A quick update

Wow!  I really need to find a better way to blog more often...but...I did do much better at the writing regularly...so much so that I finished the First Draft!  

All praise to Nanowrimo!   Now it's time for editing, filling in blanks and making sure the story makes sense.  Then it's off to the first reader and any other friends willing to read it!

On a positive note, I've been asked to participate in a Blog Meme called the Next Big Thing.  I'll answer 10 questions next week, and then suggest 4-5 other authors who will do same thing.

Misty Massey tagged me!  

I do wish that work didn't block blogs, I'd be much more likely to post something during lunch if they didn't!  But maybe I'll try writing the blog post in word and coming home and copy/paste?

Anyway, I'm also working on another Short Story for an Anthology called Black Apples by Belladonna.  The deadline is Jan 15th so I'm under a bit of a time crunch but I've got this idea that calling me so I'm trying to get it down.

I'll be back...

Holding on to ambitions

So I finally knocked out the revised short story and have sent it to my dear husband, aka Beta Reader 1, for review before it goes back out to the editor!   Nothing like starting a new job, even if it is temporary to throw you off your routine.

But the good news is I’m back. 

I am, of course, Nanowrimo-ing this year.  I hope to get my currently at 45000 word novel finished…I’m aiming for about 60,-70,000 given that it’s a cozy mystery with a historical fiction twist.  Thankfully, I don’t have to aim for the 100,000+ fantasy novel length. 

https://store.lettersandlight.org/merchandise/your-nano-novel-2-gb-usb-bracelet - Oh and I want this.

(And yes, I realize that working on my current novel breaks the rules of the Nano, but it works for me and I don’t ever plan to claim I “won” Nano!)  I love the energy and drive that comes out of Nanowrimo.  Seeing everyone else’s creative ideas and posts seem to help drive my own.  

I so wish there was a good on-line writing group around here. Schedule is such that the local one which has a really good reputation, I just can’t make the meetings.  But an online group…that I could do. 

Anyway, I’m so much of a pantser when it comes to writing that finishing out the novel should be a bit interesting.  I’m adding a POV to help fill out some things that happen outside of the main POV.  And I’m working on the red herrings that are needed to help distract our reader from the real culprit.  So I’m actually trying to plot out what I’m writing before I write. 

I’m also going to try to get back into blogging a bit more regularly.   (I realize I promised that last blog post…but that was before the whole real life jobs changing mess.)  I’m trying something new.  I’m writing the goals down, publishing them…ie on the blog.  And tracking them.  Either here or facebook. 

I would put it on my calendar and block the time but things change so much that I can’t guarantee I’d get the same hour each day.  So I’m just going to aim for the goals and track them as I get them.

Anyway, so my first goal is to work on the novel for at least 1 hour per day.  Either lunch at work or 1 hour at home.  It means giving up reading some but I really want to finish the novel be the end of the year so…sacrifices must be made.

And related to that goal is writing one blog post per week.  Both to update on the Nanowrimo/Novel status but also to talk about some aspect of writing that I’ve been working on that week.   This is probably the harder goal.  Not so much the updating part but to make the blog post about something other than me and my writing. 

So…luck to all those nano-ing with me!

How many times/Do we swallow our ambitions
Long to give up the same old way/Find another road to take

Keep holding on so long/'Cause there's a chance
That we might not be so wrong/We could be down and gone
But we hold on

~We Hold On - Rush

New challenges

So I really need to practice this whole blogging thing a bit more.  I know it's supposed to be one of the ways to increase my web presence but as a fairly new author I'm so not sure what all to talk about each week.

In professional news, I got feedback from my editor for the next Fortannis anthology.  He seems to like the overall story but there are couple aspect I really need to work on.

Pacing...which of course is always a bit of challenge for me.  And related to that, a fight scene which seems to drag.

There is also not enough conflict in the story but he gave me some good advice regarding that and since that got my brain churning, I have another scene in my head that increases the conflict so together those changes that should improve the story.

In terms of the Steampunk Mystery...I'm struggling a bit with the steampunk aspect.  A lot of what I have going on that is "steampunk"ish is also alternate history so I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to increase the steampunkiness of the story.  

Neil Peart and Kevin Anderson's "Clockwork Angels: The Novel" releases in two days which means we'll have it for the beach!  The good news is that it's not a mystery so I think I should be able to read it for inspiration and more "steampunk"ness ideas without changing too much of my own story.

The other thing I'm trying to figure out...is that I kind of want to add a urban fantasy twist to it.  The story is built for having a supernatural aspect but I'm not sure if making it a "Steampunk Urban Fantasy Mystery" is a bit much.   If I don't "steampunk" as much and add more supernatural, then it just becomes a Victorian Urban Fantasy.

I am supposed to be writing more each day now that I'm not working but I can't seem to find the balance between writing and house-cleaning/decluttering.  Although the decluttering/cleaning is going well, I haven't gotten nearly as much writing in as I'd like over the last month.  (Though I have been exercising more, which is positive!)

Anyway, I'll try to come up with more regular post topics but I'm going to go back and work on the novel!  44,000 words (exactly! and counting).

Clockwork angels, spread their arms and sing Synchronized and graceful, they move like living things Goddesses of Light, of Sea and Sky and Land Clockwork angels, the people raise their hands — As if to fly
~Clockwork Angels, Rush

Chasing something new...

So i've been incredibly non-posty lately, but I have a good excuse...

I found out in June that my day job was being eliminated so I have spend the last 6 weeks job hunting and working on transitioning my current responsibilities to my boss and other team members.  (Insert lots of weeping/whining here.  Okay, done.).  But I've got about 2 weeks left at work so I'm starting to look at August.

James and I had already decided that if I didn't have a day job by the end of July that I would spend the entire month of August writing.  Finishing my novel, writing short stories, etc.  And as it is now mid-July and with no sign of a job...I think that is going to be a very likely scenario.

So my newest challenge is how do you write for long hours every day and not get distracted by the house and/or the internet?

Of course, I do plan to still job hunt and I am GOING to declutter the study if it kills me...but mainly because I'd like to turn that room into someplace I can actually write...which right now I can't.   But I want to be able to spend at least 5-6 hours a day writing...Butt in Chair to quote the MW crew.  But I've never written for that long in one sitting...most of my writing has been done in 1-2 bursts in between cons, daughter, work, house, etc. 

A good friend, Steve Long, introduced me to Duotrope, a few weeks ago, which I think will come in very, very handy as I try to find other sources of publication.  I like that it lists anthologies and since I tend to do well with short stories that have themes, I'm hoping I can write up a few short stories to submit in between the novel.


"Playing with fire
Chasing something new to believe in
Looking for love
The way the big wheel spins"
~Rush, The Big Wheel, Roll the Bones

RIP Ray Bradbury

First Anne McCaffrey and now Ray Bradbury, if I ever finish my novel it will be dedicated to some of the greatest writers in the genre.

I had the honor and privledge of meeting Ray many years ago at a DragonCon.  He was incredibly nice and so personable.  To this day, that memory is one of my favorites.

RIP, Mr. Bradbury and thank you for the inspiration.

Guest post over at Janine K Spendlove's site

http://www.ailionora.com/

So at Ravencon, Amazon best-selling author, Janine K Spendlove, asked me to guest post for her.

I finally finished the post and it's up on her website.

Check it out!

So...my regular job has been so incredibly busy I haven't had a chance to even look at writing let along blogging! 

And so I am really late at mentioning that I am at ConCarolinas this weekend.  I am not a guest this year rather the family decided the CC was going to be the con we go to have fun and relax.  I managed to get to one panel on opening chapters and had planned to get to two more yesterday but got sidetracked by costuming and hanging out with folks.

Today is, of course, packing up, last minute shopping and visiting with folks.  James has a panel on Nerdiquette late this afternoon and then it's back to home.

I'm not sure why but I've been really blocked on writing.  I usually can get several hundred words written over a con weekend and I don't think I've gotten even a hundred written this weekend. 

I think part of the problem is that I am overly committed outside of writing again.  Real work is utterly slammed and by the time I get home, play with the Geeklet, etc.  I'm wiped.  Plus between starting ConGregate, needing to get the Cornerstone Award/Infinity Productions, and trying to declutter the house, I've not had nearly enough time to write. 

I did get my copies of Spells & Swashbucklers....they're big.  And look very good.  So now I've officially been published 3x!!  I still need to follow up with Mike Ventrella on the second Fortannis short story.   I also really need to do some research and find some other short story markets w/ themes that I can write for.  I might be able to gather some inspiration if i work on some short stories.

Although, I may take a page from David Coe's book and write some short stories in the Ella-verse and see if that gets my brain going!

Well, it's time to get packed up and head for breakfast! 


If the future's looking dark, we're the ones who have to shine. If there's no one in control, we're the ones who draw the line. - Rush, Everyday Glory