An exciting morning: I had a major breakthrough on Falling Short!
Backtrack: Falling Short is a complete rewrite of a project from last May. I hit it with Karen Weisner's First Draft in 30 Days and titled it Best Stressed Woman for NaNo in November. After finishing NaNo, I began the process of filling the holes in the plot - little things that came up as I wrote that needed to be filled in earlier. Then I set the story aside, unable to put my finger on what the story needed. More tinkering prompted a title change. Still more tinkering resulted in a few characters being omitted. And today...
I GOT IT! I figured out what the story needed!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
On The Home Front
Distractions abound. If I need a ready excuse to shift my focus away from writing, I can find one within arms reach. I share an office with my husband, my two children, the dog, and my daughter's clothing, toys and books. The office is listed on the plans as "bedroom 3" but I once saw it's dimensions listed in a home magazine as a small closet.
We've lived in this 900 square-foot house for 9 years. We had a toddler and a newborn when we bought it - our first house. With each passing year, the house shrinks exponentially. My son is taller than I am now and grudgingly tolerant about sharing a room with his little sister. The time has come to either move or remodel.
Many a writer has continued to pound away on his or her novel amidst carpenters and buzz-saws, so I won't be the first to write with earplugs or iPod if we choose to remodel. Nor will I be the first novelist to steal moments at the computer when I should be unpacking boxes of kitchen utensils, should we decide to move.
What's wearing me down is the indecision. There's a constant buzz in my ear and it's coming from my conscience, not my characters. I haven't determined why the decision is weighing heavy on my conscience, but it is.
So...to get back to my point about distractions. I hit a snag in my writing - a difficult sentence, the inability to spin a story from a prompt - and it's too easy to let my mind drift to distractions. An email from my mother, a call from a realtor, or a glance at the Turbo Tax awaiting use, and my attention shifts away. Next thing I know I'm back at the computer and the whole day is gone, lost in distractions, and the writing snag is still waiting in front of the blinking cursor. Have you ever noticed that the blink of the cursor is the same tempo as the Walk/Don't Walk signs?
We've lived in this 900 square-foot house for 9 years. We had a toddler and a newborn when we bought it - our first house. With each passing year, the house shrinks exponentially. My son is taller than I am now and grudgingly tolerant about sharing a room with his little sister. The time has come to either move or remodel.
Many a writer has continued to pound away on his or her novel amidst carpenters and buzz-saws, so I won't be the first to write with earplugs or iPod if we choose to remodel. Nor will I be the first novelist to steal moments at the computer when I should be unpacking boxes of kitchen utensils, should we decide to move.
What's wearing me down is the indecision. There's a constant buzz in my ear and it's coming from my conscience, not my characters. I haven't determined why the decision is weighing heavy on my conscience, but it is.
So...to get back to my point about distractions. I hit a snag in my writing - a difficult sentence, the inability to spin a story from a prompt - and it's too easy to let my mind drift to distractions. An email from my mother, a call from a realtor, or a glance at the Turbo Tax awaiting use, and my attention shifts away. Next thing I know I'm back at the computer and the whole day is gone, lost in distractions, and the writing snag is still waiting in front of the blinking cursor. Have you ever noticed that the blink of the cursor is the same tempo as the Walk/Don't Walk signs?
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Publications to check out
A few publication updates from my writerly friends. I highly recommend these reads.
You can see the work of Melanie Meadors in the Spring 2007 issue of Circle Magazine. Here's the table of contents: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/circle/ Her short story is titled, "Turtle Child" and I love how she put me on that beach along with Kameko!
I just read an excellent story by Batya Deene in The Magazine of Unbelievable Stories, the self-proclaimed home of the best modern pulp fiction. Go to http://www.quill-pen.net/ (or you can find it on Amazon) and look for Batya's story titled "Little Girls" in the April 2007 issue. Don't let the 'pin-up girl' look of the back issues scare you off. Batya Deene's story is worth the read and I won't soon forget her character, Dylan Holter. I will be posting a full review of the April 2007 MUBS issue on Amazon.
I have had the privilege and the experience of writing alongside these women. They both have a unique style and genre, and I think you'll enjoy them.
You can see the work of Melanie Meadors in the Spring 2007 issue of Circle Magazine. Here's the table of contents: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/circle/ Her short story is titled, "Turtle Child" and I love how she put me on that beach along with Kameko!
I just read an excellent story by Batya Deene in The Magazine of Unbelievable Stories, the self-proclaimed home of the best modern pulp fiction. Go to http://www.quill-pen.net/ (or you can find it on Amazon) and look for Batya's story titled "Little Girls" in the April 2007 issue. Don't let the 'pin-up girl' look of the back issues scare you off. Batya Deene's story is worth the read and I won't soon forget her character, Dylan Holter. I will be posting a full review of the April 2007 MUBS issue on Amazon.
I have had the privilege and the experience of writing alongside these women. They both have a unique style and genre, and I think you'll enjoy them.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
The world of online publishing
So, I'm learning a lot about e-books and downloads and how the whole Internet-as-a-marketing-medium thing works. There was a log-in issue on Echelon but they're getting it sorted out and ordering my e-book should be easier next week.
One thing I'm really looking forward to is being able to find my e-book on Amazon. That will be a thrill.
However, it isn't the same as walking into a Barnes & Noble or a Border's and seeing my book on the shelf. Which brings me back to where I want to be: writing! Heidi has been lazing around in my manuscript, twiddling her thumbs, waiting for me for far too long. She keeps asking me questions like, "Why can't I find a decent job?" and "What's really keeping me from meeting Dave in person?"
I know: there are medications for that. But we writers actually enjoy hearing voices. It means our characters are real for us. Now it's my job to make Heidi real for the reader.
One thing I'm really looking forward to is being able to find my e-book on Amazon. That will be a thrill.
However, it isn't the same as walking into a Barnes & Noble or a Border's and seeing my book on the shelf. Which brings me back to where I want to be: writing! Heidi has been lazing around in my manuscript, twiddling her thumbs, waiting for me for far too long. She keeps asking me questions like, "Why can't I find a decent job?" and "What's really keeping me from meeting Dave in person?"
I know: there are medications for that. But we writers actually enjoy hearing voices. It means our characters are real for us. Now it's my job to make Heidi real for the reader.
Friday, March 16, 2007
E-book on sale at Echelon
My story is up but the publisher hasn't had a chance to put the link on the front page. To find my story, go to www.echelonpress.com and click on "Web Store" on the left side bar. The first story on the top left is my story, "Hear The Wind Blow" by Janelle Dakota!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Hear The Wind Blow
If the wind blows in the right direction, my e-book will be available for purchase and download either on Thursday, March 15th or Friday, March 16th. I think. I'm still a bit fuzzy on the logistics, but this link should take you to the main page: http://www.echelonpress.com.
The price of the download is $1 and you can pay via PayPal or with a major credit card by using Linkpoint Basic. If you experience any problems purchasing with Linkpoint Basic, click on "Privacy Notice" on the left side bar (warning: it's in tiny letters). Follow the directions to allow session cookies.
Hint: there's a link for you to leave a review of my story.
The price of the download is $1 and you can pay via PayPal or with a major credit card by using Linkpoint Basic. If you experience any problems purchasing with Linkpoint Basic, click on "Privacy Notice" on the left side bar (warning: it's in tiny letters). Follow the directions to allow session cookies.
Hint: there's a link for you to leave a review of my story.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Echelon Press
I've been working with Karen Syed at Echelon Press to get my short story Hear the Wind Blow ready for publication on March 14th. What a thrill it was to see the cover art for the first time! And a bit unnerving to go over my story for errors, knowing that any errors will be seen by all. Thanks to my wonderful WIPAsylum friends and Elysabeth, I've had an easy time of spotting those mistakes.
Family issues are presently taking center stage and I'm trying to get through the days with eyes open, alert and sensitive to the needs of my family and the inevitable changes that occur with all major life events.
Concurring with the joyous publication at Echelon Press is the end-stage of my mother's breast cancer.
There are moments when I long to dive into the pages of my novel and ignore reality. It would be so much safer for my heart! And then there are moments when I wish I could halt the furious beast we call time, reverse it even, so that I could pay attention this time and perhaps better understand my mother. Given a chance to go back, would I make any corrections? Would I change any words in the story that is my relationship with my mother? Would she?
There are no answers to those questions, so I continue to keep my eyes open and lean not on my own understanding. To experience life - to be wholly present in it - is to feel it, from the joy of winning a short story contest to the pain of my mother's final preparations.
Family issues are presently taking center stage and I'm trying to get through the days with eyes open, alert and sensitive to the needs of my family and the inevitable changes that occur with all major life events.
Concurring with the joyous publication at Echelon Press is the end-stage of my mother's breast cancer.
There are moments when I long to dive into the pages of my novel and ignore reality. It would be so much safer for my heart! And then there are moments when I wish I could halt the furious beast we call time, reverse it even, so that I could pay attention this time and perhaps better understand my mother. Given a chance to go back, would I make any corrections? Would I change any words in the story that is my relationship with my mother? Would she?
There are no answers to those questions, so I continue to keep my eyes open and lean not on my own understanding. To experience life - to be wholly present in it - is to feel it, from the joy of winning a short story contest to the pain of my mother's final preparations.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
The Thursday-Friday Blog
One of the decisions a blogger should make is how often to blog. I wish to remain consistent so Thursday-Friday it is...for now.
Joyous news to report this week: I won the Echelon Press Fast & Fanciful fiction contest! My short story "Hear the Wind Blow" will be published as an e-book on March 14, 2007. See the link below.
Curious thing about Echelon is that, although the prize is nominal, the process is priceless. As a newbie writer, one of the most important things I can learn is the publication process. The contest is worth entering for the experience.
After taking this detour into short stories, I'm ready to dig into my novel again. I started outlining Falling Short in October 2006, just five months ago. I don't know why I expected to have a completed first draft by now. It was probably residual NaNo delusions.
Joyous news to report this week: I won the Echelon Press Fast & Fanciful fiction contest! My short story "Hear the Wind Blow" will be published as an e-book on March 14, 2007. See the link below.
Curious thing about Echelon is that, although the prize is nominal, the process is priceless. As a newbie writer, one of the most important things I can learn is the publication process. The contest is worth entering for the experience.
After taking this detour into short stories, I'm ready to dig into my novel again. I started outlining Falling Short in October 2006, just five months ago. I don't know why I expected to have a completed first draft by now. It was probably residual NaNo delusions.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Short stories
It isn't long before the writer, having poured her heart and soul into the width and depth of a novel, is craving simplicity. All it usually takes is a hiccup in the noveling progress.
I've had a severe, recurring case of the hiccups since I began this novel in October.
Perfect solution: the short story! Here, I can visualize beginning, middle, and end. There are no tricky sub-plots to work in, no minor characters coming to steal the limelight, no derailment of the major conflict. I am in love with my work: here, I can write, frenzied, and see the immediate results! All works toward a climax, building and exposing, focused and determined.
But then I am done and I'm not in love anymore. It was a tawdry affair, a one-night stand. The limits of the short story don't allow for the pull and purpose of my novel. Suddenly, my novel is more meaningful.
I've had a severe, recurring case of the hiccups since I began this novel in October.
Perfect solution: the short story! Here, I can visualize beginning, middle, and end. There are no tricky sub-plots to work in, no minor characters coming to steal the limelight, no derailment of the major conflict. I am in love with my work: here, I can write, frenzied, and see the immediate results! All works toward a climax, building and exposing, focused and determined.
But then I am done and I'm not in love anymore. It was a tawdry affair, a one-night stand. The limits of the short story don't allow for the pull and purpose of my novel. Suddenly, my novel is more meaningful.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
First Blog, Stardate 1 March, 2007
Empowered by the transitive power of procrastination, I have embraced the dogma of author blogging. Thank you, Phantom Squirrel, for the weak push. I dare not resolve to update daily, weekly, monthly or otherwise as this blog is an experiential endeavor, but I will proclaim this space as an outlet for writerly frustrations and exultations.
On with the show!
On with the show!
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