Another Because I Couldn't Resist Sharing

Sorry, not James McAvoy this time. In researching for writing Sci Fi, I came across an article that I think speaks to all writing. It describes the Pitfalls of writing by Vonda N. McIntyre. Even if you don't write Sci Fi, these apply to all writing.

I'm working on revisions on Fallen (which may get a name change due to books being out with the same title ). It's going rather slow, but hopefully I'll be through this round of revisions before the new year. Other ideas and side projects are happening, but are being kept under lock and chain until I can finish this one. I'm thinking of opening a new restaurant for another set of characters. I don't think they'll mesh well with the romantic restaurant I have going. It is rather strange to have to brainstorm for ideas, usually they just drop out of no where on me. I'm extending myself and trying to figure out what I can do. And if any of that made sense to anyone else but me, I'd be amazed.

So in case you missed the imbedded link here: http://www.vondanmcintyre.com/Pitfalls.html

Because I Couldn't Resist Sharing

Playing Along (Sort of)

I've been tagged by bloggingexperiments. So the deal is to list 7 random things about myself. I thought, where's the fun in that? Since I'm working on revisions, I'll give you 7 random things about Breann, which will make me work harder.

1. Loved to wear pink underwear when she was a teenager.
2. Now, wears plain cotton bikini briefs under her leather pants.
3. Doesn't have time for pets, especially when she has to go out and capture daemons all night.
4. Her comfort food is pizza, sausage and mushroom.
5. Got her bachelor's in fine art with an emphasis in photography.
6. Keeps a pair of fuzzy slippers under her bed.
7. Loved the movie Some Kind of Wonderful and had a crush on Eric Stolz. (You know you all did, too)

My job here is done. If you feel like playing along, leave a comment and I'll tag you and link to your blog. You can do either 7 random things about yourself or one of your characters.

Finished

Finished the NaNo book. Now I'm going to set it aside and work on revisions on Fallen. Yay, my favorite part, revision, not! I don't know why but I've never liked going back over things. I really have to make myself look hard when I'm doing an edit of my own work. With other people's work it's a lot easier. The story is all in my head with my own. I'm hoping a month of not looking at it has been enough time to get it out of my head. So here we go with revisions, I'll let you know how it turns out.

I'm Sorry But the Restaurant is Full

The characters rattling around in my brain are growing exponentially. See I've had three new ideas recently. So I've got two women plus three sisters (a series), trotting around up there. Thank goodness I haven't figured out men for them yet. Then there are my old faithfuls, Breann and Jude from FALLEN, still waiting patiently for me to finish the category with Natalie and Chase. Sitting in the far corner are Kaitlin and Caleb. They aren't trying to get my attention at all right now, but they are sitting there, waiting. Then there is Mike and Phoebe who are feeding me bits and pieces of their story. They are very polite about it and don't mind waiting. And then to top it off are Alec and Lacy who had been waiting in line and when I was challenged on Romance Divas, they slipped in. Of course, they don't sit at the same table and tend to glower at each other, but they are there. So I've got a packed dining area right now. Sure some of these characters will slip back out to wait in line again and hopefully, I can see some of these characters through dessert(revisions) and out the door. Sure they might visit for a drink sometime, but they won't have to wait anymore. So I'm sorry any new ideas that may try to make a break for it, but I just don't have time for you now. So if you'd like to take a menu and wait in the bar, we should be able to seat you some time next year.

NaNoWriMo

Yes, I finished 50,000 words, but is it finished? Um. No. I'm writing the black moment scene and then there is another scene that follows it. But I'm done writing for today. I also need to go and make revisions throughout. But I've finished NaNo. YAY!!! 2nd year in a row. Of course I have the unfair advantage of not having a job or very young children. Still I'll take advantage of what I have. Good luck to the rest of the NaNo people!

Happy Turkey Day

I've been able to steal a few moments to write, but won't be able to finish until Friday probably. Sigh. I went to Borders yesterday and bought a few new books. Okay 7 new books. I got Eats, Shots, and Leaves which hopefully will help me with my comma denial problems. I got a book on Diseases which should be fun. (Only a writer thinks deadly diseases are fun. Obviously that statement isn't true, but it feels like it.) The other non-fic book is on Time/Space. It was the least technical one in the physics section, so we'll see how I can get through it. Then I bought 2 historicals and 2 paranormal romances (one of which is a time travelish). So at some point I need to allow myself the time to read these books, revise Fallen (which there was a book called Fallen in the romance section), and plot these wonderful new ideas that have emerged from my brain. NaNo is going well. I'm almost done with it and then will need to revise it as well as Fallen. I want to finish and submit both of the stories by the end of the year. Here's hoping.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

The Temptation to Cheat

No not on word count on NaNo, but on my book for an idea that finally formed in my head. I had an idea a while ago that got stuck in the idea file for later. It's a really neat idea but it wasn't fully formed and my fallen angel kept whispering in my ear. But I've been breaking from the fallen angel for a month now and my hero of the other story just started to whisper. He gave me the conflict between him and the heroine. Why now? Well, I was watching "Ghost Whisperer," which may have jumped the shark, but I'm still watching. Anyway, something snapped into place. The final piece to their puzzle. So now I have this desire to poke around and see what else it will give me, but I need to finish the NaNo book which has been flying along. Then I want to revise Fallen and the NaNo book so I can submit again. Then I need to go back to Forsaken which has been waiting on the sidelines very nicely, just waiting. But this idea is fresh and I haven't seen a lot about it. Humpf. I know what the right thing to do is. I just need to write very fast. :)

What Makes an Idea?

I had two pop into my mind this morning. One will I was driving home from Walgreens and another while I was reading someone's response to the Duel's that happen on Romance Divas. Both were for women who needed rescuing. I am not always sure where my head is going when I start imagining this stuff and it gets clearer on paper (computer screen). At first when I started to write I was afraid I wouldn't find any ideas that were new or original, but then I'd read something or see something and there it was, a bright shiny new idea. They're brief and just a beginning. When I pick an idea to work on, it morphs from the original thought to a cohesive plot. How? Well, I'm not exactly sure. What I am sure of is that I shouldn't write blog posts while listening to "Lucy in the Sky". It's a very trippy song and makes my mind go all wonky, but I love it. So there you have it, a weird post brought to you from the brain of someone who's pushing herself to the 50K finish line of NaNo. I swear I'll make more sense one of these days.

Time Crunch

Something I've never had to do before. I printed out a calendar for Jan & Feb 2009 for my novella. Because a pivotal scene happens around the Oscars I had to go through and plot on an actual time line. I thought to do it before the Golden Globes and part of it will, but the problem then are the holidays. I don't want to deal with the holidays, so I am putting it firmly in January after the first of the year since I don't want to deal with that too. Fortunately, the time line remains the same pretty much every year so as long as I don't drop a date here or there it will still remain current. Okay, that probably only made sense to me, but here's something for your trouble. If you need a calendar:

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/custom.html?year=2007&country=1&typ=1&display=1&lang=en&space=3&month=8

Is Your Sex Gratuitous?

How do you know when a sex scene has become gratuitous? Is it the fourth or fifth time? Is it when your characters seen to spend more time in bed than out? Why the heck am I asking this question?

A sex scene is like any other scene in a story with one exception which I'll get to later. It has to have all the things that make a great scene. First and foremost is conflict. If there is no conflict, internal or external, there is no scene. You might have a gratuitous sex scene. But there is always character development, which a sex scene can be a treasure trove of hidden discoveries about your characters. I'm not talking about who puts what where and for how long. But the why of it. Show me the character's motivation, this can also fall under the category of internal conflict if done properly. In reality it probably should have both conflict and character development. There's more to it than that, but it's a start.

Now I said there was an exception. This is called a payoff scene. When you've teased and tormented your reader with sexual tension so hot the characters are literally sizzling on the page, you may owe them a payoff scene and if they don't get it, well, let's say it won't be pretty. I've read books that never deliver the payoff scene. Are they good books? Possibly. Would I read the author again if I knew she didn't payoff? Probably not.

This is of course, my personal opinion of sex scenes. I have read the joy of writing sex which is a wonderful book. It takes on more of the literary community sex scenes rather than dealing with any particular genre. Even in Erotic romance, sex is not just for the sake of sex. Every sex scene serves a purpose. Read the one in your favorite book, what do you learn about the character or what is at stake during the love scene? Or is it the payoff of a lot of build up scenes?

Am I Going to Enter the Golden Heart?

The answer is no. The reason? Well, first off I've entered 4 contests this year, taken a half dozen classes, and made no income from my writing. I'll be saving my $50 entry fee, the additional postage and printing costs. I know it's like winning the lottery, but unless you win, the prize isn't all that good. Sure you get 55 pages worth of writing evaluated, but you don't get any comments back. And judging on a scale of 1-9, leaves a lot to be desired. The contests I've entered have given me good feedback. If I'm no where near publishing next year come this time, I will definitely consider entering it. Also, I can't find the list of final judges, which probably isn't a big deal, but it's usually one of the reasons I enter contests.

So for now, I'm done entering contests. I'm working on revisions, query letters, new ms, and that's keeping me pretty preoccupied. I've achieved PRO status in RWA by having my query letter rejected. I'm good. I'm happy with where I'm headed and where I've been. I don't feel the need to go down the Golden Heart road this year. I do think it is a very good opportunity and if you have the money to spare, it may be worth it if you final. But I'm thinking for our family my $100 is better spent elsewhere.

Oh, Yeah I Did

http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/

Check to see if any of these first pages hook you. Yeah, I'm in there. :)

Avoidance and the Love Scene

Yesterday I barely added to my MS in the 3 hours I had to write. Why, you ask? I'd gotten to that point in the story. Everybody has a point that they have difficulty writing. Mine is the love scene. I over think every word I'm putting down which would be awesome during revision, but for first draft . . . well, I should just get on with it. I know I can layer in after, but man . . . So why write them? A lot of romances gloss over the love scene or "close the door" on it. But that's not what I like to read. I'm okay with sexual tension, but when it comes to doing the duty . . .

I made a playlist, then I repeated one song over and over. I added a few words, checked my email, wrote a few more words, checked my email, changed songs, checked my email. I don't get enough email to be checking it this much. This morning I turned off Yahoo and Messenger. I closed out of my email. I picked one song and I forced myself to write the damn scene. After 500 excruciatingly painful words, it's done. We are now in post bliss. Where the weight of what the characters have done will come crashing down around them. Well, maybe we'll wait until morning for that to happen. :) The fall out I can write, the leading up to moment I can write, the actual moment . . . well, at some point I'll feel comfortable writing it and maybe it will take me less than a day and a half to actually write the darned thing.

Songs for the Day

Playing on iTunes

"Look" Sebastien Tellier (heard in the final scene of Ugly Betty this week)
"Chasing Pavements" Adele
"Feels like Home" Chantal Kreviazuk

Titles, Characters and Plots, oh my

What's worse than coming up with a title and character names? Having to come up with movie titles and movie character names within the same book. Of course, currently there is "Action Movie Title" and I think one of his names is going to be "Hero's name". It's NaNo, people. I can't worry about the details right now. :) Back to NaNo sprinting.

Free Workshop

Why So Quiet?

I'm still waiting to here back from a handful of agents. I've got some ideas to expand the word count on Fallen and am pushing forward on my NaNo book. So while Forsaken is on hold, I'll finish up the NaNo and edit Fallen. My brain becomes pretty fried during November, but I'll keep pushing the word count on the side bars.

Ah, I Hear Voices

If you've ever been in a conversation with a writer, you'll slowly wonder if she's actually going insane as she prattles on about the characters that talk to her or interrupt what she's doing. What is it really that goes on in our brains? Well, there are characters and plots roaming around up there. Do we actually hear "voices"? Yes and no. The voices don't tell me to do things or try to control my life. What they are are the characters I've made up revealing themselves to me. They are ideas, conversations, discussions, concepts. They are integral to me actually being able to write. I don't tell the story. My characters do. I don't plot the story. I may have a plan that the characters may or may not choose to do as they reveal their personalities and what makes them special.

Is this the unique voice editors and agents go on about? I think so. Because I have a certain style of writing, but the way it's written is determined by the character whose point of view I'm in. Each character thinks about things differently, expresses him/herself differently. They build the novel not be. I just take dictation from the voices in my head and help them when they get stuck on a word or two. To work on your voice, you have to listen to the characters or in other words walk the story in his/her shoes.

Sven is Back

70 Days of Sweating is back. Go over and see if this writing challenge is more your speed. 1000 words a day for 70 days.

Contest Found

Greyhaus Agency is having a contest from Oct 1 - Oct 31 for category romance writers. Look here about half way down. Because of my word count and the type of stories I write, they might be a fit for Silhouette Nocturne. I don't have a lot to lose, I have Fallen complete and have ideas for multiple stories along the same line. I would love for Fallen to be a single title, but unless I can figure out or have help in bulking it up. But I would be very satisfied to find it at Harlequin. Sharing with the rest of you who may have ideas for category romances.

Progress

I has it! Too much LOLCats. I've made some good progress over the last few weeks and hope to make more tomorrow. I've decided to do NaNo with a Silhouette Desire I plotted out for a class I was taking. But I'm going to keep going on Forsaken as well, which may get complicated. Category romance has a certain voice and the characters won't be in life threatening situations, the emotions will be stronger and the drama will be full force. Now, what a minute, emotions are strong in both stories. Hmmm. Well, they are different. One's about an accountant **grin** and her boss and the other's about Fallen angels and a daemon hunter. Desires are supposed to be between 50-55k according Harlequin's submission guidelines. So here's hoping. I'm using Forsaken as a treat as long as I have my word count caught up for the Desire. Okay, back to work.

Blogs I Visited Today

http://www.routinesforwriters.com/2008/10/21/nanowrimo-building-an-outline-karen-wiesner/ - linked from my Endurance Writing group - on outlining for NaNo

http://www.knightagency.blogspot.com/

http://varkat.livejournal.com/ - Article by Marjorie M. Liu on urban fantasy

http://arcaedia.livejournal.com/ - I swear I started this before I visited her blog.

http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/ - Interesting article about agents and selling

http://raleva31.livejournal.com/ Nothing new

http://theswivet.blogspot.com/ She makes me laugh and I had to follow her link to http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/?p=1018

http://www.pbackwriter.blogspot.com/ - Reviserable - Another John and Marsha installment

http://www.alisonkent.com/blog/ - Still on Hiatus

http://70daysofsweat.com/wordpress/ Nothing new

http://www.amiestuart.com/blog/ - One of my first crit partners

http://www.naughty-and-spice.com/2008/10/21/an-open-letterto-everyone/ - Amie's post at NAS

http://skimdecafmochawithwhip.blogspot.com/ - Damn everyone has new posts. I'm glad to read them, but when it all happens on one day it's a bit much. I'm not blaming you, Kristi, it's just what blog I was on. Kristi's the best. You should read her blog. :)

Last but not least http://bibliothecariusalpha.blogspot.com/ - Merry, I found through NaNo last year when I lived in Sheffield, England. She lives in Derbyshire (darbysure) which I miss immensely.

Fortunately, I've already done 2700 words today, so I don't feel guilty for looking through blogs. Sometimes I go through a few more. Like, all of the ones listed on the side.

FAB Contest Entries Back

Okay, so three judges and drop the lowest score. 97, 96 and 75. From this I know competition was fierce because those are some pretty good scores. The 75 didn't like the story and thought it might work for erotica, which made me laugh. While the story is filled with sexual tension, there is very little sex. I did try to downplay the first scene which has the heroine making moves on someone that creeps her out. I tried to inject it with this guy is creepy and I'm only doing this to capture him. While it works for some, it didn't for this judge. She made comments on the judging score sheet and was very thorough as to why she marked me down. I know how hard it is to judge a contest and trying to be objective while you really aren't into the story.

Regardless, I did well with two judges and am thrilled to bits. I just hope agents like my writing as well as they did. Everyone's comments are important and I'll be looking at the first chapter with critical eyes particularly the 75 judge's eyes. I'm a bit of a comma less person, which got me docked. Commas are wonderful things, really. I just don't use them as often as I should. Fortunately, I've got a crit partner who is the comma police. Wow, I can't wait to find out what the other people scored. They are sending out a matrix at the end of November.

Need to Know More About An Agency

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=151221&postcount=2

http://www.agentquery.com/

I'll post about the agencies I've researched too. But these are a couple of good starting points. If you are a member of RWA, they have a listing of agents and what they are looking for as well.

Man, How Depressing

I need to change my music for Forsaken. I just want to cry while I listen to it and we're past that point in the book. Besides that I did excellent yesterday (today). Over 2000 new words, and we're moving forward. I've got two characters who are attracted and won't act on that attraction, so I have to keep pushing and pushing until they are at their wits end. Then I throw a curve ball and the sh*t hits the fan. All bets are off and things get very interesting for all parties involved. And that's only a small curve ball, because when the bowling ball gets thrown at their heads, then things will get nasty fast. I know my character will have to sacrifice something, I just don't know what yet. Ah, the cryptic notes of the writer.

Forsaken

New words: 2,205
Total words: 13,686
Kaitlin: tempted, but not fallen
Caleb: Training
Eli: Watching
What stage of grief we are in: Heading toward Anger
Random sampling of text: “Seriously, am I a hunter or a stripper? Because I can’t wear those . . . those clothes in that closet. I don’t remember who I’ve been for the past few years, but I know I don’t wear that type of stuff.” Her nose wrinkled in distaste.

First Form Rejection

Now I'm truly an author. :)

Awww.

The results were posted for FAB and I wasn't on them. I'm still waiting to get my scores back and the comments, which I love about contests. Not the waiting, the actual comments. I started back to working on Forsaken yesterday and this morning. It's sprinting day, so I'll be writing all morning until the rugrats come home early from school. I'll have to think of a way to distract them so I can get some more writing done. I'm putting the queries out of my mind for the time being since most sites say 2-4 weeks. I need to dig out the story I was thinking of doing for NaNo and make sure I'm still vested in it. Hmmm. What else? What else? I'm working on crits for my critique partners. Writing my book. Researching the industry. I think that about takes care of it.

Here's a list of agents I've researched so far along with their websites. I have not queried all these agents and don't plan to query some of them, but I'm not telling you which ones. :)

For information regarding agencies from clients and people who have submitted go to Absolute Write. There's a treasure trove of info on that site, but as with any site, take it with a grain of salt. To be honest, I've liked most of the agent websites I found. I narrowed my search by whether they were looking for paranormal (which of course is me) and what type of feel I got for the person. Yeah, yeah, I went with the warm fuzzy feelings.

The Knight Agency, Inc. - I've followed their blog for a while now. If you do a search for Thursday Q&A, Elaine Spencer used to answer five questions every Thursday. There's some really good information in there.

3 Seas Literary Agency - You have to dig a little since she doesn't have a blog, but if you google Michelle Grajkowski, you'll find some guest blogging she's done.

BookEnds, LLC - Not only do they rep Angie Fox (who I actually know from RWA), but they maintain a blog as well. Tons of useful information.

Bradford Literary Agency - Her website is very informative. She takes email queries, but I'm guessing she prefers snail mail ones from her site (she lets you send more snail mail than email).

FinePrint Literary Management - Colleen Lindsay has a blog and what can I say she has a cat who has a wubby. She has hilarious political satire links. Oh, and she references "Holy Grail" in her submission guidelines.

Donald Maass Literary Agency - I've read his books and read Jennifer Jackson's blog. I'd write more, but...

If I don't get back to writing on my novel, the kids will be home before I know it. So I'll continue this post another time.

Waiting Game

Today they are supposed to contact the finalists in the FAB (Finally a Bride) contest. So while every wrong number and junk e-mail has been making my heart race, I decided to send queries, which made me queasy. No one likes rejection. I'm not going to cry at being rejected. I don't get upset when people critique my work. I invite second and third and fourth opinions. They do help. But each time I send out a query, I double check to make sure everything is right. As I press the send button, I want to squeeze my eyes shut and flinch away from the computer. Of course, my e-mail likes to make sure I want to send the message which makes me question myself for another minute before pressing go.

I know that Fallen is ready. I'm taking one more go through it tonight. I feel a lot more confident in it than my first attempt novel, Dragon's Heart. I still love Dragon's Heart and Jack. I've noticed a theme of grief in my novels which I think after Forsaken is done I'll need to pull away from for a while. Maybe I'll go for something a little more playful next time. Some of the Angel series are a little lighter and there are a few time travels that should be fun to write. Okay, I feel better now. I closed my e-mail program and will be leaving the house shortly. Of course, I'll be frantically checking e-mail and voicemail when I get home, but until then I should have a little peace.

Busy, busy

I'm working on revisions to Fallen so I'm holding off on Forbidden for a little. Things are going well. I'm feeling much better than last week, but still have a bit of a cold. I did write last week but didn't post any new numbers. I can't emphasize the importance of critique partners enough. Mine just got back to me with some really good insight and of course, some really good compliments too. So I'm off to work, work, work.

No I'm Not Dead

Though with this head cold I feel like I should be. I've been working on the agent hunt. I've used the resources available to me agencyquery.com and agency blogs and websites. I've narrowed it down to six agents for the first run and then when they reject me, I mean fight over me, I'll figure out who to send it to next for the remainder of my list. Do I know who will be the best agent for me? No. Can I tell from a website? No. I guess I just live and learn. Here's the thing I do know. I will not be posting my rejections on this blog except in passing. I know some people have been burnt by that and I don't intend to become one of them. Besides I began this blog to inspire myself. So I won't be listing my six agents or who wants me and who doesn't, but I will let you know if I land one. I'm all about celebrating. Oh, that scene from below. Yeah, it got cut. I think Breann was trying to rear her very nicely shaped head into the picture, but what this book needs is a softer woman.

Forsaken

New words: 866
Total words: 10,247
Kaitlin: confused by her lack of memory
Caleb: A very guilt ridden Fallen Angel
Eli: Still a bit high and mighty Angel
What stage of grief we are in: Heading toward Anger
Random sampling of text:“Do you have a name?”
When he just stared at her, she thought maybe he was hard of hearing or maybe she spoke to fast.
Enunciating, slower and louder, she said, “Do you have a name?”

Writing My Brain's Out

Forsaken

New words: 5,563
Total words: 9,373
Kaitlin: became a hunter
Caleb: Fallen Angel
Eli: Angel
What stage of grief we are in: Heading toward Anger
Random sampling of text: He seemed shocked, but quickly covered it up. “Can I get you anything?”
“You. In my bed.”

Emotional Drain

A man by any other name. Lamech wasn't working for me, so his new name is Eli. This story is coming at me in technicolor. I've worked out a basic plot, but no scenes. I worked out scenes before Fallen, but this one . . . it feels okay not to have the scenes already. If I get to a point where I can't figure out what goes next or a section goes too fast, I'll rethink my strategy.


Forsaken

New words: 2999
Total words: 3810
Kaitlin: Not a hunter, but is about to receive her calling
Caleb: Fallen Angel
Eli: Angel
What stage of grief we are in: You know that wooden feeling you get, about there
Random sampling of text: Must be a coping mechanism. Without the angels, the gleaming white coffins at the front of the room would be the only thing to focus on. One large, the other small.

Fun, Fiction Rule of Thumb

A New Start

Someone's been whispering in my ear. Actually two or three someones, but these just happened along at the right time. It's a risk to write this one as it's in the same vein as Fallen and if Fallen isn't marketable, this one won't be either. However, when you're walking around the grocery store and little bits of story are being fed to you, you've got to do what's right. So meet Kaitlin, Caleb, and Lamech. No it's not going to be a three way. I don't do that type of story. :)

So a decision must be made for the extra line. Breann's & Jude's was things that got beat up today. Hannah's and Jack's was number of kisses. I don't know fully how this story is going to play out. So for now we'll try something new.

Forsaken

New words: 811
Total words: 811
Kaitlin: Not a hunter, but is about to receive her calling
Caleb: Fallen Angel
Lamech: Angel
What stage of grief we are in: Denial
Random sampling of text: His words made no sense like he spoke a foreign language. He couldn’t be speaking about Derek. He had the wrong address, surely. She would tell him if only she could get her tongue and mouth to move again.

Everyone Take a Deep Breath

Now repeat after me. Synopsis. There doesn't that feel better. That's what I'm gearing up for, so I thought I'd share a few articles and weblinkies.

The first is a weblink-o-rama http://www.charlottedillon.com/synopsis.html - Not only does she have links to articles, but links to actual synopsis(es?) that resulted in a sale.

The link I'm having the most fun with right now is http://www.bethanderson-hotclue.com/workshops/writing-the-tight-synopsis/

Now I've taken a class on synopsis writing and the archive can be bought at this link: http://www.accessromance.com/classes/

If or when, depending on the day, I sell and after it's been published for a few months I will gladly post my synopsis and query letter, but not until that day. :) So take a look see, and let me know what you find in books or on the blogosphere that would help with this daunting task.

Editing

After taking a brief vacation from writing to clean my house, I'm back to editing Fallen. I've posted the updated word count and the page word count (250 words per page). Both are slowly creeping up, which is awesome. I'm filling out scenes, adding more detail. I'm not really changing anything major yet, but I'm certain when I get toward the end I'm have some things to change. Once I get done editing (currently on Ch 5 and p 70), I'll be writing query letter and synopsis. Which will be an exciting experience, I hope to share with all you. And then the rejections...sigh. But hopefully not all rejections.

I'm splitting my writing time right now, between critiquing and writing. That's the one thing I've found to be truly helpful. It's hard to find what's wrong with your own work, but other people's work, it seems to stand out. I'm waiting to post more of mine until I get a chance to finish and start my queries. So what's everyone else up to?

Finished, Sort of

I completed Fallen the other day. Meaning I finished the 2nd 1st draft. The first 1st draft was a disaster so I did an almost complete rewrite. So my rewrite is finished but it's still my first draft. So I'm going back through and editing. Well, more like adding in details and filling out scenes. Since the 1st chapter has been fine tooth combed. I'm working on Ch 2. Which I'm hoping to read at my local RWA's critique group. But it will definitely be slow going.

But yeah, me. I finished my second novel. Of course I'm not completely satisfied with the ending. But that's what edits are for. I'm going to work on edits before starting my next project. As well as write a synopsis and query letter. Fallen is entered into two contests right now, but I won't hear anything for a while on those. So, I'm starting with agents. I'm completely at a loss as to how to go about making a list of agents I want to submit to. But like all things I'll figure it out or ask someone.

Just When You Know Where You Are

So I'm real close to finishing Fallen, but I'm caught. I'm not sure where to go next or how to end the poor thing. I've got one more loose thread to weave in and I'm done. However, remember that list I gave about which one I'm going to work on next. I can't remember what the heck I was doing, but an idea sparked and like a run away freight train. I've written 870 words on the beginning which still needs more work, but gets me started. It's an unusual story like Fallen, but I need to work out the conflict still. I know most of the conflict, but it needs to be plotted like all of my ideas.

Unless I seriously kick myself in the .... butt, I'm not going to get to most of the ideas in my idea file. I don't think I have a long enough life time. Regardless, finishing Fallen is my main priority. Everyone else, including the yet to be named heroine and her cop, Mike, will have to wait their turn.

Let's See How We're Doing

Back on December 31st I wrote the following:

"Usually I evaluate my life when I get to February (b-day), but this year I think I'll post my goals for the year for my writing career.
1. Revise "Dragon's Heart"
2. Finish and revise "Fallen"
3. Work on the following ideas:
What Would ***** Do?
Unnamed Story - Jen & Drake
My Own Backyard
Forbidden
4. Enter two contests, Golden Hearts and one tbd
5. Submit finished MS to at least 5 agents
6. During week, write at least 1800 words a day
7. Enter NaNoWriMo because my life isn't insane enough"

So let's see how I've done. 1&2 I'm currently working on. Yeah, until 2 is finished I'm not doing anything with 3. On number 4, I've entered the Fire & Ice Contest (3rd Place), Finally a Bride, Gateway (both Fallen & Dragon's Heart), and still intend to get Golden Hearts if nothing pops up before then. I need to finish a MS to submit it for #5. Umm, well I'm getting better on writing daily. Definitely plan on entering NaNo.

There Comes a Time

There comes a time in every writer's life where they must ask the question: What am I going to write for NaNoWriMo? Yeah, it's only 2 months away which leaves plenty of time to plot my little heart out. So I have to decide which one of the multitude of ideas I have to write.

Here's what I'm deciding between:

Forsaken - a single title novel which follows in the world of Fallen
A paranormal set in Highlow Hall (probably with ghosts)
What would ***** do? - time travel paranormal
Jen & Drake's story - time travel paranormal

If I really got to looking through my ideas I'm sure more would pop their hands up while others are content to just wait their turn. Forsaken has been whispering to me, every now and then. I'd love to do the Highlow Hall, just because I've been there. So hmmm. I have almost two months to get ready and finish my WIP and revisions.

Revisions

Besides dusting off the cobwebs and assorted specks of dirt from Dragon's Heart, I've spent the evening revising the first two chapters. I know the poor thing was happy to hide out under my bed and scare off the boogey man, but when I can at least get some feedback on it for $10, why not? See I'm entering Fallen into the Gateway to the Best contest and since the second entry is half off . . . Well, I'm not one to back away from a sale.

Dragon's Heart. The premise is sound. It's a little kitch at some points, but it does sparkle around the edges. Besides Jack, the hero, truly does it for me. I love his attitude and well, he's just yummy. Based roughly on this picture of James McAvoy.

Umm, yeah, did I say yummy. :) So while I dust off James, I mean Jack, you can watch the side bar extend past 100%. Hopefully I can fill him, I mean it, out a bit. I'm hoping to add about 10,000 words. Layering, baby, layering.

A Week of Fallen

I'm spent the week working on the ending of Fallen, which had been taking twists and turns that I never saw coming and I'm the author. Not to mention, my TV rating when from PG to R. Well, technically there was brief nudity before so maybe it's always been R. And even before that it would be PG-13 for violence. Hmmm. Oh, well. I'm closing in on the end which at 64K isn't necessarily a good thing, but I know some of the scenes I've written need to be fleshed out. But I'm really excited about closing in on the end. There might be a subplot I can flesh out as well. I've been extremely cheeky these past two days of sprinting. For those I've been sprinting with - Bunnies, man, bunnies.

Fallen

New words: 8,322 (for week)
Total words: 64,067
Breann: Delighted, dismayed, damaged
Jude: Far from home
Things that got beat up today: 4
Random sampling of text:
“Always so righteous, Jude. Remind me to beat that out of you.” Sammuel finished his cigarette and put it out on the bar. “Araxiel?”

Ouch, That's My Heart

My poor characters. I'm closing in on the final battle and resolution, but first everything has to go to pot, so . . . The sh*t is hitting the fan. I can feel the conflict in this story. It's been feeding on itself these past few chapters. My villian threw me a curve ball that worked nicely to get everyone where they needed to be. Now for the fun part. He thinks she betrayed him and she probably did. She thinks he's evil which is undecided. Throw them in a room, shake for 15 minutes and see what you come up with. Isn't story writing fun?

Wanna Laugh?

First off at least start reading this link. Then when you're done spewing coffee all over your computer as some of the previous readers of that forum come back here and discuss.

Manroot aside. What would romance writing phrases would you like to see "voted off the island"?

I'm in complete agreance with a lot of the ewww factor from morning breath to no washing between to tasting herself on his kiss. (If you could see me now, you'd see my look of disgust.) It's good to know that I'm not the only one grossed out by some of the stuff in romances/erotica. But the question becomes if you take away all the cliches what do you have left to write about?

So besides the phrase you could do without, what author does sex scenes right?

Loss and Found

Yup that's the way I wanted to spell it. I've dealt with a loss in the family for the past week and have written nothing until today. Today I was able to crank out 2000 words and hopefully can get another 1-2 K before bed time. I have to deal with my house which got away from my husband while I was gone. But with the rugrats home it wasn't like I was going to get to write my Dark Paranormal. So here's to great expectations of the week to come and here's hoping nothing else pops out of the wood work.

Fallen

New words: 2,017
Total words: 53,116
Breann: Walking a fine line
Jude: Trying to say goodbye
Things that got beat up today: 0 (wait it won't be long)
Random sampling of text: David sat down next to her and held out a Styrofoam cup filled with a black sludge. “The best the hospital has to offer.”
She nodded and gratefully gulped down some of the lukewarm liquid. “Just because you call it coffee doesn’t mean it is.”

Monday Monday

If you've heard the song from the 60's, it's in your head now. So I'm blogging over at Wicked Wenches today. It would have been better if the internet hadn't ate it the first time around. I'm plugging away on my MS. Obviously not right now, since I'm working on blogs. :) The kids come home in an hour so I need to get some more done today. Speaking of goals (if you read my post on Wicked Wenches you'll understand), I have high hopes to get this WIP done by Sept 1st and edited by Oct 1 and out into rejection land by Nov 1. I do have to make a decision after this ones finished. Do I continue with this world or start something entirely different? The much darker book in the same world keeps saying nice things to me. Like here's a cool idea. Oh and look here. No over here, dummy. Here's another one. But then this other book on a totally different note, keeps popping into my head. And then there's the idea about ghosts. Oh, and the archaeologist. And I can't forget about the ditsy girl. Let's just say I'm not at a loss for ideas.

In the End

I added 856 words and finished reading and started back writing on the scene I'd left off on. The pacing on the last parts is really a fast read for me. I need to go back and add to the scenes that exist, but first things first, finish the damn book. So, we are on a downward spiral to the ultimate black moment. Insert evil laughter here. I plan, once I finish, to do a scene by scene edit. I want to choreograph the fight scenes better. She uses two tricks quite frequently, kneeing in the crouch and stomping on the foot (of course she wears silletto boots :)). I need to finish reading my course work from the class I took, Writing the Kick-Ass Heroine. So that's what I'll be doing during the day. Tomorrow is our local RWA meeting, so yay! I'm glad the kids are back in school.

In the Beginning

After a month off from my MS, I'm going through right now and reading through. This is the second draft of Fallen and since I can't remember what I put in and what I left out, I thought it would be a good idea to go back through. I'm on page 53 of 216. I'm not editting as I go but if something catches my eye I'll correct it. Which is why yesterday I added 218 words to the mix. I'm hoping to do some endurance writing today (sprinting), but first I need to do some speed reading. Wish me luck!

Blink Blink

[big stretch] Permission is a wonderful thing. I have not written a word (well maybe a few :)) since I gave myself permission to slack off. Personally, my children were driving me crazy and I wasn't feeling well, but things are turning around. I'm working on catching up on the Left Behind and Loving It free workshops from Paperback Writer. I spent a two week vacation up at my parents with the kids and got to read some good and not so good books. One about dinosaur spirits was a good read, I believe the author was Nina Bangs. A historical that I can't remember the name of or the author of, which is probably a good thing because I struggled through it. The backcover copy made no sense compared to the book and everyone was after this girl because she was so beautiful. Seriously I think I threw up a little. My mom gets books from friends and had a stack. So then I tried to get into a Native American historical by that chick that had plagerized. I'm sure you either know about her from other blogs or could google and find her. I made it to maybe chapter 3 before putting the book down and vowing never to return. Then I found a historical by Amanda Quick. Thank you, Jayne Ann Krentz, you saved historicals for me.

Yesterday I found a Julia Quinn book Minx sitting around my house and picked it up to read it. Yeah, another good historical. I quickly searched my TBR pile and didn't find anymore. Sigh. Oh, well, this is all good because my mind is hovering over my WIP waiting for next week when the children go back to school so it can land and start picking the bones. I've thought about adding a prologue. Gasp. They really should make that a four letter word. I don't want to add her becoming what she is as backstory later in the story and I think it will make her more sympathetic if I showed a glimpse of what she was before and what has made her who she is.

How do you handle what made your character the way she/he is? Backstory, internal monologue, dialogue, prologue? An awful lot of logues there, maybe I should just build a tree.

Permission

I hereby give myself permission to ignore my blog and the many blogs I enjoy visiting for the rest of the week and weekend. I also give myself permission to not write while I sort out things for our garage sale and tidy the disaster area we call home. I give myself permission to not worry that I won't get my story done by a certain date. I give myself permission to ignore the children if they aren't helping in the task at hand.

Sometimes permission must be given, so the stress goes away. So I give myself to permission to concentrate on what must be done right now and to not worry about what needs to be done tomorrow.

Sad Days

No writing, but I managed a post for Wicked Wenches. And yes, I know what time it is. And yes, I know I should be writing. But instead, I'm going to bed. Night, all.

Writing, writing, writing

At least attempting to. I've written some today. My prior post I had put information in between those brackets, but apparently html didn't like them and erased. The stuff I wrote was pivotal to the end game and I couldn't extract any particular piece without giving it away. So no little snippet Wednesday. Now I need to think of ways to extend some of the scenes. When I'm writing the first draft I tend to write very tight. Little to no description. No extra actions or dialogue. Just what I need to get to the next scene. This is good for progress, but bad for word count. I need to remind myself to slow down and freeze the images that blur through my head, so I can create the whole picture. A picture that includes sight, sound, smell, texture, and taste. It's very important to immerse yourself in writing and the scene you are writing in, but your reader doesn't see it the way you do unless you show them. Of course, there have been many books that I've read that ran as pictures through my head instead of words. That's what I want to give my readers. The ultimate escape and a world they've never known. Which means I need to get writing if I'm ever going to have readers. :)

Not a Very Good Day, But Writing Happened

Fallen

New words: 638
Total words: 46,701
Breann: Frustrated at how life is
Jude: Withdrawn
Things that got beat up today: 0
Random sampling of text: <>

Posting Progress

I know it doesn't make for very exciting reading, but I'm in full writer mode so I'm loath to break it to write interesting material for my blog. So yesterday's post was Monday's progress and today's post is yesterday's progress.

Fallen

New words: 1,913
Total words: 46,063
Breann: Vengeance thwarted
Jude: About to get the talking down of his existence
Things that got beat up today: 5
Random sampling of text:“Get off me, asshole. You’re bleeding on my shoes.”
“That’s not all I’ll be getting on your shoes, kitten.”

While I'm Posting

Read about the zombies on Wicked Wenches. Zombies, who knew?

Thank God for VBS

Fallen

New words: 2,416
Total words: 44,150
Breann: In love and hating it
Jude: In love and loving it
Things that got beat up today: 4
Random sampling of text: He wanted her to live forever. He wanted her to be able to feel him forever. He wanted her to love him.

Progress Progress Progress

Fallen

New words: 3,034
Total words: 41,734
Breann: Determined
Jude: Determined
Things that got beat up today: A couple are still beat up from yesterday
Random sampling of text:
She spun back around. “I never asked to be saved. I made my choice years ago. A very hard choice, but its mine and I live with it. What makes you believe that you can save me?” She stared at his passive face wishing he’d get upset and yell at her. She turned on her heel and started to walk away.

“Love,” his quiet voice stopped her mid-step.

Fallen

Fallen

New words: 4,856 (yeah, baby)
Total words: 38,700
Breann: Hanging in there
Jude: Trying to right a wrong
Things that got beat up today: Breann, Jude and about 4 or 5 others
Random sampling of text: “You’ll pay for that, kitten,” his breath hot against her ear.
She laughed. “I’ve already paid the piper. It’s your turn.”

We Interrupt This Revision...

Who knew that grocery shopping is bad for writing? At least it is when you hadn't realized JR Ward's next book was out. So I'm interrupting my revising, which is at p 67, and reading the crap out of Lover Enshrined. Don't worry, if I can't get through it today, it will get relegated to nightstand material. My in-laws are taking my kids for the week, so writing is on. I just have to decide between writing and revising. I'm thinking Fallen needs it's middle and ending. So it will probably be writing, but depending on how the mood strikes me...

Today we're starting a round robin over at Wicked Wenches, check it out. Oh, I'm starting it, but I haven't posted it yet. I will soon though, maybe after a chapter of Lover Enshrined. :)

Thinking of Buying a Write a Book in 30 Days Book

Read this article first http://allbookmarketing.com/2008/06/04/writing-books/write-a-novel-in-30-days-two-reviews/.

I've always wondered about these books and if they would actually help. The answer is meh. Maybe. Thought I'd pass along the link. I don't have either of these books in my library right now. She said she doesn't regret buying either one.

She's testing both books in the month of June and July at allbookmarketing.com

Inspire Me

Guess where I am today? Yup, over at Wicked Wenches writing about inspiration. Not so much for ideas, but for continuing writing. Something that creeps up on all of us. Getting into the habit of writing, finding time for writing, wanting to write.

The Written Word

Harlequin has been having their editors do podcasts about what they are looking for. Nocturne finally came up and I listened to it yesterday. All through it, Dragon's Heart roamed in the back of my head. This is a completed manuscript that needs revision. So I printed out the MS and the critiques and plan on reading through it and revising. I did write a little on Fallen yesterday as well, but the majority of my time was spent adding the crits to the printed MS. I've had enough time away from it that I think I should be able to look at it with fresh eyes. So here's to writing!

Blogging Somewhere Else

Yup, it's Monday(okay so it's Tuesday. Yesterday was a holiday so I'm all screwed up), so I'm doing my duty over at Wicked Wenches talking about organization. I reference a few blog posts over here like the storyboarding links and Dark Erotica blog. I've been ill and busy around the house, but am going to fall back into habit here now that things are sorted.

Monday Posting

I'm blogging at Wicked Wenches this evening about sound vs. silence in your writing. One thing I've read is that some people watch TV while writing. That I cannot do. I can check e-mail and read blogs during commercials, but I can't concentrate on writing a novel while listening to people chat. I can even blog while watching TV but it doesn't come out very coherent. So, if you have an opinion I'd love to hear it on Wicked Wenches. I swear I'll write more on my blog later.

Here and There

I posted Monday on my new group blog Wicked Wenches about Vampires. Other than that I've been preoccupied with other things besides writing. I'm hoping to bounce back into it in a few days and get cracking. I did read Blood Fever by Karen Marie Moning and The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason while waiting in waiting rooms. I didn't get into Blood Fever as much as the first Fever book, but I still want to read more. The Bleeding Dusk was better and more engaging, but there was a lot of description (which is typical of historicals) that I found myself skimming. Again, can't wait to read more. These are the two series that I've followed on the Urban Fantasy route. I do prefer my HEA, but these series both have a good amount of sexual tension which make them interesting.

TIDBIT: Karen Marie Moning's blog has a chapter from an unpublished book of hers and promises to post more. Here's the link: http://karenmariemoning.blogspot.com/2008/03/working-title-lady-lies-chapter-one.html

Idea Generation

Some days they just flow from everything. I read one of my group digests and they mentioned writing exercises and gave a list of fake news article titles. (I'm warning you now that I'm very sleepy and will probably make lots of mistakes on this, but I'm going to gut my way through it. Sense it might not make, but at least proud Yoda will be.) So jump on board my idea train of thought. One article title was Fireman rescues Woman and Four kids. This can generate all sorts of ideas with these six characters, but I have a convulted mind. First off I don't do kids in my books, yet. I just don't. So lose the kids and you have Fireman rescues Woman. Big deal. Where's the conflict in that? Well, what if the woman doesn't want the man to save her? What if she'd rather die a firey death than let that man touch her? There's the start of a conflict that can be expanded on to make a story.

Then I'm sitting watching TV and I catch the last bit of a show on UFO's and some strange man is making a case for what he believes. The TV fades into the background as my mind races with the concept and twist it into something that could potentially be a story. I pop open word and type away and the initial concept turns into an interesting mystery.

Ideas come from anywhere. I'm grateful I don't have issues with coming up with ideas. Basic ideas for stories. Now creating a cohesive plot using that spark of an idea, that takes time and brainstorming. To plot a new book takes me at least a week to a month. But those little sparks that say hey, I could be a story, those are easy once you know what you are looking for.

Blogging

Oh, yeah, you knew it would happen. Another group blog hits the blogosphere. I joined another crit group and we decided a blog would be fun. So here's my post. Check it out. Let me know what you think it needs or what we should discuss and I'll be all over it. Meanwhile, need help on your synopsis? Here's a few links that could help:

Some articles on synopsis writing:
http://www.writing-world.com/publish/synopsis.shtml
http://www.charlottedillon.com/synopsis.html
http://www.vivianbeck.com/writing/5_steps_to_writing_a_synopsis.htm

There's also a really good class on http://www.accessromance.com/classes/ . You can access archived classes for $5. I have the synopsis class. It's very informative.

Oh, Linky

http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/web/2000/kochan/charactertraits.html

Listing of character traits. Yay!

Word Sprints Are Cool

I just made 2466 words in a little over 1-1/2 hours thanks to word sprints. Now, I'm a planner too, so individual results may vary. One of my many yahoo groups is Endurancewriting. It's a great place to find someone to sprint with you. Someone sets a timer and you both (or more) write until the timer goes off without checking your e-mail or online stuff. I got through 2-1/2 scenes. As soon as the timer goes off you take a break for a while. It really is fun. I'm going to have to find a permanent word sprint partner when the kids go to school in the fall.

I do get burned out easily. If you've ever done NaNo and won you understand burn out. Or maybe you don't. But I'm over 33k words now and I'll keep pushing. I thought I'd have to trash some of my writing from the day before last but it slid in nicely. I'm feeling more confident about my word count as well. I'm still a few scenes from the reversal (middle scene) and there are plenty of scenes to follow that as well.

I thought about waiting until I get my feedback to see what direction they think the story may go, but I'm not going to wait. This is my story and I'm going to tell it the way I want to. I'll wait until it's completely done then release it to my crit partners to destroy. :) I mean tell me I'm doing a fantastic job and that nothing needs to be changed. Of course, if they say that, then it's time for new crit partners. :) Or I just rock. One or the other.

Fallen

I placed 3rd in the Fire & Ice Contest. I'll get back the scoresheets and judge's comments soon hopefully. I'll let you know if the final judge wrote comments or not. I'm just excited that it placed with meant an agent read my piece. So now for the work. I did work on Fallen yesterday and some already today. I'm going to try to slam through as much of the second first draft this week and into the next. I have 1-1/2 hours before bedtime. So I'm going to cut this one short.

Edited: The coordinator made a mistake in the first message. No worries though. I'm still excited about getting the feedback.

And She Writes

Yes, sir. Today I wrote while the kids' had their gymnastics classes and hopefully will write this evening when they are in bed. Life has been getting in the way lately, but in the back of my mind, I had this niggling, nagging feeling that I should be writing. Last night my husband and I went out to eat sans kids. We discovered that since coming back state side both of us feel like we aren't accomplishing anything. It's hard when life starts throwing you fast balls to step aside and take the walk. Sorry I'm not very good at baseball analogies. Catching up with family and friends after being gone a year followed by the death of a beloved grandma really keeps you hopping. Though I thought I might find time to write while at my parents' home for the funeral, it just didn't happen. My mom needed me more than the story did. Now though is a different story. I need to write almost as much as I needed to keep occupied earlier this week. I don't shut down in grief. I speed up. Things that should have been done, get done. The next scene should get done tonight and then I need to focus on the synopsis while writing the rest. I want this book to be the story I envision in my head and for that to work, it needs my undivided attention. So here it is, story, attention. Use it wisely.

Tired, Yoga Make Sleepy

Though I would love to press on to 30k, it ain't happening. I'm tired and my body is sore and achy, so I'm going to bed. Will endeavor to produce more tomorrow.

Fallen

New words: 1,120 today; 555 yesterday
Total words: 29,313
Breann: Mad
Jude: Trying to ignore the warrior in him
Things that got beat up today: none today but a few yesterday
Random sampling of text: “Gone.” The word was clipped and spoke volumes. She could blame herself for her failure or she could blame him. She chose to blame him.

I am Writing I Swear

I'm not just looking at pictures of Seeley Booth. This one only took me a minute to find. I wrote some yesterday and let the big distracty thing (The Sims II) distract me. It's not on this computer, but on our main one. I tried to do the egg timer thing but I failed. Anyway, during Yoga last night (first time, ouch), while we were supposed to be meditating, I realized that the part that was supposed to happen and didn't in the scene that I wrote yesterday makes more sense later on. How's that sentence for ya? Tonight is climbing night for the husband so after the kids go to bed I'm writing. What about you? Any revelations? Any writing?

Long Day

Didn't get much done, more hope for the weekend. But I did write which is the important thing. It's really hard to get back on the horse once you've fallen off. And now, your daily numbers:

Fallen

New words: 608
Total words: 27,638
Breann: Not ready to do what she wants to do
Jude: Watching her back
Things that got beat up today: 3 and a half (Not sure if Jude got beaten up or not)
Random sampling of text: “We could stand here and talk each other to death or I could just kill you quickly.” Uvall walked toward her.

The Words, The Words

Oh, yeah, I wasn't joking. He's my muse right now. I'm not even going to use a different picture. Maybe I'll find a different one tomorrow. :)

Fallen

New words: 1,587
Total words: 27,030
Breann: Outnumbered
Jude: Trying to get to her
Things that got beat up today: only Breann
Random sampling of text: He leaned forward until his mouth was near her ear. “There are better ways.” His voice slithered down her spine, oily and dirty.

Fallen Update

Okay, I'm going to have to start every post with a picture of Seeley Booth, because I blush everytime I see him.

Fallen

New words: 3,687
Total words: 25,433
Breann: Ready to kill something
Jude: Confused as all get out
Things that got beat up today: each other twice.
Random sampling of text: (I actually cut the piece of text I put in yesterday, I'm saving it for later in the story) Before he could retaliate, she smacked the blade to the side and closed in on him. She leapt up at him causing him to drop the sword and catch her as she took him backwards. His back slammed into the wall as her mouth crashed down on his.

Dreaming of Bones

So last night I dreamt I was in the show Bones. I was talking to Seeley Booth and the next thing I know I'm waking up neked in bed with him, but wait I really have pajamas on. Damn my dreams for being PG. Nothing happened over night he assured me, right before he kissed the living daylights out of me. And then nothing. But that kiss, wow. Dreams are excellent portals for writing. I have "movie" dreams a lot. I'm not so much as an extra in some dreams. It just plays out in my mind. I've also had a dream where I kissed Brad Pitt in some adventure type dream. What is it with my subconcious that all I get to do with these awesome men is a kiss in my dreams. Oh, well, I guess I get to be faithful even in my dreams.

When I woke up this morning, I wanted to capture that feeling. That kiss. It had so many facets like a diamond. All the feelings that went into it, the repression of desire, the curiosity, the sexuality. That's why I write to capture that type of moment not in still frame but in motion. To share what goes on in my demented mind. I didn't write on Fallen yesterday. I left my characters in the middle of a very interesting situation. That moment of discovery, of feeling something more, of wonder. So that's where I get to pick up this morning which seems right after last night's show.

Fallen Update

Fallen

New words: 1,235
New pages: 3, but tons added to prior Chapters which didn't change page count
Total words: 21,756
Breann: On the prowl
Jude: Impersonating a statue
Things that got beat up today: Well, the original plan was for them to beat each other up but they got a bit sidetracked
Random sampling of text: Without him making a move, she felt as if he’d hit her in the gut. Her smile disappeared, her breath left her and her heart pounded. She couldn’t have spoken if she wanted to. Something truly terrifying and exhilarating laid hidden deep within his eyes.

Up to Snuff

So after spending almost 4 hours rereading and editing 92 pages, I'm ready to start writing again. I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon entering in my edits which will change the side bar a little and I have a writing date set up with a friend tonight, so yay new words. I'll post my little paragraph thingy after tonight.

Speak to me, characters. I am your voice. Freaky huh? I love writing. Oh, we got a new desk so all we need is a chair that doesn't suck monkey butt and I'll be set. Til later.

Update

Revisions gave me an additional 632 words. I'll have 2 hours tonight to write. I can't wait.

Not Your Average Response

Holy Crap, Batman! I finaled in the Fire & Ice Contest!!! With Fallen!!! I can't believe it! Whoa! This coming off of editing the first chapter of Beloved while walking on the treadmill. Man! Maybe it is average response. Time to tidy up Fallen.

Holy Not Writing Batman

A week with the flu followed by a week to clean and pack, followed by a flight home where my oldest got sick on the planes (yes, both of them). Then him being sick, me looking for a car, jet lag, my littlest being home with me. It takes a much stronger woman than me to write too. Someday I hope to be that woman, but right now with the world topsy turvy my mind lingers on things that aren't my stories. This weekend will be a bust too. We're going to visit my family whom we haven't seen in a year, but my littlest is being held hostage by grandma for the week and my oldest should be well enough and adjusted enough to go back to school. Leaving me 7:30 to 2:30 to work on the house and writing. I'm thinking of trying the write for a half hour and do something else for a half hour trick. So I'll start posting progress again on Monday where I'm hoping to finish the short, Beloved, and start a fast draft (20 pages a day for two weeks) on Fallen. I'd love to push myself harder and go for 40 pages a day, but I'll have to see what time permits. I still need to set up a writing area which includes getting a desk which means I need to get a cheap car so I can afford a desk. :) Funny how that works.

Down But Not Yet Out

I've spent the last week sick on my couch. My daughter brought me home a nice cold that morphed into something nasty, but seems to be letting go after 8 days. However, I still have laryngitis. We have one week left in England. My writing has been nil for the past week. I don't think it would have made much sense when my fever was up to 103 F or 38.4 C. So I'm guessing writing time isn't going to improve over the next week, but I have high hopes when I get home to the States. Good intentions aside, I do want to finish Beloved and get back on to Fallen. Though having heard of quite a few (at least two that I know of) works in progress called Fallen, I may have to rethink the titles of my angels. So if I'm silent for the next week or so, I'm just too stressed about moving after losing a week to being sick, still sick, or hiding under a rock.

Who Needs A Laugh?

http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2008/03/05/author-interview-lynn-viehl/

Very funny!

Ideas Love 'Em or Hate 'Em

I know I should count my blessings that I do have ideas. Note these are not full story ideas just glimpses of said story for which I have to think about a plot. One hit me today while I was working on the final scene of Beloved. The problem is that sometimes, like this one, the idea is really strong. So I open up a new document and start typing in the idea. This would be all well and good if it drained that character out of my system and I could bounce back to poor Emily. Well, I can't so I need to take a break, because this character that doesn't even have a name is an emotional wreck. She's angry. Fiercely angry and that just doesn't work with Emily. In the fight or flight model, Emily is flight while this woman is fight, even if someone is stabbing her to death, she'd be biting and scratching whatever she could reach. A woman with nothing left to lose. Can you imagine her? She's stuck there and I typed her out and it made her whole. She doesn't have a name yet. She'll probably get sucked into the angel series. I just have to think of the right man to bring her back from the brink. I need to learn to write faster.

Have you ever had an idea streak through you while you were doing something else? Where it grabbed your attention as it flew by in its raw form? Were you able to break away from the distraction and chaos it left in its wake?

Sleepy Monday

Beloved(working title)

New words:1396
New pages: 10 out of 55
Total words: 11874
Emily: Realizes she was tstl
James: Can't believe she left
# of Kisses: I don't think any.
Listened to while writing: Nothing
Random sampling of text: Now, look what she had? An undead boyfriend and the urge to suck blood.

Note: Page count includes 676 words written on Friday. Word count only includes today's work.

Sorry Sven I Suck

Ah, Sven, you know I asked you to start again, but this weekend has been crap for me. I did go over a crit partner's piece. So it's not like I wasn't in writing mood, I just wasn't writing. I'm claiming at least 1 of my free days for yesterday, though it won't let up on my deadline and I'll make up the words at some point during this week. I haven't finished up Beloved which sucks and will try to get it completed tomorrow and then start cracking at Fallen. Which I'll be 4K-6K words behind on. 2 weeks until the movers come and 3 weeks before we go home. So I'm freaking about that, but just think a seven hour flight where I can't do anything, but watch a movie or write. That and be super excited to be going home and super sad to be leaving England. But I have another idea for a book that I need to research before leaving. Either that or call my friend here all the time to figure out what to do. Life is about to get interesting.

A Day Late

I haven't been feeling well after dinner lately, so I've been postponing my reports until the next day. I didn't make as much progress as I'd hoped yesterday and I had to resort to a place holder in the scene that was holding me back. I write chronologically, everything feeds off the scene before. I'll write down ideas and even dialogue for scenes when I'm plotting, but they have to wait their turn to be written. So my placeholder which will be fixed in revision along with the scene before it. I was telling my husband last night that I think I'm getting too bogged down in the mechanics of a scene. He does something, she has an immediate reaction, thinks about it, purposely reacts and then he reacts to her action. Needless to say(but I'm going to anyway) having this running through your brain during a love scene just doesn't work. So I'm going to go at it from the organic level, i.e. let it build on itself instead of forcing it. When I go back through in edits, I'll correct it to have the proper flow. Regardless, I'm taking a pass on it for now and moving on to the climax and ending. I'm hoping to finish first draft today, so I can start again on Fallen tomorrow with the beginning of 70 Days of Sweat.

Beloved(working title)

New words:554
New pages: 2 out of 45
Total words: 9802
Emily: Ready to sacrifice for love
James: Feeling peckish
# of Kisses: I don't think any.
Listened to while writing: Nothing
Random sampling of text: She was about to enter the dragon’s den and didn’t want to get eaten for her efforts.

Note: There aren't dragons in this even though it's paranormal.

Impressions

Though it would be great to try to continue to trick myself, Beloved is not going to be done at 10000 words. It will however be at least the length a Nocturne Bites needs to be. So as long as I keep it under 15000 words we'll be fine. But it was really nice seeing myself 94% done before changing the length and going back to 75%.

Yesterday Progress

Beloved(working title)

New words:1533
New pages: 8 out of 43
Total words: 9248
Emily: Not ready to run
James: To protect Emily willing to run.
# of Kisses: uh, 5. Umm, on the mouth :)
Listened to while writing: Shipwrecked, Ride by Cary Brothers (as heard on Scrubs)
Random sampling of text: “I couldn’t let you be dragged into this world. I had no choice in the matter. I tried to let you go when I realized what was happening.”

A single tear escaped and ran down her cheek. “You did let me go.”

Yum, Yum, I Need Some Chocolate

I Know What I'll Be Doing Tomorrow

Beloved(working title)

New words: 679
New pages: 3 out of 35
Total words: 7711
Emily: Falling against her will
James: Protective
# of Kisses: 1 intense kiss so far (stopped in scene)
Listened to while writing: Shipwrecked by Shane Alexander (If you've seen Bones you need this song)
Random sampling of text: The moment hung there, a breath separating their kiss. A moment for her to back away. A moment for her to change her mind. A moment not needed. She needed James. She wanted him. She’d never stopped loving him or mourning him. To have him again had seemed too much to hope. The last bits of her resolve to remain distanced slipped away.

Got My Groove On

I also finished the synopsis for the Desire I'm planning, so there's a skeleton for the plot.

Beloved(working title)

New words: 2449
New pages: 11 out of 32
Total words: 7032
Emily: Finally got away
James: Angry she got away
# of Kisses: 0
Listened to while writing: Nothing
Random sampling of text:“Look what we have here.” A voice that would haunt her dreams for years to come echoed slyly in the garage. No one else would hear him, just her.
The shaking started in her hands. She couldn’t speak. This was it. No more second chances. He would kill her.
“Tsk, tsk. James always said you were so brave. I expected a she-cat not a mouse.”

What Makes a Great Kiss?

I'll admit I'm no expert when it comes to kissing. I've kissed a total of 7 guys plus 4 that weren't really kisses. But I guess it's not the quantity but the quality. I think Jane Austen had it easy. She just had to write about love and not kissing. It's not that I mind writing kissing scenes. It's trying to convey what a kiss means. Technique is one thing. But when you write a kiss, it's almost like you accent the feelings with the technique. I haven't tried to do a google search on writing kissing. I'm almost scared to see what will show up. The thing is how do you describe the perfect kiss. How do you get the feelings that go behind that kiss? The anticipation? The overwhelming stuff that goes into kissing? Especially that first kiss with someone special. Most of my ideas are new couples meeting and kissing for the first time. The short piece I'm working on now is about past lovers reuniting. How much easier is it to fall into a kiss when you already know it's going to be the stuff dreams are made of?

How do you do it? How do you create that escalation of "Hi, how ya doin" to "oh, my God. whata man"?

Yup, I checked out Google search. Here's a couple humorous ones:

http://janette-rallison.blogspot.com/2007/05/writing-kissing-scenes.html
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/1007264

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I'm torn. I've need to revisit Fallen and finish that. I'm half way through my short for Nocturne Bites and I definitely want to complete that, revise and submit. I've been taking a course on writing Silhouette Desires, so I've been dalying with that one. I was on pubrant yesterday and after reading what they weren't looking for in paranormal an idea hit, so I wrote it down and now it's on my mind. So I have 2 WIPs and 2 ideas/plots roaming through my head. And my idea folder has 52 files all representing a single idea for a story. Idea generation is not something I need to research. Fast writing is. Fast revising is. Fast selling is. I think it's time to write a schedule and stick to it after I run to the bank and the grocery store and clean the kitchen, dining room, living room and shampoo the carpets and pack because I have four weeks before I'm going home and [See blog title above].

March Workshops

March is fast approaching. Here's a list of workshops available and the links to get to them.



Celtic Hearts presents Dialogue - Let your characters do the talking with Sharon Mignerey, March 1-16 and I predict a new story in your future: Developing your story with the Tarot by Elizabeth Delisi, March 17-31 and for April, The castles of England and France 1100-1500 by Sharron Gunn, April 3-May 13. All are $15 for non-members.



Kiss of Death presents Empowering Character Emotion by Margie Lawson and Inside the criminal mind: Different crimes, different motivations or why they kill by Lucinda Schroeder both run all March, and Writing Fighting by Milton G. March 15-April 15. All cost $30 for non-members.



Access Romance presents Writing to the Market by Katherine Garbera March 24 to April 6. Cost is $10.



Writer U presents Isn't it romantic? Developing romance in your romance novel by Virginia Kantra March 3-31 and for April PACING: How to create a page turning manuscript by Mary Buckham April 1-30. Cost is $30.



Carolina Romance Writers presents First Drafts, Outlining your Novel by T.L. Gray 2 weeks in March. Cost is $15 for non-members.



Heart of Dixie presents Inside the minds of serial killers and those who track them down with Greg Moffatt. Cost is $20.

Tagged!

Oo, I get to play. It's like getting picked in gym class. You really want to be picked but you have to play it cool until someone picks you. Yeah, I was one of those kids that was picked last. Okay so here it goes. Ms. Sandie Hudson was kind enough to tag me. I've seen this one on other blogs as well.

The 'rules' are as follows :
1/ you link back to the person who tagged you.
2/ post these rules on your blog.
3/ share six unimportant things about yourself.
4/ tag six random people at the end of your entry.
5/ let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.


Six unimportant things about me:

1. I have excellent nails. Always have, even as a child. Other girls asked if they were fake. Oh, yah, they're real. :)
2. I wrote a story when I was in fifth grade based on Clan of the Cave Bear, but with panthers. I didn't finish it and I used "then" a lot. (somehow my mind goes to embarrassing things)
3. I was a volunteer at our local hospital when I was 15 years old. I even got an award for 100 hours of service. It was not court mandated.
4. I have a new laptop that I'm really not using yet. It has Vista and Word 2007.
5. The older I get, I'm finding it more difficult to step outside my comfort zone and learn something new. Case in point, my new laptop.
6. There is a new baby somewhere in our apartment building and when I hear it crying through the registers or floor, I want to go find the apartment and ask if I can hold it for a while just to make it stop.

Now, here's the thing. I'd hate to tag someone who doesn't want to play. It's like running up on the playground and tagging someone standing on the sidelines and them saying "I'm not playing." So if you read this and haven't done this and don't mind doing this, leave a message in the comments and I'll officially tag you.

Tag You're It! Thanks for playing!

1. Kristi
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Cleansing My Romantic Palette

Having currently watched The Painted Veil and Atonement, I needed something to bring me back to happily ever after. Both are excellent films with fantastic writing, but my poor romantic soul is crushed. So to resuscitate the poor thing, I'm taking this foggy bitterly cold morning to watch Pride & Prejudice. Uplifting, heart shatteringly beautiful. It fills my heart with joy at the ending every time. I don't buy a lot of movies like my husband. I usually don't need to watch the same film over and over, but this one is a classic. Excellent writing, wonderfully acted, beautiful scenery and love. Love unlike any other. I have the greatest respect for the BBC version though I do not own it. I do own the Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen. It's shorter but it still does the story justice. Okay it's playing now and I have to concentrate so my heart gets the full effect.

No Lassie Needed

I didn't fall down a well, though I may have felt that way. My kids were home last week on midterm and I just can't concentrate on writing with them around. I know others do and I probably should quit my crying and just do it. But I didn't. I did keep up with the class that I'm taking and made some good headway on the idea for the class. I spent the morning baking cookies and cleaning the kitchen. Some things do need to be done now as we are five weeks from heading back to the states. (Yes, the cookies needed to be done. Peanut Butter Cookies a rarity in England. Besides my car broke down last week and I'm still dealing. Cookies, good.) Stress does me no good either. Physically, mentally. I do plan on writing tomorrow. I want to finish Beloved before returning to Fallen.

Blog Hopping

Over at Plot Monkeys, Alison Kent is blogging about plot using braiding. I like it. Might try it.

http://www.plotmonkeys.com/718/braiding-its-not-just-for-hair/

Jordan Summers's(not Sparks) blog has Ginger Clark, agent for Curtis Brown Ltd., answering some questions regarding the agent relationship. By the way, Ginger says she's looking for paranormals with genies and sucubus. Can you just imagine the fun?

http://www.jordansummers.com/js/GetArticle.aspx?id=1242

Don't forget to check out the Valentines Round Robin over at Manuscript Mavens. You get to vote on what happens next and it is hil-a-rious. Seriously, give it a look.

http://manuscriptmavens.blogspot.com/

Oh, Sven is back, baby. Need a daily inspiration and motivation, Sven is it. Whether you sign up or not, when this site goes active for the 70 days of sweat, it is well worth stopping by to see the daily post. Setting and maintaining reasonable writing goals is one of the hard things to do for the newby and even experienced writer. Having a supportive community is great for this. And you can see Sven's picture. :)

http://70daysofsweat.com/wordpress/

It's a bit late for the contest, but Lauren Dane's post on Sex in books is awesome.

http://www.laurendane.com/blog/2008/02/08/sex-baby-sex/

While on the subject, Morgan Hawke (quickly becoming a favorite of mine) has an article up about romance and love. Check it out.

http://darkerotica.blogspot.com/2008/02/writing-love-scene-as-opposed-to-sex.html

Valentine's Day got you down. Then join the rebellion and just so no to VD. (I'm so immature that I giggle everytime I see VD.) Amie Stuart is leading the charge.

http://southernfriedchicas.com/2008/02/11/just-say-no/

So go blog hopping, I know I do.

Edited: I need to hire an editor to check my blogs before I post. No spelling errors just wrong words, which is worse really?

Monday Zone

Sunday was a big old zero day and the brats are home this week, but I'm still gunning to finish the first draft of this short story this week.


Beloved(working title)
New words: 786
New pages: 3
Total words: 4,325
Emily: Petrified in fear
James: Trying to stay out of the sunlight
# of Kisses: 0
Listened to while writing: Headphones in but nothing playing (how big a dork am I?)
Random sampling of text: The fighting hellcat of an hour ago rested into him seeking comfort like a frightened child. It touched a place he’d thought long chilled from disuse. It alarmed him and he pushed her away from him.

Steaming up my Glasses

Beloved(working title)
New words: 965
New pages: 4
Total words: 3,539
Emily: Wants to escape
James: Having way too much fun stopping Emily from escaping
# of Kisses: 1 (maybe a little necking)
Listened to while writing: The Pretender by Foo Fighters and once through Don't Stop the Music by Rihanna
Random sampling of text:(Her POV) “Please,” she whispered.
“Please what, Emily?” His eyes flared, the blue lit by an unholy light.
Please hold me closer. Please take me now. Please love me again. She shook her head. “Please let go.”

Naughty is Right

These two can't seem to keep their hands to themselves. I'm posting this way too early because I don't think they are done with me yet, but here's today's progress so far. I'll be updating it at the end of the night as well.

Beloved(working title)
New words: 2,574
New pages: 12
Total words: 2,574
Emily: Wants to escape
James: Having a difficult time keeping Emily in one place
# of Kisses: 2
Listened to while writing: The Pretender by Foo Fighters
Random sampling of text: “I can keep you safe if you’ll let me.”
“Yeah, but who will keep me safe from you.” Her words were breathy and she hated it.

Naughty

Yep, that's right. I'm being naughty. See my friend told be Nocturne (Silhouette) is accepting bites aka briefs (10,000-15,000) words and James and Emily started talking fiercely in my ear. See they have this little story they'd love to tell. And who am I to deny when Jude and Breann are being hard on me. So a little break from them to tell a short story would be nice. The energy is flowing for these two. They have a history which is the only way I think I could tell this story. So I'm temporarily going off track and driving down a side road, just for a little bit. Tentatively entitled Beloved (which will likely be changed, but hey I gotta have something). I plotted using my outline and we'll see how they get to each point. I have five scenes envisioned, but there will be some transition scenes as well.

Listening to: Foo Fighters The Pretender over and over on loop

Umm. Yeah.

So, today didn't go so well. I wrote a total of 82 words. I could list excuses, but I had some time and could have at least cranked out 1000 words. I just didn't have anything to say today. So tomorrow I'll push through to at least 20 pages. No more reruns on TV. No more excuses.

Tuesday

I know I know. I've got to put my nose to the grindstone tomorrow. I'm still happy with my progress though.

Fallen
New words: 3,061
New pages: 14
Total words: 20,073
Breann: Went on a binger
Jude: Took care of a drunk Breann
Things that got beat up today: One got a firm talking to
Random sampling of text: “Whaaat? I’m fine. I just had a bit to drink and hit a few people. Well, not really people, but. . .” She met his eyes and grinned sloppily. “Ah, you know what I mean.” She struggled to stand up.

My Outline

Using a little bit of everything I came up with my plot. First off, I'd written a draft in November for NaNo. I plotted then by writing scenes on notecards. I incorporated way too much back story, but I've been able to salvage some of it for the rewrite. I also realized that the story wasn't as dark as I wanted it. So I add another villian. Originally there was a supervillian and a villian the heroine was after. Enter villian who is after heroine. Now all these villians work together or not as the plot dictates. Also, I needed my hero to have a more compelling reason to tell her to stay with her. And it had become a bit too date like, which for the story I wanted to tell was not the proper format. So plotting exercise two:

First I storyboarded my first novel with poster board and Post-its. This allowed me to go back through the entire story and figure out where things could be added. Well, this is when I realized the story just wasn't the story for this novel. From the Snowflake Method, I knew my one sentence (it was my original idea). The next step is to form a paragraph from that sentence with about five sentences. The next step was about characters which had me going around the internet looking for clues. I could figure out my characters goals, motivations, and conflicts, but they were all plot related. Not so much on the internal conflict. So, from the internet I found Dark Erotica and read a dozen articles in a few days. I couldn't decide whether to use spreadsheet or notecards or Word.

In the end I used a Word outline form and listed these things:
Inciting Event - Denial
Crisis - Anger
Climax/Reversal - Despair
Ordeal - Sacrifice
Confrontation - Acceptance

I put each of my five scenes from the Snowflake as the beginning scene of each event. From there I used the second word or the five stages of grief to work where each character was with their internal conflict and built scenes that would lead to the next big event. Every scene has a purpose. Under each scene I would write what I wanted to accomplish with that scene. So now when I'm working with my story, I have open my book plot outline, my first draft, and the new novel document. If I find something I want to keep from the old draft, I cut and paste and revise to go with the new story line. I've kept the same scenes from the first four chapters but am rewriting them.

Picking up Speed

The words doth floweth. I'm starting to get into the groove of writing again. I am a little concerned with having enough story for my length, but we'll see.

Fallen
New words: 4,318
New pages: 20
Total words: 17,012
Breann: Bought a pretty dress
Jude: In a strip club
Things that got beat up today: None, damn, another slow day
Random sampling of text: He’d watched the transformation from preppy dressed photographer to leather clad temptress of the demons.

Sunday Check In

You never know I might find more time to write today.

Fallen
New words: 1,776
New pages: 8
Total words: 12,694
Breann: Got him into her bed
Jude: Not staying in her bed
Things that got beat up today: None, damn, slow day
Random sampling of text: “Let me help you.”
“Yeah, you were a big help tonight. Getting injured and then passing out and almost falling off the bike—“
“I was unarmed.”

Saturday Slow Down

Weekends aren't real good times to write for me. I know this so it really isn't an excuse, just a fact. So I did get to write just not that much. That's what the weekdays are for.

Fallen
New words: 1,007
New pages: 5
Total words: 10,918
Breann: Saving Jude's ass
Jude: Not really thinking
Things that got beat up today: One
Research topics: Angels
Random sampling of text: In a flash Breann stood between him and it. “Hi, remember me. We were having a conversation before you went all homicidal on that guy.” She gestured with her thumb toward Jude.

Progress Made

My plot ended up in a Word outline format and with a little over 50 scenes. I'll try to come up with more if I get the chance. Today I started Fast Draft with a goal of about 20 pages. I haven't gotten there yet but there's still time tonight. I'm sitting at 18 pages (umm, I love the fact that I'm doing some scenes that are similar just a little different). Taking a cue from Elle I'm posting the following:

Fallen
New words: 3,731
Total words: 9,911
Breann: Would like to get freaky with Jude
Jude: Trying to get Breann to think of other things
Things that got beat up today: Three
Research topics: Angels
Random sampling of text: “Where’s the pamphlet?”
“What pamphlet?”
“The one that says Jesus saves in big black letters and contains all I never wanted to ask, but you’re still going to tell me anyway, about whatever freaky deaky church you’re trying to pander off on me.”