Happy Halloween!

Just 'cause I've been talking about it... Here is my Halloween costume this year. A Mad Hatter, of my own design. (pieced together, not made)







And in writerly stuffs...

Over at The League, Kevin Hearne has the cover up for his upcoming debut! Go check it out and tell him how freakin' awesome it is!

NaNoWriMo started today, and I managed to get more than the daily goal, but less than my personal goal. I'll take it.

That's all I know, folk! I'll be typing my fingers to the bone until the end of November, whereupon I shall take the last day of the month off for my own birthday. So there. Nyah.

Kari's Queries, part 7

A couple short questions today, courtesy of my high school friends.

~*!*~

What was your first impression of Mrs. Chie?

First off, you'll notice that I changed your teacher's name up there to her "codename." That's to make it all seem cooler. Second off, I wondered how long it'd take for you guys to start asking me about her.

Let's see... You realize that it's been many years since I first met Mrs. Chie, and that I've slept since then, right? I mean, I'm almost 34, the brain cells don't work like they used to.

If I recall correctly, Mrs. Chie was actually my hubby's friend first, so I kinda met her through him. I don't really remember exact first impressions, but I do remember the moment I found out she was a high school English teacher. I was working on Avarice at the time (the book that went away to a farm to live with a nice family that loves it) and I asked her, "Hey, do you think you could look at a little bit of this for me?"

Well, looking at a "little bit" of this turned into looking at every scrap of writing I did during the day, as I did it. Mrs. Chie is one of my "alpha-betas", meaning she gets to read every word that comes out of my head at just about the moment that I get it typed down. Before ANYone else. Her advice is always thoughtful and spot-on, and I'd be lost without her.

Do you ever get recognized in public?

Are you kidding? My own family pretends they don't know me in public. (Okay, that's not true.)

No, I don't get recognized in public. I imagine that very few authors do. I mean sure, there's the big ones. Most people would probably recognize Stephen King or J. K. Rowling if they passed them on the street. Stephanie Meyer, maybe. I'd recognize Jim Butcher, but that's 'cause I'm a rabid fan (and because he lives in my city, so running into him isn't unlikely).

But for the most part, I think authors have a rather peculiar kind of fame. I mean, their fans can be just as rabid as any movie or rock star's, but their appearances aren't as...public?

I don't ever envision being chased down the street by a pack of screaming fans. Book enthusiasts (at least in the adult literature world, I make no promises about the YA world) tend to be a little calmer than that.

~*!*~

AND... Do you know what's coming up on Monday, folks?

That's right, it's NaNoWriMo time!

After much waffling and a few Real Job(tm) scares, it has been determined that yes, I WILL be doing Nano. And I WILL be using Nano to get started on Book 3 of the Jesse James Dawson series (still untitled, of course). I was going to work on a new project, but as time got closer, it just wasn't speaking to me like Book 3 has been.

Thanks to my hubby (and to Mrs. Chie), I've been able to brainstorm and fill the hole in my outline, so really, I'm pretty good to go! In fact, I could start today if I wanted (but that would be against the Nano rules)

If anyone is participating in Nano and wants to buddy me, leave a comment with your username, and I will gladly add you. The more the merrier!

Monday Heads Up!

You have a chance to win a copy of A DEVIL IN THE DETAILS here at Secrets and Obsessions! Winner is chosen on Wednesday, so get a move on, leave a comment!

Also, it's October and do you know what that means? It means that November and NaNoWriMo are just around the corner!! Do you have your NaNo idea yet?

I'm currently working on the research portion of mine. My participation of course depends on my edit schedule with Book 2, but barring that, I'm planning busting out my words like everyone else!

If anyone wants to be my friend on NaNo, leave your user name in the comments so I can add you to my list!

Drive-by Posting

Just a quick post to let everyone know I'm still alive, and still Nanoing. Currently at words. Yay! (That's 18,805 words, if Nano's site is currently down) Rapidly approaching the Big Gaping Hole in my outline (I have chapters 1-10 outlined, then the last three. No idea what happens in between)

This past weekend resulted in a new haircut (which folks want to see pictures of) and a new garage door opener (which no one has asked to see, oddly). Haircut pictures will be forthcoming, on a day when my hair is actually styled, and not when I've been at work trying to rip it out all day.

I am afraid that most will be disappointed however, to find out that my new hair is much like my old hair, only just slightly shorter. There's only so much you can do with this massive amount of curl.

Trying to decide if I'll post a Nano teaser tomorrow. This is such rough stuff...

Nano Teaser

Just for giggles, here's a snippet of what I'm working on for NaNoWriMo. We'll call it Project Nano 2. (Or, if you'd rather, Night of Fire and Ash)

~*!*~

We were dismissed to go about our duties, but Amir lagged behind, his dark eyes troubled. “What’s up, kid?”

He looked surprised, like he hadn’t even realized I was still standing there. “Nothing. Just…thinking about the anniversary.”

I nodded. Most of us remembered very well where we were, ten years ago. “You were what…twelve?”

“Thirteen.” I could see the shiver crawl across his shoulders. “They burned our neighbor’s house down. Thought it was ours. She was old, like in her eighties. She didn’t make it out.”

Yeah. Purity Night – called the Night of Fire and Ash by most of the Otherkind I knew – had resulted in more human deaths than Otherkind. Some nights, laying alone in my apartment, I could still smell the smoke. Funny how that smoke smelled different than any fire I had scented before or since. Almost like you could smell the very hate burning.

“How old were you, Fiddler?”

“Seventeen.” I could remember the feeling of the dew on my bare feet as I slipped out the back door, the red glow of houses burning three blocks over. To my adolescent mind, I thought if I could just get out of the house, they would leave my family alone… It was only when I heard the glass breaking, my sister screaming, that I turned back.

“Did anyone in your family get hurt?”

Men died, that night. Their flesh turned black, the fat boiling from within. The masks that were supposed to hide their faces melted into their skin instead. The smoke curled out of their mouths, their noses, choking to death on the very air that should have saved them. “My sister got cut with some flying glass. They shattered her bedroom window, thinking it was mine.” I was never charged. The deaths were ruled accidental, the arsonists caught in their own accelerants.

“Do you think it could happen again? I mean, Franklin Pitt. He’s out of jail now.”

I tasted char at the back of my throat and swallowed it down. The back of my t-shirt fluttered as the air heated just above my skin, the ifreet in me rousing at the sound of the most hated name in the world. “Anything’s possible, kid.” Franklin Pitt would be speaking at the summit, too. I only hoped I could stand next to him, look into his hate-filled eyes, and not incinerate him where he stood. The ifreet would find no guilt in that. The human…might.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

Today is November 1st folks, and do you know what that means? It's the start of NaNoWriMo!

Ok, yes, I swore I wasn't going to do it, but you all know I have no will power. I think taking a short break from Book 2 will be good for me, and if I can get 50K words in one month for NaNo, then surely I can get 30K words done in December to finish Book 2 on my self imposed deadline.

So, charge ahead pantsers! Plot forward, outliners! Go forth and conquer! Because...

THIS! IS! NANO!

Somebody Stop Me!

For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo approaches. You may recall that last year, my first as a Nanoist, I was triumphant in writing 50K words in just 30 short days. This served as a bit of an ego boost for me, proving that I could indeed write quickly when I needed to.

However, this year, I am currently working on Book 2 (reached the halfway point, storyline-wise. Yay!) and I know that I should continue that instead of starting a new project for NaNo.

I know this.

Really I do.

But...I waaaaaaannna!

Part of it is just that I need a break from DD's world. I have promised myself that, so long as I finish the first draft of Book 2 by Christmas, I can spend the first few months of the year working on a new project. Unfortunately for me, I am of the generation who wants instant gratification. Christmas is a long way off, people!

In an attempt to appease myself, I've spent the last couple of days working on some world building for this new project. Toyed with plot points, done some research. Checked on my NaNo account... What? It's just so I can watch how my friends are doing when THEY do it this year.

It remains to be seen if my urge to NaNo will overtake my good sense. I suspect that I won't have an acceptable (to me) outline in time to start, which will probably be a good thing. And when I have Book 2 done by Christmas, I will have a bright and shiny new toy waiting for me to start at the new year.

Probably.

In totally unrelated news, I have gone against very sensible advice and decided to read The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I'm almost done with it, even as I'm taking a break to write this blog post. (taking a break, 'cause the heebie jeebies are getting to me) Kat, you were most likely right, and so any nightmares I have are my own fault. But honestly, this zombie phobia is a ridiculous thing, and I need to find a way to work through it.

This book is not the way, however. *shudder*

The Year in Review

Wow, where to start. 2008 was a strange ride.

It started with the Great Flood, repercussions of which are still trickling down my driveway and freezing solid. (I busted both knees on Christmas Eve, and they're still a lovely shade of purple)

I sent out my first query letter, got my first partial request, and my first partial rejection, all within four days. An auspicious beginning, to be sure. I wrote two books (if you count the NaNo project which is one chapter from completion). I revised Project 2 umpteen billion times. I got an agent.

Kiddo started school, and karate classes. She lost her first tooth at Thanksgiving, and proved that she'd rather wear red velvet dresses than ripped up blue jeans. (Are we sure this is my child?)

Hubby spent about two months this summer without gainful employment, which seriously tapped our resources. He also proved that he DOES know the meaning of budget, and cutting spending.

We got Gita to move within spitting distance, resulting in the most social activity for me possibly EVER. Chie visited, with spectacular results.

The year ended with a bang, literally, and our chimney in our front yard. But insurance is paying for it, and we've discovered that our neighbors might be decent people after all, even if we have no idea who they are after six years.

My writing hopes for 2009:
*Revise Project NaNo. Revise Project 3. Get both out to beta readers, and into some semblance of presentable shape.
*If I have time after that, I want to outline Son of Project 2, and get the sequel underway.
*I hope The Agent sells Project 2, with or without any siblings attached. I hope he likes the other projects, when I send them to him.

Thanks to all of you who stick with me from day to neurotic day. Let's see where the next year takes us.

Bouncy bouncy!

Ok, Project 2 revisions are officially done, typed up, and sent back to The Agent. I'm pleased with them, especially since it added another thousand words to the total. (I'm up over 78K now, a very respectable book size)

Sorry for the blog silence. December's always a rough one for me, between shopping, and the Real Job (tm) being more chaotic, and...bleh. I saw a Santa hat at the store the other day that had "Bah Humbug!" embroidered on it, and I thought, "Hey, that's my hat!"

Now that I'm done with Project 2 for the time being, I am going to try and finish the Project Formerly Known as NaNo. I'm only a chapter and a half away from the end, and I know Chie is just champing at the bit for me to finish it. Then, my plan is to revise it, send it out to a larger group of beta readers, and revise Project 3 while they're reading that one. If I don't watch it, I'm going to have two more completed and polished novels.

Right now, I have to get kiddo and I dressed, so we can head out into the madhouse that is Wal-Mart on a pre-Christmas Saturday. I know, not a brilliant move, but there are a couple more presents I still have to get. Wish me luck!

Bad bad bad...

Ok, I admit it, I've been bad this week. I haven't really touched my project 2 revisions at all, and I'm really kinda kicking myself over it.

I DID have a really good conversation with Chie about them, and I think she helped me hash out some of my stuck places, but I still haven't picked the book up to implement them yet.

I'm just so...ugh. Project 2 is still a good story. I realize this every time I pick it up and read some of it. And the revisions I'm making are going to make it even better. But still, the thought of picking it up yet again is just...ugh.

I need to just push through them and get them back to The Agent. Then I can settle in and finish the Project Formerly Known as Nano, and begin revisions on it and Project 3.

And somewhere in this, I have to finish Christmas shopping. I solved the problem of when to put the tree up by simply leaving it up since last year. (yes, my Christmas tree has been up ALL year. No, it is not a real tree. Yes, I will be taking it down after this Christmas. The novelty has worn off)

Ever just feel like you keep putting one foot in front of the other, 'cause if you don't, you'll fall flat on your face?

Sluggish Tales of the Sluggish Slug

Ok, I have been working on my revisions. I swear I have. But since I'm working in hard copy (much harder to hide from prying eyes than a window on a computer screen) I'm limited to my lunch break. And one hour goes by so fast!

I'm happy with what I've done so far. It's amazing what a difference one sentence changed or added can make to an entire novel.

So, my goal is to wear my pajamas all day tomorrow, settle in, and get the rest of these things hashed out. I'd really like to have these back to The Agent as soon as possible.

Sadly, The Project Formerly Known As Nano is languishing in an unfinished state. Only a chapter and a half left to go, and it's just sitting there. It'll have to wait until I'm done with Project 2 again. On the upside, I have had a few great ideas for things to add to the world I've built, and today I even got a really great idea for book two in that series (y'know, 'cause there's always a series). So, I journey on.

I have also succumbed to peer pressure and joined Facebook. What is the world coming to?

Also adding some Halloween pics of kiddo, late but better than never. I have to say, the fanged one is kinda scary.

Cool stuff from Cool people

Today, a friend from the Absolute Write boards linked to this blog on her blog. That's just unspeakably cool, for starters. I'm unbelievably stunned that she even knew about my blog. (which is dumb on my part, since I link to it in my sig on that site)

But not only did she have links to my blog (and LOTS of cool others, check them all out seriously), but the post itself was pretty awesome.

I intend, in the near future to do a "what did NaNo teach me" post. I also intend to write a couple short stories for my WoW friends, finish The Project Formerly Known as NaNo, edit said project as well as project 3, AND finish this round of revisions on Project 2. (project 2 gets priority)

I promise, meaningful blogging is to come! Sometime...

Happy Birthday to Me!

And to celebrate my birthday, I finished NaNoWriMo! Yay! (envision me waving my arms around like a muppet here)

I also went and saw Twilight, though I shall keep my opinions to myself, 'cause it seems like no matter what I say, someone is more than willing to cut me down because of it. So there. Nyah.

And here is my little digital bit of self-worth:


I need a freakin' break.

I haz notes!

And it just proves that no matter how often I have things critiqued and ripped to shreds, and nitpicked into oblivion, there is still this initial gut reaction that wants to stomp out of the room and throw a hissy fit.

So, I will sit and let these notes process through my increasingly mushy brain. Some of the things I can already see are "tweaky" and easily accomplished. Some are simply things that need further clarification in text. And some... I don't know. I suppose I'm always within my rights to say no. But before that, I think there will need to be multiple back and forths with The Agent to hash out some points I'm leery on altering.

In the meantime, I shall NaNo on. It is possible that I will not only hit the 50K, but that I will soldier on and finish the entire novel within the month. This amazes me no end. And I have to wonder, have I always been capable of this output rate, or is it the fact that I had a REALLY good outline before I even started.

(my vote is for the outline)

Needless to say, all future projects will be outlined this way. This has gone SO smoothly.

Friday

Well, here we are, and still no notes. A bit of a let down really, but at least I have no reason to feel guilty about continuing to work on my NaNo project. I mean, what else am I going to do?

Pounded out 3,222 words today. I think my hands are going to go on strike. The lucky thing is that it puts me about a day and a half ahead of NaNo schedule, so I could take a break this weekend if I have to.

Other than this, not much to report.

Back to the grind!

Well, I heard from The Agent today, and he hopes to have editorial notes to me by tomorrow afternoon. Guess that means playtime is over! I'm anxious to see what he's got to say, mostly because I'm dying to know if my revisions matched what he had pictured in his head when he suggested them. Then again, I'm also terrified that he's going to say "Nope, that was all wrong, start over!"

I managed to catch up with NaNo today. Not sure what the new revision notes are going to mean for my progress there. Since next week is pretty much a wash due to holidays and birthdays, I'm wondering if I can get away with finishing NaNo before I go back to Project 2. (well, yes I can, but the question is how guilty will I feel doing so?)

Even if I had to stop working on the NaNo project immediately, I'm still extremely pleased with myself and what I've accomplished. I don't know that I want to work at this pace ALL the time, but it's nice to know that I can if I have to.

Hi, I'm a WoW addict.

This is the part where you all say "Hi, WoW addict!"

Seriously, I did nothing this weekend but crack out with the new expansion pack for hours at a time. And I realized, when I ended the weekend feeling rather refreshed and not dreading the coming week, that it had been a long time since I just did something mindless and fun.

Sure, I didn't get any writing done, so I'm technically behind on my NaNo count (less than a full day behind after today's efforts, though). But you know what? Sometimes, you just gotta breathe.

Got to see the Donder, her hubby, and her offspring this weekend. That was awesome. I have a feeling that it's a good thing they live so far away, or her hubby and my hubby would get into trouble together.

Also got to see the Mel and go out to dinner on Saturday with her. We definitely don't see her enough. And she's going to be moving even farther away! Where's the logic there?

Ah well, I guess this is what happens when everyone grows up and gets real jobs.

And at least I'm back to writing today. Pounded out 2,571 and finished up Chapter 9. I'm still pretty stoked about my progress, and even happier that I can already see where I need to revise and make better. I guess my greatest fear is writing something that I know is too short, but that I can't see any way to improve/lengthen it.

Off to fix dinner!

The Plague! (we haz it)

So, kiddo has strep throat, and I have a severe sinus infection. Auggy has voted to quarantine Missouri. (I think it's a bit late for that)

I did manage to get my NaNo quota in for the day before I bugged out of work for the doctor's appointment. I got nothing accomplished yesterday, however (well, ok, 300-ish words, but that's almost like nothing) so my lead has dwindled drastically. I'm still on track, but I've lost my cushion, so this weekend I'll have to really keep my butt in chair.

Last weekend, I got to see the HBO series True Blood for the first time. I didn't realize they were based off of novels until I watched the credits, so of course I went in search. And I realized, once I found said novels, why I'd never read them. The original covers looked stooooopid. Take note, marketing people! Covers matter! Kat agrees with me, and said she never picked them up for the same reason. I'm now waiting to get the first one from the library, so we'll see if I like them. Shame on me for judging a book by its cover! Shame I say!

I think I'm going to take a short nap before I have to pick kiddo up from daycare. ('cause honestly, I feel like I've been kicked in the face with a golf cleat) Hopefully, the drugs will alleviate this killer headache by tomorrow morning. Let's hear it for better living through chemistry!

Oh, and one more thing, shamelessly stolen from Jen. (not to be confused with Jenn. Keep up, people!) I think this is also for Auggy.

Hi, lurkers!

I love it when people I don't know comment on my blog! (and it's even better when they're nice people!) Makes me feel like I do exist, instead of being a figment of my friends' collective imagination. (we did have an imaginary friend in college. Hi Donder! It's a long story)

I shot past 20k total on the NaNo project today. I'm kind of in a daze, really. I have NEVER written anything this fast. And sure, it's not perfect, but dang...it's really whizzing by! I'm starting to wonder if I can get the entire thing finished in the month, instead of just the 50K I was planning on.

I have just enough that I can justify NOT writing this weekend if I have to. (read: if real life interferes) On the other hand, if I do get to write, I'm just going to pad my lead. Which isn't a bad idea considering the four-day weekend that is Thanksgiving + my birthday this year.

Happy weekend, folks! Get to writing!

Week One

Ok, so week one of NaNo isn't actually over 'til midnight tomorrow, but humor me.

I have been managing to keep to at least the 1,667 words a day, and so far at least a hundred words beyond that each day. This is good! I'm hoping to be enough ahead that slacking this weekend won't cost me too much. (real life is intruding this weekend with kiddo's karate tournament and some friend type visits)

Outlining this so extensively has been the key so far. The plot is coming together nicely. I have realized, though, that in the speed of getting the plot down, I've been sacrificing character development. Something to work on in revisions.

Talked to The Agent today. His assistant has finished reading my revised Project 2, and he'll be taking a gander at it himself shortly. So another couple weeks before I get official opinions/notes on it.

Just means more NaNo time for me! Whee!