We are finished with the first drafts of all the chapters in the book. Finally! Now, it is time to edit and send out for review once more.
Whoohoo!!!!!!!
...
What do I do with all my time now?
-Mel
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
November 6 or Bust
The deadline for Tarot Within Sight is November 6th. Nance and I still have 6-7 chapters to go. Wish us luck!
-Mel
-Mel
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Consultant Delay
I know I haven't updated on the Stock Cars book in a while, but that's because I've been waiting to hear back from Carrie about what the consultant said. Carrie e-mailed me today, and the poor consultant has hurt her back! She's not allowed to work until her rehabilitation is complete. So, ETA on the consultant's comments is unknown at this time. Just in case you were wondering whatever happened to Stock Cars.
In other news, I am still working on Tarot Within Sight. I am almost done with Chapter 8, expect to be moving on to Chapter 9 tonight.
-Mel
In other news, I am still working on Tarot Within Sight. I am almost done with Chapter 8, expect to be moving on to Chapter 9 tonight.
-Mel
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Perfectionism is the Enemy of Creativity
Nathan Fillion is currently portraying an author named Richard Castle in a TV series called Castle. Castle is a mystery writer who is shadowing a real detective to use her as his newest bestselling character Nikki Heat. I really enjoy the show. It's funny, just a little campy, and very sweet, with some mystery and grisly murders thrown in for spice. Every once in a while, he even says something insightful about writers.
A week ago when I was watching an episode (those who know me, think DVD - we all know Melanie hates commercials and only gets home at 8 PM), Castle said something to the effect of: "perfectionism is the enemy of creativity."
Before he'd finished the sentence, I'd shouted out "fear!" as my best guess for what stops creativity (yes, I shout at my TV. You ever been to a movie with me?). But, as I've thought about it and been stumped, STUMPED on chapter six of Tarot Within Sight, I've decided his answer was better. When you're writing and every other word you type, your head is saying, "No, that's wrong!" it really kills the mojo.
But, as they say, we shall overcome!
-Mel
A week ago when I was watching an episode (those who know me, think DVD - we all know Melanie hates commercials and only gets home at 8 PM), Castle said something to the effect of: "perfectionism is the enemy of creativity."
Before he'd finished the sentence, I'd shouted out "fear!" as my best guess for what stops creativity (yes, I shout at my TV. You ever been to a movie with me?). But, as I've thought about it and been stumped, STUMPED on chapter six of Tarot Within Sight, I've decided his answer was better. When you're writing and every other word you type, your head is saying, "No, that's wrong!" it really kills the mojo.
But, as they say, we shall overcome!
-Mel
Thursday, October 8, 2009
See You in November
I thought I might do a short blog to let everyone know that from now until November, anything that isn't already scheduled, I won't be scheduling in. I want to, but I can't do dinner, concerts, movies, or anything else outside my house simply because there is a 22-chapter book due the second weekend in November, and I am on Chapter 6.
Love you all, and see you in November!
-Mel
Love you all, and see you in November!
-Mel
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Melanie and the Laptop Gremlin: The Saga Continues
Some of you may remember the incident of which is never spoken involving one black Gateway laptop and one toasted memory disk that will never be unlocked unless I am one day able to send the great black paperweight to NASA one day to piece its memory back together. The great black paperweight is sitting at the bottom of a great plastic tub, waiting for the day when I will send it to NASA. Five years of my life is contained in that laptop. Don't think for a second that I won't send it in when I am independently wealthy.
The great Blue Dell paperweight has suffered a similar fate, however in intervening years, God saw fit to grant Melanie the Jump Drive technology, and the files were saved from the invading computer version of AIDS that the poor, blue victim caught in Guatemala, apparently by way of Thailand (at least the virus seemed to think it was from Thailand). The red stick that we shall now think of as the Blue Dell's black box is safely housed in my closet in a plastic case that does not move unless there is a dire emergency.
There was a dire emergency.
The not so great Red Dell XPS, which is only a year and a half old and six months outside its warranty, has been fritzing, pixilating, streaking, and spontaneously shutting itself down. I did a file dump on all the works in progress onto the red Jump Drive and, still under deadline, mind you, with 3 chapters to go on the Tarot book, handed my poor limping baby over to Smartie Computers (we do not mention the Geek Squad. We believe the Geek Squad is the Devil), and luckily, we did not receive back a smoking wreck of a black paperweight this time (did I mention that Geek Squad is the Devil?). I wholeheartedly recommend Smartie Computers to anyone with troubles, he was very nice, and very timely, and very easy to get ahold of, and very smart, and very forthright. I waited on pins and needles for 24 hours, and lo, it has happened again! The laptop gremlin hath smote my baby! They did the best they could for it, but, unbeknownst to me, this particular model Dell has suffered some similar problems. My video card is all but shot! This video card is hard-soldered into the Motherboard.
...
THE Motherboard.
...
SOLDERED.
...
So, I'm going to try to get this poor thing to limp through November....
... and then I'm either getting a new laptop, or a new Motherboard. Or both.
That leaves the score at Gremlins: 3 Mel: 0.
-Mel
The great Blue Dell paperweight has suffered a similar fate, however in intervening years, God saw fit to grant Melanie the Jump Drive technology, and the files were saved from the invading computer version of AIDS that the poor, blue victim caught in Guatemala, apparently by way of Thailand (at least the virus seemed to think it was from Thailand). The red stick that we shall now think of as the Blue Dell's black box is safely housed in my closet in a plastic case that does not move unless there is a dire emergency.
There was a dire emergency.
The not so great Red Dell XPS, which is only a year and a half old and six months outside its warranty, has been fritzing, pixilating, streaking, and spontaneously shutting itself down. I did a file dump on all the works in progress onto the red Jump Drive and, still under deadline, mind you, with 3 chapters to go on the Tarot book, handed my poor limping baby over to Smartie Computers (we do not mention the Geek Squad. We believe the Geek Squad is the Devil), and luckily, we did not receive back a smoking wreck of a black paperweight this time (did I mention that Geek Squad is the Devil?). I wholeheartedly recommend Smartie Computers to anyone with troubles, he was very nice, and very timely, and very easy to get ahold of, and very smart, and very forthright. I waited on pins and needles for 24 hours, and lo, it has happened again! The laptop gremlin hath smote my baby! They did the best they could for it, but, unbeknownst to me, this particular model Dell has suffered some similar problems. My video card is all but shot! This video card is hard-soldered into the Motherboard.
...
THE Motherboard.
...
SOLDERED.
...
So, I'm going to try to get this poor thing to limp through November....
... and then I'm either getting a new laptop, or a new Motherboard. Or both.
That leaves the score at Gremlins: 3 Mel: 0.
-Mel
Friday, October 2, 2009
Luck is Where Preparation Meets Opportunity
For interested parties, unless Heather goes into labor, I will not be leaving my house this weekend. There will be writing. Followed by more writing. Followed by some editing. Followed by yes, you guessed it, even more writing.
These are the days I get PO'd because my tummy growls, reminding me I need to eat something, my phone is on vibrate, and I may not leave my room and blink at sunlight until 4 PM (when I just can't stand being hungry and dirty anymore).
This weekend, I will be working on Tarot Within Sight the final revisions on Stock Cars, and if there's time left over, working up a submission for Once Bitten. Yes, you heard it here first, I am sending it out to agents again. I can't stand it being finished and not working for me.
I have 2.75 chapters to do for Tarot Within Sight, minor editing for Stock Cars, and hopefully enough versions of a synopsis and cover letter for Once Bitten that mostly I'll just have to change the date and hit "print." We'll see.
In other news, I've started working on a YA novel called Fracture, not sure if it will go anywhere yet, but I'm hopeful.
-Mel
These are the days I get PO'd because my tummy growls, reminding me I need to eat something, my phone is on vibrate, and I may not leave my room and blink at sunlight until 4 PM (when I just can't stand being hungry and dirty anymore).
This weekend, I will be working on Tarot Within Sight the final revisions on Stock Cars, and if there's time left over, working up a submission for Once Bitten. Yes, you heard it here first, I am sending it out to agents again. I can't stand it being finished and not working for me.
I have 2.75 chapters to do for Tarot Within Sight, minor editing for Stock Cars, and hopefully enough versions of a synopsis and cover letter for Once Bitten that mostly I'll just have to change the date and hit "print." We'll see.
In other news, I've started working on a YA novel called Fracture, not sure if it will go anywhere yet, but I'm hopeful.
-Mel
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