There are some amazing things going on in the blogosphere, lads and lasses!
Over at Miss Snark's First Victim a whole bunch of agents are bidding against each other for the chance to read the manuscripts of some aspiring authors - but don't worry, I've been assured that the end days aren't as bad as we've all been led to believe.
Rachel Gardener, wonderful agent and all-round good guy, has been reading my diary again. I say that because it's less far-fetched than the idea she reads my blog.
Scarily, The Rejectionist doesn't seem to need caffeine to write as eloquently as she does. I shake in terror as my one plan to vanquish said blogger should they decide to attempt world domination has now been proved ineffective.
I'm an emerging writer! So says Australian Writers Rock! - I don't just have to rely on what my Mum says anymore ^_^ Seriously, I'm reasonably chuffed about that.
Oh! And I'm jealous of Sarah at Earful of Cider because she knows cooler people than I do and of Tahereh at Stir Your Tea because every time I try to pull off cute crazy all I manage is awkwardly bizarre verging on Sweet God Run! and of Gin and Kerosene's owner for getting to go see Muse when the best I've been offered this week is Wiggles tickets. (And yes, I took them.I know one 2-year-old who's going to be uber-excited tomorrow!)
I should have been in bed hours ago.
Word Count - 1,319
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Days 90 - 94 - When is a Failure not a Failure?
I had a five year plan. The first year was meant to be just solid writing - the idea being that I would have a solid base of work to build on come year two.
There have been a couple of problems with this - the main one being that I never see my husband any more. The secondary problem being that I'm dying to start editing my first ever completed novel (I know - I'm weird ^_^) and I don't have time if I'm writing 3000+ words per day!
So I've decided to cut back my word count goal. This was a very hard decision for me - I felt like I'd let myself down, that I'd failed.
But the goal isn't, as my wonderful Dad reminded me, an arbitrary number. It's to work as a published author. And if I want to make it my life, then making balance a habit is going to do me much more good in the long run than focussing all my energy on only one aspect of the craft.
So my new goal is to write 1,000,000 words over two years - to make 500,000 in my first year I only have to write a very manageable 1,305 words per day. That will give me plenty of time for editing, playing Assassin's Creed 2 and teaching my toddler to read.
My quote a day calendar at work has been eerily accurate this year. The day I made this decision, it had this to say:
Word Count - 0
There have been a couple of problems with this - the main one being that I never see my husband any more. The secondary problem being that I'm dying to start editing my first ever completed novel (I know - I'm weird ^_^) and I don't have time if I'm writing 3000+ words per day!
So I've decided to cut back my word count goal. This was a very hard decision for me - I felt like I'd let myself down, that I'd failed.
But the goal isn't, as my wonderful Dad reminded me, an arbitrary number. It's to work as a published author. And if I want to make it my life, then making balance a habit is going to do me much more good in the long run than focussing all my energy on only one aspect of the craft.
So my new goal is to write 1,000,000 words over two years - to make 500,000 in my first year I only have to write a very manageable 1,305 words per day. That will give me plenty of time for editing, playing Assassin's Creed 2 and teaching my toddler to read.
My quote a day calendar at work has been eerily accurate this year. The day I made this decision, it had this to say:
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
Word Count - 0
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Days 88 and 89 - Love, Hate and Kittens
So, on Tuesday I came home and my rapidly-getting-fat cat didn't meet me at the door.
(If you've read the title, you probably know where this is going.)
When she came out into the loungeroom, she was starving - and A LOT thinner.
Being naturally suspicious of girls who spend all night out with their boyfriends and then spend the subsequent months getting plumper and plumper, I went around the house to have a look-see and, sure enough, there were KITTENS in my bedroom cupboard!!
Squeee!! ^_^
I love babies of all kinds, and these ones are beautiful! I am now the proud grandma of four kittens. I gave Mum lots of pats and hand fed her some chicken curry until she let me have a look at them. She was happy to let me have a squiz, even nosing them over in my direction so I could see them better. She'd lost one already, but the other four are going strong.
I went and tried to write afterwards, but I had two problems:
1) I was too excited about kittens; and
2) I HATED my novel.
I spent most of NaNo writing my YA Sci-Fi, but as I'd finished the first draft (Booyah! Did I mention that??) I went back to my Regency Romance.
I couldn't do it. I hated all of it - the characters, the plot, even the setting.
So I've been stuck for the last two days. Tonight I really actually have to DO something, but I don't know whether to keep soldiering on with this or start afresh on something else.
Suggestions welcome!
Word count - 0
(If you've read the title, you probably know where this is going.)
When she came out into the loungeroom, she was starving - and A LOT thinner.
Being naturally suspicious of girls who spend all night out with their boyfriends and then spend the subsequent months getting plumper and plumper, I went around the house to have a look-see and, sure enough, there were KITTENS in my bedroom cupboard!!
 |
| (NB. The above non-flash photo was taken with Mum in the room, and I put the bub straight back - so please don't think I've ruined any kitty lives) |
Squeee!! ^_^
I love babies of all kinds, and these ones are beautiful! I am now the proud grandma of four kittens. I gave Mum lots of pats and hand fed her some chicken curry until she let me have a look at them. She was happy to let me have a squiz, even nosing them over in my direction so I could see them better. She'd lost one already, but the other four are going strong.
I went and tried to write afterwards, but I had two problems:
1) I was too excited about kittens; and
2) I HATED my novel.
I spent most of NaNo writing my YA Sci-Fi, but as I'd finished the first draft (Booyah! Did I mention that??) I went back to my Regency Romance.
I couldn't do it. I hated all of it - the characters, the plot, even the setting.
So I've been stuck for the last two days. Tonight I really actually have to DO something, but I don't know whether to keep soldiering on with this or start afresh on something else.
Suggestions welcome!
Word count - 0
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)