Novella news

So, with Aimee's help and some drastic cutting, my word count is about the same at the end of the first edit. And I did cut almost 51oo words. So you can see how much got put back in. Basically, I just condensed some of the subplots into the main plot.

Now with the first edit done, several strangers (mainly through critters.org) are critiquing my novel. So now, its a waiting game. Once the critiques come in, and I make sure they get their credits, I'm going to take a break before reading and using them. I have plans to ask Aimee to reread it after the second edit, which will be based on those critiques. I'm planning on some more streamlining if possible.

I've been keeping everything I've taken out in case it needs to go back in, but mostly as ideas for other stories. I took out complete subplots in some cases, and I didn't want to get rid of them all together.

Well, that's about it on the novel. I'm thinking about starting on another story, probably this afternoon.

Well, that's all in writing news.

So phone calls have been made ...

... and the spawn's b-day celeb is underway. We will be cooking out and having cake and ice cream in about three weeks. Freesia doesn't seem to understand what's going on, but that's all right.

In the meantime, we need to put together a Easter/Eostara basket. We are certainly late for Eostara (Spring Equinox) but it seems strange to be celebrating it when everyone else around us will be celebrating Easter just a couple of weeks later. Especially, since the two holidays are so similar. Indeed, Easter's observance is determined by when Eostara is; it is the only Christain observance determined by the lunar and solar calendar.

However, we will be observing Beltane this year. Probably with a fire and another barbecue, except with just the farm residencts. How could we live on a farm and not observe the major fertility ritual of our religion?

Anyway, enough religious stuff. I'm waiting on a friend of mine to get back to me about her copy edit/critique of my novel. I have someone lined up from critters.org to take a look at it. But I'm hoping for at least one more person to look at it. If I don't get anymore volunteers from critters.org, I'll be posting on www.nanopubye.org to find someone who might be interested in critiquing my novella in exchange for me critiquing their novel/la.

In other news, if carefully watched, Freesia no longer eats crayons. Yeah me, cause that means I can color with her :D.

Stuff and the things are piling up

So I've been editing my novella as often as possible, but I may have to ask Chris to make some sort of allowance for me so I can finish before April. I've got a call for dedicated readers going out for critters.org and I'm hoping to get a few more people to read it all the way through.

My friend, SheWhoReads, has read half of it and is going to read the rest, and she has really helped. There's only so much editing you can do with the door closed. Aside from that, I'm also taking out several side plots that don't have anything to do with the main plot.

It's all starting to come together. Now I just need to inflict it on a couple of complete strangers.

In other news, I just finished King's Dark Tower series. May I just say:

All Hail the King

Delurks and stuff

So someone told me this was National De-Lurking Week. If you would like to comment and let me know you read this, please feel free.

I know I haven't written here lately. Chris is gone more often then not nowadays. I'm so far behind on housework because of Freesia and her tandrums that I've been concentrating just on the kitchen. I think she's having problems because every time the living room is cleaned it changes.

However, I have gotten my dad's socks done, just a couple of weeks late. I'll be getting in touch with him later today about whether he wants them mailed or just given next time we see him. I'm currently working on my shawl. I'll be posting a link to the pattern once it's done.

In other news, Aimee (aka SheWhoReads) has sent me an invitation to a game called LOST. Basically, you are given points for how many people you can convince to join, and if you are one of the top ten scorers you can win a prize. The basic premise as stated by the website is:

"LOST is a student project. The aim of LOST is to show how 7 million people
connect to one another, and break the record for the game with the most players
ever! LOST enables you to interact with people across the world, and see how you
are linked to them."

If you would like to help along my point total, just click here. After completing a profile, your position is marked on a map, and I can see where all my readers are :D.

Aside from playing around with this sort of thing, I haven't gotten much editing done on my NaNovel this month. I still have time, but I'm pushing it.

So now the month is over

And I'm sure you have all been waiting with bated breath. Well, I didn't make it. My novella is 33,909 words. It is actually a complete story, but we did fall short by over 15k words. Still it's the longest thing I've ever written, and I think it's turned into a fairly solid horror novel. It still needs a lot of work, but I'm thinking after say two or three drafts, I might have something worth sending around.

In the knitting arena, I actually got around to knitting a couple of teddy bears. One went to Killian, my newest nephew, and the other will be going into the toys for tots program. And in other news my spinning table/wheel is almost done. It's a modified treadle sewing machine we found in one of the chicken houses they use for storage here on the farm. And speaking of the farm, I've got some pictures I'm giong to try uploading, but apparently this takes hours with a dial up connection. I'll try later tonight or this weekend.

Anyway, y'all take care.

Well still writing

I actually caught up a bit with myself. I did an extra day's work yesterday, so I'm only two days behind.

But enough about that. Can anyone say, "Woot, go Democrats?"

Bad writers don't get cookies

I didn't write last night. Not for any particular reason, just got distracted by several things. Also, I'm afraid to look at my word count calculator, since I'm now a total of three days behind.

I'm also really kind of disturbed by my novel. Can a writer get too grossed out by their own novel?

Reasurrances are welcome.

So still trucking along

So the word count is currently at around 5700 words for the NaNoWriMo. Originally, this novel was supposed to be a scifi novel, but I scrapped everything on the second day and started over. The idea is actually something that has been running around in my head for awhile, so I'm hoping that everyone who reads it will enjoy it, even though I haven't actually done a back story for it, and have no idea how long it's actually going to be. I'm giong to try to limit it at 50,000 since that is essentially what the process is about. I can always add in stuff later if I need to.

Well, I have to go. I've put myself on an internet diet so that I won't spend time I could be writing aimlessly wondering.

See ya later, kiddies.

Nanowrimo and other things

Well, I haven't posted in awhile I know, but I did want to wait until I got a picture of the person I gave the sheep wrap I knitted too. But it looks like that is hit or miss, so I thought I would talk about Nanowrimo instead.

I had a perfectly good idea. Solid sci fi story complete with back story that I completely ditched on day 2. So I have 38oo words of a horror story going, and at least I'm not far behind, don't ya know.

Well, it's late, I'm about to go to bed as soon as Return of the King is over.

Take care out there in web land.

Post at DotMoms

I've been told that the post at DotMoms is not immediately evident, and after going to the site, it isn't. The link is http://roughdraft.typepad.com/dotmoms/2006/06/readers_write_a.html.

Have fun!