This is just a general update since I've been kind of quiet lately. Things over here are pretty good right now. I don't have gestational diabetes...HOORAY! The baby is getting very big, but I'm not getting too big which is nice. I've only gained eighteen pounds so far, which is right in between the weight gain goal that the doctors set for me. Joel has really been working hard and has the nursery looking great. The painting is done, now the only thing left to do is cleaning the carpet very thoroughly and moving the furniture into the room. I'm getting excited about actually decorating it with the things we got from the first baby shower.
I don't know if I mentioned it, but the first baby shower with my guy and girl friends went very well and couldn't have been any better. I really enjoyed it and we have a great start on supplies for the baby. The group was a little smaller than expected, but I think that worked out just fine. We had plenty of food and I think it was a lot of fun for everyone there. It was more like a cookout/party than a traditional baby shower, and I liked that better since there were men there as well as women.
The second baby shower is coming up. This one is for "girls only" and is more traditional. It sounds like I'm going to get to see a lot of people that I haven't seen in a very long time, and I'm very excited about that. There are a lot of good things coming up in the next two months including, my mother-in-law's birthday, the baby shower, my birthday (I'll be thirty-one), my anniversary, and, of course, the baby's first birthday ever. I can't wait to meet her and to see what she's going to look like and what features she's going to get from both of us.
The writing is going a little bit better. I've decided to switch projects back to my horror novel concept that I wrote about previously. (I'm pretty sure that there's an excerpt from it on this site, if anyone is interested.) I've come up with some new ideas and I think if I keep writing up ideas and adding to it little by little each day, I should be able to finish it and hopefully overcome my writer's block. It would be very nice to have another book to submit to agents before the baby is born.
I looked through a lot of my old work and found that I have a great deal of novels that I'd like to finish. The horror novel I'm referring to is one of them (I'm calling it "Immersion" as a placeholder, but that isn't what the title is going to be...). The other is my steampunk romance, "The Guildsmen."
Even though I didn't originally write that to be a romance, I've determined from reading through it again that it seems to have a romance oriented plot, despite the corporate espionage, action/adventure, and danger within it. After all, she's doing what she has to in order to save the person she loves. Still, I'm not sure if there are enough erotic scenes to market it as such, so we'll have to wait and see. The point it, I want to finish it and I plan to do so in the near future as well. I was all the way up to nearly forty-thousand words when I stopped and a hundred and twenty pages. I was halfway there and I feel like the writing style and concept were well worth revisiting.
So, that's been about it lately. There's a lot coming up and I'll try to keep you posted and write on this blog more often. Keep reading and writing!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Writing Withdrawal
Hello all,
Sorry that this is a late posting. Between baby showers, doctor's visits, and a gestational diabetes scare (the second more extensive test turned out okay, but I failed the first one), I've had a lot of things on my mind.
So far I've had a few more rejections on "Blood Rain." Still, if a rejection letter can be spun in a positive way, then both of them were. The agents in question basically said that the story wasn't for them, but that it had potential. The fact that there was some positive feedback gives me hope. I'm going to keep submitting it, but I'm going to wait on the other four agents first.
The way that I handle my agent letters is sending a few and waiting, and then repeating the process over again. I don't like sending a story to too many agents at a time since that's rude, but I can't just send it to one either and then wait six to eight weeks to find out if the person accepted it or it will be years before I even have a nibble. (Unless of course the agent in question is someone I know personally or I think is the absolute perfect fit.) I think a few at a time is a nice balance as long as I'm sure to let them know it's a "multiple submission." Plus, it takes a good bit of research to make sure that the agency sounds like it would be a good fit in the first place.
I keep an excel spreadsheet for each manuscript to keep track of the agent, agency, response, and the date I sent it to make sure I don't send it twice to the same people. I didn't do this as first, so now I can't really send out my first novel again since I can't remember who I sent it to and who I didn't. Agents don't like to see the same manuscript twice, and rightfully so, so be sure to keep good track of who you sent it to--learn from my fail...
In terms of new and old projects, I'm still working on "Blood God" a little bit, mostly because I have at least another fifty pages worth of notes on the project and I feel slightly inspired to write it. Still, I've also decided to go back to basics and write a horror novel.
Horror is where I got my start so maybe I need to return to it, at least for a little while. I've been brainstorming on story ideas in a new notebook and I think I have a few good story hooks. Now I need to pick one.
I also came up with a horror/mystery story idea that takes place in an urban fantasy setting, but it isn't nearly fleshed out enough to start writing it. Coming up with a mystery style setting with a horror twist is a challenge in and of itself. I think it's because I've been watching a lot of "Case Closed" lately and mystery is becoming more and more appealing.
I've decided to put away the changeling story for a little while. I'm just not enthusiastic about it and if I'm not enthusiastic, the reader won't be either. I'm also debating about taking a crack at romance. I've written erotica before and some romance short stories, but a novel would be a challenge. It's sometimes difficult to write a full length novel that focuses on romance at its core, so it might be worth a try. However, it won't be a Twilight fan fiction.
Whatever genre I choose, I need to write something because I feel like I've been having trouble writing anything for the last month or two. All I feel like doing is playing video games, and while that's fun and can be inspiring, it won't be for the style of novels I'm planning to work on in the near future. This blog is called "Feeding the Writing Addiction" and sadly I seem to be going through a state of withdrawal and can't get my fix. I'm going to keep working at it. In the meantime, maybe I'll post an excerpt from something I'm working on just to show that I am indeed trying.
I guess I can forgive myself for the video games a little. I won't have much time for anything at all in the coming months. I'm hoping to find some time to write, but my family and the baby always will come first. That's just the way it is.
Still, I will publish one of my novels, even if it takes another ten years and another ten novels. Think of it as the one item definitely on my bucket list, or the first step in my new career, call it whatever you would like. I'm taking the advice of the agents and am going to try until someone wants to represent my work. In the meantime, I'm going to keep reading, writing, with the occasional video game treat. Please wish me luck.
Sorry that this is a late posting. Between baby showers, doctor's visits, and a gestational diabetes scare (the second more extensive test turned out okay, but I failed the first one), I've had a lot of things on my mind.
So far I've had a few more rejections on "Blood Rain." Still, if a rejection letter can be spun in a positive way, then both of them were. The agents in question basically said that the story wasn't for them, but that it had potential. The fact that there was some positive feedback gives me hope. I'm going to keep submitting it, but I'm going to wait on the other four agents first.
The way that I handle my agent letters is sending a few and waiting, and then repeating the process over again. I don't like sending a story to too many agents at a time since that's rude, but I can't just send it to one either and then wait six to eight weeks to find out if the person accepted it or it will be years before I even have a nibble. (Unless of course the agent in question is someone I know personally or I think is the absolute perfect fit.) I think a few at a time is a nice balance as long as I'm sure to let them know it's a "multiple submission." Plus, it takes a good bit of research to make sure that the agency sounds like it would be a good fit in the first place.
I keep an excel spreadsheet for each manuscript to keep track of the agent, agency, response, and the date I sent it to make sure I don't send it twice to the same people. I didn't do this as first, so now I can't really send out my first novel again since I can't remember who I sent it to and who I didn't. Agents don't like to see the same manuscript twice, and rightfully so, so be sure to keep good track of who you sent it to--learn from my fail...
In terms of new and old projects, I'm still working on "Blood God" a little bit, mostly because I have at least another fifty pages worth of notes on the project and I feel slightly inspired to write it. Still, I've also decided to go back to basics and write a horror novel.
Horror is where I got my start so maybe I need to return to it, at least for a little while. I've been brainstorming on story ideas in a new notebook and I think I have a few good story hooks. Now I need to pick one.
I also came up with a horror/mystery story idea that takes place in an urban fantasy setting, but it isn't nearly fleshed out enough to start writing it. Coming up with a mystery style setting with a horror twist is a challenge in and of itself. I think it's because I've been watching a lot of "Case Closed" lately and mystery is becoming more and more appealing.
I've decided to put away the changeling story for a little while. I'm just not enthusiastic about it and if I'm not enthusiastic, the reader won't be either. I'm also debating about taking a crack at romance. I've written erotica before and some romance short stories, but a novel would be a challenge. It's sometimes difficult to write a full length novel that focuses on romance at its core, so it might be worth a try. However, it won't be a Twilight fan fiction.
Whatever genre I choose, I need to write something because I feel like I've been having trouble writing anything for the last month or two. All I feel like doing is playing video games, and while that's fun and can be inspiring, it won't be for the style of novels I'm planning to work on in the near future. This blog is called "Feeding the Writing Addiction" and sadly I seem to be going through a state of withdrawal and can't get my fix. I'm going to keep working at it. In the meantime, maybe I'll post an excerpt from something I'm working on just to show that I am indeed trying.
I guess I can forgive myself for the video games a little. I won't have much time for anything at all in the coming months. I'm hoping to find some time to write, but my family and the baby always will come first. That's just the way it is.
Still, I will publish one of my novels, even if it takes another ten years and another ten novels. Think of it as the one item definitely on my bucket list, or the first step in my new career, call it whatever you would like. I'm taking the advice of the agents and am going to try until someone wants to represent my work. In the meantime, I'm going to keep reading, writing, with the occasional video game treat. Please wish me luck.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Good News, Everyone!
This has been a good week. The dog issue is resolved, my chores are nearly done, I'm looking forward to two D&D style games this weekend. Also, from what I can tell, the baby is developing well. I can feel her kicking and moving a lot more, and I'm pretty healthy. I found out from a recent blood test that I'm not anemic and that my blood levels were fairly normal. (Though, wish me luck since I'll be having a blood sugar test in February that will give me more details about that...)
It turns out that I didn't have to use animal control to resolve the issue with the dogs. (Thank goodness, because they were useless anyway.) I walked around my neighborhood, keeping my eyes open and found out that the dogs in question weren't wild. They're owned by someone in the neighborhood. I knocked on the door and had a friendly conversation with them.
Apparently the cat they killed was one of the stray cats that the family was feeding. They didn't want the cat to be killed and were surprised that their dogs were the culprits, saying that generally speaking they get along with other animals. They suspect that the dogs might've gotten carried away chasing the cat out of the yard. They've never attacked a person and were rescue dogs from Pets Incorporated. One of them was abused, but they're adjusting to living in a normal home nicely. Even though I was concerned that they were approaching me, their intent was more than likely friendly. The blood on the muzzles, however, gave them a more sinister appearance that day...
Anyway, the family is thinking of having the male pit bull fixed to make him less aggressive and they're going to try harder to keep them in the fence. When other dogs in the neighborhood come and run along the fence, it riles their dogs up and they charge the fence, slipping under it. We've often been irritated that the other neighborhood dogs can't seem to stay in their own yards, so this is just another problem caused by that issue.
Long story short, the dogs aren't wild, they don't have to be put down, and hopefully this won't happen again. I do feel a little bad about initially calling animal control on the neighbor's dogs, but they weren't wearing collars and were attacking another animal, so it was only logical for me to think they were wild. If I do see the dogs in my yard or in the neighborhood I've been told to please let the owners know, and I will. All's well that ends well.
As for writing, I haven't had much time. I've been running errands and going to doctor's appointments lately. I only have a few more months and I'll be having a baby, so my mind hasn't really been on it. I've written some more notes for the changeling story, but I'm a little stuck on the idea for the third book of the "Blood Rain" trilogy. I'm also struggling through the plot summary for the changeling story because I've hit a small road block trying to figure out where to go next. Still, I'll be writing again soon. My hopes are to start up again next week.
I've picked out a theme for the baby's room. Joel and I will be shopping around this weekend to register for a baby shower. It's going to have the theme "jungle animals," and we're going to paint the room a cheerful color of light yellow. We also think that the baby's first name will be "Evangeline" and the middle name will be "Melissa." Even though there are a lot of syllables in our last name, we think that if we call her "Eva" for short it should balance out nicely.
Other than that, there's really nothing new to report. I'll let you know if I can get some of my writing work started. In the meantime, while I'm a little bit writer's blocked, I'm working on an idea for an RPG. I'm thinking of running a PDQ system game based off of the film and television series "How to Train Your Dragon." I think it could be different and a lot of fun. Still, we'll wait and see. After all, I have a lot of games coming up. I at least am going to flesh out the world and I can keep it ready for if and when I do decide to run it.
Well, that's all for now. Keep reading and writing. I'm serious, pick up "Cold Days" or start reading the "Dresden Files" series if you haven't already.
It turns out that I didn't have to use animal control to resolve the issue with the dogs. (Thank goodness, because they were useless anyway.) I walked around my neighborhood, keeping my eyes open and found out that the dogs in question weren't wild. They're owned by someone in the neighborhood. I knocked on the door and had a friendly conversation with them.
Apparently the cat they killed was one of the stray cats that the family was feeding. They didn't want the cat to be killed and were surprised that their dogs were the culprits, saying that generally speaking they get along with other animals. They suspect that the dogs might've gotten carried away chasing the cat out of the yard. They've never attacked a person and were rescue dogs from Pets Incorporated. One of them was abused, but they're adjusting to living in a normal home nicely. Even though I was concerned that they were approaching me, their intent was more than likely friendly. The blood on the muzzles, however, gave them a more sinister appearance that day...
Anyway, the family is thinking of having the male pit bull fixed to make him less aggressive and they're going to try harder to keep them in the fence. When other dogs in the neighborhood come and run along the fence, it riles their dogs up and they charge the fence, slipping under it. We've often been irritated that the other neighborhood dogs can't seem to stay in their own yards, so this is just another problem caused by that issue.
Long story short, the dogs aren't wild, they don't have to be put down, and hopefully this won't happen again. I do feel a little bad about initially calling animal control on the neighbor's dogs, but they weren't wearing collars and were attacking another animal, so it was only logical for me to think they were wild. If I do see the dogs in my yard or in the neighborhood I've been told to please let the owners know, and I will. All's well that ends well.
As for writing, I haven't had much time. I've been running errands and going to doctor's appointments lately. I only have a few more months and I'll be having a baby, so my mind hasn't really been on it. I've written some more notes for the changeling story, but I'm a little stuck on the idea for the third book of the "Blood Rain" trilogy. I'm also struggling through the plot summary for the changeling story because I've hit a small road block trying to figure out where to go next. Still, I'll be writing again soon. My hopes are to start up again next week.
I've picked out a theme for the baby's room. Joel and I will be shopping around this weekend to register for a baby shower. It's going to have the theme "jungle animals," and we're going to paint the room a cheerful color of light yellow. We also think that the baby's first name will be "Evangeline" and the middle name will be "Melissa." Even though there are a lot of syllables in our last name, we think that if we call her "Eva" for short it should balance out nicely.
Other than that, there's really nothing new to report. I'll let you know if I can get some of my writing work started. In the meantime, while I'm a little bit writer's blocked, I'm working on an idea for an RPG. I'm thinking of running a PDQ system game based off of the film and television series "How to Train Your Dragon." I think it could be different and a lot of fun. Still, we'll wait and see. After all, I have a lot of games coming up. I at least am going to flesh out the world and I can keep it ready for if and when I do decide to run it.
Well, that's all for now. Keep reading and writing. I'm serious, pick up "Cold Days" or start reading the "Dresden Files" series if you haven't already.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Wild Dogs
I guess it's been awhile since I've written anything on this blog, so I won't skip over one of the more interesting stories that has happened to be lately, even though it's a sad story and it makes me a little sad to write it. Once again, I found myself at the wrong place at the wrong time (or maybe, in this case, the right place at the right time...we'll have to see).
A few days ago when I was heading home from errands, I witnessed something horrific that I've been trying to get out of my mind. While I was about to drive by, three wild dogs were killing one of the neighbors cats in their yard. The neighbors weren't home, so I knew I had to try to do something. I stopped the car and tried to help, but I think the cat was already dead when I got there.
I got out of the car and screamed at the dogs, waved my arms, ran towards them, and did everything I could think of to get them to run--they didn't run away, in fact, they just sort of looked at me. One was a pit bull and one of the others was a pit bull mix. The two bulls started to approach me. They didn't get close enough to touch, but it was clear by their body language that they weren't going to let me separate them from their kill. When I realized I was in danger (and, thus, my baby was in danger as well), I got back in the car and drove up the road to my house.
There was a man and his little boy walking in the direction. Thankfully, I was able to get them to turn around so that the boy wouldn't see the bloody mess and so that the dogs wouldn't try to hurt them for interfering like they nearly did to me.
I immediately called animal control, but as usual, they've been totally worthless. They said they would send a patrol later in the day or the next day and asked me if I could do something to catch one of them. Apparently, they don't "catch dogs" anymore, so they'll just leave it to the horrified, scared, pregnant lady that saw the attack. (Incidentally, they didn't send the patrol, so I have to call them again on Monday.) I drove back down to see if they had finally left the cat alone, but all of them gone when I got back and there was no sign of the cat. I'm fairly certain that they dragged it away to eat it.
Let me set the record straight, I like dogs very much. I also really like cats. And, I really don't like the thought of any animal getting put down, but there is such a thing as being socially responsible. I've seen them around for months now. I was hoping that I could just leave them alone. Still, I've recently heard that this isn't the only cat they've nearly killed and they aren't friendly towards any other animals. One of my neighbors' dogs has also gone missing recently, and I suspect the incident might be related. Because of the large amount of pets that have been mauled or killed by these dogs, as far as I'm concerned they're officially wild, feral animals and they no longer have my sympathy. I can't ignore this problem any longer.
The point is, they were desperate enough to be hunting their own food and they aren't afraid of people. It makes me wonder how long it'll be before they attack a person or a child. Thankfully, all of my animals are indoor animals, but I don't feel safe walking around my neighborhood anymore. This isn't the first time that those dogs have scared me into walking back to my house. There are lots of children and pets in this neighborhood and I don't want anymore of them to get hurt.
So far they're in a pack of three, but something needs to be done before their pack gets bigger and they get even bolder. I've decided to call animal control again. If they won't help, I'll try the police, if they won't help, I'll try the news. I might ask animal control to give me three large cages in the hopes of trapping the dogs, but I'm making this my business to fix this problem before I have my baby. I don't want some kid to be traumatized by losing a much loved pet, or for anyone to get hurt. I don't want to go to the news, but I really need animal control to do their job, because this isn't a problem I can fix by myself. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully, I won't have to do this again and in the long run I'll be saving more animals by putting down these three.
A few days ago when I was heading home from errands, I witnessed something horrific that I've been trying to get out of my mind. While I was about to drive by, three wild dogs were killing one of the neighbors cats in their yard. The neighbors weren't home, so I knew I had to try to do something. I stopped the car and tried to help, but I think the cat was already dead when I got there.
I got out of the car and screamed at the dogs, waved my arms, ran towards them, and did everything I could think of to get them to run--they didn't run away, in fact, they just sort of looked at me. One was a pit bull and one of the others was a pit bull mix. The two bulls started to approach me. They didn't get close enough to touch, but it was clear by their body language that they weren't going to let me separate them from their kill. When I realized I was in danger (and, thus, my baby was in danger as well), I got back in the car and drove up the road to my house.
There was a man and his little boy walking in the direction. Thankfully, I was able to get them to turn around so that the boy wouldn't see the bloody mess and so that the dogs wouldn't try to hurt them for interfering like they nearly did to me.
I immediately called animal control, but as usual, they've been totally worthless. They said they would send a patrol later in the day or the next day and asked me if I could do something to catch one of them. Apparently, they don't "catch dogs" anymore, so they'll just leave it to the horrified, scared, pregnant lady that saw the attack. (Incidentally, they didn't send the patrol, so I have to call them again on Monday.) I drove back down to see if they had finally left the cat alone, but all of them gone when I got back and there was no sign of the cat. I'm fairly certain that they dragged it away to eat it.
Let me set the record straight, I like dogs very much. I also really like cats. And, I really don't like the thought of any animal getting put down, but there is such a thing as being socially responsible. I've seen them around for months now. I was hoping that I could just leave them alone. Still, I've recently heard that this isn't the only cat they've nearly killed and they aren't friendly towards any other animals. One of my neighbors' dogs has also gone missing recently, and I suspect the incident might be related. Because of the large amount of pets that have been mauled or killed by these dogs, as far as I'm concerned they're officially wild, feral animals and they no longer have my sympathy. I can't ignore this problem any longer.
The point is, they were desperate enough to be hunting their own food and they aren't afraid of people. It makes me wonder how long it'll be before they attack a person or a child. Thankfully, all of my animals are indoor animals, but I don't feel safe walking around my neighborhood anymore. This isn't the first time that those dogs have scared me into walking back to my house. There are lots of children and pets in this neighborhood and I don't want anymore of them to get hurt.
So far they're in a pack of three, but something needs to be done before their pack gets bigger and they get even bolder. I've decided to call animal control again. If they won't help, I'll try the police, if they won't help, I'll try the news. I might ask animal control to give me three large cages in the hopes of trapping the dogs, but I'm making this my business to fix this problem before I have my baby. I don't want some kid to be traumatized by losing a much loved pet, or for anyone to get hurt. I don't want to go to the news, but I really need animal control to do their job, because this isn't a problem I can fix by myself. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully, I won't have to do this again and in the long run I'll be saving more animals by putting down these three.
Happy New Year
I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Things have been very busy for me. I spend a good amount of time with my family and some quality time with my husband. In terms of actual work, I've mostly just been writing notes for my changeling urban fantasy novel, but I haven't been working very hard on writing at all. I'm taking a little break until I feel up for more writing again. Even though the holidays are over, I've got a lot on my mind.
Usually around this time I write about New Year resolutions. Still, oddly this time I don't really have any. I've noticed that I usually end up breaking my resolutions, so I didn't really see the point. Still, there are a few things I'm in the process of doing and things that I plan to do this year. I'm calling them "goals" rather than resolutions, and most of them HAVE to be done. Therefore, they will get done and that's that.
Currently, we're cleaning out the office to make it into the baby's room. The baby is due on April 25th, so I will have to have the room ready by then. I will be having the baby this year (no resolution about that...). I'll try to lose the baby weight after I have the baby, but I don't know how much strenuous exercise I'll be able to do. I think that depends on how complicated the birth is and how long it takes me to recover from it. Still, thus far I haven't gained too much, so that's at least something, and as far as I know, the baby is healthy. We've pretty much decided on the name "Evangeline" ("Eva" for short), and "Melissa" is definitely going to be the middle name. We might change our mind on the first name closer to time, but we're pretty sure Evangeline is the name we'll finally choose.
The theme of the room will be "jungle animals" mostly, but if I have the time I might still make a Chronicles of Narnia mural on the wall. I'm thinking that's an ambitious goal, though, especially since the room isn't even cleaned out yet. I'd like to have the walls repainted in a light yellow color. That's something I think we'll definitely do. We know that the baby is a girl now, but pastel pink is a bit much. We just want a cheerful color that will make the room seem a little brighter, so yellow sounded good to both of us.
I'm basically taking everything at a day by day basis this year. I would like to finish my profile for odesk.com to see if I can make a little extra money sometime before the baby is born. I would also like to get started on that changeling story and possibly get the notes nearly finished for the third book of the "Blood Rain" trilogy. Still, I also need to register for a baby shower, find a way to catch some dangerous wild dogs in the neighborhood (they've been killing off other pets and aren't afraid of people...kind of a long story), get the house ready for the baby, and possibly read some baby books. If the writing has to wait, it can wait. Family always comes first and I'm getting ready to add a new member to this family. I need to be as ready as I can be and be sure that my neighborhood is as safe as possible.
Speaking of writing, I got "Cold Days" the latest novel of the Dresden Files for Christmas and am currently reading it. If you like the Dresden Files, you'll like this book. I'm only a hundred pages into it, but I already know it will be good.
I also went to see "Les Miserables." It was very good. Some people are disappointed because they don't like movie adaptations of musicals. I thought the acting was good, the singing was great, and it managed to move me emotionally. I would suggest that if you like Les Miserables or musicals in general you go and see the movie while it's in theaters. I intend to buy it when it comes out.
Other than that, that's about everything that's new. I'm hoping to play in a Pathfinder game, a D&D game, and a Dresden Files game soon. (I might have less time coming up, so I'm trying to game as much as I can right now, but I'm hoping to stay in a few of them. They're on weekends, so Joel will be here to help me with the baby.) I've been putting a lot of thought into my characters, and that's a good exercise in coming up with story ideas and keeping a keen edge on my imagination.
Monday, December 17, 2012
So Much in so Little Time...
This has been the busiest two weeks in quite a long time. I had my ultrasound and found out the gender of my baby, went to see the Hobbit, threw a Christmas Party, and celebrated my stepdad's birthday as well.
First of all, the ultrasound went very well. So far the baby is developing perfectly and seems very healthy. It's a girl! I didn't have a preference in gender, but for some reason I was surprised. I thought it would be a boy. Still, it's nice to know and now I can start narrowing down the names. I think that we're probably going to make the middle name "Melissa" but nothing is written in stone yet. I have a feeling it's going to be hard to pick the first name.
I went to the RPX showing of the Hobbit on opening night, and as difficult as this is for me to admit, it was worth the extra money. The seats of the theater were very comfortable and leather like those of an expensive sports car. Even though I'm not a huge fan of 3-D usually, the 3-D was so smooth that it felt natural. The action scenes were easier to see for the effect, instead of blurry like I was expecting. Also, the increased frame rate made everything seem smoother.
Normally, I would write a long review for any new movie that I went to see, but I really can't find anything wrong with this movie. It stuck close enough to the plot while adding scenes from notes within Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion, etc., that I feel it did Tolkien's work justice. There is a little more comedy within this movie than in Lord of the Rings, but there's also some dark themes and even some fairly scary scenes that set off the comic relief nicely. (Also, keep in mind while watching this film that the Hobbit was written as a children's book.) The acting was great, the effects were beautiful, and if you haven't gone to see it yet, then you should go.
I'm also pleased to say that the annual pot luck Christmas Party went very well. The food was great, there was plenty of it, and we had a pretty good turnout of about twenty people in all. I got to see some of my old friends that I don't get to see often enough, and spend some time with a few of my new friends from the writing group. I think it was the best one yet. We played Rock Band, watched and heckled old Christmas films, and talked until 4:00am. (I also learned a valuable lesson; I can't stay up that late anymore if I don't want to be a zombie until about 9:00pm of the next day. At least, the rest of my family was exhausted for various reasons as well, so Joe's party was mostly relaxing and quiet and I didn't feel too bad for my sleepiness.)
I'm looking forward to another busy weekend coming up. I have a steak night this week, a romantic Christmas date with my husband on the weekend, a family Christmas Party on Sunday, Christmas Eve with my parents, and then Christmas Day with Joel's parents. I'm looking very forward to spending more time with my whole family.
I haven't been writing or reading as much as I usually do. I think sometimes it's important to slow down and enjoy the holidays. After all (though I know I've said this before, I will say it again), living life, making memories, and having new experiences is how you become a well rounded person, which will benefit your writing in the long run anyway. Plus, I haven't made it any secret that other than Jesus (and to me Christmas is a religious holiday), my family and friends are most important.
Still, I'm hoping this week to make a few notes on "Blood God," book three of the Blood Rain series, and the urban fantasy changeling story that I mentioned a while ago. I'm actually getting pretty excited about the changeling project because I have some new ideas that I think will make it a better book. I've fleshed out the main character, come up with some interesting ideas about Arcadia, and have an idea for a unique twist for the ending. Still, I have a long way to go before I can start actually writing it. Wish me luck, and the ability to somehow manage my time well enough to write at all. (After all, I'm having a baby in April. There's quite a bit on my mind...)
In the meantime, I'll try to do better about keeping up this blog. Keep reading and writing!
First of all, the ultrasound went very well. So far the baby is developing perfectly and seems very healthy. It's a girl! I didn't have a preference in gender, but for some reason I was surprised. I thought it would be a boy. Still, it's nice to know and now I can start narrowing down the names. I think that we're probably going to make the middle name "Melissa" but nothing is written in stone yet. I have a feeling it's going to be hard to pick the first name.
I went to the RPX showing of the Hobbit on opening night, and as difficult as this is for me to admit, it was worth the extra money. The seats of the theater were very comfortable and leather like those of an expensive sports car. Even though I'm not a huge fan of 3-D usually, the 3-D was so smooth that it felt natural. The action scenes were easier to see for the effect, instead of blurry like I was expecting. Also, the increased frame rate made everything seem smoother.
Normally, I would write a long review for any new movie that I went to see, but I really can't find anything wrong with this movie. It stuck close enough to the plot while adding scenes from notes within Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion, etc., that I feel it did Tolkien's work justice. There is a little more comedy within this movie than in Lord of the Rings, but there's also some dark themes and even some fairly scary scenes that set off the comic relief nicely. (Also, keep in mind while watching this film that the Hobbit was written as a children's book.) The acting was great, the effects were beautiful, and if you haven't gone to see it yet, then you should go.
I'm also pleased to say that the annual pot luck Christmas Party went very well. The food was great, there was plenty of it, and we had a pretty good turnout of about twenty people in all. I got to see some of my old friends that I don't get to see often enough, and spend some time with a few of my new friends from the writing group. I think it was the best one yet. We played Rock Band, watched and heckled old Christmas films, and talked until 4:00am. (I also learned a valuable lesson; I can't stay up that late anymore if I don't want to be a zombie until about 9:00pm of the next day. At least, the rest of my family was exhausted for various reasons as well, so Joe's party was mostly relaxing and quiet and I didn't feel too bad for my sleepiness.)
I'm looking forward to another busy weekend coming up. I have a steak night this week, a romantic Christmas date with my husband on the weekend, a family Christmas Party on Sunday, Christmas Eve with my parents, and then Christmas Day with Joel's parents. I'm looking very forward to spending more time with my whole family.
I haven't been writing or reading as much as I usually do. I think sometimes it's important to slow down and enjoy the holidays. After all (though I know I've said this before, I will say it again), living life, making memories, and having new experiences is how you become a well rounded person, which will benefit your writing in the long run anyway. Plus, I haven't made it any secret that other than Jesus (and to me Christmas is a religious holiday), my family and friends are most important.
Still, I'm hoping this week to make a few notes on "Blood God," book three of the Blood Rain series, and the urban fantasy changeling story that I mentioned a while ago. I'm actually getting pretty excited about the changeling project because I have some new ideas that I think will make it a better book. I've fleshed out the main character, come up with some interesting ideas about Arcadia, and have an idea for a unique twist for the ending. Still, I have a long way to go before I can start actually writing it. Wish me luck, and the ability to somehow manage my time well enough to write at all. (After all, I'm having a baby in April. There's quite a bit on my mind...)
In the meantime, I'll try to do better about keeping up this blog. Keep reading and writing!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Finished Blood Moon and my 100th Post on this blog...
Hello everyone,
Sorry I've been so quiet lately. This is a special blog since this is the 100th entry. YAY! It's kind of hard to believe I've written on this blog 100 times. It makes me feel good to know that I kept up with it for so long. I do enjoy blogging, and hopefully I'll write at least 100 more.
As you know, this month is National Write a Novel Month (NaNoWriMo), and I'm pleased to say that I've finished "Blood Moon." I still need to proof it and send it to my test readers, but it came out to a decent 90,000 words and I'm pleased with it. I also have enough notes to officially begin "Blood God," the final book of the trilogy. I wrote 30,000 more words in "Blood Moon" this month. Hopefully, I'll reach my 50,000 word count by the end of NaNoWriMo, but I don't plan to stress out over it.
It was never my goal to "beat" NaNoWriMo this time. It was my goal to finish the second book of my trilogy, and I did reach that goal. (If I can "beat" NaNoWriMo as well then even better, but I believe in quality over quantity in my writing, so I was taking my time instead of rushing through it.) I really like my "Blood Rain" trilogy and I really like the main character. I want to see her through to the end of her journey before I begin anything else; to do anything less would seem like abandoning her.
I feel that if I start on the third book, I'll probably come up with more ideas and at the very least be able to finish the notes by the end of December. My goal is to have the final book done by the end of January or February. I think that is a realistic goal, especially if I finish the notes.
This has been a good Thanksgiving holiday. I spent time with my family, some quality time with my husband, and USC beat Clemson. I took a little break from writing and that was enough to rejuvenate me, making the day that I decided to work hard on my ending for "Blood Moon" a very good one. I am a firm believer in occasionally taking a little break so that you don't burn yourself out, but not a break long enough to make you lazy Still, I do plan to take another during the Christmas holidays if at all possible.
There are many things I'm thankful for this holiday. I'm thankful for my baby's health and for my husband's constant love and support. I'm thankful that my Mom is still free of breast cancer. I'm thankful for everyone in my family. I'm thankful for my good friends. I'm thankful that I was able to finish my book.
And, above all, I'm thankful to Jesus for his sacrifice and for looking after me and those I love. I know that despite our financial strain this year, things will work out with prayer, patience, and hard work. We've been given many blessings, more than we deserve.
As for the next project after the "Blood Rain" series is over, I'm not sure. I have a lot of different ideas, though. We'll just have to see. I was planning on writing my changeling urban fantasy story, but I've come up some different concepts in the last few weeks that are promising. I'll keep you posted.
I also might start doing a little bit of data entry work in my spare time to make a little extra money. Since the baby will be here in April, any extra money I could get between now and then would be helpful. Still, no worries. I'll find time to write. I always do. (Also, after my appointment on December 10th, I should actually know the gender of the baby. That's exciting. I'll keep you posted...)
Even after the baby is born, I still plan to write when I can. I believe changes in our lives strengthen us and make us better writers because they give us more experiences to draw on for our stories. Having a baby will be a great adventure.
In the meantime, as per my usual advice, keep reading and writing! I hope that you had a happy Thanksgiving holiday.
Sorry I've been so quiet lately. This is a special blog since this is the 100th entry. YAY! It's kind of hard to believe I've written on this blog 100 times. It makes me feel good to know that I kept up with it for so long. I do enjoy blogging, and hopefully I'll write at least 100 more.
As you know, this month is National Write a Novel Month (NaNoWriMo), and I'm pleased to say that I've finished "Blood Moon." I still need to proof it and send it to my test readers, but it came out to a decent 90,000 words and I'm pleased with it. I also have enough notes to officially begin "Blood God," the final book of the trilogy. I wrote 30,000 more words in "Blood Moon" this month. Hopefully, I'll reach my 50,000 word count by the end of NaNoWriMo, but I don't plan to stress out over it.
It was never my goal to "beat" NaNoWriMo this time. It was my goal to finish the second book of my trilogy, and I did reach that goal. (If I can "beat" NaNoWriMo as well then even better, but I believe in quality over quantity in my writing, so I was taking my time instead of rushing through it.) I really like my "Blood Rain" trilogy and I really like the main character. I want to see her through to the end of her journey before I begin anything else; to do anything less would seem like abandoning her.
I feel that if I start on the third book, I'll probably come up with more ideas and at the very least be able to finish the notes by the end of December. My goal is to have the final book done by the end of January or February. I think that is a realistic goal, especially if I finish the notes.
This has been a good Thanksgiving holiday. I spent time with my family, some quality time with my husband, and USC beat Clemson. I took a little break from writing and that was enough to rejuvenate me, making the day that I decided to work hard on my ending for "Blood Moon" a very good one. I am a firm believer in occasionally taking a little break so that you don't burn yourself out, but not a break long enough to make you lazy Still, I do plan to take another during the Christmas holidays if at all possible.
There are many things I'm thankful for this holiday. I'm thankful for my baby's health and for my husband's constant love and support. I'm thankful that my Mom is still free of breast cancer. I'm thankful for everyone in my family. I'm thankful for my good friends. I'm thankful that I was able to finish my book.
And, above all, I'm thankful to Jesus for his sacrifice and for looking after me and those I love. I know that despite our financial strain this year, things will work out with prayer, patience, and hard work. We've been given many blessings, more than we deserve.
As for the next project after the "Blood Rain" series is over, I'm not sure. I have a lot of different ideas, though. We'll just have to see. I was planning on writing my changeling urban fantasy story, but I've come up some different concepts in the last few weeks that are promising. I'll keep you posted.
I also might start doing a little bit of data entry work in my spare time to make a little extra money. Since the baby will be here in April, any extra money I could get between now and then would be helpful. Still, no worries. I'll find time to write. I always do. (Also, after my appointment on December 10th, I should actually know the gender of the baby. That's exciting. I'll keep you posted...)
Even after the baby is born, I still plan to write when I can. I believe changes in our lives strengthen us and make us better writers because they give us more experiences to draw on for our stories. Having a baby will be a great adventure.
In the meantime, as per my usual advice, keep reading and writing! I hope that you had a happy Thanksgiving holiday.
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