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January 2022 Fly-By Status Report – So we’re still in a pandemic, okay…I kinda wish it would snow…I need a cup of tea before I can start editing…
Well hi! Smiley day to ya! Why yes, I have been watching a lot of Critical Role lately, and no, I’m not procrastinating, why? Why would you even say that? I’m hurt. My new writing deadline to submit to an editor is April, which evens out to editing roughly a chapter a day if I play my cards right. But as I get closer to the end and I’m staring at a bunch of loose threads, I don’t think I’m gonna always be able to measure by chapter, there will be lots of jumping around and organizing data to make sure I finish everything up as neatly as possible. Which…
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September 2021 Fly-By Status Report – The State of the Art
Ahoy there! Just swinging by to update you on what’s been going on since my last report. View this post on Instagram A post shared by PuellaDocta's Minlandia (@myminlandia) The Etsy shop sales went slowly this summer, even as I was investigating other selling avenues that haven’t panned out yet, so I decided to take a break until Dragon Con got closer. I’ll come back to Dragon Con a little bit later in the post, but if you haven’t followed Sunlit Nook on Instagram or Facebook you totally should! I’m taking a break from MomoCon this year. Because of COVID Delta shenaniganery they decided to postpone til winter, and I…
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January/February 2021 Fly-By Status Report – 2021 Vision
Well, looks like I totally blew past my Fall/Winter 2020 Status Report. I think because nothing really changed in the goal department for 6 months! What even did I want to do *consults last post*…OH YEAH apparently I got rid of my agenda thing cuz it was boring. Good idea. So here’s what I’ve been up to, and what I hope to achieve! The Etsy shop is doing pretty well! Still not making a ton, but I am making a little money from it, and I’m having fun, so that’s all that matters! I’ve been doodling more with my Wacom tablet, and I designed the shrinky dink Japanese heart jewelry…
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May-June 2020 Fly-By Status Report – The Trying Times
I originally wrote this in May to appear in a patron-submission Quaranzie by Sarah Shotts. I’ll add some additional updates after the main post. One never really knows how one will react to a global pandemic until one finds oneself in one. And for me, that meant depression naps, lots of Animal Crossing and ice cream, and many conversations with my mental health specialists. I’ve tried to give myself space to feel and grieve and process, but blessedly, sheltering at home with my husband and two cats, with our jobs still intact, has been the best part of this whole mess. There have been a lot of ups and downs…
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January-March 2020 Fly-By Status Report – Creating in a Time of Coronavirus
Hello everyone! I’m sitting on my couch, where I do most of my work & editing, and I’m here with my cats and Wervyn, and despite the coronavirus spreading outside, with this social distancing we’re in introvert heaven! But I was having a lot of anxiety for the last couple of weeks; in addition to not knowing if I was going to have enough groceries, my church office coworkers and I were scrambling to get everything together for live-streaming Sunday services, which was mad hectic. But I’m taking off work till April 1, and we have enough food, so I’m feeling a lot better already! And with the open schedule,…
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January/February 2019 Fly-By Status Report – I’m a Grown-Up Hobbit (I’ll explain)
In December last year, I turned 33! Sure, cool number and everything, multple of 11 and whatnot, but it’s also a special age for Tolkien nerds like me. Because in the Middle-earth universe, when a hobbit turns 33, it means they’re considered an adult. And to celebrate, I designed my own temporary tattoo and bought a whole sheet of them! (I’m still not keen on getting something that hurts, that will never go away and that will only blur over time on my skin.) I made a post about it on Instagram discussing its significance to me: View this post on Instagram …
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September 2018 Fly-By Status Report – VLOG (Happy Early Talk Like A Pirate Day!)
Doing my tri-yearly update as a live vlog just to shake things up! And HAPPY TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY a day early! Things I talked about (which will open in a new browser window): 0:42 – Star Wars Party vlog status 1:31 – Gardening 2:07 – Camp Flix 2:21 – MomoCon 2:40 – Writer’s Group & Critique Help 3:34 – CrossCode Let’s Play Series – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ankDi… 4:02 – Dragon Con & The State of Vlogging 4:48 – Pitch Wars, Editing My Novel, Writing Schedule & December Writing Hiatus 6:09 – Things I’m Planning to Do & Stuff I Have Done 6:26 – Ukulele & Singing 6:40 – New Twitch…
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January 2018 Fly-By Status Report – I joined a writer’s group!
Greetings, readers! Nice to see you on the other end of Christmas & New Years! Finally. Dang, I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to put my thoughts and hopes for this year in blog post form yet, til now, when January is ALMOST OVER! (I’m curious, who actually reads these updates, or are they pretty much just for me? If you do, leave a comment and say hi!) Right now I’m typing to the dulcet sounds of workmen trimming the giant tree in my front yard (buzz saws and thuds on my roof), and now that I finally got WordPress to upload images again (ugghh), it’s time for my January…
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Flocks & Murmurations
Hey! Just popping in to tell a cool little anecdote. I have a bird feeder in my yard, and a bird book and binoculars nearby so I can try to identify the birds I see. The cats love to watch them (I love how Zwartbles Ireland calls it “cat TV“), and Moss sometimes chatters at them when he gets particularly excited. It’s so cute, but I can never get it on film. So yesterday morning, he’s poking his head through the blinds, and I go to open them for him–and stare outside in shock. About 20 red-winged blackbirds were chowing at my feeder, like tourists at a hotel breakfast buffet! They…
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Jan. 2017 Fly-By Status Report – My Favorite Time of the Year
Merry Christmas and Happy 2017! I’m still over here celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas, doing a lot of nothing, and baking ^_^ But it’s that time again to think about all the things I want to do next year that I didn’t do this year. I’m pretty enthused for a fresh start! Last year about this time, I wrote my 2016 New Years resolutions on a red Starbucks cup. Lots of good intentions, but the ones that really, truly happened and stuck were landing my perfect job situation, as well as taking significant and progressive steps to getting more physically and spiritually healthy <3 Of course, there’s always more to…
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May 2016 Fly-By Status Report – I GOT A REAL JOB!
Yes, you read that right: I GOT A REAL JOB! The ultimate happy dance! | via GIPHY It’s a part-time administrative and communication assistant job, which is only a few hours a week, and a few minutes away from my house (YAAAAAY), so hopefully that means I can structure my life around that to get some stability for my creative work! I start today, and I’m really excited to see how it goes! Also, hi, I haven’t seen you since Easter! I’ve been super busy working, arting, volunteering, story researching…in fact, that’s why I decided to do tri-yearly status reports. I figure, if I haven’t blogged or vlogged in a while, I want to make…
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Post-Hiatus! Draft 6 Edit Process in review
Well, that was a lovely hiatus, but I figured I’d come back 😉 It’s been four months, after all! It was such a beautiful morning when I started writing this post, I had to wander into my yard and take some photos of daffodils glowing in the early, rising sun. It so beautifully represented a fresh start to an exciting new year, hence the flower picture for this post’s header. A lot has happened during my hiatus, even in the past few days (some good, some frustrating) but I’m happy to report that despite various time sucks and fluctuating motivation, my writing hiatus was very successful! Regardless of what I…
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Summer in Review & Looking Ahead
AT LAST, a post! This is what I’ve been up to, and why I’ve been so busy! BG music: “Porch Swing Days” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) LINKS to cool stuff: Follow my writing progress: http://puelladocta.com/writings/ Art portfolio coming soon! Cosplay Comission coming soon! FinnyPuppet’s tumblr: http://finnypuppet.tumblr.com/ Dragon*Con Tolkien Track site: http://middleearth.dragoncon.org/ Check out the movie my group made at Camp Flix this year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQNdDqCAoYI Original Maleficent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p78C3dmLI_c&feature=youtu.be AWA cut of Maleficent video coming soon!
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BACK UP YOUR WORK, a lament {UPDATED}
Come all my dear computer lovers And take a warning how you work If you don’t save your efforts elsewhere It will be there, and then it’s gone. I wish I’d known before I’d lost it Time I had left, my files to move For when it died, without a warning It left me here in grief to moan. Inspired by Jim Moray’s “Fair and Tender Lovers.” On Valentine’s Day, I opened my laptop, signed in, the screen was on for a few seconds, and no sooner had I plugged in my headphones, it completely turned off. No blue screen, no pop up error warnings, just black. With a whirr…
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2015 Writing Plans!!!
I’ve got my writing projects all planned out for the year! For those of you who don’t want to watch the video, here’s the run-down: January 1 – 31: Plan out entire Lottie/Tales of Thoglan Series (ToTS) February 1 – March 13: Finish revisions on ToTS Book 1 March 16 – May 15: Start 1st draft of ToTS Book 2 (90-120 thou. words) May 18 – August 18: Start researching/writing myths and fairy tales for retold anthologies August 24 – September 30: Write Draft 2 of ToTS Book 2 October 1 – 31: Work on anthologies again November 1 – 30: Write ToTS Book 3 during NaNoWriMo December 1 –…
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Lots to Look Forward To (Starting Draft 6 & Purple Hair)
It’s amazing how a few months can change things! I finally got my editing groove back after a long brain break. What a relief! It’s not an easy process, and it’s going slowly, but it’s going. I’m also doing some more character studies as I get inspired. I’m planning on relaunching this site, and I have some plans for guest posts and some of my own posts. I’ve also finally won the Search for More Money and will be starting a part-time seasonal job soon! Oh, and I got purple highlights too 😀 It’s been a good summer’s end. Posted this vlog on Youtube on Aug 22, 2014.
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My Writing Process (Blog Tour)
Thanks to the adorable and very talented Sarah Shotts, I’ve been tagged to participate in The Great Blog Tour, aiming to make a web of authors that stretches as wide as the internet is long! I’m so honored to be included, and I’m excited to talk about my writing process (and to show off some cool pictures I took for the question headers)! So, shall we begin? •~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~• Since late middle school/early high school, I’ve been building my own fantasy world filled with characters, which has grown and changed throughout the years, as I have. I worked on it tirelessly, until college, only pausing to focus on my studies, with just…
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Editing! See? I’m productive!
Hubs and I sitting down to do some intensive editing. Continuity is still a problem 😛
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Writer Dreams Writing Dreams
BOOK Y U NO EDIT URSELF?! I HAS JOBS TO DO!No wait come back I miss you 🙁
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The Book Editing Blues
*bluesy strum* Did my novel wrong before, but now it’s done me wrong too *harmonica* And I’m tryin’ hard to figure out just what I gotta do. I got the book editing blues, oh yeah…
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I’m Back!!! Happy New Year!
I take you for a tour through my new house and show you my favorite writing spots and new creative toys I got for Christmas!
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Infusing my Writing Process with More Technology
I’m super pleased with a new plot/story organizing software I found called SuperNotecard. It’s pretty much amazing and it’s helping me organize Book 2! Also, for some reason WordPress ate my awesome entry on “The Butterfly Circus.” Will remedy when I recover from the shock ;P
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VICTORY!!!!!!!!!! (and Sweet Readin’ Cakes)
Angry zombie mongooses and I FINISH DRAFT 4 OF MY NOVEL!!!! YAAAAAAY!!!!!! Hoooraaaaaaaay!!!!!! Draft 4 is done and sent out to the first batch of reviewers! Once I get it back from them, it’s hopefully just moderate editing, and then off to a publisher! Man, this calls for a celebration! How ’bout some bookish cake, huh? All these (and more) from CakeWrecks.
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Exciting Updates!!!
I know I try to post only writing related news on here, but this is kind of a big deal! It’s a huge life changer! Gentle audience, I had no idea that a few hours after my last blog entry, I would be getting engaged!!! And to think, last year I was writing haikus about my only date for Valentine’s Day being a box of chocolate! You never know what a year can bring! The lad in question is Wervyn, who is the coding man for this site! He’s a wonderful, brilliant man and a fantastic writer, and he’s been helping me a lot with the final draft of my…
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CONTAINS ACTUAL WRITING!!!!
I disclose 4 things I like to have about my person while writing and then you get to see me in action. Lucky you
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New Years Resolutions for a Write-Tastic 2011
My writing resolutions for the new year. I also discuss the joys of Evernote and a video idea that is happily unfinished.
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Author Unplugged: Appeasing the Inner Nerd
You know what’s kind of ridiculous? I just realized that some of the BEST NEWS about my manuscript all year was the focus of my first blog in 2011! It’s already shaping up to be a good year! Editing is going well, but slower than I’d like. I’m at an interesting juncture where I’m trying to integrate some worthy opinions from some trusted editors, and need to figure out if I should go with their ideas or keep things the way they are. Ultimately I need to find an agent, and they’ll help me with that too, but just trying to make the outgoing manuscript the best that it can…
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Oh Joy! Rapture!
MY EDITOR GOT BACK TO ME! OMG SO EXCITED! I read through her critiques and over all it’s very positive! She even said my next draft should be given to an agent!!! EEEE! All you pray-ers out there, pray that I will find my soul mate agent somewhere! Now that I have a few month’s distance from the manuscript, I can finally get back to editing with a clear head! Here is her cherry on top culminating comment: You continue to be a strong writer with an absolutely vibrant and powerful imagination. I am in awe of the world that you have created, down to the language and the details,…
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At the End of Draft 3. And Also Pumpkins
Draft 3. It was probably the shortest editing time window I’ve ever had, from Sept. 23 to Oct. 25, 2010. As I wait for my editor friend to give me some feedback, instead of the usual celebratory graphic (like fireworks or sparkly text announcing that it’s done), behold my simple commentary about the last bit of the editing process. Towards the end of editing Draft 3, I started going a little nuts….I wanted to be done with it so bad! Thankfully, things have improved since I recorded this. And also pumpkins.
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A Good Nightmare Always Begins in a Dark Cellar with a Coffin
Zzzzzzzz…. The pirate video ate up so much time that I’m finally getting back to editing Draft 3! I just felt like writing a real entry, since all I’ve done the last two weeks was tweet, make promises, break them, and eventually upload a pirate movie 😉 I have plans for other entries, but this one is getting back to the basics, where I actually write about writing. It’s been hard the last few weeks to get writing in, between visiting friends and work, so tonight I’ve started to be a bit smarter with my time. In addition to editing, I’m taking notes. Why? I live in mortal dread of…
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Dagblangit
So I was gonna write an entry, but it’s too late to finish off any of the ones I’ve started when my brain is this far gone to the night 😛 But I’m posting this cuz I’m compelled to put something up. Tonight I’ve been tweaking this site mostly, but as a friend of mine says, “it all goes into the pot,” since it all has to do with the writing! Tomorrow I’m planning on really getting somewhere with the editing, as I finally have a free weekend again! I’ve been so busy lately I’ve had to snatch time for writing/editing when I can. Sleepiness and taking care of new…
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Whisper of the Heart
Mr. Nishi: It’s a special kind of rock called a geode. Hold it close to your eye and look inside…Those crystals are called beryl. There are pieces of raw emeralds deep inside them. Shizuku: Aren’t emeralds worth a lot of money? Mr. Nishi: Sure, but they need to be cut and polished first. When you first become an artist, you’re like that rock. You’re in a raw, natural state, with hidden gems inside. You need to dig down deep and find the emeralds tucked away inside you. And that’s just the beginning. Once you’ve found your gems, you have to polish them. It takes a lot of hard work. Oh,…
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NEWSFLASH!
EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS! I got a real job! One with a regular paycheck and benefits! So my search for more money has finally come to an end! That can only mean more writing time when I’m not working, which can only be a good thing! I’m making plans for a little poetry/short story book that I will also illustrate. I was thinking of self-publishing, but I wish the self-publish stigma wasn’t so intense. I’ll figure it out, but the novel comes first right now anyway. Editing progress is going slower than I would like with all the jet-lag recovery and job hooplah, but I am still trying to get it sent to…
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Goings and Goals
In a few days I’m going off on a trip to attend a family vacation/wedding, so I shall be taking a three-week hiatus from blogging. I will likely give a bit of perspective on my trip upon my return, as I foresee reaping some wonderful writing ideas. While I’m gone for my extended time, I plan to do as much editing and writing as I can. As I won’t be attached at the hip to my laptop, I plan to print the offending pages out, so when I am away from the computer I can have something to work on. I’m about halfway+ through the manuscript now as it stands, until…
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A is for Axhsausted!
An appalling anguish afflicted the already aggrieved author. Graaahhh! My novel isn’t cooperating, talked my webcomic over with a friend who is giving me suggestions on what to do, and though it’s all such good advice I feel like my brain has hit a wall. While I wearily feel like I have so much more to learn about this medium’s brand of storytelling, my sci-fi main character is poking her head out and asking, “Since they’re being annoying, can I come out now?” It’s probably cuz I am exhausted. I need to finish reading some library books that indirectly have to do with my writing (reading them for fun AND…
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In My Own Little Corner
I just realized. It’s the last day of January. I can hardly believe the year is 1/12th over! This is my view from the screened in porch today.The ground is covered in snow with a sheet of thin ice over top. It’s funny to watch the dogs walk on top of the snow, and if they step too hard, they suddenly sink in with a jerk. When they chase each other across the yard they kick up chunks of icy snow. Oh, yes. In case you didn’t catch that, I’m on the screened in porch. With snow outside. Don’t worry, I’m wearing a down jacket, boots, and a fuzzy hat,…
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A Little Bit of Everything
Oh man, I’ve been meaning to post this entry last month! I’ve been thinking about/doing a lot of things lately, so I hope you’ll forgive the discombobulatedness of this entry! Blogging really is my favorite way to keep the writing alive when I’m not actually “writing,” but doing more “editing.” It makes me feel more productive when I have something published on my blog, or when I’m making plans for it ^_^ My story has been keeping me busy, but lately I’ve been doing much more job hunting, so I’ve made less time for it than I’d like. Speaking of blogging, one of my writer friends, Morgan Riley, mentioned to…
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The Writing on the Wall
It’s the third week of the New Year, and I’ve already got a new plotting strategy. My brain felt fried after spending so long writing the first draft, and I was worried that I’d have to really push myself to write and edit. But after a chat with a fellow writer friend, I had a huge a-ha moment when she suggested a method that would really help me visualize the rapidly expanding plot of my novel. Sticky notes. Okay, I know I’ve been tracking this all over my Facebook page, but this is the first time I’ve tried this approach and, frankly, it’s very empowering! Plus, I really get to…
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Who doesn’t love a good Renaissance fair?*
*quote from one of my dear editor friends! Happy Belated Thanksgiving, all! I’m not exactly back, but there have been a few new developments on the writing front. First off, I’ve halted work for National Novel Writing Month and started a very basic outline of a web comic project, which sadly was going at a snail’s pace mostly because of my lack of fresh inspiration. I hope to finish sometime in the future, except I just got all the edits back I had handed out for Book 1. Which is the second thing. I’ve started to do a number of story-enriching edits, and oh, my word! It felt like I…
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Friends in the Write Places *corny horn*
I’m preparing my beloved first draft to send to a few editor friends to read over. I just need it out of my lap for right now so my brain can recover from all that intensive writing and thinking and stewing that was going on for months and months on end. YEARS, even! (Oy!) I’ve been preparing the story’s world for most of my young life, and it took me just over a year to finish this draft. The fact that it’s finally written down a way I really, truly like, that is half the battle, and my brain is crying “uncle.” But I’m definitely at peace with the fact…
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*emerging from my locked writing office*
This quote epitomizes my life right now, as I endeavor to tie up loose ends and just get this story out of me. You have to allow yourself the liberty of writing poorly. You have to get the bulk of it done, and then you start to refine it. You have to put down less than marvelous material just to keep going to whatever you think the end is going to be — which may be something else altogether by the time you get there. ~LARRY GELBART There will be many edits to come, but right now I just have to whip this beast into submission!
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Writing My Heart Out (with the cunning use of smoke screens!)
The one thing I love about writing fantasy is this: I can write about whatever I want. Literally. I create my own world, my own rules, and populate it with creatures and peoples, and it’s all done to my taste. Sometimes it’s just a creative idea that comes out of nowhere, nagging at me, demanding to be put onto paper. Sometimes it’s wish fulfillment, sometimes it’s getting out emotions. But to me, it’s the greatest gift I could possess. It fulfills me like little else can. Writing is my life experience put on the page, and I pour out my heart through my characters. Still, whatever I put in, I…
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Flying (DON’T write what you know)
Darn Tweets have been monopolizing my blog space. Sorry I haven’t been making any actual posts in a while. Editing is going well. I’m up to Ch. 10 right now. Man, it feels weird going over stuff that I’ve gone over so many times, except that I am finally connecting everything coherently, so that is huge. I have also been gathering more writing ideas for future books in this series. I love life: it provides such rich opportunities for self expression and research. I wrote a blog last month entitled Life Experience, which talks more in depth about my love for research and experiences. Someone posed a point to me…
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Just a few more miles to go
I had a chance to talk with one of my local writing friends today, and she read Ch. 19 to give me feedback. Oh my gosh, she said she loved it! She said it was so intense and gripping and she couldn’t wait to see what would happen next! *squee!* I’ve realized that this is the closest I’ve ever come to finishing a book that I haven’t really rushed. I’ve consistently written from the deepest part of my gut, and I’m actually really proud of all of it so far. Sure, there will still be editing and critiques to figure in, but I am absolutely elated. I am already three…
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My real garden with imaginary toads
*waves* Hey, guys. Don’t worry about the Twitter thing, it will all get worked out, and if not, I’ll figure something out. But I’m not stressed about it. In fact, right now I am just so happy that I’ve had enough energy to write a little bit of my book every single day! And now that it’s the weekend I can really gain some ground! I am on Chapter 15 now, which I’m quite excited about. I know I say this, but I really feel like the end is in sight. I am writing through everything, not pruning as much as I am trimming here and there so it is…
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Distance
People have always told me that distancing yourself from your work now and then is the best thing a creator can do. When you take a step back, you have the freedom to move outside of your work and look at it afresh with a more discerning eye when you return to it. I tend to forget this, especially when I’ve set a writing deadline for myself to finish Draft 2 ASAP by the autumn. But the good thing about being so busy with life is that I’ve gotten some distance from my story, so when I went back to try editing last night, it was so much clearer and…
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The string around the finger
I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe […]/Oft turning others’ leaves, to see if thence would flow/Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burn’d brain./But words came halting forth […]/Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes,/Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite–“Fool,” said my Muse to me, “look in thy heart and write.” ~Sir Philip Sidney, Astrophil & Stella This has sort of been the story of my writing life lately. I’ve been trying to figure out certain characters, certain plots…picking my brain to shreds to come up with something perfect. I have to remember that nothing is ever perfect the…
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My kingdom for a hermitage
LKHamilton: 9 pages done. Breaking for lunch. I wish I had the time to do that! ^_^ (Well, I suppose I do, but I cannot live by writing alone!) Right now, I’m making sure I have the old stuff integrated into the new, to make writing through the week easier. I am trying not to edit right now, but get the story itself into a final congealed form. That’s more important than being nit picky. Oh, to be a hermit with nothing better to do than write and write and write. *wistful sigh* Stone walls do not a prison make,Nor iron bars a cage;Minds innocent and quiet takeThat for a…
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I’m a shockwave ready to kill
Draft two is coming along nicely: I keep coming up with better ways to do scenes, except for the fact that it totally disrupts the order I had before, and I need to figure out how to make it work all over again *facepalm* Am I just making it harder for myself, just because I want something special? Figured out some religious and mythological history about the area one of my characters was born in. It explains a lot about why things are the way they are, and why he turned out the way he did. I saw a music vid today that totally captured a slice of this same…
Artist, Author, Geek
