Your revisions process...

...I'm wantin' it.

So I finished my latest WIP, PoloGRRL (PG), this week. (insert BIG RELIEVED SIGH here) My agent is really looking forward to this one, although now it's come time to revise the MS I finished before starting this one (The Forester's Son - FS). (This one, PG, rather hit like a hammer, and I finished it in about three months).

The MS I'm preparing to revise (FS) is a dearly loved one of mine, though. Took a looong time to finish, mainly because it's one where the idea is better than my ability to bring it through in a first draft. It's going to take two or three or even four, which is a longer process than any book I've had up to now (as well as the recently finished MS.)

Which got me thinking about revision processes. Are you able to judge your first draft? For me, I know the most recent (PG) will take one revision, maybe two. The revelations and twists were there, all the time, and came at the appropriate moments during the writing process. But for the one I'm speaking of (FS) it has been an uphill struggle. And thus, will take longer.

But it's a much more complicated book, just generally all round...more. And I do think when I nail the eventual revisions, it will be a fantastic book.

It's just the starting that's hard.

And you? How are you with judging your revisions?

LOLCAT FREIDAYZ

Inaugural edition: baby

Hey Loki Sprog!

You're "blowin' and goin'", as my fav old irish priest used to say. We saw your heartbeat two days ago again at our first midwife appointment, and you actually looked like a baby, and not a nutter butter.

We considered this an accomplishment.

What devilry have you had me on lately?

- Grape welches soda. I know, kid, where in the WORLD did you get that? I didn't like it when I was growing up, and I shouldn't like it now! But I do.

- You are Most Certainly part Kraut. I think I could eat french fries every day for breakfast, lunch and supper and you would not complain. With a side of weiner schnitzel. In fact, it's the only way to shut you up. (I kid, I kid. You like your fruit and yoghurt smoothies, too)

- Dude. Because of you, my child, I now have a rack that is regularly oogled - and not just by your papa. LOL! It's insane. I want to get a shirt that says, "My eyes are UP HERE" with a big arrow. (And to get things straight, you could say before I was sort of a board with buttons. Um, not anymore)

- Sick. Siiiiick. SIIIIIICK. If you don't regularly get your nosh, I'm feeling ready to hurl. And I do mean regularly. Sheesh. And OH TIRED. I can now fall asleep sitting straight up at my work desk. Which is pretty freakin amazing. Especially when the boss is talking to me.

o.O

- The cat boyz Do Not Like You. I do not like things touching my underbelly now (even bought Preg pants, to circumvent this. I cannot talk about that. I am too scarred) and so the cats are forced to either lay to the side or default to hooman number two, aka, your papa. So let's hope they don't sit on you and squish all the breath out of your lungs when you're out. Or your papa doesn't pull a Homer when Bluesey tries for the umpteenth time to sit on his stomach.

I'm DONE!!!

*runs through blog screaming and hollering*

I'M DONE!

I'M DONE!

I'M DONE!!

*collapses*

Better now

Well, I got some words in yesterday - about 2,5 k worth - so I'm not feeling too bad. I'm to the last scene, easily. Just have to push it out.

I don't know why I'm looking forward so much to seeing the end of this book. I love the characters, I love the plot, I love everything about it, but I want to write the end here. I think it might be in part that this book happened while everything crazy was happening, the previous job, moving here, all the pregnancy stuff...I want to write the end.

And then what will I do?

First, I'll let it sit a bit. Maybe a couple weeks, maybe more. I'll work on revising the Forester's Son, get that up to snuff to send out to beta readers, *then* I'll work on revising PoloGRRL. Then make what edits/changes to FS, send that to da Agent, and then do the same for PG.

Then? Then, I shall take a break. :-) I have a couple ideas for the next book but nothing's insisting, yet, and I want that before I begin. I need that before I begin.

Where are you in your writing right now?

Your word of the day: Frustration

I don't have any time! ARGH!

I am staring the end of my book in the FACE and I don't have any frakkin' time. I'm so frustrated.

Hopefully tonight.

*bangs head against wall*

LOLCAT FREIDAYZ - you know you missed 'em!

New way for Thursdays

Hey guys.

I'm gonna give you fair warning...my girl doctor encouraged me to write down this whole pregnancy thing. I'm gonna make notes on it here, on Thursdays, so if, you know, you don't want to read about pregnancy stuff just LOOK AWAY that day, okay?

I want a record, because everybody says that you forget it all after Loki's out, and we don't want that, do we? I'm gonna need some guilt-inducing factoids for the sprog.

So awesome

Totally un-writing related, but this really really really tickled my funny bone.



Want your own .png? Go here >>

Fighting challenges

Everybody has their thing they fight in their writing, their challenge.

The thing that holds them back, or raises them up. Because I do believe that how you fight your challenge determines how you're gonna make it. Presented with a problem, your challenge, and you roll over? This isn't...optimal.

But if you are presented with that problem, and you meet it, head on...unwilling to sit and whinge and say "I'm not good enough"...forgive the expression, but take that challenge by the b*lls and make *it* answer to *you*...well then, I think your chances are good at making this whole thing work.

Because there is nobody, anywhere, with a free ride. The piper always has to be paid.

My particular challenge is the deep fear that my writing is not good enough. I try to combat this challenge by writing varied, different things, looking for words in everything I see, and never.giving.up. No matter how much I want to at points.

You? What's yours?

4k to go

I'm almost done with this WIP!

*flails*

And it's good. I got a glimpse of how it ends last night and I was pretty stoked, up this morning at 7 writing. So things appear to be back to normal.

I plan to finish within the next two weeks (if that) and then edit Forester's Son while I wait for a bit to give it some space. Then when done editing Forester's Son (or let's see how long I can wait) I'll go through and update PG.

And then its off to beta readers, more editing, et al.

But still, such a good feeling! Hoorah!!

The community of you and me

I'm a total lurker in most places. I admit it. I love sneaking in, taking a look at what somebody is doing, and sometimes leaving a comment.

I have a question.

My brain is foggy so I'll get around to it.

But look, my traffic to this blog lately has just exploded. *waves to all the new readers*.

You know what I'd really, really love?

And this is the question. I mean, that was the question, right above this paragraph of two sentences.

Whereever you're at, whatever you're doing, leave me a comment on this post. Let me know where you're from. What you're doing - you writing? Editing? Thinking? Procrastinating? Leave me your blog address. I find the best blogs that way.

Would you? Do it? For me?

(If it helps, I'll pull out the big guns. Would you do it for my kid? So I can have new blogs to read, new friends to meet so he/she gets lots of happy hormones as he/she is baking?)

Huh? How about it?

Sorry guys

The news from earlier in this week has really knocked us down here at Casa Blom. It's fantastic and wonderful but MAN. My brain is foggy and it's fallen down and can't get up, it seems like.

But things are moving along. Yesterday I made some time, sat down and got in an entire chapter. I hadn't hardly done that since we moved here, and it felt good. I've talked with the hubs and I think I'm gonna introduce a writing evening one night a week (see how it goes) where I have the entire evening to write. It seems to be a success, because in the mornings I'm even more foggy than normal, if that can be.

And in personal news, last night I came home to a bathroom that actually has a toilet roll holder, a shower curtain (and hanger) and towel hangers all set up! THAT, my friends, is an accomplishment. You never realize how used to them you are before you move into a place without any.

Sigh.

So I've got about 44,7k of words in PG. I really, come what may, would like to finish this book first draft by the end of the month. I think I need it for my brain. Good thing is we're definitely on the slippery slope down, and I know what is gonna happen and how it's gonna fall. The last couple books I didn't, so this is different and a relief.

How's your writing coming along!

Secrets...secrets...

So holy cow.

I'm sick and I'm excited and I'm tired, dead tired, I'm thirsty and I'm hungry and omg I'm pregnant.

!!!

Starting the week off right,

I didn't do it.

So to get myself motivated and to give you all an OMG HOW kEYOOT moment, may I present the puppies of the son of our fantastic Remy?

All together with me now: AWWWWW

(PS, big news here tomorrow on the blog!)

An ode.

He handed me a piece of pizza when i first saw him. He was skinny and dangly, like a sighthound not fully grown into his power yet.

He is kind, and wise, and a smart ass, and brilliant, and everything I always hoped for but never ever believed I'd get, in a million years.

His blue eyes warm and crinkle at the corners when I hug him, and he holds his tiny cat in his wide, capable hands.

We have a secret, and you'll learn it next week, but he's handled all that with aplomb too.

Happy anniversary, darling.

XOXO

Empathy and kids - ruminations

Just bear with me here.

I'm working out a thought I had when emailing a writing buddy of mine today. We were talking about YA and inner dialogue/whatnot. I, of course, thought back to that time (it's not THAT long ago, people!) and tried to remember what I felt when I read different books.

I think the books that I read and enjoyed taught me empathy, more than anything. Putting myself into the book, into the situation, being betrayed/happy/sad right alongside that character, that was the feeling I was going for. To completely set myself and my own vague feelings aside, and react to authentic feelings in a book to characters.

To learn the feelings, so to say.

I still like those books the best. The ones that pull me in, require me to feel and react, and come away from them satisfied, no matter the outcome of the story. I think thats why the best recommended information for a writer is to feel and enjoy your story.

Because if you don't cry or laugh in the right places, how will anybody else?

What's your thoughts on this? Think I'm on the right track?

New kind of normal

There's a new kind of normal around my parts.

Since I've moved here, we've been working on getting back iinto that blissful "togetherness" groove. And it's great.

My only problem is that I no longer have 4 hours a day to write. I know that sounds bizarre, but it's so.

My new normal?

Getting up, making a smoothie for me and hubs and sitting down to write. I have 30 minutes a morning before I have to get ready, so I write then (I haven't yet figured out how to make night writing work, really). It does seem to work, but regrettably, I don't make 1k or 2k or 3k words like I used to, in the olden days.

I'm trying to allow myself that it's okay, you know..."At least you're writing!" At least! But somehow 250-500 words isn't as impressive. Even though they're quality words and I'm happy with them.

It'll get better, and right now I'm writing, I'm just disappointed at how little. But I guess it's better than nothing, right?

Somebody took my BRAIN

And I want it back.

There is something going on here (which I'll explain at some point but not right now) that is sucking all the brain from my head. I mean, we're talking short term memory: GONE. Last point of conversation: GONE.

Everything. If I don't write it down, two minutes later (or less!!!) it's gone.

This is the first time I've had anything like this, but seriously: give me back my brain. I need it to write, I need it to read, and I need it to work.

kthxbai.