Category: Rants & Observations

  • Starting the Ohio 3 Read-through/Revision

    Starting the Ohio 3 Read-through/Revision

    Okay. I have the manuscript printed out. I did some brainstorming in the shower on how I can save as much of what I remember of the story as possible WITHOUT breaking what I did in the first two books, or the last two. Worst case, I’ll end up writing a completely new novel. That’s…

  • Revelation Struck!!!

    Revelation Struck!!!

    You grind. You dig. You read with increasing despair through a manuscript that seemed while you were writing it like a thing of wonder. You wonder how you could have gone so far off the mark. And you think, “How did I think this was going to work?” and consider the possibility that you’re going…

  • Cuss, cuss, swear, swear, @#%^&*Z!!!!

    Cuss, cuss, swear, swear, @#%^&*Z!!!!

    Seriously…  What a week.  Earlier, the kitchen sink started spouting water, so we were doing dishes in the bathroom sink. Then the water heater died. Matt found a plumber, who will be coming out today, but since Monday, I’ve been refreshing my unused-but-never-forgotten camping skills, and have been doing a daily bath using one cup…

  • A Giggly Scene, A Wicked Secret… and I Love You, Tomorrow

    A Giggly Scene, A Wicked Secret… and I Love You, Tomorrow

    No big secret that these books are set in a decidedly sideways version of the Ohio town in which I live. I love this place, and I’m having a wonderful time building some seriously wacky shit into what is in reality a lovely old town with a great history, and some fine and friendly people.…

  • Building into a nice conflict for my main character and the town… and UP NEXT…

    Building into a nice conflict for my main character and the town… and UP NEXT…

    Got the words. Like the words. Got 1260 words total for the day (so just over my daily objective), and 54,792 in the book. I also stole a line from one of my poems posted on this site as a quote for my main character’s most important ally, because it was perfect for the place…

  • Wow! 1412 words, two hours… And LIGHTNING struck! (Or… “Am I making a huge mistake?”)

    Wow! 1412 words, two hours… And LIGHTNING struck! (Or… “Am I making a huge mistake?”)

    I’d written myself into a corner yesterday, and I had absolutely no clue what was going to happen next. See… Brain writes the outlines and the overall planning. Gut, however, writes the words, and Gut — like a willful horse — is entirely capable of getting the bit between his teeth and galloping straight toward…

  • Not a GREAT day… but I did get some keeper words

    Not a GREAT day… but I did get some keeper words

    I don’t know if it’s just me, but sometimes after I have a couple days where the writing just flies, and I love everything that hits the page, I have a day like this one, where it’s pretty much like wading like knee-deep mud, and having it steal one shoe and not give it back. …

  • 761 New Ohio 5 Words… and a face-to-face with a feisty hero

    761 New Ohio 5 Words… and a face-to-face with a feisty hero

    In spite of everything (and right at the moment, the HollysWritingClasses.com website and getting it live seems like the monster EVERYTHING that’s stomping out of the ocean to invade Tokyo), I got words this morning. And I like them. I’m about to arm one of my MC’s newest buddies with ancient weapons and set him…

  • Doing a Line-for-Scene re-plot of Book 5 from Chapter 7 to Chapter 30

    Doing a Line-for-Scene re-plot of Book 5 from Chapter 7 to Chapter 30

    I got 281 words, and am up to 18,423 total, and was rolling along pretty nicely. Hit the end of Chapter 5, rolled over to Chapter 5, and found stuff written clear through Chapter 8 that I’ll either have to save or delete. But I also discovered that the book I’ve been writing since the…

  • Still building the website… Asking for help from HTTS students…

    Still building the website… Asking for help from HTTS students…

    Most of the classes are built, but there’s this series of “Quick-Fix” bonuses I was building for How to Think Sideways before the site software broke (and then hurricane… and hurricane… and then we moved, and my programmer moved on, and I got kind of buried in stuff)… …that I’m having a helluva time finding.…