I seem to be the world's worst at keeping up with this blogging thing. Someone's gotta do, right? SO...I'm editing this summer. AND I'm finishing the synopsis so I can at least send it out to some people. I can't just sit around and think about it anymore. I'm trying to make sure I motivate myself, keep myself busy and stay the course. It's hard. You get into a routine and it's very difficult to break. Since I started school I haven't paid much attention to my writing past what the next paper was going to be about. Of course, there's been some personal issues that have demanded my full and undivided attention...and sometimes they still do, but I'm trying to learn to juggle.
I haven't read many good books lately, either. I'm finishing the last George RR Martin book, A Dance With Dragons. Slowly, but surely, since reading time is reduced to my lunch break at work. Once I'm home, I'm kind of consumed with the family and the house and anything else that demands I PAY ATTENTION! I have a shelf full of potential reads that I've been picking up with good intentions and I've told myself I am not allowed to buy more until I can at least make a dent in that! Do you know how hard it is to turn your back on a wonderful book that you've heard is the most inspiring story of this century?! Damn hard, I tell you!
I heard about my friends devoting their days to their writing, seeming to accomplish so much with dedication and I beat myself up. Get with it! Put your butt in the chair and write! It sounds so simple. I have asked several people to police me; to poke me and prod me out of my funk but that hasn't worked. So far. I keep telling my husband that I intend to finishe the edits and get the book ready to submit and he nods and smiles and says, "How great!" I'll find the motivation, I'm sure. I need to surround myself with more writers - something which I have missed greatly since starting school. Student writers just aren't the same as being in the thick of a group of hard-core, dedicated, blood & sweat - type serious writers! I miss it and my muse misses it.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Saturday, July 2, 2011
It's been a minute
Ok, so, I've been on hiatus...not a fun one, mind you. A much needed break to focus on things that need focusing on. That said, I'm SO ready to get back into writing and editing. Editing especially! I haven't looked at the manuscript for "Reborn" in about a month. My goal: finish up editing the first three chapters and start submitting while I work on the rest. So, between research and whatnot for the new story, I'll be back to the grind with Mey and Thom. I have a whole new idea to work into the beginning where it involves Garrin and I'm excited about that and ready to see if I can make it all work.
I think I will tackle this process with some planning. I'm not normally a planner when it comes to my writing - I am a pantser (writing by the seat of my pants). Every other aspect of my life is planned, though. Funny how that works. I am going to try to at least get some direction firmly in place before I start cutting, pasting and reworking.
Short post today, guys. Gotta get back to housework but I had to make myself sit down and do this so I can start getting back in the habbit! Thanks for visiting.
I think I will tackle this process with some planning. I'm not normally a planner when it comes to my writing - I am a pantser (writing by the seat of my pants). Every other aspect of my life is planned, though. Funny how that works. I am going to try to at least get some direction firmly in place before I start cutting, pasting and reworking.
Short post today, guys. Gotta get back to housework but I had to make myself sit down and do this so I can start getting back in the habbit! Thanks for visiting.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Tagged...?!
Yup, tagged. I've seen these in facebook and emails, but never in blogs, so I just gotta do it! Here goes:
What do you think of when you the hear the word tag?
...along...and dem are some of the best Girl Scout cookies, too!
Do you think you're hot?
Nope...air conditioning just where it needs to be! ;)
Upload a picture or wallpaper that you're using at the moment.
So, this is my good friend who just celebrated her 40th birthday! We had a blast celebrating & I love her to pieces! I was recently uploading these pics, so that's why I chose it.
When was the last time you ate chicken?
um....Monday night. Chicked salad at Texas Roadhouse. YUMMY!
The song(s) you listened to recently.
"Rolling In The Deep" by Adele...I'm totally in love with her right now.
What were you thinking as you were doing this?
That I really should be in bed because the writing conference is tomorrow! Early. Really early.
Do you have nicknames? What are they?
A very good friend gave me the moniker of "Ewok" back in high school. He said it sounded like Lela. It doesn't. I have a couple of friends that call me "Lee".
Tag 8 blogger friends:
Weeeell...I don't have 8 blogger friends and the ones I DO have, have already been tagged, so, the next part this will be blank...at least I fulfilled my "tagged" duties! :P
Who's listed as No. 1?
Say something about No. 5.
How did you get to know No. 3?
How about No. 4?
Leave a message for No. 6.
Leave a lovey dovey message for No. 2.
Do 7 and 8 have any similarities?
What do you think of when you the hear the word tag?
...along...and dem are some of the best Girl Scout cookies, too!
Do you think you're hot?
Nope...air conditioning just where it needs to be! ;)
Upload a picture or wallpaper that you're using at the moment.
So, this is my good friend who just celebrated her 40th birthday! We had a blast celebrating & I love her to pieces! I was recently uploading these pics, so that's why I chose it.
When was the last time you ate chicken?
um....Monday night. Chicked salad at Texas Roadhouse. YUMMY!
The song(s) you listened to recently.
"Rolling In The Deep" by Adele...I'm totally in love with her right now.
What were you thinking as you were doing this?
That I really should be in bed because the writing conference is tomorrow! Early. Really early.
Do you have nicknames? What are they?
A very good friend gave me the moniker of "Ewok" back in high school. He said it sounded like Lela. It doesn't. I have a couple of friends that call me "Lee".
Tag 8 blogger friends:
Weeeell...I don't have 8 blogger friends and the ones I DO have, have already been tagged, so, the next part this will be blank...at least I fulfilled my "tagged" duties! :P
Who's listed as No. 1?
Say something about No. 5.
How did you get to know No. 3?
How about No. 4?
Leave a message for No. 6.
Leave a lovey dovey message for No. 2.
Do 7 and 8 have any similarities?
Saturday, May 28, 2011
DId you know?
So, I have decided I'm basing the religion in my books on the Celtic beliefs of the Iron Age. Here are some interesting tid-bits!
Druids. Another area where oral traditions were important was in the training of Druids. There has been a lot of nonsense written about Druids, but they were a curious lot; a sort of super-class of priests, political advisors, teachers, healers, and arbitrators. They had their own universities, where traditional knowledge was passed on by rote. They had the right to speak ahead of the king in council, and may have held more authority than the king. They acted as ambassadors in time of war, they composed verse and upheld the law. They were a sort of glue holding together Celtic culture.
Religion. From what we know of the Celts from Roman commentators, who are, remember, witnesses with an axe to grind, they held many of their religious ceremonies in woodland groves and near sacred water, such as wells and springs. The Romans speak of human sacrifice as being a part of Celtic religion. One thing we do know, the Celts revered human heads.
Celtic warriors would cut off the heads of their enemies in battle and display them as trophies. They mounted heads in doorposts and hung them from their belts. This might seem barbaric to us, but to the Celt the seat of spiritual power was the head, so by taking the head of a vanquished foe they were appropriating that power for themselves. It was a kind of bloody religious observance.
The Iron Age is when we first find cemeteries of ordinary people’s burials (in hole-in-the-ground graves) as opposed to the elaborate barrows of the elite few that provide our main records of burials in earlier periods.
Ok, so the head thing? Kinda gross. BUT, using this information, I think souls will play the part of the heads in my own scenario. And Druids are closely related to my own "Chosen". There's very little known about Druids and about this particular era in history - I think that's why it fascinates me so. It allows me to insert my own imagination in there and take aspects of what is known, and apply it to my own world. So, that's your history lesson for tonight!
Maiden Castle in Dorset. An iron age hill fort with an intricate maze of
ramps and ditches, which were supposed to delay and confuse attackers.
Druids. Another area where oral traditions were important was in the training of Druids. There has been a lot of nonsense written about Druids, but they were a curious lot; a sort of super-class of priests, political advisors, teachers, healers, and arbitrators. They had their own universities, where traditional knowledge was passed on by rote. They had the right to speak ahead of the king in council, and may have held more authority than the king. They acted as ambassadors in time of war, they composed verse and upheld the law. They were a sort of glue holding together Celtic culture. Religion. From what we know of the Celts from Roman commentators, who are, remember, witnesses with an axe to grind, they held many of their religious ceremonies in woodland groves and near sacred water, such as wells and springs. The Romans speak of human sacrifice as being a part of Celtic religion. One thing we do know, the Celts revered human heads.
Celtic warriors would cut off the heads of their enemies in battle and display them as trophies. They mounted heads in doorposts and hung them from their belts. This might seem barbaric to us, but to the Celt the seat of spiritual power was the head, so by taking the head of a vanquished foe they were appropriating that power for themselves. It was a kind of bloody religious observance.
The Iron Age is when we first find cemeteries of ordinary people’s burials (in hole-in-the-ground graves) as opposed to the elaborate barrows of the elite few that provide our main records of burials in earlier periods.
Ok, so the head thing? Kinda gross. BUT, using this information, I think souls will play the part of the heads in my own scenario. And Druids are closely related to my own "Chosen". There's very little known about Druids and about this particular era in history - I think that's why it fascinates me so. It allows me to insert my own imagination in there and take aspects of what is known, and apply it to my own world. So, that's your history lesson for tonight!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Too busy for my own good
Well, I had an awesome weekend! How about you all? I spent Friday and Saturday nights in celebration of wonderful friends who have achieved milestones. Friday was for a friend who graduated nursing school this month and Saturday was for a wonderful friend who turned 40. I met some really great new people, too. Good times, but I tell ya, I'm too old to be roaming the bars at 1:00 AM anymore! lol Interesting, however, to discover the nightlife hasn't changed so much since I was doing it on a regular basis...
Anywhoodle, that is what has kept me from the keyboard this weekend. I am a little upset with myself, but glad I got to participate in some real-world activity. I did spend a great deal of time in thought...
Friday I spent a fair amount of time researching the craft of writing, thinking about the high concept statement, mainly. I have a wonderful friend and critique partner who sends wonderful information on story development, how to PLOT (scary) your story, and developing a high concept statement. Well, that got me thinking...what would my high concept statement be for the current work in progress? This is hard, really. It's a one- or two-sentence description of your entire story. Here's what I came up with:
A priest struggles to recover the stolen souls of innocents, facing a demon he unwittingly helped bring into the world, assassins trying to stop him at every turn, his absent god, elves that see and talk to spirits, and a half-drunken dwarf, all while battling with his flagging faith and love that is forbidden.
It's not the best and I'm sure it'll change through the course of the project, but you get the point. It has also already changed the course of my story. I had thought orginally that souls would have to be given up willingly, but I've decided they can be stolen. I've also changed my mind about how the story begins. So, even though I didn't spend the weekend with fingers to keyboard, it was still productive!
I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend as well and now we can look forward to the long weekend ahead! :P
Anywhoodle, that is what has kept me from the keyboard this weekend. I am a little upset with myself, but glad I got to participate in some real-world activity. I did spend a great deal of time in thought...
Friday I spent a fair amount of time researching the craft of writing, thinking about the high concept statement, mainly. I have a wonderful friend and critique partner who sends wonderful information on story development, how to PLOT (scary) your story, and developing a high concept statement. Well, that got me thinking...what would my high concept statement be for the current work in progress? This is hard, really. It's a one- or two-sentence description of your entire story. Here's what I came up with:
A priest struggles to recover the stolen souls of innocents, facing a demon he unwittingly helped bring into the world, assassins trying to stop him at every turn, his absent god, elves that see and talk to spirits, and a half-drunken dwarf, all while battling with his flagging faith and love that is forbidden.
It's not the best and I'm sure it'll change through the course of the project, but you get the point. It has also already changed the course of my story. I had thought orginally that souls would have to be given up willingly, but I've decided they can be stolen. I've also changed my mind about how the story begins. So, even though I didn't spend the weekend with fingers to keyboard, it was still productive!
I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend as well and now we can look forward to the long weekend ahead! :P
Sunday, May 15, 2011
SPOILER: Pity party, the Lela Show...
Well, it's one of those days. You know, the ones where you can't put a finger on what it is, but something has you sadder than you've felt in a long time? Just me? I figured as much... Writing, or blogging is supposed to be a healing tool, right? Well, I could use some healing at this juncture, so I write.
I've cried most of the morning. I went to bed with that twisty knot in my stomach; the one that tells me I'm sad, but I couldn't understand why. Everyone around me seems so happy. Maybe that's it. I want that, but can't understand why I don't have it. I don't feel happy most days, I just paste the smile on and go because who wants to be around the Debbie Downer all the time? I know what I've become. Doesn't mean I like it, but I know, all the same. I have secrets that would chase away the few remaining ties. Big secrets that I know for sure others wouldn't agree with. But it was my choice and I carry them, and they get pretty heavy - maybe that's what I'm feeling at this point, the heaviness of what I'm carrying around.
I have to go run an autism meeting today and stand there and act strong for all those hopeful faces staring back. Those faces who look to me to have some of the answers they're looking for. I've been one of those faces. How can I be strong for them when my own life feels like it's out of control? I have not achieved anything my younger self wanted...and now I'm so unmotivated it feels like I never will. Again, time to paste on the happy face, right? Throw around some hope, even if I don't believe it.
So if you've read all the way through, sorry you had to endure that. But, it's my blog and I'm using it for therapy today! I know there's only one or two of you who actually read anyway. Alrighty...I wasn't looking for any sympathy, just trying to clear my head and get my emotions in check, so don't feel like you have to leave any messages - I'll be better, just needed to vent. Ok, back to the grind, and as the title of this page says, reality is WAY overrated!
I've cried most of the morning. I went to bed with that twisty knot in my stomach; the one that tells me I'm sad, but I couldn't understand why. Everyone around me seems so happy. Maybe that's it. I want that, but can't understand why I don't have it. I don't feel happy most days, I just paste the smile on and go because who wants to be around the Debbie Downer all the time? I know what I've become. Doesn't mean I like it, but I know, all the same. I have secrets that would chase away the few remaining ties. Big secrets that I know for sure others wouldn't agree with. But it was my choice and I carry them, and they get pretty heavy - maybe that's what I'm feeling at this point, the heaviness of what I'm carrying around.
I have to go run an autism meeting today and stand there and act strong for all those hopeful faces staring back. Those faces who look to me to have some of the answers they're looking for. I've been one of those faces. How can I be strong for them when my own life feels like it's out of control? I have not achieved anything my younger self wanted...and now I'm so unmotivated it feels like I never will. Again, time to paste on the happy face, right? Throw around some hope, even if I don't believe it.
So if you've read all the way through, sorry you had to endure that. But, it's my blog and I'm using it for therapy today! I know there's only one or two of you who actually read anyway. Alrighty...I wasn't looking for any sympathy, just trying to clear my head and get my emotions in check, so don't feel like you have to leave any messages - I'll be better, just needed to vent. Ok, back to the grind, and as the title of this page says, reality is WAY overrated!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Things just don't happen quick enough...
There's just so many things I would like to accomplish in my life. They never happen quick enough for me. I really have to work on this patience thing...one of many flaws I need to work on! Well, the semester is coming to a close and I can't wait to get started with summer plans, which of course, are big. Half of them won't get done and the other half will teeter between half-done and almost-done...lol.
I have home projects, of course - turning our spare room into an office/study space for homeschool (if we go that route). I have a bedroom set in the garage that needs to be stained dark so I can use it in my bedroom. I'd love to replace all that random furniture with something that matches!
I have writing projects. Rewrites on Reborn are priority, so I can start submitting. I plan to do these in the evenings. Starting Seige of Souls is a must! Mornings will be alotted to the new story. I have to get into a rhythm again with my own writing. I learned so much this semester! I actually started thinking about the places where my characters can be strengthened and where I could start cutting and adding, etc. I'm so excited to get to work on it all! :)
So, that's an awfully full summer! And I relish the chaos! I think I'm happiest when I have no time to slow down and breathe. Weird, but, it's me - always has been. Ok, I'll be back on Saturday - my goal is to post every Saturday, at least, more if I can. I'll even start including snippets of chapters for you once I get going on the new book. See y'all soon!
I have home projects, of course - turning our spare room into an office/study space for homeschool (if we go that route). I have a bedroom set in the garage that needs to be stained dark so I can use it in my bedroom. I'd love to replace all that random furniture with something that matches!
I have writing projects. Rewrites on Reborn are priority, so I can start submitting. I plan to do these in the evenings. Starting Seige of Souls is a must! Mornings will be alotted to the new story. I have to get into a rhythm again with my own writing. I learned so much this semester! I actually started thinking about the places where my characters can be strengthened and where I could start cutting and adding, etc. I'm so excited to get to work on it all! :)
So, that's an awfully full summer! And I relish the chaos! I think I'm happiest when I have no time to slow down and breathe. Weird, but, it's me - always has been. Ok, I'll be back on Saturday - my goal is to post every Saturday, at least, more if I can. I'll even start including snippets of chapters for you once I get going on the new book. See y'all soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)