Well, between being sick for two weeks and then having work, soccer, scouts, and life to work around, I've not gotten much done in the way of writing. The trolls are going to have to wait, J.T. is stuck in Roanoke with the not-so-lost colonists, Josiah is not yet on his way to a publisher (synopsis needs work!), and the issues plaguing my paranoid Abigail have been solved only in my head!
For work, I'm reading books that might be considered for the 2010 Newbery. This is for a fifth grade project we conduct every year. Anyway, there are 35 titles to preview. I read some, and I feel encouraged because I can see the strength of my own writing in comparison. (I know, it sounds rather egotistical to think I'm better than them, but my writing seems better IMHO.) Others encourage me because I feel the writing is equal to my own so I truly see the worth of my hard work and ambition. When I read books like Lisa Graff's Umbrella Summer and Suzanne LeFluer's Love, Aubrey, however, I get discouraged. My genre is different, my style is different, yet I see how absolutely breath-takingly superior these books are to anything I've ever imagined. Both books made me cry with the way they addressed death of siblings and parents and how their characters grew and changed.
I'm just trying to remind myself that my books shouldn't be compared to these, but it's hard!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Long week with a forecast...
...of a great weekend. I've been busy with the first day of school, both my 3 Rouskateers' homework and teaching 5-6 classes per day. (I'll be honest, it's always nice that kindergartners don't show up for a week and a half! I like that afternoon break!)
JG made the soccer team at school, so he's on 2 teams and will practice M, W, F until 5:30 and T and TH until 5:30 with one team and 6-8 with the other...WHEW! Oh well, practice time = writing time for me, and I'm looking forward to getting more written.
J.T.'s story is doing well on authonomy although I can't seem to break 100. Maybe that will happen this weekend or next week! Anyway, as soon as the kitchen's clean, I'm sitting down with some trolls and talking them through the woods and on to the land of the sprites! (Who used to be fairies and might become pixies...) :-)
JG made the soccer team at school, so he's on 2 teams and will practice M, W, F until 5:30 and T and TH until 5:30 with one team and 6-8 with the other...WHEW! Oh well, practice time = writing time for me, and I'm looking forward to getting more written.
J.T.'s story is doing well on authonomy although I can't seem to break 100. Maybe that will happen this weekend or next week! Anyway, as soon as the kitchen's clean, I'm sitting down with some trolls and talking them through the woods and on to the land of the sprites! (Who used to be fairies and might become pixies...) :-)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
School starts, summer ends, and my mind...
...feels overwhelmed at what I did and didn't accomplish! I really felt confident the trolls would be on the second draft by now, Josiah would be reworked, and J.T. would have broken the top 100 on authonomy. So far, only Josiah's where he should be!
I did get the pictures organized by date (but not in albums), we had a great trip through Pennsylvania and New York, watched fabulous soccer, visited Montreal, and went through the Coast Guard Academy and Westpoint. I also canned A LOT of vegetables and cleaned out a few closets!
I guess I did accomplish a lot, just not the items that were on the top of the list. Hopefully the trolls will find their way through the woods, visit the sprites, and return to Notyalc safely before...dare I say Halloween? Or should I play it safe and say Christmas? Who knows. I'm too tired to think right now!
I did get the pictures organized by date (but not in albums), we had a great trip through Pennsylvania and New York, watched fabulous soccer, visited Montreal, and went through the Coast Guard Academy and Westpoint. I also canned A LOT of vegetables and cleaned out a few closets!
I guess I did accomplish a lot, just not the items that were on the top of the list. Hopefully the trolls will find their way through the woods, visit the sprites, and return to Notyalc safely before...dare I say Halloween? Or should I play it safe and say Christmas? Who knows. I'm too tired to think right now!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Moving right along
My Troll story is finally moving along, albeit slower than I'd wish. Unfortunately for the trolls (but fortunately for us!), I have 8 lbs. of banana peppers and a couple quarts of tomato sauce to can. The trolls will just have to take a break from questing through the forests.
On another note, I've decided the third race in the land of Marf will be the sprites, not the fairies.
On another note, I've decided the third race in the land of Marf will be the sprites, not the fairies.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Editing
Editing is sometimes the most difficult part of writing. Every word is your own creation, and it's difficult to let them go, especially when it's a scene that's near and dear to your heart but might not help the story along. Anyway, because of that I'm entering Janet's contest from http://eyefeathers.blogspot.com to see if I can win that 10,000 word edit. The biggest question for me, if I win, would be which story to send for the edit?
Should I send The Curse of Josiah's Orchard, the adult crime/suspense novel? Probably not since I learned of the contest on SCBWI. Maybe I should send J.T. Middleton, Time Traveler (Book 1, The Wild, Wild West)? This is the one my critique group is helping me with and is posted on authonomy where I've been getting some great feedback already. Then again, I have Troll Quest, a true work-in-progress that may have a great deal of potential. Decisions, decisions. And these are decisions I might not even need to make!
Nonetheless, I think all writers/aspiring authors are greatful for any chance to have their work edited in order to have it improved.
Should I send The Curse of Josiah's Orchard, the adult crime/suspense novel? Probably not since I learned of the contest on SCBWI. Maybe I should send J.T. Middleton, Time Traveler (Book 1, The Wild, Wild West)? This is the one my critique group is helping me with and is posted on authonomy where I've been getting some great feedback already. Then again, I have Troll Quest, a true work-in-progress that may have a great deal of potential. Decisions, decisions. And these are decisions I might not even need to make!
Nonetheless, I think all writers/aspiring authors are greatful for any chance to have their work edited in order to have it improved.
I met my goal...
...sort of. I added a prologue to Josiah, saved each chapter separately, and am printing today (storms yesterday as I was about to start printing so it was put on hold.). I read through the first 3 chapters and the foreword of Troll Quest. There were some minor editing changes to be made, but it's getting my mind back into the story. Unfortunately, I have some preliminary paperwork for school to get finished today (lesson plans to help renew NB certification), and a trip to Lowe's, a visit to school, and 2 dogs to bathe while getting the boys prepared for their camping trip. Nonetheless, the trolls will be worked on this afternoon. (If I use the laptop, I'm not as concerned about the weather!)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Will this be the day...
...I actually get some writing done? Probably not with over 4 lbs. of tomatoes to peel, puree, and can plus a vet appointment. However, I'm going to try! I'm also going to print off all 175 pages of Josiah. (The groan you hear is from my 6 year old printer. That's senior citizen age for it!) I do better at major reading off paper, not a glowing screen.
J.T. Middleton is doing well on authonomy, at 125 last night. He's also waiting on the Delacorte contest, but we DON'T want to hear anything until October...that would mean they liked it more, even if he doesn't win.
Meanwhile, the trolls are angry and not speaking with me because I promised I'd get them out of the woods, and they're still languishing there with dwarves lurking nearby. (Trolls and dwarves are enemies, you know.) I'll try to coax them to let me back on their good sides tonight.)
And for those who aren't writers: my characters may not breathe my air, but they are real, and I do talk to them! :-)
J.T. Middleton is doing well on authonomy, at 125 last night. He's also waiting on the Delacorte contest, but we DON'T want to hear anything until October...that would mean they liked it more, even if he doesn't win.
Meanwhile, the trolls are angry and not speaking with me because I promised I'd get them out of the woods, and they're still languishing there with dwarves lurking nearby. (Trolls and dwarves are enemies, you know.) I'll try to coax them to let me back on their good sides tonight.)
And for those who aren't writers: my characters may not breathe my air, but they are real, and I do talk to them! :-)
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