Writer's Block

I have it! I did a million and 1 things today, but when I sat down to write, all I could do is stare. I have three story lines going and a fourth I left hanging earlier and I'm completely blocked. I've got nothing - bupkiss. I know where I'm going with the most recent story line, but the style I've been writing in sort of requires a switch to another storyline at this point. That's why I'm stuck. I suppose it may be time to introduce another character. I have three more to go before the book can be finished, maybe four. I've already got over 200 pages. I'm telling you, it's going to be too big. I may have to break it up into two books. Once I have it written, I'll know better. So, wish me luck and send the inspiration fairies my way. Thanks!

As for ZeitGeist, I think part of the mood of the times at least is fearful because of the economy. I can't tell you how many times I work and rework my budget. I'm obsessive about it. I just have to see the figures on paper, or excel in my case. What do you think about the economy?

December is all About ZeitGeist

I have a million and two things to do today, not the least of which is pay bills, and I'm not getting any of it done as I am going through my grotesquely engorged email box, trying to get it under control. So, I've speed dated, read my horoscope, deleted about 50 mails, so far, corresponded with twitter pals, updated my NaBloPoMo account and who knows what else. Here's December's badge. The theme is ZeitGeist. I have no idea what that means. I'm going to look it up now. The translation from the German is "the spirit of the time". A more in-depth definition is - "ideas and spirit of(the) time: the ideas prevalent in a period and place, particularly as expressed in literature, philosophy, and religion." Definition courtesy of MSN Encarta Dictionary. And this is what we will be blogging about.

So what are the ideas and spirit of this time and place? What is being expressed in our literature, philosophy and religion? I don't think you can leave music out of this mix. There is the philosophy of three generations right there. I'm going to think about this while I attack my in box and hopefully get the shopping done.

So November Dies

Arrrgh! I missed a day. Kept it up all month until the second to last day. I don't suppose confusion is a good enough excuse. Ah well. What's done is done. I will tell you what had me so rapt last night. I made a pot roast for the first time. After all these years, I've never made one. So, I bought all the stuff and went to it. Do you have any idea how expensive a 3.38 pound chuck roast is? It's criminal! So naturally I was under a lot of pressure not to screw it up. It took way longer than mom said, but it came out pretty good. Julia Child has nothing to worry about from me.

Today, I'm just trying to get things done. I have this whole long list. I've done like 3 or 4 things. I just don't want to go out in the rain to drop off the stuff to Goodwill or go shopping. I have 4 or 5 places to go. I don't want to do it in the rain - just not up for it. So that leaves the dishes and laundry - yuck! Why don't these lists ever include really fun things? I did have writing on there, but I've already spent a couple of hours doing that and I just can't justify any more. I suppose I could do the shredding while I watch a movie. That might work. lol. My luck, I'd miss a staple and cause a meltdown.

Wish me luck. It's the last day of November. December is going to be even wilder.

Christmas Shopping and the Almighty Budget

Well, naturally I missed the Friday sales because I was on the road. Probably a good thing in the long run. But now I have to try to find other sales to get something decent for my kids. The rest of the family is getting cookies. lol. I have these beautiful tins I bought on like 90% off, so that's covered. Now I just have to make the cookies.

Oh, and did I mention my son's birthday is only a few days from Christmas? Isn't that just peachy? I don't even really know what he wants. I've gotten him an 8 GB jump drive (USB drive) and I need to get him a mouse, but those aren't that exciting. I think there may be a concert coming to town soon. I need to check on that. The big ones usually skip us. I'm not making a cake this year. I'm making him two pecan pies. One to hoarde and one to share. He loves pecan pie. Might as well give him what he wants, right. What he really needs is a pair of shoes. But at 13 1/2 you can imagine what they cost and how hard it is to find a decent pair. He'd really be mad if I called it one of his birthday presents - darn!

I started decorating outside yesterday and I'm so proud of me! Unfortunately, I hammered my thumb a little more than the little nails I was using to hang the decorations on the brick mailbox. Oh well. I got them up. That's what counts. Right? Now for the hard part. I have to start putting out the decorations with lights. So far, it's just been wreaths and topiaries and what not. Now, I'm going to get serious.

And, I'm going to do some writing too.

NaNoWriMo Winner!

Well, I'm home safe and sound and you know the first thing I wanted to do was get my NaNo novel validated. I feel great! It's just wonderful getting the recognition. I'm still no where near finished, but I buzzed past 50,000 and that's what counts. I put up my winner's banner for the sheer fun of it. I'm going to post them everywhere. I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings, full of those moments that make you stop and realize why we give thanks. Better get some "real" work done. My freezer melted down while I was gone and the frige lost its cool, so I had to throw every thing away and start over. Now I have to drag all of that mess to the outside garbage can. Time to wake the boy. lol.

The Long Road Home

Well it was another long, long, day on the road. We had to come back today because one of my kids has to work tomorrow - bummer. But, still, it was a good visit. I've REALLY missed my writing. I've been tempted to do it by hand! We'll that's all for me for one week. Hope it was great for you all.

Happy Thanksgiving

As you can imagine, Thanksgiving with so many people was a free-for-all. My mom made like 9 pies and cookies and brownies and stuffed dates and my sister-in-law made this 12 pound turkey and two great big hams. There was just SO much food. But the best part, sappy time, was being with my family. I don't get to see them that often and it was worth this horrible headache I've been sporting for days to see them all. I hope you all get to be with the ones you love today and have a Happy Thanksgiving. And don't forget to give thanks for everything you've been given!

Family Reuinion

Today we had our whole family together for the first time in the same place in years. It was awesome. All the kids had grown and changed so much. But like I told mine, children do that. Glad I brought my camera! Didn't really get any writing done though, as you can imagine. I tried a bit in the morning, but it wasn't too fruitful.

A Zero Word Count Day

I actually spent a day where I wrote not a single word. I was traveling in the car for over 10 hours to get to my brother's house for Thanksgiving. I'm exhausted and only typing this to comply with my NaBoPoMo commitment. So, enough for today. More tomorrow. I hope. I missed my people today.

Quitting Early to Pack for Thanksgiving

I had to quit early today because my start time just got moved up to tomorrow morning. Long drive ahead - 11 hours. Yikes! But, it will be worth it in the end. My whole family will be together for the first time in years. Today I managed 4,009 before I had to quit for a total of 108,780. I hope I'll be able to post while I'm away. I may not be able to pick up a signal. It will ruin my NaBloPoMo run.

Breaking 100,000 Words

I did it and I did it pretty big. I wrote 4,965 words today and did my other work too: budgets, dishes, eBay listings lol. Actually, this week eBay is listing for free. You don't pay unless you sell. So, I did a few listings and did some Christmas shopping too. My total words are now 104,771. I still haven't settled on an ending. I have to find a way to tie all the storylines in together.

Can You Say Double NaNo?

I am 194 words away from hitting 100,000 words. I'm just too tired to do any more tonight. Too funny. I wrote 6, 444 words today, for a total of 99,806. Watch me go over the top tomorrow. I need to go back to a languishing story line and let the poop hit the fan. Then I can come back here and let romance blossom.

A NaNoWriMo Comeback

Yeah, I making a comeback! I managed 4,676 words over two storylines today. The bad guys are being very bad. Things are heating up. Hopefully tomorrow will be a banner day. My total now is 93,362. I must say though, if my son keeps playing his screamo "music" for hours on end, my nerves won't be able to take it. There's only so much your natural filters can deal with before you snap.

Slowing Down

I'm definitely slowing down. Of course life is keeping me busy lately, but the story lines are screeching to a halt on me as well. I've started a new one, but it isn't what I'd hoped. I may have to abandon it and go with another. Ah, the perils of noveling. The word count for today is a whopping 2882. Not stinky, but not what I have been capable of so far. My total is 88,686.

Another Slow NaNoWriMo Day

Had another slow day. Errands to run, dishes and laundry to do, same ol, same ol. I only wrote 1985 words today. I'm trying to work my way to a particular conflict without being boring. Don't know if I'm succeeding. I'm thinking I should have introduced the new storyline first. We'll see. Oh my total is now 85,804. That's 179 pages.

Writer's Block

I'm stuck. I finally got the two story lines to intersect and now I'm stalled. IEEEE. I just need to spend some time rethinking the story. I already know both of the stories, but there's a time issue. I think it may be time to introduce the next storyline. That will advance the timelines for me. I only got 1,962 today. My new total is 83,819.

Breaking Personal NaNoWriMo Records

I broke another personal record today. It's my birthday, so I just wanted to write. Some of the words are from a short stint last night after I "Quit" for the night. lol. I don't know how many. Any way, I've got 9,900 words for a total of 81,857 words so far. My story arcs are just beginning to cross, so thing are gonna get good. And, I'm going to introduce another story line.

Bleary Eyed Blogger

I've typed until my arms are stiff and I'm bleary eyed. I really don't want to stop, but it's time to take a break. Today I've typed or at least kept, 6,731 words. My new NaNo total is 71,957. I'm about to get to a pivotal point and cross the story lines so it's doubly hard to stop. I may do a little more later. Who knows.

Killer NaNo Day

Yesterday, after I had "quit" for the day, I started typing again. I put down another 1285 words for a total 8274 for the day. Wow! My personal best. Now I'm up to 65,226. I'm starting to get bored with this story line though. The conflict seems to far away. At least there's a lot of erotic moments.

NaNoWriMo Marathon

I'm quitting early for today. I got at it early and stayed with it, so I've got a rocking word count, 6,989 for a total of 63,941. The pain in my back is slowly becoming manageable. A few stretches as I go along and I can stand it again. I've got work to do today, and doing the dishes doesn't count. So, I'd better get the errands done and get to editing.

And The NaNo Beat Goes On

Well I started a new story arc, so I've been excited, trying to get to the point where it likes up with the first. But I've actually got a ways to go. So, for now I'll just have to be satisfied with enjoying this new storyline. I have to try not to rush it too much. Since last night I've written 6,830 words for a grand total of 56, 982. I think this book is going to be a whopper, especially if I put in all the characters I have storylines for.

Success!

I made it! I finished my work and scored 50,152 words. Now I have to go and take a nap. I've got an honest to goodness date tonight and I want to be fresh. lol. Wish me luck.

Almost to the NaNoWriMo Finish Line

I am so tired. I had some editing to do for work and I kept going back and forth between NaNo and work. Still, I got my work done, and the dishes finally. lol. Today's word count is 4581 for a grande total of 47,176. Only 2824 to go. Of course, the book won't end at 50,000 words, and that's a good thing, not only for the book, but also for my NaBloPoMo posts. lol.

Slow NaNoWriMo Day

Well, it was a slow day for me on the novel. Life intruded. I had shopping, work and laundry. Worse, I didn't even get the dishes done - oh no! Well I guess there's always going to be days like these. Still, I got a respectable word count: 2577 with a total of 42,595. I'm almost done with this story arc, so I'll be moving on to another one soon. Should be a lot of fun.

Early on, I felt like this book stunk, but now I think it's definitely salvageable. I'm looking forward to fleshing it out and glitzing it up a bit. After all, it is supposed to be "erotic." lol

Color Me Obsessed

Have you ever gotten into something that you just can't stop? I'm that way about my NaNo novel. I need to make this story happen, stinker or not. I sat down to write this morning and before I knew it, it was time for my son's bus to be here. I didn't get the laundry done, or the shopping. All I did was write. It's all I want to do. And I get these terrible back and shoulder cramps, but I keep writing anyway. I think I have a problem. lol.

Anyway, today's total, when I finally made myself stop is 6694. I think this beats yesterday's topper. My total is now 40,018. I'm finally coming to the end of this character's arc, but I have at least 5 more characters to introduce. lol. Wish me luck!

Book Writing and Back Aches

My back is killing me. It's that place off to the side of my shoulder blade. Oh, it just gets so painful, it forces me to stop typing. Right now my shoulder is hurting to and my hand is going numb - you think maybe I'm taking this word count thing too far? lol

Well the official word count for today is 6485. I believe that's my record so far. The new total is 33,324. I'm going to stop typing now.

NaNoWriMo on a Roll!

Yesterday, I had a banner day. 6029 words. I finally had to stop because my back and shoulder were killing me. My total is now 26,839. I pains me because I've just gotten to one of the most important love scenes thus far. I guess I'll just have to do it first thing tomorrow.

It's hard writing a book like this; you never know how much is too much, or not enough. I think I've erred on the side of "not enough" so far, but I'm going to fix that.

Don't you hate those people who call you up with this high pressure sales pitch and tell you that they can't offer it to you after today, when they've already called you three other times? Doesn't that just burn your bacon?

What about the ones who call you because ONE time you said you were interested in online schools. Now they call every few weeks - all of them. Yikes! lol

Early Bird Gets the Word Count

I got up uber early this morning- just couldn't sleep, so I decided to do some more research into my characters. As it stands now, I'm only going to get to introduce a handful of the main characters before I hit 50,000 words. I have nine and 1/2 story lines to introduce and I'm still on the first one at 20,810. I may have to rethink this book a bit. The last four are by far the better stories - I remember them best, and they have more conflict. I think I may just gloss over the others because the characters' presence in the story is still important.

Time for more coffee. Hope you have a stellar day. Mine is starting out great. Got some laundry done, a few dishes. Go me! lol. Now to start writing.

NaNoWriMo Benchmark

Well I've hit a high note with my word count anyway. I wrote 3904 words today for a total of 20,810.

Of course life isn't all about NaNoWriMo. What?! lol. Yeah, our wireless router went down yesterday and we had to trade the ethernet cord back and forth to have internet. Got it fixed today, but I had to pay the manufacturer to help me reconfigure it. What a pain. It was really horrible last night being without internet. It shocked me how much I rely on it.

Internet Woes

Our router went out today, so we've been passing the internet cord around the room so everyone can get a turn on the net. Here's the update, 5,460 words today. Yeah me. It was a good day. Too bad I don't really like my book so far. It has its little jewels, but over all, its a stinker. lol. Well gotta pass the cord. Check you tomorrow.

Freelancing and NaNoWriMo

Had to work for many hours on my freelance project today - an eBook first draft. It cut into my NaNo time rather drastically. I still managed to get 2363 words down. So far, I'm not liking this book as much as my other two, or the one I wrote outside of NaNo. C'est La Vie. Such is life. I'm trying to stay ahead with my word count so that when my freelance work does come home to roost, I won't get behind. My total word count so far is 11,446. My last scene was pretty good. I liked it pretty well. I think I'm just terribly out of fiction practice. I'm going to try the word count widget again.

NaNoWriMo Inspiration

For all you Wrimos out there: A diamond is a piece of coal that finished what it started ~Unknown. Be that diamond. Take that lump of words and make it into a novel. You can do it.

Still Writing

I'm writing by itty bitty lamp light. Gotta get those words in! I have 2055 so far, but I'm about to get back to it. So far I'm already thinking about the editing I'm going to have to do. lol. Oh well, it's about getting it all down on paper after all.

Word Blitz

Yesterday I wrote 5,215 words. Amazing since my kitchen lights shorted out. That's where my desk is. I'was afraid that I was going to have to go back to work soon, so I worked as long as I could. I'll do the same thing today if I can.

Now I've got to hire an electrician to fix the lights. They've shorted out in three rooms. Can't catch a break. Oh well. That's life.

NaBloPoMo

It's time for November's NaBloPoMo. I'm going to try - again - to be a daily poster. I've noticed that they have daily prompts now which should help if I run out of things to say about NaNoWriMo and my eBooks. They also have this great web badge which definitely fits my theme this month.

My neighbor across the street recently lost her husband. I knew he was sick. I bought a sympathy card, but I don't know how to give it to her. I feel like if I give it to her in person, it should be with another gift or at least a casarole, which I don't know how to make. I'm really lost here. I just don't think it's right to slip it in her mail box.

NaNoWriMo Cover Art

Hey, thought I'd post my cover art and banner too. My cover art is pretty amateurish, I did it in a hurry. But it gets the mood across, I think.

Nanowrimo Eve

NaNoWriMo is finally upon us! Tomorrow is the big day and I've actually done a synopsis of parts of Chapters one and two. Yipee! Here's my word count widget to show everyone how I'm doing.

It will show my progress throughout the month. I've already marked each day with the number of words I have to make to get to 50,000 by the 30th. Wish me luck. Oops, more trick -or-treaters. I'm dressed as the Queen of Hearts tonight. Wonder if that holds any significance other than that I got the outfit on super sale a couple of years ago. lol.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Halloween Glitter

eBook heaven

I did it! I finally finished the draft of eBook number two. Now I can take a day off. I wish tomorrow was November 1st so I could start NaNo. I really want to get some words down.

Sigh

Well, It looks like I'm going to finish the first draft of that eBook by the first of November after all. Of course, I'll have the revisions of the first book I wrote to do soon - alas. In any event, I will do my best to tap out my 50,000 words anyway. I have a vague idea what to write about.

In the meantime, I've got two nights of trick-or-treaters to contend with. One town nearby decided to do it a day early, so we expect they will descend on us tonight while our town will hit us tomorrow. Fun, fun, fun. Happy Halloween everyone!

NaNoWriMo Time

Well, it's nanowrimo time again and I'm in a real pickle. I've gotten two really choice ghost writing jobs, but there is no way I'll be finished by November 1st. I haven't even had time to come up with a plot. I have a vague idea, but no time to outline. I also don't know if I'm going to be able to make the time to write while I'm supposed to be writing for my jobs. I may have to start late and really hump it to catch up. I just don't know. Anyway, I am determined to participate again this year and win if humanly possible. Wish me luck.

Fishing Families on the Gulf Coast

As you all know, the fishing industry has been hit hard by this collosal oil spill. My own hometown, near Pensacola, FL has been hurt badly. But there are organizations, like this one, popping up to help in this crisis. Even now, events are being planned along the Gulf coast to raise money for fishing families. Please check your local area. See what you can do to help and join the cause. http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/citizengulf-national-day-of-action The link is at the bottom of the page. On the rest of the page you will find other ways to help. Thank you!

NaBloPoMo - January 2010 - BEST

This year we're going to start NaBloPoMo with a bang. The theme is BEST. There are so many permutations. I'm so looking forward to this year. I hope it will show in my work. Here is a wonderful badge created for this campaign.

Here's hoping we can all do our best in all that we do this year - even in finding joy in the little things. That's so important.