Category Archives: Write A Book With Me

Lightcross, Shadowcross
avatar

Posted on by
29

Got 364 words on TalysMana tonight. I’m back in Kettan’s point of view, and she’s with Bill (the detective from the Broward County Sheriff’s Department), and in a couple of minutes she’s going to have to figure out a way to politely shoo him out of her apartment, because…well, that’s tomorrow night.

Tonight, though, she was simply wrapping up her sketch of her Kendles under his admiring gaze.

And I find myself wondering…what if she didn’t shoo Bill out of her place? What if he was there when the next big thing happened?

That might be cool. Something to think about for tomorrow.

Finished up Lesson 12 of How To Revise Your Novel . By the time I got to the end of it, I was cringing for my students. I had forgotten how huge the character revision process is. It’s amazing how much of the whole process disappears once you’ve internalized it to the point that it’s second nature. Writing out the steps, I once again remembered what life was like before I internalized the steps.

Ouch.

It was a good writing day.

How about you?

Retrieving the Lost
avatar

Posted on by
11

Writing fiction went pretty well tonight. I got 601 words, and wrapped up the scene Interlude: Spinning Back the Reel.

Got it posted, so if you’re that far along in the story, it could show up in your mailbox as early as tonight.

I’m not sure I’m entirely happy with it. I think there’s more I could do… but I kept to the rules of the world as I have them right now, which includes denizens of Story not being able to cross the Gray, or from one Story world into another, unless led by a Spinner. And Spinners not being able to rewrite their worlds from within Story.

Like the separation of Church and State, those two requirements are necessary for limiting the magic in Talysmana, and also like them, they do limit a lot of really over-the-top power plays (which are cool in fiction and suck like a Hoover in real life).

I don’t see myself changing the rules in the revision. I do hope I’ll figure out a way to show a bit more of the magic and wonder of what just happened.

Now, though, on to Lesson 12 in How to Revise Your Novel, and Keeper Characters.

Spinning Back The Reel
avatar

Posted on by
13

421 words on TalysMana tonight—it was another interlude chapter, this one taking me into Kettan’s world after she returned to the What Is to make her talysmana to protect her Fendles.

Tonight I got as far as showing what happened to them after she left. I have not yet gotten to the point of showing what happens when she works out the idea for the talysmana. That comes next, and I’m looking forward to it. Tonight, the writing was grim.

Elsewhere, it’s been a zoo. I’m still coughing up junk and tired all the time. I remembered income tax stuff in time (barely) to get the info for the 1099s I have to send out to my accountant. It was pretty cool this year to have a handful of affiliates who made enough money that they NEEDED 1099s. There would have been a lot more, but many of my affiliates are outside the US, and don’t have to report their earnings in this country.

We’re looking for new digs, which is about the least fun thing ever—but rent is high, and our current neighborhood isn’t great. Somewhat better than the place that had the crime scene tape a couple buildings down from the building we thought we wanted into, though. Amazing how much less attractive “Police Line, Do Not Cross, Crime Scene” makes a neighborhood.

And I’m doing the HTRYN course. So I was AWOL from the writing diary for a lot of last week.

Hoping this week will be better, but I’m remembering that every January is a zoo. So I’m not holding my breath.

How’s your writing coming along?

Still Sick
avatar

Posted on by
13

I’m still not over whatever this mess is. Since I have almost no energy at the moment, I’m focusing on getting HTRYN lessons done.

Voting on the scholarships is on hold until I’m feeling better, too. Actually, VOTE, VOTE!

But I’ll get everything set up to TALLY the votes when I don’t feel like Morte Au Gratin.

I did write about 150 words of outline for what happens next on TalysMana, but not actual prose.

I’m hoping to get back to it soon.

Meanwhile, I hope your story is coming better than mine.

The Fendle Warrior’s Heart
avatar

Posted on by
27

I did 1731 words on TalysMana today, starting and finishing the next scene/chapter, and uploading it into the mailer.

For those of you who are history buffs, you’ll find my spontaneous, very brief rundown of the Peloponnesian War as part of a discussion between my MC and a guy I _think_ might be the hero. Maybe.

In any case, when I’m doing this dialogue, I’m recapping the Spartans and the Athenians and their nasty war from memory, writing at the speed of light without fact-checking, so I’m going to remind you—this is raw first draft. I do the majority of my fact-checking in revision.

If I got it wrong, PLEASE don’t send edit comments. I’ll look everything up before it goes to my agent.

Beyond that… well. The writing was a blast.

Hope yours was, too.

New TalysMana Scene Posted
avatar

Posted on by
26

Got 1067 words tonight, and the next scene of TalysMana, HUNTING DEMONS BY SMELL, went into the mailer.

I like what I got. I’m working off the barest of bare-bones outlines for this story, and I really like the way some of the details filled in on this bit. I was especially pleased with the way i FINALLY got to work in lightcross and shadowcross, and just a teaser (for now) about how they work.

I know parts of this were rough—and I know some typos and such made it through. But this is as raw as first draft gets. I wrote it, did not re-read it. Just posted it.

I’ll read and do a bit of sharpening on it tomorrow as part of my warm-up for the start of the next scene.

But I already have the next scene visualized. It’s a candybar scene for sure.

So.

If you’re writing a book with me, how are your words coming along?

TalysMana: Hunting Demons By Smell
avatar

Posted on by
15

HAH! I love this world.

Finally grabbed the chance to sit and write again, and the story raced onto the page. I had to put on the brakes because I still have to work on Lesson 10 of HTRYN tonight, but wow. The time I’ve had when I could only think about this really paid off.

Kettan is on the warpath, in her own unique way, determined to save her creatures and her world from her ex-boyfriend’s onslaught.

The magic system is landing on the page the way I’d hoped it would, and I’m getting some cool conflicts.

And hunting demons by smell? It’s critical. Think of that moment when you smell something and remember it, and for just an instant you’re six years old again, and back in the place where you first smelled it, and where that scent imprinted itself on your memory.

Imagine the worst memory you’ve ever had, and smelling something that took you back to THAT moment…

551 words before I slammed on the brakes. I’m so excited.

How’s your stuff coming?

Write a book with me…pretty soon
avatar

Posted on by
10

I’ve been sick since last Thursday, and I spent the entire day today catching up on the HTRYN customer service e-mails that accumulated over the weekend. Got the course closed until late this year, got the main page set up so you can get a sneak peek inside the community, (just a tiny part of it, but still…) and I THINK I got everyone who needed help getting into class answered.

But. No writing tonight.

I feel like roadkill, and having JUST finished customer service, I’m going back to bed.

However, I have high hopes for words on TalysMana tomorrow.

Meanwhile, how YOU doin?