Christmas

Isaiah 9:6-7

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Merry Christmas! Christ came to earth and forever won the war against evil. The birth was the beginning of the end. Jesus won. Only skirmishes are being fought now, as brutal as they are, as we decide if we will follow the adversary or Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Choose Light.

The Truman Brothers shared a Christmas song I've never heard before. Love it!

https://youtu.be/76cDeX_CHSY?si=2A6uvGZWMVEp1kRH

Celebrate!

Thanksgiving

Cozy Timez ambient sounds like rain and a fireplace. They often includes adorable sleeping pets.

https://youtu.be/MOTtu4pHmIs?si=HUZekHQd_XDrahqZ

Day Seventeen of NaNoWriMo...

1989 total ~ 29629 Each section of writing starts out like pulling teeth, painful, slow, unsure. Then some bit reveals itself, and it's like being shot out of a cannon, at least what I imagine it might be like to be shot out of cannon. Not on my bucket list, by the way. It's so amazing to watch a story unfold. Sometimes you know what's coming next, but a lot of times you don't. You're writing, and all of a sudden thinking, "Wow! I had no idea!" Or "I didn't know that about the hero/heroine!" It's difficult to describe what it's like to watch your characters struggle, and then they catch on for a moment. In time for another aspect of the trouble to unveil itself, and they must take what they've learned to tackle this new difficulty, which will help them continue to grow, until they reach the moment when they're both in the same spot at the perfect time. God has been leading me along for a very long time. I do not know what the future holds, but I do know God holds it in His capable hands. With all my heart, I believe He set me on the path I'm now traveling, and I have reached that moment when I feel confident enough in Him and myself to expect Him to protect me. Not in the way many people think, expecting Him to smooth the way and make everything better. No, God's way is not the easy way. I expect God to lift me when I fear and tremble, to help my unbelief. I trust that He will give what is needed, not what I demand, but that does not bar me from asking, remembering to add "Thy will not mine." I know His way is the only way to true peace and happiness, no matter it will be paved with tears and pain, but it is only for a little while. And He is there to weep with me. He will not abandon me, ever. I may turn my back from time to time in a childish snit, but He is always right there, waiting for me to turn back and reach for His outstretched hand, a hand that is scarred with His everlasting love for me.

Draft one is complete...

The first draft, beginning to end, is done. For the next two days, I'll read through it, to see if it holds together, see if there's anything missing, and probably add more. But, for all accounts and purposes, it's finished. And yet, it isn't. Funny, as I write each book, the story doesn't really end in my head. I still imagine the rest of their lives, though not in the same detail as when I write the initial story. It's like the characters become a part of me... well, they actually are a part of me. I want them to be happy and fulfilled. One of the nice things about writing is that I'm able to do exactly that, give them a HEA.

Almost there...

The first draft of the WIP is almost finished. I'm leaning toward the minimum word count of 70,000 words, considering the fact that when I did the deep edit of the previous WIP I added 5,000 words, so had to cut 5,000 words. I really don't want to go through that again. I'll pass the WIP along for an edit complements of a discerning eye. While it's going through editing, I'll do brainstorm and research for book 3. It's a joy.

The Project continues.

Desert Rose was interesting. The Table Topic I attended was on the Citizens Police Academy that some police departments offer. It sounds intriguing. Someday, I'd like to participate.

God doesn't care what happens in our lives nearly as much as He does about what we do with what happens in our lives.

Thanks God...

The scene had far more in it than I imagined, at first. I added 2100 words, and some surprises to me. I'm always amazed by what is revealed as I write. I had an event that needed to be seen from the heroine's point of view. I'd already written a version for the hero. That's it. That's all I knew about it. Then I started writing, and I learned quite a few unexpected things about the heroine, things that needed to be shared, but I hadn't done so yet. This was the perfect spot. I also learned a few new things about the hero.

The Project is well underway, now. It's taking its own shape.

My prayers are with all those who are in the path of Hurricane Irene.

Adding more...

I added another 1,600 words, comprising mostly of one scene, an important scene that's been waiting to be written for a long time. It's been a single sentence for a long while: Nan is dismissed. Yes, that started the addition of 1,600 words. I'm quite pleased with the outcome. It's a bit strange to realize that I have less than 15,000 words to finish the manuscript. It's a joy.

My synopsis class has been a huge help.

I can do this.

With God, all things are possible, even what seems impossible.

Another amazing day...

I worked on homework for The Project, for several hours, this morning, with only a little progress, but it was good. I worked through a few problems I was having.

Fresh bread was another accomplishment. I was more careful about the amount of flour, and this batch was better. The pop and squeak when kneading is one of the things I really love about making bread. Enjoying the smell and the taste goes without saying, I think. :-D

Well over 1,000 words were added, today. Though it looks like I only worked on four pages, almost all of those four pages was new material. A lot of information was revealed. I may have to change it, later, but for now, at least it's in, because it is information that has to be shared sooner or later.

I pray for those who lost loved ones, this past weekend. May God bless our military and those who love them.

The good days continue...

After baking my favorite chocolate chip cookies, the rest of the day was open to some needed catchup and writing. Another 1,000+ words and 15 more pages added and/or edited. I'm so grateful for the friends God has brought into my life. They lift me and inspire me. I pray God blesses them as they have blessed me.

Another good day...

My homework is done for my online class. The Project was given an update. I enjoyed the effects of yesterday's experiment with cooking and writing, and decided to try it again, today, by baking three batches of biscotti. Making my own baking powder, I've discovered I need to use it right away, or it clumps. It was a fun exercise. One batch had almond flavoring, with chocolate chips. The second had dried lavender flowers and chocolate chips. And the third had lemon flavoring and chocolate chips. I also needed to use up the chocolate chips. :-) That being said, it took longer than I anticipated. It was evening before I was able to start my writing. I was sure I wouldn't be able to fulfill my 1,000-word goal. I did it. Thank you, God.

Move along...

I've completed over 50,000 words of the current WIP. I'm breathing a bit easier. One-third left to go. I'm so grateful to God for His love and patience. He eases my fears and worries with peace and inspiration, and remarkable friends. I am blessed.

When I wonder if my life is of value, God reminds me that it is. Jesus Christ died for me. I have not been asked to give my life, rather I am asked to LIVE my life. I fear I may be a poor example of a Believer, but I'll never stop trying.

Still progress...

Only added 750 words to the WIP, but also edited 16 more pages. Continuity was also more carefully worked through, so the time line is better, clearly. In addition, I worked on The Project, editing the first chapter. A good day's work.

Missed the goal, today...

...but not unhappy about it. I only added 100 words or so. However, I re-arranged sections that no longer fit where they were. I also added a character who had been missing, not intentionally, but simply overlooked, and necessary. Every English manor needs a butler. Clearly, this one doesn't play a huge role, but it would be noticed if he weren't there. Now, he is. I also shuffled some maids, and their roles in the house. The changes smooth out some rough edges, and answer some questions. I will add more, tomorrow. With neatening up those few details, more of the story is surfacing. It's amazing. I feel so blessed. Thanks God. And The Project is off to another reader.

Surprise...

As I picked up work, this morning, I found myself wondering how to work out a snag in the story. I returned home with a firm idea, and started typing. I needed to complete my work for the day and used it as a break between writing sections. By the time I finished, I'd added over 3,700 words to the WIP and more to the short story. It's so exciting to see the stories reveal themselves.

Tonight, Desert Rose had their monthly meeting, and I had the opportunity to chat with new members and share my wonderful experience with the chapter's Mentor Program. I'm so grateful for this remarkable group of women, mostly, and appreciate their support and encouragement. I don't think I would have made it this far without them. God sends blessings, and it's often in the form of individuals who share our journey, even if only for a few moments.

So far, so good...

I did some re-writing and a lot of adding, about 1,300 words. It feels good. I met my 1000-word goal and pushed a little further, until I reached a good stopping point. Then I closed the document instead of trying to push harder. This is such a joy.

Brain is back, again...

...and four more chapters are done. The next chapter is critical, and will need a re-write with the additional information. It's already started, and I'm looking forward to seeing the new work.

Do Not Forget to Breathe...

I had one of my manuscripts critiqued. It was very encouraging, and wonderfully precise in what I needed to change and improve. I'm still debating if I want to use my real name or my pseudo for publishing. Not really important, at this time; something else to think about besides the work ahead of me. I'm doing another re-write, changing plots, names, goals... it's barely the same story I started out with, and I mean barely! The original had some great ideas, but I had so much yet to learn. Now, I'm using what I learned. I've discovered that I need an outline when I write. I need to know where I'm going. Is it balanced? What will be the darkest moment? What, precisely, are their goals, separately and together? I've also discovered that this basic stuff has to be done by hand. But when I start actually writing scenes, it needs to be in the computer. I could easily be overwhelmed. Consider this: My PTBW (which doesn't actually pay-the-bills anymore, but something is better than nothing) didn't have anything for me, today. What this meant to me: I've had all day to work on the advice I was given, and did. Life is an adventure.

God is always right...

"God may not come when you call, but when He does come, He's never late."

When I decided to submit my novel to the Mentor Program I was nervous. I knew the Desert Rose meeting was the last Tuesday. I wanted to be ready. I was, pretty much. I talked to Laurie, who was very helpful. I decided I'd turn it in by Friday. Wednesday morning, I woke up with a bee in my bonnet, and simply had to turn it in that day. By Wednesday evening, it was done. On Thursday, it was discovered that somehow the attachments hadn't made it. So I sent them again. On Friday, Laurie kindly informed me that I'd gone overboard on the synopsis. Instead of a synopsis, I'd submitted a novella. I re-wrote, and re-submitted. Friday. And it's done, really done, exactly like that first impression. Had I waited until Friday, It would have been next week before it was all straightened out. Whoohoo!! I listened and obeyed. I'm feeling much calmer about it all. The fun part was rereading some of the story, and finding there are parts that made me laugh out loud. With that comes the little thought, "Did I really write that?" Yep. I did it. I'm a writer. I really am.

Oh! I also worked on the next book, tweaking the first two chapters, working on the third, and starting the synopsis. I'm actually finding the synopsis is very helpful, at least the novella ones are because they cut out the cute, fun, catch-your-attention stuff and focus on the plot.

One chapter into three...

But all three chapters are done, with a synopsis for each. I love this story, and I love it even more now. It's so much better. I wish I didn't have to sleep so I could keep working. It's been a long time since I've felt this way about anything. It feels good. It makes me smile, from the inside out.

Chapter three...

...is started but not finished. I wrote a completely new opening scene. It's going to change coming chapters as well, but it was necessary. It was taking much too long for the hero and heroine to meet. It's still probably longer than most would like, but it's much shorter than originally written. So chapter three is only half done. I'm not discouraged because I'm very pleased with the new material.

I struggle with my trust in God and His plan for me, but only when I'm not writing. Once I start writing, peace sweeps over me, and more and more often I find myself feeling joy. My prayer is that my love for God is evident in my writing, so that others feel that love as well. No matter how bad things are, God is there. We are not alone.

UPDATE: I couldn't resist. I've finished chapter three, along with the synopsis.