Stumbling Along

The Writing Life

I feel like I'm getting a lot of work done, and the weekend rolls around and I have twenty things needing my attention. And that's just for the writing part of my life. I've settled into a really good routine of writing at least a thousand words per day in WIP. Twenty-four days into the month and I'm on schedule. I never thoughts I'd be one of those word-counting people, but this is really working for

me since I started it with my last WIP. The thing is, there are lots of other things I need to do for my writing than spewing out words. Like promotion, keeping in touch with my online friends, reading blogs, learning new things, and keeping up with the work I do for my writing groups.

The Business of Writing

I want to thank my friends over at The Whole Shebang Site for having me as guest. I'm talking about all the science I researched and used in my most recent series, Survivors of the Apocalypse. The series is set 300 years in the future when a virus has nearly wiped out mankind.

Also, for my writing groups, Pennwriters. I'm helping promote our upcoming online class, Nonfiction Places and Spaces. The instructor wrote a top ten list of how this class will help fiction writers. It's a quick read.

Personal Life

My daughter is thinking about applying to a MFA low-residency program. It had a good reputation. I'm watching my granddaughter in the mornings this week while her father is coaching at a baseball camp so I'll be late visiting everyone today. Little Elliana is 15 months old now and pretty amazing. She learns a few new words every day.

I purchased an elliptical a few months ago, and I'm staying true to it. Any where from 40-60 minutes per day and it doesn't bother my knees like jogging and walking does.

Entertainment

Yippee! Salvation comes back on tonight. I'm very excited for it. My other summer fun, Killjoys isn't coming back on until late July, I believe. The only other TV I'm watching this summer is The 100 which is having it's best most twisty, horrifying season ever.

What part of the writing business takes away from your writing time? What do you think of MFA programs for writers? Do you think scientists could accidentally wipe out mankind?

Chrys Fey: Write With Fey

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•        Spark One: Being a Writer

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 Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept blending romance, crimes, and disasters. She’s partnered with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and runs their Goodreads book club. She’s also an editor for Dancing Lemur Press.

Fey realized she wanted to write by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida and is always on the lookout for hurricanes.

 

Chrys Fey’s Links:

Website / Blog / Amazon / Goodreads

Facebook / Twitter

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IWSG: June 18 Version

June? How can it be? It's the first Wednesday so that means IWSG blog hop time. Please visit the IWSG site to hear about the 2018 anthology they're putting together. Also, check out the list of all the participants in this awesome group.

This month's optional question: What's harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?

I used to have no trouble coming up with titles for my books and series. Lately, I've had more difficulty. My publisher has even helped me with suggestions and we've worked together to find the best one. Character names have always been a challenge so no change there. Sigh...

I attended a hilarious but information workshop session at Pennwriters led my Timons Esaias. Timons teaches in a MFA program at Seton Hill University so he has lots of experience reading and grading his students writing samples. The title of his workshop was More Stuff Tim Is Tired Of and he had an hour's worth of cliches, common mistakes, and damnable habits. One of the things he talked about that writers should stop doing is using character names with weird spellings like substituting a 'y' for an 'i' or an 'e' so the name looks exotic. Or making up a name that is impossible to pronounce. He claims fantasy writers are especially guilty of this.

Some wisdom from the Old Farmer's Almanac.
Astronauts can become up to 2 inches taller in space because there is less gravity. 
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1st through November 30th.

I do like summer heat but another great part of summer is fresh salads. I love fresh fruits and veggies. I'm not growing my own this summer but there are two produce stands close by. Our local snapping turtle resident has been making daily appearances around the homestead. And the new fawns are sneaking out into the back acres. Their barely the size of a tall cat. Adorable.

Is coming up with names or titles in your writing difficult for you? Do you agree with Timon's naming irritants? Is gravity on Earth making you shorter? Will hurricane season impact your neck of the woods? Are you having more wildlife sightings recently?

Boom! Summer

The Pennwriter's Conference was a huge success. Now that it's over, I'm planning on being more active on my blog. We'll see how it goes. I'll share some highlights on another post.

Finally saw Infinity War with two of my sons. The overall story was good, but what made the movie for me were all the character interactions. I can't even pick a favorite, but there were many laugh-out-loud moments. No smiles at the end though. Wow.

My boys went through some of the boxes we'd saved from the childhood. I winced to see all the money I'd spend on Power Rangers, GI Joe, and comic book characters. I don't mind the legos. They're timeless. We have two boxes sorted for Goodwill, and they each filled two large plastic tubs with their things. Still on the to-do list, baseball and football cards.

Love my granddaughter, but I'm looking forward to summer and not being a full-time babysitting-grandmother. If writing goes as planned, I'll have the second book in my new series finished  by summer and a new home for my Dragon fantasy series.

The third and last book in my Survivors series is available in all formats on my publisher's website. Exile's Savage Lady wraps up all the story lines with a story of love and self-sacrifice. It's not on Amazon yet, but as I've mentioned before, the writer and the publisher make more money when a purchase is made from the website and that hungry monster, Amazon, is cut out.

I hope you had a chance to spend the Memorial Day weekend with family and/or friends. Our house was full and a good time had by all. I might have to do some extra walking this week.

On the entertainment front, Timeless ended for the summer and maybe forever. Once Upon a Time wrapped up all their story lines as the series ended. I'll miss it, but the end was satisfying. My current TV favorite, The 100, is having its best season ever. Very tense and exciting. Other good news, Salvation, another end of the world plot, is returning for a summer season starting June 25th.

Some wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac: For long-lasting blooms, pick flowers in the late afternoon when the leaves and stems contain the most sugar.

Any interesting TV in your opinion? Have a cookout on Monday? Do you have any toys packed away from your childhood?

IWSG: May, 2018

I'm fully into the summer feels as May rolls into town. Today is the first Wednesday of the month and that means, IWSG posting time. Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, we all have this wonderful blogging group where we share our successes and insecurities. And the IWSG is more than that. Visit their website and check out all the resources, and while you're there, check out the entire list of blogging participants.

This month's optional question for the group:
It's spring! Does this season inspire you to write more than others, or not?

The nicer the weather, the less writing I get done. I exercise more, have hours of yard work to do each week, and love sitting on my porch or deck to read. My best writing season is winter and the cold rains of spring and fall, though I despise those times.

If I have an insecurity, it's that my marketing sucks, as in I hate doing it and have been ignoring it.  Other sorrowful news, I received two rejections from publishers as I search for a home for my previously published fantasy novel. The publisher closed and the 2nd and 3rd books weren't published before the closure.

We did have a cold wet spring so I completed the first draft of the first novel in my next space opera romance trilogy. I wrote about 78K in seventy days. And it's a little less rough than my usual first drafts. I also completed the last round of edits on the last book in the dystopian trilogy. I'll have a release date for Exile's Savage Lady soon.

I'm making some blogging plans for the summer. Every Wednesday except for the first one of the month, I'm going to host a writer friend for some fun and promotion. I'll let you know more about it later and offer some dates for my IWSG friends.

Some of the shows I've really been looking forward to are back for their short runs. The 100 is back, my favorite post-apocalypse show. Timeless is also back though not quite as fun as the first season was. Once Upon a Time has only a few episodes left in the series run. Will be sad to see it go, but I've loved it all. Supernatural has been enjoyable this season. New shows I've been checking out are Krypton (giving it an OK), Deception, and The Crossing. I like The Crossing a lot.

"Fill you life with experiences, not excuses." Wisdom from the Old Farmer's Almanac

I've been a bit absent in the blogging world, but I hope to catch up to everyone in the next week. Does the nice weather interfere with your writing? Any good shows entertaining you or some you're looking forward to their return?  

IWSG: April 2018

It's already that time when the amazing group, Insecure Writer's Support Group, do our once per month blog hop where we share our victories, woes, and give hope and support to each other. Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for starting the group and all the hard-working administrators who keep it running. If you'd like to join our posse, check out the entire list here.

I'm skipping the optional question this month and I don't have any really big insecurities hampering me at the moment. This is mostly a report today.

I did get the cover art for my upcoming release, Exile's Savage Lady, Book #3 in The Survivors of the Apocalypse series. My publisher didn't get me the exact release date yet. Hoping it will do as well as the second book, Horse Tamer's Fiery Lady.

In personal news, I'm scheduled to speak at a panel at my local library next Sunday. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not someone who has any problem speaking in front of people, probably thanks to over thirty years teaching high school students. Audiences don't get tougher than that age group. I also know two of the other authors who will be on the panel so looking forward to spending time with them. Here's an article on how to snag some public appearances to build your audience.

On Saturday, we're sitting down together and doing our taxes. Since my husband and I are both self-employed, we always have to pay in some. Sometimes a lot when my husband has a good year. I'll let you know on Monday if I need you all to buy at least one hundred of my books apiece to pay the tax-man. Wish me luck.

Easter was pretty great with all the children home and having fun together. My granddaughter was the center of attention, of course, and loved every minute of it. Not to brag about the little genius who is only a month past one year old, but I have to spell words around her now. Mostly words like OUT because she wants to go there and the weather has been miserable. Also have to spell LIBRARY because she goes to the door as soon as she hears it and then is upset if we don't get in the car.

“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.”
—Philip Roth

I'm still on target writing 1,000 words per day on my WIP for more than six straight weeks now. Still don't have a name for it though. Been getting about 40 minutes of exercise in 4 or 5 times per week since the new year. I'd rather be outside but ... weather. (Trying really hard not to complain about the snow that won't fricking stop!)

“I do not over-intellectualise the production process. I try to keep it simple: Tell the damned story.”
—Tom Clancy, WD

Has spring arrived in your area? Did you file your taxes yet? Are you feeling insecure today?

Spring, Please Arrive

Winter has seemed so long this year. Though we didn't get a lot of snow, there were a few long stretches of frigid weather and recently, the most relentless wind imaginable. Tomorrow is D-day for spring's arrival on the Vernal Equinox. I believe we're expecting spring to magically start at 12:15 PM EDT. I'm ready. If you want to know more about the Equinox, my go-to source of information is The Old Farmer's Almanac. Check out this quick easy read.

Then came the lovely spring with a rush of blossoms and music.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In other important news, my new printer was easy to connect and set up. I'm pleased with it for now. And still average 1000 words per day on my next WIP.

Combing spring and writing news, spring is a favored time for writing conferences. IWSG had this great post about organizing so you get the most of any conference you attend. Pennwriters, a state-wide and beyond the borders of PA writing group, has one large annual conference and also puts together two smaller mini-conferences.

The first mini-conference called Writers Project Runway is happening in Leesburg, VA on April 7th. They still have room if you're near there and interested.

The large annual conference is being held in Lancaster, PA this year and filled with great workshops, speakers, as well as agent and editor pitch appointments. Gayle Lynds, a very successful thriller author, is this year's keynote speaker among many other opportunities to advance your career and network.

Anne R. Allen posted about word count by genre. It's always good to keep those in mind. I've read a few thrillers lately that were good books, but I wanted them to be longer. Even with writing a thousand words per day and watching my granddaughter for eight hours, I can read a 70K book in 2 or 3 days.

I also read this interesting post by Eli Landes that says there are only two types of stories. We've all heard before that there are a limited number of plots in stories. Her theory is that there are only two types of protagonists in stories. Very interesting and I couldn't argue with her ideas.

Are there any conference plans in your future? Do you like reading long books? Are you excited about spring arriving?