The Sunday Showdown

It has arrived. It is the end of the week. I said - moons ago - that I was going to start writing a Sunday wrap up blog. I don't think I ever did. Well, let us correct that from now on. Sundays are for reflecting, being held accountable, for listing all that we did during the week.

I wish I was as good this week as last, but I was not. I edited fewer days. :( 

My stats:
Began editing my urban fantasy story
Words edited: 50,061 
Days I edited: 4  (so not good)
Blog posts: including this one, that makes 3 on the writer blog and 1 on the book blog.

Interesting factoid:
I also had more dreams this week and remembered them. I keep a dream journal - but it's hard to always remember my dreams. They often flutter away as if daylight burns them away... they might be vampires- who knows? 

Fangirling of Note:
Iron Man was released this week. The Thor 2 teaser trailer was finally released - after MONTHS of waiting. Loki is in a box and denied hair care products, apparently. I have also been looking at all the Sherlock filming spoiler photos. So far, I have deduced the next season of Sherlock will star a tall, pale English gentleman who wears a long coat, his short friend and uh... I don't want to spoil things, so let's just say there is an illegal ritual performed. :) Those who follow my silly Twitter will know what that means.

GAH!

Yeah. This week hasn't been so awesome, productivity wise. I am most bummed about my reading slowing down to hardly anything. :( And I need to beta something for someone, too.

I've only edited 13,300 so far this week. Only two days of editing - it is now Friday at 11:20 PM.... I am at least getting in a second blog post...

The only thing I have going for me is that the edit is going super dooper!! I am the worst editor. First off, I spend years before I actually get back to something and edit it. I am great at writing novels and finishing the first draft, just rubbish at actually going back to them. I can never get something readable in one pass. It takes pass after pass after pass of edits before I get anywhere near what I think of as readable. It's so depressing to open something you've edited five times and thought was ok, only to start reading it again and it's shite. Completely unreadable.

So that is what holds me back. The hatred of facing my inadequacy.

This particular book I'm editing has already had a beta round, but just two betas. I wasn't sure it was ready yet, I think I sent it off with a thousand paragraphs of "I hope I'm not wasting your time" - but I got good reviews back.... that said "with some work, this will be really good" - well, they were nicer than that, but it obviously had some problems. It's a relief that everything is falling into place this time.

It only took about 12 drafts.

I could never get the hang of Tuesdays

After a glorious week of editing, I kept my new resolve for only one day, and then came Tuesday. I hate Tuesday. I can never get the hang of Tuesdays. I guarantee you, if the Vogons show up to destroy the planet, it will be on a Tuesday. The work day is probably the worst. It’s not Monday, which though a difficult day to get out of bed on, it is vastly different from Saturday and Sunday and so it goes a little faster. Monday actually has something going for it. Unlike Tuesday.

Let me back up. I finished my edit of a fantasy Uny-corn story on Sunday. I fretted and futtered on Monday, not sure what to work on next. The options are: a fantasy-sci-fi mash-up in a dreadful state that’s probably unpublishable, a gothic romance I really love that needs a serious fix and an urban fantasy that’s not in too bad of shape. I decided to go back to the urban fantasy I think has some legs. I even went to the extreme of asking those on Twitter and Facebook to send up prayers and offerings to the Elder Gods that I don’t screw it up.

I went home Monday night and attacked it gamely… I edited the first chapter to within an inch of its life and lo! I was pleased with what I had done. I think it’s probably the best first chapter of anything I’ve ever written. As with most writers, I have a hell of a time with first chapters. But then Tuesday came along and I spent all night napping and watching plane stuff on Youtube. Please don’t ask. It’s a thing. I also got a really bad steam burn on my thumb while warming up some chili.

I had planned to blog on Tuesday, to rave over my fabulous doings of the first chapter… but alas, the napping and the Youtubing. Tuesday. You wretched day. Tonight was supposed to be for blogging on the book blog, but Tuesday even brought the end to the current book I was reading, and I decided I didn’t really like it. I don’t want to review books I don’t like on my book blog. Now my blog schedule is all screwy.

Damn you to hell, Tuesday.

Finished a Major Edit!

I return to you, fearless readers, victorious. I have finished editing the last 11k of my fantasy novel about the Unicorns. I took it on almost as a recharger, or a practice course. I have hopes for it finding a home one day, but I don't think it's going to blow back an agent's hair or anything. Your basic fantasy tropes aren't having a great time out there in publication land. 

I digress. I am proud of the story. I am proud that I set goals and kept them, at least over this past week. I will continue on, as I have 4 other novels to edit and no less than 4 other story ideas chewing away amidst the cogs, grinders and gears of the magical fiction machine. 

I've been thinking a lot about the writer thing. I have many thoughts I don't put into words, but I thought about this one last night and decided I would write it...and on the internet where it will linger forever, amidst the tubes full of cats and memes. I have taken the writing a little too seriously, maybe. I told myself a few years ago I had to treat it like a job. Maybe that's a good idea, as far as finishing things, having goals and a schedule, etc. But sometimes I get lost amidst the pressure of publishing. I fear what I produce is not always publishable, and I worry, perhaps too soon, about how I measure up to others out there in print. Rather than approach it as the joy of creation, I approach it like there's a noose hanging over the desk that will descend upon me and strangle the life from me if I dare to head hop. I think it's ok to head hop in a first draft. The first draft is the place for a multitude of sins. 

I might try and sin a little more, and then repent in the second draft. :) But for now, we celebrate this small success with memes.

Today is actually the 8th day....

But let's not quibble. I technically just edited 7400 words on the 8th day, because I got started so late. But to me, early Sunday morning is still late Saturday night.

I have a little over 11k to finish this round of edits. I make no promises, but I am going to try hard to finish it tomorrow. Er. Later today. 

Regardless, I have finished my Edit Every Day, Blog Every Day 7 day challenge. The stats are as follows:

Total words Edited: 46,792
Days edited: 6 of the 7
Average words edited per day: 6685
Blogs posts: 7
Pots of tea: 3
Cookies consumed: about 10
Avengers gifs: 4
gifs of John and Sherlock looking at each other: 1

I'd also like to say that I have made a major change. I have kept my studio (apartment) clean for a month. I am normally, and at heart, the worst of slobs. I would move myself to clean when I knew folks were coming over, and not before. I also don't go up in the air unless the floor is lava and don't run unless I am being chased. But I have changed the first personal failing for the better. I even organized my books (still boxed and in the closet, but they are organized) I have kept my clothes hung up, the sink clean, the stove sparkles, the floor is vacuumed and the bathroom is clean. All at the same time. It's nice to have no shame - that people can come over at any time (if anyone ever wanted to come over), or should anything in the apartment need fixing, I don't have to clean the place first before summoning the landlord.

It's like I'm almost a human being.

Shudder the thought.

Today is the 6th Day

And so do I! We have both risen from the ashes! Er... the shame of not editing yesterday, in my case. I have tried to edit and blog every day for a week. I edited 5 of the last 6, and blogged every day so far, admitting my defeat of Thursday. To make up for it, I got 10k edited today, as opposed to the 7k or so I've been doing.

Yay, me.

I'm also listening to Kiss. Thank goodness for Grooveshark. And Satan for iTunes. I have this thing about owning music. It's amazing to have the online music that you just dial up and listen to for frees. I love free stuff. But there is also that moment in the car, when you just really wanna listen to your jams, you know? I hate the internet  at that moment, because it's not available to me everywhere. And thus the purchasing of music I know I can't live without.

I'm still trying to summon my courage, to see if I dare top off this week of editing and blogging madness by inflicting some of my prose upon ya'll. But I never think anything is edited well enough for the populace at large, thus the year and a half of editing of four novels and not subbing any.

Sometimes, we shoot our own selves in the foot, do we not?

Today is not the 5th day....

That is Tony Stark, judging me. And well he should.

Today is made of fail. Today was not a good day. First of all, I did not edit, and that is totally on me. I could blame it on things... but it's 12:20 am on Friday morning and let's be honest with ourselves.

I just didn't edit.

I could blame it on having to go into work unexpectedly. I could blame it on the fact my door broke just as I was leaving for work unexpectedly. I could also blame it on having to run out to the CVS Pharmacy (unexpectedly) because I was not prepared for my lady parts to start doing their lady business. (Very deep euphemisms there - let's hope I don't get pR0n bots.) Then I came home, with fast food (another bad thing) ate of it and took a nap. A long nap. I was a little worn. And let's not talk about the hormonal dip of the first day of the lady business. Sorry, guys. But it's a total thing. I felt wrung out like a dirty dishrag.

I awoke at 10 PM from my 'nap' - that is when normal people go to bed. Instead of editing, I began going through Setlock tags on Twitter (if you don't know what that is, praise Moffet, and don't look. Don't follow my example) and watching airport stuff on Youtube. Again. Don't ask. It's a thing. 

So today we did not edit. And I don't know if I have to go to work or not tomorrow. But tomorrow will be a better day. We will edit. We will eat a little healthier. We will probably listen to the Kiss record we bought on iTunes. (Another bad thing). Today seems to have been full of bad choices. Tomorrow, however, is another day.

Today is the 4th day...

Actually, I did not have this problem, tonight. I was well girded with both coffee (a brave stroke at nighttime) and cookies. I took the chance at coffee since I'm off work tomorrow, not to mention I went to bed about 2 am last night and work at 7:00 am to go to work. Yeah. Today sucked. And I could hear the sweet siren song of my bed calling from the corner.

But I did not give in. I stood my.... er.... sat in my chair, and for the fourth day in a row, I edited. And this time, I came home, ate dinner and got right to it. I messed around way too much on the internet during, but hey. I did it. 3 whole chapters.

I'm afraid that is all I have to post. My brain feels a little wrung out.

Adieu.

Today is the 3rd day...

Do not judge me. I broke my string of editing 7k words per day today - but I got started very late, as a nap brought me down for a couple of hours.... and I dove into the WIP without an oz of caffeine.

Not even tea. Which to me, is coffee light.

I still edited to the tune of 5700 words, which has brought me to 30,056 of 68,893. We're approaching the halfway point. That is progress.

Tomorrow: the goal is to get my editing done FIRST THING WHEN I GET HOME. Also: COFFEE or TEA. And cookies.

Also, this is the first time in ages that I have worked 3 days in a row on writing/editing for months.

Progress: unlocked. Gratuitous Loki Gif: Incoming

Today is the 2nd day

I feel writer kitteh's pain.... but alas, my story is done. It is the prose and not the characters I have issues with.

Today is day 2 of my week-long editing project. I hate that I love this story so much...and hate every word at the same time. It's old. It's years and years old and I've read it so many times that no longer how long I let it rest, after I read it through one time, the next time I go to start on edits, it's like I just set it down. I know every word. And I'm trying to find the forest through the trees.... the paths amongst the leaf litter, and throw out what's old growth.

But at least it's getting edited. I edited another 7000 words tonight. I started waaaay too late. But of course, today wasn't such a great day was it?

It seems like every day you go online (I have no tv) and read about another shooting rampage. But today was the Boston Marathon, and bombs went off. Last I heard, three people died and many were injured. 20 more people were killed by suicide bombers in Iraq. I think mass shootings have become America's suicide bombs.... after all, don't the shooters often turn the guns on themselves? And isn't it all terrorism? Aren't the victims just as dead no matter what you call it?

Well, I have veered off course, and I don't mean to "be political." That is what people call it, sometimes, when you talk about things. There are already people on Twitter blaming Muslims. (At this point, I don't know if there are any suspects - but someone was calling for roundups just a few minutes after the announcement.) It's a terrifying time in the world right now. 

I hope you and yours are safe tonight. Let's all try and lumber on....

Today is the day....

Warning, everybody. This is a bitch post. It gets better near the end.

Greetings, fearless readers. I must beg again for your forgiveness. I have left the blog to linger... but I, also, have been lingering. Near the doldrums. The quiets. The not-so-greats. I am in a tiny sailboat with no wind. No wind whatsoever. I haven't been editing at a reportable pace. I might get a chapter or two here or there and that's it. The whole poetry writing thing? Out the window. I haven't done shit.

What have I been doing? Well, I have been reading. That is the only good thing I have to say for myself. I have steadily been putting up reviews on Books with BettieLee - if you would like to check out, I would be honored.... (that is a link by the way)

The one thing that has happened - I have renewed my lease on the studio. Where I live. No, I'm not a fancy pants that has a separate studio to write in... I am a paycheck to paycheck dweller who went from living in a horrendous box to living in a much more affordable albeit-furnitureless studio that overlooks a pond with a willow tree that willows over the pond, ducks, various cats and doggies that come out to play... in short, I live in a pretty awesome place. I am very lucky and have my parents to thank for helping me move out of that horrible dark hole I was in, spiritually, financially and literally. They didn't only move me, they gave me the financial support to do it. When I harken back to the first few months I was here, I was a dynamo. On FIRE. I edited every day, I plotted and planned and looked forward to more stories, I continuously won awards (meaning smilies that waved and clapped) in the Absolute Write Weekend Report Thread. I need to get back to that.

So. Today is the first day of getting back up on the horse. Today, we start editing every day, for a solid week. And if we absolutely can't face editing, we are going to write and/or dabble in something else. But every day for this week, I am going to write and blog, blog and write, like a grown up, responsible person that wants to be a writer and has a bug in her pocket and speaks about herself and her bug in third person. In other words, I am going to hold myself accountable.

Today, we begin with two chapters of my straight-up unsellable fantasy about Uny-corns. At least two chapters. I will report on how it went tomorrow.

What say you, friends? Into the breach, once more? I will give you.... the highest of fives... and a Cumberbatch Meme.... :) Two for one. It's all deals here, like Walmart.