MI: Faces

These people are inspiration for three of the characters in the book I'm currently writing.

(Source --)

(I don't remember where I found this picture, but her hair was originally purple, so I altered it.)

Drafting when the Drafting is Good.

Okay, based on some of the comments last week, I have a feeling my imagery was misunderstood. And I totally get that! Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t want either a facehugger or a head crab…. but these aren’t normal circumstances.

I’ve been writing… a lot. Like, my fingers start cramping and by the end of the day, my head feels like it contains some mixture of cinnamon cream of wheat and lime Jell-o. (It’s mildly unpleasant if I do say so myself.)

But here’s the thing. I’m writing the pants off this draft.

I've had some really awesome inspiration pictures for this one too:

It started Monday the 13^th (okay, it really started Sunday the 12^th) when the inspiration for a devious subplot popped into my head. It wasn’t something I’d initially intended to do – add this sort of a sub plot, it’s not generally my thing. But it worked out in my head and the original outline I had for this novel shifted.

And on Monday morning, when I should have been working on the revision and rewrite of Novel #6… I couldn’t focus on anything but this new take on an old outline.

So I didn’t fight it.

Instead, I opened up a new document, and got to work.

I can tell you for certain that my “immediate reader” Beta was just as surprised as I was when, at the end of that day… I’d pushed out 10,000 words.

Things have slowed down quite a bit, (and let’s not even talk about how my writing mojo migrates south on Fridays) but here we are, 9 writing days later (8 if you skip last Friday ) and I’ve got a NaNo count already.

That’s right, 8 days of serious writing in, and this novel is pretty much half done at 50,280-words.

I’m kind of still in shock about it.

The fastest I’ve ever written a novel before this was novel #5… and that took 20 days.

Anyway, that’s my update! I really am hoping to get back to my regular schedule this coming week. I’ve been reading lots of books, I just need to sit down and actually review them!

Hope everyone else is getting some of this writing mojo too!

Why I've been so absent

The Writing Bug has grabbed me, taken hold and won't let go... I look a little like this: 

 

Or maybe this....

 

Just with my hands typing away at the keyboard.

Hope you're writing is going as well as mine has this week!

MI: Dragon King and Queen

(The Dragon King of Butahn and his Queen at their wedding in 2011)

***Because I have a feeling Jenna's going to ask, this is inspiration for OB... and probably not for any reason you might guess.***

MI: Chocolate Falls

This is Chocolate Falls (or Grand Falls) in Northern Arizona. I took this on a windy afternoon in March of 2009.

The falls are deep onto the Navajo reservation and only accessible by unpaved roads. but they are completely worth the trek.

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS!!!!

You guys. I love getting books.

I especially love getting books from gift cards earned for work training! (aka free to me!)

This is what I got in the mail last week. Expect to see reviews as I work my way through them!

The Maria Paradox

So, I am not Latina… which if you know me, is quite evident (my skandahovian roots show all about me), but I love books. Which is also kind of evident if you know me…

Anyway, Agent Meredith Barnes is having a promotional contest on her blog (it started today and if you’re a writer, like myself, you’ll really want to check it out – I’ll post the link at the bottom of the page. Please keep reading.) and it’s all about The Maria Paradox, an ebook I'm using to better understand one of my characters.

Here’s the official Press release:

THE MARIA PARADOX, written by Drs. Rosa Gil and Carmen Vazquez, is a unique self-help guide for Hispanic women and the men who love them.

The authors challenge the machismo-reinforcing idea of “marianismo,” a centuries-old belief system that in effect tells Latinas: "Don't forget a woman's subservient place; never put your own needs first; sex is for making babies.”

Filled with self-help exercises, this clearly written manual offers practical advice on how to build support networks, overcome passivity, forge career paths, change or get out of abusive relationships and increase sexual fulfillment.
Filled with real-life success stories and wise, compassionate advice, THE MARIA PARADOX details how Latinas can enjoy the best of both worlds.

The book can be purchased from all major online retailers. The authors can also be found on Twitter and on Facebook. 

Follow The Maria Paradox on Twitter

Check out their Facebook page

And consider buying the book!

I bought my copy on Amazon.

Now, if you’re interested in this nifty contest, in which you could win a query critique, first 30 page critique, and a 20 minute skype call, check out Meredith’s blog post about it here

Revision Wars: Outlining

I used to be a panster. I wrote my first three novels on a whim and then I plotted my fourth… and then I plotted my 5^th, as I wrote, so I was only about 2-3 chapters ahead at a time.

But now, I outline.

That monstrosity is a rewrite outline. it’s the first of 2.2 pages of an outline for the final 10 chapters of novel #5.

I’ve done outlines like this one before, and I’ve also tapped them out in Word… and I’m 99.99% certain I prefer this way.

I think it works in my head for something that is an organizational tool to be so messy.

So this is how they look. Cluttered, crinkled, squiggled over… CHAOS.

How about you? Do you Outline at any point of your process?  If so, are they neat and tidy? or a total trash heap, like mine?