Something New

Wow. So, uh, the last time I posted anything on this blog was Feb. 26th. So, yeah, that was a long time ago. Sorry.

Things have been busy: When you have four kids and one of them gets a stomach bug, well, it takes about 2 months for everyone to get over it. And, now that we are over it, I have a feeling it will be starting again (a friend's kids have it again, which means we will likely get it again). Ahhh. The wheel goes round and round, doesn't it?

Well, all that being said, (sorry if it was TMI) I'm on to something NEW.

Which, is great for this time of year. Today it is finally feeling like spring and when I think of spring, I think of NEWNESS (and yes, I just used that word).

Flowers are blooming, grass is becoming green again, trees have tiny buds on them, animals are being born (the local farm just had about 6 piglets born), etc. Isn't it refreshing that from the dead of winter we can see, hear, smell, (sometimes even taste) the newness, the rebirth of life around us? I love it!

As it pertains to writing, I'm about to start a NEW project and am very excited about it. If you recall, or not, my last post was about the END. I finished my story. And, in the weeks between Feb. 26th and today, I revised. I edited. And, now that book is in the hands of some beta readers (which totally makes me want to run and hide)!

As I wait for their comments, I've been brainstorming a new story. This thing with this story though is that I already wrote a scene--and this scene falls in the middle of the story. I've never done this before. I usually start my books at the beginning--I mean, it IS a very good place to start.

So, now I have the task of constructing a story around this one scene. And, I'm having a hard time doing that. The other thing that I realized the other day is that this books is very much a love story (if any of my CPs are reading this, they know I LOVE a love story--I love them so much that I hate to have bad things happen...which is why I wrote my last book...to prove to myself that bad things can and should happen in a story, because well, that makes a story).

Now I have this scene, and it involves my two main characters and the turning point in their relationship, which is awesome for them. But I'm having trouble with the beginning and I'm having trouble with the actual plot--the why, the what, the how, and the motivation.

Do any of you write out of order? How do you figure out the beginning? How do you write backward?

THE END

~The End~

You guys, I finished!

I actually finished my first draft BEFORE my deadline...you know, that deadline I gave myself of March 1st?

Actually, I finished the draft last week but this is the first chance I've had to post my news here. The story is a total hot mess, but I'm okay with that because after all, that's what revisions are for. 

I'm still sort of in that "I can't believe I finally finished" mode and so every time I sit down in front of the computer I'm sort of like "what do I do now?" (more on that later...)

I'll probably start revising next week (giving myself some "time away" from the story to *hopefully* have a better perspective on it) so in the meantime, I'll continue to brainstorm my next idea.

Has anyone else finished a draft recently or are you close to doing so? How did/will you celebrate? I had hot wings and a beer. 

CP Love

This post is a post that I've been meaning to write for a while now and well, I just haven't had the time. I know! I know! Who does? But, since you all know me so well, you totally understand my life. And, if this is your first time vising my little blog, Hi *waves* and welcome!

I guess since I'm going to gush on my CPs, this post would have been better suited for yesterday, but I was sort of busy with a 9 month old who had a fever. At least all of the vomiting has stop with the 6, 4, and 2 year old! (sorry...TMI?)

I'm not sure if you remember or not the post I wrote back in January about how I was giving myself a deadline to finish this draft by Feb. 1st--no? Good. (side note: new deadline is March 1st..hold me to it!)

The fact is, I didn't finish. The fact is, I just now reach 40k. The reason? My plot. The basic concept of my plot was there but something was missing...and that something I realized is that my MC needed a bigger goal. A higher purpose if you will.

After realizing this fact, I became very discouraged. Very. Was I going to have to start all over? Was I going to have to delete every single thing I wrote already?

So, I typed up a very "OMG!" email to one of my CPs. And, she talked me off the cliff. Not only did she talk me off the cliff, but she willingly read every email I sent her with all of my brainstorming ideas.  She chapter 15 (which is now chapter 20) about 5 times (and she'll be reading it again...).

I have another CP who willingly gchats with me all the time. Granted, we talk about other things too, but it primarily begins with me popping up and saying "Hey! Real quick question for you..." which turns in to an hour conversation about writing. 

Then there is my other CP who lets me vent and vent and vent when I am feeling down and out. She picks me up and encourages me. She listens while I lovingly complain about my kids/hubby (I do love them to pieces, but you know how it is sometimes...). And of course we meet up and chat about ALL THE THINGS over a beer at our favorite local brewery.

These three chicks read my writing at different stages of the game. I have learned SO much from all of them. They encourage me (even if they don't realize it). They are honest in their comments (even when it is hard to hear sometimes) and make me a better writer. They themselves are hugely talented writers and I am so honored to get to read their work as well (and hopefully, I give comments that are helpful!)

So, in short: I LOVE my CPs (you know who you are!) and am so THANKFUL for each one. If you don't have a critique partner, I would recommend finding one who you click with. It can be scary at first sending someone your work (heck, it still is!) but it will be worth it!

We Were Made to Sail

I heard this little ditty this week and loved it. I think you can apply this metaphor to almost any situation you are facing in life--even in writing. 

Have a great week!

We Were Made To Sail - by Rachel Allison

A ship in harbor is safe,

but that's not why ships are built.

We were made to sail. We cannot expect to live our entire life in the comfort of a harbor. We must experience some waves now and then and even a few storms. But do not worry, because we have a mighty God for an Anchor and He will not allow us to perish.

“In order to realize the worth of the Anchor, we must feel the stress of the storm.” -Corrie ten Boom

Stuck in The Middle with You

Guys, I need you to send me good vibes for this story! What started out as something exciting and what I couldn't wait to dive into has slowly become something I'm trying avoid.

Why?

I'm in the middle of my story and it suddenly doesn't make sense. Well, it does, but there are a ton of questions that need answers and I don't know how to answer them. I don't know how to patch up the holes and because of this, I don't know where I'm going.

As of now, I have 15 chapters finished (1st draft mind you)--30,000 words. And, I may just have to cut the last 9 chapters that I wrote  (this is still undecided yet though).

So, as of now, I'm not writing. Which means I won't be making that Feb. 1st deadline I set for myself.

Yesterday I turned on my computer, brought up my document and went through the whole thing. Chapter by chapter. Scene by scene.

I did bullet points, guys. Bullet points. On each scene and what happens.

And now I have a ton of questions that need to be figured out--I need answers. And this good. Because if I can figure these questions out now (before I write "The End") that will save me time, frustration, crying and discouragement.

However (there is always a however, no?), I have NO idea what the answer to these questions are! I need help.

I need to talk it through. I need to bounce ideas off of someone (thankfully I have CPs who don't mind, or maybe they do and they just don't tell me, the 100s of emails I send them a day called "plot stuff").

I'd love some ideas on how you get unstuck when it comes to plot problems!

Recap of K.M Walton's EMPTY book launch

So over the weekend I had the pleasure of attending the EMPTY book launch, written by K.M Walton.  It was a blast. Besides the fact it was the first night in a very long time that I had been out of the house without a kid attached to my side, I had the chance to hang out with my fellow PLNer peeps--K.M included.

We attended the book launch at our local B&N, and let me tell ya, it was a packed--as usual (you should have seen her book launch for CRACKED last year)! In fact, I plan on hiring her cousins to come to my book launch someday. I received a really cool EMPTY mug for being one of the first people there too, so that is a bonus. K.M. read from EMPTY which was awesome. It makes you want to go hug the stranger next to you. If you didn't know, K.M is all about kindness and teaching that kindness matters (among other things). How true! Go smile or say Hello to someone today--let someone, anyone, know that they matter in this world!

After B&N, we left and ate some more really good food (and beer).

The night was so awesome that I didn't get home until well past 11pm--which is late for me. Very late.

If you want a better description of the evening and if you want to see some really cool pictures, check out Frankie's blog--it is there. I'm in the green sweater with a scarf.

What's On Your Playlist?

Okay, so this is my first blog post of 2013. Yeah! *throws glitter*

I know. I'm a few days late for ringing in the new year, but what can you do? I'm as busy as ever (aren't we all?) and as much as I love you guys, I have decided that my blog is going to take last place. It has too. That doesn't mean that I'm giving it up- nope. It just means that I have to get ALL THE THINGS finished first before I post. And, if they don't get finished, I don't post.

This is how the blog is going to be for the time being. Or, at least until Feb. 1st. Why that date? Because that is the date in which I have given myself a deadline. Yep. I'm 24k into my new first draft and I've told myself it HAS to be complete by Feb. 1st.

Not sure if it will happen. I need to write 8k a week to get there. And so far this week, I still have 6k to go and it's looking as though I might not make it. Gulp.

In the meantime, I wanted to talk about playlists. That's right. MUSIC. Yeah! *throws more glitter*

This isn't a new topic at all on this blog. I write about music A LOT. I love music. It plays such a huge part in my life. I was a music major at WCU. My main instrument was voice (I switched majors though my jr. year, but that is a totally different post). I've been singing in a community choir for the past 10 years and I sung on the worship team for church for about 7 years. I sing all day. All night. I always have music on.

This being said, music totally helps with my writing. But, I've found that depending on what I'm writing, be it a new story, a new scene, a certain character, controls not only WHAT I'm listening to but WHEN I listen to it.

I used to listen while I wrote. But suddenly I'm starting to write with no music at all. Now, don't get me wrong. The music is still there--in my head--but for this new story I'm writing, I'm listening to the music before I sit down to type. If I get stuck, I turn the music back on and daydream. The music goes off and I type some more.  It's very weird.

With this MS, I've also gone out searching for the playlist too. In the past, the songs have just "come to me." I heard the song, it reflected the emotion I wanted for a scene/character/etc. and I added it to the playlist. This time around, I've actually looked for specific pieces of music.

So, just like my writing is ever evolving, so is my process. It's sort of cool.

My playlist isn't complete just yet for this MS. But, I thought I would give you a taste of what is on it. Be warned, it is VERY different. I have so many different genres of music on this list that it's a wonder I have any idea on what I'm writing.

There are a ton of videos below. There are many more songs on my playlist, but I thought I would choose my favorite. *side note: videos confuse me. I chose a LIVE version of Moby's song because his video didn't make any sense to me...)

(One More Night by Maroon 5)

(Between the Raindrops by Lifehouse)

(Better Dig Two by The Band Perry)

(Another Way to Die by Jack White and Alicia Keys)

(Radioactive by Imagine Dragons)

(Iko Iko by Belle Stars)

(Sail by AWOLNATION)

(Too Close by Alex Clare)

and finally

(Extreme Ways by Moby)

How do you make your playlists? Do you listen to music while you write?