Ah, the life of a writer, er, I mean, transcriptionist!

Okay, I'm finally into the revision stage on my book (though this first revision is less for substance and more for polishing the first draft to be presentable enough for my free proof copy). So far, I'm really loving this part far more than the actual writing. There's a lot to be said for having material in front of you to work with.

I've chopped, changed, cut and amended my way through the first couple of chapters and I'm relatively happy with how the edits are coming along. One thing I noticed this morning was that I was skipping over certain portions of dialogue, sort of thinking to myself, No, I don't need to change that - that's what she said. !!

So does that mean I've gotten the dialogue right? If so, it might provide an excellent guide to the story and make my job that much easier! And on the other hand, I should be able to recognize when the dialogue isn't working if it doesn't feel like my characters actually said it. Right?

It's such an interesting experience, revising. Definitely not something I expected, but totally enjoyable in a whole new way:)

Feel the love:)

It's important to have a good support system in every dream you pursue. No secret there. But when you actually realize you have it, the feeling you get is amazing!

Cam was sick this past week and he had plenty of time to think about our lives and where we are along our journey. When he finally got better, he had a long talk with me about the goals that we're aiming for. He told me how very important my writing is to him and that he wants to do whatever he can to support me in pursuing my dreams.

Awwww!!!

Now, I love my husband. I loved him before and would've loved him just the same even without hearing that. But knowing how much my ambitions mean to him has shown me just how much he means to me.

And that is something I cherish. I only hope everyone else has it, too:)

A movie moment :)

So I'm working on my outline for the screenplay I'll be writing for school. It's edifying, but frustrating at the same time - I can be creative and adventurous, but I'll only ever be satisfied when I see my work portrayed on screen.

Like I said, frustrating.

Still, if I can visualize the scenes, at least in my own mind, then I have some sense of what the finished product will be like. But that's about the extent of it, right?

The other day, I was listening to the Florence & The Machine album for the first time when I came across a song that I totally love. I set it to replay and enjoyed the track for the next hour, considering my screenplay the whole time. Then, totally unexpectedly, I realized that the song would be 110% brilliant as the soundtrack for one particular scene. I'm talking make your knees shake and your neck sweat brilliant. I grinned like a moron and very nearly cried at the thrill of it...

So since then, I've been replaying the song and the scene in my head on a continuous loop. I've so got to get this thing written! Even if for no other reason than to give at least one beta reader the same rush that I got.

Any volunteers? :)

The Contemplative Post...

My book is sitting in a drawer (well not literally, but you get the point). Last night I finished reading a (rather disappointing) book that I got from the library earlier this week. And I have plenty of school sessions to keep me busy.

Still, I'm feeling that spark that tells me creativity is what I need right now. My own creativity. I need to write, and I need to write big. I need a new project!

Last night as I was falling asleep considering what my project could be, I had so many wonderful ideas to work with. But of course, because I was half-asleep, I didn't do anything with those ideas. And as often happens when I get a few bedtime epiphanies, I thought, "Oh that's a great idea! There's NO way I'll forget that by the morning!" And that's all I remembered when I woke up...

Which makes me wonder: How many amazing ideas have been lost to sleepy forgetfulness and our own over-confidence? If I've had so many of these flashes of inspiration, surely most other writers do too, right? And how brilliant might those ideas have been if given the chance to grow and develop?

Commitment time! I promise to always write/scribble/chicken scratch whatever ideas come to me when I'm in bed, no matter how tired I am. Sure, those ideas may sit around in the pages of my bedside notebook, untouched for months, years or forever. But I refuse to let them be lost to my own forgetfulness!

Hmm, I need a battle cry here...

Um.

CHARGE!!! :p

I've finally done it!

Last Friday, I finally finished the first draft of my first novel! It's such an amazing feeling to hold that manuscript in my hands, to flip through the pages, and know that I wrote those words! The elation that I felt when seeing my manuscript in print for the first time was unreal. (I'd give a detailed description of my victory dance, but as I'm sure you can imagine, whatever rhythm I have was lost in that moment...)

Anyway, I've got a lot of work to do until my book is ready for an agent. Luckily, though, I'm learning so much through my course that will make the rewrite better in the end. That's not to say it will be easy to get to the end. (I foresee a much longer future to this project than I initially expected...) Still, I know that I can do it. If not for the sheer power of my own determination, then certainly because I've already come this far!

I think I need some fireworks now:)

Ah, the joys of a deadline...

I signed up for this, right? So I can't really complain that I have WAY too much writing to do. Right? Yeah. I thought so.

Today's the deadline for a short story contest that I'm entering, and I'm feeling good about the piece I wrote. It's in a voice that's new to me, and I think I managed to get it just right. Although there are some tweaks that could be made if I hadn't procrastinated. Yet again. ;)

Anyway, I'm convinced I'll be swamped today (once I can safely say I've spent enough birthday time with my 4-year-old) with catching up on assignments that have been sitting around waiting for me to get them done. I have read through everything and made notes on my discussion posts, so it's not as bad as I seem to think. Still, it's pretty time-consuming to sit down at the computer and get them caught up. So that leaves no doubt as to what I'll be doing on my Saturday night:) (I say that like I ever do anything spectacular on a Saturday night...)

My book is on hold at the moment. The deadlines did it! :) Nah, it's good anyway. I've written to the point where I could just end it now if I wanted to, and it's a surprisingly emotional experience to realize that. All of a sudden, this book is my baby, and I don't want the ride to end yet! The last day I worked on it was...Monday? And since then, I've had a new fondness for my book that's totally new. How can I describe it? It's like I'm saying goodbye to someone I love for the last time. Yeah, that's it. Am I the only one here? Surely I can't be.

Right?

(Sorry for the rambling...early Saturday mornings are never my best time!)

Writing is talking. So let's talk:)

Wow, it's been a while since my last post. Things have definitely changed in our house over the last few weeks. My husband quit work, I returned to work, and he got really sick (in bed with Kleine-Levin Syndrome at the moment). I was able to relax from school work over the holidays, but the lesson modules are back with a vengeance! Factor in the stress of shuffling kids around, caring for the bed-bound, getting to and from work myself, and then making sure everything's ready to do it all again the next day and you've got a pretty clear picture of what my days are like right about now.

So it goes.

Anyway, I've started reading a nice little writing book that I grabbed from the library (because it seemed to tie in nicely with the course I'm doing), and I came across a lovely piece of advice that I've used once before without even realizing it. According to the author, writing should sound like talking, a conversation between writer and reader. Only then will your writing flow in a way that reaches people and resonates with them. (Think of how fun it is to read a technical manual of any kind and you'll get what I'm talking about.)

That said, I'll mention that my book is thisclose to the end (like, in the very last scene), but I've hit yet another block. What to do? What to do with my characters who are showing their true colors only to disappoint me?? Can I use that? Surely there's got to be a way that I can. But how do I figure that out??

I know! I'll talk to myself!! (The best conversation I'll ever have...haha! Sorry, just had to throw that in.) Anyway, I blogged once before about the usefulness of that practice. I guess it just stands to reason that I'll do it again, only this time allowing the process to continue on into the writing itself.

Awesome! I so can't wait for my next writing session... Now when will that be??