Long Time, No See

Wow.. almost 6 months with no post. Even if I'm not writing regularly (which I'm not) I would like to try and write on here more often, because it keeps me in the writing mentality.

Anyway, so what have I been up to? I've written here and there on my WIP. I've written a little on my side WIP when I feel like it. I've even written on my short story. That's probably too much to work on at once, but I get restless with my projects after awhile. I think if I just had more focus maybe I could do better.

My sister says something like "Excuses, even if they are good, are still excuses. You don't get things done." So, I do have excuses, and some of them are good. But I'm not getting the writing done. Now, I'm not being that hard on myself. I'm one of those people that believe there is a time and place for everything and when it's the right time it will happen. EXCEPT you have to put the work in at the right now. It isn't going to happen on it's own.

One kind of exciting thing that happened is I have made some money off writing. I have a Kindle and wanted a few kids stories on there. Me being the writer I am, didn't want to just buy a bunch of books. I wanted to write one. I wrote four short stories for my kids. Then I thought, why not put it on the Kindle store and see if I could sell some? So I did. I've sold 12 copies. That is in about 1 month of sales and no real promoting (except telling some friends that ended up buying a copy. Thanks friends!). I have made $4.20 from writing these stories for my kids.

I like the publisher route, because basically says, your writing is good enough we want to sell it in a book. I like the indie publishing route because it says, I can write what I want and be in charge of it. I guess I'll just keep on writing and see which route to take next.

Hitting a Writing Milestone

So far in my "writing career" I haven't gotten very far. I love to write. I make up stories here and there and usually quit writing the story because I get discouraged. But last night I hit the 39K word count. I am less than 1000 words away from hitting 40,000 words, which is roughly half a book. And not just a story that has a bunch of words, but words that I am pretty darn proud of.

I got some feedback on my first page and it just got me excited to write again. I just wish my excitement lasted longer periods of time. I've got to figure out a way to keep the momentum going. I feel like I have a better idea of what needs to be improved. I know a couple scenes that I am definitely am going to have to completely re-do, a few that I'll need to improve the quality of writing on, and I have some ideas to give the novel more quality about it.

Besides writing, I am also working on losing weight. In a year's time I have lost 27 pounds. Sadly, I still have about 25-30 more pounds to go, but now I know I can do it.

Also, having a few little kids around the house with school out makes it a little less scheduled around here. Oh, and not to mention that I am trying my hand at gardening.

So a little about gardening: I grew up in a house with 1/2 acre. We had a huge garden. Pretty much any vegetable or fruit you can think of that grows around here -- we grew it. I helped planting, picking weeds, and harvesting. So you would think I would have this green thumb. Nope.

I don't like bugs, I don't like sitting on the ground pulling weeds, and I forget to water my plants. My kids love the idea of gardening and I do also to an extent. So, we are attempting to grow: 1 corn stalk, 2 tomato plants, 1 strawberry plant, 2 pumpkin plants, and 1 watermelon plant. Last year my attempt at carrots and 3 tomato plants yielded 9 small tomatos and no carrots. Basically anything I can harvest will probably be an improvement this year. Maybe someday I will get this gardening stuff all figured out.

UPDATE: I hit 40K. 40,365 to be exact. WAHOO!!!

It Comes and Goes

So my writing itch comes and goes. I wrote 15,000 words last month. I've barely touched my manuscript this month. I just need to make myself personal goals for writing more often.

Julie Coulter Bellon, a LDS author and also mother of 8 children started a new blog. She has something called First Page Friday. I decided to be bold and sent in the first page of one of my manuscripts. It's one that I put on the back burner, but still REALLY want to write. My creativity for it is worn out though. I've thought about taking the basic idea of it and completely re-writing it. I'd still use a bunch of the scenes and ideas that really seem to work. But some of it just doesn't flow right.

As for my personal life, I'm a little excited and a little not excited for school to be out. I have a routine down when my son is at school. When the baby (although she really is a toddler now, but I still think of her as my baby) goes down for a nap, I have one child home. She can stay somewhat quiet by herself. But with 2 kids home, they can make SO much noise. I will have to think of some good nap-time quiet activites for them to do.

Oh, and it's May 16th, and I am drinking hot chocolate and thinking about putting my housecoat on. My house is 64 degrees (had a window open and a fan blowing). I'm not ready for full on heat summer, but would like 70's degree Spring to stay.

If I Keep This Up....

At this rate, I will finish my first draft of my WIP (work in progress) soon. I figure even if I low ball it to 1000 words a day for 10 days out of the month, then I will be at 80,000 in about 3-4 months.

I've been on a writing roll lately, but it's going to be getting a little busier soon. One daughter is having a birthday, then next week I teach preschool two days that week. Also I am helping with my son's class Valentine party and need to help him make some valentines and decorate a box.

If I kept up the speed I'm at, I could probably have first draft done in two months. I've gone back and reworded/rewrote a few things. I'm trying hard not to do it too much. But sometimes I can't help but come up with better ideas for certain areas.

So... current word count: 33696. Phew. That's a lot of words. :)

Life is busy

I have been getting long gaps of time between posts lately. Of course, there is a lot on my plate right now. Three little kids (one a baby), remodeling house, springtime outdoor chores, planning a camping trip, organizing stuff, etc. Doesn't like a lot of time to think.

I have however been thinking about writing again. Of course, thinking isn't doing, but it's a start. I actually thought of ways to better my novel that has been in the works for over a year. I know there will be a time in my life that I will make the time for writing. It just isn't top priority to me right now.

I have been reading blogs written by other writers. I enjoy reading about others successes in the writing business. There are lots of books I am excited to read someday on my list. A few of them:

Agent in Old Lace by Tristi Pinkston. Tristi is on my facebook friends, and although I have never met her in person, I have enjoyed getting to know her somewhat online. She's only about 2 hours away from me. Maybe someday our paths will cross.

My Fairy Grandmother by Aubrey Mace. I read her Spare Change novel and really liked it. (It also won a Whitney Award for Best Novel.) It was her first published novel, so she's off to a good start. :)

English Trifle by Josi Kilpack. I've enjoyed the few books of her's I've read. I also read Lemon Tart and liked it. I'm sure this one will be just as good.

Another author I have really enjoyed is Robert Farrell Smith (Not the nicest layout format on a website, but it shows his books.) Anyway, he is a funny guy. I love his books. I've read his newer ones and some of his older ones. I had to check some out from the library, but they are worth the read.

Okay, well enough of the blogging. Time to actually go do something productive like cleaning .... :(

Getting Back in the Habit

I just don't have the motivation to start writing much. Even though we have moved in, things still aren't organized like I would like it. Half my belongings are still in our RV waiting to be sorted and put away.

I think that things probably need to settle down a bit before I can really get into writing again. I still think of ideas for my current novel. Life is busy around here though. I am doing a home preschool group with my 4 year old. My 2 year old is, well, a 2 year old. And I'm 1/2 done with my pregnancy. My son is moving into a different room. But first we need to clear out the extra room. Then set up the crib in my daughters room.

There is a time and a season for everything in our lives. This just isn't my "work to the bone with writing" season. I suppose if I just get what I can out, then I should consider that an accomplishment.

Motivation For Me

First off - I went to a cabin this weekend with friends. It was SO much fun. No kids, no husbands, just 5 out of 6 of our little group of best friends. We talked forever. Everyone was up there by 7:00 pm, and we talked until 4:00 am. We got up at 8:00 am, and kept on talking. We made cards, did crafts, played games - all while talking. We talked about life, kids, goals, families, trials. It was fun. And when I got back, I got to hear the excited "Hi Mommy!" from my kids.

Anyway, I took my novel up there. It's about 70 pages (considering 250 words a page). I told my friends that if anyone wanted to read it, they could. I wanted to make sure I was on track. I knew where I wanted the characters and plot to go, and wanted to make sure it was coming out right. The LOVED it. Which, of course, made me VERY happy. It's always nice to hear good things. They agreed with me with what I wanted to have happen in the story. They loved the characters.

And now I want to write even more. Sometimes you start doubting yourself. I can see the characters, feels the feelings, see the scenes in my mind. But getting them on paper has always been the hardest part for me. So knowing that I am doing a good job so far, motivates me on.

And the best part, is these friends of mine are really in the target audience I am writing for. And since they love it, I know that I am on track.

I really hope to get this published someday (sooner than later). But even if I never ever get published, I will be satisfied. If I know I did my best, gave it my all, and publishers just aren't taking it, I will be okay. But, hey, if my friends (target audience) love it, then I think I'll do alright.

Published is a goal, but not the dream. The dream is writing something that I can be proud of and that others can enjoy reading.

Inspiration

I'm sure that all of us have some sort of "inspiration" that gets us writing, whether it's a person, and idea, or whatever.

The best thing that gets me writing, is thinking and reading about writing. I've recently discovered a bunch of authors blogs, and have them bookmarked on my browser. I've heard somewhere that if you write down a goal, you have a better chance or achieving it. But you also have to actually go out and be proactive about it. You can't just sit there and hope it happens.

So, I've decided to be proactive about my goal of having a published book someday.

One way I've decided to be proactive is to consider myself as a writer. I'm not aspiring, I'm not hoping, I AM a writer.

I've been reading books on writing. Books about the passion of writing, better plots, better dialogue, and better characters.

I'm taking an online writing course. It's through the BYU online education, and they have two creative writing classes. They are only $28, since you don't get college credit for them.

And I'm trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can about writing/editing/publishing. Afterall, knowledge is power. I've been checking out authors websites and blogs to read their advice. I've been reading LDS Publisher to get some ideas of what to expect when it's time to submit a manuscript. I'm starting to participate in Tristi's Challenges to get myself motivated to do more writing and editing.

And of course, I really enjoy meeting authors. I met a few when I was a teenager, and the thought of meeting an author was 10 times better than the thought of meeting a celebrity. Always fun to "hang out" or meet people that you aspire to be like someday.

Lots and Lots of Words

I'm writing a novel. Somedays the words just fly out of me, and other days I'm not really sure what to write. Today I've got the writing bug. I did some more writing, probably only about 1/2 page worth. I have two little kids and a husband, so getting time to write without any distractions doesn't come often.

As I've typed, I've wondered how to tell how many real pages my story is. Most books are printed in 8 1/2 X 11 sized. Novels tend to be smaller sized. So although my story is 35 pages so far, I assume it is a few more pages than that in novel print size. I guess a better way to "compare" might be words in a book. Thankfully with word processors they do they counting for you. I can't imagine trying to count all the words myself. :) So far I have 15,847 words. That's a lot of words.

I was reading one writer's blog http://www.josikilpack.blogspot.com/ (I'm sure that even though probably no one reads my blog, at least yet, she may enjoy having her link shown. It's a good blog to read.) Anyway, her goal is 80,000 words for the book. So I get to thinking that if I times my current words by 5, that is close to 80,000. That would be 175 pages or a few more novel print size. Not at bad goal. Although, at this point I can't imagine 175 pages. Maybe more like 100. But hopefully as the story evolves I can find enough good plot line and dialouge that will make the story better and maybe a little longer.

Story Ideas from the Lives Around You

I read somewhere that as writers we should really notice the things in life that go on around us. Notice how people interact, how they react. I look at things around me and sometimes I get ideas for stories or for scenes in a story.

Well, this weekend I had two things happened in my life that I had never experienced before. I got my first EVER speeding ticket. I've been driving for 13 years and my perfect driving record has been broken. I'm not really that upset getting one, as no longer being able to proudly say that I have never gotten a speeding ticket. Oh well, that just means I join the ranks of most people in the world.

I also got a root canal. They numb your mouth up. In this case, it was my left side of my mouth. So besides having to hold your mouth open for about an hour, it isn't that bad. But when the numbness starts to wear off, it does not feel good.

These two things though, can really spark ideas for stories. I'm currently writing a story, in which I've thought maybe I can get two of the characters together in a car one get pulled over. That would be very embarrassing for the one character who is trying to act cool in front of the other one (because she likes him a lot, but he doesn't know).

As for the root canal, I'm still hurting a little, letting the pain medicine kick in. So I'm not ready to give any of my character that sort of pain right now.

Having the not so good things in life happen to us, may not be fun. But they do give us plenty of ideas, emotions, and thoughts to make our dialogues, and narratives hopefully that much better.

Rules of Writing

I'm a big believer is knowing the rules of correct grammar. You should know what verbs, adjective, adverbs, etc are. You should understand all the correct stuff. But I'm also a big believer in writing however you want.

Now, if you decide to write like this - "hay dude what RU up 2?" - chances are that people aren't going to be so interested in your writing. Which is fine if you are only writing for yourself. But seriously, is it such a big deal if your writing ends in a preposition? Sure, if it's technical writing, say a brochure or manual. But if I'm writing a novel, and want to start a sentence with "but", which I just did, then I will.

I suppose it depends on your audience you're trying to reach. But everyone has a different style. And as much as I love Mary Higgins Clark or Mitch Albom, I have my own style of writing. I'm not looking to make millions from writing - althought that would be nice! I'm writing, because I love to do it. Hopefully enough people will be interested in my stories that I can have some published and make some money from it. But in the end, I write because I love it.

An Adventure in Writing

I am a writer. How do I know that? I read it somewhere. Actually, what I read was that if you write, you are a writer. If you sing, you are a singer; if you paint, you are a painter. You don't need to be paid professionally in order to give yourself a title. So I am a writer.

I have story ideas in my head, some are written out. I actually have a whole novel written, and sent it in to publishers. My goal back when I was a teenager was to have a novel written and sent to publishers by the time I was 19. And I accomplished it. It wasn't published. Looking back I can totally see why. It was disappointing, but it was an accomplishment. I still have the letter.

I also have my high school teachers note to one of my creative writing assignments. He said to "show, not tell". It was straight to the point of what was wrong in my story. I can't say that I enjoyed reading the note, but I still have it with me today. I'm a big believer in constructive criticism.

If I were only writing for my personal satisfaction, I wouldn't care so much about that. But I plan on having a novel published someday. And I want it to be the best I can give.

So, this blog is all about writing. Random thoughts, opinions, and ideas. I don't know if anyone will ever read this. But like I said, I am a writer. I like to write. So maybe someone will see this. Maybe not. But if another "aspiring writer" comes across this, I hope they will motivated to keep on writing.