Merry Christmas to you too, Mimi

Errk. I'm a few hours late, but here goes:

I've not written much in the last week--that's starting to sound like a tandem with me, isn't it? I'm blaming the holiday stress. Christmas went off without more than a couple blips, so overall it was a fun time.

And, an update: my new Destiny's Bond is at approximately 17,000 words. I'm liking it better than my previous version. The writing is tighter, my style more fleshed. I'm showing more than telling, the prose is no longer as clunky. I think I've grown into myself--or at least, my fingers are crossed that I've gotten better and am not just fooling myself. I mean, I almost feel liberated, starting completely over on Destiny's Bond. It's like I gave myself the opportunity to start the story with my writing skills more fleshed, rather than struggling to edit what couldn't be fixed.

By God, Destiny's story will be told, even if it takes me another five years to get it right!

How about you, Lucy, Noelle, Diana? How was your Christmas's? How are your writing goals coming along?

Amber, I just read Ursula Le Guin's Steering The Craft. I will shortly have some of her advice that may help you, that I feel is relevant to your storytelling. She also says things that I must think deeply about for mine. A small book, but a lot of very useful advice. 

Thanks, Mimi

Lord knows I can use all the help I can get in my journey of learning Craft!

A very late Merry Christmas to everyone!  We had a minor Christmas accident -_-  Everyone is alright but the car not so much.   So, once again we are down to one car.  Just wonderful.

We were planning on going to The French Laundry for my birthday in Jan but--have to put that on the back burner now.  I know, it seems like such first world problems--no TFL but....dang it...I was looking forward to that!  I'm also torn up about the stupid car.   I'm very VERY thankful my husband wasn't hurt worst than the bruises he got though.  It is what it is.  (I can whine a little right?)

In better news, we are gearing up for the New York trip and looking forward to freezing my backside off. Maybe I'll have some writing inspiration!    Also street food.  Yay!

I hope everyone had a better Christmas and that your New Year goes smooth as well!   

Arg, @Diana, that stinks

Glad everyone is okay (and yes, you can whine a little. I do it all the time here, lol)

I hope your birthday is better than your Christmas!

Oy...I don't even remember when I posted last.

First, (belated) Merry Christmas to everyone, and Happy New Year!!

I've been editing every morning since I've been at my mother-in-law's house in South Florida (we got here two days after Christmas). She likes to sleep in, and the kids get me up early, so I'm making a little habit of editing while I have my morning coffee. I also edited a little on the drive, but had to quit because the sun was giving me a headache. On a happy note, I'm very glad to have a laptop that holds a charge for *hours* rather than a single hour without being plugged in. I have to finish editing at least 15-20 pages a day to meet my goal, and I've been doing well with that.

@Diana - glad to hear everyone is okay! 

Noelle

@Amber and @Noelle – Thank you!  Things will get better, just a drag this time of year.

On an up note, we took the day and went to Oakland and took pictures. It was partly a 'let out and enjoy fresh air' but also a site-walk for my silly stories.  It was a beautiful day though so we did Oakland and up to Tiburon and back home.  Feeling so lucky to be in this area as we have so many amazing sites within a two hour drive (with Bay Area traffic.)

I will put some pictures up on my blog. I'm thinking of setting up a wet site for my adult stories because..well...I'm just not sure how I feel about the cross over with the 'normal' story.  Or is the better idea to keep them all together?  

Anyway, almost done with the next mini-story.  Hope to have it up next week so long as life drama stays low.

Happy New Year everyone!  Hope yours is going great!

-D-

The edits are finished, and I spent today writing a synopsis. Almost ready for the Golden Hearts!

How did you guys do this week?

Noelle

I've started chapter eight of Destiny's Bond, and am rewriting a scene in chapter five that didn't impact me as I wanted.

Other than that, I played Skyrim, PMed back and forth with my new writing buddies and . . . that's about it My week in a nutshell.

How about you, Lucy, Diana, Mimi? Get any writing done?

Doing my count down to my trip and trying to finish two stories following up with the Angel/Owl stories I did. (Still getting a 4.8 out of 5 -- woot)  I received some useful feedback on another site so I am feeling encouraged.  

I also had a request to write a story about another of the minor characters and as I dove-tail these stories with my Frankie story and it's really fun/challenging.  Which is scary.  (Have about 77k words between these two silly stories.)  My muse believes everyone in my story should have wings.....so, whatever.  WINGS!  Who's going to stop me?

There's a new contest at the end of the month so during my NY trip, I plan to focus on that on the 'work' days.  

Oh, and I'm trying to do more reading.  I was doing so good with my two books a month and then lost my focus. 

@Noelle -- What is Golden Hearts?

@Amber -- Way to go with re-writes.  That's my least favorite thing. 

@diana - thanks!

Whew. It's done. Submitted. Over. *collapses*

...now what do I work on? *scrolls through eleventy billion other first drafts and story ideas...*

I vote something for Valentines Day!

I am planning to drag my sweetie to see Deadpool....thinking I might write a super hero naughty story just for kicks and giggles.    

Okay so...write something much more romantic for Vday  

This week I have been really struggling with the blues with the loss of both David Bowie and Alan Rickman.  I slogged my way through somehow though.

I finished one of my Christmas/New-Year stories. Yes, it's late but it just got away from me.  Ended up being about 35k words.  I'm debating putting it up here...but I worry I'm putting up too much stuff. <.<

I love having one of my once-bad-guys as a good guy.  Of course, I tend to keep making my bad guys good guys.  I'm not sure who the real bad guys are now

How are folks doing this New Year?  Are we kicking it in the teeth or what?

I made it! There's only an hour or so left to Friday, but I made it!

Ummm, I finished a scene in Chapter Eight, and now have to go back and rewrite it a little bit. Annnd . . . that's about it.

It's slow going. Reaaaally slow going.

So, guess I'm not kicking the teeth into the new year, after all. Ahahaha . . .

Anyone have any type of inspirational message I can get a boost out of?

Lucy, Noelle, how has your week gone?

Amber

Hey y'all! 

After I submitted the story to the contest, I took a few days off writing. My goal this year is to add some more coloring books to my list (including one for musicians, with staff paper instead of a journal), so I've focused on artsy stuffs. I also just sat through a presentation about Kindle Worlds. It's interesting...and I have a friend who has a world available; she's been after me to write a story for it since they started. 

What do you guys think of Kindle Worlds? Know anything about it? Have any experience or know someone who does?

Noelle

It's FRIDAY!!!

I wrote a couple chapters this week. Destiny's Bond is sitting pretty at 26,000 words

Now I just have another 90,000 to 70,000 words to go, and I can start the serious edits again! *Sob*

I've got some short stories ideas flitting in my head, too. So I might start one this weekend and see how it goes. If the premise doesn't completely suck I'll try to finish it by next Thursday at the latest and have it uploaded to Book Country for review

How about everyone else? How'd your writing go this week?

Luuuuucy, you've disappeared again! Where aaaaaare yooooouuuu????

Hey Amber! 

Short stories are great ways to get a mental break from the other ones we work on. Let us know if you post it.

I'm plotting and characterizing my new story. Not sure how long it'll be, though I'm shooting for 40-50k. It's for Kindle Worlds (author-sanctioned fanfic), and it's about a female firefighter. I'm loving this character, and now I just have to figure out who her hero is going to be. I have a very basic sketch of him in my head, but I need to really get him before I can start writing more than a rough outline of the story.

Hope everyone else is doing well, and staying warm in the winter storm.

Noelle

NoellePierce wrote:

Woo...I have had a crazy week in New York.  Looks like we are getting snowed in tonight so our stay is a little longer.  Hubby's work family is so cool and they took good care of us.  

Did some writing too and submitted two stories but sadly the votes have been pitiful!   And the reviews are really mean.  I think it is fate's way of reminding me I really really need more work.  I have a long long long way to go.

I was going to write another with the same characters but now think I am failing with them and need something better.  Whatever that might be.  At what point do we actually get better as writers?  When will I get there? What is I don't have better in me?  Ugh.

I hope I get out of this funk soon.  

Stay warm and safe out there!

@Diana - so sorry to hear you're snowed in. Hope you get to go home soon, but I'm glad you have a place to stay. 

As far as writing. If reviews are mean, but you can get something out of them, then shrug off the mean bits and use what you can. Just remember that not everyone's advice is good for everyone else. Also, I don't know a single writer that didn't go through this stage. My daughter's Taekwondo studio has a picture in it that says: A black belt is just a white belt who didn't quit. (Anonymous source). Writing is the same way. Don't quit. We DO get better, much in the way that we grow as kids--it's slow and we don't notice it, but one day, BAM, our writing has improved. Just keep reading books on craft and working on stories. Who was it that said we needed to write a million words before we write any that are worth showing? I don't necessarily believe THAT, but it's an indicator that we all have a learning curve. 

I'm going to leave now before I ramble on another tangent. Stay warm!!

Noelle

This is mysterious, this comment. Mean reviews? I see nothing mean. (Is this on here, or somewhere else?) People are giving their honest assessment. Isn't that what we want? We all have our share of deflating remarks. Some are valid (from our point of view) and some not necessarily so. Take what you find value in and park the rest in a corner of your mind for future consideration. You may find more to appreciate at a later time. 

.

I am still second guessing myself over my responses (in terms of changes made/not made to my books) to reviews on versions long out of date, looking for the pearls I blithely dismissed one-two-three-four years back. I have every review saved on my desktop, in case they should disappear one day. The people here are sharp, and they are your fellow writers, in the trenches with you, trying to give their best advice. Mean has nothing to do with it. 

Noelle: thank you for the comment.  Your response helped a lot.  I feel better after a day at the museum and wine in the snow. LOL!  

Mimi; This is from another site. Book Country reviews are very kind.  

This feedback was very insulting.  And I keep telling myself that 1) it isn't personal or an attack and 2) builds thicker skin.  But sometimes verbage like: 'Don't  ever post again, you need to jump out a window'. ... Goes beyond 'you need more  work'

I am glad for this welcoming community but gotta deal with real world meanies.  Thick skin.  Trying to grow some.

Hubby also reminded me that I am doing this for my enjoyment too...not just to make others happy.  And...well...reviews don't always reflect reality...just look at restaurant reviews from critics....

So...thank you much.  I am back to make snow angels.    

Be warm and safe everyone!

When I was at Syracuse, I had a part-time job working in  the archives of manuscripts that had been bequeathed to the school. I had to file the material. As I sorted, I read bits. (Kind of like I do at my job now.) I recall handling a work by Louis Auchincloss. I was dismayed at how terrible I thought it was, a lesser work, and probably a very early draft, stuff that made me shake my head in wonderment, knowing his reputation. 

.

We all struggle, and we all grow. Ignore those comments. Keep writing.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:  I have to say this, I’m sorry. I have looked into your work and I now understand the ‘mean’ response you got on it. This is not serious writing, except for the one piece that includes genuine characterization and serious (looks so far, anyway) intention. I had thought that the term erotica meant fiction with some literary component, some attempt to integrate bold sex into a true story-telling format. You can write, I see it in the one piece on the boxer. As for the rest, you need to set your bar way higher. 

--edited by Mimi Speike on 1/25/2016, 8:28 AM--

Thank you so much, Diana!

It's FRIDAY!!!

Whooohooooooo!

*Gasp*

So, I've written about 1,000 words into my short story. I'm calling it 'The Gardener'. And no, it's not actually about gardeners. Or at least, not your typical gardener

I've also gotten maybe 500 words into chapter twelve of the new Destiny's Bond. So that's going good. I've written a nice sum this week, if I do say so myself. Hopefully I'm finding my stride again

What about everyone else?

Man, I just can't seem to get in here on a Friday anymore!

I've been writing slowly, and getting a lot of research done for this contemporary romance I'm writing for Kindle Worlds (the world originator is a dear friend and she's been after me to write a story in her world for ages. I finally have time to do it). These characters are wonderful. My heroine leapt off the page fully formed and bossy. Her hero is a little more reticent, but he's starting to come out of his shell. The things I'm going to do to them...funny for us, not so funny for them. They'll forgive me by the end, though.

Lucy!! *sniff* I know you'll still be on the site, but I'll miss seeing you at conferences. So glad you were able to make it to Atlanta last year. I'll definitely stay in touch. Muah!

Noelle

I know it's not Friday, but how have we all been doing?

I've been writing most days, but slowly...250-500 words for the day. I've also been working on some art pieces to help with the creativity flow.

What about you guys?

Ack! Didn't post last Friday, did I? -_-

I've been steadily wading my way through chapter twelve. It's being mean to me. Tonight, I'm just plain tired so I think I'll take a nap rather than write, unfortunately.

How about everyone else? Noelle, I'm sure the words will start flowing like a geyser for you soon!

Hey everyone!! 

I thought maybe I'd just not been getting notifications, but it looks like we all went MIA when Lucy changed jobs.

Well, it's not Friday, but I'll throw an update on here anyway. Writing has sucked. Royally. I've only got about 4k on the new project, and it's like pulling teeth with my bare hands. Part of the problem, I think, is that it's not my character (it's for Kindle Worlds, so another author's world/characters). Another is that I can't come up with a decent working title for it, and every cover image I attempt for it is just...blech. No inspiration at all. 

On a more positive note, I released my third adult coloring book, COLOR YOUR MUSIC: Coloring Pages for Musicians this month, with more in the works. I'm also learning how to do coding for websites, so I'll have an additional service to offer my design clients, 

How have you all been doing? Lots of writing being done? 

Noelle

Hi, Noelle

Yeah, things have gotten really quiet here and I haven't noticed much of anything from the new moderator. I think most everyone has disappeared to new pastures, sadly.

But I've missed you and it's nice to hear from someone I haven't heard from in a while

Writingwise, I've been doing pretty well. I've gotten almost 50,000 words of my rewrite done in Destiny's Bond, and life has been treating me okay, other than the stressful stuff that I'm used to.

Sucks that you haven't been getting much writing done, though. Sending hugs, Noelle!