Hello, everyone! I have a couple of things to share with you.
First, NaPoWriMo was a huge success. I wrote the usual 30 poems and loved almost all of them. I also did 31 "blackout" or "erasure" poems. If you would like to see any of these poems, you can go to my Wattpad or my Tumblr. The "blackout" poems can only be seen on Tumblr, however.
I think that part of the reason I'm so happy with this year's poems is the "theme" I chose. Every year, I tend to write quite a few love poems, whether fictional or autobiographical. This year, though, I decided I was tired of writing about boys. I wanted to write about me. For myself.
So I did. I've grown a lot this year, and I feel as if the poems I wrote really expressed what I've learned about myself and what makes me happy.
Second, I finally, finally, finally made it back into the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute. It starts this Saturday and I am so excited. Also, a little nervous.
Most of the people I met in 2012 have aged out. I'm worried about making new friends. On top of that, I'm having doubts about my writing. What if I get there and have no ideas? I'm telling myself that these fears are silly. Everyone is so nice there and look at all the poems I just wrote in April!
Despite my jitters, I still can't wait to go. To meet new people and create new things. To appreciate what other people create. My supply list has me curious. It's a bit more than the usual "notebook and pencils." On top of that, there's going to be a costume party and I never miss a chance to dress up in my Rapunzel costume. I just got back from a trip to my parents' house so my suitcase is already mostly packed.
While I wait for Saturday to get here, I'm going to try and work on THINK OF ME. I've been attempting to straighten out the plot, but I've decided that the only way for me to really figure out what works is just to dive in.
[P.S. Remember, for more up-to-date news on my writing (and maybe some pictures at OSAI!), check out my Tumblr.]
Showing posts with label THINK OF ME. Show all posts
Showing posts with label THINK OF ME. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
Thursday, February 26, 2015
My Presence on Social Media is Changing + An Update List
It's been a while since I've posted, but I'm not too worried.
At the end of last year, I decided that blogging isn't the best fit for me anymore.
As the years have passed, my post numbers have dwindled down to a few a month, if any. I no longer read others' blog posts every day or even every week. I don't look forward to blogging like I used to. I don't enjoy the stress being "behind" puts on me.
I also can't express myself the way I now want to. This is my senior year of high school. I graduate in May. After that, I'm going off to college. These are exciting times and I want to share them. I've established Paper Mountain as a writing blog. I can't do that here.
I'm not deleting my blog or never posting again. But I'm making some big changes.
First, I'm unfollowing all of the blogs I'm currently following through GFC. The ones I really enjoy I'm going to subscribe to through email, but that's only a handful.
Next, I'm going to post updates every few months, but other than that, you won't see me much here. Feel free to still leave comments. I'll respond to them. There are a couple posts in my drafts folder that I've been meaning to finish forever. I'm still deciding if I will.
Finally, instead of this blog, my focus will be on Tumblr and Youtube. These platforms are the ones I take pleasure in and feel help me fully express myself. If you want to keep up with me, those would be the places to go.
And while I'm here, I might as well catch you guys up on a few things.
At the end of last year, I decided that blogging isn't the best fit for me anymore.
As the years have passed, my post numbers have dwindled down to a few a month, if any. I no longer read others' blog posts every day or even every week. I don't look forward to blogging like I used to. I don't enjoy the stress being "behind" puts on me.
I also can't express myself the way I now want to. This is my senior year of high school. I graduate in May. After that, I'm going off to college. These are exciting times and I want to share them. I've established Paper Mountain as a writing blog. I can't do that here.
I'm not deleting my blog or never posting again. But I'm making some big changes.
First, I'm unfollowing all of the blogs I'm currently following through GFC. The ones I really enjoy I'm going to subscribe to through email, but that's only a handful.
Next, I'm going to post updates every few months, but other than that, you won't see me much here. Feel free to still leave comments. I'll respond to them. There are a couple posts in my drafts folder that I've been meaning to finish forever. I'm still deciding if I will.
Finally, instead of this blog, my focus will be on Tumblr and Youtube. These platforms are the ones I take pleasure in and feel help me fully express myself. If you want to keep up with me, those would be the places to go.
And while I'm here, I might as well catch you guys up on a few things.
- Instead of my goal plan, I now have a "progress report." It's an Excel spreedsheet set up like a calendar. When I write, I record what I worked on in the day-appropriate square.
- I'm currently taking an online writing course. "30 Days of Writing - Write Yourself Alive." It's almost over and, while its teachings weren't exactly for me, it's gotten me thinking about a few things. Maybe I'll share them later.
- My audition for the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute is this Saturday at four. I'm considering posting my portfolio on Wattpad. If I do, I'll put up a short post with the link for anyone who would like to check it out.
- I know I've been saying this forever, but I still want to post THINK OF ME on Wattpad. I'm hoping to get some work done on that in March.
- April is, of course, NaPoWriMo. I'm giving myself more of a challenge this year but more on that later. I'm not sure if I'll be posting my poems here as I usually do. They'll definitely be on my Tumblr and maybe Wattpad. I'll put up a short post about that as well closer to April.
Friday, October 10, 2014
October, the Month of Outlining
Last week was crazy. Our homecoming was Saturday night and the buildup kept me insanely busy. On Wednesday, my choir performed and Lizzie and I led the singing of our school's Alma Mater at our homecoming assembly. Then, there was the Friday football game where my choir sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before kickoff. Both performances required rehearsals. Along with that, I helped make locker decorations for those choir members who made All-Region, attended Quizbowl practices, and prepared for the dance itself.
And I don't even know where this week went. It can't possibly be Friday already.
Unfortunately, all of this means I'm starting my NaNoWriMo planning a little late this year. For those who don't know, October is my month for NaNoWriMo planning. I almost always have a concept picked out months in advance, but October is when I take the time to flesh it out. To craft plot and add characters along with figuring out my world. But today is the tenth, and I haven't started.
Not on paper anyway. I don't have the right supplies yet. But my brain has been throwing around some ideas. I haven't experienced any major epiphanies, but it's something. And the "on paper" planning will be happening soon. I'll be running by Office Depot tomorrow after my SAT to purchase the perfect orange notebook.
On top of that, the first chapter of THINK OF ME will be premiering on Wattpad on Oct. 31st and there is still much to be done. Before I continue on with the second draft, I want to revise my plot in order to fix the problems I mentioned last month. This means I'm going to have to move forward with the third draft before the second is even close to complete. So, along with my outline revision, I'll be revising chapter one, sending it to critique partners, then revising it again.
Besides working on the actual story, I need to decide what I'm going to do about the cover. I'm considering paying to have one professionally made as, later this month, I'll be receiving money for passing my AP tests. I also need to figure out TOM's posting schedule for next month since NaNo will be going on. I don't particularly want to be trying to edit and revise in the middle of such extreme rough draft writing.
In conclusion, October's going to be a month of outlining with a dash of revision. Life has been off-the-wall busy lately and probably will continue to be for an indefinite amount of time, but I'll find a way to make it work.
What are your plans for NaNoWriMo? What else are you working on? How do you like my new blog layout?
And I don't even know where this week went. It can't possibly be Friday already.
Unfortunately, all of this means I'm starting my NaNoWriMo planning a little late this year. For those who don't know, October is my month for NaNoWriMo planning. I almost always have a concept picked out months in advance, but October is when I take the time to flesh it out. To craft plot and add characters along with figuring out my world. But today is the tenth, and I haven't started.
Not on paper anyway. I don't have the right supplies yet. But my brain has been throwing around some ideas. I haven't experienced any major epiphanies, but it's something. And the "on paper" planning will be happening soon. I'll be running by Office Depot tomorrow after my SAT to purchase the perfect orange notebook.
On top of that, the first chapter of THINK OF ME will be premiering on Wattpad on Oct. 31st and there is still much to be done. Before I continue on with the second draft, I want to revise my plot in order to fix the problems I mentioned last month. This means I'm going to have to move forward with the third draft before the second is even close to complete. So, along with my outline revision, I'll be revising chapter one, sending it to critique partners, then revising it again.
Besides working on the actual story, I need to decide what I'm going to do about the cover. I'm considering paying to have one professionally made as, later this month, I'll be receiving money for passing my AP tests. I also need to figure out TOM's posting schedule for next month since NaNo will be going on. I don't particularly want to be trying to edit and revise in the middle of such extreme rough draft writing.
In conclusion, October's going to be a month of outlining with a dash of revision. Life has been off-the-wall busy lately and probably will continue to be for an indefinite amount of time, but I'll find a way to make it work.
What are your plans for NaNoWriMo? What else are you working on? How do you like my new blog layout?
Sunday, September 07, 2014
It's a Balancing Act
Scenes Rewritten: 1/20
Scenes Written: 2/8
So far September hasn't been a complete success, but it hasn't been a complete failure either. I've written 1,710 words in the last six days. Obviously, that means I didn't write five hundred words every day. However, some days I did and some days I wrote about half of that.
As I was writing this last scene, I realized that my plot has quite a few problems. My biggest issue seems to be balancing action with character development and more emotional scenes. When I planned out the second draft, I added more of the latter because I thought certain characters needed more time together and that those types of scenes would boost the impact of my climax. Those things remain true, but now I feel like my action has been diluted too much.
This last scene dragged for me. Nothing was really happening. I know that if I think that as the author, readers are definitely going to think that. And I'm afraid the next couple of scenes will be the same way. So, something needs to be added. It doesn't necessarily have to be huge, but it needs to keep the reader's attention, needs to make them want to keep reading.
At the moment, I don't have a lot of ideas. My brain is still on "figuring out the problem" and hasn't yet made the transition to "fixing the problem." I may just go ahead with the second draft as planned and work on the action vs. emotion balance as I'm working through the third draft. This would give me more time to think and hopefully get it right the third go 'round.
That's how my current project is going. What about yours?
Scenes Written: 2/8
So far September hasn't been a complete success, but it hasn't been a complete failure either. I've written 1,710 words in the last six days. Obviously, that means I didn't write five hundred words every day. However, some days I did and some days I wrote about half of that.
As I was writing this last scene, I realized that my plot has quite a few problems. My biggest issue seems to be balancing action with character development and more emotional scenes. When I planned out the second draft, I added more of the latter because I thought certain characters needed more time together and that those types of scenes would boost the impact of my climax. Those things remain true, but now I feel like my action has been diluted too much.
This last scene dragged for me. Nothing was really happening. I know that if I think that as the author, readers are definitely going to think that. And I'm afraid the next couple of scenes will be the same way. So, something needs to be added. It doesn't necessarily have to be huge, but it needs to keep the reader's attention, needs to make them want to keep reading.
At the moment, I don't have a lot of ideas. My brain is still on "figuring out the problem" and hasn't yet made the transition to "fixing the problem." I may just go ahead with the second draft as planned and work on the action vs. emotion balance as I'm working through the third draft. This would give me more time to think and hopefully get it right the third go 'round.
That's how my current project is going. What about yours?
Monday, September 01, 2014
Things Have Been Busy
Scenes Rewritten: 1/20
Scenes Written: 1/8
One of my three months is already gone and I've barely made any progress. I've rewritten and written one scene and started writing a third.
However, August was a whirlwind of oral surgery, school, choir, seniordom, socializing, and catching up on sleep. Now, while September is still guaranteed to be busy, I've gotten in the groove.
This month, I'm kicking revising into high gear. I have to if I want to post my first chapter on Oct. 31st. No more "just write something." I need a more concrete, more motivating plan. So I'm aiming for five hundred words a day every day in September.
For estimation purposes, I'm saying each scene will be completed at one thousand words. Some of my scenes are longer, some are shorter, but one thousand words is a fairly accurate average. If I write at least five hundred words every day, I will have finished fifteen additional scenes by the end of September.
This leaves eleven scenes for October. While this will still require plenty of work, it's doable. And if I have to start third revisions on my first chapter before I'm entirely finished with the second draft, it won't kill me.
Also, the wonderful Madeline has finished the new blog banner! This means the blog will be getting a new look very soon. So, if you stop by and everything's funky, don't judge too harshly. I might not be able to finish the layout in one sitting. But I promise it'll look beautiful in the end (along with my new profile picture -ahem-).
Scenes Written: 1/8
One of my three months is already gone and I've barely made any progress. I've rewritten and written one scene and started writing a third.
However, August was a whirlwind of oral surgery, school, choir, seniordom, socializing, and catching up on sleep. Now, while September is still guaranteed to be busy, I've gotten in the groove.
This month, I'm kicking revising into high gear. I have to if I want to post my first chapter on Oct. 31st. No more "just write something." I need a more concrete, more motivating plan. So I'm aiming for five hundred words a day every day in September.
For estimation purposes, I'm saying each scene will be completed at one thousand words. Some of my scenes are longer, some are shorter, but one thousand words is a fairly accurate average. If I write at least five hundred words every day, I will have finished fifteen additional scenes by the end of September.
This leaves eleven scenes for October. While this will still require plenty of work, it's doable. And if I have to start third revisions on my first chapter before I'm entirely finished with the second draft, it won't kill me.
Also, the wonderful Madeline has finished the new blog banner! This means the blog will be getting a new look very soon. So, if you stop by and everything's funky, don't judge too harshly. I might not be able to finish the layout in one sitting. But I promise it'll look beautiful in the end (along with my new profile picture -ahem-).
Thursday, August 07, 2014
Taking It a Little at a Time
Scenes Rewritten: 1/20
Scenes Written: 0/8
I completed the first scene! I completed it a couple of days ago, in fact. I feel excited and proud and all kinds of happy. This is the first big step in a hopefully rewarding journey and, while I have a long way to go, the first step is one of the most important.
Of course, technically, I should have finished a second scene by now. In order to meet my deadline, I need to complete a scene every three days. However, I'm not currently too worried about following that timeline.
School is about to start for me. This means back-to-school choir workshops and school clothes shopping. This is also my senior year so I'm beginning to look at colleges. On top of that, I'm getting my wisdom teeth surgically removed next Tuesday. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
So, at the moment, I'm just making sure I write something every day. I'm a few paragraphs into that second scene and I'm okay with that. As long as I add a few more of those paragraphs tonight.
Scenes Written: 0/8
I completed the first scene! I completed it a couple of days ago, in fact. I feel excited and proud and all kinds of happy. This is the first big step in a hopefully rewarding journey and, while I have a long way to go, the first step is one of the most important.
Of course, technically, I should have finished a second scene by now. In order to meet my deadline, I need to complete a scene every three days. However, I'm not currently too worried about following that timeline.
School is about to start for me. This means back-to-school choir workshops and school clothes shopping. This is also my senior year so I'm beginning to look at colleges. On top of that, I'm getting my wisdom teeth surgically removed next Tuesday. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
So, at the moment, I'm just making sure I write something every day. I'm a few paragraphs into that second scene and I'm okay with that. As long as I add a few more of those paragraphs tonight.
Monday, August 04, 2014
Querying is Going to Change for Me Very Soon
I've never actually queried anyone before, but I've read and thought about it.
I know how long a query should be, what content it should contain, and how to personalize it. I've analyzed critiques and advice from many sources, including agents. I'm prepared for rejection (I think). However, there has always been one part of the querying process I couldn't figure how.
How do I tell an agent I'm a minor?
Some people say that this shouldn't be an issue. I shouldn't have to tell the agent my age because it shouldn't matter. If my book is good, it's good. Yet, I've always felt the agent should be informed. There are different legalities with minors and they should be prepared. It's a courtesy, I believe.
Very soon, though, I won't have to worry about this anymore. Because I turn eighteen in six months.
Really, I won't have to think about it ever again. I'm not going to have a novel ready to query inside the next six months, especially since most of my writing energy will be focused on THINK OF ME. And I'm overjoyed.
I got ninety-nine problems, but querying as a minor isn't one.
I know how long a query should be, what content it should contain, and how to personalize it. I've analyzed critiques and advice from many sources, including agents. I'm prepared for rejection (I think). However, there has always been one part of the querying process I couldn't figure how.
How do I tell an agent I'm a minor?
Some people say that this shouldn't be an issue. I shouldn't have to tell the agent my age because it shouldn't matter. If my book is good, it's good. Yet, I've always felt the agent should be informed. There are different legalities with minors and they should be prepared. It's a courtesy, I believe.
Very soon, though, I won't have to worry about this anymore. Because I turn eighteen in six months.
Really, I won't have to think about it ever again. I'm not going to have a novel ready to query inside the next six months, especially since most of my writing energy will be focused on THINK OF ME. And I'm overjoyed.
I got ninety-nine problems, but querying as a minor isn't one.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Something BIG - The Most Newsie THINKING OF YOU Post Ever
I have made some big decisions. And today I'm going to finally share them with you.
First, I've made a title change. THINKING OF YOU has become THINK OF ME.
I decided to make this change after a burst of inspiration. I've always planned for THINK OF ME to be the first in a series. Originally, that series had a total of seven books. However, I never really wanted to write any of the other six. Then one night a couple of months ago I was lying in bed and everything clicked.
The Controller Chronicles is now a four book series consisting of the tentatively titled THINK OF ME, RAIN ON ME, SPARK WITHIN ME, and DIE FOR ME. Each book still has a different narrator and the series still tells the story of the Controllers coming out to the rest of humanity. Now, though, instead of detailing a drawn out battle, each book focuses on a phase of that coming out. There's the initial rebellion against government oppression, the winning of that fight, the actual coming out, and the aftermath.
The best part is that THINK OF ME's original plot already fits in this plan. This means I don't have to start over and can build on what I already have.
I cannot express to you how excited I am. Thinking about this series makes me want to dance because it fills me with so much happy energy.
Second, it's time for that big announcement I've been hinting at for weeks.
While this isn't like super, super major news, it is a big step for me. I want people to read my writing. I want people to enjoy my writing. I want to hear what people have to say about my writing. And, let's face it, I'm a long way from traditional publishing. Plus, self publishing kind of intimidates me. This is my third option.
I'm also hoping that doing this will finally motivate me to really get on THINK OF ME revisions. I've been hemhawing around for over three years. Serializing my book will keep me accountable and eager.
Of course, my novel isn't quite ready for the public eye. The first thing I have to do is complete a structure or "fill-in-the-blanks" revision. As I've said in a previous post, I have twenty scenes I need to rewrite and eight I need to write. After that, I'm going to be revising chapter-by-chapter as I post them on Wattpad.
My goal is to have my first chapter up on October 31st. This gives me around three months to complete my structure revision and prevents that stress from leaking into NaNoWriMo time. After my initial posting, I aim to post a chapter every two weeks. I feel like this is totally doable and often enough to keep people interested.
THINK OF ME is not the only work I plan to publish on Wattpad either. I want to post my City in the Sky stories there as well. Again, it's a motivation thing. I need to start writing this series already! I don't have an exact date set for the first short story yet, but I'm thinking sometime in January. Hopefully by then I'll have a few readers.
So, that's my big news. I'll probably be posting a revising schedule soon because I feel like I need one to reach my deadline. You can check out my Wattpad profile here if you want, though it's not much to look at at the moment. I can't wait to see what the coming months bring!
First, I've made a title change. THINKING OF YOU has become THINK OF ME.
I decided to make this change after a burst of inspiration. I've always planned for THINK OF ME to be the first in a series. Originally, that series had a total of seven books. However, I never really wanted to write any of the other six. Then one night a couple of months ago I was lying in bed and everything clicked.
The Controller Chronicles is now a four book series consisting of the tentatively titled THINK OF ME, RAIN ON ME, SPARK WITHIN ME, and DIE FOR ME. Each book still has a different narrator and the series still tells the story of the Controllers coming out to the rest of humanity. Now, though, instead of detailing a drawn out battle, each book focuses on a phase of that coming out. There's the initial rebellion against government oppression, the winning of that fight, the actual coming out, and the aftermath.
The best part is that THINK OF ME's original plot already fits in this plan. This means I don't have to start over and can build on what I already have.
I cannot express to you how excited I am. Thinking about this series makes me want to dance because it fills me with so much happy energy.
Second, it's time for that big announcement I've been hinting at for weeks.
I'm going to be serializing THINK OF ME on Wattpad.
While this isn't like super, super major news, it is a big step for me. I want people to read my writing. I want people to enjoy my writing. I want to hear what people have to say about my writing. And, let's face it, I'm a long way from traditional publishing. Plus, self publishing kind of intimidates me. This is my third option.
I'm also hoping that doing this will finally motivate me to really get on THINK OF ME revisions. I've been hemhawing around for over three years. Serializing my book will keep me accountable and eager.
Of course, my novel isn't quite ready for the public eye. The first thing I have to do is complete a structure or "fill-in-the-blanks" revision. As I've said in a previous post, I have twenty scenes I need to rewrite and eight I need to write. After that, I'm going to be revising chapter-by-chapter as I post them on Wattpad.
My goal is to have my first chapter up on October 31st. This gives me around three months to complete my structure revision and prevents that stress from leaking into NaNoWriMo time. After my initial posting, I aim to post a chapter every two weeks. I feel like this is totally doable and often enough to keep people interested.
THINK OF ME is not the only work I plan to publish on Wattpad either. I want to post my City in the Sky stories there as well. Again, it's a motivation thing. I need to start writing this series already! I don't have an exact date set for the first short story yet, but I'm thinking sometime in January. Hopefully by then I'll have a few readers.
So, that's my big news. I'll probably be posting a revising schedule soon because I feel like I need one to reach my deadline. You can check out my Wattpad profile here if you want, though it's not much to look at at the moment. I can't wait to see what the coming months bring!
Friday, July 04, 2014
I'm Back! Well, Until Tuesday
Originally, I said I would be home the second week of July. That was when I thought my visit to my family would run straight into my trip to New York City. However, due to various factors, I'm home a few days before we go to New York.
I have yet to write anything for Camp NaNoWriMo, but I plan on adding that "big chunk of words" to OBJECTION during these few days while I'm home.I want to I will get caught up, but I'd really like to push further than that. Writing in NYC is not ideal, both because of time and a desire to fully enjoy my vacation. Having that extra padding would ease my mind while I'm gone and help alleviate stress levels when I return.
As for my other goals, I did start on the THINKING OF YOU revisions, though I'm far from significant progress. I began the rewrite for one scene. In total, I need to rewrite twenty scenes and write eight more. I've still got quite a way to go, but at least I'm on my way. Finally.
To top it all off, I finished my poem edits! There is one poem that I deemed unfinished because I want to add on to it. Excluding that poem, I now have another two hundred lines of poetry to my name. (And when I say two hundred, I mean exactly two hundred. Without trying. Because I have magical powers.)
There's a quick update for you and, also, Happy Fourth of July! Talk to y'all soon.
I have yet to write anything for Camp NaNoWriMo, but I plan on adding that "big chunk of words" to OBJECTION during these few days while I'm home.
As for my other goals, I did start on the THINKING OF YOU revisions, though I'm far from significant progress. I began the rewrite for one scene. In total, I need to rewrite twenty scenes and write eight more. I've still got quite a way to go, but at least I'm on my way. Finally.
To top it all off, I finished my poem edits! There is one poem that I deemed unfinished because I want to add on to it. Excluding that poem, I now have another two hundred lines of poetry to my name. (And when I say two hundred, I mean exactly two hundred. Without trying. Because I have magical powers.)
There's a quick update for you and, also, Happy Fourth of July! Talk to y'all soon.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
I'm Taking a Trip!
I'm going to be on vacation, visiting my family, until the second week of July. I'm not telling you this because I'm going to be gone. Quite the opposite, I hope to have a lot to report to you in the coming weeks.
This trip means lots of free time. My parents work during the day and sleep at night, meaning I only get to spend time with them from five to ten. I figured that I should probably use the rest of my day (errr, night) to get some much needed writing done.
So I've set myself three tasks:
I'll have more up about my plans for THINKING OF YOU soon. Keep your eyes open for something big. ;)
This trip means lots of free time. My parents work during the day and sleep at night, meaning I only get to spend time with them from five to ten. I figured that I should probably use the rest of my day (errr, night) to get some much needed writing done.
So I've set myself three tasks:
- Make significant progress on THINKING OF YOU revisions.
- Add a big chunk of words to OBJECTION during the first week of July/Camp NaNoWriMo.
- Read through and edit the NaPoWriMo 2014 poems.
I'll have more up about my plans for THINKING OF YOU soon. Keep your eyes open for something big. ;)
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Cracking Down
Every year for the past three years, I've posted my New Year's Resolutions on this blog. This January, I didn't. And not because I'm too lazy. I simply didn't make any. I saw no reason to.
I know what my goals are. The arrival of 2014 didn't change them. New Year's Resolutions also suggest a December 31st deadline. My aspirations reach beyond what I can accomplish in a year and, for me, strict time frames often lead to stress.
Despite the lack of resolutions, I'm thinking 2014's going to be a productive year. Since NaNoWriMo, I've only worked on my portfolio for my Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute audition. However, I've been making plans. It's time to crack down and start getting things done.
At the moment, I have three main priorities:
I want to finish something. I want something to query. I want something to show people, to let people read. I want something to prove to myself that I CAN DO THIS. And, out of all of my projects, THINKING OF YOU is nearest to completion. So it's what I'm going to focus on. Writing time now means THINKING OF YOU time.
Yet, incomplete rough drafts bother me. I can't not work on them. And I have two. This creates a problem. I'll never finish anything if my attention is divided three ways. My solution? Camp NaNoWriMo.
Camp NaNoWriMo hosts two sessions every year, one in April and one in July. They also allow you to choose your word count goal. Since OBJECTION's closer to its end, it will be my April novel. I'm aiming for 18,000 words. That's only 600 a day. I'll finish my untitled lucky gene story in July, when I'll have more time for writing.
While I'm giving up April and July, they're a small sacrifice. My brain can now zero in on THINKING OF YOU without the other two stories clamoring for their turn. But I have another issue.
I realized when I was putting together my OSAI portfolio that I did not write many short works in 2013. I love my short works. They're fun to write and I'm fairly decent at them. They're also something I can share with others quickly. Their shortage shows how I've let my writing slip, take a backseat.
That's not what I want. I want to get back to enjoying writing. To surprising and thrilling myself. Revising is hard and, while it does bring a feeling of success, it's not always pleasant. So I'm going to sprinkle in some short works to remind myself why I write in the first place.
For instance, NaPoWriMo starts on April 1st. I will be participating by writing at least one poem every day in April This will be my fourth year taking part and I always love the outcome.
Yes, 2014 is going to be AWESOME.
Topics For Next Post: 1) how querying will change in a year and 2) something big.
I know what my goals are. The arrival of 2014 didn't change them. New Year's Resolutions also suggest a December 31st deadline. My aspirations reach beyond what I can accomplish in a year and, for me, strict time frames often lead to stress.
Despite the lack of resolutions, I'm thinking 2014's going to be a productive year. Since NaNoWriMo, I've only worked on my portfolio for my Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute audition. However, I've been making plans. It's time to crack down and start getting things done.
At the moment, I have three main priorities:
- THINKING OF YOU revisions
- OBJECTION/untitled lucky gene story rough drafts
- short works
I want to finish something. I want something to query. I want something to show people, to let people read. I want something to prove to myself that I CAN DO THIS. And, out of all of my projects, THINKING OF YOU is nearest to completion. So it's what I'm going to focus on. Writing time now means THINKING OF YOU time.
Yet, incomplete rough drafts bother me. I can't not work on them. And I have two. This creates a problem. I'll never finish anything if my attention is divided three ways. My solution? Camp NaNoWriMo.
Camp NaNoWriMo hosts two sessions every year, one in April and one in July. They also allow you to choose your word count goal. Since OBJECTION's closer to its end, it will be my April novel. I'm aiming for 18,000 words. That's only 600 a day. I'll finish my untitled lucky gene story in July, when I'll have more time for writing.
While I'm giving up April and July, they're a small sacrifice. My brain can now zero in on THINKING OF YOU without the other two stories clamoring for their turn. But I have another issue.
I realized when I was putting together my OSAI portfolio that I did not write many short works in 2013. I love my short works. They're fun to write and I'm fairly decent at them. They're also something I can share with others quickly. Their shortage shows how I've let my writing slip, take a backseat.
That's not what I want. I want to get back to enjoying writing. To surprising and thrilling myself. Revising is hard and, while it does bring a feeling of success, it's not always pleasant. So I'm going to sprinkle in some short works to remind myself why I write in the first place.
For instance, NaPoWriMo starts on April 1st. I will be participating by writing at least one poem every day in April This will be my fourth year taking part and I always love the outcome.
Yes, 2014 is going to be AWESOME.
Topics For Next Post: 1) how querying will change in a year and 2) something big.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Who is Rebbsie Taylor?
Today is my duel for the Dueling Bards. Please drop by and add in your two cents about the outcome of the situation.
Rebbsie Taylor, the character I entered in the duel, is the MC in my WIP THINKING OF YOU. (For more information on THINKING OF YOU, you can read the summary on the Projects page or browse previous posts.) She is a Controller, or Trol for short. These are people whose bodies can emit vibrations that change certain aspects of their surroundings. For Rebbsie, that aspect is other people's thoughts.
Because of her unique ability, Rebbsie was recruited for an elite government team of Controllers when she was only fifteen. Her team became her family, their leader her love. Then the Department of Wave Manipulation, the secret section of the government that dealt with the Controllers, started killing them off.
In THINKING OF YOU, Rebbsie is now twenty-two and working against the Department to save members of her species, primarily children. Her mind and memory are unreliable due to grief and an undiscovered repercussion caused by her waves.
Rebbsie is well-trained, but sometimes impatience and passion cloud her judgement. She is sarcastic and smart and portrays great confidence, but her mental illness causes her to second guess herself. She also has a flare for the dramatics.
But instead of me telling you everything, why don't I let her show you? The following excerpt is a flashback mixed with a dream.
If you want more of Rebbsie, I guess you'll just have to go check out the duel. ;)
Rebbsie Taylor, the character I entered in the duel, is the MC in my WIP THINKING OF YOU. (For more information on THINKING OF YOU, you can read the summary on the Projects page or browse previous posts.) She is a Controller, or Trol for short. These are people whose bodies can emit vibrations that change certain aspects of their surroundings. For Rebbsie, that aspect is other people's thoughts.
Because of her unique ability, Rebbsie was recruited for an elite government team of Controllers when she was only fifteen. Her team became her family, their leader her love. Then the Department of Wave Manipulation, the secret section of the government that dealt with the Controllers, started killing them off.
In THINKING OF YOU, Rebbsie is now twenty-two and working against the Department to save members of her species, primarily children. Her mind and memory are unreliable due to grief and an undiscovered repercussion caused by her waves.
Rebbsie is well-trained, but sometimes impatience and passion cloud her judgement. She is sarcastic and smart and portrays great confidence, but her mental illness causes her to second guess herself. She also has a flare for the dramatics.
But instead of me telling you everything, why don't I let her show you? The following excerpt is a flashback mixed with a dream.
Dark. Or maybe empty was a better word. I could see but there was nothing to see. No walls. No ceiling. No edges. No curves. I had no clue what I stood on. I wondered if I was dreaming or dead or if I had completely fallen off my rocker.
The quiet drenched me. I started to count my breaths and realized I couldn’t hear them, despite the up-and-down movement of my chest. Listening, I found I had no heartbeat. Dead then. Damn.
Before the thought could really sink in, the void space around me began to fill. The outline of a room appeared, familiar shapes fading into being.
The love-seat lounged in its spot, looking shriveled without Star splayed across it while Trent hovered on the edge. Tass’s mini trapeze dangled from the ceiling, for once not twisted into a pretzel-like state. In the front of the room was Clarence’s swivel chair—the pulpit from which he preached. Around and around he would spin, staring at the ceiling while he talked. I used to stare at it too, trying to figure out what he saw. The table Kyle and Treshie propped their feet on still stood in the back. A large rug dominated the center of the room. Without touching it, I could feel the fibers against my skin. That had been my place.
And this. This was our conference room. Where we had planned missions. Where we had been a family. It was a good place to spend eternity.
I closed my eyes, waiting for it to hit me, waiting for the knowledge of my death to take its toll. But the seconds went by and I felt nothing. I frowned. Death shouldn’t be this easy. I am dead. Nothing.
I opened my eyes, frustrated, and I was no longer alone. They occupied their respective spots, settled in as if they had been there the whole time. My team had arrived. Another me lay on the rug, eyes closed.
Sound rushed to my ears, the creak of Tass’s swing.
“It needs to be oiled again.” Tass said. Her voice had a weird tinge to it. Like it had been recorded.
She scooted off the seat and walked into the closet, coming out with a small oil can, a replica from The Wizard of Oz. Tass loved that thing. What had the Department done with it once they’d booted us out? What had they done with any of our things? She climbed back onto her perch and started dripping oil into the joints.
I watched her, confused at what was happening. A bittersweet deja vu swept over me.
“What is the first thing you do if you are ever captured?” Clarence asked, drawing my attention. He began his daily speech, as he often did, with a question. He faced the far wall, his back to us.
“Swear?” Kyle asked. He slapped Treshie a high five under the table.
I grinned. My replica did the same. Those two always made me smile. They used to make you smile. The grin slipped from my face.
If you want more of Rebbsie, I guess you'll just have to go check out the duel. ;)
Monday, November 11, 2013
Dueling Bards - Realms Faire
Well, I guess, technically, I'm not, BUT one of my characters is. Rebbsie will be going up against Bevan McGuiness’s character, Slave, on Cassandra's blog on Wednesday. The winner of the duel will be determined by commenters, so please take the time to stop by and tell us how you think the duel should turn out! You'll be entered into the contest for the day's prizes.
Also, in case you don't know who Rebbsie is, I'll be providing more information about her on my blog the day of my duel.
And while you're waiting for Wednesday to roll around, I suggest checking out today's duel. Prizes include copies of Ellie Garratt's TAKING TIME AND OTHER SCIENCE FICTION STORIES and having a character named after you in an upcoming series. You may also enter the Rafflecopter below for the chance to win even more prizes.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
If that's not enough excitement for you, here are the other Realms Faire events:
Joust - Drench-a-Wench/Soak-a-Bloke - Stockade Brigade - Phasers - Masquerade Parade - Collective Performance - Castle Jumble - Dragon Hunt
P.S. I promise I will post a NaNo update soon.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Character Names - NaNoWriMo 2013
8 days until National Novel Writing Month
I love coming up with character names. I love the creativity, the thought, that goes into it, finding new names that, even if they aren't the one, speak to you, and, most of all, that feeling you get when you finally find the perfect fit. Like putting the last piece in a jigsaw puzzle.
Yesterday, I made my final decisions on the character names for my NaNo novel. I'm super excited about them and thought I'd share.
Before I get into the names, however, I should probably tell you the main idea behind my novel. It is based off the concept that luck can be a gene. Naturally, this gives people varying advantages and disadvantages in life. Due to the nature of these advantages/disadvantages, certain activities, such as gambling, have been outlawed. This has prompted a sort-of second Prohibition. Traveling gambling houses, with names like MARCO'S HOUSE OF OCCASIONALLY PROSPEROUS GAMING, abound throughout the country. When my main character, who has an acute curiosity and a draw to card games, stumbles upon this very house, she runs away with it. This is a retake on the phrase "running away with the circus."
And now...
What do you think? Feel free to ask questions. I would love to talk NaNoWriMo with you. ^^
Now that I have the characters and their names settled, I'm going to focus more on my plot. I've begun to create this fantastic world in my mind and I want the plot to do it justice. So far, I've only done broad brainstorming. It's time to make decisions and add more details.
Also, would you be interested in reading excerpts about each character throughout November? I was thinking I might post them on my Tumblr, but would you rather read them here? Let me know!
How is your NaNoWriMo planning going?
P.S. I did a similar post to this back in October 2010 for THINKING OF YOU.
I love coming up with character names. I love the creativity, the thought, that goes into it, finding new names that, even if they aren't the one, speak to you, and, most of all, that feeling you get when you finally find the perfect fit. Like putting the last piece in a jigsaw puzzle.
Yesterday, I made my final decisions on the character names for my NaNo novel. I'm super excited about them and thought I'd share.
Before I get into the names, however, I should probably tell you the main idea behind my novel. It is based off the concept that luck can be a gene. Naturally, this gives people varying advantages and disadvantages in life. Due to the nature of these advantages/disadvantages, certain activities, such as gambling, have been outlawed. This has prompted a sort-of second Prohibition. Traveling gambling houses, with names like MARCO'S HOUSE OF OCCASIONALLY PROSPEROUS GAMING, abound throughout the country. When my main character, who has an acute curiosity and a draw to card games, stumbles upon this very house, she runs away with it. This is a retake on the phrase "running away with the circus."
And now...
- February St. Claude - protagonist, sixteen, lives in a compound away from society's "unluck" gene discrimination
- Erie St. Claude - February's sister, fourteen, feels like she's in her sister's shadow, lives in compound
- Rhys Baker - the boy everyone, including February, expects February to end up with, February's close friend, lives in compound
- 'Van Jacques ["Jacques" of Spades] - travels with the gambling house, helps February satisfy her curiosity about the world, love interest
- Kapri Jacques [Kap] - 'Van's sister, travels with the gambling house, becomes February's first close female friend
- Christian Hart [Ian/Kit] - frequent visitor of the gambling house, from prosperous family, good friends with 'Van, takes a small romantic interest in February
- Dillyn Elliott - Ian's girlfriend, disapproves of his gambling, slowly forms a friendship with February
- Marco - the gambling house master
- Mum [Ambrose Jacques] - 'Van and Kapri's grandmother, has large influence in the gambling house, becomes a sort of mentor to February
What do you think? Feel free to ask questions. I would love to talk NaNoWriMo with you. ^^
Now that I have the characters and their names settled, I'm going to focus more on my plot. I've begun to create this fantastic world in my mind and I want the plot to do it justice. So far, I've only done broad brainstorming. It's time to make decisions and add more details.
Also, would you be interested in reading excerpts about each character throughout November? I was thinking I might post them on my Tumblr, but would you rather read them here? Let me know!
How is your NaNoWriMo planning going?
P.S. I did a similar post to this back in October 2010 for THINKING OF YOU.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Productivity for the Win!
21 days until National Novel Writing Month
My NaNo is beginning to come together. A cast of characters has manifested and just thinking about their relationships makes excitement flutter in my chest. Prominent settings have been established. I also have the thinnest thread of a plot. And when I say thin, I mean nearly invisible. But at least there's something.
Planning isn't the only thing I've made progress on this week either. I have also added about another 1500 words to OBJECTION, putting it at a little over 45k. While this is great progress and makes me very happy, I think I'm going to have to alter my pre-NaNo goal. With everything I am trying to accomplish before November gets here, finishing the first draft of OBJECTION seems too ambitious. I am now aiming for at least 50k by October 31st. If I get farther than that, great. If not, I will have still made substantial progress.
That's not even the end to the good news. Recently, I've begun working with a new critique partner. This exchange has prompted me to take another step in my revisions of THINKING OF YOU. I completed the transfer to Scrivener and reordered the scenes to fit my new plot line. This is a big step because I can now see what I need to work on in an organized layout and tackle each task one at a time.
Overall, I am quite pleased with what I have managed to accomplish in my writing so far this week. I've gotten more done than I have in quite a while. This aura of productivity is the perfect lead in to NaNo.
What achievements, big or small, have you reached this week?
My NaNo is beginning to come together. A cast of characters has manifested and just thinking about their relationships makes excitement flutter in my chest. Prominent settings have been established. I also have the thinnest thread of a plot. And when I say thin, I mean nearly invisible. But at least there's something.
Planning isn't the only thing I've made progress on this week either. I have also added about another 1500 words to OBJECTION, putting it at a little over 45k. While this is great progress and makes me very happy, I think I'm going to have to alter my pre-NaNo goal. With everything I am trying to accomplish before November gets here, finishing the first draft of OBJECTION seems too ambitious. I am now aiming for at least 50k by October 31st. If I get farther than that, great. If not, I will have still made substantial progress.
That's not even the end to the good news. Recently, I've begun working with a new critique partner. This exchange has prompted me to take another step in my revisions of THINKING OF YOU. I completed the transfer to Scrivener and reordered the scenes to fit my new plot line. This is a big step because I can now see what I need to work on in an organized layout and tackle each task one at a time.
Overall, I am quite pleased with what I have managed to accomplish in my writing so far this week. I've gotten more done than I have in quite a while. This aura of productivity is the perfect lead in to NaNo.
What achievements, big or small, have you reached this week?
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Change of (Goal) Plans
In order for me to explain the changes I've made to my goal plan and the thought behind them, I will go through each step that led to my current format.
Above is the beginning set up of my goal plan, entitled The One Year Goal Plan - 2013 Edition. I'm reposting it as a refresher and a reference.
In June, I decided my original idea needed tweaking. Months went by where I barely accomplished anything. My March goals became my April goals became my May goals. I knew I wasn't going to reach my aspirations within the year. I began to stress. For those of you who don't know, Brooke + stress = JUST NO.
I had to find a way to fix my plan. Gone were the Year Goals. In came the Long-Term Goals.
However, most of my goals were still time-constrained. Even though removing the January 1st deadline relieved a lot of pressure, that fact still weighed on me. So a few weeks after I made this mind-blowing change, before I even told you guys about it, I decided to carry it further.
First, I made each one of my projects their own sheet in my Excel workbook.
Then, I removed the aspect of time. Long-Term Goals became Big Goals. Month Goals became Medium Goals. Half-Month Goals became Small Goals. Mini-Goals became XS-Goals.
I also added other features as I revised my goal plan.
As I was adding in goals, I realized I had some that needed to be completed, but that weren't necessarily part of a larger goal. Yet they weren't enough by themselves to be a Big or Medium Goal. These I called EXTRA Goals and typed in color. On the picture above, which shows goals for OBJECTION, the EXTRA Goal is in pink. This goes along with my WIP color-coding system. On the THINKING OF YOU sheet, the EXTRA Goals are blue.
I included counters for some goals, too. If you take a look at the OBJECTION image again, you will see that in the Finished column for Medium Goal #1.1 I show the number of words I have out of the number I want to have.
Overall, I am very happy with how my goal plan has turned out. I ended up with eleven sheets and I will get to each one in my own time. It's what I call freedom with direction. And it feels great. :)
What do you think of my new goal plan? What about freedom with direction?
 |
| Go here for the explanation behind this style. |
Above is the beginning set up of my goal plan, entitled The One Year Goal Plan - 2013 Edition. I'm reposting it as a refresher and a reference.
In June, I decided my original idea needed tweaking. Months went by where I barely accomplished anything. My March goals became my April goals became my May goals. I knew I wasn't going to reach my aspirations within the year. I began to stress. For those of you who don't know, Brooke + stress = JUST NO.
I had to find a way to fix my plan. Gone were the Year Goals. In came the Long-Term Goals.
However, most of my goals were still time-constrained. Even though removing the January 1st deadline relieved a lot of pressure, that fact still weighed on me. So a few weeks after I made this mind-blowing change, before I even told you guys about it, I decided to carry it further.
First, I made each one of my projects their own sheet in my Excel workbook.
Then, I removed the aspect of time. Long-Term Goals became Big Goals. Month Goals became Medium Goals. Half-Month Goals became Small Goals. Mini-Goals became XS-Goals.
I also added other features as I revised my goal plan.
As I was adding in goals, I realized I had some that needed to be completed, but that weren't necessarily part of a larger goal. Yet they weren't enough by themselves to be a Big or Medium Goal. These I called EXTRA Goals and typed in color. On the picture above, which shows goals for OBJECTION, the EXTRA Goal is in pink. This goes along with my WIP color-coding system. On the THINKING OF YOU sheet, the EXTRA Goals are blue.
I included counters for some goals, too. If you take a look at the OBJECTION image again, you will see that in the Finished column for Medium Goal #1.1 I show the number of words I have out of the number I want to have.
Overall, I am very happy with how my goal plan has turned out. I ended up with eleven sheets and I will get to each one in my own time. It's what I call freedom with direction. And it feels great. :)
What do you think of my new goal plan? What about freedom with direction?
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Dudes! Two Months Until NaNoWriMo! + Some Other, Less Mindblowing Stuff
I forget what I was doing and why it suddenly occurred to me, but, the other day, it struck me that NaNoWriMo starts in just a little over two months. Two months! Sixty-five days! I don't know whether I'm excited or terrified!
Really, I don't know why this is all so mind-blowing or why I'm flipping out.
I chose my main concept already. I think I've been planning on writing my untitled lucky genes story for NaNo 2013 for over a year. (I'm actually kind of worrying about not having an idea for next year yet.) My brain has even been contemplating and analyzing plot ideas for the past couple of weeks. I guess it realized and forgot to fill me in. -grumbles at brain-
Of course, with NaNoWriMo eminent, the next question is: What do I want to get done before then? My mind instantly starts throwing things at me. THINKING OF YOU revisions. THE TRUE PRINCESS read over. Short stories to write. Old poems to edit. Blogs and other social networks that require attention. Plan, too! Good thing I don't bruise easily.
However, though I dodged most of those goals, letting them fly past for a later time, I managed to catch one. OBJECTION. If I sat my ass in my chair and buckled down, I know I could finish that draft. It's far from impossible and it needs to be done. I mean, I was supposed to have this done before last NaNo!
Nothing has been finalized yet. I'm still thinking, still considering. But it's looking very likely that finishing the first draft of OBJECTION is going to be my pre-NaNo goal this year.
Now, that I've gotten my little freak out out of the way (ha!), I have some other things I'd like to share with you.
Firstly, I should be posting about my revised goal plan very soon. I'm almost finished finalizing the changes. After that, writing the post shouldn't be so hard. I know I've been promising this particular post for a while now, but my life has gotten busy again. In a good way. :)
I'm also proud to announce that I've begun to catch up on blogs. Like really catch up. Like months' worth of catching up. So far, I've finished four out of twenty-four. And I'm extremely happy about it! I'm not letting myself get stressed out over the workload. I'm pushing through. Better yet, I want to do it. I have the motivation to do it. And beyond that, I have the motivation to search out more blogs when I'm done (I know twenty-four is low and I want to remedy that).
I'm just in a really good place in my life right now.
I get to stay in my town with my friends, at least until Christmas. (We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.) I'm enjoying my classes a lot. They provide a broad, well-balanced spectrum of learning. By the end of the day I feel almost saturated with knowledge. I'm currently learning the French numbers and conquering my All Region choir music (which entails singing in both Latin and German). I have three AP classes and I'm steadily immersing myself in Trigonometry. Friday, there's a meeting to discuss this year's musical. Saturday, I'll be hanging out at a friend's house for half the day. Even the movies I've seen lately have seemed to add to the wholesome happiness I've been feeling. (I really recommend YOU'RE NEXT, if that's your sort of thing.) It's all just amazing!
P.S. Going with excited. ;)
Really, I don't know why this is all so mind-blowing or why I'm flipping out.
I chose my main concept already. I think I've been planning on writing my untitled lucky genes story for NaNo 2013 for over a year. (I'm actually kind of worrying about not having an idea for next year yet.) My brain has even been contemplating and analyzing plot ideas for the past couple of weeks. I guess it realized and forgot to fill me in. -grumbles at brain-
Of course, with NaNoWriMo eminent, the next question is: What do I want to get done before then? My mind instantly starts throwing things at me. THINKING OF YOU revisions. THE TRUE PRINCESS read over. Short stories to write. Old poems to edit. Blogs and other social networks that require attention. Plan, too! Good thing I don't bruise easily.
However, though I dodged most of those goals, letting them fly past for a later time, I managed to catch one. OBJECTION. If I sat my ass in my chair and buckled down, I know I could finish that draft. It's far from impossible and it needs to be done. I mean, I was supposed to have this done before last NaNo!
Nothing has been finalized yet. I'm still thinking, still considering. But it's looking very likely that finishing the first draft of OBJECTION is going to be my pre-NaNo goal this year.
Now, that I've gotten my little freak out out of the way (ha!), I have some other things I'd like to share with you.
Firstly, I should be posting about my revised goal plan very soon. I'm almost finished finalizing the changes. After that, writing the post shouldn't be so hard. I know I've been promising this particular post for a while now, but my life has gotten busy again. In a good way. :)
I'm also proud to announce that I've begun to catch up on blogs. Like really catch up. Like months' worth of catching up. So far, I've finished four out of twenty-four. And I'm extremely happy about it! I'm not letting myself get stressed out over the workload. I'm pushing through. Better yet, I want to do it. I have the motivation to do it. And beyond that, I have the motivation to search out more blogs when I'm done (I know twenty-four is low and I want to remedy that).
I'm just in a really good place in my life right now.
I get to stay in my town with my friends, at least until Christmas. (We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.) I'm enjoying my classes a lot. They provide a broad, well-balanced spectrum of learning. By the end of the day I feel almost saturated with knowledge. I'm currently learning the French numbers and conquering my All Region choir music (which entails singing in both Latin and German). I have three AP classes and I'm steadily immersing myself in Trigonometry. Friday, there's a meeting to discuss this year's musical. Saturday, I'll be hanging out at a friend's house for half the day. Even the movies I've seen lately have seemed to add to the wholesome happiness I've been feeling. (I really recommend YOU'RE NEXT, if that's your sort of thing.) It's all just amazing!
P.S. Going with excited. ;)
Monday, July 22, 2013
Considering Other Options
Today is the last day to vote in the Ink Haiku contest. Go here to learn how. Thank you!
Do you ever feel like your novel ideas are just too weird? Like you love the book, but when you really sit down to think, you're not sure if anyone else will understand it the same way you do. You worry that if you try to explain it to someone, they'll give you a funny look and try to scoot away discretely.
Recently, while I was on the phone with one of my friends, he asked me what my novels are about. I always hate this question, but I attempted to answer. I told him that THE TRUE PRINCESS is about a princess who gets cloned...He thought it was strange. And while I firmly believe in my story, his opinion did not exactly boost my confidence.
As I've been working on THINKING OF YOU, rearranging the plot and trying to better build the story, this has been a concern that has crossed my mind a few times. What if I spend all this time on my story and then no one else thinks it's as amazing and creative as I do? What if everyone just thinks it's bizarre?
I've read many posts on self-publishing where people have explained that they self-publish for this very reason; their book is a bit too unique for the current market. However, self-publishing in its entirety is not for me. I do not have the skills nor the desire to produce an entire book by myself.
But I have thought of something else.
Many people my age who write don't see physical publication as an option, at least not at this point in their lives. However, they still want people to read their stories. So they go to what teenagers go to for everything: the Internet. They post their stories, their poems on sites like Wattpad, Fictionpress, Figment. The latter I use myself-very, very rarely posting shorter works there.
Perhaps you can see where this is going, but, if not, I am considering posting THINKING OF YOU on an online writing site. Even though I already have a Figment account, I'm leaning more toward Wattpad. Of course, I would research as many options as possible if this is what I decide to do.
Why am I considering this?
Well, there are a few reasons. It would let me know how people feel about my writing beyond my short poems and short stories. If I work at it, it might help me build a reader base so there are people who would buy an actual book from me. Also, being able to show an agent "see? people like me" could never hurt. It would give people something to read while I work on something I believe to be better for the market and publication. And you never know what feedback I might get; someone could point out a major flaw I need to fix or point me in a direction to make my story even better.
Obviously, there are also drawbacks to publishing an entire manuscript on the Internet. For one, the site I used would most likely get non-exclusive rights to my story. That is always my biggest concern and consideration before I post anything on the Internet and that would be no different here. I would also have to spend a fair amount of time reading others stories on the same site. As us bloggers know, you do not get without giving.
I have to take all of this into account while making my decision. In the meantime, I will continue to make my story as good as I can, to make it as good as it can be. Because no matter what decisions I make in the future, I will always want that.
What are your thoughts about "publishing" work on online writing sites?
Do you ever feel like your novel ideas are just too weird? Like you love the book, but when you really sit down to think, you're not sure if anyone else will understand it the same way you do. You worry that if you try to explain it to someone, they'll give you a funny look and try to scoot away discretely.
Recently, while I was on the phone with one of my friends, he asked me what my novels are about. I always hate this question, but I attempted to answer. I told him that THE TRUE PRINCESS is about a princess who gets cloned...He thought it was strange. And while I firmly believe in my story, his opinion did not exactly boost my confidence.
As I've been working on THINKING OF YOU, rearranging the plot and trying to better build the story, this has been a concern that has crossed my mind a few times. What if I spend all this time on my story and then no one else thinks it's as amazing and creative as I do? What if everyone just thinks it's bizarre?
I've read many posts on self-publishing where people have explained that they self-publish for this very reason; their book is a bit too unique for the current market. However, self-publishing in its entirety is not for me. I do not have the skills nor the desire to produce an entire book by myself.
But I have thought of something else.
Many people my age who write don't see physical publication as an option, at least not at this point in their lives. However, they still want people to read their stories. So they go to what teenagers go to for everything: the Internet. They post their stories, their poems on sites like Wattpad, Fictionpress, Figment. The latter I use myself-very, very rarely posting shorter works there.
Perhaps you can see where this is going, but, if not, I am considering posting THINKING OF YOU on an online writing site. Even though I already have a Figment account, I'm leaning more toward Wattpad. Of course, I would research as many options as possible if this is what I decide to do.
Why am I considering this?
Well, there are a few reasons. It would let me know how people feel about my writing beyond my short poems and short stories. If I work at it, it might help me build a reader base so there are people who would buy an actual book from me. Also, being able to show an agent "see? people like me" could never hurt. It would give people something to read while I work on something I believe to be better for the market and publication. And you never know what feedback I might get; someone could point out a major flaw I need to fix or point me in a direction to make my story even better.
Obviously, there are also drawbacks to publishing an entire manuscript on the Internet. For one, the site I used would most likely get non-exclusive rights to my story. That is always my biggest concern and consideration before I post anything on the Internet and that would be no different here. I would also have to spend a fair amount of time reading others stories on the same site. As us bloggers know, you do not get without giving.
I have to take all of this into account while making my decision. In the meantime, I will continue to make my story as good as I can, to make it as good as it can be. Because no matter what decisions I make in the future, I will always want that.
What are your thoughts about "publishing" work on online writing sites?
Thursday, July 18, 2013
My Writing Week
Visit this post to see how you can help me win the Ink Haiku contest. Thank you!
I spoke with my critique partner, Tania, recently, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, about which of my projects I should focus on next. I explained to her how I haven't had the chance to work on anything major in months and I wanted to get back on the horse.
She asked me the following question: If you had more time, what would you work on?
I considered it. OBJECTION, THINKING OF YOU, and THE TRUE PRINCESS all came to mind. Each of them is at a different stage. One is being drafted, one revised, and one is somewhere in between. However, each one gets me excited to sit in a chair until my butt becomes flat.
After listening to my answer, she asked me the next obvious question. So, what story will you start with first?
She wanted me to pick? I stared at the computer screen while one part of my brain tried to find an answer and another just screamed. Then, suddenly, a third, reasonable voice said, "Shut up and calm down. You can work on all three." And then it told me how.
So, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, I present to you my writing week!
Sunday: reading
Monday: OBJECTION
Tuesday: blogs/others writing
Wednesday: short works
Thursday: THINKING OF YOU
Friday: blogs/others writing
Saturday: THE TRUE PRINCESS
My first week is halfway through, and Mr. Reasonable is kicking back with a smug expression on his face, going "See? Nothing to worry about." I've already added a little over 1k to OBJECTION, something I haven't done in so long I was genuinely concerned that I had forgotten what my planning notes meant. Afterward, at three in the morning, I danced down my hallway. I haven't been that happy in ages. And I didn't fret over reading blogs every day. I knew I'd have all day Tuesday to do that and now they can wait for Friday.
It's also a flexible, non-strict schedule. If I get the itch to work on OBJECTION on, say, Wednesday, I'm going to do it. Or if my life eats me for a day, well there's always the next week. It acts as a guide and motivator. When my brain starts up with its "You could do this. Or this. Or, oooh, this!" I can say, "You know, I really don't need that. It's Saturday. And Zoie has waited patiently for her turn." When my mind starts whining that it's tired or itdoesn'twanna, I can say, "Come on now. It's Wednesday. You can at least edit half this story."
Everything will get done. One day at a time. :)
How do you divvy up your time between projects? Do you work on one or more WIPs at a time?
I spoke with my critique partner, Tania, recently, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, about which of my projects I should focus on next. I explained to her how I haven't had the chance to work on anything major in months and I wanted to get back on the horse.
She asked me the following question: If you had more time, what would you work on?
I considered it. OBJECTION, THINKING OF YOU, and THE TRUE PRINCESS all came to mind. Each of them is at a different stage. One is being drafted, one revised, and one is somewhere in between. However, each one gets me excited to sit in a chair until my butt becomes flat.
After listening to my answer, she asked me the next obvious question. So, what story will you start with first?
She wanted me to pick? I stared at the computer screen while one part of my brain tried to find an answer and another just screamed. Then, suddenly, a third, reasonable voice said, "Shut up and calm down. You can work on all three." And then it told me how.
So, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, I present to you my writing week!
Sunday: reading
Monday: OBJECTION
Tuesday: blogs/others writing
Wednesday: short works
Thursday: THINKING OF YOU
Friday: blogs/others writing
Saturday: THE TRUE PRINCESS
My first week is halfway through, and Mr. Reasonable is kicking back with a smug expression on his face, going "See? Nothing to worry about." I've already added a little over 1k to OBJECTION, something I haven't done in so long I was genuinely concerned that I had forgotten what my planning notes meant. Afterward, at three in the morning, I danced down my hallway. I haven't been that happy in ages. And I didn't fret over reading blogs every day. I knew I'd have all day Tuesday to do that and now they can wait for Friday.
It's also a flexible, non-strict schedule. If I get the itch to work on OBJECTION on, say, Wednesday, I'm going to do it. Or if my life eats me for a day, well there's always the next week. It acts as a guide and motivator. When my brain starts up with its "You could do this. Or this. Or, oooh, this!" I can say, "You know, I really don't need that. It's Saturday. And Zoie has waited patiently for her turn." When my mind starts whining that it's tired or itdoesn'twanna, I can say, "Come on now. It's Wednesday. You can at least edit half this story."
Everything will get done. One day at a time. :)
How do you divvy up your time between projects? Do you work on one or more WIPs at a time?
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The Powerpuff Girls and I Currently Share a Color Scheme
Visit this post to see how you can help me win the Ink Haiku contest. Thank you!
When I was little, my favorite show was THE POWERPUFF GIRLS. I had nightgowns. I had dolls. I had a sleeping bag, a bedspread. I had the movie. I had it all.
I don't have those things anymore, but I still love the cartoon. Lizzie and I catch it on Boomerang as often as we can. (We also recently discovered it on Netflix!) We, along with our friend Jessica, even dressed up as them last Halloween (and sadly got no good photos -.-).
Only last Thursday night, however, did I notice a certain color-themed connection between myself and my three favorite superheros.
You see, I assign each of my WIPs a color. Then I buy notebooks, binders, folders, index cards, whatever supplies I need to write the project, to match. And guess which colors the three novels I'm focusing on at the moment have been delegated?
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Isn't it awesome? I didn't even plan it! In fact, I don't know when or if I would have noticed it, if Tania (by the way, did you see her cover reveal?) and I hadn't been discussing what story I should work on next (which brought me to another revelation I will be sharing with you soon). My subconscious just knew those colors were right.
And in case you aren't convinced the Powerpuff Girls and I have a deep chromatic relationship, here's a picture of three shirts I recently bought:
I don't have those things anymore, but I still love the cartoon. Lizzie and I catch it on Boomerang as often as we can. (We also recently discovered it on Netflix!) We, along with our friend Jessica, even dressed up as them last Halloween (and sadly got no good photos -.-).
Only last Thursday night, however, did I notice a certain color-themed connection between myself and my three favorite superheros.
You see, I assign each of my WIPs a color. Then I buy notebooks, binders, folders, index cards, whatever supplies I need to write the project, to match. And guess which colors the three novels I'm focusing on at the moment have been delegated?
.jpg)
Isn't it awesome? I didn't even plan it! In fact, I don't know when or if I would have noticed it, if Tania (by the way, did you see her cover reveal?) and I hadn't been discussing what story I should work on next (which brought me to another revelation I will be sharing with you soon). My subconscious just knew those colors were right.
And in case you aren't convinced the Powerpuff Girls and I have a deep chromatic relationship, here's a picture of three shirts I recently bought:
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