by Sarah | Oct 31, 2012 | Books, Hex Ranch, Writing
To get some more writing posts up – at least until I figure out the blog layout craziness – and then especially after that, I found myself a new weekly blog hop to take part in. This one is the Hump Day Hook. The point is to post one paragraph of your writing. It can be a WIP, a finished MS or a book you have out in the world for sale.
To quote the creator (Kerrianne Coombes):
This is a new blog hop where you post ONE paragraph from a WIP or finished book for all to see. Then, it would be really cool if you could visit other writers participating and comment on their paragraph!
This is a fun way to meet new writers, gain more readers and basically have fun with your work! You can tweet about it, Facebook it Etc, and get word out about HHH and your work.
So for my first foray into the world of the HHH I’m putting out a paragraph from my WIP, Hex Ranch. Instead of starting from the beginning I started somewhere in the middle so I’d have a good idea of the characters and their personalities before I tried to start Chapter 1. One thing is for sure, it didn’t take long for Thea “Teddy” Drake to make her personality clear. Here’s her response to the Sheriff (Seth) asking if she’ll behave:
Goddess, she really wanted him to take her right now. His strong arms held her close enough to feel his own excitement pressed hard against her belly. Her body hummed, nipples taut against the thin cotton of her dress. “I make no promises, Sheriff. Can’t recall a time I’ve ever been real good at behaving.”
To see more participants, click on the HHH banner below:
by Sarah | Oct 2, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, General, Hex Ranch, Writing, writing tips
[flickr id=”6367108607″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]You work diligently on a piece. At times you’re almost frantic.
You edit. Refine. Perfect.
You send it off into the world.
Breathe a sigh of relief.
And freeze.
What next?
You have to wait.
Sometimes it’s days, others it’s months or even years (I waited almost 2 years for a reply on a full before throwing in the towel – not without hesitation and sadness).
What next?
Sure they tell you to dive into the next thing.
It should be that easy.
Unless you know – the wait is only a couple of weeks. Maybe a month.
When you’re waiting for each email alert.
It’s easy to get distracted.
Facebook. Twitter. Blog posts. Real life.
Sleep. Oh, sleep is beautiful.
No beating yourself over the head to write, or edit, to make each sentence shine.
You miss it – but oh the break is nice. It’s only a few weeks anyway. Who cares if you take a break?
Except you miss it.
The break is stupid.
But how can you write when you’re distracted by email alerts? Facebook games (just ONE more quest…then I’ll write. Oh, wait – that quest is easy, one more. I swear it.).
It’s time to regain focus. Time goes too slow when you’re waiting on word.
It’s best to get lost in a new world.
Meet new friends (i.e. Characters).
How do you do it? What tricks do you use to regain focus?
Me? Well, I’m dropping my Facebook games. I don’t need them clogging up my feed anyway. I’ll just keep one game that doesn’t clog my feed and takes forever to regain lives. That means I need to focus and get back on my schedule. I have plenty more stories in my head that need to come out.
But just one more quest before I quit…
Just one….
by Sarah | Sep 19, 2012 | 45 before 45, All About Family, All About Me, Changing Tracks, Writing, writing tips
[flickr id=”7809492264″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]We all have dreams.
Some dreams are big – bigger than what our logical minds tell us we can accomplish.
Some dreams are more practical – but still mean something to us.
Growing up I had many dreams. I wanted to be a dance teacher. I wanted to perform on stage in musicals. I wanted to be a vet. I wanted to be a mom.
I was blessed to accomplish some dreams early. At 10 my dance studio let me become an ‘assistant’. Me and my co-advanced-class dancers would help the teachers with the young ones. By 11 we were teaching the classes ourselves for the most part. By 13 we were allowed to choreograph.
When I was in my 20’s I was able to take some courses and training and became a vet assistant. For about six months I worked in a vets office and still think of that time with fond memories.
I became a mom at 21, and again at 29 & 30.
Right after I got married I performed in a series of musicals over the course of the year. On stage. Singing and dancing under the lights.
Then I got wrapped up in real life. I had a husband, kids, bills, work and a home. Dreams went by the wayside as our girls were born and their development took up every spare second of breath and thought in my head. In the moments of quiet when everyone went to bed and I could unleash the stresses, I chose to do them with words.
Writing.
It had never been a dream, but as worlds formed under my fingertips, stories unfolded on the page, and characters breathed life into my soul a new dream formed.
Wrapped up in the realities of life I’d forgotten about me. About how important even the smallest dreams could be.
They give you life, hope, something to look forward to and achieve.
Dreams are life.
Since then I have created a 45X45 list and begun to tackle things on it. Some are small, others seem impossible.
Still, every time I cross something off of that list I feel a sense of elation, I smile for days. I have accomplished something.
It’s not just good for me. It’s not selfish.
My children need to see it. See me achieving goals and dreams. The little ones, and the big ones.
Within 6 months I’ll have proof of one of my biggest dreams on my Nook (and Kindle). Within a year I’ll have physical proof sitting on my bookshelf. Published.
It wasn’t a dream I had growing up. It’s new. Formed just 7 years ago. When I thought it was unattainable, outlandish and crazy.
I’ll never stop having dreams. Achieving this one I’ve formed new ones.
New ones will follow behind.
Never let go of dreams. Always have two – one practical & achievable, and another completely outlandish.
Never give up hope.
Let your children see the hope, and the accomplishment. It’s a prize that lasts for a very long time – and it helps them set their sights on the biggest dreams.
by Sarah | Sep 1, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, Children of Gaia, Hex Ranch, Writing
[flickr id=”6367108607″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]It starts with a spark.
One small idea.
It can happen anywhere.
In the car.
While surfing the web.
In the shower.
No matter how it happens, it happens.
Sometimes after that the facts dribble in slowly.
Others it’s a mad rush.
Everything falls into place. Ideas gel. Facts line up.
And then…
The glorious moment you have a story.
Characters introduce themselves. Plots weave their tangled web.
That’s where I am. On the cusp of turning in Changing Tracks to my editor and starting revisions on book 2 (Derailed) a new story has come into mind. It breaks down genre barriers, mixing at least 4 together into one novel.
My fingers itch to pull the trigger and start. The world is almost built. My hero and heroine are being friendly and chatty and letting me know their personalities.
It’s a good feeling, that Mad Rush.
by Sarah | Aug 25, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, Children of Gaia, Writing
[flickr id=”5585130717″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]In the middle of edits, both for Changing Tracks, which I need to turn in for final edits; and for Masked Hearts, which I need to prepare for submission. I’m also critiquing words for Mary and Fi in my spare time, and even occasionally Jenn (who is crazy-busy with all of her new releases).
This all leads to a ton of editing.
I’m cross-eyed and confused half the time.
I needed an escape and it came in the form of a submission call at a small pub (Das Krakenhaus) for an anthology they’re doing. The small pub is run by an old high school friend of mine, and they are awesome, so I thought I’d take a look. After seeing what they were looking for, I thought the apocalyptic would be perfect as a prequel to another series I’d been thinking about.
Over the next couple of days the idea solidified and I started writing it last night.
I’m uncomfortable and feeling stretched beyond my limits.
1 – it’s SHORT. I’ve written a flash piece (500 words) that got pubbed in Siren’s Call. But I’ve never written anything with significance that would be bigger than that, but shorter than 12k. I’m so verbose this is a challenge.
2 – it’s not romance. While not my soul focus (that flash piece was horror, after all) – romance is mostly what I’ve done, what I do. The closest I’ve come to stepping out of that comfort zone was to write a paranormal rom over a historical western rom. This? It’s a contemporary, destruction of the world type of piece. No romance.
3 – it’s in 1st person POV. Not sure why, just know that it is. To the point that we never know the name of the person who we’re living the story through.
4 – it’s a male POV. While I’ve done male POV before, it always freaks me out.
All of this is good. It’s stretching my limits, stretching my capabilities. That is always good.
It’s giving me a break from the mind-numbing endless edits. That is a huge relief and breath of fresh air.
But it’s slow going. I only have under 12k to learn this guys voice to figure him out and let all of the action happen that should happen. I have very clear and gorgeous pictures in my head about what will happen and those must get on the page in a male’s POV.
So I’m learning as I go, but it’s an uncomfortable stretch. One that will improve as I work – I hope.
by Sarah | Aug 16, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, Critters, Writing, writing tips
While I’m blissed out at having an empty house during the days now (post on that soon)…it’s also leaving me to face everything I need to do all at once. That often leads to me getting overwhelmed when face with sheer numbers of responsibilities.
Key among all my ‘to-do’s these days, layered in with cleaning and sewing and shopping and blogging and fixing my social media outlets and more cleaning, is editing.
Editing Changing Tracks to make it shiney before it goes to my editor who will help make it bright as the sun.
Editing and Critiquing my crit-groups work.
Writing my short(er) novel.
Reading/using/doing-more-editing-based-on notes from those critting my stuff.
Did I mention I’m overwhelmed?
And a little buried under?
Thankfully I’ve found EditMinion that helps me do side by side with my chapters. It’s in beta version, but if he adds some more areas to the editor it’ll be just about perfect. The other online-editor I’d been using you had to click for each area and it didn’t let you do side by side, just pulled out the relevant sentences. With the minion I can get on my hubby’s computer and split screen minion vs. manuscript and just hit everything that needs hit.
Talk about a time saver. I have a wonderful critter helping me out with line edits – but this gives me one more layer to tackle before I send my baby off.
Now if I could just find those extra 10 hours in the day to get everything else I need to do.
Do you know where those hours can be found?
To get some more writing posts up – at least until I figure out the blog layout craziness – and then especially after that, I found myself a new weekly blog hop to take part in. This one is the Hump Day Hook. The point is to post one paragraph of your writing. It can be a WIP, a finished MS or a book you have out in the world for sale.