Bloomin' Sprouts

The thing about sprouts is they often go on to bud, and then to bloom.  The sprouts "colossus" that I posted earlier are now buds and blooms colossus.  Check them out.

You know, ideas are alot like these flowers.  They sprout, they form into little buds, then, if you're lucky, they can bloom into something as amazing and beautiful as these Amayrillis.  

I'm still frustrated, not being able to work on my book.  Some time next week I'll get my replacement computer and probably go into shock trying to get my writing fix.

Phantom Sprouts

As I sit here writing this, I have so many ideas for the book I've been working on, fleeting thoughts, concrete plot points. Unfortunately, I received the word yesterday that my computer is officially DOA. I'm typing this on my son's uber old Precision M60 Workstation that I got from the Dell warehouse more years ago than I can recall. It is the back-up, back-up computer. The keyboard is lifted up and the screen is wonky. I hope it holds out until I can replace my Dell Latitude.

I'm afraid to work on my book on this machine because I have an older version of Word on here, and although I own the licence, I'm having difficulty getting it registered, so I have only 32 more uses before it shuts down. Fun. I don't want to lose my work.

Luckily, I saved my book to a flash drive every day, so I didn't lose anything when I lost the computer. Plus, the hard drive is okay, so my computer guy can transfer my data to the new computer anyway. Yeah! But it's going to be the end of next week at least before I can get a replacement.

It's just so difficult not being able to put my ideas down on paper. It's as if they sprout and then go back into the ground. I hope they will lie dormant there until I can write again.

What is my Book About?

For the kind person who asked this question, I will tell you. It is an erotic fantasy, though I'm afraid it has evolved into a more traditional romance. The fantasy part is alive and well I'm happy to say. I've got lots of conflict, adventure, betrayals. But now that I think about it, I am going to have to start spicing it up again.

As for February's challenge, right now I'm working with a character who is in love with one woman, obsessed with another, and taking up with a third to hide his relationship with the second. It's great fun. And, he's a good man, not a sleeze bag. But remember, this is fantasy.

NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month

NaNoWriMo is in five days and I have managed to waste the entire morning twittering and commenting on other sites around the net. I've done my shopping for the day, checked my mail and driven my son to swimming. Now it's time to get down to business. I've got to get my first novel firmly in my head - no more living dead villains, lol. I want the sequel to flow naturally from the first book. The only way that is going to happen is if I'm back into the first book as much as possible. Working on that now. Can't help editing while I'm there though, darn it. Enough talk, it's all work for me from here on in today. Well, except maybe for a nap that is. :-). NaNo on!

Working Manuscript

Finally, I have a working manuscript of my second book. I plugged so many holes and rewrote half of the last quarter of the book. I added 10 pages! I've got 180, 000 words now. Whew! Now it's just a matter of edit, edit, edit, until it's as perfect as it's going to get. I may go back to my first book for a while first. I need to have it in my head quite solidly since I'm going to be writing the sequel soon. Good plan.

Working Title for New Book

Okay, so I have a working title for my new book, soon to be written during NaNoWriMo in November. Soul Jumpers II Blood Heat. I wish I could come up with a good enough name for my Romance novel. It's driving me batty. Also on the no go list is cover art for Soul Jumpers II. I've tried two covers and they aren't working one bit. I've got one more idea, but I'll have to do some traveling. Wish me luck.

Plot Breakthrough

I just finished the first draft of my second book. I had some major plot holes and discrepancies, but I just had an epiphany. I know just how I'm going to make it work. All of the problems have just fallen into place like dominoes. Okay, there are still a few kinks to work out, but I have faith now that the major issue is resolved that I can smooth those out. The really cool thing is I get to add a whole new major scene to the book. That means more original writing. Yay! Time to go back up what I've already done. An extrememly important practice. I don't do it often enough as it is. When I wrote my first book, I'm sure I backed it up every day.

Publishers and Agents

Wow, this can be so confusing. I've been reading about them for some time this morning and I still don't really know that much. It does appear that most if not all of the major publishing houses won't accept a submission unless it's through an agent. There are alot of other publishers who will, but it's hard to know much about them, even if they have great websites. They certainly paint a bleak picture for first time authors.

And then there's that pesky Platform business popping up again. How does a fiction writer really get the kind of followers you need to qualify as a "platform"? I admit that I'm a bit lost when it comes to that whole concept. I mean, between freelancing and writing, I don't have a lot of time for playing around on the social networks. But I guess I'd better find it if I want to sell my book. The problem is, you can't print excerpts because some publishers don't go for that, so how do you get people interested in your book?

I was amazed at how much the agents took. They really take a bite out of whatever royalties you get, unless that percentage is just for the advance, but I doubt it. Yeouch!

Freelance Finale I

I finally finished the chapter I was working on! Now I've got to get to the other book pronto. That chapter is going to be even more challenging I think. But first, I do have some housekeeping matters on the first book to make it print - ready. Also, I've got another job I've been neglecting that I need to do today. Work, work, work. Happy problems.

I hope you liked my little tip. I will have some more as time goes by. One thing I am definitely learning is that you can and must get free publicity for your book and you can do it yourself, without the help of an agent or publisher. Think on that and I'll have more for you soon.

Romance Novel:Progress; Writing Contests

I'm making great progress on my new novel. I'm on page 221 with 103,000 words so far and I still have two major plot arcs to go. I've gotten to where I can hardly stand not to be writing. Even now I'm raring to go. Just had to take some time to go to the grocery store and have some breakfast. Now it''s writing time. I'm obsessed I know. I may have another job to do also, so I'm going to have to write on my "off" time. I also need to work on my first Novel some more still. I have plenty of writing to do and when I finish this, there's NaNoWriMo coming up in November and I have to choose a story. I think I want to do a sequel to my first NaNo Novel. But I also have another story. However, I think it will be a longer book than 50,000 words. We'll have to see. The Be Your Art writing contest is coming up soon - deadline September 20, 2009 and I want to enter that, but I don't see that happening with my other writing commitments. I don't know, I could always try. The First prize is to have your own logo designed by Phine Art Designs and publication in North Shorian Magazine. The Second and Third prize is publication in North Shorian Magazine. Give it a try. Publication is a valuable prize and having your own logo could be priceless.

My New Book: A Romance: NaNoWriMo Sequel

As you know, I've started a new book, a romance, quite the jump from horror/thriller. I've got about 42,000 words and 85 pages so far. I'm pretty obsessed with it and spend all my free time writing and when I drive, I talk over scenes that I want to write. I'm really pretty psyched. As I told you, it's been in my head for years, but now new things are happening too which is fun and a little frustrating if it complicates my story line too much. It's complicated enough.

So, for NaNoWriMo I've decided to write the sequel to my first NaNo Novel. Won't that be fun. I'm going to start outlining as soon as I finish editing the first one. lol That's the update for now, but I have a new website for you to check out with some good tips and information on it. The Write Place.

Still Writing

I've been writing so much those little muscles under my shoulder blades are hurting. But I'm not complaining. That friend I was telling you about put in a good word for me with an independent publisher and now he's going to look at my book! I'm floored. I'm also working my fingers to the bone to complete the revisions.

Now I've got a new job writing an ebook. It should start about the time I'm ready to show my book to the publisher, so the timing couldn't be better. I can't believe I've been hired to write another book though. It's amazing really. I know I can do it, but it's still a bit daunting.

I've started a new blog - A Serial Story by ArtAmbrosia - where I write a story in chapters, one each week. I should finish it in ten. Come check it out. So far it's pretty good. :-)

I'm sorry I have to dispense with the teaser that I promised you, but I don't know how the editor would feel about that. Some don't like it, do I'm taking the high road.

©2009 T.S. Witt

Writing Again!

I've had two freelance jobs in the last week that have kept me hoppin' and writing! It's been great. The best part is I finally opened up that dusty file with my book in it and started editing again. I got so into it I forgot to eat and had to have cereal at like 10 PM. lol. Then I kept at it until I couldn't see the page any more. If I didn't have other work to do today, I'd be at it right now. I'd forgotten how much I love my characters, my people. They're so real to me. I hope that means they will be real to my readers too. I'm thinking of posting some teasers to see if anyone has anything to say about that. My friend and author of seven, soon to be eight novels, Jason Gehlert, used that method and it worked well for him. In fact, he posted one whole novel once - a chapter at a time as he wrote it. Isn't that cool? You can keep up with Jason and all his work at jasongehllert.blogspot.com. He's got a new novel just coming out called Europa: Rise of the Carnelians. You can find chapters and character bios on his website europa2045.blogspot.com. Jason was also insrumental in getting me through my writer's block. I don't think I put it in my 7 ways to beat writer's block, but talking with other writer's can really help to get you motivated in your own writing. Gotta go, lots of writing to do. Look for those teasers soon.

A Creative Black Hole

Like many of you out there, I'm completely blocked. I haven't written anything creative in many months. I'm afraid I've just let life's demands get in the way. My house needs work before I can sell it - which needs to be soon - and I'm home schooling my son. I've begun I feel guilty if I'm not pursuing one or the other of those two endeavors. Hence, no writing is getting done. I even feel guilty doing this now, but I need an outlet - a way to vent my frustration. You see, I have already written a short book, for NaNoWriMo last November, and it's screaming at me to work on it. It needs revision and fleshing out. It's absolutely languishing! Worse, I realize just how long it has been since I have written anything new, original. I did write a couple of stories last month for a man, but the character was his, I just made up the story within his preconceived world.

I haven't written a poem in so long, I'm not sure I remember how. I shut down my popular poetry challenge group to spend more time on the house and I dearly miss it. At least with that I got to read other peoples' creative work once a week. I'm going to have to start writing again soon or things are going to get ugly.