Playlist

Just wanted to take a minute to bring up the subject of playlists since it's on my brain right now and since it's something I've discussed with a few people recently.  I never understood the purpose of having a playlist in regards to writing until I actually started doing it myself.  Let me just say that I greatly underestimated the influence music can have on your creativity.  I have found that sometimes you run across songs that exemplify what you are trying to convey in your writing so much that it seems like they were written solely for your own personal inspiration.  They stick with you...become a background for your story in a sense.  So, just wanted to share a bit of my current "writing playlist" that really nails the inner turmoil of one of my characters.


I'm also constantly moved and inspired by Passenger. Their lyrics are amazing! They are both extremely talented artists that are great in their own right.  If you aren't familiar with them, you are missing out and should really take the time to check them out.

Status Update

Finished Chapter 9 today.  It's ready all typed up and done.  Yay!

Checking In

Well, I would love to post an update that I have completed another chapter, but I can't, because I haven't. I'm sure that goal would be better achieved if I would quit skipping around and working on other sections scattered throughout the story.  Sometimes I go through phases where I want to strictly just WRITE.  A lot.  Several chapters in a matter of days.  These are occasions when I can sneak away by myself free from ALL distractions for a fair amount time.  These opportunities have been rare as of late. Other times I feel moved to work on other aspects--outlines for the following books, or random sections I have planned that I feel really passionate about at the moment.  I've been more stuck in one of these "other times" lately.  BUT  I can say that I've made some great progress on getting a much more detailed outline for the entire story, so that's definitely a plus.  The way I see it, progress is progress, even if it's not in the proper chronological order.  (And really, who's to say what that is, exactly?) .  Just makes for easier writing down the road!

Status Update (At last!)

Whew! Well I finally defeated the cold from Hades and I feel so much better after finally getting the creative juices flowing again.  I just spent a few hours at the library working on the next chapter and managed to get a lot done in a few hours.  I'm pretty sure I'll be able to finish it up in the next few days.  Going to work on getting a more extended outline this week too--detailed for the next few chapters and rough for the remainder of the book.

And now, I shall reward myself with cheesecake!

Site Recommendation

Typically, I would use this time to brag about having been productive.  Unfortunately, I've been battling a horrible cold for the past week and have not written so much as a sentence since my last update.  But, now that I'm finally starting to feel a bit better <knock on wood> I'm determined to get back to business this week.  

Having said that, I wanted to recommend a site that I've rather enjoyed lately:

http://www.goodreads.com/

It's a pretty entertaining.  You create your own "shelf" with books you've read or plan to read, get recommendations, can do your own reviews, etc.  My favorite feature is you select your favorite authors and it lists any updates they've added to their site/blog, which makes it easy to keep an eye out for updates without visiting every individual site.

So, I'll leave you with that and my vow to update again soon with an update of some actual progress!

Status Update

Well, I was true to my word.  I sat down the other night with the intentions of making some notes and writing down some key points that will resurface in later books.  Only I got a little carried away and ended up writing out 2 full chapters.  I've known how things would conclude all along so when I found myself 'reciting' word for word in my head exactly how things would play out, I decided to take advantage of it.   It will be interesting to see, as things progress, if I stick with those endings or if I change them.

Additionally, I'm already well into writing Chapter 9 and have Chapter 10's outline done and waiting.

Status Update

I just put the finishing touches on chapter 8!  I'm always happy when I get to post status updates because it means that I'm making notable progress with the story.  In writing some of the details in this most recent chapter, I brought to the surface several things that are going to come up again later down the road and even in the following two books.  That being said, I feel compelled go ahead and roughly implement them in my notes for the other two books I have planned while they are still fresh on my mind.  I actually skip around and work on the other two books when I feel particularly compelled to do so quite often, so I will be taking a day or so to do that while I work on getting the final details for the next chapter's outline nailed down.

A Very Productive Week

So in addition to getting to meet Scott Westerfeld this week, which I am still on cloud 9 over, I also managed to wrap up chapter 7.  Not only that, but I'm only a paragraph or so short of putting the finishing touches on   chapter 8 as well. (It's amazing what you can get done when you manage to get everyone out of the house for a few hours.)  I feel very accomplished for the week!  It's nice to feel like I have control over something given that everything else in my life is so frustrating right now.

And now I shall reward myself by taking in a day of college football without feeling guilty!

Meeting Scott Westerfeld & Justine Larbalestier

I had the pleasure of meeting Scott Westerfeld today at his book signing for Behemoth.  (He's one of my absolute favorite authors, so needless to say it was really exciting for me!)

As luck would have it, his wife and author Justine Larbalestier (Zombies vs Unicorns, Magic or Madness Trilogy) was there too.

They were both incredibly nice and interactive with everyone there.  Scott talked with those of us who arrived early about his works and encouraged everyone to ask questions which he was more than willing to answer.  It was truly a pleasure meeting both of them.  If you ever have the chance to attend one of their events, you should definitely jump at the opportunity.

Status Update

Whew!  So I took a short break to read The Scorch Trials. I have to say that it is by far one of the best books I have ever read and if you have not added this series to your "to-read" list by now, there is no time like the present! (Seriously, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?)

That being said, I sat down today and nailed down the final details in the outline for the next chapter.  Hopefully, I can sneak off sometime this weekend and get the next installment all typed out.  Not sure where I'll be able to find a few moments of uninterrupted silence, but it will most definitely NOT be the library.  So don't look for me there.

Scorch Trials Release

I'm really excited about the release of James Dashner's The Scorch Trials tomorrow!  I hope it's as good as it's predecessor, The Maze Runner.  (If you have not read the first one yet, then I highly recommend it!)  I can't wait to see what awaits the Gladers!

Status Update

I just put the finishing touches on Chapter 6!  <does celebratory dance>  It always feels like a mini-accomplishment to complete the next chapter.

So, goals for the week, in no particular order, are:
--Nail down the specific details of the outline for Chapter 7
--Work on Chapter 7
--Figure out how to allow people to become followers--I'm sorry, minions--without using that Google Friend Finder thing!  Hey, I didn't ask for it to be there.   It just showed up.  I'm hoping my PC illiterate brain can manage to find a more user friendly option to replace it.

A Blog? Why?

Ah, the inaugural first post.  This opportunity only happens once, so I guess I'd better make it good. 

I figure the best way to start things off is by answering the question:  Why do you have a blog?

Simple...sort of.

I'm a writer.  (It still feels really odd to refer to myself as such.)  I'm currently working on my first book and hope to become a published author in the not-so-distant future.  The way I see it, if I'm going to call myself a writer, then it's about time I lived up to the title.

I'm fortunate enough to have the support of friends and family who are always willing for me to bounce ideas off of and who ask for updates on my writing status with genuine interest.  (Or, maybe they just fake it well.)  I've been working for the better part of a year now, but not really pushing myself, setting personal deadlines, or taking my goals seriously.  Until now.

In short, I feel like I've reached a pivotal point where I have to make a decision about the direction I really want to take.  The way I see it, I have two options:  A) I can continue to swap emails with my reading audience of 2 and never apply myself to do more than that, or B) I start to take it seriously, do everything within my power to push myself to succeed, and focus on my goal of achieving that coveted status of 'Published Author.'

I'm choosing option B.