NaNo 10

I won again =]

The story isn’t done and I am working on that, more slowly now.

The deadline kept me on track, but now that I don’t have one, I lack proper motivation. Self imposed deadlines and such don’t work well for me, so I write a lot slower eleven months of the year x]

I was writing on HCD when Nano rolled around, but after I got going on it last time, I once again hit a wall. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing there. I think I may be out of my depth, and though I loathe to put aside 56k, I think it may come to that, unless something clicks and I continue with a better understanding of how things should be.

The WiP that I started for my latest NaNo is, I suppose, YA. The protagonists are teenaged girls, after all. It’s a discovery lesbian love story. It is, as yet, completely untitled. I refer to it as Megan, if I think of it with any kind of ‘title’, because that is the MC’s name. -shrugs- I think it’s one that I have to finish before I find the title, much like the majority of the poetry that I’ve written.

I have interested family and friends that want to read ‘one of my books’. So, after I finish Megan, I will rewrite BtV, then either finish HCD or write something else all together, then rewrite Megan…hopefully starting a working cycle. I plan to find a short list of agents to send BtV around to after it’s rewritten and hopefully I can add that into my working cycle.

Am I getting too involved in the ‘behind the scenes’ type thing, making for boring reading for those who come? I hope not.

I don’t presume to give advice about writing or any aspect of it, so I am chronicling my process and giving insight into what I’m working on…and maybe I can add some success in at some point =]

I’m basically really random and tend to go off on tangents, so don’t be overly surprised if that happens within these very posts!

Want to win signed copies of the Wake trilogy?

They are a YA trilogy by New York Times best-selling author Lisa McMann.

I love the premise of these books, so am spreading the word.

Shannon Messenger is giving them away, full info can be found on her blog

Small update

Just a small update.

I discovered this morning that I don’t have the notes I did on HR, they are stuck on a hard drive that is out of commission due to a fried processor. So, I will have to set it aside once again. Hopefully I can get my files from the old hard drive soon.

I’m picking up on HCD again, I started well, better than I had hoped for, even. Then realized that the higher race is about to enter the story, and I don’t have them quite nailed down yet. So, pausing to work up what they are like, then I will be able to move ahead.

Belated Happy Vday

Wishing everyone a belated Happy Valentine’s Day. Hope you had a nice day with the loved one(s) of your choice =]

I finished the rewrite of the first 17k+ of the old WiP, which I still don’t have a working title for, just something to refer to it by. =/

I’m starting to pick up where I left off, hopefully I can get back into the groove of that piece.

The old WiP is a historical romance, maybe I’ll use HR as an abbreviated, working title. I’ll go with that and if it changes will keep this updated to reflect that.

Happy writing, writers. =]

Dusting off

Just an update on what I’m doing:

I’m dusting off an older piece, I started it at least 5 years ago, I got it to a point and got stymied on a new character and what she would do for the plot.

I had Word when I was writing it, now I’m using Works, so things got a litle garbled when I opened it. A few parts moved, there was a lot of coding embedded throughout. (went from 27 pages down to 17-it was a mess!) I just finished cleaning it up, and read a bit as I went along, it definitely needs work. Tense switching, repetative dialog and I saw some general lack of coherency/consistency. But with a bit of work, I think it will be worth going back to.

HCD is stalled, I don’t like recent days’ writings, but won’t know how much to chop until after I continue. But its hard, because I don’t want to go off in a pointless direction with more writing stemming from the work I have done. So, I’m going to write on the romance while I flog HCD in my head until I can figure out what’s going on and where to go from here. I don’t think I had a clear enough internal outline in my head when I started, but moot point now, I have to deal with it. Maybe I’ll be more careful and better prepared next time, after having learned from this.

I don’t have a working title for the old wip, yet. Will hopefully find one that fits when I finish reading what I have.

Slacking

I haven’t written much in the last couple days.

My RA was acting up, haven’t been sleeping well, then I’ve had a headache for almost three days, makes it hard to think.

I’m going to try tonight, though, even with the headache. RA isn’t killing my wrists, and I don’t use my hips/knees/ankles to write so to hell with them.

Recent writing news

On the 4th, I wrote 4,646 words, I was so impressed with myself.

But, yesterday, my wrists were hurting, right one especially, and I couldn’t type. I tried for awhile and got 504 words, but had to stop.

So far today, have written nothing. My left forefinger keeps almost popping out of place as I type with it. =3

I don’t know if the high word count is to blame, or if its just the RA in general. Either way, its hindering my writing.

Hoping later today/tonight is better and I can get some work in. =]

The words are flowing today

Written: 2Feb10

I’m almost to 2,500 words. Actually, I might be over, I haven’t done a word count in a bit.

Did some spot research and planned out the layout of a hospital, and a ward in it, and the schedule of the patients’ days.

I still have no idea how long this story will end up being, I would guess at least 80k? Though, that depends on how things play out after the transition. We’ll see.

I’ll keep you updated.

Happy writing, writers. =]

Character Development, how much is enough?

Written: 26Jan10

My MC for HCD is giving me a bit of trouble today. I did 5 pages of character development, facts, backstory and the like. Yet, many times I have to stop writing to actually think (perish the thought!) of what her reaction would be.
My Veil MC did not give me as much trouble, and I had less written about him, development-wise.
So, how do I know this new MC less, when I have her more developed? Maybe I didn’t ask the right questions, ones pertinent to what she would be experiencing in HCD. Maybe I’m overthinking things, which would not surprise me, I know I have a tendancy to overthink things.
I don’t think the rough draft of HCD is going to turn out to be as flowing or well put together as Veil’s. I know I’m not objective in this matter, but the writing of HCD is a little harder than the writing of Veil was, and I think that shows (or will show) in the finished 1st drafts.
But, they are very different stories, so, like children, a writer can’t expect them to behave the same, though they are closely related. They have their own personalities, their own way of doing things.
Maybe I will find that as I go along, HCD gets easier, and that the editing process of this girl will help her mature beyond the uncertain girl she is at present.

I guess, just write it as it comes, even if I have to stop and consider along the way. At least the storyline will be there, and I can rework later. Because, yes, I know…rough drafts are called ‘rough’ for a reason. That is certainly seeming to be true in HCD’s case.

May your words flow like a babbling brook, writers.

~Am

Introduction

Amber Bagola Aspiring Novelist & Poet
Amber was born in May 1975 in a small town in Montana, she spent her childhood there. After experiencing life elsewhere, moved back to stay, in 2001. She is an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana.
Amber has been married to her husband, Mario, for 8 years. The two have no children.
She enjoys cooking, reading, listening to music, online pet sites, vegetable lo mein, crime drama on TV and her favorite color is medium purple (#9370DB).
Amber was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in October 2005. The diagnosis has impacted her life greatly, and she is still learning to live with it, and the limitations the disease imposes.

Her favorite authors include:
Stephen King, Piers Anthony, Jean M Auel, JK Rowling, Sherman Alexie
Her favorite TV shows include:
NCIS, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Bones, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, Ghost Adventures, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

I’m seeing if I like this blog better than my current one, if I do, I may switch. =]