I love the Royal Wedding! What a happy joyous occasion. And how cool that a crowd that huge can be pleasant. Yeah!
Anyway - I will be on a blogging break. I have business to attend to elsewhere. I shall return in about a week!
Happy Spring!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
WIP Excerpt
Felt like sharing a little excerpt from my new WIP today! Here it is! Happy THURSDAY! It's almost the weekend! YEAH!
She grabs my wrist and yanks me over the edge. I open my mouth to scream but the cold rush of air silences me. Her nails dig into my wrist so hard, pellets of blood slowly rise from my skin. She stares at me, a hard look on her face as we fall, fall, fall through the vanilla sky. Now I'm sure of it. There's madness in her eyes.
She grabs my wrist and yanks me over the edge. I open my mouth to scream but the cold rush of air silences me. Her nails dig into my wrist so hard, pellets of blood slowly rise from my skin. She stares at me, a hard look on her face as we fall, fall, fall through the vanilla sky. Now I'm sure of it. There's madness in her eyes.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
What is it about 20K?
What is it about 20K? Why do things SLOW WAY DOWN at that word count? It feels good to hit that number. I'm almost half way to a decent word count! Not really! But that's what I'm telling myself! But then I just...stare.
And stare.
And stare.
I'm working a little differently with my new WIP (my main new WIP. I've got another one, tucked away for now.) Now that I've hit that number - I'm going back to edit those 20K words before I go on. AM I CRAZY? I don't know. But I feel like what happens at the beginning of a story severely effects the end. So I'd like to try to have a solid beginning before I head further into the trenches that is story. If that makes sense.
I'm excited about this story. Like MAJORLY EXCITED. (*Please refer back to this statement in about, oh, three weeks. I predict I will be contradicting it by then.)
I LOVE NEW DRAFTS. LOVE THEM. I FEEL HOPE RUSHING THROUGH MY VEINS! This is it, I think. THEE BOOK. You know, the one that will magically fly off bookshelves like little paper bats. The one that will pay my bills. Allow to me to quit the day job. This book is my SAVIOR.
Wow. Maybe I shouldn't have drank that Dr. Pepper. I'm a little wired. And delusional.
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!
THANK YOU FOR READING ABOUT MY PAINFUL JOURNEY TOWARD PUBLICATION!
Onward.
P.S. Apologies. In a wierd mood. I blame in on the twisters around here. (On a side note: I was sitting in the bathroom with my two dogs (who are not little, both over 50 lbs) last night because the tornado sirens went off. My husband stays on the couch. Chill. I can't be chill in storms. I freak. I want my animals safe. Everyone safe. Me and my dogs were like little sardines. I think my animals also think I am crazy.)
And stare.
And stare.
I'm working a little differently with my new WIP (my main new WIP. I've got another one, tucked away for now.) Now that I've hit that number - I'm going back to edit those 20K words before I go on. AM I CRAZY? I don't know. But I feel like what happens at the beginning of a story severely effects the end. So I'd like to try to have a solid beginning before I head further into the trenches that is story. If that makes sense.
I'm excited about this story. Like MAJORLY EXCITED. (*Please refer back to this statement in about, oh, three weeks. I predict I will be contradicting it by then.)
I LOVE NEW DRAFTS. LOVE THEM. I FEEL HOPE RUSHING THROUGH MY VEINS! This is it, I think. THEE BOOK. You know, the one that will magically fly off bookshelves like little paper bats. The one that will pay my bills. Allow to me to quit the day job. This book is my SAVIOR.
Wow. Maybe I shouldn't have drank that Dr. Pepper. I'm a little wired. And delusional.
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!
THANK YOU FOR READING ABOUT MY PAINFUL JOURNEY TOWARD PUBLICATION!
Onward.
P.S. Apologies. In a wierd mood. I blame in on the twisters around here. (On a side note: I was sitting in the bathroom with my two dogs (who are not little, both over 50 lbs) last night because the tornado sirens went off. My husband stays on the couch. Chill. I can't be chill in storms. I freak. I want my animals safe. Everyone safe. Me and my dogs were like little sardines. I think my animals also think I am crazy.)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Rewriting is Not Starting Completely Over
One thing I learned during revisions this year is that Rewriting, whether only a chapter or a scene or the entire book, doesn't mean Start Over. It can sure feel that way. Yes, I'm staring at a blank page, just like at the very beginning of this journey. Yes, my word count is dangerously low.
But I'm not starting over.
Because I have things from that first draft, or whatever it was, that I didn't have before. They are in my head. I know my characters now. I know what needs to happen. But I can forget all the original words weighing me down. Sometimes I feel like scenes from the first draft keep me from improving. Because I don't want to let them go.
A blank page can be scary. And daunting. But it can also mean freedom.
Sometimes I'm scared I'm going to delete something good. And I have done this, actually. But I save everything. I don't say good-bye forever. So I can go back and fix this.
But sometimes my original draft really feels like a road block, if that makes sense. I feel like, "Hey, I spent a ton of time writing this thing. I don't want to delete a word!" But I've got to sometimes, you know! Some things don't work. They need a rewrite. But pieces of that first draft will always shine through! Hopefully, just the good parts.
A rewrite is simply reworking. Not starting over. That sounds a lot better, anyway. =)
But I'm not starting over.
Because I have things from that first draft, or whatever it was, that I didn't have before. They are in my head. I know my characters now. I know what needs to happen. But I can forget all the original words weighing me down. Sometimes I feel like scenes from the first draft keep me from improving. Because I don't want to let them go.
A blank page can be scary. And daunting. But it can also mean freedom.
Sometimes I'm scared I'm going to delete something good. And I have done this, actually. But I save everything. I don't say good-bye forever. So I can go back and fix this.
But sometimes my original draft really feels like a road block, if that makes sense. I feel like, "Hey, I spent a ton of time writing this thing. I don't want to delete a word!" But I've got to sometimes, you know! Some things don't work. They need a rewrite. But pieces of that first draft will always shine through! Hopefully, just the good parts.
A rewrite is simply reworking. Not starting over. That sounds a lot better, anyway. =)
Monday, April 18, 2011
Cravings
Do you ever get book cravings? I do. Sometimes I crave something light and fluffy. Sometimes I crave something dark. Something sinister. Something clouded in death. Oh, cheery me. Sometimes I crave a quick read. A long one. One stuffed with so much beautiful language I might explode from it. Sometimes I crave The Sims Medieval. Sometimes I crave my Nook. Sometimes a real book that's been sitting, waiting for me for months. Sometimes I crave the supernatural. The realistic. The tragedy. The comedy. The short story. The screenplay. The novella.
There's very little I don't crave at one point! Right now? I'm craving something murky and dark. I've got The Body Finder waiting for me at home!
There's very little I don't crave at one point! Right now? I'm craving something murky and dark. I've got The Body Finder waiting for me at home!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Forever
It feels like I've been trying for this publishing thing forever. But really, when I think about it, it's only been about 2 1/2 years. Which is nothing in the publishing world, right? And not all of those 2 1/2 years did I know what I was doing. It's taken me a lot of time to find my voice, where I fit, where I'd like to be. Some people know that from the beginning. I didn't. I started out writing about my study abroad experience in Europe. After researching, I figured it belonged in YA. It sort of did, I guess. But that book was a mess. I tried writing in like a million point of views. Yeah. IT WAS AWFUL. And made no sense. In fact, I may not even consider that a book. Just a bunch of ramblings I put together during National Novel Writing Month.
I think I've come a long way!
I'm scared to look back at those early books. But it might be educational. And hopefully make me feel better to see that, yes, I have IMPROVED! And I hope in another 2 1/2 years that I will look back on my writing now and think I have IMPROVED!
It's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. But they had a journey too. Maybe they started before you. Maybe after. I don't want their story. I want my own.
And I hope my story ends with...
AND THEN I WAS PUBLISHED.
The End! Or The Beginning...
I think I've come a long way!
I'm scared to look back at those early books. But it might be educational. And hopefully make me feel better to see that, yes, I have IMPROVED! And I hope in another 2 1/2 years that I will look back on my writing now and think I have IMPROVED!
It's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. But they had a journey too. Maybe they started before you. Maybe after. I don't want their story. I want my own.
And I hope my story ends with...
AND THEN I WAS PUBLISHED.
The End! Or The Beginning...
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Hunger Games
My Hunger Games books have really been making the rounds lately. I loaned them to my co-worker (a 50 year old man). He loved them. And now they're with my mom. She called me on Saturday and said, "PLEASE CAN I STOP BY AND PICK UP THE SECOND BOOK? I HAVE GOT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!"
It just always amazes me the way a book can transcend a genre. Yes, they are Young Adult books. But anyone can enjoy them! I think it's so rare that a book can do this. It's a very special thing. Not even Twilight hits this, I don't think. So I base this on if my parents will read the book. Which they won't read Twilight. The real test will be if my dad likes The Hunger Games. =)
It's just really neat. And I'm happy to be spreading The Hunger Games love! I just hope I get the books back. My copy of Water for Elephants was making the rounds, another fantastic book, and it is disappeared! Like magic! Ha!
Happy Monday! If there is such a thing.
UPDATE: My mom has finished Catching Fire. I gave it to her Saturday. She couldn't wait for Mockingjay so she went out and bought it, even though I have it! LOL!
It just always amazes me the way a book can transcend a genre. Yes, they are Young Adult books. But anyone can enjoy them! I think it's so rare that a book can do this. It's a very special thing. Not even Twilight hits this, I don't think. So I base this on if my parents will read the book. Which they won't read Twilight. The real test will be if my dad likes The Hunger Games. =)
It's just really neat. And I'm happy to be spreading The Hunger Games love! I just hope I get the books back. My copy of Water for Elephants was making the rounds, another fantastic book, and it is disappeared! Like magic! Ha!
Happy Monday! If there is such a thing.
UPDATE: My mom has finished Catching Fire. I gave it to her Saturday. She couldn't wait for Mockingjay so she went out and bought it, even though I have it! LOL!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
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