Sunday, August 14, 2011

Committed

Committed.  Perhaps I should be anyway. With a straight jacket and a padded room.  No, I don't like Jello.  Shhhhhh....

Shari has successfully twisted my arm and I promised her that I would do NaNoWriMo2011 with her.  Of coarse, she already has an outline for her story.  She already has an outline! 
I've only got the most basic of ideas for mine.  I have decided that I can not continue with the Piper story until I have done more editing on the original.  So that means I get to write something new.  And I do have a basic idea.  Basic.  It has been something that I have considered, literally, since I was a kid.  Maybe not the story, but the idea of the story. 
I threw the idea past Shari last night, via Skype, and she liked it.  She even had some ideas for me to develop the plot.  There is still quite a bit of work to do.  I have always thought about writing it from the point of view of a teenager.  But it occurred to me today that was only because when I dreamt it up I *was* a teenager.  So, does it change now that I'm an **cough** adult?   The dynamics could certainly be different that way.  And there are characters to throw in..(aka, husband and kids and coworkers...). And the interests of the main character would have certainly changed since childhood.  I think I'll do that.  Thanks for talking me into it!

Shari blew past us as we typed up a storm in our weekly word games last year.  She even had a late start.  What she had that I didn't have was an outline.  She already had her story mapped out when she started typing it up.  She knew how many chapters she wanted to write and what was in each one. She even knew, basically, how many words belonged in each one.  And she has already put that together for this year.  Already! 
I think I would like to try it that way.  She assured me that I have 2 *whole* months to put one together!  They way she said it didn't sound anything like *ONLY TWO MONTHS!!!*.  But that is how I'm feeling.   I guess I had better get cracking then.  I could use some outline advice.  Let me know if anyone has any tips.  Of coarse, a plot and some characters would be nice too.  Let me know if you have any of those to spare as well.

Happy OUTLINING!  Get busy!  Get the crazy car ready for me at the end of November! 

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Time?

My story was on my mind this morning for the first time in a while.  I'm hoping I can still rescue it, and I will be taking a look at it again this summer.  But it's also time to get serious about brainstorming the next one. I have a few basic ideas that need developed.  Our family will be taking a trip in a few weeks.  I plan to have pen and paper with me so I can work out outlines while travelling.  Plans like that never go as I think they will, so we will see, and I will be prepared.

It's almost summer.  It hit me yesterday that everything will be changing soon.  I usually like change.  I'm not looking forward to it this time.  I feel like I just got here, and I'm not ready for everything to be different yet.  Not much to be done but to muddle through it all and make the best of it.  I'm sure it's a good change and positive things will come from it somehow. 

Monday, May 2, 2011

New project?

There is a new writing project on the drawing board.  Someone I admire would like me to write some very special books with her.  These books would be geared towards children and travel.  I'm very excited to work out details with her and draw up some outlines.  This is not a small undertaking, I'm sure.  I hope that I can keep up with her cleverness.  More information to come during the summer.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

No Work!

It has been a while since I last wrote....anything.  I haven't been good at updating blogs or facebook.  I've not written thank you notes for my fantastic birthday.  And I haven't picked up my Nano. 

I'm not too busy.  Well, I'm not any busier than normal anyway.  I should be able to carve out some time to edit.   I have done the first 6 or 7 Chapters already.  But I'm stuck on the next one.  I don't like it at all.  And I have come to the decision that I either have to rewrite the whole chapter or scrap it entirely.  I'm not ready to throw that work in the trash yet, so I think I'm just going to ignore it for the moment and move on to the next one.  If Allen (who is graciously reviewing my first draft with me) isn't confused by now, he will be when I skip a chapter when I send him something new.

So, I guess I'm back on this bandwagon again.  The next Nano chapter should be on its way to Allen shortly.  And if he is confused by it, he'd better tell me how so I can fix the previous chapter.  And if he doesn't notice... well, maybe that chapter is unneccesary then.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

What not to do....

I'm not a published author, self published or otherwise.  I do, however, believe that if I were published and had the opportunity to be reviewed by someone who reviews and recommends self published and indie books, I would be able to handle myself better than the author here, whether the review was negative or not.

http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/2011/03/greek-seaman-jacqueline-howett.html

I would have read this book.  The reviewer said it was a good story.  I like a good story.  I can get over bad grammar (because that is often how we speak these days) and sometimes I can get over poor punctuation (though I do tend to be less patient with that).  I can't get over her outburst at receiving a poor review.  Her outburst has cost her more readers than just me. 

I hope she sells some books.  I hope, first, she gets an editor.  Even if it's a friend of hers who is reading and making notes for her.  There is always room for improvement.  Mostly,  I hope she learned a lesson.  And I thank her for the one I have learned.  Take the criticism and use it to be better.  Not everyone will like what I've written.  More people won't than will, I'm willing to bet.  I hope that those people won't be bothered to read it though, or comment on it.  But if they do, I hope I'm good enough to "be a duck" and let it roll off. 

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Titled

I've titled my novel.  The last 2 years I've just been calling it "Piper's Story".  Mainly because I didn't know where it was leading.  I knew the basics of my characters, but I didn't know where the story was going to go.  It's hard to title it if you don't know those details.  I don't know how all the Nano authors are able to post a title before they have posted any progress at all on their story.  I suppose if you have an outline, you have a good idea where you will end up and a title could be derived.  But I'm a pantser... I knew the basics and that was it. 

And it stressed me out to not have a name for this story.  But yesterday I came up with 2 names.  One I liked more than the other.  And with a bit of help from Allen, I shortened it a bit and have a real title! 

In Plain Sight. 

Now more editing is in order.  I'm excited about it again.  And I've jotted down notes for 2011 Nanowrimo. 

Looking forward to sharing.  Shariware, I'll be ready to share with you by my birthday!  Looking forward to a copy of yours as well.  Allen, I'll be printing In Plain Sight for you as well.  Looking forward to comments.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Similar style

I read the book that my friend thought was similar to mine.  It was right up my alley.  It was a quick read and the author has a similar writing style to me.  Though I think I tend to add more detail.  Maybe I add too much?  I did find the Chapter that my friend thought was like my first chapter.  I see why she thought that too.  But I wouldn't have picked up on that without her input.  So I don't feel like they are too similar.   I look forward to reading the next in the series, just to see where the story goes.  At the same time, I could end the series after reading the first book and never move on.  I think I look forward to it because the first chapter of the second book is included at the end of the first book.  Kind of as a hook.  I wonder if I'd be as interested in reading the next one if I hadn't already read that chapter. 

It gives me something to think about as I edit my own novel.

Out of curiosity, is anyone planning to do the April Nano event?  I'm not, because it is a script writing event and I haven't the slightest clue on how to write a script, never mind what I would write about.   But I did get a brainstorm on next years Nano while sitting in the airport.  I read a news paper report regarding Stephen King's new novel. He is writing a story that is something that I have totally considered in the past.  He will do it soo much better than I ever could have.  Check it out here.  It looks fantastic! 

Thursday, March 3, 2011

I thought this was interesting.

Last weekend my friend text me that she had downloaded a book to her Kindle for only $0.99.  The first chapter in the book was similar to a chapter I wrote in the story that I have been working on.  I downloaded the book, which is one in a Trilogy and plan to read it on the airplane this weekend. 

In the meantime:  I saw that authors name on a e-newsletter that I receive once a month.  The article was all about e-books and how well they are doing.  This author made the best sellers list because she put her books on Amazon.  The fact that she is selling them from between $0.99 and $2.99 has to help.  But the article said she has sold 450,000 copies of her books that way.

I saw her name on the best sellers list as well.  It seems she is all over the place.

She is only 26 years old.  She has published 8 novels and a novella already.  And every single one of them is selling on Amazon like crazy.  One of her books has been optioned for a movie.  And, what I found the most interesting:  She is 100% self published.

I'm not here to promote an author or a book.  If you are interested in who she is, let me know, it's not a secret.  After I read her book, I might just tell you how much I like it.  But to be fair, I'll wait till I read it. 

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

I did it!!

I wrote the last words to my story!   There was significantly less to write than I had been dreading.  I think that was partly due to the fact that I no longer had to word pad to reach 50,000.  And I'll likely change part of it as I edit.

Which is my next step I guess.  As I read the last part, which will eventually be a Chapter, I got sucked into the story.  I had forgotten all that I had written!  So now I'm excited to do some editing, just so I can read what was written and forgotten.  I know it isn't all good stuff, but some of it sure is!  It's a story that I would read even if no one else would. 

I don't know when I'm going to get to do the editing.  I'm on the bandwagon now, but I also have a zillion other projects that have an actual deadline.  I have already scheduled a couple of weekends to work on those things.  (Quilt camp!!)  So all I have to do is schedule some more time to write.  I can do that.  Except I think that editing will take way more time than the actual writing did.   Especially the way I wrote some of this story. 

The last few pages of the novel as it stands are paragraphs that came to me as I participated in challenges or word wars.  Some of these are bits that are necessary to the story, but I didn't want to spend the time to back track and figure out where it fit.  I wrote the words and will inset and adjust them as I edit.  This is where an outline would have been useful!   Each paragraph has a note on where to insert it.  Now I just have to find that place.

I did find Allen's post on formatting the novel.  I couldn't make the margins all 1.5 inches though.  There was too much white on the page for my brain to get over.  I made the left and top margins 1.5 and the others 1.0.   If I ever decide to let an editor read it, that is something easy to adjust.  There is still plenty of space for someone to mark it up, when I decide to share it with my friends.

I didn't get it done in January, or even in February, as I had hoped.  But as of the first day of March, the story is written!   Can I read yours now Shariware??

Monday, February 28, 2011

OK. So who had the idea first?

I started my story quite some time ago now.  This years Nano was intended to finish it up.  I did write my 50,000+ words in November, and I added them to the chapters that I had already done.  The first few chapters I had shared with a few of my besties.  Allen and Terri. 

This weekend Terri text me.  She said "Someone stole your book!  I just started a new book and the first chapter is almost the same as yours."  Apparently its one in a trilogy that she bought it for her Kindle for 99 cents.  It's not exactly the same story that I have.  But she said it does have some of the same elements.

I'll be downloading that book to my own Kindle this week.  I have a business trip scheduled next week and will need something to read on the plane.  I have been thinking about what to start for this trip.  I guess I know now! 

And it seems there is a market for the type of story I am writing.  Even at 99 cents.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Haven't forgotten

Oh, Nano, I haven't forgotten you.  I haven't moved on to another story.  I simply haven't made the time to sit down at the computer and plug away at the ending.  2011 has become hectic and I have not MADE the time to work on you.  Rest assured you are still on my mind. 

I'm very anxious to read ShariWares story.  That overachiever has already finished and edited it!  And she is holding it hostage to get me to finish my own story. 

My hope of getting it done in January has long past.  And my hope of getting it done in February is dwindling.  I have an out of town guest this weekend and so will not be writing.  But it is quite possible that I will be able to schedule time the last weekend of the month.  So much to do, so much to do.  (Sometimes I wonder if I really am as busy as I feel or if I am manufacturing it.  I don't seem to be accomplishing much in all this busy-ness.)

Monday, January 24, 2011

The last week of January

This is the last week of January already, and I'm not ready for the last day...  I have a lot to do this week to get my novel to it's end.  Perhaps I'll schedule a mini write in type of thing....  even if I'm the only one who can come.

I talked with shariware on Saturday night and told her that I would at least spell out where the story needs to go to end.  But with the weekend being the weekend, I didn't get to it.  I do plan to open it up tonight and figure out that next step though.  (It wasn't on the weekend, but it will still be before the last weekend of the month).  My goal for the month was not to have the draft edited, simply completed. 

We also talked about peer critiques.  We would both like to read the books that each has worked so hard on, and are open to peer reviewing them.  (I haven't heard from Allen on that, not sure he got my message). The local Nano group here is doing them and has set out rules and guidelines for doing it fairly and not getting hurt feelings over it.  I'll post their rules this week.  I'm anxious to complete my story so that I can read my writing buddies stories! 

Happy writing! 

Monday, January 17, 2011

Resolution fail?

OK.  I haven't made time to write at all this month!  I keep thinking about it and other things turn up.  The laundry needs done, the floor needs swept, kids need help with homework, booze needs drunk....  You get the picture.  No matter the excuse, I haven't started yet.  To be fair, I haven't started on ANY of my resolutions.  Not just the writing one. 

A long time ago my hubby and I made a list of chores and divided them out between the five week days.  If we do those simple chores during the week, the weekend should be free of basic household chores.  I am finding that all my weekend is spent cleaning up from the week.  I have fallen away from the chores list.  They still get done, but they get done on the weekend, when I'd rather be sewing or writing, or ANYTHING other than chores.  This week I'm trying to focus on that list again, so that I have my weekends free as I once did.  I think I won't feel so busy and bogged down if I do that and I can spend some time doing things I *want* to do, rather than things I *have* to do. 

Crossing my fingers that I can stay on target this week and can make time to write this weekend.  How is everyone else doing?

Saturday, January 1, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It's January already?!  Where did the time go?  I think I say that every month.  How can the last 30 days have passed so quickly?  Was I not paying attention?

Anyway, one of my resolutions is to finish writing my Nano.  I'm not prepared to finish and edit it in January, but I would like my characters to reach the end of the story.  If I don't, I think I owe shariware and ramblingallen coffee again. (How did you like the coffee you already won, by the way, shariware?).  While it would be nice to share some coffee with them, I think I'm ready to win one myself.  I think I might have about 20k more to write to reach the conclusion of the story.  The problem now is, I don't remember where I was when November left off.  I have to read some back story I think.  While the month of December seemed to fly by, it still feels like a long time since we finished Nano.

How about you?  Any writing resolutions for 2011?  Are you prepared to do Nano again in November?