Oh my gosh

I've been moving, sorry! But do not fear, Comcast came here :) So I have internet once again.

English Lessons

So found another helpful website today. Absolutely free and very informative.

UsingEnglish.com

It's great so far. It has tests, explanations, study guides, a place for teachers, one for students, forums, articles, etc.

If you're not sure what an idiom is, if you have problems with phrasal verbs, or if you want to quiz yourself to see what parts of the English language you fully understand and which sections you could use a little help on this is a terrific place to start!

Fake Movie Trailer Contest

Yesterday I posted a blog about Holly Lisle's Fake Movie Trailer Contest.

The rules are very simple to follow, she wants a trailer from 1 to 3 minutes, you can submit as MANY trailers as you want and there is no entry fee. BELIEVE me, if you didn't already know, no entry fee is a HUGE bonus.

This is so awesome!

Check out the current contest. I gotta get together with some friends because, what the hey, we've got nothing to lose and at the least exposure to gain :D

Holly Lisle's Contest!

Okay, wow! Holly Lisle is having a contest!!! COOL!!

OH YEAH!!

That's right I finished, woohoo, it's my novel's birthday! Or, err, death day? No, this is the birth of a finished first draft.

The funniest part? Writing the first sex scene in the library! Lol, that was hilarious. I was so afraid someone was going to walk past me and see what I was writing. And I'd gone there intending just to write some background and the murder scene.

*le sigh* That's writing for you.

Now I put it on the shelf and revise something else, going back to it in a few months.

For now though I post my records before Becca-Dancing my way to bed :D

51 / 50 (102.0%)

PS: It helped that I remembered I had almost 4k in a missing chapter in my email :) I'd forgotten to bring the live file with me to work.

Okay, Winner's Last Few Miles

I'm still in the game!

38,950 / 50,000 (77.9%)

Can't talk. Writing! Gotta go!!

WEEEEEE! :D

The Race is ON!!!

Okay, so my word count is currently:

26,609 / 50,000 (53.2%)

That leaves me with 23,394 words left. To write in the next 11 hours.

But for 8 hours I am at work. I am determined to not just reach 50,000 but to win.

Am I crazy? Yup.

Wish me luck! After all I did complete the 3 Day Novel two years ago (had to work this year).

Ideas for Stories, Books, Movies and more

Where do you get your ideas? It has to be the most asked questions of writers. Whether it's an amateur writer asking a professional, or a just a non-writing friend asking YOU, it's got to be the most overheard - and helplessly answered - question in the world.

Some writers have no problem coming up with unique ideas that just leave you stunned; but if you look at the bare bones of the plot, you may be surprised! You may find something familiar in there, hidden behind the twists, odds and ends.

In Holly Lisle's article Ideas: A Hundred for A Dollar she reminds you that it's not the ideas that make the stories but the writer that makes the stories!

Good, short and to the point.

Rules for Writers - By Diane Hacker

I picked this book at a local dollar bookstore, Big Apple Books. I wasn't really sure if I would end up just tossing it in a pile at home or not but I know that I am one of those writers who needs a few in depth refreshers on the English language when it comes to the thorough rules of grammar.

Though I passed my English Honors classes with flying colors, I wasn't really learning for forever. I was learning for a week; memorizing until the test, then learning something new. Not intentionally, of course, but that's the way most American Public schools are set up.

Back to the book. I am literally on the first page, Preface for Instructors and already I like the writer.

Most importantly is what Ms Hacker states about revision:

Writing is a process, I tell my students, and revision is central to that process. Revision is not a punishment for failing to get things right the first time. Nor is it a perfunctory clean-up exercise. It occurs right on the pages of a rough draft, often messily, with cross-outs and insertions, and it requires an active mind: a mind willing to look at a draft from the point of view of the reader, to spot problems and to choose solutions.

It's the voice, I believe, of someone used to soothing the nerves of panicky students. And that's what I am, a student of writing.

I have several finished novels and screenplays. I have not revised them as I have feared revision. Even with other people's help I just feel overwhelmed and frustrated.

I am desperately hoping that this book can help me.

Already this paragraph has calmed me quite a bit.

And by the way, still working on my NaNoWriMo novel! Very behind but catching up in the next two days is a priority.

18,627 / 50,000 (37.3%)

What All Writers Need: Discipline: Part 3

I am back from the Thanksgiving food rush and I have to say, for Holly's How to Find Your Writing Discipline... Wow. Just wow. I can see how Holly has written so many books - fiction and non-fiction. So many articles, essays, workshops, mini-courses and courses. This course teaches you in very clean and simple terms what she has done to keeps deadlines and organized.

Wow.

It's not a hard system to implement at all. Especially with the momentum you have from the first few days. And I can tell you, from my experience so far, once you see results you'll be geared up to keep the system going.

It's a great system for procrastinators by the way (as is Holly's brief mention of what she calls '10 Minute Magic'). When you get up every day and see your goals clearly outline and see the progress you can think, well, Step A is small but it's progress nonetheless. You think, 'That's all I have to do to feel productive today?' Well, that's nothing!

I have found that my frustration on my days off come from a lack of clear goals and slight routine. In the past even if I did a mountain of things I don't feel as if I have truly accomplished much in any given day. But now, with my goals clearly laid out before me - not just writing but the steps I have to take to reach big goals outside of my writing life - I can literally SEE the progress I have made and the steps I must take to feel that solid moment of bliss thanks to accomplishing simple tasks, one at a time.

Of course it all comes down to you as a person and what you are passionate about in life. If anything I have found that this system isn't just for writing - it can be for whatever you want to achieve in your short span on Earth.

It all depends on a person and their priorities. If you need to find a little discipline in your life, I suggest you take a look at Holly's discipline course.

What All Writers Need: Discipline: Part 2

Today is the official day two of this course. Let me mention a few things first, though.

20 MINUTES. The day you get and read the package she has you learn a lot about yourself, about what you believe writing is and will do. If you're honest then you can really glean a lot from this first twenty minutes. What I love about Holly is she not only encourages you to be completely honest but she states that all your thoughts and intentions with writing are important; meaning if you want writing to make you famous or rich don't pretend you don't want that. Acknowledge that it's a part of what you want from writing.

DAY ONE. Yesterday... It was really, really brutal. I find that in any particular day I waste almost FOUR HOURS being distracted. This is at work, at home, out and about. I get distracted and off task A LOT apparently. That was the habit that I knew was going to build up.

I also waste a lot of time sitting on the couch watching TV with my husband. Now, for TV lovers this is not a waste. But I don't like TV. I like a few shows - anything Discovery, History, some shows on living spaces and I'm a sucker for a few others. I love movies and TV shows on DVD, but what my husband generally watches I am not interested in. For the sake of spending some time with him I sit and watch. To the tune of THREE hours yesterday. That was just yesterday. I know it's not like this everyday, but sometimes I'm sure it's more.

That just floors me. For myself, for someone who doesn't even like what she's watching to see that much of it... Now, it was up and down time. Do a chore, sit for 30 minutes. Go in and work on the computer, watch for 30 minutes. But it still adds up.

That was the whole point of the day. To learn where the time in your life is running away from you and how you can better manage it. The next two days seem to be about harnessing what time management skills you might have. And/or TEACHING you the ones required.

Do the things that feed you. Avoid the things you feed.
Holly Lisle

I feed a lot of things. Little bits at a time but still... Yeesh.

Any way you cut it the first day was hard. I didn't cheat but it was hard not to. How I kept my constant writing in a journal from getting noticed by coworkers I'll never know - maybe I'm just that good :) This was an eye-opener and it should even have the bonus of helping me manage time at work as well.

DAY TWO. This feels like it's going to be fun. This is where you look at your day and you break down the time into priorities. Now I am in love with Excel and organization and making spreadsheets for everything so I'll probably go terribly overboard for this, but you can just do this on a plain sheet of paper though I would note: use a pencil or else have your correction tape handy. It looks simple on the outside, just a matter of organizing your information properly, but I have a feeling I might reorganize a few priorities.

She teaches you not only how to find the time that's wasted but ALSO how to use he time that you have to spend on something else (washing dishes, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, walking the dogs, etc) towards your writing, even if you cannot write at the moment.

So now I am off to create my own spreadsheet. I am happy the first day is behind me! I dreamed of constantly taking notes on what I was doing watching myself as if I were a clone; at least in the dream it was more exciting as the other me was trying to escape the note-taking clone.

I got so much information on that first day!! Today I am looking forward to sectioning out times and finding the hole in my life to fill with what's in my heart: writing.

No Buts, No Excuses, No Bull

Today is the official first day of Holly's Discipline course and with what she has you do I can already see how I have wasted time I could have spent writing. And I think I've found a habit where I tend to waste a little bit of time here and there and I know how fast that builds up. Jeez... Today is going to just be brutal.

Found a good article by Holly on her site today. How to Tell Who WON'T Make It in Writing (and How Not to be that Writer). She's got a BUNCH of awesome articles.

A quick quote:

I couldn't in a million years tell you who among those thousands of hopeful writers will eventually succeed. But I can tell you in about five minutes which writers are guaranteed to fail.

Give it a quick read. It's important; I know that recently I've noticed a lot of pompous folks going on and on about their writing and never really listening to others, even when they ask questions. As I meet other writers, both online and off, I'd say one in 10 is a genuine writer.

My thought is that if I ever was lucky enough to have the chance to ask a professional writer for words of advice and I didn't like what I heard, I'd still be smart enough to take into account that the professional might know a thing or two about writing that I don't yet.

What All Writers Need: Discipline

Just picked up Holly Lisle's Writing Discipline. Already I like it. It's telling me that professional novelists aren't really more equipped for discipline than myself, so yay!! Lol, knowing I already have it takes is what is going to totally keep me going... I hope.

I like it when I am given a list of supplies. I don't know why but this makes me feel good, like 'hey, I can get prepared, woohoo'. I'm a bit of a dork, I know :) So when Holly's How to Find Your Writing Discipline course gave me a list I got excited. *shakes head* I am so easy to please.

I also like that she tells you exactly how long it should take you and which days you're going to find most difficult.

I am done with today's assignment and I can tell you, wow. Though it was simple I really did what she said, I thought on it and wrote what was in my heart. It was an eye-opener and to see how honest I could be with myself... Well, I found out a few things I didn't know I felt.

So tomorrow is my official day one and as hard as she says it's going to be I am looking forward to it. ANYTHING to instill some DISCIPLINE!! Sheesh!

Yeesh

Trying to get a discipline here when it comes to writing. It's hard though, I have a couple different jobs and finding a regular way to write and come up with consistent progress is becoming more and more difficult. I'm always so tired at the end of the day.

I do like www.HollyLisle.com

I am also writing for the NaNoWriMo this year. I'm not doing so hot, lol. Below is my word count.

15,686 / 50,000 (31.4%)

Learning to Write

I love to write. I love to work in journals, write fictional stories, poetry and express myself in essays. I have had some work published and some even purchased!

Anything I find that help my own writing skills (or tips that will help me sell) I will post info on here. This is an effort to share the things that work best for me with others that might not have heard about it :D