Category: Writers Cafes

Wednesday Words 7.19

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

I have friends in town. That usually makes for very little writing time. But….

The hubs is working on his dissertation. The wife is getting yet another Masters. And the son is doing camp nano.

Woot. Off to write in we went. 7 chapters in 3 hours. I love the pressure of a group write. Everyone head down and pressure on.

I can still see the join between the chapters I wrote several years ago and the ones I wrote last year. There is such a quality difference, which equals a real difference in the number of hours each chapter takes to be made amusing. But I’m moving forward.

Wednesday Words 7.12

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Hello my fellow writers. It is camp Nano time. I usually don’t do the camp ones but they have really changed up the process. So this year I joined a private cabin with my local writing mates and set my goal to the number of minutes spent editing. Yup, you can set goals different from words written. Love this camp thing.

Despite a mad amount of work I got done this last week, I readjusted my camp goal down. Yeah, they let you adjust your camp nano goal. Shocking right? I just lost too much time when the kiddo and then the husband got the grunge that was going around.

Anyway, 7 more chapters edited. I’ve been cleaning up all my justs and buts. Weaving in little bits I had left dangling. For example, in one chapter while Talon is on his way to Moscow Penelope tells him not to drink Siberian Siren vodka, he won’t like how it’s made. I realized I never followed that up. It’s only funny if you know how it’s made. So I found the perfect place to weave it into the story so the reader gets the joke.

How is it made you ask? snort. You’ll just have to wait to get your hands on my novel. Release date in December…..

Wednesday Writing

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 6 Comments

I made it to write in tonight. I used the first few minutes while I waited for my desperately needed Reuben/no bread to arrive, to catch up on my blog interaction. I won’t take you step by step down my worm hole up I ended up at an article entitled How to Build Your Author platform in 10 hours per week. This sounded intriguing. Then I saw this line “After all, the only thing worse than not publishing your book is to publish it and get ignored entirely.” sigh. You’re telling my story, my friend. Strangely enough there were no new flashes of information in this article. I do all that and more (got on a book club and gave a meet the author q&a) and I am still unknown. sigh.

Then I spent way too long looking at the schedule for Norwescon. I was thinking of taking this year off but my sis is coming with my nephew who wants to go, so I’ll do a day with the kiddo.

Then, I ripped off the band-aid. I opened my spy novel. I started rewriting my first chapter. It had been mentioned by more than one reader that my first chapter felt different from the rest of the book. Taking a hard look at it after 2 months away from the text, I have to agree. I got too caught up in weaving in all the fun research I did and it came across as stilted. I have a very conversational writing style. I need to rewrite the chapter to be in line with the chatty casual way the rest of the book reads. So I did it. I started rewriting. I have no idea if it will be any better but it is different. shrug. Only 37 chapters to go. LOL

How about you? How is your writing project going? Are you doing Camp Nano this year?

 

 

Wednesday Writer’s Update 1/25

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 8 Comments

Greetings and Salutations. I am back at write in tonight at the cafe. Of course the first question I get asked is what are you writing. Sigh. I am again slogging through beta feedback from round 2. And again people don’t agree.

“I love character A, his story is so well developed.”

“I wish you had developed character A’s story more.”

“I really liked the romance between B and C.”

“The Romance between B and C needs more sex.”

“I completely felt and understood D’s journey.”

“You need more scenes to really explain D’s journey.”

“Dump the first chapter.”

“No don’t dump the first chapter, I love the way it ties in to the last chapter.”

Just shoot me now. Or don’t. Why should you agree on anything having to do with me? LOL

We’ve all been talking about classes we took in junior high and high school and whether it was coed forced or not. I took wood shop which wasn’t forced coed and I was the only girl.

Did you have wood shop? Did you take it?

 

Wednesday Writer’s Update 1/11

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 6 Comments

Afternoon dear friends. The first 11 days of this year have been such a bizarre mish mash of delightful contentment and total irritation. LOL. I feel like a manic teenager. But sugar detox will do that to you. I fell off the sugar wagon at Christmas. sigh. It happens every year. But I rarely get back to good so early in the New Year. Last Thursday I said enough is enough and I put myself on a 5 day detox.

I also decided to continue with my December  routine of only doing the things that have to be done when I feel like doing them. But I did decide I should put on my big girl pants and do one thing each day I don’t want to do but has to be done. So how is that working? Let’s do a check in.

Writers Goals:

1. Publish my Spy Novel in March.

Encourage beta readers to get their feedback in. – I have sent a sweetly worded please get back to me soon email to all my betas. I have 2 of 6 back to me at this point. Both want more character development but the character they wanted developed is different in both cases. Again in complete opposition. One person says Gareth is fabulously developed, the other wants more Gareth development. sigh. Why can’t people agree?

2. Marketing – something new each month

I have done nothing towards this yet.

3. Take a break from writing until when I dream I’m writing I don’t wake up in a cold sweat.

I will still blog 3-4 times a week. Never fear.

Non Writing Goals:

1. Up Yoga to 6 times per week.

Currently getting up at 645 and I haven’t missed a day of yoga in almost 2 weeks. It helps I’m having the kiddo join me now. Less meditative for me, but I still get something and it seems to be helping the kiddo with his home school work.

2. Make more time for my friends.

Interviewing a sitter in about 20 minutes. Wish me luck. LOL.

How about you? What sort of start is your year off to?

Wednesday Writer’s Update 12/7

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It’s December, how did that happen?

So I failed Nano this year. I did not finish my edits by the end of November. However, thanks to an unexpected snow day Monday, I did finish my edits and my spy novel is out to reader feedback. Now I just need a name for it. Feel free to suggest some. The guests at my Sinterklaas party certainly did. LOL.

99% Lethal. Although that one might have economical/political overtones I don’t mean to imply.

Goldie Pox and the 3 Spies. My book isn’t really a comedy though.

Anyway, I am glad to have a few weeks break because there is baking and present wrapping and shipping and parties and friends (who’ve been way too neglected) to lavish with a little time.

How about you? How was your nano? What’s your holiday plan? Any snow for you yet?

Wednesday Writer’s Update 11/2

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 1 Comment

Good morning! I am not in rainy Washington right now. I am in sunny LA. Ok, yes, the smog feels almost like cloud cover but it’s warm. sigh. Brief moment of sheer pleasure that my summer sundresses are out of hiding and into the sun.

Moving on. I have a confession to make. I went to the first minute write in Monday night before we left on vacation. I’m so weak. I caved. But I must finish editing my spy novel.

Before that first minute write in, I helped my neighbors out with their haunted woods. I was a “coffee zombie.” Basically I lurched around calling fro coffee rather than brains which the adults found hilarious. One mom, on hearing my groans for coffee, shines a light in my face and asks her kid, “does she look like mommy before I have my coffee?” The kid’s eyes got super wide and she nodded all serious. Man kid you are brave. I am in FULL zombie face here. LOL

We’re in SoCal with another family this week, taking the kiddos to Universal for Harry Potter land and Legoland for well everything lego related. This isn’t really what I would call a vacation. But I won’t have to cook or clean for 5 days and a happy kiddo is about the best I can ask for at this age. sigh.

I’ve decided to report on my stated 2016 goals each Wednesday for a little prod of accountability.

 

 

– Any time I am not actively working on my 2015 Nano Novel, write 2500 words per week on my spy novel until it is done. (After four years, it’s time to put this mess to bed.)

√ Working my butt off on this. Ready for beta readers in December.

Non writing goals

– Prepare and teach two classes at the coop for the 2016-2017 school year.

√ Time is flying. I have 6 writers in my Nano class. One of them, is actually going for the full 50K. I am so excited. She has really supportive parents and I think she can actually make it.

– Take better care of my body, ie. stop compulsively painting, crocheting, and writing until my back or shoulder is so tore I can barely use either.

√ Doing good. Although kicking the hubs ass at archery this weekend but a definite crink in my right shoulder. LOL

– yoga daily.

√ eh, 4 days this week.

Wednesday Writer’s Update 10/26

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

Ugh, my stomach has launched a war against me and I think it’s winning. There will be nothing fancy about this post.

Nano is coming. I will write a little and edit a lot. I know that’s basically the opposite of Nano but live with it, I am. Assuming my stomach doesn’t actually kill me in the next five days.

Vacation is coming: it will be warm and sunny which means I must shave, but at least it will be warm and sunny.

That is all I have. Must go now….

Wednesday Writer’s Update 10/19

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 5 Comments

Good morning! It’s going to be one of those days today, so I’m just going get this up now and check at least one thing off my to do list. I love lists. I love the brain emptying, peace inducing process of getting everything that needs to be done out and on to paper. Then the pure joy of crossing things off one by one as I finish them or decide maybe they don’t need my time or attention. “Nevermind, I’m not doing that.”

I’ve been tracking what I do for a few days now, because I assigned my Nano to Pub class at the coop to do so as well in preparation for setting their Nano goals. And damn I am busy. I’d like to say there’s plenty of fluff space in there where I could be working harder on my goals but the reality is there is NOT. wrinkles nose. I need to ponder how I can make some adjustments.bard-starlet-radio-hour-flyer-2016-ghosts-final

The big news this week….is Bard and Starlet. It is on.

We have actors and a director.

This is the first time something I have written will appear on the stage. Kind of exciting.

But at the same time, two members of FVP are publishing this month. And I am not.

I was not a good guardian of my own time. And I am paying for it now.

 

 

I’ve decided to report on my stated 2016 goals each Wednesday at for a little prod of accountability.

– Participate in one flash fiction challenge per month.

√ sigh, I gotta be honest. This had just ceased to be a priority. Say good bye to flash fiction.

– Prepare and teach “Nano to Publish”.

√ Just had our October meeting this past weekend. It was more of a prepare for Nanowrimo than a publish. But it is time to get ready to write.

– Any time I am not actively working on my 2015 Nano Novel, write 2500 words per week on my spy novel until it is done. (After four years, it’s time to put this mess to bed.)

√ Working on it. Still planning to be ready for beta readers before the end of November.

Non writing goals

– Prepare and teach two classes at the coop for the 2016-2017 school year.

√ Teaching. I have actually have 6 students in both of my classes, which sounds sad but is really impressive given 75% of our students are 4th grade of less. I am super pleased with my turn out. I have just enough kids that they spurn each other on to talk but everyone can have a say because there’s time for 6 kids to have opinions.

– Take better care of my body, ie. stop compulsively painting, crocheting, and writing until my back or shoulder is so tore I can barely use either.

√ I haven’t been painting, crocheting, or writing much. Too much time spent cleaning out four rooms for the painters. I seriously think we have too much stuff. I feel a major purge coming….after my book goes to beta. LOL

– yoga daily.

√ Yes, I am actually doing this. Which is how I am keeping my cool with everything else going on. LOL

Wednesday Writer’s Update 10/12

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Happy Wednesday to you, happy Wednesday to you, happy Wednesday dear readers, happy Wednesday to you, and many more from channel 44.

Someone other than me must remember that….

Ok, moving on. Monday my friend C and I went to How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse class. It was mildly amusing. Mainly I think due to the incredible instructor who managed to keep a straight face no matter what was asked. Seriously, he must teach Junior High boys for a day job or something. LOL. What I came away with was this…even in a Zombie Apoc the gov’t can’t get it’s story straight. The CDC wants you to tag any Zombie you kill but the hunting license says you don’t need to tag and there’s no limit. shrug. what’s a girl to do. Batter up (with a spike in the end of the bat).

Missed write in tonight because the hubs asked me to stay home. Seems he got promoted and wants to celebrate. Aww, isn’t that sweet.

I’ve decided to report on my stated 2016 goals each Wednesday for a little prod of accountability.

– Participate in one flash fiction challenge per month.

√ sigh. I might just have to admit defeat on this one, this year.

– Prepare and teach “Nano to Publish”.

√ Almost done. Last class this year on Saturday. Well and a party in December. But we’re going on next year though. smiles. First Saturday of the month, 1130 AM, North Bend Library.

– Any time I am not actively working on my 2015 Nano Novel, write 2500 words per week on my spy novel until it is done. (After four years, it’s time to put this mess to bed.)

√ Working on editing it.

Non writing goals

– Prepare and teach two classes at the coop for the 2016-2017 school year.

√ Going swimmingly well. I actually am gaining students. But I have to say the hours I put in are crazy. On the other hand I won’t have to do this again, should I teach this exact same class. LOL.

– Take better care of my body, ie. stop compulsively painting, crocheting, and writing until my back or shoulder is so tore I can barely use either.

√ Doing well except for the 3 hours I spent carrying legos upstairs to empty the kiddo’s toy room before the painters come to paint.

– yoga daily.

√ check, check. Namaste.