Full of Life's Detours

I've been running about lately, doing the Christmas thing. But I've posted a new chapter to a group for a fun piece of writing... and I will meet with my 'seniors' group on Wednesday. Looking forward to that. I've not been able to meet with them at all in December due to babysitting issues. I wonder how many will be there?

I've written another two chapters of 'Blue' and have spent a lot of time trying to figure out the Muse. She is driving me near insane!

Bless her heart.... She wants the heroine to 'physically' change into a boy. I had thought some 'cosmetic' changes would suffice. She will have none of it. Strong magic from the dragon will change Kathleen to Kaspar. Well, we'll see what my editor thinks when we get to that chapter. *chortles* *snorts* I can just hear her now. What are you doing????

Ah well - laughter is good too.

Life is Good

MERRY CHRISTMAS etc. etc. etc.

Can't believe I was able to buy a car this morning with the available funds... nice car too.

Once I signed the papers and stuff, I ran to drop off my manuscript with my editor. I don't expect her to get back to me soon - what with the holidays and all. But I feel good that it is in her hands!

Sent off three chapters of 'Blue Skies' to my writers' class. We will meet on January 4th and it will be fun to see what they say about it. VERY different from the 'My Sword' series!

Again - Happy holidays. LIFE IS GOOD

Excited

Yes! I really am. I've got the last 'read' of the manuscript half done. I contacted my editor and she has agreed to give it one more look. I will meet her on Christmas Eve and hand it over.....


My gosh! I could almost cry at the thought that we are at that phase of this process....


Though I had thought I was done a year ago with this book, I was not as confident in it as I am now. With the last year's constant editing, filling needed gaps, deleting unnecessary words, phrases, scenes, characters - on and on and on....


I can now just laugh and rejoice - and what a great time of year to be doing that - rejoicing. 


Life is good!

The Muse

I'm wondering if listening to the Muse is a good idea. She seems to find ways to make life very difficult for her musee... Is that what we're called?


She attacked me, towards the end of my first book, and insisted that the main character die... the main character! After screaming and ranting and raving, I acquiesced and did her bidding. Doing that for the first book made it impossible NOT to change the whole second book, but I thought it was only right and proper to listen to her.


My editor screamed and ranted and raved and said I could not kill the main character off... So - she speaks louder than the Muse and I acquiesced again. I think I'm turning wishy-washy!


Book One seems to work either way. And the changes to the second one won't be difficult either. I'm glad the main character lives - I like him a lot!


I hope the Muse does not retaliate. 

Is There A Sanctuary?

Wondering if there might be a sanctuary, a haven for lost words.


The accident has definitely been forefront in my mind these past few days. Had to go to the doc myself and then had to take the little one. Nothing serious, thank goodness, but enough of a distraction to pull me away from even thinking of Blue...


Yet, in the middle of the night, the thoughts come. Had to get up and write a phrase that kept niggling at me last night. Great phrase, IMHO. And it seems, if I don't get up, and I know this happens to other writers too, the thought, word, phrase is gone by morning. A hideous loss. So I wonder if phrases and words and whole scenes that are not written down float about in some celestial home, lost and abandoned.... What a pity.


Hope everyone is enjoying preparations for the holidays!

Calamity

I didn't get to post yesterday, or think of much else besides life. Driving along, minding my own business, but keeping my eye on the road, I was attacked by another car. The driver decided to turn even though I was coming towards him. Sometimes, I wonder what people are thinking while they drive. The police cited him for 'failure to yield' - seems more like reckless driving, not watching the road, thinking the road is yours.... Hmmm - whatever. As the victim, I wasn't particularly happy about it.


I know, whilst driving, I compose songs in my head, and think about what the next scene is in my 'Blue Skies,' wonder if my editor will cream my latest submissions, things like that. I do not dial the cell, nor eat, nor polish my nails whilst driving.... I do try to drive defensively. 


However, even a good defense can succumb to an aggressive offense. The car is very badly damaged, but I am well. Knees hurt a bit, so do the wrists, but all, in all, I can still enjoy life. 


Now - what use do I have for this experience? All my stories are set in times when planes, trains, and automobiles do not exist. Perhaps it is the suddenness of the experience. The speed with which calamity can overtake one. Ah. Perhaps it's how a knight feels when he is hit with a spear and falls off his horse. 


So there is value to everything.... Life is still good! 

Binging

I binged today on writing - meetings really..

I attended my regular Skyline meeting and learned a lot, as always. One of the things that I know, but needed reminding, was about characters. Making sure the verb you use to describe their actions is appropriate to the character. If you're writing about someone who's in their 70's - it's a little difficult to accept that person scampering. *smiles*  I knew that, I said to myself, but I definitely needed reminding.

Also, one of my other groups met today due to the holidays. I didn't think I could make it, but on the way home from the first meeting, I thought, 'why not?' - ended up going and learning more. As always. Sharing with others, listening to their writings, other people's critiques, and other people's struggles are such great tools. 

I'm so glad I went to both. Now, looking for a conference. One I can afford.

The book is done. Final edit complete. I want to give my editor the holidays for herself, so I'm sitting on my hands and NOT sending her the ms. Will wait till January comes around, but oh my goodness, it is difficult. 

However, Life Is Good. 

Happy But Exhausted

Voila! Complete. Fin. Fait accompli. Finito.  законченный   Beendet   ختم

Yes, finished it. Added another chapter, too. Told you I would. And the ending works out quite nicely, thank you very much!

Now to print it and re-read it for the seven thousandth nine hundred and ninety-ninth time! But well worth it.  I've got all my fingers and toes crossed that I don't find I sent someone off and forgot to bring them back! Or some such ridiculous mistake.

Life is good!!!

Exhausted But Happy

Oh by the gods, I can hardly believe it. Only 1/2 of a chapter left. But I am so exhausted that I must pull myself away or find I have killed off half my characters and destroyed their world. Mistakes happen with exhaustion.

But I can taste the goal. And it is a sweet taste. Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to write and say....

Voila! Complete. Fin. Fait accompli. Finito.  законченный   Beendet    ختم

Could life be any better!!!

Write Drunk. Edit Sober. (Hemingway)

Honestly, I think it should be the other way around. 

Courage is needed to edit. Great hunks of courage. You've flown through writing the 'Great American Novel' - or something at least a lot of fun - and then you have to put away all sense of the joy that was writing... and hunker down with a red pen and decimate what you've just done. It seems insane, to me. Worthy of a bottle of something!

But of course, the editing I'm doing now is on my first book ever. I've learned a lot since I wrote this book. Since I began editing it. The second book is not going to need near the editing this one does. I've got a 'handle' (sure) on POV, I've honed my characterization skills, and I'm definitely getting the hang of landscapes and such. So - hopefully, when I take the second book to my editor (this January), I will be pleasantly - NO - deliriously surprised when she says, 'Wow - great work. We've got hardly a thing to change.' 

I hope I'm not smoking something!

Trying to Find Time

One of the things I really hate is trying to find the time to write. Watching my little one takes the entire day... and so it's at night that I finally grab the opportunity to edit or write. Usually can't do both! 

I know I've sworn I will set a time each day, but my life is not my own. When the little one goes to school next year, things should be better. But, dear God I do so hope I've got a contract by that time!

However, I keep plugging. I've got 122 pages left. I'm on Chapter 47 of the 61 left. I have to laugh. The chapter numbers keep changing. So the end count will definitely be different, but such is life. 

The word count continues to grow, which is another odd thing. I've been cutting mercilessly, but the editing has brought to light places that need further explaining, etc. The characters love to chat with each other and that adds more too - though I tell them daily the book is not about EVERYONE! 

Life is good. Hope you are all smiling. It's the only thing that will save us!

Chacters (Bless their little hearts)

My editor suggested I change the name of one of my main characters. Two of the characters were too close sounding, in her humble opinion. I figured she was right. So I set off on a quest to find a name. Of course, these kinds of quests are not simple. Finally, after about four hours, I decided I would make a different change.

The lead character's name begins with a B - the secondary character's name began with a B also. So - I changed the secondary's name to begin with a K - BUT, as life would have it, the first character we meet (who gets himself killed immediately) - well, his name begins with a K. So I found a good name for him that begins with a G and then changed the secondary's character to begin with a K and life is good... I was thus able to leave the main character's name the same. I had really gotten used to it, over the past four years!

FYI - Brynna changed to Kendra. Kendrick changed to Garvin. Life is good - if you don't mind delving deep into names.... I like to make sure the names all work... that they're from the same background or etymology for each kingdom. It takes a lot of work, I probably spent weeks on the originals, but it is well worth it. 

Now - these friends are easily distinguishable. I hope. *giggles*

I digress

A quick note - on the teeth front - went to two dentists (one a real dentist and the other a surgeon) and both don't think the teeth need extraction OR root canals.

Found a book about psychology and health and aches and pains. It's called 'You Can Heal Your Life' by Louise Hay. The book's pretty good - but the real treasure is towards the back. There's an 'excel-like' section of bodily woes, the psychological causes, and then the 'good thoughts' to get you back to health. A real treasure.

Now - One of my favorite books is 'The Four Agreements' by Martinez - I even bought ten copies and gave it out to friends and family. The 'You Can Heal' book is a long-winded copy of the 'Four Agreements.' If you've going to get a book that will change your life - it's the 'Four Agreements.' But again, the little appendage in the back of 'You Can Heal' is excellent too. 

Forgive me for digressing from 'writing' - but the editing and trying to get published phase of writing can drive one to drink or to have a physical meltdown. One of my favorite blogs likens the process to Chutes and Ladders. A great analogy. http://jenniferanielsen.blogspot.com/

Life is good

*giggles* 

That character I was going to 'flesh out' - seems I already did it. Checked out the chapter and there he was... down to his hair color. What a relief. I fixed the ending so the main character does not die... but I've got to go back and change the funeral scene to the father's instead. it will work. Both things were giving me gray hairs. So I can, indeed say, life is good.

Haven't had a chance to look at my stuff since yesterday - today was filled with a tree-lighting ceremony, a choir, and a visit to Santa - such fun!