Frozen

NaNo opened my mind to all the possiblities that could be with my book series.

Great

Yeah, it's wonderful. I am backtracking, researching, plotting and ripping apart book one to lay proper foundation for books two and three. I now have a short book on the history, timeline and biographies of my characters and overall creation of life in general.

I've expanded into realms and additional planets and my muse is tempting me to visit them down the road so I'm making sure I understand everything about them now so I don't screw something up that I regret later.

I feel like Scooby Doo when his feet are spinning super fast while he sits there, stuck in the air, for several seconds before successfully running away from the bad guy.

It's a major thrill and frustration all at the same time.

Reunited and it feels so good

I used a vacation day to take off work so I could... dare I say it? ... WRITE! I'm afraid I'll jinx it if I say it out loud. Over the holiday season I found a few hours here and there to do some editing but I can't remember the last time I did some solid writing.

I've had some time to step back away from my YA novel Morte De Alma and today I intend to do some serious damage. This book will be complete and queried in 2010. That is a goal I intend to stick to.

So I am still multi-tasking... I'm doing a Harry Potter movie marathon while I sit at the computer and type today. Movie marathons are another thing that has been stripped from my life. So today is gonna be a good day!

Fresh Start

Ahhh....a new year.

Clean slate.

Fresh start.

I love grouping things together in bundles and groups like weeks, months and years. It's an easier way to make an excuse for change. I lie to myself. I make promises too beautiful and wonderful to ever be realistic. However this doesn't keep me from making them and believing in them.

So, 2010 I salute you...I welcome you with open arms.

I will write more.
I will read more.
I will listen more.
I will learn more.
I will love more.

This will be the greatest year yet!

Monday 10/19 Update

Thu - Sun I edited the 1st 6 chapters of my 60k YA and I'm making more changes in my outline for plot events today that just make more sense and create a better flow. Some days it feels like it will never be done! Argh!

I did finish the m.s. I was beta reading. And I made time for leisure reading as well as time with my family. I even cooked dinner both saturday and sunday night.

Goal setting is something I have become tentative to approach. I hate failing at anything but love accomplishing challenging tasks. I need to:
* catch up on bible reading
* create a discussion question for my Small Group regarding bibe reading for October
* prepare for children's church this weekend (I perform w/a partner for all 4 services)
* finish outlining YA m.s. with new plot ideas
* implement these ideas - at least basically in my ms
* provide feedback regarding the m.s. I beta read

In addition to friends n family plans!

Mon 10/12 - Planning, Writing, Juggling

So I did some editing of one WIP and re-writing of another over the weekend. Considering how busy our family was, that felt like a success. I am having trouble getting back into my paranormal YA to edit. The task seems so overwhelming that I'm waiting for an enormous amount of time to sink into it, which isn't in my near future. I just need to schedule time to devote to it.

Lately I've been trying to start a 3rd novel (4th actaully, but its complicated). I'm questioning my process. With my very 1st, I started with research and outlines and never actually wrote anything yet - to date. My 2nd and only completed (if I can call it that) novel I just started typing and ideas and scenes came spilling out. So I worked on an outline and then started writing the story. My 3rd novel came from a creative writing assignment I gave myeslf to force build a daily habit of writing...anything. I have no outline still, just ideas and images in my head.

So now,with my 4th I have an idea but not a full plot. I'm trying to write but feel like I should know where I'm going and now I'm confused. Today I tried to write a synopsis, thinking this would help me decide who my MC really is, what her hang-ups are and why the story is so gosh darn important to tell. It was hard. Real hard. This one feels like it needs a plan before I let the words spill out of me for some reason and I can't get into it like I did with my 1st (wait no, my 2nd).

I'm home after working all day, have to go over the kid's homework, prepare dinner, prepare for tomorrow night's girl scout meeting and maybe clean out my inbox just a little. I'm also in the middle of a couple of good books that I'd like to finish.

Calgon take me away!

So, I never made it to the the gym all week. Ugh! I did meet or at least make progress on some other goals:
->wrote about 3k this week
->read/skimmed my Bible reading assigmment for sept and started on oct's assignment already
->read another 9 chapters in book I'm beta reading for a fellow AW (absolutewrite.com) forum member
->cleaned up clutter and put up curtains downstairs
->and I finished watching season 1 of TrueBlood w/my sister

9/23 Update

No breakthroughs on 9/23 but I did make time 9/22 to catch up a little on our bible reading assignment (for my church) - I finished Genesis. Only 4 more books left this month....yet it took me 3 weeks to read just 1!!!

Last night my husband and I enjoyed a double date for dinner. We can't recall ever having done that. We've eaten out plenty of times with other couples, just not without kids. Dinner was great (3 hours) and the conversation was good, too. We went with another couple from church, parents as well but with teenagers instead of young'ns. Good people. Good times. Ahhh :)

And thank god for grandparents. My father stayed with the girls, fed them dinner, got them cleaned up and into bed. Hallelujah.

Today I took off work to focus on my writing. I've got a few goals in mind for some editing, outlining and a little time for writing my 2nd novel...not sure yet if it's a YA or not.

Happy Thursday!