#ROW80 Final Check-in 12/20/15

I’ve decided to wrap this up due to the fact that the next week is going to be nuts and I tend to forget about my Wednesday check-ins. So, here’s where I finished at:

~Finish Fireborn (I’m within 5k-10k to the end) – Unfortunately not, but I am so close I can taste it. The draft is at 19k after rewriting the last 5k or so. It’s my #1 priority after finishing up Pirouette in the new year.
~5k more on Covenant –Unfortunately not. Only wrote 1,345 words, but that’s something!
~Barring unforeseen craziness, I’d like to participate in NaNoWriMo with a modified goal of 30k (because my wrists can’t take 50k). Need to decide on a project, Survivor Rewrite or Ever Touched. Both need to be written, and there are compelling reasons for working on both but…just. can’t. decide! DONE! Participated in NanoWriMo with Ever Touched and ended with a wordcount of 32k.
~Pirouette revision for publisher – On page 30 of 250, so I’ve finally moved on from the first 24 pages! Yay!

Non-writing goals:

~Shoot test roll of 35mm film and develop HALF DONE. Shot test roll, but need new chemicals which I have not bought yet. And I also need to finish cleaning/dusting and reorganizing my darkroom
~15 minutes of physical activity (anything that gets me out of my chair counts: cleaning, walking, straightening, breaks from writing, etc) 3 times per week DONE for the most part. I managed physical activity at least once a week, but sometimes I got two or three in, so I call that a win.

I’ve had some personal stuff happening this round, and freelance work as well, so I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped. But I’m moving forward, if slowly, and that’s what counts.

Chocolate consumption: Not as much as I’d like, as a rule, this round because dieting. I’m sure the holidays will blow this all to hell anyway. 😉

How did you do on this round?

And Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! I will be participating in ROW80 next year.

 

 

#ROW80 Check-in 12/13/15

Here I am with another ROW80 update. I completely spaced on Wednesday’s check-in and decided to wait till today.

I have been very busy, and I anticipate I’ll be getting busier as Christmas approaches. I have had some issues finding the time to sit down and work on this revision, so I am not making great progress. It is also starting to feel like a total rewrite with all the changes I’m making. Which isn’t bad — but, unfortunately, there isn’t enough time to do a complete rewrite + editing/proofreading + a synopsis. So it may be a no go, but I am still optimistic that I can get it done regardless. (I may be delusional). Even so, I plan to continue working on this for submission to another publisher, so all will not be lost if I don’t make the deadline.

I’m also having issues with my MC. I mentioned previously that she has been very snarky, and a lot of beta feedback has been negative toward her, and not just because of the snarkiness. BIG, big issues. So I posed a question to some writer friends and they had some great advice and feedback. So I have been trying to implement changes to both my MCs, and I’ve been feeling a bit lost. Because this book has literally been in my head for 10 years, and Alisia, the MC, has always been so strong and tough, and changing her feels like a betrayal. BUT I know these changes are for the good of the book, and for her (as far as likability is concerned) and well, it’s an adjustment. You have to do what the book requires. And if I have a shot at getting it published, I need to dig in and get it done.

So it’s been a bit weird so far. I’m on page 24 of 250. I hope to speed up some this week. I hope.

Physical activity: 1 time, 15 minutes

Chocolate consumption: Not a lot. WW Sundaes and WW chocolate-caramel thingies but that’s it. Majorly falling down on the job here.

#ROW80 Check-in 12/6/15

Annnnd I am back. The time between the last check-in and today seems to have been a whirlwind, but a good one, because I got some good work done.

I finished NanoWriMo with 32,169 words on Ever Touched, which is wonderful. Now I have a good start for when I pick it back up again (probably sometime next year). The story is just starting to take shape, and I’m excited about the possibilities.

On December 1st I began the revision for Pirouette. I brainstormed my little head off and figured out a better opening scene. I am still a bit wibbly on parts of it, but it will do for now. I need to get the new stuff (re)written before I do anything else, because that will take the longest. Alisia, my MC, is trying her best to be snarky, but I am working on making it less for this draft. I LOVED her snarkiness, but it was too much, according to the majority of my beta readers. But I won’t take it all out.

I’m up to page 16 and 8,214 words so far — some of it is words that existed prior, but the bulk of it is new or revised material. So, I’m finally on my way. The good news is that my plot was pretty solid, so not much of that is being changed. I do have one element I’d like to add in if I can. So most of the work is on the characters and their interactions.

I forgot how hard it is to write 3rd person formal speech. I keep slipping into first person (which is my preference) and/or contemporary speech/though patterns and I have to remind myself that it isn’t going to work with this book. I remember waaaaaaay back when I was writing the first draft (10 years ago!) I lamented writing 3rd person for the male lead because I did not, at that time, know how to write 3rd person well. Now I chuckle because I’m pretty good at it now, and I should be okay, but still..little things trip me up.

As for physical activity, I’ve kind of fallen off the wagon there. I will be starting it again this week. Too little time, so damn much to do!

So from now until the end of the round, my priorities are the Pirouette revision and physical activity.

On the chocolate front, not too bad? I finished off our pumpkin-pecan strusel pie which was so yummy, and I’ve been eating mostly WW snacks. We have custard-filled donuts for dessert tonight (topped with chocolate), yum!

How have you all been doing?

#ROW80 Check-in 11/29/15

I am finally able to do a proper #ROW80 post! I was busy with Thanksgiving prep, then Thanksgiving! I had a 4-day weekend from work which has gone by so fast! I go back tomorrow and I am NOT looking forward to it!

I also got all of my Christmas shopping done. 🙂

As for NanoWriMo, I am up to 31,548 words, which means I made my goal of 30k! YAY! And, early, no less! Yesterday I had a migraine/TN pain combo which put me in bed early (like, waaay early!) and on Friday I went Christmas shopping which was exhausting, so here we are. On Thanksgiving I took a break — and I was too busy to really think about writing, honestly.

So I made it. I also revised Changeling 3 for posting on Tuesday, finally!

On Tuesday I am also starting the revision for Pirouette for submission to the publisher I mentioned a few weeks back. I was hoping to start this weekend, but it wasn’t in the cards. I still need to think about the first scene, anyway — I want to present my MC using her forbidden magic, but I have rewritten this scene several times and it’s just not working for me. It’s been said that you start a novel when the MC’s life is about to change irrevocably — which is what I did. But I can’t put my finger on why it’s not working. So, 2 days to think about it.

Stats!
Words written: 31,548
Words remaining: 0
Word wars: 11
Word wars with myself: 5
Chapters written: n/a, as I stopped doing chapter divisions
What’s happening: Brianna is in over her head
What’s next: Something?
Feeling: Not bad!

Chocolate consumption: It’s more like pie consumption this week! We had a grand total of 5 pies for Thanksgiving, and none of them were chocolate. I think my favorites were (homemade) pecan and caramel apple! Been sneaking some WW chocolate caramel thingies. I also need to get back onto the program. But, leftovers!

#ROW80 Check-in 11/18/15

It’s already Wednesday, and a week till Thanksgiving! Holy crap, time is flying!

I’ve broken 20k on Nano (Ever Touched). The decision to start over was a good one. It’s going well. I’m roughly 8k in, and around 10-11k counting the scenes I will be keeping from the original. 10k to go to make my goal.

I’ve also written 1k or more every day this month except one (931). It is the most I’ve written ALL YEAR. I am usually more productive than that, but I’ve had a lot going on that contributed to having less words. The important thing is that I kept writing, even if it was a little.

(Part of me is hoping I can continue writing 1k a day consistently — but I worry about my wrists. Been feeling a bit of twinging for the past 2 days).

Physical activity – 3 times, 15 minutes each (or more in one case)

Darkroom – I started cleaning it this past weekend. I also put together a wish list for what chemicals I need.

Stats!
Words written: 20,552
Words remaining: 9,448
Word wars: 11
Word wars with myself: 5
Chapters written: 3
What’s happening: Another uncomfortable conversation
What’s next: Brianna needs to chill
Feeling: Better!

Chocolate consumption: Not a lot? Dang I’m completely falling down on the chocolate train. Yikes.

#ROW80 Check-in 11/11/15

Nano is in full swing, and I was typing away yesterday on Ever Touched when I came to a horrifying conclusion: it was just not working. No matter how I framed it, this story sucked. I know Nano is all about the wordcount and I believe in that to a degree, but the sick feeling in my stomach would not go away. Especially after last night’s work. I’d thought maybe it was pressure related (book 3 of a series), maybe it was because I was pantsing it and felt like I was floundering….but no matter what I told myself, the feeling continued to get worse. And I can’t continue on a project if I feel this way, Nano or not.

So I made a decision. I would start over. I’ll keep my words and wordcount intact (after all, I did write them!), but I’d start at the very beginning. I’ll do that for a few days. If things didn’t improve, I’d choose another novel and start that. It is still early in the month and I could probably get a good 15-20k in before the 30th.

So today I started it and…so far, it feels better. I feel like my character is acting and narrating in character (that was one problem) and I’ve changed her secret/problem a bit and I like it better now. I’ve also changed the way she and the male lead interact and again, much better.

Whether or not this is the answer to the problem I don’t know yet. But I have a long history of needing to restart stories. Fey Touched I started twice, and Grave Touched three times (not counting the rewrites! Counting them, probably five!). Sometimes you have to go where your heart goes, and I believe my muse was not quite on board. This is one case where brute force was the wrong thing to do.

Did I waste the first 11k? Hell no! I may reuse some of those scenes (with tweaks, of course!) and even if I didn’t, they started me on this path and needed to exist to bring me to this point. It’s all good.

Stats!

Words written: 12,871
Words remaining: 17,129
Word wars: 9
Word wars with myself: 2
Chapters written: 0
What’s happening: An uncomfortable conversation (again!)
What’s next: Brianna needs to make a decision
Feeling: Better!

Chocolate: Not a lot! I had a chocolate-covered caramel from the hubby, and I ate a WW Sundae with chocolate syrup, yum!I lost a pound and a half!

#ROW80 Check-in 11/8/15 – Nanoing

Yep, here we are again!

I am still working on Ever Touched for NanoWriMo, and I’m just shy of 10k now. It’s been a bit rough. I think time away from this particular world has diluted it in my head, and also the characters. It hasn’t been that long, but long enough for me to notice subtle things.

Usually until I hit 10k I am floundering (except with Fey Touched — that book was the exception to the rule) and since I’m pantsing it, doubly so. I have a general idea of what I’m heading for, but no details as to how, and I feel a bit panicky about it. I think it may be because it will be intended for publication, and it’s the third book in a series, and I’ve never written a third book in a series ever. So more often than not I have had to force myself to write, which isn’t as fun, but that’s my only option.

NanoWriMo for many years has been absolute magic for me. But for the first time, I’m feeling a bit strange. Like I’m not doing this right. It can’t be the 30k goal, because I’ve done that many times. I’m not sure if it’s just nerves, or working on this book in particular, but there it is. But I am sticking with it until the end, and I may feel differently later. Perhaps.

Stats:

Words written: 9,180
Words remaining: 20,820
Word wars: 6
Word wars with myself: 2
Chapters written: 1
What’s happening: An uncomfortable conversation
What’s next: Hell if I know
Feeling: Strange

I have also been rereading a book of mine I began waaaaaaay back in 2005 (!) that I want to submit to a publisher early next year. I’ve rewritten it 4 times already over the past 10 years (scary, huh?) and I set it aside in 2011 to write Fey Touched. (I was getting absolutely nowhere and was ready to hang it up completely when some writer friends suggested I do this). So I’ve been terrified to even look at it again. But it’s one of my best stories, with two of my favorite characters and one of the scariest villains I’ve ever written (or so I’ve been told) and I refuse to let it go. So I thought, I’m NOT rewriting it again, but a comprehensive revision would be okay. I still have the original notecards and betas’ notes, and maybe it would be a good thing to stretch myself a bit and see what I can do. There is a deadline involved, and even if by some chance I don’t make that deadline, I’m still working on it and not letting it sit longer. It’s on my priority list for revisions anyway, so why the heck not? So I started the reread last night and….it’s not as horrible as I thought it was. It has its moments and definite places that need fixing (particularly with the heroine and hero) but damn. It’s actually quite good. So, maybe there’s hope yet!

(Just a bit of trivia for you. I began this book, called Pirouette, on Nov 1st for Nano in 2005. I finished the first draft on December 27, 2006 — yes, I remember it! — and the draft came in at 399,915 words. (!!!!!!) The first draft was more of an exploratory draft and bears little resemblance to what it is now, but it laid the groundwork for what followed. Draft 2 is where I made some major changes, all to the good, and that one came in at 192k. And….so on. Now it’s down to 128k.)

Yeah, so a big project I wasn’t planning on taking on this soon but there’s an opportunity there I don’t want to miss.

So that’s what’s going on.

Oh, yeah, on physical activity, I’ve done 15 mins  twice this week.

Chocolate consumption: Not a lot. Been trying to stay within the confines of my diet. (And I can’t believe I am saying that!)

How are you doing?

#ROW80 Check-in 11/4/15

So we’re 4 days into Nanowrimo, and I’m doing okay, averaging 1,000 words a day which is my minimum. I haven’t done my words for today, but I imagine it’ll be around there. (I am wondering where to go next, even with my loose outline. Oops?)

So, here’s the rundown:

Physical activity: 3 times X 15 minutes
Covenant: 0 words, but simmering
Fireborn: 905 new words, broke 20k
Ever Touched: 3,000 words so far for Nano
Test roll: FINISHED. Just need to find the time to mix the chemicals and develop it! It felt good to be shooting b&w again

Chocolate consumption: Not too much, actually. Well within the limits of my diet. Kind of scary, but good for me.

Here’s a little snippet of Ever Touched. Background: Brianna is the MC, and she is at a Fey bar to gather intel. But she gets sidetracked by a drink and the dance floor…

A pounding began behind my eyelids. Lovely. With a whispered cheers, I took my first sip.
And nearly choked.
He wasn’t kidding when he said it was “very hot.” It felt as if a fire seared its way down my throat and spread through my body. It jacked me up in an odd kind of way. I wanted to dance, to move to the music, let the fire pulse inside me with the music…
I found myself headed toward the dance floor without any conscious thought of doing so. I dodged the mass of bodies writhing, gyrating, twisting, and turning until I found a reasonably empty spot.
And…started to move.
As the fire spread through me, I let the music take hold of me. I moved with it, and within it, spinning, forgetting everything — the episodes, my loneliness… I moved like an ethereal being between strobes, flitting across the floor like a wraith, spinning like a ballerina. I was everything; I was nothing in the pulse of the strobe lights.
And then it happened.
I was in that room again. A pinch of an injection. A face, blurry to my eyes, a mouth moving, forming words I couldn’t understand or hear. My spine bowed with the force of energy slamming into me, and I started to speak.
Words, disconnected sounds. Nothing made sense. I wasn’t dancing anymore. I was standing there, all alone, and trapped in the vision-thing and —
“Brianna?”

Annnd that’s it for now! How are you doing?

Stay tuned.

#ROW80 Check-n 10/28/15 – Settling

Things have been a bit tough over here. If you didn’t read my post from Sunday, I lost a dear friend and co-worker last week and was grieving. I still am, actually. I’m just now starting to ease into normal life again.

He was like a grandfather to me and losing him so suddenly was not only a shock but a huge blow. I’d just spoken with him the week before. And while he was in poor health, he seemed to be doing okay. Certainly not near death. So it was a tough time, and I’ve been reflecting and collecting memories. His desk at work has been vacated for over a year. But he was in the world somewhere, you know? Now he’s just gone. And I’ve been sad. Too sad to even contemplate writing.

Until today! I finally wrote!

Here’s the proper rundown:

Physical activity – 3 times, 15 minutes
Covenant – 969 words today! Just hovering under 13k!
Fireborn – 398 words; 19k now
Ever Touched: Outlined! Set up on the Nano site and ready to roll.
Test roll: No, because grieving.

Chocolate consumption: A fair amount. Rollos, WW caramel thingies, WW Sundaes. Trying not to overeat with this awful hunger. It’s been a challenge. I’m hovering around the same weight, so at least I haven’t gained anything. Yay?

How’d you do?

#ROW80 Check-in 10/21/15

My beautiful cover for Reaper Girl, created by the awesome and wonderful Dannika Dark. 🙂

I’ve been a bit busy, which is a good thing, and I’ve done some writing, but not as much as I wanted to! Things keep popping up. This week has been the week of the migraine, and I *think* — hope — it’s gone for good. I think we have a storm front coming through or something. And, naturally, the TN pain had to get in on the action, so that’s been hurting quite a lot despite being on an intermediate dose between the lower dosage and the new prescribed dosage. Being that this is all new still, I’m not really sure what’s going on. But today it has been tolerable, so that’s a good thing.

The BIG news is that I have a cover for Reaper Girl, my novella that was published originally in the Under Her Protection anthology. I am going to be giving away a free copy to anyone who signs up for my newsletter. I sat down to work on the cover and showed it (a very rough draft) to some writer friends and I learned that just because I’m a photographer, doesn’t mean I am good at cover design (and Grave Touched doesn’t count. I was just following what the original designer, SM Reine, did with it). I am in the process of learning, and I learned a great deal with that one. Along with lots of great advice, one of the writers took my awful cover and turned it into the beautiful cover on the left. (Her name is Dannika Dark, and she rocks, both with writing and cover design). So that’s my cover. All I need to do is format the novella for Kindle/Nook/etc and I’m there. 🙂 The big challenge will be to make Fireborn match this lovely cover. I want to do it myself. *twitches*

Okay, on to the rundown! Here’s what I have done:

Physical activity: 2 days, approximately 15 minutes each
Test roll: Couldn’t do it this past weekend because silly me, I didn’t check the batteries! They’re like, at least 10 years old, and deader than dead. So my husband bought some from his work. So…this will be happening soonish.
Fieborn: Hit a bit of a snag that had me stumped, and I believe I may (maybe!) be over the hump. 672 new words.
Covenant: Nothing, although ideas are simmering.
Nano/Ever Touched: Going to be outlining at least some of it (at least enough to start me off) this week sometime.

Chocolate consumption: birthday cake! WW Sundaes! Still trying to diet, and that’s been going alright, I guess. Eating out at restaurants is the toughest, especially when the chosen restaurant has little-to-no options for health-conscious or dieting customers. So I haven’t been doing awesome, but I am trying at home as much as possible.