Quote of the Moment:

Quote of the Moment: Who said this, and why? "I'm coming to realize EVERYONE can eat me."

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Postpartum Blues


I’m at 73,500 words and have finished my novel—yay!—but now . . . I miss it!

I’m feeling the loss of the daily obsessive urge to write the next scene, the working out of edit issues in my dreams during the night, the waking up to jot them down on scratch paper before I’ve had my morning coffee, the hand cramps since I write by pencil (only certain pencils) and spiral notebooks (only certain kinds), then the chore of keying in everything. I miss the characters, I miss the plot, I miss all the tidbits of action or backstory that I couldn’t squeeze into the narrative.

I even dragged out writing the climax because part of me didn’t want to put the characters through the wringer, to have them experience the traumas, the changes, the revelations, the truths revealed! And yet it had to be done, and now it’s over. Sure, there will be months of rewriting, revising, proofreading, yada yada, but the characters don’t care, they’re done with their adventure (and gearing up for the next, heh).

I know that I’m not alone. I know that every writer goes through this experience (been there, done that myself six other times), but it doesn’t get easier, does it, guys? We all feel drained and separated and “other,” and then we pick ourselves up and do it all over again.

Okay, having spilled my guts, I will now say that it was a BLAST to do and a heck of a lot of fun, especially since this particular novel—Seven Secrets—was the first I ever tried to write, at around 13 years old, and after a gazillion plot revisions over a gazillion years, I can’t believe I’ve actually written it. I’m grateful that NaNoWriMo was an impetus, grateful that my writing critique group has supported and encouraged me, and especially grateful to my sister Katie for pushing me to take up my pencil again after 10+ years. (Whether this latest novel is any good is a whole other conversation for a whole other time.)

Keep writing, hand-cramps willing. Onward!

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Animal Guild on Sale

My Kindle Countdown Deal for The Animal Guild starts tomorrow, for those who like a bargain. Check it out! (Of course, if you purchase the paperback version, also through Amazon, you get the Kindle version free.)


Thursday, January 1, 2015

Resolved for another year




I don’t usually commit to New Year’s resolutions, not because they are so often unreachable, but because I can think of so many goals that I become exhausted trying to achieve them all, :-) But what the heck, I’m going to try to be resolved in 2015.


Here are my mundane, logistical, writing-related resolutions:


  • To finish writing the novel I started in November for NaNoWriMo, working title is Seven Secrets. I’m flirting with 50,000 words now but expect the final length to be between 60 and 65K. (This novel, about a group of human kids, segues into my Guild world in a funky way.)
  • Upload the next two novels in The Animal Guild Series, once the covers are complete and I’ve attempted to locate more of those sneaky little typos. Look for Outcasts by February and The Hikum later in the year.
  • Rough-outline the (possible) sequel to the novel I’m writing now, since I keep having wild and crazy plot ideas for the characters.  
  • Finish outlining the next novel in The Animal Guild Series, which has languished for 15+ years. (Yes, you now know that I’m as old as a bristlecone pine). This novel will merge the Seven Secrets goings on with the guilders. I think. (But see below.)


Here are my less mundane, more spiritual resolutions:


  • To be kind to all.
  • To make no assumptions about anyone or anything.
  • To have no expectations of anyone or anything.
  • To think about others (be they “human” animals or other animals) and to not have everything be “all about me.” As the Buddha taught, there is no Self (or something like that).


Finally, here are my ultimate, best-of-the-best, top-of-the-line, epic, killer resolutions:


  • To be as wise as Kelly.
  • To have the courage of Hercules.
  • To be as energetic as Morgen.
  • To have the impudence of Fist.
  • To have the strength of Munk.
  • To be as goofy as Kip.
  • To be as tolerant as Bhorg.
  • To soar in my dreams like Valon.
  • To be as generous as Renard.
  • And to have the heart of Corto.
  • But not to weigh as much as Rethus.

Keep faith with your resolutions!