Kicking some serious writing butt today
October 31, 2007 by Melissa · Leave a Comment
I got my rhythm back. I wrote over 3500 today. And I see tomorrow being just as productive. I should have no problem getting this baby done in record time. I hate that I have to slow down, because I could probably get another 1500-2500 done tonight, but it is Pumpkin Day here in the US so I need to get the kids ready and out the door for trick or treating.
Have a safe and happy Halloween and a blessed Samhain tomorrow:)
Writing, writing, writing
October 30, 2007 by Melissa · 2 Comments
Another day of sweat. About half way to my daily goal,
but I am looking to double it.
UPDATE: I got over my 1400 and I am going to try for another 1K to get back on track:)
Rewarding yourself
October 29, 2007 by Melissa · 3 Comments
I learned a long time ago that I can’t buy new books when I am under deadline. So, I always plan a reading day when I finish up a book. I am at heart, a reader. I get all giddy over new releases and still get tongue tied at RWA Conference when I come face to face with someone whose work I love. I have time set aside right now for reading Julie Garwood’s new historical when it releases in December. Thankfully, it comes out the week a book is due in, so I can bust ass and get it done and in to be able to read it the day it releases.
So, thanks to my editor, Sasha Knight, I am already compiling a list to read as soon as Devil’s Rise is done. Sealed with a Kiss from Lila Dubois is at the top, a suggestion from Sasha, and thanks to Beth Williamson, I have her BRANDED from our Leather and Lace to read.
Well, I am off to work on Devil’s Rise today. Any suggestions for rewards, ie any books?
Spending Time in Purgatory
October 28, 2007 by Melissa · 3 Comments
Well, I am spending part of the day with Dare, my hero of Devil’s Rise. I am hoping to finish up the novella this week, at the latest before I leave for a signing on Friday the 9th.
I have to say that the 70 Days of Sweat has really helped me refocus on my work. For the last year or so I have had a lot of personal crisis that really wreaked havoc on my ability to write. So, the title of my diary today is two-fold. The beginning of 2007 wasn’t a pleasant one for me. In the past several months, my Mom was in the hospital, both grandparents died, my five year old broke her finger, the on again, off again assignment the military kept throwing at us(which included a year in Iraq for my husband, thank God that didn’t happen but we are sitting here waiting and wondering yet again), having to put my 15 yr old dog to sleep, losing a book to a corrupted file and having to rewrite the damn thing in 10 days, and ending up in the hospital with something that could have killed me. Other than my grandma dying, that all happened by April 1st. So, I was stressed– just a bit.
It made me look at what I was doing to myself. Granted, it took one of my editors bopping me on my hard Capricorn head to let me know I couldn’t do everything perfectly. I needed a break. I needed to let myself be human. Something very hard for a Cappy to do. Now, I don’t feel so stressed about work. Two edits handed me in one week when I haven’t met my goals for that week of writing. So, what. I just steam ahead, knowing the world will not crumble if I don’t meet every goal I have for myself.
It might also be that I can now write all day long during the weekdays. Yes, today I choose to write because I do have to take three days off here soon for the signing and retreat. But also because I want to get further in the story. But I do not HAVE to write today. For the first time in three years, I can pick and choose my weekend activities without a worry of scheduling around my writing. I came home to edit yesterday after not killing anyone at the mall(that is always a possibility when I go to the mall) but didn’t feel the pressure I had felt the last several years.
So, I am off to play in the future with Dare and Talia:) It is great to be excited about writing again.
One down…
October 27, 2007 by Melissa · Leave a Comment
Well, I got through Seducing the Saint, reworked some scenes and tried to add depth to the world building. I am truly sucky at world building, so I hope my editor will like what I did. So, one more look over it tomorrow and then I will turn that in.
I spent part of the day shopping for new bed linens since we are getting our super, fantastic KING size bed on Friday. We did get the five-year-old some jeans and a new winter coat today at Penney’s. In fact, she was so excited about one pair of jeans, she refused to take them off when she tried them on. The girl is a pill.
Anyway, I am happy that I got that part done, and can move on this week. I will probably add a bit tomorrow, but I have been working on it for several hours and added just about 1K to it.
Off to spend some time with the Seeds and my husband because tomorrow night I get a girls’ night out with my bud, MB who is in town:)
Have a great Sat Night:)
In memory…
October 26, 2007 by Melissa · Leave a Comment
Today, we had to go off base for a planned appointment, but we drove off just before this soldier made it back home. It was amazing driving down the road to this sight. Hundreds of men and women, including civilians, to honor U.S. Army Spc. Vincent A. Madero.
the road with all these
From the AETC’s homepage:
When Specialist Madero’s body arrived just before noon today, members of his family were present to receive him. As the funeral procession slowly drove from the flightline, uniformed members saluted and civilians held hands over their hearts — showing respect for a fallen comrade.
Sometimes, you have to smack me
October 26, 2007 by Melissa · Leave a Comment
Just got my second round of edits. I am truly amazed that she got them to me because she is living in that MESS of SOCAL, and the smoke and ash are just giving her fits. I have been through that before, but not as bad, so I know she is a real trooper.
She finally worded her request for the changes in the scene where I finally got it. Granted, other people would have gotten it the first time around, but apparently I finally caught on. It means adding several thousand words to the book, so I am going to be scarce for a few d
ays. I have to keep up with my current schedule and edit TWO books, oh and prepare for my trip to DFW for a signing and writers’ retreat in a couple of weeks.
But I left you all some beautiful manmeat:)
So, music
October 25, 2007 by Melissa · Leave a Comment
Many of you know that music really helps me write. It started out as a way to drown out the demon seeds and their father when we lived in a little 2 bdrm townhouse kind of thingy in Hawaii. Now, it is a must. It sets a mood and really helps me write the scene.
So, I am working on the futuristic and had to get my “Soundtrack” as my friend Kally calls it. It can include anything from slow moving love songs to country & western to heavy metal. Depends on the book and the characters. For Devil’s Rise, since I had already worked on it, I had a soundtrack started but Silke–a fellow sweater– reminded me of a song I missed. I love Nickelback and they definitely fit into the whole action/adventure feel of Purgatory.
Off to grab something to eat and then get back to work:)
Oh and the song that inspired the idea of Purgatory:
Beercan crushing waitress
October 25, 2007 by Melissa · Leave a Comment
AFP - An Australian barmaid who entertained patrons by crushing beer cans between her bare breasts and hanging spoons off her nipples has been fined, police said. Luana De Faveri, 31, was fined 1,000 dollars (900 US dollars) in the Mandurah Magistrates Court in Western Australia after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Liquor Control Act. Another barmaid who helped hang spoons on De Faveri’s nipples, Tracey Leslie, 43, was fined 500 dollars while the bar manager was fined 1,000 dollars for failing to stop the pair, police said in a statement. “She was alleged to have also crushed beer cans between her breasts during one of the offences” at the Premier Hotel in Pinjarra, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of Perth in June, police said. The fines “send a clear message to all licensees in Peel that we will not tolerate this type of behavior in our licensed premises,” said Superintendent David Parkinson of the Peel Police District.
My question is, did she do the spoon thing while crushing the cans?
Promo Blackhole
October 25, 2007 by Melissa · 2 Comments
As a published author, promo is the dirty little five-letter word no one told you about before signing the contract. I don’t mind signings or group days, because I get to hang out with authors and readers. But the paperwork makes my eyes bleed. There are mountains of it, and plenty of times I feel like I am buried under it. It has gotten worse since my prints started coming out with Samhain because I have to learn how to do different promotions to reach out to print readers. It has been a delicate balance that sometimes has me falling head over heels into a pot of promocrap.
My main problem, and something you can probably tell from this post, is I have a slight degree of ADD. Never been diagnosed, but if you spend enough time with me, you can see it. I use it to my advantage in writing. I can work on two projects at once, edit another and plot a fourth. This hero isn’t doing what I want…move on to the contemporary. That isn’t working, do the edits I have waiting for me.
But when it comes to paperwork and ordering things, my mind starts to shut down and wander–and nothing gets done. I hate dealing with it, hate the irritating feeling that I have to get things done on someone else’s schedule. Maybe I’m just a self-centered jackass.
Okay, I am a jackass–but that’s beside the point. What was my point? Oh, yeah. Promo. Yesterday, I spent most the day preparing some things to mail out and designing an excerpt brochure. My writing and throwing world class fits are the only two creative outlets I have. Oh, and cooking. So I have three. But, designing brochures and dealing with what should go where is just irritating and time consuming. And, I was itching to start back at writing and that slowed me down. So, all day I spent bitching at my screen working on the brochure and not writing. It was something that had to get done–because when you have a bookseller say that is what my readers want, could you send some if you have them, you do it–but I alloted only one day to get it done. Why? Because otherwise I fall into some kind of blackhole that threatens to throw my writing schedule completely off track. Granted, I could try and convince Les to do it, but then I want it done MY way, and we tend to end up arguing because he is a hard headed German(and it has nothing to my stubborn Italian personality). But, promo isn’t something I can ignore, something that MUST get done. I usually spend the weekends or nights catching up on this stuff, but since I was gone this past weekend, and just finished up the first project, I decided to force myself to do it. With my ADD, I have to set a rigid schedule to get these things done or I can’t function as a writer.
Now, I am ready to get back to work today. I did do some edits last night, but I am ready to bust out my 2-3K today and see where that takes me. I am moving on from my contemporary short story into a futuristic novella. After this is done, I just have a contemporary BDSM erotic romance with a touch of romance.
See, I make ADD work for me and it can work for you too.
Good writing vibes to all my fellow sweaters:)
