (Part III)

Books 51-75.

Kidd, Sue Monk: The Secret Life of Bees (05/22/07)*

Douglass, Sara: The Wayfarer Redemption (05/27/07)

Douglass, Sara: Enchanter (05/29/07)

Douglass, Sara StarMan (05/31/07)

Douglass, Sara Sinner (06/02/07)

Douglass, Sara Pilgrim (06/06/07)

Douglass, Sara: Crusader (06/07/07)

Robards, Karen: Bait (06/10/07)*

Hamilton, Laurell K: The Harlequin (06/11/07)

Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (06/11/07)

Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (06/12/07)

Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (06/13/07)

Cruisie, Jennifer and Mayer, Bob: Don’t Look Down (06/14/07)*

Viehl, Lynn: Way of the Cheetah (06/16/07)

Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (06/16/07)

Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (06/19/07)

Rowling, J.K.: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (06/22/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Lean Mean Thirteen (06/22/07)

Picoult, Jodi: My Sister’s Keeper (06/23/07)

Goodkind, Terry: Wizard’s First Rule (06/28/07)

Dean, Cameron: Passionate Thirst (06/29/07)*

Dean, Cameron: Eternal Hunger (07/01/07)

Spaeth, Frank: Mysteries of the Deep (07/05/07)*

Lisle, Holly: Mugging the Muse (07/06/07)

Gifford, Lazette: Muse (07/09/07)*

Books Read In 2007 (Part II)

funny pictures
moar funny pictures

Here are books 26-50.

Roberts, Nora: Dance of the Gods (03/20/07)

Roberts, Nora: Valley of Silence (03/26/07)

Moore, Christopher: You Suck (03/28/07)*

Flock, Elizabeth: But Inside I’m Screaming (04/01/07)*

Picoult, Jodi: The Pact (04/05/07)*

Montgomery, L.M.: Anne of Windy Poplars (04/07/07)

Montgomery, L.M.: Anne’s House of Dreams (04/11/07)

Montgomery, L.M.: Anne of Ingleside (04/15/07)

Montgomery, L.M.: Rainbow Valley (04/16/07)

Montgomery, L.M.: Rilla of Ingleside (04/18/07)

Roberts, Nora: Angel Falls (04/19/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Four to Score (04/23/07)

Evanovich, Janet: High Five (04/24/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Hot Six (04/25/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Seven Up (04/26/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Hard Eight (04/27/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Ten Big Ones (04/28/07)

Evanovich, Janet: To the Nines (04/28/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Eleven on Top (04/29/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Plum Lovin’ (05/07/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Twelve Sharp (05/10/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Visions of Sugar Plums (05/10/07)

Haydon, Elizabeth: Rhapsody (05/10/07)*

Haydon, Elizabeth: Prophecy (05/19/07)

Haydon, Elizabeth: Destiny (05/21/07)

What I Read In 2007 (Part I)

Since I did so much reading this year, I want to post a list of everything I read. It’s too long to put in one post, so I’m breaking it up into groups of 25 books. The * denotes an author I had never read before.

Sunny: Mona Lisa Awakening (01/01/07)*

Saintcrow, Lilith: Working for the Devil (01/02/07)*

Saintcrow, Lilith: Dead Man Rising (01/03/07)*

Gaiman, Neil, and Pratchett, Terry: Good Omens (01/05/07)*

Shayne, Maggie: Prince of Twilight (01/06/07)

Hendee, Barb and J.C.: Thief of Lives (01/12/07)*

Hendee, Barb and J.C.: Sister of the Dead (01/14/07)

Bennett, Janice, Blayne, Sara, and Ellis, Monique: Lord of the Night (01/16/07)*

Montgomery, L.M.: Anne of Green Gables (01/18/07)

Brashares, Ann: Forever in Blue (01/19/07)

Montgomery, L.M.: Anne of Avonlea (01/19/07)

Montgomery, L.M.: Anne of the Island (01/20/07)

Lisle, Holly: Courage of Falcons (01/24/07)

Lisle, Holly: Sympathy for the Devil (01/26/07)

King, Stephen: The Shining (01/27/07)

Stackpole, Michael A.: Talion Revenant (02/01/07)

King, Stephen: Secret Windows (02/19/07)

Marillier, Juliet: Lady of the Forest (02/22/07)*

Marillier, Juliet: Son of the Shadows (03/07/07)

Marillier, Juliet: Child of the Prophecy (03/10/07)

Evanovich, Janet: One for the Money (03/11/07)*

Evanovich, Janet: Two for the Dough (03/12/07)

Evanovich, Janet: Three to get Deadly (03/13/07)

Kopelman, Jay Lt. Col.: From Baghdad, With Love (03/15/07)*

Roberts, Nora: Morrigan’s Cross (03/17/07)

Writing Goals for 2008

Since I work better under a deadline (it helps me overcome procrastination), I’ve set myself goals to accomplish in my writing this year. I even gave each of the goals a completion date. This will help keep me motivated and focused. I did more or less the same thing in 2007, but I got off-track in about August with the editing on Witches, and I never really got completely back on-track. I’m hoping to avoid that problem this year. And to make it even more “official”, I’m posting the goals here. I’ll try to do updates every few months to hold myself accountable.

1) Finish first draft of NaNo 2007 story (February).

2) Start subbing Through Shadowed Stone (April).

3) Finish first-round edits on NaNo 2007 (May/June).

4) Finish first draft of zombie story (June).

5) Finish first-round edits on Witches (June).

6) Finish first-round edits on zombie story (September).

7) Do NaNo 2008 (November, of course.).

8) Outline the sequel to Witches (end of December).

9) Finish 2YN class (end of 2008).

10) Write 250,000 new words (up 25% from my goal in 2007).

Happy New Year’s!

Woot!

I hit my word goal for 2007! 200,000 words! Yay! That is all.

The Results of the Mini-Vacation!

I’ve actually had quite a productive week. I accomplished everything that was on my to-do list last weekend, and of course, I have another list for this weekend, since I have four more days off. I enjoy being off, I just won’t enjoy the paycheck. But, I’m determined to get work done while I have the time.

I still have the two partially finished zombie chapters. Although now, thanks to the brainstorming session with my co-writer, I know what’s supposed to happen in the latter part of both chapters. I just have to write them. Much mayhem must ensue. Zombie attacks! In both chapters! Fun! In slightly related news, my co-writer is showing some interest in finishing a story she began over five years ago (before her beautiful daughter Reyna came along). It’s about shapeshifters, and the three chapters she has done are wonderful, so I really hope she does finish it.

The 2YN story…is going great. I sat down to write last weekend, and the chapter just flowed off my fingertips! Three new characters I was unaware of just jumped on the page. I’ve also finished about half of another chapter, and that’s going well also.

The NaNo Atlantis story is going okay. I’m about two thirds of the way through it, so the end is in sight. Which means all the really fun stuff is coming up soon. I get to destroy Atlantis, so that should be entertaining, and hopefully, believable.

I’m planning to get those two zombie chapters finished up this weekend, finish at least the half-done chapter of the 2YN story, and do another chapter of the NaNo story. So, wish me luck!

Reading My Favorite Book Ever!

I finished reading the anthology, Holidays are Hell. Pretty entertaining read, although I don’t usually do short stories. I like to get much more involved with the characters. I did enjoy the Rachel Morgan story, from before the series. That was pretty good, although I missed Jenks. I’ve read Lyndsay Sands as well, and this was a good short story, too. I’m glad there was a story by Marjorie M. Liu, since I’ve been hearing good things about her. This gave me a chance to sort of preview her writing, and I was impressed, so I’ll probably be buying more of her stuff. The story by Vicki Pettersson was interesting to me. I liked the whole set-up of the world, it was an interesting take on superheroes. All in all, a good read, just a little bit short.

I like thick books. I like to get involved with the character and the world, and all the intricacies of plot and just lose myself in the story. That said, I’m now reading my favorite book ever. Gone with the Wind. Again. For at least the twentieth time. I’ve read it at least once every year since I was eleven. (I left it kind of late this year, so I may not finish before the first.) Even though I know every single thing that is going to happen, I still love it. I have the first line memorized (and the second and third), and the last line, of course. Kind of nerdy, I admit, but that just sort of happened by accident.

I think Scarlett O’Hara is a great character. She’s flawed, definitely, but that only makes her more interesting. She’s self-centered and conceited, but she’s smart enough to realize she’s different from everyone else she knows. Except for Rhett, of course, and I think he’s a great character, too. I get so mad every time I read this book! I just want to slap Scarlett and shake some sense into her, and tell them both to quite being so prideful! So, that’s all I’m reading now, just getting lost in the world of Southern belles and the Civil War.

Yay!

I am so relieved and excited that I have five days off now! Normal people would probably be planning to take it easy and relax, but not me. Oh no. I have a two-page to-do list, organized by days. It may be the holidays, but I intend to get some things done! My goal during this little break is to write or complete two chapters in each of my three WIPs, and also to edit several chapters in Witches. I also have two crits on the agenda, and I plan to post the revised first chapter of Witches sometime early next week. And I’m not going to mention all the other, non-writing-related things on the list. Like packing. Cleaning. Cooking. I’m sure it’ll be a lot of fun. Somehow, I always feel better if I have a lot of things to do. So, Merry Christmas to everyone!