Progress

Today I got some work done so this afternoon I finally got to go to the post office.

The post office was funny-ish. I went in the the line was to the door! I was all oh-my-gosh!! But it moved pretty fast. About 3 or 4 people in front of me was someone I thought I recognized. When she was leaving, it turned out I was right.

One of the members of the local writers group was also mailing her contest entries. She saw me and said, “I just mailed you something! I could have just given it to you.”

Well, yeah. lol. Oh well.

When I got back home, I opened “Phillip” and finished the scene I had started last night. Now chapter 1 is finished. lol. I have ideas for chapter 2 and will get started on that here in a little bit.

(I really need to come up with some kind of title for that instead of continually calling it “Phillip.” lol. That will come sooner or later, I suppose.)

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Sidney Sheldon

“LOS ANGELES — Sidney Sheldon, who won awards in three careers — Broadway theater, movies and television — then at age 50 turned to writing best-selling novels about stalwart women who triumph in a hostile world of ruthless men, has died. He was 89.”

Read the rest of the article here.

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*creacking the whip*

I gotta get busy!

Last night, I woke up a few times aggravated with myself for not getting more written on “Phillip” despite the fact I did A LOT of work on “Karma.”

Differences between the two? “Phillip” is due to be novel-length. “Karma” is a short story.

OK. Anyway… I wrote half of a scene on Phillip last night and decided I was too tired thanks to all the editing I had done. Since I stopped mid-scene and made myself notes, I don’t doubt I’ll be able to get going on it quickly again this evening, but before I can even get to that point, I’ve got to get busy on transcription.

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Ay Yi Yi!

*thud*

Hear that?

That’s my head meeting the desk up close and personal.

Over the last 2 days, I have cut over 2,000 words from a 7,400-word short story.  (And thank you so very very much to Joyce for her help!!)

Yes, people, when you think you can absolutely positively cut no more, you can.

It’s harder than hell.  It makes your head hurt.  It takes forever.  But it can be done.

“This Is Your Karma” has been cut to a little over 5,000 words.  It’s not a lot over — not even 100 words — so I figure it falls into the limit for the OWFI contest. 

Gah!!  That’s painful.  lol

It is now sitting in a sealed envelope ready to be taken to the post office along with 9 other entries.  There are two more than need to be stuffed, but I’m out of manilla envelopes.  I’ll have to see if Mom has some at the office I can borrow or else make a fast run to Staples tomorrow.

Now I get to go work on “Phillip” for an hour.  I had planned to already have more done on it, but I’ve been working on editing “Karma” all evening.  BTW, though I would love to get it in shape to go, I won’t be entering “Phillip” in the contest.  As much time as I spent on the other today, it’s not feasible.  I would have been hard-pressed to get it done anyway, but now it’s really not possible.  I’m not being pessimistic, just realistic.  Plus, putting 12 entries in the contest is doing pretty good. 

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A Mission for Any Blog Readers Out There

I need some links.

What I’m looking for is a page/site of herb lore that lists common, medicinal/healing, and magical uses of herbs.

Specifically (at the moment), I need something that would be beneficial for headaches/closed-head injuries.

(I need it for “Phillip” [current wip].) 

I used to have a site bookmarked, but I can’t find it.  Apparently when I got ths computer (over a year ago now), I didn’t get all of my bookmarks switched over. 

Can anyone help me?

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Shh…. I’m Writing

I really am.

I wrote 6 pages yesterday and so far 4 today. That puts me over my 1,000-word daily quota goal for yesterday and almsot right at it for today. And I have no doubt that I will go over that today, too.

I’m going to have to take a break here in a bit though because I have to get some stuff ready for the OWFI contest. Postmark deadline is Feb. 1. That’s not too terribly far off. If I’m going to enter anything, I’ve got to get it printed and ready to mail today.

I’m excited over this new project though. Both today and yesterday I started writing before 10:00 in the morning. Yesterday I only stopped because I was going to the local writers’ group meeting. I told them in all seriousness that I thought about skipping it because the writing was going so well. But I hadn’t been since before Thanksgiving, courtesy of having to work quite a few Saturdays, family stuff, and the weather.

I suppose that’s all. Phillip is calling so I must get back to it.

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Making Myself Nervous

Remember the “Dreams” entry?  Of course you do.  It was just posted this morning.

I have most of the first chapter/prologue written.  Tonight, I’ve been doing some research.  I need to decide about what year it takes place.  In looking at various maps of Ireland, I’ve decided mid-400s would be good.

Why?

That’s when Christianity started making its way into Ireland.  That may not be a key point in the story, but it does play a part in that the main character (“Phillip”) has a prejudice against those of the “new religion.”

I’ve also almost decided what area of Ireland, though that’s not completely set yet.  I need to find a topographic map to see what the landscape around that area is.  If it’s not what I want it to be, it’ll have to be in a different area.

I’m going to do the research as I go.  Otherwise, I’ll get bogged down in the research and never get the thing written.

I’m loving it so I don’t want that to happen.  But, I have to admit, I’m making myself nervous.

Why?

I haven’t written much from a male POV.  And what I have has been done in quite short spurts.  (Hmmm…  quite punny considering some things that will be coming up in the storyline.  )  (Hmmm #2….  It sounds like I might be picking up a few beginner lessons from reading Carys Weldon’s blog.  *s*)

Any females out there who have written from a male POV?  How did it go for you?  Was it harder/easier than writing from a female POV?

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Dreams

Last night, I dreamed.  A nobleman paced, cape swirling around his ankles.  I could still “see” him clearly this morning.

I started writing.

I should have had breakfast first, but I wanted to get this down before I forgot it.  And it is going well.  I don’t know what genre exactly it will be but that isn’t important at this point.

I am at a good point where I can take a break and get something to eat.  Then I am going to do a little more on it and then take a shower.  We’ll see where it goes from there.

Unfortunately, this isn’t all that common for me.  I wish I could roll out of bed everday and immediately start writing.  Maybe that will come with time and I’ll be able to do that in June. 

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On Conferences

I usually go to two writers’ conferences a year.  The Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc., conference in Oklahoma City in May and the Ozark Creative Writers, Inc., conference in Eureka Springs in October.

I make contacts (I admit I don’t always follow up with them like I should, but I do make them), learn a lot, meet up with friends I haven’t seen in a while, and generally get revved up and ready to go again.  These conferences aren’t cheap but they’re not overly expensive either.  They’re reachable, financially.

This year, I’m not going to the conference in May.

It’s just too close to June.  I have decided I need to save my money for expenses that may come up while I’m at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow.  I expect that even though this is a residency and not a conference I will get more from it than I would from a weekend conference. 

I will still be going to the conference in October.

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Coming Up

Jamieson Wolf, author of Garden City, will be here on a virtual book tour on Sunday, January 28.

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