Category Archives: Uncategorized

Started the crit, with markups in the text.

Read Forgotten Star Ch 2, and started marking up where changes need to be made.

Dealing with some technical issues with MS Word, too… Stinky.

Vacation: read some short stories, and came up with a few ideas for Winter Warrior.

7/22: Reviewed my July writing goals and came up with a plan for this week. Selected a story to crit.

Vacation prep, and departure for sunnier climes will leave me out of contact, and off writing during this time. I’m taking along some small projects to work on, should the desire hit me, but it’s supposed to be a vacation, so no pressure.

Forgotten Star: reviewed the layout of the next 3 chapters and rearanged a few things. Made some edit notes as well. I’m taking the chapters up to bed with me for redlining edits. The rest of my energies were spent on trip preperation.

The week is flying by, and I need to put the brakes on. I completed another crit, and I’ve got two more in queue now so that should hold me for a bit. I worked out (I think) the magic naming issues in Forgotten Star, and I started an edit of The Lonely Orchard (more of a review/analysis). I should hit the full edit tomorrow.

Writing has been slow this week due to baby related exhaustion, but I’m still on target for making my goals. My main goal has been to make reasonable goals, and so far it’s working. The crit is taking longer than I anticipated, and bills are nagging at my while I *am* writing. I’ll be doing those tomrrow to shut them up. Forgotten Star is going well – the new chapters are solid, and while I have veered off my outline, it’s to tighten up the story. Winter Warrior has been dancing in my thoughts again, ever since I transcribed my notes, and I’m eager to get working on it, but that has its own time and place. Right now, Forgotten Star is priority. If I can get my minimum done on Friday and Saturday, I’ll be able to start editing on Sunday.

I’ve been rereading Forgotten Star and updating my outline to reflect changes in the last draft. I had forgotten (haha) some events that were included in this novel, so this was a good time to go through the entire draft. I’m shocked at how horrible some of this stuff is written (a testament to my improvement over the years), but the foreshadowing and hinting is done right.

The new scenes are going well. It’s difficult to start in with the main character back in her days of innocence and ignorance, but I made the jump and it’s going well. I’m almost done with the third new chapter (C) — still need 2 more scenes –and should be able to start the fourth (D) soon.

I wanted to start the edit early, but I’m just not quite ready for it. I’m having one issue with the magic system’s naming system (of skills/abilities), so I’m planning a brainstorming session for when the read-through is finished.

The critting is continuing, and I think it has sharpened my analyzing skills.

So far, it’s been a good month of writing and I’m dangerously close to meeting my goals, desprite baby’s teething these past few weeks. 🙂

Well, the crit’s done and my reading of Forgotten Star is going well. I probably haven’t read it in several years, and I was surprised at some things I wrote. My writing has definitely improved, so it’s going to be a very involved edit, but I can’t wait to see what the finished edit will leave me with.

I decided how to deal with this. In order to nail down the right name and to cement it into my skull 🙂 I am going to write out the birth scene.

Additionally, I’m going to read through the entire novel today and update the outline (along with fix-it notes) so that should help as well.

If you’re lucky, I might post the scene for reading. It won’t ever end up in the book, so someone should at least enjoy it.

I needed a break from the critique I was working on this morning and decided to transcribe The Lonely Orchard that I handwrote earlier this month. The transcription was a disaster, as my handwriting has severely deteriorated. I could hardly salvage the story. I picked out what I could and focused on what I remembered and just rewrote the story. Just, haha right–just. It was heartbreaking. Through the rewrite I knew the story lost its magic, I knew I had ruined it by not transcribing right away. I read it again once it was typed up and surprised myself. By focusing as I did, I managed to eliminate the extra (unncessary) story elements and write the core story, which in my opinion, makes it stronger.

Strange how these things happen, isn’t it?

If I had to choose between a television and a computer, I’d take the computer hands down.

Yes my computer spoils me. I type quickly, a skill I credit online role playing. I think it, and my fingers have typed it. This skill makes writing a more enjoyable process, except when I’m not at my computer, or when I’m stumped, and the tactile feel of a pen in my hand wakes up my brain and I resort to the painstaking process of writing it on paper. I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older, or because my pregnancy damaged my hands (still questioning this), but my handwriting has become horrible.

I’ve written one story by hand (owie) and am working on another. It’s done, I guess, but without the typed up version, I feel like I’m cheating. If it’s not electronic, and I can’t save or send it, or print it out in neat legible letters, it feels like it doesn’t exist.

Mostly I’m afraid I won’t be able to read my own handwriting later. So yes, my computer has me spoiled.

Good week for getting back into this, despite being sick. I picked up an old short story (incomplete) and worked on it a bit. I didn’t add a whole lot yet, but I will in the coming week. I have to decide what I want to do with it. Based on the next step, I will either have to drop it into my favorite category: Convert Short Story to Novel. Yes, I have many of those. Which makes the short story writing a challenge.

I also started the joint project with my friend. We’re in the worldbuilding stage and so far working very well together. Name for this project will be forthcoming, but the genre is something new for me: thriller. I’ve done fantasy and science fiction. I’m looking forward to this.

On the personal side, the baby is cheering for da bears and loving all the yummy food we are giving her.

No, the writing bug, my muse, fate, whatever form it chooses to appear as, my Need To Write is here. It won’t leave me in peace. It showed up in the form of my friend this evening, who wants to co-author a novel. This friend happens to be one of the guys I’ve written with for years in a fun-only, fan-fiction, role playing kind of way. We had a conversation, came up with a strategy, and planned to meet next week to discuss our plan. Let me put it to you this way: I’ve already done my homework.

This project is going to rock.

Writing is on the backburner because life right now, is very very good.

Could it be? Have I truly written something? Something that may be construed as an actual complete piece of writing? Well, first draft at least, of something I’ve never written before: flash fiction.

I’m calling it Assassin for now, and it was inspired by a writing exercise on www.fmwriters.com that made me think back to a novel idea I had long ago. The jury is out for now, I’ll take another look at it next week and decide.

Novel writing is going to have to wait. I feel like this is my excuse blog, but I do have to prioritize. I’m working on some writing exercises to get my brain warmed up. I may post one or two if I like them enough to share.

When Miss Smiles needs less moment-to-moment attention, I’ll start on the big projects again. Until then, it’ll be writing exercises and possibly some short story work.

Project Update: Blood of the Dragon Tree

The outline work is continuing. It seems I have a dual beginning, and I’m not sure which to use as my opening scene or if I should work the childhood Janelle into adult-Janelle’s backstory. It’s been suggested to me to do both and clean it up later to present the best side, and I’m heavily leaning that way.

Mornings haven’t turned out too well with writing. There is too much to do with the baby, as well as chores to get done before my husband goes off to work since I don’t expect to get much done while I’m alone with a two month old infant. (Yes, I know, I need to grow up a little here and just DO what needs to be done. I’m still working on that…)

I’ve been blessed with a child that likes to sleep at night (probably why she won’t sleep well or long during the day). Evenings are my writing time now, after she goes down for the night. Let’s see if she will let my novel come to life, or if I’ll be putting it away for a year or so. Wish me luck!

Stolen moments are being directed toward Blood of the Dragon Tree, and my mind is grasping the tale with glee. I’m reminded of where I found the idea for the novel. Well, two seperate events actually, but they began it all. The first was a dream in which a dark haired young woman was confronted with an apparition of spiralling colors. The second was a trip to the natural history museum in which I read a placard detailing that the sap of the Dragon Tree had been used to cure mosquito bites. I immediately wondered what else it could heal… and at what cost. Hence, Blood of the Dragon Tree began to grow.

* Side note: Yes I know my links are outdated. I’ll correct them when I have more than five spare minutes for a post.

I’m back. With the addition of one beautiful daughter in my life, my time is not my own. However I have promised myself (with the help of my wonderful husband) to use at least 30 minutes a day toward writing. I did it today (and promptly deleted the rust coated words) and will do it again tomorrow.

Current Project: Fantasy Novel entitled “Blood of the Dragon Tree”. This novel is part of my Darkening series, specifically the first novel in the second trilogy. (I’ve already written novels one and two from the first trilogy). This novel takes place in a seperate land and is populated by characters who are the ancestors of some of the characters in Tides of Kondera.

More details to come!

Apparently I can’t do both, now while working a full time job. I have the rest of my life to enjoy writing, so I’m not stressing over it. On the other hand, I can’t predict how many pregnancies I will have to enjoy, so I’m treating this one as if it’s the only one I’ll ever have. Which means I have lots of work to do to prepare for baby’s arrival.

I’ll write again, this I’m confident.

Editing isn’t my thing this week, but I did get the ol’ writing muscles flexed. I started with a writing exercise on Forward Motion that’s simmering on the back burner with short story potential.

My main project this week has been Nighthunter’s Bite, a fantasy short story about a young thief being hunted by what seems to be a dark goddess and her creature of legend. Will Maura survive the hunt? I’ll know the answer by next weekend, but you’ll probably have to wait a little longer. In the meantime, here’s my first line.

Nighthunter’s Bite
Maura felt gazes searing into her flesh; two pairs of inhuman eyes that hungered for her.

I’ve been battling lately. Partially because I’m pregnant and dealing with the brain-gaps (one nurse called it Placenta Brain), partially because I haven’t been able to keep up with the housework or my writing, partially because I was forcing myself to work on a project (Shadow of Blood) that simply doesn’t work with my state of mind. I never give up on writing projects, not novels, and it was a difficult decision but I finally put it aside.

This week I’ve been working on Hunter Hunted. It’s one of my favorite short stories that I loved from the first draft. The main character Elk Daymar is a hunter on an assignment that brings his five year old daughter quickly to mind. I always knew parents loved their children unconditionally (except for Denethor – poor Farimir) but I never pushed close to see what it drove the parent to do, or what emotional issues it would bring up. No, that’s not the focus of the story, but there is the feeling that if Daymar continues his hunt, he may never see his daughter again. Depending on his success, it may be something that will ultimately protect her, though she’ll never know it.

I’m continuing the edit this week. Let’s see where I end up.

Fading Light has been edited, and even for a sad story, it felt good to complete something. It’s out for critique now.

Next stop: Hunter, Hunted needs an edit.

It’s been too long since I’ve written, but life took over for a while. If I fought it, I’d only have become frustrated with my writing. I need to take care of both myself and my writing. The proof lies in the growing desire to get back into it.

I’ve been reading some books at my husband’s recommendation, the Riftwar series by Raymond Feist. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying them, and it’s led to stray thoughts concerning my own writing. The writing voice I’d let sleep like a black dragon, came back to life. I returned to my friends on www.fmwriters.com (and realized how sorely I had missed them), then returned to my blog.

The strange thing was, one of my last entries seemed foreign to me. Fading Light? What in the world? Normally I can hear a title and know it’s mine. I briefly wondered if I had made it up. Leaving the wondering aside, I dove into my writing files and dug the bugger up. Oh, so I did write it. I proceeded to read it, strangely enjoying it as I had no memory of this story at all.

And now I’ve been editing it for the past few days. It’s still sad, probably more deeply sad after this revision, but it is a story that requires telling. There are people who I will not share this story with due to the content, and strangely it’s one of my biggest supporters. But dying and the right to die are two different things and something I’d never wish on anyone.

But here I am, writing and editing such a thing.

Current Projects:

Hunter, Hunted (fantasy) – short story edit. My attention keeps wandering from this one because the world the story takes place in, and I’m half afraid of the novel idea that’s going to come from it. On the other hand, it’s an unusual edit in that I’m getting to three or four pages per week, but it does help with distance.

Shadow of Blood (fantasy) – novel first draft. I had taken a break from this during the chaos that is my life, but it’s time to get back. I’ve been reviewing my charachter profiles, outline, and general notes. It’s scary how many things go into creating lives and worlds, but soon the chapters will be coming again.

And my third project is a novel critique that I’m doing for a writer friend of mine. I’m enjoying the story so far, but I’m critiquing directly on the computer instead of a printout like I normally do, so it’s taking more time. It saves trees though, so I’m trying really hard not to give in. 🙂

Submission Updates:

For I Have Sinned was rejected by Strange Horizons. Next stop: Analog.

I’ve been reading “The Fairy Godmother” by Mercedes Lackey. I have enjoyed her other fairy tale themed novels and this one is no exception. At first I thought I was reading another version of Cinderella, but there’s much more to it than that. There’s humor and danger around every corner, and gives a new meaning to the term “fate”.

Enjoy.

Fading Light, the sad fantasy story is finally done. It’s the shortest one I’ve ever written (first draft at 1700 words) and the saddest. It seems like it’s a good one, or it will be after I clean it up a bit. The subject was difficult, as I like to fix everything and the theme of the story was that not everything can be fixed.

Enjoy what you have while you have it.

I shipped For I Have Sinned off again. My worry over the length of the story is premature. While it does eliminate many proffessional markets, there are still several left that accept as much at 10,000 or 17,000 words. I get a kick out of the list I made though. When I edit a short story for the first time, I look at the genre and make a submission list a page long of all the professional markets I’d like to submit it to. (Professional means paying; markets whose publication will give me a respectable publishing resume.) In this particular instance, the next three on the list accept the longer stories. Funny how that played out.

Since this is the first time I’ve mentioned submission, it seems like a good time to explain my strategy (that I learned from my friend Margaret.) Though it seems like a long shot, I have to aim for the magazines (“professional markets”) where I’d like to see the story most. That means I’m up against professional writers whose books already span the shelves in bookstores. So, what’s a little competition? It usually results in the dreaded rejection arriving in my mailbox month after month. I’m not far into the process with this one. I’ve only gotten three rejections and my submission list is twenty-four markets long. Of course, I may not be able to send it to all of them. The idea is that I send it to one, I receive a rejection, polish the story again, and send it back out. This is a young story though. I wrote it last May and have been editing and submitting it since last July. It’s my favorite short story, but I really need to put the time and effort this one has seen into my other stories so I can send more out the door.

I’m optimistic this round. I fixed a flaw in the story I didn’t realize existed until it just hit me on the head one day (thanks, Mr. Newton.)

Now I can focus on my next story. It’s kind of sad though, it’s a fantasy story about a healer and a patient with a terminal illness. The hardest part about writing it, is that this a happy week for me and the main character is so down-hearted. It might take a while to write. Hopefully it’ll come off the way I’m picturing it in my mind.

New science fiction short story, done! I really like this character, she’s young and alien and learning new skills. Finished it this evening at 3900 words. It’s long for a first draft, but it’s high on my list of my stories. Yes, I don’t always like the stories I write. Those end up in the “shelved” folder on my computer. I never delete, never throw away. But this one won’t end up there.

Denalla, the main character, may even end up with a novel of her own.