Wonder of wonders I actually managed to carve out about 45 minutes for revisions over lunch today. If I'm writing fresh I can usually do about 800 words in that time. Revising, I had a net gain of about 350 words and advanced 8 pages. However, my chapter six is now my chapter 2 (and chapters 1-4 have vanished completely. When I start in the wrong place I really start in the wrong place.)
Thanks to stephanieburgis I came across a post on Terri Wyndling's blog about Creative Burn Out - something I could relate to as the past 6 weeks of day-jobbery have been unbelievably busy and really the slow down isn't likely to happen until the last week of November. We will strive to write and revise despite that, but if there aren't enough lunchbreaks (or lunchbreaks long enough) to acheive that during the week then it may have to be the weekends that bear the brunt of any creativity my tired brain can dredge up. (I think I also need to cut back on the coffee and up my intake of water and fruit juice instead.)
In other news, I have been sleeping well due to my autumn-cleaning tasks on Saturday which involved the washing and putting away of the summer curtains and the putting up of the winter curtains. (Velvet - Mormor picked them up from a charity shop for next to nothing.) They're lined so going to bed is very much like hibernating in a cave because even the street light can't get through, hard as its little orange glow may try. Of course, the downside is that when the alarm goes off at 06:00hrs it's still like being in a cave and no-one wants to get up. Early mornings are traumatic in our household. The beasts don't like late nights either and start pestering for the entire household to go to bed at 22:00hrs thank you, very much.
In other, other news, a screech owl has decided that now is the perfect time to fly around. Screeching. The last time we went out in the evening, about 20:30hrs, we actually got buzzed by it. The beasts ducked and so did I but I think that if I'd stayed upright I could have reached up and touched it, it was that close. Fantastic. And on the positive side at least it didn't screech whilst doing the fly-by. I think the beasts would have legged it if it had.
(Cross-posted from LiveJournal)
Showing posts with label Update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Update. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
August 18th 2011
Last week was pretty hectic brain wise with an intensive summer school that was brilliant but mentally exhausting. By the time we'd got home and frisbeed the collies we were too cream crackered to do more than a token effort at making tea and going to bed. Next time I'll follow it up with another week off to absorb/ recuperate from the high gear brain power!
Still going through the YA UF and marking up areas for excision/ insertion/ tweaking and I'm currently still on target for an end of the month finish for draft 2 all things being equal. I want to get the second draft done before the new term starts. The way my calendar's looking I'm going to have to book slots in to get some writing done, and perhaps that's not a bad thing, marking it out officially like that.
Still going through the YA UF and marking up areas for excision/ insertion/ tweaking and I'm currently still on target for an end of the month finish for draft 2 all things being equal. I want to get the second draft done before the new term starts. The way my calendar's looking I'm going to have to book slots in to get some writing done, and perhaps that's not a bad thing, marking it out officially like that.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Plotboarding - phase 1 complete
Plotboarding is done - or at least the post-it note writing phase. All twenty-seven chapters of the (still) unnamed YA UF have at least one post-it attached so all that remains of this phase is to stick them to the board when I get home.
The downside is that there are a number of chapters where there is only one post-it; luckily, the main character's colour but still, it may be too many solos and I'll have to add some more plot points. Having this done (finally, truly done) by September is beginning to look like a pipe dream, but it really *has* to be done by then because from mid-September to the end of October is the glory of induction and if I've got time for a cup of tea I'll be doing really well. (Sleep is optional.)
For information on plotboarding technique check out Diana Peterfreund's blog - there's a link in the sidebar to a description/ images.
The downside is that there are a number of chapters where there is only one post-it; luckily, the main character's colour but still, it may be too many solos and I'll have to add some more plot points. Having this done (finally, truly done) by September is beginning to look like a pipe dream, but it really *has* to be done by then because from mid-September to the end of October is the glory of induction and if I've got time for a cup of tea I'll be doing really well. (Sleep is optional.)
For information on plotboarding technique check out Diana Peterfreund's blog - there's a link in the sidebar to a description/ images.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
[metrics]| Just keep swimming...
I managed a few more words yesterday to bring the count up to 81,330 which isn't bad. I'm hoping to be able to spend a bigger chunk of time on it at the weekend after I've taken Mama Bear to the vets for her blood test to see how her thyroid pills are working/ not working. Certainly, the smells-of-hay misxture we've been adding to her food for her joints seems to be doing the job, so here's hoping that the thyroid tablets are too.
Things accomplished in fiction: We managed to use magic to heal a plant instead of turning it into a triffid - but the confidence that brought this about is going to cause trouble further down the line. Cheeky young not-yet-werewolves are cheeky.
Things accomplished in real life: day job work, read Trent Jamieson's Death Most Definite - {loved it. Great characters - Steven de Selby is quite a funny chap and he's a psychopomp. What a fantastic word. Psych-O-Pomp. You can really get your lips round it. Anyway, had to finish it before I went to bed last night because I had to find out what happened which means I'll definitely be going for book two when it comes out in 2011.} Also, did baked potatoes for tea with Colliers strong cheddar, Genoan ham, lime pickle (for me and chum #1) and brinjal aubergine pickle (that was just for me) and we rounded it off with strawberries and marscapone for dessert - YUM!
Rural Fantasy Progress
Things accomplished in fiction: We managed to use magic to heal a plant instead of turning it into a triffid - but the confidence that brought this about is going to cause trouble further down the line. Cheeky young not-yet-werewolves are cheeky.
Things accomplished in real life: day job work, read Trent Jamieson's Death Most Definite - {loved it. Great characters - Steven de Selby is quite a funny chap and he's a psychopomp. What a fantastic word. Psych-O-Pomp. You can really get your lips round it. Anyway, had to finish it before I went to bed last night because I had to find out what happened which means I'll definitely be going for book two when it comes out in 2011.} Also, did baked potatoes for tea with Colliers strong cheddar, Genoan ham, lime pickle (for me and chum #1) and brinjal aubergine pickle (that was just for me) and we rounded it off with strawberries and marscapone for dessert - YUM!
Rural Fantasy Progress
81330 / 100000 (81.33%)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Revisions | Slice 'n' dice
Yesterday was fairly successful on the revision front as I managed to get through 21 pages on various breaks throughout the day - I didn't get home until late so I didn't do any more then. The last few pages (about 4, I think) I'll do today and then there'll be a final read-through before sending off. Then it's: tweaking Earth and sending it back out; a non-fiction article; and then--finally--back to the UF and the dreaded read through of the 235 (MS format) pages I've written so far.
However, while lying in bed trying to get to sleep last night, I realised something about my main character which would (a) excise two characters and a fair amount of words and (b) increase tension a bit more as there really won't be anyone to rely on. I decided not to depend on my brain to remember what I'd thought so I dutifully lurched out of bed, navigating round the cat and two of the dogs, who just drop wherever their energy runs out, and wrote myself a note. I love notes. And lists. Lists of lists. Lovely. ::hugs lists::
Ahem. Anyway. I'm on holiday in a week so I've booked in the UF kick off for then. I want the first, full, draft completed before the hell of induction etc. starts in mid-September, as for the first 4 weeks or so I'll be zombie librarian instead of incredibly alert and well-rested librarian.
Hmm. I need a zombie librarian avatar.
However, while lying in bed trying to get to sleep last night, I realised something about my main character which would (a) excise two characters and a fair amount of words and (b) increase tension a bit more as there really won't be anyone to rely on. I decided not to depend on my brain to remember what I'd thought so I dutifully lurched out of bed, navigating round the cat and two of the dogs, who just drop wherever their energy runs out, and wrote myself a note. I love notes. And lists. Lists of lists. Lovely. ::hugs lists::
Ahem. Anyway. I'm on holiday in a week so I've booked in the UF kick off for then. I want the first, full, draft completed before the hell of induction etc. starts in mid-September, as for the first 4 weeks or so I'll be zombie librarian instead of incredibly alert and well-rested librarian.
Hmm. I need a zombie librarian avatar.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
1st of December
Mood: Cheerful, but full of cold
On the iPod: The Death of Bardolph: Henry V - Simon Rattle
Temp: 18.9 deg C
December is here, the start of winter, and to get it off to a good start we had the first hard frost of the season this morning which meant that I froze my hands scraping the car windows.
It was dark when I set off to work but as the sun rose and turned the sky pink, the frosty ground looked gorgeous. I wish I'd stopped at the side of the road and taken a picture of it; it was glorious.
What wasn't glorious was the black ice that I'd forgotten would be on the rat-run to the motorway. Hairpin bends on a steep hill past farmers' fields where there's runoff onto the road. Luckily, because I usually forget not to go on that road in winter at least once a year, I've become accustomed to steering off ice. Also, there was no-one coming the other way which was a bonus. Unless it rains I'll be going the long way until March.
With it being December the first I have the joy of a carol service at work today (as in, I will be singing in it) which will be nice. Rehearsal at lunchtime and then the service at 17:00hrs GMT. Hopefully we'll be singing all the jolly carols rather than weepy ones. Normally I miss the service because it's always on a Tuesday and I work 'til 21:00hrs then, but this year I swapped, so we shall see how it goes.
NaNo Update: did I win? No. Did I progress? Yes, absolutely. I've added two characters I hadn't planned on in the initial outline and I think I've managed to push them into the shadows a bit for this story. They're there, but they won't elbow their way to the front as they were starting to for a minute. Hakon and Snorri will just have to wait for a different story to take their spot in the limelight.
Current word count: 71,871
Chapter: Midway through chapter 19
On the iPod: The Death of Bardolph: Henry V - Simon Rattle
Temp: 18.9 deg C
December is here, the start of winter, and to get it off to a good start we had the first hard frost of the season this morning which meant that I froze my hands scraping the car windows.
It was dark when I set off to work but as the sun rose and turned the sky pink, the frosty ground looked gorgeous. I wish I'd stopped at the side of the road and taken a picture of it; it was glorious.
What wasn't glorious was the black ice that I'd forgotten would be on the rat-run to the motorway. Hairpin bends on a steep hill past farmers' fields where there's runoff onto the road. Luckily, because I usually forget not to go on that road in winter at least once a year, I've become accustomed to steering off ice. Also, there was no-one coming the other way which was a bonus. Unless it rains I'll be going the long way until March.
With it being December the first I have the joy of a carol service at work today (as in, I will be singing in it) which will be nice. Rehearsal at lunchtime and then the service at 17:00hrs GMT. Hopefully we'll be singing all the jolly carols rather than weepy ones. Normally I miss the service because it's always on a Tuesday and I work 'til 21:00hrs then, but this year I swapped, so we shall see how it goes.
NaNo Update: did I win? No. Did I progress? Yes, absolutely. I've added two characters I hadn't planned on in the initial outline and I think I've managed to push them into the shadows a bit for this story. They're there, but they won't elbow their way to the front as they were starting to for a minute. Hakon and Snorri will just have to wait for a different story to take their spot in the limelight.
Current word count: 71,871
Chapter: Midway through chapter 19
Monday, July 20, 2009
Jollification over. Reporting for duty.
Mood: Tired
Where: Orthanc
Holiday over - back to the grindstone. (The updating of publications...oh, the glamour)
I had a nice relaxing time off; read a lot, wrote a bit, went and saw Harry Potter (not bad, but it lacked the zoom zoom pace of Order of the Phoenix - bit of a filler, I think.)
Fiona Glass has been doing posts on people's desks up on her blog. Mine went up on Friday and you can take a look at it here.
meta_writer are starting a new series of Back to Basics (of writing) posts today, and these will run until the 28th of July, so go along and check them out/ comment.
The as yet untitled YA urban fantasy is jogging along (although, as ever, it's started in the wrong place, but that's what revisions are for, eh?)
I'm aiming for a first draft finish date of 7th October. We shall see.
Where: Orthanc
Holiday over - back to the grindstone. (The updating of publications...oh, the glamour)
I had a nice relaxing time off; read a lot, wrote a bit, went and saw Harry Potter (not bad, but it lacked the zoom zoom pace of Order of the Phoenix - bit of a filler, I think.)
Fiona Glass has been doing posts on people's desks up on her blog. Mine went up on Friday and you can take a look at it here.
meta_writer are starting a new series of Back to Basics (of writing) posts today, and these will run until the 28th of July, so go along and check them out/ comment.
The as yet untitled YA urban fantasy is jogging along (although, as ever, it's started in the wrong place, but that's what revisions are for, eh?)
I'm aiming for a first draft finish date of 7th October. We shall see.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
The listing of to do...
Listening to: I Caught Myself - Paramore
Mood: Tired bunny.
My two presentations went well last week. They were preceded by a colleague who did a very interactive, upbeat session - nonetheless, no-one was bored to tears/ unconsciousness, nor was there a mad rush to the coffee afterwards (it was more of a dignified amble) so joy-joy feelings on that one!
My re-telling of Beauty & the Beast is standing at 3,668 words so far. I've been 'paused' for the last week or so for downtime. My brain needed a rest, so I fed it music for a while. (The soundtrack to Channel 4's dramatisation Shackleton is fantastic btw)
In progress
Beauty & the Beast (which will not be called that in the final version) - futuristic fairy tale -- 3,668 words and counting --
Model of Perfection - Georgian romance -- 17, 439 words and counting --
On the edits roster
Sokoll's Hawks - contemporary, military m/m -- 13,212 words at the first draft --
Wish Child - dark fantasy --9,316 words at the first draft--
Does Old Earth Dream of Green, Green Things? - futuristic -- 6,176 words at the first draft --
Three's Company - erotic romance -- 37,068 words at the second draft --
To edit or to write? That is the question.
Mood: Tired bunny.
My two presentations went well last week. They were preceded by a colleague who did a very interactive, upbeat session - nonetheless, no-one was bored to tears/ unconsciousness, nor was there a mad rush to the coffee afterwards (it was more of a dignified amble) so joy-joy feelings on that one!
My re-telling of Beauty & the Beast is standing at 3,668 words so far. I've been 'paused' for the last week or so for downtime. My brain needed a rest, so I fed it music for a while. (The soundtrack to Channel 4's dramatisation Shackleton is fantastic btw)
In progress
Beauty & the Beast (which will not be called that in the final version) - futuristic fairy tale -- 3,668 words and counting --
Model of Perfection - Georgian romance -- 17, 439 words and counting --
On the edits roster
Sokoll's Hawks - contemporary, military m/m -- 13,212 words at the first draft --
Wish Child - dark fantasy --9,316 words at the first draft--
Does Old Earth Dream of Green, Green Things? - futuristic -- 6,176 words at the first draft --
Three's Company - erotic romance -- 37,068 words at the second draft --
To edit or to write? That is the question.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Back to work...
Well, my brief holiday is over and it's back to work - and the preparation for a presentation I have to give at a staff conference next Thursday & Friday (the 4th & 5th of June). I was volunteered for this, so it should be interesting as I have to do a 20 minute session on effective Google searching (aka Improving Your Google-fu) using interactive voting pads. *cough* I know what I'll be doing for the next little while, then. ::grrr::
Apart from that, the sun is trying to shine through the cloud cover; my vitamin D euphoria is wearing off slowly and I'm working until 21:00hrs on my first day back. Typical.
Beauty and the Beast retelling is going well; I'll do more on that later - see if I can get it up to 8k. (considering where I am in the tale at 3.6k, it's going to be over 10k by the time I'm done
Mood: Hyper
Music: Never Think - Rob Pattinson
Apart from that, the sun is trying to shine through the cloud cover; my vitamin D euphoria is wearing off slowly and I'm working until 21:00hrs on my first day back. Typical.
Beauty and the Beast retelling is going well; I'll do more on that later - see if I can get it up to 8k. (considering where I am in the tale at 3.6k, it's going to be over 10k by the time I'm done
Mood: Hyper
Music: Never Think - Rob Pattinson
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sunny Sunday
Well, I've just had a gloriously sunny day which has more than made up for the grim hanging disease I've had over the Easter break. The cough is still with me, but at least I can go out in public without twenty boxes of tissues to back me up.
The spa was great. I had reflexology in the morning which was incredibly relaxing - I could've gone to sleep quite happily - and then went and did all of the water treatments & had a swim after lunch (after a decent interval, naturally).
The day after that I went down to Bath and had a lovely time wandering around and getting some pictures of the streets and houses. I also had a gorgeous, cinnamon butter Sally Lunn bun on one day, and a Lady's Tea on another - very nice.
Came home and spent a few days in bed with the chest infection, but got out and about in the last couple of days. Yesterday, I got a load of veg plants to go in the garden / allotment and today I weeded one of the beds and planted some peas, while a mate dug another bit over. There will be be fresh veg throughout the summer! Also, there will be fresh eggs as the chap with the patch next to me has chickens who are good layers and he has more eggs than he knows what to do with!Back to work tomorrow, and there will be a lot to do, so it will be busy, busy, busy but I'm hoping to get the second draft of Wish Child done as it does need tidying up, but at least the core is there.
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter break (of whatever duration it may have been) and that Spring has finally sprung.
The spa was great. I had reflexology in the morning which was incredibly relaxing - I could've gone to sleep quite happily - and then went and did all of the water treatments & had a swim after lunch (after a decent interval, naturally).
The day after that I went down to Bath and had a lovely time wandering around and getting some pictures of the streets and houses. I also had a gorgeous, cinnamon butter Sally Lunn bun on one day, and a Lady's Tea on another - very nice.
Came home and spent a few days in bed with the chest infection, but got out and about in the last couple of days. Yesterday, I got a load of veg plants to go in the garden / allotment and today I weeded one of the beds and planted some peas, while a mate dug another bit over. There will be be fresh veg throughout the summer! Also, there will be fresh eggs as the chap with the patch next to me has chickens who are good layers and he has more eggs than he knows what to do with!Back to work tomorrow, and there will be a lot to do, so it will be busy, busy, busy but I'm hoping to get the second draft of Wish Child done as it does need tidying up, but at least the core is there.
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter break (of whatever duration it may have been) and that Spring has finally sprung.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Haven't fallen off the edge of the world
I'm quickly typing this after breakfast in the hotel and hopefully I'll have a chance to upload it when I get near the university's WiFi network. I am at a conference for the day jobbery (Monday through Wednesday) so there isn't all that much opportunity to get online - especially when the hotel charge £15 (c. US$21.30) per 24hrs for the Internet. I'll wait for the free WiFi, thanks. So if I haven't responded to any messages/ e-mail etc. I *will*, it's just at the moment I have extremely small pockets of time to get online so most things will have to wait until Thursday.
I still have a fairytale to write as well as finishing the last scene of Wish Child, but with any luck I'll be able to do that on the train home on Wednesday as it's more direct. (so I won't have to keep turning off the laptop to dive off the train!)
TTFN
I still have a fairytale to write as well as finishing the last scene of Wish Child, but with any luck I'll be able to do that on the train home on Wednesday as it's more direct. (so I won't have to keep turning off the laptop to dive off the train!)
TTFN
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Half the day gone and not a dish washed...
I did get stuff done today, even if it wasn't everything I wanted. The car's in the garage (the water pump is disintegrating) so I'm borrowing one of the garage's - a Peugeot 306, which is about 1/3 again bigger than mine. I will be driving very carefully to work on Monday.
The Allotments are paid for for another year (£50 this year - it's gone up £34 - which is a lot for a completely unmanaged, rural plot of land. Basically a small field.)
Stew has been made and is burbling away on the stove. I should have used a bigger pot, as I had to stop adding vegetables when I ran out of room. I'll wait until everything's settled down and add some leek.
The fire is lit (and didn't go out - it can go either way when I'm in charge of it) so the radiators should be heating up now. It was -1 degC at two o'clock - 2 hours ago - and it feels a damn sight colder now. Hot water bottles and socks tonight, I think. And China will probably stay curled up in the airing cupboard except for emergencies. Smart cat.
Right. Another cup of coffee, quick stir of the stew, and then more wordage - want to add an extra 2.5K today if I can.
Hope your day is warmer than mine!
The Allotments are paid for for another year (£50 this year - it's gone up £34 - which is a lot for a completely unmanaged, rural plot of land. Basically a small field.)
Stew has been made and is burbling away on the stove. I should have used a bigger pot, as I had to stop adding vegetables when I ran out of room. I'll wait until everything's settled down and add some leek.
The fire is lit (and didn't go out - it can go either way when I'm in charge of it) so the radiators should be heating up now. It was -1 degC at two o'clock - 2 hours ago - and it feels a damn sight colder now. Hot water bottles and socks tonight, I think. And China will probably stay curled up in the airing cupboard except for emergencies. Smart cat.
Right. Another cup of coffee, quick stir of the stew, and then more wordage - want to add an extra 2.5K today if I can.
Hope your day is warmer than mine!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)