Monthly Archives: January 2018

Earthy writing

Finally locked myself downstairs in the cellar with my Hemingway Mac Mini, with no distractions such as the game or my kid, and forced myself to write for four hours on the weekend. I know now that I can’t seem to write cohesively during the week, so 8 hours on the weekend (if not more) should be enough to at least get 10K words a week out of me.

However, the whole novel is going to be a novelette by the time I’m done. It may be all the way up to 20K words. It’s at 15K right now as of this writing.

On February 15 I’m going to speak to high school students. This is a dream come true. This is who I wrote Grimaulkin for. I started writing what I’m going to speak about, and I plan on using it for my podcast next weekend.

After Earth comes War Mage. I’ll do the same thing with it, lock myself downstairs with it. I’ll also be sending out a newsletter with updates on what I’m doing, what’s coming up, and my appearances for February.

Lighting candles for getting  a table at Worldcon!

*cracks whip*

Episode 14 is up and ready on the Dark Mystic Quill website. It’s about sacred space or creating a “circle”.

I was a bad girl this week. I got no writing done. I had doctors’ appointments and had to work late to make up the time. I got home, ate, and then I had my vice (news from 5-7) and by 7, I collapsed. I’ve played around with some medication so I can stay up longer than 7 and go to bed at a more reasonable hour. But this week was bad.

I know what I need to do, it’s just I need the time and the inspiration. This writing gig is hard work, especially when gripped by real life.

Lesson Learned

A person I know–an acquaintance, not really a friend, someone I hadn’t seen for about 10 years–went kayaking and has disappeared. Upon first hearing the news I thought, “Been there, did that; I hope his wife doesn’t do what I did.”

What I did was shut out my family and friends. I realize now that it was a bad idea, but it’s too late in my opinion to go back to people. They might think I want something. That’s how I felt when my cousin, who I hadn’t seen in six years, suddenly invited me to his wedding. What does he want from me? I didn’t go.

This vision of people wanting things is something I’ve carried with me since I was a child. People I’ve met over the past couple of years don’t understand how I can put worth on people and their actions. It’s something that I’m trying to learn to let go. The example of my unsupportive friend because she won’t buy my books or even read them is what is causing me to distance myself from her. She doesn’t understand why I write, what I write, and doesn’t seem to care. So I’m dumping her. My life is too short to support people who won’t support me. Selfish, yes, probably. But we’ve been friends for 30 years. If she doesn’t understand me by now, she’s never going to.

Okay, so, moving on…

My next appearance will be at the Cumberland Library Author Meet & Greet on February 17 at the Cumberland Public Library. A scene in Grimaulkin takes place in the park that is behind the library. I’ll have the free downloads available on instafreebie in paper form. They are SO cool in real life. And they’re free!

 

 

3 books

Earth has a drop-dead completion date of February 1 for a March release. I’ve been writing Capricorn (after getting stuck in the Virgo story) and though I have it sketched out in my head, it’s not coming out right on the screen. Each of the stories is going to be shorter than the Water stories, not really novellas at all. A little longer than a short story, but much shorter than a novella. Novelette?

Reading a book on war that takes place in Afghanistan for more research with War Mage.  Getting some good ideas for that. I just have to throw in dragons.

Lastly, Grimaulkin Redeemed is still in my head. I have a feeling it will be like Athena and come out fully formed by the time I sit down and write it.

I need to write faster!