Well, Hell. Autocorrect and Fight Scenes.

I just realized that the spelling in my last post was AWFUL! That's what I get for using swipe on my phone while trying to also feed my daughter. FAIL. I went back and fixed the typos, though!

So I actually got in some awesome writing today. I'm still working on my skills with fight scenes. Those are so awkward for me to write, but I managed to pump out a really good one, I think.

I got about a half a chapter written today, all of which was a fight scene. I've been avoiding writing for a couple days because I was so intimidated by it. So I spent every waking moment of the last three days thinking about how to write it down. And I mean every moment. In the shower, while I was changing diapers, while I did the dishes, while I was pinning a yummy chicken enchilada recipe on Pinterest, etc..

But it's done! It's on paper! And I didn't edit it until I was done writing it all down. Progress.

The deeper I get into this story the more difficult it's becoming to write it down. Some of this stuff is really brutal. Can YA be brutal? Is that legit? Well, I'd like to push the limits and go ahead and say, yes, yes it can be.

Gotta run! Ttfn!

Book banning. Well I'm screwed.

I read this article today:

 

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5152983?ir=Books

 

It's the list of most challenged books of 2013. Challenged, meaning, people making formal complaints to have the book banned from the library.

 

It is disheartening to see that even in 2013 there are still people that want to sensor our freedom of speech. But, it is uplifting to know that most of these books are the best sellers of the year.

 

These books are being scrutinized for having antagonistic situations that make some people uncomfortable because they bring to light the worst of our society or what used to be the worst of our society.

 

At the moment, I find this article almost comical. The Book is a fantasy but it touches on a very real, very uncomfortable issue that happens everyday in many many places. So this leads me to the "I guess I'm screwed" part. I'm not worried about making people uncomfortable with my story. I'm worried about people taking the right message from my story. I want to highlight the bad so that the bad will be seen and heard because the are so many silent sufferers. I don't want people to assume I'm advocating for the antagonist. WHY would anyone assume the author wants the characters they write to hurt? They want to show the protagonist succeeding and over coming the horrors that are placed before them.

 

That doesn't apply to all books, but most.

 

Well, I've just rambled on a bit. But the gist is, I'm writing something that will make some people uncomfortable. Too darn bad for them.

 

Ttfn! :)

Because sometimes life is just too good.

Unfortunately for The Book, I did absolutely no writing today.

But you know what I did do? I spent the whole day with my family and my little one.

We went shopping and got pedicures and ate lots of food. It was a fabulous day. My sister discovered some wonderful nail polish called Piggie Paint for babies. I never thought I'd ever consider painting my 5 month olds nails, but I'll be darned if they aren't the cutest thing ever!

As much as I want to finish this manuscript, life happens. And sometimes life is just too good to spend it with my nose in a laptop, escaping to my world that I've created. Though I'm excited for tomorrow to work on the next scene that has been bouncing around in my noggin for the last few days, I'm equally excited by the fantastic life that I am blessed with.

Goodnight all. Ttfn!

Edit edit edit.

Okay, I keep telling myself not to edit as I go, to just write it all down and edit later but I just can not do that. If it doesn't flow correctly I have a hard time moving on with the next scene.

Must. Not. Edit.

Seriously, Brain, get over it. Just write the next scene.

I honestly wonder if other writers have this issue. Surely, I can't be the only one.

So instead of writing the next scene, I edited more today. And now I have to go to work. My day job is really getting in the way of my creative work. :)

I will be more productive tomorrow. Or tonight. Or both. I will.

Ttfn!

P.S.
If there are grammar or spelling mistakes in my posts it's because I'm using Swipe on my phone to write. :)

The Background and Creating a World.

I feel like, for me, creating the world my characters live in its one of the most difficult parts of writing this novel. The more I developethe story the more I learn about my own characters. I'm constantly going back and adding or changing information to ensure that the story still flows like it should. Though it is a daunting task, I am truly enjoying watching the details of the novel hammer themselves out.

That was the extent of what I did yesterday. I started this part and then forgot to publish it! Woops!

Well that's all I've got at the moment. Ttfn!

I hate Wednesday's.

Wednesday is the busiest day of the week for me. This means I have very little time for my book. Which makes me sad. Instead, on Wednesday's I focus on school and work. Specifically, Micro lab, Physiology lab and then I work in a clinical lab. Yeah, I'm kind of a nerd. It's okay.

I was able to dream up some awesome story lines for a few new characters and jotted them down on my phones note pad. Hoping I get more accomplished tomorrow but homework will be vying for my attention as well. We'll see which wins.

But sleep beckons for me so, ttfn! :)

Progress! Not really. But it feels good!

I've spent the last hour playing with Scrivener. I wish I would have found it sooner. I love it. I put everything from my word documents into it today and organized the scenes. I still prefer to write everything in word but the editing and organization in Scrivener is awesome. I had some time to add a little to the manuscript so currently I'm sitting at 12,000 words and I've barely chipped the tip of the iceberg of this story. It's been a good day. Not as much writing as I'd hoped but it was enough to get me revved up for more work.

I'm not ready for people to see any of my work yet, but here's a picture of my new software!

Welcome. Why don't you take a seat?

Let's all take a moment to say hello... And by "all" I mean me, because let's be honest, I'm the only one reading this. It's 6am and I just started a blog because I couldn't sleep. Dream big everyone. *cough* me *cough*

Honestly I'm doing this because I need somewhere to pour out a daily ramble without irritating my Facebook friends or being scrutinized by my Twitter followers.

Okay I'm also doing this because I want to talk about my book. The damn book that's been idling in my mind for over a year. The book I've finally started writing after all this time. The book no one really knows about. Sometimes I mention it in passing to my husband but he pretends like he doesn't hear me. I don't think he finds writing to be a suitable hobby. This is probably why he insists I go disc golfing with him every weekend. Which I don't.

I'm okay with no one really knowing that I want to be a published author. I've been writing poetry and short stories since before I knew that a haiku wasn't a weird sneeze, but I've never been published. I've also never tried to be published. Honestly, I stash away my writing like one of those hoarders with the really scary houses full of old newspapers that they have no use for but won't get rid of. I have a sincere fear of failure and frankly, if I fail miserably, I'd prefer not to have to face my family after. This way is a win win.

I took on this novel thinking I'd finish it in a few months, easy.  Wrong. Life threw me a few curveballs I wasn't prepared for. Someday I'll tell you the story of when my cat nearly killed me and how that got me pregnant... Yeah, I know how that sounds, it's actually a really fun story. I digress. I had a baby last year. My first baby. I love being a mom but having a little one who wants to be held 24/7  has severely limited the amount of time I have to work on the novel. BUT! Recently I cut my hours at work to 8 hours a week to focus on my little one and school (ugh, school, that is a whole different post) so I have a lot more free time.

Anyway, the baby is waking up so I'm going to hurry the rest of this along.

I like goals. They hold me accountable for myself. So here is my goal for this blog:

I will update this blog everyday on the status of The Book, as it shall be called from here on out.

I must run. My little love calls for me. Ttfn.

How lucky am I?

This is my girl. How lucky am I to have such a beautiful little Muse?

I often wonder what type of person she'll grow up to be. I used to have all sorts of dreams and aspirations for her but then one day I realized that I only hope she grows up to be healthy and happy.

I don't want to force her into a life that she isnt content with. I want her to feel free to live wildly and appreciate the world around her. I want her to do what makes her feel complete. I never want her to feel like any of her own dreams are too big.

If you can imagine it, you can dream it.
If you can dream it, you can become it.