Category: real life

What I Accomplished This Year

So, here are the goals I set for 2009:

-Zombie story (finish)
-Werewolf story
-Witches II
-2YN II
-Ash’s story
-Mena’s story

I want to edit five stories:
-Tempest of Angels
-Werewolf story
-Zombie story
-Witches II
-2YN II

I want to polish three stories:
-2YN
-Witches
-Atlantis story

I want to start subbing two stories:
-2YN
-Atlantis story

My personal goals:
-Read 165 books.
-Learn one Japanese lesson per month.
-Start a professional website (I sort of gave up on this one last year, but I’m giving it another go this year).
-Run 5 miles in less than an hour.
-Do 10 pull-ups.
-Write 300,000 words

And here is what I actually accomplished:
-finished zombie story
-wrote werewolf story
-wrote Witches II
-wrote Mena’s story
-wrote about 2 chapters on the 2YN II

-started editing the werewolf story with Holly Lisle’s How To Revise Your Novel class (which is brilliant, by the way)
-polished Witches
-polished the Atlantis story
-polished the 2YN story
-started subbing the 2YN story (and have had 3 partial requests so far, so yay, got a step farther this time)
-wrote 368,771 words

Everything else…didn’t quite happen. But that’s okay, right? I did accomplish a lot this year. I learned a lot. I’m mostly happy with everything I got done. And I have a lot of things planned for next year (What a surprise, right?), which I’ll be posting about tomorrow.

Procrastination…

I’m so bad at it. Or, really, a little too good. All day today “Finish Zombie Chapter” has been at the top of my to-do list. And still it sits there, with no actual writing being done on said chapter. Why? Because I’ve been chasing pretty lights across the internet, of course. Most of the time, I consider myself fairly disciplined as a writer. Today? Not so much. It’s cold here. Rainy. Taking a nap sounded like a much better idea than writing. And also, checking my email incessantly for no apparent reason. But that’s over with now. I WILL finish this chapter tonight. I’ve sort of lost the feel for this story, but it should be fun anyway. I get to vicariously raid an army base and shoot things. Sounds entertaining, right?

I also need to do some work on the revisions class. Seems I’m having some difficulties pinpointing conflicts in some of my scenes, so I really need to buckle down and focus on this, so I can wrap my brain around it. I can feel a break-through looming on the horizon, but not if I continue to procrastinate. So I’m done with that. Off to work now…Wish me luck.

Writing…Stuff

So, I intended this blog to be mostly about writing. But there are other things in the world besides writing. I know it’s hard to believe, but there are. However…some of the things that aren’t strictly writing related do actually have connections, in my mind anyway, to writing. For example, the man I saw in the French Quarter a few months back, dancing on the sidewalk in a green sequined skirt and feather boa. He gave me an idea for how my faeries in this year’s NaNo gain their magic. He also showed up as a character. At first glance, not related to writing at all. But then again, completely related.

Something else that makes me think of writing: movies. But not just any movies. Really good movies that provoke a strong emotional reaction from the audience. And it doesn’t have to be a reaction of sadness or grief, either. That’s the kind of stories I want to write: thing that draw a strong emotional reaction from the reader, a story that is sheer unadulterated pleasure for the reader.

I saw a movie like that last week: All Saints’ Day (the sequel to The Boondock Saints). The first movie came out in 1999, barely hit theaters, but developed a cult following when it came out on DVD. I personally think it’s a great movie. It’s bloody, full of profanity and violence, yet completely unapologetic for those things. All Saints’ Day is more of the same, a sheerly entertaining movie. I loved it. It opened in limited release over a month ago, and I drove an hour to see it in the only theater in the entire state that was showing it at the time. Totally worth the drive. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Thankfully, I don’t have to. It’s now showing only fifteen minutes from home, and I’ll see it again at least once. But that’s the kind of stories I want to write: sheer fun and breathless entertainment (Although I’ll admit the hot Irish guys don’t hurt, either.)

Playing Catch Up

So, it looks like I can only manage to post here once a week. You’d think that meant I’d been doing a ton of writing, wouldn’t you? You’d be wrong. Because I’ve been doing quite a bit of other things that aren’t writing.

Like watching men in kilts throw trees around. Yes, seriously. Why are you looking at me like that? I went to a Celtic Music Festival/Scottish Games. Quite interesting, let me tell you. Men in kilts. Throwing trees. And flinging burlap bags (weighted) into the air with pitchforks. Quite impressive as well. I can only imagine me either hitting myself in the head with the 16-pound hammer, or stabbing myself with the pitchfork. Ah. Good times…The music was excellent, as well. You don’t hear many harps these days, but I listened to one awesome performer. All of which allowed me to successfully procrastinate for almost the entire day Sunday. Yes, I’m behind. No, I’m not giving up. I shall hit my word count goal of 100k for NaNo!

Day 10: 1,772 words (23,085 Total)
Day 11: 60,040 (29,125)
Day 12: 1,009 (30,134)
Day 13: 1,012 (31,146)
Day 14: 3,218 (34,364)
Day 15: 1,205 (35,569)
Day 16: 2,180 (37,749)

And, as a side note: I hit my word count goal for the year today! 300,000 words!

NaNoing In Spite of the Storm

Or, Tropical Storm Ida. She’s coming ashore tonight, which is supposed to mean wind and rain here. (*Looks outside. No rain. Only occasional signs of wind.*) My company decided this warranted scheduling changes, so I got off two hours early. And what did I do with my ill-gotten gains? Um…caught up on the blogs I haven’t read in at least a week. Incessantly checked my email. Looked for random people I have no actual interest in finding on Facebook. Oh, and continually tried to check the NaNo website, which is apparently experiencing some technical difficulty.

And yes, some writing. I actually got 1k this morning before work, and 1.75k tonight, which hits my word count goal for the today, plus 1k to make up for the ah, less than stellar word count weekend I had:

Day Six: 2,509 (17,951 Total)
Day Seven: 322 (18,273)
Day Eight: 264 (18,537)
Day Nine: 2,776 (21,313)

I may not have gotten much writing done this weekend, but I did accomplish some other things: Seeing a completely unbelievable concert on Friday night. Cross Canadian Ragweed (a.k.a. CCR. Yeah, I know, not the CCR. But still completely awesome.). Now, back home, they get airplay on the mainstream country stations, but they’re more styled as “Texas Country.” Not that you could tell that from their hard-rocking style. I’ve seen them twice before, both at outdoor venues, and this time was at the Hard Rock Live in Biloxi, MS. Small venue. Mind-blowing show, complete with awe-inspiring guitar and their traditional, in-your-face songs (My favorite? Lighthouse Keeper, which, as a friend of mine said once, only makes sense if you’re on something. I wasn’t, but I still love that song. It sounds best at top volume with the windows down.) Micky & the Motorcars opened for them. Styled as “alt-country”, Micky & the Motorcars also did a great show with a ton of adrenaline.

On Sunday, I participated in a fundraising walk for the National Kidney Foundation. Excellent cause, lots of fun, and done in Audubon Park, which is an oasis of beautiful scenery. Stately old oaks draped with Spanish moss. A small lake. Beautiful houses surrounding it. In short, an excellent setting for Mina to get into some sort of trouble during the course of this book.

So, while I may not have been actually writing, I was researching. Yeah. That’s it. Now if I can just figure out a way to work that concert into the story…

Loose Ends

The first draft of the Witches sequel is done! It comes in at 135k, which is less than half the word count of the first draft of Witches. It even has a title: Shadows of Winter. The title came to me a couple of days ago, like a bolt from the blue. No, Witches still doesn’t have a title, although I’m getting glimmers of an idea in that direction. I try not to push it. It will give me its name when it wants to, sort of like my characters do. I also finished up the first draft of the werewolf story last week. I had computer issues with it that meant I lost about 15k of it, but since I was aware that the story had some issues in the front end, I decided not to worry about that (not that worrying would have done me any good at all anyway), and just put in quick and dirty summaries for the last chapters, since I know good and well there are going to be major changes made during the revision. It’s all good.

So, that leaves getting ready for NaNo as my only loose end. With two weeks left, there’s plenty of time. Except that for seven of those days, I’m gong to be out of town, and for three days before that, I’ll need to be getting ready to leave. So, that really only gives me three days to finish my outline and get everything ready for the madness. No sweat, right? Right. Ah…Need to go look at that outline again. I think I have, oh, the first chapter planned. But I do have some really nasty things in mind to inflict upon my characters…If they’d just finish telling me their names, this would be so much easier!

Things Change

This has been a rather rough weekend. My little brother is moving back to Texas tonight, and I’m really going to miss him. We’re pretty close, and he’s one of my best friends. Not that I blame him for moving back. I miss it, too, even though I like it here. It’s hard, though. Here, I have my parents, a job that I really like, and I’ve always liked this area. But Texas…will always be home. My friends are there, friends that I really, really miss sometimes. And the culture is totally different there. Much more normal to me. 🙂 It’s funny, some of the things I miss, from the music on the radio to the wonderful Mexican food. And don’t even get me started on spring. Springtime in Texas is beautiful, with the Indian paintbrushes and the bluebonnets blooming. I get really homesick in the spring.

But I’ve had so much more time to write here. Part of that is the job I have has normal hours, part of it is me focusing so much on the writing. Regardless, I’ve gotten a ton of things done in the year since we moved here, and I’ve gotten all sorts of fodder for stories. Guess things are just on a downswing right now.

On the up side, my BFF had her son last night, so I’d like to say a big hello to little Rowan. I can’t wait to see him! (Have a trip all planned for next month.) Until then, I’ll just have to admire his pictures.

The Sky Is Falling

I’ve read in a couple of places that one of the most annoying questions asked of writers is “Where do you get your ideas?” Frankly, hearing other writers’ answers to that question is fascinating. I mean, who wouldn‘t want to know where Stephen King gets his ideas? (I mean, where does he come up with some of this stuff? Of course, I’m eagerly anticipating the release of his new novel. Every time I read one and scare myself silly, I swear I won’t ever read another one. And yet, every time, I simply HAVE to.) But, having only a vague idea of where my own story ideas come from, I know why this question is so frustrating to writers. Because, really, who wants to hear “I don’t know” in response to this question? Precisely no one. But it’s hard to put such a nebulous concept into words.

For example: At least three of my story ideas (with complete drafts done) have come from dreams I had. One of these is Witches. One of these is Through Shadowed Stone. After I started researching Heart of the Sea, but before I started writing it, I had a dream about the story, where I was actually Nerina running through the forest. As for the others, well, sometimes they just seem to fall out of the sky. And sometimes…they come from a place a little bit more earthly.

With NaNo looming on the horizon, I’m been mulling over ideas for this year’s story. I’ve known what it’s going to be about (basically) since before LAST NaNo, but now some of the details are coming clear. It’s going to be urban fantasy, probably with a lot of comedy and a mystery aspect (how’s that for convoluted?). The MC is an elf, and her best friend/sidekick is a fairy. It’s set in New Orleans, of course. What better place to research? A couple of weeks ago, some friends of mine were in town for their first visit here. Naturally, I had to take them to the French Quarter. As strange as some of the things you can see there are, it’s easy for me to believe something paranormal could be going on at any time. So, I’d like to say a big thank you to the 300-pound man wearing a green halter top and long green skirt, with Mimi-esque makeup (a la The Drew Carey Show), and dancing, literally, to the beat of music only he could hear. You’ve given me a wonderful idea for the fairies in my story and how they derive their power. You also deserve a thank-you for the laugh I got while watching the expressions on my friends’ faces when they saw you. (And one of said friends is the basis for the MC in this story, too. She’s the most accident-prone person EVER.) And also? The Red Dress Run, which I witnessed two weeks before that, will also be making an appearance in this story. Men in dresses are not that unusual in the Quarter. Approximately 400 men in red dresses wearing competitors’ numbers IS a teensy bit strange. (And honestly, the explanation is quite funny and still strange.) You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a sight like that. So, thanks to all those men in red dresses as well.

So, yeah. THAT’S where story ideas come from: out of the clear, blue sky.

The Prodigal Returns

No, I haven’t actually dropped off the face of the planet. Not that there’s been much evidence to the contrary around here…I’ve been busy. Yeah. That’s it. Busy. Sort of. Or lazy, whichever word you prefer (although the second is probably much nearer the actual truth). Work’s been pretty busy lately, and I’ve been out of town, too, so that’s two excuses I’m using.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of editing on Witches. I’m a little past the halfway point in this pass, and of course, editing eats my brain, so it’s a slow go most of the time. At this point, I’m looking forward to finishing this pass and putting it away for a while.

My crit group has two new members, and is a lot more active lately, so that’s been taking more of my time than it has in roughly a year. It’s all good, though. We needed the new blood, and they seem to be a good fit. They’ve both done really useful crits on my latest chapter, and I’m looking forward to getting into both of their stories.

I haven’t done any writing this month. At all. Might possibly explain my less-than-sunny attitude of late. (Actually, it probably does. I’m always much happier when I’m writing something. Guess that’s a sure sign I was meant to be a writer, huh? Maybe not a good one, but a writer nevertheless.) I’m hoping to get at least a few thousand words in this week so the month won’t be a total bust on the writing front. I think I needed the break from my over-achieving madness, but I can feel the stories starting to nibble at the edge of my brain again. Not to mention that I’m playing catch-up on the HTTS lessons, and that story is starting to take shape as well. Like I need another story in the queue for this year.

Actually, the main reason I haven’t been around lately is that I got sucked into Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books. Completely consumed. To the point that I find myself talking with a Scottish accent (But only in my head. So far, I’ve managed to keep it from being out loud. The talking-to-myself-in-my-head thing is totally normal for me. I swear.) I absolutely love these books. The world is so realistic I feel like I’m there. I love Jaime and Claire. I think they’re great characters, and so lifelike I feel like I know them. (And, incidentally, could I get a Jaime for myself, please?) I love big books that let me sink into them, and I’ve been totally immersed for the last several weeks, to the point of staying up ’til 3 a.m. on a day I have to work because I had to find out what happens! I just wish I’d read the books before Conestoga last July, when Diana Gabaldon was the Guest of Honor. I did go to several panels she was on, and was very intrigued by her, but I probably would have gotten a lot more out of it if I’d read the series first. Love them. Can’t wait ’til September when the next one comes out. And, strangely enough, I’ve seen three people in the last couple of weeks who have been reading one of the books. Go figure. I’m surrounded.

So, that’s the reason I haven’t been around. I’ve been in Scotland (I wish), and in the 1700s. Good reason, no? But I finished A Breath of Snow and Ashes today (at about 2 a.m.), so I have absolutely no excuses for slacking off. (Like I need an excuse.)

The Werewolves are Winning

I’ve been really bad about keeping this blog updated lately. Sorry. On the up side, I have been getting a lot of writing done. A lot. I’m a little over 50k into the sequel to Witches. That’s flowing along pretty well, and the action is heating up. I’m being mean to Bali at the moment, but hey, somebody’s gotta do it, right? She’ll thank me later, when everything blows over. (Probably.)

I’ve been busy killing zombies, too. Being as gross as possible is pretty cool. And I’ve actually really enjoyed writing two military men characters. Most of my characters are normally fairly clean-mouthed. But not Sammy and Luke. Not in this chapter, anyway. But what can you expect when you’re under attack by hordes of flesh-craving zombies? They’re very persistent, I’ll give them that. Sammy, as usual, provides a shot of humor to even the direst situation. I’ll be sorry to finish writing him…

Not to mention getting to know Chance’s new high school in the Werewolf story. Can I just say that she has a really crappy first day at her new school? It’s great, really. For me. Not for her. (She’d probably hate me, and rightly so.) She is so much fun to write. Clearly, I haven’t progressed much (mentally) past my high school days. Or so it seems when I sit down to write her. She practically jumps through the keyboard and onto the page, full of snarky comments and attitude (not to mention her to-die-for wardrobe). Her new friend Benjy has really surprised me, too. I had no idea he was going to turn out quite like he has. Actually, even though the sequel to Witches is coming along so well, and I’m enjoying the zombie story, too, my Muse is itching to play in Chance’s world almost exclusively. I know discipline is good for a writer, but it seems like I get my pages done for Chance in a split second, and sometimes, it’s a whole lot harder to hit my goals on the other stories. I think I’m going to have to devote one day a week completely to Chance’s story. That should satisfy my Muse, and give her incentive to hit my goals on anything else I’m working on. Sounds like a plan.

I probably won’t post here again until sometime late next week. I’ll be flying to Dallas this Thursday, and then my best friend and I are driving to Tulsa for Conestoga. This year should be interesting. It’s in April instead of July this year, so most of the “regular” writers won’t be there. I’m a little disappointed, but I’m looking at it as an opportunity to find new favorites. After all, I didn’t know most of the regulars when I first went to Conestoga in 2007.