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May Madness
I don’t know how May always becomes a month of crazy, no matter how many times I try to make it NOT crazy. I have such good intentions, but by the time I hit mid-May, I’m consistently neck deep in work! But sarcastic JT aside, other than feeling stressed about it, everything that I’ve been doing the past month has been really awesome! I’ve been juggling two part jobs, as well as a Paint Love project. And I’ve still been crocheting and doing some other art projects, particularly card and gift making (because TONS of family members and friends have anniversaries and birthdays in May, more than any other time…
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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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WRITING UPDATE in the time of Hiatus
HAPPY 2016!!!! The last two months have been stuffed with writing and celebrating. After successfully winning NaNoWriMo in November, I edited one of the short stories I wrote during that month, and submitted it to the Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Contest, right before my 30th birthday in December! I’m 2-3 for my writing goals! I printed out Draft 5 of my Sign of the Sparrow novel on Dec. 30, and I’m currently editing it to give to my editor friend in March! Editing is so hard. So much to weave in and yet streamline. One thing at a time. Need a hot drink. #author #amediting #amwritingfantasy — Call Me Christina (@puelladocta)…
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The Status of the Writing & Hiatus Notice
Hey guys! I’ll just start this out by saying that from November 1 to February 1, I’m not going to be forcing myself to make a blog or vlog entry every month, unless the mood strikes or I feel like posting an update on my work. I have a lot of writing stuff on my plate coming up! November is NaNoWriMo, and during December (besides Christmas and birthday) and January I’m going to be editing Sign of the Sparrow and preparing my query letter for hardcore submitting. I’ve only queried two agents, and got rejected by both, and I want to make up for lost time. —EDITED 10/27/15—Also, I’ll be submitting one of…
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I’m in Full-On Dragon*Con Mode!
I finally finished my River Tam vest commission (COMING SOON to my portfolio), so that leaves my cosplay for Finny, figuring out what I’m going to wear, and occasional updates to the Tolkien Track site. This week I’m working a temp job as well, so let’s see how much sanity I’ll have left by the weekend! Expect a post about Dragon*Con next week!
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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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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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Pilgrim, How You’ve Journeyed
Okee, guys, I’ve been working on a project, which I’ve mentioned in Twitter and Facebook, but I want to make it official by mentioning it here, now. I’m planning on moving the blog to an official site. Yes. At my job, I’ve been learning all kinds of new website building platforms and content management systems, and one of them is WordPress. In an effort to design a snazzier site than the Thoglan page, and so I can have all of my original work on my own piece of server that I actually OWN, I’ll be cleaning house here on Blogger and moving everything over. So far, I’ve already moved the…
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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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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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Panel Planning
Hit another writing wall. But I figure I need a bit of a mental health day (and physical health day *blows nose*). So I’m gonna let the novel simmer and make plans for my webcomic, and see where it goes!
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But I’m a Cockeyed Optimist!
I’ve been getting a whole bunch of little idea nuggets. Not story ideas (I’m getting those too), but ideas for promotion-type things! My two biggest things I have been wanting to do lately are: 1. Create a youtube account and post videos (but I have no idea what they would be about), and 2. Create a character twitter account (except that none of them have access to our world, necessarily). Still, I WANT TO DO THESE THINGS! Perhaps once I get my book finished I’ll be able to figure something out. The videos will probably happen once I’m published, but the twitter, I am still figuring that out. Yet even…
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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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In the Absence of Twitter
I realize how supplementing with Twitter hasn’t helped my blogging *covers face* I have serious gaps. But I’ve decided to keep most of the tweet streams with a lot of the writing process sentiments in them. After all, I use twitter as an extension of my blog. So if you feel like you’re missing something in between my entries, trot on over to my new Tweet Archive Tweet Archive! But officially, to catch up the proper blog, National Novel Writing Month hath begun, and I am already over my quota for the next two days, so things are really good! I think I am going to start the agent/publisher search this…
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Still Here, I Promise!
Twitter has eaten my proper blogging again! Writing Process Update: I’m onto Chapter 24!!!! The best part is, I forsee Ch. 25 being the last one in the book, so I am VERY close to being done! Things of Note: I’ve been doing a lot of web-wandering for writerly resources, and I found an awesome listing of 101 Best Websites for Writers from Writer’s Digest Magazine. This list is amazing, and it covers everything from databases of publishers, to sites that tell you about publishing scams, to little ways to spark your muse! Definitely worth checking out! And for all of you who have been wanting to start a blog,…
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All within me cries out
I officially have the crucial details for the rest of the book, aka the last 3-5 chapters. So let it be written, so let it be done! *clap clap*
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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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Intricacies
I’ve been blessed with a window of time to blog today! Yay! I haven’t been posting because things are pretty much progressing about the same. Still writing away when I have free time, mostly on the weekends, but I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel! I did this huge organization thing where I took all my digital notes (I have so many more written on paper! *faints*) and organized them to see what spots I still had to fill in. This helped immensely, so now I know where I stand and what I still need to cover. And I’ve been getting an overflow…
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The Anticipation is Killing Me!
I have been making some fun new plans for Book Two, so that means I reeeeally need to finish Book 1. Lock onto it, mate. It’s within our grasp!
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Draft Two hath begun
I’ve been settling into work nicely ^_^ w00t w00t! And today I’ve had time to actually do some REAL writing, which is super fab. I originally decided that before I went back and did an intense run through on draft one, I’d finish the entire story. However, I am having a hard time figuring everything out with just the old draft, since there are a lot of changes I’ve wanted to make. So, I’m starting draft two tonight, cleaning through, editing, etc. It feels good to be back again.
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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
