Month: July 2010

atthequillsmercy

Advice of the day and Super Shortie Saturday

I LOVE Jeff Somers’ books. I got lucky enough to meet him quite by chance at NY Comic Con last year when I had no clue what he looked like. The exchange went something like this:

Me (with fangirlish glee): YOU wrote The Electric Church!!
Mr. Somers (in fear and quite ready to flee from me): Yeeesss…
Me: I LOVE that book!!
Mr. Somers (in very obvious relief): Oh, thank you. That’s great! Here, let me sign that copy for you.

And he did.

This is relevant because I wanted to share this video when Mr. Somers responds to an question about his writing process (which is a question I am often asked and think he has the best response):

I really enjoy what he says about word counts and having the best intentions for the day. I’m not giving up on my word goals but I’m not going to be as hard on myself if I don’t quite make it. But I’m sticking to my guns about cheap RED wine and not cheap white wine. White wine feels like nail polish remover on my tongue.

No, I have not deliberately tasted nail polish remover. I just stupidly put my finger near my mouth after cleaning off my nails.

Now, I’m not sure who’s luckier: Him, who get’s to write all day, or me, who get’s to see all these awesome books coming into the library all day and write whenever there’s a quiet moment to be had… I think I have to say me cause my job sends me to conventions and expos where I get advance copies of certain crazy author’s books. XD

For this week’s shortie? A snippet from the Dreamhunter sequel, Greenhouse:

Raquel smiled. "You don’t know what love feels like, huh?"
"Right to the point as always." Darjeeling grumbled, her cheeks turning the red that was once her hair.
"It’s warm." Raquel held her friend’s chin in one hand while applying muddy gel to Darjeeling’s eyebrows with the other. "You feel an overwhelming warmth when you look at them. You start to see them as brand new again, like they’re a fabulous stranger. If you don’t see them, it shocks you to your core." She smirked at Darjeeling’s bewildered expression." Sound familiar?"

Now, I’m off to do whatever I can while I’m at Dayjob. Tomorrow is Get New Shoes For Monkeygirl and Work On Website day. This clueless author finally figured out what was wrong with the root directory that was making the old page come up instead of the new one. Lookit me, lernin shit.

atthequillsmercy

Super Shortie Saturday!

"All he’s talked about today is naked men and bacon!!!"

In or out of context, this is still great. XD

atthequillsmercy

And with the flick of a pen..

My stupid ass is back in debt again. 9_9

See, I’m not one of those "Good Debt, Bad Debt" sort of people. I’m just like my Ma: I hate owing anyone money, EVER. I pay my credit card balances in full, my bills when I get them in the mail (as long as I have the cash to do it) and I refrain from borrowing money flat out from friends or family. Just leads to trouble I do a great deal of preparation to avoid.

Today, we signed the papers for the mortgage to put the second floor on our house. A thirty year mortgage. I’ve never owed so much money for so long in my entire life. @_@ 

So, in my head I’m thinking fuck tendonitis, I need to write and crochet my little heart out to have books and needlework to sell to pay for all this and still have this second kid my uterus is screaming for. 9_9 I’ll be paying a mortgage and sending kids to college at the same time! WEE!!

For the luvva gods, somebody buy the books!! XD

atthequillsmercy

Bit of a break

Isn’t is always the way when circumstances arise that you get a break from your kids you just turn around and miss the hell outta them instead of getting any real work done? Ah well… :/

I always have to think about juggling time with my daughter and time to write or draw. These days, it’s been a matter of sacrificing the regular updates which isn’t such a bad thing. I’d rather not have the whole story on the site anymore but fill the side with short fiction, most of which hasn’t been written yet. My foolproof list so far for finding ways to keep working has so far been:

1: Make that time sacred. Almost like a ritual. Every night, kiddo gets a story, I get a bit of workout time and a shower (limit of 30 minutes on the workouts), then I settle in with my pen and a notebook for an hour. No matter what. Any more than that is gratis.

2: Be easy on yourself. Not every day is gonna be perfect. Beds will be wet, nightmares will be had, creative juices won’t flow and you’ll spend that hour staring at the wall instead of creating.

The most important?
3: Anything counts. Journal entries, ideas, quotes, even blog posts. It all contributes to the greater good: Honing your craft and sharpening your ability. Every single word counts.

So go out there, write a poetic shopping list, quote your favorite gum commercial, just write and write anything you can. Eventually, you’ll have everything you need.

atthequillsmercy

Super Shortie Saturday!!

Auris is a snarky guy when he puts his mind to it. This brings forth a wellspring of quotes and comebacks that I’m never sure I’ll get to use in a story. Here is one of them:

"What I do or do not allow to happen in my own bed is none of your business. All you need to know is I am stronger than you and I am of a mind to merely maim you and leave you to the tender mercies of your pack."

In my universe, vampires and werewolves aren’t at war but they sure don’t like each other very much. Weres see vampires as a drain on resources because they require more blood than other Lilim, and vampires see weres as pretentious, judgmental prisses; which they really are. Emma and Auris’ relationship is very unique and rare among the Lilim.

atthequillsmercy

Dayjob Hazards

I am both revered and reviled by the general pubic. I have been made to smile and made to cry.

But today was a first: I was asked out on a date. I’ve been hit on before (one guy still comes in and checks to see if I’m still married) but flat being asked on a date was very new. I very diplomatically told the nice man I usually go to lunch with my husband.

Gosh it’s so hard being so hawt! XD

It really makes me wonder where the librarian fantasy came from. There really aren’t many writer fantasies. "Secret Window" does NOT count… Even though I could stare at Johnny Depp forever, his character is the quintessential writer stereotype: Unwashed, nap driven, chip eating, couch lumps who sit at the computer every so often to churn out a few pages to line the shelves of your Barnes and Noble.

While I work out how librarians got to be smexy, I also need to see if we can make writing sexy. Something other than a relationship or sex advice columnist for a magazine. I must have seen that plot on the back of a dozen romance/erotica/there-is-a-thin-plot-between-sex-scenes books. How do we change the image of the quintessential writer?

Aaahhh, and I see Epic Fail has not given up yet. I am seriously considering launching a campaign to take every one of Shyamalan’s ideas and re-write them. When I was active on Twilight Sucks, they had a Twilight series re-write. I see no reason not to do the same here. >}

I am eevviill… Maybe that’s why I keep getting hit on. XD

atthequillsmercy

Brainstorming

I’m not a big user of brainstorming. In school, I used to roll my eyes and groan whenever that was a required part of an assignment. Now it seems I’m fricking CONSUMED by it! I always thought it was a waste of time, still kinda do, but it’s better than staring at the blank page wondering why the hell it won’t tell you what do to. Having a completely disorganized list of ideas is so much more productive. :p

With another short story under my belt tonight will be more "Greenhouse" typing and some brainstorming. I need some erotica ideas, some ideas for my "female friendship" story, and I have a demented idea for "Chick lit for chicks who are fucked up" which I really have to play with. it’s just too fun not to. >}

So as I sit with my newly christened brainstorming notepad (meaning the first one that my fingers hit when I reached out for one) I try to imagine where I want my story to go, what I want the reader to get out of it, and what the characters have to tell me. Very often while I do this, an entire random scene will come out.  Many times I don’t use them but sometimes I do. If I don’t, it’ll end up on a Super Shorty Saturday post like the others. XD I have a ton that I’ve never managed to use. But I keep everything, no matter what. And lucky for all of you lovely people, you get to read it. XD

And don’t forget Dreamhunter is available for purchase. Yes, I will be mentioning that a lot. 😉

atthequillsmercy

So much for goal

I really need to stop thinking that having a day off will allow me to get more writing done. 9_9 If anything, the reverse is true. If I’m at Dayjob, I’m able to write on my breaks. If I’m at home, there are no breaks. In fact, the moment I decide to pick up a pen because Monkey-girl has her attentions elsewhere, Mommy is suddenly a hot commodity and life cannot go on without my complete and utter attention to what she’s doing. Sweet? Of course. But not writer friendly.

So, it’s back to the tried and true method of cramming as many words as possible in between her bedtime and mine. I’ll still be taking my goal down to 500 a day so I feel less horrid about myself. 9_9

On the upside, me and the child have never been closer. 😉 That may not get Greenhouse done as fast as I’d like, but a better goal in the long run. ^_^

atthequillsmercy

Tiz Saturday!!!

I did fix the site but some how, the files won’t upload to the web… Again. Tech support at Fat Cow must be SO sick of hearing from me but this time I asked them how I can fix this my damn self so I don’t have to bug them anymore.

Today’s blurb is a teaser for a future First Brood novel.

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“Though his teeth and claws might still draw a bit of blood, you have a fine set all your own. And here, now, you have the absolute freedom to use them, should you choose. Just try not to kill him.”

atthequillsmercy

Let the flood gates open!

This has been a pretty shitty week (including the weekend). Between chronic problems with hubby’s car and a stupid fight with a friend, life seemed generally in the shitter.

Until now. ^____^

That’s right guys and dolls, "Dreamhunter" is ready to be purchased in print or as a PDF for your hungry little brains to digest.

Now that all the drama is over, I can get back to work and get a less ugly site up and ready to go. Writing will take time, though. Stress is like a kick in the nads to my muse. We both need a deep breath, some quiet time to heal, and perhaps a couple beers.

And hugs. Plenty of hugs.

Oh, and this is WIN. The Last Airbender movie sucked ass. Fan or no fan – and I am a HUGE fan of this cartoon – there was only a single redeeming factor in this movie: the effects. Elements are bended, glowy tattoos glow, but for 12$ a ticket, I feel ripped off and Shyamalan owes me 2 hours of my life back. The universe was already built, the story already written, HOW THE BLOODY FUCKING HELL DO YOU SCREW THAT UP??? HOW!