Renovations and Relaxers

Oh, my friends. March is trying to swallow me up and spit me out. After returning from my amazing conference in February, I had such lofty ideas about all the ways I could become a better writer. The first step in that process was making our home office into a place where I actually wanted to write. I haven’t decided yet if I’m brave enough to post a “before” photo. While the majority of the office is complete, it certainly isn’t finished. I’m still waiting on my computer desk to be delivered so that I can get a computer…and finally set up the printer we were given as a Christmas gift. Rise of the Seer was done entirely on a lap top, and while I’m thankful to have said keys and screen, I’m looking forward to moving on to a keyboard that doesn’t make me hold my arms out like a baby T-Rex.

Believe it or not, I actually found a stock photo of a T-Rex at a desk. The world is a strange, strange place.

Moving right along, my Beta reader finished reading the first draft of Rise of the Seer. I’m now about to begin the process of rewriting based on his comments. And for anyone who may be curious, yes, we are still friends and on speaking terms. Critique can be oh-so-painful, but a second pair of eyes on your work is crucial to helping it become the best it can be. Speaking of eyes….

For undisclosed reasons, I had to take my first muscle relaxer last night. Now, I’ve had pain medication before, but I detest having to take anything like that for any amount of time. I’d rather chew on a leaf or rub some oil on whatever hurts. Usually what happens is that I end up singing a heartfelt round of Irish pirate ballads before falling asleep. No harm done. Apparently muscle relaxers bring out my pun side! I had a little notepad by the bed and scribbled out puns in my “relaxed” state. Because we are all friends here, I’ll share one of them with you. Yes, there were several. Here you go, in all of my medicated glory:

In case you are having trouble deciphering my scribbles, it's "the ayes have it." This was snort laugh hilarious last night.

For Our Young Bookworms

I’ve just spent the weekend with 200+ authors and those who love the craft of writing. I was fortunate to attend the 2015 re:write conference in Austin and I have to say that it was as amazing as I had hoped it would be. If you’re an aspiring writer, I highly recommend looking into going to this conference next year. I’m still working on unpacking all of the material we covered and adjusting my own perspective on what a career in writing looks like. Did you know that there were 1.4 million new books released last year? Of those books less than 1% became best sellers. Despite the growing abundance of literature available, the pool of readers is shrinking.

I can’t remember a time I wasn’t around books. I distinctly remember wanting to read a book my brother and older cousin had been looking through. When I couldn’t figure out the words on the page I memorized what I’d heard them say, and most likely adlibbed my own contributions. I still remember the looks on their faces as I “read” the story. I believe I missed some words, but I desperately wanted to know how to read that book on my own.

Books and stories transport us to places we might not otherwise visit. We can travel to schools for wizards, hang out with mythical creatures, and watch a character grow throughout the pages of a story. If you’re like me, you have a few shelves in your home where books sit and wait for you to pick them up again whenever you’re ready to visit that world. The benefits of reading are numerous and everyone should have the opportunity to personally reap the rewards.

I distinctly remember the books my children asked for day after day after day. We could quote the entire book from cover to cover before they finally moved on to a new story. But that’s part of the beauty of reading. The repetition of language and the confidence in understanding content help little ones become more comfortable with the written word. Stories help organize thoughts and encourage creativity. Unfortunately, not every child has access to books.

First Book is an organization that wants to put books in the hands of children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to call a book their own. They have provided more than 120 million new books to schools and programs serving children in need. (Source: http://www.firstbook.org/get-involved#sthash.E8IrVeAX.dpuf) If we want to cultivate a love of learning in our younger generations, access to books and literature is critical. Everyone deserves the ability to travel wherever they want to go, to hear from voices alive and well in stories, and to be inspired by a quote or idea. Let’s help our young bookworms learn to love the adventure of reading. Let’s show them the wonder that waits for them in the pages. We should all have that beautiful memory of trekking through our first story day after day after day.

Winter

My house has been full of life this week. Winter has a way of bringing people together in a way that summer will never understand. Summer has the flashy appeal of long days with carefree nights, fireflies, and the nostalgic scents of sunscreen and chlorine. It's a delightful assault on the senses with everything from fireworks to homemade ice cream to the juice of a freshly plucked peach dribbling down your chin. Seasons are memories and summer threatens to hoard the majority. Winter is quiet. Winter forces everyone inside while it shimmers and dazzles from the other side of the window. While the company is pleasant, it doesn't always allow for a quiet moment to curl up somewhere and write without interruption. So rather than type out a witty, informative, or remotely substantial blog, I invite you to experience my week of winter.

Baked apples with fresh cream. This is how you winter.

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again."― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass 

The Weight of Words

I’m still fighting off the word lag associated with finishing up a novel in a short amount of time. It’s not an official diagnosis, but I consulted Dr. Google, and I’m pretty sure that’s what I have. It’s similar to jet lag, but rather than crossing time zones at a high rate of speed, you pass through worm and plot holes. Someone really needs to write a wiki page for that condition. Writers everywhere will thank you.

Lest you think the Ransom Series is doomed to perish in premature abandonment, here is a pic I snapped minutes after writing the final words to Rise of the Seer:

I know. It’s a little crazy, but the feeling of accomplishment temporarily nulls your senses as you bask in word counts and everything that isn’t touched by the ominous red squiggles of spellcheck. (300 pages=a plethora of squiggles.) Speaking of word counts, let’s talk about words for a moment. Behold, my glorious transition. Since childhood I’ve been familiar with the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” (That paraphrase is from Tappy's Chicks: and Other Links Between Nature and Human Nature, by Mrs. George Cupples, 1872.) I say, poppycock to that whole notion. While I understand the idea is encouraging someone to let words roll off of you, rather than react in a physical altercation, I still don’t agree with the sentiment. 

Words have significant weight and value. They can make a day better or crush a heart. Words can draw people in and encourage them or they can wound viciously beyond repair. In short, what we say matters greatly. I’ve been thinking about that this week as articles have circulated about how people have lost jobs over what’s been said on social media or how some find popular literary works to be abusive and offensive. Whether they are spoken, written, signed, sung, painted or written across the sky, words are objects with remarkable substance and can stay with us forever. My hope is that there may be some word somewhere in my writing that would be a little breath of fresh air for you as a reader. I hope that there’s something in the world and characters I’m creating that will make you smile and give you a moment of happiness. Because I understand that the words we use to tell our stories, fictional or not, are each important and have the ability to impact the way we feel and respond to those around us.

Maybe today we can each choose to use our words to spread a little bit of beauty or happiness. I'll go first. Thank you, my fellow reader, for taking the time to read this post. I'm thankful for you and I truly hope that there is a moment in your day that puts a smile on your face. One final thought-*what happened when the bloodhound wrote his autobiography? It got on the best smeller list.

*I didn't make this up. To see more click here.

Now What?

I hope you’ve been vaccinated for spontaneous combustion. I know, it’s a controversial topic. We each need to decide what’s right for our own bodies. I just wanted to prepare you so that you would be informed about the risks associated with continuing to read this blog post.

 **CAUTION**

I finished the first draft of RISE OF THE SEER.

Are you still with me? Good! If I happened to lose you, take heart and remember, “They’re doing remarkable things with globule research these days.”

I thought I would let you in on how this process works for me as an indie author. The very next step for me in RISE is to do…nothing. This is actually a very important step. Between December to February I’ve spewed out 49,728 words for this story. I have lived with, talked to, and dreamt about these characters intimately for the past two months. We need a break. I’m quite caught up in their world and need to clear my head so that I will be able to view it accurately as a reader. So is RISE just sitting on a shelf? Nope.

It’s now in the hands of my favorite Beta Reader. He will go through this draft and mark it up. So much red ink! This process is both a relief and a test. It’s a relief to finally share this story with a fellow reader and see if it came together or not. I haven’t been able to share key details or plot points with anyone, so it will be nice to have an outside opinion. The testing part is that when you’ve been working on something for over a year and a half, it can be challenging to not take things personally when something just doesn’t work. There is nothing in this draft that can’t be cut if it’s what works best for the story as a whole. It’s not personal. And, repeat…

The next part will look something like this:

-My Beta Reader and I will edit this first draft.

-Rewrite.

-Send out the second draft to another round of readers.

-Rewrite.

-Have the third draft professionally edited.

-Rewrite.

-When I feel like my novel is in a place where I can finally abandon it, I’ll start the actual publishing process.

In the meantime, curious to see what it looks like when you’ve dedicated an entire week solely to finishing writing your book? I know, it seems like the charmed life of an author would be all glitz and glamour. Really though, it's a lot of work at the expense of sacrificing time in some other area. Just like everything else. Revel in my splendor, fellow readers, and see for your own eyes what a REALLY good writing week looks like around here. 

I thought the sepia tone would make the pile of clean laundry seem more whimsical. 

The people I live with need food. I like for them to live, so I agree with this system.

Lest you think I subject my fellow housemates to my slovenly ways, I assure you that order has once again been restored. Clean dishes and counter tops abound, as do folded laundered items. Until the next frenzy to finish a project hits us...
Now, for the love of dish soap and dryer sheets, please buy the book. :)

The Elusive Blog Fairy

“Wednesdays are for blogging,” she said.

Well, it’s Thursday now and I still haven’t tracked down that tricky Blog Fairy. Who is the Blog Fairy? That’s a good question. She’s a creature of legend. Some say she’s the living embodiment of sponsored dreams, paleo recipes, and images of how to tie scarves while baking bread in vintage refurbished wood burning ovens made from cinderblocks and leftover shipping pallets. She sneaks in and leaves informative, witty, and sufficient content on your computer while scheduling your blog posts weeks in advance. As of yet, I haven’t been able to find her, but I’m optimistic. I even set out a trail to lure her to my laptop. I hope she likes candy.

Until the Blog Fairy decides to frequent my computer, I suppose I’m on my own as far as blog content is concerned. I will take this opportunity to let you know that I haven’t forgotten my deadline of December 31^st for the completion of Rise of the Seer. As mysterious as the Blog Fairy is, her counterpart, the Novel Fairy, is far more elusive to catch. The Novel Fairy is a bit darker though and said to be the incarnation of sleepless nights, leftover take-out containers, keyboards of yesteryear and the fleeting hopes of souls lost in word counts and conflict resolution. The Novel Fairy is loosely related to Sasquatch and has been known to take his chupacabra for midnight strolls. If one is fortunate enough to have him tinker with their novel, they find everything magically tied up and ready for publication upon starting up their computer for the day. And what a glorious morning that is. Since neither fairy has decided to visit, I’m sitting here blogging about mythical creatures and pushing myself to finish my novel by the end of the month. This is my version of a Novel Fairy, and I can't be certain, but his head might weigh 100lbs:

As far as book two is concerned, it’s almost there. There are only a few things to finish up. Why isn’t it finished yet? No Novel Fairy. Remember? I almost made the deadline of the 31^st, but it just wasn’t feeling like it was coming together the right way. I decided to give it a little more time to allow myself to steer it back in the direction it needed to go. While I am not able to do this with horses, I can do a serviceable job of corralling my stories if given a decent amount of time. I’m still corralling and cajoling. I see no reason, now anyway, that you shouldn’t be able to have a copy of Rise of the Seer in your hands by this fall. If you want one. And I hope that you do.

Crunch Time

I’m coming up for a bit of air before plunging back into Rise of the Seer. It turns out writing the second book in the series is, let’s say, difficult. There is an overall plot to move forward and keep that is the basis for the whole series. That part isn’t really the challenge. I could sit down with you right now and tell you how everything ends and if anyone gets a happily ever after. It’s the subplots that are most likely turning my hair grey, or silver actually. (I’m beginning to sparkle.) Imagine dumping a jar of marbles on the floor and trying to find two or three of one color. Did I mention the floor is on an incline and now the marbles are rolling away from you? Oh, and then a Subplot Gremlin also came behind you and dumped a jar of Gobstoppers into the mix just to make it seem like more of a party. Fun for everyone!

The elusive Subplot Gremlin in his natural habitat. Or it could be a pterodactyl... 

 I’m still hacking my way through this world and story. There have been some developments I wasn’t expecting, and a few that I had to remove because they just didn’t fit with the overall flow of the story. It really does take on a life of its own once it finally gets going. I don’t really know how other people write, but I don’t do things sequentially. When an idea for a scene pops into my head, I’ll go write it and stick in the general area for where I think it belongs. I’ll fill in the space around them until, eventually, it all turns into one linear journey. That’s what I’m currently working on. The scenes are in place, I just need to go through and add more marbles. Or Gobstoppers. They’re all looking the same at this point.

I found this photo here: www.equilibridigitali.it/un-post-opificio-di-scrittura 

I'm down to 15 days, fellow readers! I'm trying to have the first draft of Rise of the Seer finished by midnight on the 31st...during the Christmas season...when my house will be full of people...with my husband in his critical season at work...and Subplot Gremlins on the loose. What's life without a little adventure?