Hard to believe that Fall Quarter is almost over and that I've survived. It's going to be weird though to not have to be places on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The flip side of all this is that I should have time to write for myself now... well, myself and those that read my humble scribbling.
The big question is... what am I going to start on? I've been asking myself that since I finished Restart. I don't think I'm any closer to an answer now then I was. I've had a couple people say I should just grab all my short stories and half written things and put them into a book. Maybe.
Maybe I just don't worry about it just yet and focus on Christmas. That needs attention. There is a tree to get and the house to decorate and all of that. Oh, and gifts.
Bleh.. this isn't really about writing is it? Maybe I should ty that. Writing. What have I learned about it over the past ten weeks?
1.) Don't try and read about the technical side of writing poetry while high on anti-histamines.
2.) Re-write, re-write, re-write!!
3.) Just because I think something is awesome doesn't mean it is.
4.) I'm a comma-holic and probably need a 12 Step Group.
5.) Passive verbs are a pain.
There are more, but... it's that time thing.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
It LIVES!
Well, mostly. Aside from a few weird technical issues.. Restart is live and I'll be adding in the links to it here right after I post this.. I hope.
I think I need to get back to spending time with this blog, if for no other reason than to be able to write stuff that isn't going to be graded. That's if I get a break with homework... not likely, bu a girl can dream. I'm not complaining.. just.. observing. Okay, t's sort of complaining. However, it is a bit sad to realize that where once there were stories rollicking around in my head, like a pack of kindergartners all demanding my attention, now there are quiet whimpers amidst the crickets.
Oh there have been some inspired moments, but mostly my mind has gone into alert, quivering, waiting for the next writing assignment... and not always with delight. As the moment, it doesn't even want to focus on this bit of writing... drivel that it is. Not helping that my hands; well fingers really; have started to stiffen and not work quite right. Every writers nightmare.
I think that today I will enjoy this bit of fluff writing. I will not edit assignments, or worry about the next story that should be told. Nope.. today is all about this.. whatever this is.
And I'm going to revel in bloody ellipses... a lot.... tons.... massive amounts of little dots in a row.... because I can.
I think I need to get back to spending time with this blog, if for no other reason than to be able to write stuff that isn't going to be graded. That's if I get a break with homework... not likely, bu a girl can dream. I'm not complaining.. just.. observing. Okay, t's sort of complaining. However, it is a bit sad to realize that where once there were stories rollicking around in my head, like a pack of kindergartners all demanding my attention, now there are quiet whimpers amidst the crickets.
Oh there have been some inspired moments, but mostly my mind has gone into alert, quivering, waiting for the next writing assignment... and not always with delight. As the moment, it doesn't even want to focus on this bit of writing... drivel that it is. Not helping that my hands; well fingers really; have started to stiffen and not work quite right. Every writers nightmare.
I think that today I will enjoy this bit of fluff writing. I will not edit assignments, or worry about the next story that should be told. Nope.. today is all about this.. whatever this is.
And I'm going to revel in bloody ellipses... a lot.... tons.... massive amounts of little dots in a row.... because I can.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Seems like forever...
And probably has been. What have I been doing you ask. Funny story that... Aside from putting the final polish on Restart (Launch date set for Nov. 9) I thought I'd go back to school and get a degree in what I do naturally... write. I know, I know... crazy! However, one is never too old to learn or refine knowledge, so.. there ya' have it.
So.. school, yeah. Just as much fun as it was when I got my associates, so that's a plus. Again I am reminded how much I can still learn, even about writing.. You want to challenge yourself, take an Intro to Creative Writing class at a university and see how fast you expand! Of course I'm crazy, so to me it's fun finding my boundaries. LOL
It's also keeping me thinking about writing and stories and so on, which is awesome! Still no idea what I'll work on next, but I'm writing a whole bunch of interesting possibilities so who knows! Hmmm... maybe I should start posting some of the random bits and see if anyone says anything.
So.. school, yeah. Just as much fun as it was when I got my associates, so that's a plus. Again I am reminded how much I can still learn, even about writing.. You want to challenge yourself, take an Intro to Creative Writing class at a university and see how fast you expand! Of course I'm crazy, so to me it's fun finding my boundaries. LOL
It's also keeping me thinking about writing and stories and so on, which is awesome! Still no idea what I'll work on next, but I'm writing a whole bunch of interesting possibilities so who knows! Hmmm... maybe I should start posting some of the random bits and see if anyone says anything.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Wow.. suddenly things feel like they are moving!
Wow... wait wait wait and then.... Boom! stuff happens. Gotta love it! So waiting patiently for the proofs of both interior and cover layout for Restart. I look at the date and realize that there is the very strong possibility that everything will be done well before Christmas!
I'd thought that I could try and work on the next book, but after the opening few bits, nothing. No idea's, no drive. I hate that! I really really do. Then again, it's actually been a far busier summer than I had anticipated, even into August.
Okay, so part of that is my own doing. After much debating and soul searching I've decided that I should go back to school. Yeah, at the tender age of.... well... old... I'm going after a Bachelor's Degree in Writing Studies. Makes sense right? I think so in any event. However, the process of that has taken up some time...and energy. Good energy, but still...
Anyway, so now I turn my energy toward attempting marketing and creating excitement about the book. Maybe after I get the cover proofs I can see about like posters or something.. and put them up around town? In book stores? Coffee shops? All of the above?
Yes.
I'd thought that I could try and work on the next book, but after the opening few bits, nothing. No idea's, no drive. I hate that! I really really do. Then again, it's actually been a far busier summer than I had anticipated, even into August.
Okay, so part of that is my own doing. After much debating and soul searching I've decided that I should go back to school. Yeah, at the tender age of.... well... old... I'm going after a Bachelor's Degree in Writing Studies. Makes sense right? I think so in any event. However, the process of that has taken up some time...and energy. Good energy, but still...
Anyway, so now I turn my energy toward attempting marketing and creating excitement about the book. Maybe after I get the cover proofs I can see about like posters or something.. and put them up around town? In book stores? Coffee shops? All of the above?
Yes.
Friday, June 26, 2015
And so it begins!
Well, editor has the manuscript for Restart! Now I wait for a couple weeks while they go through it.I think time would go faster if it wasn't summer, where I have all the time in the world to look at my email.
I'm facing the "Now what do I do" conundrum now. I can't edit yet, but I can't seem to work on anything else. I have a whole other book waiting to be written, yet I keep shying away from it, because This one isn't done. In fact, I can't seem to write anything even related to the book. Nothing regarding the characters, nothing regarding the area.. nothing. Even this blog is hard... because it's about the book and me and writing.
I've tried keeping busy around the house, but being just back from a vacation, I don't feel inclined. Heck, I haven't even full unpacked! Oh I've gotten little things done.. dishes, my car now fits in the garage.. but laundry or sweeping and mopping... nope. As warm as it's been, I'm barely cooking!
Well, I've kind of run out of words for this, so I guess I'll wander over to FlightRising and see if I can waste a day there..lol.
I'm facing the "Now what do I do" conundrum now. I can't edit yet, but I can't seem to work on anything else. I have a whole other book waiting to be written, yet I keep shying away from it, because This one isn't done. In fact, I can't seem to write anything even related to the book. Nothing regarding the characters, nothing regarding the area.. nothing. Even this blog is hard... because it's about the book and me and writing.
I've tried keeping busy around the house, but being just back from a vacation, I don't feel inclined. Heck, I haven't even full unpacked! Oh I've gotten little things done.. dishes, my car now fits in the garage.. but laundry or sweeping and mopping... nope. As warm as it's been, I'm barely cooking!
Well, I've kind of run out of words for this, so I guess I'll wander over to FlightRising and see if I can waste a day there..lol.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Goal Reached!
Wow... I would have never believed that this could actually happen. I actually raised the funds to pay for an editor! Why pay? Welll.... there wasn't exactly a lne of people beating down my door volunteering to edit soooo...
I'm not perfect. I can write (so I've been told) but even the best spell checker won't catch a wrong word spelled right... nor can it tell me if all the punctuation is right... or if my timeline is clear. Only another pair of eyes, that haven't written 70,000+ words, can do that. As I said... didn't have folks beating down my door to volunteer to do this. I knew of two people capable... one has way too much on his plate, and the other won't edit anything by family or friends. Huh... kinda leaves me screwed.
So, finished the manuscript, fixed the obvious mis-spells and was just going to self-publish as it was. However, my beautiful husband had gotten addicted to Kickstarter... which gave me an idea... Maybe I could use that to raise the money to get this thing edited... So, doubting it would come together, I launched a Kickstarter campaign.. which most of you have probably gotten sick of hearing about by now..lol.
In all honesty, I was pretty sure I wouldn't reach the goal...once again, didn't have a whole lot of folks beating down my door. It's funny... when you do something like this, you find out who really believes in you as a person and who is just giving lip service. Now I know...
It's okay though... cause with or without your help, this book will live and be by far the tightest thig I've written. Still don't think it'll be a best seller... huh, then again, didn't think it would get funded either.... Huh.
I'm not perfect. I can write (so I've been told) but even the best spell checker won't catch a wrong word spelled right... nor can it tell me if all the punctuation is right... or if my timeline is clear. Only another pair of eyes, that haven't written 70,000+ words, can do that. As I said... didn't have folks beating down my door to volunteer to do this. I knew of two people capable... one has way too much on his plate, and the other won't edit anything by family or friends. Huh... kinda leaves me screwed.
So, finished the manuscript, fixed the obvious mis-spells and was just going to self-publish as it was. However, my beautiful husband had gotten addicted to Kickstarter... which gave me an idea... Maybe I could use that to raise the money to get this thing edited... So, doubting it would come together, I launched a Kickstarter campaign.. which most of you have probably gotten sick of hearing about by now..lol.
In all honesty, I was pretty sure I wouldn't reach the goal...once again, didn't have a whole lot of folks beating down my door. It's funny... when you do something like this, you find out who really believes in you as a person and who is just giving lip service. Now I know...
It's okay though... cause with or without your help, this book will live and be by far the tightest thig I've written. Still don't think it'll be a best seller... huh, then again, didn't think it would get funded either.... Huh.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Moving right along...
So today I got to thinking about how I write, and that in turn drove me here.
I was sharing with a co-worker (yes, I'm doing this from work) about distractions. Like researching something while writing. I'll come to a halt in the writing to go get more information, or better understanding, about what I'm writing about. In doing that I inevitable loose track of time...and lo and behold, I'll surface from the depths of curiosity to find that hours have passed.
By this point I'm usually hungry, so I stop and eat something. Of course then it's nap time. In short, the entire day will pass and I will have written maybe a dozen sentences.
I think that's why sometimes I wonder if I'm dedicated enough. However, before I get a bazillion comments, I remind myself the same thing I tell my kiddos... There is no right or wrong way to write, just write. It's not about speed, it's about getting the words on paper. The only time "speed" really matters is if you are testing. Otherwise, write as you can.
So, I'm writing as I can, and slowly moving forward. Planning and starting the next book, because Restart begs for a sequel and I have all these notes and ideas and stuff. The hard part is the working title.
Why worry about it? Because I have to save the file and it helps to have a name. Kind of like coming up with baby names before the baby arrives, regardless of whether or not you know the gender. You are carrying within you a living being, and you are forming a bond with them. Part of that is having a name to refer to them by as you talk to them.
Stories are the same, at least for me. I have no clue the true gender of what I'm creating, but to think of it impersonally takes something away from the creative process.
I was sharing with a co-worker (yes, I'm doing this from work) about distractions. Like researching something while writing. I'll come to a halt in the writing to go get more information, or better understanding, about what I'm writing about. In doing that I inevitable loose track of time...and lo and behold, I'll surface from the depths of curiosity to find that hours have passed.
By this point I'm usually hungry, so I stop and eat something. Of course then it's nap time. In short, the entire day will pass and I will have written maybe a dozen sentences.
I think that's why sometimes I wonder if I'm dedicated enough. However, before I get a bazillion comments, I remind myself the same thing I tell my kiddos... There is no right or wrong way to write, just write. It's not about speed, it's about getting the words on paper. The only time "speed" really matters is if you are testing. Otherwise, write as you can.
So, I'm writing as I can, and slowly moving forward. Planning and starting the next book, because Restart begs for a sequel and I have all these notes and ideas and stuff. The hard part is the working title.
Why worry about it? Because I have to save the file and it helps to have a name. Kind of like coming up with baby names before the baby arrives, regardless of whether or not you know the gender. You are carrying within you a living being, and you are forming a bond with them. Part of that is having a name to refer to them by as you talk to them.
Stories are the same, at least for me. I have no clue the true gender of what I'm creating, but to think of it impersonally takes something away from the creative process.
Friday, April 10, 2015
It's been a year... almost.
Yeahhh.... I'm pretty sure I mentioned ages ago, when I started this thing, that my posting would be sporadic.
So, since a year ago.. I've finished the manuscript for Restart!!! Yeah! I'm stoked. I've also made some decisions about how I'm handling it being published. It's huge! 78,000 + words type huge! There's no way I can edit it all, so I've decided to have someone else go over it and help me fix stuff, and then publish and help with distribution as well.
Now for my reality check... That shit's expensive!!! When you don't make bupkiss to bgin with and all your personal resources are needed for things like.. bills... doesn't leave much left over frankly. Okay, so I decided to take another huge risk.. I started a Kickstarter campaign.
Real ego/self esteem tester that. I'm giving it 30 days to raise $3,500; which is the cost plus a bit more of the publishing/editing package. I started this like 4 days ago... I've got two.... TWO contributors.... AND ONE OF THEM IS MY HUSBAND!!! I've sent out emails, I've posted on Facebook, I've freakin' Tweeted it. Two.
I can't send an email at work, cause of policy, but I can show it on a case by case basis. That's not so good either frankly. One person went through and corrected the grammar in the letter (proving how desperately I need to have this done!) and the other implied it was just a hobby. What do I do with that?
I came home and cleaned the house. I took a nap. I petted the cats. Guess what? My house is clean, I'm rested and the cats are content... and it still stings. I... I want this to be more. I've been told by people over the years (teachers as well as parents) that I'm a good writer, that they enjoy reading my work. That should count for something, shouldn't it? I gave up trying to make a living doing Graphic Design... I.. I can't give up on something that I can't stop doing. I won't give up on my writing again.
Some how, some way.. this book will live beyond my own little circle. If I have to ... I dunno... make a damn porno.. to fund it, then that's what I'll do. I'm tired of hearing that the things I feel passionate about are "nice hobbies". Collecting stamps is a nice hobby... writing books is a passion.
So, I've giving notice to the world.... piss off.. I'm not giving up on this. If no one will help this time, I'll try again, and again... and again.. I'll keep trying until people get so sick and tired of being nagged by me on funding that they open their stinkin' wallets and take a chance!
You've been warned.
So, since a year ago.. I've finished the manuscript for Restart!!! Yeah! I'm stoked. I've also made some decisions about how I'm handling it being published. It's huge! 78,000 + words type huge! There's no way I can edit it all, so I've decided to have someone else go over it and help me fix stuff, and then publish and help with distribution as well.
Now for my reality check... That shit's expensive!!! When you don't make bupkiss to bgin with and all your personal resources are needed for things like.. bills... doesn't leave much left over frankly. Okay, so I decided to take another huge risk.. I started a Kickstarter campaign.
Real ego/self esteem tester that. I'm giving it 30 days to raise $3,500; which is the cost plus a bit more of the publishing/editing package. I started this like 4 days ago... I've got two.... TWO contributors.... AND ONE OF THEM IS MY HUSBAND!!! I've sent out emails, I've posted on Facebook, I've freakin' Tweeted it. Two.
I can't send an email at work, cause of policy, but I can show it on a case by case basis. That's not so good either frankly. One person went through and corrected the grammar in the letter (proving how desperately I need to have this done!) and the other implied it was just a hobby. What do I do with that?
I came home and cleaned the house. I took a nap. I petted the cats. Guess what? My house is clean, I'm rested and the cats are content... and it still stings. I... I want this to be more. I've been told by people over the years (teachers as well as parents) that I'm a good writer, that they enjoy reading my work. That should count for something, shouldn't it? I gave up trying to make a living doing Graphic Design... I.. I can't give up on something that I can't stop doing. I won't give up on my writing again.
Some how, some way.. this book will live beyond my own little circle. If I have to ... I dunno... make a damn porno.. to fund it, then that's what I'll do. I'm tired of hearing that the things I feel passionate about are "nice hobbies". Collecting stamps is a nice hobby... writing books is a passion.
So, I've giving notice to the world.... piss off.. I'm not giving up on this. If no one will help this time, I'll try again, and again... and again.. I'll keep trying until people get so sick and tired of being nagged by me on funding that they open their stinkin' wallets and take a chance!
You've been warned.
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