Getting vacation time can be a challenge. I discovered this week that 2 of my team of 5 have already booked off the week between Christmas and New Year. (Unlike some industries, mine doesn't have a lot of slow times and we have to maintain a certain level of service.)
I have the last week of September off (hopefully for a writing retreat with friends) and now the week of Thanksgiving. Yes, that's only two weeks later. I already have work scheduled for the week following that, so if I want time off, I have to jump on it.
That week, I'll be spending time at my favourite B&B, walking along the river and lake, drinking tea, reading and writing. I won't set a word goal but there will be writing every day. Promise.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Progress - July 29, 2011
Title: Chaos Unleashed
Words Total: 19,574
Words Today: 222
Reason for stopping: There is one fly in the coffee shop and its decided I'm its best friend. That and the massage I had before lunch is making me sleepy
Wordage I liked: "Anden."
He drew back, fist ready to connect with Lienn's jaw.
"Anden." Birte's voice was low and far too close. "If you wish Ayrmid to arrive to see why I am upset, hit your brother."
Things to discover: Merlia & Lienn's answer
Words Total: 19,574
Words Today: 222
Reason for stopping: There is one fly in the coffee shop and its decided I'm its best friend. That and the massage I had before lunch is making me sleepy
Wordage I liked: "Anden."
He drew back, fist ready to connect with Lienn's jaw.
"Anden." Birte's voice was low and far too close. "If you wish Ayrmid to arrive to see why I am upset, hit your brother."
Things to discover: Merlia & Lienn's answer
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Progress - July 27, 2011
Title: Chaos Unleashed
Words Total: 19,359
Words Today: 203
Reason for stopping: I'm out of coffee and I have errands to run before dinner.
Wordage I liked: Anything would be spoilers. Sorry.
Things to discover: How Lienn and Merlia will react to a very large request.
Title: Blade and Bone
Words Total: 4778
Words Today: 53
Reason for stopping: The ending wasn't sitting well with me. I like it better now.
Words Total: 19,359
Words Today: 203
Reason for stopping: I'm out of coffee and I have errands to run before dinner.
Wordage I liked: Anything would be spoilers. Sorry.
Things to discover: How Lienn and Merlia will react to a very large request.
Title: Blade and Bone
Words Total: 4778
Words Today: 53
Reason for stopping: The ending wasn't sitting well with me. I like it better now.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Negative Words - July 25, 2011
Not as in "this is awful"; rather I achieved a negative word count for the evening.
I'm editing Blade and Bone. Usually editing lengthens my work-in-progress. This time, a chunk of story was removed that just didn't work. See, I started this story over a year ago for an anthology. For various reasons, it wasn't completed in time. Where I thought it was going then and where it ended up are two different places. That story chunk was important in my original vision. Not so much now.
Current stats:
Title: Blade and Bone
Length: 4725
Status: First edit pass complete
Next: Wait to hear what my Alpha reader thinks
I'm editing Blade and Bone. Usually editing lengthens my work-in-progress. This time, a chunk of story was removed that just didn't work. See, I started this story over a year ago for an anthology. For various reasons, it wasn't completed in time. Where I thought it was going then and where it ended up are two different places. That story chunk was important in my original vision. Not so much now.
Current stats:
Title: Blade and Bone
Length: 4725
Status: First edit pass complete
Next: Wait to hear what my Alpha reader thinks
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Progress - July 24, 2011
Title: Chaos Unleashed
Words Total: 19,156
Words Today: 385
Reason for stopping: Saturday - I finished breakfast & needed to give up the table. Sunday - I reached the end of a scene.
Wordage I liked: (Anden has just returned home from traveling.) "Am I interrupting? I could return later."
Birte wrapped her fingers around his wrist and stared at him. He swallowed a laugh as Merlia stood.
Things to discover: Will Merlia agree to help?
Words Total: 19,156
Words Today: 385
Reason for stopping: Saturday - I finished breakfast & needed to give up the table. Sunday - I reached the end of a scene.
Wordage I liked: (Anden has just returned home from traveling.) "Am I interrupting? I could return later."
Birte wrapped her fingers around his wrist and stared at him. He swallowed a laugh as Merlia stood.
Things to discover: Will Merlia agree to help?
Friday, July 22, 2011
Progress - July 22, 2011
Title: Chaos Unleashed
Words Total: 18,771
Words Today: 253
Reason for stopping: I ran out of coffee.
Wordage I liked: "Think of me as an older sister."
The ghost of a smile flitted across Merlia's face. "You don't know my older sister."
Things to discover: Will Merlia agree to help?
Things I discovered: They've rearranged the furniture since the first scene in the cottage.
Words Total: 18,771
Words Today: 253
Reason for stopping: I ran out of coffee.
Wordage I liked: "Think of me as an older sister."
The ghost of a smile flitted across Merlia's face. "You don't know my older sister."
Things to discover: Will Merlia agree to help?
Things I discovered: They've rearranged the furniture since the first scene in the cottage.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Progress - July 20, 2011
Title: Chaos Unleashed
Words Total: 18,518
Words Today: 101
Reason for stopping: There are some things I need to work out. Also, it's hot and I had to pick up my CSA share.
Wordage I liked: None of today's words are shareable. Spoilers.
Things to discover: Where the fireplace is. (aka I need to draw the floor plan of the cottage.)
Words Total: 18,518
Words Today: 101
Reason for stopping: There are some things I need to work out. Also, it's hot and I had to pick up my CSA share.
Wordage I liked: None of today's words are shareable. Spoilers.
Things to discover: Where the fireplace is. (aka I need to draw the floor plan of the cottage.)
Friday, July 15, 2011
Progress - July 15, 2011
Title: Blade and Bone
Words Total: 4900
Words Today: 694
Reason for stopping: The first draft is done. It's a very drafty first draft but it's done.
Wordage I liked: "Tell me why I shouldn't destroy every bone in your hands. Why I shouldn't slit your wrists and leave you to bleed out on the floor."
His gaze traveled her robe-covered body. "You could do that before I stopped you?"
She pulled the bone comb from her hair, burying its point in the table and grabbed his hand again before he could react. His hands grew cold beneath hers.
Things to discover: What my Alpha reader thinks of it.
Words Total: 4900
Words Today: 694
Reason for stopping: The first draft is done. It's a very drafty first draft but it's done.
Wordage I liked: "Tell me why I shouldn't destroy every bone in your hands. Why I shouldn't slit your wrists and leave you to bleed out on the floor."
His gaze traveled her robe-covered body. "You could do that before I stopped you?"
She pulled the bone comb from her hair, burying its point in the table and grabbed his hand again before he could react. His hands grew cold beneath hers.
Things to discover: What my Alpha reader thinks of it.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Progress - July 13, 2011
Title: Blade and Bone
Words Total: 4206
Words Today: 906 (403 at Little Bean/503 tonight)
Reason for stopping: Little Bean - I needed to pick up my CSA share. Since a friend was meeting me there, I had to stop. Tonight - I think I'm approaching the end of the first draft and my brain is too tired to work it out tonight.
Wordage I liked: As he tried to wrench his hand free, she let the smallest trace of her power slide along their connection. She focused it on the knuckle of his little finger, twisting the joint until it swelled and purpled.
Things to discover: What Alya is going to do.
Words Total: 4206
Words Today: 906 (403 at Little Bean/503 tonight)
Reason for stopping: Little Bean - I needed to pick up my CSA share. Since a friend was meeting me there, I had to stop. Tonight - I think I'm approaching the end of the first draft and my brain is too tired to work it out tonight.
Wordage I liked: As he tried to wrench his hand free, she let the smallest trace of her power slide along their connection. She focused it on the knuckle of his little finger, twisting the joint until it swelled and purpled.
Things to discover: What Alya is going to do.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Progress - July 10, 2011
Title: Blade and Bone
Words Total: 3300 (For some reason, the program gave me the wrong number last time.)
Words Today: 423
Reason for stopping: I need to work out a few more things before I can go on
Wordage I liked: Alya stopped and rose from the chair. Taking up the candle, she lit all the others so the room held no shadows.
"Why?" Toreel asked from his place near the door.
She returned the candle to the dressing table, then turned to look at him. "I need to see your face while we talk."
Things to discover: The truth
Words Total: 3300 (For some reason, the program gave me the wrong number last time.)
Words Today: 423
Reason for stopping: I need to work out a few more things before I can go on
Wordage I liked: Alya stopped and rose from the chair. Taking up the candle, she lit all the others so the room held no shadows.
"Why?" Toreel asked from his place near the door.
She returned the candle to the dressing table, then turned to look at him. "I need to see your face while we talk."
Things to discover: The truth
Friday, July 8, 2011
Progress - July 8, 2011
Title: Blade and Bone
Words Total: 3366
Words Today: 637
Reason for stopping: Finished a scene and I'm getting hungry
Wordage I liked: The signet ring flashed in the candlelight as he tossed it to her. She caught it in her free hand, glancing at it to ensure it was hers, before placing it on the table.
He raised an eyebrow. "From its condition, I would think you wear the ring often."
Alya kept her eyes on him as he took another step closer. Nothing about this felt right.
Things to discover: What the prince really wants from Alya. What Alya won't do.
What I discovered: Writing seduction scenes in a public place is like reverse voyeurism. Even sitting with my back to the wall, I get nervous that someone will read over my shoulder.
Words Total: 3366
Words Today: 637
Reason for stopping: Finished a scene and I'm getting hungry
Wordage I liked: The signet ring flashed in the candlelight as he tossed it to her. She caught it in her free hand, glancing at it to ensure it was hers, before placing it on the table.
He raised an eyebrow. "From its condition, I would think you wear the ring often."
Alya kept her eyes on him as he took another step closer. Nothing about this felt right.
Things to discover: What the prince really wants from Alya. What Alya won't do.
What I discovered: Writing seduction scenes in a public place is like reverse voyeurism. Even sitting with my back to the wall, I get nervous that someone will read over my shoulder.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Progress - July 6, 2011
Title: Blade and Bone
Words Total: 2237
Words Today: 203
Reason for stopping: Finished a short scene and I needed to pick up my CSA share
Wordage I liked: Rumor had it Prince Chard enjoyed the finer things - beautiful women, rich food, anything exotic or one of a kind. Rumor didn't tell the whole story.
Things to discover: What the prince wants. Why Toreel needs to hide from the prince. What Alya won't do.
Words Total: 2237
Words Today: 203
Reason for stopping: Finished a short scene and I needed to pick up my CSA share
Wordage I liked: Rumor had it Prince Chard enjoyed the finer things - beautiful women, rich food, anything exotic or one of a kind. Rumor didn't tell the whole story.
Things to discover: What the prince wants. Why Toreel needs to hide from the prince. What Alya won't do.
Long time gone
I'm finally writing more regularly. I discovered a coffee shop a few blocks from the bus terminal with good coffee and cake, tables, sofas and an atmosphere that my muse enjoys. (She also likes the root beer they sell.)
I'm taking a page from a number of other writer's blogs and will post progress reports on whatever I'm currently writing.
See the next rock for the first of these.
I'm taking a page from a number of other writer's blogs and will post progress reports on whatever I'm currently writing.
See the next rock for the first of these.
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