#ROW80 Final Check-in 9/23/15

Here we are at the end of Round 3. I think I did pretty well, considering that I had some things get a bit wonky toward the end. I had to shift and re-prioritize stuff and as such, not everything got done, but most did. 🙂

Here is the final rundown:

~3 freelance jobs completed

Writing Goals

~Finish Fireborn – Eh…not exactly. I had to trash about 5k and restart that section, so it’s technically not done. I’m probably within 5-10k of being done, though. I also edited the first half while on vacation, and outlined it for revision.
~Continue Survivor Sundays/5k in rewritten draft DONE for about a month, then abandoned once things got crazy. I did a very comprehensive re-outline, though. My grand plan, barring more craziness, is to make Survivor my NanoWriMo project for 30k (I can’t do 50k anymore due to bad wrists). That would give me a really nice start.
~10k on Covenant DONE – 11k currently
~Participate in Camp Nano (Fireborn/Covenant) DONE – made my goal of 10k combined
~Write and edit Changeling part 3 for submission (due 9/1) DONE!

Non-writing

~Get 35mm automatic camera fixed NOT DONE, because it wasn’t possible. The gentleman at the shop searched high and low for that part or a camera with that part, but no dice. 😦 I ended up buying a very cheap camera body to replace the messed up one, and it’s in even better condition. Win.
~Shoot test roll and develop NOT DONE. It’s on my list of things to finish before the end of the year.
~Do something with darkroom, big or small NOT DONE. Too busy to dig in and spend any time in there. 😦
~Set up Etsy shop DONE. It has a name. Now I need to add the bracelets. That will be tough b/c some of them are still in my sister’s shop, and I don’t want to duplicate anything. I will need a good long stretch of time to do this.

So that is it!

Chocolate consumption report: I have no final numbers on this, but you guys know me. 😉 I…ate a lot. I don’t think that’s ever going to change.;)

Ready, Set, WRITE Final Progress Report

This is it, the end of RSW! I can’t even believe that it’s over!

I’m understanding that this year they are doing a “Manuscripts and Manicures” thing where you get a manicure in colors related to your WIP and post pictures? Sounds awesome, but I’ve been SWAMPED and have not been able to get it done. However, I

A hand of flames.

do have a stock photo I purchased a few years back for a project that does in fact remind me of one of my WIPs, Fireborn. —>

Okay, so onward with the reporting!

I did okay this go around. I took a few camping trips with hubby and that did not result in any big wordcount numbers, but did result in pictures! Also, I took on a few freelance editing jobs that made it tough to get any sort of groove going, and that’s totally okay. But that’s what happened. In some instances, I was just too busy to do something.

I also was adjusting to new medication for trigeminal neuralgia, and that impacted my ability to be productive.

So, enough with the whining! Here’s the final rundown:

How I did last week:

~Get to halfway point on editing job (page 175 or better!) DONE! Hit page 180 last night!
~Write something, anything, even small! DONE! Wrote a scene in Covenant last night. Don’t have a wordcount yet. It’s still on my iPad.

How I did overall:

~Finish Fireborn, my fantasy novella, episode #2 in my Reaper Girl Chronicles. NOT DONE. I haven’t finished the draft, but I’m within 10k or less of finishing, and I have A Plan for the rest! 
~Outline Ever Touched (Fey Touched book #3) in Hivemind. (I do not do much outlining at all, so this will be light. But I’d like something laid out to follow) DONE to the extent it could be done. It kind of fell by the wayside as other goals took priority, but it’s started and as I’ve mentioned, I don’t do total scene-by-scene outlines b/c I like a bit of mystery.
~10k or more on Covenant, my dark fantasy project (stealthily writing now) DONE! It’s around 11k or so.
~Continue to work on Survivor on Sundays (Survivor is a psychological horror novel I started waaaay back in 2004 and wrote it only on Sundays. Over the years, I got out of the habit — although I had finished the book — and wanted to try it again with the rewrite.) NOT DONE. This also fell a bit by the wayside between camping trips and editing jobs. I have been thinking about it a lot and I did begin a comprehensive re-outline for the rewrite. Soon, I’ll restart Survivor Sundays again. However, I did manage a couple of Sundays, just not a whole lot!
~Participate in Camp Nano July session/pick a project DONE! Covenant and Fireborn combined for a total of 10k which made my goal!

Non-writing goals:

~Create a name for Etsy shop (still noodling) DONE, although it’s nowhere near the one I want. Supposedly it can be changed.
~Find manual 35mm camera and see if it still works. If it does, shoot test roll. DONE on finding the camera, NOT DONE on test roll. Needed to buy a new camera body. Waiting for things to calm down so I can do the test roll.
~Read (2) books for review and post reviews by August 31 or sooner DONE #1, but not #2. It’s been read but not reviewed yet.
~Organize office NOT DONE but started!

For the excerpt, here’s part of what I wrote last on Fireborn:

“May I come in? It’s kinda cold out there.”

“Of course,” I said as I opened the door wider. Love watched the girl’s every moment. “Please have a seat on the couch. Can I get you anything to drink?”

Her eyes glistened with tears. “Water?”

“On its way,” Rick said. He left to get it.

I gestured for her to sit down, and once she was seated, she released a shuddering sigh, the kind you get when you’ve been crying for hours and you’re not sure you have anything left inside you. I was worried. I didn’t know her, but she’d been through something unpleasant.

I could relate.

“So…what’s going on?”

She squirmed. Clasped her hands together, then released them. Played with her long black hair. “It’s…it’s about the murders.”

“What do you mean?” Rick asked as he entered the room. He handed the water to the girl, who thanked him and drank it almost in one gulp.

“I know what’s been going on. Because I’ve been a part of it.”

“What?” I couldn’t even believe what I’d heard. I exchanged an incredulous look with Rick. “Are you saying…”

“I was part of the group that killed Samantha. I’m scared that I’ll be next.”

“How did you find us?” Rick asked, reaching for my hand.

“I had a vision,” the girl replied matter-of-factly. “I saw you and your husband. And your cat.” She glanced at Love, whose hackles went up. “She doesn’t like me, does she?”

“She’s a…very special kind of cat.” I went to Love and picked her up, holding her close to me. She was purring, but not out of content. She was afraid of this girl. “Let’s start from the beginning. Who are you and how did you come to have a vision about us?”

The girl swallowed hard, eyeing Love warily. “Cats don’t like me, for some odd reason. I’m a witch. I practice black magic, and I know you’re not entirely human.” She looked at Love. “And she’s not from this world.”

“Name. Please?” Rick prompted. He’d paled. No one had ever discovered who we were. Or were so blunt as to tell us so.

“I don’t know what to say.”

She smiled, looking all innocent. A black witch? Hellfire. “My name is Mercy.”

“How appropriate,” Rick muttered. “So…you saw us in a vision. Why?”

Mercy shrugged. “Because you are connected to the murders.”

“And what murders are you referring to?” I asked. Just in case this wasn’t about our case. Hey, it was possible.

“The ones that appear to be suicides.” Mercy stood, set her glass of water down, and wandered to the wall where we’d hung our wedding pictures and pictures of Love. She glanced at us over her shoulder. “As I said, I was part of the group. And Samantha wants revenge on us all. The first two were in the group, too. And there’s a fourth, but I’m not as interested in helping him. He’s a douche.” She lifted her hand and traced a path down the frame of one picture. “You two will be very happy. You’re truly matched.” She turned back to us, and her eyes seemed…deeper. More piercing. “You will have a child together and she will be very powerful.”

My stomach twisted. I’d never even considered getting pregnant. “Oh?”

“Leliel…pregnant?” Apparently, Rick thought the same. Or so I hoped.

Mercy nodded. “A female born in this world but with Reaper blood.” She went back to the couch, but didn’t sit. “I’m here to stop my own murder. And…I guess Tom’s.” She shrugged. “It would be the right thing to do.”

I felt nauseous with the knowledge that we were talking to one of the people who’d committed this horrific crime. “But why, Mercy? Why kill someone?”

“She was being a bitch.” Mercy sat. “She…had been cheating on Freddie for like, ever – “

“But that’s no reason to murder someone, burn them to death!” Rick cried.

“There’s more. You’re aware we’re into the occult, right?”

Rick and I nodded together. Horror filled me, filled every cell. I was afraid at what came next. No, make that terrified.

“Well, she cast a spell on him,” Mercy said, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “She called it the ‘failure spell.’” Air quotes. “Meaning, everything he’d ever do he would fail at – tests, winning girls over, his goals…everything. Forever.”

“Surely not literally forever, right?” Rick asked. He was sweating.

Mercy nodded. “Yes. Forever. That’s the other thing. It was supposed to give him a form of immortality. But not the good kind. The worst kind imaginable.”

I did not want to know. I did not want to know.

“Explain?”

“Rick,” I hissed. “Really?”

“Curiosity,” Rick whispered.

“Hellfire.”

“Let’s just say that he’d age normally but with no youth. That can be…really bad.”

I’d heard of punishments handed out by His Highness like this. The person would literally turn to dust in time, and the question was always if that dust was still conscious…bile came up my throat, and I made a beeline for the bathroom.

“Is she pregnant?” I heard Mercy ask. “Because that is one of the symptoms.”

Is Leliel pregnant? And is Mercy telling the truth? Stay tuned!

Well, this has been so much fun, and thank you all for the encouragement and cheering and the kind words! Good luck with your future endeavors.

RSW Progress Report 8/3/15

This will be a quickie as I need to get back to a freelance editing job I just took on that’s due Friday. 🙂

How I did on last week’s goals:

~Begin reworking Fireborn’s second half/1,000 words min NOT DONE. I am working toward it, though!
~1,000 words min on Covenant DONE! 1,551 new words written
~Make ruling on Survivor’s first scene MORE OR LESS DONE. I think I know what I’m doing.
~Finish Camp Nano (10k, both projects combined) DONE. MADE MY GOAL.
~I also finally dropped off my camera to a local camera shop. Owner thinks he can fix it. Fingers crossed!
~I set up my Etsy shop. I couldn’t use any of my ideas for names, not even marginally, but apparently youcan change the name at some point. Good enough.

This week’s and next week’s goals:

~Finish editing job and email the short story back to the writer (due 8/7)
~Start packing for vacation (!!)
~500 words on Fireborn/rewritten portion min
~500 words min on Covenant
~Review of Pas by SM Reine (!!!)
On vacation:
~Take pictures on vacation, regular and infrared
~Work on any project, any amount of words or outlining or whatever (usually I wait to see how I feel about being insanely productive or taking a break or doing just a bit. Every trip is different!)

A favorite line from my story OR a word or phrase that sums up what I wrote/revised: MADE THE FINISH LINE. Camp Nano. I’ve done it every year since it started, and I’ve never made my goal due to various factors. Doing Nano not in November and in summer instead is a bit different and in my case, requires some juggling as I take my vacations in the summer primarily. I set my goal for 10k on both Fireborn and Covenant combined and I made it! Very happy!

The biggest challenge I faced this week (ie finding time to write, getting sick, having writer’s block, etc): Getting that last 3k or so in for Camp. It was so minute, but seemed like such a huge thing because things had slowed way down for me and I was still adjusting to the meds, and well…it was tough. But I made it. 🙂

Something I love about my WIP: Well, both WIPs are really interesting and I’ve been pantsing them both. Fireborn needs to be changed a bit, which is normal for me, but it seems like it won’t be very difficult. It’s a novella, which helps! Sometimes I get a bit off track and need to bring it back to how I envisioned it. I am still in love with both stories.

**Just a note: I will NOT be doing a progress report next Monday 8/10 due to being on vacation* and being without internet. I will be back on schedule the following Monday 8/17. As you can see, I’ve got goals for both weeks.

Have a great 2 weeks and I’ll see you on the flip side.

*Camping, naturally!

#ROW80 Check-in 7/26/15

The past few days have been a bit rough. I’ve been extremely tired from the new medication and I have experienced some breakthrough pain. Even so, I am still happy with how it’s working because it is taking the pain away most of the time. I’m hoping to adjust to the sleepiness at some point (she says hopefully…).

That said, my progress has been a bit up-and-down.

Survivor – Today I continued to work on the outline. I rearranged a few things and considered some ways to torture my characters. 😉 It is growing in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I think this will be a tremendous improvement over the first draft. I am still thinking about a potential sequel to include the last quarter of the original first draft and then write the actual sequel I planned years ago as the third book in a trilogy. Still noodling, though.

Fireborn – 1,376 new words, broke 21k in draft. However, I may need to rework the last few scenes. I’m getting the feeling that I may not be on the right track. Typically, I write drafts straight through with the exception of this type of situation. It is giving me the heebie jeebies.

Covenant – 916 new words written, up to 9k in draft. I have an interesting situation going on there and I’m eager to continue working on it.

Camp Nano – up to almost 9k, goal is 10k. 🙂

Etsy shop – just began the process to set up a shop. I couldn’t have any of the names I thought up, so I went with one that’s kind of unoriginal but supposedly you can change it later. So. Getting there.

Camera repair – Hoping to go next Saturday and get it done so I can run my first test roll! Also hoping to do more digital infrared pics.

Chocolate consumption report: A bit more than last week. Yesterday was my mother-in-law’s birthday party and my hubby bought a chocolate cake with chocolate fudge-like frosting. And we bought M&M ice cream and oreo ice cream so uh, chocolate overload! In just one day! For the rest, minimal as per my one-per-day plan.

That’s it from me. How’d you do?

#ROW80 Check-in 7/26/15

The past few days have been a bit rough. I’ve been extremely tired from the new medication and I have experienced some breakthrough pain. Even so, I am still happy with how it’s working because it is taking the pain away most of the time. I’m hoping to adjust to the sleepiness at some point (she says hopefully…).

That said, my progress has been a bit up-and-down.

Survivor – Today I continued to work on the outline. I rearranged a few things and considered some ways to torture my characters. 😉 It is growing in ways I hadn’t anticipated. I think this will be a tremendous improvement over the first draft. I am still thinking about a potential sequel to include the last quarter of the original first draft and then write the actual sequel I planned years ago as the third book in a trilogy. Still noodling, though.

Fireborn – 1,376 new words, broke 21k in draft. However, I may need to rework the last few scenes. I’m getting the feeling that I may not be on the right track. Typically, I write drafts straight through with the exception of this type of situation. It is giving me the heebie jeebies.

Covenant – 916 new words written, up to 9k in draft. I have an interesting situation going on there and I’m eager to continue working on it.

Camp Nano – up to almost 9k, goal is 10k. 🙂

Etsy shop – just began the process to set up a shop. I couldn’t have any of the names I thought up, so I went with one that’s kind of unoriginal but supposedly you can change it later. So. Getting there.

Camera repair – Hoping to go next Saturday and get it done so I can run my first test roll! Also hoping to do more digital infrared pics.

Chocolate consumption report: A bit more than last week. Yesterday was my mother-in-law’s birthday party and my hubby bought a chocolate cake with chocolate fudge-like frosting. And we bought M&M ice cream and oreo ice cream so uh, chocolate overload! In just one day! For the rest, minimal as per my one-per-day plan.

That’s it from me. How’d you do?

RSW Progress Report 7/6/15

I missed last week’s progress report! I had a time-sensitive freelance job that I needed to get done. But now I’m back in the swing!

How I did on last week’s goal(s)

This report is for two weeks, technically. I did okay. I didn’t finish everything, but I made progress and that’s what counts!

Here’s the rundown:

~1,000 words or more on Covenant ~290 words written
~Figure out exactly how the next scene in Fireborn should go, and write the damn thing ~DONE! And I have a direction for the rest of the novella so yay!
~Begin redoing Survivor outline/work on Survivor this Sunday ~This did not happen due to the freelance project and yesterday I was loopy on painkillers and did not feel right. So I skipped. 😦
~Outline more on Ever Touched ~DONE!
~Decide on a name for Etsy shop! ~Decided on a name. Don’t know if it’s available yet.
~Find 35mm manual camera ~Nope. 😦
~Call camera shop to see if they repair 35mm cameras ~DONE! Dropping it off this Saturday!
~Finish proofing sample and send it back to author ~DONE, which led to job! Yay!
~Put together list for an appointment ~DONE! Appointment went well.

My goal(s) for this week

~1,000 words minimum on Fireborn (Camp Nano)
~1,000 words minimum on Covenant (Camp Nano)
~Work on Survivor this Sunday
~Finish reading book #1 for review (so close to being done!)
~Start book #3 for review

A favorite line from my story OR a word or phrase that sums up what I wrote/revised: Slow and not so steady. Kind of fell apart. In my defense, I had minor surgery last Tuesday and have been on painkillers. 😦  (And the freelance job. I really enjoyed that and it was a challenge so yay).

The biggest challenge I faced this week (ie finding time to write, getting sick, having writer’s block, etc): Finding the motivation to do everything. I always think I can do it all, and that’s just not the case. I am happy with what I accomplished, however.

Something I love about my WIP: Fireborn came about from a question I asked myself: what if boys appeared to be committing suicide via self-immolation but weren’t suicide? What if someone compelled them to do it? And the story unfolded from there. Tarot cards figure prominently in it, so I can use my Tarot knowledge (I used to read them semi-professionally and own 30+ decks) and I love the MCs so much. And, once again, I am exploring fire. (I am terrified of it, but it keeps showing up in my books…)

So, that’s my two weeks. How’d you do?

RSW Progress Report

This is my first progress report for Ready, Set, Write!

I’ve been doing okay, been moving slowly but steadily. I’ve been having issues with fatigue, and today my eye pain required a loopy pill (probably because of the storm we had earlier. It’s such a weird thing). So I’ve been hanging in there.

Here is the rundown on how week 1 went:

How I did on last week’s goal(s)

Pretty decently. I got some writing done on Covenant and Fireborn (although I got a bit stuck and that stalled me for a bit), got more outlining done on Ever Touched (and now have named characters! And a better name for my winged beings!), and discovered an issue with Survivor chapter 1 that will requite me to redo the entire outline.

On non-writing stuffs, I’m down to two names for the Etsy shop. Still reading books for review. Began organizing my office.

• My goal(s) for this week

~1,000 words or more on Covenant
~Figure out exactly how the next scene in Fireborn should go, and write the damn thing
~Begin redoing Survivor outline/work on Survivor this Sunday
~Outline more on Ever Touched
~Decide on a name for Etsy shop!
~Find 35mm manual camera
~Call camera shop to see if they repair 35mm cameras
~Finish proofing sample and send it back to author
~Put together list for an appointment

A favorite line from my story OR a word or phrase that sums up what I wrote/revised: Slow and steady

The biggest challenge I faced this week (ie finding time to write, getting sick, having writer’s block, etc): The biggest challenge for me was realizing that after rewriting chapter 1 on Survivor, I’d completely ignored my outline and notes, and my memory is not as good as I thought. And also that 2007!Erin who first wrote the outline knew nothing about how to progress a story in each scene. So, I must rework the outline and the chapter, ugh.

• Something I love about my WIP: Survivor is an interesting book because when I first started it, it was one thing, but through the writing, it became something totally different. It’s psychological horror with mental illness, an evil doctor, and twins. And the twins thing is kind of cool b/c I’m fascinated by them. And it dawned on me just recently (11 years after starting the book) that the twins mirror my younger sister and I somewhat. We aren’t twins, but we’re close in age and have been mistaken for twins many times.

It shall be a busy week methinks!

Ready. Set. WRITE Goals

So I’m joining this challenge a bit late, but I figured I’d jump in and get moving. I need a serious kick in the pants this summer, and between this and ROW80, I should be in good shape. I hope. 😉

So here are my goals:

~Finish Fireborn, my fantasy novella, episode #2 in my Reaper Girl Chronicles.
~Outline Ever Touched (Fey Touched book #3) in Hivemind. (I do not do much outlining at all, so this will be light. But I’d like something laid out to follow)
~10k or more on Covenant, my dark fantasy project (stealthily writing now)
~Continue to work on Survivor on Sundays (Survivor is a psychological horror novel I started waaaay back in 2004 and wrote it only on Sundays. Over the years, I got out of the habit — although I had finished the book — and wanted to try it again with the rewrite.)
~Participate in Camp Nano July session/pick a project

Non-writing goals:

~Create a name for Etsy shop (still noodling)
~Find manual 35mm camera and see if it still works. If it does, shoot test roll.
~Read (2) books for review and post reviews by August 31 or sooner
~Organize office

I have been working through chronic excruciating eye pain (left eye only) for the past 2 years with no real relief or a diagnosis. Still working on a diagnosis, have some theories. Some days are better than others, and the meds help a bit. It’s been a real struggle, but writing helps keep me focused and sane. 😀

Looking forward to having some fun and lots of writing!