I have a deadline of sorts. Well, technically, I have several in the few months (February should be an interesting month at my house), but the one that is looming first and foremost in my mind is December 31st. The first draft of my YA science fiction novel--the ubiquitous WIP, The Daphne Project--needs to be complete. This is not a publisher deadline or even an agent deadline. Several writing buds and I have made this arbitrary deadline in order to kick ourselves in the ass and Get Our Shit Done and complete our first drafts. It seemed so easy when we made this pact a few months ago. Now I'm a little freaked. Not horribly. But enough. I figure if I do 1K a day minimum I should make it.

Completing a draft is always a huge milestone. Most people who want to be writers never finish a project. The story stalls or life gets in the way or they get bogged down in research or they always find a reason not to write or they start a new story. Whatever the reason, THEY NEVER FINISH. So actually writing the words "The End" and actually meaning it makes me feel like a professional of sorts. Now, that's not to say that professional writers don't stall on novels or start a short and never finish it or put a mostly-finished draft in the trunk and never look at it again. They do. It's part of learning the craft. But one of the things that separates a pro from an amateur is FINISHING THE STORY. A professional knows that most any story can be salvaged, that it's rarely broken beyond repair, and even if it's misshapen, a little Butt In Chair will do the trick.

I understand wanting to stop. For me, getting a rough draft of a novel down on paper is like pulling teeth. I fret about plot and pacing and characterization and plot and sentence structure and plot. (Did I mention plot?) There were several times during the current WIP where I could have said, "Fuck it. I'm writing something else." And sometimes I did. A short story there. A blog post there. But never once did I say, "You know, I'm not finishing this." It's just not my style. The carrot for me is rewriting. I can't count how many times I've said to myself, "Self, just get it down. You'll fix it in the rewrite." As I've said on this blog numerous times, I don't write, I rewrite. I look forward to sitting down with my draft and my critique notes and ripping my novel apart. Changing concepts and adding scenes and combining chapters and fleshing out characters and making this story come alive. My heart is racing a little with anticipation.

That will come later. For now, I'll finish the draft. Then I'll give myself some space from that project by writing three short stories and sending out more queries for Through the Portal. Maybe I'll even sketch out a rough plot outline for my next YA novel (turning my World Domination short into a novel or even a short series).

Tags: the daphne project, through the portal, writing
Where am I again?: Ken's Den
How does that make you feel?: accomplished

Ken and I watched Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds the other day. In two words: well-crafted.

( Hey, this is movie's tagline could be "Fun with Alternate History." )

If you you like Tarantino movies (and hell, even if you don't), Inglorious Basterds is worth the two hours you'll spend watching it. And if you're a writer or screenwriter or filmmaker, it's a study in pacing and dialogue and storybuilding craft. I'd pay to watch it again.

Tags: movie review
Where am I again?: Ken's Den
How does that make you feel?: satisfied
What's that noise?: running water

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the States, and so I thought it an apropro time to post my "what I'm thankful for" thoughts.

First off, I am so grateful for my husband, family, and friends. Everyone needs a support network, and I love and appreciate mine to bits.

The kitties. Sometimes they piss me off--four a.m. head butts will do that--but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Books and music and television and movies and all the artists that spend their creative energy making them happen.

While my pants size isn't as small as I would like, I am thankful that I haven't experienced real hunger. Sure, I've had the sugar-crash-must-eat-now shakes, and the haven't-eaten-for-six-hours-get-me-a-side-of-beef-stat grumbles, but I don't know what it feels like to starve.

A roof over my head and clothes on my back.

The Three L's: Life. Love. Laughter.


Wherever you are tomorrow, but sure to take a few moments to think about what you're thankful for. And don't forget to share those thoughts with your loved ones!

Tags: thanksgiving
Where am I again?: Ken's Den
How does that make you feel?: content
What's that noise?: silence

Discovered this on my internet travels today. Enjoy!

Tags: internet fun
Where am I again?: Ken's Den
How does that make you feel?: cheerful
What's that noise?: Muppets

No panels for me this year, but I caught up with old friends and made new ones and ate food and schmoozed and just absorbed all the writerly goodness. I witnessed dozens of excellent steampunk costumes and attended a Dr. Horrible Sing-Along (so much fun.) Oh, and I posed for a mock urban-fantasy cover, which was so much fun. Seriously, I have no shame.

Now, it's back to work. I have ... six weeks ... or something ... to finish the first draft of The Daphne Project. Ack! Where did the time go?

Tags: con talk, linky linky, mock urban fantasy cover
Where am I again?: Ken's Den
How does that make you feel?: silly
What's that noise?: silence

Tags: linky linky
Where am I again?: Ken's Den

Wanna play? Comment to this post with "resistance is futile" and I'll ask you five questions that you can answer in your own blog.


rarelylynne asked:

1. Describe one guilty pleasure that you love to pieces, and no one else understands why.
 
Hmmm. I looooove not taking a shower for a day. Usually it's during the weekend, and I call it either "Slimy Saturday" or "Slimy Sunday" for obvious reasons. Sometimes social obligations get in the way and I have to be clean and groomed all weekend, but I get to lounge around in my own grime enough to keep me satisfied.

2. Tell me something that you've promised yourself you will do before you die.

Becoming a published novelist. This still might never happen ... but the optimist in me thinks it will. Once it does, my new "do before I die goal" will be to travel to Europe.

3. What's your favorite travel experience?

Seeing Niagra Falls. Eating at the revolving restaurant at the top of Seattle's Space Needle is a close second. 

4. If you could meet anyone in all of history for dinner, who would it be and why?

Oh, jeez, a history question. Did I mention I suck at history? I'm going to go modern here and say Stephen King. He's my rock star.  Spending a few hours talking about writing with him would be a dream come true. If he were unavailable ... Marilyn Monroe. I'd love to have the opportunity to peek into the enigma.

5. What was the first book that you read that really stayed with you, and why?

Deenie by Judy Blume, probably because it talked about masturbation without making it seem dirty or wrong. Actually, anything by Blume stuck with me: Tiger Eyes for death, Are You There God, It's Me Margaret for religion, Starring Sally J. Friedman as Herself for periods and bras. Everything a girl needs to know about life she can learn from Judy Bloom.



michaeldthomas asked:

1- What's more important to you as a writer: selling lots of books or winning awards?

This is actually a pretty hard question. Would I rather have recognition from my peers or from my audience? While winning a Hugo or a Newberry or something would be truly amazing, I'm going to go with selling a bunch of books. Not because I want the money or fame--although those would be a nice perk--but because of what the numbers represent. If I've sold lots of copies (especially if I've sold lots of copies of multiple books) it means a that there is a whole group of people to whom my writing speaks. They get it. What I've written means enough to them that they're willing to shell out money for it. I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

2- What do you love most about conventions?

Hands down, the people. Reconnecting with old friends and making new ones recharges my batteries. And, as we all know, writers with full batteries write more words than writers whose cells are empty.

 

3- Have you ever been disappointed by literary hero?

I was disappointed when Robert Jordan died before finishing Wheel of Time. Not disappointed with him, really ... just sad that he didn't get to see his massive epic through to the end.

4- What's your favorite thing about East-Central Illinois?

The topography. (I kid, I kid.)  I was born and raised in the midwest, and so the corn- and soybean fields are a part of my tapestry. My favorite part about living where I do is the dichotomy that exists. There's a swanky wine shop four blocks from a cornfield. I can watch a broadway play and go deer hunting in the same day.  At the library I'll see someone wearing Seven jeans standing next to someone in camo overalls. It's a mix of urban/rural that fits me well.

5- What's more important as a writer: talent or persistence?

Hands down, persistence. Talent will only take you so far; you've got to have a stubborn streak a mile wide to really make it. You've got to know deep down in your soul that you have something worthwhile to say and be willing to work hard enough to learn how to say it well.
 

Tags: meme, resistence is futile
Where am I again?: castle room
How does that make you feel?: contemplative
What's that noise?: Call of Duty 6

Recipe for a Bad Weekend:

1. Attend your aunt's funeral on Saturday.

2. Visit your 67-year-old mother-in-law in a memory-care assisted-living facility on Sunday.


I need cake. Will take sleep instead. Tomorrow I will bury myself in the WIP after a good workout at the gym.

Tags: weekend from hell
Where am I again?: castle room
How does that make you feel?: exhausted
What's that noise?: Borderlands

Last night found me in a theater watching Paranormal Activity for the second time in four days. Why did I watch the same movie twice in less than a week, you ask? The reasons are sordid, and I won't divulge the details here ... but I will say that watching this Little Horror Movie That Could again was not a waste of time. Of course, I had a fascination with poltergeists in my youth and I consider a night watching "Ghosthunters" to be time well spent, so maybe I'm biased.


( Spoilerish bits lie within )


Will I watch it a third time? Probably not in the theater. Would I suggest you watch it? Sure--but don't pay full price.

Tags: movie review
Where am I again?: castle room
How does that make you feel?: contemplative
What's that noise?: Borderlands

Last night Ken and I had friends over for a night of dinner and pumpkin carving. We tried a new recipe (chicken pot pie with parsnips and sweet potatoes, yum) and then set about destroying four perfectly good pumpkins for our amusement. Three of us used pre-printed designs, but our friend Mick, who is a tortured artist at heart, decided he would make his own.

Mick: What's that horse in the blog thing we watched last time we were here?

Kelly: Bad Horse?

Mick: Yeah, the Thoroughbred of Sin. I'm gonna make him

Kelly: YES. DO THAT.

(For those of you who aren't indoctrinated yet, Bad Horse is a character in Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog.)
And so he sketched a pattern on newspaper, tacked it onto his pumpkin, and went for it.

The results:

A bat in the night



You knew I had to do a cat
 
 

Ken's fabulous scarecrow


And, ladies and gentlemen, I give you ... Bad Horse.



Doesn't he make you want to go kill a kid in Iowa that grows up to be President someday, or what? 

Sigh. I have the best friends ever.
 

Tags: dr. horrible, halloween, photo op
Where am I again?: castle room
How does that make you feel?: geeky
What's that noise?: Sunday Night Football