In Which I Make 2016 Goals

Before we get into this post, how exciting is it that it's Leap Year today?

I didn't know that women are supposed to trap men in marriage on Leap Year. I should best get going

I think this is my first Leap Year post, even though my blog is over 6 years old. Anyway, it's not actually a big deal, just kind of a little bonus.

Also, it means, that it's still February so I'm not making my goal for the year ridiculously late. Like in March or something.
No. It's February. It's fine.

So, last week I talked about my 2015 goals and how I did, so now it's time to lay out some 2016 goals. Let's get to it.

In no particular order:

1. Read 100 books. I didn't make this goal last year, but I'm going to try it again this year. We'll see how it goes.

2. Finish my MG fantasy. This means both finish the draft and fully revise it.

3. Revise my YA fantasy. Draft is done, but it needs some work, which I'm excited to get to.

4. Teach a class. It can be anywhere on anything.

5. Teach a query writing workshop. This was a goal last year, too, but things just kept coming up. So we'll see how it goes this year.

6. Put the house up for sale. We'd really like to move this year. We'll see how it goes.

And that's pretty much it!

How about you? What are some of your goals for the year?

In Which I Look Over Last Year's Goals

So, like I do every year, I make goals and then when a new year comes around, I look back and see how well I did.

There's no weight or anything behind them. I'm not sad if I didn't meet a few goals, and I'm not, like, ridiculously happy if I do meet them. I just like keeping track of things. It's fun.

So here are my 2015 goals and the results:

1. Write not one, but TWO novels! *GASP*. Yes, this is a pretty big goal to reach for. BUT, I think it's doable. One, because I have to write book 2 for HarperTeen in the next few months here. And 2, because I'm going to be working on a MG fantasy for school. The kicker is whether I'll be able to actually write all of that MG fantasy, but I guess that's what we'll find out.

Failed. I mean, don't get me wrong. It was close. I wrote all of book 2 and I wrote half of the MG fantasy. But then things got in the way. Mostly the ASSASSIN'S HEART launch and all that jazz. But, I will be working on the MG fantasy now, and hope to have it done by the end of spring.

2. Read 100 books. Yes I read 140 books last year, but I also had my MFA reading list I was completing and a lot of those books were picture books and graphic novels or shorter kidlit. Now that I'm done with the reading list, will I be able to still hit 100? (I can tell you that the year has started out slowly, anyway)

Failed. I gave it a good shot, but, like with the novels above, things got in the way. I did read a fair few books, though. 71 to be specific. And that's not too shabby.

3. Buy a standing desk. You know, the kind that you can transform into standing or sitting. I've been thinking about one for awhile, and then a few months ago I was like "what am I waiting for?" I sit too much during the day, so hopefully this will help. Also I can take my current desk, which is very nice and sturdy, and give it to twin so we can throw out her computer desk (which is the old rickety desk that also used to be mine) But the standing desks are not cheap. And it's not easy to switch out furniture in our office

Met! Of course, it's not like it's really hard to, you know, buy something. But there you go. I bought it. I put it together. Moved some things around and I love it. I stand at least 2 hours a day.

4. At least partially re-do the upstairs bathroom. Our medicine cabinet has the lights for the bathroom and room for four bulbs. But it's old, and every time a bulb burns out, we're either unable to get the bulb out, get a new bulb in, or if we do, it no longer works. Of the 4 original lights that work, we are done to one. As soon as that bulb burns out, well, it's time to get a new medicine cabinet and light fixture. And if we're going to do that we might as well get a new vanity to match, etc. We should also reeeeeally do a new, updated floor, but that's a bigger commitment that involves tile and I dunno if it's something we really want to commit to at this point.

Met! This one was a huge met, too. Because we didn't just partially re-do it. We redid the whole thing. The only part that is still the same is the shower/bathtub. Everything else is new. And we tiled for the first time.

5. Try really hard to teach a query writing workshop for my MFA. This is a bit of a cheap goal because it's kind of out of my hands since I'm not in charge of scheduling. All I can do is keep expressing my interest to the powers that be and hope they put me on. (On the plus side, it seems likely it'll happen at some point, but we'll see. You never know how scheduling can go)

Failed. This really was out of my hands. I put in a request for two residencies to teach a workshop but it didn't happen. And I put in a pitch to do a workshop at a small local conference and that didn't happen either. *sad trombone* But I am going to put in another request to teach it at Alumni Weekend this summer, so we'll see how that goes.

So there you go! How was your year?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's the first Wednesday of the month which means it's time for IWSG

Co-hosts this week are  Julie Flanders, Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover, Christine Rains, and Heather Gardner

I can't even believe that we've reached September already. I feel like just yesterday it was June. This summer just sped past.

I'm feeling really good, right now. Which is good, because I was pretty stressed the last month or two. But I did a crap ton of revisions on my WIP and I think it came out a lot stronger.
It still needs work, of course, but at least now it has a leg to stand on.

Of course, I haven't even finished the draft. I was at 82k, but with the revisions it's now down to 64k (and I cut closer to 30k, I just was also adding new stuff, too) but I haven't reach The End yet. Which is what I'll be concentrating on this month.

September will have to be a crazy NaNo. But instead of doing 1600 words a day, I'm going to be aiming for 4k a day. Well, not every day, but weekdays, anyway. Once I finish this draft, my life will be so much easier. I'll be able to relax some, take it a little easier. Work on some other things I've had to put aside for now.

So I guess that means I'm not feeling that insecure right now. Of course that could change. I mean, I'm writing this post on Sunday, and by the time it posts on Wednesday any amount of crazy stuff could happen. But still. Right now I'm good. And the horizon is in sight.

How are things for you right now?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

First Wednesday of the month which means it's time for IWSG

co-hosts this month are:  Eva Solar, Melanie Schulz, Lisa-Buie Collard, and Stephen Tremp

First off, congrats to everyone who made it through the A to Z challenge. You guys are bamfs.

On to insecurity. I'm both so happy and so terrified that we've made it into May. Happy because the end of May marks the end of this semester (which is bittersweet, because that means I'm closer to school being done forever (sad) but also, this semester was super, super busy) and also I have a good, long, well-deserved vacay in May.

But also, I'm still working towards a deadline on Book 2 for ASSASSIN'S HEART and I know that vacay will interfere with my progress.

Which means that I can't slow down at all, and probably I should pick up the pace some. I'm already putting in 1400-2000 words a day (4x a week) on book 2, so probably it means that I need at least 2K a day, and I should probably start trying to get some writing in on Sundays too (which is hard, though, because I tend to do a lot of stuff on Sundays, including meeting up with different writer pals)

So, yeah. May. More than anything I wish I was further into Book 2. The first 80 pages slowed  me a down a lot because they were not good. At all. But then I finally sat down and fixed things and it's ben going a lot better now, but I know I need to go back and redo those first 80 pages.

Also, writing two books at a time (Book 2 and my MG fantasy for school) is not something I would willingly choose for myself again in the future.

But, on the plus side, May means we're closer to fun things with ASSASSIN'S HEART. Like arcs, and cover reveals (tee hee! Maaaaaaybe I've already seen the cover and maaaaaaybe I kind of love it hardcore) and all that fun stuff that just makes all of this seem more real.

Anyway, May is here to stay and I know, as always, the best way out is through, so back to work I go.

How are things going for you?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

First Wednesday of the month means it's IWSG.

Co-hosts for the April 1 posting of the IWSG will be Suzanne Furness, Tonja Drecker, Toi Thomas, Rachna Chhabria, Fundy Blue, and Donna Hole!
And because this is the first day of April, it means a ton of people are taking their first steps on the A to Z blogging challenge. Not me, though. I'm way too busy right now to deal with that. But good luck to everyone jumping in. The month will be over before you know it.

Things have been pretty much same 'ole same 'ole for me lately. Just tying to keep my head down and get as much writing and work done as possible.

It's been really hard trying to juggle writing two books at once, Book 2 for ASSASSIN'S HEART and my MG fantasy for school. I thought I'd be able to work on one in the morning, and one in the afternoon, but that only worked once.

The problem with switching between stories is, it gives me an opportunity to stop writing for the day, which I almost always take. And then throw in other work that needs to be done (revising my critical thesis, revising my picture book) and it's just too easy for me to say "well, I'll work on that story tomorrow because right now I'll revise stuff because that needs to be done too"

Things went a lot better for me when I hit my page goal for the MG fantasy and then was able to completely set it aside and work on Book 2 alone for a week.

So I don't quite know what the solution is yet. I'm hoping things will go better once the thesis is officially done, but I guess we'll see.

How about you? Ever write two novels at the same time, both with deadlines? Have any tips for me?

In Which I Push Through Some Crappy Writing

I can't even believe it's March.

It feels like winter just started and yet here we are, with our snow melting and spring on it's way. I think it's because we had such a mild winter here in MN. Not a lot of snow, not too many days below 0.

Besides a picture book I wrote last month, I really hadn't done any creative writing this year yet until last week, when I was able to pump out 15 pages on my WIPs (10 pages on my MG fantasy, and 5 pages on Book 2). And, I mean, that's not a ton of writing, but it felt really accomplished.

 

Especially since I've been in a whining funk for pretty much all of 2015.

I was actually more excited about the 5 pages on B2 because I had written ten pages already, and then felt stuck. I'd been staring at those ten pages for two months, thinking about how I had set myself up so piss poorly that I didn't even know how to continue.

Finally, last week, I just decided to skip the damn transition. To jump right into chapter two and deal with the stupid first chapter later.

Which, duh, of course that's a good idea. But knowing that and actually doing it, I find, are two different things. Especially since I write chronologically and edit as I go, so I know I'll keep reading that first chapter and it will still have problems (ugh. All the problems) and it will keep bugging me.

Which is fine. It can bug me all it wants as long as it doesn't stall me or stop me from making forward motion.

So, yeah. Last week was good. Not great, but good. But I think it opened the door for great days in the near future.

How are all your projects going? Are you ready for spring?

 

Insecure Writer's Support Group

First Wednesday of the month means it's time for IWSG!


Co-hosts this month are: Chemist Ken, Suzanne Sapseed, and Shannon Lawrence

THIS IS WHERE THE BADGE IS SUPPOSED TO GO BUT BLOGGER IS BEING AN ASS AND NOT LETTING ME UPLOAD ANY PICTURES BECAUSE OF STUPID ASS BLOGGER REASONS.

ahem.

My insecurities this month are the same as pretty much any other month (second verse, same as the first!) Time.

I have so much to do not only for March, but also just this semester in general.

I need the revise my critical thesis for the MFA
I need to revise my picture book for the MFA
I need to start my MG fantasy for the MFA
I need to continue writing Book 2 for ASSASSIN'S HEART

That is a lot of work I need to get done. And I've never written a MG novel before, so that brings with it some unease.

But the solution, of course, is the same as it almost always is: just do the work.

The only way out is through, and all of that.


How's your March looking?

In Which The End Of The Year Is Near

I always like when the year comes to the end in regards to blogging, because it sets me up for some easy posts in the new year (best books I read, goals I met, new goals, etc). But the end of the year is kind of a pain because I'm not sure what to talk about.

Mostly I'm just gearing up for my January Residency for my MFA. I'm really excited for it, and so pretty much I just feel like I'm biding my time until residency. I'm really hoping this week we get our workshop assignments so I can see which students I'm workshopping with (really hoping I get some of my classmates this residency) and which faculty. And then diving into everyone's workshop submissions.

And I'm working on my sequel. It's slow going, which is frustrating, and I think it's because I'm just waiting for residency. But I really need to nip that in the bud and buckle down and get to work. Especially now when I don't have any homework for my MFA or other demands on my time.

I just need to NaNo that book, I think. And it was my plan to write a lot of it during NaNo but edits interfered so that plan didn't get off the ground. But, what can you do? Just keep going forward.

How about you? Gearing up for the end of the year? Or the Holidays? Working on a new project?

This has nothing to do with anything. Just thought it was cool

 

In Which I Was Tagged

I was tagged by the lovely Vanessa Eccles to participate in the Liebster Award Blog Hop about my current WIP. I'm working on more than one thing right now, actually. Edits and revisions for ATR, the ATR sequel and tinkering a bit with my WIP (I finished the first draft a few weeks ago) so I think I'll focus in my YA fantasy WIP, tentatively titled MONSTERS WITHIN.

1.  Where did you find the inspiration for your WIP?
I really don't remember. I know for a long time I was thinking of it as Sherlock Holmes meets Howl's Moving Castle, but outside of that, I'm not sure. I like bromances (who doesn't amiright?) and horses and demons and magic and impending wars and I just kind of mixed that all up until I had something.

2. What is the setting and how important is it to the story?
It's a second world fantasy, so not set on earth as we know it. It has a bit of an 1800s feel, in regards to technology. And it's set in the middle of winter which isn't important to the plot, per se, but definitely sets the mood. The setting isn't crazy important, at least, not as important as my last book, but it wouldn't work if it was set somewhere "real", mostly because there's a giant split in the land that tempts people to jump to their death. And also may spit out demons.

3. What is your MC's most likable quality?
I think it's that he's steadfast. He's the type of guy you can count on, who will help you for no other reason than that it's the right thing to do. It's these traits, though, that cause him such problems when he's tasked to do something he doesn't morally agree with.

4. Does your MC prefer coffee or tea?
Tea, though I think he'd probably be a coffee drinker if there was such a drink in his world

5. If you met your villain in real life, would you run away, slap him (or her), stop for a chat, or ask for an autograph?
There are multiple villains in MW (I'm a huge fan of multiple antagonists) but for 2 out of 3 I'd either run, or move away quickly. The third could use a well-placed slap.

6. What are three words that best describe your MC?
Dedicated. Honor-bound. Steadfast.

7. If your MC could have anything in the world, what would it be?
Tough question. If we're talking material items, he'd probably really like a nice, serviceable saddle that will last for years. But if we're talking more in the abstract, probably something more like somewhere he could just be himself, be able to relax.

8. What's your favorite line in the WIP so far?
Oh man, I have so many favorite lines in this one. It's going to be hard to pick but maybe:

And I couldn’t help but remember his voice, there in the darkness, asking who would ever love him again. Who would love a monster. But I looked at the people surrounding his bed and wondered how he could not be drowning in the love they shared for him.
 

9. What is the overall tone of the novel?
Hmm. I'd say sad and violent with a little bit of kissing. None of those are tones, really, but there you go.

10. If you had to compare your novel to any fairy tale, what would it be and why?
Holy crap, this is a hard question. I mean, assuming neither Sherlock Holmes nor Howl's Moving Castle counts. I spent a long time trying to come up with something but really couldn't find anything, probably because my knowledge of fairy tales is hit or miss. I'm a lame-o

All right! So I get to tag some peeps and I'm going to choose:

Rena Rocford

Leandra Wallace

Rochelle Deans

Your questions are:

What is your WIP About?

How long have you been working on your WIP?

Who is your MC?

What are some of the themes you're exploring?

What song would represent your story or MC?

If you were casting your story as a movie, who would play your main character?

What is your favorite line in your WIP so far?

If your MC were to have a pet, what would it be?

When do you think your WIP will be "done?"

Who's your favorite side character in your WIP and why?

What's your MC's favorite food?

In Which I Finished My WIP

Happy Monday, pals! (also, boooo Monday. Boooo)

As the title says, last week I managed to finish my WIP.

YAY!!!

 

 

This was the one I was calling Howl's Moving Castle meets Sherlock Holmes. (It still doesn't have a title, but I'm working on it.)

I pretty much love it. I mean, it's a mess. I think it's the messiest draft I've written in a long, long time. It's actually the messiest draft, I think, since I finished my first novel (though, it's hard to be sure since I'm a better writer now (thank god) and am able to distinguish things that need work that I probably didn't notice before). But I still love it.

I wish I had the time to dive into revisions, but I don't. I have to tackle edits for ATR, finish up some schoolwork, and then I have to start writing the ATR sequel.

So, unfortunately, WIP has to sit and wait. Probably for awhile. Which, maybe that's good. Or some people like to set things aside for awhile, anyway, but I'm usually the dive right in and take advantage of all the momentum I've built up from finishing.

But, what can you do?

So how about you? How are your projects coming?

 

In Which I Check In

So how are things going for everyone?

Things are going fine for me. Though I may have to bow out of NaNo. Not because I want to, but just because other things have come up. I had originally planned on finishing my WIP and then starting my sequel, but I may have to put starting the sequel aside for a few weeks, which means there's nothing to NaNo.

It doesn't help, too, that I started 3 days in the NaNo hole because I was on vacay, but still. I'm going to keep trucking ahead until I have to stop.

Some people are really kicking NaNo butt, though! I'm both excited and jealous of them.

If you're not NaNoing, what are you working on? Let me know in the comments, because I want to know what's up with everyone.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

So, I totally missed last month's IWSG. I just completely didn't realize it was the first of the month or something.

My bad.

But here we are! The first IWSG for fall 2014. I cannot believe how fast the year is going.

As I mentioned on Monday, and a few weeks ago, I have been crazy busy. I knew going in that September was going to be my hell month, and it more or less was.

I had edits for All That Remains to finish up. I also had a bunch of pages on my still untitled WIP to turn in for my next MFA packet (that's due on Friday) as well as a ten page paper to write.

I probably should have been super stressed and junk. But surprisingly I wasn't. I mean, I could kind of feel that it was there, just hovering behind me, waiting. All "hey, are you suuuure you don't want to have some sort of stress freakout?"

But I was like, eh, no thanks. Instead I think I'll put my head down and get back to work.

I had definitely reached the point, though, where I had so much work that the only way out was through it. Which is in general I guess a good attitude to have. And honestly, if I had that attitude all the time things probably wouldn't stack up as much (though, to be fair, September Hell Month was just a timing thing and not brought about by slacking or anything.)

On the plus side about getting through September is now I have a bit of breathing room.

Until November that is, when NaNo starts. And yes I'm participating this year. I have a sequel to write. Which means my goal for October is to try and finish my WIP.

Will I be able to? Guess it's time to find out.

In Which I Talk Pinterest (Again)

So, yeah, I've definitely written a post on Pinterest before. But I still love it and think it's time for me to do another post.

This one, though, will be more focused on how Pinterest can be awesome to use if you're a writer.

One of the main uses of Pinterest for writes is to make a pinboard for your novels or stories. You can keep any inspirational images or character photos or scenery related to your novel.

I have pinboards for both ATR:

 

 

 

And also for my still untitled WIP:

 

 

 

So for specifics, it works really well.

But another way I use it is to try and shore up things I am not great at. Like describing clothing. Nope, not great at that.

Then I realized I could make a more general pinboard for character clothing and weapons, and then whenever I was trying to describe what a character might be wearing, I could look through the board, see if there was an outfit that matched what I was going through, and then use that as a reference for more detailed descriptions.

So, yeah. I wish I had figured that out a lot sooner because it would have been helpful.

If you haven't given Pinterest a try, I highly recommend it! And if you are on Pinterest, fire me your user name, I'd love to follow you! I'm right here or you can search for me via Sarah Ahiers.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Time for IWSG!

I am honestly shocked that's it's already August.

I mean, what the hell? I know time is relative and all that, but where did the summer go? Seriously! I feel like we JUST got out of winter.

But the good thing about August is it means it's time for the MN Renaissance Festival and the MN State Fair. I will attend both events multiple time and eat too much food and complain about the terrible summer heat.

Other things are going on, of course. Mainly, a lot of writerly things.

Writerly things on my plate:

• Must tackle and complete all edits for ALL THAT REMAINS from my lovely editor
• Must try and finish WIP (this is the goal set to me for this semester by my wonderful MFA Mentor Laura Ruby)
• Begin (and hopefully finish ASAP) sequel to ALL THAT REMAINS.

So, yeah. I mean, it's only three things, but they're not little things. They're just like, oh I don't know, write entire novels and revise entire novels and all that fun stuff.

So, maybe I'm feeling a bit insecure about that. I mean, these are problems to HAVE, amiright? And I'm up for the challenge. I also think there's a good chance that maybe I'll be some sort of maven of productivity and manage to juggle all three of these balls at once.

But there's also a chance I'll drop them all.

Time will tell I'm sure.

In Which I've Been Tagged

So, as the title says, I've been tagged by the awesome Rena Rocford! Don't know her? Check her out because I already told you once she's awesome. And she is. I pretty much luuurve her and that's no lie.

Anyway, this is a "Talk about your process" game and I'm in, so here we go.

What are you working on right now?

What AREN'T I working on right now, right? Nah I'm just kidding. Mostly what I'm working on right now is MFA work and a new WIP. The WIP is cleverly titled WIP right now (because no matter how hard I try (like, maybe a medium amount?) I haven't been able to come up with even a working title for it. But I've been thinking of it as Howl's Moving Castle meets Sherlock Holmes, and whether it's actually like either of those things, I dunno, but it's got a boy who's a cavalry cadet and another boy who's got a demon living inside him, granting him magical powers, and there's a looming war and secret weapon plans that must be discovered and feels and junk.
So yeah, I'm liking it.
I'm only about 40K in. I wish I was farther, but what can you do?

My first MFA semester is allllmost done. Next week, actually. And then I have a small break until Semester 2 starts in early July. So right now I'm doing some voice work for my mentor Anne Ursu to finish out my semester.

How does my book differ from others in my genre?

Shit, these aren't like easy question are they? Hell, I don't know. Maybe if I was, like, done with it, I could tell you? Nah, probably not. I guess I would say it's not often you get cavalry cadets and wizard boys mixing it up together, so I guess my fantasy and world building is what separates it out.

Why do I write what I write?

Because it's fun, natch. And even though I love YA contemporary, I don't think I could ever write it because I'm sure I'd reach a point and write "and then the monsters show up" or something. I mean, the backdrop of teen emotions and drama is made even worse when you have to deal with magic and murder and some other clever "m" word I can't think of off the top of my head.
Mystery? meh.
So, yeah. I write it mostly because it's what I want to read. I think that's pretty much the most important reason to write anything, you know?

How does my writing process work?

Well.
I usually spend months brainstorming an idea. Thinking about characters. About specific scenes, all that fun stuff.
Then when it's marinated enough, I'll tackle the first 4-5 steps of the Snowflake Method. Mostly I'll just come up with a one sentence description of the book. Then a one paragraph description.
Then I'll come up with 4 disasters and an ending and plan out what the inciting incident is.
Then I'll work through the MCs motivations, goals conflicts and epiphany.
And finally, when all of that is done, I'll write a query. It doesn't have to be a great query, but I try to make it, you know, not shitty.
Finally part 2, I'll make a list of scenes, which functions as an outline for me, and I jump in.
Jumping in is usually pretty easy because during all of the pre-work I usually come up with an opening scene or at least an opening line, so I know where to start.
Then I'll write the whole thing, beginning to end, chronologically.
Bam. Draft one is done. And because I allow myself to edit every day, after I've hit my word count, my drafts are usually pretty clean, which means revising doesn't take me forever.
And that's my process in a nutshell.

And that's it! I have to tag someone and I'm going to tag Matt MacNish, because, you know, we're pals.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Well, it's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for May's IWSG.

I always feel like I have insecurities during the month, but then when IWSG comes around, they're gone and I'm feeling pretty good.

I think, as always, I'm still worried about my workload. So far the MFA is going well and I haven't had any troubles keeping up. But I think there's always an underlining of fear. What if THIS packet I have troubles finishing? Our next residency is in early July (YAY! I'm so excited!) but that means I'll have to switch mentors (Sniff. I love working with Anne Ursu). And while I'm sure whomever I get for second semester will be fine and awesome, what if the change is enough to make me lose any momentum I've had?

Also, I wish I was further along in my WIP. I'm over 30K now, which is great. But that's 30K over four months, which is not great. Usually it takes me about 2-3 months to write a whole draft, but the MFA has really slowed things down.

While I'm in the MFA, I'd like to try my hand at writing a Picture Book, or a Middle Grade (especially the latter) and it seems like the perfect time to do it, when I'll have a mentor who knows what they're doing and can help me. But I don't necessarily like the idea of setting aside an unfinished MS to start another one.

So, you know, timing. It always comes down to timing.

I'm sure everything will work out fine and I'll figure things out, but nonetheless the feels creep in. As they always do.

How are things going for you?

In Which I Hit A Stride

Here we are, Monday again. I hope everyone had a good weekend, and a good Easter if it's a holiday you celebrate.

I had a good writing week last week. I put out 21 pages in three days, which is great. It helped that I hit a scene or a point in the MS that makes writing fun. One of my characters suffered an injury and I frickin love writing injuries and recoveries. So, yeah. I hit that point and the pages just flew out of me. I mean, heck, I even put out 4 pages on Friday, and I rarely write on Fridays.

I also like writing romance scenes. I almost always have romance in my novels because I think romance inherently adds conflict and tension. But also because it's fun and frequently cathartic and yay kissing or something.

From my WIP Inspiration Pinterest Board

And sometimes action scenes fly out of me too, but sometimes it's like pulling teeth, it does so slowly. There's no rhyme or reason as to whether an action scene is going to be easy, or hard either.
I want them to be exciting and fun. I expect them to be fun to write, so then, when sometimes they're not, it's an extra pain in the ass because I'm all like "really? Shouldn't this scene be flying out of me easier?" Frustrating.

So anyway, I'm super excited to get back to my MS tomorrow (still dealing with the injury) and I'm hoping that pace and excitement carries through the rest of it. Because that would be awesome.

I'd love to hear from you. What type of scenes are always easy and fun for you to write? And what type of scenes are a pain?

In Which I Work Work Work

I'm back to blogging after my two week hiatus. But the two weeks off let me get done what I needed to get done, mostly finish up my two papers for my MFA packet.

Of course, now I'm working on packet #3, which means more writing, more revising and another paper. The work: she never ends.

My mentor this semester is Anne Ursu.

Have you guys read this? Because you should. I love it so much.

And she's been awesome. She's great to work with, and really gets what I'm trying to do with my WIP (because right now, it's in the "fumbling" stage. You know, where you keep going forward and you know things are wrong and will need to be fixed, but you can't fix them now because you don't quite fully understand the story or the characters yet? Yeah, that stage.)

I'm only 80 pages in. I wish I was further. Honestly, I wish I was done with my first draft at this point, but obviously I've had to slow down for revisions and other MFA work. I'm not worried or anything, but, you know, a completed draft is much more fun than one just barely started.

Anyway, yeah. Back to the grindstone I go!
But I'd much rather be doing this kind of work, and writing, than pretty much anything else. So, you know, yay!

How about you? What are you working on right now?
 

In Which I Draft

So I've been working hard the last few weeks. And hopefully that trend will continue. I'm written 30 new pages on my WIP (still just titled WIP. At some point I'm going to need to sit down and try to come up with an actual title. I HATE not having a title, even a fake one, for a WIP. Drives me crazy).

(I've been thinking of my WIP as a cross between these two things. Whether that will hold up the farther I get into it, we'll see)

I'm aiming to get another ten pages done this week. My MFA mentor said she wants me to revise my first 40 pages and that she'll read up to another new 40 pages if I want and I aim to take her up on that offer.

I've done a bit of revising on the first 40. Fiddled around here and there and addressed a few things, but some of the revisions I need to do are larger, so I think I won't start to tackle those until I print it out (it's easier for me to "see" spanning changes on hard copy as opposed to a screen) and I don't want to print it out until I finish my next 40 pages so I can print it all out at the same time.

The story is going well. I don't LOVE it yet, but I do like it and that's good enough for now. I've come to realize that I'm a person who likes revising more than I like drafting. So I can't wait to finish something so I can get down to fixing it and making it better. Or at least that's the theory anyway.

How about you? Do you like drafting or revising better? And do you prefer to have a title when you're drafting, or is it something that can wait until later for you? (and if you have any ideas for a title for my WIP of which you know nothing about, then feel free to shoot them my way)

In Which Things Slow Down (A Bit)

HerpaDerp!!

I've been meaning to include this link for the last few weeks and I keep forgetting.

But here's the link for my Success Story Interview on QueryTracker.

I always love reading QT Success Stories, because they're a lot like "how I got my agent" blog posts, which we all know are awesome

Last week was the first week I've had in a long time where things slowed down and went a little easier. And it was awesome. I doubt it will last (seriously doubt it, in fact) so I was able to enjoy it even more, since I knew it was probably just a temporary state of being.

I got a bunch of beta and CP reading done and I managed to get in 12 new pages on the WIP.

They were kind of crappy 12 pages, but 12 pages are better than 0 and I will happily take them. I'm just hoping I can keep up the pace over the next few weeks. My next MFA packet is due in early April.

I also went out to meet with some local writer peeps for drinks one night and had lunch on another day with some of my local MFA classmates. Both were a lot of fun! I love hanging out with fellow writers.

Also, going out gave me a reason to wear the new earrings Twin got my for our B-day:

I lurrrrve them

How about you? Have things been crazy busy for you, or are you living at a more sedate pace?