I am a Renaissance Soul

About a month ago, I read a blog post that really spoke to me. Are You a Renaissance Soul? Use It to Your Advantage. I easily answered yes to the initial questions. Once again, I am recognizing and accepting. I took some time thinking about my answers to the rest of the questions posed, and here’s my musings.

 

How long can I work until I get antsy?

An hour at a time. Any more than that and my attention wanders. On a day to day basis, NaNoWriMo has shown me that I tend to get distracted after about two intense weeks on one project.

How would I react if I was told that I had to work on 1 thing until it gets done?

My urge would be to rebel, and every other project would seem more exciting than the one I have to do. I don’t like should and have to. I would likely have a secret project to at least make notes on.

What about 2 things? 3? 4? Find your optimal number

Four seems to stretch it. I wouldn’t be making enough progress to make it worthwhile. With two I’d still risk getting bored. So three feels like it will be a good balance.

Where do you feel the biggest sense of accomplishment/happiness/growth: starting a project, working on it, or finishing it?

Working on a project. I thrive off that sense of progress. The process of creation. Seeing my ideas come to fruition. I love the sense of discovery, all the things that surprise me despite having plotted the basic story. Starting is always hard, intimidating. Finishing may have a nice rush, but it’s accompanied by a sadness as the story is no longer new and fresh to my own eyes.

What structure will let me live in that place the longest?

After answering the previous questions, I believe I will be most comfortable working on three projects at a time. Since I have the freedom of not answering to an agent or editor, I can get away with multitasking.

 

Conclusion:

As super excited as I am about Twilight Rain, I’m going to let that one simmer a bit longer. Finish at least one of my other projects first. I have three stories that are hovering around the 30,000 words mark: Trinity Coven, Race to 100 Deaths, and The Minotaur Staff. It will be an awesome rush if I can make progress on all three of those each week. By some logic, it will take me longer to finish a WIP this way. In reality, it will be more productive to switch between projects when I get bored or stuck, rather than stress over one story and go a month or more without writing anything.

Tuesday Tally and the Hauliday

Last week:

• continue Page-a-Day Challenge - faltered
• finish crit
• submit some poetry
• start summer routine

 

This week:

• get back on track with Page-a-Day Challenge

 

Wednesday after Kindergarten graduation I came home to find the neighborhood garbage bins out. My husband had planned to take the day off when they came, but we never got the notice. So as soon as he got home from work, we got busy hauling junk and wood beams.

A few hours in, I noticed B was no longer playing, just sitting by the wall. I discovered he wasn’t just tired, he had a fever. (Thankfully waited to get sick until school was out for the year.) He was sick for a couple days. :-(

Thursday I got some writing in, but found all that hauling had made typing (and much else) painful. My wrists, hands, forearms. Everything hurt. Didn’t get much chance to recover, as Saturday we installed a garbage disposal, Sunday I hauled and stacked brick in the back yard so my husband could mow, and Monday we installed a built in dishwasher (replacing an old, cranky portable one). Needless to say, I didn’t write and I am exhausted!

So, how was your weekend?

Quick TT Today

Last full day of freedom before Kindergarten graduation tomorrow. Taking the day off to eat out, go shopping, and relax. It’s a beautiful, sunny day!

 

Page-a-Day Progress:

Days in: 10

Total pages: 18

 

Last week:

• continue Page-a-Day Challenge
• deep clean house
• catch up on critiques – one more to do
• submit some poetry – didn’t have time for this

 

This week:

• continue Page-a-Day Challenge
• finish crit
• submit some poetry
• summer routine
  • start parts I can do myself, so everything doesn’t change at once
  • sit down and explain charts and summer plans to B
  • Monday – implement in full!

Tuesday Tally: Slow and Steady

Last week’s goals:

• work out 3x this week
• start Page-a-Day Challenge (May 15th to June 15th) – and on track!
• finish Heavy Rain – loved it

Goals for this week:

• continue Page-a-Day Challenge (see my progress here)
• deep clean house
• catch up on critiques
• submit some poetry

 

It’s been refreshing having a goal of one page a day. It’s something I’m comfortable writing even over the weekend (which I used to avoid), and rather than stressing about how much I should be writing, and panicking at being behind, and writing nothing, I am making progress every day. Something is better than nothing. Not as awesome as high-productivity days, but I can’t always count on those.

We’ve already decided to abandon our 80% complete gaming rule. Turned it into grinding, and doesn’t take into account all the games we’ve finished and traded in.

Speaking of grinding, I think that’s what happened with Trinity Coven. I had boiled it down to how many words I needed a day. It became all about the numbers, and lost the fun.

Three cheers for Progress, Fun, and Rain. (I love rain. beautiful rainy day today. got the windows open. smells fresh and wonderful.)

Tuesday Tally and video games

Last week’s goals:

• create custom workout for EA Active
• create summer schedule to include writing time
• relax, read my bliss book
• take some time to read and enjoy Trinity Coven

Goals for this week:

• work out 3x this week
• start Page-a-Day Challenge (May 15th to June 15th)
• finish Heavy Rain

 

Like story? Play video games? Have a PS3? Play Heavy Rain. Intense, completely immersive. Makes me think. Not many games I keep thinking about for days after putting down the controller. Each time I have to balance whether to take a break because the emotion and adrenaline is so intense, or keep going because I have to know what happens next!

My husband and I have decided not to buy any new video games until we finish more. Trying to keep an 80 percent completion rate. Got a few games coming out next month, and some already out which we’re waiting on, so I need to take a break from Sims and play some consoles.

Games I’m most looking forward to this year: Alan Wake, Sims 3: Ambitions, Lego Harry Potter, and Civilization V. Are you a gamer? Which systems do you have? Any favorite games on the brain?

Owning my Health

I think Wendy hit it on the head in last week’s comment, when she tied lack of focus into lack of sleep. April was an awful writing month. I think two things contributed to this. Health and stress. Allergies, then my son’s sickness, and getting sick myself (just recovering for those concerned). Plus the self-inflicted stress of falling further behind on my writing goals.

I’ve spent way too much focus on how much do I need to write to finish, rather than enjoying the process. Where did the passion go? I’m going to release the deadline. Be free. Breathe easy.

Weronika is inviting writers to join her in a page-a-day challenge from May 15th to June 15th. I think the timing is perfect. One page. No stressing that I’m falling behind on looming deadlines (even if self-imposed).

If I stress less, I’ll probably be healthier. But I’m not relying on that alone. I need to own my health. I’ve come up with five ways I can do that:

1. drink more water – keep a water bottle at my desk. if it’s close, I’m more likely to drink it
2. exercise – walking has been great for lower body, but my core and upper body are weaklings
3. eat a more balanced lunch – I don’t send my husband to work with just a PBJ, so why fall back on that myself? If I don’t eat enough at lunch, I end up snacking on unhealthy stuff through the day.
4. if sleepy, use caffeinated soda as last resort. get active with Rock Band, or take a nap!
5. less repetitive gaming (*coughfacebookzooworld*) so my wrists last longer

 

Last week’s goals:

• clean physical space (corner bedroom) – some improvement
• write something

Goals for this week:

• create custom workout for EA Active
• create summer schedule to include writing time
• relax, read my bliss book
• take some time to read and enjoy Trinity Coven

Tuesday Tally: wandering muse

Last week’s goals:

• simple goal: 250 words/day
• clean virtual space (folders/documents)
• enter Friends of Acadia contest

Goals for this week:

• clean physical space (corner bedroom)
• write something

 

It’s been very hard to focus on TC this past week. My other projects have been calling. Enticing me to wander. Like yesterday - I read through all sixty pages of the unfinished Rt100D. It was my first time reading any of it since writing it during NaNoWriMo, and I was surprised at how well it held my interest.

Then there’s Sienna’s Story. It’s the least structured of my novels so far. I have a clear conflict, but don’t know where the story will take me. I want to know what happens next. With the family focus (MC is a mom of two, separated from her crazy husband), it has such a different dynamic from anything else I’ve done.

I don’t know if I need an official break from TC, or need to focus that much more. Maybe my self-imposed pressure is getting to me. Maybe it’s the dreaded mid-story block. I open the document and feel uninspired. Uninterested. I could jump ahead to a more exciting scene, or allow myself to dabble in a different story. Either way, I need to get my fingers moving over that keyboard.

Tuesday Tally: surviving April

Last week’s goals:

• TC – write five scenes
• submit revised poems
• write a color poem  
• clean physical space (shelves/desk)
• write and/or revise nature poems for Friends of Arcadia contest

 

Goals for this week:

• simple goal: 250 words/day
• clean virtual space (folders/documents)
• enter Friends of Arcadia contest

 

I had forgotten how crippling my Spring allergies are here. Sneeze, wipe watery eyes, sniffle, blow. Even with allergy medicine. We have a nice HEPA air purifier, which I crank up to high after being outside. I think the sinus headaches are the worst. Even when the other symptoms subside, that sinus pressure keeps pounding.

I didn’t get all my scenes in, but did make progress. Keeping my expectations low this week. Hoping the storm later this week will lessen the pollen in the air, so I can be more functional.

mid-April Tuesday Tally

Last week’s goals:

• TC – write every weekday; create goal timeline
• revise 3 poems
• write another color poem – started, not complete 
• clean virtual space (bookmarks)

 

Goals for this week:

• TC – write five scenes
• submit revised poems
• write a color poem  
• clean physical space (shelves/desk)
• write and/or revise nature poems for Friends of Arcadia contest

 

Three and a half of the four goals complete. Not bad.

Scary how many of those bookmarks were for pages that don’t even exist anymore. Took a long time going through them all, but now that it’s trimmed down to what works, and what I’ll actually revisit, it looks so much cleaner! Maybe I’ll actually visit the bookmarks I have left.

If I average one scene a day in Trinity Coven during the weekdays, I should be on track. I’ve got a new writing routine which seems to be working. I’ll blog about that another time.

Another thing I need to do is clean house! One of my sisters is coming up Friday to hang out. Looking forward to it!

Is there anything you’re looking forward to this week?

Tuesday Tally: Spring Cleaning

Trying to get back in routine. This month’s theme is Spring Cleaning. As a family we’ve begun tidying up our house and yard. We actually put up wall hangings! For my personal goals, I plan to clean and organize my virtual and physical work space. Each week I will focus on something specific.

I came nowhere close to finishing Trinity Coven by the end of March, so we are going with my reserve deadline of June 4. Spring Break was a preview of how much harder it will be to make writing and me time once summer comes. I’ll have to re-evaluate and determine how much I need to write each week to make it possible.

Goals for this week:

• TC – write every weekday; create goal timeline
• revise 3 poems
• write another color poem  
• clean virtual space (bookmarks)

Tuesday Tally 3/23

Last week’s goals:

• finish editing up to current point
• submit some poetry to Basement Stories
• get crits done for the month
• write something new for TC each day

Goals for this week:

• TC: get through chapter ten 
• poetry: research a new market

 

Feeling good about where the story is going. Hoping it continues! And that my hay fever doesn’t slow me down.

Upcoming Thursday’s Tale will focus on Bridget, who you have met in a previous excerpt.

Spring is here! I love the flowers, the blossoms, and the smell of fresh cut grass. Not so excited about the hay fever and the snow this morning. What do you like about Spring?

Mid-March Tuesday Tally

Last week’s goals:

• rewrite first chapter
• write like crazy! urr, that should be more concrete. minimum 1500 words/day
• edit one scene/day

Goals for this week:

• finish editing up to current point
• submit some poetry to Basement Stories
• get crits done for the month
• write something new for TC each day

 

Keeping actual writing goals low this week, as it’s going to be busy. My husband took the day off for a date day – going to the mall, Olive Garden for lunch, and possibly a movie. Tomorrow the elementary school has the March Birthday Table, where any student who had a birthday that month can sit, and parents are invited. A lunch date with my birthday boy.

And as stated in my goals, I need to get my critiques done and get some poems out, so don’t know how much focus I’ll have on TC. I plan on still working on it in some fashion each day, so I don’t have a hard time getting back into it.

Didn’t hit my writing or editing goal for last week. Instead, I rewrote the first scene three times, trying to find out what worked best. I’m considering revising again, but am determined to sit on my hands until I get feedback. One of my ideas was to have Kaelin working at a natural history museum, but once I finally got around to pulling up maps, I learned the nearest was an hour and a half drive away. Okay for an occasional visit or volunteer day, but too much to expect for a regular drive. So I scrapped that and went a different direction. Now, back to chapter nine! I’ll never get this done if I keep jumping around, or fussing with details.

Upcoming Thursday’s Tale will introduce another coven member, and give a little insight into their purpose.

Tuesday Tally 3/9

Last week’s goals:

• submit a batch of poetry 
• finish needed research for TC and rewrite first chapter
• if above goal finished early enough, write like crazy

Goals for this week:

• rewrite first chapter
• write like crazy! urr, that should be more concrete. minimum 1500 words/day
• edit one scene/day

 

Took me longer to decide on a passion for Kaelin than anticipated. I wrote some notes and snippets, and am ready to rewrite chapter one. That’s today’s project. Tomorrow I’ll begin a minor round of editing on chapters two through eight, making sure they are consistent with the new material, while moving forward writing chapters nine and up.

I realize if I don’t get this book finished by March, or April, my ultimate goal is before school gets out! Once my son is home all day, it would be easier to focus on revisions and poetry than trying to immerse myself in new writing.

Initial goal: March 31

Revised goal: April 30

Ultimate deadline: June 4

March Tuesday Tally

My initial goal for Trinity Coven this year was to finish by the end of March. eep! So not happening! However, there are some challenges going on right now to motivate writing lots. If I push myself, I could still finish in April (husband is doubtful, and I really want to prove I can do this!)

A group on WDC is doing March Novel Writing Month (MarNoWriMo). Unlike the official one in November, this can be revising or words added to a work in progress. I set a goal for 20,000 new words.

In tandem with that, there is also a Mad Dash to make a big word count in one week. This week. I made a goal for 8,000 words to give myself a big boost.

Dreaming in Ink also has challenges going on for March and April. I signed up for the novel challenge there, to get new words and chapters. 

Stating goals here = even more accountability.

… …

So I’m all settling in for a long writing session yesterday, chatting with my husband about my characters. Then what happens? Hubby points out that Kaelin has no skills to bring to the coven! Being naive and outcast is not the same as sitting around home doing nothing with her day before finding her destiny. How did I miss that background?? Anywho, I have three career/hobby ideas to research, each which would impact the story differently. Need to find which is best for story, and most plausible considering her character, age, location, etc.

Got to love how just as I am gearing up for this big writing month, I have this epiphany that requires rewriting the first chapter. I really wanted to get through an entire draft before doing rewrites, but this is something that affects the bigger picture, including the ending! I will save myself a lot of work by going back now rather than when the draft is done. Prevention rather than fixes.

The Mad Dash has been tripped up, but I may still be able to salvage my other goals.

Speaking of goals…

 

Last week’s goals:

• TC: two chapters
• send out batch of snail mail queries

Goals for this week:

• submit a batch of poetry (poems and market already picked)
• finish needed research for TC and rewrite first chapter
• if above goal finished early enough, write like crazy

last Tuesday Tally of February

Last week’s goals:

• outside feedback on two poems
• send out more queries
• TC: write twenty pages

 

Goals for this week:

• TC: two chapters
• send out batch of snail mail queries

 

Almost hit my twenty page goal. Didn’t write at all yesterday. Procrastinated the morning away, and then my mom called and wanted to take me to lunch. So by the time I got back from lunch and shopping, I only had a short rest before turning around and walking to the school to get B, signaling the end of my writing day. If I can squeeze three more pages between the half hour I have left this afternoon, and during American Idol if needed, I could cross that goal off.

I started to prepare some queries to mail today. Got frustrating. Examples of my incompetency today: had to look up business letter format (so used to email queries, mind was blanking), forgetting to sign query (remembering right after sealing envelope of course), forgetting to put header with name and page numbers on my synopsis before printing. Wasting ink, paper, and stamps here! Then my husband offered to teach me how to print on the envelopes so it will look all professional. I am perfectly happy setting the mess aside until he gets home. I’ll have to find the local post office so I can mail one that asks for sample pages.

Upcoming milestone: If I can get those three pages in, I’ll hit 100 pages! I have a feeling this novel will be much shorter than EotF. Which is fine, as it doesn’t have all the world-building of a traditional fantasy.

Next month I’m really going to push myself in my writing. Details on the 2nd.

Tuesday Tally mid-February

Last week’s goals:

• TC: finish current chapter and next
• poetry: revise two poems before submitting 
• get feedback on revised query (itching to send it out again. patience, young grasshopper)

 

Goals for this week:

• outside feedback on two poems
• send out more queries
• TC: write twenty pages

 

Poems still not quite ready. A couple lines I’m not happy with. Going to submit them to critique group. I did get the one chapter finished, just not the second.

Going to do something different, trying page count goal instead of words or chapters. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I completely forgot about Monday being a holiday (President’s Day here in USA) when I made last week’s goals. Didn’t even get a happy holiday. Most of the day was taken up by a funeral (husband’s uncle). Hoping you all had a better Monday, and a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

Tuesday Tally

Last week’s goals:

• finish query revisions
• add to my bliss book
• write two chapters in TC

 

Goals for this week:

• TC: finish current chapter and next
• poetry: revise two poems before submitting 
• get feedback on revised query (itching to send it out again. patience, young grasshopper)

 

Guess who got sick again? Yup, me. That’s what, once a month since school started? SO tired of cold and sick and headaches (especially the recent, cold/sick related sinus headaches which medicine doesn’t help much with). Started Thursday-ish, probably back up to 90% healthy today. What being sick again did help me to realize (I’m slow, m’kay?) is how much time I waste on good days. I need to be more focused, have more productive days to carry me through the slumps (both physical and emotional).

I did write half a chapter. Not the two I was planning on, but still progress. This week we’ll aim for finishing the one and a half carried over from last week.

I love the comments I’m getting on my excerpts, good confidence boosters, so I’d like to continue those. The question: Continue to include excerpts with Tuesday Tally, or feature them in a separate post (probably Wednesday or Thursday)? Preferences?

Current research location and dream vacation: villages of Castle Combe and Avebury.

Tuesday Tally: Be Free

Last week’s goals:

• send out more queries – revising again
• joined a challenge on Writing.com to add 10,000 words to my novel (TC) this week. Need to make up for not writing last week. – not even close
• hunt down and post all blog awards to sidebar – done!

 

Goals for this week:

• finish query revisions
• add to my bliss book
• write two chapters in TC

 

I got some new feedback on my EotF query which brought up some good points. I whined to hubby about difficulty pinning down and voicing those points. Hubby saves day by pointing out underlying themes and motivations which I need to highlight. Thank you dear husband! So, revising query with new theme in mind, and more focus on the main character.

I plan on not neglecting my new bliss book to the point I don’t realize its gone. I pulled some stickers and pictures from my scrapbooking supplies which connect with me and put them in a special folder. Each day I want to add something to my book: a new quote, a sticker, a poem, a happy little drawing. Something that makes me happy that day. I didn’t have a strong mantra/theme for old book. This time while writing my purpose the perfect phrase came to me: Be Free. Free my muse, free my writing, free me from doubt and fear, free me from burdens that I may fly.

Lots of distractions last week, so didn’t have the big writing numbers. My husband was sick, I spent a day with my mom, and had some other projects demand my attention. Still on track to finish T.C. by end of March though. Need to be steady, consistent.

I was going to share another excerpt from Trinity Coven, but decided to instead stay on the theme of Be Free. Here’s a little something I wrote for a prompt last year. It will most likely be a part of Fly With Me, my other contemporary fantasy.

The wind whips her long black hair into her face as she smiles at me. "Believe in me. Believe in yourself. Remember the story of Peter? You can do this!"

I look at the parachutes sitting beside us. A safety net. I look into her bright eyes. "I want to believe."

I reach for one of the packs, but she blocks me. "Those are only crutches. Go!"

She shoves me with all her weight. Her laughter is ripped away by the air screaming at my fall. Was she crazy? How could she test me this way? I pinwheel, my heart beating out of my chest. I look down. The ground is spinning, churning my stomach with it. What did she say about Peter? The apostle who walked on water. But he sank! The ground is getting so close. Peter did walk on water. He only faltered when he lost faith.

I scream out, "I believe!" I close my eyes. Spread my arms. And begin to somersault until my head is once again above my feet. Finally looking up, I see her circling above me, ready to dive and catch me if I falter. Smiling, I fly up to meet her.

Tuesday Tally and the sick saga

Goals for last week:

• write one scene per weekday. TC scenes have been averaging 700 words, so that would be around 3500 words
• send out more queries
• submit at least 3 poems – 6 sent

What really happened:

Tuesday evening I felt tired and achy. The next morning I was definitely sick. Sore throat, fever, runny nose, cough. Was sick all week. Ugh. Still got a lingering cough, but feeling much better. I didn’t get any writing done though.

 

What kept me sane while I sniffled and sneezed:

Playing Gyromancer.

Finished reading The Pit Dragon Trilogy by Jane Yolen.

Finished my follow ups. Sent emails about poetry, made phone call about health insurance issue, etc.

Sent out queries and poems.

Following all the clues and revelations for The Secret World on the forums. There were tweets and scripture clues and website hunts. Fun following all the theories. And keeping up with the 70 pages of forum. No way I’d go back and read that after. Starting while it was only a few pages long, and refreshing every five minutes while sick and not doing much else? No problem.

 

Goals for this week:

• send out more queries
• joined a challenge on Writing.com to add 10,000 words to my novel (TC) this week. Need to make up for not writing last week.
• hunt down and post all blog awards to sidebar

 

I’m glad you all enjoyed my excerpt last week. That was my first time writing in Bridget’s POV. Was quite fun. My current challenge is figuring out how to start the next chapter. I know what happens, and who’s point of view, just not sure when to pick back up. What I really want to write is the second half of the chapter. I need to suck it up and write the first scene. Ooh, maybe I should utilize Write or Die to get it out of the way without over-analyzing it.

Later this week: blog award. Time to get a little boy ready for school, and then I have much to do.

Tuesday Tally: Trinity Coven

I wrote some really fun scenes in Trinity Coven last week. I itched to write last Friday, but my son was out of school, and it didn’t happen. Looking forward to getting to the next chapter this afternoon. I know my two beta readers are eager to read it. Pressure! Good pressure.

Goals for this week:

• write one scene per weekday. TC scenes have been averaging 700 words, so that would be around 3500 words
• send out more queries
• submit at least 3 poems

 

Excerpt from last week’s writing (warning, this is rough draft):

 

Bridget shrugged to keep her shopping bag from falling down her shoulder, while she maneuvered to get her phone from her purse. She glanced at the reflection in the store window. Still there. She spoke Maralah's name into the phone. Thank the goddesses for voice recognition, but she was beginning to see why Maralah liked her bluetooth.

When she finally answered, Bridget cut through the small talk. "I'm being followed. Don't know if he knows who I really am, or I just have a really cute stalker. Kinda young though."

"How young?"

Bridget tilted her phone to take a picture over her shoulder. Lanky but not awkward. Gorgeous full head of black hair. Face narrow, mouth firm. She lingered over it for a moment, then sent it to Maralah. "Not young enough to keep me from getting to know him." If only she had changed into a dress instead of remaining in her pilot suit. Hopefully he liked a girl in uniform.

Heat flickered through her mind. Bridget listened to its warning. She murmured half to herself and half to the fire, "He's still a boy. Even if he is a warlock, I should be able to handle him." Maralah answered the statement not meant for her. "We are not yet complete. Don't get too cocky."

Bridget rolled her eyes. "You both need to trust me." She hung up the phone and dropped it into her purse. A cafe sprawled onto the sidewalk at the next corner. Perfect. Bridget dropped bag onto one of the tables. A glance back showed the young man stepping into the shadow of a neighboring awning. She turned to stare at him fully. He took a step back and avoided her gaze. Coward.

Eyes not leaving his face, Bridget walked right up to him. He started when she grabbed his hand. "I've seen you admiring me. Don't be shy."