tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70431290728357926202024-02-18T23:08:03.347-08:00Create and ImproveMeet me on the battle ground of creativity.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-69935842097439370852016-12-27T14:06:00.000-08:002016-12-27T14:06:52.014-08:00Looking Forward to 2017Here we are, nearly two months since last I updated you guys. NaNoWriMo came and went and there's just four days left of 2016. During the last half of this year, I've begun returning to my writing ambitions while embracing new possibilities.<br />
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First up though, how did NaNoWriMo go?<br />
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Unfortunately, I did not reach 50K this year. I enjoyed writing what I did. I'd like to eventually finish the project, but maybe have it be a shorter work. I'm actually okay with not hitting the 50K writing goal this year. While it would have been nice to keep up my winning streak, it's not all that important now is it? As long as I'm writing something, I'm fine.<br />
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So what am I writing now? A few months ago a friend and I talked about writing a screenplay together. While I don't know if that's going to actually happen at this point, that conversation got me thinking. Why don't I write a screenplay? I sat on that idea for quite a while though; that is, until last week. If you follow me on twitter you may have seen me mention a new project using #secretproject.<br />
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Why is it a secret? It's a secret because I'm writing it to see if I can. I'm writing it because I don't know if anything will ever come of it and I don't know if I particularly care if anything does. I'm writing it because I can. It's my first one. I'm learning how to format as I go. I have a basic concept down, and I'm taking my time with it. I'm enjoying the process. You know what I like best about this project though? It's very noncommittal. I just write what I want and stop at whatever ending sparks my fancy.<br />
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So What's Happening in 2017?</h2>
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Well, first of all, my first two semesters will be from January-July; therefore, school comes first. I'm looking forward to it and learning things I can hopefully apply to my own writing.</div>
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Secondly, I would like to finish this screenplay hopefully early in the year. </div>
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After July, it's my hope to return to working on Traitors & Tyrants. It's so close yet so far from being ready to query. At this point, I think part of the problem is that I'm a little afraid that I can't fix it, which is silly because I already have a plan on how to do that. But this fear isn't a new thing for me. It's the same type that has held me back from making other decisions and I know I just have to work through it. </div>
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As for other projects? I don't know. Those are the only two I'd like to prioritize next year. Perhaps 2017 will see me really investing in a new novel for the first time in a while, but I'm not putting any pressure on that. I'm leaving 2017 pretty open and low pressure for my writing and I'm okay with that. I just want to focus on loving it again.</div>
<br />Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-30824998883957125922016-10-29T13:58:00.000-07:002016-10-29T13:58:00.202-07:00Pre-NaNoWriMo UpdateDo you know who has one of the most inspiring writing journey/story? <a href="https://veschwab.wordpress.com/2016/07/15/on-the-slow-pursuit-of-overnight-success/" target="_blank">V.E Schwab</a> (also known as Victoria Schwab). Her article from this past July has helped me personally - a lot. I haven't been quiet about my discouragement this past year and a half, so you'll probably understand why her story has helped inspire me.<br />
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I've also been perusing some other author websites and, you know, Patrick Rothfuss took 7 years to write <i>The Name of the Wind</i>. I find that oddly comforting for my own writing...<br />
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So I've been in revisions with <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> for about two years now. It's difficult to let myself draft a new project when I know that my writing isn't as great as it could be, simply because I've seen it better in those revisions. The only way to keep writing though, is to be okay with producing a crappy first draft sometimes, or a lot of the time.<br />
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Now, you guys know that I wanted to finish my scifi novel before NaNoWriMo. I had a word goal of about 65K for it. But the more I wrote it, I just wanted to get to it. I wanted to rush everything and just get the bones of it out on paper and out of my mind. I haven't wanted to rush it because I don't like it, but because I just want to complete something after not completing anything for a while.<br />
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So I'm projecting that my first draft will probably be around 20K... maybe 22K. I'm around 19K right now. I'm planning on finishing it in the next day or two. That thought actually relieves quite a bit of stress. When I have a bunch of things that are unfinished, I get stressed out very easily, so finishing this novel even in its very crappy state is a relief. I've wanted to write it for quite some time. I want to go back and fix it, but right now I need to just write it the crappy way I want to.<br />
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This novel has been such a release for me. I've been able to just write it and finally let go of everything else that has been holding me back from my writing. But, not to be ignored, is my NaNoWriMo project for this year and its roll in my ability to just get this scifi novel done.<br />
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I've been wanting to write a couple of projects for years now. I haven't started them because I wanted to "get them right" when I did and I just wasn't in the right mindset for them. So I knew that choosing my NaNoWriMo project this year was important. But it's important for a reason I didn't anticipate before. <br />
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Going into planning for NaNoWriMo, I decided that I wanted an idea that I was going to be able to just lose myself in. So I wrote a list of the books/concepts that I wanted to write. At the bottom of that list was an idea I'd barely found and one that I wasn't familiar with. It was new and refreshing for me and I thought about it over lunch while I was at work. I did some research. I wrote a little bit of what came to mind for it, kind of like a test. And I loved it. I was lost in it as I wrote and I knew I'd found this year's novel. <br />
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My test writing had manifested itself in the form of a journal entry for my main character so I've decided that this novel will be written as journal entries. It's an adult novel and it takes place somewhere in Africa. The main character is in her thirties. So as you can tell, it's not fantasy and it's not scifi. I'm actually not 100% certain what genre it falls into.<br />
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The most important part about it though is that I am in love with this idea and that's what I needed for 2016's NaNoWriMo project.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-75727150378522365492016-10-10T19:32:00.000-07:002016-10-10T19:32:08.427-07:00What's this? A Screenplay?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a couple of weeks or so since last I updated this place, so here I am again. What's new? A lot actually! <br />
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Last week I received my track assignment for college. The school I'm attending breaks the school year up by each season so they can admit more students. I've been assigned to the fall/winter track, which means I'll be heading off in January for my first semester. I'll be able to register for classes mid-November and I have a very long to-do list to get ready for school.<br />
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I'm up to 15,000 words in my sci-fi novel. I haven't written much the past couple of weeks but it's definitely on my list of projects to complete. I'm still hoping to have it done by the end of October though. <br />
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As for NaNoWriMo, I'm going to do it. I thought about not doing it but... I'll be in school during the fall for the next four years. So I'm going to do it again this year and I'm going to succeed. Again. I'm thinking about just writing this novel as I go. At this moment, I don't think I'm going to outline it.<br />
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Something else has happened though - something exciting. A friend and I have decided that we are going to write a screenplay together. I say "we" but our current agreement is that I write the screenplay and he storyboards it. We've just started working on the project. We've named the main character and have a concept down but we still have a lot of ground to cover. I've never written an entire screenplay before, but I'm excited to do this. Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-66406234653649212342016-09-24T07:01:00.001-07:002016-09-24T08:50:18.158-07:00Checking In <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With my new resolution, I decided that I should probably start blogging more over here. See, here's the thing, writing for Create and Improve is fun and doesn't take a lot of effort, so why not? Plus, I'm hoping that by forcing myself to update you here more, I will be even more inclined to hold tight to my new goal.<br />
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So what's up since Tuesday? Well, I successful got up at 5:15/5:30 to write on Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday I crossed over my daily 1K goal. I didn't end up writing yesterday. Some things came up and it just didn't happen. But that's okay because today is Saturday. <br />
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I've been reading articles on Publishing Crawl and found some great articles about writing for hire. I love how positive a spin they put on something I feel like is usually thought of as not as worth while. I've been meaning to submit to Paper Lantern Lit for a while now, but <a href="http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2016/08/05/ask-pubcrawl-short-stories-novellas-and-write-for-hire/" target="_blank">this article</a> really got me going.<br />
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So today's goals:<br />
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<li>Write at least 1K in new novel (hopefully more)</li>
<li>Work on resume</li>
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<br />Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-25535609683256508382016-09-20T17:59:00.001-07:002016-09-20T17:59:39.253-07:00Just Do It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's September and I'm looking forward to NaNoWriMo. It never fails to get me writing. This year has been a difficult writing year for me. I haven't done much writing and I haven't finished the revisions for <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> yet. I can't choose which project to work on. I want to write them all but haven't found the will to force myself to commit.<br />
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Lazy right?<br />
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Looking back, my heart wasn't into NaNoWriMo last year. I don't want it to be that way again though. Even my book blogging and reading have taken a huge hit this year. I've been sporadic at best. <br />
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You know what though, this year I finally reached the point I think I always knew I'd hit. <br />
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This year I realized that I can't book blog, read, <b>and</b> write seriously the way I want to. Other people can, but it's a lot and is just too much for me. I realized that I have to choose between the two. I've thought about it a lot. I believe in chasing your dreams and one of my greatest dreams, the one that trumps (no pun intended) book blogging, is becoming a published novelist. <br />
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Does this mean I'm going to stop book blogging? No. But it does mean that I'm going to let it slide and stop pressuring myself into posting there. This wasn't an easy decision because I did have aspirations for my book blog, but becoming a published novelist is more important to me. <br />
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I <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/the-100-per-cent-rule-the-simple-advice-that-changed-my-life-20160825-gr16da.html" target="_blank">read an article this week</a> that said it's more work to commit to something 99% of the way than it is to commit 100%. It's called the 100% rule. Then, tonight, while I searched for articles about writing (instead of writing ironically, I know - but I was trying to find something to help me get back into it all, I wanted to see that someone else has been where I am), I came across <a href="http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=cdd0d036e9531dd416bf945b3&id=3faf005768" target="_blank">an article written by Susan Dennard</a> that basically communicated the same message. She wrote about how she can only work on one project at a time and has to envelop herself in it. In other words, she has to give each project 100%.<br />
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This was the final turning point for me. It was the article that helped me realize I had to take the plunge. It's been nearly three years since I've drafted a brand new novel. This year I've committed myself to working on an entirely new project this November. I need to do this. I really think this will help me get to where I want to be as a writer.<br />
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In fact, if all goes well and as planned (hah!), I will be finishing a draft for one novel this October prior to NaNoWriMo. I'm making this resolution now and I'm committing myself to it. 100%. <br />
<br />Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-31943551843853223002016-06-16T19:29:00.000-07:002016-06-16T19:29:44.190-07:00Wandering Projects - I Am Indecisive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Unfortunately, I have the same story as usual to offer. No, I haven't done much writing lately. New ideas have been teasing me and I've written about 10K in a new story, but I haven't committed to anything lately.<br />
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To my pleasure though, I have been reading a non-fiction novel about Hatshepsut and have been learning a lot of about her and what ancient Egypt looked like. I've done additional research on the side and, with my love of ancient Egypt in hand, have been imagining a new story.<br />
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This story only exists in the pages of a notebook and I don't know if it's viable or where it's going exactly. I have thoughts and ideas, but nothing more. Mostly, this story is just for me. I want to see if I can pull something like this off. So yes, I am being cryptic on purpose. I don't want to divulge this one quite yet. I am enjoying its vibe and the way it transports me into my own little version of ancient Egypt.<br />
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On the other hand, the story I've written 10K in is science fiction and is the type of scifi that I love and don't see often. At least, that's how it is in my head. I've loved writing it and my target word goal for this project, code name: Layered, is about 60K. I'm actually hoping to draft the rest of it this July during Camp NaNoWriMo.<br />
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I've taken brief excursions into a couple of other ideas I've been wanting to write for quite some time as well but I'm not ready to commit to them quite yet.<br />
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In the mean time, I'm planning on finishing this round of edits for <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> (hopefully before July). I still haven't completed them since November and it's time to get the rest of it done. I'll be reading what I have then finishing revisions for part 2. Now, I haven't done any actual writing for it, but I have been thinking about what to do with the ending. I believe I've happened upon one that neatly ties things together but that leaves the story open for a second book.<br />
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So yes, my writing has been sporadic but I've done an awful lot of brainstorming and that counts for something, right? I've been wanting to get serious about this lately though so I suppose it's time to buckle down and just do it right?Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-75130420193807227182016-04-12T19:29:00.001-07:002016-04-12T19:29:54.094-07:00Vacation to Arizona<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I did something I'd never done before last month. I flew to Arizona. By myself. It was my first time on a plane and everything (thankfully) was smooth and easy. I spent a week there just taking in the area, never straying more than 3 hours from where I was staying.<br />
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Arizona has its own beauty that you just don't see on the east coast of the United States. I would go back in a heartbeat. Actually, I want to go back. So what did I do while I was there? Well, I went to visit family so we didn't do anything too crazy. We visited the local museum, an aquarium, the LDS Mesa temple, and a wildlife preserve called <a href="http://outofafricapark.com/" target="_blank">Out of Africa</a>.<br />
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I arrived on a Sunday and was a bit tired so my first day was pretty low key. Besides catching up with family, my day consisted of them driving me around and showing off the landscape. It didn't take long for me to practically fall in love with a lot of the architecture on the nicer homes (which I don't have pictures of unfortunately). The flat rooftops were completely different from what I was used to seeing and I loved the change.<br />
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The sunsets in Arizona are gorgeous. I wasn't able to get a photo of one, but the sky lights up in an incredible orange-red color and it is just marvelous to behold. I would love to go back and try to capture one. <br />
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It was difficult to get good pictures inside the museum and aquarium, but they were both a lot of fun. The dinosaur area of the museum had a neat little set up with dinosaur machines that would move and they had various dinosaur sounds going off periodically. It was definitely tailored to a younger audience, but it was still pretty neat. This was the first time I'd been inside a museum that I can actually remember. The gift shop was pretty nice though and I was able to get a pair of earrings and a necklace made by a Native American tribe (the jewelry is beautiful).<br />
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The aquarium wasn't anything spectacular. Again, it was tailored to a much younger audience, but there were some neat things there. I don't think I'd ever been to one before, so this trip was filled with a lot of firsts for me. <br />
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On my third day, we traveled about 2.5-3 hours north of where I was staying and spent the day at Out of Africa on the VIP tour (which I personally think is the only way to do it). Our guide was the owner of the wildlife park, and was a pretty a good tour host; the animals definitely recognized him (although, he was prone to go off on tangents at times, which to be honest, didn't bother me too much).<br />
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We were incredibly close to the animals and the entire experience left me with a greater appreciation for these amazing creatures. You could tell that the owner had a lot of respect for the animals as well and the enclosures (while not as big as they would be if the animals were in the wild) were pretty large. The animals looked taken care of and, as some would put it, happy. <br />
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<br />From what I understand, Out of Africa takes in animals that for one
reason or another can't be released back into the wild. For some of the
big cats, that meant they were once illegal pets (an all too common
story for such majestic creatures).<br />
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I've always had a huge appreciation and love for big cats, but being at Out of Africa... you just can't appreciate how big and powerful these animals are until you see them just four feet from you. There is nothing like it and there were often two fences between me and them. I can only imagine what it's like to see them in the wild without anything but open space between us. They are much larger than they look.<br />
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(This white tiger is Chalet. Isn't she beautiful? It's a shame she can't live out her life in the wild.)</div>
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While seeing these animals was such an amazing experience, you can't
help but wish such powerful and wild creatures could be released back
into their natural habitats. It's sad to think that that life was stolen
from them. On the semi-bright side, there was such a stark difference
between the animals here and animals I've seen in the zoo. When you go
to a zoo, the enclosures are so much smaller (these photos really don't
show how large the enclosures are) and the animals just don't look as...
alive I suppose. But here they looked healthier and just better
overall. </div>
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The last day I was there, we went to a Renaissance Festival (which was actually the original reason why I was invited to visit). I don't have any photos from it, but that was a lot of fun too. The only thing I would do differently: bring more cash for souvenirs (*sigh* bank problems before a trip are not helpful). </div>
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Now, the seven days I was there were pretty packed but not too much (we did have plans to go see giant butterflies but they fell through). We took time to relax and had a few nights in, which was fun. Arizona is a beautiful place and the desert definitely has its own beauty. I definitely want to go there again and see the Grand Canyon (and anything else I can find that's interesting). Would I do it the same way again? Sure, but I think this would also be a great trip to have with a group of friends.</div>
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I've always wanted to travel and going to Arizona was the first step towards that. Ever since I've returned from my trip, I've wanted to go see places I've never seen more than I did before. Of course, I can't go on vacation a month after returning from one, so I've been looking around to see what local treasures I may find. </div>
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Traveling has changed me - not in a huge way. By no means would I say this was a huge, life-changing trip, but it did change how willing I am to do new things. I want to explore new places more than before. There is so much out there and I want to see things beyond my hometown and workplace. I don't know when I'll be able to travel again, but I'm going to do it again, that much I'm sure of. One way or another.</div>
Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-55759393652665856412015-11-30T17:18:00.000-08:002015-11-30T17:18:12.050-08:00Another November, Another NaNoWriMo Conquered<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
When I started NaNoWriMo this month, I merely hoped it would help me loved <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> again. I figured that either I would learn to let it go, or I would fall in love. At the end of the first week, things looked promising but I wasn't quite there yet. It wasn't until week two that I truly realized that I had regained my love for this novel.<br />
<br />
I didn't write everyday. I had moments when I wished I hadn't committed to the crazy, month-long adventure. It kept me busy. I couldn't read. I was a solid 5K behind multiple times. There were moments when I wanted to give up.<br />
<br />
But I conquered NaNoWriMo. I revised part 1 of <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>, bringing the first part of the novel to a whopping 50,588 words. I had originally hoped to revised the entire novel this November, but it only took me about three chapters (approximately 20,000 words), to realize that perhaps that wouldn't happen.<br />
<br />
Now that the month is nearly over and I have time to breathe, I can't help but be grateful that I stuck with this novel throughout the entire month. It would have been easy to quite.<br />
<br />
I would have regretted quitting. After all, who wants to ruin a 6 year winning streak? (It's now 7 years.) Doing the easy thing in life is almost a sure-fire way to regret something. Life isn't easy and it's not meant to be easy either. Anything worth having is worth working for. <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> is worth the work.<br />
<br />
Looking back, I'm glad that I didn't tackle part 2 during NaNoWriMo. I knew exactly what to do with part 1 and, while I mostly know what to do with part 2, there are still some big questions I have to answer for myself while I work on the second half of <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>. Part 2 needs to be revised at a slower pace and I'm okay with that. Part 1 looks incredibly better and has really upped the novel's game.<br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to taking a break, but I'm also looking forward to completing revisions for part two. The writing process is a wonderful, fickle thing.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-34848515140296327962015-11-08T14:23:00.000-08:002015-11-08T14:23:24.845-08:00NaNoWriMo 2015: Week 1 Brings Relief<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
It is the part of the day where I procrastinate for a hour or two before settling in to write my daily NaNoWriMo words. It's been a busy 8 days. I didn't hit my daily word counts every single day last week but I did write something every day last week.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the big question now is how are revisions going? When the month started, I was partially dreading <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>, but I made myself sit down and begin revisions once more. As I worked, it felt almost the same way it did when I began revisions for Hector's POV several months ago.<br />
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I've had to recreate a few details, but I'm pretty darn happy with what I have. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's good that I lost all of those revisions, but I will say I was right. The words didn't come out the same way they did last time, and as a tragic as it is, it's also a good thing because I truly believe that these revisions are better than the ones I'd made before. Funny how that is.<br />
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As I'd hoped, NaNoWriMo is teaching me how to love <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> again and I couldn't be more relieved. Now I'm off to go do some more writing today.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-51979596359534411292015-11-01T17:15:00.001-08:002015-11-01T17:15:59.517-08:00Returning to Traitors and Tyrants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's the first day of NaNoWriMo. I should be writing, but I've reached today's word count so I had to take a break to get some other things done. Of course, that led to me blogging here after I was finished. It's been a week and I'm behind.<br />
<br />
I meant to read all of <i>Traitors and Tyrants</i> before NaNoWriMo began. I didn't even get half way through. Fortunately, I did get enough read to begin revisions today. I'm happy with what I've written thus far and am hard at work revising the first chapter. Yes, 1,702 words later I am still not finished with chapter one. I like what I have though and feel like it will do exactly what it's intended for.<br />
<br />
I'll continue my revisions this week and finish reading <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> hopefully by the end of the week. For now though, my goal is just to stay ahead with the reading so I can continue working on the novel. I don't anticipate it being too big of a problem.<br />
<br />
So how is writing <i>Traitors & Tyrants </i>again after all of this time?<br />
<br />
I can't say I love it right now, but I'm content with it and I'm wondering what it'll look like after I'm done with it this November. If you ask me, that's a good sign.<br />
<br />
As for everything else, work and school are keeping me busy. I had to bring pictures into my photography class last Thursday and everyone loved them, so I was pretty happy about that. I'll be sharing them on instagram at some point, but don't ask me when because I'm not 100% certain.<br />
<br />
How's NaNoWriMo going for you?Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-68309377521482429282015-10-24T20:57:00.000-07:002015-10-24T20:57:19.311-07:00Recommitment Again...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Since last I wrote here, I've been thinking about writing and NaNoWriMo more and more. I've been taking photography classes for the past five weeks and taking steps toward fulfilling this dream of mine (to be able to take nice photos), has me thinking about a lot of stuff. It's given me a refreshed perspective on writing and my desires for it as well.<br />
<br />
Let's just go over one thing for a moment. I've never flown anywhere. I've traveled up and down the east coast of the United States more than once now, but I've never flown anywhere. To my great excitement, I'm planning a trip to the west coast to visit an aunt. This pending experience has shed a different light on quite a few things for me. Perhaps it's cheesy to say, but I find myself considering things like a trip through Europe (through the same school I'm taking photography classes) as a real possibility. Now, will it actually happen? I don't know. Let's remember that I have yet to board my first plane.<br />
<br />
Of course, I'm contemplating other non-travel-related things as well but we won't go into that.<br />
<br />
With this new outlook, there's a somewhat familiar focus entering my life. I've been book blogging for almost three years, but things have been quiet on that front for the past week or two. Life is busy and it's coming to a point where I have to ask myself what is most important to me. Do I want to book blog seriously or occasionally? I don't have an actual answer for that yet, but I do have an answer about my photography and writing.<br />
<br />
Yes, I want to dump some more time into practicing and improving my photography. Will I ever take pictures professionally? I have no idea, but I know that it's something I enjoy doing so, at the very least, it'll remain a pleasant hobby. If that's all that comes of it, then that's okay with me right now.<br />
<br />
As for writing...<br />
<br />
Writing is a constant battle of ups and downs. The last five months have consisted of a huge low and, curiously enough (or perhaps not so curiously), writing last week's blog entry was almost therapeutic. I've found that since I've written it, I've had a more positive outlook on <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>. I've been more invigorated to start writing again and am ready to get back to it.<br />
<br />
Now, that isn't to say I didn't write at all in the last five months. I did do some writing, but not very much and what writing I did (not blogging related) wasn't all that serious. I wrote in scenes, which is typically a totally unproductive way for me to write. I work in chronological order and find it virtually impossible to write seriously any other way. When I write in pieces, I tend to think of them as things I can cast aside at any time, unimportant even if they are related to a novel I intend to write at some point.<br />
<br />
So what's my point here?<br />
<br />
I've basically been a dry well for the past five months. I've used every excuse in the book and have flat out avoided <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>. With everything that's going on in my life right now (and the perspective offered by my photography classes), I've been thoughtfully contemplating what my real priorities are in life and what I need to do to meet those goals.<br />
<br />
I am recommitting not just to <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>, but also to this painful, yet miraculous process we all call writing. It isn't entirely uncommon for me to go for months without working on a novel. It has happened before. What makes this past year's dry spell so different is the reason behind it. I wasn't just <b>not</b> writing because I didn't feel like it or because I was busy. I wasn't writing because I was, for lack of a better word, wounded in a way. I'm sure that sounds dramatic, but there isn't an easy way to describe it without going into great detail (<a href="http://createandimprove.blogspot.com/2015/10/why-im-breaking-rules-this-november.html" target="_blank">which I did last week</a>).<br />
<br />
Now to get back on track.<br />
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Yes, I am recommitting myself to my writing because it <b>is</b> something that I love and have wanted to pursue with all my heart for quite some time now. Sometimes life just throws you a curve ball and there's nothing you can do but to ride it out. The important part is not to let it throw you off course for too long. Get back on that horse. Keep going.<br />
<br />
All right, now that you've allowed me to beat that horse until it's good and dead (after all, the last three or so blog posts have been about more or less the same thing), allow me to give you can update.<br />
<br />
Have I started planning for <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>?<br />
<br />
Like a good little procrastinator, I haven't done a single thing to prepare for NaNoWriMo. I intended to read <i>Traitors & Tyrants </i>today but that didn't happen. I will be settling in to do some reading tomorrow and will hopefully be finishing it by mid week. I'll have my notepad ready and pen poised for notes. There's a lot to do but I'm going to make the most of November.<br />
<br />
I'm currently planning on taking two days off in an effort to help me get some serious extra writing time in this November as well as contemplating getting up earlier in the morning. (Hah, that's unlikely but good intentions right?)<br />
<br />
Am I worried by my last minute preparations?<br />
<br />
No. The fresher the novel is in my memory, the better. I need to clear up some inconsistencies and plot holes, so I don't consider the fact that I'm reading the novel the week before as detrimental. Since I basically know what I need to do, planning shouldn't be too difficult. (Look, now I've cursed myself.)<br />
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That's about it for now though. I'll keep you posted. Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-70011256491485799352015-10-17T16:48:00.001-07:002015-10-17T17:23:27.379-07:00Why I'm Breaking the Rules this November<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
It's that time of year again. It's two weeks before National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins and writers everywhere are preparing or eagerly awaiting November 1st. Before October, I knew exactly what book I was planning on writing for NaNoWriMo. Then I was talking to my mother about NaNoWriMo (and how excited I was about writing it), one thing led to another and she had me thinking about using November to finish <i>Traitors & Tyrants.</i> In the end, I decided she had given me some good counsel.<br />
<i><br /></i>
I've put a lot of thought into my decision. I've been working on <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> for two years; the prospect of working on a different project was refreshing and I spent a month trying to extract myself from that world. Quite frankly, the idea of working on <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> was unappealing. As I've mentioned earlier, after loosing a lot of edits that were painstakingly added, I had to rush to complete at least half of them so I could finish my Writing Children's Books diploma. After submitting the manuscript to complete the course, I sent it off to my critique partners and decided I needed to take a break.<br />
<br />
Now that I've lost my momentum, I've asked myself more than once if that was the right decision. I believe it was and I don't regret it, but getting back on the horse is a lot harder than it sounds. I'm still feeling the affects of losing so much work and its been difficult to begin preparing for NaNoWriMo. I'm two weeks from November 1st and haven't made a single move to prepare for it.<br />
<br />
So why keep working on <i>Traitors & Tyrants?</i> After all, Stephanie, you seem to have lost all of your love for it.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I feel like that. Sometimes I don't. But something my mom said keeps coming back to me. She read my first NaNoWriMo novel and has been a fan and a source of encouragement for my writing ever since. I count myself lucky to have someone like that in my life - especially a mother like that. As only a mother can, she basically told me to either decide that I'm done with <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> for good and move on, or stick with it. How could I not ask myself that question after that? Was I done with <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>? Was it time to close that chapter of my writing life and to move on to something else? Or was it time to see this one through to the end?<br />
<br />
I've remarked more than once that I believed this novel could be <i>the one</i>. I've written novel after novel and, out of all of them, I believed that this could be the one I would begin to query - the one I would seek for publication. I still believe that it could make it. I also believe I could let this one sit in a folder I'll never open again if I let it. It'd be easy. In a lot of ways though, it almost feels like by turning my back on <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>, I'm giving up writing for publication. After all, I've spent two years writing this and only this. Sure, there have been times when I wrote pieces of other stories. In the end though, a scene for <i>Traitors & Tyrants </i>always slips into my mind and I simply have to write it.<br />
<br />
Throughout the past two years, I've thought about quitting. I thought I had passed those pivotal moments for this novel, and maybe they were, but I think this might be the decision that matters the most. I don't love it quite like I used to because I know that after losing those edits, the words will never come out quite the same way. I've lost that version forever and I loved that version.<br />
<br />
It's been 5 months - almost half a year - since that one moment and I still feel the sorrow it caused. 5 months since I hurriedly patched up the novel so I could close it and not have to look at it again for a while. 5 months since I effectively turned my back on a story I had believed in for so long. These days, I am reminded of its flaws more than I am its virtues. I am reminded that those flaws had been fixed (or half fixed) before that fateful day 5 months ago.<br />
<br />
That isn't good for the soul.<br />
<br />
Therefore, I keep asking myself if I want to make this my NaNoWriMo project this November. Do I want to commit to it again? In the end, I decided it wasn't time to give up. I've come so far; it would be a shame to give up now when I still can't get my head completely out of the darn thing. NaNoWriMo has a history of helping me complete novels in an amount of time that is seemingly impossible every other month of the year. It has helped me conquer quite a few writing hurtles.<br />
<br />
I know myself. I know that, when it comes to my writing, I work best under a deadline. So I'm taking the plunge. I'm going to go back and edit <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> once more and, hopefully, find my love for it again.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-72779637438254635222015-08-22T20:33:00.002-07:002015-08-22T20:35:40.745-07:00Traitors & Tyrants Draft #4: Commitment <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.eucatastrophe.com/?p=469" target="_blank"><b>Source</b></a></div>
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No man has been more inspiring or has taught me more about revisions than the great Tolkien himself. There is a plethora of writing advise out there. I once read somewhere that a novel should only have three or four drafts. After revising <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> two times already, I find myself beginning another round of revisions. Once I've completed these I will be four drafts into this novel. I've finally come to accept that it may take a few more until I get <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> where I want it, and <b>that's okay</b>. Not including the occasional dalliance into novels whose ideas are barely half formed, I have been working solely on <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> for almost two years. I have never worked on a single novel concept for such a long period of time. The dedication I have to this novel almost seems unfounded to me.<br />
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<i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> has inspired me to keep going. It has made me want to give up on it. I've considered giving up on this dream of mine. But it refuses to leave me alone. Almost every single time I want to write, I find myself thinking about <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>.<br />
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Let's cover something for a moment. I have completed five other drafts and have been dangerously close to finishing two more for the past two years. I have flirted with the new stories and have let them float around in my head quite longer than I typically let these type of things float. None of them have managed to pull me completely away from <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> and I've asked myself why. More than once.<br />
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There comes a point when you have to decide how committed your are to a novel. I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to stick with this until the very end. I wanted to give <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> it's best shot before it even had a title. Nothing in my life has taught me more about persistence than writing. Not long ago, I contemplated scrapping <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>. I've written three drafts and it still needs a lot of work. But as I thought, I realized (although I already knew this) that if I never stuck with a novel long enough, it would never reach that coveted point of perfection I so desperately desire for it.<br />
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The unique thing about <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> is that I believe in it unlike any other novel I have ever written. Every time I contemplate the next round of revisions, the thought strikes me of how much untapped potential it has. It is my belief in its potential and perhaps even all of the time I've invested in it that helps keep me going.<br />
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I finished the third draft about two months ago. It's been difficult to get started again because I lost a lot of work. <a href="http://createandimprove.blogspot.com/2015/06/another-chapter-ends.html" target="_blank">Losing that work was a huge blow</a> and it's been extremely hard to bounce back from it. It still makes me sad to think of how it was before I lost that work. It was five times better than it currently is. I've needed the past two months to get my head out of <i>Traitors & Tyrants </i>though. I've needed this time away from it. I was too close to it.<br />
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Recently, I started listening to <i>Falling Kingdoms</i>. I'd originally abandoned it when I tried to read it a couple of years ago. I hated the characters. While my view of the characters hasn't exactly changed, I've been taking this opportunity to appreciate the world Rhodes has developed. She is another author I can add to my list of inspiration. If anything, she has taught me how useful a despicable character can be to a story (when used correctly).<br />
<br />
Shortly after starting <i>Falling Kingdoms</i>, I came across an article written by Maggie Stiefvater in which she basically says that <a href="http://maggie-stiefvater.tumblr.com/post/127260247211/in-your-post-about-planning-you-equate-writing-for" target="_blank">writing takes work and not to belittle that</a>. Behind almost every good novel, is an outline of some kind written at some point. This is another inspiring thing for me because it has given me the boost I need to begin revisions for <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> again. I had success with an outline when I completely rewrote <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> and will be employing a more extensive one this time as I move towards another round of edits.<br />
<br />
My plan this time? Put my goals for this draft down on paper and outline the novel with these things in mind. This more extensive outline will force me to seriously contemplate each new direction I consider for <i>Traitors & Tyrants;</i> it will help me strengthen the plot lines, characters, and settings that are already in place. I am eager to dive into this round of revisions, and have actually already begun this process.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-3210191265501781862015-08-17T19:34:00.000-07:002015-08-17T19:34:57.618-07:00Keeping Busy While the Critique Partners Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last we spoke, I was waiting for feedback on <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>. I'm still waiting on feedback from some people but the initial reaction from my critique partner was good. The manuscript has a long way to go and I'm excited to work on it again, but am also dreading it. So what is a writer to do with all of this free time?<br />
<br />
I've dabbled with another novel idea but it's hard to abandon <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> the way I need to in order to really get down to it and write a new novel. So in the mean time, I've been working on my school of course. I have a huge test this Saturday and everything is all set for it. Hopefully, I'll pass this Saturday and be able to move onto my next semester.<br />
<br />
I am indeed working on an associates degree in Marketing but I've been contemplating getting a bachelors in history. I've always loved studying ancient civilizations. History fascinates me and I think it'd been really cool to major in it. I'm still thinking about it right and looking at colleges to see what my options are but this is something I've never really considered before and I'm both intimidated and excited by the idea.<br />
<br />
I've also been looking at taking some photography classes. A local college is offering some classes so there's a high probability that I'll be forking out some money and going to those in the evening. I've always wanted to be able to take beautiful pictures and recently bought a $300 dollar camera for a really good price. At least, I thought it was a good price. For less than $900 I could have a photography certificate, which is cool. I've always loved taking pictures so this is kind of a life long dream that I could possibly fulfill before the end of the year.<br />
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Adding to this all, I've met one of my financial goals and am pretty excited about it since I never though I'd be able to do it. But I've saved and saved and I've finally made it.<br />
<br />
I've been reading a ton of great blog posts and am currently obsessed with <a href="http://youngadventuress.com/" target="_blank">The Young Adventuress</a>. Liz has gone to so many cool places that I've always dreamed of visiting - places I may only ever dream of visiting. (Although, if I had it my way I'd at least see Italy.) Liz inspires me to try new things I've always wanted to do but have never done. I've never flown on a plane before but that'll be changing this March. Perhaps after that I won't be such a coward about flying by myself?Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-56681490449395429972015-06-24T17:46:00.001-07:002015-06-24T18:21:53.657-07:00Another Chapter EndsA few weeks ago, I lost a month's worth of edits for <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>. It was devastating and made all the more horrific by an impending deadline for my Writing Children's Books career diploma. In about 7 days, quickly edited the bare minimum needed so I could send it off. When I say the bare minimum, I mean half of Rachel's POV. That's correct. I lost nearly every edit I'd completed for Hector's POV.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.eucatastrophe.com/?p=799" target="_blank">Source</a></b></div>
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After printing the somewhat edited manuscript so I could send it to my instructor, I found myself with a big decision. My critique partners had only read parts of the novel. No one except my instructor had read an entire draft. Should I do a round of edits for Hector's POV before sending it off (as originally planned)?<br />
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The decision was incredibly hard and I knew I had to act as soon as I'd convince myself to send it away. So why do it when I already knew edits were still needed?<br />
<br />
I found myself questioning a pivotal aspect of the story and was worried I had lost perspective.<br />
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So now I sit here, waiting for my critique partners to read the novel and let me know what they think. I sent it and regretted it immediately afterward. However, now that I've spent two weeks away from the project, I believe that sending it away was the right thing to do.<br />
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What do I write next? I have a project lined up but after working on <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i> so intensely, I'm taking this time to wrap up some other none-writing projects instead of launching into another.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-87340333084992523122015-05-24T00:00:00.000-07:002015-05-24T00:00:03.468-07:00Traitors & Tyrants Revisions: Draft #3 Wow, we're here three months since last I blogged over here. So what's up? I've made a lot of progress with <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>. My strategy with this draft has been to focus on Rachel's and Hector's stories separately. I basically rewrote all of Rachel's POV, which was far more labor intensive than I anticipated. All in all, things are looking up. I finished rewriting Rachel's POV a few weeks ago and started on Hector's.<br />
<br />
Hector's POV hasn't changed as much with this round of edits but he's always been a lot easier to figure out. However, there are some changes that were definitely unanticipated. They accomplished things that I've wanted since I started planning T&T<i></i> - way before I even started writing it.<br />
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Editing hasn't been all fun and butterflies though. Lately, it's been difficult to muster much of a desire to finish revising draft three. I am almost halfway through editing Hector's POV though, which is exciting in and of itself. Due to my lack of motivation though, I've been experiencing a bit of T&T fatigue. I'm ready to finish this draft and work on something completely different. I haven't let anyone read T&T yet and am looking forward to finally handing it over to my two awesome critique partners.<br />
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Just as a breather, I have written a few scenes for my next project, which happens to be a story that I've wanted to read myself for a while now, for many years actually and I can never seem to find a novel that presents this type of story the way I'd like. I won't say much more about it except it centers around a princess and forbidden love: my favorite type of romance.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-31678307394055319712015-02-06T17:26:00.000-08:002015-02-06T17:26:19.254-08:00So It Has Begun: Traitors & Tyrants Draft #3It's been quite a while since I've blogged over here. I've been pretty busy working (I changed jobs), going to school, blogging at <a href="http://chasmofbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Chasm of Books</a>, and <b>writing</b>.<br />
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I've made quite a bit of progress in the past five months. I read all of <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>' first draft and <a href="http://chasmofbooks.blogspot.com/2014/10/national-novel-writing-month-october.html" target="_blank">decided that I needed to rewrite the entire thing</a>. I was opposed to this thought at first but I came around to it. All I can say is that I am so glad I did. Neither draft is perfect, however each has something very important.<br />
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Draft one has the entire series plot and some important world building in it. However, draft one's plot was unfocused. Draft two lacks world building and detail but the plot is there. You have to understand that when I write I tend to write the main points of a story and bypass a lot of detail and setting description. These are important things though, since this description enables a story to envelop a reader. As you can probably guess, things tend to be very fast paced. Too fast. It's one thing after another. Rushed.<br />
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My main goal for draft three is to insert details, world building, and pacing. I think these are definitely the major things. I'll be keeping an eye on Hector's personality as well as Rachel's to make sure they're consistent and distinct. If I had to choose, I'd say Rachel is definitely going to undergo the most character development in this round of revisions.<br />
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I tried to interview Rachel before I ever wrote the first draft, but she was uncooperative; however, I'm pleased to say that she decided to cooperate this week and I've learned some really important things about her and how she feels about events (now I'll be able to add a realistic emotional punch to things).<br />
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I've started revisions for draft #3 this week and am enjoying the process a lot. It's really interesting to see the story transform into something I'd actually be willing to share. Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-62562625716736786542014-09-03T08:29:00.000-07:002014-09-03T08:30:27.433-07:00Revisions: A Changing Perspective<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i>Untitled Fantasy</i> (AKA <i>Traitors & Tyrants</i>) arrived this week. My instructor provided some feedback, which was mostly really minor and disappointing, and I have their copy now as well as my own. This time though, I have the rest of my lessons and I've already learned some new things.<br />
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My first step is to read the manuscript without editing or making notes. How in the world am I supposed to do that? I've been unsuccessful so far, but I'm trying to limit myself at least to just the really big changes. There are some things I have to chew on before they can be discarded or put into action.* <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">*</span>see post-it note in the picture above</span><br />
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My brain just keeps churning though and focusing is terrible hard. In the past, I would have been horrified at the work that lays before me. I don't know why it's different now, but when I think about all the changes that need to happen and how flawed it is right now, I'm both excited and relieved. Excited because of its potential. Relieved because it can still be changed. What I have here now, doesn't have to be the end of the journey.<br />
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There are scenes I've already decided that need to be completely cut and I'm finding it freeing instead of horrifying. Of course, I've had some thoughts that are still hard to accept as very possible solutions and changes. I've grown attached to some things but I'm learning to let go. Just because you have to get rid of one thing or a character thought, doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to them forever. That thought is comforting and liberating.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-61417154436350256832014-08-23T12:22:00.000-07:002014-08-23T12:22:08.940-07:00Writing by HandI'll cut the Camp NaNoWriMo report short and say that I didn't get far into finishing <i>Rogue Beings</i>. I'm sure I'll finish it someday but that day has not come yet. For now, I'm focusing on just writing for me and enjoying it.<br />
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I've sent <i>Untitled Fantasy</i> in to my instructor-editor and am waiting for their feedback. I was going to edit the first draft before I sent it but I decided not to (and the instructions were to send it as soon as I was done without editing anything). As far as I know, it has arrived at the school but I have no idea when I'm going to get any feedback. It's only been a week or two though so I'm trying not to think about it.<br />
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In the mean time, I've been rereading <i>The Two Towers</i> and <i>The Return of the Shadow</i>. For those of you who don't know, the latter is a book on Tolkien's writing process while he was creating <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>. I've read the first and second drafts of the first chapter so far and am amazed at the difference already. It's so interesting watching Tolkien figure out what is going on.<br />
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As I've mentioned before, Tolkien is one of my inspirations. I love knowing that much of <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>' creation was sporadic and disorganized. I'm slowly learning to enjoy the writing process. I have a habit of rushing myself and I'm trying not to do that. In my efforts to enjoy the journey, I've started writing by hand. I'm not quite sure what it is that I'm writing but I'm also trying not to think about it too much. My main goal with this project is to let my pen take me where it will.<br />
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An entirely different creative door opens when you step away from your computer and go back to pen and paper. When you're typing, the mind has a tendency to take over. It's almost like your hands are instinctively creative and that creativity tends to flow uninterrupted when given a pen. Magic blooms across the page and your mind remember words you don't usually use and phrase things differently.<br />
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That's my experience at least...<br />
<br />
Sometimes you need a project just for you and this one truly is just that. I'm not ready to figure it all out yet, I just want to continue to write it in scenes and watch the story take form from there. It can be anything it wants and I don't intend to get in the way of that.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-65504005487137169032014-07-01T20:10:00.000-07:002014-07-01T20:10:32.025-07:00All I Can Think AboutI've finally finished <i>Untitled Fantasy</i> and I'm supposed to be taking a break from it and writing <i>Rogue Beings</i> for Camp NaNoWriMo. The thing is, I keep thinking about <i>Untitled Fantasy</i> and how much I want to give a real name and how much I <b>just want to read and fix it already</b>.<br />
<br />
I keep telling myself it's only 20K. I can do that easy. I also tell myself that I need to buy ink and paper so I can print <i>Untitled Fantasy</i> so I can't work on it anyway. This isn't helping me not think about it though. I need to just sit down and write, but now that it comes down to it, I remember the fact that I have to re-acclimate myself to a story that is near its end and entirely different.<br />
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I haven't worked on <i>Rogue Beings</i> for... I don't know, a year? That's a long time. And to just plop down 62K into it and write? That's not the easiest thing to do. I have to capture the character's voices, their problems, argh! Why did I not finish this before? It was an awful mistake. *sigh*<br />
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While all of this is going on, I remember how many times I wanted to quite on <i>Untitled Fantasy</i> and how glad I am that I kept going. I'm holding onto that knowledge and am pushing myself to just sit down and do this thing with <i>Rogue Beings</i>. I can do this and I will be glad I did.<br />
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<br />Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-21248889485683826872014-06-28T16:05:00.000-07:002014-06-28T16:05:19.213-07:00First Draft - CompletedWow. It's been a long three months. I've been officially composing Untitled Fantasy's first draft since March and had begun brainstorming and character interviews a month or two before then. That means I've been working on it for the past six months (approximately).<br />
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And it's finished.<br />
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Three months.<br />
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I can hardly believe I've finished the first draft. You'd think I'd be excited but, right now, I'm sort of in a state of disbelief. It has finally happened. I came in at 60,010 words. I thought I had finished when I was just 500 words shy but I like even numbers so I went back later. Those last 500 words were some of my favorite to write. <br />
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All of today's writing flew by and I wrote the bulk of them (if memory serves) in two hours. I figured the last of it would flow like crazy, but I honestly was surprised at how much they just poured out of me.<br />
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Final stats:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Untitled Fantasy</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">6 Months</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">60,010 words </span></div>
Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-80954391734539626382014-06-28T09:53:00.000-07:002014-06-28T09:53:16.170-07:00The Moment Before the EndAs I write, I have <i>Untitled Fantasy</i> open on my desktop, waiting for me to begin typing the last 3,443 words. I worked all day yesterday, so I didn't get my 1,000 words in but I was able to think about the ending some more and figured out a better direction and one I am entirely too excited about.<br />
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I wanted to savor this moment before I finished <i>Untitled Fantasy</i>. I have the rest of the day with nothing to do (except renewing library books and vacuuming) therefore, it's my goal to get the last few thousand words in today.<br />
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I've been thinking about <i>Untitled Fantasy</i>'s chosen ending for quite some time. I honestly didn't have a clue about how it would end until this past week. I keep trying to think about when I started <i>Untitled Fantasy</i>. I began brainstorming and outlining sometime in January I believe and actually started writing in March. (I think... it's hard to remember.). <br />
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Before beginning Hector's POV (which I consider to be the draft's real beginning writing wise), I wrote four chapters in Rachel's POV. Those first few thousand words flew by and poured out of me and I knew that this idea was one I wanted to see all the way through to the end.<br />
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I also experimented with Hector in that time too. My vision of him has changed since then so his chapter is much different from the rest of the novel and not included. But I kept every one of those chapters because they helped me discover the characters and the novel itself.<br />
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<i>Untitled Fantasy</i> may or may not ever see the light of day (I hope it does!) but I will be forever grateful for the experiences it provided me. I still doubt this novel a lot but I keep reminding myself it's a first draft. With that mindset, I'm pretty proud of this draft. I'm sure it'll change a lot during revisions; and I hope it does, because it can be so much better than it is right now.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-87908547231255079672014-06-26T07:37:00.000-07:002014-06-26T07:37:33.860-07:0050-60K UpdateI haven't reach 60K quite yet. I'm a little more than 3K off from it. I believe I hinted that I thought <i>Untitled Fantasy</i>'s first draft might end up with more than 60K but from what I have planned and from what I've written, I'm going to hazard a guess that that's not going to be the case. <br />
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Of course, this novel has surprised me several times so who knows? But I'm <b>pretty sure</b> this time. I'm so stoked to finally be finished with the first draft. I just want to finish, give it some time and then read it so I can figure out what I have. I'm oddly excited to start revisions. This might be because I'm not quite sure what it is exactly that I've written. I know that sounds odd but this novel has thrown so many curve balls at me, I kind of don't. If that even makes sense.<br />
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Plus, I'm anticipating it's finish on either Saturday or Monday, which means, yes, it'll be done before Camp NaNoWriMo! This also ups the likelihood of me actually finishing <i>Rogue Beings</i> this July.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-58556743557368611442014-06-24T09:45:00.001-07:002014-06-24T09:45:51.846-07:00Return to Camp NaNoWriMoIt's Camp NaNoWriMo time again. After April's hideous performance, I have decided to return once again and give it another go. But, first, here's a sort-of interesting fact for ya'll: I've participated in Camp NaNoWriMo since its beginning in 2011; in that time, I've only finished one of those novels.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a more comprehensive outline:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>July 2011:</b></span> <i>The Memory of Trees</i> (mystery)<br />
I was already half way through this novel when Camp NaNoWriMo began and successfully completed the second half.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>August 2011:</b></span> <i>History of Races</i> (high fantasy)<br />
I had already completed the first draft for this novel and was planning on revising it. I didn't get far.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">June 2012:</span> </b><i>Across the Ribbon of Time: Pricilla's Story</i> (high fantasy)<br />
I almost reached 18K with this one.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">April 2013:</span> </b><i>Rogue Beings</i> (high fantasy)<br />
I had started this back in November 2012 but only reached the 52K mark and didn't finish it that month. I was supposed to finish it in April. I almost reached 3K.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">April 2014:</span> </b><i>Untitled Fantasy</i> (high fantasy)<br />
This is my current project that I keep blogging about and am hoping finish in the next couple of weeks. I almost wrote 9K in April.<br />
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So there you have it - a list of my failed attempts (well, with one success). You never truly fail until you stop trying though so I'm giving Camp NaNoWriMo another go. I originally wanted to finish <i>Untitled Fantasy</i> before July but I don't think that's going to happen. Still, I think it'll be almost done by then so that's fine.<br />
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Therefore, July will hopefully see the finishing of two projects, <i>Untitled Fantasy</i> and *drum roll* <i>Rogue Beings</i>! I'm actually not too far off from finishing <i>Rogue Beings</i>. Ironic I know. I should just sit down and finish it. I've been thinking about it a lot lately and am dying to work on it. As soon as I finish <i>Untitled Fantasy</i>, I'm going to throw myself into finishing <i>Rogue Beings</i>, which is a stand-alone novel.<br />
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July's monthly goal will only be 20K though. Honestly, I'll be happy as long as I finish both novels.Madam Peregrinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18299099684363229177noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043129072835792620.post-76885741390831844102014-06-23T18:31:00.000-07:002014-06-23T18:31:12.336-07:00Good-Bye Part 2, Hello Part 3It's been a while so I just wanted to check in with ya'll. Unfortunately, I was only able to write two (maybe three) days last week. Hopefully, this week will be more conducive to my plans.<br />
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Surprisingly, I've decided to split the rest of the novel into a part three. We'll see whether or not that sticks but for now, while I'm writing the draft, it helps so I'll run with it. I'm actually now switching POVs from chapter to chapter and anticipate my two main characters meeting very soon.<br />
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This story sure does like to throw me curve balls though. I've come up with something interesting today but I haven't a clue what it means yet or how it fits in. I'm looking forward to learning and figuring it out though. It's more like the characters revealed something than like me making it up. I actually tried to get the character to say something different but nothing seemed to fit so I just went with it. These things tend to be good surprises in the end, as long as you use them properly. <br />
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In other news, Little Brown Books for Young Readers approved me for <i>Salt & Storm</i> on Netgalley today so you can imagine my excitement over that, especially since I didn't think I'd get it.<br />
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