Finally back.

Okay, so it's been quite some time since I have posted. But my internet is finally fixed and in full force! Now I really have to get back to my courses, but first thing is first. Blood Donor is going on hold until Pirates is edited.

My goal this year is to send pirates off to a publisher. That means I have to hurry up and finish it. And seeing as there are really BIG changes being made to the novel, then I really have to put alot of my time into it. Then I can focus on Blood Donor.

So far I have 7000 words edited. The first two chapters were completely cut (Which was about 10k) and two more chapters have been added in between. A lot of the story will connect up, but there were a lot of things that just needed to be cut.

Update

It's been a while. My internet is stuffing up all the time and so it is very rare that it ever works, just on the off chance.

Blood Donor has pretty much been put on hold whilst I do edits for pirates. I never actually realised how big a job it was going to be to edit Pirates, my writing style has changed a whole lot since last September when I began writing the book. I have a different vision for the entire story and there is a lot of tightening to be done to the sentences. Right now I am working through chapter by chapter, just trying to get it all done it's slow progress, but it's coming together.

Pirates of Hcallaec

It has been a while since I looked at the finished manuscript of pirates. I had planned to already be in the editing stages of that book, but it has taken me a while to get some ideas flowing for it. But now all the ideas are hitting me straight on and I can think again. I just needed a little time.

Hopefully this week I will be able to finish the first read of the entire manuscript. Then I can hop to the changes. It should be fun, and definitely a learning curve in my writing. But I still have a lot of hope for this book. I still think it is the best story I've come up with so far.

I just have to re-meet the characters. Learn who they are again. It'll be a challenge, but it will also be a lot of fun.

Still here

I'm still here. Haven't posted for ages. I'm heaps behind in all my assigments and I really haven't done much writing. But I sat down and wrote another scene for Blood Donor tonight and I'm pleased with the progress. Almost at 10,000 words now, so it's getting there.

9336 / 200000

BD 4

Well this is the 4th day of writing (I had Saturday and Sunday off *.*) and things are going pretty well with Blood Donor. I have to admit that I am enjoying it, and there is a lot more drama to it, way more conflict. I've really been able to be flexible with my outline on this novel and I'm absolutely loving it.

The progress of this one is now 5,760 words and 6 scenes long. I'm really loving writing it. ^^

5760 / 200000

BD 3

Bit late on this post ^^ Anyways, I now have 5 scenes, two of which are completely new scenes that I decided to just add in on the spur of the moment. I'm now glad my outline wasn't completely finished, because it has given me so much freedom and flexibility when I am writing.

I've decided to do the two month challenge at 2Yn over April and May. I've chosen the options for writing 122,000 a month for Blood Donor, and for a rewrite of 30,000 words for Poison (though I know this will probably surpass 30,000 words that I have to rewrite.) I was hoping the challenge would give me the competitive edge that I need. I have all day off tomorrow from work, so I am hoping to get a lot of writing done, and then I can focus more on my editing. ^^

I've made it to 4,416 words now, so it's slowly climbing. And I don't hate it, so that is always a plus ^^ now, only 195,000 to go, lol.

BD Day 2

Things are going pretty well for this story so far. I'm enjoying writing it, and I'm only three scenes into the entire novel. Though my scenes are far longer than what I planned them to be, so it looks as though I won't need as many.

I never realised how much I really love the flexibility of a bare bones outline. For some reason that always scared me before, but now I can really see how great it is. After writing the first scene in my outline, I was able to see that the second scene really didn't fit just there. So I added in another scene and brought in one of the other main characters, which will bring in some connections. It excites me that I have so much freedom to work with for this novel.

Anyways, the word count so far is 2,880. Pretty good start. Well at least I think so, lol. ^^

Blood Donor

I have officially begun writing Blood Donor. My outline is no where near finished, but I am going to write the first 5 or 6 scenes and then I will figure out how many more scenes I have to add in. Besides that I will be in the flow of writing and so I will know a whole lot more about my story.

Anyways so far I have 1,700 words for this, and I'm enjoying writing it. Let's just hope it continues getting more exciting. Especially since I have tried some new things to make it a bit more interesting.

Poison First Edit Phase

I finally finished the first Phase of editing for Poison. Now I have to redo an outline and then begin on the second draft. I think I'm up to the fun part now ^_^.

Again I have found out more about my own personal ways of doing things through editing Poison. When I'm writing first draft, I have to finish a whole scene, rather than trying to get a certain word count. When I'm editing I have to give myself a certain amount of time to do so. Like an hour. I get more done that way.

Anyways, tomorrow is a new day, and I can begin on the Edit outline. And then on April 1st I begin on the first Draft of Blood Donor, which has me really excited. Though I haven't done much with the outline. Which reminds me, I really should catch up on both my HTTS Assignments and my 2Yn Assignments. I'm really getting behind.

Progress Update

First on the agenda is Blood Donor. So far this story is continuing to surprise me, and I am having a lot of fun. So far I have 40 scenes of the 250 that I need. They are all very specific, and the story is simply filled with twists and turns that keep me surprised even as I write the outline. It is going to be very difficult for me to get bored with this novel. It just doesn't stop.

Haven't really been doing much on Pirates, but I have all of April, May and June to worry about that outline. Then I can start on Runaway Thief.

Yes, I have the story Idea for my `09 NaNo project. It's going to be rather smaller than my two current projects, half the size in fact. As it will only come out at 100,000 words. And it is going to focus more on romance than anything.

Last but not least, Poison. I've only editing one more Chapter, but I am continually more and more optimistic about this story. The editing process is just going so well. I can see places where I need to change things, and I can see scenes that just have to go. But I can also see scenes that need to stay. As I'm getting closer to the end of the book, there are more scenes that need to be kept. They get more specific. I'm enjoying this process a whole lot. ^^

Poison progress update

Well today has been the most productive day on Poison edits I have had since I began. I have now completely dissected the first 5 chapters. Which means I only have 7 chapters left. Then I can get into the nitty gritty of line edits -- which I'm really excited for, because that way I will be working scene by scene and making this novel sing.

Now I'm going to bed, so in the morning when I wake up, I can do a few edits!

I'm actually getting somewhere...

So edits on Poison haven't been going as well as I hoped. Well until, in a last ditch effort I cracked open, Holly Lisle's Plot clinic, and decided to give her note cards revision a go. I did the first chapter last night with this method, and Hello, something happened! I got somewhere. I was able to figure out which scenes need the most help, and which ones can just plain go.

It no longer seems like such a large task. If I can just do this for every scene in every chapter. I'll be all good. Which also means that I'll have an outline to work from when I eventually do begin plotting. Which is always good. ^^

On to editing. No more procrastination.

Poison Edits

So I really haven't edited much of this novel. But I want to have it finished by the end of next month, that is my goal. So Tomorrow I will slog it out and get the first reading under way. I only have 8 more chapters, and if I read one tonight that only leaves 7 left tomorrow. That's easy enough. Then I can get down to the nitty gritty, and figure out which scenes need to go, and which ones are to be added, and which ones just need to change.

So much to do!

On a lighter note though, Blood Donor planning has been going good. I am really enjoying it so far, and I can see the story beginning to pan out a bit. Though there are a few twists there that I never would have guessed at. It's a whole lot of fun.

The Editing so far...

I've got to Chapter 4 in Poison. I love the story line, but I hate the way that I've written it. I can see so many ways to better the sentences, and even expand on the scenes. A lot of it is just useless drabble, and I have told not shown a lot of the time. It's more like an extremely comprehensive outline of each scene, showing every move. But that is easily fixed. I can also see places where I have dropped subplots, and where I can change things to make the beginning of the story more exciting. For some reason I always have boring beginnings in first draft. Oh well, that's what second draft is for ^^

Right now I'm loving the editing process. Poison is so much easier to edit than Beneath Ice, probably because it is actually coherent, and Beneath Ice will pretty much have to be re-written from scratch. That is going to be a big job.

Anyways, 4 chapters down -- 8 to go. Well at least in the first pass of editing.

And so, the editing begins.

Tomorrow is the 1st of March, which means that it is the first day that I will be editing Poison. I am both nervous and excited for this, it means that I will be learning quite a bit from it, and also that I will have a novel that I actually want to sell in the editing stage. Hopefully it will all go smoothly, my deadline for this is April 30th.

I've begun plotting The Dead Isles as well. The first scene is down. Okay, so there are a lot of scenes in this one, but I will plod along, one by one until I come to an end. I hope to begin plotting Blood Donor pretty soon as well.

Guardian of the Lake

So I finally finished Guardian of the lake. I planned for it to be about 5,000 words but it didn't end up even reaching 4,000. Not that it really matters. I have learnt through writing Poison and Pirates that I like to write very short to the point scenes. Besides, they will probably get bigger when I eventually get around to making it my WIR.

I'm just pleased that I finished it. I like it when I finish works, both when they are novels and short stories. Makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

Blood Donor

My Muse came a knocking today. This particular story was spurred on by a bit of material that I found the other week. Now I just have to write the story. I cannot help it, I need to write it. Gosh it's been a while since I felt like that (Since I first started planning for Pirates). The story is coming together nicely.

All I have to do is a little bit of Worldbuilding, though it will be set in Australia, either Melbourne or Sydney. Then I have to flesh out a few of my characters, and plot the novel. Then I can begin. I don't think it is going to take me all that long, considering that things are jumping into my head so fast at the moment.

Here's the snippet that inspired me on this novel. I wrote it at the start of last year, so I hadn't seen it for a while;

In my life, genes are what differentiate between the needed and the wanted. I fall under the needed category.

I was genetically modified with the consent of my parents, who resorted to IVF when they were unable to conceive. Of course they don't know their daughter is a genetically modified human, or GMH as I call it.

I know, makes me sound like a food. In some ways that is exactly what I am, but in others I am so much more.

You see I'm an invisible hero. One of those people who never get credit for what they do. You know, like the people who donate thousands of dollars under an anonymous same, to charity. Only I didn't get a choice.

I'm the Savior of two races. Because without me, and the various other GMH's out there, both races would soon become extinct. The weaker of the two being eaten off, and the stronger, well they'd eventually starve to death.

That was why GMH's were created. So that we can keep the world from falling apart. Sometimes that's harder then anyone can know, well at least that's what I think.

But how can I say no? I don't have a choice, lest I want to be the downfall of two entire races.

Soon, once I have perfected it, I will post The Sentence for this story, and also a little blurb. (I find that writing a blurb helps me to focus with the story.)

EDIT -- Finially came up with the Senetence for this story. The blurb will come next ^^

A Blood donor sets out to find the hunters and end an age-long war before they completely destroy the Vampires, who are the key to the change of seasons.

EDIT 2 -- Didn't really take me as long as I thought it would to write the blurb. Here is is now;

Found by vampires and told of her true nature, Keavy Palomo, sets out to create an alliance between hunter and vampire when the age-long war between them threatens to destroy the world.

She soon finds herself lost in a world of politics, consumed by rebellious thoughts against the Vampires, and the lover of Mirze Rios - Nemesis and tracker of the man she is donor to. Keavy finds that this new world is far too big for her, with rules that are very different from the one she was born into.

But the world is depending on her, because without the vampires, there is no change in seasons, and without the hunters there is no passion. Both races must survive if the world is to stay alive.

The Dead Isles...

Book two of the War of Meadeit Trilogy has begun. I have finished laying all the ground work I will need, and now it is only a matter of an outline that is needed. I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to write the second book somehow, but things are all falling into place, and I can see what should be happening in the next book, how to connect them to the first, and how to create openings for the third book. I'm pretty excited.

Other than that, there hasn't been much work on Irvine's story. I really do have to get back to that. Tonight I will try and get, The sentence done for it, and then do a little bit of worldbuilding. I think I pretty much have everything in order, but I would like to create a map for D'nalisvereh.

The short story Guardian of the Lake is going well. I'm really enjoying the writing process, it amazes me how much I really did miss it.

Editing for Beneath Ice is still labourous, though most of it is getting cut. I think I have about 10,000 words kept at the moment. Though most of those are going to be cut and re-written. I still remain optimistic about the whole process. I have learnt heaps about both the writing and editing process just by doing so. Editing no longer seems like such a scary thing. I've also found I am better able to see how I might change some of my other books when I begin on them.

Since I am cutting most of Beneath Ice, I am going to treat it like a whole new book. Of course it will be second draft, but I will treat it as though it is first draft. I don't see myself ever wanting to sell this novel, it has simply been a practice novel. So it will never go out on shelves. But I do want to make it a good, strong story. Just so I can show myself that I can turn a pile of crud, into something shiny and fun. ^^

Update

So I've gone through 22 chapters of Beneath Ice so far, and I felt my concentrations beginning to deteriorate, so I wrote myself up a schedule, which is what I do when I begin to get lazy on things. That means by this Sunday I will have it all done, and it will be ready to go through and create an outline so that I can begin writing it. I am just going to treat it like a new book. The title will probably change as well, seeing as the main character is now Lakin rather than Krindel.

I began the writing progress again. I started on my little, 5000 word short story. So far the first scene has been written, so it will begin to come together now as well. I'm going to try and get this one finished by the end of this month. After all, it is only very small. I should be able to get it done in a matter of a few days, but it won't hurt to pace myself.

As for reading, I think that I am going to have to go back through Techniques of the selling Writer, By Dwight Swain. I started reading it again the other night, and it really amazes me how many things I missed, or forgot about. This would be about the fourth time I've read it aswell. It's just such a good book. I love it so much, and I find that every time I read it, my writing improves a little as well. I guess my writing style is fairly close to what he describes.

Editing Progress

So far the editing has been going good. Only problem is, most of the story has actually been cut. Out of 41 scenes so far, I have kept 7. I've gone through 18 chapters so far, which means that I only have 16 chapters left to do. I think I will have cut so much by the time I'm finished this stage of editing that it will simply be like writing the first draft of a new story, just with a few scenes already fleshed out. That's how I'm going to treat it anyway. This story is in need of a big change. But I am enjoying doing it.

I used Holly's The Sentence for the story before I began editing, just so that I could understand where I was going with it. It changed the story a lot and now it gives me tingles and makes me excited.

The old sentence was -- Sorcerer versus time in a bid to restore memory and stop the world from dying.

But the new sentence is -- A rogue magician destroys all magic to shake an usurper Queen from her stolen throne.

I like the second sentence so much more I can see so many ways that I can be going with this. Anyways, back to the editing process!