Well, 2006 just zoomed by for me. Not quite sure where most of it went. Yes, there was moving and unpacking and starting a new job. At least one of my stories came out in an anthology. I was happy to have finally completed a rough draft of something since my thesis novel and graduation. But many of the things on my to do list which I posted at the beginning of the year didn't get done. The year is gone and I feel like it should only be half over! Now I understand why some people comment that working part-time can be worse than working full-time. It's not an excuse, though, just something I need to overcome and make myself adjust to.
So, first I will wish a Happy Holidays to everyone since I didn't get around to posting before Yule and X-mas, and since my next post likely won't be until after the first of the year. And I am not going to look back at the goals I had for 2006 because I am too embarassed to do so. :p What's the point of dwelling on the past anyhow (and my husband constantly reminds me I do so far too often)? What's done is done, and I can't worry about what was, and I should concentrate on what will be. That is sacrily positive, even for me...
With that said, I do have more goals that I drew up for 2007. I don't think I'll ever get rid of that list making OCD. Nor will I ever not make goals that are above and beyond what a normal person should be able to accomplish, even if aiming too high and not reaching the goals is one of the reasons my psychological disposition is the way it is at times. Just can't change some things. :)
Here are my tangible writing goals for the year:
- Finish the rough draft of Shepherd of Dreams novel by April 30
- Finish 2nd or 3rd draft of Shepherd of Dreams novel by December 31 (the 2nd or 3rd depends on how many people I can find to critique the novel and how long it will take them)
- Finish the rough draft of Daina's Dance novel by September 30
- Set up a monthly word count/productivity tracker (I loved doing the report card for NaNo - for some reason I have a fascination with numbers - I have already drawn up the template with the equations, might need some tweaking, but so far good to go)
- 10 hours a week OR 5k a week of new material (this is mainly during the times I am doing the novel rough drafts - when I am doing heavy novel revision, my new material word count will be lower)
- Begin and complete 6 short stories (this could include continuing some I already started the rough drafts of)
- Revise the backlog of short stories that have been waiting to be looked at, and possibly get more feedback, then revise again
- Keep all completed short stories in circulation (well the ones that haven't been banished to the "Shouldn't see the light of day" category)
- Start querying agents and editors again for The Mind Behind the Mind novel
- Critique 1 to 2 items a week (item defined as chapters or stories consisting of 30 pages or less)
- Reactivate Critters
- Blog and Update my Website once a week
- Keep up with my writing groups, newsletters, magazine subscriptions, and writing books
That's a long list, and that's really only my writing goals (oh, you don't want to know my other goals, trust me, far too much reading). I will also try to maintain a word count meter here for the projects I am working on. And, depending on how I feel, perhaps I'll set up a rejection/acceptance total tracker at some point.
What are your writing goals for 2007?
See you in the New Year, and Happy Writing!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Yea, Kept Putting It Off
I kept putting off posting here. Bad me. Again.
Anyway, I don't have my exact number tally right now in front of me. But, I think it's 6,111 words now.
I wrote two days last week and four days the week before. Maybe I'll up it back to four days this week (although, we have no clean dishes).
19k in 11 days though? Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows. I do know my goal was never really 50k - heh. I need a good balance between quantity and quality.
I so know I need to finish the rough draft of Shepherd, and I also know tracking my word count in the excel file has been fun and helped me to write more. This might mean I have to do that every month. I'd like to eventually shoot for 10 hours a week of writing until the rough draft is done, or 5-7k words a week. I really need to get a handle on time management, I tell ya.
That's the post for this week, unless I plow out loads of words and feel the need to report...er brag? Happy writing!
Anyway, I don't have my exact number tally right now in front of me. But, I think it's 6,111 words now.
I wrote two days last week and four days the week before. Maybe I'll up it back to four days this week (although, we have no clean dishes).
19k in 11 days though? Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows. I do know my goal was never really 50k - heh. I need a good balance between quantity and quality.
I so know I need to finish the rough draft of Shepherd, and I also know tracking my word count in the excel file has been fun and helped me to write more. This might mean I have to do that every month. I'd like to eventually shoot for 10 hours a week of writing until the rough draft is done, or 5-7k words a week. I really need to get a handle on time management, I tell ya.
That's the post for this week, unless I plow out loads of words and feel the need to report...er brag? Happy writing!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Not As Much As I Wanted....
But still I wrote at least. I mean, I've written 14 and a half pages in the span of 7 days. Most I've written in such a short period since I was working on my thesis novel!
Okay, need to be fast. Have to get back to work.
Yesterday 1.5 hours = 1093 words
Total: 3616
Hopefully I'll at least reach 25k. That would thrill me. I'm sorry, but I just don't have the spirit of most NaNoers - I hate padding just to up the word count - that just makes more work when revising, in my honest opinion.
Here's hoping the big business planning meeting gets over with before the expected 4pm time (I brought my laptop just in case). Happy writing!
Okay, need to be fast. Have to get back to work.
Yesterday 1.5 hours = 1093 words
Total: 3616
Hopefully I'll at least reach 25k. That would thrill me. I'm sorry, but I just don't have the spirit of most NaNoers - I hate padding just to up the word count - that just makes more work when revising, in my honest opinion.
Here's hoping the big business planning meeting gets over with before the expected 4pm time (I brought my laptop just in case). Happy writing!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Yes, I know, I'm lazy
Okay - I meant to blog last night, but I go caught up in other things. It happens. For me, a lot.
Anyway, I didn't write last weekend. I felt the psuh to finish Halloween Quests on EQ as they ended Sunday night, and I wasn't feeling well on Sunday. There, it's the truth, not excuses.
I did write yesterday, though.
Yesterday's total about 50 minutes = 778 words! (btw I edited Friday's post - I had the wrong word count for the day)
Grans Total = 2523!
One tenth of the way to my own personal goal, and one twentieth to the NaNo goal. Today, I need to try to ignore house cleaning and Everquest (bank rearranging on 14 characters and a guild bank of all things) and shoot for like 3500. Not sure if that can happen before my husband gets home and we need to go food shopping. We'll see. I did get up before noon, which is a plus.
Wish me luck, and I might blog later.
By the way, it looks like the meter is working again, so I'll go fix it up right now.
Anyway, I didn't write last weekend. I felt the psuh to finish Halloween Quests on EQ as they ended Sunday night, and I wasn't feeling well on Sunday. There, it's the truth, not excuses.
I did write yesterday, though.
Yesterday's total about 50 minutes = 778 words! (btw I edited Friday's post - I had the wrong word count for the day)
Grans Total = 2523!
One tenth of the way to my own personal goal, and one twentieth to the NaNo goal. Today, I need to try to ignore house cleaning and Everquest (bank rearranging on 14 characters and a guild bank of all things) and shoot for like 3500. Not sure if that can happen before my husband gets home and we need to go food shopping. We'll see. I did get up before noon, which is a plus.
Wish me luck, and I might blog later.
By the way, it looks like the meter is working again, so I'll go fix it up right now.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Er....word meter
I wrote some more today.
1 hr = 1020 words!
I didn't know my fingers could type that fast.
Anyway, the Word Meter site seems to have an error saying the account is closed, and then the alternate site I have used for word meter isn't responding properly either. Not sure what's going on. Perhaps it's a conspiracy to not allow me to track my progress. Guess I'll have to do it just via posting here and using my NaNo profile.
Total count as of today: 1,745 words
Click on the link to view my NaNo Profile. Maybe I'll even add an excerpt once this weekend if there's a spot I really like (okay, really like and willing to share with the world so that everyone can shatter my hopes of what I thought was good).
Happy NaNoing!
1 hr = 1020 words!
I didn't know my fingers could type that fast.
Anyway, the Word Meter site seems to have an error saying the account is closed, and then the alternate site I have used for word meter isn't responding properly either. Not sure what's going on. Perhaps it's a conspiracy to not allow me to track my progress. Guess I'll have to do it just via posting here and using my NaNo profile.
Total count as of today: 1,745 words
Click on the link to view my NaNo Profile. Maybe I'll even add an excerpt once this weekend if there's a spot I really like (okay, really like and willing to share with the world so that everyone can shatter my hopes of what I thought was good).
Happy NaNoing!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
NaNo, Oh NaNo
Yes, it's been another month since I blogged (or done a million other things that are on my list). I will not make any promises about future posts because when I do, I just insert my foot in my mouth.
Yesterday kicked off the beginning of NaNoWriMo. I have decided I'll be doing it kind of unofficially, and not with the exact NaNo rules.
First, there is NO WAY I am starting another new novel. I have too many that I've begun that need to be continued. Last thing I need is another beginning. So, I plan to continue with the rough draft of Shepherd of Dreams. It's not even a fourth of the way done, so I have plenty of rough draft ahead of me that would go higher than 50k words even.
Second, I actually don't intend to reach 50k. I haven't been feeling well the last couple months, and I don't want to push myself and get even more sick. Also, this is the first time I am attempting NaNo along with having some type of "real job." Out og the three days I work, getting up at 4:45am and not getting home until 6pm at the earliest just doesn't help with writing time. I know I can get at least 500 words done each work day, but the after work days are what truly get me because I had so little sleep for the work day before that I am exhausted and beaten. I hope to reach at least 25k, but even 20k would be awesome because that would beat out what I was able to get to in 2004 and 2005.
Third, I am staying away from the NaNo forums. The site is super slow for one thing, and reading those forums is just time consuming.
I was thinking of doing a daily update, but I probably won't. I'll at least put in a word count meter and update that when I write more.
So, to those legally NaNoing or like me, NaNoing kind of, I wish you luck. Happy writing!
Yesterday kicked off the beginning of NaNoWriMo. I have decided I'll be doing it kind of unofficially, and not with the exact NaNo rules.
First, there is NO WAY I am starting another new novel. I have too many that I've begun that need to be continued. Last thing I need is another beginning. So, I plan to continue with the rough draft of Shepherd of Dreams. It's not even a fourth of the way done, so I have plenty of rough draft ahead of me that would go higher than 50k words even.
Second, I actually don't intend to reach 50k. I haven't been feeling well the last couple months, and I don't want to push myself and get even more sick. Also, this is the first time I am attempting NaNo along with having some type of "real job." Out og the three days I work, getting up at 4:45am and not getting home until 6pm at the earliest just doesn't help with writing time. I know I can get at least 500 words done each work day, but the after work days are what truly get me because I had so little sleep for the work day before that I am exhausted and beaten. I hope to reach at least 25k, but even 20k would be awesome because that would beat out what I was able to get to in 2004 and 2005.
Third, I am staying away from the NaNo forums. The site is super slow for one thing, and reading those forums is just time consuming.
I was thinking of doing a daily update, but I probably won't. I'll at least put in a word count meter and update that when I write more.
So, to those legally NaNoing or like me, NaNoing kind of, I wish you luck. Happy writing!
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Yikes
Two months. Wow. Time flies when you keep telling yourself, I'll blog next week.
So, I'm blogging now.
First, I apologize for not having added to this in a while. I also apologize to those I need to e-mail, which I have yet to catch up on (and I feel guilty as hell about some of the extremely tardy e-mails I need to send).
Second, I guess I haven't blogged for a few reasons. Nothing much to talk about in way of writing for one (and what I do have will be below the reasons). I also really just realized today that I have been in a bit of a funk. And on top of everything for the last few weeks I have felt drained and exhausted no matter how much sleep I presumably get (I say presumably because i think I spend more time waking up and trying to get back to sleep thean actually sleeping, but I can't be sure because my time sense is never good when trying to sleep).
When it comes to writing. I still don't have anything out in circulation - this stems from I don't have much confidence in anything I do right now, especially writing. My self-esteem is also lost - I think it might be somewhere near the center of the earth being melted away by the hot core - please send it home if you see it, although it's only a little guy, so you might not be able to see something the size of a flea.
I have been doing the crit group thing with some friends from SHU. That's been enjoyable...well, when my stories aren't up - lol. No, seriously, I have been having fun with our weekly chats and critiquing their stuff. :)
So, I'm not sure what to do with my current issues. I think I need to go back to one of my novel projects, but Daina is still kind of on my depressed list. Perhaps I can work on the Shepherd of Dreams one...or maybe I should get more feedback on Mind and revise the damn thing yet again before I send out more queries. And NaNoWriMo is coming up in a month too. If I participate this year, I think it will definitely just be me setting a word count goal instead of starting yet another new novel - I have enough started I need to work on - starting another will get me into more trouble.
That's all that's going on in my writing life at the moment. Kind of boring and depressing. I have removed my word count meters for now, until I feel they are needed again. Hope everyone else is doing well. :)
So, I'm blogging now.
First, I apologize for not having added to this in a while. I also apologize to those I need to e-mail, which I have yet to catch up on (and I feel guilty as hell about some of the extremely tardy e-mails I need to send).
Second, I guess I haven't blogged for a few reasons. Nothing much to talk about in way of writing for one (and what I do have will be below the reasons). I also really just realized today that I have been in a bit of a funk. And on top of everything for the last few weeks I have felt drained and exhausted no matter how much sleep I presumably get (I say presumably because i think I spend more time waking up and trying to get back to sleep thean actually sleeping, but I can't be sure because my time sense is never good when trying to sleep).
When it comes to writing. I still don't have anything out in circulation - this stems from I don't have much confidence in anything I do right now, especially writing. My self-esteem is also lost - I think it might be somewhere near the center of the earth being melted away by the hot core - please send it home if you see it, although it's only a little guy, so you might not be able to see something the size of a flea.
I have been doing the crit group thing with some friends from SHU. That's been enjoyable...well, when my stories aren't up - lol. No, seriously, I have been having fun with our weekly chats and critiquing their stuff. :)
So, I'm not sure what to do with my current issues. I think I need to go back to one of my novel projects, but Daina is still kind of on my depressed list. Perhaps I can work on the Shepherd of Dreams one...or maybe I should get more feedback on Mind and revise the damn thing yet again before I send out more queries. And NaNoWriMo is coming up in a month too. If I participate this year, I think it will definitely just be me setting a word count goal instead of starting yet another new novel - I have enough started I need to work on - starting another will get me into more trouble.
That's all that's going on in my writing life at the moment. Kind of boring and depressing. I have removed my word count meters for now, until I feel they are needed again. Hope everyone else is doing well. :)
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Oh, So Tired
I know I didn't blog last week. And it's taking a lot of drive to blog right now. I will be more than glad when my 12-week stint with extra work hours comes to an end. It is more than a bit draining. It's the lack of sleep, pure and simple.
Okay, I have yet to get any queries out, but that doesn't mean I've sat idle. Last Tuesday I got my new laptop! So I spent most of last week making sure all the programs I needed were on it and organizing it so it looks nice and I can find everything (like getting rid of the awful XP look and switching to Classic). It is a very nice comp, and hopefully tomorrow, I'll actually be able to use it to write (if I have time...I have a cookout this weekend, and saying the house is a disaster is an understatement).
I didn't write a lot last week, but everything else seemed to sweep me up. This week, though, I'm already up to 1,700 words (look at that meter)! I'm on a roll with the Fate story. I also critiqued a story for a friend, and this Sunday will be the first chat for the crit group I've pulled together (this has consumed a bit of my time - and if most don't show up for the discussion chat, I'll be so sad).
I should be reposting my Daina's Dance meter soon because I'm almost done typing up what I have for the rough draft...and OH will it need revisions badly once the entire rough draft is done. Perhaps the "Blood and Souls" meter will go back up as well, if I can find some time tomorrow to write. Note: the Weekly Goal meter includes any new stuff I have written on other meters. If that makes sense. I don't want to put up a goal meter for the Fate story because I have no inkling of how long it will be. I think I am at least a third of the way done though. It won't be as long as "Hell," which I think I am stalling on typing up because I really don't want to see the length - lol.
Okay, now I feel like I'm wandering a bit. Just too tired. Hopefully more updates from me next week (and here's hoping my goal meter shoots past 2k this - if you didn't notice I reduced it - 5k was unrealistic for me at this point in time).
Happy writing all!
Okay, I have yet to get any queries out, but that doesn't mean I've sat idle. Last Tuesday I got my new laptop! So I spent most of last week making sure all the programs I needed were on it and organizing it so it looks nice and I can find everything (like getting rid of the awful XP look and switching to Classic). It is a very nice comp, and hopefully tomorrow, I'll actually be able to use it to write (if I have time...I have a cookout this weekend, and saying the house is a disaster is an understatement).
I didn't write a lot last week, but everything else seemed to sweep me up. This week, though, I'm already up to 1,700 words (look at that meter)! I'm on a roll with the Fate story. I also critiqued a story for a friend, and this Sunday will be the first chat for the crit group I've pulled together (this has consumed a bit of my time - and if most don't show up for the discussion chat, I'll be so sad).
I should be reposting my Daina's Dance meter soon because I'm almost done typing up what I have for the rough draft...and OH will it need revisions badly once the entire rough draft is done. Perhaps the "Blood and Souls" meter will go back up as well, if I can find some time tomorrow to write. Note: the Weekly Goal meter includes any new stuff I have written on other meters. If that makes sense. I don't want to put up a goal meter for the Fate story because I have no inkling of how long it will be. I think I am at least a third of the way done though. It won't be as long as "Hell," which I think I am stalling on typing up because I really don't want to see the length - lol.
Okay, now I feel like I'm wandering a bit. Just too tired. Hopefully more updates from me next week (and here's hoping my goal meter shoots past 2k this - if you didn't notice I reduced it - 5k was unrealistic for me at this point in time).
Happy writing all!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
One Little Thing After Another
Yes, I am still in a bit of shock Stars is no longer in his tank in my bedroom, but I have ordered an engraved memorial stone, so I will not lament anymore in this post about my fishy.
Again, another fitting title for this post. Lots of little things going on. I started one of my Fate stories, and it is from the POV of a 12-year-old, but I can feel it trying to be in the POV of another character. This might be because the little girl is oblivious to many things - hard POV to write from. I'll see what the rough draft looks like, and change the POV if necessary. Hopefully, I'll be able to draw this story's card this weekend, if I find the time. And yes, I think I just might post the pics on my blog (no stealing allowed!).
I have also continued some of the Daina's Dance novel. Two more scenes from my newest POV. I have to type them up still though. Been doing a lot of handwriting, and my Hell story still needs to be translated into a word processing program. :) Hey, I think I'm doing pretty well this week, since I'm actually up to 1k words already! True, that doesn't mean I've caught up to cleaning or e-mails. :(
So, I broke down and ordered a new laptop from the evil company, Dell. I was told by a friend they still have the best hardware out there (unless you build yourself, or as she insists, get a Mac), even if their service is less than stellar. I got a good deal. This means though, I am working extra hours so I can pay for the darn thing. Waking up at 4:45am and not getting home until 6pm (because of the long commute) four days a weeks pretty much sucks and doesn't leave much time or energy for me to do things when I get home from work.
I have been good with not EQing that much, though! True, I have it running in the background now, but pretty much to use as something equal to Yahoo Messenger. Just to chat once in a while with a friend. :) Darn it, they need to fix EQIM so I can just log into that and chat instead of logging into the game - hehe.
In other news, I got a rejection from the agent I pitched to at the WPF Alumni Writers' Retreat. Too many romance elements for her taste. Oh, well. :( I'm sad, but I understand taste is taste. If I can find a spare chunk of time (crosses fingers for Thursday), I am going to try to edit my query and send it out to three more people again. Diane gave me a few suggestions when I was at the retreat. :)
My story in Modern Magic did get reviewed at Tangent, but sadly my last name was mispelled, and it isn't the best review for me. :p At least the review didn't freeze me up with my writing. I think I've successfully sluffed it off.
This has turned into a long post, even if most of the junk going on is little. I think I'll end it here for now. Here's hoping I can keep up my writing pace the rest of the week while catching up with other things. Happy writing!
Again, another fitting title for this post. Lots of little things going on. I started one of my Fate stories, and it is from the POV of a 12-year-old, but I can feel it trying to be in the POV of another character. This might be because the little girl is oblivious to many things - hard POV to write from. I'll see what the rough draft looks like, and change the POV if necessary. Hopefully, I'll be able to draw this story's card this weekend, if I find the time. And yes, I think I just might post the pics on my blog (no stealing allowed!).
I have also continued some of the Daina's Dance novel. Two more scenes from my newest POV. I have to type them up still though. Been doing a lot of handwriting, and my Hell story still needs to be translated into a word processing program. :) Hey, I think I'm doing pretty well this week, since I'm actually up to 1k words already! True, that doesn't mean I've caught up to cleaning or e-mails. :(
So, I broke down and ordered a new laptop from the evil company, Dell. I was told by a friend they still have the best hardware out there (unless you build yourself, or as she insists, get a Mac), even if their service is less than stellar. I got a good deal. This means though, I am working extra hours so I can pay for the darn thing. Waking up at 4:45am and not getting home until 6pm (because of the long commute) four days a weeks pretty much sucks and doesn't leave much time or energy for me to do things when I get home from work.
I have been good with not EQing that much, though! True, I have it running in the background now, but pretty much to use as something equal to Yahoo Messenger. Just to chat once in a while with a friend. :) Darn it, they need to fix EQIM so I can just log into that and chat instead of logging into the game - hehe.
In other news, I got a rejection from the agent I pitched to at the WPF Alumni Writers' Retreat. Too many romance elements for her taste. Oh, well. :( I'm sad, but I understand taste is taste. If I can find a spare chunk of time (crosses fingers for Thursday), I am going to try to edit my query and send it out to three more people again. Diane gave me a few suggestions when I was at the retreat. :)
My story in Modern Magic did get reviewed at Tangent, but sadly my last name was mispelled, and it isn't the best review for me. :p At least the review didn't freeze me up with my writing. I think I've successfully sluffed it off.
This has turned into a long post, even if most of the junk going on is little. I think I'll end it here for now. Here's hoping I can keep up my writing pace the rest of the week while catching up with other things. Happy writing!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
In Memoriam
Some of you are going to think I'm nuts. So, I'll admit I am upfront and get that out of the way. Today, my blog entry is solely concerning my goldfish. I know I've posted this pic before, but it's the only one I have of him. It is with much sadness I report that my ancient, crazy fishy has passed away.It was already July 4 (about quarter to 2 in the morning) when my husband and I found him no longer swimming. He had seemed fine as ever around 8pm. For those of you who know me well, you know I got him on July 4 thirteen years ago. I am more than sure he made it to midnight when it officially became the 4th and just decided 13 years was long enough.
I'd like to give a little history. He was more than just a fish to me. His name was Sterling Stars and he was won at a festival with a friend called Golden Stripes (who sadly escaped down the drain one day while cleaning - and I have no doubt she would have lived just as long if not for that incident). Stars and Stripes Forever - yes I was thirteen myself at that time, I had to think of something cute like that since I won them on the 4th of July.
The thing is, I've associated Stars with my writing for the longest time. A month or two after I won him is when I started the novel that took me all of high school to write (I know how bad that novel is, it will never see the light of day, but it was the fact I was undertaking that and that was really when I first got more serious about writing). So, in a sense, he was a fishy muse. He was supposed to have lived until I got a novel published!
Stars was also no normal fish (it seems nothing I own ends up being normal). he was crazy.
*** He insisted that all his stones on the bottom of his tank were not in the proper place, therefore would move them around. One time I did an experiement and put all of one color on one side and then another color on the other side. by the time I had to clean his tank again, they were all mixed up.
*** He also refused to eat quietly. You put the fish food in and you would swear the loud bloop bloop bloop you heard was a cat playing in water, not a little goldfish eating.
*** Instead of living a long healthy life for a goldfish, he figured THIRTEEN years would be much better so people could ponder at the unimaginable age he was.
*** And to top it off, he had to go out with a bang. He couldn't just die on any old day of the year. No way. Exactly 13 years to the day that I won him was when he swam his way to his next life. Now that's a fish with timing and a sense of drama!
You bet your butt he'll be mentioned in my dedication page WHEN I get my first novel published.
Stars will be greatly missed since he had been through a lot with me and traveled with me the many times I moved (even in dorm rooms!). And I will ignore all of those that tell me he was just a fish. He was my Stars, and it will not be the same without him around. :(
Thursday, June 22, 2006
The Good and The Bad
Okay. Another long delay between posts. I really have to stop doing that. Well, I have some bad news (you know me, I always seem to have bad news), but instead of letting the bad news take over, I am going to cover the good stuff first. And I intend to do this each blog entry. That way, once I start complaining about the nasty stuff, people can stop reading if they wish. ;)
I am in Pennsylvania at the moment - it's WPF Alumni Writers' Retreat this coming weekend, and I came early, so I could see some of my friends' thesis readings, and to get some writing done. So, with my little bit of extra time, I finally finished the rough draft of my Hell short story - yay! It feels good to have completed something. I know I have revisions (endless as always) to do, but this is the first rough draft of something I have completed since I finished my thesis novel. I feels good.
I'm also happy to be around so many like-minded individuals again for the week. Hanging around other writers with similar goals really wakes me up. Hopefully, after this I'll be able to set something up online with a few fellow writers where we have to meet online once a week, and we have to have some writing to show for it. It might work - there might me to be a bigger motivation though then just getting online glares if you don't have anything. :)
I'll also be going to my very first pitch session tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet, but I'm sure I will be about ten minutes before I have to open my mouth. Here's hoping I can get the words out. I've also been wanting to start my Fate world, tarot card idea, and that means drawing, but I forgot my ruler. :p Oops.
That's all of "The Good" I think. Time for "The Bad." I'll start with the worst. My laptop hard drive died on me, the night before I left for Pennsylvania! It couldn't wait to die until after the week. It knew I really needed it while here. So, I'm on a residency hall comp right now, instead of outside enjoying the beautiful day like I should be. I've also still been having troubles with my desktop comp at home.
It is official, Luna rejected my novel. Bleh. When I get home, it's time to tweak my query and start sending it out to more agents again. It feels horrible to have nothing in circulation at the moment. And I damn well better find a home for my story "Suicide Woes" because it deserves to be in print. I KNOW it's funny, unless when people say it is they're lying, but I think I believe most of them.
I could mention the shampoo bottle that exploded in my suitcase (everything smells like tea tree now - what a headache), but then you'd all think I'm REALLY complaining a lot. Oops, I did mention it - so I do complain too much.
I think that's it for now. No particular goals until I'm home next week. Ignore the word count meter bar at the moment - it's too much of a pain to keep track without my laptop on hand. Okay, happy writing all!
I am in Pennsylvania at the moment - it's WPF Alumni Writers' Retreat this coming weekend, and I came early, so I could see some of my friends' thesis readings, and to get some writing done. So, with my little bit of extra time, I finally finished the rough draft of my Hell short story - yay! It feels good to have completed something. I know I have revisions (endless as always) to do, but this is the first rough draft of something I have completed since I finished my thesis novel. I feels good.
I'm also happy to be around so many like-minded individuals again for the week. Hanging around other writers with similar goals really wakes me up. Hopefully, after this I'll be able to set something up online with a few fellow writers where we have to meet online once a week, and we have to have some writing to show for it. It might work - there might me to be a bigger motivation though then just getting online glares if you don't have anything. :)
I'll also be going to my very first pitch session tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet, but I'm sure I will be about ten minutes before I have to open my mouth. Here's hoping I can get the words out. I've also been wanting to start my Fate world, tarot card idea, and that means drawing, but I forgot my ruler. :p Oops.
That's all of "The Good" I think. Time for "The Bad." I'll start with the worst. My laptop hard drive died on me, the night before I left for Pennsylvania! It couldn't wait to die until after the week. It knew I really needed it while here. So, I'm on a residency hall comp right now, instead of outside enjoying the beautiful day like I should be. I've also still been having troubles with my desktop comp at home.
It is official, Luna rejected my novel. Bleh. When I get home, it's time to tweak my query and start sending it out to more agents again. It feels horrible to have nothing in circulation at the moment. And I damn well better find a home for my story "Suicide Woes" because it deserves to be in print. I KNOW it's funny, unless when people say it is they're lying, but I think I believe most of them.
I could mention the shampoo bottle that exploded in my suitcase (everything smells like tea tree now - what a headache), but then you'd all think I'm REALLY complaining a lot. Oops, I did mention it - so I do complain too much.
I think that's it for now. No particular goals until I'm home next week. Ignore the word count meter bar at the moment - it's too much of a pain to keep track without my laptop on hand. Okay, happy writing all!
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
May Is Almost Over - Time To Rejoice!
Again, it's been a while since I posted. Let's just say, I'm a bit too pleased that May is coming to an end. I have good reasons for not blogging, really I do.
Oh, if you want the good news, scroll down to the end of the post.
Well, as stated in my last post, I had my wisdom teeth removed. That sucked. About two weeks ago my husband got sick, and in turn, I got what he had, but three times worse. Not over-exaggerating. He had a fever for one day, whereas I had a fever for three days. Just as I was getting over all of that junk (and I still have a nasty cough and some lovely phlegm), it was time for WisCon. I just returned from WisCon yesterday, and I would have posted while I was there, but I again had patchy internet. I swear it's my laptop.
Well, WisCon was fun. I think in future years though I need to make sure at least one friend is there as well. I am socially inept to begin with - wandering through the parties by myself just makes me feel lost, especially since everyone is in their groups and conversations. No way am I bold enough to interject myself into a conversation.
I especially enjoyed the panel "Make Shit Up." It reconfirmed to me that I need to shut up that little voice in my head, which makes me consider what others would think of what I'm writing, when I'm working on the first draft. Nicolla Griffith called it The Parrot. Perfect comparison. I need to make sure I am writing for the shear joy and eagerness to get a story that's in my mind down on paper. In other words, I need to get back into writing for myself first. And hearing that everyone else on the panel does just that made me feel a hell of a lot better. I don't know if it was the two years at Seton, or that I have become a bit more touchy to critiques, but I have been focusing too much on if others are going to like what I'm writing, and it freezes me up, and then I don't finish the first draft.
So, I think I have to set a new rule for myself. No one is allowed to see what I've written until I have a full first draft done. I had the beginning of Daina's Dance critiqued for the WisCon Writers' Workshop. I was so excited with the idea and the novel, and now after the crit I feel as if it is all really pointless and I'm not going to be able to do it the way I wanted to. I am discouraged to finish the first draft even to see where it's all going. Now if I had that first draft done, revisions suck anyway, so I wouldn't need the excitement I need for a first draft to propel me to the end. That make any sense? Hopefully I'll get over it and finish the first draft of Daina in the future. Perhaps I'll work on the sequel to Mind Behind the Mind now, especially since Tessa and Bastian are giving me a headache, insisting I return to them and tell their damn stories. I wish Daina was a more insistent character, but then she wouldn't fit in with my vision.
Goals for this week? Update my website. Figure out how to inform Luna of my change of address, since I have yet to hear back from the query I sent months and months ago. Catch up with my online writing groups. Figure out LiveJournal (only so I can connect with friends and communities on LJ - this blog is still where I will post, and I will never leave it because LJ is already frustrating me with figuring things out). Finish that "Hell" story...I won't call it a short - I might not have typed up all the handwritten pages yet, but it's well over 25 typed pages now I'd say. E-mails - oh man I am so neglectful. And way too many other things.
*** Here is the good news I mentioned way at the top. I know, this should probably have been posted first. It was going to have its own post earlier this month, but that didn't happen. The anthology Modern Magic: Tales of Fantasy and Horror is now available to purchase. My story "Kindled Morphogenesis" is the first one in the antho, among many other excellent stories (and awesome artwork). You can purchase a copy online at Fantasist, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. Now go buy it. ;)
Okay, that's all for now. Happy writing! :)
Oh, if you want the good news, scroll down to the end of the post.
Well, as stated in my last post, I had my wisdom teeth removed. That sucked. About two weeks ago my husband got sick, and in turn, I got what he had, but three times worse. Not over-exaggerating. He had a fever for one day, whereas I had a fever for three days. Just as I was getting over all of that junk (and I still have a nasty cough and some lovely phlegm), it was time for WisCon. I just returned from WisCon yesterday, and I would have posted while I was there, but I again had patchy internet. I swear it's my laptop.
Well, WisCon was fun. I think in future years though I need to make sure at least one friend is there as well. I am socially inept to begin with - wandering through the parties by myself just makes me feel lost, especially since everyone is in their groups and conversations. No way am I bold enough to interject myself into a conversation.
I especially enjoyed the panel "Make Shit Up." It reconfirmed to me that I need to shut up that little voice in my head, which makes me consider what others would think of what I'm writing, when I'm working on the first draft. Nicolla Griffith called it The Parrot. Perfect comparison. I need to make sure I am writing for the shear joy and eagerness to get a story that's in my mind down on paper. In other words, I need to get back into writing for myself first. And hearing that everyone else on the panel does just that made me feel a hell of a lot better. I don't know if it was the two years at Seton, or that I have become a bit more touchy to critiques, but I have been focusing too much on if others are going to like what I'm writing, and it freezes me up, and then I don't finish the first draft.
So, I think I have to set a new rule for myself. No one is allowed to see what I've written until I have a full first draft done. I had the beginning of Daina's Dance critiqued for the WisCon Writers' Workshop. I was so excited with the idea and the novel, and now after the crit I feel as if it is all really pointless and I'm not going to be able to do it the way I wanted to. I am discouraged to finish the first draft even to see where it's all going. Now if I had that first draft done, revisions suck anyway, so I wouldn't need the excitement I need for a first draft to propel me to the end. That make any sense? Hopefully I'll get over it and finish the first draft of Daina in the future. Perhaps I'll work on the sequel to Mind Behind the Mind now, especially since Tessa and Bastian are giving me a headache, insisting I return to them and tell their damn stories. I wish Daina was a more insistent character, but then she wouldn't fit in with my vision.
Goals for this week? Update my website. Figure out how to inform Luna of my change of address, since I have yet to hear back from the query I sent months and months ago. Catch up with my online writing groups. Figure out LiveJournal (only so I can connect with friends and communities on LJ - this blog is still where I will post, and I will never leave it because LJ is already frustrating me with figuring things out). Finish that "Hell" story...I won't call it a short - I might not have typed up all the handwritten pages yet, but it's well over 25 typed pages now I'd say. E-mails - oh man I am so neglectful. And way too many other things.
*** Here is the good news I mentioned way at the top. I know, this should probably have been posted first. It was going to have its own post earlier this month, but that didn't happen. The anthology Modern Magic: Tales of Fantasy and Horror is now available to purchase. My story "Kindled Morphogenesis" is the first one in the antho, among many other excellent stories (and awesome artwork). You can purchase a copy online at Fantasist, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. Now go buy it. ;)
Okay, that's all for now. Happy writing! :)
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Wisdom Teeth
First, I want to thank Mike for the two book reccomendations. :) I'll be sure to add those to my list of books to buy.
Next, I will extrapolate about wisdom teeth because this is my blog, and I can. Got to love freedom of speech...sometimes. Well, my wisdom teeth are going to be yanked out (dug out in the case of my two impacted ones) on May 2. I had been trying to avoid this, hoping that none of them would be impacted, but no such luck. The doctor prescribed a valium for me to take right before the surgery - he must have easily seen how freaked I was.
Now, if I lose my wisdom teeth, will I be less wise? Okay, I'm being silly, but let me be silly - sometimes it's the only thing I can be good at. I mean, I know I'm not the wisest of people to begin with, so will this make it even worse? Will it have any impact on my crappy decisions and ability to do anything? I'm average at everything now, so will I be less than average at everything (including writing)?
I guess I'm done being silly now. It was amusing while it lasted. To me at least.
So, I wrote 1 page today. Progress - yay. I received my check for "Kindled" last week. :) I'd frame it, but the money will likely get used for the WPF Alumni Retreat in June - heh. The anthology is due to be out at the end of this month - woo hoo!
Not much else in writing news. I am at least hoping this week will be the week things will be mostly unpacked and organized so I can actually find all the stuff I need to start my tarot cards. I just feel I need to draw one before I can think of a story to go with it. Not like I don't have plenty of other things to work on for writing. Like maybe sending out more queries. That would be a thought.
Okay, I think that's all my brain can put together right now. Better than not posting for over a month again. ;) Happy writing all!
Next, I will extrapolate about wisdom teeth because this is my blog, and I can. Got to love freedom of speech...sometimes. Well, my wisdom teeth are going to be yanked out (dug out in the case of my two impacted ones) on May 2. I had been trying to avoid this, hoping that none of them would be impacted, but no such luck. The doctor prescribed a valium for me to take right before the surgery - he must have easily seen how freaked I was.
Now, if I lose my wisdom teeth, will I be less wise? Okay, I'm being silly, but let me be silly - sometimes it's the only thing I can be good at. I mean, I know I'm not the wisest of people to begin with, so will this make it even worse? Will it have any impact on my crappy decisions and ability to do anything? I'm average at everything now, so will I be less than average at everything (including writing)?
I guess I'm done being silly now. It was amusing while it lasted. To me at least.
So, I wrote 1 page today. Progress - yay. I received my check for "Kindled" last week. :) I'd frame it, but the money will likely get used for the WPF Alumni Retreat in June - heh. The anthology is due to be out at the end of this month - woo hoo!
Not much else in writing news. I am at least hoping this week will be the week things will be mostly unpacked and organized so I can actually find all the stuff I need to start my tarot cards. I just feel I need to draw one before I can think of a story to go with it. Not like I don't have plenty of other things to work on for writing. Like maybe sending out more queries. That would be a thought.
Okay, I think that's all my brain can put together right now. Better than not posting for over a month again. ;) Happy writing all!
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Er...
So, I see last post I said I would be posting the following Tuesday. Well...it IS a Tuesday. Hold on. Yup, not midnight yet, so definitely a Tuesday.
This could be an extremely long post, unless I get sick of typing, and realize I should maybe go to bed and not get only four hours of sleep before getting up for work. hell, with me not posting for over two months, I'm sure I've lost the few people that do read my blog once in a while...
So, what has been going on with me? Moved. House needs more work than I thought (okay more work, right away now before things degrade beyond repair). We had to buy a new washer and dryer. :( And then a new stove. :(( (Is it possible to double frown, or is that just a frown with an oddly shaped chin?) Yes, I'm a bit kooky right now. Perhaps it's the adreneline rush of actually blogging. No, we are not fully unpacked. Yes, the house looks like a tornado, hurricane, and monsoon hit it all at once - minus wetness, I will admit it's at least quite dry in here, which is good because there is no way we can replace the roof right now.
Also, by the way, I have decided not to make excuses anymore. I haven't written for over two months. And I'm not going to say it was the moving, starting the part-time job, my grandmother dying, my desktop computer losing it and Dell's tech support being CRAP (Couldn't Rip-themselves-out-of A Paper-bag - so I had to fiddle with that acronym...that's what writers do), swollen and painful gums because of an infected wisdom tooth. No, not going to use any of those as excuses, even though all of them happened. It is my own fault, my own lack of ambition, my laziness, all my fault (I did say that already) for not writing. It hurts not to be writing, but I'm the only one to blame for not doing it. I need to make time, even if life is throwing everything and the kitchen sink at me (um, I mean frozen kitchen sink pipes - yes we had those the weekend it got in the teens and below in Wisconsin, around the same time my grandmother died, the comp gave me the finger, and I could barely eat because my mouth hurt so much).
I said I would stop making excuses, not stop whining and complaining. I can't stop that. I'm good at that. And we all know we shouldn't ignore stuff we're good at.
Well, under the wire, I was able to get a ticket for WisCon, and I sent in the first 8k of Daina's Dance for the WisCon Writing Workshop. I miss the sweet music of my words and ideas being ripped to shreds by one person in the space of five minutes. Didn't I go over the masochist in me in a past post? Anyway, I'm hoping it will get me writing again, although I still intend to attempt to do so before then. Blogging is a start. If I'm not too late, I will also try to sign up for the Broad Universe Rapidfire Reading.
The query to Luna is still out there. I might have received an e-mail rejection for a story somewhere in the madness of the last two months (and that was the last story I actually had out there - oh my, am I a bad, bad girl).
I have been reading lots because it is the only way I can relax during lunch while at work, and also on the bus on the way home. Here is my list of read it, or know you will die without having known the wonders of these novels (this was supposed to come out sounding like a curse - I don't think I quite managed it well enough this time): Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, Play Dead by Mike Arnzen, Pyramids by Terry Pratchett, Sometimes After Sunset by Tanith Lee. So, I've only read good books lately - that IS a good thing.
While I was reading Play Dead, I came up with this wild idea. See, I love it when stuff I read gives me ideas. It is not so good when I become so obssessed with the idea at work that it's hard to concentrate on work. Why is it I always want to write the most when I'm at work? :p Anyway, Arnzen's book has to do with making a deack of playing cards (note that this statement is an UNDERstatement - read the book and find out), and he also has some Tarot mixed in. Well, being Wiccan and all, and attempting to make my own Tarot deck (not like in Arnzen's book - colored pencil and pens work just fine for me) numerous times in the past, I was thinking it would also be interesting to write a novel or stories one day surroundin the Tarot. Then as I read this novel, the gears started moving (that hamster in my brain needed to be overfed maybe, it was hard to get him to run on the wheel - but once he gets going...just think of the run to the hills song). Maybe I could mix Wicca (since I feel I have been lacking on the spiritual need end lately), the drawing of the cards, plus writing. A short story for each Tarot card! Yes, that means 78 stories. And to top it off I thought it would be great if each story stood alone, but in the end they all wove together in this beautiful connected web - having a world that seeps into our own world, so I can have urban fantasy as well as high fantasy stories in that mix of 78! And the world's name will be Fate, and there are these 3 cats where you will see at least one in each of the stories (one of the connectors), but they are of course not just cats (see my Tarot deck I have been attempting to do is called Cat Enchantress - cat eyes in the background and an all female figure deck)...I was thinking the one with red eyes should be a calico (yes, Amara is still a brat). And I also have this flower design for the cards, and that could somehow be another connector. Yes, I am nuts. No, I have no idea what any of the 78 stories will be about yet. Yes, this is a monumental project. One of those epics, like Stephen King's Dark Tower series, except that I'm likely to die before I complete it. And again, yes, I am nuts. But I really want to try it. I just have to make sure it isn't the only thing that takes over when it comes to writing. It is a nice way to touch many parts of my inner self. Bah, that's sounds way too philosophical. That must mean it is getting late and I should go to sleep.
I promise not to go two months again before I update. And here's hoping I can get back into writing soon again - I really need to, otherwise that hamster in my head is going to have way too many screws loose (hm, that could be a double metaphor...). Happy writing all!
This could be an extremely long post, unless I get sick of typing, and realize I should maybe go to bed and not get only four hours of sleep before getting up for work. hell, with me not posting for over two months, I'm sure I've lost the few people that do read my blog once in a while...
So, what has been going on with me? Moved. House needs more work than I thought (okay more work, right away now before things degrade beyond repair). We had to buy a new washer and dryer. :( And then a new stove. :(( (Is it possible to double frown, or is that just a frown with an oddly shaped chin?) Yes, I'm a bit kooky right now. Perhaps it's the adreneline rush of actually blogging. No, we are not fully unpacked. Yes, the house looks like a tornado, hurricane, and monsoon hit it all at once - minus wetness, I will admit it's at least quite dry in here, which is good because there is no way we can replace the roof right now.
Also, by the way, I have decided not to make excuses anymore. I haven't written for over two months. And I'm not going to say it was the moving, starting the part-time job, my grandmother dying, my desktop computer losing it and Dell's tech support being CRAP (Couldn't Rip-themselves-out-of A Paper-bag - so I had to fiddle with that acronym...that's what writers do), swollen and painful gums because of an infected wisdom tooth. No, not going to use any of those as excuses, even though all of them happened. It is my own fault, my own lack of ambition, my laziness, all my fault (I did say that already) for not writing. It hurts not to be writing, but I'm the only one to blame for not doing it. I need to make time, even if life is throwing everything and the kitchen sink at me (um, I mean frozen kitchen sink pipes - yes we had those the weekend it got in the teens and below in Wisconsin, around the same time my grandmother died, the comp gave me the finger, and I could barely eat because my mouth hurt so much).
I said I would stop making excuses, not stop whining and complaining. I can't stop that. I'm good at that. And we all know we shouldn't ignore stuff we're good at.
Well, under the wire, I was able to get a ticket for WisCon, and I sent in the first 8k of Daina's Dance for the WisCon Writing Workshop. I miss the sweet music of my words and ideas being ripped to shreds by one person in the space of five minutes. Didn't I go over the masochist in me in a past post? Anyway, I'm hoping it will get me writing again, although I still intend to attempt to do so before then. Blogging is a start. If I'm not too late, I will also try to sign up for the Broad Universe Rapidfire Reading.
The query to Luna is still out there. I might have received an e-mail rejection for a story somewhere in the madness of the last two months (and that was the last story I actually had out there - oh my, am I a bad, bad girl).
I have been reading lots because it is the only way I can relax during lunch while at work, and also on the bus on the way home. Here is my list of read it, or know you will die without having known the wonders of these novels (this was supposed to come out sounding like a curse - I don't think I quite managed it well enough this time): Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, Play Dead by Mike Arnzen, Pyramids by Terry Pratchett, Sometimes After Sunset by Tanith Lee. So, I've only read good books lately - that IS a good thing.
While I was reading Play Dead, I came up with this wild idea. See, I love it when stuff I read gives me ideas. It is not so good when I become so obssessed with the idea at work that it's hard to concentrate on work. Why is it I always want to write the most when I'm at work? :p Anyway, Arnzen's book has to do with making a deack of playing cards (note that this statement is an UNDERstatement - read the book and find out), and he also has some Tarot mixed in. Well, being Wiccan and all, and attempting to make my own Tarot deck (not like in Arnzen's book - colored pencil and pens work just fine for me) numerous times in the past, I was thinking it would also be interesting to write a novel or stories one day surroundin the Tarot. Then as I read this novel, the gears started moving (that hamster in my brain needed to be overfed maybe, it was hard to get him to run on the wheel - but once he gets going...just think of the run to the hills song). Maybe I could mix Wicca (since I feel I have been lacking on the spiritual need end lately), the drawing of the cards, plus writing. A short story for each Tarot card! Yes, that means 78 stories. And to top it off I thought it would be great if each story stood alone, but in the end they all wove together in this beautiful connected web - having a world that seeps into our own world, so I can have urban fantasy as well as high fantasy stories in that mix of 78! And the world's name will be Fate, and there are these 3 cats where you will see at least one in each of the stories (one of the connectors), but they are of course not just cats (see my Tarot deck I have been attempting to do is called Cat Enchantress - cat eyes in the background and an all female figure deck)...I was thinking the one with red eyes should be a calico (yes, Amara is still a brat). And I also have this flower design for the cards, and that could somehow be another connector. Yes, I am nuts. No, I have no idea what any of the 78 stories will be about yet. Yes, this is a monumental project. One of those epics, like Stephen King's Dark Tower series, except that I'm likely to die before I complete it. And again, yes, I am nuts. But I really want to try it. I just have to make sure it isn't the only thing that takes over when it comes to writing. It is a nice way to touch many parts of my inner self. Bah, that's sounds way too philosophical. That must mean it is getting late and I should go to sleep.
I promise not to go two months again before I update. And here's hoping I can get back into writing soon again - I really need to, otherwise that hamster in my head is going to have way too many screws loose (hm, that could be a double metaphor...). Happy writing all!
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Moving Bites
This might be short. Then again, it might not. Heh.
Sore. Tired. Well, the list would be longer if I could get my brain to function. Moving sucks, bites, rots. You get the point.
No writing has been done, of course.
I have been reading Dreamside during my lunch breaks at work and on the bus. Good book. :)
So, I should probably unhook my comp now, so it doesn't distract me the rest of the week from packing, moving, and cleaning...among other things like paying bills and change of address requests.
Big moving day is Friday, and that's when the DSL gets hooked up at the new place. The comps will be moved sometime on Thursday. So...I'll try to post again next week Tuesday.
Happy writing all!
Sore. Tired. Well, the list would be longer if I could get my brain to function. Moving sucks, bites, rots. You get the point.
No writing has been done, of course.
I have been reading Dreamside during my lunch breaks at work and on the bus. Good book. :)
So, I should probably unhook my comp now, so it doesn't distract me the rest of the week from packing, moving, and cleaning...among other things like paying bills and change of address requests.
Big moving day is Friday, and that's when the DSL gets hooked up at the new place. The comps will be moved sometime on Thursday. So...I'll try to post again next week Tuesday.
Happy writing all!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
So far in 2006...
Okay, feel free to yell at me for not posting again for a while. Saying things have been nuts might be an understatement. Well, I'm posting now at least. ;) So, here's the scoop.
We had the house closing this past Monday - yay! The next three weeks will be crazy with cleaning, packing, and moving. After the closing I napped (I hadn't slept too well the night before), and then we went to the new house...I took loads of pics, which I might post online somewhere, at some point. Tuesday, I had a job interview and then we had to go to my dad's. Wednesday I tried to relax a bit because Monday and Tuesday were so busy. As of this morning, I have a job. In other words, the interview obviously went well. It's only 15-19 hours a week (3 days each week), but it will be a long commute. This means once we move into the new house, it will be 5am mornings, on workdays, and likely not get home until 6 or 6:30pm. I start next Wednesday. So, hopefully once moved, I will be able to settle into a routine where I will write on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
As for writing currently...ha! I'm lucky to be kind of keeping up with my online writing groups. Once the moving dust settles and I get used to my new routine, I'm sure things will pick up writing-wise. I am eager to get writing again (not so eager about sending out more queries - hehe).
I think that's all for updates. Oh, I am still waiting to hear from Luna about my query. At least that's still out there. :) Well, happy writing for those that aren't too busy to write at the moment!
We had the house closing this past Monday - yay! The next three weeks will be crazy with cleaning, packing, and moving. After the closing I napped (I hadn't slept too well the night before), and then we went to the new house...I took loads of pics, which I might post online somewhere, at some point. Tuesday, I had a job interview and then we had to go to my dad's. Wednesday I tried to relax a bit because Monday and Tuesday were so busy. As of this morning, I have a job. In other words, the interview obviously went well. It's only 15-19 hours a week (3 days each week), but it will be a long commute. This means once we move into the new house, it will be 5am mornings, on workdays, and likely not get home until 6 or 6:30pm. I start next Wednesday. So, hopefully once moved, I will be able to settle into a routine where I will write on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
As for writing currently...ha! I'm lucky to be kind of keeping up with my online writing groups. Once the moving dust settles and I get used to my new routine, I'm sure things will pick up writing-wise. I am eager to get writing again (not so eager about sending out more queries - hehe).
I think that's all for updates. Oh, I am still waiting to hear from Luna about my query. At least that's still out there. :) Well, happy writing for those that aren't too busy to write at the moment!
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Happy New Year!
Read the subject line. I shouldn't have to say it again here - hehe. ;)
Well, it's 2006, and I am leaving crappy 2005 behind me, hoping that the cat barf present shortly after midnight wasn't a sign for the upcoming year. :p Anyway, here are my writing goals/resolutions. It's a long list.
- Spend at least 35 hours a week, 25 if I get a part-time job, 15 if I get a full-time job, on writing related tasks
- Write 1 hour everyday, no matter what
- Write at least 5k of new material every week
- Revise at least 5k every week
- Complete Daina’s Dance, rough draft plus revisions
- Rough draft of The Mind Behind the Mind 2
- Complete novella and submit by February 1 (here's hoping packing and house stuff won't get in the way too much like it has been, and that I can find crits when I need them)
- Complete 6 short stories
- Critique 1 or 2 things a week
- Read writing newsletters, magazines, and books
- Make a writing priority list every week
- Keep up with writing groups and become more active in some
- Back-up files once a week, flash drive back-up every hour writing
- Attempt a summer BIAM
- Post on my blog once a week
- Update my website once a week
- Revise my query for my thesis novel, and keep querying
- Keep all completed short stories in circulation
The writing stuff is only one of three pages of goals/resolutions. Is there such a thing as list making OCD? If so, I have it. :( A couple other on my list that can be associated with my writing productivity:
- Get on a set sleep schedule
- Keep thing in order, so they can easily be found
- Be more optimistic and less defeatist (lately things have gone far past simple pessimism)
- Keep track of expenses, especially writing related ones
- No more than 20 hours of Everquest every week (starting the 2nd of January, of course, beginning of a week and all - you knew I'd have something like this on my list - heh)
- Get on top of my e-mails and letters
Okay, I won't bore people with the rest of my insane goals. I'm sure these are boring and crazy enough. If anything, I hope to at least build up to many of these things - slow but sure, which means when 2007 comes along, hopefully I can say I have done much of what I have listed.
Anyone else have any writing-related resolutions? Feel free to post a comment. :) Happy writing!
Well, it's 2006, and I am leaving crappy 2005 behind me, hoping that the cat barf present shortly after midnight wasn't a sign for the upcoming year. :p Anyway, here are my writing goals/resolutions. It's a long list.
- Spend at least 35 hours a week, 25 if I get a part-time job, 15 if I get a full-time job, on writing related tasks
- Write 1 hour everyday, no matter what
- Write at least 5k of new material every week
- Revise at least 5k every week
- Complete Daina’s Dance, rough draft plus revisions
- Rough draft of The Mind Behind the Mind 2
- Complete novella and submit by February 1 (here's hoping packing and house stuff won't get in the way too much like it has been, and that I can find crits when I need them)
- Complete 6 short stories
- Critique 1 or 2 things a week
- Read writing newsletters, magazines, and books
- Make a writing priority list every week
- Keep up with writing groups and become more active in some
- Back-up files once a week, flash drive back-up every hour writing
- Attempt a summer BIAM
- Post on my blog once a week
- Update my website once a week
- Revise my query for my thesis novel, and keep querying
- Keep all completed short stories in circulation
The writing stuff is only one of three pages of goals/resolutions. Is there such a thing as list making OCD? If so, I have it. :( A couple other on my list that can be associated with my writing productivity:
- Get on a set sleep schedule
- Keep thing in order, so they can easily be found
- Be more optimistic and less defeatist (lately things have gone far past simple pessimism)
- Keep track of expenses, especially writing related ones
- No more than 20 hours of Everquest every week (starting the 2nd of January, of course, beginning of a week and all - you knew I'd have something like this on my list - heh)
- Get on top of my e-mails and letters
Okay, I won't bore people with the rest of my insane goals. I'm sure these are boring and crazy enough. If anything, I hope to at least build up to many of these things - slow but sure, which means when 2007 comes along, hopefully I can say I have done much of what I have listed.
Anyone else have any writing-related resolutions? Feel free to post a comment. :) Happy writing!
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