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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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May 2017 Fly-By Status Report – Just Keep Swimming!
It’s time for another Fly-By Status report! And I’m up to my waist in MomoCon directing duties. But omg, we’re already a third into 2017! Dang, where does the time go? And I feel like I have very few brain cells to even process this blog post with everything going on right now. However, one of my part-time jobs just ended, so I have more time to do everything else I’ve been too busy to work on (in theory). SO, did I achieve my goals for the past 4 months? Long Term Doing some hardcore outlining and rewriting the style of my YA fantasy novel Sign of the Redwing in preparation for an…
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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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Sept. 2016 Fly-By Status Report – Super-Charged Summer
*careens into blog, hair flying, adjusting glasses* Whew! Hey guys! How was your summer? Mine was great, and relentlessly busy, including 4 trips in 4 months, getting an additional part-time job, and being in a play! Which, in addition to regular life stuff, means I had no extra mental space for blogging! I know it’s the last day of September, and I want to get my tri-annual update in to keep myself honest. So let’s see how much I got done that I wanted to do. Here’s my Summer Agenda 2016 plans from my home page. If it’s crossed out, it means it’s finished, or I’ve edited the original plan,…
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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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Dear Awkward August
Dear August, Do you know how freaking awkward you are? Especially this year, you just feel really, really awkward. I have nothing against you, August, at all. Some of my favorite people have birthdays this month! But being the planner that I am, I sometimes find myself impatient for the next thing: the next big holiday or event, the next trip, or the next phase of a project. This isn’t necessarily a good thing, it’s just how my mind naturally tends to process, but as a result I’ve really been trying to make myself stop and enjoy the time I’m in at the moment. It’s a very intentional thing and isn’t always easy. So,…
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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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Making Good
All right! After a few weeks to start getting a few of my health/house maintenance resolutions in order, this week I’m starting Phase 2 of the plan: adding in 4 hours of writing and 2 hours of freelance work a day on top of that. This entry is short to keep me on the move today, and once it is posted will serve to keep me accountable to myself. This means REALLY starting to think of everything I want to get done as a full-time job, even though I’m my own boss, and can be a very lax one at that. But this is exactly what I need, a schedule…
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Reflections on the Atlanta Writer’s Conference
Wherein I talk about the conference and all the awesomeness that happened, and what I took away from it. Special thanks to Lara Perkins for helping me feel so welcome into the wonderful world of publishing!
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Writer’s Conference Starts Tomorrow! {Thoughts}
Hey guys! I know you just heard from me yesterday, (Happy November, by the way) but this weekend is the big writing conference I told you about a few months ago, and it starts tomorrow! Not gonna lie, I’m nervous but excited! I have never been to a straight up writer’s conference, not to mention that I might not even see anyone I know there (except possibly Josh Roseman, who I haven’t seen since MomoCon ^_^) I need to keep the worried thoughts out of my head; that people won’t appreciate my writing, that I’ll come off as a newb…in a bad way, that I’ll ruin my pitch or that…
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WRITER’S CONFERENCE!
Hi friends! I know I’ve fallen off the face of the earth in all places but Twitter and sometimes Tumblr (I DO have a nerdy vlog coming up), but things haven’t been terribly interesting on the writing front. Until now. First…I have finished editing most of Draft 5 and now I am just doing a few rewrites here and there. And why is Draft 5 so important? Because it is the last draft before I start sending the manuscript out to publishers! And this is about to get tons more exciting because… Second…I recently signed up to attend the Atlanta Writer’s Conference this upcoming November! (Also just joined the Atlanta…
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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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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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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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Halloween Approacheth! And HIATUS!
“And a ship, a black freighter with the skull on its masthead…” Hallo, all! It’s already the second week of October, and already the air is filled with ghost stories and candy bowls are filled with candy! And my life is full of events and busy things which are really dragging on my ability to write good posts, so I’m definitely thinking a hiatus is in order. I’m planning at least one vlog, so I won’t be totally silent, but no blog entries until closer to Halloween. Thanks for understanding, guys. I love autumn, and I’ve been collecting–at my own mental peril–crazy murder & mayhem stories and ghost stories about…
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The Dead Time
And my brain hath shut down 😀 I don’t want to touch the darn second draft until I get it back and can start on the next (and hopefully final) round of editing. I’ve even tried writing a bit of Book 2, but what I have just doesn’t feel right. I have ideas for other stories, so I jot down my thoughts, but my brain can’t hold more than one comprehensive world at a time! So I know I should finish the world of Thoglan stories before I move on to exploring other places. But the website thing is still a little maddening (in all senses of the word and…
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DONE! AGAIN!
DRAFT 2 of { Book One } IS FINISHED! Although, that’s what I felt like last time at the end of Draft 1. This time, with Draft 2, I’m a bit more like this: Maybe not that serene but…at least able to skim through it and check for misspellings. Last time, I was lucky to get it emailed to friends, I was so worn OUT. And I was worn out for DAYS. I’m curious to see how my body reacts to this one being done. But it’s been sent out to my editor friend already, and I’m looking forward to her critique! Aaaaaaaaannndddd this is my second late-night entry in…
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Getting Stuck and Unsticking Tactics
That’s probably my biggest writing hurdle right now, so close to the end of editing and modifying Draft 2 (squee!). I always get stuck somewhere in the plot, big or small hurdles. Either the character or the story or something isn’t going the way I want it to go to get x result, and for whatever reason my exhausted little bean of a noggin can’t process it correctly. It’s not exactly writer’s block, since I know what I’m trying to accomplish in the big picture, but the little picture details are getting too precise and I need to put them into some kind of logical order for the big things…
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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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My First Interview
INTERVIEW with writer Christina Nelson, author of The Sign of the Sparrow, first in a medieval-esque fantasy fiction book series focusing upon young teen Charlotte Imadara, who comes of age in a mysterious world filled with complex surprises. Radiating an abundance of positive energy as she approaches the table, writer Christina Nelson sits down for the interview at a popular luncheon spot. Her engaging smile highlights an attractive face, bright hazel eyes and past-the-shoulder dark hair. Raised outside of Richmond, Virginia and a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, Nelson is mid-twenty-something. For the interview, she is comfortably dressed in a simple, beige-and-brown print sundress. Silver hoops at…
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Miles to Go
Finally got back on the trail of my novel, tying things together! Also have reserved a wiki for the details of my land and story, to go up once my book is published! But recently I have been trying to focus a lot of my energy on being employed, and having a job will help support my writing, which is very important. So, tata for now, everyone. I have more journals up my sleeve, but they will have to resurface at another time. Thanks, for your patience, guys!
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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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2009 Year in Review
A new decade. Funny how those things creep up on you. This time last decade I was barely out of middle school. The dream of becoming an author was a warm flicker in my heart, and I’m not sure if I’d thought up my novel at that point yet. But in the subsequent ten years, I have carried that novel series with me, through the highs and lows of school life, and after college graduation I set out for the trip of a lifetime: the journey to authorhood. I’ve grown. So has my novel and its series, and we’ll continue to. So many wonderful things have happened in 2009, including…
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Don’t Panic…
I will be taking a little blog hiatus for an unmarked period of time. There is simply nothing interesting story-related going on: straight-up editing Book 1 and coming up with the ideas for Book 2 is a long and arduous process and I have nothing to report. Stay tuned for twitter updates and perhaps a Blog Byte or two, but my blogging muse needs a rest. I leave you with a cute picture of a rather baffled Reynard: ~ Adieu for now ~
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The Show Must Go On
Lots of things to do today, and the brilliant writing ideas are lacking, so yeah, good timing, actually. The ideas should come once I have an opportunity to stay pretty much solely focused on writing. However, while waiting for that, I’ve discovered StoryCasting.com, where you can draw up a dream cast of your favorite actors to portray characters in your favorite books! Sadly, they don’t have a choice of obscure actors, but it’s really fun!
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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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The Great Struggle
“It is of the utmost that I speak to you about a great struggle, which is taking place [at] this mortal temple we call the [writer’s desk]. The contestants are those aged combatants…art…and commerce. And art, it would appear from the [lack of income]…is in its usual position of jeopardy.” – edited quote from Nicholas Nickleby movie. Since I am, sadly, not a full-time writer, the great quest (as Mel Brooks put it), The Search for More Money, takes precedence over any deadline I might have set for myself. I am so close to the end that I can see the finish line, but I have realized that setting a…
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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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So this is what the end feels like…
Juggling writing with freelance work now, so I have more time. I’m getting to a very exciting part of the story, where things get worse before they get better. Believe it or not, I am making a valiant DO (there is no try) to finish the entire thing before Aug. 14th. So I will definitely be hauling tail the next week or so. I’m really excited!
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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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Life Developments
Rather blessedly, I must say, the gainful employment has occurred. Huzzah 😛 However, as all work does, I feel that my time to write will be significantly zapped. Although, even with all the time in the world, I wasn’t doing much for my story. *facepalm* A friend of mine told me today that I’ll probably be able to get more done, since I’ll have more structured time and I’ll have to prioritize, and I believe she’s right. Besides, there’s nothing like life experiences to inspire more stories to write. I think I will do a bit of notebook-writing before I drift off to bed.
Artist, Author, Geek
