xerinmichellex

I feel like my brain has melted and grey matter is leaking out my ears. Ugh.

On the plus, I completed my WIP this afternoon, clocking in at just shy of 60,000 words. (59,200 words if we want to play with actual numbers here.) So yes, after bitching and moaning a couple days ago, I slapped together a final chapter I can live with finished writing the final chapter. Now comes editing--which will be more like adding instead of subtracting based on my editing list. I've got a chapter to add, plot points which developed in the back-end of writing to insert in the beginning, dialogue to finesse, and information to research. Wikipedia, here I come!

However! For this upcoming week, I've decided to do NOTHING! I'm going to curl up with a bag of Sweet-Tarts, pop on some Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD's (damn you Logo for reaffirming my Buffy love), and lounge on the couch until April 30, when I've got plans to see A Nightmare on Elm Street (for the lulz, naturally).

Of course, my itch to edit usually kicks in three days away from the computer. So, you know, my Sweet-Tart/Buffy coma could only last a few days. Maybe by then I'll have enough brain cells to actually be creative once again.

And so, with this uncreative post done, I'm going to sit back and watch The Tudors. We're nearing Lunatic!Henry the VIII, but are still very much stuck with that hussy Katherine Howard, at the moment. Though, we all know how well that marriage ended.

So. The past couple weeks I had a major pile of unexpected shit bury me under, sucking out my mood to blog, write, read, pretty much everything thing. Battling the beginnings of a cold now, I have righted myself and returned back to my "normal" self...sort of. As the title suggests, this post is to discuss two things of little importance (but important to me):

( GRRR! READ US!!! )

Getting ready to query the finished manuscript, THE SOUL KEEPER, I began my new WIP a few days ago. I always start projects one after the other, leading to disastrous results. Last year, after finishing Book Two in my planned series and while querying Book One (officially trunked as of now), I began one manuscript, only to switch project a month in because Failed Project #1 lost my interest. However, a month into Project #2, it turned into Failed Project #2, and I started a new manuscript, which turned into my NaNo, and I completed that. I guess what I'm sayin' is it takes me some time to get into the groove of completing a fresh WIP. (Of course, after I wrote NaNo Manuscript, the idea for THE SOUL KEEPER came along and I pumped that baby out in a timely fashion. So. What. Ever.)

Which is why I'm determined to take my new WIP--codename "ultraviolent teenagers"--slow and savor the momentum. Okay, so using the word "savor" might not be the best term considering the subject matter. The premise is simple: A high school teacher suspects his students may be responsible for a fellow student's death, which they tried to pass off as a suicide. As he delves deeper, he realizes the teens are responsible for the rash increase of beatings, theft, and overall mayhem in their small town. But, sticking his nose into their business forces his family to become stuck in the teens' cross hairs, who are ticking time bombs, seconds away from imploding, and taking down everyone with them.

Definitely going for a contemporary thriller/suspense, commercial fiction with this one--more psychological horror than a splatter-fest, but there are some bloody scenes...especially towards the end. The story is mostly from the teacher's perspective, but the main teens involved get a chapter here and there. You know, getting inside their mindset, seeing which teen has more pull over the others, makes it feel like a fuller story. There's just something that attracts me to the psychology of why people do what they do. That has always been the appeal I've had towards reading up on serial killers or murder cases, Mother, not that I'm sick or deranged. Much.

But what I am most proud of is the direction one of my characters decided to take. Now, I don't claim to know every detail about my characters. My focus is only on the things that will come to play in the course of the story. I don't need to know who their first kiss is, if they don't kiss anyone in the story, m'kay. I'm not writing their ancestry charts for Who Do You Think You Are?. And yet, something about one of my characters had been bugging since their conception. They take a sudden change of course in the final act, emphasis on "sudden." Well, this weekend, working backwards from the end to the beginning (which is a great way to spot plot holes), I made the horrifying discover that she--yes, it is a female--has more to with the "incidents" than she let on before, explaining her, shall we say, freak out in the finale. This character development makes me excited because I really, really want to write that scene now, and may be my motivation for seeing this project through to the end. (I have a tendency to, for the most part, write in chronological order.) Though another one of my characters from a different manuscript idea might decide to have a shocking revelation of their own to one-up this one; then I am totally screwed.

What did I do all day yesterday and again at 7 o'clock in the morning today, and wish to never do again? That's right, shovel snow!

The big, bad winter storm hit us in Chicago during the wee hours of the morning yesterday and continuously-with-a-capital-C snowed for 24 hours. According to Tom Skilling, our faithful weather man, we received 12 inches of snow. The mounds at the end of our driveway beg to differ. The trick to dealing with continuous snowfall is to stay on top of the shoveling so you don't have 12 inches of snow to shovel all at once. My mother and I, every couple of hours, trudged outside and shoveled the snow like it was manure. Dear readers, I wish I was shoveling manure, because there is no way a freakin' cow could dump enough feces in two hours to match what was just cleared off the driveway. I am over winter.

It stopped snowing a few hours ago allowing me to clear off the dandruff from above. (Seriously, the angels/the big guy upstairs need to invest in some Head and Shoulders.) Unfortunately, because of the below freezing temperatures, there is a nice coating of frozen snow I could not lift up. The perfectionist I am, I don't care anymore. Besides, the mounds of snow were mocking me, and threatening to avalanche. I was given no other option but retreat.

Because of the snow, the earth in Illinois decided to shake it off earthquake-style--as one normally does in this sort of situation. We bypassed it here in Cook County. The 3.8 quake happened in DeKalb, a couple counties over. Trust me, if it did hit here, I would not be wasting my time in writing this post when I have suitcases to pack and flee Illinois. There was no serious damage from what I hear, just a jolt of shaking that awoke the DeKalbians at 4 o'clock in the morning. Again, I'm glad it avoided Cook County because I would be the one to panic and gather up all the cats and bunker down in a doorway. I panic at tornado warnings, even though I've never experienced one. Micro burst, yes. On a school bus, no less, when I was in middle school; and then our bus driver dropped us off at the neighborhood entrance that was littered with tree branches (I am not kidding), told us good luck, which was followed by my next door neighbor having the bright idea to terrify us thirteen-year-olds as we walked to our respective houses with the information that micro bursts happened in pairs, so we best be getting home before another one hit, which would most likely throw us off the street and into a tree. Thanks for that, Mr. B. But I digress.

I am slowly editing through my WIP. I completed a chronological read-through last weekend, which includes me taking notes to document where plot holes have formed (there is a major one I just plugged up) and places where things need to be added (I speak good technical words). My goal is to add another 10,000 to bring the word count up to 80,000. Okay, I don't want to insert 10,000 words of crap--I just know there are places where I can fill it out more. So, the maximum I want to add is 10,000 words. I've already added 1,000--9,000 more to go!

Fingers crossed I can have this manuscript finished by the beginning of March. I am itching to start my next project. Query Hell...not so much.

I have come to realize I am in an abusive relationship with my current WIP. Each day I timidly walk up to my computer, praying my manuscript will let me in so I can shape it into what I want. And everyday I walk away beaten up even more. But--damn it!--I just keep going back to it thinking it might change.

The abuse was so bad a couple days ago, I cheated on my computer by writing out a scene in longhand. The end result was my computer hissed and groaned for an hour, I thought it was going to go all kamikaze on me--taking my WIP with it.

Usually I refer to my WIP as "skeletal remains" just 'cause. I have never had a more apt description as I do with this manuscript. There are pieces of story all over the frickin' place. Each chapter has at least one sentence to it. I am not kidding--Chapter 13 only has one sentence so far. I have gaps and [insert info. here] brackets in the middle of long paragraphs. I even found a place where I stopped mid-dialogue yesterday. Seriously, my disorganization with this project is giving me hives.

Which is why I made a deadline schedule for myself. I think I've mentioned it before, but I'll say it again: I suck at making deadlines. Deadlines come and go, and my stuff ain't done. I have 12 chapters that need to be finished--all of which are in different stages of completion. Plot points still have to be finalized/thought about, and I am not one who can write on the fly. I write a paragraph behind of what's in my head. Also, I have all this science stuff to look up because I am dumb and decided to write a science fiction novel which has to be based on facts. So, I am hoping--fingers crossed--to have my WIP done by the end of January, with a query (cue thunder sound effects) start date of March. *Gulp*

Of course, once I made my schedule, I saw just how much work I still need to do. I am in for two weeks of hard abuse here.

Sad news: My status query was replied with an apology for the delay and an ultimate pass on the partial. As I predicted, the rejection from Agent Z hurt. Ouch. I know, I know, I should be glad and honored that someone as MAJOR! as Agent Z looked at my manuscript. I am--truly I am. It's just...come on, man! can't I catch a break?

Of course this rejection comes right after I made the realization that I don't care about the best seller's list, movie adaptations, millions upon millions of fans, etc. I just want my story out there. I want other people to read my stories--read what I have to say amongst the other authors out there. More than anything, I think I'm looking for validation. Also, I love to write. It's the only thing I really want to do with my life.

It is just frustrating and hard to put in the time and effort when it feels like it was all for naught.

I did it, I did it! Victory! Victory! Victory! Whew. *catches breath after running around the house like an idiot*

I finished my NaNo novel on time. Eek! That never happens for me. Usually I can approximate when I'll finish as I get near to the end (like five chapters away), but I'll be off by a day or two because my muse is a sadistic jerk. Seriously, it wanders off. I think I may need to invest in some Ritalin for it. But, I truly did finish on time this...time. I did, I did!

The bulk of my writing was finished on Monday, if I have to be honest. I added another 2,000 words, which brought the word count up to 42,000, give or take a few hundred. Since I wrote Elisabeth and Lola's POV's in different documents, the rest of Monday was spent intertwining their narratives. Tuesday and today were spent reading through the manuscript to make sure all things were in proper order and flowed. Blah, blah, blah...I managed to add another 1,000 words while cutting out mistakes, bringing my first draft total to 43,000. This amount coming from someone who typically writes 100,000+ word manuscripts, I am super proud of myself.

I do expect, however, the 43,000 words to increase just a tick. Most of the story--especially Lola's POV--is a lot of internal plot. I will refrain from using the word "angst" because Lola has a genuine reason to be the introverted, shell of a person she is. With most mental dialogue, I'm expecting to add more things in when I re-look at the manuscript for a final edit. It won't be anywhere near adding 57,000 words, but I do want to aim closer to 50,000. Less than 45,000 seems like a short novel in my opinion. Of course, this is coming from someone who does 100,000 words per manuscript and thinks nothing of it. I'm just sayin'...

Also, Lady Gaga is stalking me on the radio. It never fails every time I get into the car and turn the radio on, "Bad Romance" is on or it's the next song to come on. I broke down and bought the video off of iTunes--which is like a crack addict saying, "I'm going to take one more hit and I'll go into rehab." (What? I like pretty things--the video is pretty to look at.) I've already watched the video five times. Today. Does it make things better if I say my muse likes the video and is working her darndest to find a novel plot to fit the song? No? Okay, I'll just go over here and....not watch the video again. Yeah, that's it. Not going to watch it. I know! I'll cold turkey "Bad Romance". That’ll totally do the trick.

Speaking of cold turkey, Happy Turkey Day everyone!

I meant to keep a week by week account of NaNo to track my progress. Well, last Sunday came with my brother hogging the computer all day, and the week continued with me trying to get more written. So, yeah, I just decided to combine the first week with the second.

Week 1:

Going into November, I had begun this manuscript with very little progress (only 7500 words). Essentially, the novel is two stories interwoven together. Elisabeth's story is told in the past, third POV and Lola's is in the present, first POV. I did begin wanting to write it chronologically, like I do with all of my manuscripts. Yes, I am one of those writers--but I will jump around in the manuscript once I get started. However, once NaNo started, I was determined to get Lola's story written and then go back and do Elisabeth's and intertwine them at the end. Week One went like this:

Number of words written: 7400
Total manuscript words: 15,000 (estimated final to be 50,000)

I ended the week with Lola's POV 85% finished when I wanted it to be completely done. Hers is the easiest part of the manuscript and I was hoping to finish it quickly and spend the rest of NaNo focused on Elisabeth's story. Yeah, that didn't happen. Boohoo.

Week 2:

For the second week I really, really was determined to finish Lola out. I ended up doing just that...almost. There's one part of her narrative where I'm completely stumped as to what I should write about. But, to keep this train moving, I switched over to Elisabeth on Thursday and finished out the chapter I stopped at pre-beginning Lola's story. Confused yet? I wrote a little bit more yesterday, that included starting and finishing a chapter and beginning a new one. (Fridays are reserved for The Vampire Diaries recaps--although, I do usually finish them around 3 pm, so I could work on NaNo afterward. Hmmm, will have to try next week.) Typically, it takes me a couple days to finish a chapter--all depends on what I'm writing. To start and finish a chapter in one day is a huge deal for me. Therefore, last week ended like so:

Number of words written: 11,500 (5500 in Lola's POV, 6000 added in Elisabeth's)
Total manuscript words: 26,500 (give or take a hundred)

I am now 95% done with Lola and about 35% into Elisabeth's story. I had a burst of writing yesterday--hopefully my momentum will carry over into the week. Hope all of you are having better success than me!

I have been having a mediocre week. I wanted to get a lot of things done, and I feel like nothing has been finished.

1. Still no word from Agent Z, and I am getting worried. Her assistant said to expect a response in 4-6 weeks. Checking Agent Z's profile on Query Tracker and seeing how quickly she positively responds to submission requests, has messed with my head. But, as long as I don't see my SASE in the mail, I think there's hope. Maybe...

2. I am trying extra-extra hard to finish my current WIP by end of October/beginning of November just to have it done. Afterwards, I think I'm going to take the remainder of the year "off". I think I need a mini-break. Yeah, I know, not the best thing for an unpublished, unemployed person to say. With my current WIP, I would have finished three manuscripts this year, with another two in start mode. Truthfully, I think I am about to burn out. Which is REALLY not good. Also not helping to bring a joyous mood is the subject matter of said WIP.

3. I just got an email informing me Emilie Autumn's The Asylum release date has been pushed back to mid-December. ACK! I don't blame Miss Autumn--printing issues happen. It's just delay, after delay, after delay, has occurred. I had this to look forward to at the end of the month, but now two more months have been tacked on. I just want it....

The bright spot is no new Vampire Diaries tonight. No worries to get a recap done tomorrow--so I could focus on writing, since today looks to be a complete wash. Also, I'll be seeing The Vampire's Assistant on Saturday. Yeah or nay? Dear God, I already imagine there will be another new version of the New Moon trailer.

I'm about to unleash an epic fail right now, so place your helmets on. Throwing back to this, I have another novel idea. *hangs head in shame* The good thing that comes out of it is it's a novel I could query should Current Querying Manuscript be shot down by the Agent Fighter Pilots, since my former WIP (the supernatural series) is not a possibility. Not because it's so OMG!Horrible, but there is a timing issue. I have to sync up the releases for a particular entry so it makes sense. (It concerns something happening a 100 years after another historic took place. Said event hasn't hit the 100 year mark, but in 9 years it will. I swear it will make sense *if* the series is ever released.)

So, new novel idea is in its infancy. The concept is take My Chemical Romance's "Teenagers", ramp up the violence, and have kick ass teenagers do horrible, horrible things to one another and the adults that get in their way. I do have the opening pages and following chapter in my head and I know how it all ends and some things in between. Therefore, I have to start it. Like I said, it is also a novel I could query when the current one flames out.

Before I begin, this is what happened on Friday when I finished The Vampire Diaries recap:

( It's the crap of my childhood )
I'll make this entry worth something: Still nothing from Agent Z. I am feverishly checking my email. It might be time for me to tackle my other drawer. At least when I was cleaning, I didn't think about Agent Z. It was all, "WTF? Why did I keep this?" Le sigh. I need to get a life.