I am returned to you after a long weekend of much sloth!
I gorged myself on reading (reviews of THE LAST TWILIGHT (Marjorie M. Liu) and TANGLED WEBS (Anne Bishop) forthcoming).
I napped.
I ate macaroni and cheese.
I watched movies.
*happy sigh*
Now, I am recharged and ready to dive back into the manuscript. My 70 Days of Sweat goal is completely blown out of the water, but that's okay. I'm very pleased with the progress I made and, if it weren't for poorly planned entertainment (tickets to three different shows this week!) and uber-amounts of business travel, I'm confident I would have made it.
Showing posts with label 70 Days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 70 Days. Show all posts
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I'm off!
Monday, April 14, 2008
word count check in
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Heading out for the day.
I got up early (read: earlier than I would have normally) to write this morning since we'll be out for most of the day. I hope to do some additional work this evening but I'm not sure if that will win out over other things that are high on my priority list (like spending time with my husband before I'm away for a week and/or packing for RT). Either way, I probably won't be back online until tomorrow.
Have a great day, everyone!
30533 / 60000 words. 51% done!
Have a great day, everyone!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Aaaaaaaaaaah.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
That's gonna leave a mark.
I'm just about done with the fight scene. Well, more accurately, I'm just about done with the fighting but there's a bit more to this scene. Today's writing was hard won but satisfying. I didn't make my word count goal, but I also had a hair cut appt. so I think I did all right. Just to prove how out of it I am though, when I was entering my current total in the word meter form, I actually wondered whether this would put me over the edge of 50%. Yeah. Math is never my strong point but usually I can divide by 2. *sigh*
28035 / 60000 words. 47% done!
I'll be at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention Tuesday through Sunday next week. I've not been thinking about it at all because of everything else going on, but I spent some time on the site today looking at the attending authors list and the workshop descriptions. I'm very excited! There's a lot of good stuff going on this year. I could have sworn that they announced Laurell K. Hamilton as an attending author for this years convention when I was at last year's but there's no mention of her now. Perhaps I dreamed it...? I've heard she's a good speaker.
Okay, I'm off to catch some sleep. Tomorrow I'm intending to be back on track with my daily goals (and through this fight scene -- yeah!). Oh! I nearly forgot. Check out the quote the amazingly fabulous Marjorie M. Liu posted on her LJ today. It's gorgeous and I lovelovelove it.
I'll be at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention Tuesday through Sunday next week. I've not been thinking about it at all because of everything else going on, but I spent some time on the site today looking at the attending authors list and the workshop descriptions. I'm very excited! There's a lot of good stuff going on this year. I could have sworn that they announced Laurell K. Hamilton as an attending author for this years convention when I was at last year's but there's no mention of her now. Perhaps I dreamed it...? I've heard she's a good speaker.
Okay, I'm off to catch some sleep. Tomorrow I'm intending to be back on track with my daily goals (and through this fight scene -- yeah!). Oh! I nearly forgot. Check out the quote the amazingly fabulous Marjorie M. Liu posted on her LJ today. It's gorgeous and I lovelovelove it.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Today's lesson:
One writes fight scenes much faster after two pints of Guinness.
No, really. I'm not kidding.
1,058 words tonight! Is writing quicker worth becoming an alcoholic? ... I suppose not. Admittedly, the fight scenes tend to write quicker anyway because they're nearly all description (versus dialogue, which is more fun but much slower from a word count perspective).
I learned something new tonight about guns. Apparently, semi-automatic handguns (like Glocks, which my character carries) do not actually make a clicking noise when they're empty. In fact, they don't make any noise at all, since you can't even pull the trigger when the slide locks open. Damn you, Hollywood! *shakes fist* Luckily, I was trying to be all poetic and wanted to talk about the actual gun parts that make the clicking noise so I did a bit of research. Jeesh.
I also ran into a problem I've not encountered before: I kept losing track of my opponents! This particular scene involves a gang of badass vampires pouncing on our poor, unsuspecting main characters. I was losing track of how many vampires I'd already--ahem, I mean *Lucia* had already--taken out. I ended up having to number them to make sure I followed each one through to a successful ass-whooping. Or not. You won't know until I'm published! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!
27272 / 60000 words. 45% done!
No, really. I'm not kidding.
1,058 words tonight! Is writing quicker worth becoming an alcoholic? ... I suppose not. Admittedly, the fight scenes tend to write quicker anyway because they're nearly all description (versus dialogue, which is more fun but much slower from a word count perspective).
I learned something new tonight about guns. Apparently, semi-automatic handguns (like Glocks, which my character carries) do not actually make a clicking noise when they're empty. In fact, they don't make any noise at all, since you can't even pull the trigger when the slide locks open. Damn you, Hollywood! *shakes fist* Luckily, I was trying to be all poetic and wanted to talk about the actual gun parts that make the clicking noise so I did a bit of research. Jeesh.
I also ran into a problem I've not encountered before: I kept losing track of my opponents! This particular scene involves a gang of badass vampires pouncing on our poor, unsuspecting main characters. I was losing track of how many vampires I'd already--ahem, I mean *Lucia* had already--taken out. I ended up having to number them to make sure I followed each one through to a successful ass-whooping. Or not. You won't know until I'm published! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Fighting again
I made my 2K goal today, despite a lengthy visit with family. Yeah! I'm in the middle of another fight scene, though of a different sort than the previous one. This time there will be guns! And biting! And Bad Things will happen. I did a bit more research today, this time on how many bullets a gun clip holds. I was surprised at how long it took me to find out! Needless to say, I've inched my way up on the government's watchlist for "terr". If you experience sudden radio silence from Words From The Inside Out, it probably means I've been picked up by the authorities. ;)
How was everyone's weekend?
26214 / 60000 words. 44% done!
82750 / 120000 words. 69% done!
How was everyone's weekend?
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Progress and a Snippet
Just over a thousand words this afternoon plus a handful from yesterday on the bus brings me to:
24203 / 60000 words. 40% done!
Therefore, I deem it is time for a new snippet! This bit takes place as Lucia and Travis are trying to discreetly exit a Staff Only area of the casino with two very wounded Shifters:
The guys emerge from the Staff Only door in groups of three, with Bratton supported between Travis and Collins while Dalton and Diehl support Snyder. I'm a half dozen feet away when a maintenance employee approaches pushing a large, wheeled trash barrel. She frowns at the unusual looking group exiting the restricted area and her hand drifts toward the walkie-talkie clipped to her belt.
"Guys!" I shout, plastering a silly grin on my face. "That's not where the bathroom is!"
The maintenance woman watches me suspiciously but her hand pauses, hovering over the walkie.
Travis giggles, picking up on my cue. "That's not where the bathroom is," he repeats, slurring his words slightly and punching Bratton in the arm. The rest of the guys catch on and start laughing, each doing his best to appear intoxicated.
I walk up and hand out the beers then turn back to the maintenance woman shaking my head. "Too many cervezas!" I tell her, laughing and twirling my finger at my temple in what I hope is the international sign for loco.
She glances at the men again then gives me a weary smile that says 'stupid tourists' in perfect English. The guys stagger away from the door and she gives the enormous trash barrel a shove, resuming her duties.
I move up to walk alongside Travis. "I don't suppose you guys took the time to wipe the blood off the floor?"
"Nope!" he says cheerfully with a goofy grin that may or may not be part of the drunken act.
"Then I suggest we pick up the pace," I reply. "If that woman sees any of the blood, she won't believe we're a bunch of drunken tourists for a second."
Therefore, I deem it is time for a new snippet! This bit takes place as Lucia and Travis are trying to discreetly exit a Staff Only area of the casino with two very wounded Shifters:
The guys emerge from the Staff Only door in groups of three, with Bratton supported between Travis and Collins while Dalton and Diehl support Snyder. I'm a half dozen feet away when a maintenance employee approaches pushing a large, wheeled trash barrel. She frowns at the unusual looking group exiting the restricted area and her hand drifts toward the walkie-talkie clipped to her belt.
"Guys!" I shout, plastering a silly grin on my face. "That's not where the bathroom is!"
The maintenance woman watches me suspiciously but her hand pauses, hovering over the walkie.
Travis giggles, picking up on my cue. "That's not where the bathroom is," he repeats, slurring his words slightly and punching Bratton in the arm. The rest of the guys catch on and start laughing, each doing his best to appear intoxicated.
I walk up and hand out the beers then turn back to the maintenance woman shaking my head. "Too many cervezas!" I tell her, laughing and twirling my finger at my temple in what I hope is the international sign for loco.
She glances at the men again then gives me a weary smile that says 'stupid tourists' in perfect English. The guys stagger away from the door and she gives the enormous trash barrel a shove, resuming her duties.
I move up to walk alongside Travis. "I don't suppose you guys took the time to wipe the blood off the floor?"
"Nope!" he says cheerfully with a goofy grin that may or may not be part of the drunken act.
"Then I suggest we pick up the pace," I reply. "If that woman sees any of the blood, she won't believe we're a bunch of drunken tourists for a second."
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Drive by update
Just a quick post to let you all know I *have* been writing, despite my schedule this week. Just not writing very much. :) Ah, well. Something's better than nothing. Today, I had a BRILLIANT revelation about my plot (if I do say so myself!) and I'm just dying to sit down this weekend and typetypetype away. More soon... ;)
23003 / 60000 words. 38% done!
Monday, March 31, 2008
*squeeeeeeeeeeeeak*
Sunday, March 30, 2008
A bit of time off
I was feeling a bit run down and burnt out towards the end of last week so I took some time off this weekend. Consequently, I'm a little behind in my goals for the 70 Days of Sweat but I'm no longer borderline psychotic so I think that about evens out. ;)
21236 / 60000 words. 35% done!
78066 / 120000 words. 65% done!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
the interweb
I love and hate the internet. Information is more widely and readily available, and communication and connecting with friends is easier than ever. So is getting distracted.
Just short of my goal tonight, but when I closed my eyes to think about the wording of a particular sentence and nearly drifted off to sleep, I figured it was time to turn in for the night.
But, hey, I broke 20K!
20178 / 60000 words. 34% done!
Just short of my goal tonight, but when I closed my eyes to think about the wording of a particular sentence and nearly drifted off to sleep, I figured it was time to turn in for the night.
But, hey, I broke 20K!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Plotting
I had originally intended to write today's words and the rest of yesterday's words today. In fact, I worked diligently on the bus to and from work and during my lunch to make up yesterday's words (phew!). But I just wasn't feeling the scene I've got to work on next, so I decided to tackle the re-plotting.
After several technical difficulties, I managed to transfer my existing plot from LSB into Word and re-align the chapter headings to the plot points. When I write it like that, it sounds really quick and simple. Not so, when I actually did it. But at least it's done now, which means I can move forward with adding in my new elements and tweaking the existing ones I have to accommodate the new ones. Oh, and I should probably add some additional detail around my end scene, since it's currently this vague one-liner involving "kicking ass with uber powers". Myeah. That's not quite gonna do it.
In other news, my plot document is 7,312 words long! Is that normal? I'm thinking no. I mean, what's normal in this biz, right? But still...that seems super long. It's mostly brainstorming from the two weeks or so before I began writing, last July. There are some scenes of dialogue and some pretty in-depth descriptions of other scenes and even entire chapters. Oh, and then there are the jewels like "Simon and Hestia show up with armed guards. The meeting does not go well." (end chapter plotting) Or the one-liner I mentioned above. Oy.
I'm exhausted, for some reason, so I'm toppling into bed early. Tomorrow I'll either continue with the re-plotting or work on the aforementioned scenes if I'm in the proper frame of mind.
Sweet dreams everyone!
19446 / 60000 words. 32% done!
After several technical difficulties, I managed to transfer my existing plot from LSB into Word and re-align the chapter headings to the plot points. When I write it like that, it sounds really quick and simple. Not so, when I actually did it. But at least it's done now, which means I can move forward with adding in my new elements and tweaking the existing ones I have to accommodate the new ones. Oh, and I should probably add some additional detail around my end scene, since it's currently this vague one-liner involving "kicking ass with uber powers". Myeah. That's not quite gonna do it.
In other news, my plot document is 7,312 words long! Is that normal? I'm thinking no. I mean, what's normal in this biz, right? But still...that seems super long. It's mostly brainstorming from the two weeks or so before I began writing, last July. There are some scenes of dialogue and some pretty in-depth descriptions of other scenes and even entire chapters. Oh, and then there are the jewels like "Simon and Hestia show up with armed guards. The meeting does not go well." (end chapter plotting) Or the one-liner I mentioned above. Oy.
I'm exhausted, for some reason, so I'm toppling into bed early. Tomorrow I'll either continue with the re-plotting or work on the aforementioned scenes if I'm in the proper frame of mind.
Sweet dreams everyone!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Blink. Blink Blink.
A.Harvey-Fitzhenry used the term 'magpie mode' when answering a watcher question over at Fangs, Fur, & Fey tonight, and I can't think of a better way to describe my current state of mind. Holy distracted by anything, Batman!
I plunked out a few hundred words--in between fiddling with ticklish eyelashes, picking lint off my blanket, inspecting my cuticles, staring at my dog, thinking about Lost, daydreaming about RT, wondering why my hip is hurting, trying to figure out if I'll have time to write during lunch at work tomorrow, wondering when my mp3 player's battery is going to die, taking off my eye makeup, quizzing my husband about his new video game, changing position 1,583 times, listening to the echoes I can hear through my headphones in Sarah McLachlan's "Answer" and wondering if they're there on purpose, thinking about what I'll write in this entry and considering then dismissing the idea of searching for a picture of a magpie to post in this entry.
*smacks forehead*
18548 / 60000 words. 31% done!
I plunked out a few hundred words--in between fiddling with ticklish eyelashes, picking lint off my blanket, inspecting my cuticles, staring at my dog, thinking about Lost, daydreaming about RT, wondering why my hip is hurting, trying to figure out if I'll have time to write during lunch at work tomorrow, wondering when my mp3 player's battery is going to die, taking off my eye makeup, quizzing my husband about his new video game, changing position 1,583 times, listening to the echoes I can hear through my headphones in Sarah McLachlan's "Answer" and wondering if they're there on purpose, thinking about what I'll write in this entry and considering then dismissing the idea of searching for a picture of a magpie to post in this entry.
*smacks forehead*
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Time to Re-Plot
Hi everyone! Sorry I've been MIA. I also keep a LiveJournal account and I posted there the last couple of days without cross-posting. You can catch up here if you're interested. :)
Well, I hope you all had a lovely Sunday. I did.
I had a lazy morning then wrote for a bit. I hit a place where I needed to figure out where the hell I was going with this particular scene. You know how that goes: "is this a genius plot line or an effing rabbit hole?" So I took a break and the hubby and I cleared the flower beds of last year's dead foliage. By that time, I'd decided it was a plot line (though the genius part was certainly debatable) but not really what to do with it, so I took a long, hot bath and thought some more.
I realized that what was throwing me off wasn't the scene I was currently writing, but how this new plot line and this formerly-minor-now-major character were going to affect the rest of the story. I decided it would be a good investment of my time to re-do my plotting for the rest of the book. A lot has changed since I first sketched it out and I've never gone back to adjust it or carry the new (or newly tweaked) threads through to the end of the story. I mean, I have moderately formed ideas in my head of what's going to happen, but now that I'm actually approaching writing those scenes, 'moderately formed' doesn't seem quite good enough.
Unfortunately, when I converted my existing work in progress to the latest version of the very cool software I use (Liquid Storybinder), the plot got a little messed up and I wasn't able to really modify it at all today. I'm all right for a few more scenes, I think, so hopefully the user group for LSB will be able to help me sometime in the next few days and then I can re-plot my little heart out.
I'm taking the rest of the night off, having made my goal for today (2K). Have a great night everyone and I'll journal with you tomorrow! :)
70 Days of Sweat Progress Meter:
18114 / 60000 words. 30% done!
Overall Progress Meter:
74941 / 120000 words. 62% done!
Well, I hope you all had a lovely Sunday. I did.
I had a lazy morning then wrote for a bit. I hit a place where I needed to figure out where the hell I was going with this particular scene. You know how that goes: "is this a genius plot line or an effing rabbit hole?" So I took a break and the hubby and I cleared the flower beds of last year's dead foliage. By that time, I'd decided it was a plot line (though the genius part was certainly debatable) but not really what to do with it, so I took a long, hot bath and thought some more.
I realized that what was throwing me off wasn't the scene I was currently writing, but how this new plot line and this formerly-minor-now-major character were going to affect the rest of the story. I decided it would be a good investment of my time to re-do my plotting for the rest of the book. A lot has changed since I first sketched it out and I've never gone back to adjust it or carry the new (or newly tweaked) threads through to the end of the story. I mean, I have moderately formed ideas in my head of what's going to happen, but now that I'm actually approaching writing those scenes, 'moderately formed' doesn't seem quite good enough.
Unfortunately, when I converted my existing work in progress to the latest version of the very cool software I use (Liquid Storybinder), the plot got a little messed up and I wasn't able to really modify it at all today. I'm all right for a few more scenes, I think, so hopefully the user group for LSB will be able to help me sometime in the next few days and then I can re-plot my little heart out.
I'm taking the rest of the night off, having made my goal for today (2K). Have a great night everyone and I'll journal with you tomorrow! :)
70 Days of Sweat Progress Meter:
Overall Progress Meter:
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Back to dialogue
As much as I love writing dialogue, it's quite a bit slower than description or exposition. Still, I made my goal and then some for tonight. Last night I devoted a chunk of time to family and friends so I only hit about 200 words. Luckily, I'll be able to make up the rest this weekend, along with tomorrow night's words since I have a happy hour after work. Post-happy-hour writing just never results in a good finished product, yanno?
15498 / 60000 words. 26% done!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Cruisin'
Monday, March 17, 2008
My eyeballs are shrivelling
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)