So I wrote a poem not long ago, but without internet access, I didn't get to post it. I have the good ol' "webz" again, so I'm going to post it now. And away... we go!
Where is the bridge
To stand me away from the waves
The sand, the rush, the crash
Not the surf but the sand...
The waves.
Where is the bridge
To carry my scorched palms from the swell
deep beneath the salty, breaching foam
your hand, your eyes, your breath
Not the sex but the heat...
The waves.
Where is the bridge
To keep me dry through your storm
The sweat, the tears, your rain
Not the ocean but the cloud...
The waves.
Still and thorough, you beat against my roof
Hot and strong, you press on my shutters
If you are the storm, I need no bridge...
No curtain, no door, no roof
Come in, my storm, and rage forever with me.*
So that's one of the things I've written in the last month or so. As I already may have mentioned ;) I finished the novel, and have also written a short story. Things have been good in my world, more zen than in the recent past.
Good day
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
End of the first step
So, here I am, more than two years from the beginning of this journey, and the book is fully written. Really, it's only a first draft (or first draft plus, I did a lot of editing while I went along) and there is more work to be done, but I feel like I've finally put my tired foot down, after holding it up; hesitating to take that step.
As a matter of record, before I do my first official edit, or have any beta reading done, the stats on the book stand like this:
13 Chapters
408 pages; double spaced, size 12 courier font (like most publishers seem to ask for)
87,412 words; black and white, on the page (this also seems to be a plus) ;)
I also finally have an internet connection, so as things continue to progress, I will update this page. I'll also be bringing the other random thoughts on life, poetry, and short stories that roll out in the coming days.
The next step for me, in the "big book" process, is to finish my query letter. It needs to be well written and exciting, so as to catch a literary agent's attention. I haven't started this, but it's only like a one page project, so it might not take me three more years. (hehe)
I also need to finish my summary, which I have started, but haven't looked at in months. A bit of a longer process, but another necessity in the publishing process.
One of the more important things I have to do, is finding beta readers. I need to find people that are willing to read the book, and kick back some honest thoughts on the story. The good thing is; I don't need a red-pen to fix punctuation, just some honest thoughts and feedback. For the most part, I'm delegating this job to a "critter" website that I'm a part of, but if someone is interested, an extra set of eyes never hurts.
Well, that's all I've got for you, for now.
I'm sure I'll be back soon, and more regularly :)
thanks for reading
As a matter of record, before I do my first official edit, or have any beta reading done, the stats on the book stand like this:
13 Chapters
408 pages; double spaced, size 12 courier font (like most publishers seem to ask for)
87,412 words; black and white, on the page (this also seems to be a plus) ;)
I also finally have an internet connection, so as things continue to progress, I will update this page. I'll also be bringing the other random thoughts on life, poetry, and short stories that roll out in the coming days.
The next step for me, in the "big book" process, is to finish my query letter. It needs to be well written and exciting, so as to catch a literary agent's attention. I haven't started this, but it's only like a one page project, so it might not take me three more years. (hehe)
I also need to finish my summary, which I have started, but haven't looked at in months. A bit of a longer process, but another necessity in the publishing process.
One of the more important things I have to do, is finding beta readers. I need to find people that are willing to read the book, and kick back some honest thoughts on the story. The good thing is; I don't need a red-pen to fix punctuation, just some honest thoughts and feedback. For the most part, I'm delegating this job to a "critter" website that I'm a part of, but if someone is interested, an extra set of eyes never hurts.
Well, that's all I've got for you, for now.
I'm sure I'll be back soon, and more regularly :)
thanks for reading
Monday, April 5, 2010
Down to it...
So I have no excuse for the laziness that swallowed the last two weeks or so. I just did nothing beneficial. At all. Oh well, I can be angry at myself and say crazy things about making up for the time I lost, or I can be realistic and pick up where I left off. That seems more constructive.
Right now, I have just under 75,000 words done. Even with all my slacking, that's a pretty big deal to me, and if I buckle down... Well, I'll be done soon. No more self setting deadlines. That kind of thing just seems to make it easier for me to miss my mark.
I'm at this weird spot in my story; I can see the end, and hell, I even know the end. But, there is a step missing between where I am, and where I need to be. It's frustrating. There seems to be this wall... just stopping me from meeting the end of this story. Should I look at changing the ending? I mean it's not written yet, but it's kind of been set in stone (in my mind) for a while now.
Do I change it, or do I just keep moving forward, having faith that it'll all come together? I think it will, but I also think I need to be open to the possibility of change here. Hmmm... I guess we'll see.
On a personal note, I'm psyched because this Thursday, I'm scheduled to get my first tattoo :) It's been a plan that I've hmmm'd and haah'd, but I finally just made the appointment, and now I can't wait. I guess sometimes you just need to make the decision.
Ok, that's it for now
Right now, I have just under 75,000 words done. Even with all my slacking, that's a pretty big deal to me, and if I buckle down... Well, I'll be done soon. No more self setting deadlines. That kind of thing just seems to make it easier for me to miss my mark.
I'm at this weird spot in my story; I can see the end, and hell, I even know the end. But, there is a step missing between where I am, and where I need to be. It's frustrating. There seems to be this wall... just stopping me from meeting the end of this story. Should I look at changing the ending? I mean it's not written yet, but it's kind of been set in stone (in my mind) for a while now.
Do I change it, or do I just keep moving forward, having faith that it'll all come together? I think it will, but I also think I need to be open to the possibility of change here. Hmmm... I guess we'll see.
On a personal note, I'm psyched because this Thursday, I'm scheduled to get my first tattoo :) It's been a plan that I've hmmm'd and haah'd, but I finally just made the appointment, and now I can't wait. I guess sometimes you just need to make the decision.
Ok, that's it for now
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Good Dreams: a poem
I dreamt of her last night,
The one who bore my love so long,
Silently carrying me.
Without complaint or praise,
She cherished the burden of my love.
Her strength hidden,
Behind the beauty of uncounted freckles,
And beneath the glistening locks.
Cumbersome I became,
But still, she carried me on,
With her smile, and her kiss.
I dreamt of her last night,
The one with undiluted beauty,
Though her smile fades.
The days become darker,
The nights glow red like a cigarette's cherry,
And sleep is rough without her.
Her skin so fair,
Her lips sweet, milk and honey,
The veil she wore, lifted for our kiss,
But her kisses are now gone,
From all but my dreams.
I don't write poetry often, though it is where my passion began. I had a poem published once (long ago, in a galaxy far, far away) but those times were dark, and so were my words. (Come on, I was an angsty youth, long before it was cool to be emo!)
Anyhow, I don't write many poems as of late. They scare me more than I would like to admit. Fractions of words and sentences, thrown onto the white for the sole purpose of exposing a bit of yourself... at least that's how I have felt when I have written poems.
But, it's something to post here. I spent the last week doing nothing, as far as writing was concerned. I'm back at it, though I obviously missed my own deadline :)
Oh well
The one who bore my love so long,
Silently carrying me.
Without complaint or praise,
She cherished the burden of my love.
Her strength hidden,
Behind the beauty of uncounted freckles,
And beneath the glistening locks.
Cumbersome I became,
But still, she carried me on,
With her smile, and her kiss.
I dreamt of her last night,
The one with undiluted beauty,
Though her smile fades.
The days become darker,
The nights glow red like a cigarette's cherry,
And sleep is rough without her.
Her skin so fair,
Her lips sweet, milk and honey,
The veil she wore, lifted for our kiss,
But her kisses are now gone,
From all but my dreams.
I don't write poetry often, though it is where my passion began. I had a poem published once (long ago, in a galaxy far, far away) but those times were dark, and so were my words. (Come on, I was an angsty youth, long before it was cool to be emo!)
Anyhow, I don't write many poems as of late. They scare me more than I would like to admit. Fractions of words and sentences, thrown onto the white for the sole purpose of exposing a bit of yourself... at least that's how I have felt when I have written poems.
But, it's something to post here. I spent the last week doing nothing, as far as writing was concerned. I'm back at it, though I obviously missed my own deadline :)
Oh well
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Synopsis
So, I've begun work on my book synopsis. I'm hoping to get a few early submissions sent out while I finish up the last bit of the book. I am a little hesitant to send out the synopsis before I'm done, but the submission process can take quite some time... (Three months to a year in some cases)
It's nerve-racking! I am trying to summarize my story in about five pages. In those pages I need to make a publisher want to read the book, outline the whole story, mention all the important plot elements, talk about character growth, and most importantly; MAKE THE PUBLISHER WANT TO READ THE BOOK!
I'm trying not to stress, and I want to believe the story will carry itself... But, I find that it's times like these, when I need to be confident, that I get weighed down with self-doubt. There are so many people out there, writing stories, trying, hoping for the same thing I am hoping for. Most of them fail. It's just a fact.
I truly believe that this book will stand on it's own merits, I do. It's a story I would like to read, and I think that is the point. The worry, however, begins once I realize that sending out my submission, means that I am no longer in control. That scares me.
Oh well, I guess that's it for now
It's nerve-racking! I am trying to summarize my story in about five pages. In those pages I need to make a publisher want to read the book, outline the whole story, mention all the important plot elements, talk about character growth, and most importantly; MAKE THE PUBLISHER WANT TO READ THE BOOK!
I'm trying not to stress, and I want to believe the story will carry itself... But, I find that it's times like these, when I need to be confident, that I get weighed down with self-doubt. There are so many people out there, writing stories, trying, hoping for the same thing I am hoping for. Most of them fail. It's just a fact.
I truly believe that this book will stand on it's own merits, I do. It's a story I would like to read, and I think that is the point. The worry, however, begins once I realize that sending out my submission, means that I am no longer in control. That scares me.
Oh well, I guess that's it for now
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
mmm, coffee
The title really has no meaning on this post. But, I do love coffee!
I've been very slackish when it comes to posting blogs. It doesn't have anything to do with my writing, I've been pretty good about that. I just feel like I should have something new to say when I post here, so I don't... sometimes :)
I finished my 9th chapter, and in a lot of books, that probably isn't even half done. However, I like a longer chapter format. So you can kind of see what 9 chapters means to me, it's 64,000 words or 218 pages. Still, it's got a ways to go. But, I intend to finish my first draft by the end of March, and I think I can do it. When I came back to Idaho in January, I had only 100 pages, or just around 30,000 words. So, if I can stick to my count, or put in a few long days, I know I can do this. It's about self-control, and I'm working on it in most aspects of my life now.
Eating less often, smaller portions, better food
NO MORE SODA!
Walk every day
Don't be so impatient
Write 2000 words a day
clean more...
anyhow, these are things I should have had control over a long time ago. So, I'm working on it.
Wish me luck
I've been very slackish when it comes to posting blogs. It doesn't have anything to do with my writing, I've been pretty good about that. I just feel like I should have something new to say when I post here, so I don't... sometimes :)
I finished my 9th chapter, and in a lot of books, that probably isn't even half done. However, I like a longer chapter format. So you can kind of see what 9 chapters means to me, it's 64,000 words or 218 pages. Still, it's got a ways to go. But, I intend to finish my first draft by the end of March, and I think I can do it. When I came back to Idaho in January, I had only 100 pages, or just around 30,000 words. So, if I can stick to my count, or put in a few long days, I know I can do this. It's about self-control, and I'm working on it in most aspects of my life now.
Eating less often, smaller portions, better food
NO MORE SODA!
Walk every day
Don't be so impatient
Write 2000 words a day
clean more...
anyhow, these are things I should have had control over a long time ago. So, I'm working on it.
Wish me luck
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
more about wrting
So, I started this blog so I could talk about my writing, and I guess I've done that. I think I need to do a bit more of that, at least that's how I feel today :)
It's ridiculous to think that I started writing "The City" nearly two years ago. I actually got the idea for the novel from a short story I wrote around that time. When I started it, I was extremely happy if I wrote two pages in one day... maybe once or twice a week.
I got about ten pages into the story, when a good friend of mine said something along the lines of, "Well, that's just a lot of bollocks. You can't write this whole story from first person, at least not the way you've done it." Yeah, I stopped writing for quite a while... Then, one day, I went back to it. I read what I had done, and realized that my friend had been right. The whole ten pages were filled with me tripping over the story, due to the point of view.
So, I changed it, fixed it, rewrote the whole bit. It was a start, and I was writing again :)
I "sprinted" through the next month or two, and reached something like thirty pages. It felt good. I was moving forward, and that meant that I was moving toward something. So, naturally, I stopped writing. Can't remember why, or if there was even a reason, but I stopped... for months.
Then I moved. I was having a hell of a time trying to find a job, so I spent my mornings playing with my computer :) When I ran out of fun stuff to do on the interwebs, I found my story again. Why hadn't I been writing? Where had the time gone? Imagine how far along I could have been, if I hadn't stopped. Oh well, too late to wonder now. And, I got back to work.
I was moving forward again, I even decided to set my own word count and work on this blog. It was good. I did some short stories and started some comic ideas with friends. Writing became something more than just a thing to do for me. Then my mom got sick...
Three months went by before she passed, I didn't write anything.
Three more after her funeral, I didn't write anything.
I came back to Idaho at the beginning of January, (literally, I got here on the first) with the purpose of finishing what I started. When I looked at my manuscript, I realized that I had 100 pages done. That was huge for me. I went back to work :)
And here I am now. Still not as far as I'd like to be, but I can see the end of this book, and have already started the next in my mind... and maybe even the third, which actually takes me back to the short story where it all began :) Anyhow, if I can keep from slacking, (feel free to yell at me randomly, assume I'm slacking because I'm good at it) I think that "The City" will be finished by the end of this month. (the first draft at least)
There ya go :) It may be a very choppy blog today, but now you know a bit more about my writing... or at least the story of my writing... I don't know, I think I've even managed to confuse myself :)
It's ridiculous to think that I started writing "The City" nearly two years ago. I actually got the idea for the novel from a short story I wrote around that time. When I started it, I was extremely happy if I wrote two pages in one day... maybe once or twice a week.
I got about ten pages into the story, when a good friend of mine said something along the lines of, "Well, that's just a lot of bollocks. You can't write this whole story from first person, at least not the way you've done it." Yeah, I stopped writing for quite a while... Then, one day, I went back to it. I read what I had done, and realized that my friend had been right. The whole ten pages were filled with me tripping over the story, due to the point of view.
So, I changed it, fixed it, rewrote the whole bit. It was a start, and I was writing again :)
I "sprinted" through the next month or two, and reached something like thirty pages. It felt good. I was moving forward, and that meant that I was moving toward something. So, naturally, I stopped writing. Can't remember why, or if there was even a reason, but I stopped... for months.
Then I moved. I was having a hell of a time trying to find a job, so I spent my mornings playing with my computer :) When I ran out of fun stuff to do on the interwebs, I found my story again. Why hadn't I been writing? Where had the time gone? Imagine how far along I could have been, if I hadn't stopped. Oh well, too late to wonder now. And, I got back to work.
I was moving forward again, I even decided to set my own word count and work on this blog. It was good. I did some short stories and started some comic ideas with friends. Writing became something more than just a thing to do for me. Then my mom got sick...
Three months went by before she passed, I didn't write anything.
Three more after her funeral, I didn't write anything.
I came back to Idaho at the beginning of January, (literally, I got here on the first) with the purpose of finishing what I started. When I looked at my manuscript, I realized that I had 100 pages done. That was huge for me. I went back to work :)
And here I am now. Still not as far as I'd like to be, but I can see the end of this book, and have already started the next in my mind... and maybe even the third, which actually takes me back to the short story where it all began :) Anyhow, if I can keep from slacking, (feel free to yell at me randomly, assume I'm slacking because I'm good at it) I think that "The City" will be finished by the end of this month. (the first draft at least)
There ya go :) It may be a very choppy blog today, but now you know a bit more about my writing... or at least the story of my writing... I don't know, I think I've even managed to confuse myself :)
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