03 December 2014

My NaNoWriMo Recap

November has come and gone. I'm still here, still standing, if barely.

I did not win NaNoWriMo this year, so no winner's circle t-shirt for me. That doesn't mean that it wasn't a good month as far was writing was concerned. In fact, it was my best month this year!

In the fashion of an engineer, I've taken a look back at the month and gleaned some tidbits to carry forward.
  • I wrote 21,810 words. That's only 45 less words than I wrote all of the rest of the year. (Yes, I use a spreadsheet to keep track of daily/monthly/yearly word counts, complete with graphs. What can I say, creating it was a great procrastination vehicle.)
    • Key Take-Away: The NaNoWriMo game aspect and the deadline motivated me to get those words on the computer screen. It might be useful to create more "at stake" games and deadlines to keep my words count up outside of NaNoWriMo.
  • One of the authors that I admire "buddied" up with me. Talk about a fan-girl moment when I saw that first email.
    • Key Take-Away: Socializing with other writers is fulfilling and fun. Time to jump back into networking with those in my writers' circles. (And it's also ok to squee when reading those emails!)
  • On some nights, I pushed myself to my limits so I could meet that minimum word count. I learned that I can write late at night after a full day of managing the kids' activities and life and still (mostly) function the next day. Just not too many days in a row.
    • Key Take-Away: It's not necessary to push too hard, but I can get more accomplished than I been letting myself so far this year.
There are probably other learnings from my 2014 NaNoWriMo experience, but frankly that's all I'm ready to look for and work on. Knowing that, I plan to regroup, assess priorities, and develop my strategy for another busy month and 2015.

30 October 2014

That time of Year... NaNoWriMo

It's that time of year again. No, not the worrying about having enough candy for Halloween time. And no, not getting ready for Thanksgiving or making those gift lists for Christmas time. It's NaNoWriMo time!

I won't be following the rule of writing a new story or even shooting for 50,000 words. My goal this November is to write every day on my current story, even if it's just 10 minutes a day. (Anything to get this story to its conclusion.) If nothing else, I'll use the NaNoWriMo communities to feed off the energy and enthusiasm of the other writers.

If you are on the fence about participating, give it a shot. It's fun to see if one can write 50,000 words in a month given Life's responsibilities. There are lots of places to look for tips & tricks, pep talks, and tools to get you through the 30 Days and Nights of word sprints and squeezing in 1667 words a day. Here are few of the recent articles that I clicked to find some nuggets of info ...

Good luck to all the NaNoWriMo writers!

edited to add: my username on NaNoWriMo.org is AnneV in case you wanted to Buddy up on the site.

17 September 2014

A Brief Announcement

I've got a writing gig for a local, regional newspaper called the Tanque Verde Voice. I submitted my first piece and accompanying photograph yesterday. Proud writer right here.

Life plays funny games with us humans. This material science engineer never thought I'd write for a newspaper, that I'd be publishing my musings about living in the Tanque Verde Valley, that I'd have to learn how to use watermarks on my photos, or that I'd gain this opportunity through volunteering at the school. Yep, Life likes to play funny games alright.

I'll still work on character development, plot, and conflict as I continue developing my novels. I'll occasionally write in my journal and muse about writing on this blog. Now, I add personal essay writing and supportive photography to the mix.

20 August 2014

#WiskyWednesday, Outlander, and My Life

According to the Hash Tags that Be, today is #WhiskyWednesday. So, I sit with just a wee dram of 10 year old Glengloyne* single malt whisky trying to think of a blog post. When I looked at the bottle of whisky, the idea for this post came to me...

A long time ago, in the Left Armpit of America**, my best friend suggested I read a book that she'd discovered and devoured. That book was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Like the dutiful friend that I am, I bought it. I loved it.

Since then, I've purchased all the hard bound books, most of them signed by Herself, and have listened to the audiobooks many a times. Like any great story, it provided me an escape, let me be with characters that made no demands of me other than to enjoy their story, immersed me in history, gave me food for thought, and inspired my own time-travel story.

But the story didn't stop there. The book series has had an incredible effect on my life. I could try to be poetic about it, but that's not my way. Lists, bulleted lists, that's my way. So here is a list of ways that the story has influenced my life ...

  • A love for another book series that starts with Into the Wilderness
  • The chance to be internet friends with the writer of the Wilderness Series
  • The chance to have Wilderness Series author as my editor (Squee!)
  • A love of all things Scottish especially shortbread, Edinburgh, and Stirling Castle***
  • A whole new group of songs in my music library: Martyn Bennett music, techno bagpipe music, Hey Donald Set by Scottish Women, The Red Hot Chile Pipers (listen to them on the How to Train Your Dragon II soundtrack as well), my favorite traditional Scottish music podcast, Duncan Chisolm, Julie Fowlis, and a soon-to-be-favorite Salsa Celtica
  • A place to enjoy the first weekend of November: Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games
  • Bagpipes
  • Two Irish Dancers in the family, because the older daughter/dancer saw Irish dancers in their blinged-out dresses at the Celtic Festival
  • Because of all the waiting during the girls' classes at the Irish dance studio, a group of dance moms that I am glad to call my friends
  • An unforgettable trip to Scotland with my family, my best friend, and her family
  • A new TV show to watch over and over again
  • An appreciation for single malt scotch (so long as it isn't peaty)
  • A career writing stories (I hope)
Who knows how else my life will be enhanced by this book series? Could be that one of my stories does this for a future reader.

All that from a hash tag and a book.

* For those that can get it, the 18year Glengloyne is much better than the 10 year.

** The Left Armpit of America = Cleveland, OH. I know it has cleaned up nicely and is quite livable. I lived there 1994-1996 and loved going down to the Flats and dancing at the Smart Bar.  I also met my husband and best friend while I was at CWRU during that time. What mars the whole experience for me is surviving two break-ins (one in which the thief came into my bedroom while I was asleep and woke me up) and two winters of lake effect snow.

*** Well I don't know about haggis, as I haven't tasted it.

31 July 2014

Musing about Journal Writing

Yesterday I met a friend for coffee. We talked about family and related issues, kids and the roller coaster ride they put parents through, you know, life experiences. Some of those situations can be filed in the "way less fun than an amusement ride" folder. Over the summer, my family lost five relatives. My friend and her family are dealing with changes and challenges as well.

As my friend has experience editing stories, the topic of writing came up in our conversation. We noted that many writers mention how they have to write or die. While there's an infinite number of reasons to write, the few that stood out to me given our conversation were...

... to distract one from Life's overwhelming issues
... to have something to do while waiting for balance
... to work through emotions
... to share heartbreak
... to relate with others

While the conversation wasn't meant to be thought provoking, apparently it crawled its way into my subconscious. So much so, that when I sat down at the computer and told my husband that I didn't know what to blog about this week, the snippets of the conversation bubbled up.

While fiction writing can be a avenue for these writing reasons, given the topics of today's conversation, journal writing seems more appropriate to me. I've never been a journal writer despite the writing advice to do so. Adding a journal into my writing practice when I can barely fit in my story writing sounds crazy. Never mind that I've tried to journal a few times, but couldn't maintain the activity.

Yet, when I participated in writing challenges that asked the writer to pick from a list of reasons to write, I enjoyed the freedom to rant, to complain, or to love just with my written words. I didn't have to share what I wrote, so I could be as candid as I wanted. A few of the reasons I wrote were to get things off my chest, to write about things that can't be said, and a few of the reasons listed above. The experience was cathartic and heart-wrenching, but was freeing as well.

So, now I'm wondering if I will use that journal for something more than a photo subject...

18 July 2014

Life, Books, and a Corollary

I hate to admit it, especially since I love books, but I finally I had to put a book away unfinished. Here's another admission: this was my second time giving up on a book.

The first time this happened to me it was a college-bound reading list book. The story started with a group of old men talking about I can't even remember. What I do remember was the frustration at not knowing who was talking as there were no dialogue tags. None. There was no way the reader could've picked out who was saying based on character biases because we had only just been introduced to these gossiping gentlemen. I tried and tried to read that scene, but I just couldn't figure it out or get past it. (I realized long after I'd donated the book that it might not have been important to know who was saying what, but rather what they were saying. Despite that hindsight, I'm not going attempt to reread that book. Just the thought makes me cringe. Sorry Henry James.)

Just this week, I had to put another book in the donate pile. (The 2nd book in the series is in the pile too - because I'd do that, buy one book, see the next one, and assume that I'd want to read it.)  I'd actually gotten quite far into the story, about a third of the way through, by sheer willpower. The medieval England locations are a places I'd loved learning about (especially after spending two weeks in London this summer). Deceit and treachery laced themselves in and out of the story. It was the characters that just didn't grab me. I couldn't find anything likable about them, nothing to pull me into the story. The two things that kept me reading: the idea that I'd spent good money for the book and that it had to get better. It didn't.

I had to tell myself that life is too short. Life is too short to read books that don't grab me, that don't make me question, that don't make me feel.

That I spent that much time on the book is crazy. I have an entire bookshelf of unread books, I could've read at least two in the time I spent on the one I didn't like. However, I did learned a few things about another author's style, a way that story can be pieced together, and what doesn't work for me. But still.

As this is my place to muse about writing, I discovered a corollary about life and books: Life is too short to write books that don't grab me, that don't make me question, that don't make me feel.

If I'm not moved by the story I wrote, how can I expect my readers to be? I won't be able to touch every reader, but if I start with engaging me, then someone else is bound to be at least intrigued. While I've seen and heard the advice about writing a story that you want to read, I now have a deeper understanding of the tidbit.



09 July 2014

Back At It

It's been a long time since my last blog post. I won't bore you with all the reasons and excuses for my absence. I'll just say that Life has been trying to tell me something. I'm finally starting to listen.

See, it seems the more I plan, the more Life decides that I had the wrong plan and dictates a new one for me. I like knowing what's going on, to know what my day will entail. I like setting my own schedule, even if it is full of to-do items. I don't like ambiguity. You can see how I might have "issues" when Life doesn't go as planned.

But after serveral Life events and changes this summer, I'm trying to learn to take Life's twists and turns as they come with grace and poise. I'm not always successful, I'm human afterall. (That's what I whisper to myself when the dust settles.) But I am learning.

Because of all the shuffling of schedule and activities, my regular writing sessions and my blogging have taken a back seat. Sometimes I've been able to fit in the odd writing session or clean out email, but mostly I've had to focus on the Life's Other Stuff. While I'm not exactly happy about it, I'm learning to be ok with it.

So, even though our summer break is half way over, and I still haven't found a routine or rhythm, I'm sneaking in some writing when I can. Yes, I'm still working on Akeva's story, at a snail's pace, but working just the same. Yes, I'd love to be done with the revision/editing process for this story. And yes, I still have my ever-present-cheerleader quote with me -- "Keep at It. It will Happen when It's Ready to Happen."

And while I'm Back At Keeping At It, I'll see about making a new poster too.

01 May 2014

Because I'm busy ... an excerpt

Busy, lazy, maybe both. Either way, I'm posting an excerpt.

This is from the time-travel/historical fiction/romance story I'm currently revising. The main character has got determination in spades ...


===============================

Akeva saw the clod of dirt coming and felt the slap as it hit. Tears squeezed out from under her right lid and streaked down her cheeks. She tried to blink her eye, she'd need the jaws of life to pry it open. With her other eye, she looked up at the sky and asked, “Really?”

A gust of wind pulled at her skirts and blew at her hair, as if the universe was answering her with a “Yes, really.” As if the universe could answer her. She laughed at her own craziness.

She fought the temptation to rub at her eye with her dirt and rust covered hands. The last thing she needed right now was to scratch her cornea. If she hadn’t forgotten to bring water, she could rinse out her eye.

She took a mental inventory and realized the only items she’d brought with her today that were of any use were her work-in-the-fields clothes, rough and dirty. She pushed out a sigh.

Using the hammer as a cane of sorts, she lowered herself to the ground. Akeva rubbed off as much junk from her hands as she could on the outer skirt. She carefully folded the skirt back on itself exposing the shift underneath. It reeked of days of sweat, but looked relatively free of dirt. She used it to wipe away the dirt from her eye. What else would go wrong today?

First she’d endured Meriel’s lecture about Akeva being part of the Faradoch den Beithe Cearcall family, how Akeva needed to help her family with the harvest, how she owed it to Meriel to stay away from the stones. Twinges of guilt still tried to poke through Akeva’s determination, but she ignored them now just as she did this morning.

Then she’d wandered around lost for who knew how long before she found the path to the hill. When she finally arrived at the stone circle, she could’ve killed Jean. The woman had to have known there was no way for the horse to make it up the rocky hill. Anger and determination had propelled Akeva up and down the craggy hillside with the rods and tools, until that last trip when she’d slipped down the hillside and twisted her ankle.

She’d tried to finish as much as she could before lunch, but the hobbling, digging, and hammering had left her with quite an appetite. So when she finally stopped for a bite to eat, with half the rods in the ground, Akeva could’ve kicked herself when she realized she’d forgotten to pack food and water in her haste to get to the circle. With nothing to do but get back to work, she hammered and wished for just one break.

Akeva hadn’t thought it had been too much to ask for. As she wiped the dirt and tears away from her eye, she wondered if it had.

Without a mirror, she couldn’t be sure she’d wiped all the dirt off her face, but figured it didn’t matter. It was the dirt left on the surface of her eye that was the problem. So much so that several minutes passed before she could open her eye. At least she only had one more rod to stake in the ground.

Off to the East, she noticed clouds. Nice, thick, dark ones, the kind that storms were made of. Were they really moving towards her? Akeva held her breath as she watched the clouds. Could her luck have changed?

She saw a light in the clouds, not a big one, but a flash none the less. “Perfect.”

The lightning kindled hope in her chest, a tiny spark right in that empty hole in her heart. Finally. The break she’d asked for.

How long until the storm hovered over the stone circle? Akeva had no way of knowing if it would be an hour or the rest of the day. At least the rods were in place to attract the lightning.

Rods. “Crap.” She still had one more to stake.

She pushed herself up and limped to the last rod, determined that a sprained ankle and a little bit of dirt weren’t getting the best of her. Several blows to the rod and it still hadn’t slipped into the ground like the others.

She’d planned to place the metal stakes in a small circle inside the standing stones. Akeva didn’t expect anyone to come looking at the circle, especially the way they all seemed to avoid even talking about them. But if they passed by, they wouldn’t see the spikes hiding in the inner shadow of the stones. However, her rod circle had to be big enough so she could stand in the center.

The ground in this area, closest to the hillside, consisted of that same rocky terrain she’d slipped on earlier. Not even the pick was going to help. At this point, it was better to have the thing in the ground than not: the more metal, the better. Still trying to keep the rods as evenly spaced as possible, she found a spot that looked softer. With the pick, she dug a hole deep enough that it should hold the rod.

Akeva didn’t know if it was it because this was the last rod, or if it was the one that didn’t fit her plan, but she knew she’d remember each lift of the pick, each eruption of dirt, the cold rod in her hand, the clang of each hammer blow, and the satisfaction of watching the rod inch down into the ground. Before she knew it, the rod stood on its own. With a few sweeps and pats of the pick to move the displaced dirt around the rod, she finished. Almost home.

She took a step back to inspect her work. So what if the rods stood at different heights and odd angles? “Not great, but good enough.” They didn’t need to be perfect to attract the lightning into the circle.

All she needed now was that storm. And she’d only be a lightning strike away.

A part of her worried she’d imagined the clouds or that they had disappeared. She glanced at the sky again and relief trickled over her skin. The approaching storm was still there. In fact, it had come closer. The lightning might arrive sooner than she’d hoped.

What a crazy thought: purposefully putting herself in the middle of a lightning storm. Goosebumps erupted on her skin, and not entirely from fear. If this worked…she didn’t even want to think about it in case she jinxed herself.

With nothing else to do until the storm arrived, she moved the hammer and pick to the side before she settled down in the center of her pseudo-circle.

To think, that on her way to the standing stones, she’d started to doubt her plan. Now with the storm approaching, if she’d given up, she would’ve missed this opportunity. Maybe the universe was talking to her.

Now that she’d sat down to wait, the clouds had stopped their advance towards her. Akeva figured it was because now she had nothing else to occupy her mind but to count the seconds until she felt that first raindrop, the first tingle that foreshadowed that something was about to send her home.

Minutes passed and boredom set in, but determination kept her inside the two circles. She studied the sparse grass, the rusty rods, the stone circle rocks, her filthy dress, her swollen ankle, her chipped fingernails, and of course, the oncoming clouds until she couldn’t study them any more. She wished she’d brought something to read, some food and drink, and a pillow. The ground, while soft enough to place the rods, was still hard, especially while waiting for who knew how long.

With nothing else to occupy it, her mind filled with questions. What if today’s attempt didn’t work? How many storms would she race to the stone circle so she wouldn’t miss her chance to get back home? Was there a way to forecast the storms? If her computer still worked, could she have created a forecasting model? Why was the storm taking so long?

In all her planning, she’d ignored an important fact which now smacked her in the face. Mother Nature, no matter the place or era, would take her own time. The most important aspect of her plan to get back home was completely and utterly out of her control.

She hadn’t let Meriel or Ennis stop her. Getting lost hadn’t been a detriment, nor a sprained ankle or a nearly scratched cornea. Mother Nature could take her time. Akeva would keep coming back if need be, she was getting back home and to her family.

============================



09 April 2014

Style, Anything But Simple

A few weeks ago, a fellow dance-mom/writer/photographer and friend sent me a link about Writing Style. (Sara is like that, thinking of others.) As I'm a self-taught writer, I'll read anything that might help me get a handle on the process.

The link, found on BrainPicking.org, focused on philosopher Arthur Schopenhaur's take on Writing Style. In a sentence: Keep your Style Simple, and Be True to Yourself.

When I read the 19th century words, with the long sentences with complex clauses and the message repeated in multiple ways, I couldn't help think of the irony: for all his suggestions of brevity and naiveté, his words give the exact opposite effect.

Once I got past that, I'll be honest, I questioned my understanding of style, and more specifically, my own style. (Or lack of one.) What is my style? Do my words convey the picture I want the reader to imagine? Are my readers going to enjoy my writing, my style, my stories?

For a writer still trying to develop a voice, a style, and stories, those are big questions with no easy answers. Like everything else in this writing gig: Style is anything but clear cut or simple.

The writing they teach in primary, middle, and high school is full of adjectives, adverbs, speaking tags other than said and asked, prepositional phrases and clauses abound. However, once it's no longer for a grade but for a royalty check and a best-selling book list, the rules change: Show, Don't tell; No adverbs; No adjectives; Shorten Your Sentences.

To me, it seems that Style is a function of author, story, characters, setting, and plot. There may be signature phrasing and attitudes that link a particular writer's stories, but Style will evolve with a writer. Like one can always tell a Van Halen song from one by Linkin Park or Metallica, or older songs from newer songs. Not only will Style be different every story, it could change based on the feedback from alpha and beta readers, editors, and publishers.

Maybe, I'm getting Style mixed up with Voice, but shouldn't they be linked?

So how does one develop a Style that is Simple and True to Yourself? I don't know. I'll just keep working & writing and trust that it will emerge on its own.



Thanks to Sara P. for the blog fodder and thought provoking link.

19 March 2014

Another Tool in My Writer's Toolbox: IFTTT

I know bloggers and other social media savvy folks say one shouldn't cross post among the different media sites.

But here's the deal... I'm a busy mom and wife, if I'm not driving my daughters to dance related events or my son to kung fu, I'm prepping meals to eat in the car as we drive back and forth, volunteering at the school, editing pictures, helping with homework, guest-teaching, developing my writing career, or managing the household. Then there's the social sites to keep up with family, friends, and writing acquaintances. I gotta cut corners sometimes.

So going against the pros advice, I cross post my blog to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. I've used a few services to different effects - the native sharing options within Facebook and Twitter, Twitterfeed, Networked Blogs, and Friends Plus MeThe latest service I've tried is IFTTT, (If This Then That) and so far I like it best.

The service works with recipes to get things done. A brief explanation of the service can be found here. (Their description is easy to understand. You really should go read it.) When creating a recipe, the service walks the user through creating a recipe and turning it on. Like anything these days, there is a social component: users can share their recipes with others. So there are lots of recipes to try out and lots of channels (cloud services, social networking sites) with which to experiment. It can even do some home automation actions.

I've created two flavors of recipes. I have two blogs on Blogger, but IFTTT can only connect to one at a time. So one type of recipe watches my blog directly, and when a new post is published, IFTTT pushes it to my Facebook timeline and to my Twitter feed. For the other blog, IFTTT monitors the blog's RSS feed for a new post, then pushes it to my Facebook and Twitter. Two blogs to two social networking sites means four recipes.

I like the service because I haven't had to go back in and renew the recipe or blog like I have for a few other services. (If I have to fiddle with a service every time I publish a blog post, it doesn't work for me.)

When I catch a moment, I might look at the other recipes available. If there is something out there to make my life easier, I'm game.

IFTTT is free. (So far.) So, take a look and see if you can put it to work for you. ##



## No compensation was received, nor expected, for this mini-review.


 

26 February 2014

New Tool in my Writer's Toolbox: The Emotion Thesaurus

As a former engineer**, I love working with systems, structures, and tools. In my engineering days, there was a specific problem to solve within a specific system with specific processes, specific requirements, and specific desired outcomes. Straightforward and repeatable. Something I understood.

There is nothing straightforward or repeatable about the storytelling process. Sure, there are systems to work in: romance, historical fiction, women's lit, urban fantasy, but the lines between genres are blurred. Sure, there is the requirement to write a good story, but it's vague, obvious, and not particularly helpful, especially when each story has its own eccentricities. Then there's the cardinal rule: Show, don't tell, except for when you have to. Clear as mud.

As a creature of habit that works with the nebulous distinctions of emotions of characters, I get in a rut when conveying emotions. "She rolled her eyes." "Her eyebrows furrowed." "He sighed." "He clenched his hands into fists."

Which is why I'm glad I found The Emotion Thesaurus

Emotions/feelings are listed alphabetically. Each entry provides a list of ways to describe a character's emotion through their physical actions and appearance, as if observing the emotion in another person. It also provides examples of emotional descriptions from an internal point of view.

I purchased the ebook version (Kindle format) so that I could have it with me without adding bulk inside my backpack. This strategy has already proven handy when I'm in the car fitting in some writing while waiting for the kids to get out of school.

A few reviews on Goodreads gave me pause - that it was too basic, that writers already knew how to write emotion. However many more reviews touted its usefulness in depicting emotion.

Since purchasing the book, I've looked up a few emotions and used the descriptions in my own writing, adding my own twist as the story dictates. Looking forward, I can see this the reference tool becoming something I use frequently. And getting out of a writing rut.

If you're a writer and in need of something to help spruce up your writing, this might be something for your toolbox too.##

** I doubt there is such a creature as a former engineer -- once an engineer, always an engineer.

## No compensation was received, nor expected, for this mini-review.

13 February 2014

Why Just a Week, Let's Make it Love of Reading Everyday!

 It's Love of Reading Week. My children and I love this week of celebrations.

How could we not? Reading is encouraged every day this week. Parents read favorite stories to classrooms. People share book tips with others. Character parades bring out the kid and joy in everyone. So, why do we only celebrate it just one week?

I think it should be Love of Ready Everyday.

Putting aside the research that indicates that reading is good for the brain and psyche, there's just the plain joy of getting lost in a story. But Love of Reading Everyday could lead to other not so tangible results. If everyone read everyday, there would be less time for less savory things.

Instead of bullying, people could fall in love with Harry, Ron and Hermione. And discover a universe of other people moved by the same story that band together under the power of love.



Instead of fighting, a little reader could imagine himself in the desert making Stone Pizza with that clever Coyote. And use Coyote's tricks of bringing people together to create something that everyone can share and enjoy.





Instead of holding grudges, someone could listen to Curiosity Freeman share what secrets she' been keeping in the Endless Forests. And the reader could discover her own humility and strength that's been hiding inside so she can have the courage to let go of the hurt.



Instead of wallowing in self-pity, you could fight the good fight along side Harry Dresden as he casts spells and avoids death by the skin of his teeth. And learn that sometimes you gotta fight for something larger than yourself.






All it takes is a Majority of One, or so said Mr. Thoreau. What could be more right than reading everyday? That's why at our house, from now on, we celebrate Love of Reading Everyday.

29 January 2014

Web Wednesday: Links I Liked (29 Jan 2014 ed.)

I'm going to try something a new: muse about things that I saw on the interwebs that sparked something in me.

The links might've sparked something as simple as a smile, a new entry in my Evernote compendium of writing things, a story idea, or just plain enjoyment. As this is my writing existence space, I'll work to keep the links related to writing and story.
  • Frozen Becomes the Highest Grossing Animated Film! I love Disney films, so it wasn't a surprise that I loved Frozen too. So kudos (not the snack bar - I made that mistake once) to the production crew, especially the writers. I wonder how much of the fact that the story has two strong female protagonists is a function of one of the writers being a female.
  • I love Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. The first book in the series is being adapted into a TV series by Starz to be aired this Summer. Starz has released two trailers, different only in the endings. Trailer one. Trailer two. Love them both, but am partial to the second one.
  • Another one of my favorite book series received some love this week. The Into the Wilderness series by Rosina Lippi, pen name Sara Donati and my editor, received high marks in a survey of historical fiction books. If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? 
  • Photography is a big part of my life, and I'm weaving into my writing process as well. I use photographs to spark ideas, to record locations (I have a slew of photos from our Scotland trip to use in one my stories), and model characters. Sometimes, I enjoy a picture for the sake of the picture. This one, by one of my first contacts from twitter, is one of my favorites just for its clean contrasts and starkness.
  • I keep an Evernote list of agents looking for new clients. I realize that by the time I'm done with a story and ready to query, most of the agents listed will probably not be looking anymore. But I keep adding to the list because it'll be a good place to start my search. This week, two agents popped up: Laura Zats and Nadeen Gayle. Thought I'd share the links in case anyone needed more query opportunities.
  • Last year, I listened to Fault in our Stars by John Green and loved it. It too has been adapted, but into a feature film. The trailer was released today. Be warned, tears will flow.
  • And just for fun... This link is a commercial for Jaguar. "It's good to be bad."

10 January 2014

Just a Quickie

Just a quickie to say that the words flowed today. 1525 of them, to be precise.

Granted it took me a while to get started, and I had previous revisions of the scene to work with, but still. It's been a long time since I've gotten that many words out on this revision, and in one day. So...

Yay!

That's all. Carry on.