happy days (&update)

So, many of you will think I'm a dork or goof even by the end of this blog, but *shrugs, you would be right so on with it!

First off, we got an air conditioner in OUR ROOM. You know. The place with the computer. The place I have been trying to write this whole month only to end up a puddle of blood and sweat that had nothing to do with my writing? Yep, that's the place. Now, I will be able to put al those notes on paper on to the computer. It will probably be a week before I have true numbers on word count for this month, but what a month!

I've got a 20 year school reunion tonight, 11th anniversary last night, opened the show FOOLS last monday, had family reunion last weekend, finally sent off painting that I've been waiting months to do, canned and jammed like the next world war is about to happen and otherwise tried hard not to use up all the ducttape on my children as they have decided that they do not have to act civilized. Sigh. I am exhausted.

Thank goodness for this writing challenge or I may not have even finished the project that is no longer finished. The one that I basically stripped my voice from will now be reedited and all that awesome verbage and emotions and visually stunning words shall go back into the fray and then we shall see where we are! Yeah!

Of course with the happy days news of getting my air conditioner, I find out that at somepoint yesterday the baby pulled the faucet out of sinc in my tub and now the water runs UNDER THE HOUSE, so not a good thing. Hubby thinks he can fix this, but who knows... UGH lol

Also, I have book marks for those who did this with me this month, so comment and tell me what color you want (and yes, this is open international if you really did this via twitter or my blog) I will know who you are...

Writing

I was recently rejected for "More sensory
vividness, and especially more emotional involvement with your characters
and world, might have given the story more of the magic promised by the
plotline." Now, some might be put off by this. I admit, I was disappointed, but there were good things as well. Plotline was good, obviously.

However, I learned a very good lesson here. In this particular story, I took out most of the adjectives, adverbs, and emotional stuff because I thought it would end up too flowery too "purple" for todays market. I let my voice be subdued by my extreme need to be published sooner rather than later. NO MORE. I am going to do it the way I originally wanted it (I think I took out literally 2k in mostly descriptive wording, phrases, out of the 86k it ended up.)

My MS writing style got described as very good for non-fiction. If you have followed my blog for very long, then you know that is NOT my normal "voice" and I am sorely tempted to put head to desk over and over again in frustration and anger. I OVER EDITED MY VOICE. NEVER AGAIN.

Now, I am going to go back over my MS and I'm going to put all that feeling of despair, anger, frustration, elation and world building back in and see what happens. Wish me luck.

update for July almost over

How is everyone doing on their writing journey? It's been fantastic for me. Regardless of good days and bad days, the goal of 3k a day has kept my mind on my writing. I don't know if I will get all my hand changes and writing down in the computer in time to figure out if I made my 3k a day goal by end of month, but it was close. I finished one story and fixed a two chapter problem that has been an issue for a year (since the last one of these!) and I got a good start on my new story. Not bad for a month's work.

Oh, and let's not forget the synopsis. If I didn't quite make the 3k a day, that is where I'm laying my blame. It took me a WEEK to get it good enough to send. UGH. And, since my mind was agonizing on that dang synopsis, the creativity flow when phbbbbtt. Immediately. Same thing happens when I write queries. How do you all do writing queries or synopsis, or have you been through that tortuous step in your writing career yet?

I hope your summer has been fabulous. Mine has been the best in years. I've written, canned, camped, I'm in a play, and I've really enjoyed some meaningful time with my kids.

What have you done this summer?

contests

Funny that I have two very good blogs to write about, but I'm doing this instead :D It will hopefully be quicker.

First, here's for a stack of YA books that's short term http://cindypon.com/blog/

Secondly, a reminder of the on at YAEdge.blogspot.com which is giving away books to all people who are writing 1k a day. They are giving them away every week for this whole month. Not to late to join :D

And Thirdly, my own give away for Christie Craig in conjunction with the YAEdge giveaway. Anyone who writes #3kaday on twitter with me, or keeps up on the #1kaday will be entered. (obviously, will be weighting the 3k people. How will depend on how many make it.)

Winnder gets choice of Christie Craig's romantic comedy books. They are funny awesome and she has graciously offered the choice and is donating it to the contest!

Go writers!

It is Monday

Monday has rolled around again. I do not know what my final numbers are but I have lots in writing on the paper edits I do. Hopefully, I will have plenty of words left over to move into this weeks word count!

I am nearly finished with tow novels as I've been focusing on them. I have another one that I scrapped and I am starting over with, otherwise, it would be three. I am so busy that writing is sort of taking a back burner, but I knew this might be a problem. My biggest problem, though, is the heat. If I had my laptop, I could go to places that were cooler to work, or sit in living room by the air conditioner. Sigh. Oh well, I am doing it by hand, which I think is elevating my work and might be something I have to incorporate more.

I already have it as my fall back. I also use it for edits. But, recently, I've seen a new flow of ideas from combining the ways that I write. I see things a bit differently. Also, I am much better with hard copy edits. Something about the computer screen allows my eyes to skim over the mistakes.

I re-read the new beginning for my paranormal series and loving it! I am very happy with how this one sounds! I'm off to do more canning and writing and studying lines...

Tomorrow, or Wednesday, I will post my schedule, as it is now, for the rest of the month, and you tell me if I'm busy:P

Update for the 1st week

So I had to figure my numbers out today in order to be in drawing for a book. Here is my writing numbers at this point. I put over 11k words into the computer, with more on paper that still needs to be translated! I'm so happy. Although, I am in middle of editing so, no word is safe with me muwahahaha.

I have to make up 3kaday this weekend to the tune of 3724. Piece of cake since some of those words are already down on paper lol. It's just very Hot in my room with the computer, so I have to limit my time on it. The rest of the time, the computer is getting turned off to keep things cool. For the computer I mean.

Going to pick cherries in an hour with ALL the kids--wish me luck, then take daughter to doctor, then pick up husband. Somewhere in there, I need to grocery shop for weekend and start sorting cherries, do laundry and rearrange the utility room so it will fit all the canned goods. I plan on having enough fruits and vegetables to hardly have to buy ANY during the winter. I'd prefer my home canned stuff. Then all I will buy is fresh, occassionally, when I can't stand the canned anymore. Although, I find it is better when it is homecanned :D

One trick I use is frozen apple juice for the fruit. You simply double the water that it calls for for regular juice and heat to a boil. Obviously, some of the water evaporates, so it ends up being a little less than double when it goes into the jars. You use this mixture to replace the sugar water. Much better for you, and the liquid is good enough to serve as a drink when you open it. And it has the benefit of added acids for the canning process. Thanks mom for that tip.

Everyone have a good day :D and don't forget that I have a Christie Craig book up for grabs. Or rather, she does LOL She writes romantic comedy and well worth a read, or to be used as a gift for someone else. See previous post for rules.

a funny, update

http://www.therejectionist.com/2010/07/very-fuzzy-conspiracy-or-rejectionist.html

http://www.smh.com.au/national/feline-groovy-it-may-be-a-parasite-20100626-zauy.html

For a good laugh, you must read this, in order, and laugh out loud.

Update, I have over 53k on thriller (increase of approx 7k) I think I'm over 84k on the Fantasy, and I have MORE in long hand to translate! It is too hot in room to be on computer long enough to type in all the long hand I've done :D I am happy snappy about the word count because I have also canned/froze/dried/jammed 40 pounds of bing cherries! Will be picking more tomorrow and I am so looking forward to having my larder stocked with home made yummies!

Getting apricots this weekend, and hopefully, will be picking more in a few weeks! So lots of food. Peaches, pears, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, beans, peas, corn, I'm planning on doing it all! Buwhahahahah

Good night, dear friends and think cooling wishes to me tonight!

Update day 6

So where is everyone in there writing 1kaday or 3kaday? I'm not sure where I am as some of my stuff is on hard copy. However, I can tell you, I never have as many words as I think I do when I go that route LOL

How many of you have ever tried to write hard copy in this fast-paced computer age? Some have suggested that writing by hand uses slightly different part of brain and can really help with the flow of your work. For me, this is true. And, it gives me a kind of rough draft, so I'm already improving when I move it to another media form.

I will have to write hard tomorrow to make up for lost time yesterday and today. I am canning like a mad cow. So far, I am having bummer results. In first batch of canning cherries, one quart jar broke, and in the double batch of jam I made, NOTHING is setting. UGH.

I still have like 30 pounds of cherries to go. Wish me better luck with them. I will be doing more canning and jam, but I am also freezing and drying. I have better success drying - usually. Apparently, the year I took off from canning/etc has caught up with me!

Today, though, I will be taking writing breaks. I have to. I'm thinking about my writing while canning... Maybe that's why the muffed up process? LOL

Good luck in getting your numbers!

weekend update

Wow, so after the first day of this, I was in a panic. It was one of those days. Things like 20 minute drives taking 2 hours, baby on a terror, rehearsal, teenage daughter not exactly panicking, but going on a drama tear, headaches, spills, losing Internet, you name it, I had it happen that first day. Squeaked out close to 1k (had to estimate because I forgot to mark my stopping point).

Yesterday, though, I wrote my little bum off *fine you caught me: my bum is NOT little* and it's still there, unfortunately.

I'm at 5200+ few for the two days. Will make up the other 800 while trying to keep to the 1kaday for the weekend. That made about 4200 for yesterday and I finished my fantasy! Well, still have 5 chapters of edits coming in, but still. Can we say wow O.O? I had to. With five kids and playing mom's taxi, 3k is a trick.

To help me with my word count, I'm taking a notebook since my laptop is out of commission *sobs* and I always get the best ideas when I'm out and about.

Everyone be sure to work on their 1kaday and enjoy their writing as much as their fourth -- or more if you are not having a big bang of a party. I know, I know, cheesy, but my family is chomping in my ears because we are going horseback riding as soon as we are ready to leave. :D

Happy Fourth of July everyone! How are you going to spend it? I am going to paint the largest flag in the county. I've already warned my husband. He said, "Wait. Let me get this straight. You are going to the larges flag in the county, on the fourth of July, and think you are going to set up easel and paint?" "No," I said. I'm going to Taco Bell across the street which has picnic tables and park area that I can see it from. I WAMT those people at the park so I can paint them in if I want." He simiply shook his head. He knows I will. I don't often take off to paint. Even though I want to. So when I say I'm going, he knows I mean it.

Off to the fun and the Fourth.

:D

#1kaday

Dear friends, it is time for the 1-k-a-day for YAEdge at http://yaedge.blogspot.com/2010/07/1k-day-day-1-put-us-in-coach.html. The challenge starts today, and I've sweetened the pot.

I have a signed Christie Craig I am giving away to someone who averages the 3k-a-day with me! Any takers??

Good luck everyone!