Nov
9

Cliffhanging

Posted in editing, writing | 4 Comments
So I had a mild epiphany this weekend. Book 2 requires a cliffhanger. Not that that was something I actually planned on. I can even dig up my outline that I turned into my editor a few months ago. There’s an actual ending there. It’s sort of neatly wrapped up, even.One of the glories of being a panster, I guess – tangents can wind you around and take you some where entirely different. But the last week or so, (after discussing it with several other writer friends), I’ve come to realize that part of what’s been making me drag my feet a bit is that it’s just too much. Too much story to wrap up in 10k – not neatly, anyway. And I feel like I would be doing the story a disservice to rush it – plus I’ve got enough potential material to take me 1/3 of the way… Read more
Oct
23

What Happens If The Words Run Out?

Posted in pensive, word counts, worry, writing | Leave a comment
Okay – I don’t actually feel this way tonight. I just thought the picture was funny. For the most part, things seem to be looking up. My father-in-law now has nearly 24 hour care set up at his house and that should help with the day-to-day stuff. I’ve been able to turn back to my writing this week, finally rounding past the 90k mark. Which is great, except I’m just now heading into the start of the climax of the thing…but the draft version is becoming more complex as I go and I think it’s going to take a bit more than 10k to finish it up. (Probably closer to 15 to 20k). I suspect I’ll be chopping some of that out during editing, but for now I’ll run with it. There’s more than enough plot stuff to carry me into book 3, so that makes me feel pretty good… Read more
Oct
14

Autumn Shoes

Posted in metaphoric crap that is supposed to mean something deep but probably doesn't, writing | 2 Comments
I know it’s Fall now. Not because of the weather, or the leaves changing or any of that stuff. No, I know the seasons have changed because today was the day I gave up my sandals and put on Real Shoes. (aka Shoes One Must Wear With Socks) Which saddens me greatly. For the most part I detest wearing shoes. My toes like to breathe, I guess. And all isn’t lost as I’m sure there will be a few more warm days to be had before winter sets in, but it seems almost cruel to my feet to tease them that way. I did find it amusing that after months of wearing flat sandals, I actually had trouble walking in my real shoes today. There’s a little bit of a heel and I’m all over the place and out of balance. I’m sure there’s a metaphor there, but at the moment I… Read more
Oct
3

Frontloading the Words

Posted in craft, updates, writing | 2 Comments
I’m not even sure if frontloading is a real word, at least in the sense that I’m using it. I’ve noticed over the last few weeks that often times I’ll stop writing before I’ve run out of words. ** Which might sound a little strange, until I realized I’m doing it so I’ve got an easy start the next day. If I’ve already got something to work with, it makes the rest of it that much easier. Or that’s the theory, anyway. Sometimes I just put down that bit of a scene and then twiddle my thumbs for a while as I figure out where to go next. Panster issues, for certain. I’ve mentioned before I do my best brainstorming in the shower. On some days (if I’m home alone), and I’m stuck, it’s not uncommon for me to take three or more, although one is usually more than enough.… Read more
Jul
10

Beach-Combing

Posted in blog, writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment
The best time to beach-comb is at dawn. I think nearly everyone probably knows this. Something about the way everything seems so perfectly untouched, with new treasures washing up in each small swell. Or maybe it’s just the potential that is so interesting. The knowledge that you can’t actually collect each seashell as it appears. If you let one slip away, is it lost forever? Or if you wait around a bit will a better one show up? And how long do you wait before continuing on? When I was little, I used to look for beach glass, though that is fairly rare it seems, these days. I also used to find moonshells, though that is nearly almost as rare. I haven’t found one in ages, honestly, and that’s a bit of a shame. Today we mostly looked for oyster shells, but we found the usual sorts of scallops and angel-wings, clams,… Read more