Writer's Log

Today's ending word count: 23,662.

Hats off to all the writers who sit down and do the work! I've been pretty frustrated lately - my mind is grinding on the middle part of the story - I need to be visited by my muse. Each sentance I go for is like going to the well and pulling up a bucket of water and hoping the well isn't dry.

More tomorrow.

Writer's Log - Weekend Report

Current word count: 21,822. I'll keep writing tonight until I break 22,000.

Thanksfully I still have tomorrow for writing before the work week begins.

If I get stumped, I can work on:
- Blurb
- Cover Design
- Author Biography

I also gotta make some soap this weekend - one of my other creative activities. Wonder what scent I'll make. I think I need something snappy like Lavender Spearmint. Anything for clarity of thought and relaxation, right?

People Watching as Character Fodder

I've always enjoyed watching people. Whether you watch for behaviors, listen for conversation or speech patterns or ponder their choices on clothing/jewelry or hairstyles, you'll find that a nice stretch watching people in action (especially when they are in their own world) will have you thinking WHY? And then comes the inevitable hypothesis formation.

For example, there's this guy I've seen who has worn jean shorts over his jeans. Day one, I wondered, maybe he has a hole in his jeans? (But then why wear them over his jeans...) Is his behind cold? Is he biking and this keeps his pants from riding up? Is he too hot and is wearing them so he has them in case he needs to take off his jeans? Again...why on the outside?

Day 2...Same routine, different pair of clothes...but jean shorts on top of jeans, again. I am completely puzzled and I want an answer!

Any theories why someone would do this?!

Current word count: 20,336. Supposed to have a "Girls Day" today. But I'll see where I can get to and resume tomorrow. Lots of rain this weekend, so writing and staying in doors fits the bill.

Writer's Log - Back on Track

I've hit my stride again and the momentum is gaining. I'm at 20,108 words after finally starting in again last night after a slump.

Part of it is, I have a hard time getting in the zone with outside emotional distractions. As soon as I'm worried about a friend or family member, I have a hard time shrugging it off and mentally I shut down. I'm nearly ready to quit answering my phone on weekends because it seems like it's never good and even if it was, any time on the phone is time not writing. I need a writer's cave with sound proof walls.

One thing that motivated me last weekend? Watching Hearts in Atlantis. I'd never seen it before and really enjoyed it. Stephen King is a phenominal writer and watching his books come alive on screen is always a delight. (Although I will never watch The Green Mile ever again. I cried too hard.)

What, or who, movitivates or inspires you?

Writer's Log Entry

Up to 17,676. Slow day writing....got lots of other things done. Horse fence, fencer...etc. *sigh* Time to read Pumped for Murder by Elaine Viets while under the covers.

Maybe tomorrow I'll skip ahead to a scene in my head to shake things up...and then go back and write the middle to join up with that? Who knows.

Making the Leap to Dreaming

Ever since I was a child I had dreamed of being one of three things...an artist, a lawyer or a writer. I think the lawyer bit came in because I was sick of things being UNFAIR when I was a kid. As an adult, my mind is always hovering between why and why not...I'm a Libra, so I really fit my horoscope for this. I also enjoyed problem solving. And I was a horrific perfectionist. I've tempered that a bit. But as a child....I was plain scary. Everything had to be perfect...which is probably why being an "artist" got squeezed out of me - I was never courageous enough to take that big leap and not be self-aware. I made a better crafter, making things that had purpose that were beautiful (soap, ceramics, cooking).

But as I grew, and grew up, into the adult I am today I had lost that hold on believing in a dream. I had plenty of goals. But a dream? I had let go of that long ago - so long ago I'm not sure when (although I have my sneaking suspicions but even I don't like to go there). And so when a coworker left work to pursue her dream, I suddenly found myself bubbling with envy. I was so happy and excited for her. But it made me realize: What was my dream? Was I going to work the rest of my life in the career I have with a job I do enjoy...but hate the politics, the being at the mercy of budget cuts, the routine. Hmm. It was at that time that Jon Konrath and Amanda Hocking's success with epublishing came to my attention.

And while I have no expectation of getting to that level, I can dream of being a writer again. Being a writer is so much more than just the story. It's about it fitting with who I am. I am free when I am writing just for me in that moment. And later, yes, I dream of success. But I also think of my novel, plotting and characters. Endless possibilities created through my hard work and imagination now feels possible again.

Oddly, what I have noticed....is that I am dreaming while I sleep again. Amazing, bizarre, frantic, wonderful dreams. And that is so exciting because for a long times it has just been anxiety dreams of work or white noise.

I'm Blaming the Weather on my Slow Writing this Weekend

It's 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning and I am only at 15,066 words. Remember, my goal was to get to 20,000 by the end of the weekend. So I guess I could still make it. But I might not. This cold weather in Minnesota has been the absolute pits. The lack of sunshine and warm air seems to have me in a bit of a funk. Partly because I end up sleeping in too long because it's never bright enough to feel like the sun has risen. Well, here's to May Day and the hope of sunshine.

Hmm. 1:55 p.m. and I'm up to 16,833 words. Not bad.

It's so crazy, but I am constantly inspired by other writes at the Writer's Cafe on Kindleboards. It's posts like this that make my eyes practically roll back in my head. All these writers are sharing their stats for the month of April sales. Wow!

Few more words added...at 17,003.

Weekend Writing Blast!

Well, at least I hope I'll be able to blast out some writing this weekend. I started slow this morning. I started at around 11,700 words and am at 12,244 right this moment. Oddly enough, the cold and dark weather just makes me want to nap. Oh, right. That isn't odd. Especially since I love naps but don't indulge in them since I always seem to go into a nap coma. (You know, you attempt a cat nap and wake up 2 and a half hours later with a head full of cotton feeling like you have a hangover?) But, anyway, back to the writing.

I've really enjoyed a romance blog I just discovered this morning:
Heroes and Heartbreakers

Okay, back to work.

Alright, after a movie (Due Date), short nap, supper, baking some awesome blondies from "Fat Witch Brownies" book, conversation on phone with mother, it's now 9:10 p.m. and my word count for the end of the day is 14,093.

Lazy Sunday Takes Hold

Today I ended writing at 11,566 words total. I hope to get a lot of grist for the writer's mill this week as I drive to work. I even took a day off this week so I could dedicate a whole day extra day to writing in hopes of progress.

Hippety-hopping on my way...

A new post by JA Konrath on his Publishing for Newbies blog today (see list on right) was inspiring as always.

Procrastination...Thy Name is Cooking

Today I am finally sitting down to write (right after I post this) at a little after 4:30 p.m. I've spent the day watching movies (Ip Man 2 and Tangled), napping, cooking (Cheesy Veggie Soup) and baking (yellow cake with sourcream and honey frosting). Although I came by the napping honestly - my allergies have been the pits and I was desperate for an allergy medicine and could only find the Sudaphed stuff that puts me to sleep. Oh, well.

Current word count is 9,711. By adding content to the beginning of my story I can see that I'll have quite a bit of editing to work the transition in. But it'll be worth it.

Alright, I've got the music on and a glass of 7UP in my vintage Muppets glass from MacDonalds. Nose to the grindstone! Oh...and I just joined the KindleBoards as I've really been enjoying reading posts from the WritersCafe section.

Ack. It's 8:22 p.m. and I'm pooped. Final word count of the day is 11,087.

Going Backwards to Go Forward

Today I'll be actually adding on to the beginning of my story. I stalled out a little last week and have been thinking plot development all week on the drive to the day job back and forth. Wondering how that will go. But it's going to let me development more twists that will ultimately help me get to the end I hope.

Has this happened to you?

Word count before starting writing today: 6,150.
At writing break at 5:15...after multiple calls on phone, late lunch, etc. that kept interrupting things since I started writing at noon....word count 7,942.
Back from break....more writing...9,063 at 7:08 p.m.
Hmm. Time to call it a day. 9,711 at the end of the day at 8:44 p.m.

Feeling good!

What's Your Writing Schedule?

I currently write on weekends only. I'm trying to gear up and get up early to write but it hasn't worked out yet. And, if I wrote at night I'd never get any sleep! Sometime's I'll start thinking about the plot and then my mind just won't let it go. So I don't think about it at night...or at least I try not to.

But right now, I just want to be home writing - instead of on my lunchbreak at work. (Where I can't seem to write because when I write I want to let my brain go totally to the story not be thinking about how I have to disengage in five minutes.)

My writing goal this weekend is to get to 12,000 words total and do some plotting so I can have enough framework in my head that I can think out chapters when I'm driving to work.

I'm in a Tizzy!

About a month ago, I came across a post about author Amanda Hocking - who lives not even an hour away. Hocking, frustrated with being turned down by traditional publishers, took the leap into self published ebooks on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Further reading lead me to J.A. Konrath's blog "A Newbie's Guide to Self Publishing." And I read more and more stories. For the entire month I've practically been shivering with excitement! I've even been sleepless some nights!

Imagine that! Writing a book and being in charge of your own destiny!

I've been writing in fits and starts for a few years. One book I was half way done with got eaten by my computer when it went down in flames. And I guess I just kinda...gave up. I mean, come on, even if I finished it what are my chances, right? Right?

But now I have a total writing crush on J.A. Konrath - he's a like a shot in the arm and I've been dreaming AND WRITING like never before.

Granted my job schedule basically allows me to write on weekend's only. Last weekend I wrote 3,600 words. By yesterday I'd added enough to total 6,100. I plan to write some more today after I volunteer at a local nonprofit.

But seriously. I'm almost delirious. Because, if I know one thing...I'm stubborn. And I "gotz de skills" to get to this finish line in this manner of publishing. Graphic skills? Check! Editing? Check. Friends who are voracious readers of the genre who will be beta readers? Check.

This is the rope I'm grabbing on to! Thank you, Joe and Amanda!

If You Can't Dream It...

Creating change in your life has a lot to do with being able to imagine what you want existing. We often hem ourselves in to what we feel is the inevitable because we act in a way that fulfills that dreaded destiny. The first step to a new day, a new life is dreaming and believing in what can be possible.

Starting now - replace your fears of what may be with the hope of what can be!

Today's dream is to let go of the past. So, today I dragged out a junk drawer, a few boxes and got ready to toss things. While this may not seem to be a direct link to letting go of the past, you might find that the act of being able to let go of physical junk and clutter can help your subconscious mind to let go as well and perhaps get rid of some anxiety, too. And, the next time you hesitate over something that your mind says to hold on to because it had value once...you'll be able to ask: "Does this have value to me now?"