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?
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Friday, October 10, 2014
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!
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?
Sunday, October 06, 2013
NaNoWriMo Planning Has Officially Begun!
25 days until National Novel Writing Month
It's October, my official NaNoWriMo planning month.
With me, planning isn't a very extensive process. I like to have a list of characters (including their names), a title, and a general plotline. Perhaps a touch of worldbuilding. I need a direction to head in and a few provisions for the way, but not a map of every twist in the road. As these things occur to me, I write them down in a notebook that I carry throughout October.
Planning notebooks are another aspect of my writing that is affected by my color coding system. The color paired with this year's NaNo, my untitled lucky genes story, is yellow. Hence, my notebook must be yellow.
I had the perfect notebook picked out for this October. During the back-to-school sale at Wal-Mart, I discovered notebooks similar to the one I used for this year's NaPoWriMo but in bright colors. They were even in the clearance section by the time I went to purchase one. However, I had failed to notice the notebook did not come in yellow. I was devastated. To make up for it, I bought the notebook in every other color. Then, to top it off, once I got home, the strap on the green notebook snapped.
That was it. I took that broken notebook and made it yellow myself with the help of this video.
Here are a few pictures of the process that go along with the steps in the video:
After my notebook was satisfyingly yellow, I decided to snazz it up a bit with some stickers. I also replaced the strap with a yellow rubberband.
For the past five days this notebook has traveled with me. I have yet to put much in it, but it's still only the beginning of the month. Soon it will be filled with all sorts of planning goodness.
Are you participating in NaNo this year? How do you prepare?
It's October, my official NaNoWriMo planning month.
With me, planning isn't a very extensive process. I like to have a list of characters (including their names), a title, and a general plotline. Perhaps a touch of worldbuilding. I need a direction to head in and a few provisions for the way, but not a map of every twist in the road. As these things occur to me, I write them down in a notebook that I carry throughout October.
Planning notebooks are another aspect of my writing that is affected by my color coding system. The color paired with this year's NaNo, my untitled lucky genes story, is yellow. Hence, my notebook must be yellow.
 |
| Notebook without Strap |
That was it. I took that broken notebook and made it yellow myself with the help of this video.
Here are a few pictures of the process that go along with the steps in the video:
 |
| Step 3 |
 |
| Step 5 |
 |
| Finished |
 |
| My Planning Notebook |
For the past five days this notebook has traveled with me. I have yet to put much in it, but it's still only the beginning of the month. Soon it will be filled with all sorts of planning goodness.
Are you participating in NaNo this year? How do you prepare?
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. ;)
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, January 16, 2013
Time's Up - The First Set of Half-Month and Mini-Goals
Yesterday was the last day to complete my first set of Half-Month and Mini-Goals. Since I've never tried this goal system before, I thought I might share my experiences and progress. It could help you decide if this is something you might like to try in the future and it will assist me in getting my thoughts/plans for the second-half of January organized.
Before we dive into feelings and thoughts and all that mumbo jumbo, let's start with some stats.
I have eight BIG MAJOR goals. Four of them had Half-Month Goals for the beginning of January. The rest were "Non-Focuses." I finished none of these Half-Month Goals.
The four Half-Month Goals were broken down into fourteen Mini-Goals. I finished five of them.
Looking at those numbers, it does not seem as if I had a productive fifteen days, but let me put it into perspective for you.
The four Half-Month Goals were:
I finished reading/making index cards for THINKING OF YOU up through chapter ten, putting that Half-Month Goal at one-third complete. That's serious progress for me. I've started working through my scenes, deciding what has to be moved or merged. I've started considering where new scenes need to be added, which is important since deciding on and making index cards for those scenes is January's second Half-Month Goal. I'm not worried about finishing my storyboard by the end of the month. Next Monday there's no school and I'm setting aside that day to do the last twenty chapters.
While I didn't reach 42,000 words on OBJECTION before my first deadline, I did get there today. The word count currently stands at 42,058. I plan to finish the draft by February 1. However, before I write another word, I intend to sit down and re-outline my ending. I've changed it quite a bit and I need to see how it's going to play out on paper. I'll probably do that tomorrow and then continue my steady progress to the end.
I now have a draft of SHOW ME YOUR FANGS, a story you may remember from early last year. I intend to edit it in the next couple of days and use it in my OSAI audition. I didn't even touch THE SMILE FIXER though, barely even thought about it. Perhaps this weekend in between laundry loads I can finish outlining and start drafting.
On each of the first three goals, substantial progress was made. This cannot be said for the reading goal. I read two out of those fifteen books. If I catch up in time, it will be a miracle. Right now I plan to focus on the sixteen books I planned on for my second January Half-Month Goal. If I have time after reading them, I will go back to the books for the first half of the month.
I have to say, even though I barely finished anything, I am not upset or disappointed in myself. In fact, I'm rather happy. This goal system is more a way to keep me moving forward with my writing than to make sure that I finish all of my minor goals. And it's doing its job splendidly in my opinion.
How did the beginning of January go for you? What do you think of my goal system?
Before we dive into feelings and thoughts and all that mumbo jumbo, let's start with some stats.
I have eight BIG MAJOR goals. Four of them had Half-Month Goals for the beginning of January. The rest were "Non-Focuses." I finished none of these Half-Month Goals.
The four Half-Month Goals were broken down into fourteen Mini-Goals. I finished five of them.
Looking at those numbers, it does not seem as if I had a productive fifteen days, but let me put it into perspective for you.
The four Half-Month Goals were:
- Read through THINKING OF YOU's modified draft one and make index cards for already written scenes.
- Reach 42,000 words on OBJECTION.
- Finish drafting SHOW ME YOUR FANGS and planning THE SMILE FIXER.
- Read 15/31 books under 200 pages.
I finished reading/making index cards for THINKING OF YOU up through chapter ten, putting that Half-Month Goal at one-third complete. That's serious progress for me. I've started working through my scenes, deciding what has to be moved or merged. I've started considering where new scenes need to be added, which is important since deciding on and making index cards for those scenes is January's second Half-Month Goal. I'm not worried about finishing my storyboard by the end of the month. Next Monday there's no school and I'm setting aside that day to do the last twenty chapters.
While I didn't reach 42,000 words on OBJECTION before my first deadline, I did get there today. The word count currently stands at 42,058. I plan to finish the draft by February 1. However, before I write another word, I intend to sit down and re-outline my ending. I've changed it quite a bit and I need to see how it's going to play out on paper. I'll probably do that tomorrow and then continue my steady progress to the end.
I now have a draft of SHOW ME YOUR FANGS, a story you may remember from early last year. I intend to edit it in the next couple of days and use it in my OSAI audition. I didn't even touch THE SMILE FIXER though, barely even thought about it. Perhaps this weekend in between laundry loads I can finish outlining and start drafting.
On each of the first three goals, substantial progress was made. This cannot be said for the reading goal. I read two out of those fifteen books. If I catch up in time, it will be a miracle. Right now I plan to focus on the sixteen books I planned on for my second January Half-Month Goal. If I have time after reading them, I will go back to the books for the first half of the month.
I have to say, even though I barely finished anything, I am not upset or disappointed in myself. In fact, I'm rather happy. This goal system is more a way to keep me moving forward with my writing than to make sure that I finish all of my minor goals. And it's doing its job splendidly in my opinion.
How did the beginning of January go for you? What do you think of my goal system?
Monday, November 26, 2012
Birth of a Novel 2012 - NaNo #3 & Objection Completion #1
Today is not a Thursday, the day I usually post for Birth of a Novel. However, I didn't post last Thursday due to Thanksgiving and my being out of town. I'm back now though and ready to update you.I didn't do as well with my goals as I did last time, but I still got a lot accomplished and am quite proud of these victories.
- Last week's goals:
Write 3k for today.I wrote 3,019 words for a total of 53,448 words.Write 1k on Friday.I wrote 1,023 words for a total of 54,471 words.Write 6k onboth Saturday andSunday.On Saturday I wrote 4,420 words, falling 1,580 words below my goal. However, on Sunday I wrote 6,112 words so I still partially met my goal. This gave me a total of 65,003 words.Write 2k on Monday.I wrote 2,149 words for a total of 67,152 words.Write at least 4k on Tuesday, continuingI wrote 6,014 words for a total of 73,166 words and completed the first draft of THE TRUE PRINCESS! The NaNoWriMo site's word count validator differs slightly with a count of 73,151 words. This disagreement has never happened to me before, but I still finished my story and still beat 50k so I'm not too worried about it. Word counters aren't all the same.
if close to the end.Make at least one vlog.Go here.- Catch up on 26/43 blogs. I managed to finish 24/43, only catching up on two of the four blogs I was aiming for. Neither of the two I finished were the "post everyday" blogs I talked about. However, I have made good progress with both of the remaining two.
Attach labels to posts from the past two months.This did not take as long as I expected. I finished up through September in probably twenty minutes. Just two years worth of blog posts to go. Also, I changed the widget appearance from a list to a cloud as well as retitled the widget to fit in with my sidebar's "mountain" theme.
Now that NaNoWriMo is over, it's time for me to move on to other things. My biggest concern right now is finishing my first draft of OBJECTION before New Year's. I also have a few other, smaller projects I want to work on.
- This week's goals:
- Reach 30k on OBJECTION. Right now, I'm at 27,334 words. This means I have to write 2,666 words in four days. I can do that. Hell, I could do that in one day. My only concern is that OBJECTION hasn't been as easy to write as most of my other projects and I might not have planned out this middle part as well as I should have, but I will not let that stop me!
- Plan out THE SMILE FIXER. Essentially this is a rewrite of last year's The Chrysalis Experiment Prompt #2 story. At first I was playing around with this concept for the PERFECT FLAW anthology but ended up deciding it wasn't the one. I liked my ideas though so I'm still going to write it. I usually don't plan for short stories. However, this one is going to be a little longer and more detailed than my short stories generally are.
- Read through The Chrysalis Experiment stories and pick one to rewrite for the PERFECT FLAW anthology or come up with a new idea. As I mentioned above, I scrapped my original idea for my submission to this anthology. So I need a new one and soon. The deadline is January 8th.
- Write a summary for THE TRUE PRINCESS. These are always good to have and, even if it isn't perfect, it will help me with my pitch later. Summaries also usually drive home what my novels' main focuses are. Plus, it'll add to my Projects page. I already have a first line.
- Read CALL OF THE WILD. If you're friends with me on Goodreads, you may know that I've been reading a book called MORE STORIES TO REMEMBER since February. It's an anthology that was published in 1958. I'm about halfway through it and I would like to finish reading it by New Year's. Right now I'm on THE CALL OF THE WILD. It has a total of 59 pages.
- Catch up on 30/43 blogs. This means I will have a total of six blogs to read in four days. Three of them are pretty low key and, as I already said, I have made progress on the two higher maintenance blogs. I'm pretty sure I can do it.
- Attach labels to 2010 posts. I published 46 posts in 2010. It shouldn't be so bad. I'm going to get started on them as soon as I get this post up.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Camp NaNo Update, My Favourite Character, A First Line, and My Tumblr (AKA This is an Informal Post)
Hello, lovelies. :) Forgive me if this is a bit of an informal post. I miss writing those and I just wanted to give you all an update. Plus, I must admit I'm getting kind of used to Tumblr. (This is a hint for you to check it out.)
Camp NaNo Update
My current word count for my Camp NaNo novel, OBJECTION, is 21,587. Which is more than the last time I gave you all an update (it's also more than I wrote during Camp NaNo last year) so I'm making progress. That's what matters. Not that I'm about 10k behind.
Really, I'm not that worried about actually winning Camp NaNo. If I don't finish my novel this month, I'll just keep trucking right on into September. Now, if it goes on into October, I'll have to stop so I can plan my untitled princess clone fantasy/sci fi for NaNo, and then, of course, in November I'll be, you know, writing that novel. But, if it's necessary, I will start up again in December, continuing my steady progression.
Also, I've decided I won't be doing Camp NaNo next year. While it gets me started on something new, doing such a challenge during the summer isn't as productive as doing it during school. In the summer I want to laze around and not do much. It's my down time and writing feels more like work then. I mean to write, but I keep pushing it off until there's simply no more time. However, when school's going on, writing seems more freeing and I consciously make room in my schedule for it. Therefore, I get more done. Besides, I'll have plenty of other things to focus on.
My Favourite Character
I said in my last post that the next part of OBJECTION was going to be very exciting. Since then, I've written my favourite scene thus far and gotten to the good part. I mean, real good. Like I'm only at the beginning of the "real good" zone, and I've already had a bit of an empathy about one of my characters.
Her name is Armie. At the moment, she doesn't have a last name. But she's become my favourite character in OBJECTION.
You see, I know those little things about your characters like their first memories, past friendships, experiences in school, etc. are important. I use myself as a reminder of that. (My first memory is of a tornado. To hear the story, message me on my Tumblr and I'll post it. P.S. This is another hint that you should check it out.) But, unless it's essential to the plotline, I'm terrible at coming up with things like that. But with Armie, it's been easy. For instance, she has three scars on her face. I know the story behind each of them. Her personality shows through my writing as well, even in this early draft. I love it and her.
A First Line
I was lying in bed last night when it came to me. The first line for my untitled princess clone fantasy/sci fi. It's not perfect, and there are a few holes that will need to be filled when I start plotting, but I thought I'd share it with you. (NaNo Disclaimer: This does not count as "writing" because, as I said, there are some holes to fill in and I might tweak it a bit between now and November. Plus, we're allowed to plan and having the first line is part of some writer's outlining process.)
Oh, and, in case you didn't know, my Tumblr blog can be located here: http://www.brookerbusse.tumblr.com. It's a personal blog, but I've also been posting shorter updates about Camp NaNo there. Just in case you missed that information. ;)
How do you like informal posts? Who is your favourite character in your current project? What do you think of my rough first line? Have you checked out my Tumblr?
Camp NaNo Update
My current word count for my Camp NaNo novel, OBJECTION, is 21,587. Which is more than the last time I gave you all an update (it's also more than I wrote during Camp NaNo last year) so I'm making progress. That's what matters. Not that I'm about 10k behind.
Really, I'm not that worried about actually winning Camp NaNo. If I don't finish my novel this month, I'll just keep trucking right on into September. Now, if it goes on into October, I'll have to stop so I can plan my untitled princess clone fantasy/sci fi for NaNo, and then, of course, in November I'll be, you know, writing that novel. But, if it's necessary, I will start up again in December, continuing my steady progression.
Also, I've decided I won't be doing Camp NaNo next year. While it gets me started on something new, doing such a challenge during the summer isn't as productive as doing it during school. In the summer I want to laze around and not do much. It's my down time and writing feels more like work then. I mean to write, but I keep pushing it off until there's simply no more time. However, when school's going on, writing seems more freeing and I consciously make room in my schedule for it. Therefore, I get more done. Besides, I'll have plenty of other things to focus on.
My Favourite Character
I said in my last post that the next part of OBJECTION was going to be very exciting. Since then, I've written my favourite scene thus far and gotten to the good part. I mean, real good. Like I'm only at the beginning of the "real good" zone, and I've already had a bit of an empathy about one of my characters.
Her name is Armie. At the moment, she doesn't have a last name. But she's become my favourite character in OBJECTION.
You see, I know those little things about your characters like their first memories, past friendships, experiences in school, etc. are important. I use myself as a reminder of that. (My first memory is of a tornado. To hear the story, message me on my Tumblr and I'll post it. P.S. This is another hint that you should check it out.) But, unless it's essential to the plotline, I'm terrible at coming up with things like that. But with Armie, it's been easy. For instance, she has three scars on her face. I know the story behind each of them. Her personality shows through my writing as well, even in this early draft. I love it and her.
A First Line
I was lying in bed last night when it came to me. The first line for my untitled princess clone fantasy/sci fi. It's not perfect, and there are a few holes that will need to be filled when I start plotting, but I thought I'd share it with you. (NaNo Disclaimer: This does not count as "writing" because, as I said, there are some holes to fill in and I might tweak it a bit between now and November. Plus, we're allowed to plan and having the first line is part of some writer's outlining process.)
Zoie [insert last name(s) here] the Fourteenth, the true princess of [insert kingdom name here], gazed out her tower window and plotted her escape.My Tumblr
Oh, and, in case you didn't know, my Tumblr blog can be located here: http://www.brookerbusse.tumblr.com. It's a personal blog, but I've also been posting shorter updates about Camp NaNo there. Just in case you missed that information. ;)
How do you like informal posts? Who is your favourite character in your current project? What do you think of my rough first line? Have you checked out my Tumblr?
Friday, June 01, 2012
NYR Update - 5 Months
So we all know this is late, but let's pretend it's not. Just to make me feel better about forgetting. Okay? Okay. Good. Here's your update.
When I get back I plan to implement a revising schedule. Starting with an hour a day, from three to four. I may increase the time later, but I first want to know if I can keep such a routine. Also, I want to start plotting more for my untitled marriage dystopian. I'm not going to be drafting it until August so most of the outlining will take place during July, but it doesn't hurt to start early.
What do you hope to get done in June? Are you good at keeping a schedule? How long do you spend on planning?
- I will
havecomplete THINKING OF YOU'sready for queryfirst round of revisions. NA - I will have two new first drafts. NA
I will win National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo).- I will submit at least two short stories to anthologies and/or contests. NA
- I will read at least one hundred books. I read eleven books this month and am currently reading two others. Goodreads proclaims that I am one book behind.
- I will post at least one vlog a month. NA
- I will exercise in some way once a week. The fourth week (May 20-26) I went swimming for a couple of hours. The fifth week (May 27-June 2) I again went swimming for a couple of hours.
When I get back I plan to implement a revising schedule. Starting with an hour a day, from three to four. I may increase the time later, but I first want to know if I can keep such a routine. Also, I want to start plotting more for my untitled marriage dystopian. I'm not going to be drafting it until August so most of the outlining will take place during July, but it doesn't hurt to start early.
What do you hope to get done in June? Are you good at keeping a schedule? How long do you spend on planning?
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
NYR Update - 4 Months
I'm sure I'm not the only one who's just a bit glad that April's over. For many it has been a very busy month, what with the A-Z Challenge. And for those that didn't participate, such as myself, it was because we were too busy with other things. So, in a way, I'm thinking I'm going to relax in May. But first, I have to wrap up April.
I tried my weekly goal list idea. While it definitely helped me keep up with my chores, I'm not so sure how it contributed to my writing. I immensely enjoyed checking off the little boxes (as you can see), but household things could be accomplished more quickly, leading me to focus all attention on them in order to get that small satisfaction. In a way it was almost anti-productive.
I am trying this again. However, because I've not been feeling well, this week has gotten off to a rough start. I feel unmotivated and the list does not infuse me with the get-up-and-go I need. Keeping this going is not looking likely at the moment.
This month, I completed one of my goals. What goals have you accomplished lately?
P.S. Here's the 32nd poem. I think it's sort of motivational.
Today-
today
is but
yesterday’s tomorrow
yet hold on tight
with both hands
because it is also
tomorrow’s yesterday
- I will have THINKING OF YOU ready for query. I fully revised chapters four through six. I also decided that my goal is inaccurate. My desire isn't to be querying by the end of the year. In fact, I don't even know if that's possible for me. No, my aspiration is to have finished my first ever round of revisions. And I want my goal to reflect that, so I'm changing it. I will
havecomplete THINKING OF YOU'sready for queryfirst round of revisions. - I will have two new first drafts. I decided on Lix for the MC's name in my untitled marriage dystopian. I now also have an extended list of names I could use for other characters.
I will win National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo).I wrote a poem a day for the month of April, leaving me with 31 (technically 32, on a day I can't remember I wrote an extra I never posted) new poems. You can read all of them here as well as last year's 30 NaPoWriMo poems and others I've posted.- I will submit at least two short stories to anthologies and/or contests. NA
- I will read at least one hundred books. I read five books and am currently reading four others. Goodreads states that I am four books behind.
- I will post at least one vlog a month. I posted the first vlog in my new series. I will be writing a post about it soon.
- I will exercise in some way once a week. The second week (April 8-14) I played manhunt once. This means I run around a whole neighborhood about four or five times. The fourth week (April 22-28) I ran three times for twenty minutes each and swam for an hour and a half once. I ran two or three other times that I didn't record.
I tried my weekly goal list idea. While it definitely helped me keep up with my chores, I'm not so sure how it contributed to my writing. I immensely enjoyed checking off the little boxes (as you can see), but household things could be accomplished more quickly, leading me to focus all attention on them in order to get that small satisfaction. In a way it was almost anti-productive.I am trying this again. However, because I've not been feeling well, this week has gotten off to a rough start. I feel unmotivated and the list does not infuse me with the get-up-and-go I need. Keeping this going is not looking likely at the moment.
This month, I completed one of my goals. What goals have you accomplished lately?
P.S. Here's the 32nd poem. I think it's sort of motivational.
Today-
today
is but
yesterday’s tomorrow
yet hold on tight
with both hands
because it is also
tomorrow’s yesterday
Sunday, April 01, 2012
NYR Update - 3 Months
I am no longer going to comment on how quickly the months go by (and no, I didn't just comment on it) because I have discovered it is not an unusual occurrence. Time is like a runner that never has to stop to eat, drink, or sleep. Only to catch its breathe once in a while. Right now it is running full speed ahead. I'm just hitching a piggy back ride while I stop to evaluate my progress.
Many of you are participating in the A to Z Challenge this month. I am not, but I'm still posting every day in April to complete one of my goals. Anyone else doing NaPoWriMo?
- I will have THINKING OF YOU ready for query. I made the first round of revision out of two for chapter four.
- I will have two new first drafts. I decided on the MC's name for my untitled princess clone fantasy/sci fi: Zoie. I started the notes (aka my version of planning) for my untitled marriage dystopian. This includes making a list for possible MC names.
- I will win National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo). NA
- I will submit at least two short stories to anthologies and/or contests. On March 15th, I submitted a story to the “Imagination begins with you…” - Annual High School Short Story Contest.
- I will read at least one hundred books. I read ten books and started three others. Goodreads says I am one book behind.
- I will post at least one vlog a month. I posted the vlog that was originally intended for February. I came up with a new idea for a vlog series.
- I will exercise in some way once a week. The first week (March 4-10) I ran once for twenty minutes. The second week (March 11-17) I ran once for thirty minutes. The fourth week I ran twice for thirty minutes. For all of week one and half of week two I practiced my musical's choreography every week day. There were also three runs sometime before the 17th that I did not record exact dates and times for.
Many of you are participating in the A to Z Challenge this month. I am not, but I'm still posting every day in April to complete one of my goals. Anyone else doing NaPoWriMo?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
One Down, One to Go [Birth of a Novel Blog Chain]
SHADOWMAN, my first NaNo novel, was completed at 50,191 words on November 13. As of yet, no one has read a word (well, except a few short paragraphs I posted on Angela Scott's blog) because Alisha hasn't been at school the past two days for me to give it to her. -.- She's normally one of the first people to read my novels (you know, besides my mom).
I plan to start GHOST SISTER tomorrow so I'm laying my plot out in order. I was working on this last night and a whole bunch of new ideas came to me. I'm so excited! And it's all because of a few characters that popped up in SHADOWMAN. I'll be building their personae as well.
I don't really have anything special for you today (summary for GHOST SISTER is pending, plus run out of WriMo songs) but I do have a question. Anyone have any good last names to go with Derik?
The Rest of the Blog Chain
I plan to start GHOST SISTER tomorrow so I'm laying my plot out in order. I was working on this last night and a whole bunch of new ideas came to me. I'm so excited! And it's all because of a few characters that popped up in SHADOWMAN. I'll be building their personae as well.
I don't really have anything special for you today (summary for GHOST SISTER is pending, plus run out of WriMo songs) but I do have a question. Anyone have any good last names to go with Derik?
The Rest of the Blog Chain| Charity Bradford Angela Brown Brooke Busse Tessa C Elizabeth Davis Miranda Hardy Mia Hayson | Lena Hoppe Huntress Fida Islaih Jen McConnel Anna M. Nyxie Moon Elizabeth Pool |
| Zoe |
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Sittin' Pretty at 25k [Birth of a Novel Blog Chain]
One week down, three more to go, and if I write 25k for all of them, I'll be sittin' pretty. At the end of yesterday, I had a total of 25,517 words. Roughly 500 more words than I had on that date last year. Something else I surpassed this year? I wrote 7,036 words on Saturday, the most words I've written in a single day to date (I was going to post a picture of it, but we've been having earthquakes and big storms down here and the Internet was down).
By Monday night, I hope to be finished drafting SHADOWMAN and the NaNo website tells me I'm right on track for that. Then I'll take a day or two to catch up on Chrysalis stories, edit the first chapter of THINKING OF YOU (I won a critique over at Unicorn Bell), and make sure I have all the last minute details for GHOST SISTER.
But for right now, there's still work to be done and I better get on it. This time, instead of a video, I'll leave you with my summary of SHADOWMAN.
The Rest of the Blog Chain
By Monday night, I hope to be finished drafting SHADOWMAN and the NaNo website tells me I'm right on track for that. Then I'll take a day or two to catch up on Chrysalis stories, edit the first chapter of THINKING OF YOU (I won a critique over at Unicorn Bell), and make sure I have all the last minute details for GHOST SISTER.But for right now, there's still work to be done and I better get on it. This time, instead of a video, I'll leave you with my summary of SHADOWMAN.
Kierra's family controls her life. She has to tiptoe around her sister, Erinn, not even able to speak freely around her. Her mom stifles any chance she has at a normal social life with her outrageous safety precautions that range from not eating peanut butter to not plopping in chairs. Her dad is almost never available and even when he is, he always takes Erinn's, who reminds him of his dead first love, side.
When Logan Hartley, the homeschooled boy-next-door, transfers to her high school, Kierra starts learning what it's like to be her own person, whether that means dying her hair red or rapping in front of a full auditorium. Then, Erinn goes into one of her rages and breaks Kierra's arm, casting the Croc family into a downward spiral that continues when her Dad is identified as the serial rapist who recently moved to town.
Kierra reaches for Logan to keep her from falling into the undertow. He promises he'll take care of everything, like her own personal guardian angel, a comparison that turns out to hit a little too close to the truth. Promises don't do much good when her mom ODs, landing in the hospital, and her Dad is sentenced to death.
Amongst the tragedy and sudden changes, Kierra is only certain of one thing: Logan Hartley sucks at being a guardian angel.
The Rest of the Blog Chain
| Charity Bradford Angela Brown Brooke Busse Tessa C Elizabeth Davis Miranda Hardy | Mia Hayson Lena Hoppe Huntress Fida Islaih Nyxie Moon Elizabeth Pool |
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Happy Dance Coming Soon to a YouTube Channel Near You
On October 4, 2011, I finished my rewrite of THE LULLABY.
And you know what, I felt nothing. Absolutely no different. But I think it's finally starting to sink in. My stomach is getting fluttery and I have this urge to grin and act silly. (This may in part also have to do with my first author signing coming up soonish and the soda I just drank.) Now would be the perfect time for a happy dance video, except I don't look so glamorous and Windows Movie Maker is being uncooperative.
I finished my second draft of THE LULLABY at 45,974 words, which is a 15,738 word increase from the first draft. Of course, I already know that I'm going to cut the first two chapters, but I'm also going to add scenes. Who knows, maybe by the end of the third draft I'll have a fairly normal sized YA novel.
Speaking of the third draft, I won't be delving into that until January. This month is for the planning of SHADOWMAN (you remember that right?) and GHOST SISTER and November is, of course, for writing them. I've also decided to focus on THINKING OF YOU during December. It could really use some love.
What are your plans for the rest of the year? How do you prioritize your projects?
*Did you see my latest post? If not, please check it out here. I could really use your help. Thanks to all of you who have already voted! I <3 you, too.
I finished my second draft of THE LULLABY at 45,974 words, which is a 15,738 word increase from the first draft. Of course, I already know that I'm going to cut the first two chapters, but I'm also going to add scenes. Who knows, maybe by the end of the third draft I'll have a fairly normal sized YA novel.
Speaking of the third draft, I won't be delving into that until January. This month is for the planning of SHADOWMAN (you remember that right?) and GHOST SISTER and November is, of course, for writing them. I've also decided to focus on THINKING OF YOU during December. It could really use some love.
What are your plans for the rest of the year? How do you prioritize your projects?
*Did you see my latest post? If not, please check it out here. I could really use your help. Thanks to all of you who have already voted! I <3 you, too.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Second Summer in the City
Unfortunately, it's also my most unproductive one.
In the book No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty, he lists lessons he has learned through his many years of NaNoWriMo. Number Two on that list states: Being Busy is Good for Your Writing (pg. 16). I am woefully not busy during the summer and it flashes by before I can get anything done.
This summer, I pledge to get things done. I pledge that this summer will not be wasted. I pledge that the following goals; Will. Be. Met.
Writing Related
- The Lullaby rewrite will be completed. This is a big one because this was scheduled to happen last summer. Did I mention summers are very unproductive for me?
- Thinking of You story line revisions will be completed. Previously, I had this put off until July but I may start work on it sooner.
- Royally Burned and the untitled princess clone story will be plotted out accordingly. I attempted to start Royally Burned this month and it just wasn't grasping me. This happened with Forever, Frog as well. All due to lack of planning. I am not going to let this happen again.
- All unread books will have their status reversed. I have over one hundred books that I have yet to read. Good thing I'm a fast reader.
- I will host two more Wonderful Weeks. For sure I will be doing one on the Left Behind series. The other is undecided, though I have a few ideas.
- Pokemon versions FireRed, Emerald, and Platinum will be completed so I can start HeartGold. Google is your friend.
- The Wii Fit Plus will be used as a tool to gain muscle. Simply explained, because I have none. XD
Thursday, May 19, 2011
When It Just Doesn't Click
I consider myself a plotter mixed with just a dash of pantser. I can't just write without direction, but I can't write out every little detail in a perfectly organized outline either. I need room to maneuver and a trail to follow, even if it's only a footpath.
The bare essentials include characters, a map (if needed), a little background for both the land and the people, and around ten plot points including the beginning, the climax, and the end. This is what I feel comfortable writing with. How does Royally Burned, the novel I plan to write in June, shape up?
-characters check
-map check
-background check
-plot points EEEEH! fail
You can see what I'm obviously working on. The thing is, my ideas come to me in sudden bursts and spurts, so forced ideas sometimes don't feel right. For instance, I have one that could really bring some conflict to the story and could carry it along but it just doesn't feel right. It doesn't click.
Imagine you're working on a puzzle and you've finally found the piece you're looking for, or so you think. It's the right color, the right shape, but you can tell it just doesn't fit, doesn't go in smooth. That's the best metaphor I can give you for this feeling.
It's possible that it's just my mood. It's also possible that the idea just won't work. We'll have to wait and see.
The bare essentials include characters, a map (if needed), a little background for both the land and the people, and around ten plot points including the beginning, the climax, and the end. This is what I feel comfortable writing with. How does Royally Burned, the novel I plan to write in June, shape up?
-characters check
-map check
-background check
-plot points EEEEH! fail
You can see what I'm obviously working on. The thing is, my ideas come to me in sudden bursts and spurts, so forced ideas sometimes don't feel right. For instance, I have one that could really bring some conflict to the story and could carry it along but it just doesn't feel right. It doesn't click.
Imagine you're working on a puzzle and you've finally found the piece you're looking for, or so you think. It's the right color, the right shape, but you can tell it just doesn't fit, doesn't go in smooth. That's the best metaphor I can give you for this feeling.
It's possible that it's just my mood. It's also possible that the idea just won't work. We'll have to wait and see.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Forever, Frog is Nevermore
This month, as you may remember, I signed up for NEPMo (National Epic Poetry Month). I fully intended to do it, promise I did. I had a bit of a plot, a title, even a cover picked out (which I drew myself I might add). But it's just not going to happen.
I must admit, I should have known better than to book two month long challenges back to back like that (really three), but I figured they were just small poetry challenges. No big deal, right? Weeelll.... no. Poetry requires a lot of thought, about the right words, the perfect format. And it's mentally exhausting. I'm lucky only one or two of my NaPoWriMo poems were duds. It doesn't help that my stress levels are already high from everything else I have to do.
So. My NEPMo plans are cancelled (though WriDaNoJu is still on) and I'm planning to take a complete break from writing from the twenty-second of May to the thirty-first. Only planning will be allowed. Here's to hoping I have plenty of ideas and inspiration when June rolls around.
So. My NEPMo plans are cancelled (though WriDaNoJu is still on) and I'm planning to take a complete break from writing from the twenty-second of May to the thirty-first. Only planning will be allowed. Here's to hoping I have plenty of ideas and inspiration when June rolls around.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Back on My Feet
There is nothing better in the world (besides air, cats, and Lizzie) than having words spill forth effortlessly from your brain onto the page (typed or otherwise). For the past month or two, I have been experiencing a block. I won't call it writer's block because I still had the ideas, just getting the words out was like pulling teeth (and we won't even mention March's goals). The best description I can give you is a dam holding back a river. Thank God the dam burst.
I have managed to write five thousand words toward The Lullaby in the past week (though I will admit a large chunk of it is dialogue; I like dialogue...), more words than all of last month. I achieved one thousand words on last week's short story. Something that hasn't happened since Week Ten. I have stuck with NaPoWriMo and not fallen behind. I've decided on my points of view for HEIRS TO ESIO and finished assigning last names. Things are going great.
Question: Have you had any recent successes lately? Any dams that have burst?
P.S. Here's something else I've managed to accomplish this week. Let me know if you enjoy. :)
I have managed to write five thousand words toward The Lullaby in the past week (though I will admit a large chunk of it is dialogue; I like dialogue...), more words than all of last month. I achieved one thousand words on last week's short story. Something that hasn't happened since Week Ten. I have stuck with NaPoWriMo and not fallen behind. I've decided on my points of view for HEIRS TO ESIO and finished assigning last names. Things are going great.
Question: Have you had any recent successes lately? Any dams that have burst?
P.S. Here's something else I've managed to accomplish this week. Let me know if you enjoy. :)
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