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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Dizzy Spells and Outlining Hoo-hah

I said “fin” on my last post, but me and Mono are having a play date right now and I’m really tired and dizzy. Trying to decide if I’m capable of driving.

In other news, I kept myself up last night thinking about my story, which is good writing-wise and bad (obviously) sleep-wise. But I added some stuff to my outline today because of it, so I’m happy.

Outlining is hard. I think I forgot this. I have so much to write down to make sure I remember it when I finally start plunking* out chapters. Decided the story will take place over a year, about. Maybe.

Fynch and Thade are awesome. I need to put Tock and Kitsy stuff in the outline… but I’ll get to them eventually.




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*Is this even a word? Microsoft isn’t arguing with it… I’m too lazy to look it up.

Monday, October 25, 2010

The Mono Chronicles, part 3 (fin)

Decided yesterday that I will have a viewpoint on the “other” side. Initially, I was thinking Weirs would be all one-sided as far as viewpoints go, kind of like Mistborn. I did the both-sides viewpoint thing for CSH, so I wanted to try something different.

But, then a new cool character came up and slapped me in the face, and new viewpoint it is. Honestly, he’ll make it a LOT easier to get into the “bad guy” side. I have a handful of characters I need to flush out, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it.

Plus, he’s not on the political side so much, so he’ll be more fun. I think I shall name him Scire. I came up with him less than 24 hours ago and already he’s critical to the plot line of the book. Hurray! I’m getting somewhere!

Anyway, I’m feeling much better. (Jesus does wonderful things that way.) My glands are still a tiny bit swollen, and I get tired easier than I should, but I feel good. I went to church and am back at work.

Also, my Halloween costume is better than yours.

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Mono Chronicles, part 2

Letter to Josh Bilmes at JABberwocky went out today. Wooo~

I did some dishes and now I’m tired. Stupid mono. Regardless, I’m going to work tomorrow. I’m planning on a half day, then being perfectly fine when I get home. I’ll let y’all know how it goes.

Worked a little on my outline for Weirs today, which reminded me how hard planning out a book can be. Especially when your brain is on a two-week virus-induced vacation. TV is making me really . . . oh, what’s the word . . . dumb.

Yeah, this is the extent of my life right now. Be jealous.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Mono Chronicles, part 1

Warning: Due to virus-induced laziness, this post hasn't been edited.


I had a dream last night I was in Sanderson’s class, him sitting in on writing group, and I had both forgotten to read and forgotten to submit. Ugh. That’s worse than mono.

Which I have, by the way. If anyone really cares, for some unseen reason, the detailed story of my recent (and ridiculous) health-capades, I’ll link you to the other-blog post. Or just repaste it.

Obviously my submission cruise has come to a sudden halt. I am now “healthy” enough that I can stand up straight and go 24 hours without breaking into tears, so maybe I’ll get back on track. I hope to do some more planning for my next novel soon—I’ve worked on the map a bit, separating it into the different sections and whatnot. It’s very similar to those projects from 1st grade where we had to color the states all different colors. (Yes, I broke out my colored pencils.)

I’ve submitted to two people so far. Still want to submit to Jennifer Jackson, Josh Bilmes (especially him, he does my genre more than the others), and Michael…

OH MY GOSH, JABBERWOCKY JUST OPENED TO QUERIES. I have been checking back EVERY DAY for FOREVER. OF COURSE THEY OPEN WHEN I HAVE MONO!!!!

I have submitting to do! Everyone, get out of my way!!!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Not a Writing Update

This is just me saying I've done diddly squat on writing/planning/etc over the last three days due to a lovely and absurd illness I've contracted recently. Doctor trip #2 is in a couple of hours.

Thanks also to new readers who make me feel awesome.

Meanwhile, I think I'll debate with myself how long a synopsis I can get away with...



Next on reading list: Boneshaker

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Story Vomit

Good news. Today I briefly reflected on The Raimos, and I felt a lot better about it.

This is a good sign.

A bad sign would be how I forgot it existed the other day. I was listing the books I’d written/started to write, and I completely blanked it. Ha… ha…

Anyway, I have hopes that I will return to that story someday. Perhaps when I finish Weirs, I’ll finish the TR rough draft, then do revisions for Weirs. Then have both for WorldCon!

Good plan? Let’s hope so. Meanwhile, my first draft synopsis for CSH is three pages long. I think I have to get it down to two. ;_;


P.S. The Nelson Literary Agency is definitely on top of things. They rejected me in less than a week. :D

Monday, October 11, 2010

One Query Down...

Is it possible to be sick without being sick? All I know is my lymph nodes are gargantuan and I’m really, really tired. Like, abnormal tired. Ugh.

Anyway, back to writing. I can complain on my other blog.

Sent out one query letter so far, started a second. Discovered I actually have to write a synopsis for some agents. (And others want resumes. Is that extreme? “Hello, from 2006-2007 I worked as a custodian at the dorms of such and such university. Please publish me.”*)

Should work on synopsis, but I can’t think. So mysteriously tired.**

Uh . . . still working on planning for TWS, slowly and surely. Maybe I’ll just call it “Weirs.” Am I allowed to abbreviate a one-word title? Meh, I probably will.

I think the TV show Supernatural is affecting said planning WAY too much.



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*Because I obviously don’t have a writer’s resume, unless they give a hoot about my editing and technical writing background, which I imagine they don’t. Besides, I’d include important stuff in the cover letter, wouldn’t I?

**I’m a whiner. Those who know me in real life can attest to this.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Circus Soul Heiress, Draft 3: COMPLETED

What? What? Booya!

I’m done, I’m done, I’m done done done.

I finished my epilogue. I’m doooooooooooooone.*

And I’m submitting! I’ve started on my queries. Maybe I’ll send one out before the end of the week.

That being said, I don’t think CSH will get published. I’d like to believe I have a lot of good ideas in it, but the prose isn’t quite what it should be. It is in places, but not everywhere. Despite my struggling, I still have a YA feel to my narration. (Curses that I always come up with adult plot lines.)

BUT, it’s still worth the experience, and I would be a total hoser if I didn’t try. Once my queries are out, I can start work on my next book—another attempt to perfect the art of prose and plot. Wish me luck!

… and, for kicks and giggles, I’m reposting the picture I made for my creativity class back at the Y.

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(Made with bright colors because, hello, it’s a circus.)


Excerpt of the day:

Most of the scars would never heal. Not completely. There existed no balm, elixir, or magic that could erase scars that deep. So many scars, but the new ones gave him something: freedom. They fed the starving outlaw he’d become, saved him from the eyes of the wary public. No law could chase a dead man.
Circus Soul Heiress, Epilogue

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*Minus two tidbits I need to add and some battle scene reviews from Nathan that I need to incorporate… like a mini beta read…

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Homestretch

One chapter to go!

One, long chapter to go! (Plus an epilogue.)

Then I’m done with revisions!

Then I get to figure out how to make my cover letter catchy! (Oh Sanderson, now would be a wonderful time for you to return my final…)

Then I get to mail lots of pleas to agents and get lots of rejection letters to decorate my cubicle with!

Then I get to be a real, actual, struggling author!

I’m very excited. My battle prose sucks, but still. Now have three beta readers on the list. So long as they all actually read and finish the ms, that should be enough. Hopefully.

:D


Excerpt of the day:

The blonde boy bowed to Pasha as though he had performed a show, bloody short swords still in hand. “And for the grand finale, I shall rescue the dame!”
CSH, chapter 21*


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*This chapter is way too long for anyone’s good.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Greenie

Thanks to an unexpected bout of unknown-cause stomach illness, I didn’t get as much done this weekend as I would have liked. Have to make up for it this week. I’m so close to the end! Yet I’m moving much slower…

In other news, talking to Nathan makes me feel like such a greenie. I don’t go to nearly as many cons and my networking* is at about 0%. Blegh. I plan to do LTUE and WorldCon next year, maybe CONduit, but this year I think is a no-go for writing funness.

Have three volunteers for beta readers so far, which is good! Hopefully I’ll have my ms to them by the end of October. Then I’ll start real outlining work on TWS.


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*I often don’t approach authors and such at cons because I don’t want to come off an a “fangirl” or the like. Same reason I often (but not always) withheld comment in Sanderson’s class. Apparently, this is a bad thing.




Excerpt of the day:

“These are pain killers,” said Flad. Salk leaf was a common herb used on injured seabats. “Hefty ones.” He couldn’t name everything in the crate, but he recognized most of it from his own medical experiences. Judging by the mess of things, they were drugs frequently used.

“He uses these on people?” Lottie thought aloud.

“No,” he said, hesitating, “I think he uses them on himself.”

CSH, chapter 21