November Goals

I might have been on haitus from blogging, but I’ve been very busy writing. Part of my problem with blogging right now is that I’m writing things for my pen name, which is so completely different than anything I’ve written here. I wonder now what I should blog about, or even if I should keep blogging because I don’t feel comfortable talking about that stuff here. It’s weird and kinda stinks. Still, I’m going to figure it out. So, let’s talk November and goals.

• Write 65,000 words
• Get my novella to submission ready
• Figure out what to do about blogging

Last year I wrote over 200,000 during NaNoWriMo. That was an accomplishment, but not a good one. Yes, I wrote some great stuff, but it was kind of all over the place. This year I want to slow it down and really enjoy NaNo.  I want to go have fun and not feel guilty if I don’t write between 7,000 and 10,000 words a day. If I only write the minimum, that’s okay!

The novella is almost at submission ready quality, so that’s not a huge goal, but I don’t want to lose sight of that goal.

Like I said above, figuring out what to blog about and where to go from here needs to be decided. I used to blog in detail about my projects but I don’t want to do that anymore. I’ll need to figure out another focal point. I think I’ve learned a lot while I’ve been away from blogging, and I could very well blog about that. However, I don’t think I’ll be blogging every day again. That takes something out of a girl.

So that’s me for the month of November.

How about you?

Weekly Check-In

I kind of failed this week. For the first half I was suffering from the post-con-haze, and then I discovered this game on Google+ called Zombie Lane, and the rest of my week was pretty much shot. Blogs didn’t get done. Writing suffered. Nothing has mattered except killing zombies and improving my defenses. So, all in all, not a lot to talk about this week.

Revising.

I’m trying out a few online critique sites to see how they work and if I get feedback that’s helpful. It’s nerve wracking to think that people I don’t know are reading something that still needs some polish, but it’s me growing and stuff and whatever.

Writing.

I finished a novella I haven’t mentioned I was writing. I’m pleased with it, and it’s on the back burner for now.

What I read.

• Inferno’s Kiss by Monica Burns

So yeah, not a lot done. I’m going to be focusing on reading this week, so I might skip the weekly check in.

 

October Goals

This has been a random month. Writing the end to Decoy was both exciting, and like pulling teeth. I’ve been kind of bouncing around, not really steady, so in a large part this month has been frustrating. I wanted to get more done than I did, but I did what I set out to do. I knew heading into September that I needed a breather. I needed to focus on fewer projects and get other, non-writing things taken care of, like finding a new place to live! And work!

Overall, September was a great month that went by far too quickly. I’ve been looking forward to it for a while because of FenCon, and it didn’t disappoint in being an eventful month!

September Goals!

• FenCon critiques.  There are 18 of them to do. Very time consuming.
• Finish the additions to Decoy and set aside for at least a week.

What I did…

• FenCon critiques – all of them.
• Decoy’s ending is done, but now I want to write a new beginning!
• Finished writing a novella I haven’t mentioned.

Yes, I randomly wrote a new novella/short novel! The workshop was an interesting experience. It was good, but I think I need to focus my feedback on my audience instead of settling for feedback, period.

Okay, October! October is an unfortunate month. It’s right before NaNo, which is always a drain, so I like to take October easy, at least as far as writing goes. I hope to get revisions on at least one project done and loads of reading. I’ve seriously been slacking on my Book Addicts duties and I need to step it up.

I don’t quite know what I want to write for NaNoWriMo, but I hope to get the project ironed out over the next month so I can work on it during November.

October Goals!

• Write new beginning for Decoy.
• Revise on Decoy.
• Plan for NaNoWriMo.
• Read. Lots.

Well, that’s what I have going on. How about you?

Weekly Check-In

I’m writing this while still fumbling through the post-con haze. Tomorrow I’ll do a recap of my FenCon experience, but for now I’ll try to be all responsible like and talk about what I’ve accomplished this week, which feels like not a whole lot. Having the FenCon workshops start on Thursday meant that the rest of my week was all about getting things taken care of, like having my hair cut and dyed and grocery shopping and this and that and I’m tired just talking about it! So, this feels like another week that not enough happened.

Blogging.

I was so proud of myself for writing up blogs that would publish while I was at FenCon, and then they didn’t publish. So bummed! My new Salon Sunday blog didn’t go up until last night, so very disappointing!

Revising.

After all of the feedback this weekend, I have a really exciting dose of stuff to add to Decoy. I need a new beginning for the story, or really, I need to write the rest of the beginning. I want to weave in some things I threw in at the end of the last draft. There’s a lot to do but it’s very exciting because I still love this book sooooo much.

What I read.

• My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
• Love’s Portrait by Monica Burns

Weekly Check-In

This was a good week. A welcome change to how things have been going. I found a place to move to. I’m not buying a house, which is a disappointment but in the long run I think that not buying is a wiser choice in the current economy. Plus, I don’t like yard work! I’ll be moving the first week of November, which really stinks but that’s how it goes I guess. I’m really looking forward to the move and redecorating with a new color scheme.

This coming weekend is FenCon! I’m super excited and I kind of forgot about it at times and it snuck up on me. I’m messing with my critiques for the workshop and putting together what I want to go and see during the convention. So from Thursday to Sunday I’ll be very busy and offline.

Blogging.

This week I took on a new blog mem, Salon Sundays. The idea is to discuss something about what you’re currently reading about. This last week I talked about whitewashing covers and how frustrating I think it is. There was some nice discussion and I’m appreciative to everyone who stopped by. Hopefully I’ll get to more blogs in the following weeks. I’m thinking this next week I’ll talk about reading unpublished works.

Critiquing.

I’m all done with my critiques! I think after this workshop I’m not going to sign up for another one that’s not geared for unpublished writers. Maybe it’s arrogant to feel that way but that’s how it is.

Plotting.

I’ve begun plotting out my NaNo project, which is a project for my pen name. Maybe someday I’ll be able to get back to writing stuff as Cid! The NaNo project is going to be an interesting one to do because it’s contemporary romance and deals with post-traumatic and cancer.

Writing.

I’ve managed a few thousand words a day over the last week.It’s been nice to have such steady progress.

Overall it’s been a good writing week. I’m still busy and scatter brained, but things are getting done and I like where I’m headed with my writing.

Reading.

• Loves Portrait by Monica Burns

How has your writing been going?

Weekly Check-In

This was a good week, even if I didn’t write tons and tons.  There were a lot of life things I had to take care of, like, where the heck am I going to live?  I need to move and since the house drama fell through I need to look for a new place and I really don’t want to!  I looked at a bazillion houses and I don’t want to look at anything else!  But, I’ve found a great place that will give me room for an office area and a big living area, so it’s all good!

Blogging.

I’m being a terrible blogger.  I had a series idea that I was going to do, and never wrote it.  I’m thinking about including another blog mem with my weeks blogging.  Any suggestions or thoughts?

Okay, updating this.  I’m going to start blogging on Sundays, doing the Sunday Salon where I discuss or talk about a book I’m reading.

Critiquing.

I’m almost done with my FenCon critiques!  I’m super excited about this.  The workshop submissions have been all over the place.  It’s a good experience critiquing a wide variety of manuscripts.  I’d suggest doing a workshop that involves a lot of critiquing at least once.  It might not be your thing, but it’s a good learning experience.

Revising.

This week I’m starting another revising project.  It’s been written, I’ve gone over it a little but I haven’t really dug into it.  That starts this week.  Thankfully it’s a short project so it won’t take too long, maybe a week or two depending on how long I have to focus on it, and then I’m off to critique partners and stuff.

Writing.

This last week I finished my zombie story!  Decoy is officially done, and a full length novel.  I’m super jazzed about this and I hope everyone else loves it as much as I do.  It’s a heck of a long way from being done-done, but having the rough draft completed is a big step.  I know some things need to be changed and I want to weave in a few things I tossed in at the end.  I’m super hopeful!

What I read.

• Dark Sins by Stephanie Draven
• Cindra’s Bounty Hunter by Paige Tyler

Weekly Check-In

Whoopse, this is going up late.  Like way late.  This has been another crazy week.  Last week was all about getting back into the grove of being at work and stuff.  The vacation was nice, but it has added another layer of stress on my life.  This weekend has opened up to me how stressed out and close to that break down point I am.  From the house drama to my grandmother and family stuff to work place stuff, I’m realizing how over worked and stressed out I am.

So, this coming week I’m going to try to evaluate my life and see what’s working and what’s not.  It’s not like I have too much going on, I have time for everything, but I want a good end of year experience.  These next few months have to be awesome and I want to do everything I can to make sure that’s how it is.

Blogging.

Well as busy as the blogging was over the last week, I’m afraid I haven’t done much for the upcoming week.  I need to fix this, I know.  And especially since today is Monday and I don’t really have anything lined up.  So, I’m going to try to work on that.  Maybe do a few micro shots of Paris.

Critiquing.

I’m going to FenCon at the end of the month.  I’ve been hard at work with the critiques.  My goal has been to do two a day.  I could cram them all into a few days but I feel like that would wear me out, so my methodology has been to do a few at a time.

Critiquing ever feel like a measuring rod to anyone else?  There’s something about reading someone else’s work in progress and wondering how I measure up to it. Am I better? Worse? Is there something I can learn from this?  It’s a different mindset than what reading a published book is because that has been through editors and lots of other professionals.  Anyways, maybe I’m crazy!

Writing.

I’ve missed a few days writing.  There’s been some Other Stuff going on in my life and a few nights I just haven’t been up to it.  Overall I haven’t done a lot of writing, only a few thousand words but I made some significant forward movements.  I’m back to being excited about a project I was afraid was dwindling.  This next week I hope to do lots and lots more!

What I read.

• Honey, I Shrunk the Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy

Okay, so this check in kinda sucked but that’s life right now. I might talk about stress management tricks this week.

Weekly Check-In

So I don’t have a whole lot to say.  I mean, I do, but not about writing.  This post is more about me getting back into the groove of working on stuff every week.  So, give me a little slack.  I have some stuff in the works, so let me share it with you!

Blogging.

I’m going to get back into the blogging groove this week.  I’m going to have a few blogs about my Paris trip.  For instance tomorrow I’m going to talk about how it was like to be in Paris at the PBP stuff as family.  Thursday I’m hoping to talk about all the sight seeing I did.  There’s so much to tell that I don’t really know where and how much to tell!  So, if you have any questions feel free to ask me. 

Critiques.

I’ve really got to get cracking on crits for the FenCon workshop at the end of September.  There are 21 critiques I have to do, well, really 18 since there’s no reason to do my own and I won’t be doing huge critiques on my two friends who are also in the workshop.  My plan is to start cracking on them today, and at my best do two a day.

Writing.

I did a little writing while in Paris, but it was all on pen name stuff.  I’m dealing with a few deadlines so I need to do some serious writing time this week. I think I’m going to miss one of my deadlines, which sucks, but that’s life and you just have to keep going.

What I read.

• Turn it Up by Inez Kelley
• Too Hot To Touch by Louisa Edwards

August Goals

July was a really tough month.  Lot’s of not so great things happened.  I lost the house I was going to buy, my mom had heat stroke, my grandmother was care flighted to the hospital, the doctors mistakenly diagnosed my dad with cancer, and we prepared to say goodbye to my grandmother.  I’m honestly amazed I did anything at all.

I always push myself to do more, be better and get stuff done.  This summer and spring it just hasn’t happened.  Stuff has gotten in the way and I’ve done a lot of shuffling goals and projects.  It’s getting on my nerves because I’m not where I wanted to be, but life happens.  You deal with it and you do what you can do.  I learned a lot about my writing habits under stress and honestly I’m questioning some of my earlier notions about what I should write.  It’s been interesting.  But anyways, moving on to the goals that I did and did not complete.

July Goals!

• Revise Decoy
• Submit Rescue Me
• Write my superhero story
• Work on my alias

What I did…

• I am still revising Decoy.  It’s had a few passes, but I’m adding to it.
• I submitted Rescue Me.
• I scratched the superhero story.
• My alias rocks.  You’ll also never hear me talk about her again.

Like I said above, July kicked my butt.  I didn’t do what I wanted to do, but I did stuff.  I wasn’t a slouch, but neither did I push myself to do stuff when it wasn’t the best decision for me.  Thus why Decoy isn’t ready to go to critiques yet.  This last month I’ve also begun the process of seperating myself from my pen name.  People question the use of pen names and say you shouldn’t use them, but I think in my case it’s a good thing to use one.  And therefore I need to seperate the two very different individuals in my head!

August Goals!

• Revise Decoy.

I’m going to be in France for half of the month.  I don’t think that will allow for lots of goals for the month, so I’m keeping it simple.  I want to revise on Decoy.  There are some things I need to do that are writing related but they’re not just ‘me’ projects.  Speaking of, I need to get working on those as well.  And that’s another reason I want to focus on one project right now.  Burn out.  I need to safeguard against that.

So what are your August goals?

Weekly Check-In

So this last week we’ve been poised on the edge of saying our final goodbyes to my grandmother.  Monday they gave her 48 hours to live.  When I started the draft for this check in she’d held on for over 72 and counting.  Part of me wants her to fight and hang on, and another part wishes that she could pass comfortably in her sleep without having to be in a hospice.  Sunday we were told that her kidneys had finally given out and that she had hours or maybe days to live.

All in all, it makes for a week of very little anything.  I haven’t been sleeping or washing dishes or doing laundry or writing or much of anything.  I have been reading more though.  Mostly happy books, with zombies.  I needed some inspiration and a little escape.

Blogging.

I’ve decided I’m going to add a more personal blog mem on Wednesdays called Wordless Wednesdays.  They’ll be photographs of things, pictures of me or whatever I feel like tossing up.  I’ll be limited to only one sentence of text explaining or capturing what’s going on.  I think it’ll be fun, and I’ll have a ton of France pictures to share after the trip.  So there, another weekly blogging thing.  It’s different since I haven’t been doing many blogs with personal content.

Revising.

I’ve done work on this, but not as much as I wish I had.  At this rate I’ll be finishing the book in France, not handing it off for critiques.  It’s a huge disappointment to me because I wanted to be so much farther along than where I am in the process.  Again, I can’t kick myself too hard because a lot of what’s held me back is the time spent going to and from the hospital.  It’s also hard to revise under emotional stress – at least for me.  Maybe getting away to France to write about zombies is a good thing.  The bad thing is that I won’t be taking my big laptop with me, I’ll be on a Netbook.  I’d hoped to only be writing something new but my priorities have to be in the right place.  When I think about everything going on, it’s amazing I’ve even written a few thousand words every few days.

What I read.

• Late Eclipse by Seanan McGuire
• Darker Shade of Dead by Bianca D’Arc
• Smoke on the Water by Bianca D’Arc
• Dead Alert by Bianca D’Arc