writing process

atthequillsmercy

Camp NaNoWriMo Day 18 and Workouts

As you can see, I am still behind and I’m ok with that. See, over the weekend, I went to have dinner with friends and people kept asking me if I was ok. Earlier last week, I had a coworker ask me if they’d done something to make me mad since I was so quiet. When I looked at myself closely in the mirror, I looked dead on my feet; just tired and sullen.

I need to take better care of myself. I’ve been up very late and not getting enough sleep. I haven’t even been cooking much because cooking takes writing time.

I did manage to make a few things but mostly, I’ve been living on snacks and leftovers. I look angry all the time and yeeeaaahhh, that’s not good.

So, this week I’m writing at a leisurely pace and stopping at a decent hour to get some sleep. I don’t even think I’ll hit 50k words just because the story doesn’t need it. I’m gonna chill the hell out and enjoy this process.

I took a walk to get some broccoli to make a real dinner and did my desk peddler. Once I got home, I used all my workout apps; including the sleepytime stretching to wind down and sleep soundly. Today I feel more normal but breaking the grindset mode is gonna take a while.

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atthequillsmercy

Writing Update: Bad News/Good News

I was reading through some reviews on my books – which I tend to do when I feel blocked or like I suck – and looking at the reviews on Go Away Girls: The Mirror, I decided to check and see where I left off with the novel I’m working on in that same universe. I plug in the flash drive, I double click the file and get a happy little message that the file is corrupted and can’t be repaired. I check my Google Drive? No backup. I had backups of every story BUT that one.

Then I think “Well, that’s fine. I’ll just get the notebook I wrote it in. I’m sure there’s a printed copy in there.” I spent the next 20 minutes tearing through things to locate it thinking I’d lost that too.

But the good news is, I did find it. I’m glad the worst thing about all that drama is the fact I have to retype the whole thing. Not a big deal at all. I have lost stories before (mostly because I’d trusted someone to give me the damn disk back and of course they lost it) and it’s devastating.

I’ll be adding that book into my rotation.

Right now, Emma’s story is up to 6375 words and I see plenty of potential in it now that I’ve spent the weekend editing it. I did consider scrapping the project thinking it would just going to be too short but I changed my mind.

That’s all I have to report for this week!

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atthequillsmercy

Writing Update: It’s Done!!!!!

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For NaNoWriMo, I promised to finish Lost Brother. And I did! Man, it feels good to finally have that complete.

Now, this isn’t a complete, publishable work. It’s a rough draft. I still have to type it up, check for typos, fix continuity errors, read it through 3 times, add or delete scenes, read it through again, decide I hate all of it and want to burn it, then finalize it so I can publish it.

It’s an odd process, I know.

I have to say, out of the three, this one was the most emotionally taxing to complete. The other two were hard work for sure but yikes… I need a break after this one.

Now that the story is at least complete, I’m going to move on to completing several other shorter projects I’ve had floating around, then move on to some other novels I’ve started. Sorry to say it but Lost Brother will be the last in the First Brood series for awhile. Mostly because I have no clue what to do from here.

I’m special that way.

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atthequillsmercy

November Writing Update

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I usually don’t like to work under pressure but giving myself the goal of finishing book three in lieu of NaNoWriMo has actually worked for me! I’ve been sticking to my 5 pages every day and I’m absolutely going to have it done before the end of the month.

The only drawback is I’m pretty sure to see some MAJOR editing time in my future. I’m just scribbling my words on the paper and making notes on what needs to be added in the margins. I’m sure the notebook will be a funny artifact once I’m dead… Actually, no. My handwriting is shit. Forget it.

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I’m not doing NANOWRIMO but…

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I’m not a big fan of NaNo and that’s mostly due to how I write. I tried it and what I produced was such a mess, it required so much time to fix I might as well have just taken my time in the first place.

So, why even bring it up? I do have a nearly completed draft of Lost Brother; the third book in my First Brood series. I gotta say, it’s been an emotional roller-coaster working with this beast of a novel and there’s some hesitation in me to wrap it all up. Since everyone is talking about NaNo, I’ve decided to use this month to plow through that ending no matter what. Maybe that challenge will get me out of my own way so I can finish a current project rather than start a new one (as I have so many up in the air, there’s no way I’m beginning another).

Wish me luck!

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I seem to have a problem…

My partner and I were brainstorming ideas for a comic we could update frequently. Something lighthearted and funny; which would draw readers in and bring attention to our other works in various genres. As we brainstormed I noticed a problem:

It is very difficult for me to come up with lighthearted, funny ideas that don’t take a horrific turn at some point in the story. o_O This really makes me wonder what the hell is wrong in my brain that makes happiness hard to write? I certainly enjoy funny online comics and laugh at comedic parts in books, yet when I try to sit and plot out a funny script where nothing horrid will happen and it only involves real people; no magic, no creatures – I draw a complete blank. 0.0

Any suggestions on how to leap this hurdle?

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When NOT to feel guilty – A Writer Mama’s Discovery

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“Sorry, hon. I need to finish this before I can play.”

How many of us women writers with children have had to say this and feel our heart clench at the disappointed frown on our kid’s faces? Oh it totally feels like being kicked in the chest but it’s inevitable. You’ll be on a roll, ideas flowing, pen making the paper smoke cause you are on FIRE, baby!! Lo, and behold! The same child who’s been ignoring you for the last three hours will decide your immediate and total attention MUST be paid or the sky will fall down.

So, what to do?

No really. I’m asking. Because I haven’t a freakin’ clue.

I’ve tried bargaining, I’ve tried explaining, I’ve tried running away and hiding (little buggers always find you) and that last elusive sentence that’s DYIN to come out gets lost in a sea of “BUUUTTTT MOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!” never to be heard from again.

I tell my daughter that if she wants a happy mom, she’s gotta let me work a little. She doesn’t like it but if I promise to play with her later, she usually lets me off the hook for a little bit.

Every time I make a sale or finish a project, it makes me feel so happy, I run to her and give her a great big hug. She looks up at me and says “Mama, I am so proud of you.” That’s why I don’t feel guilt and why no mom should feel guilty. Because when the work is done, we are happier, better people. Every writer, parent or not, knows the feeling of completing a work. You take a deep breath, your muse gives you an approving nod, the sun is brighter, and you wanna run through the streets with all the happiness. Since I don’t do street running, I hug my kid.

Then I play “He Man.”

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.