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.

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!

Sat 10/10 10am

Last night was nice; real good food. My dad's shrimp and scallops were phenomenal. Thank God for birthdays....they give us a good reason to stop everything and go out and drop $100 on dinner.

Chris is at church for a class this morning (Old Testament) so me and the girls are cleaning the house. They are such good helpers. My 6yr old cleaned all the doorknobs and straightened up the living room, while my 9yr old cleaned the microwave and vacuumed. They don't get upset, they understand that if we work together it gets done faster and I award them points that get turned into an allowance every Friday.

We have some errands, then church tonight and we are entertaining guests tomorrow evening, so I'm sure we'll have some light cleaning tomorrow, as well.

No time for writing or editing today, but I can't stop thoughts and plot ideas from popping around inside my head.

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

10/09
Yesterday was my dad's 76th birthday. Holy cow! We're taking him to either Outback or maybe Carraba's tonight then cake and gifts @ my house tomorrow. The girls are gonna make the cake by themselves (for the most part). It makes them so happy ;)

Tue 9/29

I have been in a funk....every morning I wake up feeling like I didn't sleep more than 3 hours. So NO I haven't been to the gym, and NO I haven't been writing or editing, and NO I will not apologize. I need to get off this computer and into bed ASAP so maybe, just maybe I can start fresh tomorrow.

Can I have a few excuses...please? I co-hosted a bead party Friday, I ran errands and took one daughter at a birthday party Sat afternoon, and I did work as a volunteer for all 4 services at church this weekend in the children's ministry...high energy stuff here...and played mommy and ran errands, and had a small group Sunday night, homework with the girls last night, ran a girl scout meeting tonight, then ame home and worked on scout paperwork and emails, tried to catch up on personal emails and some networking and now here I am at almost 11pm already with no reading or relaxing yet!!!!

I plan to read at least 2 chapters in Exodus tonight (churchwide homework reading assignment...lol) then at least 15 min of personal reading for myself, then I promise...lights out and at least some aerobics if I don't get up early enough for the gym.

I promise!!

And I promise to spend at least an hour combined of editing and writing tomorrow night. Maybe by this weekend I can get some sort of schedule in place.

G'nite!