Saturday, November 1, 2008

Day 1: NaNo 2008

So. Its day one. I've done an astounding 8,000 words so far today. This is shaking up to be a productive NaNo. And I think I've FINALLY perfected my query letter. and now its fit for sending, and rejections. Oh come on, I'm just being realistic. I figure it'll take a year or more to find someone that will be wiling to take me on. And then, who knows how long to get it all published like. But I'm so cool with it, I'm just happy I was able to finish the first one.

Funny enough, I'm not even working on the second book to that series yet because right now, for NaNo I have an idea that has been burning in my mind. After a brief break to watch Shaun of the Dead, I'm back on until midnight (if I don't give myself a stop time I will write all through the night and never sleep). I love this idea, and I love where it's going so far. So. Here's to a wonderful November to all you NaNoers!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

NaNoWriMo and a whole new Idea

So, NaNo begins this weekend, and I am thoroughly excited for yet another year of insanity. I was originally going to try and do book 2 in my whole Sins of the Seven series, but I've decided on something completely new. I'm very excited and it should prove to be a fun story, with all the supernatural/paranormal/fantasy themes I love, and a little crime suspense...government program...things. I know I'm not explaining it the best but here it is. So, if anyone is into getting into a crazy month of nuttiness and forum funtimes, then NaNo is the place for you. Just follow this here link and let the fun begin! National Novel Writing Month

Sunday, September 28, 2008

NaNoWriMo

begins nov 1st. I hope you all will join me in the exciting yearly venture! Even though I will also be working on Book 2 (which may be put aside whilst I labor tirelessly to reach 50k in a month!) I am determined to finish this year. NaNoWriMo is a wonderful undertaking and this year I will regularly attending write-ins again. Excitement is here. Only a month until it begins.

So I hope to see you all at North Jersey Write-Ins!!!!

Holy Shick.

I discovered the best program ever which I am calling my digital dry erase board. Evernote rox. And I can now keep my thoughts and obsessive lists of names....organized. My index card filing was great but this makes it all right at my fingertips and while I will never replace my notebooks or office supples with digital means...It does make it easier to organize my thoughts for book 2. Which I have about 5,000 words done for. As well as 6,000 words on a short story which may someday be another novel. As well as notes for yet another novel idea. I have too many ideas. OH! queries are being sent monday so you can all get together and pray/chant/meditate for my success. I will be doing much the same. As well as not sleping until I hear back. I decided on three specific agents that I would LOVE to have. So I'm praying one of them digs my writing. Well. Off to tinker with Evernote some more.

Also. Totally watching bootlegged interweb editions of Trueblood and Dexter. Because I have not the showtime. Sad. And i'm hoping to catch some Dr. Who or Primeval today. Yummy British television makes me happy. off!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Draft 3!

So. After the first round of edits (which I focused mainly on the grammar and spelling) I am finished with draft number 2 and onto draft number 3. I was originally going to call this current version draft 2, but seeing as I did change some things around and added in an extra chapter...as well as reworking the ending, it will qualify as draft three.

Tomorrow I'm going to pick up Underground (FINALLY) and continue the greatness that is the Greywalker series. I really do enjoy Kat Richardson's writing a whole helluva lot. And her blog is pretty great too! If you haven't checked her out yet, do so. I mean it. It's a refreshing series and I am so happy to be out of the "maybe this anita book will be better" cycle. I have moved on, cast off my "ex" and sowed the greener pastures of my mind.

I took out a scene I thought would be integral in the novel but after re-reading it I figured I could redo it a little without the ....umm...extreme actions. I'm not comfortable with having it and I don't think it furthers the character or story. I can just as easily show the connection bewteen the characters with dialogue and less "intimate" matters. I'll keep it saved in case I change my mind for the final draft. but...I doubt I will. So.

Hopefully when I finish this draft I'll send out my query (giving me another week to put on final touches) and we'll see what happens. Yeah, the benefits of not currently working include having ample time to edit this novel.

until later kiddies!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Starting the Second

That's right! with edits just about done, I'm starting the second in this...umptenology of novels. I'm very excited because this one will be lots of action packed funness. Can't wait. Anyway, off to the park for some foresty inspiration. Oh, and if you haven't already, check out Mirah. She's fabulous

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Snippet!!!!

I sat perched on the thick tree branch, hands steadying my weight on it. I quickly glanced around for any sign of Morrighan. Losing my divine partner had grown increasingly difficult, and I spent more time checking to see if she had followed me than actually hunting. Though as the familiar scent of the damned filled my nostrils, all thoughts of the overbearing archangel slipped from my mind.

Each devil had its own scent trail, and each one was distinct. As far as I knew I was the only one who could smell past the burning sulfuric staple to categorize each individual scent trail. In fact, I was pretty sure I was the only one who could smell them at all. It was my secret and it made me exceptional at what I did. I also wasn't all that sure how some of my superiors would feel if they knew that. Something like that would more have been looked at as a trait of the damned unholy that we hunted. That was certainly a label I didn't need hanging over my head. I had enough problems already.

Closing my eyes, I allowed my other senses to take control. Though Id trained harder to make up for my damaged eye, the deep scar rendered it completely useless. Still, I had four other senses. At least that's what I had rationed with Gabriel.

I shook my head and let the memories fall away. I drew the wakizashis from their sheaths on my back and let myself drop from the tree. I caught it with my feet, letting myself hand there. I held the blades tight against my arms and took in a heavy breath. As I filled my lungs I dropped from my spot, reveling at the cool air against my skin as I hit the forest floor behind the demon. I couldn't see him, but I knew that he was there. My arms extended and with them the razor sharp blades in one quick and uninterrupted motion. The blades connected with the demon in the seemingly empty air, and soon after the sickening crunch of skin and bone preceded it's fall to the ground. The unholy beast's head and body fell next to each other and the acidic blood oozed over the half dead foliage that littered the forest floor. I quickly took a couple steps back as the putrid liquid slowly made it's way toward my shoes. I hopped over it, cautiously avoiding contact with the thick reddish brown liquid. I'd lost far too many pairs of good boots that way.

Novel Playlist. More added later most likely.


Get your reading hats on!

Tonight.

I am.

Putting up.

A snippet.

Yes. I figured out the scene I want to use and I am putting it up this evening. I only have a hot minute right now, which is why you all have to wait until tonight. But yes. So, get those reading hats on!

Music list of the day includes...Epica, Nightwish, Apocalyptica and After Forever. With the occasional variance of Moonlight Sonata or Verdi's Requiem.

Monday, August 4, 2008

The Perils of Adding in scenes!

By george....I started writing this chapter I want to add in, fleshing out this scene because I decided that every good book needs a gypsy fortune teller that's older than Bob Barker. Now, it was essentially supposed to be small, but as I'm writing it, I decided that I needed to flesh out these two rqandom characters I threw in during the initial writing phase. And never spoke about them again...they were throw away characters. But now I got the bright idea to flesh them out too. This is going to be a long add in chapter. Which may change, well it will change how certain things flow throughout the rest of the book.

Anyway. Kat Richardson! new book this month. Shall we all do the happy dance?! I am. I am excited. I heart her so much. She really is brilliant. Supremely brilliant. Oh! the query letter has been written, and once it passes the five person test...it will be sent out.

What is the five person test you ask? I am going to show five people I haven't told about he story of my book the query. And see if the idea interests them. If five people all say yes the query is ready to send out. If not, I need to rewrite it. So. that is the test I have decided to base my query letter on.

Right. off to bed. Tomorrow morning is dedicated to reading my friend's blogs on gomag.com. Because I've been lazy and haven't and she's been wonderful enough to read mine. I really have wanted to read them but again...lazy. I'm working on that though. wel. night all. Duck norris says have good dreams or he'll roundhouse quack you in the face.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Forgetting What you wrote....

So, going back to edit I'm finding certain things...sentences and dialogue that I have been able to only stare at. The thought process being "I didn't write that...I don't remember writing that..." Guess that's what happens when you take so many breaks. Yeah, a lot is getting shifted and jilted around to make things sound less....dictioned. I know, that's not a real world. It is now, I have deemed it so.

So, I scrapped the six or seven pages I started of book two because I think I'm going to go a whole other direction with the end of this book. I've decided I don't know enough about that area of the world to write a village setting for more than a half page. Thankfully most of my major scenes take place in the forest. And since I don't have money to zip off to Romania or Hungary and you can't get a feel for how a village sounds and feels from books...I'm going with areas I know more about.

Which unfortunately reeeeally localizes me. And I hate that. I want to be able to write my novel where I want to write it...and before you ask NO, I am not making it up. Being the anal ass I am, I can't just make up what I think Romanian villages are like. I know its fiction but I can't, with a clear conscience, do that. It's bad enough I stand a great risk of excommunication (which doesn't really bother me.) I don't want to have my poster in every Slavic country as "heretic" and "liar". As Petra would say "I like breathing."

I also don't want to be Bram Stoker. Romanians HATED him for turning their national hero into a monster. Oh yes, they absolutely hated him. I think they still do to this day. No No. I don't want a hole country hating me. (The papacy is fine though. ha...twisted right?)

Anyway, I'm off to west milford for some creepy inspiration and woods gallavanting. Hopefully by the end f this week I will be done with the initial edits.

Tanks for the comments guys! Love you both. Haha Gen, yes...I think Paranormal Noir is perfect. Oh! how about...like..."Heretical Paranormal Urban Fantasy"? ahhh...good times.

Until next time kiddies.

....how Cryptkeeper...

Friday, July 25, 2008

Editing: The Stages of Madness

Stage 1: Finish first draft. Dance about like a crimson fairy and sing and do a shot. Print out first draft (wait forever because your printer is slow.). Then pass out because your brain can't handle any more coherent thought.

Stage 2: Wake up the next morning and stare angrily at first draft. Plan to use great music to help you edit. Listen to music and play video games instead. Go to bed and swear you will start editing tomorrow.

Stage 3: Bringing the first draft everywhere, giggle as people stare because they just "don't get it." They all think its a Thesis. You say its a novel...they ask what kind...you tell them a sci-fi-'ish fantasy and they cringe. Why does no one like that anymore?

Stage 4: Stay up all night because spellcheck doesn't catch words that are out of context...and neither does grammar check...swear never to look at another red pen again.

More stages as they happen. I'm on the hate red pen, pull hair out and go to wig store stage right now. Funtimes. Also, more add-in scenes to expand on certain things. And? on page 5 of book 2. Multitasking much? nope not me. haha.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Commence happy dance.

Well, it's official. The first draft of my novel is done. Now I get to edit and start book 2. I am so happy. I have put on my hapy record (Neil Diamond's Hot August Night) and have been dancing for the last ten minutes. This is an auspicious occasion. I have never finished anything before. So. Official First draft page count: 199 (single spaced and non formatted). Official first draft word count: 100,699. Brilliance. there is a lot I need to add in, and pssibly rewrite but I am looking forward to it. I am just happy to have it done. I did about 11,000 words today overall. which...maybe...like 15-20 pages? I'm not sure I was in the zone so I didn't count.

Duck Norris would be so proud. So, now back to my happy dance and you back to regularly scheduled programming

Hump Day!

Ah yes...the grand old hump day, middle of the week and start f the longest three days in human history. Why is it what Wednesday to Friday takes a godawful amount of time? It draaaags and draaaags. Well, I feel like a zombie today since I was up way past my (recently) normal bedtime struggling to hit that elusive 90,000 word mark. I got to 89,650 before I said "bed. need. now." So I was pretty satisfied with my progress yesterday. 8,000 words in all. Pretty good, I feel like I'm on a roll.

I can't wait, if I keep this up I can finish by Friday or Saturday. The first draft anyway. I only have a few more chapters left to write which is extremely exciting. I think as writers our characters can sometimes dictate our flow. But in no way shape or form do they dictate the way the story is going. So I may, from time to time say "Petra's being an a-hole today" or "These demons are so stubborn"but that's only because I'm having a hard time writing them that day. I like to personify them. I'm not certifiable...well not in that sense.

Anycase, yesterday was a good day for the muse. I hope that today will be much the same as 'm getting into a rather exciting chapter and have only exciting ones left. I'm kind of giddy that I get to write some pretty awesome stuf today and if you kiddies are lucky...there may beith a small lil' snippet. Just to give you an idea of my style and sliiiight plot. Again, no plagiaristic klepto thieves need apply. I do have what I've written thus far registered, so. That should hopefully deter any would be manu-thieves. I just don't want to give too much away before the book is finished and copyrighted all proper like.

Yes. I am the elusive and reclusive writer that will make you all wait. I'm just mean like that! haha. I think a little suspense is good for the soul. Its raining. Blech. Oh and funny thought from last night... "oh god this is gonna get me excommunicated." Which is bad since I'm officially Roman Catholic. Hmmm. Thank goodnes I'm not all staunch with it, or this might bother me more.

More later kiddies. Have a Chuck Norris-ified day.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

More Teh Blogging. Part Deux.

Okay. So. While I really won't be posting a whole lot of in-depth information about my novel (due to the "I don't want people to steal my hard written words" paranoia.) I wil be giving you a little tid-bit here and there. Such as-

Tid-Bit Number 1: Despite my apparent loathing of overly graphic sex scenes in novels (unless of course it somehow furthers the plot or makes me go 'whoa'), I have written a sex scene. Not graphic mind you, I do like to leave a lot up to the imagination. as a friend once said "porn is great if it's written right." so. thanks to the wonderfully amazing Gen for that. And also to Ariel who helped me reason the need for the scene to begin with. Now, the dilemma, I find myself needing to write a scene that is only inches away from being a sex scene (two in one novel?! no surely not!) in order to further the plot device I have going on right now. It proves to be good. and seeing as I'm dealing with a fairly related sin....oops. Shouldn't have mentioned that but the title of my blog dooooes kinda give it away. Anyway. Moral dilemmas aside, this chapter is proving to be the bane of my existence.

Tid-Bit Number 2: My current word count is 87,000. A far cry above my record of 50,000 (thank you NaNoWriMo.) So, let's pop the bubbly and let forth the party! ...let forth the party. This novel is doing more than eating my soul. It's eating my grammar alive.

Tid-Bit Number 3: I am writing my novel in the first person. And it is set in a lot of different places. Typically, Romania (which...I've read travel books about and spoken to people about and seen pictures but no...sadly I have never been). And an unnamed city which may or may not be New York. I know that city well enough, hell I live fifteen minutes away. Well, abooout fifteen minutes. If you hit no traffic...okay more like forty five in all once you throw in the godawful traffic in all of the tunnels.

Tid-Bit Number 4: I really...really...really...have an obsession with Chuck Norris which is no soubt subject to arise at one point or another. So I am forewarning you lovely readers now.

That's all the tidbits for now I'm afraid! But I do want to point you all in the direction of a REALLY AMAZING writer. Her name is Kat Richardson. And she is currently my favorite modern author, and since I tend to be a genre fiction junkie...she takes the cake. Of course there are many others, but as I'm eagerly awaiting the third book in her 'Greywalker' series I figured I'd mention her. So! all you readers and writers have a fabulous night. Get those word counts going, finish that last chapter and for God's Sake please use a bookmark, dog-earing is so barbaric.

Wonders of teh Blogging!

Its funny, because right now I figure..."who wants to read about some unpublished writer toiling feverishly to finish her first novel. who doesn't have an agent, and hasn't finished anything else to date?" But hey, you never know. Someone else may find this blog wildly entertaining. Because as well as my daily writer trauma, you will get other tiddly bits from my own life. and my feelings about other literature things.

Besides, I mean we all can find some kind of humour in everyday stuff right? I mean...whether its making fun of authors that you may not like so much with your like-minded friends (and believe me if you read my stuff, and don't like me and want to make fun of me go ahead. Just don't do it here because I would never do it to you kn your blog) or watching as ducks try to attack a fire-hydant. Whatever! Somethings in life are just funny. So. This was an intro and hello post. More to come when I'm not being beaten into submission by my very overly active imagination.